Chapter 20: Forbidden Knowledge
There was a soft wind hitting their faces as they cross through the wetter parts of the land, this next stretch seemed to be just as long, if not longer than when they first reached the Hinterlands. There were parts of the abandoned city that seemed to have flooded and become almost swampish… festering with morbiles and giant insects in the knee-deep water.
But Y'shtola barely paid them any noticed as she led the two of them down the overgrown pathway until they were slipping down a steep slope, finally reaching a set of waterlands from where the river had trailed through into these shallow pools. Alphinaud spotted the other half of the bridge that they couldn't cross over before and wondered for a moment just how much trouble they could have saved themselves had they been able to cross over before.
Well, no use complaining about it now, right? It worked out alright in the end.
They marched their way through thick mud as the water caused their clothes to stick to their legs and slow them down. Yet, with every step, Y'shtola was growing more and more confident that they were going in the right direction. As they slipped down further they were almost underneath the range of mountains, and along the way, they came across were groupings of… frogs?
"Sentinels," Y'shtola explained in a whisper as the abnormally large amphibians marched along on their own while carrying ranges of staffs around with them. "The Sharlayans enchanted normal frogs to act as servants and to perform minor tasks. But like with so many other things, they were left behind in the exodus. I guess they must have returned to being wild."
"So… they're not dangerous?" Alphinaud asked, though he couldn't honestly say that he actually believed his own words.
"On the contrary, I fear that they are very dangerous since they are still under those enchantments but are now feral… I think it best that we give them a wide berth," Y'shtola said seriously. "But we are almost there… it's just a little further ahead."
They continued to troop through the water, though he honestly had no idea what it was that they were supposed to be searching for. He just trusted that Y'shtola knew which way to go until they reached a particular part of the mountain where she suddenly stopped. He thought that she was going to ask for some rest… at least until he realized something very unusual about the place… the flowers and herbs that were growing out here seemed to be thriving, but not as if they were wild… someone has clearly been tending to them as if a garden.
When he pointed this out, Y'shtola only smiled mysteriously before she walked passed it all and headed straight to a point in the side of the mountain, feeling about it carefully before she seemed satisfied.
"This is the entrance," she said before she walked backed to them.
Alphinaud looked up to the wall again, but saw nothing but solid rock. He glanced at Claire, about to ask her if she could sense anything unusual, when he saw her raise her eyebrows at Y'shtola, as if she thought it was some kind of joke.
"…Hm?" Y'shtola asked when noticed this. "You seem unconvinced, Claire. Well, that will only add to the surprise. A word of warning before we proceed: stubborn geniuses make poor hosts, and time will have done naught to improve my master's temperament. Doubt not but that there will be sentinels and traps both to deter unwanted guests. But we'll not be deterred, will we? Go on and touch the wall yonder. You will want to have your weapon near at hand."
Claire just continued to look skeptical as Y'shtola asked in a teasing way, "What are you waiting for? Go on and touch the wall yonder."
Claire sighed as she did what she was told, and it seemed to him that Y'shtola seemed more interested in seeing her reaction than anything else.
"And, of course… she doesn't react at all…" Y'shtola said in disappointment. For no sooner did Claire touch the wall did several sentinels appeared out of nowhere and went charging at her, who held up her axe and swatted the frogs down as easily as flies. "At least I got a good reaction from you, Alphinaud."
Alphinaud blushed a little, for he had let out a cry of shock and jumped back as soon as the sentinels attacked. But Y'shtola just grinned back as they walked up to join with Claire, who looked back to see just what the point that was.
"Those sentinels may suffice to discourage the average trespasser, but not the Warrior of Light," Y'shtola said kindly. "The way should now be clear. Come, let us go and see my master."
She then held up her hand, and to his amazement the part of the rock slid right out of the way and opened up to reveal an entrance. They entered inside, and his first thought was that he had expected it to be a little more impressive than it to be literally the inside of a cave for someone to have taught Y'shtola everything she knew about magic.
The more he looked around, the more his eyes got used to the gloom. And he soon realized that there were several pieces of furniture scattered about, and piles of books stacked up in teetering towers. Even in this dim light he could see hundreds of those books piled all over the place, as well as several enchanted brooms sweeping about. Just then they heard an aged voice speak up grumpily from the darkness, "Don't you know it's rude to enter without knocking? Hmph, the youth of today ─ no manners at all..."
They saw a faint candlelight coming from a table where an old, hunched-over woman stepped out from behind, dressed in long sweeping robes and leaning on a weathered and gnarled cane that was not unlike its master.
