As soon as they were awake, they were set to work again, although now it was more mundane tasks such as preparing food for the journey. It was a couple days' journey to Fenestala Manor in the south, the trip made longer by the mountain range that obscured the northern reaches. Even for a village this small, plenty of provisions were needed. Andromeda just hoped they hadn't dawdled too long before making the decision to leave. No one was going to scour the land for stragglers.
She found work in someone's busy kitchen. Luna had been thankfully whisked away somewhere else. A few women worked alongside Andromeda, ordering a couple of children about for things. The women claimed to remember her from childhood. She couldn't remember any of them. They didn't seem to mind; they were more curious about Niflheim's demise and what would happen next. She did not have answers for them, but it wasn't good for Tenebrae.
The old woman from before, the only one who seemed to remember Andromeda so well, found her. A young woman and a small boy followed behind the elder. The young woman and Andromeda looked each other over curiously, immediately recognizing something familiar about the other. The other woman's memory proved to be the better one.
"It's been a long time." She grinned. "I didn't think we'd ever see you again."
"She looks just like her mother, doesn't she?" The old woman mentioned.
Andromeda recalled a girl she used to play with a lot in this village. This woman had the same brown hair and eyes. Her face had lost the roundness of childhood. Andromeda could not remember her name, though. "I didn't think I'd make it back either. It's good to see you again."
"Do you remember her?" The old woman asked. She must have known that Andromeda was struggling with that.
"Of course. We played together all the time as kids." Andromeda confirmed. She began to remember the last time she had seen the other girl. She had fled her grandmother's cottage right before an Imperial bomb crashed into it, killing Andromeda, her mother, and her grandmother.
"Well, she has one of her own now," The old woman said, pleased.
The young woman brushed a hand over the little boy's sandy-colored hair as he seemed to try to hide behind her legs, gawking at Andromeda. "His name is Sitheach. He's six."
"He looks like you," Andromeda remarked pleasantly. He was a cute child. It was probably the first time he had ever seen someone from beyond his village. She could remember what that felt like.
The young woman glanced at her arms, much like her son was doing. Andromeda had caught villagers glancing at the scars on her arms several times since arriving. The last time she had been here, her arms and torso had been covered with bandages, the burns too fresh and sensitive for exposure. They hadn't known what was underneath until now.
"Do they hurt?" The young woman asked timidly. Andromeda recalled being asked that when she had first been released from the Imperial medical tent. Perhaps it was the same girl that had asked her that.
"No." She looked down at the loaf of bread she was slicing. She noticed that some of the others working in the kitchen were watching this exchange. On anyone else, the scars would have been somewhat faded; she understood them to be Etro's Mark, although the goddess had never explained the reason for them. "What happened here after Niflheim attacked?"
It was something Andromeda had always wanted to know. During her previous attempt to return to Galthaeus, she had been told that the village was a ghost town, a reminder of the Empire's power as they finally gained footing in Tenebrae's northern region.
The old woman sighed. "Well, not much. Everyone who was off fighting was brought back to be buried. It was mostly just us old folk and the children left. An Imperial troop stayed awhile and let us rebuild the village, but they wouldn't let anyone come or go. You needed to go somewhere most of all. We all begged for you to be sent to one of those Imperial hospitals. Rumor has it that the field doctors requested it too. But the general wouldn't give in. It's a miracle that you survived anyway. When you and Llinos disappeared, the troop stayed awhile to hunt you two down, then gave up and left. Since then, others left as well. The rebellion died with the Queen."
It was about the same as what Linda had told Andromeda whenever she had asked, although it had been years since they spoke about it. It was jarring to hear Linda referred to by her old name; she took on a new one once they reached Lucis, taking on new identities as they were smuggled into the country. That had only lasted a few years before Lucis and Niflheim found out the truth.
"Where did you go?" The old woman asked.
"We went to Lucis, all the way to Insomnia." Andromeda explained. It was a longer story than she wanted to get into. "Llinos changed her name to Linda. She lives in another town now. She got married and has a son. He's two."
"That's nice." The old woman mused, her tone suggesting that she didn't find the information interesting. Linda hadn't quite fit in in the village. She was much happier in Lucis. "Kiera, why don't you take over here? I want to show Andromeda something."
The young woman took Andromeda's place at the counter as she moved away. Sitheach remained stuck to her side. They exchanged smiles as Andromeda was led out of the cottage.
She was taken to a dark spot in the village. It seemed to be just an unguarded trail out into the forest, but by lantern light, she could make out the remains of some kind of foundation underneath the grass.
