I feel like Nero’s English VA isn’t smug enough. He needs to sound punchable. His dialogue shows him to be at least purporting to be utterly full of himself, and I feel the VA plays it a bit flat; he sounds almost normal despite the dramatic dialogue. BRING ME SASS

Chapter 47: The Edge of Gyr Abania

 

Chapter 48: The Battle in the Sky

Achiyo, Kekeniro, Vivienne, Alphinaud, and Alisaie were the last to arrive at the council at the Lotus Stand. Besides the four Alliance leaders and their retinues, Cid and Yugiri were there. Alisaie did not actually have to be there, but Achiyo guessed she was curious enough to put up with politics.

Achiyo looked around at all the faces as she came up to them. Kan-E-Senna and Merlwyb looked grave, Raubahn’s expression implied a multitude of emotions behind an impassive facade, and Cid looked thoughtful. Aymeric smiled to see her, just a little, briefly breaking his look of stoic concern. She nodded to him, to them all as the Scions took up a place to the left of the council.

“Dear friends,” Kan-E-Senna began, “pray accept my heartfelt thanks for your efforts in defence of Gridania’s borders. I would fain dwell longer on my gratitude for the support of the Alliance, but the situation at Baelsar’s Wall demands that we forgo such pleasantries.” She gestured to one of her bodyguards, a dark-haired young Hyuran man, who stepped forward with a salute.

“According to our most recent intelligence, the cocoon of light that formed in the air above the Wall remains undimmed and unbroken,” he said. “After measuring the cocoon’s aetheric concentration, Archon Y’shtola has confirmed the presence of a primal entity…”

“Hmph,” Raubahn grunted. “So we must assume that Ilberd’s thrice-damned god is indeed trapped within. And what news of the Imperials? They are not like to ignore such a spectacle.”

The Hyur nodded. “Sir. A Garlean airship was observed making an approach, but the vessel was destroyed when it drew near. The Empire appears to have made no subsequent attempts to reach the object.”

“The soldiers who witnessed the incident spoke of a ‘lance of light’ issuing from within the cocoon. Of an entire warship being reduced to smoking ruin in the space of a moment…” Kan-E looked regretful, and Achiyo felt the same. The Empire might be their enemy, but her soldiers should not have had to die uselessly simply to satisfy their masters… “Veterans of Carteneau, meanwhile, likened the destruction to that wrought by the fiery wrath of Bahamut.”

“We could face another Calamity…” Alisaie murmured.

“So it has some awareness and reach,” Kekeniro mumbled to himself, making notes in his grimoire. “By the way, what’s the state of the Wall?”

“None dare approach the segment under the cocoon, not even by foot,” Raubahn said.

“So the primal is awake, then?” Alphinaud said. “Contained, yes, but for how long? We must destroy it now, lest it break free!”

“Agreed,” Cid said. “There is, however, the small matter of how to get close enough to a being that swats warships from the sky as you would a bothersome gnat…”

There was a long pause. Achiyo thought of the power that she had used to shield everyone against Nidhogg’s Akh Morn, but that did not last long, and she was not keen to test it against this being unseen. …Also, wasn’t it rather difficult to swat a gnat from the air? They had much better reflexes than airships.

There was a stir from the guards at the gate, and they all turned to see the way barred to a blond man somehow both scruffy and stylish simultaneously. “Is this truly so complex a puzzle?” he called to them past the guards. “Or have you no stomach for the obvious solution?”

Cid swerved around to glare at him full-on. “What in the hells are you doing here!?”

“A pleasure to see you too, Garlond,” Nero cried jovially. “Now, if you would be so kind as to explain to these good people why you should be begging me for my assistance, that would be most appreciated.”

“Why should we do that?” Vivienne growled, arms folded. “What’s your stake in this, Scaeva?”

“…We should at least hear what he has to say,” Cid said reluctantly, and Kan-E-Senna nodded to the guard to let him in.

“Who is this man?” Aymeric demanded, looking at him suspiciously.

“An arrogant arse,” Vivienne muttered.

Nero grinned with all the self-assurance of the cat that swallowed the canary, looking round at them all with sharp grey eyes. “Oh, how terrifically rude of me! Nero tol Scaeva, former tribunus of the XIVth Legion of the Garlean Empire. These days, however, one might say that I am something of a free agent.”

“Seeing as we destroyed the Ultima Weapon, the Empire would probably do nasty things to him for failure, even though it wasn’t his fault,” Kekeniro explained. “So he’s probably not going to sell us out.”

“True on all counts, and thank you so much for bringing up those memories,” Nero said sardonically.

“What do you want, Nero?” Cid asked impatiently.

“I was getting to that,” Nero said. “Although you already know what I am about to propose, old friend. As you have rather belatedly realized, within that frail binding lurks an entity alike in strength to the great Bahamut. And the only force in existence which might conceivably contend with such a foe is the very creation which captured the elder primal in the first place. I speak, of course, of Omega.”

“Omega?” said Raubahn. “That hulk has been gathering dust beneath the plains of Carteneau since the Allagans breathed their last! And none alive knows how to wake it.”

