Traveler

Azlyn bit her lip. “This isn’t...looking good.” The girl summoned her Titan-egi, bringing up a huge wall to protect them. She brought up the walls just in time as Garuda let loose a burst of wind. It crackled the wall she created and knocked her off her feet. Alphinaud and Cid skidded beside her. The only good thing about taking that damage head on was that her friends behind her were not hurt.  

Garuda gloated over her, chuckling at her futile attempts. “My power is limitless! My children legion! And they have rendered unto me a wealth of crystals.” 

Azlyn coughed, “Your power—will only be—temporary” She wiped her face of the blood she felt run down her nose. “We will—defeat you.” 

The primal glowed an ominous green, as she glared to her. “Their gifts sustain me, their faith empowers me! None save my children will escape the reckoning, mortals! And those who would use my crystals to waken the rest shall realize the folly of their faith!” Garuda brought a claw forward, as wind started to circle around Azlyn. 

The girl struggled within the wind circle that entrapped her, as Garuda began to lift her up from the ground. Azlyn glared up to the primal, trying to move, but the grasp of the harpy was strong.

“Azlyn!” Cid called out, as another wind gust push him and Alphinaud backward. Azlyn grimaced as the primal cackled. 

“Then all shall worship none but me! The one true god! HEE HEE HEE HEE HEEEEE!” 

Alphinaud wiped his cheek, smearing the blood from a cut. “Of course. Worship! So long as the Ixal keep praying, she will never falter.” 

“Then let’s stop them!” Cid yelled over the winds.

Behind the pair, the rest of their group slowly rose up. They were coughing, holding each other up as they looked to the primal. Together they started to look at the praying Ixal. 

“Not a damn moment to rest.” Ozwin wheezed, pushing himself up with his lance. 

Koroko adjusted her hat. “Let me wreak devastation upon them for the pain we all faced.” 

“Hang on Azlyn!” Roll called out, see could see that she was trapped in a spinning vortex. 

Together they moved, but Garuda triggered another large scale tornado. The burst of aether knocked all of them off their feet, and pushed further away. Azlyn was the only one left behind, as she struggled to look over her shoulder. The winds were tightening around her form. 

“HAHA hahaha HEEHEE heehee HAHAHA!!! No harm will come to you, my children! This is only the beginning landwalkers! All who oppose me shall suffer for their defiance!” Garuda chuckled deviously, drawing the wind that entrapped the girl upward. Azlyn winced in pain as she was brought forth to the primal. “Soon, the worms of the forest shall receive my judgment! The desert vermin next—their walls of stone will not shield them from the tempest! And then will I take vengeance on the sea lice! Their wooden boats cannot outrun the wind!” Garuda snapped her talons around her now, clenching onto her to squeeze her tight. “Tremble, mortals, for I shall visit you all in time! And all shall be mine! ALL MIIIINE!” 

The Au Ra gritted her teeth in pain, she could hear a slight pop on her shoulder as she was being squeezed by her tightened claws. “It—won’t—matter!” She struggled. “Garuda—you—won’t—win.” 

“Landwalker, you who dared to raise your hand against me—using primal energies to attack me! You shall be the first to pay for your sins! Not with your death—but with your LIFE! You will serve me, landwalker—to your last breath!” 

A blue tempering energy emerged from her, seeping into her hand as Azlyn struggled. The blue winds circled and whipped her hair into tendrils of tangles, but it was enough to slump her. 

But slowly she rose her head again, seeing the rage grow in the primal’s face. The recognition and realization of what had happened dawned upon her. 

“No, NO!!!! I claimed you! You should be MINE!” 

Azlyn gave a weak smile under the tightened grasp. “Try all—you might—I belong—to none—” Her body started to glow, a bright light from within her core emerged, blinding the primal. Garuda winced, throwing her away as Azlyn flipped backward to land back on the ground. The light grew stronger within her as the girl regained her footing. She stood up. 

