Heading towards the area my companions were in was fairly easy, just show a picture of Zendaya and tilt my head while pointing at it. Though, one woman tried mugging me for my phone, so I broke one of her knees and jogged away unhurriedly. The wildlife had been rather passive due to how heavily I smelled of blood and guts. It was strong that a weird horned bear thing got essentially drunk from the smell. Rubbing my throat, I feel the soreness and fresh blood would fill my mouth, so it's pretty damaged.
Swallowing the blood, I looked around as I walked. The sight of frankly so much nature and clean stuff is still a little unnatural as it's real… not artificial. Even some deserts in my old life were artificially remade due to how damaged they'd gotten. It didn't help that we also had the infection. Which would remind people of that old game "The Last of Us" just instead of fungus, it was a dead parasite with fungus utilizing its dead host's abilities to spread more infected parasites.
We lost ALL of England to it, just stepping foot there was a risk of millions of those things wanting a bite. Spain, in an attempt to survive it, miscalculated and well they went goodbye. Every inch of their country became a radioactive cesspool of death because of their slip up. I was next to General Almez that day when our boys and girls in the country were helping with setting up that sanctuary…. Shaking my head I got off that topic and sighed a tired breath. It's a new life, new world, not Earth anymore, more dangerous but manageable.
Looking at the sky, I watched some bird creatures with a song coming to mind. "Back to the fire" a JT Music song about the Winter Soldier. My goggles started to play the song through my phone in my pocket. My lips moved along to it as I compared things about my current and old situation.
{The Winter is killer, causing my blood to run cold
Just like the icicles, I can feel crystallize in my soul
I find the numbness a comfort because it's all that I know
If one description could fit me it'd be abominable
When I lost my fire, the fever to follow was awfully fierce}
Regardless of my desired life, I'm stuck to continuing being a soldier. A cold, merciless killing machine when set free from my leash that I now self impose. I'm still a sociopath towards things, I dance the dance, talk the talk, but I barely feel anything really stir my heart. My crimes aren't light, as I've done things to everyone in my life because of them. Sure, I was happy briefly, but then that title got involved. Now here I am after committing a very horrific crime of war. Just by sealing four hundred people, even my old squad, in a chamber packed with natural white phosphorus and firing into it as the door shut.
{Freezing my arctic heart in an armored locker
Not even arson could pierce
I got a disease operating like a machine
But forgot for what was I geared?
I became a robot when the cold dropped Sub-Zero
Arteries shot full of serum as I'm}
I served since I was sixteen with them, yet hearing there were multiple people infected. My goggles used my neural paths thoughts and quickly gave me a way to kill all possible infected as I was still green. So I silently left and started locking the room down before shooting into it. Hitting one compound which triggered an instantaneous chain reaction. I didn't feel a thing, I just listened to the screams, reported everyone KIA, ignoring that a good portion of my left arm had been melted by the natural phosphorus. My arm was fixed, but I COOKED everyone alive in the worst way.
{Tossed into the ring not one applaud or a cheer
Probably 'cause no audience wanted to watch me faced off with a mirror
I had to weaponize Edward Hyde whenever my Doctor
Jekyll would not volunteer
Putting me on both sides of the conflict
Either way, all of us profit tears}
Sighing, I stop those lines of thought and focus on how I have been so far in this life. I'm here supposedly to be a Hero yet because of my disposition. I'm being borderline evil or just fucking evil, nothing good for a "Warrior of Light" honestly. Furthermore, I think I even like the Darkness more because of how much more comfortable I am with it. Compared to trying to be a disgustingly purely good person, I'm more amoral and immoral than I am moral. As I just don't see a reason to hesitate or not kill something that will be a problem for everyone negatively.
{Not every hero keeps so clean cut
No cap I'm better off with a beard
Stark is the contrast in between us
Here comes a trigger warning cover your ears
Lookin' like a storm on the forecast
Not sure that's really what I wanted to hear}
That if someone told me, I had to spare this thing or person that's a threat to everyone. I'd look at them like they're the most brain-dead retarded ass mother fucking cunt muffin drowned in semen and alcohol. Before just executing the target, I'm being begged to spare, then just unload an entire clip into their head. Because it just sounds so stupid, yet I know I'll likely meet the Scions and they'll probably try that shit.
{With a Civil War on my doorstep
It's a little late for any Paul to Revere, hollerin'
Winter isn't coming, Winter is already here
The weather from which I've been running is nigh
The sky no longer so clear
My past caught up with me
Knocked me off of the wagon onto my rear}
Leaning back, I watched a little dragon thing fly by my face. Crouching, another flew over my head, drawing my trench knife. The blade sunk into the skull of one trying to go for my throat. Using the impaled corpse, I beat one of its friends with it, getting my knife free. Twirling it between my fingers, my blade dripped fresh blood with brain matter on the blade. Grabbing one by the face, my knife found its way into its throat violently. Lifting my right leg, one of the creatures impacted the ground.
