City of Golden Fortunes

After an arduous journey, we had made it to Kugane, the only port in all of Hingashi open to outsiders. From there we hoped to secure us a passage to Doma; to assist our friends in liberating their home and hopefully spread Zenos' XIIth Legion thin enough so that the Resistance could rebuild in the meantime.

But as always, things were never that easy, and we found ourselves in a foreign country with limited resources.

It was then that we were offered assistance from a rather unlikely source...

A pair of cherry-pink eyes stared back at S'eni, partly covered by damp hair, as she looked into her reflection in the water. She released a breath, making the image ripple, then distort entirely as she raised a hand to splash her face, letting it rest there for a moment before leaning back against the edge of the, what was it called, furo?

Either way, it was doing wonders for her after their journey to Kugane and she couldn't help the appreciative sigh escaping her as the hot water relaxed her muscles.

She let her eyes roam across the bathroom, completely made up of expertly crafted wood that would make even Gridania's carpenter guild raise their eyebrows in amazement. The traditional form of Hingashian bath, she had been told.

It was definitely something S'eni could get used to, even if the whole washing herself before getting into the water was still a bit weird.

A little slice of the Seven Heavens in a distant land.

The only problem, though, was the owner.

Almost as soon as they had set foot into Kugane, they had been approached by a fellow named Hancock, who had told them that he belonged to the East Aldenard Trading Company and was there to bid them welcome. That in and of itself was already strange, given the secrecy of their journey, but on top of that, the company belonged to someone that the Scions, and herself in particular, had a rather difficult relationship with.

Lolorito Nanarito.

Obviously, that didn't exactly make any of them warm up to him and neither were they inclined to accept his invitation. But the lack of knowledge about the area, as well as the fact that the Garlean Empire had an embassy in town, made them accept in the end.

Being a de facto embassy in its own right, the East Aldenard Trading Company building, or the Ruby Bazaar as it was called, offered more than just offices to work in, but also room and board for any guest and potential customer that visited these mercantile halls.

And here they were now, partaking in the hospitality and support offered by a man that had once used them as scapegoats for his schemes. That aiding the Doman Liberation Front also filled his pockets was undoubtedly sheer coincidence!

Adversity really made for strange bedfellows, she supposed.

Dispelling these thoughts, S'eni closed her eyes and let herself enjoy the relaxing hot water for a little while longer, before ultimately getting out and grabbing a nearby towel to dry herself, giving special attention to her tail. After she was sufficiently dry she put on a thin-looking robe and left the bath.

Unlike the bath, the rest of the building was more of a traditional Eorzean design with a few Hingashian touches here and there, creating a mixture that was familiar yet exotic.

Her room in turn was also arranged in such a fashion that much more closer home but richly decorated with all sorts of furniture you would only be able to find in Kugane. Walking over to the bed, she lied down on it and stared up at the ceiling.

After arriving and discussing their plans, they had decided to rest for the day before going out to search for information regarding Yugiri and Gosetsu in the morning, leaving her with a considerable amount of free time now.

Might as well make use of it, she thought to herself and sat up. Her eyes landed on the box resting on the table nearby and she rose back to her feet to take the lid off.

Inside she found folded robes, like Hancock and many of the Hingashians they had encountered wore, colored deep red and black; a kimono if she recalled right.

As she placed the lid on the table, S'eni noticed the letter lying next to the box, written in rather large handwriting. Picking it up, she began to read.

I'm ever so sorry, but your clothes were in such a bad condition that it would be almost impossible to restore. Please use this in the meantime while we make arrangements for an outfit more fitting of your rather active lifestyle.

- Hancock

It honestly didn't come as a surprise. After her encounter with Zenos already having done a number on them, and having had no time to find a suitable replacement nor materials for Tataru to repair them, they had been dealt their figurative deathblow during their little encounter on their journey across the sea.

And with the way the locals had stared at her, it was most likely for the better to just toss them.

She was just about to put the letter away when she noticed more words written on the back.

"You may put it on like this," she read aloud, then looked at the rather detailed instructions. "Huh..."

