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year 5, quarter 3
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Anyone may claim that he will act in the direst times, yet only a brave man acts in times great and small.
❞
Ardyn Izunia fled across Serentestra, and Cloud Strife followed.
The engine rumbled at a dull roar as Cloud approached what he knew was a slowly repopulating residential area near Mt. Hotan. He had arrived at this place what seemed like years ago, appearing close to the summit of one of the smaller mountains to the side of the monolithic mountain itself, almost completely losing Fenrir in the process. The blonde pressed onward, his mission emblazoned on his mind like a hot brand.
Find Ardyn.
It was simple, and it was indeed fueled by vengeance, but Cloud felt a clarity he hadn't really felt before. Geostigma affected a lot of people, much like this disease, but it blanketed the world like a legitimate disease.
This man was personally infecting people at every turn, and being gleeful about it. If Sephiroth was evil, then what was this man? He didn't know, and didn't care to find out. What he cared about was finding the man and putting things right.
It would be at this point that a fleeting, horrifying realization fell over him. How would he do that? How could he convince the man to cure everyone? To cure Denzel? Would destroying him be enough? Or would it doom everyone? He slowed the motorcycle to a stop outside of the town, looking pensively at the gauges, his cold Mako eyes unmoving. He needed to stay focused, so he needed to learn his enemy. To learn about who this man was. It was an understanding of the Lifestream, and what kind of power it entailed that helped him and his friends put Jenova down, and eventually, wipe Sephiroth and his remnants out completely.
If this guy was spreading this disease in much the same way, maybe there was a way to purify and cure it, just like the Stigma. Cloud could only hope, and the only lead he had was at the base of the Mountain. Sheathing one of the smaller swords, and locking the rest up, Cloud stepped into the town, eyes forward.
So, this was Mt. Hotan? The air was much thinner here at the mountain tops. Thinner she could deal with. Her earthy-toned eyes looked out into the distance tried to push the limits of her vision. A hand came up to push her hair behind an ear. She knew past the horizon was where Metaia Temple had the stifling poisonous atmosphere that she helped lay to rest. Now it was time to let her name spread, and perhaps start channeling her energy into something productive. After all, if she found a new master to serve, she did not want to already be empty handed.
She gave a soft sigh as she looked back down the mountain’s edge to see someone kicking up dirt down at the mountain’s base. Interesting. She had not seen a motor vehicle since she had been here. She trekked back down the winding base to get a closer look at the ride. Then there it was. Her eyes took in every detail of the metalwork and design. It was definitely from her world. Though she did wonder where this person might have gotten the fuel for it. Perhaps there was a place nearby? If it was from her world, it wasn’t self-sustaining, that’s for sure.
Her eyes looked up to see the blond step into the town and she could not help but follow behind him. He seemed to have this mystery about him. Even more so, he had a distant look in his face. As if he was not here. Which was strange considering these small-town folks that lived here were quite aware and content in their daily duties. It certainly made her curious. Though she was not sure why just yet. Her arms crossed over her chest, and she spoke in gentle tones, “You look pensive.” It was a statement of fact, and maybe with a hint of a question. “If you keep wandering like that, you’ll never find what you’re looking for.”
Anyone may claim that he will act in the direst times, yet only a brave man acts in times great and small.
❞
Cloud had managed to speak to a couple of villagers, even seeing one of the older men that was afflicted, before stepping back into the center of the town. As he was in Provo, Ardyn had shown up, charmed the people, then left after multiple residents fell terribly ill. No real leads on a direction, but, it gave Cloud a good idea of what to look for in the future.
However, he had a job to do here, before he left. He was asked, because of his weapon, if he was a warrior of sorts.
"Mercenary." he had answered, looking at the Village Elder, who them seemed somewhat relieved. He told Cloud of some beasts that were edging closer to the town, seeking to take it back again since a portion of the population was disabled. Cloud nodded slightly, giving a non-verbal agreement to take out the threat, and turned to leave. The man, taken aback, reached out and grabbed Cloud's sleeve, asking about a price.
"I'm not charging you anything. You've got enough to worry about."
The man nodded, and allowed Cloud to leave the building, making his way back out to the town, to the spot he stood now. He reflexively reached over and ran his hand along his covered bicep, remembering the feeling of the Geostigma that afflicted him. This illness was nothing like it, but people all the same experienced pain, sickness, with darkness rising from their bodies… symptoms like that would be easy to follow by rumor.
A voice had spoken to him, pulling him from his thoughts as he looked over his shoulder, Mako eyes meeting the eyes of a young woman. He kept his position bladed, sensing the question in her statement, and took a second before answering.
