Joy Pursuit: Steel Dragon [Sci-Fi Fantasy | Horror | Action]

Amidst Morray's fight for survival, not far, a couple floors above, Savagrios emerged from the ranger lodge, confusing Mera and Aria by his sudden change in appearance. His more mature essence had faded, leaving behind a young-looking man—none other than Gira, though the crimson hue of his eyes betrayed the notion.

"Are you two ready to go?" Savagrios asked, his voice still retaining the deeper tones of his previous form.

Aria's jaw dropped before she leaned in way too close for comfort before doing a double-take. Sweet Symbols, you shrank! No—wait—you went back to normal! I remember this face! You looked like this during the Parabellum Onryō!"

Savagrios nodded proudly. "Correct this is the body and face of Gira. The taller, much cooler one from before was mine—Savagrios!" He puffed his chest out."Unfortunately his clothes don't fit me very well, so I decided to shrink down."

Aria squinted at him. "Is that, like, a Kyyr ability or some weird Coarseblood thing?"

"That—uh—that's a very good question," Savagrios admitted, frowning as he pondered the oddity. "Huh, why can we do tha—" His Kyyr sensors flared as a wave of bloodlust caused him and Mera to suddenly look in the direction of the Logistics Bay. Savagrios's expression hardened. "We can theorize later!" He faced Mera. And stared at her for a second before swallowing his pride. "Please, Miss Mera." He lowered his head and clasped his hands. "We humbly ask for your assistance. If we don't leave the manor soon, Gira may be killed because of our selfishness. We know it's a lot to ask, but we only want him to rest. We—I don't want him to suffer!"

Mera's eyes widened. She looked between the rising Kyyr in the courtyard and the bowing Savagrios. "I-I, umm—uhhh, ye—"

"Please, we beg you!" Savagrios's voice broke with urgency, his head still lowered.

Aria looked between the two. "G-Gira? Or what did you call yourself?"

"Savagrios!" He answered proudly.

"Right… Savagrios." Aria awkwardly smiled. "Well, she already agreed while you were gone. She's just—uh—overwhelmed?"

"Hm?" Savagrios looked up, to find a nervous Mera nodding frantically as she mumbled something. "Oh… Forgive us—and thank you."

Mera mumbling grew more frantic as she closed her eyes.

Savagrios tilted his head. "What?" He leaned in to hear better.

"…I'm just—oh, wow, I mean, I'm really happy you wanted help from, uh, little old me. I honestly thought you'd, um, maybe not want to talk to me after the—uh, the hug earlier. Not that it was bad! It was—it was nice, just… surprising, you know? I wasn't sure if it was, like, awkward for you or anything, but I'm glad it's not! Or, well, I think it's not? I mean, it's a little confusing, but that's okay, right? Nobody's perfect. I'm definitely not—hah."

Savagrios and Aria looked between each other as she continued to ramble.

"I've just, uh, really wanted to get to know you better, and all your… other, um, sides, too, I guess. I mean, you saved me back on Cetarro and you've been super nice, and I keep thinking, 'oh, say something,' but then my brain just—shuts down, like, completely. I'm sorry, I don't talk much, I'm just not great at… people. Or friends. I'm trying, though! And somehow we keep bumping into each other, which is… honestly kinda nice. It's been forever since anyone's asked me for help outside of work, so—yeah, it's, uh, it's really nice that you, you know, need me for something. I'm just a little worried about Captain Morray—he's, um, he's strong, so he'll be fine, even if—"

Savagrios straightened mid-sentence. "We didn't quite catch all that, but thank you for joining us!" he said brightly, grabbing her hand.

Mera froze. Her mind blanked completely, and her knees went weak. "Eep~" she squeaked, swaying.

"Watch out Miss!" He caught her mid-wobble.

Aria's eyes went wide. "Ah! Hey!" She rushed over and pulled Mera out of his arms. "She's going to overheat!"

"Huh? What's wrong? What did we do?" Savagrios looked at the ghostly Mera, who seemed to be passing on peacefully in Aria's arms.

Aria groaned. "We need her alive to get us out of here!" She pinched her nose. "Wakey-wakey! Stop being dramatic!"

"Eugh!" Mera's eyes shot open. "What's happening?"

Savagrios let out a sigh of relief. "We were requesting your aid."

Mera's brain loaded the situation. "Oh. Oh, right." She pushed herself off Aria. "Y-yeah, okay. F-follow me…"

With that, the trio ran past confused rangers, who were all struggling with their crystalcomms and their comms devices. The distant sound of gunfire and screaming made everyone present that much more uneasy as the trio ran through the courtyard and down a set of long stairs that led down to the hallway and out into the lowglider hangar.

