There are a lot of nice little story bits in the Azim Steppe, like when Lyse tells some kid what a ‘nation’ is, but… I don’t have a lot to say about them.
Honorifics are a bit tricky for me in this part. The English dubs/subs translate the titles and honorifics to English for ease of the unfamiliar, even for characters who would probably use them (it would make perfect sense for Yugiri to call Hien “Hien-sama”), so how weeby culturally appropriate for the implied in-game culture do I want to get by putting some of them back in?
I’ve been listening to the J-rock band Cidergirl again recently, and I think the lead singer seems to have a voice type very much like the Miqo’te voice type that R’nyath has. They did the opening song, Cinderella, for the anime Komi Can’t Communicate, which I enjoyed very much, but they’ve got more super-happy music, and R’nyath is specifically adopting Saityen.
Chapter 57: Endless Sky
The Scions, the Doman Liberation Front, and the villagers of Namai did not retreat far at first. Nearly everyone was in high spirits, talking animatedly. Isse was fairly bubbling with excitement, his face alight in a way Achiyo had not seen before. He looked so young and kind when he smiled. “Can you believe it? We faced the crown prince himself and lived to tell the tale! You’ve no idea what this means for us. Everyone’s talking about getting more weapons and armour and… and… And we’re not going to stop until we’ve taken back our homeland!”
Achiyo, who was healed enough to be trusted to her own two feet, smiled back at him, trying to hide the ruefulness she felt. Zenos had not left because he was intimidated, not though all the Warriors of Light had arrived. He had not refrained from killing them all because he thought he could not do it. He just… had decided not to. And she was still puzzling out why, but after the sleepless night she’d had, and the battle nigh to the death, her mind was mush. “How did you know what we were doing?”
His smile faltered. “I… I overheard you and… the shinobi, talking by the stream before you set out. I don’t think you saw me. I was so afraid. But… But I went and told everyone! I even went and got the Liberation Front and your friends! I got them together, and we came.”
“I am grateful,” she said. “You saved our lives.”
“How are you feeling?” he asked, suddenly awkward and fidgeting. “After fighting that demon, I can only imagine…”
“I will need much rest,” she said. “And thence again to training.”
He paused, rubbing the back of his neck. “…I suppose I ought to apologize to you. For… you know…”
Her first instinct was to tell him there was no need. But… perhaps he needed to for his own sake. “I thank you. But we are all in accord now. Do not think further on it.”
He gave her a sheepish little smile. “Anyway, uh… Thank you. For not giving up on us. T-the shinobi, too. …We should get back to the village!” He scampered away after the other villagers; he had been falling behind to talk to Achiyo.
“Now we need to talk,” Aentfryn said to Achiyo, and she felt as if dashed with cold water. They were upset with her and Yugiri. For… acting on their own, against everyone’s wishes.
“Yes,” Vivienne interrupted whatever he was about to say next. Her voice was choked with the strain of keeping it low enough to not draw attention, and she loomed over Achiyo. “How dare you. What the seven hells was going on in your head that you would be so rutting stupid!?”
Achiyo froze, her heart suddenly pounding again as if in combat. She had realized some of them were angry with her, but she had not expected… this level of ire from them. Even Vivienne. She stared wordlessly at Vivienne’s dark helmet, unblinking.
“Vivienne,” R’nyath began.
“Shut up,” Vivienne said over him. “Did you even think how we might feel about you waltzing off to kill yourself? Did you even think how Aymeric might feel? Oh, but it’s not your responsibility to tell him you’re dead, so what would you care!?”
Achiyo’s only answer was mute blankness. She ought to acknowledge the criticism, acknowledge Vivienne, apologise, for she knew she had made a mistake, but she could not muster the control to respond. She could weather criticism and dressing-down, deserved and not, from officers, officials, nobles, Percival… But not when she was this exhausted. All she could do was hold on to not breaking apart under the pressure.
“We are a sodding team,” Vivienne drove on, “we work together, we fight monsters together. You didn’t even have a godsdamned healer! How could you be so monumentally idiotic-”
“Vivienne!” Alisaie snapped. “That’s enough.”
Vivienne raised her fist as if she would strike Achiyo, then dropped it and stomped off.
“Are you okay?” Rinala asked anxiously, on the verge of tears even though she had not been the subject of the tirade.
Achiyo shook her head; there was no point in trying to hide it. She was tired, and hungry, and injured, and she had hurt her friends even worse than she had imagined.
“All right,” Aentfryn said; the scolding was not done, his tone said, but it would wait. “Let us eat.”
The villagers welcomed them and offered them breakfast, which Yugiri and Achiyo accepted gratefully. After the healers had fussed over them both, they were relatively sound again, though Achiyo’s elbow was still sore and Rinala told her it was going to be fragile for several days.
After they had eaten, Achiyo got up and bowed very formally to them. “I apologize deeply for my thoughtless actions, for betraying your trust. I was afraid for your lives should you face him, even all together. It is no excuse… I have no excuse for my decision.”
Yugiri got up and bowed beside her. “Gosetsu, Scions – I also owe you all an apology. I acted with reckless disregard for my own safety, and Achiyo’s, and endangered I know not how many others in so doing. Scorning your wise counsel, I knowingly defied our master’s wishes, and left you no choice but to follow suit.”
“Nonsense,” Gosetsu said to her. “I followed our master’s wishes to the letter. Consider once more his words, and the intent therein. In offering his head, he but sought to shield his people from harm – loyal retainers included. You must value your life more highly, shadow walker.”
“You, too, Achiyo,” R’nyath said. “You wanted to protect us from Zenos, to spare us having to face him… You’re the only one who fought him before, and the only one who knew what to expect. But we should be able to decide if we want to risk our lives.”
“On the other hand,” Alisaie said, “your recklessness did serve as inspirations to many. Mayhap we should consider this a win, in the end.”
“But do not do it again,” Aentfryn said. “Urselmert was crude in how she put it, but she is not wrong.”
“Yeah, after we spent so many bells looking for ye?” Chuchupa said. “Even with Isse comin’ to get us, Doma’s big, and ye weren’t answering yer linkpearl! What were we to think?”
Achiyo went pale. “You called me? But we agreed not to use linkpearls in Garlean territory.” She had put it away rather than be tempted to use it. To know they had risked it and she had not responded must have worried them even more, and made her feel worse again.
