Taylor Hebert has had a busy few months. Meeting aliens, getting powers, joining the Wards, seeing Endbringers die. A vacation sounds good right now. If only said Endbringer killer wasn't her tour guide… Welcome to Eorzea Taylor!
Taylor Hebert’s Eorzean Vacation (Worm / Final Fantasy XIV)
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Eorzea Debrief 1.1
Xero Key
Flying high, spinning webs!
(AN: With permission from @Firehawk242 to expand on their "Echo" snippets from their snippet thread. This starts basically right after "Echo 15".)
======
"What do you say, Taylor?" the Au Ra said, holding out her hand, palm up. "Want to join me on an adventure?"
"Mirage," Chief Director Costa-Brown tiredly, with obvious bags under her eyes, brought the conference's attention to her screen. "Thank you for recapping how you met Echo for those unable or unwilling to read the reports, but we would like a summary of your… vacation instead of an epic saga."
Taylor Hebert, codenamed Mirage, blushed and let out a cough of embarrassment. "Apologies ma'am, but it's a little hard. Etheryis is a star full of epics, even the short time there was illuminating." She looked around the monitors baring images of the various directors and leaders of the Parahuman Response Team. "I will do my best to not become too fanciful. Just understand that when it sounds like I am embellishing, I am not."
The representatives nodded, though some were scoffing visually, and let Taylor begin. "Okay, it all started after I was given permission from the Chief-Director herself as a liaison to the one listed in reports as 'Echo' to go with her."
I'd packed my costume and, on Kiyome's advice…
"Kiyome?"
"Echo's real name, Kiyome Edakumi."
"Continue."
Kiyome advised I bring atlases, almanacs, and anything we could pack into one of her Inventory Bags. Which can hold a lot more than they physically looks like they should. She said her 'beautiful branch' will pick up what we can't fit and there was some giggling from nowhere. Then she set us up just next to the aetheryte as teams of scientists were done with their equipment preparations.
"Okay Taylor, I'm going to go first. You will feel a tug on your aether after a while, that's me giving you the all clear on our Party connection. Do Not Fight against it, or you will put yourself in serious danger. Once you arrive, you will probably feel aethersick, but I will get you treated. Understand?" Kiyome said with a strict expression on her face.
"Y-yes ma'am!" I saluted instinctively. Kiyome chuckled and shook her head, but said nothing. She held her a fist over her heart and began to float, sparkles rising off her. She vanished in a flash of rings of light. Not to long after, I felt the 'tug' she warned me about and let it pull me. I think I vanished the same way but I was too busy trying to not scream.
I'd used the network before. I knew what Teleport felt like. This was different, more… complete. I was being pulled through a sea of stars, surrounded by my own memories. Existence purely crystalized before me, a birdsong guiding me on eternal waves.
And then I threw up on gray cobblestone as my knees gave out on me. I couldn't understand a thing the people around me were saying except for Kiyome, as she helped me to my feet and gently led me inside a bar of some kind. Honestly, my head was spinning too much for me to really pay attention.
She sat me down at a table, just letting me drop my head onto it, and placed a bottle of something in front of me. Feeling like my bones were made of taffy, I carefully grabbed the bottle and drank it. Wholly, as I have learned to with all her potions since working with her, and almost immediately began feeling better.
"Jumping to an unattuned aetheryte does that." Kiyome said, offering me a hand.
"That was a thousand times worse than the network back in Brockton."
Kiyome pulled me to my feet and led me through doors in the back of the bar. "You just went from one star to another near instantly, not a few malms like you've gotten used to." On the other side of the doors was… another bar.
"Is this the VIP room or something?"
A short person, who I would later learn was part of the Lalafel species, quickly ran over from a desk covered in books to us. I couldn't understand what she said, but I got the gist from Kiyome's side of the conversation. Especially once she introduced us.
She was Tataru Taru, secretary and manager of the Scions of the Seventh Dawn, an officially defunct group dedicated to saving the world but she still writes their paychecks. The bar outside was the Seventh Heaven, while we were in the Scions' base, the Rising Stones.
Tataru was quickly getting frustrated with Kiyome needing to play translator, so she touched something in her ear. She spoke like she was on the phone and her tone made it clear that whoever she was talking to needed to get there soon. She sighed at something and then waved me to a room on the side. A few beds were lined up, and Tataru mimed putting her head on a pillow, so I was being offered a bed. I looked to Kiyome and she nodded, so I stripped down to more comfortable clothes and took a place near the door.
It was a very comfy bed, all things considered.
I couldn't tell you how long I was asleep for. Aethersickness is honestly like the flu after the shivering stops, just complete and utter physical exhaustion. But when I did finally wake up, I heard Kiyome talking to someone on the other side of the room. I rolled to look and, I swear I am not lying, there was a literal cat girl. Tail and ears and sharp teeth dressed in a witch outfit with a staff on her back.
"Yes, Y'shtola. From another star." Kiyome said, and the cat lady sounded exasperated. "What? Did you think I wouldn't make a friend there?" Y'shtola said something else, turning to me and smirking. Her white eyes, blind due to an accident, locking with mine. "With how loud we are, I'm not surprised." Kiyome said, sighing.
They walked over and Kiyome introduced us. "Y'shtola, this is Taylor Hebert from what is called Earth Bet, a shard of another star. Taylor, this is Y'shtola Rhul, one of the greatest aetherologists on Etheryis and a dear friend and ally."
Y'shtola smiled and said something probably like 'pleasure to meet you'. I nodded my head and Y'shtola laughed into her hand, saying something to Kiyome who grumbled. I later found out that Kiyome is pretty stoic and often just nods to basically anything as response. I guess she felt she needed to talk more on our star.
"Anyway," Kiyome brought the attention away from Y'shtola cracking up. "Y'shtola is going to try and help you overcome the language barrier. Without the Echo, what you call my 'Thinker' power, you will have trouble communicating. And neither I nor Krile can be with you all the time."
I scratched my chin in though. "Well, since you taught me how to use aether, can't you teach me how to-"
"No." Kiyome and Y'shtola, though hers was purely from tone, interrupted me. "The Echo is… unique to Etheris. Though some from other stars may have something similar," Kiyome mumbled something about an 'Iroha' needing to be brought in, "They are not the same. And even if we dared risk a special procedure, it likely wouldn't work because you are not of Etheryis."
I stood up from the bed. "Okay, so what are going to do?" I did not like the smirks that Y'shtola gave after Kiyome translated.
Kiyome's own wasn't much better as she held out a black rock in her hand. It had been carved to four points like a star and had three red lines forming a circle seemingly grown inside it naturally. "Attune with this like an aetheryte. We think it may do the trick."
Once again, she was smirking. A smirk that was waiting for something funny to happen.
I took the stone in my hand and treated it like aetheryte. Suffice it to say, becoming a Ninja taught me Eorzean and Doman, all straight from Kiyome's mind.
"What!?"
======
"What do you say, Taylor?" the Au Ra said, holding out her hand, palm up. "Want to join me on an adventure?"
"Mirage," Chief Director Costa-Brown tiredly, with obvious bags under her eyes, brought the conference's attention to her screen. "Thank you for recapping how you met Echo for those unable or unwilling to read the reports, but we would like a summary of your… vacation instead of an epic saga."
Taylor Hebert, codenamed Mirage, blushed and let out a cough of embarrassment. "Apologies ma'am, but it's a little hard. Etheryis is a star full of epics, even the short time there was illuminating." She looked around the monitors baring images of the various directors and leaders of the Parahuman Response Team. "I will do my best to not become too fanciful. Just understand that when it sounds like I am embellishing, I am not."
The representatives nodded, though some were scoffing visually, and let Taylor begin. "Okay, it all started after I was given permission from the Chief-Director herself as a liaison to the one listed in reports as 'Echo' to go with her."
-XIV-
I'd packed my costume and, on Kiyome's advice…
"Kiyome?"
"Echo's real name, Kiyome Edakumi."
"Continue."
Kiyome advised I bring atlases, almanacs, and anything we could pack into one of her Inventory Bags. Which can hold a lot more than they physically looks like they should. She said her 'beautiful branch' will pick up what we can't fit and there was some giggling from nowhere. Then she set us up just next to the aetheryte as teams of scientists were done with their equipment preparations.
"Okay Taylor, I'm going to go first. You will feel a tug on your aether after a while, that's me giving you the all clear on our Party connection. Do Not Fight against it, or you will put yourself in serious danger. Once you arrive, you will probably feel aethersick, but I will get you treated. Understand?" Kiyome said with a strict expression on her face.
"Y-yes ma'am!" I saluted instinctively. Kiyome chuckled and shook her head, but said nothing. She held her a fist over her heart and began to float, sparkles rising off her. She vanished in a flash of rings of light. Not to long after, I felt the 'tug' she warned me about and let it pull me. I think I vanished the same way but I was too busy trying to not scream.
I'd used the network before. I knew what Teleport felt like. This was different, more… complete. I was being pulled through a sea of stars, surrounded by my own memories. Existence purely crystalized before me, a birdsong guiding me on eternal waves.
And then I threw up on gray cobblestone as my knees gave out on me. I couldn't understand a thing the people around me were saying except for Kiyome, as she helped me to my feet and gently led me inside a bar of some kind. Honestly, my head was spinning too much for me to really pay attention.
She sat me down at a table, just letting me drop my head onto it, and placed a bottle of something in front of me. Feeling like my bones were made of taffy, I carefully grabbed the bottle and drank it. Wholly, as I have learned to with all her potions since working with her, and almost immediately began feeling better.
"Jumping to an unattuned aetheryte does that." Kiyome said, offering me a hand.
"That was a thousand times worse than the network back in Brockton."
Kiyome pulled me to my feet and led me through doors in the back of the bar. "You just went from one star to another near instantly, not a few malms like you've gotten used to." On the other side of the doors was… another bar.
"Is this the VIP room or something?"
A short person, who I would later learn was part of the Lalafel species, quickly ran over from a desk covered in books to us. I couldn't understand what she said, but I got the gist from Kiyome's side of the conversation. Especially once she introduced us.
She was Tataru Taru, secretary and manager of the Scions of the Seventh Dawn, an officially defunct group dedicated to saving the world but she still writes their paychecks. The bar outside was the Seventh Heaven, while we were in the Scions' base, the Rising Stones.
Tataru was quickly getting frustrated with Kiyome needing to play translator, so she touched something in her ear. She spoke like she was on the phone and her tone made it clear that whoever she was talking to needed to get there soon. She sighed at something and then waved me to a room on the side. A few beds were lined up, and Tataru mimed putting her head on a pillow, so I was being offered a bed. I looked to Kiyome and she nodded, so I stripped down to more comfortable clothes and took a place near the door.
It was a very comfy bed, all things considered.
-XIV-
I couldn't tell you how long I was asleep for. Aethersickness is honestly like the flu after the shivering stops, just complete and utter physical exhaustion. But when I did finally wake up, I heard Kiyome talking to someone on the other side of the room. I rolled to look and, I swear I am not lying, there was a literal cat girl. Tail and ears and sharp teeth dressed in a witch outfit with a staff on her back.
"Yes, Y'shtola. From another star." Kiyome said, and the cat lady sounded exasperated. "What? Did you think I wouldn't make a friend there?" Y'shtola said something else, turning to me and smirking. Her white eyes, blind due to an accident, locking with mine. "With how loud we are, I'm not surprised." Kiyome said, sighing.
They walked over and Kiyome introduced us. "Y'shtola, this is Taylor Hebert from what is called Earth Bet, a shard of another star. Taylor, this is Y'shtola Rhul, one of the greatest aetherologists on Etheryis and a dear friend and ally."
Y'shtola smiled and said something probably like 'pleasure to meet you'. I nodded my head and Y'shtola laughed into her hand, saying something to Kiyome who grumbled. I later found out that Kiyome is pretty stoic and often just nods to basically anything as response. I guess she felt she needed to talk more on our star.
"Anyway," Kiyome brought the attention away from Y'shtola cracking up. "Y'shtola is going to try and help you overcome the language barrier. Without the Echo, what you call my 'Thinker' power, you will have trouble communicating. And neither I nor Krile can be with you all the time."
I scratched my chin in though. "Well, since you taught me how to use aether, can't you teach me how to-"
"No." Kiyome and Y'shtola, though hers was purely from tone, interrupted me. "The Echo is… unique to Etheris. Though some from other stars may have something similar," Kiyome mumbled something about an 'Iroha' needing to be brought in, "They are not the same. And even if we dared risk a special procedure, it likely wouldn't work because you are not of Etheryis."
I stood up from the bed. "Okay, so what are going to do?" I did not like the smirks that Y'shtola gave after Kiyome translated.
Kiyome's own wasn't much better as she held out a black rock in her hand. It had been carved to four points like a star and had three red lines forming a circle seemingly grown inside it naturally. "Attune with this like an aetheryte. We think it may do the trick."
Once again, she was smirking. A smirk that was waiting for something funny to happen.
I took the stone in my hand and treated it like aetheryte. Suffice it to say, becoming a Ninja taught me Eorzean and Doman, all straight from Kiyome's mind.
"What!?"
Eorzea Debrief 1.2
Xero Key
Flying high, spinning webs!
-XIV-
"Pardon me?" Taylor asked as one of the directors, Tagg according to the screen, interrupted.
"What do you mean 'from Echo's mind'? Granting knowledge is a very dangerous Master ability, Mirage."
Taylor was puzzled for a moment before straightening up. "Right! Teacher!" She shook her hands in front of her. "It's nothing like that! It's… aether contains data, basically, and I attuned myself to a repository of Kiyome's 'data' on Ninja magic."
Taylor waved a hand over the table in front of her, producing five crystals. "On Etherys, aether is part of life. When you gain more skill in a certain action, your own aether attunes to that action. Soul Crystals like these in a sense 'record' that attunement for posterity and it can then be shared with others." She held up the black shuriken shaped crystal to the cameras.
"For example, this is my Ninja Crystal. Kiyome transferred everything in hers into it, so as I grow stronger using it, I gain more skills that she has." Taylor set the crystal back on the table and holds up a square, blue one with two lines making the image of a gun. "This is Machinist, a recently created Job with mass produced Soul Crystals. I was just given this one from a literal pile, not all of the data from it being Kiyome."
As she put the Crystal back down, Taylor chuckled. "Just a lot of it because she's done so much on Etherys. It's more like Alexandria teaching someone with a perfect copy of her powers than shoving information and skills into my brain meat."
Director Tagg didn't seem satisfied, but the others did and he simply took down some notes and motioned for Taylor to continue.
-XIV-
One of the Elezan was the first to welcome me. "Full glad are we to finally meet you Taylor. Kiyome has had nothing but praise for you during her stay on your star." Alphinaud said, a welcoming smile on his face. His blue coat carrying four laser weapons on his back. Yes, laser weapons. He uses them to heal people.
"Urgh. Please forgive my brother for his overly polite introduction. He spends far too much time politicking." His identical twin sister Alisaie, I know what I said, they are mirror images, admonished her brother with a friendly noogie. Her crystalline sword jangled against her hip as she did so.
"It's okay," I waved them off though the play fighting continued. "Are they always like that?"
"Eternally, to some delight and despair." The oldest looking Elezan said, stepping around the quarreling twins. "If mine friend has relayed any tales of Eorzea to thee, thou may knowest me as Urianger Augurelt." Urianger gave a slight bow.
Yes, he speaks like a Shakesperean character. No, no one else does. He's just like that.
I turned to look at the last Elezan, a very gruff man in spiked armor and a spear on his back. "Estinien Varlineau. Formerly of the Knights Dragoon of Ishgard." He crossed his arms and leaned back against a wall.
"You'll have to forgive him," the red furred male Mi'qote said. "Estinien is very warm when you get to know him." A scoff from the dragoon was ignored. The Mi'qote held out a hand for me to shake and I took it. "G'raha Tia. It's a pleasure to meet you."
The white haired Hyur pulled the twins apart, the bandoliers on his coat clanking as he did so. "Thancred Waters. If it's not Kiyome, I'm the one keeping things in check."
"Oh really?" Y'shtola raised an eyebrow, now sounding like the ultimate mom in her voice. "And what about when we have to bail you out?" Thancred backed off with his hands raised. "That's what I thought."
I gulped as I looked around the room. Kiyome was… so comfortable here. When she was 'Echo', I realized, she always had a guard up. Loneliness, home sickness, lack of aether? I don't know but here she's relaxed. And if she trusts these people to work beside her, they must be at least as strong as her.
Which is objectively terrifying to imagine.
"So… who's the leader?" I broached the topic over a cup of tea in the Rising Stone's dining area.
"Officially, as we are disbanded, no one." Alphinaud said before taking a sip. "However, in the diplomatic and political matters, I do act as the face of our little organization."
"So, you're stronger than Echo?" Everyone seemed to choke on something as they started to laugh.
Thancred turned towards Kiyome with his eyes practically sparkling. "You have a whole star calling you 'Echo'?"
Kiyome blushed. "It's a thing for people with powers there."
"And you couldn't come up with something better?" Y'shtola's blind eyes were full of mirth. "It's not as if you are lacking in names." Kiyome mumbled something about a seat and not full enough as she got up to grab a bottle of wine from the bar.
Alisaie chuckled. "No, Echo is the strongest among us. Likely the strongest in the world, or will be. She just absolutely hates paperwork."
"It wastes time!"
I looked towards Urianger, who had his face buried in several of the books I brought back. I joined him at the table he had co-opted. "Anything interesting?"
"Indeed. Thy star hath developed quite the repertoire of heavenly observational techniques." His intention was focused on photo-book using pre-Simurgh telescope imagery to describe the Western Zodiac next to classical art. "As an Astrologian, mine curiosity in adapting to the powers of yonder sky grows with each image." He pointed to one in particular. "This one especially. What effects would 'Orion The Hunter' imbue in combat?"
I followed his finger and was surprised that he was running down the written description. "How can you read that? It took E- Kiyome some time from what she told me."
"Art thou not familiar with Soul Crystals? Had not you gained knowledge of Eorzean and Doman through one?" He drew out an orange egg with the image of two cards stacked on each other. "The auracite that make these crystals hath the power to transfer knowledge, including between crystals of identical nature."
I scratched my head just before Y'shtola put her hand on my shoulder. "To translate, Kiyome placed her Astrologian crystal on Urianger's and shared your 'English' with him. Those of us who have the same Crystals as her all did the same."
I pulled out the shuriken shaped crystal of the Ninja. "So, I meet another Ninja, I can teach them English immediately?"
