"Become… her apprentice?" Kaito thought to himself in utter shock.
Jinx grabbed Rorik by one of his snot-covered arms and shook it wildly.
"Holy shit! Rorik! Cap's or Talon never took on an apprentice before, right?" She asked excitedly, eyes wide with shock.
"No, not that I know of." Rorik responded, just as shocked.
"Then that means the cap must see something special in that Nara girl. Look at her, she's even smiling! When has the captain ever smiled!?"
"I don't know… but seeing her smile is kinda creepy, no lie man."
Meanwhile, Nara remained frozen, transfixed by the essence radiating from and around Elara. Her knees felt weak, as if they were going to buckle at any moment as if the gravity increased the closer you were to the captain. The scales all over her body seemed to vibrate. The air felt heavy and dry, as if all the moisture was sucked away, leaving her mouth dry and hard to swallow.
"This presence… This overwhelming power.We're not even fighting, yet I can tell she's on a completely different level than everyone I've ever met… No, we're nowhere near the same league. I would've never imagined someone like this could even exist. If she's this strong… just what else could be out there…"
A slow grin spreads across her face as the embers of her own fiery red-orange essence begin to flicker to life around her.
"I accept." She stated confidently.
Elara gave her a small smile as her own flaring essence settled into nothing.
"Good… Welcome to the Starlight crew, Nara Drayen. Now hurry and grab whatever belongings you need to bring, we will leave soon. Understood?"
"Yes! I mean… yes captain!" Nara shouted excitedly, standing at attention like a fresh private reporting to their drill sergeant.
The gathered draconians erupted into cheers, the excitement spreading around like wildfire. She did an about face and threw her arms around Enaros, squeezing the air out of him, before stepping back, her wings flaring open.
"I'm heading back to the village to grab a few things. I won't be long!"
She shot into the sky, soaring towards the direction of their home. Enaros chuckled as he watched her go, shaking his head before turning back to Elara.
"It's been a long time since I've seen her this excited… But could you at least satisfy a father's curiosity… Why? Why take her on as your pupil? Why would that be the only reason you'd take her with you?" He asked, a clear curiosity in his eyes.
Elara took a moment, before turning to him with a small but warm smile.
"When she talked about fighting, about what it meant to her… it reminded me of myself when I was younger. If I hadn't had my older brother to guide me, that mindset would've burned me, everything and everyone around. That's why I said what I said earlier. A person who fights without purpose is destined to fall. No matter how strong they are, they will eventually lose themselves. Fighting is more than a test of strength, it's a way to peer into another's heart and soul… to understand how one truly feels."
She raised her fist in front of her, looking down at it.
"A good fight never lies."
Nix's eyes widened.
"Those words…elder sister told me the same thing on the Aurora coastline."
Enaros stared at her in utter admiration for a long moment before closing his eyes and chuckling.
"I see. Your wisdom and strength does not match your youthful appearance, but those eyes, they tell me all I need to know. It's good to know my daughter will be in good hands. Thank you again, Elara. Her mother would be so proud of her if she was here."
Elara lowered her fist, looking back over to him.
"No, thank you. I promise to take good care of Nara."
A gust of wind kicked up dust as Nara landed in front of them, wheezing and sweating buckets. Slung over her shoulder was a large sack that was stuffed to the max, nearly bursting open.
"I—I'm back!" She wheezed out.
Jinx blinked, her head snapping back and forward between the distant mountain range on the horizon in the direction of their village and Nara.
"Jeez, that was fast! Ain't their village like by that mountain range way over there? What is that girl, a damn comet!?" She blurted out.
Elara crossed her arms as she assessed the overfilled sack before nodding.
"Good. Don't worry about your things. We'll take care of that so you have time to say your goodbyes." She said calmly.
"Thank you… captain." Nara replied between breaths.
Elara turned her head slightly.
"Kaito. Grab her bag." She commanded bluntly.
Kaito's face scrunched up into a look of confusion mixed with disbelief as he pointed at himself.
"Eh…? Me? Why me?" He sputtered out.
Jinx walked by him, stretching her arms as she headed up the ramp to the ship.
"Damkid, that's gotta hurt. Not even an official star traveler yet, and the captain's already moved on. Middle child syndrome is rough, huh? HA! Sucks to suck!" She said teasingly.
