Hydaelyn. A mysterious world few have ever visited, occupied by millions. This beautiful planet is a mystical place in which gods and man interact. An unseen web of life force known as aether quietly moves before the planet's surface, influencing all of creation. The existence of this aether gives rise to many things, from catastrophic earthquakes and floods known as "Calamities" to simpler things such as allowing one to heal an injured friend or cast an orb of fire from a mystic staff. The use of aether has given rise to many nations, each with its own magics, and heroes. However, some heroes, destined to save all of Hydaelyn, have been called "Warriors of Light". This is a tale of one such group.
In the far Eastern regions of Hydaelyn rests a long island chain nation known as Hingashi. Within the city state is the flourishing port city of Kugane. A beautiful city with large ships, bathhouses, trade ports, and wooden towers reaching far into the sky. A place in which ninja freely jump from rooftop to rooftop in the middle of the night, while during the day merchants and samurai alike roam the city streets in order to carve out a humble life for themselves and those they hold dear. On the other side of Hydaelyn, far from this bustling trade city, rests Eorzea. An alliance of various city states who with the help of brave heroes known simply as "adventurers" and their collective groups called "Free Companies" have time and time again been forced to fight beastial summons known as Primals who threaten to destroy not simply Eorzea nor Hingashi, but all of Hydaelyn itself! Recently, in fact, the adventurers had defeated a massive dragon like primal called Shinryu, as well as a mechanical superweapon from a distant star known only as Omega. Now, in both Eorzea and Hingashi, adventurers have started rebuilding the lives they once had before various wars against the ruthless Garlean Empire, a nation so powerful they swore to conquer all of Hydaelyn, had torn the realms asunder.
Unfortunately, while things had settled down in Eorzea, in other parts of the world far more sinister machinations had begun. On a small island south of the merchant nation of Thavnair, in a downpour so strong it threatened to carve the tiny island in twain, a single adventurer moved along a jagged cliff. Far below him stretched an ancient forest, and above him a small plateau in what was a great mountain chain. Dressed in the traditional green and red robes of a Summoner, the man used a green and gold book with a beautiful gem protruding from the top, in order to provide his face with what little protection he could from the rain. The adventurer's name was Nobutaka Fairclough, leader of the Free Company known as Lunar Haven. His long, gray hair had been pulled back into a small ponytail. His young face and relatively average physique seemed ill suited for the rigorous demands of the mountain. Yet something drove the blue eyed adventurer forward. Like a man possessed he still moved forward, despite tripping and sliding back down the uneven terrain or cutting himself on the rocky edges of the trail. By his side a small, blue, glowing rabbit like creature known as a carbuncle accompanied him. Contrary to its innocent looks, it was a powerful summon made of aether derived from Nobutaka's own soul.
As thunder cracked and lightning illuminated the path before him Nobutaka gritted his teeth. "Great, this storm isn't letting up any time soon." He lamented, scanning the horizon only to see nothing but black clouds in the distance. His normally well kept summoner robes had already been frayed and tattered by the storm, thus allowing the majority of the cold drops to hit his flesh. Sneezing hard he rubbed his nose with the sleeve of his robes and kept pushing forward. Eventually he arrived at the top of the summit. He had come to the island for a very specific purpose, and now that purpose stood in front of him. A young woman with feline features stood before him. She had the sharp eyes one would expect of a warrior, with perked up ears and dark blue hair. Her blue tail waving about from a small hole in the backside of the magitek armor that covered her skin. It was black and white with various rare gems woven into the metal fibers in order to better transmit aether throughout the body. The style was common for adventurers who wished to conserve aether throughout long battles. In her hand was a fierce greatsword that appeared to be made of the same ancient machinery as her outfit. It whirled a bit around a large gem in the middle of the blade, clearly showing its ability to turn into a drill if need be. Looking shocked Nobutaka called out to her.
"Sapphire, is it really you? I..., you… you vanished so suddenly! We thought something happened to you!" He called out franticly, tears visibly streaming down his face even in the rain showing his great grief.
Yet as the woman before him turned around her eyes held no such feelings. Gazing coldly at him her words rang clear even in the thunder ridden downpour. "I see you made it up here, I am impressed. I didn't think Doman scum were capable of such feats."
