The Serotinal Incidents

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Chapter 1 – Arid Showers in Thanalan

"By the Twelve, at last! Let's hope this sunlight is a lasting respite. Hell, with all this rain lately, you'd never guess Thanalan was arid."

"Don' praise em' yet, it'll likely rain again t'night."

"Don't jinx it. There's not a cloud for miles."

"You'll only set y'self up for dis'ppointment. My guess is the rains 'ave only just started. And whot're you so 'appy about? You'll be inside the whole time. Cade'll be back soon. If 'e catches you slackin' 'gain, 'e'll feed y' to a jackal."

"Leave Cade to me. He don't scare me as much as his wife does."

"Yehehe! 'E's got more reason t' be scared than you. Oi!" the man was knocked to the ground, his friend started by the abruptness. "Ferin! You ok?"

"Watch it! Oh." He found a hooded character on top of him as his friend approached, "Is he dead."

"Uh, 'old on…" he lifted the hood enough to see, "Tis a maid. Y' okay there?"

The girl struggled to lift herself off the man, sweat beading down her face, "A-apologies. I'm just a little…" one of her arms gave out but Ferin caught her, "'old it there, let's get you outta this 'eat."

"Can you stand, miss?" asked the other man helping her to her feet. She faltered but the man gripping her arm caught her, "Fetch'er some water, Rem."

They each took an arm and elbow to aid her in her steps inside until they found a chair she could rest in. Rem ran to a barrel across the room and came back to her with a mug of water and they watched as she guzzled it down in a rush, nearly choking on it. "Apologies for my lacking composure. I've had neither food nor water in days."

Ferin reached for a loaf of bread out of a lunch case and handed to her. It was devoured in little time at all. "By the Twelve! Whot 'appened t'you? Are y'urt anywhere?" asked Rem.

She shook her head, "My caravan was raided by a band of brigands. They stole everything and took me and my comrades captive. I broke from my bonds but could not save the others before they were onto me."

"Travellers catch a lot of trouble of late. Wagon wheels get stuck in the mud and they fall prey to highwaymen. You're safe now, though." said Rem. Ferin nodded but then turned towards the multiple footsteps accumulating just outside. A loud bang came at the door, "Get out here, cat! We know you're in there!"

"No! I was so sure I'd lost them!" Rem stood in front of her and the door, "Bold ones to parade about Drybone in daylight. Don't worry, they won't get you. We'll make sure of it."

"Rem, take 'er to th' back room. I'll see if I can send'ese guys away without any probl'ms." As Ferin went to the door, Rem helped the girl to the back room, "This is the most secure room in the shop. I'll lock the door. If they do get in, use this vent,"

Rem led her behind a desk in the room and ripped off three wooden planks from the wall to reveal a vent just slightly larger than the two Midlanders, "It hasn't been used in years and it's boarded up on the outside but it leads straight out back and it's big enough to fit."

"Thank you, you've been so kind to me. I don't even know your name."

"It's Remiold. Friends call me Rem."

"Thank you, Remiold. I'll never forget this." Rem scratched the side of his neck, "Don't mention it. I've got to go help Ferin. He fights like a drunk." He got up and ran to the door, locking her in behind him before joining his friend. "Rem stay back! They gotta jack-"

Just as Rem made it into the room, the door and Ferin were busted in. Rem pulled Ferin to his feet as men surrounded them and a jackal backed up to block their exit, "She's not here. You three, take the jackal and cover the back." Three of the seven men took the large beast back out the doorway and the man turned to meet the Midlanders, "So you're her accomplices. You two have no idea what you've gotten yourselves into. Do you even know who we are?"

"An' we don' care. You're not gettin' 'er." Rem and Ferin got in their best defensive stances despite how miserably out classed they were. They weren't like the wanderers who could fare well against a beast like the jackal; just extra help for a packaging company. "You two are clearly no adventurers. Look, we don't care about her! We want back the goods she took!"

"What are you talking about? You and your band of crooks took her and her caravan hostage!" the man face palmed himself, "So that's how- do you believe every story you hear from total strangers or did you even consider a pretty face could lie?" Rem and Ferin looked at each other then back at him confused, fists still at the ready. The man pulled a folded paper from his side pouch, "She's a wanted criminal! Don't you get it?! You've helped her escape!"

"She 'asn't gone nowhere. She's locked up 'n th' back room!" As Ferin said that, Rem slowly brought his head down and his hand over his eyes, "No she's not. I showed her the emergency exit."

Rem just stared at him then they all made their way to the back room. Rem quickly unlocked the door and opened it wide. Sure enough, she was gone and the safe was left wide open. The leader of the group looked at the open safe then back at them, "You put her in the same room as the safe?"

"'ow were we supposed t'know she was'a thief?"

"Yeah, she told us you lot were after her so we hauled her up in the only room with a lock and an escape route. She told us she's been hungry and thirsting for days."

