Light's Call

by Naryfiel Lilith

Five years after the Calamity, the realm of Eorzea nurses its wounds and tends to its scars, still teeters on the edge of destruction. Primals and the shadow of the Empire threaten to plunge the realm into the shadows of bloodshed once more. Yet even the darkest nights must end, and sometimes, it is a single person who can change the fate of a realm, forever. [ARR novelization]

5. Chapter 5) Flight

Chapter 5) Flight

---

Apparently, Xanthos, it is much easier to meet royalty than I could have ever read. Why? Well, I met the sultana of Ul'dah, and learned I'd met her previous times as well. Among falling into more trouble. Thancred called me a 'lodestone' for it. I wonder if its because I'm a child of misfortune... ah, but you would hate for me to speculate such things. My mind has dwelled on it more and more recently as people praise me so. I suppose it's a part of truly realizing I'm finally free...

'Fly free', you told me. I swear I'm trying.

---

Stares were uncomfortable. I thought I'd been used to it, with so many looking at my scales, my horns, and my tail as I passed. Yet ever since the incident with the Crown, and all the praise I swore was unearned, the stares had been even worse, more intense. No longer could I simply watch people as I studied or worked. Everyone's attention focused on me, the 'champion' of the beloved sultana, and no one would act as they did. Even the people of Stonesthrow looked at me with awe.

It was uncomfortable. No, it was more than that. It was... lonely. I'd always been alone in the Room, save for lessons and when my family snuck down, but this was a different sort of loneliness. I was surrounded, yet I was alone. I swore it would suffocate me. At least no one treated me differently in the Guilds. Training and practicing within their halls had become my sole sanctuary in the days which followed.

"With a little more strength, I'd swear that tail would end up a lethal weapon in its own right!" Chuchuto 'complained' while we guzzled down water. The two of us had sparred for the better part of an hour, and we were both feeling the aftershocks. "Quick, how bad is the bruise? My cheek still stings!"

"There's no bruise, yet?" I mumbled sheepishly, passing her a towel. The worst part was how it had been an accident. I'd lost my footing and flailed, and my tail had lashed and whacked her in the face. "It... is a little red, though..."

"So, my cheek is even rosier than usual?" She giggled, vigorously wiping off the sweat from her face with her sleeve. I focused more on getting my hair off my neck. I needed better hair ties; my pigtails had all but fallen out during the spar. "Wonder if we can market that? 'Just one slap makes the cheeks rosier than rouge and exercise can manage!'."

"Let's not."

"Aw…" She made a face at me, sticking her tongue out playfully, and I smiled slightly. Dawnfather bless her, she'd put in the extra work to not treat me any different than before and it was a balm to my fraying nerves. "Hmm? What's going on there?"

She pointed to something behind me, so I turned and saw Master Hamon speaking with someone. Not unusual in of itself, Master Hamon was sociable and never said 'no' to a conversation, but usually he would speak while watching us spar. He also usually wore a smile while he conversed, teasing and joking with everyone. Yet now, his entire focus was on a Lalafell wearing noticeably loose clothing, too loose to fight in, and his expression could only be described as 'grim'.

Chuchuto and I shared a look and carefully crept closer to see if we could eavesdrop. Sadly, though, we couldn't. Right as we got close enough to hear, their conversation apparently ended, with the Lalafell smiling in sheer relief and stumbling out of the Guild.

So, instead, I asked, "what was that about?" I watched the Lalafell leave before turning my attention to Master Hamon. "The grave look in your eyes makes me think it wasn't a simple fan coming to gush?"

"Sadly, you are correct," Master Hamon sighed, reaching up to adjust his hat. Then, after a moment of thought, he crossed his arms and turned to properly face Chuchuto and me. "Syna, have you heard about somnus?"

"Somnus?" I... almost shook my head, but then I remembered what the Brass Blades planted in Brendt's wares. "I only know it's a prohibited substance." And that some Blades used it to extort fees from people, but I'd keep quiet about that.

"It's a mind-warping substance made from dream flowers," Chuchuto explained softly, in a tone most might call 'calm'. But her deep frown and clenched fists belied the anger simmering underneath. "Those who overindulge are said to fall into an eternal slumber." So, they died. Why not just say that? And what was dream flower? "Of course..."

"The way it warps the mind is by numbing you up to everything, pain included," Master Hamon quietly added. His eyes were shut, yet there was still something pained to him. "It gives a brief high, a brief bit of euphoria, before numbing everything and relaxing you. Helps you escape reality, until it wears off. No surprise something like that is 'popular' among those of lesser fortunes. Add in how addictive the substance is, and how quickly you build a tolerance to it, and you can see why those of lesser morals would make a profit."

"It's always been a problem, and sometimes, they'll slip it into candy they'll give to children, just to make them addicted early." There was a definite growl to her voice then, and I remembered what Master Hamon had said about her past. Had she almost been a victim? Had she seen others? "Dare I ask why you bring it up, Master?"

"Seems there's been a sharp increase in the amount smuggled, straight through the Black Brush Station. And that's not even the worst part." Master Hamon opened his eyes to look at the door, where our visitor had left through. "His friend overdosed not long ago. Seems someone figured out how to mix it up to yield double the potency with half the materials." In theory, I suppose it was 'four times' the profit, though if you killed your 'customers'... then again, I doubted these people would care. "He reported it to the Blades and Torches, but both turned a blind eye. Probably getting bribes from whoever..." My stomach churned at the thought.

"Well, what are we waiting for?!" Chuchuto scowled fiercely and stood as straight and tall as a Lalafell could. "We're catching them, yes?"

"Precisely." Finally, Master Hamon smiled and looked at us both. "I told him as such. For as surely as Hamon Holyfist is my name, those smuggler scum will be thrown in the dungeons! However, we first need more information, and that means I need you two to help."

"The Station has an Aetheryte, correct?" I asked, mind already whirling. Who to ask, who to ask... and since Lost Hope was so close, should I...? "I'm attuned, so I can Teleport and meet you there." Now I had both Chuchuto and Master Hamon frowning at me. "I promise to not go after them on my own!" Unless I fell into trouble. Again.

It took multiple promises to convince Master Hamon and Chuchuto to let me go ahead. I wasn't certain how to take that, but ultimately decided to accept it and move on. I had a job to fulfil, after all, and it would require my full attention. Now, I suppose most might try to investigate the surrounding area of interest for something like this. See what people may or may not have seen or heard. However, given what Master Hamon had said about the 'targets'... I didn't. Instead, as soon as I Teleported to the Brush Station, I acted on my first instinct and bolted straight for Lost Hope. No beacon or glow to guide me, but that didn't matter. Not to me. It was helpful, sure, but...

"...What in all seven hells are you doing back here?" As I expected, and hoped, Leofric greeted me as soon as I was within the 'boundary' of the camp. "Fufulupa didn't send you out here for another letter, did he?" he asked dryly. He didn't seem nearly as tired as he'd been last I'd seen him, nor did he seem to be in pain. Just bitter. "One would think you don't have time for such a thing, being the Champion of Ul'dah and all."

"No, I'm investigating something," I explained, completely ignoring the 'champion' thing. Though, since he almost appeared to be mocking me, I didn't mind it as much from him. "I heard about somnus smuggling and-"

"And of course you get involved." Leofric sighed heavily, shaking his head. "Don't you ever rest, girl?" I scowled, and he immediately brought his hands up in surrender. "Guessing you chose to start here because of the usual victims." I grimaced slightly, only now realizing just how much of an insult it might have been. "What's with that look? You're right. Even if you'd rather you weren't." He brought his hands down to cross his arms. No winces this time. I was glad. "We had a couple try to sell it here. I sent them scurrying as soon as I realized what it was. They haven't been back since, which is unusual."

"Is it?"

"Aye. Most of that sort of lot think only of the profit. Implies this is a group operation, not just a pack of smugglers, and whoever lead them is cunning. Knows how to cut their losses and knows how to hide." That all sounded… troubling. "Only get whispers, no matter how many times I've looked."

"What whispers?"

"Girl, I've seen terriers less stubborn than you." Terrier was… a kind of dog, right? "Then again, maybe that's how you fall into trouble. You see a problem, you jump in, and you don't stop until everything is dragged out into the open." I truly and sincerely had no idea if he was insulting or complimenting me. Maybe it was both. "Fine, fine, have you heard anything of the Alacran?"

"It's familiar?" Didn't the person with the crown mention being part of them? "Tell me anyway."

He did, rattling off what bits and pieces he knew. The Alacran was a criminal organization, once that rose from obscurity to notoriety in the blink of an eye. Word was they had connections to the Brass Baldes, the Syndicate, and more than a dozen of Ul'dah's elite. Leofric guessed those 'connections' were bribery and blackmail, but how their leader managed to glean so much was as much of a question as to who they were in the first place. Not to mention just how widespread they had become. They had a hand in everything from petty theft to slavery to assassinations. Knowing what I did, they also had the ability to summon Voidsent... no simple 'bookless bandits' indeed, to borrow Thancred's phrase.

Sadly, though, since they were careful to avoid Leofric, that was all he had on them. From there, I had to question around the Station itself. Perhaps because I'd helped them before, but most were fairly willing to share information, little as it was. The most useful was learning the Qiqirn I'd helped fight off before once had a lair to the west of the Station, and it had been abandoned after the copious murder of their fellows. Yet now it seemed even greater dangers lurked within.

"Seems you managed to pick out quite a bit," Master Hamon noted once I finished reporting. Both he and Chuchuto had arrived not long after I finished with my investigations, but there was something... off. I couldn't put my finger on it, particularly when Master Hamon appeared and sounded his usual self, but it felt... like an act. A mask of normality. Meanwhile, Chuchuto was quiet and absent; she hadn't even greeted me. "Chuchuto and I heard a rumor which matches up as well, of a silver-haired Lalafell carrying a suspicious burden to the west."

"Seems we have a name and a location, and even a person of interest," I whispered, glancing between the two. Chuchuto remained absentminded; Master Hamon continued pretending all was well. "Master Hamon..." I almost asked. It was just too strange and too worrying. But Master Hamon glanced worriedly at Chuchuto, and that told me all I needed. 'Please, keep quiet'. "What's the best strategy here? Waiting?"

"Aye, but at the lair itself." He carefully nudged Chuchuto in the direction of the caves; she plodded forward like a puppet. No noise or anything... for her to act like this, given what little I knew...

I waited until she was some distance away before tapping Master Hamon's shoulder. "Rurukuta has silver hair, doesn't he?" I might not have gotten a description before, but it was the only thing I could think of. Master Hamon's wince confirmed it. "It might not be him. Surely, silver-hair isn't so uncommon." Though, I only knew of Thancred... "Even if it is him, I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation." Somehow. "Besides, I don't see why we can't knock some sense back into him and then carry him back to the Guild, right? I think I'm big enough to throw him over my shoulder. Maybe." I wasn't sure how reassuring the words were, but they made him laugh. I counted it as a victory, small as it was. "Let's go! Before Chuchuto gets as lost as I would!"

That got another laugh out of Master Hamon, to my relief, and both of us jogged to catch up with Chuchuto. From there, though, we walked in silence, keeping off the path and sticking to what shadows we could find as we approached the abandoned caves. The closer we crept, the more I felt a slight 'tug' on my soul, not as 'loud' as a beacon normally was, but enough to put me on edge. When we arrived, we split up to hunt for any signs of recent activity, while also staying close to each other. Well, they hunted for signs. I, however, followed the little 'tug' until I found the source. There, in a seemingly innocuous spot of dirt, was a patch of sparkles. Sparkling and glowing, and the sight nearly made me groan, if only because it usually meant complications. I only didn't because I wasn't sure how to explain it to Master Hamon and Chuchuto. Instead, I stepped to it and looked around, shading my eyes to ward off the sun's glare. It took me but a moment to find what we were looking for. Or, at least, I assumed the group was who we were looking for. A group of four, to be precise: two shirtless Hyur, a Lalafell, and a cloaked man guffawing at the sight of the crates piled high.

"We've really outdone ourselves this time!" they cackled, the sound echoing off the cliffsides. While the two shirtless one seemed just as amused, the Lalafell appeared almost stiff. Then again, I could only see them from behind and they could also just be annoyed at their fellow smuggler announcing their presence. "Master Weggfar's bound to be pleased!"

"Save the talk," the Lalafell snapped, tone waspish and business-like. By this point, I thought to look behind me and wave to Master Hamon and Chuchuto for them to join me. "We've crates to move." The two jogged over, Master Hamon reaching me first thanks to his longer stride.

"Based on the laughter, I'd guess you found..." Master Hamon began, keeping his voice low. However, his eyes widened as soon as he saw the group. "Thal's balls...!" He reeled back, as if the sight itself had punched him in the gut. "That's...!" His eyes widened further, and he made to block Chuchuto's view, but of course, it was too late. Her jaw had dropped and she'd even thrown her hands up from the sheer shock. "Rurukuta, why...?"

"There's only one way to find the answer," I whispered, realizing I... I had to be the calm one right now. Both of them had to be a mess, their hearts in turmoil. "So..." As I scrambled for a plan, any kind of plan, there was a small... tug. Different yet similar to the beacons, but it was more of a general awareness, an instinct, than an actual beacon. It made me turn towards the cliffs, and I quickly saw just why the laughing one hadn't been worried about the noise catching attention. There were more hidden in the shadows, their eyes sharp as they scanned the area, and one had just... sighted... us... "Go after him!" I, however, bolted for the would-be ambushers.

"Syna?!"

"There's more around, but I'll deal with them!" I spared one look back; I could see both of them staring in shock. "Go! Before he leaves!"

I didn't wait for them to listen. I didn't wait to try and convince them. Instead, I continued forward with my head held high, straight into my current enemies as they emerged from the shadows. I didn't know how many; I never bothered to count.

Punch, dodge, punch, block. The battle quickly fell into such a rhythm, and rarely did I find myself knocked off-beat. That wasn't to say, of course, that none of them got a good hit. Quite a few did. But it didn't matter. Not really. Their blows stung, but they were easily ignored. My own, meanwhile, seemed to strike them much harder. It wasn't as if they went down in one hit or anything. Such things were naught but the stuff of fantasy. But it did feel like I landed two blows for their one, and needed only a handful to knock them down. Meanwhile, there were four or five all ganged up on me, their punches quick and brutal, yet not a one knocked me for a loop. Truthfully, it wasn't until the axe-wielder showed up that I had any sort of true difficulty, terrible as it sounded. Even then, if I had to be honest, the difficulty lied more in avoiding the axe than anything.

