One thing that I’ve realized after doing three Zodiac weapons is the time I’ve missed out in having fun with my friends. I was so focused on getting the weapons that I neglected to do the one thing that I enjoyed. After finishing Kaiser Knuckles I finally am going to chill and have fun with my friends in the time till Heavensward comes out.
I want to apologize to my buds Jackiro, Adeline, and Naih for not really being there for you guys because I was too busy power-gaming the relics. I kinda see it that I’ve suppressed myself from having fun, and now I’m going to relearn what it is to have fun, and enjoy the ride.
Selvaria stood with axe in hand pushing R'Kiera back, her eyes were filled with unbridled rage. The battle had lasted for hours after witnessing the dark magic unleashed upon her. Her mind was blank, it was as if her mind stopped controlling her body, and allowed it to run rampant in this battle. Every movement was less civilized and more like a monster. The axe moved differently in the control of this 'beast' her joints were more flexible as if every ounce of remaining strength was being focused for the sole purpose of defeating this monster of a man.
R'Kiera was now at the mercy of Selvaria, he could feel his death grip vanishing from this encounter. He had managed to send three of those with Selvaria into a world controlled by his avatar. However this one, the woman battling him remained. His words and taunts were meat with nothing but growls. Did this woman sacrifice her sanity in order to defeat him, and save her friends? A futile gesture is primarily what fluttered through R'Kiera's mind. "You may kill me...but you will have to cross to the other side of the gateway...can you in such a state? When you cannot speak, and all you do is focus on slaying your enemy."
In this moment R'Kiera saw a slash in front of him, and quickly his vision was halved. He could feel the pain surging alongside his right side. The axe blade had cut cleanly across his face, and his eye was no longer functioning. The arrogant grin slowly faded as blood began to run down from the open wound. "No-one makes me bleed....no-one..."
Selvaria continued to push with each second or third slash making contact with R'Kiera's body. The ancient armor that was unscathed on R'Kiera was covered with his own blood, and gaping holes created from the edge of Selvaria's weapon. The Allegan Axe with its eternally sharp blade proved to be quite an asset in this deciding moment.
The light from Selvaria's crystal grew brighter with each second the battle continued. R'Kiera could feel the burning rays against his pale white skin. It infuriated him, but this battle was no longer his to control. R'Kiera was filled with anger, but that alone was not strong enough to overpower Selvaria's fury. The head of the axe dug into his chest knocking him backward. The sword he held so desperately in defense moved up to block a following blow. The blackened weapon cracked from the first strike, and with a second the blade shattered sending R'Kiera backward.
R'Kiera tumbled to the ground, and looked over at Selvaria hunched over with axe in hand. Blood was running from her mouth while the possessed eyes she held vanished. The crimson eyes he had seen were not shifted back to the azure blue from earlier. "Is that the...extent of your power?" He taunted while wiping the blood that had run over his mouth.
Selvaria could feel the heaviness of her body, and with blurred vision looked over at the wounded R'Kiera across from her. She heard every word from this man in their lengthy encounter, but the warrior crystal took control of her body. Selvaria was only a passenger while the spirits of warriors long since past guided her body as their own. Now, at the end Selvaria regained control of her body and started to walk albeit slowly to R'kiera. "That is....power that was borrowed....much like the energy you used against my comrades...where did you send them?"
R'Kiera chuckled while returning to his feet and clutching the wounds across his body. His attire was soaked in a mixture of blood and sweat while he tried his best to stand up tall. "You...." he paused, "You are the first to resist my spell.... in a thousand years....you are the first..." He coughed several times while his body started to crumble into Aetheric energy. "Your light...is different....but....will you be able to open the eyes of friends who believe you dead....will you be able to kill the twins that trap them there."
Selvaria looked over at R'Kiera as he vanished into the Aether. The vile energy that made up his body blew away with a large gust of wind. The light that was stolen by this monster was slowly returning to normal. Selvaria collapsed to a knee when she tried to take a step further. She looked with blurred vision at a blackened gateway opening across the way. A bright light shimmered from the other end, and Selvaria's eyes slowly clasped shut.
Saint Coinarch's Find, Eastern Thanalan
In ten years, the area around Eastern Thanalan changed greatly with the defeat of the Primals. The age of Adventurers in Eorzea dwindled and the people began to tame the lands from the monsters that populated them. Lady Mandalina Elendil stood in front of a well maintained headstone with a bouquet of white roses in hand. She took a glance down at the roses from the pair of spectacles resting on her nose. The flowers were Selvaria's favorite as she found out from speaking with her grandfather in Ul'dah days after finding out that she had died in combat.
Every year for the past ten, Mandalina had traveled here with many friends in order to pay respects to Selvaria. Mandalina was always the first due to the relationship the two shared. Selvaria was the sword and shield that protected her while exploring the dungeons of Eorzea. Mandalina was the healing hand, but sadly the guilt of not being there in time to save her closest friend made it hard to cope with.