That same light burst from her, knocking Garuda backward. A crystal—a green stone—emerged from the chest of the Primal floating up at the summons of her call. The primal struggled under the pain of the stone getting extracted from her body as Azlyn reached a hand up to accept the last crystal in that six sided magic circle in her vision. She was brought to that location, seeing the last crystal rejoin in the open circle. A surge of aether came from under her feet as the cracks from before sealed under the last stone’s return. 

Azlyn returned from the vision, fluttering her eyes open as she stared up to the Primal. The pain she endured from the fight fueled her each movement as she defiantly gazed to the god. 

“What—what are you!?” Garuda screeched, floating backward. “What have you done to me!? No mortal should possess such power! This—this is impossible!” 

“Nothing is impossible.” Azlyn confidently said, bringing forth her grimoire. 

“Why do you not tremble at my might!? Why do you not beg for mercy!? Why do you not DIE!” 

Cid ran up, seeing the Ixal’s prayer had faltered at the sight of the bright light from Azlyn’s action. Alphinaud shortly joined them, alongside with Ozwin and Roll. 

Behind them Richiro had been tending to the other’s wounds as they watched Garuda crumple in pain. 

“We’ve done it!” Alphinaud stated. 

Ozwin stepped forward, preparing his lance. “Not quite kid.” 

Roll brought forth her globe as they prepared for Garuda to lash out once more. 

“Is that all?” A voice boomed in the valley. 

One that was foreign to all their ears save for one in their group. Azlyn turned to the new stranger, as an armored imperial had walked into the nest from the northwestern mountains. His armor was a mix of dark reds and blacks, his face obscured by the Empire shaped helmets that protected their heads, the strange gun like contraption added into his armor sleeve that glistened under the brief sunlight breaking through Garuda’s tempest up above. 

His voice echoed loud for all to hear. “O Lady of the Vortex! O mighty Garuda! Of all primals, the most terrible, I say again—IS—THAT—ALL!?” 

Azlyn snapped her book open, wondering what that man was thinking and further more—who was he? His words caused a shift in the winds, as they grew unbalanced and filled with rage. 

“Gaius!” Cid called in shock, and Azlyn being the closest to him faltered at the name drop. 

The man turned to the engineer, dropping his hand from pointing to the primal to speak with him. “Cid, my boy. You look well—for one who has forsaken kin and country. I wonder, what else you will forsake before the day is done.” 

“What!?” 

“What exactly did you hope to accomplish here this day?” Gaius countered to the engineer, looking to their wrecked party. 

“I—”

Gaius scoffed, snapping his hand forward. “Well I shall accomplish far more!” 

The Ixal began their charge to him, as he fired the gun in his sleeve to each of the Ixal. One by one they were shot until they were brought down, bleeding on the ground. 

Garuda scuttled backward repeating the question asked to her earlier. “Is that all...IS THAT ALL!? Insolent mortal! I shall make you suffer!” She then turned her hate filled gaze to Azlyn,  as if it dawned on her why the tempering did not work. “That foul stench! I see now, SHE HAS TOUCHED YOU!” 

Azlyn gritted her teeth. 

“Very well!” Garuda brought her hands up to the skies, as she started to bring forth all the aether surrounding her to bring about several heavy wind cyclones. 

“Seven hells!” Cid yelled, “does she still mean to fight!?” 

The winds erupted, but not onto them like Azlyn anticipated. Instead it came upon the bounded prisoners. The cyclones swirled in violent currents, hacking and slashing the bounded Amal’jaa and kobold prisoners. Their cries echoed in the sanctuary, struggling, crying for the pain to end. For their own gods to help them.

“O Lord of the inferno! Almighty Ifrit! Grant us succor in our hour of need!” The Amalj’aa roared, bellowing in anguish.

The kobolds called for their own Lord. “Save us Titan! Lord of Crags! Ah, it’s hurts us so! The pain! The Pain!” The poor creatures cried out in twisted agony.

