***
It was in the late afternoon in Ul’dah when a hooded Hyur figure stepped off from the elevator leading to the Airship docks. The man stretched, his arms, still stiff from the flight, and slowly began to move through the Gold Court and moving towards the Sapphire Avenue Exchange.
As the figured walked, he kept his hood low; a man who didn’t want to be seen, clearly, and for anyone know what’s good for them, obviously someone not to be associated with. The Hyur didn’t normally travel through Ul’dah wearing such garb, but given his intent and destination, felt that it would be best.
Passing through an alleyway before heading into the Sapphire Avenue Exchange, the Hyur’s determined step slowed upon seeing three children dressed in rags hiding in a secluded corner. The children were huddled together… and from the welts on their faces, he could see that they had been beaten. One of the children, a girl, had one of her eyes swollen shut. The hooded figure glanced up the road, and then back to the children. He looked upon with a myriad of expressions; pity, anger, disgust, all wrapped up into one. After some internal deliberation, the Hyur glanced up and down the alleyway to make sure no one was paying attention to him, and he approached the children.
The children reared back in fear at his sudden approach, as they had grown accustomed to the beating from adults. As the Hyur came upon them, he paused a moment, sizing them up, before speaking, “I haven’t seen a much sorrier excuse for Thieves in quite a long time.†The children seemed shocked at his comments at first, and then their eyes narrowed at him, angrily. The Hyur paused, taking them in, “At most there should be only one of you looking this bad,†he said, gesturing to the girl. “And what happened with her? She fall and you all leave her behind?â€Â
A young boy jumps up, seemingly the leader of the group, and the oldest of the bunch, looking to be in his early teens. The boy yelled, “What’s it to you, asshole!?â€Â
The Hyur held his hands wide in a welcoming gesture. “Strong words for someone who is doing it all wrong!â€Â
The boy yelled and rushed the Hyur with a swing of his fists, which the Hyur easily dodged. Grabbing the boy by the back of his shirt, he slams the boy onto his chest and plants his knee into the boy’s back, holding him down. “You need more fear,†the hooded man began. “You don’t just go up and rush someone who is stronger than you. Especially if you are going to let them know you are planning to attack them.â€Â
The boy yelled back, “I’m not scared of you, you jerk!†He struggled but couldn’t get away.
The Hyur pushes his knee into the kid’s back more, yelling, “You should be! Fear is a natural instinct, you know why? It keeps you alive. It keeps you cautious. It means you grasp the circumstances of your situation better—,†the Hyur said, trailing off as he looked up and saw the rest of the children had surrounded him, terrified, but their hands balled up into fists, ready to go. The Hyur gives a roguish grin and stands up off the boy, extending his hands in a soothing gesture. “Well, at least you stick together. That’s something. That and, you can recognize moments of opportunity.â€Â
The boy scrambles to his feet, kicking up at the man, but missing. “Just what in the hells do you want!?â€Â
The Hyur smiled, and looked out of the alleyway towards the Sapphire Avenue Exchange, and began to walk, moving right past the children surrounding him. “Come with me.â€Â
The boy yelled, throwing his arms down at his side as he did so. “The hells like we’re doing that!â€Â
“Then don’t,†the Hyur said, looking back at them over his shoulder. “Keep on as you have. I’m not the one starving at the side of the road. Not anymore.â€Â
As the Hyur walked away, the children looked back and forth between each other, then their leader. The boy leader shrugged and grumbled, “Gods damn it. Come on,†the boy said and he waved to the other children and they followed the Hyur.
The Hyur man peered around the corner and out at the Silver Avenue. The children ran to his side. “Okay… so who messed you up so bad?â€Â
The children pointed to a specific food merchant and the Hyur grumbled, “Ruppa Shuppa? Are you serious? You picked him? No wonder, then.†He looked down at the kids, who were glaring up at him and the Hyur sighed. “I want you all to pay attention, and seize the opportunity when it presents itself. There will be times that someone has to take the hit for the team. But with some timing… you can have some sort of damage control.†The Hyur glances out into the street. “The one takes the hit always gets extra food, by the way. Now, watch, and strike when the opportunity is right.â€Â
The Hyur set out from the alleyway, with the children watching. He casually made is way over to the merchant’s stall, Ruppa Shuppa. He thought to himself, I should have told them to pick better targets, too. The Lalafell merchant had several fruits laid out on his counter, and was leaned back in his chair reading through the latest copy of the Mythril Eye. The Hyur made his way past the stand, grabbing an alligator pear in the process. He didn’t look back as he her the merchant stir, shouting “Thief! Thief!†in the process.
