Onward to Azys Lla
Returning to Ishgard with the knowledge they acquired in the Dravanian Hinterlands, they wasted no time to put them into practice. To build that which would open their way to the floating island of Azys Lla and to bring those to justice that had eluded it long enough.
As the hour of departure drew closer, so did the time to bid farewell.
It was odd.
If one looked at the people of the Pillars they would hardly think there was a crisis going on. That was if one didn't bother looking beneath the surface. But paying enough attention would reveal the stiffened shoulders of the young nobleman walking with his lady love or the subtle shaking of the hand of an older lady as she raised a handkerchief to her cheek.
There was uncertainty in the air, not unlike in the Forelands, seeping into everyone and everything.
Change was coming. Everyone knew it.
The foundation of their 1000 year old society had cracked, and now the mold that had gathered over time was crawling inside, threatening to tear it all down.
How Ishgard would look once the dust had settled, that was something only the Ishgardians could decide. But with people like Ser Aymeric guiding them, there was hope for a better tomorrow.
Even now, as a fight with his own father had become inevitable, his conviction remained true.
"By consorting with Ascians and acquiring primal powers, my father has made himself an enemy of all that is good and right in the world," his words from earlier echoed in her mind. "Do whatever you must to end his madness, and may the Fury watch over you."
Never once had his eyes wavered from hers as he told her that.
Yes, he would be a guiding light to the people. She was sure of it.
Her thoughts returned to present, more immediate concerns, as she walked up to Fortemps Manor.
With them leaving soon for what she hoped was the final battle, Alphinaud had suggested to her to visit those that would stay behind and bid them farewell. One by one she had received encouragements and exchanged promises to be careful, until she had finally arrived here.
The knight on guard duty gave her a solemn nod and stepped aside to let her pass. After a moment of hesitation, she stepped inside.
She had barely closed the door behind herself, when she was greeted by a maid, who then proceeded to call Firmien.
"Mistress Gata," the family's steward said as he entered the room. "It is good to see you. Your presence has been sorely missed since...that day."
He averted his eyes, but she could still see the sadness in them. As a former knight, it had been him who had taught Haurchefant how to wield a blade. The loss of his former student must weigh heavy on him as well.
Shaking his head, he offered her a polite smile. "You are here to see the count, are you not?"
"Yes," she replied.
"Please, follow me."
As they entered the manor's main room, they found Count Edmont standing there, seemingly lost in thought and S'eni couldn't help but feel nervous. After Haurchefant's death, she had avoided him and the rest of his family, which had been rather easy since they had been traveling all over. The last time she had seen the man was shortly before they had found Y'shtola again, and they were all too focused on other things to dwell on what happened.
But now, facing him once again in the vicinity of his own home, inside the very room they had told him about the death of his son, she felt a nervous shiver run down her spine.
"Mistress Gata is here to see you, my lord," Firmien said, making the other man turn around. A moment of silence that felt like an eternity passed. What should she say to him? What would he say to her?
"S'eni..." he finally said. "Thank you for paying me a visit. It soothes me to see you...and I am sorry."
Why was he apologizing? There was nothing to be sorry for.
She was about to tell him that, but he stopped her with a raise of his hand. "Firmien, would you be so kind?" he asked.
"Of course, my lord."
After the steward had left, Count Edmont continued. "Please forgive my behavior from last time. I was so overwhelmed by the grief over my son's death..." he closed his eyes and breathed deeply through his nose. "It will haunt me for a long time, I am sure. But I have resolved to be strong, like he would have wanted me to."
"Count Edmont..." she lowered her gaze to the floor, where not too long ago the older man had been crying for his son, and bit her lip.
She could still hear his tearful voice calling out "My son..."
S'eni jumped at the sudden weight on her shoulder and raised her eyes to find the count's gloved hand resting on it. Traveling up his arm, her gaze landed on his. She expected sadness in it, and there was, but it also held something else, much more warm and for a moment she was filled with a nostalgic feeling; of nights together with her siblings, full of stories.
Despite herself, she could feel the corners of her lips rising ever so slightly into a tentative smile. Giving her a calm nod that she responded with in kind, he removed his hand once more.
The door opened and Firmien returned, holding something in his hands. She recognised it immediately, the vision having burned itself into her mind.
Haurchefant's broken shield.
"It feels as if it were only yesterday when we first met. You were a fugitive seeking asylum and now you bear the hopes of our nation on your shoulders," Count Edmont said as he turned towards the other man to take the shield into his hands. "When Haurchefant asked me to invite you into Ishgard and serve as your guarantor, he was full of praise. That you were the truest of friends...that you were carrying the fire of hope inside you."
