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year 5, quarter 3
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The shock of it had frozen him in the moment. Feeling the familiar touch of ice. Seeing the Glacian stand before him -- proud and disdainful in her reincarnated form. She may have donned armor and a more masculine appearance, but there was no mistaking that power and poise. The Glacian was here, called by an Oracle capable of both a covenant and Lucian magic.
How very interesting.
The marketplaces bustled in this commercial city. The crowds would seethe with quiet pestilence. The traders would carry it down darkened roads. Before long, this whole kingdom would know corruption, and then the world beyond. Whatever game the Astrals were playing, they would face their mistakes. They had denied him his final peace despite their promises and prophecies, and he would make their world pay the price.
Was the Glacian watching even now? He certainly hoped so.
”Pardon me, but have you happened to notice a girl by the name of Yuna? She carries a staff and calls herself a summoner. I’m so terribly worried for her, and it would be such a shame if I never caught up.”
The merchant blinked behind a table laden with fruits and spices. ”Yuna?” he asked. ”I haven’t heard that name. With a staff, you said?”
”Oh yes. Brown hair. A kind demeanor. I just tremble at the thought of what could happen to her alone!”
”Well I’ll ask around. It’s a big city.”
Ardyn let out a long, dramatic sigh. ”So it is! That poor, poor girl!” He smirked to himself. ”Well, you have my thanks regardless. Now I do think I’ll take my leave.”
”Wait, what did you say your name was?” the merchant called after him, but Ardyn had already strolled away without another second’s notice. He considered the sky with a kind of idle interest, thoughts turning slowly.
This would take time. Far more time than he would have liked, but it couldn’t be helped, he supposed. He had no power here but his own, no networks of information, and not enough corruption to extend his senses. He had only resolution and the endless patience to see it through.
And so he would wait. And ask. And search. There was a certain thrill to the hunt, after all, and he sought to taste her fear once again. That clueless Oracle who carried the favor of the gods. Given time, he would find her, he would strip her of her resolve, and then…
”Pardon me, have you seen a girl? She calls herself a summoner.”
My life passes vainly by, as I watch the long rains fall.
The market place was awash with noise. The midday sun blazed down upon it. Shrill, competing voices trying to draw in business, local wildlife and a couple of wandering minstrels added to the millieu. Provo itself was an interesting enough city: though it held no allure. The young man was far too dispondent to pay much attention. Kana-Ei in his feverish search for purpose had drifted here. He supposed that the one common thread that connected him to this world was the perpetual sorrow that permeated any fragile hope and happiness that could be found.
A few days in the city and he had seen five deaths - a pride of Coeurls had set upon a farmer and his farmhands. He and a few healers had tried and failed to pull them back from the precipice of the void.
Since then, the Spiran had struggled to motivate himself to do anything. Food held no appeal to him - its taste dulled and bitter. They had always found ways to make me smile.
No more.
He began to quietly hum the hymn. Maybe if he was truly unsent, it would keep him better connected to this world. Not paying much attention to where he was going. His darkened eyelashes downcast, his gaze fixed solely on the ground, only peering up occasionally to make sure he would not wander down an empty alley. He continued around in large circles betwixt the market stalls until a voice called out to him.
It was deep but lyrical. Kana nearly kept walking. Until a word made his eyes grow large and his ears burn because of its familiarity. Remaining composed and refined, he turned slowly on his heel and faced the stranger. His eyes slowly trailed up the length of this extravagantly dressed man. This world was so unlike his own. The garbs and customs were so foreign - especially the ensemble of this man. Generally people were far more covered than they tended to be in Spira. Frills like the man had seemed so bizarre, bordering impractical and silly. Kana-Ei felt underdressed next to this man.
Eager to not betray his excitement at hearing about another summoner, he locked eyes with this stranger. His eyes glowed with an almost uncomfortable intensity. Yet, Kana would not cast judgement. He knew not the man's motives. Kana-Ei offered the smallest whisper of a smile at the man - though it did not meet his eyes.
