My path is my own to decide!

He put a hand over one of Caelus's wrists and slowly lowered his hand from his face. Then he spoke to the Kremnoan :

"Thanks partner."

Mydeimos offers a quick nod of his head to Phainon, a slight smile playing on his face as well. The Kremnoan then rolls his shoulders and neck, stepping past the Deliverer duo and towards the sparring ring. Caelus gives Phainon one more pat on the head.

"If I'm being honest- whether it's the boundless sky or the shimmering sun that your eyes reflect, they're really pretty."

His reaction was half the same as Mydei - he blinked. His gaze turned towards his fellow Heir, looking like he was holding back words he had at the tip of his tongue.

Blue flashed gold.

"Hey- hey... Sunshine?"

The Trailblazer lowered his voice to a mumble simply for his partner.

"I'll... Explain when we're alone, okay? I promise- I just-- need time to calm down-"

Mydeimos looks concerned behind Caelus's back, the Kremnoan glancing towards Castorice and Hyacine. He knew the change in the Deliverer's eyes wasn't normally a good sign, but with their Outlander approaching him so bravely...

The Worldbearer's expression switched to apologetic the moment Caelus was back.

Caelus rubs the back of his head, an awkward chuckle slipping before he shook his head. He could feel the tension in the air- he'd seen the earlier posturing and, honestly, he felt bad for causing them all such upset. So, he shifts in place, lips pressing into a fine line before he speaks again.

"I just figured that Mydei might want a round with you, too."

The Kremnoan blinks twice as if in shock, then snorts a soft laugh. Caelus likely didn't want to bring down their mood and figured that another match would elevate it again. Who was he to deny their Outlander Deliverer?

He mellowed out once Mydei began speaking of what he knew, silently thanking Castorice for managing to make him talk. What he said made sense with what they saw since they came back - and a thought came, a pinch in the heart. If only Cyrene was there. Memories made them who they were, but... some memories only brought pain. Would she be able to do something with those, turn them into lost puzzle pieces? Would she only have words and embraces for them, attentions so small and yet enough to put a balm on a wounded heart? He was pulled out of his thoughts by a hand on his arm, turned to see Castorice smile softly at Mydei.

"Thank you, Mydeimos. We will keep watching over him like you did back in Castrum Kremnos."

Hyacine nodded, eye quickly turning to their friends when Caelus's attention shifted.

"I also believe that it goes without saying... He has chosen his comfort person. He wasn't quite so... Playful in Castrum Kremnos."

As if it wasn't obvious to anyone else that their Outlander friend had a growing attachment to their Deliverer. And, if he wasn't mistaken, Phainon had quite the soft spot for Caelus as well. While the lot of them had gone through cycle after cycle together, the Outlander had been that spark that helped their world. So of course he'd support the two of them if they made one another happy.

"S-Sorry about that... Hyacine says I'm to sit out the rest."

"Of course. How about this? Next time we meet, let us share honey brew and nightmares to your heart's content. What say you, Mydeimos?"

Seriously, couldn't Mydei drop this for a second? Phainon's internal struggles were the least of their worries at the moment. As for Castorice... she ignored their jabs at each other. She listened instead, hearing Mydei's discomfort in the necessary words he shared with them.

"You might not feel like it is your place to say this, but your insights are helpful. We don't even know if Caelus knows about those parts of himself - sometimes, someone who watches from the outside can reveal what is impossible to see from the inside."

They didn't need the whole story, nor did they need to know about every weakness Mydei had been privy to. Only fair warnings so they didn't accidentally hurt their friend.

Hyacine summoned a soft breeze, warm as it ran through Caelus's hair. Little Ica fluttered close before landing in front of the young man, close enough to be touched but leaving a respectful distance.

Mydeimos punched into his palm, his concern melting into a form of his own irritation. Yet when he saw their Outlander friend stare in their direction, he grumbled to himself and merely crossed his arms. There was no need for Caelus to see them arguing with one another, even less so for making Phainon get upset.

"I witnessed a few things during our time at Castrum Kremnos. He'll sometimes lose his sense of awareness and either zone out or... Act rather out of character. As we saw earlier."

Mydeimos clears his throat, obviously referencing when Caelus marched over to Phainon and... Well...

"Beyond that, he didn't sleep much at a time. On a good day he'd sleep for a few quints, then be awake far longer. The worst episode he had was when a Titankin threw a shadow that looked similar to that Theoros. I thought our friend would destroy a good portion of the city. I don't believe I've seen him cry like that before..."

Caelus, after seeing that no fight would erupt, turned his attention to Ica and gently patted its head. He knew Hyacine meant well, but admitting what happened to one person was already hard enough as it was.

"He hasn't said much." "Wasn't he... acting a bit differently even before your spar?"

In retrospect, Castorice remembered many little things : of course the most surprising had been the kiss Caelus had shamelessly stolen in front of them all, but his lack of conviction during his challenge against Mydei, and their chat in the morning while they were left alone at Phainon's home, painted a picture of someone quite... fickle. The Chrysos Heirs living in Okhema hadn't seen much of Caelus and Mydei in the past months, nor had they heard anything from them during that time. And as soon as they were back, something happened to the Trailblazer yet again. Castorice turned her attention to Phainon, who looked deep in thought, before she turned to Mydei.

