Hi Everyone! Hope your June is going well! I have a new follower! Welcome to the party, Mannava804. I've had this chapter in the hopper for awhile-I've been deliberating posting since I thought I might want to intersperse it with other stuff that's not yet written. However, I didn't want to lose story momentum so figured I would go ahead and post. The good (and bad) of modular storytelling. Anyway, hope you like and thanks for reading as always!
If Ardyn had to get into one more boat, he was going to sink it himself. It seemed all he had been doing was running from boat to boat and getting sprayed by the seas of Eos. He was getting more than sprayed now. As Weskham had warned him, the flimsy gondola was not designed for the open sea, and was making that known by relentlessly splashing him. Between keeping his balance in the rocking gondola, doing his best to keep the gondola on course, and wasting precious minutes bailing out the bottom, Ardyn had his hands full.
Navigation was also difficult. The choppy waves had extinguished the lantern on the gondola long ago. Weskham had spare matches wrapped in plastic in a compartment next to the lantern, but there was no point. The next wave would just take it out again, leaving Ardyn to sail in the dark.
There were no landmarks in the inky waters and only cloudy skies to guide him. All he had to go on was that south, and the lights of Altissia, were behind him, and that given the time of night the moon (when it peeked out behind the clouds) should be to his left if he was going in the correct direction. It didn't tell him if the island was straight ahead though—if he passed too far to the east or west of it, he could sail forever, or at least until the gondola sank.
Being alone in the darkness should frighten him, but it didn't. He had made friends with the darkness long ago. Even if he now lacked the powers of darkness, he had learned to no longer fear it. It had its place in the order of things, and to fear it was the mark of a coward.
That was all well and good, until the lights of Altissia faded beyond the horizon behind him, leaving him with no point of reference at all. Now the misgivings arose like venomous snakes. What was he doing? Was it really worth going after Eostre? He was no knight errant to go dashing off to a damsel's rescue. Knights were insipid rash fools, and any damsels worth the effort in the first place should have the gumption to rescue their damned selves.
Eostre would have the gumption, he thought with a flash of respect. He remembered her when she had been in his dark clutches ten years ago, that defiant do your worst spirit that had drawn him. How would a depraved bastard like Reynardo react to that? Ardyn's blood ran colder than the waters sloshing him at the thought. Reynardo didn't deserve her. Ardyn was damned if he would let that fiend have her.
Reynardo had inconvenienced him, and was forcing him to undertake this venture. For that alone, he would die. And whatever he had done to Eostre, Ardyn would pay it back tenfold. Ardyn could not give Eostre the comfort she would need and deserve after this. He had tried before, and had nearly taken advantage of her vulnerability himself. All he could do for her was kill the man who had frightened and (if this cursed gondola kept Ardyn away from her much longer) hurt her.
Revenge—now there was a familiar driver, the old friend that had kept him sane for two thousand years. When even the memories of Aera's tender embraces had faded, they were the only thoughts he had left as he was chained up in that cell on Angelguard. If he had dwelt on the pain of those chains, or the isolation and loneliness, he would have gone mad. Thinking on those who had slighted him—those who had cast him aside when they had no further use for the dark powers Ardyn could bring; Ifrit who wanted all humans dead and would do anything to achieve it; the crystal: the weapon of the Six that could be used to destroy everything at any time. Ardyn's sole existence in those millennia was planning what he would do to them all whenever had the chance.
He clung to those same thoughts of vengeance now. They gave him comfort in the directionless darkness. He would reach that island or die trying.
The fact that the Altissia shoreline was no longer visible told him he should be far enough out to come across the island if he was in its path. The moon obliged him once more, showing him a hulking silhouette about a quarter mile ahead (at least his best guess of distance). That had to be it—there was nothing else out here.
With vengeance driving him and triumph at having reached his goal, he maneuvered the gondola pole maniacally, focused on nothing but the moonlit silhouette. He felt the pole meet resistance as it struck ground, then he stumbled with a lurch as the gondola struck the shore. He had reached land at last.
Ardyn deemed it prudent to waste the lantern matches now, groping in the darkness for a match and lighting the damp wick. The smoky light it generated wasn't great, but it's what he had to go on. He noticed a pier about a hundred yards to his right. He had hit the island almost dead on, he thought with a triumphant smirk.
There was a second gondola tied to the pier. There were no canals visible—just a gravel path surrounded by forest. There would be no reason for the gondola to be here other than it having come from Altissia like he had. He would bet his last gil that this was how Mystios had brought Eostre here. The mercenary had to be formidable if he would voluntarily make a journey like that.