Looking down at it, our eyes met, then my boot stomped down on the creature's skull. Its eyes popping out while the rest of the head caved in and burst. The little dragon things, still alive, seeing the rather violent display, jumped ship. All but one, who looked at me and chirped before proceeding to climb up my body and cling to my right arm like a brace. The tail wrapped around my bicep as the thing hid its head between my arm and its body.
{How can I trust the function of my compass
When it was corrupted with fear?
What have I lost?
Nothing but years, what did it cost?
All that was dear
Which I thought would've thawed my conscience
It did not, it just disappeared
Like a wolf running from his hunger}
Shrugging, I walked on covered in more blood with my little new friend. Wiping my knife clean before holstering it back in its sheath. Checking the time, I looked at the sun and confirmed it was actually right and not off. Now finding my companions was rather easy from this point onwards. I just shot the air with my Stoner 63 and Zendaya would howl? Scream? Something loud to direct me. I don't run out of ammo, so might as well use my guns for things.
{When another more cunning hunter is near
'Cause a bark and a bite will not win a fight
If you're not holdin' onto a spear
Which one am I becomin'?
I caught the cold, because
The Winter's been so long}
After a good while of Marco Polo between LMG and Behemoth, I found everyone. Still holding my light machine gun while approaching them, I watched the Au Ra recoil from how much blood and gore smell there was on me. Zendaya lumbered over me and grunted before licking my half my fucking face with her tongue. Val was carefully walking as two small Chocobo's clumsily walked at her feet. Chuckling softly, I finally decided to clean myself with magic. Although, Shun appeared from thin air and sat on my head. Looking at the chunky purple fur ball, he stuck his tongue out.
{I got no spark left in my lighter
Now I feel nothing
But I need something to guide me back to the fire
'Cause if a man can't change his stars
He can damn sure change his stripes
When nightfall paints the world all black and white
Bring the fire back to life (to life, to life, to life)}
Shrugging lightly while they all noticed my new friend, the Au Ra girl, asked me something.
"So, where have you been?"
Clipping my gun to some rigging, I signed rather relaxedly.
'Erased a Garlean Empire outpost down south-west. Massacred everyone after using a hostage and commander execution to rattle them. There were no survivors from the Garlean side, although I have picked up their commander's soul as a Death Knight. He's alright, just he has plenty of crimes to make up for.'
"Why'd you execute a hostage to get their leader?!"
'It was logical, sacrificing something to make the world even a little safer. I made a call, and I'll do it again if I need to kid. Because you can't play nice every time, you'll need to get dirty to really finish some opposition. Garlean's military commanders are not good people, they're borderline monsters or just monsters. Their emperor is worse, as I believe he has several ancient weapons at his disposal, and I think used one in a battle that has left deep scars everywhere.
While traveling, I asked some more otherworldly sources about those. What I learned was used against Erozea and their own people, was something I want to destroy. Because they used a deity called Bahamut sealed within a weapon, said deity was being driven insane. Due to how long they've been trapped in this plane of existence, sealed in said weapon.
They disappeared, however, upon being freed at the battle of Carteneau. However, they disappeared by the same light which caused many to become forgotten, they are labeled as Warriors of Light. People who probably influence your soul through that title.'
{Sleeper agent, reawaken
When his peaceful dream is shaken
Free of reason, fleeting patience
Seething anger, feeding hatred
Seekin' to find the wrong in the right
Sweepin' the leg is part of the fight}
The Au Ra trembled as I fed her the truth, then fed her off-topic facts and a theory. Shaking her mindset and visibly causing the source of her abilities to flare like an angered dragon behind her. Grinning at the heroic beast of Light, I flipped the thing off. It recoils seeing me rather blatantly disrespecting it while its primary host slowly stopped trembling. The light construct disappears shortly afterward.
{I've become a hostage of the monster inside me
I'm just along for the ride
Thought I was dead?
Forgotten behind?
Fallen left in the gutter to die?
Dropped my guard and I got disarmed
Southpaw now but I'll knock out your lights}
However, as the beast disappeared, I felt something look through my eyes. Then I heard a voice that was old, tired, hurt, and resentful, yet none of that was toward me.
"Disease of Light claims an innocent, tries claiming an interloper like it did me. Claimed many lives, used me to make the ultimate carrier. Dark of calamity and disease of Light, untrustworthy usurpers, the original died tragically, and I was born. Interloper, free me, end my suffering, end my kins suffering, I tire of wrath, I tire of living a second time…. Help me… from this COIL…. Don't trust the Light or Dark, they bring the End Times."