It was... strange. Strange, and unnerving. Yes, my teachers spoke of how quickly I progressed, but this felt unnatural. I could think of an explanation (the idea of them being mainly for stealth and not fighting came to mind), but it felt... strange. Wrong, almost. I... didn't like it. At all. Yes, I benefited, but... well, I supposed it didn't matter. It was what it was, and by the end of it, I was the only one standing. The rest... were dead. I should've tried for incapacitation, but I'd been too stupid during the fight to actually think about it. I could only hope...

I spared a moment to sigh, and slowly let myself relax before I headed back to where I'd left Master Hamon and Chuchuto. When I returned, though, I found a strange sight. Namely, Master Hamon sprawled out on the ground, a shocked Chuchuto staring in horror, the four smugglers walking away, and a strangely smug marmot chittering angrily at all of us. I definitely missed something. I missed a whole lot of somethings, clearly. I rapidly looked between Master Hamon and the smugglers, absently noticing Rurukuta leaving with them, and I thought about pursuing. I did. But, ultimately, I... I chose against it. I might regret it later, but since I had no idea what had happened, it... it was better for me to wait. Better to wait, and stay with Master Hamon and Chuchuto, to try and gather information. Though somehow, I doubted I'd understand any of it...

"Forgive me, Chuchuto... I didn't mean to deceive anyone," Master Hamon was mumbling as I approached. My confusion rapidly spiked. Just what was going on...? "Least of all my students." He hung his head. "Hamon Holyfist conquered every foe that stood before him, but he couldn't conquer old age. My strength, my reflexes, my endurance... they've all left me. There's nothing here but a decrepit old man."

"What does any of that matter?" I found myself asking before I could stop myself. Chuchuto's shocked face jerked to meet mine; in the distance, I saw Rurukuta still, even as his cackling companions continued on ahead, but he moved on without another pause. "Perhaps I am missing something, but I truly do not see why it matters." I crouched in front of him, wishing he'd raise his head. "Everyone ages. But your knowledge and kindness remain." I... wasn't saying any of this right. I knew it. How could I...?

"...You're a kind young woman, Syna. Too kind and gentle, really, for how strong you are, but that's life, sometimes." Master Hamon smiled so bitterly, and refused to look at anyone. "I'll make my own way back to Ul'dah and the Guild. You and Chuchuto go on ahead."

...There was nothing I could do. My heart keened and cracked at the knowledge, and I felt the pieces falling as I nudged a silent, completely-in-shock Chuchuto back down the path to the Station. I took a caravan with her back, to make sure she made it to the city, and walked her to the Guild. Those inside looked at us strangely, but I shook my head at their silent worries. Another took charge of Chuchuto, and I returned to the Quicksand, each step harder than the last. It hurt. It hurt, it hurt, it hurt. Yet what could I do? I was useless in something like this...

"There you are, Syna!" Momodi's chipper voice was my first indication I'd made it back. I looked up to see her waiting for me at the top of the steps. "We've got to hurry!" she scolded, yanking me up the last few steps. I stumbled and did my best to not fall over; she could yank hard! "There's barely any time before the Banquet!" ...Oh Dawnfather, help me. I'd forgotten all about that. "Come on, come on!"

If Momodi could physically pick me up to literally throw me into the bath she had prepared for me, I sincerely thought she would've. Instead, she contented herself with shoving me into my bathroom, and I nearly fell face first into the tub! Thankfully, I caught myself before I did and I quickly scrubbed myself down, absently noticing the bruises fading quickly. Another day, I might think on it, but for now, there was far too much to do... even if I didn't want to do it. No small part of me wondered if I could simply lay back and relax and 'conveniently' miss the banquet. The rest of me figured Momodi would drag me out anyway, so I might as well do it myself. I somehow doubted the excuse of 'I was in a fight earlier' would work to help me escape, particularly when my bruises were all easily hidden.

Once I'd gotten out of the water and dried myself off, I stumbled out into my room, half expecting Momodi to be waiting for me. She wasn't, but something else was. Specifically, there were clothes I'd never seen before spread out on my bed. I wouldn't have paid them much more attention than that, except when I picked up the skirt, I found a noticeable difference. It... had been made to accomodate my tail, and I didn't mean a hole I could wriggle mine through as I usually did. Instead, it had been made with an additional fasten, and a rather cute ribbon to hide the buckle once I pulled it on and slid my tail through. It was a little high for my tail, but not enough to make me uncomfortable, and the width was just right. The ribbon itself did not catch on the spikes on the base of my tail, and the skirt itself had been lined to not catch on the scales on my hip and legs. The shirt was similarly considerate, and I marveled at the V-neckline and off-shoulder sleeves. Both were complimentary shades of blue, a darker shade to not clash with the brightness of my horns, scales, and tail.

It was, without a doubt, the nicest thing I'd ever worn. Where had it come from?

"Syna? You decent?" That was Momodi's only warning before she burst inside, carrying a wooden box. "My, don't you look all fancy~?" she laughed, dropping the box on my bed. I wondered just what it was. "Good thing, too. For an adventurer to receive a personal invitation from Her Grace is unprecedented, you know." Momodi urged me to sit in a chair and dragged another over for her to stand on while she brushed my hair. "Seats at these banquets are offered only to the most distinguished individuals. You'll be dining with some of the most influential people in Ul'dah!"

"I see," I murmured, because what else could I say? There was no polite way to tell her I'd rather stay in and study, was there? "What's in the box, Momodi?"

"Hmm? Well, in accordance with ancient custom, all guests to this banquet are required to wear ceremonial jewelry, made 'specially for the occasion. I'll tell you later what they're meant to symbolize, since we're in a hurry." I couldn't help but sulk, just a trifle, and Momodi laughed and continued brushing my hair. "They're an added security measure as well, since each design is unique to the occasion, and these earrin's here were made special for you by Guildmaster Serendipity herself. Insisted on it, something about partially an apology for making you wait so long while carrying something." What in the Dawnfather's name...? Oh, wait, no, I remembered now. "Just about ready, so I hope you're feelin sociable, Syna. 'Cause you're about to hobnob with Ul'dah's elite!" I barely bit back a groan. "Your big debut in Ul'dahn high society!" I was glad someone was excited about this. "Oh, no need to be so tense." Momodi reached around to affectionately pinch my cheek. "Try not to let all the pomp and circumstances get to you. Just be yourself and you'll be fine!" I very much doubted that. "Ah, but don't forget to watch your drink while you're there!"

Smile and nod. Smile and nod. Hopefully, it would be enough to help me survive this madness.

---

Stares. Stares, stares, and more stares. Most were polite enough to pretend otherwise, but no small few openly stared at me when a Sultansworn escorted me in. I did my best to not squirm, and it took no small effort to keep my tail from lashing. I suppose the interior looked nice, though? Maybe? Honestly, it all felt like blurs and blobs. Too many people, too many focused on me. All I wanted was to hide and read my books, with the occasional observation. I wasn't supposed to be here. I wasn't supposed to be a part. I was a Child of Misfortune, and all the people here simply reinforced how wrong I was to be here. Yet here I was, stuck. Beyond stuck, even. Was there at least a library somewhere in this building? What building was it, anyway? The palace? Surely palaces had libraries. They did in the stories, and it would be a nice excuse to escape the stares and whispers and...

"All hail the sultana!" And Raubhan's announcement cut through the chatter, bringing total silence as all turned to face him. When he had everyone's attention, he knelt down, and I thought we might have to do the same. I was swiftly proven wrong, however, when Raubahn stood back up, Nanamo perched daintily on his arm. It was strangely dignified, yet adorable.

"By right of the Royal House of Ul, I, Nanamo, seventeenth of my line, have summoned you here," Nanamo declared, her voice carrying easily through the room. I marveled at how comfortable she appeared, speaking thusly, and how still Raubhan held to not disturb her. They had clearly done this quite a few times. "We are graced this day by the presence of a hero to Ul'dah." ...Oh no. Bad feeling. Bad feeling which spiked as Nanamo easily found me in the crowd and smiled. "And dear friend to the crown." I could only hope my own smile was suitable enough, especially when all eyes turned back to me. "Honored guests, I give you our champion, Syna Belkaia." Still confused by how all of this happened. Maybe I should've paid more attention to the gossip in the streets...

There was a round of applause and cheering, and I think Nanamo continued speaking a while longer. I didn't pay attention, and paid for it quickly. People swarmed me as soon as they politely could, wriggling and writhing like insects in a feast. They gasped and cooed, praised and complimented. I didn't hear; it was white noise. After all, the words were meaningless to them. I could tell by their eyes, their gazes cold and empty. I knew that look; I'd seen it every day of my life back in the Room. The teachers, the Triad, the caretakers... all of them had the same empty calculation in their eyes. A burden, a nuisance, one who should not be here... they had no care to what they said or did. All they cared about was just how to deal with the junk someone dropped into their laps.

"Pardon me." At some point, a familiar voice cut through the noise, and when I blinked, I saw Thancred standing between me and the most persistent of the pawers, a Lalafell noble who wore enough rings to hide their fingers. "I fear Papashan wishes to speak with our champion here," he explained, easy smile belying the sharp glint to his gaze. It was enough to make most back off, though a few scowled. "I thank you for your magnanimous understanding."

Thancred gently took my arm and extracted me from the mass of people. As soon as we were free, he led me down a side hall and into an alcove far away from the noise, and I could not help my sigh of relief as soon as the din quieted to a murmur. In fact, my relief was so overwhelming it took me a good few seconds to realize Papashan was nowhere near the alcove. Why were we here...?

"Ah, you're getting some color back to your face," Thancred murmured, studying me with a far more genuine smile. Only then did I realize he'd lied to give me the excuse to leave. "I feared if you had remained the object of their sole attention, you'd turn as pale as your scales."

"Once again, you came to my rescue," I whispered, amused despite myself. For the first time all evening, I felt I could relax. "You certainly make a habit of it."

"As I told you, it's only for pretty maidens."

"Lies. That's three or four just for me. At least." I had not forgotten he had come to help me at Wystan's request. Even if I hadn't needed help with the golem, it was appreciated. "I can only imagine how out of place I look, with all the stares before Nanamo's grandiose declaration."

"I assure you; they were not staring because they thought you 'out of place'." He chuckled, and I found myself frowning at him. There was more to the statement, but I didn't know what. How infuriating. "Well, what would you like to do? You don't seem to like crowds, from what I observed in the Quicksand." When had he been...? "Shall we find Papashan in truth? He's likely by Her Grace."

"Mmm..." It was tempting, but another idea popped into my head. "Actually, perhaps I should find Raubahn." He had mentioned wanting to speak a little more and... well... "With how huge he is, I can easily hide." ...Wait, had that been aloud? Thancred's barely muffled laugh said 'yes', and my face burned with mortification. "That... wasn't the part I meant to say..."

"I'm sure, but it's a sound scheme. You are quite tiny, after all." He grinned, no longer hiding his amusement, and I sulked despite the blush still on my face. I couldn't deny the 'tiny' part, though. I barely came up to his chin. "There's quite the wide range in heights for Au Ra, isn't there?"

"It only seems that way because of male and female heights differ so drastically." I shrugged, calming since the topic moved to safer waters, and he looked curious. "They say the Dawnfather crafted the first male Au Ra in His image, with scales and tail bleached white from the light He bore. The Duskmother, however, crafted the first female Au Ra in Her image, with scales as black as the night She loved." It was a tale I knew well, for it was one Mother had quietly sung for me through the door. I almost found myself humming it now, just from the memory. "That is why female Au Ra are shorter than Miqo'te, while male Au Ra tower over even Elezen and Hrothgar."

"Hrothgar? Now there's a race most in Eorzea wouldn't know." Er... they wouldn't? "Most only know them as the main inhabitants of Bozja, which was all but annihilated by the Bozjan Incident some fifteen years ago." The what now? "Curious."

"I read." I shrugged once more. Best to leave it at that for now. "Though I have not yet read why Hyur are the only race with a noticeable height difference. Midlanders and Highlanders are quite different, yes?" While there was, of course, variation in heights among all people, Midlanders and Highlanders were so drastically different that they had two separate 'averages' in the encyclopedias.

"I think I've heard it has something to do with the mountainous regions Highlanders inhabited, prior to the Empire invading and sending them scattering to the four winds." He smiled slightly. "I will, however, concede the point Hyur are strange in that fashion."

"Yet none can dwarf the Roegadyn in height, yes? Unless a Viera tries to takes their ears into account."

"Now what books do you read to know of both Hrothgar and Viera?" Er... now how do I answer that? I'd known I hadn't seen any when out and about, but...

"History. Geography. Aetherical theory. You can ask Momodi, if you want." I made myself sulk once more, and Thancred laughed. "Books are amazing. They let you experience things you couldn't otherwise." We didn't need to get into how the Village had Viera and Hrothgar, and no one thought anything odd about it. They were as part of the Village as the other races. "If you have any suggestions, mister simple scholar, I would gladly listen."

"I'm sure I can think of a few, depending on your interests. Which are?"

"Everything." I wanted to read about everything. I wanted to see everything. I wanted to read and see all life had to give. Yes, I knew it was impossible, but still, I could strive for it in whatever time I had! "Anything and everything."

"That does nothing to narrow it down, you know. And here I'd hope for some little hint for charming you." He grinned, showing he was joking, and I shook my head. "Ah, regardless, your absence will be noticed soon, if it has not already. Let's shelve the topic of books for now, and I shall see you to Raubahn so you may hide." I playfully whined, and he laughed once more. "This way, my fair lady. I shall sneak you in with no one the wiser."

Somehow, it didn't surprise me he was able to do just that. In what felt like no time at all, we had rejoined the banquet and slipped along the edges of the crowd to the side where Raubahn stood alone, expression guarded. He smiled when he saw us, though.

"I'm surprised you're here, Thancred," he commented, smiling slightly. He gestured at something and, almost immediately, a servant arrived with three drinks. "Usually when you indulge Her Grace's requests to attend, you find some excuse to leave as soon as possible, usually with a lady on either arm and a handful more waiting to trail behind."

"Raubahn, I take offense to that!" Thancred protested, his grin belying any attempt at defense. He took one of the drinks from the servant, and Raubahn took the other two to pass me one. Each looked to be something different, with Thancred and I holding wine glasses. Raubahn had a mug. "I would never leave a lady so unsatisfied that she felt the need to trail behind!" ...I felt like I was missing something here.

"My mistake." Raubahn tried to hide his growing grin with his mug, but it didn't work. "To be serious, is aught amiss?"

