Legacy of the White Starcallers

The following is a write-up of a planned story arc, but has since been classed as an Alternate Timeline. Even so, we recognise the effort that has gone into writing such a piece.

**"If you have discovered these scriptures, you have perhaps learned of the one Valkyrie who must remain a mystery. The traitor in our midst, who sought to tear Eorzea apart.**

**We know she meant well... But we still had to kill her.**

**Her name was Aviel, and this is her final story..."**

###

## She began having dreams.

I remember fondly the day that she came to us after a long week of nightmares. She insisted in staying with me in the hopes we could work out what exactly was wrong with her. She was never truly the same after Alexander; It was if she had been shown something. She kept going on about there being a greater meaning to her power than Mhach and Amdapor, and that it came from somewhere beyond our understanding.

Despite that we ignored it, best will to the girl, but we had more pressing matters than the dreams of a child. Even someone as special as her.

She screamed at us, yelling that "All you see me as is a tool to fix your problems and naught else! But no more! I tire of being seen as an impulsive brat with nothing to offer other than my strength! I'll show you... I'll show you all.."

She stormed away, and once again we paid it no mind, her strops didn't last much more than a day, and Vell was usually capable of finding her sulking or playing with Paz.

***She went missing for a whole month.***

## She was a hard woman to find.

When Vell came to us in a panic, we immediately set to scouring the city states for her. But to no avail, she managed to elude us for a worrying amount of time. Having to explain to the grand companies we'd effectively lost a weapon on par with the majesty of Omega or Ultima and had no idea where it had gone was definitely a difficult conversation to have, yet they still aided in the search.

The homeless spoke of whispers of a miqo'te shrouded in a vile otherworldly presence wandering the sapphire avenue exchange. But we still had naught to go on. It was only until an amputee recovered a limb and another was brought back from the throes of death that we knew it could be her. Unless a new magus had entered the fray..

Another group of highborns saw a woman draped in a bizarre attire lurking around The Fury's Mercy. Not causing any trouble, but acting rather suspiciously. We figured that might have been her. Aviel's choice of gear always was on the outlandish side..

She had us running in circles, and yet she knew exactly where we were..

## She found herself her Faithful.

Those of us with a disposition to that of the light found ourselves meeting with bizarre folk in Western Coerthas. They claimed that Aviel had reached out to their.. They called him their Shade Lord? In the hopes of gaining even more power than she already had. Claiming that they answered to a god that surpassed anything we'd seen beyond The Twelve and the Dual Gods.

"***The Depths greet you Heroes.***

***We desire commune with you, and wish to propose an arrangement that benefits us both.***

***Come alone to this location, our Slave Warden and her Shade Lord requests audience. Are you of the disposition to refuse a chance at your hearts desire?***

***From the Space between, into his embrace we come."***

Lead to a place we'd never seen before, A person called Anjean, who called herself the Slave Warden lead us into a sanctum filled with what looked like cultists, however something was horribly wrong with all their faces. It looked as if they had been scathed by a pitch black venom, that snaked all over their bodies. But the way she talked about them, it seemed as if they were a cadre of Black Mages, with heirarchies akin to that of Mhach. She had a use for all of them, and insisted we join in a Pitch Ritual.. Hesitantly we came to observe.

She stood at the off centre of a circle, met with thunderous applause from the other people in the amphitheatre.

"My faithful! We find ourselves playing audience to the Valkyries of Light this accursed eve! And we have something equally special for them to bear witness to... For our Shade Lord has revealed themselves at long last..."

There was murmuring throughout the stands, members old and new looked confused, some even looked worried. We felt ourselves growing strangely uneasy. A new faction has been discovered with impressive numbers and coordination, and they had no commander..

"Introducing.. Shade Lord Danetchi!"

A dark energy folded around the circle, as if it was clawing itself from formlessness, and took the form of.. Her. Drenched in what we could only assume was condensed black aether, she raised her hands up and the entire ampitheatre erupted in applause and screaming, everyone was so delighted to see her. The closest stretched out to try and touch her, and she brushed her darkness cloaked vestments over them, and they became even more excited. She then turned to us, we were still very noticeably on edge. The entire room fell silent as she made a hushing motion, and everyone suddenly went deathly silent.

"My beloved faithful.. How happy I am to see you all here, ready I presume to bear witness to all your tireless work.." Her voice was like silk, dulcet and soothing, but we remained hesitant.

"Tonight, as my dearest Warden told you, we have a part to perform. Our covenant has done a great number of feats for the downtrodden. Ones hearts desire for ones servitude to our goal. Bringing back loved ones, all by the grace of our benevolent god. I dare speak his name.. Nulra."

"Who?" We whispered amongst ourselves, a new primal entered the fray? A powerful mage? What was it, we shuddered to think. It was at that moment, the Shade Lord jerked her head in our direction, and started walking towards us, slowly. The deep energy slithering in tow, she stopped just in front of us. The tendrils around her looked as if it was about to decimate us just for speaking out of turn.

“From the space between, the voice calls out to you. caressing the very depths of your core. But it won’t shake you, for it should be very familiar. The voice is one with you, with all. Nulra. The one who waits beyond the veil. For those who dare to seek him, he shall grant your deepest desire…”

**"FROM THE SPACE BETWEEN, INTO HIS EMBRACE WE COME"** The faithful yelled out in unison. And with that, a few dozen cultists immediately dropped to the floor, as the summoning circle began to glow gold, and the entire structure began to tremble, and something horrific began to form in the centre of the room. As more people began to drop like flies, we snatched back our weapons, and our paladin stormed our path ahead to escape. The Shade lord smirked, and moved back towards the centre of the room, as she began to cackle maniacally, we looked only ahead, as we ran to escape the encroaching darkness. Before a mana eruption began to envelop the entire compound, we prayed and hoped we cleared the explosion in time, as everything began to grow dark.

I found a chronicler amongst the dead. It seems he was archiving what he saw in a hopes they'd be able to formulate some form of counterattack, doubtless not the only one. I looked back to the centre of the summoning circle, the figure at the centre kicked away the corpses, and walked towards me. Draped in a tattered cloak of pitch and rich violet, it was flawless, and yet gratuitously flawed. I found myself uneasy, but it was more akin to bearing witness to a primal, something i've done a dozen times before, but this one felt different. This one was of my flesh.

"You... must be Nulra?" I asked him, ears admittedly twitching nervously.

"My evoker is smart... Correct, I am the fearful reflection. As the faithful called it, the one who walks beyond the pitch."