Nero chuckled in affected incredulity. “I’m sorry – do you understand who it is with whom you have the privilege of speaking? I am Nero tol Scaeva, master engineer – the mechanical genius who restored the Ultima Weapon to full operational capacity!”

Vivienne reached out and grabbed Nero’s collar. “Get to the point before I trounce you for being insufferable!”

“Have some patience, my lady,” Nero said, and Vivienne bared her teeth. “As luck would have it, I am graciously offering you the use of my considerable expertise.”

“Why?”

“He probably just wants an excuse to find out how Omega works without being called a terrorist,” Kekeniro said, not looking up from his grimoire. Nero simply grinned at Vivienne, who snarled back but let go of his collar.

“And what, you just expect us to accept?” Cid said. “You’re a fool if you think that your deeds at the Crystal Tower were enough to win my trust, Nero.”

Aymeric looked to Achiyo for explanation, and she shrugged helplessly. “He did risk his life to save our allies in the void.”

“Complaining all the while,” Vivienne muttered. Achiyo thought the two of them might have something in common then, but forbore to say so.

“Trust?” Nero answered Cid. “You wound me, Garlond. All those years studying side by side at the Academy, sharing both trial and triumph. We were countrymen, once, you and I. But sentiment aside – have you a better solution? Or do you mean to send in your vaunted heroes there, as you always do, and pray the world is not engulfed in flame?”

Alphinaud looked away, a hint of shame in his eyes. Aymeric made no reaction – perhaps too little reaction. Achiyo wished she could reassure them both. The other leaders looked at each other with forced calm.

“Let us approach the problem in a rational manner,” Nero said. “Does not the fact that Omega slumbers in stasis point to the existence of some overriding technology? A means of control?”

“I would ask a question, if I may – Nero, was it not?” Kan-E said. “In the event that we succeeded in using Omega to shackle the primal in the manner you propose, what then would become of it? Do we not risk repeating the mistakes of the Allagans?”

“Omega is but a tool,” Nero said with a shrug. “How we choose to employ that tool is entirely up to us. Of course, if you would rather leave it buried beneath Carteneau, while you continue your petty squabbles above, then I suppose that is also your choice.”

“Spare us, Nero,” Cid said shortly. “The Seedseer’s concern is a valid one. The one who controls Omega wields the power of the gods. The very power which led the Allagans to destroy themselves.”

“And does it not fall to we engineers to prevent such misuse?” Nero said. “What was your company’s proud slogan? ‘Freedom through Technology’?”

Cid snorted. “A creed you follow, is it?” He sighed. “What say you, Scions? Do we take this villain at his word?”

They looked at each other. Alphinaud and Alisaie did not know him and made no answer. “Of course not,” Vivienne said.

“He has the skill and the knowledge, Vivienne, though he cloaks it in prideful bravado,” Achiyo said. “We can but keep an eye on him.”

“As will I,” Cid said. “I don’t like it, but then it doesn’t look like we have much choice.” He walked up to Nero, stared him in the face for a few moments, shook his head, then turned to the rest. “Would the council be willing to entrust this matter to a pair of former Imperials?”

The council only took a glance to come to a consensus. “Yes,” Kan-E said. “The task of restoring the Allagan relic will be yours. But the responsibility for its reawakening must remain with the council. Do we condone this course of action?”

Merlwyb nodded, Aymeric nodded. “Aye, ‘twould seem we do,” Raubahn said. “Let the records show that we invest this contingent with the authority to enter Carteneau and take command of Omega. Cid, I appoint you leader of the expedition. Scions – I would ask that you assign some few of your number to escort Master Garlond and supervise the other one.” Nero sighed.

“We should be happy to oblige,” Alphinaud said. “The politics of Carteneau being what they are, I daresay our neutrality will prove useful in avoiding any unnecessary entanglements.”

Alisaie smiled and looked at Yugiri. “If I am not mistaken, Doma occupies a similarly neutral position. Might we not persuade you to join the expedition, Lady Yugiri? If you suspected any foul play from Nero, you would be welcome to kill him.”

Yugiri glanced coldly over at Nero before answering Alisaie. “My blade is yours.”

“Not a moment’s hesitation, eh?” Nero said; he did not seem terribly put out by the death threat. “You’ll forgive me if I do not shake your hand.” He chuckled at his own not-a-joke, and Cid shook his head in exasperation.

 

The Scions gathered at the airship dock in the Carline Canopy shortly after the council concluded. “Ready to go?” Cid said to Achiyo and Alphinaud. “The others have stepped out onto the landing for a moment, lest you wonder. Nero insisted that he be allowed to inspect the Excelsior before boarding.”

“And you let him?” Alphinaud exclaimed. “Despite his very timely offer of assistance, the thought of that man poking about in the workings of the ship without proper supervision does not fill me with confidence.”

“Surely he would not sabotage the ship that we will all ride together,” Achiyo said. “I remember he was jealous of you – perhaps he only seeks to find something, however small, to criticize, to soothe his pride.”

“Aye, that sounds about right,” Cid said. “Calm yourself, Alphinaud – your sister was adamant that he would never leave her sight. She and Yugiri are – Ah, well here they are now.” The odd trio walked up to them. “Right, I think that’s everyone. Shall I set course for Carteneau?”

