Chapter Text
The sunlight was almost blinding as the four Warriors of Light breached the surface of the salt lake at the centre of the Lochs, frantically paddling to the shore and dragging themselves out of the water. The four had been exploring the caverns underneath the Lochs, searching for any further chambers that might have stored treasures stashed by the Mad King. The Ishgardian Dark Knight, Daseaux Louhon, carried the unconscious body of the White Mage, Tufufu Tufu, under one arm, her tiny form taking very little effort to shift as he crawled away from the water. After putting a few feet between themselves and the lapping water, he lay the Lalafell down on her back, before almost collapsing onto his own, staring up at the sky panting. Close behind him came Solmund, sheathing his daggers and falling to his knees beside the prostrate healer, placing a two fingers to her neck and waiting, before sighing, relieved.
“She’s alive, at least.” He grunted, sitting himself beside them. “We all made it out, thankfully. God knows how, though. What happened in there?”. The Elezen groaned, lifting himself onto one arm while his other arm reach back, unlatching the greatsword from his back and letting it clatter to the floor.
“My thoughts are that we drew far too much ire from the residents of those caverns. Apparently one of us decided to throw away caution and garnered the attention of far too many of the foul beings down there.” His grumbling was pained and he craned his neck to view their fourth member scrabbling up the shore, his soaked robes sagging from his body and the fur on his tail matted, his staff thrown several feet ahead of him. “Damn bastard almost got us killed! What were you thinking, Rhigi?!” he shouted, his free arm now clutching his chest. The miqo’te scowled back, baring his fangs.
“I did nothing of the sort! Those fiends were on their way with or without my action!” his retort was loud, but half-hearted and unconvincing. “Besides, where were you during all that? You’re meant to be the one drawing their attention away so Solmund and I can do our jobs! Yet the minute Tufufu started chanting, she was beaten down before she could finish!”.
“Ah yes, because I can be everywhere at once.” Daseauxs’ words were dripping with sarcasm, which only served to annoy F’Rhigi further. Soon, the two were bellowing insults at each other, their voices carrying out into the quiet plateaus. As the two argued, Solmund tended to the downed plainsfolk, who slowly began to stir, moaning quietly as she regained consciousness.
Gradually sitting herself up, supported by the ninja beside her, she tried to gain her bearings, grimacing in pain and bringing her hands to her ears.
“Will the two of you just be quiet?!” she screamed, and the two bickerers silenced themselves, though they still glared at each other. Her hands moved from her ears, rubbing her temples as she groaned. “That’s better. My head’s already killing me and I don’t need you two making it worse. Now, we’re all alive, and I can fix any damage you’ve taken later. But please, let’s get back to Ala Mhigo first. Okay?” she calmly said, trying her best to calm her companions, at least for the time being. Reluctantly, the two agreed to co-operate again and they slowly lifted themselves to their feet, trudging back towards the sandstone walls in the distance. Tempers still flared as blame was shifted, most fingers pointed towards the Black Mage, but for the most part the foursome trekked quietly, trying to avoid any further ire. Eventually, F’Rhigi piped up, snapping out of some sort of deep thought that had plagued him during the silence.
“Y’know, it’s going to sound really cheesy, but after seeing how quickly that turned sour, it made me realise how quickly our end might come, and well, there’s a lot of things I’ve wanted to do that I haven’t had the chance to.” Reaching his arms up behind his head, he leaned back just a little, staring up at the sky and the gradually setting sun. Daseaux rolled his eyes, shrugging.
“Let me guess. You’re going to talk about how you’re going to go back and become the Nunh again? Or maybe about your love for the Archon Y’shtola? Or are you going to surprise us with something new this time?”. F’Rhigi laughed, a broad smile spreading across his face.
“Both. I figure that it might finally be time to tell the beautiful Archon how I feel, and with her at my side I could take on F’panch Nunh. We could rule a whole tribe together. Start a family.” This time it was Solmunds’ turn to roll his eyes.
“You realise she’d never give up working with the Scions, don’t you? She’s far too focussed on saving the world, I doubt she’d pay romance any attention, Let alone your impure passions.”. The miqo’te snorted his disdain at the comment.
“There’s nothing impure about my love for her. The fact that she’s incredibly beautiful and our children would be both mighty and fair is nothing to scoff at.” Bringing a fist to his mouth to muffle his words, he added a mumbled. “and neither would making them.” Before his fist revealed a smirk. “But either way, I’ve decided that once we return to the Scions, I’m going to let her know, and if all goes well…well, that’s for me to know.” His sly grin said all the others wanted to know, and they left his point alone, though it didn’t stop him rattling on further, exhausting the many ways he felt himself a perfect match for the Archon.