"And any substantial coin apparently! You imbeciles! How does someone thirst for days when it's been raining for the better part of a month?" Now they really felt stupid. Ferin was the first to realize the full situation, "You're tellin' Cade. Not me."

The girl in the cloak came to an open glen, having come out into the tunnelway entrance of Drybone, climbed a pipe to the upper levels, and hopped over the walls to avoid the guards. The sun was beginning its decent when she saw an Elezen standing under a tree with a chocobo. Hardly hesitating, she ran up to meet him with a warm hug, her hood falling off and exposing her furry ears, "My love!"

"Krysandr!" He took her in full embrace, lifting her off the ground. She giggled into his neck, "Even a night away from your hand is too much. Are we prepared?"

The young man nodded and pointed to a bridge a few kilometers off by a cliff, "There is road to the South Shroud. I can't wait to show you the home of my ancestors. We'll find it together." The Miqo'te gasped and held the Wildwood tighter, "But the monsters, won't it be dangerous?"

"I've stolen my father's Chocobo. We'll race past them before they can attack. And here." he pulled out a satchel that was hanging off his shoulder, "I've gotten the dowry he would've denied us. Nothing will keep us apart again."

The girl lifted a sack she had with her, "And I've found the inheritance that my mother hid from me when my father died. I hate that it's much less but it'll be enough to get us north. OH NO!" the man took her arms into his grip, "What is it?"

"My pendant from my father. I must go back for it!" The lad took her hand in his to prevent her from leaving, "There's no time! My father will learn what I've done soon…Take the satchel, head to the Highbridge and wait for me! I'll go back for your necklace."

"You're too good for me." she kissed him short but sweetly, "I'll be waiting for you."

Thusly, they ran off in separate directions. Once the young man was out of sight, the girl started unravelling the reins on the tree, laughing. "Ha! Alenardian men. So gullible! Poor Raysh!"

"Poor Raysh, indeed!" the girl halted in her tracks as she saw a male Lalafell in her path, "Evening, Calico. How many times are you going to lead guys on like that, Kaellan?"

"Likely as many times as yoo're gonna give yourself away afore ye try to catch meh. Do ye enjoy this game? Must Ah be yoo'r nemesis for yoo to enjoy it." The Lalafell snorted and smirked, "Don't flatter yourself. You're not even in the same league."

"An' yet the cat still hasn't caught the mouse. So Ah guess Ah still retain my feline status, making you the rodent, pipsqueak." She pulled out a dagger and a cutlass and began circling around with him, "Come now, Kaellan. My father's short. My ex is short. My whole race is short. You think I haven't heard all the smart remarks? You know the size cracks don't work on me."

"Sure they do, Ellian. They git you monologuing." Ellian hadn't noticed that he was standing on the cloak Kaellan took off when she realized it was him in her way. With one swift move, she pulled the cloak out from under him, bringing him up in the air and back down hard on his bum before running on all fours to get away much faster than his small legs could carry him. It mattered not because she soon found herself in a net hovering well above the ground, "We've been through this a hundred times, Kaellan!" shouted Ellian as he ran to catch up. "I know all your tricks and I'm prepared!"

"You're right! We have been through this hundreds of times. Long 'nough for meh to know all the weak spots'in your knot-work." She drove her dagger into two of the knots in the net and was out of it in no time. "Next time, buy'a professionally done net!"

She hopped onto the chocobo and made a mad dash for the Highbridge, Ellian bounding onto a chocobo of his own and sharp on her tracks, "Those knots won't hold you, so I have to custom make them myself!" Ellian pulled a pistol and began firing after her, "Yoo did all that for meh? That's so sweet of yoo."

The next round shout past her into a trio of wild firedrakes. They lashed out at her when she met them. Kaellan pulled the chocobo to the side, practically leaping over the third one as it blew a fireball at her. "Ah know why yoo're upset. Yoo're jealous all those other guys git my attention. Yoo just can't seem t'keep yoor hands'off meh."

Ellian fallowed the path Kaellan took to dodge the firedrakes who were now aiming for him. He shot the last one in the face for good measure and raced on, "And you can't seem to keep your hands of other peoples' purses."

"A girl's gotta make'a livin'. You un'erstand right?" She darted past a couple as she finally made it to the road that frantically leapt out of the way, "I understand there's a cell in Ul'dah with your name on it."

"Aw, but me an' me lover were headed north. That's totally out of the way an' we haven't even scheduled pit stops." He threw a bola towards the chocobo's legs – a rope with weights fashioned on the end for catching mobile prey - but she saw it coming and had it leap off to the side just in time. Ellian growled in irritation, "Don't worry. It'll only take the rest of your life then you can be on your way. Now stand still!" He fired another net this time.

"Not today, bounty hunter." Kaellan dashed down a skinny gorge where a local flock of buzzards like to rest in the shade around this time of day. She spooked them enough to race past them. When it came Ellian's turn to rush through, they were causing such a fuss that he had to stop. His chocobo was started enough to knock Ellian from its back. Taking the reins again, he calmed the bird enough to get back on and go around but by then Kaellan was long from sight. "North, huh? Heh, you won't even make it to Paglth'an."

