Is it just me or have interpersonal relationships suddenly become easier between my characters starting last chapter? Like they actually like each other? Y’know, only an expansion and a half late. : P
I took out the cyclops because I don’t think it really adds anything except make Thancred miss the climax of the fight for no reason. : P
Chapter 36: Rousing Spirits
Achiyo, Rinala, R’nyath, and Vivienne went down for breakfast in Fortemps Manor several days later and found Count Edmont reading a notice as he ate. “Ah, good morning to you all. Ser Aymeric has news for us. I shall call upon him after I have breakfasted, would you care to join me?”
“We would be glad to,” Achiyo said, with a glance at the others; they were not planning anything else that day. Not that having an open day stopped them from being busy; only two days prior had Y’shtola and Urianger summoned them to stop the Empire from causing havok on Azys Lla. Krile had been injured, and Unukalhai… well, Vivienne trusted him less than before, Achiyo knew that much.
Aymeric was down in the hall of the Congregation when they entered, having collected Thancred on the way, but upon seeing them, he smiled. “Well met, friends. Let us convene in my office. I believe I have a solution to our problem.”
“I’m all ears,” R’nyath said, laughing and waggling his ears. Aymeric and Count Edmont chuckled.
Once safely in the office, Aymeric turned to them. “Upon the matter of uniting our people, high and lowborn, young and old, I believe I have hit upon an option. You remember I was considering the fact that our nation is built upon warfare…”
“You have decided upon a military spectacle?” Count Edmont asked.
Aymeric nodded. “At our last meeting, a proposal was tabled by the other members of the Eorzean Alliance for joint military exercises – to strengthen the ties between our nations, and test our readiness to meet with a common threat. I had thought to delay these exercises until after the peace conference, but mayhap a grand mêlée would be just the thing to lift our beleaguered spirits.” He became more and more animated as he warmed to his vision, gesturing passionately. “Better still, an occasion for the Temple Knights and the Watch to take to the field as allies – a unified Ishgardian force filled with men and women from all walks of life, which would stand against a coalition of the allied nations’ finest! Hosted by Ishgard, in the shadow of the Gates of Judgement! A victory under such circumstances would serve as a reaffirmation – nay, a declaration to all and sundry that we are as strong and united as ever!”
“Such a victory would do much to fan the flames of patriotism, it is true,” Count Edmont said. “But if we should be defeated? Though… even to hold our own against the cream of three nations might be presented as a triumph…”
“I mean, you just said your whole nation is made for war,” R’nyath said. “I can tell you Gridania is not; they’ve got great skirmishers, even after I quit, and they can field a decent army in a pinch, but it’s not Ishgard.”
“There’s a reason the rest of the Alliance was disgruntled about the lack of Ishgardian support against the Empire,” Vivienne put in. “Gridania can raid defenceless villages but put them against someone who fights back…”
“Vivienne-” R’nyath began.
She lifted a hand. “I know. Times have changed.”
“What of Ul’dah and Limsa Lominsa?” Aymeric asked in curiosity. “I have the statistics, of course, but I wish to hear your opinions as well.”
“Umm, it depends if you’re talking about the Brass Blades or the Sultansworn or the Immortal Flames,” Rinala said shyly. “And I don’t really know from personal experience. The Brass Blades and Sultansworn won’t be coming, I guess… For the Immortal Flames, a lot of them used to be professional mercenaries, so they’re pretty good, and numerous. I don’t know how they would compare to Ishgardian knights.”
“I do not believe on a one-to-one comparison that Ul’dah could match Ishgard,” Thancred put in. “And though there are a lot of them, as Rinala said, it would hardly be fair for the Alliance to field more numbers than Ishgard.”
That made sense from what Achiyo knew. “Limsa’s Yellowjackets are well-drilled and disciplined, and the Maelstrom are fierce fighters. I do not know them well either; perhaps we might prevail upon Chuchupa to tell us what she knows.”
“No need to trouble her,” Aymeric said. “Thank you for your assessments; I still believe this is the best course of action at present. Count Edmont?”
The Count had been listening and thinking. “Very well. You may count on my support, for what little it is worth. However, I have a request: I would have my son Emmanellain take part in the grand mêlée. By his deeds has he brought shame upon Ishgard, and so by his deeds I would have him bring our nation honour.”
Aymeric looked at Count Edmont for a long moment; Achiyo could not read him. “As you wish, my lord. If that is his desire, then it shall be so.” He turned to the others. “Now then, we have no time to lose. I must send Lucia new instructions, and I shall write to the Alliance leaders at once and begin making arrangements. Thank you for your advice, it is greatly appreciated. We shall speak again soon, I hope.”
“Well, well,” Thancred said as soon as they were out of earshot of any Ishgardians, including the count. “And what part would they have you play in this affair, I wonder. You, whom they have taken into their confidence, upon whom they have come so heavily to rely. And will you oblige them, when the proposition is made? Will you stand for Ishgard once more?”
“Ooh, tough choice,” R’nyath said, his tail curling. “To help my homeland, or to help Hilda… I’ll have to think about that.”
“What do you think?” Vivienne snarked back at Thancred, who smirked.
“I don’t think anything, Vivienne. That is why I asked. But I don’t believe you know yourself.”
“Well, I’m not standing for Gridania, obviously.”
“I think I’d rather fight for Ul’dah,” Rinala said. “I mean, if there’s the option.”
“I am sure Raubahn would be delighted to have you,” he said.
“What about you?” she asked.
“Depending how many of you pick Ishgard, maybe I ought to fight for the other side – you know, even the odds,” Thancred said, with a wry grin. “But this is their fight – and yours, perhaps – but not mine.”
“Well, then, Achiyo, is it Limsa or Ishgard?” R’nyath prodded her.
It was true she was not particularly connected to Gridania or Ul’dah beyond her friends in each land. But even if Ishgard had not had such a charismatic leader and the kind people who had become as a new family to her, her opinion had fallen of Merlwyb, and so… “I would choose Ishgard.”
