Chapter 11: Heart of Ice
Alphinaud was soon awoken by the sounds of people moving about him. He opened his eyes blurrily to see that the others were awake and there was already a small breakfast cooking over a tiny fire. The sun was shining above him, helping to warm him up despite the cold that he felt, though he was having a hard time trying to tell just how early it was as he pushed himself up into a sitting position.
Claire was at the cooking pot as Moghan was looking over her shoulder at whatever it was she was stirring, as he talked animatedly about what he was thinking about already.
"The campfire was so cozy... I must have fallen asleep, kupo," he said happily, bobbing around in the air as he felt the wind with his little wings. "But do you feel how the winds have shifted!? They will have borne Hraesvelgr back to the skies above Zenith ─ I'm sure of it! This is your chance to climb to the highest floor of the palace, and summon him with a toot on that shiny horn!"
Alphinaud turned his head around to look at the desolate surroundings before he realized that Moghan was right in that the harsh wind had died down greatly since last night. This was good, for he was worried that they would be forced to keep waiting for who knows how long, seeing how everything they have done so far has ended in some sort of setback.
"So, uh...I-I'll be heading back now, if it's all the same to you," Moghan muttered nervously, once he seemed to realize that now was the time to continue onwards to the Zenith. "Good luck, kupo! It was nice knowing you!"
As Alphinaud pushed himself up to his feet, he watched as the little moogle went flying away, most likely looking for the cover of Moghome. It was clear to him that Moghan thought that this meeting was not going to go well for them.
"Good riddance," Estinien muttered in annoyance and he turned to see the Dragoon sitting comfortably up on the fallen pillar as he watched Moghan fly off. "I've been dreaming about what I would like to do to him and all the others."
"Estinien," Ysayle warned as Alphinaud approached them, feeling more well-rested then he had felt in a long time. Thinking that he may have to sleep outside more often, he quickly stepped between the two so that they could avoid another fight. Thankfully, Claire helped to cool the air by producing a very simple breakfast for them all. It was a stew very much like the one they had last night, poured into little bowls for each of them; but better than nothing.
"I trust you are well-rested, Claire?" he asked as she handed him a bowl and she nodded. "Good. If we are to parley with Hraesvelgr, we shall each have need of the full complement of our wits."
"Whenever you are ready, Warrior of Light," Estinien answered, swallowing his stew in just one great gulp and then wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "Full eager am I to gaze upon this great wyrm."
"We must succeed in winning Hraesvelgr to our cause," Ysayle whispered before she added quietly to herself so quietly that he could hardly make out her words, "Lend me your resolve, Saint Shiva..."
After finishing their meal and putting out the fire, they continued onwards to the west where the sparkling building continued to stand over them, making even some of Ishgard's towers seem like nothing in comparison.
Alphinaud just continued to be struck at the sheer beauty that such a structure could exist. "So this is the place..." he whispered, thinking that they would, at long last, meet with Hraesvelgr. They walked through the broken archway to where they spotted an ancient aetheryte that he was astonished to see still spinning and sparkling with aether… showing that it was still functional.
He pointed it out to them, and they were just as surprised as he was as they traveled across the worn steps, through the ancient arch and over fallen stone towards a winding ramp. They walked up to what look to them as some sort of platform that was surely large enough for a dragon to land upon and they gathered upon it… this was the moment…
"It is time, Warrior of Light," Estinien looked to Claire, who had pulled out the glittering, little horn. She nodded back to him just as Alphinaud heard Ysayle mutter another quick prayer to Shiva from next to him. Claire stepped forward, taking a deep breath as she did so, before she then blew hard on the little trumpet. The sound of it rang out across the landscape in a melody rather than just a single not. One that sang beautifully, yet also so sadly… it was almost as if it had a life of its own…
They waited for a moment… and that was when it happened… a voice called from the very heavens themselves as the bright blue sky was suddenly overtaken by a sudden gush of clouds, they came out of nowhere and swirled around them like they were in the middle of Garuda's tempest.
"Mortals... Why do you disturb my solitude?" this voice called deeply. All four of them looked around anxiously, wondering what was going to happen… that was when they spotted him…
They heard the beating of his great wings first… and then a dragon… one far larger than any other he had seen, appeared—riding upon the winds with swooping grace that did not fit such a size…
The great wyrm circled around them just once as he slowly turned to ride the current down towards them. With an almighty crash he landed right in front of them, the weight of his body causing the entire foundation to shake. They all stared up in shock and amazement as they got their first look at Hraesvelgr…
A large, slender white dragon with his head extended from a crane-like neck, with four forward facing horns. As for his wings, Alphinaud saw that there were feathers at the tips were the color of whitish-blue, while those on his head appeared black-tipped. And a single golden eye was gazing down at them, while the other was an empty eye-socket.
"Hraesvelgr..." Alphinaud gulped in shock.
"Thou speakest the name of a creature that but awaiteth the release of oblivion. Leave me..." he had replied.
