Chapter 17: The Burden of Knowledge
She couldn't believe it.
It didn't just happen, it couldn't have happened…?
It was so fast that if one blinked then it was all over before they even had a chance to fully grasp the situation of all that took place in the span of a few heartbeats. Ran'jit had knocked one of his own men off the platform and down into a seemingly bottomless hole all because he had tried to strike a bargain to secure safe passage. They would have agreed to such demands if the bottle held such an antidote… but judging from how Ran'jit reacted, she had to suspect that it was real.
Rather than admit that they made a deal with the 'enemy' he took care of him himself… causing the bottle to fly out of his own soldier's hands and possibly risk the lives of countless innocent people in the process. Y'shtola leapt into action and caught the bottle in midair before tossing it too her. Claire just had enough time to catch it, purely out of instinct, trying to think of something she could do to help… but then she was gone. When Claire looked over the ledge, there were no signs of her friend.
Her heart shattered at that… how… how could they? Did she truly did just lose another friend right before her eyes and did nothing to save her? She was too stunned to even cry, not sure how to process this…?
"How noble," Ran'jit said, "And pointless."
Fury rose up inside her as she slowly got to her feet and glared at him.
"Why?" she asked coldly. "You truly are willing to kill countless others for no other reason than your wretch of a master?"
He raised his eyebrows at her.
"I wouldn't expect you to understand," he snarled just as coldly, "I told you before that this was not a place for you to be. You should have left while you still had the chance."
Her eyes narrowed and she suddenly wished for nothing more than to throw him off the ledge here for what he did. How dare he…?
She could hear a growl in the back of her mind, and for the first time in a long time, she paused at the unexpected feeling rising up inside her.
'How dare he…? How dare he…? If I can just knock him off here that will solve it all wouldn't it?'
Fray? No… that didn't sound like Fray… but then… who was that voice…?
Before she could react though, she heard the echoing steps of someone racing towards them and Minfilia's voice called out anxiously, "Is—is everyone all right?"
Both of them turned at once to the entrance to find Minfilia having just made it to the room and skidded to a stop when she saw the hole.
"What in the—" she gasped, and Claire turned back in time to see Ran'jit's eyes flashing.
She made to yell for Minfilia to run when the rest of their backup arrived. Thancred and Urianger were making their way towards them when they spotted the giant hole, and saw her standing at the opposite end with Ran'jit. Thancred called to Urianger, who cast a spell and shot what looked like a golden rope around Ran'jit and pulled him forward and Thancred leapt off the edge with his gunblade held high.
"Down with you!" Thancred yelled as he brought the blade down. Ran'jit, who was knocked off balance, was able to turn around in time, but was unable to defend himself properly when Thancred struck. Claire felt her rage fade but it was with no small amount of satisfaction when she saw the miserable old man fall down the pit while Thancred rammed his blade just below her in the wall to catch himself.
She let out a shaky breath, still shaking from all that just happened as they took a minute to fully register what they just saw. At least, until Minfilia asked slowly, "Where… where is Y'sthola?"
Both of the men were also looking around, expecting their sarcastic friend to appear out of nowhere… but Claire couldn't bring herself to speak as she just looked at the bottle that Y'sthola sacrificed herself for. She helped Thancred up, and Urianger rescued them from the room with the same trick he used to pull Ran'jit over the hole. Only then, after awakening Almet and her sisters, who were dazed and bruised but still alive, thank goodness, did she reveal what happened. She showed them the bottle and told them what Y'shtola did as well as her last words.
They were all so shocked by what she said that they didn't seem able to speak… Thancred actually tried to laugh and said that he knows that she doesn't have a sense of humor but her joke surely can't be that bad.
She didn't even look at him, and that seemed to really cement what she said. That Y'shtola was… she was truly…?
No one spoke a word as they exited the ruins, heading back outside of the Temple after following the trail that the rest of them used to get down here. It turned out that there was another way inside the temple once they unlocked the first door… and eventually found their way out of the maze-like ruins and back outside the temple.
Along the way, everyone was looking down every corner, in every tiny crack, as if they thought that Y'shtola could have found her way through here after she fell. Claire didn't speak at all even as they demanded more answers and she honestly didn't know what else she could tell them. She just held the antidote tightly in her hands, determined to get it back to the Blessed, for that was what Y'shtola would want to do. She could only hope that the antidote was what they hoped it would be… if it turned out that it had been a ruse she didn't know if she could take it.
The sisters were taking this almost as hard as they were.
"I have failed you," Almet added with her head held low as if she felt she didn't even deserve to look them in the eye, "Words fail to express my shame…"
Claire tried to comfort them, reassuring them that it wasn't their fault. All the while, she could hear the others trying to come to grips with what happened and how it could have come to this. Thankfully for them, the rest of Ran'jit's men, whom he hadn't killed with his own hands, had the good sense to fall back. Uimet told them all to wait here while she went to investigate what happened.
As they waited, Thancred looked to Almet and asked once more if they knew if that hole might lead out into the words somewhere; where she just shook her head in a lost way.
"Were there another means of exiting the temple, there is no question that we would know of it," she answered. "But I fear that is of little consequence, for we have tried to mark the depth of the pit. And failed. She looked down, her face forlorn. "To fall from such a height…"
They all lowered their heads in grief as her words washed over them. Claire had seen that hole, could see that it was so dark that it didn't seem to have a bottom; and even if it did, she could not see how anyone could survive a fall from such a height.
"Sister! I come bearing news!"
Uimet had returned, getting their attention as she called, "The Eulmoran soldiers and the Children have fled Yx'Maja. They abandoned Slitherbough as well, though they yet remain in the swamps near Lakeland."
And the Night's Blessed? Claire didn't think she could handle more tragedy if something happened to the people, and Uimet lowered her head as she added, "Unfortunately, a number of the Blessed were poisoned while fending off the soldiers. One we believe to be of their order was found lost in Yx'Maja, feverish and badly wounded. He was taken to Fanow for treatment, but I fear there is little we can do for him. He and the other Blessed will not last long without an antidote."
Claire felt her hands clench tightly and she was silently hoping that Ran'jit survived the fall just so that she could kill him again for what he did. She bit her tongue, trying to keep that anger under control and reminded herself that she had more important things to remember than revenge. But killing the Lightwarden didn't seem so important to her at that moment than making all who hurt her and the others pay for their cruelty.
Thancred seemed to struggle within himself for a moment before he turned to her with a hardened expression.
"Then we must act quickly," he said, "If you've a spare vial, Minfilia and I can deliver it to the Blessed at Slitherbough. You and Urianger should return to Fanow and tend to the wounded villager there."
She agreed to this and they all pulled out water pouches and emptied them out before she filled them all up with the antidote. She gave them to Thancred, keeping only a portion of the antidote with her to give to the poisoned Blessed resting at Fanow.
Thancred thanked her and stored them away, but she could see him fighting the grief as he did so, and she wondered if he was fighting with his own rage at that moment. If he wanted to hunt down those who caused this and make them pay?
"What about Y'shtola…?" Minfilia asked anxiously and Thancred's anger seemed to fade as he looked to her.
Though it was in a voice of calm, he said it so firmly that there was no dismissing what he said, "I know it seems callous of us to leave, but she leapt into that hole for a reason. We have to save the Blessed. Whatever it takes."
She looked like she might cry, but the young girl nodded in agreement and she joined him as they ran off into the direction of Slitherbough. Claire was left alone with Urianger, Almet, and her sisters—though the three of them promised to remain here to ensure that no other soldiers were still here. If there were, they would not hesitate to kill them.
Claire let them do what they wanted, but only wished that they be careful. She didn't want anyone else to die for them.
She still was having such a hard time believing this and she could not help but stare at the mostly empty bottle now… as if hoping that it had the answers she sought. She then felt a comforting hand upon her shoulder and Urianger's kind voice say, "Come Claire. Let not Y'shtola's sacrifice be in vain. To Fanow."
She didn't speak, but he didn't press the matter as he gently guided her back through the forest and to the village. She was still in such a state of shock that she had momentarily forgotten that she was annoyed with him for whatever secrets he was keeping from here. But at that moment, that didn't seem important.
"I'm sorry…" she whispered, and she wasn't sure who she was apologizing to. To Urianger for not begin able to save her, to the whole world that this had to happen, to the Blessed who would surely be heartbroken when they learned the news… or to Y'shtola herself for not being able to save her.
"Nay, do not apologize," Urianger said firmly, pausing for a moment, resting both hands on her shoulders and kindly forced her to look up at him. She could see the redness of his eyes as if he were holding back tears and she knew that despite any 'secrets' he was keeping, she knew that he cared for them.
In that moment, she felt her heart torn. Does she trust this man or not? She didn't know what to do right then.
"We… we will figure out what to do when… when we hath helped the Night's Blessed," he promised her, his voice cracking slightly as he took a deep breath. "For now, we must focus upon that what only we can do and that is to helpth the Blessed. As that would be what Y'sthola would say where she still here."
She forced herself to nod, knowing that he was right, but she still felt horrible about it. He nodded back in a determined way, before continuing on in front of them. But as she made to follow, she paused and listened to the silence all around her… broken only by Urianger's steps.
"Fray…?" she whispered, her hand pressed over her heart, as if she could suddenly force the darkest part of her to emerge and speak. But she heard nothing. For some reason, this upset her even more, and she had to slap her own cheeks to wake herself up and continue on to the village.
