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Weeks had passed and J’asper was growing increasingly comfortable being around the Scions, part of the Scions. Realistically, not a lot had changed since he’d accepted Minfilia’s offer - other than joining the Maelstrom, which till now, only increased the opportunity for work - well paid work. There’d been part of him that worried the Scion’s wouldn’t support his desire to continue to take on more trivial busy work, in fact, surprised by the vast amount of busy work they could offer themselves; researching stolen crystals, meeting various dignitaries from various city-states, running resources here and there… plenty of work that kept him busy, consequently, plenty of work that meant he and Thancred saw each other almost less than they did when randomly happening upon one another in Ul’Dah.
He and Thancred finally had an opportunity to venture out together, investigating growing concerns that the Amalj’aa were nearing completion of summoning Ifrit, a threat Thanalan simply could not afford. It was lucky that when they’d happened upon the blasphemous priest of Ralghr, that he was able to recognize the conniving face. Ungust had caused various problems around Thanalan, known for his deceitful monetary practices and willingness to see innocents jailed for a few extra coins - a detestable oaf in J’asper’s eyes. So, when presented with the opportunity to make use of the merchant, he pounced.
Morning had come far too soon, as J’asper dressed for the day, choosing utility over comfort as he donned a tanned leather jacket, underneath an undershirt that would keep the material from chaffing, along with a pair of sturdy leather pants. While it would be warm, it would also provide protection against whatever the Amalj’aa may throw at him. Looking in the mirror, he realized just how mismatched the tones of leather were, feeling quite self conscious before he donned a few glamor crystals, keeping the leather jacket, but trading the leather pants for a pair of ripped denim pants - an outfit he’d, ironically, worn several times with Thancred’s approval.
He smiled at his reflection as he picked up his daggers, carefully securing the two primary blades beneath his coat - out of sight, but nonetheless easy to reach. He hid a few smaller blades among his body, one slipped into the cuff of his boots, another secured behind his back in the waistband of his pants, and another tucked inside a little pocket he had custom sewn in the sleeve of his jacket.
Exiting his and Thancred’s room, the pair deciding there was little point in taking up an entire additional room when they both knew only one would ever be in use at a time, he walked to the Solar, knocking on the door before entering at Minfilia’s acknowledgement.
“J’asper! I take it you’re prepared for your task?” she inquired, looking up from her desk which was piled high with papers of all sorts.
“Aye,” he said, swaying back and forth on his feet. “Has Thancred sent word?” he inquired.
“Just a few moments ago, I was about to send for you,” she explained. “He finished his interrogation of Ungust,” she went on, making a slightly unpleasant face at the prospect of ‘interrogation’. “The plan hasn’t changed, Ungust was to meet his Amalj’aan counterparts today, and with support from the Flames, we anticipate nullifying this threat smoothly,” she smiled.
“Good, good!” J’asper exclaimed, happy that all his mental preparation for the day was still relevant. “I shall head to Ul’Dah then!”
“Very well,” Minfilia said, “oh before you go!” she paused, opening a drawer from her desk, “I’ve been made to promise, on threat of unpleasantries, to make sure you’re given these.” She pulled out a package wrapped in waxed paper, handing the bundle to the miqo’te. “Tataru made these bright and early this morning, she begrudgingly told me they are to be shared with Thancred,” Minfilia chuckled.
“You have my thanks,” J’asper said, bowing slightly as he took the package, opening to find an assortment of pastries inside.
“May the light guide you,” Minfilia said, ushering J’asper towards his quest.
Heat punched J’asper in the gut as he walked into Vesper Bay proper, making his way to the chocobo porter for the first leg of his journey. He and the porter were on a first name basis at this point with how frequently he utilized the service, finding it more cost efficient than paying all the associated fees housing his chocobo with limited stables. It was also nice being able to trust the creature to follow the given path without much direction from his part, allowing his mind to wander.
