Warning! This chapter be spicy, so in case that isn't your thing, you'll notice when to stop.
A Moment's Rest
Zodiark's demise, the Final Days, the truth about the moon and its little caretakers, and now the role Sharlayan's very own Forum has to play in all this. Since stepping into the Tower of Babil to chase Zenos and Fandaniel, there has been no end to revelations. Barely a moment to truly gather your thoughts.
Perhaps now that you return back to the city of scholars, it would be high time for you to take a deep breath...and rest...
S'eni groaned loudly as she raised her arms above her head, keeping them there until two cracks rang through the air. She then closed her eyes to let the fresh breeze, which was downright tropical compared to Garlemald, caress her cheeks. Staying like this, she let herself enjoy the feeling until a particular, husky, amused voice spoke up right next to her.
"My, someone seems to be tired."
"Why yes, it's almost as if I've been to the moon and back again." Lips curling into a smile, she opened her eyes and looked at Y'shtola. "You look pretty beat too."
"I can't claim the opposite, that is true," her lover said and ran a hand over her face. "Though whatever fatigue I feel must pale in comparison to yours. I did not battle and vanquish an ancient god while up there."
At first, she wanted to say something teasing, but sighed instead. "I need a bath. Does the Annex have a bath?" The sink inside her room was good enough to thoroughly wash herself, but that still would never beat that nice feeling of being absolutely submerged in hot water.
"I'm afraid you will have to ask Krile that."
"Hm." After arriving back from the moon, they had been told, amongst other things, that Krile had been taken back to Sharlayan after waking up again. S'eni just hoped she was already on the up and up. The strain on her body must have been immense when Hydaelyn had come to their aid.
But whatever worries she held, were swiftly waved away by Krile's smiling face as they stepped into the Annex, looking actually not any worse for the wear. Though if Tataru watching her like a hawk was anything to go by, she was still to take it easy. A chuckle escaped her. Truly, there was no worse patient than a healer.
"Y'shtola, S'eni. Welcome back!" Krile greeted them. "We were so terribly worried about you."
"We could say the same about you," Y'shtola said.
"Yes, and I apologize for that. Hydaelyn called to me when you all entered the Tower of Babil. She sounded faint but desperate, and I knew at once She needed a vessel for Her will. What happened after was like a dream. My body floated through the Lifestream towards Garlemald..." Krile explained. "When I woke up again, I was aching all over and exhausted of aether. I could only laugh because it made me realize how Raha must have felt after the Tower of Zot."
"Let's just try and not get a repeat performance any time soon," S'eni said.
Krile nodded and her face grew serious. "We were able to stop Zodiark from being unleashed upon the world, but I'm curious about what else happened up there on the moon. Ah, but perhaps we should wait for the others to arrive."
"On that note." She placed a hand on her hip. "Does the Annex have a bath? I could really use one right now."
"It does. A small one," Krile replied, her expression becoming a little strained. "And I mean really small. With the rooms of the Andron only serving as temporary quarters, there wasn't really a need for a bigger bath."
Clicking her tongue, S'eni looked over to her lover. "Shame. And here I was looking forward to some company."
"Alas, I shall have to freshen up in my room." Y'shtola smiled. "Enjoy your bath."
"Will do."
Following Krile's instructions, she made her way through the Andron's hallways and swiftly arrived at the door of the bathroom. It only took stepping inside to see what her friend meant about it being small. She doubted a grown male Roegadyn could even properly move inside here, much less bathe in the tub that might just be enough for a Hyur. Well, it would do its job for her regardless.
After filling it with water, and making sure it was exactly to her liking, she stripped out of her clothes and climbed into the bath. A long, drawn-out sigh passed her lips as she lowered herself into the awaiting warmth, closing her eyes as it welcomed her into its embrace and almost immediately soothed the little aches. Gods, she really had needed this!
S'eni closed her eyes and leaned her head backwards against the edge of the tub, simply letting herself enjoy this feeling. After all, it might be a good while until she got to experience it again. The Final Days...huh...
It still seemed so very surreal to her, but it was the brutal reality. Her mind returned back to the vision she had seen on the moon, their world reduced to nothing but ash. And then there was that voice...
"Aeons of impatience...have finally come to an end," she heard it say in the back of her mind, sending that very same chill from then down her spine.
With a loud groan, she lowered herself further into the water until she was fully submerged, trying to drown out that memory. It took a few minutes, as well as a good helping of her meditation skills, but she managed to succeed, leaving only herself and the warmth all around her. A quiet, tranquil moment of absolute nothingness. Eventually, her eyes opened back up and she stared up at the rippling vision of the white marble ceiling above for a couple of seconds, before resurfacing again.
