Chapter Text
It’s into the second week of the Sixth Astral Moon, still November-ish, that I get a linkpearl call from Tataru while I’m running some levequests as an Arcanist.
“Oh my!” I hear her exclaim as Carby hits a rogue diremite that somehow made its way onto La Noscean shores with Glittering Topaz. Smugglers, apparently. “Is now a bad time?”
“Eh, not really,” I say casually as I focus some Topaz Ruins into its carapace, and it gives up the ghost. “Just doing some Arcanist training. What d’you need?”
“Well, if you’re certain…Lady Minfilia has recently received some correspondence she wishes to share with you. If you could attend her at your earliest convenience?” Tataru requests politely.
“Sure,” I nod instinctively. “Just let me get my payment, and I’ll head on over.”
“It will be good to see you!” Tataru says with cheer. “Your training trips have had the children miss you!”
I wince slightly as I realize that yeah, it’s been a few weeks since I’ve dropped in for more than a day or two. “Aw, now I feel bad,” I admit. “Alright, be by in a few minutes! Half hour, tops.”
I make sure there’s no diremite eggs ready to hatch and cause an invasive species problem, then swing by Aleport to get my payment. After that, I pick up Bocco, then ‘port the two of us over to the Toll and stable him after a quick brush and a snack for my good boy. Wonder if we’re getting back to the ‘main plot?’
I switch to my Warrior set, then head straight for the Solar, in case it’s something time sensitive, and though there’s a slight line of tension in the way Minfilia rises to meet me, she doesn’t seem anxious or off beat.
“Thank you for arriving so promptly,” she says. “The matter is not dire, but I thought you should be made aware of the letters I have been granted from our various allies within the Eorzean Alliance.”
“What’s the subject?” I ask, tucking my thumbs into my belt.
“They are letters of thanks, signed by the leaders of the Eorzean Alliance, acknowledging the Scions' tireless service to the realm,” she says, gesturing to the small pile. “It mentions, in particular, the names of all of the defeated primals─Ifrit, Titan, Garuda, Good King Moggle Mog XII, Leviathan, and now Ramuh.” Minfilia’s smile is just so slightly sardonic as she adds, “Needless to say, there is only one among our number to have faced them all.”
“To be fair, I had a lot of help with Leviathan,” I say with a short bow of my head. “But I get the point, even if the attention makes me uncomfortable.”
Now her smile softens as she says, “I, too, must offer my heartfelt thanks for all that you have done. In the course of your duties, you have never once failed to answer my call to arms. I know you struggle with accepting the title in your heart of hearts, but to me, you are a true hero of Eorzea, and we are that much safer for your presence and willingness to do battle with, and for us.”
I can feel a blush starting to rise as I scratch at a spot behind my horn. “Alright, enough with the flattery, Boss. Where is this going?”
I get the impression that Minfilia might be hiding a giggle for a few moments before she sombers a bit.
“Pray do not misunderstand me─I said ‘safer,’ not 'safe.’ I know only too well that we can ill afford to lower our guard. The Ascians may be relied upon to sow chaos in this realm until such time as they are forced to stop.” I grimace and nod in agreement. “Why, even without their encouragement, you may be assured that man would foment strife on his own. And that is to say nothing of the various tribes. Unless we learn to live in harmony, the primals, too, will return to plague us again and again and again.”
“At least that’s slowed down this past month. Just Enkidu to really worry about, but I doubt they had the temperament to, well, temper,” I sigh.
She nods. “Yet another example that we must re-examine what a primal may or may not be. But to return to the previous subject, your deeds have served to inspire the people─to give them hope for a better tomorrow. And there is no greater gift. That we have the courage to strive for what might otherwise seem an impossible peace, we owe in no small part to the dangers you have faced on our behalf, and the people you have won over to our cause in so doing. Our list of enemies has ever been long, but think of the allies with whom we are now blessed.” She’s almost beaming now.
“Of the sylphs of Little Solace, who wish naught of conflict. Of Alisaie, who strove to unearth the terrible secrets of the Calamity, and with your aid, succeeded. Of the Ala Mhigans and the Domans who stand with us, determined to halt the dread march of the Empire. And of Cid and the fellowship of NOAH, who raced to unlock the mysteries of ancient Allag that we might be spared the horror of another Ultima Weapon. Of course, one must not forget the many unsung individuals who have gathered here in Revenant's Toll─honest men and women who seek to employ their skills for the good of all.” And how her smile is soft. “Of course, when speaking of our greatest allies, we must not forget those closest to us, by which I mean our fellow Scions.” She looks to me. “Thanks to their many and varied talents, and your presence, our order is uniquely equipped to combat the far-reaching corruption of the Ascians─and combat it we shall!”
The door clanks open, almost making me startle as Alphinaud’s voice rings out. “Your enthusiasm is truly heartwarming, Antecedent. Given our embarrassing wealth of allies, I trust it will not inconvenience you unduly if I absent myself for a time?”
I look over to the kid in surprise, blinking as Minfilia asks, “Ah Alphinaud! I take it the troubles in Ul'dah no longer require your attention?”
“There are yet some rumblings of discontent, but the air of simmering violence is largely dissipated,” the teen says as he steps up to my side of the desk. “'Tis to report such that I stand before you now. That...and to speak with you concerning the new organization we discussed.” Again, I blink, now confused and slightly alarmed as I look over to my boss, who once more has that slight edge to her as a more serious cast to her face appears.
