“We started clearing out the dark clusters without you!” Richiro Wichiro called out to her as the Au Ra with white hair drew out her grimoire. She summoned her Garuda-Egi to help blast the clusters alongside the rest. 

“Glad you saved me some!” Azlyn winked, while Alisaie gave the girl a side glance. 

“Everything alright?” 

“Oh yeah—everything was fine. Someone had a favor to ask me.” She had a feeling Alphinaud didn’t want his sister to know he was sticking his nose in this. 

Ozwin slammed his shield into the dark clusters, breaking one. “I hope you told them no. You need to start telling people that.” 

Azlyn shrugged. “Well...we’ll see how everything spans out.”

Roll sent out a blast of Malefic energy, blasting the second dark cluster—shattering it under the spell’s arcane power. “And the path is clear!” 

The nine of them pushed forth, and slowly arrived to a large bulkhead with a terminal at the side. Azlyn cracked her knuckles, walking over to it. She started to clack away at the Allagan letters as she issued a command to open the bulkhead blocking their path. As the doors shuddered open, they were greeted with a place of entry…and an armored individual waiting.

Alisaie narrowed her eyes. “That armor—No, it couldn’t be!” She pulled out her book as she got into an offensive position. “Be on your guard everyone! Though it defies all reason that he should live, I know of only one who wears such armor.”

Ozwin stepped up, his shield and sword at the ready. “Nael van Darnus, the Empire raised him as high as the Black Wolf. The Legatus of the VIIIth Legion.”

Azlyn had to think hard about why the man looked so familiar. She’d seen him recently…but where?

“He is the madman who brought the Meteor project to fruition.” Alisaie explained. “The White Raven—harbinger of the Seventh Umbral Era!”

Kida notched two of her arrows, squaring her shot.

The armored man who had stood with his arms crossed lowered them to his side. His voice sounded hollow in his helmet. “Nael—van—Darnus?” He paused a moment, before having a sort of revelation within himself. As he spoke, it only served to confuse the rest. “Ah—That was the name of the fool who perished upon the eve of the promised age of glory. It should not be uttered within these hallowed halls.”

Mjnt gave him a curious, but estranged glance. “Strange. He speaks truth.” 

Koroko Koko hummed in confusion, tilting her hat to the side. “Possessed mayhap?”

The man gave them a grandiose bow, it was quite an exaggerated stance. Only when he brought his head up to stare, they saw the eyes blaze a brilliant red. Everyone stepped back at the surprising glare.

“Out of love for His loyal servant, the one true deity named me Nael deus Darnus.”

Alisaie regained her composure, as did some of them. “The ‘one true deity’?” She gasped. “Bahamut! He speaks of Bahamut!”

The armored Legatus who reintroduced himself to the group turned away, his arms held up in reverence as he called out to his deity. “O Lord Bahamut! Thy name is as sweet water to parched lips! How my heart swells at Thy sacred touch!”

It was the moment that he turned, when Azlyn saw his profile that she recalled the exact moment she had seen him. He—Nael deus Darnus—was in the first coils. He had been with… the archon…. But that would mean…

Another bulkhead opened at his call, and he theatrically turned his heel to face them. His arms were raised high as he spoke. “This blessed sanctum is the domain of my god and His beloved children. Seek to defile its glory, and you will answer to me.” He snapped his fingers, and then walked off the platform.

Literally off the platform behind him.

They all gaped in shock—not from the threat he told them—but of the singular fact that he just plummeted off the side without a care in the world. Alisaie and Azlyn ran to the edge, peering over. There was another platform below—but the man who fell disappeared.

Azlyn bit her tongue as the rest of their group ran up to them.

Ozwin glared down, “How is this possible? I saw Darnus die that night. It was us who slain him on the eve of the calamity—so why?”

Alisaie turned to the Hyur, her face had questions on what he meant by that. “Alphinaud told me he was slain on the eve of the Calamity too. But he didn’t say who it was. Did you participate in the battle of Carteneau, Ozwin?”

The group now looked to him. He sighed. “Yes. But I don’t exactly have time to tell you the entire story. I had hoped to tell you all after the fiasco with Gaius, but this last week turned into a primal hunting fest.”

