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Chapter Text

The Hunter breathed heavily for a moment. The fight against those bizarre, alien creatures took a toll on them, but they needed to keep pushing. The Holy Moonlight Sword stopped glowing, and the Hunter took a couple of steps in the garden. They retrieved a syringe filled with blood from their belt, and violently injected it into their leg. A small groan of pain, but as soon as the blood ran in their veins, their wound started to disappear.

The Hunt could go on.

Their foot accidentally broke one of the bizarre, dead-looking flowers: like everything in that freakish place, the garden grew in ways that defied logic and physics. Par for the course, when you're fighting for your life in a Nightmare, the Hunter told themselves to keep their feeble sanity. There were so many horrors, so many secrets that could break anyone's mind. But they needed to go. They had to find the truth. They needed it.

And so they reached the heavy doors of the Astral Clocktower.

The Hunter stood at the doors, their hand gripping the handle tightly. They pushed them open, struggling against the weight of the heavy wood. The reek of blood and dust filled their lungs, and although the stench was familiar something was off. Eerie. To reach that place they had to run through a river of blood, they had to face an accursed creature in an ossuary that could shatter sanity just by looking at him, and an asylum full of delirious victims of the Church's experiments.

But this was the moment when, for the first time ever, the Hunter hesitated.

An empty room, where the wheels and the cogs of the Astral Clocktower should've been.

A wooden chair, finely carved, fit for a queen. And someone, sitting on it.

A pool of blood on the floor, under the chair. And one of the most beautiful and menacing swords the Hunter ever saw, in the corpse's lap.

Dressed in elegant clothes, the white-haired lady looked dead. Or resting.

A shiver ran down the Hunter's spine, when they realized why she looked familiar: the Doll. She looked the same as Gehrman's Doll. The kind creature who had helped them so many times in the Hunter's Dream, always ready to offer some words of solace.

Then, the realisation hit them: that was her! Lady Maria! The Cainhurst hunter, the former protégé of the First Hunter, Gehrman! The Hunter felt a twinge of disgust, recalling the words of the old man about using everything in the workshop. "Even the Doll, if it pleases you". Gehrman created the Doll in the image of Lady Maria, so that would mean...

The Hunter closed their eyes, then focused on Lady Maria. Hesitantly, they approached her. No movement, no breathing. She looked dead. Dead, or maybe asleep. Asleep, perchance... dreaming?

***

Her eyes were closed, her mind at rest.

She breathed deeply and opened her eyes, finding herself alone amidst a sea of stars.

A moment of silence. Then a sigh. And she closed her eyes once again.

"HARK... SENSE... PONDER..."

The voice was violent yet soothing in a bizarre way.

Oddly enough, she was familiar with that feeling of reality shifting. Of transitioning.

A Dream was taking shape around her.

She tried to speak. Are you the Host? Or is this my dream, for once?

"HARK, FAIR MAIDEN! SEEKETH ME OUT, FIGHTETH ANY THAT DARETH STOP THEE, AND DISCOVER THY TRUE SELF! WHEN THOU HAST FOUND ME, MAKE READY!"

She opened her eyes. A shadow loomed over the sky, obscuring the stars. It was ominous but cold, like a calculating mind of pure logic. Nothing like the Augur she faced as a hunter. There was no sense of dread, no hint of madness. It was different in a more sinister way: something suggested to her that it had never lived, but it was thinking with a different moral code. A code no one ever faced and survived to tell the tale.

"HARK THEE! PREPARE THYSELF FOR THE DEMISE OF EXISTENCE AS THOU KNEWEST IT! AND BE YE READY TO FACE IT!"

She closed her eyes, watching the shadow grow closer.

Though she knew she was in danger, there was only peace and resignation in her mind.

***

"Let's hope there's at least some peace in this dream" she murmured to herself while opening her eyes once again. She was not disappointed.

The cart was floating one yalm from the ground. A yalm, she thought, somehow it made sense, although I don't think I ever heard that word before. Attached to a couple of giant balloons floating slowly, the cart was carried by two giant yellow birds. That was the strangest cart she had ever dreamed. It seemed like a peaceful dream, for once.

"I'm sorry?" said the old, tanned man with a serene expression sitting on the opposite side of the cart. Two young white-haired twins with pointy ears rested beside him.

She looked at the man. "Oh, nothing. It's just lovely here." The air smelled of sand and spices, and she knew that wherever they were going, it would be a good place.

The man pointed at the woman's blade. "Are you an adventurer?"

She looked to her side, following the man's hand, and her smile disappeared. The Rakuyo. The double bladed sword with only one edge. Her trusty trick weapon, forged with ancient, lost techniques of weaponsmithing from faraway lands. Her accursed blade was with her. She breathed heavily. "And the illusion of peace disappears."

The man looked at the woman, puzzled.

"I'm a hunter" she said with a sigh.

The man nodded, a bit surprised. "So, are you going to Ul'Dah to become an adventurer?"

Ul'Dah. Another word she had never heard before, but that somehow made sense. "I was just enjoying how peaceful everything is here." She looked at her sword. "Until it lasted."

The man smiled. "You look like someone from Limsa Lominsa."

She shook her head. "I'm from Yharnam."

He looked confused for a second, then simply laughed. "Oh well, it's a big world. Plenty of places I don't know." Then he smiled again. "I'm Brendt."

The woman looked at the man. "Maria. My name is Maria."

The man smiled, and as the cart passed a dune, Maria caught a glimpse of the city.

Surrounded by high walls, it had golden and blue domes and towers that touched the sky. It seemed... Alive, with none of the dread that accompanied all the places she visited in her life. No dirty walls, no miasma, no coffins abandoned on the road and hastily closed with chains. There were also a few people walking on the road. Peacefully, without any hurry or  fear for their lives. No one was rushing to reach their places before the night hunt started. For her, everything looked peaceful.

But something was amiss, she realized soon. There were tents outside the walls, where people dressed in rags were waiting for something, or trying to survive somehow. Refugees. Why was she dreaming about a beautiful city in the midst of a refugee crisis?

Suddenly she saw five people in uniform. They were on the road, waiting for people to pass. A custom control?

Two of the soldiers, mounting the same kind of bizarre giant birds that were moving their cart, came close to them. "Stop" said one of the soldiers. "We have to inspect the cargo."

The carriage came to a stop. The soldier got close to them.

Brendt sighed, then took a small coin purse from his belt. Maria raised an eyebrow, then focused on the soldier: Ah, of course, she thought when she saw the soldier pull out a small sack full of something from a pocket and scream "Look! I found somnus!"

The twins sighed, doing their best to ignore the soldiers.

The commander approached and said: "Oh this is bad, old man. Do you know that smuggling illegal substances is prohibited?"

Maria scoffed, her fingers itching. The only reason she didn't move was because the old man quietly gestured for her not to worry.

The soldier continued: "You're in trouble, lad, unless you pay your fine!"

"Of course" whispered Maria. One of the twins glanced at her.

Suddenly, someone screamed.

Violent inhuman roars could be heard from beyond a dune.

Three giant lizardlike creatures armed with spears and bows charged running at them, their scales black as the night and their heads oddly panther-looking.

Brigand monsters? There goes any illusion of peace, she thought.

The soldiers grabbed their swords, and one of them shouted to the carrier: "Damn it! Move, go aw-"

Three loud bangs interrupted him.

The monsters fell dead on the sand.

The soldiers froze in place, staring at the bodies.

Brendt and the twins looked at the woman.

Maria put her pistol away and whispered: "There goes the peaceful dream."

***

"Thank you, by the way" said the male twin, pouring tea to the white-haired woman. "You probably saved us from the Amalj'aa."

The female twin nodded. If not for the voice, Maria would have never guessed which gender they were: the fact that the two had the same short haircut didn't help.

"I'm Alphinaud" he said, bowing courteously. "And this is my sister, Alisaie."

"My pleasure" Alisaie said.

Maria took her cup and sipped her tea elegantly. It was good, but not strong enough for her taste. She looked around: they were in the hall of the Adventurer's Guild in Ul'Dah, a lovely place called The Quicksand. It was a lively room, full of mercenaries who were laughing and sharing tales of their adventures. "I'm glad to see that this city is still safe", Maria said.

Alisaie looked at her, puzzled. "I'm sorry if I'm intruding, but you mentioned you came from a place called Yharnam?"

"Correct" said the woman.

The two twins exchanged a perplexed look. "I've never heard of that place before" said Alphinaud.

"Probably for the best. Yharnam is..." She hesitated, searching for a word. "Beyond salvation."

Alphinaud asked. "The Garleans invaded?"

"Who? No, it wasn't a war" she said, drinking again. "It was a curse. A plague." She hesitated for a moment. "I'd rather not talk about it."

She finished her tea, then she looked at the twins. "So, those creatures are called Aman Ja?"

"Amalj'aa" corrected Alisaie. "They live in the Thanalan desert. Ul'dah is always in danger of an attack from them."

"They adore Ifrit" continued Alphinaud.

Maria raised an eyebrow. "I've never heard that name."

"Where did you say you come from?" asked Alisaie, surprised.

"Is he an Augur?" continued Maria, receiving blank stares from the twins. "A Great One?"

Alphinaud looked at her puzzled. "You probably call them differently from us. Ifrit is a Primal." Seeing the puzzled look on the woman, he continued. "Primals are elemental spirits, Aether that manifests as destructive creatures that corrupt everything they touch."

Alisaie's voice almost broke. "Last time a Primal manifested, Eorzea was almost destroyed. The only reason why we're alive is..." The words died in her mouth.

Maria looked at her, then poured her some tea.

"Thank you" said the young girl.

"Did you lose someone dear that day?" asked Maria.

"Our grandfather. He... saved everyone, and..." The girl got suddenly silent.

Alphinaud hugged her sister, a very protective look in his young face.

Then she looked at Maria, thinking of a way to change the topic. "So, can I ask why you're here?"

"Honestly, I'm not sure. I just hope to have some peace" said the woman. "But I don't understand this dream."

"I beg your pardon?" asked the boy.

"There's chaos" continued Maria. "There are monsters, war, corrupt police, refugees... I hoped this was a peaceful dream, but apparently I can't find peace. Not even in my mind, assuming I'm the host."

Alisaie looked perplexed as she gazed at the white-haired lady. "Then don't get involved. Just... I mean, you're clearly skilled with a gun, and that bizarre sword is... Definitely something that I hope, for your own sake, you know how to use."

"I do" answered Maria.

"But nothing forces you to fight, right? With all due respect, your clothes seem extremely well made and worthy of a noblewoman, although clearly fashioned for battle, so you're probably rich. You can just go to..."

Ah, money. Right, they probably don't use blood as a currency here, thought the Hunter, but I should have a lot of shining coins on me. Maria took out her coin purse and checked it. The two young watched the woman, then Alphinaud asked "I'm sorry, but are those tin coins?"

"Of course" said Maria. "Why, what do you use for currency here?"

***

"This dream is becoming annoying fast" said the woman.

"I beg your pardon?" asked Momodi, the owner of the Quicksand.

"Do I really have to join a gladiator ring just to get some freelance work?" asked Maria, frustrated. She still couldn't believe that they used gold, of all commodities, as currency!

"Of course not!" answered the cheerful woman. "You can also try the Thaumaturge career, or the Pugilist club across the road. There are other careers available, but not here in Ul'Dah. Although I see that you have a sword, so probably the gladiator guild is your best bet."

"Why should I join a martial guild?"

"For your safety" said the Lalafell, determined. "You can't just take a sword and go adventuring: it would be irresponsible to let you join this line of work without proper training!"

Maria looked at the diminutive woman. A Lalafell. Apparently they were extremely common in that dream, and somehow they seemed normal to her. Like the cat people, the Miqo'te, or Alisaie and Alphinaud, two Elezen. She knew the names of the races, although they didn't actually make sense for her.

Well, it was clearly a dream, so it had to make some sort of subconscious sense. If not for her, at least for whoever the host of the dream was.

"Well, on the plus side, joining the Adventurer Guild has some massive perks!" said the Lalafell. "You get access to our inn rooms for free as long as you do at least one job per week, and that includes one meal every day. We have inns in all the major cities of Eorzea. Our cut for every job that we give you is already deducted from the payment, so the gil you see in the job papers is exactly what you get. In case you wish to know, our share is twenty percent."

"What about equipment? Weapon repair, quicksilver, blood..."

"I beg your pardon? Blood?" Momodi was surprised, then she laughed. "Oh I see, you meant beast blood! Are you also an alchemist?"

"Whatever helps you sleep at night" murmured Maria.

The Lalafell shook her head. "No, sorry, extra fees are not covered by the Guild."

"Makes sense. What's the catch, though?" said Maria, unconvinced. For a peaceful dream, she thought annoyed, everything was pushing to make it impossible to enjoy the peace!

"The catch is in the nature of the jobs. As an adventurer, you can choose whichever odd job you want among the ones proposed, and the Guild gets a cut of the payment when the job is done. However, some jobs may be more dangerous than others. I won't sugarcoat it, there's a risk of death. A high risk."

The woman muttered something unintelligible.

Momodi kept going. "Given the peculiar weapons you have, I'm pretty sure you know how to use them, but I've seen too many amateurs decide that the adventurer life is worth the risk and then die the first time they had to free a tomb that was defiled by undead creatures."

Maria sighed, then nodded. "Whatever. This is weird, but I'll join your gladiator ring."

"Excellent" said the Lalafell, grabbing some papers. "Please let me give you a letter of introduction. Full name, please."

"Lady Maria of Cainhurst" she said.

"So, first name Lady, family name Maria, and Cainhurst is your birthplace?" asked Momodi.

Maria was flabbergasted. "No, sorry: Lady is my... Just put Maria as first name, and of Cainhurst as family name."

"Very well. Birthplace?"

"Cainhurst."

Momodi sighed. "Are you sure you're not making things up now?"

"What do you mean?"

"You wouldn't believe how many come here and just make up blatantly false names. For some reason, Cloud, Squall and Lightning are extremely popular aliases in this job."

The woman tilted her head.

Momodi just shrugged. "It must be some kind of joke that young people make about storms, as far as I know. Next, what's your age?"

"I... Don't honestly know."

"I beg your pardon?"

Maria shrugged. I killed myself when I was twenty-three and my spirit got trapped in the Nightmare of an unborn Great One probably wasn't a good answer. "I should be twenty-three years old. I'm not sure because I was... In a coma for some time."

The woman nodded, then she gave some papers to Maria. "Please go to the Coliseum with this and meet Mylla. She's the First Sword of the Gladiator Guild: as soon as she'll give you her blessing, I will allow you to officially join the Adventurer's Guild."

Maria looked at the smiling short woman, then sighed. She grabbed the letter and, after a courteous bow, went outside.

"Have a safe journey, Maria!" said Momodi, smiling.

***

"Cainhurst? Never heard of it" said Mylla, looking sceptically at the lady.

"Be grateful for that" murmured Maria.

Mylla was a stunning woman, with a body tempered in countless fights in the Coliseum, but even the blonde-haired gladiator stood several ilms shorter than Maria. The new recruit towered over some of the Elezen she trained with at the guild: not bad for a Hyur. "What kind of sword is that?" she said, eyeing the bizarre weapon with two one edged blades.

"Custom made" Maria answered with a neutral tone.

"I see" said Mylla, unconvinced. "What about the gun?"

"What about it?"

"Are you a musketeer?"

"I'm a Hunter" was Maria's response.

"And what do you hunt?" Mylla asked, curious.

Maria opened her mouth, but hesitated. She recalled the moment she had thrown away her trusty Rakuyo in the Fishing Hamlet. She did that because she couldn't stomach it any more, not after what she did with it. The memory of her sin gnawed at her, almost making her sick.

"Nightmares" she answered after a few moments.

"Sounds lovely" Mylla said sarcastically. "So, do you mind if I see how you hunt something more real?"

"Said the dream lady" Maria uttered under her breath.

Mylla raised an eyebrow. "Actually, I changed my mind. How about you show me what you can do?"

Maria crossed her arms. "Are you proposing a sparring match?"

"Any objections?"

The Hunter looked sceptically. "Against you?"

"Oh no, not against me. You're too green for that" she said with a smirk.

Maria's expression could have curdled milk.

***

"So..." said Alphinaud, looking at the pit. "We're still here. For some reasons."

"Yeah, I know" answered Alisaie. "We should probably go, but I'm curious."

The twins looked at Maria in the arena. On the other side, a man with a sword and shield.

Mylla was in the middle. "Maria, are you completely sure you don't want a shield?"

"Shields are nice, but not if they engender passivity" answered the Hunter, her hand resting on the Rakuyo.

Mylla smirked. "Suit yourself, then. Avere" she said, looking at her challenger, "this is your chance. Fight well against her, and you will have my blessing to join the Adventurer's Guild"

"Why are you two here?" said a voice near the twins.

Alphinaud and Alisaie turned around. "Hello, Thancred" said the boy. Alisaie saluted the adventurer with a small bow.

"Alisaie, Alphinaud." said the white-haired man. "Weren't we supposed to meet at the Quicksand?"

"My goodness, what time is it?" asked Alphinaud.

"Quiet, please" said Alisaie. "They're starting."

Mylla lowered her arm, signalling the start of the duel.

Avere hesitated for a second, sizing up his opponent. He was a big looking guy, but the tall woman had something that just intimidated him. Her focused expression, her measured steps, everything about her was unnerving. It was like he was staring into the eyes of a panther.

"Go, Avere!" screamed an enthusiastic female voice from outside the ring. The guy shook off his doubts, realising he was letting his nerves get the better of him.

The woman walked in a slow and measured manner.

They were on opposite sides of the arena, around twenty yalms away, and every step was leaving a print in the floor made of sand.

Avere tightened his grip on his sword, then he ran towards her, screaming. He tried to hit her as soon as she was close.

Maria wasn't there any more.

A gasp came from the very small crowd. She was behind him!

Not even the First Blade had been able to follow that movement. Mylla quickly looked for the sandprints, but to her surprise, Maria hadn't left any. What in the Seven Hells had just happened?

The gasps became screams of horror, when Maria quickly raised her gun on the back of the man's neck. She grinned and pulled the trigger. A loud *CLICK* from the empty gun. The man fell on the ground, panicking, when he realised what she had just done.

Mylla crossed her arms. Of all the ways to prove a point, that was one of the most frightening she had ever seen in the Arena.

Then Maria did something unexpected.

She holstered her gun and stuck the Rakuyo in the sand. Then she opened her arms, moving her fingers to mockingly invite Avere.

The man tried to regain his composure, then screamed again and charged at the woman.

An attack was quickly dodged. Another. And a third. Maria moved with a grace and fluidity that nobody, not even Mylla, had ever seen before. Every time Avere thought he had an opening, she would slip away. It was like trying to catch the wind.

As the match went on, Avere started to realize that he was becoming more and more frightened against the unarmed woman. Maria seemed to be toying with him, her movement almost lazy as she evaded every thrust he attempted. Despite his best efforts, he couldn't land a single hit on her.

He screamed and swung his sword at her.

Then a swift knee hit his side. He lost his breath as he fell on the ground.

The padded armour barely saved his ribs. The woman was fast, and strong!

He crawled on the ground, trying to catch his breath. He felt like he was going to puke.

The woman grabbed her sword, then turned to him slowly.

Avere saw only one thing in the woman's face.

Death. He saw Death incarnate.

That beautiful pale woman was just looking at him.

And it was the scariest thing he had ever seen in his life!

Maria rolled over Avere with a light push of her foot.

She thrust her blade toward the man's nose.

The sword stopped just before stabbing him.

"Do you yield?"

Avere nodded his head, with a scared look in his face. She had toyed with him the whole time: if the two were to fight in a real match... The only idea sent shivers down his spine.

"Enough!" said Mylla.

Maria took two steps backwards and bowed elegantly to her adversary.

Then she looked at Mylla. "As you wish, First Blade."

"I think I'm in love" said Thancred, caressing his chin.

"Oh, so it's Tuesday already" chuckled Alisaie.

"I heard that" said the man, laughing.

Maria moved towards the exit of the Arena. If that Avere was the kind of challenge she was supposed to face in that dream, she could actually enjoy some proper rest.

Chapter Text

The Hunter moved quickly, and hit her again.

Unfazed, the guardian of the Astral Clocktower walked towards him, then disappeared. The Hunter tried to move away, but the woman shot them with her gun. They stalled for one second.

Lady Maria closed the distance and grabbed them.

The woman got close to their cheek, as if she were going to kiss them, or whisper something in their ear.

Then came the pain.

Her fist entered their chest and grabbed whatever organ she could before tearing it from their body.

The last thing the Hunter saw before dying was her beautiful, indifferent face, soaked in their blood.

And then they opened their eyes once again, finding themselves in the familiar and peaceful garden of the Hunter's Dream. The Doll smiled at them warmly. The man on the wheeling chair, from a distance, looked at them in a puzzling way.

The Hunter had failed their hunt.

***

"Gehrman?" she whispered, opening her eyes.

She looked around. She was on a comfortable bed, soothing music coming from an orchestrion. Her hunter's garb was perfectly folded on a chair. The Rakuyo and her trusty gun were safely stored in the armoire. It was that strange, peaceful dream once again.

She had managed to get some gil by selling her tin coins at the local goldsmithing guild. Although the coins had no economic value, the tin was still good for them. That was not enough for a proper start, but it was enough to rent a room in the Adventurer's Guild. Some hours of sleep while waiting for the bureaucracy to process her documents.

Momodi had accepted the recommendation letter from Mylla without protest, and she was preparing her paperwork. The Lalafell had told Maria that it would take around one day to register, and then she would become an official member of the Adventurers' guild.

Maria walked to the window and looked at the pale moon. She wasn't sure what time it was, but she could see that the streets were full of people even at that hour.

Then she thought about her dream. A dream within a dream, this is a first, the woman thought. In her dream, she was duelling against someone, still guarding with her life the only access to that place. Her sin.

She approached a basin full of water, quickly washed her face, and looked at herself in the mirror, trying to clear her mind of that. She was pale, as usual. Some blood could have helped, but she had no realistic way of getting any: it didn't seem the right dream for that.

She looked once more at the people roaming the road.

Somehow, she suddenly felt as if someone or something was watching her. She looked at the road, then at a shadow in an alley.

Something moved. A person.

The Hunter's instinct was screaming at the woman to grab her weapon and find who they were.

But the dream seemed peaceful, and Maria was in her undergarments.

And her instinct, the same insight that told her there was a spy, was telling her that there were no immediate dangers.

She went back to her bed. Some rest was needed.

***

Maria drank some coffee while reading the papers of her first mission as an adventurer. She was hoping to have breakfast with the twins, but apparently they had to continue their trip and had left the city the previous day.

As an official member of the Guild, Maria had to pick a job. Her instinct told her that the entry level jobs that Momodi tried to recommend to her were below her abilities, so she had chosen some of the odd jobs for a group.

An invasion of something in a place outside town that had been part of the Ul'Dah Coliseum before the Calamity. The Calamity, the woman thought while reading the papers: the twins had explained to her something about it the day before. How a giant dragon was a prisoner of a moon, that awakened when the Garlean Empire conspired to make the moon fall on Eorzea. As his first gesture when awakened, the dragon almost destroyed the whole continent in five minutes, but was stopped by the twins' grandfather, a powerful mage called Louisoix. Countless people died, including Louisoix himself, and the sky itself fell on Eorzea that day. After five years from that day, she could still see some of the largest pieces of debris from the moon from the towers in Ul'Dah, if she wished.

While certainly a tragic tale, Maria was not surprised by it: in her experience, nothing good has ever come from any form of presence hidden in a moon.

