A Good Deed

Ah, Quintus. Ever dependable and loyal to a fault, I had known from the very beginning that he would serve Garlemald well. And now this proud man was hunkered down in a train that had long since stopped working, licking his wounds and waiting...

...waiting for allies to arrive so that they could reclaim their once glorious city from the enemy. But would it truly be enough? Or was this but the last flicker of a flame called hope?

We shall soon find out.

Just make sure not to freeze entirely stiff before that.

A misty cloud made its way past S'eni's lips in a silent sigh as they marched through the streets, her eyes taking in the sight of destroyed buildings and Magitek all around them. Once before, this area must have been filled with people going about their daily lives. Now it was but an empty husk, littered with the evidence of the battle that had taken place here.

She tore her eyes away from this solemn sight and turned her attention towards Jullus instead. After having been given the run of the station, the twins and she had tried to get a better idea of the situation at Tertium. Emphasis being on tried since many of the people there hadn't been inclined to talk with them, or were outright hostile towards her in particular. Still, she had managed to speak to some of them, and that was more than enough to paint a picture.

"You should look to the others who can still fight. Give them my ration..." one particular soldier had said, his sickness having already taken a toll on his eyesight or she doubted he would have been so open about it. "If me going hungry means someone else lives to see another day, so be it. At least I can still serve in that way..."

They were pretty much lacking everything. The three of them had approached Jullus about it, but when he went to plead their offer of having the contingent send over some of their supplies to Legatus Quintus, he was soundly rebuffed and instead sent out to find some Ceruleum. And since he was their warden, they were right along for the party.

Soon enough, they arrived at their first destination, a park not too far away from Tertium itself. It must have been quite nice once, before it had become a graveyard for war machines. "So this is the place," Alisaie said while looking about. "...I'm surprised they found the space for it between all these buildings."

"Actually, the recreational areas came first and the houses were built around it later," Jullus explained. "'A healthy society requires communal spaces for children to play, and adults to socialize,' Emperor Solus once said. This park has been named Forum Solius in his honor."

S'eni shared a look with the young woman. It felt so strange hearing these people talk about the late Emperor while knowing just who exactly he was. She could practically envision Emet-Selch rolling his eyes after returning from the unveiling ceremony.

"So are we to extract the Ceruleum from the wrecked Magitek Armor?" Alphinaud asked.

The young officer shook his head. "We've already drained them dry. Same with the others in the vicinity. But since our Ceruleum was stolen, we must scour the city for every last drop. And while I don't expect to find anything here, I've decided to try one more time, in case something has been overlooked."

"I see. Then with your permission, we shall begin."

They split up and began searching the area, but it quickly became apparent that Jullus was right, and that there was no Ceruleum to be found. S'eni even double-checked some of the Magitek Armors just to be absolutely sure. Not a single drop left. On her back to him though, she stumbled across what looked like a stall, though much smaller in size than one would expect.

For children to play at being a merchant, she thought and closed her eyes, trying to dispel the thoughts about what could have happened to them. They had work to do. Opening them once again, she resumed her walk, her gaze going over to Jullus who seemed to be quite transfixed with the pond. He didn't even seem to notice her as she stepped up to him.

"Jullus?" she asked and touched his shoulder, causing him to jump a little and whirl towards her.

"O-Oh, it's you. Any luck?"

"No. Just like you said, no Ceruleum left."

"We did not find any either," Alphinaud said while he and his sister walked over.

"Hmm..." Jullus rubbed his chin with a little nod. "Not surprising, but still disappointing.'

"Is everything alright?" Alisaie asked, brows furrowing. "I noticed you staring at the pond."

"What? Yes─ I mean, no, I'm..." he sighed and rubbed his hand over his face, before turning to look at the pond. "It's just...I used to bring my brother and sister here to play. The pond was heated to stop it from freezing over, so like all the other children, they just had to wade in and splash about. Would've stayed there if I didn't drag them out. We'd be sopping wet when all was said and done. Every time. And when we got home, Mother would scold us, saying we'd catch our deaths."

S'eni watched something akin to a fond smile form on the young man's face, but it didn't last even a few seconds and was replaced by a forlorn look in his eyes.