The Hyur closed his eyes and braced. He knew what was coming.
An explosion of pain erupted from the back of his head, quickly being replaced with a warm sensation, as the Lalafell lept from his stall and clubbed him in the back of the head. The Hyur stumbled forward, his vision blurring, dropping the alligator pear to the ground. He nearly stumbled to fall onto his face, but managed to keep himself on his two feet, his hood dropping in the process. He spun around to see the Lalafell readying another strike, but upon seeing the Hyur’s face, the Lalafell stopped mid-swing, dumbfounded.
The Hyur looked only momentarily at the children in the alleyway, and made eye contact with them. They hesitated, and then quickly began to sneak over to the merchant’s stall, now unmanned.
Ruppa Shuppa was caught off-guard with the Hyur, and growled, “What do you think you are doing, thief?â€Â
The Hyur laughed, picking up the alligator pear. “…what’s really funny is that these days, I can actually pay you.â€Â
“Then why didn’t you?â€Â
“I’m a sucker for nostalgia,†the Hyur said with a roguish grin.
“At your age, though, I can get you thrown into the jails, or worse,†Ruppa Shuppa glared. The Hyur looked beyond Ruppa Shuppa as the children were grabbing armfuls of food… there are were several people nearby but all their attention was focused on the exchange between the Hyur and the merchant.
“Alright, alright, point taken. Here,†the hyur said, reaching into his gil purse and pulling out several coins, glancing up at the children standing with as much food as they could carry, with the boy leader looking attentively at the Hyur, his face with a concerned expression. The Hyur shook his head and looked down at his gil purse, “Ah, sorry… miscounted. Here. This should do it.â€Â
Ruppa Shuppa glared, at him, not even counting the money. “Just a moment, you.†But the Hyur was already walking away, throwing his hood back up, and wasn’t stopping. Ruppa Shuppa watched him walk away for some time, until he finally remembered the character’s name. With a frown, the Lalafell recalled it, “Aurick….â€Â
His moment of reverie swiftly came to a close the moment he turned and got a good look at his stall.
***
Dusk had begun to set in when old Heaucreubiont, an Elezen, noticed a tall hooded figure looking over the decrepit merchant’s home, or what was left of it, at least. It struck him as odd, for someone to take such an interest in place filled with such a dark history. In it’s prime, over ten years ago, the home had served as a storefront on the first floor, with the second and third floors purchased for the family’s living and crafting quarters. Built into the side of the city’s states walls, the home was just one of many shops; however, in Ul’dah, this was prime real estate.
Now the home stood, untouched, for nearly a decade. Time had taken the toll the home; a chair was overturned, shelves had broken and fallen, a door completely unhinged due to bandits, and the whole of it covered in thick sand. Now it had a strange man looking it over, with a face Heaucreubiont could not place. Perhaps he meant to pilfer the home? Heaucreubiont couldn’t be sure. But, as elderly men are oft to, he decided to stick his nose into another’s business.
Approaching the hooded man, Heaucreubiont spoke, “You should move along, my friend. There is nothing for you to see here. Please, don’t disturb this place.â€Â
The hooded man looked to Heaucreubiont, revealing a male Hyur with blonde hair. “My apologies. I have not come to disturb. I merely have… interest, in purchasing this shop.â€Â
The Elezen laughed. “My friend… I can tell from the look of your robes that you are not… financially sound enough… to purchase that land. Perhaps you would be interested in a retainer? Set up a shop in the Market Wards?†The Elezen paused, shaking his head and looking back towards the shop. “Besides, I don’t believe it is for sale.â€Â
The Hyur raised an eyebrow. “So the sultanate prefers it like this? Letting it waste away?â€Â
The Elezen shook his head. “It’s not that… the family that used to live there was a generous merchant family, the Demircans. But one day, they just up and left.â€Â
“Left? What do you mean?†The Hyur responded, sounding not at all surprised by the story.
