Character Profile: Aira

Biography

Aira spent most of her life in the dark underground laboratories in Vander. Like most Vanderian assassins today, she was not born naturally. She spent her first year inside a tank, watched by numerous scientists. The first expriments, the official beginning of a project that would claim the lives of many, began on her third year.

"Brainwashing is out of the question."- that was what was often said when the project first began. However, after a tragic incident that claimed the lives of two capable scientists, that statement lost its meaning.

It happened on her fourth year after they had decided to put the development of her abilities with poison to discover and explore more unknown abilities. In order to evoke buried abilities, they knew they had to provoke her, drive her emotions to the limits and allow her to release it through something..... That something, they hoped, being an unknown ability. They hooked her onto machines that would deliver unimaginable pain with high hopes. As the machines went haywire though, and the air grew static, they began to realize how terrible a mistake it was that they’d made. The unknown ability they had evoked was something they could only call as ‘the force’. ‘The force’ was as its name implies, resembling an invincible tornado in its movement, it had carried the various instruments and furnitures, anything, inside the circular room she was in and tore through everything and anything weaker than metal. It’d broken through the glass that seperated them and her, claiming two lives and injuring three more.

On her sixth year, Aira was sent to the care of a young but retired Vanderian Knight, Arcelan Ksaren, to learn the art of fighting (to be more specific, the nameless art Arcelan used). There, for the first time in her short existence, she was treated as something, if only a little, more than an object. She also met her current guardian, Atska, in her stay there and learned the moogle dialect and ways with his help.

She progressed with amazing speed under the reluctant care of Arcelan. She did not understand why she was learning the art, however, and thought of it as a normal skill every normal child should learn. On her eighth year - after two years studying under Arcelan - she was returned to the underground laboratory, but not alone - Atska’d insisted on going with her.


Upon her return, it was decided that she should begin her life as assassin sooner than planned in hopes of gaining the unwavering favor of the new Lord of Vander, Orda Ishtken. To do this, they first had to see how she would react to bloodshed - they knew they could not have her go out of control outside the facility. They began with mere fiends, from small insect-type ones to bigger ones and finally humanoids. To these, she displayed no unusual reaction, as expected, and so they advanced to another level. This time they brought convicted criminals to see how she would react to killing a live human being. To this she reacted.... with blind rage. Whether it was their pleas or the way their faces were distorted in death that caused her to do so, the scientists could not be sure. When she could not be returned to her usual calmed state for days and days, it was decided that if she would be their assassin then she would have to be brainwashed partially on a periodical basis to avoid having her go berserk on them. They knew even that was not enough, and so they allowed for her to have a ‘limiter’. A limiter was a person who made sure no unwanted emotion and thoughts filled her mind in between brainwashing sessions, someone whose mind was connected to hers at all times and who would dream for her. A small chip was surgically inserted at the back of her neck so that it was embedded deeply into her spine for this - how they they did it still haunts her to this day sometimes.

After gaining the favor of Ishtken, the Captain of the Knights of Haemida then, Mikol Gerom, secretly under the scientists’ orders, stepped up and suggested that he and his knights become her protectors. Ishtken, unaware of the scientists’ growing influence over him, agreed without hesitation believing it to be nothing more but a mere act of chivalry as she had become his most favored assassin. In fact, this was a ploy to make sure she would have an unlimited supply of limiters.

It was not until after two years, shortly after Mikol’s death in her own hands, that a man named Clemic became her limiter. Unlike most other limiters before him, even Mikol who was driven by guilt, Clemic was driven by compassion for her. Knowing, and even having watched what they did to her, Clemic wanted to save her. Clemic was not prepared however of the consequences that came with becoming a limiter. For months he complained about the horrid dreams he would have in his sleep, the emptiness as he cleaned her mind and forced emotions out and the things they would have her do. However, as the months dragged by, he grew to learn and with his learning, so did he realize...

Clemic realized slowly that it was for the greater good that she should be treated the way she was, no matter what and how she was treated. Slowly, he lost hope, and hatred found its way into his heart. Slowly, his words against the scientists about how they treated her lost its fervor and more than often they began to lose their meaning to the point that it felt that he was only doing it because it seemed right. It no longer felt right. It was after he witnessed the consequences of letting her run loose to a village (after a mission) that he decided it was for a futile cause; pitying her that was. As he listened to their agonized cries, and watched as her wrath, the force, tore through their bodies, as he watched innocent lives taken away, their only sin being ones to cause a spark of anger to ignite her powers... he realized that to let her live the life of a normal being would be to endager the lives of many. Without thought for himself, he had rushed to calm her, and in the proccess he was injured badly.

