On the southern shores of Thavnair, the battle raged on. Blows fell, spells blasted, and war cries filled the air all the while. A massive entourage of Voidsent bombs had emerged nearby to assail the Near Eastern island. Answering the call to battle as always were Thiji’s Angels, along with the local dance troupes and Matanga warriors who supported them.
Sesena Sena, leading the vanguard alongside Umimi, had been withstanding the brunt of their attacks, while Lilina was putting her new Reveler’s Trance to good use, dousing the bombs’ explosive attacks with the power of water, and causing unstable detonations with lightning blasts. Susuna, using her uncanny speed from her stints as a Rogue, kept the flanks secure, zooming around the battlefield thanks to her Red Mage abilities, while also tending to any wounded alongside Koyuki, who came from the Othard Branch to offer assistance while Yuanji dealt with Telophoroi attacks in Doma.
Sosona, Meriri and Lelena provided artillery support atop the backs of adamantoise, striking at the Voidsent from their vantage points while also sealing any portals that were opening. Luluma, together with Veeveena, supported the dancers and Matanga lest they would find themselves surrounded.
The explosive menace was being contained. Meanwhile, Thiji was astride Glacius, heading to the battle site with due haste alongside Suki. The words of his mother echoed in his head…
“Embrace your sorrow. Accept it, and bring the beauty of winter to your friends and foes.”
Then he remembered the times he participated in the Feast – the everlasting contest of might that pitted adventurers against one another, vying for dominance and bragging rights as they fought tooth and claw to be leaders of the pack. He recalled the resplendent armor he wore: winged motifs and a figurehead of the Fury proudly displayed on his chest. This Halonic armor was like a second skin to him during his stint as a knight, and he reveled in the glory of battle for which Halone was well known.
“Your dream of becoming a Sorceress’s Knight is not dead.”
It was time for the beast to be let loose once more. But he was going to do so in his own way. As the assault upon the shore continued, a roar was head from beneath the waves, with such magnitude that it shook the earth, commanding the attention of all as they looked toward the source of the sound. The area went silent for a moment, then something in the water began to stir.
A pair of horns emerged from the deeps, followed by spines and glowing blue eyes. As it approached the shore with its cumbersome gait, a hulking brute which towered over the jungle canopy showed itself, letting loose another roar that would terrify all but the Angels.
“So that’s the ringleader, huh? A Muud Suud!” Veeveena pointed out.
“That thing’s technically a Gigas, right? That means we can get some Giantsgall from its blood!” Susuna remarked. “The Brugaire Consortium’s still outsourcing for these!”
“Ever the resourceful lass, aren’t ye?” Meriri chuckled. “Orders, Miss Sena?”
Before Sesena could even have the time to give any commands, the remaining bombs fell back to the shoreline and merged themselves into a massive grenade, taking to the air and landing in the hands of the Muud Suud as it began discharging unstable fire-aspected aether. The creature had intended to incinerate the surrounding area with an explosive fastball special!
“Oh, shit…” Sosona calmly stated. The lumbering behemoth of a Voidsent clutched the grenade in its right hand as it primed itself, rearing back in preparation to throw.
“Good Matanga, fall back!” cried Veeveena. The elephantine warriors gave a few trumpeting noises and sequential stamps of their feet in response. Thankfully, there was a certain oddity of an Angel who did a study of Matanga language to translate…
“They say that they’re going to hold this line, even if it costs them their lives!” Lilina stated. Sesena sucked her teeth as she rose her shield.
“Then we can get behind the adamantoise! We have no choice but to mitigate the impact of the blast!” spoke one of the dancers. With a swing of their hips, they protected the area in a pinkish barrier as Sesena dug her mythrite katzbalger into the sand, causing a pair of angelic wings to sprout from her tower shield to augment the zone of protection as the other Angels and locals took cover behind her.
The Muud Suud then let loose a mocking laugh as it chucked the grenade with all its might at its victims. Everyone did their best to brace for the impact, its massive size casting a shadow over the area. As it touched down, it released its payload, going out in a tremendous blaze of glory, the force of the impact sending everyone skidding along the sands…
The battlefield went silent again as the Muud Suud chuckled, seeming to have succeeded, but when the smoke had finally cleared, it let out a questioning grunt as it noticed something odd: the area suddenly began to snow!