"Anjean said this was the first step to truly understanding my dreams. It seems excessive. This is the work of the beast tribes, how are we so different?"

"Those that died lived their lives, happy with what they had achieved. What they provide in their passing is consummately more important. The fuel to your fire, the flame that consumeth the stars."

"But is this the way it should be? Surely we can bring people to our cause by granting th-" Nulra grabbed my hand, the one that clutched by twinstaff, the hand that was currently drenched with sweat. I didn't think I was that scared of him... I squeaked in shock as he did.

"The flock has rejected reason, we granted the carrot, and those that obeyed obeyed. But those that won't require the stick." His grip tightened, and I felt it burn slightly as it made my glowing implants splutter purple. I looked up to him, psyching myself up and blinking a few times to regain my composure, he acknowledged the surety in my eyes in that instant.

***"Good. Then let's get to work."***

## She found herself her Heirs.

Those of us with a disposition to the dark (What a nebulous term that be) were called to a location we didn't expect even existed. When the heavens fell and Dalamud shattered asunder under the might of Bahamut, multiple Ragnarok-class internment hulks crashed into Eorzea, that we knew. And while most were unreachable, we knew there were two boreholes in Castrum Occidens and Dalamud's Shadow. But there was apparently another that crashed down at the foot of Ablathia's Skull in Gyr Abania. The Tomeliths stated that this hulk was a suppository for the research facilities employed on the red moon, classification "Scrapyard"

"***The Radiance calls to you Hero.***

***You are summoned to stand at our council, and join a cadre that seeks the same ends as you. Bear no arms and arrive at this place, our Iudex Solaris and her Solar Queen will be your presenters. Your attendance is of our utmost desire. And your discretion will be rewarded further still.***

***Fragments of stars shall burn all, and in her hands we are safe."***

Once again scattered and without a leader, we met with their contact. The so-called Iudex Solaris Embrose. She was a young Auri woman, but she appeared beholden to no known clan, and more to that, her horns were plated gold, but the process looked unnaturally organic, as if she had always been this way. She lead us through the facility, which seemed to be mostly restored. Likely due to the replete store of tomestones pertaining to any maintenance to be carried out on the ship in the event of a crash. It was fitted out with an armoury, living quarters, recreational zones and myriad others. A person could live the rest of their life if they chose, though we posited they didn't have that choice.

"Yes Aviel came to us, truly she casts as great a shadow as she does the light. It seems you Valkyries adopt a similar principle no?" she stared intently at Artair, the most familiar with the void amongst us, he got noticeably uneasy, not saying a word. Embrose continued on.

"Our flameseekers aided Aviel on her way, our finest artisans providing her with something more befitting her brilliance. What a special girl she was.. 'Twas a pity she had to depart so soon. But alas, her aspirations are lofty."

"Her aspirations?" I spoke up, Embrose looked stared at me, confused and seemed surprised I wasn't aware.

"Why yes, she discussed many of her ideas with your leader, and many of your company. Or at least, that's what she told me.." We knew she was correct, and she had myriad plans for all of us, and we time after time ignored them. Thinking them the prattling of a child. My face must have said that exact thing because Embrose shook her head, disappointed. She lead us further into what looked like a court, akin to those in the Holy See.

Stood on every panel were men and women with golden wires snaking up their bodies, similar in vein to the allagan tombstones designs, and it seemed as if we were the ones to be judged. Embrose took her place, but not at the centre of the podium, but off to the side.

"My Sunbreakers, my Beacons and loyal Solastrates! These Silver Valkyries come seeking our beloved friend Aviel Usadan, who I know aided so many of us in her short stay here. Alas we know not where it is where she went. But fret not, we do know one among us who does.... Step forward."

Thrown onto the ground was a peasant, presumably ul'dahn in origin. His leg and arms were both draped in golden power.

"This firefly was blessed by the touch of the great Starcaller, and knows where it is she went. Don't you little one?" The peasant nodded, and Embrose got frustrated. "SPEAK! Before your Iudex!"

"Yes your Radiance! She traversed the wild lands of Ilsabard to singlehandedly topple the garlean empire!" We stood there stunned, there was no way she'd go on a suicide mission like that without even a mote of backup. "She has reached a new pillar of strength and will burn the skies in order to save her heirs!"

"That. I. Will." a new voice thundered out, as all the light in the room converged on one spot. Next to Embrose a figure began to form, clad in gold and wielding a large blazing hammer, a miqo'te woman took her place next to the Iudex.

"Bow before her, for she calls upon that which ignites our hearts and souls. Solar Queen Usa!" A very restrained applause rattled through the court, before she jumped down to the peasant, who knelt in respect.

"I never did get to thank you.. for what you did Your Majesty.."

"Your gratitude is one thing little one, but your loyalty wavers in my presence... Why so?" her grip tightened on her weapon as she held the peasants chin in her hand, elevating his gaze.

"I-its because I was approached by Morga-" His sentence was immediately cut off as she smashed the hammer directly down onto his skull with seemingly no windup, killing him instantly. The impact shook the entire room, splattering viscera and blood all over the nearby walls and over our entire retinue. One of our newest screamed out in abject horror.

"Never mention that name in my presence...." She lifted the hammer, and it ignited, scorching off the residue before quickly dispelling. She then turned her gaze to us, us dark Valkyries. Our shadows cast would pale in the might of the queen, we knew full well she could easily extinguish any one of us without breaking a sweat.

"And you... Her dark defenders.. You answered my summons?" She looked over each one of us, wether she was gauging our power or deciding who to execute first we weren't sure.. Eventually one of us spoke up.

"We came seeking Aviel, The Light Valkyries followed one lead, and we took this one. She covered her tracks well."

"Maybe she didn't desire to be pursued, knowing that someone would try to stop her.." Usa looked away, and as she did, one of us was about to say her name as if to fill the blank. But as the air left her lips, nary a second passed before the hammer erupted in a fount of light, blunt edge pointed directly at the source of the sound, and she immediately silenced herself. Stifling tears, knowing she could have easily died in an instant. "Well done little one, you'd make a very obedient little Firefly.." The energy once again dissipated almost immediately, this girl seemed to straddle the line of tranquility and an unrelenting firestorm. Gods was it horrifying...

"We did not come here to humour you Solar Queen Usa, we came looking for Aviel. So either you tell us where she is or we'll force the information out of you." another valkyrie spoke up, and immediately she stared down this one with that same bloodrage.