Azlyn stood up for him, at least to help him out. “I do know most of the story—so trust me when I say that he’s speaking the truth. He’s in a bit of a pickle if one can call it that.”

“Wow, great analogy to explain my complication Azlyn.”

She shrugged not sure what else she could say.

Mjnt patted the man on his shoulder. She gave him a small nod. “You speak the truth. I can hear it in your voice.”

Alisaie grabbed her chin, now deep in thought. “Whatever the truth of the matter is, we must be on guard—there can be no reasoning with the worshippers of a primal.”

Azlyn wondered about that, as she recalled seeing the Archon with Nael earlier. Would Alisaie hold that same conviction if her Grandfather… it would explain how the Elezen survived… if the primal took control of his corpse. She grimaced openly but said nothing.

They travelled through the internment hulks into a large grassy-terrain with corrupted crystals and fragments stemmed out from the ground. A giant plant pod with vine-like tentacles rampaged the area—and them when they approached. 

While it had been a fairly tough fight—it wasn’t as bad. The fight against the Ultima Weapon had been tougher in comparison. Koroko Koko and Azlyn combined their magical prowess too attack the plant with fire aspected magic—the Au Ra mimicked Koroko’s movements using her staff that she summoned to her side. Several implosions and explosions of fire and ice assaulted the plant. Kida tied a bit of dynamite to the end of her arrows, shooting them expertly to the tentacles to break them. 

They had to work together to avoid getting devoured by the plant—and the strange honey like glaze that fell upon some of them. Bees started to spawn from the cavern, where they needed to kill the bees first so that the person slimed with honey wasn’t targeted. After five minutes of constant fighting, they were able to deflate and cause the plant to burst into flames—along with all the thorny patches that grew during their battle. 

“We did it!” Kida jumped up in excitement as the exploded in a poor of aether. They watched it disappear for good. 

Azlyn swapped out her thaumaturge’s staff for her grimoire. “I’m glad that we tagteamed spell for spell—I learned a bit from Koroko’s watchful eye too.” 

The Lalafellin black mage chuckled. “I’m glad to be of service.” 

Alisaie pointed to the natural path that led further within to the fragment. “I see a bit of the outer coil.” 

Roll examined the glowing walls—the blue coiled power sources that were alit with energy. The gradual change of scenery—from the Alder Springs with growing grass and bits of mildew and moss soon turned into metal walkways and internment hulks of the outer coil. 

They followed the pathways, taking care of the usual defenses. Kida’s arrows worked phenomenally against the nodes, and anything metallic and small. They watched the bits explode into bits, and their resident crafter went to gather what she could scavenge.

“You got all you wanted Roll?” Ozwin asked, tossing a piece of metal too bent to amount to anything. 

She nodded, her amber eyes bright. “Oh yes—I am looking forward to crafting more with these materials.” 

They found an elevator shaft, taking it up and found a woman with a snake-like body slithering around. Several giants ambled around the space around her, where they saw the woman shriek—and stoned one of the giants in frustration. 

Then they watched as she cleaved the giant’s stone—leaving only rubble in the area. 

Everyone hid around the side pocket of the elevator shaft. 

“She’s got a good, steady foundation.” N’thuzu Tia pointed out, watching the medusa-like enemy.

“They probably had a rocky relationship.” Kida snickered, trying her best to stay quiet. “Those cyclops are graveling at her feet.”

“More like tail.” Azlyn pointed out the long, slithering snake body that slithered on the ground.

“Heh.”

Alisaie smirked, looking to Kida. “Some of your jokes fluorite over my head.”

Kida brightened at the sight of a new comrade of puns.

“Remember to keep it coal.” Roll tacked on, while Ozwin groaned into his hands.

“By the Twelve, you sound like Red Stalker with these terrible rock puns.” 

Azlyn smiled over to the Midlander. “Not a fan of sedimentary talk?”

“I hate you all.” The man turned to the Miqo’te warrior. “What did you just start?”

The warrior smiled, thinking back to all the cheese puns after Brayflox gifted them with goobie cheese. “Kida technically started it.”