Well, here goes nothing I guess... Following the instructions, S'eni began with the short-sleeved underrobe, then proceeded to put on the kimono itself, which was already way more complex than she expected, before finishing off with the sash which she bound around her waist and tied into a bow.

Once she was done, she turned towards the mirror by the wall and looked at herself. It wasn't exactly the loosest fit and she doubted if she got into a serious fight that the entire thing wouldn't come apart.

That the entire outfit also seemed to be a perfect fit, right down to the hole for her tail, was slightly concerning, but all in all, she had to admit that she liked it.

She looked...nice.

After giving herself a final once over, she grabbed the sandals that came with the kimono and put them on, wiggling her toes a little to get a proper feel for them, then left the room.

S'eni headed downstairs and into the direction of where she knew Hancock's office lied.

Coming to a stop in front of the richly decorated door, she gave it a knock and waited for a short moment until she was asked inside.

"Ah, S'eni I see you have found our small present. Apologies once again for the inconvenience, but I assure you I've already contacted our finest seamstresses," he said upon seeing who was walking in, a grin so wide splitting his face that the red shades he wore were riding up a little. It was just the right amount of friendliness and shiftiness that one would expect of a crafty merchant. The only thing that was missing was him rubbing his hands together. "But if I may say so, you look absolutely stunning. I wouldn't be surprised if a local lord realized his deeply hidden passion for Ijin just by looking at you."

Well aren't you a charmer, S'eni thought to herself and managed not to roll her eyes. For all his mannerism though, he seemed to be earnest in his cooperation with them, offering them considerable information on the political situation of the area.

Besides, Tataru seemed to have taken a liking to him.

His grin turned into a much more subdued smile. "So what brings you here? Anything I can be of assistance with?"

"I wanted to take a walk around town. Would you be so kind as to tell the others should they ask?"

"Of course," Hancock replied. " Kugane has many sights to offer, some you've already seen on our way here. I'm sure you'll enjoy yourself. But—"

"No fighting in Kugane. Don't worry, I know how to behave," she assured him.

"And I never doubted that." His grin returned in full force. "Should you wish to acquire something, you can exchange your Gil into Koban at the entrance."

"You know, I think I might do that." If she was already having a look around, she might as well treat herself to something.

"Excellent. Ah, and before you go, we've placed your Chocobo in our stable as you wished," he told her. "He's a lively one for sure and he's getting along swimmingly with our small flock."

That was honestly a relief to hear. She had felt quite bad about him being confined on the ship with only a little bit of flying around on their journey here. Perhaps she should take him along? He might appreciate a walk around town as well.

After saying goodbye to Hancock, she did as he had suggested and exchanged some of her money into the local currency, then left for their stables.

Given the size of the Ijin District, it wasn't exactly the most spacious, but it was enough to serve as a home for a couple of the fluffy feathered birds. Spotting Zack was easy enough, his dark feathers standing out amongst the rest.

Her eyebrows rose in amusement when she stepped up to his box and found him engaged in what looked like a conversation with his neighbour, exchanging excited "Warks!" with the only other Chocobo that stood out amongst their fellows. Pink-colored feathers gave it a rather exotic look, and S'eni found herself wondering what caused it to develop such plumage.

But questions like that could wait, she was here for Zack after all. Rapping her knuckles against the wood to get his attention, she found herself squarely ignored. Only after repeating the motion and loudly clearing her throat did her faithful Chocobo take notice of her and walk over, letting out a cheerful "Wark" while lowering his head to nuzzle against her.

"Nice to see you too," she said with a little dry tone in her voice and reached out to pat him. "Come on, let's take you for a walk."

At the sound of those words, Zack straightened up almost immediately, giving her the much-needed space to open his box. She released a chuckle when she saw Zack turn towards his new friend and flap his wings one last time, before joining her.

"Kweh," the pink one chirped and did a little flourish in return.

She gave the Chocobo a little wave, then took hold of Zack's reins and guided him out of the stable. Once outside, they left the Ijin District.

The broad street that led into Kogane Dori was bustling with people. Merchants hawked their wares to curious customers, both local and foreign alike. S'eni looked up to see a paper lantern above the entrance of a shop, painted with symbols she didn't understand. Despite this, despite the new scents and language, there was something familiar in this merchant's quarter, complimenting the innate exotic atmosphere.

