A restless night
Jacke listened to Lyrian's linkshell report. What he heard made him want to go to the Drydocks himself. As it was, he couldn't afford it. His presence was required at the headquarters to coordinate the rogues. What he could do, however, was sending backup.
"Got it. Those bloody curs are after the Victory. We gotta stop 'em, and fast. Ye got the time o' the attack and ye warned the Maelstrom, though, so we're not unprepared. I'm sendin' Moensath and Kiyoko to the docks as backup. The Victory's too important that we can let 'em have their way. Candlekeep Quay and Red Rooster Stand'll have to do without us."
"Got it, boss. The night has fallen. The attack can happen any moment."
"The girls'll just rez at the docks. Godspeed, lad. Ye'll need it."
"Thanks."
And so, the waiting game began at the Drydocks. In his hiding spot, Ahtzapfyn was fuming.
"Who's the cur who sold us!? There weren't so many guards last time we checked! Gonna be hard to sneak in now."
They found a way, eventually: the dry docks. Swimming until they were in, hiding in the shadows of the ship, silent as ghosts… but not enough to escape the elfin ear of a certain Duskwight. Kiyoko was using the darkness to show Lyrian how to hide in the shadows when his ear caught a wet footstep. The Elezen raised a hand.
"Shush!"
The pair stood still, listening to the sneaky pirates. Kiyoko took her dagger and, more silent than her preys, snuck behind them. One was carrying a staff, an obvious sign he was a mage. The Au Ra's weapon caught him between the shoulders. He collapsed without a sound. Another got an arrow in the skull courtesy of Lyrian, who put a hand to his ear.
"Moensath, the dry dock!"
The Roegadyn was hiding not far from Ghimthota. She was quick to inform the captain.
"The dry docks!?"
"Aye. Lyrian an' Kiyoko are already on 'em."
"Then to arms! The pirates are at the Victory already!"
The Duskwight and the Au Ra had killed five of Ahtzapfyn's men each when the pirate noticed something was wrong.
"Thal's balls, what's going on?"
His answer was an arrow that killed his right-hand man. Lyrian emerged from the shadows, a huge grin on his face, and answered in a sing-song voice.
"Busted~"
Only then did Ahtzapfyn realize he had walked right into an ambush. His men found the Victory's doors locked and the deck crowded with Maelstrom men placed there in advance by Ghimthota. Around him, standing atop the dry dock, Ghimthota, Ahtbyrm, Moensath and the rest of the Maelstrom were looking down on him.
"How!?" The pirate raged.
"That's simple." Ghimthota answered. "The rogues are masters of stealth. They don't simply use it to kill people and steal goods unnoticed. Gathering information is also part of the job, and their new recruit is quite good at it."
She looked at Lyrian and smiled. Lyrian nodded back. Ahtbyrm crossed his arms.
"I can't believe you would do something like that, Da! Blowing the Victory, do you have any idea what this represents to the people of Limsa Lominsa? Do you have any idea what you were trying to destroy!?"
"Seven hells I do, boy!" Ahtzapfyn angrily retorted.
"Then why?"
"To knock some sense into yer head, ya brat! Ye, a son o' pirates, buildin' a ship fer those thrice-cursed Maelstrom curs! What in the Navigator's name got into yer head!?"
Ahtbyrm snarled.
"You're the one who doesn't understand! The golden age of piracy is gone. Merlwyb, the Maelstrom, these people are the future of Limsa Lominsa, and this is what the Victory represents. Now, Da, surrender before they force you to!"
"I'd rather sleep with the fishes!"
"That can be arranged." Moensath smirked.
Ahtzapfyn and his men didn't stand a single chance. Outnumbered and overpowered, the pirates could only watch as Ghimthota raised a hand. The next moment, Lyrian and the Maelstrom were raining death through arrows and spells while Moensath was throwing knives and Kiyoko made hand gestures that ended in throwing stars hitting the men. Soon, none were breathing. Ghimthota looked at the rogues.
"Good to see the Upright Thieves still got it. Without your skills, the Victory was toast, if you forgive me the expression."
"And Lyrian is a beginner." Kiyoko grinned. "I've hardly seen someone show so much promise without any previous training."
