Bole and Arrow - a FFXIV RP Blog

This place is dedicated to a FFXIV RP between Falerin Arcita (asphaltvalkyrie) and Reonora Aestethe (adeat). Here you’ll just find our random posts and maybe screenshots or other randomness pertaining to these two. Feel free to follow if you like!

[bole-and-arrow]

"Falerin, ah, I didn't mean to interrupt in the middle of this joyous time, but..." Reonora said softly, "did you happen to notice a strange object in that monster's shoulder? Namely a knife?"

Reonora placed a hand to her chin and tilted her head slightly.

"Although the exact memory escapes my mind, I feel as though I've seen that knife somewhere before. Somewhere... somehow... Let us get closer and see if we can get a closer look. The monster seemed to only be guarding its territory. Surely it wouldn't mind if we pull that dagger out and cure his wounds."

As the giant monster into the self-created cave of whence it came, two other figures popped out, both completely unnoticed by the imminent threat. With the blonde turning back to look at the monster, smiling bemusedly, Reonora almost thought that this intruder expected the monster to ignore her. No, of course that person did. Standing straight and pointedly pushing the wrinkles out of her ornate dress, two miqo'te girls strode out of the cavern, the blonde behind the blue-haired one.

Kannay and T'seiro.

"Well, hello, Reonora. Long time no see!" Kannay chirped in a voice too syrupy to be genuine. She held her hands behind her back and leaned forward. "Fancy meeting you here."

"Yes, indeed," Reonora said curtly. "And what brings you and T'seiro here?"

"Oh, you know how things are. Important oracle business, mind. A little insurance, you could say, just in case something horrible would ever happen upon your life. A good thing we happened to be nearby incase we were needed." Kannay fanned herself. "Isn't that right, T'seiro?"

The blue-haired miqo'te behind Kannay nodded rapidly. "Y-yes, yes! Yes indeed, Mistress Kannay. We're here on very important business."

As though ego fulfilled, Kannay turned to Falerin, beaming brightly. "And yes, I recognise you. You're the one who came to the Temple of Nyemia not too long ago. A pleasure to see you again. I see that you managed to pass your trials safely, and you even have a soulstone for it. Even from here I can sense your aura radiating much more brightly than before. Congratulations on completing yout trial, good sir."

[bole-and-arrow]

How amazing was this?!

Falerin felt the sort of joy he felt the moment he reached a favorite part of a favorite song and had his audience as enthralled listening to it as he was singing it. Or perhaps when he captured the perfect turn of phrase that tied two dissonant halves of an unfinished poem together into a harmonious whole. Things just made… sense.  And even better, it was a moment he was celebrating in a warm embrace with a friend.

Oops.

Realizing he might be making said friend uncomfortable, Falerin loosened his bear hug.

“I’m sorry, sometimes I forget about personal space when I’m happy.”  he said, grinning ear to ear. “I just… its even more amazing than I would have ever thought.”

Falerin held out his hand again to look at the stone,  which now looked like any ordinary carved piece of colored stone. The voices that had come from it were gone.  Had they ever been there at all, or was it just a projection of his vivid imagination? Reonora, perhaps sensing his bewilderment, closed her hands around his, explaining that the stone was only a newborn, and that its future was up to him to decide. The other voices were still inside of it, but it was up to him to lead them in song.

Warden willing, we‘ll both learn something…  he thought to himself, as if the stone were reading his mind at that very moment.  

Perhaps the warden had not been willing in that moment. The sweet crooning and lilting chants he had heard moments earlier were now violently replaced with a cacophony of clattering rocks larger than his head, and the sight of his lovely new soulstone was obscured by a cloud of dust.  Emerging from that dust was the largest gigant Falerin had ever seen.

The screech of metal sliding on metal echoed off of the walls of the mineshaft as Reonora met the creature head on, staying the swing of its huge axe with the ancient pickaxe she‘d obtained mere moments ago.  A vivid sensory memory of having one of those very axes nearly cleave his head in two flashed over his mind, and he watched nearly paralyzed as the axe blade slid down to the wooden haft of the pickaxe, threatening to split it in two.

I am the mirror of thy heart.

Those same words had spoken themselves into his mind just moments earlier… But it was up to him to give them meaning now.  His hands scarcely had time to tremble as one closed around his mother’s bow, and the other around the fletching of an arrow.  

Necessity may force me to fight, but it isn’t who I am.  

As he nocked the arrow, he began to sing an old hunter‘s prayer that his mother had taught him long ago. A song that promised great bounty to the hunter and a swift death to their quarry.  Instantly, his eyes darted to the creature’s shoulder, where an ornate dagger glinted in its stony hide.  As he aimed his arrow, he felt almost as if it were aiming him instead, guided unerringly by the sound of his voice.

Falerin could have sworn the arrow was glowing as it released itself from the bow, soaring over Reonora and crashing into the thing’s shoulder like a levinbolt. There was a clatter of metal on stone as the dagger dropped to the floor, followed a second later by the gigant’s axe. Falerin’s hand moved towards his arrow quiver again. The massive creature still stood… but what in hells was it doing?

Seemingly not caring about the small Hyur and the even smaller Miqo’te before it, the creature shook its head like a wet dog.  A growl filled the cave, but it wasn’t a growl of rage… it sounded more like an old man expressing annoyance at having been woken up from an afternoon nap. Reonora continued to hold her ground, brandishing her pickaxe in a defensive stance any Paladin would have envied.  But the gigant merely stared at the both of them. Falerin could sense the stink-eye it was giving even through its steel helmet.

With an annoyed grumble, it snatched its axe from the ground and returned through the same hole it had come in through, striking a nearby wall to conceal its passage in another hail of stone and dust.