Thankfully, it turned out that all of Fanow's residents had survived, though many of them were injured in their scuffle with the Eulmorans. They were led to one of the hanging structures, where there were several hammocks strung up for the wounded. And lying in one of them was certainly a member of the Night's Blessed, unconscious and struggling to breath, but miraculously alive.
"Heavens forfend," Urianger murmured as he quickly went to the poisoned man's side, "Runar… 'Twas he who forestalled the Eulmorans' procession. And in so doing, afforded thee time to lay low the Lightwarden. Quickly, the antidote."
She agreed and joined him, gently holding his head up as she dribbled some of the antidote into his mouth. At first, she feared that the bottle was not the cure that they hoped for, but after several more treatments of the potion, she could see Runar's breathing ease up and he seemed to regain some color… though it was hard to tell with his furry face.
After a short time, he was breathing normally and seemed to be peacefully sleeping, and she looked to Urianger for confirmation that this was working.
"It would appear the worst hath passed, though his wounds yet want for mending," he said lowering his hand as he began to allow healing magicks to flow from his fingertips and into Runar's body, "I shall minister to him forthwith. Rest, I prithee. I shall attend to Runar's ministrations."
But she couldn't rest. She didn't think she could ever bring herself to relax again after all that happened.
"I didn't know that you were so gifted in healing," she said to him and he chuckled slightly, smiling for the first time all day.
"Not truly," he confessed, "I learned nothing more than the basics while learning under the sage tutelage of Master Louisoix; but it was not till I found myself stranded upon these distant shores did I devote mine time into mastering the art. I feared that thine skills in battle would not be enough to protect thee. So did I then vow to master healing no matter the cost."
"Protect me…?" she whispered and she saw him freeze up for a moment when she spoke. It looked like he was struggling to want to tell her something, but if he did, it passed very quickly when he turned back to her and answered, "Thou art more dear to us than thee seem prepared to accept. Why is that?"
Why? Why indeed?
She did not answer as she thought that over, not sure why the question caused her to pause like this. Instead, she just looked at the now empty bottle and could not help but think back to Y'shtola's last moments… her words…
"Do not fail…"
What was she to tell Alphinaud and Alisaie? Her heart broke once more at the thought of their crushed expressions when they learned the truth. The sound of nearby footsteps drew both their attention as Minfilia and Thancred came onto the platform—both looking tired but satisfied.
"Runar," Minfilia gasped when she saw him lying there, "Thank goodness."
"We delivered the antidote to Slitherbough," Thancred announced, getting their attention and reassuring them that they did all they could to help the people there, before finishing, "and from what we could gather on the way here, the Eulmorans have had the good manners to withdraw." He looked down at Runar on the hammock with nothing short of respect and added, "Thank the gods they did, or we would never have made it here in time. I'm told we have Runar and his comrades to thank for keeping the soldiers occupied prior to their retreat."
Urianger nodded to that while he focused back on Runar and Thancred turned to her as he finished, "They were preparing to come for you and Y'shtola, it seems, when Runar rallied the villagers and pursued them out of Slitherbough."
She actually felt a slight smile return and a great deal of respect and gratitude seemed to fill her, though not enough to block out the pain that was still so fresh and raw in her mind. A minute later, Runar stirred.
"I must…" Runar mumbled in his sleep, "I-I must…" And finally his eyes opened up slowly, blinking a few times before looking around curiously. He sat up, staring at a smiling Urianger, and asked as if afraid to hear the truth, "Where… am I?"
"Yx'Maja, in the care of the Viis," he reassured him as Runar slowly sat up, shaking his great shaggy head, "Thou art safe now, friend. Pray, rest thee awhile longer."
"No… no. I am all right," Runar countered, "Somewhat heavy of limb, perhaps, but otherwise well, I assure you." He smiled warmly at them all and glanced around at each of them as he added, "I am glad to see you are all safe. When we realized where the soldiers were headed, we knew something had to be done."
But once he looked at them all, she saw his smile turn into a frown and confusion settled in as he asked anxiously, "I… do not see Master Matoya. She was with you, yes? What happened to her?"
She was dreading this moment.
But knowing what had to be done, she took a deep breath and answered softly, a part of her refusing to say it out loud that she was truly gone, "I cannot say for certain—but it was she who secured the antidote…"
She wanted to say more, but her words would not obey and she felt as if they were strangling her own throat just by speaking it. Like the very blackest of blasphemy.
"Spare me your riddles and speak plain!" Runar snapped. "Where is Master Matoya?"
Hating herself for this, she told him what happened in the temple and of what Y'shtola did to secure the antidote for them. She tried to cushion the blow by reassuring him that the antidote was being administered to the rest of the Night's Blessed and they were hopeful that everyone who was effected would recover.
It didn't help by much.
He looked as shocked as she felt.
"No… No… No, that cannot be…" he whispered in shock to himself, "Why would she do such a thing?" A silence fell across the group again, and Runar's voice shook as he demanded. "Was there no other way? I… I cannot believe that she… that she…" It was clear that he was not accepting this and glared at her in fierce determination as he declared, "We must begin the search immediately! I will come with you!"
He was fighting to get out of bed, but was having trouble getting his heavy limbs to work correctly. She did not move, her thoughts drifting back to that scene once more… trying to think of someway, anyway, she could still be alive.
"What are you waiting for? We must find her! She could be trapped or hurt or…" Runar demanded when she did not speak or even move, and the shock seemed to be too much for him as reality began to settle in and he was now weeping into his hands. "She is alive. She is alive damn you!"
No one spoke as he cried, offering him that moment of silence that they all felt.
What were they to do now?
They needed to make plans, needed to keep moving, but no one seemed remotely interested in discussing such topics at the moment. Not that she could blame them. She didn't feel any better about this than they did. Thankfully a distraction came in the form of Almet, freshly returned form the temple, and she called out to them still somewhat nervously, as if they were going to blame her as much as she blamed herself for being unable to stop this.
"Forgive me for interrupting, but our scouts have apprehended an intruder," she called, "We thought perhaps he might be an associate of yours…"
She looked up, expecting to see a Eulmoran solider that had been captured or even another of the Night's Blessed. But instead, she was startled to find that Cymet was there, leading a slouching figure.
Oh, they had to deal with him now of all times?
"Oh, look who it is," Thancred said sarcastically as none other than Emet-Selch appeared before them, looking completely disinterested in everything around him. In fact, he looked like he was just rudely awoken from a nap.
"Well…" Emet-Selch said with a slight yawn in his voice, "This is embarrassing. In my defense, they are surprisingly tenacious." He looked around at them, and it wasn't long before he noticed their grim expressions and asked, with some slight more interest in his voice, "So - what trouble have you gotten yourselves into this time?"
They all looked to her, and she was suddenly not in the mood to discuss this, but she did give him a brief rundown of what happened. But as she said it again, she felt her thoughts looking at it once more… trying to put the pieces together… something… something was wrong here…?
"Well, well," the Ascian stated as Runar kept his head lowered miserably. "What an intriguing turn of events. My condolences, by the way. 'Tis never easy to lose the ones we love."
His voice was cold and disinterested as it usually was… but that last part didn't hold any such tone. She would probably have questioned it more if her thoughts weren't so lost in her own memories at the moment. But Thancred wasn't going to stand there and take it as he glared at him. Emet-Selch tried to remind him that if she was dead there was nothing more they could do about it. But Thancred boldly proclaimed that he wasn't surprised to see his indifference, but to them she was a dear friend. In fact, it looked like he was about to punch the Ascian for his heartless words… if Minfilia didn't speak up.
"You have something on your mind," she asked Claire beside her. "What is it?"
Claire didn't speak for a moment as her mind replayed that moment in her mind. Y'shtola fell and a great wind blew up before she was gone. Wait… that was it… that was what was bothering her.
"Wind…" she whispered. "I'm beginning to wonder what really happened when she fell."
Everyone froze at that, and Urianger turned to her, asking, "Pray, recount to us again that which thou witnessed in the ruins, omitting not the slightest detail."
So she did. She told them how the trap had accidently activated to the moment when Ran'jit kicked his soldier off the ledge to how Y'shtola jumped after him to grab the bottle. But then…? Where did all that wind come from? There was none of it when the first victim fell, so why with Y'shtola? And when Claire looked over the ledge… she didn't see her… could she have fallen that fast?
It was like she was just there… and then she wasn't…?
"Flow…"
She looked to Thancred, whose eyes were wide and he was sharing a look with Urianger, who seemed to realize something as well.
A new fire blazed inside Thancred as he told them, "The teleportation magic she used to spirit us away from Ul'dah after the bloody banquet! I recall a similar gale in the tunnel before it took effect."
So she teleported herself out of there as the last moment? Could it be that she was still…?
"Interesting," the Ascian said casually, "I thought I sensed a brief disturbance in the Lifestream. How reassuring to know it was not my imagination."
Everyone stared at him at those words and after a moment Emet-Selch shrugged back and looked away. The look on his face… he seemed almost embarrassed at what he said with a slight hint of annoyance when he added, "I felt it only once, I should mention. Which would suggest she is still adrift on its currents."
She felt her spirits sink once more as that fragile flame of hope was snuffed out. She remembered how hard it had bene for them to pull Y'sthola out of the Lifestream before… and this time they didn't have the Elder Seedseer and the Elementals to help them, this that Urianger seemed to confirm for them.
"Then I fear say may yet be lost to us," he said, his voice rough, "For it was only by the grace of the elementals that she was plucked from that great aetherial river."
