Draco: I'll concede that this particular quest's name is kind of long... but it's about as long as the name of the first Warrior quest, so I'm comfortable saying "it's not outrageous". This quest will require the completion of "Divine Intervention".

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Lv. 54: An Ul'dahn Champion in King Thordan's Court

Arnault looked very frustrated when next Ayleth stopped by.

"Ayleth! By the Fury, your timing is excellent." The adventurer's expression must have spoken for her confusion, as Arnault quickly explained; "It's M'inwa Tia. He's been watching Panha like a hawk. He claims it 'wouldn't do for the legion's healer to be wandering Ishgard alone' or some such rot. An apt concern, perhaps, when she's wandering the Pillars where some of the more prejudiced nobles might tell her she has no business. Less so when she and Zyaire are at the Forgotten Knight, trying to catch up over a meal and some drinks."

The knight shook his head. "I was hoping you might help me convince him to back off. Or at least be on hand as an extra arm if he refuses to back off without force. Panha said she had business at the Jeweled Crozier, I dare say we'll find him there."

QUEST ACCEPTED

+x+x+x+

Sure enough, they did find M'inwa at the Cozier with Panhna - as well as Zyaire.

"Are you done rambling?" Panha demanded. "We had plans."

"Don't give me that!" M'inwa snapped. "You can't expect me to leave you with this-"

"Enough!" Arnault stepped between the two Miqo'te angrily, causing the Seeker to step back. "M'inwa, I hope you're willing to explain yourself."

"What's there to explain?" M'inwa demanded. "We've only got one healer in this unit of yours, and I'll be damned if I let her go around defenseless in Ishgard of all places."

Panha fumed. "I'm not defenseless!" she snapped. "And even if I was, that's no excuse for you trying to stop me from spending time with Zyaire."

M'inwa aimed a finger forward. "Like hells is some self-proclaimed 'champion' capable of defending himself, let alone a vital ally!"

Zyaire shook his head. "I was faring just fine against those Vanu."

"Your rock wasn't so-!"

"I said enough!" Arnault yelled. "I will not have my legionairres fighting amongst themselves. If you're not willing to settle your differences peacefully, you will settle them in accordance with Ishgardian law."

"Huh?"

"What?"

"Pardon?"

Ayleth seemed to be the only two-blade swordsman who realized what Arnault was implying, stepping back in shock.

"You know what I'm talking about, do you, Ayleth?" Arnault mused. "Aye, a trial by combat. M'inwa, you claim that Zyaire is inferior to you, and therefore undeserving of being entrusted to his own devices. Then you can prove it by overcoming him in battle, one on one."

"...Very well," M'inwa concluded. "This shouldn't take long."

Zyaire looked uncomfortable. "Are you really going to bother Ishgard by assembling a trial by combat for something this petty?"

"We don't need all of Ishgard to be present," Arnault assured him. "We can do it at the Gates of Judgement, just us. Panha," he added, turning to the Keeper, "as this won't be a fight to the death, can I ask you to join us so you can attend to everyone's wounds after the fact?"

"Of course."

+x+x+x+

When the group got to the far end of the Steps of Faith, they found Ardent Lily waiting for them.

"Ser Arnault!" she greeted. "I was just about to come after you. The knights at Whitebrim have run afoul of some dragons at Snowcloak. They need reinforcements!"

"Of all the times," Arnault muttered. "Lily, Panha, Ayleth - we'll go to back them up." Then; "Zyaire, M'inwa, you two stay out of this. I don't want the trial to be influenced by who was where."

"...Very well." Zyaire sounded like he was fearful of what was to come.

M'inwa crossed his arms. "Fine by me."

+x+x+x+

The dragons weren't terribly mighty, but they were plentiful; Lord Drillemont's knights seemed to be outnumbered more than anything. Between Arnault's shield, Lily's thaumaturgy, and Ayleth's blade, the legion was able to swiftly turn the tide. After making sure all the knights were safe, Arnault and his legion made their way back to the Gates of Judgement, finding Zyaire and M'inwa standing on opposite ends of the paving with eyes on each other.

