Wait, I finished a chapter? Turns out Crystal Tower was turning out longer than I was expecting it to, even condensing the overly-convoluted plot (e.g. Nero’s here already) so it’s now two chapters. And we didn’t really get to the meat of the action in this one. It’s a bit self-indulgent with all the character relationship developing, but I’m enjoying it! Also if you play on Midgardsormr, keep an eye out for the names of my FC mates, haha!
That one line Thancred says is from way back when Alphinaud was investigating the Ul’dahn uprisings, but it was too good to not use at all.
Chapter 10: The Deep Dark Green
Chapter 11: Life in Mor Dhona
It was a bright, cloudless winter’s day in Mor Dhona when Achiyo rose from her bed in her room in the Rising Stones. The sun was silver through the window and she looked out upon the town for a moment. Everyone was just rising; the shopkeeps were setting up their stalls, the guards were changing at the gates, dogs were already chasing hens. There was a frost on the ground, and folk had to walk carefully across half-frozen puddles. The frost would be gone by early afternoon today, but Tam predicted snow before another sennight had passed.
It had been about a week since they’d fought Ramuh, and the realm had been blessedly quiet since. Achiyo felt rested and cheerful, which surprised her. It shouldn’t have, only that she rarely had this opportunity.
She turned away from the window and headed downstairs, to join the other Scions for breakfast. Today she did not wear armour, and hadn’t in three days. It was a nice change to wear a warm woolen tunic and pants. Rinala, Chuchupa, and Aentfryn, also from warm climes, had begun to dress likewise.
“Ah, Achiyo,” said F’lhaminn, dishing out heaping portions of sausage, scrambled eggs, toast, potatoes, and milk and beer. “Would you be so kind as to indulge your young admirers today? I understand the Doman children have been waiting very patiently for you to be returned and rested. They chatter endlessly of the exploits of the Warriors of Light, but you are their particular hero, I think because you are almost from Doma.” Her eyes twinkled.
“I would love to,” Achiyo said, smiling. “They are very dear. Where will I find them?”
So when she had eaten, she went out into the aetheryte plaza, nodding to Slafborn, pulling a cloak a little tighter about her against the north wind. The children were there, poking sticks into a slushy puddle to make shapes with the ice. When Rokka looked up and saw her, she yelled, and moments later Achiyo was swarmed. “Miss Achiyo! Miss Achiyo!” “Are you feeling well?” “Will you show us how to fight today?” “Will you take us adventuring today?”
She smiled at their bright-eyed enthusiasm. “I am well, yes. I had not planned any adventures for today, you know. But it is a beautiful day! Perhaps we can arrange something.”
“Hooray! Will we fight lake serpents? Will we fight Garleans? Ooh, will we fight a primal!?”
“No!” Achiyo cried, alarmed by how quickly they got carried away. “I do not want you to brave danger while I can still shield you from it. There will be no primals for you today.”
“Aww, really? I was hoping to go outside Revenant’s Toll for a bit,” Yozan said, crestfallen.
“Is that so?” A new, basso profundo voice broke into the conversation, and she looked up to see one of the newer Scions – Boulder, she thought she remembered, something Boulder, a Roegadyn in white armour – and his Elezen friend in green robes. They’d barely been introduced a couple days ago, but while everyone knew her name by now, it took her longer to learn theirs. “I will admit the younglings – sorry, the Doman Adventurers’ Guild – have been very diligent in their drills, but I’m afraid the fiends of Mor Dhona are ever so slightly too dangerous still.” He bowed to Achiyo. “Good to see you, ma’am.”
“And you as well,” she said, bowing back, and hesitated. “Forgive me, but your names…”
The Roegadyn bobbed his red head. “Hoary Boulder at your service. And my good friend…”
“Coultenet,” supplied Coultenet, touching his broad-brimmed hat. “I’m afraid we remain largely unproven as adventurers, but we’re grateful to Lady Minfilia for granting us a place in the Scions.”
“They’ve been teaching us how adventurers fight!” Shiun said.
“And regarding a bit of excitement, I have a proposal for you all. What if I were to cross swords with Lady Achiyo? A demonstration of skill at arms, if you will.”