Sesena, raising to her feet, beheld the sight, as well as the bodies of the defenders strewn throughout the beach. Everyone seemed fine save for a few burn marks and damaged clothing. Even the adamantoise were relatively unscathed.
“No casualties, Miss Sesena,” Luluma reported after giving a scan of the area. “But I’m not sure how to explain this sudden weather change.”
“I think I have an idea…” Veeveena interjected as she turned toward the jungle. Out from the shrubbery layer emerged Glacius in his blissful barding, along with his mate, who began tending to the wounded with their curative abilities. One could only imagine who next followed after them…
“The Mythrite Sultan…!” gasped one of the dancers. Whispers began to be exchanged between the others as Thiji began making his way down the beach…
“Slow, small strides; eyes shut; calm demeanor; arms behind back… Analysis: this Muud Suud’s fucked, now,” Sosona concluded. Veeveena bowed her head low as he passed by.
“We held as best we could, My Sultan,” she said. Veeveena then caught a glimpse of the items attached at his waist and gasped. “Wait – those are…!”
Thiji continued his advance until he reached the point in which the tide flowed furthest inland, his footwear barely touching the waters, staring down the massive Voidsent before him. Then, there was the strumming of an oud which came from behind them. Everyone sans Thiji turned their heads and saw Mimizo, a smile made apparent on her face as she approached the Angels.
“Valide-” was all Koyuki could get out before she was interrupted by Mimizo.
“Angels, pray join me,” she requested. “You will want to see this.” Without hesitation, they took the instruments and fell in beside the Mythrite Sultan’s mother, while the locals clapped to the rhythm, and Matanga and adamantoise kept time with their stamping feet. Thiji would then brandish his weapons as he began to twirl on the heel of his foot, throwing a flurry of frost at the Muud Suud’s face so as to incite its wrath. Easily taking the affront as a challenge, the hulking brute balled a fist and prepared to strike at Thiji. Just as the hit would land, the Mythrite Sultan dashed with a spinning finish past its left leg, leaving behind a streak of ice blue as he did. Now entering the water, the aether Thiji gathered kept him atop the surface as it began freezing over!
“Wait… Wait…!” gasped Lilina, pointing out the spectacle. Thiji dashed once more to its other leg as the Muud Suud attempted to retaliate, throwing a fan at its hip, which it would then let out a pained growl in response. As he continued befuddling the Voidsent, it was becoming clearer to the audience…
“The ice formations… the freezing waters… It was our Sultan all this time?” Lelena asked.
“I even feel that sadness from looking at it all… Holy hells, it was our lord!” Susuna deduced. Thiji’s attacks and movements left behind small motes of ice-aspected aether, and he leapt in time with the clapping rhythm, leaving tiny spots of frozen water around the Voidsent to confuse it until stopping again directly behind it. The Muud Suud rose both arms to smash Thiji into the deeps. But too little, too slow – the Mythrite Sultan once again zoomed between the creature’s legs, returning back to shore as he began to perform a Step. Though it gave off a different aura than the usual Standard or Technical. This one gave off strands of blue and white as snowflakes began twirling about the Sultan’s form. The crowd, awestruck at this unique dance form, slowly stopped their music. Now Thiji was stepping to his own beat – which is just what he wanted.
A pas de bourree, an arabesque, a glissade, a chasse, and a flourishing fouette later, Thiji released the aether stored into a powerful burst of ice and snow. Everyone shielded themselves from the frigid gale, trying their best to catch a glimpse of the spectacle. The Muud Suud sustained considerable damage, and as it reeled back in agony, Thiji continued his attack.
With glacial agility, he skated along the frozen sea, assailing the Voidsent between graceful lutzes, whipping axels, and tricky salchows, culminating in a frigid Saber Dance which struck at the creature’s arms, pinning it to the ground in ice spikes. Thiji then stopped behind the Muud Suud once more, jumping on and running along its back before vaulting off and performing a spinning maneuver with his fans outstretched, using the centrifugal force to levitate safely back onto land.
With the Voidsent sufficiently immobilized, it was time for the finisher. The Mythrite Sultan went all out as he performed a frenetic series of gyrations, jumps, and twirls as he collected the aether generated from the defenders’ efforts, along with the ambient ice clouds that littered the beachhead.
“Is this the Crimson Lotus…?!” gasped Luluma. “No… It’s too… blue.”
“We’re not about ta die, are we?” Meriri said with a worried tone. “’Cause that’s a lot o’ aether he’s gatherin’!”