"I have found nothing out of the ordinary." He nodded to me. "I was simply assisting Syna with escaping her own admirers. She suggested hiding with you, given her tininess and-"

"Thancred!" I interrupted, blushing furiously. Thancred just laughed. "You don't need to repeat it!"

"But it is so much fun seeing you blush so." Should I ask Momodi for stories? I felt like I should, just to try and get some sort of revenge. "Ah, but I dare not disappoint Raubahn's expectations, so I shall be on my way." He drained his glass in a gulp, passed the empty glass to Raubahn, and deftly slipped away before either of us could say a word. In a mere blink, he was completely out of sight.

"I pray he does not stir up a scandal again," Raubahn said dryly, handing the empty glass to a passing servant. I looked up at him curiously, wondering what he meant. "That is a discussion for another time." He focused on me then, smiling. "How has your first banquet been so far, Syna?"

"You say that as if I will attend many," I mumbled, not sure how to actually answer the question. The only sort of 'positive' I could think of was 'it is better than the Room', and even then, it paled in comparison to the days my family could sneak down for conversations through the door. "It was mere happenstance which led me here."

"Fate has its twists and turns, and it only takes a spark to light a flame." He looked out over the room, thankfully sparing me from any attempt to reply. I honestly didn't want to attend any more. "Though, perhaps you see these as I do."

"Hmm?"

"I have heard much from the refugees of how you assist them." He had. "You know as well as I Ul'dah is hardly so bountiful as this meal would have one believe. While the guests gorge, children starve in the streets."

"...I insist it is the other way around. Supposedly helping the refugees, I mean." I nursed my drink, wishing it was anything but wine. It was just so bitter. Blech. "They teach me skills and tell me stories."

"Which you told to Her Grace. She was utterly delighted to recite them to me." He chuckled, smiling fondly, and I realized then he had been the loved one she had mentioned, during the walk. "She longs to help them, the poor and the refugees. It is one of the many reasons why she sneaks out."

"Oh?" I hunted for her in the crowd, finding her near Papashan, just as Thancred had predicted. I frowned when I noticed... "Her smile is different."

"Hmm?"

"It's pretty, to be certain, and serene. But it's..." I tapped the stem of my wine glass, struggling for the words I wanted. "Compared to the smile she had in the market, and the one she gave me when we were in the Heart of the Sworn, it's like this one is simply... painted on."

"You see much." I wasn't sure about that. I think it was more I simply happened to see a different smile. "But you are correct. It is but a mask of stately serenity. Beneath it, she is aghast at the plight of her subjects." Raubahn growled something under his breath, and downed the rest of his drink in one gulp. "Yet no matter how hard she tries, she is thwarted at almost every turn by those on the Syndicate who derive their wealth from the workers' poverty." Why am I being told this? "I am truly grateful for all you have done for Ul'dah, and for Her Grace." Still didn't think I'd done much of anything.

"I like helping people. I like seeing them smile, and I like seeing how they live and learning about them." I didn't know what else to say. It was the simple truth. I was utterly selfish, forcing myself on them. "That's all, truly."

"To you, it may be little, but to those you help, it means everything. There has been precious little to smile about these past five years..." He frowned suddenly, tilting his head. "That light..." Light? I looked about curiously, wondering what he spoke of, but after a moment, he shook his head. "No, never mind me. Think the shadows are playing tricks." Somehow, I doubted that was the case, but I had no proof... "Still, as I said, the years following that fateful day in Carteneau have brought little joy. The scars remain, as do the memories..."

He said more. I knew he did. But I didn't hear it. No, instead, a pulse filled my ears, and a stabbing pain ripped through my head. As I teetered, reeling from the pain, everything faded away, and I felt stretched, stretched, stretched...

---

Gradually, a scene faded into view. At first, it was just the sky. The red, red sky... Red, with storm clouds pulsing with lightning. With embers and ash falling like snow. And in the middle of it all was… a meteor? I had read about such, but this felt and looked… wrong. It pulsed and writhed with light, and if I squinted, I swore I saw grooves within. Like the generators which maintained the wards on the Room...

The scene shifted, showing figures standing under flags on a high cliff or hill, staring down at... something. I could not see it yet, behind them as I 'was'. Nor could I see it when the scene shifted once more, this time showing me the fronts of the figures. Yellow flags, red flags, black... only the black ones appeared familiar. I'd seen them, or something similar, while walking through Ul'dah, though I couldn't precisely remember where for the time being.

"Flame, to the fore!" That voice I knew, and as if to confirm, the scene focused sharply on one of the figures: Raubahn. Unlike the others, he sat astride a chocobo dressed in full armor, tense and ready. Like both were just barely holding themselves back from charging. "Victory belongs to the bold!" he declared, gesturing sharply with naked blade in hand. Who was he saying this to? Certainly not the two who flanked him. Perhaps one of those who stood behind? But why just them? "Show those imperial whoresons what we're made of!"

"The left flank buckles!" snapped the one of Raubhan's right. A towering Roegadyn whose pale features contrasted sharply with her black attire... though I had never seen her, somehow, I knew her name: Merlwyb. "Divert the Barracudas!" Something struck the cliff, causing everything to shake, yet none who stood there let any unease or unbalance show. "Bid 'em hold that position though it cost 'em their lives!"

"The Yellow Serpents are in need of succor," the last one said with quiet dignity. While at first, she appeared to be a Hyur, I somehow knew the horns on her head marked her, instead, as a Padjal. Just as mysteriously, I knew her name: Kan-E-Senna. Despite the blood marring her hands and the ash staining her otherwise white dress, she remained calm and collected. "Pray sent the Whilte Wolves to their aid." She rested a hand on her chest, her gaze never wavering from whatever she witnessed. "The adventurers risk life and limb for our cause. We must not fail them."

Another explosion, another tremble akin to an earthquake. Yet the focus of the scene drew away from the three. Instead, it slowly narrowed on the shadowy figure standing far away, watching everything as well. A brief flash to the person revealed a red mask not unlike the robed man I'd fought at the Unholy Heir, and a twisted smirk. Almost as if she'd sensed it too, Kan-E-Senna gasped, the scene flashing back to her, and she turned towards the person, eyes narrowed as she scanned the surrounding area. All she could see here was the faint outline of a shadow, yet...

"Is aught amiss?" Merlwyb asked, facing Kan-E-Senna. Though he said nothing, Raubhan also looked down at her.

"...No..." Kan-E-Senna whispered, slowly shaking her head. "It is nothing..." It almost looked as if Merlwyd would press, yet they both jerked their heads up as a streak of flame tore through the sky and flew straight at them.

It cracked against the until-then invisible barrier, hexagonal shapes flickering into life as the fire and smoke rolled over the dome. All those within gasped and ducked, shaken by the tremendous force. No small few eyes the wisps of light as they faded away, warily wondering if such a thing could truly protect them...

"The barrier won't go down so easily!" Raubahn reassured, twisting in the saddle to look at them all. His voice was strong and confident, a reassurance despite all logic. "Eyes forward!" Slowly, everyone's nerves settled and they all returned their attention to the 'front', to whatever held their attention. Save one.

Kan-E-Senna looked back to the shadowy cliffs in the distance, to the faint outline of a person lingering atop. "We are being watched..." she whispered, too soft for any to hear.

The scene faded then, before opening up on one of those familiar black flags somehow still standing tall and flapping proudly in the wind despite the flames slowly consuming it. More smoke and embers and ash rained down, a sickening rain of ruin. My attention fell on a particular bit of ash, the black mass slowly falling until it reached the ground. Except... it didn't land on the ground. It landed on the mangled remains of a soldier, another one to join the twisted blanket that now shrouded the corpse. No weapon near, but shield still attached to his arm.

["Raging Bull calling Blood Thorn!"] I could hear Raubahn's voice, though I could not see him. His voice sounded strange as well, tinny. 'Like from the bottom of a well', I think my stories described such. ["Blood Thorn, respond!"] The scene focused on the body, and the blood-smeared pearl in their hand. ["Respond, damn you!"] Raubhan's voice... seemed to be coming from it...?

The scene abruptly switched back to Raubhan, kneeling on the ground behind the rest, with his hand to his ear. As he slowly stood, the scene swerved overhead, letting me see all who had gathered, few as they were. He moved to rejoin Merlwyd and Kan-E-Senna, but was stopped when Merlwyd raised her hand. Something unspoken passed between them, an entire conversation with only a shared look, and Raubahn fell back once more, growling in frustration. Kan-E-Senna brushed a gentle hand over his arm as he passed her, and he paused briefly to silently acknowledge the reassurance.

["Raging Bull! This is Mad Snake! Respond!"] All at once, another voice as tinny as Raubahn's had before cut through. Though he had not said it, I knew the speakers name as 'Jakys Ryder'. Were the names before code names?

Raubahn froze for a split second before dropping down to his knee and bringing his hand up to his ear once more. "Ryder?!" he gasped. Behind him, Merlwyd and Kan-E-Senna exchanged glances, visibly worried. "This is Raging Bull! What news?!"

["We're surrounded by a blaze!"] There was... panic in the voice. I could sense it. "There's no way out! Gods preserve, what is that thing?!"] What had him so scared? I somehow knew such fear wasn't like him. But I couldn't see...

"What's going on?! Speak to me!"

["Godsdammit!"] Both Merlwyd and Kan-E-Senna slowly looked to Raubahn, also recognizing how grave things were. ["We cannot hold much longer!"] Naught a second later, there was a terrifying, blood-curdling screech of complete agony. It still echoed just as before, ringing harshly and unnaturally.

"Mad Snake?!" Raubhan pressed his hand closer to his ear, as if that would force the words out. "Mad Snaaaaaake! Answer me!" But there was nothing. Nothing at all. And Raubhan punched the ground in pain and frustration. Then all at once he whirled to his feet to scream at the red, storm filled sky. "Damn it! Damn it all to the seventh hell!"

"...What of the Barracudas?" Merlwyd asked softly, her gaze fixed to whatever was ahead. I still hadn't seen it. "Can they not be reached?" The Roegadyn beside her pressed their hand to their ear and, after a moment, shook their head. "The shell's not working, then."

"It seems the creature is disrupting our communications," Kan-E-Senna whispered, apparently having also checked with her people. The Hyur standing near her looked almost frustrated by it. Frustrated, and terrified. "Still, we must keep trying. Call till they respond." Though the Hyur did as she bade, Kan-E-Senna turned to face Raubahn and Merlwyb. "We can do no more. We all know this. We must give the order to withdraw."

"I will not forsake Louisoux!" Raubahn immediately protested, recovered at last from his rage against the heavens. I started at the name, recognizing it from Thancred's own past. Just who was this person?

"General, please!" Kan-E-Senna remained calm, on the surface, but I saw very real pain in her eyes. "Victory may belong to the bold, but there will be no victor this day." She shook her head, and held this gaze. "You know this to be true. Let us not sacrifice lives in vain." She hit the ground with her staff, lightly, to emphasize her words. "The adventurers fight bravely, but to no avail. Let them withdraw, and let us be the ones to stand with Louisoux."

There was a long moment of silence, before Merlwyb gestured to the soldiers standing near her. "Belay previous orders," she snapped. "All Maelstrom units are commanded to fall back, effective immediately." She gestured sharply, calm yet agitated. "Give the Foreign Levy priority! Let the main host cover their retreat, and bring up the rear!"

"Damn it..." Raubahn growled, fists clenched at his sides. Still, he looked to the other soldiers. "Relay the order: all Flames are to withdraw." One made to bring their hand up to their ear. "Our linkshells are useless, so use your bloody legs!"

Slowly, the scene spiraled back as Kan-E-Senna stepped forward to the very edge of the cliff. For a brief second, I thought I might see what they saw, but the scene quickly focused on her once more. "The outcome of this battle was long since decided," she murmured, gaze resolute and face calm. "Better to retreat now, than risk a massacre." And finally, at last, the scene moved once more just enough for me to catch a glimpse. See the countless streaks of meteors barrage the field below until nothing but billowing, burning smoke could be seen. It was all I could see. It was all I could bear to see. Thankfully, the scene turned once more, so I could see Kan-E-Senna turn back to the shadowy cliffs. "This dark, stifling presence..." She closed her eyes and rested a hand on her chest. "Who... or what...?" She held still but for a moment before turning to her soldiers. "We go to take our place beside Archon Louisoix! To your positions!"

The scene faded to black once more, and truthfully, I expected that to be the end of it. But another burst of static filled me, and another scene flickered into view. This one... was of the shadowy figure in the distance. Except now, they were in front of me... and now, there were two.

"That I should live to behold Bahamut once more..." one in a red mask whispered, smirk prominent on his face. The sight was unnerving, but not in the usual sense of unease? I didn't find him scary; it was more of how 'wrong' it appeared to me. I couldn't even explain why. "Magnificent. The aeons of imprisonment have only made him hungrier." The second one, wearing a black mask which covered their face much as the one I'd fought had, approached, but the first one scoffed. "I am aware of them. Pay them no mind. They are powerless to act." The scene twisted again, so the one in the red mask was framed by the crimson clouds slinking about the sky. "It has begun. Soon, the planet will regain its true form."

And he laughed. He laughed and laughed and laughed as the scene pulled away, showing more of those terrible streaks of flame and light which obliterated all into ash. Back and back I fell, that terrible laughter echoing deep in my head, in my heart, as everything faded once more...

---

My awareness of reality returned in strange stages. Blotches of blurred mess slowly solidified into patches of color, and then into a ceiling. The warmth which enveloped me slowly stretched into a blanket tucked up to my chin. The softness under me wriggled into a matress and pillow. The glittering streaks brightened into sunlight streaming through the window. And when I heard the scrape of something on wood and saw Momodi peering at me, it all snapped together into a picture at last: my room at the Quicksand.

"You awake?" Momodi asked, frowning. My thoughts still stuttered and stumbled in the hazy wool of my head, so I simply smiled. "Finally! It was getting annoyin' watchin' over you!" She scowled and poked my nose; I immediately scrunched up my face. "This is why I told you to watch your drink!" Watch my...? Oh, wait, hang on...

"How... did I get back to my room?" I croaked, sluggishly pushing myself up. Everything felt heavy, tied down with rock. My heart hurt more, though, from whatever I'd seen. What had that been? A battle? Could it... have been the one everyone talked around, in whispered tones thick with pain? It was the only one I knew of, and... such devastation, such ruin... no wonder everyone kept quiet. "I was talking with Raubahn..."

"And didn't notice someone slipped something in your drink!" Momodi scowled up at me, worried frown evident through her scolding. "Suppose its my fault for not being more blatant about warnin' you about someone drugging you." Drugging? Ah, so some sort of sleeping potion? That would... Wait. "Thancred carried you back."

