scorri

"Ahhh, come on now, I'm sure it will be fine~" Luce's grin never faltered, but behind their cheerful eyes their mind was racing. Tch, can't get stuck here too long, Eve is waiting on me. And if what I thought I saw was really that... Mmm, she's going to need to know sooner rather than later. Hmm, does lend credence to their fears though... They adjusted their position, seemingly just to pull out the tome that was at their side, but their new position afforded them a better view out the carriage window, eyes narrowing for a brief moment before returning to a relaxed expression. "Besides, if it does come to a fight, don't think I'll let you leave me behind~ Sure, I had someone rent me a bodyguard, but that's just practical. Two people make a much less inviting target~ Really though, I bet that just telling them who we are will solve everything. After all, one of the performers for the festival is one thing, but a crown princess? They'll have to let us through~ No sense in worrying overly much." Better be ready to move quickly though. Just in case...

Koba had been trailing after Tio, mumbling under his breath about spells, when suddenly his name was called by Versaris. He whipped his head up, suddenly paying attention. The man wanted him to come along to try and track the group that had attacked them. "Ah, yes. I saw them... I saw which way they were going before I got blinded by that spell." He turned toward Tio and nodded. "Uhm, as for your question... It was some sort of thunder and light magic combination. I'm not sure the exact spells, if you give me a little bit of time to sort through the signatures I may be able to figure it out a little bit more, but neither are my specialty. Light magic especially is not something that I can use. Thunder... I can technically use, but not as well as wind. So it might take me a little bit to figure it out." Finally, finally, he was being helpful. First with this spell, now with helping Versaris track down the group... I might not be a fighter, but at least I can help them find their companions.

Iskra had waited until the last possible moment to pull her coat on and run to the room the meeting was in. She was on time, barely, but found herself sitting towards the back. She fidgeted, looking around, her fingers itching to put her headphones back on. She knew she couldn't, they were getting feedback that she needed to listen to, but she still wanted to. She frowned slightly as the conversation shifted towards commenting strongly about Kazue and her actions during the battle. While Iskra didn't quite agree with all of the woman's actions, she also knew that Kazue had fought well and it felt like the group was maybe being slightly harsh on her. She fidgeted, looking down at the ground, before quietly commenting, "It... it doesn't seem worth it to keep saying the same thing, uhm, over and over. I-it... The point was made. We should probably focus on other things, now..." She continued staring down at the ground, hoping that she wasn't going to pull too much negative attention onto herself with her words. Please just let me leave already...

Cin held the Commander as best he could, the rage she was feeling echoed in him, but he couldn't let that take control right now. Thankfully Tanya and then Gean and Renais arrived, and he looked at them, frowning before holding the Commander while Renais began to heal her. "I'm going to check on Siorel soon, but I'm needed here too. I can't..." He didn't want to admit the fact that he was too angry to go talk to Siorel right now. Given how she had been when he left, she needed calm and caring, and he was struggling too much with the rage that was burning in his chest. He would go see her soon, but a few more minutes making sure that the Commander was ok, waiting to see that everything would be fine (how could it be fine, Alvira had been taken with no way for them to try and find her that he could think of), and then he could go make sure that she was ok when he was coming from a better place. Koba had been following the group when all of a sudden the man holding Alvira turned, and Koba cursed, diving to the side as he sensed the magical energy gathering in the man's fist. Thankfully it wasn't offensive, but unfortunately it was an explosion of light and sound, leaving him blind with ears ringing. As his vision cleared, he grumbled, heading back towards the rest of the group, muttering under his breath about his failures. He entered the courtyard, spying Tio and walking over to the Evoker. "They... they took Alvira. I was trying to follow them, I saw the direction they were heading but then the one carrying her used a spell that... blinded..." He frowned, trailing off and looking around. "Mmm... the same spell was used here. The magical signature is basically the same... Err, point is, I saw where they were going but I lost them. I'm sorry..."

