Urianger
The Loporrits do not want for eagerness, that much is sure. But their eagerness and reliance on efficiency and...rather outdated information, have made them blind to the reality of the people now living on Etheirys. After suffering such disappointments from the reactions of their charges-to-be, can one really blame them for seeking out the aid of one that seemed to be most aligned with their vision?
Someone who would even go so far as to deceive their very friends if it was for the good of all...?
As it turned out, Y'shtola had been quite right when she wondered what other misconceptions, bar of their size, the Loporrits were holding about them. Food and clothing, while not downright bad, were grossly one note and fit for conformity. Though she had to admit, she actually liked the carrot she tried earlier. It made her feel more invigorated than an early morning workout, and she was plenty sure she could make a nice dish out of it if she had more, proper ingredients. But that was also where the problem lay. There was nothing else. Same with the clothing, all made with knowledge the Watcher provided them with, so their collaborators either missed out on providing the Loporrits with information on that matter or deigned it not necessary.
Then there was this so-called Greatest Endsvale she was standing in right now. The vale to end all vales...sorely lacking in trees. Well, that wasn't quite right. It had constructs topped with crystals that looked like trees that, coupled with the atmospheric circulation system, would provide the place with fresh air only rivaled by the likes of the Black Shroud or the Golmore Jungle. It was an ingenious construction for sure, but not exactly what she would call relaxing.
Though she was plenty sure Urianger would find it fascinating. He seemed to take quite a liking to what the Loporrit had done so far, but he also had something she liked to call an acquired taste. That he was getting on so well with them worried her though, especially with that conversation she managed to catch...
She needed to talk with the others once time permitted. Right now, though, she should probably turn her attention back to her little guide. Lowering her eyes, she looked at the Loporrit walking next to her. His name was Growingway, a rather nervous fellow, who had offered to show her around little sampling sessions. Apart from suffering much the same cluelessness as his fellows, he was actually a rather nice guy, and had actually explained to her the process of how this entire place, called Bestways Burrow, had come to be. To think they had been working on the moon for so long!
As they came to a stop, he turned to look at her with his large, round eyes, and she offered him a friendly smile. Maybe it was time she asked him a question instead of just listening. "Say, you mentioned your collaborators earlier, but how did you get into contact with them anyway?"
"Oh yes! Of course you wouldn't know," he said and began his explanation. "After a few Rejoinings, we noticed that communicating with Hydaelyn was becoming increasingly difficult. Fearful that we might lose contact with her altogether, we beseeched Her to find people on Etheirys we could trust."
"And eventually she found them."
"Right. And though Her power was waning, we managed to speak to them directly for a short time. We shared with them everything we could, including our knowledge of the heavens, and a means to travel here to the moon. They certainly didn't waste any time with what we taught them. No more than a few years after that, our collaborators found a means to convey messages and supplies to us from down below."
"Interesting..." S'eni rubbed her chin. She was starting to have an idea as to the identity of these collaborators.
"And now you're here, hopefully enjoying yourself as much as I am!" Growingway beamed so brightly she couldn't help but nod. A happy little hum escaped him. "I knew you would like Greatest Endsvale, I knew it! Thank you again for coming here, by the way. I know it was just a walk through the forest, but it meant a lot to me."
"There you are," she heard Y'shtola's voice call out to her, and turned around to see her, Thancred, and Urianger walking towards them. S'eni's eyes remained lingering on the latter for a few seconds longer, until they were drawn away by Thancred speaking up next.
"Looks like we missed the grand tour. A shame."
Just then, another voice joined them, coupled with fast and tiny steps. "Growingway! I've been looking all over for you!"
Suddenly hearing Livingway, he jumped a little, the look on his face turning into the same nervous one he held when they met. "I...uh...Is this about the teleporter to the residential area?"
"No." The other Loporrit waved him off. "We have more pressing matters at hand. I will be calling an emergency meeting shortly, and your attendance is required."
"Really...?" Growingway blinked and tilted his head. "I can't imagine why'd you need me there, but if you insist."
Livingway then turned towards S'eni and the others with a friendly smile. "We won't be away long, so you all are more than welcome to continue looking about the burrow. Now, come along, Growingway."
They watched the two Loporrits leave before Y'shtola looked at her with curious eyes.
"You looked like you were in the midst of a fascinating conversation with your guide," she said and placed a hand on her hip. "Did you learn anything of interest?"
