The entire room was covered in splattered blood. Kaito stood stiff, his wide eyes stuck on the headless corpse of Jorak slumped over in the chair, thick streams of blood pooling beneath him from his exposed neck.
"H-His head… it… it just…" He muttered out.
Elara briskly walked over to Kaeline, who still stood right in front of the body, her boots squelching slightly as she walked the blood-soaked floor.
"Kaeline! Are you okay?" She asked urgently.
Kaeline wiped blood and chunks of matter from her cheek with the back of her hand. Her white hair was stained with spots of red.
"Yeah." She replied dryly, as if Jorak's mind blowing death was nothing more than an inconvenience.
"Did you see anything before it happened?" Elara asked.
"No. The second my essence began to merge with his… that happened."
Kaito was still frozen in shock. His brain could hardly process what just happened. He was finally able to unglue his eyes off Jorak's body, looking around at the blood and matter splattered across the room. The metallic scent in the air was pungent, almost to the point where it could be tasted.
"Who… who would do something like this?... Why?" He muttered out.
"I'm not sure, but we're going to find out. Whoever's behind this… all of this, they're going to pay. But for now, we don't have any leads to follow. The only thing we can do is wait for Aqua to wake up and try again." Elara replied.
Kaito's stomach clenched immediately.
"Try… with Aqua? Would the same thing happen to her?" He thought to himself.
Elara turned back to Kaeline.
"Call Viro. Tell him to clean this up and have Jorak's body taken to the med bay so Elysia may store him properly until we can lay him to rest with some dignity." She instructed.
"Roger that." Kaeline replied before turning and walking out of the room.
Kaito continued to stare at the body, his fists clenching and unclenching at his sides. Elara watched him for a moment before stepping over, placing a firm but reassuring hand on his shoulder.
"Go outside the ship. The others are waiting for you at the center of the village." She said calmly.
Kaito blinked, shaking out of his daze.
"Waiting for me? Why?" He asked curiously.
"Because you stepped up in a big way during this entire situation. Kaeline and Elysia told me everything. The tough decisions you made on the fly. You saved a lot of lives today. Even Talon complimented you."
Kaito's entire face soured up.
"Huhh?Talon!? Compliment me!?... Are you sure your head is okay, captain?" He asked skeptically.
"Hehe… well kinda. Her exact words were something along the lines of, 'For a stupid rookie, he did okay.'" She replied playfully before her expression softened a bit.
"What I'm trying to say is that you did good out there. You're not just some reckless underground fighter looking to prove himself anymore. You're a part of this crew… a star traveler and a damn good one at that. I'm proud of you." She said with a small but fiery smile on her face.
A warmness lit up in Kaito's chest before spreading to his entire body. He tried to play it cool, but a small prideful smile forced it up his face.
"Thank you… captain." He said quietly, staring into her bright red eyes.
"Now go. I'll be right behind you." She replied softly.
He nodded before walking out of the room. As the door hissed shut behind him, her face hardened as she looked back over to Jorak's body.
Kaito walked down the ship's ramp, but the second his feet hit solid ground—
"SURPRISE!!!!" A deafening roar of cheers startled him.
"What th—?!" He yelped out, body half turned the other way about to bolt back up the ramp.
Outside of the ship, in the center of the partially destroyed village was a large group of people. Finn, Rorik, Jinx, Nara, Enaros, Nix, along with dozens of draconians were all clapping and cheering loudly. Some draconians pounded their chests, while others shot up small fireballs from their mouths that blew up in the air like fireworks.
"Uh… What's going on?" Kaito asked, looking around confused.
Elara's voice came from behind him.
"While Elysia and Kaeline's clones were helping the locals, almost all of them mentioned something about you. From Enaros' village to his father's, and even the surviving warriors, they all had something positive to say about you Kaito." She said with a small proud smile on her face as she stepped off the ramp and onto the ground next to him.
"Me…?" He asked, pointing at himself, even more confused.
Elara nodded.
"They asked to thank you personally before we leave."
Enaros stepped forward out of the crowd, raising his clawed hand. The crowd of draconians went silent.
"Firstly, I would like to thank you personally, Kaito. Your aid in toppling the starborne troupe will never be forgotten as long as our people soar the air of this world—we will sing of this day for generations." He said, slightly bowing his head.