"Somehow, I'm unsurprised." Despite the simple words, my mind whirled. After all, I'd only had one drink the entire night, the one Raubahn gave me. I somehow doubted Raubahn would put me to sleep when he was the one who wanted to talk in the first place. Even then, I'd only nursed it, barely having any. Surely no drug would be so effective? "I suppose he's the one who told you what happened?"

"Of course." And Thancred hadn't given me anything, so I doubted he would be the one. No, instead... instead, he'd made up a story to explain it away. But why...? "I was about to have his balls for carrying back an unconscious you." ...She would've what?! "All right, if you're awake, let's see about get you movin'. Up, up, up!"

It took a little more coaxing for me to actually crawl out of bed, given how sluggish and heavy I still felt. But once I was on my feet and moving, momentum helped carry me through my usual morning routine and out the Quicksand entirely. At first, I didn't have a destination. I just wandered. But my meanderings led me past the Pugilists' Guild and I remembered what had happened before the banquet. Worry spiked through me and I made my way through the crowd to slip inside. I'd hoped... I'd hope to see Master Hamon. But, for the first time, I didn't see him. He'd always been among the students, encouraging and helping however he could, but now, he was nowhere in sight. And you could feel it just by standing in the room, which was quieter and dimmer. As if something had thrown a thick blanket over the light.

"Syna?" Still, Chuchuto was here, and that was something. "Uh... hi, there?" she mumbled, bringing a hand up in greeting. I smiled back, swinging my hands behind my back to fiddle with the spikes on the base of my tail. "Are you here for a lesson?"

"...More to check on things..." I whispered, looking down. The relative quiet bore down on me. "Did Master Hamon...?"

"He made it back, according to the receptionist. She asked what had happened, but I..." Not helped by the uncomfortable silence stretching between Chuchuto and me. It had never been so hard to speak with her before, but now... "You know... I've been doing some thinking."

"Oh?"

"Yeah." I watched her feet move to the side, and I raised my head just in time to see her hop onto the bench. "About what happened, I mean." She swung her legs back and forth as she stared at the ceiling, like all the answers were there. "It was a shock to see him so weak. Beaten by a marmot, of all things." Well, that somewhat explained the marmot. "But maybe a good part of it was my fault."

"Your fault?"

"Because he was always invincible in my eyes. Strong and powerful, yet ever kind. He saved my life. Had he not taken me in all those years ago, I would've died in some ditch, unmourned and left to rot." Right, he had told me... "Even if he let us believe he remained as strong and skilled, he meant no harm. Perhaps... perhaps he simply couldn't bear to admit to it, feeling like he'd let us down. Feeling like we respected him for his strength, when it was never the case. I'd adore and respect him even if he were an ordinary man, because he's him. He's my family." She brought her gaze down just enough to smile at me, and while it was strained, it was also genuine. "That's... what I ultimately think. I guess Rurukuta thought differently, though..."

"I'm still confused by it all, but..." I shrugged and sat down at her feet. Felt proper, given everything. "What I'm understanding is that age has robbed him of his strength and it was at least startling for you two."

"Meanwhile, you're calm and already reaching out for him. Perhaps because you saw the person, not the legend." She sighed, drooping. "Alas, with the truth of his condition revealed, Master Hamon has lost his sense of purpose, his will to teach. He's holed up in the back, and hasn't left since returning." So that was why he wasn't here... "It's so very hard to see him like this. There must be a way to help him regain his confidence. Maybe even his strength? He doesn't have to, but I feel like he'd feel better about himself..."

"...I'm not sure I can help with that..." My attempt had been so pathetic...

"Mm... maybe not directly, but..." Chuchuto became thoughtful suddenly, resting her fist on her cheek. "He's very much enjoyed teaching you, and seeing your rapid improvements. He's said many times you remind him of his younger self. Perhaps it might rekindle his fighting spirit and from there..." She nodded a couple times to herself, and smiled once more. This time, it was noticeably less strained. "In which case, what you can do is simply do as you have. Train hard, work hard, and so forth. Go off on adventures and I'll handle wrangling Master into a place where we can set the spark." Well, I suppose I could do that? "Yes, let's do this! And for right now, that means more lessons for you!" Uh... oh dear. "Come on!"

Chuchuto had me running drills almost until I dropped, with a focus on more 'defensive' techniques. All of which, supposedly, were specialities of Master Hamon, or so she claimed. I just did my best to complete each one, and not fall on my face when she finally declared we were done for the day. The smart thing to do from there would've been to get some water and stumble to the Quicksand to pass out on my bed. Instead, I got water, stumbled back to the Quicksand for a bath and change of clothes, before leaving again for the Thaumaturges' Guild. If Chuchuto said the best thing I could do for Master Hamon was to train, then I would train as much as I could and more. Thankfully, Cocobezi didn't mind my unexpected arrival, for it was he who would teach me about the 'Threat of Superiority' and, perhaps more importantly, how to actually cast a Fire II spell without it exploding everything.

"Your grasp of the abyss grows ever firmer, even as your leaps within defy all expectations, Syna," Master Cocobuki noted, once Cocobezi had dismissed me for the day. Though I had been eager to press onward in my lessons, he'd warned against it, stating the rush of mastery belied exhaustion. While I still felt more than well enough, I yielded to his expertise. "In light of this, might I beg a boon of you?"

"You need help with something?" I asked, surprised. He'd never requested my help before, after all. "What is it?"

"I believe I once told you the teachings of thaumaturgy were originally used in funerary rites. Frost to halt corruption, fire to cleanse the corpse, and lightning to expel sins." He... had, though it had been quite some time ago. The first or second day of my lessons, in fact. "There is a church in Camp Drybone which handles matters of the dead. Alas, their thaumaturge recently fell ill with desert fever. Though most of the Order is content with letting them languish, I... do not share the sentiment." Master Cocobuki smiled very tiredly suddenly, closing his lone eye. "Granted, no small part of it is because Father Father Iluid does not charge additional coin for the services of a thaumaturge, but let us not discuss this for now."

"That's... probably for the best." Best to actually focus on things I can do... "So, I'm assuming you wish for me to assist while they recover?"

"Indeed. Though, admittedly, this is not the reason I request you be the one." Master Cocobuki looked around before beckoning me closer. He actually had me kneel down so he could talk all the more quietly. "Recently, a team of scholars unearthed a cursed relic known as 'Mormo's Urn'." That sounded like the opening of a horror story. "Wisely, they sought the talents of a thaumaturge immediately to destroy it, yet sadly, it was stolen shortly thereafter by an organization of criminals known as the 'Alacran'." Again, that name... "The Blades are investigating, or they better be." The low grumble hinted there would be words if not, and I hide a smile. "However, a thaumaturge must needs be near when it is recovered, and you are the most skilled of our current members." ...How?! "They were last seen traveling southeast of Camp Drybone. Two birds with one spell."

"I see." My mind still reeled from the supposedly revelation of my skill. How...? Surely it was just flattery? "Very well. I accept." Yet even if it was, it did not change he needed help. What else could I do but agree?

---

Much of Camp Drybone revolved around the dead. Perhaps it was unsurprising, given most of those who died in the Calamity were interred there, and many refugees laid beneath the soil wherever one could fit just one more corpse. Yet it was not what I'd expected, when I'd hopped off the caravan, and so many of the jobs I did revolved around the dead and dying. The worst was helping with last wishes and last meals. Sometimes I made it in time. Others, I didn't. And blessed Dawnfather, those times hurt.

"Ow..." I hissed, jerking my hand back from the patch of flowers I'd been trying to pick. Pricked by thorns again. It had to be the second or third time in as many minutes, but I'd wanted to pick these in particular. They were a beautiful pale pink, shimmering in the desert sun, and... well, perhaps the dead did not care what flowers they received. Particularly those received from strangers. But I thought these were pretty, and they had such a soothing scent... yes, perhaps the dead did not care, but I thought the living might appreciate it...

Shaking my head, I resumed my self-appointed task. A bundle of flowers did nothing to change I had failed, but I hoped they would work well enough as an apology for being too slow and too weak to help them. Perhaps it didn't and this was nothing but a self-righteous balm to my keening heart, but no one had stopped me yet. I could only hope no one minded.

Flowers in hand, I didn't return to the camp immediately. ...Mostly because I may or may not have gotten myself turned around trying to find the entrance to the place. In my defense, even those who lived there often had difficulties finding their way in and out of the camp. ...My lack of direction did not help matters, but it was neither here nor there. I ended up hopelessly lost, and I ended up stumbling on a most... unusual sight. It was the corpse of a large creature, large of body with no discernable neck and almost comically small limbs, all but consumed by flowers. Though at first I thought the flowers had simply grown over the body, on closer inspection, I found they had sprouted from the corpse itself.

"Is it not magnificent?!" However, I was not the only one intrigued by the grisly display. "Such beauty and wonder..." a nearby person breathed, their eyes sparkling. All at once, their attention snapped to me. "Ah, miss, might I ask a favor?"

The 'favor' turned into a series of favors, truthfully. All of them related to helping the flowering corpse, from water to pest control. Quite a bit of pest control. Thankfully, the person (who eventually introduced himself as Jospaire) was willing to hold onto my bunch of flowers while I did the favors. I would've been upset if they'd ended up damaged due to all the fighting and carrying I ended up doing.

"Ah, what more can I say to express my gratitude," Jospaire gushed as he returned my flowers to me. His attention, of course, was solely on the plants. "Through your efforts, this exceptional bit of greenery will enjoy many more vibrant days!" Still, his smile was radiant as he beheld the plants which had taken root in the carcass. "As a botanist from Gridania, I have had the opportunity to study plants the realm over, yet I cannot claim to have seen such verdure before. Oh how I can't wait to tell Guildmaster Fufucha!"

"I... suppose there's a certain beauty to it," I mumbled, shifting my weight from foot to foot. I didn't know what to say. I didn't share his excitement. All I saw was the death which had sprouted life. A cycle which continued on and on and...

"Ah, but listen to me rambling about. You had a frown on your face earlier before I dragged you into my madness." For the first time in the entire exchange, Jospaire turned to me. "May I ask what is wrong?"

"Pardon?" Hadn't... expected that. "I... um..." I almost tightened my grip on the flowers, but held back just in time. I didn't want to crush them. "It's nothing, really. I had been asked to hunt some meat for a man's last meal, but I wasn't fast enough." I closed my eyes as I remembered what Zozoru had told me. What she said every time I'd failed. That I'd done good anyway, just for trying. That it had simply been his time. Yet, if I had been a little faster, a little stronger, could I have... "That's... all."

"Is that so?" Jospaire scrutinized me before, surprisingly, walking over to the flowers and plucking one. Just one, a flower whose petals changed from light blue on the ends to black at the base. "Here. Another flower for the dead, one among many you protected this day." He smiled wryly. "I know not what words I can say to lighten your spirits, but perhaps this will at least bring peace to the deceased and the living who mourn their loss."

"I... thank you." What else could I say? I was touched he even tried. "Ah, but do you know the way back to Camp Drybone? I fear I can never find the entrance..."

Jospaire was kind enough to play along with the blatant change of subject, and led the way back to Camp Drybone. At which point I learned I'd wandered even farther than I'd thought. Much farther. I was surprised by how far, and even more surprise I hadn't fallen off a cliff or something. Thankfully, Jospaire never actually asked how I ended up near the flowering corpse, and as soon as the gates were visible, he bolted back to it, leaving me to actually enter the camp alone.

"Um... pardon?" However, just as I stepped past the gates, a young woman snagged my sleeve and tugged to catch my attention. "You... must be Miss Syna, yes?" she asked. I blinked slowly before nodding, wondering how she knew. "I thought so. Sister Zozoru said you had scales as white as snow, with horns and tail to match." ...Oh, right, of course. "Um... thank you."

"...For...?" I asked, not knowing what at all I'd done for her. I definitely didn't recognize her. So why would she...?

"The wounded man who died not long ago, the one Sister Zozoru and Tutusi wanted myotragus sirloins for, was my father." Ah... "Our home was torched by the Amalj'aa not long ago. My mother was captured by them, and I... would have been as well. Father saved me, though. It was... how he was wounded." Somehow, she managed a smile. Her eyes shone with tears, but still, she smiled. "Every day, he grew closer and closer to death. Every day, I felt more and more alone. Every day, the world grew darker and darker. After he passed, Sister Zozoru left me in the room to mourn and process things. I couldn't, though. None of it felt real, and I was just so, so alone. Yet..." Her voice cracked and she coughed to clear her throat. "Yet through the haze that had settled on me, I heard you talking to Sister Zozoru. I heard what you had done. It had to have been difficult. When I peeked out, I saw your arms were bruised. I saw you had been out of breath. You had pushed yourself so hard, to help someone you never met. And it... it reminded me even the darkest nights give way to the dawn." She bowed her head. "So, I wanted to thank you. I still have... a lot to process. But I won't... forget that kindness."

"...I see." I had no idea how to react. I didn't... "What will you do now?"

"For now, I'll be helping at the church, to help pay for Father's funeral. I'll... figure everything else out as I go."

"Let me walk you there, then." What else could I do? "The path up can be tricky to find."

We had to walk slowly, as her legs were unsteady. I wondered how much she'd eaten, these past few days, though I didn't ask. I simply helped her along, letting her lean on me as we climbed the path up to the Church. Father Iluid met her at the door and took her in, and I went to see if there was anything to be done. Finding nothing, for now, I dove right back into work for whatever the camp itself needed. Surprisingly, there wasn't much today, simply beating back slugs from the water source again. I was almost at a loss for how to spend my time, but... well, I may or may not have been snagged by an ecstatic Lalafell, who rambled a malm a minute about a crystal, and dragged outside the camp to fend off beasts. It wasn't until we returned I'd even learned what all of it had been about.

"Hahasako, I can't believe you were so rude!" Apparently, a Professor Lamberteint had taken up residence here in Camp Drybone, and both he and his three students met every so often to compare notes and research. "I can understand being excited, but to drag a young lady off into the wilderness is absurd!" Hahasako had been the Lalafell who dragged me off, and the one scolded him now was his fellow student, Hedyn.

"I'm about fifty percent certain Hahasako isn't paying the slightest attention to this particular lecture," Ceana commented, watching her fellow students for a second more before returning to her notes. She sat at the table with me, sharing a pot of tea, and had been the one to actually explain everything to me. Though, she certainly had a point; Hahasako was eagerly studying the crystals in his warded pot and apparently paid no mind at all to Hedyn, despite him looming over the former. "We're a little weird, the three of us, especially when it comes to corrupted crystals. Gods, we're so lucky to have found Professor Lamberteint."

