Night had fallen long before she stepped foot into the rotating streets of Axis. Not that the Undercity had much of a day time to speak of. Nivara couldn't help but run her hands across the colliding brickwork that led to alleyways long abandoned by its patrons. She wouldn't normally ask Kaldra to take her here. 

The Mist Maiden side of her was too afraid of the Bolthole and its potential influences on her newly salvaged position. Being the Regent of Opalis had its fair share of naysayers and hypocrites at your back. But she couldn't help but be drawn to the Undercity tonight. It was as if her feet knew exactly where she needed to go. 

"Odi…"

Her voice faltered, the sight of her surrogate mother on the other side of a dusty, old shop window. Nivara leant against the glass, the salamander sized Scale Shrieker still desperately searching for something within the piles of mess. How she found anything these days was beyond her.

Nivara couldn't help but smile, the interior of the library still the same disorganised mess it always was. Odi herself was balanced precariously on a stack of books before darting towards another set and almost veered off of it. But her excitable Trait began to weave around the cracks in the glass, too ecstatic to rein in her mist any longer. 

Nivara jerked away, attempting to rub at the sight of her cold handprint etched into the glass with her gloves. Her careless movements caused a plant pot to crash unceremoniously onto the ground, her cloak entangled with webs of broken cobwebs.

"Who's there? I swear if you broke anything Hackerby I'll-" 

Nivara ducked under the windowsill, flinching at the sound of Odi's stern tone as it recalled her days as a mischievous child. She had a habit of fighting any neighbours who came by and no respectable dragon could make ends meet with a gremlin who wouldn't sit still. 

"Fidget? Are you there?" 

Nivara bit her lip, wary of the green cloaked individuals hiding their Trait just around the corner. She knew of the Swarm and its reputation but the familiar glow of a Fire Traited helped her to decide and wait until the duo were completely out of sight.

"Nessie?"

Nivara froze at the sound of her nickname, the cold making her breath come out in bursts of hot air and her Trait fog up the window glass with condensation. Odi's worried but stern tone still made her shiver but Nivara knew it had been all in good faith. 

To think she had thought of her even now made her heart hurt. Nivara's fingers were going numb but the urge to stand up and reunite with Odi was too strong. Just as she was about to give in and stand up before the dragon walked away, a loud voice called from inside.

"Odi! You might want to come over here, quickly!"

Nivara had just stood up but Odi had already slunk inside. She held her breath and half expected to find her on the other side of the glass but the room was empty. Clenching her fists, she used the adrenaline from the earlier burst of insight and used her Trait to open the window and stepped through. 

Her mist helped her Everchange cloak stay untangled from the window sill, careful to steer clear of where Odi was headed despite how nostalgic the layout was. It was clear to see the Scale Shrieker hadn't changed her hoarder tendencies but the numerous stacks of books caused her to stumble over them a few times.

"Move away. Now."

The Mist Maiden winced, her stomach lurching forwards as her foot dangled in midair, attempting to move past the wall of books without jostling them. It reminded her of the Freeze and Fire game she used to play as a kid. They had to run towards the leader and freeze when they turned around. But right now, the only thing she could think of was being caught red handed by an angry dragon.

"Now who's stating the obvious, Sand Wraith."

Exhaling a breath in relief that Odi's no nonsense tone wasn't directed towards her, she gingerly continued to step through the war path and towards the end of the study. Another outburst came from the direction of the library and Nivara couldn't help but wonder who was inside considering the mention of such a rare visitor.

She could vaguely recognise one of the voices but a Sand Wraith in the Undercity...there was only one she could recall. But the time she had been provided by their bickering couldn't be wasted eavesdropping on gossip. 

Nivara trudged through the mess of papers, the hope that the hint of a black, leather grimoire was hidden beneath the mass of doodles and discarded sketches kept her moving forwards. She brushed them aside, tipping them onto the ground but one seemed to cling onto the burrs of her cloak. Nivara couldn't help but pry the page off her sleeve and take a glance at the drawings.

