The air was heavy, thick with the earthy scent of decay and mildew and knowledge lost. If one took in a deep enough breath through their nose, they might even catch a whiff of a faint coppery smell of dried blood. This was a place where death had not happened just once, but twice. This was an Ampadoran keep.
"The hell happened here?" questioned a burly Highlander who wore what mishmash of plate armor he had on less for protection and more to show off his toned and scarred chest. A side-effect from his short stint on the Bloodsands, a career cut short due to a rather violent conversation between him and a mouthy Ul'dahn noble who had made a snide remark about the Ala Mighan refugees. He had won the fight, but lost the war when the noble and his family engineered a match that left his left arm severed just above the elbow. At least his right could hold his axe well enough.
That was when Gogon had found him.
"This used to be a haven for cultists. Some adventurers came through and cleared it out," answered a scruffy-looking Seeker, testing the string of his bow. He used to be someone - a Nunh of a small splinter group he had managed to wrest from the main tribe when all his challenges for control failed. Yet, it wasn't even a moon before one of the Tias that had come with him had usurped him from his position and ousted him from the clan. He sought to reclaim some measure of respect by joining the God's Bow, but was forever stymied in getting any sort of upward mobility.
That was where Gogon had found him.
"They sure did a half-assed job," the axeman retorted, kicking at one of the overgrown vines that lined the doorway ahead of them. One of the larger vines behind them reacted to the stimulus by slamming viciously down against the cracked stone floor. While the cultists may have been routed, they had been replaced by a multitude of vicious beasts and plants. The ochu that had once guarded the doorway lay crumpled, shredded, and burnt at the Highlander's feet.
"I can only hope that the relics within haven't been further damaged," intoned an Elezen female, her dark skin tinged red by the burning light of her Ifrit Egi. She was a seeker of knowledge, a finder of things that had once been buried. One such venture had resulted in unearthing Allagan relics that resulted in her fledgling skill at Summoning minor Primal aspects. She had ventured into another of the Ampadoran ruins and was quite knowledgeable of the layout of their ruins.
That was why Gogon had found her.
The Dunesfolk was sure they had names, but he cared little as his fingers traced the mathemagical formulae in his tome. Like the book, they were little more than tools at his disposal. Why learn the specific make of the hammer if all you needed it for was to drive in a nail? All that mattered what he had actually come here for, the reason he had assembled this ragtag crew for a venture into the dank ruins of the keep. And that reason was a Soul Crystal.
Obtaining new ones was becoming constantly more difficult as he taxed all manner of resources. He had been lucky enough to pick up one new one easily enough from a musician who was hanging up his traveler's boots and harp to settle down with his new family. However, seeking the coveted gift of Succor to complete his arcane quartet wasn't going to be so simple. Such a gift came only from the Elementals, and their blessings lay squarely with the Padjal.
Or, at least, they did so now. Magic of both White and Black were much more prevalent during the War of the Magi, so one might be better suited to finding the relics of such time within the ruins of that era. After all, he had obtained his very first from within the ruins of the Wanderer's Palace - gifted to him by the freed Tonberries after their King had been laid low. While Gogonji wasn't foolish enough to believe that he would be gifted another here, there was still the chance that one simply awaited discovery.
But why such the emphasis on yet another magic Crystal? Had someone known the Lalafell's plans well enough to ask such a question, he would've scoffed at it. It was such an obvious thing - Garleans suffered an inability to utilize aether and cast magic, so any that he could bring to bear was one more advantage in his plan to return a thousandfold the suffering they had brought onto his home and family.
... And then he probably would have had the nosy individual killed. His plans were becoming clearer and clearer with each bit of information gleaned from study and research and journeys into the minds locked within prisons of crystal. Each seemed to guide him, point out another blatantly obvious aspect that someone of his intelligence shouldn't have missed. With a plan of attack so close to completion, the last thing he needed was some nobody who caught a whiff of his strategy possibly leaking the information to the enemy.