She kept reading. That place, Halatali, looked interesting: a former training ground where monsters were kept prisoner to be used in the shows of the Coliseum. After the Calamity, the place was abandoned. When the Gladiator Guild tried to take back control of Halatali, they found the place overrun by the creatures that survived, and by the vengeful spirits of those who hadn't.

She drank some coffee, reading the paper once again. A good place for an old-fashioned hunt, she thought without smiling.

And then someone approached her.

"Excuse me" said a female voice.

Maria turned her head. A young woman, a Hyur with brown eyes and hair, was watching her. "I'm sorry, but I wanted to talk with you."

Maria looked at the girl, then nodded. "You're the girl who cheered for Avere during our match yesterday."

The woman nodded. "My name is Edda Pureheart. You're Maria of Cainhurst, am I right?"

Maria bowed courteously.

"So it was you who was spying on my room from the alley tonight?" Maria asked suddenly.

The woman gasped. "What- how... I mean, no?"

The Lady smirked.

Edda tried to focus. "What did you do to Avere?"

Maria didn't change her expression.

The woman continued. "Somehow, you scared the Seven Hells out of him. We were planning to start a party of adventurers and..." She shrugged. "And now he's scared! What did you do to him?"

"I saved his life, probably" Maria said with indifference.

"No, seriously. What did you do?"

"Trust me" the woman said. "What I did to him was absolutely nothing compared to what I'm actually able to do."

Edda sighed, then she said: "Avere is in the infirmary. I healed him, physically he's fine, but he keeps talking about you. How you are death incarnate. And he's saying that he wants to retire from this life now."

Maria was not amused by that. "Then I definitely saved his life."

"Did you use magic against him?"

"Edda, trust me when I say that you will definitely notice when I start using my magic."

The woman bit her lip. "You don't get it. This was our dream!"

Maria managed to keep her composure, but the idea of a dream that had a dream she wanted to fulfil was simply amusing for her.

Edda continued. "We dreamed of a life together as adventurers, to become heroes and save the land from..."

"He's your betrothed?" Maria asked.

Edda looked at Maria, a rigid expression on her face. "We are... considering it."

"I see" said Maria, finishing her coffee and inviting Edda to sit with her. The woman declined politely.

The Hunter remained silent for a moment, then she looked Edda in the eyes. "So now his life changes. What do you want to do?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"You planned to live the adventurer's life, and to do it with him. He's reconsidering. Will you follow him, or find another way to pursue your dream?"

Edda murmured something.

Maria sighed. "I have a proposition, if you want, to apologise for my... interference in your life."

The Conjurer looked at the woman, puzzled.

The Lady continued. "I'm... still new in Eorzea, and unaccustomed to your customs. While I'm here, I could use a companion. Would you like to join me while Avere sorts out his life?"

"I'm sorry, what?" asked the woman, still puzzled.

"If I don't wake up before then, or if I don't die on the hunt I just accepted, I should be back here in Ul'Dah by tomorrow."

Edda looked at her as if she were crazy. She talked so casually about her possible imminent death!

Maria continued. "If you want to keep adventuring, come here in two days at nine in the morning. Coffee is on me."

"Are you serious?" Edda asked.

"You're a healer, right?"

The woman nodded. "How do you know?"

"Let's just say I have some insight. You already healed Avere, and physically he's fine, you said, but I know how hard I hit him: that was not something you could brush off in a single day. That means you're either some sort of mage that knows restorative magic, or a saint of the Healing Church."

"A what?" she asked.

"So I may need your expertise at keeping people alive, especially since I don't want to use blood if I can avoid it."

"What do you mean by blood?"

Maria smiled. There was no joy in her expression. "And as soon as Avere finds a job in a career that doesn't involve dangers, you will be free to leave the adventuring life and go live with him, in peace. So you can fulfil your dream for a bit, retire to your love and have no regrets."

"Is this a joke?"

Maria shook her head. "I may have the occasional sarcastic remark, but I seldom joke."

Edda didn't answer. She looked at the woman, puzzled, then, without a word, bowed and stepped away from the table.

Maria looked at the girl. "And don't think I won't notice if you try to stalk me again" she said casually.

***

The breakfast was over.

Maria grabbed her papers and tried to go back to her room. She needed to just grab her Rakuyo, then she had to reach a village called Drybone. Halatali was close to that place. She knew that a merchant caravan for Gridania was supposed to leave in a couple of hours: if she was fast, she could ask for a ride up to Drybone.

"Maria" said Momodi, watching the woman go towards the stairs. "A moment of your time, please?"

Maria looked at the Lalafell, then nodded and got close. Momodi looked at her, then pointed at the papers in Maria's hand. "The jobs on yellow papers are intended for a group. You're supposed to get the white papers."

Maria didn't answer.

Momodi sighed. "Technically, you're allowed to do them by yourself: whatever you do while on a job is your responsibility. I would just ask you... Look, I talked with Mylla. You've impressed her a lot, but still: promise me that if anything happens, you'll know when to fold'em."

The Hunter laughed lightly, then looked softly at Momodi.

The Lalafell didn't budge.

Maria sighed. "I'm trying to recruit someone, don't worry."

"I saw that. Edda could definitely help you, but she's still very green."

"That's not what I saw in her."

Momodi tilted her head.

Maria continued. "She has something dangerous in her. Like an obsession, which could either save everyone or destroy her and whatever she touches. She's definitely interesting."

The short woman crossed her arms, unconvinced. "And to what do we owe this piece of insight?"

Maria laughed, genuinely amused by Momodi's choice of words.

The Lalafell sighed. "Look, she's a conjurer. They specialise in healing, so I definitely approve. But I would love you to contact more people if you can. Four people, including you. Even better, eight."

Maria shrugged. "Very well, I'm game, if only to calm you. But today I'm going to Halatali: after that mission, I will look for more volunteers for a hunting party."

Momodi's face became gloomy. "Three people died and one was badly injured the last time someone attempted to clean Halatali. That job is still there only because I can't refuse a direct request from the Gladiator Guild."

"I'll keep that in mind" said the woman, earnestly.

"Very well, then, as long as you remember that a strategic retreat means you can fight another day. Are you already attuned with Drybone's Aetheryte, or do you need to walk there?"

Maria tilted her head. "Am I supposed to what now?"

Momodi blinked, surprised. "Aetheric teleportation."

Oh, of course: she's talking about lamps!

***

"This is not a lamp" said the woman with a monotone voice.

"What do you mean by that?" asked Momodi.

Maria was watching the massive crystal that was gently floating near the entrance of the Adventurer's Guild. An Aetheryte shard, according to Momodi. She had never seen anything similar before.

"So" said the Hunter. "I must just do... What with it, exactly?"

"Attune to it" said the Lalafell.

A blank stare from the Hunter.

"Imbue it with your Aether?"

Another blank stare. "What is this Aether, exactly?"

Momodi's jaw almost fell off in surprise.

"I'm sorry, what?!?"

Maria thought for a second. "Now that I think about it, the twins mentioned something about Aether yesterday. The Primals are supposedly made of that?"

"How... What..." Momodi was flabbergasted. "How can you fight monsters and not know what Aether is?"

"I stab things until they die, usually" answered Maria in a deadpan voice.

"Wait, you mean you don't use magic at all?"

"Is Aether some sort of soul energy?" asked Maria without answering.

"If you want to put it like that, yes, but..."

"Let's see if I can replace that, then" said Maria, sighing. She grabbed her Rakuyo by the blade, cutting her palm. Momodi gasped, surprised. "What in the Seven Hells are you doing?!?" asked the Lalafell.

The cut was deep: in one second, the hand of Maria became crimson.

The Hunter put her bloodstained hand on the crystal.

Momodi was speechless. "That's not how you..."

The crystal hummed for a second.

Then the Lalafell screamed, while Maria grinned, satisfied.

"What in the Seven Hells was THAT?!?" she asked, watching Maria take a knee in front of the crystal and caressing the air with her uninjured hand. "I saw... some sort of creatures near the crystals for a second!"

"Oh?" said Maria, still caressing the air. "So you do have some insight, too?"

"What do you mean?" Momodi asked, confused.

Maria was still patting the air. Her hand was almost in the same position where she had seen those horrible little emaciated figures, similar to screaming, naked, pale men without hair and with monstrous eyes.

"You saw the Messengers" said Maria. "Just for a second, though. I don't know why."

"Messenger... What?"

Maria got to her feet. "Don't worry, they're harmless. Even helpful."

"What did you do?"

Maria sighed. "Honestly, I wasn't even sure it would work."

***

The day passed. Maria had left Ul'Dah before midday, taking a ride with a caravan. Following Momodi's suggestion, she had attuned herself to all the Aetherytes in Ul'Dah before leaving, but every time she did it with her blood, in the really creepy way she used at that first shard. Sometimes Momodi saw those small, creepy creatures again for a second when she attuned, but only for a moment every time. Maria had praised Momodi's insight, but never explained what she meant by that.

Momodi sighed, watching the clock on the wall. It had been seven hours since she left, she thought, and Drybone is four hours away. It's still too early to get worried. Probably.

"Momodi" said a male voice.

The woman turned her head to the door, surprised. "Guildmaster Lorobuki!"

It was rare to see one of the Lorobuki brothers in the Adventurer's Guild: the five were too busy in the Thaumaturge Guild to have some off time. The eldest of the brothers, Cocobuki Lorobuki, was the hardest to see outside Ul'dah Ossuary. The innkeeper looked at the Lalafell in the black cloak, as always with the left side of his face covered by bandages. She always found the eldest of the Lorobuki brothers creepy looking, but she was used to adventurers in weird, impractical, frilly, flamboyant and sometimes outright indecent outfits. More often than not, all of the above.

"May I offer you a beer?" asked the woman.

The Thaumaturge refused with a gentle gesture of his hand. "I'm here to ask you about some strange things that happened in Ul'dah today. Someone left bloodied handprints on all the Aetherite shards. And reports said that the same happened on the Aetherytes in Black Brush Station and in Drybone."

"I see" said the woman. "Yes, I know who did it. It's actually nothing worrisome. I hope."

"Hm hm hm" hummed the mage. "Care to explain?"

She sighed. "A new adventurer. A swordswoman of some kind. She couldn't attune directly to the Aetheryte, so she... did that. She said it worked."

"Hm hm hm..." That strange verbal tic from the Guildmaster was unnerving, the woman thought. "And what about the pale creatures?"

Momodi stared at the man, surprised. "Hairless, ugly as sin, small?"

"You saw them too?" asked the man, thinking. "Hm hm hm... Very, very interesting."

"I... I saw them just for a second when she used her blood on the shards, then they disappeared. But that woman acted like they were supposed to be there. Like they still were there after I wasn't able to see them any more. And like they were friendly."

"Hm... Hm."

"Can you please not hum?" she asked nervously.

"Hm?" said the man, surprised. "Oh, sorry. It helps me focus."

"So those creatures are actually real?" asked Momodi.

"Oh, they're very real. Invisible, intangible, but they're there. Hm hm hm... I must say, finding a way to see them was an interesting challenge."

Momodi nodded. "That woman called them messengers, if that helps."

"It really doesn't" said the thaumaturge, "but at least they have a name now. Hmmmm... Interesting beings, though. They're not made of Aether, but they're somehow helping the Aetheryte shards... somehow. They're mostly cleaning them, for now."

The woman opened her mouth, surprised.

The mage looked focused. "Hmm hmm... This woman. Is she the same adventurer who made a fuss in the Gladiator's Guild yesterday?"

Momodi nodded.

Master Lorobuki seemed lost in thought for a second, then he looked again at Momodi. "Very well. Please tell me everything you know about her, Momodi."

The woman sighed, then grabbed a registry, looking for some registration papers.

***

Edda looked down at her beer, feeling confused.

She definitely wasn't supposed to be there. She looked around, hoping to see Maria sitting down somewhere, or to see her enter the door of the tavern.

Drybone was a hole in the ground, quite literally. The small village was built in a big sink in the ground. Some of the buildings had a part in weathered stone, but the other houses were constructed by digging the rocks of the sink. The gigantic Aetheryte wasn't even visible from the road: it was that big of a hole in the ground. She didn't really like that place: it was dusty and desolate. But the town wasn't her focus at that moment.

Maria's proposal was still stuck in her head, and she was wrestling with her emotions. She loved Avere, of that she was certain, but abandoning that life was... not something she wanted to do. And she hated that woman for her current conundrum: she had to choose. What mattered more to her? Her love, or her life?

Should she just settle down? Give up the dream, the thrill of the unknown, the joy of helping others, a dangerous but quick way to build a fortune? But this was her life, her dream! She wanted to be a hero, to make a difference! Avere wanted to throw that away, but she was just not ready! Not when they were so close to fulfilling it!

She and Avere would have made that party they wanted to do: her friend Paiyo Reiyo seemed eager to follow them as soon as Avere received his blessing to join the guild, and also that friend of Avere... What was her name, Liavinne? That Elezen archer also seemed interested.

And now everything was broken.

She thought, oh, to the Seven Hells with it. I just want to see Maria and to tell her that I hate her, that she should never have interfered with my life! I want to scream at her!

A scream from the road outside the tavern made Edda turn her head.

The door opened.

Maria of Cainhurst entered the room. Covered in blood from head to toes. Her clothes, her weapon, even her face: she was fully drenched in it. On her back, fixed with some ropes, there was the head of a demon, a Voidsent.

The room was filled with a silence of pure horror.

The woman looked around the room nonchalantly and noticed Edda. Without a nod, she sat at her table.

Then she looked at the innkeeper, putting some coins on the table.

Then she said: "Beer. And a room."

The innkeeper blinked, then he moved.

The tavern went back to its business, although the other guests still checked on Maria discreetly from time to time.

The woman sighed, then she looked at Edda.

"I specifically told you that stalking me is dangerous."

The conjurer was speechless.

Maria took a napkin from her pocket, but even that was soaked in blood. She sighed, resigned. "You don't happen to have a clean napkin?"

"What... How... Maria?"

"Yes?" she asked in an annoyed tone.

"Where does all that blood come from?"

"I think you Eorzeans call this adventuring" she said flatly.

"Are you hurt?" she asked.

Maria laughed lightly. "Don't worry, it's not my blood. Well, most of it isn't mine. Still, that was a good warm up."

Edda blinked. "Wait. You meant that you actually managed to clean Halatali by yourself?"

"A surprisingly annoying task" said the woman, satisfied. "Were you aware that there are demons that could just become completely invulnerable with the right magic? Luckily, the weak point of their invulnerability is quite self-evident."

Edda looked at the woman, completely speechless.

"And this nice baby here" she said, tapping the demon's head "will give me enough money to not have to worry for a bit about anything."

The conjurer was flabbergasted.

Maria thanked the innkeeper when he got her order, then she drank some of her beer.

"I think I need to wash myself and to have some sleep."

"I accept" said Edda, for her own surprise.

Maria looked at the woman in front of her.

Edda moved her hand vaguely. "If you still want me? Fighting with you. Being an adventurer. A hero. I accept."

The Hunter nodded. "The chance of death is pretty high. I'm confident of my abilities, but can you say the same?"

"I want to make a difference" she answered. "That means taking a risk."

"Also, I'm not a hero. I can hardly be considered human. You don't know anything about my past."

The woman didn't budge.

Maria sighed, then she added some more coins on the table and whistle to call the innkeeper. "Make that a two beds room, please."

Edda tried to object, but Maria put a bloodied finger on her mouth.

Then she said with an evil smile: "I'm the leader of this hunting pack: my treat, no objections allowed."

Chapter Text

So that's what remains of Provost Willem, thought the hunter, looking at the man on the chair.

He was old. His feet were gangrenous, and they could have sworn that mushrooms were growing on his neck. He was alive, but paralysed. Or possibly comatose. He was on the balcony, seemingly looking at the pale moon. To think that this man was the one responsible for all the tragedies that happened...

He was a legend, a mad genius worthy of praise and hate. The founder of the Byrgenwerth College, the grandfather of the Healing Church, the scholar who discovered the secrets of the Old Blood.

"Do you realise how much you destroyed?" whispered the Hunter, nauseated. "Everything that happened to Yharnam. The plague. The curse. The Cainhurst genocide. And that place. And for what? A chance for Godhood?"

He looked at the wrinkled man in the rocking chair. His clothes were almost worthy of a Pope, and his weak hand was still somehow holding his ornate staff. But his mind clearly wasn't there. He was responsible for all the tragedies of that dream, and he was paying the worst price of all the people he had met so far.

"And now you're here" they kept going. "After everything you've done, this is your fate. A braindead vegetable, eaten alive by mushrooms, rotting while still breathing. Nothing of what you've done, of what you achieved... None of it was worth it."

Suddenly, he moved. He pointed a finger towards the lake. He whispered something.

The hunter got closer.

Those weren't whispers: he was just moaning.

They looked at the water. At the moon's reflection.

Then they had an insight. They finally understood.

They understood what they had to do.

How to end the nightmare of Byrgenwerth.

But before doing it, the Hunter looked at the wrinkled old man.

They raised their sword.

"This is for the Fishing Hamlet."

***

A thud in the night. Edda could have sworn that she heard something.

She opened her eyes. The moonlight was filling their room.

She looked around, and then she saw her.

Maria was sitting on her bed, her arms wrapped around her legs, her eyes wide open. She looked scared, almost panicking.

"Maria?" asked the Conjurer, worried.

The Hunter looked at her. She tried to breathe, then she regained some of her usual composure.

"I'm sorry, I forgot to mention. Often I have... bad dreams."

Edda nodded, trying to put a hand on her shoulder. It was almost impossible to see, but Maria was shaking.

"Want to talk about it?" said Edda, gently.

Maria looked at her feet.

For a few seconds, there was only silence.

"Maybe I should prepare some tea to..."

"Someone I knew", said the woman suddenly. "He just died."

"What?" said Edda, surprised.

Maria shrugged. "In my dream. He just died. So he's dead now."

Edda looked puzzled at the Hunter. "What do you mean by that?"

Maria tried to smile. There was nothing that looked like happiness or comfort in that smile. Only pain.

"He's dead now" she said with a flat voice.

***

"So, you can actually use magic?" asked Edda, with her legs swinging outside the cart.

She and Maria were returning to Ul'Dah, thanks to another caravan of merchants. Maria didn't want to use the Aetheryte teleport: although convenient, she wanted to see Eorzea. That was bizarre, but Edda wasn't complaining.

"It's wrong to call it magic, but I do have some abilities" answered Maria, watching a majestic rock formation at the centre of a lake. It was somehow creepy, but fascinating: the Unholy Heyr, according to Edda. The place was crawling with giant poisonous frogs, which somehow made the place more interesting in the Hunter's eyes. "Let's just say, I have a... different approach compared to your strange soul energy."

"You mean the Aether?"

Maria nodded. "As far as I can tell, I don't really have that. I should try to investigate, probably, but I use a different source for my so-called magic." She smiled. "It's not actually magic, but you get the idea."

"Not really" said the Conjurer. "I mean, technically, all forms of magic are Aether manipulation, in one way or another. For instance, conjurers like me can use our connection with the Elementals and ask them to lend us Aether, that we can then craft into spells. I can mostly use it to cure myself or other people, but I can also ask the elementals to cut my enemies with a wind as sharp as a razor, or propel flying rocks at them with magic."

"That sounds impressive" said Maria, watching fascinated at a nearby colony of giant ants. Ants as big as people! The whole hill was overwhelmed by those bizarre creatures!

"Thaumaturges are similar, in a way" continued Edda, "but they use their own Aether and focus it through magic crystals to get more... destructive effects, so you actually need to be really attuned with Aetheric energy to become one. But if the legends are true, in the past, Black Mages were also able to use Aether from the land itself. This had the side effect of killing the land, though."

Maria nodded. She had no idea what a black mage was, but that dream was fascinating and full of lore.

"But if you have almost no Aether... Is this why we're walking to Ul'Dah? Because you can't use the Aetherytes?"

Maria laughed. "I can, in a different way. I tested it, and it works. I told you, I just wish to see this place. Explore a bit. So far, everything I saw here in Eorzea is just beautiful!"

The Conjurer looked at the desert of Thanalan, in all its underwhelming desolation and all its hostile fauna. A place for a family picnic, for sure!

Edda looked at Maria. The Hunter was dressed in some clothes she bought quickly that morning: brown pants and a normal shirt. She seemed almost normal, although her paleness and her beauty were still catching everyone's eye. Sadly, cleaning Maria's hunter's garb would have required quite some time.

"So what can you do?" asked Edda. "I mean, what can you do with your magic?"

"Not much, without quicksilver" said Maria, absentmindedly.

Edda tilted her head. "You mean mercury?"

"If you want to use the non-alchemic name, yes. I also use quicksilver for my bullets."

"I beg your pardon?" the woman asked, confused.

"Bullets made of an amalgam of quicksilver, silver, tin and copper. They're dangerous, but against the monsters I hunt, they're useful."

Edda looked at her, confused. She had never heard of amalgam bullets before.

"Quicksilver is not enough for my magic, of course. It must be mixed with blood."

Edda opened her mouth. "Wait, are you... some sort of necromancer?"

"What? Of course not" said the Hunter, laughing. "Don't worry, I prefer to avoid blood magic if I can."

Blood magic? thought the woman, confused. That didn't sound ominous at all!

"Mostly I'm a Hunter" continued Maria. "That means that I fight with my sword and my gun. Well, I guess I also use this a lot" she said, grabbing something from a pocket in her belt. She showed Edda the head of a femur.

The woman's eyes widened, looking at the bone: "I'm sorry, is that human?!?"

"Not anymore" said the woman in a perfectly normal tone. "When I imbue it with quicksilver, it allows me to flash step. Extremely useful, it saved my life a lot of times."

Edda tilted her head again. "You mean that allows you to dash?"

"Sort of, yes" said Maria. 

"So... you use fetishes and replicate magic with them?"

"That's a way to put it, yes" nodded the Hunter.

"Are you completely sure you're not a necromancer?" asked the Conjurer.

Maria ignored her, tapping on her creepy femur head once again. "This is my favourite, by far. There are other items I could use to replicate some sort of magic, but I don't have them with me."

The cart crossed the border of a small town of miners, Black Brush Station, and then the caravan stopped. The merchants had reached their destination. Maria and Edda prepared for the last part of the trip, which took about an hour to reach Ul'Dah.

"So let me get this straight" said Maria, walking near Edda. "Your magic depends on the Elemental spirits that inhabit this world?"

"Yes, this is how all Conjurers cast their magic. They lend me the Aether for casting my spells. Other schools get mana from other Aether sources" answered the Conjurer. "I could use my own life energy to fuel my magic, but that could kill me in the long run."

"What happens if an Elemental disagrees with how you're using that energy?"

Edda hesitated. "They... won't like it."

"Ah" said Maria, kicking lazily a small rock. "And what kind of morality do the Elementals have?"

"What do you mean?" said the Conjurer, a bit taken aback by that line of questions.

"Let's say, they lend you energy for a specific purpose? What if you decide to use that energy to, say, heal someone and not for the purpose they wanted?"

"We have strict rules to avoid exactly that" said the mage. "We're supposed to use the energy we receive exactly for the purpose stated."

Maria nodded. "So if I disappoint an Elemental, you won't be able to heal me?"

"It's not that simple, but..."

"I got it, if you can't, you can't. I just hope I don't have to find a source of blood to keep adventuring here in Eorzea" said the woman, tired.

"This is not the first time you mentioned a source of blood: what do you mean exactly?"

Maria walked silently for a second.