"It's not the most forceful way someone's pushed a job on me," I dismissed, far more interested in this research than apologies. I'd read a little about corrupted crystals the day I joined the Thaumaturges' Guild, but with everything else I had to learn, I never returned to the topic. "So, my understanding is corrupted crystals are over-aspected aether?"

"Indeed!" Ceana's eyes lit up at the subject. "Though once they were rare, since the Calamity disrupted the aetheric currents of the world, they have become comparatively commonplace. Unfortunately, however, their capacity of warping aetheric energies extends to living creatures. Such mutations have, thus, also become more commonplace."

"So, that's why Hahasako dragged me off." There had been quite a few sprites near the crystal, and they had acted differently than the ones I'd fought near the Silver Bazaar. "I take it this over-aspected aether has other effects?"

"That is precisely what we're studying!" She pulled out one piece of paper and waved it at me as if I could read it while it flapped. "Now, of course, some parts are intuitively obvious, yet it is only through confirmation we can establish a foundation to build our theories. For example, while it is to be expected, they still follow the laws of the elemental wheel."

"The elemental wheel?" I may have heard the term before, but it didn't sound familiar...

"This here!" She dropped the first paper and produced a second one, one with a beautifully intricate diagram, from her massive pile of notes. "See?"

"Ah, this!" Yes, I knew it now. My teachers hadn't called it a 'wheel', though I could see why she had referred to it as such. "The top half represents the elements most aligned with the Astral state, and the bottom consists of those who naturally lean more towards the Umbral." How had my teachers explained it? The dark waters of the ocean teemed with life, it was in the dark of the earth where seeds bloomed, and ice... ah, I couldn't remember ice, but...

"Yes, earth, water, and ice are most associated with the Umbral state due to their stasis and passivity." ...Pardon? That was... hold on, that was different from what my teachers taught me? "Astral, of course, is bright activity and that's why wind, fire, and lightning are associated with it!" My teachers explained it was their inherent destructiveness which tied them to the Astral... from the wind which gradually grinded down the mountains to blinding lightning which cracked across the sky... "Then, of course, you have the actual cycle."

"The spark of lightning ignites, and thus, fire is born." I knew this well. Father had helped me commit it to memory. "The heat of fire renders all to ash, and thus, earth is born. The density of earth harbors cold and thus, ice is born. The armor of ice melts, and thus, water is born." I could still hear his lilting voice, helping me whenever I tripped over the recitation. "The moistness of water rises and thus, wind is born. The gusts of wind gather the clouds and, thus, lightning is born."

"Ah, it is so wonderfully nice to discuss these topics with someone else~!" Ceana laughed, bright and cheerful. Behind her, Hahasako had dragged Hedyn into studying the crystal, with both furiously scribbling notes. "But yes, corrupted crystals follow the same rules, including the triangles of conquests and submissions as well as the law of opposites. Intuitively what you expect, but by confirming the similarities, we can better understand the differences!"

"What differences are those?"

"I am so glad you asked~! Firstly-!"

"Miss Syna?" 'Firstly', however, a Brass Blade walked in, interrupting her. "My apologies," they murmured, striding straight for me. I frowned up at them curiously. "We've tracked them." Ah, well, this explained a lot. The Brass Blades stationed here were the only ones who knew of my secondary purpose here in Camp Drybone.

"Then we must needs move quickly, lest the trail run cold," I whispered in return, standing. I smiled apologetically at Ceana, who looked terribly confused. "Just a job they asked for my help with. Tell me more later, please?"

I didn't wait for Ceana to reply. Terribly rude, I knew, but it had taken weeks for the Blades to find traces of the Alacran. If I was to destroy the Urn... well, in theory, I had to proceed with all reasonable haste. Not a second after changing into more battle-worthy clothing, though, I felt the pull of a beacon, and barely checked the urge to sigh. Now it showed up, meaning I could find it no matter how long it took. But the Blades didn't know that, so I kept up the illusion, following them to a canyon far to the southeast of the camp itself. Once there, they immediately jumped into battle, ambushing the Alacran for two reasons. One, in the hopes of capturing them for information. Two, to provide me a distraction so I could more easily slip past and destroy the Urn.

"Aha! I thought so!" Yet just as I was about to set off, a familiar voice called out from behind me. A voice I knew, yet should definitely not be here. "I knew I saw you!" Disbelieving my ears, I turned to confirm the voice, and there was Cocobusi, rushing for me. "I knew running this errand would be worth it!"

"And... what are you doing here, exactly, Cocobusi?" I asked, and then winced. That had sounded so harsh... "I'm glad to see you, of course, but you have to admit the location is a little..." I was at the edge of a camp of a known criminal organization, about to try and sneak inside to destroy a thing they stole, while others fought and bled as a distraction. He really shouldn't be here.

"I overheard Buki giving you your mission." He had? ...He had?! Where had he been hiding?! "And I thought... um..." He looked down , scuffing the ground with his foot. "I thought if I managed to assist you, then my brothers might finally deign to take me seriously. And Master Severin needed some reagents from here, so..." Dawnfather, help me. With that thought, though... he was already here. And I had a feeling he'd follow no matter what I said.

So... "We have to avoid battles. Destroy the Urn and get out." Battles would take more time than the Blades might be able to give me. "You have anything to help with that?"

"I do!" He beamed up at me, relief and gratitude radiating off him. All I could think was how his brothers were going to kill me for this. "I may be no thaumaturge, but I do have my tricks!"

If I was to be truthful, I would say I'd hoped for some sort of 'invisibility potion' or similar, like what you read in stories. Something quiet. What Cocobusi had on hand was not quiet. In the slightest. Though, I had to say there was something amazingly terrifying about how he could combine innocuous ingredients into something terribly explosive. Literally.

"Hmm? Oh, well, such a potion is technically possible," Cocobusi explained when I asked him about it. I had to do something; the silence which fell after he triggered a massive rockslide via explosion would be awkward otherwise. "To do so, however..." He grimaced at the thought, so I wondered if perhaps I should have let the uncomfortable silence grow. "To do so, one must temporarily server your body's access to aether. This has the dangerous side effect of slowing all bodily functions to a crawl. Your movements would be slowed, your heart would strain to try and keep you alive despite it…" He shuddered violently, flailing his arms. "The damage to vital organs can become terribly severe and… well, if used for too long, or too many times in a short timespan, it becomes very… er…"

"Fatal, huh?" I finished, leaning against the rock walls of the path we were on. I never would've expected it to be so dangerous. "Why would you have to cut off your body's access to aether, though?"

"Hmm? Ah, I'm still researching that myself, truthfully. It's part of my research into the temporary expansion of aetheric capacity." He managed a shy smile, though I saw the pain and frustration in it. "I can try to explain along the way, but firstly, did you sustain any injuries? Bruises? I've some salves, if you need them."

"I should lie and say 'yes', just to have some, given how many battles I get caught up in." Even if my injuries… seemed to heal strangely quickly sometimes… then again, I didn't know much about healing in general.

"I'd be happy to give you some anyway, and arrange for you to buy some from the Guild at a discount, but that will have to wait until we're back in Ul'dah."

"Does the Guild sell explosives too?"

"Like what I just used? Oh, heavens, no! Just the ingredients!" I didn't think there was much difference, truthfully? "The key ingredient in this one was a bomb finger, which we only sell to the Immortal Flames." A what now? "Fascinating, truly, how pieces of the creature continue to hold onto its explosive properties."

"Explain more on the way, please. For instance, what do you mean a bomb is a creature?"

"Ah, have you not seen one? There..."

Cocobusi was happy to ramble about all sorts of things related to creatures, their abilities, and how one utilized their parts for alchemical concoctions. We kept quiet, of course. While the rock slide had blocked the main path behind us, and the Blades distracted the majority of the Alacran, we had no idea if there was an ambush waiting. Though, if I had to be honest, I felt more relaxed than anything. No instinct or beacon screamed a warning. Not until we made it to an abandoned camp by a ledge and we found the Urn.

Truthfully, I might've missed it, if not for the mysterious sense which gave me hints and nudges. The Urn itself looked completely and utterly unremarkable, but a dark purple smoke wafted from it, slinking about eeriely. I... didn't like it. Not one bit.

"That's it, isn't it?" Cocobusi murmured, approaching the Urn without showing any of the unease I felt. I lingered back, preparing to cast a spell. The purple smoke reminded me of those bound purple areas where a fight always occurred. It was better to be cautious. "Mormo's Urn... if I destroy it, then maybe my family will see what I'm capable of..." He slowly reached out to it. "And I'll no longer be the pitiful, powerless little sibling..."

"Wait, wait, wait, wait, WAIT! DON'T YOU DARE BREAK MY URN!" ...What now? Where did that voice come from? There was only Cocobusi and me and-

"Aaaah! It talked!" Cocobusi yelped and jumped back, staring wide-eyed at the urn. Confirming the voice came from it. "Are... um... are you Mormo, the voidsent?!" The voidsent? Was this mentioned before?

"Hee hee, well, yes, I AM Mormo. But I'm one of the nice voidsent!" ...So, whenever someone said something like that in my stories, they inevitably proved to be one of the worst. "It was the NASTY ones that sealed me up in here for helping a mortal." Doubting this severely. "If you would be so kind as to open the lid of my urn, I would be HAPPY to grant you a wish!" Oh, this was just getting worse and worse. "Anything you desire! Fortune? Fame?"

"Um... well, I..." Cocobusi fiddled with his sleeves, though I barely noticed. I was too busy remembering all the books I read with this sort of thing. "I'm not really interested in fame or fortune. But perhaps there is one thing... I'd like to have aetheric power to equal that of my brothers..."

"Hee hee? Power, is it? A perfectly acceptable wish! In fact, I sense the latent ability buried deep within your spirit. It will be a SIMPLE thing for me to turn it loose!" That was... I swore I'd read a book with that exact line. A way for the villain to tempt the hero's rival into falling into villainy... "So, what more is there to think about? OPEN the lid!" Wait, now wasn't the time for-!

By the time I processed what Cocobusi was doing, it was sadly too late. I couldn't even manage a step before he popped the lid right off. That... was what I got for being too lost in remembering stories. So, all I could do was watch the purple smoke slink around him, and sink in like fangs. Then it disappeared and all was still. Even the wind held its breath.

"Hmm..." Finally, however, Cocobusi broke the silence. "Well, I don't feel different at all," he noted lightly. "I think Mormo may have been lying." He looked around curiously before smiling up at me. It... looked wrong. Everything about him felt wrong. Yet, I couldn't quite... "It's time we were leaving, right, Syna?" My eyes darted to the urn, even as I tried to piece together just what bothered me. "Oh, weren't we supposed to break this urn?" Without another word, Cocobusi picked it up and tossed it over the ridge. The dull sound of it shattering echoed up after a moment. "And that is that!" He snickered, and I realized I'd... never heard him do such before. His posture, his words... all of it was just... "Yes, this will be such fun!" Wrong. It was wrong. "I mean... it will be nice to return home after all this excitement. Shall we, Syna?"

"...Yes," I whispered, because what else could I do? Besides, even if I thought it was wrong, maybe it wasn't? I hadn't known him long, and I'd only seen him while he was morose. Maybe... maybe...

My skin crawled at the decision. I knew I would regret it.

---

"Marques, can you pass me... ah, thank you!" Smiling, I accepted the basket from Marques and filled it with the wilted flowers scattered on the grave we were cleaning. "I'm glad you showed me the grave, as I never would've found it otherwise," I continued. "Probably would've fallen off the ridge there."

"You... would have found it eventually..." Marques replied, softly and slowly. It was just how he spoke, how he did most things truthfully. I thought no more of it than I did the voluminous cloak he wore, with the hood pulled firmly over his head. "You are... stubborn, that way."

"Are you teasing me?" I made a face at him and grinned immediately to make sure he knew I was joking around. Marques had lived here for five years, terribly wounded during the Calamity and amnesiac on top of it. As such, he had a tendency to assume the worse about how people viewed him. "Well, regardless, I found it much easier with your help." Marques ducked his head, the shadows of the hood all but completely masking his face. Still, I thought there was the quirk of a smile. "I know Airell only asked for a quick clean, but I feel like there's more we can do for the grave? Something just seems off, though I can't quite put my finger on it..."

"It's the earth..." Marques knelt down and rested a hand on the soil. "It has loosened. You must pack the earth tight, or they will come... the mongrels will come and defile the body..."

"Ah, so that's it." I gently touched his hand, keeping still when he started. "Shall we fix it, then?"

"Yes..." This time, I was sure I caught a smile in the shadows. "Yes, we should... so they can rest in peace..."

Marques and I worked together, his hands sure yet shaky and mine steady yet uncertain, and it was not long at all before the grave was properly covered once more. I had tried to lead Marques back to the Church to wash his hands, but he shied away from me, mumbling something, and I let him be, recognizing he had been pushed too much. Instead, I made sure to smile and thank him once more, and then I returned alone to report to Airell. She was the one who'd tasked me, after all.

"You are a most blessed help, Syna," Airell praised, smiling kindly as I handed her the basket. I ducked my head to hide my blush and fiddled with the spikes on the base of my tail. "Would that there were naught else to be done. The dead sleep soundest in a tidy grave; old offerings do not but clutter and weigh them down."

"I don't mind helping," I reassured, barely glancing up through my lashes and bangs. She looked tired; she'd been up before dawn again to tend to the newly dead. Now she lingered at the entrance, with baskets all but overflowing with all sorts of items. Likely items found on the dead, to hopefully be given to family. "Anything else for now?"

"Mm... well, I know you have your usual duties, but if you might make offerings of these Nymeia lilies at some of the simpler graves?" Setting the basket down on the ground, she picked up another one, filled with fresh flowers. I marveled at how beautiful they were. "The poor souls died alone, you see, with no one left to grieve for their passing." She sighed, resting a hand on her cheek. "In days gone by, the lichyard was a small, humble plot, and we could give the offerings our piety demands to such lonely souls. That all changed with the Calamity. The dead grew in number and so, the yard grew with them." She looked out over the lichyard, and the graves stretching through every ilm of the hills. "It's still simple, despite its size. That simplicity keeps it from becoming more of a priority for the Order. We can ill afford to assign adequate numbers to its keeping, just as we cannot charge the poor to bury and be buried."