More silence and she was starting to wonder if they would ever be able to speak normally again. But she could not blame them for this… just when they thought that there was still a chance… they had no way of continuing with it. Their last hope was gone.
"Oh… very well," Emet-Selch sighed when he realized that no one was going to make any other suggestions. "I'll go and fetch her…"
Their heads all shot up, startled at what he said. He didn't seem to be too bothered by this outcome, but the way he was looking at her…? The way that his eyes never once left her, as he explained, "Perhaps a clear and unambiguous act of kindness will serve to win the trust you seem so determined to deny me."
Could he really help them? The Ascians weren't known for being honest… and she could not see how he would wish to help them when he stood to gain so little from this. But as she looked at him, really looked, she saw that the mocking disinterest he so often held for the others was not there. It was only when he was looking at her did he show any signs of notice… but this time, there was something different. He seemed to stand up a little straighter and his expression… it looked so… kind… even gentle when he looked at her.
And that was when she realized that he wasn't doing this for Y'sthola or any of the others, or even because he felt that it was right. He was doing this for her, wasn't he? Why? What did he expect from them?
She did not look away from him as she gazed back into those eyes, a deep golden shade that reminded her of a beaming sunset. Those eyes… they were so old despite his otherwise youthful appearance. She was so lost in thought that she didn't seem to notice what the others were saying behind her.
"Could it truly be within his power to pluck Y'shtola from the Lifestream as he claimeth?" Urianger asked, "Tis a feat beyond even the greatest practitioners of the arcane. Yet if he would attempt it, we cannot well stand in his way."
The others seemed hesitant to accept his help, but Runar gasped, "By the blessed Dark, there is yet hope!"
"Though I am loathed to trust him, I suppose we have no choice," Thancred decided, finally causing her to turn away from the Ascian and back to them, "For now, at least."
"Alright," she said, prepared to make a deal with a demon here if it meant getting their friend back now that they had the tiniest bit of hope she could still be saved. She looked to Emet-Selch and asked, "What do I do?"
The other Scions were tense behind her as he walked over to her and actually took her hands in his own.
"Now then," he said slowly. "If I'm to fetch her for you, I will require a suitable place to work. We must find somewhere that resonates strongly with the Lifestream. And by we, I mean you. To that end, I give you this - an aetherial lamp of my own design." And out of nowhere, a tiny lantern about the size of a loaf of bread appeared in her hands. She examined it curiously as he let her go and gave further instructions, telling her to find a place in the woods where the lantern reacted to it, and they would need a place where the Lifestream was resonance with strongly. All she had to do after that was whistle to get them to come running.
"You do know how to whistle, don't you? Just put your lips together and blow," he teased and Thancred snarled at him to behave if he knew what was good for him. Emet-Selch just shrugged back as she quickly hurried off as the others were trying to get Runar to stay here and rest, but he was having none of it.
She travelled through the forest, looking for any location that would seem promising, and after a lot of trial and error, she came to the edge of a cliff that was surrounded by azure flowers, and the lantern was glowing so brightly that it was hurting her eyes to look at it as it cast shadows all about them. She then whistled and waited. Sure enough, a few minutes later, the other were there, following after Emet-Selch, and a slightly queasy-looking Runar bringing up the rear.
Emet-Selch looked around with a critical eye, and seemed rather impressed with her choosing the location.
"Yes," he said approvingly, "this place should serve well enough." He then glanced sideways at her and asked in a teasing tone, "Might I have a little space? I need to concentrate."
She still held some doubts, but she nodded and did what she was told as she joined the others and they watched him work—almost expecting something bad to happen.
"Now then…" he said, more to himself than them again, "What color was her soul again?"
He closed his eyes as he lifted his hand, pointing in the air as aether began to spark and twinkle with energy. She felt herself holding her breath as she prayed to whichever gods were listening to bring Y'shtola back to them. If they could do this for her, she swore that she would take back… 75% of the many awful things she thought about Emet-Selch.
Well, it seemed that the gods heard that prayer.
"Ah…" Emet-Selch said as he opened his eyes again, "There you are." With a snap, the aether coalesced into a glowing ball. The light glowed brighter and brighter before growing to large size… and then a shape appeared through it… much like the last time…? Her eyes widened as she realized that it was working; and sure enough, she saw a figure appear from within the light. First a hand emerged, followed by an arm… and then her entire head… as if she was coming out of a tight tunnel and Y'sthola appeared in the air right before them.
Clare gasped, not realizing how her lungs were starving for air, and Runar cried out, "He-He's done it! He's brought her back!"
Before the light completely died down, Emet-Selch snapped his fingers a second time and Y'shtola was suddenly clothed once again before she collapsed into a heap on the ground. They ran to her, crouching down to see how she was.
"Y'shtola, are you all right?" Thancred cried, looking ready to slap her awake if he had to. Thankfully, he was spared that when their friend stirred and then began to groan.
Her glassy eyes opened and she seemed disorientated as she tried to grasp what happened. When she turned to them and saw them all gathered around her, she slowly pushed herself up and said in a hoarse voice, "Yes. Though I cannot imagine how. What happened?"
"Thou didst invoke the power of Flow, which thence did usher thy soul unto the Livestream," Urianger explained, his voice unable to contain the joy he was feeling as he beamed at her in a way that they so rarely had seen before.
Y'shtola blinked slowly and it was clear she was trying to remember what happened. "I wanted to save the antidote, and after that…" she whispered and then, without warning, burst out laughing.
"I did something exceedingly reckless," she said, "For which you will just have to forgive me."
What? That was it? She almost destroyed herself and that was all she had to say for herself? Claire didn't know whether to laugh or not. But it seemed that there was one among them who was happier than he could say. Once he fully registered that Y'sthola was alive and well, Runar bolted past them, and actually lifted her up in his arms. Y'sthola was surprised by this, but he was already spinning her around and bouncing her in his arm in delight.
"Master Matoya! Oh thank the heavens you're all right," everyone seemed just as shocked by this, staring at the pair of them, wondering what was happening. Even Y'shtola was completely taken aback by this reaction, as Runar then looked away, his voice breaking as he admitted, "I had nearly given up hope."
He suddenly seemed to realize what he was doing and he looked away in embarrassment. But once Y'shtola saw this, Claire saw their friend giving Runar such a warm, affectionate smile, that it was like she was a different person.
"Please, Runar, dry your tears. What would the others think if they saw you like this?" she asked and he looked down at her in surprise as she chuckled at the look he was giving her and added, "Come now - did you really think I would go gently into that dark night with so much left undone? So many mysteries left unsolved?"
Ah, there was the Y'shtola that they all knew and loved.
Runar only beamed at her as he finally set her onto the ground. That was when Emet-Selch coughed behind them, getting their attention when he asked, "Ahem. Is there aught you wish to say to me? A word of thanks, perhaps?"
They all looked at him, and Y'shtola seemed confused who he was when Urianger quickly explained, "Emet-Selch, the Ascian of whom I spoke. 'Twas he who plucked thee from the Lifestream."
Y'shtola was clearly on guard, but otherwise her face held no emotion. Still, she did say, "I see. Thank you. Differences notwithstanding, you saved my life, and for that I am grateful."
The Ascian shrugged, and Y'shtola turned her attention to the rest of them, and Claire suspected that she wasn't interested in speaking to Emet-Selch any more than she had to. She just cleared her voice and said with them getting back to the matter at hand as she explained, "But let us turn our attention to more important matters, such as the Qitana Ravel." She then glanced over at Claire and asked with a slight tease, "You had better not have explored its depths without me."
Claire just chuckled back and reassured her, "Heavens no. In fact, I was awaiting your return."
In all the time that she had known her, Claire didn't think she had ever seen Y'shtola smile as widely as she did here. Thancred then clapped his hands together as he said that Almet and the others would be pleased to see her alive and well so they best return to Fanow to make plans for their upcoming expedition into the Ravel—which everyone agreed to.
They headed off, with the others quickly catching Y'shtola up on what she missed out on, and reassured her that the rest of the Nights Blessed were given the antidote. Hopefully, a little rest and they should make full recoveries.
Claire made to follow behind them when she noticed that Emet-Selch hadn't moved from his spot, and was watching after them with a rather curious expression.
"What a touching reunion that was," he said very slowly, "It fair brought a tear to the eye." He then turned to her, realizing that she was looking at him as he added, "But as we both know, such tender moments are nothing if not momentary. Before long, they will remember their many differences, and return to squabbling."
True, there will always be moments where they disagree and argue… and she was still having a hard time trying to get out of her head of the 'disagreement' she heard Y'shtola and Urianger have earlier. But in the end, she realized that whatever else happened, no matter how much they may disagree with each other, they were still determined to stand by each other. It was with that in mind did she find an answer.
"You're wrong," she said, "They're better than that."
"Oh, if I had a gil for every time one of you heroes made that claim…" he sighed with a shrug, and—she wasn't sure he was aware that he was doing this—but once more his eyes suddenly gazing deeper into her eyes, as if he was looking past them and focus on something else inside her. She did not turn away, refusing to let him see how uncomfortable he made her whenever he did it. "But seriously, we Ascians do what we do for the greater good. For the Rejoining. Though we may sow the seeds of chaos, it is man who tends them, he who reaps their bountiful harvest. But I grow tired of these arguments. If you would kindly refrain from retorting and return to your customary brooding silence, I will take it as thanks for rescuing your companion and leave it at that."