"H-Hey, I—" Kaito began to refute, but before he could finish, Rorik's massive hand slammed onto his back, nearly knocking him to the ground.
"Don't stress it man. Probably wasn't you—it was her. Hehehe" He said jokingly, pointing towards Nara before laughing and following Jinx up the ramp.
Kaito groaned, rubbing his back as he straightened up. As he did, a familiar voice spoke up right beside him.
"Do you… need help with Nara's stuff?"
He turned to see Finn standing beside him. He smiled and shook his head.
"Nah, I got it. But thanks anyways bro."
Finn nodded, turning to walk away, but hesitated slightly before turning back.
"...I heard about everything. About the fights, the starborne troupe, and all the crazy stuff you did." He said, almost in a conflicted tone.
Kaito scratched the back of his head, almost embarrassed.
"Heh, yeah… but honestly? I probably would've died if it weren't for Nix. Or Elysia. Or Kaeline… or Talon…"
Finn chuckled.
"Yeah, but either way… what you did was amazing. You haven't even gotten your star traveler license yet and you've already done so much. It's really… cool." He muttered.
"Heh… Thanks, Finn. That really means a lot." Kaito replied casually with a small appreciative smile on his face.
A short awkward moment of silence passed between them before Finn perked up.
"Hey, um… can I ask you something?" He asked, a little more pep in his tone.
"Of course Finn. What's up? Everything okay?" Kaito asked.
Finn opened his mouth, but before he could speak—
"Hey Finn! What's cookin' tonight? Make something nice for the new girl, yeah?" Jinx yelled out, poking her head through the entrance doorway up the ramp.
Finn turned abruptly.
"O-Of course! I-I'll get started right away!" He anxiously shouted back, getting ready to dart off.
Before he could leave, Kaito tapped his shoulder.
"Before you go, what is it you wanna ask me?"
Finn quickly shook his head, forcing a small smile.
"D-Don't worry Kaito… it's nothing. Try to get some healing from Elysia and rest up, we have our licensing exams coming up really soon."
Before he could respond, Finn turned and hurried up the ramp. He watched him go, but before he could dwell on it any longer, someone else called out to him.
"Kaito!"
He turned to see Nix right next to him, staring up at him.
"Will I… ever get to see you again?" He asked hesitantly.
Kaito's eyes softened. He crouched down to his level, placing a hand on his head between his small horns with a warm grin.
"Of course, buddy." He said warmly.
"I… I wish you could stay for the Festival of Lights." Nix replied.
"I know. I'm sorry I'm gonna miss it… but I promise you, I'll come back. And next time I'll take you with me. We'll travel the cosmos together, see all kinds of crazy worlds out there. How's that sound?"
"Promise?" Nix asked wide eyed.
Kaito raised his fist.
"Promise."
Nix beamed and fist-bumped him. After a moment Kaito stood up, scanning around them.
"Wait… where's Tyrek? I didn't get a chance to thank him or say goodbye."
Nix's expression dimmed slightly.
"Oh… Tyrek's injuries were pretty bad. He's resting in Kallar Village. I wasn't able to fully heal him because the healing ability drains me quickly and it takes a while to recover..."
Kaito's expression deflated slightly as well.
"That bad, huh…? Damn. I'm sorry to hear that. Tell him I hope he gets better… and thanks for all his help."
"I will." Niz replied while nodding.
Kaito patted his shoulder.
"Now go on. Say goodbye to your sister."
Nix nodded again before running off to where Nara and Enaros were saying their final goodbyes. Nara knelt down as he ran up to her, throwing his arms around her tightly.
"I'm gonna miss you soooo much, little guy."
"I'm gonna miss you too elder sister… But don't worry! I'll take care of everyone while you're gone!"
Nara blinked, completely surprised before grinning.
"Wow. It hasn't even been that long, and you already seem like a different person, Nix. What's gotten into you?" She asked, her head tilting to the side slightly.
Nix chuckled, rubbing his arm.
"It's because of my friend… Kaito."
Nara's eyes widened. She glanced over his shoulder at Kaito, who was dragging her massive sack through the dirt, throwing a fit the entire way.