Then she said with a flat tone. "Do you know what a Vileblood is?"

Edda shook her head. "Is that some kind of voidsend?"

"You mean demons? Oh no. No, they're humans... Technically speaking, at least. Well, it's hard to explain exactly what I mean by source of blood, if you don't know what a Vileblood is."

The woman made a vague gesture with her hand: "Well, indulge me, then."

Maria nodded. "Promise me to keep an open mind and not dismiss me outright."

Edda was tempted to answer with a joke, but she stopped when she realised how serious the look on Maria's face was.

"The Vileblood are the Chosen of Oedon" said the Hunter with a grave voice.

Edda tilted her head. "I'm not familiar with that name."

"Oedon is an Augur. A Great One."

"What's an Augur?"

"A powerful being. Reality warper powerful. Godlike, if you wish."

"You mean a Primal?"

"As far as I can tell, no. Primals are condensed Aether that takes form through prayers, if I got it correctly? Desires and hope incarnate in the form of elemental spirits?"

Edda nodded. "That's right."

"Great ones, simply put, are!"

The Conjurer looked at the woman. "That doesn't really explain it."

Maria watched the walls of Ul'Dah, without answering for some time.

"His full name is Oedon the Formless. There are many Great Ones, but he's the most elusive. He had chosen the people of Cainhurst for his bidding, and now they are blessed with the power of the Old Blood. That gives them an insight of the true nature of reality, unnatural strength and dexterity, manipulation of the spirits of the dead, just to name a few. They're immune to the scourge, they can regenerate their wounds by feeding on blood, and they can even cheat death under the right conditions. Among other things."

"The scourge?"

"A disease. It corrupts your blood. It's a long story. Let's just say, it destroyed my hometown."

The Conjurer tilted her head. "So... The Vileblood are vampires?"

Maria laughed. "Oh no. Not really. They don't burn with the sunlight, they can't be killed with a stake or with, well, anything under the right conditions. At least, that's true for the most blessed among them. Like their Queen. They don't need blood to survive, although it can become quite addictive. And they can actually enjoy garlic, if they wish."

"All of the strength of a vampire, none of the weaknesses? That's a scary thought."

"They almost don't exist anymore, though. Exterminated. As creatures cursed by the Great Ones, Vilebloods are hunted by the Healing Church and ostracised by the Byrgenwerth College."

"I'm not familiar with those... Guilds?" asked Edda. "Are you a member of those groups?"

Maria hesitated. "I was, once. It's..."

Maria looked at her hands. The hands that held the Rakuyo during that moment. That massacre. She threw her sword into that well. She tried to make amends. To help the patients of the Healing Church's Research Hall. To atone. To help without resorting to more violence. But that wasn't enough. She was overwhelmed by her guilt. She killed herself. But not even death granted her solace. That was her fate: eternally trapped in the Nightmare of her most innocent victim.

"Maria?" asked Edda, confused.

The woman closed her hands. "It's not who I am anymore."

"Are you all right?"

"Yes" said the Hunter, breathing heavily. "Sorry, I lost my train of thought."

"You were talking about Vilebloods. I think I got what they were, in a way. But that doesn't explain why you keep saying that you want to avoid using blood."

Maria kept walking. "No? I thought it was clear. Vileblood can cure themselves by drenching themselves in blood."

Edda stopped, surprised. "Are you a Vileblood?"

The Hunter hesitated, then nodded. "I abandoned that part of my life. I can choose to act like I'm just human. Seeing the situation, though, I'm afraid some of my natural talents may be just too useful to be ignored."

There was silence for a couple of seconds. "I really, really hope it won't come to that, though" said Maria in a sad voice.

The Conjurer hesitated. "Did you participate in that hunt? Did you... Kill your own kind?"

Maria made a vague gesture with her hand, dismissing the Conjurer.

Edda looked at the woman. She didn't have the courage to ask the most important question: we aren't talking about human blood, right? ... Right?

***

Black Brush Station, as the name implies, was nothing more than a little town built around a train station for miners. Some small shops, an inn and a couple of railroads. One of the rails proceeded toward a couple of mines in the mountains at the border of the desert of Thanalan, while the other went toward Ul'dah. Maria and Edda were walking following the rails: there was a more direct road, but the Hunter wanted to see the world. It was almost cute, Edda thought: Maria was looking with a mix of wonder and awe at every rock, every cranny, even every monster on the road that somehow decided to keep their distance. That was bizarre, noticed Edda: usually the monsters in the desert didn't hesitate to attack her and Avere when they were together, but they didn't dare get close to Maria. It was like their instinct told them to just stay away!

The two women were fortunate enough to travel on a beautiful day with clear skies: the sun was still rising, and the temperature was tolerable, albeit already a bit too hot for the Conjurer.

In one hour, the two adventurers reached the train station near Ul'Dah. While getting closer, Maria became suddenly serious.

Edda looked where Maria was focusing. She was eyeing the Brass Blades, the soldiers of Ul'Dah. "Maria?" the woman asked.

"I just don't trust those soldiers. My only experience with them wasn't good."

The Conjurer nodded. "Let me guess, they asked for a bribe?"

"They tried to plant something on our carriage, so they could fine us. Somnus, I think they called it?"

Edda nodded. "A drug. Very dangerous, highly illegal."

"Whatever" declared the Hunter. "My first impact with them wasn't good."

"Neither was mine" admitted Edda. "We had to pay a bribe to enter the city."

The two women kept walking. The soldiers were running all over the small station, apparently searching nervously for something. Or someone.

Maria was discreetly keeping an eye on the soldiers. They were taking orders from a Lalafell with white hair and a pair of moustaches, without a uniform: he seemed really efficient at his job.

The short man noticed the two adventurers. "You two, stop!"

Maria looked up at the sky, annoyed.

The commander reached the women. "Where are you from?"

Edda answered: "Drybone, sir. We're adventurers, returning from a job."

The man's gaze lingered on the demon's head on Maria's back. "Your mark?"

"Yup" said the Hunter, making a popping sound with her lips.

The commander was unfazed. "If you're adventurers, I assume you can accept a quick odd job? We need all the help we can get."

Maria and Edda looked at the Lalafell.

"I'm Papashan, the local stationmaster and former captain of the Sultansworn."

"Ecstatic" said Maria with a flat tone.

Edda coughed. "I'm Edda Pureheart, and this is Maria of Cainhurst."

"I'm Lady Maria of Cainhurst" corrected the annoyed woman. Edda raised an eyebrow, but didn't comment.

The soldier grabbed a paper from his pocket. Maria looked at it: it was a portrait. A Lalafell girl. "We're looking for Lady Lilira. She disappeared from the city some hours ago. We have reasons to believe she went outside the walls."

"By herself?" asked the Hunter. "Is she a prisoner?"

"No, she just avoided her escort. She's not supposed to."

"Ah, the whim of a noblewoman." Papashan wasn't amused by Maria's comment. "So you want our help to find her?"

"Yes. Did you see her on your way here?"

"We didn't see anyone", said Edda, sincerely.

"Are you even sure she's outside the walls?" asked Maria.

"No, but the Sultansworn are looking for her in the town. We're covering more ground this way."

Maria nodded. "Let's talk money, now."

Papashan looked at the two women, then sighed. "Four gil per hour for your whole party. On top of that, find her and I'll give you a bonus of twenty gil."

Maria nodded, then she said. "Twenty gil for each one of us."

The man grumbled, then said: "All right. But you have to find her."

"Well, let's look for this needle in a desert, then" said Maria, grabbing her sword.

***

"Who are the Sultansworn?" asked Maria, looking at the ground.

"The personal guards of the Sultana. An élite group of paladins" replied the Conjurer.

Maria nodded, focused. Edda looked at her, confused. "Looking for tracks?"

"In a desert near a city? I may be a good tracker, but this is excessive. We need a big stroke of luck for the bonus."

The Conjurer nodded. Then she asked: "So... Lady Maria?"

"You can keep calling me Maria, I was just annoyed at him. As a member of the Cainhurst family, though, that title is genuine" answered the woman, still looking for anything that could be useful. "Although I don't feel like you actually know anything about Yharnam nobility in this dream."

"To be fair, I never heard of those places before meeting you" admitted Edda. "And why do you speak of dreams so much?"

"Because I think, therefore I am, and as far as I can tell, nothing else may be actually real."

"Convenient" muttered the woman, unconvinced. "So what, everything is just a dream? Am I a dream for you?"

"As I am for you, probably" said Maria, still trying to find anything useful.

"Then why do anything at all, if you think this world isn't real?" asked the Conjurer.

The hunter kept looking around. That search was lasting quite long, and although exploring the surroundings of Ul'dah walls was interesting, Maria was starting to feel that there was no real end in sight for that particular quest.

She decided to stop looking for clues and turned to Edda. "Because I am. I have the basic necessities, such as food and sleep. I have a whole world in front of me, in which I can hope to find solace from my past. And I have feelings that motivate me."

"I can definitely relate to that" answered Edda sarcastically, "but according to that, shouldn't it be easier for you to dream about Lady Lilira's location and just get there?"

"I'm not the host of this dream" said Maria in a deadpan tone. "I don't think so, at least. But sure, if there's a way to have an indication, I would gladly accept it. A mark on a map, or a compass that points in the right direction, or a beacon of light, or anything at all that can guide to..."

"Voidsent" suddenly murmured Edda, becoming pale.

"Sure, whatever, I'll accept even a demon. I mean, it's a dream, it doesn't have to..." Maria trailed off as Edda pointed a finger behind her.

"There's one over there" said the Conjurer.

The Hunter turned her head to see an ugly, sick looking creature. It looked just like one of the monstrous gargoyle statues that were the pride of Yharnam's architecture: thin, with giant black wings, the beak of a hawk, long claws on its feet and hands. It wasn't flying toward them: it was looking for something, near some rocks shadowed by a massive tree in the middle of the sands. Then it started flying towards some cranny in the rocks, fast. It had probably found its prey.

"What's that place?" asked Maria.

"The Sultantree. A holy ground of some sort for the Ul'dah nobility."

The two women looked at each other. Then they ran towards the creature.

***

The young Lalafell was kneeling on the ground, murmuring a sincere prayer. Lady Lilira was asking for forgiveness for her own weakness and inability to do what needed to be done.

After a while, she turned around and screamed with authority.

"Show yourself!"

A man with white hair and two purple symbols tattooed on his neck approached her, saying: "As you command, O Lilira" while bowing with elegance. "Forgive my selfish desire to assure your welfare."

The woman sighed, recognising Thancred, the handsome but annoying member of the Scions of the Seventh Dawn.

"I don't recall requesting an escort!" she said, determined. "Simply pretend we never met, and continue on your way."

Thancred shrugged. "We both know I can do no such thing. It isn't safe for you here alone."

He watched around. He felt something lurking, but he didn't know what it was. "It isn't safe for anyone. Not with this aetheric disturbance... It's as though the dead are watching us..."

Lilira watched the man. He was getting his hands on his knives.

Thancred was sure of it: something was getting close. He kept looking around, then he said: "And I'd prefer not to join them, if it's all the same to you."

Then, an unnatural scream. The man turned around: a voidsent was getting close. Wait, a Voidsent was there?!? What in the Seven Hells?

He was good, but facing one of those demons by himself could be dangerous. But he just had to keep his usual bravado.

He smiled, grabbing his knives. "Dear Lilira, for my sake, please stay out of harm's way."

The Lalafell followed Thancred's order and moved away from danger, while he focused on the Voidsend and ran towards him.

***

"There" said Maria, running toward the Voidsend. It was fighting someone, a white-haired man. Suddenly, the creature raised its claw: a small vortex of shadows appeared out of nowhere, from which dozens of smaller demons emerged and joined the fight. "Crap. Edda, are those illusions?"

"No, I can feel their Aether. They're real!"

"Just run" Maria said, as the man was overwhelmed. "Heal him, I'll take them!"

***

He fell on the ground, spitting some blood.

One of the little ones had hit him near the neck. Nothing worrisome, but still, he needed to be more careful. He jumped back on his feet with an elegant move, grabbed his knives and stabbed one of the smaller demons.

He suddenly felt better. He glanced quickly at his shoulder: the cut was healed. He recognised the feeling: curative magic.

Then the bigger Voidsend stopped: a sword with one edge suddenly appeared on his chest. The sword turned, then a quick movement: the demon was opened from chest to leg. An inhuman scream, and the Voidsend fell on the ground, dead.

Then he saw her.

The woman glanced at the smaller demons. White hair, pale skin, dressed in a farmer's garb but with a very bizarre double-bladed sword. An expression of indifference and coldness: Thancred hesitated for a second: she was so scary that he could feel her influence.

A second woman reached him: she brandished a staff shaped like a tree branch towards him, then she raised it towards the sky. He could feel more Aether condensing around him, and more of his wounds disappeared. A Conjurer! It was his lucky day!

The first lady disappeared. Thancred stood silent when he noticed that she reappeared behind a minor demon and cut him in half: he wasn't able to follow her movements. Another small demon fell, and a third.

"Well, this should be fun" said the Scion, grabbing his knives once again and joining the fray.

***

Maria grabbed a napkin from her pocket, then she used it to clean the Rakuyo. She looked at the corpses of the demons while Edda was talking with the man. Then she noticed something on the ground, near a pool of blood. Something shiny. She got close. The biggest demon was carrying some sort of crystal?

"... So thank you" said Thancred to Edda. "That took guts, not everyone would put themselves in harm's way for a stranger."

"We were actually looking for someone else" said Edda, "but we're happy to be helpful."

"Speaking of someone else" murmured Thancred, looking around. Then he sighed in relief when she saw the Lalafell safe. Lady Lirira walked toward the three adventurers.

Edda bowed. "Lady Lilira, I presume? We've been asked by Captain Papashan to escort you back"

The woman sighed, then nodded. "Very well. Thank you, miss..."

"I'm Edda Pureheart, and over there, there's my..."

Edda looked at Maria, but then she stopped.

The Hunter was poking at something on the ground with the tip of her bizarre sword. "Maria?" said Edda.

Maria kept looking at the ground. "The demon dropped a crystal of some sort. I'm considering burying it."

"Why?"

"I don't trust it."

Edda blinked. "Why?"

"It comes from a demon."

"Well, that's sort of fair" said Thancred. Then he asked "I'm sorry, you look familiar... Are you the gladiator?"

Maria looked at the man. "Not really..."

"You're that woman... Lady Maria, right?" continued the man.

"Oh, you mean the new adventurer that scared the Gladiator Guild two days ago?" asked lady Lilira.

Maria bowed lightly. "That would be me, yes."

"I saw your performance in the Coliseum" said the man. "That was really impressive."

Maria nodded in response to Thancred's compliment, then she looked back at the crystal. She picked it up with the bloodstained napkin and inspected it closely. She could have sworn that there was something strange in the way the light reflected on it.

She put it in her bag and said "I'll keep it, but I won't use it. Better safe than sorry."

Thancred nodded in agreement. "Wise decision. You never know what kind of power it might hold."

Lady Lilira cleared her throat, bringing their attention back to her. "Shall we be going then?"

Edda nodded. "Of course, please follow us."

The group made their way back to the station.

Maria walked silently, lost in thought as she mulled over that Voidsent attack.

She couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right.

***

She poked the crystal once again with the back of her fork. Something definitely wasn't right about it, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

"Look, if you're worried about it, just toss it" said Edda, taking a sip of her beer.

"I don't know why, but I feel like I shouldn't" answered Maria. She relaxed a bit, getting comfortable at the Quicksand. Momodi was more than happy to see her come back safe, and she brought them some baked popotoes and a beer to celebrate her first successful job. The Hunter was still checking the crystal: there was something inside when she looked into it, but it was difficult to understand. She also felt some sort of echo calling her to check that thing more closely, but something in her mind, some sort of insight, was telling her not to touch the crystal directly. That feeling was really annoying. Probably Edda was right: she should just focus on something else.

Something mundane. Her clothes, for instance. She needed some more garbs for hunting, so going to the weaver's guild was a good idea.

Provisioning was another issue she could focus on. It turns out, in Ul'Dah, there was also an alchemist guild: she needed more quicksilver bullets. She had enough gold pieces to be safe, thanks to the jobs she accepted the day before, so she could just...

A Lalafell moved a chair and sat down with the two women, without a word.

Edda and Maria looked at him. He was dressed in a black cloak, and half of his face was covered by bandages. The Conjurer stood up quickly and bowed: "Master Lorobuki!"

Maria raised an eyebrow, then she looked again at the man. "I'm still ignorant about the celebrities of Ul'dah."

"Maria of Cainhurst, I presume?" said the Lalafell.

"I'm sorry, you have me at a disadvantage."

"I'm Cocobuki Lorobuki, custodian of the Arrzaneth Ossuary and guildmaster of the thaumaturgy magic school."

Maria bowed gently. So he was a peer of Mylla, she thought. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

The Lalafell nodded. "I'm here for the bloody handprints someone left on all the Aetheryte crystals from here to Drybone."

Maria shrugged. "What about those? The Messengers should have cleaned them by now."

"So it is you" the master said. "Hm hm hm... Interesting. No attempt to hide it?"

"Did I break any law?" said the woman, uninterested in the answer.

The magician crossed his arms. "You unsettled a lot of people, but technically no. Also, I'm not affiliated with the Brass Blades or the Immortal Flames, so I have no right to arrest you even if I wanted to. That's not why I'm here. I'm here because I want to understand your magic."

The women tilted their heads.

Lorobuki looked at Edda. "Are you a conjurer?"

Edda stiffened in her seat. "Yes, sir."

"How long have you two travelled together?"

"Some hours. Since yesterday evening."

"Hm hm hm... Are you still in training?"

The woman turned red as a tomato. "Excuse me?"

"You really stood near her for hours and didn't notice anything?"

"Is there a rest stop between here and the point?" asked Maria, suddenly annoyed.

Lorobuki looked at her. "You have no Aether."

The two women looked at each other, then looked at the guildmaster.

"And?" asked Maria.

"We're aware that she doesn't have much Aetheric energy, sir" said Edda, blushing.

The Lalafell looked at the hunter. "Hm... Hm. Hm. I was... Hm. I'm sorry, but I was expecting some degree of shock at the fact that you're not supposed to be alive."

Edda looked at the man, confused. "Wait, of course she has some Aether. She's... I mean-"

"I come from a place where the rules of what counts as soul energy are a bit different" said the Hunter, interrupting her.

"Yes, Cainhurst. Hmmmm..." Lorobuki crossed his arms. "There's no reference to that place in any map I was able to find. So you're a person who comes from a place that has never been recorded, and according to every study we did about Aether, it's not supposed to be alive. And now you claim you just follow different rules? Allow me to be kind of sceptical."

"And yet I'm here" said the woman, crossing her legs and smiling at the mage. "Maybe I'm not human, or maybe I'm not alive, or I'm not part of this world, or who knows, all of the above?" she continued, laughing lightly.

Edda looked at the woman, a confused expression on her face. Sure, not having Aether could be seen as being a magical disability, but...

"Wait a second" the conjurer said. "When you said no Aether, what do you mean? Maria doesn't have enough Aether to use magic directly, we know that, but..."

"Everyone has some degree of Aether, but she has no Aether at all" reiterated the Thaumaturge, shaking his head. "No matter how little, Aether is the very essence of soul energy. When we die, our Aether rejoins the Lifestream. From the Lifestream, then, new Aether condenses in a soul, giving birth to a new life."

"Oh, so it works this way here in Eorzea?" asked Maria, with a voice full of sarcasm. "We're more old school: back in Cainhurst, I was born because my parents had sex."

Edda sighed unamused, but Lorobuki chuckled lightly. "Nice one. I'm talking about the spiritual side of rebirth, not the physical side."

"Most of my abilities are physical and alchemical in nature" said the Hunter in a calm voice.

The Guildmaster shook his head. "Swordplays and chemical reactions are not what I'm looking for, though. Let me be blunt: what really interests me is that you can't use magic at all without Aether. And yet, you somehow summoned those messenger creatures."

"To be fair, I wasn't sure it would work. Luckily, this world follows some degree of dream logic."

Edda rolled her eyes. Again with the dreams...

Lorobuki looked at the woman. "Hm, hm, hm... Go on, please."

"I'm sorry", said the woman suddenly, "but I'm not interested in divulging my secrets."

"Fair enough" answered the mage. "I propose a collaboration, then."

Maria tilted her head.

The thaumaturge nodded. "I'm interested in any form of thaumaturgy and magic, and your ability to use magic that doesn't require Aether is in my field of interest. So I want you to..."

"I'm not going to be your lab animal" said Maria with a definite tone.

Lorobuki raised his hand. "There's no need to be that dramatic. I want information, not to vivisect you. Although I could ask you to write a will, so that when you die your body will..."

"I will gladly throw myself in a fire if I feel I'm dying instead" said the woman drily.

"Very well. Hmmm... A shame, but of course it's our duty as caretakers of the Ossuary to respect your will when you die. Of course, if you change your idea bef-"

"I won't"

"Then I propose a barter of some sort. Name your price."

Maria and Edda watched each other, confused. "For my secrets?"

"For your magic."

"No."

Lorobuki sighed. "Please be reasonable."

"Oh, believe me: I am being extremely reasonable right now. I know very well how a secret can beckon so sweetly. But I can't, and I won't even if you torture or bribe me, explain what is the real nature of what I can do. And if I'm the only one in this world that knows the truth about what happened in Cainhurst and Yharnam, then my magic will die with me."

The guild master and the hunter looked at each other.

The woman sighed. "Look, it was just a different approach to your teleport stones. Why do you care about my way of attuning?"

"Because you did the impossible. You manipulated reality outside the boundaries of the physical laws without adhering to either Astral or Umbral manipulations. And I want to understand how."

Maria sighed. "I can answer that, actually, as long as you don't bother me with the details. The truth is... I'm cursed."

Lorobuki shook his head in disbelief. "No, that's impossible. For a curse to work in a way so unnatural, it would need to dissolve every..." He trailed off as realisation dawned on him. Then he looked back at the woman and moved closer, looking at her wrists.

"May I?" he asked, almost scared.

Maria rolled her eyes, then she offered her hand to the man.

Edda looked puzzled. She saw the guildmaster put his fingers gently on Maria's wrist. He suddenly became as pale as ceramic. Then he murmured: "I'm sorry, I... I need to..."

"Find your composure" said the woman. "I will be here when you're ready."

Lorobuki stood up and slowly walked away, looking stunned.

Maria sighed, while Edda was incredulous.

"What was that?" said the conjurer, once the two women were alone.

"He understood" answered Maria, grabbing her beer and taking a sip.

The conjurer tilted her head. "You did explain to me something about your... affiliation with the Vileblood, though."

Maria nodded. "So?"

"Is any of that useful to understand how your magic works?"

"In a way, yes. It's not enough, but it's a start."

"Why did you trust me and not him?"

"He's interested in replicating what I can do: you just want to know me." She shrugged. "I trust my insight."

***

"These garments are superb!" said the bizarrely flamboyant Roegadyn, looking at Maria's bloodied clothes. "They're definitely made for combat, but the way they combine leather and silk is just brilliant. And what a spectacular design! I like the neck more than everything else, that frilly necktie is a piece of art. A pity for all that ichor and blood."

"My fighting style requires a direct approach" said Maria drily.

"Yes, these clothes clearly can testify that. That explains the choice of leather for the jacket, pants, and hat. Those are definitely easier to clean. So you need..."

"These kinds of garments. At least three, for starters. I need to be comfortable in them. I will ask for a dozen more in the next weeks, tailor made. And please, keep that fashion sense."

