Alex was tired of finding new healers. It wasn’t even his fault either. He swore every time he turned around, one of his healer friends was suddenly too occupied to deal with his various injuries. Not that he couldn’t deal with his own wounds. He’d been doing it on an off for years already.
Then he managed to find a flyer for a clinic that was opening soon. What luck! Now he just had to hope the healer was the woman’s name on the flyer. He wasn’t ready to let some guy touch him. Even if he was injured. Too many bad memories.
Of course he soon found out that was the case when he had to go to have some bullet wounds cared for. A woman just like he had hoped. Small in stature but gentle in touch. He was glad to have someone to get the bullet out of his shoulder. That one was a little tricky to deal with on his own.
If only he knew where this lucky find would end up leading him. Sanagi was a lucky find indeed.
Destiney had been in the kitchen for a while now helping her mother out. Cooking wasn’t exactly one of her better skills but it was passable. At least she was learning a little bit by helping out.
Stefan was in the dinning room with Esper, setting the table. Esper had a plate balanced on his fluffy head. On the plate was all the silverware settings for the table. Stefan would reach for a setting at each seat. The plate of silverware offered to him each time. Working together like the team they were even for mundane tasks.
Lance was just arriving from his shift at Skyfire, removing bits of armor near the door. After all it was easier to eat when you were comfortable. As comfortable as the armor Iria had given him for Starlight last year, he would rather have this meal without it.
All that was missing so far was Syluss and the Sangria. Destiney knew he’d be along shortly to join them. Eager for him to spend a little time with the family she loved so dear. The boys were now helping to move plates from the kitchen to the table.
Destiney went to answer the door as a knock sounded. Lighting up brightly as she found Syluss on the other side. Taking his hand as she gave him a loving smile. She lead him towards the table where the rest of the family was already settling in. Mother was at the head of the table. Stefan to her right with Esper curled up near his chair. Lance beside the mage. Leaving the left side of the table for Destiney and Syluss.
Lance hadn’t originally been exactly sure what he was getting into with seeing Kyna. Not before the first visit. Though he admitted he needed help after the injuries he had sustained in Coerthas. As well as the mental and emotional wounds of the past. War is hard and painful in many ways.
Two visits later… And now they had even talked about a first date. Still the caution remained though. Partly because of his family. Partly because of old emotional wounds.
Yet there was just something about Kyna that he felt drawn towards.
Kind and understanding. Patient. Beautiful in both body and soul.
She was his healer though. So when she had suggested the Springs in La Noscea he voted for the Hot Springs in Bronze Lake. They were supposed to be healing. As well as it would be a relaxing time with Kyna. It was both healing and a date.
Perhaps this was Halone’s doing. Sending him some much needed healing in many ways. Time would tell. He was willing to take a chance. So was she. The only way to find out was to try.
Destiney paused on the small bridge over the river in the lower part of Central Coerthas. Looking up at the falling flakes of snow. Letting the flakes settle in her hair and on her clothes.
Closing her eyes she took a deep breath of the frigid air. Slowly exhaling before repeating. Focusing on the aether around her and within her. Not going for anything particular today. Nor difficult. Just simple aether control practice.
She had learned a lot between her time working for the Order and the efforts her brother made to teach her. Forming a small ball of water aether between her hands. Letting it go. A favorite of Oni’s. Though she had a feeling he much preferred when the aether wasn’t water based.
Now the part she was trying to get the hang of. It was half the reason she came out here. She wanted to try and grasp the ice aether. Water had always been easy. Ice was just frozen water right? The step between shouldn’t be that hard right?
Wrong. It didn’t come that easily to her. Yet it wasn’t nearly as hard as working with fire aether. Fire was still the most difficult element for her to use when she had to cast spells. Red magic did not use a full array of elements either. At least not that she had learned anyways.
Destiney sighed softly. Maybe she just wasn’t in the right mood for this today. Maybe it was too cold. Fingers without gloves was a bad idea for long in this icy chill. Rubbing her hands together to try and warm them a little. If she didn’t succeed today she’d just keep trying another day. Maybe one that wasn’t so bitter cold.