“Ah, might I ask that we delay our departure slightly?” Alphinaud said. “I require no more than a few hours at most. Our colleagues are studying the cocoon even as we speak, and I would hear their latest observations ere we proceed. It would seem wise to gain as clear an understanding of the situation as possible before formulating our plan.”

“Oh! I thought time was against us! How foolish of me,” Nero said sardonically.

“Hold your tongue,” Alisaie said sternly. “When we want your opinion, we’ll ask for it.”

“Forgive me, my lady!” Nero said, dripping with even more sarcasm. “I shall keep my counsel until such time as you have finished procrastinating.”

“All right,” Cid said, putting an end to the sniping. “While Alphinaud speaks with his colleagues, I shall fly the Excelsior over to Mor Dhona, and we can reconvene at the Rising Stones.” They would at least be closer to Carteneau there.

“Mine apologies for the trouble,” Alphinaud said. “I shall visit Y’shtola and the others forthwith, and join you as soon as I am able. Achiyo, Vivienne, Kekeniro, what will you do?”

“I’d like to come with you, of course,” Kekeniro said.

“I’m going to help keep an eye on the bastard,” Vivienne said, pointing her thumb at Nero, who rolled his eyes.

“Right,” Cid said. “Everyone heading to Mor Dhona is welcome to travel aboard the Excelsior. Shall we?”

Kekeniro waved, and began a Teleport that Alphinaud joined in. The rest headed for the airship dock.

Nero did not seem to mind that Alisaie, Yugiri, and Vivienne were all watching him with varying degrees of animosity; he kept to himself on the back of the ship, watching the lands pass by beneath them. “What manner of airship has no private cabins? Then again, I suppose Garlond had to find somewhere to stow his half-baked inventions…”

Achiyo went up to him. She worried that collectively, their suspicion and hostility might be taking a toll and she did not want to alienate him entirely, since he had offered to help, for whatever reason. “Have you been well?”

He raised an eyebrow. “You have to ask?”

“Don’t bother, Achiyo,” Vivienne said. “He’s not here to be friends. You won’t get a sincere answer out of him.”

“It is rare that we treat our allies, no matter how temporary, with such disrespect,” Achiyo said. “Why now?” Certainly, Nero had actively fought against them before, and was not exactly being easy to work with now. Still, this did not sit well with her.

“He deserves it until he actually proves himself trustworthy, doesn’t he?” Vivienne said.

“I like to think I deserve plenty of respect,” Nero said, leaning back against the rail with his elbows. “You hardly need to trust me to believe my credentials, or even to be civil. But your lack of manners bothers me not at all, my lady.”

Vivienne glared. “I suppose you think it’s manners that you’re not calling us ‘Eorzean savages’ out loud.”

“Please,” Achiyo scolded them both. “Even if he is only being ironically polite, surely we can be polite in return. I am not saying we should not be suspicious of him – but he has offered to help, and all we have offered in return are threats.”

“Are you worried about me?” Nero inquired, smirking. “Simple folk fear that which they do not understand. It follows that I receive death threats quite frequently. Your ignorance is nothing new.”

She did not rise to his insults. “I do not know why you are here, but if you prove true to your word, then I would rather we had been gracious to you all along. You might help matters if you did not bait my companions, as well.” 

He considered her words, then actually made a little bow to her. “Then you are smarter than most. I shall consider it.”

“You’re lucky Achiyo’s here,” Cid called over his shoulder. “She’s slow to judge, but only because she doesn’t change her mind once she’s made it up.” Was that yet another unspoken threat? Certainly if he proved false, she would be relentless. But she did not want him to be. In the World of Darkness she had begun to see something else in him, and she hoped that was his true self, even if he hid it for his ego’s protection.

She turned to the others. “Will you also consider treating Nero as Nero, and not as a former Tribunus?”

Alisaie thought, then nodded. “Strange though it may seem, Nero’s former loyalties do not trouble me. But I can see why people are loath to lower their guard around him.”

“I do not care for that man,” Yugiri said. 

“You and me both,” Vivienne said.

 

The party from the Enterprise entered the Rising Stones, where many of the other Warriors of Light were waiting. There they were greeted by Tataru fluttering over Rinala, who was wearing a stylish white jacket with a short pleated blue skirt – the shortest skirt Achiyo had yet seen in her life, but Rinala did not seem uncomfortable in it. With it she wore long brown boots that nearly reached the skirt. 

Rinala ran to meet them. “Look, Achiyo! Tataru made me clothes!” She was beaming, and twirled to show it off. Her tail made a happy curl; she lifted her arms and Achiyo saw how Tataru had cleverly added gussets to the jacket sleeves to allow full mobility despite being so closely fitted to the body.

“Very nice,” Achiyo said, smiling. “Well done, Tataru. It looks lovely on her.”

Tataru blushed. “I can’t tell you how much that means to me! To have crafted something worthy of one of the Warriors of Light is… Well, let’s just say it makes all the practice worthwhile.”

“I love it,” Rinala said, stooped to give Tataru a grateful hug, and stopped short as she noticed Nero looking around with a look of faint disdain. “Um, why is he here?”