The party looked over, seeing the stash of crystals behind them starting to glow and be absorbed by their pleas. Azlyn widened her eyes at the sight. “Oh no… Twelve forfend.”

“She cannot mean to—” Alphinaud yelled out, noticing the exact thing they all figured out.

Ozwin charged at the Lady of the Vortex, sprinting through the winds to pierce her. Even when her winds were released, she still was a difficult opponent. He leapt up, only for the primal to catch the spear in her taloned claw, snap it, and sent him flying backward into Azlyn. 

The Au Ra attempted to lessen the impact, but they still tumbled and landed several feet back.

“Shit.” Ozwin cursed, pulling himself up from the ground. She shook her head, seeing stars. She felt a hand grab under her arm to help pull her off the ground as she faltered in place. 

“Gotta stop meeting like this.” Azlyn tried to joke, while Ozwin grunted. 

“I thought if she was distracted she’d stop trying to harm the beastmen.” 

“Good try.” She awarded grimly, however it was too late. 

The crystals, Amalj’aa, and kobolds were absorbed together—the aethers twisting and altering—and giving forms to the primals. They all watched as the Amalj’aa were absorbed into a blast of hot blaze—the sky erupting into a solar eclipse as Ifrit emerged. Its maw crackled with fire as it set its fiery gaze to their party and Garuda. Ifrit roared in anger, the talons and cracked black scales glistened like broken lava as it perceived every single one of them as threats.

The kobolds with the remainder of the crystals were taken into the earth, where the ground cracked and opened from within. A gargantuan rocky hand clasped the edge of the fissure, before more amber colored boulders started to coalesce and connect. It was then that Titan hopped up, its feet pounded into the ground causing slight tremors at the impact. All of them started to scatter backward at the sight of not one primal in their midst—but three.

Ifrit had seen Roll, Mjnt, and Richiro by it—and with a mighty burst of it’s flames, the primal unleashed a lengthy breath of burning embers from it’s maw straight at them. Mjnt tackled to Richiro to the side, while Roll tumbled to the other. Ifrit looked ready to charge her, but Roll blinded it with a quick Malefic spell. 

Ozwin sprinted over to Roll, as she attempted to pull back. With a quick hand, he helped the Au Ra to her feet and pushed her to run to the airship. He yelled over to Azlyn. “Tactical retreat!”

Mjnt grabbed hold of Richiro at her side, following the lead Ozwin commenced. 

Kida aimed several arrows to the ground, letting them explode into the earth clusters that Titan sent hurtling at her. She readied several arrows while Koroko blasted the rocks with her own fireballs. “Look Titan, if this is about me calling you a bitch last time—I’m not sorry!” 

The primal roared, digging the heavy earthen hands into the ground to toss at them. 

N’thuzu Tia leapt over to protect them, cleaving the earth with his axe. “So this must be Titan!”

Koroko directed one of her spells to explode into the ground, letting the the dust rise to give them a bit of cover. The caster started to run to safety, following the other four who were halfway across the field.

Garuda screeched to the primals, summoning gigantic whorls of wind to her side. “Surrender to me and give me your aether!”  

“Time to get the hell out of dodge!” Kida shouted, retreating at last. 

Even though the Lalafellin caster had been running, N’thuzu Tia had been the faster runner, who easily reached down to grab onto her from her back. “Excuse me a moment Koko!”

Azlyn waited until most of her friends escaped behind them to the airship before running to Alphinaud and Cid.

“No… no. This is all wrong.” Alphinaud backed up, bumping into Cid who had been staring at the imperial watching the events unfold. When the young lad bumped into him, the motion was enough to jolt him from his initial shock.

“Stop gawping! We must run!” Cid started his mad dash out of the area as the three primals started to eye one another. 

Azlyn yanked on the Elezen’s arm and together all three of the sprinted away. When they reached the gates heading out to the airship they could hear Gaius’ shout ringing in the air.