Kaellan was up the Highbridge and racing through the Wellwick Woods. The last time she was here, every beast she passed would attack her and she had to turn back. She worried about that even now as she realized she came to a split in the road and coulding remember which way Raysh said led to Gridania. She didn't have time to think with that Lalafell after her and now that she was also getting the attention of wild Ziz birds. She rushed to the right but didn't get far as a group of Amalj'aa took notice of her. She wasn't about to mess with those and shifted over to the left road into a short tunnel. Exiting the tunnel, she noticed that the beasts and beastmen weren't following her. She waited a moment to be sure then finally turned calmly back towards the road.

She came out next to a waterfall - Burgundy, she remembered hearing it called – and in the fading daylight, she finally came across the golden lights she had seen from Drybone. How marvelous these glowing crystals shown in the sunlight and how green the area looked. How had she not come to this place sooner, aside from the aggressive beasts that she'd have to run past? The luminous structures gleamed brilliantly, their shape now making sense to her as she thought back to the nights before trying to figure out what they were. She once thought it looking like a massive blaze over the hills, then remembered that this place was called the Burning Wall. Consecutively, she also remembered that only high ranking soldiers and adventurers came out here. Her memory proving correct when she realized she had gained the attention of not one but two Battle Drakes.

The chocobo reeled up violently, knocking Kaellan off its back before fleeing back the way it had come. "HEY! Where're yoo goin'?! Git back here, yoo 6-piece dinner!" She turned to face the two Battle Drakes, her pride making one side of her thoughts lean towards fighting these beasts and getting through to the South Shroud and her sense weighing the options of facing the Amalj'aa instead; either option still completely unsure of the right direction to go but in this circumstance, that was a matter quite independent of what she'd be fighting.

The drakes quickly set her mind to course when one of their attacks sent her flying with most of the dirt that was just underneath her. She turned back towards the waterfall but the second drake had already cut off her retreat. It wasn't even decent enough to give her time to react before it knocked her several meters away. Those strikes resonated throughout her body and she couldn't remember ever facing an opponent so strong excepting the Flames guards of Thanalan. She fought past the urge to stay down to make any escape possible when she suddenly felt her arms tighten around her sides. The next moment, she was being dragged away from the Battle Drakes at a pace they couldn't keep. She saw a flash of the golden crystals shining through the water fall, or was it the setting sun, before she saw rock over her head. Through whatever glimpses she caught of her rapidly changing surroundings, she felt her body beating violently about, rocks and dirt filling her clothes and cutting her arms and legs. It went on for what she could rationally imagine was several minutes before it stopped. Her eyes felt heavier than her body now but she kept them open long enough to notice she was back at the Highbridge with a short silhouette chuckling over her. It only took a few seconds before her vision went totally dark.

Slits of light as she cracked her eyes, though dim as it, and rustling sounds wasn't enough to win her aware so in the lull, she drifted off again. Opening her eyes once more, there was more light, more xanthic shades of it, and a delicate clang of metal. However, it was the trace of Aldgoat steak that rose her from the daze. "Mmmm, what's for supper?" she moved to stretch and felt every scrape that had covered her arms and back and every dull pain that overtook her abdomen and head.

"For you. Nothing. We'll be in Ul'dah soon enough." Kaellan shot up with eyes wide open hearing that voice. Tight-fit diagonal bars rested to the front and back of her. She was in a prison buggy. Looking at her wrists, they were shackled and so were her ankles. Her entire body was seemingly covered in bandages. "Well, we're closer to Southern so I'll collect your bounty at Little Ala Mhigo."

It was well past dusk but the moon wasn't yet near its peak. "A bit roundabout, isn't it?" Ellian chuckled, "You can escape it you can manage it. The beast in that area would give you a hard time too." Kaellan shot him a glare but he kept his eyes toward the dark road ahead of him. His chocobo now accompanied by the one she had apprehended, she noted. The purse full of coin she had pilfered was still hanging from its side, now empty she imagined. She knew Ellian well enough to know he kept it and knew where it was from the last time she was in this buggy. She around felt the boards on the floor but found no loose ones like she did last time. "Don't worry." she turned toward the Lalafell, "I patched it up and secured the flooring so you can sit comfortably in there until Little Ala Mhigo."

"I'm not worried." she smirked, "Yoo insist on makin' everythin' yoo use by hand. Odds are Ah'll find another way out."

"Doubt it." Ellian continued, "I'll admit you knew the area enough to outsmart me with those buzzards but clearly not well enough to avoid the Burning Wall. In theory your plan was a good idea but any map could have made your little adventure less perilous." Kaellan sucked her teeth. The Duesfolkian seemed quite smug in his analysis. He usually was.