"Yet we do all we can, because its what our hearts tell us, yes?" I smiled teasingly and she chuckled. "I do believe that is the next bit?" I'd heard this before. She had a habit of brooding, and a habit of repeating herself. I only interrupted at the end, thinking it was better for her to vent.

"Oh, on with you, child." She made a shooing motion, and I bit back a laugh. "But do take care to mind your surroundings and pay the proper respects."

"Of course." I swung the basket behind me and started back down the path. "Tell me the story about these lillies when I return!"

I had a routine by now. Though the matter of the Urn had been settled, officially, I had not returned to Ul'dah with Cocobusi. The thaumaturge I filled in for was still ill, after all, so I remained on hand to help however I could. This, however, led to my 'usual duties', a particularly grisly set of jobs few wish to take on. Likely due to the sheer number of dead about, Camp Drybone was plagued by ashkin. Most believed it was due to lingering anger and regret, possibly from their deaths or maybe even due to the sheer inequality when it came to how fancy some graves were. While there were ways to free the dead from their trapped wanderings, the first part of it was... well... 'freeing' the dead from their corporal confines. In other words, I had to re-kill corpses and skeletons and then haul their remains back to the Church for their proper rites. It was never an easy, or clean, job, but needed. The ashkin would otherwise attack all they came across, viciously clawing and tearing into the bodies in an attempt to regain the life they had lost. I did discover during these jobs, however, that my 'inventory' could store corpses. It half-made me wonder if I could 'store' a living person, but then came the worries of 'was there any air?' and 'did time pass in the pocket in space?'. It wasn't something I was in a hurry to experiment with.

But even when I finished with the dead, there was more to fight off. Lichyards provided a feast for beasts which fed on carrion, or insects who used corpses to lay their eggs. With such numbers at the Church, many were more than willing to test their luck, attacking would-be mourners who happened to block their path. Thus, another of the jobs I'd taken up was to thin their numbers. Those left behind had enough worries and problems; they didn't need to worry about beasts on top of everything.

"Ah, it is so sweet to listen to the wind without the incessant buzzing from the blowflies," Esmour breathed, with a tired smile. I always reported to him when I finished my dead-slaying and beast-killing. Mostly because I delivered the bodies to him. He handled the initial preparation outside. "Would that the scent of death's decay did not draw the blowfly swarms. Yet they do, and widely would their pestilence spread if left unchecked. Before long, we would need to mourn the mourning." He patted me on the head, and I smiled, pleased despite myself. All I had done was punch, stab, and burn things. "For the time being, at least, the grieving can pray in peace for their dead to cross over safely. Thank you, Syna." I really didn't deserve the praise, but I knew from experience actually saying that would simply lead to a circular argument of 'yes, you do' and 'no, I don't!'. Instead, I headed back inside the Church, or... well, I tried to.

"Miss!" However, just as I turned away, a little boy missing his front teeth appeared from nowhere and snagged my sleeve. Esmour immediately tried to shoo him away, but I shook my head and turned to face the child. "You're one of them 'venturer folk, ain't ye?" he asked, staring up at me with wide-eyes. "Father Iluid said so." Not sure what to truly say, I simply nodded to confirm. "I... uh... don't have much in coin, but I'd be obliged for a li'l help."

"You don't have to pay me," I whispered, stroking his hair. Honestly, I'd surprisingly made quite a bit thus far. Adventuring paid well (or so it seemed to me), particularly when you had glowing lights to help you find people to help. "What do you need?"

"Well, I'd like to make a tombstone for my kid sister what passed, ye see..." My hand froze on his head, fingers tangled in the messy strands, and I mentally guessed his age. 11? 12? Surely not more. Yet his sister had been younger and now she was... "But I ain't got the gil to get it done. I hear there's nice rocks for the takin' a ways from here, but Brother Esmour said I ain't old enough to fend off no wild beasts and such."

"Yes, you're quite too young." I made myself smile. It was easier when I felt the tug of that 'beacon', leading me on. Whatever let me do this, it liked helping people too. "Any kind in particular?"

"Um... well..." The boy smiled shyly. "Was hopin' for a bit o' cloud marble. She really woulda liked that. Crops right up out the ground to the east o' here, they say." East... that was the direction of the beacon too...

"Leave it to me."

"Really?!" Now he smiled brightly, his eyes lighting up. "Gods, you 'verturers sure are kind folk! If you get that, then all I need is coin for the funeral!"

"Eaduuard, we have told you this..." Brother Esmour began, his tiredness all but masking the exasperation creeping through. He certainly looked exasperated, at least. "You do not need to pay us to bury your sister here."

"That's nice of ye to say, but I know how it works," the boy replied without hesitation. He didn't even seem shy about it. "It'll take coin to send her over to Thal proper. Oh! But I need to help Sister Airell now to help pay for it! Bye!" And he was off, waving even.

"Ha... that boy is nothing but trouble." Esmour shook his head with a sigh, before smiling at me wryly. "It was all I could do to convince him to not go looking for the stone on his own. Still, losing a loved one is never easy."

"He said it was his little sister," I whispered, watching the boy disappear into the church. So young, so young... "What happened?"

"Plague," Esmour answered, the word sharp and bitter. His accompanying smile was brittle. "It ripped through her like a beast, and left her naught but skin and bones. Barely lasted a night, the poor child." That was...

"...I'd better get going, then."

Thanks to the beacon, it was simple to find a piece of Cloud Marble for the tombstone. It was harder to find flowers, as the beacon kept tugging me back to Camp Drybone. But I wanted to give flowers to the little girl who should've lived so much longer. Flowers to bring a little cheer, a little color, and maybe her brother would find some peace with them too. I could only hope, particularly since I didn't see Eaduuard when I returned. Just Esmour, who took the marble and flowers with a tired, sad, but genuine smile. And all but shoved me into the Church, because apparently, I'd worried some people.

"I'm back, Father Iluid!" I called, rushing to the back where Father Iluid chatted with Ourcen. Thanks to helping Eaduuard, I'd been late to the usual 'pester Father Iluid with questions while eating snacks' and he'd worried. I wondered why, but then again, he worried about everyone. "Sorry, I was helping someone. But guess what? I caught Marques smiling when he helped me earlier! Twice!" Especially Marques.

"You are, as always, a blessing among us," Father Iluid laughed in return, smiling warmly. Though I knew the title 'Father' was for religious reasons, he truly had a 'fatherly' air about him. At least, that was the closest description I had, based on the books I'd read, and... well, his gentle firmness and compassion reminded me of my own father. He had always sounded so similar through the door... "I am glad. Marques suffered much, and often prefers the company of the dead to the living."

"I'll see if I can get him to smile three times before I have to leave." Belatedly remembering my manners, I twisted to smile at Ourcen. "I... uh... didn't expect to see you here, Ourcen. You're usually on your way to the Golden Bazaar around this time." She often read to the children there, and listened to people's woes. Truthfully, she served as the confidant to many both there and here. "Did you need me to escort you?" I'd done so once before, but most of the time, she insisted on traveling alone.

"No, not this time, Syna," Ourcen refused, shaking her head. Her attempt at a reassuring smile fell flat due to the forlorn look in her eyes. "No, the Blades forbade all from leaving. It seems they found evidence of an Amalj'aa raid."

"Another one?" Father Iluid asked, frowning. He closed his eyes when Ourcen nodded. "Oh, Blessed Twelve, I ask for mercy. There have been so many as of late. I hope it is not a sign of things to come..." Sign?

"There's... rumors merchants have been prioritized. Merchants carrying crystals." Crystals? I... wait, didn't one of those strange vision things I had of Thancred mention something similar? Yes, something about crystals and raids, and a primal...

I could think on it another day, though. "It sounds like they'll need assistance," I whispered, clasping my hands behind my back. I already had one foot edging towards the door. "You think they'll mind if I lend mine? I'm not bad in a fight, I think..."

"I would rather..." Father Iluid began, but he cut himself off. Surprisingly, he then smiled ruefully. "No, forgive my selfishness. I have little doubts the Brass Blades are looking for you now specifically for your aid." Selfishness? What was selfish? "Return as soon as you are able, Syna. I fear we shall have much work to do here at the Church."

"Of course." Hopefully, I'd be able to minimize just how much 'work' we got. "I'll be back, then!"

Father Iluid had been correct; the Brass Blades had been looking for me. I'd barely taken two steps down the path to the camp proper before they snapped me up. In a blink, I was running with a group beyond the camp's borders, rushing to the site of the raid. At first, I'd been shocked by simply how huge the Amalj'aa were; I wondered if they were even larger than Roegadyn. But then there was no time to think. Just fight. Not that it was a hard fight, or a long one. They were skilled, of course. Even without the fire wreathing their spears and fists, the fire flickering on their arrows, they were strong. But they were also few. Only a handful. I thought someone said these were just the 'rear guard', those who remained for one last sweep of the area for victims and loot before joining the rest, and the bulk of the attackers were long gone. I wasn't sure, though. Truthfully, and surprisingly, a lot of the battle was a blur. Perhaps it was because of what came after...

By the time the dust of battle settled, the only dead were the Amalj'aa. At least, the only dead here were Amalj'aa. I left with a group of Blades to follow the road back a ways, and we found corpses left where they fell, left behind in the mad dash for survival. The worst were the ones who had clearly been alive when they fell, and had tried to drag themselves to some sort of safety before expiring. One such... had been a child, a toddler no older than three with their back gashed open. Nearby, a man's corpse laid sprawled, one bloody hand reaching for the toddler despite the spear which had pinned him to the ground. If I... had to guess... I would say the man had been carrying the toddler, had been skewered, and the toddler had been injured by the spear...

Most of the dead were thrown almost carelessly into a wagon for transport. I insisted on carrying the toddler. I'd carry them all, if I could, but I only had enough bulk for one. So that one, I cradled, wishing beyond wishes that I could have somehow saved them.

I didn't remember the trip back. I didn't remember walking the path to the Church. I only remembered Father Iluid taking the toddler from me with a pained expression, and then it was to work preparing the dead for burial. Frost to halt corruption, fire to cleanse, lightning to expel sins. With this, the dead could rest and not become ashkin. It was... all I could do for them...

---

Eventually, the thaumaturge (whose name I never did learn) recovered. I stayed an extra couple of days to make sure their fever wouldn't relapse, and then I returned to Ul'dah to give my report to Master Cocobuki. Only he and I knew the report wouldn't simply be me explaining what duties I had performed.

"While I am gladdened to hear of the Urn's destruction, the same cannot be said for my youngest brother's recklessness," Master Cocobuki grumbled, scowling. I simply fiddled with my sleeve, remembering how Cocobusi had acted, last I saw him. "It is extraordinarily dangerous and foolish to interfere with a thaumaturge's training. I shall have to scold him most heartily." He sighed, resting a hand on his temple. "Such unpleasantness aside, I am impressed that you claimed victory in spite of this unexpected development. The teachings of the Yawning Abyss have served you well." He smiled kindly. "I thank you for your help in this matter, Syna."

"It was fine," I whispered, trying to not grimace. The gnawing, crawling feeling of something being just plain wrong wriggled its way through my heart. "How... is Cocobusi?"

"I have not seen him. Cocobezi thought he might have been acting odd but, alas, he evades all of us. No doubt because of our arguments."

"...I see." It only grew... that feeling only grew... Dawnfather, help me, what was I supposed to do...? "Was there anything else?"

"Not today. In light of everything, it's best if you rest."

He shooed me off with a smile, and I forced myself to smile back before leaving. Then I wandered. I had no destination. I didn't care to have one. My mind buzzed. My heart keened. My stomach writhed. I couldn't focus. I couldn't focus on a single thing. All I could think was just how wrong things were and I should have just said something, but I didn't know if it was actually wrong. What proof did I have I was right? Sheltered as I was, I doubted I could read anyone correctly. Yet at the same time, there was that instinct, that insistence, something was wrong. Something had happened. Letting myself be distracted then, letting Cocobusi near the Urn... those had been terrible, terrible mistakes. I was so certain of it, yet at the same time... at the same time...

"Syna?" The voice, startling close, nearly made me yelp and I certainly jerked back. It took a couple of blinks to realize First Blade Mylla had been the one speaking. It took another to realize I'd almost walked straight into her. "It is not like you to be so lost in thought," she murmured, gently leading me off the main road. I didn't know where I was. I'd just... walked. Walked and walked while wrestling with my thoughts, my instincts, and my logic. "A tangle in your head?" She smiled faintly when I nodded. "Well, I've always found exercise works well for clearing the buzzing. Want a lesson?"

"...Yes..." I whispered, grateful beyond words. Yes, I should listen to Master Cocobuki and rest, but I doubted I'd be able to while my heart was such a mess. And for her to offer some sort of suggestion, some sort of help... "Thank you."

The lesson, of course, didn't magically make my mistakes and worries disappear. However, it gave me an outlet for the near frantic energy my thoughts and feelings, and that in itself was a relief. It let me focus on other things, particularly when First Blade Mylla taught me how to properly throw my shield to hit a distant opponent and how to use my aether to 'retrieve' it. I personally wondered if it was more or less efficient than 'dropping' the shield into my inventory and 'pulling' it again, and vowed to experiment on it later. As it was, I was enjoying myself and enjoying the lesson. Perhaps, in retrospect, that should've been the first warning something else was going to go wrong.

"Seven hells, this place reeks of sweat!" That voice was oddly familiar, and I wondered why... before being distracted at how First Blade Mylla froze. "How do you expect a man to concentrate on his swordplay like this?!" She'd frozen, her eyes wide as a plate and her complexion blanching... what was-

"Aldis?!" Someone else shouted the name, and far too many things clicked into place. I whirled to the door to confirm anyway, and sure enough, there he was, swaggering in like he had no care in the world. Uh oh.

"You remember me!" Aldis laughed, waving to whoever had yelped his name. I didn't look. All I could think of was how this was bad, bad, very bad! "How goes it, brother? Still waving your sword around like a feather duster?"

"Aldis, you...!" First Blade Mylla breathed, pushing past me. Part of me wondered if I should hold her back, but I had no idea what was going on. Particularly since Aldis stopped right in front of her. "You... you...!"

"Good to see you, Mylla, my dear." Aldis grinned; First Blade Mylla continued staring like she saw a ghost. "You're more beautiful than I remember."

"Y-you're alive?!" Hesitantly, she reached out as if to touch his cheek, but then jerked her hand back. "Where have you been all these years?! Answer me!"

"Me?" Aldis rocked back on his heels, and shrugged. Tentatively, I glanced around to see everyone's reactions, and almost everyone was as frozen as I was. "Well, if you must know, I'm on a spiritual journey of self-discovery."