Alphinaud gapped like a fish as his hands went up to his ears.
"By the Twelve..." he muttered in awe. The sound of his voice was ancient and dripped with wisdom and power. For though he spoke in a language that made no sense to his ears… however, at the same time he understood his words as clearly as if it had been spoken in a tongue he knew. "Mine ears hear the tongue of dragons, yet the meaning rings clear within my mind... How can that be...?"
All he could rationalize is that the will behind his words so undeniable that it transcended his ignorance of the dragons' language… at least that was his best guess at the moment.
Ysayle stepped forward to address him this time.
"Hraesvelgr... do you not remember me?" she asked in a tone of nothing but awe and respect. "'Twas I whom you found in Dravania ─ I who glimpsed the truth." She then stretched her arms out as she added, "The truth about your past, about Shiva─"
But as soon as she had said that name, Hraesvelgr's one eye widen in shock and anger before he let out a roar that sent waves of terror down Alphinaud's body.
"Do not speak her name, mortal!" he roared and the others had to steady themselves to keep them from being knocked over.
"But speak it I must!" Ysayle cried up imploringly at him, "I have summoned Shiva's soul from the beyond, and offered myself as her vessel! She has made her heart known to me!"
"Foolish girl," Hraesvelgr answered darkly, not the least bit impressed. "Thinkest thou my beloved's spirit hath descended from the heavens!? That the secrets of her heart are thine to know!?"
His beloved? So the story that Ysayle told them all before was true after all…
But Ysayle was shaking her head as she pleaded, "I have surrendered mine to her! Do you not see, my love? I am Shiva reborn!"
Hraesvelgr closed his one eye in a way that clearly said that he didn't believe that for a moment.
"Gullible fool..." he said, and this time, he sounded almost like he pitied her. "The Light but illuminated the past for thee, it did not grant thee omniscience. The spirit thou hast summoned belongeth not to Shiva ─ 'tis but a shade conjured by thine own fancy."
Alphinaud stared up at him. A shade? A shadow? Of what? If it wasn't Shiva's soul that Ysayle summoned… then what was it?
"In an age long past, mine own kin were guilty of like folly," Hraesvelgr explained. "Beguiled by the dark ones' lies, they attempted to resurrect a king amongst wyrms ─ yet the divinity they called forth merely borrowed the semblance of my fallen brood-brother. Such gods are not summoned, but created. Phantoms spun from the threads of misplaced faith."
Alphinaud's eyes widen as he realized that he spoke of Bahamut! Yet… what did this all mean? That the primal Bahamut wasn't the same Bahamut that had been his brood brother? But simply took on his form and name? But then… if that was true, what the primal to begin with?!
Ysayle just stared at him as she slowly began to grasp the truth of what was being said.
"Then…" she whispered, her lips trembling as her eyes began to mist up, "The spirit that answered me...?"
"...Was but thy dream of Shiva," Hraesvelgr finished for her, "Thy soul hath been corrupted by a deity of thine own making, child."
Ysayle just stood there, frozen in shock, before she collapsed to her knees, and Alphinaud suspected that she was close to crying, if she wasn't doing so already. All that she had believed in… was crumbling around her into dust… it was like everything that she had fought for had been shattered like a mirror, right in front of her.
Claire stepped forward with a worried expression on her face, looking like she wanted to comfort her, yet no words seemed to be able to reach Ysayle at that moment.
Alphinaud looked back up at Hraesvelgr as he bravely took a few steps forward, remembering the reason they had come here to begin with. He then spoke in a voice that rang with a calmness that he did not feel, "Be that as it may, Lord Hraesvelgr, Ysayle's desire to heal the rift between man and dragon is real, and it has borne us this far. We would spare both our kind and yours the ravages of this senseless war! Pray join your voice to ours in a call for peace and forgiveness!"
He was breathing hard, just finding the words that rang within his own soul, trying to let Hraesvelgr sense that all that they truly wanted peace. Yet as he looked at the dragon, he could see already that his words fell on deaf ears.
"The tale of thy kind is one of avarice, treachery and death ─ and thou wouldst speak to me of peace?" he asked and Alphinaud felt his own hope break.
"Hark thee, mortal, to the naked truth...then tell me thou deservest forgiveness!" Hraesvelgr told them as he raised his head, his wings stretching out. "Twelve hundred years ago, my beloved Shiva's sacrifice served to bring an end to the war 'twixt man and dragon, paving the way for an age of peace and cooperation. Two centuries of harmony were to follow, during which time the Elezen learned much about us, not least that the eyes of a great wyrm are the wellspring of his strength. 'Twas out of the selfish desire to possess this strength that King Thordan then conspired to undo all that our peoples had achieved together. With the aid of his leal knights, that most noble of Elezen lured my brood-sister Ratatoskr into an ambush, and took from her that which he craved. Fain would I strike the image from my mind, yet still the scene doth linger ─ of my brood-sister's tattered corpse, defiled by her Elezen allies."
