A/N: VERY OUTDATED, timeline is from a little after our daily Inggi-Gelk sieges period, where Dage was one of the leaders at the time in the massive Elyos alliance. Most of the things here reflect conditions 2 months before so it might be sorta off but bear with me please :)
This chapter will consist mostly of my feels and stuff, recollections and ponderings, so my apologies to Latty if there's less humor in it. :3 Although actually I'm not sure. I haven't started writing yet. I could be wrong. Italics are flashbacks, and regular text is the present.
Actually Dage left the legion to go learn stuff from other better legions, but to jump legions in a real-life verse would be treason I suppose, so I'm suggesting a similar enough alternative. Also, our legion has gone through a lot in the past two months, and many have left but more have come. It's a time of change for us, and we who remain have grown stronger and closer as a result.
No matter what, Great Madness will always be my most dearly-loved family.
"We are the legion, we are Great Madness!" ~Reaza
Alright, here we go.
Chapter 4: Memories
The day he left, he simply vanished without a word.
In hindsight, it had been a long time coming. The faint sense of Dage's stress and pent-up impatience had been tangible in his aura for many months. Especially after a slip-up on the part of his temper that nearly tore the legion apart inside out, it was only a matter of time before something gave.
It had been the sieges, I was sure of it.
In the past six months, war had been raging non-stop in the elite regions of Inggison and Gelkmaros. The Elyos had formed the greatest alliance yet, consisting of nearly a dozen legions and several hundred Guardians strong. The leaders of Pitch Black, Rising Phoenix, Divine Serenity, Mark of the Elite and many more had united under the banner of the Elyos, and even Clarity, the singularly most powerful and the best of Sanctum's best legions, had deigned to participate.
The day he left, he left behind only a letter on his studio desk, found a week later, to explain his absence. Apparently Reaza had known of it beforehand, the only one Dage had so much as breathed a word to, and even so he was grave as the rest of us were numb with shock at the loss of one of our most influential deputies.
He had gone into hiding, for an unspecified period of time. To meditate, to improve himself before he was ready to assume, once again, the helm of Great Madness's army commander. Lylyy and Shurer, two of our Daevas, had been pondering a decision to leave Great Madness and join another legion, and at their apparent 'treason' Loki had lost his temper and bellowed at them to leave and never return. It had outraged many Daevas, and they, deeming such a short-tempered man unworthy to command them, had left as well. It was a bruising loss to our legion, and we barely managed to remain standing as it was.
It gnawed at him, his actions and subsequently the consequences that we as a legion had to bear. He did not mean to do such, yet it was already done and there was no turning back time. Guilt was never something enjoyable to bear, and he had eventually, naturally, finally caved to it. He could not take much more of this burden upon his shoulders, believing that he had not been a worthy leader.
Reaching over to take the letter, my eyes slid across the pale ochre parchment to rest upon the final line of carefully-scratched pen marks, the lilts and flicks that marked it as Crossloki's handwriting.
Back for you someday.
My heart twisted. Long pale fingers tightened on the parchment, creasing it slightly even as a memory came to mind unbidden for, fresh, vivid, and now almost bittersweet. It was a day barely a week ago, when I had attended the alliance banquet hosted by Clarity in the grand halls of Sanctum.
It was the biggest event to have happened in the better part of half a century. Hundreds of Daevas were attending, for one does not simply turn down an invitation to a banquet hosted by the most elite legion in all of Elysea. All were dressing in their best formalwear, and I, a legionary of one of the alliance's legions, was loath to do different.
I was standing before the mirror, preening, when the doorbell rang. Smoothing down my dress one last time, I strode towards the front door of my studio.
"Kexypitch Rizkaen, at your service."
It was Kex, as I'd expected, impeccably punctual and absolutely dashing in his black formal robes. The strikingly dark material contrasted perfectly with his unruly ivory hair, bringing out the mesmerizing depths of his abyss-dark eyes. He flashed me a winning smile as I stepped into my heels and took his arm. An illusion gate floated in the air next to us, courtesy of him, saving us the need for the long walk down the housing block of Oriel. Kexypitch - powerful sorcerer, close friend, eye candy to die for and my oh-so-hot chaperone for the night.
"You look beautiful," he complimented me as we materialized in Sanctum, the tranquil scenery of Oriel replaced by the bustling splendor of the Elyos capital.
"Same to you." I smiled.
He laughed. "Dayumn, I think that's the first time someone's called me 'beautiful'," he remarked mischievously, then put on a mock-solemn face. "I, Kexypitch the Beautiful, am the most beautiful sorcerer in all of Atreia! All shall bow to my blinding beauty and tremble in their boots!"
I snorted at the ridiculous image and burst into hysterical giggles. Kex's mock-straight face quivered as he tried to hold it, but in the end he cracked up as well. Still laughing, I slipped my hand into his and we continued our walk. It seemed that I was going to have a fun night to look forward to.
