Vicissitude
((I really wasnât sure what to do with this one, so have some just words with Seirlait reflecting on a large life-changing thing that happened to him.))
Seirlait sat, staring at the door. How could this be what had happened? Their little girl, not so little now, had stormed out the door, tears streaming down her face with naught but a small pack upon her back and her bow, unableâunwillingâto stay a moment longer. Something horrific had happened here with Dalamud fell, unknown to Seir or Feo until they had returned from their long time away from home. The letters they had written sat unopened by the fireplace, dust collecting as if they were meant for anotherâs hand.
Feo came up behind him, resting a hand on his shoulder without a word. They had just spent a little over five long years away from homeâhaving been on the road when Dalamud fell. The world had changedâpaths home had been decimated, shards of the red moon spotted the land, gigantic clusters of corrupted crystal surrounding them in terrible beauty. They had spent the time before running supplies, attempting to keep some normalcy, and afterâwell, after they did what they could. People needed healing, and transport back to the city-states. Even more needed to find missing loved ones, and all of them sat dumbfounded by their missing memories of the adventurers who had held the line and helped save them all.
The bridge in Thanalan nearest to where one of the largest shards had split the land had finally been completed. Aptly named Highbridge, it was a work of art and wonder, finally paving the path from Thanalan to the Shard easily once more, instead of the perilous path through the mountains and skirting entirely too close to Coerthas and the war with the Dragons there. Once they knew it was done, they rushed towards home, finally willing to put down their burden and reunite with their daughterâof whom worryingly hadnât returned any of their letters.
The stranger that had looked at them in horror as they had entered their own home, had confounded them. They had explained till horse, begged her to remember. Her large blue eyes had been full of fear, confused about everything they had said, denying knowing aught of what they describedâand spooked when they had pointed out things around the cottage, things that were theirs as a family that they couldnât have known about otherwise. It was causing her pain. They could tell, but they were in a different type of pain. This was the home they had nurtured together, taught her letters and the joy of reading. The yard outside where she learned to pull a bow, learned the names of the plants and animals of the forest, and how to make sure not to encroach on the Elementals territory. She seemed to still have those base understandings, yet all personal memories, all human connections, were gone as the seasons passed.
Seir sat, still watching the door, hoping the past few days were just a horrible joke gone wrong, but in his broken heart, knew it wasnât the case. Their joy, their light, was gone, and the small cottage felt cold and empty. It would take moons before they could move forward, even a little, but when they did, they watched the rising star of Eorzea from the shadows, vowing to help her in any way they couldâand to attempt to not bring her more sorrow.
