The Wounded Warsong

Chapter 52: Ancestor

"Who is she?"

"She's-"

"A friend." Orinthia stepped forward to him with a soft look on her face. His eyes were strikingly different: a pale blue that stood out above his blackened body.

"A friend? Amazing, I'd never imagine the Slayer of Batym I've heard about would not only live but make friends outside this Castle!" He knelt to one knee, cupped his hands, and lowered his head in a very San d'Orian show of respect. "I've been named Marquis Allocen by this Castle, m'lady. I hope it wasn't too cold on your trip here."

"(M'lady?! Oh shut up... He reminds me of... hey wait a minute... meh whatever.)"

"D-... Allocen I need to chat with you in private. This may take some time though." He rose.

"Oh Grand Duke please, anything."

"Orinthia meet us back by the front gate after a while. The Castle might seem large but you can't get lost in here. Haborym is with you and Bob's up there so go ahead." He waved to the flying eye. He quickly blinked twice and started flying down.

"This way Grand Duke. I know a good room. I'm eager to hear about the outside, especially this Orinthia friend!" They walked away.

"(Well, what a cozy place... psh! What's with this weird black interior! Come on... toss a few stripes, maybe some polka dots... something. So damn dreary... And what's this: Bob? Hahaha, Bob the Eyeball! Can we see it? YES WE CAN! BAHAHAH!)"

"Hi again Miss. I think you're the first outside guest to this Castle... probably ever! I'm not that old though... I wasn't flying during the Great War and neither were a lot of the others around here."

"Yes, I too haven't been this way that long... but I'll be damned if I can remember who I was when I was alive. I guess it just doesn't matter anyway." Haborym sighed.

"The Waker... who is that? Where I'm from we know almost nothing about this land."

"Oh, he's... well it's hard to explain. He creates and molds our bodies... Sometimes a spirit is so alive that it cries within his domain as he forms a body around it; we can hear it through the floor. The Marquis was this way... sent chills down my spine!"

"I cried for a week!"

"(I vomited for a month! Oh wait...)"

"Could we... meet the Waker?" Haborym scratched his head.

"That might be difficult. We can't really pass through the gate easily... in fact, I've never tried. He recreates us but leaves us in a container to be awoken later. This container is left outside his gate so we never actually had to enter..."

"Let's go Boss. I haven't seen him before either! Not like we have anything else to do anyway. Follow me, I know where it is."


"Please come in... you're welcome to this home." She walked in and knelt without looking at her face.

"I'm sorry for disturbing but our Preacher wished to invite you to celebrate the anniversary of our peace."

"Preacher?"

"Yes, our Guu Waji has become the Preacher of the Yagudo. Ever since the fall of the false Manifest he felt the want and need within him to bring back and uphold the hope of the Yagudo. He has finally remembered why he overcame the ultimate test and so all of us have given him a more fitting name. He is our Preacher."

"I see. I'm sorry but I cannot leave Windurst." She looked up.

"Such a shame." She saw a tightly bound red blind fold covering Perih's eyes. Two dark lines ran down her face and met under her chin. She was quietly sitting on the floor with a small clay cup in her hands but wasn't sipping from it.

"In my place please take Elder Nomo Cuauhixtin. She is in the hammock to your left." She looked to her left and noticed someone completely covered in a thin blanket with a cane just underneath on the floor. She stood up and lightly poked the blanket.

"I'm sorry for disturbing you Caa... Cuaa... Elder, I'm Maa Febi the Steadfast." She shifted slowly.

"Mmrrr... Just Nomo will do. I'd love to go but... I hope you don't mind my appearrrance." Her voice was scratchy, sounding almost painful to speak.

"That shouldn't be-" she lifted the blanket and saw her face. The wind calmly blew through the hut and shifted her feathers. Maa had a frightened look in her eyes but tried her hardest not to say anything. Nomo also wore a thick blindfold.

"Nomo is from the Old Country and has been under our care for some time. Please take care of her, Paladin of Oztroja."

"I-I will." The house guards walked up to them with some light clothes and a thick cloak. The sheet fell as she sat up, making Maa shut her eyes and tremble as the rest of Nomo's body became visible.

"I'm sorry dearrr Steadfast... This was my punishment for leaving." The guards stepped in between and clothed her. She turned around and opened her eyes again.

"Not even... was anything..." she mumbled.

"The past is behind me dearrr Steadfast. I must prrress on... for herrr sake." She picked up her cane and leaned on it as the guards left her. Her crooked ears stood through small holes in the cloak's hood; her face was almost completely covered. Her hands started trembling. Perih stood and slowly walked to them.

"I have one more request, paladin of Oztroja." She held a long arrow with a darkened tip and white fletching. "Return this to your soil and bury it. I have no need for it any longer."

"An arrow?" Maa took it. Perih positioned her face as if staring into Maa's eyes.

"Our fallen sisters would want us to move on. The hatred we once had... the desperation we once had... the choices we once had to make... They have no place in this new Vana'diel." She placed her hand on her shoulder. "Our Vana'diel, Daughter of Yagudo. I never want to see war again. I never want our daughters and sisters to ever have to do what we have done. What... I have done. I hope your elders, all your people, and your Preacher choose this as well." She turned around and slowly walked back to her place on the floor. "I will step down and give you my faith. On this anniversary... tell them the Azure Bow no longer faces them and that is my last arrow." She held the cup close to her chin and a drop fell. Maa knelt and lowered her head.

"Thank you! I... I'm sure they-" Nomo tapped her cane on the floor.

"C-come on S-Steadfast, m-maybe we can catch a rrride with the afternoon c-caravan." She walked toward the door poking her cane forward with trembling hands. She took a deep breath and sighed audibly. Her hands stopped trembling. "The brrreeze... feels lovely doesn't it?"