She couldn't figure him out. She really couldn't.
But she did walk back with him the rest of the way to Fanow, mostly in silence, but there was suddenly a thought that she had been curious about and she glanced back at him, who walked right beside her.
"I told you, I tire of these inane argument," he sighed, sensing that she wanting to ask him somenting, "Shouldn't you be getting ready to slay the next Lightwarden or something?"
"What of you?" she asked back, who merely gave her a slight shrug.
"Lest you doubt, I won't be helping you do battle with the Lightwarden," he reminded her, "To accompany you thus is quite taxing enough. Now, if you've no further questions…?"
"Actually, there is," she said, wondering if he would answer her while he was in a mood to talk, "Are there any other Ascians here on the First?"
"Not a single one," he confessed, stretching out his arms as if he was just getting up and ready for the day, "Happily, I am quite content to mingle with the masses. And even if I did crave the company of my own kind, one might say we're understaffed at present. There are no strict rules governing how we work, though that has not been without its consequences."
"You mean… with what happened to the Thirteenth?" she asked suddenly and he nodded.
"In the beginning, we were each responsible for a shard, and free to do as we wished, but Igeyorhm's impetuous temperament showed us the folly in that," he informed her. Ah, there was a name she hadn't heard in a while. She remembered her helping Lahabrea with teaching the archbishop the secrets of summoning and that was how he later became the primal Thordan.
"In light of her failings, we took to working in tandem as the situation demanded," Emet-Selch informed her casually, as if he didn't care less that he was walking besides the woman who finished off the same person he just mentioned. "Mitron and Loghriff were supposed to take care of the First, of course. Alas, they were slain by the champions of this realm shortly before the Flood. Expendable though they were, I found them quite useful."
What he just said triggered another memory. Back when she first met Ardbert and his friends in the Source, right after they defeated Ravana, she had a glimpse into his past… and she saw him and the others facing down an Ascian… whom she could only assume to be Mitron or Loghriff.
"You must hate us for that," she informed him calmly.
"Well, it was a shame that we lost them in such a way," Emet-Selch shrugged back, as if he could not care less, "But bearing a grudge against you now will not change anything. No, best to cut our loses and just continue on with the plan."
"For what it's worth," she said slowly, "Thank you for saving Y'shtola. We could not have saved her without you. But I hope you can understand our distrust of you as well. I fear that your 'kind' as you put it has given us little reason to trust you."
"Now, now," he said, "There are plenty of 'your kind' who are untrustworthy and have committed many unspeakable horrors, have they not? So by that logic, because we cannot trust some, your entire race is untrustworthy."
Claire gave him an irritated look as he gave her a bow.
"Some among 'your kind' show promise," he agreed as he looked at her, and even paused walking for a moment, "But if you were to know the whole truth, perhaps you would be questioning everything you thought you knew, including yourself."
"Oh?" she asked, "And what truth is this?"
But he just gave her a mysterious smile as he walked on. Now she was annoyed, but she didn't want to give him the satisfaction of making her curious. Indeed, she suspected that even if she were to ask, he would purposely change the subject just to keep her in line.
Rather, they continued the rest of the way back to Fanow without another word and she regrouped with the others, who were still savoring the fact that Y'shtola was brought back to them.
Once Claire had joined them, she gathered them all around as if to make a speech.
"My apologies for having put you all through such an ordeal," she said told them a little bashfully, "I could see no other way to save the Night's Blessed. Happily, both they and I yet live—thanks to you. But our work here is not yet done. We must make ready to enter the Ravel, and put the Lightwarden to the sword."
That was true. Though Eulmore had retreated, and the unknown status of losing their leader… though if she had to be honest, she was finding the idea of Ran'jit being killed off so easily a little too good to be true… she knew that this brief respite was only temporary. With Eulmore leaving them time to breathe, now was the time for them to move forward and continue on with slaying the warden. With the aether flowing through the pyramid, the way through the Ravel was open and they saw no other traces of the Lightwarden anywhere else—so it had to be hiding in the temple somewhere.
Almet agreed with this and instructed them to head out to the entrance, but warned that there were surely to be traps inside and to be careful. Runar, who since they rescued Y'sthola and had been acting as if all the worries of the world had been solved, knew that he couldn't dissuade Y'sthola from going but made her promise to return safely. For the Night's Blessed needed her.
Claire clearly heard this last part, and know she didn't miss the guilt that was written upon Y'shtola's face at the worry she was causing. But she promised that they would return soon; and even said that she would be bringing something back that the Blessed had been wishing for. He seemed confused by this, but Claire could not help but wonder just if there was more than she thought.
Well, no time to wonder now. They had to head out and the five of them left together, taking the azure flowers east until they came to a side of the cliff with a stone door standing in the way. With no idea what could be waiting for them, they had to best figure out how to proceed from here. In the end, Claire would lead the charge, with Urianger, Y'shtola, and Minfilia directly behind her and Thancred would bring up the rear and make sure that the pathway behind them was cleared and that nothing came after them.
Though before they stepped inside, he did pull her aside and whispered, "Keep an eye on Y'shtola and Urianger, would you? It wouldn't surprise me in the slightest if one of them wandered off to inspect the temple's relics."
She gave him a friendly smile, promising to keep that in mind, and he clapped a hand on her shoulder before he turned to Minfilia, ready to give her advice and to watch herself while she was in there.
As he did this, Urianger told them that he did speak to the same Viis before, whose mother first spotted the Warden several decades before. Apparently, according to her, that it was a feathered beast of three heads which looked both simian and canine at once. Well, it didn't sound like they would have much trouble in recognizing it when they found the damn thing. But gods, did she hate having to fight things with multiple heads… they were so hard to deal with because when you have your attention on one mouth, another would be trying to bite your head off.
But she thanked him anyway for this information before they opened the doors and stepped inside. They were immediately surrounded on all sides with stone, much like in the pyramid before, and they walked through the halls until they came to a large room that was filled with large owl statues on either side with glowing violet eyes… and some kind of skeletal creature waiting for them in the middle.
What was it?
"Guardians of the Ravel—in the name of the emperor, I bid you awaken!" it called as the eyes of the owls began to glow.
"Have care," Y'shtola warned as she ran forward with them, "I sense aether emanating from the statues…"
"Right!" Minfilia stuttered out as they began to battle with the strange creature and it shrieked out, "Open your eyes, and purge the Ravel of this taint!"
They could not move forward with the magical wall that stood in their way until the creature was brought down. It was tricky, for they were forced to watch the light of the eyes glow and know when to hide behind broken walls to avoid getting shocked with a burst of energy. They continued on, finding more sentinels and idols of stone waiting for them; though thankfully, they weren't too tough to kill once they were able to shatter their stone bodies. After making their way through the elaborated passageways, she was able to admire the history around them… and funnily like how Thancred predicted, more than once, she had to pull their two scholars away from examining an interesting piece of the wall or stone statue. Eventually though, they come across another of those skeletal mage-like creatures guarding another sealed door.
They fought it, remembering their battle from the first, and then brought that one down as well, which opened the door for them to step into the room where another beast was waiting for them.
"More statues," Y'shtola sighed, "Another trap, I should think."
Oh, it wasn't a statue… it was a hulking giant of stone, massive like Titan only with club-like arms, small head, and rounded spikes bursting from its shoulders as it tilted its head as it gazed at them.
"The Ronkans guard their secrets well," Urianger complimented.
"Its designs call to mind the Ronkan legends of giants," Y'shtola said, staff already in hand, "Fascinating…"
Let's see if she still thinks that way after it attacks them. They charged and the creature roared out, "CRUSH… INTRUDERS… RAAAAAAARGH!"
It was swinging its massive arms around, smashing all in its wake. Steam would burst out of its shoulders where there were holes and it glowed red with heat before a burst of hot air hit them. It didn't help when it turned out that there were a few pedestals with more owls standing at either side of the door and they would occasionally blast out power from their eyes as well.
Claire was able to deal the final blow to the monster to bring it down before they moved on through the opening door.
"Truly a fascinating specimen of Ronkan ingenuity," Urianger said as they stepped over the legs of the fallen beast and continued through the opening doors.
"Though thankfully nowhere near as the fabled might of Lozatl," Y'shtola added as they slipped on the stone. Unlike the rest of the ruins, this place was clearly part of a cave, looking partly natural and some parts actually having been carved out. As soon as their footsteps echoed off the walls, an army of bats appeared and attacked them as they flew about their heads.
As they smashed the bats out of the air and left them in heaps on the ground, they heard a faint cry, sounding like a massive bat, echoing through the temple.
"What's that?" Minfilia asked in worry.
"Something big," Claire said as they came across several large snakes waiting for them. Moving onwards, and finishing up a quick fight with some gators that were lurking within the shallow pools, they were now moving through water as another unsettling cry rang out through the temple… but this time it was much louder.
"There it is again!" Minfilia gasped, wincing at the loud noise and dust fell from the ceiling.
"Stay on your guard," Y'shtola said seriously, "We near the tremors' source."
The cave twisted and turned until they came into a large opening filled with stalactites hanging from the ceiling. There were massive murals painted upon the stone walls around them, not unlike the ones that she had seen earlier when they snuck into Woven Oath. But she didn't pay much attention to them because her eyes were drawn immediately to the creature that was bound in magical chains in the center of a platform.
"By the gods! It's hideous!" Minfilia shivered.