"The pond was heated, you say..." Alphinaud followed the Garlean's eyes. "By a Ceruleum-powered heater, perhaps?"

"I suppose so..." Jullus replied. "Come to think of it, though, I remember seeing engineers changing out a tank beneath a hatch...But that was a long time ago when the water wasn't this brackish muck. Can't see a thing and I don't remember where the hatch was located. The filth is most likely the only reason it hasn't frozen over in the first place. Probably still unbearably cold, though."

A look formed on Alisaie's face then, the very same she always had when coming up with a rather reckless idea. "Jullus, what are your thoughts on magic?"

"The average Garlean would probably jump out of their skin, but the Ist Legion has a few foreign Signiferi and Medici, so it doesn't scare me. Why?"

The Elezen smiled. "Then you won't mind if I use some," she said and looked at her brother. "Why don't you make use of your wood-gathering skills? Once you're done, a quick Verfire should do the trick."

"Leave it to me!" Alphinaud said and immediately began searching the area.

"Wait wait, you're not planning to go in there, are you?" Jullus asked, his eyes widening.

"Of course I am. The tank isn't going to fetch itself."

"But that's...insane!"

Alisaie just shrugged and looked towards S'eni. "Fancy a dip?"

"You know, the last thing we can use right now is you catching a cold," she pointed out.

"Well then you better help me out here if you're so concerned with my health," Alisaie said with a wink and headed towards the pond.

I'm going to regret this... S'eni thought to herself and began following her friend.

And she did, immediately after stepping right into the water. Tail standing on end the entire time, she waded through the mucky water in search of the hatch, every minute without luck only making things worse as her damp clothes made it easier for the icy wind to chill her. But then, finally, she managed to find the godsdamned hatch and the Ceruleum tank within.

I hope this was worth it, she thought as they practically hightailed it out of the water, grimacing when she noticed the rancid smell coming from her clothes. Something Jullus too seemed to take notice of from the way his nose scrunched up.

"Tell me you've found something..." she handed him the container. He took a good look at it and smiled. "That's it! And there's still some Ceruleum left! Ah, the fire's still not ready... Hold on, I'll give Alphinaud a hand!"

As she watched the young officer rush off, S'eni audibly exhaled through her nose and began applying her 'drying spell'.

"U-U-Unfair," she heard Alisaie mutter.

"No one to blame here but yourself. I'm sure your mother would agree," she shot back.

When the two young men finally returned, Alisaie all but pounced the wood, casting one of the fastest Verfire she had ever seen before plopping down right next to it. With a chuckle, she joined her friend at the fire together with Alphinaud and Jullus. After a while, Alisaie stopped shivering and a smile formed on her lips.

"Ah, much better, and my clothes are mostly dried too," Alisaie said.

"I appreciate you recovering the Ceruleum, but I wish you'd discussed the plan with me beforehand," Jullus said. "Despite how you've been treated, you're still envoys deserving protection. Lord Quintus would've been quite displeased if you died on my watch."

"Duly noted." Alisaie leaned back and closed her eyes with a satisfied sigh. "But all's well that ends well."

Alphinaud chuckled and looked at Jullus. "You mentioned coming here with your younger siblings. Did you grow up in Garlemald?"

"I did. Not far from here. My father was an accomplished researcher, and was awarded an estate for his contributions to the Empire. We lived well. Better than many, I now realize."

Cracking an eye open, Alisaie asked. "What was Garlemald like back then?"

Jullus didn't answer immediately, but when he did it was with that same look from earlier in his eyes.

"...Everything. It was everything you could imagine...and so much more. Even during the coldest winters, we always found warmth and comfort at home. Coming in from the snow, taking off your coat, and sitting down for a hot meal...with family. Visiting friends and relatives, receiving that same welcome. Knowing they had everything they needed. Walking down the street, seeing the lights in all the houses, hearing the faint sounds of laughter and song. Of happiness..." a wistful sigh escaped him and he turned his eyes towards the clouds. "And while the summers were only all too brief, the ice would melt in those short days and bring forth the green grass hidden underneath. Grey clouds gave way to blue skies. On those mornings, we'd climb to the top of the tallest building to watch the sunrise..."