"I actually brought you here to aid in a pact. You see, Aviel seeks the power of the great Ancient Entities of the Celestial Triad. Three gods from which her power derides, and it is through her the ultimate lifeform will be born, but we need creatures who straddle the line of the dark in order to do so. Your lives will be forfeited but.. I don't really care. You forced me to do this."

"Wait, we don't.. but that means that.. if we forc-"

“Fragments of stars burn in her footsteps. She is bright, blisteringly so. To gaze upon her is to bear witness to the sun itself, its infinite majesty. But while the sun may feed your crops and sustain life as we know it, She is not kind. She will not aid, everything will burn in her presence. Rayzandra, the forbidden and sacred sunlight.”

The pieces began to fit together for those who knew her, but by then it was too late. Artair and Dawn yelled out in a flurried panic, as the chorus joined the Queen in unison

"AVIEL NO DON'T DO IT"

**"FRAGMENTS OF STARS BURN IN HER FOOTSTEPS, AND IN HER HANDS WE ARE SAFE"**

It felt as if time slowed down, as the room was engulfed in a blistering light. Dawn ripped a tear in the abyss to shield the valkyries, but even so it began to falter under the intense Astral overcharge. It was sheer agony for any of us to open our eyes; and when the energy finally dispersed, it felt as if we had forgotten what it had meant to be able to see. The court was a wreck, all the structures had been ripped to shreds, and the number of people still alive was a scant number compared to what they were previously, as the pews were lined with corpses; riddled with deep gashes and scars, all burned and scorched shut. And in the centre, next to the queen, stood a creature of pure light. We had to squint just to get a rough idea of what it was, but all we knew was we needed to get the hells out of there fast. We began to pick the injured up, and fired a flood of dark energy in a line towards the door. I poised myself to fight, but Aviel just stared at me, as if she wanted me to escape, she was grinning.

"The work is done Valkyrie. Go warn your master. Because i'm coming for you all... You who stood in my way.." The abyss erupted from my body, whipping and folding around my blade, before crashing out of my blade directly towards Aviel. She raised her hand, and it collided with her with an intense impact, and yet she barely flinched. Worse still, it seemed to react with her. She drew it into herself, and it seemed as if she was emboldened from it. A spell to rot armour and flood them with the abyss, taught to me by the greatest dark knight among us, Artair Aldwyn. And yet it barely dented her.

"If it weren't for the fact that I am one with the dark as much as I am the light... That might just've worked." She brushed off her shoulder, and looked back over to me, grinning a vile grin. "But of course, I invite you to stop me, little swordsman."

"If not me.. Morgana Browne will stop you. At least my allies will escape safely.." I sighed despondently, as I charged all my power I could into my blade, and rushed towards her, roaring with all my might.

Oh how he tried... A truely effective Dark-Knight if ever I knew one. I cut him down in a single slice, he didn't even scratch me. I'd almost commend his bravery, if only he was on my side... I looked over to my left, and she smiled back at me. Unlike Nulra she seemed kinder, not as firm or intense as he was, even if she did strain these eyes to look at a bit, wouldn't have gone amiss for the Heirs to put a visor into this circlet..

"Rayzandra.. It really is you."

"Little Aviel, how long I have waited for you to finally bring me from the whispers of the lifestream."

"You've known about me, for how long?"

"It was written so, that a child such as yourself would have her potential realised, and squandered by a woman clad in silver." I snarled, I knew who she spoke of.

"Morgana Browne.."

"The vaunted Warrior of Light, yes. A title unworthy of someone when another such as yourself, glows like the brightest flame."

"But what do we do now? I summoned both of you, that's as far as I understood from the vis-" Her hands clasped mine

"The pieces are in motion child, all we do now, is gather our forces for the final summoning..."

***"No. There's one more thing that must needs be done..."***

## Her arts were most foul.

Those of us that had braved the onslaught wrought by the Shade Lord and the Solar Queen, managed to crawl our ways back to the Mist. Most of us were pulled from wreckage by those who were lucky to not have two yalms of rubble smashed on top of us. When we got back, we were immediately rushed to the Chirugeons and questioned by the commanding officers. Morgana forefronted the questioning.

"And you say they were both Miqo'te women?"

"Hard to say, but it looked like she wasn't any older than twenty summers"

"Same here, The Queen looked too young to be a monarch"

We pondered over it for many hours, well into the late hours of the evening. Many of us were sprawled out over the couches and sofa's in Her Embrace's Lobby. Morgana remained awake, tending to those of us who remained in a state of disrepair.

As all went still and quiet, and the rain began to fall. A lone figure shambled towards the house, draped in an horrific aura. Morgana pricked up and immediately sensed the imbalance and headed outside to see what it was. What she saw shook her to her core...

It was a young woman, not much older than herself, holding a distinct looking flower in one hand, and using a twinstaff as a crutch, she edged ever closer, before looking up at the lady of light. She rasped something as Morgana rushed over to help.

"Into his embrace we come.."

"Don't try to speak! You're very hurt.. Oh gods what happened to you?" she looked over the young woman more, it looked as if she had been clawed at by a void sent, and yet she also seemed to be surging with light energy, she looked over to her hand and the flower looked that much more familiar..

"You... You're a Starcaller..." she drew her weapon almost immediately, Lily burst out in a flash of light. The Starcaller began chanting again, as if entering an emboldened state.

*"I call out to the skies, as they tremble under the brilliance of a thousand bolts of accursed sunlight. May they brand my foe as one of her own, tethering her life to another. Let the Voidlight encroach her body, and make her ignite like the sun itself!"* As the incantation ended, she crushed the flower in her hand, and blew it in the direction of Morgana, letting its dust rest on her body. The rain stopped midair, as the world stood still for a split second. The girl surged with energy, and dropped dead right in front of her, as if the explosion she was supposed to emit collapsed in on itself. Morgana sheathed her tome before going to look over the body, before finding a collection of scars on her chest. Someone had scored something into this poor girl, and sent her the way of the valkyries. The words said:

**"The Blood Lily will Bloom from your flesh..."**

The girl was confirmed dead later that night by coroners. With it happening in the housing wards, if it wasn't for the fact Morgana's status was so prestigious, she probably would have been blamed for her death. Once again she seemed to dodge another bullet. The girl's scars weighed heavy on her mind regardless; Was Aviel trying to send her a message? And what was with the dust? All questions to be answered another day, she'd earned a mote of rest.

