"I made a connection to the Astral Tapestry."
Finn's eyes flew open, a wild smile spreading across his face. "Haha, I knew it! Tell me, tell me, how did you do it!"
Drew shook his head, his expression uncharacteristically uncertain. "I do not know how, my lord. I simply... fell unconscious and found myself in a void. A screen appeared before me, displaying a language I could not read. It presented two options, both equally indecipherable."
Finn leaned forward, hanging on every word. Drew continued, "I decided on the left-most option. Suddenly, I could understand what was written. It said, 'Congratulations, you have gained a title, an epic title.'"
At the mention of an epic title, Alyssa's eyes widened noticeably. Gloria caught the reaction, her gaze flicking between the captive bandit leader and her oblivious lord. Finn, however, was too engrossed in Drew's tale to notice.
"What was the title name?!" Finn demanded, his eyes shining with excitement.
Drew's voice carried a hint of pride as he responded, "Chief War of a Creator."
The room fell silent, stunned by the revelation. Alyssa's mind raced. A creator? What the hell is that?
Finn, recovering from his initial shock, noticed Alyssa's thoughtful expression. Curiosity piqued, he turned to Drew. "Take the muzzle off. I want to ask her some questions."
Drew moved to comply, but Alyssa fixed him with an angry glare. As soon as the muzzle was removed, she spat, "Why should I tell you anythin-"
Her words were cut short by a devastatingly strong punch from Drew. His voice was calm as he said, "Answer my Lord."
Alyssa let out a bitter laugh. "Hit me again and se-"
Drew's left fist connected with brutal force before she could finish. "Answer," he paused, his eyes boring into hers, "my lord."
Fury contorted Alyssa's features as she teetered on the edge of lashing out. Drew's fist was already drawn back, ready to deliver another blow, when Finn intervened.
"Drew! That's enough," he said with a smile. "Our friend here has gotten enough."
Drew's fist, mere inches from Alyssa's face, immediately retracted. He dropped to his knees, head bowed low. "I'm terribly sorry, my Lord. Please punish me."
Finn waved his hand dismissively. "There's no need for that."
Alyssa watched the exchange with a mixture of confusion and contempt. Her face throbbed from Drew's punches, but she refused to show any sign of weakness. What kind of twisted loyalty is this? she wondered, her eyes darting between Finn and Drew.
Finn turned his attention back to Alyssa, his expression curious rather than hostile. "So, Alyssa," he began, his tone conversational, "what do you know about titles?"
Alyssa's lips curled into a sneer. "Why should I tell you anything, you arrogant little-"
Drew tensed, ready to strike again, but Finn held up a hand to stop him. "Now, now," Finn said, his voice light but with an undercurrent of steel, "let's be civil. We're all friends here, right?"
The sarcasm in his voice was not lost on Alyssa. She glared at him, weighing her options.
Finally, she spoke, her voice dripping with disdain. "Titles are rare. They're manifestations of power, granted by the Astralis itself. They're not something you can just... create."
Finn's brow furrowed in confusion. "What was that word you just used?"
Alyssa was puzzled by Finn's question. She hadn't used any new words that people of this world hadn't used before.
Drew's eyes widened slightly, recognition flickering across his face. Alyssa noticed his reaction and looked at him curiously.
"My lord," Drew interjected, "I believe the word Alyssa used was 'Astralis'. It seems to be another term for the Astral Tapestry, in a language I... somehow understand."
Finn's eyebrows shot up. "Astralis? Really? That's interesting."
It sounds a lot like what Roran muttered under his breath when we first captured him. Finn thought in his mind.
Gloria, who had been silently observing, spoke up. "If I may, my lord, the word 'Astralis' sounds remarkably similar to Latin."
Alyssa's eyes narrowed. "Latin? What are you talking about?"
Her question went unanswered as Finn turned to Drew. "Drew, can you translate anything else she might say in this language?"
Drew nodded solemnly. "I believe so, my lord. Though I'm not sure how I acquired this knowledge or why she suddenly used this word."
