Visible Inks

This post doesn’t have anything to do with Honor Amongst Thieves, but since most of my readers (going off comments) like what they read here, I figured some of you at least would like to know about my new project I’m starting.

Visible Inks is something I’ve been wanting to do for awhile now. My Deviant Art page was perhaps, a small step in that direction but with VI, I’m finally just going for it. Basically, I’m looking to publish something on that blog at least once a day. Some of it will just be small things, a poem, a short prose. However, I do plan on doing series similar to HAT over there as well. The first of which is ‘Orphans’ a sci-fi story.

I might eventually merge the HAT site with it, I’m sure yet. But only time will tell.

For those of you who don’t care too much about things non-FFXI or non-HAT related I have a bit of news on HAT Season three! I’ve started writing it, yay! I’ve currently finished the first two chapters and I’m starting on the 3rd now. =)

So, that’s all of that. Please check out Invisible Inks, I think at one time or another there will at least be one thing for everyone. If you don’t like poems, prose are there. If you don’t like fantasy, sci-fi is there. If you don’t like drama, sometimes there will be comedy. It’s me trying to broaden my skills as a writer so please, do check it often.

HAT Site Changes!

With Sealed in Blood finally concluding and new ideas and stories brewing in my head, I’ve decided to do a bit of a make-over to the site. This will include both some physical changes to the look and style (if I can figure out how WordPress Themes work) and more importantly, changes to help make navigation easier.

You’ll notice to the right of this post, I’ve already made some easier to find archive pages for each series.

Also, in a few days be on the look out for an update as to what you can expect in the near future as far as new stories!

True Beginnings

The great city of Aht Urghan Whitegate could be seen now, clear as day, as the boat bound from Mhaura sailed closer and closer. Sellsword and Kallo stood at the bow; the thief with his elbows resting on the railing looking down into the water as it crashed onto the boat’s hull, Sellsword standing straight with his arms crossed.

“That’s the whole thing,” Kallo finished.

Sellsword was quiet. “You’ve quite the demons to live with.”

“We’ve all got quite the demons to live with, my friend.”

The Samurai nodded solemnly as the boat slowly pulled into the port and docked. Several other passengers hurried off as port-workers hurried on to retrieve various cargo. For a while, Sellsword and Kallo stood just where they were in quiet contemplation. Sellsword put one hand at his side and rested the other on the hilt of his Great Katana, looked around, and took in a deep breath.

“The great majority of Vana’diel will live an ignorant, peaceful life, devoid of even a single moment of what select individuals such you and I must live with.” He turned toward the docks as a woman waved to him with a grin. “Some may say they’re the lucky ones. I, however, choose to think of it as such: I’ve been given the courage, the power and the ambition to keep the vast majority of Vana’diel from having to live with the things we do. For some, doing that isn’t enough…but every day I survive is another chance at life. Not just for myself, but for everyone I encounter…”

Kallo was silent, looking down into the water splashing against the port.

Sellsword looked over his shoulder at Kallo. “There was never really any need for an escort…” he said. “When I heard the Tenshodo were sending someone over as a liaison, I offered my services even though they were not required.”

“I don’t understand…” Kallo said, turning toward the Samurai.

“I just wanted to meet you, Kallo Landis,” he spoke as he walked toward the boat exit to the dock, “to hear that story. To thank you,” He walked down the plank and towards the woman on the dock.

“Thank me for what?” the thief called after him.

Sellsword turned back to him, “For reuniting me,” he smiled softly.

Kallo had just noticed her for the first time as she embraced the sellsword. Her hair was long and pitch black, reaching down to her lower back. She had a long, tall, slender figure. Straight to her back was a massive great sword, and at her hips two darksteel revolvers. She grinned back up at Kallo as she walked off and vanished into the crowd with Sellsword.