It looked like a cross between an Ahriman and a furry bat with massive feet… and that somehow resulted in this ugly creature. As soon as it saw them, it let out a loud cream that made the walls shake around them and the floor beneath them tremble… in fact it was so loud that the glowing aetherial chains that held it in place broke free and it was now glaring at them.
"That such a best could survive down here all this time…" Y'shtola said, sounding more impressed than afraid—rubbing her ears from the sound that it was making.
Claire launched the first attack as it swiped at her with a massive mouth and claws as it continued to shriek out shockwaves that made the entire cave feel like it was about to collapse upon itself. At times it would stamp down upon the floor and she felt as if she was being crushed from the shocks. In fact, its voice was able to cause stalactites to fall from the ceiling and plant themselves in the ground before falling over like a tree being cut down.
She rammed her blade up through its one eye as it let out one last shriek before collapsing in a heap on the ground. She could have sworn that her eardrums had begun bleeding at this point and she couldn't really hear anything.
"Would that we could stop and rest, but we must press on," Y'shtola said, but she was also looking deeply uncomfortable about this whole thing.
"What?" Claire asked, unable to hear anything but the ringing until Urianger stepped in and placed his hands over each of their ears as he worked on healing any damaged done. Once she could hear normally again, they ran out of the cave and through another tunnel where she could see light blazing inside from the other end and knew they must be outside again.
As soon as they stepped outside, she could only think of how beautiful it was here even though she needed a few seconds for her eyes to readjust to the bright light. They were standing at the end of the cave at the top of the cliff while water rushed past their feet. At the top of a cliff with the water rushing past them and down the slope, leading into more ruins that were entangled with the roots and vines. Far ahead, she could see a massive tree that dwarfed all others that she had ever seen, and it seemed to stand at the heart of the ruins, it's vines and roots crossing over the land underneath that blazing sky.
"At last," Y'shtola said, bending down to feel the water with her hands, "Rak'tika Falls…"
"And below awaiteth the Lightwarden," Urianger added.
He seemed to be right, for after they let the water carry them down the falls, they were faced off with sin eaters instead of beasts or ancient traps. They were prowling about the large vines and began lashing at them with mad hunger when they spotted them there.
How she hated these things.
They climbed up the massive roots and through more of the ruins where the eaters were waiting for them… especially for one… she could feel it. She wasn't sure how she knew for sure… only that she suddenly became aware that there was a strong light was lurking just up ahead. Meanwhile, the light that was inside her seemed to beat like a heart at this revelation and seemed almost ravenous for her to add to it… like it wanted to grow.
She paused for a moment as the others caught up, but she didn't bring it up. She shook her head and pressed on, climbing over the crumbling stone and fighting her way past the large ape-like eaters that were throwing boulders at them.
They were nearly at the base of the tree when she felt the Light flicker and then turned into a blazing sun. She knew that they were close. She called a warning to her friends before kicking down another wall and making it to a thick, mossy root that was so slippery, that she slid down it like a slide the moment she stepped foot on it. She managed to regain her balance as she slid though, allowing it to carry her to a stone platform, that resembled the top of a roof, at the base of the tree.
And there it was… a creature just as Urianger described before. The closest that she could ever describe it was like the light-version of Cerberus from the World of Darkness. It was a like a massive hound had a second head with a more ape-like head sewed on between them. Each one of its four paws were large enough to step on any one of them and flatten them to pieces—while the tail wasn't a normal tail and rather it had the mouth of a serpent at the very tip and hissed whenever it moved. It was bright white with its fore in more like feathered scales, with sword-long fangs dripped from its three slobbering mouths and dead eyes from their rather colorful faces as it made its way towards them.
Eros… whispered a voice inside her. She didn't know where that came from, but she felt the others appear next to her as six pairs of eyes glared on at them. Where did the designs for these creatures come from? Did the larger the eaters get the more messed up they became?
"The Lightwarden of Rak'tika," Y'shtola whispered, and for the first time, she sounded nervous.
"Tis more terrible than the Viis described," Urianger stated with a nod.
But Claire was no longer thinking as she charged in. It snapped at her with all three heads as she ducked around the razor-sharp teeth. It then roared out and fire burst from its fur while the tail reared up and spit up pools of green poison. While trying to avoid the pools, it blasted them with a burst of wind that sent them skidded backwards and she knew that a couple of them were forced to touch the poison, which was like acid on their skin.
Urianger went to work curing them while she made sure to keep Eros on her and away from the others.
It then began to breathe out fire from its middle mouth while the other two heads shot out lightning. It would charge across the roof, burning anyone who was foolish enough to stand in its way before later causing more poison puddles around them once more as they were pulled to it and then with a roar, blasted backwards by wind.
She could feel her arms burning as more poison was filling the air from the fumes. She was able to get them all to stand together and show them how to avoid the poison all together long enough for them to breathe out of their systems. The others were struggling to keep up, but she could see how this worked and was able to stand outside of it so that when she was shot backwards she could avoid the poison. The battle went back and forth like this for some time, as just trying to find a safe place to stand where they didn't need to worry about being fried or burned.
At last though, she had managed to make it through to its underbelly and rammed her blade straight upwards and through the thick muscles that blocked its heart.
She rolled out of the way as it roared out in pain before it fell and collapsed into a heap on the ground. She was panting hard as she stood up, feeling her body already covered in bruises and they heard a shout as Thancred caught up to them, his coat torn and face dirty from where he was fighting whatever remained in the forest behind them. It seemed that he caught up to them in time to see the thing defeated. Yet as she looked at the dead creature, she could not deny that she felt true pity for the poor thing.
"So the Warden of the wood falls," Y'shtola panted, coughing up the remains of poison in her lungs, as Thancred was already asking how everyone was, and they were reassuring him that everyone was alive and in one piece.
But there was no time to focus on them as she stepped forward, knowing what was about to happen. The light in her called to the light from the warden as it began to dissolve. It left the body behind until a blinding light appeared and everything faded around her. She gulped down, fighting the wave of nausea that rose up as the sphere of light lifted up into the air.
She heard the others gasp behind her, none of them having seen this before, and they watched as the light broke into several smaller orbs and then flew straight at her. If her friends called out to her, she no longer heard them as she focused on just standing upright, feeling as if she was being punched over and over in the chest by fireballs. She bit down on her lip to fight the pain as it flowed through her body before settling within her chest… where the rest of the light had already settled.
The Light seemed to hum… almost purr… before it settled and quieted down. But once again, she heard the music inside her head—louder than before as if a choir was singing to her.
One brings shadow, one brings light
To this riddle all souls are tied
Brief our moments, brazen and bright
Forged in fury, tempered in ice
Hindmost devils, early to rise
Sing come twilight, sleep when they die
Heaven's banquet leavened with lies
Sating honor, envy, and pride
One brings shadow, one brings light
Run from the light
But why run? Why was this happening? Someone was singing to her, trying to warn her of something, she knew that much, but she could not figure out who it was who was or what they were trying to tell her.
She forced herself to take it all as the music would fade in and out so that at times it was so quiet that she couldn't make out the words, but other times it was so loud that it was a scream:
We fall
We fall
We fall
We fall unto the end
She gasped for air when the light finally settled inside her and her head felt like someone had hit her with a giant hammer or something heavy. She saw stars and swayed where she stood for a moment before her vision cleared and she looked up to see darkness right above her and real stars twinkling down.
It happened so quickly she didn't even realize the light had already evaporated, and stared at the stars as it seemed to soothe some of the pain that she was already in.
"The Lightwarden is dead," she heard Minfilia whisper behind her, her eyes fixed on the sky. "The Blessed's prayers have been answered."
"Aye, that they have," Thancred replied in smug satisfaction.
She focused on making sure the ground under her feet was steady before she felt it was safe enough to look around. She could hear some of them whisper behind her, but she didn't truly focus on it until she felt Y'shtola's hand on her shoulder and she looked at her.
"Well fought," Y'shtola told her kindly, "Let us return home."
She could only nod, but she swayed slightly in turning, which brought them all to her side immediately, asking if she was hurt. Claire shook her head, reassuring them that she was just tired, and that she just needed some food and a good night's sleep. Well, half of that was true, she wasn't sure she could eat anything here and keep it down for long but she wanted nothing more than to collapse where she stood. Y'shtola didn't look convinced, but she nodded in understanding and they made their way back to through the forest and into the caves… though it was a nightmare having to climb up the waterfall this time around.
Wearily they all began to head back through the now empty temple. Claire didn't speak, feeling as if she would truly be sick if she opened her mouth again. She felt much better after Urianger helped to heal any cuts she had, though she noticed that Y'shtola, who was still speaking friendly to him, was giving him a slightly disapproving look. But she didn't say anything, which Claire was grateful for. She didn't want to be fussed over and couldn't stand the thought of fighting right now.
Once they were up the waterfall, they made their way back through the caves, already wondering how the Viis and the Blessed were reacting to the sight of the night sky.
As they proceeded through the caves to find their way back, they came across the beautifully painted murals that she hadn't had time to stop and examine. With the danger having passed, she was able to relax slightly and got a good look at them as they walked by.
"The murals…" Y'shtola said, pausing to look at the closest one to them, "If I am not mistaken, they predate the empire."
"How can you tell?" Minfilia asked.
"A peculiarity of the paint," Y'shtola said critically, frowning slightly as if confused by what she was suddenly seeing, and explained, "Most are made from mineral based pigments, but whatever was used here is older than anything I have ever seen."
