"Can someone remind me what we're doing wandering the desert?" Robyn asked the group as they travelled along the dusty plains of Thanalan. It had been several hours since the party had began their assignment and the Miqo'te began to grow weary from the lack of action.
"We're searching for that man who captured Elorianna back at Paris' manor." Milla replied.
"The fiend spirited away back to an Aetheryte didn't he? Most likely he's long gone by now. I have to agree with the lovely lady and say this is a waste of time." Miles commented as another Elezen stopped and glared at him through the corner of his eyes.
"And so you'd rather just give up the search and let that man run free? Perhaps that would be ever so convenient for you..." Malik muttered.
"What's with the sour tone Goldilocks, you still don't trust me?" Miles asked.
"To be blunt, no, I don't." He replied without hesitation.
"Gaius seems to think there's a mole within the company, and of course with your history that makes you suspect number one, at least in our books." Milla added as Robyn, Alex and Paris awkwardly walked a few paces behind the trio trying to stay out of it.
"Those are quite bold accusations you're claiming there, but I see nothing to back them up. Such cruel lies don't go well with a pretty face like that." Miles defended himself.
"First there was that woman in red, Reza who attacked some of us in Kugane on behalf of an employer, then there was that butler Domitrien who was about to hold Elorianna hostage as part of his master's plans. Both were working under someone, and both were targeting members of our Free Company, even an idiot could come to the conclusion that there's someone within our ranks feeding them information." Malik explained.
"I don't know, I talked to Laris about it and he wasn't so sure because he said how can the company have a mole if it doesn't have skin." Robyn commented as Paris covered her face with a hand.
"I still don't see what I have to do with any of this." Miles replied.
"You were travelling with Leo and saw Reza before your group was captured, correct? You four were the first point of contact. Leo obviously wouldn't be the culprit, N'athys seems too innocent to spy on others, Dakota likely wouldn't have anything to gain from it. And then there's you, Miles." Milla began as she glared at the Hyur.
"Oh so feisty, you act as though I'm some sort of lecherous, degenerate fiend but as I recall you have some nasty little secrets yourself, don't you Black? Perhaps I should divulge some of those to even the grounds a little." Miles ended with a taunting grin.
"I've heard enough out of you!" She growled, drawing her bow and grabbing an arrow.
"My, no need to go overboard dear. Surely these sweet little words I have to share aren't worth getting violent over. I was just going to tell them about that time around a decade ago when-" Miles started but was suddenly cut off.
"ENOUGH!" Milla roared before a stomach churning sound rang out as blood splattered across Miles' face. The group looked in shock as Milla fell to her knees, choking on her own blood as several icicle swords impaled her body, fading away as she collapsed to the ground.
"Milla!" Malik yelled as he rushed down to her and held her up in his arms.
"I'm... fading to... Black..." Milla muttered under her breath not paying attention to him.
"What are you talking about? Stay with us!" He urged in panic.
"What in the Seven Hells just happened?!" Alex yelled. Paris turned back to find a blonde Midlander woman in a red battle dress standing behind them with a rapier and magical medium in hand.
"Reza? No it can't be her..." Miles wondered.
"You there! Who are you and what the Hells did you just do?!" Paris roared as she quickly drew her tome and readied for battle.
"I did what needed to be done." She replied calmly.
"To Hells you did." Malik growled as he gently lowered the Elezens body before standing up and drawing his bow.
"No one else needs to die here today, put away your weapon." The woman warned as several shards or sword shaped icicles formed above her, floating in mid air and ready to strike at any moment.
"The only other person who will die here today is you!" Paris yelled as a small green crystal sat upon her book began to glow. Immediately several orange arcane circles appeared in the air behind her. Retaliating in defense the woman thrust her rapier forward causing the icicles above her to shoot forward towards the Roegadyn. Paris swept her hand outward and as she did aetherial arrows shot out of the circles behind her and clashed with the ice blades, shattering them one by one before they could reach their mark.
"Impressive, I suppose I'll have to change my tactics a little." The Midlander commended before rushing in for a strike. Alex dashed in front of Paris and caught the edge of the rapier between his daggers, stopping it mere inches away from his throat.
"Alex!" She let out in surprise.
