Chapter 6: In Search of Alphinaud
Kholusia set him on edge long before he stepped onto its rocky beach, the echoes of La Noscea - be they truly there or put there by his mind at the vague reminder of the region he called home - making that unease all the more worse. Finding Alphinaud was surprisingly easy and a lot less running around than he had half expected after going after Alisaie.
It was no surprise that Alphinaud didn't hug him like Alisaie had upon sight. It was clear the other was focused on some mission and when Alphinaud immediately started asking about the Source and everything that had happened before Alphinaud filled him in on what the other had been through, he assumed the moment had passed and let it be.
When Alphinaud turned to head for Gatetown, Alphinaud paused as if something had occurred to him before he turned right around and hugged Echo'a. It wasn't the same crushing hold Alisaie had given him but it was no less fervent. Alphinaud didn't linger, pulling back nearly as quickly as he had turned to hug him, but Echo'a didn't give Alphinaud the chance to pull away and pinned Alphinaud to his chest in a tight hug. Alphinaud sagged against him, arms returning securely around his torso.
"I truly am glad to see you well," Alphinaud muttered into his shoulder. "To not fret about you and the others on the Source while I was here took considerable effort. Glad have I been to have something to keep my mind too busy to wallow in it." Alphinaud still pulled back first. "Come. There is much to do and it would be best if you saw the state of things with your own eyes."
Gatetown made his skin crawl. He lingered closer to Alphinaud than was probably proper but he couldn't help it. Alphinaud's hand found his and he had to blink a few times to get himself to focus on Alphinaud. "Is something wrong?" Alphinaud asked, but they were interrupted by the arrival of the red and blue jongleur and the crowd that swarmed them. He watched the gathering, watched as the two jongleur asked for a cook from among the gathered folks and how they all pondered if they could fill the role. Alphinaud started talking again, explaining Eulmore a bit more. Had it been out of the reminder of his lack of knowledge of Eulmore and the surrounding lands or Alphinaud's attempt at keeping him steady, he couldn't tell.
The cook was picked and the red jongleur pulled out a share of meol.
Nausea slammed into him so hard, he was nearly sick where he stood. He clasped his free hand to his mouth, eyes clamped shut against the sudden wave of sick, and his head came down only to find Alphinaud's shoulder catching its weight. Alphinaud's other hand was already on his other arm slowly rubbing up and down as Alphinaud got him to steady his breathing with words that trembled with concern.
It was a long moment before the nausea quelled back down to the familiar ache that came when he got too hungry. He withdrew enough to raise his head, finding Alphinaud's gaze on his face when he looked up.
"Are you alright? What happened?"
He shook his head. "I'm fine now."
Alphinaud when digging in his bag. "I have both water and food if either would suffice."
His mouth was dry and the thought of food clashed horribly with the lingering nausea. "I have my own," he started but Alphinaud was already shoving both into his hands.
Alphinaud's touch lingered on his arm as their gazes returned to the gathering that was coming to an end as the last of the meol was handed out. Alphinaud explained what he knew of the meol; he used it as a distraction to eat the few bites of food Alphinaud had given him. Alphinaud kept a close eye on him as they lingered for only a moment longer in Gatetown before leaving.
He didn't react to anything else as violently as he had in Gatetown, not even when they made it into Eulmore and ended up face to face with Vauthry. Oh, he had wanted to, though. The entire time they were there he felt nauseous to the point that he was concerned that he would be sick at any moment. Thankfully they did not linger in Eulmore and returned to the Crystarium without much fuss.
Things moved quickly after that and he forgot all about his reaction to Eulmore. Thancred was the next to be "found", though it was more in part due to dire situations than an actual attempt at finding him. Meeting Minfilia's reincarnation was odd. He wasn't sure about the interactions between her and Thancred and he nearly had a mind to say something about it. There just never seemed to be a good time to do so. They were soon off looking for Urianger in Il Mheg which quickly led into dealing with the pixies which then led into looking for Y'shtola and dealing with three Lightwardens along the way.
He did not trust Emet-Selch. He was certain no one really did but the man seemed to just rub him the wrong way. Still, though, he could not help but wonder at how much of the Ascian's words were truth, lies believed to be truth, and simply lies, especially when he regaled them all with the history that was painted on the walls of the Qitana Ravel. He was not opposed to them having the wrong spin on history - he had seen those sorts of lies often enough to know it was always possible - but the idea that the Calamities had to happen left him with a bitter taste on his tongue.