Alex did his best to hold still as for the second time in his life the needle neared his eye. The first had been when his mentor had marked his face with the red flowing tattoo. Now he was changing that red to black.
His mentor was dead. No love lost there. Never would be. But he was no longer owned by that monster who taught him to be a killer. This was his way to declare his freedom from that binding. It was easier to have it recolored rather then try to change it to some different design.
Another show of his defiance. Just like the dragon tattoo over the scars on his back. Defiance towards the nation he had no love for. Nor the lords that ruled it. Brume born and abused by one of those who held power till the man was murdered. Murdered by the man he had called mentor for many years.
Each scar was a reminder of where he’d come from. What he had survived. Marked him as someone who wasn’t ready to die yet. Each tattoo another show of his strength and will to keep pushing forward despite whatever hell the gods threw at him.
The newer scars? The ones Anata had given him? Badges of pride more then anything. Marks of hard work and training against someone he considered better then him. He’d keep improving. Keep showing his defiance and will to survive. Gods be damned.
That reminder helped him to relax and let the person work on recoloring the tattoo.
Valen paused to look around before sighing. This was just not his moon. First he got lost early in the moon. Now he’d lost his prey. What had he done to deserve such bad luck?
Worse part was… His prey had vanished without a trace. Or perhaps he had simply missed something glaringly obvious. Either way this was no a good sign. He needed the gil from this Bounty unless he planned to try and sing for his supper.
He really did need to sit down and have a talk with Virae. Especially about some of the activities he got himself into at times. Her opinion and feelings were important to him. It was why he had gone more into the hunting lately over the singing. Not that he didn’t still sing. He just wasn’t sure some of his other ‘preferred’ activities that went along with that would be okay with the small raen woman.
Valen adjusted the strap to his quiver before deciding to look around again. Surely he just missed something stupid. Then it dawned on him… What if his prey had used magic to give him the slip… Wouldn’t that figure… Another sigh but he kept searching anyways. It was that or back to square one on this hunt.
Bonds. Connected by a thread of fate. No matter the distance. We will always find each other again.
Sometimes the connection between two people is the most unlikely thing you would think could happen. That they don’t fit together. But somehow it works. They fit. Like the missing pieces of a bigger whole. That the one half fits into that broken and jagged half so perfectly to make a whole.
Alex couldn’t help but fall for the small raen healer. She didn’t see him as beyond help. She believed he could change. Be better then he was. For her he was willing to fight to make that true. For Sanagi.
“You’re mine. I love you, Sana.”
Sometimes it takes that one bright and shining soul. The shining light that can break through the darkness and take that person by the hand. Guide them from the darkness and the pain. Let them heal and smile once more.
She had been hurt and used. The memories clearly still haunted her. Yet she was still the sweet little bird who had flown to his side when he made a mistake and gotten injured. Whose smile made him want to offer her the world if he could. Just to see her continue to smile. To keep his sweet rose from withdrawing back into the pain. To see her true worth. Especially in Valen’s eyes.
“Such a pretty flower, You shouldn’t hide away.”
To find that something the soul longs for. To truly live again. As that thread of fate is pulled and tugged. Sometimes gently. Sometimes shoved and pulled. As if the hands of fate are truly at work.
Lance wasn’t looking for someone. Had pretty much given up hope on such an ideal at his age. Duty. He lived for duty to the High House he served. Then in walked an angel. He could have sworn Halone herself had sent this woman to him. A tug towards the lady who offered her kindness and help to quiet the pain. Still he remained guarded yet. So afraid to let anyone close to him after all that had happened. Maybe he really did need a shove by Halone.
“Kyna, I shall do my best. I hope you will continue to help me through this.”
Sometimes that is all one truly needs. A hope. A guiding hand. To find a bond so very needed. A bond that gives them strength and steel. Makes them stronger rather then weaker. A bond that they would fight tooth and nail to protect.
Silent wings. Silent songs. A calling neither answered. Yet a small hope began to bloom as the dragon began to find herself craving the next meeting with the small miqo’te woman. So many people she couldn’t trust with the truth. Yet Bodge… Bodge she could trust. Bodge was the first person she had trusted since Roselle.
“Bodge friend, would you like some berries?”