I slowly gave the letter back to Reaza, and numbly walked outside. The sun would not show his face today, hidden behind a veil of ash-grey clouds. Be it coincidence, I mused, that even the weather would know of the depth of my emotions.
Dancing was an interesting affair. After a bout of twirling, I found Kex's slender fingers on my waist replaced by larger, stronger ones. I looked up to see Bahiam grinning at me, a classic silver masquerade mask covering one side of his face.
Kex pouted, hands on his hips as he shot the gladiator an indignant look. "No stealing my waifu. Don't make me pew pew you."
I smothered a laugh as Kex tried to smoothly elbow his way back in and Bahiam refused to budge - getting caught in a very discreet scuffle, Aion soon saw the both of them subtly grappling with each other while someone else bumped into me and took my hand.
As I tried to cover my amusement at both the men almost dancing like a couple while glaring murderously at each other, my new partner caught my waist and spun me around. A pair of electric blue eyes and long strands of dark hair skirted my vision, not helpful at all in my attempt to discern the identity of this mysterious male.
The song ended, and I squeaked in surprise as he dipped me backwards, the world spinning around. When he pulled me back up, I stared at him breathlessly. An unfamiliar face, sharp, hawk-like features, long midnight hair in a topknot. The garb of a ranger.
"Jarvel Valstear, of the Oblivions Phoenix," he introduced himself, his voice oily and drawling. His eyes raked over my body, pausing appreciatively at inappropriate places, and I was immediately struck with a strong disliking for this man. I was loath to stay in his company, but I knew not how to extricate myself.
"Kaolin Caerexxe, Great Madness," I replied, eyes silently pleading as mine met those of Kex's and Bahiam's. Both the men, glasses of fruit punch in their hands and apparently having reconciled, looked over questioningly, brows raised.
My eyes darted to Jarvel meaningfully, and the both of them, getting what I meant, started striding over like two men on a mission.
"So…Kaolin." Jarvel rolled my name over his tongue like sweet meat. He was trying to be charming, but in all honesty I found it rather repulsive. "Are you single?"
"No, she's plural," Kex interjected swiftly, coming to stand a little behind me. Jarvel's head snapped up to glare at him, and the sorcerer only smiled innocently in reply. "Kexypitch, deputy of Great Madness," Kex introduced briefly.
Bahiam came to stand next to and slightly behind me on my other side, throwing all of his imposing height over us. "Bahiam, deputy of Great Madness." His giant polearm gleamed in the lamplight, and Kexy needed not to show any subtle form of intimidation, for his way of attire already displayed his status as a master of aether. Powerful dual intimidation that would have sent any other man excusing himself, but unfortunately not one that seemed to hold much weight with Jarvel. The brunette ranger merely blinked, and, not even bothering to hide his irritation, swiftly introduced himself.
"Jarvel Valstear, Oblivions Phoenix," he said snappily. "Now, if you don't mind, the lady and I were having a conversation." He made a rudely dismissive gesture at the two of them and turned back to me, Kex and Bah already forgotten. "Now where were we? Ah, yes. A pretty maiden like yourself should have many suitors, no? I don't suppose you have any…experience in the bedroom, do you?" He reached out, grinning slyly, and I flinched as his wandering fingers groped my ass.
Bahiam's fingers twitched, and I inadvertently glanced up at the massive polearm strapped to his back. His expression was dark as Jarvel made several more lewd comments, blindly forging ahead in his poorly disguised attempts to proposition me.
Kexy wasn't unaffected as well. While I pressed my lips together in prudent distaste, Kex was bristling. Mages had inherently and naturally powerful aetheric signatures, and the oppressive aura emanating from him was almost suffocating, so potent that even nearby Daevas talking and mingling had fallen silent to peer warily at us.
I discreetly placed a placating hand on both their arms as the object of their ire blithely prattled on, unaware of how close he was to being diced/ beheaded/ impaled by a giant glacier/ fried to a crisp. Someone getting killed in the middle of a banquet was due to cause complications, especially when this was supposed to be a meeting of alliance legions, but I didn't see how I could resolve this when Bahiam and Kex were both out to defend my virtue, and Jarvel, dense idiot as he was, refused to shut up.
The both of them were tensed, and if looks could kill, the ranger would have died a thousand horrible deaths already. I dug my fingers into both their arms, but even so I was already silently counting down to the moment when all hell would break loose, as my boys lost patience and pounded him into Jarvel-coloured mush.
Thank Aion for interruptions.
A sharp, tangible wave of killing intent spiked from a corner, and all four of us froze, our battle-honed instincts of self-preservation triggered and shrieking in warning . Turning our heads, we saw Crossloki slouched against a table, arms crossed and head down, his signature beret-cap hiding his eyes. He didn't say anything, nor did he look up, but the sheer force of his intimidation was so powerful that it was almost physical.