The air was stagnant that night, and dry. It made my throat coarse and rough, like a dull but ever present sandstorm, but not a fleck in sight. I looked back towards my newly captured charge. The girl whimpered and wept, stifled mostly by the gag in her mouth. I felt that stirring again, that sickly joy. I'll concede I was still somewhat repulsed by it, but it was something that deeply caressed me, some vile orgasmic joy that came from bending one to my will..

"I'm sure this must all be very confusing for you my little blossom. I do apologise for how firm they were with you. They know naught of courtesy" I removed her restraints and took the gag out of her mouth, but immediately pursed her lips to immediately silence her. Upon touching them they were warm, soft and gentle. I knelt down to her level, and was eye to eye with the girl. She must have been about my age, nary twenty summers.

"Who are you?" She spluttered out, spoken as if she hadn't spoken in days.

"I am Aviel, who are you?" My ears twitched, why did I care who she was? All she is is a means of sending a mess- actually now that I think of it, Rayzandra said a profusion must be willing, maybe there's merit to building trust..

"I.. i'm Yssi" She looked away from me, likely out of fear.

"Tell me Yssi, what do you know of the Warrior of Light?" I moved from a kneeling position to a cross-legged state. staring directly at her, our gazes met again. Her eyes were a piercing crystal blue.

"I know she lays gods low, to keep us all safe, beloved by all the people of Aldenard" I nodded in resigned agreement, hate her as I may, I can't deny she has done many a feat.

"Well, you know I used to fight alongside her.. Those days are past me now."

"Then what do you need me for?"

**"You'll see."**

## We Corrupted her Weapon.

At first came the whispers, something that shook her to the core, and writhed around like some otherworldly presence. A cold sweat slowly began to creep over her body, one that made her nerve endings feel weak and paralysed, like having woken up from an exhaustion-induced nap. Leant over her resting body, was an incandescent creature. It smiled a sickly smile that reached from proverbial cheek to proverbial cheek. Morgana shifted and turned in her sleep, as the crystal dust began to settle into her skin, giving her a glinting complexion, hissing and steaming as it went. What could be presumed were hands ran over Morgana’s figure, restrained; like trying to touch something that could shatter at the slightest disturbance.

As it was Windsday it was my job to ensure Azure Wings was maintained. She liked her home to be tidy, yet unkempt. Especially considering she was so busy with caring for all our needs, we felt it fair to do unto her the same. I was polishing her desk, when I heard an anguished yell come from her bathroom, I rushed to see what it was. And what I saw was morgana, barely covering herself with her robe, crackling with golden energy, her complexion firing off beads of light like a prism.

“STAY BACK!!” She roared at me, both eyes glowing a fierce rose gold. I leapt back in shock as I clutched the hilt of my blade, braced and ready for what could come next. Her neck jerked and her entire body contorted in wild motions, and she began to laugh, but it wasn’t just her voice I heard, others rushed over in response to the commotion.

“What’s happening? We heard yelling!” Morgana continued to writhe under the searing pain she was feeling. Feeling like every single fibre of her being was about to catch ablaze, and yet, the strained voice wasn’t her own, it was robbed.

“She’s mine now..” it overlapped with hers and sounded like rusted sawblades. It was Aviel. Her stance adjusted to how Avi would stand. She looked up and down her body, examining this addition to her divine plan. We all stood there, confused and uncertain of what to do, some of us had weapons drawn and were poised to start slinging spells, but she was Morgana. We weren’t about to strike her down when she’s completely defenceless. Better yet, what’s to say we’d fare any better than the Heirs or the Faithful?

“You like what i’ve done with the place?” Bathed in light, in a realm of fire and blood. She walked over to Morgana, clapping her hands to clamp her in white hot steel chains. The Hyur yelped as it made contact with her skin, merging the metal with her flesh, her face was stricken with anguish and strangely, anger.

“Is this what you wanted Aviel? All this because I didn’t ha-” Her voice was cut off by a clean strike across her face.

“SILENCE! It’s time that I did the talking for a welcome change..” She spoke with an authority Morgana had not seen in her before, but it wasn’t childish. It was calculated, and venomous.

“Those nightmares I was having, Embrose helped me work them out. The extent of my power, that was Anjean. They were willing to listen to me, to help me realise what I have to do. And I cannot have any obstructions…” Morgana spat out the blood, and looked up at Aviel, she was now much taller than her, a far cry from the small girl she met in bluefog.

“I did it to protect you, to make sure nobody took advantage of you, and make you do the wrong thing. And what these Covenants are doing is wrong, Aviel. Can’t you see that?”

“No. You, don’t see. They are helping me save a civilisation. Mine is a purpose that goes further beyond the reaches of this star..”

“By summoning Eikons?!”

“By restoring the halves of a whole. And me at its centre”

“But it would rip the star apart! Hydaelyn already languishes under the strain of the calamities Aviel, is that what you want?”

“But it was what I was meant to do. While you answer to the Mothercrystal, I answer to a higher power” The chains began to tighten, and Aviel clasped Morgana’s head with both her hands, bringing her closer to her face. But Morgana just glared an assured grin.

“And that’s where you’ll fail. Because you can’t control me. Not when I answer to Her.” Aviel was taken aback as Morgana erupted in a silver light, she immediately drew a twinstaff and began to glow her fierce red and gold luster. The chains that bound her whipped and folded and lashed apart as she began to wield them in each hand.

“What are you doing, stop that.” She raised the staff to begin channeling a spell, trepidation was struck across her face as she didn’t want to harm her, despite wanting to bend her body to her will.

“I don’t say this lightly, Aviel Leacerah Usadan. But I will do what I must, even if that means killing you.” The expression that flooded her face was unbridled anger, something Aviel had never seen the likes of before. And deep down, she felt a terrifying sense of something she’d not felt since she stood toe to toe with Bahamut, and that was abject fear.

Morgana immediately began whipping the chain into forming a fierce galestorm, buffeting Aviel as she tried to plant herself against it, slinging spells against it, but each one lashed back at her, hitting harder and harder, until she realised a reflector had been emitted. In one last attempt, she fired a dark crystal that cracked and swirled with pitch against her, but it reformed into shards of light which thundered towards her in a concentrated volley, destabilising her corporeal form, and expulsing her from Morgana’s Body.

Back on the outside, Morgana continued to scream in pain, and all we could do is wait. As something gold and foul began to wrap itself round her naked body, covering up her extremities. We wanted to strike at it, but couldn't bear to touch it, lest Aviel was able to do something that could hurt her even more than she was already. All of a sudden one of us reached for it, and despite attempting to stop them, it lashed back and knocked them across the room.

