The room itself gave off a foreboding feeling as the miqo'te waited behind an altar similar to the one in the cathedral. Its designs held a regal essence against the rest of the room, that gave off the similar feeling of being in a tomb. The four men sitting at the northernmost part of the room in intricate thrones conversed between themselves when they caught a first glimpse of the miqo'te, their hushed tones and wild hand gestures whittling away at her nerves. With her heart racing, I'rinae timidly stood quiet and still, awaiting the lone elezen standing between the four to address the audience that consisted of a few nobles as well as a moderate amount of knights. As some familiar faces breached the doors, attention was immediately called to the north as a booming voice echoed throughout the chamber. "We are gathered here under her Grace's watchful gaze to assess the guilt of a lone soul in a trial by combat. May the petitioners please step forward!" Her bristled tail clung tightly around the side of her dress as she watched the two knights step forward towards their podium. "Greifix Jeagane–for the benefit of all who are present, I ask you to repeat your claims which you have leveled against the accused."

"I, Greifix Jeagane, witnessed this outsider exhibit heretical behavior inside the hallowed halls of our own Saint Reymanaud's Cathedral.." he said adding a menacing sneer while his eyes drifted towards the miqo'te in a toxic glare.

"Let the accused step forward!" The man's soulless eyes settled on I'rinae as she steadily approached her podium. Her ears had flattened to her head as she gazed up at the men that sat judging her, the whispering tones firing off behind her adding to the anxiety that quaked through her. "I'rinae of Ul'dah, you have heard the charges leveled against you. Will you indulge your right to fight and cleanse your name under the eyes of the Fury herself?"

I'rinae hesitated, unable to hide the cracking in her voice as she fought her case. "I, I'rinae, am innocent of these crimes..but with all due respect sir, I won't be able to hold my own in a battle.."

As he turned to commune with the others sitting next to him, I'rinae's heart skipped when he addressed her once more upon clearing his throat. "Very well. Upon Ishgardian law, you have the right to name a champion, though you do understand that if they lose, you both will be serving out your sentence. Is there anyone here that will stand for this girl?"

"I will.." A familiar voice echoed through the room, stabbing at the deathly silence that temporarily hung about it. Al'kir made his way towards the podium, his face as stern as stone. Marcelloix and Kyros looked on with worried faces as he stopped short of I'rinae, his expression withstanding despite seeing her shaking like a leaf. He wanted to comfort her, and reassure her everything was going to be fine, yet now wasn't the time. He needed to have a clear head going into this, and swarming it with unnecessary emotions was only going to make matters worse. He could feel her amber eyes burning into him. The strong urge to disagree hung heavily on her tongue, but before she could utter a word, their fate was sealed. "It has been decided. Open the arena!"

"Al.." she began, joining Marcelloix and Kyros as they came to gather her. Her concern was dismissed by a simple wave of his hand and a gentle smile.

The dragoon huffed, a light chuckle escaping him as he handed her the rose clasp before turning to face his contender. "At the very least, have a little faith in me, Rin.."

The ground pulsated as a large stone panel slid from one wall to the other, creating a small arena situated between the audience and the adjudicators. When the iron gate went up to separate them, I'rinae wrapped her fingers around the weathered rails and watched helplessly from the sidelines as the battle began to unfold.

Once they'd gotten to the last step, the knight accompanying Greifix stopped and shook his head, fighting to control his stammer. "N-no..I'm sorry, I can't.."

"Wot? What're you on about?" Greifix growled, clapping the back of his hand against the knight's shoulder.

Taking one look towards Al'kir, the knight backed away slowly, retreating upwards by a step before addressing his concerns. "He took out three dragons by himself, we're going to be mere fodder for him..I'm sorry, I have a family to worry about, and if you had any sense you'd understand this is madness.."

"Those are just stories, Taux–"

"Is the truth worth dying for?" he interjected, taking another step back. "I'm sorry, but you're on your own.."

Greifix rolled his eyes at his partner's fickle behavior, brushing it off and walking towards the dragoon with an unsettling hint of dread building in the pit of his stomach. He wasn't about to back down now. He couldn't. Brushing his fingers over the three gashes across his cheek ignited a new fire within him, reminding him that his pride needed salvaging, and this dragoon was the only thing standing in his way.

The two stood fulms from each other, with Greifix holding a steady glare towards Al'kir's own stoic visage, put off by how calm he seemed. Upon the blessing placed by the High Adjudicator, the battle had begun. Retrieving his spear, Al'kir stood still as he watched his opponent circle him like a scared pup, his sword and shield held at the ready. He was clearly prentice, exhibiting signs of early training methods as well as a few flaws in his stance. Like the whip of a snake, he lunged forward, only to be met with the blunt end of Al'kir's spear. The force of his own doing pushed him back, causing him to growl in blood curdling fury as the dragoon shrugged and twisted his lips into a half smile. "Your combat prowess is lacking quite a bit, should I turn around for you?"

