As Lyn and Alfaic stepped back into the reality of METIS, she noticed that the debris from Kaiden's battle with her had been cleared out entirely from the harsh winds of the Wastes. The wind was much more tame and calm in the present moment, which confused Lyn to a certain degree. She looked around her surroundings and found Dorothy angled against a set of multiple crates, and with Ardine's gargantuan airship several meters away from her.
"Lyn!" Dorothy called, rushing to her. "You're back. Are you okay? Seth didn't hurt you, did he?"
Alfaic floated away from Lyn's grasp as she placed her left hand on her hip. "He tried to, but it's over now," She coldly stated. "He's dead."
"Good," Dorothy said, nodding in approval. She then set her eyes upon Alfaic with a light smile. "So, you two are back together. Is this the legendary 'Blade' I've been hearing so much about?"
"I, uh..." Alfaic muttered, still rattled and confused over everything. "Guess so. You're a friend of Lyn's?"
"Only met a week ago," Dorothy continued, placing her palm on Lyn's shoulder to showcase her established friendship. "But she's been through a lot, and so have we. I mean, she couldn't stop talking about you. I could have sworn she was talking about an actual man, though..."
"A man?" Alfaic pushed himself away from them. "No, no! I'm not... well, I'm... I'm just a sword. I'm Alfaic."
"Alfaic," Dorothy repeated. "Well, Lyn certainly holds you to high regard. She couldn't stop talking about you, even when she was about to murder a few of our biggest enemies and the Rot. She kept saying your name, "Blade! Blade!""
"Stop." Lyn ordered.
"What's your relationship with her anyway?" Dorothy asked.
Lyn looked at Alfaic.
"Just... just acquaintances, I guess," Alfaic stated. "Hang on, I'm still feeling really weird."
"Ah, I understand," Dorothy continued. "No doubt you've been through a lot too, Alfaic. I should give you two time to catch up."
Lyn nodded in agreement. "Where's Ardine?" She asked.
"He's over there, behind me," Dorothy said, moving her back away from the crates to reveal Ardine leaning against the stairs and entrance of his ship. He watched Scabs and several other hard, laborious, and muscular workers heave crates onto the ship. "He's been wanting to see you again."
Lyn and Alfaic approached Ardine, who greeted the two with a keen salute. He smiled and placed his rifle on a wooden table beside him. "Made it back in one piece, I see," Ardine's cocky attitude and demeanor returned. "Although I'm not surprised. You always make it back no matter what kind of hell you go through," He then turned to Alfaic, who floated beside Lyn. "So, you two are finally reunited. What a sight to behold."
"Ardine, right?" Alfaic chimed in. "I'm Alfaic."
"Pleasure to meet you," Ardine said, lightly bowing in respect. "Not often I see a flying talking sword in this world, but I'm always surprised no matter what I encounter."
"I don't even know myself." Alfaic replied.
Ardine turned to Lyn with a bright grin on his face, placing his palm on her shoulder with confidence. "You've missed quite a bit. It's been a week ever since the cities sunk."
"A week?" Lyn repeated, unaware of the difference in time between her battle with Seth.
Ardine stared off into the seven cities beyond the Wastes, admiring the expanse. "A week isn't nearly enough time to rebuild what Kaiden did," He continued. "But in a week's time, the cities managed to clear out some of the Rot underground, and get back to rebuilding their civilization. Buildings are being remade and improved, rations are getting them by, and the people's hope aren't entirely lost."
Lyn looked at Ardine's strenuous expression. "I'm sorry about Kaiden," She reminded him. "I couldn't fulfill my promise. There was nothing I could do."
Alfaic lightly gasped and whispered to himself. "Sorry?" He muttered so lightly only he could hear himself.
"There was nothing you could do," Ardine reassured Lyn. "But you did fulfill your promise; he did die a peaceful death, and I was beside him. He was the biggest coward I ever met, and he at least died confessing what he did was wrong, and with his ally by his side."
Lyn listened.
He placed his hands in his pockets and nonchalantly looked up at the sky, inhaling a deep breath. "The courageous, brave, yet cowardly warrior manipulated by an evil witch who sought to give him all and more, for naught. It's really sad, when you think about it."
