A calm breeze passed by as she stood at the edge of the cliff. Clad in black and red, she gazed into the distance with her left hand resting on the hilt of her sheathed blade. The sky was clear and speckled with stars, even past the midnight bell and nearing the fifth.
"Lieutenant, hm? To think the lone wolf would make it so far at such an age."
She turned her head a few degrees left and gave only a glance as acknowledgement towards the figure's sudden arrival before she looked forward once more. The man looked no older than 40 cycles, wore a Maelstrom officer's uniform of red, black, and gold, and had a pleasant air around him. "...Lieutenant Shade."
"At ease, Elise." Shade said with the faintest of smiles. "For you to address an equal that way... it's as if you're still a Sergeant."
Elise turned her head towards the Hyur, speaking softly yet firmly. "Heidrek."
"That's better!" He said with joy. "Slight vitriol in your words, but it's getting better!"
Elise averted her gaze from the man and looked out towards the sea once more, hesitating. "Why did you select me for your platoon?"
"Hrm. Why did I select you?" He raises an eyebrow at the question and cups his hand to his cheek, pondering the question. "Well, I hate giving my soldiers preferential treatment... but if I had to say so..." He looks towards her, pointing at the woman and making a handgonne with his fingers. "Tenacity. You simply refuse to die."
"That... that's it?" She blinked once... twice--thrice at the response. "Nothing else? The training I underwent, the knowledge I had--none of that mattered?"
"Not one bit." He said plainly.
Elise shakes her head in disbelief for a few moments before chuckling at the thought, but Heidrek continuted speaking before she could reply. "Any skills are useless without willpower behind them. A soldier who's determined is better than a soldier who flees from merely thinking about combat." As he finished speaking, he pulled out a small canteen from his overcoat and opened the top, the smell of whiskey soon emerged as he took a drink. With his hand, he offered her a drink as well but soon recoiled. "Ah. You don't drink much." He said, before bringing the bottle back to his mouth for yet another drink.
"No, I don't. I flirt with Nald'Thal too much for unneccessary risks."
"Flirt with him, do you..." His voice trails off as he too looks out towards the sea.
"Heidrik, what happened at Carteneau... I'm sorry. I saved as many as I could. If I just had the power to do so, then..."
He placed his right hand on her left shoulder, an oddly chilling sensation Elise felt as he touched her. "Ah, my young Lieutenant! Two mistakes! First, you're wishing for power; a feeling that could very well corrupt your being. Second, you're overthinking and doubting yourself here. You were selfless when others would be selfish, even in the face of danger." He patted her shoulder lightly two times. "You're becoming a fine, young leader. Only a matter of time before you surpass me; no need for shortcuts."
Elise held back a smile as he spoke and withheld her words for a few moments longer, instead keeping her eyes focused on the sunrise from the east.
"Ah, the sun's already up is she? Azeyma seems to be getting up earlier than usual this time of year..." Heidrik released his hand from her shoulder as he finished speaking, standing upright and gazing still at the sea.
"Simply another day for her though, Heidrik." Elise states as she turns her head to the left. The filled spot on her left was now empty, however, coming and going like a calm breeze. She stood there for several minutes before she knelt down on the ground--her eyes now seeing a quaint stone tablet. Elise unsheathed her sword and stabbed it down into the ground in front of her, tying a small, vibrant, and crimson cloth to where the pommel and grip met. For several minutes, she continued kneeling. At the end she gave a quick prayer, stood up once more, looked towards the sky, and adjusted her glasses.
"...It's raining again, Ms. Hat." She wiped the tears from her face and turned away from the grave--walking inland. And then...
A bite at Moraby Drydocks.
A lonely walk back to Limsa.
"Lieutenant, hm? To think the lone wolf would make it so far at such an age."
She turned her head a few degrees left and gave only a glance as acknowledgement towards the figure's sudden arrival before she looked forward once more. The man looked no older than 40 cycles, wore a Maelstrom officer's uniform of red, black, and gold, and had a pleasant air around him. "...Lieutenant Shade."
"At ease, Elise." Shade said with the faintest of smiles. "For you to address an equal that way... it's as if you're still a Sergeant."
Elise turned her head towards the Hyur, speaking softly yet firmly. "Heidrek."
"That's better!" He said with joy. "Slight vitriol in your words, but it's getting better!"
Elise averted her gaze from the man and looked out towards the sea once more, hesitating. "Why did you select me for your platoon?"
"Hrm. Why did I select you?" He raises an eyebrow at the question and cups his hand to his cheek, pondering the question. "Well, I hate giving my soldiers preferential treatment... but if I had to say so..." He looks towards her, pointing at the woman and making a handgonne with his fingers. "Tenacity. You simply refuse to die."
"That... that's it?" She blinked once... twice--thrice at the response. "Nothing else? The training I underwent, the knowledge I had--none of that mattered?"
"Not one bit." He said plainly.
Elise shakes her head in disbelief for a few moments before chuckling at the thought, but Heidrek continuted speaking before she could reply. "Any skills are useless without willpower behind them. A soldier who's determined is better than a soldier who flees from merely thinking about combat." As he finished speaking, he pulled out a small canteen from his overcoat and opened the top, the smell of whiskey soon emerged as he took a drink. With his hand, he offered her a drink as well but soon recoiled. "Ah. You don't drink much." He said, before bringing the bottle back to his mouth for yet another drink.
"No, I don't. I flirt with Nald'Thal too much for unneccessary risks."
"Flirt with him, do you..." His voice trails off as he too looks out towards the sea.
"Heidrik, what happened at Carteneau... I'm sorry. I saved as many as I could. If I just had the power to do so, then..."
He placed his right hand on her left shoulder, an oddly chilling sensation Elise felt as he touched her. "Ah, my young Lieutenant! Two mistakes! First, you're wishing for power; a feeling that could very well corrupt your being. Second, you're overthinking and doubting yourself here. You were selfless when others would be selfish, even in the face of danger." He patted her shoulder lightly two times. "You're becoming a fine, young leader. Only a matter of time before you surpass me; no need for shortcuts."
Elise held back a smile as he spoke and withheld her words for a few moments longer, instead keeping her eyes focused on the sunrise from the east.
"Ah, the sun's already up is she? Azeyma seems to be getting up earlier than usual this time of year..." Heidrik released his hand from her shoulder as he finished speaking, standing upright and gazing still at the sea.
"Simply another day for her though, Heidrik." Elise states as she turns her head to the left. The filled spot on her left was now empty, however, coming and going like a calm breeze. She stood there for several minutes before she knelt down on the ground--her eyes now seeing a quaint stone tablet. Elise unsheathed her sword and stabbed it down into the ground in front of her, tying a small, vibrant, and crimson cloth to where the pommel and grip met. For several minutes, she continued kneeling. At the end she gave a quick prayer, stood up once more, looked towards the sky, and adjusted her glasses.
"...It's raining again, Ms. Hat." She wiped the tears from her face and turned away from the grave--walking inland. And then...
A bite at Moraby Drydocks.
A lonely walk back to Limsa.