“I thought you would,” Rinala said, with a little smile. “You really like it here.” Rinala was one of the ones who would not tease, so Achiyo let herself smile back.
“We have to poll the others,” R’nyath said. “I bet Aentfryn won’t touch it with a heavenspillar, but maybe Kekeniro would. Chuchupa definitely will. What about Alphinaud? And have you heard from Tam recently?”
“I… do not know if Tam counts himself a Warrior of Light anymore,” she said. “When last I spoke with him, he was disinclined to hear of our activities, and his goodbye sounded dreadfully final.”
“Oh.” R’nyath and Rinala’s ears both sagged.
Vivienne shrugged. “Maybe he’s finally made up his mind, then.” But she too looked troubled by the news.
Aentfryn sat heavily upon a chair in the Scholasticate library – which creaked ominously under his weight – and rubbed his forehead before Eos twirled over him, scattering fairy dust to soothe the ache he could feel building there. Kekeniro was still rummaging amongst the shelves, and Aentfryn would let him until he had need of aid to reach higher books.
He was getting too old for this. He’d said it before, and he was sure he would say it again. He’d been looking for a place to settle down, in between all the running around and killing things, and he might have found a place. La Noscea, of course, he could not bear to live in again. Thanalan was much too dry, even on the coast. The Black Shroud and Coerthas were much too strict.
But near Idyllshire, in the Dravanian hinterlands, there was green space and to spare. He could start a farm there. Tame some chocobos. Herd some sheep. Put up the mounts of the others when they were not riding about on them, a favour to those he’d grown fond of though he would never admit it under torture. Well, some of them. Chuchupa was certainly not very interesting to him, and Tam was proud of being aggravating. But Alphinaud, for instance, was starting to be tolerable, and he could become a great man someday.
Though his current activities were not entirely unpleasant. His discussions with Kekeniro and Urianger about Minfilia had been inconclusive yet, and with no promising leads, the Scholar and the Summoner had returned to Ishgard. Immediately Kekeniro had fallen in with students at the Scholasticate, and become entangled in student drama. Aentfryn had somehow been dragged along. But Briardien was involved, and Briardien was a thoughtful, serious man, and Aentfryn appreciated it.
“Any luck?” he asked.
Kekeniro’s fluffy little brown head popped out of the aisle, covered in dust. “No, not really. I thought maybe I’d find the book fallen behind a shelf, but that would be too easy, wouldn’t it?”
“When have you ever wanted things to be easy?” Aentfryn asked.
Kekeniro chuckled. “Oh, all the time! I love when things are easy! I just like when magic is complicated. When battles are complicated. If battles could be complicated but there was also a guarantee that no one would get hurt, it would be perfect.”
Aentfryn had no trouble acknowledging the man was smarter than he was – about aethertheory. He had come to enjoy the challenge in debating him on it. But when faced with a simple physical problem, he was a bit daft. “Have you considered the book may be missing because someone took it?”
“Certainly,” Kekeniro said. “Which makes me wonder if it’s important even more. It doesn’t seem to have anything to do with current events at the Scholasticate, but… I just have a feeling.”
“You mean you’re curious.”
“Curiosity kills cats, not Lalafells,” Kekeniro quipped. “Monsters kill Lalaf-ELLS-” He jumped suddenly.
His linkpearl was going off; a call along the Scions’ linkshell. It was Y’shtola, sounding irritated. “Warriors of Light, a primal stirs in Azys Lla. Come quickly, it seems that legatus’s meddling has affected something.”
“Right away,” Kekeniro said, pushing his borrowed books up on the table. “Which one is it?”
“The one known as Sophia…” Y’shtola’s voice paused, as if she were reading something. “Otherwise known simply as ‘the Goddess’.”
“We shall come,” Aentfryn heard Achiyo say over the shell.
“M on m’ way!” R’nyath said with his mouth full.
“Good,” Y’shtola said tartly. “Since there’s not much I can do about the primal by myself.”
Aentfryn was very glad Y’shtola was back. She was certainly the best of the Scions.
Sophia was attended by some of her Meracydian followers, who bantered with each other like old friends even as they fought the Warriors of Light; if it had not been for Y’shtola and Urianger making confused noises, Achiyo would have forgotten that not everyone present had the Echo. Though it was just a little offensive that the Meracydians would call the Scions Allagans.
The way to Sophia’s chamber lay open and Achiyo was just entering the lift, when Vivienne turned and shouted. “You bastard!”
“Which one?” R’nyath muttered under his breath. “Oh, hi, Tam.”
“Hello,” Tam said, brushed past them onto the lift. “Another day, another primal, hm?”
“So you received Y’shtola’s message,” Achiyo said.
“Yes,” Tam said. “I was in Mor Dhona again so it was a bit garbled, but I knew what was up.”
Vivienne growled. “If we didn’t have to fight this thing quickly…”
“Enough,” Achiyo said, and pushed the lift button. “We are all eight assembled. Let us be glad of it and focus on what lies ahead of us.”
What lay ahead was a strange sarcophagus, already unscrewing huge bolts from itself. It opened, revealing a beautiful, ebony-skinned, white-haired woman with eyes like a void. She was scantily clad in gold and white, and Achiyo heard R’nyath hum appreciatively. The woman gestured with the milky-white sphere she held, and summoned about herself godly golden regalia. She gestured again, and a glowing pair of scales materialized and sank into the platform below her, creating a portal out of which emerged a massive woman’s head, adorned with wings.
Achiyo couldn’t say she understood much of it, but she was ready to fight – the goddess, the head, the Meracydians, whatever it was that threatened them. “Ready?”
The goddess’s void-like eyes were fixed upon them, and a vengeful smile curled her lips.