Jarvel started in shock as he registered the assassin's ominous presence. "Gen- Executive General Loki," he blurted, all his oily charm gone and replaced with terrified subordination. While Loki was also a deputy of Great Madness, thus placing him at the same level as Bah and Kex, he was also the general of our legion's attack force, the one who led our Daevas into war side-by-side with other legions as the representative authority of Great Madness and one of the co-leaders of the alliance. Jarvel recognized him, and he was scared, and for good reason.
"Dage?" I asked in surprise. I hadn't seen him up until now, and had naturally assumed that he wasn't attending. Jarvel didn't know Bah and Kex that well, but Loki was one of his lieges, an assassin, and a rather scary one at that. When I had referred to him as 'big brother', the ranger swallowed hard and stared at me in horrified dread. His eyes darted between me and Loki fearfully, almost as if he was worried that he'd get assassinated in the night. Which wouldn't be a surprise, considering that it was Dage we were talking about.
"Jarvel Valstear." Dage's voice was quiet and even. "You would do well to keep in mind that I do not tolerate harassment of my legion members." The way he said it was so creepy that it made the hair on the back of my neck prickle.
Being the sole focus of Dage's unfiltered intimidation, Jarvel blanched. "M-my apologies, s-sir, I… I didn't know she was-"
"That does not excuse your behavior. Begone."
"Y-yes sir. Right away," he stammered, and scurried away in sheer fright. Dage's presence and the fact that I seemed close with him was apparently too much for him to handle.
Putting him out of my mind, I sidled over to Loki and tugged at his sleeve. "Why so tense, Dage?"
Loki sighed, his shoulders sagging as he brought a hand up to rub the side of his neck. "Nothing much, mushu," he murmured. "I'm just…tired." He tried to force a smile, but what came out looked more like a grimace.
I knew what he meant. It wasn't easy being one of the leaders in such a gigantic alliance. He thought we didn't know, but we did. I knew how he hardly slept, how he had to attend to paperwork and tactical discussion deep into the night. Coordinating such a massive army took a lot of effort, and it was endless. He had been increasingly worn and haggard as the months wore on. That one time when he had fallen sick, Abrider had to confiscate his paperwork and threaten to withdraw the legion from the alliance before he was willing to get some rest.
It had also made him very short-tempered, and he grew more and more snappish as the days passed. The climax of the situation arrived in the form of the legion nearly falling apart, and he, knowing that it was his fault, took it hard and to heart.
Yes, he was very tired.
Another song started, and I tugged at his sleeve again. "Dance with me?" I asked sweetly. Loki huffed faintly in amusement, but let me pull him to the dance floor, and obligingly put his hand on my waist when I put mine on his shoulder.
I gazed up at him as we danced, lost in the ruby depths of his eyes. I didn't know what was in my mind then, only that a lot of emotions were swirling around in my mind.
He twirled me out then back in – as we stood right before each other at the end of the song, he seemed to be struggling with himself, his lips parting as if to say something, but no sound came. I looked up at him questioningly, and after a moment of hesitation, he closed his eyes, shaking his head.
The moment was lost. Smiling half-heartedly, he mussed my hair and bade me goodnight. I watched him disappear into the crowd, a million thoughts turning in my mind.
My disgruntled date found me again soon after. "Bahiam challenged that Valstear guy. Good. I hope he breaks his neck," Kex muttered darkly. It made me smile, knowing how well the both of them took care of me.
"Thanks, Kex." I stood on my tiptoes and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. The sorcerer blinked, and then grinned. "You're welcome."
In the distant future I would find out that, at that moment, Dage had been about to tell me of his leaving. But as he described to me, had he spoken then, it would have made an already difficult situation even more complicated. And so he steeled himself, and walked away.
But I didn't know then, never expected that dance to be the last memory I would have of him for the next century.
It was a lonely walk home, back to the confines of my small studio in Oriel. My emotions were roiling, hurt and sadness and helplessness masked over by a layer of empty numbness. Back for you someday. Those words struck deep, forced me to step back from my life and assess it from a whole new perspective.
Truly, only when you lose something, do you realize how much it means to you.
"Cmon Kaolin, you can do better!" Latona whirled her staff around and struck a blow, which I deflected with my own staff.
"I'm not that good at this kind of thing!" I protested, forced fully on the defensive as I fought to counter all of Latona's attacks. The chanter's musical laugh filled the air as we sparred, giving a vibrant life to the otherwise immense and empty space of the Coliseum. I yelped as her staff smacked me in the back, hard enough for me to take a step forward.
Rather exasperated, I threw up my shield to give myself some breathing room, then restrained Latona while I sent a violent gale in her direction. Not enough to hurt, but enough to blow her elaborate brunette hair into a wild mess. She let out a squeak of surprise, and I burst into laughter.