Y'shtola was the first to step forward and offered rather bluntly, "Though we neglected to knock, we did create something of a commotion. I had hoped that would suffice."
The woman, whom Alphinaud could only conclude as Master Matoya gave Y'shtola a sharp look.
"Heavy-handed as ever, I see. And still not a hint of grace. Some things never change," she said in annoyance as Y'shtola shrugged a little with a shrewd smile on her face.
"To give credit where credit is due ─ I learned from the best," she said before she smiled widely and added, "It has been too long, Master Matoya."
At hearing her name, then the old woman smiled back, revealing several missing teeth.
"Indeed it has. It's good to see you again, my girl, and with your fiery spirit unquenched. But look at you ─ all grown up and womanly," she said and she sounded almost warm at that moment. That was when she looked behind Y'shtola to see him and Claire standing there as well. Her eyes lingered on Claire for just a moment before she looked straight at him and asked, "...The one there in the fancy duds ─ that's Louisoix's granddaughter, I take it?"
He heard Claire stifle a slight giggle next to him and he felt his face burn red before he said firmly, though with still respect in his tone, "Ahem. Grandson, begging your pardons." That was when he realized what she said and he asked, "You knew my grandfather, my lady?"
"…Knew him?" she asked with a slight cackle. "We were constantly at each other's throats! Like rabid dogs, we were! He was a stubborn bugger, was your grandfather. Never a dull moment when he was around, though, I'll give him that." She finished that last part just as fondly as she had spoken of Y'shtola before she added, "As for you, boy, I've known you since you were a rosy-cheeked babe at the teat."
Alphinaud had to choke back a laugh as he smiled.
"And my sister, too, I gather," he said knowingly. "May I say what an honor it is to meet you again, my lady."
Matoya rolled her eyes at his words.
"Spare me the hollow pleasantries, boy. I'll wager my remaining good teeth you didn't come to a forgotten corner of Eorzea to flirt with a wrinkly old woman," she cackled. "Now, out with it ─ what is it you need of me?"
So, they informed her of all that they had been up to. All about the Scions of the Seventh Dawn and their parts in it. When they mentioned how Claire had fought with them and done so much in their name, Master Matoya looked at her with the greatest amount of interest, like she was a tome written in an ancient text that she was trying to figure out.
They also informed her of their run from Ul'dah and how Y'shtola ended up lost in the Lifestream in their desperate haste to escape, and only recently joined with them again. Yet he couldn't help but notice how that Master Matoya was looking at Y'shtola's face with the gravest of concerns.
Finally, they told her about the archbishop's plans to find the island of Azys Lla after managing to steal the key. They had followed in Cid's airship all the way to the island… however, their greatest problem was that there was a barrier erected around the isle, and they couldn't get pass it without the risk of being torn to pieces. It was after that did they find Y'shtola again and it was she who suggested that they seek her out for her advice.
The whole time, Master Matoya stood there quietly as she let them talk, wearing that thoughtful expression on her face as she learned of all that had been happening in the outside world as of late.
"Azys Lla..." she said softly, once they finished. "I never thought I'd hear that name again..."
"You are familiar with it?" Y'shtola asked with surprise.
"As familiar as one can get from poring over musty old tomes," Master Matoya confessed darkly. "The Allagans set the isle afloat not long before the sun set on their empire. Old Louisoix and I often talked about it."
Alphinaud stepped forward, listening in very closely as they were finally about to get some real answers.
"The place is home to a research facility dedicated to finding ways of mastering mighty beings such as primals and dragons," Master Matoya answered. "And find ways it did, too ─ frightening ones. Such secrets as lie buried on Azys Lla aren't fit to see the light of day. And now you tell me a band of dragon-baiting primal-botherers are trying to dig them up!?"
"Indeed," Alphinaud answered, "And to make matters worse, the Ascians have a hand in their plot. They must be stopped, no matter the cost."
But still, he still could not understand why the archbishop would head there. If he intended to become a primal, why head to the one place where they could find a way to stop him? Ah, but maybe that was their reason… to stop them from finding a way to put an end to his plot? Or was there something else hidden on that floating isle that they were not aware of?
Master Matoya seemed to be thinking it all over for a time before she muttered, "I see." And at last she sighed, "Very well."
Y'shtola shrugged in disbelief.
"You will help us, then?" she asked, as if making sure that she heard right. "Truly? I had not anticipated such an impassioned response. Could it be that the presence of young blood has stirred your own?"
Master Matoya gave her an annoyed look. "Aye, some things never change... One day, that pertness is going to cost you your tail, my girl," she threatened. "Don't say I didn't warn you."