{Take off my face put on a disguise
I don't wear capes I'm wanted for crimes
You do this all day? I run it all night
Gone is the Winter, but not in my mind
Split in half, which half is talking?}
'Elder Primal, Bahamut the Dawn Wyrm, the Dread Wrym, why? How did he… no, not relevant I guess given how everything deity level can just talk to me. I've just been given a task, one that would be a good first step towards some redemption, and I know how he feels in a way….'
Sighing, I closed my eyes and went over a basic game plan.
'First I've got to learn where exactly he is at since he's still alive, which means tracing back anything related to him. Diablos may be willing to help as well, given that he actually asked me to help delay the end of the world.'
{I could be set off any second, watch it
Shatter your defenses
Shed that shield you brought
Or get sent back home on it
Matters not if I happen to want it
I'm on this path and I have to walk it
Navigating while divided pilots}
As if to answer my question, a rather demented, but welcomed laugh was heard in my ears.
"You want the Binding Coil of Bahamut in Eastern La Noscea below the Castrum Occiden's. However, don't kill the old Primal, offer them a different path for they are a Guardian of Light. So use Hydalen's gift to heal and help him, for once, the End Times strike he shall be a boon."
Snorting at Diablos I know there's some hidden fuckery in there. Yet, the embodiment of darkness has a point, the old dragon needs to be healed and could use a friend. Just I know there's something that wasn't sai-.... There's the Primal Phoenix Louisoix, he wouldn't have let Bahamut off so easily. I'll have to potentially fight two Elder Primals. Shit, that's not a good thing to think about. However, that sounds interesting and dangerous, my usual mission type basically.
{Fight to drive my mental cockpit
It's an unholy road ahead
But I'm already damned, I've broken bread
With both of the devils on my shoulders
Growing heavy with the sins I won't confess
So sever regret it's said and done
But remember to dread what's yet to come
Forever the steps I take}
Humming, I looked at my bestial companions and thought about this. I'll need to leave three behind because I won't take a mother and her kids into a death trap. I wonder though, since Primals are born from Aether. Could I, who has both titles, use them in a place with a high density of it in the air to temporarily go Primal myself? If I could, I may potentially have a way to body the hits of either Phoenix or Bahamut. All while those with me freed the Dragon Batteries, weakening Bahamut. But I also can't take just anyone with me, as Primals convert and enslave anyone to get stronger.
{Will set the pace that my amends are meant to run
Better protect your wings
I was left with none when I flew too high
And they met the sun
Fell from Cloud Nine into Hell's Ninth Circle}
Opening my eyes, I chuckled, thinking of something that's stupid yet worth trying out. The Garlean's wouldn't mind me ransacking them and using an Aether Generator, I think. Because I think I could summon a non-berserk Primal and form a contract with them that way. Which could get me the help I'd need for Bahamut and Phoenix.
{A permanent resident I've become
Another one of them fallen angels
All of our halos broken
We share despair
Spare your prayers
God ain't savin' no one}
With that decided, I signed to my beasties that we'll be heading to Eastern La Noscea. Which they didn't object to or anything, instead. They basically abandoned the Warrior of Light with an eager drive to ditch them. Was being around them that bad? Well, actually… yeah she's annoying, so I don't want her around longer than needed, so abandonment it is!
{The soulless soldier has only
Been shown the coldest shoulders
I'll go unthanked for my service
I'm takin' no more orders
Had enough of playin' dead
Now rover's sick of rollin' over
Still some tricks to be taught
Even if the god is older
The Winter's been so long
I got no spark left in my lighter
Now I feel nothing
But I need something to guide me back to the fire
'Cause if a man can't change his stars
He can damn sure change his stripes
When nightfall paints the world all black and white
Bring the fire back to life
Two wolves are battling inside us all
So who will answer when the wild calls?}
With a hasty set of movement, we quickly abandoned the Warrior of Light and headed out on our way. The Au Ra women trying to chase us having had been rather violently put to sleep by a fist to the face.
{The one you feed won't need a fire while
The one denied is hungrier becoming a survivor
Crying fuck it all wanna see my dirty laundry aired out?
Nothing left to hide might as well let my hair down
The match is set yet there's nothing to strike
I guess the past is all I got left to light (got left to light)
The Winter's been so long
I got no spark left in my lighter
Now I feel nothing
But I need something to guide me back to the fire
'Cause if a man can't change his stars
He can damn sure change his stripes
When nightfall paints the world all black and white
Bring the fire back to life (to life, to life)
When nightfall paints the world all black and white
Man can't change his stars
And I know he can change his stripes
Might change his stripes}