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The fire is dying, she thought.
The cold encroached once more on the broad shoulders of one young Miqo’te. If her skin wasn’t already a dim blue, it might've turned that color from the chills brought on by the Coerthas frost. Across her nose were spattered white freckles, like a speckled night sky, and as the blood rushed to warm this spot, it added a vibrancy, like that same sky transitioning from dusk to night.
Yet she didn’t shiver, nor did she move to grasp her biceps in an attempt to rub them for warmth. The young woman was used to the cold, almost able to call it a friend were it not too abusive to be titled as such.
Instead, she picked up a nearby stick to poke at the burnt wood, displacing the ashes and uncovering whatever flames could still rise from them.
If anything, despite its destructive nature, the fire was a friend. The warmth it would bring to her on the coldest of those Coerthan nights far outweighed what it could potentially do. Back home, she spent most of those nights bundled up with one or two of the kittens of her tribe snuggled close.
Unfortunately, she was too far from the tribe for any of the members to come help keep her warm.
The camp she resided in was fairly scant enough so that they could pick up and move at a moment’s notice. Three tents were lined up to her right, each filled with curios of differing cultures and a bedroll. Then there were some seats around the fire, a stool, and two chairs, one of which had a skinny basket full of small throwing spears inside. The Miqo’te decided to lounge on a fallen tree log that had long settled into the snow like a home.
Besides the weak campfire and some other supplies by the tents that contained their food, maintenance tools, and medical resources, there was not much else to the camp.
The Miqo’te and her comrades had been moving plenty of times in the last couple of days, hunting a quarry that had left wounded in its wake. Thus they were hunting it down, but the damned thing was quite the evasive one.
Finding it was easy.
Catching it was the problem.
Killing it, even more so.
The Miqo’te sighed, then let a hand wander over to a travel journal by her side. Perhaps she can spend some time paging through the many notes she had.
A rustling came from the edge of the forest, one of the Miqo’te’s ears twitching in that direction, her tail beginning to flick. Her eyes, one a golden yellow and the other a silvery gray flitted upward from the dying fire to stare at the brush. Her pupils, bright circles surrounding voids of dark black, were trained with the intensity of a coeurl ready to pounce.
Her hands were the same, moving to rest upon one of her daggers lying by her side. Her fingers fell upon the curved cleaver-like blade first, sliding down it carefully before feeling the cloth wrapped around the handle. Slowly, without trying to give much away, her fingers closed around the grip.
Yet her ear twitched further, pointing slightly to the left, then to the right, before settling back towards the source of the noise. She listened for just a second more, then softened, the Miqo’te relaxing as her hand retracted from her knife.
From the forest emerged a hulking giant, estimated well above seven fulms. Their arms, holding a large bundle of something, were bulging with muscles, able to break iron in two if they so felt like it. From their head full of colorful, vibrant hair protruded two dark horns out the sides that could threaten to gore whoever they liked. In silhouette, they could appear to be a foe, coming to attack this nonchalant Miqo’te alone in the woods.
But the Miqo’te knew it not to be an enemy.
In fact, it was a friend.
After all, no foe would carry a smile so wide, so bright, and so wholesome. Their shining pink eyes held beyond happiness within their gaze as they landed upon a familiar face, which only made his already large smile grow ever so more.
“I see I made it just in time,” the man said, his accent heavily apparent as his gaze lowered to the fire just in its last breaths. Approaching it, he took some smaller pieces of wood from the bundle in his arm and tossed them in. The fire crackled as it began to gobble at the new food, growing larger.
Dropping the bundle by the fire, the man bent down and gave the fire a few good blows to siphon some more oxygen to it. As the fire grew, his face illuminated to show off more of his features. His blue skin, shrouded in scales, was no longer hidden by the dark of a growing morning and he smiled up at the Miqo’te.
“Better?” He asked.
“Indeed so,” the Miqo’te nodded to her friend; her lips, once cutting across her face in a straight line, turned upward into a smile, her eyes shining as the dancing flames reflected in them.
“Very good!” He exclaimed, standing up and dusting his hands as he walked to the stool next to the log the Miqo’te resided on, looking over at the vacant seat across from them, “I see Freya has yet to return.”
“You know how she is. Patient. Observant. And always willing to take more time in place of others.”
“Indeed. It does feel like she pushes herself too much. Reminds me of someone else.”
The Miqo’te’s ears swung as she tilted her head up at him, a bemused expression marking her face as her cocked eyebrow preceded her next query. “Are you perhaps alluding to me?”
“I may or may not. Just a couple of women in my life who try too hard when they should try to relax. Though I will say, Freya’s patience has been known to run out when fishing, more so than this mysterious other woman I know.”
“Whoever could this mysterious woman be? I know not of any other,” a roll of the eyes preceded a hand going to cover her lips as the Miqo’te lightly chuckled, “Well, the waters do not favor our Hyuran friend as they do us, Batu, and” she said, shooting him an exasperated look, “there’s a time for relaxation and a time for duty. More of the latter, but I mind not.”
Lunarae stood up and walked over to her bag to fetch from it a Hingashi teapot, gifted to her by a Doman friend for being a good, ‘Silent friend.’
“Nonetheless, now that the fire is up in spirits, I can prepare some tea for us. Freya too, for when she returns.”
Holding the teapot by its side handle, she began to fill it with water from one of her drinking pouches, then tied lead around it. She hung it from their support above the fire as it began to heat the water within.
Sitting back down on the log, the Miqo’te simply put her head in her hands and began to stare into space; in the middle distance was a gradient from blue to red to yellow as the sun made its ascent. She kept her eyes on the colors, not the light.
“Lunarae,” Batu called her name.
Glancing over to her Xaela friend, she saw him with a strip of dried meat in his hands.
“Did you eat?”
Lunarae lifted her head and gave it a brief shake before holding her hand out to catch it as he tossed it over. “I have not. Mostly been waiting for Freya to come back so we can switch. She must’ve seen something.”
“You think it was the boar?” Batu asked, already ripping into his piece.
Lunarae took a solitary bite, chewing on it as she considered. “Most likely. When she started running a bit late, I decided to sharpen my blades, just to be ready. Now that it’s getting later in the morning, I’m starting to feel some concern.”
“It’s Freya, she can handle herself.”
“Indeed. But this boar is like no other. Underestimating such a foe could prove our folly.” She clicked her tongue and continued, eyes turning back down to the fire, “I can’t help but worry, though.”
“Hm…can’t say I’m not the same.”
As if on cue, the sudden onset of heavy footfalls was rushing towards the campsite. The two of them turned to look towards it with Lunarae’s hand going for her blade, just in case it wasn’t who she thought it was.
The figure that emerged from the tree line was a tall woman dressed in furs. As she finally made it to the campsite, she stopped and doubled over, hands on her knees as she caught her breath. She lifted her head only a little, looking with effervescent turquoise eyes past her short platinum-blonde hair towards the other two.
“What has you so out of breath? The Freya I know can run for malms,” Batu said, hand outstretched in emphasis, while Lunarae stepped closer to check on her friend.
Freya scoffed and stood up, straightening her back and letting out a large exhale. “I was outrunning a boar, thank you very much.”
“A boar? Our quarry, mayhaps?” Lunarae asked, stepping forward.
From behind, she could hear the steam begin to escape from the teapot. Freya only glanced at it briefly before returning her gaze to Lunarae.
“Indeed, it was him. Feels like he’s getting bigger every day, the bastard. Could topple trees if he so felt like it.”
“So what happened?” Batu asked.
“I noticed he was near one of the local villages, so I took it upon myself to lure him away. That involved me running for my dear life, but I eventually managed to get him away from the village and off my tail…proverbial tail.”
As if to emphasize those last words, Lunarae’s tail flicked itself around as she crossed her arms, eyes running up and down Freya’s form to check for wounds. Furthermore, she touched Freya’s arm and lightly turned her to check her back. Lunarae was always ready if she needed to use her astromancy to heal.
“No injuries?”
Freya gently brushed her friend’s hand away. “No, none. I managed to evade many of its attacks, but that isn’t the point. The point is, I found him, I know where he is, and we need to hunt him down while we have the chance.”
Batu stood up from his stool, bending down to stretch out his limbs and touch his toes. “So it’s time then? Are we finally after him? Time to take the beast down?”
Lunarae looked to Batu. “If it’s as she says, it’s our best chance. I suppose no time for tea, then?”