“…Wh-what just happened?” Falerin said.

[bole-and-arrow]

The moment Falerin wrapped his arms around Reonora, the miqo'te felt a wave of emotion that she had never felt before... not in a long time. The kindness, warmth and pure joy that came from the embrace took Reonora off guard, and her eyes widened as her mind attempted to process her feelings.

That emotion that could only be described as happiness.

A smile crept over her lips as she allowed the ecstasy to wash over her. She wrapped her arms around Falerin in a warm squeeze. "Congratulations, Falerin! I am so happy for you!"

The two remained in a warm embrace for quite some time. Reonora closed her eyes. How long had it been since she had been hugged? She could scarcely remember. At the same time, she felt a little guilty that she enjoyed that feeling and wished it would never leave. However, time moved on and eventually, loosened his grip. Reonora did the same. Putting a comfortable distance between herself and Falerin, she clasped his hand that held the soulstone with both of her own.

"It is said that a soulstone contains the memories of those who have once possessed them." said Reonora, still smiling. "They say that one can even leave behind the knowledge of how to perform signature abilities. However, in this instance, these soulstones are but newborns. Young and impressionable, ready to take on the memories of the one who brought them to life - you. I wonder what sort of memories will get imprinted here?"

Before Falerin could answer - if he was going to answer - the walls shook and the sound of the walls crumbling filled Reonora's ears. She jumped, startled, but whirled around and turned to face the oncoming threat. Once the debris settled, a Hecatonchier twice the size of the ones encountered before lumbered into the vicinity. Reonora recognised him - a threat known as Gyges the Great. But whatever his name was, Reonora wasted no time to intercept the monster. Brandishing the pickaxe she had swiped from this creature's brethren, she raised the tool above her head, dashed in to the monster's close quarters. Her pickaxe and the monster's weapon clashed, producing an echo which nearly shook the foundation once more.

A glint on Gyges the Great's shoulder caught Reonora's eye. She took a brief glance at the monster's left shoulder and noticed a small dagger impaled through its hide.

The same kind of magical dagger that had impaled the Hecatonchier from before. Somehow, Reonora had a feeling that whoever had done this deed was either sloppy enough to leave a trail, or had left a trail so obvious, the culprit wanted to be noticed.

First things first.

"Falerin! I will hold this thing off." Reonora called to the hyur without turning around. "Whatever the soulstone has to offer, pray to Nymeia that it matures quickly!"

[bole-and-arrow]

“This is as far as we can go.” said Reonora. “Is there any part of this room that catches your eye?”

Falerin wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand, his eyes nervously darting around the dimly lit cavern in front of them. The voices were still whispering in his head, only now they had an almost resonant quality to them, like someone running their finger across the rim of a crystal glass.

Crystal… There were clumps of purplish crystals everywhere. Some as thin as his smallest finger, some as thick as a Twelveswood tree trunk. What made a soul crystal different from any other crystal anyway? It occurred to him that he’d never actually seen one.  Perhaps he should have asked Reo to show him hers… Could any of these be a soul crystal? What if his soul crystal was bigger than he was?

He realized then that he was stalling. Reo was looking at him expectantly, but he hadn’t so much as moved a single step since they discovered the room.

“Sorry, I guess I’m still a little scared of this place.” he said, unnerved by the sudden silence. “The last time I was here, we didn’t get this far…”

His thoughts started to wander to Al and Sunn and Moki and that awful day when his life went to shit, but as he tried to remember, his mind was… hazy. The voices cut through his concentration like the timber master’s handsaw, and the faces of those he tried to remember seemed to swirl into a shimmering river. A river that flowed out of his mind and towards… there?

His feet didn’t feel as if they were touching the ground as he moved towards furthest wall of the room. In the smoky-dim light shed by the crystals was a single pinprick of light that shone as brightly as a tiny star, and it grew brighter with every step he took.  He realized with some trepidation that it was coming from the inside of one of the most massive crystals he had ever seen. He approached it with a sense of reverence he rarely felt for anything.

Do you know something I don‘t?

As Falerin approached the crystal, its surface seemed to grow clearer, like clouds parting after a sudden shower. The pinprick of light within it grew larger, revealing a roughly hewn jewel shaped like a jagged teardrop, the color of brand new spring leaves. It was embedded there, in the crystal.

Have you always been here?  Just waiting…?

The voices within did not answer.  But the closer he got, the clearer and more resonant they became. He still could not understand them, but they were filling him with an overwhelming desire to reach the gem. It was like he was being held in the thrall of a siren.

His hand shook as he reached toward the stone.   Surprisingly, the solid surface of the crystal did not stop his hand’s advance, and instead just rippled like water around it.

I am the mirror of thy heart...

As Falerin’s hand closed around the stone, the voices came to a glorious crescendo, and he realized finally what they were singing. Every love song, every epic poem, every piece of saucy sailor graffiti and line of the Twelves’ holy litany… All at once.  A cacophony of language both old and new, both sacred and profane, somehow transformed into a harmonious whole.  A Bard’s gift… the gift of moments, people, places, things, encased in stories like flies in amber. Preserved time. Crystallized memory.

When he came to his senses, he was slumped against a wall, staring into the very concerned face of Reonora.

“Reo! You… I…”

His eyes darted to his right hand, which was clenched around something so tightly that his fingers were numb. Dirty leather creaked as he relaxed his grip.  There, in his tired and trembling hand, was the same stone he had seen inside the crystal. Decidedly less shiny but very, very real. Words escaped him, and at instead he settled for an exultation of extraordinary sound that was as exuberant as spring birdsong and as expansive as the howls of wolves in winter.