But still, she smiled at that before she cleared her throat and went on speaking.
"'Twas some fifty years ago, shortly after Garlemald had brought all of Ilsabard under its rule. Faced with the threat of invasion, the people of Sharlayan scrambled about for a means to resist the Empire," she explained life here before the exodus. "For my part, I was tasked with developing an aetheric converger."
"Ah, yes, a device which draws in aether and concentrates it to produce a destructive force," Y'shtola interrupted.
Master Matoya nodded grimly as she went on, with her tone growing more and more outraged with each second. "But as my research neared its end, it was denounced by the Forum, who claimed that my device was more likely to destroy us than our enemies."
She then smirked as if remembering a particular mischievous memory and added, "After that, they and I had a little falling-out, and I decided to seal away all the fruits of my research, lest the dunderheaded ingrates reap any benefit. Petty, I know, but gods, it was satisfying!"
Y'shtola looked like she might laugh.
"Do mine ears deceive? 'Twas you, was it not, who was so fond of saying that all knowledge exists to advance mankind? That how it is used depends on us?" she asked her smartly.
Master Matoya rolled her eyes at her.
"I don't remember," she said firmly before adding, "Perhaps." But when Y'shtola smirked at her, Master Matoya sighed before she snapped, "All right, yes, that was a pet phrase of mine. And that should give you a notion of how sick and tired I was of those spineless wretches of the Forum. All talk and no trousers, that lot. That's why I decided to remain behind rather than join the exodus."
For a moment, he almost felt like was talking to his grandfather again… though he did not use such colorful terms, Alphinaud could still remember how he used to talk about the Forum with such disappointment.
"You may have had your disagreements with my grandfather, but upon that point, your minds were as one," he said in amusement. And he could see where they were coming from. After all, they would have just left Eoreza fall to complete ruin if it were up to them… thankfully there were people like his grandfather and Master Matoya who knew better.
"With respect, Master ─ the fruits of your research should not be left to spoil," Y'shtola asked pleadingly, "Will you share with us the secrets of the aetheric converger?"
Master Matoya sighed, yet she did not sound angry as she said, "Aye, I will. All the information you need is contained in a tome I wrote on the subject. But you'll have to fetch it from the forbidden section of the Great Library."
The Great Library? Even back at the Studium, which was full of more books than any one person could read in a single lifetime, he had heard his teachers talk about the Great Library which dwarfed the one there. He could not believe that they had a chance to go there next.
Y'shtola, on the other hand, did not seem to share his excitement as she said, "You were not exaggerating when you said that you had sealed it away. Though the city is abandoned, the library's guardians are all but certain to remain." She looked to the two of them and said seriously, "We must needs cut a path through them. Come ─ let us away."
They agreed, and all three of them turned to leave, with him wondering just what the library would be like after being empty for so long. But they didn't even make it as far as the entrance when Master Matoya called, "Not so fast, you lot! Shtola and the boy are staying with me."
They stopped and looked back at her in surprised as she said, not even bothering to hide her amusement, "I need help to make new sentinels to replace the old ones you walloped. There'll be board and lodging, don't you worry, but know that you'll have to work for them. Hard. I'll have no sluggards in my house!"
And she was grinning evilly like she loved the thought of having someone new to boss around.
Alphinaud was about to say that he was sure that he could handle it, but when he saw her look sharply at him, he clammed up, knowing that now probably wasn't the best time to tell her otherwise.
"So… I'm the only one with your approval?" Claire asked her calmly.
"Oh, the Great Library's guardians shouldn't pose any difficulty for a hero like you," Master Matoya said without any concerns and a wave of her hand as if trying to shoo away the thought of any danger. "You'll hardly notice Shtola's absence. And the girl... boy ─ whatever ─ would only get in your way."
Alphinaud glared at her, but Master Matoya barely paid him any attention as she added, "But if it turns out you aren't up to the task... Well, then I'll know you can't be trusted with something as dangerous as an aetheric ram. Now, the library's entrance is locked tight. I'll loan you one of my servants to open it ─ the broom yonder."
She then pointed to one of the sweeping brooms before she barked, "...Well? What are you waiting for? Introduce yourself, girl!" And when Claire didn't move right away, Master Matoya added sharply, "Are you going to introduce yourself to that broom or not? No skin off my nose if you don't."
"Ah… alright…" Claire muttered awkwardly as she stepped over to where the broom was.
"Greetings, good madam," the broom spoke up, taking him and Claire both by surprise. "I am Broomsy, my lady's servant of some fifty years. May I say what an honor it is to serve you! I am given to understand you wish to enter the Great Gubal Library."