What enemy? The filthy Garleans, the Ul'dahn moneygrubbers who might try to turn it into profit, the Limsan savages who might try to relieve him of his hard-earned artifacts, and the oppressive Gridanians who kept the locations of all these ruins under heavy lock and key. The brutish Ala Mihgans who might jump the gun in their zeal to avenge their fallen homeland, and even the remaining few Domans since it was his own that had passed on the secrets of Ninjutsu to Garlemald. No, no one could know of his plan until it was perfect and already underway.
No one.
"Hold up, something ahead," the Miqo'te hissed, bringing the small band to a stop and pulling Gogonji from his thoughts. He had shut his tome at some point, his stubby fingers gripping the spine and digging into the pliant leather of its cover. With a small exhalation, he lessened his death grip on the book and flipped it back open to be at the ready. A tool was no use if it broke, so it behooved him to keep these simpletons on their feet until he had what he came for.
Peering around the armored sabatons of their towering front-man, the Lalafell peered ahead through the gloom to see what the archer had spotted. Something furry seemed to be hunched over what looked like a pile of red cloth. Its back was to them and it seemed to be preoccupied with something outside their line of sight. The only hints as to what it might be was the occasional sickening crack that echoed down the hallway.
They weren't able to get too close, however. If the light clanking of metal on stone wasn't enough, their Twelve-be-damned sham of a God's Bow managed to find the driest section of vegetation to step on just as they entered the room. The beast whirled around at the sharp sound, its long fingers still wrapped around the neck of a still-twitching condor. The ape-like creature positively reeked of the Void as it tossed its most recent victim aside, the bird drained of all its aether.
"FRESH AETHER," it warbled, one side of its mouth hiking up into a sick caricature of a grin. And then its form started to... blur, becoming harder and harder to see. Within moments it was gone altogether, which spurred the Highlander's angry rush into the center of the room. The rest of the group trailed in behind as the one-armed Hyur's irate gaze snapped to and fro across the room.
"Shite, where did it go?" he snarled, as if one of the other three with him somehow magically had the answer. His grip was tight on his axe, one of its blades edges dragging across the stone with each sharp movement. More than once did he almost swing at the Seeker as the latter sniffed his way around the chamber. "Did it just piss on off?"
"Maybe," the twice-dethroned Nunh responded curtly, an arrow nocked in his bow. "I don't see it anywh--" His report was caught short as a crackling blast of red energy caught him in the shoulder and sent him to spinning. "Menphina's tits, there! Over there!"
It was faint, but the dim sunlight trickling in through the cracks in the walls and ceiling deflected subtly off of... something that had alit itself atop a statue of a robed Elezen clasping something to her breast. A sound of cracking stone, and the concealed form of the beast bounded off its perch and towards the Miqo'te. The head of the statue snapped off from the violent launch, it falling one way even as the rest of the sculpture toppled over in the other. The crash was ear-rending, but there were much more dire concerns beyond simple hurt eardrums.
The beast's cloak of invisibility evaporated like a morning fog as its long fingers grabbed hold of the gesticulating Seeker by the neck and began to squeeze. Its captive flailed and kicked to force himself free from the monster's clutches, but its grip was like iron. Even as the Miqo'te rasped out a call for help, the Highlander immediately rushed forward to assist. The garbled cries were quickly reduced to gagged gasps for air as the Hyur's axe lopped the monster's hand off at the wrist. A hand that, unfortunately for the Seeker, remained clutched tightly around its victim's crushed windpipe.
As the beast fled, the archer scratched and yanked and pulled at his most unwelcome necklace as it continued to strangle him. Yet it seemed locked in place, unwilling to budge even the slightest ilm. He would have gasped for help, if he had the air in his lungs to do so, but his rescuer was already chasing after the retreating beast in his awakened blood-lust. By the time the Elezen's Egi got there to burn the appendage away, the Miqo'te had already crumpled to the ground - cracking his head against the stone floor in his breathless collapse. Glancing about, the Summoner drew the runes for a Physick to help try and urge her companion back into wakefulness.