“She was right!  Rem was right!  YOU were right! THANK YOU!!“ Falerin threw his arms around Reo and hugged her tighter than he had ever hugged anyone.

[bole-and-arrow]

Reonora's eyes sparkled at the thought of being able to help. "Leave the tunnel digging to me!"

Following Falerin's pointed finger, Reonora faithfully slammed her monolithic pickaxe at any creature that dared to get in Falerin's way. Not without a little guilt, though she still felt gleeful that she could be of assistance. Thankfully, she only had to knock down a few walls along the way, none of which caused any sort of cave-ins. And whatever Reonora couldn't reach with the pickaxe's large swing, Falerin finished off himself with an arrow or two - a tremendous feat considering the ringing that must have diverted his concentration elsewhere.

Reonora had been to the Copperbell Mines before on an excursion once. Enough to know that when she knocked down the final wall, the two had reached the deepest depths that Copperbell had to offer. She looked around the large room and sniffed.

Much bloodshed. Thankfully long past, but still enough to make her wrinkle her nose. She sensed no presence but from previous experiences, one could not be too careful lest a creature wait behind those walls.

"This is as far as we can go." said Reonora. "Is there any part of this room that catches your eye?"

[bole-and-arrow]

“No really, I‘m fine. Don‘t worry.”  Fal protested as Reo grabbed her staff, but he didn’t move away as she immediately launched into a cure spell.  He stared down at his hand, still somehow expecting to see an injury, but all he felt now was the spell’s gentle warmth.

“Thanks though… Maybe that thing had some kind of curse or enchantment on it?  Something magical? Everything that I don’t understand is magic for all I know.” he said with a dismissive shrug.

“Speaking of magical…” he raised his head and looked around, attempting to pick out the strange sound again.

His heart was already racing from the exertion of the recent combat, but it what Reonora said next proved it could go even faster.  He turned to look at her as she mentioned having heard a similar noise before, in the proximity of a soulstone… Did that mean they were getting closer?  He closed his eyes and concentrated on the sound.  Now that he had a moment to take it in, it sounded less like a single-toned hum and more like… voices. They seemed to sing in a language he did not speak, and there were so many that the effect was that of a droning hum.

Is this why they call them soulstones?  What do all those voices mean? He scratched the back of his neck thoughtfully, his eyes wandering to the sandy floor. Reo suggested he go ahead of her to follow the sound.

“S-sure thing!” he said, only revealing a tiny fraction of the fear he felt at that moment. He’d never been on point in any adventuring party…

“I think… its this way…” he said, pointing down a long hallway.  It was quite dark like the rest of the mine, but near the end he could spy clumps of crystals that glowed a faint purple in the dark.

“I guess those might have been what they were looking for when they dug the mine?”

Falerin took a few tentative steps forward before pausing to look back at Reonora. He had just then recalled something that she had said last night about the band of self-important and disloyal Nymeian temple folk she had formerly run with...

“I promise I won’t just run off and leave you when we find it...” he said with a smile, giving her shoulder another reassuring squeeze.  “With how much you’ve done for me, I’m here for the long haul.”

“Here we go!”

[bole-and-arrow]

"Hear a-" Reonora began to answer when she saw Falerin wince and drop the dagger. Reonora wasn't sure what exactly what was going on, but her healer instincts took over before anything else. She dropped the giant pickaxe and grabbed her healer staff. Touching the tip of her staff to Falerin's hand, she channeled her energies through the staff into a simple cure spell. Though even the most beginner spell took a slight more toll on her energies than it would have with other healers. Still, she hoped that something good happened. "Falerin! Are you all right?"

When she was sure that he was fine, she used the other end of her staff to flick the offending knife away.

"I recall... they say that when a person nears their soulstone, they will hear such a noise. The closer they are to the soulstone, the louder is the noise." said Reonora. "When I went with my assigned team, I heard such a noise when I came across a soulstone as well..."

She held her hand and tilted her head in thought.

"Perhaps you could lead the way then? Since you are the one that hears the noise." Reonora put away her healer staff and picked up the pickaxe once more. "Should any walls be in the way, I can always knock them down with this."

[bole-and-arrow]

The giant roared in pain as Falerin's arrow found its mark.  But before he could panic about what to do next, Reo had it taken care of.  Taking advantage of the distraction Falerin had caused, she seized the thing's pickaxe and redirected its momentum backwards with a savage shove. The giant hit the ground with a tremendous crash, impaled by its own mining equipment.  

Falerin shielded his eyes with his hand as a hail of small pebbles and dust rained down on him, no doubt shaken loose by the ton or so of muscle and bone that had just hit the floor.

“Reo, are you okay?” he yelled, his stomach sinking as he heard Reo yelp in panic.  He took a few clumsy steps forward, following the glint of white robes through the cloud of dust.

“Ah, thank the Twelve…” he said as the dust began to settle, almost as quickly as it had come. Reo was frightened but unhurt, and thanking him for saving her.

"I'd say you saved yourself... I just gave it a splinter... If I hadn’t already believed you were a former pugilist before, I’d sure believe it now." he said, brushing the dust from his jacket.  The thing was laid out cold, gored by its own axe.  "Either way, that's one stone-dead stonehauler. You dropped him like an... uh... stone. Sorry, I can’t seem to fight and be witty at the same time.” he said, shouldering his bow.

“Hoo, could do without that happening again. I really hope there aren‘t more…” Falerin bent over and rested his hands on his knees, exhaling sharply and staring at the floor. “The only other time I saw one of these marauding murder machines, I was KOed before I could even piss myself.”

