
The morning was bright and the sounds of song birds melded harmoniously with the sounds of the rolling sea slapping against the base of the cliffs below. Â A winding road cut through the trees and waving grass along the cliffside, providing a gorgeous view of the sea and the rolling clouds.
It was along this path Jin’li slowly walked, his black robes and boots covered in mud from the rain the night before.  His sword cane was also covered in the muck as it took his weight.  The short miqo’te paused to look out at the sea, his black eyes feasting upon it. Â
He was motionless as he watched the rolling waves.  Askier had called him pathetic before his death and that had rung a cord with the once dead miqo’te.  It had awakened something in him, a form of self-awareness he had not truly allowed to bubble into his mind since he had castrated himself at fifteen.  He was, for all intense and purposes, indignant at the slight.  He was the first, to his knowledge, miqo’te to not only defy death with the aid of powerful sorceries thanks to “The Voice†but to do so through his own sheer will and leeched knowledge from “The Voiceâ€.  Jin’li had not possessed an ego in over a decade, acting as nothing but a tool for his masters countless times over.  But now, he was the master.  He was, for the first time, truly in command of his own destiny and actions and, the seemingly eternal slave was unsure how to act, or even what to do with his freedom.  So obsessed had he been for so long at accomplishing goals set before him by masters, he was unsure of how to set his own goals.  Certainly it had been his own brilliance that had nearly poisoned Ul’dah, but even then, he had been carrying out his dead master’s wishes.  Now, he was free, and he had no idea of what he wanted to do.
He had killed remnants of his past easily enough, but that wasn’t’ enough.  Killing for Jin’li was automatic, something he just did.  He didn’t even need a reason why.  But when Askier had belittled him moments before Askier had pulled the pin out of the grenade, it made Jin’li curious if he could even come up with a good reason. Â
Jin’li had said he wanted to free people from the mortal slavery to death and its eternal claim over all.  Was that truly his end?  Did he truly wish to set all these people free?
Jin’li thought.  Freedom. It was an odd concept to him, almost alien to his mind.  The idea of being free, a slave to nothing, truly nothing.  The normal minded would find being killed as not a freedom, but as a punishment.  But, perhaps, it was up to him to force the freedom on the masses, to force the all to die, and let only those whom possessed the true desire to be free, fight the chains of death and deny its mastery over them.
Yes, that was it.  Jin’li blinked and watched the sea.  In that moment Jin’li realized that was his goal. He wanted to see who was his equal. Who was strong enough to cheat death and live in a new world made of only the truly free to flourish.  He had so many people to test.  The idea excited the normally emotionally blank male.
Melkire and the former Master
Jin’li’s lips curled into a half smile as he thought of the two men he wanted to test the most.  One his former master and now slave to a master of his own.  And Melkire, his greatest rival, the man whom had proven equal enough to kill him once.  Was Melkire strong enough to join Jin’li in a new world? Was the hyur grand enough to, perhaps, best him once again? Or was the hyur just as pathetic and weak as most and would let the waves of death take him when the time came?  The miqo’te didn’t know but he desperately wanted to know.
“I am coming for you, Master Melkire.† Jin’li said, his voice without inflection as his smile faded.  “This one shall dance with you once again.â€
“Dancin’ eh? Ain’t that cute.† Came a mocking voice.  Jin’li turned.  Standing there was four men.  Behind them stretched three wagons with more men and women walking beside, all dressed in various outfits, carrying at least one weapon each.  Jin’li gauged they were mercenaries and turned to them and bowed.
“This one wishes you a good morning and is flattered that you should find such a simple idea as this one’s to be cute.  It is not a compliment this one receives often.â€
“OFft, what a tosser.†Said the man in the front, a sword at his side.  He was flanked by two other hyur’s and a fourth was off to the side, leaning on a strung bow.
“A tosser?†Jin’li said flatly as he lifted his head and blinked.  “Has this one offended?â€
“Yeah, you’re making me look at your face.†The man spat.  The lead wagon drew up behind the men and the man sitting at the front with the reigns watched the scene.
“This one cannot help it, this face is the one this one’s mother gave him.† Jin’li answered.