"By what name does she go by, might I ask?" He questioned politely. Perhaps this would offer him some drive...maybe even a way to reclaim his own glory as a Summoner.
Ardyn turned slowly, eyes bright with interest. The man before him carried a certain quiet air. Cropped, dusky hair. A sickly complexion. Ardyn’s gaze trailed down the man’s leather-clad form before meeting his eyes again. He touched dramatically at his collarbone. ”Oh! Have you seen her?” Ardyn shook his head. ”I caught her once, but she was lost to the wind! You know how this place is!”
He paced forward until he could look down at the man. He was hardly taller than the girl, and Ardyn towered over him though he tried not to show it. Instead, he stepped to the side, considering the sky in a remorseful lament. ”She called herself a summoner,” he said. ”Spending her time healing the sick! She was quite the remarkable woman! Well, before the attack at any rate…”
He glanced to the man without turning towards him. ”She called forward some terrible power. Nearly froze the place solid. Ah! So many lives lost! A true tragedy!”
Ardyn sighed deeply. ”I had no choice but to flee, and in the chaos-! There wasn’t a thing I could do! She must have had her reasons, but I’ve no choice but to ask her myself. Such a sweet girl! I simply can’t imagine her a murderer! Though I suppose one can never know. Evil hides in so many forms after all.”
”Oh, but look at me rambling on!” Ardyn touched at his cheek, smirking faintly before rolling his head onto his shoulder. His eyes glinted as he met the man’s eyes. ”Her name is Yuna.”
My life passes vainly by, as I watch the long rains fall.
The man let out an acknowledgement before descending on him. His first words were firstly innocuous. It was indeed a large city. If Kana-Ei had anyone to look for, he might have been able to relate to it more. He sympathised with the man though. The mixture of the melodious manner in which the way he spoke, and his gesticulations were friendly. Yet, there was something a little off.
"I would need to hear more about-..."
Though before he could really start to explore that thought any further, the man was advancing upon him. Getting a fraction too close to the significantly shorter boy. He subconsciously adverted his gaze as the man with the gaze of a wolf towered over him, eventually side stepping. Even back in Spira he had some difficulties having people he was unfamiliar with so close to him. Though, as a summoner, he would smile through the discomfort.
The way the man had appraised him made Kana-Ei feel timid, little more than a chess piece being coldly observed by a detached master. The demeanor of the man, though ostentatious had a gravitas that almost reminded him of the Priests of Yevon.
"...her."
The stranger certainly had a talent for taking others on a journey with his words. Kana-Ei found himself getting easily drawn into his narrative. Initially Kana-Ei felt hopeful about finding a kindred spirit. The person he was after was a kind, generous soul. True to the teachings of Yevon. He thought she would be a worthy compatriot should they meet. The next words made his stomach turn. Though outwardly his eyebrows only knitted together in concern. Kana-Ei's own golden eyes trying to grasp the authenticity of what the man was saying.
"An attack?" he questioned aloud. More to himself than this fanciful narrator in front of him.
The man, like a masterful actor, kept a stance that distanced himself from the young man yet made him want to engage further. It had the inadvertent reaction of making Kana-Ei subconsciously more willing to work with the man. After all, he seemed to understand the boy's desire for space without it needing to be vocalised. In some ways this display was mesmerising in the way a snake might lure a hare into a false sense of comfort. Though Kana was rethinking his earlier questions about the initial unsettled feeling he got from the man.
The scenario he mentioned was on a fundamental level repulsive to the former Summoner. Using the powers granted to them on people was not the Yevon way. The way the man made it sound, it was innocents that were harmed. Kana-Ei could not imagine a situation where he would have used an Aeon to fight another person. Though it did not occur to him that what he was hearing may have been a very one-sided version of events.