The thief struggled to find comfort in the wise words the sellsword left with him. He believed he wasn’t given a second chance, but rather condemned to live with the mistakes he made. He couldn’t save his lover, and he didn’t save his brother…

Kallo closed his eyes and recalled what had actually happened that night in the Arrapago Reef…

From a distance Kallo could see Akeem perched upon the bow of a dilapidated corsair ship. He silently made his approach as his fists were clenched tightly around his daggers; as Kallo got closer he called to him.

“Akeem!”

“I knew you’d find me…Brother.” He spoke without looking at the thief, “Motai helped you. I told him I was waiting for you,” He stood up and turned to look at Kallo from the top of the bow of the ship. “…So how does it feel?” He hopped down onto a large boulder nearly level with the boat and came down closer; he was ground level now but several yards away. “…Not going to talk to us?”

“Where is she?” Kallo said, his face contorted with anger.

“Now that you’ve felt my pain,” he smiled, “we can end this.”

His wrist flicked as he reached for his gun, but Kallo’s hands were always quicker. Before he could unbuckle the gun strap to pull his sidearm, Kallo’s hand had already let loose his dagger. Like a blade of grass in the wind it moved quicker than the eye could follow, and with hawk-like precision struck and stuck deep into the shoulder of Akeem’s trigger-arm. He winced in pain as he grasped the dagger. It took Kallo only a second to close the gap between them. Kallo put one arm on his brother’s uninjured shoulder and with his other hand grabbed the hexagun, tossing it over the edge of the reef and shoving Akeem backwards into the hull of the ship.

Akeem wrenched the dagger from his arm and dropped it to the ground. Kallo was on him quickly as he pressed his body against Akeem’s and put his second dagger to his brother’s throat.

“Do it, Brother…” Akeem whispered. “Do it…”

“…Tell me what you did with her…” Kallo spat through his clenched jaw as he pushed the dagger against Akeem’s neck, drawing a trickle of blood.

“Remember, I said before…” Akeem gasped as the blade pressed against him, “It’s not about winning or losing…” He smiled. “I lied. As much pain as you’ve caused us…” He chuckled. “I’ve done more to you than I ever could have dreamed…”

“Where is she!?” Kallo slammed Akeem’s body against the hull. He coughed and choked as he laughed.

“You’ll never know.” He grinned. “Her death is all your fault…and you’ll never know…and now you’re going to kill your only brother,” He smiled. “The only other person who ever believed in you, who would stand by you until the end…do it…you’re so goddamn helpless…do it!!” Akeem tried to push back, but Kallo swatted his arms down, reeled his dagger back and as he thrust it forward, something in Akeem changed.

“Kal, wait—” His eyes burst wide open.

The look Akeem gave Kallo, he recognized immediately. It was that same electric look of surprise that slowly faded to lifelessness; the one he saw in Tarawath’s eyes.

Akeem’s lips quivered as his chest heaved. Kallo held the dagger deep in his brother’s chest for a moment, his face riddled with bewilderment. Akeem’s arm shook hard as he grasped Kallo’s shoulder. “Kal…Kal…I…I’m so-sorry…”

Kallo couldn’t speak; he looked his brother deep in the eyes in complete confusion and puzzlement. He wasn’t looking at the man who murdered his fiancé; he wasn’t holding in his arms the man who had been after him since the rescue from the Oubliette.

He was holding his brother in his arms.

“…so…sorry…Kal…” he whispered. As Akeem slowly slid down the hull, Kallo crouched low with him in his arms. “He…he…made me…”

Akeem’s body went limp as what life was left vanished.

Kallo opened his eyes, and took in a deep breath as he wiped his sleeve across his face. He walked off of the ship and into the city of Al Zahbi.

The End.

Sealed in Blood

I searched through those caverns for hours.

I didn’t find a single trace of Tarawath or Akeem. Even after the reality of the situation finally sank in, I just couldn’t bring myself to leave those caves without her.