Before she can respond though, Alphinaud turns to me and says, “Ah, I have a message for you from Ele─ Ahem.” He cuts himself off, clearing his throat as his ears pink. “You recall the refugee girl?” Now I smile and nod. “The one whose parents were missing? They were found unharmed. She wished me to pass on her thanks to you.”
“Damn fine work, Alphinaud,” I say firmly. “Missing person’s cases are never easy to solve. And that you found both of her parents? That’s a rare happy ending. Be proud of that.”
“Indeed,” Minfilia agrees with me, her own smile warm. “I look forward to reading all about young Ele in your report. I do hope you left nothing out! Now,” she addresses me. “Tomoyo–you have been away from Revenant's Toll for some time now, I believe. Might I suggest that you put your training and the affairs of the realm to one side for the moment and take this opportunity to reacquaint yourself with the town?” I tilt my head to one side curiously, and Minfilia smiles. “One of the Doman children in particular recently inquired as to your whereabouts. Yozan was his name. I believe he has some small matter he wishes to share with you. Why not oblige him with a visit?”
“Tataru did say they missed me,” I rub the back of my neck sheepishly. “Alright, I’ll go see what they want.” I do want to ask about what this ‘new organization’ might be that Alphinaud’s mentioned, but he’s looking like he wants to talk to Minfilia specifically, so I think I’m being politely shooed out for the moment.
So I step out of the Solar and track down the kids, with four of them now chattering with each other; two boys and two girls. I recognize Yozan and Koharu easily enough, but the other two must’ve come along a bit after the first wave of immigrants.
“Look! It's Miss Tomoyo! She's back from her adventures!” Yozan spots me first, and waves me over enthusiastically as the other kids perk up. I smile and approach as Yozan chatters, “We heard you were off fighting ‘primals,’ and that they're some of the strongest enemies you could ever face! I wish I could've seen you in battle!”
I shake my head. “No primals for you until you’ve had at least four to five years of hard training under your belt. That’s the bare minimum of what I had, plus the World Crystal’s blessing.”
“We’re training under Mister Boulder and Mister Coultenet!” Koharu chirps up. “They’re showing us how to fight and giving us scenarios of when fighting and running away are better choices.”
“Oh! Do you think you could train us today, Miss Tomoyo?” Yozan cuts in, almost bouncing on his feet. “Maybe you could show us how you fought the primals!”
I restrain the huff of amusem*nt. “Alright, so you said Hoary and Coultenet’s been training you. What have you specifically been working on recently?”
“Obstacle courses,” the girl I don’t recognize grimaces a little as she rubs at one leg. “Mister Boulder says it’s good for our evasion and endurance.”
“I wanted to wear weights, but Mister Coultenent said not to until we’re almost done growing,” Yozan pouts.
“Coultenet’s got the right of it,” I nod. “Too many weights too early will stunt your growth, and you’ll be short for the rest of your life.” The comical look of horror from all the kids has me biting my tongue to stop myself from laughing.
Mind, I’m dead serious when I say that; it’s the same rule I went through when going through Marauder training/boot camp. Suppose one advantage of being a female Au Ra is that we’re done with our growth spurts a lot earlier than the boys. Not that my screaming limbs and core saw it that way when I had the turn with the weights.
I mentally shake myself from the memories as I hear Boulder call out, “What's all this commotion, then?”
“Mister Boulder and Mister Coultenet! Did you know that Miss Tomoyo is back!?” That’s the second boy I don’t know the name of, waving the two over as they approach.
“So it would seem,” Hoary grins. “Welcome home, Tomoyo. My companion and I but recently became full members of the Scions, and as you’ve no doubt discovered for yourself, we have taken it upon ourselves to instruct the Doman younglings in the arts of combat.”
I smile and nod. “Congratulations on your promotions you two,” I say sincerely. “And thanks for looking after them. It’s a big favour you’re doing for all of us, helping and preparing the kids here as they grow.”
“Urgh, we are not younglings anymore─we are adventurers!” Yozan exclaims. “And we were just asking Miss Tomoyo if she could give us some special training. I think we're ready to hunt monsters alongside her, don't you?”
Ahahaha, no, kiddling, not when a Nix could swallow you in one gulp! Thankfully, Hoary agrees, as he makes a show of thinking about it before saying, “Well, you've certainly been diligent with your drills...but I'm afraid the fiends of Mor Dhona are still ever so slightly too dangerous for you.” Cue Yozan slumping in place as the other kids pout, but he adds, “I have a counter-proposal: what if I were to cross swords with Tomoyo? A demonstration of skill at arms, if you will.”
I blink, then nod; it’s not a bad idea by any means, and the kids could learn a thing or two if they watch a spar between us.
“Hoary.” I see Coultenet raising an eyebrow at his friend. “If I didn't know you better─and I do─I'd say you were merely seeking to test yourself against a legend.”
“Ahahaha, well, mayhaps I am,” Hoary admits with little shame, and I chuckle quietly. “But what matters the motive when the children stand to learn so much from the lesson?” He turns to me with a grin. “What say you, Tomoyo? Would you consent to spar with me?”
“Sure,” I return the grin. “We can quiz the kids to see how much they pay attention to the spar and what they’ve picked up.” After a few moments thought, I switch from Warrior to White Mage, and the two adults blink in surprise. “This is also a perfect opportunity to test my fresh mastery as a fully ordained White Mage.” I have a few ideas for non-lethal tricks and stunts to pull if I alter some of the elemental spells on the fly and use the environment to my advantage.
