Protects. :') / from @devction
@veinblooded / @devction
The Crystal Exarch—No, G’raha Tia, a scholar and an adventurer who has caused the travel to the First. A man who had witnessed tragedies and wished to save the world where he found himself in, a heroic sacrifice he sought out to help his idol. The very notion of a hero, a perfect example of what she dislikes so much. Heroes were both the reason this world lived but also the very title placed a deadly curse upon its bearer, the desire to place their own life before the death’s hands in exchange for the life of the world. The Ishgardian hated heroic sacrifices, loathing the very notion of them, especially upon witnessing the tale of the First. First, Minfilia, then Thancred, then Ryne, then Warrior of Light, then G’raha Tia. Now that they’ve come back and he became one of the Scions, Zarina held no wish for him to protect her. It was hurting her pride, it was making her remember how her own plan failed on her and how the Warrior of Light still had to absorb that shard of light of the Lightwarden she was able to defeat, but the Light... It was too strong, her resilience only worked for the Voidsent and the ones from the Thirteenth. Her unique gift from Hydaelyn, but it did not work against the Light itself.
For such reason, to witness the shade of red sprint forward to protect her only caused the memory to resurface. A bitter memory of both her brother, of the Warrior of Light, and of Minfilia. All of them, heroes. The ever-cold heart was moved by those figures and it caused her forgo the wound on her leg, using the ability of her avatar to heal it immediately before sprinting forward with her hand sharply moved forward to grab the Miqo’te’s jacket and tug him backward, not sparing gentleness in throwing him behind her to meet the blow of the enemy with her scythe. The ex-Crystal Exarch was a smart man, but she did not like how her ploy was interrupted, she underestimated his speed and clicked her tongue before the enemy, easily holding back their attack with just one hand, looking more bored than ever.
She is the Juggernaut, she is the one who walked the flames and ice, she is the one who knew Eorzea’s map better than anyone and she will not let another protect her once again. Not in this moment of foolishness when the battle was easily won, her tactic of luring the enemy backfired through the kind heart of G’raha and she will scold him for his heroics later, but right now, the enemy would shudder at the sight of golden eyes shining brightly and the appearance of the terrifying avatar causing them to jump back, legs buckling at the sense of terror as the black aura would envelop the woman with her grasping the scythe in a more comfortable way, letting the blade gleam in the sunlight.
Zarina almost heart the words of Minfilia in her head, but it was ignored as the scythe of judgement would be brought down upon the mercenary who dared to attack them. The clean slice, blood splattering on the ground and coating the blade of her weapon. There was no mercy before those who would not hesitate to kill them when their back would be turned to them. She’d worked with mercenaries and underworld workers for years, their thinking of survival and gloating was easily deduced. As Zarina turned around to finally glance back at G’raha Tia, the Juggernaut would let the scythe’s blade bury itself in the blood coated ground as she decide to approach the once-Leader of Crystarium, her gaze unflinching and cold as she would begin talking after snapping her fingers and letting her Voidsent feast upon the mercenaries that were left, the screams of nightmares would be soon silenced as the white noise (avatar) would consume them and leave only the black silence (her) behind.
“G’raha Tia,” her words are almost patronizing as is her look, the woman did not hesitate to bring her coldness and rationalized mind into conversations with those who knew of her true self. The First proved to him enough how much of a dangerous power house she was and how others were avoiding working with her for the sole reason of how quick and menacing her battle style had been ever since her exile from Ishgard. The roles of both Reaper and Dark Knight uniting into the Juggernaut proved enough, no wounds truly meant anything. “You are a skilled warrior, you have lived for years longer than one of our kind should, but you must remember one thing...”
The Voidsent returns to her side, a ghostly woman of white with claws and a wedding veil that only allowed her blood stained lips be seen (and when she smiles those razor sharp teeth signify her predatory image), her disfigured sight seemingly a representation of what the Juggernaut has always been about. The figure dissipates into the mix of bloody red and golden glow mixed with black aura, seeping into the scythe or the Elezen herself. Unbothered, she then extends her hand for the other to get up.
“You must not protect me. You are skilled in many roles, ‘tis something I cannot deny, but do not put my safety above yours,” she says, grasping his hand to lift him up with ease despite her appearance. “My mistakes in the First will forever haunt me, but I assure you such failure will not follow. I do not need protection.”
It was never needed until that one moment, the shame on her name. For one who had always fought and traveled alone, the thought of someone protecting her only made her feel as if her powers were for naught. It is why she never liked to work in a team of those who were so kind-hearted, they would be so careful about their teammates. A stark contrast to her.
“I’ve always fought alone,” even in the First until the salvation in the golden cathedral. “It is unnecessary. I’m strong enough to keep pests off our backs. Let us proceed. Next time, if I am injured, do not mind it. It’ll heal, it always does.”