Raid #75

Montblanc floated down onto the ground. He couldn’t help but feel a dark chill go down his spine. This place gave him the creeps. There were enormous swords stabbed into the ground around them and the lava, erm, patches of what he assumed were lava ... Well, actually, that part he was used to and he did have wings. He could fly. There were platforms around to rest if he really needed. So, lava wasn’t that much of a problem for him. That is if they were lava.

He rubbed his head painfully. This reminded him of something. A certain blond. He couldn’t quite the face … or their entire name. They fought in a place like this before. Not this place, per se, but a place surrounded by lava with only a few particular spots to land on. He remembered how he made sure the blond was careful at first. In retrospect, his place only matched the atmosphere of the one in his foggy memories. He clutched onto the blue rod in his hand tighter, reminding himself that this was no time to be stuck in one’s thoughts.

That’s when he noticed someone resting on the … throne? Now what was something like that doing in a place like this? It wasn’t normal; then again what in this place was normal? Even the name wasn’t normal, “Edge of Madness” he’d heard from a moogle (a rather strange variation of their kind, he must admit) that was here before him.

But that wasn't the most shocking thing. The one who was sitting on the throne was a ... viera? Her ears were much shorter though and her skin was much lighter. His eyebrows knotted in confusion, perhaps she was a variation of one, like how he had seen his other "brothers" in other worlds such as this? Or even how there were sandsea moogles. They had a light green tinge to their fur. It still doesn't change the fact that he'd never heard of other types of viera (not that he'd bother Krjn with questions about that) and that he half expected to face a hume.

”Are you the one I must fight, kupo?” Montblanc asked as he prepared to take to the air once more. He knew it must have sounded silly, seeing as there was no one else in the area. In addition, it must have been strange to send in a moogle to get the job done. No matter, he can do this. He isn’t the clan leader of one of the best (if not the best) clans in Ivalice for nothing!

He blinked. So she traveled to Ivalice or lived there as well … although he did feel as though she came from Ivalice as well, even if she had never seen a viera quite like her. He hadn’t seen any outside of Ivalice before. It couldn’t be that their rules were more fearsome in other worlds, was it? It was interesting how she answered him as well, a question for another question. He took a moment before replying. ”… Does this mean you are from Ivalice too, kupo?” He didn’t quite bother to hide the chill rod in his hand though, still being cautious.

Montblanc didn’t quite like the look in her eye as she observed him. It was as if he could just sense something strange about it, like she was measuring him. Perhaps she hadn’t seen a moogle fight before. If so, then he understood. They were generally a peaceful race so many of them wouldn’t even think of learning offensive spells as he had, even if they had a knack for it. In Ivalice, they tended to be hidden, taking jobs that usually do not require the need to learn such things.

His eyes widened when she giggled. He smiled wryly at this. So, she thought that he wasn’t strong enough, huh? How disappointing. Judging by the sword she held, it would be best to keep his distance from her if she planned on attacking … wait, a sword? How strange. He rarely ever saw a Viera that wielded something other than a bow and arrow or a rapier.

”I should ask you the same, kupo. Why are you here?” He looked at her curiously, tilting his head slightly. She didn’t look evil or bad at all. Just kinda, well, off. They both looked rather strange coming to a place like this, or at least he knew he did. She sure didn’t look like the type to want to turn this world dark, er, darker. Maybe he could reason with her instead of fighting?

So he was right, she was from Ivalice. But … her home was destroyed? How horrible. Had Archadia got to her home before Emperor Larsa’s rule? Still, he did understand why she wanted to leave such a place. Montblanc and his siblings did the same when their master was killed. Still, he couldn’t understand why anyone would like to live alone, well, maybe alone. While the place did appear to be abandoned, he had seen a moogle here. And, was that throne here before the Viera came? What if they really hadn’t abandoned this place but just left for a bit? How would they take to her claiming this place for her own? Other than that … Did she really want to live in a place like this? He’d never thought Viera were the type to. It didn’t really fit her image, at least, not to Montblanc. Didn’t she have any friends? Or were they all killed in war? Either way, he didn’t like the idea of having her live here alone. He frowned and shook his head lightly. ”No one’s an island, kupo. You can’t stay here alone forever.” He said, looking up at her once more.

The coolness that the Viera had was so much like others he’d met, but it was also completely different. He didn’t get that under lying feel of … well, they generally has a … almost motherly or sisterly sort of feel underneath their quiet aloofness, or something like that. She was different, other than her appearance, in that regard, even if she carried a similar tone.

”T – The Judge of Wings, kupo?!” He said, so stunned that he actually moved back a few steps. Of course, he’d heard of that name! It was rather infamous. But, hearing that she’d also met Vaan and Penelo calmed him down a quite a bit. If she was able to get their names, perhaps she wasn’t that bad? (That was something he was still having a hard time believing with all the rumors that were flying around from the sky pirates). Those two seemed to know just about everyone though. ”I’m Montblanc, kupo, the leader of Clan Centrino. I’ve met them.” He nodded.

