Basira & Kaizaimon

Basira was still young when the Bravos mounted an expedition to try to reclaim the Cebir. This citadel, erected in 327 AC within the Terra Incognita, was supposed to be a first outpost, a forward base to re-explore the world. But the living conditions were such that the Bravos had to abandon it only two years after its construction. This surrender was a painful setback for the Bravos. Returning with their tails between their legs was a deep dishonor for the Faction, but also for the Ordis, which had invested colossal funds in the enterprise, and whose architects had actively participated in the project.

For many Bravos, it was unthinkable to remain on such a defeat. That's why, in 352 AC, a Bravos Company—the Dagger of Esvander—set out to reconquer the fortress, with the approval of other captains from Haven. At the age of nineteen, Basira found it to be a perfect mission to prove her worth, and she did everything she could to be part of the expedition. She had given herself a mission, and since childhood, a smoldering anger had boiled within her. An irresistible feeling of vengeance that had never left her and motivated her to strive even more. Her perseverance bore fruit, and the young woman managed to take her place on one of her Faction's longships.

Basira was one of the Kurung's wards, the barracks of the capital. But that had not always been the case... She was only seven years old when the Leviathan Cingula returned to Asgartha. Every eighty years, the flying centipede pierced the clouds, its titanic wings filling the air with a sinister vibration. It came to feed in the peninsula cyclically, devouring Mana in such quantities that it caused instabilities within the world. But over time, the Asgarthi knew it returned almost fixedly on a date, and they were ready to defend their lands.

Uprooted, battered by the loss of her family, Basira was an angry and rebellious girl. She frequently fought with the other orphanage residents and stood up to the staff. The terror—the one that woke her up in tears in the middle of the night—had turned into a constant rage. It was only when a Bravos adventurer took her aside that things changed for her. The veteran asked her what was the cause of her anger, her defiance towards the world. And the answer was simple: Cingula. The monster that had taken everything from her.

He then handed her a wooden sword and showed her a straw dummy. She had to channel her anger, turn it towards a goal. All she had to do was imagine Cingula, see herself facing it... She retorted that the Leviathan would not return for decades, that it was impossible for her to fight it. But the Bravos shrugged, telling her that there was only one solution: to go into the Tumult to find the creature. Basira widened her eyes. Until then, she hadn't thought it possible. But what was stopping her, after all? She began to strike the dummy, again and again. She would hunt it beyond the horizon if she had to.

It was with this memory in mind that Basira stood near the railing. When the waves hit the ship's hull, when the spray whipped her face, Basira felt the excitement rise: the exhilaration of participating in a historic journey that would cover her in glory. The boats sailed on the water, cutting through the swell. Looking at her comrades, her brothers and sisters in arms, she felt that nothing could defeat them, that nothing could stand in their way... But it was a cruel and bitter illusion, as she would soon discover to her detriment…

The two longships of her company had no trouble reaching the Cebir. The sailing conditions were favorable, and the Tumult didn't seem as powerful as expected. The boats docked near the citadel without any hindrance. While some Tumult currents had altered the walls, the physical integrity of the building had suffered little from the passage of years. At that moment, the expedition resembled a simple walk in the park. But Cingula was there, somewhere within these vastnesses. And this expedition was one step closer to achieving her vengeance.

But what they discovered within the Cebir sent chills down their spines. The common hall had been turned into an experimentation laboratory. Esoteric diagrams covered the walls. Cages contained bones of strange creatures. On the tables were vials and alembics, Erlenmeyer flasks, burners, burettes, and test tubes. Basira widened her eyes and began to explore the surroundings while the other Bravos went to the inner courtyard to unload the food and supplies. She climbed the highest tower to scan the surroundings.

Positioned in a defensive formation, the adventurers fought with all their might. But for every cut they managed to inflict on the monster, its heavy clawed paws hammered the shields, sending some of them crashing to the ground. At the captain's command, the Bravos tightened their ranks. And for a few moments, they believed that victory could be theirs. Until a shadow fell from the sky.

