“NO NATALIE, NO!â€
Kage jerked awake, not in his own bed this time. He had visited the barracks where he would be garrisoned and slept there after taking another late shift. Even after the attack on Ifrit. The dream had been vivid. Natalie, tempered once more. Aye the previous tempering was not a true one, not from a primal but… It felt real nonetheless. The same emotions he had felt then. The fear. The helplessness. The uncanniness. Only this time, it had be she who had been tempered by Ifrit not Tom. Tom, the conjurer, and his sacrifice that had reminded Kage of what had happened what seemed a Calamity ago.
“Ser, is something wrong? Is the Lieutenant- I mean- is Ser Mcbeef all right?†One of the more amiable Blades under Kage asked, concerned. Kage liked him; he was Ul’dahn born and raised but he still held some empathy for those he was paid to serve.
The miqo’te shook his head, “No, Caleb, it was just a vivid nightmare after the events earlier yesterday.â€
Caleb, as his name was revealed, tilted his head. “Heard about that. Nasty business that, but at least it wasn’t everyone. I heard Ser Mcbeef was there too.â€
Kage nodded, a grim expression set across his face. “Aye, a conjurer named Tom. Poor bastard. He came onto the scene as we were finishing preparations hollerin’ his arse off. Think he lost his chocobo on the way. Not like Natalie who set hers on home.â€
Slapping his hand on Kage’s shoulder, Caleb shook his head. “All said and done, may he rest in Thal’s good graces. I still thank the Twelve you came back to us. I know ye be wanting to rejoin the ranks of Sultansworn when all will be cleared… you’re great but I’ll be missin’ ye all the same ser.â€
Surprised, Kage blinked. Caleb smiled at his confused expression and continued, “Everyone ye command knows the kind of man ye are, ser. Some of us are proud ye love Ul’dah. That ye be willin’ to do what ye did. We put our lives on the line but not like ye. Not like that.â€
Kage grasped Caleb’s forearm with one hand while clasping the palm in the other. “Caleb, you’re a good man.â€
Caleb took his hand back, bashfully scratching the back of his neck in the same motion. “â€Ye are too, ser. When ye return to the Sultansworn, I hope ye will come by and share a mug o’ale with us, ser.â€
Kage laughed and nodded as he stood. “Aye, Caleb. I promise, I will.†He let loose a deep breath and ordered, “Take care Caleb. Little Ala Mhigo doesn’t just have issues within with the refugees. The Amalj’aa and Ifrit are problems.â€
Caleb gave him a salute, “Aye, ser!â€
Kage pursed his lips and saluted, “Carry on. Let yours know that you needs must leave on the ring of the bell.â€
Caleb and Kage parted ways; Caleb went on to speak with the rest of the unit and Kage headed back home.
All the while, Kage thought of the events still. Tom, the conjurer. Osric Melkire, Chief Flame Sergeant. Natalie, Sultansworn. People from all walks of life… and yet Kage… Brass Blade. He clenched his fists, the longing in his heart growing fiercer each bell. Seeing Natalie in her surcoat. Fighting along her side. One of the party called him Sultansworn still. He had not misled them. He had been truthful. “I’m Kage. Suspended Sultansworn. Currently Lieutenant of the Brass Blades.â€
It had still pained him to say it though. So many of Blades were cronies. Horrible, corrupt. Kage did all he could now without such a tight leash on him to help people see that not all of the Blades were horrible. But… reputation precedes. And the majority of the Blades were just as bad as the man who paid them. In Kage’s case, tethered, until the case against Roen was blown free, for herself and her brother.
Delial Grimsong. Gharen Wolfsong. Shaelen. Cicero. Roen Deneith. The Rose. The Rose and Cicero were one and the same. Kage trusted Natalie, and he’d try what she asked…
But he felt like he was making one more deal with an evil unknown. Approach Cicero and convince him to recant? The only way that could be good outside of Roen and Gharen being cleared would be that Cicero himself would not dare darken Ul’dah’s gates once more. The damned poetic Garlean.
Kage shook his head out of his thoughts. He would trust that Natalie would be able to clear them both and he’d help all he could. Even if he wished he could just slay the Rose. Kage furrowed his brows as he approached the steps to his home. Mr. Puggles, Natalie’s chocobo seemed still very much in distress after she had sent it home alone after being stabbed by the Amalj’aa as she was making her way to the group that would be hoping to confront the Lord of the Inferno.
“WARK!â€
Kage saw that Shiron was sleeping inside his portion of the stables as he made his way towards Mr. Puggles. The chocobo was too distressed to even snap its beak at Kage. Kage cooed, murmuring soothing words to Mr. Puggles. “Shhh… shh… Mr. Puggles it’s ok. You know Natalie sent you home because she thought you would be safe.â€
There was no answer from the chocobo. Kage pursed his lips and pet its head, “If she didn’t care she’d not have patched you up and sent you home.†He fed Mr. Puggles some Gysahl Greens which seemed to might have brighten it up. With a pet on Shiron’s head, Kage left the chocobo stables and went inside.
He needed to make sure that the poet would be amiable to fixing the mess he’d caused.
Damned Garlean Miqo’te really.
