The Fall - Printable Version +- Hydaelyn Role-Players (https://ffxiv-roleplayers.com/mybb18) +-- Forum: Role-Play (https://ffxiv-roleplayers.com/mybb18/forumdisplay.php?fid=27) +--- Forum: Town Square (IC) (https://ffxiv-roleplayers.com/mybb18/forumdisplay.php?fid=21) +--- Thread: The Fall (/showthread.php?tid=1681)

The Fall - Mtoto Wamoto - 02-15-2013 Part I: A soft sigh escaped her lips as she surveyed the mountains surrounding her, the highland winds of Coerthas brushing against her skin all the while. She sat there upon a small boulder as she finished her quick meal of jerked meat and knight's bread, the sounds of chocobos and chattering merchants a few yalms behind her. As she finished her meal, she rised to her feet, brushing the crumbs off of her lap and picking up her longsword which had been resting on the frosted surface of the rock she'd been residing on for the past half bell or so. Mtoto hopped down from the carapace like boulder and found herself face to face with a rather large Roegadyn Seawolf. "All set then?" she asked the man as she checked her gear. "Aye lass, we be movin' again shortly. You'll be up front again. Best t' keep yer eyes open, word be that there are bandits strung about these hills." She nodded to the man as he turned to rally the others together, the three large chocobo pulled carts shifting as the men and women began loading and preparing to move once more.  As she made her way to the front of the line, she placed a hand to rest at the hilt of her sword, a habit she found herself doing more and more these days. She nodded to a fellow mercenary who had taken up the contract as well, his reasoning the same as the others who had taken up arms to escort this caravan, a means to make coin to fill their coffers. Unlike the others, Mtoto had different motives for her presence amongst this band of mercenaries and merchants. She was headed towards Dravania, a land she had never been to before.  "Oi, you there, from what corner and hell-hole of Eorzea did you crawl out from, eh?" cawed a raven face Wildwood Elezen sitting upon the cart moving alongside her. She kept her focus forward as she responded simply, "Ul'dah." "Heh, would explain your dark complexion I s'pose, eh? So what brings ye out all the way here to Coerthas, hn?" She sighed as she began to grow irate of the man quickly, responding simply again,"Dravania." The elezen quirked a brow as he looked down at her from his seat upon the cart. "Not lacking for balls, are you? You plan to go alone I take it?"he cackled slightly. "That's the plan." she replied as the caravan pressed forward, her footsteps steady and paced with the moving cart. "Heh, well, best o' luck to you girl, you'll be needing all the favor from the Twelve ye can get going past Coerthas. Hate to hear ye never made it due to an encounter with a wyrm." he cackled loudly.  She didn't give him a response, instead she continued thinking to herself all the while. She knew the dangers that would be along the path ahead and that she would be putting herself at great risk in doing so. But why? The simple answer was that she no longer had a purpose to serve, a cause to fight for, her raison d'etre. The defense of the realm? The protection of the people and lands? Had she been jesting herself these past few moons? Her impact on the realm was little more than a fly on a pile of buffalo dung. My, how one dimensional she was she thought to herself. "Am I naught but a trained blade who's only purpose is to kill in the defense of others?" Her thoughts were quickly interrupted by a sharp whistling sound from behind her, her silence was put on pause. "We're under attack! Take cover!" barked the Roegadyn from earlier. "Mercs! Earn yer keep! Do what ye must!" Without a moment's hesitation, her sword was already drawn and her tower shield ready as she scanned the cliffs. Another bolt flew by her, hitting the canvas cover of the cart behind her. Her focus quickly shifted towards the direction in which the crossbow bolt shot from. "Circle the carts! Protect those within!" she yelled out. Several more bolts and arrows began to rain down from the rocks surrounding them, her scutum raised above her head for protection. Rangers began to poke their heads over the rocky edges about the caravan, their faces masked under their plumed hats. Another volley soon followed, forcing Mtoto to move in an attempt to dodge what arrows she could. She growled as she gripped her sword, scanning for a way to close in on the archers above. Her options were limited, they were surrounded in a small pass with little room for defense. She took cover behind a cart as she reached for her bow at her back. Nocking two arrows, she peered from around the corner, narrowing her eyes as she focused on several archers posted on the higher ground. She reeled herself back and nodded to the other mercenaries with her, their bows drawn as well. One of the men, a young Hyur, reached into his pack, handing her a small pouch of explosive powder. "Try not to miss!" She nodded as she tied the small pouch to one arrow before quickly turning back around the corner, imbuing her other arrow with flames and firing in the direction of the rangers.  As her pair of arrows screamed through the air, the others launched a counter volley to escort the explosive projectile. Both hit precisely where she had hoped, causing the torched arrow to fall into contact with the explosive powder, igniting behind the bandits and propelling them down the cliff side from the blast. She smirked to herself as she reeled back behind the carts, taking another pouch and mimicking her last action. Another blast soon followed, reducing the numbers of the ranged bandits down but a great deal. "We move!" she yelled to the others as they ducked and weaved out from behind the carts. Another arrow flew close by her, whistling past her ear before meeting flesh. The Hyur who had been handing her the explosive mix had met his end, dropping to his knees as he stared at the arrow in his chest. Quickly, she chanted out the words to cast a protective ward upon herself, calcifying her skin for added protection.  