He fell silent, not saying anything for a few moments, yet none of them dared interrupt him either. Eventually, he tore his eyes away from the clouds and instead looked down to the canister of Ceruleum in his hands, which he had begun to clutch like a babe. "...But not anymore. Those rooftops are now nothing but rubble...those friends long since dead, and those memories...If I could just reclaim a fraction of what we once had..." He shook his head. "Soon, our chance will come. We just need to hold on a little longer..."

S'eni watched him clutch the Ceruleum even tighter, his gaze going to the fire, but in truth was already far away. Beyond these icy planes, she was sure, where the much-awaited reinforcements of the Xth Legion were amassing with the provincial legions to join them and reclaim their capital. Jullus had told them about it during a quiet moment in Tertium, and most of the soldiers seemed to be convinced of the plan as well.

Taking some of the spare wood, S'eni tossed it into the flames. She...wasn't as convinced.

Once Alisaie was sufficiently dry again, they headed to another location littered with abandoned war machines. Because of their damaged state, retrieving any Ceruleum that might be inside of them proved too difficult, so to that end they were to deploy low-yielding explosives on them. Not long after Jullus handed them out, a series of explosions filled the otherwise silent streets, but on her end, there seemed to be none to be found. Only empty tanks.

Until, after actually having to get herself some more explosives from Jullus, she finally got lucky and managed to retrieve a tank that was still half full...or half empty if one were so inclined. With her spoils secured, she made her way back to the young officer, who was keeping an eye on Alisaie and Alphinaud in the distance. Upon noticing her, he turned around.

"Need more?" he asked, his hand already going to the bag on his hip, only to pause when he noticed what she was carrying. "...Wait. Is that what I think it is?"

"Sure is!" a grin split her face and she handed the tank to him.

"You've done it again! With this we should be able to refuel quite a few of our heaters!" looking over the tank, he nodded and tugged it underneath his arm. "It's time we head back. Wait here, I'll see how Alisaie and Alphinaud are faring."

And with that he was off, a noticeable amount of vigour in his step now. She watched him for a moment, chuckling to herself. Suddenly, a presence appeared behind her.

"Finally got rid of your guard dog, did you? And, how is it going?" Thancred's voice asked right next to her ear. G'raha's invisibility spell no doubt. She was just about to move her head when he interrupted her. "Don't look around. It'll only draw attention. Just listen for now."

She gave him a low hum to signal that she was listening.

"After you left the camp with your escort here, Lucia asked us to follow you at a distance. We observed you heading into the station. When you emerged some time later, I noticed the collars the twins were sporting and could already tell what must have happened," Thancred explained to her. "Now, as quietly as possible, tell me who is down there, and what do they want?"

"The Garleans holed up in the station are remnants of the Ist Legion, led by Quintus van Cinna," she said in a low voice.

"The Legatus himself. Interesting..."

"Hm. Their plan is apparently to join together with the Xth Legion and their provincial allies to storm the tower."

"I see...That might actually give us some wiggle room."

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"The contingent discovered something that might be of interest to our dear Legatus," he replied. "But for now, Alphinaud and Alisaie's safety is of the highest priority. Just do what you're being told."

"Alright..."

"Good luck. See you later." His presence was gone shortly after. Taking a deep breath, S'eni turned her eyes back towards Jullus and the twins, who seemed to be having a friendly chat. As they began making their way over to her, she forced herself to smile.

"Well, did you find anything?" she asked, receiving a shake of her head in return.

"We searched everywhere, but no luck," Alisaie said. "But if anyone was to find something, then it's you. As always."

"Quite disappointing...Soon there'll be nothing left to safely salvage," Jullus said. "In any case, that'll be enough for today. Let's return to Tertium."

Sharing a nod, they headed back to the station. As soon as they entered, one of Jullus' fellow soldiers approached them. "Welcome back. I heard you were sent out to search for Ceruleum," he said. "And? Did you find any?"

"A bit," Jullus replied. "But without their help it would've been far less."

The soldier seemed quite impressed at that. "I've heard a lot of rumors about these savages, but they actually look quite civilised to me." As soon as he said those words though, a glare from Alisaie made him recoil a bit. "A-Anyway. Every little bit helps to keep us warm. I honestly have no idea how we're supposed to last the night now that we've got these three to take care of as well."