“It sounds like rock puns will erode what good relationships he has with us.” Mjnt commented, smirking devilishly to the man. “Of quartz it will.”

“You’ve got to commit to geology, my dude! It’s all ore nothing!” Kida hid her laughter behind her hand. Ozwin groaned.

Koroko Koko popped in from the side. “Not to quarry, we’ll handle it just fine.”

Richiro chuckled.

“If she turns any of you to stone, I will personally be the first person to break you.” Ozwin muttered. “No regrets.”

Azlyn rubbed her hands together. “Alright, in all seriousness—how should we tackle this?”

Their giggling died down, as they started to observe and watch for any behavioral patterns this snake-woman did. It was too bad there wasn’t any type of platforming or layering of areas to help avoid possible stone-turning gazes.

“It’d be best to spread apart,” Alisaie mentioned, “and if anyone gets petrified, our healers will have to esuna us.”

Ozwin crossed his arms, “What if Roll and Richiro get stoned first?”

Azlyn raised a hand, “I can conjure—basic spells, not as advanced as the others—but I do know how to borrow from the elementals for esuna. At the least rate.”

Kida chuckled. “Azlyn is our jack of all trades.”

“And a master of none.” Ozwin looked to her.

« Jack of all trades, master of none, though oftentimes better than master of one » Azlyn quoted from memory. “Hah, did you think I wouldn’t have a retort back!”

Alisaie chuckled. “It would have been nice if we could have understood it. You spoke in a different language.”

Roll held back her laughter as her cousin went beet red, going through her head what the literal translation would have been.

“I—I—uh…hang on—Master of one—is better than being—no, that wasn’t it…how do you say that in Eorzean?” She looked to Roll desperately.

“Jack of all trades, master of none, though often better than a master of one?” Roll questionably stated.

They all gave an understanding nod now, given that Roll pieced together the jumbled mess of Azlyn’s words. After a few more minutes of preparation and piteous silence from their resident language user, the nine of them slowly approached the Medusa-like entity—and dispatched it without further issue.

Everyone walked in an orderly fashion through the winding paths and corridors of the central decks. It was about three thousand yalms below ground level—they followed the energy flow that constantly lit up the surrounding areas. They also dealt with all defense nodes that were roaming down the halls. The space had changed drastically, going from the natural cavern space and into a building-like set up as the first coils had been. The area seemed less damaged and filled with living creatures who adapted to their new shared living space. It was probably due to the high aspected corrupted crystals that allowed such monstrosities to exist and live normally down several thousand yalms below the ground level.

“I am reminded of the passages beneath Castrum Occidens. We must have traveled quite some distance below the surface.” Alisaie pointed out, staring up at the strange walls.

Mjnt gestured to another set of tunnels. “More of the same tunnels.”

Alisaie hummed in place. “Twelve be good. Surely they cannot continue all the way down from the upper floors?”

Richiro decided to venture a guess. “To be honest, at this point I’d believe anything.”

Koroko Koko nodded to his assessment.

“‘Tis difficult to see inside.” Alisaie sighed, shaking her head. “I have a terrible feeling those corridors house more of the dreadful guardians we have faced already.”

Azlyn tilted her head, looking as well. “Yeah. We’re probably going to see more defense mechanisms, that’s for sure.”

“It is said that the Allagans excelled in the creation of chimerical beasts, and that the red moon teemed with a thousand thousand fantastical monstrosities—all to prevent the enemies of the ancient empire from releasing the elder primal.”

Ozwin rolled his eyes, “Yet we’re a thousand thousand years ahead where we’re now having to clear out their closet. The ancestors aren’t very kind, are they?”

Mjnt chuckled.

Alisaie pulled their journal out of their observations and notes so far. She tapped the pages both new and old with her feather pen. “I wonder, the creatures that prowl these halls—could they be the ‘beloved children’ of which Nael spoke?”

Kida snorted, raising her hands over her head. “If they were, then they’re dead dead. Oh. He might be mad.” She remembered the threat the man had given them before he disappeared. “Oh well! We’ll just kill him. Ozwin’s killed him before—what’s another stab?”

Ozwin smirked to Kida. “Just for that I’ll stab him with my karambits.”

“That’s the spirit.” N’thuzu Tia rallied his friend.