A new monster swooped down towards the explorers. This one also had a lion's head, but it was adorned with bat wings. Its tail was that of a scorpion, ending in a gleaming stinger. The new creature spat a stream of acid that melted weapons and protections... Caught between venom and flame, the Bravos had no choice but to retreat. But the abominations were not resolved to let them escape…

One by one, the Bravos fell. The defensive lines were torn open. Basira began to run as fast as she could. Somewhere, she heard shouts coming from a radio built by the Guild of Artificers. Someone was calling for help and requesting reinforcements. She covered her ears to avoid hearing the battle's crash, her companions' cries... She sought refuge on one of the longships, terrified. There was no one left. No one to rescue her. No one to save her…

The monsters headed towards her, leaping onto the fragile ships. Their claws slashed through the wood of the vessels, sinking them into the icy waters of the fjord. Basira raised a shield to use as a shelter. Splinters and wood chips bounced off its surface. Some claw strikes scraped against the metal, cutting deep grooves... But no shelter could protect her from the water. She sank inexorably, teeth chattering, trembling in all her limbs.

Basira was swept away by the currents created by the ships. Her heavily armored body plummeted to the bottom like a stone. Above her, she saw the creatures disappear, and she realized they were Eidolons, that they had been materialized by someone... but who? Who wanted them dead? Who wanted the expedition to fail like this? Panic-stricken, she tried to remove her harness, but her fingers were numb, as was her entire body. Darkness covered her like a veil, and she sank into unconsciousness.

She woke up on the shore, still wet. But a warm presence enveloped her, preventing her body from freezing. She realized it was the Chimera she had freed. It had transformed into a tattoo and moved on her body, emitting waves of heat and melting the snow and ice around her. Although she struggled to understand what was happening, she could only be grateful for what it was doing to try to keep her alive.

Hours and days passed. Basira was exhausted, at the end of her strength. But she held on until the arrival of an Ordis airship. The Aegis soldiers hoisted her onto the barge and offered her food. While the airship remained near the coast, she was questioned at length about the events of the past days, about the reason and nature of the attack. But these were questions to which she only had partial answers. After two days of waiting for other potential survivors, the Aegis reluctantly decided to return to Asgartha to shelter the sole survivor.

The return to Arkaster was difficult for the young Bravos. Every night, she woke up in a start and in sweat, endlessly reliving the Cebir’s disaster. She imagined the monsters had returned to finish the job, that they were hunting her, because they now knew her scent. Each time, the creature from the Tumult moved on her body like an animated print, perhaps trying to distract or console her. Every morning, she woke up shivering and feverish.

Why was she still alive, when so many others had perished? She felt a terrible guilt, and felt that everyone blamed her for surviving. Twice, she had survived... The recovery was long and arduous. Her physical wounds had long since healed, but those of her soul were still raw and sensitive. Constantly plagued by terror and horror, it took her time to accept. To accept that all this had really happened to her. To accept that it wasn't her fault…

It was as if fate was against her, as if the world resented her. She left the capital to lead a quasi-solitary existence, offering her services here and there to communities in need of her help. She spent many years in Caer Kettria, preventing the expansion of the Fagn and taking advantage of the proximity of the Muna to finally make peace with herself... Wherever she went, Kaizaimon, her Chimera turned Alter Ego, accompanied her. She never knew why he had decided to stay with her like this. Her debt had long since been paid. But she was grateful to him for remaining by her side.

She also started a family, with a Muna named Filiki, who was in every way her opposite. Where she was irascible, he was calm and patient. Where she was cynical and realistic, he had a dreamy temperament. They had four children together, two boys and two girls. And for many years, Basira set aside her pain and fury, perhaps hoping they would never resurface. Time passed, with the slow passage of seasons. The young adventurer had become a wise fighter. And it seemed to her that nothing could put an end to this parenthesis…