Even before Freya gave her response, Lunarae was already moving to remove the tea from the support, laying it on the ground next to the campfire. Once she did, she then stamped on the campfire, snuffing it out quickly.
As the light of the fire died, the light of the morning soon poured over them, rising as they made their moves to prepare.
Batu was staying as he was, stretching and practicing with his punches as he usually does. Both to warm up in the metaphorical sense and in the literal sense, as he wasn’t wearing much to cover his torso, subjecting it to the elements. Yet it seemed not to bother him.
Freya sheathed her usual spear and went to pick up the leather holder of smaller throwing spears leaning on one of the chairs. Taking one out, she checked the tip with her finger, feeling its sharpness before deeming it satisfactory and sliding it back in. She looped her arm into the holder’s strap and adjusted it.
Lunarae returned to the log she was sitting upon, where her two blades sat by the whetstone she used to sharpen them. Picking them up, she flipped them to hold them underhand, then back to their default before twirling them and sticking them in their sheathes; one on her left hip, the other on her right boot.
One more thing, she thought to herself as she reached into her bag to procure a small container. Flipping it open, she dabbed a pinky into what looked to be a black warpaint and carefully applied it under her eyes, her white freckles now looking like stars amongst a pitch-black sky. She clicked the container shut and opened her eyes.
“Anything we need to know before we go in there, Freya?”
Freya, with her favored lance in hand, glanced between Batu and Lunarae, shrugging her shoulders.
“It’s mad. So it won’t be going down without a hells of a fight.”
“Wouldn’t have it any other way,” Batu said, stretching his arms out.
“Let us be off, then,” said Lunarae, turning to gaze at the morning sky one last time before following her comrades into the trees.
The sun had just begun to peak over the mountains, setting the stage for the hunt on this new day.
“You sure he didn’t run off?”
“I mean, there’s always the possibility.”
Lunarae’s gaze, somewhat disappointed in the turn of events, swung from looking at Freya to the ground below.
There, Batu was beating his chest, making loud noises, and shouting insults in an attempt to lure the beast in, as he would be able to take a hit or two if need be due to his larger physique. The two ladies had mostly tuned him out, as his insults didn’t bite that hard, the Xaela having trouble being mean.
“I’m sure I catch more fish than you! But…I’m pretty sure you’re good at catching fish too!” He exclaimed, throwing his fists into the air.
` “Do boars even…catch fish?” Freya asked, readjusting her leaning position against the tree, a sturdy branch atop which both Lunarae and her were resting.
“Not around here, at least,” groaned Lunarae as she crouched down, resting her head on her palm. She slowly blinked while watching her Xaela friend.
Freya, meanwhile, peered over to observe her friend, tilting her head to get a better look at the Miqo’te’s face.
“Hey. Where’s that brimming Luna confidence?” Freya teased with a smirk.
Luna scoffed, looking away. “Whenever has my confidence been brimming ?”
“Hm…when you dance, I suppose. When hunting, it’s less ‘brimming’ and more ‘stolid.’ No zeal or enthusiasm, just stone-cold confidence.”
Lunarae brushed the urge to smile away at so accurate an observation with a sigh. “It is as my father says, ‘Perseverance rewards the steadfast hunter,’ and yet I cannot help but feel increasingly…frustrated. All these failed attempts to put an end to this creature, it…it makes me remember a time when I felt I couldn’t even bring home a rabbit. Those days after the Calamity where doubts festered within my bosom. Every hunt was agonizing, wondering whether I’d bring home food for those left or not.”
Freya solemnly nodded. “I know what you mean. I felt pretty useless in those days…months following the Calamity. Hells, even a year or so after, I’d have those doubts. We shouldn’t lose heart, though.”
“I’m not losing heart. It’s just…I promised I would return with the boar in tow. Some of my tribe was hurt by him, and I want to keep my tribe safe. Yet he is just too…elusive for a boar so huge.”
“His size is rather alarming. You think it’s some surplus of aether?”
“I’ve been racking my brain for theories ever since I first saw him. His appearance could mean something is changing in this ever-frozen land. First and foremost, we need to put him down, before he hurts anyone else.”
“We will get him. If he’s going to show himself, this will be the best place for him to do so…for us, anyway.”
The forests of Coerthas were a sprawling mess of mountains and trees. It’s not too infrequent for people to find themselves lost amongst it. Even for those who have lived here all their lives, it can be a trouble, and the ones who have dedicated themselves to memorizing the lands could truly call themselves its denizens.
The huntresses Freya and Lunarae are two of those kinds of people, so they had to figure out the best spots to lure the boar out to.
When searching for the best place to spring their trap, they looked for an area with plenty of space to do so. Luckily for them, they found a decently wide path through the forest that goes for a malm or so. Open air, with trees flanking both sides. Perfect for what they planned to do.
They just needed to get the boar out here first.
“Maybe I should go down there? Throw out some better insults?”
Lunarae shook her head. “No need. Even if the insults were of any quality, it wouldn’t matter. Batu is best for this because he is not just the loudest of our trifecta, but also the most durable.”
“True.”
Lunarae sighed audibly, sitting down on the branch and swinging her legs slightly to the rhythm of the wind.
Meanwhile, Batu was still on the ground, throwing out his best insults, which were generally the worst insults.
“I’m…sure these trees are too strong for you to bring down! Not that you aren’t strong, though!”
Freya turned her head to look at Lunarae. “You would think all that time with Rev would make him better at insulting, but no, he’s still quite innocent in that regard.”
“If anything, he may be a positive influence on the once vulgar U’reva. She’s starting to apologize to some of the ones she yells at.”
“Really?”
“Well…the ones who don’t deserve it, anyway.”
“Wish I was there for that.”
“Wish, I wasn’t. It was one of her drunken escapades, she wanted me there to keep her in check. I’d appreciate the company, if she ever asks me again.”
“Huh.”
“Hey, guys!”
The two of them looked back towards the path, seeing Batu waving towards them with both hands.
“What is it, Batu?” Freya raised her voice to ask.
“I don’t think he’s coming!”
Lunarae stood up, her eyes glancing about and scanning the environment. Any slight movement she’d be able to see, yet amongst the canopy of trees across the landscape, she spotted nothing.
Her shoulders slumped, and she sighed again.
Freya too was showing signs of defeat. “Should we call it?”
Lunarae looked at her friend, eyes tired. In the past, she’d spend weeks tracking down her prey, continuously searching for the littlest crumb of evidence just to keep her search going, all the way to the ends of the earth.
But now, her friends were involved. They had their own lives, and things of their own to take care of. She couldn’t just keep dragging them along, but she also couldn’t tell them to leave; she knew they would refuse.
Her lips parted to speak the words that would call off the hunt.
Whoosh!
A sudden shift of dark brown out of the corner of her eye was followed by a large impact and crash as one of the trees fell off to the side, a plume of snow flying into the air.
The two ladies suddenly found themselves staring at each other with widened eyes before turning to look at Batu.
He wasn’t there. What was left where he stood was a large track through the snow, like a train came through and crashed into him.
“By the Fury,” Freya whispered.
“Batu!?” Called out Lunarae. She gave a small curse under her breath and turned towards the clearing. The hunt has finally begun in earnest, and she wasn’t going to waste another word on it.
Worry racing through their minds, the two jumped from tree to tree towards the area where they saw trees fall. They moved gracefully from branch to branch, both being hunters familiar with the lands of Coerthas, spending most of their lives hunting to survive. Many of these times would involve them up in the trees, stalking their prey for the best moment.
As they closed in on the area, the sounds of bestial grunts and struggling echoed amongst the trees. With Batu being the kind of man he is, they couldn’t discern whether it was him or the boar.
But as they reached the site of the crash, and the multitude of trees it laid low, they saw in the midst of the thrown-up snow were two beasts clashing, one man and one swine.
Batu, covered in welts, bruises, and scratches, was holding his own against the boar, his hands gripping the beast’s tusks. It was taking some effort as his muscles bulged from his blue skin just to keep it at bay.
“Batu!”
“I could use some help if you two would be…so kind to do so!”
Freya reached over her shoulder to grab one of the throwing spears she brought, but her eyes widened as her hand clasped upon empty air.
“Damn, I forgot the throwing spears back at that tree.”
Lunarae bit her lip as she saw her Xaela friend fighting back against the boar. Though the Xaela was one of the strongest men she had ever seen, even a man like that has their limits. Against the monstrous boar, bigger than any she’s ever come across, every second counts, especially when the boar is the one who got the first hit in.