Loss is a devastating thing. Everyone deals with death throughout their lives, but losing Tara was unlike anything else I had ever experienced. She was so much more to me than I ever imagined, and the fact that she was gone now…

Finally forcing myself out of the underground corridors, I eventually found out that the caverns were part of Halvung and the ruins we were in snaked under Mount Zhayolm. I made my way back to Al Zahbi. I stayed there for a few days, waiting and hoping to hear word…of what, I’m not really sure. I just couldn’t go home without her. I found myself losing connection with the reality around me; I’d just drift off thinking about her. All the times we spent together, all the plans we’d made. She was gone and now this was all I had left of her.

That sorrow, that guilt, slowly started to consume me. It wasn’t long before it was all replaced by anger and rage. I had to find Akeem. I knew of only one person who could help me do that. I tucked Tarawath’s Ruby into my pocket and boarded a ship bound for Windurst. It was time to give a visit back to Motai.

Upon returning to Windurst, every single inch of her beautiful landscape reminded me of Tarawath. Everywhere I looked, I could recall some memory. It was too difficult to face anyone; I wasn’t ready to tell the Federation that one of their most beloved stars was extinguished, and that it was all my fault. They trusted me, whether they wanted to or not, and I let them down.

Star Sibyl, especially…she had to have already known.

As I made my way secretly through the back alleys and paths of Windurst, I stopped by the Auction House of Windurst Walls and dropped a small package into the Delivery Box for Doctor Shantotto. Tarawath’s Ruby was inside…she’d know what to do with it. I couldn’t deliver it face-to-face…not now. Not until I had the head of the one who took her life would I offer my own to quell the thirst that I knew the people would have.

After this small detour, I made my way to Motai’s house on the outskirts of Windurst Waters. As far back as his residence was located, there was always some type of citizen wandering near, whether it be some enthused fan of Motai’s magic research, or one of the journalists from the Tarutaru Times. Knowing this, I couldn’t just use the front door, so I snuck in through the back. Motai wasn’t home at the time so I waited.

His place was so neat and nearly empty. He traveled so much that I found it hard to believe he called one single place home. As I walked slowly around, I came to a photo on his desk. It was a picture of two young Elvaan boys and a Tarutaru. One Elvaan was dressed in the trademark green of a Thief, the second from head to toe in the purple mail of the Dragoon. Motai was the Tarutaru, of course, and Akeem and I the Elvaans. The picture was taken so long ago, on the precipice of the La Thiene Plateau cliffs.

“You’ve come to asky-wask me to help you locate Keemie, haven’taru you?” Motai’s voice came floating gently through the air.

I put the picture down. “I didn’t hear you come in.”

“You usually don’taru.”

“I need to know where he is,” I said solemnly. “It’s very important.”

“I just came from Doctor Shantotto’s house.” He spoke quietly as he moved towards me. “…Today’s mail brought some very sad news.”

I thought of nothing at that moment except my revenge. It helped me hold back any tears that I might have left to shed. My entire body was full of flames, but the sadness inside still seemed to quell them. I said nothing.

“Kallo-wallo?” Motai asked as he put his hand on my leg. “…I don’taru…know what to say…”

“Just tell me where he is,” I spoke calmly.

Because of the bond Motai shared with me and my brother, he had formed a very special, magical link with both of us. Though it was stronger in our youth, it has faded since we’ve all parted ways to explore our own worlds and pasts. However, if he tried, he could still discover the general locations of either of us.

“What happened?” he asked.

I clenched my jaw shut tightly and squeezed my eyes closed. I let out a long breath as I remembered to breathe, “…He…he shot her.”

“…No…no Keemie could never…” Motai trailed off for a moment, “…he’d…”

“He did,” I said, as I forced my breathing back to a normal, calm rate. “…He did.”

Motai closed his eyes for a moment; I knew he was concentrating… searching Vana’diel for Akeem’s location. He tilted his head as though he was listening intently to a faint whisper.

“…Where is he?” I asked.

“…He’s waiting for you,” Motai whispered, “in Arrapago Reef.”

I turned swiftly to leave.

“Kallo!” Motai called after me, “…What are you…” He couldn’t bring himself to ask, but I knew what he wanted.

“I’m going to kill him,” I said.