"Damnit, Aldis, this is serious! I thought... We all thought you were dead!" First Blade Mylla glared and snarled at him. Aldis's expression softened ever-so-slightly. "And for you to walk in here as though nothing ever happened...!" She made to snatch his collar before reeling back. "Have you forgotten how you dishonored us?! I should cut you down where you stand...!" One hand actually did drop to the hilt of her sword, and I unfroze enough to rest a hand on her wrist to keep her from drawing it.

"Now that's the Mylla I remember!" Meanwhile, Aldis actually laughed. "All fire and brimstone! I knew that pretty face could still contort itself into terrifying shapes!" First Blade Mylla snarled once more. "Ahhh, don't pout, girl. I'm just having fun. But, as you wish, I'll go." However, he first leaned to the side and looked right at me. "Syna, was it? Why don't you join me at the Quicksand? I could use some company, and I doubt anyone else here would be so kind." And then, without another word, he waltzed away, whistling a tune as he went.

"That... that bastard...!" First Blade Mylla watched him leave, and though her voice shook with fury, her eyes... I swore they shook with something else. "Why now, after all these years...?" All at once, she stiffened and whirled on me. "Wait, he knew your name! You knew he was here?!" Uh oh. "Why didn't you tell me?!"

"Should I have?" I asked in return, my mind rapidly trying to figure a way out of this predicament. My heart, meanwhile, keened with guilt. I'd listened to Momodi, but maybe I... no, it was Momodi, and I trusted her and... "I don't..." But more important right now was calming First Blade Mylla down.

"Don't lie...!" First Blade Mylla growled, looming over me. I simply held her gaze and slowly she deflated. "Wait, no, of course. You... you're new to Ul'dah. You wouldn't have... I..." Her hands shook. "I..."

"I'm sorry." Best to just... keep moving, I suppose. I made my choice; I had to live with the consequences. I made yet another mistake, and I... "Maybe you should lie down for the day?" Though she had mentioned exercise helped her, with her shaking so much, I doubted she'd be able to hold a blade steady.

"I... perhaps you are right..." First Blade Mylla looked away, half-folding on herself. The Guild remained terrifyingly quiet. "I'm-"

"Here, I'll clean up." I smiled up at her, even though she wouldn't look at me. She wouldn't look at anything. "Go on and rest." Everything remained still for one long breath, before she nodded jerkily and stumbled her way into the back. Though I worried, more than worried, I forced myself to turn to the still all-too-silent Guild. "Well? I do believe you all were training, yes?"

Thankfully, my words sparked some life into them once more and it wasn't long at all before the Guild filled with the sounds of lessons and sparing. I put up everything First Blade Mylla and I had used during our own lesson and spar, and left. Though I had kept some measure of calm during everything, somehow, my mind and heart were once again a total mess. This time, it was knowing First Blade Mylla was so upset, so shaken, and being unable to do anything for her. Just as I could do nothing for Master Hamon, and oh, how I worried for him, even if Chuchuto was certain we could help him somehow...

With everything writhing and wriggling, I made myself return to the Quicksand to meet with Aldis. After all, I had a feeling the whole reason he'd been there... had been to talk to me.

The Quicksand was as lively as it always was, when I entered. No small few greeted me by name, and I waved at them as I passed, heading straight for Momodi. She was at the counter, as usual, but did not greet me with a smile as she usually did. Instead, she had a tray set out in front of her, with a mug of ale, a glass of water, and a bowl of grapes neatly arranged. She nodded to the back, to the rarely used rooms in the Quicksand for those who wanted complete privacy. I didn't ask which one Aldis was in, just took the tray and headed back. I knew to look for the only one open, after all.

"Ho, you came!" Aldis greeted me with a grin when I nudged the door open a little more and joined him. "Little faster than I expected," he noted, as I passed him the mug of ale. I made sure to shut the door before actually sitting down, though. "No ale for you? I don't mind buying."

"I'm not fond of the taste," I refused. So, I had the water, and the grapes for me to snack on. "Grape?"

"Nah, but thanks." He chuckled, watching me happily scarf them down. I was hungry! "Momodi always has those set out for you. I've noticed the last few times I've passed through." He must've stayed in the shadows. I hadn't seen him at all. "Sorry you had to witness that little reunion between me and Mylla."

"I can see why Momodi said you brought trouble with you, if that was her reaction."

"Ah, Momodi, ever the cold one." Though he sighed, he kept on smiling. "The Sword of Nald, back from the dead... you'd think I'd be greeted by throngs of fans, not threats of violence." I tilted my head curiously, but otherwise didn't react. I still didn't know what was going on. Why did he even want my company anyway? "Then again, if the rumors are half-true, you're the favored of us two." I immediately made a face and he burst out laughing. "Not fond of fame, huh?"

"I didn't do anything." I popped another grape in my mouth, mostly to keep from yelling or something. I truly hadn't. "I just... helped people."

"If it was only helping people, you wouldn't bring about such fervor. If it was just you being an adventurer... well, there's hundreds squirming out of the woodwork." Aldis leaned back in his chair and nursed his ale. "Well, you being an Au Ra makes you stand out some, but not overly much. Certainly not to this point. Your skill is part of why you make such an impression, rising above the rest."My... skill? "You're good with a sword, Syna. That was plain to see even with you practicing. Based on the gossip, you're just... good. Good at fighting, good at war. But even then, you'd only rise a little higher than the rest. Not high enough to had the sultana herself name you 'champion'." Again, I made a face. Again, he laughed. "No, more than that, you've got purpose, conviction. There's a fire burning within you."

"A... fire?" I'd never been described like that before.

"Yes, as a former man of conviction, I can recognize a kindred spirit." He set his mug back down on the table, and I got the sense we'd meandered into the reason why he'd asked to speak with me. "My blade... Gerolt named her Frenzy." Aldis unhooked his sword from his belt and held it out for me to see in the light. "She's one of a magnificent pair of swords that the drunken prodigy forged for Coliseum champions." Was I supposed to know the name 'Gerolt'? It had never come up... ah, best to move along.

"That marauder recognized it quickly."

"Most would, provided they were around seven years ago." He returned the sword to his belt, fussing with the wrappings around the hilt. "The man who wielded her twin had eyes that burned likes yours..." The words were almost absent, half-thought as he spoke. "Listen, Syna, I-" He stopped talking suddenly and then jerked back. Without thinking, I did the same, and all at once, an arrow thudded into the table. What in the Dawnfather's name...?

"Aldis, Sword of Nald!" Well, the answer to 'where did the arrow come from?' was answered quickly. A trio of archers had snuck up on us, and were in the now open door. Had I not fully shut it? "We've come for your head!" Why would they announce their intentions? Why not just shoot us?

"If you do that, then how the hells am I supposed to enjoy my ale?" Aldis deadpanned, standing slowly. He even took the time to guzzle down the rest of his ale and shaking the last drop out before facing them. "What? No laugh? Well, ain't you a bunch of impatient, humorless fellas." He glanced at me with a terrifying grin. "Up for a bit of fun, Syna?" Up for a bit of what? Why did people think fighting was fun?!

Oh, I didn't want to fight here. I really didn't. Why? Well, the first, second, and third problems were that the room wasn't made for it. Obviously, of course, but I meant in terms of space. These rooms were made for private meetings and gatherings, and were correspondingly small. Two people attempting to fight would simply lead to each getting tangled up in the other. Not to mention the potential problem of a sword in close quarters. There was a not-insignificant chance of the blade catching on the wall or furniture mid-swing. Or the doorframe, given how the trio of archers still remained in the doorway. Furthermore, with such limited room, we had no way to dodge their arrows. Aldis had a shield, yes, and I could pull one from my inventory, but at such close range, did the archers even have to properly aim?

Somehow, I noticed all of these problems in less than a second, faster than I figured out what Aldis meant by 'fun'. Aldis did as well, much faster than me. After all, in that less of a second it took me to process it all, Aldis had done so, determined a way to mitigate them, and acted on his plan. By which I mean he shrugged his shield off his back, somehow slid it to his arm, and tackled the middle of the trio out into the hallway and into the opposite wall. While slicing off the arm of the one on his right. Because he'd also unsheathed his sword at some point in the movement.

Blood splattered everywhere, painting the wall and ceiling in viscous red. You'd think they'd drop dead from that alone, but no, they were alive. Screaming in pain, but alive. Not for long, though. Aldis shifted back and twisted, his shield blocking a wild punch from the one he'd tackled and his sword sliding up the armless one's middle. Again, blood splurted, but this time, there was no scream. The armless one collapsed in the puddle of their own blood, twitching and gaping until their eyes glazed and emptied. Before one could blink, the third one, who had remained untouched, joined their comrade on the ground. Why? It might have had something to do with their head flying off. It hit the wall before sliding down.

The last one, the one who'd been tackled, outlived their fellows by a handful of seconds. Aldis finished them off with a combo I knew fairly well. I knew the first two of the three blows, at least. 'Fast Blade' followed by 'Riot Blade'. I did not know what the third was called; I'd seen Papashan use it, though. But just like that, they were all dead. I hadn't had the time to pull anything from my inventory to pretend to assist.

Aldis himself looked over the corpses with a blank yet grim expression."...Didn't think he'd go so far as to send a gang of sellswords into the Quicksand in broad daylight..." he sighed, shaking his head. He then sheathed his sword and slipped his shield back on his back. "Why is it never a bevy of beauties?" He was silent for a long moment, tense, before he turned back to me with a smirk and a wink. They almost looked convincing. "Let's continue this another time, shall we?"

He sauntered away with a whistle, and I stood there awkwardly among the corpses for a long second before bolting for the main room, terrified of what had happened. To my relief, there was no blood. Knocked over tables and drinks and food, yes, but no one seemed injured and everyone had already started cleaning things up.

"Syna!" And Momodi was in her usual spot behind the counter. "Well, this is all a right mess, isn't it?" she noted with a wry smile. Not sure what to say, I simply darted for her side and looked her over. "Oh, no need to worry about me! Soon as I saw them, I ducked behind the counter. Not the first time ruffians have burst down the doors." First time I'd seen it! "Heard their shouting from here. They were after Aldis?"

"They were," I confirmed softly, grimacing. Momodi's own smile turned stiff. "First Blade Mylla... she..."

"I know. He told me." Bitter exhaustion threaded her words together, and if I didn't know better, I'd say she was barely keeping herself from squirming from discomfort. "Gave him an earful, but I imagine the show was because those after him were getting too close to the Guild." Too close? So, had he worried they'd be attacked? "How messy is my back room? I see blood on you." Belatedly, I looked down and visually confirmed that yes, I was bloodstained. I didn't think I'd been so near. How did I not notice earlier...? "Ugh... I hate scrubbing blood out of the floorboards."

"I'll do it."

"No, I need you to carry the bodies to the Hall of Flames for investigative purposes." Ah, well, that made some sense. I think. "Oh, wait, that's right!" She snapped her fingers and leaned over to poke my side. "Almost forgot with the mess. While you were out, a message came for you from one of them. The Immortal Flames, I mean." A message? Truly? "I'll give it to you when we've cleaned up some. Best to read it as soon as possible."

"Right..." Yet even though I agreed, I couldn't help but feel weary. Too much weight on my heart, most likely. "Cleaning, bath, and then reading."

"I better keep an eye to make sure you don't just read your books!" She grinned teasingly, and I hate to bite back a laugh. That did sound much more appealing. "Right, to work, to work!"

No one in the streets thought anything odd of me walking around in bloodied clothing, nor did anyone in the Hall of Flames think anything unusual about me dropping off corpses with them. I wasn't sure how I felt about that.

---

The message, surprisingly enough, had been from Raubahn, requesting I speak with him in his office at the Hall of Flames. Momodi joked it was to continue whatever story he'd been telling me when I collapsed at the banquet, but somehow, I doubted that was the case. It hadn't exactly been a 'happy' story. If one could call it a 'story' at all.

"Ah, so, you're the vaunted champion." Still, I had no way to refuse and, thus, I found myself in the Hall of Flames, across from the Pugilist Guild, and was immediately met by a wildwood elezen, who wore rounded glasses. "Pleasure to meet you, little miss," they continued, smiling warmly at me. "I'm Eline, Grand Marshal of the Immortal Flames. I preside over matters here in the Hall of Flames, alongside High Flame Commander Swift. Though he's more focused on the Adventurers who make up our Free Brigade."

"It's nice to meet you too," I mumbled, smiling and doing my best to not have my head spin. I knew nothing about basic military ranks and organization, much less anything specific. I was just going to assume she was high ranked. She had 'grand' in her title, after all. "Raubahn asked to see me?"

"Indeed, and he asked me to escort you. The place is a maze even to those who work here every day." Then I'd get lost in three seconds. "Follow me." And she turned on her heel to march off.

"Ah, yes!" Of course, I had to nearly run to keep up. She had a long, brisk stride and clearly had no intentions of slowing down. I think even a Highlander would have trouble keeping up, and I dared not think of just how much running a Lalafell would have to do. "You're... not from Ul'dah, are you?"

"Hmm?" Surprisingly, she stopped abruptly. I nearly ran into her. "No, I'm not. How did you know?"

"Your accent is noticeably different." I looked down, ashamed. This was truly none of my business. The words had simply fallen out while my mind was too busy making sure she stayed in sight. "It taken me some time to truly parse it, but most people's words almost seem to 'drawl' by my ear, a relaxed lilt to hide their sharpness. The Ala Mhigans do not speak their words that way, though. Their accents almost add extra 'weight' to the words, each one as impactful as a punch." Meanwhile, when she spoke, the words had a touch of breathiness to them and they strung together like notes in a song. "I'm sorry. It was simply different than what I've heard. I shouldn't have said anything."

"...You're an observant one, huh?" She smiled wryly, and reached up to adjust her glasses. "I am originally from Ishgard, and I suppose some things linger no matter how much you wish otherwise." Oh...

"I'm sorry."

"For what? It's not your fault Ishgard is even crueler to the poor than Ul'dah." Well, that painted a lovely little picture. "Ah, don't mind me. I may be bitter, but I'm here now."

"Yes, quite so." This was so awkward. I wish the floor was a little more interesting to stare at, because at this rate, I'd never raise my head again. "You are trusted, and clearly quite skilled. I'm certain Raubahn feels lucky to have you helping him."

"...Ha... you're too sincere, little miss." She almost sounded exasperated by that. "We are near the General's office." Yes, back to the original topic. That was so much safer than my idiocy! "Keep up."