"Quite a bit, actually." She proceeded to tell them all that Growingway had told her while they were walking through the Endvale. From their initial creation, to the building of the propulsion systems, their forced pause when the Allagan Empire had sent Dalamud into space, and lastly their first contact with their mysterious collaborators.
"They spent twelve thousand years building this?" Thancred asked and whistled through his teeth, giving the area a quick glance before continuing. "With the appointed hour approaching, I can understand their restlessness. But still..."
"It remains to be seen if people can be persuaded to evacuate if there are no signs of the Final Days yet," Y'shtola finished and looked around as well. "What's more, the technology of this place defies imagination. I doubt there are many who would come to terms living in an environment like this."
"Whoever these collaborators are, they better possess the world's most charming personalities or ways to forcibly evacuate people, or they'll be met with a lot of resistance," Thancred commented. And if S'eni was right in her assumption, then these people were, indeed, quite lacking in charm.
All of a sudden Urianger, who had been silent until now, spoke up. "Forgive me, friends, but I must beg your leave. There is another matter which yet begs for mine attention," he said.
"Of course." Thancred raised a brow. "We can accompany you if you like."
"Nay, that will not be necessary. If you will excuse me." Offering them a bow, he turned around and left.
"Say, S'eni," Thancred said and glanced at her once Urianger was far enough away. "Did he seem strange to you? More than usual, I mean."
"Yeah." She turned towards them, a frown forming on her face. "Actually, there's something I need to tell you..."
Y'shtola and Thancred shared a look, before the former said, "What is it?"
"Earlier, I chanced upon Livingway and a few Loporrit's talking to Urianger. I believe they're planning something and wish to include him in the scheme," she explained.
"I see..." the other Miqo'te raised her hand and gently rapped her knuckles against her cheek in thought. "So I assume that is what this supposed 'emergency meeting' will be about."
"And if he's in on it, it would certainly explain his behaviour..." Thancred looked out towards the entrance of the Endsvale. "Would you go and see if he's alright? You know how he can be."
"I concur. Though he has a penchant for hiding them, he always acts with good intentions. I have little doubt for it to be the case here as well," Y'shtola added.
S'eni knew that whatever was going on, Urianger would not agree to anything he did not view as the right thing to do. Even if it meant shouldering a giant burden on his own. "Alright, I'll try to talk to him."
"Good. In the meantime, we shall play along for now and see what we can uncover about the Final Days. While preparations for evacuating Etheirys are indeed crucial, I'm not yet willing to forsake our world and its reflections." Pale eyes looked between Thancred and her. "And I trust I'm not alone in that."
"You got that right," she agreed.
Leaving the two of them, S'eni headed out of the Endsvale in hurried steps, hoping to still catch up to Urianger. As she arrived at the Aetheryte plaza, she managed to find him as he made his way up the stairs and towards the exit towards Mare Lamentorum. Wondering what he could want out there, she followed him.
When she stepped outside, she saw him ascend the path leading out of the small canyon, stopping only briefly to look at Argos lying dutifully on the ground. The dog raised his head, but lowered it again when he noticed that Urianger did not wish to ride upon his back. After looking around, the Elezen continued onward.
Better to stay out of sight for now, she thought while trailing after him. Which was honestly easier said than done, since this path was rather narrow and Urianger's secrecy was apparently only rivaled by a healthy dose of suspicion from the way he turned around so often, making for a few too many close calls to her liking. Somehow though, she had managed to follow him to the surface without being seen. Or so she thought...
"Thine arrival is as timely as ever," Urianger said, turning away from the strange-looking growth in the distance to face her, a smile forming on his lips.
She mirrored his expression. "When did you notice?"
"But mere moments ago. Thou didst chance to overhear my conversation with Livingway, I presume?"
"Only partly. But it's still quite obvious what's going on," S'eni replied.
"'Twas not mine intent to move in shadow. Nevertheless, I have been asked to do that and more yet again." The smile became a little strained. "Is it so plain that these strangers could intuit it at a glance? My capacity for silence and secrecy...and duplicity."
She would be lying if she claimed that his behavior didn't give him a certain...flair. But now wasn't the time to point that out. So instead, she let her eyes find his and said, "Urianger. You're my friend, and I trust you."
"But am I truly deserving of thy trust?" he asked. "When G'raha Tia did contrive to deliver the First at the price of his own life, I was complicit in the scheme. A sacrifice averted, for a mercy. Would that I could say the same for Minfilia. One life for one world. And by that bloody bargain brokered by my hand were the Scions robbed of a dear comrade, and F'lhaminn her beloved daughter."