Ardyn approached the gondola, dreading what he would find. Would he find traces of Eostre's blood or other signs that she had been harmed? Would he discover he was too late by finding her dead body lying in state in the gondola? He wasn't a man to get bogged down with what ifs. A quick sweep with his lantern would do.
To his relief, the gondola was, as they say, shipshape. It was totally empty except for the pole and a coil of rope. Mystios was indeed good at leaving no trace, Ardyn thought.
It was a good thing he had nearly been garroted once before. Rila the so-called summoner had taught him a valuable lesson that day. He sensed the presence behind him a second before he heard the rasping sweep of piano wire. Ardyn's hand snapped up in front of his throat, grabbing the wire the instant before it caught his throat, and yanked it with all his might.
He felt the ooze of blood as the sharp wire broke through the skin of his palm, but was rewarded when he heard the grunt of his assailant as he was pulled forward to collide with Ardyn's back. Ardyn used his lantern arm to roughly elbow backward, hitting his foe, now in attack range behind him.
Ardyn couldn't tell where he hit the assailant—he thought it might be the shoulder joint given the feel of flesh and bone, but it served its purpose. The garrote slipped out of his foe's hand on that side, letting Ardyn twist quickly aside so that he was now facing his foe.
The impact had shaken the lantern out of Ardyn's hand, causing it to clatter to the ground, yet the light still held, allowing Ardyn a good look at who had just failed to kill him. He sized up the dark clothing and cowled head. He didn't need that though to tell him who it was—the garrote had told him immediately.
"A pleasure to meet you, Mystios," Ardyn drawled with an unmistakably dangerous edge.
He had evidently struck Mystios's shoulder. The mercenary was shaking the stiffness out of that arm.
"Impressive," the man replied, voice gruff and muffled by the cowl. "You are the first person to ever counter that move. But I'd expect no less from the man who gave us ten years of darkness."
"Ah, you know who I am. That makes things easier," Ardyn returned. "Now tell me what you've done with Eostre."
"You're, here for her," Mystios replied in surprise.
Perhaps he should have started with another question, Ardyn thought. He didn't want to let on how, important, Eostre was to him. That could make her an even more valuable bargaining chip. He decided to back pedal.
"Not really. But I know she is with Reynardo, and he and I have, business."
"Don't get me wrong, Izunia, or is it Lucis Caelum? In other circumstances I just might help you out," Mystios replied, affably by his standards. "The woman's got spirit, I saw that first hand. That's just Reynardo's type. He likes when they put up a fight, just so he can break them. She's in for a hard time, and any interruption will be no doubt beneficial for her. However, he's promised me another hundred thousand gil to keep intruders away. And you have just admitted to being an intruder. Can you pay me more than that?"
"Alas, no," Ardyn returned. "However, I just might let you live in exchange."
Mystios chuckled. "I see. It was worth a try. Best of luck getting to the castello safely," he said, just before tossing a kunai towards Ardyn's heart. Ardyn warped aside before it hit. When he got his bearings, Mystios was gone.
Ardyn was not foolish enough to think it was because the man had given up the fight. He was no doubt hiding, waiting for another chance to ambush him. Ardyn would have to watch his back every step he took on the path. If he wasn't in such a rush to get to Eostre, he just might enjoy the ninja's little game.
What was Lux supposed to do next, he wondered staring around the vacant pier. Leviathan was injured, or worse; Luna had been turned; and now Agneya was in her clutches. Well, he thought logically, maybe he could at least get clarity on the first issue.
Feeling like an idiot but realizing it was worth a try, he focused on now ominously still water at his feet. "Leviathan, er, Hydrean, are you, ok," he called out. "If you're dead we have to figure other stuff out than if you're just wounded, so please answer me even though I'm not the Oracle. Oh, and thanks for rescuing me from the water. I assume that was you."
Silence, of course, he thought bitterly. Just as he was about to turn and walk away, he heard weak sloshing against the pier.
"Wounded, can become dead, quite easily," the voice replied from the water. It sounded faint, as though it were coming from far off, or deeply beneath the lagoon.
Leviathan was still alive! Lux laughed in relief, just to cover his mouth in embarrassment. "If you can say that you can't be too far gone. You ok?"
"Not, really," Leviathan replied, evidently laboring to speak, causing Lux's relief to fade. "The, only way to return to full strength is to go into the cycle of rebirth. But, to do so now will doom us all. I, need Bringer of Darkness. Bring him here."
How Leviathan could manage to sound both imperious and frail at the same time, Lux couldn't understand, but then Gods seemed to be like that in their contradictions. There was no further reply. Lux had to hope it, (she?) was still ok down there. In any case, he had a next step. As to what Leviathan wanted with Ardyn, he didn't know, but that seemed easy enough. Lux just had to return to the hotel. With luck, Ardyn and Eostre would be back.