"Your grandmother's cottage stood here, remember?" The old woman asked. "We didn't have the heart to rebuild it, especially when you and Llinos disappeared. For all we knew, you two had been taken away and killed. We heard stories about that every now and again. Your parents were very involved with the rebellion. They were heroes to us. What happened to your whole family was tragic."
Andromeda didn't reply. She didn't know what to say. She slowly started to walk around the perimeter. The cottage had been smaller than she remembered, yet it had housed her whole family.
"They almost gave you up for dead when they pulled you out." The old woman noted as she watched her. "But then they noticed you were still breathing. It was impossible. Just as it is impossible for someone other than the Oracle to heal someone of the Scourge. Your family held some very old traditions. It was the oldest one here."
Andromeda glanced at the old woman. It was the closest anyone had ever gotten to realizing that she had Etro's Blessing, without having to be told. King Regis had gotten close, yet he hadn't known all she could do and had had a narrow perspective of the situation. Verstael Besithia, the most renown scientist in Niflheim, still hadn't figured it out in the past four years. Such a scholar would not pay mind to old wives' tales, though.
"These are unsettled days." The old woman shook her head. "I'll give you some time alone."
She began walking back to the other cottages, leaving the lantern with Andromeda. Completing her walk around the remains, Andromeda continued to stand there for awhile.
The scars gave her some credit among the villagers, but she felt like a stranger among them. She could not recall the names or faces from her childhood. It only seemed that because of her survival and her proximity to Luna that the locals insisted that they had known her well as a small child. Those blissful days that Andromeda had spent living with her grandmother seemed a lifetime ago. She was no longer that child.
Knowing all that she did now, she wondered if the rebellion had been worth it. She had seen so much of the world; it made everything among the Morrigals seem so small and insignificant. She wondered why the Empire had been bothered with them at all. Perhaps it was just because the Morrigals fought so hard to keep Niflheim south of the mountains—but why?
Tenebrae was gone now; it was falling to darkness, just as Niflheim had. It made the rebellion seem completely pointless. Her parents had gone away for nothing. Of course, they couldn't have known it was going to turn out like this. They sacrificed their lives, and in the end, they all had to walk away from it.
Andromeda didn't hear Luna approach; she was aware when she was suddenly there. She had to wonder why she wasn't busy helping the people or being fawned over. It wasn't easy to get away from the villagers here, who seemed to cling to both women. How had she managed to slip away?
"I'm sorry for your loss." The princess mentioned quietly.
"It was ages ago." Andromeda replied sharply. She didn't want to hear condolences right now, especially from her. Once again, she wished Crowe was here instead. Or maybe even Aulea. Either would have been better.
Luna was unperturbed by her tone. "I'm afraid I'm not familiar with the customs of the Morrigals. They aren't quite what I've encountered before."
"Don't you know your own backyard?" Andromeda scolded. She turned to look at Luna's doleful expression. It only irritated her more. "This village was a hive for the rebellion—people who chose to fight against the Empire so that the Oracles and Tenebrae might one day be free again. They fought for you while the military was used by Niflheim."
Luna lowered her gaze. "I didn't know."
"Do you know anything about the real world?" Andromeda demanded.
She didn't think Luna did. Even before they had gone to Gralea, Luna only ever trailed behind the rest of them. Sure, she might have proven herself as a fighter and didn't complain about anything, but she brought nothing new to the group. Everyone else did the heavy work of finding a way into Lucis and Niflheim. How she hadn't blown their cover just by her appearance was a miracle.
The sympathy left Luna's face as she narrowed her eyes at Andromeda. "I know the world has been cruel to you. Regardless of what I do and do not know, it is my duty now to try to save it."
Andromeda scoffed and rolled her eyes. It had been Bahamut's idea to sacrifice both Luna and Noctis in order to save the world. With both still alive, the world was quickly falling apart. What could Luna hope to do? Andromeda didn't dare ask; she didn't want to hear any heroic speeches from her.
Perhaps Etro had worse plans for the world. She hadn't given Andromeda any guidance other than to be careful. As the goddess of death and chaos, the state of the world should please her.
Andromeda shook her head, then noticed the omnimous creaking from the trees overhead. She had such a rage built up towards Luna; even as she was done talking and was ready to stomp off, the rage did not go away. It only continued to build, feeding off of Andromeda. A wind blew through the shaggy grass over the remains of her grandmother's cottage. In the dim lantern light, she thought she saw shadowy tendrils on the trees bordering the village.
