Embracing Light (Broomhandle45 and kuro_bara)

[Broomhandle45]

Treno was probably the worst place to be if you were the best sort of people, but thankfully...none of those people really frequented it very much. It was the city that never slept in a kingdom that had a curfew, it was the place that dreams were made of if you had luck and a lot of gil. It was a place where you could get anything you wanted if you knew the right people and had a good price on hand.

More commonly, however...it was known for it's casinos that attracted people far and wide. Lionel liked to pretend it didn't exist, but it usually seemed fairly interested when it seemed to be getting a generous helping from the taxes.

There was not a day that went by that Treno didn't have dusty and worn travelers from all over the globe trying to get lucky, and generally failing. Yet people hoped against hope that they would be the one to strike it lucky...not that it ever happened.

It was a plan shared between to Al-Behd brothers, Sabi and Ezen. Both of them looking a little more dispirited than usual. Sabi was the younger, although it was hard to tell from first glance as they both seemed to look about the same. If it weren't for Sabi's hair cut short and Ezen's settled in a long braid, they'd have been unrecognizable twins...barring their clothes, of course.

"Well, that's it..." Sabi replied dryly, fingers drumming on the glass table. A fine aldgoat leather jacket settled against his chair as he leaned back with a weary sigh. "We made five hundred gill...out of the three thousand we spent."

"Not very good odds," Ezen admitted, reclining back with his drink. It was a stupid plan, but they both knew they had nothing else to really rely on. Which is probably why they were too busy sulking to really think of anything better.

"Not even a quarter of what we owe, either...what are we gonna do, big brother?" he sighed, hands behind his head with a frown. What could they do? Not much...as it stood, they were nowhere near what they needed to actually pay off the debt. Not that the three thousand would have helped much anyway.

"I don't know, Sabi...drink more?" Ezen shrugged, taking another drink. He had no idea what to tell him, and that bugged him even more since Ezen was the one who suggested it in the first place. The mercenary business wasn't exactly as smooth as it needed to be, and in Bikanel...well, they were better off just not trying.

So they decided to try their luck at Lionel, by way of Treno. For all the good that had done both of them. But hey, Sabi was good with his fists...and he had a gun, how hard could it be for young, strapping men to find work?

"...We're dead, aren't we?" Sabi replied, and eventually Ezen sighed.

"...Probably?"

Well, it wasn't as if their mood was anything new in Treno. Most people seemed a little down lately, aimless almost. Lots of idiots like them got down on their luck and hoped to make it big on some huge score.

Maybe luck was leaving Treno for brighter pastures, if there was even such a thing?

 

[sorchasilver]

There were not two others in all of Treno that looked as out of place as the pair standing in the courtyard beyond the main gates. One was tall and willowy, her long white ears and the stilettos common to her race only added to her height. Her crimson eyes could be quite unsettling to those who had yet to lay eyes on a Veira more so than her actual appearance at times. She was dressed in almost black leather armour sculpted to fit her lithe shape by the leatherworking guild in Girdania though the Veira were not known for their modesty due to a lack of male presence in their culture. Her outfit could be considered more revealing then those of the women selling their services throughout Treno. The large oak bow slung across her back did little to detract from her appearance. She seemed entirely oblivious to the stares she received as she scanned the dusty flagstone streets.

In comparison her companion was the complete opposite. Almost two heads shorter than the willowy Veira this young woman sported feline like ears and a long swishing tail. Her hair was cropped to the shoulder and the same inky black as the fur on her tail and ears. She stared with vibrant amethyst eyes at everything around her, much like an excited child upon first discovering something new. The Moon Keeper Miqo’te was easily excited by new things, she loved to learn and this desire led her to practice one of the most difficult magical arts in all the realms. No one would dare guess looking at the petite but curvy feline that she was in fact a Summoner from Gridania. Her robes were simple linen, dyed a shade of purple to match her eyes and she carried what appeared to be a large tome on her hip. The only indication of her abilities was a symbol sewn onto the left sleeve of her robes.

Miah was practically bouncing on the spot her tail flicking with her excitement. “Gywn, look at this place!” She exclaimed leaning over the stone banister that encased the upper courtyard of the city giving a wonderful view of Treno. “It’s so different from home!” The Miqo’te had a soft, subtle purr to her voice when she spoke.

Gywn, her Veira companion pulled her away from the banister with an admonishing look. “We came here for a reason did we not?” Her voice was clear, with a musical sound to it. “You have dragged me away from the forests chasing nightmares to this…place.” She gave a pair of oogling men a distasteful look.

Miah was already trotting off down the steps towards the main city with an idle flap of her hand. “I just want to explore a little.” She told her long-time friend. “What’s a gambling house?” Her attention already diverted before they reached the first intersection. Before Gwyn could stop her she pushed through the doors into a sprawling room filled with tables and men enjoying their games and their drinks. Gwyn took a firm hold of Miah’s collar. “We are going now.” She declared turning to drag her friend away. She stopped when she felt Miah’s entire body tense up and a soft growl escape her lips. Immediately after she felt something ripple through the city, it had a dark, putrid feel to it like stepping into a swamp of tainted water and muck.

