Buscarron gave them a hard look as they stumbled into his bar, he waited until Azlyn had been given a bar stool at his counter before asking. “Tell me the sylph elder is well.”
Kida nodded happily, “They’re currently on the way back to Little Solace as we speak! Where’s Yda and Papalymo?” She looked around the bar but did not see them present.
Roll leaned up against the counter, her eyes trained on her cousin. “I don’t see the other sylph—Noraxia? Maybe they escorted her back to Little Solace after tending her wounds.”
Buscarron spoke with some relief in his voice. “I don’t rightly know what to make of the rest of your tale, given your current disposition, but I’m full glad Frixio didn’t come to any harm.” He scratched the back of his head, wondering about something. “But there I go again, tempting fate. Run over to Little Solace and secure our peace with the sylphs before aught else befalls us. Rest assured, I’ll send word to our friends of Sharlayan and the Twin Adder both.” When he winked to Roll who had written their report the last time, and she gave him a small chuckle in return. It was her simple, one sounded laugh that would easily be missed if one wasn’t paying attention.
Kida tapped on the bar following the beat of music from the band in the corner. She spoke to Buscarron earnestly. “Do you have a pick me up for Azlyn here?”
He frowned, “Hang on, I might have something to remedy this.” He reached under her bar, pulling a bottle of medicine. “This drought should help remedy any aches and ails you have.” He poured a small portion into a small four ounce cup for her to drink.
Azlyn lifted the glass, hoping it wouldn’t taste horrendous, only to find out that it did. She licked her lips in disgust as she finished the concoction. “It’s horrid.”
Buscarron smiled, “That’s how you know it’ll work. You’ve earned yourselves a place of honor at the Druther’s by the great service you all have done for Gridania. Be sure to come by whenever you feel like a drop of Qiqirn firewater.” Then he produced a bottle of liquid, passing it to Roll. “And be sure to pass this along to the sylphs—as a peace offering. Be safe in your travels, and take a chocobo if she needs it.”
Kida and Roll nodded, helping Azlyn up to her feet. She was starting to feel unsteady as they bid him farewell. Azlyn sighed. “It’s hot.”
Roll reached over to tough her forehead. The frown was evident on her face. “You’re burning up.”
Kida ran off to rent a chocobo, as Marakov was still in the stable for another few days. Roll’s chocobo would hopefully get released from in-care stable services when it started to get some shine back to it’s lackluster red plume. What had been overeating turned quickly into seasonal allergies. Azlyn waved a hand in front of her own face as they waited for Kida to return.
“It’d be quicker if we teleport over.” Azlyn said. Her cousin shot the idea down.
“Not when you can’t focus on the teleport itself. Last thing we need to deal with is you getting lost in Flow because you weren’t thinking properly.” Roll shook her head, as she spied Kida bringing the yellow-plumed bird over to them.
“I can do it.” Azlyn replied sullenly but didn’t argue. She was feeling a bit better after that drink, but only bearly. Roll placed both of her hands under her cousin’s arms. She easily lifted her up onto the bird, while Kida held the reins in place. When Azlyn was settled in a side-saddle position, they moved through the South Shroud northward into the East Shroud. Roll and Kida kept a good pace, making sure to keep an eye on their friend.
“Just a bit more.” Roll said, reaching up to pat Azlyn’s legs. The girl nodded at the touch, and looked to the road.
“You know, this Echo deal is draining.” Azlyn admitted, shaking her head. “I wonder if I’ll ever get used to it.”
Kida pondered over this. “There were times when you were super sick at school—was it due to this?”
Azlyn frowned, thinking back to her school days. “Not always. It’s been more of a recent thing after I jumbled my aether.”
Roll crossed her arms, her lips in a thin line. “I wonder if there’s a way to heal this type of anomaly. I’ll research into it myself.”
“The Students of Baldesion looked into it—and they could only do a few things.” Azlyn replied, thinking back to Krile and G’raha Tia’s remedial services. “I’m slowly understanding my limits—like not having a vision after a long, tough fight.”
Their friend with the bow snapped her finger. “If you can control the Echo, it’d solve all your problems!”
Roll sighed. “I’ll look into it—maybe they overlooked something. Besides, I don’t think we can control when the Echo will work.”
Azlyn agreed, it wasn’t as if she could choose when these visions would come over her or not. She was glad to have the information, but it was draining. They could see the intricate archways that led up the path to Little Solace. Some sylphs noticed their arrival, dancing to them as they came in. Azlyn smiled to a few.