That much Claire believed. They seemed to very similar to the murals that were in Woven Oath... just even older than any of the ones that Ardbert told her about. But despite that, they were remarkably intact... and she had to wonder how long it had been since any other living being had been in this cave? Wait, was this why the temple was built? To protect the murals that they found here?
Y'shtola looked down at the ground, her brow furrowed as if she were trying to solve a particularly difficult problem as she added, "According to Almet, this sanctuary was built to preserve the wisdom of the ancients. What events do these murals commemorate, I wonder?"
Claire's eyes soon found them and she also looked around… there was something so familiar about each of them…? Like a whisper in her gut trying to remind her of something she forgotten, but her mind was drawing a blank to it all. Did she see these images before? She felt that she had from somewhere, but could not, for the life of her, recall from where.
Light footfalls echoed around them and they saw that Emet-Selch had reappeared. It seemed that he had chosen to follow after them after all... but she reasoned with herself that he must already had been aware of that they defeated the Warden when the sky grew dark.
"Must you always linger after defeating your enemies?" Emet-Selch said as he strolled through the cave as if he were merely going through a stroll through the markets instead of an ancient cave that was once filled with traps. He then accused them, as if it were their fault for taking so long, "Navigating these halls on foot is exhausting."
Thancred scowled at him, but he said in a surprisingly polite tone, "Come to lead us to safety, have you?"
"I was bored," the Ascian countered as if it were the most obvious answer in the world that that he was amazed that they were even asking him otherwise. "But how is the hero of the hour?"
There it was, he had come here to look for her.
She looked straight back into his eyes, not trying to show him any signs of discomfort or pain she was feeling. Sure she was feeling as if a spike was shoved between her eyes and straight through her head, but she wasn't going to show any signs of weakness in front of him.
"Hmm, fighting fit, I see," he answered coolly as he looked her over, as if a farmer would examine their prize horse before deciding to sell her at market, "Keep up the good work."
"You're plotting something," Y'shtola said, with her blank eyes narrowing suspiciously.
Emet-Selch barely glanced at her as he answered light-heartedly, "Every hour of every day. But never you mind about that. As I have told you a thousand times before… I like to watch. Nothing more." He then clapped his hands together and called, "Well! I would quit this place, and I suggest you do the same. There is yet work to be done."
She could not hide the relief she felt when he turned, ready to leave... but as he did so, the murals caught his eye and he stopped to look.
"Ah… there is a sight to bring a tear to the eye," he said and this time, a whole new expression came over his face as he turned his full attention to the paintings on the wall. She struggled at first to find a name for that look and the only thing she could come up with that was even close was... nostalgic.
"You recognize these scenes?" Minfilia asked him with cautious curiosity.
"That I do. Indeed, there was a time when anyone and everyone would," he said slowly, "Until one calamitous day when the world was divided across ten and three reflections, sundering the land and all who dwelled upon it."
His tone... while quiet... almost mournful. As if to merely speak of all this was painful for him to do.
"And the worst part?" he sighed, "No one could remember it. Not really. Just fragments, and fleeting memories of an achingly familiar world."
So the worlds were once one world. And something calamitous happened near the very beginning that cause reality to crack and created the Source as well as the other thirteen worlds. But what was it? What could have caused such damage as to cause this?
"A vision shared of a paradise lost, preserved only in song and scripture and paint…" Emet-Selch finished, "Once upon a time…"
He then glanced at them all, his expression betraying nothing, and said, "Yet here we find ourselves again. To look, learn, and remember…"
"Then share with us the stories you know so well," Y'shtola stated, her attention entirely upon him, and looking eager for any kind of news that he had to this 'forgotten paradise', "We are listening."
Emet-Selch seemed as if he doubted very much that they were fully able to comprehend what he knew. But he did give it thought before pointing to the first mural, which held the image a spiraling city awashed with flames as what looked to be meteors falling from the sky.
"Before the great sundering, there was one world," he recited, "A world that knew naught but peace and prosperity. Until it was faced with a crisis. Unprecedented, terrifying. Civilization found itself perched upon a precipice, staring into oblivion."
Truly? She wanted to ask more questions, but he was already pointing to the second mural, which was the image of a giant entity painted in black and dark purple, with the images of what seemed like people kneeling before it in reverence.
"But through prayer and sacrifice, the will of the star was made manifest," he said. "Zodiark was His name, and by His grace was the calamity averted."
"Zodiark?" Y'shtola gasped, but he ignored her as he pointed to the third painting, which was similar to the one with Zodiark and the praying figures… but this time there was another entity that was painted identically to him, only of white and light blue. Both of them were painted in a shape similar to an elemental… with no distinctive form... but she already guessed who the second figure was.
"A savior mighty and magnificent, deserving of reverence and gratitude… one would have thought," Emet-Selch answered, with a tone of bitterness sprinkled among his words, "yet some thought otherwise. From the fears of these naysayers would rise Hydaelyn—She who was to serve as His shackles. To bind Him and hold Him in check."
So the reason that Hydealyn exists... was because she was meant to keep Zodiark's powers in check. But... wait...? So then these two beings didn't exist until this moment? Then how did they come to be...? The way that Emet-Selch was describing them was... he was making them sound like...?
But he had already moved on to the final mural at the end, that held the figure of Hydaelyn stomping down upon Zodiark and his body seemed to be cracking apart from the impact.
"And so they fought, and they fought, and they fought," Emet-Selch explained, his voice now becoming hardly more than a whisper and a hiss, "And in the end… Hydaelyn was victorious. With all Her strength She smote Him—dealing a blow so devastating that it split the very fabric of reality. And thus was Zodiark banished and His being divided."
He then sighed as he lowered his hand.
"That concludes today's lesson on long-forgotten history," he said, "Though I imagine your Mother would offer a rather contradictory account. As is your wont."
It took a moment for everything he said to fully sink in. She wasn't sure what to think... it all sounded too incredible to be true... and yet... she somehow knew that he wasn't lying to her.
It was Thancred who was the first to break the awkward silence.
"I'm sorry - I can only assume I misheard," he said, his brow furrowed in doubt, "But it sounded an awful lot like you were implying both Zodiark and Hydaelyn are not gods, but -"
His voice trailed off after that, as if too scared to finish speaking...?
"What?" Emet-Selch asked him softly, with an unbiased shrug, "Not gods of the First? Is that what you thought these paintings depicted? Or…? Oh! Ohhh..."
He suddenly realized what he was trying to say at the same time that she figured it out. That same thought was now racing across her own mind and making her feel even sicker and dizzier if that was possible. It was all she could do to keep herself from screaming it out until...?
"They are gods after a fashion, yes, but no different from the kind with which you are so intimately acquainted," Emet-Selch purred out, "Formed of faith and prayer, of conviction and devotion…" he looked back up with a faint sadness and finished, "The eldest and most powerful of primals."
It was as if her entire world came crashing down around her. She could not speak... could not move... the only thing she felt was shock and horror at what he was even suggesting. She wanted to forget, to just erase this revelation from her mind... and it seemed that the others felt the same.
Y'shtola's voice quivered slightly as she tried to get more answers from him, "You have spun quite a tale. Yet you have not explained the role of the Ascians in all of this. How is it you are privy to ancient secrets lost to time?"
Emet-Selch laughed bitterly before he finally looked her full in the face.
"Finally," he said, "Finally, you ask the right question! And shrewd questions warrant honest answers…" But she knew that when he next spoke, he was speaking, not to Y'shtola, but back to her as if she were the one to ask.
"We Ascians, know because it is our history," he answered simply, "Our story. It was we who summoned Zodiark - we natives of that sundered paradise."
They stared at him with stunned silence as he shrugged once more.
"Now do you see why we yearn for the Great Rejoining?" he asked before he slowly turned away so that they couldn't see his face, "For our world. For our people… for all creation to be made whole again. Wouldn't you wish for the same?"
He then left them, merely giving his hand a flamboyant wave, but his shoulders were slumped over as ever before, and merely left them alone in the dark.
No one spoke a word... merely standing there as if they had been turned to stone.
It was some time before they remembered where they were and that they had to leave. The entire way back outside was a blur to be honest since no one knew what to make of their newfound information.
It wasn't until they were outside again did someone speak.
"The eldest and most powerful of primals…" Thancred said with a croak, "Gods, if that were Hydaelyn's origin, then what would that make—No. No, I will not take the words of an Ascian on trust. It has to be a lie."
But he looked deeply bothered by all of this and she had a suspicion why... he was looking to Minfilia, who was having the bruises on her arm to be tended to by Urianger. That's right, Minfilia is also one of Hydealyn's... chosen.
Meanwhile, Y'shtola and Urianger were deep in conversation about this unexpected turn.
"That was an enlightening experience," Y'shtola whispered, from behind her, "Though not in the way I had hoped. Do you suppose there is any truth in Emet-Selch's claims?"
"Tis oft said truth is a matter of perspective," Urianger answered slowly, "Yet upon this matter, there can be but one truth. I only pray it is not his."
They talked more about this as Thancred sulked over several yalms away, pacing around irritably and Minfilia just looked completely lost in thought.
Claire could only excuse herself for a moment, saying she wanted to go clean the blood and gore off her armor from the creak.
She walked over through the trees a fair distance away, and after making sure that they couldn't possibly see or hear her, wretched until everything in her stomach was brought up.