She turned to the Duskwight and froze. Lyrian was leaning against a building and holding his head. Whimpers of pain escaped his lips.
"Hey, are you alright?" The Au Ra asked.
Lyrian turned to her, eyes half-open.
"Those hand gestures you made… What are they?"
"Mudras. They are hand seals that allow me to use different Ninjutsu techniques depending the number and order of the seals. Why do you ask?"
Ghimthota frowned.
"This is no rogue technique."
"Indeed. My husband and I aren't rogues, we are ninja. It came as a surprise that Limsa's rogues fought the same we did. The only difference is that they don't use Ninjutsu, but that's about it."
Lyrian nodded and blinked repeatedly.
"I… I think I knew someone who was a ninja. She was old… and she trained me. At least, that's what I remember. She was a Dushwight with white hair, and her skin was almost alabaster. She taught me to be agile and use knives, and I remember her using hand seals to trap me in quicksand. She had me try to get out…"
Kiyoko's eyes widened.
"Doton! That person was a ninja!"
Lyrian hesitated.
"I think… I think she was my grandmother. I'm not sure, though. It's just a guess."
Moensath sighed when she saw the Au Ra's puzzled face.
"O' course. Kiyoko, ye dunno it 'cause you're hardly at HQ, but everyone 'mong the rogues knows Lyrian's amnesiac. Somethin'… happened durin' the Calamity, he can't remember what, that caused his memories to go poof. Now, he tries to piece whatever bit he can get back. Seein' ye use yer ninja stuff brought some back."
Kiyoko tilted her head.
"I never heard of Duskwights being ninja when I was in Doma. And yet, according to his memories, his grandmother was a ninja and taught him. At least, it explains why he's a natural with knives without apparently receiving previous training: he did, but his mind doesn't remember it."
Moensath nodded thoughtfully.
"Hey Lyrian, how old are ye already?"
"Nineteen. My birthday was three months ago."
"It means ye were fourteen durin' the Calamity. Ye hafta been young when yer granny taught ye stabber-wieldin'."
"I… think I was around seven. Sorry, some of the parts are still blurry."
"No problem. That's a nifty start ye got."
"But not nearly enough. I mean, I don't recall my parents' face and name, or even what my hometown was called!"
"Ouch." Kiyoko winced.
The three rogues were interrupted by C'nangho, who was holding a letter.
"We found this on one of these bastarrrds. It's in a language none of us know. Do you?"
Moensath took the letter and frowned.
"Nope. Not a thing. Kiyoko?"
The Au Ra took the letter and shook her head.
"It isn't in any Doman speech I know."
"And it isn't in Dhonan either." Lyrian winced. "Anyone knows a good linguist in Limsa Lominsa?"
"We could try the boss. Or maybe even Baderon." Moensath suggested.
"Let's see Jacke first."
The trio teleported to Limsa Lominsa and went to the headquarters. Jacke was waiting for them.
"So, how did it go?"
"No survivor." Kiyoko stretched.
"An' Lyrian got a piece o' memory back watchin' Kiyoko's ninja stuff." Moensath added. "That aside, we found this."
Jacke took the letter. It took him several minutes to remember what it was.
"Fishback's bollocks, this is sahagin!"
"Sahagin?" Lyrian asked. "The fishmen tribe?"
"Aye. Gimme a moment, I'm gonna translate the letter."
The three rogues watched their leader write the translation on a piece of paper. Kiyoko read it, disbelief on her face.
"This… This is the plan to destroy the Victory! Everything is there: the date, the steps, the tools, everything."
"Aye." Jacke nodded. "But it didn't work."
"Yes, because of us." Lyrian understood. "The sahagin didn't count on the rogues getting involved, and they underestimated how far we would go. The shadows are our domain. They couldn't honestly hope to prepare something in secret without us hearing about it."
"That's where the golem's attack comes in." Kiyoko read the letter. "The attack served two purposes. The first was, if the rogues didn't interfere, to obtain more victims to be sacrificed to Leviathan thanks to Sevrin. The second, which is the one where Lyrian and Perimu interfered, was to draw the rogues' eyes away from the Victory and use the golem to kill whatever rogue came to the rescue."
"But our lad bested that beast." Jacke frowned.