Back in the palace of Ala Mhigo, Harkas found herself amid the Royal Menagerie, the many flower gardens bathed a deep orange in the light of the setting sun. Since her accidental confession barely a week ago, and the start of her relationship with Y’shtola the days had seemed to float by. Most days the pair got only a short time alone, a chance meeting in the halls or a brief period at night when both had earned their respite after the multitude of tasks they were given, and even that was used to teach Harkas the higher arts such as diplomacy. Hardly enough time for a budding romance, Harkas felt, but such was the life of liberators now left to restructure a nation.
What it meant was that times like this were all the more precious. Sat upon a rough spun blanket spread across the stone between two of the flowerbeds, she watched the sun setting over the mountaintops, before her gaze drifted down at the white haired miqo’te whose head rested in her lap. This had been the first real opportunity the two had had to be together in any sense of romance. Luck had it that the Scions work had finished early today, Alphinaud, Lyse and Raubahn requiring time to prepare the next step in their plans leaving Y’shtola with some free time, and Harkas having finished her tasks encountered the Archon in the halls, suggested simply watching the sunset together. It was a simple pleasure, but one of the first they had managed to share and the warrior was going to make the most of it, the archon sharing the sentiment. After they’d arrived, Harkas had set out the blanket and sat down her legs bend underneath her, leaning on one arm, expecting Y’shtola to simply sit beside her. Much to her surprise, the Archon opted to lay herself down, resting her head upon Harkas’ thighs and gazing up at the warrior with a sly grin, before gradually closing her eyes.
Slowly, Harkas lifted a hand and gently brushed it through the miqo’tes silken hair causing Y’shtola to let out a contented sigh, her eyes fluttering open.
“I must admit, Harkas. I had doubts when I first agreed to this situation.” Her sultry voice was soothing to the warrior, who kept stroking her snowy locks.
“I’d have be surprised if you didn’t.” she replied with a slight chuckle.
“Yes, well, it’s hardly a common dilemma. But as things stand, here and now…I’m glad I did. It’s been far too long since I’ve experienced something like this. At least, with a partner…a romantic one.” It was the first time Harkas had seen Y’shtola struggle with her words, and it made her all the more endearing.
“I can’t say I’ve done this much before, either. And as for with a…romantic partner…that number pretty much drops to zero. I just wish I’d had more time to prepare. I could’ve brought some food, some candles. We could’ve made this into a proper evening. But, I suppose that’s the drawback with secrecy.” Harkas’ shoulders sagged and her smiled weakened somewhat. “Just have to play with what time we can get rather than plan anything, huh?”
“It’s our compromise, yes. But that just makes the time we get all the more special, does it not?” the archons’ voice was like a soft melody in Harkas’ ear as the Miqo’tes hand reached up, the back of her fingers brushing over the warriors cheek, bringing back her smile before she returned the gesture, her considerably larger thumb tracing over the archons whisker-like facial markings.
What was a dream come true for Harkas was a nightmare for F’Rhigi, who watched unnoticed from the stairway that lead up into the menagerie. The sun had set by the time he and his companions reached the palace and as fortune would have it, he’d quickly run into Alisae, who’d told him in which direction Y’shtola had left. Tracing her steps lead him to one of the resistance guards who’d caught a glimpse of her heading towards the Royal Menagerie with one of the other scions, a towering woman as he’d described her, and with that he’d sped towards the stairs that lead to the rooftop gardens that made up the menagerie. What he saw had made his heart sink in his chest.
The archon Y’shtola wrapped in the arms of the hulking beast he knew as one of his fellow warriors of light, who sat on the far side of the plaza, the archon in her lap, both too enraptured to even notice him. He could feel the fire burning in his chest, the anger and hate boiling up, and as the moon began to peer over the mountains, illuminating the gardens in a silver light, he saw Y’shtola turn her head. He saw them draw closer, ilm by ilm. And then he saw the kiss, and something inside of him snapped. His teeth clenched, his hands balled into fists that trembled with rage. For a brief moment he considered unleashing it, to channel that rage into his black magic. But not here, not while Y’shtola was nearby. No, this had to be done more carefully. He would remove the hulking obstruction from his path, and when he did, there would be nothing between him and his love. His hand reached back, curling around his staff and bringing it to bare, before he disappeared back into the palace halls and the orange lamplight that lit them. First he’d need some less conspicuous robes.
All in all, Harkas had gotten just over two hours alone with Y’shtola in the menagerie before the archon had to excuse herself and return to her duties. The time together had done her mood wonders, the warrior was practically gliding through the torchlit hallways, a warm smile plastered upon her face. She paid the passing resistance guards little mind, who simply watched her pass by, one offering a salute as she did so, recognising one of the liberators of Ala Mhigo, Nor did she pay much mind to the darkness that filled the sandstone corridors near her room. Most likely the torches had burned out and none of guards had made the time to replace them. Not a big problem, all things considered, just an inconvenience as the moonlight through the window behind her lit just enough for her to make her way to her door.