"You know as well as I do that they both would've done it even without you," she said.
"Indeed. They would not have been moved had I thought to protest, so beyond measure was their selflessness. But protest, I did not. Far from it. I pushed them forward. No effort did I make to seek out alternatives. Ones that would not demand such terrible costs. That resignation weigheth heavy on my mind, as does the memory of another lost to mine inaction."
"Moenbryda..."
He nodded. "Dearest Moenbryda...who did fave death unflinching, that we might secure a means to bring low the Ascians. In her hour of need, I did naught—" closing his eyes, he curled a hand into a fist so tightly he began to shake. "—Dutiful disciple of Louisoix, ever looking to the greater good...Had I shut mine eyes and beg her live instead, mayhap she would be here with us today."
Oh, Urianger...is this what you've kept locked inside you all this time? She wondered and walked over to him. Reaching out, she placed a hand on his arm and kept it there until he stopped shaking. With a deep exhale, he opened his eyes and looked down at her, then out into the distance, where the remains of Zodiark yet still rose from the crater.
"Selfish wants born of everlasting regrets. Most days I push them from my mind, but could think of naught else when asked to swallow the same bitter draught. Subterfuge and sacrifice. Mayhap the right, moral choice, but one I regard with great trepidation. The calamity of Amaurot was a tragedy beyond reckoning. One that must never again come to pass. Thus we must struggle. Haunted by ghosts of those we have lost. Clinging to those we pray we can yet save." Urianger's gaze lowered back to hers and she could clearly see the conflict he otherwise so expertly kept hidden waging mercilessly. "But what of those we cannot? How do we make peace with the dreadful algebra of necessity?"
"No one can truly say what is right or wrong." She gave him a sad smile. "Not even one who can read the stars as you do. All we can do is to have faith in our decisions and protect those we can."
"Sage advice indeed..."
"Vrtra told me those words, shortly after we managed to destroy the Tower of Zot. They...have stuck with me ever since."
"I see," Urianger said. "Curious that he should think thee in need of such encouragement."
"Let's just say you're not the only one who occasionally gets assailed by doubts," she said. A short moment of silence followed her words, and for the first time since she knew him, S'eni felt a sense of understanding between them. And by the time Urianger spoke up once more, his tone was much lighter.
"Strange...Scarcely can I remember when last we spoke alone, and so candidly," he said.
"Maybe because we never really had the chance to. If you ask me, it was high time." She chuckled, making the corners of his lips rise.
"I thank thee. For all my supposed skill with words, I find it difficult to express such private thoughts."
"So...what are you going to do next?"
"I will take time and consider how to respond to the Loporrits' proposition. 'Twould be to our mutual benefit if we could converse more openly with our aspiring caretakers...A concern I should be glad to address on the Scions' behalf." he inclined his head. "To dispense with all pretense and bare one's heart to another is a frightening thing indeed. But we cannot move forward ere we take that bold first step. A lesson I have learned many times before...and today."
S'eni smiled, warmly this time.
"In truth, my reason for traveling hither was to effect a plan of mine own. A plan which may pave a way forward for us all," Urianger then said. "'May,' I say, for there is no guarantee of success. 'Tis the reason I set out alone...that failure, should it come, would be mine to bear alone. Yet thou standest before me with proffered hand and open heart. 'Twould be remiss of me to refuse thy amity, and so I ask: wouldst thou join in mine endeavor?"
"Well—" she punched her palm. "Let's hear it then!"
Urianger's plan turned out to be relatively simple. Fashion a present for the Loporrits in the hope that it would create an understanding between them. All she really had to do was help him gather some ingredients. Though as it turned out, the nearby fauna did not take kindly to the disturbance and she was swiftly relegated to guard duty. But by the time she had chased them away, he was also done with finishing up the little gift and they returned back to Bestway's Burrow...
...where they were promptly welcomed by Livingway. What a funny coincidence, that. The Loporrit's leader had wasted absolutely no time telling S'eni that Y'shtola had something urgent to discuss with her, preferably alone, while Urianger was to assist Livingway with an errand at the Watcher's abode. Not even bothering to object, she still exchanged a quick glance with the Elezen, before leaving to where Y'shtola was waiting for her.
Once she located her, together with Thancred and Growingway, the other Miqo'te knew, of course, nothing about any supposed urgent matter but nevertheless asked for her assistance in helping catch a Loporrit by the name of Runningway. This aptly named fella apparently knew something about the Final Days. However, the look reflected in her pale eyes was enough for S'eni to know that Y'shtola didn't really believe that. But it couldn't hurt to try either.
