New old man friend

Steve lowered his weapon and apologized for being impudent. He seemed to understand if I wanted to kill them, I would have done it hours ago. 

"I have only met 2 Aeons before in my life."

I looked at him with an intrigued face. He proudly recollected how he had fought against the Aeon of Fear and he had an encounter with the Aeon of Serenity when he visited her shrine.

"Wait, so you visited the Shrine of Serenity?"

"After we travelled to Mondlict to resupply and fix our equipment, Roxy fell ill, Alicia tried healing her multiple times to no avail. We didn't know what to do, so we went to the closest building we saw. At that Shrine, we met some godly beings, with silver-like hair. She let us rest up in her sanctuary, and eventually, after a day or so, Roxy's mysterious illness vanished. At the end of our encounter, Roxy told us that we had just run into the Aeon of Serenity."

Steve smiled and told me if he ever met her again, he would personally thank her and show her his gratitude for saving his comrade.

"You had an encounter with the Aeon of Fear?"

He stayed quiet for a moment before he stood straight up and dropped his hammer. He lifted his glorious helmet that had feathers on the top. 

A thick braided beard dropped, and long golden hair that was slightly grey cascaded from his head. But there was something abnormal about his face. From his lower throat up to his eye was a giant scar. He only had one eye open, it was the same blue colour as Alicia's.

He pressed around his left arm and unexpectedly it fell onto the sand with a loud metallic clang. It was a prosthetic arm.

"My left arm was cut off, during my encounter with the Aeon of Fear. As a human, I could never stand up to such a being, but human nature is to protect things you hold dear."

"You saved her didn't you?"

The corner of his cheeks gave me a bittersweet smile as he told me if he had to do it again, he would stand up against fear… no death itself just to protect his loved ones.

"You are a valiant warrior Steve."

"Thank you, gift from the Aeonic realm."

"Don't call me that, it sounds weird…" I softly laughed.

"I have never heard of an Aeon called Freedom though. There are always 12 Aeons in rotation. But never in history has there been a total count of 13 Aeons." He placed his hand on his chin and tilted his head in confusion.

"How is it that you are an Aeon? Are you really an Aeon?"

I looked at my hand and proceeded to rub the flower on my cheek.

"Sometimes I wonder that too, if I am worthy enough to bear such a title."

"How about we test out your abilities? I want to see with my own eye if you are worthy enough to hold the title of Aeon!"

I was taken aback by his request but smirked, and gave approval to his request .

"Let's go then!"

He readied his hammer into the air.

"Wait wait wait!?!"

"HAMMER DOWN!"

The ground beneath my feet glowed red before shattering and cracking. I stood there in a daze, Steve started to charge towards me with his hammer. 

I formed a barrier of ooze in front of me. It absorbed the impact and stretched out like rubber swallowing Steve whole. After a few seconds, I regained my balance and collected my thoughts.

"What is this slime? GET OFF ME!"

"Do you give up old man Steve?"

I heard laughter inside the barrier I created.

"AS IF!"

He started to swing his hammer around but it only stretched out the walls of my barrier. Exhaustion must have set in for him, I heard panting behind it. 

"AUUUUUUGGGHHHH!"

Steve let out a battle cry before charging right into it again.

Why is he charging right into it? He saw it didn't work last time right? The ooze stretched further and further. I stood there, expecting it to just fling him back. 

To my surprise, the ooze stretched further than I expected. You could see the outlines of his armour behind it and his strained expression. 

"Why isn't it bouncing back?"

At that moment I heard a snap, and the ooze fell apart, letting loose a rampaging rhino. 

My eyes widened in shock as I saw a 250 kg animal charging at me.

I took out Velpra and put it into my left hand, I aimed at the ground, deliberately shooting the ground instead of him. 

Steve didn't pay attention to the bullet, and as he was charging at full speed towards me, the bullet exploded and he was flung into the desert. I heard a loud clang as he hit the ground, I walked up towards him. He was lying on his back, staring up at the stars. 

"You are truly an Aeon."

I reached out my hand, and he took ahold of it with a firm grip, before letting himself be pulled up by me. 

"What is your true goal Aeon?"

"Call me Vivshi."

"What is it you yearn for young lad?"

I let out a small laugh.

"Freedom for those I love, and freedom for myself."

Steve guffawed and put his arm around my shoulders, as we headed back to camp.

We had something in common, we were getting stronger for those we wanted to protect.