Disclaimer: I do not own FFXIV nor Heavensward, or several of the characters mentioned in this story, or the FC featured.

Dinner was about to be served when Pax and Disco returned along with Honora trailing behind them.

Behind him stood a guard, Ragnar watched as Pax was placed back in his cell. The man had given Ragnar his greatsword to keep for the night, in his hands he could feel its heavy weight, Pax had his cuffs removed and then had his arms against the cell to prop himself.

"So I'm back to being in here again?" Pax asked, he feigned being hurt as he wore his smug smile. "I swear, Sidurgu worked wonders on me...helped the voices be nothing but whispers, I never felt so in control until now."

"Aisling's orders. We're under his roof and in the home of his father, friend," Ragnar answered, though he felt much more calmer with the old Pax returned. "Maybe if you're a good boy, prove to him that you are no longer touched in the head, he will let you have a much more comfier bed."

Pax softly laughed under his breath and pulled away from the bar, he went to sit on the bed.

"How did he tame you?"

"Tame me...it was simple, down to the basic instinct for me," Pax said conversationally,"he took me out hunting for bears. Finding them beckoned me to fight, to...to kill, just like any other hunter, and I tasted blood of the battlefield. I fought and killed until the snow ran red, the darkest red, and upon felling my last bear, I stood there, silence was all I heard."

He took a deep breath.

"I never felt more at peace than being out there."

"Tis a strange technique but I will not argue against it," Ragnar surmised. "Whenever the Darkness took a hold of you, all you ever wanted was destruction. You simply needed a way to satiate it."

"Fighting is what I had been doing all my life, Ragnar, to do it to keep my sanity, it is natural for me."

"It's natural to all of us, friend..."

-...-

In the morning Ragnar decided to open his window to let the air in and the stench of fogweed rove out of the room. He breathed in the fresh, snowy air before his attention was drawn to see Aisling down in a training ground three floors below him. He leaned against the window sill as he saw the Elezen fighting fiercely with a dummy, piercing it with such accuracy that there were no flaws.

Behind Aisling were seven Dragoons, the same ones from three days ago who had fought with him in Coerthas. Some sat around, others watched, Aisling was shirtless, surely he wanted freedom to move for the time being.

"You showing off to your squad?" Ragnar teased, his laughter booming through the training ground.

A chorus followed from his squad as Aisling ceased and looked up at him. "And you are finally awake! Come down, we've been waiting!"

He saw Disco walk into view, she turned and saw him, she waved at him with a wide grin on her face- in the other hand she held long, white ribbons. Following her, escorted by three guards, was Pax- he looked relieved to be outside to see the light of day, his tail waved in happiness. Ragnar grew only slightly concerned but perhaps Aisling saw a chance for Pax to be finally released.

Ragnar pulled away from the window and closed it, he fetched his robes and threw them on, his boots were slipped into quite easily and his monocle was grabbed. Taking a quick gander at the mirror, he found himself dressed well though he noticed that he was beginning to grow a beard. Time in the cold made it hard to want to shave and so he decided to keep it for now.

With his staff at hand, he made a brisk walk down the hallway.

Once reaching the others, he went to Pax and examined him, asking,"Aisling let you out?"

"I did," Disco confessed,"I struck a deal with Aisling, so long as he has three guards escorting him and no weapon."

"Hm..."

"Sorry 'bout the eye, Ragnar," Pax said.

"You owe me for that one," he scoffed, he reached ahead and offered his hand- in turn, Pax took it and they grabbed each other's wrists. Much to his relief, nothing happened, he nodded. "Good, no leaks of Aether-"

"Ragnar," Aisling called to him, Ragnar finally turned his attention to him by approaching him. Closer inspection showed that Aisling had numerous scars upon his body, long ones, burns, pierced skin, it was the body of a hardened soldier. "You ready to set a few men on fire?"

"Pardon?" Ragnar inquired, he was taken aback slightly.

Before Aisling can speak, Disco's voice rang through the place, she said firmly,"You lot, I understand from Aisling that you are one of Ishgard's finest Dragoons. You may be curious as to why he had gathered you all today and that is because of myself-"

"Sir, is this woman-?"

Sharply, Aisling hissed,"Gregor, still your tongue."

"Sorry, Sir."