Exhaling, she reached out, grabbed the nearby soap, and began to wash herself thoroughly. It lathered up nicely, gentle creamy suds gathering on her skin. Well, they might have not given size much thought, but at least the soap is good, she thought while a pleasant floral scent began to fill the small room. Once she was done, she dowsed herself and leaned back again, letting herself enjoy her bath until the water began to grow cold.
She got out of the bath and dried herself, then returned to her room to put on something clean, dropping her himation and arm wraps into the sink for washing later. As she looked out of the window, she stopped suddenly when she noticed that the sun was slowly setting, before rushing out of the room with a curse. She must have been in the bath longer than she realized. When she burst into the main hall, S'eni found that everyone had already gathered.
"I'm sorry, I lost track of time!" she said.
"No need to worry," Y'shtola reassured her. "The others haven't been here for long. But I took the liberty to explain to them what happened."
Alphinaud, whose face was holding a serious expression, nodded. "The Final Days..."
"And that we are to escape via the moon," G'raha added, frowning. "But what about the Source and its reflections?"
S'eni sighed. "The same fate that awaits the Source also awaits the reflections. Only that for them, there will be no moon waiting..."
A heavy silence filled the room as the weight of the situation hit. All the people they had come to care about on the First would be left to their doom. After a few moments, it was Estinien who spoke up first.
"I've no intention of standing by while the world falls to ruin," he said. "So how do we stop this?"
"Unfortunately, we don't know," Y'shtola replied. "If the celestial currents have grown stagnant, as was the case in the time of Amaurot, the solution would be to alter the flow of aether throughout the entirety of the star. The Ancients accomplished that by summoning Zodiark, sacrificing half their population in the process. It goes without saying that such a sacrifice cannot be repeated."
They all nodded in agreement.
"Which leaves us with the daunting task of identifying the underlying catalyst for the Final Days, something even the Amaurotines did not accomplish." The other Miqo'te crossed her arms. "And I'm afraid there were no clues to be found in Mare Lamentorum."
"There is still a lot we do not know about this catastrophe, let alone what might have caused it. The Final Days were marked by the corruption of the Amaurotine's power over creation. But we lack such powers. Which begs the question: what lies in store for us?" Alphinaud wondered. "If we knew that much, we might be able to draw parallels with the past and form the semblance of a plan."
"Perhaps we should start with the Forum, then. Since they have worked in secret with the Loporrits, there ought to be more they can tell us."
A sudden knock made them all look towards the door, where Tataru was leaning her head inside with a slightly out-of-breath expression. "I'm sorry about the interruption, but I have urgent news!"
"What is it?" S'eni asked.
"The Forum is holding a public assembly in front of the Rostra. Some sort of announcement!"
"Well then—" she looked over to her lover. "—seems like we're going to meet them. Though I have a pretty good idea what this announcement is going to be about."
"Indeed."
Leaving the main hall and the Annex, they headed towards the Rostra. The secrecy was finally coming to an end.
A great exodus. Just like their founding father, Archon Nyunkrepf Nyunkrepfsyn, they would shepherd the people onto their own ark and head for a brighter future. It was almost a little poetic in a way, if not for the fact that it was also an admittance of defeat or, rather, a desire to not even try and fight the coming end.
At least the citizens seem to be convinced, S'eni noted, and looked over to a small group of them that still remained after the majority of the crowd and the councillors had dispersed. Just mere moments ago, they had been afraid. The trust they had in the Forum's decision-making truly was tremendous. She supposed it was for the best in this case. Mass panic was something nobody could do with right now.
...she just couldn't agree with the plan.
Looking away again, she placed her hands on the small wall she was currently sitting on and crossed one leg over the other, her gaze landing back on Alphinaud and Alisaie, who were talking with their father.
"This talk has been a long way coming, hasn't it?" Y'shtola asked from next to her, her voice low so as to not disturb this conversation between father and children.
"Sure." And she was glad that unlike in Gridania and when they were dragged in front of the Forum, they were holding their ground resolutely. She smiled. The two truly had come far.
She watched as whatever the two just said made their father look taken aback before his usual calm mask slipped back in place. "...do whatever you feel is right. Just do not get in our way," she could hear him say. He then turned on his heel and began walking back inside together with councillor Barnier. Once the doors to the Rostra closed, they rose to their feet to walk over to their friends together with the others.
"Looks like your talk went well," Y'shtola said to the twins. "If your father wasn't so stubborn, I am sure he would tell you how proud he is of you."