Her body shook and her limbs ached as if she had just gotten over a severe sickness. But she made sure to wipe her mouth and clean up in the babbling brook before returning to the others so that they did not worry.
*Fanow*
When they arrived, everyone was focused upon the sky, staring at it as if they had never seen anything so beautiful before. Some of them were even dancing in joy at the sight of the dark sky with the splash of stars.
Almet and her sisters welcomed them warmly when they arrived, and they could not help but beam at the news that the Lightwarden is dead.
"That the death of a single sin eater should make such a difference…" Almet whispered in awe. "As our numbers waned, so too did our hope that the ruins we have devoted our lives to guarding would ever find purpose. Yet here you are, the allies for whom we have waited these many centuries. And with your arrival came the chance to pass on our legacy—the ancient wisdom of the empire."
They all smiled as if a great weight had been lifted from her shoulders and she finished, "That alone would have been rewarded enough…" she said, "Never did we imagine it would serve to banish the Light that pervaded these woods."
Suddenly the three of them looked to Claire, as if they somehow knew that she had been the one who brought the warden down, though they didn't tell them exactly how the beast had been killed. But they didn't seem to care about that as they looked at her so warmly that it made her blush.
"On behalf of the Viis, our forebears, and the late emperor of Ronka, you have our deepest thanks," she said and they all bowed their heads respectfully. Claire forced a smile back, silently grateful for their help, and silently pleased with how happy they all were.
"It is we who should be thanking you," Y'shtola said, "Our journey through the Qitana Ravel proved… most enlightening. To be privy to such knowledge is an honor. One for which we never hoped…"
But they laughed and told her that they didn't need to be so humble for they just did what was decreed by the late emperor, and only wished that he was here to express his gratitude as well. But that got Uimet thinking and she looked to her elder sister and asked, "But sister, does this not mean our duty is fulfilled?"
"To our allies, perhaps, but the ruins cannot be left unguarded," Almet answered knowingly, "So long as we live here in these woods, the secrets of Ronka must not fall into the wrong hands."
They nodded in understanding, and the pair seemed relieved at such an answer and the reassurance that they were still needed here.
"Is Runar still here?" Minfilia asked curiously and Almet confirmed that he had returned to Slitherbough shortly after they left for the ruins. Y'shtola wanted to return as well, especially after hearing that the people seemed to be in good spirits.
She then finished, "Thank you, Almet. I look forward to a day when we might share a more leisurely visit to the ruins of Ronka."
"We will await your return then. Should you have need of the wisdom of Ronka again, you know where to find us," Almet said graciously, and when they left, they were treated with a round of applause from just about every Viis in the village and joyful expressions.
*Slitherbough*
Runar was waiting for them just inside Slitherbough. After getting a good look around, Claire realized that the damage seemed to have been minimal… a few broken weapons and a smashed barrel or two with the footprints of armored feet here and there… but otherwise no permanent damage done.
Everyone seemed to be outside though, even those who had been poisoned and should be in bed, staring up at the sky with wide eyes and in unrestrained joy. When Runar heard them approach, he let out a cry of delight and raced over to meet them.
"Ah, you are returned! And none the worse for wear, I see," he said, beaming so wide that she had to wonder if his face was hurting from it.
"You needn't worry about us," Y'shtola reassured him before asking, "What became of the Eulmoran soldiers, more importantly?"
Runar smiled even wider, if that was possible, and explained, "They turned tail and fled at the sight of the night sky. The Children of the Everlasting Dark have also retreated back to Woven Oath. Try as they might, they could not deny the truth of their own eyes."
He turned to look up at the night sky before he bowed his head in prayer, he whispered in unsuppressed reverence, "The sunless sea of heaven, full of love and grace, where none need know pain or suffering." He looked up again, his voice impassioned, "In that moment, when the sky's light began to wane, I knew our prayers had been answered. That we were doomed to face oblivion at life's end no longer."
And then, like with Almet and the other Viis, he looked directly to her even though none of them came out and said that she had been the one who brought the Lightwarden down and absorbed that cursed light. Instead, he just said shrewdly, "When first we met, I harbored certain suspicions about you. Now I see that I was right." He took in the group of them, looking at each of their faces, before answering, "You are the Bringers of Shadow. The Warriors of Darkness. The saviors for whom we have prayed for so long."
Claire shared a look with Y'shtola, who grinned back.
"I suppose you're not entirely wrong," Y'shtola admitted slowly and a shine appeared in Runar's eyes at the confirmation, before she added, "But we are not worthy of your reverence, nor have we any desire to be worshipped. If you would pray, pray for your children, that they may one day know a better world."
Runar bowed his head respectfully at the request.
"I will do as you say, but please, let us at least hold a feast to celebrate your victory," he said, "You deserve that much."
At that, it was like the happiness faded from Y'shtola's face for just a moment before she looked down.
"I'm sorry, Runar," Y'shtola began, "but there is still much to be done, and scant time in which to do it. We must go—all of us. For we share the same path and the same fate."
Claire then glanced over at Runar, who didn't look surprised by this news, but she could see how his fists were curled up tightly, as if he was in terrible pain. She then looked back up into Runar's face and a suspicion began to form in her mind… but she did not dare say anything about that as Runar merely forced a smile and nodded in understanding.
"So be it," he said, "I ask only that you hold us in your hearts, as we will hold you in ours, now and ever after. By the boundless dark, this I swear."
He then bowed low with his hands over his eyes, which Y'shtola copied, and Claire came to learn that this was a blessing of the Night's Blessed… a sign that is given to anyone who is to leave on a long journey, or just returning from one… it was their way of saying 'have a safe journey' and also repeated as a way of saying 'welcome back'.
Claire watched them as Y'shtola then began to go around to each of the villagers, wanting to make sure that they were all recovering well before they left. That was when Claire felt someone's eyes on the back of her head and she turned around to find Ardbert standing a fair distance away. He didn't approach her or say a word, but he was also smiling, which she returned before he vanished.
As it turned out that many were upset to hear that Y'shtola was going to be leaving, but they understood why she was doing so. They only requested that they remain for the night when the roads were so dark, and set out in the morning… in the end she agreed, but made it plain that she would leave with the others as soon as the sun rose. That got everyone's attention since they had never seen the sun before and were worried what that would mean.
Y'shtola only laughed and reassured them that it was a good thing. It would be bright outside, but the light would be far safer than what they had all grown up with and unlike the glare from before, it was only temporary. She told them that they would find the sunrise beautiful through the trees, and they had calmed down to really wonder what it would look like with the sky so many different colors.
In the meantime, a small celebration was happening as wine and food were brought out—it turned out that Eulmore brought some supplies with them and were hurriedly abandoned when forced to retreat and so the people indulged a little more than they normally would in honor of such a special occasion. Claire hung out with the people for most of the rest of the night, but her head was aching once again—something that she was growing constantly sick of—and when she could no longer ignore it, she left the party.
She didn't really think about telling anyone where she was going, since she had no idea where that would be. She just went through the tunnel to the forest and walked a short distance away so that she was still in view of the tunnel opening, but she was away from the noise.
She didn't wish to ruin the celebration for everyone else with her sudden gloomy mood. She wasn't sure why she craved it all of a sudden, she just desperately needed space from the others and have a quiet moment to think. She could not explain, even to herself, why she was feeling so low at this possible moment. But she placed her hand over her chest where the Light had been absorbed into her very skin and winced slightly. She could feel it… she could hardly notice it before, but now… with so much added to that ball of Light from these last few battles… it didn't just feel like it was flowing through her veins here, now it felt like the Light had taken on a more solid form and was moving about inside her chest… making her feel as if she had swallowed a live serpent.
It sent shivers up her spine just thinking about it and she began to cough violently, as if she had something caught in her throat and she was trying to get rid of it.
"Gods…" she hissed to herself as she went to a nearby tree trunk and leaned up against it so that it was supporting most of her weight, "I feel terrible."
And that wasn't a lie… she honestly felt like she had been beaten to within an inch of her life while fighting off a serious illness. She spent several minutes coughing and retching into the grass before she was able to regain control of herself and stood up. She wiped her mouth on her sleeve, still shaking slightly, as she tried to master the dread inside her head.
This was the third Lightwarden that was defeated and now they were more than halfway there to saving Norvrandt. While she did suffer some misgivings at first, she truly believed that they were well on their way to putting an end to this eternal daylight to this world. But this was also the first time that she felt true doubt fill her heart as she looked up to the sky and the twinkling stars. For the first time since arriving in this world, the sight brought no comfort to her this time.
She just could not stop thinking about all that happened, all that she learned, and tried to make sense of it all. Up till now, she always trusted Hydaelyn… always believed that she was the embodiment of goodness and hope… but now her faith had been deeply shaken.
Was it all true? That the one being whom she had always did her best to follow was truly no different than the countless other false 'gods' that she had defeated in the past.
She did not know… she felt that she had reached a crossroad in the dark and could not see which path would take her where.
"There you are," said Y'shtola's voice from behind her, "Everyone noticed that the hero of the hour had disappeared, so this is where you have been sulking."
Claire didn't really pay attention to her words, but she did turn her head to greet her before looking up to the sky again. Y'shtola drew up next to her as Claire mumbled an apology for worrying anyone, saying that she just wanted a moment alone.
"Now why would you want to be alone out here at this time?" Y'shtola asked causally, "The party is in full swing by now and I think that some of them are starting to get drunk. You wouldn't want to miss seeing them make fools of themselves, would you?"
"Hmmm," she answered back.