Because of that, an assassin by the name of Talon - one of the more infamous Vanderian assassins - was asked to serve as a temporary limiter for her on what would become her last Vanderian assassination mission.

A rebellion led by Fredeuch Mido was slowly forming in the northern Vanderian territories by this time, and Ishtken, upon learning this, was quick to order an assassination attempt on him. At this time too, Atska - who, after having a close shave with death once, learned of his being a guardian (to her) and was fed up of the way they treated her - decided it was time he did something.

A day before the mission, Atska snuck out and set out for a mission of his own. Using his guardian abilities and taking the form of a human-like creature, he successfully escaped the facility and flew as fast as his wings could carry him to wherever this Mido was. Once there, he ordered an audience with the said man and divulged as much information he knew about the assassination attempt as he could. After hearing from Atska, Mido ordered for a plan to be made to counter the attack. A plan was made before soon and with the more than willing help of Atska.

Night came, and just as Atska said, an attack in the shadows was made. They were prepared, however, and this fact was hidden until she entered Mido’s private chambers. There she met face to face with the best of Mido’s archers and Atska himself whom she did not recognize at all. The battle’s outcome was sealed even before it had even begun - she was outnumbered, very much. In no time, the battle ended, and she was subdued. Atska then cast a spell over her for her memories to be locked in the dark reccesses of her mind for, what he hoped to be, ever. Talon escaped with his life that night, and that led to the council sending out Clemic to bring her back at all costs.

Mido was ready to reward Atska with anything after that, however Atska only asked for one thing - for he and her to be given provisions for the journey ahead of them. Before the coming of a new day, they were gone, a good distance away from any form of civilization. It was then that an exhausted Atska finally reverted to his moogle form. He watched over her for a day and a half and was there by her side when she woke. He told her not her name, but simply assured her that he was her friend, her long time companion. He told her that they should continue their journey soon and when asked where they were going he replied vaguely, 'Somewhere', in mooglish.

She complied without question and followed him to wherever he led her.

After countless days of travelling on foot with little to no contact with civilization, she and Atska finally found their way to the Fort where she was welcomed with open arms. There she became a moogle trainer and was much loved by the Fort denizens; the moogles especially. For weeks she lived a normal life, something that had seemed so impossible only months ago.

However, sometime after her arrival to the Fort - while in a spying mission in the Floating Fort - she was ‘kidnapped’ by Danae and Liassa. For days, she stayed in a cell where she began acting erratically, without really knowing it. Danae visited her once there, telling her that she and her were very much alike - made for one thing alone and that was to be a weapon. She did not understand. Soon after, she was moved to a room in the upper levels.

After the move, she experienced things she did not expect to experience and began to see things in a different light.

She realized how many things she’d heard about Venari, Danae and Liassa were quite untrue, at least that was how it seemed. Venari was not quite the cold-blooded tyrant she envisioned him to be, rather he seemed even normal, at least, to her. In fact, she felt like he was a grandfather or something close to that. She even grew to like both Danae and Liassa, and it all felt (quite) natural. She still could not be sure if it were all just a show - Venari was manipulative.

After being given a tour by Liassa -she- was asked by the vampire to demonstrate her skills with daggers. Unknown to her, Liassa recognized the arts she used. It was, in fact, a Sapphirian art taught only to the nobles of the Sapphirian Fort. Better, the art itself was a variation dated quite a long time ago. This little discovery led to.. things..

Clemic, soonafter, found his way to the Sapphire Fort and found out where Aira was. He quickly made a move to capture her swiftly, however, in the last moment, he was found out and thrown into the dungeons. After that, Danae asked Aira to meet and name Clemic who claimed she knew him. As hard as she tried to remember, she finally told them she did not know him - but asked why he knew her. Her need to know led to her wanting to retrieve her memories. With the help of Danae and Ross, who’d ‘snuck’ up on them, she regained the ability to dream. Through the dreams she saw her past, and soon realized how she didn’t want it afterall. Venari gave her a pair of daggers to help her cope with the shock. The daggers, which were made especially by Venari, allowed her to talk to the Sapphirian Lord from wherever as long as she had them and helped to keep her emotions subdued.

