I’m back into FFXIV to such an extent that I have time to work on Achiyo, who’s my fanfic alt – I only play her when I’m working on the fanfic! Tam’s DRK is up to level 64, which is getting pretty high! I’m going to need to make one for the seasonal event going on right now, though. Little Ladies Day is basically for White Day, isn’t it?
Haven’t explored any of 4.2’s MSQ; I did play Fractal Hard and loved the music, mostly been leveling DRK and trying to 3-man Sophia EX. Glamour dresser outfits are okay, I’m just glad that you can still glam your stuff the old-fashioned way. (they did not fix Nastrond but it’s been pointed out that combo’d Full Thrust is 450 which helps me feel a little better about DRG, although I still only hit 17K on a really good crit with full buffs (stupid SAM and their 20K crits, they have two 400 attacks, their 720 Midare Setsugekka, and an 800 AoE, how fair is that????? jelly 4ever).
EDIT: fixed the part about raising people.
Last new Warriors of Light!
Vivienne Urselmert is a DRK Duskwight from Gelmorra, trying to change the way people see Duskwights by doing powerful deeds. Unfortunately, she’s a cold and prickly person whose only real friend is Aentfryn. Determined to forge her own path through life regardless of what anyone else tells her.
Main glam: Omicron fending gear, Cronus Lux
Favourite mount: Ginga, SDS Fenrir
Aentfryn Zwynswaensyn was the product of me trying to see just how bad a name I could make given Sea Wolf naming conventions. A cranky SCH in his 40’s who’s found companionship in the only other person around to not give a sh*t about organizations, causes, or any of that stupid young-person stuff. Apparently doesn’t notice that he’s just as involved. Loves animals.
Main glam: Wolf Robe
Favourite mount: Magitek Armour, Griffon
Bonus Lilidi, Kekeniro’s girlfriend.
Chapter 3: When Stars Go Out
“I can’t believe that great lout of a Roegadyn,” Chuchupa fumed. “All that vague talk o’ ‘Tidus’, that useless make-work… I should’ve bashed his knee in! He’d’ve done a lot more blubbering then!”
“I honestly did not notice he was saying ‘Tidus’ and not ‘Titan’,” Achiyo admitted reluctantly. “I am sorry, Chuchupa – had I known, I would have cut him short.”
“On the other hand, I was very entertained,” Tam said. “I wondered what he would do next, and how soon Chuchupa would lose her mind.”
“Oooh, don’t tease her!” Rinala scolded. “I’d rather keep my tail attached!”
“Aye, ye’d best watch yer knees, Elezen,” Chuchupa growled, a hand on her axe. “I’m in no mood for more nonsense.”
“I for one knew something was off, but we had nothing else to go on…” Y’shtola sighed. “At least now we are on the right path. Though I would it had not taken an entire day to reach it.”
Chuchupa waved. “Oi, ye’ll need to keep up if we’re to make it to Costa by nightfall!”
But when they came over a ridge and within sight of the bay, Achiyo’s feet stopped moving of their own accord. She had never been this far north on the island of Vylbrand, and the white sands, the tropical teal waters, the brilliant green vegetation, all bathed in the rosy light of the lowering sun, were all a sight to behold.
“Did you not hear your friend?” came a sharp female voice from behind her, and Achiyo turned to see a Duskwight Elezen woman in black armour, and a male Roegadyn in plain grey robes with a small glowing fairy sitting on his shoulder. “’Tis folly to linger. If you get caught in a buffalo stampede, I am certainly not going to save you.”
Achiyo bowed politely. “Very well. I shall take responsibility for my own folly. But I have never been to Costa del Sol, and was overcome by the view…”
Y’shtola had noticed Achiyo falling behind, and those who accosted her. “So I take it you have reconsidered our proposal?”
“Nay,” said the Duskwight. “We are searching to confront Titan on our own terms.”
“I don’t care what you or the Lalafell in the Shroud have to say,” the Roegadyn said. “I will not babysit you Scions in your mad quixotic ventures.”
Y’shtola tilted her head, apparently completely unconcerned by their rejection. “Have it as you will. But we will confront Titan, and the heroes who felled Ifrit will probably not care whether you attend or not.”