That has Coultenet doing something between a wince and a grimace even as Hoary grins. “Oho! I hear a tale behind that! My thanks for agreeing, Tomoyo!”
“Hurrah! We're to have a tournament!” Yozan cheers, and the kids look excited. “Come on, everyone─we must prepare our gear for an outing!” They scurry off to go grab stuff, and I quickly raid the kitchen for a basket and some snacks and juice for the kids. Might as well make a picnic out of it, I can also prepare more food on site with my portable stove.
“The fields east beyond the edges of the town should suffice for our bout,” Hoary says as I come back with the basket in tow, looking both excited and amused. “For the children?”
“Yup,” I confirm with a grin. “Might as well make it a treat for them, they deserve to have some fun while also watching our spar. So near the lake, you’re thinking?”
He nods, and once the kids come back with their own light armor and weapons, a mixture of short spears, sword and boards, and some daggers, we all take a walk out of the Toll and to the lake, the sun shining brightly above as a winter’s chill nips at our faces with the breeze.
“Is sparring...dangerous?” the unfamiliar girl asks, who, after a moment of introductions, I learn is named Rokka. “I don't think I want to see anyone else being hurt…”
“One of the reasons why I chose this class is to make sure that if anyone does get hurt, I can fix it right up,” I say to her assuringly. “Which is also why before spars, you set up some basic rules so you know how far to go before one side should concede before anyone gets seriously injured.”
“Oh, Miss Tomoyo?” Now Koharu speaks up, tugging on one slightly tattered sleeve. Still have to get this Allagan set over to Ma to fix that up. Or just hem it myself. “As we left the Rising Stones, Mister Thancred asked us where we were going. I told him we were off to watch you and Mister Boulder fight, and he looked very surprised. I hope we haven't made him cross…”
“I doubt he’ll be annoyed,” I say, but I’m a bit confused by the idea of him being surprised by this. “You didn’t do anything wrong by telling the truth, he is one of the adults to trust here. If he is irritated for whatever reason, I’ll talk with him and sort it out, don’t worry.” That has the girl breathe a sigh of relief.
“All this has been very strange and interesting,” the last kid, Shiun, says with a thoughtful tone. “We had a Master of Lessons back in Doma, and the way he taught us was very different from Mister Boulder. I'm not sure which way is better, but I think I like them both!” he finishes with a smile.
“It gives me joy to hear this, Shiun!” Hoary grins. “Please, should you have any thoughts on where my teachings might match or differ from your Master of Lessons, do inform me when our lessons end today!”
We make it to the lakeside, and I help clear out some of the gribblies still hanging around until they either bite the dust or flee, the kids cheering behind the three of us, but thankfully not trying to join in. Well, not after I grabbed Yozan by the scruff of his shirt and sat him in place with a 5 second Bind, making my point clear that they’re not ready to fight the monsters of Mor Dhona yet.
“Since becoming a Scion, I have had much opportunity to hear news of your epic deeds,” Coultenet says as we set up the safety zone for the spar. “I must confess, then, that my excitement rivals that of the children's at the prospect of seeing you in action firsthand.” He looks a little sheepish as he admits, “That being said, crossing staves with a Conjurer is already difficult enough as a Thaumaturge. To think you have been graced with white magic…”
I take a moment to consider our elemental specialties and give a sympathetic wince. “I’ve got a few good counters for some of your spells, huh?” I ask. “Yeah, that’d make things difficult. Don’t worry though, I’m not gonna be too rough with anyone. Certainly no broken bones or anything like that, even if I can fix that in a jiffy. This is just a spar to test each other.”
“Do not underestimate Hoary’s sense for competition,” he warns me lightly. “But I am glad to hear this.”
With the zone marked out and the kids promising to stay on the side (helped by the pasties and juice from the basket), Hoary and I settle into our positions as the big Gladiator says, “'Twas good of you to agree to this, Tomoyo. I trust you are ready to begin?”
“Ready when you are, Hoary,” I say, unslinging my staff and resting it on the stone below me with a small ‘tap.’
“Very well. Let us not keep the younglings waiting any longer!”
“Hoary? Are you certain you wish to fight her alone? That is Tomoyo you face,” Coultenet calls out; credit to the guy for being willing to back up his partner even if he finds fighting my class type a pain in the arse.
“What better way to test my mettle?” Hoary counters as he clanks his sword against his shield with a grin on his face. “Pray allow me to attempt the first round unaided! After all, 'twas this hero's legend that led me to join the Scions to begin with. Without Tomoyo to inspire my efforts, I would not be half the warrior I am today.”
I mumble under my breath as another blush tries to rise up. “I don’t know how much my reputation’s been over inflated at this rate…bah. Well at least it’s helping people with their drive to succeed.”
“Your point is well made,” Coultenet nods. “But remember: this is for the children's sake as well as your own. Should it appear the contest will end too swiftly, I shall add my spells to your bladework. No need for the lesson to end before it should!”
“Hello!” A woman’s voice suddenly rings out, and we all look over to see Yda waving at us, Thancred not far behind her. “You haven’t started yet, have you?” And not just Thancred; a whole number of folks are gradually streaming from the city not far from here and are forming a small crowd, a good chunk of them Domans with a few adventurers scattered throughout the lot.