“Indeed, they left… for lands unknown. Better prospects elsewhere was what I was told. But who really knows. Their youngest son was left here, though. Said that he wouldn’t survive the journey, and left him in the care of the sultanate.â€Â
“I bet they took good care of him, then,†the Hyur replied, not sounding convinced by his own words.
“Well, no… I mean, the boy ran away…,†Heaucreubiont said before pausing and looking the Hyur man straight in the eyes. “I’m sorry, I should not speak of this further. It is a sad tale. One that is best left unremembered.â€Â
The Hyur looked at the Elezen man, appearing offended at first, and then forced his face to lighten. “Perhaps so. But I bid you answer my question, why does the sultanate keep it off the market?â€Â
The Elezen looked down. “I can’t truly say. Technically the sultanate owns it, and the officer overseeing it has not made any motions to re-establish or open it to the public. All the goods on the inside have either been looted or sold. I don’t know… maybe they want to keep it as a reminder to those merchants who step out of line. The family wasn’t well liked—,†the Elezen stopped and shook his head. “I really don’t want to talk about this anymore. I’m sorry.â€Â
The Hyur raised his hand, in a calming gesture. “It’s fine. I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable,†he said, glancing back at the home. “I shall take my leave now. May you have a pleasant night.â€Â
And with a short bow, the Hyur made an abrupt turn and briskly walked away from the scene. As Heaucreubiont watched the man walk into the street, he found something odd about the man that he could not place. Eventually he shrugged, grumbling to himself and going back to his business, as the Hyur vanished into the bustling crowds.
***
As night fell, the Hyur moved swiftly through the alleyways, until coming across a particular one that he seemed to be searching for. He swiftly began to climb it, confidently, giving no indication that he was trespassing to those who might see him, but rather that he was supposed to be there. His eyes came fixed to Dalamud’s taunting vision, looming in the sky, it’s crimson red glow shining through the night. He stood there, studying it from his vantage point, turning over the events of the day in his head.
He let his hood drop, and his blonde hair fell loose. The man, who now called himself Blade Belisaire, rubbed the back of his head with a loud groan. “Grumpy old asshole,†he uttered. Blade turned and sat down against a wall, gently letting his head come to rest, gazing up at the red moon shining in the night, bathed in its crimson light. It was almost enough to mesmerize him, but he shook the temptation off and reached into his bag, and pulled out the alligator pearl from before. He brought out a culinary knife, and split it in two, and began to spoon out the thick, paste-like food onto the knife, licking it off every so often.
Why he had come to see his family’s old home now, of all times, he did not know. Why would he let such events, such history, draw him back in times like this? Why did he ask that elderly man the story of the family that lived there—his family, when he knew the story perfectly well—he had lived it, after all.
Why… why, indeed?
Staring up at Dalamud, he allowed himself a moment to be truthful with himself. Perhaps, with the Seventh Umbral Era drawing nigh as it is, he felt motivated to be honest with himself. If it fell now, today, in a month from now… he might not get a chance.
He knew damn well why he had come. He wanted to be told something different about his past. He wanted to believe there was something he had missed. That he hadn’t just been abandoned by his family. What memories he had remaining of his family, distant though they were, didn’t lead him to believe they were that selfish. He had never believed it, or… never wanted to believe it. He had never let himself decide which it truly was, between the two.
Perhaps it really was just as he had always been led to believe it to be. He just wanted to know. Before Dalamud, and the Garleans, come bearing down upon them in a firestorm.
He thought of the boy, leading that group of starving thieves, and how the boy had looked at him in the end… in almost some kind of admiration. It wasn’t a look that Blade was used to. Not at all. He wasn’t even sure he liked it. Because he hoped that the kid didn’t turn out like him. He was somewhat regretting his decision to help the children. What had he taught them, after all?
