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The Voidsent Went Down to Ul'dah

Gift for treefourtree, featuring their Warrior of Light, Cas Eversong.

The cobbled streets of Ul’dah, so used to the frequent sounds of its countless merchants attempting to peddle their wares, and mercenaries hoping to peddle their swords, was home to an altogether different, more joyous cacophony this eve: Atop a hastily erected stage in the middle of the grand Sapphire Avenue Exchange, surrounded on all sides by captivated masses, was a lone bard, fervently playing a song which none could place the origin of on their violin.

When Cas Eversong first awoke that morning, he hadn’t planned this impromptu performance. But the grand tales of romance and adventure he had heard whilst passing through the Hourglass had inspired something within him; a wish, no— a need to give voice to all feelings that the stories he had heard, that were so similar to the countless adventures he had lived. And there was no better avenue for Cas to do so than through song.

But not all among the crowd were the ardent supporters they appeared to be, or even the mortal men and women they seemed. One gentlemen; a well-dressed man with short, black hair, watched with a contemplative look from the shadows of the alleyway, keeping a distance in the event they needed a quick exit, for if their disguise failed, they had not the strength to fight any longer.

This man was no man at all, but rather a lesser Voidsent who had crawled their way to Eorzea long ago. Unwilling to go back, and fearful of the land’s countless adventurers who would be far too eager to usher them to oblivion, they had taken an average civilian’s form for their own. But in the passing years, the aether that composed them had waned, and now they couldn’t take it by force even if they wanted. They had but one recourse left: To bargain; to trick an unassuming innocent into granting them aether willingly. No small amount would suffice: It would have to be the whole of their soul, and it would have to be soon, before they faded away altogether.

In other words: They were in a bind, way behind, and willing to make a deal.

But this young Hyuran bard upon the rickity stage…at a glance, the Voidsent could tell that they were no ordinary minstrel. His garb was far too fanciful to belong to a simple street performer, for one. But more than that, they could tell that his soul was immeasurably dense. Such an aether-rich soul could sustain them for generations. Perhaps even give them power equivalent to the greater Voidsent they were so long subservient to. A devious smirk upon the demon’s lips, they waited for the current song’s end, and as the crowd cheered, at last made their entrance, jumping onto one of the many planters placed around, and called out above the uproarious applause: “Kid, let me tell you what!”

The figure’s forceful tone immediately drew Cas’s attention. The person in the suit pointed menacingly toward the hopeful bard, but Cas had no clue as to their intentions before they continued to speak.

“You’re good. Real good,” They said. “But you know, I’m something of a violinist, too. You’re not the only one around— In fact, I’d say you’re not even the best: You’re still second to me! Unless…”

“That’s okay,” Cas said. “I also play the flute.”

“…I’m sorry?”

“The flute. I play that, too. Did you want to hear?”

“What? No, I-”

“Because I have some other instruments, too. An erhu, a timpani— Oh, shoot, I think I left the timpani at home…”

“WE'RE TALKING ABOUT VIOLINS!” the Voidsent roared, their disguise faltering underneath their rage, revealing an altogether small gargoyle-like figure. “I challenge you, you brightly-garbed fool, to a battle of strings and song! You, citizens of Ul’dah, would you be satisfied not knowing the outcome of such a momentous clash of musical might!?”

The crowd began to murmur amongst themselves. Realization dawning, Cas just laughed. “If you wanted to compete, you could’ve just asked. Let’s do this!”

“Not so fast,” the Voidsent said. “We haven’t talked about the stakes. If you win, how about I give you…this.” With a snap of their stony fingers, a shimmering violin of solid gold appeared in the monster’s hands, the crowd’s uncertainty immediately placated by the beauty of such an instrument. Cas, too, was rather taken with it.

“And if I win…” the Voidsent continued. “Your soul. Nothing else will do. What do you say, kid?”

Cas’s eyes widened. That was…quite the leap. But golden violin aside, there was still pride to think about. The crowd had come to see Cas Eversong play a song from his very heart. And songs from the heart didn’t lose.

“I’ll take this bet.” Cas said confidently, raising his bow and preparing to play. The Voidsent clicked their tongue and wagged their finger tauntingly.

“Me first.” They hissed. Darkness swirled around their fingertips as their own bow formed. Pulling it across the strings violently, they began to play a song unlike any that anyone present had ever heard: Naturally so, for it was a piece known only now by the denizens of the World of Darkness: A fast, chaotic melody that seemed almost to jump from place to place with the ferocity it was played. But the crowd was entranced all the same, and when the Voidsent finished, they applauded with the same vigor as before. Cas, too, clapped for the performance, despite what was on the line.

The Voidsent’s smirk only grew, taking their rival’s applause almost as a sign of surrender. But much to their surprise, Cas smirked right back, violin and bow at the ready, and the crowd’s attention returned to him with bated breath.

“My turn.” He said. For a moment, Cas stood silently, eyes closed as he concentrated on the melody he was prepared to breath life to. Then, he began to play. There was no build-up; Cas dove straight into the melody, one only recently learned on his journey to a land of gods. And not for a moment did he stop or slow. But whereas the Voidsent’s performance was intense and hectic, Cas’s held the elegance that properly suited the nature of the violin:

His rival’s song had been one of danger; a warning, a threat to Cas that he had made his final mistake. But Cas’s melody was that of simple beauty; of light and of grace. And as his song reached its end, and he set his instrument down to the stage, it seemed the people agreed: If the cheers for the Voidsent were an uproar, than those that followed now could have woken all of the city with how they bellowed out down the streets in all directions.

The voidsent bowed their head: They knew that they were beaten. There was no point in arguing when the victor was so evident. Kneeling before the stage, they set the gilded instrument in front of it, and turned to walk away. Perhaps somewhere else, some other fool wouldn’t be so lucky, they hoped. Before they were fully gone, though, Cas called out to them:

“Thanks, I had fun! Come on back if you ever want to go again!”