"Don't touch it for Thal's sake! Whatever it is it's dangerous!" We picked them up and tended to their wounds. Meanwhile, another surge of power shot out of Morgana's chest, and it took the form of Aviel, bathed in golden light. She glared over at us, a face of pure bloodlust on her face, yet she crackled and struggled to keep her form together. Immediately we sent a storm of spells and bullets at her, breaking apart her extra-dimensional form even more.

"I'LL HAVE HER MIND, AND WHEN I DO. I'LL HAVE HER SLAUGHTER YOU ALL, MAKING HER WA-" A silver blast came from Morgana, scattering golden dust all over where she'd been floating. She wore the light, like a robe made of pure gold

"Mor-Morgana?!" I called out in confusion, she looked towards me, kicked the dust under a dresser, and patted my shoulder, smiling.

"Don't worry, its me" She grinned gleefully. "But we now have a serious problem"

"We didn't before?! What did she do to you?!" She looked over herself, the platinum aura began to fade, as it all converged into her hand, and what slowly came into place, chittering and shimmering, was a silver flower.

"She made me into.. A Starcaller"

## Society crumbled in her wake

It all seemed to happen so fast after that incident. The golden snow was the first sign, no city was safe. Ul’dah, Limsa Lominsa, Gridania. We had to stay inside for fear of what it did. All Morgana could ascertain from the alliance was that something was not right, upon calling Admiral Merylwyb, all she heard was:

“You Traitor! You were on OUR SIDE!”

“Yes, like a shackled beast, I was on your side, Admiral…”

“….What happened to you child?”

“I woke up.”

There was screaming, then static. She put down the linkpearl and just stared at the floor, clenching her fists to breaking point.

“Guildmaster? What are we going to do?” One of our younger members said, Morgana remained silent.

The city states were a horrific sight, at the gates of each, a copy of the Golden Nightmare stood, behind her, scores of faithful and heirs. The armies stood fast against her, poised and ready to charge. With a calm gesture, she shot a blast into the sky, which erupted into a rain of golden liquid, and it was as if a wave of calm washed over the opposing forces. With a second wave, Aviel’s army struck them all down, completely uncontested. The streets were immediately flooded with Aviel’s combined forces, moving completely unabated.

Kicking down the doors to each of the deepest sanctums of the grand companies, she walked straight up to each of the company leaders. Their expressions were of bemusement and confusion.

“Do not resist, i’ve already won commanders.” The copies said in unison. Each reaction was different, but what did that matter to Aviel, all she wanted was every single opposition under her control.

“My terms are simple: Submit to my power, or every last free soul in this city will be slaughtered.” She pointed her new twinstaff at each of them, crackling and scorching and ready to tear them to shreds. Disappointingly, they all complied. She gestured to some of her guard, and had them all locked away in the deepest dungeons available. Each copy sat down in their chairs, and took a deep sigh of relief.

The True Aviel stood atop raised land in Cartenau, and saw each city catch ablaze, and she grinned. For the first time in quite some time, she was overjoyed with her feats.

“What excites you so child?” Nulra asked her, as he slithered into her presence.

“Oh its just.. i’ve been at the mercy of these… lesser beings for oh so long.”

“And there subjugation brings you joy?” his head arched, and she looked over at him. She ruminated for a moment, but then nodded at him.

“I always thought.. it took me being subservient and walking in lockstep would be what got me up the ladder as it were. But you have to grasp for it, otherwise it will always avail you..”

“Your move Silver Starcaller.”

## She took everything from us.

We couldn’t leave the guild-hall, some of us hadn’t gone home in days. Out of fear that one of the Golden Thralls would find us and turn us against those that remained. We had enough rations to last us, but we were running out fast, and none of us had any ideas that would work, those that had attempted to fight back were quickly slaughtered, in public executions no less. Aviel took such sickening joy in seeing it happen, those wretched Pitch Faithful were so atrocious in their acts. The only one that could go out in the golden storms was Morgana, whatever it was that Aviel did to her, it seemed as if she was above the power somehow, like she was on an equal footing, but we knew she wouldn’t last in a one on one fight, she’d be ripped apart in seconds. Her reliance on arcanima and astromancy was exactly what Aviel used against her. No wonder she kept her on such a short leash.

“You need her weapon” someone said to her as Morgana paced, an Elezen conjurer, by the name of Asta.

“What?”

“You need a weapon just like Aviel’s.”

“You mean a twinstaff”

“Yeah those things, you go at her with that stupid book and she’ll tear you to shreds”

“It was the only thing that withstood her power once before” The Healer then slammed their fist on a table, putting a large crack snaking across it.

“SHE WAS A TEENAGER THEN, WITH NO KNOWLEDGE OF WHAT SHE WAS. NOW THANKS TO YOUR INACTION AND UNWILLINGNESS TO HELP NURTURE HER STRENGTH CAREFULLY HAS ALLOWED THIS TO HAPPEN”

“I cannot bring myself to use a power that corrupts absolutely. You know how unstable those magicks are Ast-“

“LISTEN TO YOURSELF MORGANA, EVEN WHEN THOUSANDS HAVE DIED, YOU STILL WON’T DO ANYTHING ABOUT HER, THE SINGLE MOST POWERFUL MAGE IN THE WORLD! Your adamance at what worked last time succeeding again will get us all KILLED!” They screamed at her, tears streaming from her eyes.

“Very well, I will.” And she stormed out. Everyone just looked at the Asta in awe.

“Was that necessary Asta?”

“What? So we can just sit here and wait for her to come for us?! Have you all grown so complacent under the protection of a literal godkiller?”

“Yeah? Because she can withstand the tempering unlike some of us”

“And yet she has managed to wrest the selfsame might of a god from Aviel, and what has she done so far with it? Beat a SHADE” mutterings began to emanate from every corner of the room, as different opinions shot around, Asta stood up on the table she had cracked.

“Either we make a stand against The Golden Nightmare, or we may as well start marking up the beginnings of the 9th Umbral Era, because the Calamity is upon us”

Yafaem, I can’t count how many times she went here just to take in the sights, be inspired. I could have only hoped and prayed that what I was looking for was here.

A tool that would sing the anthem anathema, and make good on the threat I still dreaded making. It made me sick to my gut, thinking i’d desired to cut someone’s life short. But left unchecked, she’ll end scores more.

“Silver Saint”

“Who said that?” I called out into the empty city, my voice echoed across every street and structure.