Shocked at the harsh words his former friend threw at him, Nobutaka recoiled. His face turned pale as the carbuncle next to him flattened its body, letting out a hissing noise as the red gem on its forehead began to glow and it's ears lay flat against it's back. As Nobutaka tried to protest her words the woman was already on the move. Deftly bringing her sword up high and slicing it down without remorse. If not for his keen battle instincts telling him to evade to the side the man would have surely been cleaved in two. Looking up in shock he yelled, pleading, "Stop! Have you gone mad? Its me, Nobu!," though the words seemed to have no effect. As soon as the sword had struck nothing but air she had already spun her foot around, the toe of which had caught the summoner by the side of the face flinging him across the top of the pass.
"I am well aware of who you are. However, I have no business with a wretched Doman. Now prepare for your end."
As she charged again aether gathered in the summoner's hand with a triangular bolt of energy striking the woman dead center, forcing multi-colored chains to bind her feet. A technique known as "tri-bind" that Summoners often used to halt a fleeing foe. With a bit of a laugh a yellow energy covered the woman for a few moments, destroying the bindings as she suddenly lept forward and cut the Summoner deep. As Nobutaka tried to raise his arms to block her next attack dark energies gathered in her palm and blasted him backwards. It was clear that her powers as a Dark Knight had become stronger since they had last seen one another a year ago. Coughing up a bit of blood Nobutaka glared, holding his wound with his hand.
"I don't know what has possessed you but so be it." He said with gritted teeth as he launched a powerful blast of energy at her. Blocking with her sword the woman found herself pushed back before leaping again. This time as she landed in front of him she stabbed the broadsword right at his heart. Though, before the tip of the blade could reach it's mark, a loud cry echoed throughout the air. The carbuncle had skewered itself upon the blade in order to protect it's master. As it began to lose energy it shifted to its' true form, a red avatar of the Primal Ifrit, before bursting in a glorious explosion of flames. The swirling flames seemed to consume the Dark Knight as Nobutaka looked on in horror. However, as the flames dispersed, only some of the woman's clothing had been destroyed, leaving a few burn marks decorating her flesh. The moment Nobutaka regained his composure he lifted his book in order to prepare to summon another servant. However a quick swipe of the broadsword cut the book clean in half. Just as the tome fell to the ground the enchanted pages started to burn with green and white aether even as she continued her approach.
Crying out in a mix of sorrow and rage Nobutaka's entire body began to glow a purple hue. In that moment the visage of the Elder Primal Bahamut, an otherwise large dragon, appeared to consume his entire body. Levitating for a moment his eyes had become that of an enraged dragon glaring down upon her. Even the Dark Knight was stunned by the sight. Even as Nobutaka raised his hand gathering more and more aether to swirl in front of his palm a new voice joined the battle casting a far too familiar spell.
"TRIPLE FLARE!," the voice boomed. Before the great beast's energy could be unleashed, from the now transformed Nobutaka, three large explosions consumed the Summoner and the part of the cliff in which he was standing on with Sapphire swiftly moving backwards from the blast zone. Nobutaka screamed in pain whilst even the cliff beneath him melted away. Both he and the flaming pages of his Summoner's book fell far down the cliff side, slamming into and bouncing off jagged rocks along the way down before finally falling deep into the forest below until he was no longer visible from the large cliff face. The Dark Knight turned towards the Black Mage. Dressed in similar magitek robes and holding a mechanical staff with a large gem at the top, the mage looked rather unimpressed. This Black Mage was known as Elo. With half her body colored white and the other a deep black the Au Ra woman was a strange sight to behold. Yet her raw power was undeniable.
"That wasn't necessary." Sapphire said bluntly. Gripping her sword the woman glared. However, the Au Ra simply shook her head in denial.
"You wasted too much time. We have other things to do besides toy with a worthless Doman." With that said the two left the cliffside. While far below them the once valiant hero Nobutaka lay on his back, a massive gash on his sternum forced to stay open due to violet colored energy along the wounds edges while the rest of his body badly singed and next to him, his book which continued to burn as he slowly passed out, thinking of his former friends.