Urianger shook his head. "No. One must prepare for the experience. Twas mine own discovery of this method as I transferred new skills to Kiyome, but she must also master them. Tis why I focus upon these tomes, the more I read the more I know."
The doors to the Seventh Heaven broke open and Tataru came running down with another Lalafel in a yellow coat with cat ears, Krile. "We have big problems!"
Thancred stood up from his seat. "What's wrong?"
Krile took a deep breath. "I just came from Ul'dah and a meeting with the Immortal Flames. Members of the Brotherhood of Ash rushed into the meeting saying that some Amal'jaa have summoned Ifrit! As a Primal and not an Eikon!"
"A Primal!?" Aliphinaud rushed to his feet and over to Krile. "How many have been Tempered!"
"We don't know, but we expect th-" Kiyome pulled me down the ramp into an office in the back.
"What's going on, a Primal. Like what you called Leviathan? What did Alphinaud mean by 'Tempered'?"
Kiyome shook her head and looked up at a painting of a blonde woman. "As I suggested before killing your Leviathan, Primals are summoned beings. Improperly summoned in desperation. Prayer and aether manifesting physical form. Tempering is what we call those who have had their aether bound to a Primal."
A fear gripped my heart. Aether is the soul, so bound would mean- The image of an angel flashed through my mind.
Kiyome ignored my distress. "By forcibly attuning someone's aether to the Element the Primal embodies, even it's own unique version, the Primal creates zealous slaves. It commands them to feed it more and more aether until eventually it will drain all of Etheryis."
She turned towards me with a sad glare. "Does not your star have a term for this? 'Mastering'?"
-XIV-
"Mirage," the Chief Director interrupted. "Are you suggesting that every Endbringer on Etheryis has a Master ability akin to the Simurgh?"
Taylor nodded. "And that they suck the life force of the planet dry just by existing. Only those with the Echo, Kiyome's Thinker ability, were immune."
"Were?" One of the Deputy Directors asked.
Taylor shook her head. "That's what the Scions said. They aren't sure if anyone who gains the Echo now will have that protection. Apparently the source of the 'Blessing of Light' as they call it is dead."
Director Piggot looked contemplative. "Still, the potential for multiple Master immune individuals would make our lives easier if we could contact them." She looked to the Chief Director who nodded, then turned to Taylor. "Anything else about Primals we should know?"
Taylor looked through some notes. "Ah, yes! According to the Scions, a recent development is that they have a cure for Tempering." Many of those attending the meeting started talking to each other. "Before that, the only option was, erm, to 'put them to the sword' as enough Prayer and Crystals could allow them to summon another manifestation." Taylor looked around the screens. "Containment Zones would have just guaranteed another one right in the middle."
None of the directors wanted to look at each other, especially those who oversaw the Containment Zones.
"Right, Continue Mirage." Chief Director Costa-Brown ordered.
-XIV-
"You'll be coming with me." Kiyome said, switching to her Gunbreaker Job.
"What, why?" I'm pretty sure I screeched.
Kiyome looked over the barrel of her gunblade, a black revolver with a lion head on a chain. On the single edged sword was a winged lion roaring. "Because as long as you are close to me, you can't be Tempered." She seathed the weapon on her back. "Besides, it's Ifrit! You could have beaten him alone when you joined the Wards."
And that was how I ended up fighting a giant demon lizard in a volcano.
-XIV-
A bell rung in the conference room and across the various monitors. "Alright, that's enough for today. A redacted release of today's meeting will be released to the press within the week." The Chief Director said as the various attendees began packing up papers and devices. "As we do want to begin a real relationship with Etheryis, Mirage I wish for you to focus on your meetings of the political figures at our next conference in…" she looked off screen and then nodded. "Three days time."
The Chief Director logged off and soon after the other attendees did as well. Director Piggot turned to Taylor, a rare smile on her face. "Well done Mirage. Enjoy some down time. Your last vacation did not seem very relaxing."
Taylor laughed. "Oh director, you don't know the half of it!"
Last edited:
Eorzea Recollection 1.3
Xero Key
Flying high, spinning webs!
Taylor flopped herself onto the couch of the Wards' lounge, her Grimoire detailing the various aetheric resonances of Etheryis written by Urianger and Kiyome unceremoniously falling onto the coffee table. "Why is it so BORING!?"
Vista looked up from her after action reports. "What's boring?"
Taylor's glare over her glasses could melt aetheric ice. "Magic. Is. Boring."
Vista tossed a pen onto her desk and removed her helmet, just so she could give her teammate the most incredulous stare Melissa Bryon could muster. "There is no way magic is boring after only a few months."
"Ninja magic is not, that is true. Arcanistry and its deviations is the bane of my existence." Taylor limply held up the Grimoire and shook it in Missy's general direction.
"It can't be that bad. It's freaking magic!"
Taylor rolled over to look Missy in the eye. "The ability to summon creatures born of imagination and aether, to call upon forces from other planes and reflections to do my bidding…" Taylor paused just so Missy would lean in in excitement. "Is primarily used for custom inspections and border accounting." The space warper fell forward out of her seat in surprise.
"Say What?!"
The two casually, though far more so for the Au Ra, side stepped the various dancing and playing people. The minstrels making merry as trade crafters worked on public commission, some with loyal retainers ready to sell their wares to the highest bidder. Kiyome navigated the throngs into the less clustered merchant hall with the ease and grace of a professional ballerina.
Taylor followed suit with the stumbling agility not known to one who could be called a shinobi.
"Okay, but why!?," Taylor spun to avoid a trio of Viera women dancing by the market boards. "Why, is such a powerful magic being used mainly by bean counters?"
Kiyome shrugged. "Attention to detail? Honestly, I wasn't paying too much attention when I joined the guild. I just wanted to make Carbuncles."
'Of course,' Taylor thought to herself. 'The greatest hero in the world, learned something just because.'
"So, anyway, I think you might like it." She opened a door into what might double as a library. "Hey, Thubyrgeim! I think I have a student for you!"
A large Rogedyn woman in a robe looked up from the parchment roll in front of her. "Kiyome. Are we talking about a real student or a 'you' student?" The Guildmaster sighed and put away her glasses.
Kiyome patted the slightly taller Taylor on the shoulder. "A 'me' of course! Taylor's a hero in her own right."
"I'm not really a hero…" Taylor said shyly.
"Of course you are." Kiyome responded matter of factly. "Even Jack was impressed what you did to those slavers. Nobody who isn't a hero would have c-"
"Okay, okay! I'm a hero! Geezus." Taylor clasped her hands over the Warrior of Light's mouth.
Thubyrgeim looked between the two. "I see the resemblance. Alright Taylor, let's get you started."
"Traitor." Taylor muttered. "Anyway, after Kiyome thought I was good enough, she took me to see Y'shtola's sister who apparently had been studying the ancient Allagan techniques of Summoning."
"As in that thing that makes Endbringers?" Dennis choked out.
"Only if they stay around to long." Taylor said. "Then she showed me how to make contact with fairies and heal people with fairy magic."
"Can we please get back to the part where you can create Endbringers? Kinda important." Dennis pleaded.
Taylor rolled her eyes. "I cannot create Endbringers." She waved her hand and Carbuncle changed into a floating crystal surrounded by limbs of flame with reptilian face and horns. "This is Egi-Ifrit. I got exposed to some aether and can manifest this incredibly watered down version." Chris raised a finger to ask a question. "Kiyome protected me from being Mastered." The finger lowered.
Taylor dismissed the Egi and picked up the grimoire. "It's just… it's all MATH! How much aether to prevent an Eikon manifestation. How to avoid too much prayer to prevent a Primal manifestation. How to summon in aetherically opposed locales." She slammed the book down on a page depicting a six-pointed star with colored symbols on each point, all surrounded by a Venn diagram of black and white circles.
Taylor sat back down and slammed her forehead into the book. "Ninja summoning is so much easier anyway. You'd think that would replace this bullcrap math and studying."
"Ninja summoning?" All the Wards asked. Taylor raised her head off the book and in a swirl of light was in her Mirage costume. She put her hands together and tiredly moved them several times between three sequences, then slammed a palm on the table.
"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"
*Crash* Ribbit
Aegis walked in just in with Miss Militia just as the coffee table broke and a large, warty toad the size of one of Hellhound's dogs lazily croaked.
"Why the hell is there a toad in the lounge!?"
Vista looked up from her after action reports. "What's boring?"
Taylor's glare over her glasses could melt aetheric ice. "Magic. Is. Boring."
Vista tossed a pen onto her desk and removed her helmet, just so she could give her teammate the most incredulous stare Melissa Bryon could muster. "There is no way magic is boring after only a few months."
"Ninja magic is not, that is true. Arcanistry and its deviations is the bane of my existence." Taylor limply held up the Grimoire and shook it in Missy's general direction.
"It can't be that bad. It's freaking magic!"
Taylor rolled over to look Missy in the eye. "The ability to summon creatures born of imagination and aether, to call upon forces from other planes and reflections to do my bidding…" Taylor paused just so Missy would lean in in excitement. "Is primarily used for custom inspections and border accounting." The space warper fell forward out of her seat in surprise.
"Say What?!"
-XIV-
"Yep," Kiyome said smugly as she led Taylor through the crowded aetheryte plaza of La Noscea. "Summoner and Scholar both are sources from the same school of aetherogical manipulation: creation magic as purely defined pre-Sundering."
The two casually, though far more so for the Au Ra, side stepped the various dancing and playing people. The minstrels making merry as trade crafters worked on public commission, some with loyal retainers ready to sell their wares to the highest bidder. Kiyome navigated the throngs into the less clustered merchant hall with the ease and grace of a professional ballerina.
Taylor followed suit with the stumbling agility not known to one who could be called a shinobi.
"Okay, but why!?," Taylor spun to avoid a trio of Viera women dancing by the market boards. "Why, is such a powerful magic being used mainly by bean counters?"
Kiyome shrugged. "Attention to detail? Honestly, I wasn't paying too much attention when I joined the guild. I just wanted to make Carbuncles."
'Of course,' Taylor thought to herself. 'The greatest hero in the world, learned something just because.'
"So, anyway, I think you might like it." She opened a door into what might double as a library. "Hey, Thubyrgeim! I think I have a student for you!"
A large Rogedyn woman in a robe looked up from the parchment roll in front of her. "Kiyome. Are we talking about a real student or a 'you' student?" The Guildmaster sighed and put away her glasses.
Kiyome patted the slightly taller Taylor on the shoulder. "A 'me' of course! Taylor's a hero in her own right."
"I'm not really a hero…" Taylor said shyly.
"Of course you are." Kiyome responded matter of factly. "Even Jack was impressed what you did to those slavers. Nobody who isn't a hero would have c-"
"Okay, okay! I'm a hero! Geezus." Taylor clasped her hands over the Warrior of Light's mouth.
Thubyrgeim looked between the two. "I see the resemblance. Alright Taylor, let's get you started."
-XIV-
"After that it was all about learning the proper flow of aether and figuring out how to summon a Carbuncle." Taylor said, idly waving a hand as a cute, glowing rodent like creature with a jewel on its head appeared in a swirl of color. It sniffed around the room and eventually curled itself into the lap of Sophia who had sat down sometime during Taylor's explanation.
"Traitor." Taylor muttered. "Anyway, after Kiyome thought I was good enough, she took me to see Y'shtola's sister who apparently had been studying the ancient Allagan techniques of Summoning."
"As in that thing that makes Endbringers?" Dennis choked out.
"Only if they stay around to long." Taylor said. "Then she showed me how to make contact with fairies and heal people with fairy magic."
"Can we please get back to the part where you can create Endbringers? Kinda important." Dennis pleaded.
Taylor rolled her eyes. "I cannot create Endbringers." She waved her hand and Carbuncle changed into a floating crystal surrounded by limbs of flame with reptilian face and horns. "This is Egi-Ifrit. I got exposed to some aether and can manifest this incredibly watered down version." Chris raised a finger to ask a question. "Kiyome protected me from being Mastered." The finger lowered.
Taylor dismissed the Egi and picked up the grimoire. "It's just… it's all MATH! How much aether to prevent an Eikon manifestation. How to avoid too much prayer to prevent a Primal manifestation. How to summon in aetherically opposed locales." She slammed the book down on a page depicting a six-pointed star with colored symbols on each point, all surrounded by a Venn diagram of black and white circles.
Taylor sat back down and slammed her forehead into the book. "Ninja summoning is so much easier anyway. You'd think that would replace this bullcrap math and studying."
"Ninja summoning?" All the Wards asked. Taylor raised her head off the book and in a swirl of light was in her Mirage costume. She put her hands together and tiredly moved them several times between three sequences, then slammed a palm on the table.
"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"
*Crash* Ribbit
Aegis walked in just in with Miss Militia just as the coffee table broke and a large, warty toad the size of one of Hellhound's dogs lazily croaked.
"Why the hell is there a toad in the lounge!?"
Eorzea Debrief (Ul’Dah) 1.4
Xero Key
Flying high, spinning webs!
Taylor fidgeted in her seat as she looked at the virtual attendees of her debriefing. Some of them were clearly holding back laughter at her… unconventional display of her new powers. Even the internet found out about 'Mirage's Table Cracking Toad', with memes posted on forum boards far and wide.
Other attendees, like the in-person Director Piggot, were not so amused.
The Chief Director finished going over some paperwork and the recording began. "Now, Mirage, we will ignore your poor timing of power testing," a quick glare from her screen stifled any muffled giggles. "Let us continue your debriefing of your time in Eorzea. I asked you to focus in on your interactions with the polities there."
Taylor flipped through pages on her desk. "Yes ma'am. I believe it's important to start with Eorzea at large." The Chief Director motioned for her to continue.
My trip took me only to Eorzea, which is divided into five city-states that nominally control a region. On the western side is the archipelago of La Noscea, under the rule of the Admirality of Limsa Lominsa. The north of the continent is largely unruled except for Coerthas, under the rulership of the Ishgardian Parliament. Just south of that is the expansive forest of The Black Shroud, not governed by any political entity but instead spiritual Elementals who speak through a select few who reside in Gridania. East of the Shroud is Gyr Abania, ruled by the new Congress of Ala Mihgo. To the cener and south of the Shroud is Thanalan and it's Sultanate of Ul'Dah, the longest lasting polity.
Near the center of all of these is one of many Adventurer States, Mor Dhona and Revenant's Toll, where I first met the Scions. But Ul'Dah was the first real nation I visited after nominally helping Kiyome deal with Ifrit.
"is it always do hot?" I complained as I laid across the bench of the cart ferrying us across the desert to Ul'Dah.
Kiyome chuckled. "We got unlucky today. Skywatchers predicted heat waves. Always talk to Skywatchers."
I closed my eyes and shifted myself to be more in the shade of the balloons keeping the cart afloat. "When will we get there?"
Kiyome looked forward out of the cart and narrowed her eyes. "Later than expected it seems."
I sat up and sighed at an apparent road block. "You guys have toll roads too?" Kiyome shook her head. "Oh."
The driver pulled back on the reigns and forced the chocobos pulling it to stop. The leader of this band, a Roegydan male, stepped around to the back and waved us out. "Inspection, we've had reports of smuggling coming in on traveler carts." The leader wasn't very happy with her. "Are disobeying a direct order from the Brass Blades? That's dangerous that is."
Kiyome smirked. "You really don't know who you are talking to, do you?"
The Roegydan snarles. "Someone destined for the blood sands! Now get out here!"
Kiyome stepped out of the cart and shifted her clothes into a shining knight, a unicorn emblazoned shield on her back and a glowing sword at her hip. "A-a Paladin!?" The Roegydan jumped back and drew his scimitar but was clearly shaking. Kiyome crossed her arms and did something I couldn't see, but the Roegydan dropped his weapon and fell to his knees in front of her. "Thal's Balls, you're the bleeding Warrior of Light! Please, I swear I didn't mean any harm! Just a little gold!"
A clatter from the front of the cart drew my attention and I saw all of the Roegydan's compatriots fleeing with their weapons on the ground.
"Urk!" I turned back around and saw Kiyome re-sheathing her sword and shield, the bandit laying face up to the sky. She shook her head and stepped back on the cart, then indicated the driver continue on.
Another hung their head. "In our wold, she resigned herself to purely self-defense. But this bandit was unarmed and prostrated before her."
Taylor tapped her mic to bring attention back to her. "Kiyome said she only stabbed his leg and knocked him out, because he did surrender. Ul'Dah has made the punishment for banditry either time in the gladitorial arena until they work off debt, or death. Kiyome gave this guy a relative slap on the wrist."
"Still…"
"Believe me," Taylor said. "She doesn't need to inflate her body count with minor annoyances who surrender. It's impressive enough."
"What do you mean?" Director Piggot asked from beside her.
Taylor smirked cruelly. "How many armies ten thousand strong surrender at the mention of someone's name alone?"
Kiyome led me towards the Hall of Rule in the central palace, where each and every guard saluted her. One of them escorted us to a chamber with a large table surrounded by chairs. In most were Lalafels, except for a couple empty chairs for us and one man in a suit and sunglasses.
The Syndicate, the wealthiest and most influential people in all of Thanalan. The ruling council of Ul'Dah, to join it is to mean you have more money than most small countries. A Lalafel in armor and a large sword exited a room in the back. "Announcing Her Grace, Sultana Nanamo Ul Namo, Seventeenth of Her Line."
All of us rose from our seats as the tiny woman followed behind the armored man, then taking the most extravagant seat at the table as the man sat to her right. She waved us to sit. "Thank you for coming today my friends. I understand there was an unfortunate delay in our guest's arrival. I believe we can forgive them of that, can we not?" She turned to stare at a member of the Syndicate, a Lalafel with a pointy beard and mustache.
He laughed in a surprisingly deep voice. "It does seem that I need to be more strict with my Brass Blades. Hopefully this new business opportunity will lessen these occurrences." He turned to me and coldly continued. "Taylor Hebert, correct? I am Lolorito Nanarito, financier of the Brass Blades and owner of the East Aldenard Trading Company. I hope that once travel between our stars is established that I can count on your help in securing an audience with your leaders."
Kiyome glared across the table and I think I mumbled something about it not being up to me.
"Well, that is at least one opportunity." The Chief Director said.
The conversation went on for a while. Introductions of the various members and what duties they performed, and eventually discussions came to how our governments here on Earth-Bet operated. When I explained my own limited experience due to my age, the Sultana seemed the most intrigued in the United States and the concept of unions.