Jullus must have realized that as well, as he lowered his gaze to the ground. But before he could say something about it, another voice joined in. "Have you found any Ceruleum?"

"Lord Quintus!" the young officer exclaimed and saluted his superior alongside his comrade.

"If you did, bring it over to the Magitek Armor."

"But weren't we supposed to heat the station with it?"

"The plans have changed." The Legatus' eyes shifted over to the rest of them, narrowing ever so slightly. "We have matters to discuss, but do not think we are letting you out of our sight. Stay here."

Turning around on his heel, Quintus walked back towards the train, followed by Jullus and the other soldier. And unable to do anything else, they waited. A sudden gust of wind from upstairs made her shiver, and she began to pace around a little to keep warm.

"I wonder what plans he means?" Alisaie asked, hugging her coat around herself as well.

"I do not know...But he clearly wishes to ready the Magitek armaments. The question is, if he plans on using them now or when he joined together with the Xth Legion," Alphinaud said and began looking about. Scattered throughout the station were civilians who had sought protection down here. Freezing and barely holding on. "...He needs to get his people out of the cold. Into a city, or perhaps warmer climates."

The question is how? S'eni wondered. A few powered Magitek units wouldn't get them far. Certainly not in another city. Her eyes widened. Unless—

Her thoughts were interrupted by Jullus' arrival. He was accompanied by three heavily armed soldiers, and the expression on his face was enough to confirm her suspicions.

Alisaie was the first to speak. "Well, what did you discuss?"

But all her question did was make the expression on Jullus' face grow darker. His tongue darted across his lips and he nodded, like he was trying to convince himself. "You and your brother will remain here as hostages, to force the contingent to deliver supplies and then retreat. Until then, you will be taken to a different place."

"What are you doing!?" Alisaie exclaimed as the soldiers began to flank them.

"Surely you must know our supplies are not that vast either," Alphinaud said. "You won't get far with them!"

Slowly, Jullus raised his arm. In his shaking hand, he held the remote for the collars around the twins' necks, thumb hovering over the button that would send a painful shock through them. He didn't want to press it, she could tell, but he would if they resisted. And right now, their safety came first.

"Alphinaud, Alisaie. Stand down," she told them. "Do what he says."

The twins looked at her, then at each other, and relaxed. A sigh escaped Jullus and he held the remote close to his chest, clearly relieved he didn't need to use it. "Take them away," he ordered his soldiers.

As S'eni watched the two of them being led away, she sent them a reassuring nod, before turning to look at the young officer.

"Alphinaud and Alisaie will be fine," he assured her. "...provided they don't resist."

"They won't," she said and crossed her arms in front of her chest. "So what's next?"

"You will accompany me back to your camp, where I will meet with your leader and present Lord Quintus' demands. But before that, there is something I would ask of you."

She gave him a curt nod. "Alright."

Not like she had much of a choice.

After leaving Tertium, Jullus had asked her to take a short detour to a place not far from their route. Neither of them said a word as they made their way through the streets, the tension between them so thick one could cut it with a knife, and she shot a few glances at him from out of the corner of her eyes. There was more to this entire plan that Quintus had hedged than he said. Why else had her go around and tell two of his fellow legionaries a thinly veiled code phrase?

But when she asked him about it, he deflected by saying that duties are never simple, so she left it at that. No use arguing the issue when they were holding hostages.

"This is it," Jullus said after some more time, and they came to a stop in front of a building. Or rather what remained of it. The walls had long since collapsed and fire had taken care of the rest, leaving only a little of what she assumed must have been a nice home. Walking forward, the young man reached out a hand and let it come to rest on the remains of the doorframe. "...I used to live here. With my family. I got spared because I was with Lord Quintus, but my parents had no radio to protect them. The morning after it happened, I ran here as quickly as possible. My parents and siblings were still here but...it was already too late. They attacked me and I had to..."

"Jullus..."

