(Trigger Warning: minor detailed violence)
Chapter 2: Hasna Hena
Junè was finishing up a relatively simple assignment, some odd ball experimenting on Malboro tendrils, she was hired to gather them up. She and her Chocobo had a simple system implemented to deal with these enemies quickly.
“Wark wark!” and the fluffy yellow ball of feathers would run out and tease the drooly creature out from its’ swampy lair onto dry land. Inevitable short chase later whilst Junè snuck behind. Chi – Ten, a whorl of flame erupts from beneath the Malboro. The cocktail of poison stored inside the creature sped up the flames, the creature falls. Junè carefully bottles a bit of the poison and removes a couple small tendrils.
“Good work Grigori.” Junè tosses a small Krakka root which the Chocobo snatches in the air.
After distancing themselves from the stench of the swamp, Junè plops down next to a massive fallen tree which serves a quick shelter from the rain now starting to fall, it’s already the end of the Sixth Umbral Moon, and weather is now quite chilly.
“Come on” Junè motions with her head for Grigori to stop trying to bite the rain, though still excited he obeys. Puffing up a bit before sitting next to his master, he lets out a small cry of comfort.
A good opportunity to start distilling the poison, she makes a fire she begins the process of purifying the Malboro poison. She looks up at the clouds from her shelter and recalls her first encounter with the monstrous giants.
Near the Wellwick Wood, a young teenage girl only cracks a couple small bird eggs into a stolen pan. Thin but wiry, hair short and messy, her clothes are too small and have holes. The makeshift stove cooks the eggs slowly, merely a couple stone slabs place together with a couple holes in the sides and center for air and firewood. A small lean-to tent made of sticks and a couple of pelts is propped up behind which is filled with random odds and ends. Bits of Jerky drying line dangle from the left side, below the meat is a couple tied up fur pouches. At the end of the tent lies a handmade bow crafted of 3 thin sticks tied together for the limbs with a vine spiraling up for support, the string was a vine was splint into small streaks and wrapped together again multiple times, arrows were simply sharped sticks. The bed, with sticks for frame and the wool of a phurble for bedding, the blanket was made of the pelt of a wolf. On the bed was a very worn leather bound book wrapped in a vine to keep the damaged spine from falling apart.
The eggs sizzled a bit in the very quiet try woods. Junè looked around, though the woods aren't as dense and varied as the Shroud, it’s usually not this quiet. Expecting Amalj’aa, she grabs her bow, a handful of arrows, and quickly starts to fold up her tent.
“AHH!” A high pitched shrill out from the distance, Junè climbs a couple feet up on the tree beside her for a better view, a young teenage blonde Hyur runs out soaked from the stream she ran from, behind her 2 Amalj’aa lancers give chase. She begins to slow down as her soaked long skirt weighs her down.
Junè climbs further up the tree. The girl and the Amalj’aa run closer unknowingly. Pulling an arrow out which was tucked in her pants, she readies her bow.
“One and quarter for Amalj’aa.” An arrow flies out from the tree striking one of the pursuers in the left side of the neck. Though he lives, he falls to his knee for a moment, Junè aims and fires another arrow at the other beast... miss, the arrow hits the Amalj’aa’s shoulder. Both pursuers have stopped, at least only to look around for their attacker.
“Blades, move in! We have them wounded and surrounded!” Junè shouted as she threw a branch out from over a hill to make noise from over the hill.
The Amalj’aa glance at each other and ran off believing the weak bluff.
The young teen, looks behind to see the enemies run off.
“You’re fine for now, but they’ll likely return with a larger number by nightfall.” Junè jumps down from the tree. The girl surprised to see her rescuer. Smaller than her and almost resembles a boy from the short hair and dirty clothes. “I've used that bluff a once before, they like to kidnap passerbyers to use in their sacrifices for Ifrit their primal.” Junè takes the pan off her stove, “Want some? Bit burnt but still good.” She picks some off the pan and eats it with her hand.
The girl regained her composure, “I’ll pass, but I’d appreciate it if you told me how I can get to Highbridge? My father is waiting for us… err me and I need to tell him of what has unfolded.” She stated trying to still her shaking hands.
Putting the pan down, Junè walks forward and looks up at the afternoon sun then turns around and points forward, “That way, about one or two miles or so.” Crossing her arms and tilts her head, “Might be wise to head back northward to the Shroud, the Blades and Amalj’aa have been getting pretty nasty around here.”
“I didn't ask for your advice on ‘wisdom’. But if you want to be rewarded, get me there, around the fighting, surly you know the woods. My father is a merchant for Ul’dah.” The girl retorted with authority.
Junè slightly annoyed by the girl’s tone considered for a moment. The reward money would greatly help, but perhaps there could be something else that could be provided instead.
