Kida and Azlyn looked between each other, smiling at the good news. That week had been quite a setback, given the amount of work and activity they were given to supplement. Buscarron could see their relief on their faces.

“It’s taken us a fair old while, but we’ve finally got our hands on some reliable information concerning the whereabouts of your missing green friend.”

Kida pointed to him with her finger. “I would hope so with all that running around! So lay it on us, what’s the scoop!”

The proprietor looked ready to begin, except a male’s voice interjected. “Ahem!” 

They all looked over to see Roll walking in with both Yda and Papalymo. The Lalafell Thaumaturge looked upon them all, catching the last bit that Buscarron had stated. “His name is Frixio, and he is the eldest amongst the sylphs of Little Solace. Long has he represented his kind in dialogue with the Gridanians.” 

Kida leaned back against the counter, “I think Papalymo stole your thunder Buscarron.” She grinned as the man with the eyepatch shrugged.

Yda stopped in front of the duo by the counter. She explained earnestly. “Yes, he’s like a bridge between us and them—a small, leafy, green bridge that we can’t find at the moment. And bridges are no use if you know know where they are. That’s why it’s so important that we find him!”

Roll shrugged as she rejoined the conversation. “I saw them walking around, and so I debriefed them on what we’ve been doing.” 

Azlyn smiled. “Buscarron was going to tell us where he was at until you interrupted.” She tried to be polite about it, only for the pair to look to the proprietor at the news. 

“Where?!” They both exclaimed. 

Buscarron looked to Kida, leaning on the counter. “There’s an abandoned dungeon called the Thousand Maws of Toto-Rak here in the South Shroud. ‘Twas by the entrance to the place that Frixio was seen—and not long ago, neither. If you hurry, I reckon you’ll find him.” 

Papalymo curried their attention once more, he waved his staff in the air. “Then what are we waiting for! Let us be on our way!” 

Yda cheered. 

Roll crossed her arms. “You mean we three will—“

A piercing shout of surprise came by the front of the establishment that stopped them in their tracks. All of them, Buscarron included, looked over to see a guard fall over and a medium sized green sylph with numerous injuries floated in. They seemed at a loss until the sylph spotted their large group. Hurriedly, she flew over. “Walking ones! Walking ones, please help this one! This one needs help! Needs helps to elder one! Poor Frixio, Poor, poor Frixio!” The green sylph weeped into their small hands. 

Buscarron lifted up both of his hands, trying to calm the frantic sylph down. “Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hoooold your chocobos and take a deep breath. Tell us whaat’s wrong, nice and slow.”

The sylph sniffed, wiping their black eyes with it’s hands. “Elder one—elder one went into Toto-Rak, but has not returned! This one is worried, so very worried!”

Kida looked to Azlyn and Roll. “Huge coincidence, but I’ll take it.” 

Roll agreed. “Indeed.”

Buscarron crossed his arms over his chest, straightening up from the bar. “And you’re right to be. That place fair crawls with nasties waiting to make a meal of anyone daft enough to wander in.” He stared to the sylph crying. “What in the seven hells was he thinking, entering that bloody death trap?”

The sylph shook their head. They explained slowly for them to understand. “Elder one had no choice! Imperial ones were chasing elder one! Oh please! Walking ones must help elder one—help elder one now!” 

Papalymo bit his thumb, worrying about the new strange turn of events. “The fates conspire against us. Forgive my pragmatism, but Frixio is our best hope of reaching an accord with the sylphs. Were we to lose him, all our efforts thus will have been for naught.” The Lalafell sighed, before looking to the injured sylph. “I will tend to her wounds. Yda, make haste to Adders’ Nest and request assistance.” 

Yda was already out the door yelling, “Understood!”

It was then that Papalymo turned to the three of them. “Azlyn, Roll, Kida—go to the Thousand Maws of Toto-Rak and see that Frixio comes to no harm. Peace between man and sylph rests upon your success!”

The three of them spared each other the looks, all nodding to his directive. Buscarron pointed north. “You’ll find the entrance up there. Be safe you three—it’s not a safe place to be.”