Falerin straightened his back again, taking a rare moment of silence to compose himself again.  But silence was eluding him... Beyond the sounds of settling dust and skittering monster feet, something seemed to be... humming? Like the melodic chanting of a priest or the drone of summer cicada wings.

“Do you hear that sound...?” he said, looking back at Reo in time to see her crouching next to the creature, holding something and looking in his direction, asking if he‘d seen anything like it before.  He leaned in to get a closer look, noticing that it was an exquisitely wrought ornamental dagger.

“Huh, no, but it looks valuable.  Maybe you can desynthesize it for parts?” he said, accepting the dagger.

A scant few seconds after his hand wrapped around its hilt, he felt a strange prickling sensation in his right hand, like tiny hooks were digging into his palm. He swore under his breath, dropping the dagger as he recoiled from the sensation. Grabbing his hand by the wrist, he turned his palm over, expecting to see a jagged wound, but finding only undamaged flesh.

“That’s… odd.” he said, turning pale for a brief moment. “Damn thing felt like shaking hands with a morbol. You didn’t feel that?” he looked at Reo in disbelief, guessing from her shocked expression that she had in fact not felt that.

“Shite, first I’m hearing things and now this.”

[bole-and-arrow]

GWOOAAARRR!!

Reonora had barely time to react when she saw the Hecatonchier Stonehauler reeling back, roaring in pain. The glint of an arrow's head shone in its palm, its large pickaxe falling towards her. Instinctively, she grabbed the pickaxe by the handle and slammed it as hard as she could onto the Hecatonchier. The sharp end of the pickaxe slammed into the Hecatonchier's chest and continued to fall at rapid speed. When the weapon's end and the monster crashed to the ground, the mine shook even more than when the Hecatonchier had broken out of the wall.

"Wah... wah... oh no, oh no!" Reonora flailed one of her arms like a lalafell and looked from side to side as debris began to fall from the ceiling. Not knowing what else to do, she pulled the pickaxe out and held it up to the ceiling like some kind of pillar... or some lame attempt to hold up the ceiling lest it cave in. Thankfully, the mine's vibrating subsided without any major casualties, save the Hecatonchier who now laid completely still, embedded in a small crater. Giving the ceiling a few gentle taps to make sure it was sturdy, Reonora placed the giant pickaxe on the ground.

"Y-you saved me, Falerin. Thank you..." She took a few breaths to slow down the adrenaline coursing through her body. She still shook though didn't want to give Falerin the impression that she was afraid. "Is it common for these large creatures to come out of nowhere? I was not aware that we were so close to its territory."

Reonora flipped the Hecatonchier over on its back just to get the creature out of the way. It was then that she noticed another glint in the Hecatonchier's anatomy. This time on its shoulder from behind. She crouched down and pulled out the source of the glint.

A dagger. Not any kind of dagger that Reonora had ever seen before. Something about this weapon seemed more ornate than functional. The hilt was gold-covered and well decorated. The blade itself shone white - at least the bits that weren't covered in blood - and was double edged.

Rising back to her feet, she held the dagger out towards Falerin. "Odd. I've never seen such a dagger before. Have you?"

[bole-and-arrow]

Falerin followed closely behind Reo as she took them deeper into the mine, heartened to hear that she believed in him… and that she was glad he was alive. Coming from any of the other friends he’d ever had, such a remark would have seemed like it was said for comic effect, but he knew Reo was being sincere.

“Thanks Reo…” I know I’ve been thanking you a lot on this trip, but it has to be said… And often, because I really do appreciate everything you’ve done.”  he said, squeezing the hand she offered before moving on.

Fal’s stomach very nearly dropped out as Reo charged forward and waved her staff at the assembled monster hoards.  He readied his bow in record time out of sheer fear for his friend getting hurt, only to see that the monsters’ blows seemed to hurt her about as much as hailstones.  

“Oh no…! so terrifying…!“ Reo’s sarcastic tone immediately cut through the tension, and Fal couldn’t help but laugh as he took aim at a particularly persistent Coblyn.

“I’ll save you!” he responded in a suitably overdramatic tone as he took aim.

He had a very vivid memory of wasting a dozen or so arrows on a Coblyn the last time he was here, because he could barely penetrate the thing‘s rocky armor even when he pulled his bow with all his might. This time, it only took a few.  Then another fell... And another… in the time it would have formerly taken him to kill a single one.

“An old girlfriend of mine was a pugilist… she used to tease me by saying she could land 5 punches in the time it took me to fire one arrow.”  Falerin shot an arrow at a Spriggan. “I like to think I’m not the petty type but I’d love to hear what she’d have to say now. ”

Falerin sighed with relief as the last Spriggan squeaked its final squeak.  Though his limbs felt rubbery from adrenaline, he was considerably calmer than he thought he would be by this point.  It did his self-esteem good to see that his training this past year really had made a difference.  But would he still be so cocky if they ran into gigants…?

The thought subdued him somewhat, and he felt the fear creeping back into his mind as he and Reo boarded the elevator at the end of the mine shaft.  Reo had gone quiet, and her sideways-pointing ears and downcast eyes told him that she was worried.

Now would be a good time for a mood-lightening song, he thought.  But it didn’t seem wise to sing loudly in a huge, dark mineshaft filled with creatures that were eager to bash his head in… even if he were stronger than he had been the last time. Instead, he closed his eyes and started to hum melodically, keeping a slow tempo and allowing his voice to flow from one note to another at a languid pace.  

“Elevator music.”  he said, opening one eye to look at Reo as he put on a mischievous grin.

When the elevator stopped, they found themselves in an even darker mineshaft, and Falerin was relieved to see that it only contained more of the same small monsters they’d already encountered. That is, until the rocks fell… He nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw the gigant… swinging an obscenely oversized pickaxe at Reo.