"Ah, yes," Claire said, and it was clear that she found it as strange as he did that she was talking to a broom.
"To find it, pray head east upon leaving this cave," Broomsy said. "The building will come into view shortly after you reach the collapsed bridge. I shall go on ahead and await you at the entrance. When your preparations are in order, pray come and meet me there. It will be my pleasure to unlock the door for you."
Well, at least it was happy to help them. Alphinaud watched how the broom went sweeping off towards the entrance before Claire looked back at them.
"The Great Library was more than just a repository for tomes; it also served as a center of research for countless fields of study," Y'shtola said to her with worry. "Fields such as the development of arcane entities, the fruits of which were employed as the library's sentinels. Be ever on your guard, Claire."
"Would that I could accompany you to the Great Library, but I sense it would be unwise to go against my lady's wishes," Alphinaud said resentfully. Oh, all the things that he could learn with just a small peek…? Then again, if he went, he suspected that if he did go, he would not wish to leave for at least a few days… time which they did not have.
"Rest assured, I mean to use my time here productively, gleaning all that I can from our learned host," he said, before he added bitterly under his breath. "Even if the old crone can't tell boy from girl..."
Luckily for him, Claire seemed to be the only one who heard those words.
"To be fair… you both look alike," she offered with a smile.
"What are you loitering around here for? Hurry up and fetch that book!" Matoya barked at Claire, who held up her hands, showing that she didn't want to start a fight before she silently followed after the Broomsy.
Matoya watched her go before she smirked a little.
"Well, what do you know?" she laughed harshly. "Someone who follows orders without complaint. Wish I had students that were that easy to deal with. Rather than some little girl who set her robes on fire when she first started working under me."
"You distracted me when I was trying to concentrate!" Y'shtola snapped back as Matoya cackled a little. "I can't believe that you still think that was my fault!"
As the two of them bickered, Alphinaud was given a little more time stare around about the cave and got a closer look at some of the tomes just lying about as if they couldn't have been cared less about. These books were priceless… yet it looked like they had been tossed aside like cheap romance novels… and he knew that if his professors from the Studium saw them like this, they would have had fits.
As for Master Matoya, she was not shy in putting them to work. It was hard work like she said, and he could not help but pity Y'shtola having to put up with all this on her own when she was first learning magic. He learned very quickly that when Master Matoya wanted something done, you do it… or she'll want to know the reason why. Alphinaud just kept his head down and worked until the broom called Broomsy reappeared at the end of the cave and came over to them.
"Mistress Claire had safely reached the Great Gubal Library," it said though he still had no idea how a broom could speak without a mouth. "I had unlocked the door and bade her good fortune in her search. She will return here when she is finished, my lady."
"I'm not worried," he said confidently before he realized that he had spoken up. "She has faced far worse in the past."
"Ha! Easy for someone to say when they aren't doing all the hard work," Master Matoya scolded and Alphinaud felt a little red in the cheeks once again before he looked back down at the complicated geometric symbols and graphs that he was supposed to be working on. "Luckily, this girl is more than capable of clearing out the library for you. If what you say is true and she's brought down at least eight different primals, I doubt the library will be much trouble for her to deal with."
"I've been wondering about that," Y'shtola said suddenly. "I did not think that you would have believed something like that with nothing but our word. I would have thought that you would have told us off for telling stories that one person could be so powerful."
"Even rumors are able to reach me here," Matoya answered briskly. "I've been hearing more than a few stories about a midlander Hyur girl who came out of nowhere and started saving the realm since she arrived. The moment she stepped into the cave I could sense that she has much power inside her. Great power that was carefully worked for a long time… something which you could have taken a few lessons in," she added to Y'shtola, whose now silvery eyes twitched a little in annoyance. "Such power the likes of which I have never seen before. Aye, I knew who she was the moment I sensed my sentinels being destroyed. I'm surprised that neither of you could sense it."
"Not everyone has such a gift with seeing aether as you do," Y'shtola reminded her calmly. "But I admit that the first time that I saw her, I could also sense that there was something different, though I cannot put my finger on just what it was. But, I agree that you are right. She has worked hard to become as strong as she is now. In fact, she's much stronger now than she was the last time I saw her in Ul'dah."
Y'shtola then looked over at him and added, "You as well, Alphinaud. I know I said it before, but you have also changed a great deal since last we spoke."
Alphinaud glanced at her and turned away, embarrassed.
"A lot has happened since last we met," he said again. "And I've changed in many ways. And though the road has been far from easy, I will continue to walk it."