“BEAR WITNESS TO THE GLORY OF THE EMPIRE!”

Azlyn skidded to a halt. She looked back to see the primals bickering between themselves while the one known as Gaius stepped toward them, unafraid. He snapped an arm forward. Even as far away as she was—the Au Ra could still hear his booming voice.

He took one step back as something glimmered in the sky—a few air crafts were carrying in an oddly shaped thing curled into itself. The strange coils and dragon like aspects were guarded with black armor. She watched the imperial vessels let go of the machine, letting it plummet down between the primals and Gaius.

“What the hell is that thing?” Azlyn gawped, watching as the machine came to life the moment it landed. 

The machine reached out a long arm, clenching upon the head of Ifrit in its’ sight. Azlyn stared in horror as Ifrit exploded into a brilliant explosion of flames. However the damage the machine took didn’t seem to hold as the weapon snapped it’s claws against the primal. She could see the fiery aether beginning to siphon until the primal disappeared in a burst of aether. She gasped at the sight of Ifrit becoming absorbed into the foreign machine.

The machine’s coils near its lower abdomen started to glow a crimson red, as Ifrit disappeared from existence. But that wasn’t all this monster of a machine did. Azlyn witnessed Titan charging it, the tremors of its feet landing reached her as the machine merely punched the rock to the side, and then clasped the claws upon the primal’s open chest. In abject horror she watched as Titan’s aether began to do the same thing Ifrit’s had, and then disappear into the machine weapon.

The weapon roared once again, its coils illuminated with both crimson red and a golden amber hue. It finally turned to Garuda who shook at its might. Azlyn could only gape in shock, seeing how a primal that knocked the crap out of them was about to be taken down by this monster of a thing.  

Garuda leapt high into the sky, attempting to flee from the machines reach. Only to have it jump monstrously high to match her, catch her, and bring her back down by force. The primal struggled in its grasp, screaming as the machine bent its neck down to bite into the primal, head first. A burst of green aether exploded around her, before the last of the three primals present were absorbed into the machine.

Azlyn stood transfixed. Her eyes wide as she witnessed such a monstrosity. She wondered how the Empire got their hands on such a terrifying thing, and what could they possibly do against something of that magnitude. 

Gaius sauntered to it with ease. As if he had control over it, the weapon bent down for him to climb into it’s open palm. Slowly he was brought up to the shoulder, where he turned to look straight to her. 

Her feet froze in place, staring at him and this thing—she could tell her mind was screaming at her to run, but something kept her in place. Something that she wanted to confirm. She wanted to know why this man was using such an awful contraption. 

What was his main goal? 

Why was he after Eorzea? 

These questions fired off one by one, but before any could pour from her lips, she found that he was already within two hundred yalms of her.

“Such is the fate of those who oppose the Empire!” The man called down to her. He raised his gun to aim straight at her. The other hand had clicked another gear on his arm, as an audible sound of ammo shifting caught her ears. “There will be no Warriors of Light to save you this time!” He fired the shot, and she noticed that this was not a bullet but an actual netting expanding out. Before the net could catch her however, she was yanked out of it’s reach by a strong pair of arms. 

“We got to stop meeting like this.” Her rescuer said as they looked to the tangle net on the ground lightly sparking. “Someone’s really trying hard to catch you.” He noted aloud, staring at the net.

“I thought you were at the airship.” She ignored the obvious as she silently thanked Ozwin. He had sweat rolling down his temple as his chest heaved up and down. He looked like he had sprinted all the way back. 

“Cid’s getting it going—I noticed you were the only one missing.” He pulled her away once again, just as another net was fired to them. 

Angrily she yelled at the next failed attempt to catch her. “What is it that you intend to do!?” She glared openly to the man atop the weapon. “Why is the Empire focused upon dominating the countries and city-states?” 