“So you four are the ones who killed Ifrit,” said the Duskwight woman. “Perhaps looks can be deceiving.”
Achiyo saw Chuchupa start to snarl and Rinala start to turn red, and decided to intervene. “I beg your pardon, but I believe it was you who said we should not stop on the road. Perhaps we can continue to Costa del Sol and introduce ourselves there?”
“I hardly see the point, but since that is our destination, I cannot deny you,” said the Duskwight, and they continued.
Once they had arrived at the resort, Y’shtola set about seeing for their accommodations, while the others met at the aetheryte prior to going to the Flying Shark for a meal. “Let us begin again,” Achiyo said to the odd pair. “My name is Achiyo Kensaki.”
“Everyone knows who you are, Au Ra,” said the Roegadyn. “Everyone in La Noscea, at least. Hard to miss the horns.”
Achiyo suppressed a sigh of irritation. Eorzea might be filled with free spirits, but it had become apparent to her that a lot of those free spirits were either rude, racist, whether intentionally or not, or both. Only the Scions seemed truly accepting of her race. “Very well, and you are?”
“…Aentfryn Zwynswaensyn,” the Roegadyn said after a moment’s pause, and Chuchupa burst out laughing heartily.
“Poor sod, saddled with a name like that!” she howled.
“It sounds like an ordinary Sea Wolf name?” Rinala queried.
“Heheh, hardly,” Chuchupa said, and the Roegadyn – Aentfryn – brought out his codex before she could say another word, Miasma swirling in his hand.
“Not another word, or I’ll fight you, woman,” he growled.
Chuchupa’s laughter had died to snickers. “I’ll take ye on, no contest. It’s only a just reward for mocking Princess here!”
The Duskwight unsheathed an enormous black sword from her back and swung it down between the two; it thudded into the sand between them with a hefty weight, and its edge burned with a dark flame. Achiyo’s own sword suddenly felt like a toy, at her side – no, she couldn’t think that way, her sword did its job perfectly. It simply had a different use than that massive hunk of metal. “Cease this pointless quarrel or you will both regret it,” the Duskwight commanded, and Aentfryn put away his codex with a sour look. “I am Vivienne Urselmert, if such information interests you.” She had very dark skin and black hair to go with her black armour – she would blend completely into a dark night, Achiyo considered.
“I’m Tam Salmaiire,” Tam said. “The small angry one is Chuchupa, and the quiet one is Rinala.”
“Tam Salmaiire?” Vivienne said, giving him an intent stare. “That is not an Elezen name.”
“No shite,” Tam said pleasantly. “But it’s mine. It seems you’ve already met Y’shtola?”
“We have indeed,” Vivienne said, after another intent stare. “More than once, the Scions have attempted to recruit us. But we have no interest in joining that organization. I take it you have been sucked in?”
“We have, and proud of it!” Rinala burst out, tail standing up. “They’re good people, doing good work for Eorzea. You’re so judgmental! What is your problem!?”
“You call me judgmental!?” Vivienne cried. “Little ignorant girl! My people-”
“Things seem very tense,” Tam said. “If you don’t all sit down this instant and order food, I’ll go drown myself.”
“No, don’t drown, I beg you!” Rinala cried, now distressed on Tam’s account as well as her own.
“Then sit!”
“An excellent idea,” Achiyo said, attempting to regain control of the situation, and wondering when Y’shtola would return.
Once they’d all gotten some nourishment into their bodies, it turned out that everyone was a lot more pleasant. Y’shtola had joined them. “Yes, both I and Yda and Papalymo attempted to recruit them, for they both have the power of the Echo. But we will never force any to join us against their will. How should we?” Rinala beamed at her.
“Indeed,” Vivienne said. “I have more important things to attend to, such as assisting my comrades in Issom-Har. And Aentfryn has had enough of organized companies since the Calamity.”
“I thought we agreed not to speak of it,” Aentfryn said with a glower, to which Vivienne flipped a careless hand. “So you must be the healer of the group,” Aentfryn said to Rinala, turning to ignore his companion. “I see your staff.”
“Yes, I am,” Rinala said. “I’m not very experienced, but I practice as hard as I can.”
