Chapter 3 — Underneath the Sultantree
A shaded monstrosity, the tree loomed in front of her. In the Shroud she wouldn’t have given it more than a passing glance, and in fact, she had seen far bigger trees in her lifetime. But in the barren landscape of Thanalan, the Sultantree was a monument to behold. Like the Lalafell, it was short and stout—for its height at least. Its trunk was easily ten yalms in diameter, and its short, fat branches were covered in tiny leaves. They were more brown than the other trees surrounding it, but Mah’rey wasn’t sure if that had any significance.
As she approached the shadow at its base, she saw a diminutive figure in a pink-coloured robe and turban kneeling between the roots. She made her way over quietly, careful not to disturb the stranger unless she was sure it was Lady Lilira. The Lalafell was between two roots and facing the tree, so Mah’rey couldn’t see her face, and she couldn’t tell from the clothes if she was dealing with a man or a woman. But as she got closer, she could hear a woman’s voice murmur, as if she was praying.
”O Sultantree, hallowed spirit of my line, forgive my weakness. My failings have cost us dear…”
The figure tensed, then jumped to her feet and turned.
”Show yourself!” She glared at Mah’rey with emerald green eyes. No, she glared past her. Mah’rey turned to find a Hyur man with white tussled hair standing behind her.
He sighed.
”As you command, O Lilira.”
He walked past Mah’rey without sparing her a glance, and came to a halt in front of the lady. He towered almost three times her height over her, but the fierce look in the woman’s face made Mah’rey realise that despite her short stature, she was a force to be reckoned with.
”Forgive my selfish desire to assure your welfare”, the man continued with a little bow. He was quite handsome, she thought, a white collar and sleeves peeked out from under the black vest. At his belt hung a dagger and he was carrying a strange contraption on his arm, almost like a metal mask of some kind. The one detail that burned itself into her mind however was the strange mark on the side of his neck. It looked like a sigil painted in purple ink. He looked nothing like the Sultansworn she had encountered earlier, and even compared to the adventurers she had seen at the guild, he struck her as a very nimble and experienced fighter.
”I don’t recall requesting an escort!” Lilira chided him. “Simply pretend we never met and continue on your way.”
”We both know I can do no such thing,” the man returned, shaking his head. “It isn’t safe for you here alone.” He dropped his voice, but Mah’rey’s feline ears had no problem listening on. “It isn’t safe for anyone—not with this aetheric disturbance … It’s as though the dead are watching us…” Mah’rey felt a shiver run down her back. “And I’d prefer not to join them, if it’s all the same to you.”
He finally turned and looked at Mah’rey with a smile. Strands of white hair were not only roguishly falling over one eye, but over both.
”Ah, you must be the one that Papashan mentioned. Congratulations on finding our elusive young charge.” His voice was pleasant and low and he had a certain daredevil charm. Mah’rey swallowed, trying her best not to let his smile go to her head and nodded. “You’ll have to forgive Her Impetuousness. What she lacks in discipline, she makes up for in stubbornness,” he continued with a wink. “You should return with us. The stationmaster will be eager to thank Lady Lilira’s protector in person.”
Mah’rey’s ears pricked at the sound of a snarl and the flapping of wings. She and the man both turned their heads at the same time, watching a grotesque abomination of a creature flying towards them, growling and screeching. It had long limbs, leathery wings, a long, curved body, horns, long claws and a beak filled with sharp teeth, above which orange eyes glowed. Its skin was a dark grey and almost looked like it was a grotesque statue come to life. Mah’rey felt her hair stand on end.
”Alas, the stationmaster will have to wait,” the man sighed and shook his head, then he turned back to his charge. “Dear Lilira, for my sake, please stay out of harm’s way.”
The Lalafell did not need to be told twice, she turned on her heel and ran towards the base of the tree to find cover.
”As for you, dear friend”, he continued, fixing his eyes firmly on their adversary and drawing his dagger, “for Lilira’s sake—please stay in harm’s way.”
Even though her heart was racing with fear and excitement, Mah’rey felt herself grin. Whoever this man was, his comedic timing was excellent. She took a deep breath and they both charged at the creature.
It was her first fight against a real enemy, not a training dummy or a sparring partner. She heard her heart beat in her ears, her breath going fast and her body moving on its own, following the training she had received. The movements were natural and flowing, she punched, kicked, ducked, twirled, and next to her she saw the glowing arch of the dagger her ally wielded. Lucky for her, the white-haired man took the lead and drew the creature’s attention. All she had to do was weave in and out between the attacks. Only once did she find the clawed hand heading towards her, and all she could do was draw up her arm to catch the impact, feeling the needle-sharp claws cut through shirt and skin. But as soon as the pain was there, it was already gone and her arm looked barely scratched. A faint glow told her it was healing magic, but she had no time to thank her ally for his assistance. Although their foe was formidable, it didn’t take them long to subdue it and at last its grotesque body lay in front of them on the dusty ground.