Daemons screamed out in the forest ahead. They smelt the power and were on their way to the village. At their screams, Andromeda bolted ahead, running towards them.
Luna called after her, but she ignored her. There was no stopping the chaos once it had been summoned—whether or not Andromeda had intended to do it. Luna had never seen it before and Andromeda and Aulea had only mentioned it briefly.
Andromeda thought about how long it had been since she had willingly used her chaotic power. It had been well before she had gone to Altissia. The last she remembered using it had been in Insomnia—all the way back in the spring. She had gone the entire summer without summoning it. She had gone too long without using it. Now it was as if she were a teenager again, when her powers first activated and she was incapable of holding them back. There was so much pent up.
The daemons soon met Andromeda. It was a small horde, but too many for her to handle on her own, especially as her power only made them stronger. They attacked her all the same, snatching at her with claws. She kept running. At least they would not go to the village.
She didn't have control over this chaotic power because it was not meant to be controlled. It could be influenced, though. As a couple of daemons approached, Andromeda willed a shadow to knock them aside. She pulled out her kukri as one rushed at her from the right. Her strike managed to stagger it, but it soon came back with a punch. She let her body be pushed aside by its fist to lessen the blow, and kept running.
The trees around her swayed violently, groaning. One soon fell, but failed to hit any daemons on the way down. At least her power would not affect the village, especially the further away she ran from it. Out in the forest, the only damage it could do was knock down some small, normal-sized trees and throw around debris.
Several times in the skirmish, Andromeda beckoned the shadows to swat away daemons. Sometimes they complied, sometimes her will was ignored. Only more daemons seem to gather; everywhere she looked, there were more coming. She wasn't able to strike one down without another approaching with enhanced strength. Her power was still going strong—it would be awhile yet before it petered out. It had been too long since she had last used it. Its force was overwhelming, making it difficult to focus on the fiends.
A blinding light suddenly filled the area, vanquishing all daemons. Andromeda tripped and fell, finally stopping. Etro must have come to her aid. Yet her power persisted. The shadows could not be seen, but the trees still groaned and the gales were still loud. Andromeda stood and moved out of the way of flying debris. She still got hit a few times.
The light faded away before her power was finished. It was beginning to lose its strength. Etro wasn't the one who had come—it was Luna. Her magic had taken care of the daemons, but not the power that drew them. She seemed confused by that.
"What's happening?" She looked to Andromeda for the answer.
"Get back to the village!" Andromeda snapped at her again. It was sort of Luna's fault that her power had been triggered.
"Not without you!" Luna stated defiantly.
For a brief moment, Andromeda wanted to lash out at her, but thought better of it. Despite her second thoughts, it was too late. A shadow crashed into the other woman and threw her back a couple of yards. She collided against a tree.
Andromeda rushed to her side at that. She had used this power against people before, but this time she really hadn't meant to. She had struck out against the Oracle. Etro would punish her for that.
After a moment of laying on the ground , Luna sat up as Andromeda knelt beside her. She stood again with a bewildered expression. Andromeda stood as well. Luna was not hurt. Andromeda knew it could have been far worse.
"Go." She ordered.
Luna remained where she was, just as determined as before. "No."
Andromeda gave up. Luna was a stupid woman. Literally anyone else would have been smart enough to listen to Andromeda. As much as Luna wanted to be tough, she hardly looked it: she was too skinny and prim and proper.
Over the distant squeals and shrieks of daemons, something else echoed in the forest. It began quiet, then steadily rose in volume from a low, mournful wail to a deep roar. Both women looked out into the trees, but beyond them was only darkness.
"What was that?" Luna asked quietly.
"I don't know," Andromeda was just as cautious. "Not daemon."
If it were, it would have joined with the others in their screams. The mysterious creature did not cry out again. Luckily for the two women, the chaos was waning and did not lash out at either of them again. They stood and waited until the trees stood still again and the wind with its whispers stopped. When it was finally over, they began to head back to the village, although it was too far away to see now. Andromeda had gone much further than she had originally thought. It just meant the power hadn't attracted daemons to the village. Thankfully, Luna did not speak for the whole trek back.
They didn't speak as they continued to help the village prepare to leave. There was still work to do, and most had been caught up in the sudden onslaught from the daemons. The episode left Andromeda exhausted, even if she had just woken up from a restful sleep. She shrugged it off and continued to work and avoid Luna as long as she possibly could.