A sudden surge of force met her side as a large Roegadyn wearing a mask similar to the bandits above collided with her, sending her toppling to her side. She looked to the man, his great axe raised above his head, ready to cut her down. It would not be so however, an arrow quickly met the side of the bandits head, ending him before he had the chance. Mtoto quickly got to her feet, nodding to her savior before he too was struck down by an incoming arrow from above. Readying herself with her sword and shield once more, she set her focus on the bandits hopping down from the cliffs, armed with axes and broad swords. She gripped the hilt of her blade as she steadied her self, charging her weapon with aetherial force before slashing in the direction of two incoming bandits, sending a shockwave of energy at them and knocking them back. The others protecting the caravan began to come to her aid, drawing their close range weapons to repel the intruding bandits back. With their brothers so close to their targets, the rangers above began to reel back, allowing Mtoto's focus to shift to the field before her. The sound of iron and steel singing rang loud within the pass, accompanied by the yawps and barks of men and women fighting to either take the caravan or protect it. The sound of her blade could be heard distinctly through the skirmish as it was followed by roars of flames meeting those who charged at her. The numbers of both sides began to quickly dwindle as the bodies of the fallen began to dot the field before the caravan. Before long, several more bandits came down to reinforce those who were left. Mtoto sneered as she looked back to the remaining forces left to protect the caravan. "Take flight! Pull back!" she yelled to the merchants taking cover behind the carts. The others nodded, quickly mounting their carts and fleeing back in the direction they came. Before she had a moment to react, a sudden force met the back of her head, dropping her to the ground leaving her in an unconscious state. The bandit picked the woman up, slinging Mtoto over his shoulder like a prize from a hunt. As several other bandits gave chase to the caravan, the rest began to retreat back into the mountains after they had looted the bodies of those now dead. She could not move. She could not see. She was bound, and her fate uncertain.  "Twelve...do not let me die like this. Not yet..." Part II: "Mummy? Mummy, can I have that one?" the little girl tugged at her mother's dress as they walked through the market district of Ul'dah, pointing to random bric-a-bracs laid out on the stalls. "No dear, perhaps another time, hm? Papa is home waiting for us, we must hurry lest we keep him waiting." Mtoto smiled as she looked to her daughter, taking her hand in hers as they walked down the avenue. She looked to the clear sky above, taking in a breath as she thought to herself for a moment how peaceful things were. No war. No strife. No pain. She sighed softly and crouched down before her daughter. "Amala, Mommy has to go now. You know I love you, but this is not my place." She embraced her child in her arms, the warm feeling engulfing her chest as her surroundings began to fade out. She awoke in a dark chamber, stripped of all her belongings aside from her undergarments. Her arms were bound behind her back and her feet bound together by coils of rope. A single tallow candle lit the cavern and she blinked for a moment to take in the room around her. She struggled for a moment in her bindings, making an attempt to free herself, but she knew it was futile. With her tool belt gone and her hands bound, there was no way for her to conjure a spell or cut the ropes. As she sat there in her silence, the sounds of encroaching foot steps perked her ears towards the door at the end of the chamber. A sliding noise was heard, a metal block placed to lock the door being move followed by the thud of the handle being grasped and the door opened.  A large figure came into the room, blocking out the dim light from behind it. "Up are ye? About bloody time."There was an evident tone of mocking in his voice. "Well now, if it'aint the bloody witch who killed me brothers. I hope ye enjoyed your respite, ye won't be gettin' much o' that soon, wench." He stepped forward, crouching before her, his face close enough that she could smell his rancid breath which caused her to turn her face away. The Roegadyn gripped her by the chin and forced her to look at him. "What's the matter? I too brutish f'r the like of ye?" She scowled and spit at the man. "You would do well to learn some proper hygiene if you mean to court a woman." He growled and raised his hand, bringing it back to slap Mtoto across the face, the force of which sending her to the floor on her side. "You would do well t' watch yer mouth, whore, lest I stick something in yer mouth t' shut ye up." With that he rose and made his way back to the end of the chamber, the candle light flickering to show one of his eyes void of color. He was blind on one side. "You're the Bandit King's plaything now, girl. Best know your place." He stepped out from the room, slamming the door behind him and bolting it shut.  