"It's even harder when what you're looking for is on the run." he turned to her completely, head tilting down slightly as he kept his eyes on her. "You must not be from this place, like me." he said, speaking his mind as he noticed a certain familiarity to her tone, and her appearance. He put the feeling on the back burner for the moment, and crossed his arms.
"You wouldn't happen to know anything about a man named Ardyn, would you?" he asked.
Cissnei took him in for a moment, and then began to pace slowly. Maybe it was to get a better view of him in order to gauge his character. Maybe, she was just lost in thoughts. Her eyes lowered, taking in his words and trying to push whatever nagging déjà vu to the back of her mind. One day, she’ll convince herself not all things of the past mattered now. Only those important to her did. She had to keep pushing forward, even if it meant distracting herself with the little things until a higher calling was found once more.
“I am not from here, but I am not sure I am like you.” She gave a small smile. She stopped in front of him to finally look up to study his face. “If someone is running and quick, then the best way to catch them is to lay a trap.” She raised a finger to tap along her cheek as she tilted her head to the side as if she had given the matter great thought. Her ochre eyes lifted to the sky for emphasis, before lowering back to meet his mako eyes.
“That was kind of you to offer to aid them. I am sure fuel for your vehicle here does not come cheap.” She gestured in the direction he parts his vehicle, obviously interested in it. She did not mind if it let on that she had eavesdropped or spied on him for a bit. The technology of the motorcycle felt familiar to her, but the fuel it used seemed relatively crude to what she was used to.
“Let me guess.” She stated, crossing her arms over chest. “Ardyn is the man you’re chasing.” She closed her eyes and gave a slight shrug at his question. “I heard about him in a bar. A blond who claimed he was a kingsglaive talked about him. A boy with a dark spot on his forehead did not say Ardyn’s name specifically but seemed to take an interest in Ardyn when the blond spoke.” She was purposely vague. Information was valuable, and she knew it. “Lucky for you, my skills specialize in…” What were the right words? “…finding and retrieving. I could help you in exchange for a favor before the deal and perhaps after the deal, depending on its difficulty.” Unlike Cloud, she was not so generous in her help to others. It was all business. She reached out a hand for him to shake on it. “Deal?”
Anyone may claim that he will act in the direst times, yet only a brave man acts in times great and small.
❞
Cloud had pondered the deal, for the moment, regarding what he had to lose. The trail had run cold, the locals having no clue where Ardyn had went, which was frustrating enough. He could just wait for Ardyn to poke his head out, but, Cloud preferred the element of surprise.
Having dealt with the likes of ShinRa, Sephiroth and DEEPGROUND, it was imperative that he didn't wait around for Ardyn to make his next move. He needed to find him.
Something about this woman had piqued an interest of familiarity in Cloud. It didn't mean too much, but it did allow him to go off of his gut instinct that she was trustworthy, and since he had recovered from the whole episode with his internal Sephiroth going rampant, it hadn't led him astray, yet. After his consideration, he gave a nod to her, accepting her deal, and decided to tell her the whole story, starting with the children falling ill at Provo, and echoes of a man named "Ardyn," a shadowy figure that would show up, stay a while, then leave. Of course, the name hadn't showed up until he recieved a call from one of the kids back at Provo, and, after silence, a man would answer.
"So, of course, he claimed responsibility, and I've been following his trail since then. Here, some of the locals had fallen ill, and they described the man in question perfectly." Cloud sighed, crossing his arms. "But, then, the trail goes cold, here. This is like another sickness I've encountered. It was called Geostigma, but, instead of it being the planet attacking the people, it's just one man… and he's spreading this frightfully fast." he closed his eyes and tilted his head back slightly, letting the sun's rays cover his face in light.
"If you've heard anything, I'll compensate you, somehow. Anything to lead me to this man, so I can find out how to reverse this." He looked back down to the woman, "At this point, the cost of losing him is far too great."
Cissnei studied his features. His eyes were the same as Zack’s. And he carried himself in a familiar matter. Not emotionally. He was certainly not as outgoing. But there was a military posture to it. She could tell in his deliberate silence that he mulled over the decision carefully. When he spoke, she returned the same thoughtful listening. She pressed a knuckle to her lips as she lowered her eyes to process information.
There were many questions. “Geostigma? The boy at the bar said that word too. And he stated he came from Provo after finding his family… What exactly is it?” She furrowed her brow and she gave him a curious glance. “How does he spread this sickness?” She paused for a moment and held up a hand to stop his final statements. The boy also said Meteor and some other things she was familiar with. This meant she may have a link to the same universe Cloud did.
