To Live and to Hope

With quickening pace, you hear the battle grow faint in the distance, your eyes looking ahead. Towards Palaka's Stand. Yet as you made your way through the jungle, beating down beast after beast after beast, you already knew what was waiting for you. For every fiend you struck down, another innocent soul was lost.

But you press on, for that faint hope that not all was lost just yet...

By the Twelve... S'eni thought as let her eyes wander across what she assumed must have once been a prosperous village full of life. Now all that greeted them were empty houses and bodies strewn over the place. Some, she could tell, were still alive. Others...were not so lucky.

"Quick, we must heal those we can!" Alisaie said hurriedly. "I don't see any beasts, but stay on your guard."

They nodded and began to fan out.

Looking around the area, her ears soon perked up at the sound of a whimper coming from behind a nearby haystack. A Hyuran man was lying behind it, face half buried in the dirt and muttering to himself. Even as she rolled him over to check his injuries, he barely seemed to register her.

"Even if I wake up...the nightmare continues...No...leave me...to sleep..." he trailed off, his eyes growing vacant.

"Hey!" she grabbed his shoulder and shook it. "Stay with me!"

But he didn't respond, simply staring up at the fiery sky until there was nothing left in his gaze. Exhaling through her nose, she removed her hand from his shoulder and moved it to close his eyes instead. After a brief prayer, she rose back to her feet to continue her search.

Not far away, she found another villager, an Au Ra, cowering behind a building. He released a startled yelp when she addressed him, and tried to make himself smaller. When he realized that he wasn't being attacked by a monster, he slowly raised his head to look at her.

"Have you...have you come to...help us?" he asked, his eyes wide.

"Yes, together with my friends," she replied and knelt down next to him. "Are you hurt?"

"Too late...too late..." his shoulders began to shake and he covered his face with his hands as he sobbed. "My family...my friends..."

S'eni could do little else but remain by his side while he cried, silently comforting him. Thankfully there were no signs of any black mist around him, so he was still holding on. After a few minutes, he lowered his hands once more and looked at her, eyes reddened by his tears. He nodded.

"I...I am fine, thank you..." he said and released a shaky breath. "Please...save the others..."

"We'll do all we can. Stay here for now, we'll come pick you up once we're sure it's safe," she told him and went about looking for any more survivors. Sadly, all she found were two bodies, covered in grievous wounds and already stiffening, so she began searching for her companions instead. She found Alphinaud standing next to another villager whom he just finished healing.

"S'eni," he greeted her. "Have you found any survivors?"

"Only one. I told him to stay hidden for now." Her face darkened. "There was nothing I could do for the other three."

"I see..." the young Elezen sighed and looked about. A few more people were around not, either wounded or severely shaken up. But they were alive, at least. Not too far from them, Alisaie was tending to another survivor. "I can only hope the other villagers managed to flee. But if the rest have been turned into beasts...By the Twelve..."

"Yeah..."

"In any case, we must do what we can to stop the damage from spreading further. And no matter what comes, we must keep our spirits high...else we suffer a similar fate," he said, walking over to another villager and beginning to heal her. "I can tend to the rest here. Could you please look after Matsya? I feel all of this weighs even heavier on his heart than our."

"Of course."

"Thank you. Last I saw, he went that way. And S'eni—" his eyes found hers. "Stay with him. Unlike us, he isn't as accustomed to seeing such horrors."

S'eni just silently nodded, not needing to be told anything more, and walked away to look for their new friend. She located him on the other side of the village, talking with an elderly man. When he noticed her approach, the Arkasodara turned towards her, practically radiating relief.

"Oh, S'eni! S'eni!" he said. "This is Yeruvvet, the village elder. He is hurt, but─praise be to the Sisters─he still lives!"

"Matsya here told me everything," the old man said and bowed his head as best he could. "I have no words to express my gratitude."

"Can you tell me what happened?" She asked him.

"When the heavens began to burn, we were afraid, but did our best to carry on as we always would. Until today, when those unholy beasts came pouring into our village. There are no words to describe what followed. Men and women I've known since they were but babes were struck down, only to rise again as monsters that would attack friends and family."