"It's no good. Tmesis! He requires your expertise!" the Duskwight snapped, referring to Gogon by the false name he had given them. He might have felt bad about them remembering his name whilst he hadn't the foggiest recollection of theirs. His attentions weren't on her, though, nor was it on the beast or any other of the living things in the room. His violet gaze was instead on the headless statue as it lay sprawled out sideways mere fulms from him. Clutched in its grasp was a crystal of milky white. What he had come for, his prize.
"Wake the fuck up, Oan!" the Highlander roared as he swung his axe horizontally in a vicious arc, the beast hopping away dextrously to avoid the metallic bite of his blade. "Ain't got time fer ya ta daydream about swiving yer sister or whatever the hells you're doing over there!"
The Dunesfolk's eyes snapped up at that, burning with an irrational level of hatred at the dismissive comment about the deceased Nininya. A clearer head would have realized it was just the seriousness of the situation, that he would not have known that the middle Gegenji child had perished along with the rest of her family. However, such an belligerent oaf of questionable intelligence making such a statement put Gogon in anything but a level frame of mind.
Gogonji snapped his hand out like a whip, a portion of his gathered aether crackling out in a shape not unlike a bolt of lightning. The blast only just grazed the axeman's cheek and slammed into the retreating beast, sending it stumbling backwards into a beam of sunlight pouring in through a sizable crack about. The furry thing seemed to smoke a little under the light, hissing violently and lurching back out of it.
"The light! Get it into the light!" the Summoner snapped, immediately seeking to take advantage of the situation. Her Egi responded instantly, slashing viciously at the beast with its flaming talons to cut its retreat short. While she continued to tend to the fallen Miqo'te, her familiar and the Highlander worked in tandem to drive the beast back into the beam of light.
Across the room, Gogon wrenched the Soul Crystal from the statue's stony fingers and tucked it away into the depths of his jacket. With that task done, he turned his attentions to the battle at hand. Between the fatally unlucky Miqo'te, the snobbish Elezen, and the Highlander that was already sporting a new aetherically-added scar, the Lalafell seemed content enough to just cut his losses here and escape on his own. With the beast distracted, it would be easy enough to slip away with his prize.
"<You can't do that, Go-nii!>" That obnoxious, yet familiar voice lanced through his head again as he glanced towards the doorway. "<You have to help them! You need to!>"
Gogonji's eyes flitted about wildly. From the door and his easy escape to the crumpled Seeker and the Duskwight that continued to shout orders even as she sunk healing aether into her comrade. From the flaming fragments of the Ifrit Egi as the beast's claws dispersed it back into nothingness to the one-armed Hyur as he backhanded said creature across the face with the flat of his axe. All the while, that voice kept haranguing him.
"<Help them!>"
Why? They were all insufferable twits only here to help him get his hands on the very crystal that was tucked into his jacket. He didn't need them anymore.
"<They need you!>"
What use would they be? They wouldn't fit into his plans! The Seeker was permanently too big for his britches, the Highlander short-fused and short-sighted, and the Duskwight little more than an overbearing history nerd. Keeping them around would be more of a hindrance than a help. It would be better if they just died here.
"<Go-nii!>"
The next few moments were concise, calculated. Tapping into the Rouser that housed his Scholar crystal, he shorthanded a formula and Ezra burst into existence with a chime and a flash of light. Another segment of his stored aether was forcibly directed into the crumpled Seeker and he gasped as fresh air worked its way into his lungs. The last bit was quickly shaped into a shimmering dome of protective energy dropped over the Highlander.
"Andienna, summon your Garuda Egi - its winds can force the beast back into the light! Erwin, it's going to attack from your right flank - use the statue behind you as cover! Pa'Nito, Ezra is coming your way - get up as soon as you can and lay down some suppressive fire with Andienna!"