"You won't be smilin' once I carve that stupid grin off your face..then I'll claim my prize in that pretty little number of yours before they toss her body off the cliffs!" Even though his crowing had bought him time to throw in an overhead swing, he wasn't prepared for the aftermath. Catching his sword above his head with the hilt of his spear, Al'kir stared daggers at him while holding him there. A sliver of fear chilled his spine as he froze, reaching a new level of terror as the dragoon flung him backwards and pointed the sharp end of his spear towards his mark. Floating back into an offensive stance, Al'kir narrowed his eyes on the sprout and steadied his anger, as if channeling it through his weapon. "Over my dead body.."

The gladiator met each thrust blow for blow behind the safety of his shield, but not for much longer. Throwing in enough force, the thick blade pierced the steel and flung it aside, leaving his opponent with nothing but a sword. The dragoon had lost himself, letting blind rage take control as he kept his motions fluid but deadly. This had went far beyond a simple tussle. With each swing, the blade of his spear grew closer and closer to his opponent's flesh. Falling to the ground, he scampered backwards to try and stay out of range as Al'kir thrust into the ground hard enough to trigger small sparks. A wail of pain signaled the first drop of blood as it pierced his hand, the sword falling to the ground with a metallic clang. His distress was loud enough to make I'rinae wince, cradling her own hand as she watched his spew with blood. Her eyes moved up towards the adjudicators, and then the audience, wondering why no one had intervened yet. It was then she spotted her. An older woman sat on the far side of the auditorium clasping a small hand rag to her mouth while she watched the battle unfold with unbridled fear. A crisp snap and another yelp caused I'rinae to wince once more, catching a glimpse of the gladiator being knocked sideways by the brute force of Al'kir's spear. Her attention turned back to the woman as visible streams of tears flowed down her cheeks. A heavy leather boot collided with the side of Greifix's face, rendering him somewhat powerless. A river of blood leaked from his nose and lips, as his bruised bloodied face turned up towards Al'kir in an effort to beg for his life. Preparing the final blow, Al'kir began to raise his spear, aiming towards the battered knight's face.

Squirming from his grip, I'rinae fought off Marcelloix's embrace and flung herself towards the iron gates. She fought to squeeze through the bars, trying to find the best place to wedge herself through despite protest from Marcelloix and Kyros. Before they could get a hold on her, the miqo'te managed to push through a small opening and made a panicked sprint towards the two. A scream resounded through the building as the growing whispers fueled her speed, her eyes narrowing on the spear that was about to come down and impale the young knight. As Al'kir aimed for the killing blow, he didn't expect the pair of golden eyes to pop right in front of him, causing him to double back. The rage had subsided as he stared back into her eyes, trying to shake the beast that had taken control of him. "Rin..what are you doing? Get back–"

"No! That's enough, he's unable to fight!" Ignoring the roar of whispers that erupted from both sides of the arena, she kept a determined front while placing herself betwixt the fallen gladiator and the dragoon. When the High Adjudicator greeted this disturbance by gathering the room's attention, the two turned towards him and awaited judgment. "As unorthodox as this is we will allow it, the accuser is unable to continue, thus the accused is now pardoned of all allegations against them."

The few that remained hungry for bloodshed and further carnage left disappointed, departing from the three standing before the statue of Halone that crowned the east of the arena. Once the gate opened, Marcelloix and Kyros rushed towards the two with Marcelloix taking a moment to examine I'rinae for any lesions. "What were you thinking.." he breathed, his voice trailing into a rant that she was sure would carry on well into the evening. A swift glance towards Al'kir made her ponder what was going through his head, as his inquisitive gaze still settled on the miqo'te. He fought to hold his inquiries until they were without company, latching his spear to his back and turning towards the exit. As Kyros boasted about the battle and Al'kir's triumph, I'rinae had begun to walk away before feeling a hand clutch hers. Twisting on a heel, she wheeled around to meet the knight. Bloodied and beaten, he pulled her closer to him and mouthed his trembling gratitude, only to be surprised when the miqo'te yanked her hand away and shot backwards with an air of disgust. "Don't thank me, it's more than you deserve..." she breathed, dusting off her dress with a firm flick of her elbows and stalking off towards the others.

At the behest of Marcelloix, they had decided to take dinner in their personal quarters. As much as she wanted everyone together after their ordeal, she'd leaned towards granting the older elezen his solitude. This was a familiar scene, sitting with the dragoon in staggering silence as she pushed her popotoes around her plate, making tiny designs in the leftover sauce. The crackling fire served as their only soundtrack against the stillness that claimed the bantam space, but even that had fallen stale over time, leaving her ears to flick with the monotonous ticking of the old clock. He'd remained fairly quiet all day, save for a few odd, quizzical looks towards her direction. Something hung on the brim of his lips but he seemed afraid of the answer. The more it invaded her mind, the further her tail curled up to her. It was then that he cleared his throat, a gesture that had caused her to nearly leap out of her skin. Turning his attention to the miqo'te, he placed down his silverware and took a small swig of courage to form the words he wanted to ask her. "Why'd you protect him?" As accusatory as his tone was, his face remained soft and relaxed as if he were genuinely curious.