The night passed on as they traveled between Eastern and Southern Thanalan. Kaellan was stretched out in her cage, ankles crossed. She found that while the ceiling doesn't reach her full height, she only had about an inch and a half advantage horizontally and at least a foot vertically, "Small cage."

The bounty hunter just kept driving quietly. It had been that way for hours, the moon finally reaching its zenith but the night was far from over as it was between phases. The air smelled very wet and it chilled her. Wet air was something she understood to be a strange concept in Thanalan. Looking out, some clouds were moving away but more clouds were coming in from the west. In the meantime to keep out of the wind's path, she had tried out numerous positions. The weather was making her joints ache and she'd be getting bored if not for her struggling to avoid the cold, "Small driver, all considerin'."

She knew he was ignoring her but the idea of finding a way to get him to respond seemed like a challenge worthy for passing the time, "Gettin', kinda hungry. Ah kin un'erstand the jug'o'water, an' yoo at least had the good humor t'throw in'a saucer but…"

Nothing still, "Ye can'no converse with th' paycheck, now?"

She waited a while then started up one more time, "So what's'in the drawer on the side, aside from the coin yoo stole from meh? Ah tried pickin'it but yoo came back from yoor last bathroom break sooner than Ah expected."

Ellian jerked the reins back to bring the wagon ride to an instant end and leapt to the side of the wagon with his pistol fixed on her, all in one swift movement. He eyed her looking at him upside down with her hands stretched out to either side of her, "How did you get your shackles off?!" he demanded while eying the compartment just beneath the flooring of her cage.

"Com'on, yoo wound meh. Ah picked those hours ago." He kept his pistol fixed on her as he examined the drawer closely. There was no getting in there no matter what anyone did. That's why he had no problem with leaving all his valuables within reach of the bars. But that didn't mean anyone should be able to reach through the bars as all sizes of his special made restraints were wider than the space between the bars. Hearing that THE Calico herself was able to even reach the compartment with all his tools and valuables was just cause to be on alert. "So Ah get th'feelin' yoo don' want meh in your drawer."

Ellian realized that even the sneaky Kaellan wouldn't be able to open it and lowered his weapon. Kaellan took this chance since now she had his attention, "So why aren't yoo taking meh to Ul'dah?"

Somehow, her being calm as she was on her way to what would ultimately end in execution didn't unnerve him. If anything, it reminded him to keep on guard for any outside sources that might free her as the keys were in the compartment. He couldn't trust them on his person with her around. "I'm not liked in Ul'dah. Little Ala Mhigo is less hostile to my type. They'll have your bounty."

"Well when do we get there? You're borin' meh t'death." Ellian went back to the front and hopped up to the reins, "Just over the next hill. Then you can have all the fun you want driving the guards crazy from your cell."

"So Ah am gettin' to ye?" this thought piqued her enough to sit up on her elbows. Ellian snickered a little, "Cute but don't flatter yourself."

"Yoo an' Ah know this won't work. Nothin' but Ul'dahn cells can'a hold meh an' Little Ala Mhigo is hardly'a campin' post. Ah'll be out as soon'as yoo're gone."

"As long as I get my bounty, I don't care if I have to chase you down again."

"So this's livin' for ye? Ah'm just your personal en'ertainment? An' Ah figured yoo for one'ov them noble types who preaches about justice then steals yoor rightfully stole purse for themselves."

"Once upon a time, maybe. Welcome to the disillusionment of adulthood." The wagon came to a stop and hushed voices could be heard from the guard post a few feet away. Once the two men in Brass Blade uniform realized this situation was clearly their jurisdiction, they rushed over. Kaellan smirked at the idea of guards this green, "Amateurs."

They first looked in and stared at The Calico laid back in her cage with her hands under her head, then one, while maintaining eye contact with her, turned his head to the driver, "If I'm not mistaken, this is the Calico right?"

"Yup" said Ellian as he rested his elbow on the leg he just pulled up on the bench. The other one spoke, "Where are her restraints?"

"Broke out of them." Ellian stated matter-of-factly as he pulled an elongated pipe out from under the bin under the bench and set it up for lighting. When he finally got to smoking it, the guards finally found some confidence, "Right. We'll take it from here."

"Hold on! You got my bounty?" The men looked him up and down then back up again, noting that they didn't even have to move their necks to do so, "What bounty?"

Ellian figured their meaning but gave them the benefit of the doubt and instead took the pipe out his mouth and whipped out the wanted poster marking Kaellan worth 3,800,000 gil. They looked at it then looked at him. Kaellan had seen this played out before and laughed inside simply about the fact that they had to look up at him given how high off the ground he was. She giggled more at how they had NO idea the kind of fight they were getting into.

"Well the bounty would go to whoever caught her." In a contemporary comedy movie, right about now, the audience would hear a short record scratch. Ellian rolled up the paper. "The bounty will go to whoever brought her in. Now whether you believe that was me or not is none of my concern."