“Shitshitnononoshitshitnofuck...” he muttered to himself.

His mind raced as he drew an arrow. Shooting it in the body wouldn’t do anything to stop its momentum, and its head was armored, but… Falerin took aim and released an arrow, aiming squarely for the thing’s weapon hand.

[bole-and-arrow]

"A particular room with a hammer-wielding giant..." Reonora tilted her head and placed a hand to her chin.

Reonora had ventured to Copperbell Mines once to assist an adventuring party. Nothing out of the ordinary happened, unlike poor Falerin, though Reonora had done her best to memorize as many locations as possible just in case she had to go back in. Such a description gave Reonora mental images of a secluded room deep within the mines. There, her party had encountered a large, bipedal bull-like creature wielding a giant, spiked hammer. At the time, the party's leader called for a retreat, they escaped the dungeon post-haste, and that was the end of the adventure. Most likely that was the place Falerin was to go.

A place where Falerin nearly lost his life.

'Fate certainly has a strange way to take people out of their comfort zone. It seems as though no matter how far one runs, the past catches up two paces ahead. Or however the saying goes.' Reonora mused. Just like how Reonora's own inevitable journey left her creating a trail of blood in the dead quiet of Coerthas' winter, Nymeia had chosen Falerin to return to a site of past trauma.

"There is such a place I am reminded of by your tale." said Reonora. Donning her staff in one hand, she extended a hand to Falerin with the other. "While I can make no guarantees, I can say that I will do my best to keep us both alive. After all, that's what a healer is here to do. "And Falerin..."

Reonora paused to formulate words correctly in her head.

"What happened to you was terrifying, wasn't it? A great amount of courage is necessary to be able to face one's past - a great amount that you already possess. I am here with you every step of the way. And... umm..." She smiled. "I just wish to say that I am happy you are still alive."

Reonora took the lead into the mines. She heard Falerin's footsteps at a close distance behind her, meaning she could keep up her pace.

As soon as they went inside, the atmosphere changed completely, from a dusty, hot atmosphere, to a dim cavern lit only by a few intermittent lampshades.

No sooner did they step inside than a trio of the most common denizens of the cave came out to greet them: a Spriggan Copper Copper, and two Copperbell Coblyns. Back when Reonora first came to Copperbell Mines, those monsters had caused her nervousness to ramp up a few notches, hiding behind the safety of her party members as she used her miniscule amount of magic to heal the tank while flinging gusts of wind and pebbles at the enemy. This moment was also a good opportunity to see how much she had changed.

"Healing can not only cure wounds!" Reonora said as she charged into the thick of the mob. She channeled her energies into the staff, aided by the cloth wrapped around the top, and sent a small burst of energy outwards. "Medica!"

Her healing light did the trick. Any living creature knew the sensation of healing energies and what that meant: target the one that could keep the party alive. Another two rounds of Medica and the enemies were completely enthralled to do her in...

... with a few light swats and headbutts.

"Oh no...! So terrifying...!" Reonora shouted in flat, sarcastic voice, hoping that her joke would ease Falerin's worries somewhat. Either these monsters were the runt of the pack, or Reonora's travels had made Reonora's body even harder... at least to the point she was able to withstand more blunt strikes.

Fortunately, the enemies' near-harmless swats ended quickly thanks to Falerin's arrows. His strikes were careful and accurate, just like how Reonora remembered them to be. Regardless how he felt about fighting, Reonora could always count on Falerin to do his best.

Once the mob of enemies subsided, the two went through the open door and into the mine shaft. Reonora flipped the lift lever, the caged door slid closed, and down they went.

As the elevator descended, Reonora wondered what kind of small talk she could make to Falerin. Could she ask him how he was feeling? Would she sound like she was nagging too much? Could she attempt to make a joke? But even if she did, did Falerin find puns funny? Could she try reassuring him again? Though if she did that, she would definitely be nagging... and treating Falerin like a child. He definitely didn't want that.

Suddenly Reonora heard a soft, deep hum midly vibrating the area. The calm, soothing melody from Falerin's deep voice made her feel relaxed. Though she couldn't help but think that the melody seemed... tame? Innocuous? Like the kind of music she would hear at a foyer?

"Elevator music." Reonora heard Falerin say. From that, she stiffled a giggle. To think that she was the one who wanted to cheer Falerin up, but it was Falerin who lightened the mood! That was how he was.

The elevator reached the bottom of its destination. The facing door slid open. Once again, Reonora took the lead down the path. Medica lured the monsters to her and Falerin's arrows took swift care of the monsters. Reonora managed to get in a few kicks in as well. She couldn't very well club enemies with her staff, lest she break the only weapon she had that allowed her to wield magic like a normal White Mage. The two kept up the pace as they crossed a wooden bridge. Reonora saw a curve in the path up ahead leading left. Only a lone Copperbell Coblyn stood in the way.

When suddenly, the stone wall burst open. A Hecatonchier Stonehauler strode out of the hole as though it had heard the two adventurers coming.

"Eep!" Reonora squeaked, startled by the noise.

Pickaxe in its large hand, the Hecatonchier took a swipe at Reonora.

[bole-and-arrow]

Reo sitting there next to him and trying to comfort him reminded him of the day in Gridania when they had first met.  Only this time Reo seemed to be just as miserable and guilt-ridden as he was, if not moreso.  He couldn’t help but force a reassuring smile.  He always hated seeing people sad, especially his friends, and his immediate instinct was to try and cheer them up.  When Reo spoke, she said something similar to what Ms. Aescante had said… That the truth wasn’t always pretty, and the past had a way of not staying in the past.

