Kurenai and Hisui are the Natalie Portman and Keira Knightley of FFXIV teehee

I’ve been arranging FFXIV soundtracks for piano. If you wanna see, search for my username on MuseScore.

Chapter 54: The Ruby Depths

 

Chapter 55: Land of Dead Hope

The Scions did not leave the Ruby Sea immediately. While Achiyo, Gosetsu, Kekeniro, and Lyse conferred on their next course of action, R’nyath led some of the other Scions back beneath the waves to Sui-no-Sato, even though he wasn’t really a fan of having a wet tail. First of all, they needed to thank Yugiri’s parents properly for their help, and he’d gotten Achiyo’s approval for it. He had even bought some gifts for them off the Confederates, delicacies from Kugane – probably stolen, but… who was to say at this point? Secondly, R’nyath smelled problems that they could help with, Shiosai definitely had some secret stress hanging over him. All his years of adventuring experience told him so.

And thirdly, he really shouldn’t be nosy, but he wanted to find out more about Achiyo’s grandma. That was pretty cool, she had blood relatives that she didn’t know about before! As the only Scion present from a big family, he was excited about it. But Achiyo seemed to have put it entirely out of her mind, and he didn’t think it was entirely due to focusing on Yanxia. Something had gone wrong there.

Immediately on their arrival, a beautiful red-haired woman basically kidnapped him verbally, telling him about princesses and palaces and sinister possession rituals instigated by a black-robed man – how could he say no to a dramatic rescue mission? She gracefully marched them up to Shiosai’s place and told the priest what was up, brooking absolutely no argument, and then took them back down to prepare to escort them to this Shisui of the Violet Tides. So that was what was stressing him out, huh? 

“So… Kurenai,” R’nyath said, leaning on his bow, which was bad for it, but it really made him look nonchalant, especially if he curled his tail like… that. “Where is this palace?”

“‘Tis at the bottom of the Turquoise Trench,” she answered. “It is a bit of a swim, several bells’ journey.”

“Why is it so far away?” Vivienne demanded. “Wouldn’t it be more convenient to have your princess close by? Or do you like her being so far away, free from her presumably judgemental gaze?”

Kurenai’s pretty face fell. “You… are not wrong. It is very inconvenient to have the palace and the village so far apart. But Shisui of the Violet Tides is built on a place of strong magic. The princess – who is not permitted to leave the palace – lives there to conduct rituals and ceremonies essential to our way of life. She is not judgemental at all, I think. She only wants the best for her people.”

“And I guess this is a better spot for a village than the bottom of a trench,” Rinala said. “The sun is dim here, but you can still see its light.”

“Yes,” Kurenai said, though she didn’t seem happy about that observation either. “The palace is very beautiful. It glows like a star in the depths, and it is built of the finest craftsmanship. But outside all is dark, forever.” She hefted a pack on her back. “I am ready. Shall we go, folk from above?”

“We gettin’ paid, right?” Chuchupa said.

“Chuchupa!” Rinala scolded. “We’re going to fight a demon-spirit-thing, I know you like that, and we’re going to help people! What more do you want?”

“Hey, fights are great ‘n all, but princesses are rich, ain’t they?”

Kurenai made a soft smile. “I will find a good reward for you, noble warriors. You will have my undying gratitude; I could do no less than ensure you are well-compensated for your time and trouble.”

“Aww, don’t worry about that on my part,” R’nyath said. “I’ll just be happy to see you happy, Miss Kurenai.”

Kurenai blushed and led the way from the bubble of Sui-no-Sato. Apparently all the Au Ra of the village had the same Kojin blessing, which made sense – how else did they go fishing and foraging?

Kurenai seemed very sheltered, and he felt he had to shield her a bit from Vivienne and Chuchupa, neither of whom had any social graces and not a lot of tact. The fact that she was pretty was peripheral to his attempts to monopolize her attention on the long swim over. Okay, that was a huge lie. “So can you tell me what the deal is with Ai Kaisuri and her daughter?”

“That is difficult for me to do,” Kurenai said. “That all happened before I was born. And I have spent most of my life in the palace myself, with the princess.”

“Really? You weren’t interested in hot gossip to break the tedium? Or I guess it would be cold gossip.”

She giggled a little. “You are very perceptive, Master R’nyath. But truly, I know little. Only that… oh, thirty-five years ago, or thereabouts, Ayame Kaisuri refused to stay in the village. To leave is to court permanent exile, for we do not want outsiders to know about us, to somehow follow us home. It is already horrifying to our older folk that so many of you… Scions of the Seventh Dawn know we are here, now.”

“We won’t tell,” R’nyath assured her. “Not my business. Why did she leave? She must have had a strong reason.”

“I do not know… My impression was simply that she did not want to live the rest of her life hidden beneath the waves.”

“Oh, yeah, I can relate to that,” R’nyath said. “Any adventurer can. It’s a lovely place, but if you’re not allowed to leave, that’s different. I wonder if the Ruby Princess feels the same about her palace?”

Kurenai considered. “Perhaps she does. But she is dutiful. I wonder what her true feelings are…”

“What’s the Princess’s name?” R’nyath asked. “Or are you not allowed to call her by name?”

“H-her name is Hisui,” Kurenai said. “I’ve known her all my life. I will not let her die.”

“No, we won’t!” R’nyath said. “You really are a hero, Kurenai.”

She blushed, though it was getting harder to tell in the dim light. More light came from the softly glowing crystals around them than the distant sky above. “Nonsense.”

Vivienne and Chuchupa were talking about entirely different things behind them. “Wouldn’t it be funny if Tam ended up at this Shisui place?” Chuchupa said.

“How on Hydaelyn would he get there?” Vivienne asked.

“Dunno. Shark? Currents? Y’know, he just falls into the water and drifts down here.”

“He might asphyxiate himself even with the Blessing,” Rinala said anxiously. “I don’t like to imagine it.”

“Well, let’s imagine he drifts through the front door, then, so’s he can wake up,” Chuchupa said. “I think it would be funny.”

“And if he dies, that’s when you haul his arse back to shore, slap him with a Raise, and then slap him for the waste of mana,” Vivienne said.

“That’s not funny,” Rinala said. “Be nice, or maybe I’ll be too busy throwing rocks in battle.”

“Ooh, lookit you, usin’ yer leverage!” Chuchupa said. “Ye’re learnin’ to deal wi’ us! Ye gotta step it up, though, Aentfryn can really shiver our timbers.”

Rinala sighed. “I didn’t say I wouldn’t heal you. I know it’s frustrating for you and me when you accidentally get hurt, but I would feel too responsible if I let you stay hurt.”

“Healers always get jaded eventually,” Vivienne said. “That’s why Aentfryn threatens so frequently to let us die if we’re stupid.”

“He doesn’t really mean it,” Rinala said. “He’s never let anyone die if he could possibly help it.”