Just for a moment in time, he thought of the icy aeon that he once held under his control. Her frigid beauty and quick strikes. The icy lake and the temple suspended above it...
Did Shiva exist here?
"Why would she do such a thing? What happened?!" He asked earnestly. Though retrospectively it may not have been clear that the boy was referring to Shiva, and not this mysterious summoner.
The chilling account that the man relayed to Kana was full of missing information that was rather key. Yet, Kana-Ei brushed them off. He was being galvanised by his indignation against these alleged condemnable deeds. To attack another with such mystical powers was one thing, to slaughter what sounded to be many was monstrous.
He had no words. The look that Kana gave the man was penetrating and said more about his thoughts of this account than anything he could speak ever would. It was surprising how without seeming to even be cognizant of it, this man managed to play on all the morals Kana-Ei held dearly. Kana-Ei was totally ensnared by this point. The man could have left it there and the short summoner would have been ready to set out on a crusade.
Yet the name that he uttered by an utter cosmic fluke steeled Kana-Ei's resolution to find this apparent monster masquerading as a model citizen. His arms subconsciously folded in response to the apparent mournful tone of the other gentleman's voice. He would not abide by this.
"Yuna..." He said coldly. The youth bristled hearing such a sacred name profaned by such deeds. The sacred Lady Yunalesca having her name marred by this person's actions was blasphemy in the highest form. As a proud Yevonite, he could not excuse such dastardly actions. If he were to have reflected on this for longer, he may have acknowledged that the pain of remembering his home was primarily the driving force behind this. A level below that, the regret he felt for letting down his homeworld was another driving force in this sudden surge of righteous fury. The escapist nature he struggled with came dangerously close to rearing its ugly head again. He looked away briefly for a moment, thinning his lips as he refocused his mind on this task.
Forgive me. I do not know her personally," He began, "such atrocious actions must be explained. I insist on helping you locate her. Please, let me introduce myself. I am Kana-Ei."
He offered the prayer of Yevon to the man as a greeting. As his hands met and formed a circular shape, he bowed as low as his back would allow. Its importance as a sign of respect was apparent. Albeit a tad out of place in this new world Kana was in.
Without letting the man have much of a say in the matter, he started walking, turning his head slightly to keep eye contact with the man.
"If she is to be found in this city still, I would advise checking into a number of infirmaries. If she takes the guise you say she does, she will be there." He stated resolutely. Being of the same mindset that this charlatan aped, the youth was sure she would be there. Maintaining her false appearance, and mocking the beliefs that kept him from being consumed by his misery.
Yet...the glint in the man's eyes. It raised the hairs on the back of the boy's neck. He had to look away and he quickened his pace briefly. That gaze, it was evocative of the fiends that sought to devour the living and drag them down to their level. He had seen it numerous times during his Pilgrimage. That original apprehension niggled at the back of the boy's skull for a fleeting moment.
Not the best I've done, but hopefully it'll suffice!
I'm an impatient traveler ready to turn ship.
There was nothing that warmed his heart more than a passion for justice -- or at least so long as it aligned with his interests. Ardyn strung the man along on electrified wire until his interest was bright and his eyes were burning. Had Ardyn told a lie? He had hardly killed a soul. It was the summoner who had stolen their lives by trying to end him. Such a tragic waste. He’d have far preferred to see them as daemons.
”Kana-El.” Ardyn rolled the name on his tongue. It had an odd texture that he couldn’t quite quantify. Perhaps another foreign soul? ”Ah, but where are my manners? I’ve yet to introduce myself.” He tipped his hat and cast the man a wide smile. ”Ardyn. It's a pleasure.”
Kana-El started forward without another second of conversation, and Ardyn blinked after him before chuckling to himself. How very enthusiastic. He followed behind at a leisurely pace, his attention drifting to the market stalls as they passed. There were merchants of all kinds here, all clamoring for attention like squawking finches. Ardyn hummed at the sharp smell of mixed spices as they passed a particularly colorful table. The scent might have almost intoxicated him if his sense of taste was still perfectly intact.
