No Turning Back
Eastern La Noscea. White beaches and blue waters. A place of happiness.
Not for her. It was her place of sadness. A place of bad memories.
Pheli stood on the shores, knee-deep in the water as she stared out towards the large island. More specifically, the empty beach opposite the cabana. The place where part of her heart died.
Tray’ju had wanted to kill her, and were it not for the ones who saved her, two lives would have been lost that night. Shinji’s bloodbond with her would have seen to that. Then Sarluu would have been without the beginnings of his family.
She shook her head, the bright colors hurting her eyes. She pulled the hood down more about her face, turning away from the sparkling waters and heading upland.
The Rise is what she’d always called the lifted outcrop of stone and earth, where large amaryllis flowers bloomed. She’s buried her mother’s effects there. She meant to show it to Tray’ju someday, it was a place special to her. It always was.
She knelt, whispering words to the placard settled in the ground, brushing away the dead flower petals and grass to expose the name Dazi Nosuk.
“Mother.” she whispered, her voice dulled by the ache in her heart. “I know ye always wanted me t’be happy.. t’never give up anythin’ I didn’t want to.. but there’s no choice now.”
“Sacrifices needed t’be made. From all of Us.” she whispered, squeezing her eyes shut to try and desperately remember her mother’s face. But there was nothing but shadows that greeted her.
“I need ye t’keep this safe fer me fer.. a little while.” the seeker produced a chocobo egg-sized urn in her shaking hands. She started to dig.
“I always told ye.. I wanted t’have at least six kits... well.. yer gonna have t’ settle fer three..” she spoke, her voice wavering.
Dig.
Dig.
“Sarluu is comin’ up into his own fer bein’ so tiny.. he’s so smart Mama.. ye’d be so proud...”
Dig.
“An’ Kyhana is makin’ her path, she’s aimin’ t’forge her own tribe someday. I know... I-I...”
The digging stopped.
“Why did ye give into Father? WHY!” she pounded her fist on the upturned earth, the tears coming freely now. She was covered in dirt and at this point she didn’t care. “Ye had all th’ protection in th’ world in Limsa.. ye coulda had someone keep him from harmin’ ye. Y’didn’t have t’go to Sastasha.. Ye didn’t have t’die..”
She inhaled slowly. Dig.
“I-I’m sorry.. I just.. wish ye were here. If I didn’t lose everythin’.. I wouldn’t be doin’ this now.”
Dig.
Dig.
Stop.
She picked up the urn, staring at it, almost able to visualize the item that was sealed inside. She almost felt sick, remembering the great, smiling teeth over her from that night. The darkness... the twisting hands phasing through her body..
The pain. Gods, the pain...
She nestled the urn into the hole, settling a large, flat stone over it to keep it undisturbed till she needed to bring it again. She slowly replaced the dirt, patting it and littering the grass and leaves over it to make it look undisturbed.
“MotherFather..” she lifted her head to the fading light. “I bear no more kits for Ye. Th’... only thing.. I wanted more than anythin’ else. I seal my lineage, my bloodline t’prove m’loyalty.”
She stood, looking down at the plaque and the place she knew the urn was buried, right beside her mother’s name.
“I’ll be back, Mother. Nosuk died tonight. There is only Them now. I’m Their servant.. Their Herald.”
She lifted her gaze to the rising moon. A grin spreading across her lips.
“An’ ye know me.. I don’t half-ass shit...If Tray’s gonna accuse me of bein’ another person.. then.. I will GIVE him another person...~”
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