Chapter 22: Upon a New Path

"You are certain of this?" Alphinaud asked his mother with a frown as she nodded with a grim expression that just didn't suit her.

"I happened to speak with one of the Sages that tended to your friends a few days ago and he told me," she said softly as she reached out to rub his shoulder in a comforting way. "There's not much they could do about the excess light in your friend Ryne, but the good news is that she wasn't so overly exposed to light to cause any permanent change. It may take a bit longer than we first thought, but so long as she is careful not to be exposed to anymore light for the time being, she should be able to recover on her own. As for Claire…? Her physical injuries do require that she rest. They saw to the worse of it but…?"

Alphinaud looked down at his hands as he leaned back on the couch, not needing to hear any more for he already was able to guess what the diagnosis would be before she said it: The mutilation done to her throat and vocal cords was far too badly damaged to ever fully heal… even with Sharlayans best healers on the job, there wasn't much more they could do than what they had already.

He remembered that day he took Claire to see the Sages and how they fully examined her, able to heal her minor cuts and bruises with relative ease… but were surprisingly stumped at her throat. They were all curious to know what happened to have caused such extended damage to her throat, but Alphinaud couldn't come up with a satisfying answer to keep hidden on who they were and where they had come from. But all Alphinaud could really focus on was imagining how long that choker had to have tortured her in order to gain such a sufficient amount of harm.

"Alphinaud, it's not hopeless," his mother said in her kind voice which brought him back to the present, "Thanks to their treatments she's not in any pain now?"

"She is when she speaks," he reminded her in a surprisingly calm but empty tone and her own frown deepened at the sound of it.

"It… it is true that she will never be able to regain the full ability to speak, but the Sages said that with time and care, she will be able to speak in short sentences without hurting it her," she reminded him bracingly, "So it's not completely…?"

Alphinaud couldn't even speak as he silently stood and walked away, his mother watching sadly as her son left the room without so much as a glance back. She sighed once he was out of sight and she heard the doors leading out to the balcony in front of the manor opening and closing before she picked up the cup of tea she had made—only to realize that she just didn't have an appetite any longer and set it down.

She knew that he was going to be devastated by this news—she was sure that they were all preparing for the worse but it didn't help to make this any easier. Physically, Claire was recovering quickly and was over the worse of her wounds. Claire was even allowed to take short trips around Sharlayan—most of which Alphinaud had been forbidden to join.

It had already been close to a fortnight since the others first arrived to Sharlayan, and she could see that her son was growing more and more frustrated with not being able to see them. He got a bit telling off from his father for spending that whole first day with Claire as he showed her around Sharlayan before being reminded that he couldn't risk being seen with them for safety reasons. Now Ameliance understood that it was for the best and that it would only be temporary, but it certainly seemed to be a difficult pill for her son to swallow.

She folded her hands in her lap, not sure what to say or do at this point in time.

He needed time to really accept all of this.

Meanwhile, Alphinaud leaned up against the railing of the balcony as he stared out over Sharlayan, feeling as if his thoughts were a million miles away. He had been bracing himself for bad news… but to hear it confirmed was so much harder than he thought it would be.

So, her voice was permanently ruined now thanks to Vauthry.

His hands curled up into fists as he tried to prevent them from shaking at the injustice at this all. This wasn't fair. Not one part of this was fair.

He sighed as he leaned on the railing, raising up a hand to rub his tired eyes as he tried to get his shaking under control. There was no point in getting upset now for that wasn't going to change anything. They would cross that bridge when they got there.

The worst part was that it felt like he was the last person to know this. He had been so busy with his studies, the ones that Claire insisted that he take, that he barely had any time in speaking to the others about such matters. He had asked, of course, the few times that he had been able to visit, but she just smiled at him and instead directed him to his books—refusing to even look at him until he sat down next to her and opened one. She had been quite insistent that he continue on with taking his final exams and even refused to sit still until she saw him hard at work. She even was patient enough to listen to him as he read out entries to his favorite books, though he knew that she must have been so bored by listening to theories.

Still, thanks to that, when the exams finally came, he was able to work on them without much trouble. He had just finished up his final exam at the Studium earlier and was waiting for his results before deciding to go and check with the Sages on their reports…?

*Earlier*

Alphinaud stepped out of the study hall with a spring in his step, honestly impressed with himself for how much he remembered about aetheric currents as he wondered how long he would have to wait to hear the results.

Alphinaud couldn't stop himself from grinning as he looked to his old school. It had been so long since he last stepped foot here and the moment he was over the threshold, many memories came flooding back… Nothing had changed… it was so nostalgic to be able to walk these halls again after all that he had gone through… it was almost as if none of that never happened.

He gave his head a shake and reminded himself that he needed to speak with Scholarch Montichaigne and see if he could speak with the Sages as soon as possible. But as soon as he stepped into the main hall, he was instantly recognized by former classmates and almost mobbed down by a heard of students whom he could only vaguely recall. He froze in terror on the spot as they called their friends and even more came running. He did his best to try and ward them off, but they weren't listening and soon he was surrounded on all sides.

It took several long minutes of trying to tell them as politely as he could that he was here on important business before they finally seemed to realize that he wasn't here just for a social call. He had to promise that he would tell them more of his experiences since leaving the Studium to get most of them to leave—which they eventually did. After another ten minutes of exhausted efforts, only one girl was left and she was the pushiest of them all.

He was wishing for the bell to ring and signal her to return to class when she asked, "So it must have been such an exciting experience for you to have been able to visit Norvrandt for soooo long! I really missed seeing you around, Alphinaud."