Alisaie snapped the bullet journal closed, after she finished writing the last-minute information they found within those halls. “Well, this is yet another mystery to ponder upon our return. Shall we continue onwards?”

The next enemy that they faced had a bit of difficulty with. It was a four armed hybrid Ancient Allagan creature that cleaved and sent homing missiles at them. Azlyn learned quickly within the fight itself that four towers rose from the platforms—and required a code to shut down. They had to keep the giant monstrosity at bay until these towers appeared—where Azlyn would start to shut down the defense system.

One time she made a bit of a typing error and it caused another dreadnaught robot to appear from beneath the platform which Ozwin, Mjnt, and Roll took care of at the side.

After the shut down protocol went into effect, they watched the four-armed monstrosity drop to the ground motionless. The computer effectively ceasing its activity. Roll hopped up to the back of the creature’s head, where she popped the panel off to pull out any chips, wires, and power supply batteries that could reset when they moved on.

While she did that, Richiro Wichiro had his fairy go around; healing the wounds they received. N’thuzu Tia took the most damage, as the cleaves from the hybrid monster had dug into his shoulder and sides. Mjnt also got clipped at one point, but with their magic spells—they were able to handle the fight with little to no problem.

“I’m starting to think the third Astral era was the era to live in.” Kida exhaled slowly, recovering some of her arrows that she shot. “These things are fuckin’ beasts.”

Azlyn smiled, rolling her shoulders and wriggling her fingers. She had been typing and computer coding for most of the fight to shut it down. “I’ve heard raving reviews before.”

“Heh.”

Alisaie pointed to the path, “and it looks like we still have more of this place to explore.”

“Awesome—more things that will try and kill us.” Ozwin cracked his neck.

They traveled for a long time. Roll snapped open a gadget as she examined it. “We’re about four thousand yalms below the ground.”

Azlyn pointed to a terminal in the distance. “Oh! Hang on, let’s see if we’re getting closer.” She ran over to the device, activating the computer and scanning the information that she could access. Given what permissions had been granted for guests, she found out that this place had been considered the Holocharts.

“We’re in Internment Hulk IC-03. Right above The Holocharts.”

“Fancy pansy names we got going on.” Kida perked.

Opening the bulkhead, they found themselves on another platform with an elevator lift station. Everyone waited as Azlyn went about to activating the lift. Her fingers easily moved over the keys with ease. It started to go down the shaft, where it instantly dropped off the side walls. A burst of wind hit all of them, as they staggered to keep their footing.

It wasn’t a facility that they were in now. Azlyn gasped as she took in the sights—the stares that shone above them—the ground that looked as if it were like any place on the surface. The wind currents were constantly blowing around them as the elevator floated down to it’s destination on the bottom level.

Roll held up her gadget, tapping the device. “It’s as if we’re on the surface.”

“Did we go down to go back up?” Richiro confusedly asked.

“No—we’re six thousand yalms below the surface. Look.” The white haired healer with scales directed everyone’s attention to her device.

Kida whistled.

Mjnt pointed in the far distance of the spirally rocks and pathways linked together by corrupted aether. “And look, Dalamud is in the distance.”

“What?” Alisaie said, following his finger. “That—that surely cannot be Dalamud!? How—where are we?!”

In the far sky, where the stars twinkled in the space—above the floating land masses connected by floating pathways of crystalline rock—was a giant, ominous red moon. They didn’t have time to investigate their surroundings, as their ride ended as quickly as it started. Everyone walked off the lift to slowly enter the large circular arena where large pieces of mechanical swords and weapons pierced certain magic Allagan circles.

Ozwin narrowed his eyes. Staring at the area with peculiar intrigue. “This is the same place…”

Kida looked to him. “What? You’ve been here before?”

Azlyn knelt on the ground to look closer at the symbols. “This is collected energy—storing—sending further below.” She followed the leylines of aether, and as she lifted her head—she saw a pair of armored greaves appear at the other end of the large platform.

“This is the final resting place of Nael van Darnus.” The man in armor spoke fluidly to them. His gravelly, hollow voice rung in the space. “This is a grave for the undeserving.”

