Destiney felt like she had been running about to an from all day. Truth was she had been. There had been a influx of work from the Flames for her that day. Thankfully nothing to serious but the sheer amount of running around for them was wearing on her.
She had finally paused to take a break. The work had finally dwindled down to things that had no urgent need of being taken care of that moment. She wiped her lower arm across her forehead as she looked up at the sky above near High Bridge. The sky was already heading towards evening. Teleporting would have been easiest. Yet a part of her wanted to walk. Even if walking through South Shroud too late in the evening would prove dangerous, more so because of bandits then anything else.
She had just been about to begin walking when she heard the footsteps approaching first. A smile formed on her lips then as she heard that familiar voice call out to her. Blue eyes shined with a cheerful light as she turned to find Riski there. Sunshiney smile included.
“Riski! It’s so good to see you again.” Destiney pulled him into a warm hug, glad to see her friend. “Of course you may walk me home. I was going to go to Gridania though. Are you sure you still want to walk that far with me?”
(I blame Rhisi for the title. She labeled the event like that on the FC calendar and I decided to keep it this way. This is what happens right before the events that start at 9p. Hence why I waited to long to share this. I wanted to wait until as late as I could to avoid giving anyone too much of a heads up for my FC friends that follow my tumblr. >:D)
Destiney shivered slightly as she arrived at Falcon’s Nest. She had agreed to come out here and help her cousin with a bit of work. It would also give them a bit of time to discuss matters. Matters dealing with the Aurifore family.
Nebula chirped in impatience beside her. Her chocobo clearly not a fan of standing around in this cold either. She petted the bird’s beak affectionately before saddling up. “Alright. Let’s be moving them. Don’t want to keep Lance waiting in this weather. Too cold to be standing still long.”
They had agreed to meet up at The Pike. It was hard to miss the large statue of a Dragoon. Easy enough of a location to find each other even if a sudden blizzard swept in on them. When she arrived she found Lance waiting for her on his own bird, Strider.
“Glad to see you could make it, Cousin.” Lance said with a warm smile before kicking his bird into motion. “It’s not far from here. Let’s go before the weather turns.”
They set down around Hemlock, north of where they had met up. Keeping an eye on the archaeonis wandering about as they dismounted.
“So what did we need to come here for again? An why did I have to follow you out here into this wasteland?” Destiney sighed as she tugged her coat tight about herself.
“I got a letter with information from a trusted friend that we could find something here that might help our case against Grandfather.” Lance explained as he began to look around the frozen ruins of the abandoned place. “Apparently father has been meeting with some rather… Shady individuals out here. Some of which are involved in the case at hand. If we can find find something to pin this on…”
He words went unfinished as five individuals stepped out from the shadows into their view. All of them cloaked in plain undyed cloaks of wool which shrouded their features for the most part. What wasn’t hidden of their faces by the cloak hoods, a mask covered the rest.
“You will find nothing here. Afraid you have been duped old friend.” the tallest of the five spoke as he stepped forward, lance still at rest against his back.
Lance’s face began with a frown that slowly became a snarl as he recognized that voice. “Alexois…”
“What do you want?” Destiney asked as she scowled and readied herself to run if need be. Or at least shield her cousin if it came down to a fight. Though she definitely did not like the odds. All she was armed with was her magic and tome. Not that she could have fought back even if she had her bow handy.
“We’ve been paid well to do what we are about to do. Come with us quietly an Lancey here won’t be harmed. Much.” Alexois said as he reached up to remove his mask, sneer clearly visible now.
“Never! I won’t allow you to lay a hand on my cousin. Father paid you didn’t he?” Lance snarled as he drew his sword and shield, ready for the fight that was about to unfold.
“Poor Lancey. You never learned to stop being so trusting. Even after all I did to you.” Alexois held his arms wide as he mocked the knight. The four others with him drew their weapons. Alexois motioned the group forward before reaching back to draw their own weapons. “Let’s pick up where we left off shall we? Get the girl.”
Destiney moved quickly to place a hurried arcane shield over Lance as the group charged forward. There was no way for her cousin to stop all five by himself. No matter how hard he tried. She would have to defend herself somehow. If only she had had more time on those lessons with C’lest.
