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.
Destiney had had enough. Everything was pushing her towards the edge. Tara, Nate, and now a death threat. She wasn’t sure how much more she could take. Should have told Rhisi. But… Her mind was not in the right place. There was too much pain. Too much hurt. She just needed out.
Tara’s words tonight when she had asked if there were any injuries tonight… Nate’s cold distance… If she didn’t get away something was going to break. Most likely her heart. There was only one other problem to focus on. One that didn’t threaten to crush her soul.
Her hands trembled slightly as she removed the crumpled letter from her pocket as she stood in Ishgard. There was only one place this letter could have come from. Or at least one city. The words had been clearly meant to cut like a knife. One with a jagged edge. Meant to rip and tear, causing as much damage as possible. Yet they were still only words. They didn’t cut near as deep as the way those close to her had been treating her recently.
Half breed bitch. You deserve to be witch dropped as a heretic. Messing with things no proper Ishgardian would ever touch. Your mother is a shameful creature. Laying with a filthy Gridanian hyur and producing half breed bastards. No wonder you consort with such people. You are no better then that bitch of a mother. No better then a blood thirsty heretic. Charlatan! You will get what is coming to you. You will be damned to the seventh hell. Halone can’t save you. You disgrace the blood that runs in your veins. Your death is coming.
Destiney crumpled the note up again. Nate had managed to read it when she had thrown it at his head in anger. He knew the words on the page. He had even mentioned that it was a death threat out loud in Rhisi’s presence. Well not that the letter was but he had mentioned death threats. Thankfully she had gotten out before Rhisi had had a chance to remember wanting to speak with her. She did not feel up to explaining this. This was her problem.
Yet… For Nate seeing the letter… He had been oddly cold about it. There had been a lack of emotion from Nate. No jokes about being her knight and protecting her. No real concern other then attempting to get Rhisi involved. An that hurt more then any words on a page. She felt alone…
“Hitoride wanai…” Destiney muttered the phrase that was the motto for the Order. But it felt so hollow to her right now. There was a feeling of hopelessness. Loneliness. A pain that was spiraling her back down into the darkness. Her hand gripped the green stone pendant that rested against her chest. A deep breath of the frigid Ishgard air. Masked face looking skyward to the softly falling snow. “Not alone… I can’t be alone.” The words were soft, a whispered plea.
With a heavy sigh, the healer headed off to seek answers. If any were to be found. She had a feeling she knew who had sent that letter. However he would deny it if she confronted him directly. The only other option was to ask questions. See if anyone remembered him dispatching someone with that letter that was delivered to her house. Or if anyone had seen him sending it via moogle mail. Someone had had to have seen something. Even if it was only something small.
Asking around produced the results she feared though. The bastard was clever. Making sure to leave no tracks. This didn’t surprise her much. No answers to her query. At this point all she could hope for was that it was a scare tactic. Something to make her afraid for her life. Hopefully send her packing back home to hide with her mother. No that was not what she would do. There was no way she would risk darkening her mother’s doorstep with this possible trouble.
Lance had just finished his shift of duty for the day. Could finally breath a sigh of relief that life was normal for the time being. There had been no further questions from his father or grandfather lately. Though in a way… That was just as bad. So much for that feeling of relief. It had been a fleeting feeling.
“Hey! Lance!” One of his fellow knights waved to him to get his attention. A letter in his hand.
“What is it?” Lance eyed the envelope with curiosity.
“Dunno. Was just delivered for you. You know I don’t read others mail.” The man handed off the letter to Lance before walking back towards his post.
Lance turned the letter over in his hand before finally opening it. The note was short but it’s meaning was plenty clear. A frown creased his brown as he read it a second time. “Tara.” If she was writing to him about his cousin she was obviously concerned. The fact that his cousin had left the Order for at least a day or possibly more concerned him. Something definitely did not sit well with him now. A nagging feeling.
“Halone have mercy…” Lance uttered the prayer softly as he picked up his service sword and shield. He had to find her. Something was clearly wrong. Tara knew about the dangers Destiney faced. This was the first time the wilds healer had warned him of his cousin’s actions. If he ignored this… No he wouldn’t ignore this. He couldn’t entertain the idea of what might happen if he did.
