To Gyr Abania (1/8)
((Iâve not really had much opportunity to play or even write Felix lately, Iâve kinda been in a rut for him in recent months, but with certain events ICly and OOCly and working out where he now stands with certain characters I know what to do with him again, and just copping out writing or alluding to where he has been the last few months, and more importantly what he has been up to in 4.0))
âAre you certain, Inquisitor? Youâve only recently returned from a lengthy pilgrimageâ the man said, pale eyes behind glasses staring at Felixient, almostâŠanalysing him.
âI am certain, sirâ Felixient replied, staring back at the other man. âWe both know with the Dragonsong War ended, and we no longer being enemies with the Dravanians, there is little work for the Inquisition. Not to forget that on top of that things areâŠdifficult for us at the moment.â
âAnd you leaving would make things easier?â the other man asked.
âSame as when I was on pilgrimage, it will be anâŠextended leave of absence, or even a secondment to the Temple Knights if you so wish. Either way you need not pay a salary for meâ Felixient explained.
The other man shifted, and leaned forward, those eyes boring into Felixient. âDid your pilgrimage not give you any answers, or answers to the questions you sought?â He asked, seemingly changing the question. Felixient looked away pain and guilt briefly etched onto his face, both replaced by anger before his expression settled on a blank expression.
âI found answersâ he slowly replied âNot the ones I left to seek, but ones answering a question Iâve long asked for monthsâŠâ
âBut the answer held little comfort to you?â the man asked.
âWell letâs just say I wish that this particular answer had diedâ he replied bitterly.
âAnd so you wish to just flee from this answer? From this uncomfortable truth that has you rattled so?â
Felix clenched his fists, teeth grinding together. âI wish to do somethingâ he said, struggling to keep his voice level. âI could just sit listless in Ishgard, with next to no cases to work on, feeling sorry for myself, or I could go out in Gyr Abania and help. I have skills that would be of assistance out there, I am good at the healing arts, and it will be inevitable that there will be enemies that need to be questioned and interrogated. My entire career has been about getting answers from our enemies and if I can use those abilities to assist our allies, then I wish to do soâ
The other man sat back, a small smile gracing his features, seemingly satisfied with Felixientâs answer. âVery well Inquisitor, you seem to have your mind set and you are the type of person who would go anyway, even without my permission. Iâll speak with the Temple Knights later today and see if I can get you attached to one of their squads, though you may wish to start packing now, the next group headed to Castrum Oriens will be leaving within the next couple of daysâ
âYou have my thanksâ Felixient replied, breathing a sigh of relief, and not wanting to admit that his superior was correct, in a way. He was using Gyr Abania to run away.
âHow long do you reckon youâll be gone?â the young elezen asked, as he fetched a bundle of clothes from Felixientâs wardrobe.
âItâs difficult to sayâ Felixient replied âSo far the Garleans have not made an attempt to reclaim Baelsarâs Wall and Castrum Oriens, though the whole clusterfuck that was the Griffinâs attack on the wall along with the primal and that Allagan abomination was rather recent, theyâve probably not had the time to assemble forces to retake it, most likely having lost most of their forces in the areaâ
âSo you donât know?â the young elezen asked.
âIâm afraid not Ivauraultâ Felixient said, shaking his head and taking the clothes from him and packed them into his bag. âCould be sennights, could be moons. Years evenâ
âWell if thatâs the case, then Iâm surprised youâre lettinâ me stay here, with no supervisionâ Ivaurualt said, looking up at his elder brother.
âYouâre not, Iâve booked you passage on an airship to Limsa Lominsa, it leaves a couple of bells before I doâ Felixient said, looking up at Ivaurault âThat way I will be certain that you will be well on your way to there. Quentenain will be looking out for you and Butternut while Iâm awayâ
âWhy not Ursa? She normally looks after me when youâve gotta be away for agesâ
âHer squad has been assigned to fight in Gyr Abaniaâ Felixient explained.
âOhâ
His bag packed, Felixient dropped it onto the floor and looked over to the box on his desk, Butternut, his pumpkin mandragora standing next to it. A flurry of emotions swirled through him as he looked at the box.
âStill want me to deliver it?â Ivaurault asked, when he saw his brother look over at the box.
âJust shove it onto a delivery moogle, theyâll get it to himâŠitâŠsooner or laterâ Felixient said, his voice hardening.
âGot everything in it?â Ivaurualt asked.
âNoâ Felixient said, his voice hard and cold as he handed over a small coin purse to his brother. âIâll need a knife, nothing fancy, nothing expensive, just a knifeâ
âYou reckon heâll understand the meaning behind it?â
âProbably not, and itâs not like I really care either, itâs important to me, and thatâs all I care aboutâ
âBrrr, cold. I like itâ Ivaurault said, beckoning to Butternut to follow him and dashed off to the markets, the pumpkin mandragora in tow.
As his brother left, Felixient looked into the box one more time, to make sure he hadnât forgotten anything, heâd rather not have to send another package to Kugane. He just wanted all loose ends gathered up and severed.