“Well do the world a favor and throw yourself off the cliff and get out of our way.† The man grunted with a chuckle, enjoying his words.  Jin’li blinked and dropped the metal arm he had been holding. He leaned with his left hand onto his sword as he reached into his robe.
The action didn’t go without a response.  The mercenary with the bow pulled an arrow from a quiver and drew back the projectile and string in a fluid motion.  Jin’li stared at the lead hyur, unconcerned with the arrow now pointed at him.
“Drake, leave-“ the man in the cart started.
“This one will accept you apology now.†Jin’li said calmly. “Or you will watch your three comrades die before I make you beg for mercy.â€
The hyur paused, his face twisting, clearly studying the male and then snorted. Â
The hyur with the bow fired and the arrow raced forward but never hit Jin’li.  A crow that had been circling above shot down and was skewered instead, its added weight causing the arrow to drop.  The four hyurs stopped and stared at the spectacle but Jin’li made good on his words.
The silver gunblade flashed out.  His nearly ten years of practice had made him a good enough shot to pick which eye the bullet would land in, and Jin’li picked the left eye.  The first three shots hit true and the three hyurs fell backwards, blood oozing from shattered eye sockets.  The fourth bullet tore a hole into the lead hyur’s leg and he fell, screaming.
Several of the other mercenaries made to move and draw weapon but the man sitting in the wagon gave a command in a  foreign language and they stopped as Jin’li limped over to the hyur on the ground and leveled his fire arm at his head.
“This would be the appropriate time for you to beg for your continued existence.†Jin’li said calmly as he drew the hammer back on the gunblade.
The man on the ground was gnashing his teeth in pain and was unable to say anything, so Jin’li pulled the trigger anyway and watched the bullet bore a hole into the man’s skull.
Jin’li stood there as he canted his head up at the wagon and the man sitting there, obviously the leader.
“Does this one need to extract an apology from you by force?†Jin’li aimed his weapon at the man with the reigns.  The mercenaries drew swords in response.  The leader, an older man with grey hair and a brow beard, dressed in a long blue coat and black trousers and shirt studied the white-haired miqo’te and, after a moment, spoke:
“Before anything, I need to know your name.  To be polite and all.â€
Jin’li paused and then bowed, his gun still aimed at the hyur.
“This one-“ Jin’li paused, suddenly aware of a fact that might be problematic.  He didn’t know how many knew his name, if any here knew his name, but if he was going to surprise Master Melkire, using his true name here and now might potentially ruin the fun to come.  Jin’li straightened and, with a straight face, answered:
“This one is called Trythian Oulâ€
“Trythian?†the  hyur blinked in surprise as he put the reigns down and hopped off the wagon.  He studied Jin’li with a hard gaze, one Jin’li returned with a blank expression.  “Hells of a weird name for a miqo’te, don’t you think?â€
“Its foreign.† Jin’li replied calmly as he and the hyur drew closer.  The hyur then paused and Jin’li added “And no, this one does not think it is weird at all considering any name would still mean this one is who he is, no?â€
The hyur paused, having to decipher the cryptic manner in which Jin’li spoke. But, after a moment, he grinned and nodded.
“I suppose it would, Trythian Oul.  Trythain, my name is Adam Welks, mercenary captain and a hyur preparing for a job.  Ever considered signing on with a band such as us?  I’d pay you fair for that skill you have.â€
“Kill for coin?†Jin’li replied flatly and then added, “This one would need to know thetask and what might be required.â€
Adam Welks grinned.
“I think I might like you, Trythian.  Simple job.  We were hired by a shipping company to…intercept a caravan of goods owned by a rival group coming by cart to the docks.  Obviously things could get messy, of course, but it pays well.â€
“Consider this one pleased to join in then.†Jin’li responded with a nod of his head.  Adam Welks extended his hand and grinned.  Jin’li looked at the hand and, for the first time in his entire life, shook the hand of another being.  As equals.
No, not as equals.  As a lesser respecting Jin’li’s superior level of ascension and freedom, though Welks might not be consciously aware of it. Jin’li thought.