"You were going to kill him.." It was the only thought that seemed clear, though her brain was fogged with all sorts of thoughts that weren't really answers, just reasons. In truth, she had no idea why she decided to stop him from killing the knight, but another question surfaced to counter his censorious tone. "Why were you going to kill him?"

"That question isn't fair and you know it!" he growled back, his face tensing from the growing unease of the conversation. "You could've gotten hurt, you had no business jumping into the middle of that!"

"You had no business killing him either!" Her tone had grown just as fierce, with her ears folding back and her tail fanning out with every hair standing on end. Al'kir hesitated a moment before continuing, having to get up from his seat and pace to fuel some retort that would make sense. He didn't want to admit she was right. He couldn't admit that his anger had gotten the better of him in a situation that required him to remain calm. However, she hadn't heard what the knight had said, and the mark across her eyebrow made it all the more bewildering that she was willing to spare his life. The subtlety of it all burned at his core as he fought to comprehend why, with his only inference being that she was too naive to understand. That was just it. Bringing a hand up to massage his temples, he rested his forehead against his palm and smiled gently. "You just don't understand.."

"Understand?! Understand what, exactly, Al?" The miqo'te had shot to her feet and met him toe to toe, her golden eyes glaring back at him. The intensity of her stare caused him to teeter backwards but he kept a firm ground and the same stoic expression that had a knack for inciting her already sweltering rage. He was surprised that her sudden outburst had put him at a loss for words. "Understand that he was just a stupid kid? Understand that you seemed to have developed this need to protect me like I'm some fragile princess?! What reason could you've possibly had to take his life? What gives you the right?! Even if you didn't defend me to the death it wouldn't change how much I love you!"

The words struck him like a wayward lightning bolt, and within an instant he could feel the walls he'd been so carefully constructing slowly crumble into dust. Clasping his tongue between his teeth, he waited for the dust to settle before he anxiously composed a rebuttal. Reason had finally broken through his cluttered mind like sun through a dissipating storm cloud. Without thinking about it, he extended his arms and pulled her in to a tight embrace. I'rinae felt her ears fold as tears finally broke free from the corners of her eyes. They'd been hanging there for ages, waiting for the perfect moment to empty themselves into his cotton tunic. As he stood there holding her tightly, he heaved a heavy sigh before voicing his clarity. "Thank you.." he breathed, pausing briefly before continuing his train of thought. "You were right, I lost myself trying to protect you, and I'm sorry, Rin.." He held a gentle smile as he watched the miqo'te point her darkened nose up towards him, and was surprised to see her sharing the same smile with her face full of tears.

"Ahem.." A light knock at the door made them shoot apart as Marcelloix breached the threshold carrying a few maps with him. He took a moment to examine the room before worry set in that he'd possibly come at a bad time. "Pardon my intrusion, I just thought you needed to see this, Miss I'rinae.."

Stowing her emotions and wiping her face clean, I'rinae acknowledged his request and invited him to the desk that still lay buried in books. Though unsure of his presence, Marcelloix took a seat and spread the maps, pointing to an obscure place nestled in the far eastern part of Coerthas Western Highlands by the name of Hemlock. "If I recall correctly, Hemlock was a logging town, duly named for its abundance of thick fur trees–but since the calamity hit, it's something of a frozen ghost town.." Taking a moment to rummage through his pocket, he pulled out the piece of linen scrap to affirm his guess. "No longer the 'emerald of the north', I'm afraid..but I'm fairly certain this is what it's referring to.." The lack of enthusiasm paired with the unsettling silence stirred the elezen in a way that plucked at his nerves. Sharing a glance between the miqo'te and the dragoon, he quickly gathered that he needed to keep this meeting as brief as possible. A feat that was easier said than done, as he had some reservations about this particular portal as well as its ominous message. Despite his disquiet, he attempted to clear the air once more and climbed to his feet. "I suggest we get a good night's sleep and clear our heads, so we can leave at dawn..we're going to need all the strength we can muster.." His conscience cried out against his decision to leave the situation as is. Departing from the room after swimming through the thick tension that crowded it, he took up the linen scrap once more and glanced at the rest of the message with a fermented sigh. "I hope we're ready for this.."

Through wind and ice, the group made their way towards the small town of Hemlock, or at least what was left of it. Pulling the cloak closer to her features, I'rinae fought against the howling winds as she dismounted from Lox. As unprepared as she was for the thick bed of ice she landed on, so too was the realization that Marcelloix wasn't joking about the place being a literal ghost town. Save for a few wandering archaeornis, the area between the three buildings sat eerily still. The thick icicles adorning the gutters and entry ways added to the creepy vibe that hung about the place. It was as if it'd been frozen in time, but right after a wide panic, as there were pieces of lumber and canvas littering the ground. The main door to the northernmost building had been barricaded with winters upon winters of snow and ice, forever sealing its contents from the outside world. The scene didn't look promising at all, and the shifting shadows told them time was still ticking. Risa was the first to take notice of this, and made an effort to press on with their search party. "Well then, shall we?" she said, walking over to one of the buildings and bursting through the double doors with a firm, solid kick.