It was a rough draft of her mask, the design still slightly similar to her current version except some of the designs seemed more helmet-like that protected the back of her head as well as her face. She couldn't help but brush her hand against the drawing, the grooves of the Sea Screamer mask matching Odi's lines perfectly. No grimoire in sight.

Despite her unsuccessfulness, Nivara couldn't help but smile that even after so many years Odi had kept these old designs for so long. The dragon had no idea who the commission had been for but there was no denying the inspiration behind it. Placing the pages away from the grimoire, her arm nudged a nearby bookshelf as a stray almanac fell onto her foot.

"Hell's teeth!"

Nivara suppressed the urge to swear in tandem with the Sand Wraith, her jaw clenched as tears began to well up in pain and frustration. She glared at the empty spot the book had fallen from, the shelf now providing a way to let her see the dishevelled Mediator and a glimpse of a dull scaled Sand Wraith arguing. 

"I know it's hard but both of you, please try not to use your Trait for a few moments. I need to find out what's wrong with it. Without trying to explode it."

Nivara blinked in surprise, her mouth agape for several seconds as she recognised Hawkins and how urgently she needed to act. Taking a breath to clear her mind and focus on her partner, she used Transference to move behind the group and toward the nearby series of bookshelves to avoid detection away from the empty shelf near the Mediator.

The black grimoire sat on the table, inches away from the group but now concealed by a sliding wall she couldn't have gotten past had she not moved when she did. Her comfortable position on the right was now half the size and completely cramped but Nivara goal was right in front of her. Memoriam.

She could almost touch it, the air crackling with untapped power but something within her made her hesitate. Nivara knew if she used her Trait to retrieve it the black grimoire would repel it right back at her. 

But they were mere moments away from opening it and if she didn't act now her chance to keep her promise would be dashed. Her trusty dagger slid out of its pocket, pricking her finger despite the obvious risk of detection. It was a risk she had to take.

"Sorry, Odi." Nivara muttered, the blood on her clenched fist burning her hand.

The Mist Maiden watched until the dragon's back was turned, the two Mediators now riding the air of their Trait with their eyes closed in focus. 

Now.

Nivara summoned her grimoire in a flash of indigo and willed it to deceive her mother long enough to swap the two grimoires without a sound. Retribution shimmered in response, darkening its cover to match the ominous black grimoire. 

It floated over to her almost immediately, clutching it close despite its protests seething from within. Nivara hunkered down against the dusty shelf and counted the seconds, the grimoire trapped in her embrace now broiling with rage as it struggled to break free from its chains. Six of them. Six pairs were already bound to the black grimoires secret. She was the last. 

Her closed hand brushed against the rusted chains, the names of her comrades and enemies filling her mind despite the cost of knowing. A whispered breath was all it took to add her name to the list, pleading that Kaldra would forgive her when the time came.

"My name is Nessra Caldor. I give my Oath of the Stormkeeper to protect this Abnormal grimoire. I swear as the last Storm Traited."

Nivara turned her head away at the sound of the resulting crash, letting go of a grimoire that was no longer her duty to watch over and the memories she had promised to give up to do so. The black grimoire would remember but she would not. But there was still one thing she needed to find out.

"This grimoire has been Bound by a Lockbind contract. Recently."

Nivara froze, the stern gaze of her mentor passing along the nearby shelves as if able to sense even the slightest bit of Trait. Her grimoire clung to her side nervously, a mix of purples and blues as if not quite sure what colour to display regardless of her insistence to leave.

"You sure about all this, Odi?"

Nivara expelled a breath in relief, her leg going numb as it had fallen asleep but now they were about to open Memoriam for good. They really should've been more careful with their words.

The memory magic slammed into her like a wave of gravity, forcing her down into the inky abyss of shadows as it forced the truth into her mind. The truth of the Timekeeper. The truth of the Night Force. 