I later found out during multiple tea times with her that she has been trying to transform Ul'Dah into a citizen first democracy. From what I learned, the nation is almost purely capitalist and profit above all else was the purpose of life until Kiyome started intervening in petty issues and saving the world.
After the meeting, we left to explore the shops on the Sapphire Avenue Exchange before seeing a play put on the Coliseum, when a brown haired Lalafel woman raced up to Kiyome. "Kiyome, thank goodness you're here!"
"Momodi? What's wrong?" Kiyome asked and the woman took a breath.
"It's Hamon. He died this morning. They already took his body to the Thaumaturge Guild." I had never seen Kiyome devastated before, and I don't think I wanted to again. She led me through the streets to the Thaumaturge Guild, her tail practically dragging on the ground. She entered and found a dark haired Lalafel, who hugged her immediately on seeing her.
"Kiyome?" I tentatively questioned.
"Hamon was one of my first teachers in Eorzea. Taught me how really use my body through Pugilism." She sadly smirked. "Old bastard just never seemed to give up." A body wrapped in cloths was laid on an alter. The mages led a prayer to Nald'Thal, the twin brothers who ruled over the dead and underworld. Then used magics to prepare the body for burial, though in this case it ended up a cremation.
Later, everyone who was there and who knew Hamon gathered at the Adventurers Guild in the Quicksand for the wake. I felt very out of place. Apparently, Kiyome made a lot of connections through Hamon like the Thaumaturge Guild and Gladiator Guild because he used to fight in the Coliseum.
"Holy Fist." They called him, one a blonde woman with a sword. "One of the best fighters until the Bull of Ala Mhigo stormed the sands." Members of the Brass Blades, who acted as the police, and Immortal Flames, who were their Protectorate, raised glasses in Hamon's honor.
Eventually, Kiyome led me to a room in the attached inn. It was simple, a single bed and dresser and a jukebox like object. Kiyome put a scroll in it and, like a player piano, it started playing an energetic but calm piece of music. "Hamon wouldn't want me moping." She said before laying out a bed roll and gesturing I use the bed.
"I'm sorry for your loss." I comforted her.
"Heh." Kiyome let out a scoffing laugh. "First time I met the old man, I thought he was going to keel over if he went too far. Guess I was right." She turned to look at me. "We'll see that play tomorrow if they still run it." She laid down in the roll and went to sleep.
Me? I stayed awake a good chunk of the night. Even closed, the full moon shone through the window. But honestly, I was too busy thinking. Kiyome, my teacher and the person who made me a hero, my first friend in years… was IMPORTANT. Like, I knew objectively she must be. She kills Endbringers as a hobby, not how. Figures of note in an incredibly wealthy city, the ruler of an entire country! And she just has tea with them or is invited to banquets and balls.
I looked over at Kiyome and just had a hard time reconciling the kind, if scary, horned woman with the level of society she enjoys.
"I think a short recess before Mirage starts again is in order. Opposed?" The Chief Director asked and no one offered one. "Good. We'll take a two hour recess as the redacted portion of this part is arranged."
The attendees logged off and I felt my Wards phone buzz. Opening it I found a text from Kiyome. "Director Piggot?"
"Yes."
"Do you think Armsmaster would want to teach Kiyome how to work on electronics?"
"Possibly if she gave something in exchange, why?"
I held up my phone to my boss.
TAYLOR. TOMESTONES+LINKPEARL=PHONE? CID INTERESTED. NEED TO KNOW IF RIGHT.
Director Piggot looked up from the text. "Did she just create an interstellar communicator by accident?" I shrugged with an unsure smile, and the Director took out her own phone. "This recess just got longer."
Other attendees, like the in-person Director Piggot, were not so amused.
The Chief Director finished going over some paperwork and the recording began. "Now, Mirage, we will ignore your poor timing of power testing," a quick glare from her screen stifled any muffled giggles. "Let us continue your debriefing of your time in Eorzea. I asked you to focus in on your interactions with the polities there."
Taylor flipped through pages on her desk. "Yes ma'am. I believe it's important to start with Eorzea at large." The Chief Director motioned for her to continue.
-XIV-
From what I can tell based on the maps, which everyone should now be seeing a copy of next to Esrth's for example, Etheryis as a planet is extremely close to Earth. Eorzea is located on one of the larger continents, which roughly aligns with Africa for us. Most of Western Europe is missing or merged with Eorzea, while Eastern Europe and Asia have large pieces missing. Meracydia is located similarly to Australia, and the 'New World' is roughly the Americas.
My trip took me only to Eorzea, which is divided into five city-states that nominally control a region. On the western side is the archipelago of La Noscea, under the rule of the Admirality of Limsa Lominsa. The north of the continent is largely unruled except for Coerthas, under the rulership of the Ishgardian Parliament. Just south of that is the expansive forest of The Black Shroud, not governed by any political entity but instead spiritual Elementals who speak through a select few who reside in Gridania. East of the Shroud is Gyr Abania, ruled by the new Congress of Ala Mihgo. To the cener and south of the Shroud is Thanalan and it's Sultanate of Ul'Dah, the longest lasting polity.
Near the center of all of these is one of many Adventurer States, Mor Dhona and Revenant's Toll, where I first met the Scions. But Ul'Dah was the first real nation I visited after nominally helping Kiyome deal with Ifrit.
"is it always do hot?" I complained as I laid across the bench of the cart ferrying us across the desert to Ul'Dah.
Kiyome chuckled. "We got unlucky today. Skywatchers predicted heat waves. Always talk to Skywatchers."
I closed my eyes and shifted myself to be more in the shade of the balloons keeping the cart afloat. "When will we get there?"
Kiyome looked forward out of the cart and narrowed her eyes. "Later than expected it seems."
I sat up and sighed at an apparent road block. "You guys have toll roads too?" Kiyome shook her head. "Oh."
The driver pulled back on the reigns and forced the chocobos pulling it to stop. The leader of this band, a Roegydan male, stepped around to the back and waved us out. "Inspection, we've had reports of smuggling coming in on traveler carts." The leader wasn't very happy with her. "Are disobeying a direct order from the Brass Blades? That's dangerous that is."
Kiyome smirked. "You really don't know who you are talking to, do you?"
The Roegydan snarles. "Someone destined for the blood sands! Now get out here!"
Kiyome stepped out of the cart and shifted her clothes into a shining knight, a unicorn emblazoned shield on her back and a glowing sword at her hip. "A-a Paladin!?" The Roegydan jumped back and drew his scimitar but was clearly shaking. Kiyome crossed her arms and did something I couldn't see, but the Roegydan dropped his weapon and fell to his knees in front of her. "Thal's Balls, you're the bleeding Warrior of Light! Please, I swear I didn't mean any harm! Just a little gold!"
A clatter from the front of the cart drew my attention and I saw all of the Roegydan's compatriots fleeing with their weapons on the ground.
"Urk!" I turned back around and saw Kiyome re-sheathing her sword and shield, the bandit laying face up to the sky. She shook her head and stepped back on the cart, then indicated the driver continue on.
-XIV-
"So Echo's use of lethal force towards problems is not uncommon then? Worrying." One of the directors commented.
Another hung their head. "In our wold, she resigned herself to purely self-defense. But this bandit was unarmed and prostrated before her."
Taylor tapped her mic to bring attention back to her. "Kiyome said she only stabbed his leg and knocked him out, because he did surrender. Ul'Dah has made the punishment for banditry either time in the gladitorial arena until they work off debt, or death. Kiyome gave this guy a relative slap on the wrist."
"Still…"
"Believe me," Taylor said. "She doesn't need to inflate her body count with minor annoyances who surrender. It's impressive enough."
"What do you mean?" Director Piggot asked from beside her.
Taylor smirked cruelly. "How many armies ten thousand strong surrender at the mention of someone's name alone?"
-XIV-
Ul'Dah, the jewel of Thanalan. I don't think my photos can do it justice. Architecture of the Islamic Golden Age mixed with traditional European architecture. A blending of styles I would never see in a history book.
Kiyome led me towards the Hall of Rule in the central palace, where each and every guard saluted her. One of them escorted us to a chamber with a large table surrounded by chairs. In most were Lalafels, except for a couple empty chairs for us and one man in a suit and sunglasses.
The Syndicate, the wealthiest and most influential people in all of Thanalan. The ruling council of Ul'Dah, to join it is to mean you have more money than most small countries. A Lalafel in armor and a large sword exited a room in the back. "Announcing Her Grace, Sultana Nanamo Ul Namo, Seventeenth of Her Line."
All of us rose from our seats as the tiny woman followed behind the armored man, then taking the most extravagant seat at the table as the man sat to her right. She waved us to sit. "Thank you for coming today my friends. I understand there was an unfortunate delay in our guest's arrival. I believe we can forgive them of that, can we not?" She turned to stare at a member of the Syndicate, a Lalafel with a pointy beard and mustache.
He laughed in a surprisingly deep voice. "It does seem that I need to be more strict with my Brass Blades. Hopefully this new business opportunity will lessen these occurrences." He turned to me and coldly continued. "Taylor Hebert, correct? I am Lolorito Nanarito, financier of the Brass Blades and owner of the East Aldenard Trading Company. I hope that once travel between our stars is established that I can count on your help in securing an audience with your leaders."
Kiyome glared across the table and I think I mumbled something about it not being up to me.
"Well, that is at least one opportunity." The Chief Director said.
The conversation went on for a while. Introductions of the various members and what duties they performed, and eventually discussions came to how our governments here on Earth-Bet operated. When I explained my own limited experience due to my age, the Sultana seemed the most intrigued in the United States and the concept of unions.
I later found out during multiple tea times with her that she has been trying to transform Ul'Dah into a citizen first democracy. From what I learned, the nation is almost purely capitalist and profit above all else was the purpose of life until Kiyome started intervening in petty issues and saving the world.
After the meeting, we left to explore the shops on the Sapphire Avenue Exchange before seeing a play put on the Coliseum, when a brown haired Lalafel woman raced up to Kiyome. "Kiyome, thank goodness you're here!"
"Momodi? What's wrong?" Kiyome asked and the woman took a breath.
"It's Hamon. He died this morning. They already took his body to the Thaumaturge Guild." I had never seen Kiyome devastated before, and I don't think I wanted to again. She led me through the streets to the Thaumaturge Guild, her tail practically dragging on the ground. She entered and found a dark haired Lalafel, who hugged her immediately on seeing her.
"Kiyome?" I tentatively questioned.
"Hamon was one of my first teachers in Eorzea. Taught me how really use my body through Pugilism." She sadly smirked. "Old bastard just never seemed to give up." A body wrapped in cloths was laid on an alter. The mages led a prayer to Nald'Thal, the twin brothers who ruled over the dead and underworld. Then used magics to prepare the body for burial, though in this case it ended up a cremation.
Later, everyone who was there and who knew Hamon gathered at the Adventurers Guild in the Quicksand for the wake. I felt very out of place. Apparently, Kiyome made a lot of connections through Hamon like the Thaumaturge Guild and Gladiator Guild because he used to fight in the Coliseum.
"Holy Fist." They called him, one a blonde woman with a sword. "One of the best fighters until the Bull of Ala Mhigo stormed the sands." Members of the Brass Blades, who acted as the police, and Immortal Flames, who were their Protectorate, raised glasses in Hamon's honor.
Eventually, Kiyome led me to a room in the attached inn. It was simple, a single bed and dresser and a jukebox like object. Kiyome put a scroll in it and, like a player piano, it started playing an energetic but calm piece of music. "Hamon wouldn't want me moping." She said before laying out a bed roll and gesturing I use the bed.
"I'm sorry for your loss." I comforted her.
"Heh." Kiyome let out a scoffing laugh. "First time I met the old man, I thought he was going to keel over if he went too far. Guess I was right." She turned to look at me. "We'll see that play tomorrow if they still run it." She laid down in the roll and went to sleep.
Me? I stayed awake a good chunk of the night. Even closed, the full moon shone through the window. But honestly, I was too busy thinking. Kiyome, my teacher and the person who made me a hero, my first friend in years… was IMPORTANT. Like, I knew objectively she must be. She kills Endbringers as a hobby, not how. Figures of note in an incredibly wealthy city, the ruler of an entire country! And she just has tea with them or is invited to banquets and balls.
I looked over at Kiyome and just had a hard time reconciling the kind, if scary, horned woman with the level of society she enjoys.
-XIV-
Taylor took a drink of water and let the meeting continue without her input. She'd gone over everything really of note about Ul'Dah she knew about. She had extra notes to expand, of course, but the whole nation was so business focused it was not going to be relevant to most of the attendees.
"I think a short recess before Mirage starts again is in order. Opposed?" The Chief Director asked and no one offered one. "Good. We'll take a two hour recess as the redacted portion of this part is arranged."
The attendees logged off and I felt my Wards phone buzz. Opening it I found a text from Kiyome. "Director Piggot?"
"Yes."
"Do you think Armsmaster would want to teach Kiyome how to work on electronics?"
"Possibly if she gave something in exchange, why?"
I held up my phone to my boss.
TAYLOR. TOMESTONES+LINKPEARL=PHONE? CID INTERESTED. NEED TO KNOW IF RIGHT.
Director Piggot looked up from the text. "Did she just create an interstellar communicator by accident?" I shrugged with an unsure smile, and the Director took out her own phone. "This recess just got longer."
Eorzea Recollections (PHO) 1.a
Xero Key
Flying high, spinning webs!
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♦ Topic: Mirage's Etheyris Vacation
In: Boards ► Etheryis ► Details
Bagrat (Original Poster) (Veteran Member) (The Guy in the Know)
Posted On Aug 5th 2011:
For once, not in my normal almost para-natural ability to get info before the people above want you to know, I am simply relaying the links the PRT has so helpfully provided.
Redacted Debrief #1
Redacted Debrief #2
And for funnies, Mirage "showing off" her new powers and all its toady goodness *here*
(Showing page 50 of 200)
►JohnHancock
Replied On Aug 5th 2011:
all im saying is that there is no way people can get that small and not be children
►ArielxEricMerman
Replied On Aug 5th 2011:
@JohnHancock
Why? Because that isn't another planet? Because Mirage had some pretty good photos saying it was another planet
►Reave (Verified PRT Agent)
Replied On Aug 5th 2011:
I can confirm that Thinkers under Protectorate employ have confirmed that Mirage has only been truthful in her statements and her provided evidence.
►Dawgsmiles (Veteran Member)
Replied On Aug 5th 2011:
Why is half this thread toad memes? We have a full other *thread* for it!
►furenthusiast1098745 (Banned)
Replied On Aug 5th 2011:
Cat Girls and Cat Boys! Bunny girls and Bunny Boys!
(Sockpuppet: Do not Reply)
►Xero Key (Moderator)
Replied On Aug 5th 2011:
@furenthusiast1098745
I know I'm not the only who banned you for spam and sockpuppets. You really think we can't see the ISP?
►Vista (Verified Cape) (Wards ENE)
Replied On Aug 6th 2011:
Mirage summoned Carbuncle again! Isn't he *adorable!*
►Mirage (Verified Cape) (Wards ENE) (Interstellar Traveler)
Replied On Aug 6th 2011:
@ Vista
Are you seriously just going to every thread I'm mentioned in showing off pictures of Carbuncle? Is that why you asked me to summon it?
And where did this tag come from!?
►GstringGirl (Verified Cape) (Wards ENE)
Replied On Aug 6th 2011:
I'm all for more Carbuncle pictures in threads! Or whole Carbuncle threads!
►PRinPRT (Verified PRT Agent)
Replied On Aug 6th 2011:
@GstringGirl
You know that you are required to be using your other account, @ Tress.
End of Page. 1, 2, 3 ... 48, 49, 50, 51, 52 ... 198, 199, 200
♦ Topic: Heavensward: A memoir of the end of the Dragonsong War
In: Boards ► Etheryis ► Books
AverageAlexandros (Original Poster) (Cape Husband)
Posted On Aug 6th 2011:
Just found this official link *here*. Apparently it is a memoir about Echo, sorry Kiyome Edakumi,'s adventures in Ishgard, one of Eorzea's city states.
Honestly a fascinating read. Anyone else looked at it?
(Showing page 1 of 65)
►Brocktonite03 (Veteran Member)
Replied On Aug 7th 2011:
I could barely put it down! It's like the greatest high fantasy novel ever written, and it's true! Intrigue, corruption, nobility, classism! It's like GRR Martin decided to make magic explicit!
►Xero Key (Moderator)
Replied On Aug 7th 2011:
Heavily agree. It's hard to believe just one person could cause such massive change to an entire society.
►Cael Heres
Replied On Aug 7th 2011:
How about the small things in Ishgard that Echo changed? Like, just moving people to be decent had major ramifications.
►AverageAlexandros (Original Poster) (Cape Husband)
Replied On Aug 9th 2011:
I'm actually interested in dragons, more so than a person would have been before. "Another star"... Isn't that what Echo and Mirage use to say planet?
►xRunDeeRunX
Replied On Aug 9th 2011:
What? You saying dragons are aliens? You've gotta be kidding me!
►Bagrat (Veteran Member) (The Guy in the Know)
Replied On Aug 9th 2011:
Is it so crazy, really?
►xRunDeeRunX
Replied On Aug 9th 2011:
Next you'll be saying that nothing in this is exaggerated. I mean really? Their eyes are the source of their power? That is a ridiculous. No species can evolve with such a glaring weakness, even accounting for magic. Two good shots and BAM! dead. You'd never see Smaug going down to that!
►Procto the Unfortunate Tinker (Not a tinker)
Replied On Aug 9th 2011:
Dude, Smaug went down to a single arrow.
►AverageAlexandros (Original Poster) (Cape Husband)
Replied On Aug 9th 2011:
Sure it's a bit out there, but given the surrounding lore, it seems about right.
►Brocktonite03 (Veteran Member)
Replied On Aug 9th 2011:
I'm here for anything that explains what the fuck made Echo into Echo, and if Mirage is becoming the same.
End of Page. 1, 2, 3 ... 63, 64, 65
♦ Topic: Umbral Calamaties
In: Boards ► Etheryis ► History
XxVoid_CowboyxX (Original Poster)
Posted On Aug 10th 2011:
I... I just... how does the world function!? Just look at this *timeline!* 10,000 years of absolutely nuttiness!
(Showing page 1500 of 1500)
►JohnHancock
Replied On Aug 12th 2011:
All I'm trying to say is that they are a very resilient people dealing with all this stuff. The world has basically ended 8 times already and they aren't dead.
►Mac's Dual Rocket Propelled Grenades
Replied On Aug 12th 2011:
I'm not denying that, it just seems pretty crazy that not a single one of them actually was total genocide. That 6th Calamity sounds literally biblical.
