A New Ally
As different as a Coeurl kitten and a Hoarhound pup, that was how Master Louisoix once described his grandchildren to me. An apt description. Where Alphinaud was calm and collected, Alisaie was willful and had a temper to match.
But as much as they might differ and no matter how often they would bicker, both of them had inherited his sense of justice which had ultimately brought them to Eorzean shores.
Just as it had once brought us here.
- From the notes of Papalymo Totolymo
A series of steps reverberated off the wooden floor as their group left the room, shortly followed by the sound of the door falling shut behind them, leaving only Tataru to help Alisaie into her freshly tailored clothes.
When word had come from House Fortemps that Thancred had arrived with someone injured, S'eni had not expected the Elezen girl, nor that she had run afoul of the Warriors of Darkness.
Just before passing out, Alisaie had managed to share vital information about the Warriors' next steps with them, which had led Alphinaud and her to the mountains of Xelphatol, where Garuda was to be summoned.
Thankfully they had managed to stop the Ixal before they could fully summon their primal, putting an end to this part of the Warrior's plans. But that seemed to be almost insignificant to their ultimate goal, the Ardor. The calamitous destruction so great that it would break the barriers between planes, all for one goal.
To save their world by re-joining it with the Source before being swept away by an uncontrolled flood of light.
It sounded far-fetched, downright crazy in fact, same with their claims of being Hydaelyn's blessed as well. But after what Minfilia had told her about the nature of their world, S'eni knew that it was the truth.
Which meant that things had just gotten a whole lot more complicated. Again.
A sigh escaping her lips, she started to walk down the hallway, listening idly as Aymeric and Thancred were discussing their plans to investigate the Gnath's crystal supply up ahead. Her eyes came to rest on Alphinaud in front of her, looking deep in thought, no doubt thinking about what they had learned as well.
There was also another thing that bothered her. Who was that other man that had been there? An Ascian?
His stature alone gave him away as an Elezen, but something about him was...odd. She couldn't quite put a finger on it though.
Who are you? She wondered to herself.
A hand placing itself onto her shoulder startled her out of her train of thoughts and it was only her training that made her not jump at the sudden contact. Turning her head, she came face to face with a familiar pair of silver-white eyes.
Her heart started to go quicker when she looked upon Y'shtola, and for a moment she had to wonder how it had taken her so long to realize just how beautiful her friend was, before managing to snap out of it.
"Y-yeah? What is it?" S'eni asked.
"I was calling you, but you weren't responding," the other Miqo'te said, removing her hand and leaving a pleasant tingle in its wake.
Get a grip, S'eni! You're a grown woman, not some silly maiden! She berated herself, taking a deep breath and shaking her head. "Sorry, I was thinking over what happened earlier."
"I can imagine. It's a lot to take in."
"Hm." She nodded. "Anyway, was there something you wanted to ask?"
"Nothing in particular, to be honest," Y'shtola said. "I was actually hoping to catch up a little. We haven't seen each other since you left for Sohm Al."
That was true, wasn't it?
After their celebration, she had left first things in the morning to return Hraesvelgr's eye to him, and she would be lying if she claimed her little personal revelation the night prior didn't have a hand in her decision to leave pretty early.
Closing her eyes for a moment, she stopped in her tracks before letting her lips curl into a smile. "I'd like that."
They left the hallway and sat down in a quiet corner to talk more privately. S'eni watched a few knights pass them by, then turned her head towards Y'shtola. "So how have things been going for Krile and you?"
"Not as well as we had hoped," Y'shtola replied, crossing her arms as she leaned back into her chair. "We even tried using Master Matoya's Crystal Eye to find them, to no avail."
"She let you use it again?" Now that was a surprise if she ever heard one!
"Yes, believe it or not, but she has not yet grown tired of Krile yet." A chuckle escaped her friend.
"Where's Krile anyway?" she asked.
"She should be arriving shortly. When I heard about Alisaie, I hurried on ahead to see if I could help."
S'eni looked down the hallway. "I'd say you did a great job. Already up on her feet and all."
Y'shtola shook her head. "Most of it was done by the Congregation's chirurgeons. All I did was make sure she would actually stay in bed."
She was tempted to point out that a certain someone had the tendency to skip out of her sickbed too, but decided against it.
"I was told you were already here when she arrived?" the other woman asked.
"Oh yeah, I was having dinner with Aymeric when the news arrived."