The footfalls were detestable this time of year, the heat adding to the humidity which practically made the air feel toxic. Beasts were far more irritable as well, adding to the danger of trying the venture on foot. Luckily, the porter had been masterful in selecting the highest pedigrees for his chocobos, lending towards speed and agility, allowing them to outrun and outmaneuver most any beast along the journey. J’asper was thankful for the smooth run, the rush of air, though humid, a welcomed contrast to the otherwise stagnant smog.
By the time they’d reached Horizon, J’asper’s tail was already saturated with grime, the dust kicked up from fellow travelers clinging to the furred appendage. He was sure his hair - though pulled up - and ears were equally dusted. By the end of the day, though, he anticipated far worse things would bear upon his person - having fought Amalj’aa before and knowing how messy of a job it truly was. A shudder ran through him as he ruminated on the smell of smoke that would likely follow him well into the next moon if he wasn’t lucky.
After securing his chocobo with Horizon’s porter, he ventured towards the aetheryte, eager to get the Ul’dah and meet up with Thancred. It took mere moments for him to identify the typical signature of Ul’dah’s plaza, aether surrounding his person before mixing with his own as he skirted across the sea momentarily before landing in Ul’dah, never tiring of the little rush aetheryte travel gave him.
“Ahh, look what the cat dragged in,” came Thancred’s voice almost immediately, J’asper wondering if the rogue had been waiting specifically for him. “Minfilia said you’d be here shortly,” he clarified, answering J’asper’s questions.
“At least I had the sense to be presentable,” J’asper shot back, having missed him and Thancred’s friendly banter. “What in the hells are you wearing?” he asked, eying Thancred’s outfit which consisted of a gray tunic, forest green trousers, black sandals, and a military green set of vambraces - mismatched colors that suggested he’d dressed in the dark.
“Not all of us put fashion first,” Thancred grumbled.
“Apparently,” J’asper said with a smile before giving Thancred a quick hug. “Will you be joining us?” he inquired, ready to get on with their plans.
“Not immediately. Raubahn decided you’d lead the first surge of Flames to deal with Ungust’s immediate counterparts and then I would bring in a second wave to clean up the surrounding areas,” he explained. “We’re to meet at Camp Drybone once our respective goals are met.”
J’asper struggled to hide the look of disappointment, having been hoping to fight alongside Thancred. “Okay, you be careful out there,” he demanded, knowing Thancred’s folly for self-sacrificial behaviors.
“The same to you,” Thancred said, a warm smile on his face. “You should meet with Raubahn before heading to Drybone.”
J’asper nodded, punching Thancred lightly in the shoulder, for no other reason than he wanted to, before directing his attention to the Flames’ office. Raubahn already waiting outside his office. “Ahh, Mr. Cordeil,” Raubahn’s thunderous voice exclaimed as the miqo’te walked up to the looming highlander.
“Reporting for duty,” J’asper said, not entirely sure that was the appropriate response.
“I’m sure Thancred has already filled you in on today’s mission?” the general inquired.
“Aye, suggested I meet with you before departing for Drybone.”
“Good, I wanted to remind you of what is at stake today… Ul’Dah is already at her limits fending off the increased beast tribe activity, and is hardly meeting the needs of her people let alone the growing number of refugees… a primal being summoned would see her buried beneath ash and sand.”
“I’m keenly aware of the threat,” J’asper said, not one for political rhetoric.
“I’m sure you are,” the general pondered.
“If there’s nothing else, I’ll be on my way,” J’asper added.
“Good luck today,” Raubahn offered, “bring my men home.”
“I intend to do just that,” J’asper added, having already agonized on how he’d keep everyone safe. With no further exchange he made his way back to the aetheryte, once again searching for Camp Drybone’s signature before descending upon their plaza.
He breathed a sigh of relief as he spied the party of Flames he’d be leading, a pang of disgust running through his stomach as he eyed Ungust, the man’s wrongdoings forever a looming shadow over his visage. Once the merchant, made false-priest, made eye-contact with J’asper, a look of fear fell over his face, knowing how little patience J’asper had previously shown him. “No funny business,” J’asper growled at him as he made otherwise pleasant conversation with the assortment of men and women, going over their plans and positionals before heading into the desert.