“I think it depends on their teammates,” R’nyath called back. “D’you think Achiyo’s healer would get jaded like that?”

“Shut up,” Vivienne growled at him.

 

The palace was stunning, and maybe Kurenai was tired of living in it but R’nyath loved every minute of it. And the Princess! She looked so much like Kurenai – he’d seen twins less alike than the two of them. But they successfully defeated the evil spirits, and rescued the Princess, and Shiosai didn’t have to destroy the place and commit suicide. Kurenai was very grateful, Shiosai was finally their fan, and they were allowed to walk around the village and talk to people like normal visitors. Which he gathered was a huge deal, and he appreciated it! He got to visit Yugiri’s parents, and they were very flattered to receive their gift.

Unfortunately, the Princess was cursed with a magical sleep, and probably Kurenai wouldn’t be able to wake her up with a kiss – R’nyath neither, but he wasn’t going to try, he was a stranger and that would be weird. 

And then Kurenai confessed that she was the Princess, and now he felt awkward about flirting with her. Were princesses allowed to be flirted with? Probably not, right? Definitely not from commoners like him. He kind of wondered if she’d even realized he had been flirting with her. She was so sheltered, she probably just thought he was being nice. Well, she might not have said she liked it… but she hadn’t said she didn’t like it? But if Shiosai noticed, he would probably get shut down pretty quick. Shiosai had a huge big-brother aura and it was reasonably intimidating. 

At least he was going to get one heck of a song out of this! Maybe even a song-cycle!

There was not time to investigate Achiyo’s grandma any more, though. The main team was ready to head into Yanxia proper, to find Yugiri and the Resistance. He would have to come back to Sui-no-Sato later and see if they still needed his help.

 

The planning meeting was over. They would go into Doma tomorrow, heading up the One River, towards a village called Namai. Achiyo had been there before. They farmed persimmons. She knew the roads. But now they had the remainder of the day to rest.

Achiyo walked Isari’s docks a little, and now people began to recognize her, vaguely, separate from the unfamiliar context of her new friends. She spoke with a few of them – life had gone from bad to worse since she had left, as everyone else was saying. But really, she wanted to look out over the sea and think about Sui-no-Sato.

Perhaps she had been arrogant in dealing with Ai. She was trying to imagine what the old woman must have felt: her daughter gone forever, and a total stranger in foreign armour appearing and reminding her of everything she wanted to forget. If she still grieved her daughter, or was still angry with her, even after all this time, it would be no surprise that she had reacted the way she did. Her very presence would cause her pain.

And what did Achiyo want from her? She had a family in Ishgard. As they came to know her, their hearts had opened unconditionally, treated her as their own, were patient with her shortcomings and ignorance. She thought about them ever more often the longer she was away from them, wishing to be back with them, to feel the warmth of their care, Lord Edmont’s quiet graciousness, Artoirel’s stoic kindness, Emmanellain’s jovial teasing, Honoroit’s gentle curiosity. Not once had they put her down or rejected her for being too foreign. As Ai had done in only a few moments.

And… there was the wound from twenty-one years ago, of being told that her father’s family was dead, her mother’s family did not exist, and if she died, no one would care. And now she learned that it was true. If her mother’s family had known of her, would they have taken her in? Would they have left her to starve? Ai’s coldness did nothing to salve that wound, old as it was.

She was a Warrior of Light. She didn’t give up so easily. She would try at least once more, she would apologize for her prideful words spoken in hurt of her own, and if Ai rejected her again, she would never trouble her again. But not now. R’nyath might spend his rest time in exploring beneath the waves with some of the others, but Achiyo preferred to focus her resolve for what came next, and in honesty this was an unwelcome distraction from what she suspected lay ahead. She would not break under Doma’s despair, not while Aymeric loved her. But it would not be easy to endure nonetheless.

 

Achiyo inhaled deeply as they marched up the One River. The humidity of the land soaked into her lungs, her nose filled with lovely petrichor after one of Yanxia’s sudden, brief showers. The Garleans could not destroy that… well, they could try, with their machines, and their fortresses, and their fumes. But they had not gone so far yet.

The others were exclaiming in wonder at the things they saw – the steep-sided, round-topped pillar-like mountains that dominated this area of Yanxia, the huge stands of bamboo that sometimes grew close to the road, the writhing pine trees that clung to narrow ledges on the cliffs, and R’nyath caught a glimpse of a tiger slinking away through tall grass. Lilidi pointed at the birds overhead, and Rinala remarked on the scents of herbs strange to her except as dead, dried, expensive imports.

“Indeed, it is difficult to see how a land so lush could be so downtrodden,” Achiyo murmured.

It was many days’ travel to reach the heart of the land – Yanxia was very broad. But they were getting close. Namai would be visible soon. They would rest there for the night, and then Gosetsu would lead them to the House of the Fierce, the headquarters of the Doman Liberation Front, in the morning.

They were cautious as they approached Namai, though the roads had generally been quiet, devoid of travellers both Imperial and otherwise. They’d been careful whenever a Garlean fortress was on the horizon, as their group was fairly large and easy to see from a distance, but no one had come to challenge them. Alisaie and Rinala went scouting ahead as the others waited in a bushy thicket, and came back pretty quickly. “We may be in luck,” Alisaie said. “We didn’t see a single Imperial soldier.”

“Then there is no need to remain hidden,” Gosetsu said confidently. “Let us go and greet them as friends.” He stood and strode out without looking back. They followed him.

He walked straight into the centre of the village. “Good people of Namai, hearken to me! We come in peace and desire only information – to learn of recent events!”

Achiyo looked around and her heart sank. Everyone had flinched at Gosetsu’s booming, untamed voice, and she heard fearful mutters run through the few villagers present. Many looked ready to bolt. They all looked tired and ill-fed. It was just as she had left it, and worse, and it cut her to the heart.

“I say, brothers and sisters, is aught amiss?” Gosetsu asked, at the same volume, looking deeply confused. “Why do you regard me as one would a wild beast? Why is there fear in your eyes? Why do you tremble so? Ahhh, but of course! You fear me a vengeful spirit of the dead! Rest assured, naught could be further from the truth. For am I not corporeal? Are my feet not firmly set upon the ground!” He laughed.

“What should we do?” whispered one villager. “If they catch him here, you know what will happen…”

“Of all the times for him to turn up- Has the old fool lost his mind?” exclaimed another.

A young man with a desperate, haunted look, rushed in front of them. “You! But… Why have you come here? What do you want from us?”

Gosetsu frowned. “I know not who you are to speak thus to your elders, boy, but mine only desire is to be received with the hospitality owed a humble traveller – not the fear and trepidation one might afford a wrathful shade!”

“What?” sputtered the young man. He looked barely of age. “What are you going on about? Actually, never mind. Just come with me – now!”

Achiyo laid a hand on Gosetsu’s arm. “Let us go with him. Keep your voice down. They must be afraid for a reason.”