The warriors behind him let out a proud war cry, seemingly shaking the ground beneath them. He raised his head back up, his gaze locking onto Kaito again.
"You could have left us, abandoned us to our suffering… but you didn't. You not only fought beside us… you fought for us. You stood at the frontlines, stood for our people, bled for our freedom. Your bravery and honor reflect the ways of a true draconian warrior. And for that, we wish to offer you a gift."
He gestured toward Nix besides him, who walked forward, holding a small wooden box in his hands. Kaito felt a nudge in his side pushing him forward.
"Go on." Elara whispered with a smirk.
He stumbled a bit, his mind barely catching up to what was happening before he reached Nix who began to open the box. Inside was a wristband with small chainlinks holding a huge black scale that glistened in the moonlight.
"Whoa… Is this–" He asked, starry eyed.
Enaros walked up beside them.
"This scale is said to have come from one the dragon gods of Zephyros themselves, passed down through our bloodline for tens of thousands of the sun's rotation. It is also said to be a key that may lead one to the world of Zephyros itself." He explained.
Kaito gulped while looking down at the necklace.
"I… I don't know what to say. Are you sure? The way you describe it… this sounds way too important for you to just give it to me–" He began to say before Nix's voice cut him off.
"Kaito…"
Kaito looked down to see him standing directly in front of him now, still holding the small box with the bracelet.
"In the short time you've been here… I've learned so much from you. How to be brave. How to never give up, no matter how bad things seem and so many other things. So I wanted to say… thank you. Thank you for everything. For saving my father. For saving my elder sister. For saving our village. For believing in me. And also…"
He began to sniffle as the tears and snot ran down his face like a broken faucet.
"...For being my friend."
The second those words left his mouth, tears flooded Kaito's eyes. He took a second to gather himself before he broke down wailing alongside him. He took a knee, bringing himself eye level with him.
"No… Thank you, Nix. If it wasn't for you, none of us would be here right now. You've saved my neck more times than I can count."
He lifted his fist.
"You're the bestest friend I could ever ask for."
Nix let out a choked chuckle before quickly wiping his tears away. A smile stretched across his watery face before bumping his fist against Kaito's.
A wave of emotions swept through the crowd. Even the toughest looking draconians looked like they were holding back tears. Elara subtly wiped at her eye before looking away. Jinx and Nara, on the other hand, were losing it.
"WAAAAAHHHHHH! SO WHOLESOME!" Jinx wailed, full blown ugly crying as she grabbed onto Rorik's left arm, wiping her tears and snot with it.
"HE'S SUCH A GOOD BOOOOYYYYY!" Nara sobbed, blowing her nose into Rorik's right arm.
Enaros wiped away his tears after watching a moment longer, and cleared his throat.
"Nix." He said calmly.
Nix turned to him, giving a firm nod before taking the bracelet from the box. He gently placed it around Kaito's wrist, clipping the ends together. Kaito stood up, gripping the scale between his fingers, staring at it in awe.
"…A real dragon scale." He muttered to himself.
"Enaros." Elara spoke out over all the sobbing still going on in the background.
"I want to personally thank you and your people for your kindness and hospitality. Your strength and resilience are inspiring, and it's been an honor fighting alongside you." She said.
"No, captain Elara, it is we who should be thanking you and your crew. Without your intervention, many more of our people would have suffered under the starborne troupe's tyranny. You have given us our freedom back. I heard you all must head out soon due to urgent matters… May I ask, when exactly do you plan to leave?"
Elara turned her head towards Rorik who still had both of his arms taken from him by Jinx and Nara.
"Rorik, is the ship ready?"
"She's ready to leave whenever you are, captain." Rorik replied.
"Then… I take it you will be leaving our world soon, won't you?" Enaros muttered out, visibly a bit let down.
"Yes. There are urgent matters that require our attention elsewhere immediately. I apologize that we cannot stay longer." Elara replied.
Enaros sighed before nodding.
"It is unfortunate. We had hoped you would stay for the Festival of Lights. But I understand… You have your own path to follow. But always know that you and your crew are always welcome here. Should you ever find yourselves in need, just know you have allies on draconis prime." He said, a small smile forming on his face.
Elara returned a smile of her own, placing a hand over her chest.
"Thank you, Enaros."