“That is good. Has anyone died yet?”
“N-no! I try my hardest not to let that happen!”
“Hmm. Good. Raise spells are finicky. A sennight ago I had to raise Urselmert-”
“I was defending him against a pack of voidsent, thank you,” Vivienne retorted.
“Peace,” Aentfryn said. “If you intend to face Titan, you may very well require such last-ditch contingencies. Only know that it must be done quickly, before your fallen comrade’s aether disperses.”
“And if I die, you may be sure I won’t get any deader if it doesn’t work,” Tam pointed out with a smirk.
“No! You can’t die. I won’t let you!” Rinala cried.
“We will work together to ensure that no one dies,” Achiyo said calmingly. “But mistakes happen, and we may come across an enemy we cannot defeat without sacrifice. If that happens, ’tis good to remember that they can still be saved. Thank you, Aentfryn.”
The Roegadyn looked away. “Enough stupid children get themselves killed adventuring. Makes unnecessary work for the rest of us. Don’t be stupid.”
“We shall do our best,” Achiyo said. “Though I’m told there’s a fine line between bravery and stupidity.”
“Aye,” Tam said with a grin. “I dance that line as far as I can. Every year that passes, the side of stupidity becomes more alluring.”
“You are the absolute worst type of adventurer,” Aentfryn growled. “I hate you already. Do your job properly or you’ll get no heals from me or Eos.” Tam laughed.
Their journey took them to Camp Tranquil in the South Shroud, to steal giant tortoise eggs – technically poaching, and therefore quite wrong, but that was what Captain Whiskaet and Landanel commanded them to do, or else they would never reach Titan. She didn’t understand it, but she did as she was told – if Achiyo or Tam thought it was wrong enough to protest, they would surely say something. From thence they traveled all the way to the village of the Miqo’te U tribe in Southern Thanalan, to speak to the nunh there. Rinala was a little apprehensive at first. Sun Seekers had different family units than Moon Keepers, and while she didn’t want to be noticed at all, she was nervous that she would be noticed and…. criticized, or something. But Sun Seekers would recognize that Moon Keepers were different, wouldn’t they?
She hadn’t been so nervous around R’nyath, but he was a tia. Nunh tended to be more bossy, more conservative. And especially with the U tribe being so isolated, U’odh Nunh might be more conservative than most. And Y’shtola wasn’t around to reassure her with her no-nonsense words and stubborn looks, or Yda to pep her up with buoyant energy.
She needn’t have worried. Whether or not U’odh Nunh was conservative or not, Achiyo and Vivienne took point in the conversations and were completely adept at unconsciously keeping attention away from her. With much purring and growling, the Miqo’te informed them of their prey, and assigned them a guide for the first stage of their mission – a tiny Lalafell with sword and bow, who introduced herself, with a proud tilt to her head, as Lilidi.
Tam narrowed his eyes at her. “You wouldn’t happen to be romantically entangled with a man named Kekeniro, would you?”
“Hmph, so he’s actually made some friends who aren’t me? I’m shocked.”
“Yes, he’s joined the Scions of the Seventh Dawn, along with the four of us,” Achiyo said.
“We don’t know him very well yet,” Rinala said, still feeling shy of the diminutive huntress. “But he did mention you are very beautiful, and that you had a spirit of fire.”
Lilidi smiled, a surprisingly sweet smile for how bluntly she’d spoken before. “He would, though my aether technically tends towards wind. He’s such a darling.”
“We look forward to working with him more,” Achiyo said politely. “And it’s a pleasure to be working with you now.”
“Then maybe this won’t be as tedious as U’odh made it out to be,” Lilidi said. “If Kekeniro likes you, you must be skilled. It’s been a while since I’ve seen him, and it’ll be some time more before I leave this place. I’m learning so much here. If you see him before I do, tell him all is well.”
“We will,” Rinala said, squealing internally. “He’ll be happy!”
“He’d better. All right, let’s go find some duneskimmers!”
“Huh, there’s a dragon,” Tam said, shading his eyes and peering through the jungle to the skies. “Is that your problem, Ms. Brayflox?”