“What’s more important, the Garleans not finding out that you’re not alone, or your life?” Kekeniro said. “We’ll always come for you, no matter what, if you let us.”
She bowed repeatedly. “I am sorry. I will not do that again. I thank you a thousand times for your friendship.”
“Hey,” R’nyath said. “You’d come for any of us when we’re in trouble, don’t worry about it – just let us return the favour.”
“Yes, though if you must thank anyone, thank Alphinaud,” Alisaie said pertly. “He’s at the House of the Fierce, patiently awaiting your gratitude. You should’ve seen the way he turned pale when he heard about Yugiri’s plan – and how you of all people had decided to help her. He was in such a panic, barking orders, calling for a squadron to be assembled-”
“As were you,” Gosetsu said, raising his eyebrows at her.
“I was rather composed, as I recall,” Alisaie said. “Though that is neither here nor there…”
“I shall certainly tell him,” Achiyo said. “It will be good to see him again, and I am very grateful. To all of you.”
“As am I,” Yugiri murmured.
“I think everyone needs to relax a bit,” Tam said, the only person who had not looked at all upset this entire time; he looked as vaguely pleasant as he ever did. “Zenos left. Anyone know why?”
“Is that question rhetorical or not?” Kekeniro asked suspiciously.
“Both,” Tam said.
“He told me to live and grow stronger,” Achiyo said in a low voice. “I still do not understand why.”
“Oh, that makes sense, then,” Tam said, and did not elaborate.
“Well?” she said.
“He wants a sparring partner,” he said. “When he thinks you might be able to kill him, that’s when he’ll get serious about trying to kill you again. Or that’s what I think after hearing everyone here and in Gyr Abania talk about him. He really has no interest in governing, not in the slightest.”
She frowned, disgruntled. “That seems patronizing somehow.”
“Is it when he really has been untouchable to this point?” Tam said. “Anyway, it’s nice for us. We basically have his blessing to do whatever we want. That doesn’t mean it will suddenly be easy, but he’s not going to interfere.”
“Oh, because liberating Doma will make Achiyo stronger?” R’nyath said. “I mean, that sounds a bit far-fetched. He just wants to play with his food before he kills it, and Doma’s no fun for him if it’s playing dead.”
“That too,” Tam said.
“We will not allow him to return,” Yugiri said. “If his mind works as you say, we will take advantage of it… hopefully to the ruin of the provincial government.”
“He won’t care,” Tam said. “I think he’d throw away the whole Empire if it got him good fights.”
Several people looked at Chuchupa, but she didn’t look up. “Chuchupa, are you well?” Achiyo asked.
“Huh? Oh, yeah. I’m fine. What?”
“Zenos is like you, how does that make you feel?” R’nyath joked.
Chuchupa got up from the table. “Meh. When I’m in a better mood, that’ll be good news. Hilarious. But right now I need to get stronger so’s Princess doesn’t leave me behind because she’s worried about me.”
Achiyo’s heart sank yet again. “I am sorry.”
Chuchupa shrugged. “Save it. Ye wanna apol’gize, help me get stronger. I’mma go find Vivienne an’ let her know how things be.”
“Very well,” Achiyo said, and they got up – to see Lyse and Alphinaud hurrying into the village, clearly in search of them.
“Aaaaaand there they are!” Lyse cried, hurrying to them.
“Alphinaud!” Achiyo said. It had been moons since she had last seen him, and she was glad to see him again.
“Twelve be praised!” Alphinaud exclaimed. “When I learned of your rather questionable plot to assassinate Zenos, I feared we would need to recruit a new primal slayer captain.”
She bowed to him too. “I apologize. I was foolish.” His tone had been light, but… the words were genuine. Though it was a far cry from similar sentiments he’d expressed after the Stone Vigil, back when he had been cold and arrogant.
“I’m sorry we couldn’t be there,” Lyse said to her. “Alisaie made me swear to stay behind no matter what. I think she was worried I’d hurl myself at Zenos the moment I set eyes on him.”
Tam chuckled and Kekeniro nodded, but Achiyo blinked in surprise at Alisaie.
Alisaie blinked back, disgruntled. “…What?” She looked over at Alphinaud. “You’ll forgive me for changing the subject, but now would seem a good time to discuss where we go from here. Though the Empire has yet to retaliate, the fact remains that we have revealed our presence, and signalled our intentions in so doing. It is only a matter of time before the Imperials move against us. Given that we lack the strength to oppose them, ’tis plain some manner of brilliant stratagem is required. Therefore, I yield the floor to the preeminent tactician of our time, with whom I was privileged to share a womb.” She bowed in exaggerated sweeping fashion in Alphinaud’s direction.
Alphinaud took it with a sigh. “If you insist… While in Kugane we debated a number of approaches and were eventually forced to concede that we cannot look to the Alliance for aid. Even were it possible to ferry sufficient forces and materiel from Eorzea in a timely manner, such a massive undertaking would not long escape the attention of the Empire. ‘Twould be a miracle if our ships reached the shore. Fortunately, according to Tataru and Hancock’s intelligence, the Empire has withdrawn most of its forces from Doma in the past year, leaving her relatively unguarded. That being the case, a popular uprising spearheaded by the full might of the Doman Liberation Front may feasibly be sufficient to threaten the seat of provincial government, namely Doma Castle. ‘Twould be rather easier said than done, of course, but I have seen worse plans prevail.”
“Like what, running off to fight Nidhogg with like nine people and two tiny airships?” R’nyath said.
“Something like that,” Alphinaud said. “Or I might direct your memory to the Whorleater.”
“Then we must needs meet with Lord Hien and convince him to return,” Gosetsu said, “for there is no surer way to inspire our people to rise up as one. He desired proof of his subjects’ conviction, and they have provided it – through no less a deed than openly opposing Zenos himself!”
Lyse clenched her fists. “It will work. It has to work. And next time, we will defeat him…”
In the bustle of preparing to set out for the Steppe, Achiyo went to sit by herself outside. She was already packed and ready to go, and she needed some time to herself to recover from the emotional burden of the night’s happenings – and the labour of mending the rift she had created between her friends and her. Inside there was too much noise, and the risk of getting cornered by yet another person who had been afraid for her, as Tori had done. Her friend had indeed taken a logistics position among the Liberation Front, and while she was not in every day, that morning she had fairly tackled Achiyo while she packed to cry all over her and scold her endearingly for being so reckless. Which was well-meant, but did not help Achiyo focus on what they must do next.