"Well, if you prefer to be out here all on your own, instead of being admired and thanked over by the Blessed, it leaves me to believe that something is troubling you," Y'shtola said, and her light tease faded to become much more serious.
Claire kept her eyes on the stars as she thought it all over. If nothing else, she did appreciate that Y'shtola was getting straight to the heart of what was bothering her instead of dancing around it.
She thought for a moment, trying to find the best way to word what was bothering her.
"Y'shtola," she finally began slowly, "Do I still have a will of my own?"
Y'shtola seemed struck dumb by the question as she stared at her. There was a long moment of silence that was so tense that one could practically cut it with a knife, and she could hear the confusion in Y'shtola's voice when she asked, "Why would you ask something like that?"
"Do you remember what Emet-Selch said earlier?" she asked, finally glancing back down at her as the images of the murals on the wall appeared before her eyes and she had to clench her hands tightly to stop them from shaking.
"I am touched by Hydaelyn…" she went on, "And if Hydaelyn is truly a primal… then doesn't that make me a…?"
Her voice caught as Y'shtola folded her arms and shook her head firmly before she could finish saying it. Though it was seer determination—or mayhaps just stubbornness—there was no hiding the concern in her face completely.
"The Ascians are well known for secrets and lies," Y'shtola answered her firmly, "I do think it much more likely that when he revealed the 'truth' as he so called it, that it was an attempt to shake our resolve. Mayhaps that was what he was planning all along. We do not know if it was what really happed or if there is any truth in it. I would not let his words distract…?"
"But everyone else is thinking that, aren't they?" she interrupted and Y'shtola's voice seemed to be the one caught this time as Claire looked away. No one wanted to admit to it, to say it out loud, but she wasn't fooled and could recognize that they were all thinking along those same thoughts.
"And it does make a lot of sense," Claire answered back softly, "For one thing, it would explain why no other primal can make a 'thrall' out of me. Because a person can't be tempered more than once."
The silence between them was so heavy that it was almost suffocating. In that moment, she yearned for someone else to come and take up her accursed role as a Warrior of Light and Darkness and just let her fade away.
Y'shtola was looking deeply concerned, and Claire could see how her ears were now bent slightly downwards, a sign that she was deeply troubled by what they were saying. Still, she shook her head firmly, though there was not as much conviction there as Claire would have liked to have seen.
"Even if what he said had a spark of truth in it, you can't be a thrall," Y'shtola answered back, "You do not drop in worship of Her for one thing. Not only that, you still have your own free will. That should be proof enough that you can't be one of her tempered."
Claire turned away from her and gazed back to the sky.
One would have thought that her words would have comforted her… made her realize that she was right. But that wasn't true was it? Ever since she was 'chosen' she had done what Hydealyn wanted. Her chosen, her champion, her servant… always doing what she could to help for that was what Hydealyn wanted. She could not say no… she fought for them, bled for them, been prepared to die for others… and she believed that it was for the sake of a greater purpose. The memories of all the many lives she had taken began to march across her mind's eye in sorrowful procession.
She never complained. Not once. She always did what others asked, allowing herself to be used and manipulated for the sake of the job that she was given.
Then she thought of when she saw Hydealyn… the beautiful towering crystal…? Just after defeating the Ultimate Weapon and she was fleeing with a battered Thancred on the back of some Magitek armor, and were trying to make it to the exit. Hydealyn chose that moment to appear before and spoke… whispering words of love and devotion before she began to… she backed away from her and seemed to fade as she left her in the darkness.
The Darkness hath fled before the unclosed brilliance of thy spirit. Yet it lingereth still beyond the sight of men, in forgotten corners of the world. In the depths of the abyss yet resideth the Dark One, watchful ever. Till this evil be cast out, never shall the world know aught but a passing peace.
Zodiark. That was who she meant.
But… Emet-Selch had said that Zodiark had saved them and that Hydealyn was not only summoned because she was to keep Zodiark in line… but she was somehow the one who spilt the worlds?
Yet for the present, a gentle light shineth o'er the realm of Eorzea. With thee at its heart. From sparkling mote shall it swell to glorious sun, and all the world shall bask in its warmth. Blessings and joy be upon thee. Go forth, my child, and be as a beacon of hope for Eorzea and the lands beyond, through all the days of they life.
But she had now seen how dangerous the Light could be. Light was just as deadly as darkness if allowed to spread without being kept in check. She had seen what had become of the Thirteenth first-hand when it became an empty void… proof of what allowing Darkness to spread. So in that sense, she could understand why the ancient summoners of Hydealyn summoned her… they must have been afraid of what Zodiark could do if he was Darkness incarnate. Yet, she had seen the Empty and everyone knew of what the Flood had done. She had seen what could happen if Light was allowed to grow unchecked so who did the ancients have to keep Hydealyn in check?
There were pieces to this puzzle that she still needed to find if she ever hoped to make sense of what was going on here and what this was about. And most importantly, what her role was in all of this. Because no matter what she said or did, it seemed that she was the key to something much larger than all of this and she was desperate for answers.
She looked down at her hands… truly realizing for the first time that she was really no different than a slave to these two gods. No… she was something much worse. She was a weapon. A weapon that did not think, did not question, just obeyed what she was told to do and fought whoever she was pointed at. A weapon of Light… a weapon of Darkness… was that all she ever had been?
And yet, she knew that she could not stop. She could not turn her back on all that they had done so far. She could not abandon her course now.
Did she truly have a will of her own?
A light breeze came through and tickled her hair… blowing about gently in her face and from the light of the crescent moon above them, she could see that half of her former pink locks were now white as snow.
She heard the sounds of crickets chirping from the nearby swamp, and she wrapped her arms around her, as if she was suddenly cold. Her thoughts continuing to drift away from her in a spiral of confusion and taking her someplace so far away that she did not even notice that Y'shtola was speaking to her for a moment. Not until she felt her hand on her shoulder and she finally glanced back at her to see the concern in her friend's face.
"Claire," she said softly, "Are you feeling well? You are not acting like yourself?"
"In truth, I do not feel like myself," she confessed softly to the endless darkness that stretched out before her. In truth… she had gone so long like this now that… that she was faced with the reality that all she thought was a lie before… she felt like a complete stranger to herself. All of a sudden, she felt like she did not have a clue who she was or didn't even know herself at all.
She hated feeling like this.
"Claire," Y'shtola said, her tone a little more sharp, "Please tell me. What is troubling you? You look like you have so much to say? Is there anything that we can do to…?"
But Claire was shaking her head. While she appreciated her concern, she did not like probing. The truth was, she didn't know how to bring all this up to Y'shtola because the memory of first arriving in these woods left a bad taste in her mouth. How Y'sthola could not tell the difference between her and a sin eater.
Tempered… a thrall… a sin eater…? Weren't they all the same thing really?
Even if she was able to avoid the fate that awaited her with Black Rose… was there a worse fate waiting for her here in this world? It took all she had to stop herself from trembling as she gazed back to the sky once more, wishing that they could speak to her and tell her what was going to happen. But the thought of suffering such an end… to become some mindless creature like that…? She felt that taking her chances in a possible future where she died of poison may not be so bad. At least it would be quick and she did not need to worry about hurting anyone else if she fell.
Perhaps she would finally be allowed to rest.
"Claire?" Y'shtola repeated again, and she was now pressing for an answer, "Is there anything I can get you? Did you want to talk…?"
"No," she replied calmly, but also lying through her teeth.
She just wished to be left alone right now.
Y'shtola seemed to sense this and gave a sigh before saying, "Very well. I'll leave you for now, but please feel free to join us when you are suddenly craving our company."
Claire could only nod, and Y'shtola seemed truly concerned with her sudden dour mood, but didn't seem willing to press it when she was obviously wishing to be left alone. She only gripped her shoulder in a reassuring way before she finally turned and began to make her way back to Slitherbough.
She made to leave but paused as she added, "I would not let what Emet-Selch said trouble you overmuch. But if something happens, or if you want to talk… we'll be right inside."
She nodded again as Y'sthola left her and once her footsteps faded, Claire could hear nothing but the crickets again. Now that she was alone, she suddenly wished she had company… but she didn't want someone to fret or fuss over her. That was when she suddenly realized where she wanted to be at that moment.
She pulled out her drawing journal and tore out a blank page to write a quick message upon it. She did return to Slitherbough, but only for a moment… she managed to slip inside while the party was going on and slipped inside Y'shtola's chambers as she left the message saying that she would be back soon and not to worry about her.
She knew that she would get told off for pulling this stunt here, but she needed this desperately, just so that she would have time to really think about what she would do. But she made sure to write in the note of her promising to return once she got her thoughts sorted out… and then she teleported away.
(Where is she going? Well, that's my secret. Let's just say that this will be leading up to the very special Little Ladies Day chapter I've been working on. Now I know that Little Ladies Day is over in Eorzea right now, but hey, my schedule got turned around completely at my job and now everything is in chaos. Besides, my last chapter just got so long that I didn't think that I would be able to put it all in and not make it feel 'too much'. But there will be one last chapter, a special bonus one, for this month while we visit an old 'friend' and get a much needed pep talk. Because let's face it, Claire is having a rough time and depression is quickly settling in. She needs someone special to talk to and this is the perfect person in mind. Hope you will all be looking forward to it. It will be a heavily emotional and feely chapter! And no, it is neither Alphinaud nor Alisaie. Who is it? I think you're gonna like it.)