"Ah, yes… thank you," he said, not sure if he caught her name. "I was just here finishing up my exams though so if you don't mind…?"

"Oh, is that why you suddenly returned? Well, that won't do at all! You've been gone for months now! You have so much material to catch up on!" she chided.

"I assure you, I'm handling it well," Alphinaud promised, moving back as she got ever closer to him as if she was hoping to block him against the wall or something to prevent him from moving.

"Well, how about I give you some private lessons? I'm sure that I'll be of help to you," she pipped up eagerly, moving ever closer and he had to resist the urge to push her back.

"That won't be necessary!" he said in a firm tone, "I already have a great support network and I just finished up my last exam anyway. I was just hoping that I could have the results early. Now if you excuse me I must speak with the Sages about an important matter."

"Oh, what of? I'd love to hear what…?" she began but he finally noticed the opening on her right side and ducked past her as he headed down the hallway to get away as fast as he could, but she wasn't giving up. She all but chased him down, startling him as she grabbed his arm and began to ask questions about Norvrandt and his time there. Alphinaud didn't know how to get rid of her nor did he understand what it was that she wanted from him as she batted her eyelashes.

"I'm sorry, but I'm really in a hurry," he said, wondering if he should just make a break for it back to the front entrance and go home.

"So, how about we meet down at the Last Stand for lunch?" the girl asked as if she hadn't heard him say anything, all but hanging off his arm. "I'd love to get to know you more. I'm sure you have a lot of stories to tell me all about your time in Norvrandt!"

"I-I can't! I'm busy today!" he said, now growing annoyed and a bit angry with her as he tried to free himself from her tight grip. "But you know, I think I'm just going to go home for now so would you please let go of…?"

"Alphinaud?" said a familiar voice and he looked up to see his sister standing there, a rather smug grin on her face and her hands on her hips as she looked at him. Where did she come from all of a sudden?

"Alisaie?" he said in surprise, "Why are you here?"

"Thought I'd go to class for once," she shrugged, "But forget about me. What's going on here?"

She then looked between the two of them as the girl suddenly started waving energetically at Alisaie as if she were an old friend. But Alisaie didn't respond to that at all as he watched how her eyes were following her movements critically.

"Alphy, you dog," Alisaie grinned as she watched her brother try to force his arm away from the clingy girl, "Didn't think you were the type to do this."

"Do what?" he asked, clearly confused and she sighed.

"Of course you're not the type to do this, you don't even realize what's going on?" she asked as she shook her head in annoyance before addressing the girl, "Ok, girly, listen. You best let go of my brother. He's not interested in you."

"What? No! Why wouldn't he? He's still here listening to me!" she retorted childishly.

"Because you aren't giving me a choice," Alphinaud retorted as he continued to try and free himself.

"Look at him!" Alisaie groaned out, "He's a genius in the classroom but a completely dense moron everywhere else in life! He doesn't even realize that he's practically being molested here by someone who clearly never was taught to keep her hands to herself."

Alphinaud stared at her, spluttering before he looked down at the girl and how she was so tightly wrapped around his arm in a vice-like grip before he was finally able to put two and two together. That served to wake him up faster than a slap in the face as he now was trying to make a run for the door.

"Besides, you do know that he has someone already? In fact, one would think that they were already a married couple," Alisaie said, drawing out the last four words so that they couldn't miss it as he was finally able to pull himself free.

As for the girl, the look she had was as if someone had swung a heavy weight into her face as she finally let go, as if unable to hold on any longer, and cried out, "No! That's a lie!"

"Why do you think it took him so long to get back?" Alisaie laughed, "There had to be a reason if not for a pretty girl. Besides, I have a feeling that you aren't his type!"

"Alisaie!" Alphinaud snapped, flexing his fingers to make sure they were all working properly as the girl gapped like a large-mouth bass. But it seemed that she was unable to come up with another reason why it took Alphinaud months to be able to return before she rounded on him.

"I bet she's nowhere near as pretty or smart as I am!" she tried to reason. "Who is she? Where is she at! I can show you how much better I am!"

"She is a princess compared to you," Alisaie said with a grin, clearly enjoying this as Alphinaud quickly ran off before the girl could respond. He could hear Alisaie chuckling as he made a break for the door and the girl's angry hollers as his face turned red with rumination.

Though he couldn't help but find himself smirking slightly at the thought because once he realized what was going on, it was all that he could do to blurt out that he was already married.

*Present*

He sighed in relief, glad that he had been able to keep himself level headed as he made a break for it. He wasn't sure that he could have pulled that off had she been any pushier. He would have to thank Alisaie later for helping him out… but that didn't do much to distract him from the news that his mother gave him upon his return about Claire's condition.

He looked up at the darkening skies, knowing that night was soon to befall them again and found it strangely comforting. Like he was wrapped in a thick blanket and didn't have to face the outside world again for a while… as if the darkness around him was keeping him shielded from the harsh realities that seemed impossible to run away from during the day.

He stood out there for a time, listening to the wind as he watched the swirling snow clouds above him, knowing that they were in for more snow soon enough. He wished that he could see the stars now all of a sudden…?

"Alphinaud?"

Despite the slightly creaky and hoarse tone, he recognized it at once as he looked to the side of the building to find Claire climbing up the ivy that grew alongside the pillar and he couldn't help but smirk at the sight as he remembered the nightly escapes from the tower and how she miraculously made it back before the sun was up. Even weakened, she was easily able to get around in the most unexpected ways, it would seem.