Yeruvvet closed his eyes with a heavy sigh, the exhaustion, bodily and emotionally, making him appear even older than he already was. Yet, despite it all, he was still standing as firm as his wounds let him. "Do you know if any of the villagers managed to escape?" she asked.

"Yes. A handful of them fled for their lives. I can only hope they managed to get to safety..." as if only realizing something now, his eyes snapped open again, and he let them come to rest upon Matsya. "Do you remember Qerasaf and Mehvan? The young couple who always bought your freshest catches..."

The Arkasodara nodded. "How could I forget, Elder? They showed me such kindness when I first came to peddle my wares. While others shunned me for being an outsider, Qerasaf and Mehvan bought my fish and sang its praises. They turned my fortunes around!"

"I fear they are in terrible danger. I saw them running towards Agama Temple, one of those beasts in close pursuit," the elder explained. "They had their newborn daughter with them. Trying to avoid the fiends like that is impossible. Please, I beg of you. Go to their aid..."

"I..." Matsya hesitated for a brief moment. "I want to help them, but I'm just a fisherman..."

"We'll go together," S'eni assured him before he could say anymore.

"Oh, thank you! Agama Temple lies to the west of here. We must hurry."

She nodded, then looked at Yeruvvet. "My friends will take care of your wounds. Leave the rest to us."

And with that, the two of them were off. For a mercy, there seemed to be no creatures waiting to ambush them on their way, though that fact came with its own worries as well. After all, it meant that their foes were otherwise preoccupied. The thought made her steps quicken further. They emerged from within the woods and Matsya pointed up ahead towards a structure that had clearly seen better days, but was still very noticeably a temple.

"There it is!" he said. "This temple was built by those who worship Saint Agama, but it has fallen into disrepair in recent years. Still, if my friends have made it this far, they are surely hiding amidst the ruins."

"Let's look around the—" a sudden shout echoed towards them, followed by a painful scream.

"T-That sounded like Qerasaf! Oh no..."

"It came from up ahead. Matsya, stay here while I go check," she told him.

"Y-Yes!"

Wasting no time, she hurried in the direction from where the voice came from. As she climbed up a nearby hill, she spotted three of these apocalyptic creatures, hideous amalgamations of maw and claws on spidery legs, surrounding the lying form of a man. Diving down the hill, she bridged the gap within the blink of an eye and slammed her fist into the side of one of these creatures. It howled out, stumbling a bit to the side, before catching itself and turning towards her.

Its nightmarish maw opened and closed, the echo of the person this thing used to be saying, "Why...why..."

The other two released a loud scream and immediately came charging towards her. Dodging their attacks, she drew them away from the man and began to strike back, answering fang and claw with fists and feet until their bodies were lying on the ground, dissolving into the very mist that spawned them. She looked about the area for a moment to see if the fighting had drawn out more of them, then, after making sure that there weren't any, went over to check on the body. But the grievous wounds covering his body were painting an all too grim picture.

"I'm sorry, S'eni. I tried staying behind but I couldn't—no, it cannot be!" Within seconds, Matsya was at her side, kneeling down on the ground. She just silently shook her head.

All the more was she surprised when Qerasaf began to stir. "Is someone...anyone..." he managed to say. "My arms...so heavy...my legs...I cannot feel them..."

He coughed violently, staining his paling lips a deep red.

"My wife...fled with our daughter...I need to find them...need to be with them...need..."

Black mist began to surround his broken body.

"Qerasaf! No, Qerasaf─you must stay strong!" Matsya begged his friend.

"More time... I thought I had..." Tears began to trickle down his cheeks. "...I...I don't want to die..."

Even if he transformed now, S'eni very much doubted the resulting creature any threat, dying as he was. But...she just couldn't let this man's soul be lost forever. So she reached out a hand to dry his tears. "We'll find them," she gently promised. "You can rest now..."

The mist dissipated, leaving only Qerasaf. His lips curled up into a weak smile. "Thank you..."

With that, what little strength he had left faded, and he slipped away. He was gone. Next to her, Matsya could do nothing but stare at the lifeless body of his friend, and she reached out to place a comforting hand on top of his huge arm. The touch caused him to jump at first, but he swiftly relaxed and, once he was ready, rose back to his feet.

