#{ a sword forged from ashes } ᵃʳᶜʰᵃᵈⁱᵃⁿ ᵛᵉʳˢᵉ | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

tarnishedxknight · 15 days ago

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It was a small blessing to Gylfie that Mithran needed sleep, despite being a mix of hume and Occurian. She... needed time alone to think. To process everything that had happened so rapidly, and the uncertainty that now lay before them. And... she needed to think about Mithran.

She still couldn't understand how Vayne learned of Caelen, let alone that she had been courting him. The only explanation that made sense was that he had his suspicions about her "disappearances", regardless of the explanations that she was sent out on various errands or small missions, and sent someone to follow her. But, even then... she would have noticed if she had been followed. Hell, Gabranth would have noticed, somehow. Still, if someone had followed her and seen she was visiting Old Archades, and somehow learned the truth of Cael Skjult... it was no wonder it sent Vayne over the edge. But it was a reason she still couldn't accept with confidence, even if it was the only one that made sense.

Gods above, thinking back on Vayne still made her skin crawl. He had gotten her alone, which... was nothing unusual, as unfortunate and horrific as that was, and confronted her about it. He accused her of treason, that by courting the enemy - the viable heir of Dalmasca, no less - she made herself an enemy of Archadia. Gylfie had denied it, claiming he was delusional and speaking nonsense, and told him no one would believe him. But it was the way he smiled at that that made her blood run cold. The way he reminded her she was his and no one else's, that this would be their little secret, that made her realize what was going to happen - if it were not already too late.

She fled to Old Archades as soon as she could, taking with her a traveling pack, a pouchful of gil, and her sword, and bid a painful farewell to her beloved mentors. As much as she adored them, held pride in her station, and loved her Empire, she... made the decision to put Caelen first. She had made the mistake once before to put her career over her heart, and she was not willing to make that mistake twice. Not when it was her fault his life was at risk, and not when it meant subjecting herself further to Vayne's whims.

And she had been too late.

Her dear, sweet Caelen, had already been found, and was almost killed on Vayne's order. Although he had not died, he... he was still no more. Not as he was. Not... as himself.

No, Mithran was both Caelen and Munoh, and still his own being. Caelen's love for her was still there, and he had been willing to flee with her as far away as they could, but...

Gylfie pressed her trembling hands against her mouth as her eyes welled with tears. The quiet crackle of the fire mixed with the sounds of insects in the otherwise quiet night. Mithran had needed sleep - they both did, really - but she had volunteered to keep first watch. She had already come close to losing him, and she was not going to put him at risk again, no matter how powerful he now was. She would stand watch - be the guard dog she always had been - and let him regain his strength.

But, oh gods, how could she forgive herself? She must have been careless somewhere along the way for Vayne to have discovered Caelen's existence and their courtship, and it was Caelen who paid the price. How... could Mithran forgive her? He was both her beloved and Munoh, and while he seemed to hold no ill-will towards her, she couldn't help but wonder if it was Caelen's gentle heart getting in the way of Munoh's desire to protect him. They were an Occurian, for Faram's sake! Surely they saw the signs? Knew it would be because of her that Caelen had been found? And with Mithran being both...

She couldn't stop her tears as she swallowed back a choked sob - careful to remain silent as she struggled to pull herself together. Gylfie couldn't deny that her love for Caelen remained for Mithran, even though she had accepted he was not the same. And that love made it all the more painful, because if Mithran blamed her, what else was she to do? She knew she could never return to Archadia - she had no idea what would be told of her disappearance, or if Vayne would reveal the truth. No, she refused to wed Vayne and become his pet, for that would be her only option if she tried to go home. And she could not put Drace and Gabranth at risk for her own foolish actions, if she had not done so already. Oh, how she desperately prayed that they would be left alone, and that Vayne would not take his anger out on them. She had already gotten one person she loved hurt - she couldn't bear if she got her family hurt as well.

