The fight on the bridge was not going well. That much they could all see as Hraesvelgr sped towards it. The broken bodies of men and dragons alike littered the bridge, and as they watched, they could see some hapless souls being picked up and tossed off to their deaths. But the atmosphere of the battle palpably changed as Hraesvelgr and his brood set down on the bridge. Alphinaud and Aymeric hopped off their mounts with ease, while Ernastral, Cress, and Lenar had a bit further to go to get off of Hraesvelgr's back. Ernastral dismounted first, and offered the other two some help in getting down.
"You're late, Warriors of Light!" Artoirel called out, a teasing note to his voice. Erna flashed him the biggest, cheekiest grin she could muster.
"Sorry for the holdup!" she said. "Had to sort out a few things with the reinforcements first. You know how it goes."
Nidhogg swooped in and landed on the bridge a short distance away from Hraesvelgr, staring him down and barely paying any heed to the mortals fleeing from him, nor the handful of mortals making their way towards him.
Even above the din of the fight, Lenar could hear Ernastral and Cress following behind him as he approached Nidhogg. His heart hammered in his chest, though whether it was from fear or simple adrenalin he honestly couldn't tell. Still, he held his hands over his chest in a vain attempt to calm himself. But Nidhogg barely paid the trio any mind, all of his attention focused on Hraesvelgr as they exchanged a few words. It didn't take long for what little civility between them to disappear, before the two dragons leapt to the attack.
The fight between the Great Wyrm Nidhogg and his brood brother Hraesvelgr was a clash for the ages. Though Lenar could not see the devastation, he could still hear and feel it all. The roars, the thuds as they clashed together, the explosions as their magic tore apart the bridge. He could feel the tingle of powerful magics in the air, the prickle of too-close flames. The vibrations of the very stones beneath his feet as the bridge struggled to stand against the power of the two old dragons raging around it.
The dragons soared into the air, disappearing into a cloud of aether. An unearthly silence fell over the battlefield, as if the very world itself held its breath. Eventually, the two dragons emerged, Nidhogg plummeting towards the ground as his brother followed. At the last moment, however, Nidhogg got the better of Hraesvelgr. Slamming the great white dragon into the ground, he took one wing into his jaws and ripped it free. Hraesvelgr let out a great roar of pain. To an outside observer, it looked as if the shade of Nidhogg had won.
"Thou art weak, Hraesvelgr—a slithering wyrm who fawneth on the vermin who should rightly be his prey. For a thousand years have I fought without cease—and thou didst think to prevail against me!"
"Glory not in thy victory, shade," Hraesvelgr replied. "The battle is not yet won. My power—and my hope—have I entrusted to another..."
When Hraesvelgr opened his eyes, he revealed one empty socket. Nidhogg recoiled in surprise.
"Thine eye! What hast thou done?!"
Lenar stepped forward, the power of Hraesvelgr's eye surging within him. It was enough to make his head swim, but he stood tall as he faced Nidhogg. Sightless eyes fixed on the shade of the great wyrm possessing his ally. All at once it hit him: this was it. This was the culmination of a thousand years of war. A thousand years of grief and pain and seemingly endless rage and despair.
Everything rested on Lenar's shoulders. The hopes and lives of everyone he knew and loved, the last glimmers of faith Hraesvelgr had in mankind, the very fate of his home. Even if he wasn't alone, the task before him felt daunting indeed.
But if there was one thing he had learned from his travels, it was that no matter the odds, one had to try.
"Great Wyrm Nidhogg," Lenar said, voice loud and clear despite the trepidation in his heart, "I implore you one last time. Though your rage is justified, your actions are not. Please, stop this madness, before you take your own—" "Silence!" Nidhogg roared, rearing up to his full height above the tiny elezen. "Naught in creation shall deny me my vengeance! For a thousand years I've fought. Though you may wield a portion of Hraesvelgr's power, it shall avail you naught, mortal!"
With another roar, the shade leapt towards the trio. "Though thee and thine intruded upon my lair and bested half of me, now I am whole. Thou shalt not prevail again!"
With a certain amount of resignation, Lenar led the charge against Nidhogg. Ducking and weaving between the Great Wyrm's legs, doing everything in his power to both keep Nidhogg's attention off of his allies while avoiding as many hits as possible. Nidhogg roared and snapped at him, calling upon every trick and spell at his disposal to hit the tiny Elezen. Ernastral's spells and Cress's bullets pelted Nidhogg, chipping away at the dragon's strength little by little.
"Enough!" The dragon bellowed, the sound so forceful it momentarily stunned the trio. Capitalizing on the temporary distraction, the dragon lunged for Lenar.
Lenar slammed into the ground, the air forcefully ejected from his lungs as a loud crack rang out across the battlefield. Pain shot through his chest as he raised his hands to remove what he soon realized was a claw pressing down on him. He struggled to regain his breath as he futilely grabbed at the dragon's claw.