“Should I offer him tea, or no?” Tataru asked in a whisper.

“He has offered a solution to the primal that Ilberd summoned,” Achiyo said. “I do not think he will care overly much about tea…”

Nero had completed a circuit of the main hall of the Rising Stones. “So these are the fabled headquarters of the Scions. I confess, I would have expected an order of self-proclaimed warrior-scholars to surround themselves with the fruits of man’s enlightenment. And yet there is not so much as a single piece of magitek in sight. It never ceases to amaze me how primitive you Eorzeans truly are…”

“Ooh! I’ll have you know that the Rising Stones is home to the very latest in magitek innovation,” Tataru said in great indignation. Nero blinked down at her, genuinely taken aback… momentarily. “Wedge calls it the Mark XIV Thermocoil Boilmaster, and it’s the finest kettle I’ve ever had the pleasure to own.”

Somewhere in the back, Chuchupa smacked her own face.

“Dear me,” Nero said, looking at the indicated kettle in its special place behind the bar. “How risible must the previous thirteen iterations have been? I could design a more efficient water heater in the time it took that ill-conceived lump to become lukewarm.”

Tataru gasped. Achiyo suspected Nero would not be getting any tea now. “How dare you mock the Scions like that?” She turned to Rinala. “If I ever had to sew a set of travelling clothes for him, I just might forget to take out the pins.”

The brewing argument was interrupted by Alphinaud, Kekeniro, and Yda coming in. “We are returned,” Alphinaud announced. “Well, we three at least. Y’shtola and the others remained behind to continue their assessment of the binding magick.”

“There didn’t seem much point staying just for that, so I decided to come back with Kekeniro and Alphinaud,” Yda said. “Papalymo bought us this time. We shouldn’t waste it.”

The door slammed open once more. “By your leave!” roared a cheerful voice, and Achiyo jumped, her hand going to her sword before she registered the guise of the man who had just entered.

“Good gods. That voice could fell a gigas,” Alisaie said.

A Roegadyn had just come in, broad-shouldered, sun-burnt. He was dressed in Doman garb, his grey hair pulled back in a samurai’s knot. His voice boomed out again. “This is the Rising Stones, domicile of the Scions of the Seventh Dawn? I enter at the invitation of one Lord Urianger!” He burst out in laughter. “I spy you there, shadow walker. You always were a hard one to find!”

Yugiri stepped back, her mouth falling open, but no words came out.

“Yugiri? Do you know this man?” Alisaie inquired.

The Roegadyn charged down the steps and straight into their midst; the Scions scattered rather than be caught underfoot. “Gosetsu!?” Yugiri gasped out. “Why are you come to Eorzea?”

“In search of you, Yugiri!” the samurai said, and began to recount. “For days and nights did I row across the angry sea… I made port in good spirits, only for my own flesh to betray me over the trifling matter of an empty belly! Collapsed in the street like an unfed stray, I was, until Lord Urianger came to my aid. Over a most welcome meal, we spoke of the plight of Doma, and I learned of our displaced countrymen’s work to resettle this blighted land. ‘Twas blind fortune that I was able to locate you so swiftly! But now we must make ready to depart! Our master languishes in dire peril, and Doma calls her daughter home!”

Kaien-oo-sama was dead, Yugiri had said. So his son, Hien-sama? What was happening in the East? …And what would Urianger think of being called a lord?

“It is not so simple, Gosetsu,” Yugiri said slowly. “There are obligations which bind me here…”

“You… You refuse?” said the samurai. “Did you mislay your oath during your flight from our homeland? The laws of hospitality must be honoured, but surely the vow to defend your master demands the greater obeisance!”

“It was our master who bid me guide our people to safe haven by any means necessary,” Yugiri said. “And it was the Scions you see before you who provided us succour and sanctuary when all others refused. Dire peril or no, were I to return without first repaying such hospitality, our master would cut me down at the threshold.”

“Seems a bit harsh,” R’nyath said.

“No,” Achiyo said absently, thinking back to what she remembered, given that it was not a life she herself had led. “That is not out of the ordinary. The honour of a vassal reflects upon the honour of their lord, and in some ways Doma and Hingashi are even more rigid than Ishgard.”

“Hm… Mayhap you are right…” said the samurai, to Yugiri, bowing his head in thought.

“There is more,” Yugiri said. “A crisis threatens all within this realm, Eorzean and Doman alike, and I go to play my part in its resolution. I will not bring shame upon our liege by abandoning my people or my duty.”

“Hm. How very noble of you,” Nero said without interest, clapping sarcastically. “Now, in the name of honour, kinship, and – ah, yes – practicality, might I suggest we get this expedition underway? Or would you rather debate the finer points of duty and leave Omega to the Empire?”

“The Empire!?” cried the samurai, spinning to look at Nero, and then back to Yugiri. “Yugiri? You draw steel against the curs of Garlemald?” She nodded firmly. “Then why did you not say so? My blade is oathbound to fall upon the ranks of the Imperials wheresoever they march! Lead on, shadow walker. And may the enemy tremble at our coming!”

“Oh, I think he’s going to fit right in,” Cid said quietly, smiling.

