Dogi Crimson

“That was… deceptively easy,” Howler commented, as they were checking the knots on the ropes – for the third time in the past two minutes. “Did we catch them on a bad day?”

Deceptively easy, Howler had said. In truth, they had used the fog to cover for their advance. Not to mention that between Howlers natural stealth and Igey’s uncanny strategic mind, the duo easily took out the stragglers… before diving into the mainforce. 

Which wasn’t much of a challenge after the loners on the edges had been knocked out and tied up. 

“Hm… Too easy, actually.” Igey enunciated, putting more emphasis on the previous comment. Her head on a swivel. “This feels as if they are missing some numbers, or prepared for something else. Stragglers or no…”

Howler let out a thoughtful hum in response, before lifting their head up – and then tensing up. That was half a second warning for Igey before the shout from the yard. The blue haired woman’s head snapping towards Howler, wide eyed-

“Dalamud! My liege! Save me! My blood and soul, I give unto thee!”

It was a woman. Soft red hair and modestly dressed. Had Howler walked past her on a normal street, they wouldn’t had batted an eye. But here, with the eternal blue fog, surrounded by ruins and aether that tasted all kinds of wrong, with air tainted with the taste of copper? It gave Howler a good pause.

The air crackled, and Howler suddenly felt a lurch in their stomach – eyes flicking over to Igey briefly. She felt something that Howler had not felt from her before-

Worry. And shocked panic. 

Igey knew that energy in the air intimately, exactly what was about to pull through the aether like a blade rending through its victim. The woman’s hand holding her great sword in an instant. “Howler! Move…!” Her voice was a harsh shout. This was not something that had to do with corruption, was dragged down, or mindless. Igey knew… This was a Voidsent, pure to the core, with the cunning and hunger that went with it.

And then… the eyes locked on to her target. Not Igey, who was connected to the Voidsent by more ways than one. Igey, who had the skill and ability to demand the attention of every enemy in the room. Igey, who had been sent to help, and who had become a wall to block hurts and pains. 

It locked on to Howler. 

“You!”

Howler jolted back, ears flicking back ever so slightly – the malice, hatred, sour and sharp taste of fear. It was a veritable wave of powerful, negative emotions, a surge they had not expected. 

Even with the conditioning and training they had done, it caused the young Elezen to jolt backwards in shock. One half-step backwards. 

That might’ve saved Howler's hide, as the claws suddenly struck mere ilm away from where their eyes had just been. 

“MOVE!” Igey’s voice repeated, almost like a roar now. Her figure lunging forward with all the speed and might of a forward fighting combatant. Great sword taking a mighty swing at the Voidsent in an attempt to force it back, and draw the ire.

But it was locked on target.

It, she, wanted them.

“What the- I’m trying!!” Howler hollered, barely avoiding another swipe – the claws nicking at the bridge of Howler's nose, where an old jagged scar rested. A quiet hiss escaped from the clone, as they quickly dashed backwards, hoping to get more distance – as curious as this behaviour was, up-close and personal investigation was deemed too unhealthy of a choice right now. 

Too bad the Voidsent did not seem to agree with Howler's decision. 

“She’s not lettin-”

Howler's words were cut, as they hopped backwards – and suddenly felt their ankle roll. A loose piece of rubble had found its way underneath at the worst time, and Howler let out a small yelp as gravity did what gravity does – pull one down once balance had been lost.

Or at least, that was what Howler expected, harsh ground and grit on their skin. Instead, something yanked them up with a violent whiplash, their neck already aching. Howler managed one look – the claws under the belt that went over their torso, that had ripped into the shirt and skin beneath – before their vision blurred again in a flurry of motion. 

Gravity finally claimed its prize, as Howler suddenly found themself airborne, thrown away from the Voidsent and towards more rubble. Closing their eyes, bracing for impact- 

- there was a loud crash of rotten wood and unstable stone meeting with flesh, as Howler's body disappeared inside the ruins. 

A shout of their name, full of desperation and rage, echoed into the crags of stone and desolate ruins surrounding them. It had been a grand total of 2, maybe 3, seconds. Fast and immediate. This was a creature that had been ready for a fight, but sparked far worse just by presence alone. It was targeted. And… Survival.

No time to analyze the why for now.

Igey’s gaze snapped back to the female voidsent with a low rumbling noise in the back of her throat. The air immediately changing several degrees in temperature, and dropping. That great sword crackling with an ominous sound.