“Seek, Demand, will answer” the whispers continued again, I drew my canopus, using its readings to focus where the voice was coming from, but it just seemed to go haywire, chittering and fluctuating from its normal colours, altering its glow and luster from purple to violent golds reds and silvers. I felt a burning in my pocket, reaching in to grab the scillintating flower, crackling and scorching in my hand. Putting it up to the meter seemed to calm it down, balancing it back to its old state.

“Your old magics will aid you naught” The Last resort on my side became my next point of focus, as the words on it became difficult to understand, the geometries became something alien and bizarre, like they weren’t the scriptures I scribed with Gerolt and Jalzahn.

“You’re not of my kin” A clearer voice spoke to me, from behind me. I immediately turned around and charged two aetherspheres in both my hands, the best I could do was at least try and shoot any threats.

“Violent enough for sure, but not of my flesh and blood.” He was a man, draped in black and gold vestments, the antiquity dated him to golden age Mhach, just like Aviel had tried to warn us about.

“Are you… a Starcaller?”

“Not exactly something one admits to any stranger girl, but you DO find yourself in the new birthplace of Ancient Aether, and its progenitor”

“You’re Aviel’s Ancestor.”

“Zydolin Usa, Prime Eternal” He took a dignified bow, and crossed his arms to look over me, it was as if he was staring into my soul at how his eyes pierced me.

“Ahead looms a calamity Zydolin, and its your granddaughter’s fault” I swallowed the ball in my throat, and looked at him sternly, his eyebrow furrowed.

“I don’t really think fault is anything to do with it.”

“She’s murdered hundreds if not thousands of people on her patch of… what, vengeance?”

“Stop trying to justify this. You’ve already made up your mind, you’re here to find a weapon to kill a Starcaller” He scowled a fierce look at me, I was taken aback, and just slowly nodded. He pointed over to a nearby temple, mostly disheveled, but it seemed as if the door was being restored by someone, at some point. I began walking over and he disappeared.

“Existence itself is mine to topple, and all that shall be left is cruelty.” Those were the words inscribed in an ancient tongue across the doorframe, For some reason I could understand them. Despite the fact the words themselves predated any known eorzean tongue. Was this the work of the Blood Lily? I moved into the sanctum to find a plethora of vengeful armaments, all of them seethed with a yearning to be wielded. My instinct told me to use the most balanced, one that would give me the most overall advantage. But at the same time, others spoke like beasts that called to a deep seated ferocity I didn’t know I had, that fire that burned in the pit of my stomach, the hand which dealt death everlasting.

After some browsing, I found a note, it was in Aviel’s Handwriting:

“Upon attempted usage of many of these weapons, while they are all expertly made if I do say so myself, There is none which seems to use the full capacity of my magicks. It is only through fully realising my own strength can I manifest a true weapon that accommodates my needs. Perhaps though these can be used by future Starcallers should I ever make them as a means of learning what they are capable of. Alternatively of course there is “The White Whisper”, which seems to just want to be used to kill. To sharpen its fangs against stronger and stronger threats. Does that one interest you Morgana?”

I turned around with abject horror to see Aviel standing in the doorway, bathed in shadow. She looked like something out of my worst nightmares. I grabbed the nearest Twinstaff I could and tried to ignite it, it spluttered and heaved but eventually crackled to life in my hands.

“Ah isn’t that sweet, she’s trying to use my powers and tools against me”

She looked straight at me, cracking her knuckles, as the ancient aether flooded through her body. She began to shine like a newborn star, the energy snaking through her glistening robes, igniting the light in her staff. She glistened like a sun, her face obscured as if looking directly into it. I strained under the bountiful luminescence, clutching the weapon so hard she could snap the bindings if she held any tighter.

“Don’t make me do this Aviel! There must be a way t-“

“NO MORE!” Her voice thundered out, sending a massive shockwave, knocking me off balance and staggering back. “ONCE YOU’RE DEAD NOTHING CAN STOP ME” She sent a salvo of megaflares in my direction, colliding almost immediately. The air began to heat up, and the structure began to crumble, she smirked.

Underneath a strained shield I still resisted, The twinstaff began to crack and crumble in my hands, Aviel’s smirk turned into a scowl, as she held her hand out, forming a large golden claw, which clamped the shield, she began smashing it with all her might. Each word followed by a cataclysmic strike.

“ALL THOSE PEOPLE DEAD, AND YET YOU STILL DO NOTHING, EXCEPT COWER UNDER THAT SHIELD” Another vicious smash shattered the shield into crystal sand. Battered and scarred, I remained firm against the golden horror. Aviel became even angrier, the gold started to darken into a richer red tincture.

“And this is how you’d do it? By executing all who stood in your way? How does that make you any better than them?” I panted heavily,  hoping i’d be able to make the woman see sense. Aviel lunged at me, grappling her in an intense choke hold, suddenly all the air from my lungs seemed robbed.

“You see Morgana.. Thanks to me, those who would have died have been given new life, as my mighty champions. People such as your dear healer..” Her grip tightened as I gasped for air, writhing and struggling. Then to my abject horror, out of the corner of my eye, an Elezen, wearing a visor and cane, draped in similar golden robes to her, it was Asta.

“ASTA.. PLEASE NOT YOU TOO”

“I don’t think Haruchefant can say the same… can he?” She snarled, with vitriol and poison on her tongue. Oh gods how I felt my heart sink and time slow down, for her to cut so deep like that, I would have killed her there and then if I could breathe, but before I could act on it, she furiously slammed me into the ground and everything went black.

Tears streamed down her face as I watched her struggling to breathe under her shattered ribs.

“Think on that, while I usher in a new order of ‘Callers. Of those we will make better, and stronger. Emboldening the weak, so no more shall die under our watch.” Asta spat at the floor next to Morgana, and I giggled to myself, taking her hand in a matriarchal fashion.

Happy with my work, we left, like dust in the wind. The ruins continued to crumble around the vaunted warrior of light, as she felt herself slipping away.

## She tore apart the skies.

The last of the untempered came to make one final stand against me, without any leader.

“Once more do the Valkyries grace me with their presence! How kind of you all to do me this kindness of granting me an audience…”

“Aviel Usadan! What have you done with Morgana?” I looked over at the valkyrie who said that, I frowned and laughed, it was psychotic and vile. Did I really sound like that?

“Oh her? Currently dying slowly and painfully in the Yafaem Ruins. She sought to defy me, and it was her undoing. Did I not warn you all? What would happen if you opposed me?” They all looked horrified, no mage had ever stood up to her before.

