Faith In Her Fury

[Nero]

Some time later...

 

The shrill cries of seagulls were what marked the mornings of Limsa Lominsa. Ashur woke to find sunlight streaming in through the tiny attic window, and he became gradually more aware of the other sounds mixed in with the gulls. The steady ring of hammer on anvil, the tinkling of merchant bells, the bustle of people. The salt-scented wind swept through the open window, and the city was awake for the day. It would be difficult not to be cheerful on such an inviting day, but Ashur managed.

 

Ashur sat up in the bed, promptly banging his head on the roof beam. Real estate in Limsa Lominsa was scarce given its status as--and Ashur would consider this description generous--a ramshackle collection of islands and shipwrecks occupying the coast of Vylbrand. He'd been unwilling to pay the regular rates for a long-term stay at an inn, and so he'd settled for a tiny storage attic in the Drowned Wench rather than a proper room. He dressed himself, worked out the kinks in his neck and back as best as he could, and went downstairs for a breakfast of plain, unsalted oatmeal.

 

Life as a mercenary had not been especially kind, but Eorzea was at least receptive to this kind of work--"adventuring". It was a far cry from his previous steady duties as a knight, but it was easy enough to make enough money to sustain himself. At times, Ashur would also use his skills as a smith as a subcontractor at Naldiq & Vymelli's, and though he wasn't a member of either guild, they were willing to shove their more mundane tasks to him and others like him during times of dense work orders. 

 

So it was that he began to saunter across Limsa Lominsa, on his way to meet with a client. The request was odd; it was anonymous and had been addressed to Ashur personally, by name. Already, the sturdy iron bridges of the city were teeming with people. Rowdy pirates, merchants deep in discussion about goods delivered, workers carrying lumber and metal, and various riffraff skulking about. Ashur made his way down to the lowest level of the docks, down to the warehouse where he had been called. Warily, he placed one hand against the handgun in its holster affixed to his waist, his eyes narrowing as he pushed his way into the warehouse.

 

To his surprise, it wasn't a dusty or dank kind of place one might expect an underhanded ambush to take place. Instead, it was a well-lit, almost cozy parlor, furnished in an Ishgardian style. A colourful rug was draped across the hard wood floors. Resting in one corner of the room were two stuffed chairs, drawn near a fireplace. A little wooden table between the two chairs offered a convenient place to set a book or a mug.

 

"You needn't be so cautious," a voice called out ominously. Ashur whipped out the handgun at the sound, his thumb smoothly pulling back on the weapon's hammer with a satisfying click. 

 

Stepping out into the open was a tall Elezen, dressed in drab but well-made gray clothing. The heavy Ishgardian style of his clothing looked ill-fitted for the temperate coastal temperatures of Vylbrand, but what unsettled Ashur was the plain wooden mask the Elezen was wearing as he gestured to the chairs and the tables. "You may relax, ser. If I wanted to harm you, I wouldn't have invited you here. I wouldn't let you be armed, for that matter. I am the client requesting your services. Have a seat, why won't you?"

 

Ashur stared at the Elezen with a hard, suspicious gaze. A knight? A member of the Inquisition?

 

As if Ashur's thoughts were being read, the Elezen chuckled. "You need not be so suspicious. Though I know what you have done in our homeland, I assure you I am not here to prosecute you on behalf of any Ishgardian authority. In fact, your actions are what caught my interest."

 

"And what would you know about my actions?" Ashur replied with a scowl.

 

The Elezen simply made another casual gesture towards the pair of chairs and the table. Ashur could almost sense the smile beneath the plain wooden mask.

 

Ashur kept his handgun pointed straight at the Elezen as he walked towards the chair, sitting down on the cushions that had been stuffed far too generously. He felt ill at ease in the warm intimacy of the room. From the corner of his eye he noticed the intricate artwork on the walls. The paintings varied from simple portraits of unknown nobles to one huge motif of dragons circling a white, glowing spire. 