He turned around, looking her in the eye once more. "Only now do I realize how true his words were. You brought hope to Ishgard. We were trapped amidst a raging storm, but now the sky is finally growing clear."
For the first time since that fateful day, his lips curled into a small smile, and he handed her Haurchefant's shield.
"Here...a memento," he said as she took it. "It would have been his wish to fight at your side. Now go, do what must be done, and be careful. I do not wish for you to share his fate."
S'eni looked at the shield in her hands, holding it as if afraid to break it even further, and nodded. "I will," she promised.
His smile widened.
As she left Fortemps Manor again, she felt that the weight on her shoulders had grown a little lighter.
Returning to Ishgard's airship landing, S'eni found everyone waiting as Cid, Biggs and Wedge were still preparing for the journey ahead. Alphinaud was in deep discussions with Aymeric, about what, she didn't know. But knowing him, it could very well be about Ishgard's future inside the Eorzean Alliance.
Estinien, like so many times before, stood apart from the rest, arms crossed in front of his chest and lips curled into a frown.
Meanwhile Y'shtola was standing near the airship, watching in amusement as Biggs and Wedge started one of their usual arguments.
Passing by the others, S'eni walked over to the other Miqo'te, making her turn towards her. Silvery white eyes landed on the shield that was slung over her shoulder, but she did not comment on it and instead asked, "Said your farewells?"
"Mmh." she nodded and turned towards the Enterprise.
Not much longer.
"It's strange..." Y'shtola said, returning her gaze back to the airship as well. "Up until recently Ishgard has kept its gates firmly shut to outsiders, and now they are finally reaching out to the other city-states. And it's all thanks to you. You are truly a beacon of hope for all of us."
"Spare us the hyperbole," another voice cut in before she could reply. "People like us don't fight for praise."
"Estinien," S'eni said in greeting and turned around to look at the Dragoon, his armor still stained a deep crimson from when he had struck down Nidhogg.
"Hm? Aren't you allowed to thank your savior?" Y'shtola asked, placing her hands on her hips, a smirk dancing across her lips.
Estinien snorted. "It's too early for any show of gratitude. Before us lies a battle that will end a war lasting a thousand years."
They stared at one another and even through the helmet, S'eni could feel the intensity of his gaze.
"At Azys Lla, I will put an end to everything," he finally said.
A frown formed on the other Miqo'te's face. "I want to neither doubt your resolve, nor the severity of the situation. But you have to be careful-that eye harbors a power fuelled by the insatiable hatred of the dragon it belonged to."
"Save your concerns," he said dismissively. "I will consume the Eye before I let it consume me."
Having said what he apparently wanted to say, the Dragoon left.
"What a charming fellow," Y'shtola commented as they watched him leave.
"You'll get used to it. Eventually," S'eni replied. "But if I ever become like him, I don't know, just throw me off a cliff or something, please."
Her friend hummed. "Duly noted."
A familiar hooded figure entered her field of view, passing by Estinien and walking towards them in hurried steps. Urianger.
What's he doing here?
"How fortunate, thou hast not yet set forth," he exclaimed, stopping in front of her.
"Urianger, what brings you all the way here?" she voiced her thoughts.
"'Cross sand and snow have I journeyed, that I might deliver this gift unto thee." Reaching into the bag at his side, he produced—
"White auracite..." Y'shtola said, a look of surprise on her face. "Where did you find it?"
"It lay amongst Moenbryda's last effects. 'Twas by pure chance that I hap to spy it. Let no man claim that my dear friend ever erred for lack of foresight..." holding the auracite out for her to grasp, he looked away, his expression darkening. "In the place whither thou goest, servants of Darkness lie in wait. I beseech thee, strike them down and avenge her."
For a moment, S'eni didn't know what to say. This was so unlike Urianger, who was usually so composed that she thought nothing could phase him, but now she could feel the anger resonating from deep within him.
Taking hold of the auracite, she stepped forward and placed her other hand on his arm, seeking his eyes beneath his red tinted goggles.
"I promise," she said before stepping back and placing it inside her own bag.
He didn't reply in words, but instead bowed respectfully.
"Hey, everyone!" Cid's voice called out, making them all turn towards him. The smirk on his face could only mean one thing...
It was time.
The wind blew through her blonde hair as the newly dubbed Enterprise Excelsior cut through the sky at top speed. After the final preparations had been completed, they had wasted no time to get on board and, after receiving a final farewell from all their friends, left Ishgard in the direction of the Sea of Clouds towards Azys Lla.