So much for their plan.
“There won’t be enough time to get them.”
And she was right. While Lunarae is a fully capable fighter, this boar was more than just a larger swine. The Miqo’te works best as a silent killer with her cleavers, taking down her prey from out of sight. Her blades, while bigger than the average dagger, will only be effective from a very close range.
Batu as their monk was quite powerful enough to hold off attacks, but against such a beast, it would take some time for him to beat it down into submission enough for Lunarae to finish the job. Trying to kill it through blunt trauma may take longer than they can give.
They needed Freya’s lance now. A polearm long enough to stab through the hide and cause critical damage.
“I know,” Freya said, shining a small smile at her friend before training her gaze onto the boar below. Then, she changed. Just like how Lunarae changes at the start of every hunt, but in Freya’s own way.
To Lunarae, Freya was the kind of friend to come to when one was in need of warmth. Not the kind of warmth emitted from a campfire, but the kind that comes with a soft smile. She could only guess that’s why Freya handled the orphans under her care so well.
Yet beneath all that was still a huntress. One who braved the wilds of Coerthas from a young age.
Lunarae saw her usually kind and motherly friend turn a lot more cold and calculating. The warmth in her turquoise eyes dimmed, like a fire suffocating under its ashes. Her lips, usually upturned in a smile, were a flat line across her pale skin.
Whenever this happened Lunarae always wondered if this was what Freya looked like as a child in her now-dead clan.
Like a ruthless hunter.
Of course, Lunarae herself was no different. Sliding out her daggers, Lunarae flipped them underhand and held them out to either side of her body.
Reaching over her shoulder, Freya grabbed her lance, one meant to model the same one wielded by the goddess Halone. She held it halfway down, fingers lightly enclosed around the rolanberry red haft.
“Can you keep an eye from up here? If anything seems amiss, I want you to be the one to step in.”
“Of course. Do you remember where best to reach a boar’s heart?” Asked Lunarae.
“Between the shoulder blade and push.”
“Good.”
Lunarae looked at the boar, hands resting on the pommels of her blades.
“Be careful. It’s furious right now.”
Freya looked at her friend to offer a brief sage smile before turning back to the boar with a cold stare. She tossed the lance up and grabbed it overhanded, the spear tip pointing downward. She bent her knees, gathering the aether to have it pool at her feet while she readied herself.
Then, she shot up. Lunarae watched intently as her friend ascended into the sky, partly blocking the sun as she almost appeared to be a bird flying in its luminance.
Freya stalled in the air, holding her arms out as she slowly twirled to maneuver around and look at her target: the boar’s back. Taking her lance in both hands, Freya held it up, her muscles bulging out of their sleeves as she gritted her teeth and allowed gravity to take care of the rest, hurtling down towards the boar locked in a battle with the Xaela.
As she passed by Lunarae on the way down, the Miqo’te could feel the speed emanating off of her. The wind rushed past in such a way it felt like a dragon diving through the sky, racing toward their quarry at speeds she’d only seen dragoons reach.
She hit the boar like a bullet. As the blade of Freya’s lance made purchase in the boar’s shoulder, she felt it digging deep into the flesh enough that she was sure it had touched a vital point.
The boar reared in pain, and Freya held fast onto her lance’s haft as the boar attempted to swing her off. Despite its best efforts, the dragoon was firm in her stance, her grip made of iron.
With this sudden lapse in its attack on Batu, the monk took the opportunity to rush in and deliver a flurry of punches onto the boar. A hook to the right, an uppercut to the chin, and an elbow rush into its chest, sending it rearing back, kicking its front legs out at the Xaela.
Throwing up his fists just in time, he felt the heavy impact of the boar’s hooves against his forearms, counting himself lucky he didn’t feel the bone shatter under its strength. All he got was a pair of large hoof marks imprinted on his forearms, blood starting to trickle from them.
Freya, on the other hand, was doing her best to hold on. The only reason she stayed on was to ensure the death blow. Pulling the lance out would lead to faster bleeding, and thus a faster demise. She needed the boar to stay still.
“Luna! Keep the boar down!”
Being called upon, the Miqo’te jumped down from the tree, landing on her feet as she always did. Sliding her blades back into their sheathes, she shot her hands out towards the boar.
Pulling her arms in, she then held her hands up.
As an astromancer, Lunarae could utilize magicks that manipulate the powers of the stars, including their ability to pull in smaller objects. Focusing on the boar, she began to press her hands down, a bubble of gravity falling upon the boar and encompassing it. The crushing pressure forced it onto its belly, unable to move.
This was enough for Freya to grip the spear firmly and, with all her strength, wrench it from the boar’s back. The boar cried as blood poured from the wound, with Freya jumping off the side. She landed right by her Miqo’te friend, making sure to nod her thanks.
“That should be enough. It should die soon, let it be.”
Batu let out a great sigh as he went to pull away from the boar, but stopped. As he went to lower his own strength so he could retreat, the boar kept pushing. In fact, it was getting stronger.
“Batu?”
His arms shook as he went back to pushing against the beast. “The boar…it’s not relenting…are you sure you pierced its heart?”
“I mean…I haven’t fought a boar so large.”
Lunarae, her hands pulling her blades out, walked up to Freya’s side. “Perhaps the hide is so thick you may have not reached the heart?”
“Perhaps.”
“So…what should I do?” Batu grunted.
“We’ll have to figure something out, finish this hunt, lest our quarry suffers any longer. A quick death will honor our prey well,” Lunarae said.
But it seems the boar had made their decision for them, as it jumped back.
“Huh?” Batu’s eyes tensed as he tried to prepare for whatever could come next.
Once landing on its back feet, the boar twisted around and used its back legs to kick at Batu, who held his arms up again to block the attack, just like he did with the front legs.
And yet, when the hooves connected with his arms, he felt a much heavier impact.
In the short time he had, he didn’t account that the boar’s back legs were much stronger than the front ones. The impact was so great, he was propelled off into the distance, knocking over the trees wherever he landed.
“Batu!” Lunarae cried.
“Luna, step aside.”
It was Freya, holding her arm out to move Lunarae to the side. As the Miqo’te took a few steps back, Freya took her spear in both hands and squared up with the boar.
The dragoon took a few careful steps to the left, away from Lunarae, the tension growing as she kept her eyes locked with the beast.
At any moment, either could attack.
Freya gave a glance to Lunarae, then back to the boar. Suddenly, she sprinted in.
“Luna! Launchboard formation!”
As she called out this particular formation, Freya slid into a crouch, opening her back up for Lunarae. This was only one of several formations the two had planned, not to mention the ones that involved Batu.
It’s imperative of most huntsmen to come prepared, and that means in every fashion.
As soon as Lunarae heard the words, she went into action, starting off into a sprint of her own, twirling her blades to hold them underhanded as she closed in on Freya.
Ahead of the Hyur, the boar was preparing to charge. Lunarae needed to get on its back and stop it from hurting another friend, while also keeping it distracted for Freya to strike.
Approaching Freya’s back, Lunarae took a step onto the Hyur’s left shoulder blade, with Freya grabbing the Miqo’te’s other foot before propelling her into the air, towards the boar.
Blades held above her head, Lunarae stabbed them down onto the boar’s back as she landed upon it, digging her knives in deep for a good hold in the boar’s flesh.
Of course, the boar did not favor the large blades digging into its back, and began to buck around in its attempt to fling the small Miqo’te off. Yet, Lunarae held firmly onto her blades, planting her feet against the boar’s broadside while she remained the sole focus of the swine.
A small smirk on her lips, Freya lifted herself from her crouched state, lance held out to her side before taking it in both hands and bending her knees.
Her eyes, a shining turquoise, were kept on the boar as it bucked around with her feline friend as the cause. She needed to time this right, a target in mind.
“Through the throat, down into the ribcage, and pierce the heart,” she muttered, going for a damaging, but slightly more risky, endeavor. Yet, with the hunt already seeing one of their hunters taken out of the fight, they needed to be risky. So she waited.
The beast continued its attempt to fling the Miqo’te off, twirling around and around, throwing its head all about, with Lunarae still remaining plugged into the boar’s flesh.
Just then, it turned enough that Freya saw an opportunity for her attack. As it landed on its two front hooves, she could line up a perfect shot.
A single deep breath preceded her next move.