Yet no two bonds are exactly alike. Each one is unique. Each one is special. As that red thread of fate brings them together. No matter the distance, they will find each other.
Destiney had been cautious at first. Not sure she wanted to love again. More then once she had been shot down, left feeling unworthy. Then along came the wolf to steal the maiden’s heart. She handed it over to him so willingly. Found herself wanting nothing more then to stay by his side. To have a family with him.
Alex sighed softly as he looked at his gear and ran a hand over the guards for his hands. Remembering the other night. The way Sana had looked in the coat made by the same man who had crafted his own armor.
Hell he still remembered the first time he truly fell for her. It was still hard to believe that she could love someone like himself. They were heading towards a year now though. It seemed so close and yet still so far. Even with all they had been through over the time they had been together.
Fixing his injuries without too many prying questions. Not admonishing him for what he did. Actually listening to the truth he rarely told most. Not even running from him when he had tried to scare her off for her own safety. Not looking at him like the broken creature he often felt like…
Still she tried to make him see his own worth. Making him feel like maybe there was some hope… Even for someone like himself.
L’ania. Ulan. Arik. Ilan. Lancefer. Most importantly Sanagi.
Perhaps he wasn’t as hopeless as he once thought. Giving a wry chuckle before running a hand over his face. A lot had changed in a little over two years. For once… He had friends. He had someone he loved. He had a chance at happiness. If he could let go of the fear.
His thoughts drifted to Sana again. To just them together for her nameday. To the sweet tenderness of her tending to his wounds. Sleeping with her snuggled close to him. Seeing her smile. Having perfectly normal meals together. Treating him like he was a valid person and not just a monster.
Sana always seemed to make everything okay. No matter how stupid he acted. Her light chased away the darkness. She somehow always made everything okay.
Alex tipped his head back as he closed his eyes. He was alone. He felt no shame in letting the tears run down his cheeks right now. “Please… Let me stay by her side. Let me have this one thing if nothing else.” A quiet plea to the gods that he swore hated him and made him suffer for so much of his life.
Esper dozed on his favorite blue pillow as Stefan worked in his room. Papers and books had been set aside to make space for some alchemy work today. None of his usual had any medicine requests. At least not recently. But it never hurt to make extra.
Extra plus he wanted to tweak and play with a few of the recipes. The science wasn’t yet perfect. Not good enough. Always room for improvement. More results needed.
Trying to change the tastes of medicines without changing how they worked could be tricky. It was a lot of trial and error. Or waiting on test results. More often then not he ended up being his own test victim rather then try to find someone else willing. It had only gone badly a few times. Thankfully his sister lived in the Goblet as well. Not that he was any sort of alchemist expert. Yet. His skills with a tome and magic still outclassed his skills with alchemy.
Stefan checked the vial after mixing the ingredients. Setting it aside while he started another. The first one needed to set for a bit before he could test the results of the mixture.
Lance paused when he reached for his sword that he had left sitting beside the dresser. Eyes drawn to items he had left sit out on the top. One being a medal he’d never wear.
It felt wrong to wear it. Unearned. Or so he felt. Not that it meant much to those outside of House Haillenarte. Most of Ishgard still seen that day as a failure. House Haillenarte simply moved forward after a period of mourning. Praised him for his service and gave him time to recover from wounds suffered in the attack.
To him, it was not worthy of praise. They had failed to hold the Vigil. Even lost the lives of many, including their commander. Those that survived either carried on or retired due to injuries. He himself had debated ending his career as a knight after that incident.
Still his thigh bore the scar of a aevis that nearly killed him. Nightmares still occasionally plagued him. Teeth, claws, and dragon’s fire. It mattered little that the war was over. Old wounds cared little for whether the fighting ended or not.
Yet he soldiered on. Someone had given him a reason to. Reminded him of the life Lord Chlodebaimt sacrificed to save what few others he could in a lost cause of a fight. In turn, Lance swore to do his best to repay that sacrifice. Everyday. So on he would keep marching. He didn’t need any accolades or fancy titles. It was simply the duty he had accepted and felt was his calling by Halone’s will.
He would fight on. Picking up his sword and placing it in the sheath at his waist. Even if the war was over, there was always work to be done.
Spirit of the Warlock 