“I do not understand it!” Gosetsu said, marginally quieter as they followed the youth out to a dell beyond the village. “Was it not clear that we wished to remain awhile?”

Achiyo gritted her teeth and refrained from indulging in her desire to kick Gosetsu in the shins. “Gosetsu-dono, how much time have you spent among the people as anything but a leader of men?”

He blinked at her, confused, but before he could answer, the young man turned around and glared at them. “I don’t know who you people think you are, but do you have any idea what would happen to us if you were found in our village!?”

Achiyo knew, but apparently Gosetsu did not. She looked at him expectantly, hoping he would make an attempt to read the situation, and was disappointed by his answer. “Again you address us with unwarranted spite! I have let your impropriety pass until now, but no longer! Who are you, boy, to speak to me thus? Know you not who I am?”

The young man snarled. “I am Isse of Namai – a farmer, like my father before me, and his father before him. I wouldn’t expect a man like you to know who I am – but I know you. We all do! Lord Kaien’s retainer and leader of the rebellion – Gosetsu! Notorious fugitive, wanted dead or alive by the Empire!”

Gosetsu laughed heartily. “Is that what this is all about? I am hardly the first man to earn the ire of the Empire. Nor will I be the last. Was not Namai home to brave and true warriors, who fought beneath our banners for king and country?”

Isse looked ever more infuriated, clenching his fists until his knuckles turned white. “They fought, and they died. Every last one. And then the Imperials came looking for more. Because of them. They were this close to killing us all – to burning our village to the ground. We’ve only just begun to enjoy some semblance of peace… Never again – never again, do you understand!? We’ve had enough of you and yours! Whatever it is you’re plotting, leave us out of it!” He turned and stormed off.

“…Hmm. Impassioned as his pleas may be, surely he must know that I cannot leave things as they are,” Gosetsu said.

“We will not,” Achiyo said coldly. “But how blind are you, Gosetsu-dono? Do you not hear him, or do you not think him important? Does it not occur to you to ask why they are more terrified to see us than joyful?” Isse had said why outright, and Gosetsu had completely ignored his words to chide him for his tone.

Gosetsu stepped back, startled by her accusation. “It does not matter, surely. They will understand in time. We shall fight the Empire for them. But ‘twould be easier with their aid.”

“Aid they will not give you while you blunder your way through whatever scraps of safety they cling to,” Achiyo said, willing herself to remain outwardly serene, feeling her face settle into the coolly-pleasant mask she’d worn every day in Doma Castle. “They will not wish to understand you if you do not wish to understand them. These are your people. Do you not know the suffering they have been through each day for decades?”

Gosetsu’s eyes narrowed. “I have suffered for them! Do you know their suffering? You did not live here long.”

“Yes, you have suffered for them,” Achiyo said, still in a level tone, with a frozen half-smile. “You have fought and bled and nearly died many times. And yet they still have suffered more. They are not warriors, even those who have the courage to fight; they are grieving and frightened, and none of them should be blamed for wishing only to stay alive. How long did you live with them, O Leader of the Rebellion, when you were not exhorting them to battle? How much do you know of the Empire’s retributions when you are absent? I wager it has only become worse in the short half-year you have been gone.” The same complaints as in Gyr Abania, she suddenly realized, and no wonder.

Gosetsu was angry, looming over her, but she refused to be intimidated. “You are speaking as a weak-hearted coward, and I know you are not! You told me you were trained as a lady in Doma Castle – only a noblewoman would wait around when there is action to be taken!”

Achiyo felt the others move closer to her protectively, but she did not need it, and put out a hand softly to stop them. “And only a fool takes action without understanding. We have come to help, not to take over – but if this is how you are going to go about liberating your country I will knock you down myself and find someone else to lead it.”

He put a hand on his sword and she let her eyes flash finally – she could take him in a fight, and he knew it. The others need not intervene. Whether it was the dangerous look on her face, or the fact that he realized he had just set all the Scions against him, he backed down. “Then what do you suggest, O Silver Lady?”

“Let us to go the House of the Fierce tonight,” she said, softening again. She was not mad at him. Only at his obtuseness. “They can tell us as much or more as the people of Namai. Will you lead us there?”

 

“Achiyo, are you okay?” Lyse whispered to her while Gosetsu was leading them down into the valley; he was a short distance ahead, alone. Things were awkward still. “You were terrifying back there. That part where you were so calm, that was creepy.”

“I am fine,” Achiyo said, then amended her statement. “I am not bothered by the argument, that is. Doma is as burdened as I feared she would be. It is… difficult to behold again.”

“Yes,” Lyse said. “It’s as bad as Gyr Abania… and then some.” She sighed. “You’re right, about not blaming people who just want to stay alive. We’ll need their help, but we have to figure out the best way to approach them, and clearly pretending that everything’s normal isn’t it. Even if we fail, I can’t judge them. How can I, when I spent so long running away from my own land?”

“As did I,” Achiyo said. “I spent years watching, unable to act alone, unable to find allies enough to act. …Perhaps if I had left Percival behind, I could have joined the Liberation Front… But he was my only… family.”

“Well, and then what? You would’ve been brilliant in the Liberation Front, but what if Zenos killed you when he came to quell the rebellion?”

“Too many ‘what ifs’ are the death of free will,” Tam said, leaning over.

Achiyo nodded; surely he of all people would know. “The past is the past. And Lyse, I am not upset with Gosetsu, not really. I do not understand why he does not understand. But he is still our friend. We must needs find a battle to prove ourselves to each other again, I think. Then he will know he can still trust us.”

“Sounds good,” Lyse said. “Ah! So this is the spring?”

They caught up to Gosetsu, who seemed to be recovering as he came closer to the Resistance. He had led them to a round, deep pond, close under the cliff of a mountain wall that sprang up suddenly, nearly as tall as Sohr Khai, that shielded Namai from the north, its top shrouded in clouds today. He explained how they would proceed, diving into the spring, which would let them out in a hidden cavern.

Tam sighed. “This is the only way in? Everyone does this?”

“Unless you wish to wait for the aetheryte to be repaired, haha!” Gosetsu laughed, then sobered. “Indeed, I did not think of it. How shall you enter…? There may be a way in on the other side of this mountain range, but to fly here, in these narrow valleys with such high walls, without knowing the aether currents is folly – madness.”

“Madness is Tam’s middle name,” R’nyath said. “Maybe literally.”

Tam grinned. “I’ve been called worse. I’ll see you later, then.” He walked past the spring, gazing up at the cliff ahead, and dragoon-jumped. In moments he was a violet speck high on the hillside. Soon he would be lost in the clouds.

“He’ll be fine,” Vivienne grumbled. “Stop staring at him and let’s get on with it.”