I'rinae winced at the shattering sound as it echoed out into the wintry abyss, choosing to stick close to Al'kir as he fought to wrench open the doors of the northeastern building with the blunt end of his spear. It took some convincing on Marcelloix's part in order to have Kyros climb through the window of the building that had been nearly buried in snow. Hoisting the reluctant lalafell up on his shoulders, he and the carbuncle made their way in through a broken window to search the northermost building. All their bases had been covered, and it wasn't long until they heard a shout from Kyros that he'd found the well house. Step one was complete, and all they needed to do now was to get everyone inside. Skating along the perimeter, I'rinae spotted a window that was closer to the ground and relayed the message to Kyros to unhinge the latch. They'd carefully climbed in one by one, with I'rinae offering an apologetic look towards Lox at the sound of his concerned chirping as he watched his master disappear from sight along with the others. Hands latched around her midsection to lower her steadily into the room. The creaking of rotting wood made them weary to not stir too much til they reached the bottom floor. All five of them circled the well, staring down its gaping maw at the darkness that seemed to stretch for malms. Kyros collected a pebble from the floor and tossed it down into the dark, awaiting a splash that remarkably never came. "Woo, quite a long ways down, 'hat is..so who's goin'?" The lalafell took a moment to realize that everyone, even the smug carbuncle, had been staring at him as if answering his question. "Ow' piss!"

"I be'er be gettin' tits outta this!" Kyros growled, as he was fit into the bucket that hung down from the post. His bickering could be heard reverberating off the walls and out, amplified by the stillness of the atmosphere. "A fortnight's worth o'a wench, a' the very least! Hells, I'd e'en wager a peek at 'hose miqo'te tatas if you girls'd pay nary a mind.." A sudden gasp from I'rinae had caused the lalafell to chuckle to himself, followed by a yelp as he began to fall rapidly for a few fulms before being slung into the bottom of the moss-stricken bucket. Al'kir couldn't hide the smile that twisted his lips, calling down the billowing hole. "Sorry, slip of a hand.." he jeered, continuing to turn the crank slow and steady as to lower their tiny friend down safely, much to his loud and frequent displeasure.

After a long period of griping and waiting, they were soon staring at the chest to the sixth portal. It wasn't until they were standing in silence that I'rinae recognized the strange growling noise coming from the well. It resembled the ailing stomach of a large famished beast, at which point her curiosity forced her to voice her thoughts. "It sounds like something big and hungry lives down there, but if that were the case we would be down a person.." The few of them fought back a chuckle as the lalafell narrowed his eyes towards the miqo'te, adjusting his hat and turning towards the chest in order to ignore her jest. The only one not amused by her banter stood with his arms crossed tightly over his chest, his face painted in a dreadful shade of worry. "You okay, Marce?"

Startled by the sudden mention of his name, Marcelloix had been snatched from the nightmare unfolding in his own head. Replacing his worry with a forced smile, it did little to put her concern to rest. "Trust me, my dear...you shan't know how welcome that would be over what might be waiting in that chamber.." Realizing his grim message had tanked the morale of the group, he nodded towards Kyros in order to get the ball rolling again.

The tiny bard shrugged off his warning and tossed the lid open, revealing the portal in all its shining blue glory. As they stepped into it, Marcelloix hesitated as he stood the last to enter. A soft coo from his carbuncle called his attention to its growing concern, its dark eyes pointed towards him in an effort to understand its master's vacillation. Heaving a deep sigh, he gathered his tiny glowing companion and entered the portal. He could only hope this portal wouldn't serve to be their last, and that the chimera mentioned in the clue referred to the haunting sound of the wind whipping through the tiny space rather than the actual beast of lore.

The chamber was similar to the last, with a lone iron gate holding their only foe. A metallic clang signaled the opening of the gate, and as it rose, a menacing rumble filled the small space. Their foe stepped forward, holding its regal snout high as its spindle-shaped tail floated daintily behind it. Two heads joined to its body towered over the group, one of them being a goat and the other resembling a dragon, and all six eyes fixated on its prey before letting out a vicious roar. The five of them broke apart when the beast started charging towards the middle of the chamber, each massive paw shaking the foundation and rattling the old stones. Its attention settled on the dragoon, pawing and thrashing in an attempt to catch its fleeting prey. Marcelloix hung back around its haunches, instructing his carbuncle to remain by his side as he tried not to venture too far away from I'rinae. He'd hoped the stories he'd heard of the beast remained myth, lulling himself into a temporary sense of security as he watched it paw at Al'kir like an irate feline chasing a mouse. However, he soon realized his own fears coming to life as the goat head turned, its eyes lighting up in a brilliant azure hue as bright as the portal itself. "Look out!" he exclaimed, his hand whipping towards I'rinae and snagging a firm grip around her arm before yanking her out of range. It had happened so fast he barely had enough time to comprehend its existence, but they'd made it out in the nick of time. The same couldn't be said for Kyros and Al'kir, who'd been frozen in place by the goat's menacing glare.