They gave him a half-committed salute before bolting out from the establishment. If what that injured sylph said was true, then this Frixio was at the hands of Fate—and whatever laid within the dungeon. Azlyn brought forth her sword and shield, thinking it’d be best to run as an offensive role. Roll prepared her cards along the way, and Kida made sure she had plenty of ammo. They raced through the woods, finding a separate path that led north into a Cliffside. A posted guard stood in front of a locked gate, possibly the entrance to Toto-rak itself. 

Azlyn skidded to a halt in front of him. Wheezing, she pointed to the gate to allow them in. “Please—there’s trouble inside.” 

The guard shook his head. “By order of the Elder Seedseer, the dungeon known as the Thousand Maws of Toto-Rak has been placed under the control of—“

Kida interrupted him with a quick yelp. “Frixio, the sylph elder is inside possibly being mauled to death and you’re telling us we can’t go in to save him!?”

Roll calmly attempted to resolve the situation. “Sir, your name? I am Captain Roll from the Order of the Twin Adder. We are on a mission to find and rescue a sylph emissary who had been chased into the dungeon.” 

“I’m Bloisirant, guardkeeper of the dungeon, however if what you say is true...” He frowned, looking to the gate. “Are you all sure of this? How in the seven hells did he manage to sneak by? Gods strike me down for a purblind fool!” He walked over to the gate, unlocking it for them to go inside. Roll walked in first, followed by Kida. Azlyn was the last one to head in, before Bloisirant reached out to grab her by the arm. He regarded her closely. “You must find the sylph elder before he falls prey to the fiends within. It’s ordinarily restricted to enter, but these are exceptional conditions. Be safe you three.” 

The girls nodded, and he finally released her from his grasp. He held the key up for the gate. “I’ll be here all night, so don’t worry about getting locked in. I won’t move until you’ve returned.” 

Azlyn smiled. “Thank you. We shall return.” 

Then she ran inside. Roll and Kida picked up on her pace, rushing into the dark caverns that winded into several long paths. They were overridden by large encompassing weeds, strange glowing fluorescents, and many hostile creatures. What had been once a dungeon before had been overrun, broken fragments of what the prison used to be. Nature had taken it’s course, adhering to the more deadlier side as the air was rank with poison spores. 

Roll lifted a handkerchief to her face. “No wonder the Elder Seedseer made this place off limits. We need to proceed with caution.” 

Kida started to scan the area, but had no luck. “We’ll need to scour this entire place until we find the elder.”

Azlyn led their party forward, past the cobbled stones where they fought flying pteroc’s, ochu’s filling the air with poison gases, and maneating flowers that spat volleys of seeds upon them. She missed having a party of four, but given their current situation, they couldn’t wait for an adventurer from the adventuring guild to meet with them. Not only that, but to expose someone to this kind of danger gave the three of them a sour taste in their mouths. 

When they first came upon the first set of banemites, Azlyn raised her sword and shield. 

Kida smirked. “You okay Azlyn? You’re looking tense.” 

Azlyn slowly edged to them, her face contorted. “You know how much I hate bugs.” She swung her sword in a wide berth before she gave up. 

“Your hate must be great.” Roll explained, watching as Azlyn hacked and slew the bugs that rushed them. After taking care of the small pockets of monsters, they found strange glowing magic cells that collected into their hands. Kida had been the person to hold onto them, lightly poking them with her finger as they went. 

Along the way, they found some worn out notes hammered into the wall. 

They looked to the bobbing green light that Kida was poking. “Perhaps this is that magitek protocel?” Azlyn crossed her arms. “Well, let’s collect any we find. Maybe it’ll open a door or mechanism further inside?” 

They agreed, deciding to push on ahead. They worked their way through, checking all of the rooms calling out Frixio’s name. Even if the sylph was present, they weren’t making their presence known. They pushed forward, until they found themselves in a room, a blue circular pattern on the floor, and a blue shield blocking one path. This was the second time they arrived back to this room, as the first time, they took the open route, only to collect more of those magitek protocels and be wrapped back around. Kida walked over to the blue circle. 

“I don’t know guys, if we can’t find a way to open this shield—we may not even be able to save—much less find this sylph.” The four protocels in her hands started to bob and weave in her hand, before they floated one by one into the blue circle. They aligned themselves to the groves in ground, and the shield started to dissipate. 