Mandalina wanted to resurrect her friend Selvaria, but the cost of bringing a person back from the dead was a cost too high for anyone to accomplish. The magic needed to bring a person back from the dead was far too much for one body to contain. It reminded Mandalina of the cost Edda Pureheart paid to the void in order to bring back her beloved. The 'thing' that was Avere, did that creature even know what it was, did it have the memories of the deceased Avere? Mandalina shook her head, and kneeled down to the headstone. "I brought your favorites again....white roses..." There was a brief moment of confusion inside Mandalina's head. "Selv....she isn't...'
"Mother....why are you over here again?"
A half breed Miqo'te boy walked up from behind with a set of grayish ears drawing Mandalina's attention over to him. A pair of golden yellow eyes shimmered from the young boy not a day over five. An angry look was displayed across his face while he grabbed hold of Mandalina's hand, and tugged at it.
"Reid....please I am paying my respects...."
Manda gave the small boy a smile, and turned back to the headstone. For a moment she could see a faint blur of Aether forming in front of the tombstone. She rubbed her eyes with her free hand, and turned down to the boy with confusion. 'Who....is this....Reid...why did he call me mother...'
Reid tugged at the hand once more. "Mother, we should get back on schedule...we must go meet Auntie Venkha in Gridania and see if she is recovered."
Manda could feel her head splitting, and could feel a voice crying out in the back of her mind. 'Don't listen to him....' She shook her head, and smiled again at Reid. "Yes, we should continue....but Reid be a good boy and wish Selvaria a peaceful rest."
Reid glanced at the tombstone, and let out a small prayer as Mandalina walked towards the exit. Reid's eyes narrowed for a moment, and whispered under his breath. 'How will you survive here in that fragile body you now possess? This world belongs to the two of us...I will not let you take the three away from us.'
Naih had more adventurers spirit than most of the others in the Free Company with plenty of maps in her rucksack. While others were busy testing their mettle in dungeons, or in the pits of the Wolves Den. Naih was busy acquisitioning treasures of the old world and storing them inside her personal room. There was something different about this cave, and that alone made Naih look over her shoulder almost hoping that Selvaria was right behind her. Her eyes lowered for a moment while she let out a saddened and deep sigh.
"Why did I have to leave Selvaria? She's probably angry that she had to pack up camp by herself."
Naih moved her hand to her link pearl resting inside her right ear hanging from a pristine and well crafted earring. There was static, normally she would be able to hear the lastest gossip from the other members of the company, but there was no sound to be heard. Naih lowered her hand, and took a last glance at the entrance. "It seems I'll have to hope she comes in....anyway." She clapped her hands together, "All the loot I find first is mine! No halfway split for me!"
The corridors slowly began to take more of a manmade shape the further Naih ventured into the cavern. She found various cobwebs scattered about, and with simple use of her spear blade the webs blocking her path were removed. Naih examined the next area, and quickly kneeled down to find skeletal remains, and Gil coins from nearly fifty years ago lining the floor. The skeletons easily resembled Hyur, but Miqo'te remains were also mixed in with the others. Naih gave a small prayer to the dead, and despite these prayers took it upon herself to take the Gil left behind.
"I hope you find peace in the after-life, but I shall use what your left behind to better myself."
Naih continued forward, and paused momentarily at the sound of a child's laughter. She looked around, and could see the dim illumination from a flame at the other end of the corridor. "Identify yourself." Her voice echoed along the walls, but the silhouette moved as if startled by the sound and rushed off. "A child here?" Naih questioned herself, and without a second thought began to give chase.
The winding pathway continued forward until Naih reached a large opening with the bright light from above cascading down onto her and in the middle of this was a fortress. Some of its walls had long since fused with the cavern around it, but at first glance it was more than certain this structure was above ground at one point in time. There were flag poles with their cloth flags nothing more than moth eaten strands barely hanging from the iron poles. Naih could feel the hot air from above blasting through the cavern, and looked at the open doorway of the fortress.
A small Miqo'te girl with short dark blue hair and a set of big blue eyes looked at Naih for a moment and let out a small wave with her hand. "Hello....miss...I'm sorry...." She weakly said, and from behind her a darkness swirled from the interior of the fortress. A clawed hand ran through the hair of the small child and in the darkness was a figure clad in a heavy robe with hood masking most of its features. A pair of pointed ears quickly hinted at it was of Miqo'te origin. A booming and raspy voice filled the space between Naih, and the fortress. "If you are here for this child....she belongs to me...her soul...her freedom are mine. You will turn back or face the same fate."
Naih could feel that this treasure hunt was nothing as she had thought it to be. Her body was instinctively reacting to these words and without noticing Naih had pulled Liberator from her back. The blade swirled with the power of days bygone. "With a challenge like that...I can't say no to....Free the girl now beast."
The figure motioned with a simple hand gesture and chuckled in a demonic voice. "A foolish mortal dares challenge me? Do you know how much blood I've consumed from foolish adventurers like you? I give you one last chance to leave me."