Nivara coughed, the dust gathered in clouds as her mist brushed away the grime from her cloak. It did nothing to stop the pounding headache so she cleared the stinging tears from her eyes and shook out her limbs to help herself feel better. 

But the taste of Silvertongue reminded her of how vulnerable they still were to the Lockbind and of how much of a loudmouth that damn Mediators was. Still knocked out but restlessly fighting the grimoires Trait, Nivara decided to give them a hand and fished out one of her many vials of Silvertongue. 

The clear liquid spilled out onto her palms but her Trait had full control over the potion as it spread into the atmosphere and changed from liquid to gas. Even if they didn't ingest it Nivara knew Hawkins Smoke Traited would do its job for her.

Did everyone see that? Did you all see the same thing, the same name?”

Nivara fought the urge to cringe, struggling to listen to the distressed dragon. At least the Mediator could lie without consequence for she already knew what he was trying to hide. He could see it in his eyes, his gait and even his Trait. The name he saw wasn't Rider. It was Isis.

"The grimoire wasn't a curse. It was an obituary."

Nivara heart filled with dread before her Transference covered the room with soporific mist. Forcing herself to leave despite the burning truth in her heart, she ignored the pull of the black grimoire and escaped into the night. She wanted to stay. She wanted to see it through until the end. She wanted...she wanted to be with Odi again.

But as she breathed in the smoke singed air, the glow of a familiar Fire Traited wafted over her as if to strengthen her resolve. She was Nivara Cross. She could not return to who she was. Not yet. Not until Opalis was safe. Her Storm Trait would just have to hold on until then.

Nivara rubbed at her eyes, the grooves of her mask making her wince as it caught against the hem of her sleeve. But the sound of scraping claws and her quickening heartbeat forced her into a run, her position already compromised. 

The slick cobblestones paired with the heavy rain and uneven puddles made her hesitate, stumbling through the winding streets as Axis continued to rotate after her. Taking a chance, Nivara stopped at the nearest corner and waited until Axis moved in her favour.

"Nessra? I know you're here. I'd know your Trait anywhere."

She froze, Odi's nervous disposition seeping into her bones more than any rain ever could. Silently, Nivara weaved her mist around Axis' changing bricks to get the Living City on her side. Her entrance and exits were blocked off but Odi continued to weave through the maze of colliding pipes like an acrobat. 

"No matter how the Fatekeeper hid your grimoire, I know it's you. I'm a Bindsmith, remember?"

Nivara felt a pang of guilt at Odi's jokingling light tone tinged with sadness. The soaked Scale Shrieker was shivering, her size no bigger than the wall she perched upon. Nivara clung to the moving wall, desperate to hide within the shadow of Axis' cogs. 

But her grimoire betrayed her true feelings. Her mist began seeping out of its pages, desperate to reunite with her long lost guardian but Nivara could not allow herself to do so. She couldn't bear to let Odi see the person she had become. She didn't need the answer to that question.

"Please. Please just know I'll always be here. I'll be here when you need me. Kaldra knows that too." Odi said at last, turning away in defeat.

Nivara's eyes clenched shut, her soaked hood sticking to her hair. Every part of her was telling her to head home, to turn back and let the dragon give up and go inside. The Mist Maiden took a step forward and opened her eyes.

Odi's eyes mirrored her own. Regret. Sadness. Worry. Hope. Only Axis moved them closer, widening the gap between the two as the walls behind them closed in to provide enough distance for a private conversation. 

Nivara looked away, partly ashamed, partly afraid of what might have been left unsaid. But as the rain pelted down and her hood fell away from her face Odi's expression softened. She saw the child she raised for the first time in years.

Nivara's resolve began to break down at the sight of the dragon's vulnerability, from her fading scales to her straggling Trait. All of it was a reminder of their time apart and how much they'd lost.