That fight was not initially as terrifying as Sephirot had been. Except for the laser beams. And the lightning bolts. And the blasts of wind. And the part in which Sophia transformed the platform on which they fought into a massive swinging scale, sending them skidding back and forth wildly. Tam seemed to be enjoying himself. Rinala was not.
And when the goddess and her ‘daughter’ shivered and burst into raw, dissipating aether, Tam had already teleported away.
Thancred had been wondering of Emmanellain’s whereabouts, and so R’nyath took himself off to the market to track him down. He found Emmanellain near his usual place, but… instead of standing out in the middle of things, to see and be seen, to chatter with every passing man, woman, and child, Emmanellain was tucked in behind the side of a merchant’s stall, staring out at the folk with brooding eyes as he leaned against the wall. It didn’t suit him, R’nyath thought, but sure he didn’t want to be at home, nor did he want to be seen right now. “Hey. How’s Honoroit?”
“…R’nyath,” Emmanellain said flatly, and looked down. “…I carried him to the manor. Our best chirurgeons are tending to him as we speak. He has yet to wake, but surely… surely he will.”
“I’m sure he will,” R’nyath said. “Bodies need sleep to recover from great stresses. Especially growing boys. Best not to rush it.” He offered a hopeful smile.
Emmanellain did not smile back. “What news do you bring?”
“Well, Aymeric has a new idea for how to get Ishgardians to unite long enough to have a peace conference with their former mortal enemies,” R’nyath said. “There’s going to be a tournament between Ishgard and the Eorzean Alliance! Part of it is going to be a grand melee, with both Temple Knights and the Watch – highborn and lowborn fighting together, right?”
“I see,” Emmanellain said. “Will you be in it?”
“He hasn’t asked us yet, but if he does, yeah, probably,” R’nyath said. “I’ll get to fight beside Hilda!” Then he remembered. “Oh. Um… your father asked Aymeric if you could fight in it too.”
“Father has volunteered me?” Emmanellain said, and sighed. “My beloved family. Always making my decisions for me.” R’nyath didn’t have time for more than a confused noise before Emmanellain stalled him with a hand and went on. “No, it’s not like that! It’s just… Oh, you wouldn’t understand. How could you? You are free to be the man you want to be, whereas I… I…”
“I thought second sons had… more freedom than first sons, anyway,” R’nyath said. At least in Ishgardian culture.
“But I am still a son of House Fortemps, don’t you see? My future was determined before I was born. What I could and could not do. Right or wrong, that was the way of it – until the old order began to crumble. Now we wander amidst the rubble, searching for a purpose, for a place… All around me, brave men and women rise to the occasion. With faith and conviction they dedicate themselves to their causes. But not I.”
Emmanellain wrapped his arms around himself, huddling into himself. “I was terrified of making the wrong choice, which is why I let better men make them for me. Do this, do that, take this duty, guard this conference- I suppose I had convinced myself I was above it… until your friend showed me otherwise. …When I saw Honoroit, I wanted to scream. I wanted someone to blame! But, in the end, there was only me. Only me.”
Personally, R’nyath thought plenty of blame could be laid on those who had decided to beat up an innocent, defenceless boy just because he associated with Emmanellain. In fact, he fully intended to find out who’d done such a thing, take Achiyo and maybe Vivienne, and… pay them a visit. But anyway.
Emmanellain looked up and squared his shoulders. “So you see, I cannot meekly bow my head and accept Father’s command. Such cowardice is what brought me to this point. I will go to Ser Aymeric, and I will make my own decision.”
“Oh, good,” R’nyath said. “Aymeric was hoping for that. I don’t think he was super happy about your dad speaking for you.” Aymeric probably had had to deal with that kind of thing himself earlier in life, if he thought about it. “When do you want to go?”
“Let us go now,” Emmanellain said, suddenly seized with recklessness. “Before I lose what nerve I have left.”
“I’m with you!” R’nyath said, and gave him a pat on the back. Emmanellain didn’t smile, but returned it.
Achiyo was with Count Edmont, Chuchupa, and Rinala in Aymeric’s office, when the door opened and Emmanellain strode in, looking more determined than she’d ever seen him before; R’nyath and Thancred trailed him. Thancred made for the wall over by Chuchupa and leaned against it with her, observing.
Emmanellain came to a stop directly before Aymeric’s desk, ignoring his father completely. “Lord Commander, if I may, I wished to speak with you before the grand mêlée.”
Aymeric and Edmont shared a glance before he looked back at Emmanellain. “Proceed.” Curt, but not cold.
Emmanellain stared at him. “How do you do it, my lord? How do you lead with such certainty when so many of our countrymen will not hear of peace with the Dravanians? Some of them hate you almost as much as the dragons themselves. They decry you as a patricide in the streets! They even tried to kill you, for gods’ sakes! Yet still you march on, undaunted, where no archbishop dared to tread. What is your secret? Where do you find the strength?”
Achiyo was not sure what she had expected, but it had not been that. Aymeric, too, had been taken by surprise, and he blinked slowly and looked down at his desk. “For centuries, our nation has been punished for the sins of our forefathers. If our punishment is to end, I believe we must right the wrongs of antiquity and move forward as a nation united. Needless to say, my father did not share this opinion.”
He raised his head, his gaze hard with regret and anger. “He did not believe the people strong enough to bring about their own deliverance, trusting only in himself. Tyranny seemed to him the only solution.” His eyes filled with determination and pride. “But I have faith in the people, Lord Emmanellain. I have faith that they will weather this storm, and overcome every trial we set before them. Many have fought and died to see this blight upon our nation’s history cleansed, and I would not let their sacrifices be in vain. Though we invite reprisals, the risk is worth the reward.”
Emmanellain looked away. “I want to believe… I do…” He paused, wrestling with something, then stepped forward again. “Lord Commander, through my careless orders, a pall has been cast over these proceedings, and I beg the opportunity to make amends.” He laid his hand formally over his heart. “I, Emmanellain de Fortemps, do hereby request leave to take part in the grand mêlée.”