The beast had lost interest in the dragoon's statue, rounding on the three that were left standing unharmed. Clapping her fists together, Risa bounded back and forth on the balls of her feet and grinned. "Alright, he wants to play rough..I'm game.." A powerful kick landed against the monstrosity's rib cage as Risa lured it to the other side of the room and away from their frozen comrades. As I'rinae prepared a cleansing spell, she was interrupted by Marcelloix flinging out a hand to stop her. "It won't work.."

"I..I don't..What to I do?" she asked, panic claiming dominion over her voice as she fought to stay calm.

Marcelloix flipped wildly through the tome that served as his guide and weapon, studying each page until he fell upon what he needed. Motioning for her to stand near him, he began sifting through the words and diagrams while regulating the healer's growing dismay. "Regenerative magicks should suffice, but most importantly I'll need you to stay calm and follow exactly what I say. Understood?" Her eager affirmation gave him the confidence he needed in knowing that their chances of turning out victorious were fairly solid. With the beast's attention falling to Risa, it gave him ample time to conjure more rigorous spells, with an array of colors shooting forth from the pages of his tome. I'rinae focused her healing on their frozen comrades, as well as making sure Risa stayed in peak physical condition to dodge as many attacks as possible while landing some punishing punches in rebuttal. The battle dragged on, but things remained steady. When the dragon head hissed and began to glow, she followed Marcelloix's instructions exactly to avoid a nasty ring of lightning that lit up the entirety of the room in a dazzling display of white and purple. A familiar noise alerted her that their time was running dangerously short. The chamber would soon be filling with water, and despite their foe taking a significant amount of damage, it had only just begun to slow down. I'rinae had been so fixated on healing that she hadn't noticed the gleaming purple aura that now enveloped Marcelloix. The spells that launched from his tome grew more vivid with the impact amplifying, causing the chimera to rear and howl in pain. As effective as his attacks became, it had soon earned him the beast's full attention as it slowly turned to face the older elezen and his glowing companion. "We're going to have to hurry this along, my friend!" he shouted, as he shifted into full concentration while channeling his aether. I'rinae flipped through her cards, drawing the Bole and tossing it into the air to see it dissipate into ash. Drawing another card, she was relieved to see the glowing rays of the sun before she threw it towards the ground at Marcelloix's feet. A powerful aura spread from the impact and coursed through his body, yet he kept his concentration despite the creature moving closer. Water had started spewing from the pipes that adorned the sides of the chamber. In an effort to buy him more time, I'rinae placed her barrier around them, feeling the force of the water beat against it while their foe pawed at it furiously. "Move it along, Marce!" Risa growled from across the room, fighting against the rushing torrent of water that slowly filled the chamber. She could feel the aether being slowly sapped from her but held strong, tightening her focus. It wasn't long until Marcelloix clapped his palm against the middle of his tome, calling forth a concentrated beam of light so intense that their foe had been reduced to nothing but a pile of ash that silently dissolved and mixed with the churning water. Al'kir and Kyros, having been thawed by the blazing potency of his spell, stood in awe at the display of sheer power demonstrated by their own comrade before Risa pulled them back into the present. Handing the key off to I'rinae, she gathered the scrap from the slightly charred chest, and they'd swiftly made their way back into the cold loneliness of the well house.

The three of them congratulated Marcelloix on his quick wit and amazing ability, with the older elezen still struggling to form coherent words. Risa even added in to the gloating with a roused smile. "I didn't think I'd ever see another successful Deathflare, especially nothing of that caliber.." she said, slapping the hunched over elezen across the back. As he steadied himself, words had fully escaped him as he finally collapsed. While the others froze with panic, Risa let out a small sigh and started rummaging through her pack. "Mm, I figured as much..he had to exert a significant amount of aether to achieve something that impressive.."

I'rinae hadn't been too far off from suffering the same fate, but seeing Marcelloix topple over so suddenly ignited a wave of alarm that caused her to run to his side. Feeling the subtle creeping of helplessness settle into her heart, she turned towards Risa after checking to see if he was still breathing. "Is he going to be okay?" Despite the frenzy that took over her nerves, the sight of Risa calmly pulling things from her pack had strangely put her at ease.

The seasoned miqo'te rejoined the passed out elezen and brushed his frantic companion from his chest before sliding him into a few blankets, balling up one of them to prop his head up in order to feed him. "He will be fine..he just needs rest, and so do you, from the looks of it.." Risa cupped a hand to I'rinae's face and slid her thumb across her cheek, examining the color in her skin. "He's too weak to travel, so we will be staying here for the night.." After making him as comfortable as possible, she'd started preparing dinner.