It didn’t take their party long to reach the reported meeting site, the soldiers quick on their feet. The smell of smoke and ash was all J’asper needed to note to know that Amalj’aa weren’t far away. Hidden away in the shadows, the rest in accompaniment in strategic positions, J’asper watched as Ungust stood in the center of the clearing, the rumbling of footsteps signifying the arrival of his counterparts. Thundering beasts came to stand strategically in front of Ungust, a sneer showing on the merchant’s face that sent a shiver through J’asper’s body.
Pushing through the feeling, J’asper made contact with the party across the path from him, giving them the signal to begin their assault. With quick footsteps, they surrounded the line of scaled creatures, the head Amalj’aa ordering their demise as the battle commenced. J’asper made quick work of his first adversary, kicking off the ground to land onto the creature’s back before plunging both blades into its neck, dropping it with a clamor.
He took no time pouncing from one Amalj’aa to another, ducking dextrously from a swung blade meant to connect with his neck and he lashed out with a blade, severing flesh and tendons as the beast above him roared, stumbling before hitting the ground, vulnerable to the blade following the first which plunged into its abdomen, spurts of blood vacating the wound as the beast took its lasts breaths. J’asper recoiled slightly at the scene, never eager to spill blood, but knowing the necessity of this moment.
With quick steps he saved one of the flame soldiers who’d been caught in the vice-like grip of another enemy, the creature threatening to crush the soldier’s neck had J’asper not slashed at the offending arm, doing enough damage for the soldier to be dropped before all attention was turned to J’asper. Oh shit, he thought to himself as his enemy proved swifter than expected and he took a rough blow to his thigh from the shaft of a spear, causing him to stumble. Luckily the soldier had recovered enough to plunge his blade into the beast’s chest, saving J’asper the coming blow that would have been catastrophic. “Thanks,” J’asper choked out as he regained his footing, leg throbbing but otherwise capable of walking.
It was with this distraction that a thunderous voice announced; “enough!” as Amalj’aa flooded the scene, Ungust at their head with several flame soldiers at his side - the lot of them looking smug as J’asper realized they were severely outnumbered. “Mighty Ifrit has cast his judgment upon you!” came the thundering voice again, an Amalj’aa of unexpected proportions moving forward, to his right another one with some kind of wand or scepter sent out a wave of aether. Soldiers dropped from the first wave, J’asper fearing them dead, as another wave was directly sent at him, causing him to lose his footing as he dropped to his knees, vision fading as he centered on Ungust’s revolting smile, realizing they’d been played.
A pulsing pain slowly stirred J’asper from unconsciousness, his entire body feeling as though on fire from the heat of wherever he was. His senses were slowly returning to him, first feeling the heat and next smelling the fire and ash… Amalj’aa , he thought grimly as he fought to open his eyes, struggling to make out moving figures. Vibrations through the earth demarcated how many Amalj’aa had gathered, their voices a dreadful choir as they chanted, the words foreign yet somehow making sense to J’asper as he realized it to be a summoning ritual. Fuck, fuck, fuck !... he stressed, realizing his hands and legs were bound, most of the soldiers and Ungust lay next to him, equally bound - several coming to consciousness as they fought against their bindings.
He scrambled to think of a way out of this, feeling a shift in the aether as the beasts continued their harrowing chant. Having loosened the ropes on his wrists enough to move his hands, wrestling the dagger from his waistband, surprised it hadn’t been taken from him. With deft movements, he had the blad unsheathed, cutting away at his ropes before his hands broke free, allowing him to make short work of the ropes along his ankles.
“The miqo’te is free!” an Amalj’aa yelled, catching the attention of several of his brethren who turned on J’asper. He’d regained his footing by the time the first reached him, successfully avoiding a blow from a mace before he twisted the dagger into the lower abdomen of the creature, its roar echoing through the chamber. He knew it wasn’t enough as he pulled the blade from his boot, with a quick twist of his wrist, he added the second blade alongside the first, creating a mortal wound that dropped the Amalj’aa.
