Hells Open, Heavens Weep

by RoseDragonWitch

Sequel to 'Eyes Ever Heavensward.' Their adventure in Ishgard was over, as well as the end to the Dragonsong War. But fate won't let them rest yet. A new adventure is over the horizon, one that promises to bring just as much, if not even more bloodshed than over the fields of ice. Their last battle was about ending a war… this next one is all about liberation!

3. The Black Wolf's Pups

Chapter 2: The Black Wolf's Pups

"Great! Let's get started," said Lyse as she began to show her around. "I'll bet you think the Resistance is mostly made up of Ala Mhigan Highlanders like me, but the truth is that we don't even account for half. We've got Hellsguard from all the way over by the Spine in here, and plenty of Seekers of the Sun like Naago. There's even some beastmen ─ well, beastwomen, I suppose ─ like that one over there."

She then pointed towards one of their allies. The upper part of her body was of a woman, but her arms were covered in scales, her eyes were large, orange slit-like as well as the fact the lower half of her body was of a long, scaly tail.

"She's an Ananta. They've been with us for a while now. Well, one of the smaller factions has. The rest won't have anything to do with us. We're no different from the Garleans to them," Lyse sighed as they watched the Ananta drill some other members of the Resistance for a moment.

"They keep to themselves, spending all their time crafting. Ananta make the most amazing jewelry, by the way," Lyse added as they walked on, "They use magicks to twist metals and crystal into shapes you wouldn't believe. It's a pity people hardly ever get to see their work."

She was willing to bet that no shortage of Ul'dahn merchants who would kill for that.

"But then most don't even know they exist," she added, "That's enough about them, anyway. Let's take a closer look at the statue of Rhalgr, shall we?"

Claire nodded as they walked up to the shrine that was set up in the middle of the lake. She showed it to her before looking up fondly at the statue.

"Pretty awe-inspiring, isn't it?" Lyse asked her proudly, "The breaker of worlds, who guided our ancestors to these lands all those centuries ago. Yda used to tell me the story on stormy nights. She wanted me to understand. To remember…"

"Remember what?" Claire asked curiously.

Lyse smiled faintly as she recited by heart, "At the end of the Fifth Astral Era, when the waters rose higher and higher, people all across Eorzea beseeched the heavens for a sign. And lo, a burning star appeared in the eastern sky, and led the way to these mountains of Gyr Abania… They who were saved by His grace pledged to honor and revere Him. To devote themselves to great works without and within…"

Those words her sister used to tell to her every night before she went to sleep when she was still but a young child. She could see it so clearly, her awe and excitement as Yda would sit by her side and tell her stories until she fell asleep. She felt her heart ache at the memory as she pointed to the words that were written on the stone.

"A storm of blood approaches fast,

Hells open, Heavens weep.

For no one soul doth lie beyond

The measure of His Reach."

"Poetic," Claire said softly, "But what does it mean?"

"That last part was inscribed on this stone by a monk of the Fist of Rhalgr. Yda explained it to me," Lyse explained to her, "A day will come bringing strife and sorrow that none may escape. Waste not these precious hours, but in quiet preparation make strong the body and mind."

"I see," Claire said as she looked back to the stone. "And you believe that time is now?"

Lyse had sometimes wondered about that. To her, these words seemed to have predicted everything that was bound to happen. She remembered how she asked Yda that same question once years ago and her sister merely gave her a sad look as she gave her honest answer.

"I don't know if that 'storm of blood' is finally upon us," Lyse said as she thought about her sister's same words. But at the same time she voiced some of her own fears at that moment. "But if it is, I have to believe that everything we've been through, everything that has led us to this point, will see us through in the end."

Claire had turned back to her and Lyse suddenly realized how grim she sounded at that moment. For some reason, whenever the Warrior of Light's piercing eyes looked at her, she suddenly felt the need to shape up and get to work.

"…Agh! Sorry. That was all a bit melodramatic, wasn't it?" she asked quickly, trying to put it behind them. "Let's keep moving, shall we? Off to the infirmary!"

She led her off the walkway by simply diving into the water below them and swimming back. To her surprise, Claire followed suit, able to swim with a breaststroke right behind her until they reached the other side.

"Say! I didn't know that you could swim!" she said brightly as Claire joined her on land again. "We'll have to have a race some time! You know… when we get the chance. Though that might not be for a while?"

"That sounds fun," she replied quietly. That took Lyse by surprise because she was so used to Papalymo telling her to stay focused on the job at hand that she almost expected her to tell her off for saying such light-hearted things. But she shook herself back to the present as she led her over to the infirmary, where she already saw Krile and Y'shtola hard at work with healing wounded Resistance fighters.

After Lyse waved to them, she turned back to Claire and spread her arms wide as she said, "This is the infirmary, as you can probably tell. Here's where the Resistance healers patch up the wounded and tend to the sick."

She sighed as she looked sadly back at the occupied beds and added, "No matter how carefully we planned our operations, casualties were inevitable. It's a sad thing to think about, but…it's also important to remember the cost, as Conrad would say."

As soon as she got a good look around, she realized that she didn't want to stand there anymore and said quickly, "We should go. I'll show you the Aetheryte Plaza next."

"You alright?" Claire asked when she noticed her sudden cheerfulness fading.

"S-Sorry, it's just… bad memories and everything," Lyse said as she shook her head. "It's nothing that you need to be worried about! Never fear! Now, we have the rest of the Reach to look at! We can't hang out here all day!"

She then took Claire's hand and pulled her along behind her, almost forcefully as she jogged a ways away from the infirmary. Her fellow Scion didn't complain… of course, she hardly ever did. Though now that she thought about it, Lyse asked, "Don't you ever complain about anything?"

Claire tilted her head in surprise at the question as she asked, "Would that change anything?"

Lyse frowned as she thought that over. "I have no idea," she answered back. "It's just… doesn't it bother you? You know? Everything? I mean, I complained all the time. Papalymo was always telling me off for that. But you have more work than all of us put together and you never say anything. Doesn't it get frustrating?"

"Weren't you going to show me the aetheryte?" Claire asked coolly. Though she spoke calmly, Lyse felt that she may have asked something a little too personal.

"Ah, right… sorry," she said quickly. Claire shook her head, showing that she wasn't mad, but it was clear that she did not wish to discuss it here. Lyse got the message loud and clear before nodded, leading her near the road that lead to the Fringes. But instead of heading to the entrance, she turned to a small enclosure to where the sparkling aetheryte spun brightly.

"When you've seen one aetheryte, you've seen them all, right? Not quite. This one's an older design, dating back decades, to when the Fist of Rhalgr was still here," Lyse explained as she looked at it with respect. "It may look a little different, but it works just as well as any other. I'll show you where the sutlers are next ─ but don't forget to attune to the aetheryte before we go!"

She waited as Claire raised her hand to the aetheryte when she suggested it, the light almost seemingly dancing around her entire form as she bathed in its aether. But it was at that moment, Lyse realized that she wasn't the only one who was looking. All around her, there were Resistance members suddenly casting curious glances their way.

Lyse was wondering just what the problem was when she heard whispers from a pair near her.

"She's the Warrior, isn't she?" she heard one of them whisper to the other as they looked at Claire. "The one who took down the Black Wolf and… did all that other stuff?"

"Smaller than I thought she would be," the other responded, craning his head to get a better look at her. "I kinda expected some big-muscle type of gal covered in scars. She's kinda cute, don't you think?"

Lyse turned sharply at them and barked, "Don't you have things to do? Get back to work!"

"Ah… y-yes!" they both recited at once and went off, making some kind of excuses about polishing their weapons as Lyse shook her head.

"Honestly, talking like she's some kind of display," she muttered darkly.

"You get used to it," said Claire's soft voice that made her jump, yet soothed her at the same time. She had finished attuning herself to the aetheryte and had reappeared at her side.

"I think you've been hanging around Urianger too long," she grumbled. "He's always sneaking up on me to. But, I guess you're right. I suppose that it's only gotten worse after you beat Nidhogg. Alphinaud told me about that last battle with the dragon. I swear, the way he went on about it, you think that he was writing poems to his sweetheart with the way he kept praising you. It must have been quite a battle. Sorry that I wasn't there to help you."

"It's alright," Claire replied, though Lyse noticed that there was a faint blush to her cheeks at that remark.

"Wow, there is only so much humility that one should be allowed to have," Lyse told her with a shake of her head. "Come on! Take a bow! You earned it! Some compliments shouldn't be enough to turn you red."

"Hmm? Right, that's it," Claire said smiling. "I just… don't brag, I suppose. Now, where are these sutlers?"

"Right! That was where we were heading to next! This way!" she pointed as she grabbed her friend by the hand again and tugged her behind her just a little bit north to where all the tents and rugs were set up. There were a handful of carts ladled with supplies, everything from weapons to potions and whatever was in between.

A few people waved when they saw her there, and stared when they spotted Claire, which Lyse ignored them and showed her around the small marketplace.

"Arms, armor, potions—you name it, these folks've got it," she told her brightly. "The Resistance would be in a bad way without brave merchants to keep it provisioned. If you're short on anything, or you need something repaired, these are the people to speak to."

That was when she spotted two familiar faces—familiar in more ways than one—also doing their own shopping.

"Oh, Alphinaud and Alisaie are here," she pointed out and waved them over to her. "Why don't we see how they're getting on?"

The twins quickly noticed her attempts to get their attention and walked over to greet them.

"Come to take the measure of our friendly neighborhood merchants?" Alisaie asked lightly as she looked about them at the people coming and going. "They're a bold lot, that much is plain. If the imperials found out they were peddling their wares to the Resistance, they would be lucky to escape with their lives."

Yeah, more than once, Lyse was worried of the dangers that they took every time they came here to do business. But they knew the risks and were prepared to do their part. She knew that many of them didn't even know how to hold a weapon, let alone how to fight. But this was their way of fighting back for Ala Mhigo.

"'Tis a gamble, aye, and I admire their courage. But their motives could hardly be said to be altruistic…" Alphinaud offered.

Nay, Lyse liked her line of thinking better than the thought that they were only here for profit.

Just then, they were joined by M'naago, who was looking a little out of breath by the time she caught up to them.

"Ah, here you are. I've been looking all over for you," she said as she approached, "We've finished discussing your proposal, and we're ready to receive you all back at the tent. I've sent someone to fetch Y'shtola and Krile, so if you'd like to follow me…"

Finally! Lyse could hardly wait to hear what Conrad had to say and almost ran up the way back to the tent, the others following closely behind her.

"Calm down, Lyse," Alphinaud scolded slightly as he had to run to keep up with her. "We shouldn't get our hopes up too high. We have to at least hear an answer before we can make the next step!"

She knew all that, but she couldn't help it. She was holding out hope and wasn't willing to let it go without a fight!

Conrad was already waiting there with Meffrid when they arrived. M'naago quickly stepped up to stand to Conrad's left as he waited for only a few more minutes before they were joined by Y'shtola and Krile.

"Thank you all for waiting. We have reached a consensus," Conrad said once they all gathered. "I, Conrad Kemp, do hereby accept the Eorzean Alliance's proposal."

Lyse was practically bouncing around when she had to wait for Y'shtola and Krile, but at those words, her heart went soaring at the thought. In fact, she was already feeling the urge to go and bust some Imperial skulls! But Conrad was looking grave as he went on, "You must understand, however, that our cooperation comes with certain caveats."

Lyse blinked, wondering what the problem was now.

"Those caveats being…?" Alphinaud asked cautiously, though he had the air of a man who was expecting the worst.

"I take no joy in this, just so you know. Were it within my power, I'd offer you more assistance," Conrad confessed sadly, "But the Resistance is far more fragmented than you realize. The men and women in my care belong to but one of many factions."

Right, this was something that Lyse knew full well. There at least a dozen other branches of the Resistance, but the one here at Rhalgr's Reach was the largest and had the most influence.

"Simply put, I can only speak for the people of Rhalgr's Reach," Conrad explained simply, "Now, I have every intention of appealing to the others, and I expect many will agree ─ but it will take time, and I cannot guarantee universal support."

Why would they not have universal support? The Resistance needed aid, and the Alliance was offering it to them all? Wait—she was doing it again, wasn't she? She had to learn more patience. She reminded herself that this was a big risk that everyone was taking, and after all that they suffered from with the Griffin at the Wall, they would naturally be hesitant to accept help. Still, she was sure that they could win them over with time.

"Understood," said Alphinaud with a nod, "I shall see that the Alliance is under no misapprehensions as to your position."

"Much obliged…but that's not the whole of it. As you can imagine, the loss of those who cast their lot with the Griffin left us short on numbers," Conrad went on, looking over their heads and around them at the small fraction of forces that belonged to the Resistance. "Some of our most trusted veterans died at the Wall, and we've had to fill their posts with the young and inexperienced. Frankly, everything's in a right bloody mess."

"Oh, we'd be more than happy to help you get back on your feet," Lyse said at once, ready to do whatever it took to help them. "If we're going to work together, we'll be doing ourselves a favor!"

"Well, there's no shortage of work to be done, that's for sure. We're in dire need of new blood too," Conrad said with a thought and the rest of them looked at each other as they wondered the best way they could help out.