"Well you can have a portion of it, say a third since there's no way a Lalafell caught THE Calico." The other guy grinned at that remark, backing his partner. Ellian just shifted his gaze from one to the other once then sat back in his wagon and took the reins in his grip. The chocobo started to move when one of them ran in front to block his path. "Woah woah woah woah! Where do you think you're going?"

"For all you know, Vesper Bay. A slaver can fetch a better price than the likes of you imbeciles." The other put his hand on the side of the bench. "That would be obstruction of justice. The prisoner's no longer in your jurisdiction."

The next sound they heard was the arm cannon nearly the size of the bounty hunter charging up, "Way I see it, she was never in yours. So are you going to back off or should I add 'disturbing the peace' to your field report?"

The younger one in front of him slowly reached for his whistle. Ellian kept his aim on the one to his side, "You sure? It's a pretty big cannon. I promise you won't like the experience."

The older, and smarter one clearly, signaled for his companion to back down. They moved away reluctantly and Ellian sat back down to shove off shaking his head. "Twelve Damed Brass Blades! If Papashan were here…nope, he'd get laughed at too."

"So…Vesper Bay?" Kaellan quizzed. Ellian nodded short and to the point, "Yup."

"An' their bonds'll hold me any better?"

"As I said before, not the point."

The weather blew in all nasty like in another hour: leaves blowing and smacking them in the face, rain pouring down in a manner that hit the skin harder, clouds dark thick enough to hide all traces of daylight if that was the time. All the while, Kaellan slept through it. Ellian knew it was her way of getting over it but he hated that she could snooze throughout. The moment he took a nap, she'd find an escape. The rain had made the ground so soft and sloshy that he often questioned if he should risk Kaellan escaping if they stopped. He got an answer scarcely a minute later as one of the front wheels sank into a mud puddle.

Kaellan awoke from the sudden tip in the vehicle and nosed about the reason, "So th'great bounty hunter's finally defeated, eh?" Ellian was looking down at it knowing the diagonally opposite wheel was in the air but kept eyeing the chocobo, considering if it was even smart to try. In the end, he rapped the bridles and the large bird pulled but was instead pulled down onto its side as the buggy did so first onto its left side. Kaellan made a short shriek as she was tossed into the air for a second before colliding with the bars into the mud. Ellian picked himself up from the mud and wiped it away from his nasal passage. Kaellan rubbed her shoulder as it broker her fall, "Peculiar weather we're havin' these past months? Ye think somethin's up?"

"Leave that to the Faithsend and the Scions, I say." Ellian was trying to figure out how he was going to get the wagon right up again. There was a tree conveniently nearby but any tools or equipment he had was in that drawer that was now buried in the mud that all he had was the rope under the seat. The width was much taller than he was so scaling to the top was an incredible concept in itself but he tried it anyway. The mud reached up to his knees so it was hard enough just getting to the thing but it made for a slippery climb. "Well I'm having a great day."

"Y'know," she pestered trying to poke her head out from the bars on the right to see, "Ah could help if ye let meh out." Ellian kept trying to climb at least up to the seat compartment to get the rope, "That's a pathetic attempt even for you. Besides, the door is under your feet. I couldn't let you out even if I was possessed."

Just then, Ellian heard the chocobo chirping relentlessly. He felt pretty dense to not consider first to free the poor thing as it was stuck on its side then second, use it to reach the top. As he pulled struggled to lift it to reach the buckle – cursing that everything he needed to get to just happened to be on the inaccessible side – he heard a terrifying sound; giving cause to the panicked cries of his otherwise calm mount. Looking beyond the buggy, he saw a low rush of water for such an arid area and realized the topography of his current position was a bowl-like depression. He pulled struggled for the bridle buckle as the water began to wash over his legs. The bird chirped with anxiety as Ellian took out his pistol and shot a hole through the leather, enough to just muscle the thing to snap. The chocobo was free but Kaellan was in full tilt alarm mode. He had the bird drop him off on the new top of the wagon and found Kaellan in a state he'd never imagine, "What's goin'on?! Why is'there water?! HOW IS IT FLOODING?! I DON' WANNA DIE! LE'MEH OUT! PLEASE! LE'MEH OUT! I DON' WANNA DIE!"

"Calm down!" It was out of character for him but so was Kaellan at the moment, "WHAT'S HAPPENIN'?! WHAT'S GOIN'ON?!"

"Calm down, now!"

"Just le'meh out, please! I promise I won'a run! Just ple-he-hease!" Ellian saw her face ball up as tears quite distinctively in this rain streamed down from her eyes. He'd never seen her like this and almost felt sorry for her. "Don't worry. There's not enough water for it to flood much. You won't drown." a lie he knew given how high the ground's horizon was in that particular spot, but she couldn't see that, "I'm going to get the wagon right-side-up and we'll be back underway."

He tied rope to the bars as best he was able and was about to go climb the tree use it as leverage for pulling when she grabbed his wrist, "Please don' go! Don' leav'meh here!"

