“We’ll see about that.” Savayna retorted, glancing one of her eyes up at Mateus. He gave her a simple nod.
The two would utilize the moment that Lola took to speak and seemingly lower her guard. Their weapons were tossed into the air but not without cause. Both trident and sword started to spin around the three. Eventually, as the two weapons got to a fast enough speed, they multiplied double their numbers, then triple, and then to the point of going past one-hundred times their numbers. By a point, there were several hundred of them, surrounding Savayna, Mateus, and Lola within a vortex.
“You know, you’re right, Lola. This fight was going nowhere. I have ice - cold, frigid, deadly ice. And you’re using fire. These two elements, no matter their force, will always cancel each other out. But tell me, what is it that one needs to create fire? What is essential for you to summon your flames?” Savayna could see Lola was blanking on it. She was strong and a formidable foe but she wasn’t bright. “Allow me to tell you: it’s oxygen. Even if you have all of the magical power, one needs oxygen to create fire. And you can feel it now, this isn’t just any ordinary vortex.”
Savayna held up her left hand, a glyph appearing on the backside of her hand. Lola would recognize it as the glyph corresponding to the forbidden magick spell Vacuum. She extended that arm and mist started to form around it, pulling the remaining oxygen within the vortex into it. In just a few short minutes, she would have gathered every bit of oxygen left int he vortex.
“As I’m sure you now realize that this is Vacuum, the forbidden spell that sucks out any air from any surface of five meters or less. It is forbidden because it not only affects the air the opponent of the caster breathes but the air the caster themselves breathe. But, there is a way out of this, dear Lola,” Savayna gave a wincing smile, “bow to me and serve your Ice Queen.” Savayna laid out her ultimatum, stepping closer to Lola. As she would, the effects of Vacuum would increase and Lola doubtless felt it. “Get on your knees and swear your fealty to the Glacie name and you will live.” Like the most northern reaches of Ivalice, Savayna’s words were just as cold.
”Admit it, we’re lost.”
Jaakuna had lost the amount of time he had seen the same trashed cart as the trio of Rozarrian and Archadian tried to find their way out of the Phase One Dig. Jaakuna succeeded at a number of tasks, but when it came to traversing through underground areas, he was just as useful as Lorenzo was in just about anything that wasn’t building machines or causing his siblings to repeatedly bash him in the head.
So just try to imagine Jaakuna’s decreasing patience as Lorenzo insisted he take the lead despite it being the one thing that had them going in circles at least ten times over. That aside, they were wasting time. Emiri was out there with Savayna. Jaakuna feared what could happen if those two were to get off on the wrong foot again. He sure remembered the last time they had an argument.
“We’re lost,” Grant would repeat himself for maybe the dozenth time. At least this time, Jaakuna was on his side.
”You see, even your sister agrees with me.
Lorenzo frowned. “Are you gonna let him talk to you like that?” He asked Grant.
“I’ve accepted my fate,” Grant admitted, a rather defeated expression on his face.
Letting out a sigh, the blond man looked around, scratching the back of his head. “Eh...okay! Fine! I have no idea where I’m going!” He yelled out, running in literal circles. “Everything looks the same! We’re going to be stuck here forever!”
Jaakuna let out a sigh, looking at Grant and the panicking Lorenzo. ”Well, there is a way we could get out of here, but I must admit it’s a tad extreme, not to mention it could kill us all.” Jaakuna said, informing the brothers about a possible way out, though warning them at the same time.
“By killing Lorenzo brutally so his dying screams attract Savayna and Emiri?” Grant asked, completely deadpan.
“Wow. That was just mean,” Now it was Lorenzo’s turn to scowl at Grant. “And to think I went out of my way to let you talk again!”
“It was Savayna’s idea. Not yours.” Grant reminded him.
Jaakuna shook his head at both of them. Honestly, how long were they going to go on like this? ”Honestly you two, would you focus. I have a way for us to get out of here.” Jaakuna raised his voice, getting the attention of both Lorenzo and Female-sounding Grant.
“Then spit it out already,” Grant’s usual annoyed tone came off rather whiny, though he outright ignored Lorenzo’s snickering.
He grew annoyed by Grant’s whiny tone, more so because of his more feminine voice. That prompted Jaakuna to not reply with words but rather action. Shoving past Lorenzo and Grant (putting more force on Grant’s side), Jaakuna’s hands flickered red and white, the mist in the air being drawn to both of his hands and centering at the base of his palm. After a few seconds of facing thea direction in the mines that had the thickest formation of rock and steel, Jaakuna held both palms out. By now, they were ablaze of white and red fire, mixed in with the natural green shade that Mist tended to appear as.
I should’ve known. Grant thought as he would put some distance between himself and Jaakuna.
Lorenzo, on the other hand, seemed confused. Was he trying to track the others down via magic? That was an awful lot of mist he was gathering. “Uh...What are you trying to do there?” He asked slowly.
“What does it look like? I’m going to mine us an alternate path. So either you find us the right way out of here or stand back. I can control it when released, but there’s no telling how rocky this is going to get.” Jaakuna warned them, raising his hands up as he prepared to fire, though giving them time to back away, of course.
“Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Hold it, hold it!” Lorenzo exclaimed, not noticing that Grant wisely chose to put a greater distance between them. “The entire pathway could collapse on us!”
“Don’t worry, Lorenzo,” Jaakuna gave his blond brother an assuring smile. “Unlike that ex-wife of mine, I know how to aim my attacks.” He told him with a nod.
After a moment passed, Jaakuna focused his the magickal energy he collected in conjunction with the manipulation of mist, he brought his flaming hands together, placing them opposite of each other. His fingers were spread and slightly bent, yet perfectly aligned. “Sea of Flames!” Jaakuna called out.
At maximum power, his hands flashed white and then red, after which magick and mist flowed from his hands and unleashed a powerful stream of red and white fire that began to pierce through the rock, melting any steel that had gotten in the way. However, before any real damage could be done, a pair of hands would put themselves on Jaakuna’s, lightly touching them. He would see the girl in white, shaking her head at him, though would go so far as to outright dissipate his mist, returning his hands to normal. Without so much as a word, she took a step back, staring at him. Grant was surprised at Jaakuna’s hesitance. “What is it?” He asked, frowning.
“He probably realized that this isn’t a good idea,” Lorenzo noted.
“What the fuck did you just do!?” Jaakuna roared, noticing the complete lack of fire from his hands and more importantly, the lack of an escape route being forged. He turned to the girl in the white dress. “I was about to get us out of here. Why’d you stop me?”
Grant couldn’t help but stare at Jaakuna. “...Neither one of us stopped you,” He said, raising an eyebrow at him. “I still think it’s a bad idea, but you do you.”
“Not you princess -- the bitch in the white dress! The one who kind of looks like Emiri but not as hot.”
Lorenzo and Grant looked at one another, concerned for a moment. The girl raised her eyebrows at him, amused as Lorenzo would walk up to him. As if taunting Jaakuna, she would wave his hand in front of Lorenzo’s face, but the man wouldn’t react. “You, uh...you alright Jaakie?” He asked him seriously. “What bitch? We’re the only ones here.”
The girl gave him a rather mischievous smirk. “They can’t see ‘the bitch’,” She told Jaakuna simply. “I’ve only revealed myself to you.”
”Huh, guess they really can’t huh.” Jaakuna mused to himself, looking over to the brothers. “Turns out I’m not going crazy.”[ He mused again. “I guess it turns out this less-hot version of Emiri can decide who gets to see her and I’m the lucky one.” Jaakuna scratched his head as he informed Lorenzo and Grant of the situation.
Wow, so this was how Jaakuna would finally snap. Grant walked closer to Lorenzo, uneasy about Jaakuna’s claims. “Jaakuna...are you feeling alright?” He couldn’t help but ask.
“Look, I’m just fine, Granella! This flat-chested fluezy really is only making me see her. I’m not going insane!” Jaakuna repeated, seeing the worried glances from the brothers. “I’m not!”
“They don’t believe you,” She pointed out, though she shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. Whether they think you’re going insane or not, you’ve lost plenty of time here. Even now, the women are locked in combat. Will you go to them?” She asked Jaakuna.
“What do you mean?” Jaakuna asked the girl. “What women? Who even are you? Why are you here in the mines?”
“Savayna and Emiri. Who else would I be talking about that is relevant to you?” Her tone was that of an annoyed one, though she caught herself, a hand on her forehead. “Goodness, you two are truly meant for one another, considering Emiri asked me the exact same thing.”
Jaakuna had enough of this bitch’s vagueness, so he gripped her white dress and brought her close to him. “Tell me who you are!” He demanded, not giving any sign of releasing her from his grip.
She scoffed. “You humes and your obsession with missing the big picture…” She muttered, though she looked Jaakuna right in the eye. “Call me Emette, bitch, whatever, the point is everyone here--everyone in Ivalice I’d argue--is in danger. If Emiri reaches the end of the mines, the only thing that will follow is our absolute doom!” She snapped at Jaakuna.
“Oh,” Jaakuna let her go, even going as far as to unwrinkle her dress; though in doing so he patted her breasts a few times. “Huh, I was right - you are flat-chested.”
Emette rolled her eyes at him, her hands on her hips. “Will you get your mind out of the gutter?!” She scolded him, raising her nose at him. “Did anything else I said register?!”
“Relax, would ya?” Jaakuna shrugged, patting Emette’s shoulders. He gave her a carefree smile. “I heard you loud and clear the first time. Danger lurks and I have to stop it.” Jaakuna recited it as if a line from a script, “same shit, different day.” He let out a sigh of pure boredom, though he understood the severity of what Emette was saying.
“How is an idiot like you the Transcendent…?” Emette asked, completely baffled. “I thought you’d care a little more considering it concerns your beloved, but you couldn’t care less, could yo--”
Before she would be able to get out that last thought, Jaakuna’s now-golden left hand gripped Emette’s throat so tightly that it would cause her to lose her next breath and he forcefully rammed her against the wall of stone and steel just three paces behind her. “Don’t you dare question my love for her.” Jaakuna threatened Emette, tightening the grip of his hand on her throat, forcing more gags to follow.
