#poor aymeric does not deserve to get tagged in this

[weatheredpileoftomes]

fury’s mercy

For FFxivWrite2022 Day 14, “attrition”—I stuck on the archaic definition of “sorrow for one's sins that arises from a motive other than that of the love of God”. Majha and Aymeric, just post the lv 57 dungeon, ~450 words. Spoilers through that point in msq; reference to canonical character death, Aymeric likers maybe skip this one my narrator is not feeling charitable.

She will not bring about the end of Ascalon alone.

Majha puts both hands on Aymeric’s desk and leans across it. “Have you sorted out your bureaucratic issue yet?”

He looks tired.

He’s made that not her problem.

“The High Hous—”

“The High Houses,” Majha hisses, “have ruled thanks to a set of murderous lies for a thousand years. The High Houses are propping up an archbishop who just tried to have his own son scrubbed off the face of the star for pointing that out.”

He winces at that.

Majha’s lashing tail hits something solid—Alphinaud’s leg, by his grunt of pain. She’ll apologize later. “Count Fortemps agreed months ago to sponsor my friends. Your bureaucratic issue means I’ve already had to kill one primal alone. It means I had to slay Nidhogg himself, who has been seeking revenge for your ancestors’ theft and murder, without anyone I trusted to keep his attention off of me.”

She hadn’t even had Ysayle, for that, though that isn’t Aymeric’s or the High Houses’ fault. She doesn’t know if Ysayle will ever be willing to join them again. It’s a different kind of pain than the failure to save Haurchefant, but it carries its own fear.

That, as well as the common fear that burns in her now. Anything could happen to Ysayle, yes, but anything could already be happening to Ta’rhiki and Sonjha and Chaanqa right now. Who’s keeping them safe? What if they die, too, and Majha isn’t even there?

“Thordan is a primal.” Majha’s tail hits Alphinaud again. This time he actually backs up. “He killed a man you claim was your friend while you watched.”

“X’majha, please!” Amyeric says, at the same time as Lucia’s stern “X’majha.”

Majha grits her teeth. “My apologies.” Aymeric isn’t acting like he cares, but then, he doesn’t ever. He’s a politician to the bone. “He is a primal. I will hunt him and his tempered slaves to the far end of the star for what they did, whether you’re willing to grant me allies or not, but I would think it would be in the High Houses’ interests to have three other adventurers blessed with the Echo and willing to fight at the Nidhogg slayer’s side, excessive influx of foreign influence or no.”

It is very, very clear that Aymeric and Lucia don’t know Miqo’te. Aymeric has barely leaned back in his chair the whole time. “I understand that, and you have my sincere apologies for the delay—”

“You will bring my friends safely to me,” Majha snarls, “or the next time a dragon comes here seeking revenge for a thousand years of pointless slaughter you’d better hope the Fury has mercy on you, because I won’t.”