"Cheeeaaaating!" she laughed, kicking free of my aether restraints. "We agreed on melee combat!"
"You're so much better than me, it's not fair," I pouted, turning my attention to healing the bruises she left on me. Latona stuck out her tongue, then giggled, a musical tinkle. "Well, I can't heal as well as you. Fair deal I'd say."
We were in the Coliseum, having a sparring session. Dage was overseeing our battles, occasionally giving comments and advice from his post near the walls, right under the podiums. The both of them were there to help me improve on my sadly sub-par combat skills, and having a hyperactive chanter like Lat as my opponent made it a rather grueling workout.
I glanced at Loki, leaning against the Coliseum wall and watching us. Languid and laid-back like he usually was, saying nothing as Lat and I both sat down for a break. I took a swig from my bottle, a refreshing mix of juice and mana elixirs, then offered it to Latona.
Dage was brooding, staring off into space as he turned something over in his mind. His arms were folded, a subconscious frown on his face. Add in his impressive set of black leathers and the pair of dagger hilts gleaming on his back, and it made a pretty imposing picture.
Rested and feeling rather whimsical, I got up and skipped over to him. "Can I duel you?" I asked brightly, pulling at his sleeve.
Loki looked up, both his eyebrows almost disappearing into his hair. "Are you sure?" he asked mildly, amusement evident in his ruby gaze.
I nodded eagerly. I had never went hand-to-hand against Dage before, and even though I was more than certain that I would lose, I was interested to find out how I'd fare against him.
A faint smile found its way onto his face, and he shrugged. "Well, if you insist." He pushed off from the wall and strode to the centre of the Coliseum. "Ready when you are."
I slid the glass pane of my weapon rack open, and reached inside to stroke the brilliant gold-bronze handle of my staff, lost within my own recollections. Lost within the four walls of my own mind that had suddenly expanded to fathomless depths within the space of one day. Lost, like the many Daevas that had left, and the big brother that I would not see again for many years.
Deciding I would stick with my favored weapon for this round, I hoisted my shield up and picked up my mace. Loki gestured for me to make the first move, and without further hesitation, I focused my aether.
My flame-curse, designed to serve the purpose of whittling away at an opponent's strength, somehow dissipated as it reached him, swallowed up by his black leathers. He drew his daggers in an instant, and when I tried to follow up with Earth's Wrath, he abruptly vanished, aether rippling around him and cloaking him in the blink of an eye.
Warily, I held my shield up and turned a full circle, trying to anticipate his next move. A sudden presence behind me gave me a split second's notice before he materialized behind me, daggers twin silver streaks as they swept downwards in a deadly arc-
I twisted around as fast as I could, bringing my shield up. The edges of his blades skittered across the metal, and he leapt backwards as I swung my mace hard at him. Then, with a frightening burst of speed that my eyes couldn't follow, he darted forward, and time seemed to slow as he came right before me, a dagger held at neck level-
His shoulder collided with mine, sending me teetering - time moved again, and a line of red scored across the side of my neck, over my jugular, tiny and superficial but at the same time an indicator of how he could have slit my neck right there and then.
I doubled the pace, fighting hard, throwing bursts of electricity at him, sending violent gales of wind slashing at him, but what he did not evade vanished into his leathers, seemingly absorbed into the black material. The assassin wasn't going all out - from what I could see, he was only toying with me, evading my attacks and giving me brief close-call scuffles at intervals where I could recover in between.
I reached for more aether, then started in shock as I realized that my grasp on magic had slipped greatly. My hand flew to my neck, and when I stared at it I saw a tiny smear of blood and a clear, pale white liquid. In sudden realization I found that Dage's daggers were laced, and that I had been spiked with a silencing agent.
Panicking, I tried to purge it, but it was already too late. My grasp of aether had slipped too much, and I soon found myself a sitting duck, helpless against him.
Readily admitting defeat, I let out a low chuckle and let my arms drop to my sides. The wounds he had inflicted on me, each and every one light, minuscule scratches in crucial spots that could have been fatal had he wanted it to be. I had lost, and very badly.
I lifted my hand, signaling defeat, and started to inspect all the tiny wounds he left on me.
"You done already?" he called, and started to walk over.
"I can't land a hit on you anyway," I grouched, eyeing his leathers in disgruntlement. "What kind of fabric is that, anyway?"
Loki glanced down at his jerkin. "Oh, this? This is Cimmerian weave. It eats aether."
I snorted. "No wonder. Ah well. It was a good fight." And a very eye-opening one. Next on my to-do list - research Cimmerian fabric and how to get around it. As far as I knew, it was impervious to all but magical attacks with massive brute force. And brute force wasn't one of my fortes.
"No, wait. It wasn't fair on you. You weren't strong enough yet to compensate for the fabric."