 

Quickly they divided their forces: Vivienne, Yda, Yugiri, Cid, Nero, and now Gosetsu would head for Carteneau and the controls for the Omega weapon. Alphinaud and Alisaie would join Y’shtola, Krile, and other Scions who were observing the primal cocoon, and Achiyo would take the remaining Warriors of Light to prepare to fight the primal if all else failed. 

Vivienne hoped it would not fail. Fighting Nidhogg had been very bad, and he had not been a primal, and they’d had an additional elite fighter in Aymeric with them. Doing that against a creature of the same power with two people fewer did not sound like a good time. And what of the creature’s mind? Would it be filled with mindless rage, or would it have cunning, an agenda?

No, she was not thrilled about babysitting the engineers, and she was much more worried about the others. But someone had to. They couldn’t predict the situation at Carteneau any more than at Baelsar’s Wall, and a Warrior of Light might be handy to have on hand to deal with unexpected nonsense.

They landed deep in the blasted wasteland that was Carteneau now, finding a clear zone between all the rubble from Dalamud scattered around. Nero led them unerringly between pillars of scarlet metal, looking this way and that until he came to a large hexagonal structure with an Allagan terminal on one side of it.

He poised his hands over the terminal’s control panel and thought for a moment. “Now where was the… Ah!” His fingers flickered as he manipulated the hologram, playing it like a clavier, and the rest of the panel lit up in activation. “I’ve enabled the teleporter. One brief jump, and we shall arrive in Omega’s control room.”

“Haven’t the Allagans heard of ‘doors’?” Vivienne muttered to herself.

“Oh yes, and let any buffoon walk into a highly secure facility?” Nero retorted; she rolled her eyes.

Cid glared at him sidelong. “How convenient. You’ve been here before.”

“Of course,” Nero said smugly. “‘Twas no easy task threading a path through all the skirmishers… But how could I ignore the existence of such a fascinating toy! You may trust that my preliminary examination was suitably thorough.”

“Trust? Aye. I trust your appetite for technology.”

They were interrupted from their bickering by the sound of marching footsteps, and they looked up to see a Garlean patrol, led by a Roegadyn in tribunus armour, wielding a warhammer even larger than Nero’s. He grinned at them and called out. “I chase down a suspect airship, and who should I find but the traitor, Cid Garlond! Searching for something, engineer? Something big? It’s close, isn’t it?” He laughed uproariously. “It’s like all my namedays have come at once!”

Nero growled like he knew this man personally. “Of all the scouts the Empire could have sent… Take care of that brute, will you!” He reached out to the terminal and teleported.

Cid huffed in frustration. “Godsdammit. I can’t let Nero tinker around in there by himself. Sorry to leave you to it – but I daresay you’ll manage without me. This clod has no idea who he’s dealing with.”

“It’s fine,” Vivienne said, and drew Cronus from her back. “This will not take long.”

Gosetsu drew his slim blade and stepped up beside her. “I am Gosetsu, samurai of Doma! You will rue your choice of opponent this day!”

But though the four of them were skilled and deadly, the Garleans were well-armoured, and their leader was the best-defended of them all. His hammer swung in such heavy circles that even Vivienne was not keen to approach him directly, choosing instead to pace him until he might stumble. In the meantime, the Garleans gained reinforcements as quickly as they fell, slowly growing to dangerously outnumber the Scions.

“What’s the hold-up?” crackled in Vivienne’s ear through her link-pearl. Was it- how had Nero gotten a hold of her connection!? Had Cid given it to him? Why couldn’t Cid have called?

“More keep coming,” she said shortly, casting a defensive shield and then Abyssal Drain to restore strength and mana. Darkness coursed through her, and blood was beginning to trickle beneath her armour from non-lethal but still-annoying graze wounds. They didn’t have any healers with them, was that going to be a problem? “I can only murder so quickly, you know.”

“Are you still playing with those soldiers?” He let out a dramatic sigh. “I suppose I can lend you one of my toys… but only if you promise to give it back.”

She didn’t need anything from him. “Why don’t you shove it up your arse instead?”

There was a nearby clank, and a magitek armour in brilliant crimson with gold trim bounded up and stopped beside her. “Behold! The Red Baron! Now end this nonsense!” It was the same colour as his armour, because of course it was.

Briefly she thought of summoning Maggie to double their armour, and letting Yda drive Nero’s, but it might take a while for her to get there. “Maggie’s going to be jealous,” she muttered as she clambered aboard. The control panel was highly customized but the essential functions – steering and fire control – were similar enough that she felt comfortable in just blasting away, as far away from her friends and allies as she could.

The enemy captain was about to have a conniption. “What the…? No one told me they’d have magitek armour! Er… forward! For the Empire!” He pointed, and as his soldiers ran forward, he began stepping backwards.

“The honourless cur thinks to abandon his men?” Gosetsu bellowed, and half the soldiers turned to look; the captain had the sense to look embarrassed. “I shall see that he shares their fate! Pray attend to the rest of his minions!” He plowed through a line of soldiers and attacked with a flashing downward strike. Yda’s fists and feet were still blurring between enemies, and Yugiri’s quick knifework caught those who would use ranged weaponry on them.