"Y'shtola and I could lend a hand in the infirmary. From what I saw, they could do with a few more healers," Krile offered with a glance at Y'shtola, who nodded in full agreement. Good, she knew that the wounded would be in good hands and be up and about in no time at all.

"Very well. I for my part shall return to the Rising Stones. I am certain there are others among the Scions who would welcome the opportunity to fight for Ala Mhigan liberation," Alphinaud offered. This also sounded like a good idea to her, not even noticing how Alphinaud's eyes seemed to glance at Claire next to him with a hint of regret. Still, he merely bowed and left with Krile and Y'shtola, leaving her there with Claire and Alisaie.

"Um… Is there anything else we can do to help?" Lyse asked them, hoping that they had a good idea to what they could do to be helpful. She was willing to do whatever it took, and if it meant running about and doing chores, she would be all too happy to oblige.

Conrad, however, was the one who answered as he said, "I had something else in mind for you lot. M'naago and Meffrid will tell you more."

Sounded like a plan. She looked to the girls at her side, who both nodded and she turned back to Conrad with a confident smile, promising him, "Understood. We won't let you down."

He smiled back as he excused himself, already planning on contacting the other Resistance factions and discuss this new development with them. "If you have need of anything at all," he finished telling them, "Just go to Meffrid and M'naago. They will be able to aid you in whatever you need."

He bowed low before he left, leaving them to discuss what to do now.

"Right, then," said Alisaie, looking at her and Claire, "M'naago and Meffrid are to be our keepers. Knowing naught of what they require, one task is as good as the other. Make your choice, Claire."

Claire arched an eyebrow at that as Alisaie chuckled and said, "Come now. Practically every choice you make seems to set us on the right path. We will follow whatever choice you make first."

Claire cocked her head in amusement at that statement, but when Lyse nodded in agreement, they watched how she gazed up at their new 'keepers', who were going over the map on the table. Claire seemed to think it over for a moment before she approached Meffrid. When he noticed that she was there, he jumped to attention.

"At the risk of repeating myself, it's still hard for me to believe that we'd meet again here, of all places…" he said to her as Lyse listened in closely to their words, still trying to figure out just how they knew each other. "Though I reckon you probably don't remember me after all this time, eh?"

"Of course I remember you," Claire reassured him politely, "Quarrymill? Was it not?"

They met in Gridania? That was news to her. Meffrid was looking pleasantly surprised at this and he seemed strangely flattered as he said, "I'm impressed! Given everything you went on to accomplish, you'd be forgiven for forgetting all about your time in Quarrymill. Suffice it to say, we didn't forget about you, either—nor the lives you saved."

Ok, now Lyse was really dying to know what happened. She knew that Meffrid had always thought highly of the Warrior of Light, but it seems that there was a story behind it.

"As for me…" Meffrid went on, "I went to Little Ala Mhigo while Gallien was recovering. Gundobald was my former commander and an old friend, and I had a lot on my mind… In the end, I decided to disband our unit. I told the men to live their lives as they saw fit. Some chose to remain in Little Ala Mhigo, and others went to Ul'dah for work. But, as you can see, I chose to come back to Gyr Abania and join Conrad and the others."

"I see," she told him softly. "It sounds like you have had a lot on your hands since we last met?"

He nodded as he informed her, "I've kept busy since then, ferrying people and provisions across the border and back. It's not been easy, but it's been fulfilling. Today, however, we'll be heading east into the Peaks. Conrad thinks we might have luck finding new recruits in the village of Ala Gannha."

Lyse looked up at once when she heard that name and her eyes were practically shining.

"Ala Gannha!?" she repeated excitedly, stepping forward, "If you're going there, you're taking me with you!"

"Ah, that's right ─ you're from Ala Gannha, aren't you, Lyse?" he asked her and she nodded eagerly. She was only five summers old when she last saw it, but she could remember their small house where she lived with Yda and father would return home with a kill over his shoulder for dinner. They didn't have much money, but they always had more than enough food on the table and they had each other. She didn't remember much else about it, but she did remember that much… that she was happy there.

It would mean the world to her to be able to go home again and to see how it fares.

"By all means, we'd welcome the company," Meffrid agreed, "There'll be more to it than just asking around, but we can talk about it on the way. Make your preparations and meet me by the tunnel to the Peaks."

"Great! Let's get going!" Lyse said at once, already halfway to the tunnel before Meffrid held up his hand.

"Easy," he told her. "It's rough territory. Prepare yourselves now and we'll leave when we are ready."

She pouted at that, not wanting to wait, but she nodded, knowing that there was no use in arguing. Besides, she would head back to grab some potions before leaving.

"Claire?" Meffrid asked suddenly and she looked up to see that Claire seemed to have been distracted, glancing over her shoulder as if she was looking for someone.

"Hmm? Oh, sorry," she said politely. "I understand. I should go and speak with Alphinaud though before he leaves and tell him where we will be if he needs us. I will meet you at this tunnel."

"Very good," Meffrid nodded before pointing down the hill and towards a section of the wall where the merchants were continuing to sell supplies. "The tunnel is right there. Once everything is in order, we shall head out."

Lyse cheered before she went running off, already pulling out her money for the potions. Hard to believe that she was going to be going home after all this time.

*Alphinaud*

Alphinaud had stepped behind one of the older ruins where he could have a quiet place to contact the Rising Stones. He sighed, already having contacted Tataru and informing her that he would be back soon. He asked that she start telling the others that he would be looking for members among the Scions that are willing to fight for Ala Mhigo. He took a deep breath, getting ready to teleport when he heard a voice behind him and he stopped dead in his tracks.

"You leaving without saying goodbye?" she asked as Claire stepped up and he turned around to look at her.

"I wouldn't dream of it," he told her, though in truth, he knew that he was looking for an excuse to leave. "I'm sorry. But I have to go."

"I know," she said with a shake of her head. "I was just hoping that we could have a chance to—I mean, I wanted to tell you where we're going in case you… need anything?"

But he caught her slip, knowing that she was about to tell him that she was hoping for a chance to talk.

"We will talk about this," he promised firmly. "I'm sorry."

"I'm just as confused as you are about this," she confessed softly. "And I understand that we must go where we are needed. It's just… it feels like we haven't been able to spend much time together recently."

"I know," he sighed grimly. "Where are you heading to now?"

She told him about how Meffrid told her about a place in the Peaks called Ala Gannha, where they hoped that they could find more to join the cause. And, to his great surprise, it turned out that Lyse insisted on going with them, for she was from there.

"Sounds safe enough," he said lightly. "Alright. Do what you have to. And keep Lyse out of trouble. She seems… almost too eager for a fight. I noticed it that day that I went after her. That day at… when I followed her and the others at the Wall."

Claire looked confused as he told her what happened while they were in the tunnel. How Lyse had been going on about looking for a fight, and he lost his temper at her.

"I regret it," he said carefully, "I know I didn't really mean what I said. But I just don't think she fully understands what is needed to win a war. I saw all the lives that were lost while we were up in Ishgard. And if we can avoid another battle like that, then we will be lucky. But I know better than that."

"Alphinaud…" she said sadly when he looked up at her.

"I don't want her to be unprepared when the inevitable fighting breaks out," he told her. "She knows better than anyone that there will be fighting and that we will lose people. But I wonder just how prepared she is for it when it does come. And I can't help but fear for my sister's safety while we're here. When I… when I saw her when they brought her to the manor after she was hit with that poisoned arrow…? I feared the worst."

He shook his head.

"Forgive me," he said, "I didn't mean to burden you with my fears. I tend to talk a little too much when you are around."

She smiled gently at him, which put him at ease once more.

"Keep an eye on Lyse, and my sister," he told her simply. "They can take care of themselves, but it puts my mind at ease to know that you'll be there with them. And if my sister asks you about… about us? You can tell her to mind her own business."

Claire chuckled softly as he smiled sadly. He reached up to feel the side of her face for a moment, wishing that they could have some time alone to figure out just what it was best for them. But this would have to do for now.

He leaned up to place a soft kiss to her lips, which she returned silently.

It was short though, and he pulled away when he heard Lyse's voice calling out for Claire.

"I just wanted to say goodbye, that's all," she told him simply. "And you be careful too."

He tilted his head as he said, "Of course, I will be alright. I'm simply returning to the Rising Stones, is all. Whereas you are heading off into dangerous territory. If there is anyone here who should be saying that, it should be me."

He sighed again before putting on a brave smile, adding, "I know this goes without saying, but… please be careful out there," he asked and she nodded in understanding.

She pulled away and left him there, feeling like he was suddenly missing an important piece of himself at that moment. However, now wasn't the time to act like some kind of love-sick maiden who was pining for her sweetheart. She would be just fine and he would see her again soon enough. At least he hoped so.

He teleported away, though a part of him was wishing that he could remain and go with them on another journey.

*Lyse*

Lyse was wearing a grove in the dirt as she paced back and forth for Claire to appear. She waved her over as she emerged from behind one of the tents, apologizing if she took too long.

"Not at all," Meffrid reassured her. "This tunnel will take us all the way to the Peaks."

He turned to the guard on duty, whose name she remembered to be Gilow, and he said, "We're on a mission for Conrad to Ala Gannha. Clear the barricade, if you would."

"Aye, sir. Shouldn't take more than a moment," Gilow answered with a salute and went to work as Meffrid looked back at the two of them.

"There're more villages there than out here ─ but also more imperials keeping a close eye on things. We'll need to tread carefully…" he warned them.

They both agreed and followed after him into the tunnel. It was just a short walk before they reached the end, where the glamour that covered the entrance was already starting to fade. As soon as they walked up to it, it faded, showing that there had never been anything there.

Lyse looked around eagerly at the Peaks. They were standing among the ruins of the Temple of Rhaglar, which the Imperials had thought to be empty—already she could see that the last two decades hadn't been kind to them. The stones were all weathered and worn while many pillars were falling over or cracked having been neglected for so long. However, most of the structure was still standing and she felt a surge of pride when she remembered that Ala Gannha was known for its quarry and stonemasons.

When they built something, it would take a lot to knock them down and the fact that most of the structure of the Fist of Rhalgar were still up was proof of that. She could see the expanse of desert-like land stretched out before her, covered with many cliffs and mesas while there were fields of wildflowers speckled here and there.

She was only five summers old when she last set foot in these lands, so her memories were hazy at best. But she could recall some happy memories…? Such as when she went to pick herbs and flowers with Yda… or her father teaching her some of the roads around her so that she needn't get lost. Thinking of it all brought a lump to her throat and she had to take several deep breaths to calm herself.

"We've a glamour in place here too, as you may have noticed," Meffrid informed Claire who was looking back at the hole in the wall. "So far as the imperials are concerned, this is naught more than a testament to the savage impulses of a lesser race…"

"Guess their arrogance is good for something," Claire offered and he grinned at that.

"Remember, though: once we leave these ruins, we'll have no glamours to conceal us," he reminded her. "The village is to the east; keep watch for patrols as we move."

They nodded as they began heading down the road. It had been so long that she honestly couldn't remember the way there, so Lyse was glad that Meffrid was able to guide them. As they walked, she found the silence uncomfortable, so she asked, "So… how do you two know each other?"

"Huh?" Meffrid asked lightly, "Hadn't you heard? Nay, it's not such a big deal. At least not after all this. You see, I was with a small group of Resistance fighters who took shelter over at Quarrymill in Gridania. By Rhalgr… that feels like a lifetime ago. Me and my men were all injured, but there was one among us who was badly wounded. We did all we could for him, but the truth is we were no healers. His wound got worst and was infected… I remember that I got down on my knees and begged for the healers stationed at Quarrymill to help him. But they refused because of the bloody Elementals forbidding it or whatever. I really was beginning to think that there wasn't a soul left there who would help us."

He looked back at Claire, who was smiling slightly as she listened to him tell the tale.

"Just then, this lass comes walking right up to us and was asking if we were part of the Resistance," he went on. "And when she learned what was going on with us, she offered to assist us."

"Really? When did this happen?" Lyse asked interestedly.

"Not long after I joined the Scions," Claire answered as she thought back. "But… I think it was right after my first task with Thancred?"

"After you beat Ifrit? Gods that really had been ages ago!" Lyse said at once.

Claire nodded as she answered, "I was trying to find a way to speak to the people of Little Ala Mhigo. But they wanted nothing to do with me."

"Bare them no ill will. Few outsiders go to speak with them. And even fewer with good intentions. You wanted their cooperation as you looked into rumors about a masked man who was stirring up trouble," Meffrid added. "You went out and helped to make some medicine for my friend, Gallien."

"How is he?" Claire asked.

"Hard to say, we all parted ways some time ago," Meffrid answered. "But he took the entire jar of medicine you brought back with him when he left. I am hopeful that he made a full recovery when I disbanded my men after that. But know that I didn't forget the kindness that you showed us that day. I've been following your story since you left us, and looking back now, I see that you have come a long way since then."

She smiled back before telling him, "It sounds like you have come a long way as well."

"I like to think I've done my part for the greater good," he responded. "But I have much and more work to do if I am ever to catch up with you. But for now, we should focus on the task at hand." He looked about cautiously when they reached a fork in the road.

"Nary an imperial in sight. That's a mercy," he said gratefully. "Ala Gannha's due east, past that bridge. Follow me, it's not much further."