”Infirmaries? I hadn’t even considered.” Ardyn lulled his head towards the man. ”Though that is where I found her, I suppose. There’s a ghastly condition spreading like a plague as of late. Absolutely horrid. And those poor people!” Ardyn sighed dramatically. ”Darkened skin! Yellowed eyes! They go completely feral by the end. Such a tragedy.”
Ardyn cast his eyes to the side. Another stall carried bolts of fabric that shimmered under the sun. Such vibrant colors! He’d have never imagined them in the days of his humanity!
”How kind of you to aid a stranger in need! I dare say I’ll need it. With that woman running loose with that sort of power, well, I’d worry for the city if nothing’s done.” Ardyn hummed his discontent even as his lips pricked with a smirk. Was his search likely to bear fruit? He doubted it, but he could at least tarnish the Oracle’s divine reputation. And was that not reward enough in itself?
”It seems we'll have a time ahead of us. Might I ask what brings you here? Certainly such a selfless soul wouldn't mind sharing.”
My life passes vainly by, as I watch the long rains fall.
For a moment, the briefest moment, hearing the poet laureate that stood behind him say his name inspired confidence in Kana-Ei. It reminded him of what his namesake stood for. What he was to his world. That brief moment of breaking through the surface of his overwhelming melancholia was glorious. He could not remember how long ago it had been since he felt that way. It was not meant to last. It never was.
He almost attempted to reconfirm his importance to the man by explaining the significance of what his name meant. But it would have been a vainglorious attempt that would accomplish little in the grand scheme of things. Instead, he forced another pleasant smile across his boyish features. Whether the man noticed its superficiality didn't matter much to Kana. He was something of an actor himself.
"I am happy to meet you, Ardyn. I hope that I am able to be of service."
The earnestness was laid on copiously. It was very serious business insulting the hallowed name of Yunalesca. Though, he stretched the truth a bit. Even though he had no reason yet to dislike or distrust the man there was that something about Ardyn that set the former Summoner's teeth on edge.
It was once again very much appreciated by Kana-Ei that the man did not walk at an equal pace to him. It meant more personal space for him. Though it did mean that he missed the man chuckling to himself entirely. Kana did realise that he would probably have to adjust his pace just a tad to not leave Ardyn behind.
The scent and sounds of the market did not register clearly on Kana-Ei's radar. He could acknowledge that there were particularly appetising smells. Which did result in his stomach grumbling. I should eat something once we finish...
Kana-Ei's attention was much more laser focused in comparison. He was on a mission right now. Food could and would wait until then. Though unfortunately for him: he quickly lost his appetite again at the infectious disease Ardyn described. Such a plague like that had not been in recorded history in Spira. Sin did not count in that equation.
"What a foul malaise. How did it start? What causes it to transmit? When did it appear - and how long until someone is lost to this madness?" Kana asked clinically - not as concerned about derailing the conversation temporarily as he usually may have been. The Yevon priesthood had after all instilled within him the hands and spirit of a healer. If he did not understand a condition, how was he supposed to cure someone of it?
Though his name did not carry the same weight Yuna's would have during his lifetime - Kana-Ei would prove through his actions that he was worthy of his name.
During his triage, he naturally fell into the same pace as his companion. Kana-Ei was also as taken by the resplendent materials as Ardyn appeared to be. How could he not be? Each carried a fine quality and a lustrous colour. It made him think of the robes back in Spira that hung loosely off of his frame, exposing what muscles he did have throughout his chest. Or an even earlier memory: of a resplendent robe and a sad child being paraded down a road from a temple. A boat pulling further and further away from an island home. Nothing like the leather outfit that currently restricted him. A part of him was tempted to purchase a few of the bolts. It was not the time now though.