As she laid there on the ground, Mtoto growled to herself as a small trickle of blood ran down her cheek. She pushed herself back up with her shoulder and rested herself against the cool cave wall. She scanned the room hoping to find some glimmer of hope to get her at least out of these bindings. Once she was able to move, she would be able to make further plans. Hope found her quickly as she looked to the ground not a few fulms away from her. A hedgemole needge, no doubt dropped from her pack after being stripped of it, rested on the floor, the dim candle light reflecting slightly off of it. She stared at the needle, wondering how she would be able to cut through the ropes when she smirked to herself. She lunged forward, landing on her side with her head next to the needle. She wriggled close enough to the needle as she took hold of it between her teeth, holding it in place with her tongue and lips. She pushed herself up again and back to her corner.  The sound of her moving no doubt alerted the half-blind Roegadyn from outside her chamber. The sounds of the metal lock sliding out and the door opening followed and the man came back in, barking, "What in the 'ell are ye doin' causin' a ruckus?" She smirked, "I wanted to apologize for earlier." The man quirked a brow as he scratched the side of his temple with one finger. "Heh, playin' this game are ye? Well now, if yer tryin' t' appease me and be on me good side, I'll be more than happy t' oblige." he grinned widely as he came close to her once more, crouching down before her to have his way with her. She smiled coyly as he drew his face near, and as he drew ever closer, she leaned forward towards him, the needle held firmly between her teeth and protruding out her mouth. In a quick moment, the man stumbled back slightly as the needle was gouged deep into his good eye. He yelled, "You bloody bitch! I'll cut ye and serve ye to the hounds!" Blinded, he reached for his scimitar and slashed down towards Mtoto. She moved quickly, wasting no time to position herself to have the ropes binding her arms together slashed by the enraged guard. With her arms free, she rolled out of his way, freeing her legs from the bindings as he slashed in a blind rage. "Where are ye?! Come out ye wench!" She rose to her feet and cracked her neck slightly before chanting out a paralysis curse on the man and pinning him down to the ground. With him paralyzed and blinded, Mtoto reached to his scimitar which had fallen from his hands to the floor. "I'm right here." she whispered softly before slashing at the mans throat, ending him in his place. She got back to her feet as she perked her ears to the sound of encroaching footsteps. "What in the hell's was that?! Go check it out!" The sounds of other bandits echoed down the cavern halls. She pushed up against the wall behind the door as two more bandits came into the dimly lit chamber. As they took in the scene of their dead comrade, they drew their weapons in earnest as she scanned the room. She smirked slightly,"Idiots." she thought. Without hesitating she chanted another curse, stunning the man closest to her before striking down his partner in quick succession. She looked to the man, paralyzed by fear and aetherial magic, and raised her hand to his face, casting scourge directly upon him before watching him fall to her feet.  She could not remain there. She knew others would be on their way, and the sight of three dead bandits would place the entire place on alert. She stepped from the chamber and into the hall, the cave walls stapled with torches which lit the cavern just as dimly as the chamber she was just in. This worked in her favor. As she remained within the safety of the shadows, she came upon a store room filled with the various trinkets and supplies these bandits had pilfered and looted. She grinned as she came upon a bench with her armor and belt. Setting the scimitar down, she dressed herself quickly, taking caution not to make noise as she did. She decided to leave the large blade behind, opting instead for her throwing knives and daggers still equipped to her belt. As she slunked back towards the cavern, she peered around the corner watching several patrolling bandits walk by. She had to escape this place...but how? Part III: The store room was dark and dank, the chilling air within freezing her skin as it kissed it. She remained there for a moment, crouched low and pushed up against the wall, her attention drawn towards the cavern hall just on the other side. As she waited, she counted two patrolling guards walking down the path, both meeting each other just outside the store room entrance on occasion as they moved up and down the hall. She weighed out her options before her. Removing one at a time would alert the other his companion was missing, and striking at them both would prove risky, causing both unwarranted noise and attention. She wasn’t willing to take the risk of being caught or outnumbered, more so in such a narrow tunnel. Two or three bandits were easy enough to take down, but anything more would prove a challenge she was not yet ready to take on given her current arsenal of tools. She reached to her belt, taking up two throwing daggers in her hand, one resting between her middle and index finger, the other between her pinky and ring finger. Her other hand reached for her combat dagger, the longer blade held away from her. She needed to act quickly and silently. As she pressed her ear against the wall, she waited, biding her time as she listened for the footsteps to come closer and closer. The sounds of crunching rocks underfoot and jingling chainmail could be heard. They were armored to a certain extent. This would not faze her for she knew most armor well. The weak points, the openings to allow movement, she was all too familiar with