Kida whistled. “Well I’ll be.” 

A rustling of noises could be heard beyond the path, and all three of them prepared for the worst. It was then that a large Oahu appeared, thrashing heavily into the walls and barreling straight at them. It stopped in the center of the room, before it started to spray out it’s poisonous gas into the area. All of the began to violently cough. 

“Azlyn...chop it down...before it poisons us...further.” Roll struggled to speak behind her handkerchief, her hands were already reaching for several tarot cards to heal them. 

Kida reached into her satchel for her antidotes. Taking one, she wiped the sweat from her eyes, and launched several arrows into the creature. Azlyn bashed it with her shield, and started to hack and slash until it was nothing more than a rubble of fleshy plant bits and leaves. 

Roll let a cleansing wave of healing energy surround them. “No sign of Frixio.” 

Azlyn coughed. “We keep going.” 

The further they went in, they continued to find those magitek protocels, and again had to use it on the same blue circular device on the ground in an open room beyond. They were inside for more than an hour now, and the further they went in, the further it looked from a dungeon and more like a banemite’s den. There were tons of webs, with pockets of spun and woven banemite captured foods to enjoy and digest at a later date. They took care of whatever banemites, maneating flowers, and poisonous bulbs that they could before pressing onward, and still they were no closer to finding Frixio. 

Kida poked one of the poison pods, and they watched as it exploded on contact. As the gas of poison spread out to each, Roll quickly cast a spell to alleviate the ailment. 

“Hey guys,” Kida announced, coughing loudly, “Don’t touch these.” 

Roll nodded, holding her astronometer close to her side. “I agree.” 

One of the paths they followed had neon green fluid that stuck to the bottom of their soles, toxic vomit from the banemites to slow their prey. They threaded cautiously, hopping over the puddles and opening the webs on the walls using their ranged magicks. The paths led in a linear fashion now, not like they were in the beginning where they wrapped in loops. 

Azlyn led them forward, as they broke through the last heavy wall of webs into a large cavern filled with webs, banemites, and toxic green ooze. Kida pointed to the center of the room, drawing their attention to a black hooded figure standing alone in the dark space. 

Only for all of them to grip their heads in grimace. Kida and Roll groaned, as Azlyn squeezed her eyes shut. A voice rang in her ears. 

Darkness

Azlyn looked to her cousin and friend, before turning to look at the black hooded figure. His back was toward them, not acknowledging their presence. That was, until that moment. Slowly he turned, his hood covered most of his face—but his peculiar red mask protected his upper face from view. Azlyn had seen this type of person before—similar to the one in Swiftperch. This must be a paragon. 

Kida groaned. “Who was that speaking?”

Roll winced. “Why did that hurt?” 

Azlyn narrowed her eyes, as she looked to the Ascian before them. Before she could ask him what he was doing there, he started to laugh at them. 

“The mighty slayer of Ifrit comes now to me.” 

Azlyn widened her eyes, more surprised at how she was able to understand him. Kida and Roll also seemed to understand what he was speaking. 

“The hell?”

The Ascian continued to stare at Azlyn. “With a countenance that beseeches understanding. An intriguing power, the Echo, I must needs choose my words with care.” 

Roll looked to her cousin as Azlyn continued to widen her eyes. “Do you know him?” 

Azlyn shook her head, but kept her eyes trained on him. She was afraid he was up to no good, especially since she recognized his voice. She thought she’d heard that laugh before. Her mind went back to Carteneau, that day when the vision took her to the mountain. His laughter, the way he spoke to his companion. She remembered all of it—and could now understand what he said that day. She clenched her fists together, as she narrowed her eyes. 

The man spoke once more, a disconcerting tone. “Mayhap I might if I deign to speak in my guest’s crude tongue. We meet at last.” He gave her and her party a small bow, his right arm tucked in front of his body as he lowered at the waist. He quickly brought himself back up. “I am Lahabrea of The Ascians, servant to the one true god. I must admit, you have the most fantastical tale. A truly absorbing one.” 