"Well," Arnault observed, "you're in position, at least." He set himself up so that he was standing equidistant between the two dual-wielders, prompting Ayleth, Lily, and Panha to do the same. "Draw your weapons."

Zyaire brandished his swords quickly; M'inwa seemed much more confident in himself, seizing one blade and then the other in separate motions and sweeping them outward.

"Begin!"

The two swordsmen made to advance on each other, blades drawn; M'inwa brought both blades back to one side, making to sweep them into a skyward blow, but Zyaire crossed his blades before himself and halted, and the blow rattled against his swords ineffectively before he quickly lashed them out in a hard cross-swing to the hilts. M'inwa was left stumbling back, but quickly corrected himself and charged forward again, twisting around to bring both blades down in a descending swing. Zyaire only stepped aside from this one, and with a yell of fury, M'inwa closed the distance with an angry charge, both swords turning as he spun into a whirling twin-strike.

Zyaire brought his own swords against M'inwa's, knocking them out of his hands; his right-hand blade tumbled through the air and impaled itself in the Coerthan snow, his left-hand blade clattered straight onto the stones, and the Miqo'te himself was thrown in Arnault's direction. With a huff, the champion rose upright, sheathing his left-hand sword for himself. "Are we done here?"

"...Why you-!" Before Arnault could react, M'inwa had seized the shield off of his back and reclaimed the nearer of his fallen swords, charging forward angrily.

A burst of Stone magic ripping up in his path, knocking the shield from his grip and throwing M'inwa back to the ground. Ayleth turned to find Panha had drawn her wand and shield, and was glaring at M'inwa disapprovingly. "Enough! You've lost!"

"Indeed," Arnault asserted. "The Fury has spoken." He stepped towards his fallen shield as M'inwa tried to get to his feet. "Your claims are unfounded, on all counts. Leave Zyaire and Panha alone, unless we should have an operation and they should be hard to find."

With a growl, M'inwa started towards his fallen blade.

Arnault turned to Zyaire. "You know," he mused, "sometimes the accused in a trial by combat will be someone without any fighting ability. In such a case, they are allowed to name a more experienced warrior to fight on their behalf. Those who do fight, we call champions." Surprise spread across Zyaire's features, and a smile rose on Aranult's face. "Having been acquitted of your charges - even unfounded as they were - I dare say you deserve to bear the title."

Zyaire looked down at himself. "I... I don't know if I'm..."

→"You are a champion - and let no one tell you otherwise."

Ayleth's remark had Zyaire chuckling awkwardly. "I never expected you to be the one to say that to me."

→"Earning the title in Ishgard is a rare opportunity."

Arnault shook his head. "A less glorious opportunity than earning it in Ul'dah, I suppose," he admitted.

With a smirk, Panha stepped towards Zyaire. "With the distractions out of the way," she proposed, "what say we finally get that dinner at the Forgotten Knight?"

The newly-christened champion only chuckled. "Sounds good to me."

+x+x+x+

Ardent Lily was alone at Saint Valeroyant's Forum when Ayleth came back.

"Ser Arnault left to report to his superiors," she explained before the adventurer could ask. "M'inwa is getting his swords checked at the Crozier, and Zyaire and Panha are at the tavern." Lily's gaze fell. "Knowing what they were trying to do, M'inwa's attitude seems less like he was looking down on Zyaire's swordsmanship and more..."

Ayleth angled her head.

"...Nevermind," Lily insisted. "I shouldn't speculate." She raised her gaze. "I dare say you're the biggest reason that fight with the Dravanians went as well as it did. Hope you don't mind if I seek you out next time we get an operation."

QUEST COMPLETE

Draco: A solo instance for the fight with the dragons, but a cutscene for the battle between Zyaire and M'inwa.