Child of Baldesion
While unrest was brewing in Ishgard over a thousand years of lies and true peace was still ever fleeting, the Warrior of Light, having set out on a diplomatic mission with the dragons, soon found herself returning to the settlement of Idyllshire as word came of another that would join her cause to find those that were lost amidst the chaos of that fated night in Ul'dah.
The sound of rumbling stone pervaded the air and the ground underneath their feet shook as Matoya's cave sealed itself once more behind them, finishing with a booming sound, not unlike the slamming of a door.
"That went surprisingly well," S'eni said to break the ensuing silence. Their group had come here in hopes of using the old witch's Crystal Eye to find their missing friends. The old woman had agreed with only little complaints after they had explained their reasons.
"Indeed, though I feel it was because she wanted to get rid of us as quickly as possible," Y'shtola replied, tapping her knuckles gently against her cheek in thought.
Not like she could fault the old Hyur for that, they really only came to her when they needed her help, or to say it in her words: saving this, preventing that, or mending the godforsaken other.
"Maybe one day we should just come to visit her for tea?" S'eni offered.
The other Miqo'te glanced at her. "And make her think she was good company?"
Looking at her friend, she couldn't help but dread the day the Echo would give her a glimpse into the past of those two.
Thankfully, she was rescued from that trail of thought by the soft voice of their newest companion.
"You were right, Y'shtola," Krile said, making S'eni turn her gaze towards the Lalafel, who had an amused expression on her face. "The stories are indeed all true."
She had only heard of her from Minfilia in the past, that she was a dear friend and that they were in regular contact. In the aftermath of the destruction of the Isle of Val, the Antecedent had tried her best to quell her worries, but those close to her could still tell how much it ate away at her. All the greater had been her relief when news came that Krile had survived, but to think it was because of the Echo...
"Be that as it may," Alphinaud then said, "We should waste no time and head for the Forelands. The hunters of Tailfeather know the lands well, I say we begin our search there!"
"I concur. Thancred may be a capable warrior, but he was wounded the last time I saw him," Y'shtola pointed out. "Should he have encountered any beasts after he emerged, he would be hard-pressed to repel them."
"Lead the way, then, Alphinaud," Krile said, a teasing smile forming on her lips. "Since you're so eager to take charge."
A sigh escaped the young Elezen, his shoulders dropping for but a moment before straightening out once more, and began to walk. With a giggle, Krile started to follow him, while S'eni and Y'shtola shared a shrug, then did the same.
As the group made their way through the Answering Quarter, S'eni found herself looking eastward towards the Thaliak where Alexander still remained underneath the barrier, now frozen in time so that it could harm no one ever again.
They had just made it past the Quickspill Delta when she stopped in her tracks and turned to fully face the primal made of steel and gears. A mechanical being that was able to break the barriers of time itself.
It truly had become worse before it had gotten better, and again it took a person's sacrifice to stop it once and for all.
Mide... S'eni thought, her expression growing pensive. The Au Ra had been at peace as she threw herself off the ledge inside Alexander's control room, and now she was trapped inside with the person she loved above all, frozen until they would one day emerge in the past to start the cycle anew.
It was not unlike G'raha Tia, who was sleeping until the people of Eorzea had advanced enough to once again open the gates of the Crystal Tower.
Two friends that she had only known for a short period of time, and would never see again...
But they both had smiled in the end, and she supposed that was something to be glad about.
Her ears perked up a little when she heard familiar steps approaching.
"Who would have thought that what happened with Travanchet would come back to haunt us like this?" S'eni wondered aloud.
"It was certainly unexpected. I'm loathe to admit that with everything that happened since then I had practically forgotten about it," Y'shtola replied, stopping right next to her.
Five years ago, when she had first set foot into Limsa Lominsa, S'eni had encountered the Elezen mage who had been behind the Sahagin attacks on Lominsan ships at the time. He had later stolen the magical horn that Y'shtola had been seeking and vanished into the shadows, only to emerge in distant lands and give it to a young Au Ra that would bring it here, to summon a primal like no other.
Whatever it was the Ascian had planned at the time, it was over now.
Still...
"If you could turn back time to change something, would you do it?" S'eni asked Y'shtola.
"I believe I gave you my thoughts on the matter, that it would be folly to do so."
"Just humor me, please."
Y'shtola grew silent and for a moment only Alphinaud and Krile's chatter could be heard in the distance.
"No...I wouldn't," she finally said, prompting S'eni to look at her. "My mistakes are what shaped me, and will shape me going forward. But I admit the temptation would be hard to resist."
"I don't know if I could resist," S'eni admitted. There were so many things she wished she could undo and she would be lying if she claimed Haurchefant's death hadn't flashed across her mind's eye when she first realized the primal's capability.
Closing the gap between them, Y'shtola put a comforting hand on her arm. "You're stronger than you give yourself credit for. You have proven that time and again."