“Yes! Yes! Nastywicked dragon make nest in Longstop, gobbies flee.”
“Have you tried talking to it?”
“Ye can’t talk to dragons,” Chuchupa snorted. “They do what they like, and bugger all else. Not sure most of ’em can even speak.”
Tam frowned. “Really? That’s unfortunate. All the ones I know are perfectly capable of speech. Have you tried, though?”
“Brayflox make shrillscream when flee, dragon make angryroar. No talk! No talk!”
“Right, I’ll give it a go once we catch up with it.” Tam began to make his way confidently through the thick undergrowth. “This might all be solved with words instead of stabbing, for once.”
“I… don’t understand anything that’s going on,” Achiyo said to Rinala. “Do you?”
“Not really,” Rinala said. “Tam’s being weird again. I guess we’ll find out once we get there. I hope I don’t have to try raising him from the dead…”
They caught up with Tam, Vivienne, and Aentfryn outside a large cave. Rumblings and snortings told them the dragon was within, but the three of them were arguing.
“You’re really going to talk to it?” Rinala asked Tam anxiously, butting into the argument in her concern. “What I’ve heard of dragons is that they aren’t very nice.”
Tam looked genuinely confused. “You’ve been hearing about the wrong ones, then. Maybe this one’s a jerk, but you never know.”
“You’re…” Vivienne pinched the bridge of her nose as if he was giving her a headache. “Where did you say you were from?”
Tam snorted. “I didn’t.”
Vivienne glared. “None of that. You might get off on playing the mysterious lunatic, but I don’t have time or patience for that. If you’re not from Eorzea, that’s fine, I don’t care. But when your ignorance endangers your companions, when they begin to doubt your commitment to the land they’re fighting with all their strength to protect, it’s time to get out or stop being selfish.”
Tam’s mismatched eyes had flashed at ‘ignorance’, but his face, set in unwonted seriousness, didn’t change. “Then once we’ve dealt with this dragon, maybe I’ll tell you some of it.”
“Then it’ll be happenin’ soon,” Chuchupa pointed out, axe at the ready. “Here it comes!”
On the beach of Costa del Sol, under a warm but clouded night sky, the six of them dug their feet into the sand. It was going to get in her tail and she’d have to brush it for an hour afterwards, but it felt nice in her toes. She envied Achiyo her scaled tail, a little. “Where to begin,” Tam murmured, his deep voice even deeper in the darkness.
Achiyo looked at him, though she could barely see him, silhouetted against the torches of the Costa resort. “I could always tell you were different. Things you knew, things you didn’t know…”
“Ye’re a smug-ass bastard about it,” Chuchupa said bluntly. “More’n even me. It’s been startin’ to piss me off. So – out wi’ et. Where’re ye from?”
“The name wouldn’t mean anything to you, I think,” Tam said. “When I first arrived, I tried to tell people, but no one knew. I’m from Torakedma, I suppose you could say, from the Nunathoemlen in the Adhemlenei…”
“What strange names,” Rinala said. “They’re very pretty.”
“If you say so,” Tam said. “I couldn’t tell you how I came here, only that I did. I woke up in the middle of the Black Shroud with no idea where I was and little recollection of my immediate past.” He was silent for a moment. “I also wonder if something was lost, coming here.”
“What do you mean?” Rinala asked. “What kind of something?”
“I was considered maverick at home, sure. But here… it’s a struggle to remember what ‘normal’ is, to not go too far outside the lines. Sometimes I wonder if I died and this is all just an elaborate illusion before my brain shuts down entirely. Or a twisted afterlife.”
“Twisted?” Aentfryn grumbled.
Tam’s voice had a pout in it. “You come from a land where the entire population is kalmaei and unicorns, and farther away dragons and griffons, and come to a place with about ten different kinds of bipeds of various small sizes and the dragons, griffons, and unicorns don’t use vocal speech… Not to mention the magic, the airships, and the talking crystals? This is not my definition of normal.”
“So you can talk to dragons, where you come from,” Achiyo said.
“Do you actually live side-by-side with them?” Vivienne asked skeptically.