"Mevhan is still alive. And she has their child," he said. "We must search the jungle between here and Palaka's Stand. There is nowhere else she could have gone. I think..."

"Then we do that," she said somberly and got back up as well.

Matsya nodded and made to turn around, but stopped to look at his fallen friend for a few more seconds. "Forgive me, Qerasaf...Once we have saved your wife and child, we will return and lay you to rest..."

As they began to leave, she, too, glanced at the young man one last time. He had remained himself until the very end, ensuring that his soul would find rest in the Aetherial Sea. It was of little solace, but she would take what comfort she could get.

Alas, their search turned up nothing. Even as the twins joined them in their effort, and they extended it to the south, to a temple called Purusa, they didn't find her, nor her baby, amongst the villagers holed up there. To make matters worse, the beasts were already attacking the place when they arrived, so they had to fight them off as well.

After taking care of the fiends, they gathered the villagers outside the temple to treat those that were injured. Their mood was understandably grim, many having lost family and friends to these beasts, and with how the conversation was going, there would soon be more transformations if they didn't act fast. It was then that Matsya spoke up.

"My friends! This...this is a place of worship!" he said. "Should your hearts be beset by sadness, look to the sky and remember. Remember the old gods. Did they not implore us to stand fast when waves of sorrow break against our shores?"

A brief silence followed his words, as some of the villagers looked at one another. It was finally broken by an Au Ra woman, who had remained the most resolute so far. "Know this, my children. There is more ugliness than beauty in this world. To live is to suffer. To drink of calamity and drown in anguish. To toil and be tested, always and ever."

"'Tis a perilous path. Death lurks in the dark, and is the sole promise that awaits at journey's end," an elderly man continued. "You will tremble with terror. You will weep tears of anger and despair..."

Next was a despondent young man..."...But do not avert your eyes. See your life for what it is. Then you will see how the hardships make you strong."

...and a young woman whose tears were still freely running down her cheeks. "Every doubt reforged as scales for your armor. Every agony to temper your blade..."

S'eni watched as slowly, but surely, the people of Palaka began to regain their spirits, and she shared a little smile with the twins. Good job, Matsya.

"Thank you. We'd almost forgotten who we are," the elderly man said to the Arkasodara, before turning his attention towards the three of them. "My undying gratitude to you as well, my friends. You were searching for Mevhan, no? We can return to the village on our own, please find her and her child."

"We shall," Alphinaud promised. "We dispatched what beasts we could, but the roads are still dangerous. Stay together and be on your guard."

They watched the villagers leave, keeping an eye out for any beasts they might have missed until the group was fully out of sight. Once they were, they walked over to Matsya.

"That was very impressive," Alisaie said. "The words seemed to resonate with them."

"They should. They were the first spoken unto our ancestors by the divinity of legend," Matsya explained. "I get upset very easily, and am likely to flee from a trembling hand. So I recite the teachings, over and over, to calm myself."

"They're lovely and inspiring to hear. Even if they don't sugarcoat anything." The young woman smiled wryly.

"But they are true. Life is filled with as much bad as good—more, many would claim. They are a reminder to appreciate the good while we can."

"I won't argue that," Alphinaud said.

Appreciate the good, S'eni thought, and her mind flashed back to the words Hydaelyn had told her in Labyrinthos.

"In darkness, seek joy. Surrender not to sadness, and see beyond despair. Walk free and bear the light for others to follow." How strangely similar. And with what they had learned about the Final Days, they were ringing more than true. Moving almost of its own volition, her hand crept towards the Elpis flower in one of her pouches, when her ears suddenly perked up from a nearby roar. Turning her head, she saw one of the taller, bidepal beasts vanish behind a rock.

"Did you see that!?" Alisaie pointed in its direction. "It was chasing someone!"

"Hm. Let's not waste any time," S'eni said.

"Go with Matsya and search along the river. Alphinaud and I will circle around south!"

Nodding, she exchanged a look with the Arkasodara, and was off with him. As they followed along the river, she gazed into the distance but couldn't find any trace of the creature or its quarry. "Matsya, where does this river lead?" she asked.