Did he teach them that it’s right to steal from the smallfolk, and take what isn’t theirs?
Or did he teach them how to get by in a harsh world, which may only get harsher?
Blade finished with the alligator pear and tossed it’s skin to the side. He licked the last of the green substance off his culinary knife as he stood up and walked over to a railing, looking out over Dalamud, still thinking about the boy. What’s more wrong? Letting kids starve at the side of the road? Teaching kids to steal? Or trying to tell these kids they should work for their food, which for a child with no money, is really impossible?
The world is wrong.
It’s all wrong. Everything you’ll do will be considered wrong by someone else. But then what’s right? Maybe nothing.
He shook his head, to push out the abstract thoughts in his head that usually lead to nowhere. He pulled out Selene’s personal linkpearl and glanced at it, debating over whether or not to give her a call. He was embarrassed to go through with it, though. Hadn’t been quite the gentleman lately… always ending up in bed together. Maybe he really was just as bad as he thought he was? He put the pearl away. Instead of calling her, he glared at Dalamud, and as he did, an anger swelled up in him. He had spent so long working to get to where he was at now. With the impending invasion and Dalamud, all that was threatened to be taken away. While he watched others pray to the Twelve to deliver them salvation, clearly, it hadn’t done much to help them thus far. Dalamud was still coming. It would arrive. And Blade felt it would be soon.
He would probably die. That’s why he wanted to help whoever he could, before it happened. That’s why he wanted to find something about his family. Maybe that too, is why he wanted to be with Selene.
As Dalamud’s crimson glow radiated in Blade’s eyes, he knew that he feared Dalamud, and what it would take from him. He didn’t fight this fear. He… welcomed it. Because as he told the boy earlier in the day, fear keeps you alive. Although the risk annihilation was high, Blade knew… to accept it, would be to accept defeat. To fight and not believe there to be salvation, you will not truly fight. You would have already forfeited your life. You will die.
Surely alone he couldn’t stand up against what was coming. The prophets telling of the Seventh Umbral Era had said that much.
Could he but find others who would stand with him.
It was in the late afternoon in Ul’dah when a hooded Hyur figure stepped off from the elevator leading to the Airship docks. The man stretched, his arms, still stiff from the flight, and slowly began to move through the Gold Court and moving towards the Sapphire Avenue Exchange.
As the figured walked, he kept his hood low; a man who didn’t want to be seen, clearly, and for anyone know what’s good for them, obviously someone not to be associated with. The Hyur didn’t normally travel through Ul’dah wearing such garb, but given his intent and destination, felt that it would be best.
Passing through an alleyway before heading into the Sapphire Avenue Exchange, the Hyur’s determined step slowed upon seeing three children dressed in rags hiding in a secluded corner. The children were huddled together… and from the welts on their faces, he could see that they had been beaten. One of the children, a girl, had one of her eyes swollen shut. The hooded figure glanced up the road, and then back to the children. He looked upon with a myriad of expressions; pity, anger, disgust, all wrapped up into one. After some internal deliberation, the Hyur glanced up and down the alleyway to make sure no one was paying attention to him, and he approached the children.
The children reared back in fear at his sudden approach, as they had grown accustomed to the beating from adults. As the Hyur came upon them, he paused a moment, sizing them up, before speaking, “I haven’t seen a much sorrier excuse for Thieves in quite a long time.†The children seemed shocked at his comments at first, and then their eyes narrowed at him, angrily. The Hyur paused, taking them in, “At most there should be only one of you looking this bad,†he said, gesturing to the girl. “And what happened with her? She fall and you all leave her behind?â€Â
A young boy jumps up, seemingly the leader of the group, and the oldest of the bunch, looking to be in his early teens. The boy yelled, “What’s it to you, asshole!?â€Â
The Hyur held his hands wide in a welcoming gesture. “Strong words for someone who is doing it all wrong!â€Â
The boy yelled and rushed the Hyur with a swing of his fists, which the Hyur easily dodged. Grabbing the boy by the back of his shirt, he slams the boy onto his chest and plants his knee into the boy’s back, holding him down. “You need more fear,†the hooded man began. “You don’t just go up and rush someone who is stronger than you. Especially if you are going to let them know you are planning to attack them.â€Â
The boy yelled back, “I’m not scared of you, you jerk!†He struggled but couldn’t get away.