There was no parting words for his comrades in arms today as he hurried away from Skyfire Locks. He was a man on a mission.
Destiney had stayed the night at the inn in Ishgard. Resuming her search for answers in the morning light. Hoping that different hours might lead to a different result. Yet it was not to be. Still no answers came to surface. Her questions dismissed.
Her mind drifted back to the letter at first. Then back to the behavior of the man who had become her dearest companion. Thoughts on anything but where she was. The pain in her heart kept drawing her back to Nate. There was so much fear that she was losing him. It felt like hell. It was so akin to the pain that losing Leon had been.
Leon… She tried to let her thoughts drift to the duskwight. Memories of the joy he brought her. However her mind could not seem to grasp an hold those. All it recalled was pain right now. Ripping at her heart. Trying to tear open the scars and create new as well.
“Not the best of places for a pretty lass eh?”
Destiney blinked mask hidden eyes as the sound of a heavy voice brought her attention from thoughts. Her eyes settled on a rough looking man leaning against a wooden pillar. Brume thug by the looks of him. Had she really ended up in the Brume while thinking? Not good. Best to keep walking. Ignore the man. It was the best in this situation.
“Hey I was talking to you. You just ignore us like the rest of those high born bastards eh?”
Destiney quickened her steps but did not run. No she wouldn’t give this man the satisfaction of running her scared. The bow on her back had apparently not been enough of a deterrent. Glancing over her shoulder to check if the man followed had been a poor choice. She ran straight into another person. Her speed of purpose when she hit that solid body had nearly sent her falling backwards onto her backside. She swallowed hard as she looked up at the smirking face of the man she had run into.
“Now ain’t she a pretty thing. Didn’t ya mamma ever tell ya not to wonder the Brume? Bad things happen to pretty girls.” the new man sneered at her as she took a step back.
Shaking hands reached for her bow. Attempting to make herself seem a threat. Fight or flight. Eyes darting between the two men. looking for a way out. Those sneering faces though… Flashbacks through her mind. Those sneering faces of the Imperials… Her breathing quickened as she drew her bow forward. Willing herself not to give in. However she knew she was beginning to tremble. She wasn’t ready. Not yet. Not for this.
A hand reached out to grab her arm. Frozen like prey caught by a predator. They couldn’t see the fear widened eyes as she stared at that hand. Panic was slowly setting in. With a panicked shriek she ripped her arm from his grasp an turned. The other man still there but she was a prey trying to escape. She dodged his attempt to grab her, ducking to his left. Freedom beckoned to her. The steps leading out of the Brume taunting in the distance.
Her foot caught a broken shard of rock as she made for freedom. Felling her to her hands and knees. Eyes squeezed tightly shut as she heard their laughter. Their heavy steps approaching.
“Twelve save me…” Destiney whimpered softly as she moved to force herself to her feet again. Only to give a soft cry of pain. The knee of her left leg was torn. She could see the red of the blood even with the torn dark fabric.
Destiney couldn’t look. There was the sound of running feet. Another here to probably join them. Another to add to her pain and suffering. If she turned could she kill to survive? Or would the darkness consume her? She wasn’t sure. Indecision warred inside of her as she reached for her bow where it had fallen before her.
There were several grunts of pain. The solid thunk of metal meeting flesh and bone. The softer tinkling of metal, the movement of chainmail. A fight had begin behind her. Yet she waited in silence for the verdict. It seemed to last forever yet only took minutes. Thuds of two bodies hitting the stone ground.
“Destiney!”
The voice made her heart leap. She knew that voice. Teary masked covered eyes finally looked back towards where the men had been approaching. Now they lay on the ground in various states of pain an suffering. Before them stood a familiar face. Now she did give into the tears.
Lance moved forward, dropping to his knees beside his cousin. Leaving his sword and shield on the ground. Close enough to grab again if needed. His strong hand gripped her chin gently as he looked at her. The metal of his gauntlet cold as winter. “Are you okay?”