“ ‘He who is not busy being born is busy dying’, as an old bard once sang.” Fal sighed. “whatever happens, I have to thank you for being here to help. I’ve been dying for too long now.”

Reo’s next words were a solemn declaration that this day was not going to turn into another sad memory, and that she would protect them both. The statement seemed unusually confident coming from her, but he was glad to see her sincerity win out over her lack of self-worth for once.  He took her hand when she extended it, feeling more than a little better when he rose to his feet.

“I never had any doubt.” he said. This time he didn‘t have to force a smile.  As the two headed into the mine, Falerin spoke again.

“I guess I owe you a more specific explanation now that we’re here. We were in one of the basement shafts and our gladiator decided to backtrack alone to search a room for treasure.” Falerin paused and coughed.  Referring to a person who had meant so much to him with something as impersonal as his job title had brought a very large and unexpected lump in his throat.

“Ahem.  Anyway, the rest of us thought we were safe in an empty room… But then a Hecatonchieres broke through the wall and nailed me across the face before I could even nock an arrow. Our Conjurer kept me alive until we got to an infirmary in Ul’Dah, but I was out of commission for almost two weeks.” Falerin sighed and traced the scar over his right eye with one dusty, clammy finger.

“Most of my scars have funny or strangely poetic origins, but this one was from me getting a plain and simple ass-kicking. I’m lucky I didn’t get my skull crushed or lose my eye. But I had a great healer then, and now I have an even better one!“ Fal let out a sound that was half sigh, half laugh.  “

Now if only I had some idea where I‘m supposed to be going.  All I recall is something about a particular room with a hammer-wielding giant.”

[bole-and-arrow]

Reonora took a seat beside Falerin. She leaned over, her elbows on her knees, and bowed her head slightly. She glanced at the ground in front of her to give the appearance that she was deep in thought. But in reality, Falerin's words of how his first light party arrived out alive but he was badly hurt in the process had struck a cord within her that made her chest hurt in anguish. Was it his pain? Or the pain of a memory she wanted to forget? A memory she had told herself that she was the one at fault, yet made her want to cry.

Though at the moment, she did want to cry. She had initially wanted to help Falerin in a way she knew how, but all that ended up happening was that she dragged Falerin further and further down a hole of which he had just dug himself out. Watching himself force a smile to hide his discomfort made things worse.

'But we're here now. Turning back would negate our earlier experiences.' Reonora thought.

"To those who read the stars, the cards, or whatever medium is at her disposal, there is a saying that the cards will show us truths that may be uncomfortable." Reonora said slowly as her mind slowly sorted out her jumble of thoughts into coherent words. "It may be painful now, but perhaps this is a way to say that we cannot run from our past. Just as I cannot."

Reonora looked up at the sky. She placed her hand on top of Falerin's to comfort him. Still looking up, she continued.

"This journey seemed to have caused nothing but sad experiences. This time, I wish to create a good memory. I may not be the best healer, but I am determined to keep us both alive, no matter what. You can count on me... as I will not leave you for dead.”

Like she did. Reonora wanted to add. However, she decided that she was better off to not add any unnecessary details.

Reonora rose to her feet and extended a hand to Falerin. "Come. I shall lead the way. Were you told the stone's exact location?"

[bole-and-arrow]

Reonora reacted to Falerin’s request the way most people would respond to being handed a live grenade.   He knew that Reo had a very hard time talking about herself, but it appeared he’d underestimated just how hard of a time.  She tried to hide her unease by looking away, but he could tell how uncomfortable she was.  After a moment of awkward silence, she started to talk about the temple’s abundant floral life both native and introduced.

She‘s deflecting… I guess I shouldn’t be surprised she’d rather not talk about it if she grew up in a place like that.  They obviously did everything they could to break her… Or does she really think I wouldn’t care to listen? Either way, I guess this just isn’t the right time.

Falerin wanted to sigh thoughtfully, but he knew Reo would probably construe it as his being bored.  Instead he smiled and listened intently.  He hadn’t ever heard her talk for this long, about anything.  

“The plants and architecture there are lovely. I can imagine that seeing such a beautiful place again was nice, even if seeing the people in it wasn’t.   If I had to do chores there like you did I’d probably constantly be in trouble for slacking off.   I’d just spend all my time playing my music in the sun or reading under the ivy arbors. Thank you again for sharing it with me.”

Though this wasn’t a topic of conversation he would normally be interested in, Reo spoke about it with a joy and reverence he rarely (if ever) saw in her.  Besides, it was nice to have a distraction to keep him from thinking too much about where they were headed. Falerin rubbed his eyes as a stiff, hot breeze kicked up from the direction of the Sagolii. He would have much rather felt a cool salt breeze off of the Rhotano.

“I think you’d like visiting the city where I lived when I was a kid.  In the Cieldalaes they have one kind of native poppy there that’s the reddest shade of red you’ve ever seen. As red as this sky is blue.  There were islands that were just covered in them…  spots of red blooming out of pure blue between the sea and the sky. My mother and her tribe practically worshipped Azeyma roses… that hymn I was singing last night is about them after all… but if I ever wrote a song about a type of flower, I think it would be about those poppies. ”

Fal tilted his head back and looked at the sky, squinting against the afternoon sun. Reonora continued to speak pleasantly, faltering only when she almost admitted to having learned to read from her father. He was tempted to stop her there and ask about her father, but he had a feeling it would do more harm than good to pry. He’d been scolded for excessive nosiness more times than he cared to count, after all.