"Aren't these a bit too heavy for Ul'dah climate, though?" said the gigantic man.

Maria looked at him, dressed in a custom made frac and a tuba in the same hot weather. "I'm sure you can make it work" said the woman. "I will also need some prêt-à-porter normal clothes."

"I'm sure a lady of your finesse and elegant taste would find something of her liking here in the Weaver's Guild."

"Thank you, Master Rose" said Maria with a gentle bow. She then began looking around while the giant continued to inspect the dirty garments, admiring every single detail of her clothes.

At that time, Edda was busy checking Avere in the infirmary, so the woman had some time for herself. Getting some spare clothes was on her priority list, so she spent some time shopping.

After a couple of hours, she left the Guild with a bag full of normal clothes. It was time to head to the Adventurer's Guild and maybe look for another odd job or two at the guild.

The city was chaotic, but she was really enjoying it so far. That dream was so different from her usual life in Yharnam. Sure, there was chaos lurking: the guards were corrupted, all the odd jobs for the guild were actually hiding horrible stories, but there was an important thing that in Yharnam was definitely death: hope. That place had hope for a better future. The people of Eorzea had faced complete annihilation in the Calamity just five years prior, but instead of accepting their fate, they rebuilt everything, never abandoning hope for a better tomorrow.

Maria reached the Quicksand, and she looked at some of the odd jobs posted on the Adventurer's Guild board. A request for a temporary server for the evening at the Coffer & Coffin bar near Black Brush Station, that sounded boring but somehow doable if worst came to worst, a request for an able-bodied adventurer to protect a team of prospectors, sure that sounded easy enough, a request for a team of people to liberate Quiveron Manse from some outlaws, that sounded like a job for the local militia but hey it's the client's money. Maria grabbed a bunch of papers from the board, all about jobs near Black Brush Station: she could quickly do all of them the next day, even the boring ones, and grab enough gil to pay for some of her new clothes. She quickly added up the numbers of all the jobs: yes, that should be...

"Excuse me" said a soft voice. "Are you Lady Maria of Cainhurst?"

Maria turned around. A small white fluffy bear with blue bat wings and a giant red pom over his head, dressed only in a postmaster's hat and a small bag, was floating in the air and looking at her.

She blinked. She looked around: no one in the Quicksand was reacting to the strange bear thingie. The bizarre creature looked at Maria. At least, that was the impression: his eyes were just black lines.

The creature talked. "I'm sorry, are you Lady Maria?"

The Hunter, taken aback, answered "That would be me."

"Wonderful, kupo!"

The beary creature put a paw in the small bag, and then he extracted an envelope. "A mail for you."

Maria accepted the envelope, too surprised to have a proper reaction. The little creature flew away, singing something about a Good King Moggle Mog. Maria, still shocked, looked at the door of the Quicksand.

Then she looked at the letter.

"How could he grab the envelope without thumbs?" she murmured, too stunned to understand anything.

***

She looked at the moon in the window while taking a bath in her room. The day was reaching an end, and Edda still hadn't come back to the guild. Maria had a simple dinner with Momodi, where the Hunter learned about the author of the letter that she received earlier: it was none other than General Raubauhn Aldin, and the letter asked for a meeting with Maria the next day for lunch.

After that, though, the Lalafell had to take care of the Guild's business.

So she had some time to relax. Reading and resting in her guild's room sounded like a solid plan. She had bought a tome about Eorzea's history and some maps, hoping to learn about the customs of that bizarre dream, and she was reading it while resting in the hot waters.

Still in the bathtub, Maria felt strange: she didn't have a chance to just enjoy a book since...

She closed her book.

Since her suicide.

Something felt strange. Anomalous. Her insight was tormenting her: something was just not right. There was something completely off in that dream, but she wasn't able to pinpoint what was bothering her.

She shook her head. Maybe it was the peace, after all that time stuck in a nightmare? Just the simple chance, after all that horror, after her sin, to enjoy some peace. To have a normal evening, alone with her thoughts, a hot bathtub and an interesting read.

That dream was so full of fascinating lore and details: in her experience, nightmares and dreams usually had defined limits, but there was lore here! Details! Books full of fascinating information! Dishes full of exotic flavours! Every single person she met so far had an actual backstory and a full-fledged personality!

If not for the fact that it was impossible, given what kind of curse afflicted her, she could actually consider the idea that Eorzea was a real place. Whoever was the host of that Dream had an analytical mind and a keen eye for details that was borderline godlike.

She got out of the water and grabbed a towel to dry herself. She wore a nightgown, then she looked again outside the window, at the moon.

There was something always so fascinating in a full moon, thought Maria absentmindedly while her fingers were playing with the crystal. She didn't even recall when she had grabbed it or why. She hadn't found anything strange about it, although she had been suspicious of it that morning. But why was she suspicious? That crystal was nothing special, although she could hear a hum. Something calling.

She had a feeling of something familiar but distant. Warm, in a weird way, but ethereal. The crystal was singing to her, but she could not listen. There was nothing in her that could interact with the magic that was trying to attune with her soul. But a voice was calling her, full of desperation. A voice with thousands of echoes, but she was deaf to that call.

She muttered "Oedon?" when she understood what that feeling was. She looked at the crystal suspiciously.

She dropped it and took a couple of steps back. Her insight was not lying. That was the same feeling of attunement, of corruption. Something from the crystal was trying to take hold of her. To claim Lady Maria of Cainhurst as an emissary of sorts.

But her soul wasn't hers. Nothing in her existence was hers. Oedon had already claimed the Cainhurst denizens.

She could lie to herself as much a she wanted, but what remained after the Great One's gift was Lady Maria the Vileblood.

There was nothing else, for anyone else, to grab.

Chapter Text

The woman was humming a soft melody as she prepared something on the operating table. The girl tried to look at her, but she couldn't move her head. Or anything, really. She tried to look around: some kind of infirmary, and she was on a small bed for patients. She wasn't tied, but she couldn't move. She felt everything numb, like she was trapped in her own body.

"Oh, I'm sorry" the woman said, turning around and looking at the young girl. "We never had a chance to properly talk. My name is... You may call me Iosefka."

The girl looked at the woman: she was a cute girl with light brown hair, dressed in the white garb of the Healing Church's Choir, but there was something off about her. Something crazy, or alien. Or corrupt. Definitely inhuman.

"Are you a gift from my lovely Hunter?" asked Iosefka, smiling happily. "What a kind soul, crossing Yharnam on this special night, hoping to help people. And they did help you, my dear!"

The woman approached the girl. "I think I know you: you're Gascoigne's daughter, aren’t you?"

The child tried to nod, to scream, to do something. She just couldn't do anything at all.

Iosefka caressed her hair gently. "Oh, don’t try to move, little one: the anaesthetic should be in full effect right now. Anyway, you were lucky, my dear child. See, your father is dead."

The girl froze in horror. Iosefka continued. "The Blood corrupted him, so the Hunter had to put him down like a beast. It was the right choice."

The woman grabbed a syringe from the table. She got close to another bed: the girl wasn't able to turn her head, but she could swear that a naked creature with a giant head and blue skin was lying on it, dead, and that Iosefka just took some blood from its body.

"See, this is the problem with the Blood: it just eats us, but it doesn't allow us to evolve. Oh, we were so close to uncovering the truth behind evolution, thanks to the results we obtained in the Research Hall. But she had to help, and ruin everything we did with her kindness. She and her sense of guilt. That cursed Vileblood hunter. Ahhh, but this..."

Iosefka hit the needles a couple of times to remove a small bubble of air from the syringe. It was filled with a purple liquid that glowed in the dark.

"This will be the start of my success. My research will be complete. And you, my dear... You and anyone else that will be sent here by the Hunter, you will be the first to evolve beyond our mortal condition."

She stuck the needle in the arm of the drugged girl.

Then she grabbed a pen and paper and started coldly taking notes, while the child started screaming inhumanely and mutating in front of her.

***

The door of the Quicksand opened, and Edda came in. She looked around and spotted Maria, sitting at her usual table and checking some job papers.

She reached her and bowed. "Maria."

"Edda" said the Hunter.

The conjurer noticed that Maria still hadn't touched her breakfast. "Are you all right?"

Maria shook her head. "Yeah. Just a bad dream." She looked at her coffee, then ignored it. "Even for my standards, tonight was bad."

"I see. Say... Can I give you a suggestion?"

"I'm listening"

Edda grabbed a cookie from Maria's breakfast and ate it. "If you want, I can organize a meeting with my guild master."

She shrugged. "What for?"

"Understanding and, if possible, breaking your curse" replied the conjurer.

The woman genuinely laughed at the idea. Edda looked at her, surprised. "I'm actually serious!"

"Sure, let's mess with a curse from a Great One. With something that an Augur, in his alien sense of morality, considers his masterpiece. I'm sure there won't be consequences!" Then she nodded. "No, I think I'll keep my existence as it is until I find someone actually strong enough to kill me once and for all."

"Maria, please don't joke about that" said Edda, uncomfortable.

"About what? Wishing for death?"

"Yes, please! I..." Edda hesitated. "There's a reason why I became a conjurer. I can't... I can't stand the thought of losing someone. I already lost too many people when..."

Maria looked at her. "Edda, I feel like you're misunderstanding what's happening here, if you're afraid of death. We're hunting here. Adventuring, as you call it. And we risk our very lives every time we walk through that door."

"I know that, but if someone doesn't do it, people will die even inside these doors. I was... I was just eleven when my father died. A dragon attack on our village at Abalathia's Spine. There was no one who could defend our village. He... He was there, and then..."

Maria bowed. "I'm sorry to hear that."

"Thank you. But see, that's why I decided to become an adventurer. First my father, then the Calamity hit. I..." She sighed. "This world is crazy, but something could be done to save it.

The Hunter raised an eyebrow. "And your best argument is the Calamity? Do you think an adventurer could save this world from the sky literally falling on us?"

"A group of adventurers did save us that day, Maria. The moon fell, true, but Bahamut was stopped by Louisoux Leveilleur and by the Warriors of Light just before he could annihilate everything. This... More often than not, you may be right, but sometimes, being an adventurer can make a difference!"

She breathed deeply, then she looked at Maria.

The woman asked: "I guess I'm supposed to know what Bahamut is?"

Edda rolled her eyes. "The most powerful Primal. The God of Dragons. He was the prisoner within Dalamud."

The hunter nodded and grabbed her cup of coffee. "You decided to start adventuring so that no one else would suffer your fate?"

"Among other things."

"What would happen if you fail and someone else pays the price?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"Imagine this scenario: you and your betrothed are in a dungeon, and for some reason, you can't keep your magic up. Maybe your party bit off more than you can chew, maybe he stands too far from you so your healing magic doesn't reach him, or maybe your conjuring skills are just not good enough. And you see your beloved die in front of you. But you survive another day, somehow."

"Maria..."

"What would you do in this scenario?"

"Study more magic until I find a way to resurrect him" she answered, serious. "No matter the price."

Maria took a sip of her coffee. Then she looked at Edda.

"No matter the price?"

"No matter the price."

"May I share a cautionary tale about the no matter the price attitude?"

"No." The Conjurer sighed. "Maria, we've known each other for... What, two days? Don't judge me, or my life, or anything about me. Not yet. You still don't have that right, as I don't have it about you. You don't know the roads I had to walk."

"Likewise" the Hunter murmured, then she smiled. "I knew there was a reason why I instinctively liked you."

Edda didn't answer. After a couple of seconds, she bowed her head. "I'm sorry, I'm just nervous. I had a bad night with Avere."

Maria's eyebrow raised.

"He... didn't like your proposition" said the conjurer.

"I couldn't care less about his opinion, seeing that I didn't propose anything to him!" commented the Hunter calmly but with such emphasis on the last bit that it was possible to feel the exclamation mark.

"Exactly. I... Don't know how to feel. He tried to tell me that I was supposed to follow him and just drop adventuring altogether, but..."

Maria kept drinking her coffee.

Edda continued. "I still love him, I do. But yesterday, for the first time, we were in disagreement on..." She hesitated, then she punched the table. "This is my life! I want to live it without regrets! I don't want to be stuck at home, thirty years from now, with a mind full of disappointments and what-ifs! I love Avere, but we're talking about the way I want to live! I have a dream! I want to make a difference!"

"And he took exception to that?"

"Vehemently so."

"Do you care about his opinion on this?"

"Hence the bad night. We talked for hours; he was very vocal about his disagreement. It was a barrage! He even called my friend Paiyo Reiyo to try to dissuade me. But I just can't drop everything now! He can do whatever he wants with his life, but when the topic is my self-interest, I don't give a damn about his fears!"

"So, what do you plan to do now?" said Maria.

Edda suddenly went silent. That was it, she thought, that was the time to make a decision.

She looked at the table, then at Maria. She focused on her hands. Then she closed her eyes. She breathed deeply, thinking about the last time she saw her father.

Then she opened her eyes.

"Accompanying you on your next job, my pack leader" she answered, determined.

Maria smiled. "Very well. In the afternoon, we'll leave for Black Brush Station. There are some small odd jobs I want to do over there. But we have to go to the Alchemist guild as soon as we finish breakfast, and then we have a meeting for lunch."

"Oh, good. Who should we meet?"

"Wait a second..." She checked casually an envelope in her pocket. "General Raubauhn Aldin"

Edda opened her mouth, surprised. "I'm sorry, what? The Bull of Ala Mhigo himself?"

Maria raised an eyebrow. "The bull of what now?"

"You don't know anything about Eorzea, do you?" she asked, flabbergasted.

***

"Master Lyctor was waiting for you, Lady Maria" said the receptionist, bowing slowly. "Can you please wait here a minute?"

Maria bowed, then she relaxed. Edda looked at the alchemist guild. "You know, I would love to actually join a more peaceful guild. A side activity of some sort. A discipline of hand would probably help my self-esteem. Creating something is always fascinating."

"I can see the satisfaction in this kind of discipline”, agreed the woman. "I have some basic training in alchemy, but..."

"I would dare to say" said a male voice behind the adventurers, "that your training is not basic. I would use the term highly unorthodox to describe it. Lady Maria, I presume?"

The two women turned around.

Edda blushed almost instantly when he saw the blonde, tall man looking at them. Bizarre glasses that included a small lens, and a long white laboratory jacket. He was one of the most beautiful men she had ever seen in her life.

Maria bowed gently. "In the flesh. Master Severian Lyctor?"

"Pleased to make your acquaintance" said the man. "I saw your request for tin, copper, quicksilver, gunpowder, iron and blood, and I was just fascinated by the implications. Mind if we discuss it in the laboratory?"

The alchemist guild was an open space: the reception was on a mezzanine that dominated over the alchemical tables, where some apprentices were working or studying. Maria noticed that almost all of them were keeping an eye on the guildmaster.

"Before we start" said the man, serious, "I need to assert your intentions."

Maria stopped, suddenly annoyed. "What I do with the products I buy, with all due respect, is not the seller's business."

"It's not that simple, Lady Maria: quicksilver is an extremely dangerous toxin, and the quantity you ordered is big enough to warrant some caution. And without the blessing of this Guild, you will never find your mercury in Eorzea, on this side of the black markets. And good luck with the other side."

"Fair enough" said Maria. "I use quicksilver in my bullets."

Severian tilted his head. "I beg your pardon?"

"I don't use lead. I use an amalgam."

"A mercury alloy? That explains the tin and the copper."

Maria nodded. Silver was also supposed to be a part of the amalgam, but she didn't want to share everything at that time.

"You would need to add some silver to the amalgam, though" said the man, thinking. "Otherwise, it would oxidize if left exposed to air."

Maria smiled, surprised. "Your reputation is well-deserved, Guildmaster. Silver would have been part of a separate request."

The man ignored the compliment. "What are the proportions of the amalgam?"

"If you decide to accept this job, I will give you those specifics. Can you forge the bullets too?"

"Are we talking about pellets?"

"No, ogive shaped."

"Yes, they can be done. With a metal jacket for the black powder, I assume? That explains the iron."

"Yes. Also, these bullets are supposed to have a hollow tip."

The guildmaster remained silent, then nodded. "Of course, this way they would expand on impact and make bigger holes. You really want your marks dead."

"I do. Just so you know, seeing the specifics we're talking about, I will add a non-disclosure agreement in our contract."

"Of course. Why not use lead, though? It would be easier. And cheaper."

"Some of the beasts I hunt are more susceptible to quicksilver. Scourge beasts, mostly" she explained.

The man raised an eyebrow. "That sounds ominous."

Maria didn't answer.

Severian nodded. "What an interesting application, I must say! Dangerous, unorthodox and less practical than common lead, but definitely fascinating! I especially like the idea of the hollow tip, which sounds nasty but brilliant. My peer, Stephanivien de Haillenarte, will be intrigued by this idea, I'm sure. I should invite him to Ul'Dah, he will be delighted to meet someone with your unorthodox approach to firearms. I would love a live demonstration, if possible."

"That can be arranged" said the woman, bowing gently.

"Can I check your weapon?"

Maria grabbed her gun, opened it to check that there were no bullets and gave it to Severian.

"It's surprisingly heavy" the man said.

"Are you an expert in firearms?" asked the Hunter.

"Oh no, absolutely no. These are well beyond my field of expertise, but my esteemed colleague de Haillenarte will definitely appreciate checking this. How is this model called?"

Maria smiled. "This is an Evelyn pistol."

"Custom made, I imagine?"

"In a sense. They're crafted specifically for the Cainhurst family." She looked at the man grabbing the gun by the handle, to try his weight with only one hand. "Be careful with the hilt, it may stab your pa-"

The man let out a small scream of pain. The weapon almost dropped, but Maria grabbed it before it fell on the ground.

"I felt a sting?" said Severian. A small drop of blood appeared on his palm.

"There are small needles on the handle. It's called a bloodtinge ritual: to make it simple, we offer our blood to the hunt."

"I see. Fascinating, although creepy." The Guildmaster nodded, putting a napkin on his palm. "Then I imagine that the other part of your request, the acquisition of blood, is also for your so-called bloodtinge rituals?"

"In a way, yes. But I would rather not discuss that."

Severian shrugged. "Well, the blood worries me much less than the quicksilver. Do you have any preference for a specific source of blood? Star marmots, coeurls, mudpuppies..."

Maria scoffed with an obvious tone. "Human, of course!" 

Edda stopped trying to look at whatever she could to avoid gazing at the guildmaster and whispered to the Hunter: "Pardon the Lominsan, but I beg your fucking pardon?!?"

"I meant pig. Pig blood will do" corrected Maria with an innocent smile.

Master Lyctor didn't share Edda's stupor. "Human blood is available if you prefer that, of course" said the man, unfazed. "I must ask, though, if this involves some form of voidsend ritual."

Maria rolled her eyes and said with an exasperated tone: "No, I'm not a necromancer."

"I can attest to that, master" said a voice behind the three.

Maria and Edda looked at the voice. A Lalafell was looking at them. He looked familiar, although the two women couldn't quite put their finger on exactly why.

"Meet one of my disciples" said the master, a bit annoyed by the interruption. "Cocobusi Lorobuki."

Maria bowed gently, while Edda looked at him. "I'm sorry, Lorobuki?"

"Yes" said the Lalafell. "You met my brother yesterday. I wanted to apologise for his behaviour."

"No need" answered Maria.

"Anyroad, master Severian" kept going the Lalafell. "You can discuss this matter with the Thaumaturge Guild, if you feel like it, but I can assure you that Lady Maria of Cainhurst is in no position to use necromancy. Or, in general, any kind of magic."

"I see" said the master. "I guess you discussed with your brothers about our guest?"

"I did" confirmed the apprentice.

"Can I ask why?" asked Severian.

Maria sighed. "I don't have Aether."

"Oh, that's the reason? An annoying state of fact, but not that unusual" said the master. "Low levels of Aetheric energy, though, make the activity of an adventurer ill advised. Is that the reason why you invented bullets so peculiar? To compensate your magical inability?"

"I won't take credit for the quicksilver bullets" answered Maria.

"I would love to meet the inventor, then."

"Believe me, you wouldn't" murmured the Hunter.

Severian nodded. "Well, now that you soothed my worries, we can definitely do business."

"Master, if I may?" asked Cocobusi.

"Speak freely, Lorobuki."

"I ask permission to follow the preparations of all the alchemical products of Lady Maria in your stead. To be the dedicated alchemist for this client."

Maria and Edda looked at the Lalafell.

The guildmaster shrugged. "Well, if Lady Maria approves of a dedicated..."

"Can I discuss this in private with your apprentice, before accepting?" asked Maria.

Severian nodded. "Well, of course. You're the client, after all."

Maria invited the short man to follow him. Edda tried to follow them, but Maria said, "Please leave this to me."

Edda looked at her new leader, then she looked around.

The master had already left her, too busy looking exasperated at some concoction in a bottle.

She sighed and then approached the receptionist. "Say" she asked, "what can you tell me about Cocobusi Lorobuki?"

***

"Is this a ploy?" asked Maria.

"Nothing like that, but I feel like you need an explanation, yes" said the Lalafell defensively.

The two were outside the door of the Alchemist guild, on the upper balcony of the Ul'Dah Sultanate. Some of the Brass Blades that were guarding the corridor were looking at the two discussing.

"Give me five reasons why I shouldn't just dismiss you outright" said the woman.

"Sure, I... Why five? People usually ask three reasons for…"

"Less likely that you can provide them."

"We're off to a great start. Look, let me be honest: yesterday night my brother was shocked. When I asked why, he explained your predicament to me. And your..." He pointed at her wrists. "And your peculiar state."

Maria crossed her arms. "And why would he share my predicament with you? Are you a thaumaturge too?"

The Lalafell sighed. "No, I'm not. I'm the last of six brothers. All of them are expert thaumaturges, and they share duties as guild masters of the Thaumaturge guild. And according to them, my aetheric energy is so low that I can't do Thaumaturgy, but that is my real dream!"

"Are you hoping to take a peek at someone who can use a different form of magic?"

"No, your magic is too dangerous. Look, my brother told me what you are. You are an undead with free will, right?"

Maria looked surprised. "What?"

"You exist without Aether, you have no pulse, and you're cursed. But you can act on your own volition, and your exploit at Halatali clearly shows you have no love for the voidsend."

"No, that's nonsense. A curse is just preventing my spirit from passing on the other side."

Cocobusi crossed his arms. "Yeah, as I said: an undead with free will."

The woman groaned. "Think whatever you will, you're wrong about me nonetheless. Having said that, this doesn't convince me that I shouldn't just dismiss you. I told your brother already that my secrets are too dangerous to be divulged."

"I don't care about your bizarre ways of using magic without Aether. Not directly, at least. I'm interested in your current status."

Maria looked sceptical at the man.

Cocobusi sighed. "Look, I don't care how dangerous it is, seeing my low Aetheric energy: I want to become a thaumaturge. A real thaumaturge, not whatever bizarre thing is fueling your curse."

"And why is that?"

"Because thaumaturgy is awesome!" said the Lalafell with enthusiasm. "Have you ever seen what a proficient thaumaturge can do?"

"I..." Maria was taken aback for a second. "I can't say I did, no."

"They can make things explode! And then freeze them! They also hit stuff with lightning! They're pure awesomeness incarnate!"

Interesting, that's the opposite of Edda's magic, thought Maria. She said that she could control earth and wind. Only water is missing from these schools of magic to have the classic six elements of alchemy.

She focused back on the Lalafell. "I still don't see the point of this."

"You're in a worse predicament than mine, Aether wise."

"So?"