Freya took the chance and charged in, spear gripped in both her hands, tip pointed directly at the boar’s chest.
As she closed in on the boar, she leaned aside, the boar’s tusk bashing into her left shoulder while her right hand took the momentum she built and thrust the spear into the softer skin of the boar’s neck. The soft skin gave way, allowing the spear tip through, into the ribcage, where it finally found its mark by running through the heart.
The boar squealed and pulled its head back. Freya lifted her head to watch as it swung its tusks towards the dragoon.
She was unable to move aside before being swatted away like a fly.
Freya was airborne for only a few seconds before feeling her chest crash against the thick trunk of a tree, stopping her flight. She fell to the ground, sending up a thin layer of snow as she indented deep inside.
The Miqo’te felt her heart sink. Her ears flattened.
“Freya!” Lunarae shouted, planting her feet square against the boar’s side and pushing herself off with a flip.
Once she had landed, she sprinted out across the little clearing made by the battle between Batu and the boar. She ignored the boar as it was recovering from the spear stabbed into its chest, a grievious wound. It groaned and grunted, stumbling around and crashing into trees.
Crouching down by Freya’s side, Lunarae saw her friend with her eyes closed, unmoving.
She feared the worst.
“No you’re not,” she said, leaning down to press her ear against the dragoon’s chest, listening for a heartbeat.
To focus, Lunarae had to relax and drown out the environs only for that moment. From the boar struggling, to the wild winds whistling past, she needed to shut it all down and focus on the organ that pumped Freya’s blood.
At first, there was silence as she tried to lock in on it, then…
Badump…badump.
Lunarae’s ear twitched when she heard the unmistakable sound of a beating heart. Freya still lived, and Lunarae’s tense breath loosened.
She gently pulled Freya into a sitting position, letting her rest against the trunk of the tree she was flung into. She gave the dragoon’s face a few light slaps, trying to wake her up.
“Rise, Freya. You must.”
The Hyur groaned, furrowing her brows in response to the slaps, but not exactly waking up yet, just muttering incomprehensible gibberish through grimacing lips.
Sighing, Lunarae couldn’t only really be relieved her friend was at least alive, if injured. She lightly brushed Freya’s short hair out of her eyes before standing up and turning towards the boar.
The beast was recovering from the attack, shaking its head of the blur before stancing up, planting its hooves in the snow as it stared Lunarae down with a vicious glare. It scraped its hoof against the floor.
It was preparing to charge.
Lunarae took a few steps away from Freya, eyes locked with the boar’s. With her hands at her sides, the Miqo’te made no slighter movements beyond her retreating from her friend. She needed to get away from Freya so that the Hyur wasn’t caught in another attack.
Lunarae preferred fights from the shadows. A blade in the dark, she hunted through ambushes and surprise attacks. Of course, Lunarae was an experienced huntress and a skilled wielder of her daggers. Taking on beasts head-on was doable, just not preferable. Most hunts of large beasts would require a party of hunters.
For Lunarae, that’d be Freya and Batu.
However, with those two currently indisposed, she needed to take it head-on her way.
Patience was key. She just needed the beast to make the first move. A slow hiss emitted from betwixt her lips, growing into a growl as she held her knives up in an attempt to provoke the boar.
Luckily, she didn’t need to wait long, as the boar reared up and squealed before starting its charge toward her, bloodlust in its eyes.
Lunarae set off, holding her hands close to her chest as she quickly made three signs with her fingers.
Ten, Chi, Jin!
Suddenly, a fount of water burst from the ground, shooting Lunarae up into the air, the boar missing her by inches while getting drenched.
As she soared upside down over the boar, Lunarae reached for the knives on her arms, clamping her fingers on them. After a moment of hesitation, she threw them out, riddling the boar’s back with a slew of knives. It was nothing compared to what Freya’s throwing spears could’ve done, but it could at least draw its attention. Due to the boar’s thick hide, it was only a small sting, but that was enough for the beast to point its attention to the Miqo’te.
She landed behind the boar, crouching low and twisting around, her hand planting into the snow as she grounded herself and prepared for the next attack.
The boar was shaking off the water, its thick hide rolling this way and that before slowly turning towards the Miqo’te.
It was fair to say it didn’t appreciate her little trick.
However, despite Lunarae’s attempts to draw its attention, the angry red eyes of the boar turned back towards the woman resting against the tree unconscious. Steam erupted from its lips as it released a low growl.
Lunarae’s eyes tensed, hands going for her blades as she was ready to run and take a hit for her friend.
Yet before the boar could begin to move towards Freya, it stopped, eyes widening.
Suddenly, the beast was lifted up from behind.
Great grunts of effort could be heard as the boar was picked up.
“You aren’t getting away from me…that easily!” Roared Batu as, with his arms wrapped tight around the boar’s back legs, he swung the beast to the side.
He was midair for only a moment before crashing into a patch of trees, its superb size splitting their trunks in two as he knocked them all down, leaving his body in a pile of wood.
Wide-eyed, Lunarae looked from the downed boar to Batu.
The Xaela appeared quite beat up. Bruises, scratches, and numerous hoof marks marred his body as he glared at the boar. Though tall, he was hunching over, a hot ragged breath escaping from between his lips as he tried to recover all his stamina.
“Batu!” Lunarae shouted to him as she ran over.
He turned and flashed his smile. “It’s not the end of me…not yet. The Batu you know is still stand— woah!”
The man was interrupted by the Miqo’te wrapping her arms around him. Though her touch did bring some pain to his bruises, he did nothing to stop her. He always loved a good hug.
As she pulled away, he chuckled.
“Usually I’m the one hugging.”
“I’m just glad you’re alright,” she said, breathing a sigh of relief as her eyes began to scan the Xaela’s body for anything in need of urgent treatment, “Nothing broken, I hope?”
Batu smiled and flexed his muscles. “Nothing, not even my pride!”
The sounds of the boar moving in the pile of broken trees grabbed both of their attention, making them look to see the swine getting back on its hooves.
Batu scoffed. “He’s a stubborn guy, I’ll give him that.”
Lunarae sighed, then peered over her shoulder at the unconscious form of her friend.
Freya still hasn’t awakened, and she was unsure when she would. Getting her out of danger should be their priority. Yet, they need to take down this boar as well.
Who knows where it will go if they retreat? Who else will it hurt?
Pulling her blades from their sheathes, Lunarae took a few steps towards the boar.
“Batu. You get Freya out of here. I’ll finish the hunt.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes…he’s my quarry.”
She felt Batu grab her arm, and she turned to look at him.
He wasn’t trying to stop her, just get her to look at him. The Xaela’s pink eyes twitched very little in its saccade, but it looked like he was searching her gaze. He nodded soon after.
“Be careful. I’ll get Freya to safety.”
Lunarae gave a single nod. “See that you do. Wilds keep you”
Once he let go of her arm, he went to Freya, scooping her up in his arms before giving one last look to the Miqo’te.
Lunarae stood tall, taller than he’d ever seen, against this boar. He could sense fear, yes, but any hunter who doesn’t respect the power of nature is prone to be taken by it.
No, he also sensed a determination in her. She gripped those blades of hers tight, and would not quit until they were bathed in the boar’s blood.
She is a hunter, and she must hunt.
Without giving another look her way, Batu retreated with Freya’s unconscious form, disappearing deep into the forests of Coerthas.
As Lunarae heard his steps fade into silence, she took a deep breath and crouched down, arms held out to her side as she got ready for the battle ahead.
The boar was doing the same, shaking its head from the daze it received after being thrown. It stepped out of the pile of trees and turned to Lunarae.
The Miqo’te’s eyes only flitted around the immediate area, formulating her plan to take this boar down, trying to think over any scenarios that might ruin it, and ways to overcome them.
Obviously, she can’t consider every possibility, for even the stars can’t predict the sharpest of turns in the tapestries of history.
Divination could only go so far, only be so clear.
She couldn’t see into the future of the next few minutes, much less the next day, week, month, or year.
But she can minimize any failure within that time.
As the boar began to take a few steps towards the Miqo’te, she had already come up with her next few moves.
Her dual-colored eyes landed on the boar.
Crouching low, Lunarae gathered the aether at her feet as Freya had shown her. It was like a fire being lit at her feet, warming the soles of her boots. Along with that, she utilized her ability to use gravity to pull herself towards the boar.
Effectively, she was using her abilities to turn herself into a sling, pulled taut and ready to be launched.
And launch herself she did.