"-I had him gather you because I am on a hunt. A long, long hunt that's been overdue in collecting," Disco continued, she stood before him- it was almost laughable considering that the entire squadron towered over her so easily. Their armor did not help in size as she stared up at each of them. "It is not mandatory but it does require your expertise. While I know you have all been hunting dragons for years, this one I need dead is different than anything I'd seen.

"Yes, it is a dragon I need slain, but it has been alive for over a millennium, same as the ones you have encountered. As it had been modified by the Allagans, it has powers that most should not have. That is what makes my enemy so special. I have no doubt in your prowess but I need to make sure I pick the best of the best. Two will be selected, the rest will be stationed here to maintain the safety of the city."

At this, Aisling added,"This here is a close friend of mine, I will be fighting alongside and I expect two of you to stay with me."

"Yes, Sir," they said in unison.

"In preparation for the fight, I wish to see how well you can withstand flames, she uses more than the common dragon," Disco went on,"Ragnar will help with us on this."

She nodded to him and Ragnar's eyes widened, he pointed at himself dumbly and mouthed,"Me?", to which her unyielding stare confirmed.

Ragnar hesitated for a moment, he held his staff but remained quiet. Aisling approached him and murmured,"Their armor keeps them safe to an extent, plus, they had a fair share of a dragon's breath."

He gripped tighter on his staff before picking one of them, Sebastian he thought. He pointed to him and the others moved away, within seconds he was chanting and then suddenly pelting Sebastian with Fires for a few minutes- the Dragoon never flinched through a single attack, he merely stood there, strong and unfazed. He had to give him an applaud for his strength when he saw his armor slightly steaming.

"It hurt not once," Sebastian said, the next one came after, and the next, and the next.

And soon they narrowed their choice down to five- two of them called out for a ceasefire. Immediately they were taken to the infirmary to treat their wounds.

The last few stood there at the ready for the next evaluation.

Disco scrutinized each of them, looking head to toe, before clearing her throat and presenting two, white ribbons in her hand. After they saw it, she took two arrows and tied one to each, she notched one and aimed high towards the highest tower in the city. Ragnar could no longer see it but he knew that Disco's eyes were sharper than anyone he had ever known.

He squinted at it as she fired another, it disappeared.

"I have launched two arrows with those ribbons," she explained,"retrieve them and return- you shall be pitted against one another. Those who have the ribbon handed to me will come with us."

"And to make it more interesting, I shall be fighting each of you," Aisling added.

The Dragoons seemed a tad reluctant but they complied.

"On count of three!" Disco exclaimed.

They prepared to make their great leaps though Aisling stayed relaxed.

"One..."

Ragnar looked at every one of them, something was off.

"...two."

He noticed one of them was a woman.

"Three!"

And then they were gone.

Aisling followed shortly after to give them a head start- they all were graceful in the air as they fought and scaled the walls and towers. Every so often they heard the strikes of pole arms, he kept his eye on the woman as she deftly dodged Aisling with such ease that he had to back off from her.

"This is not right," Ragnar said distantly as he stared at her. She landed against a wall to push herself off. "Disco?"

"I see it too," she murmured.

Pax spoke up,"What is it?"

"One of them is with child."

"What?" Pax said louder in disbelief.

Ragnar shook his head.

They remained silent as they disappeared completely into the skies. He paced around- he did not remember seeing this Dragoon the other day. She may have been off duty the day of the hunt. Either that or she sneaked in. It was strange to say the least but for now, they would have to go through with the test. Half an hour passed before a dot came from the sky.

It advanced closer, faster, until the Dragoon landed on the earth with ease. In his hand was one of the arrows with the ribbon on it. He presented it to Disco, she smiled warmly and said,"Good work...um?"

"Sebastion, ma'am," he said as he took off his helmet.

A few seconds pass before the other four came tearing down, each of them landing with gasps and labored breaths. One even quipped,"By Halone, Sebastian, swift as ever!"

"Where is she?" Ragnar asked.

Aisling was given a canteen of water from one of his servants, he drank heavily before the rest of the canteens were passed around. One of his men sat down on the floor as he removed his helm. Aisling wiped his mouth and curiously looked up. "Who?"

"The woman," he pressed on. He held his hand out to Disco and she handed him her telescope. He searched around but found nothing. "You know her?"

"What do you mean? There aren't women in my regimen," Aisling said, his voice held confusion as he looked back at his men. One, two...all three men were accounted for, he remembered clearly two were sent to the infirmary. The last must have been Nael. "Where is the last one-?"