 

The Elezen, seemingly unperturbed by the firearm pointed at his head, also sat down. A bottle of wine was present on the table between the chairs, but neither of them reached for it; Ashur had no interest in drinking, and the Elezen wouldn't be drinking through his mask.

 

"Talk, then," Ashur said tersely.

 

"I represent a certain group of nobles in Ishgard, and we have a vested interest in the state of our fair city. Recently, an...important relic, purely ornamental in nature, was stolen from us." The Elezen slowly reached into his coat. Ashur's finger tensed on the trigger, but he relaxed slightly when the Elezen withdrew a piece of folded parchment. The Elezen unfolded it on the table, revealing an impeccably detailed sketch of some sort of stone hemisphere.

 

Ashur glanced down at the picture, lowering the handgun slightly. "I'm guessing you want me to retrieve this."

 

"Of course. It is very important to my peers. You won't be the only one we've hired, though. For the reasons of...thoroughness, we've hired several adventurers, mercenaries, and treasure hunters to track this object for us. We cannot rely on just a single individual for this task, you realize."

 

"I'm not sure I do. It sounds like you're willing to hire anybody for this job. Why me, specifically?" Ashur's eyes narrowed further.

 

"Because of your...unique history with our city, of course." The Elezen crossed his legs and steepled his fingers. "My peers and I are aware of you. You are accused--falsely--of being a heretic who killed his entire cohort. You are, for all intents and purposes, a public enemy in the eyes of Ishgard. I, for one, do not believe that. Whatever your reasons, I believe you were justified, and it was Ishgard that was wrong."

 

Ashur clicked his tongue. "None of this answers my question," he said with growing impatience.

 

The Elezen sighed. "Simply put, I believe you would perform well in this task because you would have good motivation. That is, we would pay you handsomely. And not just that, we will offer you something no other client can offer."

 

Ashur tilted his head.

 

"We can wipe your presumed 'crimes' clean, and you would be able to return to Ishgard as a free, innocent man. Even resume your service in the knighthood, if you so choose."

 

Ashur raised a brow. Who was this Elezen? A member of the High Houses? A member of the clergy? Perhaps someone even higher? To do what he claimed--to restore the innocence of one who had been accused a "heretic"--was no small feat. It would require enormous influence, which meant this client, or rather the nobles backing this representative, especially powerful indeed. The Hyur, however, was careful to hide his interest, but he did lower his handgun fully and placed it on his lap instead.

 

"And what exactly is this object you're looking for?" Ashur asked, picking up the illustration.

 

"As I said, it is purely ornamental in function, but it holds enormous value for those who know its meaning. It is a...keystone of sorts. I trust you need no further explanation than that," the Elezen said coolly.

 

Ashur scowled but said nothing. True, he didn't really give a damn what this object was or what it did, if it did anything. 

 

All that mattered to him right now is that if he could retrieve it and bring it back...he could have his life back. His knighthood back. He could expose the crimes of Loren and the others, he could tell the Lord Commander everything about the day the Gates of Judgment were forced open from the inside. 

 

"I presume you're not sending us on a blind chase. You have some idea of where it is, yes?"

 

The Elezen nodded. "The continent of Othard. Should you accept, we've already booked you and some others passage aboard the Soldier Dance. It is a fast ship, and it should get you to Othard in a little over a moon's time."

 

Ashur stared at the parchment a bit before nodding slowly. "I'll need an advance payment. You understand. Job security, and you have so many of us competing for this object." I may have to kill a few competitors before this job is done, he thought to himself.

 

The Elezen produced a sizable sack of gil, placing it on the table and pushing it towards Ashur. "Of course. This should be enough to cover for you while you are on Othard. You need not fear; their usage of gil is well known. You can be assured they will accept this currency with ease. Look for Captain Garalt at the docks; I believe the Soldier Dance will depart in one week's time."

 

Ashur wordlessly picked up the sack and the parchment with the image, giving only a slight nod before turning and walking out of the warehouse.