S'eni did not respond with words, instead moving her hand to come to rest upon Y'shtola's and giving it a squeeze. Her lips curled into a smile that the other Miqo'te mirrored, and cherry pink eyes came to rest upon silvery white ones that returned her gaze with a warm confidence.
They remained like this, neither looking nor moving away from each other, until Alphinaud's voice called out to them, making S'eni suck in a hard, shallow breath at the sound of her name. Her gaze lingered for a moment longer before she slowly separated herself from Y'shtola, who turned away but still held a subdued smile on her face.
"We're coming!" S'eni called back, ignoring the warm tingle that went through her, and offered her friend a grin. "Let's go, before Thancred is going to find us instead."
"Yes, I would rather not give him the chance to gloat," Y'shtola said as they moved to catch up to their friends, leaving another closed chapter of their journey behind.
After returning to the Forelands, their group had wasted no time to head towards the distant Chocobo Forest that the hunters of Tailfeather called their home. It was an area that Alphinaud and S'eni had grown very familiar with during the travels they had undertaken here, and while they did not know every little tree, they had soon enough learned which ways to go to avoid some of the nastier inhabitants of the area.
"If I were to find myself in unfamiliar wilderness," Alphinaud said as they walked along the path that would lead them straight to the hunting outpost. "My first instinct would be to seek out signs of civilization."
"In normal circumstances, perhaps, but in his wounded state he may not have wanted to risk any contact with strangers whose allegiance were unknown to him," Y'shtola replied
S'eni hummed in agreement. "Being on the side of caution sounds like the smart thing to do after what happened."
"I suppose you're both right..."
"Still..." a thoughtful look formed on the other Miqo'te's face. "Even if Thancred chose to remain in the forest, the hunters would have stumbled across his trail."
"Tailfeather doesn't strike me as an isolated outpost, though," Krile then said, the settlement now being visible in the distance. "Merchants and traders must pass through this area reasonably often, in which case we'll need to provide a more detailed description if we want to find Thancred."
"Don't worry, Krile," Alphinaud said, stopping in his tracks and turning around. His hand went to his pocket from where he pulled out a few folded pieces of paper. "I have already prepared several sketches of him for that purpose."
Holding out her hand as he unfolded one, Y'shtola took the sketch to inspect it. "This...this is impressive," she exclaimed, prompting S'eni to take a step closer and peek over her shoulder.
What greeted her was an almost life-like recreation of Thancred's face, right down to the minute detail of the way his brow creased whenever he was being serious, and she couldn't help the low whistle that escaped at the sheer amount of skill she was seeing here.
"You drew him from memory?" Y'shtola asked as she handed the sketch back to him.
"A skill I acquired some years ago for reasons I can't remember," he replied with a shrug.
Now this sounds like some of the most humble bragging if I ever heard it, S'eni thought to herself, but knowing Alphinaud he was completely serious in what he was saying.
As the group slowly closed in on Tailfeather, the young Elezen addressed them once more. "I say we split into pairs. Y'shtola and I will inquire at the outlying encampments, while S'eni and Krile will question the residents of Tailfeather. Afterwards, let's regroup at Loth ast Vath to share our findings."
With everyone agreeing to his proposal, Alphinaud handed Krile and her a sketch each before leaving together with Y'shtola.
"My he certainly has matured, hasn't he?" Krile asked her as they headed into Tailfeather. "Hard to imagine he was once a boy who practiced drawing for hours to impress young ladies."
S'eni turned to give the Lalafel a look, who returned it with a grin on her face.
"Believe me, he still has his boyish moments," she said, mirroring Krile's expression. "Especially when he says a little too much without realizing."
"Anyways, we better get started," the smaller woman said as they stopped in front of the Aetheryte. "Find me when you've finished making your rounds—Excuse me! But have you seen this man before?"
S'eni watched as Krile walked over to the hunter she had just called out to, then turned to look at the sketch in her hand. "Let's see if we can find out where you're hiding, shall we?" she asked the drawn face of her friend.
The first few hunters she asked didn't recognize the face, nor had they heard anything about a man hiding out in the woods. One even went so far as to say, "Nobody but us and the Chocobos around here."
She then decided to ask Marchecamp instead. If anyone had picked up any rumors about Thancred, then it would be him. And as luck would have it, he had heard a story the other day about a Hyuran vagabond slaying a Bandersnatch, the description of which fit the self-declared bard perfectly.
"That reminds me, Grimold mentioned somethin' as well. Why don't you try askin' him?"
After being told where to find the man, S'eni headed over to him to ask what he knew.
"I saw that one bloke a while back. Didn't get a good look at his face, but it could've been him," Grimold said after she showed him the sketch. Leaning back, he narrowed his eyes a little while trying to remember. "That was beyond the forest, along the river to the west of Tailfeather. I remember thinking he wasn't much of a hunter. The lad was making no effort to hide his tracks. That, and he was carryin' an axe instead of a bow."
"Along the river to the west..." S'eni murmured, turning slightly to look in the direction. From the description Marchecamp had given her that could only be Thranced, but... "...an axe?"
"An axe, clear as day."
