"Come on," said Noah's voice, out of THE Verdant Regard's mouth. "Let's spar with this body now, and test its limits."
On the golden shore of the Maze of Destiny, Kir One slowly stretched its titanic neck.
Its vast obsidian head came down out of the haze, faces carved all along it, and it brought itself close, very close, until its open eyes hung just a few paces from the Verdant Regard's chest. The same chest it had split wide open not very long ago. The scar was still there under her robes, sealed now with a faint line of gold.
Kir One looked at it for a long moment.
"Are you alive?" it asked again.
HUUM!
The Verdant Regard's gold eyes shone, and her mouth curved into Noah's smile.
"We will see!"
A little way off along the shore, Noah's own body sat cross-legged on the golden sand, perfectly still, hands resting on his knees. He glanced up once at the scene, the Ancient body he wore squaring off against the titan that had nearly killed her, and then he closed his eyes.