“Hold your ground, Angels; you are safe,” Mimizo reassured. She spectated with a light grin as she watched her son show his true colors. All of the aether he could possibly contain – and perhaps more – enveloped Thiji in bluish-white as he performed a dash toward the injured Muud Suud, glaring daggers at the creature who had dared to encroach upon his home before he unfurled his fan. What followed was a sound akin to that of a shrill ring – he struck diagonally upwards, leaving a streak of white in his path. He then descended diagonally downwards, landing on the ground with another white streak left in his wake. He would repeat this attack thrice more as the aetherial streaks formed a star around the Muud Suud in a fivefold attack. At each point was a large bluish-white lotus that twirled slowly in the air. Upon returning to his starting point following the fifth strike, he slowly rose to an upright position before furling his weapons.
What followed after a beat of silence was the violent display of exploding lotus petals as aetherial blades of silver and blue surrounded and cut into the helpless Muud Suud from all directions. This would, of course, free the Voidsent from its bonds, allowing it to strike at Thiji one last time in defiance. With a guttural roar, it mustered all its strength to deliver a downward slam with its fists. Thiji was still, maintaining his position, for the climax was not quite over yet.
The gashes and wounds left behind from the initial attack left behind residual ice-aspected aether, which sort of kept the beast from bleeding out. It was because of this that the Muud Suud could still stand. But it would not stand for much longer as the aether’s glow began to intensify, turning a bright white. The beast ignored this reaction and continued its attack, but just as its arms were within ilms of hitting the Mythrite Sultan…
A glacial explosion with force and sound not unlike that of a firework erupted within the Muud Suud’s body, blasting its arms clean off as they were flung into the far ends of the beach! Everyone was in awe at the wintry spectacle, though they shielded themselves from the ensuing rain of blood with some convenient parasols, ensuring that Mimizo was unscathed.
“GIANGSTALL MINE, HERE WE COME!” Sesena cheered to herself. The other Angels couldn’t help but chuckle until they focused back on the shore. The icy detonation conglaciated the Muud Suud’s body, inside and out, leaving behind a diamond sculpture of a corpse. The tide would rock the Muud Suud’s frozen remains back and forth until it would finally tip over, shattering into a storm of dancing frost particles and lotus flowers. And in the midst of this wintry scene of gelid spires and frigid formations… was the Mythrite Sultan, standing silently with eyes closed.
“Well, we did it, girls,” Sesena congratulated with a sigh, “and in no small part thanks to our lord’s timely intervention. Let’s see to the rest of the region before heading back to the city.”
“I shall tend to our Matanga allies! I shall make my return to the Othard Branch afterward!” Koyuki stated. Lilina translated to their beastmen friends, to which they would graciously accept, before following them back into the jungle.
“Never in my life have I ever witnessed such beauty and grace… and great sadness,” uttered one of the female dancers with a hand to her heart. “Lady Mimizo, what know you of this spectacle?”
The Valide Sultan advanced several paces forward, gesturing towards her son.
“My beloved Thiji is a proud son of Thavnair,” she began. “He has faced countless obstacles, and endured myriad hardships. And any seasoned dancer knows that what truly separates masters of the art from fools twirling around bladed rings… is their soul. It is the source of all emotion – it is their spirit, their conviction from where it springs. My beloved Thiji has ever been fascinated by the colder climes. He has developed a love for it, for winter and all things associated. And anyone who understands the soul of winter to its core knows what lies beneath its dazzling beauty; its stark, silvery splendor…”
Mimizo gave a pause as the snow fell upon her hair and cheek, basking in the scenery with the others. All were moved by her words, most of all Veeveena, who was practically in tears. She kept her composure, but the mere sight tugged at her heartstrings, which only made it difficult.
“… It is sorrow; the silent lamentations of a damaged heart. The Kriegstanz, though redoubtable in its own right, could not convey such emotion, for it was created solely to reverse the Danse Macabre – the Totentanz. This dance, invented by my son, wears his sadness like a glove, and becomes an extension of himself, dominating the battlefield with the switness and alacrity that only a master of ice-aspected aether can muster. It is a performance that expresses one’s longing… and turns it into something truly beautiful.”
“What does he call it, Queen Mother?” Meriri asked. Mimizo gave another pause before slowly turning towards the Angels to give her answer…
It was at this moment that Veeveena, unable to keep it together any longer, fell to her knees in tears, succumbing to the powerful emotions drawn by this scene, coupled with Mimizo’s explanation. Sesena hurried over to her fellow Angel to comfort her.
