Frhanz never heard Kage. He opened a gate into the aether, but didn't step through, instead, focusing all of his attention on the device the Garlean would hopefully still have on his person. Simple enough, it contained a small amount of Frhanz' aether, enough to be used like a tracking device.
He focused harder, using as much of his knowledge on how aetherial travel functioned.Â
A moment later, he felt it. He could sense the device, and what had to be the person still holding onto it. As aether flowed from him, he made a small path to the device, carrying a simple message "this way". He'd be the exit.Â
--
As he had stepped into the aethernet, the Unnamed Mercenary knew something was wrong. Other than the sickening feeling, he was lost. The entrance was gone, and he couldn't get out. Again. He was stuck in the aether. He held on to the device Frhanz had given him, in the chance that it would possibly help. He knew he shouldn't have gone in. And "she" had already told him she wouldn't fix a mistake like this again. Not that it matter much. As he sat in the space, he wondered what would become of him. Would he be doomed to an existence all alone? Would he eventually just fade into the aether itself?Â
Would he ever go home? See his family? Did he even have a home or family? As these questions swirled around in his thoughts, he heard something. "This way"
"This way will lead you out."
As he focused on the voice, it because louder, more clear. It was Frhanz, the elezen man that said he would help. Why could he hear him here, in what what felt like an abyss made of aether? As he followed it, he understood. The elezen was leading him to his destination.
--
It happened quickly. As the Unnamed Mercenary traveled through the aether, he passed through Frhanz, and Frhanz passed through him. Their aether intertwined and it was as if they lived each others' life. He felt everything. All of the elezen's life, memories, experiences. It was as if they were his own, but they weren't. They were only an echo of his past.Â
As the Unnamed Mercenary left the aether a changed man, he could have sworn he heard "Please pass my regrets to Kage. This will be hard on him, I'm sure." He was back in Ul'Dah, but Frhanz was nowhere to be seen. The aetherite shown vividly blue, as it should, and the Unnamed Mercenary breathed a sigh of relief. "So the aether has stabilized. It isn't over-aspected any longer." He knew that wasn't something he would say, but Frhanz. The elezen had used himself as an aetherial gate, and was gone. The Garlean would have to live for the both of them. A new man. A better man. Someone who was aware of both Eorzea's mysteries and the Garlean Empire's plans and methods.Â
The artificial aether device he'd had implanted may have been destroyed in the teleport, he couldn't tell one way or another. He felt the aether around him, this time, comforting. As if naturally, he cast a glamour to hide his Garlean feature. An informed mage would easily see past it, but every day people shouldn't notice.
He walked over to Kage, wondering what the man could be feeling as we he watched a precious friend dissolve into the aether. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry... He..., he wanted you to know." The Garlean gave a sympathetic expression. "I...seem to experienced his life up to now. He knew he wouldn't make it, doing what he did."Â
He started to walk away slowly. He didn't know how to help Kage get through this, and he needed to return what Frhanz had borrowed from the Alchemists' Guild. He couldn't be there for Kage like Frhanz would have. He'd already done terrible things to the lalafell turned miqo'te, another thing he'd done. How would he sort out Frhanz's life when he couldn't even handle his own? He thought back to the woman and girl he'd dreamt about the night before. That feeling of being so familiar, but so far away hurt.
He'd take on a name now. "Franz nil Renatus". The first name in legacy of the man who tried to help him. The Garlean title from how he'd come to Eorzea. It seemed filling.
 If Kage came to him, he would do what he could. Otherwise, he'd give the man space. He didn't want to ruin the friendship Frhanz had had, or rather, the friendship Frhanz'ir Kirche, the Duskwight Elezen from Ishgard.
He focused harder, using as much of his knowledge on how aetherial travel functioned.Â
A moment later, he felt it. He could sense the device, and what had to be the person still holding onto it. As aether flowed from him, he made a small path to the device, carrying a simple message "this way". He'd be the exit.Â
--
As he had stepped into the aethernet, the Unnamed Mercenary knew something was wrong. Other than the sickening feeling, he was lost. The entrance was gone, and he couldn't get out. Again. He was stuck in the aether. He held on to the device Frhanz had given him, in the chance that it would possibly help. He knew he shouldn't have gone in. And "she" had already told him she wouldn't fix a mistake like this again. Not that it matter much. As he sat in the space, he wondered what would become of him. Would he be doomed to an existence all alone? Would he eventually just fade into the aether itself?Â
Would he ever go home? See his family? Did he even have a home or family? As these questions swirled around in his thoughts, he heard something. "This way"
"This way will lead you out."
As he focused on the voice, it because louder, more clear. It was Frhanz, the elezen man that said he would help. Why could he hear him here, in what what felt like an abyss made of aether? As he followed it, he understood. The elezen was leading him to his destination.
--
It happened quickly. As the Unnamed Mercenary traveled through the aether, he passed through Frhanz, and Frhanz passed through him. Their aether intertwined and it was as if they lived each others' life. He felt everything. All of the elezen's life, memories, experiences. It was as if they were his own, but they weren't. They were only an echo of his past.Â
As the Unnamed Mercenary left the aether a changed man, he could have sworn he heard "Please pass my regrets to Kage. This will be hard on him, I'm sure." He was back in Ul'Dah, but Frhanz was nowhere to be seen. The aetherite shown vividly blue, as it should, and the Unnamed Mercenary breathed a sigh of relief. "So the aether has stabilized. It isn't over-aspected any longer." He knew that wasn't something he would say, but Frhanz. The elezen had used himself as an aetherial gate, and was gone. The Garlean would have to live for the both of them. A new man. A better man. Someone who was aware of both Eorzea's mysteries and the Garlean Empire's plans and methods.Â
The artificial aether device he'd had implanted may have been destroyed in the teleport, he couldn't tell one way or another. He felt the aether around him, this time, comforting. As if naturally, he cast a glamour to hide his Garlean feature. An informed mage would easily see past it, but every day people shouldn't notice.
He walked over to Kage, wondering what the man could be feeling as we he watched a precious friend dissolve into the aether. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry... He..., he wanted you to know." The Garlean gave a sympathetic expression. "I...seem to experienced his life up to now. He knew he wouldn't make it, doing what he did."Â
He started to walk away slowly. He didn't know how to help Kage get through this, and he needed to return what Frhanz had borrowed from the Alchemists' Guild. He couldn't be there for Kage like Frhanz would have. He'd already done terrible things to the lalafell turned miqo'te, another thing he'd done. How would he sort out Frhanz's life when he couldn't even handle his own? He thought back to the woman and girl he'd dreamt about the night before. That feeling of being so familiar, but so far away hurt.
He'd take on a name now. "Franz nil Renatus". The first name in legacy of the man who tried to help him. The Garlean title from how he'd come to Eorzea. It seemed filling.
 If Kage came to him, he would do what he could. Otherwise, he'd give the man space. He didn't want to ruin the friendship Frhanz had had, or rather, the friendship Frhanz'ir Kirche, the Duskwight Elezen from Ishgard.