The welcomed aroma of vegetable stew had made the desolate space more inviting, as well as serving as a guard to the harsh winter that tore at the windows on the second floor. The fire was enough to warm the place without drowning them in smoke, and provided the right amenities to get a restful sleep. Too restful, in fact, as the five of them lingered in such a deep sleep that they didn't hear the crunching of snow under thick metal sabatons. Greifix hoisted himself up to peer into the window, spotting the miqo'te girl instantly through the decaying wood floor. "Over here, I found 'em!" he whispered, calling his accomplice over to help him inside. "Hurry up and grab your rag, we're burnin' moonlight!" Pulling out a small bottle, he quickly doused their rags in a highly potent, fast acting sleeping draught before they continued making their way down to the first floor. A hand cupped over the dragoon's face with little resistance, and they began carrying his body out to their waiting chocobos. Greifix climbed back in to fetch the other package that lay sound asleep next to where the dragoon once was. As he inched closer to her comatose body, he couldn't help but feel a slight tinge of hesitation before he cupped the soaked rag to her face. Quickly shaking the fleeting thoughts from his head, he forced the rag over her face as a drop of guilt slid down his forehead. Gathering her body in both arms, he made his escape with the two while heading towards the watchtower turned tomb, the Dusk Vigil.

Diamond winds carved into their armor as the two men swooped low through the ruins of what once stood as the most advantageous fort to combat the threat of the horde. The permafrost that claimed the place had warped it into a decayed, frozen husk of what it once was, with all sorts of wild rumors fueling enough dread that no one dared go near it. One of those stories brushed his mind as they dipped through the treacherous mountain peaks. It was a story that was always passed around during the first few weeks of training in order to scare new recruits, but that didn't result in it being any less morbid. Tales of Durendaire knights going mad, eating each other, curdling their righteous souls and turning them into mindless hungry thralls with vacant eyes and hardened gray skin. He'd figured most of it came from the ale, but there was an odd chill about the place that made him doubt his skepticism. Drifting over what used to be the barracks, he tugged at the reigns and turned to his partner. "Toss him somewhere past the Lord Commander's chambers, I'll deal with the bitch.." As his partner flew off with the dragoon draped over the back of his chocobo, Greifix lowered them steadily into the darkest part of the old barracks. No sign of life save for a burning blue flame that gave off an odd aura, he hopped off the bird and pulled her limp body into his arms, placing her against the wall. She was still out cold, with her hair fluttering in the passing chill that whispered through the halls. The light from the flickering flame painted everything in a light blue hue, creating the illusion that the very stones were made entirely of ice. An eerie feeling tickled his spine as he got the sensation something was watching him, quickly shrugging it off and forcing more adrenaline through his veins. Her lifeless, helpless form called to him as his eyes drifted down her body, with her breasts calling to him. He could do anything he wanted to her, then leave her to freeze to death. The more he thought on it, the memory of her jumping in to stop that spear from piercing his skull played repeatedly through his mind. A noise behind him brought him back to reality, and he began stepping away from the miqo'te. "I..I'm sorry.." he murmured, taking another step back as the shuffling noise behind him jolted him in a way that spooked his bird. In a frantic fit of black feathers, the chocobo took off towards the skies leaving them stranded in the dark. The shuffling grew more frequent, albeit at a glance he couldn't see anything. Wrenching the torch from the wall, he made his way towards the Lord Commander's chamber, only turning the corner to find the source of the shuffling. A knight sporting the Durendaire crest turned towards him, fingers outstretched and mouth hanging open with a cold, vacant expression. The torch soon gave light to the more gruesome details of their fate, illuminating the face to show half of it completely absent as though it had been shattered like glass. This small inconvenience didn't stop its hungry groans as it shuffled towards him causing him to shriek and turn, dashing down the hallway and barreling through the double doors that waited at the end, emptying into the storage rooms. As he pushed his way through more shambling horrors, he stopped in his tracks to take in the most fearsome of the group towering over the rest and staring him down with blaring fiery orbs. A twisted, sinister cracking noise echoed through groaning and muffled scrapes of boots against stone as the thing started towards him with sword in hand. Small flakes of ice drifted from its armor, the bloodlust in its deadpan gaze void of any emotion other than carnage and sin. Raising the sword, the lord-turned-demon slid his blade through his prey so that his knights could feast once more, cutting short his blood curdling cry. The chamber reclaimed its haunting silence, leaving half of the cooling carcass to fester and rot as the monster that was once Ser Yuhelmeric dragged the other half of his prize back to his quarters by its entrails.