Coultenet smirked side-long at Hoary Boulder. “Hoary. If I didn’t know you better – and I do – I’d say you were merely seeking to test yourself against a legend.”
Hoary Boulder laughed. “Well, mayhap I am. But what matters the motive when the children stand to learn so much from the lesson? What say you, Lady Achiyo? Would you consent to spar with me?”
The children – and the adults – waited upon her answer with bated breath. She made a show of considering. It would not do for her own skills to grow stale upon combat dummies, and it would make them all very happy. And it would keep her blood flowing this lovely winter day. “Very well. Let us spar.”
The children burst out into cheers. “Hurrah! We’re to have a tournament!”
“We must prepare our gear!” Yozan cried, and with a scamper, they were off.
Coultenet watched them go. “…Do try not to disappoint them, hm?”
Hoary laughed. “Have faith, Coultenet! I shall summon every last onze of my strength to make of this a worthy contest. The fields to the east of town should prove suitable for our purpose – and monster-free, for the time being. I very much look forward to our bout!”
“As am I,” Coultenet said. “In fact, I must confess that my excitement rivals that of the children’s at the prospect of seeing you in action firsthand.”
“You’re too kind,” Achiyo murmured. “Pray excuse me while I prepare my own gear.”
Rinala had just curled up with a book of white magic theory that Y’shtola had suggested she read when she felt someone lean on the back of her chair, and looked up to see Thancred grinning down at her mischievously. “Eh?”
“Did you know Achiyo’s going to duel Hoary Boulder?” asked Thancred.
Her eyes opened round and her ears pricked up high. “No? Why?”
“For fun. Nothing like some good old-fashioned civilized violence, eh?” He snorted at his own description. “I would ask if you would like to watch, but I can see now that you’re busy. No matter.”
He was pretending not to care, she was sure, but she still took the bait. “Ah! I would like to watch! I can read later.” She found her bookmark and carefully marked her spot.
He must have recognized the book. “Promise you’ll protect me from Y’shtola’s wrath when she scolds me for corrupting you?”
She giggled. “Okay, I will. Where’s the duel?”
“Out on the east shore of the lake. Would you like to help Yda and me round up an audience?” He was bouncing on the balls of his feet, ready to go.
A chance to spend time with her dear friend and her idol? “I would love to!”
“Then come quickly! They’re not waiting for us!” Thancred was running to the door into the Seventh Heaven, where Yda was waving impatiently.
Rinala seized her fur-lined winter coat and mitts and the really cute hat that matched. She was already wearing the boots. “Do they even know we’re finding them an audience-?”
“Nope!” Yda giggled. “But who would miss this?”
“Someone with very poor judgement and taste,” Thancred said acerbically. “I imagine once we put the word out, the whole town will be there. Rinala, dear, that hat makes you look adorable.”
She inhaled a squeal that would have been entirely too enthusiastic and piercing and followed them out the door. She couldn’t help the curl in her tail, though.
By now it was well into the morning, and the town market was bustling with many kinds of people – adventurers, mostly, some of Rowena’s merchants, and the Doman refugees, all busy about many kinds of work. Buying, selling, building, mending, it was starting to get noisy. And Thancred and Yda plunged right into the largest crowd.
She hesitated, and in that hesitation lost them. Drat! She wouldn’t have thought it would be so easy for them to disappear! She dove between a lump of passersby, looking for Yda’s signature red clothes and Thancred’s white hair. If she couldn’t find them, she didn’t know what she would do, she didn’t know when or where the duel was going to be, specifically.
Someone tapped her on the shoulder, but when she turned, there was no one there whom she knew, no one looking at her… She turned the other way, confused, and caught a flash of quick motion. Thancred! He was pranking her! She kept turning, trying to get him in view, and he kept moving, trying to stay behind her. She was turning pink with laughter, she knew, but she couldn’t help it! What was he doing? “Thancred! …Baka!”
Yda was laughing at her. “Quick, spin the other way!”
Instead, Rinala came to a stop and pretended to pout, tail twitching. “It’s no use, he’s too quick for me! We’ll have to recruit without him.” She could hardly contain her breathless laughter, and certainly she wasn’t going to stop smiling for quite a while now.