"I'm not! I'll be right over here." She scrambled to regain his wrist or his leg or something as he broke contact with her and leapt into the water. It was almost up to his hips and he knew it wouldn't take long for it to rise. Climbing the tree was no problem for him and the two chocobo were cooperative when he called them over to tie on the ropes. Both he and the Lalafell tugged with everything they had and the wagon budge a bit but not enough to turn upright. During a quick breather, Ellian saw something that really made him sympathetic. He stood almost level with where the water would overflow from this pocket and down the mountain; the wagon wouldn't reach that tall and the water showed no signs of slowing. She would drown before he could resurrect the carriage.

The only saving thought, he saw a smoke stack as if from a chimney a few kilometers back but the thought of leaving Kaellan alone like this, to his astonishment, was an unbearable thought. Not because she could escape in his absense; he was sure if she could get out of that right now, she wouldn't hesitate. It was so strange to him to be sympathetic of anything but never before had he seen a person so intensely terrified. The fear in her face, in THAT prideful creature, sent his stomach in ferocious knots. He nonetheless had to do something. Thunder cracked as he rode the bird in a back track as fast as he could. There was the hollow log resting on the boulder and in the northwest, though he couldn't see the smoke in this darkness, he was certain he saw it in that direction. It turned out to be a cottage with light emitting from the windows and he wasted no time in banging at the door. There was no answer for a long while but he persisted on until a mid-aged Midlander swung the door open, strange for such parts. It was clear he didn't want to be disturbed by the sword in his right hand. At first he didn't see Ellian only the chocobo sitting a few feet off then looked down to see what was moving in the lower corner of his eye. "What do you want?!"

"Please. My wagon fell and it's flooding…"

"I don't give a good Twelve damn! This is a secluded house in the mountains! Take A Hint! I don't want visitors!" The door slammed promptly after but Ellian still banged on it and call out to him, "There's a person trapped in the wagon! Water is filling the area! She'll drown! If you could just spare som-…"

The door swung back open for the man to swing his ax in a backhanded way. He jumped back but was too close to the door and it struck his chest slashing up to his collar bone then his cheek. It wasn't deep but it the man made his point, "I've got enough problems without some stranger coming to me with a crazed story about a flood! We're in the mountains! I'm not dumb enough to leave for that to find myself victim to whatever band of cutthroats and thieves you hail from! You so much as TAP my door again, and I'll run you through!"

Another slam to the face and Ellian found his footing again. Just as he was pulling himself onto his chocobo, he heard another chirping sound coming from what appeared to be a stable. Peeking in the window, he saw another chocobo chirping to the thunder of the storm. The door was latched tight as he quickly found when he shook it wildly. Looking back at the cottage since he knew he was making a considerable amount of noise, the man didn't seem to hear him in this weather. This thing was not budging and he had no time to test the combination keeping the latch. He used the rope he had with him and tied a quick loop then set it on his shoulder for ease of access. Placing the muzzle of his barrel into the curve of the lock, he pulled the trigger, ripped off the latch, ran in and roped the chocobo and pulled it hurriedly back to his own. The man without a shred of doubt heard the gunfire and was just as surely coming out of his home in time to see his bird being stolen. Ellian leapt onto his own bird and pulled the end of the rope through a ring in his saddle to minimize losing hold of it. The man ran out to them but only barely reached them before Ellian took off.

Racing back down the mountain path he took, he could hear Kaellan's shrieks for help. The sound made his blood curdle. Upon reaching the wagon, he found the water level gained at least three more feet. Kaellan was pushing vainly at the bars to move them and stretching out of them as if trying to squeeze through. He could imagine her alarm when she realized no one was there pulling on the ropes tied to her bars. Not wasting any time, he tied down the man's chocobo to the ropes dangling from the tree then his own in front of it to prevent the thing from getting away. When three birds together were set up and pulling, Ellian swam over to the wagon to check on Kaellan, "I'm here, Alright! Calm down! I didn't abandon you!"

The Miqo'te was blubbering and couldn't manage words. The water was up to her chest and her shoulder was bloodied, likely from ramming against the bottom of the buggy. Now he felt a little guilty that he patched it up so thoroughly. As he swam back to guide the trio of chocobo, he barely dodged an ax to his face. The man had followed him, no doubt his chocobo was one of the more valuable things he owned. Ellian only had his Kodachi for his last shot was used for the man's lock. Strength was no contest for Ellian but the man had a positional advantage as Ellian couldn't secure his footing. He pulled out his pistol to help his kodachi in restraining the man's ax from driving a fissure into his cranium. Once he found his footing in that hold, he knock the man back and kept going until he fell backwards. Ellian mounted the man and held the kodachi to his neck, "LISTEN FOR A SECOND! You can have your chocobo back! I'll even pay you for its use! But I need it to get her out! So either help me or I can kill you right now!"

The Hyur looked towards the wagon to see arms struggling. He could finally hear her frustrated grunts to break free. Looking back at Ellian with a calmer expression, "I want half the gil you got!"