The man scoffed at her question. “If your leaders are as wise as they are reported, they will surrender. It is time these benighted lands were purged of the Eikons once and for all. The Empire shall give Eorzea and its misguided people what it so desperately craves—a strong hand to rule and guide into a better future!”

Ozwin shouted up to the Imperial. “Have you not learned anything from the Meteor Project!? How much more destruction will you cause before your Empire is satisfied!?”

Azlyn remembered all the people who were hurt by the actions. How many more would suffer if they gave in to their forceful demands. “We won’t let you get away with this!”

She sent a Ruin spell spiraling from her book straight to him. Gaius snapped his arm up and away, taking the blunt force of the attack of her spell. His armor absorbed the magic with ease. 

The man bellowed to them. “Your skills are impressive, but they will not be enough.”

Before they could react, more shots fired in the distance. These ones happened to be bullets whizzing at them, and not nets. Turning on their heels, they both decided to retreat before they were overrun by a battalion of imperial soldiers.

Ozwin knew a losing fight, so he grasped onto Azlyn’s arm and pulled her with him. Knowing that it would lead to their deaths if they remained, she too gave up on her inquiries and sprinted after the Midlander Hyur. 

They ran as quick as their feet could carry them to the airship. They didn’t know if Gaius would attempt to follow them, but by the time they reached the others, Cid had already started to lift off the ground.

Kida leaned over the deck while Richiro yelled for Cid to hold on.

“Grab my hand!” The girl yelled. Azlyn jumped up, catching her arm. By the time she was pulled into the ship, she could see Ozwin waiting for them to offer him the same. Kida and her both reached out, and with more ground to jump, the Midlander Hyur was helped onto the ship by them both.

Roll leaned back into one of the benches, her head slightly shaking from one side to the next. “That spiraled out of control quick.”

Cid lifted off from the ground, catching the updraft. Altogether they peered over the side of the vessel to see the machine and Gaius flying through the sky. It seemed to them that he was watching them, before settling on flying away. He flew eastward, toward what they all would assume would be a castrum base.

“Twelve have mercy! What chance have we against such an ungodly creation!” Alphinaud muttered in horror. “And who was the armored devil?”

Azlyn reached her thumb up to bite. “Gaius van Bealsar. Also known as The Black Wolf.” She muttered, her brain was still processing all the things she just witnessed.

Cid gravely nodded at Azlyn’s assertion. “Legatus to the XIVth Imperial Legion, and supreme commander of the Garlean invasion force in Eorzea.”

Alphinaud clenched both of his fists by his side, as his face contorted in anger. “Of course. How could I not realize? Grandfather mentions him in his journal!”

Mjnt knelt by Roll, checking on the girl’s complexion. “What was the thing he controlled? It took care of all the primals in such a simple time.”

Ozwin bit his cheek, glaring daggers to the sky the Imperials had retreated toward. “Something they should have never unearthed. First Meteor and now this…thing.”

“I was never so naïve as to think the man would abandon his ambitions, but these developments are beyond my worst expectations.” Cid’s face darkened, then he turned his attention to the young Elezen. “What have you been doing these past five years? How could something of this magnitude have escaped the Alliance’s attention?” He had a bit of a snappish tone to the scion.

Azlyn walked over to them, stepping between the two. “Hey Cid, calm down. You too Alphinaud. We can’t be heated amongst ourselves.”

Alphinaud almost snapped back, but seeing Azlyn pleading for them to not fight, he took a moment to catch himself. Slowly he explained all he knew. “We heard no whispers, saw no signs, in the wake of the Calamity the Empire seized land and built outposts, but that was the extent of their aggression.”

Cid looked away from the pair, looking forward to the clouds in front of them. He let one hand go from the wheel and slammed it down into the wood. “Damnit Gaius, where in the hells did you find that thing?”

Koroko calmly spoke behind them, her arm was being wrapped in gauze by Richiro. “It’s been a day of unexpected developments. We should find a safe place to rest and go over what we do know. Even I could not foresee such a thing being used.” The caster who was usually the enigmatic one spoke with growing concern. “We will need to get stronger. We need more allies to take on such a terrible thing.”

