Into the Labyrinth

Deep underneath the city of sages lies the Labyrinthos. Illuminated by an artificial sun, it housed flora and fauna from all over the world; an ever-expanding storage that served the people of Sharlayan for centuries in their pursuit of knowledge. The perfect idyll one might say.

...until recently.

They say that whatever was stowed away in this vast labyrinth remains forever hidden. Prove them wrong.

S'eni certainly had expected quite a bit of the Labyrinthos, but it still had blown her mind when they stepped out of the elevator and into a giant, artificial biome. From gently whispering wind, to running rivers, and even a simulated sky, everything seemed so real. Sharlayan ingenuity had struck again and she had to admit that what little she had seen from the former colony paled in comparison.

It almost justified the big heads some of the Sharlayans seemed to be blessed with.

Sadly, there had been little time for her to explore, as they had come here with a purpose. And they learned quite a bit. As it turned out, the Forum had tasked the gleaners with a large number of sudden deliveries and the resettlement of specimens into different tiers for reasons not divulged to them. One particular gleaner by the name of Erenville mentioned rumors of a migration to the Southern Continent, as many animals he and his colleagues were gathering seemed perfect for food production, easy to breed, and could endure even in the roughest of environments.

But until they could confirm them, those rumors remained exactly that, and to that end they were currently heading down to what was called Medial Circuit. Unfortunately, the lift leading there was currently restricted to personnel involved in the reorganization effort, forcing them to get there via a mineshaft teeming with something called Mythrilcaps.

"Alright, seriously," S'eni said, smacking her fist into one of these mushroom-like creatures and sending it tumbling backwards. "What value is there for someone to study these?"

"They are quite unusual creatures, are they not? Why did they develop such long limbs when all they do is shuffle about narrow tunnels?" She sent the other Miqo'te a look. "What?"

S'eni just nodded towards the small group of Mythrilcaps heading towards them.

"Oh very well." Swinging her staff around, Y'shtola sent a few lightning bolts into the direction of the creatures and shocked them in place. After those were taken care of as well, the rest of their kind seemed to take the hint and scattered back into the holes they had crawled out of.

"Seems like a research project gone out of control if you ask me."

"Perhaps. Not like many people are using this mineshaft these days."

"Anyway, that's taken care of," she said while dusting herself off. "Let's go join the others."

"Indeed."

Making their way down the tunnel, they soon caught up with their friends, who were waiting for them not far from the exit leading to the middle tier. It didn't look like they ran into any more of these damned critters, but the sight of Krile perched on a rock still made S'eni speed up a little. "Did something happen?" she asked as soon she reached them.

"It's nothing," Krile replied immediately, only to be interrupted by Alisaie.

"Nothing? You almost took a fall back there!"

Frowning, S'eni knelt down next to her friend. "Are you still feeling dizzy?"

A sudden dizzy spell had hit Krile shortly after arriving down here. The sudden descent, she had claimed. But it should have long since passed by now...

The Lalafel shook her head. "The slope was just a little steeper than I thought and I lost my footing for a second. I'm fine if you don't count a little bit of bruised pride."

"If you say so..." she wasn't really convinced. "These past weeks must have been stressful. Take it easy for a bit. Can't have you fall sick on us now."

Krile just sighed but otherwise didn't complain, choosing to instead return to her feet and walk over to where Alphinaud was looking outside. Once the rest of them had joined, he turned around. "If I recall correctly, this tier where they keep a large variety of samples for agricultural production," he said. "If Erenville's assumption of migration holds true, we should find evidence of such plans in the area's research projects."

"So snooping around a bunch of farms?" S'eni asked.

"In essence, yes." He pointed in the direction of a path ahead. "If we follow that we should reach one."

And indeed it didn't take long for the farm to come into view. Circular in nature, it was split into four even spread fields separated by a large stone slab pathway that went from one end of the complex to the other. At the center, the artificial stream flowing through the area provided the two mills with continuous motion needed to process whatever it was that they were currently harvesting. Though from the look of things there wasn't exactly a lot going on the fields right now...

