#ufleila

finn usually expects things to go to shit, because historically, they always do, at least for etlians. somehow, today, however, he wasn't expecting it. he fantasized about someone killing andreas during his speech, and his body toppling off the balcony into the screaming crowd below. better if he could've been the executioner, but alas, it's not meant to be today; instead, the crowd is screaming for a different reason altogether, and finn has far more fighting to do.

he's seen the monsters in some of the textbooks during his schooling, though they came without names, simply under some heading describing the side effects of dark magic, discovered during sarlimar's war, or something like that. it's curious how they turned up here and now, but there will be plenty of time to analyze the events of this evening later. for now, there are people he needs to protect: his sister, for one, and ziyu, who he is supposed to be a bodyguard for. who knew she would need him tonight. maybe it's a good thing she peer pressured him into coming along after all.

he flits from ziyu to vivian, fighting as he must along the way, certain he can assist both of them as needed, trying not to consider the fact that he may leave one or the other at just the wrong time. there is no time for anxiety in battle; only the best he has to offer.

he also tries not to think of last time he was on such a crowded battlefield, and the fact that his best was far from enough back then. maybe this is a chance to redeem himself, or maybe the past doesn't matter at all; not right now.

the past does matter when it comes to leila, though. she's an old fighting partner, and an old friend, and an old victim to the same war, equally devastated and broken from it. she's an archer, and one of the mogalls is far too close to her for finn's comfort, so he grips his sword a little tighter and charges in, quick to put himself in between leila and the monster. the creature tries to attack, but finn parries it, most of its orb of dark magic colliding with his sword and then fading away. he can feel it, though; some of that dark magic sinking into his bones, but the feeling isn't too intense. so he can't block all of it, but blocking it helps. good to know.

"leila, if you can't get up to the balcony there's some rubble that might be good enough cover near the back wall of the ballroom." he jerks his head in the direction he means, because those probably aren't the clearest directions. "i can cover for you." hopefully most of her anger toward him has faded now, or at the very least, she can set it aside in this time of crisis.

three months ago

it’s hot.

finn still isn’t used to the heat east of the mountains, etlia’s weather far more mild than that of podakko and the zoratori alliance. today, he is among the forest on the border between the two countries, and while the cover of the trees should provide shade and relief from the sun, finn is half convinced it’s just trapping all of the hot air down here with him. he’s not exactly sure whether he’s in podakko or zoratori alliance territory anymore and he’s not exactly sure the sum of money he was promised upon completing the job he’s on is worth it anymore.

the job: find the giant wolf that has been tormenting the bird laguz here. it’s not a wolf laguz: simply a wolf of gigantic proportion that has somehow killed a few of the bird laguz despite their ability to fly. his employer gave him information on the sightings of the wolf, and the general location of where he thought its den was, then left the rest up to finn. he’s not the greatest tracker, but he’s greatly improved in the past year, so he’s confident enough he can get the job done.

he doesn’t really believe the wolf can be that big until he sees it. it is truly enormous, probably finn’s height even on four legs, paws probably the size of his entire head or larger.

“alright,” he mutters under his breath, drawing his sword. the beast faces away from him for now, but he suspects with such a giant form it must also have giant nostrils to give it a strong sense of smell, so he probably won’t be hidden for long. he wonders for a moment if this is even a one man job or not, and then decides it doesn’t matter that much; he’ll succeed or he’ll fail. he’ll win or he’ll die. it’s fairly black and white and finn is prepared for either result. all he can do is his best, and if that fails again, well...it won’t matter anymore, will it?

he charges forward, and the beast begins to turn toward him. luckily, it’s so massive that it moves a bit slowly, so finn manages to impale it in the thigh before it really even faces him. he’ll likely either have to strike it so much it bleeds to death or manage a blow to the heart or the brain. he isn’t sure he wants to get that close to its mouth, but now he faces the beast head on, and––

an arrow flies through the air and embeds itself in the wolf’s neck, and both it and finn turn toward the source. 

“leila?” he questions, confusion certainly showing on his face. yes, he recognizes that archer: second heir to margrave astelle of etlia. former heir. former friend. for a moment, he’s confused what she’s doing here, and yet, it makes sense. a lucinier is fighting an enormous wolf in a forest; why would an astelle not do the same?

well, they aren’t really a lucinier and astelle anymore, their territories vanquished and renamed, and yet they always will be. they will always bear etlian blood; blood that gleerium spilled far too much. finn is relieved leila is alive and sad for her simultaneously–– sad because maybe she, like him, would have preferred to die fighting for their country than lose it and live; relieved because there is not a soul alive that understands his pain exactly, but hers might come close.

he doesn’t take too much time to gawk. while leila has the beast’s attention, finn takes the opportunity to drive his sword through the side of its head. the wolf lets out a pathetic (and loud) whine, and somehow still remains standing even as finn pulls his sword from the wound. “gleil alive, just die,” he exclaims. the beast slowly turns back to him now, clearly near incapacitated, and he says, “shoot it in the other side of the head or something. i don’t know,” to leila.