Kida did most of the greeting, dancing with the sylphs as Roll guided the chocobo. They stopped by the chocobo tamer, who assisted Azlyn down before tending to the bird. Azlyn reached out to her cousin, lightly grabbing the side of her dress to hold as they walked.
From the distance they could see Komuxio flying over to them with a look of joy. “This one has been expecting you. This one shall bring elder one!” The sylph floated away, as the pair waited for Frixio to appear. Kida had disappeared, probably delivering the present from Buscarron to the sylphs and playing with them.
It was only a few short moments, when Frixio floated up and around the tent with Komuxio at their side. “This one is pleased to see walking ones again. Welcome to the homes of these ones.”
Yda and Papalymo walked over, with Noraxia leading them over. The little sylph with the leafy face danced in greeting. Azlyn avoided eye contact with the scions, hoping not to worry them. Roll stood firm, letting her cousin lean against her. “We’re glad you’re back home Frixio.”
Papalymo turned to the pair with a knowing smile. “There you are. We saw Kida dancing with the other sylphs on our way over. We’ve heard tell of your deeds of derring-do. Well done!”
“Ah, walking ones who aided Noraxia! This one is grateful!”
Papalymo looked to Frixio who had taken his attention from the two girls. “A pleasure to have been of service. If you do not mind my asking, how did your misadventure come about?”
The Sylph elder lifted both of their arms up in a gesture of openness. “This one does not mind. The misadventures, as walking ones call them, of this one began when imperial ones entered the wood. Feeling trouble, these ones decided to watch imperial ones closely.” Covering their face with its hands now, the elder sylph fretted. “But these ones watched too closely, and imperial ones noticed and tried to catch these ones.” Lowering its arms to rest on their hips, Frixio continued to explain. “Having nowhere else to hide, this one fled into Toto-Rak. Would that this one had not. In Toto-Rak, a sinister one robed in black tried to feed this one to a many-legged one!”
Azlyn tensed, “Lahabrea.” She whispered his name. Yda caught the name but didn’t say anything to them about it. Roll patted her cousin on the shoulder.
The pugilist with a mask over her face, tapped her chin in thought. “A sinister one robed in black...? Why do I have the feeling I should be more worried about that than I am?”
Roll looked to her. “We should be. After all, he tried to kill us with a many-legged one.” She used the terminology of the sylphs.
Both Yda and Papalymo gave harrowing expressions, and decided to continue to move the conversation along.
“Elder Frixio, we come to you as emissaries of the nation of Gridania. This missive bears the words of the Elder Seedseer.” Papalymo gestured to Komuxio who still had the missive. The sylph brought forth the missive, letting Frixio read the words written.
Frixio held the missive aloft, reading it with trained eyes. “This one sees—so walking ones of Gridania are fearful of Lord Ramuh.”
The Lalafell caster nodded. “Plainly put, yes. Your people summoned the Lord of Levin but once, yet that single occurrence occasioned great alarm.”
Yda postulated confidently. “But it’s not as if the Gridanians dislike you or anything. Actually, it’s just the opposite. They think of you as friends, and they don’t want anything to get in the way of that. That’s why the Elder Seedseer wrote to you.”
Frixio floated, smiling at the comment. “This one well known and respects horned one Kan-E-Semna. Be assured, like walking ones of Gridania, these ones have no desire for conflict. These ones resorted to summoning Lord Ramuh to protect the wood from imperial ones. This one counseled against doing so, but was not heeded. Against this one’s wishes, Lord Ramuh was summoned—and all those ones who took part became touched ones. These ones want so desperately to turn touched ones back to normal ones, but did not know how—and still do not know.” Frixio crossed their arms over their chest, thinking back to when Lord Ramuh was first summoned. “Touched ones, meanwhile, worried to turn these ones into touched ones, and did know how. So this one fled to Little Solace with all these ones who did not wish to be bound to Loud Ramuh. But walking ones of Gridania need not fear touched ones or Lord Ramuh. Unlike other primal ones, Lord Ramuh is not callous and cruel. So long as walking ones do not trespass on these ones ancestrial homeland, where touched ones reside, walking ones will not suffer themselves judgment.” Frixio cleared their throat, “This one had spoke enough of touched ones. This one would speak instead of these ones. As this one said, these ones desire peace with walking ones of Gridania. And so these ones ask for a chance to set things right.”