Thancred folded his hands over the top of her head and rested his chin on them; he had to rise on his toes to do so, she wasn’t that much shorter than him, but he did it all the same. “I’m here, I’m here! Happy yet?”
Rinala peered up at him, and decided that seeing him so happy was worth a great many hardships the realm had to offer, and she wasn’t even experiencing hardship at the moment! “Yes.”
“I’m always happy!” Yda said. “Right, let’s begin. Hey, everyone!”
A few people turned to look at them, but even her strident yell did not rise far over the ambient bustle.
“Ah, you have to work it a little more,” Thancred said. “This is why you brought me along. Permit me to demonstrate.” He hopped up onto a large crate, wrapped one arm around the stall awning pole beside him, and cupped the other hand around his mouth. “Hear ye, hear ye!” He was half-singing, his resonant voice ringing through the square, and immediately the crowd quieted a little. “I announce a duel! A friendly match of skilled swordplay between the esteemed Hoary Boulder of the Scions of the Seventh Dawn, and the heroic Lady of Light, Achiyo Kensaki!”
He nodded to Yda, now that they had everyone’s attention, and Yda waved both arms as she cried loudly: “If you want to watch, they’ll be down at the east field shortly! All the Scions and the Warriors of Light will be there!” She presented Rinala to them with a pose.
How would she follow that? Could she make her voice so loud and strong and clear? “We’d be happy to see you there to support Hoary and Achiyo! Please come!”
“I’ll be there!” “Wait for me!” came shouts from all over, and Rinala wanted to hide behind Yda. But everyone seemed happy, and excited, and that was good, because she was happy and excited, and did she have to hide? “Will Miss Rinala be fighting too?” someone wanted to know.
“Ummm no!” she answered. “This is between Achiyo and Hoary. I don’t do swords.”
“What about R’nyath?” someone asked, and she saw R’nyath’s brother R’inwa standing there, carrying a large bundle of arrows and looking pert.
“I don’t know? I haven’t seen him yet today,” she said.
“What about Lady Vivienne?”
“Just come watch!” Yda called to that person with a touch of impatience.
“Time to lead the band,” Thancred said merrily. “With me, ladies!” Yda snorted at being called a lady and ran on ahead, but Rinala skipped beside him as he strode down towards the aetheryte plaza and the east gate.
By the time they arrived at the field where Hoary Boulder awaited, Rinala was awed by the number of people who had dropped everything to come with them – and more people were showing up by the minute! Hoary and Coultenet looked surprised but only for a moment, and the children were nearly bursting with energy, welcoming all the newcomers, though they themselves were setting up a ribbon to mark the edge of the impromptu sparring ground so no bystander would get hurt.
And when Achiyo herself arrived, arrayed in her shining silver armour, Rinala could tell she had not expected this outcome and was going so far as to reconsider. But… if she were to retreat now…
Her friend did not retreat; she gave herself a little shake and marched out to meet Hoary Boulder. Rinala felt her heart begin to race with anxiety and anticipation, and she wasn’t even going to be fighting! Well, if anyone got hurt, she was well prepared.
“The twins will be sorry they missed this,” Tam murmured from behind her. “But they’ll have other opportunities, I’m sure…”
“Give ‘im hell, Princess!” Chuchupa hollered from the front row. Achiyo shook her head slightly.
“Speak of the devil,” Tam said, almost sounding surprised. “Alphinaud’s here, at least.”
She didn’t want to say that she didn’t care about Alphinaud – but the duel was starting and whether a Leveilleur witnessed it or not was none of her concern!
The combatants saluted each other with their blunted training blades, and then instead of circling each other warily, Achiyo sprang forward. Hoary, taken by surprise, jumped away with a shout. Awe filled Rinala as she watched them; they were both very skilled, and while Hoary’s blade reached further than Achiyo’s, Achiyo was faster, more daring. His shield was like a wall compared to hers, a huge shifting barrier that stood ever in her way.