Kana-Ei bowed his head in gracious acknowledgement of the praise Ardyn lavished upon him for the assistance as they began to exit the market place and walk down the main thoroughfare that connected the market district to one of the larger infirmaries of Provo. He did not want to instigate a fight against someone that wielded such power. Especially when he was incapable of doing so just yet. Nor did he want to disclose his own history as a summoner yet.
"We should avoid provocation in such a space naturally. No more harm should come to innocents." He cooly stated, indicating that they were to turn to the left at the next juncture. Though he was taken in by the older man's words, he was not a fool. A man riding a Chocobo that had a cart filled with more textiles passed. These were decidedly less luxurious and seemed to serve more medicinal properties. ”It seems we'll have a time ahead of us. Might I ask what brings you here? Certainly such a selfless soul wouldn't mind sharing.”
How that sent ice as cold as Shiva running through his veins. A weathered expression overtook the youth's face imperceptibly at first. Though as it spread like the before mentioned plague- it was as plain as day. In some ways, he seemed to age by centuries. The weight of a length of time incongruent to such a fresh face was visible in his eyes.
What had brought him here, really? Seeking power to feed his ego? To drive him on? No, Yevon forbid he expressed the true turmoil to a complete stranger. That was not what a Summoner would really do. Yet, the aching loneliness consumed him. Preventing him from masking it for a short while. He inhaled and closed his eyes before averting his gaze from Ardyn. He could not look at him while he spoke.
"I...I seek someone lost to me. That is why I continue here..." he trailed off. The aching pain of being away from his beloved guardian. Subconsciously his right hand reached for the red ribbon wrapped round his left. It was the only reminder he had that he was loved despite his failings.
He attempted to redirect the conversation as they began to detour down a cobblestone back alley. It was not the most direct path to St. Trevellia's Hospice. But, Kana-Ei needed a moment longer to compose himself before surrounding himself with life and death again.
"...And you, Sir Ardyn. You are from Provo?" He would berate himself later for letting such candour present itself to this man.
Such an odd feeling, trust. It wasn’t a state that he’d become particularly accustomed to and with it so blatantly heaped upon him, he had very little idea of what to do with it. Was he to wander the city with this newfound ally and share conversation until they inevitably admitted defeat? Was he to use the other man as a mouthpiece for the vicious truths he would spread of the Oracle? Or would he simply toy with the man, twirling him around his finger before revealing his blackened teeth? Decisions, decisions, and so little time to make them. He supposed he’d simply wait for the mood to strike.
”The Starscourge.” Ardyn’s eyes traveled to the sky, and for the briefest moment he felt something waver in his gaze. ”It hails from Eos. My...World? Time? Well, it hardly matters, I suppose.” He stepped in swaying arcs, rolling on his heels. The Scourge had started it all. Oh, how he’d once longed to cleanse the world of it! Enough to forsake his throne. Enough to sacrifice his own soul to darkness. ”None but the gods know how it began, only how it is to end. Once the corruption takes hold there is nothing to be done. Their bodies waste. Their eyes yellow. The darkness seeps through the skin, and then…” Ardyn sighed. ”It spreads again.”
The bustle of the marketplace felt louder around him. Closer. Had he once been so like the young man beside him? Bright-eyed? Naive? Eager to lay down his life for his people? Ardyn the Healer. How funny it all seemed now. Perhaps they might have been allies long ago. As it stood, the man’s words made his mouth sour.
”Someone lost.” Ardyn’s words were nothing but an echo as he watched the light of the sun. It burned him. ”No. I can never return from whence I came.”
The wind swept between them, hot and dry. Ardyn tilted his hat down over his eyes. They were beginning to sting.
”Do you believe in your work?” Ardyn’s lips twitched with a smirk. ”Healing. Justice. Protecting the innocent. Does it not take its toll?”
My life passes vainly by, as I watch the long rains fall.