A handful of dried, dead Dravanian wildflowers were scattered in there, ones that he had found over the months following his ex-loverâs disappearance, or at least ones he had found prior to today. Any others heâd find would be tossed into the fire. A pair of machalite earrings were also in there, he had worn them near constantly when he wasnât working since he had first received them, from a Starlight celebration that now felt like a lifetime ago. He had no use for them now. A small box bearing the mark of an Ulâdahn goldsmith. He didnât open it, already knowing what was in it, he had spent a long time looking and agonising over the rings there, haggling the shopkeep for a better price. Lastly there was one of his spare glass eyes, the red iris just staring blankly out at him. He knew (or thought he knew) his ex-lover well, his glass eyes always terrified him, it, and he recalled the many times he had used that to his advantage, to tease and play. This time there was no teasing or playful intentions, he had it in there purely out of malice.
Satisfied that he had not forgotten anything, barring the knife that should surely be heading his way by now, he pondered about writing a letter or a note, starting several but finishing none, bar one.
âSorry it took me so long, needed tâmake a detourâ Ivaurualt announced as he burst into the room, voice muffled by whatever foodstuff the young elezen had skived from the kitchens and shoved into his mouth, the familiar pitter patter of Butternutâs footsteps following close behind.
âBring it here Ivaurualtâ Felixient requested, as he folded the paper his note was on in half and dropped it into the box, a gil coin following it.
Ivaurault wordlessly handed the knife over to his brother, who quickly examined it. Plain, nothing out of the ordinary, a few nicks on the handle and sheath, and as he unsheathed the blade, noted a few scratches on it as well. âSecond-hand?â he asked raising an eyebrow.
Ivaurault shrugged âWas cheaper, Fury the guy practically gave it to me for free when I told him what it was beinâ used forâ he said as he snooped through the discarded letters and notes. âWow, some of these are brutalâ
âYou told people?â Felixient asked, voice laced with irritation.
âNot the whole story, just said you needed tâtell someone that you wanted tâcut ties with âem and that was that. Why? You not gonna tell people what happened? What will you tell them, I mean people are still askinâ if youâve found himâ
âIâll tell them itâs deadâ Felixient bluntly replied. âEasier to explain that way.â
âAnd easier for you to handleâ Ivaurault mumbled.
âYesâ Felixient said, not even bothering to hide or lie about his intentions.
âWe all cope in our own waysâ Ivaurault said, shrugging. âEven if it ainât the most healthy way of doing soâ
âIndeed we doâ Felixient replied, as he dropped the knife into the box, then sealed it up. âIndeed we doâ
âYou runninâ away from somethinâ Inquisitor?â one of the knights, a hyuran woman, asked.
âWhat makes you think that?â Felixient asked, looking over at her.
âYou volunteered to come here, you werenât one of the squads or units assigned here, you asked to be here, in this Fury-forsaken hellsholeâ
âIâm running away from irrelevance and pending redundancyâ Felixient lied.
âWell with the war âgainst the Dravanians over, a lotta people are questioninâ if we even need an Inquisition these daysâ the knight mused.
âAnd I aim to prove that weâre still useful, otherwise the streets would be littered with people whose only job skills contain torturingâ Felixient said, a hint of humour in his voice.
The knight simply shook her head at the humour and looked over at the landscape, the forest giving out to a rocky, desert landscape so strange and alien to the Ishgardians. âI kinda hope someone managed tâsmuggle ice crystals here, otherwise Iâm gonna be roastinâ in me armourâ
Felixient chuckled âThat would be a disaster, having all the Ishgardian support roast ere we see any real fighting.â
âAye, that it would beâ
âIs that all, kupo?â the mail moogle of Limsa Lominsa asked, looking over the package Ivaurualt carried.
âAye, thatâs it, just the one, but you gotta be careful, we donât want anythinâ broke on the way, itâs all gotta make it to Ulâdah intact!â the young elezen insisted.
âUnderstood, kupo! We shall treat it with the utmost care!â
âGood, âcause yeah would be a disaster of some of the contents broke on the wayâ Ivaurault said âOh shite, hang on a moment, lemme just quickly check somethinâ in thereâ he cursed, opening up the package and rummaging through it for the note. He unfolded it, a smirk gracing his face as he read. âNot so brutal as the others, but anyone who gets the gift will get the note. Brother, you magnificent bastardâ
The young elezen hastily shoved the letter back into the package, sealing it back up and handing it over to the moogle, practically skipping along the streets of Limsa Lominsa, Butternut closely pattering behind him.
Donât pay me back.
((In regards to the knife Felix gives, thereâs a superstition where itâs bad luck to give someone a knife, as it signifies the cutting of bonds between the giver and the giftee. Some believe that if you do give a knife as a gift, then you give it with a coin, which the giftee then gives to you âpayingâ for the knife. Felix sent his-ex-lover a knife with a coin, telling him to not pay him back, effectively saying that all bonds between them are severed. A ânever speak to me or my brother againâ sort of deal))