“Most certainly. Dragons are relatively peaceful, even if they’re more cranky than the other species, and they were great allies to the kalmaei in our ancient war against the lugwuarthei…”
“What is kalmaei?” Rinala asked. “Is that what you call Elezen? What’s lu… er, lu…”
“Lugwuarthei are our ancient enemy, the shadowbeasts, I suppose you might call them. I think they’ve been eradicated, happily. The kalmaei are the people shaped like me. But I’m not an Elezen. I think we’re rather different. For one thing… how old do Elezen live to be?”
“We can live over a hundred, if no accidents happen,” Vivienne said.
“I’m over five thousand, and no sign of slowing down,” Tam said quietly. “We just don’t die, if no ‘accidents’ happen.”
“Five thousand and he still has the maturity of someone a thousandth that age,” Chuchupa snarked.
Tam laughed. “It’s one way to keep things interesting. But when I tell you it’s been a very long time since I was part of… a team, that I’ve never been considered a… hero, that it’s difficult for me to trust people or feel close to them… I hope that explains why I’ve continued to be standoffish after all this time. And will probably continue to be so in the future, though I’ll make an effort to be less smug about it.”
“Yes,” Achiyo said softly. “You must be incredibly lonely.”
Tam snorted. “Hardly. I had my apprentice, and a few friends, and my parents. To clarify, then: I find it difficult to get close to anyone new. And in what for me is the blink of an eye.” She heard him shrug. “So what now? What do you want from me? If you’d rather be rid of me, tell me so. I don’t mind.”
“It’s enough to know what you’ve told us, at least for me,” Achiyo said. “I do hope you come to trust us as your friends. I’ve enjoyed journeying with you, and your wisdom and experience has been a boon to us all.”
“His what?” Chuchupa asked, unimpressed.
“If you say so,” Tam said, sounding unconvinced. “Even after I’ve just confessed that I don’t like hero teams?”
“We still need you, if you’re willing to help,” Rinala said. “Besides, what else would you do?”
“What I normally do. Wander the land up and down until I know it like the back of my hand. Help those I come across in the little problems of life, things I can handle on my own.”
“Do you want to go?” Achiyo asked.
Tam was silent. “I hadn’t planned to yet. I’m curious to know what happens next.”
“I’m glad,” Rinala said. “I hope you stay. Even though you’re a jerk sometimes.”
Tam laughed. “I’m Tatamkanai, by the way.”
“You’re what?” Vivienne said.
“My true name. So you can stop bitching about my secrets.”
“I think I’ll keep calling you Tam. Or bastard.”
“Suits me fine.”
This was it. They were as ready as they could be, and all that was left was to find the heart of the kobold lair. Y’shtola raised her hands towards the aetheryte, feeling its counterpart through the distance and stone and aether that separated and bound them. In moments they’d jump through and attempt to stop the ritual that summoned Titan.
Rinala’s heart was already pounding, and she was afraid it would only get worse. It wasn’t just stage fright, even though she’d already helped fight Ifrit and survived. She didn’t know what to expect, whether they’d appear in the midst of a sea of kobolds or if they’d be too late and come face-to-face with Titan himself… She really hoped they wouldn’t have to fight Titan. Not because she doubted her ability to shield and to heal, but what description they could obtain from the Company of Heroes was terrifying. “Don’t get punched,” Captain Whiskaet had warned them with special emphasis. “Lost four men to just one of that monster’s punches. If the blow doesn’t kill you, the impact on the other end will.”
But no matter what else, they couldn’t allow Titan to break free and rampage down to Camp Overlook, Camp Bronzelake and beyond. She couldn’t hide behind Achiyo and Tam’s leadership, or even follow Aentfryn’s lead in healing. She had to pull her weight despite her shaking hands and quick breathing. And if no one got hurt, she might even pull out her black mage staff and cast ice at it.
Y’shtola, her task done, caught her eye and put a comforting hand on her shoulder with a slight smile. Rinala felt her breathing come a little more under control as she gave a smile back. Y’shtola had been doing this sort of thing for ages. The others were all experienced. Rinala wasn’t yet ready to die for Eorzea, but she was definitely ready to fight alongside them.