He felt nauseous as he pulled the pair free, blood and gore sticking to the blades without time to clean them off. Fully conscious, he took his stance as the other two Amalj’aa approached. The first was careless of the bound soldiers, its massive weight coming to bear upon one of the less fortunate man’s leg, a sickening crunch as bone and sinew snapped. J’asper winced at the sound, though the man remained unconscious, the lucky bastard .
Realizing he wasn’t going to so easily take on both of them at the same time, he signed the mudra for lightning, striking the one nearest him as he leapt over it, landing in front of the second, avoiding the swing of a blade by rolling to the side. Regaining his footing, he side-stepped another swipe before landing a slashing blow along the hind quarters of the Amalj’aa, the depth of the wound leaving much to be desired, but otherwise effective in breaking the beast’s rhythm. With the distraction, J’asper was able to use his training to practically warp within striking distance, slashing at the beast’s throat with several successful hits before dropping away, shaking off thick blood that had landed in his hair. The beast faltered in each step before falling to its knees, no longer a threat, just in time for the first to regain composure from the shock it’d been delivered. J’asper showed no mercy as he threw his dagger, centered right at the beast’s throat, the blade lodging in its windpipe. Grotesque gurgling sounded with each pant, breath coming harder and harder before it too fell.
Another surge of aether sent the fur along J’asper’s tail and ears standing on edge, something about it felt inherently damning… the chorus of chanting intensified, and as he turned around he began to see aether pooling towards the center of the chambers… shit!... he swore as he threw his other dagger towards what he assumed to be the head priest, the blade deflecting off a shield of aether harmlessly. Groans and cries began to sound as the soldiers nearest him were waking up, the man with the broken leg screaming in agony with naught to be done for him. Ungust, too, had woken, swearing at the Amalj’aa; “this wasn’t part of the deal!” he screamed, silenced only when the aether began to take form.
A spherical portal appeared to manifest, from it the gaping maw of a draconic beast formed, a growl emanating which shook loose stones and dirt, debris raining down upon those bound. With each word the summoned gained more substance, crawling from the portal before dropping to the ground with an earth shattering impact, J’asper flailing to keep his balance.
“O mighty Ifrit, Lord of the Inferno! Your humble servant beseech you! Grace us with your divine presence!” began the high priest, Ifrit’s attention successfully granted to the beast. “Oh mighty Ifrit! We bring before you ignorant savages who know not of your godhead! If it please you, lord, scorch their heathen souls with your cleansing flame, mark them as your own!” he continued, his words marking the beginning of a large wave of aether, somehow different than what J’asper had felt when the summoning took place.
“Pitiful children of man! By my breath I claim you!” Ifrit thundered as he swept his gaze over the bound prisoners. From his maw an incredible burst of aether sent out over the group, settling on those conscious and unconscious alike, brushing off J’asper with a burning sensation but otherwise unimpacted. “Arise once more as my loyal minions! Feed my flames with your faith, and all who stand against us shall burn!” the creature screamed, centering on J’asper who remained unmoved while the will of those around him was stripped. “The Paragons warned of thine abhorrent kind. Thine existence is not to be suffered,” it spoke. With a deafening roar, the Amalj’aa around him fell, their aether visibly drifting towards the primal - the eikon showing no concern for its chosen as it consumed their lifeforce.
J’asper eyed his daggers which had been thrown haphazardly with the rest of his party’s weaponry. He dove to the pile, securing his hands on the pommel as realization set in; he was alone, facing an unknown foe with tempered at his back. As he stepped towards Ifrit, the beast spewed a breath of fire, effectively isolating the two within a rough arena, blocking J’asper from receiving any reinforcements less they suffered fatal burns.
J’asper gave sole focus to the threat in front of him, making note of how the beast circled the arena, how muscled legs moved with each step, how its abdomen seemed to expand with each breath, and how its throat tensed as it moved its head. He wasn’t even sure if the thing would be susceptible to his blades - but he hadn’t much option other than a premature visit to the aetherial sea.