Obviously reluctant to help, but trying to hide it, Growingway provided them with means to stop his fellow Loporrit and they split up. It took a short while, but eventually she managed to find Runningway zipping around the Endsvale while also. She waited for the right moment, then raised her little projectile—
"Ow! That smarts!"
—and hit him straight in the face, sending him onto his little behind.
"Runningway, I take it?" she asked while walking over.
"Yes, that's my name. Do you mind explaining to me why you hit me in the face with your ball of..." he raised a paw to wipe off some of the white substance covering his cheek and looked at it. "...mousse flesh?"
She just shrugged. "I heard you're highly knowledgeable about the Final Days."
"Me? Hah, that's the most ridiculous thing I heard since I woke up. Who told you that joke?" Runningway asked and rose back to his feet. "As if we got time to look into the Final Days when we've got so much to do. It's true that Hydaelyn imparted some knowledge of the event, but I know about as much as any other Loporrit. Less, probably."
Yeah, I figured as much... S'eni thought dryly.
After apologizing for the interruption, she made her way back to where Thancred was waiting with Growingway and saw that Y'shtola had already returned. Upon noticing her, her lover turned to face her. "I could find neither hide nor..."
"Hair?" she offered with a grin.
A sigh. "Yes. How did you fare?"
"Oh, I've found him alright. But he said he didn't know any more about the Final Days than the other Loporrits."
"Fascinating." They both turned their heads to stare at Growingway. "Care to explain yourself?"
"W-Well you see...I, uh..." shrinking a little in place, he looked around, trying to think of something. "I misremembered. Yes, that's it! I misremembered. Terribly sorry about that. Hmmm. Afraid I'm drawing a blank, though. Try as I might, I can't remember who I was thinking of..."
"On an unrelated note, what of Urianger?" Thancred asked, pointedly looking at S'eni. "I assume you spoke with him, did he say when he would be returning?"
"He's currently helping Livingway with an errand over at the Watcher's." She returned the look.
"Oh, really now?" he cocked an eyebrow. "Between Growingway's sudden lapse of memory and our lack of other leads, maybe our time would be better spent lending Urianger a hand."
"Wh-What!?" Growingway practically jumped them. "N-Now hold on just a moment! It's all coming back to me. Yes, I remember! The information you're looking for is in the archives. That's where you'll find all sorts of useful knowledge, including the Final Days!"
Thancred and S'eni exchanged another look, and she shrugged. "And where would those archives be?"
"They're on the second floor of the main plaza, the eastern wing. Follow me!"
"I'm beginning to grow tired of these games..." Y'shtola muttered under her breath as the Loporrit turned around on his heel and began to lead the way. They followed him up to the second floor where they stopped in front of a large door. Reaching out his tiny hand, he tapped on a pad next to the door, only to receive an error sound in return. He turned towards them.
"It seems to be locked," he said. "I guess we'll just have to go and find whoever—"
"Enough!" Y'shtola interrupted him, her patience having finally grown thin with the Loporrit's antics. "If you have nothing else to tell us, then stop wasting our time. Did you not tell us yourselves that we must act quickly?"
"Yes. Yes, we did, but..." Growingway lowered his gaze to the ground. "The moon was to be a perfect paradise for the people of Etheirys, and we're running out of time to make everything ready for their arrival. We hoped you'd see the wonders we have to offer, but you've found nothing but faults and flaws in our work. Only one of you saw our potential, so you others must be kept here."
"Ah, so that's Livingway's game. Run us in circles and, failing that, lock us away so we can't put the plan at risk," Thancred said. "Except for Urianger."
"He understands what's at stake...What must be done."
"I fear you've misjudged us, Growingway. We have never disagreed with the notion of using the moon as a means of escape." Y'shtola frowned. "But neither can we just leave our world and its reflections to their doom. If there is a way to avert the Final Days we must find it. We may fail, but our efforts would never be at the expense of your plans."
"But why would you take that risk!?" Growingway suddenly shouted, looking at all of them one by one. There's no room for ifs and maybes now. The people of Etheirys will escape here to the moon. They'll be safe, and we'll finally get to see all their happy, smiling faces. I'm sorry, but we can't let you leave. We just can't."
S'eni's ears perked up at a series of fast-approaching footsteps, and she turned around to see a small group of Loporrits come running towards them, armed with staves and spellbooks. As the other two followed suit, Growingway used the chance to dash past them and towards his compatriots. "Do what you must, but...try not to hurt them," he told them. "I'll be back in a moment. Don't do anything rash while I'm gone!"