“Yda? What─ Who are all these people!?” Hoary exclaims as my own stomach twists at the crowd forming. Oh no, we have an audience, don’t we.
“When I heard about your sparring match, I told everyone I could find,” the Pugilist says guilessly. “Thought you could use a crowd to cheer you on!”
“Yes, and there are still more to come,” Thancred, the damned gossip monger, adds with a smirk. “When I mentioned Tomoyo’s name, the reaction was quite enthusiastic.” His tone is teasing when he says, “Why, my own popularity seems but a sickly shade in comparison! You'd best claim victory, Bringer of Light─your burgeoning reputation is at stake!”
“Razzenfrazzen sassafrassin’ bladderdashing…” I mutter mutinously. “This was supposed to be a lesson for the kids, not a bloody horse and pony show!”
“Language,” Hoary says just as quietly. “We’ll just have to make the best of it.”
“Well, our teacher won’t be beaten so easily!” Yozan counters with a fist pump. “He's a master swordsman!”
“You can do it, Mister Boulder!” Koharu cheers, and I can visibly see him take heart from the support of his students.
He nods firmly, and returns to his ready position. “We shall soon see. On your guard!”
I slam my staff on the ground as he declares, “Day and night I’ve honed my skills! Now comes the time to test them!”
Start with a Regen in case he does get a good hit in, then as he gets a bit closer, jerk the ground below him with a Stone to loosen his footing. He stumbles for sure, and then I add an Aero, not to slice, but to make it more difficult to breathe. I won’t be ripping air out, but simulating a high altitude atmosphere isn’t beyond me, so he’ll get winded more easily.
Still, the Roegadyn doesn’t topple when I sabotage the ground below him, so I’m soon dancing out of the way of strikes and shield thrusts; I’m not interested in having my nose broken, so some short casted Stones that do less damage, but make the terrain jagged and tricky to navigate is the order of the day to get some distance between us, followed by a blunt spike of earth aether aimed for his diaphragm.
He gets his shield up in time, but it knocks him back a few steps, which gives me time to charge up a Holy, with more emphasis on the flash part than the damage part; might as well show off a little for the crowd and prove I’m a proper White Mage, yeah?
That has the kids yelping when the spell goes off, and chatter rising up from the crowd that I don’t pay attention to as Hoary blinks rapidly and shakes his head, clearly trying to get his vision back as I renew the Aero trick I’ve got going, then slam him with that blunted spike properly, knocking him on his back. I can just hear him bite back a swear as he rolls up onto his feet, then charges in for another round.
Hrm. I haven’t learned any proper Water spells, but the lake’s right there, and there’s plenty of aether in it. I wonder…?
I reach for the water and ask for a firm stream of it to flow against my ‘enemy.’ The result is more aether intensive than my normal spells, but Hoary gets a faceful of Silvertear’s water, ala Waterbending style before I cut the stream and start to cycle my own aether to top up my reserves.
It works out fairly well; Hoary’s out of breath thanks to my earlier trick, coughing out the…possibly polluted water I just hit him with. Whoops. I’ll Esuna him to make sure nothing sticks as soon as we’re done.
“Ugh... Such skill!” he pants out. “The tales barely do you justice!” Behind him, I hear the kids fretting a bit, and Coultenent decides that’s his cue to join the fray.
“The children have the right of it,” the Elezen states as he brings out his own staff. “'Tis time I joined the fray. On your feet, Hoary!”
“Raaagh!” the big guy roars as he forces himself upright, and now I’m dealing with both a tank and a DPS. And I still have to play nice.
The fireballs sting like a bastard, but my armor’s helpful in making sure I don’t have worse than 1st degree burns which are quick to vanish under a Regen. Then I take a leaf from a different story, specifically Kingdom Hearts 1, and shift the Aero spell to try and fashion a shield around me to prevent the fire from hitting at all.
“Oh that simply is not fair at all,” Coultenet complains, right before he switches over to a wide ranged Blizzard, and I just manage not to swear in front of the kids as my poor feet are frozen stuck.
“Cold!” I yelp; I wore socks with these sandals, but godsdammit, cold! I break the ice with a quick Stona, but by then I’m also ducking under a shield swipe and I’ve got ice clinging to my socks and sandals as I scurry to get some space, frozen earth crunching under me.
I have to use another Stona to pull in a Thunder spell as well, using the earth to literally ground out the charge, and I hear a grumpy sound come from the Elezen as he starts to charge what has to be another Blizzard AoE spell.
Renew the Regen, then charge for Coultenet before he takes advantage of the fact that I don’t have hard counters for the ice element. He tries to backpedal of course, and Hoary’s hot on my heels, but with the Regen and the fact that none of us are actually trying to kill each other, I am more than willing to eat blunted sword smacks to my ribs while knocking Coultanet on his arse with a second Stona and stick him to the ground with that higher tier Bind E-Sumi gave me way back when before I return attention to Hoary.
He tries to get me to drop my staff by giving my shoulder a solid hit, but I just wince, deal with the pain, and smack him in the face with my staff, making him sputter in surprise a bit before I blast the both of them with another Holy, this time with a bit more kinetic force than before. That leaves Coultenet too winded to get out of the Bind quickly, and Hoary once more trying to blink the spots out of his eyes before I rip the earth out from below his feet, knocking him down and then Binding him too.