Vivienne’s anger, unleashed so directly upon her, had been difficult to endure. She understood it was only from the Dark Knight being worried and scared, and that Vivienne did not hate her despite her barbed words, that she only knew how to express herself in anger regardless of whether it was the most appropriate emotion… She knew it intellectually. Yet it had hurt more deeply than any other reprimand she’d ever received. So a minute to sit and be still would allow her to move past it.
She also had to think about Zenos. She was frustrated by her failure to match him, by her inability to so much as touch him. She had done ‘better’ than last time… and all that had earned her was patronizing compliments. What was she lacking? How could she improve still more? She had so much to fight for, and yet she…
Was that part of it? Had she held back unconsciously, moved too defensively, afraid to lose what she had gained? How could she move past that, hold nothing back, when her heart’s truest wish was not to kill at all, but to return to Aymeric’s side? Vivienne’s jab about him had been unnecessary, yet all too true.
In any event, she had learned her lesson. She might be the leader of the Warriors of Light, but she was not above them. She would not act without their knowledge again.
There was a tiny but deliberate noise from behind her, at she turned to see Rinala standing there, tail twitching a little nervously. Rogue-trained Miqo’te feet were so quiet… “Yes?”
“Um… I just wanted to check on you,” Rinala said, twiddling her fingers anxiously. “Vivienne was so mean when she yelled at you, and you seemed really upset…”
Achiyo did not smile, but she nodded reassuringly. “I will be all right, Rinala. Thank you. But for now I wish to be alone.” Could she not escape well-meaning interference for one bell?
“Okay…” Rinala said, and turned to go, ears down. She looked so tired and dejected… Had Achiyo just offended her by rejecting her company? Ought she to go after her?
She had to recover herself first. Then she could be strong for Rinala again. So she listened hard to the birds and breathed the humid air deeply, concentrating on nothing else but to empty her mind of the labyrinth of emotional cares that weighted her down.
Maybe that wasn’t the right way to do it. She was not truly processing, only compartmentalizing. But when she got up again a while later, she felt much more herself. She would be able to tackle the day ahead.
“Have you ever been to the Steppe before?” R’nyath asked Achiyo as they set out. Half of the Scions were remaining behind to aid the Doman Liberation Front in their preparations and training, and so the party to find Prince Hien consisted of Achiyo, Gosetsu, Yugiri, Lyse, Rinala, Tam, and R’nyath.
“I have not,” Achiyo said. “We tried once, Percival and I. But we ran afoul of some tribe or another – I do not know which one – who drove us away with steel. Perhaps they did not like the look of us armoured Eorzean knights… I do not know.”
She braced herself for the Echo to assail R’nyath, Rinala, and Tam with unnecessary visions of her past, but apparently none were forthcoming today. That was a relief. She already felt exposed by how much they’d learned about her. It was not her fondest memory, either – the first day she’d had to kill another Spoken in plain combat. But she’d done it, to protect Percival – as he had previously done to protect her. She’d pledged her life to the sword that day, and she had not looked back.
“‘Tis a pity,” Gosetsu said. “I have not been either, but I have heard tales from the merchants who travel there. But Yugiri has been but recently!”
“Aye, it is a land where the wind blows clear, and the people are proud and free,” Yugiri said. “Some of the Xaela are indeed more hostile to outsiders – though I am surprised that any such would be so close to the border of Doma. I have not encountered any like that.”
“I imagine they’re not universally dangerous, or else there would never be trade with any of them,” Tam said.
“It is true,” Achiyo said. “Be that as it may, Percival never bothered to try again. He had enough to do in Doma.”
The first impression Achiyo had of the Azim Steppe was a sense of vastness. A long, broad valley, with ancient, piled-up mountains on each side of it, stretching as far as the eye could see in either direction. It was growing cold, and the grass was drying in the autumn wind. It felt… old, ancient, primeval almost. She could well imagine that the people who lived here felt free, but it was also very quiet in the wide spaces. Between settlements, it felt melancholy. Desolate. But perhaps that was only her impression as a newcomer, an outsider.
Yugiri led them to a little town called Reunion, near the border. It was small, but lively, bustling with Xaela dressed in all manner of different styles. There were many wrapped in brightly-coloured, warm-looking felt or woollen robes with simple, practical boots, but there were some who were nearly naked even in the cold air; they did not seem bothered by it. Everywhere they looked there were dark-scaled tails, and black horns, tall, forbidding men and small energetic women. There were horses – horses! It had been so long since Achiyo had seen a horse. There were so many wares on display: weapons and tools, clothes, baskets, jewellery, spicy cooked food, raw ingredients, and many more things to attract their attention. For a half-moment, she almost forgot they were there to look for Lord Hien.
After a couple of days, their inquiries led them to a pretty young Xaela girl named Cirina, with pink hair and an innocent face, but she carried herself with confidence. And she pointed them to Lord Hien.
He sat on a hill overlooking Reunion, watching from a distance, soaking in the late afternoon sun. His yellow, fur-trimmed robe was of the Xaela, worn over Doman armour, one sleeve down to reveal deep blade scars on his shoulder, his dark hair was tied in a high ponytail, wild and blowing freely, and at his side was an ornate katana, the saya entwined with bronze dragons.
Gosetsu and Yugiri knelt to him, though he had not got up or even turned to look at them. “The kami are merciful!” Gosetsu cried. “My lord Hien, I see you are alive and well!”
“Ah… You are come sooner than expected,” Hien said softly. “So. My blade or my head. Which would you have of me?”
“The people of Yanxia remain loyal to Doma,” Yugiri said. “I have seen the fire in their eyes – they are ready to rise up and fight. The time is ripe, my lord. Return with us, blade in hand, and lead Doma to freedom.”
“Naught less than liberty will suffice, then?” Hien sighed. “A pity. It will prove far more difficult to deliver than my head. But if my people wish to pursue an impossible dream, then who am I to deny them?” He stood and turned, a smile on his lips and a twinkle in his eye. “Yugiri! Gosetsu! And… Kensaki no Achiyo!?”