“Destiney! Run!” Lance called back to his cousin as his shield met the blade of one of the attackers. Two others used to the chance to slip past him to go after Destiney. A glance back to his cousin was all it took. When he looked back it was just barely in time to avoid a fatal wound from Alex’s lance. He felt the cold bite of metal rip through his chainmail though. Could feel the warmth of his own blood and the stinging pain in his right side. His movement and the arcane shield his cousin had hastily cast had saved him from worse damage then a glancing blow. However the damage was still done.
Destiney watched the two come towards her, their run dropping to a slow approach as they neared. Obviously waiting to see what her move might be. The one to her left moved first. She quickly dropped her tome and raised her arm as C’lest had taught her. Her forearm met the taller attacker’s throat. The surprise of the movement made the man drop his daggers as he choked at the arm against his throat. Destiney used her free hand and drew him in close by his belt to not give him any room. C’lest hadn’t really taught her what to do next so she improvised. She brought her knee up to his groin. The man collapsed to the ground, groaning in pain with his hands over his injury.
The second one decided not to give Destiney a chance to pull that maneuver a second time. He had used the distraction to come up behind her. Strong arms wrapping around Destiney from behind, around her shoulders. Her necklace somehow getting tangled in his fingers as she struggled to get loose. The chain snapping and the green stone pendant dropped to the snow at her feet.
“Let me go!” Destiney screamed in panic as she struggled hard. Her feet kicked in the air as the taller man lifted her up. A bright green rune carved stone jostled from her coat pocket as she fought for freedom. It landed in the snow about a foot away from the pendant.
Lance looked back with wide-eyes as he put a brief moment of distance between himself an the three that now circled him. Fresh blood ran down his cheek from a shallow cut below his left eye. “Destiney!” The one rammed him from the left, sprawling him into the snow. His chest rose and fell heavily with each breath. Fighting three on one with skilled opponents was not good odds. He forced himself back to his feet only for Alexois to kicked him from behind. He had no idea when the Duskwight had gotten behind him. He fell to a knee an scowled up as a sword came to rest beneath his chin, forcing him to look up at the man holding him at sword point.
“I would highly suggestion you come quietly, Destiney dear. Or I might have to stain the rest of the snow red with your dear cousin’s blood. I’m sure the archaeonis would love the meal.” Alexois sneered as he looked back towards the struggling woman.
Destiney froze at those words. Her eyes met Lance’s. The options were limited. She could continue to struggle and maybe get free. But at the cost of Lance’s life… If she went with them… There was no promise that Lance would live but the odds were better then the first.
“Only if you swear on Halone to let him live. If you dare kill him… I swear to the Twelve I will make you live to regret it.” Destiney didn’t want to embrace that old part of herself again. Did not want to go back down that path. Her looked to Alexois as she waited for his promise.
“Destiney! Don’t believe a word that traitor speaks! He’ll lie!” Lance pleaded with her, only to be silenced as that sword drew a drop of blood from his throat an made it hard to breath, let alone speak.
“I swear by Halone’s mighty grace that I will not kill your cousin today.” Alexois’s sneer changed to a genuine smile as he bowed towards her. “I can not make any promises on the future however.”
“Fine. Then I will go quietly.” Destiney closed her eyes and bowed her head. All struggling ceased from her. Though she slipped a hand into her pocket. When her head came back up an her eyes opened, she found Lance’s concerned gaze. She nodded to him as the one holding her marched her forward towards the rest of the group. She subtly dropped a linkpearl into the snow near Lance, brushing a bit of snow over it to hide it from the attackers’ sight. Lance blinked to try an let her know he had saw what she had done.
There was no denying she was going to be leaving as a prisoner to an unknown fate. She stared up at Alexois with a defiant look.
“Come along, Princess. We’re going to have some fun.” Alexois chuckled at her gaze. He turned to walk off with two of the four others he had come with. Leaving two to keep Lance in his place while they left. Destiney cast one last worried look back to her bleeding cousin. She mouthed a few last words to him…
Tell the Order.