She nodded in agreement. "At least we need not walk it alone," she added comfortingly.
"Ah… you mean to drag that girl with you to the end?" Matoya muttered grumpily. "I can see why you send her off to do the dangerous stuff. But you would do well not to do that quite so often."
"You don't think that we can trust her?" Alphinaud asked, looking up sharply, almost daring her to say something different.
"Not at all, you can trust her completely given how much she's willing to put up with you all," Matoya answered. "Not many are willing to go through even half of the troubles you put her through. Patience of a saint, that one."
Alphinaud frowned a little as he tried to understand just what it was she was trying to say.
"Then… you don't want us to rely on her from now on?" he asked slowly.
"Nope…" she said as she walked back to her table to where her empty teacup was waiting for her. "The girl has already taken care of who knows how many problems for everyone. People can't go and run to just one person for help every time they get themselves into trouble. They need to learn to start pulling their own weights. And I think that girl needs to learn how to say 'no' for her own sake."
"You think we're taking advantage of her?" Y'shtola said, and he could tell that it was more of a statement than an actual question.
"I think? I know. Even though I just met her, it's obvious even to these old eyes," Master Matoya said darkly. "I may not know her story, but given how she left without a word, shows me that she's used to being sent off to do dangerous tasks. How many times have you sent her out to do something that someone else could've done just as easily? It's only going to be a matter of time before the girl snaps and leaves for some place where no one knows her. I wouldn't blame her if she is tempted by that thought from time to time. And who know? A day may come when she may go through with it."
"She wouldn't do that," Alphinaud said knowingly, not wanting to believe that something like that would happen. Yet… yet the words that Ilberd had said before when they rescued Raubahn suddenly started to echo in his ears again.
"Can you not see you're being used!? By the Scions, the city-states, even the Crystal Braves. They none of 'em care a whit what you want ─ only what you can do for them."
"Everyone has their limits, boy, you would do well to remember that," she retorted coldly. "Especially women. We put up with a lot, but even we can only be pushed so far." She then barked at Y'shtola to go make some more tea for her before she got to some real work.
Y'shtola gave her an irritated look before she marched off to where there was a teapot set at the other side of the cave.
"You're still a bit naïve to know anything about the hearts of women, but you would do well to remember this advice," Matoya added to Alphinaud when he was left alone with her for that moment. She then gave him a dark look as she added, her tone very serious. "And you would also do well to remember that it's always the brightest lights that cast the darkest shadows."
"What does that mean?" Alphinaud asked.
"That each of us has a darker side to us, boy," she snapped back. "Old Louisoix also said it before, as well. What was the term that he used…? Every time you light a candle, a shadow is cast. Or something along those lines. But what I can say, for some, the darkness runs deeper than most. As for that girl, I can sense that even she has a darker side. Nothing unusual mind, we all have darkness in us somewhere—it's just part of our nature. She may be a Warrior of Light… but she's also a child of man and therefore it's a part of her nature as well."
Alphinaud just stared at her, not sure of what he should say before Master Matoya went off after Y'shtola and began telling her off for not preparing the tea just like how she liked it.
"You don't even know how I like my tea anymore? What's the point in having you?" she barked as she marched off. She and Y'shtola soon seemed to be bickering… yet he could not help but go over those words… a darker side to them all…
It was hard to think that Claire did have a dark side to her; but he knew that Master Matoya was right in that there was darkness in them all. Once again, he wondered if Claire resented them all for always forcing her to work so hard. Thinking about it now, most of the Scions did spend a lot of time at the Waking Sands or Rising Stones while she was out and about day after day. With so many pressures on her shoulders, they weren't helping to make her burdens any easier, where they? Oftentimes they were denying her some well-deserved rest if they needed help with even a small matter that someone else could have just as easily have done.
He did not want to imagine it… but would Claire one day get so fed up that she would leave? Did she wish to go somewhere where she wasn't a Warrior of Light? Just try to start over without the responsibilities that they were all but shoving down her throat every free moment she had? He did not want to ever think that was possible… but he knew that there was always a chance. And the thought scared him more than anything else…
If she left… Eoreza wouldn't survive a moon.
As well as…
His heart was suddenly pounding hard against his chest until it hurt. He gripped the front of his coat, glaring a little as his heart was continuing to rage against him. Mayhaps he was finally starting to realize what it was that it was trying to tell him… but he knew not what to do about it.
*Hours Later*
Master Matoya was not at all afraid of putting them to work. At the end of the first hour, he felt as if his fingers had been stripped of skin, thus leaving the bone behind, for they hurt so much. The only good thing that he had going for him was that he had a chance to get a glimpse of all the tomes and theories that was laying buried here.