His father stared at him in astonishment – and perhaps pride? Aymeric smiled. “Who am I to deny such a heartfelt plea? We would be honoured to have you join the fray, my lord.”
Emmanellain relaxed his stance, but the look on his face was still determined. Something had changed in him, Achiyo thought, changed utterly from before. She would have to ask R’nyath if he knew, R’nyath who was silently cheering behind Emmanellain.
His father turned to Aymeric, returning to the purpose of their meeting. “You will take charge of the Ishgardian forces?”
Aymeric raised an eyebrow at him. “For all my other responsibilities, I am still Lord Commander of the Temple Knights, and I would not soon yield this duty to another.”
Count Edmont nodded with satisfaction. “The esteemed Ser Aymeric, leading the Temple Knights and the Watch into battle, along with my youngest. I could wish for no more.”
Aymeric smiled and stood. “Then you wish for too little, my lord. There are others who might yet join the fray. Indispensable allies to whom we owe much and more.” He rounded his desk and came to stand before Achiyo, crystal blue eyes locked upon hers. “Adventurers beholden to none, who nevertheless chose to champion our cause. Who have shared in our suffering, and in our glory.”
His voice softened, and now he seemed to be speaking to her alone – be still, her heart! “A warrior without equal, whom I am privileged to call a friend. There is no one I would rather have fighting by my side.”
She fought to prevent herself from blushing, controlling her breathing. “You honour us, Aymeric-sama.”
“I ask this in full knowledge of your obligations, and will not think less of you should you refuse,” he said. “But if your conscience will allow it, might you oblige me, Lady Achiyo? One more time?”
She could not look away. There might as well not have been anyone else in the room. How could she refuse him now?
“Yes,” she said, and nodded. “I will fight- for Ishgard.” She had nearly said ‘at your side’ and then she would have been done for.
A complex look of relief and grateful gladness crossed his face. Kami, he was unbearably beautiful. “You have my heartfelt thanks. And the other Warriors of Light-?”
“You needn’t be so formal,” R’nyath said cheerfully and reached past Achiyo to hand Aymeric a sheet of notes. “We already did a poll. Aentfryn’s got a project and isn’t interested anyway, and Kekeniro is convinced that his being on either side would be cheating, even if he keeps his tactical mouth shut, but I’m also with Ishgard. Rinala is going to go with the Flames, and Chuchupa with the Maelstrom, so it should be… pretty balanced? We couldn’t get in touch with Tam again so he’s probably not coming. And Vivienne and the rest of the Scions would like to watch, not participate.”
Aymeric looked stunned for a moment as he accepted the slip of paper. “I… I thank you, Master R’nyath, for your foresight. I had not expected even so much. Your generosity humbles me.”
R’nyath waved a hand. “Don’t worry about it. I’m with Ishgard because Hilda’s my girlfriend, otherwise I’d be hanging out with my old friends in the Serpents.”
“I almost want to change sides now… No!” Rinala shook herself. “I want to fight with Raubahn, for Ul’dah! Even if Achiyo beats us all up!”
“I should not harm anyone,” Achiyo hastened to assure her.
“I just mean you’ll probably win,” Rinala said.
“Aye, but by hells we’re not gonna let it be easy fer ye!” Chuchupa said, shaking her fist at R’nyath, and he grinned.
Aymeric laughed. “I would wish for nothing less! Together we shall give the people a spectacle for the ages – a celebration to mark the dawning of a new era!”
Emmanellain pumped a fist, R’nyath and Chuchupa cheered, and Rinala made a little jump for joy. Achiyo looked up at Aymeric, and they smiled at each other.
“Gods help me, I think it might be love,” Thancred said in the hall outside, clearly joking. Achiyo hoped he was joking. “I daresay it might be cheating, too, whatever Kekeniro may say about it. Your mere presence is enough to turn the tide of most battles.”
Achiyo forced herself to hold onto her calm. “Surely not. Rinala and Chuchupa will be on the other side.”
He gave her a smirk. “But did you see the way his eyes lit up when you nodded? ‘Twas a look of boundless relief and joy. One would think a politician more practised at concealing his emotions.” No, she had not missed that at all. But she said nothing. He shrugged. “Still, his honesty does him credit. For a moment, I was fair inspired to pledge myself to the cause. But that would be improper.”
“He is a politician?” She had thought of him only as a warrior, a leader of soldiers.
“Is he not? One does not become the commander of an entire military machine without becoming embroiled in politics. Look at Raubahn. Or Alphinaud.”
“Perhaps,” she said. “He has been more reserved in the past. Mayhap among friends, he thought circumspection unnecessary.”
“Maybe,” Thancred said. “Well, well. A rare opportunity to see you pit yourself against Allied forces – outside of Carteneau, perhaps. I would not miss this for the world.”
“Ye’re so slow!” Chuchupa put her head out of the lift where the others were waiting for them. “Hurry up, I want dinner!”
Achiyo arrived at the Gates of Judgement a sennight later in a crisp dawn; the sun had not quite risen over the mountains, but the sky was a watercolour painting of blues and pinks and yellows. She was wearing House Fortemps armour and bearing her House Fortemps shield, at Count Edmont’s request. Since Artoirel had confessed she was like a sister to him, she was very inclined to acquiesce.
She passed by friends and others she knew. Thancred was there to watch, as he had said. The military exercises had been going on for several days already, but this event was the most anticipated by anyone. “It looks to be a veritable who’s who of the Eorzean Alliance. The only question is: who came to watch and who came to fight? Hmm… Nanamo. Definitely Nanamo.”
She could not but laugh, imagining the delicate young Lalafell in armour. “Sultana Nanamo arrived last night, yes?”
“Yes. I believe Rinala and Chuchupa went to meet them last night as well. Hello, Vivienne, Kekeniro.”
“Hello,” Vivienne said. “Here to join the spectator gang. Kekeniro, will you not be frustrated watching everyone faffing about without you?”