The dive was short, and on the other side was a small cavern with a round door in it, guarded by only a single man. Gosetsu had gone first, and was explaining the situation between catching his breath. The guard became very excited to see so many foreigners, and let them in immediately.

On the other side of the door was a wide cavern, with a few broken pieces of wood and crystal that might once have belonged to an aetheryte; daylight filtered in from a natural opening in the ceiling. “Oh, yeah, that’s more than big enough for a person to fit through,” R’nyath said. “Now we just wait to see if he shatters his ankles again.”

“Dragoons don’t shatter their ankles,” Rinala said. “Remember that time he jumped off that tower in Central Coerthas and I panicked and he was fine?”

“He did what?” R’nyath asked, very excited. Aentfryn grumbled.

Achiyo shook her head. “We must needs warn the people so they do not think they are under attack when he appears.”

“There is another entrance,” Gosetsu said, gesturing to another door. “The way in is hidden, however…”

“Speaking of people, there’s not a lot of people here,” Lyse said. There were a handful of people in small groups across the room, all dressed in dark, nondescript clothing. They had seen the newcomers, and some of them were coming over to investigate, though with Gosetsu present it was only curiosity.

Gosetsu nodded. “Many kindred spirits remain in hiding following the rebellion. Many others gave their lives for their nation. We are the stubborn remainder. Even accounting for our comrades in the field, we are at a fraction of our former strength, ’tis true. Yet we few are patriots – brothers-in-arms, prepared to fight with every fibre of our being to set our people free.” The rebels cheered at his words.

A new voice spoke up from the other entrance. “Ever are we hopeful that others will join our cause. But never did I dream that you would journey so far.”

They turned to see Yugiri approaching them, head held high, a welcoming smile on her lips. “Yugiri!” Lyse cried. “Gods, it’s good to see you. You look great, by the way! Have you been here long?”

Yugiri gave them an informal bow, though Lyse probably wanted a hug. “I returned but recently, having concluded my mission. Oh, it’s good to see you again, my friends.”

“Did I hear aright?” Gosetsu exclaimed. “Your mission is concluded? Then you have found the young master?”

Yugiri nodded. “Ere we speak of that, I would know by what fortuitous circumstance our friends came to be here.”

Achiyo began to explain, and shortly into her tale, there was a ‘thwack‘ from the centre of the room, beside the aetheryte – Tam had fallen in from above. Rinala jumped, tail fluffed.

“I knew he’d do that,” Chuchupa said. “Hey, Tam, did ye do that ’cause ye couldn’t find the way in, or ’cause ye thought ’twas funny?”

“Yes,” Tam said, and Aentfryn rolled his eyes. Eos clicked her tongue as she went to check him over. “Thank you for the concern, little one, I’m fine. Hello, Yugiri. We’ve been looking for you since Kugane.”

“I apologize for causing you trouble,” Yugiri said, with some confusion. “How do you mean?”

“Oh, yeah, look at this,” R’nyath said, pulling out his sketch that Alphinaud had provided.

“Astounding,” Yugiri said in wonder, staring at her own face, and comparing Gosetsu’s with Gosetsu.

“If I may continue, I can explain,” Achiyo said, for she had not gotten far into her tale of victory and defeat in Gyr Abania.

When she had finished, Yugiri nodded solemnly. “The Empire’s crimes are all too familiar. Lyse – my heart goes out to your people.”

Lyse’s brow furrowed in pain. “We wanted to stay and fight, believe me, but we knew it wouldn’t work. We needed more time to rebuild – and more allies to stand with us against the Empire. So we decided to come here and help you free Doma. To show you – to show everyone – that you’re not alone, and that the Garleans can be beaten, if we work together. I’d like to think we proved that in the Ruby Sea.”

“That you did, Lyse, and far more besides,” Yugiri said, smiling. “Needless to say, your assistance would be most welcome.”

“Hear, hear!” cried Gosetsu, who had been mustering his patience admirably in the meanwhile. “Now then, Yugiri – you must tell me of your search for our master!”

Yugiri addressed the Scions first. “Lest you wonder, he speaks of Lord Hien, son of Lord Kaien, who perished during the rebellion.” They nodded; Achiyo had certainly told the Scions who Lord Hien was. She had even met him once – briefly, and a long time ago. He probably didn’t remember her. 

“When it became clear that all hope of victory had gone, Lord Hien bade us deliver as many of our people as we could to safety beyond our borders,” Yugiri said. “But as his father’s heir, he was determined to fight on, and so he did – until he suffered a grievous wound in battle and vanished without a trace. Until now. For I have found Lord Hien – seen and spoken with him. On the Azim Steppe.”

Gosetsu beamed with joy. “O boundless and merciful kami, the young master lives! Tell me, was he well? Did his wound yet ail him? Where is he now? Have you brought him back to us?”

Yugiri made a placating gesture towards him. “You may take comfort in the knowledge that he is hale and whole. However, when I invited him to return with me to Doma, he had this to say… ‘If Doma yet thirsts for the blood of patriots and tyrants, I shall offer unto her my blade. But if she has had her fill of bitter draughts, I shall offer unto her conquerors my head.'” She sighed, looking mournful. “Thrice did I declare to him that no true son or daughter of Doma would ever accept such a sacrifice. But for all my passion, he would not be swayed. ‘Learn the truth of her heart and return to me,’ he said. And so I left him.”

“The words of one made to wear the mantle of leadership too soon,” Gosetsu said, shaking his head sadly. “Yet there is wisdom in them all the same. If the people no longer yearn to be free, ‘twould be folly to rekindle the fires of war.” So Gosetsu would listen to Lord Hien, but not to Achiyo? She supposed there was no sense in sighing over it. At least he listened.

Yugiri’s gaze hardened. “To suffer our master to surrender his life and forsake all hope of freedom is by far the greater folly. I will not go to face my fallen comrades having done naught to stop it.”

Gosetsu patted her comfortingly on the shoulder. “Nor I, shadow walker, nor I. But we need not rouse our comrades to battle this day. Let us instead welcome our honoured guests and allow them a moment of respite.”

 

They had a meal, and were shown to rest in dorms – one for men, one for women – that were only half-full. The next morning Achiyo rose early, hoping to seek out folk who could help her understand what the next step would be. She was joined by Kekeniro, Lilidi, and Lyse, and together they walked about the caverns, taking stock of the situation. Gosetsu had given orders that they were free to go wherever they wished, and so the four of them learned the numbers of rebels, their supplies, their weapons. Achiyo did not know much about running a revolution, but she did not think they had even as many resources as the Ala Mhigan Resistance.

The Scions all drew attention; not one of them looked Doman at all, not even Achiyo who was at least Hingan, and it seemed that many were bursting to ask them about themselves and were holding back from politeness. But they soon fell into conversation with an older, scarred man, and Lyse managed to turn the conversation from themselves to Doma – and the talk turned to the failure of the previous rebellion.