“Aye,” she said, and bowed, smiling. That he remembered her was a surprise; that he was surprised to see her was a delight. “You are taller than when we last met, Hien-sama.” Far taller, and with a great amount of muscle.
“And you have more confidence,” he retorted, smiling even more broadly. He laughed suddenly. “I still remember how you set that boy twice upon his back, and how shocked he was at being bested by such a slight woman. ‘Tis a fond memory.”
“I am still grateful for your intervention that day, Hien-sama,” she said. She had been sparring in secret with a young man who admired her, but when she knocked him down twice, his admiration had fled and he would have hurt her if not for Hien’s sudden appearance. It had been their only meeting. “It is good to see you again.”
“And you,” he said. “And who are your friends?”
Yugiri answered. “The Scions of the Seventh Dawn, my lord – good and true friends who opened their hearts and homes to us when we fled to Eorzea. Achiyo-dono you know, but here too are Lyse, and Rinala, and R’nyath, and Tam. Far across the sea they have journeyed to stand with us in the fight for Doman liberation – to oppose the Empire, as they have in the West, where they are lauded as heroes for their many deeds-”
Hien interrupted. “Say no more, Yugiri. Say no more.” He turned to the Scions. “I observed how you helped Cirina, to whom I am deeply indebted. For that, and for the aid you provided my people, you have my deepest gratitude.” He bowed low and long to them. Achiyo returned it politely. Rinala became flustered. Lyse fidgeted with her gloves.
“There is no doubting your strength, nor your character,” Hien said, straightening up. “It would be my honour to fight by your side. So. What of Doma? Arise, my friends, and tell me of our home.”
Achiyo left that to Yugiri and Gosetsu, particularly Gosetsu who had been organizing the resistance since their return. Hien listened, and paced the hilltop, as the light turned to gold and the shadows lengthened.
At length he stopped and turned to face them. “I have made my decision. Yugiri, I bid you return to Yanxia and take charge of our forces in preparation for my homecoming. As for our esteemed guests, I would ask that you remain here with me. I sense you will be a great help in the coming days.”
Achiyo felt that Yugiri was a little crestfallen. “Your will is my command, my lord, but… how much longer do you intend to stay?”
Hien smiled again, that twinkle back in his eye. “Oh, only until I have won the contest. I mean to return at the head of a Xaela army.”
“You mean to participate in the Naadam?” Yugiri sounded shocked, and with good reason. The Naadam seemed to be some sort of martial festival that would take place periodically, in which all the tribes of the Steppe would compete for leadership above all others. But the next one would not happen until the beginning of spring, moons from now.
Hien frowned at her. “Have you a better idea? Consider how soundly we were defeated before. The Imperials may have since grown weaker, but we are weaker still. ‘Twould be folly to challenge them without first supplementing our forces. So yes, I intend to win the Naadam and enlist the aid of every able-bodied Xaela I can! Furthermore, by championing the Mol in the contest, I can at last repay their kindness. Lest you forget, they saved me from certain death – and a man who suffers such debts to go unpaid is without honour and unfit to lead.”
Gosetsu laughed heartily. “Hah hah hah! Just so, just so. Our lord has spoken, Yugiri. But take heart – I shall keep him safe… and should it come to it, bring him back by force.”
Yugiri was still disgruntled. “This is no laughing matter, Gosetsu. But, if these are my orders… Very well.” She turned to Achiyo and the other Scions. “Once more I place my faith in you. Pray look after them both.” With a quick gesture, she vanished from sight.
Lyse leaned over to mumble to Achiyo: “Looks like it’s up to us, then. Though it does seem a bit risky. Isn’t Hien meant to be the next king of Doma or something?”
Hien heard her. “So they say… though, in truth, I am but a pale reflection of my late father. All the more reason to entreat your assistance. For ours is an impossible dream – to set in motion a revolution that will rattle the very firmament, and shake off the yoke of the most powerful empire in the world!”
“The Scions are with you,” Achiyo assured him. “But more allies are very welcome. Would you tell us more of the Naadam? We only picked up a little about it in the market.”
“Ah, the Naadam,” Hien said. “‘The great battle for supremacy of the Steppe’. I learned of it during my stay with the Mol. To my knowledge, no foreigners have ever participated, much less triumphed in a Naadam. But, lack of precedent notwithstanding, I should think we would have good standing to bid them to march with us to Doma – should we win.”
“To bid them?” Tam asked.
Hien nodded. “The victor in the Naadam is acknowledged as the undisputed master of all the tribes, the khagan, and has the right to command whatever they will of them all. Within reason, I’m sure – but I don’t think they will balk at this.”
“Will they even permit us to fight, my lord?” Gosetsu asked. “We belong to no tribe of the Steppe.”
“We are not without options, given what Cirina has told me,” Hien said. “You see, in accordance with the gods’ wishes, her people shall participate in the coming Naadam… And when they take the field, I mean for us to fight alongside them as fellow warriors of the Mol. But we need not discuss this at length here. Come, let us head north to Mol Iloh, where Cirina and her people have made camp for this season. Night is drawing on, so we shall not go far, but we may as well make a start.”
“That is well with us,” Achiyo said. “I thought Cirina already left Reunion – were you not travelling together?”
“Yes, I decided to stay a little longer this time, and she knows. But they will not be surprised to see me return – perhaps not even surprised to see me with all of you.”
Achiyo blinked at him. “Did you have some foreknowledge of our coming, Hien-sama?”
“No, not at all. The Steppe does not really concern itself with the doings of other nations… but the Mol are rarely surprised by anything. You will understand if you come to know them as I do. But please, you are my ally, not my vassal – call me Hien. And if it does not offend you, I will call you Achiyo.”
“Very well,” Achiyo said, smiling. Hien was so down-to-earth it was far easier for her to contemplate than her multi-year struggle to address Aymeric plainly.
“He’s a lot more… straightforward than I expected?” Lyse whispered to her, being even more careful with her voice this time. “And he’s certainly not short on confidence. But maybe that’s the kind of leader Doma needs if they’re going to beat these odds. And hey – we’ve come this far, haven’t we? Who’s to say we can’t go even further?”