And yet… the more she watched, the more she realized that she could read the fight. Hoary was big, and strong, and swift, and Achiyo was only a little more nimble with her blade than he was, and yet… Rinala could tell where he was going to strike next, and she was only watching! She could tell Achiyo could read it too, and how much better she must be able to when she was up close and personal with her opponent?
“I think I could take him, actually,” she murmured to herself under the crowd.
Somehow, Thancred heard her, and bent down to hear more. “Truly? I would find him a tough proposition, myself. Though Achiyo, even more so.”
“I feel like I can see what’s going to happen next,” she said. “Achiyo can too.”
“It must be the Echo,” said Y’shtola from her other side. “You can read his aether, no doubt.”
“Well, let’s get you in there!” Thancred cried, pretending to push her forward, and she shrank back, flailing a little.
“No! I didn’t mean that! Kyaa!”
“I’m only teasing, my dear.” He mussed up her hair, laughing, and turned back to watching the fight. She muttered another ‘baka’ and turned back to attend to the fight.
Hoary was losing, buffeted in several places over his body, for Achiyo kept slipping past that giant shield, and Coultenet had stepped in. Now Achiyo’s skills were really beginning to shine, as she watched both men at once, darting from one side of the field to the other, rolling under fire spells and swordblows. Even when she had to block a sword strike, she seemed not to be troubled by Hoary’s strength or weight, melting with the force and returning with interest. She was chasing Coultenet now, forcing him to either cast and take a hit from her shield, or run and be unable to threaten her severely. Coultenet ducked behind Hoary for protection, casting ice spells now, forcing Achiyo to back off with her sword and shield crossed in front of her to brace against them. Hoary seemed to have caught a second wind, to be adjusting to Achiyo’s fighting, or else he was just being more cautious now.
Rinala didn’t usually get the chance to just watch, well, anyone fight. Normally she was panicking with a fluffed tail, healing everything that moved until she was drained of mana, but this was really interesting. She still worried for them a little, out of professional habit, but she was mostly able to just enjoy how good they both were. She could tell, watching their faces, they were having fun through their intent concentration. The silver swords and shields flashed in the sunlight, glittering, twirling…
Achiyo overstepped half a moment too long, and Hoary’s sword finally connected with her breastplate, sending her tumbling backwards to the ground. The crowd groaned in worry, and it took her a couple moments to begin scrambling back up to her feet. Even Hoary and Coultenet looked worried… but Achiyo was up again, even if she looked a little dazed. She gave her head a little shake, then charged forward on the attack again. Hoary braced himself, but within seconds of intricate swordplay, was disarmed, his shield wide open, and Achiyo slammed bodily into him with her own shield. Hoary stumbled backwards, tripped over Coultenet, and both fell to the ground.
Coultenet cried out in pain and alarm as the crowd groaned anxiously again, and Achiyo immediately drew back, looking uncertain. Hoary rolled over and clambered heavily to his feet, then extended a hand to help Coultenet up. “What a bout! Never have I faced such strength!”
“I think we must admit defeat,” Coultenet said, holding his side. “Never fear, ’tis but a bruise. ‘Twas an honour and a privilege to face you!”
They bowed to Achiyo, who bowed back, and the crowd erupted in cheers. Rinala hurried out to make sure that everyone was all right, and cast Cure on Coultenet – and Cure 2 on Hoary. “That was amazing!”
“I thank the gods it was not a duel to the death,” Hoary said, smiling. “The amazement was all of her, I’m sure.”
Rinala shook her head. “Not at all! I’m glad you’re in the Scions, both of you!” Then the Doman children rushed to their teacher, and she got out of the way quietly.
Chuchupa was making jabbing, boxing motions at Vivienne, who was staring down at her dourly; clearly she was uninterested in duelling for no purpose. Tam was off with Alphinaud, who was holding forth on something he clearly found important, intently and at length, which might not have anything to even do with the duel at all. Tam had the faintest smirk on his face, something skeptical, but he wasn’t going to stop Alphinaud any time soon, that much was clear. Rinala caught a bit of Alphinaud’s monologue; something about his grandfather and the Garleans and his personal opinion that Eorzeans were foolish. Offended, she turned away. Yda and Papalymo were arguing over something again.