Grant’s eyes widened as a woman would suddenly appear, Jaakuna’s hand at her throat. “Jaakuna! Calm down!” Lorenzo told him, alarmed.
“Then…do something...!” Emette managed to choke out her words, a defiant glare at Jaakuna, though she seemingly did nothing to stop him. “Even now...Mitron is…!”
Upon hearing that name, Jaakuna let go of Emette’s throat. “What does Keiran have to do with anything?” He asked, surprised.
Lorenzo knelt down, offering her a hand. She took it, standing up once more, though she gave Jaakuna a serious look. “Mitron is misguided in his attempts, he has broken all my seals to bring Emiri to the statue. Little does he understand the implications of this...I can tell you more, but on the way, I urge you to come.”
“What seals?”
She would begin to walk, beckoning him to follow. “To prevent more of Zodiark’s power from leaking out--the true one, mind you--I placed several seals around the mines a long time ago. Once they started to weaken, I awakened. His power was great, though I managed to chain a portion of it to this place,” She would hastily explain, doing very little to clarify her words. “I suspect Keiran wishes to release it fully into the world, though for what reason, I do not know.”
“Wait, so he’s not acting on Venat’s orders, huh?” Jaakuna seemed surprised by this. If Venat wasn’t behind it, then Keiran was doing this on his own. Or was he? Gah, Jaakuna wasn’t sure what the hell was going on. Regardless, he followed Emette.
“I don’t suspect Venat would have any advantage to having Zodiark at full power. So why?” Grant asked out loud.
“Anything for attention. Mitron is quite needy,” She admitted. “I know the two of you remember Emiri’s secondary ability, the more subtle one.”
Lorenzo blinked, though quickly realized he wasn’t in the conversation. As he hung his head, Grant would answer the question. “You mean unlocking the Espers, don’t you?”
“Unlocking Espers isn’t the half of it,” She informed them. “It’s not that there’s more to it, but I’m sure you’ve realized your awakenings happening within proximity. It isn’t an accident--whether intentional or not, she’s caused them.”
Jaakuna must’ve heard wrong. It sounded to him that she was saying Emiri’s responsible for the crap that’s been happening to them for the past couple of days. If that was true, then he really only had one response to that. “Ah, so Emiri is the one responsible for making Grant sound like a little girl.”
“Not necessarily,” She stated. “The side effects are entirely dependant on the person. She draws out the power--how you react to it is your own body’s fault.”
“Oh, I get it,” Jaakuna seemed to understand. “Grant secretly wishes to be a woman, so his body prepared him for the pending operation.”
“What?!” Grant blurted out, not noticing Lorenzo’s hysterical laughter.
“Focus,” She told Jaakuna as she would guide them. “You’ve always known Emiri was different, but you’ve never truly understood to what extent. The reason Venat and everyone want their hands on her isn’t simply because of the espers. It’s far more complicated than that--it’s the very reason she can manipulate time.”
“You don’t need to keep reminding me about how special she is; I know exactly how special Emiri is.” Jaakuna scowled at Emette.
Yes, he knew she was special. Yes, her powers are something that has never been recorded ever in any history book or any scroll. Jaakuna knew that. He also knew that it made her a target. It made her a target for undead gods, for spawns of ancient God-Beasts - hell, it made her a target for a then-power-hungry Reia. But not one of those people were able to hold onto her long because she always found a way out.
“One thing you’re forgetting, though.” Jaakuna said as they would turn a corner, finally getting out of the Phase One Dig, much to Jaakuna’s inward relief, “she’s not a helpless little girl you think she is. She’s got other talents other than her time ability. And if you think she doesn’t, then you obviously don’t know her that well. Despite looking a lot like her, you don’t know half of what she can do.”
Jaakuna came to a stop, halting their progress as they seemed to be near the Shifting Shaft. “No, you don’t know what she’s capable of,” She informed him, frowning. “Or rather, what she’s capable of in the wrong hands…”
“So you’ve said.” Jaakunna let out a sigh of frustration. “This is getting us nowhere and frankly, I’m getting bored, so here is what’s going to happen: either you tell us who you are really or you can forget about us following you. We’ll find our own way out even if I have to blow this place to smithereens.” Jaakuna stated bluntly, giving Emette an ultimatum. “Now, out with it: who in the hell are you and why do you think you know Emiri better than any of us do?”
Emette stared at Jaakuna, incredulous. “It doesn’t matter who I am, and if it does, it can wait,” She informed him, shaking her head. “If you truly must know, then I will tell you afterwards.”
“Fine but if you think you’re going to forget telling me, you have another thing comin to you.” Jaakuna said to her. He wasn’t going to let this go. “But, yes please lead the way.” He would reluctantly submit to her being the leader.
“Perish the thought. I am here to serve,” She said, Grant noticing her words were dripping with sarcasm. “Simply follow, I only hope we are not too late.”