►XxVoid_CowboyxX (Original Poster)
Replied On Aug 12th 2011:
We just ignoring the Dragon in the Moon put there by a precursor race? Because I believe we should not ignore the Dragon in the Moon put there by a precursor race.
►Chrome
Replied On Aug 12th 2011:
We are not ignoring the Dragon in the Moon, that one is just... If what I'm reading here is right, Etheryis got one lucky shot that didn't even actually do the job. Echo had to show up five years later to kill it for good.
►Laotsunn (Kyushu Survivor)
Replied On Aug 13th 2011:
Once, I thought about praising the Endslayer for avenging Kyushu. Now I wonder if I should legitimately start worshipping her.
►Cael Haes (Acolyte of Crystal) (Banned)
Replied On Aug 13th 2011:
Always Praise The Great One! She Who Is Salvation!
(Moderator: No. No proselytizing)
►Tin Mother (Super Moderator)
Replied On Aug 14th 2011:
Okay, stopping this now. Thread was at last page anyway, new one *here*. any Acolytes of Crystal need to remember to not spam. You can preach, as long as it isn't annoying. This is over the line.
End of Page. 1, 2, 3 ... 1498, 1499, 1500
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■
♦ Topic: Mirage's Etheyris Vacation
In: Boards ► Etheryis ► Details
Bagrat (Original Poster) (Veteran Member) (The Guy in the Know)
Posted On Aug 5th 2011:
For once, not in my normal almost para-natural ability to get info before the people above want you to know, I am simply relaying the links the PRT has so helpfully provided.
Redacted Debrief #1
Redacted Debrief #2
And for funnies, Mirage "showing off" her new powers and all its toady goodness *here*
(Showing page 50 of 200)
►JohnHancock
Replied On Aug 5th 2011:
all im saying is that there is no way people can get that small and not be children
►ArielxEricMerman
Replied On Aug 5th 2011:
@JohnHancock
Why? Because that isn't another planet? Because Mirage had some pretty good photos saying it was another planet
►Reave (Verified PRT Agent)
Replied On Aug 5th 2011:
I can confirm that Thinkers under Protectorate employ have confirmed that Mirage has only been truthful in her statements and her provided evidence.
►Dawgsmiles (Veteran Member)
Replied On Aug 5th 2011:
Why is half this thread toad memes? We have a full other *thread* for it!
►furenthusiast1098745 (Banned)
Replied On Aug 5th 2011:
Cat Girls and Cat Boys! Bunny girls and Bunny Boys!
(Sockpuppet: Do not Reply)
►Xero Key (Moderator)
Replied On Aug 5th 2011:
@furenthusiast1098745
I know I'm not the only who banned you for spam and sockpuppets. You really think we can't see the ISP?
►Vista (Verified Cape) (Wards ENE)
Replied On Aug 6th 2011:
Mirage summoned Carbuncle again! Isn't he *adorable!*
►Mirage (Verified Cape) (Wards ENE) (Interstellar Traveler)
Replied On Aug 6th 2011:
@ Vista
Are you seriously just going to every thread I'm mentioned in showing off pictures of Carbuncle? Is that why you asked me to summon it?
And where did this tag come from!?
►GstringGirl (Verified Cape) (Wards ENE)
Replied On Aug 6th 2011:
I'm all for more Carbuncle pictures in threads! Or whole Carbuncle threads!
►PRinPRT (Verified PRT Agent)
Replied On Aug 6th 2011:
@GstringGirl
You know that you are required to be using your other account, @ Tress.
End of Page. 1, 2, 3 ... 48, 49, 50, 51, 52 ... 198, 199, 200
■
♦ Topic: Heavensward: A memoir of the end of the Dragonsong War
In: Boards ► Etheryis ► Books
AverageAlexandros (Original Poster) (Cape Husband)
Posted On Aug 6th 2011:
Just found this official link *here*. Apparently it is a memoir about Echo, sorry Kiyome Edakumi,'s adventures in Ishgard, one of Eorzea's city states.
Honestly a fascinating read. Anyone else looked at it?
(Showing page 1 of 65)
►Brocktonite03 (Veteran Member)
Replied On Aug 7th 2011:
I could barely put it down! It's like the greatest high fantasy novel ever written, and it's true! Intrigue, corruption, nobility, classism! It's like GRR Martin decided to make magic explicit!
►Xero Key (Moderator)
Replied On Aug 7th 2011:
Heavily agree. It's hard to believe just one person could cause such massive change to an entire society.
►Cael Heres
Replied On Aug 7th 2011:
How about the small things in Ishgard that Echo changed? Like, just moving people to be decent had major ramifications.
►AverageAlexandros (Original Poster) (Cape Husband)
Replied On Aug 9th 2011:
I'm actually interested in dragons, more so than a person would have been before. "Another star"... Isn't that what Echo and Mirage use to say planet?
►xRunDeeRunX
Replied On Aug 9th 2011:
What? You saying dragons are aliens? You've gotta be kidding me!
►Bagrat (Veteran Member) (The Guy in the Know)
Replied On Aug 9th 2011:
Is it so crazy, really?
►xRunDeeRunX
Replied On Aug 9th 2011:
Next you'll be saying that nothing in this is exaggerated. I mean really? Their eyes are the source of their power? That is a ridiculous. No species can evolve with such a glaring weakness, even accounting for magic. Two good shots and BAM! dead. You'd never see Smaug going down to that!
►Procto the Unfortunate Tinker (Not a tinker)
Replied On Aug 9th 2011:
Dude, Smaug went down to a single arrow.
►AverageAlexandros (Original Poster) (Cape Husband)
Replied On Aug 9th 2011:
Sure it's a bit out there, but given the surrounding lore, it seems about right.
►Brocktonite03 (Veteran Member)
Replied On Aug 9th 2011:
I'm here for anything that explains what the fuck made Echo into Echo, and if Mirage is becoming the same.
End of Page. 1, 2, 3 ... 63, 64, 65
■
♦ Topic: Umbral Calamaties
In: Boards ► Etheryis ► History
XxVoid_CowboyxX (Original Poster)
Posted On Aug 10th 2011:
I... I just... how does the world function!? Just look at this *timeline!* 10,000 years of absolutely nuttiness!
(Showing page 1500 of 1500)
►JohnHancock
Replied On Aug 12th 2011:
All I'm trying to say is that they are a very resilient people dealing with all this stuff. The world has basically ended 8 times already and they aren't dead.
►Mac's Dual Rocket Propelled Grenades
Replied On Aug 12th 2011:
I'm not denying that, it just seems pretty crazy that not a single one of them actually was total genocide. That 6th Calamity sounds literally biblical.
►XxVoid_CowboyxX (Original Poster)
Replied On Aug 12th 2011:
We just ignoring the Dragon in the Moon put there by a precursor race? Because I believe we should not ignore the Dragon in the Moon put there by a precursor race.
►Chrome
Replied On Aug 12th 2011:
We are not ignoring the Dragon in the Moon, that one is just... If what I'm reading here is right, Etheryis got one lucky shot that didn't even actually do the job. Echo had to show up five years later to kill it for good.
►Laotsunn (Kyushu Survivor)
Replied On Aug 13th 2011:
Once, I thought about praising the Endslayer for avenging Kyushu. Now I wonder if I should legitimately start worshipping her.
►Cael Haes (Acolyte of Crystal) (Banned)
Replied On Aug 13th 2011:
Always Praise The Great One! She Who Is Salvation!
(Moderator: No. No proselytizing)
►Tin Mother (Super Moderator)
Replied On Aug 14th 2011:
Okay, stopping this now. Thread was at last page anyway, new one *here*. any Acolytes of Crystal need to remember to not spam. You can preach, as long as it isn't annoying. This is over the line.
End of Page. 1, 2, 3 ... 1498, 1499, 1500
Eorzea Debrief (Gridania) 1.5
Xero Key
Flying high, spinning webs!
Indeed, the recess took so long the debriefing did not restart until the following day. Apparently, Kiyome's desire to learn electronics and coding to facilitate communication between Earth-Bet and Etheryis caused quite the stir. So much so that Armsmaster, who had decided that his presence at the debriefing was unnecessary due to Director Piggot's attendance, had joined after beginning his lessons with Kiyome. Dragon, who up until that point had left the Guild's presence to administrators, was also in attendance.
"Well, as the recess has been proven to be exciting," The Chief Director started. "I believe we should go over the reasons for the delay. Armsmaster, Dragon, thank you for joining us. Please explain how the early lessons of teaching Echo electronics has gone."
The digital avatar and Protectorate hero shared a look before Dragon motioned for Armsmaster to go first. "Echo's file has been updated with an addition to her Tinker rating. Though the exact threat nature has not altered, the breadth of her abilities has. Within a matter of hours, Echo was able to reach a proficiency equivalent to that of a dedicated Doctoral Engineering student. So long as she has the proper materials, she is capable of producing extremely high quality electronic devices."
Dragon nodded. "The same in regards to coding. At first she stumbled slightly, mentioning that she was more use to holographic and telepathic interfaces of Allagan technology, but once she moved beyond basic algorithms and plucking at the keyboard, her growth rate was astronomical. I predict that within a few days, her Tinker rating will need to be adjusted higher."
Director Armstrong spoke up. "How can someone reach that level of skill in a matter of hours?"
"I can answer that, sir." Taylor said, bringing the conference's attention to herself. "It's just like the Soul Crystals and learning through them. Aether has a form of memory, as long as she practices a skill, the skill becomes 'hard wired' into her for lack of a better term. I found out she is a beyond Master carpenter, leatherworker, blacksmith, armorer, seamstress, and cook. Her repair shop was simply practicing those skills."
Taylor sighed. "I think I may have Flowers of Algernon'd my tastebuds when she actually put effort into cooking."
"And Echo believes that she can make some sort of connection between her world and ours?" One of the directors asked.
"Echo herself? No, she admits this interest in technological skills is more of desperation. Someone on her end, Cid Garlond, she believes could do it. But making a radio or telephone is something she can do."
The attendees took notes and muttered to each other before the Chief Director brought things back to order. "Yes, thank you. We will be reaching out to Echo to aid her in establishing consistent communication. Now, Mirage, continue with your encounters with the polities of Eorzea."
"Entwined Serpents, the Elder Seed Seer's personal guard." Kiyome explained as we stepped out of the cart and cautiously approached the barricade. "Does that mean…?"
"Kiyome Edakumi, what have you brought into these sacred forests?" From behind the barricade stepped out a blonde woman in between myself and Kiyome in height. She was dressed in white robes and carried a crystal staff, and most prominently bore two crystalline horns on the top of her head.
"Kan-e-Senna. Is this how you greet a friend."
Kan narrowed her eyes. "Only when the Elementals give warning of a corruption entering this hallowed ground." She turned towards me and I couldn't help but shrink back. "Your companion has agitated them. I would assume that she is your friend from another star, but the Elementals do not react like this to the older Dragons as they do her."
Kiyome looked at me oddly before turning back to Kan-e-Senna. "I know the Elementals will not listen to me about her trustworthiness, so how about a challenge? We just dealt with a Primal Ifrit in Thanalan, I bet some Ixal has likely summoned Primal Garuda as well. Let us deal with it and they will see she means no harm."
Kan-e-Senna closed her eyes and raised her head skywards. "Very well." She said, opening her eyes. "But know that her corruption is only tolerated so long as she adheres to the will of the Elementals." Her stern gaze fell as she began to turn. "I pray that you will be proven worthy, Taylor Hebert." The motioned her staff and her guards followed her as they left.
"What was that about?" I asked Kiyome.
She crossed her arms. "I have an idea. But I've never been too happy with how the Elementals do things any way. Their mindsets are too different to understand the people they protect."
We began walking through the swamps and deeper into the forest. "Are they gods, Primals?"
Kiyome shook her head. "No, the Elementals are… not manifestations, exactly. More like the will of nature. Upsetting the balance of nature causes them pain, which in turn harms the Shroud. So the few who can hear their voices, like Kan, act as mediators to balance human need and the Shroud's."
"I see…"
"Not fully. Ever since Eorzea became more populated when the Garlean Empire started pushing people westward, the Elementals have been agitated." Kiyome stopped and examined tracks in the ground. "See here? Poachers. Brought on because some cultures have different values than what Gridania says is best for nature." She shook her head and stood up. "Not that the Elementals are wrong either. It's tough living here."
We continued on in silence, only fighting a few unruly creatures along the way. Especially Morbols, which are as gross as Kiyome first described them. But then she stopped us with a raised hand. She looked around as if she was straining her hearing, then her eyes widened in horror.
Hoofbeats, heavy ones. "Run!" Kiyome grabbed my hand and pulled me along as fast as my legs would carry me. The horse, if a demon could even be called that, closed in on us faster and faster. The forest filled with fog as we tried to outpace what was chasing us. I glanced back and stumbled in fear, a black knight atop a midnight steed hounded us. "Taylor!"
The knight raised a wicked blade and swung down, before clashing against a blackened great sword Kiyome carried. "No, you aren't taking her!" Kiyome was dressed in spiked armor slightly decorated in fleur de lis, the sword a single edged blade covered in growths and seemed to be alive.
As Kiyome pushed the horseman's blade back, her hand became covered in shadows. They swirled next to her, forming a knight with an equally large sword made of pure darkness. The two shared a nod and leapt towards the horeseman, trading it's attention till it had been slain. The horse dispersed into light as the sword fell blade first, embedding itself in the ground. The shadow Kiyome summoned gently laid the body of a person on the ground and… my attention was drawn to the sword before me.
I knew it could kill Endbringers.
I could save our whole world!
I felt something on my neck and came too in an inn, my head aching. "How do you feel?" I turned my head to look at Kiyome who was leaning against the wall.
"Like I was trampled."
Kiyome chuckled. "Not inaccurate. Your aether was unbalanced."
"By what?"
Her eyes became deadly serious. "The Primal that chased us."
I shot up in the bed. "I was Tempered!"
Kiyome nodded. "Almost, but we were able to cure you from the limited exposure." She pushed herself off the wall and walked over to the window. "Kan-e-Senna was able to say that suffering an attack by Odin was enough. It's a far bigger problem than whatever you bring."
"Odin… that's a name from Earth's mythology…"
Kiyome shrugged. "Couldn't tell you why. All I know is that whoever touches that sword becomes him. The one Primal I've never actually defeated, Zantetsuken." She shook her head. "Anyway, I think you need a bit more skill than being a Ninja. It helped in Thanalan, but you stood no chance against Odin had you been alone."
I looked confused, I know it. "What do you mean?"
She took out a Soul Crystal and held it out to me. Like a black, jagged heart, it called to me like the sword had done. "I know you can feel this. I contacted a friend in Ishgard to find another for you."
"What is it?" I asked, my heart beating loudly in my ears.
Kiyome smiled sadly. "Only what you give it." She closed her hand and hid the crystal from me. "We'll be heading north to Ishgard next. You'll have a couple of days to look around Gridania as I get things ready." Then she left the room, and me, to my thoughts.
"Over the next couple of days in Gridania, which is on the screen now, I found out that Odin is the Mastered victim and the sword itself keeps choosing a new host. It was uncovered by the Seventh Calamity." Taylor informed them. She was visibly shaking and her great sword began to rattle against the wall.
Director Piggot leaned into her microphone. "Perhaps an actually short recess. My Ward seem uncomfortable continuing." Taylor looked at the director in appreciation who merely nodded towards the sword.
"Agreed. This debriefing will resume in two hours." The Chief Director's screen blacked out, followed by the rest.
"Well, as the recess has been proven to be exciting," The Chief Director started. "I believe we should go over the reasons for the delay. Armsmaster, Dragon, thank you for joining us. Please explain how the early lessons of teaching Echo electronics has gone."
The digital avatar and Protectorate hero shared a look before Dragon motioned for Armsmaster to go first. "Echo's file has been updated with an addition to her Tinker rating. Though the exact threat nature has not altered, the breadth of her abilities has. Within a matter of hours, Echo was able to reach a proficiency equivalent to that of a dedicated Doctoral Engineering student. So long as she has the proper materials, she is capable of producing extremely high quality electronic devices."
Dragon nodded. "The same in regards to coding. At first she stumbled slightly, mentioning that she was more use to holographic and telepathic interfaces of Allagan technology, but once she moved beyond basic algorithms and plucking at the keyboard, her growth rate was astronomical. I predict that within a few days, her Tinker rating will need to be adjusted higher."
Director Armstrong spoke up. "How can someone reach that level of skill in a matter of hours?"
"I can answer that, sir." Taylor said, bringing the conference's attention to herself. "It's just like the Soul Crystals and learning through them. Aether has a form of memory, as long as she practices a skill, the skill becomes 'hard wired' into her for lack of a better term. I found out she is a beyond Master carpenter, leatherworker, blacksmith, armorer, seamstress, and cook. Her repair shop was simply practicing those skills."
Taylor sighed. "I think I may have Flowers of Algernon'd my tastebuds when she actually put effort into cooking."
"And Echo believes that she can make some sort of connection between her world and ours?" One of the directors asked.
"Echo herself? No, she admits this interest in technological skills is more of desperation. Someone on her end, Cid Garlond, she believes could do it. But making a radio or telephone is something she can do."
The attendees took notes and muttered to each other before the Chief Director brought things back to order. "Yes, thank you. We will be reaching out to Echo to aid her in establishing consistent communication. Now, Mirage, continue with your encounters with the polities of Eorzea."
-XIV-
Kiyome next had us visit Gridania in the Black Shroud. We'd barely crossed into the swamplands bordering Thanalan, where Ul'Dah is, and the Shroud before we were stopped. And not by bandits dressed as police, but actual legitimate officers.
"Entwined Serpents, the Elder Seed Seer's personal guard." Kiyome explained as we stepped out of the cart and cautiously approached the barricade. "Does that mean…?"
"Kiyome Edakumi, what have you brought into these sacred forests?" From behind the barricade stepped out a blonde woman in between myself and Kiyome in height. She was dressed in white robes and carried a crystal staff, and most prominently bore two crystalline horns on the top of her head.
"Kan-e-Senna. Is this how you greet a friend."
Kan narrowed her eyes. "Only when the Elementals give warning of a corruption entering this hallowed ground." She turned towards me and I couldn't help but shrink back. "Your companion has agitated them. I would assume that she is your friend from another star, but the Elementals do not react like this to the older Dragons as they do her."