She grimaced as he did not once tried to look upon Kida and Roll. This man, Lahabrea, was truly fascinated with her. She took a tiny step back. 

Lahabrea continued despite her reluctance. “It is a tale to tell Eorzea’s children before bedtime. And it will soon be dark—Bringer of Light.” He grinned maliciously. 

The Dark Minions

The woman’s voice pierced their ears once more, causing all of the girls to look around. Azlyn narrowed her eyes. She knew that voice now. This was Hydaelyn speaking to them—to all of them. 

Lahabrea spoke calmly. “All that stands between this world and darkness is an irksome anomaly in the aether—the Echo. Yes, yours is a most fascinating tale. Alas like all good tales, it must needs come to an end. But fear not.” He outstretched his arm backward, toward the back wall as he started to produce a dark aether in his hand. The energy seeping from his hand spilled forth, and into a medium sized banemite climbing on the wall. The creature roared as it was imbued with dark power. 

Hear. Feel. The presence of...evil... 

The masked Ascian lifted his head up to them, a smirk playing on his lips. “For the end of your tale is but the beginning of another—The tale of the Crystal’s demise!” He sinisterly laughed, as a massive confluence of dark aether converged around him and spilled into the room. Kida and Roll scooted toward Azlyn as the dark matter soon blocked their way of exit. 

Azlyn looked to Lahabrea, as his body lifted up, his mask glowed a bright red, his arm raised higher in the air. She grimaced, but not because of their blocked exit but of the dark enhanced banemite. It dropped down from the ceiling, larger, as it’s tail and fangs dripped and oozed in venom. She drew forth her sword and shield, yelling to her party. “Get your weapons ready!” 

Lahabrea disappeared in a dark portal, and out from the room, leaving them with a massively large banemite with a large scorpion-like tail. It’s thirteen eyes glowed a violent hue of red as it roared in anger. 

Azlyn drew the attention of the enlarged Banemite to the opposite end of the room, keeping an eye on the toxic ooze outside of the circular stone. She diverted it’s attention using provoking tactics and slashing at it’s eyes. She gouged three of them, before finding her defending her sides from it’s claw-like pincers. 

Kida and Roll were focusing on the tail, as it was spewing venom and poison into pockets on the ground. They were slowly taking off chunks of it’s skin with their set skills—only for more reinforcements to show up. Bulkier banemites appeared, as Kida and Roll found themselves pressed to fight off these adds first. Which left Azlyn to contend with the bigger one. She already felt weaker, as the noxious fumes from the toxic green started to drain her. She shook her head of it, yelling as she started to hack and slash once more. 

“We—won’t—end—here!” Azlyn called, hoping to rally her friends so that they wouldn’t lose hope. The two adds dead, they rejoined the fight, using all of their attacks on the creature’s backside—attacking everything from it’s legs to it’s tail. It’s scaly-like skin broke on one of the legs, causing Kida to launch several precise arrows to hit the weak point. 

The creature cried in pain, limping at the lost usage of it’s leg. Azlyn jumped up, stabbing her sword once more into the Banemites face from a different angle. She had her shield up and ready, as it brought it’s tail down to try and sting her. Her shield took most of the impact, denting heavily as it struck once—twice—three times. 

The fourth time to tried to sting her, the shield actually broke. The stinger piercing through the metal and ripping the shield from her arm. A gaping wound formed on her arm, as Azlyn continued to stab the creature. She could feel that it was on it’s last leg. 

Roll yelled over to her. “When I say jump, you have to jump!” 

Azlyn looked to her cousin, “Okay!”

Kida readied an arrow, shooting at it’s back legs once more. As it went off to limp again, Azlyn stabbed it in it’s bleeding orifices. 

“Jump!”

Azlyn leapt off the side, seeing the tail trying to strike her where she stood on it’s head, only for it to stab itself. The creature cried out in pain, slumping down and finally disappearing in a poof of dark aether. 

Roll and Kida smacked each other’s hands together as they celebrated victory. 

“Awesome!” 

“Heh.” 

The two looked around the room. Kida found the discard shield on the ground, but couldn’t see Azlyn. “Azlyn?” 

