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There was something decidedly odd about being someone who could fly under her own power riding on an airship to get to a destination that can only be accessed by flight. Necessity truly made for strange circumstances at times, and Freya couldn't help but muse on the multitude of times that had been true in her life, with the first instances she'd ever encountered such happening not long after she'd hatched. For all that the Sixth Umbral Calamity had been terrifying and how she'd been utterly helpless from being stricken by some unknown ill during it (one that had struck her again during the Seventh Umbral Calamity, and that had given her some thoughts), there had been some rather ridiculous things that happened in the following years while the world recovered that she'd encountered in her wanderings by her mother's side, Ratatoskr understandably wanting her close in order to keep an eye on her given she was the only one of her clutch to have survived the Calamity, and she couldn't help but to remember them fondly whenever she looked back upon them.
Closing her eyes, Freya let herself just take the chance to feel the wind on her face, and thought that maybe she could go ride an airship again after this. There was something about this kind of flying, of just being able to let herself bask in the wind and sky without having to do much of anything, and marveling at how naturally flightless people figured out this manner of flight. That creativity surrounding them, that drive to solve problems and do impossible things, that was one of the reasons she loved to travel and interact with these children of man and other mortal beings. She loved to learn about them, loved to witness their triumphs and trials, and loved working together with them to achieve wonderful things. It's one of the major things she shared with her mother, and continuing to travel like that just helped her continue to feel that connection even though Ratatoskr was gone. It reminded her to think and be discerning about all the feelings surrounding her mother's death.
Opening her eyes, she looked over at the pilot of this airship when he grunted, and was concerned as he visibly struggled with something.
"Damn it," he said with frustration, "I... I once flew in this airship, and not alone."
Pausing to look at her, he continued with a furrowed brow, "There were adventurers on board..."
Freya looked at him with concern, and then had a thought. Moving to his side, she asked, "May I try something that might help you remember?"
Cid removed his goggles and looked at them with a frown, then he nodded at her. Freya reached for that which had awakened with that first vision of Hydaelyn she'd seen when she embarked on her quest to become an adventurer, that which has allowed her to see the past from the perspective of others. A spark of aether, intent flavoring it as it reached towards Cid, and the both of them stumbled as they were tossed into his memories with the Echo.
They witnessed his childhood, his relationships as he grew up, how he grew in skill and knowledge, how he came into his beliefs and left his life in the empire to start anew in Eorzea, his experiences there all the way up to Meteorfall.
Both of them were disoriented slightly as their trip through Cid's memories ended, but they recovered swiftly and Cid said softly, "I'd forgotten how wonderful it was. The wind in your hair, the endless sky..."
Turning to her he smiled widely and continued joyfully, "Thank you Freya, for helping me remember everything!"
Alphinaud spoke up then, having watched them both from when Cid started speaking, "What-how did you...? Did you just use the Echo to help Cid recover his memories?!"
Freya rumbled a little in amusement at Alphinaud's expression and stumbled words, replying, "Yes, I did. It wasn't even that difficult, and I imagine that others with it could do the same given a little instruction," she paused there and thought for a moment before continuing in a more serious tone, "Granted, I don't think this should be the first option when treating amnesia, or even a second or third, and there are the circumstances behind Cid's kind of memory loss to consider in the first place. Minds are complicated, and why memories are lost and the wishes of the one who has lost them must be taken into account, because one can irreparably harm the person they are trying to help if they aren't careful. I only offered to do this for Cid here because his mind was already remembering, he was very willing to remember, and the how of his amnesia was more aether based than physical trauma based, though that might have contributed since no one currently has much of an idea on what exactly happened at Carteneau or with Primal Bahamut."
She grimaced at her own memories of that time, saying, "There was an enormous amount of aether there, with a significant amount used for a spell surrounding time, and then the massive amount behind whatever dealt with the primal along with what the primal itself was wielding. Such power warps reality to a degree, and isn't really comprehensible to most beings, hence why I'm not exactly surprised at how little people actually remember of that exact moment."
"You speak as if you were close enough to witness those events yourself," Alphinaud said with interest, a hunger to know anything about what had happened shining in his eyes.
Freya's face softened, guessing that he wished for any scrap of knowledge surrounding his grandfather's end for all that he was focusing on the present and future with his endeavors. She told him, "Yes, I was close enough to sense the aether and observe the battle that was occurring, such events had caught my attention when they started. However, the Calamity affected me rather aversely, much like the Sixth Umbral Calamity had when I was but a hatchling. I cannot tell you much more than I already have young one, for I was rather out of it once the primal had been dealt with."
Turning her head back towards their destination in the closing distance, she said, "We will speak more of this later Alphinaud, for our objective is nearing. Do what you must to pull yourself in the correct mindset for battle, we are almost there."