Kiyome looked at me oddly before turning back to Kan-e-Senna. "I know the Elementals will not listen to me about her trustworthiness, so how about a challenge? We just dealt with a Primal Ifrit in Thanalan, I bet some Ixal has likely summoned Primal Garuda as well. Let us deal with it and they will see she means no harm."
Kan-e-Senna closed her eyes and raised her head skywards. "Very well." She said, opening her eyes. "But know that her corruption is only tolerated so long as she adheres to the will of the Elementals." Her stern gaze fell as she began to turn. "I pray that you will be proven worthy, Taylor Hebert." The motioned her staff and her guards followed her as they left.
"What was that about?" I asked Kiyome.
She crossed her arms. "I have an idea. But I've never been too happy with how the Elementals do things any way. Their mindsets are too different to understand the people they protect."
We began walking through the swamps and deeper into the forest. "Are they gods, Primals?"
Kiyome shook her head. "No, the Elementals are… not manifestations, exactly. More like the will of nature. Upsetting the balance of nature causes them pain, which in turn harms the Shroud. So the few who can hear their voices, like Kan, act as mediators to balance human need and the Shroud's."
"I see…"
"Not fully. Ever since Eorzea became more populated when the Garlean Empire started pushing people westward, the Elementals have been agitated." Kiyome stopped and examined tracks in the ground. "See here? Poachers. Brought on because some cultures have different values than what Gridania says is best for nature." She shook her head and stood up. "Not that the Elementals are wrong either. It's tough living here."
We continued on in silence, only fighting a few unruly creatures along the way. Especially Morbols, which are as gross as Kiyome first described them. But then she stopped us with a raised hand. She looked around as if she was straining her hearing, then her eyes widened in horror.
Hoofbeats, heavy ones. "Run!" Kiyome grabbed my hand and pulled me along as fast as my legs would carry me. The horse, if a demon could even be called that, closed in on us faster and faster. The forest filled with fog as we tried to outpace what was chasing us. I glanced back and stumbled in fear, a black knight atop a midnight steed hounded us. "Taylor!"
The knight raised a wicked blade and swung down, before clashing against a blackened great sword Kiyome carried. "No, you aren't taking her!" Kiyome was dressed in spiked armor slightly decorated in fleur de lis, the sword a single edged blade covered in growths and seemed to be alive.
As Kiyome pushed the horseman's blade back, her hand became covered in shadows. They swirled next to her, forming a knight with an equally large sword made of pure darkness. The two shared a nod and leapt towards the horeseman, trading it's attention till it had been slain. The horse dispersed into light as the sword fell blade first, embedding itself in the ground. The shadow Kiyome summoned gently laid the body of a person on the ground and… my attention was drawn to the sword before me.
I knew it could kill Endbringers.
I could save our whole world!
I felt something on my neck and came too in an inn, my head aching. "How do you feel?" I turned my head to look at Kiyome who was leaning against the wall.
"Like I was trampled."
Kiyome chuckled. "Not inaccurate. Your aether was unbalanced."
"By what?"
Her eyes became deadly serious. "The Primal that chased us."
I shot up in the bed. "I was Tempered!"
Kiyome nodded. "Almost, but we were able to cure you from the limited exposure." She pushed herself off the wall and walked over to the window. "Kan-e-Senna was able to say that suffering an attack by Odin was enough. It's a far bigger problem than whatever you bring."
"Odin… that's a name from Earth's mythology…"
Kiyome shrugged. "Couldn't tell you why. All I know is that whoever touches that sword becomes him. The one Primal I've never actually defeated, Zantetsuken." She shook her head. "Anyway, I think you need a bit more skill than being a Ninja. It helped in Thanalan, but you stood no chance against Odin had you been alone."
I looked confused, I know it. "What do you mean?"
She took out a Soul Crystal and held it out to me. Like a black, jagged heart, it called to me like the sword had done. "I know you can feel this. I contacted a friend in Ishgard to find another for you."
"What is it?" I asked, my heart beating loudly in my ears.
Kiyome smiled sadly. "Only what you give it." She closed her hand and hid the crystal from me. "We'll be heading north to Ishgard next. You'll have a couple of days to look around Gridania as I get things ready." Then she left the room, and me, to my thoughts.
-XIV-
"That is worrying." The representative of WatchDog said. "A weapon is an Endbringer."
"Over the next couple of days in Gridania, which is on the screen now, I found out that Odin is the Mastered victim and the sword itself keeps choosing a new host. It was uncovered by the Seventh Calamity." Taylor informed them. She was visibly shaking and her great sword began to rattle against the wall.
Director Piggot leaned into her microphone. "Perhaps an actually short recess. My Ward seem uncomfortable continuing." Taylor looked at the director in appreciation who merely nodded towards the sword.
"Agreed. This debriefing will resume in two hours." The Chief Director's screen blacked out, followed by the rest.
Eorzea Debrief (A Dark Knight Rises part 1) 1.6
Xero Key
Flying high, spinning webs!
The conference resumed and Taylor was noticeably calmer as she took her seat. After checking her microphone, she nodded to the attendees. "Ishgard is exactly what one might think of when one thinks 'world of magic'. I know many have already read the memoir of Count Edmondt de Fortemps, the details of the Dragonsong War and the corrupt theocracy of the Halonic Church." She took a drink of water. "Ishgard was cold, and to the unknowing, merciless…"
"Hello, Old Girl!" Kiyome smiled and waved in response as we were welcomed into the fortress by a tall, Elezan man in golden armor with a shorter man in a suit. Emmanellain de Fortemps, the youngest son of House Fortemps. "And who is your fair friend?"
"Excuse me?" I blurted out. He also was an incorrigible flirt.
"She's my student from another star. Haven't you been getting my letters?"
The shorter man laughed. "If the good master could tear himself from tossing his love poems into the fire, perhaps."
Emmanellain nervously looked around and saw that others in armor were in fact laughing at him. "Perhaps we can retire inside. The Falling Snow, perhaps?" He hastily led us around a corner and into a small barracks. Over the fireplace hung a portrait of a white haired Elezan man. Kiyome and the others raised a fist and pulled it down to their chest in front of it.
A prayer, for a departed brother.
"Now, how can we of House Fortemps be of help to the Warrior of Light?"
Kiyome looked around the room. "I need to know if a Xaela in black armor, accompanied by a pre-second Elezan girl have been sighted in Ishgard recently. They were on an errand for me."
"The Dark Knight Sigurd and his associate Rielle?" Emmanellain nodded. "No, no reports of them have been made. And the Temple Knights have been on the lookout as they are known allies of yours."
"I see." Kiyome said, clearly upset with something. "Well, nothing to do but wa-" An explosion rocked the room. "The hells was that!?"
Emmanellain and his manservant both placed their heads in their hands. "Machinists…" they both drawled. "They were making upgrades to the defenses in the area."
Kiyome shook her head. "Stephan…" She gestured for me to follow outside. It didn't take long for us to find the source of the noise, a smoking pile of rubble and a thankfully only wounded cadre of soldiers. A dark haired woman was chewing them out.
"Training causing problems, Hilda?" Kiyome asked slyly.
The woman turned and I saw that she had elf ears but none of the other features of an Elezan. The woman sighed and shook her head. "A bunch of these high born brats still don't understand what being a Machinist means." She looked over at me. "Who's the kid?"
"For your information, I'm not a kid! I'm a teen!" I admit my reaction was a bit uncalled for, but it was cold and I wanted to go back inside.
"Uh huh." Hilda crossed her arms. "This your new friend I've been hearing rumors about?" Kiyome nodded and the two looked over the armored soldiers attempting to use firearms. Actual firearms not unlike our own.
"I didn't know Etheryis had guns like Earth." I said walking around and carefully looking over some on display. I heard the sound of Kiyome changing outfits and she came to stand by me, a much higher quality gun holstered over her shoulder.
"Bah! I don't know why we need to use these Twelve damned Garlean rejects! A sword and board is going to win any day!" One of the soldiers commented, to the cheers of the others. It didn't take long for them to begin a round of mockery.
I looked over at Kiyome and she nodded towards the guns. "Could one of you put armor on a target and ready a shield to block in front of it?" I asked, while going through the proper safety procedure for handling fire arms all Wards go through.
Point down range away from all people which in this case was a brick wall to my left, remove magazine or clip, unlatch and remove any rounds from the chamber, set the weapon down on the table. The weapon was completely unloaded before I touched it, but safety is safety.
I was never a fan of guns, but I took any gun safety course I could get the time for while in the Wards. 'Know the enemy' was my motto, and being around three years from leadership, I figured it was best to start learning as soon as possible. So I went about proper taking apart and cleaning the weapon as the mocking soldiers had a laugh while putting up the armored target.
I reassembled the weapon and left it unloaded as they finished. One target in mail with a shield and one in plate armor. Someone stepped up behind me and began talking excitedly to Kiyome but I paid him no mind. "Fire range ready?" I called out and waited for the soldiers to remove themselves to behind me. Some did not and I kept my hands away from the table with the gun.
"Fire range ready?" I stressed and still some didn't move. "Look, I'm not going until you people move." They japed at taking orders from a 'little girl', which given I was nearing some of their own heights was a dumb statement, but eventually relented.
"Fire range ready?" I called again.
"Clear." Came Hilda from behind me. I smiled, at least someone was smart about this stuff.
I loaded the gun and raised it as Miss Milita had trained me for dealing with rifles. My feet were braced for the recoil as I leveled first at the chain mail target. "Two rounds!" I pulled the trigger twice, feeling the weapon pulse against me.
"TWELVE FORFEND!" I head the crowd exclaim behind me. A clean hole through the shield and the mail ripped apart over the chest.
"Readying second go!" I leveled the weapon at the plate armor. "One round!" I pulled again, the bullet cleanly going through the armor. I set the weapon down and unloaded it fully. "Range is clear."
"Extraordinary! Extraordinary!" I turned to face the owner of the voice, a very tall and excitable Elezan man. "Though aether does add an extra layer of protection, the right materials may negate that." He raced over and began examining the damaged armors. "Yes, I see. Truly this should give Machinists more respect!" He turned to face me, arms wide with joy. "Dear girl, however did you know?"
I admittedly shrugged. "My world had this same issue. Once firearms came around, they completely invalidated knightly armor." I reached out my hand and he came over to shake it. "Taylor Hebert, I'm Kiyome's student."
"Ah, welcome future Warrior of Light!" Some of the soldiers that had been mocking earlier gave a silent prayer off to the side. "I am Stephanvian de Haillenarte, or Stephanvian Brightsun. I am dedicated to bringing Ishgard into the future!"
He gestured over the weapons that the soldiers were eyeing with far more caution. "During the Dragonsong War, I created the Machinists to better fight the dragons. Now that that conflict is over, many in the noble houses believe it is no longer necessary. But this!" Stephanvian dramatically gestured to the damaged armor. "This proves the old ways cannot carry us forever! We must adapt and change!"
He stepped over to a tent with a safe and opened it, revealing many perfectly cut crystals. He took one out and raced back over to me, placing it in my hands. "I'm certain you will help make my dream a reality!" Stephanvian ran over to the soldiers gathering around the armor and began excitedly discussing plans for expansion.
"Kiyome!" We both turned around and saw a young Elezan girl helping a tall… okay, giant man. He had similar scales and horns to Kiyome but they were black, his eyes had black edges instead of white, and his skin was a blue gray. If Kiyome and this man, who by the armor and sword could only be Sigurd the Dark Knight, were the average of their species then there was a dramatic sexual dimorphism.
He was leaning on the girl, Rielle, who was consistently casting healing magic from her hands. "What happened!?"
Sigurd held out a hand, a jagged crystal in it. "Former inquisitors unhappy with the current Ishgard had this. They attacked us as we tried to leave."
Kiyome gestured to me and I walked over. The crystal began to glow as I approached. It was… hauntingly beautiful. My thoughts raced through my mind as I reached out to it.
Dark Knight
Justice
Vengence
Power
Protection
I grasped it in my hand… "Argh!" My head ached. My vision swam. The sky seemed to break as stars rained down twisting eternity. I distantly heard Kiyome groan as well.
Connect… Destiny… Agree…
I came out of my migraine and stood up, feeling lightheaded but no worse for wear. Kiyome also stood up and shook off something. "Are you okay?" I asked.
"Just the Echo. Saw some things that answered questions and raised more." She gave me an odd look, the almost imperceptible rings around her pupil seeming to glow. "But Dark Knight causes weird things to happen."
Sigurd groaned and fell to the snow. "Sigurd!" Rielle began casting more fervently. "The Inquisitors said they would purge the heretics of the city with their own icy fire."
"What?" Kiyome growled, sounding and looking very much like a demon.
Sigurd nodded as he shakily stood up. "Yes. They infiltrated a secure part of Dravinia and intend…" He looked downwards in shame. "They intend to summon Shiva."
"Where?" In Ul'Dah, I found what true sadness from Kiyome was like. In Ishgard, I learned her capacity for hatred.
A hatred that could burn entire worlds.
-XIV-
The Fall of Dalamud had devastated the realm of Coerthas, casting it into a seemingly eternal winter. Only now that the Dragonsong War and the Eighth Calamity have passed is there a major movement to return the land to more habitable state. That starts with modernization, as I quickly found out at Camp Dragonhead.
"Hello, Old Girl!" Kiyome smiled and waved in response as we were welcomed into the fortress by a tall, Elezan man in golden armor with a shorter man in a suit. Emmanellain de Fortemps, the youngest son of House Fortemps. "And who is your fair friend?"
"Excuse me?" I blurted out. He also was an incorrigible flirt.
"She's my student from another star. Haven't you been getting my letters?"
The shorter man laughed. "If the good master could tear himself from tossing his love poems into the fire, perhaps."
Emmanellain nervously looked around and saw that others in armor were in fact laughing at him. "Perhaps we can retire inside. The Falling Snow, perhaps?" He hastily led us around a corner and into a small barracks. Over the fireplace hung a portrait of a white haired Elezan man. Kiyome and the others raised a fist and pulled it down to their chest in front of it.
A prayer, for a departed brother.
"Now, how can we of House Fortemps be of help to the Warrior of Light?"
Kiyome looked around the room. "I need to know if a Xaela in black armor, accompanied by a pre-second Elezan girl have been sighted in Ishgard recently. They were on an errand for me."
"The Dark Knight Sigurd and his associate Rielle?" Emmanellain nodded. "No, no reports of them have been made. And the Temple Knights have been on the lookout as they are known allies of yours."
"I see." Kiyome said, clearly upset with something. "Well, nothing to do but wa-" An explosion rocked the room. "The hells was that!?"
Emmanellain and his manservant both placed their heads in their hands. "Machinists…" they both drawled. "They were making upgrades to the defenses in the area."
Kiyome shook her head. "Stephan…" She gestured for me to follow outside. It didn't take long for us to find the source of the noise, a smoking pile of rubble and a thankfully only wounded cadre of soldiers. A dark haired woman was chewing them out.
"Training causing problems, Hilda?" Kiyome asked slyly.
The woman turned and I saw that she had elf ears but none of the other features of an Elezan. The woman sighed and shook her head. "A bunch of these high born brats still don't understand what being a Machinist means." She looked over at me. "Who's the kid?"
"For your information, I'm not a kid! I'm a teen!" I admit my reaction was a bit uncalled for, but it was cold and I wanted to go back inside.
"Uh huh." Hilda crossed her arms. "This your new friend I've been hearing rumors about?" Kiyome nodded and the two looked over the armored soldiers attempting to use firearms. Actual firearms not unlike our own.
"I didn't know Etheryis had guns like Earth." I said walking around and carefully looking over some on display. I heard the sound of Kiyome changing outfits and she came to stand by me, a much higher quality gun holstered over her shoulder.
"Bah! I don't know why we need to use these Twelve damned Garlean rejects! A sword and board is going to win any day!" One of the soldiers commented, to the cheers of the others. It didn't take long for them to begin a round of mockery.
I looked over at Kiyome and she nodded towards the guns. "Could one of you put armor on a target and ready a shield to block in front of it?" I asked, while going through the proper safety procedure for handling fire arms all Wards go through.
Point down range away from all people which in this case was a brick wall to my left, remove magazine or clip, unlatch and remove any rounds from the chamber, set the weapon down on the table. The weapon was completely unloaded before I touched it, but safety is safety.
I was never a fan of guns, but I took any gun safety course I could get the time for while in the Wards. 'Know the enemy' was my motto, and being around three years from leadership, I figured it was best to start learning as soon as possible. So I went about proper taking apart and cleaning the weapon as the mocking soldiers had a laugh while putting up the armored target.
I reassembled the weapon and left it unloaded as they finished. One target in mail with a shield and one in plate armor. Someone stepped up behind me and began talking excitedly to Kiyome but I paid him no mind. "Fire range ready?" I called out and waited for the soldiers to remove themselves to behind me. Some did not and I kept my hands away from the table with the gun.
"Fire range ready?" I stressed and still some didn't move. "Look, I'm not going until you people move." They japed at taking orders from a 'little girl', which given I was nearing some of their own heights was a dumb statement, but eventually relented.
"Fire range ready?" I called again.
"Clear." Came Hilda from behind me. I smiled, at least someone was smart about this stuff.
I loaded the gun and raised it as Miss Milita had trained me for dealing with rifles. My feet were braced for the recoil as I leveled first at the chain mail target. "Two rounds!" I pulled the trigger twice, feeling the weapon pulse against me.
"TWELVE FORFEND!" I head the crowd exclaim behind me. A clean hole through the shield and the mail ripped apart over the chest.
"Readying second go!" I leveled the weapon at the plate armor. "One round!" I pulled again, the bullet cleanly going through the armor. I set the weapon down and unloaded it fully. "Range is clear."
"Extraordinary! Extraordinary!" I turned to face the owner of the voice, a very tall and excitable Elezan man. "Though aether does add an extra layer of protection, the right materials may negate that." He raced over and began examining the damaged armors. "Yes, I see. Truly this should give Machinists more respect!" He turned to face me, arms wide with joy. "Dear girl, however did you know?"
I admittedly shrugged. "My world had this same issue. Once firearms came around, they completely invalidated knightly armor." I reached out my hand and he came over to shake it. "Taylor Hebert, I'm Kiyome's student."
"Ah, welcome future Warrior of Light!" Some of the soldiers that had been mocking earlier gave a silent prayer off to the side. "I am Stephanvian de Haillenarte, or Stephanvian Brightsun. I am dedicated to bringing Ishgard into the future!"