N’thuzu Tia sprawled himself on the deck in the back, while Roll curled her legs into her chest. Every single one of them sported some type of bruise, cut, or injury from the fight against the primal.

“The fact remains that Garuda is no longer a threat.” Alphinaud decided to offer them some piece of a win, despite how battered they all were. “While I take no comfort in the manner of her downfall, it does mean that we may safely put the matter of the primals to one side—for the time being, at least.”

Cid amended their next plan of action. “Which just leaves the matter of Gaius’s new toy.”

“That weapon poses the greatest threat to Eorzea. It must be destroyed.” Alphinaud said, giving a cross look over the vast morning skies. They had left early in the day to deal with the primal, and they were breaking away from the fight around midmorning. “But first we must needs find out all we can.”

Azlyn crossed her arms over her chest. “I’ll call the Students of Baldesion to see if they might know what manner of creation that was. I doubt the Garleans created it—I don’t think there’s anyone capable of that feat in this day and age.”

“The sooner the better.” Ozwin commented bluntly.

“Let us make for Vesper Bay in the meantime. We shall rebuild the Scions.” Alphinaud charted their next course of action.

Azlyn wondered if Vesper Bay would send her mind reeling back to that faithful day—it felt like it was only yesterday when the sudden attack occurred.

“All is not yet lost Azlyn.” The young Elezen spoke to her. “For we bear the light and shall surely lead our people from the darkness.”

Kida grimly nodded. “Don’t forget, you’re not alone in this endeavor. Together we will stop him.”

Cid flew for the remainder of the morning to reach Vesper Bay. The small port town grew larger and larger as they coasted closer to the side of building where the Waking Sands once stood apparent. Now it was nothing more than a shell of an organization. Cid easily coasted the ship within the bay, while Ozwin and Kida jumped out to open the hangar gates.

When they finished docking within, the group closed the hatches and settled within the base. Given they had plenty of time during the flight to process everything, the group drifted off from one another. Azlyn let her friends wander out, as Alphinaud and Cid hung back around the ship. The engineer went straight to work on the reparations while the remaining two spoke quietly.

The young lad tapped his foot anxiously on the floor. “Well, that was an experience I would rather not have again.”

“You and me both.” Azlyn spoke softly, she could feel the exhaustion set in.

Alphinaud stared over her for a long time, before he said his thoughts aloud. “Something had been troubling me Azlyn. Shortly before the Black Wolf took center stage, when Garuda captured you and attempted to claim you as her own, I could have sworn I saw—”

Azlyn interrupted him by raising her hand. “I’m fine, see.” She twirled around before giving the boy a small grin. “Nothing to be worried about.”

He slowly nodded, accepting her answer for now. “In times of great stress, the evidence of the eye is apt to be misread by even the most inquiring mind. Forget I mentioned it.” Alphinaud moved his hands to his hips now, stretching his back before going into his next points. “Returning to the subject of our earlier discussion, we may consider the matter of the primals closed until further notice. No beast tribe will dare summon their god so long as that weapon exists.”

“Definitely an effective deterrent I couldn’t imagine possible.” Azlyn offered her response back, shaking her head.

“It’s almost a shame to have to plot its destruction.” The Scion proffered, only for Azlyn to sigh.

“It has to be destroyed. There’s no telling what the Empire will use it for.”

“I know.”

The pair sighed together this time, and watched Cid quietly work upon his airship. He tinkered with a part of the sails that tore during the tempest’s onslaught.

“It is past time that we return to the Waking Sands. To leave our headquarters in disrepair any longer would be to dishonor the memory of those who fell there.” Alphinaud mentioned, to which the girl had to agree. “We have been brought to our knees, but we will rest, rebuild, and rise once more.”

