#Leophryne

[autumnslance]

FFXIV Write 2024: 16 Third-Rate

(Dawntrail Role Quest spoilers, especially Tank, in 560ish words and a bonus screenshot below)

Aeryn grit her teeth, fighting off the last wave of thugs so they could go after Leophryne herself.

She was so tired of this ‘Passage of the Unbound.’

First there was that foolish boy in Thavnair, disrupting her home, sowing discord and thinking he could raise a rebellion against Vrtra. If his command of the Perch of the Apex hadn’t been an actual danger to everyone around him—including himself—she might have laughed off the boy’s blowhard behavior.

Dark’s report from Ala Mhigo wasn’t much better, about the rabble-rouser who had stolen another Turali treasure and mislead various down-on-their-luck folks, including a Hoobigo mercenary. C’oretta seemed to have her hands full enough to actually be frustrated in Vylbrand, something about alchemists and mammets and a poisonous treasure. Iyna’s reports from Kugane included facestealing and promising a tale of an embarrassing moment for their favorite Little Sun with justified comeuppance upon the perpetrator of said humiliation. Iyna also seemed fiercely protective, almost motherly, toward the young Shetona seeking her village’s treasure—but the rest of them weren’t going to mention that.

And now, instead of meeting Thancred and Urianger in Tuliyollal before they began exploring Xak Tural, what was supposed to be only a quick trip back to Ishgard (it was never a “quick trip” to the cold, grim, gray city, she ought to know better by now), here she was dealing with an ex-knight who couldn’t deal with the fact she had failed her duty and so been drummed out.

Was Ishgard’s rule harsh? Often, yes. With the death of Leophryne’s charges, Aeryn didn’t think so in this case. There was little room for leniency, especially during the war, and a knight...lived to serve. Everything she had heard of Leophryne portrayed a selfish woman whose lack of discipline harmed others. That Leophryne took out her frustration on other knights who had done her no harm, were in no way responsible for the censure she had received for her actions, was a mockery of the ideals of those true knights Aeryn called friends.

Zoissette. Haurchefant. Aymeric. Lucia. Artoirel. Laurisse. Sidurgu.

This woman didn’t even fight like a knight, but a criminal thug with far less grace in her dual blades than the newest colts in a particular Limsan convent.

It really wasn’t much of a contest, and truth be told, Aeryn left most of the fighting to Tentoawa and Loazenikwe, supporting them. Alone they would have struggled against Leophryne, but the disgraced knight really didn’t pose much threat to Aeryn’s experience with blade and magic both.

So it was with no thought, no hesitation—simply pure instinct—that Aeryn did what any honorable warrior of Coerthas should, when Leophryne brought the artifact’s power to bear one last time.

It was actually the best sleep she had had in some time.

Another member of the Unbound defeated, another artifact restored. All five now accounted for, Aeryn let out a sigh of relief in the blessedly hot and muggy shores of Tural, Tuliyollal’s vibrant colors and boisterous sounds—so much like Radz-at-Han—surrounding her after the solemn, gloomy chill of Ishgard.

There was still the matter of the mysterious woman who had collected the annoying band of third-rate villains, but without any leads, Aeryn could put that to rest for a moment, and finally get ready for her trip to the northern continent with Erenville.

[blackmarketvoices]

The 2024 Malevolent Madness Mixup event just concluded with a slew of astounding collaborative works! So, it's time to celebrate them with...

✨BMV & MMM Collab: Twitch Stream Days✨

All fics will be reviewed, however, the first week's fics will be read blind by the voice actors at Black Market Voices! The second week will have excerpts read aloud. All art will be shown on the stream unless otherwise requested by the artist! All times in EST Blind Reads

✨Sun April 14, 7-10pm - Of Shadow and Simplicity / War at Home ✨Tues April 16, 730-10pm - Waters of Leophryne ✨Wed April 17, 7-10pm - God of Cowboys and Fools ✨Fri April 19, 7-10pm - Toe Tags and Second Chances / The Cost of Indomitability ✨Sun April 21, 7-10pm - And In Blood Is Born Anew

Reviews & Excerpts

✨Mon April 22, 7-10pm - Fics: Lasc1are_Su0nare / Blood and Sand ✨Tues April 23, 7-10pm - Fic: In Golden Gags ✨Wed April 24, 7-10pm - Fics: (Help Me) I've Got No Soul To Sell / Sillage ✨Fri April 26, 7-10pm - Fic: The Moon Had Turned To Gold

Please join us to celebrate these amazing events works! Event will be held on twitch at vmprsm

We look forward to seeing you there!

[sparklyandheroic]

My fic for the Malevolent Madness Mixup event is live! My artist doesn't really do socials and said they only put things up online anonymously, so I can only say that they were really lovely!