They walked on, the early morning giving them only enough light to see by, but blanketed everything else in shadow. Good… less chances of them being seen. After walking for a time, they spotted what looked like a pair of pyramids, one stacked on top of the other in the distance.

Claire stopped so that she could get a look at it, the faint light bouncing off it revealing a dark red color. Meffrid noticed her stopping and answered her unspoken question, "The Ziggurat. They say that it was constructed by mages after the Great Flood. Apparently there were a handful of mages from the cities of Amadapor and Mhach who decided to join forces to make up for the crimes that they committed in the War of the Magi. Or so the legends say. It's just home to the Qiqirn now. Not the nice kind either. This lot is bloodthirsty. If they catch you, they will eat you alive."

Lyse gagged at the thought.

"I've seen Qiqirn all over Eorzea," she said. "And they're normally pretty nice. A lot of them go into business and everything?"

"True," Meffrid agreed. "But for some reason, this lot near the Ziggurat are completely different. Don't mistaken me. I hold nothing against the Qiqirn. I say this only out of concern for your well-being and put you on your guard. They may not be particularly strong, but there are a bloody lot of them."

They nodded in understanding as he led them through a deep pass between the rocks and she could soon hear the sounds of a waterfall in the distance. That's right, she remembered now! There was a small lake and waterfall just outside her bedroom window! She remembered how the sound soothed her and rocked her to sleep at night and how she would go out and play in the water on a hot day. She sped a little faster as they walked up a hill and she could see the gate in the distance.

"You can rest easy ─ we made it," Meffrid said as they hurried up to the gate and checked around them once more to make sure that there wasn't any danger. "This is Ala Gannha."

Home… it felt so strange to be back here. For years now, she dreamed of returning home at the head of a group of Resistance fighters, everyone preparing to battle for Ala Mhigo. Or coming back here after Yda helped to liberate their homeland and them all celebrating kicking the Garleans out of their lands.

What she didn't expect was calmly walking up to it and looking for volunteers to help them in their fight.

"It feels strange coming home like this. I always imagined it would be…" Lyse began before realizing that she was speaking out loud again. Now wasn't the time for complaining and she quickly added, "Oh, sorry. That has nothing to do with why we're here. We need recruits."

"Aye, we do, but as I said back at the Reach, it's a little more complicated than just asking for volunteers these days," Meffrid said seriously, and there was suddenly a hard look in his eyes as he informed them, "As you know, we're shorthanded because many of our people were taken in by the Griffin's promises and went to the Wall, never to return. It wasn't just them, though ─ folks from all over, including some of my former comrades, answered his call to arms. As for why we came to this particular village… It's rumored that Ala Gannha lost a few youths as well. If there's truth to that, then there could be others sympathetic to the cause. Then again, after the Griffin's betrayal, they may be suspicious of outsiders claiming allegiance to the Resistance ─ and rightfully so."

She frowned at the idea. After being taken in by the Griffin and having so many people die at the top of that Wall that night, of course they wouldn't be interested in listening to what they had to say now. Ok, so this may not be as easy as she hoped.

"So with all that in mind, how are we supposed to convince them to join? I mean, I knew it wouldn't be as simple as giving a speech in the village square─" Lyse asked, really hoping that wouldn't be the case. She wasn't good with words or speeches. That was why they brought Alphinaud with them to Rhalgr's Reach, after all. Meffrid might be able to pull it off…? Claire…? That was debatable. Lyse never actually heard her give any kind of speech since she rarely talked… but she did have a gift for getting people to listen to her when she wanted them to?

"Not if you didn't want the place to be burned to the ground, no," Meffrid agreed in a voice that was now deadly serious. "You might as well piss in the viceroy's eye. We'll need to be a good deal more circumspect than that. You never know when an imperial spy is listening."

Right, there was that. But surely the locals here would be aware that there would be someone spying for the Imperials, wouldn't they? Maybe they were hiding in the shadows and watching them like how Yugiri could do?

"We must speak with the elder first," Meffrid decided, "I know for a fact he can be trusted. We'll listen to what he has to say and decide what to do after."

"Sounds like a plan!" Lyse said excitedly, "Let's hope there are still some brave men and women here willing to fight."

They entered the small settlement and a wave of nostalgia hit Lyse all at once. She stared about her in wonder, her faint memories coming back to her and she realized just how many details that she missed. The way that the faint morning sun shone off the homes that were built into the side of the cliff, the way that the rush of the waterfall directly behind the village cast sprays of rainbows as it pooled into the lake? Oh, she couldn't stop herself staring around in wonder and even managed a small laugh at the thought of the days she spent here with her father and sister.

'Oh, Yda…' she thought to herself fondly. 'If only you were here to see it! I'm finally home!'

Meffrid smiled a little at her excitement before he said, "Raganfrid, the village elder, is over by the shore. No time like the present ─ let's have a word."

They began looking around for this Raganfrid, but that was when she realized that she didn't know what this guy looked like, or if she knew him from the time that she lived here. She had just been asking Meffrid where they could find this guy when he looked up and pointed to a table that was set up and Claire was talking to an elderly man as he sat there.

"That's him," he said and Lyse shook her head. She made a note to ask her just how her friend was able to find people so quickly.

She and Meffrid were approaching just as they hold the old man say to Claire, "…Don't know you, traveler. You a merchant? You'll not find much custom here."

The two of them joined Claire, , and Raganfrid's eyes widen in surprise at the sight of them there.

"Greetings and well met, elder, and sincerest apologies that I did not send word ahead of our arrival," Meffrid told him apologetically, "Too long have I been away from Ala Gannha, and I would know of your recent troubles."

She and Claire stood at the side as they spoke. But Raganfrid's eyes trailed over her and Claire in understanding before saying, "Ah, you are comrades of Meffrid. I see, I see… Speak on, though I suspect I know your purpose."

He said this last part suspiciously, as if he was on guard for any form of danger from them. She couldn't understand why since they had made it clear that they weren't here to fight. At least, she hoped they hadn't done anything to upset him.

"The Griffin came with many men, and left with many more. Such is the rumor. Is it true?" Meffrid asked, getting right to the point.

Raganfrid's eyes narrowed at the mention of the Griffin and spat out, "He lit a fire in their hearts and then dangled a dream before their tired eyes. And now you come to steal away what few remain."

"The Griffin was a traitor and a madman, and we had no part in his schemes," Meffrid countered at once, already seeing how this conversation was going, "We have made an agreement with the Alliance ─ this time it will be different!"

Yeah, it will be! They had four other nations backing them up now! Surely, once they heard of it, they would jump at the chance! Surely this has to be better than putting up with the Garleans walking all over them! But Raganfrid seemed to be growing angrier and angrier with each word that Meffrid said.

"This time? This time!?" he demanded with suppressed fury. "Cold comfort to the dead and the ones they left behind! How much more must we give before you've had your fill?"

"But…but surely you hate the Empire as much as we do!?" Meffrid asked him quickly, determined not to give up that easily.

"They took our lands, our traditions, even our god. And they demand a fifth of what little we've got left," Raganfrid retorted furiously as he spat, "Aye, I hate the bastards. With every fiber of my being. But hate's not enough, Meffrid. I can't… we can't keep doing this. I'll not tell anyone you came, but you need to go. Now. Leave us be, and never return."

"You've got no right to speak to us like that─" Lyse snapped, unable to just stand there and let him say stuff like that. Like hells she was going to be forced out of Ala Gannha a second time.

"I've got a quarry that was producing barely enough to keep us fed, and that was before half our young men and women went off to die for your bloody cause!" Raganfrid retorted as he rounded on her now. "So yes, I've got every right to tell you to leave my village!"

"…No. You don't," she said with ice in her tone as she glared back, "Because it's my village too. My home!"

"What in the hells are you on about─" he began before his eyes widen and he got a closer look at her, "Wait… I know those eyes. You're one of Curtis's girls!"

"Lyse," she said proudly, holding up her head a little higher, "Lyse Hext. And I'm here…I'm here to take back my homeland."

Raganfrid stared at her in wonder as he shook his head, muttering all the while, "By Rhalgr, the last time I saw you, you were… I didn't even know if you were still alive… And I never thought you would come─"

"I almost didn't," she confessed, thinking of all the time she almost died before getting to this point… of how everything that happened up to this point. Had things turned out any differently, she wouldn't be standing here at all, and she wasn't going to waste this chance.

"And my sister never will," she added, burying that pain once more, "Lots of others won't either…and that's why we've got to carry on the fight."

Raganfrid gazed at her for a moment before he sighed.

"You even sound like him…" he informed her, which she took with great pride as well. "As you say, I've got no right to tell you to leave. Ala Gannha is as much your home as it is mine. But I say to you again…"

"Yes, I heard you the first time," Lyse said firmly before she turned to her comrades and stated at once, "Let's go."

Lyse did her best not to show how angry she was, she had to take several deep breaths

"That could've been handled better, but what's done is done," Meffrid sighed when he and Claire caught up to her silently fuming. She gave him an apologetic look but he waved it aside as she reminded her, "At least we've been granted permission to stay."

That was true. Maybe now they have a chance to speak with the locals and see what they think. Surely there are a few of them who are more willing to join their fight than Raganfrid?

Meffrid, however, wasn't looking hopeful as he said, "I was hoping Raganfrid might help us to recruit some of his people, but that clearly isn't going to happen. If we're to convince any of them to join, we'll first need to regain their trust. It's risky, and it's hardly subtle, but I say we approach the villagers directly ─ see what problems they've got, and if we can do anything to help."

Sure, show them that they really do mean no harm! Maybe that will help them to listen more to what they were saying!

"Makes sense to me. Let's split up and ask around," Lyse said, glad to have something useful to do. So she went around to everyone she could find. Most, of course, didn't recognize her as she tried to tell them who she was and that she was born here. Many of them remembered her father… and even Yda. But they barely had any memories of the little girl Lyse.

Nevertheless, she went on trying to help any who would allow it. There was no shortage of aid that needed to be done. Such as collecting herbs for medicines, a few beasts that needed to be killed to protect the village…

While they were grateful for the aid, they all said the same thing when she mentioned the Resistance. They wanted no part of it. She quickly realized that most of the people she talked to were the elderly or injured… perhaps if she found someone closer to her age and was in fighting form then…?

That turned out to be a mistake.

First of all, she found it difficult to find any younger people left in the village, since most had left with the Griffin and never returned. But when she spotted someone who looked to be about her age, she went straight up to him and began to ask him about his feelings for joining the resistance. At the mention of them though, his eyes turned cold and he barked, "Oh, don't tell me you're here to try and drag me into that garbage!"

She was taken aback by his words as he added, "And who the bloody hells are you anyway?"

"Ah… well, my name is Lyse," she responded rather meekly. "I, this is my village. My home. I'm was born around here when…?"

"Around here? I ain't never seen you before!" he hissed back. "Let me guess, you up and ran for it when those Garlean whoresons came waltzing in, right?"

"Well…" she stuttered, trying to find a way calm the situation down before it got into a fight. "I… I did leave here years ago with my sister. But I'm with the Ala Mhigan Resistance now. And we're just trying to find recruits who…?"

"Who can die the same way what happened with the Griffin?" he demanded. "Aye, I remember how that bastard came in and spirited away so many of the village! Most of 'em were good friends o' mine! Can you imagine just what it felt like when I heard what happened? All of 'em slaughtered up at the Wall! We never even got their bodies back to be properly buried! Well, you ain't gonna charm me like your Griffin friend did to them!"

"How dare you?" she snapped back, feeling her anger rising up again. "We tried to stop the Griffin! He was a madman who used those people to summon a primal!"

"Yeah? And everything he did, he did to retake Ala Mhigo, didn't he?" the man demanded. "That was what he said. That we do whatever it takes to take back our homeland! And he sacrificed all those people for this bloody plan of his! Tell me, how is what he did any differently than what you're trying to do now?!"

"We would never go that far!" she shouted back, feeling rage taking hold and she was shaking. "We would never sacrifice our people like that!"

"But you still want us to go and bleed and die for you, though!' he responded.

"And you rather just sit here and take it?" Lyse demanded, "Being stuck here and being treated like animal every day?

"Oh, is that how it is?" the man demanded hotly, glaring at her so viciously that she took a step backwards. "You think that you're better than us lowlife animals who had been forced under the Imperal's thumb instead of running like you did?"

"N-No, I didn't mean to…" Lyse stuttered, trying to explain that she merely meant that…?

"…And where were you these past twenty years!?" the man demanded, "Where were you when we were being ground under the Black Wolf's boot!? On the other side of his bastard wall, living the high life, I'll wager!"

The good life? She had to work hard to get where she was today. This guy knew nothing about her or the hardships she had to go through.

"That's not fair!" she yelled back, also getting angry and fighting the urge to punch this guy.

"What's going on?"

Lyse looked up to see Claire walking towards them, her eyes narrowed at what was going on here. Of course, she probably heard the fight from across the other side of the village.

"Ho, and who's this, another one of your freedom-loving friends, deigning to help us poor unfortunate souls?" the cynical youth demanded when he saw her. "Trying to whip us into a frenzy so we'll go and storm a castrum with our pickaxes and shovels!? Leave, all of you, before you bring a cohort down on us all!"