"The reason why I became an alchemist is that I'm studying Aether regeneration. Let's say, I'm an expert in the field of Aetheric energy. I'm this close to creating a potion that can make even someone like me attuned to Aether. Even someone like you."

"I don't care about Aether attunement" uttered Maria.

"But you may need someone like me to compensate for your deficit. You're an adventurer, after all, and you will face opponents with a strong Aether attuning. And in exchange, you can let me study the effects of my concoctions on you."

"So, you want a lab rat?"

"If you want to be blunt, yes" said the man with honesty. "And in exchange, I swear that I will follow your directions for whatever bizarre alchemy product you may need, no questions asked, including your creepy human blood and your ridiculously dangerous amalgam bullets. And as long as you procure the ingredients, my fares will be the standard ones of the Guild for a novice. Special price only for you: please consider, I'm one of master Severian's personal assistants, so that's really cheap for the quality you can get."

Maria sighed, annoyed. Of course, that looked like a ploy of the Lorobuki thaumaturge to discover her magic secrets, but there was something in the transparent honesty of the Lalafell that just made her insight tingle. Cocobusi was, for better or worse, telling the truth. She could just feel it.

The woman nodded, then took a knee to get closer to the Lalafell's face. "Are you aware that I can easily kill you in a second?"

Cocobusi suddenly went silent.

"And that I will take notice if you start studying my curse?"

"Yes, I... I know that."

"And you know what this means for you?"

The Lalafell gulped.

"And you still want to accept me as your client?"

That was the moment of truth, Cocobusi thought. He didn't move. He just stared directly at the woman.

"You may be my best shot at the life I want. I don't know why; I just know it."

Maria sighed.

Then she offered her hand to the alchemist.

"Very well. Welcome aboard."

The Lalafell's eyes widened in surprise, and then he started jumping for joy.

Maria waited for him to stop, then she said: "Since you're an Aetheric expert, then, let me abuse your time for a second."

Cocobusi smiled. "Sure, what do you need?"

"Have you ever seen something like this?" the woman said, retrieving a napkin from her pocket and using it to grab something from her backpack.

The Lalafell raised an eyebrow, when the woman presented him a crystal. There were some very strange reflections on its surface. It was fascinating, in a very weird way.

***

"... And you just accepted?" asked Edda, confused.

"I feel like I could trust him" confirmed Maria. "I trust my insight."

"You can't just go around and... recruit people!"

"Why not? How did I take you under my wing?"

"That's not the same" objected the woman.

"Edda, you literally accepted my leadership two days ago" said Maria, with a funny look. "And I don't expect to see him follow us in the field: I just need an alchemist who can craft my bullets and, if needed, my hunter's tools."

The two women were crossing the balconies of the Sultanate Palace: the Alchemist guild wasn't that far away from the Syndicate rooms, where they had their meeting scheduled with the General.

"Can I make a request, then?"

Maria nodded.

"I could use some Ether potions."

Maria raised an eyebrow. "What for? Do you want to destroy something, or is it for a drug date?"

Edda was flabbergasted. "I beg your pardon?!?"

"Ether is an anaesthetic" said Maria flatly. "And a really volatile liquid."

"What in the Seven Hells are you talking about? Ether is mana condensed in potion form! It restores Aetheric energies!"

The Hunter looked at the woman. "Are you serious now?"

"Maybe your anaesthetic has the same name in Yharnam, but I can assure you, here in Eorzea, ether is a magic potion!"

These little differences were fascinating, the woman thought. "Hm, so the oil of vitriol is unknown here?"

"I never heard that name before" said Edda, "but I'm not an alchemist. Also, weren't you supposed to avoid blood?"

"Oh I don't plan to consume it" Maria clarified. "But I wasn't joking about the bloodtinge rituals: soaking the quicksilver bullets in blood will do the trick. I'd rather not use mine, if possible."

"I'm going to be honest now, I don't even know what bloodtinge is supposed to mean and this whole idea is creeping me out" said Edda. Maria genuinely laughed, hearing that.

The Conjurer continued. "But seriously, your obsession with blood is... Unique."

"Is that so?" said Maria, surprised. "In my culture, blood is the key of life. Not that different from how everything is based about Aether here. It's in our very nature, it's in our essence. It's the source of life, of energy, of strength. We are born of the blood, made men by the blood, undone by the blood." She made a vague gesture with her hand. "An old adage of my people."

Then the two women stopped. They had reached their destination.

"Time to meet a general" said Maria, smiling.

***

Maria trusted her instinct. She always did. Her insight had often saved her life. And for the first time since she had awoken in the carriage three days before, she was genuinely convinced that the person she was looking at, in a fair duel with actual rules, had a very good chance of winning against her.

General Raubauhn Aldin was a giant with dark skin and full of scars. His general behaviour was both gentle and polite, but it was clear from every studied movement he made that he was, first and foremost, a warrior of some sort. The muscles and armour with a bull's head for a pauldron helped reinforce that feeling.

"... Mostly I wanted to thank you" said the General, pouring some wine into the glasses of Maria and Edda. "Lady Lilira and Captain Papashan told me what you did yesterday, and on behalf of the Sultanate, I wanted to express my gratitude."

"It was nothing" said Edda, embarrassed and overwhelmed. She had started her adventurer career less than one month before, and she was already with one of the most influential men of Ul'Dah!

Maria bowed courteously. "As fresh recruits of the Adventurer's Guild, we're always available to help the Sultanate."

The man invited the two women to sit at the table.

"Yes, fresh recruits. May I ask what brought you to Ul'Dah?"

Edda nodded. "I'm from a village in the Abalathia's Spire, sir. I got my official registration in the Gridanian branch of the Adventurer's Guild three weeks ago, and I moved here because my..." She hesitated. "My future husband was supposed to get his registration in the Ul'dah branch."

"I see. Did something happen?" asked the man.

"I did" answered Maria, sipping her wine with indifference.

The conjurer rolled her eyes.

Raubauhn nodded. "Oh. Your famous duel in the gladiator's arena?"

"I didn't realise that sparring match made me famous" said Maria, with a gentle bow.

"The few people that saw it said that your performance was worthy of the former champion Aldis... Or even of mine."

"I'm afraid I'm not actually interested in duels just for the sake of entertainment" commented dryly the woman.

"So what are you interested in, then?" asked the general. "What brought you to Ul'Dah?"

"Honestly, I'm still not sure" said Maria. "But I like this place. It's peaceful."

The general looked at the Hunter with scepticism. "Where did you say you came from?"

"Have you ever heard of Yharnam?"

"I can't say I have" said the man. "And why did you join the Adventurer's Guild?"

The woman frowned. Her insight told her that these weren't questions born out of random chitchat or courtesy: the General was examining her. He wanted something from her, but of course he couldn't blindly trust a stranger. He was testing the waters.

She sighed. The truth was her best bet. "Mostly because I needed money. When I arrived here, I realised that my country and yours use a very different kind of currency, so I was broke. I sold my coins as metal scraps: that gave me enough to eat and sleep in an inn for a couple of days, so your Adventurer's guild was my best bet."

"That's curious. In what way are they different?"

"We use tin for our coins instead of gold"

The man raised an eyebrow. "That's strange."

Maria nodded. "We don't place much value in the monetary exchange. Let's just say that in Yharnam we have a very different economic system. Those coins were just a relic of older times: I kept them mostly for practical reasons, they may be occasionally useful in the hunt to mark the places you already visited."

"Let me guess, Yharnam actually uses blood for currency?" murmured Edda.

"Why, yes, of course" answered the Hunter in the same low voice. "So you do understand what I'm talking about!"

I should stop asking creepy questions if I'm not ready for her answers, though Edda, taking another sip of wine.

"Have you considered joining the Immortal Flames?" asked the General. "It's my personal private army, at the service of the Sultanate. The pay is good and..."

"Forgive me, general, but I'm not a soldier. I want the freedom to refuse orders and jobs that I may find immoral, and soldiers don't have that luxury. I've already..." She hesitated a bit. "I've already sacrificed too much of my soul for the ambitions and the desires of men who were obsessed with power and knowledge. My whole life is basically a cautionary tale against many things, including trusting the good faith of people in positions of power."

Edda looked at the hunter. She realised that she actually knew nothing about her leader. Maria never shared anything real about her past, only small clues about her noble heritage and some creepy anecdotes about her customs. She felt guilty, for a second: she never actually tried to ask Maria about her past: she got close just because the woman was fascinating. She was just like a moth mesmerised by a candle: she never actually cared about learning what the light was, just that it was warm and beautiful.

Maria continued. "The Adventurer's guild, for now, is exactly what I need. As I said, I'm looking for peace: as soon as I have reached a good equilibrium on my economic situation, I will drop the hunter's life and try to join the Alchemist guild."

"What?" asked Edda, surprised.

The General crossed his arms. "You managed to clean Halatali without support, backup or a plan. You just entered and killed a bunch of Voidsend that managed to slaughter a lot of Immortal Flames and some full parties of adventurers, by yourself."

"Please don't tell me that it's a waste of good abilities" said Maria, suddenly rigid. "I've heard that before, but I wish for peace."

"Be as it may, Lady Maria, but..." The general stopped.

"And I deserve oblivion. I..." She looked around. "I deserve..."

Did she deserve an end? She was still guilty. Her sin was still there, and although those three days had gifted her an illusion of peace, the memories were still with her. Just thinking about it made her feel like she was back in that place. Back in the day when she did that heinous and blasphemous crime.

She could close her eyes and feel the smell of the air: fish and seawater. She could feel the blood, the salt and the sand on her skin. She could look around and see the moon hidden by ominous clouds that somehow gave the illusion of a giant broken eye in the sky.

The beach was full of blood. The body of the Augur was lying on the sand. She turned to the inhabitants of the Fishing Hamlet: they were watching her and Gehrman like the monsters they proved to be. Her master was grinning his teeth, his expression as monstrous as their soul. He grabbed his scythe and opened the belly of the gigantic, monstrous, squid like creature. Maria looked while the man grabbed something from inside the body.

"Maria?" said Edda. She couldn't hear her.

Maria turned her head while Gehrman was grabbing the foetus from the belly of the Augur. She looked at the closest inhabitant of the Fishing Hamlet. Were they still human? She had to know. She had to see. She had to learn the truth. And so she grabbed the innocent man, paralysed by the horror. Then she grabbed the short blade of her Rakuyo. A quick hit, and the blade pierced his head without resistance. His blood splashed her face, but she kept going, unfazed. The man screamed, while Maria put her hands in the wound to open his skull while he was still alive. He kept screaming while Maria started digging with her blade, looking for eyes. Eyes in his brain. The man stopped screaming and moving, while the Hunter kept digging.

"What is happening?" asked the General, surprised.

"I don't know, she never did this before!" said Edda in a scared voice.

Maria was lying on the ground, her eyes moving intensely and convulsing. She was murmuring something. "Maria?"

"Call for an apothecary!" ordered the General to a waitress.

Edda tried to focus. A quick silent prayer to the Elementals to cure her distressed friend, but she realised that the Elementals weren't answering. The Conjurer froze in horror. "What in the..."

"Look for eyes! Look for eyes!" was repeating the hunter, delirious. "Check if their brains have eyes!"

"WHERE IS THE APOTHECARY?" shouted the General to his guards.

"BY THE TWELVE, WHY AREN'T THE ELEMENTALS ANSWERING?" screamed Edda, almost panicking. The Elementals weren't lending her Aether... for a cure! They didn't want Maria to heal!

The two hunters were looking at all the inhabitants of the Fishing Hamlet. Gehrman grabbed his scythe, moving away from the bodies with indifference. Maria was looking at them. It was her fault. She did that monstrosity. She looked at the naked bodies of the men, the children, the women. All tied up. All with an open skull, and with the brains cut. The two hunters had looked for eyes in all the skulls of all the people of the Hamlet while they were still alive. She was just realising what she did, and why. It wasn't to defend Yharnam against a menace from an Augur, but just to appease the thirst for knowledge of Master Willem. For knowledge and power. She looked at the Rakuyo, still dripping blood. She started to puke. She couldn't even stand the sight of her trusty sword. She screamed, throwing the sword into the well of the village. She kept screaming and fell to the ground. She kept screaming until she passed away, exhausted.

Maria, still delirious, started bleeding from her nose, her ears and her tearducts in the middle of the Sultanate room.

"Oh, to HELLS with it!" screamed the Conjurer. She focused on herself, ignoring her training and the dangers, and used her own Aether to focus a spell. She felt suddenly weaker, but she continued to focus. She had energy for only two or three spells, tops, so she needed to pick up the right one on the first try. If this is a curse, maybe a cure is not the right approach. Let's try with a purification spell! She kept focusing on casting Esuna using her own life force.

She woke up, still in the Fishing Hamlet. She looked at the sky: the moon was different. Red, with giant swords planted on it. Ominous. Artificial. She had never seen anything like this before. A voice in her soul, but she couldn't discern the words. She looked around, trying to focus. Over the moon, a reflection. A silhouette of something majestic and terrifying. A metallic beetle with only four legs was walking on the red, rigid surface of the moon. A gigantic metal eye in the sky turned and fixed her. Something alien, soulless, and detached noticed her. It moved toward-

Edda launched her spell.

Maria screamed, then started coughing violently.

Then she fell on the ground.

***

She opened her eyes.

The roof was somehow familiar, then she realised: her room, in the Adventurer Guild's inn. She was in her bed, and she had a hell of a headache. She didn't remember getting back to her room: the last thing she remembered was something inhuman and terrifying against a strange artificial moon stabbed by giant swords.

She sat down, barely realising that she was naked.

"Oh! Please don't move" said a voice near her.

She looked at the source. Edda was there, sitting on a chair, looking worried.

"Why are you in my room?" asked Maria.

"Sorry about that. And about your current undressed state. You passed out during lunch, after having a... I think seizure is the right word, but it was magical in nature. Somehow, you started losing blood from... well, every possible orifice in your body, during your episode. So, after I stabilized you, I took you here, cleaned you and let you rest. I wasn't strong enough to put you in a nightgown by myself."

"I see" said the woman, getting up.

"Please, don't stand up" said Edda, trying to stop her.

"I feel fine, don't worry" answered Maria.

Without any embarrassment for being naked before Edda, she reached the mirror on the wall. She looked awful and pale. She could gladly have used some blood.

The conjurer looked at Maria. "Say... There's something I need to tell you."

"I'm listening" said the hunter, raising an arm to check her skin under the armpit.

"A plethora of things, actually. The most important is... Your heart isn't beating."

"I'm aware of that" answered Maria with a sigh.

Edda nodded. "Of course. How stupid am I?"

"What for?"

"You're cursed, you can use magic without Aether, and the Elementals don't want to touch you. I had to use my own life force to cast a spell on you!"

"You did?" said Maria, turning to face the woman. "Thank you. That took guts. But please, try to cure me now. The normal way."

Sceptical, Edda tried to ask the Elementals for some Aether. To her surprise, the energy from the Elementals started flowing in her body, and she was able to cast a simple cure spell on the Hunter.

Maria smiled with a sad aura. "I knew it."

"What... Why does it work now?"

Maria reached for her underwear and started getting dressed. "I think this happened because your Elementals were scared of what was touching me in that moment."

Edda looked on as she put on a corset. "This still doesn't explain how you're... dead!"

"That's because I took my own life some time ago" said Maria. Then she pointed at the laces of her corset. "Say, can you help me put this on, please?

Edda was speechless. "What does it mean? You're here, you..."

She reached out to touch Maria's cheek.

The Hunter rolled her eyes. "Please don't. I'm real, I can assure you that."

"But... You just said that you killed yourself!"

"Obviously it didn't work as intended" said Maria with a tired look on her face. "I... Let's just say I did something in my past that deserved a punishment. It's my curse."

Edda approached the woman and grasped the laces of her corset. "So... What are you? Some sort of undead creature?"

Maria laughed, then she moaned when Edda pulled the laces. "Sorry" said the conjurer. "Too strict?"

"No, this is good" the hunter said. "And no, I'm not an undead. My soul is stuck in the Hunter's Nightmare."

"I'm sorry, what?"

"It's complicated" replied Maria. "You can see it as a reflection of reality that a dead god is dreaming. And where she punishes those who wronged her."

Once finished closing the laces with a knot, Edda asked: "If I ask what you did to deserve this sort of punishment, will you answer me?"

Maria didn't answer for ten seconds as she put on her socks. "I will not" she declared with a definite tone.

"What happened to you at lunch?" asked the conjurer. "And you were delirious. You were blathering about... Eyes in some brains?"

The hunter stopped for a second, then kept dressing herself. "Just a feverish nonsense. Don't worry about it."

Edda frowned. She just noticed an almost comical thing about Maria: for all her stoicism, she was a horrible liar when something worried her.

Maria continued. "And for what happened... I was thinking about my past. And then I was there, living it once again. I was... There. Once again, facing what I did."

She looked at the Rakuyo, lying against a wall. She felt the need to puke, all of a sudden.

She breathed deeply to regain her composure. Then she said: "I have no proof, of course, but I think the host of the Hunter's Nightmare tried to bring me back."

Edda stopped, freezing in horror. "Wait, a God tried to kidnap you at lunch?"

"I wish I was so lucky: not a God. An Augur."

"One of your Great Ones?"

"That could explain why your Elementals weren't willing to help me: I think they were frightened by her. It's the only rational explanation I have" said the hunter as she put on her pants.

Edda crossed her arms, scared. "So, your soul is trapped in... This nightmare of an Augur. What would happen if the Augur wakes up?"

"She can't" said Maria. "She's dead. She will never wake up again."

Edda didn't answer for a second. "How can something dead dream?"

Maria put on her shirt, then started buttoning it. "A Great One doesn't follow these mere mortal limitations. She's not just some old man with fancy tricks. I told you: Great Ones, simply put, are!"

"That still doesn't make any sense."

"And yet, here I am" said Maria, tying the knot of her necktie.

"Yeah, about that: if your soul is... Trapped in a dream, then why are you here in Eorzea right now?"

Maria checked herself in the mirror, pondering Edda's question. The truth is, she had no answers.

After a minute, the hunter asked: "How long did I sleep?"

"Not much, actually. Two, three hours, tops."

The woman nodded. "I should apologise to the General, but I don't think I can just jump in unannounced."

"Send him an apology letter. Do you know where the moogles are here in Ul'Dah?"

"The who now?"

***

"No worries, my fair lady!" said the strange being with a flying pirouette. "I will personally ensure your precious envelope will be delivered as soon as possible, kupo!"

"Thank you for your service" said the hunter, bowing to the small, bizarre bear with bat wings.

Maria looked confused at the Moogle that was flying away, while no one was reacting to the strange creature. "I imagine those... Moogles? They're a common occurrence here in Eorzea?"

Edda tilted her head. "You don't have postal services in Yharnam?"

"We have the messengers" said Maria, "but I don't think we meant the same thing now. Speaking of which, a question: have you been closer to an Aetheryte here in Ul'dah recently?"

"What do you mean by recently?"

A vague gesture from the hunter. "Since the lunch with the General?"

"No, I stayed with you all the time."

Maria nodded. "Please come with me. Also, remember: if I'm right, you shouldn't worry: the messengers are actually friendly, although they may be a bit unattractive. A clear case where the cover doesn't match the content of the book."

The two women walked back to the front of the Adventurer's guild. Maria got close to the Aetheryte. Edda suddenly froze. "What..."

"As I thought" said Maria. "You can see them now."

"What are those?"

There was a small cloud on the ground near the Aetheryte shard close to the Adventurer's guild. A cold light was shining from it, and some creatures were emerging from the mist. White, emaciated, no more than thirty ilms tall. They were humanoid looking, but only their head and chest were emerging from the cloud. No hair, monstrous, large mouth, distorted, sick looking white eyes. Their arms were moving in a disturbing way.

Maria kneeled near them and started cuddling one of those little monsters, who gently got closer with his head to accept the cuddles.

"I may be wrong" said Maria, "but by using your own Aether on me while an Augur was trying to grab my soul back, you gained some insight."

Edda was unable to understand or compute. She watched Maria biting some skin from her nails. A small droplet of blood appeared on her finger: she got close with her hand to one of the creatures. The strange being cleaned Maria's finger with his hand, then he ate her blood.

The Conjurer felt nauseous, but when she saw the beings cuddling again against Maria's palm, she found them strangely harmless.

"What..."

"Want to try to feed them?" asked the Hunter.

"What? No?" She hesitated. "Are they dangerous?"

"On the contrary: if you become their friend, they're extremely useful."

"What are they?"

"Meet the messengers."

Edda nodded, still flabbergasted. "Your postmasters?"

Maria laughed lightly. "Among other things. They're merchants, guides, helpers, and they maintain the lamps. They also like small hats."

"I... I'm sorry? Are they real?"

"As real as anything else. You can touch them, now that you can see them."

The conjurer tried to focus on them. Her magic attunement was saying nothing: magic wise, it's like those creatures weren't there.

"Are you sure they're real? They have no Aether."

"They're made of subconscious. They're not born out of magic or soul energy: they're a product of a fantasy, of a mind."

Edda blinked, surprised.

"Simply put" continued Maria, "you gained some insight about the rules of this reality."

"You... What... Reality?"

"You started piercing the veil. You're watching the structure of the subconscious; you're peering behind the curtains."

Edda was speechless.

"Please don't dig deeper" continued Maria. "The more you pierce the subconscious, the more the host of the dream may become aware of you. You will see more truths and more revelations the more you dig, but trust me: peek too much into their mind, and they may become hostile. Extremely hostile. The subconscious is the most sacred place of the mind for a reason, and the host will always fight to defend it."

Maria petted the messengers one last time, then got up.

Edda kept watching the hunter, but she wasn't reacting. She was overwhelmed. The implications of Maria's revelations were enough to break the sanity of the most stable person in the world.

After a minute, the conjurer whispered. "Maria..."

"Yes?"

"Please..."

Maria looked at the woman, noticing the desperation in her eyes.

Edda continued. "... Please tell me that... Please. Tell me that when you speak of a dream, you're just using metaphors. Please, I beg you, tell me that this world is not just a dream. Tell me that all this is real."

The hunter sighed. Then she grabbed gently the shoulder of the conjurer.

"Let's go, Edda. It's best if I offer you something strong to drink."

"I... I've never had strong alcohol" murmured the healer.

Maria smiled. "What a perfect moment to pop that cherry!"

***

Maria was sipping her whiskey without any problem.

On the contrary, Edda was already plastered. The Conjurer was lying with her head on the table, while dangling a finger towards Maria.

"Sooo... Wha' yer shaying is..."

"Don't try to think while drunk, Edda" answered the woman. "Just push away the thoughts and enjoy the numbness."

"No, I need to ashk this" she said, raising her head to fix Maria. "If everythin' ish a dream, then... What? My father never died? Becaussee... I never had one?"

"It doesn't work that way" said the woman, watching the other people in the Adventurer's guild. "You're confusing the dream with your perception of reality: it doesn't matter if this world is real or a dream, because only the way we perceive it makes it real."

"Oh" said the conjurer. Then she opened her mouth for the realisation. "Oooooh. Sho tha' why you keep sayin' that you think so you are?"

"A useful mantra when you need to stay sane in a world that may not exist" confirmed Maria. "You should embrace it too, now that you're starting to see the truth."

Edda laughed. "It'sh not tha' easy. I mean. I saw some shit. Some weeeeird shit. I saw the moon fall: how weird is that? It was there and then... Kaboom, it turns out it'sh actually a giant dragon egg! When I went to Gridania last year, there was a crater where the... The egg pieces hit. A BIIIIG ass crater, just south of Fallgourd Float. You can't see the bottom of it." She laughed lightly. "I want to live there. Buy some land, build a house. Between Gridania and Fallgourd Float. You'll love it too."