"Right here, sir," a feminine voice called to him, Ragnar placed the glass down and turned to see a woman clad in the armor of a Dragoon calmly approach them. In her hand was an allow and the ribbon, he was shocked to see her sneak up on all of them. "I went around the back, if that is not a problem."

"Never knew women can be Dragoons," Pax commented, brow raised as he crossed his arms.

"Not often," Aisling murmured, he approached the Dragoon and examined her armor. "...this is Nael's armor."

"Nael?" Sebastian huffed. "Odd, no wonder he was quiet the entire time, it's not Nael in there, Sir!"

She did not move when Aisling reached for her helm, he seemed hesitant to do so. He pulled himself together and grabbed the helm by the jaw, he gently pulled it up and the woman's head shifted to accommodate. A stream of long, locks of gold came cascading down. Her eyes were of the purest blues that put the sky to shame, her face fairer than the ordinary woman Ragnar had seen.

She was taller though only an inch or so shorter than Aisling, the only mar upon her face were the stiff lips that made a straight line- determination.

"Lauren?" Aisling breathed.

"It's been a while, has it not?" She asked, she suddenly broke into a small laugh as she shook her head. "No letters, no visit, you didn't even tell me you were in Ishgard these passed few weeks."

Aisling seemed to fumble with his words,"I did make an effort to see you last time I was here, it's just that so much had happened-"

"Too brief for my tastes, Aisling, and you hardly made an effort as of late. I had to hunt you down through the ranks," she said briskly. She brought the arrow before his face. "I wish to partake in this mission. Nael was too drunk last night to take the test so I took his gear on his behalf, I do believe I earned my position, did I not?"

"Who is she?" Disco inquired, she grinned. "I like her attitude. Lauren, was it? Oh, Aisling, she's quite stealthy if you ask me, very well-suited for what I need to go against Twintania."

"She's...well, she's-"

"She's his wife, I take it," Ragnar blatantly concluded, Aisling nodded- it was not hard to see that. "It's not uncommon for nobles to have arranged marriages-"

"I'm not from an arranged marriage," Lauren corrected him. "With that aside, Sir Aisling, may I have permission to come along?"

Aisling was quick to answer,"No."

"No?" She was offended, her lip twitched. "I'm as qualified as the next man to travel with you and-"

"I said no," he repeated waved his hand and a servant was at his side, giving him his fur coat.

The presence of her irked Aisling, though if it were under different circumstances, he would have introduced her in a much more pleasing manner. He headed for the manor, she began to trail behind him closely.

"We will redo the test tomorrow morning," Aisling shouted over his shoulder,"and bring Nael, for Halone's sake!"

An argument began to heat up between the two when the doors opened; they slammed shut, leaving the others flabbergasted. Pax shuffled around as he clicked his tongue. "Not a very good marriage, I take it?"

"Oh, they were thick as thieves before," Sebastian began,"always on hunts together, always the first in the air. They worked well, everything he knows, he learned from her. No surprise that they got married so young.

"But when Sir Aisling was heavily injured after an attack in Coerthas, he was saved by Master Rhel'ir when Lady Lauren found the mage. There was a sense of owing his life to him, naturally he decided to travel. Unfortunately, it caused a rift between the two. She was left to stand guard and he went off to travel the world. You can see where her anger stems from."

"Suppose she must be safer here?" Pax asked. "She could be ordered to stay at home."

"Aye, though she is a stubborn woman," Gregor added. "I'd say she'd be better outside of Ishgard than here. Before Sir Aisling departed, he gave us explicit instructions to watch over her. It has been a few years since he properly stayed here longer than a day. My greatest guess, for any married man to know his wife is safe, is to keep her at home."

There was some sort of logic to this but then again, this was Aisling's personal matter. He decided to stay his tongue and not inquire any further about the situation. Regardless of the outcome, he just hoped that they could travel once more and head to Gridania at the very least to return what was lost to Rhel'ir.

"I'm with Pax on this one," Disco finally told him,"I think it best not to take her. Ragnar?"

He shook his head. "It's not my business-"

"It became yours and mine the moment we saw her. We have to tell him, else it wouldn't be fair. Would you like it to happen again?"

Without a second thought, Ragnar bolted for the door.