A passing gelid draft was enough to stir the miqo'te from her deep slumber, as she awoke startled to find nothing but darkness and the encroaching feeling of utter loneliness. Attempting to warm her arms with her hands, she steadied herself on her feet and decided to explore her surroundings. The chattering of her teeth resounded through the empty halls. The cold had settled into her bones, chilling her to the core. Bright blue torches lit the small corridor, as well as some gruesome scenes that decorated every other wall and corner. Hanging bones and permafrost bodies impaled by gigantic ice spikes lined the walls, rousing a horrified gasp from her. I'rinae closed her eyes and bolted past the atrocities that lined the walls, passing the double doors at the end of the hallway and freezing once she recognized a familiar silhouette in the distance. A wave a relief coursed through her as she approached the silhouette, disregarding the fact that she couldn't see their face. "Oh thank the Twelve! I was worried they weren't going to send a search party, I'm..em.." Her short burst of enthusiasm began to die fast as the figure entered the light. The first alert going through her mind was the lack of breath, as she could very visibly see her own breath with every word she spoke. I'rinae recognized the crest on the shield instantly, the decorative golden bell surrounded in deep crimson belonged to house Durendaire. She'd stopped just a few ilms from the stranger, feeling that false sense of security melt away when she'd gotten a full glimpse of them. Parts of the hands and face were covered in deep, black spots while the rest held no life whatsoever, carrying an unsettling pale tone. Its face had sunken in, and the sockets that once held eyes were now hollow, darkened pockets of emptiness. Crackling fingers turned towards the miqo'te, pawing and clawing at her hungrily as it shambled forward. Cupping a hand to her mouth, I'rinae tried to fight the urge to scream and instead made a slow and stable retreat while remaining fixated on the poor creature. When she'd gotten a fair distance, she'd turned to face another corridor that lay towards the east, but stopped when her foot had nearly slipped out from under her. A brief pause and a quick look down revealed the fresh remains of her captor stewing in a cooling pool of his own blood with his lower half missing. Unable to keep her composure any longer, she let out a scream that shook the rafters as her fear amplified and pierced the silence, reaching all the way to the other side of the Lord Commander's chamber where Al'kir sat contemplating his options and devising means of escape.

The dragoon had spent a fair amount of time laying low quite a few shambling horrors, and he was sure the deeper he ventured into the corridors, the more he'd find waiting in the dark. They were weak enough that he could handle a few of them, but had he been surrounded, things would've played out differently. His acute duskwight hearing caught wind of another scream, though faint against the howling winds to his back, calling his attention to the deeper parts of the tower. This one sounded more feminine, however, which incited a sudden sense of panic that shot through his legs. Something told him if he were here, I'rinae wasn't too far behind, and the scream only solidified his growing fears that she might be in danger. Slamming into the large ornate doors, he burst through at a full sprint and crossed the Lord Commander's chamber, slowing down once he reached the storage room. A large pool of blood lay just out of sight, and a strong sense of dread tore at his gut as he crept closer. At first glance he could tell it wasn't her, at which point he exhaled a sigh of relief. The fear that clung to his heart still held a firm grasp despite this realization, as she was still missing and no where to be seen. Taking a few steps further into the room, he emitted a sound he wasn't quite proud of as a hand reached out and latched itself around his ankle. Before retrieving his spear, he noticed a pair of golden eyes staring up at him from under a few stacked ammunition crates. "Rin?! Rin, you nearly gave me a heart attack!" he roared, using a hand to wipe the lingering trepidation from his brow.

"SHHH! It will hear you!" I'rinae retorted, yanking at his armor in an effort to pull him into the hiding space with her.

Al'kir furrowed his brow, brushing her warning aside and holding out a hand to pull her from the dusty nook she wedged herself in. "You're safe now, those things are no match against a well-versed spear.."

As she slowly climbed to her feet, she turned towards the room he'd just come from and pointed to the huge hulking humanoid staring them down with menacing red eyes. "Not those, him.." The thing stood taller than any man she'd ever seen, with skin as black as night and piercing eyes that seemed to radiate with an insatiable hatred. Donning his spear, Al'kir retraced his steps back into the room with I'rinae close to his heels, stopping just a few fulms away from the hulking monstrosity. With her ears flattening, the miqo'te conjured up the courage to ask the question that had been playing on her mind ever since she first encountered the giant. "W-what is it, Al?" Corralling the miqo'te behind him, he took in a large gulp before he admitted the reality of their situation. "That is what's left of Ser Yuhelmeric de Durendaire, and he's standing in front of our exit.." As he said this, a growl erupted from the creature that evolved into a bone-chilling howl. Brandishing its sword, it clapped the bright glowing blade against its frosted shield and started rounding on the two to signal the battle had begun. With a mighty overhead swing, the sword slammed down like a hammer as Al'kir winced at the force of the blow, catching it by the hilt of his spear. It followed up with a side swing and growled when the dragoon countered it, and retaliated with a leg sweep. Each attack incited a panic in I'rinae that caused her to cry out in fear, which served as a minor distraction. To make matters worse, a few of Yuhelmeric's half-eaten, frostbitten men were shuffling towards the fray to join in. This wasn't going to work, and so Al'kir had to quickly come up with a plan that didn't involve them becoming dinner. A number of bodies littered the chamber, as well as a few pillars. A swift sweep of the room told him one of the pillars near the doors that lay to the north looked weak enough to topple. Playing out the plan in his mind while catching the sword blow for blow, he began to relay it to I'rinae carefully and calmly. "Rin..when I say so, I want you to make a mad dash towards those double doors leading to the balcony..I'll be right behind you, I promise.." He didn't need to look at her to know the growing hesitation in her heart as she stayed frozen in fear. Much to his surprise, he heard her utter a response in compliance with his plan and prepared to run faster than she'd ever moved in her life. As the thralls closed in on their rear, Yuhelmeric was moving towards their flank, which gave him the perfect time to send her off. "Now!"