“Please, you will find that I only ask for what you can provide. An equivalent exchange. Let us discuss this not in the open, but by breaking bread.” Probably quite literally. This place probably did not have much of a lavish meal than chicken, bread and cheese. Plus eating with someone showed a level of trust between business partners. “And perhaps a more proper of greetings. But I do like that you get to the point.” Cissnei really hated those that beat around the bush. It drew out the entire process too long.
“The people seem to have taken to you, perhaps we can find a private place. We do not know if Ardyn has eyes and ears that help him elude. Unless you know some place outside of the village that is more quiet?” It was a mountain right? Probably a lot of those spaces. “I will tell you what I know. And then we can discuss a game plan after mulling it over.” Her eyes scanned over the villagers for a moment, before turning back to Cloud. “By the way, I’m Cissnei.”
Anyone may claim that he will act in the direst times, yet only a brave man acts in times great and small.
❞
Cloud listened to her proposal, arms crossed, not exactly making eye contact, but more thoughtfully looking off. He looked almost wistful, remembering the missions he would go on as Infantry, the times he and Zack paired up and made these exact exchanges with people in search for info. This kind of espionage work was… fun, as Cloud remembered, but, it was more because his best friend was there. Internally, the desire to grin at the memory was strong, but he kept his face straight, somewhat emotionless, before looking to her, giving a nod at her proposal.
"Yes, I'm not sure if he has any agents or people working for him. There's plenty of places, here, however. The townspeople are trustworthy, and won't bother us if we need to stay." he uncrossed his arms, gesturing towards the far side of the town. "We can make our game plan, and then move from there. If I can get a beat on his position, I can find him and end this."Hopefully. Cloud had thought to himself. If this man was able to spread this disease in this way, a power he had only seen an entire planet do, he knew that this Ardyn might hold some pretty powerful abilities under his hat. Sephiroth didn't look much, in the power department, sleek silver hair and sharp, Mako eyes would allow people to believe him calm and collected, but, when using the Masamune, he was as savage as the most dangerous beasts that Cloud had only ever dreamed of.
He expected wolves in sheep's clothing, here, but not to this degree. There was a lot of teeth involved, with this one, and Cloud knew that unless he was at the top of his power, at the very peak of strength he could get to, it would be a vastly uphill battle, and to fight a mountain meant that you needed to be a mountain.
He had already turned away from Cissnei to head to a local cabin, to sit and plan, but his musings had caught him by surprise.
He sounded like Zack. He cracked a grin, glad that she couldn't see.
Ochre eyes studied Cloud. For a moment, she was unsure if he was listening. He seemed somewhere else in his thoughts. After a small pause, he did respond to her. She felt a little relieved she did not have to repeat herself. So, he was the thoughtful type. And from the look in his eyes, she knew this was not going to be an easy fight. Perhaps the things she was going to ask for were too lenient. Just some food and a ride to Sonora was all she was going to ask for. This was going to be a fun contract.
Cissnei followed his line of gesturing and soon found Cloud already heading in the direction. She followed behind him, quietly taking in the town. She went up the stairs of the humble cabin and opened the door. She held the door for him with a polite bow. They were greeted by the host of the cabin – an older gentleman with brown work pants and a clean white shirt - who led them to a meeting room of sorts. A table, four chairs, and a quiet area was all that was really needed. “I will be back with some food.” The gentleman gave Cloud a small nod, before closing the door behind him.
Eying the room for anything that might be bad news for them, Cissnei cautiously pulled the chair out. After a few seconds, she seemed satisfied and took a seat. “So… I suppose I should start with what I know. As I have said, I have not seen him. But I have heard of him by two patrons at a bar in Provo. One was a young boy…unfortunately his name eludes me. He seemed to have this darkness on his brow that irritated him. He was looking for someone, his family. He seemed to react poorly to the mention of the name Ardyn and the talk of daemons and Starscourge. It seemed more of a fearful recognition, instead of someone childish fear of a fable.”
Cissnei crossed her arms and lowered her chin in thought. Her eyes focused on some insignificant spot on the table. “The patron telling the stories of Ardyn, I have become well acquainted with, if you wish to meet with him. He claimed to be from the same world as Ardyn, though he spoke of Ardyn like a myth. He stated that Ardyn Izunia was a daemon who bore the Starscourge that was sealed away by a king. However, Ardyn reappeared in his time as a Chancellor of an empire, which inevitably allowed him to continue his spread of this Starscourge. He stated daemons were fueled by the Starscourge and came out at night. It is rumored that those felled by daemons became daemons as well. However, the Niflheim empire artificially created them too. Soon, the Starscourge became so bad daylight was blotted and there was only darkness. This fueled the daemons even more…It all sounds like fables you read in books. But I digress.”