Cin gently deposited Tio outside of the smoke, giving her a silent nod before rushing to do what she had asked. Alvira's room was just down the hall, and he burst into it, quickly assessing the scene. The room, full of smoke. Their leader, injured, dragging herself to the window. His friend, nowhere to be seen. His fist slammed into the sturdy wooden frame of the door, cracking it, before he moved again. "Commander, here. What happened?" He rushed over, offering a shoulder to the leader of the Iron Tigers, looking out the window as he did. There was no chance of him making it through it, not without further significant damage, but he did consider it. Instead, he watched, as a group of figures, one clearly carrying another, made their way into the night. Dammit.... DAMMIT. His eyes flickered, for the briefest of seconds appearing to be made of flame, before he turned away from the window. "Come on Commander. We have to get you help..." Koba had been watching the battle in the courtyard, feeling helpless as he watched the fight down below. He knew he was outmatched, especially when the white haired man came back, carrying Mikoto like a toy doll. He had to do something, but going down there was just inviting death. He turned, unable to watch as the man threatened to kill them if they didn't stop fighting, and spotted another group of figures, including one carrying someone he recognized. The dragon girl, Alvira he thought, was clearly not a willing participant in this. He swallowed, mustering his courage, and then moved. He nimbly made his way across the roof and down the side of the inn, setting off a short distance back and another short distance parallel to the group that was fleeing. He hoped he was far enough away to not attract attention, but he had to at least try and figure out where they were taking the kidnapped dragon.

Cin has started to move towards the next target but suddenly everything exploded outwards as Elisa came bursting through the door, and quickly handled the enemy. He hesitated, looking down the hallway before shaking his head and running into the smoke filled room. "Tio, I'm here to get you out. We need you out there... There's this mage, I... I'm going to carry you, ok?" He barely waited for the positive response, scooping her up and sprinting towards the now broken doorway. "We need... There's too much. They knew too much. I heard Gean scream, but there was nothing I could do against him. Please... you have to help them all." He would set her down as soon as they were clear of this magical smoke, but for now he had to get her out.

Cin could hear a commotion behind him as he moved, and it killed him to keep pushing forward, knowing that his friends were in danger behind him. He couldn't turn back though. He had felt the magic of that man, seen Mikoto fighting against him, struggling against him. He was out of his depth. The only thing he could do was get the Evokers out of their room and into the fray. He had to at least do that. He charged forward, easily dodging the man's first swing and quickly landing two solid hits on the man, knocking him back into the wall. He raised his fists, moving in for the final blow when Gean's scream pierced his focus for a split second. He quickly recovered, swinging for the man, but he had given the scoundrel a chance. As he landed the final blow, the pure weapon swung up, the tip digging into his side. It wasn't deep, but he could feel the cursed magic slowly start to creep out and spread through his body. He swore bitterly under his breath before turning to face the other two. "Come on then. Better both attack at once, otherwise you'll end up like him before you can blink." His side throbbed, but he had to ignore it. He had a job, the only way he could protect the ones he cared about. He was going to see this through.

Cinaed grinned, a fierce angry smile, as the enemy menaced him with a pure weapon, one of a kind he had seen before. "If you think that scares me, I'll show you. I've fought those before and I'll do it again." He began to dash forward, but Tio's voice cut through the fury, pulling him back for the briefest of seconds. He growled, but listened, his flames for the moment still under his control. They vanished, leaving just the dragon clouded alone, staring down the pure weapon. I still need to do this. For everyone, I have to save them. The reason for the Evokers not being in the middle of all of this was clear to him now at least. They were pinned, unable to use magic. If he could take these three down... He had to try. He rushed in, fists up, swinging for the man with the pure weapon. "I'll take you all on myself!!"

Cin slowly stirred, as the sound of crashing glass and shouting echoed in his head. At first he thought he was dreaming, but as he sat up, he distinctly heard shouting, coming from the room next door. He stood up, doing his best to not disturb Siorel, and quickly and as quietly as possible moved to his door. Opening it up a crack, he opened it in time to see a strange man move into the neighboring room. Mmmm, who was... Wait, that's... Gean! Renais! He flung the door open, intent on charging, only to find himself confronted by some heavily cloaked figures. He growled, fire springing up around his fists. As he took a step forward, the flames began to crawl up over his arms. Unlike the last time though, he didn't try and reject it this time. Yes. More. I need the power. I have to protect my friends. The flames swept over his body, forming the leering face of a dragon over his head as he moved to confront the men. "I don't know who you are, but if you're hurting my friends, you are going to pay."