That wasn't at all what she wanted. She knew full well that they weren't warriors and she didn't expect them to go charging off with handmade weapons against a castrum and expect to win. But she would have thought that they would be more willing to aid others who were willing to do such a thing?

He then rounded back on Lyse, "And you ─ don't you dare speak like you're one of us. You can't even begin to understand what we've been through. You weren't here, Lyse! You weren't here! This is my home, and I love it with all my heart. And if you truly have any love for it too, you'll keep us out of your doomed rebellion."

With one last look of disgust, he turned and left them. Lyse didn't cry, but it was a close thing, she could feel tears burning at her eyes as she breathed hard to keep it all in. she didn't want Claire to see how deeply hurt she was by his words.

"…He has a point. No matter what I say or do, it doesn't change the fact I left them behind," she said as Claire looked at her in concern. "But this isn't about me, or anyone else. It's about Ala Mhigo. Let's go and find Meffrid."

Biting back the wave of anger and sadness inside her, she went running on ahead, determined not to show anyone how she was really feeling. She was glad that she was able to regain control of herself by the time they found Meffrid, who had just finished speaking with another person.

"I see," she heard him say. "Thank you for listening. I will trouble you no more."

The woman that he was speaking to left and he shook his head, looking disappointed, but only a little. He forced a smile when he saw her and Claire approach them as he said, "Looks like the elder wasn't the only one unwilling to hear us out. Can't blame them, given what happened at the Wall."

"I thought I might be able to appeal to them as a fellow…" she had no idea what she was going to say. Fellow citizen of Ala Gannha? Ala Mhigan?

But…?

You weren't here, Lyse! You weren't here! This is my home, and I love it with all my heart. And if you truly have any love for it too, you'll keep us out of your doomed rebellion.

She really can't call it her home if she didn't even have clear memories of it, could she? She really couldn't understand the pain that the people here went through if she wasn't one of them. But then… who was she?

"I don't know," Lyse confessed, "But, if anything, it just made them angrier. I haven't lived through it like they have."

Maybe her coming here was a big mistake. Perhaps Claire and Meffrid would have better luck if she wasn't around and losing her temper so often… or making others lose their tempers at her and her friends? But she had no idea what she could possibly say to those people to try and make up for the fact that she wasn't here with them during the last twenty years.

Meffrid, who looked like he knew just what was going through her head, said in a sympathetic voice, "I can't claim to know the struggle like they do either, Lyse. I ran too, aye, but if I hadn't, I'd've never met Claire or the rest of you, and we might not be here today, in a position to make a difference."

She slowly looked up at him, realizing that he was right. If she hadn't left, she never would have met Papalymo and the other Scions, would she? She wouldn't be here right now either to help with the Resistance. So while she regretted leaving her people behind, she didn't regret the choices she made up to this point.

He grinned when she gave him a watery smile and he finished, "So I don't regret my choices, nor will I apologize for them. There's more than one way to fight."

She nodded. Right, they just had to find a different way of going about this. Maybe if they could…?

But just then, they heard a startled cry for help coming from the village.

"Help! Someone, anyone ─ we need help!"

"I don't like the sound of that one bit. Come on," Meffrid said as they ran to the entrance to where a crowd had already gathered around a girl who looked like she had to crawl her way out of being surrounded by monsters.

They ran to her as she gasped for breath, trying to tell them what was going on.

"Wercrata, he…" the flustered woman panted, "…the tributum and…and the bloody ratmen, they… Damn it all!" Lyse frowned, able to see where this was going.

"You there ─ take a deep breath, and then tell us what happened," Meffrid asked urgently but calmly as she looked up at him.

She got to her feet and explained, rather hysterically, "It was all business as usual… The tributum's due soon, and we were taking it to the imperials when the Qiqirn attacked! They took my brother, and our money!"

"Took him where?" Lyse asked at once, remembering what Meffrid said about the Qiqirn in these parts as being 'man-eaters'.

"Ruins to the south of here. Was just an old temple before they came and… Listen, Wercrata's the only family I've got left! If I lose him, I─" she gasped and suddenly she began to cry when she began to realize just what was going on.

In the crowd was the same man that had been yelling at her mere moments ago. He stepped back in horror at what he was hearing and said, "The Ziggurat? If the ratmen took him there, he's as good as dead…"

His words seemed to have been too much for the poor girl, having given up hope. Lyse frowned even more at that as she said immediately, "We've got to get after them! If there's even a chance her brother is still alive, we have to try!"

If they were just attacked, then it stand to reason that this Wercrata's still alive. It might not be too late if they hurry! They couldn't just stand here and do nothing if there was even the slightest chance that they could bring this guy back alive.

To her relief, Meffrid and Claire both nodded to what she said.

"So Wercrata's being held somewhere at the Ziggurat to the south, which has been taken over by a host of Qiqirn bandits," Meffrid summed up as he thought about their chances, "That about covers it, then."

He then took command as he ordered, "Be prepared for a fight. They may not be the most challenging foes, but there's sure to be a lot of them."

"You… you'll…?" the girl asked, gazing at them through tear-filled eyes.

"We can't promise you anything," Meffrid said to her honestly, "However, if what I heard about the ratmen is true, then they won't try to kill him until after they bring him back to the Ziggurat. It's a slim chance, but Lyse is right. We still have time. We'll do whatever it takes to help your brother. You just stay here and get treated for those scratches you got there. You hear?"

She nodded as she muttered through her sobs, "Thank you… thank you…"

"Right," Meffrid said to them, "Let's hurry!"

He ran off, with her and Claire right behind him, not even noticing how some of the village watched on with strange looks in their eyes… including the young man who had told Lyse off earlier.

But they were already heading back down the path that they took before. Meffrid then called for them to turn left when they reached the fork in the road.

"This path should take us directly to the Ziggurat!" he called as they turned sharply.

"Guess it's a good thing for Wercrata that we did come after all!" Lyse called. "But what do you think they would have done if we weren't?"

"In all honesty, I don't think that there's anything any of them could do," Meffrid answered back.

"What?!" she demanded, almost stopping dead in her tracks at that. "You're saying they just would have left him to get eaten?!"

"They're not warriors, Lyse," he reminded her. "We can handle ourselves just fine, but these people are farmers and stonemasons. Most of them probably never even held a weapon before. We can't ask them to go to battle only for them to get eaten too."

"I know that," Lyse said, slightly abashed for his words. "I didn't mean it like that."

Possibly to put an end to their fighting, Claire asked them about the tributum and what it was. It worked in changing the subject as Meffrid was focused once more.

"Payment," Meffrid growled back. "The people here are forced to pay a fifth of what they make a moon. If you don't then you're sentenced to a life of labor. And that's if you're lucky. The Garleans won't suffer excuses if it's late."

"I doubt that these Qiqirn would be interested in the coin though if they rather eat a man than trade with him," Lyse pointed out.

"Perhaps, but that doesn't matter," he responded. "We have to get them both back. Now run! Run as if you are an Ul'dahn merchant chasing a good deal."

"Right," Claire answered, as she looked ahead and asked, "I get there by following this path?"

"Yes, but you…?" he began before she suddenly started sprinting ahead of them. "HEY! WAIT!"

"Damn, I forget how fast she can be when she wants," Lyse said as she ran beside him. "Don't worry. Unlike me, she's not the type to go charging in without thinking."

He stared at her before looking back to where she had already left them in the dust.

"By Rhaglr… just when I was thinking I was on the road to catch up with her…?" he gasped as they began running too, trying to keep her in sight, but she quickly left them behind.

"We just have to keep going and hope that we don't slow her down," Lyse replied as she began to sprint after her as well.

Naturally, they weren't able to catch up until they were at the foot of the Ziggurat. She was standing there at the entrance, taking care to look around. Lyse was annoyed to see that she barely looked out of breath as she was looking upwards to where they heard a voice begging loudly, "Please, let me go! I'm begging you! I don't want to die!"

"Hear that? I think it came from the top of the Ziggurat!" Meffrid said immediately and Lyse felt her heart soar at the thought that they weren't too late.

Yet, no sooner did they plan to look for the stairs, they saw Qiqirn coming straight at them. These guys looked very different from the ones she had seen in the rest of Eorzea. They were dressed in tattered clothing with wild hair growing about them like beards… but what got her attention were their glowing red eyes as they smacked their lips.

"Who dares come to loot our man-flesh! Ours to eat! Ours to eat!" one of the bandits demanded.

So it was true that they really did eat people? She felt sick at the thought. Meffrid was gritting his teeth at the sight of them, already reaching for his sword as he called, "We knew it'd come to this. Kill them quickly, before they alert the others!"

They all ran ahead to deal with them. Meffrid was right… they weren't particularly tough, but there were sure as hell a lot of them. She took down one before two more would come running up and slash at her with their long claw-like nails. Seven hells, how were they going to fight their way through them in time to save Wercrata?!

"Claire?!" Meffrid yelled out suddenly.

Thinking that she needed help, Lyse turned at once, but instead, she saw that Claire had already brought down two Qiqirn with a pair of daggers that she had seen Yugiri use. Claire finished dealing with one more before leaping in a graceful flip over their heads and went running straight up the stairs, leaving a few to continue to chase her.

"I'm starting to think that she's trying to show us up!" Lyse called as she punched out a few more of the ratmen until they were piling up bodies at their entrance. At last, the few remaining realized that they weren't going to go down easily, turned and fled.

"Come on!" Lyse called to Meffrid and the two of them went running up the stairs as well, hoping that Claire was alright and that she managed to find Wecrata.

Turns out that there was no need to worry. Claire had already made it to the top and had slew the Qiqirn that had surrounded a man, whom she could only guess to be Wercrata. He looked unscathed, but was visibly shaking.

"By Rhalgr, what did I ever do to deserve this?" Wercrata cried out, not realizing that he was safe. "I've gone to bed hungry for months. I'm skin and bones! I'd hardly make a snack, much less a meal…"

"Oh, you found him!" Lyse said as Claire was trying to comfort him.

Wercrata looked up with wide eyes as he choked, as if unable to believe his eyes, "W-Wait…are you here to rescue me?"

Lyse nodded as she explained kindly, "Your sister sent us. It's going to be all right.

A look of enormous relief passed over his face and the Chocobo at his side let out soft kweh sounds, ruffling his feathers all the while.

"My sister?" Wercrata gasped. "Oh, Rhalgr be praised, she's safe! And you…you lot fought your way in here just for me? To think there are still good, brave folk in this world…"

"We should go before the Qiqirn return in force. Do you still have the tributum?" Meffrid said at once, reminding them all that they were far from safe here.

At that, Wercrata gasped, "Oh gods, the tributum!" He immediately went to the Chocobo and the small sack of money tied to the saddle. "The imperials will be wondering where I am! I have to go!"

"What, right now? In your condition?" Lyse asked quickly. He didn't look badly hurt, but he surely needed to rest first?

"You don't understand ─ we were given a warning last month for being short! If I don't make it in time, there's no telling what will happen to me and my sister!" Wercrata said urgently. He bowed once more and thanked them before he took his Chocobo and left without another word.

She stamped her feet in irritation but any annoyance she felt was quickly replaced by worry.

"I'm glad we saved him, but seeing him run off like that… I've got a bad feeling about this," she said before looking at them. "Listen, Claire, Meffrid… I think we need to go after Wercrata."

"Wait ─ you had better not be thinking of stopping him!" Meffrid demanded questionably, "You heard what he said ─ if they don't pay one way, they'll pay another!"

"I know that, I do, and I don't want to interfere!" she said quickly, "I just…I just want to see that he makes it there safely."

She did plan to stay true to her word for she didn't want anything to happen to Wercrata's sister if he doesn't deliver the tributum to the Garleans. But who can say what will happen to him on his way there? It surely couldn't hurt to just watch him from a distance, and go in to help only if he needs it?

Meffrid frowned a little speciously, like he had a very good idea to how she was feeling, but he nodded in the end as he told her, "…If that's the sum of it, then fine. Let's head down and see if we can't pick up his trail."

They set about looking for him, but he was with a Chocobo, so he was bound to be moving much faster than they were. Lyse could hardly find anything in the roads ahead of them, such as worthless things like rotting vegetables or piles of dirt that looked like they were in the shape of footprints.

"Any luck?" Lyse asked when she approached Claire, who was kneeling in the dirt a few yalms ahead of them. Claire had better luck than they did, soon finding herself a Chocobo feather and held it up to show them.

"A Chocobo feather, is it?" Meffrid asked as he got a look of it, "Aye, by my reckoning, it came from Wercrata's bird, in which case…" He looked up ahead before stating, "There's a collapsed bridge just around the bend. Hug the rocks and stick to the shadows. We'll find him soon enough. Any minute now, I expect he'll come thundering round the bend and─ Hear that? Get to cover, quickly now!"

They did as he told, and they slipped into the shadows of the large boulders that took them to the foot of that gods ugly tower. After a few moments of waiting, she spotted him. Wercrata was there, still leading his Chocobo, and looked like he had no further trouble making it here. But he had the air of a man who was heading towards his execution and she wanted to go out there and ask if she could help.

They crouched down low when she suddenly spotted a group of people heading out of the tower and onto the bridge to see who was there.

"Are they imperials?" Lyse asked in disgust.

