The Family We Choose
A soft bubbling pervaded the air as she stood in front of the stove, staring deep into the large pot as she slowly stirred its contents. She watched tiny bubbles form on the red broth, popping in and out of existence in a steady rhythm. Using the wooden spoon in her hand, S'eni scooped up some of it and raised it to her lips.
Broth is how it should be... she thought, smacking her lips once and taking the bowls filled with all sorts of fish, already cut and deboned to precision. Giving them one last once over, she poured them all into the pot, followed by two smaller bowls of shrimps and mussels. She put them back down and began to stir once again.
Slowly, a familiar scent filled the kitchen and S'eni closed her eyes to find herself back on that familiar beach she had grown up at, the bubbling from the pot turning into the rushing of waves on a sunny day. She let herself immerse herself into that memory for a few precious moments until laughter pulled her back into the here and now. Glancing over her shoulder at the closed doors, a strained smile formed on her lips at the voices that echoed all the way in here, and she wondered just how things had come to this...
A loud cry went through the Rising Stones, followed by the clunky slamming of wood in rapid succession as her fists connected with the training dummy. Jumping backwards, she sent a kick to her right, where another dummy was positioned, before slamming her elbow into the third one on her left. She then turned back towards the first one, wasting not a single second to strike it again.
Like a river current, she moved between them in a series of blows and kicks, growing in speed with every attack until she practically became a blur. The dummies groaned under the strain of her assault, a trio of wooden cries that echoed off the walls in an almost endless stream. Landing in the middle once more, S'eni did a flip and brought her heel down to the ground, releasing a small explosion of aether that knocked them out of their sockets.
She remained like this for a couple of seconds, looking between the three fallen dummies, then slowly rising up. Wiping the sweat away from her brow, she picked them up and put them back into place. After she was sure they were really secure, S'eni readjusted the robes she wore for training and began to make her way to the area the Scions had repurposed for their washing needs, silently wondering how she could implement the new technique that had surfaced in her mind not too long ago. She was so preoccupied by that thought, that she almost didn't notice Alphinaud and Alisaie sitting at one of the desks.
But from their expressions, neither did they seem to have noticed her, being instead lost in their own thoughts. S'eni watched for a moment, frowning, until a drop of sweat making its way past her eye reminded her that she needed to freshen up. After entering the bathroom, she discarded her things and stepped under the shower, releasing a small, content sigh as the hot water hit her body. But it wasn't long until her mind returned to the twins.
Despite putting on brave faces, it was evident that what had happened with their father was still bothering them, and the more time passed in which Krile hadn't contacted them, the more time the two of them had to dwell on that fact. Being disowned...it sounded so foreign to her. Even after just up and leaving her village without coming back for years, she was still seen as a part of the family. But Alphinaud and Alisaie didn't have that; their father had made that abundantly clear.
Gods, it made her angry just thinking about it. If only there was something she could—
An idea then came to her and she smiled. Perhaps there was something. While it wouldn't solve the overall problem, it might just be enough to get their minds off things for a little bit.
After finishing her shower, and putting on a fresh set of clothes, she returned to find the two of them not having moved an inch from their position. She cleared her throat, only to go unheard, then cleared it again much louder. That was enough to draw them out of their thoughts and to turn their attention to her.
"O-Oh, S'eni. I am sorry, I did not see you there," Alphinaud said. "Is there anything you need?"
"Something like that." S'eni nodded towards the door. "Come."
The twins shared a questioning look, but nevertheless stood up and began following her as she headed out of the Rising Stones.
"Where are we going?" Alisaie asked as they stepped out of the Seventh Heaven.
"The House of Splendors," she replied.
"The House of Splendors?" The girl repeated and shared another look with her brother. "Why?"
S'eni stopped to look at them. "You two seem in need of a little pick-me-up." The corners of her lips curled upward. "And I have just the recipe for that."
A bubbling pop from the pot pulled her out of her little reverie and, after checking if it was done, closed the stove's air vents. It had been a good plan. Nice and simple, really—
Her ears perked up at another series of words echoing down the hallway into the kitchen and she sighed.
—that was until Estinien and G'raha had arrived shortly after, and things had somehow spun out of control from there. Now she wasn't just cooking for the twins, but all of her fellow Scions and then some instead; all eager to taste the cooking of their very own Warrior of Light. She supposed it was a good thing the dish she had picked was so easily made in large quantities.
Picking up the pot, she carried it over to the doors and stepped out into the hallway. The voices that had been muffled by solid wood now resounded clearly off the stone walls leading towards the kitchen and S'eni couldn't help but chuckle as Aenor was just about to spill some beans about some amorous encounter she once had, only for her sister to intervene before things would get too steamy. She counted her blessings that the Boulder brothers were currently out on a mission, not only due to Aenor's...affections towards the two Hellsguards, but also because on some days those two could have an appetite that might surpass the amount of food even she could prepare.
Taking a deep breath, she headed outside and was greeted by the sight of all her friends seated at the tables that would usually be reserved for the many guests of the House of Splendors, but since Rowena owed her a great deal, she had made an exception just for today. The first to notice her, of course, was Y'shtola. "And there she is," she announced as she put down her cup.
