Final Fantasy XIV

~~ “You… you BASTARD! Bring her back here!!” ~~

Reinylla was suddenly alone, hearing the feint echo of Elizara’s shouting from what feels like so very far away. Lahabrea appearing in front of her for the final confrontation. After some rather brash antagonizing from Lahabrea, the two began to clash – Reinylla’s adventuring and training all put to the test for this very moment.

The two clashed for what felt like many of bells, neither wavering, but it wasn’t much longer afterwards that between Hydaelyn herself and what gave Reinylla the extra strength to overcome her foe.

“Lookie here, tall dark and dreary, I got’er someone to get there back to, so it’s really time for you to go!”

With that, her final blow was given, and with such power not only was it over, another was saved in the process. Realizing now that everything was still collapsing before her, it was very much time to make an escape and quick. Not exactly where to look or what to do, she only had moments to ponder the next move.

She heard off in the distance, approaching rather quickly; a magitek, her magitek barreling through the burning facility to give aid in a quick escape. Quickly hopping aboard, she rushes towards where she and Elizara were back fighting the Ultima Weapon. Upon reaching said location, she spots Elizara looking around for Reinylla, only to be quickly scooped aboard the armor as they continue quickly out!

“Nice’of ya to drop in here, darlin’!”

“Y-you! …You idiot!“

Reinylla grinning back at Elizara and back forward again as they all manage to get out and into safety right as it all comes crashing down.

With that, Operation Archon was a complete success. Everyone updates everyone’s status via linkpearl with the two Vieras heading off to daybreak while riding the magitek armor. The two do end up getting a bit of rest before the next morning in Mor Dhona, and the celebration that Reinylla has sorely earned from all of this.

Elizara decides to stay well in the background, while Reinylla joins everyone introducing the dawn of the Seventh Astral Era. While the whole celebration was lovely, Reinylla subtly headed to where Elizara was, and gives her the biggest hug ever.

“I… wh-what was that for?!”

“Oh, just everythin’ there, darlin!”

Elizara, still very puzzled, does return the hug after a long pause.

“Yeah, don’t mention it.”

“So, ya ready to hit ta hills?”

“Yeah, sure; yeah, that does sound good.”

Reinylla beams the brightest of smiles to Elizara, and then grabs her by the hand tugging her off to the next big adventure. The two safely reunited with the realm safe and sound. What lays ahead on the horizon for these two’s next adventure is fast approaching.

There they were, the two Vieras at the pinnacle of Operation Archon, about to storm Gaius van Baelsar’s base of operations: the Praetorium. Without even saying anything, Elizara boards the Enterprise and beckons to Reinylla to follow suit once she’s on board.

The flight to the landing site was quiet, nothing but the sound of of the airship itself could be heard.

“Hey, sug. If anything happ–“

“Nothing like that will happen. I’ll make sure of it.”

Shocked at Elizara’s resolve, all Reinylla could do was smile with obvious concern behind it.

“We’re in this till the very end, right? So.. so, it will be fine.”

Elizara’s emotions could be slightly heard bleeding through the words.

They land at the site with a gentle thud, and the two along with Cid disembark from the Enterprise to do what they came there to do. Several forces later had them face to face with Gaius himself, and after taking out a large foe, Cid stays behind to keep communications open with Elizara and Reinylla heading deeper to take care of the Ultima Weapon itself.

After donning some magitek armor themselves, they blow through an incredible amount of resistance only to be greeted with a blasting door that knocks out the armor itself upon destroying it. Shortly thereafter said door, Nero tol Scaeva block their path. After a brief talk between him and Cid, he turns his focus to the two Vieras. However, Elizara’s sheer determination of keeping Reinylla safe from any harm ended up being no match for Nero, and he was quickly taken out of the fight.

With Cid quickly contacting them, and Nero fleeing the scene with a conveniently placed power outage, there was very little left blocking them from reaching Ultima. Gaius attempts to stop them from reaching it. However, between their combined force, makes it even a surprise for him to realize this wasn’t a simple task to be taken lightly. They quickly hurry after Gaius but not before he activates the Ultima Weapon.