Somehow, he didn’t know how, he was able to anticipate the first swipe from Ifrit’s claws, falling to the slide as they audibly passed through the air. He barely had time to make sense of it before Ifrit’s paw was descending upon him, the miqo’te rolling away narrowly escaping being crushed to death. With minimal thought, he rolled back towards the limb, plunging his dagger into the center of the paw, feeling rewarded as Ifrit pulled back enraged, so he can be hurt , J’asper thought - a murderous smirk appearing on his face.
He leapt back to his feet, bouncing back as a wave of fire landed where he’d been, managing to singe the tip of his tail. The smell of burnt hair added to the sulfurous cloud, threatening to choke J’asper the longer the fight took. Now fully intune with Ifrit’s movements, he began an unfamiliar yet predictable dance as he slowly closed the distance between them. Between Ifrit’s attacks, he began channeling his aether through mudras, first sending levin through Ifrit’s form, causing the beast to stumble slightly - though it regained its balance far too quickly for a followup attack. “You’re a tough bastard,” J’asper yelled, gritting his teeth as he felt heat blister the skin of his arm when he’d moved too slowly.
The next opportunity J’asper had for an attack, he swiped his blades at the front of Ifrit’s forelegs, cutting deep into the aetherically dense tissue, what he swore as lava starting to weep from the wounds. Emboldened by the injurious sign, he swept under Ifrit’s lumbering form, dragging the entire length of his dagger in the underbelly of the beast. He half expected entrails to fall, but was met instead with more of the molten liquid.
Ifrit roared as though feeling pain, vaulting towards the wall of flame as he recentered his focus on J’asper. The beast breathed heavy, slowed by the multitude of attacks J’asper had landed. J’asper hissed as the burning on his arm grew worse, the atmospheric heat pricking at each nerve ending. He saw that the leather sleeve of his jacket was all but charred, bits of it sticking into seared flesh.
With slowed movements, Ifrit sauntered slightly closer before opening his maw, another wave of aether springing forth - a mute effort to temper the miqo’te who took this lapse in judgment as time to launch another barrage. Using another hand formation, he summoned ice which encased Ifrit, only momentarily, but holding the beast long enough that J’asper was able to launch into the air, diving down with deadly precision, sinking both daggers into the beast’s eye sockets. For a moment he flailed through the air, holding on with every onze of strength as Ifrit thrashed. J’asper’s hands burned as thick liquid pooled from Ifrit’s eyes, dripping down the pommels and onto his hands. ‘Twas unpleasant, but not enough for him to let go.
Timing movements with Ifrit lifting his head, J’asper swung up and over onto Ifrit’s haunches, wincing as several spikes pierced through his pants and into his legs. Ignoring the pain, he pulled one dagger free, plunging it into the side of Ifrit’s head, causing the eikon to lurch forward as its balance was destroyed. J’asper had to dodge falling rocks as he rolled away from the felled beast, the force of its mass shaking loose debris from all around the arena. He wasted no time turning back towards his quarry, in time to watch as its aether began to dissipate, its form dissolving before him.
By the time Ifrit’s form had all but returned to the sea, J’asper plucked a crystal from the ground, left behind by the beast and seemingly important; I’ll have to ask Urianger , he thought as he stuffed it in his pocket. Turning back towards the prisoners, he was horrified to see most of them lifeless, their essence consumed by the primal… those still awake fought uselessly against their bindings as they looked at J’asper with murderous rage. He realized that while their bodies moved, their minds were no more. The thought was overwhelming, adding to exhaustion that was quickly creeping over his limbs.
With ever faltering movements, he walked towards where fire had trapped him, the earth scorched by Ifrit’s flames. Beyond the perimeter he lost his balance, dropping to one knee as he became dizzy, his bad arm unfortunately extending to catch most of his weight. He screamed in pain as it brushed against the course earth.
“J’asper!!” came a familiar voice, causing the miqo’te’s ears to perk slightly, his vision beginning to fade as he watched Thancred’s form race towards him. “J’asper!” Thancred cried again, making it within a few yalms of J’asper before the miqo’te’s consciousness gave out.