“Not at all,” Kekeniro said, hugging Ifrit-egi as one might a small dog – or a hot water bottle. “I know our friends participating are well trained, and it gives me a chance to observe the Grand Companies as they are. It’s important to know how things really are, not how I would want them to be.”
Vivienne huffed. “I suppose you are right.”
R’nyath was huddled with Hilda under a blanket by one of the braziers, looking like two heads on one body. Hilda grinned to see her. “It ain’t often highborn dandies deign to fight alongside us hoi polloi. Like all our namedays rolled into one, it is. Then again, it’s our national pride that’s at stake. National and personal. I ain’t about to let a snotty-nosed lordling show me up.”
“Yeah!” R’nyath said. “Gods, you’re gorgeous when you’re sticking it to them.” He nuzzled Hilda’s cheek, and she made a happy face.
Emmanellain jogged up to her, breathing a sigh of relief. “There she is! I say, when you didn’t appear, I began to question… N-nothing! Never mind!”
“I am here, Lord Emmanellain,” she assured him. “Are you well?”
He seemed jittery. “To think that we are mere moments away from facing the cream of Eorzea’s soldiery in battle. That I am… mere… mmm… But what if… Oh, what am I saying!? I have to stop imagining the worst! I must think of the victory, of the glory! Of the stories I will tell Honoroit when I get back! I am ready, old girl! Are you!?”
“I am ready,” she said, and put a hand on his arm. “Only breathe, and trust in yourself and your companions, and all will be well.”
“Y-yes. I… I suppose it’s time, then!” To his credit, he was already controlling his high feelings better.
Ishgard’s company of knights and the Watch were streaming across the Steps of Faith now, forming up before the gates as the sun rose higher. Across the snowy field from them were the bright colours of the Eorzean Alliance, red, yellow, and black/gold. She saw Raubahn with his son Pipin at the forefront, Rinala tucked in behind them – Rinala gave her an excited wave and she raised her hand in return. And where was… There was Chuchupa, pink hair like a beacon that clashed horribly with the red uniform of Storm Commander R’ashaht Rhiki. And there was Commander Vorsaile Heuloix… with Tam standing behind him? There was no mistaking that purple coat. He looked calm, arms folded, relaxed.
She looked back at sudden movement on Ishgard’s side, and saw Vivienne marching towards Lucia, her face stormy with outrage. Achiyo hurried to assist.
Lucia gave them a nod of greeting. “The eyes of Ishgard are upon us, Lady Achiyo, Vivienne. We must not fail.”
“Yes, about that,” Vivienne said. “There’s a certain colossal bastard among the ranks of the Twin Adder. I ask leave to join you to balance his influence.”
Lucia frowned, then shaded her eyes to look in the direction of the Twin Adder. “So there is. I have no problem with it, but we must make it clear on all sides what the situation is. I shall speak with Ser Aymeric and General Raubahn.”
“You did not want to fight,” Achiyo said to Vivienne.
Vivienne shrugged. “If you lost because that idiot decided to pop in at the last second, I would be furious and you would be disappointed. Better I fight for Ishgard than watch him do as he pleases unopposed.” She smiled. “But I think I’m scarier than he is.”
“Do try not to kill anyone,” Achiyo said mildly.
“I know the rules,” Vivienne said.
Lucia had returned. “Ser Aymeric and General Raubahn have agreed. In fact, I think they are both rather pleased – now there are three Warriors of Light on each side, and on the Alliance side one for each Grand Company. At any rate, all is in readiness. Let us assemble.”
Lucia led them towards the edge of the Ishgardian line, where Aymeric waited, now with Emmanellain, Hilda, and R’nyath beside him. He smiled and nodded to see her – to see them, then turned to the field. In a loud voice, he restated the rules of engagement, especially about the Fury’s Gaze that would grant strength to those it favoured – and extra points to those who felled them. He then turned to his people and held his cobalt sword high. “For the honour and glory of Ishgard!”
Across the field, Achiyo heard answering battlecries. “‘Til sea swallows all!” “For coin and country!”
Nanamo, Kan-E-Senna, and Admiral Merlwyb were spectating from a tower nearby, Achiyo saw, and Nanamo’s voice, magically amplified, echoed off the stones around them. “Brave men and women of the Eorzean Alliance. Let the grand melee begin!”
Weapons were drawn with ringing steel. “Forward, forward!” Aymeric cried. “Ishgard! Ishgard!”
Immediately the two sides charged with a roar, and the resulting combat was so confused Achiyo nearly lost track of everything around her instantly. She looked for black, yellow, and red, and charged forward, meeting a Flame soldier in combat. The fellow’s eyes widened when he realized he was facing her, then he grinned. “I won’t go down easy, Silver Lady!”
“Neither shall I,” she answered, and their blades rang with glancing blows.
Emmanellain had been seized with patriotic fervour, shouting “Fortemps!” as he ran to defend R’nyath from a Maelstrom warrior. But then R’ashaht Rhiki was there with a cheeky grin – “Is that all you’ve got?” she cried, and Emmanellain gulped and took cover from her axe.
“Come, Ishgardians!” Raubahn growled from the centre of the field. “Show us your mettle!”
“That all you bastards’ve got?” Hilda yelled back as she tagged a Serpent soldier with – Achiyo now saw – magically harmless bullets. “Come on, then! Give us another!”
Achiyo slipped past her opponent’s guard and tapped him in the gut, tagging him out and gaining a point for Ishgard – then felt an impact that sent her rolling over to the snow. Picking herself up – and barely avoiding getting stepped on by a Watchwoman – she saw that Tam had whacked her in the ribs with his lance. “Good morning, Achiyo.”
“You are very bold, ser,” she told him tartly, her tail stiff with offence. Ooh, in this moment she could make her frustrations known to him without a word, and she did, laying on with her sword as he danced around her. But she was no fool, either, and was careful to keep her guard up, not to lose herself in emotion. She turned his lance aside with her shield and struck near to his body – and he backflipped far out of reach, saluting her as he landed.