Mydeimos shot a look towards Phainon. The Kremnoan then shakes his head with a sigh. It wasn't his place to speak on such things, but if Caelus wasn't going to tell them...

"It isn't my place to speak on his condition. If anyone were to have the authority to give that permission, it would be our Deliverer. I will say, however, there are lingering ghosts that he yet sees at certain points. Such as the blade to his throat. I noticed he only freezes should he be knocked down, never when he stands on his feet."

"I'll- be okay-"

Even Mydeimos was concerned. The Kremnoan glancing over towards the pair every few moments. There was a glint of guilt in his eye, thinking how he should have mentioned the abnormal reaction. Though, how was he to know it'd happen during a friendly spar? Then again, this was their Deliverer who tended to get carried away during such displays of strength or competitions.

With little fanfare, the sword in his hand morphed into a dull wooden sword, its glamour fading with the power of Trickery its holder had used. It disappeared into thin air seconds after - purposely allowing the Trailblazer to see he hadn't been in danger. Phainon caught Caelus's hand to help him rise up, smile warm as he tried to catch the other's golden gaze. His breathing was slowly going back to normal, a bead of sweat making its way down his face ; aftereffects of a challenging fight.

"Great work, partner."

The mental reminders kept playing, repeating over and over again like a mantra that barely held him together. It made focusing on certain things hard, and also pushed him to avoid his partner's gaze- even though his hand gripped the other man's tightly. He used that grip as an anchor point, the heat of Phainon's body a comfort even with the raging storm in his head.

"Yeah-"

Mydeimos noticed the second they started on their way back that something was off, his clapping slowing. He'd only seen that look a few times, when the claws of his gauntlet got too close to his throat, or when a Titankin's weapon did the same- only when he was down, though.

In the end, Phainon won by using his reach to his advantage, a lucky strike putting Caelus in a weak position, which the Chrysos Heir quickly took advantage of. Dawnmaker's blade hovered close to Caelus's neck, its owner smirking.

"Y-Yeah-"

Obviously Phainon would win. It didn't matter that Caelus had gotten stronger, the Chrysos Heir wasn't someone one had hope of surpassing. So, Caelus pushed himself to his feet as his bat vanished and simply half turned towards their friends.

"Come on, Caelus. Show me what you've learned."

"Y-Yeah-"

Since the Chrysos Heir was utilizing the Coreflame of Trickery... Caelus decided he'd use his own brand of 'trickery' as well. Phainon was right hand dominant- with the added pressure on his bat, Caelus had an idea. He struggled to do so, but he shifts his weight to deflect Dawnmaker off to Phainon's left. Caelus could have struck him there, but instead he slips up along his partner's arm and presses a kiss to his cheek. The act makes Mydeimos roar with laughter in the stands.

"Changing the rules, I see."

But two could play that game.

Caelus grins when Phainon brings his own bit of spice to the fun. A bat already allowed him to be quick on his feet, so with his partner's boost, and his own strength enhanced- it was a much faster exchanging of blows. Sure, the Trailblazer had a harder time keeping up when faced with such heavy hits, but he had trained with Mydei...

So when a particularly hard hit came down on him, he caught it; bracing his weapon with his other hand.

"The Trickery Coreflame? I feel so bullied, Sunshine!"

"And yet you feel the need to cheat." It was bait, of course. If Caelus grew more frustrated, he was bound to make a mistake the other could take advantage of. And now he would be ready if the power of Destruction came into play again.

Caelus blinked, unable to fathom why he'd be accused of 'cheating'- until the blue glow of the bat finally caught his eye. With a sound of frustration he simply pushed through. He tried to pull back the power of the Path, to focus as he'd been shown.

"I just- Wait-- what's the matter, partner? Can't handle it?"

"Come on partner! I'm not made of glass!"

He really wished to say no holding back ; he had spent months training with humans, people who were strong and wise and brave, but still only humans. However, he had to think about them - Caelus who'd just experienced an episode, a loss of control, and himself, who certainly did not need to tap into the Coreflames' powers for a mere spar. Also, summoning meteors inside of Okhema would likely get him killed by Aglaea later during the day.

"Let's hold back this time."

Since coming to Amphoreus, Caelus had felt his strength improve by leaps and bounds. He wouldn't be knocked back or disarmed by Phainon again like when they first met. Though, it was a fond memory to look back on. Being awed by the other man's strength- even if frustration and an inkling of fear had been on the surface at the time.

"Of course. Think you can beat me, partner?"

Caelus sounded almost offended, but in a playful sort of way. He put on the smile he was known for and chased after Phainon. Though, not before giving Mydei- who'd turned to look at him- a nod to say he was okay. Episodes of zoning out had been few and far between after the second month, even less after the fourth. So this... Had concerned the both of them. Especially since he had acted during it instead of just staring into space. Still, he had a distraction in sparring, which helped him get his thoughts back in order.

"Full out or are we holding back?"