The hesitation between the two made Nivara wary, the whirring emotions in her brain made her stay rooted to the spot. Until Odi made the first step. Nivara felt gravitated towards her, longing to reciprocate as Odi's size grew with every passing second but a fleeting memory made her stop in her tracks.

"What about Creed? Did he know that?" 

Nivara blurted out without thinking, the sudden anger towards the dragon surging to the forefront. A sliver of guilt warped into a kernel of validation as Odi's jolt of surprise turned to shame. Nivara hadn't realised she had backed Odi into a corner, the dragon cowering against the angry Traited.

"What happened to Creed was an accident. I tried to help him but he just wanted you. All he wanted was to find Tempest and I didn’t know...I never knew until Memoriam showed me it was you."

"So? You could have asked him to wait. You could've told him anything just to-"

"He wouldn't take no for an answer, demanding unreasonable, unspeakable things.”

"Like what? Help to flee the Swarm? A choice to keep living that only a necromancer can provide? He died because you ran away."

"I didn't…"

She didn't need Kaldra here to know that was a lie.

"You were supposed to protect him. I promised Creed you would protect him. But you left him for Hornet to find and decided to hide here instead."

"I couldn't...Ethros he-"

"Is that why he turned Truant? Your anger got the better of you just like any dragon, any necromancer would."

The dragon visibly flinched at the hostility of her tone, failing to give Nivara a proper answer. The shadows clung to the edge of the dwindling candlelight from Axis' warped window frames. It was the only remnant of her power remaining against the torrent of mist.

Nivara's Trait charged ahead, submerging the surrounding bricks in her indigo haze as her tirade continued to broil within her mind. Odi's silence spoke volumes and Retribution would not allow her to back down. Not yet.

"Creed begged you to save him and so you did even though you knew what would happen. You wanted him to suffer so you could use your power without restraint."

"No, it was Hornetta. I would never..."

"But you did. You hurt him. Just like how the Taishin hurt me."

Nivara's eyes blurred with tears, her mask no longer able to stop the moisture from building up without her Trait protecting it fully from the rain. Her ragged breaths forced her to stop for a moment, her rant taking a lot more effort than she first thought. In a surge of frustration, Nivara undid the clasps on her mask and allowed Nessra Caldor to return for the first time.

There were no words Odi could provide. The Scale Shrieker expression was like a dog that had been kicked in the chest, recoiling in horror at the sight of what the elves had done to the Mist Maiden. Odi had already looked beaten, wounded by Nivara's harsh beration but the truth behind the mask she had created eclipsed all of that tenfold. There was no denying the slave brand on her cheek. The chains of the Taishin.

"I trusted you with Creed's life and you lied to me. You might not have intended to create Truants but you did start it. You started a war, Arbiter." Nivara continued, the old war nickname for her mentor slipping out before she could stop herself.

"I didn't, I-"

"You led the Third Order to where Creed was in the hopes that they might undo your blunder. You distracted the Excelliars with enough Truants to supply the Swarm with an army. You were the one who told Jester where to look for the Storm Key."

"I-"

"You’ve been planning this all along while playing the innocent hermit just biding her time until he comes back, is that it?"

"No-"

"I know you loved Night but-"

Odi roared. Nivara was sent sprawling onto the slick floor at the sheer magnitude of the impact. There was only the visceral fear that was crawling into her mind. The power of a Scale Shrieker dragon. 

"That's quite enough. I won't allow you to accuse me of harming that poor boy just to make yourself feel less guilty."

Her quiet snarl was far more terrifying than any amount of yelling, Nivara's ears still ringing from the impact. The mist had completely dissipated at the sheer volume of Odi's sound blast and her Trait had no desire to return after such a beating.

"I may have made him Truant but I did so because he wanted me to. Unlike Ethros, I would never test my power on those weaker than I and become blinded by things that I force them to accept."