Koba had snuck out of his room, and up onto the roof once he realized who he was rooming with. He'd already been in an anxious enough state, he didn't need to add sleeping in the same room as one of the Hecatian military to that. He had brought a pillow and blanket, wrapping himself up in a cranny of the roof, hoping to get a decent night's sleep. His wish was not to be, as he was suddenly awoken by a low faint whistle. He kept low, slowly rolling towards the edge, peering over at the scene below. The courtyard was full of cloaked figures, led by a man with white hair. He shrunk down, every instinct in his body yelling at him to hide, to stay away. As he began to shrink away, Tio's voice echoed in his head, reminding him that she had brought him along because she thought he would be useful, reminding him that he needed to grow to help his family. He took a deep breath, pulling out his tome. Quietly whispering the spell, he formed a compressed ball of wind in his hand. He gave a quick flick of his wrist and it went flying at the window nearest where he remembered Tio and Elisa heading to their room. The ball expanded as it slammed into the window, the quiet of the night broken by the sound of a shattering window. He quickly tried to duck back out of sight, hoping his stunt would both wake people up but not draw too much attention his way.

"Mmm, for some people this would probably be harder, but I've always specialized in smaller magics. I'm not especially strong when it comes to combat magics, but my control over fine tuned uses is where I can show off." Koba sighed, letting the magical wind pick up in strength slightly, increasing the cooling as he peaked out the front of the wagon. "Honestly, I should have been doing this sooner, but I, uh... Lets say I have a hard time meeting new people. At least I can do this now. Though, looks like I might not have the chance to do it for much longer. The group seems to be getting ready to move. We have some visitors, friendly it seems, but it's got everyone all gathered up." He frowned slightly, staring at the newcomers. Islexians. Sure, one was Clouded, but that didn't mean he trusted the group. He was going to have to keep an eye out tonight, that much was clear. Good thing I'm used to not a lot of sleep... Cin sighed, trying to not get too caught up in the memories of what had happened with the Crows. Turning away from Syndra, he watched as the group was approached by Renais, Miria, and some newcomers, including what seemed to be a shark clouded, who seemed to be in charge. That's rare for Islexia... "Well, at least all the information came out before it caused problems. It was good talking to you, Syndra. Lets hope all this worry doesn't culminate in anything, yes?" He inclined his head slightly, and then walked over to his audience, gesturing over to the newcomers as he did. "Looks like we've found our contacts. Hopefully it means we can keep moving soon." He shook his head, reaching out and grabbing Siorel's hand as he looked them over. "The less time we have to spend in this country the better. It has me all antsy, like I'm about to catch someone constantly watching me from just out of the corner of my eye. I'll be glad when this is all over, not that it will be over any time soon..."

"Tiring? No no, not at all." He pulled out the tome he kept tucked away in his clothes and gestured with it. "I use tome magic, so it's really quite easy to get some magic going. Honestly, small magic has always been my strength. So something small and controlled like giving you a cool breeze is simple enough." Koba smiled, before flipping through the tome and gesturing. A few words, and a cooling breeze floated through the wagon. "Here, this should help. Sorry for not offering it earlier, I uh, I'm not great at new people, we'll leave it like that." The goose frowned slightly, looking out at the rest of the group. It was convenient, really, to have found an excuse to not go out and interact with everyone else. The wolf didn't seem overly talkative, which was perfect for Koba right now. Eventually he would be brave enough to mingle with the group, but not today. Today he would stay in the shadows still. Cin nodded along as Syndra explained. "Mmm, the Underground are the ones I'm worried about. Back when Renais ran off and I chased after her the other day... We ran into some folks that I just did not trust. I wasn't alone in that distrust, but they were too interested in Alvira and then Renais. I worry that given everything that happened with the Crows, my actions included, we've drawn attention from people that we will regret. Not saying that I regret anything we did. I would love to be part of taking these sorts of groups down, but if we end up in over our heads here, there aren't many who would be on our side." He sighed, rubbing a hand over his eyes, before looking around. He spotted Siorel watching them, and a small smile crept onto his face before he looked back at Syndra. "I appreciate your thoughts. If I have any more specific questions, I'll let you know." Cin watched as the group returned, this time with someone who was apparently one of the people that they had been hired to work for. She was an impressive sight, to be sure, and he could understand why they had been looking for a group that included Clouded. He stayed on the sideline for now, keeping an eye on things. He wasn't going to be much use here, but he wanted to keep an ear out to understand what was going on in this country.