"Lenar!" Ernastral yelled. She summoned Ifrit, damn near flinging the egi in Nidhogg's face to force him back. Cress joined in, raining a hail of bullets on the dragon. With a roar, Nidhogg released the Elezen and retreated just far enough for Erna and Cress to rush in and form a makeshift wall in front of their fallen companion.
Lenar rolled onto his side, propping himself up on one arm and wrapping the other around his aching chest. Even without the dragon's weight pressing down on him he struggled to draw breath, his every movement bringing with it a sharp pain. Well, more like several sharp pains.
Ah, he thought, I've cracked a rib. Or two.
A peculiar thought to have when sitting at death's door. Of course, Lenar had always been a stubborn one. If Nidhogg thought cracking a few ribs and potentially threatening the safety of Lenar's internal organs would be enough to dissuade him from continuing the fight, he would be sorely disappointed.
Nidhogg made another lunge for the trio, but this time Ernastral threw herself between them. Ordinarily this was where she'd bring up a Manaward, but as a summoner she did not have access to that power. But she did have access to Hydaelyn's blessing. She knew there were risks to relying on Her power, but she was desperate. Nidhogg slammed against the shield of light, roaring and clawing at it like a feral beast. Cress kept up the attack, shooting at Nidhogg's exposed belly. The dragon fell back, but circled around for another assault.
Lenar could hear Lily's panicked squeaking as she desperately healed him. Don't die, don't die, she pleaded. He could feel her healing magics trying to mend his injuries, but they both knew it was a race against time. Every movement he made, including breathing, carried the risk of aggravating his injuries. If they wanted to survive this, they would need a miracle.
Well, what better way to obtain a miracle than to appeal to a saint? There was no way Lenar had the power to summon the primal proper, nor did he feel inclined to. But, if he could just induce a trance, like the Dreadwyrm trance for Bahamut...
"M-My apologies, Lily," Lenar gasped. "I'm afraid I'm going... to have to send you away... for the moment."
Lily expressed concern. But if I stop healing you...
"That is a risk... I will... h-have to take." He smiled despite himself. "If this fails... then I would like you to know that... I appreciate all the help you have given me."
Lily sniffled and rubbed her eyes, before darting over and pressing her face to his cheek. Promise me you'll call me again after this.
"I will."
With that, he swapped his Scholar soul stone for his Summoner one, and brought forth his trusty emerald carbuncle. Sapphire greeted their greener counterpart, who stood ready to protect their master.
Ernastral stood in front of Lenar, acting as a barrier between him and the dragon. She alternated between slinging spells and summons and summoning the shield when Nidhogg or one of his spells drew too close. She cast a brief glance over her shoulder towards Lenar, not even long enough to really take him in.
"You holdin' up back there?" she called out over the din of the fight.
"B-Barely," Lenar said. "I am... about to try something. Pray, defend me until I am ready."
"On it!"
Lenar felt the surge of aether around Erna as she summoned up the Dreadwyrm Trance. The irony was not lost on him.
Lenar brought his hands together in prayer, as he'd been taught from childhood. He cast about, trying to attune himself to the element of ice. Despite how bitterly cold it was on the bridge, it was hard to find a sufficient quantity to attune with. So in desperation, he looked to Hraesvelgr's eye. The dragon's power thrummed within him, but within that power there was another. He grasped at the threads of Saint Shiva's aether, hoping that perhaps that would suffice as a focus.
"O Saint Shiva, protector of the f-forgotten and—" A sharp pain in his ribs cut his prayer short, leaving him coughing and gasping for air. No, no, this wasn't right. Who was he kidding? This wasn't what he wanted. This wasn't who he wanted. Start over.
"O goddess born of a desperate heart..." Yes. This was it. "I beseech thee to lend thy aid in our time of need."
He took a slow, measured breath, wrapping one arm tightly around his ribs as he took to his feet. "Grant us the power to bring forth the peace thou so desperately sought until thy dying breath. Grant us the serenity to calm this... to calm these tortured souls."
Standing as tall as he felt he could manage, he raised his other arm to the sky, as if reaching out to someone. With one final deep breath, he raised his voice to a shout, ringing out over the battlefield. "O Lady Iceheart, still the hatred within our hearts and bless us with eternal grace!"
He could have sworn he felt someone taking hold of his outstretched hand as Shiva's power flowed through him. The very air around him cooled into ice, before shattering like glass as the trance took hold. His blood felt like ice in his veins, but at least the cool air in his chest soothed some of the pain in his ribs. Or perhaps the rush of aether was dulling his pain response, who could say.
Nidhogg had a few choice words to say about the invocation of Hraesvelgr's former mate, which perhaps should not be repeated here. Nidhogg's words thankfully did not phase Lenar. They weren't directed at him, after all, simply at the shade of a woman long dead.
Nidhogg lunged again for Lenar, maw open in a roar. Lenar was faster this time, and aided by the mix of magic and bullets from his friends which served as a distraction. He drifted out of the way, ice forming in his wake. Where Nidhogg's burning rage met the patches of ice, steam arose. This worked to Lenar's advantage, as the steam blinded and slowed the great wyrm but had no effect on the already blind Elezen. This was the perfect opportunity.