them. The sound of footsteps stopped abruptly as one of the bandits nodded to his partner and they shared a moment to discuss recent happenings. “You see the Miqo’te Brazien captured yet?” “Heh, I did. She looks the proper type t’ serve as his chamber maid, eh?” “Mm, I heard the wench was the one who was throwing fire about on the field durin’ our last raid. Can’t say why Brazien decided t’ keep her alive. I say kill the witch, she’ll be nothin’ but trouble f’r us.” Their chat was cut short as Mtoto crept around the corner, still crouching low before rising to take hold of one of the guards, lifting his head up with one arm and slashing at his neck with her dagger. His partner stared for a moment, stunned by the shock of the attack, ready to call out for aid. He would not have it. Mtoto released the corpse as it slumped to the ground, the sounds of gurgling as the man’s final breath. She launched the pair of throwing daggers at the man ready to yell, one piercing his throat, the other landing between his eyes. She took no joy in killing the two, but it was either them or her. She pulled the bodies into the storeroom, dragging them into the shadows before slinking back into the hall, creeping low to remain hidden. As she slunk through the cavernous hold, she came upon a much more brightly lit room, lit by oil lamps hung from the wooden beams above. Pushing up against the wall once more, she peered around the corner, scanning the room for any bandits lingering within. It was clear…for a moment. The sounds of several men slowly found their way coming into the chamber. “What d’ ye mean she escaped?! How in the ‘ell did she escape!? She was bound!” “Look, I came into the chamber and she was gone wit’ three of our own put down in ‘er place.” “Brazien will have our heads if we don’t find her! Rally the others and spread out! We find th’ wench. Kill her if we must.” “Aye!” They had taken longer than she had expected. As slow and dull witted as they were, they were still armed and had her outnumbered by a great deal. In the lit chamber alone, there were six men on alert, ready to move and hunt her down. Surely there were others further past the chamber. She needed to press forward, but she soon realized she had not the slightest clue as to which direction was out. Was she to turn around? Had she been moving in the wrong direction all along? It was critical for her to discover which way led to her salvation. As she remained hidden, a bandit stopped a few fulms away from the entrance, his back to the hall Mtoto lingered in. She narrowed her eyes. If he came closer, she would surely be seen and he would alert the others within. She gripped the dagger in her hand; ready to pounce upon him should he come into the hall. He began to slowly come closer, increasing the tension in Mtoto’s brow as she narrowed her gaze. The Twelve must have been watching her as the man stopped, took a breath in and turned back, walking towards the opposite end of the chamber. She drew her throwing knives and grinned at her luck. In a quick, agile motion, she rolled past the entrance of the chamber, throwing her knives at the lanterns above, shattering the glass containing the flames and putting them out. “What in the..?!” The men within scrambled about, drawing their weapons as they stood in the dark. For a moment, there was naught but silence in the chamber. The sounds of moving chain and shifting boots could be heard; an uneasy air filled the room. She rose to her feet, dagger drawn and head up, unable to see the contents of the room herself. With her sight temporarily gone, she was left on the same playing field as the others. Or so they thought. Chanting in almost an inaudible whisper, she conjured a flame from her casting hand, sending it down the room to come into contact with the wall on the opposite end. The light emitting from her aetherial ball of flame was enough to see where a few men were standing before the makeshift torch extinguished itself. Without wasting a second, she threw a set of knives in the direction of the two bandits to her left. She blindly rolled forward and towards the sound of one of them dropping to his knees, life escaping his lips. She conjured another flame, this time towards the wall adjacent to the one her last conjured torch impacted. Four more in the room, two posted on opposite sides. She took up another pair of throwing knives, tossing them with quick force in the direction of the last bandit she saw. Three left. By this time, those within the room began to catch on to her pattern. A shuffling noise was heard as one of the bandits rummaged through his pack to take out a set of matches and a bottle of oil, spilling the oil onto a nearby work bench and setting it ablaze with a lit match. Her cloak of darkness was forfeited now that the room was once again lit by the makeshift lamp. The three men grinned as they gripped their weapons, “Here kitty kitty, we’ve found ye now.” She scowled at the comment before watching one charge towards her, his broad spatha slashing upwards from the ground at her. She made effort to dodge and parry, moving in time to evade his strike and responding with a swift knee to his gut, depriving him of air before jabbing her dagger into the back of his neck. The two remaining stared at each other for a brief moment, the younger of the two gulping slightly and trembling in place. The other charged and the former followed suit. With the two coming at her, she kicked up the spatha lying on the ground, catching it and parrying the first strike to come down on her. The sound of shearing metal was heard as blades met one another, grinding against each other until leverage was broken. She responded with