"That's actually interesting" murmured Maria.

"In wha' way?" asked Edda.

"Sorry, I was thinking... The host of the dreams has to give some leeway on some details. Every dream has an end: there are things like invisible walls or never-ending drops. Those are the borders of the dreams, a trick so that whoever is trapped in a dream can't escape. I should explore this crater, sometime."

"And..." Edda burped loudly. Maria put a hand on her own mouth to hide a small smile. The drunk conjurer continued, unfazed. "And... That will show that your theseus... Teses... Damn, that your idea of reality is wrong?"

"I mean, if I'm wrong and that's not a border of the dream, exploring a really deep crater could be deadly, so maybe it's not a worthy idea" said Maria, drinking again.

"Oh no, don't die, please" said Edda, hitting her head on the table again. "I'm startin' to like you, I would be sad."

Maria genuinely laughed.

"Say" said the girl, raising her head once again. "When you shtop your hunt, wanna... come to Gridania with me? It'sh really peaceful, you shaid you love peace?"

"I still have no real plans, if that's what you're asking."

"Let'sh make them, then!" said Edda, grabbing her glass. "I want a house, and... A little garden, a chocobo and a tree of... Of... Of strawberries!"

"Strawberries don't grow on trees, though" commented Maria, cheering with Edda and watching her comrade drink once again.

"Don't care, I want strawberries! And two cats!"

Maria sipped her whiskey. "How much do you need for this little dream house?"

"Dunno" said the girl, her head on the table again. "But if I go... 'dventuring for five years, I can afford whatever. And live my dream."

"You want to be an adventurer until you hit thirty?"

"Huuuh?" mumbled Edda. "I'm sixteen."

The Hunter raised an eyebrow. "I would have never guessed. I would've thought you're twenty, at the very least."

"I know, right?" she said, laughing. "And what are you?"

Maria sipped more alcohol.

"No, I'm sherious. I know nothing about you, and... And... That's not right!"

"I'm around twenty-three years old."

"Whaaaat? No way you're that old!" said the drunk girl. Then she noticed Maria's look, and she murmured: "Please don't murder me"

Maria sighed. "Don't worry. Still, quite the age gap we have."

"That explains why you're sho good at this" said the conjurer, pointing a bit everywhere in the Adventurer's Guild. "What did you do befurr?"

Maria shrugged. "Helping the patients of an asylum. Before that, hunting nightmares. Before that, studying the arcane at the Byrgenwerth Academy. And before that, I was living the life of a noble child who was studying to become a knight of Cainhurst."

Edda nodded, then she laughed. "It musht be fun bein' a noble."

"In a way, I guess it was. And I'm sure every single complaint I could share about that life with you will be dismissed as the whims of a noble crybaby that never knew the real hardship of life."

"Whaaat? No, I would nevurr do that."

Maria smiled, unconvinced.

Suddenly, Edda stood up. "Oh crap, don't we have missionsh to do in the afternoon?"

"We'll do them tomorrow" said Maria. "It's too late to reach Black Brush Station, and you're too drunk for that."

"I wonder if Esuna could make the drunknessh pass" murmured Edda, sitting back down.

"If it could, there would be conjurers working in every tavern" declared Maria, drinking more.

Edda looked at the woman. She was drinking her fourth glass of whiskey, and she was still fresh, while Edda was halfway through her second glass, and she was already almost unable to speak or make any sense. "Why an asylum?" asked the Conjurer.

"What?"

"Why did you help an asylum, of all places?"

Maria's fingers tapped on the glass. "It was my way to atone for my sin."

Edda looked at the woman, then she murmured: "Why did you kill yourself?"

"Desperation" said the woman in a heavy voice. "In the end, I couldn't do anything that could make me feel I was actually atoning. And then the plague hit Yharnam."

"So? That washn't your fault. It's a plague. It'sh tragic but it happens."

Maria sighed, closing her eyes. "In a way, that's not true. I don't want to explain, but what I did had consequences. The biggest one was the plague."

The Hunter opened her eyes, surprised. "Edda?"

The girl was hugging her. She got close when Maria was talking and just hugged her.

Maria smiled, enjoying for a second that moment of humanity and appreciating how warm the girl was. Then, with a hand, the Hunter played with Edda's large hat, hiding her eyes under it.

"Thank you, but please never touch me again without permission."

"As you wish, my pack leader" said the girl, laughing and returning to her place.

***

The evening came, and Edda went back to her room at the Adventurer's Guild inn. Maria remained in the tavern: it was a slow evening, so Momodi was able to take a break from her work. The innkeeper and the adventurer were lazily playing mah-jong.

"I don't think I'm good at this game" said Maria, still trying to understand the rules.

"It takes some time" admitted the Lalafell. "I mostly play this and Triple Triad. What kind of social games do you play in Yharnam?"

"My family in Cainhurst mostly plays chess, golf, duels or baccarat" answered the hunter. "The commoners enjoy playing with dice, darts and pétanque, as far as I'm aware."

Momodi scoffed at hearing the word commoners used unironically, but didn't comment. "In what reality can duelling be considered a social game? I mean, I appreciate a good gladiator duel too, but duelling for socialising... Isn't that a bit too inhumane?"

"Tell me again about this lord of verminion thing you like so much here in Eorzea" answered the hunter, the voice dripping with sarcasm.

"You take two small animals, or mammets, or minor voidsend that you turned into minions, you put them in a cage and... Yeah, I can see your point" conceded Momodi, turning three tiles in her line to reveal a kong using the tile that Maria just discarded.

Maria wasn't even sure how that game worked, but to be fair Momodi was still introducing her to mah-jong. Of course, the Lalafell won handily.

"I definitely need to understand the rules better" said Maria, accepting her defeat.

"Now, for a non sequitur, I made a list for you" said the lalafell. "Former members of the Adventurer guild that you should try to recruit."

The hunter looked curiously, while the woman grabbed a small piece of paper from her pocket. Then she read it. There were names on it, accompanied by a small description of abilities, skills, weapon preferences and a short recap of the main achievements.

Maria rolled her eyes. "I know that I promised to recruit more people for my pack of adventurers, but..."

"Good, you can start from these names" answered the Lalafell with a smile. "These are all good adventurers, in their own merit. You should try to contact them and see if they click for you. I'll also give you some presentation letters."

Maria sighed, then she started reading the papers. That list was somehow interesting, but almost all the people listed inside were either former adventurers or had a very good reason to retire. What really surprised Maria was the detail level Momodi had put into it. "Did you seriously draw a little sketch of all these people?"

"Oh goodness, no: it’s just a copy of their adventurer plates. Speaking of which, you should make one for yourself: those may be useful if you wish to be recruited."

Maria nodded: she was not aware of those Adventurer plates, but she’ll have to look at it another time. For now, that list could be useful: she started reading the names and the details of all the adventurers included in it.

A former gladiator who gained the surname The Hellfire Phoenix before quitting the guild and becoming a lancer sounded promising. Still, she was listed as a member of the Gridanian army, so it would have been hard to convince her to join.

There was a former soldier of the Immortal Flames, named Tristan Lowe, who quit after an ambush that forced him to fight someone called Ifrit. That name sounds familiar, thought Maria, I'm sure I heard it before... Oh, right, the Primal adored by the Amalj'aa, the twins mentioned him. Those papers marked him as missing for the last few weeks, though: that could've made recruiting him difficult.

Another former gladiator, a former champion of the guild, came with a note that he was in a complicated relationship with Mylla, and he was currently banished from Ul'dah. Maria raised an eyebrow, reading the paper about that Aldis: that sounded like a recipe for a disaster, but he had to be good if Momodi recommended him, even with those issues.

The woman made a loud popping sound with her mouth, surprised by the next adventurer. "A former pirate who's now part of a secret militia in Limsa Lominsa? Seriously?"

"Oh, that would be V'Kebbe" said the short woman, smiling. "Good luck convincing her to quit the Rogue guild and follow you, but she would be a great addition to your team."

"You do know that I will probably pick two more people in the best case scenario?" asked Maria. "You're recommending me... fifteen names."

"Have fun choosing among them" smiled the Lalafell.

Maria tilted her head, reading more names. A rebel knight in Ishgard who was part of a heretic sect of warriors? "So, wait, you're suggesting I should recruit someone who has a death sentence on his head in some parts of the world? Is this a joke?"

Momodi looked at the list. "Oh no, not at all. Fray Myste would definitely be a great help to your party."

The hunter closed the list. "I'm not even sure where Ishgard is."

"The safer way is through Gridania, the quicker through Mor Dhona."

"The quicker it is, then."

"Go north until you reach Mor Dhona, past the Imperial fortress of Castrum Centri, then keep going north. Pack some heavy clothes. If you reach the Crystal Tower or the body of Midgardsormr, you're going the wrong..."

A small cough caught the attention of the two women.

Maria and Momodi turned to the intruder. Cocobusi Lorobuki was near the table, looking at the Hunter.

Both women bowed their heads.

"Lorobuki" said Maria. "Can I offer you something?"

"No need" said the alchemist, with a serious look. "Can we discuss in private? It's something that really can't wait."

Maria and Momodi looked at each other, then the Lalafell said "We'll play later?"

"Whenever you want, and thanks for the list" said Maria with a small bow.

The Hunter looked at the man, then she invited him to sit. Lorobuki obliged, then he placed the crystal that Maria had given him that morning on the table.

The woman raised an eyebrow. "So, what is it? And why was it trying to call me?"

The Lalafell frowned. "This is a crystal."

"On that, we can agree" said the woman flatly.

"This thing is imbued with enough Aether to summon a Primal. This usually requires hundreds of crystals."

Maria nodded, then she invited the man to keep going.

Lorobuki sighed. "It's a beacon, and an anchor. This is supposed to reawaken the essence of a dead soul."

"Meaning?"

"I think it's supposed to either replace part of a soul with an attunement to a divine being, or reawaken a sleeping power in a soul that's already been arranged to receive it. Are you familiar with the Echo?"

Maria shook her head.

The man kept going. "This crystal is set up to attune whoever is judged worthy to the essence of the Goddess Hyldaelin. This attunement should manifest in the form of the Echo, that... Well, it's not exactly clear what it is or how it manifests, but it's a form of clairvoyance, a source of almost unlimited Aether for personal use. Also, it grants immunity to the influence and the tempering of the Primals."

"Please consider me a complete ignorant and assume I don't know what you're talking about."

The Lalafell sighed. "Whoever touches this, if they're worthy, can see the past, or the truth, or understand every language, or any combination of the above. Most importantly, they become immune to the mind control of the Primals. Among other things. This power is called the Echo. This could grant enough personal power to rival the legendary Warrior of Light."

"So... What? Is this supposed to create a hero worthy of legends?"

"To create, or to reawaken. Whatever works for the Goddess, I guess. In Ul'Dah, there was a group called the Path of the Twelve that was focused on protecting and studying people with the Echo. I don't know what happened to them after the Calamity, but I'll see if we can contact some former members and ask their professional opinion on this crystal."

Maria grabbed the crystal. She could still feel something very distant and far away calling her, but it was almost impossible to focus on it. "Fascinating."

"In a way, yes. There's only a problem."

The woman looked at the man, while holding the crystal.

"The Aether inside the crystal is bleeding. This crystal will die in a few hours, and at that point it will become just a common quartz. And there's nothing we can do to stop this process."

Maria raised an eyebrow. "Are you telling me that this crystal is alive?"

"Not in the way you think about life, but it will die nonetheless." Lorobuki sighed. "My theory is... Whatever curse is keeping you in your undead state, it somehow managed to poison this crystal when it tried to attune with your soul. And now it's eating the Aether."

The Hunter huffed, annoyed. "I'm not an undead."

"Whatever, this doesn't change the fact that this crystal is dying."

"I see" said the woman with a mild interest.

"You're supposed to be more worried about the fact that you basically killed part of the essence of a Goddess just by touching it!"

Maria shrugged. "Believe it or not, this would not be the first manifestation of a godlike being that I manage to kill. Although I wasn't expecting to do it again by mistake."

Lorobuki nodded. "I'm sure that's a very interesting and terrifying story that you won't share with me, but there's an important fact, though."

"I'm listening."

The alchemist got closer, looking around to make sure no one could listen. "This means that your mere presence can poison to death Aetheric manifestations."

"So?"

"So..." He whispered. "Maria, if my theory is correct... You can kill the Primals for good!"

***

Maria was preparing to sleep in her room, relieved that the bizarre day was finally over. As she changed into her nightgown, she gazed at the crystal one last time. She could feel that Lorobuki was right: she couldn't feel anymore the feeble voice that had been trying to reach her. The crystal was just a normal one now: Maria decided to keep it as a memento.

Looking out at the moon, Maria thought about the alchemist's theory. She wasn't convinced that killing one of the Primals could be just that easy. There had to be a catch somewhere. But it's not like she could just test that theory: she didn't have access to a Primal. And even if she did, she had no idea what the consequences would be if someone managed to kill permanently a reincarnation of an elemental energy. What if killing the Primal of Fire, what was his name... Ifrit, right, thought Maria. What if killing Ifrit would just make fire disappear everywhere in Eorzea?

As Maria looked once again at the moon, her mind drifted to the strange red artificial moon stabbed by a sword she had seen in her delirium. She chuckled at the odd image of a moon stabbed. My mind can definitely go in very strange directions, she thought as she drifted off to sleep.

Throughout the night, the crystal on her table kept losing Aether. As midnight approached, a strange new reflection appeared on its surface. It could have been a trick of the light, or perhaps a beam from the moon outside. But the reflection bore an uncanny resemblance to an eye, staring back at the Hunter from the crystal's depths.

Chapter Text

The hunter was talking once again with that prostitute. That was... Unacceptable.

Hidden behind the column of the Chapel, Sister Adella was looking at the two talking so amicably. Why would the noble Hunter prefer the company of that tramp over hers? Adella was a member of the Healing Church, a true believer in the power of the Old Blood, while that vile woman was just a commoner who sold her body to survive, a sinner unworthy of consideration. But the Hunter didn't miss a single chance to talk with that whore, every time they were visiting the Oedon Chapel. Adella was really confused by the Hunter's attitude: they were bringing all kinds of people into the Chapel. It was a safe haven, but it was first and foremost a holy ground for the Healing Church. Only the blessed and the faithful should be granted asylum and succour: not that grumpy old man that was always complaining about everything, not the half naked beggar with bandages over his face, and definitely not a sinner that was probably rotting with chlamydia or syphilis.

She suddenly gasped: that tramp was cutting her own hand, then she filled a vial with her blood to gift it to the Hunter. They were smiling and talking once again, then the Hunter bowed graciously to thank that whore.

This was too much, thought Adella. It was not enough that she was taking the Hunter's time and attention: now she was corrupting them with her rotten blood full of diseases! Why were they wasting their time and their purity with that rotten flesh? Was the carnal temptation of that hussy so inviting for the Hunter? No, it couldn't be that. The Hunter was pure: she was definitely corrupting them somehow.

Adella couldn't accept that. She had to defend her precious Hunter.

She watched the Hunter leaving the Oedon Chapel, once again ready to face the nightmare of Yharnam.

She caressed the knife on her belt, a creepy smile on her face. She knew what she had to do.

It was just a matter of waiting for the right moment. As soon as the right time comes, she would act against that bitch. She was determined and focused.

She was so focused on the prostitute that she didn't notice the beggar approaching her from behind, licking his lips while looking at her soft, tasty human meat.

***

She opened her eyes, confused.

It was still night: the moonlight was still reflecting on the crystal. Maria sat down on her bed, realising that she was thirsty. She reached a jug full of water and she grabbed a glass, watching the moon again.

For once, her dream hadn't been as horrible as usual, although it still felt uncanny in a way. Yharnam, she thought as she drank some more, I really don't miss it. She looked at the roads of Ul'Dah, still bustling with people even at that time of the night. The woman decided to explore the city's nightlife: she removed her nightgown and put on some of her new, everyday clothes. She thought about grabbing the Rakuyo, then she reconsidered.

She left the Quicksand, surprised to see Momodi still awake: the lalafell, as far as Maria knew, never slept. Once outside, she walked the road with no particular destination in mind. She stopped to watch three Miqo'te dancers dressed in garments that left little to the imagination. They were entertaining a small crowd of merchants and drunkards on the road with an elegant and agile dance. Maria clapped, pleased, and left some gil when the three women stopped their dance, before continuing her random tour.

She took a turn, then she realised where she was: the Gladiator guild. She reached the ring of the Coliseum: there was a match going on. Maria watched the crowd, then she decided to join in. Two combatants were fighting against each other: a Miqo'te man in red clothes, armed with an epee and a crystal that floated over his left hand, and a blonde Lalafell with glasses and a giant axe.

"We have an interesting fight tonight" said a female voice behind the woman. Maria turned: the Guild Master Mylla Swordsong was sitting next to the Hunter. "Do you know them?" asked the gladiator.

Maria shook her head. "I'm surprised there are duels at this time of the night."

"This is Ul'Dah" answered Mylla. "There's always an event ongoing that involves bets at the Coliseum."

The Hunter nodded. "Is it possible to bet on these two?" she asked.

"Too late, the match just started" answered Mylla. "Who do you think will win?"

"My money is on the axeman."

Mylla raised an eyebrow, surprised. "Oh, you're betting on Alka Zolka? He's good, but I disagree."

"I assume that's the Lalafell name?"

The gladiator nodded.

Maria focused again on the combatants. "To be fair, the duelist may surprise me. I feel like he's unpredictable. But I do bet on the axeman."

Mylla smiled. "In two days, Alka Zolka will be back in Limsa Lominsa: it was actually really hard to convince him to participate in a couple of matches. His adversary, on the contrary, is likely to stay in Ul'Dah for some time: he's X'rhun Tia, self-proclaimed last Red Mage."

"Please assume that your schools of magic are all gibberish to me."

The guild master smiled. "Alka Zolka, though, is a marauder. Fighters specialised in..."

"Defensive positioning, and rage control" said Maria, caressing her chin.

"Oh, you know about them?"

The Hunter nodded. "No, I'm just reading his stance. In a fair duel, even I would have issues hitting someone with that posture, and he's showing an extreme degree of self-control."

"I like how you preface this analysis with the obligatory in a fair duel."

Maria scoffed. "Fairness in a hunt usually ends with a dead hunter."

The two women looked at the combatants in the arena. Then Mylla smiled. "I accept your bet. An odd job for the Gladiator Guild for free, if X'rhun Tia wins."

"Information for free, if the axeman wins. Don't worry, I will accept your job even if I win the bet. For the normal fee, of course."

The two women looked at each other, then shook hands. Then they turned their heads to the two combatants, and both cheered when the miqo'te suddenly charged the lalafell.

***

"The Path of the Twelve? Now that is a trip to the past" said Mylla. Sure, she lost the bet, but the duel had been absolutely fantastic.

"Do you know where I can find them?" asked Maria.

"I know where you can find some former members, yes" confirmed the woman.

"Former?"

"After the calamity, they fused with the Circle of the Knowing."

"Yeah, I don't know who they are" said Maria.

"I'm fuzzy on the details, but they're Sharlayans that stopped the fall of Dalamud during the Calamity. They're good guys, to make it short. Now they call themselves the Scions of the Seventh Dawn. To meet them, you need to reach Vesper Bay. That's the coastal town in Western Thanalan, just past Horizon. Now wait a second..."

Mylla took Maria to her personal office in the gladiator's guild, then she grabbed a pen and paper and started writing an introductory letter. She signed it, sealed it and gave it to Maria.

"Pray, go to the Waking Sands" said the gladiator, "and give this to Tataru Taru."

"So, who are these... Scions?"

"A secret group focused on fighting the Primals."

Maria raised an eyebrow. "A secret group? And you're just going to give me a letter for them?"

"They're the worst kept secret in all the City States, and they're absolutely aware of that" said the gladiator, smiling. "Just don't think too hard about it."

Maria nodded, accepting the letter. "Thanks for this."

"Well, I did lose my bet. Say, are you interested in becoming a gladiator for the Coliseum?"

"No, the mercenary life suits me fine for now."

"You sure? The pay's good, and you get almost all the perks of being a member of the Adventurer's Guild."

Maria didn't answer for some seconds. "If you want, we can discuss your odd job."

Mylla nodded, then looked at the door. Maria understood and closed it.

"This is confidential" said the gladiator. "I'm trusting your discretion."

"Very well. As long as you don't ask me to kill someone."

"Wha- No, nothing of the sort" said the woman, flabbergasted. "No, it's a political matter: until this problem gets solved, everything I say must be kept a secret. Revealing this issue can ruin the reputation of the Sultana and destabilise the political life of the Sultanate."

Maria crossed her arms. "I'm listening."

The guildmaster sighed. "The Ul'Dah royal crown was stolen."

The Hunter narrowed her eyes, listening carefully to every word of Mylla. That was definitely a job that she couldn't underestimate.

***

Edda groaned in pain, trying to drink her coffee.

"Avere, please drop it. I'm too hungover for this."

The man huffed, trying to keep the volume down.

"Edda, I'm just worried about you! How can't you see?" he said with a loud voice. "She's a terrible influence on you! You never got drunk before!"

"Just let me drink my coffee in peace, please" begged the woman, tired.

The two were sitting at the Quicksand, having breakfast together. Momodi sighed, cleaning a jug with nonchalance. The man was getting a bit too loud for her taste, but so far, he was keeping the conversation civil. She didn't like the way he was trying to convince her, but his attempts to persuade her weren't her business. Especially not when she was stuck at work.

The man gave a bite of his apple, then continued. "Look, I just don't want to see you hurt, or led astray by someone that doesn't have your best interest at heart."

"I'm really not in the mood for this" murmured Edda. "Avere, for the fifth time, the reason why I'm in a party with Maria and not with you is because you decided to quit!"

"Because I understand the dangers now!" said the man, defensively.

"I'm not stupid: I know the risks" rebuked Edda.

Avere sighed. "Edda, listen to me. We have plans, a dream. Remember that corner in North Shroud, where we want to build a home?"

"Did you suddenly earn the millions of gil that we need for that?" said Edda sarcastically.

"I'm trying to save your life here" answered the man. "Let's be honest for a minute, can we? You're still in training, and that woman is taking very dangerous missions. Like that crazy Halatali business."

"She came back triumphant from Halatali" she objected, massaging her head. This headache will be the death of me, she thought.

"But in quests like that, you'll be a liability in the best-case scenario, and dead in the worst!"

Edda groaned. "Thanks for the trust in my abilities, Avere. That really makes me feel appreciated."

"Be reasonable, Edda. Come with me: we'll get married as we agreed, and then move on from this nonsense. I can join the Woodworker Guild in Gridania, and you can become an assistant educator in the Conjurer's Guild under master E-Sumi-Yan in-"

"Oh bloody Hells, that's so not going to happen. I'm not cut out to be a teacher."

"Why do you keep insisting on this childish heroic dream?"

"Because this is what I want!" the woman screamed, getting up. "You just don't get it, do you? Why should I just drop my dream because you don't want to..."

"Edda, calm down" said the man, annoyed. "You're making a scene."

"Fuck me if I care!" She hesitated. "Pardon my Lominsan."

"See, this is exactly what I'm talking about. You're doing this nonsense for... three days, and she's already turning you into a hysterical mess. Don't you see that you can't take this road? Maria is manipulating yo-"

Someone behind Avere gently grabbed his cup of coffee.

Edda became suddenly pale, looking behind Avere.

The man turned, ready to face the thief, but as soon as he saw the culprit, he froze in place.