As Nidhogg flailed and thrashed in rage, lashing out at everything he could reach, Lenar circled around him. Cress and Erna recognized what he was attempting. With only a glance between them, they set to work pinning Nidhogg in one spot. Erna's carbuncle danced around Nidhogg's feet, providing a tempting distraction for him to lunge at, while Cress's bullets ensured he wouldn't stray too far from one spot. Even Lenar's own Sapphire carbuncle joined in the fray, shrugging off Nidhogg's attempts to squash it much more readily than their master.
Once the circle was complete, Lenar drifted in front of Nidhogg. The wyrm let out one more roar and made ready to lunge for the defenseless Elezen. Lenar simply raised a hand.
The very air around Nidhogg flash froze, encasing the wyrm. And with a snap of his fingers, it shattered with a deafening sound. With one final roar, Nidhogg was forced to revert back to Estinien's form.
The trance spent, Lenar landed on the ground a distance away, falling to his knees and struggling to catch his breath. Warmth returned to his limbs, and with it the pain in his chest. His head swam and his ears rang, leaving him unable to fully discern what was happening around him.
"Estinien!" Alphinaud called out, having made his way past the rubble on the bridge. Erna glanced between him, Estinien, and Lenar, uncertain as to which she should run to first. Nidhogg's eyes twitched around on Estinien's armor, seemingly looking around frantically. Lenar sat doubled over, clutching his ribs and coughing. Alphinaud's expression turned grim as he glanced from one injured companion to the other.
"Is this... to be... mine end?" Nidhogg gasped. "Nay! I will not allow it!"
Estinien's form staggered to his feet. Ernastral held her book at the ready as Cress raised his gun.
"I am of the first brood! I am vengeance incarnate! I AM NIDHOGG! Thou shalt die by my hand!"
Erna leapt in front of Alphinaud and Lenar as Nidhogg raised his spear, ready to take the blow. Nidhogg pulled his hand back, readying a throw... and stopped, as if some unseen presence had grabbed his hand. The spear fell from his hand, clattering to the ground before their eyes. Nidhogg turned to his hand, which twitched as if possessed of its own will. The glowing lines on Estinien's face disappeared for a moment, and Estinien's voice finally passed his lips.
"This is not your hand, wyrm!"
Estinien's hand grabbed his own throat as Nidhogg's presence reasserted itself. The wyrm let out a strangled cry, falling to his knees and coughing up blood as Estinien crushed his own windpipe.
"Thou... wilt... OBEY!"
Estinien lifted his head, the man himself reasserting control for another fleeting moment. Even behind the helmet, Erna could feel Estinien's pleading gaze.
"I would ask... one last thing of you, Warriors of Light. Finish me, now, while I have the beast subdued!"
"S-Save him," Lenar pleaded between gasping coughs. "Please!"
Erna shut her grimoire, placing it on her hip. With a glance and a nod to Cress and Alphinaud, the three of them closed the distance. Alphinaud took hold of one of the eyes welded to Estinien's armor, while Erna and Cress took hold of the other one. And together, they pulled with all their might. Power arced and crackled around them, sending shockwaves of pain through their arms. Alphinaud cried out, while Erna and Cress simply grit their teeth, nails finding purchase between eye and melted metal.
"You waste your time," Estinien said. "Kill me! It is the only way! Ending Nidhogg will be my final duty!"
"No, you can't die like this!" Alphinaud cried out. "I won't let you!"
"We're bringin' you back in one piece, come hells or high water!" Erna shouted.
Nidhogg, of course, refused to go quietly. In another desperate attempt to repel them, his eyes sent even more power coursing through them. Alphinaud screamed even as he tightened his grip on the eye. Erna bit back a scream of her own, coming out as more of a muffled whine. Suddenly, she felt a presence next to her. Glancing to her side, she swore she could see a familiar face beside her, flashing her and Cress one of his winning smiles.
Together, they pulled the eyes of Nidhogg free. There was an explosion of power as the great wyrm's soul was finally put to rest. When the light faded, it was just the four of them. The three who pulled the eyes free lay on the ground on opposite sides, still clutching the eyes between them. Alphinaud sat up, taking a moment to survey the damage and the eye clutched in his hands. Erna released her hold and stood up, helping Cress up in the process. Estinien lay motionless on the ground, his bloodstained armor still bearing the holes where Nidhogg's eyes were once welded.
Glancing over towards Lenar, she found him also sprawled on the ground. His Sapphire carbuncle was nowhere in sight.
"The eyes!" Aymeric shouted, running through the rubble towards them. "Cast them into the abyss!"
In an instant, Cress was off like a shot, dashing for the side of the bridge. Alphinaud hopped to his feet and followed swiftly behind. Once they got close, they wound up and tossed the eyes over the edge with all of their might, letting them tumble into the gaping chasm below.
It was done. The battle was finally won.