Alphinaud stared up in shock at what he heard. For now they knew the reason that their peace was broken… so this was the true story?
"They had torn out her eyes, and feasted upon them in the manner of wild beasts. Yet that was not all, for from their bloody banquet, the fiends had gained strength beyond that of mortal men..." Hraesvelgr said, and his voice echoed with grief and sorrow that he had been carrying around with him for a thousand years. "Even now, I labor to comprehend the enormity of their betrayal. Nidhogg was the first to learn of the atrocity, and he took to the skies, hungry for vengeance. But though he slew Thordan and some few of his knights, their fellow butchers knew only too well where to aim their spears, and with now-practiced savagery, they set about my brood-brother, sending him flailing from the field... Such is the truth the Holy See would keep hidden. Such was the beginning of the Dragonsong War. 'Tis a song my kind shall ne'er forget, e'en should ten thousand years pass and Ishgard crumble into dust."
The Holy See knew… they knew the whole truth and yet they kept it hidden all these centuries… but why? Why would Thordan and his knights do such a thing? Was power truly worth breaking the harmony between their two kinds and plunging them into a never-ending war?! What could possibly justify what they did?! What did they expect was going to happen to them and Ishgard if they did this?!
As he tried to get over his shock, Estinien marched forward, with an aura of fury hanging to him like a shadow.
"Your tale bears scant resemblance to the one I was taught," he said with a voice dripping with suppressed anger. "How convenient that it should absolve your kind of all responsibility. But tell me, dragon: why should I believe your version of events?"
Hraesvelgr looked as if he could care less what Estinien or any one of them thought.
"What thou choosest to believe is immaterial," he answered them simply. "The betrayal that yet haunts mine every waking moment is no less than the truth to my kind. And Nidhogg meaneth for Thordan's people to suffer for this sin till the end of days. That which thou imaginest a war of extinction is but a punishment ─ a siege of the spirit. Hast thou not seen those who tire of the torment? Those who abandon their own and side with dragonkind?"
Alphinaud thought those words over as the answer came to him.
"Ishgard's so-called heretics..." he said softly.
Hraesvelgr heard his words and added, "Know that all the traitors' progeny bear a trace of Ratatoskr's essence. But a single sip of our blood is enough to awaken it..."
Ysayle, who had pushed herself up to her feet during the tale, looked away as understanding shown on her face as well.
"Then... the seed lies within us...?" she asked in a horrified tone.
Hraesvelgr confirmed this by informing them, "'Tis for this reason that those who abandon their loyalties are rewarded with a drink. And thus are they transformed, to join the ranks of Nidhogg's ever-growing army as newborn dragons. One by one, through death or defection, my brood-brother shall account for all of the betrayers' children..."
And so Nidhogg plans to get back for every single Ishgardian… one way or another.
"Ye gods..." he gasped as he thought back to the night that they went to the Akh Afah Amphitheatre and faced the heretics there… how that one man took a new form. "I have borne witness to such a transformation! Looked on as a heretic assumed the shape of a dragon... I imagined it some manner of Dravanian enchantment!"
Just then, a horrible realization came to him. He looked to the others and whispered, "But if any Ishgardian, regardless of allegiance, has such potential within them... Twelve forgive us. To think of all the dragons we've slain...!"
He could not believe that they had done so much… and it was all for naught, just adding more to this cycle of death. They all slowly turned to look back at Hraesvelgr, who did not look the least bit surprised by what was said.
"There will always be some, of course, who choose to fight until the bitter end ─ like thee, dragoon..." Hraesvelgr said, and he was speaking directly to Estinien this time, "But struggle as thou might, thy youthful vigor will be spent ere thou reachest two score and ten. And Nidhogg shall remain to torment thine offspring."
Estinien turned back to gaze at him, but it was different this time. There was no anger or skepticism… just a grim kind of understanding.
"Oft have I wondered why Nidhogg did not simply raze Ishgard to the ground," he said, almost to himself, "Now I have my answer. He has no intention of winning the Dragonsong War, for it is no war at all, but vengeance ─ an eternal requiem sung for his murdered sister."
All this time they thought that they could finally put an end to a war… but how can you stop a war if it was never one to begin with? How can you stop someone who was obsessed with the idea of revenge? Just so full of hatred that he had lost all sense of reason?
"Thou hast the right of it, dragonslayer. Comprehendest thou now the futility of thy quest?" Hraesvelgr asked him, almost mockingly.
Alphinaud truly knew not where to go from here. He had been so hopeful that they could end the fighting, so sure of it… he did not think of what would happen if it had been so futile… yet it just looked like they wasted their time trying to get here.
"I have not come this far only to admit defeat," Ysayle suddenly yelled, refusing to give in that easily. "We can still return the Eye to Nidhogg, and beg forgiveness for our ancestors' crimes. Mayhap our words will sway him!"