Tam had already gone through the aetheryte’s portal. Chuchupa was right behind him, and Vivienne and Aentfryn weren’t about to be last. Rinala couldn’t push past them, but she was as close as she could be – they might need her help immediately.
She popped out in a large open space, just behind the others, lit weirdly by the light of orange lava far below. It was dreadfully hot and she felt sweat break out on the back of her neck, on her collarbone. The kobolds hissed dreadfully at them. “Overdwellers! Invaders from above!!” “They have defiled Titan’s sacred sanctuary – trespassed, violated, defiled!” “Overdwellers must leave! Overdwellers must fly!”
One with a particularly ornate mask squeaked louder than the rest. “Brothers and sisters, fear not! Their fate shall be decided by the Lord of Crags! Hear me, overdwellers! You and your treacherous brethren must be held to account for the breaking of the covenant! You shall be the first to face judgement! Then Limsa Lominsa and her oathbreakers – liars, betrayers, oathbreakers!”
“What are they talking about?” Achiyo asked in a low voice.
“Best not to ask right now,” Chuchupa said. “We’re about to get company.”
The kobolds were chanting now, and the rocks were trembling. Rinala looked around, eyes wide, tail slightly fluffed. Maybe she wasn’t as ready for this as she thought.
Titan burst from within a massive boulder and flexed, roaring, before charging at them. Achiyo shouted, flashing her light at him, distracting him from the others, who jumped to attack his flanks. The Au Ra danced backwards, keeping an inch away from those hefty blows, any of which would crumple her armour like foil and shatter her sword and shield like ice.
The giant was six meters tall and looked like he weighed as much as a castle. The ground was vibrating beneath her feet, and the edges of the stone table on which they stood were crumbling beneath the abuse and falling a long, long way down into the lava. But he wasn’t looking at her. She could do this. She raised her staff, protecting them all. Tam had an advantage with his lance, able to stab higher than most of the others. Chuchupa cursed and used the elez- kalma as a springboard to punch Titan in the spine with her oversized brassknuckles. Vivienne’s gigantic sword made whooshing noises as it cleaved through the air, and Aentfryn was casting Miasma as his fairy cast mysterious fey healing spells.
Then Titan threw back his head and roared, flexing again. Warm-up was over, it seemed. Rinala gripped her staff tighter, her tail lashing, eyes shining. She was ready. Her stage fright was done. Thancred would be proud of her!
Chuchupa’s blow shivered part of Titan’s skin, revealing something yellow and glowing. “Oi! That looks like a weak spot! Get ‘im!” She tumbled away, rolling and springing to her feet by Achiyo.
How useless would it to be to throw stones at a stone giant? She settled for Aero, trying to make it as strong as possible while keeping it away from her friends. Tam and Vivienne had gone for the crack Chuchupa made, biting away bits of his body. Titan roared and flailed, spinning around to them, but Achiyo now attacked the vulnerable spot, Chuchupa striking Titan’s leg.
Titan growled, making a strange, non-attacking gesture with a hand, and suddenly the stones themselves rose up and swallowed Aentfryn, who vanished with a cry of surprise. Rinala squeaked and cast another Aero, trying to blow the stones away. Titan was winding up, he was going to punch the pile of rocks and kill Aentfryn instantly!
Tam and Chuchupa threw themselves at the stone prison, breaking it open and hauling Aentfryn away from the heap of stones as swiftly as they could. Just in time – Titan swung, and a bolt of rocks and dust hurtled towards the heap of stones, and the ground shivered. When the dust cleared again, there was a huge groove in the ground where the stones had been. Rinala squeaked again and cast unnecessary heals on all of them; Eos was doing so as well.
“A little more!” Achiyo cried. “Vivienne, he’s turning to me again!”
“I have it!” Vivienne cried, lifting her massive sword and plunging it with all its weight and her strength into the glowing crystal.
Titan roared as Vivienne struck his deathblow, collapsing into a pile of orange aether and dispersing. Rinala let out a cry of delight and her tail stood straight up. They’d done it! Elation surged through her, making her giddy. She could have grown wings.
