Nightmare (Backstory - Destiney)

(Part 2! in Destiney's backstory. Takes place after the Calamity.)

The day had finally come. She was old enough to make choices of her own. Not that she did not love her aunt an everything the woman had done for her over the last five years. But now it was finally the day she was allowed to make her own path.

Destiney stood staring up at the gates of the Steps of Faith. Once she passed this point she had no intentions of returning. Not any time soon anyways. If ever. It was almost like she was walking in her mother’s shoes. Almost but not quite. Her mother had left to make a place for herself in the world. Destiney was leaving to become an adventurer with a vengeance to seek.

“Farewell, Ishgard. May Halone watch over your people.” Destiney said she took the first step on her new path. Her bow was against her back with its quiver of arrows. She had not even said goodbye to her aunt an uncle. Merely left them a note an hoping they would understand. She could not remain in this city another day.

So many days spent between books an training. She had of course spent time researching what little she could find about the Garleans. Which was painfully small. Ishgard was too sealed off from the world. So between novels she had instead learned some of Ishgard’s history an that of the lands around it. She had even managed to find a few books on magic. Not that she would even attempt them without someone to actually demonstrate the basics to her. Not that it mattered since she was still very much her father’s daughter. A bow chosen over spells an tomes.

Outside the gates of Ishgard, Destiney stopped an took a deep breath of the icy air as she looked up towards the clouded skies. Another storm was due in a day or so. There was no time to linger here as she set off towards Camp Dragonhead. She planned to rent a chocobo from a porter once she reached the camp. From there… She would decide once she was out of the snowy Coerthas landscape. It was almost hard to believe this land used to at one time be green. It seemed an entire lifetime ago when she first passed this way five years ago…

Five years of waiting an training. Five years to nurse her wounds an recover. But the flames still burned in heart to seek repayment for the life that was stolen. Five years of barely seeing or speaking with the man who kept her fighting when she had lost so much hope.

*~*

Destiney stopped the chocobo she was riding as she entered the Shroud. It felt like forever an a day since she had last set foot in these woods. They were still so green an vibrant despite the destruction the primal had wrought. Nothing like the never ending winter that had settled over Ishgard because of it.

“Home.” she whispers as she lingers a few moments longer before allowing the bird to continue onward towards Gridania. Her heart felt alive at being within the woods she had grown up in. Yet at the same time they brought sorrow as well. Knowing her father no longer walked these woods as a Gods’ Quiver. Or that her brother was still missing despite the passing of time.


*~*

Destiney looked around Gridania as she walked through the gates. So much was still the same. Yet at the same time there were things she knew were not the same as five years ago. Life had not stopped despite all the horrors that had happened. She watched a laughing couple walk past, envying the happiness they had.

“Destiney? Is it truly you?”

Destiney turned around to see Dekkarra walking through the gates. He was clad in plain robes of a healer with a staff against his back. She ran into his open arms an hugged him tight, burying her face against his chest. She was so relieved to see him. He had been just one of the two reasons she had decided to make this her first stop. She needed to see him again. At least one last time. There was no telling when she would see him again if at all. Not that she planned to tell him.

“You… I did not know you were returning. You look well.” Dekkarra said as he moved back to hold her at arm’s length an look her over with the eyes of a healer. As if looking for injuries or signs of illness.

“I had to see you. An I needed to retrieve something from the house. I decided to become an adventurer.” she explained to him with a warm smile, her eyes closed to hide the sorrow behind the mask.

“An adventurer? For real? Are you sure it is wise?” Dekkarra asked, his face showing his concern for her.

“Yes I am sure. I will not remain in hiding forever. You were the one who said I was going to be something great. Now I need to prove that. I need to learn to walk on my own with no one holding my hands.” she says as she takes his hands within hers. Her eyes stare down at their joined hands. Hers rough from the use of her bow an bitter colds of Ishgard while his were much softer. The gentle hands of a healer. “I love you, Dekkarra. But I need to do this. I need to find myself. An I can not do it hiding behind the walls of a city or in the forests of the Shroud.”

“Then allow me to come with you. Allow me to be at your side.” Dekkarra pleaded with her gently as he gripped her hands.

“I need to do this. You need to stay here an keep studying. I’ll be back before you know it. We’ve waited five years. A little while longer is not much to ask.” she explained as she left go of his hands reluctantly, forcing a smile to her face. Hiding the fear an pain. Last thing he needed was to know she might not return. That she was making promises that might never come to pass.

“Alright. I am holding you to that. Go ahead an see your mother. She is probably going to be delighted to see you have returned home.” he said with a grin as he leaned down to brush a kiss upon her lips before heading off for the Conjurer’s Guild.