"Yes. Actually, if I'm reading right, the golem was their backup plan. The original plan to kill the new rogue, actually the 'Foppish Bard of the Drowning Wench' as they call him, was the ambush at Seasong Grotto with the gobbue. But it failed, and the golem failed as well, putting the schemers in a tight spot. Having failed to eliminate Lyrian, he was free to go to the Drydocks, spy over Ahtzapfyn and warn the Maelstrom ahead of times, giving us the chance to gather and ambush the pirates."
Lyrian crossed his arms.
"So, I was the target of two assassination attempts? What next? They're gonna drop a voidsent on my head?"
"Don't tempt fate, lad." Moensath called him. "Ain't gonna do ye good"
"There's something bothering me." Kiyoko suddenly said. "Ahtzapfyn's crew, the Sea Knaves, wasn't in league with the sahagin, right? It's the Serpent Reavers, who do."
"Aye, yer right, lad. The Sea Knaves have nothin' to do with the fishbacks. An' yet, that letter's in sahagin…"
"Hired swords?" Lyrian offered.
This got everyone's head to turn toward him. The Duskwight raised a brow.
"What?"
"Lad, yer a genius! That's the key!" Jacke beamed. "Why would the fishbacks not bother sendin' their lackeys to blow the Victory? It's 'cause, despite its importance, it's not their primary target. The Victory job was a distraction!"
"Th' fishbacks don't give a chocobo's arse about Limsa's morale, which would've gone to th' drain 'long th' ship." Moensath explained. "Ahtzapfyn did, so they hired 'im to cause ruckus at th' Drydocks while they were busy elsewhere. Th' fishbacks primary goal is to get more worshippers for their god. For them to bother causing a scene, it's gotta be big."
"So this means the mess is only half-over yet." Lyrian mused. "The night is far from over."
"All of this doesn't tell us where they'll strike." Kiyoko noted. "We don't know where to go."
Jacke thought a little.
"With the Victory affair, the Maelstrom's eyes'll be headed east. Bet me stabbers they'll strike west. Let's see… The Maelstrom's got an eye on Summerford since the kidnapping attempt, Aleport's too well-defended to make a good target, they won't dare to attack Costa del Sol or Wineport… This leaves Swiftperch. Small hamlet, little folks, few fighters, perfect for an attack."
"Yui's there." Kiyoko frowned. "I'll call him."
"Aye, do it on the way. We four's gonna bring the letter to Commodore Reyner. Gotta tell the man the night's not over yet an' he better move that yellow arse o' his if he wants to avoid trouble."
"Trouble's already on its way." Lyrian said darkly. "The matter is to be the first where it'll strike."
"True that, lad. That's why I'm sendin' everyone to Swiftperch."
Jacke and Kiyoko spent the trip to Coral Tower calling whoever they could reach and sending them to Swiftperch. Reyner was surprised to see four rogues march in the broad light of the Coral Tower, worry on their face and daggers strapped tight on their waist. For the rogues to be openly parading like this, it had to be serious.
"Hello, Jacke. What can I do for you?"
Jacke handed him the letter's translation for an answer. The Commodore's face paled as he read.
"We are most certain Swiftperch is their target." Lyrian explained. "Of all the settlements in La Noscea, this is the most vulnerable. The rest of the rogues are already on their way."
"I never had a reason to doubt the rogues' judgment before." Reyner shook his head. "Your skills at intelligence gathering are well-known and you demonstrated it with the Victory. Yes, I already heard of it. That was well-done." He looked at the rogues. "Unfortunately, the sahagins are massing a massive force at South Tidegate and I had to send most of my men there. I'll send the rest to Swiftperch as backup."
"Thanks, Commodore." Jacke nodded. "We rogues ain't used to fightin' ranged battle like these. We're better at strikin' from the shadows. Now, everyone on the move! We need to be at Swiftperch before these Leviathan-worshippin' arseholes."
Lyrian, Moensath and Kiyoko nodded and teleported. They found Swiftperch crowded with rogues and Yellowjackets. V'kebbe, Perimu, Yui, Nora, Doeswilf, Valentine, Z'ajhi, Bibina, Stephen, Daca'li, Sthalmhas… Nearly every rogue had come to the hamlet and had sharpened their knives for the occasion. Yui greeted his wife with a kiss.
