Atrium Crow stood at the edge of the dry docks near Limsa. The short, female miqo’te’s short hair blew around her face as her mismatched eyes watched the small boat sailing towards the shore, the shadow of the overcast night even darker around it. Atrium knew who was aboard that boat. The cursed other part she had been magically stitched to by “The Voice†to become an undead assassin. That black, wretched soul that had infected her.
She had once been a loyal follower of the cult and had given her life and body for the cult’s cause. But that had changed. She, when she and Jin’li had been made one person called Atrium Crow, she had felt the soul, the cold, heartless calculating thing and had almost become truly united and one. But it had been her half that had fallen in love with Oubliette. Her half that had fought against the power of "The Voice" and it had been her half that had finally torn the Jin’li half away and banished it from her soul and her body to travel into the realm of death. She was her own person again, even if she still called herself Atrium Crow. She had been traveling the world, marveling in its wonder now, free. But for some time she had sensed the soul of Jin’li slipping back into the world and somehow growing stronger. The stronger and more restored the soul of Jin’li became, the more aware she was of his intentions and location. Over the past few months it had been moving up to Coerthas and back and was now sailing across the sea. Atruim knew she had to meet him on the shore, to forever sever their conection that somehow still exhisted and send the soul to Nald’thal.
The boat she knew to be carrying Jin’li slipped though the waters and then up to the pier. There was a terrible splintering noise as the full sails drove the vessel aground.
Atrium watched as the vessel grounded to a halt. The shadows that hung over the ship seemed to be merging and out of them emerged the white haired, pale skinned albino, Jin’li Epinioch. The male limped slowly off the ship, a sword clutched in his hand but used as a cane. A massive raven, as large a big cat, sat upon the miqo’te’s shoulder and peered around before fixing Atrium with a blood red optic. The two undead figures faced one another down, but it was Jin’li whom moved first. Jin’li bowed deeply as the great raven flew from his shoulder, emitting a horrible caw that echoed around the deserted dry docks. Jin’li began speaking in his flat, emotionless voice.
“Master Crow, half of this one’s once whole. A pleasure and an honor you bestow upon this one by meeting this one here.â€
Atrium snarled, recalling that stupid way of talking the Jin’li soul had forced them to talk like.
“Shut your damn mouth. I cut you out and sent you beyond. How are you even here?!†Atrium unslung the axe from her back and held it, metal glinting in the light from the torches that burned around the docks.
“This one has learned how to defeat death, just as you have. This one, however, knows how without needing "The Voice".†Jin’li lifted his head and took a step back aboard the vessel. Atrium scoffed and stepped forward, her hot headed tendencies coming out. Her mild, coy manners had left her since the Jin’li part was gone and she had been doing ‘things’ with Oubliette.
“Retreating already,spawn?†Atrium snorted. Her axe began burning with black flames as she used her energy to encase it. Jin’li blinked.
“Lady Crow, do be careful, the powers you have are very limited. I know your limits just as well as you do and using them aimlessly could cause you to-“
“I’ll only be a second to kill you and be rid of you again! You tried to crush me when we were bound together. Never again!†Atrium dashed forward and leapt at Jin’li. The sickly miqo’to tried to evade her blow but the burning axe slammed into his gut and sent Jin’li tumbling backwards and crashing against the mast of the ship. Atrium slowly strode forward, her axe in hand as she spat, her feet slipping slightly on the wet deck.
“You should have just gone on the Nald’thal’s domain!†Atruim shouted. “If you don’t want to go, I’ll send you myself so you might be judged for your grievous sins.â€
Jin’li looked up at her, his hand clutching the black blood oozing out of the gash she had cut in him and her weapon. Jin’li saw the silver etched into the cutting edge of the blade and realized he should have known one dead abomination would know how to wound another. They had once been the same person once after all and had shared memories and ideas together. But that’s how he knew she would have attacked so recklessly and been so focused on him to ignore the raven.
Jin’li suddenly moved. His sword arm lurched forward and slammed the point of Jin’li’s sword into Atrium’s foot. Atruim screamed as the silver metal blade impaled her dead flesh and burned her.
Jin’li bowed his head to her as he picked himself and threw himself into the ocean with a crash of water.
The moonlight suddenly slipped through the clouds and glistened off the whale oil covered decks, whale oil Jin’li had spread across the deck for just this occasion. The raven flying above saw the reflection of the moon on the oil and dropped the torch it had taken from a mounting just as Atrium went to pull the sword from her foot. The torch fell and ignited the oil in an instant. The entire ship sprung into flames in the blink of an eye. The inferno engulfed Atrium and began charring her flesh. It all happened so fast she didn’t have a chance to escape. Her screams were agonized but did not last. The flames shot beneath the deck and stuck the black powder beneath. The ship exploded in a plume of fire that shot debris high into the air.
On the dock two trembling hands reached from the water and seized the peir. Jin'li pulled himself from the salty brine with a grunt, his movments awkward and clumsy but he moved as if the gash in his side did not affect him as more black blood oozed from the cut. Jin'li rose up and turned to stare at the flickering flames that danced across the surface of the water. The miqo'te bowed his head.
"Thank you for the duel, Lady Crow. It was an honor."
There was a caw and the Crow flapped down. The flames glinted off the silver sword that had flown into the air following the blast. Jin'li took the sword and begna slowly limping inland, the winds tussling his hair, brining with it the smell of vineyards.