“Are you saying that I did? That I forced Hornet to betray me? That Creed died and turned Truant because of his loyalty to me?”

Odi gave a resigned sigh, ignoring Nivara's angry outburst and gave a grumpy yawn as the shadows slunk back exhaustedly into the comfort of her home. The Stormkeeper was too caught up in her ire to notice that Odi hadn't denied her previous accusations.

“Of course not, you foolish girl. But you care too much and every time you do someone else gets hurt with what you say."

Odi attempted to explain, every one of her words pronounced as if extra cautious about her phrasing. It was as if she was silently pleading with her, Odi's tired eyes wide with fear and longing to end the tirade of questioning. 

"So please. Don't insult me or anyone else by speculating the truth like you’re the only one who knows everything. I damn well didn't teach you that, Nessra."

Her gruff demeanour subsided a little, the debate now over despite Nivara's conflicted feelings over the matter. The Mist Maiden muttered an apology, unable to look the dragon in the eyes as she tried to comprehend how much Odi knew. In the end, they had both hidden themselves away in fear of saying too much or...not enough.

“I’m sorry. I just thought...I thought after what happened with Ethros you wanted revenge. That you wanted to get back at me for leaving you…”

Her words were smothered out by Odi's embrace, her scaly neck wrapped around Nivara, the dragon now three times her size. 

“My dearest Nessra, you matter to me far more than anyone could ever comprehend."

Odi's words took her breath away, the lack of hesitation leaving Nivara speechless. Such a sheer, simple truth spoken by a dragon marred by the history of the deceitful Scale Shriekers. In that brief moment, nothing else mattered. 

"You did not leave the way neither of us intended, no. But I knew you would make your own way in the world just like I did. I may not be able to have an egg of my own but you are still my daughter.”

The relief that they were finally together again was too much to bear, Nivara's knees buckling under the weight of her guilt. She had known how long Odi had waited. 

For her. For Ethros. For Nightshade. For her family to return only to be abandoned time and time again for another mission, another conflict, another dragon entirely.

Until Wyvernium poisoning took her dream away, remembered only as the Sentinels daughter who couldn't produce an heir to succeed the Silverwing clan. Instead she was succeeded by the Traited she taught, the grimoires she nurtured and the knowledge she gained from hardship.

Odi's smile was sad but understandably full of hope after so many years alone. But Nivara couldn't help but linger on the unanswered question still forming in her mind. The loss of her apprentice was too much to stay silent about. Not without answers.

"So why didn't you stop him? Why didn’t you help Creed like you helped me?"

The pensive dragon thought for a moment, freeing Nivara from the heartfelt hug and remained rooted to the spot. Closing her emerald eyes, the gloom of the shadows recalled the memory of the young boy's passing and the story only an Arbiter could weave.

"Day after day Creed would visit my library in the hopes of finding out more than what he was told by his father. It's only natural for the next Timekeeper to be curious but without the guidance of knowing where to stop…"

"He found out something he shouldn't have, didn't he?" Nivara interrupted, her voice a reverent hush as if a single misstep could spell out dire consequences for them both.

All Odi could do was nod. She knew better than anyone what a Lockbind could do if improperly triggered. Nivara could only guess at what he uncovered: it could have been about the Divide or the lost history behind many Traited techniques or even the origins of the Storm Key.

"Creed hid it from me because as you well know my kind's history, we cannot detect lies as well as some. I did not question it because just like him, I thrived on my own curiosity and how he reminded me so much of his predecessors. I trusted him to know better."

Nivara knew how much that hurt Odi but something didn't sit right with her. Creed was only a child and surely Odi knew that but even with her own childhood she was never treated as a child. Odi had treated her as an equal.

The different stages of maturity between dragons and Traited had been discussed but never entirely understood by either party, only concerned about staying alive instead of how they both experience time passing. 

"I did not see until too late that his friend Jester only wanted Creed's power for his new Master.”