“Thataru won’t bring her back…” I stood still at the back entrance. “…and he’s your brother, Kallo.”

“Not for long… Not anymore,” I said as I vanished into the backwoods of Windurst Waters.

It took another two days before I was back in Aht Urghan. It’s amazing how one strong, overwhelming emotion can dominate your every thought… control your every action and ambition. Even at the time, I think I knew that killing Akeem wouldn’t bring me any satisfaction. I don’t know why I needed it. More than anything, however, I needed…I needed her. He knew where she was. That’s probably the part that ate away at me the most: that he knew where she was. I don’t know if I could’ve saved her, but her last moments should’ve been in my arms… They should’ve been with me. Not with him. He took everything that I had away when he took her. That’s why I needed to find him and that’s why he needed to pay.

I took another boat from Al Zahbi to Nashmau and went straight for the Reef. It didn’t take very long to find him at all. The first dilapidated boat I found, smashed by the rocks of the reef long ago, had a lone figure perched atop it.

“Akeem!” I shouted, the anger in my voice had control of all my extremities.

“I knew you’d find me…Brother.” He spoke without looking at me, “Motai helped you. I told him I was waiting for you.” He stood up and turned to look at me from atop the bow of the ship. “…So how does it feel?” He hopped down onto a large boulder nearly level with the boat and came down closer; he was ground level now but several yards away. “…Not going to talk to me?”

“Where is she?”

“Now that you’ve felt my pain,” he smiled, “we can end this.”

His wrist flicked as he reached for his gun, but my hands were always quicker. Before he could unbuckle the gun strap to pull his sidearm, my hand had already let loose my dagger. Like a blade of grass in the wind it moved quicker than the eye could follow, and with hawk-like precision struck and stuck deep into the shoulder of his trigger-arm. He winced in pain as he grasped the dagger. It took me only a second to close the gap between us. I put one arm on his uninjured shoulder and with my other hand grabbed his hexagun, tossing it over the edge of the reef and shoving him backwards into the hull of the ship.

Akeem wrenched the dagger from his arm and pointed it out towards me; I was prepared though. My other hand flashed my second dagger, quickly lacerating his wrist and disarming the blade. I put my dagger to his throat and he laughed.

“Do it, Brother…” he whispered. “Do it…”

“…Tell me what you did with her…” I spat through my clenched jaw as I pushed the dagger against his neck, drawing a trickle of blood.

“Remember, I said before…” Akeem gasped as the blade pressed against him. “It’s not about winning or losing…” He smiled. “I lied. As much pain as you’ve caused me…” He chuckled. “I’ve done more to you than I ever could have dreamed…”

“Where is she!?” I slammed his body against the hull. He coughed and choked as he laughed at me.

“You’ll never know.” He grinned. “Her death is all your fault…and you’ll never know…and now you’re going to kill your only brother,” he smiled, “the only other person who ever believed in you, who would stand by you until the end…Do it…you’re so goddamn helpless…Do it!!” He tried to push back, but I swatted his arms down, reeled my dagger back and sunk it into his chest. His eyes went wide. I pulled back and then pushed it in again. And again, and again.

Akeem stopped moving after awhile.

I took a few steps backward; the reef was unusually quiet. Akeem’s body lay there broken against the shattered hull of the boat.

At that very moment, as my chest heaved up and down and the adrenaline coursed all through my veins, I had nothing.

My only brother, I had just killed in cold blood.

I couldn’t return to my country – having lost what was most precious to them and to me. They’d want blood.

My love, my reason for living… gone because of my weakness. My failures.

All of this, all of what I had done, all of what I had let unfold – even the death of Faction 5…I was the only one left out of all of it. The fate of so many, sealed in the blood of my dead brother before me.

The Ruby’s Glow.