As the group started talking about magic swords, Luce looked back at the group, catching something out of the corner of their eye that caused a brief serious expression to flash across their face before quickly settling back into a casual smile. Internally though, their mind was racing. Was that... No, it couldn't be. On the other hand... Mmm, I need more information before I can figure anything out. Something to keep in mind though. Mention it to Eve if nothing else. They sighed, yawning slightly ears swiveling briefly to listen to the sound of the road before commenting, "A shame one of them isn't magical. You could get pulled into some sort of storied adventure if it was~ Lady Ichika and the Starbound Blade~ You would wander around, disguised as a normal bodyguard only to find your destiny of saving the world... Ah, I can imagine the performance telling your story already. Still, if it's just your magic acting up, Lady Alouette, you should be careful. I've heard all sorts of horror stories about that kind of thing. Thankfully nothing I've ever experienced, my magic is more for the show than anything else." They gave the small tome buckled at their side a small pat, and nodding. "I trust you know more about magic than I do, to be clear. Just worried about my impromptu companions~"

Iskra frowned, fidgeting slightly, before flipping over to her newtype cannon. She'd avoided using it up until now, but she couldn't put it off any longer. She had a part to play and she needed to prove that she could do it. Can't miss this one. It doesn't matter if I don't kill, I need to prove that I belong her. She closed her eyes, letting her mind open up. It was only a simulation, but she could still feel it. The overload was floating right on the edge of her brain, she could only do this once, but she could feel the weapons spring out, slamming into the enemy. Iskra uses Sense, wire-guided cannon Diverter

"Oh, you can just call me Luce, if you prefer~ Lucero's so much more formal, Luce fits me better." The cat grinned, settling comfortably into the seat as the others talked. This was the life. They were going to have to grumble at their benefactor after all of this. Couldn't even get me a horse. Hmmph. The princess and her companion explained their reasons for coming to the festival, with Ichika asking more questions, their bodyguard seemingly somewhat bothered by Alouette's attitude judging from her glance, but she kept it private if she was. Luce leaned forward, chiming in anyways, hoping to keep things light. "Ah, I didn't think about that! Ichika, you'll love the festival! There's so much to see. Lots of flowers too, if that's your thing. Though, I suppose that makes sense, given the name... Still! Plenty of fun to be had. Games, performances, food... Oh the food~ Honestly, I agreed to perform here just for the food much less the prestige it could bring me." They glanced over at the princess and smiled. "I would be honored, really, if you showed up. I have nothing to hide, a simple performer~ So why would I not be open? And if I could say that the Princess of Phantasma, the crown princess even, came to watch me perform, why, I can't even begin to imagine. Truly, more than I deserve~"

"And I! Am Lucero Raisa!" The cat struck a pose with a flourish, clearly something that they would use at the end of a performance, holding it for a moment, before bowing with a grin. "It is a pleasure to meet you, your majesty. I am a traveling performer of some small renown, and I have been requested to perform in the upcoming festival, thus why we are on this road." They bounded up into the carriage, sliding into place next to Princess Lorelei in a flash, ears wiggling contentedly for a moment. "Ahhh, this is better. Thank you for your kindness, it is appreciated. Come on Ichika, it seems perfectly safe." Honestly, the fact that a princess was willing to let two strangers into the carriage with her was surprising, but Luce wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. Especially not when the gift horse was going to take them to where they wanted to go without their needing to walk any further. "If you are going to have time, you should come see my performance during the festival. I'm sure I'll be able to give you something to enjoy~"