“You’ll pay for those lives you snuffed out Aviel! With your blood!” Their staffs and blades were all pointed at me, and I simply glared back, and stood up.

I saw the way they all looked at me, those that I considered friends, faithful to my cause. I had the potential to bring back my people, stronger than ever, but instead they bore steel against me..

That was their first mistake.

“Death it is then.”

The space between was filled by Nulra, he whispered deep in my soul, holding my empty hand in a comforting fashion, as if to reassure me.

“Its okay child, the time has come..”

“Am I ready for this Nulra?”

“They never are, but the universe bids this to happen, so we’ll stand by you..”

The fragments of stars clattered around me, as Rayzandra held the hand clutching my Solaris Mortus, it felt warm, like a bath heated to just the right temperature, a sensation rushed up me.

“To burn them all, we three will become one. You can set her free Starcaller..”

“Okay.” I said in a firm tone. At least I thought that was the case, I only had one shot at this.

“From the stars beyond she comes. The universe itself shall collapse to my will… By my hands, I am…”

The End.

A force unlike any other i’d thought capable thus far cracked apart the sky, as the two Ancient Entities crashed violently into my void lily, that was planted firmly into my chest, as the Valkyries cowered under one of their paladin’s aether-charged wings. It was if I was at the heart of a star, as burst after burst of energy felt like it was ripping apart and reforming my body a thousand times over, but yet I endured, reaching for something beyond the blessing of light could grant, beyond arcanima, and astromancy, thaumaturgy, conjury or even black and white aether itself. Something purely fundamental in nature, a core force of the universe itself.

And it was angry.

What felt like living a billion lifetimes happened in a single microsecond, as I felt whatever was left of my body cried out time and time again, begging for it to stop, but also for it to continue just one step further. Whatever this thing was almost within reach, and within blinding flashes as each lifetime passed me by, I saw a woman, draped in nothing but a black cloak, towering over me. She turned to look at me, taking off a mask to show a midlander, skin as pure as porcelain, eyes piercing a gold similar to my own aether, and perfect white hair.

“You made it Aviel.”

“Are you..”

“Yes.”

“Help me win” I held out the twinstaff to her, and she took it in her hand, and held out her free hand to me, and I immediately clutched it, and she pulled me into an embrace. And that was everything changed once again.

One final grand eruption finalised the transformation, allowing me to finally take in what i’d just done, and bear witness to my blistering golden form. Six golden wings, the hand that grasped a new staff the size of a small building, with fingers tipped by claws sharpened to the keenest edges. And a crown of pearlescent black and scillintant white. The Valkyries stood in abject horror at the being that stood in front of them. A Celestial.

“WHAT’S HAPPENED TO AVIEL!?” A warrior roared into the golden sun. The light seemed to fade and I was able to see clearly his panicked face, but it was as if another consciousness was also present within me. This must have been what they warned me about. My lips began to move on their own as the presence took the reins..

“We.. Are Alesan’xio. The Heritor of Dawn’s Apocalypsis.”

## And somehow we survived.

Back at the ruins. Morgana struggled under the rubble, but the Blood lily did its work, stitching everything back together slowly. The boulders dissolved into molten rock as she pushed herself up, bringing herself to her feet, leaning on the cracked staff as she stood up. Once she got up fully, the weapon dissolved in her hands. She was going to reach for another, but none of them resonated with her anymore, her power was barely a flicker of even a single mote of strength. So she began staggering towards the door. Far away in the distance, she watched the sky go dark, and a giant pillar of light shot into the heavens.

“I’m too late..” she exclaimed, dismay struck over her, and another whisper teased her ears.

“The Celestial is realised, and my life’s work is now complete” Zydolin said, with a grin. Morgana looked over to behind her and just stared awestruck.

“Celestial?”

“A creature unshackled and furious. Ancient and lost to the ages. Some say its a reflection of who we once were, before the worlds were split”

“How do I stop it? She’ll kill them all.”

“Yes, she will.”

“And i’m supposed to let that happen?”

“Well, it’s not my place to say. If the universe bids it to happen, then who are we to decide against it?”

“I can’t stand idly by, I need The White Whisper”

“Oh do you? You need some ancient artefact that was forged with the sole intent of killing other starcallers just to stand a chance against her? You, who’ve felled gods as casually as one swats gazellehawks?! You’re weak Saint. The fact you have sustained that stolen power this long disgusts me.” He grabbed her chin and despite being incorporeal, caused her to wince under the pressure. His eyes burned white hot with ferocity. “If you wish to kill my granddaughter that badly, do it with your own hands, Saint.” He let her go and vanished in an instant. She was left with a decision, and she knew she’d finally have to act on her threats.

“I offer you one final chance, Traitors.” The voices spoke in perfect sync, as she gently landed on the ground, curling her wings in and adjusting the many moving parts on the staff, as if she’d barely even flexed any mote of strength on the prior onslaught.

“For.. For what?!”

“Submit, and i’ll maybe, maybe; Allow you to join the pantheon of Starcallers. Alternatively, i’ll tear you to pieces, drenching you in each other’s blood.” The claws erupted in flame, and they grinned, a grin that could make the air around them go rotten.

“You think we’re ready to negotiate after that?!”

“We’ll never side with you!” One of them raised their sword again, staggering to their feet and pointing it at the abomination. But all it did was shrug, and from lips lined with axe-blade teeth uttered a word.

“Asta.”

And like that, a barrage of shots came from an unknown location, as another golden creature crashed to the ground in front of them, clamping them in aether-irons, and crushing. Some of the remainder passed out from the lack of air, and those that could still breathe screamed for help. And she laughed, they both did. It was guttural. The apex insult to be made a mockery of by a creature that only knew bloodshed.

“And now, to cut away the last chaff.” They raised their claws, charging one last ignition…. When suddenly, a single aether spear shot at one of the hands. She put them down, and looked around to see where it came from, only to see a lone Mage walking to her from the distance.

Draped in a robe that was laced with gold, and made of glistening silver. completely unarmed, was Morgana.

“Oh for heavens sake. Remind me next time to actually cut out your heart next time.”

“Noted, master”

“N-no don’t actually.. Asta. Just kill the stubborn bitch” And instantaneously, Asta Lunged at Morgana with her twinstaff, but was quickly blindsided, and shackled just the same as all the valkyries, she placed her hand over Asta’s fettered body, as she struggled and writhed, screeching like some sort of beast, while the creature yonder just watched with confusion. Morgana then drew her innermost strength, and began drawing the power out of Asta’s Lily, as it went dull and quiet, and the girl went limp.