"Aha, now I know where we are─this is Meryall Agronomics," Krile said and looked at S'eni to explain. "Labyrinthos houses a great variety of vegetation, which allows us to conduct studies on cultivation methods used in foreign lands. And this facility coordinates and oversees those efforts. Apparently, the 'fruits' of their research go and feed the rest of their colleagues here."

"Some of them might even end up at the Agora," Alisaie added. "Food so exotic you will be hard-pressed to guess their origin. Or what they might taste like."

"Yes, mystery vegetables with only a list of nutritional benefits scribbled on a card..." Krile made a face.

"Hmm...no gleaners in sight—" Alphinaud stepped out of the way of a woman carrying a crate, raising a brow as she passed. "—yet these workers appear just as rushed as them. Perhaps they know something about the Forum's plans and their motivations. Worth looking into it, wouldn't you say?"

"You just read my mind," S'eni said.

Splitting up, they asked around the vicinity, but pretty much everyone she asked told her the same thing: that they had quite suddenly received requests for crop samples in huge quantities with barely any time to get it all together. What seemed interesting was the fact that the samples requested were of the type they had long since finished researching. And any questions as to the reason for all this were met with reassurances that everything would be explained soon.

"I'm sorry, but do you have anything being taken down below?" she asked an especially overwhelmed worker.

"More than I can carry and then some," he replied, raising his knee to keep the crate in his hands steady for a moment as he wiped the sweat off his brow. "Most of our stock is sent down via elevator, but some has been marked for aerial transportation."

"If it's picked up by air, where did you put the crates?"

"On that hill over there." He nodded in its direction. Turning her head, she could see some of them placed atop one another. "Getting them up that slope was a job and a half let me tell you...Really should be getting back to work though. "

"Thanks..." she said, raising her hand in a quick goodbye, her eyes still focused on the crates. If those were bound for the lower tier...maybe it would be a good idea to check them out. Nodding to herself, she went to look for one of the others, which happened to be Y'shtola looking out into the distance. "I think I found something. The stack of crates on that hill are going below. I was thinking of checking it out."

"Sounds promising," Y'shtola said after where S'eni was pointing. "I'll gather the others and join you there."

After heading up the hill, she made a beeline for the crates and began looking them over. Lots of common seeds you could pretty much find everywhere, and easy to grow to boot, as well as many saplings according to the labels on them. So pretty much as the workers had said. She read through some of the documents attached to them, but couldn't find anything that sprung out at her. Maybe one of the others can...huh?

Noticing something out of the corner of her eyes, she put the documents down and turned towards it. Flowers. Not exactly an unusual sight, but there was something decidedly different about these ones.

They were glowing.

She walked over to them and knelt down to get a closer look. They were quite beautiful, soft ash gray petals moving in the artificial wind of the Labyrinthos as if to dance to a silent melody. She had seen many types of flowers on her journey, but never ones quite like these. Yet as pretty to look at as they were—

She frowned.

—there was also something profoundly sad about them...

Reaching out, she was just about to touch one, when a voice made her pause. "Fascinating, are they not?"

S'eni glanced over her shoulder and spotted a Roegadyn carrying a large crate walking towards her. "But they are not just pretty to look at. These flowers can also look directly into our soul."

Our soul? Really? She thought and the doubt must have been quite clear on her face, as the man chuckled while he placed the crate on the ground. Wiping the sweat off his brow, he offered her a friendly smile.

"You must think I'm crazy, but it's true," he said and looked down at the flowers. "That color...they must be feeling the worker's stress. The sudden flood of errands has left us all running quite ragged, you see. If you are in good spirits they glow in the brightest of colors. Such a beautiful sight. But if you are in a bad mood, they grow dark and, well, you see."

"I see..." she let her gaze return to them. "Any idea what causes it?"

"No. Not even Sharlayan's leading botanists could figure it out. But that isn't even the only mystery revolving around this plant. They are long-lived, but multiply only slowly, which makes them hard to find out in the wilderness," he explained. "They are so rare, we don't even know their natural habitat. In general, we have only met a handful of people that knew of their existence, and each of them called them something else. So we don't even know their true name!"