a slash of her own before rolling out of the way to evade the force of a great axe coming down at her. With the man hunched forward and his balanced tipped towards his axe head, she rolled over his back to continue her strikes at the gladiator before her. He was unable to keep pace with her assault as she pressed forward, forcing him to back pedal and trip upon the stacks of crates behind him. Dropping his weapon in surrender, Mtoto took the chance to kick his spatha up and away from him, catching it in her free hand before turning the meet the marauder striking down again upon her. With both blades in hand, she crossed them before her to block the impact, pushing up with her own strength in response. Pushed back slightly by her parry, he dropped his axe low, ready to swing in an upward strike at her. She did not pause as she continued her flow of attacks. Before the axe could even rise, she had already flipped forward, slashing down at the marauder as she did, astral light erupting from her aetherially invoked blade to blind him in the process. Stunned and dazed, she took her chance to end him before he regained sight. It was done. She turned to the now whimpering boy huddled in the remains of the broken crates. Dropping to a knee, she raised his own blade to his throat. “You are but a boy. Your time is not yet. Go, quit this place and return to your home. Make a life for yourself properly.” He whimpered back to her, “If you do not kill me, the other surely will for my cowardice.” Her gaze remained unchanged, “Then I suggest you learn to defend yourself properly.” She rose back to her feet, dropping the spatha before the lad. “W-w-what is it you want from me?” He whimpered as he looked to Mtoto in disbelief. “Directions, I want to know which way is out.”He remained hesitant for a moment before responding, “D-d-down the corridor, t-turn left and head straight. Y-you’ll come upon the cave entrance soon enough.” She nodded in thanks before turning and headed towards the aforementioned corridor. She knew he would not follow or give chase. All she cared now was to press on. There was no turning back at this point. Part IV:  She made her way down the narrow corridor, the light from the previous chamber fading in the distance. With the spatha she retrieved from the last fight in hand, she pressed her free hand against the wall as she walked down the hall which was even darker than the last. She felt uneasy, not because it was getting darker, but because the slope of the path was headed down, suggesting that she was headed deeper into the stronghold rather than out. She furrowed a brow. She knew that the boy could have lied to her, but the fear in his eyes seemed to say otherwise. Deciding to trust her gut instinct, she continued down until she came upon an intersection. “Good” she thought, “At least this much was true.” She turned left as per her directions. As she turned she saw the light of the cave entrance in the distance, nearly forty fulms away. There it was, her way out. As she continued towards her escape, she stopped in her tracks as she caught glimpse of a silhouette moving into the cavern. It was not one person, but an entire group. The self-proclaimed Bandit King had returned, and with him, the majority of his raiding party. This did not bode well for her. Should she be seen, she would be captured and strung up for their pleasures, or worse yet, killed on sight for her actions against their comrades within their home. She had to think quickly and she had little room for flexibility in this fight. Over thirty enraged bandits against one trained sword? She had no chance to survive with those odds. They were quickly returning, barking and laughing all the while. As she stood there for a brief moment, thoughts racing through her mind, she reached to her belt to take hold of a non-existent pearl. She could not call upon the Guard for they were no more. She could not call upon the aid of Myllor, Illias, or Oskar for her pearls were now gone, and even if the case were otherwise, she had not the slightest clue as to her exact location. She was on her own, left with her own skills, as limited as they were. She snapped out from her short reverie as the sounds of the coming band marched forward. She had to do something, anything. She looked around her, taking into account everything she could use as a tool to aid in her escape. Before her were several large kegs of explosive material; likely used for demolition to expand their cavern system. Above her were several support beams running parallel to the ground below her. Their distances between one another were just enough to brace her in place if she climbed up. She took her chances and quickly climbed into position, waiting as many of the men coming into the cave passed beneath her. She held her breath, doing what she could not to draw attention to the ceiling as the line of bandits pressed forward, some with weapons coming within an ilm to her face for the ceiling was low. As the last few men of the group began their descent into the cave, her grip began to falter. She dug her nails into the wooden beam to rectify her hold, but it proved to be futile as the trickle of blood running down her cheek from earlier began to drip down. She watched as the blood slowly dripped from her cheek, a dew sized drop forming and falling from the tip of her nose and down to the forehead of a passing bandit. “Eh? …Wha’?” It was too late. He had looked up and straight at her. Mtoto found herself staring straight into the eyes of her captor, Brazien, the Bandit King. “You! I’ll gut you open, you little rat!” She dropped down quickly as Brazien and his company turned around in shock. She hopped