"He's not a 'I like people" person.  He's kinda supposed to be an ass..." Fang admitted, shrugging her shoulders and looking back at Flare then Aster's medical bay.  "I'll head in, take your time Flare."

Flare looked down at the box for a moment and looked back at Caligo.  "It's rather hard to explain, but in layman's terms it's metal.  For Crimson specifically.  If you've seen Aster, I guess you got filled in somehow?" Flare's expression was mixed with some pain and sorrow, likely from the thought of a suffering Kyng.  

"Scale Rust is incurable yes, but at least Crimson takes the pain with a smile, no matter how many times he dies...the man truly is fit to take the mantle of Emperor." Flare said softly. 

Flare stays silent for a moment and looks away, as if drawn to something in the distance.  "No.  He is as mortal as Aster is.  Human is what Crimson is, but humanity is fleeing...."

"It's not as simple as you think.  Just because he dies, doesn't mean his humanity is like a flower that loses a petal, it's more complicated than that.  First, I must at least say this: Crimson is incredibly hard to kill, as in, separating his soul from his body, you'll have a hard time doing that, second, the way he loses part of himself, his humanity, is...it's hard to explain.  But I will try my best to while respecting his boundaries.  There is a certain trait and weapon Crimson possess that gradually tears away at his very being, the Soul to be more precise, and as many know, that is what makes you...well you, it gives you morals, humanity so to speak.  And every time he uses this, he takes away part of himself in favor of power."

"That's the point.  When I say humanity is fleeing...well you know what I mean.  Crimson is but a shell for his former self at this point.  Between the Limiter, Scale Rust, and his Humanity, all he can play at this point is a swan song for his life." Flare snapped his attention back to the box and walked into Aster's bay.  Finishing the conversation about Crimson.  

"Well, we managed to get ahold of the metal Aster.  Not sure how it'll help Crimson though." Fang said, sitting in his chair, spinning around.  Aster held the small orb of black metal that looks melted and like obsidian at the same time.  Flare didn't say a word, nor did he look at Aster.  His mind was somewhere else, his eyes glowing a faint gold.  

"We've got a lot to do in so little time.  Shard, I hope you're more than prepared.  Infinity and Agni worked pretty hard to get ahold of this and it's all we have.  So no toying around and making something else please." Aster said, holding the orb in the light.  It's surface seemed to glow a slight red and black.  

"Well going into the damn tombs and searching around the Firing Chamber for that wasn't easy.  Crimson never likes that place to be disturbed, but it's not like we had a choice.  That is prime and Crimson-certified metal." Agni interjected and spun a book on his finger like a ball. 

Infinity sighed and placed a hand on Shard's shoulder.  "Makin' a new Forge Disk isn't the best, nor easiest of task.  We usually leave it to the Black Box to do it, but this is one of those days.  So we'll be there to help.  Not like any of us have a choice anyways." she told the girl.  Shard remained silent and stole the metal from Aster and turned it around and examined it.  "So, new Steel?  We got a name for it?  Can I name it?  I wanna call it...Soul Steel.  Yeah, thats not a bad name..." she said ,talking to herself.  Agni threw the book at Shard, who caught it and set it down.  "Yeah, we're not doing that." Agni said to her, Shard rolled her eyes.  

"If you're all done complaining and partying, then let's get the show on the road.  Now...who's up first." Aster said and held out an IV and a blood vial.

----------------------------------------------

"Dead asleep.  Just, plopped down and kinda fell out of it.  Rather nice though, I like the peace and quiet unlike some people I know." a familiar voice said, accommodated by a pair of golden eyes appearing next to Caligo.  

(Making a Forge Disk apparently.)

"Oh?  You're not?  The items you received would have anyone think otherwise.  The same could apply to Fang too.  And Crimson." Leon said, his eyes rather curious. 

"In Arithnia, things like that symbolize a connection between a person.  It doesn't matter if it's a bracelet or necklace..." Leon holds his arm out as the veil that prevented them from seeing him partially disappeared, scorch marks, scars and cuts were covering it.  He held out his hand and on the back of it was an odd X marking branded in black.



"Some are bound by deeper means.  Like I am to Crimson." 

"It's not something I can willingly explain.  Only certain people can understand it's meaning.  Even if I told you, the words that would come out of my mouth would be indecipherable to you.  But I can say that those who have this mark are bound by their own fates."

"Well yeah, if you're bound by the fate you choose and you can't escape it, I would imagine so.  That's what a lot of the people who have this mark are like."

"Oh, my fate was sealed forever ago.  Been dead for a good number of years actually.  That's uh, kinda why I'm just...ya know, able to vanish."

"I don't know many people who can use magic like that.  A few, yes, but usefully, not much, if at all.  anyways, did you hear much about Crimson from Aster?

"Ah, yeah, Scale Rust, poor kid, that's what he get's..." Leonidas surrounds his arm with his veil again and vanished into a chair next to the fireplace.  "The Emperor...that's a name I haven't been called in years.  Crimson and I, we share the body.  I am the main reason and the last fail-safe against the Scale Rust.  Crimson, Fang, Flare, Azure, Infinity and two others carry my soul.  The Emperor Soul as they call it.  Those who have that shard are called Shard Bearers.  But in the grand scheme, Crimson and I, we're both the Emperor.  Now you're going to ask, 'Well, what does the Emperor and it's Soul do?' aren't you?  Well, that's not for me to tell you, that is something you're going to have to ask Crimson."

"It's just a general rule of privacy we have for the kid, that's all.  He's not twisting our arm to keep it a secret.  But we just don't want to look like jerks and have Crimson surprised when you know a lot about him and he knows nothing about you two.  After all, he did see you two only once...well from afar.  That's how we knew you were incarnates of the sun and moon." Leon sighed and stared at the fire.   

"Cliffside, when you two went asleep.  Crimson came over for a moment and gave his opinion then left."