CHAPTER IX: TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION
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Flames erupted and consumed Ishgard as the heretics laid siege to The Holy See. The head of House Kalgaren watched in anguish as he took a quick moment to study the chaos in front of him.
"Madness! Has the world gone mad so damn quick?!" shouted Lord Viarre as he pointed to the fleeing citizens, ordering both Kalgaren and Durendaire guards to escort them and secure the area. From city steps to
The Brume, all of Ishgard became a battlefield as heretics, armed to the teeth, clashed with Ishgardian knights and adventurers alike. Already, dragoons Falorgeant and Clarielle joined the fray, striking back at the enemy with their spears in hopes to help turn the tide of battle.
The swinging of swords, the blocking of shields, the screams of the dying, and the melody of war filled the northern night sky. The embers rose into the air, bringing the all familiar stench of scorching wood from the torched buildings and burning flesh from those charred to death.
Marcus, still imprisoned in shackles, fell onto his side and howled violently at all those present.
"Will someone free me?! Someone give me my damn sword! Free me at once!" Marcus's eyes seethed with growing fury as he continued to shout and watch the battle like a helpless infant. The thought infuriated him even more and thus he continued with his insults and threats which fell onto deaf ears.
Meanwhile Falorgeant lifted his spear and shifted his weight on his feet as he blocked the cleave from the axe of a heretic. The heretic snarled, pressing his weapon onto the dragoon's spear in hopes of shattering Falorgeant's guard. The dragoon countered, forcing the heretic to loose his balance and it was then that Falorgeant plunged his spear into the chest of his enemy, killing him quickly.
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Reaching the
Gates of Judgement, Xydane fought with brutality as he forced his way inside the city.
'Damn it! Damn it! DAMN IT!' he thought to himself as his mind raced faster than his running.
'Where is Marcus?! Where is Lord Viarre?! I need to find them!'
Xydane's fear and anger increased drastically as he thrust his sword into the back of a heretic, grabbing him by his helm, and pulling him onto the ground. Running over the slain elezen's body, Xydane raced towards
The Arc of the Worthy. Like an illusion, time slowed with each step and Xydane looked in horror at the many corpses which had already decorated Ishgard. It is the cruelties of war.
"You will all pay..."
As Xydane's conscious returned to full speed, the knight charged a duo of heretics and wielding his sword high, he swung the blade.
"... for stepping foot into my city!"
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Across the courtyard, Clarielle was engaging the enemies herself. Littered all around her were the bodies of Temple Knights and heretics. As Clarielle was pinned with her back against the wall by a combatant, Falorgeant took the heretic's lowered guard as an opportunity to spear him and toss his body aside.
"We need to get as much people to safety as we can! Clarielle, start clearing these buildings!"
"The enemy's numbers are too great! Try to hold them off!"
As Clarielle turned away to commence her search, Falorgeant ran the opposite direction to where Lord Viarre and his men were fighting. Viarre Kalgaren, despite his age, fought back against the heretics with seasoned skill. As he finished off an heretic, Falorgeant ran to him and pointed at the burning homes. The dragoon's helm has long been removed and his expression resolute.
"Lord Viarre! We need more men to search the homes!"
Lord Viarre, fighting to catch his breath, barked orders to his men to aid Clarielle. As he followed them from behind, he stopped and turned to look at Falorgeant with worry and shock.
"Falorgeant? Where is Marcus?!"
Falorgeant spat onto the ground and cursed.
"Damn! We need him in this battle! I'll set him free!"
While Falorgeant turned away, Lord Viarre watched helplessly as three arrows plunged into the dragoon's chest plate.
"NO!" shouted the old elezen as he watched Falorgeant rush awkwardly towards Marcus and collapsing onto his knees in front of the chained knight. The dragoon spat out a mouthful of blood and his bangs hung over his face. Dropping his spear onto the cobblestone ground, Falorgeant stared in trauma at his blood covered gauntlets. With his hands trembling, Falorgeant reached for the key that would unbind Marcus from his shackles. Marcus, eyes widen, stared at the dragoon with disbelief.
"You fool! You're bleeding out!"
In the distance, Lord Viarre's attempt to run towards the dragoon and his knight were cut off from more advancing enemies.
"Ser Falorgeant! Marcus!" shouted Lord Viarre as he parried the continuous strikes. Falorgeant grinned, blood trickling down his lips as he stared at Marcus with blurred eyes.
"When I heard rumors of the Vale Brothers, I had yearned to one day fight alongside the both of you. You see, I had always believed that you two were among the few in this world that would die before they see it destroyed."