As sentient beings, we are all creatures of habit. Throughout our life we all face problems, situations and though each occurrence may seem individual and original on its own they all share similarities and they’re all dealt with in similar means. This of course, varies from person to person. Few of us actually realize and identify with this – it takes a certain level of self-awareness to notice and in most cases, even come to terms with it. Those of us that do take notice to these patterns, take notice for a very specific reason. We haven’t always known. Nor did we just wake up one day and have a sudden revelation. No, we make these discoveries in retrospect, looking back on a very specific time, a very specific moment when circumstances force us to act outside of our comfort zone and deal with a problem in a way we had never dreamed.

My brother has become a very different person. Since that day I rescued him from the Oubliette, he has been strange and foreign to me. However, I never once, not even for a moment dreamed I would be the one to send him from this world to the next.

Not until he took the one person who meant more to me then my own life. Once he did that, once he put her in harms way – everything changed. I didn’t even think twice about what I would do to get her back.

I was not about to lose her, not like this. Not after what I’d done to her. I’ve failed her so many times for as long as we’ve known each other, loved each other. But never have I doubted her love for me. There was so much more at stake that I wasn’t even aware of at the time. All rational thought had left my body, all reason and logic was completely devoid – I had only a single objective. I had to get her back, and he had to pay.

“Tell me brother!” Akeem howled down the corridor as he made his way out of the caverns and back into the archaic halls of the Ruins, “How does it feel? Knowing your last words with your beloved kitten tasted so bitter?”

I was seething with so much anger, so much rage I clenched my jaw shut. I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of getting inside my head. As I came around a large bend into an open room of the Ruins I saw Akeem standing at the top of several sets of stairs. I was on a platform surrounded by a large open pit. Below, in the pit were several clear cylindrical tubes descending far down out of sight. Akeem was grinning as he held Tara, she still looked unconscious.

“She’s so beautiful, isn’t she?” Akeem said, “…I never wanted to hurt her. I didn’t. That much you can believe.”

“Then let her go…” I managed to spit out from behind my clenched teeth, “Let’s just settle this, you and me…”

“No, no. I can’t do that…no, no, no…” he half laughed, “This isn’t about settling. It’s not about who wins or loses. This has never been about that. It’s only about losing. I lost. Now you lose. Now, you…you feel what it is I’ve been feeling. All this time…you can feel…you can live with it…” his eyes were like stone, completely fixated on me, “…you think you can do that?”

“…I don’t think I’ll have to…”

Akeem was so focused on me, that he wasn’t aware of what was happening around him. To be honest, I wasn’t either until it was too late. Tarawath wasn’t unconscious at all, and Akeem realized that as the walls beside him began to crack and fracture. The water just on the other side started to seep through and thrash on the outside wildly. His eyes went wide with surprise as Leviathan’s mammoth body slammed hard against it, screeching in anger.

I took this opportunity the instant it opened. I bounded forward halfway up the first set of stairs, landing on the rail with nimble feet – arms to the side for balance I raced forward in very few steps and leapt upward with all my might covering nearly the entire set of stairs. Tarawath’s eyes were open now, she elbowed Akeem in the gut and pushed herself away as I landed on the corner of another railing then propelled myself forward. Akeem leveled his hexagun at me but he wasn’t quick enough. I collided into him, knocking him backwards onto the ground causing his gun to slide away. My hand had never been quicker to the hilt of my dagger – I raised it high just as the clear wall to my right burst open sweeping both of us away. Tarawath nearly lost her balance on the edge of the stairs but Leviathan swept her up. As Akeem and I were washed over the side along with the water we were filtered into one of the tubes. The last thing I saw was the archaic walls of the room shifting and sliding to stop the incoming water. As we were falling I felt a sharp pain in my left, lower back. I felt Akeem’s hand grab my shoulder pulling my body against his as he sank a blade deeper inside of me.

I ground my teeth in pain as I writhed in mid fall. I heard him whisper into my ear.