A moment of silence passed before Y'shtola replied. "Oh?"
Upon hearing her response, S'eni looked back at Y'shtola, who was turning head with an unreadable expression on her face. "I didn't know you two were close," she added, her eyes shifting towards where Aymeric was currently talking to Lucia, most likely giving her some orders before he headed out with Thancred.
"He invited me to share a drink with him before the whole thing at Falcon's Nest happened." S'eni shrugged. "Turned into dinner."
"I see." Silvery white eyes came to rest on her once more, a small smile forming on her friend's lips. "And what have you been up to?"
She chuckled. "Where do I even begin?"
"The beginning, naturally."
"Alright, so I had just arrived in the Forelands..."
And so she told Y'shtola how some rather aggressive monsters had started to overrun Sohm Al since no one was guarding it, leaving it up to her and some fellow adventurers to clear the path to the Churning Mists once more. After she had handed Hraesvelgr his eye, she had travelled to Limsa Lominsa, where another adventure had soon awaited her in the form of Kobolds that had taken over the recently cleared Pharos Sirius, leaving Maelstrom command no other choice to ask her for aid.
"...and after that had been taken care of, the Grand Storm Marshal himself asked if I could train with some of his elite soldiers."
"And how did that turn out?" her friend asked, amusement ringing in her voice.
"He essentially threw me at them to give them the beating of their lifetime. I think they rather enjoyed it too."
"Not every day you get to test your skills against the Warrior of Light herself no matter how it turns out," Y'shtola pointed out.
"I suppose—hm?" her eyebrows rose in question when she noticed her friend looking past her and she followed her gaze to see not only Tataru but also Alisaie, now dressed in a tan coat with black accents and white boots, walking down the hallway.
And not for the first time she found herself wondering if Tataru was also going to make her a new set of clothes one of these days.
"I apologize for keeping you waiting," the young Elezen girl said as she approached them.
"Don't worry, it wasn't too long," S'eni replied.
Giving her a nod, Alisaie turned towards Tataru. "Thank you, Tataru."
"A pleasure," the Lalafel replied with a bright smile. "If there's nothing else, I'll be returning to my post."
After watching her leave, Y'shtola soon rose to her feet as well. "I believe I shall be on my way as well and see if Krile has arrived."
"Alright," S'eni said. "If you two need any help, I'm just one linkpearl call away."
"The same applies to you," Y'shtola replied with a smile, then turned her gaze towards Alisaie. "And you try not to overdo it. The poison may be gone, but your body still needs rest."
The Elezen girl crossed her arms. "I feel fine, but your concern is duly noted."
Y'shtola's eyes moved back towards S'eni, silently telling her to keep an eye on Alisaie, to which she responded with a shrug that she hoped would convey that she intended to try, at the very least.
The nod she received told her it did.
After bidding them goodbye, the other Miqo'te started to walk away. S'eni wanted to follow but stopped herself, quietly berating herself to stop acting like a lovesick maiden. She let her gaze linger until Y'shtola was out of the door, before turning it towards Alisaie.
It had been quite a while since she had last seen the girl. In the wake of their descent into the Coils, and the release of Louisoix as well as the subsequent defeat of Bahamut, Alisaie had once more taken to the road, endeavouring to grow strong on her own to see her grandfather's dream realized.
"How about we go and find your brother?" S'eni suggested, rising to her feet.
"Yes, he's most likely wondering where we are by now."
"So how was your journey?" she asked as they started to walk towards the exit. "Current situation aside, that is."
"To be honest, I wasn't planning on seeking you out just yet," Alisaie admitted. "When I set out, I had grand ambitions, and I promised not to disappoint you after all. Please forgive me if I should fall short on that."
A smile formed on S'eni's lips. "I can already tell that you grew much stronger than before."
"And you will find," Alisaie said, mirroring the expression with a note of self-assurance. "That I have learned a few tricks as well."
They found Alphinaud waiting outside, still very much the epitome of patience, and his eyebrows rose a little at the sight of his sister as they approached him.
"Tataru never ceases to impress," he said, rubbing his chin. "Though for a moment I was afraid she might have made you an outfit identical to mine..."
"Thank the Twelve she didn't!" The Elezen girl replied. "Mother and Father were a little too fond of making us wear matching clothes."