"The Font of Maya. An old temple that was once used by ascetics, but has long since been abandoned."

"Do you think they could be hiding there?"

A hesitant nod. "Yes."

"Then let's go there!"

Soon after, they arrived at the temple, its ruins half submerged in rainwater that formed a large pool at the center of it. S'eni immediately began to cast her gaze across the area, trying to locate the creature and its quarry. It didn't take long.

"Over there!" she said and pointed across the pond towards a woman, slowly backing away from the approaching creature. In her arms, she held a small bundle.

"That...That is Mehvan! No doubt about it!"

"Shit, we're too far away!"

They could do nothing but watch as Mevhan was further backed against the edge. Out of sheer desperation, she picked up a rock and threw it at the creature. The only thing it did was enrage it further. Just as it looked like the creature was going in for the kill, four Nouliths came shooting out of a nearby thicket, knocking it to the side with concentrated beams of aether. Alisaie was next to follow, moving in to strike the beast with her rapier, but was blown away by a sudden swipe from its arm.

Sensing an opportunity, Mevhan made a run for it, but the creature was once again hot on her heels. As it closed in, it reached out a clawed hand, grabbed her roughly by the head—

"No! Mevhan!"

—and tossed her into the water. Without any hesitation, S'eni dove right in after her. Frantically looking around, she found Mevhan floating in the center, and swam over as fast as she could. But as soon as she had closed in on the woman, she knew that any help would be coming too late. Her neck was twisted in an odd angle and her lifeless eyes were staring into nothing. She must have been dead instantly. But...where was the baby?

After a few agonizing seconds, she found it further down on the ground. Taking the bundle into her arms, she held the little infant girl close and swam back to the surface. I've got you, little one. I've got you.

Once back on land, she brushed some of the blanket wrapped around the baby to take a better look and exhaled in relief when she saw the girl breathing. But who knew for how long. Biting her lip, S'eni pulled her back close again, silently begging her for forgiveness for not being fast enough, then hurried over to the twins, who had gotten rid of the monster and met up with Matsya. Upon spotting her, the three rushed over to her. Alphinaud's eyes landed on the baby. "Quick, let me see her!"

"What about Mevhan?" Alisaie asked, taking hold of the baby while her brother began to cast a healing spell.

S'eni averted her eyes. "Gone..."

"Oh no..." Matsya said, his gaze going to the ground. The group fell silent, watching with tense shoulders while Alphinaud tried his best to help the little girl. After what felt like an eternity, a small noise emerged from the bundle. But what little relief that offered was instantly brought down by Alisaie's next words.

"This isn't good, she's all cold!"

Alphinaud lowered his hand, frowning. "We must return to the village at once. She needs warmth." A series of growls made them all turn their heads to see another group of monsters coming their way. "Of course this has to happen now!"

"Matsya, take the child," Alisaie said and held the baby out towards the Arkasodara, who carefully took them into his large hands.

"Looks like our battle must have drawn out the beasts roaming the area. Then this can only be the vanguard." Raising his arms, the Nouliths on his back rose back into the air. "Time is running out...Matsya can you make it to the village with the child?"

"M-Me...Alone!? I mean, somehow, I'm sure. But..."

"We'll take care of the beasts and make sure none will follow you!" Alisaie said. "But for that we need you and all of your courage. Take her to safety!"

Closing his eyes, Matsya took a few shaky breaths, then nodded. "I-I...can do it!"

The young woman smiled, before turning towards the beasts and taking her rapier. "I know you can. We'll keep them busy. Go, Matsya, now!"

With a final nod, Matsya turned around and hurried away. As the twins moved to intercept the beasts, S'eni briefly closed her eyes, mind wandering back to Ahewann's last wish. To save Radz-at-Han. Her mind was immediately assaulted by images of Mevhan and Qerasaf, their bodies battered and broken, their young, happy lives snuffed out like the flickering flame of a candle. And not only theirs, countless others as well.

Her hands balled into fists, nails digging deep into the fabric covering her palms. Not a single one more. Eyes shooting open, filled with burning anger, S'eni raised her arms and rushed at the beasts.

No one else would die on her watch today!