"Hm." She nodded and smiled at him. "Thank you."
He waved his hand. "It's nothin'."
Folding the sketch up, she put it into her pocket and headed back to the Aetheryte to meet up with Krile, who was already waiting for her.
"Finished?" the Lalafel asked.
"Yeah. Apparently, a Hyuran vagabond has made a bit of a name for himself around these parts," S'eni replied.
"Hmm, yes, I've heard similar things." Her thumb and index finger coming to rest on her chin, Krile nodded. "I think we've learned everything we can, then. Let's see what the others have found out."
With that, the two of them left Tailfeather behind in the direction of the Smoldering Wastes. Walking through the forest, S'eni watched as a smile formed on Krile's lips while she closed her eyes and took a calm, deep breath.
"Enjoying the scenery?" S'eni asked, receiving a nod in return.
"We had forests like these on the Isle of Val. My grandfather and I used to take walks together when I could manage to pry him away from his work," Krile said, fondness evident in her voice, but also a twinge of sadness.
"I'm sorry. For what happened."
"Don't be." The Lalafel shook her head. "I came to terms with what happened. My grandfather wouldn't want me to dwell on what happened and instead look forward. And right now that's finding Thancred."
"Sounds like a good man," S'eni said.
"Absolutely. He took me in when I was an orphan, raised me as his own, and gave me a name." That amused look from earlier returned. "Don't tell me you thought my parents named me Krile Baldesion."
"Well, I admit it was a little strange, but I didn't want to assume," she replied, the corners of her lips turning into a small grin.
"Meanwhile, I knew almost instantly who you were," Krile said.
"Oh?" S'eni tilted her head.
"Minfilia mentioned you a few times in our talks."
That made her blink in surprise. "She did?"
"Very much so. Said how it was thanks to you that Eorzea has found new strength and unity," the other woman explained.
"That's not true," she replied with a shake of her head. "She was the one who convinced the leaders of the Alliance to rally together."
"That may be so, but it was your bravery that set an example, and now you've paved the way to end a thousand-year-old war." A smile formed on Krile's lips. "I can already hear her praises."
S'eni released a sigh and, despite herself, returned the expression. "Well," she then said. "I suppose we just have to find her so we both can."
"We will," Krile assured her.
With a flick of her tail, her eyes took on a mischievous glint. "And in the meantime, you can share some stories about her. I think that's only fair after she told you about me."
The Lalafel chuckled. "Alright. Where shall I begin?"
"How about how you two met?" S'eni suggested.
"That was back when the Students were researching the power of the Echo, it honestly still feels like yesterday..." and so Krile told her how it was during the time of intense research of the Echo that Minfilia and her had met, becoming fast friends over their shared, yet so very different powers that Hydaelyn had bestowed upon them. That story soon turned into another, and after that into a swapping of stories that left them both smiling fondly.
"You know," she said after they emerged from the forest and headed in the direction of Loth ast Vath. "I had the pleasure of meeting other Students in the past."
"That doesn't surprise me, our organizations are close allies after all," Krile replied.
"Yeah. Haven't talked much with them at the time, but I Iater worked closely with G'raha Tia during the expedition into the Crystal Tower—hm?" she stopped mid-step and glanced over her shoulder when she noticed that the other woman had come to a halt.
"You know Raha?" Krile asked, her face growing serious. "Do you know where he is? Is he well?"
Her expression turning into a frown, S'eni spun around to face her. So she doesn't know yet...
Not that it was much of a surprise, she supposed, what with all that had happened.
A moment of silence passed before she spoke. "He's...sleeping in the heart of the tower, keeping it sealed until the day we're ready to open it once again."
The look on Krile's face became one of confusion. "What do you mean?"
And so S'eni told her everything. How they had ventured deep inside the Crystal Tower where they not only found Emperor Xande alive and well inside a clone body but also learned of his pact with the Cloud of Darkness to return the entire world to nothing. During their effort to stop this from happening, they had learned that G'raha was a descendant of the Allagan royal bloodline, giving him the ability to control the tower, and in the end, sealed himself away in hopes of one day fulfilling the wish of Princess Salina that the tower would become a symbol of hope for the people.
"Oh, Raha..." Krile muttered as S'eni finished her tale, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. "Thank you for telling me this."
"I'm sorry," was all S'eni could respond with.
"No. If nothing else, I should be glad that he's alive somewhere, even if I might not see him again in my lifetime." Opening her eyes again, the Lalafel looked out into the distance.
Another moment passed before S'eni knelt next to Krile and placed a comforting hand on her back. Slowly, the smile returned to the other woman's face. "Minfilia was right."
"About what?" she asked.
"That you're a kind person." Krile turned her head and nodded. "Don't worry, I'm alright. And right now focusing on Thancred is more important. Let's go."
Returning the nod, S'eni rose back to her feet and together they resumed their walk towards their destination, to meet up with their friends and hopefully get closer to finding the one that was still missing.
Aaaand introducing Krile to the story. I'm sure a lot of you know her. She'll be around.