Finn's curiosity piqued. "Why did you use this word 'Astralis' instead of saying the Astral Tapestry?"
Alyssa looked at them as if they had suddenly grown second heads. "I just used its Origin word," she said slowly, her tone suggesting she was explaining something painfully obvious. "You... you do know about the Origin language, right?"
The blank looks on their faces told her everything. Alyssa's eyes widened in disbelief. They have no knowledge of this world, she realized. Nothing. Such strange beings.
"The Origin language is taught to everyone," she explained, her voice a mix of confusion and condescension. "It's the foundation of all magic and power in our world. There are many other languages, of course, but the Origin language is... well, it's essential."
Finn nodded, absorbing this new information. He was about to ask another question when Alyssa, after a moment of hesitation, sighed and continued.
"As for titles," she added, her tone reluctant but resigned, "they come with abilities, enhancements. But they're not just given out like candy. You have to earn them, usually through great deeds or by overcoming impossible odds, or to seek them out willingly."
"Interesting," Finn mused. He glanced at Drew, then back to Alyssa. "And what about epic titles? Are they special?"
Alyssa's eyes narrowed. "Epic titles are... exceptionally rare. In all my years, I've only heard of a handful of people who possessed them. They're said to grant abilities far beyond normal titles."
Finn leaned back, processing this information. "And you... you have a title too, don't you?"
For the first time since her capture, Alyssa looked genuinely surprised. "How did you-"
"Drew mentioned it," Finn said with a shrug. "Care to share what it is?"
Alyssa's jaw clenched, her eyes burning with defiance. "Not a chance."
Finn sighed dramatically. "And here I thought we were making progress. Drew, would you mind-"
"Wait!" Alyssa blurted out, her eyes widening in fear as Drew moved towards her. She took a deep breath, then muttered, "Accidental Bandit Queen."
Finn's eyebrows shot up. "Accidental? That's... an interesting word choice. Care to elaborate on that?"
Alyssa's gaze dropped to the floor, her shoulders slumping. For a moment, her fierce demeanor cracked, and she looked almost... vulnerable. Her eyes glistened with unshed tears, a sight so unexpected that it caught everyone off guard.
Finn watched her, a mix of curiosity and unexpected sympathy in his mind. There's a story there, he thought. But now's not the time to pry. He cleared his throat, changing the subject. "So, what does this title do?"
Grateful for the shift in focus, Alyssa composed herself. Her voice was barely above a whisper as she replied, "It grants me great power. I can use both Calamitas and Umbra energy. I had only had an affinity for using Calamitas energy before, but the title gave me the ability to use Umbra energy."
The room fell silent as the implications sank in. Finn looked thoughtful, his mind racing with possibilities. Two types of energy... No wonder she was so formidable.
The group had only heard of someone using a single 'Core Principal' before.
"That sounds... impressive," Finn said carefully. "I'm guessing it comes with other abilities too?"
Alyssa nodded, a hint of pride creeping into her voice despite her situation. "Many. Enhancements to my physical abilities, increased control over shadows, amplified destructive power, and also…" She paused, "I can make Bandits bow down to me. I can control bandits, and thats why I came out all the way out here. There's tons of bandits."
"But it wasn't easy." She continued, "I had to train extensively to use both energies simultaneously and to actually use my powers correctly."
Finn leaned back, processing this information. The power Alyssa described was formidable, yet she had still been defeated. He glanced at Drew, a newfound appreciation for his creation's strength washing over him.
"One last question," Finn said, leaning forward. "You seemed surprised when Drew mentioned his title. Why?"
Alyssa's eyes darted between Finn and Drew, a flicker of uncertainty crossing her face. "Because... because epic titles aren't just rare. They're almost unheard of. And for someone to gain one so quickly, without any apparent connection to the Astralis..." She shook her head. "It shouldn't be possible."
Finn's lips curled into a smirk. "Well, we do specialize in the impossible around here. It keeps things interesting."
Gloria noticed the change in Finn's demeanor, thinking to herself, It seems he's calming down from the battle.