Estinien smiled. "Now all there's left is to let your words be followed by deeds."
"Don't worry. So long as there are people believing in the future of this star, we'll fight against the apocalypse with all our might," Alisaie said with a confident smile.
"Then I suppose we should all get some rest. After all, we have quite a slog behind us." Thancred looked over to S'eni. "Especially you earned some. You've been through a lot again; I doubt a simple bath was enough."
"Hmm. Maybe I should take another one. Just to make sure."
A round of chuckles went through their group.
"Very well. Let us return to the Annex and gather strength for tomorrow's battles," Alphinaud said and they left the Rostra once again.
Upon returning, though, S'eni did not in fact take another bath, but instead focused on cleaning her clothes. She knew that she could have just asked Tataru to do it for her, but the Lalafel had already enough to do as it was to also do their laundry right now. Besides, the mundanity of it was relaxing in its own way.
By the time she was done with that, it had already grown dark outside. She debated for a brief moment if she should head to the Last Stand for some dinner, but decided against it when she found herself still quite full from that carrot on the moon. That one really had it in it.
Walking over to the window, she opened it and looked up at the night sky. Her eyes were immediately drawn to the full moon, shining brightly above. By now, the Loporrit were most likely eagerly listening to what Urianger was telling them about the people inhabiting this planet. It wouldn't be easy going forward without him, but they would manage somehow. They had to.
Suddenly, a noise pierced the quiet and she glanced about for a few seconds until she realized that it was echoing inside her mind. Her face contorted when a sharp pain followed soon after, growing in intensity with the sound, now quite clearly a high-pitched scream. Red began to fill her vision, and soon after, fire was raining down from the sky, turning the dark of night into a blazing inferno. But just as quick as it arrived, it was gone again, leaving only a quickly receding ache in its wake.
A knock resounded on her door, followed by a muffled voice calling her name. But even through the solid wood she could tell who it was, causing the last of the pain to be gone in an instant and a smile to form on her lips. Walking over, she opened the door to reveal none other than Y'shtola standing there.
The other Miqo'te smiled. "Ah, good. You're still awake."
"It's not that late yet."
"True. Now, stand still for a moment." Y'shtola's smile was replaced by an expression of intense concentration while letting her eyes wander over S'eni's body from head to toe. After a few seconds, she was done and visibly relaxed again. "Everything seems alright. Good."
"I would hope so." She raised a brow. "But are you also going to tell me what this is about?"
"With everything that happened, I just wanted to make sure you didn't suffer any lasting damage. And since Ryne isn't here to do so, it falls to me to keep an eye on you." While her words sounded light, the expression on Y'shtola's face was anything but. "Having to essentially fight Zodiark on your own, even though you had just regained your body, it certainly makes me wonder if there isn't a curse placed upon you."
A curse... That definitely wasn't a reassuring thought.
"All jokes aside, your soul was nearly torn asunder once before, and you were only barely holding on. I..." a pained look entered pale eyes. "...I never want to see you suffer like that ever again."
"Shtola..."
Before she could say anything more though, her lover's lips quirked upward, silvery-white meeting her own cherry pink. "If something is wrong, no matter what, you'll tell me. Right?"
S'eni's eyes widened slightly. After defeating Emet-Selch, she hadn't really thought too much about her near transformation into a Sin Eater. But it was clear now that Y'shtola had never stopped thinking about it. And with Zenos having taken over her body, albeit only briefly, that worry must have only intensified. The realization of it all made her feel incredibly guilty.
Yet instead of apologizing, which she knew Y'shtola didn't wish to hear anyway, she mirrored her expression and nodded. "I will. Not like I could keep anything from you anyway."
"Good..." Y'shtola breathed out with a nod of her own, visibly relaxing. "I won't keep you any longer then. Take care not to catch a cold. Nights in Sharlayan can be quite chilly. Allin Tuta, Eni...Good night..."
Turning around, the other Miqo'te made to walk away, when S'eni stepped forth and slipped an arm around her waist. "Now where do you think you're going?" she asked.
Y'shtola glanced over her shoulder. "Leaving you to your well-earned rest."
S'eni chuckled and leaned forward to gently nuzzle the back of Y'shtola's head. "We both know I rest better with you at my side. Besides, it's the best way to keep me warm."
"Honestly..." Y'shtola huffed, but did not object as she was pulled into the room and the door fell shut.