Down below, there were several rangers looking around confused as the sound of gunfire echoed from one of the parallel hallways. Mera suddenly stopped, and pulled Aria and Savagrios behind a bunch of crates.

"What's wrong?" Aria whispered.

"Why are we hiding?" Savagrios added.

Mera shushed them as she peeked over the crates. She felt her chest compress, her hands shaking as she stared at the one person she hated more than herself. High Command Ranger Ámon Pax was leaning against a lowglider, tapping his foot repeatedly. His face was fixed in an annoyed grimace, eyes locked on his crystalcomm.

Mera pulled back, pressing her back hard against the crate.

"Are you okay?" Aria asked quietly. "What's wrong, Mera?"

But Mera didn't answer—her pupils quivered, tears welling at the edges.

Savagrios frowned, peeking over the crate before ducking back down. One of the High Command… that bastard doesn't seem to care at all about the fading Kyyr of his fellow rangers. He glanced around. Rather, half of the rangers here are all glued to those devices. Why? He looked over at Mera, still trembling under Aria's uncertain hand. She clearly knows the man. And judging by her reaction—he's some flavor of bastard.

Savagrios leaned in closer to the two. "Do either of you know what that man's abilities are—Kyyr or otherwise?"

Aria thought for a second. "He was one of those crazy ORPA Sapphire Rangers way back, umm—" she glanced at the trembling Mera. "He's a scary strong asshole."

Mera sheepishly folded into her knees. "H-he's strong… and scary, and…" her words faded into a nervous silence.

Savagrios's expression softened. "Hmm…" He peeked over the crates, eyes narrowing. "Is he as strong as Morray?"

Mera shook her head weakly. "No… the Captain's a Vileblood with a pretty decorated history…"

Savagrios lowered his head. "Hmmm…" Whatever history they share, it's bad. He sighed inwardly. Comforting people isn't really our cup of tea… but his presence—it's reopening some kind of wound in her mind. What can we even do?

Aria piped up. "Mera, all we need is the keys, right? If I can snatch that, we just need to make a bee-line straight for a glider?"

Mera looked at her, teary-eyed. "Ummm… well—I already…and…if-if he sees me…"

Savagrios shifted closer, lowering himself to her level. "We won't let him hurt you. That, we can promise." He rested a hand gently on her shoulder. "We do not know what hardships you've endured, but right now—here—we are with you."

Mera felt her chest tighten. The world around her blurred into noise—the rustling, the steps, the distant gunfire, the forlorn screeches of something far below, and Ámon's annoyed voice—all folding into a single, suffocating roar. Her eyes were glued to the ground as the unsightly smells, sensations, and painful recreations of her days under that man clawed at her very soul.

Savagrios grimaced. What did that bastard do to her? He took a slow breath and leaned lower—so low his ears nearly brushed the floor.

Mera's gaze was lost in horrid recall, her hands' muscles tightening as the faded memory of a hand brushed against her neck and—

Her eyes widened. The fleeting feeling faded, replaced by confusion as she found Gira's goofy, lopsided smile staring up from her lap. His pleading eyes and stupid smile looked so incredibly awkward in that position.

"Miss Mera," Savagrios asked, holding his strained plank as he smiled at her, an urgency flashing in his eyes as the sound of gunfire and encroaching Hollows grew ever closer to the hangar. "What can we do to help you?"

Mera gave him a shaky smile and placed a trembling hand on his head, petting him like a lost dog. The pain didn't fade—but his clumsy warmth gave her some courage. She shut her eyes and drew in a deep breath.

Savagrios pulled back blushing at his own actions.

Aria struggled to hold back her envy, sighed, then cleared her throat. "Ugh—listen you two, can we focus? The sound of guns and screaming is getting louder and honestly I've never really been much of a combatant you know."

Savagrios turned toward the echoing noise. It came from a wide stairwell that led down into the manor. "Miss Mera…"

Mera had been taking slow, deep breaths, her face still painted with uncertainty but new fervor lit her eyes. "S-sorry… Umm. I already have the keys, the problem is my unit's glider is second to last on the opposite row. It should have V-7 written on its rear fins."

Relief eased through Savagrios as she spoke. He poked his head over the boxes, the growing commotion somehow still not bothering Ámon at all—he still stood there, frowning at his crystalcomm. Savagrios scanned past him and found the lowglider with V-7 stenciled on its tail.