Aside from a few curious glances, they were both largely ignored by the people gathered here. Only two individuals, dressed in red and white, looked warily at her as they passed by, each lazily resting a hand on the grip of the sword at their sides.

Walking over to one of the stores, S'eni took a look at the assortment of jewellery on sale but found that everything was costing way more than she was currently carrying on her person, and while she was very much tempted to do so, she didn't want to go back to exchange more money just for this absolutely lovely pair of earrings that she was looking at right now.

Oh well, I suppose it's not meant to be yet, she thought to herself with a small inward sigh. She gave them one last glance before continuing on her way. Perhaps when their business in Othard was concluded.

Passing by what Hancock had told them was a renowned theatre, S'eni turned right and towards the bridge leading to the city's Aetheryte, or Tenkonto as they called it.

While not as bustling as Kogane Dori, the plaza too was filled with people, some just passing through on their way to one of the other districts, others sitting down to enjoy the scenery with a cup of tea. Here too men and women dressed in that red and white assemble patrolled around, keeping an eye out on the Aetheryte as well as unruly patrons that had a little too much to drink at the nearby Shiokaze Hostel.

Feeling a little bit thirsty herself, S'eni wondered if she should pay it a visit as well, but decided against it since Zack would most likely have to wait outside. So instead she walked over to the roofed stand from where the people were getting their tea from.

"Irasshaimasen!" the young lady standing behind the counter greeted her. "What can I get you? Though I'm afraid I can't offer anything for your feathery companion here."

"Don't worry, he'll have his fill later." S'eni chuckled and gave her Chocobo a pat while he looked around curiously. "Hmm...Something you can recommend?"

"If this is your first time drinking Hingashian tea then I recommend the Tencha, one of our green teas. It has a very mellow flavour that goes great with our dango."

"What's that?"

"A local sweet. Very delicious."

"Alright, then I'll have some of that," S'eni said.

"You can take a seat over there," the other woman said after she had paid, pointing in the direction of one of the red benches nearby. "I'll be along shortly."

As she sat down, her hand came to rest on Zack's wing when he squatted down onto the ground next to her. Idly stroking his feathers, she cast her gaze across the area, taking in all the sights and people nearby.

Had her father sat here all those years ago too?

S'eni still remembered the stories he had told her and her siblings, of this place that was so vastly different from anything he had seen in his time on the sea. She had to admit her youthful mind had painted a much more fantastical image, but the reality was no less beautiful.

That her father hadn't run afoul of the local authorities was also a small miracle.

Soon enough, the young hostess came over to her, holding a tray with a cup of still steaming tea and a plate with three skewers with what looked like glazed dumplings.

"Thank you," S'eni said and raised the cup to her lips, blowing on the tea to cool it down a little before taking her first sip. A little hum escaped her at the grassy taste. She liked it.

A familiar clicking of a beak made her glance to the side and her hand shot forward to swipe at Zack's head just as he was about to steal one of the skewers.

"No!" she pointed her finger at him as he drew back and looked at her with his big round eyes. "Let me first see if they're any good."

Taking one of the skewers, S'eni bit off a dango. The taste was a pleasant mix of rice and sweetness and it was nicely chewy with a spring in each bite. After swallowing, her eyes returned to the Chocobo, looking at her expectantly.

"Fine," S'eni said with a little sigh, and pulled one of the dumplings off the skewer and tossed it into the air, where it was caught by his beak. "You know, Shtola would say I'm spoiling you. And she'd be right."

Her face darkened at the mention of her lover's name and her mind flashed back to Y'shtola's unconscious form as it was lying on that bed inside Castrum Oriens.

Gods, she wished she could be with her right now. But S'eni knew that being here was the only way they even had a sliver of a chance of winning. Still...not even knowing how Y'shtola was doing right now, if she had regained consciousness or not, was downright killing her.

A soft bump against her head pulled her out of her thoughts and she turned her head to look into Zack's large eyes. The corners of her lips curled into a small smile.

"Yeah, I know. Moping around won't make her get better nor is it going to help me right now. I just miss her, you know?" S'eni received another head bump, making her laugh. "Alright, alright. I get it!"