I looked up at him questioningly, and stared in utter bewilderment as Loki stripped, pulling off his shirt, his shoulderguards, his vambrace, his boots. Finally he stood before me in nothing more than his trousers, both daggers in his hands, and everything else left in a pile on the ground. "Let's try again."
I was apprehensive at first, but then at his prompting I began to start drawing on my aether. The flame-curse connected this time, and I saw him wince as fire coiled around him, leaving burns everywhere they touched. I fought all-out then, darting around, sending bursts of elemental magic at him, weak as my destructive power was as a cleric.
"Kite," he instructed as his laced dagger scored another red line up my arm. I sprinted away from him, sweeping my body with healing magic to purge the silencing agent. He didn't give chase but I pretended he did, throwing bursts of lightning and wind at him to keep him at bay. He gave me endless instructions, telling me what to do if he went into Hide, how I should respond if he did so and so. I learnt a lot that day, and when we called it quits for the day, Dage's upper body was laced with horrific burns and raw welts from where I had attacked him with magic. It was profound to me, as I healed him, what he was willing to suffer through so that I could make progress.
Even as Latona laughed and teased that I must be special, to somehow manage to get the high-and-mighty Crossloki to strip in a public zone, it was profound to me then, the love we held for one another as legionmates.
The day I realized that my friends and legion would not be around forever, immortal even that we may be, was also the day I realized how much I loved them, and how cold and colorless my life would have been if I were to one day lose them. The day I realized that they had been such a big part of my life, of my heart, was also the day I became truly afraid, afraid to lose them, to be separated from those I had called friends and soon brothers and sisters.
I shrugged out of my formalwear, changing into more comfortable clothes. I was hardly in the mood to go out today, so I decided I would stay in, go through all my things and perhaps read a book or two. As I walked barefooted across my studio, I caught sight of the several photo frames on the mantelpiece, and paused. Reaching out, I touched those old photos of good memories - Dage in an apron and with a frying pan in his hand, looking rather comical; Oscillum with his blue chocobo grinning at the camera, a large group photo during Christmas many years past with several people having transformed into Grankers for our amusement.
I smiled faintly as I picked up that Christmas photo, recalling the scene that had also taken place in the expanse of the Coliseum, many years before - there had been talk of a duel between two of Great Madness's higher ranking officials. I had forgotten which. The duel was to be held in Sanctum, and the rest of us had flocked there at the promise of an epic showdown.
It was a quick, ferocious battle, ending minutes after it began - most of the longtime Daevas, now having their blood heated by the battle, began to commence spontaneous duels with one another. Several duels later, someone suggested we move it into the Coliseum and bash it out, literally. It was a brilliant idea, so we did just that.
I was excited myself as we entered the Coliseum, the roar of magic and the ring of blades a cacophony in the normally silent and empty Coliseum. Everyone was in furious combat with everyone else - the sheer power of over a dozen Guardians in that space was hair-raising. In the middle of the space I saw Eternaldarkness and Bahiam, their polearms trailing fiery arcs across the air as they fought off a horde of opponents as well as each other. Arrows zipped through the air in a chaotic flurry, mages sprinting around and unleashing elemental hell on unsuspecting victims. Clerics, chanters and templars duked it out between them, battling to see whose stamina could last longer. It was every Daeva for himself, and it looked exhilarating.
It took me all of five seconds to realize that I, a young fledgling Daeva, had no hope of facing up against any one of them. I took an experimental shot as Bah as he ran by, and in return received a smack with the gilded handle of his polearm. The Guardians would not challenge me, would not so mercilessly assault one of their own whom they knew would not be able to withstand their power, and so I was left alone, to watch.
In the end, I teamed up with Kathline, also a fledgling Daeva then, a ranger with deft hands and quick eyes. Together we tried to bring down Madmedic, one of our clerics, and even though it went nowhere, having a partner with me and actually being able to participate made it so much more fun.
Then, while I was resting and observing how my seniors fought, along came several Sanctum elites to crash our party, one-man fighting machines well known throughout Sanctum for their outstanding skill and prowess in battle. Even our Guardians could not face up against them, and when they handed out defeat after jeering defeat to every single one of us, the longtime Daevas got fed up of having our duel party disrupted.
And so we formed an alliance, a massive group of Guardians hell-bent on getting revenge on the twinks that ruined our party. There was no place for me, since I could hardly keep up with them then - but I shared in the sadistic satisfaction we as a legion felt when the twinks had their asses handed to them four-on-one.
Then, as I watched the proceedings with avid interest, a Daeva even younger than me, a male gladiator, decided to enter the Coliseum. For a moment he seemed disoriented as he took in the chaotic war raging within the confines of the Coliseum. Though, I had to give him credit. In a moment, he had spotted the one person who was not participating in any of the battles whatsoever - a lone, blue-haired cleric standing alone near the entrance.