Alisaie's lips rose into a little smirk. "Remember that time at the Studium when that girl of yours sneaked up behind me and whispered—"
"Alisaie, please! She wasn't my—" Alphinaud cleared his throat. "Can we not have this conversation in front of S'eni?"
S'eni couldn't help the little snicker that escaped her at the younger man's expense and Alisaie too released a chuckle.
"Have it your way. Another time, perhaps."
A sigh made its way past Alphinaud's lips and he muttered something before straightening himself once again. "Let's depart for the Waking Sands and see if Urianger can be of assistance. We can catch up more on our way there."
This was going to be interesting, S'eni was sure of it.
Coming back to the Waking Sands felt a little bit like coming home from a long journey. For the longest time, this place had been home to the Scions, the place from where they had operated and tried to bring unity to an Eorzea that had been ravaged by the Calamity and faced internal and external threats.
Even before the Calamity, the original Waking Sands in Ul'dah's merchant wards had served as a place where people like her had gathered to use their newfound gift for something greater.
Now, these halls were largely empty, serving only as a place where the more research-minded could withdraw to go about their work and delve deep into their tomes.
And right now, they were looking for one such individual. Urianger.
Having always preferred the company of dusty tomes to people, he had essentially become the unofficial steward of the Waking Sands, and it didn't take their group long to locate him, sitting at his usual spot, bowed over a book with a steaming cup of tea at his side.
"Urianger!" Alphinaud called out to get his attention. "I apologize for calling upon you without notice."
"Master Alphinaud," Urianger said, a note of surprise in his usually calm voice. He rose to his feet and bowed to them in greeting. "Would that the Scholar had seen fit to grant me knowledge of thy coming. What bringeth thee here this day?"
"The Warriors of Darkness have returned, but please let us explain."
After they told him of their encounter at Xelphatol and what they had learned, Urianger gave them a solemn nod.
"...I too have heard tales of primal beings rising up and being struck down by forces unknown. Alas, this serveth but to spur the Beast Tribes to pursue their goals with redoubled fervor."
"And eventually seek a new, stronger god," S'eni said, crossing her arms. "We can't let that happen."
"Then we have two objectives at this point." Alphinaud raised his hand and extended a finger. "First we need to identify and remove the source of their crystals."
A second finger joined the first. "And secondly we take direct action to prevent any further summoning rituals in the future. Which is easier said than done, I suppose. We were lucky enough to find out about the Ixal's before they could realize them."
"And we're too few to keep watch over all the tribes like we did in the past..." she frowned. If only Papalymo and Yda were with them...
"Then thou wert wise to come hither, for this very day did I receive tidings most troubling from La Noscea," the older Elezen then said. "O'Ghomoro stirreth, and there are whispers that the Lord of Crags neareth his return. Mere rumors, but in light of thine discoveries..."
He let his bespectacled gaze move between the three of them. "...thou canst ill afford to turn a deaf ear to them."
Awfully convenient timing, isn't it? She wondered. But she supposed it shouldn't come as a surprise when the Ascians were involved.
"You're right, we must find out if they're true or not ourselves." Alphinaud turned to look at her. "We should consult the troops at Camp Overlook. They should know more about this."
S'eni hummed in agreement.
After thanking Urianger for his help, they made to leave, when Alisaie, who had been silent this entire time, spoke up. "Urianger, is there anything else you would like to say?"
"Alisaie?" Alphinaud asked, but his sister simply ignored him and instead took a step closer to the older Elezen and looked him in the eye.
"I'm only asking because usually you're much more verbose." Urianger simply returned her look.
"Nothing? Very well, then I would like to make a request. The Warriors of Darkness spoke about how the Ardor had the power to break down the barriers between planes and re-join our worlds." The younger woman placed her hands on her hips. "I would like for you to research this for us, seeing how I'm nowhere near as well-read as you are, I wouldn't know where to start. Though I heard stories of a book, The Gerun Oracles, perhaps you could start there."
The two of them stared at each other for another moment, before Urianger bowed his head. "...by thy leave."
Taking a step back again, Alisaie turned on her heel and looked at her brother. "Camp Overlook, was it? Let's go."
Not even giving Alphinaud a chance to respond, the Elezen girl all but pushed him towards the exit, ignoring the words of complaints that he directed at her.
S'eni watched the two of them as they walked away, then glanced over at Urianger, a pensive look forming on her features, before slowly following after the two of them.
What was that about?