S'eni reached out again and carefully brushed her finger against a petal, releasing a breath when, for just a fraction of a second, its color changed before turning ash gray once more. "Amazing..."

"Is it not? The botanist in me is practically screaming for me to thoroughly study them. But right now, everyone has been ordered to help with the transport. Ah, that reminds me, I still have something to take care of. Excuse me."

Getting back up, she watched him leave and pass by Y'shtola and the others while they made their way up the hill.

"Did that Roegadyn have anything interesting to tell?" the other Miqo'te asked after they came to a stop.

"He told me about these flowers and that they can sense our emotions," she replied.

"A flower that can sense emotions?" Y'shtola placed a hand on her hip. "That's truly something I have never heard of before. Fascinating..."

"That's all well and good, but that doesn't help us in finding out what the Forum is hiding," Alisaie said. "We still haven't found anything substantial in that regard."

"Given the activities around here, Erenville's assumptions seem to hold true," Alphinaud then said. "But absolutely no one seems to know anything at all as to the reason why.

"If only we could ask one of the councillors directly..."

S'eni and Y'shtola's ears perked simultaneously, and Alisaie too turned her head slightly, when the sound of a large gate opening and closing echoed towards them. With furrowed brows, the young woman jogged over to the edge of the hill and looked into the distance. "Say, isn't that the entrance to the Archeion?" Alisaie asked. "And if my eyes don't deceive me then that's Erenville."

Joining her, S'eni cast her gaze out into the distance. "Yeah, looks like him." He was quite easy to recognize. Male Viera were already quite rare as it was, and even rarer outside their homelands, so the chances of another gleaner looking just like him were quite small.

"He did mention he had to come down here to take care of the paperwork," Alphinaud pointed out.

"And given that he is answering to the Forum he should be delivering his reports to a councillor. Or at the very least someone in close contact with one..." Y'shtola said, the sound in her voice making it quite obvious where her mind was going.

Alphinaud's eyes widened. "You don't plan on spying on him, are you!?"

"Why, not at all, Alphinaud." Y'shtola smiled most innocently. "I am only stretching my legs a little. I assure you Erenville won't be blamed. But I can go alone if you have a problem with that."

"No. It's alright. I want to find out what Father is hiding as well. And I know he will not tell us on his own volition."

"We can always apologize later if we hear something we're not supposed to," Alisaie said to him. "But right now we need all the information we can get, no matter how little. Or else we'll never find out what's going on."

He nodded.

"And I doubt there's little question if you'll help, so..." stopping herself, Y'shtola glanced to the side where Krile was standing, staring at the flowers with wide eyes. Raising her voice, she called out, "...Krile?"

The Lalafel jumped and whirled towards them, her lips rising into an awkward smile. "Uh, yes. Sure. Sounds good!"

"Good that..." Y'shtola shot S'eni a subtle look. "...you see it that way..."

Yes, there was no way that Krile was 'just dizzy'. Something was clearly going on. But before either of them could press the issue, Alisaie spoke up again.

"Erenville is starting to leave. We should make for the entrance before he's gone!"

While the others made a quick note of which way was the fastest, S'eni kept her eyes on Krile instead. She watched as the Lalafel shifted her gaze back in the direction of the flowers, murmuring something she couldn't really make out. "...Almost..."

Her eyes narrowed.

Tracking Erenville turned out to be simple enough, that was until a sudden surge of mist had forced them to stop for a moment. But that was also precisely what clued in Y'shtola as to where he was heading: Logistikon Beta, one of the Labyrinthos' climate control centers. And as it just so happened, the perfect meeting place where a representative of the Forum could meet with him.

That at least solved one problem, leaving only the other of listening in on the conversation without being detected. But as it turned out, Y'shtola had a solution for that as well. Though S'eni did not like the sudden twinkle in her eyes as she and the twins were told to line up.

"Hippity hop, my little toads!"

"Wha—" with a sudden poof, she found herself looking at the other Miqo'te's boot. "—bit? Ribbit?"

She glances down at herself. Instead of the familiar sight of her body, she found herself looking at slimy, green skin and tiny, strangely formed hands. Y'shtola had turned her into a toad! But not just her, the twins as well!