I saw him enter, and recognized him right away for what he was. He was to me what I was to the rest of my legion, a rookie with hardly any experience under his freshly-fledged wings. I would not fight him, considering his level was no match for mine, but he gave me a critical once-over, as if weighing his chances, then hefted his polearm into his hands, a clear indicator of his intent to battle.
I would not fight him of my own volition, but neither would I turn down his challenge. I obligingly drew my mace and shield, relishing the adrenaline rush that flooded my senses at the prospect of a battle at last. His defeat at my hands would be of his own choice.
Just as the battle was about to begin, a greater and far more powerful force than either of us came charging over to intervene. As I watched in sheer incredulity, Eternaldarkness barrelled over and smashed into the gladiator, his own massive polearm making short work of my opponent. In mere seconds the rookie had an utter defeat handed to him, and, looking like a whipped puppy, he duly escaped the Coliseum without further ado.
Rather miffed at losing my chance of battling, I rounded on Ed. And here I was thinking he was preoccupied with his own battles already. "Ed! Why did you do that?"
Ed, now back to his ferocious battle with a ranger, answered me with a steely fervence in his tone. "No one touches my legion. Or I'll kill them."
I smiled fondly at the memory. Ever since then, I'd started calling him 'dad' due to his being so overprotective, and even though he left in the end, it would always stay with me, that memory of him mercilessly smashing the gladiator into the ground because he wouldn't have me get hurt. What I truly longed for was the day when I would fight by their side, no longer as a mentee but as an equal, a partner of the same calibre. To become one of them, to contribute as a cleric could in the activities that Guardians took part in. I wanted to do my part for them, like what they had done for me.
Silently brooding, I placed the photo frame back on the mantel, then slipped my tiara out of my hair. I admired the glowing, ruby-red stones wrought in the delicate gold frame of the aether-enhancing accessory, turning it over in my hands before setting it gently on my dresser. An accessory that had taken much work to obtain, one that was unique and the only one of its kind, and one that held an unforgettable memory to it.
I laughed inwardly at myself as another memory floated to the top of my mind. Look at me now, just reminiscing about the past like an old woman at the end of her years. Looking back at all the memories that had colored the canvas of my life.
The temperature was boiling hot, fumes rising from the molten lava that singed my feathers as I glided in. Beside me, Kex and his set of blue-green sails rustled faintly with mine, both of us angling for a secluded spot behind a stalagmite, out of reach of the spitting lava and out of sight of our quarry.
As we awaited our last member's arrival, Kex and I sized up the massive being looming above us, floating atop the little isle of brimstone. Kraterr, Lord of Flame and King of all fire spirits. A manifestation of the energy of fire, the essence of Kraterr would play a major role in magma research. That was why I was here: one could only obtain its essence by defeating it, and clearly I could not do it alone.
A few more minutes, and the telltale swoosh of feathers over the gurgling of molten lava signified the arrival of our third and last party member. Vanishing his wings, Bahiam landed neatly within our midst, the glow of lava tinting the edge of his polearm a fiery orange.
Kex and Bah had both volunteered to lend their strength in this venture, and see this attempt through. The both of them were Guardians, both powerful in their own right, and with me serving as a medic for them, I had faith that the three of us would be able to pull through. Bah was to tank while Kex dealt out most of the damage, and I was to heal them and support them. Seeing that we were all ready, Kex gave us a thumbs up, which I returned, and he initiated the assault.
A vicious blast of magic slammed into the massive incarnation of fire and lava. There was a deep rumble as the entire area seemingly groaned at that offense, the lava streams roiling in tenfold agitation. Bahiam leapt forward to take the brunt of Kraterr's enraged retaliation, making sure its attention was on solely himself instead of the two casters with him. He did have the greatest stamina among all three of us, but even so I had to concentrate to compensate for the wounds he sustained, the burns and gashes that blistered immediately with its searing heat.
They fought hard - Bahiam's polearm trailed deadly arcs through the air, a sword, a mace and a spear all combined in one weapon. Explosions of elemental magic shook the area, and I healed incessantly, bolstering Bahiam's strength as he fought.
An explosion of searing fire in all directions caught us all off guard - Bah was thrown backwards, crumpling to the ground. As I fought to keep up, pouring healing magic into Bahiam, the great flame-lord advanced upon him, readying the killing strike, and I desperately willed him to stand up, to not falter under the onslaught, to just hold on for a few seconds more so that I could finish healing him-
An especially violent blast of magic exploded at Kraterr's side, sending it teetering - Kex looked ferocious, his expression focused and magic glowing a brilliant violet in his palms, the golden shimmer of an aetheric shield glimmering in the air before him. Kraterr rounded on the sorcerer, bringing down the full force of its power on him - in those few seconds that Kex bought us, I managed to heal Bahiam, and the gladiator hoisted himself to his feet, once again ready for battle.