The man breathed a sigh of relief and went to look for Lilira. Mah’rey stared at the creature, trying to catch her breath and struggling to believe what had happened. A blue glint caught her eye. Next to the creature, she could see a blue crystal on the ground. It was the length of her hand and looked as if it had been broken off a natural crystal formation. As she looked at it, it floated up towards her and the world went dark.
Only the crystal floated in front of her and under her feet a magic circle formed out of white light. There was a strange sensation to it all, weightless, as though she had left her body behind somewhere else. The circle beneath her extended into three concentric rings with patterns or perhaps strange writing on them. The innermost ring was divided into six segments, each a circle of its own along the circumference. Mah’rey herself was standing at the intersection of two overlapping triangles, each point connecting to one of the six circles around her. As she was taking in her surroundings, the crystal in front of her pulsed and one of the circles lit up in response, sending a pillar of light up into the darkness.
Mah’rey blinked.
Hear … Feel … Think …
The words echoed around her, in her mind, and the voice was familiar. She was sure she had heard it before. A deafening noise rose up around her, and out of the darkness above came a burning sky, flaming meteors crashing down around her. The sight was terrible and–familiar. As if she had been here before, stood under this sky and watched the destruction it brought. And as soon as it had come, the vision was gone. She was floating in darkness once again, surrounded by a warm glow. Around her were motes of blue light and currents of aether, dancing and floating everywhere she could see. The darkness slowly became brighter, and grew dim again, like the heart beat of the universe.
Crystal bearer…
The voice again, filling the darkness around and her mind. But it wasn’t threatening, it was soft and familiar like a mother speaking to her child. Mah’rey looked around and her eyes caught on a blue crystal, small but getting larger as it approached her. Her curiosity grew and she wished she could get a closer look at it. Was it the source of the voice?
As she thought this, she felt herself move until she was right in front of it. It was longer than she was tall and floated in the empty space while spinning slowly around its own axis. It had a sharp point at its base and strange protrusions, while the top looked almost like a mushroom cap.
I am Hydaelyn. All made one.
Mah’rey felt a shiver run over her skin. It was the voice of Hydaelyn, the soul and life of this star, the Crystal herself. And she was talking to her.
A Light there once was that shone throughout this realm…yet it hath since grown dim. And as it hath faltered, so hath Darkness risen up in its stead, presaging an end to Life.
Below her, Mah’rey saw another shard of crystal floating in the darkness, slowly getting closer. This one was more like an inverted icicle with a long and a short point, and it had two spherical trabants circling around it.
For the sake of all, I beseech thee: deliver us from this fate!
The second shard rose and circled past Mah’rey, and she looked and saw yet more shards following and floating towards her. Every one was a different shape, some thick, some thin and long, others were small and round, but all were making a slow arch towards her. And the voice echoed through the space around her, sourceless and calm.
The power to banish the Darkness dwelleth in the Crystals of Light. Journey forth and lay claim to them.
Her eyes followed the path of the crystals and caught on the centre of their orbit. A crystal, larger than any she had ever seen, larger than the highest tree, larger even than the bustling city of Ul’dah, was floating in the space underneath her. Its surface was complex and faceted, shining with every colour of the rainbow. The enormity of it hit Mah’rey all at once and she felt small and insignificant in its presence. But the voice–and now she was certain this was its source–continued to speak to her.i
By thy deeds shall the Crystals reveal themselves to thee. Only believe, for the Light liveth in thy heart.
Something moved in the corner of her eye, and she turned her head to see another person in adventuring clothes floating in the empty space, surrounded by a warm glow. She watched them float away, at the same moment another adventurer zoomed over her shoulder and on an arch around the Crystal, dragging a meteor tail of blue light behind him. It looked exhilarating to glide through the aether around the crystal, and just as she wondered how she could follow him, she could feel her body starting to move as it did before, following the direction of her thoughts.
She raced across the surface of the giant crystal, round and round. Around her, she saw the trails of other adventurers gliding through the aether. At last she sped upwards towards the bright orange light she could see past the very tip of the crystal. A gentle force pushed her on, guiding her and giving her even greater speed than before.
Go now, my child, and shine thy Light on all creation.
Her eyes shot open and she looked at an azure sky, partially obscured by thick branches covered in tiny leaves, the voice still echoing in her head. That’s right, she was under the Sultantree. It had been late morning when she arrived here—how long had she been lying here? She sat up.
“Ah, coming around now,” she heard a familiar man’s voice. Next to her she saw the white-haired man and Lady Lilira standing nearer the base of the tree.
“Would you mind telling me what that was?” Lady Lilira demanded. Her emerald green eyes–pupil-less as it was common with the desert folk–were stabbing holes into her protector, but he seemed unfazed by it.
”If I only knew,” he returned with a shrug. “A denizen of the void at any rate.”
Lilira crossed her arms and looked concerned. “The voidsent? Here? But how?”