Azlyn looked behind her to see the people in their party listlessly resting. Some of them were wrapping their own wounds, while Roll and Richiro started to heal others with their magicks. Even then the fighting took its toll on all of them mentally.

She walked over to the center of the bay, clapping her hands together to gather her groups attention. “We’re heading up to the Solar. Why don’t we rest in there and come up with a battle plan?”

Kida punched her hand into her open palm. “It’s better than licking our wounds down here.”

Mjnt helped Koroko up from the ground. Richiro and Roll were already standing, as they were treating N’thuzu Tia’s bruised ribcage that started to darken. They healed the internal damage, but it would still be sore for another day or two. The warrior waved off their concern.

Azlyn did a quick headcount before she realized one was missing. “Did Ozwin leave?”

Mjnt nodded, pointed up to the ajar door. “He left as soon as we landed.”

“I didn’t even thank him for saving me.”

Kida bounced over to her side, her pink eyes were slightly red from lack of sleep. “So, are we going to talk about Ozwin’s past connection with Cid? Like—we all saw that, right? Definitely was younger—and black hair? He looks way different now!”

N’thuzu Tia approached, along with Roll and Richiro Wichiro. Together they circled up to discuss more in quieter tones. “It appears that he also knew that armored man… Gaius? I’ve seen plenty of hate in people’s eyes—but not as committed as Ozwin’s were when he appeared.”

Azlyn thought back to when Ozwin took her to Gridania—how the Elder Seedseer wanted to speak with him privately after she woke up. “I think—if he wants us to know—he’ll tell us. We should respect his privacy in the meantime.”

Roll reached over to Azlyn, patting her on her head. A warm feeling of energy coursed into her from the simple touch. “One of us should give him a call—just in case.”

Kida popped her hand up. “Me! I can call him!”

“Remember to be subtle.” Richiro reminded the blue haired Au Ra.

“Look who’s talking—mista loose lips!”

The two started to bicker, as Azlyn peeled away closer to Mjnt and N’thuzu Tia. “I’m going to call Raha to see if he’ll look into that weapon. There has to be something in the past records on it.” She connected the linkpearl, and noticed the call went on for a long time. After the fifteenth ring, she almost hung up to try calling Krile instead, only for an annoyed voice to pop up.

“Didn’t I tell you I was mad?”

“Be mad another time.” Azlyn reprimanded. “Been a bit busy this morning trying not to die.”

There was an awkward pause before Raha gave a long sigh. “Temporary truce then. What happened?”

“Raha, I need to know if there are any records about a weapon that absorbs Primals, and converts them into energy.”

The scholar took a bit of time before he answered back. He sounded a bit unnerved. “Wait—there was a weapon that absorbed a primal’s energy?”

Azlyn crossed an arm over her chest while she held the line upon with her other hand. “Yes. I can describe it to you—it was a four-legged, black armored mechanical beast. Like a hybrid between a machine and a living creature. It had wings on its back, and a long tail. It also had an ornate orb in its chest piece. It looked a bit old—so not something the Empire would have created in the last years. My bet is that it’s an ancient something.”

“That sure gives me quite a bit of description to work with Azlyn.” He sighed heavily. “You know there are over dozens of ancient civilizations with some nasty creations.” After a short pause he replied. “I’m going to need more time. I think I have some ideas on where to start—but I’ll need to narrow down my search a bit. How long do I have?”

“A day. Maybe less.”

G’raha Tia grunted on the line. “Alright. For you, I’ll get you an answer by dinner. Also… you’re okay, right?”

“Yes, I’m okay. Roll and Richi healed us afterward.”

“Okay. Then, I’ll contact you later. Be careful.”

“Bye Raha.”

The Au Ra let the line disconnect. The others looked to her as she shrugged her shoulders. “We’ll find out what it is by tonight. For now, why don’t we go up together and rest in the Solar?”

Alphinaud stepped forward, with Cid right behind him. Together, along with her friends, they moved to the stairs from the ship hangar and went up above.