Falorgeant stopped mid-speech, coughing out another mouthful of crimson as Marcus watched in a blend of agony and uncertainty.
"Ishgard... wanted to bring you to justice. Though I am still against the order, it unfortunately became my duty. I never wanted to carry out the arrest. Show me, Marcus... show me that I was wrong... and that you are still what I always believed you to be. Justice."
Holding the key weakly, Falorgeant finally freed Marcus from his chains. Instead of rising onto his feet, Marcus grabbed Falorgeant and sat him upright.
"Justice."
Falorgeant, still clinging onto life, watched as Marcus laid him onto the cobblestone and rose. Marcus clenched his teeth, his eyes scanning wildly for his weapons and the heretic bowman who made the shot. Seeing his halberd, sword, and prey, Marcus ran to the dead Ishgardian knight who took his weapons, and reached for his halberd. Aiming the weapon at the bowman with one hand, Marcus hurled the halberd which plunged into his target in a bloodied heap.
Now with both hands gripped onto the hilt of his sword, Marcus charged fourth at the enemy, delivering his hate and furor with each hit and killing blow.
"I will bleed every single last one of you!"
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Watching the scene unfold, Xydane shifted his eyes towards Clarielle screaming with fear as she raced to the critically injured Falorgeant. Seeing Marcus already dealing with the enemy, Xydane turned to Lord Viarre and ran to his aid.
The head of House Kalgaren was quickly being outnumbered but Xydane evened the odds. Fighting back to back with the old elezen, Xydane and Lord Viarre made quick work of the surrounding enemy.
"Xydane! You've returned!"
"My lord, you need to help Clarielle see to Falorgeant. Marcus and I will hold these bastards off!"
Nodding at Xydane, Lord Viarre only ran a few feet away before Xydane held out his hands in front of elezen and grinned.
Fate was always unkind.
Blood trickled down his smile as an arrow was plunged through his body. After realizing what Xydane had done, Lord Viarre's eyes widen and he quickly held onto the younger Vale before he could collapse.
"No! Xydane, why!?"
Xydane continued to grin and turned to his brother who had saw everything.
"I've let too many people die, my lord. It's about time... I save someone else."
Xydane lifted his head, watching the embers ascend as they reminded him of descending snow. Despite the chaos, though the thought was different, it strangely relaxed him. Marcus roared as he decapitated his foe and ran to his brother's aid.
Marcus feel onto his knees, his eyes shaking as he helped his younger brother sit upright. Lord Viarre watched the two with sorrow as he reached for the tip of the arrow that had pierced completely through Xydane's chest plate.
"Marcus, hold him. I'm tearing out the arrow."
The breaking of the tip forced Xydane to grunt and Marcus held a hand out.
"No, my lord. Let me tear it out. He's... my brother."
Acknowledging Marcus, Lord Viarre held the injured knight steady as his brother pulled the arrow from his chest. Blood began to quickly spill from the injury and Marcus was hit with panic.
"I need to stop the bleeding. No, no, no. We need to stop the bleeding or my brother will die!"
Lord Viarre turned his head towards his approaching knights and roared desperate orders.
"Someone get my knight help! You two, save the dragoon! For the mercy of Halone, hurry!"
Xydane's hands trembled as he cuffed his gauntlets onto his wound which continued to ooze past his fingers. Xydane smiled and turned to his brother.
"Hey, it's alright. I-I finally saved someone."
Marcus rose and began to quickly pace back and fourth as his brother slowly bled to death in front of him. Again, all he could do was watched helplessly. Throwing his sword onto the cobblestone, Marcus placed his hands on his head and screamed.
"Not my brother! Everything was taken from us! Don't take my brother! What power is this if we can't even save ourselves?!"
It was in that moment that everyone present besides the brothers saw the red and black mist. Like smoke, it emerged from where Marcus stood and Xydane laid. The smoke gave form and Lord Viarre turned towards his knights and watched in disbelief.
Both dragoons - Falorgeant, held upright by Clarielle - also saw the unthinkable as the black mist gave form from the raging Marcus and his dying brother.
"Enough foolishness! Is this how weak you both truly are? Is this the weakness that I chose to bind myself to?"
The black smoke swirled and twisted as it began to solidify into shape. The tip of a wicked blade was the first thing to emerge from the dark cloud - the black steel glistening from the light of the surrounding flames. A greave stepped out and then a figure clad in armor of the blackest dark and crimson red came into existence. The armor's design was much like the brother's - twisted. The figure wore a helm who's eyes were but a glowing red through the visor. The helm itself had horns coming from the side and the jaw piece was shaped like a skeleton's lower jaw - the teeth sharp.
"You two are unworthy... and now the final test begins."