“Ow,” I roll my shoulder, then start Curing myself. “Count to ten! If neither of you can get up before then, the match is mine. Ten! Nine! Eight!”
The kids are caught between bemoaning their teacher’s imminent defeat and counting down, but the crowd is cheering the countdown and joining in. Sure enough, neither of them can get out of the bind before the countdown finishes, and then I release it; Hoary gets up with little issue, but Coultenet gives himself a few seconds before rolling to his feet with a groan.
“I hate fighting Conjurers,” the poor Thaumaturge grumbles, and I have to bite back a laugh, instead putting on my professional face.
“Are the both of you alright? Either of you need healing?” I ask seriously.
“Not but bruises to my pride!” Hoary declares, before I toss an Esuna at him anyway.
“Should have thought twice before shooting polluted water at you, that was my bad,” I explain apologetically. “Ought to clear any toxins out before they make you sick.”
“That was no spell I had seen cast by any other mage,” Coultenet says, rubbing at his eyes with one hand. “Was that raw elemental manipulation?”
“Basically,” I confirm. “There’s so much aether to borrow as a Conjurer that pulling that kind of trick is easier here, but it’s still pretty intensive on my own mana pool simply because I haven’t actually tried to pull that stunt before. I’d have to do some training to be able to do that reliably in other, less aether rich locations.”
And that’s about all the time we have to exchange notes right after the fight was the kids swarm us, chattering eagerly and excitedly, and I become aware of the cheering from the sidelines of the adults.
“That was amazing!” Yozan’s bouncing next to me. “You fought them both and won! As a healer! I didn’t know that was possible!”
“And how did I do that?” I ask, directing that to all four of the tykes. “What was my greatest advantage during that bout, do you think?”
“Um, you used a lot of earth spells, like a Geomancer,” Rokka fiddles with her fingers nervously. “And, and you swept away Mister Coultenet’s fire with air.”
“I didn’t know you could change the environment like that with magic…” Koharu says thoughtfully, calming down a little as they all go into lesson mode.
“That’s it!” Yozan gasps. “She used the environment to her advantage! The way she tried to knock Mister Boulder off his feet, and used the water as well!”
“Mister Coultenet, could you do the same?” Shiun asks inquisitively, and the Thaumaturge shakes his head.
“This is an example of two divergent classes of magic meeting and clashing,” he lectures. “Conjurers are known to borrow the aether from the environment around them, allowing them to heal without great cost to themselves, but as you can see, it also allows them to set battlegrounds to their advantage as long as they have sufficient earth, air, and water to call upon within the location.”
“And earth and air are everywhere, so it’s hard not to have some kind of advantage during a fight!” Koharu says with bright eyes.
“Meanwhile, we Thaumaturges rely on our own power to produce fire, ice, and lightning, cycling our aether between umbral and astral states so that we might not run entirely dry of mana,” Coultenet continues. “While this means we are not as reliant on the environment as Conjurers are, combat can be difficult if there is no safe footing for our incantations, as well as when your opponent can counter your elemental spells with their own.”
“That all said, Tomoyo is no ordinary Conjurer,” Hoary now takes up the torch. “I saw the bruises I laid upon her heal before my very eyes, indicating a powerful healing spell at work, of which I am not familiar with. This allowed her to take more risks than what most Conjurers would dare, such as closing in to close quarters, but had I been intent on truly harming her, this could’ve been an egregious mistake.”
“A fair point, Hoary,” I nod. “But we all held back today so as not to do each other serious harm. One of my go to tricks with Aero is to pull the breath from the lungs of my enemy before they can start the fight; as one can imagine, it’s a nasty stun move, and leaves the enemy vulnerable to a follow up blow from a comrade or from my own spell work.” Both Coultenet and Hoary wince at that. “And while I have decent counters and some heavy duty healing spells to deal with physical blows and two parts of a Thaumaturge’s skill set, I haven’t got anything that can really deal with ice too well outside of brute forcing it, as you saw with that wide range Blizzard spell.”
“Well, the enemy can’t do anything if you tie them down like you did with Mister Boulder and Mister Coultenet, Miss Tomoyo,” Rokka says, a little thoughtful now as she looks at my staff, then Coultenet’s. “I wonder if magic is something I can learn…”
“It requires much study,” Coultenet states seriously. “But if you wish to tread that path, I shall do what I can to aid you, young Rokka.”
That seems to wrap up this part of the lesson, the two teachers continuing to grill their students on their observations and what they might do in either my position, or either of theirs, and my attention is pulled away when I feel a tap on my shoulder.
It’s Alphinaud, who asks quietly, “May I have a moment or two of your time?”
“Sure,” I say with a nod, and we step away from the kids and the milling crowd both, no doubt still talking away about the bout.
“I must say, it was impressive to see your mastery of both conjury and what could be nothing but the white magic of the Seedseers,” Alphinaud says as we come to a stop close to the shore’s lake, an excellent view of Midgardsormr and the Agruis ahead of us. “I knew of your skill as a Warrior of course, but to now be a master White Mage…yes, I do believe you have earned the title, ‘Guardian of Eorzea.’”
I can’t help but make a face at the title. “I’m hardly the only one working to keep the realm safe,” I say. “Without several adventurer teams, I’d be up sh*te creek without a paddle.”