"Worse. Skulls," Meffrid said, and for some reason he looked even angrier at that than the thought of them being Imperials. Though she still wasn't sure just what these 'Skulls' were. But it was what he said next that shocked her to the core. "Listen, Lyse ─ whatever happens, stay hidden and do not intervene. Understood?"

She turned her surprise gaze upon him, but before she could ask the question, she heard one of the Skulls speaking loudly as Wercrata approached.

"You there ─ halt! You know you shouldn't be here… Explain yourself."

"Forgive me, sir! I-I came to deliver the tributum!" Wercrata stuttered nervously as he stopped dead.

The Skull swordsman laughed at that as he barked, "…Oh aye? A likely story! Only a fool would dare to come so late. Or mayhap…a Resistance spy."

Really? What would make him think that? Why not just take the money and let the poor man go? He had a bad enough day already. Surely they would be satisfied by just that?

"No! No, you've got it all wrong! I was waylaid by bandits! It's not my fault!" Wercrata tried to explain as he took another few steps.

"I said halt!" the swordsman demanded as he marched up and punched him. Lyse's eyes widened with shock at the sight of it as Wercrata fell, a black eye already starting to form from that punch. A small sack of coin dropped from his person and landed on the ground next to him.

There! That was proof! He brought the money and so there was no reason to want to keep hurting him!

But another one of the Skulls spotted it and picked it up to fell the weight in his hands.

"…Is this a joke?" he demanded, "You don't seriously expect us to believe this is a fifth? How stupid do you think we are?"

At once, Wercrata rolled back up onto his knees and held his arms out, pleadingly.

"It is, I swear! On me mother's life…" Wercrata begged. But while he was distracted looking at this Skull, another one came charging in out of nowhere and gave him a hard kick in the head until he was bleeding in the dirt.

Lyse gasped at the sight of it as the Skull swordsman barked, "Spare us. You came late, you lied about bandits, and then you tried to cheat the Empire of its due."

How dare they? How could they think such a thing? Most likely they were using this as an excuse just to beat the poor guy. And beat him they did. They began to kick and punch him as he rolled up into a tight ball on the ground to try and protect himself.

She couldn't stand it. She stood up, rage burning inside her as she made to march out to intervene. If they liked punching things, well she was going to do the same thing to their skulls!

However, Meffrid wasn't having any of it.

"Think you can kill them all ─ including the ones watching from the tower?" he demanded in a hiss as she made to move out from behind the rock. "Even if you did, others would come for him ─ and his family. You'd be condemning them all to a life of hard labor ─ assuming they didn't just execute them, that is."

That stopped her dead. Of course she didn't want that, but how could she just sit here and act like nothing was happening? If this kept up then Wercrata could be beaten to death before their eyes! And they were just supposed to do nothing?! And what about his pride? How could he just lay there being kicked like that?

Shaking all over, her hands fists, she forced herself to crouch back down as she steamed, "But it isn't fair!"

Claire put a hand on her shoulder to stop her and Lyse looked back desperately. She could see anger burning in her eyes as well and knew that she wanted to go out there just as badly as she was. But she understood what would happen if she did. They would most likely kill Wercrata and who knows how many other people in retaliation?

The Skull soldier yelled while he kicked Wercrata, "It's your bloody fault we're stuck out here patrolling this godsforsaken wasteland! It's your fault I have to listen to people go on and on about how "Ala Mhigans can't be trusted"!"

They were Ala Mhigans? But how? Why would they be doing this to their own people? What were they even doing serving the Empire?! She was horrified by what she was seeing and couldn't, for the life of her, understand just what was going on.

Another one of the Skulls then barked as he kicked Wercrata in the gut and she saw him coughing up blood, "I've worked and toiled harder than any man! I'm a citizen, godsdammit! And what are you!? A stupid, stubborn little dog who'd sooner bite the hand that feeds him and pine for the good old days!"

Stop it already… just stop! She couldn't take it. If this kept up then Wercrata would be killed. She made to stand up a second time, but before she could do so, another voice barked orders.

"That's enough!"

The Skulls stopped dead when another one of the Skulls, a red-headed Hyuran woman with purple tattoos on her face, began marching towards them from the bridge. She glared down at them as she barked, "Lord Zenos is expecting our report."

At last, the Skulls finally stopped and left him after taking the sack of coin with them. Lyse could only watch as Wercrata, who was still alive but just barely, to get back to his feet and stumbled away with his Chocobo at his side.

"I'll bet the poor bastard can't believe his luck. He gets to go home. We should do the same," Meffrid said as they watched the Skulls leave. They got up, but as they moved, he suddenly held out his hand to stop them, his eyes focused on the bridge. The woman who had commanded her men to stop had frozen where she stood and was looking directly at their hiding place. While they could see her, she couldn't see them… but even from this distance, she could see that her eyes were narrowed as she glared back.

But soon enough, she turned and left with the others.

"I'd heard their commander was keen-eyed but gods, that was a near thing…" Meffrid hissed with a add shiver. "It tears me up inside to see our own kinsmen doing the bidding of the viceroy."

He turned to them as he finished bitterly, "But they made their choice, and if it comes to it, I'll cut down every last one of them myself. Wercrata's alive, and the tributum's been paid. That's all that matters for now. I for one would rather not wait around to see if the Skulls decide to return. We'd best get back to Ala Gannha and tell Raganfrid his man got the job done."

"That's it?" Lyse demanded, "How could we just stand here and no do anything?"

"Believe me, lass, I felt the same way," Meffrid agreed. "I wanted to rush out there and bash some heads in myself. But you need to think of the bigger picture. Had you gotten yourselves involved, countless others will be forced to suffer for it. Fighting is all well and good, but you must learn what battles to fight. Wercrata's sister, at the very least, would have been made to suffer for it dearly. And that's assuming they don't feel the need to burn down the entire village. For the sake of everyone in Ala Gannha, we couldn't step in and risk even greater tragedy."

"Has it always been this bad?" Claire asked grimly.

"More or less," Meffrid confessed bitterly. "We Ala Mhigans are all the same to the Imperials—even those who serve alongside them. They don't see the people here as people. But rather as savage animals with no thought in our heads and that need to be brought to heel. You think it's bad here? I hate to imagine more of the suffering that goes on inside the walls of Ala Mhigo."

He turned his head back in the direction of Wercrata, who had already mounted his bird and was hurrying off.

"He is alive," Meffrid added. "Beaten, aye… but alive. We should return to Ala Gannha and reassure everyone that they are safe… for now."

He and Claire both turned and began to walk away, but Lyse didn't move as she kept her eyes on the bridge, so angry right now that she wanted to break something into a million pieces.

"Lyse? We can't stick around here, we better…?" Meffrid's voice said but suddenly stopped.

"You go on ahead, I will bring her," she heard Claire said softly to him. Lyse didn't bother turning around to face them as she heard Meffrid's footsteps away from them. Once they were out of hearing range, she felt Claire's hand on her shoulder.

"I know you're angry," she said softly.

"Angry? That's putting it lightly," Lyse snapped as she turned to face her. "I'm bloody furious! That's what I feel right now! It would have been one thing to have seen Garleans doing all that! That's what you expect! But they were Ala Mhigans! How could they be treating their own people in such a way?!"

"Lyse, things are never that simple," Claire answered her softly. "I don't know why the Skulls are doing this anymore than you. But staying here and cursing them isn't going to help us find answers."

Lyse opened her mouth, about to complain, but that look she was giving her was enough to cause her to pause. Claire was looking at her disapprovingly, like she was a child for misbehaving and she immediately felt shame filling her at her behavior.

As she looked down at her feet, she felt Claire's hand touch the side of her head again and said, "I'm angry too. I wanted to go in as well. But Wercrata wouldn't have thanked us for it. Let us go and at least make sure he's being treated back in Ala Gannha."

Lyse looked at her, deeply upset, but Claire didn't try to force her to leave. Rather, waited until she had control of her emotions before she finally nodded and allowed her to lead the way back to Ala Gannha.

Not much had changed since she was last here. Not that she was really sure what she was expecting…? Perhaps people talking about Wercrata, who surely would have returned ahead of them if he was on the back of a Chocobo. But everyone was going about their usual business as if nothing happened.

When she looked around, she spotted Wercrata's Chocobo stationed outside one of the houses, and the sister that they had seen before carrying a bowl of water and bandages with her. There were tears in her eyes, a mixture of relief and sadness as she was surely treating her brother inside. Well, at least he was able to return home to her. She supposed that had to count for something.

When they met with Raganfrid, he thanked them all most gratefully for what they did—having already been told what happened.

"We owe you a debt of gratitude for what you did," he said, "Wercrata told me everything ─ how you fought with the Qiqirn and saved his life."

"For all the good it did. We saw what happened when he met with the Skulls. How they beat him half to death. We could've stopped them," Lyse confessed sourly, still angry at all this. She wasn't sure what she was expecting. Mayhap what she wanted was some kind of spark of emotion other than this grim acceptance? For him to get angry at what happened to one of his own at the hands of the Skulls—to remember how much they wanted to take on the Garleans for what they took. She had wanted to hear him say that they should have fought back and that they would have supported her decision.

"Aye, I reckon you could," Raganfrid said with certainty. "Meffrid's a warrior, as is your comrade. And you're strong, like your father. That much is plain. But I thank Rhalgr you did not, because it would not have ended with them. Wercrata and his sister would've been branded insurgents, if not the whole lot of us."

He sighed as he explained, "Bones heal, scars fade, but the dead remain dead. We're alive, and that's more than can be said for only the gods know how many others."

She jerked her head up at those empty words, which were all but screaming 'surrender' in her eyes.

"That's enough for you, is it? To put up with whatever they do to you, so long as you get to see another day?" Lyse demanded hotly, unable to believe what she was here. This… this wasn't living! They were all still dying! Slow, painful deaths! And yet they were all willing to put up with it all?

"That's right," Raganfrid answered back sharply, "You grit your teeth and you learn to live with the pain."

His words were enough to make her feel that she had been slapped as he shook his head and added in a softer voice, "I'll admit I was quick to judge you, Lyse, and for that I apologize. I know you and yours mean well, I do. But I'm telling you, gods in the heavens as my witness, that we've got nothing left to give. We can't help you."

So this was their answer. From what she had seen though, it seemed that there really was no changing their minds on this matter. She closed her eyes for a moment as she fought to remain calm. When she opened her eyes, she lowered her head as she said, at least trying to be polite and respectful, "…I understand. Thank you for your honesty."

But she didn't understand. She couldn't accept it. Nor could she stand there another minute. She turned around and went running back to the entrance, leaving her comrades behind her. All the while, there was a storm of confusion and pent up sorrow chasing each other like storm clouds in her mind.

She probably would have run straight back to Rhalgr's Reach on her own, but she wasn't sure she could remember the way there on her own from here. So she stopped outside the gates of the village, staring down at the flowers that were growing near her feet. She remembered these flowers… sort of… she remembered how Yda took her to pick flowers so that when father returned from hunting, he would have something bright to greet him on the table.

She smiled sadly at the sight of how Yda always made sure to have a small vase full of flowers to brighten everything up and more waves of nostalgia washed over her.

She wasn't surprised that her friends found her so quickly. She tried not to look at them, hating to show just how upset she was at all this. The thing was that she could see the Elder's point of view, really, she did understand. Yet, at the same time there was so much turmoil rolling around inside her that she just couldn't figure out what she should be feeling the most right now.

How could things be so bad? She knew the people here weren't trained warriors, but surely they still had their pride? Yet, Wercrata just took every single punch and kick before limping home with nary a complaint. How could they be so willing to put up with that instead of fighting back?

"…Sorry about running off like that," she apologized to them thickly, "Ala Mhigans terrorizing their own…? I just can't accept it, you know? No matter what he thinks, they shouldn't have to put up with it, day after day after day…"

She looked up at the village and then up to the sky as she added, "I'm not completely naive, you know. I didn't expect them to 'storm a castrum with their pickaxes and shovels,' or whatever it was. But nor did I expect Wercrata to just lie there in the dirt while they kicked him. I can't claim to know their pain."

"Lyse…" Claire said gently as Lyse blinked away the tears.

"I barely remember this place or…or even my father's face. But I remember Yda's," she explained, "I remember how scared she was when we ran…and that look in her eyes when she talked about home. Her home…but not mine, is it?"

Could she really still call this place her home? She may have been born here, but she grew up in the rest of Eorzea. How can a place be a home to you if you could barely remember it? Barely remember any of the people? Just… what was home to her?

She was just about to say that they should go now for she didn't want to be here any longer. That was when they got a surprise and they saw the man that they were speaking with earlier.

"There you are, Lyse. I've been looking all over for you…" he said, and he sounded less accusing than he did before.

Refusing to show him how much hurt she was in, she turned to face him with her head held up high.

"Well…you've found me. Got something else to say?" she demanded, ready to take it.

She had expected him to tell her to leave again and not come back, even waiting for an insult or two. What she didn't expect was for him to suddenly take on a rather meek expression and lowered his head as if in shame.

"Aye, that I do… I, um… I said some things to you before that I shouldn't've. 'Twasn't my place to do so, and I'm sorry," he said, and she stared at him. This couldn't be more different than what he had thought before. What in Rhalgr's name happened?