"What was that?" She asked her tense friend, nudging her when she didn't immediately get a response.

The look on Miah's face was a mix of pain, fear and anger. The combination sent a shiver up Gwyn's spine. "I think the nightmare has arrived." Miah practically hissed.

 

[Broomhandle45]

For many years, Treno had been a den of sin and greed. The worst sort of people could congregate here and be themselves, but those weren't the sort of people they were looking for. They were looking for the ones who saw no hope, no future. It would be but the first step on their road to enlightenment, foolish thought it was. It was hard to notice any real difference at first, people came and went through Treno's streets day and night, without pause or concern. Sabi felt his skin scrawl as he rubbed the back of his neck, catching Ezen's attention with a soft frown.

"Something the matter?" he asked casually, arms on the table as Sabi glanced around. Of the two, he had a closer connection to the aether....although, he supposed that was saying he was a step closer to the water while still not knowing how to swim. But the fact that he could sense it at all didn't make him feel too good.

"Hey...bro, check those people out," Sabi said quietly, as Ezen's eyes scanned across the street. At first glance, it seemed like nothing new...but he saw it all the same, it was a line of people that were moving in perfect unison. Well, that was disconcerting...wasn't it? Ezen took a glance at Sabi, and it was decided against Ezen's wishes. They were going to find out what was happening, weren't they?

"Guess we better move then," Ezen sighed, adjusting his jacket casually as Sabi rose up in agreement. That was his little brother...always wanting to be the good guy, the hero. Chances are they'd find nothing but a soup line. But as they moved to join the sidewalk that the people were on, there was a truer sense of...scale for what was happening. It was almost scary how well they blended in with the normal bustle of the crowd, and people were ignorant to it.

He may not have sensed the aether, but Ezen was already getting a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. But with no other recourse, they followed the line of people. They seemed unaware or simply uncaring that Sabi and Ezen were following them, or maybe they didn't know. Like anything that bode poorly, there was a man dressed in black, his face obscured. There as a smirk that seemed to dance on his lips, and a power that radiated from him like a sickening fog.

There were no words, no fanfare...nothing more than a mass of degenerate people who all congregated in one place in the park.

"Look," The dark robed man bade, his hand extending to a simple dark orb. It was almost mind numbing to even look at, it made Sabi's eyes hurt as he grit his teeth in confusion. It was pure...darkness, there was no other word for it. It suffocated even the faint light of the moon, but the people looking with rapt attention finally had some manner of life in their eyes. He slowly cast it about, like a firefly in the darkness.

"Look at what I offer you, I offer you respite from everything...there is no pain, there is no prejudice, there is no need for wealth! All you must do is accept!" he declared firmly. "There will be nothing! All will turn to nothingness! You must just give yourself to the Void!" It was as if he knew the answer before anything had really been said, eyes that were clouded by poverty and illness lit up with more. An understanding...that their lives had no meaning, that they had only one purpose.

He let that little ball of dark light go...and it widened, the first person to it was gone, which only made it bigger...and bigger. Until the crowd seemed to accept their fate, Sabi did not. And he took off like a shot towards the widening opening. The air around it was growing stale, and thin. Trees began to wither and it seemed the very grass was fading away, the people seemed to simply stand there was they were absorbed into oblivion.

"Sabi!" Ezen cursed, following after his brother. The robed man took notice of the two, and grinned widely. Excellent...as it stood, there were more than enough to continue his plans. So, why not make sure everyone knows the enlightenment of Nil? He clasped his fist tightly a moment, uttering a few words before releasing it...and opening the portal wider. And from that came low hisses and growls, winged demons soared into the air with vicious howls.

"Cred, hud kuut!" Ezen cursed, revolver drawn quickly as Sabi reached into his belt to fit on his gauntlets. Whatever was going on...they seemed to stumble right into the middle of it.

"Embrace the Void," the man smirked, before taking a step back and simply...fading away into nothing. People were just walking right into the portal, determined to see their craziness come to an end...and add to it. There were voidkin now crawling around the streets, and the two brothers just happened to be the first meal.

"Ezen?" Sabi murmured, his gauntlets activating with a shrill whine. "Any ideas?"

"Kill them before they kill us?" Ezen replied, revolver raised in warning. What a way to end a vacation...

 

[sorchasilver]

It wasn’t hard for the pair of women to find the source of nightmarish taint flowing through Treno. Amidst the panicking population, a frighteningly organized line of people were trudging steadily towards Treno’s central park. Miah dashed out of the gambling den and trotted along the line of foggy-eyed citizens. She frantically tugged on arms and futilely attempted to dissuade them from their determined march forward. The young Miqo’te could feel something pulling them towards the park and she knew deep inside those that reached it would never leave there.

Finally Gwyn could bear the sight of her distraught friend any longer and pulled the feline away from the slowly diminishing line of people. Miah’s amethyst eyes were filled with frustrated tears caused by her inability to help those people. Gwyn wrapped an arm around the girl’s shoulder tightly. “We must put a stop to this.” She said gently, looking in the direction of the park. “Come.” She murmured, pulling the shivering girl forward.