Maria drank the dark liquid with indifference, then made a loud popping sound with her tongue.

"Momodi" said Maria loudly, looking at the cup. "This is an excellent blend of coffee."

"Thank you, Maria" answered the lalafell from the counter.

Avere was paralysed by fear.

The woman left the cup on the table in front of him, then she looked at Edda. "I've got a job. An important one, from the gladiator guildmaster."

The man realised that Maria was simply ignoring him. He felt a sting of pride that was telling him to say something, but his self-preservation was screaming to just shut up!

Maria gave a glance at the man, then she looked back at Edda. "I'll leave in one hour. If you want, we can do it together."

Edda smiled.

Then Maria turned to the man. "Your name is Adere, right?"

"A... Avere, actually" he gulped.

She sighed. "Look, I really don't care about this drama, so I'll say this only once. And I'll say it for her peace of mind, not yours. If you're really that worried about her, join my party."

"What?" asked Edda, surprised.

"... What?" repeated Avere, completely dumbfounded.

"I'm serious, and I won't give you a second chance if you don't accept right here and right now. Do you want to follow us?"

The man realised that he was in a corner. No way of coming out of that one: either he faced his newfound terror, or he would lose any control of the narrative with Edda.

Maria looked at the man, then she smiled. A smile that was completely devoid of joy.

"Oh, don't worry" said the hunter. "I'm more than able to protect you, if worst comes to worst!"

***

"I can't believe he refused!" said Edda, kicking a little stone on the road.

"I can" answered the hunter with indifference.

"That stupid coward... That spineless little worm, that son of a heretic cu-"

Maria snapped her fingers. "Focus, please. We'll have time to discuss your predicament, if you really feel it's necessary, after the job."

The two women reached the small town of Horizon. Maria looked around, surprised: the town was a natural fissure in a mesa, with houses built directly out of the rock. There were two streets going in and out, and an Aetheryte. The hunter got closer to the giant crystal, then she cut her hand once again to attune to it.

Edda managed to keep her composure when she saw the Messengers appear near the Aetheryte, as soon as Maria splashed her bloodied hand on the crystal. She was a bit repulsed when she saw the tiny creatures slowly clean the handprint and lick Maria's blood, but Maria seemed pleased to see them. Nobody in town seemed to notice the small creatures.

"So..." said the conjurer, getting closer to Maria and the Messenger. "These messengers, how can they help you?"

"They're forming a network" answered the hunter. "Every time I touch one of these stones, the messengers nearby can grab my essence and move it to another place. These stones are a good place for a focus, back in Yharnam, we used lamp posts: they have basically the same function."

Edda tilted her head. "So you need to be at an Aetheryte to teleport? We don't have that limitation. We need a destination, not a starting point."

"Probably your system of attuning with your Aether is more efficient. I can reach the Messengers like you said, without a starting point, but that requires the sacrifice of a copious amount of blood."

Edda rolled her eyes. Why was everything blood related to her?

Maria petted the messengers one last time, then she looked around. "Mylla said that the client is a member of the Brass Blades. A lalafell with blue hair, called Fufulupa."

"Blue hair, well..." said the woman, pointing discreetly at someone near a chocobo renter. There was a short man with light blue hair in a brass blade uniform.

Maria and Edda got closer. "Liutenant Fufulupa?"

The lalafell looked at the women. "At your service, citizens. What can I do for you?"

"Mylla Swordsong sent us" said the hunter.

The soldier nodded, then he pointed at the closest tavern. "Please, come with me."

***

"A corrupt Brass Blade soldier?" Maria said sarcastically. "Colour me surprised."

"Please spare me" grumbled the lalafell, annoyed. "Some of us are just trying to do an honest living, and actually fight for the good of the people. I personally arrested my Captain yesterday for theft."

Maria bowed. "My apologies, then."

"Still" continued Fufulupa, "I needed help from someone outside the Blades. I found a very distressing letter in the personal belongings of my captain."

"I see. You can't trust your colleagues" Maria said.

The short man nodded begrudgingly. "I'm acting captain, for now, but I can't cut off corruption in our ranks in a single day."

The women looked at each other, then they looked at the man. Maria continued: "What is the content of the letter?"

"A ransom request."

Edda moved on her chair, uncomfortable. The soldier continued: "It's addressed to a paladin of the Sultansworn. The letter asks the soldier to deliver a chest kept in the Sultanate's vault, in exchange for the crown."

"Very well" said Maria. "So, what're we supposed to do?"

"That... Is an excellent question" said Fufulupa. "I was planning to interrogate my former captain and ask him about the letter, but I don't think we have enough time."

Maria grabbed her Rakuyo and looked at the soldier with a sharp grin. Fufulupa shook his head. "I definitely didn't mean like that."

"Are you sure? I cut, she heals. Rinse and repeat."

"Oh Gods no..." murmured Edda.

"Ignoring the blatant illegality and the overwhelming immorality of your proposal, I don't trust confessions born from torture. The victim will admit to being Emperor Solus just to make you stop" the lalafell said.

"I can see your point" conceded Maria. "That means that our best bet is to ask the recipient of the letter. You mentioned he's a Sultansworn?"

"Yes" said the soldier.

"Maria? What if we ask for help?" said Edda, timidly raising her hand.

The hunter raised an eyebrow. "What is your plan?"

"That white-haired stationmaster, yesterday. He mentioned he was a former captain of the Sultansworn."

Maria nodded. "That may actually work. Papashan, I reckon?"

"Him" confirmed Edda.

"Very well. We should run to the station."

Fufulupa nodded. "Do you need to rent a mount? I'll talk with the renter outside."

The hunter nodded. "Please do, that will definitely be faster."

***

"How do you ride this... Fat emu?" said Maria, taken aback.

"What's an emu?" asked Edda, grabbing the chocobo's reins. "Is this your first time riding a chocobo?"

Maria nodded.

Edda laughed, surprised. "Excuse me? A woman of your stature?"

"We have horses in Cainhurst, not ostriches!"

The conjurer sighed, amused by the confusion on Maria's face. She then turned around and asked the renter: "Do you have a chocobo suited for Roegadyns and a two seated saddle?"

Maria looked at the renter going back into the stable to grab another bird. She opened her mouth, aghast, looking at the chocobo. "Wow, it's... huge!"

Edda laughed, a playful glint in her eye. "Don't worry, we'll ride it together. I'll handle him properly."

Maria raised an eyebrow, looking at her companion. "I'm sure you will."

The conjurer gave her a sly smile. "Oh, I bet you'll enjoy the ride."

Five minutes later, the hunter was laughing like crazy, enthusiastic for the speed of the funny looking bird she was riding with Edda. As the wind blew through their hair, Maria wrapped her arms around Edda's waist, holding on tight.

Edda felt the hunter's touch and turned to give her a warm smile. "Having fun, Maria?"

"More than I expected" she said, enjoying the ride like she was a child on a carousel.

"I want one of these chocobos!" declared the Hunter, her hands lingering on Edda's hips.

Edda laughed. "Me too!"

***

"I definitely want one of these" said Maria, petting the neck of the chocobo one last time.

"I know, right?" commented Edda. "I grew up in Abalathia's Spire, you can find a lot of wild chocobos there: in my village, we captured them, we trained them and sold them to the Grand Companies. I think you need a special permit or to be part of a Grand Company to own one of them here in the City States."

"Ah" commented Maria, while Edda was giving the reins of the chocobo to the renter at the train station of Ul'Dah. "A pity."

"You really don't want to join a Grand Company? A lot of adventurers join them. By being part of one of them, you have a privileged channel to buy an estate, and..."

"Please don't" said Maria, looking at the chocobo one last time.

Edda nodded, then she said: "Well, you should be able to get one by participating to the chocobo racing tournaments at the Gold Saucer."

"We'll talk about it later. Look, Papashan is over there."

The conjurer looked at the other side of the station. The white-haired lalafell was there. As soon as the two ladies got closer, Papashan noticed them. "Oh, Lady Maria and Edda. Pleased to meet you."

"Likewise" said Maria.

"Are you here to take a train?"

"Actually, we're here for you. It's about a job for the Sultanate."

The lalafell looked at the women. "I'm listening."

Maria looked around to be certain that no one could listen, then she explained the situation and showed the letter to Papashan. After listening in silence for five minutes, the lalafell sighed.

"So that's what was worrying the Sultana yesterday" murmured Papashan.

Maria nodded. "I imagine replacing the crown won't be easy."

"Oh no, that should be easy enough, actually: the blacksmith Gerold, or Godbert Manderville would be able to forge something adequate, with enough time and the proper material. That wouldn't be a problem for Mr. Manderville even if he's lacking the materials."

Maria nodded, having no idea who those individuals were.

Papashan continued. "The problem is the scandal."

"The Syndicate would eat the Sultana alive" murmured Edda.

"I've read something about them: the city is not a real kingdom, right?" asked Maria.

Papashan sighed. "Yeah, to make a long story short, the Syndicate is an organisation that includes the six wealthiest citizens in Ul'Dah, and they're the ones that actually control the city."

"General Raubahn is a member of the Syndicate" explained the conjurer, "and so is Mr. Manderville."

The Hunter nodded, then asked: "The Sultana is a representative figure, then?"

"We'll have a chance to discuss politics in front of an ale at another time" said the Lalafell, "but now I would gladly focus on the issue at hand."

"Very well. Can you help us with this job?"

"I can and I will" said Papashan. "Do you have anything specific in mind?"

"Yes" said the hunter. "Do you trust the recipient of this letter?"

"I trust all Sultansworn blindly" said the soldier, determined. "I will put my own life in the hands of every single one of them without hesitation."

"Then this is what we should do..."

***

The Unholy Heir was a majestic rocky formation in the middle of a lake, standing in the desert of Central Thanalan. The waters were infested by bizarre fish and giant poisonous carnivorous frogs, but the Sultansworn soldier wasn't scared. He reached the shore of the lake, alone, as the letter had asked.

The soldier looked at the water. He breathed, trying to calm his nerves. Then he shouted: "I'M HERE! SHOW YOURSELVES!"

A minute of silence, with only the sound of ribbits from the giant poisonous frogs in the lake filling the air.

Then three men appeared, walking on the shore. They were dressed in red, with turbans that covered their face.

The biggest man shouted: "Owyne. A pleasure to meet you."

"I've come as agreed" said the Sultansworn. "Now, show me the crown!"

The criminal scoffed. "Aye, you'll have your precious crown, once we've been duly compensated."

The soldier crossed his arms. "Do you think me a fool? What assurance have I that you'll honour your part of the agreement?"

"Now now, Owyne. You're the least trustworthy man here. The crown was stolen on your watch."

"Then you won't mind if I just walk away and destroy whatever is inside your precious chest?" asked the soldier, with a smirk.

The three men looked at each other. "Where is the chest?" the criminal asked.

"I've hidden it, while walking to this rendezvous. Show me the crown, and I'll tell you where it is. Kill me, or try anything funny, and you'll have to search the entire desert to get it."

The man gnashed his teeth. "Very well. The crown is here" said the man, opening the bag he was carrying.

Owyne looked at the jewel from a distance. There could be no doubt, that was the real deal.

He sighed, then he grabbed his bag. He gave him a small hit. "Here's the chest you asked."

The two men looked at each other. "Let's throw them on three. One... Two... Three!"

Both men threw their bags. Owyne got closer to the crown, but one of the criminals grabbed his bow and pointed an arrow at him. "Let's first check if the merch is good."

The Sultansworn stopped, while another bandit reached his bag. He opened it: "The chest is here!"

"Open it" screamed the leader.

The man opened the small chest, and then he screamed.

The two bandits looked at him. Owyne ran towards the crown, grabbing it.

The criminal with the bag fell on the ground, unable to breathe, white foam filling his mouth. The venomous snake hidden in the chest quickly disappeared in the desert sands.

"The hells?" asked the archer.

"KILL H-"

The click of a pistol being cocked near the man.

The criminal managed to turn.

A white-haired woman was near him.

Her gun was pointed at his guts.

A loud bang.

The man fell on the ground.

The surprise paralysed the archer. He screamed, turning the bow against the woman.

Quick steps in the water. Then the archer felt only pain when a sword stabbed him. He turned around, just in time to see a white haired Lalafell in a Sultansworn armour. Papashan turned his blade inside him, then he cut him in half.

The leader looked incredulous at the scene. She looked at the woman, then at his wound. She shot him in the guts to incapacitate him without killing him instantly, he managed to think in the sea of pain that was overwhelming his mind.

"A... ATTACK!" he managed to scream, before passing from the pain.

Maria grimaced. "For crying out loud..."

Twenty people emerged from behind the rocks, their weapons in hand.

Papashan let out a loud whistle. Six Sultansworn and Edda appeared from behind a small hill on the road and started charging at the enemies.

The Lalafell pointed his sword at the enemies. "Sultansworn! Kill all the enemies of the Sultanate!"

Maria, Papashan and Owyne quickly joined the charge, and the two small armies clashed on each other with a savage roar.

The battle was brief but brutal.

Maria kept disappearing and reappearing near enemies and stabbing them on the arm or on the legs to incapacitate them. Her bizarre magic bone was dirty with a silver looking liquid.

The Sultansworn were better trained and determined to save the Sultana's honour, and they were fighting with no quarter.

With her razor winds and her flying rocks, Edda made short work of the enemies while keeping her allies alive with her cures.

In a couple of minutes, the few surviving bandits decided to retreat.

Papashan screamed in triumph, holding his sword over his head. All the Paladins joined him in celebration. The Lalafell looked at Maria, and they exchanged a small bow with their heads. Then he turned to Owyne and said: "My lad, you were wonderful! I know it was a risk, using you as bait..."

"It was my duty, sir" answered the young paladin. "He was right: the crown was stolen during my guard."

"Is the crown safe?"

Owyne opened the bag to check. He and Papashan sighed in relief.

Maria cleaned her sword, her face unfazed.

She approached Edda, who was healing a Sultansworn that had been injured in the fight.

"Are you all right?" asked the hunter.

"Yes" she said, gazing at one of the bandits lying in the water, a big stone fragment stuck in his jugular. "... Yes, it's just... I'm fine."

Maria followed Edda's look, then she sighed. "First time?"

"No" said the conjurer, "but that doesn't make it easier."

The woman nodded, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Thanks, but I'm all right" said Edda, ending her spell when the wound on the Paladin was entirely cured.

Maria looked at the leader of the bandits: he was still alive. "Can you help me?"

"What for?"

"Cure that moron while I'll tie him. I guess the Sultansworn would love to interrogate him."

She looked at the wounded. He wasn't in immediate danger, but Edda nonetheless started curing him while Maria used a rope. "I thought your bullets were... Hollow? To do bigger holes, whatever the Alchemy Guildmaster said?"

"That was a normal lead bullet, no need to waste quicksilver here. Still dangerous, but I aimed at painful areas, not at deadly ones. I just wanted to stop them."

Edda looked around: there were around six or seven people with stabs in the arms and legs. Probably deadly wounds, without a healer around. "You wanted to incapacitate them, instead of kill them?"

"It wouldn't be my first time either, but I agree: nothing makes it easier" said the Hunter.

"Even if maybe they're just dreams?" asked the Conjurer.

The woman made an annoyed gesture. "Also, maybe one of them will help us understand what exact-"

Maria stopped talking. Edda grimaced.

Both women felt something.

A tingle in their mind, something distorted in their perception of reality.

It was a familiar, although unsettling, sensation for Maria, but for Edda, that was her first time: it felt like something inhumanly cold stabbing her eyes, forcing her to turn her head and notice something out of place. There was nothing anomalous where she was looking, but at the same time, something was just wrong. Both women looked at the giant rock formation over the water. Both with the same unsettling feeling that forced them to look.

"What in the Seven Hells..." murmured the healer.

"This is the insight" whispered the Hunter, reloading her gun with the quicksilver bullets. "If you feel this, it means something is not as it seems."

"You feel this all the time?" the woman asked in the same low volume.

"It's worse when you can see what's out of place, not just feel it."

Both women were focused on the same rock.

"It's... there? On that rock!" asked Edda.

The Hunter smiled, pleased: "Good girl!"

Maria, nonchalantly, quickly drew her gun and shot at the rock.

Papashan and the Sultansworn, caught off-guard, turned toward the hunter.

And then, he appeared out of thin air.

Suddenly, a figure materialised on top of the rock, draped in a dark robe and wearing a black mask that concealed his features. Even with the mask on, the intruder seemed surprised: he wasn't expecting the gunshot. As he stepped closer, Maria and Edda could see that his gauntlets bore small, sharp claws.

The sudden appearance took the Paladins aback.

"ἐρεδι ἐμ ἰτσιυτοπ ὀδομουq?" screeched the robed man with a distorted voice.

Maria and Edda exchanged a confused glance, unable to understand the intruder.

"What language was that?" murmured the conjurer.

The hunter was less cordial. With her gun still trained on the mysterious figure, Maria spoke: "You have two seconds to state your intentions in a language I can understand."

The intruder looked around, then he started to float in the air and raised an arm.

***

Thancred was good at finding information and tracking stuff, but he felt like that specific duty was a bit outside his area of expertise. Necessary, sure, but he would have preferred to be tracking something that left a different kind of trail. The white-haired man was walking across the desert near Black Brush Station, with a bizarre mask over his face. The mask was supposed to find anomalous Aether signs, but so far, the man felt like he was on a wild goose chase.

The adventurer suddenly heard screams from behind a hill in the direction of the Unholy Heir. The cries sounded euphoric, and Thancred could barely make out the words "For the Sultana" and "For Ul'Dah". A bit curious, he moved towards the shouts, just in time to see a group of Sultansworn celebrating a victory against some bandits. Among them was Commander Papashan, and the two women who helped him save Lady Lilira a couple of days before.

And there was something bizarre that only he could see, thanks to his Aether peeper thingies (the man could swear that Papalymo called them with a serious name, but he just couldn't recall it). Someone or something invisible, but with a significant Aetheric trace, was looming over one of the rocks of the Unholy Heir. That was exactly what Thancred was looking for: the traces were identical to the ones that accompanied the Voidsend that attacked Lady Lilira. He had found the...

Then, suddenly, a gunshot.

"What the hells?!?" said the man.

That woman, Lady Maria, had just grabbed her gun and shot at the invisible Aetheric source without a word. The Paladins seemed surprised, but Thancred noticed that the Conjurer, Edda, was unfazed.

The Aetheric distortion condensed, and the mage who was making himself invisible behind it revealed himself.

"Is that an Ascian?" murmured the man, looking at the masked, hooded figure.

The intruder said something incomprehensible, then he raised his arm. From nowhere, the rocks in the lake started moving. They assembled together in an almost humanoid but grotesque shape. The animated group of rocks began to move, trying to hit Maria with a punch.

Well, no time like the present, thought the man, grabbing the knives on his waist and running towards the giant.

***

"Sultansworn, surround that thing and dispatch it!" screamed Papashan, jumping backwards to avoid the giant's punch. The soldiers quickly followed the Commander's order and began attacking the rock giant.

"Edda, provide support from afar. Don't get close to us" ordered Maria, looking at the masked man.

"I... Very well" said the Conjurer, grabbing her magic staff. "What will you..."

And Maria disappeared.

The woman was suddenly in front of the hooded man.

Surprised, he managed to float away to avoid her sword.

Edda grinned her teeth, calling the Elementals. A small boulder started floating in front of her staff: she made a gesture pointing at the enemy, and the rock flew away, hitting him.

The intruder grimaced in pain, then disappeared in a puff of black smoke.

Maria grabbed her gun and shot again in an apparent random direction.

A scream of pain, then the black robed man appeared on the opposite side of the shore, with a hole as big as a lalafell punch in his arm.

"δυλλι τσε μυλετ ἐλανρεφνι ἐλαυq" screamed the man. A black cloud condensed around him, and the hole caused by the bullet started closing.

Maria ran toward the man.

"On your left" said a voice near her.

The white-haired man whom they had helped two days before was running alongside Maria, charging towards the cloaked enemy. He was dual wielding a couple of knives.

Maria nodded. She would have asked why he was here later: for now, every help was appreciated.

Thancred was a bit faster than Maria, but suddenly the hunter disappeared. And she appeared in front of the Ascian. They both tried to attack the man, but the mage unleashed a dark wave of void energy. Both of them were pushed back by the energy. Their skin ruptured under the pressure of the magic wave, and they both started bleeding. Their arms, their faces, and their legs were full of cuts.

"MARIA?!?" screamed Edda, alarmed.

"Cure him" ordered the hunter, using her Rakuyo as a cane to find her composure.

The healer obeyed begrudgingly, focusing her healing spells on Thancred.

The white-haired man looked at Maria. She held that bizarre double-bladed sword with both hands. Suddenly, a loud clunky noise and some sparks came from the hilt when Maria twisted it. The double-bladed sword split into two different blades from the middle of the hilt. Maria was dual wielding the two blades of her Rakuyo.

She disappeared once again.

This time, she appeared behind the Ascian.

The shorter blade moved, cutting deeply into the throat of her enemy. A gush of blood came from the neck. Thancred remained speechless when Maria deliberately positioned herself to be hit by her enemy's blood. Another quick gesture with the long blade, and Maria cut the arm of her enemy. Once again, she moved with the speed of a cheetah and changed her positioning to get splashed by the Ascian's blood while keeping her attacks. It was a swirl of expert and deliberately violent attacks. In a few seconds, the woman was completely crimson, covered from head to toe with the enemy's blood. The Ascian kept screaming, too slow to face that flurry of attacks, and after some seconds, he fell on the ground.

The woman waited a second, still with her guard high, then she reconjoined her blades by the hilts with a loud clunk noise.

Edda tried to summon Aether to heal Maria, but to her surprise, she realised that she was wasting energies. Her magic was telling her that the Hunter was perfectly fine: there were no cuts or bruises that her Aether could heal on her body.

The healer ran near the hunter. "Maria, what... How..."

She stopped talking when she saw Maria putting a finger over her mouth and winking at her.

The three adventurers looked behind them, when they heard the screams of joy from the Paladins: the Sultansworn were raising their swords in triumph, standing together over rubble of rocks lying on the ground. They had managed to destroy the summoned creature.

Thancred looked at the soldiers, then she turned towards the women. "Well, that was not the glorious moment I was hoping for..."

"I appreciated your help nonetheless" said Maria, relaxing. "What are you..."

A savage hiss came from the dead enemy. A dark cloud condensed on top of the body of the caped man. The cloud assumed for a second the form of the man's mask, then a red light, similar to a tribal mark, appeared on top of it. After a second, the cloud and the mask disappeared.

The Hunter and the Paladins kept their guard, but Thancred grabbed a bizarre mask with goggles, looked around and sighed. "He escaped."

"What do you mean, master Thancred?" asked Papashan. "That body is..."

"Just a possessed victim" said Edda, looking at the corpse. "The Aetheric traces don't lie: this was just a random bloke. A victim of a spiritual possession, forced to do the bidding of that ghost."

"Not a ghost" explained Thancred, removing his glasses. "An Ascian."

Everyone looked at the adventurer. Thancred glanced again at the body in the water. "I was looking for the source of the increased Voidsent activity near Ul'Dah. Turns out, it was one of the Bringers of Chaos."

"Care to explain who they are?" asked Maria, crossing her arms.

Thancred looked at the woman. She was dripping blood! It was actually pretty disturbing. "Do you... Uh, do you need a napkin or something?"

"What I need is a bath and a change of clothes" said the woman, unfazed. "Who are the Ascians?"

