Lalli awoke to a howl which he thought was the wind.
He was freezing. It took him a second to realize that it wasn't just the regular draft that plagued the rooms in Falcon's Nest: his thrice-damned
cat had stolen the blankets, again.
The howl rose to his ears again. If it was indeed the wind, it was rather peculiar.
He got up on his bunk to glance out the window, confused. The sun wasn't up yet, but the deep blue of the sky was beginning to pale.
Standing in plaza outside the barracks was
Amalthea, stamping her hooves impatiently. She let out an irritated whinny and Lalli recognized it as the sound responsible for waking him up.
He squinted in the low light. What was that shape on her back?
***Lalli reached the yard just as the mysterious shape on Amalthea's back leapt to the ground - all the way down to the ground. Indeed, the instant the leather of their boots touched the ice-coated stone, they lost their footing and fell on their back with a yelp.
-By the Twelve! Are you okay?
He hurried over to Amalthea and her fallen rider. Soon, he found himself looking at a young Midlander woman wearing a ponytail of silver hair and an irritated expression.
-Matron's teats, how I hate this frozen wasteland, hissed the woman as she shakily got back to her feet. She then immediately focused on energetically dusting off her red tabard.
Lalli chuckled. That was definitely a sentiment he could relate to.
-You sound like you're from Gridania. What are you doing so far from the Twelveswood?
-I'm looking for a white mage. Physalis, he's called? A lala, about yea high, red hair, would carry a cane and probably... go around hugging trees or something, hell if I know.
-Oh no, I stopped doing that! Trees aren't that touchy-feely.
The woman glanced down and her eyes widened in horror.
-Uh.
Lalli burst in laughter.
-Oh, you should see your face! I'm so sorry. Thank you though, I really needed that.
-I bet.
-You can call me Lalli. Now, how about we head inside? I'll scrounge us up some breakfast and you can tell me all about what brings you to this "frozen wasteland".
-Okay. That sounds good, actually.
***-I'm not sure where I should start, said the woman as she pulled a small knife from her pockets and stabbed it through a honey cake.
-Your name would probably be a decent enough place.
-Right. I'm Eschiva. I doubt you know who I am, but I've known of you for a while now.
-Most people in Eorzea have, sighed Lalli.
-No! I don't mean the whole
Sultana thing... Augh. This is why I don't talk to people. I mean, I was told you're
A-Towa-Cant's successor. That you have his soul crystal and stuff.
-That would be accurate.
-Yeah. Well, my grandpa used to be his retainer. Tagged along on all his travels.
-That's amazing! You must know so many stories.
-I suppose I do, but this is hardly the right moment for fireside tales.
-Right. Something's going on, isn't it.
Eschiva ate her honey cake in a single bite, then washed it down with a pint of karakul milk.
-Bit of an understatement.
***It was hour 2 of their trek in the Highlands and Lalli was already struggling to keep up with Eschiva's long legs. Eventually, she rolled her eyes, grabbed the back of Lalli's coat and lifted him so he'd sit on her shoulders.
-Not a word. It's just cold out here and I'd like to go home soon.
-Of course. Speaking of which... if I understood correctly earlier, there's a taint in the Twelveswood and the padjals think it's coming from the river that starts in the glaciers. So, they sent you here to find me so that I'd purify it.
-Yeah, that's pretty much what I said earlier. Like, word for word.
-Okay. Just wanted to make sure I got it all - because you didn't mention why the padjals didn't come in person. Or asked me themselves.
Eschiva swallowed.
-It's... complicated.
-I bet.
-You know what? Actually, it's not. They're just cowards. They don't want to leave the Twelveswood because their duty is to the woods and yadda yadda yadda.
-That does sound like them... Although they have their reasons.
-Oh please, we both know it's just some stupid tradition. A-Towa-Cant went around plenty. I'm not surprised he picked an adventurer as his heir, by the way. He would have
never been satisfied with any of those wankers. He believed in
going where you're needed.
Lalli smiled against his will. He thanked the Twelve that Eschiva couldn't see his face.
-As for why they didn't ask you themselves, well... more of the same, honestly. They're afraid of you. But not too afraid to ask for favors, apparently.
-Hm. I suppose it's a little ironic. They more or less declare me
anathema, then want me to save the Twelveswood in their stead.
-Yeah. You could just say no, y'know. I'm hoping you won't, but you could.
-Nah. I'm not going to. I am a little disappointed, however. I thought Amalthea being here meant that
Raya-O-Senna had... oh, nevermind.
-The ginger kid? What does the unicorn have to do with her?
-Isn't she her companion? Like her chocobo or something?
It was Eschiva's turn to laugh - a deep, raspy sound that the wind carried over the horizon.
-No way! Amalthea was A-Towa-Cant's. I called her yesterday because I assumed she'd know where you are. She can probably sense that soul crystal of yours.
-A-Towa-Cant's... I had no idea. That actually
explains a lot.
Lalli fell silent for a couple minutes. He was pulled out of his reeling mind when an odd, sickening feeling washed over him. The taint.
-Eschiva, look!
There on the edge of a cliff, there was a dragon corpse, all but mummified by the ice and snow. Next to it, a person in dark robes was... doing something.
-Thal's balls.
***-Hey! Who the hell are you?
Lalli blinked in disbelief. He'd just spent a whole five minutes strategizing in vain: Eschiva had just decided to cut to the chase. Patience was evidently not her forte.
The person in dark robes got up and faced Eschiva, revealing the delicate features of a Xaela woman with pure white hair.
-I am Alaqa. You have no business with me. Begone.
-We might, actually. Depends on what you're doing.
-If I tell you, you will only judge me. Just like everyone else did.
-Well, I don't want to be mean, but it does seem like you're doing something pretty gross to that dragon.
Alaqa stiffened and stared defiantly into Eschiva's eyes.
-I knew it. I'm leaving.
-Wait! said Lalli.
Too late. Before he'd finished uttering the word, Alaqa had cast a teleportation spell. She vanished, leaving nothing but spectacularly thick plumes of tainted aether behind her.
Lalli sighed.
-I guess at least we won't have to fight her. But I hope you realize that it means the real source of the taint is now gone, and...
-No. Don't tell me...
-...And you'll have to look for her.
Eschiva cursed and kicked the snow.
-This is why I don't talk to people.
***Lalli closed his eyes and concentrated. Before him was the darkest, most twisted tainted aether he'd ever had the misfortune of facing. No wonder, he thought, that the elementals were silent in the Highlands. They didn't dare speak.
For a second, he feared he wouldn't succeed. White magic felt like a muscle he hadn't flexed in an eternity - he'd been mostly practicing
the Black, after all. What if it had affected his abilities?
He felt nauseous. The taint was overwhelming. It was too much.
-You can do this, Lalli!
He took a deep breath.
-I can do this. I'm A-Towa-Cant's heir, after all.
He raised his hand and focused.
