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"Raha…help me…"
The Miqo'te's body acted on instinct, leaping from their couch in the For'ard Cabins and darting around the divider into their kitchen. Esca had collapsed to his knees, the Hrothgar holding onto the dining table as his body spasmed next to the spilled meal he'd been making. The Scion's eyes fearfully scanned their house, looking for whoever had done this to his lover. No Ascian portals. No cloaked assassins. As far as he could tell they were alone.
"Esca! What happened!?" he cried out, shifting the Warrior of Light into his arms. The mere touch of their bodies sent a jolt through him, causing his hair and fur to stand on end.
"A-aether…too much…aether" the Helion muttered feverishly through gritted teeth and the Archon's breath caught in his throat. Earlier that day Esca had been following a lead with Vow Wuk Lamat and the revived Alexandrian queen Sphene concerning the dangerous organization Preservation that still lurked within the walls of Everkeep. It was there Calyx, the mastermind of the Endless Project, had revealed himself with an underhanded attack. Using a bolt that left the entire structure without power, the Warrior of Light had been temporarily paralyzed while Preservation's founder offered his ultimatum concerning the Interdimensional Key. Esca had not acquiesced to the terrorist's demands and had proceeded into the depths of Everkeep with G'raha and their other allies at his side. It had proven to be a trap, his lover whisked away to another deadly battle with a recreation of one of the kingdom's strongest knights: Zelenia.
All had seemed well at the time, his hero emerging triumphant, but it was clear the Hrothgar was not okay.
The Student of Baldesion's mind was in a full panic. Should he call for the Leveilleurs and Krile? Even with aetheryte-aided travel, it would still take them hours to reach Tuliyollal and Esca needed immediate medical attention! He had healed the Warrior of Light on many occasions and his ability to manipulate aether was outclassed by only a few. He needed to be calm and help the champion of his heart through this.
He retrieved the dropped wooden mixing bowl, holding it near the larger feline's muzzle."Shhhh…It's okay, my love; I'm here. I'm right here…But, if you're dealing with a high level of aether poisoning, I'm afraid we're going to have to trigger a purge."
Esca nodded weakly and tilted his head forward over the bowl's rim. This was not going to be pleasant. Placing a hand over his boyfriend's broad back, G'raha concentrated on every trace of levin he could find. It took every onze of spirit he had to hold back a cry of horror as he realized just how saturated the other man's body was. For most mortal beings this would have meant instantaneous tempering, but Hydaelyn's gift, for a kindness or cruelty, kept the Warrior of Light in control of his mind and body even as it weathered the onslaught of being catastrophically out of balance.
Ears flat against against his skull, the Scion started making a sliding motion with his hand, picturing the aether like a liquid and directing its flow up towards the Warrior of Light's mouth. The Helion's body tensed and their quarters filled with the sound of guttural retching. The kitchenware was coated with a deep purple film and, for a moment, G'raha's memory saw it instead as pure white and heard the sound of cracking glass.
He locked the haunting visions away, trying to focus on his patient. "I know it's miserable, but you're doing sooo good, my love…" he coaxed, softly humming a Corvosi lullaby as Esca continued to vomit, filling the bowl several times over. Even trace contact with the expelled aether was enough to create painful shocks, but G'raha forced down any sounds of discomfort. He had to be strong for his hero. Eventually the heaving stopped and the Miqo'te gently dabbed and cleaned the Hrothgar's face of residual traces and tears of exertion with his scarf.
To the Scion's relief the violent shaking had ceased and Esca's breathing became more normal. "That should be most of it, but you're going to need to rest. Can you make it into bed?" he asked with a tender stroke of the leonine mane.
"I…I think so…" the Warrior of Light said wearily, leaning onto his White Mage's cane as a crutch while G'raha draped a limp and clammy arm across his shoulders. It was slow going, the feline's stocky body taking considerable strength to move and requiring frequent breaks. Nevertheless, the couple cleared the kitchen and made it to the bedroom, carefully sliding Esca into bed. The Champion of Eorzea sank against the pillows, his normally perky eyes and tail drooping in exhaustion against his body.
His partner sat nearby and gently stroked the big cat's back, eliciting a pleasant chuff.
"Ugh…that was awful!" he groaned but still managed a nuzzle against the Miqo'te's ministering palm. "Thank you, Rolanberry Muffin. Sorry about dinner…"
The use of his pet name and the apology were two arrows to G'raha's heart and several droplets fell down to splash against the Helion's brown fur.
"Raha…a-are you okay?!" Esca asked worriedly, trying to turn around but his physician held him down with only the tiniest bit of pressure.
"'m fine…" the Student of Baldesion mumbled robotically before remembering the promise they had made to be truthful with each other. "No…No I'm not fine," he confessed with a choked sob. "Don't you see, Esca? This is just like on The First with the Lightwardens…when I manipulated you to absorb so much aether!"
The Helion curled up, resting his handsome face onto the smaller cat's lap. "Except you were then planning on taking it all back in a selfless act of sacrifice. Pretty sure Calyx just wanted to cook my cute ass…" Esca muttered against his thigh, causing G'raha to let out the most unflattering, snorting laugh he had ever made in his lives.
"After all that you still have it in you to joke?" he stammered in disbelief and the Warrior of Light chuckled tiredly. "Made you smile, didn't it?"
"Aye, it did…" the Scion admitted, cradling the man he loved so fervently. While there a few coughing fits and some dry heaving it seemed like the worst of the poisoning had past. He leaned down to kiss his boyfriend's brow. "I'm going to make some linkpearl calls to our friends to make sure everything is okay. You get some in the meantime, alright?"
All he got in reply was low, rumbling snoring.
Stealing himself quietly out of the room, he raised a finger to his ear and reached out with his will to their their companions. Today's events had scared him, but they also strengthened his resolve to protect and support his lover. It also made something else abundantly clear in his mind:
Calyx was a serious threat who needed to be stopped with all haste.