He had the good fortune to be tutored by some of the finest scholars in Sharlayan. Yet it was clear from all this work that Master Matoya exceeds them all. He wished that he could have heard her and his grandfather arguing with each other at least once. He suspected those arguments may well have gone on for days.
In fact, just a few more hours in this cave with all this was enough to help him learn just as much as years at the Studium. He could not believe that all this was kept hidden away here…
And with Master Matoya working them like packed Chocobos, it was a lot easier to put any troubling thoughts and feelings out of his mind for the moment. But at last, Claire returned, as he knew she would… and this time she had found some new clothes while she had been in the library and taken to adorning herself in Sharlayan-styled clothes. Y'shtola was the first to notice her return and almost leapt to her feet in her hurry.
"You have the tome, yes?" she asked quickly, "Then hurry and show it to Matoya that I might be free of her stifling attention."
Claire nodded and she pulled out a thick tome from the inside of a pocket of her new coat and held it out.
"I take it you found the tome," Master Matoya called, approaching them when she saw that she had returned. "Well, let's see it, then." She took the tome from her and looked over it with a critical eye. "Aye, this is it all right…" And then she turned to shout to them, "Shtola! Boy! Put down whatever you're doing and come here! Claire has returned with the tome!"
"Thank the gods," Y'shtola sighed in relief as she dropped the pen that she was holding and massaging her sore hand. "But another minute under Master Matoya's exacting supervision, and I would certainly have lost my mind ─ or mayhap merely my temper. Some things never change indeed..."
"Well, I for one appreciate the exacting supervision," Alphinaud confessed. "In the short while we have been here, I feel I have gained a far better understanding of arcane entities than I did during my entire time at the Studium." And then he added to himself, excited at the new possibilities, "Should the opportunity present itself, I should very much like to employ this knowledge for the betterment of mankind ─ create a new variety of Carbuncle, perhaps...?"
"Don't get ahead of yourself, boy," Master Matoya snapped, having heard him and knocked him out of his thoughts. "Louisoix's grandson or no, it'll take another decade under me before you can call yourself a scholar, and a deal more than that to make you a scholar worth a damn."
Alphinaud shut his mouth at once as she glowered at him and lowered his head.
"As you may have gathered, Master Matoya is not easily impressed," Y'shtola whispered to him and Alphinaud cleared his throat awkwardly.
"...Indeed. Ahem. So, uh..." he said before he cleared his throat and added quickly, "Claire has returned with the tome, has he not? Shall we examine it?"
Master Matoya set the book onto the table and looked at it long and hard.
"I had not thought to behold this tome again..." she whispered before she held up her staff and used a spell, engulfing the book in a strange light… like a handful of lightning piercing every inch of paper… it lingered there for just a moment before it became calm once more.
"There. It is deciphered. Now your friend should be able to make sense of the contents," she reassured them all. "That said, it's one thing to understand the workings of the aetheric converger, and another to actually make it work. You do realize how much aether is required?"
Ah… right… he had almost forgotten about that problem. Regardless of how well Cid could build it, and Alphinaud was sure that he could, their biggest problem was the fact that they had no way to power it without the use of crystals.
"Cid is keenly aware of the energy dilemma. His airship is by no means large, and it can only bear a limited quantity of crystals," Alphinaud confessed.
"If only we had white auracite and the aetheric siphon..." Y'shtola added bitterly.
Alphinaud looked down, knowing who it was who last had the siphon.
"Alas, Minfilia is missing, along with both artifacts. And Moenbryda is gone..." he told them all despairingly.
Y'shtola sighed as she wracked her brains to try and think of something they could use instead.
"Would that there were another ready wellspring of energy for us to draw upon..." she said and that was when Alphinaud realized what she said and suddenly wished he could kick himself.
His eyes wide, the answer had hit him like a sack of bricks. Something similar to a mountain of crystals, but small enough to be portable…?
"Why did it not occur to us before?" he cried out and he was smiling as he punched his fist into his hand. He looked excitedly to his friends as he added, "We already have what we need: the Eye! It has been drawing aether into itself for as long as the great wyrms have lived! It is a veritable wellspring of energy!"
They looked to Master Matoya, as if hoping that she could confirm for them that it was a solution. She thought it over, and he wondered just how much she knew about the Azure Dragoon and the Eye of Nidhogg.
"Hm, it might just suit our needs. But is this energy something that can be harnessed at will?" she asked.