Lance clenched his hands tightly around his sword and shield. Eyes drifting between the two who had remained behind. He felt a sudden kick to his ribs from the one not holding him at sword point. He coughed and rolled to his side, having dropped his shield. He bit back the cry of pain as he felt the one with the sword stab the back of his left shoulder as he rolled to his knees to get up.
“He said we couldn’t kill you today. Dun mean we can’t have a bit of fun.”
The two remaining finally left after leaving Lance with a few more bruises and wounds. Laughing as they walked away. Lance wiped at the blood from his busted lip as he watched them leave. Too much time. They had wasted so much damn time. He scrambled to find the linkpearl in the snow.
Tell the Order. The last words his cousin had mouthed to him. He needed to make a call to arms. He couldn’t do this alone. Definitely not in the shape he was in now. If there was any hope of finding her still alive… Then it lay in the Order’s hands now.
Everything had gone as planned. Or at least it seemed that way. He had used the money Rhisi had provided to plant the seeds of distraction. To give his cousin a smoke screen. A protection of a different kind as she studied self-defense with C’lest.
It had taken more time then he had wanted. The extra caution had been necessary. If any of this came back on him it could not be something that would look bad on Haillenarte. He had told that much to Rhisi when he had agreed to this idea. He would not drag down the Haillenarte name any further with the chaos his family was causing among the shadows of Ishgard.
To think his family had gone as far to send death threats to Destiney. This game was getting beyond control now. He was almost afraid to stray far from her side. Part of this was his fault. He was to blame for telling them about Destiney’s past out near Wineport. They had used that against her. He was to blame… He hadn’t known back then but ignorance was not an excuse for what he had done. He would see this corrected.
Even if it ended with a Trial by Combat…
He had meant what he had said at the Order house. If it came to that in the Ishgardian justice system… He would stand in for her. Life entrusted to the will of Halone to see him through it. He had faith that Halone would see justice done. That the weapon he had become would be used to correct the problem.
“I cannot fail. I will not fail. Even if I must place my life on the line.” Lance muttered to himself as he stared up at the cold sky above Ishgard that promised more snow.
From the shadows a figure of a man watched in silence as Lance walked through the streets of Ishgard towards home.
“What a clever boy. However you still have so much room to improve.” the older man mummered to himself as he watched. Sharp dark blue eyes remaining on Lance. “You are definitely an Aurifore yet you leave much to be desired. If we can not find her then we shall just have to have you followed instead. You are bound to be with her sooner or later. One way or another. This ends.”
A wicked grin on that tanned face of Vairemont as he stepped out of the shadows. Still dressed in his armor for House Dzemael. A cloaked person silently walked up an leaned against the wall near the older Aurifore. The stranger’s stance casual yet still tense for movement. Vairemont never once glanced in the stranger’s direction.
“Follow Lancefer. Find a way to lure them together if you must. If we can not find her alone then we will simply use the boy as the weapon he was meant to be. You better be as good as you bunch are being paid. If you fail… You know the price of failure.”
The cloaked stranger nodded in response to Vairemont’s words before vanishing off as silently as they had arrived.
“I am afraid to admit it but I tend to notice first how a person looks overall. Most definitely their physical appearance. Of course I am no fool to believe just because I find someone attractive that they are a decent person. I do not judge the book by its cover.” She lowers her voice and looks away shyly before continuing. “While it is a bit shameful to admit… A part of me wants longs to find bits of Leon in those people. His eyes or skin tone or hair. An it ends up getting me teased on occasion for having eyes for Duskwights or darker skinned Wildwood. Not that I have actually gone looking for a long while. For reasons.”
“Eyes. I tend to notice the eyes first. Even those of us accustomed to wearing a mask can not always hide what our eyes show. The eyes are said to be the windows into one’s soul. They are sometimes more expressive then we are willing to openly show. Physical appearance matters less to me then who a person is on the inside. So I would rather look to a person’s eyes to determine what they might be like. If they are worth my time. If they possess that fire and passion I am looking for.”
(Thanks! @ashoix & @kibuto since you both asked the same question. :D)
“Sometimes. However I also feel it can be just as fragile as it is strong. I think whether it lasts forever or not depends on the person or people involved. Love is much like the future. It is not stone. There are so many small variables that can affect or change it. However if you find the right person I feel it is possible that it can. Finding that person though is the real challenge.”