"You shouldn't be here," he said but there was only fondness in his voice as he walked to the edge of the balcony to watch her climb up, knowing that she wouldn't accept his help with something this small.

"You alright?" she asked and he looked up when he heard her raspy voice, forcing a smile as to not worry her before he thought of a quick answer.

"Just tired from being up studying," he reassured her. "I was allowed to take the exam a little bit earlier. As a special favor with all the information about Norvrandt that I was able to bring back. But enough about me, you must be feeling better if you're up and running around in the middle of the night again."

She shrugged at that and he bit his lower lip at the sight. She really didn't seem to be able to talk for long and even just a few words seemed to tire her out; that caused another wave of guilt to hit him at the thought.

He knew that the others were all hiding things from him but no one wanted to tell him a damn thing because they knew that he was focusing on studying and this was sure to distract him. While he understood their reasoning, he couldn't help but give her a reproachful look as she climbed up to join him.

Regardless, seeing her face again after these last few days was the best sight he'd seen all day as he watched her movements with a critical eye, trying to see if there were any signs of fatigue or pain. While she was moving slower than he was used to seeing, she seemed to be doing so much better, which brought him a great deal of relief.

"What are you doing here at this time of night?" he asked as she leaned up against the railing to watch him, "I can't imagine that the others would have been so keen on letting you run around unattended after all that has happened."

She just gave him a mischievous grin, which he understood at once.

"You didn't tell them?" he asked knowingly and she gave a silent giggle as he shook his head lovingly.

"Full well do I know that you can take care of yourself," he reassured her as he turned back to lean up against the railing as he stared out over Sharlayan, just barely able to see the ocean's waves from the top of the many marble buildings, "But you aren't back to full strength yet so you need to promise me to be careful."

He didn't need to look back at her to see her nod, already knowing what it was that she was going to say. But he did hear her get up and felt her presence as she stood next to him while he was filled with a sense of peace that he came to associate with her return. She leaned up against him with no care for leaving any space between them; which took a while for him to be used to those touches at first, he soon came to relish in the warmth and safety that her gestures brought to him.

"Will you pass?" she asked sleepily.

"With how much studying I've been doing, I better," he joked, which wasn't a lie. Knowing that keeping his nose buried in books was the only thing that kept him sane while separated from the others over the last few days.

"You better," she whispered as she smiled at him, and something in Alphinaud ached with how much he loved that smile, wanting to see it every day untainted from worry or pain. If only he didn't have such a bad feeling that it wasn't going to be like that for much longer.

He wasn't oblivious to the fact that the others must be making plans to leave at any moment, though he wasn't so sure of the details. He could only assume that she was here to inform him of it and sure enough…?

"The others have been planning on where we will go," Claire whispered softly as he looked at her. Was she well enough to travel this soon? As if she knew what he was thinking, she pulled out her notebook and wrote something down. She still mostly communicated through the pages and he read out:

'Y'shtola has been reaching out for some old contacts. She believes that we can move to a place called Mor Dhona.'

"Mor Dhona?" he repeated in surprise, having heard of it, "It's a rather barren part of Eorzea, is it not?"

She nodded and wrote down, 'Thancred was able to call in a few favors from some old friends to be able to secure what he calls a Headquarters for us. Once we settle there, we should be much safer and plan things out more thoroughly.'

"I see," he said before she handed him a tightly rolled up scrap of paper which he took in surprise.

"From Thancred," she whispered as he unrolled it. He looked down to the note that Thancred sent along and frowned:

'Spotted some suspicious folk around the docks lately. Don't think that Sharlayan will be safe for us for much longer. I hope that you made up your mind.'

He bit his lower lip as she watched him for a moment, knowing how concerning this whole thing was. She then quickly wrote a message simply reminding him: 'It's not too late to change your mind.'

He read it over a few times before he wrapped his arm around her shoulders to pull her in closer to his side. Though she was able to move about more freely, he knew better than to assume that she was fully healed just yet. It now a matter of regaining the strength she lost while abed. If nothing else, he needed to make sure that she rested and was fully healed before anything else and if she was set on leaving now then he would go to make sure that they had a healer on standby.

"You're stuck with me," he reassured her kindly.

She still looked a little dubious, but didn't argue as she leaned up against him for a time as he gently rubbed her arm as they enjoyed the quiet. After a while though she made to leave but he held her in place as she looked up in surprise at him as he pleaded, "Stay for a while?"

Her surprise melted away at the tender way he said it before she moved to a more comfortable position and rested her head against his shoulder. But like he suspected, it seems that she was more tired than she first let on, for her eyes drooped and he rubbed her shoulder until the soft motions relaxed her to the point that she looked ready to asleep.

"We have more than enough room," he said as he guided her inside and to one of the spare bedrooms that was almost never used. "But best that you leave before father gets home tonight."

She nodded after leaving the door cracked open and she took one look at the bed before flopping down on it as if it was her room. He chuckled at that as he thought more about what he should bring with him this time when they set off. It wasn't like he needed to worry about impressing anyone and he would have to travel light from here on out. Despite how relieved he is to be able to return home after all this time, he found himself rather excited about the idea of heading out again and seeing more of the world.

She was a bad influence on him.

But speaking of bad influences…?

"Alphinaud? Are you in there? Why would you…?" Alisaie's voice spoke up and he blinked as his sister stuck her head into the room with another sly grin when she saw that he wasn't alone.