Ozwin growled. “What a fitting spot for you to join him.”

Nael deus Darnus turned to the Midlander, his eyes glowed a rich red under the helmet. “For the crime of trespassing upon my god’s sanctuary this place shall serve to as your graves too!” He raised both his arms toward the sky, as a confluence of aetheric red energy started to coagulate around him and his form. His armor started to shine a metallic red and black as he started to strengthen himself.

“No!” Alisaie shouted. She tried to interrupt his collection of power, snapping her own grimoire open and sending a quickened ruin spell at him. The spell collided into his helmet—knocking it off his face. They watched the large metal fly up and plummet to the ground with a clatter.

A thin red draw of blood appeared on the man’s face, his long white hair dropped over his shoulders unfettered by the release of the helmet. They could see even with the surprise spell that hit him, the aether collection continued.

Nael deus Darnus’s face had red aetheric lines that pulsed with energy through his neck, cheeks, and over his eyes. His third eye in the center of his forehead gleamed red. “In the hour of his failure, Nael van Darnus felt the currents of aether begin to bear away his essence. But before oblivion could claim the last of him, a divine will reached out—and I was born. Then did the words of my god resound in mine ears.”

They watched behind him, the glowing red moon grow ominously behind him.

“Bring unto mine enemies crushing defeat, that they might know despair without end! And claim thee thus the victory which thou went once denied!” Nael hunched over.

Azlyn widened her eyes, seeing the aether growing at disproportionate levels within him. “Its…the aether—it’s expanding!”

They could see on his back, red aetheric wings start to sprout—majestic and chaotic—just like his expression upon his face. The energy exploded in a cyclone around him and his body—where they all had to shield their eyes from the sheer bright burst.

Azlyn slowly blinked away the black spots, trying to gain her bearings. She could hear the crumbling of metal, as Nael’s armor crumbled off his back. Giant wings—like ones depicted of Bahamut’s—bluish purple skin—gold accents upon the creases of the shoulder and neck pieces. What stood before them was not of humanoid being—but like that of a transformed voidsent. However, this being was not a voidsent. It was hard to explain, but Azlyn had a feeling it dealt with the over aspected amount of corrupted energy Nael deus Darnus’s body took within it.

“’Twould seem that little remained of Nael’s essence when Bahamut plucked him from the brink of oblivion. And the result was this strange—simulacrum. Nevertheless, the aura it has bespeaks great power. They channel the rage of the elder primal himself.” Alisaie stepped forth, holding up her grimoire.

Everyone went into offensive stances, staring at this monstrosity in front. The enemy looked like a harbringer of chaos and destruction with the golden leg greaves that shaped into pointed heels.

The voice twisted and churned, the tone gravelly and sharp as it called to the skies above. “Lord Bahamut! Thy wish is my command! None shall ‘scape Thine unquenchable fury!” Nael deus Darnus summoned from the air a long lance, its jaded edges glowed with aspected corrupt aether. Sparking with energy, they swung it outward, and screeched.

The screech of aether burst out, activating the large weapon terminals that pierced into the allagan etchings on the ground. A surge of power erupted from them, creating a blue aetheric ring of high voltage.

Azlyn looked over her shoulder to the outer bounds. “Guys—whatever you do—Do not touch the bounds marked.” She directed everyone’s attention to the blue sparking line that reverberated. “That… that will kill you. There’s no coming back from getting hit into the energy.”

Ozwin wiped the sweat off his brow, a look of surprising worry on his face. “Great, a death ring and a promise of another calamity.”

“Chin up Ozzie.” Kida lifted her bow. “Last time you didn’t have us at your side. This time we’ll kick it’s ass and prevent a calamity from happening.”

“You’re right about last time. I didn’t have a cheeky brat like you.”

“Awww, thanks Ozzie.” Kida cooed.

The simulacrum hissed at them all. “Come, ye dull, unthinking beasts—bare your teeth! They will avail you naught in the calamity to come!”

Nael deus Darnus flew high into the sky, swinging her lance as she prepared to pierce them from above. Mjnt noticed the flow of attacks right away, as she called out to Kida and Koroko Koko in the distance. “She’s jumping down in your vicinity! Move away!”