After watching the floating isles pass by them for a while, S'eni walked over to the ship's stern, giving Biggs and Wedge a friendly smile as she passed by them, and sat down.
She took the shield still slung over her shoulder and placed it next to her, then closed her eyes and rested her head against the wall behind her.
Minutes passed in which she simply listened to the wind, letting it assist her in reaching that meditative state that she had been taught. Bit by bit she felt the chakras inside her open up, light and shadow alike, until they were in perfect harmony and a wave of tranquillity swept through her very being.
And for just one moment, right here, right now, she was filled with absolute peace.
She knew that it wouldn't last, that once she opened her eyes again, the burden, albeit lighter, would return once more. But it helped her carry it until her duty was done.
After drifting across the sea of calm for a little while longer, S'eni exhaled deeply, returning to the immediate present. Slowly opening her eyes, she was greeted by the all too familiar sight of Y'shtola.
What was unusual though, was the way she looked at her, eyes slightly widened and lips subtly parted in a way that still betrayed surprise.
"Yes?" S'eni asked, tilting her head a little, a small smile forming on her lips.
Releasing a shallow little breath, the other Miqo'te's expression returned to normal and she replied, "Your aether..."
"What about it?"
"The way you controlled it. I have never seen anything like this before."
"I'm a Monk. We channel our aether through the chakras in our body, remember?"
"Yes, but to actually see it is simply fascinating."
"Oh? Does that mean I'll be your next research project?" she asked teasingly as her friend sat down next to her. "I can direct you to a researcher that specialises in chakra."
"Well, if you're offering, I suppose I can put you on my list of projects," Y'shtola replied lightly. "After present discoveries and the one in the Hinterlands of course."
"Pity, and here I thought our friendship would mean more than that. I guess I was wrong," S'eni said with a mock sigh, before releasing a chuckle. "But seriously, if you have any questions, feel free to ask."
Y'shtola nodded. "I will."
Silvery white eyes turned slightly, looking past her at the object resting next to her. "I take it that was Lord Haurchefant's?"
Glancing over to the shield as well, S'eni took it and placed it on her lap. She put a hand on the unicorn emblem of House Fortemps and nodded. "Yeah."
The other woman didn't say anything, choosing to instead wait for her to continue.
For a second, the face of a certain blond knight flashed in her mind. "I'm going to kill him," S'eni said eventually, running her fingers across the broken edges of the hole that Zephirin's attack had left behind in it. "Him and all the others."
"They're primals now. They cannot be allowed to roam free," Y'shtola said in a matter of fact tone. "But this goes beyond that. It's personal."
Y'shtola's gaze came to rest on her once more. "Just don't let it consume you."
Releasing a deep breath, S'eni put the shield away. "Yes, I know. And I won't. Promise."
"Good. I would loathe having to throw you off a cliff so soon."
That brought a smile back on S'eni lips. "Thank you. That means a lot."
Y'shtola mirrored her expression. "You're most welcome."
They shared a little laugh, before turning to look forward. Her eyes landed on Estinien, standing at the starboard, looking more tense than usual.
"He's lived for revenge for so long...Do you think he'll find a measure of peace after all this is over?" S'eni asked.
"I don't know. That is something only he can find out for himself."
"Mmh. I guess you're right."
"I'm more worried about the Eye. I fear it might have been a mistake to use it to fuel the ram. Estinien is underestimating it," Y'shtola said. "He didn't see what I did, how much it seethes with hatred."
"Then we have to be careful in his stead."
S'eni's eyes shifted away from the Dragoon towards the sky. "We're closing in."
"How do you know?"
"The clouds," she replied, rising to her feet, watching as the clouds started to slowly shift from their natural white and grey into the strange green that seemed to envelope all of Azys Lla.
"Now that you mention it, the aether in the air is changing too." Getting back to her feet, Y'shtola joined her as she walked up to Cid at the helm.
S'eni looked out into the distance, but could see nothing other than clouds as far as the eye could see. Yet not far from them, Azys Lla was waiting.
A vision of reddish brown hair and mismatched eyes entered her mind. A friend who had once told her about this ancient, floating island over a drink; who had not hesitated to sacrifice himself for a greater cause.
Then, from one moment to the next, something appeared in the distance, standing out like a sore thumb in this sea of clouds. It looked almost tiny from a distance, but the closer they got more and more did it reveal itself to be an unnatural monstrosity of floating mass, created by a seemingly all powerful empire that now laid in ruins, yet still managed to threaten the people of this world long after its death throes.
I hope you don't mind us going on ahead, G'raha.
Turning her head to look at Cid, she shared a silent nod with the engineer before stepping back again.
This would end today.