“It’s clear, melee is superior to magic!” Yda said. “Even if you’re the most powerful mage, if your target dodges, it doesn’t do you any good!”
“Conditions were not favourable for a thaumaturge,” Papalymo sniffed. “Besides, Achiyo is exceptional. I nearly always hit my targets.”
“We should duel! I bet I win.”
Papalymo rolled his eyes. “If you can hit me, that is! I would have an advantage from being a Lalafell.”
Tam strolled over. “She can kick you, you know. You’re not too short for that.”
“I’d like to see her try.”
At that moment, a chocobo raced into their midst, ridden by an urgent rider; it skidded to a halt in a cloud of dust. “Sons of St. Coinach – they need assistance!”
“The archaeological dig?” Tam asked, frowning. “What’d they unearth now?”
“I am not at liberty to say publicly, only that they require the assistance of adventurers, a couple dozen, to be safe – and the Warriors of Light would go far to easing their burden, if they’re present.”
Achiyo looked around at her comrades. Rinala nodded reassuringly to her. She was ready to go help! She caught nods from R’nyath and Chuchupa as well.
“I suppose I’d be interested,” Tam drawled.
“What about Alphinaud’s idea?” Aentfryn asked. “Will you not be aiding him with that?”
Tam smirked a little less subtly. “Time will tell if it’s a really brilliant idea or a really terrible idea. Another few days to stew on it won’t break the realm.”
Thancred turned to Tam. “You know Alphinaud hates to be kept waiting, don’t you? …Of course you do. Carry on!”
“It is decided, then?” Achiyo turned to Y’shtola. “Pray inform Minfilia that we will be going to help. I hope our temporary absence will not disrupt Scion operations.”
“I will take care of it,” Y’shtola said. “Papalymo! Thancred! Yda!”
“We’re not going too?” Yda said, disappointed.
“We have other work to do,” Papalymo said. “Come, let us leave them to theirs.”
As it turned out, exactly two dozen adventurers from Revenant’s Toll arrived at the Sons of St. Coinach about an hour later. The Warriors of Light were eight of that number, of course, but as R’nyath looked around, he was surprised by a few things. Firstly, there were at least four other Au Ra in Eorzea besides Achiyo now, two women and two men. Secondly, there were a lot of handsome young adventurers of both genders in Mor Dhona at present. How much had their story inspired others in recent months? The regular adventurers seemed shy to talk with them, however. He’d have to take some initiative, there were a few he’d love to approach.
At St. Coinach’s, they were met by a bespectacled Roegadyn named Rammbroes, and Cid Garlond. Not to mention a really sexy red-headed Miqo’te archer and a pair of unusual-looking Hyur in unusual-looking gear. “Glad to have you aboard, everyone! So good of you all to turn up at short notice. I will admit we’ve a situation, so if you don’t mind, I’ll cut to the chase…”
“What’s he doing here!?” R’nyath blurted out, pointing at the bored-looking blond man in the raggedy jacket leaning against some ancient pillar in the background.
Nero tol Scaeva turned and made a supremely sardonic bow to them, straightening with a toothy smile. “Come now, my dear Warrior of Light. The past is in the past, and yesterday’s enemies can yet be today’s friends. I am but a regular itinerant of Eorzea now, and but a simple helper on this mission – the details of which, unless I’m mistaken, you remain entirely ignorant of?”
R’nyath made a horrible face at the Garlean, but Cid interrupted him. “I’m afraid it’s so… for now. Don’t worry, I have no intention of trusting him. And he might prove slightly useful… Now, as I was saying…”
Cid explained everything, which took some time. R’nyath still didn’t really understand some bits, but the red-headed Miqo’te was introduced as G’raha Tia, a Student of Baldesion, so he figured he’d be able to ask for particulars quite easily. More shockingly, the Hyuran man and woman were introduced as clones of Allagan royalty? Hard to believe, but if Cid said so, it must be so. Anyway, the gist of it was that they’d managed to unlock the facility in front of the tower, which had released Unei and Doga, the clones, but had also potentially allowed for the escape of the horrible booby traps and chimerically-designed monsters within, not to mention the reborn Emperor Xande, who wanted to conquer the world. Again.