"Paris get back, I hold her off." He grunted, the opponents strength was far greater than he had first anticipated. "You're a strong lass, I'll give you that." He said as he looked her in the eyes before quickly becoming lost in them and stumbling back a little until he regain focus and pushed her blade back, separating from her.
"Hyyaaaa!" Robyn roared as she sped towards to girl and swung her leg with a powerful kick that burst through the air as the opponent quickly ducked backwards out of reach. Acting quickly Alex lunged his blades towards the girl only to have them swiftly parried as she stood upright once more and leaped backwards with a slash of arcane energy that shot forward from her blade towards Alex who barely managed to block it. Landing from her flip the girl recovered her footing until her attention was quickly drawn below her.
"Wait what is-" She cut herself off as she noticed a magic triangle beneath where she had landed back in her original position. "I can't... move... What is the meaning of this!" She grunted as she struggle to move her legs but her feet felt as if they weighed the same as a boulder. Paris stepped forward as arcane circles began forming around the Midlander in a spherical pattern.
"You're trapped, I suggest you give in now." Paris said with a smirk. Glowing tips of aetherial arrowheads began slowly peering out of the circles, all aimed at the girl from different directions. "Or I can give you a fitting end, it's your choice."
"Very well, I concede." She replied, sheathing her weapon and raising her hands in the air slowly.
"Who are you? Identify yourself." Malik ordered.
"My name is Neilla, Neilla Hawke." She answered.
"Hawke?" Alex muttered.
"What is your reasoning for assassinating Milla? Choose your words carefully for they could cost you your life." Malik continued.
"I was sent to kill her under the request of Rildein Hunt, he's a high ranking member of the Maelstrom." Neilla replied.
"Rildein? But he's an ally of the Dragon's Scales, he has no reason to eliminate one of our members, especially not through dirty tactics." Malik responded as he gripped his bow tighter and raised it slightly.
"I assure you it's true. She's not the only one I've been sent to kill, my main target is a fugitive by the name Alvin Ballard and his accomplices." She began.
"You mean that blue haired rat that almost tore our company apart?" Robyn growled.
"If what I've been told is true then yes they are one and the same. Rildein had come to learn the identity of a spy within your Free Company and met with your leader to discuss how to deal with it. They set up this dummy assignment to lure her out into the open without rousing suspicion and I was sent to lie in wait for her arrival. I didn't want to defeat her with such an underhanded tactic but i feared for that man's life when she began to get violent." Neilla continued.
"How did he know Milla was the spy though?" Malik asked.
"Perhaps that's better explained by your leader or Rildein himself, I'm sorry but I don't know all the details." She answered.
"Very well, but you're coming with us. I'm not risking letting you go until Gaius claims your innocence." Paris ordered.
"You have my co-operation." Neilla replied as she was in no position to refuse.
"Hold on a sec." Alex interrupted as he approached the girl. He leaned in and placed his hands on the girls' cheeks, leaning his face forward and inspecting hers closely through squinted eyes.
"Get those filthy hands off me." Neilla snapped as she shifted her head to the side.
"Enough, Alex leave her. Miles grab Milla's body, we'll return home immediately." Paris ordered, dispelling the bind beneath Neilla and motioning for her to follow.
"If I must. I prefer her better with her lips sealed like this anyway." The Hyur replied as he lifted the body over his shoulder.
"Moglet, does Flint have the airship refueled? We need an extraction at these coordinates..." Paris began speaking through her Linkpearl as she led the group forward.
"What was that all about, it was a bit creepy don't you think?" Robyn asked as she softly punched Alex's shoulder. He grumbled quietly to himself as he followed along.
Several hours had passed and the group had returned to the company building. Milla was sent off to the infirmary, although there was nothing that could be done for her at this point. The party along with their captive entered the meeting hall with Gaius as he began to debrief them.
"So how did you know Milla was the one feeding our enemies information?" Malik asked.
"After the incident in the Winter Estate I ran background checks on all the members of the company. Out of all of them, Milla's, Miles' and Laris' turned out to be the haziest. Laris wouldn't be capable of a task such as this and Miles claims to had never even heard of Alvin before we rescued him along with Leo and the others." Gaius began to explain. "Tell me Malik how was it that you came into contact with Milla again?"
"We happened to run into each other in Limsa Lominsa. After exchanging tales of our pasts she decided to help our squadron on the attack against the group of bandits Alvin allied himself with." He answered.