Destiney shook her head before throwing her arms around her cousin. He had come to her rescue. His surprise was plain on his face as she hugged herself to him. It had been unexpected to him. He gently wrapped his arms around her. Giving her a moment to try an calm herself. His eyes went back to the thugs who groaned softly in pain.
“Come on. We need to leave here.” Lance tried to pry her back from him gently. Her body was still trembling from the fear and tears. A frown creased his brow. He quickly secured his sword and shield before moving to pick his cousin up. It surprised him that she didn’t put up a fuss as he cradled her against his chest. Instead she merely buried her face against him. It worried him to see her like this. “Let’s get you home…”
Lance fully intended to take her away from Ishgard. There was no way he was letting her linger. He had a feeling those thugs had been hired to harass her. No second chances would be given if they tried again. The anger towards them had been deep. Remembering a time when he had once fought thugs like that with a man who had once been his friend. No these ones had not been targeting him this time. They had targeted his cousin who couldn’t physically fight back. This was clearly worse. Clearly deliberate yet he still had no proof. The game had continued forward.
No one was around when he walked through the doors. Well except the usual hall servants who worked for the Order. Thankfully one of them had opened the door for him. Somewhere along the way Destiney had dozed off in his arms. Putting her down would probably have woken her. He asked for the help of the elezen man who had opened the door. Needed help getting her into the back where her room was. He thanked the man as he stepped inside with his cargo.
Her room was warm and inviting. Clearly well cared for. Books scattered on the table with papers. A pillow on the floor nearby her work table. Probably for her wolf pup or the dragonet she had mentioned to him before.
Lance set her down on the nearest of the two beds. It looked like the one she slept in. The other was neat and clean. Not that this one was not but it showed more signs of use. Once she was safely down he moved to find supplies. He only knew basic first aid but her knee needed cleaned. Being a knight for a nation that had been at war for so long.. First aid had seemed like a good thing to learn. Not only to care for his own wounds but to help his fellow knights. He had no real training in aether though.
His cousin being a healer was a good thing. In the drawer at the foot of the bed he found what he was looking for. A clean cloth and some bandages. Gauntlets were ditched on top of the furnishing. He moved to the tub to wet the cloth and borrow the soap before moving back where she slept. His hands were gentle as he worked to clean the dried blood.
Sky blue eyes looked up to see if she still slept. He could not tell with that mask on her face. He could only recall seeing her in that mask a few times. None of them good times for her. He was beginning to wonder if it was some sort of symbol. Swiftly he had the shallow wound cleaned and bandaged. Hands reached up to remove that mask from her face and sit it aside. When his gave returned to her, cerulean eyes met his.
There was so much pain in those eyes that stared up at him. He was unsure how long she had been awake. Or if she had been awake the whole time. Yet beneath that pain was a flicker of the flame he was used to seeing in her.
“Destiney… What happened?” His voice was gentle, filled with concern. This was the side of the woman he was not used to seeing. He was used to the spark and vibrancy. Something had to be gnawing at her like a rabid beast to leave her like this.
There was only silence between them. She eventually rolled over. Gaze broken between them. He heaved a heavy sigh as he rested a hand on her shoulder. The only comfort he could offer her if she would not speak to him.
“Thank you…”
He had almost missed the words. They had been soft and barely above a whisper. “Of course. A knight lives to serve. To protect. To sacrifice.”
He was a bit shocked when she curled up an began to softly cry once more. Concern creased his face. He was unsure how to help her. Yet something needed to be done. Something had to give. An he needed to check into the attack. His eyes fell on a crumpled ball of paper that had fallen from her pocket as she had rolled over to her side. He allowed her a moment to cry as he examined the paper. Concern changed to anger.
“I’ll be back later to check on you. Please remain here, cousin.” Lance stood and gathered his gauntlets once more. He needed to check into this letter himself. He wasn’t sure this was entirely what rattled his cousin so much. Yet without her speaking to him… There was little he could do. He would find the lady of the house though an show her both the paper and ask her to talk to Destiney. Then he could do some searching of his own. He paused at the door an looked back once more. Wishing silently that there was more that he could do.
One step at a time. He would find Lady Rhisi and then deal with this problem in his own way.
Spirit of the Warlock 