Like an arrow, she shot off, her blades held out to either side as she closed in on the boar at the speed of a bullet.
For Lunarae, she was bouncing all around the placing, slicing at specific parts of the boar as she passed by it and stopping herself on a tree before dashing off to do it again.
While some of her slashes were just to bleed it a bit more, others were aimed at more vital parts, specifically the ankles; slashing the tendons in them so that the boar could finally fall.
As the first two ankles were slashed, the boar shrieked, moving more wildly with his front legs. The girl was fast, and her slashes were hard to avoid, but he needed to try something, anything.
Before Lunarae could close in on the last two ankles, the boar winded back and spun with all his strength, doing an entire rotation.
Lunarae, unable to calculate this in her speed, was hit hard.
The impact was pain against her ribcage, sending her flying. She couldn’t breathe, the wind knocked out of her from so great a strike, that she was left gasping for air.
Despite this, she opened her eyes once again, seeing the boar watch her fly back. Clicking her tongue once, she drew her arm back, the handle held between her forefinger and thumb. Narrowing her eyes, she grunted and twisted her body. As she did a full twirl, she shot her hand out, activating gravity on the knife.
The knife traveled through the air, cutting through it with such swiftness it could nearly break the sound barrier. However, before it could reach such a speed, it slammed into the boar, stabbing deep into its neck and knocking the beast down onto its side, leaving its throat open and bleeding.
Lunarae turned over in enough time to stop herself on a tree, using gravity to keep her feet planted on the tree.
She crouched down, hands on the bark as she focused on breathing. First through the nose, then out through the mouth. Lunarae imagined the flow of aether entering her body and leaving it, all in one smooth motion.
In…out…in…out.
Slowly, she felt the air gain passage into her lungs, and soon it was flowing again.
Standing, she turned her head up to look at the downed boar. Its legs were flailing as it tried to get up, but it was having trouble doing so due to its damaged tendons.
It was just one big target now.
Bending her knees and putting gravity on herself, Lunarae felt the tree bend itself back under her strength, creaking loud enough to be heard amongst the sound of her heart beating in her head.
As she released, she shot herself up into the air and activated gravity on the blade buried hilt deep in the beast. She began to feel herself being pulled towards the blade, like a hand pulling her along, as her gravity magic worked on it. Suddenly she was soaring through the air just like the knife that came before her, the world around her turning into a blur as she raced towards the boar
She tightly gripped the one knife she had left in her hand, held at the perfect angle to deliver the final blow.
As she closed in on the boar, its throat open to her, she twirled in the air, spinning multiple times to drum up more momentum before finally striking down upon the soft flesh of the boar’s neck.
Despite being just a dagger, the blades of her knives were equivalent to curved cleaver blades, ones that were just about below the length of the average shortsword. When Lunarae had them made, she picked the cleaver design just so she could ensure that, whatever the hide, it would cut through.
As it dug into the flesh, it ran a thick red line across the boar’s throat, slicing through the meat, the muscles, and even the bone to split the trachea entirely into twain.
What followed was rivulets of blood spewing onto the Miqo’te as she closed her eyes, and trained her ears towards the boar.
She listened intently to the boar’s breathing. It was a slow process, the boar being just as much of a fighter in death as it was in life. Its breath, at first ragged, slowed to a labored gasping, begging for any air to enter its windpipe.
A fruitless endeavor, one followed by the eventual acceptance of the end, as the rest of his breath escaped from the new opening in his throat.
Its bucking, kicking legs slowly lost strength before hanging limp from its underside.
And its eyes, once wild and tense with fury, the fire once burning bright inside them, dimmed into a burnt pile of wood, smothered by ashes. They gradually closed before shutting and never opening once again.
Spattered in its blood, Lunarae rose to her feet, pulled out her cleaver from the flesh, and dislodged the other one that was still sticking out of the beast’s throat.
Flipping them to hold them overhand, she held her arm up and slid the blade across her arm, wiping the blood on her. She repeated this with the other blade, smattering both arms in the deep crimson.
Lunarae sighed. It wasn’t out of any relief, despite feeling as much, but more out of an obligatory feeling of completeness. She did it. She hunted the boar down and killed it. The beast, and more importantly her people and the wilds, were at last given peace, even if temporary.
Flipping her blades underhand, she slid them back into their sheathes solemnly. The heavy feeling in her chest had dissipated, now replaced with something much lighter. Turning towards the boar’s corpse, she placed a hand upon its fur.
The Starseekers are primarily a hunting tribe, getting most of their food from the local fauna, as well as the bounteous fruits and nuts of the forest they could forage for. Thus, most of what a Starseeker eats is from the wilderness around them, and as is tradition they like to give thanks to it, to the resources it provides to them, while also sending them off to return to what they call The Cycle.
Some of her fellow hunters gave longer thanks, but Lunarae was one to keep it on the shorter side, especially after such a grim task.
She closed her eyes.
“Beast. While you may have brought pain upon my tribe and the people of Coerthas, I honor you and give you peace. For the hunt you have given, and for the resources you will provide, I give you my thanks. I now send you off, back to where we all will return, to repeat The Cycle anew.”
Opening her eyes once more, she slowly removed her hand from the boar’s snout and stood up, gazing upon it for just a few moments longer before walking away, in the direction she saw Batu take Freya.
Lunarae’s gait was slow as she walked past the myriad trees. As the afternoon was leading to dusk, the sounds of the forest began to quiet as well, leaving the Miqo’te to herself. She released a soft breath as she let it encompass her.
The solitude, it gave her more than just time to rest her body. It gave her time to calm, her mind to clear.
Her hands to stop shaking.
The feeling of warmth was what first welcomed Freya to consciousness. It basked upon her side, an affectionate heat that she wanted to inch closer towards.
Then came the sensation of pain.
A groan escaped from her lips as aches pulsed throughout her entire body.
“Oh, she’s awake.”
Opening her eyes, Freya found herself on her back; exposed to the night sky. Hundreds of stars dotted its dark canvas. To her left was a crackling fire, fed enough wood to last for quite a while. And to her right…
Lunarae’s blue skin nearly matched the sky, her white freckles joining with the rest of the stars. That which interrupted it was her eyes, one silver and one gold, glowing in the darkness.
While striking, it was a trait Freya sometimes found discomforting when waking in the middle of the night. Yet, with the fire illuminating her face, it was less creepy, and more warming, especially when accompanied by the Miqo’te’s light smile.
“How are you feeling?”
Freya groaned in response but knew Lunarae appreciated actual answers. Though it took her a moment to suck in some breath to speak, she gave her reply.
“Pain.”
“As expected.”
Freya felt another figure nearby and glanced up to see Batu sitting a bit away from them.
“Hey,” Batu said, giving her a little wave from his seat by the fire. Freya noticed his arms were wrapped in bandages.
“First things first,” Lunarae said, “Do you remember what happened?”
Her eyes flitting back to Lunarae, Freya turned her gaze back to the stars, feeling the memories pour in.
The weight of what transpired hit her like a rampaging boar.
Freya sighed, an arm raising to rest across her eyes. “I…I did a stupid thing.”
“I’d call it brave,” Lunarae put in.
“Mm…some say the two are one and the same.”
Lunarae rubbed Freya’s shoulder lightly. “Both times you struck the boar, as far as I saw, you did the most damage. With your spear lodged in its chest, he was much weaker when I fought him. Stupid? Mayhaps. But it was fruitful.”
Lowering her arm, Freya offered her friend a thankful glance, before her eyes lowered down to her own body.
“So…what about me? What’s the damage?”
“Well…a concussion for one, but that’s what I was able to heal first. Then there are the broken bones, the bruising, the bleeding, so on and so forth.”
“What’s broken?”
“Your left shoulder was shattered, with portions of your upper arm fracturing as well. I healed that as well, but it will be sore. Then there’s your ribs.”
“What’s wrong with them?”
“Well…they are cracked. And I was regaining my aether to heal that when you woke up. After that, it should be some smaller heals throughout the body, and you should be good to go…with the proper rest, of course.”
Freya glanced back at Lunarae, noticing certain details now that she spoke of them. A body bruised. Her eyes, though bright, were dimmed slightly by the dark circles that surrounded them. Her lips were cracked from the cold air and the frequent breathing exercises required in healing.
She looked so tired.
“Ah…sorry to interrupt.”
“Are you ready?”