"How many times have I told you not to come barging in whenever you want?" he hissed in a firm but quiet voice as to not wake Claire.

Alisaie just shrugged before she slid on inside and sitting on the edge of the bed to watch the two of them before reassuring him in a voice that was both quiet but had a teasing edge to it, "Then you shouldn't have left the door open like that. Hard not to notice your twin brother taking a girl into one of the spare bedrooms—though that would make it a little less likely on getting caught…?"

"Shut up, it's nothing like that," he hissed as she sniggered.

"But that's not important, I just wanted to let you know that I took care of your rather persistent admirer," Alisaie said imperiously, "She certainly didn't know when to give up. I honestly was about to tell her that you were already married if she didn't stop soon."

"You didn't, did you?" he asked, knowing that they were all bound to get into trouble if they let that slip.

"Nope, but it was a near thing," Alisaie grinned, "I don't think that she believed me at first when I said that you were already seeing another woman though since I didn't tell her any real details. You might want to watch your back before she starts to stalk around, hoping to get a glimpse at this 'mystery' girl that you are with… if she does, she might try to order a hit on your wife."

Alphinaud gritted his teeth, running a hand through his hair in irritation, silently grateful that Alisaie didn't speak of this to anyone else… at least not yet.

"What will it cost me for you to not tell anyone else about this?" he asked as she grinned.

"Oh, it's pretty simple," she answered, "I'm just going to be going along with you guys when you leave. Sound good?"

"What?" he repeated in surprise, "I thought that you were planning to stay here for…?"

"Oh, we both know that's not happening," she said as she waved her hand at him in a flippant way. "I had been thinking about leaving for a long time and after being able to visit someplace else like that, even for a little while, I realized how little this island is for me. Besides, after everything that Vauthry did, do you expect me to just sit back and do nothing while that animal gets away with everything? No, you are stuck with me little brother."

"Little…? We're twins!" he reminded her in a loud whisper.

"But I was born first," she reminded him smugly, "So I'm technically the older one."

"Whatever," he said as he rolled his eyes at her, but found no real bite to his words. "Well, if it's alright with the others then I don't see why you can't come."

"Oh, I already spoke with the others and I was planning on letting my teachers know that I would be leaving before graduation," Alisaie said nonchalantly. "That's why I was at the Studium earlier when I ran into you. Typical that you are so popular."

"You better not say a word about that to anyone," Alphinaud growled out, feeling blush on his cheeks again.

"Why? You worried that your sweetheart would get jealous?" Alisaie asked curiously.

"She's right here," he whispered back, jerking his head over to the sleeping figure on the bed. "Just drop it."

But he knew that evil grin anywhere. He knew that if he wasn't careful then she could use this as payback someday. He would have to speak to Claire in private about this and let her know that nothing happened.

Upon those words, Alisaie slipped a little closer, moving slow and steady as to not cause any noise and leaned over the bed to look at Claire as she slept on.

"So she's feeling better then?" she asked as she pulled the blanket up over Claire's resting form.

"Yeah," he said with a bittersweet smile, "She just needs a bit more rest. I don't think that she will sleep for long though. She's used to getting short power naps through the day before she would run around at night saving people and killing monsters."

"That, I must see," Alisaie grinned, "You should hear the way that Ryne goes on and on about her battle skill. I wanna try my hand at going up against her to see if she's that good."

"You might regret that sister," he grinned, "I've seen her cut down sin eaters as large as boulders."

"Something to look forward to," she teased. "Good, she had me worried there for a moment."

"Me too," he nodded, before pulling back the collar of her tunic slightly so that he could look at her neck where he could still see the scar left upon her body from the choker.

"I think that this was from the burns from the collar," he said as his sister nodded, watching how he brushed his thumb over the mark. It looked painful but not once has she complained about any of this, not that he expected her to. He knew that she had gained many other injuries over the years but that didn't mean that Alphinaud wasn't worried as he continued to rub a part of the mark on her skin as if hoping he could smooth it away. She showed more bandages than skin when she first arrived and slept through almost the entire ship journey here as he kept close, terrified that her wounds would reopen. She was so strong but gave all her strength to save others… which was what bothered him the most.

She gave so much of herself to others that it deeply concerned him. But still, he understood enough to know that was who she was and he knew better than to try to change her mind. He knew that she trained with both body and mind—focusing on battle and on everything around her so that she could be ready at a moment's notice to parry and shield any offensive blows that came for them. She was growing stronger, he could very easily see that, which meant that if he hoped to be able to fight by her side then he would have to keep up the pace.

"Well, if we're on the same page, I think we both know what needs to happen now," Alisaie said with a knowing look on her face as he looked back up and nodded.

"See you in a bit," he told her as she gave a friendly wink and took off through the door.

He wasn't sure if this was the right choice but he let it go as he watched her sleep, wondering what she were dreaming of. He pressed a lingering kiss to Claire's temple and slowly matched his breathing along with hers.

In her sleep, she snuggled even closer, causing Alphinaud to remove his hand from her throat to lace their fingers together, his thumb caressing her knuckles as she slept on—feeling the hard callouses adoring her skin once more. It was astonishing how much she had come to mean to him and how quickly she changed not only the view of his world, but his future… if he couldn't support her then he didn't deserve the place beside her. He wanted to be that one person she could lean on and let her mind rest like what she was doing now.