Naih opened her mouth to speak, but her eyes focus on the blur moving beside her face. A glowing Holy Shield spiraled at the doorway, and quickly impacted a swirling dark Aetherial field. A bright light of energy illuminated the cavern for a moment causing both Naih, and the hooded figure to spot Selvaria standing with Curtana held in one hand, and her left slowly moving to take a two handed posture. "Selv!"
Selvaria looked at Naih through the Allagan helm, and turned her eyes to the figure in the fortress. Her body burned, as if the souls of the Zodiac Warriors of old all spoke out to smite down at the foul creature. "Naih, this is why you don't go out on your own." She pointed Curtana at the creature, and smiled to herself. "Beast you know that we aren't average adventurers."
The light from above slowly started to dim as a cloudy black smoke came out from the Fortress. Selvaria's eyes narrowed for a moment, and in an instant her body reacted. Naih leaped to the side avoiding a large bestial claw that shattered the pathway she was once standing on. Underneath the large claw was Selvaria holding back a cloudy ethereal weapon. The ghostly weapon sparked against Curtana, but sparklets of light could be seen being pulled out of the weapon.
"Your weapon is of ancient make....but it is far too weak to be on part with my Death Bringer. You are inexperienced in using both your hands. You require your shield, and even that won't protect you from Death."
Selvaria could feel her body weakening, but she kept on her feet holding the weapon at bay. She was glad that Naih was safe, but for how long would they be able to keep standing. "Death Bringer...that is the name of your weapon? Tell me fiend what are you?"
The hooded figure pulled back his hood showing a similar Allagan armor looking back at Selvaria. It was covered with jagged spikes, and was weathered beyond recognition to Selvaria's polished armor. A pair of red eyes could be seen in the eye slits, and a mocking laugh echoed in the helmet. "I was once known as R'Kiera the Defiler....I will defeat you, and take your friend as my bride."
R'Kiera turned to his side, and quickly leaped back as a blur like thrust from Naih nearly removed his head from his shoulders. He looked at Naih with anger growing in his eyes, and let out a blood curdling roar. "You are not a woman easily to give into fear. I admire that however I will turn you into my slave!"
Naih spiraled liberator around and re-entered another thrusting posture. "I am no-one's slave. My heart is my own, and I will decide what becomes of it." She looked at the Holy Shield on the ground, and lifted it up with her boot. "Selvaria this is yours....try not to throw it around if you can't quickly retrieve it." Naih lifted the shield and kicked it into the air.
Selvaria caught the shield, and gave Curtana a swing to loosen her joint. "I feel left out Naih that he wants to make you a slave. I guess R'Kiera doesn't like Sun Seekers." She moved replaced Curtana into the scabbard, and with her hand free gripped the helmet covering her head. Selvaria pulled the helmet off, and tossed it over her shoulder. "However, I will make you regret ignoring me!"
R'Kiera chuckled again as he dashed at Selvaria once more. Their blades clashed against one another and exploded against one another. "How are you able to block my..."
Naih shielded her eyes for a moment at the strength of the two, and stared at the chaotic grin displayed on Selvaria's face and the Allagan Axe clashing against the weapon. "She changed her crystal in an instant..."
Selvaria roared and unleashed more strength into the axe knocking R'Kiera backwards into a nearby wall. The helmet covering his face slowly began to crack, and fall to the ground piece by piece. Both Selvaria and Naih's eye went wide at the unruly dark brown hair and face of a extremely handsome Miqo'te male. His crimson eyes look up at Naih, and to Selvaria.
"I was wrong....you are the type I want to break down and dominate."
R'Kiera pulled himself from the wall, and licked his lips. "You have a scar across your eye, and cheek. A woman who has seen a great deal of battles, and I can smell that your blood contains a great deal of sorrow." He chuckled to himself, "You will be a fine wine, that I will keep with me forever!"
Naih cursed to herself as R'Kiera prepared to attack once again. She tightened her grip on the spear and narrowed her gaze. "It look like we'll have to go all out. Are you ready Selv?"
Selvaria wiped a small amount of sweat off her brow. "Do you even need to ask?"
Meanwhile, at the entrance of the cavern, a hooded man clad in light cloth armor, and a pair of short swords hanging from a belt walks forward. A tail swished at his backside, and a pair of ears twitched underneath the hood. A few strands of gray hair escaped from the cloth hood, and a pair of cold eyes look at the darkness in front of him. "This smell its definitely them....Selvaria, and Naih are in there."
Mandalina dug the bottom of Thyrus into the sand at her feet, and patted her robes of the sand that had made its way into the inner most layers. "Jackiro....I'm not sure if I should be happy or disgusted that you know both Selvaria and Naih's scents. I could tell you the same thing that they are inside this cavern." She pointed over to see both Naih's Chocobo, and Selvaria' behemoth. "I also didn't need to use any perverted methods to deduce this."
Jackiro let out a deep sigh, and pulled down his mask revealing his face. "I can never win anything...." He paused, "Well enough of this do we want to go in and help them? Or are we going to just wait out here? I kinda wouldn't mind waiting."
Mandalina rubbed her temple, and started off towards the entrance. "We're going in...."