The name of the disease that Ardyn described was ominous. Kana-Ei thought over his knowledge of conditions that plagued Spira. None had the symptoms exactly like that of this Starscourge. He supposed its closest kin would have been that of beserking with a strange twist of zombism. Though it sounded as though it almost had some form of divine origin. Perhaps it was the equivalent of Sin in Ardyn's...time? Home? Ah what a confusing situation it was for Kana-Ei to wrap his head around. He liked to think of himself as an intelligent man, but the time he was born into was one just coming from a cataclysm. Much was unfamiliar to him whether he could accept that or not.
"My...it sounds...horrible. Does it cause them pain? How could it transport itself here?" His brows knitted together at the thought of suffering in such a way. Slowly losing one's sanity and control over themselves. It didn't sound so far away from what it must have been like for the unsent. It's not a fate that he would have wished on anyone. Though, his thoughts were temporarily displaced as he tried to not walk into Ardyn and his somewhat erratic moving style. It did act as a way of re-focusing him on the path they needed to go.
Perhaps instinctively, the empathetic man must have picked up on some small aspect of Ardyn's thoughts. Maybe something of an internal conflict? Kana-Ei knew better to assume he knew what was in the mind of others; he did know something of internal conflicts though. He averted his gaze, and looked at the sky. There was barely a cloud in the sky. "Or a flying whale ready to kill everything in sight" He thought sardonically. That was possibly the only thing that offered him any comfort in this world.
Kana-Ei tried his best to smile through the pangs of longing that came on as the other man echoed his words. It was amazing how easily affected he was by even the slightest hint of a reference to his beloved guardian. Quick to change the subject in polite a way as possible from this sensitive topic, Kana stared at the man for a moment.
"I-"
He paused for a moment and considered what it was Ardyn had just asked him. Did he believe in his work?
Kana-Ei remained silent for several moments as they rounded another side street. He was mindful of keeping his face a blank canvas as he processed what this question meant. It had been such an abrupt and profound question to ask a stranger. In a way, the Summoner found it rude. Of course he believed in what he was doing. There was no other course of action in Spira other than being consumed by the misery that plagued every facet of life. The only joy that someone like Kana-Ei could find was easing some of the perpetual suffering that loomed over everyone's shoulder like a spectre. As far as he was aware, in his homeworld, everyone was similarly driven bar the Al Bhed.
It was factual. The teachings of Yevon soothed the souls of everyone. Summoners like him gave hope to the hopeless because of their virtuous dedication. Even in the face of the terrifying maw of their own demise.
He knew what he was sacrificing by taking on such a path: his own dreams and desires. It was one that inevitably led to death. Though, the teachings of Yevon had to have been true. His sacrifice would help wash away Sin from Spira and give rise to hope for everyone. Even the ones that would mourn his loss the most.
Had he been a more caustic type of person, he may have lashed out at the man for such an attack. He considered it. But that was not who he was. Rather, he gazed back into the face of Ardyn and gave him a wry smile, his eyes narrowing in imitation of a natural grin. His response was spoken in an even, measured tone.
"I am sorry, that is not a question that can be explained easily. Depending on why you ask, perhaps it is not for you to comprehend?"
Kana-Ei hoped that his non-answer would put an end to the topic quickly. Though fortunately, he would be able to distract Ardyn from any continuation of this soon. As they made their way to the end of the current laneway they were on, he could see the Hospice. The youth would hold the door open for the man as they arrived. Already there was the odour of dried sweat, salves, and disease. A matronly woman with an elaborately bandaged headdress and kindly grey-blue eyes looked at them as though she had been expecting their arrival from behind a counter.
tag || Ardyn Izunia || notes || Kana be like: "And I...oop" || ▲
Ardyn chuckled softly to himself. Perhaps it was not for him to comprehend. Had he not paid his dues? Made his offerings? Sacrificed his share? But no, perhaps the young healer was right. Ardyn couldn’t comprehend it -- not anymore.