"All that rubbish I spouted about how I loved my village…but when one of ours was in need, I was cowering here with all the others. I didn't even think to go after Wercrata…but you did," he explained before punch his fists together in anger. "Made me feel like…like the bloody hypocrite I am! If I truly cared for my people, I'd fight for them. So I will…if you'll have me."

Now all three of them were staring at him as it fully hit them what he was asking. They then looked at each other, and she saw the surprise in their faces as well.

"…You're asking to join the Resistance?" Lyse asked, unable to believe it.

"When you put it like that, I, uh…I suppose I am," he said with a nod, "But not just me ─ there are others I know who've been thinking about it for a while now. There's not many of us, and we're not hardened warriors like you lot, but─"

But Meffrid heard all he needed to as he beamed at him.

"If your heart bleeds for Ala Mhigo, then that's good enough for me," he reassured him. "You and yours are more than welcome at Rhalgr's Reach."

Lyse nodded as well, cheering at the thought that their mission hadn't been a waste of time after all! The people of Ala Mhigo weren't about to give up on the fight completely yet!

"Thank you, sir! You won't regret this!" he cried out excitedly, raring to go off and fight. "I'll go and speak with the others and send word when we're ready!"

He left them as Meffrid turned back to Lyse and asked, a smile on his face, "…Still think this isn't your home?"

To be honest, she still had her doubts. But she was more certain than she was before as she shook her head and grinned, "N-No, I…I was just…thinking out loud…"

Ala Mhigo wasn't beaten… not yet. They were still willing to fight. And they were willing to rebuild. That was enough for her right now.

"And with that, my friends, our mission is concluded. Let us return to the Reach," Meffrid said and they all left, glad with the knowledge that they still had brave souls willing to fight.

"First of all, allow me to commend you both on a job well done," Meffrid said when they joined together at the war table, "Though nothing went according to plan, we nevertheless managed to attract some new recruits. And it was your passion and conviction that moved them to join. Thank you."

"No, thank you ─ for giving me an opportunity to find out what our people have been through these past twenty years," Lyse countered truthfully. "It's been… humbling. And troubling, too. I'd heard about the Skulls, but that was the first time I'd seen them in the flesh."

She was still trying to grasp what she saw though. The Skulls were Ala Mhigan, weren't they? Then why? In Rhaglr's name would they treat their own countrymen in such a way? It would have been

She frowned, "I know you say they're the same as any other imperial soldiers ─ and maybe that's how I'll have to think of them myself if our paths ever cross on the battlefield, but─"

"When, not if," Meffrid answered back grimly. "That day will come, Lyse. You can't afford to hesitate when it does. Young, old, conscript, citizen, Garlean, Ala Mhigan ─ none of that matters. They've all got their reasons. But they're no better than yours, especially when they're bearing down on you, blade in hand."

Lyse looked down grimly. The thing was that she knew that he was right. Your reasons didn't really matter when you're facing another on the battlefield. But still, they were countrymen… what reason could she have to fight against one of their own?

"…Saying that, I don't want to kill them any more than you do," Meffrid added grimly. "If I could convince them to lay down their arms, I would. Sadly, I've never been much of a talker myself, but who knows, maybe you could be one, Lyse. Your father certainly was."

Lyse looked up proudly at hearing that. She could barely remember her father's face, but his voice? She could remember his strong voice in her head as he told her how much he loved her and that she was to do whatever Yda told her to. She nodded as he smiled encouragingly.

"Right, then. I'd best begin preparing for these new recruits. Claire, Lyse, it's been a pleasure," he said to them both as he left them.

Lyse sighed as she suddenly felt the need to look around the Reach on her own for a while so that she could come to grips on everything that happened.

"It's not fair," Claire said behind her, causing Lyse to jump slightly, having thought that she had already left. "But who knows? There is a chance we could talk to them?"

Lyse thought that over before nodding.

"Yeah, it's worth a try, anyway," Lyse sighed. "Thanks for all your help. It's been too long since we had a mission together. You better see what Naago wants. If you need any help at all, don't be afraid to ask."

Claire nodded as Lyse surprised them both by giving Claire a quick hug. She didn't even give Claire a chance to react as she pulled away and put on a sunny expression. "I'm going to help out here for awhile! I'll see you soon!"

She then went running off without another word to her. She needed to be alone right now. Just a chance to try and work out some of the confusion in her mind. She retreated as far back as she could go at the Reach. There was a small storage place next to the infirmary, and she went straight there. It wasn't until she hid herself behind some towering crates did she feel safe enough to sit down and bury her face in her knees… fighting the urge to cry.

*Alisaie*

Alisaie hadn't had much to do while she waited for the others to return from the Peaks. It certainly looked as though their mission to recruit new people turned out well when she saw them at the war table as she approached it. She got there in time to see Lyse give Claire a quick hug, taking her by surprise before she went running off, heading in the direction of the Infirmary.

Claire bid her farewells to Meffrid and Lyse as she returned to the war table, where M'naago was finishing up tightly rolling up a letter. She turned to her when she got the chance and asked, "You have some work for me?"

M'naago jumped a little at her silent approach, but relaxed when she saw who it was. She then bowed as she said sincerely, "Before we begin, I'd like to thank you and the Scions again for patching me up after I bled all over your floor. I owe you my life, and I won't forget that."

Claire nodded in reassurance at her words, letting her know that they were glad to help.

"Furthermore, it was rude of me to run off without saying a word," M'naago added, "It's all well and good me claiming my duties here couldn't wait, but a parting thank-you was the very least you deserved. My apologies."

"That reminds me," Claire answered, "Tataru sends all her love."

M'naago smiled brightly at that.

"And…thank you," she said before going back to the task and holding up the letter that she had just finished looking over. "Now, to business. Commander Kemp's entrusted me with a formal reply to be hand-delivered to the Alliance leadership. It covers everything we discussed, as well as detailing the disposition of our forces. What I need is an escort ─ one or two men at most, so we can make it to the Wall swiftly and without attracting undue attention."

Sounds promising. Alisaie stepped up, ready to make herself useful as she spoke, "Very well. I shall join you in this. General Aldynn commands the forces at Castrum Oriens. It should be simple enough to see it into his hands."

"Great! That's just what I wanted to hear! When you're ready to depart, meet me at the pass leading out of the Reach," M'naago answered eagerly, looking ready to leave at any moment.

Alisaie was ready to go herself, and so she accompanied M'naago to the same entrance to the Reach they used when they first arrived. Claire needed only a moment to repair her gear before joining them at the edge of the Fringes.

"Got everything you need? Good. Then let us be off," M'naago said when she saw her approach. The three of them then headed out and pass the glamour until they were out in the wide, dusty hills of the Fringes.

"We shall be trusting you to show us the way," Alisaie informed M'naago, "After all, we only crossed this land once before."

"No need to worry," M'naago reassured her as she took the lead. "We should make it there in no time at all.

They walked on in silence for the most part, but they started talking a little more on what they should be planning for future battles. But as she made to answer, she saw M'naago stop in midstep, her ears perking up and twitching about.

"M'naago?" Alisaie asked curiously before their friend held up her hand.

"Quiet!" she hissed, her ears still searching about for noise. "…Hear that? That was a ceruleum engine backfiring. Imperials."

"Ye gods, you have preternatural senses," Alisaie said as she strained her ears, trying to hear something, but picked up nothing. "I didn't hear a thing."

"When you grow up hunting in these lands, you learn to discern the sounds that could mean life and death, be they of a predator or a patrol," M'naago answered seriously as she perked her ears about in all directions as she tried to pick up the tiniest noise.

"From what I'm hearing…we have a seven-man patrol augmented with a single magitek armor," she added after a moment of silence. She then began to draw it in the dirt like she was planning it out on a map. "Wide search pattern. Divided into two ─ no, three teams," she corrected herself, as she drew a rough sketch of their area in the dirt and began to mark the places that she expected the Imperials to be, "I don't think they know we're here…"

Once she had it all set in her mind, she looked up at them and whispered, "It's risky, but we should split up and try to take them all by surprise at the same time. We don't want them calling reinforcements."

"Three teams, three of us. Nothing for it, then. Where are they?" Alisaie asked, glancing down at her sketch.

"Head north," M'naago answered as she began pointing it out. "You should see them long before they see you. I'll deal with the ones to the south. The armor should be just to the west ─ Claire's best equipped to deal with that."

"Sure," Claire answered, her hand resting on a long blade that Alisaie had not seen its type only once before when she met Gosetsu. A katana? She believed it to be called that. Since when did she learn how to use a katana? She would have to ask when this fight was over.

"We attack in five ─ that should be enough time to get into position. Rendezvous on the west bank after. Any questions?" M'naago asked as she looked at them both. When neither of them said anything, she nodded, "No? Then good luck!"

They split up and went off in different directions as they began to stalk about, searching for any signs of the enemy. For the longest time, she couldn't find anything and was beginning to think that maybe M'naago heard something else and let her imagination get carried away.

With a loud cry, she ducked behind a large rock instinctively as shots came from a group of Imperials who had spotted her.

"Note to self," she hissed, "Don't doubt M'naago's hearing again." She summoned up her aetherial blade once more as she went running out and charged at them. They fell easily enough to her blade and she shook her head regretfully at the sight of it.

She wasn't thrilled that it ended like this, but what choice was there? With a sigh, she caused her blade to fade… but almost immediately she felt sick to her stomach and she staggered, dizzy. She had learned this new way to fight, and while she was aware that she should have been using a rapier instead of her own aetherial blade, it just didn't feel nearly as right to her. The only downside was that it took a lot out of her.

Just one fight between three weak soldiers and she needed to stop and rest? She must find another way to go about this. She saw how much Alphinaud had come since his adventures up in Ishgard, and she was not going to let him show her up! She would just have to work harder to…?

She suddenly heard more cries a little bit ahead of her and she went running up ahead, remembering that M'naago was in this direction. Alisaie arrived in time to see M'naago had just taken down her last soldier. She was barely breathing hard as she spun around sharply to point an arrow at her. As soon as she saw who it was though, she stopped and swung her bow back up onto her back before glancing cautiously around them.

"You alright?" she asked as Alisaie approached, stepping close to the river.

"Yes, they weren't that hard," she panted. "Twelve be praised that you heard them. I'd have hated to think what would have happened if we just happened to run into the entire unit on our way."

M'naago nodded. "Good, all we have to do now is wait for Claire to get here and…?"

CRASH!

They jumped at the sound and looked up in time to see a steady trail of smoke floating up into the sky.

"How much you want to bet that the armor is no longer a threat?" Alisaie asked as M'naago looked like she didn't know if she should laugh.

"That's one way of knowing," she said with a shake of her head. "Normally, I would worry. But she's a big girl, she can take care of herself."

"All we have to do is wait," Alisaie said as she looked around at the river, trying to remember the way that they took before and figuring out how much farther it was to go. Well, once they crossed the water, they would be at the edge of the forest. They should be safe if they make it to that point.

"It looks like everything went to plan," M'naago said at once and Alisaie looked back to see that Claire was coming towards them with nary a scratch on her, "Not that I'm surprised ─ the three soldiers I faced didn't put up much of a fight."

"You alright?" Alisaie asked and Claire nodded back in reassurance.

"This happen often?" Claire asked M'naago. "Ambushes, I mean?"

"Most of the imperials we get out here are conscripts from other provinces with little training and even less conviction," M'naago sighed, "It's grim work, killing men and women like that, but don't doubt that they'd do the same to you if the roles were reversed. And don't you dare pity a man in armor. Conscript or no, a soldier piloting one of those can kill a dozen good men in the blink of an eye. Not that I need to tell you that, after what happened at the Wall…"

Her eyes darkened at the thought and Alisaie could see M'naago's hands shake a little at those words. Even Claire was looking down sadly at the mention of the Wall and Alisaie closed her eyes. She wasn't there… so she had no idea just how bad it was. But she knew that her brother had nightmares from that experience—though he pretended otherwise. He wasn't the type who would come out and say it, but she remembered when they were little and how easily frightened he was of ghost stories.

She could always tell when he had nightmares. Perhaps it was just something that involved being a twin? Only now it wasn't ghosts and demons that kept her brother up at night. But battle and wars. She supposed she should be grateful that she wasn't there to witness such an event.

In all honesty, if there was any more fighting to be taking place, she didn't want her brother to be a part of it. Its one thing to make fun of him for being afraid of the dark, but to see others killed before your eyes? No, from now on, she would do what she could to prevent him from having to go through that again. She wasn't going to see him have even more nightmares.

"Right. I believe we've rested long enough," M'naago said and Alisaie opened her eyes. "We should resume our journey before someone notices their missing patrol."

They continued onwards, wading in through the river. Ironically, no sooner did she make her vow that she must grow stronger, the current almost ended up knocking her right over. She probably would have fallen if Claire didn't reach out a hand and grab her upper arm to pull her upright again.

"Careful," she said, "The water's deeper here."

"Right, thank you," Alisaie said as she found her footing. "I'd hate for you to tell my brother that I was swept over the waterfall because I tripped. Good gods, I don't think that I'd ever hear the end of that."

Nothing else happened to them as they finished to the other side and made their way through to the shade of the trees. But they kept ducking and weaving in and out of trees and rocks the entire way. Alisaie crouched down look passed one tree to make sure that there wasn't any other chances of a possible ambush.

M'naago's ears were twitching around, trying to hear anything else.