The Hyur pushes his knee into the kid’s back more, yelling, “You should be! Fear is a natural instinct, you know why? It keeps you alive. It keeps you cautious. It means you grasp the circumstances of your situation better—,†the Hyur said, trailing off as he looked up and saw the rest of the children had surrounded him, terrified, but their hands balled up into fists, ready to go. The Hyur gives a roguish grin and stands up off the boy, extending his hands in a soothing gesture. “Well, at least you stick together. That’s something. That and, you can recognize moments of opportunity.â€Â
The boy scrambles to his feet, kicking up at the man, but missing. “Just what in the hells do you want!?â€Â
The Hyur smiled, and looked out of the alleyway towards the Sapphire Avenue Exchange, and began to walk, moving right past the children surrounding him. “Come with me.â€Â
The boy yelled, throwing his arms down at his side as he did so. “The hells like we’re doing that!â€Â
“Then don’t,†the Hyur said, looking back at them over his shoulder. “Keep on as you have. I’m not the one starving at the side of the road. Not anymore.â€Â
As the Hyur walked away, the children looked back and forth between each other, then their leader. The boy leader shrugged and grumbled, “Gods damn it. Come on,†the boy said and he waved to the other children and they followed the Hyur.
The Hyur man peered around the corner and out at the Silver Avenue. The children ran to his side. “Okay… so who messed you up so bad?â€Â
The children pointed to a specific food merchant and the Hyur grumbled, “Ruppa Shuppa? Are you serious? You picked him? No wonder, then.†He looked down at the kids, who were glaring up at him and the Hyur sighed. “I want you all to pay attention, and seize the opportunity when it presents itself. There will be times that someone has to take the hit for the team. But with some timing… you can have some sort of damage control.†The Hyur glances out into the street. “The one takes the hit always gets extra food, by the way. Now, watch, and strike when the opportunity is right.â€Â
The Hyur set out from the alleyway, with the children watching. He casually made is way over to the merchant’s stall, Ruppa Shuppa. He thought to himself, I should have told them to pick better targets, too. The Lalafell merchant had several fruits laid out on his counter, and was leaned back in his chair reading through the latest copy of the Mythril Eye. The Hyur made his way past the stand, grabbing an alligator pear in the process. He didn’t look back as he her the merchant stir, shouting “Thief! Thief!†in the process.
The Hyur closed his eyes and braced. He knew what was coming.
An explosion of pain erupted from the back of his head, quickly being replaced with a warm sensation, as the Lalafell lept from his stall and clubbed him in the back of the head. The Hyur stumbled forward, his vision blurring, dropping the alligator pear to the ground. He nearly stumbled to fall onto his face, but managed to keep himself on his two feet, his hood dropping in the process. He spun around to see the Lalafell readying another strike, but upon seeing the Hyur’s face, the Lalafell stopped mid-swing, dumbfounded.
The Hyur looked only momentarily at the children in the alleyway, and made eye contact with them. They hesitated, and then quickly began to sneak over to the merchant’s stall, now unmanned.
Ruppa Shuppa was caught off-guard with the Hyur, and growled, “What do you think you are doing, thief?â€Â
The Hyur laughed, picking up the alligator pear. “…what’s really funny is that these days, I can actually pay you.â€Â
“Then why didn’t you?â€Â
“I’m a sucker for nostalgia,†the Hyur said with a roguish grin.
“At your age, though, I can get you thrown into the jails, or worse,†Ruppa Shuppa glared. The Hyur looked beyond Ruppa Shuppa as the children were grabbing armfuls of food… there are were several people nearby but all their attention was focused on the exchange between the Hyur and the merchant.