Finn continued, his tone casual, "So, about this world of yours... We're a bit out of the loop. Been living under a rock, you might say. Literally. There was this cave-in, and well, it's a long story."
He lied.
Alyssa's eyes narrowed skeptically. Wow, these guys are really clueless about the world, she thought.
"We do know some things," Finn added quickly. "Your buddy Roran filled us in on a few details."
At the mention of Roran's name, Alyssa's eyes widened in shock. "He's alive?! Where is he?!"
Finn, taken aback by her sudden outburst, asked, "What's your relationship with him?"
Ignoring his question, Alyssa leaned forward as far as her restraints would allow. "Where is he?!" she demanded, her voice rising.
The room seemed to heat up with the intensity of her outburst. Drew, ever vigilant, moved swiftly to restrain her further. His fist connected with her jaw, but before he could strike again, Finn intervened.
"Stop!" Finn commanded.
Drew immediately backed away, bowing low. "I'm terribly sorry, my Lord. I overstepped."
As Drew retreated, Gloria leaned in close to Finn's ear and whispered, "Lovers, definitely."
Finn couldn't help but smile at the observation. Turning back to Alyssa, he asked again, "So, who exactly is Roran to you?"
Alyssa's cheeks flushed slightly as she muttered, "Just a friend," before quickly composing herself.
Interesting, Finn thought. Aloud, he said, "Well, we captured him. He was quite weak, actually. Smart though. My head researcher, Lyra, is probably using him right about now."
Alyssa's brow furrowed, her voice turning cold. "Using him?"
Finn smiled reassuringly. "Exchanging information, nothing serious. He's being taken care of, don't worry."
Alyssa visibly relaxed, though she tried not to show it.
Changing the subject, Finn asked, "So, where are you from?"
Alyssa sighed before answering, "I am from the Maidor Empire, the most fearsome empire this world has ever seen," a note of pride creeping into her voice.
Gloria smirked. "You seem quite proud of your empire, even though you're a bandit."
Alyssa's proud smile vanished, replaced by a glare. "Well, if you couldn't tell by the 'accidental' part in my title, I didn't become one on purpose."
Gloria's smile remained fixed, but she said nothing more.
The Maidor Empire, huh? So there is a civilization, Finn pondered. Good information. Maybe Lyra got the same from Roran. We need to get back there.
"Is the Maidor Empire the only empire?" Finn inquired.
Alyssa laughed. "There's practically a new one every day. The scale of everything in this world is massive. The Maidor Empire alone has a population in the hundreds of billions, more than even the Maidor Court can count. And there are far more powerful kingdoms and empires out there, like the Draconis Kingdom."
She used an Origin word for the kingdom's name, which Drew promptly translated. Gloria noted it was another Latin-sounding word.
Alyssa continued, "That kingdom is too powerful, too massive. No one can beat them. They're honorable, so they don't just conquer everything, but they're still a conquering nation, like the Maidor Empire."
"What's a conquering nation?" Finn asked, genuinely curious.
Alyssa's annoyance was palpable. Does this idiot not know simple baby language? she thought. Aloud, she explained, "Since there's so much free land everywhere in this world, nations can constantly expand and conquer. Conquering nations take this to the extreme, expanding however they want with no goal but conquest itself."
The room fell silent as everyone processed this information. Drew was already formulating strategies to increase their power, while Finn couldn't help but think about staying far away from civilization and living a peaceful life without bloodshed and war.
Finn sighed. "Well, I think that's enough for today. We'll be leaving tomorrow."
"Where are you going?" Alyssa asked.
Drew answered for Finn, "We'll be returning to our main camp. We'll take half of the hostages with us to lighten your load," he said, addressing the Eds. "Keep them under strict supervision and tire them out every day. They can't be allowed to regain their strength."
Turning back to Finn, Drew continued, "My lord, if you could create 10,000 more creations throughout the camp, just to be sure. We should have a more viable way to handle these prisoners once Lyra finds a way for all of us to connect to the Astrali- Astral Tapestry."
Finn nodded, thinking to himself, Can't wait to see what Lyra has for us.