"…We're clear," she said firmly. "Only Alliance patrols ahead."

That was a relief. Alisaie stood up, feeling much more at ease at hearing that. Nothing to worry about on the rest of the way to Castrum Oriens besides any wild beasts—which shouldn't be a threat to them.

"You said the forces at Castrum Oriens were under the command of Flame General Raubahn Aldynn, did you not?" M'naago asked suddenly asked as she looked to them.

"Yes," Alisaie answered and she saw M'naago's eyes light up at the thought.

"By Rhalgr! The Bull of Ala Mhigo himself! I never dreamed I'd have a chance to meet the legend…" she whispered in awe. She then led them on ahead to the rest of the way to the Castrum, half jogging like she couldn't wait to get there.

"I heard that the General was considered a legend on the Bloodsands," Alisaie said to Claire as they followed her. "He has since given up the life of a gladiator, but to hear stories about it? Apparently he won 1000 matches in a row, and he used all the money he earned in the Coliseum to buy it and that secured his fortune."

"He is something else in battle," Claire agreed. "Even with only one arm."

"How do you…?" Alisaie began before remembering something that Thancred mentioned to her. "Right, I remember now. There was a melee up in Ishgard, wasn't there? And you took part in it. For Ishgard?"

"Ser Aymeric asked me," she answered simply.

"Did he?" Alisaie questioned, "But… as a Scion, isn't being neutral important? Would it be a good idea if a Scion, the Warrior of Light especially, was seen favoring one nation over another?"

"I know," Claire answered back. "I wasn't thrilled at first. But it wasn't like it was a real battle. It had brought much needed morale to the people, especially since it was in the days following the truth of the Dragonsong War being revealed."

"I suppose," Alisaie nodded as she thought that all over. "I can see it when you put it like that. But still, that may be considered to be cheating? You know, having the strongest warrior in Eorzea fighting on your side?"

"I was for a good cause," Claire reminded her. "I hope that it was a one-time thing. Besides, I got the chance to fight against the Bull of Ala Mhigo, himself. So that was fun."

Alisaie laughed as she told her, "Only you could consider fighting against another legend to be fun."

Claire smiled back as they reached the front entrance to the Castrum. M'naago was waiting there impatiently for them, not wishing to go in should the Alliance believe her to be an enemy. But their new friend was still looking around all over for Raubahn.

When they joined her and nodded to the guards on duty, as they let them pass, they stepped into the Castrum and spotted the General almost at once as he stood the same place where they last saw him. She did a good job of hiding it, but Alisaie could have sworn she heard M'naago squeak in excitement as they approached the war table.

At the sound of them approaching, Raubahn looked up and relaxed when he saw them there.

"It is good to see you again, my friends," he greeted them when they drew near. "I hope you are here to tell me you have made contact with the Resistance?"

His eyes looked directly to M'naago, who looked a little star-struck at that moment.

"We are, General," Alisaie spoke up when it didn't look like M'naago was going to say anything for a moment, "Allow me to introduce M'naago, of Rhalgr's Reach."

Her words seemed to have brought her out of her awe and M'naago stepped forward to bow politely to Raubahn.

"At your service, sir!" she told him respectfully, "And may I say what an absolute honor it is to stand before the Bull of Ala Mhigo!"

Raubahn looked like he wanted to chuckle at that as he told her kindly, "These are not the bloodsands, girl. You and I are but soldiers on a battlefield fighting for the same cause."

"A-As you say, General!" M'naago said before clearing her throat, going back to the business at hand and she held out the same scroll that Alisaie had seen her reading back at the Reach. M'naago bowed her head as she held it out for him to take, "On behalf of Commander Kemp of the Ala Mhigan Resistance, I present to you our formal response."

They waited as he unrolled it and began to read over what was written there when he took the scroll, his hand almost as large as the paper. During that time, Pipin had joined them at the war table and greeted them politely as he waited for his father to finish reading.

"…Good," the General said at last when he looked up. "I am glad we have reached an accord. Though I was not aware you had suffered such losses."

At the mention of it, M'naago looked down again as anger and grief filled her eyes once more.

"Aye… Some of our finest took part in the Griffin's doomed assault, and we've been struggling to find new recruits ever since," she explained truthfully, "The massacre has cast a pall over the whole Resistance, and many who might once have been open to joining us have since thought better of it."

Alisaie looked at her sadly before offering, "After all of the Griffin's false promises, one can hardly blame them. They have no desire to give their lives for a lost cause."

She could understand perfectly why many would feel that way. If the Resistance could allow something like this to happen before, what might would they do next? That would be what the people were thinking of. Only a fool would wish to join if they knew that something like this could happen again.

This Ilberd person claimed to have done it to reclaim their homeland, but it looked to her that those hopes were farther away than ever. Just what was he thinking when he set all this up?

Silence fell over them all as they remembered all the lives that were lost at the Wall. M'naago was silent for she had known many of the people there, and she and Raubahn were out of respect for the dead. Claire and Pipin were the only ones at the Wall that night so they were silent for a different reason… though Pipin had been outside the Wall when it all happened.

Now that Alisaie thought of it, Claire was the only one of them here who actually saw everything that happened that night, didn't she? Alisaie couldn't help but wonder… what were the Warrior of Light's nightmares like?

"We will not lie to them. This is war, and lives will be lost," the General said at last, breaking the painful silence, "Yet what we offer is not the fever dream of a madman, but true hope."

"The people need proof of this, Father, Let us show it to them," Pipin said at once before looking to M'naago, "I say we stand shoulder to shoulder with our new allies and engage the Garleans in open warfare. The Resistance must demonstrate that they can hold their own against imperial regulars, and with our assistance, I am confident they can do just that. If we can achieve even a token victory, I believe it will serve to rekindle the hope of the Ala Mhigan people, and inspire them to rise up once more."

So win a small battle to rekindle the hope once more? Alisaie could see the logic in that, but she was starting to think that nothing short of storming a Castrum and emerging alive would encourage the people to start hoping again. If this plan of theirs failed, if they lost the fight and even more died…?

Still, it was probably their only choice at the moment, and perhaps it was worth the risk.

"Aye, aye…" M'naago said slowly as she thought it all over, "Once word spread that we'd won a battle against the Garleans, I wager we'd have new recruits flocking to us from malms around. The question is, when and where do we strike?"

"I'm glad you asked. I have a plan…" Pipin said as he grinned.

They all listened in carefully as he told them, "Our scouts recently informed me of an interesting development at Castellum Velodyna. Namely, the arrival of a shipment rumored to have come from the research and development facilities near the capital, containing prototype Magitek armor. It is our assessment that this armor is to be field-tested here, most likely against Alliance forces. Mayhap before the day is out."

Oh great! On top of everything else that was happening, they had this mess to worry about?! Alisaie couldn't see why Pipin thought that this was good for them… unless…?

"Damn it all, more Magitek weapons?" M'naago cursed as she stepped forward, "That's the last thing we need!"

"Your concern is not unwarranted, but we needn't despair just yet," Pipin reasoned with her calmly, "The shipment is thought to have contained a single heavy unit and one or possibly two support units. With a well-laid ambush, we are confident we can destroy them all, thus hindering their development and delaying future deployment."

So they would be crushing two birds with one stone, eh? They could take care of the threat of a new Magitek armor, while raising the morale of the people both here fighting and across Gyr Albania. A plan that Alphinaud would have been proud of.

"And should we carry this out as a joint endeavor with the Resistance, they will have their rallying cry," Raubahn finished, also understand where his adopted son was suggesting.

"It would mean dropping all pretense about the Alliance not wanting to go to war with the Empire…" M'naago reminded them carefully, "but you'd have a lot more folk willing to stand up and fight if they knew they weren't alone. And you were going to have to do it eventually anyway."

True, but she would honestly be surprised if the Garleans weren't already aware of the Alliance's decision by now. They might as well make it official.

"Exactly," Pipin said, "And so what I propose is simple: we harry their patrols to bait them into bringing their prototype weapons to East End, where our Resistance allies will take them from behind."

"Simple indeed, and well within our capabilities," Raubahn stated, glancing over at the war table and the map on it as he was already planning it out. "I see no reason to delay, especially if a field test is imminent. What say you?"

"Assuming the vice marshal's intelligence is accurate, I agree with his assessment and fully support his plan. I shall notify my comrades at once," M'naago responded at once, ready to go.

"Understood," Pipin answered. "I shall have one of my men bring you the details of the plan anon."

M'naago gave them a salute that they use in the Resistance before she ran off, already contacting her comrades on everything that was happening. The General and Pipin also saluted back as Immortal Flames before Alisaie turned to Claire who—characteristically—hadn't said a word at all the entire time.

"And we for our part will be fighting with the Alliance, yes? I somehow doubt you were intending to sit this one out," she told her as Claire nodded in full agreement.

"We've been careful to avoid needless shows of force this side of the Wall. But that's all about to change ─ and when it does, you may be sure they'll send their new toys out to entertain us," Raubahn told them as he also looked directly at Claire as he said this. "I would ask you to participate in this operation…but from that look I see it is a foregone conclusion."

Claire gave them a rather shrewd grin, which he returned.

"My thanks. Per Pipin's plan, we need to turn East End into an imperial graveyard. You're a dab hand at this, and I'd be a fool not to use you," he said before asking for her map. After looking over it, he marked a certain spot there before handing it back. "Head to this spot on your map ─ right here, aye. A patrol should be along shortly. Deal with them, then rendezvous with the rest of us at this location. Go well, Claire."

Alisaie accompanied Claire out of the Castrum and through the thick brush as they made their way to the ambush spot.

"So, since I haven't dealt with Garlean Magitek before, you have any advice for a beginner?" Alisaie asked, half out of nervousness and half out of merely having something to think about other than the fight that was coming.

"Yes, hit them until they break," Claire teased back.

Alisaie raised her eyebrows at her as Claire chuckled and began to give helpful advice. Such as to aim for the joints, for that was usually where the armor was weaker and easier to break apart. Alisaie listened carefully to her words as they continued to make their way downwards at the chosen place.

Eventually, they were able to meet up with Raubahn and a small squadron of Alliance soldiers, crouched down and waiting for their 'prey' to show up.

They kept close to the ground as they joined the General, who nodded at the sight of them.

"All went to plan, then? Good," Raubahn asked. When they reassured him that things were going as well as they could have hoped, he added, "Our scouts report that a unit escorting the prototype weapons has left Castellum Velodyna. The Resistance is already in position, so we have but to wait for our guests to arrive."

*Later*

Alisaie felt the urge to scream. She had no idea how long it had been, but it felt like they were forced to wait for what felt like an agonizingly long time for something to happen. Night would fall soon, and she wanted them to just hurry up and appear so that she didn't have to worry anymore.

At long last, she could hear something drawing closer… the distant clunking of metal against the ground.

"They come," she whispered to Claire, "Though I suspect that M'naago could have heard them coming much sooner."

They waited quietly until she could finally see the Imperial patrol coming up the road. From what she could see in the fading light, there were about… four or five Imperials, not including the one in front who was dressed almost completely in thick armor—with only his head free—and carrying a ridiculously large spiked hammer on his back as he lumbered into view.

Behind them, there were a handful of mechanical menaces. Several of them looked and moved like giant spiders with multiple legs, but the largest towered over them. It walked with a clumsy clanging sound with every step, and looked ready to tear someone in half with its spiked front and gun barrels strapped to its arms.

The armored man, whom she could only assume to be their commanding officer, suddenly stopped and scratched his head stupidly as he grunted, "Things looked grim for us after Carteneau, didn't they? Oh, how they doubted us… Yet here we are, right as rain, with fancy new toys to put through their paces…"

Claire gave a sharp intake of breath that caused Alisaie to look at her questioningly.

"It's him," Claire whispered in explanation. "He was there at Carteneau when we went there searching for Omega."

"He dangerous?" she whispered back questioningly.

"Like hitting a brick wall," she confessed. "But I don't think he's capable of coming up with complex battle strategies though."

"Good to know," Alisaie nodded. Good, so they were up against a brute with a hammer.

"Bwahahahaha! It's like all my namedays have come at once!" the loudmouth laughed as they continued on, their machines lumbering so loudly that you think they could have heard it from the Castrum.

The General turned his head back to look at Claire directly before he pointed ahead as he ordered the others to attack. They all leapt into action, running out onto the road to block them—Claire standing in front of them all in the front.

The Imperials stopped dead in their tracks at the sight of them.

"Well, well, well! If it isn't Garlond's little troublemaker!" the loudmouth commander with the hammer said in surprise, but then a nasty grin appeared as he looked over at Claire. "Heh heh heh! I can't wait to see the look on Zenos's face when I bring him your head!"

Claire didn't even bother to respond to him with an answer as she drew her katana and they were all preparing for the worst.

"That is, if my secret weapons here don't grind it into mush!" the loudmouth commander added as he pointed and yelled to his men, "ATTAAACK!"

Both sides clashed with the other as Raubahn began to bark out orders to everyone around them.

"Adders, Flames, deal with the escort! Leave the armor to Claire!" he shouted out as Claire did go straight for the commander, which she heard one of the Imperials call Grynewaht, and drew his attention away from the rest of them, along with the giant Magitek.