“I guess we‘re both lucky having someone to teach us to read. My mom managed even though we only owned one book for the first 10 years of my life. I think that‘s why I have so many books piled up in my room now. Just because I have a place for them.” he laughed nervously as the entrance of the mines yawned into view.

“I’m sure you’ll get a place of your own someday, and rest assured I’ll take every chance I can to drop in unexpectedly to pester you.”

The two now stood in the shadow of the entrance to the mine, and Falerin grew more uneasy with every step.  He drew and readied his bow, finding that his palms were growing clammy even in the intense heat. His first attempt to notch an arrow resulted in the arrow clattering noisily to the ground due to how much his hands were shaking.

“S-Sorry.” he stammered. He stopped walking for a moment and took a seat on an empty supply crate, clutching his bow in his hands as he took a few deep breaths.  He wasn’t doing a very good job hiding how he felt about this place.

“I should probably just be honest.” he said, running a hand through his hair.  It had scarce had time to dry after the ritual bath, and now it was wet again, this time with sweat.

“In a room of a hammer-wielding giant, the leader of many, one who had lost his life may be able to bring new life upon yours…” the words fell from his lips like heavy stones “…Was what Ms. Aescante told me.”

“But, my first light party came here and we… didn’t do well.” he said, scanning the distant tunnels for signs of movement as he spoke.  “We all made it out alive, but I got hurt pretty badly.  And things just… got worse from there.” Falerin sat and stared at the floor for a minute before getting to his feet again.

“The stars must have thought I had some unfinished business here.” he said with a nervous sigh.   “But hey… It can’t possibly be any worse than it was last time. Let‘s go find that stone so we can hurry up and leave.”

[bole-and-arrow]

Reonora had to pause for a bit to understand exactly what Falerin meant. "You are saying that the reading was helpful then? That makes me happy. Truthfully I was a little worried that the time spent there would have created horrible memories."

Deep down, she felt a small sting of selfish resentment. When Kannay did the reading for her so long ago, the reading went by so quickly, Reonora had forgotten most of what Kannay had said. If Reonora remembered anything at all. As selfish as it was, she wished that someone would speak about her in that same way. Someone who would reach deep inside and find her.

Yet, when Falerin posted the question about the good parts of her past, Reonora found herself at a loss for words. As she and Falerin reappeared in Horizon, her mind swirled faster than an Aero spell. What should she say? What kind of things would she talk about? And if she did, would Falerin have any interest? Would she find herself rambling and have Falerin comment how bored he was? No, he wasn't like that. Since their nightly chat together - no, ever since they had first met - Falerin had been nothing short of a patient listener. Perhaps talking about herself a little would help to distract Falerin from the kind of sadness that he saw inside? To tell him that things weren't always so bad at the temple?

"Well..." Reonora tilted her head and looked to the side, though she continued to walk forward. "Did you see the plants on the way in? Hanging from the ceiling, no less. Potted plants on the tables, too. The bouquets are quite lovely, aren't they? The flowers are indigenous to Thanalan - the oasis style, as the arrangement is commonly known. Those are my favourite flowers. It's surprising that a place in the Shroud would still have a taste of Thanalan in them, wouldn't you think? The potted azalea are quite lovely as well."

Her smile widened as she continued.

"Oh, but the furnishings and decorations are not all oasis style! The drawer tables placed in even intervals are of the glade style. During my stay at the temple, I spent any free time dusting and polishing the tables and watering the plants. There are no maids at the temple. There is a board in front of the temple that shows who does chores on what days. I always looked forward to the days where I could dust around the temple. We are taught to respect prophets and nature. People should respect the smaller things like not leaving chairs out of place, or placing books on the shelf with the pages out. Why do people do that? Should the spine not be what's to appear on the outside? Ah, it is not as though I could read much. My fa-" she cut herself off, "-someone... taught me to read when I was young. This makes me a little more fortunate. But to me, books are beautiful decorations. They have a pleasing aesthetic. Bookshelves on the side make a room look intellectual and lived-in. Books can say a lot about a person's interests and life."

She clasped her hands together, her tail raised in the air.

"But plants! Plants are beautiful... the essence of life. They can give to nature, they can just exist and be loved. They are born beautiful and live quiet lives. All sorts of arrangements and colours! You had seen those pillars in the temple, did you not? The ivies that curl around the pillars show age, like a place that has a long history. They say that the longer a temple exists, the more holy energy it contains. Did you sense any holy energy? I have no senses so I cannot say for myself. But the ivies tell the story. They took their time to grow and make the building their home. Had I a place to call my own, I would surely fill it with many books and plants-"

She cut herself off.

"Ah, I apologise. I hadn't exactly answered your question have I? You had asked about the good parts of life at the Temple of Nymeia, yet I talked mostly of the decor. I'm sorry." She took out her staff and grinned enthusiastically at Falerin. "Copperbell Mines should not pose too much difficulty to us. I have your back, as always! As long as you trust your inner instincts, your gut feeling should lead you towards where the soulstone is. Are you ready?"

[bole-and-arrow]

A crash and hail of rocks later found Falerin being whisked out of the temple by Reo, just ahead of a group of people who would probably like to see at least one of the two of them hanged.  It took all his agility just to keep from falling down, let alone keep up with Reo.  Had she decided to let go of his wrist, he most certainly would have fallen on his face and been swarmed by angry Miqo’te, like a grain of sugar on an anthill.

But no sooner had his whirlwind journey began than it was already over, and Reo let go of him. Falerin looked around, recognizing the tranquil environs of Quarrymill. Reo gasped out an apology as she caught her breath. Fal laugh-sighed and crumpled into a sitting position on the ground next to her.

