Final Fantasy XIV- A Dream Untold: Hitocillia's Story.

The Meeting.

"Commander, please wake up; I have urgent news!"

Consciousness began returning to the female. Her head was throbbing in pain. It was that dream again. She'd been having it for days now. She barely noticed the guardsman calling out for her, much less the missing sheet to cover her near-exposed body. "5 more minutes..."

"With all due respect, ma'am! It's a message from Lord Dignitas himself!" The mention of His name was enough to spark some interest in her eyes. She awoke rapidly, facing the guard. "And what'd be the honors?"

"He requests yours and the other Commanders' council!" His eyes trailed slightly, a sudden flushness taking over his cheeks. "However, if you need a moment..."

"No need." She hadn't been flustered at all. It was her room, after all. "I'll be ready in a moment."

After a short while, the door to her room opened again. The guardsman from earlier had waited outside for her to dress. He lifted a hand to his forehead, saluting her. "Just this way, Commander Hitocillia." She nodded, following him down to the Meeting Hall.

It'd been quite cold, as is the norm along the outskirts of Ishgard. The two passed by several amenities provided in the province, most notably the training grounds. It'd be quite early in the day, yet she saw several recruits already hard at work, practicing their combat routines. It had always been an interesting sight to her; the way these men and women, flowing with Garlean blood, struck their wooden opponents with such finesse. As little threat the dummies posed, they still struck with no remorse. They relished the battle against the weak, the defenseless, looking to conquer all that stood against their way. Our way. The Garlean Empire has rightfully inherited Eorzea. Thus, we have the right to do with it as we see fit. It's a shame that there still remained those who hadn't seen the light the Empire proposed, but it'd been a welcomed resistance. Might as well extinguish the weak-minded early before they become a nuisance.

Hitocillia couldn't help but lose track of time; within moments they began to approach the entrance of the Meeting Hall. The corridors resembled that of catacombs lined with torches that illuminated the path with a pale glow. The path ended near an enormous gate. Two guardsmen stood idly by. It was clear that they wished to be anywhere but here right now. She couldn't really blame them. Whether or not the Halls were in use was irrelevant; a constant rotation of guards had been mandated. Those poor souls had just been lucky enough to work the early shift.

To ensure smooth passage, the male who guided Hitocillia rushed ahead. He caught the attention of the two guardsmen, and having gotten wind of the approaching Commander, quickly fixed their attitude.

"Welcome, Commander Hitocillia," they responded in unison. After a customary salute, they opened the gates for her. She passed through only for the door to rapidly close behind her; guardsmen weren't allowed inside.

She took a moment to really soak it all in. The overly grandiose structure greatly outweighed the rest of the territory. Pillars made of stained marble held up the arching roof. Along their length, symbols were engraved. Roughly, they translated to "Destiny," "Deliverance," and sure enough, "Dignity." Large windows with prismed glass allowed in what Hitocillia believed to be some form of natural lighting. The room itself, however, stretched for several malms before coming to a halt towards a solid gold statue of Lord Dignitas himself. If there'd been one thing He was good with, it'd been spending his Gil. Still, she couldn't help but slow down as she passed by the latest addition: a fountain. Out of everything, a fountain! She couldn't help but wonder how much that alone costed...

Within the center of the room was a large table. From afar, she was able to make out several faces in the gathering, all of which had been relatively high ranking soldiers within the army. Several turned their heads towards her approaching footsteps but quickly returned to their own devices. Hitocillia stopped short of the final seat, isolated from the rest of the Commanding Officers, raising an arm across her chest. "Commander Hitocillia reporting in, Lord Dignitas, sir." The man hadn't so much as glanced in her direction. Realizing the futile attempt, she'd taken her seat. The meeting had already started.

"Commander Cynebril, you may continue." One of the men stood up. He'd been an above-average build, somewhat on the stocky side. He wore similar garbs to Hitocillia; darkened leather pauldrons that resided over torso-length armor made with some thick materials line with cotton. It hadn't been much, but the visual difference helped differentiate that of a common foot soldier and their Commander. Cynebril's most defining feature, however, was his height. He'd been taller than most, but his gruff demeanor wrapped him into a threatening package. Seeing him salute to his superior, however, was always a sight. You could tell he was uncomfortable taking orders from someone under him.

"Yes, M'lord." He carefully chose his words, but it was clear he had something exciting to say. "As I was explaining moments before, we were successful in cutting off supply routes leading into nearby resistance camps. This one in particular, however..." He raised a hand upward, gesturing towards a nearby object. From the shadows, a figure approached. From the looks of it, it'd been some random soldier. He proceeded to hand Cynebril some rolled up piece of parchment, then quickly took his exit. Hitocillia couldn't help but smirk at how nervous the man had been; most people don't even get to step foot in this room. He'd definitely have a story for his platoon mates later.