#ffxivarr

"Alb, what happened-"

Consider-

—-

They could’ve just gotten on their trusty chocobo and ran as fast as that bird’s legs could possibly handle… But they don’t. Their mind isn’t their friend at this moment. They’re tired, so, so tired. They walk, hastily enough to let out laboured breaths with every step. Sometimes they almost run, but always stop just before the pain in their hip comes back in its entirety. That fall there upon the banquet floor is to thank for it, and it doesn’t want to go away. Tears stream down their face as their mind circles back to the scene in the sultana’s chamber, back to the massacre at the banquet, back to all the friends lost. They shake their head just to realise that hurts as well. Their temples are burning with the heat of a million fires and they hadn’t even noticed.

They finally reach Camp Dragonhead, walk to the main building and just before opening the door, they collapse on the steps in front of it.

Their thoughts and body both feeling far too heavy for them to carry on forward.

A fallen hero, unworthy of calling themselves the warrior of light.

Their mind wonders to the deepest pits of hell before they hear a familiar voice. The voice is worried for them, and they can feel the warmth of hands on their cheeks. As the warmth leaves them, they open their eyes just to frantically look for its source, wanting nothing but for it to come back. And there he is, lord Haurchefant, with his warm hands reaching elsewhere and disappearing from their view as they feel themselves getting lifted away from those cold steps and closer to that handsome face. They consider kissing it, lifting their own hands just to hold it closer as they press themselves as close as humanly possible to him…

—

Y’shtola Rhul of the Scions of the Seventh Dawn from Final Fantasy XIV