He gestured over the weapons that the soldiers were eyeing with far more caution. "During the Dragonsong War, I created the Machinists to better fight the dragons. Now that that conflict is over, many in the noble houses believe it is no longer necessary. But this!" Stephanvian dramatically gestured to the damaged armor. "This proves the old ways cannot carry us forever! We must adapt and change!"
He stepped over to a tent with a safe and opened it, revealing many perfectly cut crystals. He took one out and raced back over to me, placing it in my hands. "I'm certain you will help make my dream a reality!" Stephanvian ran over to the soldiers gathering around the armor and began excitedly discussing plans for expansion.
"Kiyome!" We both turned around and saw a young Elezan girl helping a tall… okay, giant man. He had similar scales and horns to Kiyome but they were black, his eyes had black edges instead of white, and his skin was a blue gray. If Kiyome and this man, who by the armor and sword could only be Sigurd the Dark Knight, were the average of their species then there was a dramatic sexual dimorphism.
He was leaning on the girl, Rielle, who was consistently casting healing magic from her hands. "What happened!?"
Sigurd held out a hand, a jagged crystal in it. "Former inquisitors unhappy with the current Ishgard had this. They attacked us as we tried to leave."
Kiyome gestured to me and I walked over. The crystal began to glow as I approached. It was… hauntingly beautiful. My thoughts raced through my mind as I reached out to it.
Dark Knight
Justice
Vengence
Power
Protection
I grasped it in my hand… "Argh!" My head ached. My vision swam. The sky seemed to break as stars rained down twisting eternity. I distantly heard Kiyome groan as well.
Connect… Destiny… Agree…
I came out of my migraine and stood up, feeling lightheaded but no worse for wear. Kiyome also stood up and shook off something. "Are you okay?" I asked.
"Just the Echo. Saw some things that answered questions and raised more." She gave me an odd look, the almost imperceptible rings around her pupil seeming to glow. "But Dark Knight causes weird things to happen."
Sigurd groaned and fell to the snow. "Sigurd!" Rielle began casting more fervently. "The Inquisitors said they would purge the heretics of the city with their own icy fire."
"What?" Kiyome growled, sounding and looking very much like a demon.
Sigurd nodded as he shakily stood up. "Yes. They infiltrated a secure part of Dravinia and intend…" He looked downwards in shame. "They intend to summon Shiva."
"Where?" In Ul'Dah, I found what true sadness from Kiyome was like. In Ishgard, I learned her capacity for hatred.
A hatred that could burn entire worlds.
Eorzea Debrief (A Dark Knight Rises part 2) 1.7
Xero Key
Flying high, spinning webs!
Ishgard is a beautiful city. Tall towers, glimmering knights in armor, political intrigue. Everything exactly the kind of popular fantasy that would make millions as a best seller.
But there is no way to enjoy it with Kiyome angry.
We knew, I think, that she was capable of anger. You cannot not be angry when dealing people not leaving you alone and then go and slaughter everything they know and love. Her destruction of the Empire 88 and later Leviathan is beyond well documented, so I think we thought we knew the extend of what it took to make her angry.
Gods above were we wrong.
When Kiyome destroyed Leviathan, she tapped into that primordial rage of a wild animal that we all keep buried. The deep, long hidden, primal beast that let humanity become the top of its food chain. The apex predator of every environment. For Kiyome, her training let's the beast sleep in a cage just underneath her skin.
And when she let's it prowl, everyone knows death walks among them.
Crowds of people that would normally venerate the Warrior of Light huddled along the edges of the street, praying to their gods that this specter of death direct its gaze away from them. I followed the monster that writhed, barely restrained by my friend and mentor's skin. My breath was shallow and hoarse, as silent as the birds along the parapets.
Anger beyond anger, rage beyond rage. The summoning of Shiva was no mere heresy against the world, it was a personal insult unlike any we can imagine.
We met within the offices of the Temple Knights, those of us who would hunt the former Inquisitors. I was given a necklace of dragon scale. "To protect you against Tempering." I was told. Kiyome prowled along the edges of the room, a predator angered at being delayed from its hunt.
"That someone would dare to Summon Shiva, let alone any member of the conservative factions, is insanity." Lord Chancellor Aymeric de Borel said. "Though she was considered a heretic during the War, Ysayle Dangoulain was a hero and one of Hydaelyn's Chosen. To besmirch her name like this requires immediate action."
A female Mechanist in the corner glared out from her masked hood. "People like that aren't keen to let power go. And will do anything to keep it or get it back."
Aymeric nodded. "Indeed. We had been aware that many for Inquisitors and former officials of the Church believed that my actions were an insult to Halone, and that some had considered restarting the Dragonsong War for their own personal glory. But never was it considered they would go this far."
Aymeric turned to me. "I do apologize that your visit to Ishgard came in such trying times." I gave him a nod, just as the doors to the office opened. An Elezan woman with draconic features and a halberd entered.
"Lord Chancellor, we have them."
"Thank you Heustienne." Aymeric stood up and directed to the door. "Gods willing, you can end this swiftly."
Kiyome stormed out of the office and led the party through Ishgard to the airship dock. Soon, we landed in the Dravinian Hinterlands. The area was freezing, snow falling around a forgotten temple. We stepped off and made our way into the temple, the Mechanist catching me as I slipped on icy stairs.
"Not your first time facing a Primal?" She asked. "I'm Justicia."
"Taylor. And no, I've encountered two in Eorzea." I fingered the necklace. "Hopefully this time I'm more use."
"HERETICS!" A voice rang out as we entered a frozen coliseum. "YOU HAVE SAVED US EFFORT! HERE, YOU SHALL DIE IN THE VERY FROZEN GRIP YOU ENDED THE GREAT THORDAN WITH!" An Elezan dressed like a pope on a crystal throne.
Kiyome growled, the axe on her back seeming to glow in response.
The crowd of priests rose to their feet as the leader raised his staff. "O CURSED SHIVA! REPENT FOR YOUR HERESY IN LIFE! DESTROY AS I COMMAND! GRANT THEM THE KNOWLEDGE OF THEIR FOLLY!"
A massive pillar of ice rose from the ground surrounded by dancing lights. In the center was a woman quickly growing to the size of a giant. She uncurled herself from a fetal position and stretched towards the tip of the pillar.
Her eyes opened.
*krraack!*
The pillar shattered into mites of glowing dust, and Shiva floated before us. Her hair like a crown of icicles, the giant Elezan woman looked down at Kiyome. "Mine friend... I must do as mine summoner commands..."
Kiyome ignored the Primal and focused instead on the priest who had summoned it. "Once I'm done here, I will show you..." Her eyes glowed with unholy aura I could feel even from behind her.
"Ŏ̷͙̘̰̔́̈͜B͍̫͇͌͂͂̓̾ͥL̡̹̪̬̬̾̿̀̑Ȋ̶̯͍̯͖̾ͥ̈́V̶̞̗̦̟̝ͦͮ̋Ị̧̡͚̥̭͗ͤ̕Ő̼͇̘͆̈́̿̀ͅN̠̫̺̭ͭ̄ͤ͆̊."
My head ached. Everyone's head ached. What Kiyome spoke was understood. Intimately. Inherently. It was no common tongue. It was THE common tongue.
The Warrior of Light threw their axe at the Primal and rushed it, letting the rest of us attack it from behind. The air became a swirling blizzard as ice surrounded us on all sides. It was all I could do to keep going through my mudras and press the attack.
Fire, toads, oil, my knives... everything seemed useless against chill of death hanging above me. And all the while was that sound. That hellish sound. A roar from deep within an abyss. A monster let loose upon a world and cannot be restrained by any but a god.
And Endbringer clad in my friend's skin.
In a moment's distraction, I felt my talisman be flung off my neck by a spear of ice. The Primal turned and seemed to sense my weakness, unleashed a torrent of blue energy towards me. Justicia stepped in front of me and raised a barrier that diverted the energy away.
"Go!" She ordered me, firing shots into the Primal's eyes to temporarily blind it while I scrambled for my scales. I wrapped around it my wrist just as the Primal again turned it's attention towards me. It was that moment that allowed the Warrior of Light to take its head with their axe.
The Primal fell and shattered into a thousand lights. The Warriors eyes burned like endless stars and turned their attention to those who had summoned Shiva.
"It does not matter! With crystal and prayer, the destruction of you heretics is assured!" The leader proclaimed and the crowd cheered. The Warrior of Light changed to a robe, a katana strapped to their waist.
"No." Their thumb pressed up against the hilt, unsheathing a portion of the blade. They gripped the hilt tightly and pulled it free, a blast of air expelling from it. The blade gently returned to the sheathe as the water around us calmed.
Yes, water. It dripped from the pillars and stairs, coating our feet. The ice melted in a single movement of the blade.
"Wha- what did you do!?" The leader of the terrorists cried. "Seize her! Seize her!" He turned to face his comrades, all seemingly frozen in time. "Why aren't you doing something!?!"
*click*
The blade fully entered the sheathe and the bodies fell. Fifty men and women collapsed as if their strings had been cut, finally realizing they had died when the blade had been drawn.
The Warrior of Light's shoes splashed against the water as she climbed the steps to the priest. He fell to the floor and tried to crawl away backwards as the death approached. "Please, please! Don't kill me!"
I could hear the smirk and barest hint of Kiyome's voice in the response. "Don't worry. Į̷̖̜̥͊ ͉̻̔͂̌͟w̰̭̋̉ͥ̕õ̶̡̩̲̇n̮̠̘͊̍̽'̛̟̦̱̑̒ẗ͔ͩ̀͢͏."
A dear friend, my mentor, my hero... and my nightmare. "Hey." I stopped mid-swing as Justicia called out to me. "I'm heading back to Ishgard, I wanna follow up on some leads about how those terrorists got enough crystals to summon. You in?"
I planted my sword into the ground. "Aren't the knights and... Kiyome handling that?"
Justicia scoffed. "Yeah, sure, the Temple Knights are going to let the Warrior of Light expose their friends." She upholstered her gun and fired a couple of rounds into the dummies around us. "This looks bad on them and they aren't going to let it spread, no matter how different things are." She reached out a hand to me. "Unless we expose them."
I looked at her hand, and then into the city where I knew... Kiyome was interrogating the last terrorist. I gripped the hilt of my sword tightly, causing it to creak under me.
I took Justicia's hand.
But there is no way to enjoy it with Kiyome angry.
We knew, I think, that she was capable of anger. You cannot not be angry when dealing people not leaving you alone and then go and slaughter everything they know and love. Her destruction of the Empire 88 and later Leviathan is beyond well documented, so I think we thought we knew the extend of what it took to make her angry.
Gods above were we wrong.
When Kiyome destroyed Leviathan, she tapped into that primordial rage of a wild animal that we all keep buried. The deep, long hidden, primal beast that let humanity become the top of its food chain. The apex predator of every environment. For Kiyome, her training let's the beast sleep in a cage just underneath her skin.
And when she let's it prowl, everyone knows death walks among them.
Crowds of people that would normally venerate the Warrior of Light huddled along the edges of the street, praying to their gods that this specter of death direct its gaze away from them. I followed the monster that writhed, barely restrained by my friend and mentor's skin. My breath was shallow and hoarse, as silent as the birds along the parapets.
Anger beyond anger, rage beyond rage. The summoning of Shiva was no mere heresy against the world, it was a personal insult unlike any we can imagine.
We met within the offices of the Temple Knights, those of us who would hunt the former Inquisitors. I was given a necklace of dragon scale. "To protect you against Tempering." I was told. Kiyome prowled along the edges of the room, a predator angered at being delayed from its hunt.
"That someone would dare to Summon Shiva, let alone any member of the conservative factions, is insanity." Lord Chancellor Aymeric de Borel said. "Though she was considered a heretic during the War, Ysayle Dangoulain was a hero and one of Hydaelyn's Chosen. To besmirch her name like this requires immediate action."
A female Mechanist in the corner glared out from her masked hood. "People like that aren't keen to let power go. And will do anything to keep it or get it back."
Aymeric nodded. "Indeed. We had been aware that many for Inquisitors and former officials of the Church believed that my actions were an insult to Halone, and that some had considered restarting the Dragonsong War for their own personal glory. But never was it considered they would go this far."
Aymeric turned to me. "I do apologize that your visit to Ishgard came in such trying times." I gave him a nod, just as the doors to the office opened. An Elezan woman with draconic features and a halberd entered.
"Lord Chancellor, we have them."
"Thank you Heustienne." Aymeric stood up and directed to the door. "Gods willing, you can end this swiftly."
Kiyome stormed out of the office and led the party through Ishgard to the airship dock. Soon, we landed in the Dravinian Hinterlands. The area was freezing, snow falling around a forgotten temple. We stepped off and made our way into the temple, the Mechanist catching me as I slipped on icy stairs.
"Not your first time facing a Primal?" She asked. "I'm Justicia."
"Taylor. And no, I've encountered two in Eorzea." I fingered the necklace. "Hopefully this time I'm more use."
"HERETICS!" A voice rang out as we entered a frozen coliseum. "YOU HAVE SAVED US EFFORT! HERE, YOU SHALL DIE IN THE VERY FROZEN GRIP YOU ENDED THE GREAT THORDAN WITH!" An Elezan dressed like a pope on a crystal throne.
Kiyome growled, the axe on her back seeming to glow in response.
The crowd of priests rose to their feet as the leader raised his staff. "O CURSED SHIVA! REPENT FOR YOUR HERESY IN LIFE! DESTROY AS I COMMAND! GRANT THEM THE KNOWLEDGE OF THEIR FOLLY!"
A massive pillar of ice rose from the ground surrounded by dancing lights. In the center was a woman quickly growing to the size of a giant. She uncurled herself from a fetal position and stretched towards the tip of the pillar.
Her eyes opened.
*krraack!*
The pillar shattered into mites of glowing dust, and Shiva floated before us. Her hair like a crown of icicles, the giant Elezan woman looked down at Kiyome. "Mine friend... I must do as mine summoner commands..."
Kiyome ignored the Primal and focused instead on the priest who had summoned it. "Once I'm done here, I will show you..." Her eyes glowed with unholy aura I could feel even from behind her.
"
My head ached. Everyone's head ached. What Kiyome spoke was understood. Intimately. Inherently. It was no common tongue. It was THE common tongue.
The Warrior of Light threw their axe at the Primal and rushed it, letting the rest of us attack it from behind. The air became a swirling blizzard as ice surrounded us on all sides. It was all I could do to keep going through my mudras and press the attack.
Fire, toads, oil, my knives... everything seemed useless against chill of death hanging above me. And all the while was that sound. That hellish sound. A roar from deep within an abyss. A monster let loose upon a world and cannot be restrained by any but a god.
And Endbringer clad in my friend's skin.
In a moment's distraction, I felt my talisman be flung off my neck by a spear of ice. The Primal turned and seemed to sense my weakness, unleashed a torrent of blue energy towards me. Justicia stepped in front of me and raised a barrier that diverted the energy away.
"Go!" She ordered me, firing shots into the Primal's eyes to temporarily blind it while I scrambled for my scales. I wrapped around it my wrist just as the Primal again turned it's attention towards me. It was that moment that allowed the Warrior of Light to take its head with their axe.
The Primal fell and shattered into a thousand lights. The Warriors eyes burned like endless stars and turned their attention to those who had summoned Shiva.
"It does not matter! With crystal and prayer, the destruction of you heretics is assured!" The leader proclaimed and the crowd cheered. The Warrior of Light changed to a robe, a katana strapped to their waist.
"No." Their thumb pressed up against the hilt, unsheathing a portion of the blade. They gripped the hilt tightly and pulled it free, a blast of air expelling from it. The blade gently returned to the sheathe as the water around us calmed.
Yes, water. It dripped from the pillars and stairs, coating our feet. The ice melted in a single movement of the blade.
"Wha- what did you do!?" The leader of the terrorists cried. "Seize her! Seize her!" He turned to face his comrades, all seemingly frozen in time. "Why aren't you doing something!?!"
*click*
The blade fully entered the sheathe and the bodies fell. Fifty men and women collapsed as if their strings had been cut, finally realizing they had died when the blade had been drawn.
The Warrior of Light's shoes splashed against the water as she climbed the steps to the priest. He fell to the floor and tried to crawl away backwards as the death approached. "Please, please! Don't kill me!"
I could hear the smirk and barest hint of Kiyome's voice in the response. "Don't worry. Į̷̖̜̥͊ ͉̻̔͂̌͟w̰̭̋̉ͥ̕õ̶̡̩̲̇n̮̠̘͊̍̽'̛̟̦̱̑̒ẗ͔ͩ̀͢͏."
-XIV-
Later, in the adventurer city of Idyllshire, I practiced with a great sword to begin my training with the Dark Knight crystal. The weapon was easy to master physically, but I could not focus on the magical aspects. My mind was again drawn to Kiyome, or rather, what she was.
A dear friend, my mentor, my hero... and my nightmare. "Hey." I stopped mid-swing as Justicia called out to me. "I'm heading back to Ishgard, I wanna follow up on some leads about how those terrorists got enough crystals to summon. You in?"
I planted my sword into the ground. "Aren't the knights and... Kiyome handling that?"
Justicia scoffed. "Yeah, sure, the Temple Knights are going to let the Warrior of Light expose their friends." She upholstered her gun and fired a couple of rounds into the dummies around us. "This looks bad on them and they aren't going to let it spread, no matter how different things are." She reached out a hand to me. "Unless we expose them."
I looked at her hand, and then into the city where I knew... Kiyome was interrogating the last terrorist. I gripped the hilt of my sword tightly, causing it to creak under me.
I took Justicia's hand.
Eorzean Debrief (A Dark Knight Rises part 3) 1.8
Xero Key
Flying high, spinning webs!
As a Ward, I was taught the forensic process. Though my training was limited to staged crime scenes and only on the rare occasion I was not patrolling, in school, or with Kiyome, I still felt I understood how it works.
The people of Eorzea… had not quite reached that point. They were getting there, as evidenced by a rather arrogant if affable Elezan that Kiyome knew named Brierdan being an inspector in the vein of Sherlock Holmes. But, like Holmes, most people aren't as qualified to understand the process.
Justicia seemed fine with the usual Eorzean methods of fact finding. Said methods are 'hope someone with the Echo can trigger something' or the dungeon and rack.
"It's satisfaction. Punishment for the crime, the point where lying is pointless." Justicia argued as we waited outside the makeshift interrogation chamber in Idyllshire.
"Torture is far more likely to get the answer we want to hear than the truth." I argued tiredly. My heart wasn't in it, not after seeing how personally Kiyome took the Primal's summoning.
Justicia scoffed. "And when we come back after the wild raptor chase? It's just a matter of time and escalation."