The wound on her neck would likely never heal completely. But even if it did heal to the point that one couldn't see it, he would always remember how it was there… that someone managed to hurt her like that to burn her and drag her down all in an attempt to control her. Yet she persisted all that time and held on long enough to break free. He could still remember her screams as she fought against the collar, how she hissed in pain as it burned her before it broke…

He would have to grow a lot stronger if he wanted to help her because things weren't going to get any easier for them even after they arrive in Eorzea. Before he knew it, he had already made a list of things in his mind of what to take and had set about packing them into a large bag that he bought from the markets the first chance that he got. The whole while he continued to let Claire sleep, knowing that she would be up in time for their next adventure. The only problem was how as he to explain this to his parents? He had wracked his brains on the best way to break the news to them on his decision when there was a knock against the, now closed, door. He looked up in surprise to find his mother sticking her head into the room and he felt himself freeze up as if he were still a young child who had gotten caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

But she didn't seem upset to see him up so late, nor was she surprised to find that Claire was with him as she slept peacefully at his side.

"Mother?" he asked as her eyes trailed over them both before falling upon the open bag at his feet. Ameliance could not stop the smile that came to her face when she looked at the serene image of their hands intertwined. Meanwhile, her son was gazing at her with a soft, tender look that she had never seen before, making her assume that this was a smile that was reserved only for his beloved.

"You care for her deeply, don't you?" she asked softly as he looked up/

"I do," he confessed, "She's still my wife."

She smiled, feeling tears of happiness and sorrow welling up as she knew what was going to come very soon.

"Then take good care of her," she said.

He looked at her, his eyes widening as he realized that his mother was aware of their plans. The two stared long and hard at each other before turning his head to gaze back at Claire.

"I will," he promised as his mother set the basket of supplies down in front of them before leaving. She was sad to think of her children leaving her, but she took comfort in the image of how her son was continuing to analyze Claire's features, as if he was making sure she wasn't cold from the chilly night.

*A Few Hours Later*

Fourchenault was rubbing his exhausted eyes as he stepped into the warm mansion. That last meeting honestly went on too long… but it was deeply concerning now that he had time to process it in the quiet. Word had reached Sharlayan that some deeply troubling developments were happening back in Norvrandt—on Kholusia to be specifically.

It was as if the entire island had been cut off from the rest of the world… no one has a clear answer to what has happened save for hundreds of people ended up fleeing the isle in droves—no one able to really give a straight answer to what was going on save for one thing… Lord Vauthry's anger was frightening to behold.

Upon hearing that name, it was all Fourchenault could do to not break out in a cold sweat. Thankfully, no one—save for Scholarch Montichaigne —paid him any attention as they discussed what they should do with this new information.

"I do know that strangers from Norvrandt seem to be arriving much more frequently these last few days," he heard someone say with concern.

"But why would they come all the way out this far?"

"Perhaps they felt the need to leave and start over somewhere new?"

"It's a long journey. I can't imagine that they would choose to come this far when they could have gone some place closer like the Crystarium. Most of the people seem to flocking there?"

"Perhaps they have family members here?"

"I find that suspicious then. You think we would have heard of it?"

"They sure don't look like the friendly sort. They remind me of some kind of hired thugs—some of them anyway."

Fourchenault didn't dare say a word least his nerves betray him but he knew what this was about. He had been warned, after all, that Vauthry might try to send people out to collect the two princesses. He was a little surprised it took this long before such unsavory folk started to appear but it seems that their guests will soon be left with no choice but to leave.

If nothing else, the thought comforted him that it will all soon be over. Meaning that he will have to speak with his family about officially breaking things off with such people. He knew that his wife and children will be furious and refuse at first, but he needed to explain that they couldn't stay any longer. They did what they could, they were well enough to travel, and they couldn't risk any harm coming to any innocents in the city.

They were sure to dig their heels in about all this, his son had become especially stubborn these days ever since that woman came into his life, but he would see that they saw reason. He paused there and shook his head. No, he knew that he was being cruel. Those girls had no more say in the madness that happened here than they did. They, too, were victims in all this. But still, he didn't want to see any more harm come to his loved ones and he feared that the longer they stayed, Alphinaud or someone else was sure to get caught up in the crossfire.

So it was with a heavy heart that he entered the drawing room where he was surprised to find his wife still up and enjoying a cup of tea by herself under candlelight.

"Ameliance?" he asked and she looked up with a sunny smile that made him feel, at least for a moment, that all was right with the world.

"You are home unusually late," she said as she poured out some tea and offered a tray of biscuits for him, which he walked over and took one gratefully.

"It was a long meeting," he sighed as he sat down opposite her, "Longer than I thought it would be. But it seems that people from Norvrandt have been arriving here over the last few days."

She paused, her cup halfway to her lips before she slowly lowered it to the saucer.

"For what reason?" she asked with concern.

"We were warned that Vauthry may try to send assassins or bounty hunters after the princesses," he reminded her, "From what I was told, some of these guys seem to fit the description. Many of them were even going around, asking if any others from Norvrandt were in the city lately. So far, they've caused no trouble—apart from picking a few fights here and there at the Last Stand—but I fear that we must inform the others that remaining in Sharlayan will no longer be possible."

"Oh, there's no need to worry," Ameliance reassured him with a kind look, "With the exception of Krile, who is still at the Annex, the others there have chosen to leave earlier this evening."

Fourchenault actually choked on the biscuit at that news, having not expected that. After taking a quick sip of tea to wash down the food he asked, "Truly? They left?"

"Just over an hour ago," she confirmed, "I saw them off at the docks. They were aware that people were looking for them and decided that now was good. Ryne and Claire both seemed up for the trip to Eorzea… they did stop by to say goodbye before heading to the docks. So I think that we can relax."