Alfaic entered the conversation. "I... I really missed a lot, didn't I?"
Ardine chuckled. "It's not a problem anymore," He reassured Alfaic before moving to the side of his airship. "It's going to take a hell of a lot more time to rebuild the Wastes. A few more weeks, months, maybe. That's why I've been helping the city load crates of supplies and rations on my ship."
From the top of the airship where the hot sun gleamed down upon the three, Scabs appeared to shadow the beam, waving his hand in enthusiastic glee. "HI, LYN!" He shouted as many other men rallied to support each other to load supplies. Letting his excitement take over, Scabs leaped down on top of two heavy creates stacked upon themselves besides Ardine, slipping off and burying his face in the sand in the process.
"Days pass and I can still think of no other name fitting for you..." Ardine teased, placing his hand on his forehead.
Lyn and Alfaic moved back slightly as Scabs stood back up, spitting out the sand that engulf his mouth. He placed his palms together and drew his chin down, face peaked in blossoming brightness as his short stature intimidated Lyn's height. Yet he still marveled over Lyn's otherworldly beauty, closing his legs together and turning away from her in absolute shyness. "I'm so happy you're back, Lyn." He said.
"I'm glad you are okay as well." Lyn replied, shaking his hand as a gesture of what they had taught her prior to them being acquainted. She appeared unfazed by Scabs's new and apparent fawning of her return.
Alfaic edged away from Lyn slightly, apparently surprised at her friendly demeanor and compliment back.
"Scabs started to develop a crush on you ever since you stormed the palace." Ardine mentioned.
"Ardine!" Scabs yelled, hiding his face away. He then broke away from it as Ardine chuckled at him, going off into multiple combat fighting stances that Lyn gracefully mastered as she ascended through the palace to battle the Rot and Kaiden. "But seriously, you were so cool! Jumping around the place and slicing up all those monsters! You fight like a..."
"Lightning Huntress." Ardine finished.
"What?" Lyn asked.
"Oh, that's right!" Scabs said, jumping in excitement. "You're famous now!"
"Famous?" Alfaic asked.
"Lightning Huntress," Ardine said, approaching Lyn with a smile. "The citizens were inspired by your heroism in protecting them. That, and those civilians that you rescued from the Wastes earlier told them the story of how you saved them and gave them hope to fight and rebuild."
"She dances through the night, blazing through monsters with her razor sharp blade, and bolts through them like brimming lightning," Scabs said, waving his cupped right hand in the air to imitate Lyn's behavior. "That's you, Lyn!"
"In the week you were here, you've really changed everything," Ardine mentioned. "More than anyone could have. You really are a hero."
All of the compliments hailing toward her made Lyn do nothing but blankly stare off into the distance, unaware of the sentimental value of happiness that came from the civilians and the people of the Wastes. However, a little glimmer of a smile could be seen peaking through her face, imitating the human act that she learned prior. After a quick nod, she looked back toward Gietha off in the distance.
"Anyway," Ardine continued, packing his leather pouch behind him. "I can't stay here for long. After I make my way toward Gietha for another drop-off, I'm returning to Buchasa for a while."
"What? Why?" Lyn asked.
Ardine pointed his thumb toward the airship, and gave a fervent yet accepting look with his eyes briefly closed. "Let's just say, I made a promise to an old friend, and I intend to keep that promise. But let's not talk about that. What are you and Alfaic going to do?" He asked.
Lyn looked at Alfaic. There really wasn't much of an underlying goal toward the lords of METIS in the moment. There were no leads, nor were there any dangers besides the Rot swarming the Wastes. Lyn looked back at Ardine, determined to make a change.
"I intend to stay," Lyn said. "What can I do to help?"
"Help?" Alfaic repeated, like a broken record still astonished by Lyn's change.