“You okay, Miss Veeveena?” she asked as she rubbed the Advisor’s back. Veeveena quickly dried her tears and met Sesena’s gaze.
“Yes… It’s just… so beautiful… so powerful,” she replied, staring once more at Thiji, still motionless and silent. “Could this… truly be the man to whom I may one day be wed…?”
“Dear Sesena, pray maintain your current orders and ensure the surrounding environs are safe,” commanded Mimizo. “Miss Veeveena shall escort us back to the city.”
“Yes, Valide!” acknowledged Sesena, leading the others back into the jungle, and leaving the three alone to their devices.
“I’ve known that handsome Lord Thiji for many years,” Lelena began as she ordered her adamantoise away, “but never in my life did I imagine him being this… well, powerful!”
“None of us did,” Luluma followed. “But if there is one thing I’ve learned from all we’ve seen, it’s that anything in this realm is possible. It is clear now why he is no longer embracing the life of an adventurer.”
“A true king doesn’t seek war, but always prepares fer it!” Meriri exclaimed.
As the beachfront was clearing out, Veeveena and Lady Mimizo were finally left alone, with Thiji still in the distance. The Valide Sultan slowly lifted the Advisor to her feet and comforted her with a reassuring hand to her shoulder.
“My Lady,” Veeveena said in a hushed tone as she choked back tears, “am I truly worthy of this man…? Could I truly help fulfill his dream…?”
“If you were not, dear Veeveena, I would have not taught you so well,” Mimizo softly replied. “As Valide Sultan, it is my duty - my charge - to seek potential suitresses and train them to become worthy prospects for my son. But remember: this our last resort per our deal. A lot may happen within the next two summers, so we will leave this to the hand of fate. But I meant well what I said to you moons ago; he will have his Sultana, for a man of such elegance and kindheartedness is deserving of such."
"Valide, let me go to him... He must know... my lord must know," Veeveena pleaded, her grip on Mimizo tightening somewhat. The Queen Mother chuckled as she shook her head.
"No, dearest," she declined. "You need not rush this. The effects of the Eisenstanz are influencing you. While your heart may be true, it is still far too soon. I wish to give my son this chance - to see if his Sultana is truly out there somewhere, waiting for him."
Veeveena once again dried her tears and smiled, getting herself back together. Grasping her weapons in hand once more, Veeveena steeled herself and was prepared to escort Mimizo back to the city proper. "Glacius. Suki. Pray watch over my son," the Valide Sultan requested, to which they would nod in acknowledgement before joining him at the shoreline.
The Mythrite Sultan, now alone with his thoughts, had his gaze fixed out towards the sea for about a half-bell’s worth. Glacius and Suki sat quietly by his side to keep their master company. Lifting his gaze to the heavens, the clouds would slowly part, giving way to the light of that silvery star that always shone its light so proudly amidst the evening sky. Thiji squinted his eyes at it, seeming to revile its luminescence, but his countenance softened after a moment, his annoyance subsiding as he would slowly climb on Glacius’ back and giving him the order to move. His trusted companion took to the skies with his mate following suit, leaving the frost-kissed shore alone until it would eventually dissipate into diamond dust...
“I always despised You, Menphina... but I see now as to why You share the domain of ice alongside Halone. ‘Tis no small wonder why the Wanderer longs for You so. But it is thanks to You and the Spinner that I have tapped into a new strength, and with Halone ever at my side, this power will help ensure Thanvair’s protection, as well as the safekeeping of my allies. There are still moves to make before the adventurers set their sights eastward.”
Glacius eventually dropped his master off at the balcony of his bed chambers in the Main Branch Headquarters, where Nyra was eagerly awaiting Thiji’s return. Once done so, he ordered his chocobos to assist the Angels in their efforts, and they would fly off into the jungles below. He then laid upon his sofa, relaxing with a pitcher of Winter Lassi that remained from his previous conversation with his mother. He scoffed before taking a long sip, gazing back at the moon...
“I was never one to question Mother’s judgment, and even though I carry my sorrows with me... perhaps, when all of this is over... she will finally come to me. ‘Til then, they will have to deal with Thiji sor Higuri, Mythrite Bachelor, and the Knight bereft of a Sorceress.”
