[text]: Phanes aka WOL usually cursing or insulting in his Amaurotine language to avoid speaking vulgarities in front of children
A faraway distant open field from the Capitol of Amaurot, a pair of masked black-robed figures, an adult and a youth, stood a distance from each other.
No words delivered from their lips, a smile curled in mutual understanding from what they've read of the other.
The smiles turned into a wide grin, like a ravenous beast relished at the pleasure of violence and bloodshed. Their blades were drawn and raised against the other, their usual endless dance started.
Clashed of metals and the skidding against the grass was the symphony of their dance. Every injuries and cuts to their robes and skin didn't waver, only their soul sang for more until their bodies gave way to fatigue.
When they do, no winner or loser determined again. Yet, it never troubled the adult and the youth lying on the ground. There was only content and joy basked in this battle. And anticipation to who bested the other next day.
Yet, that next day would never come…. Before the adult, as he rose from the ground, the youthful boy glowed in a brilliant golden light. His body fading for reasons unknown that neither understood why, however, no matter what creation magic the adult Amaurotine conjured to prevent the boy from leaving…
It didn't stop the light from taking his young friend away. Frustration and rage burned inside him while the youth regarded him in silence. Unable to do anything but to accept the unexpected farewell of his young friend—!
"No… This… This is not goodbye! This will never be a farewell at all!" The adult Amaurotine declared. His white mask and hood fell off upon grabbing the youth's right hand with both his own. It exposed his short white hair with a scarred face. Maroon eyes overflowed with tears, holding an oath he meant from his very soul.
Clasped onto the youth's hand in a firm grasp, the adult Amaurotine vowed aloud with maroon orbs staring with a determined fierce gaze. "No matter where you are… I don't care even if you're from another world, another time. I'll find you again beyond the stream of time till the end of life! So, until then… Endure, survive, live as you told me, you'll do the same.
"Endure in becoming stronger until one of us ripped the other's jugular off. Survive against the rigid, boring world who chained away our freedom to seek for the thrill. Live! Live on, my friend. Growing into the strongest being harvested from your lifetime of training… Bring us both the challenge and thrill our souls sang, my one and only true friend who understood me. Until the day I find you, Z—!"
=0=
"Boss, wake up!" An urgent yet familiar male voice called to the slumbering figure from the reality.
Inside Mist Ward 9 Southwest Division Large House's attic, the white-haired figure groaned with his brows furrowed at the sad dream. The sorrow etched on his sleeping face led the young hatchlings to surround him on the floor and table.
"Boss… Wake up. You're dreaming again, Boss!" A tanned-skin hand shook on the white-haired scarred Amaurotine-Hyur's shoulder, asleep on his desk in his black shirt and breeches. He grunted with his eyes blinked a few times, sitting up from his desk to gaze at the figure awaken him.
A familiar unusual large Miqo'te by his Garlean blood with dark blue hair and white highlights greeted him.
His attire comprised Midnight Blue Scion Adventurer Jacket, Ink Blue Patrician's Gloves, Adventurer's Bottoms, and Ash Gray Expeditioner's Moccasins.
The Garlean-Miqo'te's placed one gloved hand on the Amaurotine-Hyur's shoulder. The other carrying the Chocobo hatchlings in his arm.
His mismatched colored eyes of blue and gold narrowed and questioned. "You awake, Boss?"
"… Xehde, it's you." Phanes yawned, raising his arms to stretch. But he grumbled at the stiff pain from his shoulders from falling asleep at his desk. After watching Baby Opo-opo and Cherry Bomb got off his table, he switched to his friend. "What's up? Did Alphinaud called or something?"
"Nah," Xehde'ir shook his head, balancing his hold of the Chocobo chicks. "Popoto and Young Master are proposing to drop by to Rising Stones for breakfast. Unukalhai learned a few new recipes, and he required us, or you, Boss, for an evaluation. The two went ahead, so I came to get you… 'If' you could even move."
The Warrior of Light raised an eyebrow at Xehde'ir's stifling laughter and short white and dark bluish tail swishing in amusement. Phanes's maroon orbs followed to meet a familiar bluish-gray bird sleeping comfortably on his lap. A groan escaped from the Amaurotine-Hyur before slapping a hand on his face. "And I even gave up my bed for you after your pecking at me all night, Hadey!"
"Wouldn't you want to learn how many will kill for a chance to sleep on the famous Warrior of Light's lap? I know I will!" Xehde'ir laughed while his Boss rolled his eyes in exasperation at his absurd notion. It ceased when both his tail and blue and gold-colored slitted eyes widened at what he caught. "Boss…?"
"What?" As the scarred Amaurotine-Hyur questioned, he instantly recognized what the Garlean-Miqo'te meant from the concerned gaze of the baby creatures.