“I bring you to Highbridge and your father provides me with some occupation, as a hunter or guard.” Junè responded with equal authority while staring into the girl’s eyes to check for her reaction.
The girl was surprised by the new deal, Junè continued, “I’m only 15 years old, though I’d rather avoid living like this, finding work at my age isn't easy, but merchants are the real authority in Thanalan, with his word I’ll be able to make a real means in which to live by.”
The fire crackled again in the silence as the girl was taken aback by the peasant tomboy’s words, she’s unused to people not simply obeying her demands, peasants can’t negotiate nor speak with such command. “Very well, should you succeed in bringing me to Highbridge, I’ll see to it you are sponsored to serve as a private guard somewhere. No guarantee they’ll keep you for life.”
“Perfect, let me grab a couple things and I’ll guide you.” Junè ran into her tent excitedly, grabbing the rest of her arrows, jerky, pouches, and the book on her bed. She packed the loose stuff into the pouches and turned around ready.
“I assume we can proceed then? I need to return to father post haste.” The girl stated with a sigh.
“Yeah, there’s a small hunting trail that goes around a bit, should keep us out of the fighting and we’ll be there before nightfall easily.”
Junè and the girl proceeded to hike through the woods. Slightly denser than before, technically they were on the border between the Shroud and Thanalan.
“What’s your story anyway?” Junè asked to cut the silence. “What?” the girl responded.
“Why were you attacked? Why do you need to return to your father so bad? What’s your name even, or age?”
The girl sighed louder than last time. “Name’s Kiora Bellow, I’m 18, the bandits attacked the caravan I was traveling on, and I need to tell my father about the trade agreement with The Quarry Mill.” Kiora stated quickly, “Suitable?”
Junè chuckled quietly, “For now, but I may find myself compelled with more troublesome queries to inquire about.” Junè retorted sarcastically.
Awkward and silent the pair marched on, the trailed became increasingly narrow, now they were walking in knee tall grass. Even though the pace slowed more and more due to Kiora’s fatigue growing, they were nearly halfway there when they came upon a marsh.
“Ahh, blighted thing… Likely the recent rains flooded the area upstream.” Junè commented.
“Well, find a way around.” Kiora demanded. “We can go around it through the South Shroud, but that would take a day and a half, we can go back and go through the middle of a definite battle ground, or we can get our britches a bit wet.”
“Do you mean panniers? If so I’m not even wearing one, these are my hips.”
“Oh comeon.” Junè shook her head and pressed on.
“Agh, are you serious?”
The marsh wasn’t overly thick but progress was still very slow. Many trees have fallen, much of the bog was filled with brush that was crushed by the water or killed by the uplifted soil. Each step you sunk a few inches as the ground slowly gave and water rushed in, the splash of air bubbling up made a plunk each time. They kept pressing on until an arrow whizzed by into a tree a few feet to the right of Junè. “What was that?!” Kiora jumped a bit in surprise. Junè looked up a head a bit and saw a few guards of some kind surrounding a large tree or something far up ahead. Junè jumped up onto a small rock to get a better view, and realized that it wasn’t a tree, but some massive creature attacking the soldiers.
“I have no idea, I’ve never seen anything like it.” Junè responded confused at the new creature.
She watched as the creature spit some acid at the soldiers unable to move out of the way due to the swamp. One of the archers landed a couple shots but the creature released a cloud of toxin causing even the archer to fall.
“Let’s just go around quietly, seriously, we can’t compete with that thing.” Junè said seriously, climbing down watching her step on the slippery rock. “Fine let’s hurry…” Kiora whispered. Once Junè was down, she looked up and saw another one of the creatures squirming and sneaking towards them quietly.
“Fuck, run let’s go!” Junè yelled grabbing Kiora’s hand and making a slow dash away. Though the swamp slowed them down the Malboro moved unhindered by the environment. Junè looked behind and noticed the creature catching up, “Kiora climb that tree, even you should be able to clamber up.” Junè pushed Kiora towards a wide tree. “What, I don’t know if I ca-“, she tried to respond but was pushed up though she smacked Junè’s hand off her rear. Junè pulled out her bow and without aiming let loose an arrow into the creature’s massive wide mouth.
The creature merely shook off the damage and kept moving and let loose a slew of toxic gas. Junè recalling the effect of the gas on the archer, “Don’t breathe that stuff in! It’ll kill you!” She yelled while moving her shirt over her mouth. Kiora quietly obeyed, now high in the tree, tears formed in her eyes. Junè moved away from the tree and fired off another shot to separate the creature from Kiora. The creature obeyed Junè’s wishes and followed. She looked ahead as she ran as hard as she could in the mud and she noticed a grotto with trees too dense for the creature to follow through. Junè saw grey-ish liquid fly over her shoulder and realized it was the acid used on the soldiers. She was close enough to the grotto so she was able to roll into it and zigzag a little bit back to get some distance from the spit. The Malboro tried to follow but the trees were too thick and it couldn't fit, but arrows could, Junè loaded her bow and aimed for the mouth.