Alphinaud snorts before he covers his mouth, then coughs. “Ah, well. This may be so, and I respect that you are so willing to see credit done to your fellows who support you, it is yet you who lead these units into battle and see victory done.”
I want to say something about the loss of Doga and Unei, but I think that’s not the point of this conversation. “Flattery aside, what did you want to talk about?”
Alphinaud looks at me, then shakes his head, a slight but fond smile on his face. “Do you recall when first we met?”
“Hard not to,” I say with my own slight grin. “You and Alisaie startled the hell out of me at the Carteneau memorial speech in Gridania, I nearly jumped out of my scales.”
A small huff of amusem*nt at my words. “At the time, I was yet attempting to understand this land of Eorzea. I sought to grasp the reason why Grandfather willingly sacrificed himself to protect it.” Then he sighs. “I shall speak plainly: my initial impressions were less than favorable. Dire problems abounded, and yet the effort I saw expended towards their solution was haphazard and half-hearted. I thought Eorzeans a foolish and childish people.” I hide a wince, because I don’t know how much of that is truth, and how much of that is the teenage tendency of thinking one knows everything and all the answers already without understanding just how stupidly complicated the adult world tends to be.
“Considering the shambles their home was in, I would not have been surprised if some had chosen to swear allegiance to Gaius and the order he proposed to enforce.” Ouch, kid. Though I suppose it explains how prickly he was so early on. “The legatus's single-minded military invasion precluded any such switching of loyalties, of course.” He purses his lips as he admits, “Were it not for a desire to continue Grandfather's legacy, I would have abandoned the realm to its fate long ago. The threats were too many, the nations too self-involved and unstable.”
I try not to think of a timeline where that did happen. Without the twins to help, dealing with Bahamut likely would have been much more difficult, if not outright impossible. And that route is a swift one to a bad end. “Where are you going with this?” I instead ask, keeping my voice curious, because clearly that didn’t happen.
“My point is simple,” Alphinaud says. “'Twas you who convinced me the salvation of Eorzea was possible.” I blink. “'Twas you who taught me─through countless acts of bravery─that what my grandsire sought to preserve was not the land, nor its history, nor any single nation; it was the people. These wonderful, oft infuriating, stubborn people that suffer blow after terrible blow only to drag themselves back to their feet to face another day.” His voice softens as he gazes out over the lake. “Though he never put such feelings into words, I believe Grandfather's admiration for this inextinguishable courage grew into a fervent wish─a wish to aid Eorzea and its inhabitants in charting a course for the future.”
Now he turns to me. “A wish that has now become my own,” he says firmly. “I, too, will endeavor to take up the mantle of guardian of Eorzea, and champion these people who toil towards a better world.” His hands gestures around us as he says, “The cause, problems, and solutions are not simple ones, however. The troubles that plague us are of a scale that cannot be solved by the Scions of the Seventh Dawn alone.” He shakes his head. “No, what is needed to tackle the root of the primal threat─and effectively counter the schemes of the Ascians─is a new, expanded organization that operates beyond the limitations of nations and borders.”
I blink a couple of times as my brain tries to catch up to what Alphinaud is implying. What first comes to mind is Dragon Age Inquisition, which wound up being a paramilitary organization that had influence across most of a continent, but depending on the player, it either disbanded to prevent corruption, or continued to chug along despite the risk of it becoming a Templar organization, 2.0 with the same problems as the last group.
Then my brain makes the click. Oh f*ck, this isn’t the Crystal Braves thing, is it?!
Completely unaware of my inner turmoil, Alphinaud says, “If you would aid me in building such an organization, then pray let us continue this discussion back within the walls of the Rising Stones.”
“Ah, yeah,” I nod. “Think I’m done here anyway. Don’t want to butt into Hoary and Coultenet’s job too much, and the crowd’s attention is a bit much for me.”
So we both cheat and use Teleport to get past the crowd and head into the Stones that way. I’m sure some folks will whine about that later, but gah, I’m still an introvert who’s just decent at faking being an extrovert, that much attention makes me twitchy!
Once we get into the Solar, I get to learn a little more about what in the absolute hay and hell is going on.
“Have you heard of the concept of a Grand Company composed from members of all three nation-states of Eorzea, but beholden to none of them?” Alphinaud starts off, Minfilia letting the teen lead the discussion for now.
I shake my head, sending confused looks between the two.
“Since the advent of the Seventh Astral Era, the leaders of the three nations have been deliberating over an accord that seeks to bring the disparate forces of Eorzea together into a single entity,” Alphinaud then explains more in-depth. “A realm-wide Grand Company, if you will. The military might of such an institution would be drawn from every corner of the land, and directed against threats that no single nation could hope to overcome alone.” Then he sighs. “Yet while the purpose of this hypothetical organization is undisputed, the logistics of its formation have become the source of endless debate.”
“Makes sense, I guess,” I rub at the scale between my eyes. “It’s always a fight for who’s going to pay for what, especially if the Capitalists, or Monetarists if you prefer, are in the picture.”
“Just so,” Alphinaud nods. “And the longer these discussions continue, the more I sense the impetus towards unification draining away. Thus have I been campaigning for the creation of what might be considered a trial company.” Logically that makes sense, but it’s doing nothing for my nerves, which are itching with anxiety. “It will be on a much smaller scale than what we hope to eventually achieve, but capable of the same manner of unrestricted operation accorded to the Scions. 'Tis my hope that the successful utilization of such a force will lend momentum to the lagging deliberations.” Here he gives a slight smile as he adds, “Also, being a primarily military outfit, I mean to assuage fears of its misuse by placing the fledgling organization under the authority of the Antecedent.”