"I believe so ─ with the aid of the Azure Dragoon of Ishgard," Alphinaud answered at once and he was sure that Estinien would not refuse his aid should they ask.
"Then it is settled," Y'shtola said at once. "Let us return to the Holy See at once."
They all made to leave, but Master Matoya called Y'shtola back, wishing to discuss something with her before she left. They had no problem with this and they thanked her for all of her help before they exited the cave to wait for Y'shtola to join them. Out in the bright sunshine, which felt good after spending so much time in that dank cave, he started to ask CLaire what the library was like.
"Very dark," Claire confessed. "And I have never seen as many books gathered in one place as there… it was less a library and more of a miniature city."
He pressed her for more details, though it was clear that she was not liking discussing what kind of traps she had to get passed. Yet, she seemed amused at how he was listening to her with such fasciation. He couldn't help himself… he was wondering if it would be possible for him to step foot into that place at least once. And with the monsters and guards cleared out, he did not think that it would be such a problem anymore… yet first things first, they had to deal with the crisis in Ishgard. Once it was over, he may be able to return and explore the place himself…?
Yet as he listened, he was slowly finding himself focusing on the sound of her voice. It was soft… yet gentle…
Since she hardly spoke, it was a rare treat to hear it. But it was because of that fact that it seemed to have such a calming effect on those who heard it. There was something about her voice that already made him feel small, though he did not know why.
Gods be good, to think that anyone could have such a power over him. Why had he felt so completely assured that the future wasn't as dark as he had feared it to be so long as she was here?
"As if you could conceal it... from her of all people..." he heard an almost angry whisper which caused Claire to fall silent and whatever spell that held him there broke as he turned back to see that Y'shtola had reappeared, muttering furiously to herself.
"Y'shtola?" he asked, making her jump a little, having not realized that she almost ran right into them.
"Hm? Pay me no mind. I was but thinking aloud," she added with quick smile back on her face. "Well, now that we should had everything we need, I believe that it is time to head back to Ishgard."
He frowned a little at how quickly she tried to change the subject. He wanted to ask more, but instead, he merely nodded in agreement before he added to Claire.
"Thanks to your customarily heroic efforts, we now possess the knowledge to build an aetheric ram," he said to her gratefully. "All that remains is to secure its energy source. Let us hasten back to Ishgard and consult Ser Aymeric regarding the Eye."
At his words, she turned red again and he could not help but smile, wondering why accepting gratitude was so difficult for her.
Y'shtola nodded in agreement before she added, "'Tis well that you were able to retrieve the tome. Had you failed, Master Matoya planned to have us take dictation while she quoted its contents from memory."
Just the thought of that terrified him… she would probably criticize their penmanship and snap at them to write something over if she thought that they did not understand it. Still, they had the tome and they should have all the pieces needed. They left the Hinterlands, teleporting straight back to Foundation, and hoped that the others have made more progress on the Enterprise. Soon, it would be time to leave… and they would have to be ready for whatever came their way…
*Ishgard*
They teleported straight back to Ishgard and they took Y'shtola to Congregation of Our Knights Most Heavenly, and to where Ser Aymeric was waiting. At first glance, when they entered his office, he still looked a bit on the worn side, but his wounds seemed to be healing well. He was able to stand without showing signs of discomfort, and his arm seemed to be properly working again.
"Ah," he said with a smile when they entered the room. "You are returned!"
"Ser Aymeric, I am pleased to see that your recovery proceeds apace," Alphinaud smiled back before he turned to Y'shtola so that he could make introductions. "May I introduce Y'shtola, a fellow Scion of the Seventh Dawn and Archon of Sharlayan."
Y'shtola approached and bowed low.
"My lord," she said simply. "Pray excuse me for forgoing due pleasantries, but we seek your counsel regarding the aetheric ram. Though we now possess the knowledge to build such a device, we yet lack an appropriate source of energy with which to power it. We believe, however, that Ishgard may possess the solution to our problem."
Ser Aymeric looked on interestedly before he said sincerely, "You need not apologize, my lady. Full eager am I to learn of your progress. Please, tell me of this energy source that you believe we possess."
And so they told him of what happened while they went to Master Matoya. How they have the tome that they could use to build an aetheric converger. However, the problem was that they had no way to harness the energy needed to power it without the use of crystals… except for the Eye.
Ser Aymeric listened intently before he asked, "...And you are certain that the Eye can lend its power to Master Matoya's aetheric converger?"
"At Estinien's command ─ yes," Alphinaud said, knowing that Estinien would be more than up for the challenge.
Ser Aymeric nodded in understanding.
"Very well," he reassured him. "I shall speak with him."