"Hornet…"

Nivara seethed but the dragon shook her head, shutting down her suspicions immediately before they could fester.

"No. Kamikaze."

Nivara let out a stifled breath, Tarragon's reach in the Undercity astounded even her. The Third Order had been relatively quiet since the Overtaken incident in Beggars End but Nivara had been too busy with Ethros and her Regency to keep track of her movements.

"Jester joined the Third Order to betray Hornet and the Swarm for Thundreign."

"But Hornet was the one who…" 

Nivara shut her eyes, unable to speak but Odi stayed silent to allow the Mist Maiden to collect herself. She hadn't been there for him when he needed it the most and Hornet had used that to taunt her ever since. Of all the times she could've found out it had to be just after Cricket's funeral.

"Your old flame might've done the very deed but Jester was the one who forced me to intervene. I am not a fighter but I did what I could. I know now that it was not enough."

The overwhelming guilt in Odi's voice almost brought her to tears but the fact Odi had been there when it happened was more than she could've asked for. The Scale Shrieker had no idea about Jester's infiltration into the Opalace and how she had hidden the Storm Key. But it put into question what Jester's motives were for taking something he couldn't use.

There was no doubt in Nivara's mind he knew about the Keepers of Trait but whether Kamikaze had taught him or another outside source didn't matter to her. What mattered was how much they knew and how they intended to use it to their advantage. 

Perhaps he knew of the black grimoires power and thought the Storm Key could unlock it? Maybe Creed's research into the Timekeeper had gone too far and Jester wanted it for himself? 

Either way, his actions forced Creed to give up his life, his ability and his Timekeeper status and for that, Nivara regretted letting him live. Next time, the lightning in a bottle would do more than act as a bluff. Tarragon or not, she would make sure her storm would destroy him.

"Jester used his Tarragon to try to force out the truth from me and well, Memoriam decided to retaliate in kind. It had to preserve the past from being discovered at any cost so it used his own memories against him to deter him from asking again. Creed...he was not so lucky.”

“He knew, didn’t he? He knew what happened all those years ago. He knew the truth and-”

“No more. No more than that, please. If you say any more it’ll turn you too and I...I tried to help Creed but I couldn’t stop him from...so I gave him a choice and he took it."

"He turned Truant...for me?" 

Nivara's eyes went wide in horror. It was as if she could see how the fight ensued, the shape of Odi's shadows mirroring the memories she had shared with just a few words. The pain on Creed's face as he slumped against the wall, ash streaming through his fingers as blood and burns slowly melded into a blackened mess of scabs and Trait.

"He is no longer the Timekeeper and whatever research I thought I had to save them all...Creed believes I can change him back without his grimoire. But not even I have the capabilities to stop a Lockbind that strong. I was foolish to think I did.”

Odi lowered her head in a solemn silence, the shadows being swept away by the encroaching bricks. The silhouette of her former apprentice became an unrecognisable creature of ash and death. His skin was now sunken and placid, the hunger for Trait clear with every step. Nivara turned her head away, unable to comprehend that the young boy in front of her was now...gone.

"You might not, Odi. But someone will. People like the Taishin, the Third Order and in some ways Ethros too are involved in what information is within the black grimoire." Nivara said, her abject fury at Creed's death forcing her grief to the forefront.

She knew how worried Odi was about the black grimoire but Nivara couldn't ignore it any longer. The Scale Shriekers had tried to protect it but she was the only one left willing to take on that task. Odi's Trait was connected to the grimoire somehow and every time Nivara had tried to mention it the dragon clammed up and refused to discuss it.

But there was no denying the overwhelming power of the Lockbind. The range of it had covered the entire Undercity, possibly beyond if it was such a damning secret that not even Odi would talk about it. The thought of an entire city trapped by a curse they had no idea about was sickening. 

"Whatever it is, forced not just Creed into a Truant to keep secret but hundreds of others. It’s been all over Opalis for years but...the black grimoire only just arrived. So it has to be something else."