Freya looked down at herself again, then up to Lunarae, her lips curving into a smile. She took a deep breath and lifted her head, giving Lunarae a brief nod, allowing her to begin healing.
The Miqo’te placed her hand on the Hyur’s chest, right beneath her left breast, earning a painful wince from the woman. With some focus, Lunarae was able to discern where the broken ribs were, so she knew her target. Before she began healing, she gave a glance at the sky. At the stars.
She knew what to attune to. Being part of a tribe that has studied the stars for so long, their skills in astromancy were near second to none.
Attuning her own aether with the benefic bodies of the heavens, she closed her eyes and began to use her magicks to mend the broken ribs. As she began to do so, she felt a small jolt from Freya.
She always said Lunarae’s healing felt like a warm hand on cold skin: jarring, but not unwelcome.
As the warmth entered, Freya’s body relaxed. Slowly, she let her breath slip from between her lips, steam rising from her mouth like it was a dragon’s maw. Her vibrant turquoise eyes seemed to search the skies for…anything.
But then, Hyur closed her eyes and began to sing.
It was no song in Eorzean tongue but in the language of the dragons. As she did, her head would lightly sway from side to side to the song’s meter. In her mature, deep voice, she was close to sounding like a mother singing a lullaby to one of her children.
Though nothing compared to Freya’s knowledge of it, Lunarae did know some of the Dravanian tongue, so she managed to get some little bits and pieces of it and construct the song in her mind.
It was a song Freya had told her about before. After a day of failed hunts, they would sit around the fire and eat what little they had, then sing this song of steeling themselves over the night of hunger pangs, for a better hunt will come in the morrow.
Eventually, as her ribs began to mend, Freya’s singing would falter into mutterings, before finally falling to silence. She lay there, eyes opening to show the pain slowly fading away from them as her chest rose in less ragged breaths.
Lunarae removed her hand from Freya’s chest and pushed herself to her feet, offering her friend another smile and a hand held out in assistance.
“We’ll be resting for the night and heading back home early tomorrow. The cold should be enough to preserve the boar,” Lunarae said, gesturing to the boar corpse lying over by their chocobos, who were a bit bewildered by the beast.
“Now, how does some tea sound?”
Freya’s chuckle turned into a grunt as she took her friend’s hand, being pulled to her feet. A hand went to her side as she got up, the ribs still sore despite being healed.
“Tea sounds lovely,” she grunted out, smiling.
“I’ll get started,” Lunarae said, tail raising with her spirits as she gestured to the fallen log for Freya to sit.
Freya slowly squatted down on the log, grimacing. “Now the kids are going to worry over me. Poor Aoi, too.”
“They do that plenty without you getting hurt.” Lunarae walked back to her tent to retrieve her things.
“True enough, true enough.”
“I’ll come along to calm their fears,” Batu reassured his friend, but couldn’t help a small painful gasp as he moved his arms.
“Batu, you look just as bad as I do.”
“But I live!”
“Ugh…well, your presence will at least brighten their spirits.”
The fire roared as Lunarae was giving its flames a few good pokes with a stick while they warmed the kettle she had tied above. She was brewing a special medicinal tea that eased the pains, one passed down from generation to generation of Starseekers.
Meanwhile, her friends had to ease their own aches as they waited.
Yet it was only a few painful minutes as soon steam was erupting from the spout of the kettle, easily visible in the light of the fire as it rose up towards the cold, dark night sky.
Lunarae was already taking the kettle off the fire and setting it on a small foldable table she had, along with a trio of cups. She poured the tea into each with care, glancing at her two compatriots.
“Honey, I expect?”
The two of them nodded, and Lunarae produced a vial of honey from one of her bags, pouring the golden nectar into each cup and giving them a stir before passing them out. Batu took it in one hand, raising it to his lips to drink while Freya, wrapped in a shawl, folded her hands around the cup, letting its warmth radiate to her fingers.
Lunarae sat down on the log next to Freya, pulling one knee up onto it as she slid a hand underneath her cup, the other wrapping around it.
Around the bright and furious fire, the three would stare into the flames and absentmindedly drink their tea in silence, rejuvenating themselves after a long day’s hunt. The most they could hear were the sounds of the woods around them, the crackling of the fire, and the momentary breaths each of them would release.
Freya was the first to finish her cup, needing the tea’s healing properties to help her with the pain. She had the last sip with a heavy sigh and went to put the cup at her side on the log before pulling the shawl closer around her form. Lunarae glanced at her friend.
“How are you feeling?”
“The tea is working, if that’s what you’re wondering. I’m feeling better.”
“Good,” Lunarae tried to hide her pride, but her flickering ears gave it away. Freya decided not to bring it up, and instead asked about the tea.
“Where’d you learn such a recipe, anyway?”
“It’s been with my tribe for generations. A way to ease the aches and pains for those old but willing to hunt, and those who were hurt during a hunt. I learned it at a young age from my mother, but I didn’t use it much back then. The odd failed hunt here or there, yet it wasn’t until the Calamity struck that it really came to the forefront. I myself drank plenty after my injury, and I helped brew some for my fellow members. Sometimes to help with their aches, and others to…ease the pain in their final moments.”
Freya pursed her lips, reaching her hand over to place on Lunarae’s. “It’s never easy to forget those times.”
Lunarae stared into the flames as if the memories of back then were seen within their luminance. She didn’t want to forget. She didn’t deserve to, she thought.
“The worst of it all were the faces of the kittens. The days I was injured, all I could do was sit and watch as they cried over losing their loved ones. I couldn’t run away to hunt or forage to get away from it all, so I had to endure their sorrow. It was…so painful. They didn’t deserve to be orphans at so little an age. I want to do more for them. For my entire tribe.”
“Is that why you took on this hunt?” Batu asked, leaning forward in his seat to rest his arms on his knees.
“Yes. That day when some of our tribe members came back heavily wounded, it was like the Calamity all over again. Those crying faces…again, they…ripped at my heart. I couldn’t bear to see them like that, so I took off after the boar.”
“That’s unlike you, Lunarae,” said Freya.
“The emotions of the Calamity just caught right back up with me. Nonetheless, I’m glad you two found me.”
“After your tribe told us what happened, it was just a matter of conjuring up all we knew about you into a path,” Batu boasted.
“I just thought of where I’d go if I were hunting a boar, and so we found you,” Freya said with a chuckle.
Lunarae couldn’t help a little giggle herself, a hand lifting to her mouth as she felt the warmth eke back into her heart.
Even in her darkest hours, she could always rely on her friends to pull her back.
“Stars above, I’m not that easy to track, am I?”
“Huntress to huntress, no. But I’ve done it enough that I know your process. I’m sure you know mine.”
“Hm, indeed. Though we both like to stick to the trees.”
“We have agreed on several occasions; high vantage points make for the best ambushes.”
“Exactly.”
Freya and Lunarae both sat there, eyes closed, nodding with hums of agreement while Batu’s eyes glanced between the two of them.
“Eh, I think just tackling them always works for me.”
“Except for the boar. He tackled you, it seems,” Freya said.
“He only got the jump on me because I was talking to you two.”
“Mhm,” Lunarae teased, rolling her tea cup around and watching the liquid inside swirl. She took a quick sip before reaching out to place it on the table.
“Next time we hunt, I won’t be caught off guard, I swear.”
“That may be a while,” Freya said. “Knowing the kids, they’ll want me to stay at home for the next couple of months. And I am unable to decline their demands.”
“It’s probably for the best,” Lunarae said, rubbing her friend’s shoulder.
“Yeah, yeah,” Freya pouted as she rested her head in her hands.
Lightening up a little more, Lunarae leaned back and let out a large breath, like a weight had been taken off her shoulders as her eyes turned back to the stars for a moment. Leaning forward, she smiled and stood up, stretching her arms and tail out as she stood in front of the fire.
“We’re sure to have an amazing feast tomorrow when we bring the boar back.”
“Ah, that sounds so good right now,” Batu said almost wistfully.
“Then perhaps we should call it a night?” Freya suggested. “The sooner we are well-rested, the sooner we can get back home. I for one look forward to seeing the kittens’ smiles.”
Batu groaned and stood up. “And I for one am in need of some rest. Not just the bruises, but my muscles are aching. Some sleep will do me good.”
Lunarae smiled at the two of them. “You two go on ahead, I’m going to stay up for a bit longer.”
“You sure? This isn’t you trying to watch over your wounded friends, is it?” Freya asked, playfully side-eyeing her friend.