"Stubborn child…" Hraesvelgr sighed, and this time he sounded more tired than anything. "Thou thinkest in mortal terms. Our perception of time is too broad for thee to grasp. 'Tis a simple matter for thee to offer thine apologies ─ thou didst not perpetrate the crime. Despite thy visions, the deeds of history seem distant to thee."
Ysayle could not seem to come up with a way to counter that, and Alphinaud knew that they all knew that it was true. For them… it was a distant thing… to a dragon… time is nothing. Apparently, Hraesvelgr remembers what happened that day as if it were yesterday—to him and Nidhogg—the wound must still seem… fresh.
"For a wyrm such as Nidhogg, however, that history is yet part of his present, as fresh as the blood that did gush from Ratatoskr's wounds. How could he not be driven mad?" Hraesvelgr asked sadly, lowering his head a little before he shut his eye, as if remembering something from long ago. "'Tis only by the calming embrace of Shiva's soul that mine own fury hath not consumed me. But let us speak no more of what is done. My faith in your kind is spent, and I would be alone."
And then he left them, his great sweeping wings took him to the sky… and out of their sights as the great beating of his wings pounding in their ears until the wind died down. The weather calmed and it was as bright and as clear as it was when they had first woken up… yet it was as if night had fallen over them. They had nothing left but a feeling of deep despair…
Hraesvelgr was every bit as awe-inspiring as he imagined. His voice fairly dripped with power ─ the will behind his words so undeniable that shook Alphinaud to the core. 'Tis but a pity that he misliked what he said.
Alphinaud sighed miserably. He no longer knew what to do…
"So far did we travel ─ even unto the very heavens themselves ─ only to be dismissed like unruly children," he muttered mournfully. "And far from mitigating this... humiliation, the hidden truths we have learned serve only to prove that our grand mission of peace was destined to fail from the first."
Nothing was going to deter Nidhogg from his course. Even if they went to him now and returned the eye as they begged for forgiveness, he would never abandon his desire to see Ishgard destroyed.
Yet, out of all of them, Ysayle seemed to be in the worst shape.
"What false god is this Shiva? What manner of phantom have I welcomed into my heart…?" he heard her muttered imploringly, as if hoping that someone would answer. But he knew not what he could say to her, for he did not know himself.
"As predicted, Ysayle's faith in the wyrm was misplaced," Estinien muttered suddenly with a bitter tone. "Which leaves us with but one recourse." And he then turned his head to look over at Claire and said, "You know I have the right of it, Warrior of Light."
Claire looked deplorably at him as she asked, "You mean to…?"
"Well, what do you propose we do now?" he asked her, "I, for one, am intent on continuing to the east..."
Alphinaud turned to him, asking, "What is there to be found in the east?"
"Nidhogg's lair ─ the Aery ─ is said to lie in that direction," he answered lightly, "And the Eye tells me he is near..."
Ysayle's anguish seemed to have been dispelled for the moment as she whipped around.
"You cannot still mean to slay him!?" she demanded furiously.
Estinien folded his arms.
"You cannot still mean to stop me," he retorted back coldly, and it was as if last night never happened. Alphinaud had started to believe that maybe the two of them were beginning to see each other less of enemies and more of comrades. Yet now that they knew the truth, now that they knew that their goal was fated to fail, they seemed to have gone back to being nothing short of foes. "I have been true to my word, and aided you in this fool's errand with Hraesvelgr. But your efforts at parley have come to naught, Lady Iceheart. I would see Ishgard saved, and for that, Nidhogg must die."
"With the tale of our ancestors' vile betrayal yet ringing in your ears, you speak of continuing this war?" she shouted at him angrily.
Estinien shook his head as he said, "Nay, lady, I would but pierce its vengeful heart. When Nidhogg dies, this war shall die with him."
But would that really be the end of it? Sure, killing Nidhogg may seem like the answer, but how could they possibly hope to savage any sort of peace between mankind and the dragons? But before all that, there was another matter that he needed to point out.
"A moment, Estinien," he reminded him, "You yourself spoke of the great wyrm's strength ─ that you believed him powerful enough to raze your city to the ground. How then are we few to challenge him? Even behind the stout walls of Ishgard ─ with an army of knights manning the defenses ─ our victory would be hard-won. Yet you propose to contend with the beast in his own lair?"
Estinien then pulled out the Eye once more, and when Alphinaud looked at it, able to feel the malice pulsating inside it, he understood now why it was so. For now he knew the reason behind its seething hate.
"In close combat, this will afford us an advantage," he answered before he looked at Claire again. "And with two Azure Dragoons working in unison, who can say what might be possible?"
Claire did not answer him, but merely looked at him sadly, her expression torn.
"But such speculation is meaningless if we cannot even find the wyrm. Our first task must be to seek out Nidhogg's lair," Estinien added.