New, gigantically heavy footsteps made the ground shake beneath the magitek walker, and Vivienne looked up from targeting soldiers to see one, two, three approaching colossi. She swore, quietly at first and then increasing in volume and force as she realized the position they were in.

“Dear me, is the Empire really giving you so much trouble?” Nero asked in her ear. “I thought you were a Warrior of Light. Unstoppable, undaunted, and all that.”

“Shut it!” she snapped, taking half a moment to properly disconnect her linkpearl, and strafed to get a better angle on the lead colossus. “Yda, watch out, I’m coming through!”

It was like being in combat with several gigas, except all mechas. She had to be much more nimble than a moment ago, jumping around the battlefield to dodge massive swords, spinning to spit fire at them. Nero would undoubtedly complain if she scratched his paint, but he would complain even more if she got his armour cut into pieces. It was a good thing she was accustomed to piloting Maggie as much as she was. Though… she hated to admit it, but the Red Baron was in even better maintenance than Maggie; every motion was smooth and quiet, absolutely fluid and responsive. Clearly lovingly cared for by his engineer. Jessie was a good engineer, but she could only work on Maggie when Vivienne brought her in, and she didn’t do that as often as she ought.

The battlefield was an overwhelming roar of noise and blinding flashes of light, stinking of ceruleum. With all the disturbance, she wouldn’t be overly surprised if the Alliance came running out to check on them pretty soon. Well, if they could put aside their play-fighting for a minute to join forces against their real enemy, so much the better. In the meantime, she held down the firing trigger, filling one colossus full of aetherial bullets until its joints shuddered to a stop and it collapsed in a heap; she had to jump backwards as another stomped towards her and swung down at her.

She had led the colossi a little away from the infantry battle, easily enough – for she was the biggest threat to them, and she could shoot them from afar and they had to close with her to strike back. That would protect her allies a little while they dealt with the foot soldiers. She evaded them in wheeling arcs, dragging them behind her like a kite until she could turn and fire upon them, the magitek armour becoming an extension of her like to her sword.

When they had fallen in heaps of flaming metal, she turned back to the skirmishing patrol. “Everyone still alive?”

“We’re all right!” Yda cried, ducking a stab from a spear and kicking the attacker in the face so he went flying back a yalm. “Glad you’re back, though.”

One of the Garleans, some lieutenant, shouted out to the soldiers. “The colossi are scrap, and the captain hits us as often as the enemy! Enough! Time for a tactical withdrawal!”

The surviving soldiers immediately and gladly picked themselves up and began to run. The Roegadyn tribunus swung his hammer at a couple, fortunately missing, as he went into a tantrum. “Hey! You can’t just run off! Deserting a battle is punishable by death! I order you to stand your ground! Come back here now! …Please?” He stopped swinging and reached out pleadingly, but not one of them looked back.

“Now that’s just embarrassing,” Yda said.

“You bring this fate upon yourself!” said Gosetsu.

“Grrr… Damn it all to the seventh hell! I’ll kill you bastards if it’s the last thing I do!” He raised his hammer. Vivienne charged her main cannon.

He blanched under his tanned skintone, lowering his hammer and taking a few quick steps away. “…Y-you haven’t seen the last of me! Mark my words! It’ll be you who rues this day!!!” He turned tail and fled in the same direction as his soldiers.

“Bastard,” Vivienne spat as he ducked behind a piece of Allagan scrap. She could pursue him, but she had more important things to do. She dismounted and marched to the teleportation terminal, the other three behind her.

Neither Cid nor Nero looked up as they entered the control room, a cavernous chamber filled with… stuff. It was like a temple to technology, with great vaulting pipes overhead, and gently glowing blue lights arranged in symmetry. The outer ring of the room on the floor was made of machinery, and at the very front was a huge bank of controls. Each of the engineers seemed to have claimed one half of the room to watch over, and were carefully manipulating the control panels and talking to each other about what they were doing.

“Temporal stasis disengaged,” Nero said, an undercurrent of excitement in his voice. “All systems operational. Garlond?”

“All clear on this side! It’s waking up…” Cid leaned intently towards his control panel, then backed away abruptly as pieces of the room itself began lighting up and reconfiguring itself. Above them, a holographic display lit up with blueprint-like images of a beetle-like robot. She had never seen anything like it before. She stared in incomprehension; she could not even tell how big it was just from the image. Before them was now a huge, ornate button, glowing softly red.

“Remarkable!” Nero breathed, grinning as he read the boards. “Omega’s sensors immediately detected the presence of the cocoon even at this distance. They must have been set to scan for sources of energy exceeding certain magnitudes.”

Cid frowned, re-examining his own boards. “I still don’t see any means to control the machine directly. It seems to have been designed to act wholly autonomously… Hmm.” He turned to Nero. “Once we release Omega, we can be fairly certain it will attempt to capture the primal at Baelsar’s Wall. Assuming its mission is successful, our only option at that point will be to reengage its stasis system and put it back to sleep.”