Kage jerked awake, not in his own bed this time. He had visited the barracks where he would be garrisoned and slept there after taking another late shift. Even after the attack on Ifrit. The dream had been vivid. Natalie, tempered once more. Aye the previous tempering was not a true one, not from a primal but… It felt real nonetheless. The same emotions he had felt then. The fear. The helplessness. The uncanniness. Only this time, it had be she who had been tempered by Ifrit not Tom. Tom, the conjurer, and his sacrifice that had reminded Kage of what had happened what seemed a Calamity ago.
“Ser, is something wrong? Is the Lieutenant- I mean- is Ser Mcbeef all right?†One of the more amiable Blades under Kage asked, concerned. Kage liked him; he was Ul’dahn born and raised but he still held some empathy for those he was paid to serve.
The miqo’te shook his head, “No, Caleb, it was just a vivid nightmare after the events earlier yesterday.â€
Caleb, as his name was revealed, tilted his head. “Heard about that. Nasty business that, but at least it wasn’t everyone. I heard Ser Mcbeef was there too.â€
Kage nodded, a grim expression set across his face. “Aye, a conjurer named Tom. Poor bastard. He came onto the scene as we were finishing preparations hollerin’ his arse off. Think he lost his chocobo on the way. Not like Natalie who set hers on home.â€
Slapping his hand on Kage’s shoulder, Caleb shook his head. “All said and done, may he rest in Thal’s good graces. I still thank the Twelve you came back to us. I know ye be wanting to rejoin the ranks of Sultansworn when all will be cleared… you’re great but I’ll be missin’ ye all the same ser.â€
Surprised, Kage blinked. Caleb smiled at his confused expression and continued, “Everyone ye command knows the kind of man ye are, ser. Some of us are proud ye love Ul’dah. That ye be willin’ to do what ye did. We put our lives on the line but not like ye. Not like that.â€
Kage grasped Caleb’s forearm with one hand while clasping the palm in the other. “Caleb, you’re a good man.â€
Caleb took his hand back, bashfully scratching the back of his neck in the same motion. “â€Ye are too, ser. When ye return to the Sultansworn, I hope ye will come by and share a mug o’ale with us, ser.â€
Kage laughed and nodded as he stood. “Aye, Caleb. I promise, I will.†He let loose a deep breath and ordered, “Take care Caleb. Little Ala Mhigo doesn’t just have issues within with the refugees. The Amalj’aa and Ifrit are problems.â€
Caleb gave him a salute, “Aye, ser!â€
Kage pursed his lips and saluted, “Carry on. Let yours know that you needs must leave on the ring of the bell.â€
Caleb and Kage parted ways; Caleb went on to speak with the rest of the unit and Kage headed back home.
All the while, Kage thought of the events still. Tom, the conjurer. Osric Melkire, Chief Flame Sergeant. Natalie, Sultansworn. People from all walks of life… and yet Kage… Brass Blade. He clenched his fists, the longing in his heart growing fiercer each bell. Seeing Natalie in her surcoat. Fighting along her side. One of the party called him Sultansworn still. He had not misled them. He had been truthful. “I’m Kage. Suspended Sultansworn. Currently Lieutenant of the Brass Blades.â€
It had still pained him to say it though. So many of Blades were cronies. Horrible, corrupt. Kage did all he could now without such a tight leash on him to help people see that not all of the Blades were horrible. But… reputation precedes. And the majority of the Blades were just as bad as the man who paid them. In Kage’s case, tethered, until the case against Roen was blown free, for herself and her brother.
Delial Grimsong. Gharen Wolfsong. Shaelen. Cicero. Roen Deneith. The Rose. The Rose and Cicero were one and the same. Kage trusted Natalie, and he’d try what she asked…
But he felt like he was making one more deal with an evil unknown. Approach Cicero and convince him to recant? The only way that could be good outside of Roen and Gharen being cleared would be that Cicero himself would not dare darken Ul’dah’s gates once more. The damned poetic Garlean.
Kage shook his head out of his thoughts. He would trust that Natalie would be able to clear them both and he’d help all he could. Even if he wished he could just slay the Rose. Kage furrowed his brows as he approached the steps to his home. Mr. Puggles, Natalie’s chocobo seemed still very much in distress after she had sent it home alone after being stabbed by the Amalj’aa as she was making her way to the group that would be hoping to confront the Lord of the Inferno.
“WARK!â€
Kage saw that Shiron was sleeping inside his portion of the stables as he made his way towards Mr. Puggles. The chocobo was too distressed to even snap its beak at Kage. Kage cooed, murmuring soothing words to Mr. Puggles. “Shhh… shh… Mr. Puggles it’s ok. You know Natalie sent you home because she thought you would be safe.â€
There was no answer from the chocobo. Kage pursed his lips and pet its head, “If she didn’t care she’d not have patched you up and sent you home.†He fed Mr. Puggles some Gysahl Greens which seemed to might have brighten it up. With a pet on Shiron’s head, Kage left the chocobo stables and went inside.
He needed to make sure that the poet would be amiable to fixing the mess he’d caused.
Damned Garlean Miqo’te really.