Tears falling from his eyes, rolling down to his chin and fell onto the shoebill. The said bird blinked sleepily, inclining his head to catch his white-haired Master crying.
A frustrated groan slipped from Phanes's lips. He lifted one hand to wipe his tears. The other hand raised before Xehde'ir to persuade he was alright. "I'm good. Like you said, it's a dream. And, it's not the Final Days, unfortunately…"
Yet, it hurts, his soul wailed. The pain was equivalent or worse when he slew his departed friends Nabriales, Igeyorhm, and Lahabrea by his own hands. Something inside him screaming and thrashing for whoever that young boy was, like an untamed beast hunting for its prey.
The scarred Amaurotine-Hyur heaved a sigh after the last tear fell. A reassuring grin emerged on his lips to his worried friend. "A nostalgic memory of my old life in Amaurot, Xehde, it seems. That's the pain when your soul is incomplete, unlike them in Paragons."
"… I see, then." Observed his facial expression another minute further, Xehde'ir nodded after convinced by his Boss's words. Though a teasing smirk curled, and he tucked his arms. "It'd be upsetting if it's something more troubling… Like missing the Lord Commander so terribly."
When the Garlean-Miqo'te's tail directed at the open written journal, Phanes glared at the Garlean-Miqo'te, who raised his free hand to express he didn't read the contents.
"Don't lump me with those overdramatic brats with us who can't bear apart from their beloved for one second.
"Aymeric and I both understand our duties come first before us… Regrettably so," Phanes turned away with a small frown.
Behind the political mask of bidding both Warriors of Twilight and Scions well in their journey at the Lotus Stand, he felt the heavy guilt weighed behind his ice-blue eyes.
To pull him aside into his arms and reassure it was never his negligence, the former 14th underestimated Elidibus despite knowing him for a long time.
Phanes understood better comfort alone won't be enough. Not even the cold written messages in the journal would convey his heartfelt concerns.
The scarred Amaurotine-Hyur shook his head and directed back to the Garlean-Miqo'te.
"Anyhow, we discussed in remaining contact with each other by this diary. I promised Aymeric to share my journeys afar of what I've discovered and experienced. If we have heard nothing from the Alliance, I'll surprise him myself with my face."
"That, I'm sure you'll do, Boss," Xehde'ir grinned, his free hand beckoning the creature minions to follow him. "I'll let them know you're awake, especially to the Young Master. You know what he's like if he's kept waiting."
From his armory chest, Xehde'ir pulled out an Ink Blue Far Eastern Officer's Hat infused with a special glamor, the Amaurotine-Hyur remembered.
As he placed it on his head, his small Miqo'te ears and short tail vanished to replace with a Hyuran-looking ear.
After observing the large Garlean-Miqo'te and his adopted pets leaving the room, Phanes heaved out a baffled sigh. "You have my sympathy for having a lover like him, Yensu."
Shifted to the companion on his lap, Phanes raised one of his eyebrows. Wasn't the shoebill awaked earlier or so? One hand stroked against his feathered body, he called. "Hadey, come on. Rise and shine. We need to meet up with everyone at the Rising Stones. The Doman refugees taught Unu new dishes from what I heard, so let's get going!"
A bright grin appeared on Phanes's lip from the memory of watching Alys teaching the young masked Hyur cooking in the kitchen. An awkward and shy youth he was despite possessing the same business-like nature as Elidibus.
Warmth spread across his heart at how Unukalhai opening himself to both Scions and the people of Mor Dohna.
The Amaurotine-Hyur shook the shoebill's body.
"Wake up, Hadey. There's a huge chance we're getting nothing from the alliance, but—!"
From the hollow sound coming from Hadey's bill and snuggled further into the Warrior of Light's lap, interrupting him…. He remained adamant in his sleep. Phanes facepalmed, inhaled in a deep breath, and demanded. "Damn it, Hadey, you [lazy fat ass chicken]! Wake up this instant, or else—!"
Out of his irritation, Phanes's hand accidentally smacked on the shoebill's head.
Golden orbs awakened and glowered with a glare to the figure he's sleeping on.
After producing a loud squawk and golden orbs glinted, Hadey flew above the Amaurotine-Hyur's head and started pecking at him angrily.
"Ow! H-Hey, ow! I'm sorry! Ouch!" The scarred Amaurotine-Hyur raised both hands to defend his head from the shoebill's assault. "It was an accident—ouch. And your fault from sleeping on my lap when I—Ow ow! Knock it off, will you, Hadey?! OW!"
Jumped off from his seat, Phanes ran around his room in circles with the shoebill chasing after him. All the while, apologizing and criticizing the shoebill being at fault for sleeping in and late for the meeting.
END