"What in the stars is in this thing!? Did she throw rocks in here or something!??" He cussed out.
As she watched him, the memory of Nix begging her to help his friend the moment when she had first regained her mind played in her head. Enaros' voice brought her back to reality, walking up next to them.
"Kaito is a good one. He's not just Nix's friend, but mine as well. Get along with him, okay Nara?" He said warmly.
"Yes father. Thank you for everything." She replied with a smile before turning to head toward the ship.
But just as she did—
"Wait elder sister." Nix called out.
She turned to see both him and Enaros extending their fists toward her. Her eyes widened slightly as she looked down at them.
"The same thing Kaito and little bro did earlier…"
After a short moment, a small smirk appeared on her face as she lifted her own fist and bumped theirs. Without another word, she turned and sprinted up the ship's ramp. The moment she stepped inside, the doors sealed shut behind her and the engines rumbled to life. Inside the cockpit, Viro's voice crackled over the intercom.
"Engines are primed, captain. Ready to fly!" He said enthusiastically.
"Send us up, Viro." Elara stated calmly.
Outside, the gathered Draconians watched in awe as the ship began to ascend above the giant trees. The thrusters on both sides ignited, and in an instant, it shot toward the stars. As they disappeared beyond the clouds, Nix watched the sky with starry eyes, whispering under his breath—
"Wooww…"
Inside the ship's main command center, Elara stood near the central console, arms crossed, watching Jinx, who was leaning back lazily in her seat with her feet kicked up on the console, swipe through a holographic display projecting from her cybernetic arm.
"How are we looking so far?" She asked.
"So far, so good. All engines are running smooth, the reactor's purring and our shields are holding steady. But if you want my opinion—which, let's be honest, you always do—we should hold off on jumping to faster-than-light until we're clear of this star's oort cloud." Jinx replied.
"Why's that?"
"Because this particular oort cloud is a pain in the ass. It's way thicker than usual, meaning it could screw with our star finder's ability to lock onto other stars."
She tapped on one of the projected screens, pulling up a visual representation of the star and the surrounding space, showing countless debris covering the entire system like an icy cosmic eggshell.
"We were lucky to get a lock onto it in the first place. If we try a jump now, we might end up somewhere… let's just say, less than desirable. Plus the Accord will still be on our asses so we have to jump to the licensing station star system as soon as we clear it that way we'd be in ranger jurisdiction."
Nara, who stood nearby, tilted her head with a confused look on her face staring at the projection.
"What's an… Oort cloud?"
Elara turned to her.
"It's a massive sphere of icy objects that surrounds a star system. You can think of it like a distant shell filled with frozen debris left over from when the system was first formed. Some systems have thin ones, barely noticeable, but others—like this one—are dense enough to interfere with long-range navigation."
Nara nodded slowly, processing the information.
"How long until we clear it?" Elara asked.
Jinx swiped her fingers across the console.
"Let's pull up the star map and see."
The holographic display shifted, slowly expanding outward into a detailed representation of their small section of the galaxy. Nara's eyes widened as she watched various stars flicker to life on the map, each labeled with information about their type, age, and planetary systems.
"This is a star map. It catalogs all known stars within the nearest cluster of galaxies. Not only does it show their spectral class and approximate age, but it also tracks how many planets orbit them and where they are in their galactic orbit." Elara explained.
"That's… incredible… Wait! Can you look at my world's star?" Nara replied, her eyes wide.
Elara's expression shifted slightly, sensing what she was implying.
"We just might be able to see Zephyros… the planet you and Enaros spoke of… Jinx!" Elara called out.
"Already on it cap." Jinx replied.
The holographic projection zoomed in, focusing on the golden star near their red blinking dot on the map. Jinx clicked on it and a projection of information popped up for everyone to see.
Star System: Unknown
Number of Stars: 1
Star Type: K-Class
Galaxy: Viridion Galaxy *Error, system not found in galaxy index
Approximate Age: 4,200,000,000 Cycles (4.2 billion)
Number of Planets: 1
Jinx started reading the details aloud, her voice filled with excitement, until she got to the last entry.
"…Number of planets… one? Wait. That can't be right. Maybe… maybe the scanner is wrong, maybe—"
"No. It's out there. I know it is." Nara blurted out confidently.