They turned around, seeing just outside the circular stone where Azlyn was stuck in the green goo. She’d fallen sideways into it, and was having a tough time pulling herself out. Her shield was no good, and her sword was now knee deep in the disgusting toxin. She looked like she’d seen better days. 

With green ooze in her hair, she looked to them for help.

They ran over to her, grabbing a long stick for her to pluck herself out from the trap. When she was finally free, she spat to the side. “Ugh—I accidentally swallowed some of that.”

Kida spoke to her. “You probably shouldn’t do that.” 

Roll casted a few spells over her, while Kida gave her several potions and antidotes. 

“Drink all of these—no, not another word—drink.” 

Azlyn popped the cork off of one and started to chug, the awful taste of the green ooze still lingered on her lips. As she downed the last bottle handed to her, she found Kida and Roll scanning the area. 

“Any luck?” 

“None.” Roll replied, crossing her arms. 

“Frixio!” Kida yelled into the open cavern. There was no other way to go—and they scoured all through out the dungeon. If the sylph wasn’t there, then they weren’t there.

Something cracked from up above, and a pod dropped down from the ceiling. The three of them jumped back, Azlyn raised her fists up in defense, while Kida notched an arrow. Roll raised her astronometer as the pod started to shake apart. 

Only for a sylph to appear. It’s pale green attire, small reading glasses on it’s small beady nose. They had a tall windy hairstyle that oddly reminded Azlyn of an ice cream cone. All of them relaxed their posture. 

The mysterious sylph gasped for air. “Finally, fresh air.” 

“Frixio?” Azlyn called out to them, hoping they found the elder sylph. 

The sylph turned toward them, still sniffing the air. “Mayhap not so fresh, but better than before. Ah thank you!” The sylph smiled to them. “Sinister one is gone, and this one is free to leave this awful place! This one is most grateful for vanquishing many legged one.” They clasped their hands together. 

Kida smiled. “Glad you’re okay!” 

The elder sylph nodded. “This one is called Frixio, eldest of these ones in Little Solace.” 

Roll and Kida both approached Frixio, joining him in conversation, however Azlyn gripped her head in pain. She could feel a vision start to take her consciousness as she crumbled to the ground. She could remember the frightened looks on her friends faces as her vision darkened. 

Azlyn found herself in Little Solace as she watched an entire brigade of imperial soldiers appear in the dead of night. A group stopped in front of what she assumed would be their captain, clad in red steel. 

“Alpha squad reporting in, sir! Nothing of note at Larkscall, sir!!” 

The leader of the squads looked to the side. “Understood. Return to area twelve. Damn it all—where is that accursed ikon hiding?”

Azlyn heard the heavy footfalls of another approaching, a tall steel-clad personnel walked to them. She could he from the intricate detail in his red and gold armor that he was an upper brass of the military. Possibly even a Legatus. The helmet covered all of their face, making it hard to discern if it was a male of female. That was, until they spoke. 

“No sign of our wizened friend?” The man in red and gold armor asked. 

The other soldiers and guards snapped to attention. 

“I’m afraid not, my lord! Shall I order that the search perimeter be expanded?” The Imperial Captain stood still. 

“Absolutely not. We risk alerting the Gridanians to our presence. His Excellency his us avoid unnecessary confrontation. Loath though I am to admit it, I have found no evidence to suggest that Ramuh will be gracing the mortal realm in the near future.” The Lord Legatus bid his men. “I ask you, what good is a god who does not grants one’s wishes? Were I a sylph, I should strongly consider finding myself another idol. Which reminds me—what of the sylphs we captured? A handful of them seemed to be in reasonably good health when I lost looked.”

The captain shook his head. “Ah, A-apologies, my lord I fear we may have been overzealous in our efforts to compel them to summon their eikon.”

The Lord seemed displeased as he sighed loudly. “Really Centurion. Were you not aware that vegetables bruise easily? It is well that I did not entrust you with the important task of making my dinner.” He shrugged his shoulders. “Mayhap it was a kindness. Better dead in truth than dead to one’s own god, I suppose—if you believe in such things.” The Lord looked to the brightening skies, as dawn started to creep upon them. “Dawn is upon us. Make ready to withdraw.” 