The man sighed in recollection. “What you have to understand is that it was not a simple matter of numbers. The bulk of the XIIth never even took the field. It was Zenos’s stratagems that won the war. They were unlike anything we had ever seen. His formations were unorthodox – bewildering. We honestly thought we had him on the back foot. One moment we were pressing home our advantage, the next we were surrounded and at his mercy.”

“Hmm,” said Kekeniro. “Do you have specifics? I’d like to study them.”

“But you like small-scale formations, not armies,” Lilidi said, confused.

He shrugged. “I’ll need to study them anyway. I’ll figure out something to do with them. It rather sounds like Zenos doesn’t care about armies himself.”

“Go on,” Lyse said. “You were surrounded suddenly?”

The Resistance fighter nodded. “An ambush so cunning, we had no idea of it before it closed on us. And then he stood before us, his cornered prey. Alone and unarmed. He beckoned us to come forward and fight for our lives. One by one, my comrades charged. Fearless and unflinching, he would dance amidst their blades for a time, and then draw close, as if to embrace… One… after… another. He made us watch. Do you understand? He made us watch.” His eyes were haunted.

Lyse shivered. “What kind of monster enjoys killing people?”

“…I do not think there was any joy in it,” said the Resistance fighter, in a dread-filled whisper. “Nor justice, nor morality, nor meaning. To him, the weight of one life is no different from that of a thousand. A challenge had been issued and was accepted. But on finding us no challenge at all, his objective changed.”

Achiyo had been thinking back to her own duel with Zenos. How fighting him, massive and armoured as he was, had been like fighting an agile mountain, impervious to all blades, and how fighting her who had overcome so many obstacles must have been an ordinary day for him. She looked up. “How so?”

“There were tales of Imperial soldiers being flayed for slaughtering families. For breaking brave men’s spirits. Only later did I come to understand why. He did not desire obedience. He desired hate… and men consumed by it. A new battle. A new enemy. A new challenge. The hunt, I am told he called it. A hunt without end. And when all our best lay dead and broken, he left. He left, muttering that we had ‘bored’ him.”

“He did that to me as well,” Achiyo murmured. “He said I was pathetic… and let me live.” She frowned. “But he was not unarmed.”

“You faced him?” exclaimed the man in awe. “You fought him and lived?”

“Not through my own merit,” Achiyo said heavily. “I am training against the day I meet him again.”

“To have faced him and lived marks you already as peerless among us. But it is true: our weapons, at least, held his interest. For he took a fallen samurai’s sword, having grown… fond of it. Since that day, he has ever wielded Far Eastern blades. He is said to be fascinated by ones with storied histories, and so soldiers who seek to curry his favour often present those of defeated enemies as gifts.” He grimaced.

Lyse huffed. “It’s like it’s all a game to him. People are suffering – dying – and he’s collecting swords?”

“…We all feel the same,” said the fighter. “But my lady, you must understand… On the battlefield, reasons do not matter. The victor is not the just, but the strong, and the strong become the heroes of the tale. We were not strong enough. It is not sufficient to be right. To be just. Without strength, our path has but one end…”

Lyse clenched her fists. “If it’s strength we need, then it’s strength we’ll get. We can’t lose to him again…”

 

The Scions went out scouting, in small groups, to gather information on what the situation was among the people of the land. The Liberation Front had not had hopeful news, but first-hand knowledge was even better.

Vivienne, Rinala, and Achiyo were in one group, canvassing outlying farms. “Can we not go to Monzen?” Achiyo had asked, and received grave looks.

“Monzen lies in ruins,” was Yugiri’s answer.

Achiyo’s mouth fell open. “How!?”

“Many samurai from Monzen fought in the rebellion,” Yugiri said. “In retribution, Yotsuyu had it razed to the ground. Now only the Magatsu Kiyofusa walk there, controlled by the Garleans.” She paused. “I’m sorry.”

Achiyo had only blinked, but Vivienne saw worry in her eyes. Did she have friends there? Of course she had friends there, she had lived in the castle for a bit.

Whatever worry she had was eating her up, to the point that after only a couple bells on the road, Vivienne was about ready to suggest she head back to the House of the Fierce and take the rest of the day off. But maybe that would just make her more useless, and fresh air and an objective was helping more.

Vivienne was not liking the look of the land here. She had not liked Gyr Abania, with the Empire so firmly entrenched, their castra sitting like looming, bloated parasites on the hilltops, but it was even worse here. Black cermet claws were lanced through the land and the people’s spirits, bleeding it dry. She had always hated bullies, hated those who attacked the weak and defenceless, and while she knew they needed a really good plan and solid preparation to pull this revolution off with inferior resources and low morale, she was chafing to pull out Cronus and go rampage on anything Imperial. Even if they were conscripts from another captured land. Especially if they were conscripts from another captured land. They ought to know better. Having no other outlet for their frustration was no excuse.

The day was humid and hot, the road was dusty, and there was a droning hum of noisy insects that bothered her ears. They marched along, heading for the shadow of another pillar-like mountain, behind which Achiyo knew of a hamlet where they could learn some local sentiment. 

A bent figure in a rice field looked up and cried out. “A-Achiyo-chan??”

Achiyo stared, clearly not recognizing the person. “Sorry, I…”

“Achiyo-chan! Don’t you recognize me?” The woman hurried closer, climbing out of the rice field, complex emotions whizzing across her face. “It’s me, Tori!”

“Tori-chan,” Achiyo gasped, and fell to her knees in a clatter of armour. “You’re alive.”

“Yes,” said the woman, and knelt in front of her, clasping Achiyo’s hands. She was maybe a little younger than Achiyo, Hyuran, with wispy dark hair, large dark eyes, and a ragged cotton robe. Her body was thin from malnutrition, and her hands were scraped and scratched from tending the rice. “You look well! I’m glad. What happened to you? I haven’t heard from you in, what… four years? You must have left Doma. That’s good, you missed all the horrible things that have happened.” She was a chatterbox, it seemed.

“Yes,” Achiyo said, still seeming dazed. “Tori-chan… I only just came back… I only just heard about Monzen this morning. I feared the worst for you. It is such a relief to see you alive. What happened?”

“Oh, well… A servant got me and the children out before Yotsuyu started executing people,” Tori said, her eyes welling up with tears. “My Daito-sama… he died in battle, so at least he didn’t have to see it. But Mitsu-chan is dead, and maybe you don’t care, but Kawanami is dead…”

Achiyo simply sat, staring, stunned. Vivienne grunted and pressed a hand to her head as visions suddenly overtook her.