“No, just…consider it a Moonkeeper thing. Go on, I won’t be too long after.”
Her two friends, glancing at each other with unsure smiles, eventually relented and returned to their respective tents with a small goodnight from each. Lunarae simply watched them, her ears flickering as they listened to them settle into their bedrolls.
She turned to the edge of the cliff that they were situated several yalms from, one where the trees parted to show the entirety of the open night sky. The moon in its full glory, surrounded by myriad stars, hung in the sky, shining its silvery light over all of Coerthas.
Being a Moonkeeper Miqo’te, the moon has always been a part of Lunarae. Following the goddess of love, Menphina has always been a part of her spirituality.
But as a Starseeker, the stars were her family. Like her ancestors before her, their light would guide her during the roughest hunts, the darkest nights. Like tribe members on their own, or friends at her side, always there to keep her spirits up, to keep her going.
Staring up at those stars once more, Lunarae couldn’t help but smile.
“Are we almost there?”
“Patience, Batu.”
Crossing Coerthas was a long trek for the trio, with the cold morning air keeping them company throughout the journey. While they still ached from the events of the day before, they pushed themselves to move.
The idea of hanging around the campfire, and feasting on roasted boar kept them on their feet.
“I worry for our chocobos,” said Freya, peering over her shoulder, “It can’t be too easy to drag this mound of meat with them.”
“Once we are back home, they will be well taken care of,” Lunarae patted her chocobo’s neck as they, along with the other two, pulled along a sled with the boar’s corpse tied to it. They weren’t showing any signs of struggle, but it couldn’t have been a great time for them nonetheless.
“Once we make it back, they’ll get pampered to all hells. Just you wait, Hankobo!” Batu exclaimed, pumping his fist high into the air.
Hankobo remained stoic.
Freya smirked and turned to her chocobo. “You’ll get the good greens, I promise.”
Valkyrie meeped happily in response.
“I will personally see to it that our chocobos get all the care and attention they deserve,” Lunarae said with a smile, taking her hand off her chocobo to take a few steps ahead, “We aren’t too far from our main campsite. It shan’t be long now.”
The current hill they ascended wasn’t too steep, giving the group a nice incline that didn’t take too much of their stamina to climb. Sadly, the same couldn’t be said for a good amount of the journey, what with Coerthas and its uneven terrain proving to be obstacles.
As Lunarae crested the hill, she saw a familiar sight in the distance. Many tents along the landscape, with the telltale smokestack of a campfire just being started reaching into the sky. Even from the distance they were at, she could see the people going about their morning tasks, and the children running out to play.
And there, walking away from the camp with a basket full of laundry in her hands, was one Miqo’te with long, fluffy white hair, looking to be made of the softest cotton, that cascaded down her back almost like a fur cape. It followed behind as she was making her way down the hill to the river that runs by their camp.
Lunarae knew who it was immediately. As they descended the hill they had climbed, she shouted out to the woman, waving towards her.
“Celeste!”
The young woman jumped at the sound, nearly dropping her basket as she turned to see the group that had left their tribe a few days ago. Her eyes were wide and her mouth hung open, but both turned to joyful as she saw her little sister again. With the basket in her hands, she began to make her way towards the group.
“Luna! I’m so glad you…”
She slowed as she got closer, getting a better look at the returning heroes. Apparent bruising, cuts, and gashes. Signs of recent healing on the skin.
Not to mention the gigantic boar in tow right behind them.
The sight of it all made her drop her basket.
“Are you alri-…”
“No…we’re not,” Freya groaned, holding a hand to stop the woman from asking, returning with a weak smile, “But…we’re alive.”
“And we brought dinner!” Batu exclaimed, presenting the boar like a prize.
Celeste looked at the boar, her eyes wide at its massive size.
“The one that’s been injuring our hunters?”
Lunarae smiled. “The very same.”
While a wave of relief seemed to wash over Celeste, she stepped in to hug her sister, who grimaced in response, but wrapped a single arm around her back, nonetheless.
“Ahh…careful. Still sore.”
“Right, sorry,” Celeste said, stepping back apologetically.
Suddenly, a gasp could be heard from up the hill. “Luna’s back!”
As all turned to look toward the camp, all Lunarae could do was smile as a litter of the tribe’s kittens began to rush down the hill toward them.
A light sigh escaped her lips as she prepared for the onslaught of adorable cheers and pounces.
“Here they come.”
“I’m not sure I can handle getting tackled in this state,” Freya groaned.
“We gotta keep up the facade. For them,” Batu smiled.
Freya closed her eyes as she enjoyed her last few moments of silence. Opening them back up, she watched as one particular child, one she remembers as Una, jumped at her.
The dragoon was quick to hold her arms out and catch the grinning child as they began to wriggle happily in her hands.
“Gentle, little one. This one’s body has been battered quite harshly and could use some rest. But how’s this: I’ll let you ride on my shoulders if you promise not to move around so much. How does that sound?”
“Yes!” Una’s young voice cheered as Freya maneuvered the girl around to sit upon her shoulders, making sure she was secure before she nodded towards the other two.
“I’m going to go find some men to carry the boar in. You two try to corral the little ones as best you can.”
“I’ll do my best, of course. You know how they are,” Lunarae sighed as she looked at all the children of the tribe swarming around her. “Just be careful, Freya. Those wounds are still fresh. And Una, behave.”
With a giggling child on her shoulders, Freya offered a small wave goodbye as she walked towards the camp.
Batu was not so lucky, as he was immediately pounced on by multiple kittens, some hanging off limbs that were sore and aching. Batu, in his ways, was trying to tough through it as he flexed with the kittens hanging from his arms.
“I may look hurt, but fear not! Nothing can take down this mountain!”
The multitude of cheers thrown his way definitely made all the pain worth it. Yet, Lunarae did feel a nagging need to warn them not to go too far, but before she could get a word out, Celeste stepped forward.
“Children,” called Celeste, looking at those who were climbing the Xaela, yet none turned her way. She pouted, glancing at her sister, now giggling, then back to the kittens as she cleared her throat.
“Ahem… children? ”
The added firmness cut them deep into their bones. The cheers slowed into silence and myriad pairs of bright, wide eyes turned to look at Celeste.
She smiled, holding a finger up. “Remember to treat our heroes with care. Batu may be strong, but even the best chocobos need repose.”
“Yes, Miss Celeste,” the childish congregation said in harmony, before continuing to climb Batu with a little more care.
“Thanks, Lady Celeste,” Batu said, the relief in his eyes nearly tangible.
Celeste nodded with a proud smile, then turned back towards Lunarae.
“Now come, Luna,” her sister said, taking her hand and leading her towards the camp, the swarm of kittens following, “Let’s get you off your feet. We can tell the tribe of the hunt over a fire…and a swine on a spit.”
Lunarae chuckled. “I’m unsure if we have a spit big enough to hold this one.”
“Then we’ll make one!”
The warm baritone voice, so infused with zeal, could only be one person.
A male Miqo’te in his late forties stood at the top of the hill, hands on his hips as he watched the two girls make their way over. The bright morning sunlight reflected off his dark blue hair, tied back, yet still somehow looking a mess beside the neat braid that ran down the right side of his face. Through it all, his charming smile shined. The smile of a bard.
“Father!” Lunarae broke from Celeste to embrace the man, who wrapped his arms around his daughter with the gentleness of a blanket.
“Seems the boar did a number on you, but I never doubted you. This won’t stop your mother from fretting, however.”
The huntress pulled away to smile at him, the same way she would when she wanted something from him. “Any chance you could help lessen the blow?”
Her father shrugged, hands out at his sides. “No can do. That woman’s tongue will tie me into knots. You’re on your own.”
“Hm…where is she?”
He nodded his head towards one of the bigger tents, the one primarily used for those injured during hunts. “Caring over the wounded. Hasn’t so little as left their side since your departure. She was worried when you left, and nothing I said could lighten the load. It…reminds her of those times. Can’t say I blame her.”
“Oh…I…I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologize to me. Though you barely gave me a goodbye, I know how you feel. I can’t baby my little girls all their lives, yet the strings of my heart played a sorrowful note in your absence. However, I’d advise a decent apology for her .”
Lunarae looked down at her hands, then at the tent. Glancing from her father to her sister, she sighed and gave a single nod before making her way to the tent. She held her hands behind her back as she began to think over the day in question when she left, and how she could make up for it.