"Nothing yet. The Serpent Reavers have yet to show, but it isn't a problem. We're ready to greet them."
"With a knife in the throat." Kiyoko smiled.
They waited. The whole night, they waited. Jacke joined them no long after the trio arrived and they received the help of several squads of Yellowjackets, what little Reyner could afford to spare. The Reavers struck at the darkest hour, the one right before dawn.
Yui whistled at the sight.
"The Navigator helps us, there's nearly a hundred of them!"
"An' we're barely fifty." Jacke said darkly. "Llymlaen better lend us a solid or we won't see the dawn."
Lyrian had his bow in hand. Archers of the Yellowjackets were at his side. He was joined by Kiyoko and Yui.
"We got a Ninjutsu that will even the odds." The Hyur ninja grinned. "I hope the Reavers like the scent of burning flesh."
Jacke snarled when he saw who was leading the Reavers.
"Baenryss o' the Deep. One o' the worst curs that sailed the seas. There's big money for his head."
"Then let's make sure he loses it." Lyrian said as he aimed his bow up.
As the Serpent Reavers charged, the Duskwight fired in the sky. A deluge of arrows landed on the pirates, followed by the volley of the Yellowjackets. Those Reavers that didn't fall were torched by a pair of fireballs from the ninja couple.
"Katon." Kiyoko grinned. "Perfect for getting rid of large groups. Also, this may come handy."
She jumped in the middle of the Reavers, made three hand seals and jumped back as quicksand caught the charging wave.
"Open fire!" Glazrael Saltwind ordered. "Leave not a single man alive!"
The archers opened fire again, helped by Lyrian, Yui and his wife. All together, their combined effort cut nearly thirty of the Reavers. Then the primal worshippers got close enough for to fight and the archers shifted to axes and wands. Lyrian took his daggers and jumped in the melee. The rogues were everywhere, spinning, slashing and throwing knives. Enhanced by one of their Ninjutsu, Yui and Kiyoko were a pair of whirlwinds breezing across the battlefield. The Yellowjackets were fighting as well, with the ferocity of hardened sea wolves. Axes and spells rang and sang as steel shed blood over the land. Lyrian, being a rookie, was fighting simply and efficiently, eviscerating his enemies or going for the throat. V'kebbe had given him a belt of throwing knives he put to good use by sending them in exposed backs. For an hour, the fight seemed even.
Then, slowly, almost imperceptibly, the tides shifted to the heroes. V'kebbe gutted a brawler while Perimu introduced his knife to a diviner. Lyrian bum-rushed a saltwitch, dodging a fireball in the process, and opened her throat. He glanced at Jacke, who was fighting Baenryss with Captain Ryssfloh. Suddenly, Baenryss knocked Ryssfloh with the flat of his axe and nearly cut a line over Jacke's chest. The rogue dodged with a backflip and jumped aside to avoid a rock-splitting swing.
"God's piss, stay still!" Baenryss roared.
Lyrian saw his chance. His emotions were running wild, aether and adrenaline pumping through his veins. He felt swifter and faster than he was at the beginning of the fight. So he ran. Baenryss was too busy trying to catch Jacke to see the ash-skinned Duskwight dash across the battlefield. At the last moment, Lyrian jumped and, in a surprising display of agility, vaulted over the Reaver who was caught off-guard by the Elezen's sudden appearance. This was his downfall. Lyrian kicked him in the jaw, forcing him several steps back. Before the Roegadyn could recover, Lyrian spun and slashed his throat open, then swept his knees and drew a bloody line along his spine. The Reaver collapsed, dead. It didn't take long for his men to notice.
There was a moment of hesitation among the Reavers. Then a voice shot.
"Baenryss is dead! The Captain has fallen!"
Panic swept among the Reavers. The rogues and Yellowjackets had fought like sharks and, despite being outnumbered, they hadn't suffered as much casualties as the primal worshippers. Of the hundred men that had gone, less than twenty remained. Those men beat a hasty retreat. Jacke and Glazrael called their men.
"After 'em! Leave no one alive!"