With a little bit of help from Hydaelyn herself, they’re able to stave off the weapon’s eikon powers and even rip them away. Lahabrea makes his move, and activates Ultima’s most powerful ability – Ultima itself. Thanks to one more timely shield from Hydaelyn, Elizara and Reinylla just had the stripped and worn down remains of the weapon left to worry about.

“Enough of this! Come one, Reinylla, let’s end this and go home!”

“You got it, darlin’!”

The two attack the Ultima weapon, dodging its surprising amount of tricks even after being through all of this, but before it could manage to let out another Ultima spell, Elizara’s determination reached its highest heights.

“Absolutely NOT!! You will NOT harm her!!”

A bellow war cry of sheer anger with very obvious subtle hints of other emotions rang deep within, and from what appeared like it came out of nowhere – arrows of pure light rained down on the battlefield.

It was over. The Ultima Weapon had been defeated.

Gauis being emergency ejected from the weapon itself lied motionless before the two.

“You think he’s okay, sugar? Maybe we should check’er somthin’?”

“Why- after… all thi–, ugh… You’re such an idiot. Come on, let’s go home.”

Partial confused, but in agreement, Elizara and Reinylla begin to look for an exit from the wreckage. However, only upon walking just a few paces forward, Lahabrea appears all of a sudden and takes Reinylla away!

“You… you BASTARD! Bring her back here!!”

Nearly shrieking in anger at what she just witnessed, all she could do now is hope for Reinylla’s safe return…

“You ready?”

Elizara, glancing outwards at Castrum Meridianum with Reinylla next to her.

“Huh, oh, a right, yes. Let’s get-a to it then!”

Elizara takes point and begins to rush ahead into the forces that await with Reinylla backing her up with the spell power she has learned to wield throughout her journey thus so far.

Upon taking out the first wave and a magitek armor, they appear to have come to a dead end.

“Where-to now, darlin’?”

Elizara shrugs, looking around for any sort of option before Cid contacts Reinylla with a solution.

“…he wants us to, what!?“

“Jump on down this ‘ere trash chute!”

“Wh- no. Absolutely not! I’d rather climb the wall over there!”

“Aw, come’er on, sugar! It’ll be fun!”

“…how is that fun!?”

Before Elizara could continue to protest, Reinylla excitedly jumps down the chute. With a loud exasperated sigh, Elizara jumps down to join her as well. Continuing their battle throughout Castrum Meridianum, taking out more soldiers and a drill-mech, they’re finally face to face with Livia sas Junius herself.

“Look-a, sugar! It’s her!“

Not even pausing, Elizara aims her arrow at Livia’s helmet.

“Yep. Payback for Waking Sands.”

Reinylla nods with a mixture of emotions, and the battle between the two forces begins! Bullets, fire spells, and arrows litter the battlefield, and finally at the end, the two Vieras were triumphant.

A quiet near eerie feeling falls over the area. Elizara and Reinylla still eyeing the now lifeless body of Livia, making sure it was in fact over with. Finally, Elizara lets her guard down and holsters her bow.

“..Let’s go. Just one thing left to do.”

Reinylla nods and puts her staff away with that. They both leave Castrum Meridianum slowly and exhausted from the ordeal. They report back to the Alliance and begin the final phase: Praetorium. Once they’re both rested up, it will be time to put their journey together up until now to the test.

“Hey… uh. Don’t die in there, alright?”

Elizara says with near-affection concern to Reinylla who was fully garbed in a stolen Garlean uniform.

“I’ll’a be fine, darlin! I promise! We’re going to get in there and get our friends’ all nice and’a back out in once piece!”

Her carefree and unbiased lack of concern for what she was about to embark on somewhat gave comfort to Elizara.

“Alright, I’ll cover you as you make your way in.”

Reinylla nodded, and as Reinylla headed into Castrum Centri with some familiar comrades, she gave her the cover fire from her arrows. After that she was on her own with only the sounds of alarms and explosions giving no comfort to Elizara who started to worry.

For what felt like forever, Elizara saw off in the distance the Enterprise coming in on the southern side of Castrum Centri. She quickly ran as far as she could towards that side with only the sounds guiding her, finally getting a clear sound if not faint of everyone safely making it out aboard that faithful airship!

With a huge sigh of relief, Elizara followed the airship back to Ul’dah via her trusty fat cat.