”The question isn’t ‘how’, but ‘who’—we’re not dealing with bookless bandits.” He looked over at Mah’rey as she pushed herself back to her feet. “Don’t suppose the answer came to you in a dream? No sooner did you fell the beast than you fell asleep. Too much aether, no doubt.”
Mah’rey bit her lip, but she would rather have them doubt her, than have them think that she fainted at the sight of a dead enemy.
”I—It was a vision of Hydaelyn. She spoke to me. She … she tasked me with finding the Crystals of Light.”
They both went silent.
”Interesting,” the man said at last, “I hadn’t considered the Crystal.” He paused, then he grinned. “But of course… This changes everything.”
Mah’rey cocked her head in confusion. This was not the reaction she had expected.
”Hm?” He seemed to be caught off guard at her reaction. “Oh, just thinking aloud. At any rate, we haven’t a moment to spare. I must return and report this at once. I leave Lady Lilira in your capable hands.”
”How dare you pass me around like a swaddled babe!” Lilira protested, stamping her foot. “I shall return and tell them myself!”
Without so much as a glance back, she marched off, back towards the city.
”As you wish, Your Impetuousness", the white-haired daredevil called after her with a pained smile. Then he turned back to Mah’rey. “I expect we shall meet again before long. Until then, do try and stay awake!” He winked at her again, then he followed Lady Lilira down the dusty road, leaving Mah’rey behind to wonder what on earth had happened, and what she should do now that it was over.
Perhaps it was best to return to Papashan to report back. Her feet found the road and the way back to the station on their own. And as she walked, her mind worked in its own way, trying to make sense of what had happened. She had only just arrived in Ul’dah and had already found herself caught up in–what? A noblewoman had run away and was attacked by a voidsent. In a way, it was a shock that they were real, and even though Mah’rey had hoped to one day encounter one, much like the fabled dragons, she hadn’t expected to see one on her very first day as an adventurer. These creatures were the bogey man under every child’s bed and parents used them as threats to incite good behaviour. They weren’t supposed to swoop out of the sky and attack people.
And then there was the vision. She felt the crystal heavy in her pocket. It was the one proof she had that it had been real. Hydaelyn, the Life of the star, the Crystal, had spoken to her, and she had given her a task. Mah’rey had hoped that getting caught up in this mess had been merely a coincidence, and that she could move on to the boring yet satisfying adventuring life of running errands, perhaps carrying someone’s belongings, or protecting a merchant on a dangerous route. But if the Crystal had become involved in this, it would be far more dangerous and exciting than she had bargained for. And yet…
She had reached the train tracks. On the other side on the platform she saw Papashan, as well as Lilira, fussed over by an attendant, and three Sultansworn looking rather despondent while receiving a lecture from the one who seemed to be their superior.
“Thank the gods you’ve returned!” Papashan’s words to Lilira were heavy with relief. “You had us all so worried! You do realise what would happen if a person of your noble stature were to be injured–or worse? Why, Her Grace the sultana would be beside herself with grief–and so would her subjects! I daresay they’d be weeping in the streets!”
Mah’rey felt that was a little extreme, but she kept a respectful distance not to intrude on the reunion.
“But I have already given you cause to weep, Papashan… you and the people of Ul’dah,” Lilira replied, her voice equally heavy with regret. Behind her, the Sultansworn seemed to shrink even further.
“Please, Your– You’re not to say such things! We will find it, I swear to you!” Papashan exclaimed. “It is not my place to make demands, m-my lady, but I beg you, please stay out of harm’s way.”
To Mah’rey’s surprise, Lady Lilira did not give Papashan the same barbed answers she had reserved for the white-haired man. On the contrary, she seemed almost downcast in front of the older Lalafell.
“I apologise for causing you undue worry, Papashan. I shall refrain from travelling unescorted in future.”
Papashan nodded with relief. Lady Lilira curtseyed and made her way back towards the city gates, followed by her attendant and the Sultansworn. Once they were out of sight, Papashan noticed Mah’rey and waved her over.
“I cannot thank you enough, Mah’rey! I understand you fought bravely to protect Lady Lilira from voidsent fiends. For your gallant service, you deserve all the riches in the royal vaults. Alas, a small token of my gratitude is the best I can offer.”
“Do you know who the other man was?” Mah’rey thought of the best way to describe him. “He was a sarcastic man with a strange contraption strapped to his shoulder.”
“Hm?” Papashan stopped digging through his coin purse and looked at her in confusion. Then his face lit up. “Ah, I see you met Thancred. He’s a scholar who spends his days investigating oddities in the aether. Rather too fond of the sound of his own voice for my liking, but perfectly harmless. As for you, Mah’rey–you’re just the sort of adventurer we need around here. I pray you show the same kindness to the people of Thanalan as you did to us today.”
He pressed a large handful of gold coins into her hand with a teary smile, then he walked off to the other side of the platform, carrying on with whatever his business was.