"How convenient that after almost a decade of absence she would suddenly reappear and offer to aid in that conflict before offering to join the Dragon's Scales. I would hardly call this a coincidence." Gaius continued.
"Coincidence or not it's no grounds for accusations and actions such as this." Malik raised his voice a little.
"Of course not Mr. White, I would not act on mere theories. However after the recent incidents I met with Rildein and requested he looked into her further, apparently she had dealings with that man in the past before either of them joined the Free Company. We also found various Linkpearls in her quarters, none that were connected to our Linkshell." He explained.
"Gaius also had me question the servants at my manor, apparently some of them had seen Milla conversing with Domitrien in private back before we returned from that mission." Paris added.
"Miles was also helpful in testifying Milla's shady past, revealing secrets she kept about unlawful and violent acts she had previously committed in secret." Gaius revealed.
"You'd trust a slimy cur like him? His word is worth nothing." Malik growled.
"You trusted Milla and look where that got us. You really have to wake up one day and leave old grudges behind. One of these days you'll have to accept the fact that the old mans teachings were garbage. You may act like a goody toe-shoes honor student of his, but in reality people are selfish and unpredictable, there was no way his code of honor and chivalry would last." Miles replied.
"Needless to say after having Rildein check into it further the evidence was clear, we did what needed to be done. I am sorry for what happened to your companion but unfortunately we had all been deceived. If you wish to leave the company I won't stop you." Gaius finished.
"...I need some time to reflect on all this." Malik muttered as he excused himself and left the room. Gaius let out an exhausted sigh before Alex drew his attention.
"So about this lass, why is she involved?" He asked looking towards Neilla who was seated several seats apart from everyone else at one of the long tables in the room.
"She's currently helping Rildein with the matter of tracking Alvin and his associates, as such Milla became one of her targets once we gathered the necessary information." Gaius explained.
"So you're with the Maelstrom?" Alex questioned.
"No, I'm just an adventurer. I've helped Rildein with some conflicts in the past and he ended up taking quite a liking to me. He said that if I was interested I'd be well suited for this task, although honestly I'm not sure why." Neilla answered.
"Huh, interesting." Alex responded before beginning to lose himself in thought.
"Ms. Hawke is it? If I may it seems we have a common interest in finding Alvin and his allies, if you wish I would like to extend an invite for you to join the company, even if only until this matter is concluded if you so desire." The Au Ra offered.
"I'm grateful for the offer, I'm not sure how long i will remain here, but I will offer my services to this cause for the time being." She replied with a sincere smile.
"Then if no one has any more queries this meeting is concluded. Ms. Hawke I will arrange for your living quarters to be set up and will return for you as soon as possible." Gaius dismissed the group as they all stood and began to leave to room towards their separate ways. Neilla was stopped at the door however as Alex placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Sorry, but I need a moment." He said.
"You're not going to try and caress my face again are you?" Neilla asked furrowing her brow slightly.
"What? No, it's not like- there's someone I want you to meet if you'll follow me." Alex requested.
"Alright, I suppose I'll meet everyone here soon enough." She replied following the mans lead. they traveled up a long flight of stairs and through various sets of hallways until coming to a stop at a door.
"Hey Leo you in there? Get out here kid I need you for something!" Alex yelled as he banged the door loudly. After a moment the door slowly opened as a timid Au Ra girl poked her head out.
"Um Alex? L-leo isn't in here I think he's out in the training area." Juria answered, suddenly stuttering and becoming self-conscious as she noticed the unfamiliar face next to the man.
"Oh right, sorry about the noise. By the way we have a new member, her name's Neilla." Alex introduced as he motioned his head towards the Midlander.
"Oh uhh it's n-nice to meet you, I'm Juria." She said nervously.
"Likewise." Neilla replied with a calming smile. The pair backtracked down the hall while Alex groaned impatiently. Eventually they made their way out the building towards the training yard where Leo was watching Dakota and Leona spar.
"Hey kid, got a minute?" Alex asked as he tapped the man's shoulder grabbing his attention.
"What do you need?" He replied.
"Just get up and stand right... here." Alex instructed, pulling him by the arms and moving him along by his shoulders until his sibling stood shoulder to shoulder with Neilla.