back, grinning to them all as she looked to the kegs of explosive set before them. Without giving them a chance to react, she conjured a flame and directed it at the explosives, igniting the mix, and creating a blast which rocked the cave entrance. Several men were flung back from the impact and others were taken by falling beams and boulders. She turned quickly and darted for the cave entrance, seeking to make her exit. A roar of anger was heard following her escape. Like a raging bull, Brazien gave chase, pushing his own men aside to make his way out from the collapsing cavern. As she made her way closer to the blinding white light, her eyes adjusted to the difference in lighting from the dark chambers she had spent the better part of the last day in. The sounds of yelling and screams were heard behind her as the entrance to the cave began to collapse completely, blocking any would be head hunters from following her... Part V:  She stumbled and fell down into the powder of snow beneath her feet as she made her way out, the cold winds of the mountains whipping against her face. “You filthy little wretch, I grant you the privilege of life instead of taking it, and this is how you repay me?!” She turned back to see him, red in the face and blood splattered across his arm from the blast. Brazien, the King of Bandits, with his Xiphos drawn and ready to take the dazed girl. She rose to her feet, gripping her cavalry blade in hand before turning back to the man and spitting back at him, “If living means serving under the likes of you, I will gladly take the offer to rest in the realm of Thal than live a life of servitude to a mongrel of your ilk.” She wiped the blood from her cheek and glared at the man, before her, her back towards the cliff no less than twenty fulms behind her. “Then let me be the one to ferry you across the sea to the seven hells, you scraggly whore!”He was a behemoth of a man, a Highlander, his build just as large as any Roegadyn Mtoto had ever met. He raised his fist high into the air before slamming it down into the ground before him, a seismic shock was sent in the direction of Mtoto. Unprepared to make a proper counter, she rolled out of the way as she felt the impact of the shock wave brush past her arm. He charged at her, both hand gripping the hilt of his broad sword, swinging and slashing at her in motion. Weakened after several extended bouts and the last explosion, she raised her spatha to block his attacks. He pushed down against her blade, his weight alone force enough to break her guard. As she made effort to block, Brazien threw a fist at her collar, gripping her by the throat and raising her off the ground. Choking, Mtoto used her free arm to attempt to pry herself free from his grasp as her spatha dropped from her hand to be buried in the snow beneath them. The bandit grinned, “Hah hah, I have to hand it to you witch, you’re quite skilled on the battlefield. You killed many of my men during that last raid, brothers and sons they were to me. It truly is a shame I have to put down such a trained dog, but if you cannot be disciplined, I have no used for you, wench.” He bellowed out a hearty laugh as if stating he had already won. With both hands clawing at his arm, attempting to pry her free, she choked out the words, “If you mean to kill me then do so already, lest you lose your chance… again.” Her words enraged him, forcing him to draw his blade back and stabbing it forward towards her abdomen. In an attempt to offset his attack, Mtoto raised a hand to his face chanting out the curse to blind him and bind him in position. As her spells landed, the blade met her flesh, piercing the side of her abdomen as Brazien gripped her by the throat ever tighter and slammed her into the ground. He stumbled back for a moment, unable to see his surroundings and move his legs properly. She rolled to her wounded side, coughing up crimson onto the white snow as she placed a hand to her side to cover the stab wound. She looked to the spatha by her outstretched arm and up to the bound man standing just next to her. Gripping the hilt, she swung low from her lying position, cutting at his legs before rolling towards them to knock him off balance. He stumbled forward, still blinded be her spell. Using the spatha as a means of support to rise to her feet, she slowly made her way to the man, now on his hand and knees searching for his weapon lost to him. She placed a foot upon his back, quickly driving the blade into the back of his neck before kicking him off and down the cliff side. With the battle now over, she dropped to a knee in pain. The sword had not pierced any vital organs, but it had stabbed deeply enough to gravely wound her. “Sh…shit.” She gripped her side tightly, applying pressure to the wound and casting a healing spell upon herself. She knew her spells would not sustain her…only prolong her suffering so she could find proper aid. As she looked and scanned her surroundings, she let out a soft sigh as the Coerthas winds brushed against her cheeks. She rose to her feet once more, limping slightly as she made her way down the pass and through the mountain. After nearly two bells of walking, Mtoto had been drained of all her aetherial capabilities after casting cures upon herself over and over to slow down the bleeding. The frost had begun to pierce through her skin, freezing muscle and bone. As she began to fade in and out of consciousness, fatigue began to take its toll on her body. She was weathered, with no strength left to go on. Dropping the sword from her hand, she dropped to both knees, finally removing her hand from her side. The blood had seeped through her leather armor and her vambrace bore proof of