"Well, I'm sure the people would appreciate that, especially from their local celebrity," Ardine teased, taking a swig of water from a flask. "Surprised you'd say that, considering how focused you were on these "Lords of METIS." Well, I'll be back, eventually. I believe Dorothy intends to stay here as well, as well as-"
"Me," Scabs said, raising his hand. "I'm staying. I wouldn't want to interrupt you on your personal business after all."
"Then, I think it's settled," Ardine said, crossing his arms. He watched as Dorothy approached the four of them, standing beside Lyn. "Then the four of you can help the others rebuild. Who knows, if you're lucky, they might even build a statue out of you Lyn."
"That would be beautiful," Dorothy complimented. "Lyn, the Lightning Huntress."
"Hey, hey!" A group of Giethan guards and civilians approached the group, seen holding barrels of ale and supplies over their shoulders. "Can you give us a hand? We're going to deliver these to a supply camp nearby, but it's off your flight plan, Ardine."
"We can do it," Dorothy called. "Right?"
"Then I'll be off." Ardine said.
"Alright. Alfaic, Scabs, follow me. Let's get acquainted with each other." Dorothy said, smiling at the two.
"Yeah, sounds great! So, you're like a flying sword! That's so freaking cool!" Scabs's voice trailed off.
"Yeah, well..." Alfaic's voice trailed off as well.
Just as Lyn was about to join them, Ardine seized control of her shoulder and drew her back gently. The two locked eyes with each other, and Ardine's fervent glare returned, overpowering his previous sarcastic and witty behavior. "Wait," He said. "There's something I want to talk to you about before I go, Lyn."
"What is it?" Lyn replied.
"It's about Kaiden... and more or less, me as well," He continued. He hesitated to speak for a moment, but let it out regardless how difficult it was. "It's about the reason why he abandoned Buchasa, and I believe the reason why is still important. I intend to go back to find answers, because what happened that night when he left still remains unsolved."
"What happened?" Lyn asked.
"Machines, no... droids, attacked us," Ardine continued. "Flying ones, and ones that walked like humans; only, they were unstoppable against us. We couldn't destroy a single one. Hundreds of us were slaughtered by them, but luckily, a handful of us managed to relocate and recreate Buchasa to what it is to this day."
"Who was responsible?"
Ardine reached into his leather pouch. He pulled out a rusted and curved slab of cold blue metal, riddled with bullet holes from its previous slaughter. The slab was fading in color, revealing silver metal underneath from where its previous blue color was established. Listed in small letters besides the faded material was cut out, and only was made out to say "-IS04." Ardine handed it to Lyn for her to hold.
"It's from Qliphos, one of the royal capitals of METIS from the East," Ardine said. "I've never been there before myself, but I've heard rumors of their many creations, including a method on how to reach space. I've been thinking about going there myself, but... no, I mustn't. I have to move on."
Lyn examined it further, but could not make out any clues from within it. She was the one who knew the littlest of the lands of METIS. But she knew that eventually, with regards to Ardine's story, that perhaps the machine army that he described in his story would have reached the Wastes. The thought of it pained her.
"I will go there," Lyn said. "Eventually, after I have helped the others."
"If you do... I want to be there," Ardine stated. "I need to know the truth. But some things are left as secret, especially as of now," He looked back at the airship and reached for a lever, opening a side panel that revealed a ladder to the top. "I have to get going, now."
"Give me the metal," Lyn said. "I may find more information later about it."
Ardine tossed it down at Lyn, leaving her to catch it. "It's better off with you," He said before giving her a salute and a firm smile, masking the pain underneath his eyes. "Take care, Lyn. May we meet each other again soon, and perhaps, with more answers. Thank you... for everything that you've done for me and the others."
Lyn nodded. "Good bye, Ardine." She said, waving a single time back.
As the airship eventually ascended through the skies with his crewmates and Gietha's men left aboard, Lyn examined the metal slab once again, pressing her fingers against it tightly.
Despite her recent victory against Seth, what he had said managed to root deeply within her mind. She was conscious and fully aware of everything he had said, yet she had hardly any time to make sense of it all. She lowered the slab of metal beside her and placed her left hand on her chest. Her eyebrows curled down as she clenched her fist, wondering if anything he had said had been the truth, or if it was a ruse.