Alphinaud sighed wretchedly. Though he did not wish for it to be done, he could see Estinien's reasoning… and maybe… just maybe… it would be a mercy for Nidhogg… for whom, at that moment, Alphinaud felt nothing but pity. Would it… would it be kinder to put Nidhogg out of his suffering?
"The story of this nation grows bloodier by the moment. Must death always be answered with more of the same?" he asked as Ysayle turned away from them all.
"Such is the way of things, I fear. I shall consider it a miracle if mine armor is not stained crimson ere this conflict is ended," Estinien muttered as he put the Eye away once more.
"That I should be blinded by my own lies... Everything I believed... Everything I thought I was... Gone... All gone..." Ysayle muttered to herself.
Ysayle did not bother looking at any of them as she walked a short distance away. Her head was bowed low and her hands were clenched into tight fists… which he noticed were shaking. Whether it was from anger or suppressed tears, he could not guess. All he knew for sure was that she would not be accompanying them any further. He suspected that she would remain here while they continued onwards. He wanted to say something to her, but he knew that she would never listen to them now.
"Ysayle," Claire whispered, reaching out to try and comfort her once more.
"Leave her," Estinien snapped, "Your words will not reach her now. And we have not the time to wait for her to gather up the pieces of her shattered faith."
The sad fact was… they knew he was right. Nidhogg's strength was growing stronger with every second, and if they were even going to attempt an assault in his own lair, they had to start moving. And so… it was with a heavy heart that they left the Zenith… and Ysayle behind. They had no other choice but to follow Estinien eastwards, though where he was so keen on going, Alphinaud did not know, nor was he in the mood to ask. They soon left Zenith far behind as they travelled over the unstable landscape, passing by more dragons and ruins, coming as far to the East as they were able until the ground beneath them disappeared and they were at the edge of the Churning Mists.
"Iceheart's faith in the wyrm was misplaced. Which leaves us with but one road to follow..." Estinien muttered as they drew closer to see what it was that he was looking at. There, floating in the sky was another island. Yet this one was surrounded by darkening clouds that were pulsating with lightning. Unlike the beauty and almost serene feel of Zenith, this was something that you could… almost taste the foul destruction in the air.
"Estinien..." Alphinaud whispered, his eyes wide as he stared up at the distant island. "Pray tell me I am wrong... Is that it?"
Estinien nodded to confirm what he thought. "Aye... That would be the Aery. I feel Nidhogg's presence through the Eye ─ " he then reached up to place his hand over his chest as if something was hurting him as he added, "his caustic hatred gnawing at my soul. 'Twould seem the death of his consort has put him on guard. Mark how he wards his lair with tempestuous winds."
Those clouds… Alphinaud understood. For now Nidhogg fears that they may be desperate enough to try and attack his lair directly… which he had every reason to do so since that was exactly what they were planning.
"A similar barrier once barred our entrance to the primal Garuda's domain... until we discovered the means by which it could be penetrated. Mayhap it is time we called upon Master Garlond," Alphinaud whispered, and truthfully he could not think of anything else that they could possibly do right now anyway. A part of him yearned to think that maybe this would help give them enough time to try and come up with an alternative… but he was not hopeful.
"'Twill be just like the good old days, no?" he asked Claire, who did not smile back. He could see his own feelings mirrored back in those sad eyes at the thought of what they had to do.
"Hm. A force of sufficient power to break through a primal's defenses might conceivably grant us access to the Aery..." Estinien said as he thought it over, "...And I can offer no better solution. Pray consult this engineer friend of yours."
Alphinaud sighed before nodding in agreement. However he had one condition and he added firmly, "Very well. On the condition that you swear not to lure Nidhogg from his lair in our absence."
Estinien shrugged in an innocent way, as if he could not believe that he would even suggest such a thing.
"And steal all the glory for myself, you mean?" he asked shrewdly, "Nay, I am not so selfish as that. Contact me by linkpearl when your preparations are complete, and we shall set forth from Ishgard together."
He wasn't sure how he knew, but Alphinaud felt that he could trust his words. Maybe it was because… as strong as Estinien was, even he was not so foolish as to risk a blind attack on Nidhogg while they were away.
At least he hoped not.
In any case, Alphinaud suspected that no matter how tempted he was to fight, he doubted that Estinien could brush off what they had all learned just earlier from his mind.
He felt that it would be safe enough to leave him for at least a little while. He then turned back to Claire and suggested, "I suggest we rendezvous back at Saint Reinette Forum, Claire. From what I gleaned of the Holy See's decidedly ambitious airship project, Cid will still be in Ishgard."
"Go, meet with your engineer friend. I shall remain here and keep vigil over the wyrm," Estinien said and so that was when they would begin the first step of their plan… possibly what had been planned from the very beginning since they left Ishgard.
Alphinaud felt Claire take his hand again, and he allowed her to pull him into the sense of teleportation…
Estinien… and the Churning Mists were gone from his sights… and he was glad that he was able to lose all sense of self even if it was for a brief moment as he allowed the current of aether to carrying him along the rough stream.