Kida sprinted toward the center of the circle, while Koroko Koko ran along the outer edge of the ring. N’thuzu Tia took this moment to intercept the blow from above by hurtling himself up and over the Lalafellin caster. There had been a screech of metal as the blade of his axe and the end of the lance met in quick succession.

Nael looked to Roll, her eyes glowed an illuminscent gold for a moment as the healer felt a strange collection of aether store around her. “What…?”

Azlyn was the next intended target, as Nael’s eye color adjusted to a fiery blaze of red. The summoner felt a surge of collected energy. She stared at her hands, wondering what this power surge was about, and then noticed a growing shadow over her. Azlyn turned her gaze upward as she spied two meteors spiraling down toward each. One had a yellowish tint, another was reddish. “Run apart!”

Roll sprinted to the center, avoiding Kida and Richiro Wichiro. Azlyn stayed on the outer ring, keeping away from the melee fighters and in the opposite direction of Koroko who stood to cast.

The party could see the meteors coming down and noticed why the two started to sprint away from them and away from each other. When the meteors had been a few hundred yalms over their heads, it seemed as if the trajectory had been locked into place.

Roll immediately ran backward, away from the impact zone.

Azlyn went to do the same.

The first yellow meteor struck first, exploding an aetheric burst of energy to hit each of them. Meanwhile the red meteor landed seconds after, causing a massive burst of fire aspected damage to spread over the entire circle—also dealing some damage.

Roll casted one of her mass healing spells under the nocturnal sect, aspected Helios—and started to draw a card from her deck. She had drawn the spear card, as she yelled to Mjnt. “You’re up next! Keep the meteors away from one another!”

The dragoon glanced behind her, seeing the positions of the first two, and gauged where she should run to next toward the center.

Alisaie commanded her carbuncle to attack when able and sent ruin spell after ruin spell against Nael. She also assisted with healing when she was able, helping both Roll and Richiro when they were a bit out of range of a party member.

Richiro Wichiro had to cast Adloquium upon N’thuzu Tia, as Nael deus Darnus had started to rapidly attack him, jabbing and piercing where his defenses started to crumble. N’thuzu Tia had been trying his best to keep his calm composure, while Mjnt and Ozwin were attacking Darnus from behind. They were hoping to pierce the thick gold scale armor—only to realize it was like that of dragon’s scale.

Nael turned to both Mjnt and Ozwin then—the eye colors changing from yellow to red again.

“Ozwin!” Azlyn shouted to Ozwin. “Stay on the outer ring! Next to the terminal!” The two meteors had started their descent toward them. The melee fighters sprinted away from each other, noting the change of aether when they felt Nael deus Darnus channel the aether to them.

When it looked like the meteors were stuck in their trajectory down, the pair ran back to help N’thuzu Tia.

Koroko Koko, Kida, and Azlyn kept up the damage while the pairs were sprinting away. Azlyn had summoned Ifrit-Egi to her side, commanding: “Inferno!”

A blast of fire energy came forth from the ground, as the fires wrapped around Nael’s body.

Kida fired a poisonous arrow, followed by a windbite, and closed the rotation with a heavy shot. Each one had been aimed to what she had assumed would be lethal blows, but they appeared to do little damage. The blue-haired bard plucked a few notes on her harpsichord. She played a power ballad to beef their strength.

Koroko Koko set off a chain of explosions, one fire spell after the other, unleashing heavy elemental damage before switching to ice. She sent out several bolts of thunder and lightning during her cooldowns as she regained her mana.

Nael deus Darnus chuckled darkly, before they changed tactics. They pointed to Koroko expending a decent amount of aether upon the caster.

The black mage stopped mid cast, looking up to the sky—seeing a giant allagan red spire appear. A beam started to grow at the tip. The same energy that charged around her. Koroko Koko started to run to the center of the circle. “Get to the center!”

When their black mage had raised her voice to call to them, they all knew it was serious. Azlyn looked up to see the giant beam of energy about to release. She casted Titan-Egi out from the ground, shifting the earth from beneath them to form a protective barrier from the beam. Alisaie contributed to the barrier, calling her own carbuncle to prepare for the incoming assault.