Most of the kobolds screamed and fled, their emotions directly the opposite. Their leader turned back briefly. “The crimes of the overdwellers shall never be forgiven! Never be forgotten! No, no, never! ‘Twas your kind who broke the covenant! We have acted only in defense of our lands! Cease your aggression, or never will there be peace! Until our dying breaths, we shall defy you – deny, decry, defy!” Then the leader followed the rest.
She could hardly concentrate on anything now, so excited was she. But she did notice Vivienne knelt to pick up something – an orange crystal, one which looked the same as the ones Rinala already carried. “Interesting.” Her eyes spaced out for a second, and Rinala wondered – was she having a vision like the ones that they themselves had had? She said she had the Echo too, didn’t she?
“Rinala can take that,” Tam said. “We’re collecting those.”
Vivienne raised an eyebrow. “I have no need of it.” She dropped it in Rinala’s hands and turned away – they were stuck until Y’shtola came to get them, probably.
At that moment, Y’shtola glimmered into being. “I feared I might arrive too late, but I see you had the matter well in hand. I have taken measures to ensure that we are not pursued, yet I cannot say how long they will hold.” She glanced around at the leftover scene of chaos. “Take your leave while the kobolds are still in disarray. I will follow anon. There is something I must investigate before I depart. I will teleport you to the aetheryte in Zelma’s Run, and we will rendezvous at Camp Bronze Lake. Agreed?”
“Yes, thank you,” Achiyo said.
“Thanks!” Rinala chirped, beaming, still riding her victory high.
Y’shtola turned to Vivienne and Aentfryn. “And I assume our alliance is complete.”
“It certainly is,” Aentfryn said. “Though…” He looked at Vivienne.
“We could not have done this alone,” Vivienne said, nodding. “It was a good alliance. Your new recruits are not disgraceful.”
“I thank you for my life. We might see you in the future,” Aentfryn said, and to Rinala’s surprise, it didn’t sound grudging.
Tam gave a low chuckle. Y’shtola shook her head and put out her hand to teleport them away.
They came out exactly where they’d gone in. “It’s done,” Vivienne said, breathing in the sweet night air of the mountain. The accompanying smile she made was almost invisible in the darkness, except to a Moon Keeper. “And folk will know a Duskwight was there.”
“You’ve never smiled before,” Rinala said to her. “I like it!”
Vivienne’s smile dropped again and she snorted. “You’re such a child.”
Even that couldn’t dampen her spirits. “I know. But you’re right, we did it!”
“Then we’ll be parting ways here,” Aentfryn said, and began to walk off without further farewell.
“I wish you well,” Achiyo said, bowing to Vivienne. Vivienne bowed back briefly and began to follow Aentfryn.
“Back to Camp Bronze Lake, then?” Chuchupa asked.
“Yep.” Tam slung his spear on his back and began to whistle with his hands behind his head.
It all felt a lot less grand than when they’d defeated Ifrit. But… more comfortable, Rinala mused. They were a proper team now. And they’d already had the victory celebrations beforehand, with the Company of Heroes. It was nice to just have a quiet moment to rejoice and catch their breath. She smiled at Achiyo and took her arm to walk back together.
They arrived at the harbour in Vesper Bay two days later, having taken a rest in Limsa Lominsa before taking the ferry back. The city had been no more busy than usual; it seemed that news of Titan had not been widespread. To avoid a panic, perhaps? They’d called Minfilia to let her know of their success, though Y’shtola was ahead of them there. While the Miqo’te scholar was continuing to monitor the kobolds and their crystals for a while, the four warrior Scions were to return to the Waking Sands to celebrate and be assigned their next task.
But outside the Waking Sands was a small crowd, and uneasy murmurs reached their ears. “Was that screaming? Do I even want to know?” “What, are they wrestling a peiste in there!?”
Anxiously, Rinala followed the others through the crowd. Tam pushed open the door carefully, alert for attacks, far wiser than she – she would have just run in heedlessly, trying to find out if Tataru, Yda, and Minfilia were all right. The crowd did not follow them, hanging back, still muttering.
Tataru was not there, but her pen had been dropped on the floor, spattering a tiny sprinkling of burgundy ink across the stone tiles. Tam swung over the railing of the stairs, landing cat-light halfway down, and stealthily opened the door.