He watched with mild interest as the healer led them on towards another field hospital. How dreadful. Ardyn felt his interest waning. Yet another hovel of the sick. Yet another cramped and sour den for the dying. He tilted his head and considered the yellowed posters on the wall warning of pestilent air and undue contact with infection. Had he not lurked in such places for long enough? He had, of course, taken great interest in the plague of his own making, but this…
This was not how he wished to spend his unnatural life. Perhaps it was nearly time to take his leave.
The nurse behind the counter watched them expectantly. ”What can I do for you?”
Ardyn strolled past Kana. ”Ah, yes. We happen to be in search of a missing person. A woman by the name of Yuna? I’d so hate to lose her.”
The woman frowned. ”I can check our records,” she said.
”Yes, yes. If you wouldn’t terribly mind.” Ardyn crossed his arms. Why had the man taken his offer to readily? Why had he insisted on tagging along rather than spread her ill deeds and continue his pursuit elsewhere? Why had he had nothing better to do with his time? Ardyn sighed heavily. Now he had no choice but to see it through -- unless he sought to slaughter the whole place which wasn’t entirely out of the question. It would clear the Oracle’s name however, and he’d already worked so hard to besmirch it…
Ardyn scoffed. ”Oh! This air is simply stifling! I hope you won’t mind…” He pointed towards the door with both fingers. ”If I take a moment?”
He left without waiting for an answer. In truth, the air was far less pestilent than he would have liked, but what was life without a few white lies? He stopped outside and shielded his eyes from the sun. It was far too bright than he would have liked as well.
He strolled to the side until he knew he was out of sight and then set his eyes on a ledge above. The hospital was a three floored affair, and with a smirk, he willed himself forward in a trail of black smoke. In an instant, he was perched on the ledge outside a cracked window. A glance inside proved it full of eight hospital beds -- seven of which were full -- with no staff in sight.
”My, my how neglectful.” Ardyn’s smile widened. ”To leave them all alone. Who knows what might come along?”
***
Their memories were dreadful. Absolutely useless. Ardyn sighed from his place on the rooftop, watching the streets below. It seemed that the Oracle hadn’t been by afterall, or at least those seven patients hadn’t seen her. Perhaps she’d visit once she heard the reports. The next nurse to open that door would find something far different on its other side.
Ardyn tilted his head and sighed. He didn’t know where to go from here, but anything sounded better than thoughtful composure over the beds of the dying. Would that healer stay long enough to witness the chaos? Ardyn certainly hoped so. He’d been so keen on learning the effects of the Scourge afterall.
”And now it’s time I take my leave.” Ardyn spared one final glance towards the building’s doors before starting forward and streaming to the next building and then the next in rapid succession. He had nothing left to say to the self-proclaimed savior of the sick. Ardyn was no healer anymore.
My life passes vainly by, as I watch the long rains fall.
Much to the boy's relief, Ardyn did not pursue the conversation further. He had no desire to get so personal about his reasons. At least not until he perhaps got to know the man better. Perhaps he would prove to know something about how this Yuna managed to summon in this world. If she were capable of it, then he surely would be as well.
Before Kana-Ei could answer the woman's question Ardyn answered for him. Explaining the situation in that peculiarly compelling way that he managed to have. Kana-Ei's appraisal of this man that he must have been someone of great influence in his Eos. The nurse agreed to check their records, Kana-Ei remembered her as Matron Aezelia. He had volunteered his aid here just a few days previously. She was stalwart in her endeavours for the vagrants in Provo that were often the most afflicted in times of disease. Though he admitted, he had not been aware of how ravaged this city apparently was by the plague.
Kana-Ei turned to face the man, about to ask him further questions about the incident with the heathen summoner. Though before the words could reach his lips, the man exclaimed the air had been stifling and required a moment.
"Oh...of course. Please, take all the time you need."
