#mereph

The flow of ether, from Brighid to herself, took a while to get used to. The extra energy made her restless; had her anxious for a needed outlet. She found that learning to dual wield whips that were on fire was a good way to burn that energy.

When Brighid would move more than a few feet away, the flow of ether slowed almost to a halt. But when she came back, bringing energy and life with her, the returned connection brought warmth to Morag’s chest. The unique sound of her tread as she approached certainly had nothing to do with it.

Morag wasn’t sure if this was part of being bonded with a blade, but Brighid’s physical warmth and presence also comforted her. Even though the desert wasn’t often in need of extra heat, Brighid’s warmth was welcome to Morag’s left. She could probably fight most of the creatures they encountered along, but nothing could replace the experience of fighting alongside her blade.

When the order came through to deploy Brighid to Gormott on her own, Morag felt reluctant. Most drivers and blades went into the field together, but Brighid was no ordinary blade. After all, the Jewel of the Empire could certainly handle being in a peaceful place such as Gormott by herself.

That didn’t make it any easier when it was time to go.

At the airship, Morag waited on the dock as it flew away. The trail of ether grew thinner and thinner until… nothing.

As a child, Morag never thought of herself as lonely. A pang of loneliness flashed through her at the thought. She turned to comment on the notion, but no-one was there.

Morag didn’t bond with any other blades while Brighid was gone. She still had the swords, though she couldn’t produce fire from them while alone. That was enough to fulfill her duties and keep busy enough to forget the missing warmth by her side.

She did send letters though, which helped. There was no scientific explanation as to why reading Brighid’s complaints about Dughall soothed her. It wasn’t like letters could carry ether. Still, she kept sending them.

One day, Brighid said that she captured a Torna member and that the Aegis had been spotted. She requested Morag’s presence as backup, stating that ‘it isn’t the same fighting them without you.’