Beyond, all was dark, all the lights were put out, and all was still. The stink of blood hung heavy in the air, and Rinala recoiled. This was… fresh. Still wet and slick on the floor, as she pressed close to Tam in fear. So many shadowy bodies… Then Tam lit a light, and they all cried out in horror.
Everywhere they looked, dead Scions lay. The door guards, the visiting students of Baldesion, Hahribert the Ala Mhigan, Arenvald’s friends Aulie and A’aba, even Una Tayuun the off-kilter lady trying to remember her past with the Scions, even Liavinne, the archer who did odd jobs in the basement. And with them were Garleans, a very few Garleans. Some of the Scions had died fighting, taken by surprise, but fighting – but from their positions, many of them had been executed. Some of them with machinist bullets. The furniture was all knocked about, books strewn everywhere, smashed crates and lamps across the floor.
“Kami…” Achiyo whispered. “How…”
Tam frowned back at the entrance. “Indeed. I’m not liking the picture this is putting together…”
Rinala whimpered, unable to form coherent words. She’d never seen death like this before. “Oh gods… gods… gods have mercy…” She choked back a heave of her stomach. The blood, both the sight and the smell, was turning her head.
Chuchupa strode to the Antecedent’s office door and flung it open. “Those Garlean sons-of-bitches. How’d they get in here? How’d they know where the Scions were? Why’d they attack us anyway-” She stopped, and Rinala followed her gaze to a splash of green against the wall of Minfilia’s room. Noraxia, the sylph ambassador, was sprawled like a broken doll on the ground, but her chest still rose and fell.
Rinala snatched her staff out to cast Cure, but Noraxia’s breathing didn’t change. She was too far gone to respond. Sometimes people’s aether was just too damaged to be healed. Then Rinala reeled as the Echo took hold of her, granting her horribly intense visions of what had transpired maybe twenty minutes ago.
When she came back to herself, Noraxia no longer breathed. Rinala looked around at the others. Her own skin was naturally pale, a light blue-grey colour that tinged with pink when she blushed… but Achiyo and even Tam were paler than usual, though Tam tried not to show it. Only Chuchupa seemed grimly unshaken by what she’d seen.
She wondered a little about Tam. To be so old, and yet not to have experienced worse than she’d seen… His was a peaceful world, wasn’t it? No, he’d said something about a war… Why was he so shocked, then?
“So they took her prisoner,” Chuchupa said. “There’s hope yet. I guess. Maybe.”
“They took several prisoners,” Achiyo said. “I saw Urianger and Tataru, and I think Papalymo. But… What about Yda?”
“Yes, and what about Thancred?” Rinala burst out desperately. “Were they away on assignment? Y’shtola’s still safe, right?”
“We could call them through the linkpearls, could we not?” Achiyo asked, a hand going to her ear.
Tam lifted his own hand swiftly in warning. “It might be best not to. If they are prisoners, then the Garleans will learn of our survival – and possibly return to finish the job. Or it might cause trouble for our friends, regardless of their freedom.”
“Ah, then I will not…” Achiyo said.
Rinala’s heart throbbed in her chest. She couldn’t stand not knowing if Thancred was a prisoner – in danger – on the run – hurt – even dying or dead! Yes, she knew he could very well take care of himself… but to not know… it hurt her dreadfully.
“What do we do, then?” she asked timidly, clutching her aching heart.
“First, we see to our fallen associates,” Tam said. “Take stock of who exactly has fallen here, and who is still unaccounted for. Find some way to bury them, or whatever you do for your last rites here, and then lie low and find out what the Garleans are up to.”
“We’ve still got allies,” Chuchupa said. “We’ll find out what’s going on. And then thump those mother-”
“We’ll rescue our friends,” Achiyo said. “That first.”
“I wish the Garleans were gone,” Rinala said. She wanted to run out of this dark, blood-soaked place. “I wish they’d just leave Eorzea alone!”
Chuchupa nodded. “Ye, and me, and a lotta people ’round here. We’ll do it eventually.” She punched a fist into an open palm. “And hopefully that eventually is soon, and I get to be involved. C’mon. We need to send for a cart from the lichyard.”