Before the pair made it more than a few steps, the feeling of corruption intensified in a sudden burst of energy. The backlash of that power caused the Miqo’te to double over with a moan. “Gwyn…” She gasped, clutching her friend’s hand. “The people…they are dying…” A Summoner always had deep connection with the aether that constantly flowed through the world, but it could be double edged sword. In this case whatever was manipulating the aether was causing Miah great pain, Gwyn had never seen her affected quite this badly. Combined with a mass loss of life in the area, Miah was basically incapacitated. “Go.” Miah muttered, pushing Gwyn away from her. “I will be there in a moment.”

It took a great force of will for Gwyn to walk away from her friend. She had sworn to protect her before they left Girdania at any cost, but she knew that if she did not help stop what was happening in Treno her friend would never forgive her. Her long legs carried her swiftly to the battle that was now raging across the park and spilling into the streets of Treno. Winged monsters were pouring forth out of a tear in the air that appeared to be made of darkness. Each and every one of them carried the same taint she had sensed before.
The demons were attacking the citizens of Treno with gleeful abandon, leaving chaos and terror in their wake. Gwyn planted herself at the end of the road where she had left Miah and in one fluid motion drew her bow and knocked an arrow to it. She quickly scanned the area, deciding on a target when her crimson eyes landed on a pair of Al Bhed men. They were neck deep in the chaotic battle and much to her surprise; they were handling it quite well.

Pulling the string back with practiced grace, she let the arrow loose. It flew true to the mark, puncturing deep into the eye of a large winged beast attacking the Al Bhed. As she knocked a second arrow she prayed to Fenrir that Miah would be safe until this fight was over.

 

[Broomhandle45]

In all the years that Sabi and Ezen had fought, bleed and killed for someone else's good fortune, this was a new one on them. Voidkin kept pouring out of the opening portal, a portal that was for all intents and purposes, getting larger and larger. Getting to close made it hard to breathe, and it wasn't just sucking in the people who seemed to be more than happy to walk right in. It was taking everything, the grass, the trees. There was simply...nothing there.

"This is bad!" Sabi growled, an electrified fist crashing across the face a voidkin and sending it spiraling back into the ever increasing portal. "really bad!" Nothing Ezen didn't already know, but the point seemed to be punctuated by an even larger beast attempting to make it's way in...and judging by the clawed fingers alone, it was nothing that needed to be on this side of the portal.

"It's getting worse!" Ezen replied, six shots slamming into one of the large fingers that made it jerk back with a rumble that sounded more like an earthquake. It probably would have gotten even more so, if it wasn't for the wayward arrow that stuck into the large eye of the voidkin and sent it back into the void. He glanced around a moment in surprise, taking the time to reload before he spotted their would be savior.

Well, that was a good enough place to run, wasn't it?

"Sabi!" Ezen called, and immediately his brother moved forward. It was one part technology, one part aether manipulation...but it was still impressive nonetheless. His speed was like a faint blur as he spun around and sent a voidkin sprawling with a powerful backhand, and Ezen immediately made his way toward the Veira with Sabi in tow. As much as he didn't want to admit it, this was getting bad, really bad.

But three fighters were better than two, right?

 

[sorchasilver]

Something large and powerful was trying to push its way out of the tear; its large, claw like fingers gouging the dying grass in front of the opening. Gywn’s arrow deterred it for mere moments only angering the monstrosity on the other side. There was an infuriated roar that sounded like thunder as one of the men blasted at the fingers. Moments later the two men began a head long charge in her direction.

She rained arrows upon the heads of the voidkin chasing them as they raced in her way and she rarely missed her mark. Many of her shots only grazed the monsters turning their attention towards her. They seemed to function on pure instinct alone, one that told them to seek out and destroy everything. It now appeared that she was an immediate threat to that and so a large pack of them headed her way leaving only a few to harass the men.

In the meantime the giant inside the void was making another attempt, this time a clawed foot appeared through the tear, followed by a torso and part of its twisted face. Gwyn shivered at the sight of it. It did not bode well for those few brave souls trying to stop this invasion. A soft hand touched her arm and she immediately felt a wave of calm wash over her. Glancing down, Gywn found Miah standing at her side.

The Miqo’te was pale and shaking but standing straight, an extremely focused glint in her eye. She was staring intently at the large voidsent; her expression one of deep thought. “I will put an end to this.” She murmured, just loud enough for Gwyn to hear. The dark haired feline stepped in front of Gwyn and as the two Al Bhed reached them, a pool of moonlight sprang up around her feet.

From this distance Gwyn couldn’t hear the words Miah was speaking but she knew what they were for. The light grew brighter and three glowing orbs, very similar to the orb of darkness the masked man had used, appeared rotating around her body. Knowing the spell would take some time; Gwyn turned her attention back to the voidkin, focusing down one beast at time.

Without taking her eyes off her next target she called out to the young men. “Please, do not allow the beasts to interrupt the spell. We must keep them away.” She prayed to Fenrir, or any Primal listening, that they would assist her in this task. Miah’s spell could save them all.