Junè fired her bow, as the arrow flew the creature spit fire at its prey. Though the Malboro missed Junè and the arrow hit directly into the creatures mouth, but like before it did little effect. She noticed some sizzling from the trees in front of her, some of the acid had gotten onto the tree blocking the Malboro, the acid ate through much of the tree quickly as the leaves begun to fall off just as fast. The creature spit again with the same results, a miss but the tree was now about to fall.
“Oh fuck me…” Junè looked around and saw a tall tree she could climb and bolted for it. Just as she managed to get up it, the Malboro broke through the weakened tree and squirmed into the grotto.
“Want some delicious jerky?” Junè threw a couple pieces of her food in the other direction, while the Malboro’s upper tendrils seemed to ‘sniff’ in the direction of the jerky, it remained focused on its bigger prize.
“Dammit, damn, dammit.” Junè looked around for an option, perhaps another tree barrier to get more time or something. The Malboro released its breath at her, while she held her breath, her eyes watered and skin itched massively, however she kept her eyes open as she saw a possible way solution. Junè felt her back for her remaining arrows... two arrows, grabbing one she let it loose upwards towards a fallen tree being held up by another. A direct hit but the tree was still held up, “You right little bitch.” She stated aloud forgetting about her breath, she let loose a final arrow at the tree above. Direct hit. The tree was pushed enough so it fell off, the massive trunk came crashing down.
The Malboro was still wiggling but completely under the tree and its wiggling slowed and slowed until it was motionless. At a glance it looks just a tendril of roots of some weird plant. Junè dizzy and scraped up from the clambering, jumped down onto the tree atop the creature. “You little beech?” Junè stated jokingly “Never again…” she shook her head, chuckled and slowly walked back to Kiora.
“Hey you okay?” Kiora opened her eyes to a dirty mud caked Junè. “Yeah I-I… at least I think so.” Kiora stated as she jumped down off the tree. “What happened to it?” She asked nervously, still shaking. “I dropped a tree on it, it’s dead.” Junè responded using her shirt to wipe the mud off her face. “We should press on, another could be around the corner, and I may run out of trees to drop.”
“But we’re in- oh yeah okay.” Kiora, still unsettled complied and walked behind closely. It wasn’t long before they finally left the marsh and even the Highbridge was visible below. The descent off the hill a pain, but it was always easier than the way up. “What hap-… So what’s your story?” Kiora asked quietly.
Junè slightly surprised looked over at Kiora, before looking back down and giving her reply, “Mom died giving birth to me, dad died while saving me from being attacked, and I've been on my own since.” Junè stated in a neutral tone.
“Oh… my condolences…” Kiora coughed a bit as she quietly responded.
“You alright?”
“Yeah, just not used to… THIS. I sit around for my father to show off, or be used for potential match making deals. Bartering a deal in the Shroud was my chance, a chance to show him I’m more than some doll to be dusted off from display.”
“Good for you for trying to change things.”
The scenery from the hill was amazing, the deep gorge below the bridge was filled with old ruins, ancient statues and carvings. The red canyon glowed in the dying civil twilight sun.
They finally reached the road. The Highbridge however was quiet, no guards. “Where was your father going to meet you?”Junè asked. Kiora ran forward confused, she yelled, “Sir Bellow? Dad?!” Nobody responded.
“Look.” Junè pointed at the road and the bridge tiles, there were small blood stains. “Something may have happened.”
“No no no no no, shut up.” Kiora moved around frantically and crossed the bridge. A well-dressed Lalafell man was leaning against side on the other half of the bridge.
“Here…” He called out.
Junè and Kiora ran over, the Lalafell was stabbed deep in the stomach, he was sitting in a pool of blood. “The wound’s too deep… I don’t think we can do much for you…” Junè said calmly with her hand on his shoulder.
“I know…” He took a slow breath in, “Sir Bellow was my business partner. He was here…” his voice cracked a bit.
“Where is he? Please tell me… He’s my father…” a teary eyed Kiora begged the dying man.
“He ran that way when the beast…” another slow breath, “...men attacked.” He pointed over to a small lower section of the bridge. Kiora ran over before Junè could tell her to wait.
Junè looked back down, “Is there anything I can do for you?”, she asked the man.
“Tel… Tell Mi... Te...Tell…” His voice cuts out and his arm slowly falls… Gnats and flies already are curious about the now deceased man, they land and buzz around… Nothing is wasted in the desert...