"My thanks, Ser Aymeric," Alphinaud sighed in relief, yet it was Ser Aymeric who shook his head.
"Nay, my friend, 'tis I who should thank you ─ as should every Ishgardian. You labor in our name, with nary a care for your own safety," he said honestly… and Alphinaud was not surprised to see that his eyes strayed over to Claire as he spoke.
Alphinaud nodded before he looked to the two women and added, "Let us next speak with Cid. He will doubtless be eager to begin work on the aetheric ram."
Ser Aymeric agreed and stood up from his seat, only with the slightest trace of a wince as he did so. "I shall personally relay your proposal to Estinien. If that which you ask is possible, you may be assured of his cooperation."
Claire nodded before she asked him if his wounds would allow him to do so. He reassured them that he was alright and added, "My thanks again, Claire."
And so the group quickly left, heading back to the airship landing and Alphinaud hoped that they had gotten to the Enterprise's repairs while they were away.
"Ah…" Y'shtola sighed fondly as they reached the landing to where Cid was. "I count my blessings for every familiar face I see. I pray that the coming days will find more of our friends returned to us."
Alphinaud agreed that as well. Things seem to be going amazingly well for them at the moment, which he still had some concerns with. He had a bad feeling that something bad was waiting for them just around the corner… though he hoped that he was just being paranoid. Still, when they spotted the boys at work on the Enterprise, it was clear that their friends hadn't been slouching off while they were gone… in fact, the Enterprise has undergone so much change, he scarcely recognized her. It was like looking at a new ship…
He only wished he had more time to admire it.
Cid looked up from what he was hammering a piece of steel into place and beamed brightly at the sight of them.
"Ah, you're back!" he called cheerfully, coming down from the landing to speak with them properly. "The preliminary work on the Enterprise is more or less finished. Tell me you found a way to build the aetheric ram!"
Y'shtola stepped forward as they handed the tome over to him.
"Greetings, Cid. It has been a while," she said calmly, as though she had just been away on a business trip and they were meeting up for a pleasant talk. "This tome contains the fruits of my former master's research on a device known as an aetheric converger. Our ram should operate on the selfsame principle."
Cid stared at the book in amazement before he seemed to realize who was standing in front of him and looked up again.
"Ack, where are my manners?" he laughed before he looked back up. "Put a toy like this in my hand, and I go off into my own world... Gods, it's good to see you! And bearing a gift besides ─ a very distracting one, if I might add! If I didn't know better, I'd think it was my nameday."
Alphinaud was just hoping that Cid would be able to make sense of what he was sure to be very complicated instructions.
"...But there will be time for tearful reunions later," Cid added, "I'll make a start on the tome right away. So long as I have a grasp of the fundamentals, I should be able to knock something together." But then his tone went slightly graver as he added, "Which leaves the small matter of the energy source...?"
"We believe we have found a solution to that problem as well," Alphinaud stated quickly. No sooner had he said that did Ser Aymeric arrive with Lucia and Estinien in tow. It had been awhile since he had seen Estinien, but the first thing that he noticed was that he was still in his blood-soaked armor... seeing it sent a chill up his spine at the thought of how much of Nidhogg's blood was needed to dye it that color.
"Pray forgive us our lateness," Ser Aymeric said as Estinien stepped forward, looking at them all seriously, showing that he was already aware of what they were asking of him.
"The power of the Eye is not to be drawn upon lightly, but I believe we have sufficient cause to do so," he said as he held the Eye in his hands and Y'shtola stepped forward to get a good look at it.
"So this is the fabled Eye... By the Twelve... it seethes," she whispered in awe. "'Tis a wonder such power can be contained, much less controlled..."
Just barely. Alphinaud knew that there were times that it was more difficult than others for Estinien to be able to keep it from taking over his being. He remembered the night they spent at the Churning Mists and how Estinien admitted how he had given into Nidhogg's rage just once before. Though now with the great wyrm dead, he hoped that their friend would be able to find some measure of peace and could find a new purpose other than just vengeance.
Cid looked from the tome in his hands to the Eye before he looked back to Biggs and Wedge.
"Boys!" he called loudly, "Our friends have kindly provided all the ingredients. Let's see if we can't make something out of them!"
"You heard the chief!" Biggs said to Wedge eagerly. "We're not resting till the aetheric ram is operational! Not one wink of sleep!"
Wedge muttered what he really thought of this under his breath, but didn't complain, at least not loudly, as they went back to work. All they had to do now was wait for them to finish… they were to leave once they were…
The step of their journey would soon start… he only hoped that it would end well for them.