And with that, he rushed off.
"Of course this was going to happen," S'eni muttered.
"If we stay here they might overwhelm us with sheer numbers," Thancred said, his hand already going to his Gunblade. "I'll say we split up and make our way to the exit."
"Agreed." Y'shtola nodded. "Let's meet where Argos awaits."
"Alright. Stay sa—" she sighed as she looked at the advancing Loporrits, her arms rising into combat position. "—just try not to hurt them too much."
She rushed towards them, paving the way for Y'shtola and Thancred to run in different directions. Just as she expected, the Loporrits, while certainly not as harmless as they looked, posed a relatively little threat to her, and soon enough they were lying knocked out on the ground. Offering them a quick apology, she ran off in the direction of the stairs, only to come to a screeching halt when the next group of Loporrits was already waiting for her.
"Sorry, but I can't let you stop me!" Dodging between their spells, S'eni knocked them out one by one. She gave them a quick once over to make sure she didn't overdo it, then made to hurry further down, when Growingway's voice made her pause.
"Please, S'eni!" he said, raising his tiny weapon with a shaking hand, yet not backing down. "Come quietly!"
For a moment, she lowered her arms and let her eyes find his big, round ones. She sighed. "You know I can't."
Within the blink of an eye, she was gone and reappeared just behind him, striking the back of his neck with the edge of her palm. His weapon clattered to the ground, soon followed by him collapsing. Just before he landed though, she reached out to catch him and gently lowered him.
"I'll make it up to you somehow after this," she promised, rising back to her feet and hurrying downstairs. Outside, she was already awaited by Thancred and Y'shtola. Having sensed what must be going on, Argos too had already summoned forth his reflections and was just waiting for them to get on.
With his help, they hurried across the crater and towards the Watcher's abode. Once there, they headed in the only direction where Urianger and the Loporrits could be headed. The Aetheryte. But when they arrived there, they found them already deep in conversation with the little caretakers, who jumped at the sight of their approach.
"Urianger!" S'eni called out, but he simply raised his hand as a signal that he had everything under control.
"Be at ease," he said to Livingway and the others. "They bear you no grudge, nor do I. How could we, having come to understand your purpose? For millennia, you and yours worked tirelessly towards the singular purpose of this heavenly vessel's construction. An arduous feat by any measure. 'Tis clear you have spared no effort. Why, your very names are a testament to your dedication."
Lowering her tiny hands from her face since there was no immediate danger, Livingway stared up at the Elezen, blinking a few times at his words. "Our...our names? I'm not sure I understand what you're getting at..."
"Names are an expression of the self, a declaration of one's hopes and aspirations," Urianger explained, the warmth in his voice making it obvious he was smiling. "Your use of contemporary, uncomplicated nomenclature doth ensure clarity of purpose. There can be no doubt that your love for the people of Etheirys is boundless and pure."
"Yes, yes! A most mellifluous phrasing!" one of the other Loporrits, by the name of Singingway said. "We Loporrits were born of Hydaelyn's love for Eitheirys. That shining, shimmering blue jewel. Brightest star in the sky! Brimming with life and possibilities!"
"For as long as I can remember, I've toiled in anticipation for when this vessel might be needed. All I've ever wanted was to meet those She cherished so dearly. To serve, and serve well!" Mappingway said.
"That goes for all of us, don't you see? So help us!" Livingway pleaded. "Help us help them! Lead them here where we can keep them safe! If there's anything wrong with what we've built, we'll fix it! We'll make it right!"
Urianger just knelt down on the ground. "Your works want not for repair. Yet there remaineth much for you to learn of man, and your own kin besides. Singingway—" he turned his head towards the Loporrit in question. "Thy name bespeaketh more than simple marriage of rhythm and rhyme. The songs of Etheirys are beyond counting, and span the length and breadth of emotion."
He then looked at Mappingway.
"Maps are monuments to man's pioneering spirit and his devotion to charting the furthest reaches of our star. Many have devoted their lifetimes to exploratory pursuits. To venture unto the highest mountains and deepest oceans, in search of unknown frontiers."
Then his gaze found the last of the bunch.
"And thou, my friend. I...hmm...I do not think we have met."
"My...My name is Puddingway."
That...was certainly a name. And one even Urianger did not seem to expect. Raising a hand to his chin, he rubbed it along the side of it.