She paused to collect her thoughts, before continuing again. “My acquaintance claimed that he and the people of his world believed only the Chosen King could defeat Ardyn and bring the light back.” Just like some romantic fantasy novel. “That is all that I know. If you did not already know it, then maybe something in there can help. And maybe the rules of Ardyn have changed in this world, where this king is not necessary to stopping him. What else do you know of him? Where has he been?”
Anyone may claim that he will act in the direst times, yet only a brave man acts in times great and small.
❞
Cloud listened intently, mako eyes focused on her as she spoke. This was honestly more information than he had initially hoped- at the cost of his confidence in his ability to properly defeat him. A Chosen King? Perhaps the King had a specific weapon he used to combat this being? Would this King have arrived as well? Cloud wouldn't put it past whatever force that brought them here (at this point, he was sure that Cosmos was just as much a pawn as he was), and he wasn't about to try and hunt down two geese in this chase. He frowned slightly, leaning back and crossing his arms.
"So, aside from this Chosen King, assuming the rules have changed in this world, I'm going to go out on a limb to assume that it's going to take quite a bit more than brute force to bring him to his knees. With no Lifestream here, and limited options in anything like Materia, that means we might be able to use something from this world to defeat him." he pondered. "It raises more questions than answers, though… His motives aren't exactly clear. Maybe if we can somehow figure out his method, if it isn't just pure madness, we can move one step ahead of him and catch him off guard."
The food had arrived, and, in spite of it smelling quite good, Cloud waited another moment until the gentleman left before he spoke again.
"I can't fight him alone. There's many warriors of Harmony here that were called to aid this land. There's a greater chance I can recruit some of them, considering we've likely fought alongside each other before… This is a threat that deserves attention from some of the most powerful allies I can find, it seems." he leaned his head back and sighed, before leaning forward and picking up a fork. "It's a shame that Reeve and Cid aren't here. With both of them I'm sure we could find a way to pinpoint Ardyn a bit faster than just using our eyes." he mused, before taking a bite, really thinking out loud, rather than trying for anymore useful info, himself.
361 WORDS● @blacksuit Ardyn Izunia ● Sorry so late
When the food and water was brought in at the end of her spiel, she reached for a glass to soothe her throat. She listened to him as she placed the cup on the side of the table. Her eyes shifted from the water, back to him. “Agreed. Plus, I only know what I heard. It was not clear if this king had anything special about him, if there was a specific weapon, or if it was just an elaborate rumor to glorify a hero.” She gave him a shrug. “Regardless, something needs to be done about Ardyn and it may be bigger than you to take on alone.”
She paused a moment more to take in what he said. Surprise jolted through her as he spoke about certain references only related to Gaia. “I only have the materia that was equipped, but I have found certain other magical stones by accident. They seem to work in a similar manner to materia, if we could find what was needed.” She shook her head about the Lifestream, “The Lifestream was a huge power source, but I heard Sonora is a great place of resources. I have not been there, but it is my next destination. I was hoping I could catch a lift. ”
“If we could see how he chooses targets, then perhaps we can find someone to be bait. But it may be random. Do you know the characteristics of the victims?” It could help to know if he was purposely targeting certain types of people. But, from the so called fable, it sounded like it was everyone. That would be unhelpful. She stared at the water in the glass as she thought about it. She wished she had all her ShinRa resources now. Surveillance cameras at her finger tips. Transportation on command. Her brothers and sisters at arms by her side or a call away. There was nothing that could be done about it now. They could only make do with what they have.
“So there are people called to aid this land?” Is that what Amalia had meant when she said a voice had called her? What did that make her? She did not know her purpose. She certainly was not harmonious. “I can help you find these warriors, but unfortunately, I am no warrior nor am I do gooder.” She was frank in this and she looked him directly in the eyes as she said it. She fought in Metaia to stop deep corruption from spreading. Maybe she should probably work on this high profile case too.
“Reeve does have his ways. Even knowing things that he shouldn’t know.” Sometimes that was both good and bad for the Turks. But she owed Reeve in his contacting Veld to get help in saving Tseng. She began to study Cloud a little more. “How do you know Reeve? Did you work for ShinRa?” She had not touched the food yet. “Your eyes are like Zack Fair’s. Do you know him?”