Maybe it was the confidence in his voice, or the panic of the situation, but the rest of the group moved as Gogonji directed. Nito was already getting back onto his feet as another burst of healing energy from the Lalafell's Fairy returned strength to his wiry form. Erwin ducked behind the aforementioned sculpture as the beast's claws raked through the space he had just occupied, its talons biting into stone instead of flesh. It failed attack was further punished as arrows and bolts of aetheric energy rained down upon its furry physique. The sudden change in tactics sent the creature stumbling again, mere ilms from entering the pillar of light.
It put up a valiant effort in its attempts to move away, the sunlight burning its shoulders and rump, but it was like the beast was fighting a well-oiled machine now. The axeman moved to physically block it from moving anywhere but towards the light, and any damage done to the Highlander was quickly mended through a tandem effort of Gogonji and Ezra. Getting some attacks in alone was difficult, as archer, Summoner, and Egi all pelted it from afar with arrows and arcane blasts.
As the beast was forced back into the light, it wailed and covered its empty eyes with one arm as the other made a wide arc. Erwin ducked back a step to avoid it, thinking it another slash, but its true purpose was soon revealed. With a groan, the pile of red cloth shifted and began to rise - separating into a squad of emaciated cultists in red robes. No sooner were they on their feet than they rushed at Gogonji with arms outstretched.
"Oan!" Erwin roared, this time in alarm rather than in anger, too caught up in restraining the furry beast to move to assist. Both Nito and Andienna changed targets as soon as the new threat presented themselves but, if the animated cultists felt the sting of the bolts and arrows, they didn't show it. They were mere fulms away from the Lalafell when he made a snap decision, shoving a hand up his sleeve and activating both the Black Mage and Summoner Soul Crystals. He had never gone to three before, and the initial flood of knowledge sent him staggering even as the crimson horde bore down on him.
"Tmesis! Move!" the Duskwight demanded, as if her words were enough to shock him into action. Instead, the Lalafell caught himself as he warred with the three souls forcing their way through his mind. Battle upon battle flashed through his mind, many from the War of the Magi and quite a few older. The first cultist's bony hand latched down on Gogonji's head as his violet eyes snapped open.
"EVERYONE DOWN! NOW!"
It started as a pin-prick of light, everything else seeming to slow to a crawl as it sparked into existence. And then, impossibly fast, it began to balloon outwards into a sphere of crackling crimson and violet. It seemed to almost lazily overtake the cultists, dissolving them away like salt in water. The few statues that were still standing crumpled under the blast, fragmenting into smaller bits that themselves evaporated into dust. The other three adventurers had dropped to their bellies at the command, the searing heat of the ball liable to set both clothing and hair alight. The Garuda Egi was not so quick on the uptake and was engulfed, as was the beast as it saw an opportunity for escape and leaped from the pillar of light directly into the expanding sphere.
And then, with a roar and a clap like thunder, it was over. Only the four adventurers remained, their flesh still sizzling and tingling from the aetheric might of the strange burst of energy. The three non-Lalafells remained flat against the ground for a moment, either afraid to stand or still trying to process what happened, but soon clambered slowly to their feet. As they surveyed the aftermath, it was the Elezen who voiced the question on all their minds.
"What... the hell... was that?"
"Mathemagically augmented coalescence of fire and shadow-aspected aether manifested from a combination of personal and extraneous sources," Gogonji responded in a weak exhalation. He had never felt both so powerful and yet so drained at the same time, and his mind felt like it was trying to expand through his skull. Wearily, he reached up his sleeve again and switched off the two Rousers. While that helped with the skull-splitting headache some, he still felt like he could sleep for a week straight.
"... What?" Erwin and Nito asked in unison.
"Big. Damn. Fireball."
"Oh," the Seeker breathed.
"Well, why didn't ya just say so?" queried the Highlander, belting out a raspy laugh.
~