His other hand moved to the Gunblade resting on his hip, trailing his fingers over the hilt. "They had actually planned to leave the city that very morning. Had promised me they would get to safety until this bloody civil war was over. But then..." he shook his head and looked skyward instead. "The chain on the imperial banner symbolises the unbreakable bond between all citizens. The red link stands for those that had given their lives for our country, because they too were a part of Garlemald. Yet where does that leave their memory, when the Empire falls?"

Turning around, he looked at her. "Do your prayers give you an answer to that!?" She didn't answer, and he released a sigh. "I'm sorry. Let's go. We've wasted enough time here."

"Jullus." He paused, glancing at her questioningly. Walking closer, she stopped right next to him and looked at his former home. "I can't imagine what it must have felt like to lose your family like that, but I'm no stranger to loss. I saw many good people die in the past, some of which were my friends. They call me the Hero of Eorzea, Warrior of Light, Liberator, and tell tales of my accomplishments. But they seldom talk about those that paid the ultimate price."

She then turned her gaze towards him. "But I remember them. Every single one of them. And their memories are right here—" She tapped the spot right above her heart. "—with me. So I will never forget that they once lived."

Jullus just stared at her, at a complete loss for words. She nodded into the direction of Camp Broken Glass. "Come. We've got the Legatus' demands to deliver."

Leaving the ruins behind, they travelled along the same route they had previously taken to reach Tertium and, for a mercy, managed to avoid any encounters with tempered imperials on the way. After reaching the camp, they called together Lucia, Maxima and the other leaders of the contingent so that Jullus could relay the demands.

"All of our supplies and an immediate withdrawal?" Lucia asked once he was done. "Those are quite tremendous demands."

"Those are our conditions. You are also to leave an airship, so that the hostages can be returned afterwards. The collars will be removed, of course."

Lucia narrowed her eyes.

A sudden chime went through the air, followed by Maxima's hand rising to his ear. "Yes...? Understood," he said and looked at Lucia. "The scouts found Alisaie and Alphinaud, and managed to remove their collars. No casualties to report. They put the guards to sleep."

Surprised by this sudden turn of events, Jullus took a step back. Now it was Lucia's turn to talk.

"Looks like the tide has turned," she said. "So I suggest we begin our negotiations anew. We are in the possession of information that is of great interest to Lord Quintus."

The young officer lowered his head. "It doesn't matter. We have our orders in case the negotiations fall through."

All of a sudden, S'eni felt her ears perk up at the telltale sound of approaching Magitek, and she whirled around to see a group of soldiers flanked by two Magitek Reapers rushing towards camp. "Oh shit!" she cursed and threw herself to the ground just in time to avoid a salvo of gunfire.

Chaos broke out immediately, as another troop appeared from practically out of nowhere and everyone went on the defense to repel the attackers. Only Jullus stood calmly where he was. Slowly, his hand moved to his weapon.

"We, the Ist Imperial Legion, loyal servants of the Garlean Empire...swear to protect our lands—" he drew his Gunblade. "—until our comrades return, even if it costs us our lives!"

He dashed towards Lucia.

"Enough!" A-Ruhn-Senna's voice echoed through the air, before a magical torrent rushed through the entire camp and brought the battle to an abrupt halt. He glared at everyone through his bangs. "Who decided to make this imbecile their envoy?"

Removing the hand from her blade, Lucia exhaled deeply and turned towards Jullus.

"We received word from the Grand Company of Eorzea that envoys of the Xth Legion arrived in Ala Mhigo. It seems their efforts to gather the IVth, Vth, VIIIth and XIIth Legion have ended in failure," Lucia explained. "The legions barely talk to one another, and with most of their soldiers having deserted, the Xth Legion is no longer operational. That is why their leadership decided to seek out Eorzea for aid."

"Liar!" Jullus shouted back. "That's nothing but lies!"

"It's the truth. And there is more. The Xth Legion has asked us to deliver a message to Legatus Quintus: the iyl are to fall back."

Clearly not expecting those words, the young officer's hand went to his ear. "Did you hear that Lord Quintus?" he asked. "What are your orders?"

S'eni rose back to her feet and watched as Jullus' eyes grew wide. With every second that passed, the grip on his weapon loosened until it dropped on the ground. Removing his shaking hand from his ear, he faced his troops...and told them to stand down.

It was over.