I look to Minfilia. “Your workload OK with that?” I ask with some concern.
“While the authority might be in my name, Alphinaud here will be the one predominantly commanding the nascent organization,” Minfilia states, and now I look to the teen in worry.
“I am now reminded of our discussion-slash-argument we had early in Coerthas,” I say with no less worry. “About why folks start at the bottom of a rank and work their way up. The chains of commanding are called that for a reason. I don’t want to sound like a Debby Downer, but if you’re in charge of what’s essentially a group of elite adventurers or mercenaries, or both…it’s inevitable you’re going to lose people because you gave an order and then something went to the seventh hell in a handbasket. Do you think you’re ready for that?”
Alphinaud, to his credit, just sighs heavily rather than gets angry or bristley. “I have no choice but to be ready,” he says. “The Scions work tirelessly to protect Eorzea and its people. But as you yourself have witnessed with the refugee revolt, there are limitations to what even we can achieve. With this new company under the Scions' command, however, we will be capable of responding to a wider range of difficulties without straining our resources or overtaxing your formidable talents.” He shakes his head. “The Scions, the Alliance, and you, need this buffer of skill, manpower, and resources. You are capable of incredible feats, Tomoyo, I have not doubted this since Garuda’s defeat. But nor have I forgotten your terror fit before the incursion into Castrum Centri. Powerful as you are, you are yet mortal, and you cannot be everywhere at once.”
I grimace, because he’s right on several levels. “And we don’t want a second situation where Thancred got so overtaxed that it left him vulnerable to Lahabrea snagging him,” I say with a harsh sigh. “Dammit. I understand the idea, but my anxiety’s making itself known about it. Maybe I just don’t like the idea of a bunch of strangers in our base if they’re going to be working alongside us…”
“Perhaps an idea of mine might help assuage some of your concerns,” Alphinaud says. “Before I can move forward with establishing this precursor to the true, border-spanning Grand Company, 'tis yet necessary that I visit the three leaders and gain their official approval. A tiresome and time-consuming task, to be sure, but if you accompany me on the journey, and attend to the business of recruiting our inaugural members while I am otherwise engaged with bureaucratic formalities, then you yourself can choose who might first enter this organization.”
I scratch under one horn as I ask, “When are these meetings scheduled?”
“The Admiral, I will meet with two suns from now,” he starts. “Then we will take the airways to Gridania, then Ul’dah over the course of the next week. You need only use one day for recruitment within each city, as I have already endeavored to spread the word of our organization through various channels, but I believe a personal approach will reach many who may otherwise remain ignorant of the opportunity.”
I roll my shoulders, restrain a sigh, then nod. “Alright, I’ll see what I can do. No major promises, and if you have a list in mind, it’ll be a good starting point for me.”
“I do have one for Limsa Lominsa,” Alphinaud nods. “Less so for Ul’dah and Gridania. I simply have not had enough time in those environs to identify ideal candidates.”
“Fair enough,” I nod. “With my being a White Mage, it might have some pull in Gridania, so it’ll be Ul’dah that’ll be the tricky one.”
Alphinaud returns my nod. “My sincerest thanks, Tomoyo. 'Tis reassuring indeed to know that the Bringer of Light and her discerning eye will be selecting our future allies.” Then he turns to Minfilia and adds, “And my thanks, Antecedent, for allowing me to borrow your friend for this venture.”
“With the primal threat presently subdued, and no current sign of Ascian activity, now is the perfect time to focus on new endeavors,” Minfilia says. “With all in agreement, I would ask for a moment of Tomoyo’s time between the two of us.”
“Of course,” Alphinaud nods politely, and takes his leave.
I flop into a chair and quietly groan into my gloved hands. “Why do I have such a bad feeling about this?” I whisper.
“One of your…blind spots, I believe was your term?” Minfilia asks.
“Yes,” I groan, letting myself lean back into the chair, mindful of my horns, now rubbing my face. “Christ and Crystal. If this is the Crystal Braves thing, then I did not expect that to be happening so soon! Thank every benevolent power in this corner of the universe I got done with Bahamut and the Tower. Now this is the only heap of horse sh*t I have to worry about.”
Gentle pressure at my shoulder, and I look over to see Minfilia standing next to me, expression gentle. “Remember, my friend. We are here together. You are not alone.”
I sigh. “Yeah. I just get caught up in my worries real easily when I’m blind sided like this. I don’t like surprises, and guess what life is all about?” I add sardonically.
A wry smile crosses her face. “Ah, but you have more warning than most. One might say you are at an advantage.”
I blow a raspberry at Minfilia, and she laughs quietly. “Right,” I say as I shoo my inner child back in, stretching in the seat. “Time to talk to the others and do my rounds. Maybe I’ll get a vague idea of what we’re in for, depending on what the Archons and our Doman friends have to say.”
“Have you been able to predict anything based on discussing matters with the other Scions?” Minfilia asks curiously.
I give the matter some thought. “Not that I can recall off the top of my head,” I admit. “But my rounds keep me connected with everyone, so it’s a good habit to keep. Packbonding is important, we’re all social species after all.”
A slight smile. “Care of the heart and mind?”