“Deal with the pain…I’m not going to kill you yet…” he said, “You will feel my pain…my loss…so don’t die on me yet…”

As we fell we passed through several red beams of light and the tube began to widen and flash with more lights. Just as our descent seemed to be at the end we found ourselves in a large dark room I could see the floor coming fast but our bodies suddenly jerked to a stop in the center of the room, as if something was holding us up. The entire room lit up with blue lights and the walls seem to come alive. Archaic gears lined every inch of the wall and started to vibrate and gyrate creating some type of artificial gravity in the room making us weightless. I grabbed Akeem’s hand from my shoulder and with the weightlessness of the room easily threw him over me. I groaned in pain as he had a tight grip on the dagger and it was yanked out of my back.

He seemed to regain his balance very quickly as he landed against one of the gears with quite a bit of grace. Bending his legs in he shot himself off the gear with amazing velocity as he propelled back towards me, bloody dagger readied. Because my reflexes had always been superior to him, and I was able to catch both his wrists in my hands. The fact that he was still a Dragoon made his jumps massive in power and caused both of us to flail uncontrollably through the air until we crashed against the other side of the wall into the gears. He had me pinned me down and was slowly overpowering me as the dagger inched neared and nearer to my face.

“Just a scratch…” he whispered, “I don’t plan on killing you, remember…” he grinned wickedly at me, “But we’ll see how many women you charm without that pretty face of yours…”

I couldn’t seem to overpower him at all, so I let go of his hand and jerked to the side. His strength and momentum caused him to drive the dagger straight through one of the prongs on the gear. It hissed and whirred as power faded from it. The weightlessness of the gravity suddenly changed. Along with a large clump of gears we fell hard toward the floor. I was able to grab a hold of a still functioning gear and swing myself back up, landing somewhat gracefully on a larger gear, through the pain in my lower back nearly caused me to lose my balance. I watched as Akeem hit the ground and the gears toppled down around him. He moaned in brief pain then stood kicking the gears away.

That’s when we both noticed it – several yards away from him was his Hexagun, laying on the ground. He broke into a run. I knew I couldn’t make it there in time, so I decided to try a little improvisation. The gear I was on wobbled a bit under my weight so I stood up and then threw all my weight down causing it to dislodge from it’s place on the wall and crash down past more gears.

They all whirred and whizzed before they shut down, shifting the gravity of the room again. The Hexagun, Akeem and Myself all became weightless once more. As he scrambled through the air towards his fire arm I launched myself off the wall and collided with him in mid air. He flailed past his gun as I reeled my arm back and sank my fist into his lower back.

He recoiled in pain then brought his elbow backwards into the side of my jaw with immense force causing me to loose my grip on him. He spun around and grabbed my harness pulling me back to him as he pushed his fist into my gut, then landed a solid hit against the left side of my face. I pulled my feet up and planted them firmly on his abdomen kicking him away as hard as I could.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t paying attention to where I was kicking him. As he regained his composure he noticed his gun now within arms reach. He grasped it firmly in his hand and took aim at me.

As all this was happening the entire room was bathed in a green aura, before Akeem was able to pull the trigger Garuda came down through the entrance in the ceiling, Tarawath mounted firmly on her back.

The Avian Avatar howled loud as it reared back and then thrust it’s arms and wings forward creating a strong gust of wind that propelled Akeem against the wall of gears with a loud thud. His body went limp and he lost grip on the Hexagun. The gravity too, was once again altered as he slowly drifted toward the floor and I also began to ascend.

As I touched down lightly on the ground Akeem’s limp body landed softly as well. Garuda touched down and Tarawath climbed off.

I turned to her instantly, but before I could take another step…

“Kallo watch out!”

The entire room rattled with the sound of gun shot. I felt my back explode with pain, my chest erupted in anguish as my entire body was lit a blaze! I turned to glance over my shoulder and Akeem was on his knees, Hexagun in hand, the barrel smoking. My eyes started to blur from the agony. Then, however, it slowly began to numb away. There was a soft glow in Tarawath’s direction. I looked down at my chest as the wounds closed and the skin faded back to normal. The pain quickly receded, but I found myself suddenly very winded and short of breath as I collapsed to the ground.