“I agree,” Achiyo answered. “I am glad he has a plan. Plans give me hope.”
Tam was still frowning, and it was unusual for him to show it so openly. “I’m still not sold on this plan. Not that my opinion matters at all-”
“Certainly it does,” Achiyo said; far be it from her to discount the oldest among them – even if his wisdom often seemed of questionable merit. “Speak your mind, Tam.”
“Why should the Xaela fight for Doma?” Tam said. “Bit rude, ordering them into a war they didn’t ask for. I understand people die in war.”
Hien looked around in confusion at Tam. “Tam, is it? I think I see your point, but this is not terribly far-fetched.”
“It’s just… have you considered asking them? When you win?” Tam said. “Otherwise, aren’t you as much a conqueror as those you seek to overthrow?”
“That’s a bit of a false dichotomy,” Hien said, looking offended.
“It is, but those who resent you will certainly see it that way,” Tam said.
Hien inhaled. “While your approach is courteous and honourable, the fact is that half the tribes here will not respect a leader who merely asks permission. I suspect, in fact, they will be quite enthusiastic to support a battle-proven leader who demands their following, if only for a time.” His gaze hardened. “To this, too, add that I am willing to go to great lengths – even ones you may paint as morally dubious, I suppose – to free Doma. There are a great many things that are still better than being subjugated by the Empire.”
Achiyo could not disagree. “Is that not how Aymeric first gained the support of the Scions, by going to any length to save Ishgard?”
“Aymeric asked,” Tam rejoined. “His ‘great lengths’ was going against the existing dogma of his people. He had no power over us except by verbal persuasion. But we’re the sort of people who are amenable to verbal persuasion. I suppose I will have to meet some of these people in this land.”
“Besides, first we have to win the Naadam,” Lyse said. “I wonder if we shouldn’t ask Kekeniro to come help? There’s only so much he can do in Doma, right? I know Alphinaud has pressing responsibilities that preclude his joining us, but Kekeniro isn’t that sort of strategist.”
“True,” Achiyo said. “Hien, we have a tactician who might be well-suited for this quest, and there are more of our number who might be prevailed upon to join the fight.”
“The more, the merrier,” Hien said. “I look forward to meeting them!”
Tam carried word back to Yanxia, and in a fortnight was back with a pair of Lalafells – for of course Lilidi could not let her husband go alone. They arrived with stars in their eyes. “This land is so beautiful!” Lilidi gushed. “It’s so broad and open. You could ride for hours without stopping. I love it!” Kekeniro beamed at her. While everyone in the Scions knew about their tactician’s quietly insatiable wanderlust, in this moment he was just as much in love with his wife’s reaction to the land.
R’nyath was a little bit in love with Cirina, himself. She was both absolutely charming and extremely practical, existing somewhere in a spectrum between Hilda and Rinala – maybe closer to Rinala. But every time he tried to compliment her or serenade her or just hang out with her, he either got a warm, friendly, but completely unromantic thanks, or an uncomprehending look. He needed to learn how these people flirted.
He’d soon get an education, as the Scions were integrating themselves as much as they could into the daily lives of the Mol. If they were to fight in some sort of grand mêlée between all the peoples of the Steppe, they needed to know and trust the people they fought beside and vice versa. So they hunted beside them, cooked with them, shepherded with them. Lilidi and R’nyath began to dress like them, and Lilidi was trying to get Kekeniro to do the same. The Mol were friendly, practical, and while there were moments of awkwardness, were patient in teaching the outsiders their ways. Perhaps adding so many extra mouths at the start of winter was not ideal, but Lilidi was already an incredible hunter from her time with the U tribe in the Sagolii, and Tam – when he was around – and R’nyath were quite proficient. He was certain the Scions as a whole carried their weight in feeding the tribe. Even those who didn’t hunt – Achiyo, for instance, was better suited to watching and guarding the sheep, and she did a bang-up job of that. She admitted, when asked, that some of her past merc jobs had been watching livestock.
Temulun, the khatun and udgan, leader and priestess of the Mol, also began to tell them of the trial they must pass to be considered as worthy of being called a warrior of the Steppe. They would have to challenge an ancient rite that would culminate in them going to the nesting grounds of the traditional mounts of the Xaela – the yol. Each of them would tame one of the birds, convincing it through force of arms that they would be a worthy master. Then they would be ready for the Naadam, at least by local custom. Cirina told them how she had tamed her own bird, and gave them whistles so that when they each had their own mount, they could call to it. R’nyath still wasn’t certain how exactly that was going to work, but he had nothing to lose by trying.
About the same time that Kekeniro and Lilidi were getting acquainted with the Mol, Rinala got a call from Captain Jacke. The Hingan ninja army had been sighted near to the Doman ninja village. But their leader, Hanzo, had not been seen with them. “Oboro’s got a notion he’s likely beating a trail through the Steppe that will put him in a spot to backstab us. Ye’re in that area, ain’t ye? Mind havin’ a look around for him?”
So she’d gone out, only lightly armoured against the cold – if she were going to fight like a ninja, she would need mobility over warmth. Moving would keep her warm anyway. She found one of the tunnels that led to Doma – the right one, she hoped – and waited, idly using thaumaturge powers to mitigate the cold. She had no idea how long she was going to have to wait.
But luck or the Twelve favoured her, and only a couple bells after she began her vigil, a lone figure appeared in the tunnel – a sagely old man, wearing absurdly light robes for the weather, walking briskly. Very suspicious, she approached him. If it was Hanzo, he was going the wrong way… but he certainly didn’t seem like an old man, despite his appearance. And what was the harm in checking? If she briefly bothered a normal person, it didn’t matter.
“Pardon me, my girl…” said the old man, not even waiting for her to speak. “I seem to have lost my way. Could you show an old man to Plum Spring? Heh heh…”
“Are you Hanzo?” she said bluntly. “I’ve been waiting for you.”
A brief scowl crossed his face, and then with a brief flash of light he dropped his disguise. It was Hanzo, and he smirked at her. “Clearly you’re not as stupid as your friends. But it is too late. The scroll has returned to the hand of its rightful owner, and everything proceeds according to my plan…”
Rinala tuned out the rambling. Or was it monologuing? R’nyath would say it was monologuing because a villain was doing it. In any case, the things he was so excited about weren’t interesting to her.