As they walked backwards, S'eni turned Y'shtola around so the two were face to face. Playfully half-lidded met as she leaned in and brushed their noses together, eliciting a little giggle from both of them. A bump against her back made her stop and spin them in place until it was Y'shtola against the table now.
"You know, I've been wondering something about this table..." she murmured, leaning in further until their lips were but a hair's breadth apart, but not yet taking the plunge.
"And what would that be?" Y'shtola asked back, her warm breath tingling against S'eni's lower lip.
"Just how much weight can it carry?" From one second to the next, S'eni picked Y'shtola up, making her yelp in surprise, and placed her on top of the table. After she had done so, she eyed the other woman up and down, then released an appreciative hum. "Looks good."
"Oh?" Raising the hand that had come to rest on S'eni's shoulder up, Y'shtola placed it firmly against the former's cheek, gently caressing one of the face stripes there with her thumb. Lowering her voice until it was nothing more than a sensual whisper, she further asked. "Do you mean the table...or me?"
"Both." S'eni grinned.
"What a diplomatic answer. I'm sure the carpenter who made it will be delighted to hear."
"And you?"
"Hmm. I believe I will need a bit of further convincing."
"And what, pray tell, shall I have to do to convince you?" she asked, eyelids lowering as their faces inched ever closer.
"This..." Their lips met. Soft and warm, they lovingly caressed one another, drawing out happy little sighs at this intimacy that current events had so sorely denied them. But like a spark in dry woods, it soon turned into a raging fire of moans and roaming hands.
Hands slipping underneath Y'shtola's skirt, S'eni briefly caressed the skin of her upper thighs, before proceeding to undo the laces of one of her boots. Once it landed on the floor with a dull thud, she did the same with the other one, which soon joined its twin. As soon as they were free of their constraints, smooth legs found their way around S'eni's waist, locking her firmly in place. Not that she minded one bit, as the tongue slipping past her lips was more than enough compensation for her 'troubles'. Much to her frustration though, it was over far too quickly, so she instead buried her face in the other woman's neck, her lips finding ample purchase in the sensitive skin there.
"Eni..." Y'shtola exhaled hotly against her ear, fingers burying into blonde hair. S'eni smiled, planting an open mouthed kiss along the edge of the purple Archon mark and enjoying the feeling of nails against her scalp. This continued for a few, blissful moments, until her lover, in a moment of clarity, pulled her head back.
She looked at her in silent question but nevertheless stepped back when Y'shtola's legs released her. The other Miqo'te hopped off the table, walked over to the window, and closed it. S'eni chuckled. "Making sure we're not catching a cold?"
"Yes. But I also—" back still facing S'eni, Y'shtola undid the brooch above her chest, then reached behind her to do the same with the silver clasp there. With well-trained ease, she slipped out of her robes and let them pool around her feet, before turning around to reveal her almost naked form. "—have no intention to let the people outside hear us."
With those words, she began to walk back towards S'eni, hips sensually swaying. One by one, she removed her glove and jewelry and placed them on the table along the way. Grinning, S'eni moved to meet her and was immediately greeted by a heated kiss. When their lips parted, fingers dug into the fabric of the simple shirt she was wearing.
"Off," Y'shtola practically commanded and tugged it upwards. As soon as it was off, their lips crashed together again, hungrily drinking in one another and only breaking off when S'eni felt her back colliding against the wardrobe. Planting tiny kisses along the way, her lover descended down to her breasts.
Her eyes fluttered shut as one of her nipples was engulfed in heat, letting out low moans at the sensation of being sucked so eagerly. A smirk danced across her lips. "You sure are fond of them."
She jumped a little when teeth came down on her. Not enough to hurt, but enough to make a point, so she just chose to shut up and enjoy, pushing out her chest a bit to grant Y'shtola more access. A hand cupped her other breast, fondling it and pinching her nipple, before beginning its journey downward. Nails raking across her skin, they left tiny marks across her taut stomach until they arrived at the waistband of her pants.
S'eni inhaled sharply when Y'shtola's fingers slipped underneath and into her underwear, brushing through trimmed curls, inching ever closer to that part of her body that was beginning to demand attention. With a pop, her nipple was released, and she cracked an eye open to meet her lover's gaze. "Do you want me to continue?"
She nodded. "Y-Yeah."
"Turn around then."
Y'shtola stepped back to give S'eni some space and she did as she was told. As soon as she had done so, the other woman took hold of her hips and pulled her pants and underwear down to her calves. A hand then came to rest upon one of hers, while the other began to caress her behind.
"Enjoy," Y'shtola whispered, then plunged her hand between S'eni's legs.