"Puddingway...Yes, indeed. A name of deep and abiding significance, I am sure, but one perhaps better communicated through delicious deeds than tasteless words. A judicious application of Fae magicks at a later juncture may be appropriate..." his composure swiftly returning, he then focused on the one still standing in front of him. "And Livingway. 'Tis no easy feat to convey the significance of thy moniker. Hmmm, when I was a bookish boy, a dear friend of mine was fond of peppering me with questions as I read—to my occasional annoyance. One day, I posed to her a question of mine own...what doth it mean to live?"
He paused briefly, before continuing. "After much deliberation, she proffered this answer: the anticipation of a half-read story's conclusion. The hope today's mistake shall be tomorrow's lesson. The wish that a new acquaintance may one day call thee friend. She believed it to be all these moments and more."
"I..." Livingway lowered her head. "I want to understand, but..."
"I, too, still labor to find mine own answer. 'Twould be my pleasure to assist you and yours in embarking on a journey of self-discovery and enlightenment." Reaching into one of the bags at his hips, he pulled out a small bottle that he handed to Livingway. The eyes of the Loporrit widened as she took the offered present into her tiny hands. "For thee. Ink as blue as the waters of Etheirys. Made in haste, but I assure thee, the quality has not suffered for it. The people need not be persuaded by honeyed words. Nay, I have faith they shall do what is right in due course. Until they do, I beg your patience, friends. And with that ink, let us fill the empty pages of Livingway's compendium. An open exchange of ideas will surely afford you all a better understanding of modern man—and with it, ideas for improvements and renovations. But more importantly, it shall empower us to together find a way forward."
"I...hope you're right," Livingway said. "Thank you for this lovely gift."
Crossing her arms in front of her chest, S'eni smiled. He had done it. And this time, without his conscience suffering for it. "So you're going to stay here?" she asked as he turned around to face them.
"I shall." He nodded. "Though we must needs prepare for every eventuality, you would all agree that the evacuation of our star is a last resort. To accept failure is to accept the demise not only of our star, but that of Ryne's. Of all reflections, and the souls that call them home. Which is why I have every faith that you shall fight to the last. That such drastic measures may prove unnecessary."
"Should the worst come to the worst, I'll take comfort in knowing preparations were made under your watchful eye," Thancred said with a smile of his own.
"Aye. Thou mayest be assured that if calamity cometh, not a soul will be left behind. 'If' being the operative term."
A sudden glow from one of her bags made S'eni reach inside it and pull out the flower Hydaelyn had given to her. As she looked at it, she saw that its shade had become a warm orange. Just as she was pondering what this coloration might mean, a tall shadow draped itself over her. It was the Watcher, who must have come to see what the commotion was about.
"That flower...how did it come into your possession?" he asked.
"Hydaelyn gave it to me some time ago," she replied. "She said it would serve as my guide, though I'm still not exactly sure what she meant with that."
"Hmm. How very much like Her. Guided by its light, you may come to know Her true intentions. In our time, we called it 'Elpis'...you would do well to remember that name."
"Elpis..." S'eni repeated, looking at it for a brief second longer, before putting it away.
"Er, I hate to interrupt," Livingway then said as she and her fellows came walking towards their little group. "But I feel like I need to make amends for all the secrecy."
"Think nothing of it. We haven't been the most gracious guests either," Y'shtola said with a shake of her head. "Please do convey our apologies to Growingway and the others."
"But of course! And next time we welcome more guests from Etheirys, we'll have learned to be much more hospitable hosts!" the small woman's eyes then widened in realization. "Oh, and we ought to discuss our collaborators."
"No need." The other Miqo'te put a hand on her hip. "It's the Sharlayan Forum, isn't it?"
"Hah, so I wasn't the only one." S'eni grinned.
"What!?" the Loporrits jumped back in shock. "H-How did you know!?"
"The more I heard, the more obvious it became. The Forum's aims align closely with those of your anonymous patrons. A bit too close to be a mere coincidence," Y'shtola replied.
"Them insisting on knowing exactly when the Final Days would be upon us was a bit of a giveaway once the dots have been connected," S'eni added.
Y'shtola looked at her, a small smirk dancing on her lips. "Of course, had we not perused certain restricted tomes in Labyrinthos, we might still be unaware of their plans...But let's continue this once we've returned. I believe we have kept the others waiting long enough."
"Yeah..." she nodded and looked out towards the planet.
Things would soon become quite busy. And not for the better...
I absolutely love love love this part of Endwalker. Finally getting to actually bond with Urianger after all this time was great.