The rogues lost no time running after the pirates. Some Yellowjackets switched their axes for bows and followed them. Lyrian leaned against a building and took a moment to encompass the battlefield. There wasn't a single patch of land in Swiftperch that wasn't red. The walls were no exception either, blood staining as high as the windows. Bodies of pirates, rogues and Yellowjackets lay on the ground, all maimed and torn to some point. Sthalmhas, Bibina, Z'ajhi, Nora… He counted nine rogues lying lifelessly in their blood. They had been twenty-four to fight, nearly half of the defending force. The Yellowjackets had also suffered casualties. Half of their numbers were sailing with Llymlaen. And, among all this, the Reavers. Rogues and Yellowjackets had left no prisoner. Almost ninety dead pirates were strewn on the ground. A victory. Costly, but still a victory. Moensath was being mended by a healer for a lucky hit on the shoulder, Daca'li had lost an eye to a wind spell and Perimu was missing part of his right ear. Lyrian himself had several scratches, but it was nothing a good potion couldn't cure.
He popped one and breathed, the adrenaline slowly falling back. They had won, Swiftperch was safe and he was still alive. All in all, a good day. Now, he really wanted to sleep…
Unholy darkness clouded the sky, hiding the rising dawn and most of Swiftperch from view. Lyrian jumped and took his bow.
"O mournful voice of creation, send unto me a creature of the abyss, my thrall to command, so I may smite mine enemy!"
The Duskwight turned to see a man clad in black robes, his face covered with a black mask that bore a glowing red sigil. He shuddered. For some reason, the man reminded him of the one he had seen in his dream on his way to Limsa Lominsa.
From a portal to the Void, a gargoyle emerged, two sharp swords in hand. Lyrian gulped. Moensath had been right, he shouldn't have tempted fate. Now, Nymeia was out to make him regret it the hard way.
"Twice before, you got in our way and impaired our plans. I shall ensure you do not live to do it a third time, Chosen of Hydaelyn." The man snarled. "You bested the goobbue and the golem, but you will not best this gargoyle!"
"We'll see about that." Lyrian retorted.
The gargoyle swung at him. The Duskwight jumped away and fired an arrow that struck its eye. The Voidsent roared and slashed, only for Lyrian to outflank it and strike arrows in the more vulnerable parts of its anatomy: the joins, the wings, the head, the tail… A sudden backslash knocked Gandiva from his hands. It didn't matter. Lyrian took his daggers instead and dodged the swipes while harassing his enemy. But the Duskwight was tired. He hadn't slept in nearly a day and this was taking its toll on him. Desperate, he made a daring move and climbed the gargoyle's back before tearing its throat. The Voidsent collapsed under the masked man's disbelieving eyes.
"How!?"
"You said it yourself." A female voice answered.
Lyrian turned to see Y'shtola and Jacke entering the field of darkness. Jacke was furious.
"So ye are the cur who tried to off me lad. Ye bastard's gonna find out what happens when one targets me men!"
Y'shtola cast a healing spell on Lyrian who stretched. It didn't remove his tiredness, but it still returned some of his strength.
"Thanks. I was at this from dropping like a fly."
"You're welcome. Good job slaying that fiend."
"We still got the summoner to deal with. Seven hells, I'm starting to feel numb..."
"Don't worry lad. Once this arsehole's dealt with, I'll take ye to the Drowning Wench meself. Ye well earned some sleep."
Lyrian nodded and summoned more aether through his body. It was taking most of his willpower to keep his body running and, all in all, Y'shtola and Jacke dealt most damage to the masked man. As he collapsed, so did Lyrian.
"How…?" The man gasped in his dying breath. "How can… mere mortals… best a Paragon –"
Y'shtola winced.
"Paragon? Hmm, that's what I thought."
Jacke and Lyrian gave her a puzzled look. The Miqo'te explained.
"Paragons, also known as Harbingers of Chaos, or Ascians, are beings from the Dark. It seems this man was one."
"I heard the cur's confession." Jacke grumbled. "He's the one who tried to kill Lyrian, the one who set up this mess."
"It seems so." Y'shtola glanced at Lyrian. "You look dead on your feet. Jacke, can you bring him to the Drowning Wench? I'll handle the report. All of us could use some sleep, myself included…"
"Sure thing. I was 'bout to do just that."
Y'shtola nodded as Jacke held Lyrian and teleported. In the sky, darkness had faded and dawn was rising bright.
The night was over at last.