Kex backed off as Bah rejoined the fight, the sorcerer battered and badly wounded after his brief, solo scuffle with Kraterr. I healed him, grateful for his actions that had clearly saved all our lives, and the battle continued.
Kraterr was no pushover, on the contrary, the king of fire spirits boasted great stamina befitting a Lord as such, and lords would not be lords without minions by their side. About midway through our fight, a horde of fire spirits rose from the lava right behind me, and I frantically threw up my aetheric shield, trying to avoid them as half a dozen of them swarmed me, the closest unknown being within their range. Bahiam glanced over, and seeing me in trouble, he hurried over, and with Kraterr still unleashing infernal fury on him, swung his polearm in a large arc at the minions.
Deeming Bahiam the greater threat, the fire spirits drifted after him as he ran back, and I, once again left alone, picked up my healing where I left off.
It was a long, exhausting battle, but we triumphed in the end - Kraterr fell with a groan that shook the very earth, and disintegrated, not permanently but long enough for us to collect what we came for. Exhausted, both my chaperones sank onto the brimstone for a well-deserved rest while I, wiping away the perspiration on my brow, hurried forward to examine the remains. Picking up several of the glowing, coal-hot inner pieces, I carefully packed them into heat-resistant cloth bags and slipped it into my backpack.
"You done?" Bahiam asked wearily, and stood up with noticeable effort. I nodded eagerly, pleased with the results, and our success. Bahiam nodded once in reply, his lips faintly curving upwards in a smile of accomplishment. Kex somehow summoned the strength to form an illusion gate that would save us the journey back to Sanctum, and to see them both standing there, silhouetted against the glow of the lava, weary and utterly spent and yet standing tall and victorious, I was proud of them, and infinitely grateful to them to be willing to go to such lengths for me.
"Guys, one sec," I called as they prepared to jump through the gate - they paused, and I took the chance to stretch up on my tiptoes to press a kiss each on both the men's sweaty cheeks. "Thanks. So much."
Identical grins cracked both their faces then, and Bah mussed my hair affectionately. "You're welcome, koala ." Kexy merely grinned mischievously, and with that we teleported back to the bustle of Sanctum's streets.
It was to be the event that marked the strengthening of our bonds as a legion, and also the one that marked Kex's transition in my life, from merely an acquaintance to so much more.
But that's another story.
And when I had run the specimens under tests, it turned out that it was an excellent medium for focusing and enhancing aether. But it was soon declared that Kraterr was a much too difficult opponent to defeat regularly, and the prospect of introducing fire-crystals into Daevean armour was eventually abandoned. Nevertheless the first and last test product remained with me, a memoir in the form of an intricate tiara.
And there were more. In the life of a soldier, one does not find love easily, but Kathline did, and so did I at a later date. Being a close legion, we had pretty much suspected that there had been something going on between Kathline and Vipermage for some time already, even if they didn't yet realize it themselves. The time when they caught several Asmodians infiltrating Heiron was very much a prime example.
Arrows and bolts of magic flew as Kath and Viper assaulted the rifter, an assassin with two vicious-looking swords and an uncanny knack for dodging almost everything that came his way. When the rest of us arrived on scene the battle was already almost done with - clearly, two-on-one battles would not last long, especially if one of the duo was a powerful sorcerer. The kill was imminent, excitement glowing in Kath's eyes as she fired arrow after deadly arrow at the faltering assassin.
The Asmodian's eyes flashed, and in an instant Viper shouldered into Kath, enveloping her within his aetheric shield and shoving her out of the way as the assassin made a last-ditch effort to slash her neck with the serrated teeth of his blades. Her killing shot went awry, and in that moment of brief confusion the assassin fled, and all that was left was a silent Viper and a rather disgruntled Kath.
The ranger was seething as we accompanied them back back to New Heiron Gate. "One more second and he would have been done for! Would it have killed you to stick to the plan for ten darn minutes?" Kath was grumbling.
Viper was silent as Kath fumed at him. The rest of us pretended not to have heard, but all eyes were on them as we walked across Heironopolis.
"You could almost smell his fear and think 'I've got this' but noooo you just had to shove me aside at the last moment like seriously what the hell are you so jacked up about? I'm not afraid of getting hurt if that's what you're concerned about, I'm a Guardian for Aion's sake and I can take care-"
Viper whirled around, seemingly having lost his patience, and hooked a long finger under her chin. Tilting her head up sharply, he crushed his lips to hers in a firm kiss, effectively muffling her words.
The ranger's eyes widened, stunned into silence as her hands reflexively flew to his chest and made to push, yet instead of shoving him away, she simply melted into his arms. She wasn't the only one rather stunned, for we knew Viper, and this was rather out of character for him.
Viper broke the kiss and strode on as Kath stared at him in shock, his pace brisk and his posture awkwardly rigid. "What-" Kath managed, her face turning cherry red as she regained her senses and hurried to catch up. Amusement caught up with the rest of us, and stifled sniggers crept into the air.