He supposed that his earlier statement had indeed been right. Even had he tried to explain it to the man, it would have fallen on deaf ears. Kana-Ei had been in much worse. He solemnly closed his eyes and exhaled deeply, forcing the bleak mental images that began to appear to disperse. At least in this land there was not a need to perform the sending. Kana-Ei would sit in the designated waiting area for Ardyn or the nurse to retun...which ever came first.
Matron Aezelia returned sometime later. The grimace on her face did not give much hope to Kana-Ei.
"I apologise. We have no such records of someone by that name, Kana-Ei. Why does your companion require it?" She questioned, a harder tone becoming evident in her voice. Kana-Ei found this quite curious: but as he had nothing to hide in this, he would answer as best he knew.
"My acquaintance has concerns over actions the woman has taken. Actions that caused harm to people. He is wanting to understand it." He stated, tone laced with the latent ire he felt towards the summoner. The woman frowned deeply, possibly grasping what the Summoner meant. Her response was to nod, before busying herself with the desk she attended for a moment.
"Well. We will keep an eye out. Where is he?" Matron Aezelia questioned, gesturing at the place the man had once inhabited.
Come to think of it, he had not returned for a while now. Ardyn did not strike Kana-Ei as someone who had such a weak constitution. His lips tugged into the faintest of a frown for a moment before he got up and proceeded to the entrance. He opened the door, sticking his head out to search for the man. His brow furrowed as the man was not in sight. Kana-Ei stepped out into the street, scanning the surroundings. He took note of a window above him that was open. Clearly allowing fresh air to circulate to one of the patients. Even going so far as to look at the sides of the hospice for the red-headed charmer. Nowhere to be seen.
"Ardyn?!" He called out. No response. It seemed the man had evaporated into thin air. If only the boy knew he was not that far away from the truth. Why would he vanish? How was he expecting to find out about her? Did he get taken that ill? He could muse all day, but it would not prove helpful.
He re-entered the hospice and was about to explain his situation to the woman when from upstairs there came a loud scream from a woman. Matron Aezelia's eyes grew to the size of saucers as she picked up the folds of her skirt and sprinted up to the staircase. Kana-Ei, worried at this point followed.
What greeted the two healers was a horrific sight. A transfixed waif of a nurse stood rigidly with her hands shaking just infront of her face, the patients in their bed were rapidly mutating. Their bodies being covered in an inky, shiny substance. Kana-Ei stared on in horror. Was this the starscourge?!
"Foolish girl! Go get the guards!" Matron Azaelia yelled, yanking the woman like a rag doll, "GO!"
The woman, seemingly able to get hold of her wits nodded weakly before running away crying.
"Its too late for them isn't it?" Kana-Ei questioned, resignation already setting in as he produced his fan, and readied his staff in the other hand while moving into the room. The patients thrashed, letting out increasingly fevered howls before seeming to be compelled out of bed by the fury of their own momentum.
"Aye boy...let's try and stop them from leaving this room. Lest they get onto the streets or harm more in here." The nurse said, following him into the room.
He nodded somberly as he knew what he had to do. With a flourish of his fan that ran horizontally across the length of his torso, he let out a blizzard spell which barred the windowsill from being easily exited. Though it had left enough room that they might have succeeded.
Two guards, the nurse and Kana-Ei exited the room. The deed done. The guards were covered in blood. The nurse and himself had managed to avoid such an issue - both being very prescriptive in avoiding anything that would be a common carrier of disease. He suspected the strange smoke that whirled around was a potenital vector. Kana-Ei proceeded to their bathing room and methodically cleansed himself from head to toe, and similarly had his clothes cleansed. He had no desire to catch this disease.
As he left the hospice, the familiar moroseness of before infected him. Nothing but death surrounding him no matter where he looked. Though now there was an added layer of confusion. The man's words and actions did not necessarily align. Why would he leave before finding out if this Yuna had been there or not?
He knew then and there he would not find any solace within this city and began to make preparations to find somewhere he could pray. Thankfully, Kana-Ei knew exactly the location. He had awoken in this land right near one...