“Yup,” I confirm with a nod. “Alright, thanks for letting me whine a bit. Let me know if you need anything!”
Thancred, Papalymo, and Y’shtola are all hanging around one table, and they’re the first I check in with.
“Ah, now you grace us with your presence!” Thancred grins as I approach. “The crowd was rather disappointed when you and Alphinaud teleported off without warning.”
“I will remind everyone that I am an introvert who’s only good at faking being an extrovert,” I say dryly as I settle next to the older Lalafell. “Also that you’re an awful gossip monger for drawing in that crowd when it was just supposed to be a lesson for the kids.”
Papalymo laughs out loud, and Y’shtola chuckles as well, making the bard pout a little. “I warned you that the attention would be over much,” Y’shtola tells Thancred, who sighs and shrugs.
“Perhaps I was a little overeager, though I would note that it was Yda who did most of the talking,” he shifts the blame, and I snort with amusem*nt.
“And who told her? Koharu mentioned that she told you where we were going, so I know you’re patient zero for the gossip bug that drew that crowd,” I say, keeping my tone light to show no hard feelings.
“And you claim to have no sense for investigation!” Thancred’s praise is nice to hear, I’ll admit, but it’s not that hard to figure out.
“Still, the welcome distraction aside, I cannot help but worry some over this plan young Alphinaud has,” Papalymo sips from his glass, a frown crossing his face. “I wish Yda were not so eager to look to the future when we have yet so many problems in the here and now.”
“So Yda likes the idea of an allied proto-Grand Company?” I ask, and all three of them nod.
“I will admit that I fear Yda's boundless optimism is beginning to affect my better judgment.” To my surprise, Y’shtola doesn’t seem quite as jaded over the concept. “And your tendency to triumph against the most terrible of foes is certainly not helping matters.”
“Mrmph,” I chew on my cheek for a moment. “I get why Alphinaud thinks this is a good step to take, but I have anxiety over it. I think a part of it is my territorial self being cranky over strangers possibly being in our base. This is my space and home, and you all are part of the group. Tribe, I suppose. So sharing that space is no big deal. But people I don’t know about? A part of me gets hissy over it.”
“Boiling the problem down to its most basics?” Thancred asks, and I nod. “A credit to your self awareness, my friend. If naught else, consider that any members of this organization will go through extensive checks into their history. We can ill afford to allow Imperial spies or the like slip into our ranks.”
“That does help,” I admit with a nod. “Though maybe we should consider getting Tataru an assistant, if she has to deal with all that paperwork? Dealing with Scion stuff is already a lot, but if she has to balance the workload of a small Grand Company on top of that, I worry that she’ll burn out.”
All three of the Archons look to each other, then over to Tataru’s desk just a bit away, the woman bent over paper and muttering ferociously.
“We have been discussing the idea,” Thancred says quietly. “But there have been complications; many of the most competent accountants are either already under Monetarist employ, and so are not available, and others who have approached, well…”
“Tataru is most excellent in her field,” Papalymo states. “And as such, she is a touch possessive of her position. In addition to the fact that she is still rather young, at your age, we fear that offering an assistant may damage her self confidence.”
“‘Tis an unfortunate situation,” Y’shtola grimaces a little around her tea. “When to lend support, and when to allow the individual to prove themselves? For all of our wisdom, none of us are certain which is the better path.”
I blink. “Well. That sucks,” I surmise succinctly.
“That it does,” Thancred agrees with a shake of his head.
The rest of my rounds don’t reveal much, though at least Doware-san mentions that many of the Domans are settling in well enough. “I am proud at the progress the children have made with their Common speech,” he admits. “But a part of me fears they might forget their mother tongue.”
“All I can suggest is to keep up their teachings in both languages,” I say with an unhelpful shrug. “That’s what both of my parents did, so I’m fluent in Higanshin, mostly fluent in Yanxian, and fluent in Common. But the question is where anyone gets the time, so I understand why you worry.”
“Perhaps we should have a Master of Lessons pulled from our roster, if only for some of the traditional education to accompany Masters Boulder and Coultenet,” Doware muses. “The question of who might volunteer, or if it should be cycled amongst the various duties…”
“I think the kids will bond better with a single teacher,” I suggest carefully. “But if that’s just not feasible, then maybe keeping the position to three to five people? That way the kids can become familiar with all teachers and gain a rapport. No connection, and the kids will have trouble respecting the teacher and the lessons they have to impart.”
“A fair point,” the old man grants, and I mentally sigh in relief. “I will have to consider the matter. My thanks, Lady Tomoyo.”
“Just Tomoyo will be fine,” I remind yet again. I think this will be one of those things that I’ll have to constantly remind folks of.
One last stop with Alphinaud to check what he’s got scheduled out, and I ask the kid, “Once I’ve gotten everyone who’ll initially respond, mind if I do my tribe rounds on the way?”
He shakes his head. “As long as you do not miss the flight, not at all. I envy your far reaching teleportation capabilities,” he adds with a slight smile. “But in this case, ‘tis no cause to complain, that much is for certain.”
“I’m certainly not willing to look the gift bird in the beak,” I say with a shrug. “I’m making headway with all the tribes, but it’ll be some time yet before I think I can call any of them allies, per se. Still, so long as I keep at it, I think we’ll have some more friends eventually.”
“So I hope,” Alphinaud nods. “I suggest you rest, my friend. It will be a long week.”