“Huuuh, no need to apologize,  No doubt that blonde bimbo would have let us get out alive any other way.” Fal breathed deeply a few more times, winded despite his lack of contribution to the getaway. “And you didn’t get me caught up in your problems… Or if you did, I was most certainly asking for it, heh.”

Fal leaned back, placing his palms on the grass and looking at the sky, half expecting to see another aetherial card rain yellow lightning bolts upon him from on high.  

I have so many flaws, and she saw them all. Insecurity, selfishness, instability… The thought dismayed him, but he knew that Reo would most certainly blame herself if he were to launch into a self-pitying tirade.  He held his tongue and tried to remind himself that he did indeed get exactly what he had gone there for. He might still be adrift in a sea of his own self-imposed problems, but someone had thrown him a rope.  Now all he had to do was climb it.

Fal turned to Reonora and smiled broadly. “Yes, I can’t say it wasn’t a little painful, but I know where I have to go now, and its all thanks to you.“

Reo’s already furrowed brow deepened, and he realized that he made it sound like she had somehow hurt him. He leaned forward and patted her on the shoulder.

“Ah, by painful I mean… Well, ever feel like someone has just bypassed all of your defenses and looked right into your soul? That’s sort of what having Ms. Aescante do a reading for me felt like. Its just… not entirely pleasant to have someone looking at the darkest, deepest parts of you like that.”

He was surprised that he still felt compelled to refer to her in a formal fashion instead of just saying “that lady” or “the fortune teller.” Perhaps he actually felt compelled to be formal when someone actually acted like they were worth that kind of respect.

Fal leaned back again, digging his fingers into the soft grass.

“I’m so used to misleading and deflecting when people try to get into my head… Usually I just turn the conversation to them and tell them what they want to hear until they forget they ever asked me anything.  But she was different, like she knew all my tricks and was more interested in the real me.”

Fal trailed off after that, realizing that he was just stalling for time so he wouldn’t have to tell Reonora where he needed to go next.

“Ah, anyway, she told me that Copperbell Mines is where I should start looking.” he blurted out, ignoring the discomfort in the pit of his stomach that he always felt when thinking about that gigant-ridden hellhole.

“She also told me that you two were very close once… I’m glad to hear that not everyone at the temple treated you badly. She even asked me to take care of you.  I told her that it’s a lot more likely you’ll be the one taking care of me, but that I‘d do my best.”

Fal smiled and pulled himself to his feet.

“I’d love to hear more about the good parts of your life there on the way to the mines.” he said as he turned towards her, his eyes betraying not a hint of his earlier sadness.

[bole-and-arrow]

Whereas Reonora's protests had only caused Kannay to turn Reonora's words around and invited increased ridicule and scorn, Falerin used his words to navigate through the maze of social interaction so easily. His words had the intended effect and sent Kannay into a storm of how-dare-yous and long, lengthy diatribes of her own self-importance. Reonora could only watch with wide eyes and amazement.

But she had only little time to marvel at Falerin's gift of gab. Even if he had shown a side of irritation that she had never seen in the easy-going musician before. Falerin's deep whisper snapped Reonora out of her mental reverie, asking her of the fastest means of escape. Without turning her head, Reonora's eyes scanned the vicinity as quickly as possible. The sooner she found a way out, the better.

But at quick glance, there seemed to be no way out. To the left, Reonora heard T'seiro, in an apathetic and unconcerned voice, request aid from the local guards to dispose of 'a couple of troublemakers.' To the right was Kannay herself, whose nasal voice continued on in her verbal tirades, though Reonora paid no attention to what Kannay actually said.

'If only we could just get straight through that wall, we could leave through the front entrance in no time...' Reonora thought.

Then it hit her.

Perhaps she had been inspired by Falerin's own pace. Perhaps she had been inspired by Kannay... or rather, a desire to not see Kannay ever again. Or even the temple ever again. But an idea had struck Reonora - an idea that she would have never considered on her own up until now. Desperation? Rebellion? Or something else?

Whatever had inspired Reonora, she grabbed Falerin by the wrist and ran as fast as she could towards the stone wall in front of her. Just before she hit the wall, she shifted her torso slightly to the side and raised her free arm to brace for impact.

CRASH

The sounds of the stone wall shattering in front of Reonora as though she had ran through a paper screen caught the attention of everyone within a hundred yard radius. Though Reonora's intention was to be as discreet as possible, she had all attention on her now! Thankfully Falerin, pulled along by her, had slipped through the hole unscathed before any debris could fall on him. And she ran. Faster than she had ever ran before. She was not in her Monk state of mind, yet she felt the wind brush on her. Just like the time she had escaped the temple before, she escaped with fervor. With Falerin in tow, Reonora ran through the courtyard, over the stepping stones that created a path through a pond of Nymeia Lilies, through the exquisitely curated gardens, and away from the temple.

As soon as she hit the barrier, the scene in front of her rippled. Once she and Falerin were out of the vicinity, she could see the Temple of Nymeia no more. Only the area known as Snakemolt.

Yet, she still continued to run.

Still gripping Falerin's hand, Reonora continued to run and didn't stop until she reached Quarrymill. Only after they escaped inside the sanctuary did Reonora release her grip on Falerin's hand. The adrenaline leaving her, she leaned forward, resting her hands on her knees, and panted to catch her breath.

"I... I'm so sorry..." Reonora said in between jagged breaths. "I thought this would aid you... yet... I had caused inconvenience for you... and caught you up in my problems. I'm sorry..."

Now that the adrenaline ebbed somewhat, she stood straight to face Falerin. Her raised eyebrows showed a combination of concern and worry - worry for him, and worry of her own actions. "Had you gained any inside? Help? Was that journey of use to you at all...?"