"Indeed, and it would be rude to keep Garuda waiting!" Cid said, maneuvering the airship into position to slice through the barrier. Freya dug her claws into the deck and crouched low, noting Alphinaud brace himself as well. The dragon shuffled her wings as they flew into the glowing eye of the swirling clouds, the wind aether flooding her senses before they slid through the barrier.
Once Cid brought the airship to a stop, Freya leaped from it and glided to a fair distance away to let go of the Mini spell that she'd cast to make herself as small as a large dog for the duration of the trip. Returning to her full size in moments, she shook herself and stretched out as her companions disembarked as well and made their way to the gates that led to the soon-to-be arena, doing her best to recalibrate her aether oriented senses given the saturation of wind aether in their surroundings. Once she managed that, she furled her wings tightly to her sides and maneuvered herself to join them, carefully keeping her limbs from hitting anything in the space between the airship and where her companions were standing, looking to have finished their own last bits of preparations before battle.
"Everyone ready?" she asked. Upon getting two nods, she nodded back and told them, "Stay by my sides as we enter, just in case we get immediately attacked since I do have a number of techniques that can be used to shield us all, otherwise we use our best judgement once the primal engages us." At their agreement, she proceeded to shove the gates open and the three of them went through.
Immediately, Freya knew that they were being watched, and rumbled lowly in response as her companions walked on either side of her, tail lifting to be at the ready to strike. Sharp eyes taking in everything, they were drawn to the center of the whirling winds where a large feather winged feminine humanoid being was suspended, staring right at them, details of her form almost completely drowned out to Freya's sight by the wind aether she was composed of. Something she'd only seen before with other aetheric elements in the primals she's encountered previously.
" Who dares intrude upon my sanctuary!?" she cried out, "Your insolence shall not go unpunished, landwalkers!"
Alphinaud's steps faltered as he said, "Twelve preserve... she's... she's huge!"
Freya and Cid also stopped, with Cid saying, "As I live and breathe." He then caught sight of the far side of the area, stepping forward to peer around Freya's chest for a better look and said, "Over there-look, Amalj'aa and kobold prisoners. But why would the Ixal bring them here...?"
The dragon's eyes narrowed as a suspicion began to form in her mind, but her thinking was interrupted when the primal began laughing loudly without restraint before saying, "Wherefore you come hither, foolish mortals?"
Alphinaud stepped forward then, declaring, "We are come to end to your reign of terror Garuda!"
Garuda sneered, flexing her wings and saying, "Hear you this blasphemy my children? These landwalkers would bring me low! You intrude upon my realm, worms, where none can challenge my supremacy! I will slake the roots with your blood and festoon the canopy with your entrails!"
The Ixal began jeering as well, with their chief declaring, "Sqwuak! Slay the unfeathered ones we shall! As an offering to Garuda, they will serve!"
Cid and Alphinaud stepped away from Freya and stood a ways away to face the Ixal, Cid calling back to her, "Leave the Ixal to us, we will keep them distracted while you deal with her!"
Alphinaud chimed in saying, "Do not fail Freya! Remember, you fight for the Scions, and Eorzea!"
Garuda glared directly at Freya, saying, "You would die by mine own hand? Come then, I shall give you what you seek!"
Then she shrieked and summoned a barrier of wind to surround the two of them.
Freya roared back in challenge, knowing all of Coerthas would hear her, but she also infused a little spell her mother had taught her into it that she tuned with intimidation and targeted, a subtle effect that would effect the Ixal and hopefully make Cid and Aphinaud's efforts easier.
Then she leaped at Garuda, snapping her maw shut around one of the primal's legs and launching her at one of the stone pillars, making it collapse on her. While Garuda struggled to get up, Freya launched several fireballs and then a spike of ice at the end. The primal shrieked and retaliated with blades of wind that forced the dragon to dive behind one of the remaining pillars. She quickly circled the stones, charging a small Megaflare at the tip of her snout as she did, and unleashed the attack as soon as she saw the primal. Ten spears of light shot toward Garuda with a twirl, and while she was focused on those, Freya darted toward her with aether reinforcing her claws and tail spike. Five of the spear-like Flares slammed home into Garuda, the others intercepted and detonating too far from their target to cause damage, and then Freya blindsided her by a tackling her onto the ground to ferociously tear her main wings apart.
Garuda shrieked again and slammed her away with a blast of wind aether, sending several wind blades after her that Freya hastily maneuvered herself to take on her chest and the forelegs instead of her own wings. Snarling from pain, Freya lunged forward with fire in her maw, embers streaming behind her horns as she went. Garuda evaded her first and second attempts to bite her, slashing her side after that second, but Freya slammed into her on the third and snapped her jaws shut around the primal's neck. Then she let the fire loose.