Akeem growled, “Those shots weren’t meant for you…” he stood up and walked towards me. Tarawath closed her eyes and put her hands together. Garuda howled again as she began to glow with power.

“Shut up!” Akeem pointed his Hexagun at Garuda and a burst of Ice exploded from the barrel and blasted the avatar. She was thrown back against the wall of broken gears as she winced in pain and slowly faded away.

Just as I was about to stand Akeem grabbed me by the hair and pulled me up, “I need you to stay down for a moment…” he kneed me in the stomach, pulled me back up straight and slammed the hilt of his hexagun down onto my face before dropping me to the floor, spattering blood out. “And now you darling…” he walked towards Tarawath.

“Get the hell away from me…” she hissed.

As he reached for her arm she swatted it down and delivered a nasty hook. His head snapped to the side and he spat red onto the ground. He growled and swung his arm at her but she ducked under the swipe with ease and planted another of her small Mithran fists against his chest. He coughed and staggered back in surprise.

Tarawath put her hands together concentrating deeply, but rushing her casting. A large dark, shadow-encrusted emblem of the moon appeared on the floor as a large canine began to emerge and take form.

“Aarg…not this time!” Akeem raised his Hexagun, aiming right for Tarawath.

“Tara!” I shouted as I reached out in vain.

The barrel of the gun exploded! The single shot rained through the room as my lover’s eyes shot wide open. They were filled with such surprise and electricity, as she staggered back they slowly began to drain of all emotion and life. She looked down her hands covered in red as she fell to her knees.

Akeem smiled as he glanced over in my direction, “Do you feel—”  the room suddenly started to shake and stir throwing everyone’s balance off. The still functioning gears all around us started to fail and fall away.

“Tara!” I called out to her as the entire room seemed to vibrate. She seemed so disconnected, she looked around blankly. Her eyes met mine for only a brief second, her lips began to form some words – but at that moment the floor all around us opened up and she vanished, as did Akeem. Before I could move, I too was suddenly descending down some long twisting passage. It didn’t last nearly as long as the previous fall. I landed on the hard, rocky ground of an underground passage.

I scrambled around pushing myself to my feet, breathing hard, still in a complete panic. My surroundings, the situation – it all began to slowly set in. Everything was so quiet…so still…I heard nothing. My entire body felt so weak, my knees wanted to give out. I wanted to just give up.

“Tara…” I whimpered. That look in her eyes. That emptiness. “No! …no…Tara!” I shouted. I heard nothing. I started to walk around the corridor carefully, there was no way those drops in the floor could’ve been that far away.

I was suddenly yanked back to reality as the entire halls of these caves was rocked by the sound of gunshot. I stood completely still, dreading the worst. Then I heard another shot followed by a faint heckling. Something told me he hadn’t found her first – even if he did…as much as it hurt to think about it, he would want to kill her in front of me. I just knew it.

“Kallo?” a voice suddenly appeared in my head, “Come to the north Kallo…she needs you…” I recognized the voice.

It had to have been Carbuncle, he was trying to lead me to Tarawath. I closed my eyes and everything slowly stood still, as though it was locked in stasis. The dust falling from the walls stood still, the water trickling down froze. As everything around me seemed to stop I took off with incredible speed as a I fled through the caverns in the direction I was being called too.

After a few seconds my surroundings began to speed back up as I slowed down and the world around be returned to normal. As I rounded a corner, I saw her…my stomach turned over, my gut sank and my heart broke.

Haphazardly strewn about the ground in a thick puddle of standing water and her own blood lay the limp body of my Tarawath. I quickly knelt down beside her gently turning her over. Her hair was matted to her face with blood.

“…Tara?” I whispered as I carefully pulled her into my lap.

There was silence around me save for the dripping water from the ceiling.

“…Tara?” I rocked her gently in my arms, nudging her body. “T-tara?” my eyes started to blurred from the tears I was holding back, “Wake up, baby…please…” I pulled her closer to my body, “I need…” I started to gasp for air, my chest was tightening up, “I need you…” I whispered as I held her closer, “Please…please don’t leave me…”

“…tiger…?” her lips barely parted as she spoke softly.