S'eni moaned out, eyes falling shut again, when Y'shtola stroked her sex, brushing across slickening folds and gently caressing the eagerly awaiting nub. Lips came down on her upper back, planting kisses there, featherlight yet still making her skin burn and silently scream for more. Almost of their own volition, her hips pushed outwards, desperately trying to get more of that feeling Y'shtola's hand was giving her. And she was more than willing to oblige.
Moist fingertips came to rest atop her clit and began to massage it in small circular motions. Sparks of pleasure shot up S'eni's spine, causing her nails to dig into the ornamented wood of the cabinet. Cracking an eye open, she tilted her head to glance over her shoulder, only for Y'shtola to firmly grasp her jaw and attack her now exposed neck with fiery affection.
"Gods, yes..." she managed to say, kissing her lover's thumb when it brushed across her lips, then cried out as the hand between her legs gained speed. Almost immediately, the selfsame digit was pushed into her mouth, and she started to suck and lick it while her senses ascended the mountain of ecstasy with each stroke and push. Higher, and higher, and higher...
...until from one sweet moment to the next, Y'shtola stopped.
As if someone had pulled the proverbial rug out from under her, S'eni slumped forward against the sturdy piece of furniture, panting heavily when Y'shtola removed her thumb and let her go. Her knees shaking, she watched the other Miqo'te kneel down to fully remove her pants, and somehow managed to raise her legs enough to assist in the endeavor. Once they were carelessly discarded, Y'shtola locked eyes with her, a little smirk on her very kissable lips.
"You appear to be quite winded, my dear."
"And whose fault is that?" she asked, the corners of her lips rising as well. "How about you make it all better? With a kiss perhaps."
She wiggled her behind for emphasis.
Her suggestion was met with a raised brow—
Smack!
—and a slap across her butt. The sudden sting made S'eni yelp, but once the surprise faded, only made her grin grow. "Oh, now she spanks me."
Another slap. And when she opened her mouth, another on top of that just to be sure. Biting her lip, she flipped around just in time to catch Y'shtola's hand before it could land another hit.
"Come here, you." She pulled her up and into a deep kiss. Their tongues immediately pushed forth to meet in that ever-so-passionate duel. Her hand landing on Y'shtola's behind, she gave it a good squeeze, earning herself a little gasp, before moving to the front and slipping underneath the other woman's shorts.
Y'shtola stiffened for a second, then leaned into S'eni's caressing touch, her moans drowned in their kiss. The hand that had so rudely stopped giving her pleasure returned to duty, and soon enough they were driving one another to ever greater heights. Tearing away from the kiss, Y'shtola brought their foreheads together.
"The bed..." she said amidst moans.
An affirmative "Mhm" was all she could muster and they made their way over to the bed, only stopping their ministrations when they were there so that they could get rid of that last obstructive piece of garment between them. Once it was gone, S'eni gently circled an arm around Y'shtola's waist and slowly lowered her onto the mattress. As Y'shtola's head settled on the pillow, their eyes found one another's once again, and S'eni smiled while nestling in between her legs.
Gods, she was so beautiful. S'eni doubted she would ever tire of the sight. Reaching up, Y'shtola cupped her cheek, and she leaned into the touch with a little, content sigh. Without another word, she shifted to better align their pelvises and ground forward.
Their moans echoed through the room, mixing together in an amorous duet of love and lust. Each brush added another note to their song, muffled only by the occasional kiss before immediately resuming with even greater fervor. Nails dug into her back, almost painfully so, but S'eni barely registered them through the haze her mind was in, following only the bright beacon that was her release. Growing closer and closer and closer...
With a final push, S'eni buried her face in the crook of her lover's neck, before crying out as she came. Underneath her, Y'shtola stiffened and voiced her own release, desperately pulling S'eni close as the orgasm racked her body. After a few, blissful moments that felt like a pleasurable eternity, they collapsed into a panting heap of sweat and happiness.
Pulling her head back, S'eni looked at Y'shtola, whose eyes were still closed but held a very satisfied smile on her face. With a chuckle, she leaned down to nuzzle her cheek. "Glad you didn't leave me to my ' well-earned rest'?" she asked.
"I will freely admit—" Y'shtola opened her eyes halfway. "—that this was the better outcome."
They shared a laugh, then came together for another kiss. Long and sweet, but no less passionate than those they exchanged during their lovemaking. After having their fill, they nestled into each other, pulled the covers of their naked bodies, and finally let themselves sink into a blissful slumber.
...you will need it. For on a certain island in the southeastern water of the Bounty, the Final Days were beginning to take form...