*~*

Destiney hesitated at the door to the home she remembered as a child. There were so many memories. Even just standing here as she placed a hand to rest against the door. Both good an bad, though the good outweighed the bad. She had to take a deep breath to keep herself from crying. Once she was composed again she pushed upon the door an stepped inside.

“Mother?” Destiney called out into the house. There was no answering voice. No sound of anyone home. She looked towards the table where her mother used to always leave her botany tools. Her hatchet an scythe were not in their usual spots. So her mother was out harvesting somewhere in the Shroud. Sadly that meant it could possibly be hours before she would come home again.

The house seemed to be just as she remembered it. Lovingly cared for. Not a thing out of place. She walked down the hall towards her bedroom an stood in the doorway. Even her room was still the same. Not even any dust to show the five years she had not lived here. Her mother had obviously continued to keep the room as she had left it, waiting for the day her daughter would return. She turned away an continued down the hall, pausing briefly at her brother’s door. However she could bring herself to open the door. There was only so much her heart could deal with right this moment. If she could manage to come back alive then she would have time to deal with her missing brother after. She continued down to the end of the hall, pausing before that final door. Her hand shook as she raised it to open that door. Slowly it creaked open as her hand pushed. Inside was just as she remembered it. An the item she was here for was still in its familiar place.

She could still remember watching her father sit there at the edge of the bed as he restrung the bow with new string. He had had this one specially made for when he was off duty. It was unlike any of the ones the Gods’ Quiver used traditionally. Back then it had been a bit too big for her to use. But she had still admired the shade of blue that the crafter had painted it with. The gold edges still shinned bright despite five years of sitting without use. Her hand grazed over the wood gently afraid it might break at a simple touch after so long. Gently she picked it up an checked it over for any signs of damage.

He had probably taken his service bow into the fight. It was possible her mother continued to care for his crafted bow as a reminder of the man they had all lost. In it’s place she put down the bow she had taken with her into Ishgard. On the night stand beside the bed a note to replace her father’s old Gods’ Quiver half-mask. It was was cracked but surprisingly whole as she placed it upon her own face. She looked around the room, feeling just a bit like she was looking at things as if through her father’s eyes. She took a sharp breath an turned to leave before she broke down.

Secretly she had been hoping her mother was not home. It would only add to the pain. Only make it that much harder to do what she felt she needed to do. She paused in the doorway, giving the room one last look before heading for the front of the house.

“Goodbye.” she whispered as she walked out of the house for what she thought might be the last time.

*~*

It had taken her a couple of days to get this far as she looked up at the gates of Wineport . As well as getting lost a few times trying to find the place. If she had finally found the right location then she was near one of the few locations. There had to be a Garlean outpost near here. At least that is what the rumors had claimed as she drifted about on her way to Wineport.

Castrum Occidens. That was the name of the Garlean outpost she had heard of out this way. She fully intended to go knocking on their doors. Well not quite literally. But the idea was close enough to what she intended to do.

She passed through the gates to Wineport an headed for the small tavern that was inside of the camp. Her feet paused as she stared up at the shining blue crystal at the center of the camp. Her thoughts were of how easy it would have been to just teleport using the aetherytes. But she had never been here before. After a few moments of taking in the soothing blue twinkle of the crystal she continued finally into the tavern.

The place was not exactly busy but it still had a few patrons this early in the day. In one corner of the room sat a trio of adventurers talking about something between themselves. She found her eyes coming to rest upon the male Hyuran Midlander of the group, ignoring the male Elezen Duskwight and female Roegadyn Hellsguard. The Midlander looked to be about her father’s age possibly a bit older. But that was not what stopped her. Despite his darker skin complexion an black hair… He looked a bit like her father. Not quite twins but the resemblance was very close. It felt almost like seeing a ghost.

Destiney quickly shook off the feeling. Cursing her heart for trying to make her think like that. She quickly found a table by herself an ordered something to eat as she quietly sat listening to the conversations around the room from other patrons. Trying to catch anything about Castrum Occidens. Or any Garlean activity in general.

*~*

Destiney adjusted her father’s half-mask on her face as she looked into the distance at the wall of metal that loomed just within sight. Castrum Occidens… The conversations at the tavern had not been particularly helpful. Apparently the Garleans here had been content to bid their time an wait to make any real moves against the people of the area. Just what went on beyond those walls though… It was a mystery. No one who had tried to find out had ever come back.