He thought he understood the what, even if the how escaped him at present, it was just… so incredibly outlandish. Perhaps he’d feel it more when he was in the thick of battle against these creatures.
In the meantime, the adventurers were getting organised. “How do we organize this crew?” Chuchupa asked. “All as a mob, or broken up?”
“I think it would be more manageable if we were to split into three teams of eight,” Kekeniro said. His lady, Lylydi, was in the group, and had taken a protective spot by his side. She looked bright and ready for action. “Achiyo will lead the first group, of course, but Chuchupa and Vivienne I would suggest lead the other two, and then we will be able to communicate well while we’re inside.”
Chuchupa grinned. “Got it! Who’re my healers?”
“I’m going with Achiyo,” Rinala said.
“And I’m going with Vivienne,” Aentfryn said.
“I’m a doctor, I guess,” said one of the Au Ra that R’nyath had spotted earlier. Like Achiyo, she had white horns and tail, but she had light blonde hair framing her cute face. She had an eyebrow raised and a hand on her hip. Sassy! “Naomi Ida.”
“Ye dress and talk like ye’re from Limsa, but I never saw ye before,” Chuchupa said suspiciously.
Naomi snorted. “I don’t know what to tell you, I’ve lived there my whole life. I don’t care if you believe me or not.”
“You should get together with Achiyo!” said a rather petite, brown-haired Elezen woman, beaming at Naomi. She was still taller than R’nyath, just… less taller. “You’re both Au Ra, right?”
Naomi and Achiyo looked at each other; Achiyo’s face was uncertain, and Naomi’s was disdainful. “I really doubt we have much in common, Yllamse,” Naomi said.
“Since when did that stop anyone from making friends?” asked one of the other Au Ra, a man also with white horns and tail and a stylish black coat. “I’m Garth, in case anyone’s wondering.”
“Nice to meet ya!” Yllamse said, beaming equally broadly at him.
While they were sorting out another round of healers, R’nyath had caught sight of something red-headed half-hiding behind Aentfryn – and it wasn’t that sexy scholar. He pounced. “What the hells are you doing here, brother!?”
“Augh! Gerroff! I’m here to help!” R’inwa wailed.
“You’re supposed to be back with the Scions!”
“But-! I asked! Minfilia said it was okay!”
R’nyath opened his mouth to protest more, then stopped. Dammit, the boy was getting good at forestalling his objections. “Did she?” R’inwa nodded. “I won’t get back and find you’re fired for shirking your duties?” R’inwa shook his head.
“Problem?” Kekeniro asked mildly.
R’nyath shook his own head. “Nah, but whatever party you put me in, my brother’s going with me.”
“That’s… fair,” R’inwa said.
He cast a sideways glance at his little brother anyway. He hadn’t wanted to babysit while he was also simultaneously working and trying to get further acquainted with… everyone, actually, but particularly Naomi, and G’raha, and the other lovely Raen girl who hadn’t spoken yet. He trusted R’inwa’s skill at archery, but was he ready for this sort of pressure?
Actually, were any of them?
“It’s nice to see you again,” Lylydi said to Kekeniro, hugging his arm and leaning her pretty, green-haired head on his shoulder. “I’m looking forward to seeing you in action again!”
Kekeniro laughed self-consciously. “I’m looking forward to seeing you in action, too. But I’m just glad you’re here. How did you find out? I know I’ve been terrible about sending letters.”
“It’s not like the post is terribly regular out to Forgotten Springs, so I forgive you. This time. But I heard from Kane that the Scions had moved to Mor Dhona, and after discouraging more of my uncle’s henchmen from trying to take my estate, I came to see what it was like…”
“You were attacked again!?” Kekeniro jumped and turned to look at her anxiously.
She squeezed his arm. “Re-lax, it’s nothing we couldn’t handle, Kane and Cent nearly had them packing before I even intervened. We don’t need your tactical genius to defend my own home. Speaking of which, this is the largest group you’ll have ever worked with, isn’t it?”
“Yes. I’m a little nervous.”