The door slammed open and Kiyome walked out. She looked at us and shook her head, then placed a couple of fingers against her horns as she walked away. Inspector Brierdan followed her out and adjusted his glasses. "Ah, Taylor and Justicia, correct? I'm sorry to say that despite our guest's absolute terror of our friend, he managed to avoid thinking about details to his actions enough to prevent Kiyome for activating the Echo."
Justicia punched her fist into her palm. "Okay, now we do this the fun way!"
"Not so fast." Brierdan warned. "Kiyome has another solution. A friend of hers… I just hope it isn't that idiot." He sighed.
Kiyone walked back in, this time with a red haired woman with a tattoo covering a good portion of her face. As she approached us, the woman groaned and held her head. "Gods damn!" She looked up at me and Justicia with pity in her eyes. "How the hells has your world survived!?"
I blinked "What?"
The woman shook her head. "Sorry. My Echo is… sensitive. Can't actually turn it off." She held out her hand. "I'm Fordola." I took it and for some reason her eyes darted between me and Justicia before shaking it.
"So, you're just going to walk in there and know where we need to look next?" Justicia asked.
"Basically. I don't like doing it, but I owe Kiyome." She nodded to the everyone in the room and then walked into the interrogation chamber. Not five minutes later, she walked out. "Vylbrand. His compatriots have been funneling crystals and 'worshippers' through Vylbrand and up along the coast of Eorzea to Dravinia."
Kiyome's eyes narrowed. "I don't like how you said worshippers."
"You shouldn't because it's exactly what it sounds like."
None of us wanted to say it, but it was Justicia that broke the silence over the room. "Slavers."
The archipelago of Vylbrand, nominally under the rule of the city-state of Limsa Lominsa. A unique government straddling the line of autocracy and democracy called a 'thalassocracy'. The Admiral is selected via competition and has full political power, but in turn the various factions can do whatever they want as long as they don't violate the few rules there are.
Fitting for a city of pirates.
"Godsdamned slavers running through my ports!?"
Slavery is one of those few truly illegal things. The current Admiral, Merlwyb Bloefhiswyn, is a very tall and beautiful Roegydan woman. And also very angry when people break the few rules she has.
The Admiral closed her eyes and slammed her fist on her desk again. "Why is it that the moment I seem to finally have this city stop being full of avaricious idiots, another storm spawns from the waves?"
"I am sorry to bring this to you. Though I'm surprised Jack hasn't made any reports about slavers yet." Kiyome said.
The Admiral shook her head. "Even the Rogues can't catch everything. Appraise them of the situation. I need to contact the Patriarchs and Clutchleaders to see if they know anything." She sat down and waved us out of the room.
"Rogues?" I questioned.
"The Rogues Guild is like, what's the term, the 'secret police'? Yes, that, of Limsa Lominsa." Kiyome said with a smile. "They keep the pirates on the same course and stop things from going too far."
She led Justicia and I down to the lowest levels of the city, where the wood boards creaked as the rippling waves brushed against them. I could feel Justica growling.
"Secret police? So the admiral can do whatever she wants."
Kiyome didn't bother to look behind her. "They are pirates. And 'whatever she wants' is No attacking each other, no attacking any ship with Eorzean flag, and no slavery. The Rogues keep that code alive."
She stopped at a door labeled as a brothel. "Uh, Kiyome?" The Roegydan male outside merely opened the door for us and let us in. Inside was not a brothel, but a pub.
"Kiyome, welcome back!" A man got up from a game of cards and went over to hug the Warrior of Light. "What brings you by?"
"No time for pleasure Jack. Slavers slipped by your nets." The whole bar went quiet. "But you do have something?"
Jack nodded and snapped his fingers, a Mi'qote came by with a letter. "Just about to bring this to the Admiral actually. Satasha's been a little more active recently, one of the newer crews took up residence. And the Sahagin didn't push them out."
Kiyome read the note and shook her head. "Satasha. Always Satasha. I feel like I'm cleaning up that grotto every day." She turned to Justicia and I, shifting into a robe with a book on her hip. "Jack's coming with us, and since you need practice with that sword Taylor, you'll be on point."
"Wait, what?"
Jack pat my shoulder as he followed Kiyome out of the bar. "You're tanking!"
"So, who are these new pirates that set up shop?" Justicia asked next to me in the back seat of Kiyome's flying car. No, she did not explain where she got the car besides 'Not Earth-Bet'.
"The Black Snake Thieves." Jacks said. "Pretty new crew, barely had a dinghy to their name when they made a flag. Wasn't sure how they were able to claim Satasha, but if they had backing from these cultists, it makes sense."
Kiyome looked over the side of the car. "We're here. Get ready." And then landed the vehicle in an opening in the sea wall. She whipped out a book and summoned two pixies beside her. "Taylor, you are on point."
"R-right." I stepped forward hesitantly. 'It's just like patrol' I told myself.
"Taylor." I looked back and Justicia stormed next to me. "Confidence! You need to make everything in here realize you are a wall! Breathe with me." She put her hands on my shoulders and closed her eyes. I did the same.
"You are the scariest thing in this grotto. Make them remember that." I repeated Justicia's words. "You are here to see real justice done." I focused on the reason I was there, stopping slavers and zealots. "Nothing will stand in our way."
Nothing could.
I opened my eyes and swung my great-sword forward. "Let's get those sons of bitches." I said, and I could feel Justicia's matching smirk as she drew her gun. I marched forward and kicked open the rotting wooden door barring our entrance to the grotto.
Immediately, some pirates and zealots charged for me and I raced swordfirst to meet them. Slamming the point of my sword into the ground, shadowy tendrils sprung around me. I grabbed bits of this Darkness from inside me and tossed it into the air, summoning a rain of lasers.
I WOULD NOT let these monsters hit innocents again. All those feelings I kept buried. Slavers and Zealots, they don't care who they hurt. They don't care who gets in their way. As long as they have power, they get to be happy!
"AARRGH!" A flash of red hair. "Take this!" The echoes of 'that's not evidence'. "Enough!" The creak of broken metal in my hands. "RAGH!"
It all burned like wildfire in my soul. A rush of wind as I plunged deep into those feelings again. "That's it! Don't hold back!" My voice was a distant ringing as if underwater. All I knew was this feeling.
This release!
One of the zealots formed a golem covered in coral, water running down it's back, and a woman collapsed as her energy was drained from her. I waited for nothing and leapt towards it, bringing my sword down on its rocky head. No. I wouldn't let these monsters keep using people! Hurting them because they had power!
More zealots. More pirates. More abominations. It became a rhythm, the beating of my heart and the swinging of my sword. I knew the others watched out for me, Kiyome keeping me alive, Jack and and Justicia bringing the slaughter as all the horrors focused on me.
A monster with the body of an ape and the head of a hammerhead shark barred our path. "Okay, I guess something survived the Calamities." Kiyome mentioned.
Justicia and I didn't care. She fire a shot at one of its eyes and I unleashed my magic. The wound grew and would not cease. It didn't take long before it was nothing but a stain on my blade.
After that, only a few agitated sprites and aetheric entities barred our path. We eventually reached a chamber designed like a coliseum. A zealot with a spear and a pirate with a hammer waited for us.
"The Warrior of Light, eh?" The pirate scoffed. "Guess I'm about to be the famous captain that brought you down. Then that bitch of an admiral! And Limsa's gonna be a paradise!"
"At ease, my fine friend." The zealot said, readying his spear. "We cannot underestimate our opponents."
Justicia leveled her gun at them. "How about you skip to the part of the monologue where you say 'why'? Then we kill you."
"Why? Because that bitch has no mind for profit!" The pirate exclaimed. "We're godsdamned pirates! We don't need no code! And I, Storming Maul, am gonna make things right!" His hammer began to spark with lightning.
The zealot smirked as they lowered their helm over their face. "There is no point in a dragoon without dragons to fight. On my name of Guienne de Albret, I will continue to exist!"
I launched myself at Maul, swinging my sword in a wide arc to catch Guienne in its wake. Whenever the dragoon tried to impale me, Kiyome or Jack kept him off balance.
Justicia… she kept focused on Maul. Peppering him over and over with superheated shots. I felt a disturbance above me then a jerk as Kiyome pulled me back just as Guienne dropped from the sky spear first right where I was standing.
"It seems we need help my friend." The dragoon commented, puling out a bottle. Maul nodded and did the same. In a swift motion, both consumed its contents and grew to giant size. Guienne began racing across the arena while Maul slammed his hammer down and made shock waves of electricity.
"Get these assholes together!" Justicia yelled and I could feel she was planning to take them both out with one shot. I drew their attention and led them straight into her line of fire. I dove to the side just before a beam of light fired out of Justicia's gun, engulfing both the pirate and zealot.
The light faded and both of our enemies were collapsed on the ground. Jack went over and knelt by them, a hand by his ear. "They're breathin'. Barely." He said, then focused on who he was calling. "Right. I'll get them packed up and shipped to the Jackets."
"Wait, we aren't ending it here!?" Justicia stomped forward. "We know they've been working together to summon Primals, ship slaves to act as fuel, and we aren't putting them down now!?"
Jack looked at both of us, then down at Maul in particular. "Given what Miss Taylor did to this man's… manliness. I can't see that helping."
"Aargh! I can't believe this! Is no one willing to do what it takes to get things done!?" I saw my… friend storm out, a glare on her face as she saw that I wasn't following.
Kiyome placed a hand on my shoulder. "Focus on the here and now. I've even got something new to teach you before we head back to Brockton Bay." I raised an eyebrow and Kiyome held up her book.
The Yellowjackets eventually arrived but I didn't feel… satisfied. Though I could use the Dark Knight's power, I felt like it was empty. I knew I needed to speak to Justicia before going home. She understood how to get the powers working.
Maybe she could help fill the hole?
The people of Eorzea… had not quite reached that point. They were getting there, as evidenced by a rather arrogant if affable Elezan that Kiyome knew named Brierdan being an inspector in the vein of Sherlock Holmes. But, like Holmes, most people aren't as qualified to understand the process.
Justicia seemed fine with the usual Eorzean methods of fact finding. Said methods are 'hope someone with the Echo can trigger something' or the dungeon and rack.
"It's satisfaction. Punishment for the crime, the point where lying is pointless." Justicia argued as we waited outside the makeshift interrogation chamber in Idyllshire.
"Torture is far more likely to get the answer we want to hear than the truth." I argued tiredly. My heart wasn't in it, not after seeing how personally Kiyome took the Primal's summoning.
Justicia scoffed. "And when we come back after the wild raptor chase? It's just a matter of time and escalation."
The door slammed open and Kiyome walked out. She looked at us and shook her head, then placed a couple of fingers against her horns as she walked away. Inspector Brierdan followed her out and adjusted his glasses. "Ah, Taylor and Justicia, correct? I'm sorry to say that despite our guest's absolute terror of our friend, he managed to avoid thinking about details to his actions enough to prevent Kiyome for activating the Echo."
Justicia punched her fist into her palm. "Okay, now we do this the fun way!"
"Not so fast." Brierdan warned. "Kiyome has another solution. A friend of hers… I just hope it isn't that idiot." He sighed.
Kiyone walked back in, this time with a red haired woman with a tattoo covering a good portion of her face. As she approached us, the woman groaned and held her head. "Gods damn!" She looked up at me and Justicia with pity in her eyes. "How the hells has your world survived!?"
I blinked "What?"
The woman shook her head. "Sorry. My Echo is… sensitive. Can't actually turn it off." She held out her hand. "I'm Fordola." I took it and for some reason her eyes darted between me and Justicia before shaking it.
"So, you're just going to walk in there and know where we need to look next?" Justicia asked.
"Basically. I don't like doing it, but I owe Kiyome." She nodded to the everyone in the room and then walked into the interrogation chamber. Not five minutes later, she walked out. "Vylbrand. His compatriots have been funneling crystals and 'worshippers' through Vylbrand and up along the coast of Eorzea to Dravinia."
Kiyome's eyes narrowed. "I don't like how you said worshippers."
"You shouldn't because it's exactly what it sounds like."
None of us wanted to say it, but it was Justicia that broke the silence over the room. "Slavers."
-XIV-
The archipelago of Vylbrand, nominally under the rule of the city-state of Limsa Lominsa. A unique government straddling the line of autocracy and democracy called a 'thalassocracy'. The Admiral is selected via competition and has full political power, but in turn the various factions can do whatever they want as long as they don't violate the few rules there are.
Fitting for a city of pirates.
"Godsdamned slavers running through my ports!?"
Slavery is one of those few truly illegal things. The current Admiral, Merlwyb Bloefhiswyn, is a very tall and beautiful Roegydan woman. And also very angry when people break the few rules she has.
The Admiral closed her eyes and slammed her fist on her desk again. "Why is it that the moment I seem to finally have this city stop being full of avaricious idiots, another storm spawns from the waves?"
"I am sorry to bring this to you. Though I'm surprised Jack hasn't made any reports about slavers yet." Kiyome said.
The Admiral shook her head. "Even the Rogues can't catch everything. Appraise them of the situation. I need to contact the Patriarchs and Clutchleaders to see if they know anything." She sat down and waved us out of the room.
"Rogues?" I questioned.
"The Rogues Guild is like, what's the term, the 'secret police'? Yes, that, of Limsa Lominsa." Kiyome said with a smile. "They keep the pirates on the same course and stop things from going too far."
She led Justicia and I down to the lowest levels of the city, where the wood boards creaked as the rippling waves brushed against them. I could feel Justica growling.
"Secret police? So the admiral can do whatever she wants."
Kiyome didn't bother to look behind her. "They are pirates. And 'whatever she wants' is No attacking each other, no attacking any ship with Eorzean flag, and no slavery. The Rogues keep that code alive."
She stopped at a door labeled as a brothel. "Uh, Kiyome?" The Roegydan male outside merely opened the door for us and let us in. Inside was not a brothel, but a pub.
"Kiyome, welcome back!" A man got up from a game of cards and went over to hug the Warrior of Light. "What brings you by?"
"No time for pleasure Jack. Slavers slipped by your nets." The whole bar went quiet. "But you do have something?"
Jack nodded and snapped his fingers, a Mi'qote came by with a letter. "Just about to bring this to the Admiral actually. Satasha's been a little more active recently, one of the newer crews took up residence. And the Sahagin didn't push them out."
Kiyome read the note and shook her head. "Satasha. Always Satasha. I feel like I'm cleaning up that grotto every day." She turned to Justicia and I, shifting into a robe with a book on her hip. "Jack's coming with us, and since you need practice with that sword Taylor, you'll be on point."
"Wait, what?"
Jack pat my shoulder as he followed Kiyome out of the bar. "You're tanking!"
-XIV-
Satasha is a grotto in the western portion of La Noscea, the primary island of Vylbrand. Since the islands has been settled, pirates and Sahagin of all types had laid claim to the grotto as a hide away.
"So, who are these new pirates that set up shop?" Justicia asked next to me in the back seat of Kiyome's flying car. No, she did not explain where she got the car besides 'Not Earth-Bet'.
"The Black Snake Thieves." Jacks said. "Pretty new crew, barely had a dinghy to their name when they made a flag. Wasn't sure how they were able to claim Satasha, but if they had backing from these cultists, it makes sense."
Kiyome looked over the side of the car. "We're here. Get ready." And then landed the vehicle in an opening in the sea wall. She whipped out a book and summoned two pixies beside her. "Taylor, you are on point."
"R-right." I stepped forward hesitantly. 'It's just like patrol' I told myself.
"Taylor." I looked back and Justicia stormed next to me. "Confidence! You need to make everything in here realize you are a wall! Breathe with me." She put her hands on my shoulders and closed her eyes. I did the same.
"You are the scariest thing in this grotto. Make them remember that." I repeated Justicia's words. "You are here to see real justice done." I focused on the reason I was there, stopping slavers and zealots. "Nothing will stand in our way."
Nothing could.
I opened my eyes and swung my great-sword forward. "Let's get those sons of bitches." I said, and I could feel Justicia's matching smirk as she drew her gun. I marched forward and kicked open the rotting wooden door barring our entrance to the grotto.
Immediately, some pirates and zealots charged for me and I raced swordfirst to meet them. Slamming the point of my sword into the ground, shadowy tendrils sprung around me. I grabbed bits of this Darkness from inside me and tossed it into the air, summoning a rain of lasers.
I WOULD NOT let these monsters hit innocents again. All those feelings I kept buried. Slavers and Zealots, they don't care who they hurt. They don't care who gets in their way. As long as they have power, they get to be happy!
"AARRGH!" A flash of red hair. "Take this!" The echoes of 'that's not evidence'. "Enough!" The creak of broken metal in my hands. "RAGH!"
It all burned like wildfire in my soul. A rush of wind as I plunged deep into those feelings again. "That's it! Don't hold back!" My voice was a distant ringing as if underwater. All I knew was this feeling.
This release!
One of the zealots formed a golem covered in coral, water running down it's back, and a woman collapsed as her energy was drained from her. I waited for nothing and leapt towards it, bringing my sword down on its rocky head. No. I wouldn't let these monsters keep using people! Hurting them because they had power!
More zealots. More pirates. More abominations. It became a rhythm, the beating of my heart and the swinging of my sword. I knew the others watched out for me, Kiyome keeping me alive, Jack and and Justicia bringing the slaughter as all the horrors focused on me.
A monster with the body of an ape and the head of a hammerhead shark barred our path. "Okay, I guess something survived the Calamities." Kiyome mentioned.
Justicia and I didn't care. She fire a shot at one of its eyes and I unleashed my magic. The wound grew and would not cease. It didn't take long before it was nothing but a stain on my blade.
After that, only a few agitated sprites and aetheric entities barred our path. We eventually reached a chamber designed like a coliseum. A zealot with a spear and a pirate with a hammer waited for us.
"The Warrior of Light, eh?" The pirate scoffed. "Guess I'm about to be the famous captain that brought you down. Then that bitch of an admiral! And Limsa's gonna be a paradise!"
"At ease, my fine friend." The zealot said, readying his spear. "We cannot underestimate our opponents."
Justicia leveled her gun at them. "How about you skip to the part of the monologue where you say 'why'? Then we kill you."
"Why? Because that bitch has no mind for profit!" The pirate exclaimed. "We're godsdamned pirates! We don't need no code! And I, Storming Maul, am gonna make things right!" His hammer began to spark with lightning.
The zealot smirked as they lowered their helm over their face. "There is no point in a dragoon without dragons to fight. On my name of Guienne de Albret, I will continue to exist!"