Frixio looked to Papalymo, who seemed to have something to add. “By wary of an addendum, mortals who are tempered come to take on the qualities embroiled by the primal in question. In the case of the sylphs, Ramuh’s influence has made them fierce protector’s of their homeland.”
Yda shrugged. “That explains why they’re so hostile towards trespassers, but what about the abductions?”
Azlyn and Roll looked between each other, but Papalymo juxtaposed before they could mention anything about the vision Azlyn had in Toto-Rak.
“A fine question, Yda! The abductions are, I believe, an expression of the tempered sylph’s desire for reconciliation—another quality traditionally associated with Ramuh, in the crudest manner imaginable. They seek to bring their fellows back into the fold. A timely reminder that the challenges posed by each primal are unique.” Papalymo looked up to Frixio floating in the air. “Elder Frixio, we thank you for making your will known to us. The people of Gridania will rest easier in the knowledge that they and the sylphs are united in their desire for peace.”
Frixio smiled down to the Lalafell. “Wishing to cooperate, this one has written down the feelings of these ones. Please see that these feelings are conveyed to horned one Kan-E-Semna.” The Elder Sylph began writing on a sheet of parchment, before folding it neatly and floating down to Roll and Azlyn. They presented the letter to them with a smile, before regarding Azlyn. “Is walking one still ill from Toto-Rak?”
Azlyn swallowed the lump in her throat, as she clenched onto his cousin’s dress. “N-no, I’m fine. Please, continue your conversation.” She meekly replied, hoping that they’d pay her no mind.
Papalymo and Yda regarded the pair closely, before the older Lalafell crossed his arms. “And with that, I believe we can lay the matter of Ramuh to rest.”
Yda nodded, “That sylph elder’s very reasonable. I must say. You could learn a lot from him.”
“Was that a jibe? If so, I feel it only fair to observe that one of us wouldn’t recognize reason if it punched her on the nose.” Papalymo argued right back, staring straight up to her. “Did I say fair? I meant reasonable.”
Yda started to fume, stomping her foot. Whether the two meant to divert the attention back to them on purpose, or not Azlyn felt a sigh of relief escape her. Yda turned around, facing Roll and Azlyn now as she attempted not to sound upset by Papalymo’s words. “Anyway. We’re going to head back to the Waking Sands and tell Minfillia all about it.”
Papalymo stepped up. “Fear not, we will be sure to mention the instrumental part you two, and Kida of course, played in all of this. And while we see to that, we should appreciate it if you would deliver Frixio’s missive to the Adder’s Nest?”
Roll nodded, “I will.”
“Elder Frixio.” The Lalafell smiled, “We humbly thank you for your time. It has been an honor.” Yda waved, while he bowed earnestly to the elder sylph.
“The honor is this one’s. Together, let the walking ones of Gridania and these ones find a way to live in peace.”
The two Scions nodded, looking back to Roll and Azlyn. “We’ll be on the way. Make sure to get some rest!” Yda spoke, giving them a thumbs up before she activated a teleport spell.
Papalymo waited for her to go, before he smiled kindly. “I’ll have Tataru prepare a medicinal tea for your next visit. Get some rest.” He teleported shortly after. Azlyn sighed, looking to her cousin with a frown.
“I think I still wound up worrying them.”
Roll shrugged. “Nothing you can control.”
Frixio floated down to Azlyn’s side, “Please wait, walking ones. This one has yet to give walking ones a token of this one’s appreciation.”
“If you let me fish nearby, I’ll be grateful for the permission.”
The elder nodded. “This one sees no reason to not allow walking one access to fish.”
Roll smiled. Frixio turned to Azlyn, and a bright purple glow appeared in their hands, as a purple crystal appeared.
“For you, walking one Azlyn, when these ones summoned Lord Ramuh, these ones were gifted this crystal. This one would now bestow the crystal upon walking one Azlyn as a symbol of these one’s trust.” Frixio let the purple crystal float, and Azlyn unclenches her hands from her cousin’s side. She faced the crystal, remembering it looking similar to that of the red and blue crystals she’d found previously.