“I think we are going to get along very well.†Adem Welks answered. Â
“This one kindly agrees.†Jin’li replied, wondering when he should test to see if Welks possessed the drive to free himself from the chains that bound him.
It was along this path Jin’li slowly walked, his black robes and boots covered in mud from the rain the night before.  His sword cane was also covered in the muck as it took his weight.  The short miqo’te paused to look out at the sea, his black eyes feasting upon it. Â
He was motionless as he watched the rolling waves.  Askier had called him pathetic before his death and that had rung a cord with the once dead miqo’te.  It had awakened something in him, a form of self-awareness he had not truly allowed to bubble into his mind since he had castrated himself at fifteen.  He was, for all intense and purposes, indignant at the slight.  He was the first, to his knowledge, miqo’te to not only defy death with the aid of powerful sorceries thanks to “The Voice†but to do so through his own sheer will and leeched knowledge from “The Voiceâ€.  Jin’li had not possessed an ego in over a decade, acting as nothing but a tool for his masters countless times over.  But now, he was the master.  He was, for the first time, truly in command of his own destiny and actions and, the seemingly eternal slave was unsure how to act, or even what to do with his freedom.  So obsessed had he been for so long at accomplishing goals set before him by masters, he was unsure of how to set his own goals.  Certainly it had been his own brilliance that had nearly poisoned Ul’dah, but even then, he had been carrying out his dead master’s wishes.  Now, he was free, and he had no idea of what he wanted to do.
He had killed remnants of his past easily enough, but that wasn’t’ enough.  Killing for Jin’li was automatic, something he just did.  He didn’t even need a reason why.  But when Askier had belittled him moments before Askier had pulled the pin out of the grenade, it made Jin’li curious if he could even come up with a good reason. Â
Jin’li had said he wanted to free people from the mortal slavery to death and its eternal claim over all.  Was that truly his end?  Did he truly wish to set all these people free?
Jin’li thought.  Freedom. It was an odd concept to him, almost alien to his mind.  The idea of being free, a slave to nothing, truly nothing.  The normal minded would find being killed as not a freedom, but as a punishment.  But, perhaps, it was up to him to force the freedom on the masses, to force the all to die, and let only those whom possessed the true desire to be free, fight the chains of death and deny its mastery over them.
Yes, that was it.  Jin’li blinked and watched the sea.  In that moment Jin’li realized that was his goal. He wanted to see who was his equal. Who was strong enough to cheat death and live in a new world made of only the truly free to flourish.  He had so many people to test.  The idea excited the normally emotionally blank male.
Melkire and the former Master
Jin’li’s lips curled into a half smile as he thought of the two men he wanted to test the most.  One his former master and now slave to a master of his own.  And Melkire, his greatest rival, the man whom had proven equal enough to kill him once.  Was Melkire strong enough to join Jin’li in a new world? Was the hyur grand enough to, perhaps, best him once again? Or was the hyur just as pathetic and weak as most and would let the waves of death take him when the time came?  The miqo’te didn’t know but he desperately wanted to know.
“I am coming for you, Master Melkire.† Jin’li said, his voice without inflection as his smile faded.  “This one shall dance with you once again.â€
“Dancin’ eh? Ain’t that cute.† Came a mocking voice.  Jin’li turned.  Standing there was four men.  Behind them stretched three wagons with more men and women walking beside, all dressed in various outfits, carrying at least one weapon each.  Jin’li gauged they were mercenaries and turned to them and bowed.
“This one wishes you a good morning and is flattered that you should find such a simple idea as this one’s to be cute.  It is not a compliment this one receives often.â€
“OFft, what a tosser.†Said the man in the front, a sword at his side.  He was flanked by two other hyur’s and a fourth was off to the side, leaning on a strung bow.
“A tosser?†Jin’li said flatly as he lifted his head and blinked.  “Has this one offended?â€
“Yeah, you’re making me look at your face.†The man spat.  The lead wagon drew up behind the men and the man sitting at the front with the reigns watched the scene.
“This one cannot help it, this face is the one this one’s mother gave him.† Jin’li answered.
“Well do the world a favor and throw yourself off the cliff and get out of our way.† The man grunted with a chuckle, enjoying his words.  Jin’li blinked and dropped the metal arm he had been holding. He leaned with his left hand onto his sword as he reached into his robe.
