#((woke up to find Stone Ocean was confirmed and rushed to draw this)) | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

rasenkaikyo · 7 years

Text

Scatter

The gentle flame of a candle broke through an all-encompassing darkness before her. Beyond the veil at the limit of the candle’s light, the hull’s gentle creaking permeated as it rocked in the sea. The scent of salt and wood were abundantly clear as the Raen took it in for soft moment, before she turned her gaze back to a piece of paper, held delicately in her hands.

She was ever fond of folding paper into forms and shapes, of flowers and birds, to take her mind off any unease of the moment.

She continued this for a while, as she kept her peace beneath the deck of the small hours. It wasn’t until the shuffle of approaching steps that she broke her concentration - she grabbed her candle and raised it to meet that of a standing older gentleman, dressed in subdued robes not unlike her own. “<Lady Daigo? Is aught amiss?>” The hyur inquired. He was a welcome face.

Hinako smiled up at him, then gently shook her head. “<Motouji... No, there is nothing of the sort. I suppose I simply cannot sleep.>”

She carefully set her candle down on the floor while Motouji placed his beside, settling cross-legged opposite the lady. “<You, as well?>” Motouji would ask, ever thoughtful in tone. “<It is not the rocking of the ocean that uneases you, is it?>”

“I can neither confirm nor deny that,” Hinako quipped, maintaining a hushed tone. She glanced over to a small animal, a tapir, slumbering at her side as she patted it gently. Her eyes, the brilliant pink against the light of the flames, were ever warm yet pensive.

“<You can feel it, though, yes?>” she added. “<This presence of mono unlike that which I have ever felt back in Doma, and it has been growing ever more intense by the passing bell.>”

”<Yes,>” Motouji nodded. ”<I am told that it is not unheard of for outsiders to these lands are wont to experience distinct changes in the air around them; almost oppressive. Indeed, Eorzea draws near.>”

Hinako watched the candles’ flames flutter in the dark. She could hear the low rumble of thunder from beyond the ship, and the patter of rain beginning to grace the hull. “<We have come so far, all of us... The heavens have blessed us that we would arrive, be it on a merchant ship.>

“<It will not be much longer now,>” Motouji said. “We are expected to arrive before sunrise at a coastal settlement called ‘Vesper Bay’ -- as our countrymen before us have done. Beyond that is the prospering city of Ul’dah, although word has it that they do not take kindly to refugees.>”

Hinako slowly nodded back. “<Like Hingashi, like Radz-at-Han. No, I know this will be different. Even if this city of ‘Urudaa’ does not take us in, we shall find another place among the land. If Eorzea enjoys as much freedom from the Empire as to believed, then I am certain there will be a way.>”

Finally, Hinako’s gazed locked back with Motouji as she added, “<Perhaps we can finally stop wearing these uncomfortable cowls, as well.>”

Motouji chuckled, bemused. “<Ah, yes, they are quite ratty, aren’t they? We will, most certainly. We just need to keep fa--”

A heavy, booming sound burst through the ambience. Too sharp to be thunder.

A crash. Hinako’s tapir woke with a start.

Cacophony rained from above as the sounds of shouts and hurried footsteps quickly came to the awareness of Hinako and Motouji. They bolted to kneel as the hatch to the hold opened wide. A man’s voice rang out: “OI! We ‘ave a brigand problem out ‘ere!!! You easterners bes’ stay in there if ye wanna stay safe, we can ‘andle this!!” The hatch slammed shut thereafter.

Hinako and Motouji returned looks to each other: hers was stern, his at unease but nonetheless in compliance. Exchanging nods, they snuffed out their candlelight.

Hinako rose out on to the deck, her staff in one hand and her tapir underneath her opposite arm. Outside, there was no indication of safety. The rains were coming down harder as chaos reigned on board, the crew manning cannons against a foreign vessel off of portside. Iron balls flew past, some crashing against the hull. Men were wounded, and Hinako rushed to a man to offer her aid.

The ragged man groaned, “What are ye, a healer...? Ye shouldn’t be out here...!” Hinako merely uttered a near-silent cant as she emitted a white light against the man’s wound. Looking up, she could see that the enemy was looming closer, attempting to board. She could see the men against the void as lightning crashed in the sky; brutish men, with painted faces...

Blades clashed. Shots were fired. Hinako rose and shifted her stance, biting her lip. They were so close. How were they going to get out of this with their lives? She could not mull over their options for long as she gazed upon a man, one of the pirates, coming over the rail. They made eye-contact; his eyes as a man driven mad.

She held Bakusan close to her bosom and closed her eyes. Now was not the time for doubts. She needed to clear her mind.

“Arai,” she uttered. In an instant, an aggressive jet of water burst forth from Hinako and hit the man dead on, sending him reeling back and tumbling onto the ship from whence he came. As she could see the man attempt to right back up, Hinako neared closer. “Jishin,” she said next as she swung her cane out, lobbing a conjured stone and hitting the man square in the face. With a surprised grunt, the man fell to the deck, out cold.

She had little time to react for another raging brute swinging out at her from her flank, but a third force caught them both unawares, slashing the pirate across the torso and knocking him back. Hinako gasped, “Kaya!”

The young shinobi nodded in affirmation. She was rattled but tried to maintain her confidence. “<We’re going to see this to the end, Lady Daigo! These savages mean nothing!!>” With that, she bolted forward to confront another brigand.

Hinako sighed and closed her eyes. “<Grant mine and my own your earthen protection...>” Her skin briefly felt hardened, and Kaya could feel the same. Hinako could only take a couple of paces forward when another shout broke out amidst the chaos. “FIRE BENEATH TH’ DECK!”

“SEVEN HELLS! ABANDON SHIP!”

“HINAKO!!”

She barely had time to process before the explosion. Gunpowder?!

Time seemed to slow down, everything growing silent. The wind bore against her body as she tumbled in the air.

Lower La Noscea, Cedarwood

A farmer at the Red Rooster Stead, risen early for the today, stretched at a cliff face. “Ugh, bloody winds, today....”

The sea wolf looked out at the land and the sea beyond. Squinting, something caught his attention -- “What in the...” A light out in the horizon, flickered brightly against the grey skies of early twilight. He gestured, “Uhh, hey lads? Are ye seein’ this?”

A lalafell hoisted himself to join the roegadyn and looked outward. “...Oh, Navigator forfend. Surely, that’s a fire out at sea! That can only mean...”

The sea wolf farmer nodded. “Aye. We need t’ get the Yellow Jackets, an’ now. We might be dealin’ with pirates. Let’s move!”

Eastern La Noscea, Bloodshore

Rain continued to fall as agitated waters lapped against the beach. A water-logged Hinako staggered onto the sand, Bakusan following close behind. She staked her cane in the ground as she fell to her knees. She clutched a piece of wood lodged off-center in her gut. Her energy waning, her world growing dark, she strained to once utter an old cant amidst labored breaths. Her life depended on this one last spell.

“<B-...Baku... forgive...>” Finally, she fell to her side and rested in the wet sands, as the waters crashed around her. Bakusan could but nudge her gently, before beginning to squeak, crying out among the waves.

#ffxiv #final fantasy xiv #ffxiv rp #balmung #au ra #hinako daigo #writing #non-canon

10 notes · View notes