She rushes into Ul’dah in time to see the Enterprise dock in Airship Landing high above the city. Finding out the Scions rushed into a meeting at the Royal Promenade, she headed there immediately. Her waiting felt like an eternity, only with her impatient foot tapping keeping her company. Finally Reinylla and the Scions appeared from within, and Elizara rushed up to the Reinylla who was in a fairly lighthearted mood even with everything she just endured.

“You-you– idiot! I was so worried! Are alright!? Here let me look you ov–“

Reinylla could see the distraught all over Elizara’s face, and simply just hugged her. The motion caused Elizara to break out into tears.

“Ah, hey, darlin’. I’m alright. Nothin’ to it is’a all! We all got’on out of there thanks to that Cid feller and his fancy flyin’ contraption!”

“Just… don’t do anything that wreckless again! At least not without me!”

“Of’a course, sugar! Together to the end and’a beyond!”

Reinylla hugged her for a bit longer, with Elizara smiling with a gently nod at the notion, they took their time walking together back down towards the Quicksands to plan their next leg of the adventure.

‘To the End and Beyond.’ Little do they realize how literal that will become in the future…

“…are you absolutely sure this is a good idea?”

“Sure I’ma sure! What could possibly go wrong with this here’a thing, darlin’?”

Elizara, paused and thought for a moment.

“It’s… oh I don’t know… a literal floating black hold right in front of you making weird chanting whispers!!”

“Is’a that what that sound is? I just thought’a I was hearin’ things or just’a hungry is all!”

“Why– ho-…!?”

“It’ll be perfectly fine, sugar! Let’s just’a see what happen’s when I place this here red goopy lookin’ vial near it like’a I was asked to!”

Reinylla lightheartedly placed the vial of demon blood near the void rift. The eerie sounds coming from within the portal began to grow louder.

“If you stick you hand into that thing or something comes out, I swear to the–“

Right then, Reinylla pokes the void portal.

“Reinylla!! What did I just say!?”

“Oh’a sorry, darlin’ the funky soundin’ voices asked’a me to–“

At that moment, several imps appeared out of the portal and attacked Reinylla!

“I TOLD YOU THIS WAS A BAD IDEA!”

Elizara yells at her, while drawing her bow to help in dispatching the imps before they could do any real harm. Once the imps had been taken care of, Elizara stomps off and sits down on a boulder close by, while Reinylla lightly chuckles at the whole ordeal.

“Well’a that was sure fun! C’mon! Let’s do that again, darlin’!”

Needless to say, that didn’t go over well with Elizara. As much as she can be annoyed with Reinylla’s sometimes carefree recklessness, she doesn’t want any harm to come to her as well. However, the annoyed feelings didn’t last very long and the two took off to parts unknown.

“Sure’a is a rainy night…”

Reinylla commented out loud to break the ambient but relaxing sound of rain falling over Fallgord Float.

“Yeah… nice night to take a break here. At least we made it to the inn before the rain picks up even more.”

She quickly turns to look at Elizara.

“What? Is the ‘big bad’ ole Elizara scared of’a some rain? Afraid’n you might just’a melt?”

Elizara doesn’t respond directly, but the color of her cheeks give the answer. Reinylla lets out a lighthearted laugh.

“Ah I was’a just kiddin’ there, darlin’! Yer right though, nice place’a to call it a night!”

The two have had quite the journey thus far, having taken out two primals and a chimera along the way. Elizara doing her best to continue to learn and understand herself, and her skills, better while making sure to keep the green-eared Reinylla safe from harm as much as she possibly can.

As for Reinylla, she’s becoming quite the artisan in the Dark Arts of black magic; if I weren’t to know any better, she might even be a rival for Miss Laureine in understanding it very quickly! Always seeing the world in wide-eyed wonder, it almost reminds me of the early days upon seeing Eorzea for myself while seeking out where Aikirees had ran off to many months before.

From the letters I receive, and I assure everyone do read as they do not get lost in the pile of desk letters already in existence, Reinylla has gotten pretty close to Elizara, but as for her I think only more time will tell how she’s feeling. I suspect being out and about as an adventurer has helped but still far from where she’d like to be.

I’ll keep looking forward to reading the letters from them as they continue to adventure forth, and from Miss Laureine’s visit with my Sister when she does the task I entrusted her with.