He pulled back. "Listen, we have an idea—err, plan."

Aria, who was nervously staring down the dark increasingly loud stairwell, snapped to him while nodding. "Okay? What is it?"

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"You two run for the glider and I'll distract the man. I should have enough Kyyr for a nascent transformation…" he clutched his chest. "It won't last long but seeing me should be enough to shock him."

Aria looked at him confused. "But-but wouldn't showing yourself defeat you whole playing dead plan you told me about?"

Savagrios froze, eyes going wide. "Ah—shit. We forgot about that…"

Mera tugged at Aria's sleeve. "H-his plan isn't all bad…"

Aria raised her brow. "How? It's barely a plan. It's literally just running."

Taking a steadying breath, Mera pointed at the crates beside them. "These crates carry some of the new fancy uniforms from the Science Council, if we can open one without getting noticed, all we really need to do is blend in and walk right past him." She turned to Aria, hesitant. "Umm—your Kyyr ability, could you…?"

Aria grinned proudly, summoning a faint Kyyr swirl of teal flames and sticking her hand through it. "Give me a sec." She stuck out her tongue as she blindly prodded inside the box. "Aha!" One by one, she pulled out helmets and uniforms—three full sets in total.

Savagrios didn't miss a beat, instantly taking his shirt off, causing Mera to cover her eyes while Aria just kinda watched. After a brief, clumsy struggle with the oversized gear, Savagrios sat there in a very loose ranger uniform.

"This doesn't fit us," he mumbled, lifting a droopy sleeve.

Mera lowered her hands, a nervous smile tugging at her lips as she watched the doofy Savagrios wrestle with the oversized uniform. Crawling closer she gave him a soft smile. "Sit still for a second please."

Savagrios nodded as he extended a sleeve towards her. Mera then gently began straightening the fabric, fixing a few twists and folds before sliding her fingers toward the built-in control panel on his wrist brace.

"Take a deep breath." she murmured, tapping through the settings. "There should be a new—ah, here it is." She pressed something on the brace and the uniform slowly compressed around Gira, tightening snugly against his skin.

Savagrios smiled, looking himself over. "How fascinating. What about you two?"

Aria and Mera exchanged glances. Mera inhaled softly. "We'll change down in the stairwell. Just give us a minute."

Savagrios nodded. "Very well. We shall wait here." He crossed his arms and legs, leaning back against the crate, senses trained on the distant, unbothered figure of Ámon.

Aria and Mera hurried down the stairwell, the distant echo of gunfire and metallic screeching drawing uncomfortably close. They exchanged tense glances before hastily stripping off their clothes. In the low light of the stairwell, Aria stole a glance or two at Mera, her eyes swiftly darting back as she saw her back and ribs. She bore strange scars—six or so almost perfectly parallel scars that wrapped around her ribs like claw marks. Aria's eyes didn't linger as she quickly finished putting the new uniform on, as a sweet metallic scent rose through the stairwell.

After stuffing their clothes into a small pack that Aria had been carrying, they ran back up the stairs and rejoined Savagrios. He greeted them with a quick grin as he zipped up the front of his uniform, the segmented fabric tightening around his neck. The material pulsed and flexed, sealing with a faint hiss as the braces that comprised the base of the helmet snapped in-front of his lips. With that he slipped the helmet on, eyes wide as he looked around the room with surprising clarity.

And though he thought this was his first time wearing such a helmet, there was a faint, grating familiarity to it, almost as if he'd worn something like it long ago.

Aria set her hands on both their shoulders. "You two ready?"

Savagrios nodded, his gaze drifting to Mera, who trembled despite her best efforts to hide it. Savagrios glanced back at Ámon, who was nonchalantly standing there, his arms resting comfortably on a lowglider's deck as he stared at the ceiling. A few rangers lingered near him, seemingly chatting along. Though their conversation was unintelligible in the growing chaos.

Savagrios reached out and took Mera's hands. "Let's do this."

Aria stared at his free hand, sighed, and shook her head before giving him a big thumbs-up. With that, the group stepped out from behind the supply crates and into the open.

Leading the charge, Aria calmly walked ahead, her walk measured as if nothing was happening around them. Behind her, Savagrios stood proud, chest puffed as he gently pulled Mera along, her body language the complete antithesis of Savagrios.

As they advanced, Savagrios's gaze flicked toward the nearby rangers who were chatting idly, their voices blurring into the noise. His Kyyr remained quiet, waiting—listening—as they got closer and closer.