“Alright, alright, point taken. Here,†the hyur said, reaching into his gil purse and pulling out several coins, glancing up at the children standing with as much food as they could carry, with the boy leader looking attentively at the Hyur, his face with a concerned expression. The Hyur shook his head and looked down at his gil purse, “Ah, sorry… miscounted. Here. This should do it.â€Â
Ruppa Shuppa glared, at him, not even counting the money. “Just a moment, you.†But the Hyur was already walking away, throwing his hood back up, and wasn’t stopping. Ruppa Shuppa watched him walk away for some time, until he finally remembered the character’s name. With a frown, the Lalafell recalled it, “Aurick….â€Â
His moment of reverie swiftly came to a close the moment he turned and got a good look at his stall.
***
Dusk had begun to set in when old Heaucreubiont, an Elezen, noticed a tall hooded figure looking over the decrepit merchant’s home, or what was left of it, at least. It struck him as odd, for someone to take such an interest in place filled with such a dark history. In it’s prime, over ten years ago, the home had served as a storefront on the first floor, with the second and third floors purchased for the family’s living and crafting quarters. Built into the side of the city’s states walls, the home was just one of many shops; however, in Ul’dah, this was prime real estate.
Now the home stood, untouched, for nearly a decade. Time had taken the toll the home; a chair was overturned, shelves had broken and fallen, a door completely unhinged due to bandits, and the whole of it covered in thick sand. Now it had a strange man looking it over, with a face Heaucreubiont could not place. Perhaps he meant to pilfer the home? Heaucreubiont couldn’t be sure. But, as elderly men are oft to, he decided to stick his nose into another’s business.
Approaching the hooded man, Heaucreubiont spoke, “You should move along, my friend. There is nothing for you to see here. Please, don’t disturb this place.â€Â
The hooded man looked to Heaucreubiont, revealing a male Hyur with blonde hair. “My apologies. I have not come to disturb. I merely have… interest, in purchasing this shop.â€Â
The Elezen laughed. “My friend… I can tell from the look of your robes that you are not… financially sound enough… to purchase that land. Perhaps you would be interested in a retainer? Set up a shop in the Market Wards?†The Elezen paused, shaking his head and looking back towards the shop. “Besides, I don’t believe it is for sale.â€Â
The Hyur raised an eyebrow. “So the sultanate prefers it like this? Letting it waste away?â€Â
The Elezen shook his head. “It’s not that… the family that used to live there was a generous merchant family, the Demircans. But one day, they just up and left.â€Â
“Left? What do you mean?†The Hyur responded, sounding not at all surprised by the story.
“Indeed, they left… for lands unknown. Better prospects elsewhere was what I was told. But who really knows. Their youngest son was left here, though. Said that he wouldn’t survive the journey, and left him in the care of the sultanate.â€Â
“I bet they took good care of him, then,†the Hyur replied, not sounding convinced by his own words.
“Well, no… I mean, the boy ran away…,†Heaucreubiont said before pausing and looking the Hyur man straight in the eyes. “I’m sorry, I should not speak of this further. It is a sad tale. One that is best left unremembered.â€Â
The Hyur looked at the Elezen man, appearing offended at first, and then forced his face to lighten. “Perhaps so. But I bid you answer my question, why does the sultanate keep it off the market?â€Â
The Elezen looked down. “I can’t truly say. Technically the sultanate owns it, and the officer overseeing it has not made any motions to re-establish or open it to the public. All the goods on the inside have either been looted or sold. I don’t know… maybe they want to keep it as a reminder to those merchants who step out of line. The family wasn’t well liked—,†the Elezen stopped and shook his head. “I really don’t want to talk about this anymore. I’m sorry.â€Â
The Hyur raised his hand, in a calming gesture. “It’s fine. I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable,†he said, glancing back at the home. “I shall take my leave now. May you have a pleasant night.â€Â
And with a short bow, the Hyur made an abrupt turn and briskly walked away from the scene. As Heaucreubiont watched the man walk into the street, he found something odd about the man that he could not place. Eventually he shrugged, grumbling to himself and going back to his business, as the Hyur vanished into the bustling crowds.