Jinx turned to her.
"What makes you so sure?"
Nara's fiery eyes remained locked on the hologram.
"Because of all of you. Before I met you, I never imagined that so many different kinds of people could exist in the universe. If there are worlds filled with elves, little orange people–"
"Zaraki!!" Jinx blurted out.
"–and even draconians like me, then I know for a fact that Zephyros is out there, waiting to be found. I can feel it." Nara finished.
Jinx and Elara exchanged glances before chuckling, shaking her heads.
"Well, can't argue with that kind of logic." Jinx chuckled out, shrugging her shoulders.
Elara smiled slightly.
"Whoa! Look at this!" Kaito blurted out.
All three of them turned toward the main viewport, where Kaito, Rorik, and Finn were pressed against the glass, staring out at the planet below.
Jinx rolled her eyes.
"What are the boys gawking at now?"
As they walked over, the sight outside the ship took their breath away.
Draconis Prime stretched beneath them, but what stole the show were the lights. Across the darkened hemisphere of the planet, vibrant bioluminescent flora flickered to life, forming glowing patterns of all colors across the entire landscape.
Elara's breath nearly caught in her throat.
"These lights… they are—"
"The Festival of Lights." Nara finished for her.
"Nix was telling me about it… That some plants light up around this time of the year… but I never imagined it'd be this beautiful." He muttered out, practically glued to the glass.
Elara watched as Nara took in the sight of her homeworld from a perspective she'd never seen before.
"This is my world…? It's so… huge!" She mumbled out.
Elara's eyes softened as she smiled then placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Come with me. There's a lot more I want to show you."
Nara turned and blinked, before nodding eagerly.
As they turned and walked away, Kaito silently watched them leave with a thoughtful look on his face.
In a dark small room, a holo-projector in the center flickered on, projecting a figure in a long, hooded cloak. Their face was completely covered in darkness. The light from the protector revealed a man in the room wearing a similar hooded cloak on one knee, bowing his head.
"Why are you calling? Where is Sera? Where is the human? And the Draconian child said to possess nature energy? Answer. Now." The projection demanded.
"Sera has fallen in battle, along with Velzari… and I would assume Jorak as well." The kneeling man replied hesitantly.
"Sera has… fallen?... What about the boy?"
"He's here. Alive and well. And I can confirm… he indeed possesses nature energy. I've witnessed it with my own eyes."
"...And Aqua?"
"It seems Aqua was taken by them…"
The kneeling man pressed his head harder against the cold floor.
"I deeply apologize for this mishap. I will accept whatever punishment the Grand Order rules. Please… forgive me lord Morgoth."
There was silence for a long moment before—
"…heheh….hahahahhahah….AAAAAHHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAHAHA!!!"
The kneeling man twitched as he slowly lifted his head in confusion.
"No need to apologize...This is probably the best thing that could have happened. No… This is truly perfect!" The projection gleefully stated.
"The best thing…? After our defeat? I… I don't understand." The kneeling man asked, perplexed.
"Oh, losing Sera was an unfortunate setback, yes I will admit that very much. But she was only a piece on the board. Pieces can be replaced. Eventually."
The kneeling man hesitated before slowly opening his mouth.
"And what of Aqua? The human? Elara and the Starlight crew?"
"Heheheheh… Don't worry about them. We'll take care of them. Besides… Those fools' fate were decided when they brought that monster on board their ship. Even Elara the Destroyer isn't prepared for the chaos she is going to create for them."
"…Then what are my orders?" The kneeling man asked.
The projection leaned back slightly.
"Well… due to recent developments, it may take some time for us to arrive as we have few things to tighten up beforehand, but… time is on our side. Your mission is to prepare for our arrival on Draconis Prime and the transport of the boy. This is a no-fail mission. Do you understand?"
The kneeling man bowed his head once more.
"Yes, my lord."
"Hehe, that's what I love about you Draconians… no questions asked. No hesitation. Such obedient creatures. Do this job well and your wish will certainly come true… okay…"
The projection leaned forward slightly—
"Tyrek."
Tyrek lifted his head slightly, just enough for the glow of the holo-projector to catch his face beneath the shadow of his hood.
"Understood."
The projector flickered off, enveloping the room in complete darkness.