She saw Achiyo in a majestic, opulent room, painted in red and gold; she would hardly have recognized her friend in all the finery she wore. A light blue silken robe with a huge brocade belt and floor-length trailing sleeves, and her silver-green hair piled in precise loops and whorls on the back of her head, and fastened in place with jewelled hairpins, with more jewellery dangling from her horns, and more make-up than she had ever seen her wear. Vivienne’s first thought was to wonder what Achiyo’s Lord Commander would think if he were to see her dolled up like this, whether he would find it off-putting or if he’d fall down at her feet in besotted awe. And yet the dozens of people in the room around her were wearing things just as expensive and ridiculous. In the background, Vivienne saw two other girls about the same age as Achiyo, dressed the same way, one of them being Tori, and Achiyo was only remarkable between them for the unusual colour of her hair.

 Vivienne looked at Achiyo’s gentle smile, and her graceful movements, and she saw her friend, and yet… she was wearing a mask, metaphorically. Did she still wear that mask? She was always hard to read. Did they really know her? Or was it just more obvious while she saw her in a place where she was obligated to act a certain way?

Her musings were interrupted by a young, vapid-looking man in rich brocades coming over to Achiyo. “O my lotus of the dawn, how do you fare today?” Vivienne snarled inadvertently, though no one could hear her. If anyone spoke like that to her, there would be thumping.

“I am well,” Achiyo said calmly.

“Have you considered my proposal in a more favourable light?” he asked, like a child asking if they had reached their destination yet.

“Not by sun, moon, or stars, Kawanami-sama. Surely you must tire of asking.”

“Surely you must tire of rejecting me,” he said. “Why do you resist your own happiness?”

“I am as tireless as a stream,” Achiyo said, smiling effortlessly. “You can build no dam that will ever contain me.”

“I probably could,” he said thoughtfully, then his face darkened. “And if I can’t, surely the Garleans will. It’s not safe out there, my little flower. Your only true hope of survival lies with me.”

“And yet I am unswayed.” Achiyo’s smile didn’t budge. It sounded like she’d been putting up with this for a while, and Vivienne wished she were present in the Echo so she could chase this guy off for harassing her friend. One glare from the Duskwight would probably send him running and pissing himself.

“Treasure your smiles now, then, for without the protection of clan and kin, all flowers will wither under the Garleans.”

A shadow loomed up behind the annoyance, and about time, too. “Is this person bothering you, Achiyo?”

“Percival!” Achiyo cried, with real joy. “It is good to see you.”

“Good to see you too. Who’s this?” He still had not changed in appearance. Did that man even age?

“I am Kawanami no Hiromune, the heir of the Kawanami clan-”

“Oh, that guy,” Percival said. “Well, go away. I want to talk to Achiyo.”

“You would dare come between this pearl of the sea and her future lord and master?”

“Yes, I would,” Percival said, his face hardening. Kawanami was a couple ilms taller than Achiyo, but Percival was significantly taller than him. “I’m an adventurer, and you’re not my boss.”

Kawanami puffed up angrily for a minute, turning very red, but Percival stood there, immovable, stern-faced, and Kawanami shut his mouth and turned away.

“Thank you,” Achiyo said quietly. “When I am dressed in armour likewise, perhaps men will take me seriously.”

“I take you seriously,” Percival objected. Vivienne wished she could tell her what lay in her future; respect and honour and being taken seriously. By everyone.

Achiyo smiled at him. “Yes. But most of them here do not. I would like to leave. I think I am done being objectified- I mean, educated.”

He laughed. “I don’t think I’ve heard you use sarcasm before. But what about your boyfriend?” Huh? Boyfriend??

“He is not, and never was, my boyfriend,” she said. “There was a… misunderstanding.”

“Oh?”

She hesitated. “I would like to tell you later.”

“Then go get your stuff, and let’s head out.”

“This moment? I really should finish my duties to Chima-dono…”

“Do you want to? Does she really need you? It would be nice to be on the road before sundown.”

Achiyo still hesitated.

“She has two other maids, doesn’t she? What’s she going to do, track you down in the middle of Yanxia and scold you? You’re an adventurer too. You’re free. Tell her you’re going if you like, but she has no right to hold you against your will.”

Achiyo seemed to make up her mind. “Then I shall go and change my clothes. I will meet you at the bridge to Monzen.”

 

Vivienne came out of it, blinking, and saw Achiyo still staring blankly. What had they been talking about? Oh, the annoyance in the Echo was dead, and Achiyo clearly didn’t know how she felt about that.

“Are you okay?” Rinala said to Achiyo, having recovered more quickly than Vivienne. “Sorry, Miss Tori, I think this is a big shock to her. Are you okay to take a break from work? Would you like to have lunch with us?”

“Ah! Sorry!” Tori said to Achiyo. “Of course, all this at once… Yes, let’s take it more slowly. My Nakasuke does say I tend to waterfall all my words at once. May I call my children over?”

“Yes, of course,” Rinala said. “How many children do you have?”

“Three,” Tori said, and called for them. Two children came running over, splashing, from the other side of the field; one of them carried a toddler piggyback. “This is Nakasuke, my oldest, and Nigayo, and little Moto. My loves, this is Achiyo-onee-san, I told you about her so much. And her friends.”

Rinala introduced herself and Vivienne. Vivienne could see her fumbling for words to put her next question delicately, not to make Tori think they were pitying her, which would just make her think they were pitying her, and decided to be rude and practical. “We’ve got enough food for all of you. Sit down and catch up. I’ll keep watch.”

“Thank you, Vivienne,” Achiyo said. The children were very happy to share in the Scions’ food; they were not as thin as their mother, but probably still underfed. They ate quickly and then wandered off again to play, taking the baby with them. “Tori-chan… I’m sorry I wasn’t here for so long. Percival… Percival died, and I could not stay in Doma for grief. So I went to Eorzea. That’s where I’ve been.”

“Oh, well you always wanted to go there!” Tori exclaimed. “That’s good. I guess you did well, since you have so many friends! You were always such a loner at court.”

“Yes,” Achiyo said. “I did very well.”

After an awkward pause, Tori burst out. “Don’t pretend anything, Achiyo-chan! Nothing’s changed between us, just because I-I had to learn to work with my own hands! I mean, maybe things changed a little bit, but tell me your adventures! It’s okay if they’re happy! Tell me you’re happy!”

Achiyo smiled with tears running down her cheeks. “I’m happy, Tori-chan. I joined an organization devoted to helping others and made many friends including Rinala and Vivienne, many of whom came with me to Doma. I helped protect Eorzea from the Empire, and we drove them out and threw down their machines and fortresses. Then I went to Ishgard, helped end a thousand-year war, found a new family, and became engaged to the most wonderful man in the world – a knight, a leader, who is compassionate and brave and beautiful. And now we’ve come here to try to throw off the Empire.”

Tori hugged her. “You always wanted to do that, too! Oh, I’m so glad to hear it. What’s his name? I wish – oh, Chima-dono is dead too… She would finally be happy you passed on Kawanami.”

Achiyo laughed through her tears. “Yes, I think she would approve of him – not that I accepted him for that reason at all. His name is Aymeric, Aymeric de Borel of Ishgard. There was much stress and heartache along the way, but I love him, Tori-chan, I love him so much, and he loves me.”