"A non-Oracle being able to talk to Leviathan? I thought I'd seen everything," a cool, clipped voice came from behind him.
Lux whirled around, momentarily blinded by the lights to eventually (when his eyes adjusted) see a regally-dressed man flanked by four guards, each with a lit headlamp on their tunics.
Had they heard what Leviathan said to him? If they hadn't, Lux had to keep it that way. He had taken Luna into his confidence and look what happened. Trust no one.
"Eh, it sounded just like the waves to me. Not sure what you are talking about," he said mockingly, using the best imitation of Ardyn's flippant tones as he could muster.
It was a good imitation, too good as the man who had spoken rose a sandy-colored eyebrow. "Yup. We've got Ardyn Junior here," he said in satisfaction. "Although why it took me to come out with you fools to successfully track him down is still an outstanding question," he trailed off ominously, stopping to glare at his guards.
The guards stammered apologies to their apparent superior, just for the man to cut them off with as brusque gesture as he turned back to Lux.
"I'm Loqi. I promised Ardyn we'd look after you. If you come with us, we'll get you somewhere safe and comfortable. Ok, lad?"
It was not ok by a longshot. If Luna had turned bad, these guys could easily be bad too. Maybe Luna had even sent these guys to finish what she didn't.
If there was one thing he was good at, it was running away. He warped down the pier, ignoring the exclamations of surprise. He had to get away from them. Was the Levelle even safe? Luna knew that's where they were staying.
He glanced quickly behind him. It appeared he had accidentally knocked a guard into the water as he flashed by. The other three guards were currently occupied reaching down to drag their comrade to safety. Lux didn't want the guy to drown, but for now he was relieved that his pursuers were occupied.
However, at the speed he was going, looking behind him for even a moment could be fatal. He found this out the hard way as he bumped into something warm and fleshy. He could maintain a warp if he dashed by something, not into something. The laws of physics still applied after all. The impact pushed him out of his warp, the sudden stop causing him to lose his footing and plop down to the pier.
This left him sitting, momentarily stunned, gazing at what, or rather, whom he had hit. It was a woman, already rising from having been knocked flat, dusting off her slinky red dress as nonchalantly as though she had been dusting lint off of it.
"I don't blame you for running away from Loqi," the woman cooed. "Stranger danger after all, and I'm sure his approach was just a little too forceful."
"Jeez, Donatella, it's not as though I tried abducting the kid. Unlike what the colleagues you brought no doubt have in mind," the man called Loqi replied, aggrieved. And also from right behind Lux. He had caught up during the collision—as had the three guards plus their soaked comrade.
"Who, these fellas," the woman called Donatella gestured to the group of "guards" she had brought. If one could call four burly dockworkers "guards". "They're simply here for my protection," she stated airily.
"I doubt that," Loqi replied arrogantly. "You thought you could find Lux before I could."
"It's not a competition, darling. I want him safe just as much as you do," she cooed.
Just as Lux was wondering if he could manage to escape while these two were bickering, they decided to return their focus to him.
"I am aware that you have no reason to trust us, boy," Loqi stated firmly. "Given all the nonsense with Cosmos, I wouldn't trust anyone either. However, believe me when I say that Ardyn did task us with keeping an eye on you. He is quite concerned for your safety."
"Indeed," Donatella added. "He has even gone off to perform a service for me in exchange for your safety."
"As much as I don't want to poke holes in your persuasion, Donatella, he went to save Eostre, not serve as your hitman," Loqi replied smoothly.
"Same difference," Donatella began, just for Lux to cut her off.
"What happened to Miss Eostre," he called out sharply.
Donatella sighed. "It's a long story, kid. It's too cold and damp out here. Can we talk about this somewhere more comfortable?"
This Donatella woman seemed to be a ruthless bargainer, Lux thought bitterly. It seemed as though if he wanted to know what happened to Eostre, he'd have to go with them. Plus, he reasoned, if they had wanted to turn him, they would have done so already.
"Fine," he said gruffly. "But remember I'm Ardyn's clone. You mess with me, I'll mess with you back!"
It was a bluff. He was nowhere near as powerful as Ardyn, but they didn't need to know that. They seemed to believe him. Donatella stiffened a moment in unease.
"When you say it like that, kid, I believe you. No funny stuff. You've got my word," she replied firmly.
"And mine," Loqi asserted behind her.
Donatella theatrically rolled her eyes. "I assume that means I'm stuck with you too then?"
"I prefer the term, 'working together'," Loqi said smoothly.
Donatella merely turned away and began striding down the pier, leaving Lux and Loqi to hurry after her.