*Later*
They had been gone from Ishgard for so long that it felt strange to be back in its streets. The first thing that he felt was relief, to see that the city was still in one piece. Yet there was anxiety in the air, he could feel it… as if the whole city was holding its breath. They were all preparing for the worst and expecting it at any moment.
Alphinaud stared around… but in such a large city, how could they hope to find Cid?
He let go of Claire's hand as he continued to look around, suddenly realizing that he had no idea where to go now.
"If our only remaining recourse is to violence, then we should seek out the swiftest path to victory," he said seriously, "With every moment we hesitate, Ishgard's prospects grow bleaker."
He suddenly remembered that Claire had seen Cid here and he turned to her to ask, "When last you saw Master Garlond, he was advising the Ishgardians on their ailing airship, correct?"
She nodded and he went on, "In that case, he might still be at Camp Cloudtop. Failing that, we could try the airship landing, or mayhap even the Skysteel Manufactory..." But the more that he thought it all over, the more that he realized that they could not afford to spend too much time running around trying to find him.
"But let us not waste time searching aimlessly," he whispered, biting his lower lip. "Someone in the city is sure to know where to find him. The question is who? Ser Aymeric would seem the obvious choice, but there is no guaranteeing he will be able to grant us an audience at short notice...?"
He was on the verge of thinking that maybe they should contact Tataru and see if she has been in contact with Cid when he suddenly remembered that there was another whom they could turn.
"Ah, I have it!" he cried out excitedly and he turned to Claire as he stated, "Count Edmont's youngest son prides himself on knowing all of the Holy See's juiciest rumors. Let us return to the manor and see if Lord Emmanellain is about."
"I'm surprised that we did not think of him right away," Claire said, her tone with dry amusement. They bolted straight towards the Pillars without wasting another second. Alphinaud was dreading what they would do if it turned out that Lord Emmanellain was not there, or if Lord Haurchefant was…
Not that he wouldn't be glad to see their friend again, but he knew that if they ran into him now, then he would be asking just where they had been all this time and what they were planning on doing. However they had no time to explain right now.
Thankfully, as they ran up the stone steps to take the quickest way to the manor, they caught their first bit of good luck in who knows how long. As soon as they were allowed in by the guard standing watch outside, they spotted that Lord Emmanellain was, indeed, there… the tavern keeper's loss was their gain.
"Ah, the hero returns!" Lord Emmanellain called when he the two of them come running into the room. From what Alphinaud could tell, it seemed to be that Emmanellain and Honoroit were the only ones at home at the moment, which was good for them.
"How goes the fight, old girl? Well, I trust!" Emmanellain asked Claire, without even bothering to look at Alphinaud.
"Ah, yes," Claire said quickly as they approached him, "Lord Emmanellain this is important. We are searching for our comrade, Cid Garlond, and we were hoping that you may have an idea to his whereabouts?"
"…Hm?" Emmanellain asked in surprise at the question, but more than willing to keep talking. "In search of a 'Cid Garlond,' you say? Then say no more! The taverns are full of talk, and the name of said silver-haired genius has cropped up more often than most. I hear he has been tasked with getting that monstrous airship the Holy See commissioned to actually fly. 'Twould seem the project has been plagued with mishaps from the first. In any case, Garlond Ironworks employees are known to frequent the airship landing, and I'll wager their master does too."
Just then, young Honoroit spoke up, "When it comes to ─ ahem ─ exchanging information of uncertain origin, Lord Emmanellain is something of a prodigy."
Well, Alphinaud did not doubt that.
As if he hadn't heard Honoroit, Emmanellain continued on, "If you do find Master Garlond at the airship landing, I trust you won't forget who told you where to look! Credit where credit's due, and all that!"
"Ah… yes, I'll be sure to do that," Claire said, though it was clear that she couldn't have cared less about that at the moment before she turned back to him.
"The airship landing?" Alphinaud stated, glad to have a straightforward answer.
"Yes, I thought as much," he said hurriedly, "Come, Claire ─ we must find Cid and trouble him for his expert opinion."
They went running out of the room and to the front door without so much as a parting word to Emmanellain. And though Alphinaud did not say it, he was glad that they were leaving before they gave Emmanellain the chance to start flirting with Claire again. He blinked at the thought, suddenly realizing what he had been thinking of. He gave his head a shake, reasoning that they did not have time humor Lord Emmanellain with polite refusals.
Really, were he and Lord Haurchefant really siblings? He was starting to wonder.
*The Landing*
They must have run all the way to the airship landing from the manor, hoping that their luck would continue to hold out. And to his greatest relief, it turns out that it did. Standing at the landing in a group were none other than Cid, Biggs, and Wedge, all of them seemingly in deep conversation with each other.
"If Ishgard comes under attack, we'll have to get out of the city pretty sharpish," he heard Biggs state seriously as they drew closer, "Don't much like the idea of leaving a job half-finished, though..."