“Death is freedom, Lady Crow. Consider yourself truly liberated at last.â€
She had once been a loyal follower of the cult and had given her life and body for the cult’s cause. But that had changed. She, when she and Jin’li had been made one person called Atrium Crow, she had felt the soul, the cold, heartless calculating thing and had almost become truly united and one. But it had been her half that had fallen in love with Oubliette. Her half that had fought against the power of "The Voice" and it had been her half that had finally torn the Jin’li half away and banished it from her soul and her body to travel into the realm of death. She was her own person again, even if she still called herself Atrium Crow. She had been traveling the world, marveling in its wonder now, free. But for some time she had sensed the soul of Jin’li slipping back into the world and somehow growing stronger. The stronger and more restored the soul of Jin’li became, the more aware she was of his intentions and location. Over the past few months it had been moving up to Coerthas and back and was now sailing across the sea. Atruim knew she had to meet him on the shore, to forever sever their conection that somehow still exhisted and send the soul to Nald’thal.
The boat she knew to be carrying Jin’li slipped though the waters and then up to the pier. There was a terrible splintering noise as the full sails drove the vessel aground.
Atrium watched as the vessel grounded to a halt. The shadows that hung over the ship seemed to be merging and out of them emerged the white haired, pale skinned albino, Jin’li Epinioch. The male limped slowly off the ship, a sword clutched in his hand but used as a cane. A massive raven, as large a big cat, sat upon the miqo’te’s shoulder and peered around before fixing Atrium with a blood red optic. The two undead figures faced one another down, but it was Jin’li whom moved first. Jin’li bowed deeply as the great raven flew from his shoulder, emitting a horrible caw that echoed around the deserted dry docks. Jin’li began speaking in his flat, emotionless voice.
“Master Crow, half of this one’s once whole. A pleasure and an honor you bestow upon this one by meeting this one here.â€
Atrium snarled, recalling that stupid way of talking the Jin’li soul had forced them to talk like.
“Shut your damn mouth. I cut you out and sent you beyond. How are you even here?!†Atrium unslung the axe from her back and held it, metal glinting in the light from the torches that burned around the docks.
“This one has learned how to defeat death, just as you have. This one, however, knows how without needing "The Voice".†Jin’li lifted his head and took a step back aboard the vessel. Atrium scoffed and stepped forward, her hot headed tendencies coming out. Her mild, coy manners had left her since the Jin’li part was gone and she had been doing ‘things’ with Oubliette.
“Retreating already,spawn?†Atrium snorted. Her axe began burning with black flames as she used her energy to encase it. Jin’li blinked.
“Lady Crow, do be careful, the powers you have are very limited. I know your limits just as well as you do and using them aimlessly could cause you to-“
“I’ll only be a second to kill you and be rid of you again! You tried to crush me when we were bound together. Never again!†Atrium dashed forward and leapt at Jin’li. The sickly miqo’to tried to evade her blow but the burning axe slammed into his gut and sent Jin’li tumbling backwards and crashing against the mast of the ship. Atrium slowly strode forward, her axe in hand as she spat, her feet slipping slightly on the wet deck.
“You should have just gone on the Nald’thal’s domain!†Atruim shouted. “If you don’t want to go, I’ll send you myself so you might be judged for your grievous sins.â€
Jin’li looked up at her, his hand clutching the black blood oozing out of the gash she had cut in him and her weapon. Jin’li saw the silver etched into the cutting edge of the blade and realized he should have known one dead abomination would know how to wound another. They had once been the same person once after all and had shared memories and ideas together. But that’s how he knew she would have attacked so recklessly and been so focused on him to ignore the raven.
Jin’li suddenly moved. His sword arm lurched forward and slammed the point of Jin’li’s sword into Atrium’s foot. Atruim screamed as the silver metal blade impaled her dead flesh and burned her.
Jin’li bowed his head to her as he picked himself and threw himself into the ocean with a crash of water.
The moonlight suddenly slipped through the clouds and glistened off the whale oil covered decks, whale oil Jin’li had spread across the deck for just this occasion. The raven flying above saw the reflection of the moon on the oil and dropped the torch it had taken from a mounting just as Atrium went to pull the sword from her foot. The torch fell and ignited the oil in an instant. The entire ship sprung into flames in the blink of an eye. The inferno engulfed Atrium and began charring her flesh. It all happened so fast she didn’t have a chance to escape. Her screams were agonized but did not last. The flames shot beneath the deck and stuck the black powder beneath. The ship exploded in a plume of fire that shot debris high into the air.
On the dock two trembling hands reached from the water and seized the peir. Jin'li pulled himself from the salty brine with a grunt, his movments awkward and clumsy but he moved as if the gash in his side did not affect him as more black blood oozed from the cut. Jin'li rose up and turned to stare at the flickering flames that danced across the surface of the water. The miqo'te bowed his head.
"Thank you for the duel, Lady Crow. It was an honor."
There was a caw and the Crow flapped down. The flames glinted off the silver sword that had flown into the air following the blast. Jin'li took the sword and begna slowly limping inland, the winds tussling his hair, brining with it the smell of vineyards.
“Death is freedom, Lady Crow. Consider yourself truly liberated at last.â€