Where would they go, if Mithran stayed? Was anywhere safe for him now? Oh, everything that now burdened her mind and heart were things she knew she needed to discuss with him, but it all felt too much. Gylfie... had been nothing more than a loyal hound to the Empire she once loved, and now she felt... lost. She knew not what to expect of Mithran, knew not what to expect of their future, and...

Her throat clenched tightly as she still forced herself to be silent, and Gylfie buried her face into her hands as she hunched over herself. Her body trembled, unable to stop her tears as she struggled to pull herself together before she disturbed Mithran. All she had to do was wait for the morn, when they could eat what rations she brought and finally talk about what happened, but morn felt so far away, and she never felt more alone.

(( @disillusionedjudge for that au we were just talking about! Maybe this could be them before they go to Dalmasca, and I'm thinking maybe Venat found out about Caelen for Vayne? Maybe they sensed Munoh and followed them, and things spiraled out from there?))

@disillusionedjudge

It had all seemed like just another day... until it wasn't anymore. Caelen was happily working in his shop when a pair of rather uncouth gentlemen entered. Munoh had a bad feeling from the start about those two, but soon they were to learn that it was not the two men that had raised suspicions, not at first. It was the presence of another Occurian. By the time Munoh had realized Venat was near, the two men had descended upon Caelen. They were imperial guardsmen, of the elite sort kept usually within the palace walls, ordered by Vayne and guided by Venat to the shop and home of Munoh's dear, dear friend.

Venat attempted to interfere, to keep Munoh at bay so they could not assist Caelen as he tried to defend himself. A battle ensued, one of violent and sharply charged energies, but Munoh was the stronger. Venat was the youngest of all the Occuria, impulsive yet and inexperienced. Munoh was the elder of the two, magically stronger and more adept, having amassed far more energy during their long life than the youngling Venat could hope to compare to. To protect themself, Venat had retreated, but the damaged was done. Caelen had been mortally wounded. The assassination had been completed.

In a griefstricken rage, Munoh had killed the two assassins. No, not killed. They obliterated them. Blinding light passed through their bodies, burning away flesh and vaporizing bone. It was as if they had never existed, and the world was better for that, but... oh, to see their sweet, kind, gentle friend lying on his back, a deep wound to his heart, coughing and quickly drowning in his own blood...

Something in Munoh flared, swelled, cried out... with the most powerful agony and grief a being could have. The roof was blown clean off Caelen's shop from the force of it, the violent swirling of Munoh's energy as they began to amass it even more, drawing it from the environment and-... Without the roof, the sunlight poured in, illuminating Caelen as if, in its own way, grieving for him itself. Oh, how Caelen had loved the sun. Without much hesitation, Munoh began drawing from the heat and light of the sun, their aura swelling and growing so bright that for miles the beacon of grief but also love and friendship could be seen.

This... This had not been done in millennia. It was culturally forbidden, now, within the ranks of the Occuria. And Munoh... currently did not care. Swollen to bursting within a charged, swirling, violent cloud of pure solar and magical energy, Munoh reached out to Caelen, such as he was now. Their beloved hume was leaving his body, detaching and leaving it as a soul ripped from its vessel, and Munoh... wrapped him in the warmth and light of themself. Wrapped and infused. No, he would not die. Not like this. Not when he'd done nothing wrong, when he did not deserve it, when he'd found love, when all he'd wanted was to just exist in peace and be damned the rest of the world if this was how they were going to treat him!

No! No, I will protect you! I will sacrifice for you! Come with me! Let me save you...

When the light had somewhat subsided, Munoh was gone, at least to hume eyes. Their fused spirit was not bonded to Caelen's, having strengthened and empowered the hume's form, helping the soul to stay anchored within it. A bit taller, physically stronger, magically radiant... the being opened its eyes, and-

Slowly, he sat up, and then stood. Wings burst from his back, stretching to their full span before arching over his shoulders and above his head. A glow surrounded him, golden and warm as the sun, and where there had been a bleeding wound and a shirt soaked with blood a moment ago, now a set of golden armor slowly sprawled across his body, made naturally from his own energy, like the carapace of a sacred scarab. The being smiled, feeling warm, loved, and... happy. They had been saved. They had saved. For all the right reasons, they existed. For all the right reasons, they had sacrificed.