Fourchenault seemed too stunned for words for a moment before he heaved a look of enormous relief.

"I see," he said, slumping in his seat. "That is good. I was worried about what I would need to say to them about this matter, but I am glad to find out that they realized that staying here was only going to put more people in danger. That is one less thing to worry about."

He finished his biscuit and swallowed a mouthful of tea before he felt his heart ache for the pain that his children were going to be going through. He couldn't really say anything bad about their friends at this point and, as much as he hated to admit to it, he could see that his son truly did care for Claire. The heart was truly a difficult thing to learn and he wasn't going to try and understand it at this point.

"I feel terrible for Alisaie, and especially Alphinaud, I knew that he grew close with them but it is for the best," he said, though a part of him wondered if he was saying that for his own sake—wishing it to be true. Either way, he set his cup down and rubbed his exhausted face, knowing that he couldn't just leave things like this as he admitted, "I should go and talk to them."

"No need to do so, dear, you should rest," his wife said firmly but still in a kind way.

"I just need to see how they are doing about…?" he began as he half risen from his seat. But to his surprise, his wife was suddenly at his side and all but forced him to sit back down. He blinked in confusion at her as she replied with that same smile but now with a dangerously sweet voice that left no room for argument, "I said you should rest."

Fourchenault didn't understand why she was so insistent on this and he wanted to ask, but he knew her well enough took now better than to try and argue with her as she handed him a cookie this time. But as he took it… a thought came to him.

"Ameliance… what did they say when the others said goodbye?" he asked slowly.

His wife didn't answer at first as she happily hummed and popped one of the cookies into her mouth.

"Oh these are just delicious! I should have to pick up more tomorrow when I have time!" she cooed.

"Ameliance," her husband warned, a look of horror coming over his face as he began to put the pieces together, "Where are the children?"

But his wife just gave him a knowing smile as he it finally clicked in his mind.

*Meanwhile on the deck of the ship*

"I am certain that Father learned of us leaving by now," he stated calmly. Alphinaud stood on the deck as he watched Sharlayan disappear into the distance as he leaned against the railing. "I hope that Mother is able to keep him calm."

Alphinaud doesn't know if it's because of the ambience that's making feel like that but all that together just made him feel different. The stars and the moon reflecting on the water creating millions of diamonds across the sea, but he was focusing on her as she looked like she had a million things on her mind. Claire hummed as she leaned up against him as he heard his sister behind him arguing with Thancred for eating the cookies that she had brought with them and he sniggered at the thought.

She then looked over at him before asking, "You sure?"

He gripped her hand upon the railing before reminding her, "Bit late to turn back now, right?"

*Days Later*

The journey from Sharlayan to Eorzea only took about two days. It was as if the weather was showing them a shred of mercy for a change and they were able to make their way down south towards Limsa Lominsa, the maritime city. This journey across ocean was, without a doubt, much more enjoyable than his last one. It seems like the bitter winter air hasn't completely reached these shores as the air grew a bit warmer before noon on the second day where he saw it rising out of the sea in the distance. A series of pure white stones, connected with steel and bridges, suspended over the water while ships sailed in and out of the harbor beneath them. He couldn't help but gap in amazement when they drew closer and he could see the people walking about as they went about their shopping or work. Even his sister, who had rarely left Sharlayan until this point, seemed unsure of what to say to this as they passed underneath the bridges and pulled into a sparkling blue harbor where fishermen were hard at work.

"This is Limsa Lominsa," Thancred called happily, seemingly pleased with Alphinaud's and Alisaie's stunned expression. "Gods it's been ages since I was last here!"

"You've been here before?" Alisaie asked as Y'shtola and Ryne came up onto the deck with them, having heard the bell ringing that they were pulling into the city.

"Spent most of my childhood here," he confessed with an unconcerned shrug. "I happened to have a few people around here who owe me a favor or two so I thought to call them in."

"Wow! Can you show me around here?" Ryne asked brightly as she popped up next to him. The few weeks she spent in Sharlayan had done wonders for her spirit as well as for her appearance. Her hair was still a strawberry blond with the faintest `traces of red shining through though her eyes were still a bit too crystalline to pass off as normal so Thancred got her a pair of sunglasses to cover them for a bit longer.

"We'll talk about it," Thancred said with a shrug, "But first let's get settled in Mor Dhona. We got a bit of a ways to go. Let's disembark on the docks and I'll show you to the airship landing."

They stepped off the ship when they reached the docks—thought to be fair, the entire city seemed to be made of nothing but docks as they made their way around the many wooden paths to the upper levels.

Things were rather calm but time-consuming after they made landfall. His friends were all ecstatic to be back in Eorzea after being gone for so long and he could all but see their faces light up as they looked about.

He had asked Claire if she had been to Limsa before, which she confirmed, but had to explain to him over the notepad that when she was last here it wasn't built up anywhere like it was now. She even wrote to tell him she was excited to see what the rest of Eorzea was like after these last five years.

"I'm sure that we all are," Thancred said as he began to round them up like sheep to get them moving as quickly as possible. "We have time though to get used to the changes that were sure to happen in our absence once we get settled in. Now let us move to the airship landing. We will head off to Gridania and then walk the rest of the way to Mor Dhona. I rather we get there before nightfall."

He certainly seemed to be in a hurry, but Alphinaud couldn't find himself blaming him. If they were right in the fact that people were already after them, there was a chance that they may have followed them from Sharlayan.