Junè got up and walked over to the lower landing, Kiora was in tears, hugging Hyur man on the ground.
“Shit…”
“Father… dad…” Kiora, face covered in tears, cried loudly.
Junè just stood behind her quietly for a moment.
“Told you she’d be here eventually, you and others didn't believe.” A deep voice growled from around the bridge, “Hey at least I stayed.” Another similar voice responded.
“Oh fuck, Kiora, I’m sorry but please grieve later…”, Junè request watching as two Amalj’aa walked out onto the bridge, both had bandages around the left side of their shoulders and necks…
“And this one is here too, now we have two, ohh, he’ll be pleased.” One of the Amalj’aa sneered.
Both warriors took the lances from off their backs and got ready for a fight, Junè, out of arrows and in close quarters anyway, took out a dagger and began to look around for a way out. Close quarters with two skilled angry Amalj’aa against one teenage Hyur with a dagger is not ideal, before Junè could make a decision, Kiora surprised Junè again by throwing a dagger from her father’s belt at one of the warriors and charging with a second one in hand. “You killed him you damn beasts!” The dagger hit sideways and afterward the warrior struck Kiora hard with the pommel of the spear knocking her out, they need her alive at least. The warriors charged Junè, agile and wiry she was able to maneuver out of the way of the ‘pointy end’ of the lance, though got struck by the pole. While knocked to the side, Junè stepped out of reach of one opponent and got close enough to score a solid stab into one of the warrior’s forearms, though it did little but cause him to back hand Junè into the wall.
Both Amalj’aa lined back up facing Junè, unable to think of another plan, she considered jumping off the bridge or at least quickly climbing down below it. This plan was never needed as one of the warriors shot up in pain, Kiora stabbed him in the back of the neck and hung off the dagger.
“Get the hell off you shameful Hyur!” the warrior cried dropping his lance and turned as he tried to get the girl off, the second warrior turned to help and thrust his lance into Kiora’s back though only cut it, Junè took this opportunity to roll forward, recalling vital points, stabbing hard into the back of the second warrior’s left knee, and quickly again into his armpit as his neck was too high. Both warriors fell onto their knees, the first with Kiora still managing to hang on, collapsed entirely. Junè grabbed his lance and thrusted it into the second warrior as hard as possible, the warrior fell.
“Kiora!” Junè ran over to her as she was lying face first onto the Amalj’aa’s back, blood slowly seeping out of the side of her back where the lance cut. Junè picked her charge up and lied her down, opening and using the fur from one of her pouches to cover the wound.
“Hey it’s fine.” She said to Kiora who begun to open her eyes.
“I’m sorry…” Kiora said while coughing.
“It’s okay, we can still get you to Ul’dah.”
“I can’t move my legs…” Her coughing became worse as she spoke.
Surprised, Junè checked the fur pouched, the bleeding was a bit worse but shouldn't cause this much damage…
“I've had trouble breathing since that creature attacked…”
“Kiora, why didn't you say anything…”
“I really, just wanted to…” Kiora paused as tears streaked down her face, “make him proud… Follow in his footsteps, ya know?…”
Junè looked down quietly.
“What’s your name even?” Kiora asked getting quieter.
Junè smirked, “Junè Theresa Barlokov”
“Ahhh, I seeee… Well, Junè Theresa Barlokov, I thank you for all you've done… For services rendered… give my amulet to my uncle… in Ul’dah.” Kiora’s breathing slowed and became heavier, “He’ll provide you with your payment…” Kiora hisses in pain… “June…”
“What?” Junè holds Kiora closer.
“Please end it… I can’t… it hurts…” Kiora cried and winced.
Junè paused for a moment, the stars began to shine in the sky.
“Okay…” Junè dropped her head… “I’ll make it quick…”
“Thank you Junè… “
Junè lifted and hugged Kiora… after a moment, she plunged her dagger upwards as hard and quick as she could into the back of Kiora’s neck leading into her head…
Laying Kiora back down, Junè sat there quietly for several minutes…
Not long after, the clanking of several marching footsteps arrived at the bridge.
After a brief investigation, a Roegadyn soldier reports to his captain, “Two men, one Hyur and one Lalafell, one Hyur girl also, all dead.” Nobody seen in the vicinity.
“I see, well clean up this mess, get more guards here. There’s only going to be more chaos from here on out, we need to be ready.”
Junè then realized her poison was distilled and now burning, her Chocobo Grigori warked to remind her of the awful stench it emitted.
"Meh, I'll try again later." dumping the contents from her glass jar, she packed and got up. The rain has stopped. Grigori shook a bit and stretched his neck as he followed suit. They begun their journey back to Reverent's Toll.