Odi's eyes lit up, bolting upright as if electrocuted by the wet ground she was resting on. It was as if the rain had stopped in midair just for their private conversation as it now pelted down in icy buckets.

The dragon tried to process the ramifications of her explanation but it was too big to fathom. Any information about what was contained within the Lockbind led to only one thing. Death. It was why Nivara was taught to write things in her grimoire and the sudden realisation that Rider had probably done exactly the same thing shocked her to her core.

That's why she locked her grimoire. Information was power in its most basic form but without the whole story, the whole reason the Lockbind existed could be triggered by one wrong word. One misstep could end a whole civilisation just like it did to Shuriken. Knowing was part of the burden. A burden Rider had tried to keep secret and away from prying eyes.

“Then we will find out. Together.” Odi said, the hopeful look in her eyes almost made Nivara believe it was possible.

The tightness in her chest reminded her of the duty she had to Opalis and the promise she made to see it through. The Mist Maiden took a deep breath, the cold making her shudder as her breath formed clouds of heat. It seemed not even she was entirely immune to the cold.

"Don't get the wrong idea. My position as Regent still stands and I won't jeopardize it anymore than I have done. Not for you, not for Creed, not for anyone."

It hurt Nivara to say as if Creed's death didn't matter to her. But she had to put her social standing first as much as she hated to admit it. Odi's amber eyes glared angrily, challenging her to debate further with her. She wasn't mocking Odi's capability to look after the black grimoire but she needed to do more.

"I understand. But I cannot hide my Trait forever or my duty as a necromancer. We are two sides of the same goal and I won’t let you take the grimoire so easily. I will keep it safe in Grimmordeals."

Nivara closed the gap between them by taking a single step forward. Feigning confidence she placed her hand in the pocket of her damp cloak and clung the small glass bottle of Silvertongue for comfort. She couldn't hesitate.

"The next time you use your Shadow Trait, you'll have more than just the Third Order on your tail. You'll have every Traited gunning for that black grimoire and I don't think hiding will work anymore, Odiphilis."

Another growl burst forth from the dragon's maw but Nivara stood firm despite Odi's visible anger as she grew in size. Nivara's bluff couldn't stop the fear from overwhelming her as Odi advanced on her and all the Mist Maiden could do was protect her head with her hands. 

"Then I won't hide. I'll face them just as you would, Stormkeeper."

The dragon held her close like a child and her comforting voice broke through her anxiety like a wave of calm. Slowly but surely, Nivara lowered her shaking arms and let the Scale Shrieker in.

"Even if the Swarm knew of your whereabouts right now? I can't protect you..."

Nivara's throat tightened with emotion, barely able to get the words out without thinking of the worst possible outcome. Axis pulled back a series of walls and structures to show a group of three individuals huddled together against its walls. Odi eyes were fixated on the group attempting to light a flame in the middle of a rainstorm and bickering all the while. 

"I'll fight anyone who dares to steal you or Memoriam from me again. Even if I have to kill that traitorous Throneholder to do it." Odi snarled, curling protectively towards Nivara as if shielding her instinctively from the threat.

Nivara's breath hitched at Odi's declaration of war. Fighting the urge to cry she was transported back to when she was a child, wrapped up in the cosy nook of the library only to wake up bound and tied by bounds of Trait not even Kaldra could break. Odi hadn't sold her to the Taishin. They had kidnapped her. Somehow Throneholder Ethros had something to do with it.

"You swear?" 

Her voice was small, as if apologising for something she hadn't done but felt guilty about it all the same. Nivara let out a sigh of relief, the weight of Ethros' treatment being lifted off her shoulders little by little. 

Regardless of the rain, the cold and the numbing memories of the past Odi's wings concealed her from everything, her voice barely audible over the sound of Nivara's emotions finally reaching her breaking point.

"I swear on my Trait."