He noticed – how could he not? “Perhaps you actually are that stupid – gawping at me with that mindless look upon your face. Do you not recognize your plight?”
“I’m very tired,” Rinala said. “And you’re just a distraction from my main mission.”
Now he was offended. “Y-you! You will learn to regret your words!” Furiously, he pulled out both halves of the scroll and began to weave a mudra. Oh, was that what he’d been rambling about? Boasting about how he’d stolen the other half of the scroll? “Come, great beast! Hanzo the Hidden, descendant of your first master, bids you come!”
There was a great puff of smoke, and for a moment Hanzo was hidden in it. Rinala braced herself – and when it cleared, there stood Hanzo, pointing threateningly at her… surrounded by a dozen small bunny rabbits. They looked around, cleaned their whiskers, thumped the ground, and did anything but attack anyone. She had to smile.
“What-?” Hanzo exclaimed in rage. “What is the meaning of this!?”
“So fearsome, their floppy ears! So terrifying, their sharply protruding teeth! The audience gasps in horror!”
Rinala blinked, feeling… hopeful. Maybe even happy? He wasn’t dead-!
Hanzo whirled to see Karasu, posing in his way on top of a craggy outcropping of rock. Karasu blew him a kiss. Hanzo snarled. “You! I killed you!”
Karasu chortled. “Ahahaha! I thought you sharper than that, my friend! There was some resemblance around the eyes, I’ll admit, but the real me is so much more handsome!” He jumped down lightly from the outcropping, landing near Rinala. Like an ally. Was he…? “The lordling is dumbfounded! So stubbornly proud was he of his precious fourth mudra. Never in a million years did it occur to him that my Master Gekkai had mastered the same technique – a technique he imparted to me. Oh, and if those lovely little creatures thumping about you didn’t give it away, that scroll in your hands is quite fake. I couldn’t very well let forbidden knowledge fall into the wrong hands, now could I?” He pointed dramatically at Hanzo. “Though you only succeeded in killing my mirror, you did try to kill me. I really didn’t appreciate that.”
He turned to Rinala, his smug smile softening into something resembling sympathy. “My poor little chick. You always end up doing the dirty work, don’t you? But worry not – for this time, at your side stands not Oboro the dim or some two-gil rogues, but the most stylishly lethal shinobi this realm has ever seen! What say we cut this self-important sop down to size?” He posed, grinning confidently.
She managed to muster a smile – she really was happy to see him, and his overdramatics, and his sarcasm. She nodded. She wouldn’t have been able to fight Hanzo by herself.
Hanzo gritted his teeth and drew daggers. “You dare mock me…? Your every breath brings shame to the ancestors of our art – my ancestors. You will pay for your insolence. Come!”
Karasu cackled. “Let the show begin! And it won’t be a happy ending for you.”
“You are not worthy of calling yourself shinobi,” Hanzo spat back contemptuously.
Even Karasu had to fall silent in the ensuing duel. Even with the two of them together against Hanzo, they were hard put to it. He did know many techniques that Rinala had never been taught, had never even seen before, although Karasu was doing them as well – splitting himself into mirror images that seemed to act independently. Between all the Hanzos and Karasus, she felt a little extraneous, just a single Rinala ducking and weaving between them. But she was very good at the ducking and weaving, slipping between knife blows and mudra spells, and Hanzo’s mirrors were not half as good as he was. She managed to knife them all in under a minute.
“A lucky guess!” protested the last mirror as she stabbed it in the kidney and turned back to Hanzo and Karasu. Ninja duels were very hard to follow, she decided. They were never quite where you expected them to be, teleporting spiky maelstroms of short blades and smoke and fire. This was one reason why ultimately she preferred being a White Mage. If Kekeniro or Achiyo allowed someone to try to stab the White Mage, something had gone horribly wrong, even if she could now become a teleporting spiky maelstrom herself.
“You call that ninjutsu? Witness the true skill of a master!” Hanzo did another mudra, another one she didn’t know, and instantly grew to the size of a giant.
“You know what they say, the bigger they are…” Karasu panted.
“It’s not the size of the dagger?” she rejoined. Inwardly she was slightly impressed that she had enough wit in this moment to make even such a lame joke.
Karasu chuckled and hurled throwing knives at Hanzo’s now-distant face.
Hanzo brushed the projectiles away with a frustrated growl. “Gah! Just die already, you unworthy mongrels!” So this giant figure wasn’t just an illusion, then. That was… cause for concern. Not just because now he could kick them like fieldsport balls, or that his knives had also grown with him and he had ridiculous, if awkward, reach over them, but now stabbing him was going to be very messy. If only they had a dragoon… who wasn’t Tam… with them.
For a moment, she really was afraid they were going to be killed. Hanzo stepped on one of Karasu’s doubles, and sent Karasu himself flying backwards thirty fulms, where he bounced off the icy ground with a grunt.
She had to protect him! She dodged a kick, slipped past a slash, and aimed for a knee tendon. Hanzo hopped backwards, but at least she’d gotten his attention. She rather regretted it when he stooped over and stabbed at her; she sidestepped the knifepoint, which slammed into and through the ground beside her, but his fist still struck her and she was pummelled to the sand. He stabbed at her again and again, and she rolled to avoid it – smokebomb! She needed a smokebomb!
“Here, then!” Karasu cried, jumping forward again. His blades grazed Hanzo’s knuckles, and Hanzo drew back, refocusing on Karasu. Rinala sucked in a breath of cold air and scrambled up, looking for a target… She focused her aether and blinked up to Hanzo’s shoulder with shukuchi. He screeched and tried to throw her off, but she clung on, digging her fingers into his clothes and probably his skin underneath. He reached for her, to drag her off bodily, and she slashed at his incoming hand – and managed to also get him in the carotid artery.
He groaned in surprise and pain. “Ngh! I cannot fall… to the likes of… you…”
She jumped off just in time as he plummeted to the sand, blood spilling from the wound she’d inflicted. Karasu sauntered up and poked him a few times in the forehead. “Now, that wasn’t very smart, was it?”
There was a poof, and the body shrank back to its normal size. Karasu turned away, no longer interested, and gave Rinala a thumbs-up and a cocky grin. “You’ve come far, my little chick! I daresay you could teach the dim one a lesson or two.”