"Alex I don't understand what's going on here." Leo began before Alex shushed him. He peered between the two closely, rubbing his stubbled chin and concentrating deeply.
"I can't believe it..." Alex muttered.
"What are you going on about?" Leo asked beginning to lose patience with his brothers vague responses.
"Neilla, where exactly were you born?" Alex asked completely ignoring his brother.
"Uhh well I'm not entirely sure, I was raised in an orphanage in La Noscea, why do you ask?" She replied.
"That wouldn't happen to have been neighboring a fishing village would it?" He continued.
"Well yes i think I know the one you're talking about but I fail to see the point." She said, now seeming as confused as Leo.
"Huh, don't freak out Leo but I think this may be your older sister." Alex claimed.
"What?" The pair questioned simultaneously.
"Our parents never mentioned another sibling though, I've only ever known you so i don't see how this is possible." Leo replied.
"Turn and look closely at each other's eyes." He instructed as the two hesitantly complied. "Both of you look like our mother, not to mention she carries the last name Hawke."
"But how is that even possible?" Leo asked, both their eyes widened as they began to notice similar features among themselves.
"I don't know for sure, only from what I've been told. A few years before you were born dad and I went on a fishing trip for the restaurant. While we were gone a group of outlaw pirates docked nearby and invaded the village. Most of the homes got ransacked, and some of the women, well..." Alex explained as his eyes began to furrow. "Our mother learned that she had become pregnant soon after. She couldn't stand to end an innocent life before it began but she also couldn't bear to live with a constant reminder of that terrible event. So after she gave birth my father traveled to a neighboring village and left the child in the care of an orphanage. Considering you carry our fathers name who left the infant there and resemble our mother it seems like that child was you, you seem to fit the age after all." He finished speculating.
"If that's true then... Maybe we should go see her? My real mother I mean. Perhaps she will be able to confirm this for us." Neilla proposed but the two men turned away slightly.
"Unfortunately that is no longer possible..." Leo replied.
"O-oh, I see..." Neilla's Tone dropped as the mood began to grow heavy.
"If we want to lay this theory to rest we can visit a chirurgeon, they could perform a test to see if we're a positive match." Leo suggested.
"I suppose that would be the best option, if you two are willing then I will accept." She answered.
"Urgh I hate check ups." Alex grumbled. "Well we have that mostly sorted, how about I whip the three of us up something nice, Neilla must be pretty exhausted from that battle before. Maybe the two of you will get along well. Leo is a semi-decent swordsman after all."
"I guess I'm capable of swinging a sword or two around." Leo responded sarcastically to Alex's teasing.
"Maybe we have much we can learn from each other." Neilla said smiling politely.
"Great then I'll get the grub ready while you two chat. Oh also sorry for touching your face that one time." Alex said as he excused himself and headed back towards the building. "I'll call for you two when its ready!" He yelled out behind him.
Meanwhile in an undisclosed location a blue haired Miqo'te and a pale Hyur sat at a table in a torch lit stone hall as a dark-skinned Elezen approached them.
"Sorry for the interruption master, but we haven't heard from our contact in quite some time. Her last message was 'I'm fading to black.' I presume you know what this means?" The familiar looking Duskwight asked.
"Hehe, seems like the rat finally stepped in the trap." The Miqo'te chuckled. "Not that it matters anymore with our new plan. That'll be all Domitrien you can go back to dusting the cellars or whatever it is you do when you're not needed." He dismissed. The Duskwight gave an uneasy look but then bowed before taking his leave.
"Alvin, how much do you think they know about us by now?" asked the Hyur as he swept a strand of his long white hair from his gleaming red eye.
"My guess is that they know about Reza and Domitrien by now but it's very unlikely they know anything about our locations or our plans." Alvin answered.
"Very well. If we were to take out their leader first then the rest will eventually all fall with him. I think it's about time we stop toying with them." The man explained.
"So you're finally going to use 'him', huh?" Alvin grinned.
"Indeed. Leo, come forth!" He ordered as a tall figure appeared with a blinding flash. He wore a long black coat with the sleeves rolled up revealing glowing red glyphs across his pale arms travelling all the way down to his hands with long claw-like nails. His spiky silver hair almost covered one of his blood-red eyes with a scar running across his smirking lip.
"What do you need of me, master?" He grinned.