“Then you’d better succeed quickly here, so you can get back to him,” Tori said fiercely. “It… won’t be easy.” She looked down. “Most people are barely getting by. My babies hardly have enough to eat. And if anyone so much as breathes funny near the Imperials… people get taken away or just… killed. Whole villages sometimes. It’s like things were at court, but so, so much worse.”

“Do you want to fight?” Achiyo said.

“I do,” Tori said. “But… I don’t know how. And I have my children to think of. If something happened to me… what would happen to them? It’s like that for everyone. And not everyone wants to fight. Some people are just too tired. And some people like it this way.”

“I know,” Achiyo said. “Fighting is difficult, and oppression never seems to rest. But… even from someone in your position, I’m sure the Liberation Front would welcome your aid. At least to know that you would support them continuing to fight. They are becoming weary as well.”

“We want to help,” Rinala said. “If the people of Doma want us to, then we’ll give it our all, and maybe we can make a difference. But if you don’t want us to, then we won’t. We won’t make trouble for you.”

Privately, Vivienne thought that if the Domans did not fight back now, they never would have the chance again, not until Zenos was dead. Maybe they had thought that the failed rebellion had been their last chance. Maybe that was true. But if the Scions went home, Doma would almost certainly remain enslaved, they would not have gained the strength to liberate Ala Mhigo, and the Empire would look once again to conquer Eorzea. Maybe they’d do better now that Ishgard was on their side, but… if nothing changed, it seemed the Empire would win in the end. And right now it looked like Doma would be the fulcrum, one way or another.

“I certainly don’t want to become Garlean,” Tori said. “Maybe we can never go back to the way of life we had. I was a samurai’s daughter, and then a samurai’s wife, raised to a life of courtly graces and not much else; I know how to run an estate and make myself beautiful, but those skills aren’t useful anymore, and maybe they will never be again. But even if I work as a labourer for the rest of my life, all I want is for Doma to be Doma. I just can’t do anything to make that happen.”

“If everyone thinks as you do, then we will fight for you,” Achiyo said. “For you, and in memory of Mitsu-chan, and Chima-dono, and everyone who did not deserve to die – yes, even Kawanami.”

“Even Kawanami!?” Tori exclaimed. “But you hated him!”

“I despised him,” Achiyo corrected her. “I wished to have nothing more to do with him. To never speak to him again. I did not wish for his death to be the reason why.” She paused. “What happened to Monzen?”

Tori shuddered. “After the rebellion failed, my maid Aki hurried me and the children out of the city to this farm. Only a day later, Yotsuyu had everyone in the city rounded up, and every single remaining person of noble birth was put to death. Some in very horrible ways, I’m told. Even…” Tori swallowed. “Even children.” She looked over at her children searching for frogs on the edge of the rice field.

“Kami,” Achiyo breathed. “We saw her murdering people in Isari.”

“She let most of the lesser folk go… kind of. A lot of them got picked up for conscription. And then she burned the town while she watched from the castle.”

Achiyo reached out and took Tori’s hand. “And you? You survived, but I’m sure it was very hard for you.”

Tori nodded. “With my husband gone, and three children, and knowing nothing about farming… About the only thing I have going for me is that I’m still young and can work hard – now that they’ve shown me what to do.” She looked at her hands. “I don’t regret sacrificing my pretty hands… except I do, I miss the days when all we had to worry about was passing the dancing tests and picking accessories to match outfits! And seeing you brings it all back…” She began to cry and covered her face with her hands. “I couldn’t even keep the broach you gave me when you left. We left too quickly.”

“I’m sorry,” Achiyo said softly. “If I can help at all, I will do my utmost.”

“Idea,” Vivienne said, turning back to them. “You said you knew something about running a household, correct? A noble household, I’m assuming?”

“Well, yes,” Tori said, wiping her eyes. “But labourers don’t have complicated incomes and outcomes to keep track of…”

Vivienne tried not to grin in case it made her look intimidating. “But the Liberation Front does. I wonder if they’d have a use for someone who knows a thing or two about logistics?”

Tori fluttered in incomprehension. “What’s logistics? Would they really need someone who only does… that? What about my children?”

Vivienne shrugged. “No idea. I don’t know what you know and only a little what they need. But why don’t you ask, and see where it goes? If you’re worried about your kids’ safety, make that part of the conversation.”

“Vivienne, you’re so smart!” Rinala exclaimed.

“No, I’m not,” Vivienne said. “It’s just an idea. And maybe it doesn’t come to anything.”

Tori looked at Achiyo. “Well… maybe I’ll see you more often, then.”

“Maybe you will,” Achiyo said, smiling. “We all must start somewhere. Which you said to me when I first came and did not know how to bow correctly.”

“Wait, how hard is it to bow correctly?” Rinala asked.

“You would be surprised, Rinala-chan,” Tori said. “The correct angle, the placement of your hands, the speed, the duration, it all changes depending on who you’re talking to. It doesn’t matter anymore. There aren’t any classes to distinguish between anymore. But maybe that’s not a bad thing? I know you always thought that we should just be reasonably polite to everyone, and that there were more important things to worry about in the world, Achiyo-chan.”

Achiyo covered her smile with an armoured hand. “I did. But I learned it anyway. Do you need assistance to get in touch with the Liberation Front?”

“I do,” Tori said. “But I have to finish this field. Will you come back tomorrow?”

“I will,” Achiyo said. “Unless circumstances prevent me, but if they do I shall come back another time. I will not leave you behind, nor will I put you in danger, I swear it.”

“Thank you,” Tori said, and there was relief and trust in her eyes. “I will wait for you.”

 

They continued on their way, talking to other people, much more briefly. Some of them remembered Achiyo. “You know a lot of people,” Rinala remarked. “You were here often?”

“No,” Achiyo said. “I do not know most of them personally. I was in Doma for eight years, I think… Let me count… Eleven if you count my training in Doma Castle and approximately a year or so prior to that. Percival dressed me in armour like to his, and the sight of a Raen woman in metal Eorzean armour is… as distinctive here as a Raen woman in kimono would be in Eorzea. But I only really came to know a few people, even in places we visited repeatedly. It is not my way to quickly be comfortable with strangers.”

“The opposite of Tam, then,” Vivienne said. She really shouldn’t let him live rent-free in her head as much as she did, but he was so irritating. “That bastard had better be putting his skills to use here.”

“I’m sure he is- what’s that?” Rinala cried, pointing ahead. “Is that a giant beetle? It’s chasing a girl!”

“Your eyesight is very good,” Achiyo said, breaking into a run. She called out to the child. “Come to me! We will help you!”

The little girl changed course towards them, and Achiyo and Vivienne both drew their weapons and closed ranks as she passed them. The beetle was going too fast to stop, but Achiyo met it with her shield, digging in the balls of her feet, her tail flexing to hold her balance.