“Don’t be! You’ll be brilliant, as usual.” She grinned, blue eyes sparkling. “I can’t wait! No matter how deadly these ancient traps, you’ll figure them out and bring them down with your usual artistic flair.”
“I wouldn’t go that far… And I don’t even know half the people that I’m going to be working with.”
“Have you tried asking Tam?”
“Tam? Why?”
“He seems to know a lot of them. Didn’t you notice?”
“Er…”
Suddenly her arms were empty as her boyfriend scooted off in the direction of a tall purple Elezen. She watched him go, following at a casual pace, grinning to herself. He was so adorable when he was focused. Or confused. Or embarrassed.
She caught snatches of their conversation. “Whatever you do, don’t put Yllamse in charge of anything,” Tam was saying. “Girl’s more out of it than a fish up a tree. Just tell her what you need punched, and do it quickly, or else she’ll punch anything. Probably me.”
“Mmhmm, mmhmm.”
“Khem, that dark-spiky-haired Duskwight over there, you can trust to do just about anything. Fellow’s obliging, easy-going, and competent. Garth is also obliging and competent, but we’re in a bit of a competition to see who’s stronger.”
“So I should put you near each other to maximize your effectiveness?”
“That’s one way to put it…”
Lylydi trotted up to them and kissed Kekeniro on the cheek and watched him turn bright red. “See? Tam knows everyone!”
“How do you know everyone?” Kekeniro asked curiously, looking up from the notes he’d scribbled in the back of his grimoire, blush still suffusing his face.
Tam grinned. “Oh, you know. Wandering around, bumping into people. Like your lady there. Is that all you need?”
“Thank you for telling me,” Kekeniro said sincerely, but from how he’d complained about Tam before, Lylydi got the sense that he was still thinking ‘instead of being conveniently mysterious as always’.
Tam bowed. “I know how you work.”
When the Elezen had turned away, Kekeniro gave Lylydi a quick peck back. “Thanks for the suggestion. What would I do without you?”
“Without me, we’d both be lonely,” she told him.
“But you have your retainers-”
“And they’re lovely folk, but they aren’t you, my darling. Now let’s go kill some monsters!”
“Ah! Wait! We’re not ready to go yet!”
R’nyath was finding it more difficult to catch up to G’raha than he’d expected. Naomi had sent him packing swiftly, and Meanna, the other Raen girl, had stared at him somewhat blankly before her Miqo’te companion had told him to get lost, with a “don’t bother my sister, ser!” Which had piqued his interest, of course, it wasn’t every day you saw an Au Ra and a Miqo’te in one family, and he wondered which one was adopted, if not both, or maybe they were step-siblings, but something told him it wasn’t time to ask questions yet. Also, it was a little discouraging. He hadn’t even led with the cheesy pick-up lines, just tried to introduce himself. After all, if they weren’t interested in potential romance, they might be interested in just being friends! But apparently they were wary of both outcomes. Oh well. He’d try again in a day or two.
Which left G’raha, who was proving oddly elusive. R’nyath was certain he was around, but he just couldn’t find him. And time was running out before they would set off into the Crystal Tower, without the researchers, which included G’raha. Come on, how hard was it to introduce one’s self to a guy before going off to cheat certain death again?
Eventually he asked, and Doga pointed vaguely in the direction of the tower. R’nyath thanked him and walked into the crystalline wilderness, moving cautiously past the gigas giants in the area. They were keeping to themselves today, aware that there were more adventurers around than normal, but they were watching and he didn’t want to make himself a target.
The front gate of the tower was grey, bare stone, hewn in massive blocks that had become weathered around the edges. After five thousand years, it was understandable, but he wondered why the tower was of crystal and gold and its entranceway was not. Some statues lay crumbled on the ground, and their destruction looked recent, with sharp edges jutting out and dust that hadn’t yet blown away. Up ahead, there were stairs up to some kind of teleporting-looking thing, and a platform jutting out over a deep wide chasm between them and the tower. There was still no sign of G’raha.
R’nyath sighed dejectedly after surveying the pretty tower for a moment and was going to turn back when someone spoke. “You’re out here all alone, aren’t you?”