“I think it can. Yet I am still waiting for the right person to come along and test that though. At least as far finding my other half goes that is. The love between family is another story entirely. I think what has begun between my cousin and I will become a bond that is unbreakable. The love for the rest of my family… It is strained though still there.”
(Thanks! @skysteelsun I still owe you a teamwork memory ask too. XD Just trying to come up with something good.)
“In a way yes though not nearly the way one would think.” Destiney smiles warmly at a memory of the person she spoke of. “I changed for him more then for myself. Though he would scold me if he knew that. I was broken when we met. Just a fragment of the girl I used to be. His actions and care. The general warmth he provided made me want to be less broken. So I changed for his sake. However fate separated us not long after I began to slowly find myself again. Leon has still been the best thing that has ever happened to me besides finding my home among my current free company.”
(Thank you for the compliment and the ask. ^///^ I’m not really that awesome of a writer but I do appreciate the compliment very much. ❤ An I seen you reblog the V-Day prompt but you don’t have asks turned on to have any sent to you. Just to let you know. @klou98 )
1: Do you have a crush at the moment?
2: Have you ever been deeply in love?
3: Longest relationship you’ve ever been in?
4: Have you ever changed for someone?
5: How is your relationship with your ex?
6: Have you ever been cheated on?
7: Have you ever cheated?
8: Would you date someone who’s well known for cheating?
9: What’s the most important part of a relationship?
10: Do you like to be in serious relationships or just flings?
11: When you are dating someone do you believe in going on “breaks”?
12: How many people have you ever hooked up with?
13: What’s one thing you regret saying/doing in a previous relationship?
14: What age do you think is appropriate for kids to start having sex?
15: Do you believe in the phrase “age is just a number”?
16: Do you believe in “love at first sight”?
17: Do you believe it’s possible to fall in love on the internet?
18: What do you consider a deal breaker?
19: How do you know it’s time to end a relationship?
20: Are you currently in a relationship?
21: Do you think people who have dated can stay friends?
22: Do you think people should date their friends?
23: How many relationships have you had?
24: Do you think love can last forever?
25: Do you believe love can conquer all things?
26: Would you break up with someone your parents didn’t approve of?
27: If you could go back in time and give yourself one piece of advice about dating what would it be?
28: Do you think long distance relationships can work?
29: What do you notice first about another person?
30: Are you straight, bi, gay or pansexual?
31: Would it bother you if your partner suffered from any mental illness?
32: Have you ever been in an abusive relationship?
33: Do you want to get married one day?
34: What do you think about getting your partner’s name tattooed?
35: Could you be in a relationship without sex?
36: Are you still a virgin?
37: What’s more important: Looks or personality?
38: Do you enjoy love films?
39: Have you ever given anyone/received roses?
40: Have you ever had a valentine?
41: What’s your imagination of a “perfect date”?
42: Have you ever read “Romeo and Juliet”?
43: What’s more important: Your partner or your friends?
44: Would you consider yourself “romantic”?
45: Could you imagine to date one of your current friends?
46: Have you ever been “friendzoned”?
47: Which “famous couple” is your favorite?
48: What’s your favorite love song?
49: Have you ever broken someone’s heart?
50: If you’re single, why do you think you are?
51: Would you rather date someone who’s rich but a douchebag or someone who’s poor but a nice guy?
52: Are you good at giving other people advices regarding dating/relationships?
53: Are you jealous of couples when you’re single?
54: How important is it to make a relationship official (p.e. on Facebook)?
55: Would you consider yourself “clingy”, “overly attached” or “jealous”?
56: Have you ever “destroyed” a relationship?
57: Do you think it’s silly to consider suicide because of a broken heart?
58: Are you the “dominant” or the “submissive” part in a relationship?
59: Have you ever forgotten important dates like your partner’s birthday or your anniversary?
60: What’s your opinion on open relationships?
61: Who’s more important: Your partner or your family?
62: How do you define “cheating”?
63: Is watching porn while being in a relationship inappropriate?
64: Do you think Valentine’s Day is overrated?
65: Would you consider yourself a “cuddler”?
Spirit of the Warlock 