Pulling the last dumpling off the skewer, she held it up towards him. "I won't tell if you won't."

"Kweh!"

"Good." S'eni tossed it into the air and watched as he plucked it out mid-flight, before grabbing her cup once more and taking a long sip. Maybe I should buy some for Y'shtola back home.

After enjoying the rest of her tea and dango, S'eni and Zack continued on their walk, taking in some more sights before returning to the Ruby Bazaar. She had just returned him to the stable and was stepping out when a voice called out to her.

As she turned towards it, she saw Lyse waving her hand and heading her way.

"There you are, Hancock told me you were going for a—whoa!" her friend skidded to a stop and took in her appearance. "...Well that's different."

"That bad?" S'eni looked at herself.

"N-no, quite the opposite, actually..."

"Alright. I'll take your word for it." She chuckled. "So Hancock...?

"Hm? Oh! Yeah, Hancock told me you were going for a walk. Figured I might take one too, or else I'd go mad from staying indoors," Lyse explained. "I heard there's a garden in the area, just past the..."

The other woman became silent again and S'eni followed her gaze until her eyes landed on the Garlean consulate.

Releasing a sigh, Lyse dropped her hand. "Anyway, want to come along?"

She looked at her friend for a moment, then nodded. "Yeah, I'd like that."

Together, they made their way towards the gardens, doing their best not to pay attention to the guards in front of the consulate even as they were watched in return.

Once past, they stepped into a compact, yet very beautiful landscape, as if someone had taken a piece of nature and had planted it right here in the middle of town. Trees with almost deliberately shaped branches holding leaves like living jade surrounded a small pond over which a vermilion-colored bridge arced, giving everything an idyllic air in which one could simply let themselves relax for hours on end, she was sure.

The two walked onto the bridge and stopped at the highest point of the arc. As they stood there, neither of them saying a word, S'eni noticed Lyse's eyes glancing over to where the Garlean consulate was and she frowned. Her gaze shifted towards her friend's hands resting on the bridge's railing, gripping it tightly.

It was frustrating, having their enemies so close by but not being able to do anything about it. But for Lyse, it must be downright unbearable, especially after what had happened at Rhalgr's Reach.

"It's hard to keep yourself in check, isn't it?" she asked.

"I just can't stop thinking about what happened," Lyse admitted and lowered her head. "And how weak I was..."

S'eni sighed through her nose and rested her arms on the railing, looking up into the sky.

"Do you want to be stronger?"

"...yeah."

She closed her eyes for a moment, wondering what Widargelt would say to what she was about to propose. But given D'zentsa and O'tchakha, she supposed she already knew.

It had been nagging at her for a long time now. At first, she had thought it was the fancy techniques she had acquired in Sharlayan, but the more and more she had advanced on the path of the Fist, the more she had come to recognize them; the fundamentals of the Fist of Rhalgr.

How Lyse had learned them, she could only speculate, but that didn't matter right now. What mattered was her friend, and how she could help her.

"Then I'll teach you what I know."

The other woman's head snapped towards her, eyes widening in surprise. "A-are you serious? Me?"

"Yes. I can't teach you everything but what I can, I will."

Lyse bit her lip, shifting from one leg to the other, then back again, before slowly nodding. "Alright. When do we start?"

"Right now," S'eni replied, turning around to walk over to the trees.

"Really? But won't we get into trouble if people see us fight?" Lyse asked as she followed.

The corner of her lips rising into a smirk, she glanced over her shoulder at the other woman and motioned for her to sit down. "Then it's a good thing you're learning how to meditate then."

Lyse blinked once. "Oh."

"And one more thing," she said as her friend sat down into a cross-legged position.

"Yeah?"

"It's Master while we're training."

"Yes, Master." Lyse grinned.

"Good." She gave her a firm nod. "Now close your eyes and follow my instructions..."

Chocobos are love, Chocobos are life.

Taking some small creative liberties here since I always found it strange that Lyse was using Monk techniques despite never really being one. And since our dear WoL is one in this fic, I figured it was fitting enough to explain that little detail.

Anyways, I hope you're all going to have a great weekend. See ya.