"I was already thinking you did the smart thing and skipped town," Thancred next to her commented with a grin.
"Ha ha, laugh it all up," S'eni replied and placed the pot on one of the tables. She then took two bowls, filled them generously, and placed them in front of the twins. "Here you go, Bouillabaisse in the style of the Southern Isles."
While Alphinaud seemed to hesitate a little at the sight of the broth filled with fish and shellfish, Alisaie showed no such thing and was already raising the first spoonful to her mouth. S'eni watched the girl's eyes widen almost as soon as her lips closed around the spoon and direct them towards her.
"This...this is delicious!" Alisaie said after swallowing, making a grab for a small slice of bread to dunk it into the food.
"Glad to hear it," S'eni said with a smile and began passing out the Bouillabaisse to everyone else. The others soon joined in on Alisaie's assessment.
"This is quite similar to a dish we had at the Crystarium, but it still has its own uniqueness to it. Is it because of the choice of fish?" G'raha wondered aloud.
"Hmm, not bad," Estinien commented, turning to look at her. "I didn't know you could cook."
"It is one of her never-ending talents," Y'shtola replied, sending her a little wink before returning her attention back to the food.
S'eni just shrugged. "You grow up in a Miqo'te tribe you'll learn to pull your weight. But I'll be sure to remember your ringing endorsements should I ever grow tired of adventuring and wish to open a restaurant."
After everyone had been provided with their meal, she too filled herself a bowl and sat down at the only vacant table still available. Taking a spoonful of fish and broth, she closed her eyes once again as the rich taste made her tastebuds go alight and she was soon back on that sunny beach, listening to the sound of the waves with the breeze in her hair and the warm sand between her toes. She swallowed and released a satisfied sound, then took another spoonful.
And another.
And another, quietly enjoying her meal until she felt a presence next to her.
"Want some more?" she asked with a smile, opening her eyes again to see Y'shtola sit down in the chair to her right.
"No, I still have some," her lover replied, holding up her bowl to show that it was still decently filled. "You just looked like you needed company."
"Actually, I was pretty content here all alone." Her smile turned into a smirk.
Y'shtola raised a brow, the corners of her lips quirking up. "Well in that case I can leave again."
They shared a laugh, before quietly resuming their meals. After a moment though, Y'shtola spoke up once more. "This was kind of you."
"Hm?"
"From what I gathered, you wanted to cheer up Alphinaud and Alisaie."
"Yeah." S'eni released a dry chuckle. "Didn't exactly go according to plan as you can see."
Y'shtola shrugged. "When does it ever with us?"
"True." Taking another spoonful of Bouillabaisse, she glanced over to the twins, who were currently engaged in conversation with the others. The thoughtful frowns on their faces had given way to bright smiles. Well, that was the most important thing.
Casting her gaze around everyone seated here, eating and having a good time, she was reminded of the way her village, her family, always came together like this every single day. In a way, the Scions were like a family too. In fact, now that the thought had entered S'eni's mind, it had been Alphinaud who had called her family in all but name during their first meeting with the Chais.
A family in all but name. Yes, that was a good way to describe them. They may not share the same blood, but they would stick by each other no matter what. So even if their father had disowned them, they still had her, and Y'shtola, and all the others. They would be their family.
Just as they were to her.
Looking towards Y'shtola, her lips parted to say something but paused when all of a sudden a sound reached her ears, making them perk up. Footsteps, and quite fast at that. The other Miqo'te ears told her she had heard them too. They turned their heads to see Tataru running towards them, waving a hand.
S'eni's eyes widened. She had totally forgotten about her!
"Tataru!" She greeted her friend and stood up, moving to get her something to eat as well. "Would you like something—Tataru?"
She stopped in her tracks when she noticed the look in the Lalafel's eyes as she slid to a halt. The others had now noticed her as well and ceased their conversation immediately, their attention drawn towards her. "E-Everyone!" Tataru said through gasps of breath.
"What's wrong?" S'eni asked, taking a step forward.
"It's—It's Krile!" the other woman replied. "Krile just contacted me!"
A heavy silence began to fill the air. No one said as much as a peep. Narrowing her eyes, she found them drawn towards silvery-white ones that mirrored the look in them, and she gave her lover a nod.
It was time.
As a little boy, I had always dreamed of meeting the heroes from the stories I was told. Even as I grew into a young man, my studies of ancient Allag only made that desire grow a thousandfold. Then, one day, I met someone that was the embodiment of all those legends, strong and courageous. A true hero that never faltered even when things were at their darkest.
And things grow darker still, the fog of uncertainty clouding the way forward as we set out on our next journey. Yet as I look upon her, I knew that whatever trials were awaiting us, we wouldn't give up. We would follow her to the far edge of fate.
To the end.
- G'raha Tia, Scion of the Seventh Dawn.
Book 4 – I am Shadow, I am the Light - End
And with this we conclude this chapter of our journey, and move on past the far edge of fate...
See you soon.