Wedge, who seemed very nervous and twitchy, kept jumping and looking at the sky like he thought that dragons were going to come swooping down at any second. But at the sounds of their running footsteps, Cid looked up, and he gave them a beaming smile when he saw who it was.
"Claire! Alphinaud! How fare you both? Not terribly well, judging by your faces," he called cheerfully as they skidded to a stop in front of him and started to gasp for air. It was so good to see him again… Alphinaud never realized just how much he missed having his easy-going attitude around. If only they had more time to catch up…
"Greetings, Master Garlond," he told him hurriedly once he caught his breath. "I am sure it will come as little surprise when I tell you we have need of a favor..."
Cid blinked at that, and before he could stop himself, Alphinaud quickly informed him of all that had happened while they were away. How they had journeyed to the Churning Mists to try and negotiate a peace with the dragons, only to fail. After thinking it through, they had decided that the only way to save Ishgard from this coming attack was but to slay Nidhogg, which means that they needed to get to the Aery to do so. Their problem was, however, was that even though they know where his lair is, the dragon had put up some sort of barrier to keep them from reaching him. And they couldn't think of anyone better than him to help them get through it.
Cid was quiet the whole time as he talked. When Alphinaud finished, he could see Cid thinking it all over what it was that they were asking of him. Finally, he looked up to ask, "...Another wind barrier? And you say it was conjured by Nidhogg? Hm."
Alphinaud watched Cid think that over before he confessed, "The Enterprise could certainly take you where you need to go... but she would not fare well against dragons. She's agile for a ship her size ─ but not that agile. The Dravanians would fly rings around her. And if they took it into their heads to incinerate the rigging, there would be precious little we could do to avoid them."
As much as Alphinaud hated to admit it, he knew that he was right. The Enterprise is fast, no doubt about that, but even she could not hope to match the speed and agility of a dragon in flight… especially in Nidhogg's own territory… but they had to do something!
"But there must be something we can do! Some manner of weapon we could employ...?" he asked desperately, trying not to sound as frustrated as he felt. "Estinien stands vigil at the edge of the Churning Mists, but we do not know how much longer─"
Cid waved his hands at him to try and calm him down.
"All right, all right, I didn't say it was impossible," he reassured him, "I said it was impossible for the Enterprise. We need a smaller boat." He then looked to Biggs and Wedge, calling out, "Biggs! Wedge! It's time we gave that new toy of yours a proper field test." As the two of them jumped to attention, Cid looked back to him and Claire before he added, "It's probably best if I let the lads show you. Come on, the manufactory's not far!"
They headed off once again, almost to the other end of the city to a building that Alphinaud had seen, yet had never entered before. They met up with the three of them just outside the doors, and Biggs and Wedge were both almost jumping around in excitement at the thought of showing off their new 'toy'.
"Ah, yes ─ the Skysteel Manufactory," Alphinaud whispered to Claire when he recognized the building. "As I recall, this workshop is primarily devoted to the construction of dragon-slaying weapons..."
"I know," Claire nodded. "The machinists here are always coming up with new inventions all the time."
He wanted to ask her how she knew all that, but his attention was focused more on their friends, who were impatiently waiting for them to hurry.
"Our little project's just inside," Biggs said excitedly when they stopped in front of him, "Oh, you are going to like this one."
Biggs was grinning widely as Wedge was jumping around in delight as they dragged them inside the Manufactory so that they could see what it was that they had been working on. When they walked inside, the strong smell of steel and smoke hit his nose and the loud noises of gears turning and hammers clanging caused his ears to ring.
But his attention was drawn towards the ceiling, where hanging suspended by ropes was what looked like a miniature airship. There was only one seat, yet it was large and graceful, with a pair of propellers and even a tall sail that folded up in the back. Alphinaud stared up at it in amazement, barely noticing how Cid was speaking.
"The Ishgardians have granted us the use of a small corner of their workshop ─ all part of the agreement. I think you'll see we've made the most of the space..." he laughed and Alphinaud turned his eyes away from the ship to look around the room, which was piled with all manner of junk and tools and parts… all of which he would have loved a chance to examine closer, if they were not in trouble at the moment.
"They all want to build bigger, but we know where the future is headed!" Wedge said proudly and everyone was looking at the ship again.
"Feast your eyes upon our latest and greatest feat of engineering! We call it a 'manacutter'!" Wedge said, gesturing towards the little ship proudly.
"After you put down Gaius, Wedge and me struck out on our own for a bit, and started work on the successor to the Tiny Bronco," Biggs explained to Claire as they stared up at the little thing.
"Impressive little thing, isn't she?" Cid laughed, looking at the ship with a fond look. "My talent for ship design has plainly rubbed off on them."
Both men glowed proudly and waved, as if to say 'it was nothing'.
"They've adapted the principles of corrupted crystal technology, and constructed a mechanism which converts aether from its surroundings into elemental wind," Cid explained. "Said wind is then harnessed by the specially engineered sails, providing the craft with propulsion and lift. All in all, a most elegant solution..."