Ámon lolled his head as he spoke to another ranger. "Shame the kid was nothing special. I really missed the pressure from those damn Calamity Fucks! Back when I worked aboard the ORCA , I used to get some high-prime go-to adrenaline pumping Calamity Kyyr from my beloved Lord!" He clutched at the air trying to grasp something bygone. "Sucks it fucking sank." He let out a short laugh.

One of the rangers laughed incredulously. "I could never work for one of those things. I grew up on a Clesestar world—I'll never forget when one of Clesestar Princes visited in person. I only saw him through a stream, but even then I could tell. That I was literally nothing compared to him."

Ámon sneered at the ranger. "Really? Reid—what shithole did you come from?"

"I'm from Rayger Prime."

Ámon's eyes grew wide along with his smile. "No shit. One of Clesestar Draconis's Flagship worlds. That's pretty wild. Hell—I gotta get you to transfer to my squad! I'd love to hear more about your shitty life there."

"R-really sir?" Reid asked, uncertain

"Hundred Percent! Who the hell do you work for anyway?"Ámon tilted his head, glasses sliding down his nose.

"I'm with the Lamech Squad," Reid said, deflated.

"Oof. Tough shit. Sorry bud—Hargo's Squad is a no-go for me." Ámon burst out laughing.

Reid lamented. "Thought so…"

Ámon's laughter grew louder. "Man, every ranger that ends up in that squad wants to transfer—fucking funny."His head rolled forward mid-laugh, his gaze catching the three figures passing by. He raised a brow, his Kyyr senses flaring. "By all that's fucking gold!" He suddenly shouted.

Savagrios felt it before he even looked back—the undeniable feeling of bloodlust crashing into them.

Ámon stood up, eyes wild as he scanned the trio that was now speed walking toward the lowglider. "YO! You three!" he shouted.

Savagrios tensed his body, as he put himself between Mera and Ámon. "Go!" Savagrios hissed, shoving Mera towards Aria. But Mera clung to his hand hard, her body trembling so violently he could feel the echoes of her terror vividly. Savagrios took a breath and gently pried her fingers free. "We'll handle this—get the glider ready!"

Ámon frowned as he lumbered closer. "You fuckers deaf?! Your superior's talking to you."

Savagrios, pulsed Kyyr gently through his body as he slowly grew taller, the uniform accommodated‌ his growth as he stood his ground against an approaching Ámon. "Sorry sir—we're in a hurry."

"Hurry? To where?" Ámon barked. "We're under lockdown protocols and I was stuck with the lame shitass job of guarding these flying pieces o'shit!" Ámon shouted as he reached Savagrios. "Hah—did you hit a growth spurt, or am I going fucking crazy?" He leaned in, face nearly brushing Savagrios's visor, eyes sliding past him toward Mera and Aria.

Savagrios blocked his view, shoving himself between Ámon and the others. "We have urgent business."

Ámon's grin twisted. Bloodlust poured off him as his hand clamped down on Savagrios's shoulder. "Whoa there, sport. You deaf or what? I said we're fucking lockdown. No one gets out. No one. Especially her." His grip tightened—and the uniform's shoulder plate shattered under the pressure.

Crimson Kyyr rippled under Savagrios's skin, scales forming beneath the tightening fabric. "Yeah?" he growled, leaning in close to Ámon's ear. "Try and stop us—go ahead. Try."

In that fleeting second between Savagrios's, and Ámon's rising bloodlust . A violent explosion of Kyyr erupted from below the hangar. Booming, thunderous Kyyr ruptured from below. Swerving energy traced beneath them.

Savagrios's eyes widened. The Eel-man!

Ámon's sneer faltered. Fucking Morray!

Aria's voice suddenly cut through the pressure. "WE'RE READY!"

Savagrios's focus snapped back. His Kyyr flared, muscles tightening as he drove his fist deep into Ámon's gut. He released a burst of energy just strong enough to launch him into the air.

"FU—" Ámon's shout cut off as the air burst from his lungs.

Savagrios didn't linger to see where Ámon landed. He surged Kyyr through his legs and shot forward, crossing the hangar in a flash before leaping onto the lowglider.

"GO! GO! GO!" Savagrios shouted as Ámon's Kyyr exploded out of his body like a convulsing octopus.

The lowglider pitched wildly, the crystal thrusters aiming back towards an enraged Ámon. Then—with a violent burst—it lunged forward, gathering speed as it shot out of the hangar.

THUMP!

Savagrios snapped his head toward the rear of the craft. The crystal engine shuddered under the sudden weight as Ámon pulled himself aboard.