Feeling Munoh's presence dissipate, Venat had crept back to the scene, hoping to confirm that their own chosen hume's mark had been eliminated. Upon seeing the new being, Venat knew exactly what he was. They were instantly rattled, intimidated, scared... and they retreated as quickly as they had come. Yes, the hume was gone, that was all that Vayne needed to know, and what was now in his place was... forbidden. As forbidden as they, to be sure, for Heretics were no better than the Bonded in the eyes of the True Circle. Venat did not have to condemn this being... they did not have to place themself in danger. The Circle of Occuria would do so themselves... in good time.

The being eyed the pool of blood on the ground introspectively. Sadness crept in, but... all was not lost. Thanks to his own sacrifice, a life was saved. Thanks to the power of friendship and love, he was saved. He was a being made of two, one mind but two souls, a blend of the purest kind.

He knew why this had happened, and yet he bore Gylfie Ynarra no ill will. To some extent, he had anticipated this day coming, and yet somehow it had still been so unexpected in the moment. He would wait here, either for more to come and confirm this deed of sheer cruelty, or... or for her. He loved her, still. Admired her, was grateful to her for loving them. So many emotions inside so powerful a form. The being sat nearby, feeling no sense of urgency as he waited. A few locals peeked in, having seen the blinding light that had emerged from the shop and, upon seeing him, went wide-eyed and mumbled about the wrath of the gods, quickly fleeing. That was alright. Although he hated to disturb the innocent, perhaps it was for the best right now. Making a scene would do no one any good.

While he waited, the being chosen a name for himself. Mithran. Fitting yet abstract, strong yet soft. Yes, it suited him. And when someone did arrive, he looked to Gylfie and immediately sought to comfort her, for he knew she would not understand anything other than that her love had been murdered. Not so, Mithran attempted to explain. I am not gone, only evolved.

Of course he had agreed to run away with her. He loved her and desired to protect her, not only bodily but... protect her heart as well. He knew she would need time, and Mithran was infinitely patient. The violent, angry, justice-driven side of him that had come from Munoh was quieted now. Caelen's gentle kindness had ruled this night, as they'd sat beside a fire, having left their old lives and choosing each other over hatred and cruelty.

Oh, but the events of the day and his own turbulent creation had left Mithran rather tired. At sundown, that exhaustion had taken sharp hold of him, and he'd needed to sleep. He trusted Gylfie to keep watch, and it was not long before he was fast asleep, his wings arched around him like a half-open cocoon.

When she began crying, though, it was as if someone had loudly shattered glass. The sound was something that cut through Mithran's rest and had him blinking awake, sitting up to peer at her with pensive concern in his golden eyes. "My love..." he whispered, going to sit beside her. His hand gently rubbed at her back. "It will be alright. We will support each other. Fear not," he said, his voice soft and warm, as Caelen's had been. "Would you welcome it if I were to hold you?" Mithran then asked, knowing that it would take time for Gylfie to acclimate to her lover being... changed. He did not want to assume that she was alright with anything at the moment, choosing instead to give her the time and space she needed, but... right now... he desperately wanted to comfort her...

#disillusionedjudge #tw: blood #tw: murder #oc muse: mithran #{ a sword forged from ashes } ᵃʳᶜʰᵃᵈⁱᵃⁿ ᵛᵉʳˢᵉ #oc muse; munoh #oc muse: caelen #guest muse: venat #{ the darker corners of ivalice } ᵐᵃⁱⁿ ᵛᵉʳˢᵉ ⁻ ᵈᵃʳᵏ ᵉᵈⁱᵗⁱᵒⁿ

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