"And you were calling me a thief! Done!" They shot up and got to work. The man trudged through the water while Ellian climbed the tree to check on the ropes. "How in blue blazes is there even a flood all the way up here?!"

"It's likely the rain built up over time in a depression pocket up that way and it's begun to overflow! It'll overflow into this pocket too but not before completely submerging the buggy!" Ellian noted that the ropes were a smidge thinner from the pulling but they wouldn't snap for a while. The man was just reaching the bottom side of the toppled vehicle, "How'd she get in-…" he noticed the bars and the terrified Miqo'te inside. Ellian called back his answer, "She's a wanted criminal! I'm turning her in for a bounty!"

Upon hearing that information, he tried to belay any thoughts of the Dunesfolkian being a slaver but the girl looked so pitiful, such thoughts were hard to resist. She gripped at his hand numerous times as if begging him to help her. He saw the water was creeping up to her chin and took her hands in both of his, "Stop your fussin'!" he said affectionately, "My name's Rothaid. We're gonna get you out of here."

She whimpered to his words. He left her hands down gently and took hold of his ax. Bringing it back behind his head, he took a full swing at the bars, "Why are you trying to pull it right-side-up?! It will completely submerge her!"

"No it won't!" called Ellian from the tree, "Besides, the door is on the other side. It'll be easier to get her out." Ellian suddenly felt a tremor in the tree. Rothaid answered back, "You won't have that kind of time! Her face is almost against the bars right now! I'm cutting a-"

"LOOKOUT!" Kaellan pointed to the tree falling down behind him as Ellian hurled himself from it into the water. Rothaid flung himself into the water to get out of the way. The chocobo were chirping with great alarm when they resurfaced, they found that the tree limbs landed on the wagon making a hole in the welding, but not one Kaellan could pull herself through. "Thanks for the warning!"

"It's the rain, I tell you! The mud isn't thick enough to hold it in place. I'm surprised a mudslide hasn't buried you out hear yet!" They swam back to the wagon to climb back on top. Rothaid looked at his ax as he was pulling himself up, "Any chance of getting a portion of that bounty?! I'll need a new ax after this and I don't know how much you got in your purse!"

"I'm not coming back this way so take what you can get! It'll be enough!" Ellian stated as he pulled himself up. Getting to Kaellan, she was pressing her face against the bars. Ellian took hold of her head to help her stay out of the water, "Do you trust me?"

Hearing that visibly scared her. She shook her head as contained as she could so as not submerge her face. Ellian tried to get her attention, "Hey! Hey! You're not gonna die! I promise! Now do you trust me?!"

She took a second but verbalized the answer this time, "No!"

"Well you're out of options here! Cut through the tree! Not the bars!"

"I AM! A little hard when your ax has been recently dulled!" Rothaid was hacking into the tree limb to detach it and unplug the hole. When he thought there was enough room, he reached in to take her arm and pull her out. She took a deep breath and tried to break out. The hole was only big enough for one arm. They pulled at her and pushed the tree but she wasn't getting through. Ellian reached in and pulled her back to the bars so Rothaid could hack away some more. Only her nose and mouth with some effort could breach the bars for air. She took one last breath before losing access to air altogether. Ellian held tightly to her hand and she did too, afraid to let go. Rothaid took a pause in chopping to frantically pull her through. Only her arm and head made it past but she was still submerged. She quickly moved so he could keep going and returned to holding Ellian's hand, gripping as tightly as she could. Rothaid hacked hard and fast but after several swings, Ellian noticed Kaellan's grip began fading, "She's going limp! Cut faster!"

"It don't get faster than this! I already got blisters!" He wasn't even sure if he was hitting with precision as he was sacrificing it for speed and power. Two more hits and he practically threw the ax down to reach in for her, his head submerging to do so. There still wasn't enough room so he kicked in the limb and tried again. Her arm and head poked through but she still wasn't coming out. Rothaid shoved her arm to Ellian and braced his back against the trunk, pushing his feet against the bent bars while Ellian pulled. The tip of her ear poked out of the water then her right shoulder finally squeezed out in one swift tug. Rothaid took her waist as Ellian fought to free her hips, a small task considering the difficulty of her chest. Once she was free, Rothaid picked her up and carried her along the tree trunk to the higher ground with Ellian behind him.

Laying her on the ground, Ellian began slapping her to wake, while Rothaid went to cut the three chocobo free before they had to worry about them drowning too as the rope was still hooked under the tree.

"She's not breathing!" Ellian realized his smacking her was accomplishing nothing when Rothaid pushed him aside, "MOVE!"

He pinched off her nose, took a deep breath, and blew as hard and as long as he could. He did it once more and Kaellan was on her side coughing and vomiting water. Ellian praised him, "You know the Resuscitation Technique?"

"Nope. But I know if you blow enough air in there, you throw up!" Ellian knew the stomach had nothing to do with the lungs but either way, it worked and Kaellan was breathing. Rothaid was about to pick her up and carry her away when Ellian stopped him, "Hold on!"