“Thanks,” she said, with a wan smile. “I’m glad you’re still alive. I don’t get you, but you’re ultimately on our side, right?”
His own smile faded, and he looked at her quietly for a moment. “You’ve lost your spark, little chick. You could set the world aflame if it were not quenched…”
She thought for a minute. Should she tell him? He wasn’t part of the Scions; he was barely even a friend even if he was a confusing ally. But why not? He wasn’t going to tell anyone. It wasn’t even like he really cared. “Well…”
She told him. She told him about Thancred, and how he didn’t seem to care about her anymore even the little that he had used to, and she hadn’t seen him in moons but she couldn’t imagine he thought about her at all, and she couldn’t talk to the other Scions about it because it was a bother to them and they had so many more important things to do, like liberating Doma, and she was so tired of keeping a cheerful face on all the time so they didn’t suspect. She poured out all her useless, insignificant, painful feelings into the cold wind, clutching her tail for strength, and he listened.
He sighed when she was done. “Poor little one. Well, if you want my advice, you shouldn’t even bother with this man. He’s a coward to not tell you in words, but he’s been pretty clear in his actions, hasn’t he? Move on. Don’t wait for him. He is only holding you back.”
“I know,” she said. “It’s hopeless… I don’t even know him anymore, we never get to spend time together, and when we do, he ignores me.” She thought back to when she fought the Ultima Weapon, when she fought Lahabrea for him. She’d been so full of conviction then, willing to do anything for him, risking her life because she loved him so much. But… her conviction had died somewhere along the way. Love shouldn’t need anything else, should it? Then why did she feel so…?
“If you can’t discard that which holds you back, you’ll never move forward,” he said, and she started to cry. She didn’t know what was right or wrong, only that being in love with Thancred hurt… and abandoning that love hurt even more. She didn’t even want to contemplate it. But on the other hand, she was more afraid than ever to confess. If she told him, he would reject her completely, and that would hurt most of all.
He shrugged. “Well. It’s up to you. I have no say in your life – do what makes you happy. But you aren’t happy, may I point out.”
She wiped her eyes. She was being a baby. “Have you ever loved someone?”
He gave her a wry look. “Villains don’t have love interests, and I know what you think of me.”
“I don’t know what I think of you, so I don’t know how you would know that,” she countered. “And anyway, you’re not a character, you’re a person.”
“Then, not romantically.” He hesitated, then turned away from her and admitted: “Yes, in my own way… I love the dim one and the swallow. I even love you, little chick. But not the way you love people.”
Oh. Like Tam, then. “I understand.” A new, unrelated thought occurred to her. “…Did you join this Hanzo guy in order to bring about his downfall?”
He turned back, smiled and winked. “Spare Oboro the details – I have a reputation to uphold, after all – but it was rather exhilarating to fight on the same side for once. We really should do it again sometimes. Till we meet again, exit our hero – stage right!” He bowed to her with a flourish and vanished in a smoke bomb.
A moon after his arrival, Kekeniro called the Scions, Hien, and Cirina together. “I’ve got something to show you specifically before I roll it out for public use…”
“Roll it out? Have you been baking?” R’nyath asked. “Is it a red carpet?”
“No,” Kekeniro said, deadpan. “It’s terminology that that Allagans used about their software-”
“Speak Eorzean please,” Lilidi said.
“I’m going to show you something I came up with while working on delving into Allagan tech, before I show everybody in the tribe,” Kekeniro said impatiently. “If I test it in front of everyone and it doesn’t work, they’ll think I don’t know what I’m doing.”
“We don’t know what you are doing, so even a failure will be remarkable to us,” Achiyo said. “Be at ease. What have you made?”
Kekeniro opened his grimoire, flipped to one of his many bookmarks, and flicked his wrist. A glowing blue number 1 appeared, floating over the snow. It stayed put even as Kekeniro moved. “Can everyone see that?”
“Incredible,” Hien said. “Is this the power of the Allagans you were telling me of?”
“Well, a little bit,” Kekeniro said. “Not really. They did a lot more impressive things than projections. I was just thinking, what if I could use these when giving tactics? Then I can be a lot more specific, and you’ll find it easier to follow.”
“We’re going to be absolutely spoiled working with any other strategist, you realize,” R’nyath said. “Well, I’m not complaining.”
“We’re already spoiled,” Tam said.
Cirina put up an uncertain hand. “I’m not sure what’s going on. You would use this number in battle? What if the enemy sees it and uses it as well?”
“Well… that’s something I’ll have to figure out,” Kekeniro said. “A good point, Cirina, thank you. But I’ve come up with some drills to try using it in practise, and see if it would be any good in a real fight. At the very least, I think it will help with refining our formations during training, and that will improve our reaction times in a real fight. And Hien and Cirina haven’t even fought with us before. So, if you’d follow my directions, please…”
And a moon after that, they were traipsing through canyons on the western side of the Steppe, looking for yol. Cirina had not come – she already had a yol companion, of course. But it would be certainly a good sign if Hien had one, and perhaps one or two of the Scions as well. They had been harassed on the way by other tribes seeking to capture them and force them into servitude, but to no avail; they were far too strong and motivated to be caught so easily.
Lyse was in good spirits. “First the trial, then the Naadam, then Doma, then Ala Mhigo! We’ll be back home before you know it!”
“The Naadam is coming pretty quickly,” Lilidi said. “We have, what, three fortnights left? That will be gone in no time. Time’s really flown since we came.”
R’nyath sighed. “Speak for yourself.”
Kekeniro chuckled. “You were asking Dorbei about local flowers again. Trying to find one to compare Cirina to?”
“Eh, yeah…” R’nyath was trying not to look awkward, and not succeeding very well.
“Why the hesitation?” Kekeniro asked.
R’nyath glanced at Hien, striding a little ahead of them, meaningfully.
“Ah, she is a rare flower indeed,” Hien said, obliviously cheerful; he had not seen R’nyath’s look, nor perhaps even heard Kekeniro’s second question. “We shall make her proud! Quite frankly, if I cannot convince a large bird to follow me, then what hope do I have with the Xaela? Or my own countrymen, for that matter.”