“Hey Rinala, look out, I’m comin’ for you!” R’nyath sang out playfully, and Rinala giggled and squeaked as his own harmless bullets grazed her ear. “Oi, oi, Chu, stop!” He fled, Chuchupa hard on his heels.
Vivienne stepped up into Chuchupa’s path, the flat of her greatsword sending Chuchupa flying. “You’re going after the cat? That won’t do. I’ll take you on.”
“Ooh, I’m so scared – wah!” Chuchupa narrowly dodged another of Vivienne’s strikes. “Hey, ye’re not actually aimin’ fer me life, are ye? There’s no points fer that!”
“Rinala will pick you up again if I’m careless.” Vivienne sank into an offensive guard pose as Chuchupa came at her again.
Aymeric’s voice rang out over the melee. “Ishgard! Rally to the First Commander!” Achiyo glanced about and saw that the Fury’s tether had tagged Lucia, and she was retreating behind the cover of several knights as Pipin led a charge against her.
“Aye, that’s the spirit!” Raubahn called, locked in combat with Aymeric himself. “Flames, Adders, Maelstrom – forward!”
Achiyo was already running to assist Lucia, casting the Cover spell upon her as soon as she was close enough. She skidded to a stop before Pipin just as he tagged out a Temple Knight, and with her tall shield she fended him off, blocking him every step. Meanwhile, R’nyath, Hilda, and Emmanellain were going after the Alliance’s chosen one. And Aymeric still had the breath to rally his people. “Victory is within our grasp! Ishgard! Ishgard!”
Ishgard was in high spirits, but so was the Alliance – she glanced at the flags, which had an aetherial counter upon them, and saw that Ishgard had 92 points – and the Alliance had just arrived at 90. If one more Fury-tethered combatant were to fall on either side, it would be over.
At that moment, the Fury’s tether, sensing that its current targets would not be brought low anytime soon, changed. Aymeric saw it first, calling it out to his forces. “The Fury’s Gaze has fallen upon… General Raubahn and…” His eyes widened, and he pointed with his sword. “All forces, form a line on Lady Achiyo! Now!”
She did not like to be protected when her own instinct was to protect, but she was a target now, so she held her ground as knights and Watchmen closed ranks before her, and Aymeric stepped just before her to guard her with his own body. But numbers meant little to Raubahn, and with Rhiki and Heuloix trailing him, he burst through the line. Aymeric braced himself to block Raubahn’s charge; Achiyo sidestepped – and just in time, as even Aymeric was tossed aside by Raubahn’s powerful swing. He landed heavily on his back in the snow, his sword flying from his hand. He scrambled to his feet again, shaking the snow from his coat, but by then-
Raubahn had come to a stop facing Achiyo; she had been ready to dodge out of the way, to avoid any blow he might care to aim at her, but it seemed that had not been his plan. Instead, he made a growl, and drew upon aether, and swung his sword in a great arc, and a ring of fire sprang up around the two of them, trapping her there with him. Even his own allies were pushed away.
He smiled, gruff and eager beneath his heavy helmet. “Well met. I will not lie – I was hoping it would come to this. So then… shall we dance?”
“General Raubahn,” she greeted him with a little bow. The Fury’s tether whispered in her veins, sharpening her focus. “So this is the true reason they call you the Flame General? The pleasure is mine.”
He nodded, then closed his helm – and charged. Now this was a fight she could read, against but one skilful opponent, and she wove around his blows with all her grace and agility. His great black sword glittered like obsidian, and her sword sparkled like starlight as they slashed towards each other, spinning, stabbing, withdrawing in turn. She could not see his face beneath the helm, but she heard him chuckling breathlessly, and could not restrain an answering grin.
She had only learned to fight in order to survive, to preserve her life and freedom, but by the kami she did enjoy it in this context. And she thought maybe Raubahn did too.
Outside the ring, she heard disorder. “By the Fury, it’s just the two of them in there!” Emmanellain cried.
“On your guard, Lord Emmanellain!” Lucia ordered. “Our fight is not yet finished!”
“Isn’t it?” Vivienne said, striding up to the edge of the flames. “All anyone wants to do now is watch.”
“That’s bad sportsmanship,” Tam said, surprising her with a jump. “Gawk if you must, but if you stop giving your all, you’ve already lost!”
“Bastard!!”
Raubahn was interjecting fire spells with his sword strikes now, keeping her on her toes; in turn she hit him with Circle of Scorn and he pulled away from the shimmering lights.
Emmanellain, gasping for breath, paused near her. “Gods, they just keep coming! But we cannot… we will not yield!” He turned to call to her. “You hear me, old girl!? Don’t you dare lose!”
I’m not old, she wanted to reply, but had to duck a swipe from Raubahn that would have knocked her back into the flames. Yet that had left her open to another fire spell – “I’ve got you now…” he growled, and she barely raised her shield in time, twisting away to mitigate the impact, tail swaying to balance her, feeling the heat wash over her. She threw herself into a roll that brought her past Raubahn into a more open area, springing up into a ready stance and counterattacking before he could recover.
He laughed as he blocked her strike. “Bwahahaha! Brilliant, brilliant! You are indeed the Warrior of Light… But I am the Bull of Ala Mhigo!”
“I am the daughter of Kensaki no Tamehiro, samurai of Hingashi!” she proclaimed, swept up in the mood. “I am a knight of the East, fighting for Ishgard!”
She could hear Aymeric cheering her on. “Strength, Achiyo, strength! Now is your chance! For the glory of Ishgard!”
Raubahn gave a shout, and lunged towards her, fire swirling around him. She set her shield and leapt at him in return, trusting in her strength of arm and will.