The only reason the primal didn't shriek was because of Freya's grip on her neck, but the nigh desperate struggles and clawing at the dragon's sides in tandem with trying to use her winds to remove Freya were telling. Then Freya was ripped off of Garuda when something collided into her side at speed. Hastily tucking her wings in close, Freya tumbled until she hit one of the remaining stone pillars, grunting from the impact and thankful the thing didn't collapse on her like the other had on the primal. Rolling back onto her feet and shaking herself out, she looked over at where her enemy was and saw a second figure resembling Garuda hovering close to the primal getting up from the ground and closing the wounds she'd given her. That second figure was weaker to her senses, but still a second enemy to contend with.
Growling, she formed another ice spike, this one denser with ice aether, and shot it at Garuda fast enough for it to make a sonic boom. Garuda cried out as the spike impaled her and detonated into a storm of cold and ice shards. While Garuda was occupied with that, Freya leaped at her weaker opponent and viciously tore into it with reinforced fangs and claws, slamming it with her wings when opportune, and finishing it off by impaling it on her tail spike. As the weaker enemy dissolved, Freya turned back to Garuda, wings partially spread and crouched at the ready to lunge again.
That lunge turned into a leap out of the way of twin tornadoes that were sent after her, and Freya had to twine her way around the things as they snaked around the battleground. Then she had to start veritably dancing around scores of bladed feathers being launched into the mix by the primal, wings kept tucked close to her body and tail occasionally being whipped around to deflect any feathers that got too close. Throughout this, Freya was shooting back Fire III and Blizzard III spells, with one instance of Thunder II towards the start of this onslaught.
Eventually, the primal wound down, and that was when Freya, who had been steadily getting closer as things wore on, charged at Garuda and slammed into her, the impact flinging the primal towards the edge of the arena farthest from Cid and Alphinaud. Then Freya braced herself, tail spike and claws digging into the ground, aimed at the recovering primal with her open maw, and fired a Gigaflare.
The thick beam of light sliced through the gloomy windstorm with a dull roar, being halted by Garuda's body for a few heartbeats before it pierced through to continue on its way to hit something else beyond the screaming wind barrier. The beam petered out after several seconds, with the wind barrier following soon after.
Freya panted heavily as Garuda screamed her denials as she faltered, little bits of aether starting to fly off of her form, and mentally noting to work on her stamina and power to make using that particular skill more useful and actually be able to use Akh Morn without knocking herself out. Cid and Alphinaud soon joined her in watching the primal, but they all flinched back in shock as Garuda shrieked loud enough to rouse the dead, and Freya spared a slight bit of her mind to pity Alphinaud given how sharp elezen hearing was. Then she growled in frustration as Garuda's form stabilized and strengthened, to her companions' shock, with the primal laughing at them when she finished.
"This... is... MY REALM! You have no hope here! None!" she screeched at them, continuing in a taunting tone, "Did you truly believe you could defy a god landwalkers?"
She punctuated her question with a small blast of wind that impacted on the ground right in front of Freya, making them stumble back. Then she turned her attention to where the remaining Ixal were, beginning to glow with streams of glowing wind flavored aether flowing into her. Looking back at Freya and the others, she said with a grand gesture, "My power is limitless, my children legion! They have rendered unto me a wealth of crystals, their gifts sustain me and their faith empowers me! None save my children will escape the reckoning mortals, and those who would use my crystals to waken the rest shall realize the folly of their faith! Then all shall worship none but me! The one true god!"
She burst into raucous laughter again, and while she did Alphinaud said, "Of course! Worship! So long as the Ixal keep praying, she will never fall."
Cid nodded back at him and replied, "Then let's stop them."
However, they made it no further than a few yalms towards their targets before Garuda blasted them away, Freya still recovering and unable to help them. She laughed again before stating, "No harm shall come to you my children."
Then she turned back to Freya and gloated in a monologue the dragon disregarded in favor of subtly fishing out an elixir to swallow from her pouches. She tuned back in to what Garuda was saying when the primal said, "You will serve me... to your last breath!" Then she was blasted with a blue tornado, it's aether clawing against the blessing Hydaelyn had bestowed on her, before said blessing surged and light burst out of her form, dissipating the tempering attempt and slamming into Garuda. The primal gently fell into a back arch, her chest area glowed, and released a familiarly shaped and very powerful wind aspected aether crystal. The crystal gently floated down to Freya's chest before merging with her, inducing a trance where she saw the array of the blessing within her completed. She came back to awareness of her surroundings quickly, and Garuda spoke with disbelief, "What... what are you? What have you done to me!?"
They stared at each other for several heartbeats while the primal staggered around in the air before she continued, "No mortal should possess such power. This... this is impossible!"
Cid and Alphinaud rejoined her, as Garuda continued speaking with mounting incredulousness, "Why do you not tremble at my might? Why do you not beg me for mercy!? Why do you not DIE!?"
But as Alphinaud exclaimed in triumph and the Ixal cried out in disbelief, Freya's attention turned elsewhere, having caught sight of other aether from beings beyond those that had been here when the three of them had arrived.
So she was the only one not too surprised when a male voice she recognized from Cid's memories called out condescendingly, "Is that all?"