“Doesn’t sound like I’m alone, if you’re here,” R’nyath retorted, tail stiff and low. “What do you want?”
There was a pause. “Nothing you’re not interested in giving me.”
He really couldn’t tell where the voice was coming from. It must have been bouncing off the stones – acoustics was one of his interests – and completely masking the speaker’s location. He frowned to himself. “Do you actually want anything, or are you just stringing me along?”
“I actually wanted some time to think, but since you’re here, you may as well help me fight the monster you brought along.”
R’nyath spun, grabbing for his bow, and found a gigas had followed him surprisingly quietly. As he made eye contact, it bellowed and charged. He gave a short laugh and whirled around the teleporter out of range of the tree-trunk club, then popped off a couple arrows in return. They struck the gigas in the arm, and it roared again, realigning itself for another attack. He jumped down the stairs to where the dance floor was a bit more spacious, vaulting one-handed over a piece of statue as the gigas whistled by him. More arrows were zinging out at it from higher up, and he glanced up momentarily to see red hair and a fierce grin.
“Fancy meeting you here,” R’nyath teased as G’raha jumped down to his level. Interesting; he was a leftie with his bow. G’raha smirked back, and then they had to run in opposite directions as the gigas swung vertically to smash them.
He fired again from a relatively safe position, but the creature wasn’t badly hurt by his arrows. “You won’t kill it like that!” G’raha told him.
“I’m aware,” R’nyath called back, shaking the hair out of his eyes and firing again. “But I’m so sad I don’t have its attention. I want its love! Particularly that stunning gaze! Be a dear and help me out, would you?”
“It would be my pleasure,” G’raha answered, not sounding particularly out of breath at all. “Heading your way!”
That Miqo’te could run, and looked damn fine while doing so, but R’nyath could only spare him a tiny amount of his attention; he was tracking the beast’s eyes. Just a bit more… a bit more… okay that was too close… He unleashed anyway, recklessly, and his arrows pierced both eyes simultaneously. It grunted, swayed, and collapsed before them. He jumped away before it landed on him, colliding with something both soft and sturdy, something that caught him and held him steady.
He glanced up at his rescuer saucily, his tail only slightly fluffed after all that. “We make a good team.”
“Perhaps we do,” G’raha said, returning the look and setting him on his feet. Rowr. “I don’t think I could have made such a shot. Is that why they call you a Warrior of Light, R’nyath Tia?”
R’nyath shrugged and rolled his shoulders. “I’m just lucky, I guess.”
They both paused, awkwardly, then G’raha tilted his head inquisitively. “Were you stalking me?”
R’nyath’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t know, were you stalking me?”
G’raha’s cheeks turned a little bit pink. “At first I came out here to think, like I said. But then I saw you and… maybe I did, a little. Is that a problem?”
The smile he gave him was far too involuntary. Play it cooler. “I like it. But if you’d like some peace, I can leave you be. Or perhaps I can listen, if you care to think out loud-”
He was interrupted by the approach of the adventurers’ band. “So this is where ye were,” Chuchupa said loudly, hefting her axe on her shoulder. “Should’ve known.”
R’nyath bowed. “My apologies for any inconvenience I’ve caused you. Are we going in?”
“Aye. G’raha, Cid wants to see you.”
G’raha sighed. “Of course he does. I would that I could go with you, but Master Garlond said no and he has good reason… I suppose… But when you are reasonably certain the maze is secure, contact me via linkshell and we shall join you posthaste – no matter what Master Garlond says!”
“You got it,” R’nyath said, tapping his linkpearl ear.
G’raha smiled. “Well then, R’nyath, I’ll see you afterwards.”
“This evening, then!”
He hated to see him leave, but he loved to watch him go, to use an old cliché. Vivienne swatted him in the back of the head well before G’raha was out of sight around the corner of the trail. “Pay attention, love-struck fool. We’re going in now.”
“I beg your pardon, but you’re not my team leader,” R’nyath sassed back. “If you’re in such a hurry to go in, by all means, I’ll be behind you, somewhere.”
She grunted at him and stomped towards the teleporter.