"Bugger me! Is that General Aldynn!?" Grynewaht cried out when he spotted the Bull of Ala Mhigo bowling over several of the spider-like Magitek, "Bwahahaha! A chance to get my revenge on Claire, and test our new weapons, and kill an Alliance commander! Ohhh, it doesn't get much better than this!"

It wouldn't, assuming that is he could win.

"One would almost think he harbored a grudge against you, Claire. Whatever did you do to him?" Alisaie called loudly as she summoned her aetherial blade to battle against an Imperial who was trying to slash at her with a blade.

If Claire heard her, she didn't answer. Not that Alisaie could blame her, she had her hands full trying to keep the Magitek weapon and the walk steel wall off the rest of them.

"Hurry up and KILL THE BASTARDS! We've got 'em outnumbered!" Grynewaht called, growing more and more frustrated as the battle went on longer and longer. "What are you idiots doing? Give them everything we've got!"

To Alisaie's horror, several more Imperials came running out of nowhere, as if they had been waiting all along on the sidelines to come in and help.

"There's no end to them…" Alisaie yelled as she brought down one solider and went for another. She then added loudly, "I'm here if you need healing, Claire!"

But Claire was completely focused on her opponents in front of her. Moving around with a kind of savage grace that was almost like dancing among the horde of clumsy fighting going on around them. She could even see the images of what looked like petals dancing in the air when she struck with her katana—followed by ice freezing about her feet as she created a dazzling full moon with a single stroke.

It was almost like an artform to see this kind of battle—this was a completely different way of fighting than she had seen up till now. It was… there was no other word for it…

Beautiful.

Still, Alisaie couldn't spend her time admiring it when there was another Garlean who was trying to lob her head off from her shoulders so she was forced to do a back flip, able to avoid getting hit while sling out a spell safely from a distance.

"Looks like there's only the one prototype," Raubahn called over the noise as Claire continued slicing at the Magitek with a grace that would make an Ul'dahn dancer green with envy, "Whatever else we do this day, I want it destroyed! Keep it up, lads! That thing won't take much more!"

"Enough!" Grynewaht yelled, the ongoing struggle finally wiping the grin from his face. "We have secret weapons of great power, don't we? Let's bloody well use 'em!"

She was wondering just what was going on when another Magitek device was summoned. In contrast to the others, where the largest one had several gun barrels pointed down at you, this one was hardly the size of a Lalafell's head. However, when she saw a beam of orange-red light emerge cast and connected itself to Claire, she felt fear grip her insides.

"You'll be weeping blood!" Grynewaht laughed at the sight, confident in what was going to happen.

"On your guard, Claire! He's up to something!" Alisaie called anxiously.

Claire tried moving but couldn't seem to break the beam of light that remained connected to her. What's more, the little Magitek device was slowly being drawn in towards her, like a moth to a flame. Just then, Claire made a break for it, leaving the Magitek behind her as she moved several yalms away. Alisaie couldn't believe what she was seeing at first—thinking that she was running from a fight.

However, she saw how Claire spun around to face the little weapon as it continued flying towards her. That was when it let out a mighty explosion that made the ground shake and Alisaie had to stick her blade into the ground to catch herself. She was quickly able to regain her footing, but as she went rushing back in to fight, she saw Claire also diving out of the way as the Magitek Vanguard I Prototype fired at her when she went running back at it.

She understood now, she must have figured out that it was going to explode so she drew it away from the rest of them before it could do so. It seemed that these little weapons were somehow tuned into her aether, so it was impossible to shake them once that light hit you. Which would then be drawn in as close as possible before it exploded. Quite ingenious.

If nothing else, the sight seeing his toy not harming anyone was enough to causes Grynewaht to lose his cool as he began crying out in fear, "Damn it all! Haven't we got anything else!? More armor or weapons or something!?"

As if waiting for that command, what looked like another unit of Imperials came running up the hill towards them, ready to pick up where the fallen had left off.

"More of them!? I'm going to have to have a word with our scouts…" Raubahn yelled as he went charging in and knocked down two or three in a bull-like way.

This continued on for some time—long after the sun had set and they were fighting in darkness. With the only light from the shining moon overhead, casting everything in an eerie glow, reflecting off the metal from the Magitek or the blades of swords clashing.

But eventually, they were able to bring down all of Grynewaht's men, leaving only him and the sparking weapon that had taken a heavy beating.

Once he realized that he was out of men to fight for him, Grynewaht was panicking.

"This can't be happening! Not again!" he stuttered, staring at Claire in the utmost fear, he turned and began to run. Not that he got far.

"He who fights and runs─ What the─? Who in the hells are you lot!?" he demanded when he stopped to see that M'naago, Conrad, and other Resistance fighters were blocking his path.

"For Ala Mhigo! Let none escape!" M'naago rallied everyone behind her and they charged on. Surrounded on all sides, Grynewaht had little choice but to actually start fighting again.

"We have them now! Forward! Forward!" Raubahn shouted, getting the Alliance members behind him to follow.

"You think you've won, eh? Heh heh heh… THEN WE GO TOGETHER!" Grynewaht yelled over the noise. Alisaie hadn't seen what he had done, but she didn't need to, she heard it.

"Self-destruct sequence initiated…" the Magitek Vanguard I Prototype spoke up with the mechanical voice, but very different from that of a mammot, "Sixty… Fifty-nine… Fifty-eight…"

Self-destruct? And they had less than a minute to find a way to stop it before they were all caught up in the explosion. Unlike the little ones that Claire had been dealing with, she had a feeling that something as big as this thing was going to make a much more… permanent impact.

"There's no time to get to safety!" Raubahn yelled, looking horrorstruck and turning pale. "We must disable it before it blows!"

Alisaie ran ahead with Claire as they began to attack the machine over and over. All the while it continued to count down.

Fifty seconds…

Forty seconds…

Thirty seconds…

Twenty…

Once it passed twenty, she began to panic as she fought harder than ever against it, but she had no idea what it was she was supposed to be hitting. Just when it reached ten seconds, Claire finally took a leap and drove her katana through the chest plate—the damage that the machine underwent that whole time finally weakening the metal enough for her to stab right through it with her thinner, sharper blade.

She apparently hit it in the right place as it began to smoke and fall apart before their eyes. When she pulled out the sword and jumped back, it gave a horrible whining noise before it fell into a pile of used scrap metal.

At the sight of his weapon being brought down, Grynewaht was reduced to a crying babe.

"No… No, no, NO! My secret weapon! Gaaah! Damn it all! Miracles of Magitek design, my arse!" he shouted out, "I've passed harder stools than these piles of scrap!" He looked back to Claire, her blade still held aloft, ready to go up against him if he was foolish enough to stay. He took a few steps back before threatening, "You'll pay for this! Mark my words, the next time we meet will be the last!"

And he turned and rain from her as fast as he could go. She had to admit that she was impressed he could move so quickly even with all that armor weighing him down.

"You know?" Claire asked as she sheathed her blade, "I think that was what he said the last time we fought."

"He go running like that too?" she asked back and Claire grinned. For a man so large and thuggish, he sure was a right coward when he came across something who stood up to him.

Raubahn only laughed at the sight as he called after him, "Aye! Run and tell your viceroy! The day belongs to Ala Mhigo!"

Everyone cheered, their weapons held high in the air as they shouted so loudly she wondered if people in the Reach could hear them. All around them there were celebrations, even those too wounded to stand were letting out excited cries at the battle they just one. Alisaie assisted in helping speed along the healing process for those worst off, but as far as she could see, they didn't lose anyone of their own, nor were their injuries life-threating. Thank the Twelve for that.

"Well done, all of you. I'd call this operation a resounding success," Raubahn called to everyone with Conrad at his side.

Conrad, who smiled, turned to him, "Can't say I'm surprised. The 'Bull of Ala Mhigo' had an impressive military record before he went west, as I recall."

"Credit where it's due, Master Kemp. 'Twas Marshal Tarupin who made this plan," the General told him humbly before looking back at the rest of them, adding, "And all of you, Resistance and Alliance alike, who carried it out to perfection."

"Aye, that they did. Not a single casualty, for which I'm grateful beyond words," Conrad agreed whole-heartedly, "I've no doubt our comrades back at the Reach will feel the same."

Right, after everything that had been happening here lately—especially with the tragedy at the Wall—the people could probably use something cheerful to talk about for a while.

"As will ours," Raubahn agreed as M'naago looked to Claire and Alisaie with a grin.

"It's been a pleasure, General," Conrad said to him. "Until the next battle." Before he left, he turned back to M'naago and added, "M'naago ─ I leave the Scions in your care."

She saluted in understanding as he left with half the Resistance fighters, leaving the other half to help take the wounded back to the Castrum.

"We shall return to the castrum, then," Raubahn added to the three of them, "Claire, Mistress Leveilleur ─ once more you have my thanks. As Master Kemp said, until the next battle."

He gave them a salute as they left, heading back the way they came. The three of them waited, just making sure that the area was safe around them once more before they knew that staying here wasn't going to do them any favors.

"Well, there's no reason to remain here any longer. Let's get back to the Reach," M'naago said cheerfully and she pointed onwards, taking them back along the path they used before. All the while, she was talking to Claire about her bladework, telling her that she had never seen anything like it. Just how graceful and beautiful that it looked with every blow she brought down on her enemies…?

"Compared to that, I felt that I was just shooting out mudballs or something," M'naago laughed as they walked, "Where did you learn to use that blade?"

"I had a teacher who taught me not long ago," she confessed. "He was a samurai from Hingashi and was looking for a pupil to teach."

"Truly?" Alisaie asked as she walked a little faster so that she could catch up with her. "I heard about these warriors of the Far East, these samurai. Of course, Gosetsu was one of them. But I never had the pleasure to see him fight. Oh, was he the one who taught you?"

"He fights very similarly," Claire confessed. "I saw him battle while we were searching for Omega in those ruins. But no… it was another who taught me. And older man named… Musosai."

"Musosai? Never heard of him," M'naago said as she thought it over. "And he came here all the way from the East just so that he could find a student to train? Wow, that's dedication. So where is this master samurai? I would very much like to meet him. Maybe he could start training some of the new recruits in just some basics and…?"

But Claire was shaking her head. "I fear that is not possible," she told her softly.

Alisaie suspected that they may be reaching a touchy subject for her, whatever that may be, and simply decided to change the subject by asking M'naago how she thought that her comrades would react when they hear of this victory.

At once, M'naago's eyes lit up and she excitedly began talking about how they would surely be crying out to the heavens, and that they probably were aware of it by now. She was even jesting at the thought of a celebration was waiting for them when they returned.

After going into more details about their battle, and what improvements they could make and prepare for the next one, they managed to make it back to the Reach safely and under the cover of the dark. It was a good end to an otherwise, exhausting day, as well as deeply satisfying. They strode across the area as M'naago led them back up to the war table to where Conrad was already there waiting for them.

"You didn't have to take part in the operation, but you did. You went above and beyond what was asked of you, without hesitation, and for that we owe you a debt," M'naago said to the two of them with a grin that could be seen even in the dark. "Our victory may not count for much in practical terms, but its symbolic value can't be overstated. Alliance and Resistance fighters came together to face an imperial unit equipped with Garlemald's newest weapons ─ and smashed them. The people will remember this day."

That was true, if nothing else, it did serve to bring the people together and made them see that they can triumphant over the Garleans if they worked together. Mayhaps it will serve to inspire others to join the cause and show them that they still have a chance to bring their people home to Ala Mhigo—one without that ugly Garlemald banner flying over their heads anyway.

Conrad nodded in agreement as he said, "Aye, that they will, for it marks the beginning of something far greater than any single victory: the beginning of a campaign by a united Eorzea to drive the Garleans from our lands. Promises and platitudes mean naught without action. But the Alliance took the field and risked their lives for our cause."

He looked up to the statue at Rhalgr and added, "Hah, to think that the last time Gridanian troops trod this soil was more than a century ago, during the Autumn War ─ and that was to defend against our invasion. Ours is a long and bloody history, to be sure, and it gives me heart to see that despite our acrimonious past, we can still come together for the sake of the future."

Yes, she had read up on the Autumn War, and how Ala Mhigo had once tried to invade Gridania for their lands and resources. But that was over a hundred years ago, and it was a good thing to see that even the Adders Nest was able to put that bloody history aside for the greater good.

"Well said, Commander! Which is why I intend to go from village to village and spread word of our victory and our new alliance," M'naago informed him. "Claire, Alisaie, I cannot thank you enough for your assistance. The people will flock to our banners, my friends. Just you wait and see!"

(I know I made you all wait, but I hope that the long chapter will make up for that. I know that a lot of people have been asking that we see things from Claire's POV as well, and don't worry. We will see more of what is going through her head soon enough. I don't have a clue when that will be up because I have less than two weeks to finish packing everything up and move—so I don't think another chapter will be coming up until I'm settled in my new place. But I hope that you will enjoy this chapter until then. Also, for those of you who enjoy the Samurai questline, I started to write a spin-off story for the job quests. I finished samurai and red mage, and I thought that the stories were really good, so I decided to put up a little story for that where Claire is learning the art of the samurai and possibly another story where she is going through the red mage quests. So for those of you who are interested, go check it out. It's called The Way of the Samurai, and it's just under my name here. Major spoilers though, so if you haven't done the quests yet, just a heads up!)