"MERA WHAT KIND OF VIOLENT MEN ARE YOU ASSOCIATING WITH NOWADAYS? I'M STARTING TO GET A LITTLE JEALOUS!" Ámon shouted at a horrified Mera.

The lowglider swerved violently as Mera fought the controls, tears streaming down her face.

Savagrios's frown deepened, his mind racing to the worst possible meaning behind his vile words. His Kyyr viciously spiked, rage consuming the Coarseblood. The vile essence of Vaal seeped through his veins, Kyyr unleashing violently into Ámon like a tidal surge.

Ámon's eyes grew wild, a deranged smile spreading on his face. "THIS KYYR—THE COARSEBLOOD! YOU'RE ALIVE? AHAHAHA! WHAT AN AWESOME TWIST!" He shouted as he stomped forward, completely ignoring a terrified Aria that was curled up against one of the seats.

Savagrios's Kyyr rose, the uniform tearing under the crimson shattered sky as a red visage shattered the visor. The Coarseblood emerged—jaws stretching wide, face cracking into a deep, shattering frown.

Ámon laughed wildly. "HOW I MISSED THIS! DON'T YOU FEEL IT TOO, MERA? THAT SWEET ELATION OF CALAMITY—THE DIVINE ECSTASY OF OUR GOOD LORD!"

Savagrios didn't hesitate. He followed his nature, and—

RRRRRRSSSSSHHHHLLLK….

Ámon let out a deafening scream. His Kyyr flared, but not fast enough—Savagrios's jaws clamped down on his groin before his massive claws drove into his arms—

"SAVAGRIOS WAIT!" Mera cried out as she tumbled down from the controls and slammed into Savagrios's head. "LE-LET HIM GO! PLEASE!"

Savagrios froze, his jaws deep in the ranger's flesh—but not deep enough. Did I hesitate? His alien gaze pierced the deranged ranger. Ámon's twisted face, a mix of ecstasy and pain. Savagrios felt his jaws loosen, confusion flickering behind his rage. Why Mera? This man has clearly done something terrible to you. So why? Why are you stopping us?

Ámon's smile widened. "Y–you heard… h-her…" he choked out, blood spilling over his chin with every syllable.

"P-PLEASE…I BEG YOU D-DON'T KILL HIM!" Mera pleaded.

Savagrios's visage cracked, his memories churning as he stared at the scene before him. Fuck… Why does this feel familiar? Why this now? He pressed a crimson claw against his chest, shards of crystalline flesh splintering beneath his touch. A memory? His mind erupted with vague images—distant fireworks crackling across the night sky, their effervescent light revealing a mirrored scene: an amber-haired woman cradling a battered monster wearing the skin of a man. I remember… that night—that empty feeling. It was a lack of rage—Bastradamus. Savagrios's jaws clamped tight, further shattering his already mangled face.

"P-—Please!" Mera shouted. "Don't let Mr. Gira become a murderer. I beg you…" She wrapped her arms around the bleeding Ámon. "No matter how much I hate him—please, don't dirty yourself for someone like me."

Her words caused Savagrios to shudder, a familiar revulsion crawling down his spine as he pulled back, his breathing violent, blood dripping down his jagged teeth. "Gira… we—"

shhhhht—————SHHOOOOOOOOM!

A violent surge of Kyyr erupted in the distance, its shockwave slamming into the unmanned lowglider and throwing everyone off their feet. Mera hit the floor hard, Ámon was flung to the rear of the cabin, and Aria clung desperately to her seat as alarms blared around her. Another concussive wave struck—the Kyyr barrier shielding them from the night air fractured with a sharp crack. The shimmering bubble burst, and the weeping winds howled in, flooding the cabin. The force of the gale ripped through the glider, hurling everyone inside into chaos.

Savagrios's instincts flared. Crimson growths erupted from his flesh, crystalline tendrils coiling protectively around Aria and Mera as wind tore past.

His visage cracked as hesitation seized him—his tendril hovered millimeters from Ámon, but he just couldn't. As if we'd make the same mistake twice… Time seemed to slow as Ámon was wrenched from the glider, his expression twisting from horror to deranged glee before the darkness swallowed him whole.

The lowglider stabilized itself, the Kyyr bubble flickering back online as the roar of the wind waned into a shuddering silence as the lowglider aimlessly flew up into that crimson shattered sky. The cold air was still fluttering in the cabin as Savagrios shuddered.

His memory warped as shattered realization befell him.

Forgive us—