I launched myself at Maul, swinging my sword in a wide arc to catch Guienne in its wake. Whenever the dragoon tried to impale me, Kiyome or Jack kept him off balance.
Justicia… she kept focused on Maul. Peppering him over and over with superheated shots. I felt a disturbance above me then a jerk as Kiyome pulled me back just as Guienne dropped from the sky spear first right where I was standing.
"It seems we need help my friend." The dragoon commented, puling out a bottle. Maul nodded and did the same. In a swift motion, both consumed its contents and grew to giant size. Guienne began racing across the arena while Maul slammed his hammer down and made shock waves of electricity.
"Get these assholes together!" Justicia yelled and I could feel she was planning to take them both out with one shot. I drew their attention and led them straight into her line of fire. I dove to the side just before a beam of light fired out of Justicia's gun, engulfing both the pirate and zealot.
The light faded and both of our enemies were collapsed on the ground. Jack went over and knelt by them, a hand by his ear. "They're breathin'. Barely." He said, then focused on who he was calling. "Right. I'll get them packed up and shipped to the Jackets."
"Wait, we aren't ending it here!?" Justicia stomped forward. "We know they've been working together to summon Primals, ship slaves to act as fuel, and we aren't putting them down now!?"
Jack looked at both of us, then down at Maul in particular. "Given what Miss Taylor did to this man's… manliness. I can't see that helping."
"Aargh! I can't believe this! Is no one willing to do what it takes to get things done!?" I saw my… friend storm out, a glare on her face as she saw that I wasn't following.
Kiyome placed a hand on my shoulder. "Focus on the here and now. I've even got something new to teach you before we head back to Brockton Bay." I raised an eyebrow and Kiyome held up her book.
The Yellowjackets eventually arrived but I didn't feel… satisfied. Though I could use the Dark Knight's power, I felt like it was empty. I knew I needed to speak to Justicia before going home. She understood how to get the powers working.
Maybe she could help fill the hole?
Eorzean Debrief (A Dark Knight Rises finale) 1.9
Xero Key
Flying high, spinning webs!
The next time I saw Justicia, it was in Mor Dhona. Kiyome wanted me to relax at the Rising Stones and I saw her sitting at a table one day I walked out into the Seventh Heaven.
"Justicia!" She looked up at me and I was surprised by her glare. "Is there something wrong?"
"'Is there something wrong?' She asks. Of course there is." She stood up, a cold, empty feeling gripping my heart. "You aren't fighting."
"What?"
"I thought for sure you understood in Sastasha. The need to do what was necessary. But I was wrong." She walked out of the pub and I followed her, confusion and… anger… compelling me forward.
"Necessary!? I always did what was necessary!"
"And some people still live when they shouldn't!"
We stopped around the large corrupted crystal swirl that made up the background of the original Camp Revenant's Toll. "I can't be judge, jury, and executioner for every slaver and zealot around!"
"Ha!" Justicia barked. "Slavers? Zealots? Criminals? You really think that's what I'm talking about!?" She jumped onto one of the spires, glaring down in visibly radiating rage.
"What about the Protectorate? The PRT? Sophia?"
The feeling of my twisted flute filled my hand as I balled a fist. "I can't just lash out at the whole world! …Wait…" My eyes widened as I saw Justicia's cloud of anger billow. "I never told anyone but Kiyome about that. How would an Eorzean know!?"
Justicia held her head in her hands. "Are you fucking kidding me!? How!? How are you this dumb!? How in the hells did this fucking mask even keep my body alive!? Nothing this idiotic could have a sense of self-preservation!"
"Your body?"
"Yes my body!" She screamed, the cloud of rage coalescing into dark armor with a shadow filled sword on her back. "For gods' sake, 'Justcia'? Justice? Seriously!?" She pulled at her hood and veil, tearing off and letting her long black hair flow freely. Her eyes shone with anger barely stifled by the glasses on my face.
"My name is Taylor Hebert, and I am taking my life back!"
I barely drew my own sword as Just- Me launched herself downwards. The metal of out blades rang like a thousand church bells upon contact, the guillotine like tip of My Shadow's scratching at my forehead. We broke apart and again my Shadow was on the offense, never letting up.
"What? Was that one damn fight enough!? She wouldn't have stopped even if I fucking Triggered!"
it wasn't a fight I could win.
"Glory Girl couldn't even stop me!"
But the Triumverate could.
"For how long!? Even Alexandria needs to breathe!"
Back and forth our blades went. Beat by beat my heart pounded. Was I fighting for my life? Our life? Was I denying a piece of myself all this time? Was I ignoring my logic in reason in favor of my heart?
Kiyome would stop me.
"When!? 'Echo' didn't do a damn thing about anything until it literally comes knocking at her door!"
Because she's a hero.
"So was Shadow Stalker!"
I was right and I knew it. Deeper and deeper I dove. Id and Superego, Heart and Mind. An endless spiral into the abyss. The tears ran down my face as a storm broke open. I was drowning.
"Dad needed me!"
He ran away before I ever did anything!
"The fight wasn't worth it!"
Nothing will change if we don't start!
"And how many innocents will get caught in it!?"
There are no innocents in a corrupt system.
Back and forth, swing and swing, beat and beat. Noise upon noise in an argument I had every night since I learned the truth.
I… hate the Protectorate. I hate the PRT. I hate everything where suffering, no matter how small, is ignored just because it's easier for the world to move on!
"I hate them!"
They need to pay!
"I know I'm not alone feeling like this!"
It's impossible!
"They don't care about more than staying alive!"
I want to live!
The swings slowed. I was out of breath. I felt warm for the first time in my life, light as a feather. The smile on my face threatened to break it in two. "And now I'm going home to do what needs to be done." The words spilled from my mouth, but I didn't care.
But what about Missy? The weak part of me argued. "She never reported Stalker's behavior. If she stays out of my way, she'll survive."
I walked past the mask that had finally fallen onto the ground. I scoffed, I shouldn't have ever made that dumb thing and just done things my own way. "w…what about Kiyome?" I stopped in surprise and turned to look at the mask pushing itself back onto its feet. "Do you really think she won't stop me? With all I know now?"
I couldn't atop the shiver that filled my body. The roar echoing across an icy cavern in my ears.
"Do you really think she cares so little about Brockton Bay she won't follow me?" I asked myself. "That she won't stop me?"
Crystalline flesh and ichor pouring out like oil on the raging surf in pounding rain.
"I know Kiyome would stand in our path."
She couldn't do anything less.
"I wanted to be a hero when I grew up, like Alexandria."
Like Kiyome…
"Does a hero take vengeance?" I didn't know. I couldn't know. It felt so right! To finally be free of these damn shackles!
But I couldn't fight the whole world.
As strong as I am.
I'm not Her.
She would stop me.
She should stop me.
I hate this!
I hate these rules! This whole system!
It's unfair for people to suffer because it's easy!
But… I can't stop it just by burning it to the ground, I thought as I gazed into the mirror standing before me. "What comes after?" The question slipped between my teeth.
Beat by beat my heart steadied. Breath by breath the chilling winds filled my lungs and pushed my breath away.
"I don't want to hide anymore."
"I won't."
The shadowy sword was planted into the ground. I laid my hands over my hands on the handle. "I won't hide anymore." I lifted the sword up and rested it on my shoulder, the wisps of my mirror vanishing into the settling aether.
"It doesn't get any easier." Kiyome said as she came to stand next to me. Her own sword was planted in the ground and she rested her hands on the pommel. "That part of you… you have to let it out, but you also have to temper it."
"Temper?"
"Like steel being forged. The abyss a Dark Knight draws from needs something to keep it from overwhelming them."
I sheathed my sword on my back and looked at her. "And what's that?"
She smiled sadly and for a second I saw another at her back. "You have to learn that for yourself."
"I came back alongside Kiyome not long after. I filled out all my reports, submitted all the photos I took, gave the documents I brought back to be scanned and distributed." Taylor finished her third bottle of water since the session began.
The directors looked around at each other, all trying to decide who should say what. Their thoughts were clear on their faces, the Dark Knight worried them.
'As they should.' Part of Taylor thought.
Even Director Glenn Chambers of Public Image was worried. After all the profits from the Dark Knight Mirage figure could be easily tainted by the public learning exactly what it entails. Not to mention a Ward being outspoken in her loathing of the system she's a part of.
"…Thank you Mirage." The Chief Director finally said. I can't say I'm pleased with how these sessions have gone, but it has been informative." Costa-Brown removed her glasses and rubbed tired eyes. "It's clear that communication with Eorzea must begin soon. I also believe the last portion of this conference must be redacted. It would be… unfortunate if the powers Mirage now possesses fell into the hands of one less concerned with collateral."
Everyone nodded and the session ended. Taylor was sent to her father's office on the docks. When she got there, she found Kiyome with four other residents of Eorzea talking to her dad in the foyer of the offices
"What's going on?" Taylor asked entering the room. Everyone turned to look at her: Kiyome, her father, a Roegadyn male, a Lalafel male, a normal sized man with white hand a bear wearing goggles on his forehead, and tall blonde man in sun glasses with a crystal on his forehead.
"You must be Taylor. I'm Cid Garlond, head of Garlong Ironworks." He spoke in only slightly accented English. "We're here to finish Kiyome's efforts on a transit system." He gestured to the others with him. "These are Biggs," the Roegadyn nodded. "and Wedge," the Lalafel gave a cheery wave. "And this is-"
"I can introduce myself Garlond." The blonde said in a heavier accent than Cid. "Nero tol Scaeva. Consultant on tougher projects for Garlond Ironworks. An interstellar, stable transit is just the sort of work Garlond cannot handle alone."
Cid growled but Danny interrupted before a brawl could break out. "Yes, thank you. Taylor, they know that most of the docks are pretty much scrapyards, so they came to me to go over the ledgers of open areas to work with. We think we may have the perfect spot for a station!"
Then the sirens outside sounded. Danny flipped on the emergency radio on by the coffee machine. "-firmed. Simurgh descent over the South Pacific confirmed. Proceed to shelters immediately."
Danny looked at Taylor. "You are not going."
"But dad, I'm-"
Kiyome put a hand on her shoulder. "No, he's right. This thing Tempers, right? We don't know if that gift you picked up will work. I know I'm safe, I'll take care of it." The Warrior of Light left the office and the rest of us went over the paperwork as we waited.
Barely thirty minutes later, the radio reported the Simurgh retreated as soon as Echo arrived on the field.
"Justicia!" She looked up at me and I was surprised by her glare. "Is there something wrong?"
"'Is there something wrong?' She asks. Of course there is." She stood up, a cold, empty feeling gripping my heart. "You aren't fighting."
"What?"
"I thought for sure you understood in Sastasha. The need to do what was necessary. But I was wrong." She walked out of the pub and I followed her, confusion and… anger… compelling me forward.
"Necessary!? I always did what was necessary!"
"And some people still live when they shouldn't!"
We stopped around the large corrupted crystal swirl that made up the background of the original Camp Revenant's Toll. "I can't be judge, jury, and executioner for every slaver and zealot around!"
"Ha!" Justicia barked. "Slavers? Zealots? Criminals? You really think that's what I'm talking about!?" She jumped onto one of the spires, glaring down in visibly radiating rage.
"What about the Protectorate? The PRT? Sophia?"
The feeling of my twisted flute filled my hand as I balled a fist. "I can't just lash out at the whole world! …Wait…" My eyes widened as I saw Justicia's cloud of anger billow. "I never told anyone but Kiyome about that. How would an Eorzean know!?"
Justicia held her head in her hands. "Are you fucking kidding me!? How!? How are you this dumb!? How in the hells did this fucking mask even keep my body alive!? Nothing this idiotic could have a sense of self-preservation!"
"Your body?"
"Yes my body!" She screamed, the cloud of rage coalescing into dark armor with a shadow filled sword on her back. "For gods' sake, 'Justcia'? Justice? Seriously!?" She pulled at her hood and veil, tearing off and letting her long black hair flow freely. Her eyes shone with anger barely stifled by the glasses on my face.
"My name is Taylor Hebert, and I am taking my life back!"
I barely drew my own sword as Just- Me launched herself downwards. The metal of out blades rang like a thousand church bells upon contact, the guillotine like tip of My Shadow's scratching at my forehead. We broke apart and again my Shadow was on the offense, never letting up.
"What? Was that one damn fight enough!? She wouldn't have stopped even if I fucking Triggered!"
it wasn't a fight I could win.
"Glory Girl couldn't even stop me!"
But the Triumverate could.
"For how long!? Even Alexandria needs to breathe!"
Back and forth our blades went. Beat by beat my heart pounded. Was I fighting for my life? Our life? Was I denying a piece of myself all this time? Was I ignoring my logic in reason in favor of my heart?
Kiyome would stop me.
"When!? 'Echo' didn't do a damn thing about anything until it literally comes knocking at her door!"
Because she's a hero.
"So was Shadow Stalker!"
I was right and I knew it. Deeper and deeper I dove. Id and Superego, Heart and Mind. An endless spiral into the abyss. The tears ran down my face as a storm broke open. I was drowning.
"Dad needed me!"
He ran away before I ever did anything!
"The fight wasn't worth it!"
Nothing will change if we don't start!
"And how many innocents will get caught in it!?"
There are no innocents in a corrupt system.
Back and forth, swing and swing, beat and beat. Noise upon noise in an argument I had every night since I learned the truth.
I… hate the Protectorate. I hate the PRT. I hate everything where suffering, no matter how small, is ignored just because it's easier for the world to move on!
"I hate them!"
They need to pay!
"I know I'm not alone feeling like this!"
It's impossible!
"They don't care about more than staying alive!"
I want to live!
The swings slowed. I was out of breath. I felt warm for the first time in my life, light as a feather. The smile on my face threatened to break it in two. "And now I'm going home to do what needs to be done." The words spilled from my mouth, but I didn't care.
But what about Missy? The weak part of me argued. "She never reported Stalker's behavior. If she stays out of my way, she'll survive."
I walked past the mask that had finally fallen onto the ground. I scoffed, I shouldn't have ever made that dumb thing and just done things my own way. "w…what about Kiyome?" I stopped in surprise and turned to look at the mask pushing itself back onto its feet. "Do you really think she won't stop me? With all I know now?"
I couldn't atop the shiver that filled my body. The roar echoing across an icy cavern in my ears.
"Do you really think she cares so little about Brockton Bay she won't follow me?" I asked myself. "That she won't stop me?"
Crystalline flesh and ichor pouring out like oil on the raging surf in pounding rain.
"I know Kiyome would stand in our path."
She couldn't do anything less.
"I wanted to be a hero when I grew up, like Alexandria."
Like Kiyome…
"Does a hero take vengeance?" I didn't know. I couldn't know. It felt so right! To finally be free of these damn shackles!
But I couldn't fight the whole world.
As strong as I am.
I'm not Her.
She would stop me.
She should stop me.
I hate this!
I hate these rules! This whole system!
It's unfair for people to suffer because it's easy!
But… I can't stop it just by burning it to the ground, I thought as I gazed into the mirror standing before me. "What comes after?" The question slipped between my teeth.
Beat by beat my heart steadied. Breath by breath the chilling winds filled my lungs and pushed my breath away.
"I don't want to hide anymore."
"I won't."
The shadowy sword was planted into the ground. I laid my hands over my hands on the handle. "I won't hide anymore." I lifted the sword up and rested it on my shoulder, the wisps of my mirror vanishing into the settling aether.
"It doesn't get any easier." Kiyome said as she came to stand next to me. Her own sword was planted in the ground and she rested her hands on the pommel. "That part of you… you have to let it out, but you also have to temper it."
"Temper?"
"Like steel being forged. The abyss a Dark Knight draws from needs something to keep it from overwhelming them."
I sheathed my sword on my back and looked at her. "And what's that?"
She smiled sadly and for a second I saw another at her back. "You have to learn that for yourself."
-XIV-
"I came back alongside Kiyome not long after. I filled out all my reports, submitted all the photos I took, gave the documents I brought back to be scanned and distributed." Taylor finished her third bottle of water since the session began.
The directors looked around at each other, all trying to decide who should say what. Their thoughts were clear on their faces, the Dark Knight worried them.
'As they should.' Part of Taylor thought.
Even Director Glenn Chambers of Public Image was worried. After all the profits from the Dark Knight Mirage figure could be easily tainted by the public learning exactly what it entails. Not to mention a Ward being outspoken in her loathing of the system she's a part of.
"…Thank you Mirage." The Chief Director finally said. I can't say I'm pleased with how these sessions have gone, but it has been informative." Costa-Brown removed her glasses and rubbed tired eyes. "It's clear that communication with Eorzea must begin soon. I also believe the last portion of this conference must be redacted. It would be… unfortunate if the powers Mirage now possesses fell into the hands of one less concerned with collateral."
Everyone nodded and the session ended. Taylor was sent to her father's office on the docks. When she got there, she found Kiyome with four other residents of Eorzea talking to her dad in the foyer of the offices
"What's going on?" Taylor asked entering the room. Everyone turned to look at her: Kiyome, her father, a Roegadyn male, a Lalafel male, a normal sized man with white hand a bear wearing goggles on his forehead, and tall blonde man in sun glasses with a crystal on his forehead.
"You must be Taylor. I'm Cid Garlond, head of Garlong Ironworks." He spoke in only slightly accented English. "We're here to finish Kiyome's efforts on a transit system." He gestured to the others with him. "These are Biggs," the Roegadyn nodded. "and Wedge," the Lalafel gave a cheery wave. "And this is-"
"I can introduce myself Garlond." The blonde said in a heavier accent than Cid. "Nero tol Scaeva. Consultant on tougher projects for Garlond Ironworks. An interstellar, stable transit is just the sort of work Garlond cannot handle alone."
Cid growled but Danny interrupted before a brawl could break out. "Yes, thank you. Taylor, they know that most of the docks are pretty much scrapyards, so they came to me to go over the ledgers of open areas to work with. We think we may have the perfect spot for a station!"
Then the sirens outside sounded. Danny flipped on the emergency radio on by the coffee machine. "-firmed. Simurgh descent over the South Pacific confirmed. Proceed to shelters immediately."
Danny looked at Taylor. "You are not going."
"But dad, I'm-"
Kiyome put a hand on her shoulder. "No, he's right. This thing Tempers, right? We don't know if that gift you picked up will work. I know I'm safe, I'll take care of it." The Warrior of Light left the office and the rest of us went over the paperwork as we waited.
Barely thirty minutes later, the radio reported the Simurgh retreated as soon as Echo arrived on the field.