He came back over the tree with some irons and cuffed her wrists and ankles. Rothaid gave him a look and he returned it, "You'll thank me when she regains conscience."

Rothaid, feeling bad for her, decided to let them stay at his house for the time being. He still wasn't sure if Ellian was a bounty hunter or slaver but he didn't seem like a slaver the way he was calming Kaellan down in the buggy. Ellian removed the chains only long enough to treat her wounds from the ramming and retreat the wounds from when he dragged her the day before. Once he put them back on, Rothaid picked her up off the couch and carried her to his bed. "We'll take the living room."

"She's a felon. Not a lost princess. You can take the couch. She's not leaving my sight." He ignored the short one and closed the door. "You can watch her comatose later. The door's locked and there's no windows in there. It'll be dawn in a few hours. The storm's died a little and we need to dig out a channel for that water. I want you two out of my hair as soon as I can. Here."

The Midlander tossed him a shovel from his closet and took one out himself, "Besides, I'm sure my share of gil is in that tin can of yours."

Ellian looked at the door when Rothaid was rushing him to keep up. He followed hesitantly. They marched back down the path with a lighter rain falling on their heads. Ellian kept looking back, "Don't be fooled by the pretty face."

"You worry 'bout yourself. Alright?" there was a long pause before he continued, "She's about the age my daughter would have been."

Ellian raised an eyebrow then the man continued, "I don't know what kind of trouble she's gotten into but I can't shake this feeling of guilt. I feel responsible."

"Good. You keep that in mind when we come back and she's gone. I won't pay you if she escapes." The man brought the blade of his shovel down sharp into the soil inches away from his step, "That's neither here nor there. You'll pay me for stealing my chocobo."

Ellian had to admit the guy had a point but he kept looking back. They spent the rest of the better part of the morning shoveling mud out so it could pour down the hillside. When the water's receded enough, they worked until it was too dark getting the wagon upright. Ellian felt spending the night and repairing any damages tomorrow before getting underway couldn't hurt. However upon returning, just as Ellian predicted, the door to the man's room was wide open, the irons were on the bed, his purse and some of his food was gone, and so was ALL THREE of the chocobos. Ellian pinched the crook of his nose, "Still think she's like your daughter?"

"Yup. Just like Velony. Down to the last gil."

[A/N] I finally got around to starting this one. So when Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn came out and I heard we could make our own character, I was SO psyched but I didn't have the combination of money or time to enjoy it. When I found out you could still create your own characters on the Official Banchmark for FREE though, I couldn't stop myself from making one after another. Kaellan (Kael) was my first one and I fell in love with her. Then it was Vivyerra, then Ellian, Dalrus, etc. You'll meet the other two soon enough, the Roegadyn being sooner though. I started giving them backstories, then weapons, then a story together, the ideas just kept piling up. I thought that since I hadn't played the game, I could write this without prior knowledge but then I asked questions like "how many suns does this place have" and "what sites on available maps can I utilize" and what are these area called and what are they like" and "who was the original bad guy for this game and do I want to include him" and from there, I realized there's no way I could get by without some research. Of course, when I got all that down, more ideas came to mind. I started asking questions like "if a character was to say something like 'oh my god', what god would they swear by" and by then I'd realized that my roommate had played the game and paid attention to most of these details. He's been a HUGE help.

I finally got a subscription and learned how to play an RPG so I'll be incorporating my new knowledge into this. I now know the areas and the general monsters and levels of monsters and I keep detailing screenshots of dialogue, plot points, characters, and places in game (as well as vanity shots). So I've fixed this chapter and will work on the second one next. I'll get the third as soon as I can. I got so excited about writing The Serotinal Incidents that I don't have the details of the story entirely laid out like I usually do. I don't even know where I'm going with this story but I'm told a LOT of great writers don't have everything planned out so

SO more coming soon. I'm on a roll. I generally kept the visual descriptions of characters to a minimum so my readers could picture their own characters if they got them. For many, I understand 'serotinal' is not a word in their vocabulary or their dictionary. It means 'late summer'. My roommate said that if I do this well enough, I could submit it to Square Enix to make it at least partially cannon so people could play this story out. I figured that since "Red vs. Blue" did it and it worked, I could too. I'm putting my all into this so let me know if anything doesn't sound accurate. Wish me luck and look forward to more "Serotinal Incidents".

Go to my deviantArt page to see the characters I've come up with. Some I've actually drawn out with their weapons. As for other artwork, I've never taken an art class to learn how to do this stuff so I'll ask for help from my sister time to time but the more recent ones and some of the old ones are purely my work...A~nd then there's that one I just cheated on all together. But the link is below, copy and paste, delete the space, and don't forget the dot-com. And enjoy.

xai16. Deviantart

gallery/45658436/Final-Fantasy-XIV-The-Serotinal-Incidents