That ice blade lifted in one hand with ease, pointing towards the foe upon this battle field. That would soon become a grave. “No void sown pocket shall save you from the fate you have wrought.” Every word spoken with a slow, calm, venom. Consonants sharper than any broken glass, every vowel sparking like flint and steel.

With the combination between the words, chilling air, and strange aether bubbling up, it finally drew the Voidsent’s attention away from the Elezen she had just sent flying. Now sending her full focus onto Igey. Giving that almost cocky laugh of hers. “And what could you-”

It didn’t get to finish.

Igey suddenly vanished in a swirl of shadow, of void itself. Making the creature sputter in surprise, jerking forward at the unexpected spike of power. But that split second was all that Igey needed as her figure rematerialized behind this target. Bringing her great sword down in a curving arc. Not a sound leaving her mouth, just the hiss of ice through warm flesh and vitae as the voidsent screeched in pain. Rounding upon her with a newfound confused fury.

Swift spins, claws trying to swipe, but missing every attempt. Igey didn’t so much as blink, each sword blocking a hit, parrying a spin here. Even a spell flung her way was defended against like it was chaff alone. All the while her aether was becoming thicker, heavier. Enough to dull sounds that would have once echoed here, now no longer carried. 

“I need.. More…!” It was becoming abundantly clear this was not just a mortal. This was something else. Someone closer to their own. Something… But it couldn’t be. No! 

With hunger, desperation, a demand for more, the Voidsent spun upon the other cultists still bound. It wanted to devour them for more strength, lunging for the closest one with a starving hiss. 

Only to suddenly be met with Igey herself, in the Voidsent’s face. Inches away-

And a spike buried into the chest made of ice.

It gurgled and choked, coughing upon aether thick air, and frozen blood that was rapidly slowing within its veins. Sliding down the edges of that sharp stake. As ice began to spread across it, enveloping every inch like a cocoon of death. “You shall become an example… And no, your death? Shall not return you to the thirteenth.” Igey leaned closer to the voidsent’s ear, whispering low in her throat. “I’ll ensure your soul is ripped asunder to the sea before you can escape me… There are fates worse than death.”

“You… You are… The Ascian, your hand, our world-”

“I was your beginning. Now, I am your end.”

It was now a scream. Full of terror. That final sound escaping the voidsent who tried to claw out of the ice, escape death. With one final breath, arm reaching for the cloud covered skies. And then, blissful, silence. Leaving a figure of ice and death behind. As aether bled right out of it, anything left of energy, of soul- ejected with force. 

Igey ended it. Utterly.

The silence that fell over the area was dense and suffocating, the temperature still sharply cold, a fog flowing across the grounds. You could’ve heard a pin drop – but instead of pins, there was the sound of rock shifting, and a young soul softly groaning.

A hand appeared on the edge of the stone that had once been a doorframe, before Howler pulled themself up right – blood staining the side of their head, and chest. There was a sway on their step, their balance a debt they couldn’t afford to pay right now. 

Free hand on the side of their head, Howler let out a low moan, trying to keep themself steady. Illogically, their thoughts went on to their goggles – thankful for the thicker pair, as their old pair was demolished all that time ago in the Shroud. Small mercies disguised as clever planning and thinking ahead. 

Footsteps brought Igey to Howler’s figure, offering her hand and arm to help them balance until the center of gravity could re-establish for the injured young elezen. “Easy. You have a concussion. How are you feeling? Anything broken?” Her voice was tense. Firm. Concerned yes, there was relief as well, but still a simmering anger acted as a background spice. It wasn’t covered up so to speak, more so it was already expelled and just fading away the dregs.

Howler let out a small groan in response, hand looking for Igeys before their eyes scanned for the results of the fight. “What happened-”

Right, wait, first status update. “I… think I’m fine. Some bleeding, but I don’t think I broke anything…. Vital…”

Howlers eyes focused on the frozen, impaled figure. 

“... Igey. What happened?”

“I handled it. Come, we need to go before another decides to try a trick again, and you need to be checked over.”

“Wha- what you mean handled it-” -the pitch in Howlers voice rose just an octave or two, as their eyes kept going back to the frozen statue, and Igey who was clearly not giving the full story. “Igey, that-”

The woman tugged Howler forward gently, helping to guide them and manage walking normally again. “-is no longer a threat. That is what it is. Before anything else, your injuries need tended, and these cultists need hauled off. Or do you want a second encounter?”