She felt her vision darken, as she was taken from the middle of the woods into an expansive sea of stars and an empty black void. Underneath her feet, like previous times was a Magi circle with two of the six spots holding those two other crystals she’d found. The purple crystal in her hands started to float away from her, once more finding a spot similar to the last two. This time, however, she noticed cracks running through the circle. Faint and subtle shimmers lifted up and away into the unknown. Before she could adjust to the scene, everything be an to shift back to the woods, where Roll was holding her up.
A bright light shined from her, as she shook her nauseated head. Frixio, meanwhile, looked blinded by the light as it shielded it’s face with its hands. “This one was not mistake about this walking one. Walking ones Roll and Kida have powers like walking one Azlyn, however this one has a destiny to walk a fate far crueler than this one can imagine.”
Azlyn was surprised by this, her mouth opened in shock as she struggled to find the words. Her cousin tightened her grip on her arms, as she narrowed her eyes. The golden hue of them darkened. “Not alone she won’t.”
“Walking ones are good companions to one another. Walking one Roll witnessed a brilliant light from when walking one Azlyn enveloped the crystal—this one saw as well. Mark this one well. The crystal will one day be of use to walking one. Walking one must keep crystal safe at all times.” Frixio explained, spinning in the air after explaining. The elder sylph fluttered it’s wings.
“I understand.” Azlyn replied, shaking the woozy feeling in her head. Two visions in one day started to have their toll.
Komuxio and Noraxia, who remained silent during the exchange floated around the two of them. “Before walking ones return to Gridania, these ones would ask that walking ones watch the touched ones.”
Noraxia added to Komuxio’s comment. “So long as touched ones are not troubled, touched ones will not make trouble. If walking ones witnesses touched ones making no trouble, mayhap walking ones can testify to walking ones of Gridania that these ones mean no harm.”
Roll looked to Azlyn, a worried look still upon her face. “I’ll take these ones up on the offer.” She then reached up to her linkpearl. “Kida, if you’re done entertaining, I need you by the tents.”
Mere minutes later Kida had run over holding an amulet of some kind, as she shook the contents with a weird expression. “Hi guys! What’d I miss?” She shook the bottle. “You know that drink Buscarron asked us to deliver, well I gave it over to a nice little sylph who then asked me to procure them some blood. After returning from the forest, they crafted this interesting good luck charm. Although it’s kind of interesting to think a charm made of blood could be...” She trailed off, seeing the whole group had been staring at her.
Roll merely passed Azlyn over to her, “Watch her while I go on a small reconnaissance.” And then their healer walked further north, toward the entrance to Larkscall. Kida looked down to Azlyn who closed her eyes.
“Hey hot stuff, you doing alright?” Kida asked her.
Azlyn nodded. “Yup, never better.”
The sylphs nearby gave her worried looks, before Noraxia brightened up. “Oh!! I know a place that has good herbs. Come, let these ones repay Walking One Kida with medicinal herbs!” The sylphs twirled in delight, floating up and away from them.
Frixio smiled warmly. “If walking ones are able, please sit and wait for these ones to return.”
They sat down, waiting for some time before Roll rejoined them. She looked down at them both before nodding. “It is as these ones spoke. The touched ones did not spurn any trouble while I looked out within the bounds. I can say they’ll be of no concern for the people of Gridania.”
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, as Frixio twirled in the air. They were glad to see their testimony would hold true for the people. Azlyn smiled up to her friend and cousin. “Time to go back to Gridania?”
Roll nodded. “Time to go home. It’s been a long three days.”
Kida stretched, looking at the time. “You think we can ride all the way over or do you think she’d be okay with a teleport?”
Roll replied. “If she collapses after the teleport, we’ll be closer to the apartment to carry her.”
Azlyn crossed her arms, letting them rest on her legs as she leaned over. “Please continue to talk as if I’m not here. I really appreciate it.”
Both of them looked down to her. “Sorry.” They both said, and then shook their heads.
Noraxia and Komuxio returned, holding a small handful of herbs to give to Kida. They smiled happily to her. “Walking ones should brew these with boiled water, mix in bit of honey and walking one will have good brew to drink.”
Kida thanked the sylphs, “Awesome, I’ll be sure to brew some tonight when we go home.”
Roll reached over, grabbing onto Azlyn’s shoulder and then over to Kida’s hand. “Okay, remember to stay conscious. I doubt you can carry someone over a teleport if you fall unconscious.”
The Au Ra sighed. “I should be able to handle a jump. Let’s just go.”
Kida waved before all three of them blinked out from Little Solace and back into the threshold of New Gridania.