His eyes quickly caught sight of Mydia’s hand on her blade. He’d hoped it wouldn’t come to this and readied himself for a strike. ”I came here to stop you from taking this place. Other than that, I don’t want to fight we don’t have too, kupo!” He stared at her determined, showing that he will fight to the fullest if they were to fight. "Ivalice is our home! Kupo! Not this place!" Oddly enough, this entire situation felt familiar, as if he'd seen a friend go through it before.

”It doesn’t, kupo?” He wondered aloud. The moogle had a hard time understanding her. She was unlike a Viera he’d ever encountered. More … lively and yet stranger than then the rest. It was interesting and amazing to see, if only he didn’t feel as if she was laughing at him at that moment.

Montblanc didn’t understand what she was doing with that gem. He’s never seen a summoner before, first hand. In fact, from what he heard, it was mostly just rumors. The ability to summon creatures. He wondered what monstrous creature they would …

Now that was a surprise. These creatures were nothing like he had expected. Montblanc had expected some sort of almost godly creature. This … He wasn’t even quite sure what to make of it as they walked towards him. They honestly looked sort of amusing, if they weren’t aiming for his life right now.

As they came after him, Montblanc quickly took to the sky to avoid any attacks. He retaliated by sending a blizzard spell. An icicle formed before him and he sent it down at the creature who had tried to harm him. He looked at the creatures, still a bit curious (although cautious not to get hit) and wondered how he should “take them on.” Blizzard spells should be very effective against creatures like that. They appeared to be fire type and it did try to hit him with a fireball. ”What so wrong with Ivalice that you have to stay here? Does all of Ivalice remind you of bad things, kupo?”

He was glad his spell worked, not that he didn’t expect it to, but summoned creatures were not something he was used to. Not ones like these anyways.

His nose twitched irritably. Why wouldn’t he understand? He hasn’t explained it to her. What does she mean by her people? He knew that Viera who leave the forest were banished, but never had he heard someone take it to the extremes. It was strange. Vieras weren’t fools, so he would not expect behavior like this before from even one that he’d just met. It was confusing. Was she sent out of her home purposely by others of her kind then? He was starting to get a sinking feeling that she was a different sort of Viera. A … a half – breed, for a lack of any other term to describe it. He watched her cautiously as the darkness rained upon her. This must be the armor she used as the Judge of Wings. He wondered what use the steel wings actually were, if she could not use them.

The two fiery creatures did not seem to take an interest in Montblanc as the Viera spoke and carry the heavy looking sword so lightly, even with all that armor. He rested his staff in front of him, crossed over his body. The moogle wasn’t quite sure what to do as he felt his senses melt away, and saw a different place. It was amazing to see her achieve such a feat. Of course, he watched it diligently, wanting to understand Mydia more and how the “Judge of Wings” was born.

The place she’d shown him was eerily familiar, but he did not expect Viera to live there, er, Feol-Viera. He’d never heard of them before.

While it was hard not to notice that her ears were shorter than most Viera, it doesn’t help him understand why they were disliked by humes because of it. Other Viera, yes, perhaps, but not humes. If the situation wasn’t so serious, he might have even remarked that they were “cute” that way. Moogles would have been quick to accept them. In fact, despite the situation, he still wanted to try to be her friend. He knew that there were some people you had to fight to do that, and she looked like one of them.

The thing that really bugged him was the fact that they were forced to live in a volcano. Of all places, why there? The up draft may have made it easier with those who have wings to fly, like him, but Viera, even Feol – Viera, did not have wings. They wouldn’t have made it to the skies without a ship. He could feel the anger rising within her as she told her tale, the hate and the sorrow. She was right to question it, he believed. It didn’t make sense to stay in such a place, but Viera were sticklers for traditions and prophesies like that.

Montblanc watched in horror as she killed her family. While he knew it was no use, he wanted it to stop. He wanted her to stop. This wasn’t the way he wanted her story to end. Without even realizing it, tears built up in his eyes. He didn’t understand how death was the answer. How killing was the answer. To fly to the skies, this was what she had to do to them? He didn’t understand her. Why were the Gods like this?

Then just as quickly as it came, he felt it slink away and return back to the present. He stared at her in disbelief. If it wasn’t for that armor, he might not have believed that she was really that person he’d seen killing. Of course he understood why she wanted to leave such a place. But, they didn’t know that she was the one who cause all that damage. Without the armor, no one would realize that she was the one who had caused all that destruction the loss of life. If she wanted to, she could try to make amends. She could try to do good. The Occurian Gods weren’t controlling her now. She was free to make her own decisions. She could be helping those who’s lives she ruined as the Judge of Wings.

Montblanc clutched on to the chill rod tightly and sent down a bolt of lightning at the two creatures. ”Coward.” He used his rod to swat away the incoming flames rather than dodging them. They singed the tips of the fur around his fuzzy paws. ”So you’ll live the rest of your life in hiding in a place so similar to the one you left, kupo? How many Velis have you killed for others as the Judge of Wings? They will not follow the same path as you.” He looked down at her, determined to change her mind. ”You have another chance to do something good!”