“Are you looking forward to having a bird, Tam?” Rinala asked. “You like being high up.”
“I already have a bird friend,” Tam said. “She’s called a chocobo and her name is Corbelle. Besides, who says that the Steppe birds want to hang out with me? I much suspect they’ll prefer our huntress here.”
“Oh, pish,” Lilidi said. “First I have to convince it I’m not fodder for its chicks – nor my husband. At least you don’t have to do that.”
“Ah, we probably will too,” Lyse said. “Didn’t Cirina say the wild ones are very fierce?”
“The fiercer, the better!” Gosetsu cried. “They cannot stand against us!”
At first, the passages were fairly flat, and they saw a few tents in the distance – some tribe or other was living in this area. But as the canyon narrowed, the tents disappeared and the only trace of Spoken life was brightly coloured banners, faded and ragged in the wind, stretched periodically over the path as if to mark where to go. It was festive… and a little melancholy. Due to their age and the emptiness of the land about, it felt like they had been abandoned.
It was a journey of several days even after they had come to the canyon, and on the third day they found themselves very deep indeed; the stone walls towered above them on both sides. While they had walked beside a fierce river for a time, that was gone and the valley was very dry. On each side, built partly into the cliffs, were ancient stone buildings, long abandoned. It was eerie. “This is turning out to be quite the tour,” Hien said, peering into one.
There was a gate before them, carved with two great birds on the top. The sense of grim foreboding was stronger than ever, but Gosetsu pointed at the birds. “This bird motif…”
“I daresay we are come to the yol’s nesting grounds!” Hien cried. “We are certainly on the right track, at least.”
Beyond the gate was a door, and beyond the door… was a ceremonial-looking open space draped with many banners. The cliff behind had been painted with softly glowing bright blue paint. There were many creatures of the Steppe depicted there, dzo and small birds numerous among them, and people – Xaela – on horseback, and above them all a huge feathery bird with a warrior upon its back.
“That looks like a yol, all right,” Lilidi said. They’d interacted with the yol of the Mol people a little bit, but even those had not been very friendly to any but their masters. “Now how do we entice one down? I can hear them in the cliffs…”
“We have to do it one at a time, remember,” R’nyath said. “Otherwise it’s not a proper test, and the yol won’t know who it’s supposed to be following.”
“I think Lilidi should go first,” Kekeniro said. “Not because she’s my wife! Because she’s the best hunter, and when she wins she can tell us how to do it.”
“I think that sounds quite agreeable,” Hien said. “Good fortune, Lilidi!”
“Thanks,” Lilidi said, and stepped alone into the arena with her sword drawn. There was a hostile screech, and a yol dove on her. The gusting of its mighty wings beat her back, but she was too fast to be stopped. Kekeniro seemed quite relaxed as he watched, dreamy-eyed; he did not appear afraid for her at all as he monitored her vital signs through a screen projected from his grimoire. “She’s so brilliant.”
“She’s quick as lightning,” Lyse said. “Wish I could move that fast.”
“She might be the fastest fighter I know,” Kekeniro said. “You know I like fast, accurate, light fighters over more heavy, powerful, armoured ones. I mean, power is great and all, but death by a thousand cuts is still death, and being able to take a hit still isn’t as good as not being hit at all. In my opinion.”
“And that’s one of the reasons why you so rarely ask Rinala to be a Black Mage, and why you favour Achiyo over Vivienne,” R’nyath said.
“Oh, yeah, I guess that’s right,” Kekeniro said, distracted. Lilidi had somehow jumped onto the yol’s back and was clinging to its neck feathers as it tried to dislodge her. “Hang in there! You got this!”
Lilidi didn’t answer, fighting the bird, and… its movements began to calm down. It bucked and flapped, but several minutes later, it landed and folded its wings and began to preen the feathers that had been unsettled in the conflict. Lilidi hopped down and gave it a little pat, then gave her whistle a little test the way Cirina had told them to. The bird looked at her, then went back to preening.
“How did you do that?” Hien asked. “Cirina was rather vague on what would happen when we succeeded.”
Lilidi left her yol and came back towards them. “I guess you haven’t soul-bonded with a chocobo before? It’s like that, but way more intense. You have to attune your aether to each other. It’s still a wild animal. She just thinks I’m her boss now because my aether feels right to her.”
“I bet,” R’nyath said. “Grand Company chocobos are raised to be friendly to all non-hostile Spoken, so it’s easy to soul-bond with them. That must have been… whew.”
“Hm… I don’t know chocobos, but… like an aetheryte, perhaps?” Hien asked.
“Sure,” Lilidi said. “Except the aetheryte wants to kill you for trying.”
Hien laughed. “I will not allow it to do that. Who shall go next?”
“You,” Kekeniro said. “Goodness knows how many yol are currently in the area, and you definitely need one. Then… Lyse, I think.”
“Okay, I’ll get ready,” Lyse said, and began doing squats to keep herself warm. Hien saluted them and walked out to the dais, scanning the sky above for birds.
A couple bells later, they returned out of the wilderness upon the backs of their new companions. Not everyone had tamed one; Tam had not, and Achiyo had not, and Kekeniro himself had not. Achiyo was not overly worried over it. She would be more comfortable on horseback, anyway, and there simply weren’t enough yol to go around. Perhaps in a few weeks they might return and do it again.
They landed as they returned to the great valley, eager to compare birds, and to give a rest to those birds that had carried two passengers out of the canyon. They were chatting animatedly when Lilidi suddenly got quiet and pointed.
Approaching them were a good twenty Xaela, half of them in bright yellow robes, half of them scantily clad in dark green. All of them brandished weapons at the group.
The leader, a grey-blue-skinned young man clad in yellow, stepped forward. “You! Yea, you who have walked Bardam’s Mettle. Newborn warriors of the Steppe. Our khan demands an audience. You will come.”
Chapter 58: The Naadam
Author’s note: so hang on – Hanzo sneaks into the ninja village as an old man to steal the scroll, then goes to the Steppe while his ‘army’ goes to the village? He just wanted the scroll and was perfectly content to sacrifice his ‘army’ while he… got away to study the scroll and then return to wipe out his enemies solo with his ‘newfound power’? …Actually that tracks for an impatient arrogant villain. But I gotta say it’s not super obvious the way it’s presented.