Now the question was would she become another of those numbers? She swallowed hard as she drew her bow from her back where it had been resting. This was where fate would decide if she lived or died. She whispered a quick prayer to the Twelve as she tried to mentally prepare herself for this suicidal idea. She was not a one woman army. She was a young woman, afraid yet determined. She could not rest easy without at least trying to return the favor against these monsters for the world they had ruined. Her world. Casting her away into Ishgard as Dalamund fell from the sky. Riping away her father from their once happy family.

Her hand gripped the bow tightly as she took her first step towards what could very well be her doom. An a part of her did not care. The part of her heart that should have cared was as hard as the ice of Ishgard.

*~*

The first man in Imperial colors fell without a sound. An arrow protruded from his throat. A clean kill. Destiney pulled another arrow from her quiver as she stalked closer towards the gates. All she had to do was take out the guards outside. One corner of her mouth quirked up in a grin as she brought up her bow for the next kill.

“Intruder!”

She heard the words just as she let the arrow sing through the air. However the guard was more alert then the first an the arrow had only grazed off his arm. She cursed under her breath as she went for the next arrow in her hand. The one she had grazed though was already rushing towards her.

“If I’m falling here… I’m taking everyone of you bastards with me that I can.” Destiney mumbled as she let the next arrow fly. The second Imperial solider fell as she rushed forward. The guards were already alerted to her presence so there was no point to caution anymore.

Four more soldiers were rushing to meet her. The odds looked badly against her. The lancer of their team was the first to be within striking distance. Destiney dropped to a roll underneath the swing of his spear. The lancer howled in pain as an arrow struck him in the leg as Destiney knelt for a moment after her roll long enough to return fire.

However that momentary pause had allowed the gladiator of the team to close in. His shield smacked hard into her bow arm as he used an stun her. The blow unbalanced her an she found herself sprawled upon the ground as the three remaining closed in around her.

“Stupid Eorzean. What did you think you could possibly do alone.”

Destiney snarled as she grabbed her bow once more an aimed another arrow from where she was half laying upon the ground. She tried to hurt the gladiator for his earlier blow to her but the arrow was neatly deflected by the marauder of their team. The pugilist decided to close the final distance. Destiney rolled to the side, barely dodging the blow that would have crashed into her head if she had not moved. Though in her scramble to move she had released her hold on her bow. Now weaponless an still facing three uninjured Imperials.

Her hands shook as she reached from another arrow from her dwindling quiver as she scrambled to her feet. Her eyes darted between the three of them, not the least bit liking her odds. With a yell she charged forth, obviously an unexpected move by an unarmed opponent for these men. But she was not truly unarmed. In her hand she gripped an arrow like a dagger as she dove towards the pugilist an drove the arrow into his chest. Together they tumbled to the ground in a heap.

So warm were her hands. Sticky with blood of the man she had just stabbed with an arrow. She looked back towards the other two who at first had startled looks on their faces before their expressions grew angry an murderous.

“You will regret ever coming here alone.”

Destiney scrambled to move as the gladiator swung his sword towards her face. Her feet got tangled upon the pugilist’s corpse in the process, tripping her up though also allowing her to fall away from the dangerous edge of that blade. It was when she went to stand again that she felt sharp burning pain in her leg as she was knocked back into the wall. Movement sent pain ripping through her arm as she looked to her left. She was pinned against the wall with a spear in the flesh of her shoulder. Behind his two companions stood the lancer she had wounded earlier, his spear gone from his hands as he limped up to his allies. Hot angry tears stung her eyes behind the mask. A scream ripped from her throat as she pulled at the spear with her right hand.

Blackness danced at the edges of her vision as she watched them approaching her, the spear refusing to budge with just her one hand trying pull against it. The pain was added upon. Her breath was knocked from her lungs as she felt the sword of the gladiator rip through the flesh of her body. She felt detached as the blackness threatened to claim her. Her eyes looking down at the sword that was piercing through her chest. A small trickle of blood ran down her chin as she coughed. The cold fingers of death were trying to pull her down into the abyss. Her gaze once more drifted up to the triumphant looking bastards.

Something moved in the distanced. Something rapidly approaching from behind these Imperial bastards. But her vision was blurring too badly now to make out what it might be. She took one final ragged breath before closing her eyes an allowing the blackness to wash away the pain.

*~*

“Hold on. Do not give up on life so soon, lass.”

She could barely recall the sounds of battle as she had lay dying, her life’s blood bleeding out around her. She thought as she drifted in an out of that darkness that she had heard words of concern. Thought she had felt a warm hand touching her. At one point she forced her eyes open long enough to catch a glimpse of a man before her with a worried look upon his face.

“Father…” She rasped before coughing hard several times. Once more the darkness pulled her back down. But she could have sworn that it had been her father’s concerned face looking at her in worry.