***
As night fell, the Hyur moved swiftly through the alleyways, until coming across a particular one that he seemed to be searching for. He swiftly began to climb it, confidently, giving no indication that he was trespassing to those who might see him, but rather that he was supposed to be there. His eyes came fixed to Dalamud’s taunting vision, looming in the sky, it’s crimson red glow shining through the night. He stood there, studying it from his vantage point, turning over the events of the day in his head.
He let his hood drop, and his blonde hair fell loose. The man, who now called himself Blade Belisaire, rubbed the back of his head with a loud groan. “Grumpy old asshole,†he uttered. Blade turned and sat down against a wall, gently letting his head come to rest, gazing up at the red moon shining in the night, bathed in its crimson light. It was almost enough to mesmerize him, but he shook the temptation off and reached into his bag, and pulled out the alligator pearl from before. He brought out a culinary knife, and split it in two, and began to spoon out the thick, paste-like food onto the knife, licking it off every so often.
Why he had come to see his family’s old home now, of all times, he did not know. Why would he let such events, such history, draw him back in times like this? Why did he ask that elderly man the story of the family that lived there—his family, when he knew the story perfectly well—he had lived it, after all.
Why… why, indeed?
Staring up at Dalamud, he allowed himself a moment to be truthful with himself. Perhaps, with the Seventh Umbral Era drawing nigh as it is, he felt motivated to be honest with himself. If it fell now, today, in a month from now… he might not get a chance.
He knew damn well why he had come. He wanted to be told something different about his past. He wanted to believe there was something he had missed. That he hadn’t just been abandoned by his family. What memories he had remaining of his family, distant though they were, didn’t lead him to believe they were that selfish. He had never believed it, or… never wanted to believe it. He had never let himself decide which it truly was, between the two.
Perhaps it really was just as he had always been led to believe it to be. He just wanted to know. Before Dalamud, and the Garleans, come bearing down upon them in a firestorm.
He thought of the boy, leading that group of starving thieves, and how the boy had looked at him in the end… in almost some kind of admiration. It wasn’t a look that Blade was used to. Not at all. He wasn’t even sure he liked it. Because he hoped that the kid didn’t turn out like him. He was somewhat regretting his decision to help the children. What had he taught them, after all?
Did he teach them that it’s right to steal from the smallfolk, and take what isn’t theirs?
Or did he teach them how to get by in a harsh world, which may only get harsher?
Blade finished with the alligator pear and tossed it’s skin to the side. He licked the last of the green substance off his culinary knife as he stood up and walked over to a railing, looking out over Dalamud, still thinking about the boy. What’s more wrong? Letting kids starve at the side of the road? Teaching kids to steal? Or trying to tell these kids they should work for their food, which for a child with no money, is really impossible?
The world is wrong.
It’s all wrong. Everything you’ll do will be considered wrong by someone else. But then what’s right? Maybe nothing.
He shook his head, to push out the abstract thoughts in his head that usually lead to nowhere. He pulled out Selene’s personal linkpearl and glanced at it, debating over whether or not to give her a call. He was embarrassed to go through with it, though. Hadn’t been quite the gentleman lately… always ending up in bed together. Maybe he really was just as bad as he thought he was? He put the pearl away. Instead of calling her, he glared at Dalamud, and as he did, an anger swelled up in him. He had spent so long working to get to where he was at now. With the impending invasion and Dalamud, all that was threatened to be taken away. While he watched others pray to the Twelve to deliver them salvation, clearly, it hadn’t done much to help them thus far. Dalamud was still coming. It would arrive. And Blade felt it would be soon.
He would probably die. That’s why he wanted to help whoever he could, before it happened. That’s why he wanted to find something about his family. Maybe that too, is why he wanted to be with Selene.
As Dalamud’s crimson glow radiated in Blade’s eyes, he knew that he feared Dalamud, and what it would take from him. He didn’t fight this fear. He… welcomed it. Because as he told the boy earlier in the day, fear keeps you alive. Although the risk annihilation was high, Blade knew… to accept it, would be to accept defeat. To fight and not believe there to be salvation, you will not truly fight. You would have already forfeited your life. You will die.
Surely alone he couldn’t stand up against what was coming. The prophets telling of the Seventh Umbral Era had said that much.
Could he but find others who would stand with him.