The officers and soldiers saluted, before running out from Little Solace. The Lord remained behind, calling them useless. Azlyn kept watch on him as he spoke to himself. 

“We are so close to completion. I can fair taste it, but at this rate—no I must be patient. our efforts will bear fruit in due time. What was it you always said? Ahh—yes, ‘Though it mean bringing down the very heavens, who shall challenge the limits of possibility if not we?’ In that alone were you right Garlond.” The Lord looked down to the paved road, and then back up to the sky. Azlyn could sense a sort of—growing envy about him, as he mentioned Garlond. Whoever this person was, they were at odds with this Lord. Or vice versa. “But your star is long fallen, while mine does begin to rise. And it shall burn so bright—so bright that Lord van Baelsar’s ultimate weapon will seem a mere candle beside it.” The Lord started laughing walking away into the early dawn. 

The vision shifted to beyond the trees, where she spied a sylph watching with Frixio at their side. It happened to be the same sylph who ran into Buscarron’s Druthers earlier that day, Azlyn recognized that leaf face anywhere. 

The one with the leaf face looked worried. “Those walking ones did for Noraxia. This one is certain of it.” 

Frixio watched with a keen eye. “This one fears that other taken ones also suffered the same fate.”

The one who called itself Noraxia spoke. “This one is convinced walking ones have black hearts, seek only to harm these ones. Walking ones are not to be trusted!”

“Now, now.” Frixio went to calm down their sylph companion. “Noraxia, do not pass judgement too hastily. Not all walking ones are alike. Though there are evils ones among the walking ones, there are good ones also.”

Azlyn found herself laying down on the cold paved ground, she felt someone fanning her face as she started to rouse. Slowly, she opened her eyes to see Roll waving a small fan over her. “You fainted from fever.”

“It wasn’t that.” Azlyn groaned, pulling herself up into a sitting position. Her head was throbbing. 

Kida and Frixio were looking at her from above. “Is this walking one alright? Not taken in by noxious fumes?” 

Kida frowned. “You’re really pale Azlyn, you sure you’re okay?” 

Azlyn nodded, “Frixio you were witness to an entire brigade of imperial soldiers before. Some captured your people and harmed them in hopes they would summon Ramuh.” 

Roll and Kida gave her a strange and perplexed look. 

“This one does know of which you speak. What brings walking one to this place?” 

Kida looked between them. “We’re here to rescue you Frixio. The fate of Little Solace and Gridanian affairs are at a loss without you.” 

Azlyn rubbed her head. “Noraxia bid us to find you. They were worried for you.” 

Frixio smiled to them. “Came to this one’s rescue at Noraxia’s bidding? Then this one owes walking ones a debt of gratitude. And walking ones has questions on Lord Ramuh? Then this one will provide answers.” The elder sylph twirled once in delight to them. “But first, let these ones quit this lightless place. This one will return to Little Solace. When walking one is ready, please come and see this one. These ones may speak properly then.” 

Azlyn gave a weak smile. “That sounds lovely. Thank you.” 

Roll stood up from the ground, wiping the front of her dress from the green goo that was in Azlyn’s hair. They watched Frixio fly off into the now safe dungeon of Toto-Rak before turning to their companion that had fainted. 

“How’d you know that other sylph’s name?” Kida asked immediately. 

Roll merely crossed her arms. “Ah. I think I know.”

Azlyn nodded. “I saw it in a vision. Sorry, my head is really hurting. Can we quit this place?” 

They agreed, following the Elder sylph. Azlyn had many questions. Ones especially dealing with the Garlean’s and this new ‘ultimate weapon’ Lord van Baelsar had at his disposal. The only thing that didn’t make sense to her was why the Garleans were so fixated with the summoning of the primals. It didn’t make sense with their Modus Operandi up to that point. 

It was a strange vision, but it gave her quite a bit of insight which she shared with her friends once they were outside the dungeon. With Frixio saved, all that was left was to report back into Druthers where Yda and Papalymo would be located. 

Achingly, Azlyn walked back with Roll and Kida supporting her. Her body was still heavy from all that toxic green goo she fell in.