When the flames cleared, Raubahn had been flung back, skidding to one knee, his blade flung across the arena from his hand. She gasped for air, mastering the adrenaline-fuelled shaking of her limbs, then brought sword and shield together in a formal salute.
Raubahn pushed up his faceplate, grinning madly, and got slowly to his feet, saluting her in turn. “Aye, all right… Take your victory. You’ve earned it.” The ring of fire around the two of them died. The two sides stopped and looked towards their flags, straining to see the final tally…
“Did… did she win?” Emmanellain gasped in the sudden silence. “Then we… we…”
Aymeric thrust his swordpoint into the air. “Victory is ours! Ishgard! Ishgard!” There was a jubilant roar from the Ishgardian side, and a clatter of weapons. Then the two sides began to mingle, talking animatedly; she could see many people complimenting each other and shaking hands.
Raubahn shucked off his helm entirely and gulped deep of the frigid air. “Thal’s balls… I had forgotten what it was like to feel so alive! Not since leaving the bloodsands have I had the privilege. Not since the Bull of Ala Mhigo hung up his swords. Back then, the outcome might have been different.”
“No doubt,” she said with a little smile, and offered her hand in the Eorzean way; he shook it firmly, his hand utterly dwarfing hers. “Thank you for the opportunity to fight without distraction.”
He nodded. “I do not begrudge you your victory. I know a little how far you have come, how much you have endured. Our fight only confirmed it. We shall have to do this again one day, when time allows.”
She nodded. “You are yet ferociously skilled, and I should be honoured to spar with you again.” Though… first Hoary Boulder, then Raubahn – when would she next spar with someone her own height? Even Chuchupa, her regular training partner, was different in stature to her.
“I shall look forward to it.” He looked up at the Ishgardians watching them. “Now go. Go to the Ishgardians and celebrate your victory. You have earned it. Come, Pipin. Her Grace is expecting us.”
Pipin had run up as soon as the fire had died down, and turned to Achiyo as Raubahn strode off. “As long as I live, I shall never forget that duel. It was inspiring and humbling in equal measure. I feel honour-bound to point out, however, that my father was fighting one-handed.”
“‘Tis true,” she said. “Had he the use of his other arm… I dare not speculate on the outcome.” Her quickness would still serve her well in such a situation, and she could be immovable even to primals when she wished to be, but to guard against two of those swords… well.
Pipin nodded as if to say “and don’t you forget it”, and ran after his father.
Achiyo herself went in search of Tam immediately, searching for purple coat and blue-dyed hair in the hubbub, though she had little hope he had stayed after his behaviour recently. Surprisingly, she found he had not disappeared; even more surprisingly, when he saw her, he did not try to get away or vanish. Though maybe that was unkind of her to think that. He was on the edge of the proceedings, the edge of the cliff, and she ignored several hails to get to him. “Tam…” She did not even know what to say to him. “Are you leaving us or not?”
Tam folded his arms and stared out at Ishgard in the distance, its walls shining in the frosty autumn day. “I enjoy working with the Warriors of Light, and I’ll always come when you really need me. To be needed is rather a novelty, isn’t it.”
Really, it was a novelty for her, too. “But you do not wish to be beholden to us.” She could live with that. Just as long as she knew what he intended. He’d been very rude recently and she hated that perhaps more than anything else.
“No. At least not right now.” He sighed. “Ishgard has made everything too personal. It is too much like the parts of my home that I disliked. Not even your Aymeric-sama can make up for it.”
“He is not ‘my’… Aymeric-sama,” she told him, and he rolled his eyes.
“Regardless, I’ve been constantly around you lot for the past year and a half. I realize your short little lives make clustering together really appealing, but it’s been a lot for me. Crowded.”
“Very well,” she said. “I think I understand. I will leave you in peace.” She breathed out her tension and smiled at him. “I wish for you, too, to be happy.”
He didn’t seem certain what to do with that, still staring fixedly at the city and avoiding her gaze. “Well. When you have emergencies, call me. Or send a moogle. Preferably a Twelveswood one. I’m sure they’ll happen often enough that I meet with you lot every week or so.”
“Thank you for making everything clear,” she said. For letting me talk to you. Instead of avoiding us like last time. “We shall certainly need you for the last of the Warring Triad. And I would call upon you should Nidhogg return.”
“Don’t forget that Diabolos situation,” he said, and finally turned to smirk at her, mismatched eyes dancing. “See, you’ll see me plenty. And maybe I’ll just have to come take a look at this peace conference Aymeric’s got. It would be nice to see something returning to normal around here.”
She chuckled. Tam’s ‘normal’ was completely abnormal to everyone else. “To have mortals and dragons speak as equals and allies once more?”
“Of course. Now we just need to bring back the unicorns and hope they’re less stuck-up than the ones at home.”
That made her laugh outright.
“And Emmanellain’s honour is restored,” he mused. “That was quick.”
“He made the decision himself, and acquitted himself well,” she said.
“Sure, but swinging his sword around earnestly for a few hours makes up for the rest of his current lifetime of not doing things? This would only work in Ishgard.” He shook his head. “Well, I’m off again. Unless you need me for something right now?” But he was only asking to be polite, she could tell.
“No, I think you had better go before Vivienne thinks to come for you,” she said. “I shall explain it to her. I do not think it will help her mood, but I will explain it.”
He clicked his tongue cheerfully, gave her a sloppy salute, and jumped up – caught on the way down by his black chocobo, and she turned back to be embraced by the giddy knights and other Eorzeans.
Emmanellain was the first to meet her; he gave a shaky laugh. “My lungs are burning, and I can barely stand! I didn’t think I could do it… but then I did! We did! We faced the Alliance’s best, and together, with one heart, with one purpose, we prevailed!”
“You did well,” she complimented him. “I could scarce tell what was happening that was not in front of me.” It made her appreciate Kekeniro, at least.