"Every city in Eorzea is unique in its own way," Y'shtola said with a grin, "Been a long time since I was last in Limsa myself, but it's good to see that it's still the same. But let's move through here quickly."

"I agree," Thancred said, "This is a sort of haven for brigands, cutthroats, curs, and pirates! So, it's not exactly uncommon in this part of Eorzea. Sure, the Admiral and the Yellow Jackets are able to keep things fairly calm here, but just about everyone here in this city was a pirate at one point."

"Sounds like we have our work cut out for us," Alisaie said as she registered the news.

Thankfully, nothing happened to them the rest of the way through the city—Thancred made sure to move them along as fast as possible while keeping an eye about for any signs of trouble—before guiding them to the airship landing. Alphinaud couldn't claim to have been riding airships before so he was more than a little nervous as they stepped onto the platform. He bit his tongue, refusing to really think about how the only thing that was preventing them from falling to a terrifying death was some metal and wood beneath their feet.

When he found himself unable to move at first to get onto the platform, Claire took his hand and pulled him along with her and he instinctively followed—unable to help himself. He was grateful that everyone else seemed to be focused on Ryne, who was so excited that Thancred had to keep a hand on the back of her dress to keep her from leaning too far over the edge of the airship as they were suddenly up in the air.

He gulped down, closing his eyes for the take off and not able to bring himself to look until Claire gently bumped her shoulder against his and tugged on his arm, causing him to have to look. They were set adrift in a sea of white, fluffy clouds surrounded by endless malms of blue. He blinked, startled at this sight and actually stepped forward to the side to look out all over while the ocean shone below them with a golden ray of sunlight shone down from above. It was truly the most beautiful sight that he thought that he had ever seen.

Has the world always been this beautiful? Even in such lands where the problems were large and many? He never really gave it much thought before now, but this moment, he really thought that he could see everything clearly for the first time.

And perhaps she knew it. For Claire stepped up next to him once more and gave him a knowing look as he grinned widely back.

*Hours later*

The rest of their journey to Mor Dhona was relatively relaxed. They landed within the thick, lush forests of the Twelveswood and Alphinaud could breathe in the floral scent of the forest before Thancred bid them to follow him.

"Is Mor Dhona far from here?" Alisaie asked curiously as they passed by the carpentry workshops where the smell of wood and polish were strong enough to reach outside.

"Not terribly," Thancred called back as he made sure to keep Ryne close to him as they moved through the busier part of Gridania. "First we pass through the North Shroud. So long as we avoid getting attacked by any Ixali it should be a short trip. Once we start to leave the green vegetation behind us we'll be on the borders of Coerthas."

"Coerthas? Does that mean that we'll be heading towards Ishgard?" Alphinaud asked, remembering how he looked up Ishgard when Claire spoke so fondly of it.

"More like sticking close to Coerthas's borders," Y'shtola answered back, "Once we get settled in Mor Dhona, we will be sure to reach out to them as well." She then looked back at Claire with a knowing smile as she added, "As I'm sure you are eager to reunite with your adopted family while we're here."

Claire only smiled back happily as Thancred added, "We just head off a little more to the west and south after that and we should be right smack dab in the middle of Mor Dhona—just on the shores of Lake Silvertear. I would have gotten us a carriage if we could afford it, but we can't waste any gil if we can help it…? Gods, if Tataru was here, I'm sure she could keep track of our finances."

"I'm sure that if she were to hear of that she would be more than willing to lend us her aid," Y'shtola chuckled. "But let's try and keep our minds focused here."

"Yeah, I don't mind the walk," Ryne chirped up eagerly, all too happy to see more of the outside world now that they were free of Eulmore's cage-like walls.

"Well, you heard the lady," Thancred said as they reached a large gate, "If we hurry, we should be able to get there before nightfall! Onwards!"

The journey was relatively straightforward after that. Aside from a few stray arrows from a few Ixali that thought they got too close to their borders, they soon made it through the woods until they reached a path that had fewer and fewer trees the longer they walked. Soon enough the vegetation was left behind as the dead-looking trees became more obvious until they were replaced with towering pines and snow was sprinkled along the ground. They continued on north even as the snow became deeper and harder for them to move in. Soon enough, Thancred had to pause and pick Ryne up so that she was being carried piggy-back, with the younger girl complaining to him that she could walk just fine.

"In those shoes?" he retorted, jerking his head to how her toes were poking through the boots she was wearing. "No. Just stay quiet, we'll be leaving the snow behind soon enough."

Alphinaud shivered, wishing that he brought his coat as Claire was trying out a small bow that she bought while passing through Gridania. She didn't seem happy with it as she tested it out and he saw the frown appear on her face before asking what the problem was.

"I can't walk through these lands without a weapon, but this was the best that I could afford," she sighed sadly as she looked over it and he felt an odd shiver race through his body at the sight of her standing there with a weapon in her hands again. Gods, what was the matter with him?

"Give it time," he reassured her, "We can rebuild ourselves here even if it takes awhile."

She nodded as she slung the bow and quiver of arrows onto her back, at least taking comfort from the fact that she wasn't completely defenseless.

They walked through about a malm of snow before heading down another path that led to the south and like Thancred had promised, they left the frozen wastes behind as the air turned slightly warmer and the snow was melting as they continued on. By the time that Thancred thought it was safe to put Ryne down, they were on the outskirts of a crystalline landscape and the image of a vast lake could be seen in the distance over the more mountainous region of the area.