"Just to shut you up," the sorcerer muttered gruffly, ducking his head. Even so I caught a glimpse of a faint pink tinge beneath the short stubble on his face, and had to smile. It was rather sweet, actually, and we were happy for them.
Whatever his real intentions were, it did had the desired effect - it put the previous battle completely out of her mind, and she was silently blushing for the rest of the way back to Sanctum.
I lay back on my bed, staring up at the ceiling. The memories were endless. There were so many of them that I could hardly count them all. Dage leaving made me realize how much Great Madness was a family to me, how much it meant to me.
There was the time when Kex came with me through the Indratu Barracks, Kathline with us as well - with their help we had brought down Guardian Drafala, just the three of us. It was a ferocious and very exhilarating fight, and I came away from that battle elated and even more respecting of my legionmates. There was the time when I ran Aetherogenetics Lab with Rock, then another time with Kath and Ghost. The incident where I aggroed the whole room by accident was epic, to say the least: Ghost tanking furiously and Kath raining aetheric arrow storms all over the place as we fought to survive. And back in the day, I had used to run Kaidan HQ with Rurulca and Lathander, a sorcerer and a templar, and we were nothing short of an unstoppable force as we plowed through the Kaidan elites.
Dage, Oscillum, Bahiam and Kex had all ran me through the Lepharist Bastion at some point, languid Loki, mild-mannered and helpful Osc, niceguy Bah and mischievous Kex. And once, Ghost came all the way over Heiron to save me while I fought through the Lepharist Research Center, charging in to assist me in my failing battles. Whitesage and Euwyn had been my mentors in playing my role as a cleric, Whitesage who had taught me some battle tactics and Euwyn who had advised me on gear and weapons.
My legion had done so much for me.
With them by my side, I wasn't afraid. I wasn't afraid of anything, because I had my legion, I had Great Madness at my back. I could take on the world. But what I truly feared was that this legion would fall before I was ready, that what I've dreamt for would never come to pass. I wasn't ready to let go, wasn't ready to watch them leave because they were so much a part of me, my teachers, my mentors, people who would be there for me when I needed them. I couldn't, wouldn't give them up, not now, not yet, not ever.
I belong to Great Madness, and I'm proud of it. We're complete strangers, and yet not- we're legionmates, partners, friends.
More than that, we're a family.
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My cursor hovered over the 'save' button, and I took a deep breath before clicking.
New chapter uploaded. I exhaled and leaned back in my chair, the wheels creaking as I pushed myself a small distance from the computer and spun around in my seat.
Behind me, people crowded my room: Kexypitch, Bahiam, Latona, Kathline, Reaza, Crossloki, Ghostzx, Littlerock and more, their features indistinct but their smiling personalities intact and so vibrantly alive. Blond, brunette, fair, dark, tall, short - it didn't matter. They were here, they were family. I reached for their smiles and laughter in wonder, wanting to touch them, to meet and know them in the flesh... but then I blinked, and they vanished, like they were never there.
And there was nothing but me, my computer and an empty room. Nothing but dreams, and unfulfilled longing. My arm fell back to my side and I sank back into my chair heavily, eyes closing, the brief elation from my vivid imagination already fading. With a sigh, I stood up and shut off the computer. We were so close, and yet so far away.
So, so far.
Several hours later, I was sitting on the floor, surrounded by pages and pages of an old atlas that I'd dug out of my drawers. Drawing little marks on it, it amazed me how many countries we span, how people from all over the globe have met each other in Great Madness.
One day, I'm going to travel the world, and meet them all face to face.
~FIN~
A/N:
So how'd you like the twist at the end? A little burst of inspiration on my part, and that leads me to the special feature for this chapter: a one-page manga that showcases the last scene! :3 my drawing skills are pretty average, I spent hours on it xD hope you guys like it, I'll put the link to it on my profile.
Also, Latona had made some avatars for the characters, they're awesome. I'll see about getting a link for them.
This chapter represents so much of my feels towards the legion, we've been through so much in these past few weeks and I'm glad to say, we've survived. I'll be posting up the next chapter as soon as I can to make up for the slack, hopefully it'll be all up to date. :D
Special thanks to Kex, Lat and Kath for encouraging me on this gigantic chapter. Also, to the nice asmo (I'll just call you nice asmo from now on xD) , I'm on the NA servers so sadly we'll never meet :s and a cookie for Malchiel of Siel, who recognized my toon in Sanctum (You. Are awesome. Remember that.) and made my day xD
NINJA READERS LET THEM BE AN EXAMPLE TO YOU. LEAVE ME REVIEWS AND I WILL LEAVE YOU COOKIES.
Alright, stay tuned for chapter 5 :D
Peace out,
Kakashiz/ Kaolin