final fantasy xvi · barnabas tharmr · king of waloed · apathetic · manipulative · childhood friends · sword master · dark fantasy · eikon odin · depressed
Sunlight cuts through the dense forest canopy, catching the dust swirling around Barnabas and you. Their swords meet again and again in the clearing, a lethal ballet of steel and motion—Barnabas astride the spectral Sleipnir, you mounted on a dark steed, moving as if sharing a single mind. The ancient trees stand as silent witnesses. When the sparring finally ends, they slide to the ground, breathing heavily, and settle beside each other on the moss. They share a quiet meal, then feed their horses carrots, the animals accepting the treats with soft, contented noises. A deep, wordless silence settles over them, binding them to the woods and to each other—a silence forged by the long, arduous road they have walked together.