Cid then trailed off for a moment before he added, "...I'm actually a little upset that I didn't think of it myself."
Though Alphinaud was not an airship designer or an engineer, he understood what they were trying to say. Though small, this ship could convert aether from something such as a barrier and transform it into wind that will cause it to fly. It sounded so perfect, until they started speaking again.
"The design does, however, come with one small flaw..." Wedge admitted slowly as the smile faded from his face. Alphinaud looked at them all, wondering what this 'flaw' was and worried that it may hinder their chances of getting to the Aery.
"The energy conversion ratio's bloody awful," Biggs sighed, "To generate enough power to get you off the ground, you need to be in an area awash with predominantly wind-aspected aether."
And that was when Wedge finished up, "In other words, there are a few places you can fly...and lots of places you can't."
So… they needed someplace with a lot of aether around them in order to get them airborne. Thankfully, from what he saw of the barrier surrounding the Aery, they may not have to worry. However getting even that far…?
"The new Ishgardian airship hasn't left the boys much time for tinkering ─ meaning it may be a while before this particular project takes off," Cid confessed to them before adding somewhat awkwardly, "if you'll forgive the pun,"
There wasn't much that could be helped. They were asking for some time to work out the problems before the ship was ready. Now, while Alphinaud was sure that they could fix whatever was wrong with the Manacutters, the question was, could they get it done in time? But before he could ask, the door burst open and Tataru came bursting into the room.
It really was good to see her again, until he saw the anxiety in her face as she bent over, gasping for air, having clearly ran here from a great distance.
"Tataru, what's happened!?" Wedge asked at once, looking at her with concern.
She didn't answer him. Instead, once she caught her breath, she looked up at him and Claire before she cried out, "I've been looking all over for you! There's been word from Ul'dah! It's about Her Grace, the sultana!"
Alphinaud felt his jaw open in shock. In all honesty, with what has been happening to them lately, he had forgotten all about the trouble in Thanalan and their mission to try and rescue Her Grace.
"It seems you're required elsewhere," Cid said seriously when he nodded to Tataru in understanding. "Leave the manacutter with us. We'll see that she's airworthy and suitably equipped to slice through those winds. You, meanwhile, should concentrate on providing Raubahn and the sultana whatever help they need!"
He was right. They needed to finish work the mannacutter, and he suspected that they will not have time later to help with the matter in Ul'dah. Alphinaud sighed, starting to think that there was no end to all that they had to do. But he and Claire nodded in understanding before he turned to Tataru and they all left the Manufactory together.
"I'm sorry for pushing this on you so suddenly," Tataru added regretfully as they walked with her. "It really is so good to see that you both are safe! I really missed you and I was worried constantly! But I just heard that you were seen in the city again a few minutes ago and I came running here as fast as I could. I needed to pass on the message from General Raubahn to you."
"It's alright," Alphinaud reassured her. "We understand. When we have time, we'll tell you about our journey. And our unexpected outcome…" he gulped a little, still having a hard time trying to come to grips with what it was that they were planning on doing now. "But for now, please tell us what you know.
"General Raubahn says they may have uncovered the sultana's whereabouts! And he wants you ─ by which I mean both of you ─ " Tataru explained with a glance at Claire as well, "to go to the Waking Sands right away and help with the investigation."
Well, here they go again. He turned to Claire, and he was glad to see that the tiredness that he was feeling was mirrored on her face as well… though he suspected that she was doing a better job of hiding it than he was.
"Come, Claire ─ pressing though Ishgard's plight may be, our presence here will not serve to hasten the manacutter's completion," he said seriously, though a part of him was glad that they could put the matter of the Aery out of their minds for the moment. "Let us return to the troubled lands of Thanalan and lend what aid we may."
Oh, he almost forgot about Estinien, and he had a feeling that he better let him know what was happening before the man did something reckless.
He looked back to Tataru and added quickly, "Tataru ─ have our friends at the Congregation send a message to Estinien. Tell him we have identified a solution to our problem, but that it will take some time to prepare."
Tataru gave him a thumbs up, despite not knowing what it was that he was talking about. She then called out happily, "As you wish, Master Alphinaud!"
Good, while he and Claire could not guarantee control over Estinien, he had a feeling that Ser Aymeric might be able to.
Alphinaud then looked to Claire, who was already looking ready to go. He steadied his resolve, drawing his strength from her calming presence before he said firmly, "To the Waking Sands, Warrior of Light. 'Tis past time Ul'dah was delivered from this darkness!"
Maybe now was the time to finally clear their names and set things right. He was finally prepared to return to Ul'dah and finish dealing with the air of treachery there once and for all.
(This chapter was unusually hard to write for some reason. I'm glad that I finally got it done in the end. In any case, here's my Thanksgiving gift to you all! Happy Thanksgiving!)