Nero shrugged in agreement, appearing completely unconcerned with Cid’s fears. “And should the machine happen to misbehave, we’ll simply initiate an emergency shutdown. I confess, we don’t yet have a complete grasp of its capabilities, but I’m certain the details will not elude us for long.”

“You fill me with confidence,” Vivienne said sarcastically. If the self-proclaimed world expert didn’t know how this worked, how insane was this gamble?

“I really should,” Nero said, equally sarcastically. “Unless you’d like to tell me what we’re missing?”

“Well, I understood less than half of that,” Yda said. “So – my question is, are we doing the right thing?”

Vivienne shrugged. “Well, the alternative is letting Achiyo and the team take a crack at it first. Better to risk some mysterious uncontrollable robot than our friends, eh?” And pray to every god in existence that didn’t mean Achiyo just had to fight both at the same time.

Yda thought about that for a long minute. “All right. Step aside. Cid, is this the thing I need to press?”

Cid glanced at her, reading her; Nero might have objected, but everyone else could see how much Yda was emotionally caught up in this act. “Uh… yes. That’s the one.”

Yda stepped up to the button and took a deep breath. “You gave too much for us to waste this chance, Papalymo. So this is for you… and me.” She raised her fist and slammed it down on the button.

The button burned bright red, and immediately the control panels began lighting up with additional indicators; more holographic panels appeared above them and numbers began to change rapidly, almost too fast for the eye to follow. Nero grinned gleefully, a grin that turned into a wild peal of… triumphant, almost psychotic laughter. “Yes! Fly free, my pretty! Show us what you can do!”

Vivienne looked at Cid; she had not forgotten how Nero had fought and gloated within the Praetorium, how she and he had directly crossed weapons. His actions in the World of Darkness notwithstanding, she still believed he had the capability to be a villain – if only from selfish singleminded focus upon his goal at the cost of real actual people. But apparently there was no need to beat Nero up this time. Cid was only focused on the holograms himself and not at all bothered by his colleague’s megalomaniacal tendencies. “The launch sequence has begun. Omega is loose.”

 

Achiyo stood upon the edge of the ridge that looked down upon Baelsar’s Wall and looked up at the orb of light in the sky. It had been quiet for a bell or so and yet knowing there was a primal like Nidhogg inside, fighting to get out, made her tense. The Alliance leaders were there with them, but what could they do? What could all their armies do against something like Nidhogg – like Bahamut? She had not seen the Calamity, but Chuchupa had been telling her what little she remembered of the last battle of Carteneau, and she well remembered fighting Bahamut within the Coils.

If this did not work, a lot of people were going to die.

She felt a touch on her shoulder, and looked up to see Aymeric standing beside her. “All will be well. Have faith.”

She was grateful for the reassurance, and of course she had faith in Cid. And yet she was still afraid. If he was as well, he was not showing it. Nor could she. She steeled herself.

Suddenly the orb in the sky began to leak light. Strange patterns crossed its surface as it weakened, and then the top exploded into white-blue flames. Great glowing green wings spread wide and beat once, unfolding and stretching in relief. It was still mostly shielded from view by the explosions, the smoke, the cocoon that appeared like a broken egg. There was something about it…

“Hi, Cid, how is Omega doing?” Kekeniro asked his linkpearl, casually calm – on purpose not to panic anyone, she was sure. “The primal is breaking free.”

Bits of the orb were raining down upon the wall, dissolving into aether as they approached the land. Something landed with a thud on the wall – an enormous metal beetle? The Allagan weapon, she realized as it began to spit missiles at the primal, thankfully right on time. A huge burst of white-blue explosions spread across the sky, blinding her for a moment, then-

Through the smoke it became clear – draconic head and long, serpentine body, adorned with gracefully curving spikes. She inhaled at the resemblance. “Shinryuu,” she breathed.

“Eh? ‘Divine dragon’… Ye’ve seen it before?” Chuchupa asked.

She shook her head, watching as Omega fired more missiles at the dragon, which took off streaking across the sky to dodge. The remains of the cocoon had absorbed most of Omega’s initial attacks, protecting the dragon within. “No, it only resembles a creature from a… a legend…” One of the kami themselves, come to earth – but Ilberd would not have known the kami, nor did she think him inclined to summon one even if he did. It could not really be Shinryuu.

The dragon had outrun the last missile, and turned midair to look down upon the beetle. Water aether gathered around it, a growing heavy mist, coalescing into – a tsunami! A tsunami on land!? “Tsunami – get back!” she cried, waving everyone away from the ridge. “Get to the highest ground you can!”

Orders rang out from the Alliance leaders to their front-line soldiers, but they moved slowly at first, only the Maelstrom aware how deadly this wave could be. Achiyo was running as quick as she could uphill, and as the wall of water drew close to Baelsar’s Wall, everyone dropped discipline and sprinted. None too soon, for the water surged over the wall with immense force, crashing down into the valley beyond, and as they pulled back to Amarissaix’s Spire, the edge of the water was tugging at the feet of the hindmost. But there it stopped. And yet it stayed, not withdrawing, a huge aetherial lake spread out across the valley where Baelsar’s Wall had been a moment ago. The sky was dark and stormy and rain suddenly lashed at them.