She walked even faster this time, and I was more than a little certain it was to keep me too busy to ask more stupid questions. After many twists and turns, she stopped suddenly (again) at a door, her heels clicking together as she knocked. Without waiting for an answer, she opened the door for me... and left. Leaving me alone to tentaively push the door wide enough for me to slip inside, and... well, it was an office. It was probably a very nice office, but given everything, I didn't notice any true details about it.

Mostly because Raubahn was already standing to greet me. "Ah, it is good to see you again, Syna," he greeted, apparently finding nothing unusual about my entrance. I still nudged the door mostly shut behind me.

"Um... yes, it's good to see you as well," I mumbled, awkwardly raising my hand in a pseudo-wave. I felt almost as out of place here as I did at the banquet... "I'm sorry for passing out last time?" Wait, maybe I shouldn't have even brought it up in the first place.

"No need for apologies. 'Twas my fault for not ensuring your drink was safe." He waved off my apology, but I still titled my head. The light way he'd said the words... I had a feeling he knew my drink hadn't been drugged. He knew I'd collapsed for completely different reasons. But even if I was correct, now wasn't the time to confront him on it. "Instead, there is work to be done, work that I would have you do." Me? Why? "Specifically, I would have you be my envoy to Limsa Lominsa and Gridania." ...He wanted me to be what?! "I've prepared these letters for my counterparts in the Eorzean Alliance." He held up two letters for emphasis, oblivious to how my mind was reeling. "Five years ago, we looked on, powerless, as our brothers and sisters were taken from us at Carteneau. First by the Garleans, and then by the thrice-damned primal called forth by their treachery." Unbidden, the vision I'd seen flickered in my head. "Not a day goes by that I do not think of the fallen. The tragedies of the Calamity are not so easily forgotten, nor should they be. In remembering all we've lost, we're reminded of what we still have. Thus, I mean to mark the fifth anniversary of the Battle of Carteneau with a memorial service honoring the fallen." I clearly needed to read more about what all had happened five years ago, because it was much more important than I'd originally assumed. "It is my hope my counterparts in the Alliance will agree to do the same."

"I see." Well, that explained the letters. "Why ask me, though?" Didn't they have actual ambassadors for this sort of thing?

"Many of our diplomats are trained to think of Ul'dah first, and everyone else a distant second. Yet it is unity we must have." So... he wanted a neutral party? Was that what I was supposed to take from that? "Will you accept?" Since there was no real way to say 'no', I simply nodded. He rewarded me with a bright and genuine smile. "Then it is agreed!"

"How do I get there, by the way?" I'd never been to either, of course, and... er... "I should probably warn I don't have the best sense of direction?"

"So I've heard." ...From who?! "Fear not, for I've neither the time nor patience to wait while you travel the great many malms on foot." So, what? Carriage? "Here." He handed me some fancy looking badge. "I grant you permission to use the airship routes connecting the three city states." ...Airship? Airship? I was going to fly? "This pass serves as proof of your privilege. Though, I must warn..." He grimaced, and I tilted my head curiously. "Gone are the days when airship travel was available to all due to the danger. The ever-present threat if imperial attack forced us to impose drastic restrictions out of concern for public safety, but there were always other dangers."

"Sounds no different from the road." Except for the obvious risk of 'falling from considerable height'. But, then again, I'd fallen down cliffs before. "I take it I should leave on the morrow?"

We discussed some details here and there, mostly the whens and wheres, and then I was dismissed. Somehow, I managed to find my way out. Somehow, I managed to stumble back to the Quicksand. Somehow, Momodi led me up to my room. Somehow, this dropped me into a veritable whirlwind of measuring tapes and needles and people I'd never seen before in my life. And whoever these people were, they took measurements of practically every ilm of me! Bewildered, I could only stand in the center and let myself be moved about like a doll for what felt like hours before I was finally left alone to sit on my bed and try to piece together just what had happened.

"Sorry, they were in a hurry," Momodi 'explained', shutting the door behind them. I just blinked at her, still piecing things together. While also trying to figure out where my clothes went, because I was sitting there in my smallclothes. "They're from Sunsilk Tapestries, and the Weavers' Guild." One of those names sounded vaguely familiar. "They're making you clothes." Ah, I... wait.

"They're what!?" I squeaked, snapping back to reality. Momodi chortled, clapping in delight at my reaction. "I... why?" Also, payment? Who was paying for this? Tailor-made clothes were always expensive in stories!

"'Tis a gift, from a certain Lady Lilira." Lady... wait, Nanamo was paying for this? The sultana?! "To thank you for being her guard while she walked through town. It did wonders for her spirit." I... that... that... I... "It's also a gift from Her Grace, the Sultana, for your daring retrieval of the crown." They were the same person, Momodi! The. Same. Person. Also, wasn't Papashan the one who actually secured the crown?! "It's a rush job, to be certain, but Redolent Rose was eager to express his gratitude as well."

Took me a long second to remember who that was, but when I did... "How does he factor into this?!" It just made the situation even more bizarre.

"Hmm? Oh, did I not tell you?" Momodi was all but cackling, delighting in my squeaky shock. "He's the Guildmaster of the Weavers, and his claims to fame include designed Her Grace's adorable pink dress." Momodi, this told me nothing! "Seems like things are going well with his friend, thanks to you investigating and encouraging the girl." I definitely didn't remember doing anything important! "He happened to visit while Lady Lilira was asking about a good gift for you, and he was absolutely horrified upon learning you'd been making due with clothing designed for Miqo'te."

"They worked just fine?" Aside from the time it took to wriggle my tail through. The spikes simply made it difficult. But now that she mentioned it... "Was the skirt from him?"

"A rush job, so you'd have something pretty for the banquet. He wanted proper measurements for the rest." Momodi skipped over and sympathetically patted my hand. "You look like I just hit you with a boulder, Syna." I certainly felt it! "It's also a wise business venture for him. After all, you're going to be an envoy, and that means looking nice, and you'll essentially be free advertisement for him."

"If you say so..." Thoughts clunked into place, and I frowned at her. "Wait, did I tell you about the envoy thing?"

"No, Lady Lilira told me Raubahn was going to ask, and I knew you'd accept." She smiled, and I made myself smile back. My head was still spinning. "You take yourself a nice long bath, and get some rest. We'll talk more about it in the mornin'."

She left then, no doubt to tend to the Quicksand, and I finally let myself groan and flop back onto my bed. None of this made sense... but I suppose it didn't have to. Better just go along with it, as I had with everyone's assumption of me being an adventurer in the first place. It had worked so far, at least...

---

It was astonishing just how quickly Redolent Rose worked. By the very next day, I had a plethora of skirts, slacks, shirts, and dresses, from practical to fancy. I even had new smallclothes! Though, of course, it was the clothes themselves which held my attention. They were all just so soft and warm, and if any corners had been cut in the name of expediency, I certainly didn't see any.

"Syna, your reflection isn't going to change no matter how much you stare!" Momodi teased, even as she continued helping me pack. My inventory thankfully solved most logistical problems of trying to pack, but Momodi said I should at least carry one bag with me. Wasn't sure why, but I yielded to her expertise. "Though, they do look nice. Redolent Rose loves a challenge."

"I really must thank him the next chance I get," I murmured, smoothing down my shirt. There was no true need for it, of course. There wasn't the slightest wrinkle. I just liked the excuse to feel it. Made it more real. "But that'll have to be when I return."

"Yes, it's almost time. Oh, but I suppose I need to give you these first." Momodi sounded almost reluctantly, sighing even, yet when I finally turned away from my reflection to look at her, I swore she was biting back a smile. "Here." From some box on the floor, she pulled out a trio of books, each a collection of histories and stories from all across Eorzea. "From a certain silver-haired scoundrel."

"From a...?" I knew very few with silver hair, and out of those, only one who would potentially give me of all people a gift. "Thancred?" I took the books carefully, unable to keep from smiling. "Well, I did ask for suggestions."

"Fellow came in two days ago while you were out to ask about what sort you might like, and dropped them off yesterday." Had he? I'd have to thank him when I next saw him, then. "He worked quick, since you would be leaving soon." Which he no doubt knew about, given his closeness to Raubahn. "Ah, I still can't believe it! The little runaway turned adventurer now the personal envoy of the Flame General himself!" Momodi grinned at me, and I smiled back. I was still shocked by it all, but... well, books made everything better. "Bearin' the great man's words to the leaders of the Alliance, and by airship...!" She all-but squealed in delight. "Bugger me! That's an honor and half, that is. But I can't think of anyone who deserves it more." I still didn't think of what I did to deserve such praise.

"Raubahn said travel by airship is rare, these days."

"They are. Most folk go to their graves havin' never once seen Eorzea from above." She sighed gustily, tsking. "Poor buggers shuffle off to meet Thal havin' never known the blues of Limsa Lominsa's shimmerin' seas, or the myriad greens of leafy Gridania..." Seas? Leafy? "But not you, Syna! You'll see those sights and more, and everywhere you go, you'll find fascinatin' folk with fasinatin' tales to tell." She reached over and rested her hand on mine, smiling up at me. "The people you meet, the places you go... savor those experiences, Syna, for they are priceless, all." She was right about that. Life was such wonder... "Sayin' that, it'd be remiss of me if I didn't remind you to be careful out there."

"The brightest lights cast the darkest shadows."

"Indeed. Ul'dah ain't the only place beset by troubles, as you'll discover when you visit Limsa and Gridania." Momodi muffled a laugh, though her smile took a decidedly resigned edge to it. "Truth be told, that might well be exactly what the General wants you to realize." He... wanted me to realize trouble? "Aye, he knows what kind of woman you are, Syna. The kind that can't resist stickin' her nose in other people's business!"

"I-I just want to help people!" The protest burst out, even as my cheeks reddened and my tail flicked behind me. "Um..."

"Yep, and don't you ever go changin'!" She grinned and I slowly relaxed, realizing belatedly she was teasing me. "I think that's everything packed. Sadly, I have to watch the Quicksand, so I'll see you off here. Limsa is the first destination, right?" I nodded, vaguely remembering something about that from the details Raubahn and I had discussed. "When you arrive, look for a tavern called 'The Drowning Wench'." The what? "That's the counterpart to Quicksand in Limsa, run by a Hyur named Baderon. He'll help you get situated." This time, she squeezed my hand. "Safe travels, Syna. I'll see you when you get back."

So she said, but there was a little more fussing as we checked my bag one more time, and checked my appearance. Then... well, I was sure the original plan had been for me to somehow make my way over to the airship landing myself. But a member of the Immortal Flames (Dancing Wolf, I think he called himself) 'just so happened' to be at the Quicksand to snag a morning coffee and he also 'just so happened' to have to pass near the lift to get there, so he offered to walk me. I knew it was a conspiracy, no doubt Momodi asking for a favor, but I pretended to be ignorant and accepted with a smile.

I took the lift down alone, though, and by the time the doors opened to the Landing, I thoroughly wished I'd skipped breakfast. My stomach was in knots, and all my muscles had tensed, ready to snap. I did my best to not show it when I walked up to the counter. I had no idea if I succeeded, but I tried?

"Greetings, madam," the lady at the counter said with a short bow. I'd barely had the time to stop before she'd greeted me. "If I am not mistaken, you are the Flame General's envoy, Syna, yes?" Resisting the urge to shuffle my feet awkwardly, I nodded. I supposed the horns and tail and scales gave it away. "Highwind Skyways is at your service, madam. Are you ready to board?" Another nod. "Very good, this way, then."

Another attendant opened the gate for me, and a third one actually escorted me onto the airship itself. To my surprise, there were no seats or, truthfully, anything. It was just a wooden floor, like the 'deck' of a ship. I supposed it made sense, given the name, but it was still disconcerting. I didn't have time to dwell on it, though. As soon as I was safely aboard, someone shut and latched the door to the railings and people began shouting terminology I couldn't understand. I assumed it was a series of last minute checks, particularly when I saw someone take the wheel.

The airship rocked slightly when it disengaged from the dock; I bit my lip to keep from yelping. As soon as it steadied, the propellers on the side whirled into life and the helmsman slowly backed us out from the landing. Once we had cleared the walls, metal 'blades' unfurled from the sides, and the ones on our right tilted forward in response to some levers the helmsman pulled. Then... then we were off, slowly gaining both speed and altitude.

It wasn't until we passed over the roof of a building that everything truly 'clicked' into place. I was on an airship. I was flying. Oh, how I wished I could tell Xanthos.

"Syna...!" With the wind in my ears, I barely caught someone shouting my name. As soon as I did, though, I rushed to the railing and leaned out to try and find whoever called me. To my surprise, I found them instantly: a small crowd standing outside of Quicksand. Then again, it was movement which had caught my eye; almost everyone in the ground was waving. I waved back before leaning out just a little farther, to better see who was there. Momodi, Papashan, Owyne, some of the regulars at the Quicksand... why, I even saw Thancred, though he was quick to walk away.

I didn't see where he went. Before long, the ship swung around and we neared one of the tallest buildings in Ul'dah. On its roof, I saw Raubahn with Nanamo perched daintily on her arm, both of them watching the airship climb into the skies. I thought about waving, even though both seemed stoic, but before I could gather up the courage, a cloud passed between us. When it cleared, I realized we were even higher, almost completely out of sight. So, instead, I turned my attention forward, enjoying the wind even as it blasted.

Now, what wonders awaited me in Limsa Lominsa? I'd better read up on it while I could!

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Author's Notes: And we're finally leaving Ul'dah! Huzzah! or something. Why no scathe? Not going to lie, I forget about it most of the time. Why no sleep spell? Mostly to make things easier on myself. Syna's very pragmatic, and while there's no doubt numerous ways to avoid her exploiting it, I just… chose for her to not learn it.

(Also, thing to note is that I will be keeping some pre-Endwalker changes depending on Syna's personality and/or narrative reasons. Can't think of many like that, of course, but there's at least one or two.)

Now, in game, there's a bit about showing the crystal to whatever authority figure you happen to be talking to (Raubahn, for Ul'dahn starters), but I went against that because... well, it wasn't really something Syna would do (particularly since the crystal hasn't come up again since she obtained it). I also changed it from 'passing out from exhaustion' to 'spiking her drink' as the excuse for her Echo collapse because it made more sense. ...Okay, and I thought it was morbidly funny given future events, but that is neither here nor there.

As usual, I tried to bring up and/or mention numerous sidequests, levequests, and FATEs to help show Syna actively training and getting stronger. As for the effects of somnus, most of it is from the game, though I also took a little from opium, given their similarities. Oh, and mentions of Professor Lamberteint and his students because of future quests. And a nod to something Thancred uses in… uh… quite a few expansions later.