The action didn’t go without a response.  The mercenary with the bow pulled an arrow from a quiver and drew back the projectile and string in a fluid motion.  Jin’li stared at the lead hyur, unconcerned with the arrow now pointed at him.
“Drake, leave-“ the man in the cart started.
“This one will accept you apology now.†Jin’li said calmly. “Or you will watch your three comrades die before I make you beg for mercy.â€
The hyur paused, his face twisting, clearly studying the male and then snorted. Â
The hyur with the bow fired and the arrow raced forward but never hit Jin’li.  A crow that had been circling above shot down and was skewered instead, its added weight causing the arrow to drop.  The four hyurs stopped and stared at the spectacle but Jin’li made good on his words.
The silver gunblade flashed out.  His nearly ten years of practice had made him a good enough shot to pick which eye the bullet would land in, and Jin’li picked the left eye.  The first three shots hit true and the three hyurs fell backwards, blood oozing from shattered eye sockets.  The fourth bullet tore a hole into the lead hyur’s leg and he fell, screaming.
Several of the other mercenaries made to move and draw weapon but the man sitting in the wagon gave a command in a  foreign language and they stopped as Jin’li limped over to the hyur on the ground and leveled his fire arm at his head.
“This would be the appropriate time for you to beg for your continued existence.†Jin’li said calmly as he drew the hammer back on the gunblade.
The man on the ground was gnashing his teeth in pain and was unable to say anything, so Jin’li pulled the trigger anyway and watched the bullet bore a hole into the man’s skull.
Jin’li stood there as he canted his head up at the wagon and the man sitting there, obviously the leader.
“Does this one need to extract an apology from you by force?†Jin’li aimed his weapon at the man with the reigns.  The mercenaries drew swords in response.  The leader, an older man with grey hair and a brow beard, dressed in a long blue coat and black trousers and shirt studied the white-haired miqo’te and, after a moment, spoke:
“Before anything, I need to know your name.  To be polite and all.â€
Jin’li paused and then bowed, his gun still aimed at the hyur.
“This one-“ Jin’li paused, suddenly aware of a fact that might be problematic.  He didn’t know how many knew his name, if any here knew his name, but if he was going to surprise Master Melkire, using his true name here and now might potentially ruin the fun to come.  Jin’li straightened and, with a straight face, answered:
“This one is called Trythian Oulâ€
“Trythian?†the  hyur blinked in surprise as he put the reigns down and hopped off the wagon.  He studied Jin’li with a hard gaze, one Jin’li returned with a blank expression.  “Hells of a weird name for a miqo’te, don’t you think?â€
“Its foreign.† Jin’li replied calmly as he and the hyur drew closer.  The hyur then paused and Jin’li added “And no, this one does not think it is weird at all considering any name would still mean this one is who he is, no?â€
The hyur paused, having to decipher the cryptic manner in which Jin’li spoke. But, after a moment, he grinned and nodded.
“I suppose it would, Trythian Oul.  Trythain, my name is Adam Welks, mercenary captain and a hyur preparing for a job.  Ever considered signing on with a band such as us?  I’d pay you fair for that skill you have.â€
“Kill for coin?†Jin’li replied flatly and then added, “This one would need to know thetask and what might be required.â€
Adam Welks grinned.
“I think I might like you, Trythian.  Simple job.  We were hired by a shipping company to…intercept a caravan of goods owned by a rival group coming by cart to the docks.  Obviously things could get messy, of course, but it pays well.â€
“Consider this one pleased to join in then.†Jin’li responded with a nod of his head.  Adam Welks extended his hand and grinned.  Jin’li looked at the hand and, for the first time in his entire life, shook the hand of another being.  As equals.
No, not as equals.  As a lesser respecting Jin’li’s superior level of ascension and freedom, though Welks might not be consciously aware of it. Jin’li thought.
“I think we are going to get along very well.†Adem Welks answered. Â
“This one kindly agrees.†Jin’li replied, wondering when he should test to see if Welks possessed the drive to free himself from the chains that bound him.