At last, they arrived at the very edge of a bustling town with strong walls and filled with adventurers, mercenaries, and scholars hoping to study up on this land. Alphinaud felt his eyes widen as he stared around, asking, "So this is Revenants Toll?"

"The one and only," Thancred grinned as he looked around fondly. "Wow, things certainly have changed since I was last here. Believe it or not this place used to be nothing more than a rickety fence and tents! They sure didn't waste time."

Alphinaud wanted the chance to explore this place, feeling that it was really more of a growing town than a stronghold at this point. But Y'shtola ushered them towards a tavern called the Seventh Heaven, where Thancred led them inside. Alphinaud wondered if they were stopping here for a break, because it certainly seemed that way until Thancred went to the woman tending the bar and gestured towards a large door at the back wall.

Thancred ushered them over the threshold and into a dimly lit room. It certainly was large with lots of space with even a bar off to the side—signaling that this may have once been part of a high-end eating establishment but had been transformed into more of a storage space. There were many crates and barrels along with broken materials scattered here and there with a layer of dust covering most of everything.

Claire stepped forward and brushed a rather large spider web out of the way of the entrance as they followed inside.

"Welcome to the Rising Stones," Thancred said as he dusted off his hands and set the small bag of supplies that he brought with him. "A friend of mine runs the Seventh Heaven and said that we were free to use this space as we like. As long as we help out in the town from time to time, then no one should complain about our presence here."

"So, this is it," Y'shtola said as she looked around the worn-looking place. "Not such a bad place, if I do say so. You did well, Thancred."

"Well, I aim to please," Thancred grinned.

"Then why not help get this place in order?" Ryne asked eagerly as she was already picking up some boards from a broken crate.

"Forget it, I don't aim to please that much," he said before the two of them laughed. Alphinaud couldn't help but really notice just how similar the two were… they even had the exact same laugh at this point. That was when he remembered that it was to be expected; being father and daughter.

He looked at the two and felt his heart going out to them and wished that there was something that he could do for them. But the fact was that this wasn't his place to say anything. He would have to trust in them to figure it out and for Thancred to decide when and how he tells her. At least, that was what he told his guilty conscience.

"Well," Thancred called as he clapped his hands together, "We have a place to call home and once we set up some security—though I don't think that we need to worry with so many people keeping an eye out for us—we should be ready to go."

"Forgive me for sounding ignorant, but what are we to do here?" Alisaie asked. "Just what is our end goal?"

"There are no shortage of problems to be solved while in Eorzea," Y'shtola answered, "But I think that we can all agree that our first priority should be Vauthry and what he plans to do. "

"But we don't know exactly what his plans are," Ryne reminded them as she took off the thick sunglasses so that her deep blue ones looked about them. "What can we really do here by ourselves?"

"By ourselves, not much," Thancred said with a shrug, "But we have time to figure out the best course of action. Vauthry's pretty much on his own as well, but from the reports that I was able to get before everyone fled the isle, the entire land of Kholusia is shrouded by a thick mist so there's only so much we can realistically do before he makes his next move. But good news is that it goes for him as well. There's only so much that he can do on his own now that his guard dog has been taken out of commission. We will stay here and build up our own forces—reach out and make allies, and grow stronger. One day we will return to Kholusia and put an end to his mad plans. It's not going to be easy nor will it happen overnight… but we will be able to take him down someday."

"Thancred is right," Y'shtola agreed, "We will soon be free to do what we will in order to discover what his plans are and put an end to them once and for all. I know that making him pay for these last five years of misery is on our all minds."

They all nodded, and Alphinaud felt the flames of anger rise up inside him as he thought longingly of using a Ruin Spell right in his face.

"Well, we best get to work," Thancred cackled as he cracked his knuckles together. "The first thing we need to do is get this place up and running. Once we do that, we can start taking on odd jobs and make a name for ourselves. And then, sooner or later, we'll get a chance to get Vauthry back for all he's done."

"Just one thing," Alphinaud said and they all looked to him as he asked, "What should we call ourselves? I feel that our organization, small as it is, deserves a name."

"Good point, one problem that I have already solved," Thancred said with a fond smile appearing once again, "It's a name that Minfilia was always fond of and so I think that we should go with the Scions of the Seventh Dawn."

He looked eagerly around at them as they thought it all over.

"I gotta say it does have a rather inspiring name, doesn't it?" Y'shtola asked and Claire nodded in agreement.

"I like it," Ryne said as she jumped for joy.

"You'll get no complaints outta me," Alisaie agreed as she went over to pick up a broom that was leaning against the wall. "So, I assume that we get to pick our rooms after we clean up? I vote a race! Whoever cleans up the most gets first dibs on the rooms!"

Laughter rang out through the halls of the Rising Stones as the Scions set to work right away on cleaning up their headquarters. The following weeks rolled by in a haze of a lot of hard work and reaching out to many other organizations, with the Scions focused on moving forward to their ultimate goal. It wouldn't be for a long time before they would see their hard work pay off and their opening to get back at Vauthry would appear.

(If you're wondering what took this chapter so long to come out, I swear I have a good reason. I was catching up on my fav anime. I took a bit of a long break from it and before I knew it, a year had gone by and so it took me awhile to catch up with it all! Anyway, we are nearing the end… sad for Claire's voice, but that's life. You gotta roll with the punches. I think that she would have been willing to risk losing her voice forever if it meant getting free from Vauthry once and for all. Well, maybe not once and for all since he has yet to be made to pay for his crimes. But she is going to be more than able to break his face in given half the chance.)