It was not until an assassin, an unknown being claiming to be Vanderian, by the name of Drakan entered the scene, wanting to claim her life that she realized, or at least, began to realize how she needed to accept her past. At that time the Tri-F had just launched an attack towards the Sapphire Fort, leaving her alone -at first- to face the bloodthirsty shadow assassin. After her first encounter with the assassin and almost losing (her life), Atska together with Arcelan appeared out of nowhere. Arcelan, who had arrived days earlier in order to stop Drakan and extract revenge, crossed blades with the assassin while Atska and Aira escaped the scene.

Her second, and last, encounter with Drakan happened not long after that. After Atska fell, she began a losing fight. The odds were against her, until finally, Drakan dealt the finishing blow. As she lay on cold floor bleeding her life out, the assassin began a short narration, at her request, why he wanted her dead. After that, she faded into a state of un-life and in her darkness ‘voices’ of her memories begged to be accepted… until, finally, she did.

She rose again (-‘ressurected’?-) then and it was released from her body, tearing at Drakan’s physical body and leaving him with his shadow-like form, surprising him. With her eyes burning with the same crimson fire it had in the past, she attacked him as the assassin she was until he, even in his previously invincible shadow form, faded from existence.

Her previous actions took its toll finally shortly afterwards, and she collapsed right beside Atska’s fallen body. The belief that her moogle companion died protecting her and the fear that people would hate her for what she was filled the unconsciousness that followed afterwards with guilt and resentment. At that time, in the upper levels, Ross was just finishing his own battle with Venari and the whole Sapphire Fort collapsed with his destructive Seppuku spell, burying Aira and Atska beneath.

Not quite dead, she awoke in the Paths like she did many times before when the scientists’ experiments on her went a bit too far. There she found Gaia, who had come to save Ross from death, hanging suspended by strange apendages with her life slowly being drained from her. Aira, without thinking almost, came to the Fort Morale Officer’s rescue then and together they made an escape from the Guardians - taking refuge in the path, filled with souls that lead to afterlife.

Gaia, with the promise that she would heal Aira once she returned to her body, left first with the help of Kaj. Aira did not have to wait very long until Kaj and Gaia finally found and healed her body so she could return into it. When she woke up the next day in an Infirmary in the Floating Fort, she realized she wasn’t quite just the moogle trainer anymore, rather, she was the Fort Moogle Trainer and a former assassin. Though the idea itself of being an assassin made her somewhat uneasy, something within her accepted this like it was anything else.

A few days later, before leaving for Vander (to help Mido establish a new government), Arcelan paid Aira a late night visit and then told her about the truth Atska made him realize. Then and there, he told him he was her father and that he did not realize so until Atska pointed out the facts and truths from Mik, and Clemic. He also told her that he could not stay for her, or even try and work things out. He admitted that he hated her existence. It would take months, he said, even years, decades or forever. He left her in tears, and silent hatred for her own existence.

She played a minor role in the final battle with Venari, knowing very well she would not be able to go directly against the man who had shown her more love and care, even if it was just a show, than anyone else. Life continued and days passed idly after Venari’s defeat.

One day, while looking for a stray moogle, she met with (the famous) Blade Runner, Digintegrated Hunter Bill, in the Fort library. She had heard many things about the young man, and somehow felt that they were the same in someways. When he asked her if she would like to accompany him in a mission she readily said yes and while it seemed at first to be because of the slowly becoming monotonous tasks at the Fort and her nature to help people, she realized later on (after an encounter with a GF that forced Aira to fight in her ethereal form) that it was more than those. She realized that she had a lot more in common with DHB that she thought at first. At that point, the mission became more than just a task.

It seemed at first that their mission (to infiltrate Elmo’s hideout and find anything about them two) would be a simple ‘in and out’ one. However, Elmo was waiting for them, or rather him. They were subdued and for an unknown (as of now) number of days they were seperated and experimented/experienced upon. Aira was placed under a scientist’s - Rill - supervision and studied upon. Unlike DHB who was kept in the upper levels, she was kept in the lower levels.

They were not aware of her ability to manipulate the poison in her body and she exploited this advantage. Armed with a small blade she had created from the poisonous blood from a wound in her arm, she made an attempt to escape and succeeded in making it into the elevator before the lower levels could be locked down (to prevent her from escaping). She was wounded though, badly, having been unable to dodge a few bullets, fortunately (for her) though, DHB had escaped his own cell and managed to find her and heal her wounds.

Hand in hand they ran across the halls in search of both the precious files that would be a key to their past and an escape. They found both, but not before encountering Elmo and Rill themselves and (for the latter) having to defeat a clone of DHB.

The whole experience brought the two closer, not only because of their seemingly similar roots.. But something else entirely, something -she- has never encountered before.....

See also:

Danae
DHB
Liassa
Venari

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