Cin stretched lazily, less affected by the heat than the rest of the group, but still slowed a little by it. He had moved away from the long sleeved shirt he had picked up in Hecatia, at least for the moment, returning to a vest and pants as the days warmed up more and more, leaving him comfortable again in the familiar. He watched Renais and Miria head off into the town with a slight frown, worried about the two of them but knowing that he was just about the worst pick to join them, so he turned, looking for something to distract himself from that worry. He spotted Syndra, off by herself watching the group head off into Sipa as well. He wandered over, hands in his pockets and smiled down at her. "So, back home, huh? I have to imagine it feels a little strange. I suppose I can't really even begin to understand if I'm being honest, but... Look." He sighed, squatting down and staring at his hands. "You approached me once, telling me to keep an eye out for danger. From what I've seen, and heard, you were right to worry. I can't imagine we'll get through this country without several groups targeting us, but... Anything you can tell me, about any of the dangers you worry we're going to face, I would appreciate it. There's quite a few people in this group I want to protect. Really, I want to help protect the Tigers as a whole. Including you, Dame Syndra." He grinned at her, turning her titles back on her. "So. What can you tell me?" Koba was regretting having long hair right about now. It was hot, he was uncomfortable, and they were surrounded by more danger than he could imagine. He still wasn't really sure why he was here. He'd been set in his leaving after everything with the sword and the... presence, but he'd felt the need to tell Tio. He couldn't disappoint her, not again, and somehow, after a short conversation with her, he'd found himself still with the group, facing down a future more uncertain than it had ever been, even when he'd been stealing to survive from people who couldn't care if he lived or died. 'If you want to become stronger, if you want to become someone that your family, you, can truly rely on, you first need to realize that you're already stronger than you think you are, and will only become stronger by trusting the people around you. I didn't ask you to come with us just because I felt pity. I asked you to come with us because I think that you will be an incredible help to the Tigers. Your magic isn't strong, but you have skill. That itself is enough to become a mage to be feared, or perhaps loved. And I think I can prove that to you, I think the Tigers can prove that to you as well.' He grumbled under his breath. It was all well and good to hear that and believe it in the moment. It was entirely different to look back at those words after a few nights sleep when they were in the middle of a country that cared if he lived or died, specifically one that cared to see him dead. He groaned, dragging himself up from the undignified pile he'd made of himself in the corner, shaking his head. It wouldn't do to sit still like this anymore. He had to do something. He started to leave the wagon when he paused, looking over in the other corner. The wolf, Ullr he thought?, looked even more miserable than Koba felt, and he hesitated before moving over to the man. "Hey, I uh. I can try and cool you down a little, if you want? I have wind magic, it's not as good as some ice would be or anything, but it's something at least. Get the air moving in here a little, you know?"

Luce had been considering their answer to Ichika's question when suddenly she presented an even better solution to their problem. The dancer visibly brightened and nodded. "Oh of course! We should just get a ride with them!" Without waiting for an answer, they dashed off, putting doubt on their earlier sighing about their feet, tail swishing happily behind them as they waved towards the carriage. "Hello! Yes, you all, in there. I don't suppose you could take along two weary travelers with you, no?~ It's been quite a long walk, and we're only going as far as the capital, so really we're almost there." They smiled up at the carriage, hopeful that it would slow and give a positive response to their plea.

Iskra sighed quietly and moved forward. There were no enemies left in her range, so it was better to just move and be ready to attack when she could. Iskra to 10-11

Luce wasn't as happy as they could be. They had been on the road for too long, so far as they were concerned. Really, their benefactor should have paid for a carriage, since they'd been willing to pay for an escort. I'm going to have calluses on my calluses at this point, really not good for a dancer. They let out a self pitying sigh, before glancing over at their escort. The twin blades at her side were still intriguing, but thankfully they hadn't needed to see the blades in use yet. As they opened their mouth, their ears suddenly perked up. "Ah, Ichika, I think we might need to keep an eye out. There's a carriage coming our way. Perhaps we should move to the side of the road?"

Iskra let out a quiet giggle of satisfaction at seeing her target explode. It hadn't been the best battle so far for her, no misses but no serious damage dealt either, so it was good to prove she knew what she was doing. It did seem like others weren't faring so well, as several others were getting hit hard. Still, there was no time to deal with that now. She had to keep fighting. 15-11, shoot #3