It was only a short time before the villagers were finally ready to leave. Following them to Fenestala Manor sounded like an easy way to get to Lucis, if the village managed to catch a flight with one of the Imperial airships. Yet Etro wanted Andromeda and Luna to go north to find some old Solheim ruins. Perhaps whatever relic they would find would take them to the other Well and right to Aulea and Crowe.
Carts and people gathered at the eastern end of the village. The path would soon turn southwards and keep that way through most of the journey. The homes were emptied of everything valuable that could easily be carried, and people.
"There is still room in the cart for the two of you, my Lady," One of the men said, standing at the back of the cart to assist them both in with those who were too weak for the long walk. It was mostly elders and infants.
Luna shook her head. "We must part ways here. Andromeda and I have been told to take a different path."
She was determined to follow Etro's directions. Without speaking, Andromeda agreed to go along despite the more dangerous path. The villagers were uneasy about their parting, though.
"But my Lady, it's too dangerous out here," An old woman in the cart pointed out.
"Nonetheless, we must follow the path we were told, in order to dispel the darkness," Luna insisted. "You all must go to the Manor, and from there to Lucis. I will not be far behind. We will all return to this land again someday."
The man frowned. "We'll wait for you in Lucis, my Lady."
"I'll pray for your safe passage." She smiled, then clasped her hands together before her sternum and bowed her head.
Andromeda held her breath. She had only seen Luna pray once before over Aulea. It was rather confusing now as to who she should pray to. Andromeda might have prayed to Etro once, but the goddess didn't seem to be the sort to listen. There was always the risk that Luna prayed to the Six, who all wanted them both dead.
"Blessed stars above, guide these people on their journey and let them reach their destination unharmed," She prayed, then dropped her hands. It was short, simple, and vague as to who it addressed. She lifted her head and smiled again. "Now go. Time is running out."
Everyone began moving, chocobos pulling the carts along the road. The villagers called out their thanks to Luna. The two women watched them disappear down the road, left alone together in the dark. Without a word exchanged between them, the two of them wandered to the other end of the village and back into the forest, now pointed in the right direction.
The daemons took notice of them this time, but they didn't slow the women too much. Luna cast a spell of light that caused them to disappear if they took notice of the two. If they came close enough, Andromeda swiped at them with her kukri. The two were hardly deterred by the daemons.
Luckily, Galthaeus was already towards the north of Tenebrae. They didn't have to cross the whole country on foot. A couple of villagers had seen some ruins that sounded like what Luna and Andromeda were looking for and gave some helpful directions. The village also had given them some food as well—more food than they should have spared for two travelers. It was meant to be their portion of the provisions on the way to the Manor. Foraging was difficult to do when daemons didn't give one enough time to look closely at the surroundings.
There was no way to tell the time. Luna and Andromeda came across two havens as they trekked north. They rested at each one until they both felt ready to go on. Whether it was supposed to be day or night, it didn't matter anymore. Both were equally dangerous now.
After what they guessed were two days of walking with little talk between them, the two finally found a large clearing with old stone pillars. The clouds had parted, letting the moonlight shine oddly bright on the area. Andromeda wondered if she was just getting too used to the dark.
She and Luna split up and searched through the pillars for any sign of a magical artifact. Etro hadn't told them what it would look like, so it would probably be obvious when they found it. As they looked all about the ruins, it was silent. For awhile, Andromeda forgot all about the daemons off in the distance.
As she approached a large chunk of wall at the other end of the ruins, she thought she saw something red glowing on the ground. She approached for a closer look. It had to be the artifact they were looking for.
As soon as Andromeda saw it was a large disc on the ground, she was suddenly snatched and lifted up. Two red eyes appeared on the wall as a elongated head came out of the stones. It hissed at her, its long hand squeezing her in its grasp. Her arms were underneath the large fingers; she couldn't lash out with her kukri.
There was a blinding light from behind. The daemon roared and dropped Andromeda. She fell to the ground beside the artifact, then scurried out of the long reach of its arm and to Luna's side.
At the roar of the large daemon, smaller ones began to approach. Luna cast Holy again to ward them off. The smaller ones perished, but the bigger ones were only knocked back.
"There's too many, and only more are coming." She surveyed them all.
"The artifact is underneath the one stuck on the wall." Andromeda pointed to the disc with the glowing red rings etched into it. The daemon above it hung limply, still dazed from the first Holy spell. "Let's rush it."
Luna gave a nod. Together they ran forward as the other daemons charged from behind. The daemon on the wall gave a twitch as they came within its grasp again. Andromeda and Luna dove for the disc once they were close enough. She felt Luna grasp her hand as the disc gave a loud hum and the scenery disappeared in a flash.