"Oh, my," Krile exclaimed while Y'shtola giggled into her fist.

"Unaccustomed to transfigurations?" her lover asked, the corners of her lips rising into an infuriatingly teasing smile as if to say, "I told you I would do it."

S'eni just glared daggers at her through tiny toad eyes.

Y'shtola picked her up. "Don't worry. The spell will fade on its own in good time. So hop along, O Toad of Light. If you do your task well, I shall reward you accordingly."

"Ribbit."

"That's what I like to hear."

After being placed back down, S'eni spun around to face Alphi-toad and Ali-toad, then began to hop in the direction in which Erenville had vanished.

"Um...and what am I supposed to do?" she could hear Krile faintly ask before making it out of earshot. Due to their much smaller size, it took them longer than she liked to find the Viera in question. But there he was, speaking to an older Elezen man wearing much the same robes that Fourchenault had on that day in Gridania. As fast as their tiny legs were able to, they hopped over and settled into the grass nearby.

"Here is your payment for the latest delivery. You are quite diligent and the Forum appreciates that," the councillor said and handed Erenville a sack filled with not a small amount of coins from the look of things. "I apologize for the rush, but I already have another task for you. I hope I can count on your support in this matter as well?"

The Miqo'te woman standing wordlessly next to him, who could only be a researcher from the way she dressed, handed Erenville what she assumed was a list. He looked it over for a few seconds and she didn't need to see his face to know he was frowning from the way he spoke. "That's...quite a lot again...May I ask what the meaning for these strange orders is? My colleagues and I are being worked to the bone day in and day out, without a single explanation so far. Might I remind you that we aren't common henchmen. We are highly specialised citizens just like you."

The councillor seemed conflicted at that and it took a moment to reply, "Sharlayan has been given a momentous duty which we have dutifully pursued for a long time. And these days, where people are talking of the apocalypse, this duty has become ever more important," the old man said. "That is all I can tell you at this moment. But I assure you that all questions shall soon be answered. Until then, the Forum hopes you will continue to perform your duty for the good of all."

The Viera released a sigh and put the list into his pouch. "Very well. I'll continue fulfilling your orders—for now. But the Forum shouldn't take too long, or else they might find themselves faced with a strike from the gleaners."

"I understand your grievances, but I give you my word that it will not be long now," the councillor said and took his leave together with the Miqo'te woman.

They watched Erenville turn around to leave as well, only to stop after a few steps and letting his gaze come to rest on them. A few seconds of absolute silence ticked by, neither making even the slightest of moves. Until S'eni tilted her head with a questioning croak.

Closing his eyes, his lips curled upwards. "I hope you managed to catch what you wanted to hear. That ought to do as payment for your help earlier," he said. "I may not agree with everything the Forum does, but believe they act for the good of Sharlayan. Still, it's good there is someone trying to figure out what is going on. As far as I'm concerned we're all sitting in the same boat, and if we don't work together, we will all drown instead."

As he resumed walking, the spell cast upon them evaporated with another poof and Alisaie was the first to take a step forward. "How...how did you know it was us?"

"Next time you should observe animals before turning into them," Erenville called over his shoulder. "Toads don't behave like that."

"I suppose we should have known a gleaner who specialises in animal procurement would not be easily deceived," Alphinaud said after the Viera had left, raising his shoulders in a shrug. "Yet he seemed willing to trust us all the same. More importantly, we've discovered another piece of the puzzle. This 'momentous duty'."

"And one they've been given a long time ago. What could that be?" S'eni wondered aloud.

"Something that warrants direct involvement from the Forum and important enough to be kept secret from everyone it seems," Alisaie said. "Let's go back to Y'shtola and Krile and see what they have to say about this."

"Right, let's go."

Though, as they would soon learn, their investigation had not gone unnoticed...

Never let it be said that Shtola doesn't make good on her threats. Who knows? We might even get that spanking down the line...

I personally really enjoyed the Sharlayan questline, it was fun to snoop around and learn more about the plaze, and Labyrinthos is just a great location.