“Thank you, I certainly could not either. And of course your duel at the end there was the stuff of legends. Good show, old girl.” He lifted an empty hand and clenched it. “After a thousand years of hardship, of strife and bloodshed, we are strong enough to rise to any challenge – be it on the battlefield or beyond.”
“You always have been,” she said. “But now you will all look to the future, not just a few.”
He nodded. “The future holds so much promise. So much joy. We need only show them the way.”
Aymeric had duties of his own to perform; Sultana Nanamo and the other heads of state were approaching him across the well-trampled snow, and he went to meet them. Sultana Nanamo smiled graciously. “A truly magnificent display, ser knight. While doubtless less than pleased, I am quite sure the Grand Companies are honoured to have been bested by such valiant warriors.”
He bowed low, and Lucia, who had fallen in behind him, did likewise. “The honour was ours, Your Grace.”
“I am pleased to see that Ishgard’s proud martial tradition is being upheld,” Nanamo said. “When the time comes, I trust you will fight alongside your brothers and sisters in the Eorzean Alliance with the same fervour you displayed in opposing them.” She glanced over. “I note that Lady Achiyo elected to take the field in Ishgardian colours.”
Did she think that the Warriors of Light participating at all made the combat unbalanced? “At my behest, Your Grace. If we have given offence, the blame lies with me.”
“Fear not, ser knight. It was a surprise, nothing more. I had not known they would be participating. On the subject of surprises, I could not help but marvel at the passion and unity of purpose displayed by your countrymen… given the troubling reports we have received of late.”
A bit too direct to be truly polite, but… “I shall take that as a compliment, Your Grace. The events to which you allude are the price of change. The end of the Dragonsong War marks the beginning of a new era for our nation – and for the people, high and lowborn alike, who will lead her into the future.”
“Ah, yes… The people.” She said it so dolefully – had her own people proven false to her? “Change is indeed a perilous thing, for we who seek it and they who fear it. I shall pray for Ishgard – and for you.” On that ominous note, she gave him a little curtsey and departed, leaving him to speak with Kan-E-Senna and Merlwyb.
The Warriors of Light assembled with Thancred and Hilda on one end of the field. Soldiers on both sides greeted them as they passed, and Achiyo had not seen so many smiling faces in moons.
“Well done,” Kekeniro said to them all. “You kept your heads and went after the most dangerous threats.”
“Which was usually each other,” Chuchupa said.
“Damn straight,” Vivienne said.
“I only hope you did not strain anything in the process of singlehandedly winning the battle for them,” Thancred quipped. “They certainly seem happy with themselves.”
“Nooo!” R’nyath said, laughing. “We didn’t win the battle for them! We mostly kept each other busy, honestly. Then we don’t look like we’re hogging all the points.”
Hilda shook her head in bemusement. “That was just another battle for you, I bet, but for my lot… Hmph. It weren’t so much the fightin’ as the not-trippin’-over-each-other’s-feet. His lordship might think about layin’ on some actual trainin’ for us next time.”
“You’d do this sort of thing again, then?” Achiyo asked her.
“Sure. I never imagined our humble gatherin’ of like-minded souls would grow into somethin’ proper, let alone a force fit to trade blows with the Alliance’s finest. Can’t say I didn’t enjoy it, neither. Funny how things turn out, eh?” She draped an arm around R’nyath’s shoulders and grinned at them all.
“I cannot help but wonder what would have happened had you lost… fantastical though such a state of affairs unquestionably is,” Thancred said to Achiyo. “I daresay the world would simply have ended.”
She stifled a laugh behind a mailed hand. “No, no. And I would have been proud to lose to Raubahn in any case.”
Thancred allowed himself to smile. “In all the years I have known Raubahn, I cannot recall ever seeing him look so happy in defeat. Well! Everything seems to be falling into place, does it not? The Ishgardians have claimed their symbolic victory, and the Eorzean Alliance has been strengthened in the process. Be proud. You made this happen.”
“Yes, go us!” R’nyath said. “Sorry for picking on you, Rinala.”
Rinala shook her head. “It’s okay, I understand. Always important to take out the healers if you can. That’s why we need people like Chuchupa, to make sure you can’t!”
“Aye, I’m just sorry I didn’t get yer kneecaps,” Chuchupa said to R’nyath. I was aimin’ fer them!”
“You’re not allowed to get my kneecaps,” R’nyath said. “Hilda likes me with them.”
Thancred glanced, northwest, towards Dravania. “Perhaps now we can return to our dozen or so more important concerns. …Make that two dozen. Still, as Y’shtola never tires of telling me, we can but face them head-on, one at a time. One day at a time… as Minfilia would have done.”
“We’ll raise a glass to her when we drink tonight,” R’nyath said. “This might be just a little victory, but it’s an important one.”
“Let’s go back to Fortemps Manor!” Rinala said. “I really hope Count Edmont is proud of Emmanellain, he did his best today.”
“For once,” Hilda said.
Bantering, they set off for the Steps of Faith. Achiyo brought up the rear, half-hoping…
“Lady Achiyo!” she heard, and her heart lifted to hear it. Come to think of it, he had called her by name without honorific in the heat of the battle, had he not? She turned to see Aymeric approaching her, Lucia by his side; they met in the very arch of the Gates of Judgement. His blue eyes were sparkling, how she loved his smile! “Well fought! Well fought, my friend! You truly are the warrior of warriors!” His voice dropped, private, almost teasing. “Thank the Fury you were on our side!”
“He did not hurt you?” she asked. Raubahn had hit him pretty hard, and she did not wish for a repeat of his injuries manifesting.
He winced for a moment. “I confess, it stung my pride to be brushed aside so easily. But when the flames subsided, and I saw you standing there triumphant, there was only gladness in my heart.”
“And I am happy for you,” she said, looking between him and Lucia. “We may now press on to our true goal.”
“The messengers have already been dispatched,” Lucia said. “Let us pray that this victory will have the desired effect.”
“It shall,” Aymeric said. “Now, I believe it is high time for tea.”