The distraction provided enough time for him to jump, vaulting off the knight and soaring towards the weakened pillar. Aiming for its rocky face, Al'kir clung to it before leaping off and tailing the miqo'te as he promised. With the both of them propped against the other side of the door and away from harm, he waited to hear the thundering crash of stone against stone, a sound he thought he'd never be wishing for. The collapse crunched against the doors as the shockwave caused them to bow slightly, but it had worked as planned. As an extra precaution, Al'kir wrenched one of the stone halberds from the statues that decorated the walkway and slid it through the handles to give them further peace of mind. It wouldn't hold them forever, but it would serve long enough for them to find a way out – if they found a way out.

The blizzard had grown more fierce, and the altitude made matters worse. The darkening skies announced the coming of night, and soon they would be trapped, cold, and sunless. Taking a moment to examine the miqo'te, he'd noticed early signs of frostbite setting in as her lips and skin no longer held their warm caramel glow. Fighting to remain optimistic, he kept his brave face and pushed onward, motioning for her to follow. "If we can make it to the cathedral, we might have better shelter.." He tried to mask the worry that hung heavy in his words, unsure of how much more she could take. As they made their way across the windswept walkway that overlooked the mountain peaks, a forceful wind tossed her against the wall like a rag doll. While battling a coughing fit, she called out to him for help, struggling to gain control of her voice as ice slowly seeped into her veins. The dragoon ran back to gather her, pulling her into his arms and taking one more look at the pathway that led to another corridor. Another look at her paling skin told him she wasn't going to make it. Settling with the broken down arms room, he found a corner farthest away from the open balcony and squeezed in as close as he could to the wall. Pulling off his leather coat, he draped it over her and attempted to warm her hands with his breath while enclosing himself around her as tightly as possible. In an effort to lighten the mood, Al'kir cracked a smile as memories soon resurfaced of a scenario similar to this. "This seems familiar.." he chuckled, his smile fading into worry as her eyes fluttered open. The temperature was dropping, and soon they'd be void of sunlight. Their only hope stood on the small chance that someone might know where they are and come searching, but I'rinae was running short on time. Her lips had faded into a deep shade of blue, and her skin felt like ice. As they sat listening to the whipping winds, I'rinae let out a small sigh before voicing her thoughts between her chattering teeth. "We're going to die, aren't we.."

Al'kir's face drifted towards the chipped, dirty stone floor, wondering what he could possibly say to keep her spirits up. In all honesty, he wasn't sure what their fate would hold, but it didn't look too bright from this perspective. A thought soon dawned on him that he'd yet to address since their argument, and felt it as best a time as any. Pointing his nose towards her, he pulled a hand up to her face to cradle her against him, using his thumb to glide across her cheek. "Rin..you remember the stars I showed you?"

"Mhm.." she murmured as fatigue gradually swallowed what was left of her conscious thought.

"We're gonna go see those again, I'll take you back..just you and me.." The dragoon pulled her closer, no longer able to hold back the warm tears that slipped from the corners of his eyes. The thought of losing her stabbed at him in such a way that it broke his resolve.

As the droplets fell against her paling cheeks, she stirred to look up at him holding the same stern face he'd always held, despite the world crumbling around him. "That..sounds..nice.." A delicate smile cracked her blue, shaking lips.

A thumb traced the outline of her face as Al'kir moved in to plant a kiss against her lips, hoping the gesture would be enough to fuel some color back into her.

"Hells, if it takes a near death experience for you two to finally kiss, I'd hate to see what the honeymoon will look like.." The routine banter sent a jolt through him as he fought to comprehend the likelihood of this fortune, watching as Risa hopped off Lox and walked towards them with a blanket. Had he not been so shaken with muscle strain and frost, he'd swear this was some cruel mirage after they'd both slipped slowly into madness. As they handed off the bundled up miqo'te to Marcelloix, Risa returned his coat and a little pack that struck an odd resemblance to the one he'd lost a while back. The dragoon stood there, mouth agape, as the others took off towards Ishgard and left the two to converse. Though, Al'kir was unsure whether to be upset or thankful while rejoining the pack with the rest of his garb. "Good thing I stole that, really..we would've never found you two otherwise, and by the looks of it, we got here just in time.."

"Y-yeah.." That was all he could manage to say in response. Before he could thank her, she'd taken off and left him with Lox who patiently awaited his master. The serendipity of it all was astounding, yet he wasn't one to doubt luck. Mounting Lox, he took off and caught up to the rest of them as they braved the ongoing blizzard to rush their young miqo'te towards a warm bed.