Slightly behind and to the side of Enaros, Nara stood there, her arms crossed, pouting slightly as she kicked at the dirt. Nix, noticing this, suddenly perked up.
"Wait! I think elder sister would like to say something!" He blurted out for everyone to hear.
Every single person turned their attention to Nara. Her face instantly shot red.
"N-Nix, what are you doing!? I said I was going to ask in private!" She hissed, flailing her arms.
"But they're leaving soon! I didn't want you to miss your opportunity, elder sister!" Nix replied.
Enaros looked down at her with a confused look on his face.
"Nara? What is it you would like to ask? Is everything alright?" He asked, a slight worry in his tone.
Nara tensed up, nervously looking at everything besides.
"Y-Yes, Father. Everything is fine. It's just…" She took a deep breath before turning to Elara, her expression becoming morphing from anxious to serious.
"You're the captain of this crew, right?" She asked bluntly.
"Yes. Why do you ask?" Elara replied just as bluntly.
"Let me join your crew."
The entire gathering, from Kaito to Enaros to Rorik, even the draconians, went absolutely silent.
"Ehh…?" Kaito aired out.
Elara's expression didn't change whatsoever. She stood there and watched Nara for a bit, her head tilting to the side.
"That depends. What's your reasoning?" She stated, calm but blunt.
"To fight." Nara replied with literal zero hesitation.
Elara's eyes slightly widened, twitching subtly.
"To fight huh…? Why? Why do you fight? What does fighting mean to you? Why leave your world to travel the unknowns of space?"
Nara perked up, slightly caught off guard by the sudden questions. She scratched her partially scaled face anxiously.
"I…Well it's be– She began to say before being cut off.
"A person who fights without purpose or reason is destined to fall, no matter how powerful. From deities to mere mortals, all who lack true resolve will eventually break." She narrowed her eyes.
"So tell me. If you cannot answer those questions, then I cannot allow you to join."
Nix turned toward Nara, eyes full of concern as he watched his sister lower her gaze to the ground, clearly overwhelmed by the complicated questions thrown at her. But before he could begin to pity her, her usual fiery voice rang out.
"Fighting is everything to me. My dream… ever since my father told me stories of Zephyros… was to travel to different worlds and fight their strongest warriors. To test myself against the best. To prove myself. To grow stronger, beyond what my world can offer me." She said as her hands trembled, not from fear or nervousness, but with excitement.
"I do not wish to leave my world because I seek something else. I wish to leave because fighting is my world."
Enaros looked down at his daughter with eyes full of shock mixed with admiration.
"Nara… has that always been your dream?" He asked softly.
"Without a doubt, Father. This is my true dream." Nara replied, looking up at him with a determined look.
For a long moment, he studied her, a clear confliction in not only his gaze, but his entire face. It wasn't long before his draconian pride gave way, giving her a big proud smile. He ruffled her hair, causing her to scowl slightly.
"That's a nice dream there… You've grown into a fine warrior, Nara. I couldn't be prouder to be your father." He said softly.
During their warm father daughter moment, the air seemed to become heavy causing everyone to tense up. Elara was walking toward Nara, her red essence slightly shimmering around her.
"C-Captain…?" Kaito whispered, sweat rolling down his face.
Finn ducked behind Rorik.
"Wh–What's going on with the captain Rorik?" He asked, nearly pissing himself from the immense aura.
"I'm not sure myself man. It's rare to ever see the captain this excited outside of a fight. She's barely containing her essence."
Jinx, who was also hiding behind Rorik, pointed at her hands.
"No kidding! Look at her hands! They're shaking more than a zelurian stripper!"
Every single one of the draconian warriors were stiffen in admiration and shock, Enaros included. Her presence was like anything they've ever seen or felt, most couldn't even comprehend. She stopped just inches from Nara. She was a few inches taller so she had to look down slightly to look into her eyes.
"Nara. Tell me your full name." She commanded with a voice that was both firm and oddly… eager.
Nara hurriedly straightened up.
"N-Nara Drayen! Daughter of Enaros Drayen!"
"Nara Drayen huh…? Very well. I will allow you to join the Starlight Crew, but only on one condition."
Nara's eyes shot open.
"A… condition…? What would that be?"
Elara's smirk morphed into a full blown smile, unable to contain her essence anymore as it began to flare like a wildfire.
"You, Nara Drayen, will become my apprentice."