Before she could really think it all through, though, she was already at the tent flaps. Though she wanted to step in, she couldn’t help but hesitate.
Grabbing one of the tent flaps, she took a deep breath and parted them, cutting through the lantern-lit tent’s darkness with natural light. In the midst of it all was a woman knelt by one of the wounded.
Just like her sister, the woman’s hair was a crisp snow white. A mane that would’ve dominated her frame, but she had it restrained in one long braid that reached all the way down to her legs, with dark blue ribbons tied into it. Her fur-trimmed robes, lighter than the coats of the hunters, were opened slightly as the body heat in the tent had warmed the room.
Lunarae’s eyes glanced about.
It was almost the same exact scene as it was five years ago.
Her mother was tending to a wounded tribe member, counting the right drops needed into a tiny saucer.
“Remember, swallow completely, no matter how bad it tastes,” she said, leaning in over the member, giving them a nod before carefully holding the saucer out to the man.
Though hesitation showed in the member’s face, they nodded and parted their lips briefly to accept the liquid. They were quick to swallow it, grimacing at the heavy bitter taste that stung their tongue.
Lunarae’s mother, Rhea, sighed and leaned back.
When she spoke, she didn’t even look her daughter’s way.
“You look terrible.”
Lunarae was silent as she took a couple of steps into the tent, an uneasy chuckle being her greeting. “Well…I don’t feel as bad as I look.”
“Come here.”
Pursing her lips, Lunarae did as her mother told her and made her way over.
Once she had knelt down, her mother looked at her with a hand outstretched, gripping her daughter’s chin gently. She pulled it from side to side, examining the young woman’s face with sharp yellow eyes.
“Seems you did good work on yourself.”
“I learned from the best.”
“How are you feeling?”
“I’m fine. Honestly. Things are just…sore.”
“Mm,” she said, planting her hands on her lap, “How about your friends?”
“A single look over, mayhap. I did my best, but you were always better at sniffing out the smaller things.”
“So much praise,” she said, turning back to the wounded in their cots, “I’ll make sure to give them a once over when I’m done checking on these ones.”
“How are they?”
“No deaths and it seems the worst has passed.”
“Thank the stars…,” Lunarae said, glancing at the floor, “I, uhm…hope I didn’t worry you too much.”
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her mother moving. Suddenly, she felt a hand on her head, giving it a little rub, something she never let anyone do to her.
“As a coeurl frets over every last kit,” her mother’s voice turned soft, “I of course worried over my little star.”
Anyone…except her mother. As she finished rubbing, she took the back of Lunarae’s head and pressed it gently to hers.
Lunarae looked aside. “I know what I did was rash, and there’s really no excuse for it. I let my emotions get the better of me, and it made you all worry so. I am sorry.”
She saw her mother nod slowly.
“I’m more than happy that you’re okay. However,” she said, pulling back as her tone darkened once more, “next time you pull a stunt like this, you’ll be gathering Morbol vines for the next moon.”
A chill ran up Lunarae’s back. One of the sleeping potions they made requires particularly the vines of the Morbol. While the Miqo’te was perfectly capable of doing this, the entire process was quite unpleasant to nearly every sense she had on her body.
“Understood, Mama.”
She brightened instantly. “Good! Now, go on out there and give the little ones all your attention. They missed you.”
“Yes, I’m sure they will not leave my side for quite some time.”
“Consider it recompense for storming off.”
“Will do,” Lunarae said, giving her mother one last smile before getting up and walking back to the tent’s exit.
She could hear the kittens chattering just beyond it.
Parting the tent’s flaps once more, she saw them gathering around the tribe’s fire pit as Batu crouched right beside it, striking a flint against the tinder to produce a flame. He was smiling his brightest smile, speaking some words of optimism to the kids around him. The Xaela always worked well with the children.
Seems they were setting up for a campfire early. The teeth of Coerthas’ morning cold was nipping at her a bit, so some warmth wouldn’t be so bad. Rest well-earned for the hunters who so bravely downed the beast.
Looking towards the other end of the campgrounds, she could see the boar was starting to get dressed up and prepared for tonight’s feast by the other tribe members. Due to the boar’s size, however, it may take a bit longer, as trying to get the massive beast strung up was a difficult task, even for some of the tribe’s most experienced hunters.
A cheer directed her attention back to the crowd of kittens. Light flickered amongst their faces as it seemed Batu had started the fire. He leaned in, blowing on it to provide the flames more air, raising it from a small flicker into more of a growing flame.
The kittens then crowded closer to the fire, eyes closed in bliss at the warmth that drew them in. Freya, with Una on her shoulders, was getting in just close enough so the girl could hold her hands out and feel the heat against them.
“Hey, Luna!” An overly cheery voice called out to her, one the Miqo’te knew only too well.
Turning her head aside, she watched as two of the more adolescent tribe members approached. One of them, Okhi, was a spritely one always able to exude vim and vigor with messy hair tied up in multiple ways. The other, Giah, reserved with her hair neatly braided to frame her face, was more proper in comparison.
Okhi jumped up and down as she got to Lunarae, her smile wide as ever. “I see you got the boar! How’d you do it? Did you use your jutsus? What about gravity? Was it hard?”
Lunarae chuckled, her head shaking as she held a hand out to calm Okhi down. “A nice story around the fire seems to be in order. But in due time…we need to calm ourselves after such a ruthless hunt.”
“Aw, but I want to hear it now! Oh, a fire!”
And she was off, leaving Lunarae with Giah, who just stood there, head leaning to one side as she watched Okhi speed away.
Slowly, the two turned towards the other, each offering a nod in greeting.
Giah smiled. “I’m glad you’re back. We were worried when you just ran off.”
“Mmm…I’m sorry to worry you all.”
“All that matters is you’re back safe. Will you be joining us by the fire?”
“In a moment. You go on ahead.”
Stepping out in front of Lunarae, Giah nodded and began to make her way towards the fire. “Mhm, okay! Don’t wait too long!”
As the teenage Miqo’te joined with the others, Lunarae couldn’t help but smile, her ears flickering in delight. Seeing how the little ones have grown over the last five years, it doesn’t cease to amaze her.
When those wounded by the boar had come, all she remembered seeing were the little ones sorrowful faces. Their fellow members, some of them flesh and blood to them, lying hurt was disheartening, and Lunarae couldn’t stand to see the children in such disarray.
That was probably the biggest reason she just ran off.
Now they were all up in spirits. Una carried upon Freya’s shoulders, her arms outstretched as Freya did her best to run about, letting the little one feel the wind in her face.
Qih’to, always the rowdy one, hung deftly onto one of Batu’s arms as the Xaela flexed and pulled him up.
Rhaya, usually always hiding behind Lunarae’s sister Celeste, sometimes even hiding in the woman’s fluffy hair, had come out just a little. Her eyes, wide as ever, watched the events before her with less fear and more joy than before, still from the safety of Celeste’s lustrous mane.
And then there was Okhi and Ghia. She remembers them as children during the Calamity, and the grief that struck their hearts upon learning their families did not make it. Seeing their faces every day that followed was more painful to Lunarae than any wound she had endured, and since then she always tried her best to cheer them up.
Now, the two of them lit up as they joined in the congregating mass of warming kittens.
Despite what the world had dealt them all those years ago, it seems they’ve learned to move on. While she’s sure the pain will never truly be gone, it’s never worth it to let it hold one back.
“You joining them?”
Freya strode up to Lunarae’s side, Una still on her shoulders.
Lunarae smiled at her friend. “I will. Just enjoying the sight of it all.”
“Of course. Take all the time you need. I, on the other hand, am a bit busy. This little one is demanding some more dragon rides.”
“You mean… dragoon rides?”
“Haw haw. Learn that one from Batu?”
Lunarae chuckled. “No, that’s an original.”
Freya rolled her eyes. “Gods save me. Well Una, hold on!”
Readjusting the child on her shoulders, Freya set off again, Una shrieking with delight as she held on tight to the Hyur’s head.
Turning back to the group, she noticed more and more tribe members were beginning to congregate, some of them bringing entertainment to liven up the mood. Even her father had strode up with his lute in hand, beginning to play his ballads.
The once dim-lit flames had grown into a roaring fire, one that may see them through the night, if the festivities continued this way.
Despite it all, despite everything that has tried to tear them down, the tribe was stronger than ever.
Lunarae sighed and made her way into the crowd, her tail dancing happily behind her.