(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.