"Look, I, ah... I'm, used to wearing gauntlets..." Diya was mumbling, a faint blush creeping its way onto her cheeks as Ren looked after her hand. They were kind, but still giving a bit of a lecture, before asking about everything that had happened. "It was... Strange. There were voices in my head, voices I've never heard before. Never heard anything like before... I need to talk to Lady Pan about it. Obviously, I need to talk to Lady Celine about it first, but there's more going on here than we realized at first..." She tried to stand up before abruptly half collapsing back down to sitting again, her head woozy. Ugh, not now body. You can't give up on me here. Push just a little longer and then you can rest. Just a little more. She pushed herself back up again, this time going at a slightly slower pace, though she sped up slightly as she realized she had been sitting on Jesse the whole time. "A-ah, Jesse, sorry. And thank you." Cin had watched everything unfold, helpless on the sidelines as magic beyond his comprehension unfolded. As everything finally seemed to come to an end, something caught his attention. There was a flicker of fire magic, a sensation he was only used to feeling from his own flames and from Elisa in this group. It wasn't his though, and the Evoker wasn't casting any fire magic that he could see. He looked around and then spotted it. Alvira, on her knees crying, a flame dancing over her palms. "I'll be back." He stood up, leaving Siorel behind as he rushed over to Alvira, kneeling down beside her. "Your flame... You found it again! What happened... How did you? No, sorry. Questions can wait. I'm so happy for you. Your prayers were answered." The sight of his friend crying tears of joy brought some tears to his own eyes. She had her fire back. Koba fidgeted uncomfortably in his chair, watching the scene. Something big had gone down. Something bigger than he could begin to understand. It was making him feel very small, and out of place. Yesterday they had fought against a royal from Lufiria. Today they were fighting against magic swords and presences inside of them. He looked down at his hands, clenching them into fists when they wouldn't stop shaking. I really don't belong with this group... Maybe Tio will allow me to work for Lady Celine... Or maybe I can just, disappear. Go back to Glacies or somewhere else. Leave these big things to people better suited to them. What good am I against these things anyways? His hands still wouldn't stop shaking. He was so far out of his depth it was almost laughable. "I'll just put all of them at risk by staying..." The words were quiet, an admission meant for no one now that he was alone at his table. He buried his hands in his pockets, looking out over the scene. Useless... Guess people have been right about me all along...

As Sophia wrapped her hands around the hilt of the blade, around Diya's hands, tightening the grip the rabbit had, but also increasing the pain in her right hand, Diya gritted her teeth holding tight and pulling away from the mercenaries. There was a lot of talking going on, but Diya couldn't focus on it. There was too much going on, the magic wasn't what she needed to focus on. The mages would handle that, she just needed to focus on getting the blade back. All of a sudden the blade flashed, and there was a scream in her mind, before the blade flashed again and Diya found herself falling backwards, sword in hand. She let go with one hand, trying to catch herself, landing in a heap with Jesse and Sophia with a sharp yelp of pain as she caught herself with her injured hand. Her left hand was flung to the side, keeping the blade away from her and her companions, Escaflowne in the air and unharmed. "Ha... Ah." She slowly pulled herself away from the other two, wincing slightly, before looking back at her commander. "Lady Celine... Now, now what?"

Diya growled as the other mercenaries and the Amaryllis joined in trying to separate the two women from the Escaflowne. She pulled her hand away from Sophia's attempts at ministration, spitting out a quick, "Sorry. Busy. Look at it later," as she locked her bleeding hand onto the hilt above her other hand and Jesse joined in. As the mercenaries pulled, she gritted her teeth, ignoring the stabbing pain in her right hand, and pulled in the opposite direction. She would get this blade back. She would. Whoever this voice in her head was would not win.

Diya hadn't been thrilled at the line of people who had wanted to touch the blade, but it had quickly grown boring. True, there was clearly something going on, but whatever it was clearly was beyond her basic understanding of magic, and so she simply stood, quiet, holding the relic out, one hand wrapped around the hilt, the other palm up with the flat of the blade resting in it. Things with the armored cat were taking a while, but when the dragon reached out and touched it, things seemed to suddenly shift, as not long after, the blade started glowing even brighter, bringing with it a shift in the energy in the room. Celine called out, and as Diya was about to behave, she gasped. Voices suddenly awoke in her head, talking about things she couldn't even begin to understand. What... What is this weapon? She instinctively tried to follow Lady Celine's command, despite the request of... the blade? She tugged once on the hilt, but the sword didn't move from the two mercenaries hands. Without thinking, she closed her hand around the blade and yanked, letting out a gasp of pain as the edge cut deeply into her unarmored hand. Bleeding, she let her one hand drop to her side, other hand still wrapped around the hilt. "Lady Celine... I can't. There's, something. Magic. They won't release the blade." It made no sense, they weren't even holding the blade in a traditional sense, just touching it, and yet, even with her strength, she could do nothing about it. The voices in her head continued, making her want to completely drop the sword, but she couldn't. This relic represented the work that her commander had put in, pushing herself to the brink. She could not let it go now.