There was a click of teeth, as Howler promptly shut their jaw. SIlently, they mulled that over as they were being escorted… and then just as quietly, muttered under their breath; “We will have words later.”

Bluefog had earned its name – it felt like eternal night had befallen the whole area, with its darker, softer shades of blue staining the very ground they walked on. Howler didn’t mind, for the most part – it was beautiful in its own unique way. If there just weren't all these monsters roaming about…  

But Howler wasn’t here for sightseeing, even if they wanted to sit down and wax poetic about the visuals. Maybe they could send a letter to Amon and recommend a quick look… or the viera of the Shroud. Come to think of it, all this blue did remind Howler of that silent fighter. How were they were doing… 

Best to send a letter for both of them, really. But first, business. 

The guard was quick to motion towards the camp, giving a fair warning of the difficulties laying ahead. Howler, ever polite, bowed in response, and started heading down the worn roads with Igey right by their side. 

Howler was looking about, humming to themself… until they noticed it. “... Stingy today, aren’t you? You have words, yet won’t share.”

This place brought back many memories for the woman. Not of this place exactly, per sey, but of similar locations. The skies above, the smell in the air- colleagues now long gone and dead. One day they will see another day, but that is far from here… However, she could hear that voice in her head. Strict, harsh. The pricing of what they needed with that tone of voice. Emet-Selch knew damn well how hard it can be to acquire the naturally occurring fuel source, it was why he had designed a whole plant just to get at that resource back in Garlemald. Spoke about the brilliance and dangers of it when he was first building that empire. 

This was going to become a problem very quickly in the future, if they truly wanted that airship to leave the ground. Expenses, acquisition, parts for efficiency…

“Your words once more color your pallet like a painter. Feeling creative, are we?” Igey spoke up with her ever calm tone, gaze taking in everything around them. 

“Careful now, I might take that to heart and start painting the airship before she’s ready to fly,” Howler snorted. “Maybe some flames on the side? I’ve heard those are quite popular these days.”

The woman made a muttered grumble at the idea, moving on to answer the posed inquiry. “To answer your question, Ceruleum, while powerful, is expensive here. Even more so with the world events at large. It is not easy to get either, while here in Eorzea, unless you work for Ironworks. Is there no other option for fuel for this? Or even a conversion system, to better stretch it further, and mix, like a hybrid system?” Honestly, she would prefer Solar but, that would be limited to daylight most times… And it was not her own studies of it, but rather a nature bound woman and a sun driven man from long ago.

Howler let out a hum – considering her words, the earlier playfulness was gone now. Instead, those periwinkle blue eyes seemed to harden, as mental calculations took over. Stock and inventory of what they already had, what they could do. 

“In theory, yes. But we have neither the parts nor resources to get those parts in such short notice, and I’d have to draft completely new blueprints to make that happen. To use an analogy, our ship is akin to a hyper-carnivore, a hunter that moves in high energy bursts. To force it to become an omnivore just for our convenience is nothing short of cruel, especially since we do not have a scalpel sharp enough to start a surgery to make it into what we need.”

Though, they did place a hand on their chin, letting out a small hum again. “That being said, I think I can jury-rig something together for the interior. Not the engines, but the smaller things, such as the kitchenette and lights indoors. But that is as much as we can do without a proper workshop, man-power, and mountains of gil at our disposal – ceruleum is still our go-to fuel.”

Now that was an idea, making Igey tilt her head. “Now, I might be able to solve the gil-”

Howler suddenly froze, causing Igey to pause as well. Ready for a fight. But no, it wasn’t a fight Howler was getting ready for – instead, their eyes were on a lalafell with keen eyes that was jogging towards them. And they did not stop – instead, they ran around them, examining, considering, humming under his breath. 

“Hm hm hm… you’ll do!”

“Pardon?”

“Heard you were looking into getting some ceruleum – now, I can’t promise barrels and barrels of the stuff for free, but I can offer a discount! … As long as you grant me a… small favor in return. Beforehand, really.”

There was no pause, no hesitation, only eyes that saw potential fix to a particular problem. A fix that also had a peculiar problem of their own, one the lalafell was uniquely qualified to offer at least some assistance.

Howler turned towards Igey, then back towards the lalafell, with a raised eyebrow. “... what kind of favor?”