Then Vivienne brought Cronus down upon it and chopped it in half.

The little girl had thrown herself at Rinala, who had caught her and set her gently on her feet, and was already checking her over. “Are you hurt anywhere? Do you need anything?”

The girl was panting for breath, but she bowed repeatedly. “Thank you, thank you, thank you! If you hadn’t come along, I don’t know what I would’ve done!”

“My name is Achiyo,” Achiyo said gently. “That’s Rinala, and this is Vivienne. Where are you from? Are you by yourself?”

“I’m from Namai,” said the girl. “I’m Azami. I’m looking for flowers. I need some for my parents’ graves.”

“I see,” Achiyo said. They had gradually made their way back in the direction of Namai, but it was still rather far off for a child on her own. “You don’t seem to have any right now. May we help you?”

“That would be wonderful!” said Azami. “Only yellow ones, though. My mother’s favourite colour was yellow, so that’s what my brother and I usually bring.”

Vivienne sighed. Sometimes the Warriors of Light got caught up in doing the tiniest things for people. “There were no yellow flowers closer to Namai?”

“Um… no.”

“There are some right over there,” Rinala said. “Let’s go get them!”

“Ah! Thank you so much!” Azami cried. “That’s twice you’ve saved me now!” She hurried over to them, apparently feeling much safer in the presence of three armed and two heavily armoured women, and gathered a handful of long-stemmed blooms. She turned to them and looked down shyly. “Um… if you have some time to spare, maybe you could come with me? I’m sure Mother and Father would want to meet the women who showed me such kindness.”

“We would love to,” Achiyo said. “Where are they?”

“We buried them on a cliff to the west of the village,” said the girl. “There’s a path through the terraces. I’ll show you!”

They walked maybe half a bell, not through the village but behind it, up a slope to where a small tree grew close to the edge of a precipice. There were two grave markers there. Azami knelt to lay down the flowers, maybe to pray – Vivienne did not know Doman customs.

Azami stood. “Mother, Father, this is Achiyo, and Rinala, and Vivienne,” she said cheerfully. She was a strong child to keep such a brave face on. “They really helped me today, they’re kind people.” She turned to the Scions. “They loved to meet travellers and hear tales of faraway places. Maybe you could tell them one about where you’re from?”

“Azami! Azami! Are you there? Azami!” Someone was calling down the valley, sounding anxious – a man’s voice. Azami trotted towards the sound, and soon there appeared – Isse of Namai, the angry young man from before. He started back on seeing them, eyes wide. “What in the- You should not be here! Get away from my sister!” He waved as if he would shove them aside, though they were still twenty yalms away from him.

Azami came up to him. “Don’t be so rude! They saved me from monsters, Brother – they even helped me pick flowers for Mother and Father!”

He put a hand on her shoulder, still staring at the Scions. “Go back to the village. Now.”

Azami clutched her hands to her chest. “Y-you’re scaring me-”

“I said go!” Isse cried, pointing at the village. “Stay inside and lock the door until I return!” Azami fled.

Vivienne cursed in her head. It was an ugly feeling to try to help someone and receive only hostility. Even understanding his point of view didn’t help alleviate the negative emotions.

Isse glared, but it was a tired glare. “…Don’t think me ungrateful. My sister is the only family I have. If you saved her, then… thank you. But it changes nothing. I asked you to leave, and now I’m asking you again. I’m not going to report you to the Imperials, or anything stupid like that. But it’s too dangerous for you to stay here. So please, I’m begging you – just leave us alone!”

Achiyo opened her mouth, paused, then said: “She said your parents were buried here.”

Isse looked at the graves, his mouth set bitterly. “…So she told, did she? Yes. That’s right.” He walked closer… past them to the graves, then turned to look back at them. “…My mother and father believed in the rebellion. They left to fight for Lord Kaien. They came home on a cart driven by Imperial soldiers. The soldiers demanded that the families of the insurgents present themselves, or else they’d burn the whole village to the ground.”

Rinala clutched her hands to her mouth. Vivienne thought that it was better warning than her village had gotten… then shook those thoughts away. It was not a competition and that was unfair.

“So we did,” Isse said, his voice shaking. He turned away but she had already seen his mouth twisting with emotion. “What choice did we have? They beat us in the village square – with their hands, with sticks, with anything. They kicked us while we lay on the ground, begging for mercy. They made us denounce my mother and father – call them fools, call them traitors. Say they deserved to die. I heard them laugh, but I dared not look up.”

He swallowed hard, his voice dropping to a hoarse croak. “One leaned close and whispered in my ear what he’d do to my sister if they had to come back. They’re gone, but they’re never far. All it takes is the wrong word in the wrong ear, and they’ll return. And then I’ll have to dig another grave. If I’m lucky.” He turned back to them, his eyes dry and hard. “Whatever you came here to do, leave us out of it. If you want to fight the Imperials, go and fight them on your own. You can’t help us. No one can. And this is all we’ve got. So please – don’t take it from us.”

Achiyo bowed. “Thank you for speaking with us. We will not involve you. Farewell, Isse.” She turned and walked away, and Vivienne and Rinala followed her. Rinala was trying not to sniffle.

“That’s horrible,” Rinala said, when they were out of sight. “The Garleans are horrible.”

“That’s why we fought like hells to get them out of Eorzea,” Vivienne said. “We will destroy them. Right, Achiyo?” Achiyo knew their atrocities better than any of the other Scions, probably. But she was silent. “Achiyo?” She’d better not be losing the fervour she’d built up.

Achiyo looked up, her face calm, but stern. “Hm?”

“We’re going to win.”

“We are,” Achiyo said, laying Vivienne’s doubts to rest about her motivation. “Only… I do not know how. The problems I knew from before only look bigger and more complicated the harder I try to find their solution.” She straightened up and looked towards the cliffs that Vivienne had been told hid Doma Castle from their view. “I must have patience. We have been here not a sennight. If the answer were so easy, it would have been found already. When water is stymied, it waits patiently until it finds the right outlet.”

“And remember that you don’t have to figure it out by yourself,” Rinala said, her ears perking up hopefully again. “That’s what people keep telling me, anyway. Ul’dah wasn’t built in a day!”

Achiyo smiled. “Yes. Let us go present our findings to the strategist.”

Chapter 56: The Second Scar

 

Author’s note: Originally Kawanami was going to be the ‘past connection’ Achiyo met, but he started making her look a bit Mary-Sue-ish no matter what either of them did in the scene. So I asked my friend what I should do with him, and she was like “KILL HIM” lol. I thought that might be a bit of a cop-out, but honestly I did not have any sort of character arc planned for him (he’s an out-of-touch self-obsessed trust-fund baby, and he wasn’t going to change much even stripped of all his privileges) and it’s logical what with Yotsuyu around, so I did it, no regrets.