Achiyo caught her breath, her heart pounding in her chest, her throat, her ears. Kekeniro was on the back of his carbuncle, still calmly relaying the scene to Cid and Vivienne. The beetle had burst into flight from the top of the wall using fiery engines. She looked around for Aymeric and saw him a short way away among the Temple Knights, staring up at the sky in anxious awe.

The monster and the robot were chasing each other through the rain-torn sky, lasers, missiles, bullets, lightning strikes shot between them. The dragon whirled with a flick of its tail and opened its jaws to shoot an immense emerald-green beam at the robot; the robot’s visor flashed and a triangular blue beam lanced out towards the dragon. The beams met perfectly head-on, and each creature pressed more power into their attack, seeking to overwhelm the other.

The next thing Achiyo knew was that the world had gone white, and an immense wind rushed over them along with the sound of a low, deafening rumble. She involuntarily shielded herself with her arm; she could not see at all, and blinked hard, trying to clear her eyes in time to see what happened next.

Two distant sparks fell from the sky, tumbling uncontrolled into Gyr Abania.

 

She stared at the fading glow that marked the remains of that last blinding attack for a long time, wondering what it meant. The lake was gone, the rain ended. Only the fact that everyone and everything was soaking wet marked that there had been so much water a moment ago.

“Well,” Tam said. “That seems out of the ordinary even for you.”

“Yes,” she said. Certainly in her youth, the legend of Shinryuu was only that – a legend. He was one of the gods, a spirit of wind and rain, revered and feared lest he afflict the land with flood or drought in vengeance. To see something that looked like the illustration in her father’s scrolls was… an unwelcome shock. And to see the power it wielded… she had seen the results of Bahamut’s destruction, but then Louisoix had given his life to contain and weaken it. If this Shinryuu still lived, had it been weakened by this encounter? Or would they have to fight it as it had just appeared? They could not stand up against that beam of light any better than a Garlean airship, Blessing of Light or no… And that the Allagan robot, Omega, had wielded such powerful weaponry and still only fought the creature to a standstill, to mutual defeat, was not encouraging.

In the background she could hear the Alliance leaders conferring, and then Raubahn giving orders to Pipin and the Immortal Flames. Then Aymeric approached the Warriors of Light, and she could see tumultuous emotions behind his eyes. The rain had slicked his black hair close to his head, sticking to his face. “Had I not instructed Tam and Alphinaud to throw Nidhogg’s accursed eyes into the abyss, all of this might have been avoided. I thought them beyond reach…”

“The Ascians have unpredictable means,” she said. It was not his fault, he had done his best with what knowledge they’d had then. Next time they would destroy those eyes once and for all. She took a deep breath. “It is what it is. If we must fight it, then we shall.”

Aymeric’s hand moved as if he wanted to reach out to her. “To do so would seem suicide – that primal’s might defies belief. Its magicks are such that I have never seen… and hope never to see again. It seemed the very heavens would be rent asunder. Nay, Achiyo, if there is any other way…”

She wasn’t exactly keen on it herself. “If there is another way, we shall find it. But if there is not, we shall do as we always have done.” She looked out again to where the bodies had fallen beyond her sight. “We were saved by a knife’s edge. The consequences will linger, I fear.” If Omega had been later, or had not awoken at all, Shinryuu would have torn its way through anything in its path, Eorzean or Imperial. There would have been unspeakable casualties. And it was still out there, she was ever more certain…

“But now we may plan for them, and fate willing, we may deal with them one at a time.” Now it was his turn to encourage her. “I pray the Fury may grant that I again stand at your side, at least, should you fight… you called it Shinryu?”

He had slightly mispronounced it, but she wouldn’t hold that against him. “It resembles… a legend from the Far East. A dragon that controls the clouds.”

He looked up. “It did indeed.” They fell silent and watched the Immortal Flames marching down the hill to capture the Wall. “We shall reconvene the council in Gridania in a short while, but first Raubahn thought it best to strike while the Imperials are in confusion.”

“Then we are committed,” she said. Shinryuu, the Warriors of Light might have dealt with on their own. But if the council was in favour of going to war alongside them, then there was no turning back.

“Aye,” he said. “And Ishgard shall stand with you, come what may.”

They looked at the Wall, at the distant mountains, and Achiyo wondered what lay beyond. The home of Raubahn, of Yda and Minfilia, it lay there under Imperial rule – and the Warriors of Light would come with their ability to shake nations to their foundations.

Chapter 50: Into the Fringes

 

Author’s note: and now I’ve gotta pause a bit, gotta figure out which class quests are going to go where in 4.0, that kind of thing. Thanks for reading, and see you in a bit!

Rinala’s actually wearing the Faire Kohakama (2017 Moonfire Faire bottom) in blue as the skirt for the Scion Adventurer’s outfit, I think it goes really well! Some thigh-high boots like the Expeditioner’s Thighboots can cover most of the stockings if you feel they’re a bit much. Rinala’s toon is currently a Midlander for… reasons, and the Hyuran Thighboots look great. Rinala couldn’t wear those though.

(It’s a little unfair that Lyse lets down her hair from her head covering and it’s perfect lol.)

Check back on April 1 for some Achiyo fanart!