“Tara! Oh, thank Atlana…oh, god…” I put my hand on her wound, applying pressure as best as I could. My heart was racing so hard, so fast. The desperate thumping was deafening to me. Accompanied by her pale, shallow breaths. I pushed her bangs out of her eyes and she looked up at me, just like she did every morning she woke up back in Windurst.

“…you haven’t looked at me like that in a long time…” I whispered, my lips quivering as I held back tears.

She smiled softly, then winced in deep pain.

The silence was quickly shattered as the caverns were lit by the sound of gun powder igniting. I pulled Tarawath closer to me as though to shield her from the menacing cackles of Akeem, his voice could be heard a bit clearer now as the gun shots disturbed the caves.

“Here kitty, kitty, kitties!” he crowed, “Come out, come out wherever you are!”

My attention was brought quickly back to Tarawath as I felt her cold, shivering hand touch my cheek, “Kallo…” she spoke shakily as she gasped for air, “…please, y-you need to go…” the words she spoke were so soft. “…please…leave me and go…” her eyes were so peaceful.

I pulled her closer to me and kissed the top of her head, “You know I’d never do that.” I whispered, trying to be calm but she could easily hear the fear in my voice.

She smiled weakly, she tried to laugh but didn’t have the strength, “Liar.” She grasped my hand and gripped it tightly, “You just can’t…c-can’t…can’t flee so quick…after doing it once…” her words slowly dwindled and trailed off as her breathing became more shallow.

I tried to laugh with her, but it was all to apparent in the tears I was trying to hold back that I was weeping instead. Her grip began to fade on my hand, I shook her gently as I stared down into her eyes, she grabbed my arm tightly as her body convulsed. She tried to whisper again, but her lips produced no sound.

I could still read what she had said, “…please. Go.” I shook my head, and at that time noticed the gun shots had stopped. In their place I heard the presence of boots splashing through puddles of water that had collected on the ground of the cavern.

I swallowed as hard as I could, but my mouth was so dry. I wiped the tears from my face. “I am coming back for you…” I said, clenching my jaw tight. “I promise…”

She nodded as she closed her eyes.

Letting go of her in that moment, was the toughest thing I’ve ever had to do. It was also the worst moment I’ve ever felt. I knew at that time I was letting go of a piece of my life that I could not live without.

As I set her down and stood up straight, I turned to where I thought the source of the sound was coming from. I drew my daggers, gave one last look at Tarawath…she was so silent, so peaceful…I could barely see her chest rising. I had to tear my eyes away from her and even though my body felt like it weighed a million tons…I forced my legs to carry me away from her.

The funny thing about enclosed spaces like this, is that sounds can play nasty tricks on you. One moment the boot steps can seem like they’re right around the bend. The next second…

There is a gun shot from the direction you just came…

In the brief few seconds it took me to get back to where I left her, our entire life flashed before my eyes.

When we first met, I came across her in Tahrongi Canyon. She was training against Yagudo’s using only her fists. Not many people know about that. Tarawath Jayles, the Great Summoner of Windurst started out as a Monk.

Our first trip together to Jeuno through the Merphitaud Mountains. She was so worried and concerned for me, she wouldn’t let me get three steps ahead of her unless I was silent, invisible and deodorized.

The many nights we spent sitting on the docks in Norg, seeing who could skip the pebbles closest to the docking boats after just getting lost in Sea Serpent Grotto.

The time we faced off against Shiva – before her and Tarawath pledged an eternal bond to each other.

The night I proposed to her, sitting behind the Rhinostery in Windurst Waters…always in the glow of the flowers.

I collapsed down where her body should have been. I fell to my hands as I wept, my tears adding to the pool of her blood. I caught a small glint of red out of the corner of my eye. My hand sought it out, trembling I picked it up and opened my palm.

It was her necklace…her Carbuncle’s Ruby.

It’s glow was gone.