the amount she had lost. “I am but a footnote in the pages of history, forgotten in the passage of time. Here I die without a purpose…without a cause. Twelve…I have fallen far from the image I so sought to achieve…” Her breath escaped her lips as she fell forward, falling into a pillow of grass and a blanket of snow. For once, she found rest. As she laid there dying, a falcon soared high above, finding respite upon a tree branch as it perched to look upon the Miqo’te. Tilting its head slightly, the bird cawed out, as if to let the mountain know of the woman’s passing. It flapped it wings and lifted, soaring back to the arm of its owner not too far off in the distance. In her final moments, she heard the crunching of grass and snow beneath the boot of a man. She tried to gather her thoughts, but before long, her thoughts escaped her. Then, there was nothing. Nothing but white surrounding her like an empty canvas as she was lifted from her bed of ice. Part VI Her eyes opened slowly as warmth flooded over her body once more. Her senses were still rather dull, hindered by the bitter frost that had nipped away at her skin and had her body worn and battered from her painful trek down the mountain pass. As she attempted to roll to one side, she winced in pain before slowly retracting her movement and turning back to rest; her senses sharply coming back with the pain and her gaze left staring at the thatched ceiling above her. She laid there for a moment, resting and taking in the warmth from the layers of furs and pelts piled atop of her while the numbing feeling in her legs slowly faded away. After taking a moment to recollect her thoughts, Mtoto took in a breath as she pushed herself to sit upright in her bed, struggling slightly as she sat up. Letting the pelted bedcovers slowly drape down from her body, she looked to the side where she had been stabbed in her last battle. Though her leather garb and light chain mail was stripped from her, her wounds had been dressed in long rolls of tattered fent and she was clothed in a soft cotton tabard. Who had been caring for her? She peered around the small room lit by the rays of light pouring through the slats in the window boards. Opposite from the bed she rested upon was a small fire, lit within a stone mantel, an iron rack placed above it with a covered pot, the contents producing a delightful aroma which caught the attention of Mtoto’s starved stomach. As she brought her legs to the edge of the bed, she attempted to stand though she knew her legs were still void of much strength. She placed her hand upon a nearby wooden pillar, bracing herself as she tried to find balance on her feet. How long had she been laying there? However long it was, it was long enough to make her legs feel more or less like pudding flesh. She wobbled slightly before finding equilibrium and taking a step forward towards the fireplace. Finding a small stool set before the makeshift stove, she quickly plopped down to take a seat, outstretching her arms forward as she warmed herself with the radiating heat produced by the flickering flames. Closing her eyes, she took in a breath, taking a moment of silence to acknowledge the fact she was still alive. Her silence was cut off abruptly as the sounds of crunching footsteps past the door shut just a few fulms away from her. Slightly startled by the sound of encroaching company, she quickly rose to her feet, taking up the nearest ‘weapon’ she could find before retreating behind the wooden pillar she used as a brace. As the door opened, she gripped the fire iron close to her chest, her back to the pillar and her eyes towards the door. The sound of the knob turning filled the room, accompanying the crackle of the fire and her almost inaudible soft breathing. The door opened, creaking slowly as a figure walked in obscured by the light pouring in from the outside world. It stopped as it scanned the room for a moment, looking towards the now empty bed and the fireplace in turn. A heavy thud was heard as it dropped something to the floor. A sack of heavy shanks cut from the legs of raptors no doubt. Her curiosity was getting to her, but she remained quiet and out of sight, she wasn’t willing to give her position away just yet. A soft chuckle was heard. “Awake I take it?” Mtoto paused for a moment, the iron poker still gripped tightly in her hand, ready to stab the man if he drew a weapon. “You really mustn’t be afraid, you know. I’m not here to hurt you.” She paused, thinking what she would do. She stepped out from behind the wooden pillar to look upon the man speaking to her, the tool still in her hand, ready to strike if need be. As her eyes readjusted to the contrasting lighting, the features of a young male Miqo’te standing before her began to take form. For Mtoto, this was a rather rare sight. Not often did she see male Miqo’te. He stood there, his tarnished brown hair pulled back into a peculiar topknot and his clothing consisting of pelts and straps of various leathers. At his belt was a rather ornate dagger, the slightly curved kukri resting in its scabbard. At his back was a rather simple composite bow, the curves of the bow formed from the horns of a fallen aldgoat billy. He offered Mtoto a soft smile as she carefully examined him. “Ah, so there you are.” he said calmly, “And here I thought you were going to lunge at me from the shadows.” Part VII There was something oddly familiar about him, his attire, his mannerism, the way he spoke; it all seemed as if she was looking upon a shadow from her past. She finally spoke, “It was a thought I decided to stay off…for the time being at least. Tell me, who are you?” Her gaze narrowed slightly towards the man, unsure if she was to trust him just yet. “Come now, must you really keep this hostile tone in your voice towards the man who kept you from journeying to the realm of Thal?” He snickered slightly, “Ah, but that would be a bit of a lie you see. I wasn’t alone in retrieving you, but I suppose that isn’t important right not. My name is M’tembei. My grandfather and I found you in the snow, very well near the brink of death. It is only by the Twelve’s blessing you lived.”  