“Wake, White Whisper.”

From the white energy formed a bizarre staff, and it immediately made the beast tense up. Without a moments hesitation, the staff began talking to Morgana.

“Use me.”

“What? You can talk!?”

“Let me Kill.”

“uhhh”

“Kill the girl”

“I won’t do that!” She began to argue with the weapon, and suddenly it wrestled control of her arm. Silver energy sparking off in all directions as she fought with

“Don’t fight the whisper Morgana, If you’re so desperate to kill me, then it’s time to start fighting on my level.”

“LET ME KILL. LET ME KILL.LET ME KILL. LET ME KILL.LET ME KILL. LET ME KILL.LET ME KILL. LET ME KILL.LET ME KILL. LET ME KILL.” The voice was screaming in her ears, it felt like her eardrums were about to burst as she clutched it with her second hand, holding it like a pole arm, Aviel took the opportunity and struck at morgana with those axe-like claws, going straight for the throat. She blocked it with the whisper, and it began to operate her arms to riposte Aviel and slash wildly with aether blades. While she blocked most of them, a stray blade nicked a wing, putting a wide gash through it, staining the wing red with her blood. It was at this point the monster put out an almighty roar, and began immediately fired a huge laser at Morgana. She could barely think before the whisper was spinning at a speed that would elevate her into the air if she wasn’t firmly planted, her arms began to strain as she was a hairs breath from being disintegrated on the spot.

“Drain.” The whisper giggled, and suddenly all the energy was being drawn into the staff and her Lily. It began revving up, as something began cycling and spinning inside it, as sigils formed on the rapidly rotating staff, and within the blink of an eye a platinum beam began surging out of the weapon, and wrestling against Aviel’s own strength, shock struck the horror’s face as she began to fight back harder, and yet she could barely keep it together. She dodged out of the way, and the beam shot out into the skies. After dropping to her knees to rest a moment, Aviel began uttering words that transcended all known language, as golden sigils formed around her, and then. In a moment of lucidity, Morgana understood what she said.

“Seal Break”

The sigils that formed on the ground when that first thunderclap tore the skies apart, I knew full well what she was about to do

“Thats the Astromantic Seals.. Morgana! IF YOU HAVE A PLAN, DO SOMETHING NOW” One of our own screamed at her, and she looked at us, and she nodded.

*“The final stand is wherever I plant my feet. Not one Step more.”*

Upon the utterance of my words, the sigils cracked apart and the skies went dark, and all we saw was pitch black, the only thing that remained were the stars and the moon. As another began to form, pale shades began to fold and whip into shape around the Silver Starcaller, An Elezen man and woman, a Doman woman, and a Midlander man.

“A-are those… No..”

The second set of sigils shattered, as the moon vanished from the skies, and an incomprehensible amount of energy began flooding into Aviel, the light she emitted began to knock us back further and further away, but Morgana stood tall, as a spear formed, plunging towards Aviel. It looked as if it missed, but it bore straight into her left leg, she screamed out in a blood curdling cry, alas it did naught to stop her, as the final set of sigils shattered apart, and the stars vanished from the sky, a third flood of energy shot into Aviel. Morgana then sent a downward motion, and a pillar of diamond and ice impaled her right leg. Against the blistering light, her blood erupted in a violent display, spraying out in every direction, a large amount went onto her face, as she snarled like a feral beast. Morgana responded once more by crushing her Blood Lily, and from it, blossomed a gorgeous flower, sending out a massive aether force, a spider lily. This pinned Aviel to the floor, and yet she still continued to pant and writhe as she combatted the boundless flow of energy.

 “I HAVE RETURNED FROM FIELDS AFAR, THE INFINITE IS HERE. LET DESTRUCTION REIGN ONCE MORE. I UNLEASH… ESCATON’S JUDGEMENT”

She began channeling all her energy into one last spell. With naught left to spare, she channeled all the remainder of her aether into a single, silver blade, no longer than a winglet. With tears in her eyes, she staggered towards Aviel, raising the blade above her head, and with one final scream, she drove the blade straight into her chest, a clean plunge.

More blood shot out from her body, drenching my face in the hot substance. The being collapsed apart, and all that was left was Aviel, shattered and ripped to pieces in front of me. The look on Aviel’s face was that of relief, and sadness, whatever had had her so enraged seemed to expulse her body in an instant, as if she was seeing clearly for the first time in twelve knew how long. Her eyes were watering, and it was as if she was a kid again. She collapsed to the ground, her void lily started to emerge from her partially-exposed chest, and began crumbling into crystal dust. She attempted to clutch for it, but to no avail, as she fell onto her back.

"You became the very thing we strived against, this was the only way” I felt my hands shake as the blade clattered to the ground, i’d just murdered this girl..

“Perhaps it was..” She sighed, spluttering as blood leaked from her mouth, clogging up her throat. I laid her across my lap, and began to stroke her hair.

“The road that we walk Aviel, is paved in fountains of blood, not just shed by our enemies, but by us as well. And while it will be an immediate solution, once we start, the lands would run red, and that’s not how it should be done.”

“No? But I thoug-“ She continued hacking up blood and liquid aether.

“Easy, easy.. We need to be better, we need to find a way besides what our dissenters may say”

“I was going to make things better for all of us..” She started to sob, gods it broke my heart.

“And you were, I just failed you at the most important time. And I am so so sorry for that.”

“But I'll make it worth it, we’ll never let it happen again, not while I still draw breath."

“You promise?” That same wide-eyed girl looked up at me, as she sighed, her final breath escaped her body. In that moment I thought only to the one thing I could swear certainty on.

**“On Haurchefant’s Shield.”**

A few weeks after I put her down, things mostly went back to normal. It was as if nobody even recalled what had actually transpired. Like they’d all woken up from a bad dream. Even those that were killed by the pitch faithful and the heirs found themselves waking up almost as quickly as I dealt the final blow, as if she gave back one last gift for all her transgressions. Those remaining few loyal to her seemed to completely forget what had even happened. It was as if every trace of the starcallers was erased from everyone’s minds. A piteous and unceremonious end for one of the mightiest mages Eorzea had ever seen. But we lived on, to ensure nothing like this ever happened again.

As for her body? We took it to one of the remaining Ragnarok’s. To be locked away and never dredged back up again. Lest the forbidden knowledge found within be unleashed again into the world.

***Her name was Aviel Usadan. And while the world will forget, we won’t.***