Mtoto raised a brow for a moment, trying to recollect the events that had transpired which brought her to where she now stood. “…And just where am I?” The stranger brought a hand to the back of his ear, scritching slightly as he responded to the slightly ill-tempered woman before him. “In Coerthas. The Western Highlands to be exact. You really don’t have a clue where you were before passing out in the white?” She shook her head. “…No, I don’t. All I can recall are the mountains, but that could have been anywhere, could it not?” M’tembei nodded. “True, true…Well, if you really must know, we found you near the base of the Slate Mountains, knocked out cold you were. It’s a good thing Futch found you before any scalekin did. It would have been a poor way to leave this world, being eaten by raptors and all.” She tilted her head slightly, “Futch is….your grandfather?” M’tembei chuckled at the question. “Futch, my grandfather? Hah! That’s rich. If that damned bird is my grandfather, I don’t want to know how my father was conceived. But no, Futch is my falcon. Ba’keer is my grandfather and elder of this village. You’ll meet him soon enough.” Almost as if summoned, the sound of a pair of footsteps followed M’tembei’s words. As the young man perked an ear and turned to the incoming sound, Mtoto took the chance to look upon the man who seemed to resonate with nostalgia and familiarity of a time long past. An older male Miqo’te entered the room, his face worn with age and time and his long grey mane of hair draped back past his shoulders. Around his neck were wooden beads and fangs, pulled from the maws of the wolves and raptors known to roam the region. His body was covered in tribal markings; a tradition not commonly practiced by Seekers of the Sun, and his attire consisted of a velveteen red robe lined with the pelts of a white furred beast. Gripping the elder’s hand was a small girl, no older in appearance than eight cycles. Mtoto gazed upon the two strangers for a brief moment as M’tembei dropped to a knee, taking the elder’s free hand and placing his forehead against it in a sign of respect. The younger Miqo’te gripped her grandfather’s hand tighter as she saw Mtoto standing just behind her older brother armed with the fire poker. She moved behind her guardian for protection, narrowing her eyes at the woman before them. As Ba’keer nodded to his grandson, he looked to Mtoto, “Ah, so the girl wakes...Azeyma smiles upon you, child.” He smiled softly, his aged expression showing through his silver beard. “Come you need not worry about danger here. Not oft do we come across outsiders, and rarely do we find travelers such as you near death upon the feet of the sleeping giants.” Mtoto quirked a brow but bowed, placing the tool in her hand down by her feet, “You have my thanks, Elder.” The old man laughed softly, “Your thanks are well received, my child. But let be known that it was M’tembei here who brought you back to our village and Sisya here who helped nurse you back to life.” M’tembei rose and turned back to Mtoto, a much more serious expression on his face, nodding once with a slight bow. She nodded in return for the first time; “You have my thanks as well.” she turned back to the elder. “Might I inquire what village this is and exactly where it is I am?” The old man nodded to her, “I see you are quick to seek knowledge. Good, good. Very well then, if it is knowledge you seek, I’ll not keep it from you child. You are in the village of Sa’kina, nestled at the feet of the Slate Mountains overlooking the Western Highlands of Coerthas, far from the dilemmas of the rest of the realm and hidden from the eyes of the rest of civilization  We are but a simple people, Seekers of the Sun who praise Azeyma and live off of the land around us. Judging by your looks…you hail from a city-state, hm?” She nodded, “That is correct. I hail from Ul’dah.” “You are far from home then. Tell me child, why are you here in the Highlands of all places?” She thought to herself for a moment before answering, “I…do not know. I am headed towards Dravania…but now…” “Now?” Mtoto took in a soft breath. “Now I am not sure of myself.” The old man nodded. “Tell me child, what is your name?” “My name is…Mtoto Wamoto.” At the mention of her name, the old man quirked a brow filled with curiosity. “Ah?...I see…Very interesting...Very interesting indeed.” He looked to his grandchildren, releasing his hand from Sisya’s and nodding to M’tembei. “Tembei, take your sister, prepare our meals and tend to the stags and chocobos. I’d like to take this time to exchange a few words with our guest here, hm?” The younger male nodded, “As you wish Babu…Come Sisya, we’ve work to do.” The girl simply nodded to her brother in silence as she took his hand before they both made their way to the back of the wooden hovel. Ba’keer returned his attention back to Mtoto, “Well then, shall we?” he motioned towards the open door with a hand gesture. Mtoto nodded as they both stepped out from the stone and timber constructed hut, her eyes blinded for a moment by the magnificent light reflecting off of the mountain tops and the thin layer of white snow speckled before them atop the evergreens.  She breathed in and savored the air. She was alive again.