"Right. Well, the short version is that they're a group of sorcerers who have sown chaos throughout history. They've acted in the shadows for... Well, probably for millennia. We don't know much about their motivations: only that they're powerful, extremely hard to kill and..."

"Because they're ghosts?" asked Maria.

"I imagine that could be an issue" confirmed Thancred. "As you see, that Ascian just abandoned his current body."

The Hunter nodded and sighed, then looked at Papashan. "What about our job?"

"The cr..." The Paladin glanced at Thancred. "The item is safe. The mission is accomplished."

"Very well" said the woman with a smile. "Now, if you don't mind, I need some wine, a bath, and fresh clothes. Not necessarily in that order. Thancred, right?"

"Yes, Lady Maria?" asked the man.

Oh, he did remember my name, thought the woman with a pleased look. "Can we help you with your Ascians?"

"No, thank you. I'll just contact my allies, but thank you for the offer. I'll have to check some things around here, though."

"Very well, then. Thank you again for your help" said Maria with a bow.

"Likewise" said the adventurer. "I hope next time we'll meet, there will be less fighting and more leisure involved."

"We'll see" said Maria, taking her leave, followed by Edda.

"All right, Sultansworn" screamed Papashan. "Grab the prisoners, and let's go back to Black Brush Station!"

***

Once in Black Brush Station, Papashan left the Paladins, who were busy with the prisoners, and joined Maria and Edda on their trip back to Ul'Dah.

The man was talking casually about how he was getting too old for these things, but Maria nodded, unconvinced; the Lalafell was a good fighter, and he had shown it during the skirmish that afternoon.

Papashan continued. "Well, to be fair, now I'm in my twilight years. I could've gone for longer fights in my youth."

"The reason why this fight was short is because those bandits were worthless" answered Maria.

"Fair enough" said the Paladin with a smile. "But still, I enjoy my days as a simple stationmaster."

"Are you sure?" the woman asked. "Your armour seems well kept, well-oiled and in pristine conditions. A retired soldier would keep it as a memento, but he wouldn't keep it oiled for quick uses."

Papashan shrugged. "What can I say, I'm just an old man who loves his glorious past. I miss my days in the Sultansworn, sometimes. But I can't hold a candle to younger people like you, Lady Maria. Your swordsmanship is impressive."

Maria bowed, genuinely flattered.

"And that sword" kept going the Paladin "is definitely interesting. I was surprised by the trick in your hilt"

"Yeah, I wasn't aware of that either" commented Edda. "Not to mention, other things."

Maria shrugged. "You never asked. Not to brag, but it takes a certain degree of skill to use this blade effectively."

Papashan nodded. He wasn't joking when he said that he was impressed by Maria's abilities.

The three reached the Ul'dah station. "Well, that's my cue to leave" said the Lalafell.

"Thanks for your help" said Maria, smiling and bowing.

"I will personally inform the Sultana of your success" promised the Paladin. "You did a great service to Ul'Dah."

Maria bowed. "Say, if you ever want to forget your twilight days and revive the glory days with some youngsters, can I recruit you for some of my odd jobs?"

Papashan looked taken aback.

Maria continued: "Of course, only if my requests won't interfere with your responsibilities as station master."

The Lalafell smiled. "I'll keep that in mind. Thank you, Lady Maria."

The two women left the station, waving at their new friend.

Edda looked at Maria, once they were finally by themselves.

She had dozens of questions, but she didn't know where to start. She tried to open her mouth, then she hesitated.

Maria sighed, annoyed. "Your indecision is making me nervous. If you want to ask something, just ask."

"How can you heal by drenching yourself in your opponent's blood?" she found the strength to ask.

The Hunter made a light laugh. "You're not paying attention, my dear: I already explained how" she said with a mocking smile.

"Is that what a Vileblood can do?"

"Among other things. This was convenient enough. I just regret that I killed the possessed man, but to be fair, I didn't have much choice." Maria stopped talking for a minute. "I may have to talk with master Lorobuki once again."

"The Thaumaturge?"

"The alchemist" answered Maria, rolling her eyes. "If we're about to face ghosts, I need to recreate some of my master's hunter's tools."

***

"That's definitely doable" said Cocobusi, looking at the papers with diagrams and instructions that Maria gave him and at the bowl filled with sea water and with a crustacean inside. "It's cruel beyond belief, it's almost disturbing what you want me to do to that poor animal, but then again, I never liked lobsters in the first place. And this preparation is for..."

"A specific kind of hunter's tool. You can see it as a magic focus of a sort, or as a fetish if you prefer. It's called an Empty Phantasm Shell. I just need you to prepare the shell with those specifics, I'll think about the ritual to finalise it."

"I thought you couldn't use magic" said the lalafell.

"I can't. It's not magic, it's a curse."

The alchemist rolled his eyes. "Forget I asked." Then he looked at the lobster in the bowl, noticing hundreds of small black balls attached to her abdomen. "Is that a female lobster carrying eggs? Where did you get her?"

Maria shrugged. "I bought her at the market board, on my way here. She wasn't cheap."

"I'm surprised they were selling her in the first place. Wouldn't it be wiser to use a different kind of lobster? Fertile females are important, and..."

"Please use that and don't ask questions" said the woman, putting a small bag full of gil in front of Cocobusi. "I need this to work, so the more suffering and rancour involved, the better."

"That's reassuring" said the man, grabbing the money, the papers and the bowl. "Killing the lobster in the way you asked should require four or five days, and then I'll need a couple of days to clean the body and prepare the shell according to these specifications. I'll see you next week, then. Your quicksilver bullets should also be ready, for that day."

The woman nodded, bowing gently to salute the man. Lorobuki left her inn’s room, leaving Maria alone. She drank some water, then she decided to go downstairs to the tavern.

Momodi greeted her as soon as Maria reached the common room. "Maria, glad to see you cleaned yourself."

"Yeah" said the hunter with a vague gesture. "Is Edda here?"

"I think she's checking on Avere", replied the innkeeper.

"I see" said the woman, sitting at a table by herself.

The lalafell reached her with a bottle of wine. "This is on the house. You're the talk of the Quicksand today: the Sultansworn are telling everyone that you and Edda are heroes."

"It was just a job" scoffed Maria, accepting the wine.

"Oh no, you did a great service to the Sultanate. I know what you actually did."

Maria raised her eyebrow, looking at the lalafell.

Momodi continued. "Fufulupa didn't contact only the guildmasters: he also reached out to me. He was desperate for help outside the Brass Blades."

The hunter shrugged. "He could have just contacted the Sultansworn."

"I can see why he was sceptical, to be fair: the crown disappeared under their nose. What if one of them was an accomplice?"

Maria drank some wine. "Sure it could..."

The door of the Quicksand opened. Suddenly, everyone got silent, and many people knelt.

A young Lalafell lady with blonde hair, a rich, noble pink dress and a golden tiara entered the Quicksand. Maria recognised her: she was Lady Lilira. General Raubahn was escorting her.

Momodi kneeled. "Sultana Nanamo Ul Namo!"

Maria joined the others and took a knee. The Sultana smiled. "Please rise, Lady Maria."

The Hunter looked at the lalafell, then she complied. Nanamo laughed lightly. "My dear Raubahn, it's rare to see another hyur as tall as you are!"

Maria chuckled discreetly.

The Sultana focused on Maria. "We wanted to thank you personally, good hunter."

Somehow, the Good hunter bit said by the delicate voice of the Sultana made Maria extremely uncomfortable, but she kept her composure.

"My sword and my abilities are at your service, Sultana, if that pleases you" said the woman diplomatically with a nice bow.

"You already did much for Us. Ul'Dah is grateful for your heroism and your discretion. The same is true for your ally... Edda Pureheart, I reckon?"

"You're correct, Sultana" confirmed Maria.

"Is she here?" the Sultana asked.

***

"You're a fucking asshole!" screamed Edda, furious. "And you're a cunt, Liavinne!"

Avere was trying to find his underwear, while the Elezen woman was cleaning her naked chest with a napkin. The man said: "Edda, please! It's not as it seems!"

"Oh, it's exactly as it seems" said Liavinne, licking her lips.

"Not helping!" muttered the man, looking at the woman.

Edda was fuming. "I can't believe this! So this is why you wanted her in our party? Just for some titfuck?"

"Please, calm down" said the man. "Let me just explain..."

But she wouldn't hear it. She stormed out of the room. "Never talk to me again, I don't wanna see your face! Go fuck yourselves, both of you!"

"That can be arranged!" screamed the Elezen at the closed door.

Avere looked at the door, then turned to his friend. "Thank you" he said with sarcasm.

"You're welcome" answered the woman, smiling satisfied.

***

"Oh, with her betrothed? How lovely" said the Sultana, smiling. "Anyroad, Our Sultansworn regaled Us with tales of your bravery. They described you as a champion among champions, whose tireless services to the Sultanate deserve the highest honours."

"Your Sultansworn humble me with their kind words" said Maria with a bow.

The Lalafell turned to the general. "Raubahn?"

The giant warrior bowed. "Your Grace?"

"See that Lady Maria and Lady Pureheart are Our personal guests at tomorrow's banquet."

Maria bowed with a humbled look.

The Sultana, escorted by two Sultansworn, saluted the crowd and looked at Maria one last time. "We're looking forward for your company, tomorrow."

Then the Lalafell left the Quicksand.

General Raubahn looked at Maria. "I'm glad to see you better, Lady Maria."

"I still feel like I need to apologise" said the woman.

"No need, I'm just glad that Lady Pureheart managed to help you." The man looked at Maria. "My offer still stands, of course."

"I appreciate your interest" said the Hunter, "but as I mentioned, I don't feel comfortable in a position where I have no choice but to obey."

"I can understand your point of view. The only reason why I reformed the Immortal Flames is out of duty for the Sultana, but I've fought enough in my life to appreciate peace."

Maria nodded. "I heard about your past. The former slave who fought his way in the Coliseum, the legendary Bull of Ala Mhigo. The Sultana freed you, I reckon?"

Raubahn nodded. "It's not a secret."

"Hence your loyalty. It's really admirable."

"Thank you. But what about you?"

"I beg your pardon?"

The General crossed his arms. "I never heard of the places you mentioned, Cainhurst and Yarnham. I tried to look, but it's like those places are not part of Eorzea. You claimed a title of nobility..."

"That title is genuine" explained Maria, "but I use it mostly out of habit rather than any actual interest in my ancestry. If it annoys you or if it's illegal to claim such a title here in Eorzea, I'll just stop using it."

"Interesting. So you claim to be of actual noble heritage?"

"It's not important" sighed Maria. "Apparently, nobody here in Eorzea knows about Cainhurst."

The General looked at the woman. "Do you miss home?"

"No" said sincere Maria.

None of them talked for some seconds.

Maria sighed once again. "The reason why I don't miss my home is the same reason why I don't want to be forced to obey other people's whims. Never again."

"Sounds like an interesting story."

"More horrific than interesting, actually" murmured the woman.

"May I ask you to share it over dinner tonight?"

The woman raised an eyebrow. "My, my, General. That's a rather unorthodox way to ask for a date, isn't it?"

"Did it work?" said the man with a smile.

Maria sighed. "As long as you don't expect a romantic outlook."

"I see. Well, in that case, the offer remains valid. Just for a friendly chat and for some camaraderie among immigrants far from home."

The Hunter smiled. "In that case, I'll gladly accept."

The General nodded. "Thank you, Lady Maria. I'm looking forward to it. It's a date." Maria tried to comment, but Raubahn nodded. "A completely friendly date, don't worry."

"Thanks for your understanding" said the woman. "Do I reach the Palace, or..."

"If it's all right with you, we can dine here at the Quicksand."

The woman bowed. "I see. Well, Momodi's cuisine is good."

"And I haven't had the pleasure of having one of her stews for too much time. Eight thirty?"

Maria smiled. "That suits me fine, General."

The man and the Hunter bowed, then the General left the premises. Maria watched Raubahn leave the Quicksand, feeling somehow amused by his boldness. She was somehow used to that kind of attention, but it wasn't worth the hassle for her.

Momodi came close to Maria. "So I guess I'll have to make my stew this evening?"

The Hunter laughed. "Please do. At least he'll enjoy the food."

The Lalafell eyed Maria curiously. "No chances at all for our dear General?"

"None whatsoever" said Maria. "He's not my type."

"And who is your type?"

"Perhaps someone with a more... Delicate frame" said the woman sitting back at her table and grabbing back her wine glass. Momodi nodded, going back to her jobs. Maria looked one last time at the Quicksand doors.

Then she grabbed a book from her bag, sipping more wine.

Chapter Text

It was a leap of faith. The Hunter looked at the dark pit in front of them: the only way to reach the bottom was jumping from broken bridge to broken bridge. It was doable, although extremely scary. The next platform, though, was so low that they could barely see it in the darkness.

They gulped, then walked into the void. The fall was long, but luckily, their mental math was good: the land was brutal, but they were alive.

They looked at the pit: that platform was halfway toward the bottom. They grabbed another coin and threw it in the dark. After some seconds, a metallic sound filled the pit. Definitely halfway there.

Then something caught their attention: there was a door on the wall near the platform where they were standing. Taken aback, they double checked: there was an actual door on that pit under the Cathedral Ward. They tried to open it, and it moved without issues.

They grabbed their weapon, expecting anything. A monster attacking from a shadow, some sort of trap.

However, they weren't prepared for what they discovered.

They were back outside, in a very familiar court. Small roads made of slabs took them to a peaceful house that they knew very well. Could they be dreaming? No, this was clearly still in Yharnam, but that place was the exact replica of the Hunter's Dream.

They moved near the house, then they realised that something was amiss: the place was similar, but abandoned. Gehrman was nowhere to be found, and the workshop inside the house was destroyed. They got closer to the door, and then they stopped.

The Doll was there. But it was silent, inert. She wasn't walking or talking. Not a word of comfort, not the familiar "Good hunter" that she said every time. Nothing was animating her... Animating it to move. They checked it once again: it was plain wood and porcelain, dressed in an elegant and frilly vest. They chuckled, with an insane undertone in their laugh: of course, the doll wasn't moving, this Yharnam was real. And dolls don't just get up and walk in the real worl-

The Hunter took a step back, then they looked closer. They could've sworn that the doll's fingers were tapping, but it was impossible. They looked at its hands, but nothing happened. A trick of the light, for sure.

They entered the workshop. And something caught their attention: although the place was destroyed and abandoned, their insight was telling them that there was something worth near the ground. They got closer to a corner, and then they looked into some dust. There was actually something: the hunter grabbed a weird meat cord with... With eyes on it in the ashes.

It reeked of power. Of some kind of curse. But it was powerful, of that they were certain. Without knowing why, they put it in their bag. They didn't know why, but their insight was telling to keep it.

But that wasn't it. There was something else in the ashes. They searched again until they found another item that was reeking with arcane power. The head of a femur.

The Hunter grabbed a quicksilver bullet and touched the bone with it. The amalgam became dust when the bone absorbed all the mercury in it.

For a moment, nothing happened. Then they tried to walk, but they realised that they were just disappearing and reappearing when they walked. That bone was allowing them to flashstep.

Now that was a useful surprise. That could be exactly what they needed to face some challenging foes that were stopping them in their hunt. He knew where to try that newfound tool: back to the Astral Clocktower.

The hunter laughed, holding the newfound bone in their hand.

The Doll was still on the ground, inert, her head casually turned toward the hunter. Her fingers were tapping rhythmically.

***

A strong tap at her door.

Maria opened her eyes. It wasn't a tap: it was a knock.

She grumbled: it was still nighttime. It was probably between midnight and one o'clock.

"What?" she said.

"Maria, please, it's Edda" said the voice from the door.

The Hunter sat on her bed. "Are you all right?"

"No, I... I don't know what to do, or where to go."

Maria sighed. She grabbed her gun, and then she reached the door.

She opened it.

Edda was greeted by the sight of a pale woman with a gun in her hand. "Oh... Sorry, I wasn't..."

The hunter sighed. "What time is it?"

The conjurer nodded. "Right, you were sleeping."

"I had too much to drink at dinner, so I went to bed earlier than usual."

"I'm sorry, maybe I shouldn't..."

"What happened?" said Maria, leaving the gun on the desk.

Edda nodded. "It's... Avere and... Well... He and she... That bitch, they were..."

Maria sighed. "Please, tell me that you don't need help to hide a body. Or two."

The woman chuckled, then she burst out laughing. "No. Nothing of the sort. I wish. But no. I'm..."

The hunter rolled her eyes. "Do you want me to help you hide a body or two?"

"No. Sorry. I'm not... fully rational right now." She hesitated. "Can we go somewhere? I need to get drunk again."

The simple idea of drinking more was nauseating for the Hunter after her indulgence at dinner, but it was clear that Edda was on the verge of a mental breakdown.

"Will that help?" said the woman, crossing her arms.

Edda shrugged. "I mean... What did you say? Just enjoy the numbness? I may need the numbness now."

The Hunter sighed, then nodded, changing into one of her commoner dresses.

***

"I'm sorry, a doll?" asked Edda, already halfway towards Drunkville.

Maria nodded, with a glass of water and lemon slices in front of her.

The two women were sitting at a table outside a pub. Inside, a couple of bards were playing lively music, and some merchants were singing loudly. Maria looked at a clock on the wall: it was almost two o'clock. She was surprised that no one was stopping the noise.

Edda continued. "Your teacher created a life-sized, fully detailed doll of you after you died?"

The Hunter shrugged. "Disturbing, right?"

"I mean, yes! That's really creepy!"

"I guess my teacher could've done something worse" said Maria.

"Like what, digging your body and having fun with it?"

"For crying out loud..." murmured the Hunter, nauseated by the mental image.

"And that doll took life?" Edda kept asking. "You seriously dream the strangest things."

Maria nodded. "Seeing that I can't be sure where reality ends and the dream starts..."

"I mean, you literally believe that if someone you know dies in your dreams, then they are actually dead. How strange is that?"

The hunter grabbed again the bottle of liquor and filled Edda's glass. "How's the numbness?" she asked.

"I feel funny, but not stunned" said the conjurer. She turned at the people singing and dancing. "I walked aimlessly through all Ul'dah tonight before reaching you. I don't have many friends here." She drank more liquor. "The matches at the Gladiator's guild were a good show. I didn't think for some hours, thanks to those."

Maria nodded. "Let's talk about something else and drink some more, then" she said, filling the glass once again.

"Won't you join me?"

She shook her head. "I will need all my composure tomorrow. Ah" she added, "we got officially invited to the Sultana's banquet, for dinner."

Edda looked surprised at Maria, then she laughed. "You're pulling my leg."

Maria crossed her arms.

Edda's expression changed. "... But I don't know anything about... What to do and what not to do in a noble court!"

"I'm not going to give you a desperate, eight-hour lesson on etiquette" said Maria. "Just look at what the other guests do, and act the same. Try not to speak, try not to get drunk."

Edda nodded, unconvinced. Then she drank once again.

This time, the numbness finally arrived. "Wow, this shtuff is GOOD!"

"I think we're getting there" murmured Maria, drinking more water.

***

Maria opened the door of her room, holding Edda.

The conjurer was singing off tune, drunk as a lord. "... ♪ So whether you sing or pull a pint you'll always have a job ♪ 'Cause wherever you go around the world you’ll find a Sharlayan pub ♪"

"Lovely" said Maria, throwing the girl on her own bed. The hunter removed Edda's shoes, then tucked her under the bedsheets.

"Maria, that wassss... So! Much! Fun!"

"It's time to sleep, Edda."

The girl smiled, groggy. "Good idea. Thanksh for... You know. Everything. You're good with me."

Maria smiled. "I'm just protecting my hunting pack."

"Still" said the healer, before falling asleep. "You're a good friend."

The Hunter smiled more, blushing lightly. Friends, what a naive idea, she thought, but a very pleasing one.

She tucked Edda's bedsheet once more. And then she murmured: "Good night, my friend."

Maria looked at the smiling woman, then gazed out the window: the first lights of dawn were shining. She went down to the Quicksand, then she came back to her room a couple of minutes later with a jug of water and a dish with some biscuits. She wrote a small letter and she left it near the dish, then she silently left her room.

Once downstairs, she sat on one of the tables of the Quicksand and finally relaxed.

Momodi reached her with a mug full of coffee. "Good morning, Maria."

Maria looked at the Lalafell. "Good morning to you. Thanks for the coffee."

The innkeeper smiled. "Long night?"

"Long and chaotic. I don't really want to talk about it."

"Suit yourself. There's a letter for you."

Momodi left an envelope on the table. Maria looked at it, then she opened it.

The sender was Cocobusi. Maria read the letter, then she raised an eyebrow.

"Momodi, what time is it?" the hunter asked.

The lalafell checked her clock. "Almost seven."

Maria relaxed. She had a couple of hours before the meeting that the Lalafell requested in his envelope.

***

"Lady Maria of Cainhurst" said the Hunter to the Alchemist receptionist.

The receptionist looked at her register, then she smiled. "Oh yes, Lorobuki is expecting you. Please follow me."

The woman guided Maria to a door at the back of the Alchemist guild. They reached the library of the guild, where Lorobuki was showing a chemical reaction to two women. Maria was taken aback for a moment: those two ladies were bizarre, to say the least.

The Roegadyn was taller than her. She was pale and had a very strange haircut with white long hair only on the left side of her face. A blue armour, and a giant axe on her back. She looked at the tattoos on her neck. They were familiar somehow; she had already seen them somewhere.

The short blonde was... Unique. This was the first time Maria saw someone like her: she looked almost like a really cute human, with long blonde curly hair and a small physique, but she had bizarre white horns on the side of her heads, and while the majority of her skin was human there were a lot of areas that looked covered by lizard scales. She also had a strong looking lizard tail, and her eyes were different too: they were dark green, but with a brilliant green ring around her iris.

"Ah, Lady Maria" said the Lalafell. "Welcome, welcome. Please meet my esteemed colleagues." He pointed at the Roegadyn. "Moenbryda Winfsunnwyn," he said, then pointed at the lizard girl. "And Mikoto Jinba."

Although surprised, Maria kept her usual composure. She bowed gently: "My pleasure. I'm Lady Maria of Cainhurst."

The Roegadyn got close, and she grabbed Maria's hand to give her a very vigorous shake, smiling happily. "My pleasure, Lady." Maria was unused to that kind of direct, friendly approach, but she didn't recoil: she shook the hand back, and then looked at the strange lizard girl. She was weird, but extremely cute.

Mikoto bowed with elegance. "Milady..."

"You can both call me Maria" said the Hunter, then she looked at the Lalafell. "So, Master Lorobuki, why did you ask for me?"

"I'm glad you asked. Wilfsunnwyn and..."

"You can use my name, Cocobusi" said the Roegadyn, smiling.

"Mine too" confirmed the Au ra.

The Lalafell nodded. "Moenbryda and Mikoto are Sharlayan scholars. Mikoto, in particular, is an expert in the study of pure Aetheric energy, while Moenbryda specialises in the study of Aetherytes."

Maria tilted her head. Well, looks could be deceiving, she thought while looking at the gigantic lady and her Hyur-sized axe, in the sense that it was as big as an actual Hyur.

Cocobusi continued. "Moenbryda is also a former member of the Circle of the Knowing."

"Ah" said Maria, nodding. "So, are you currently a member of the Scion of the Seventh Dawn?"

"That's me!" said the woman, smiling.

"You're a group specialised in fighting the Primals? Hm..." She suddenly realised where she had seen that tattoo before. "Are you a colleague of a white-haired man called Thancred?"

"Of course I am! How's the old skirt chaser?"

Maria tilted her head, surprised. "I... think he's fine, we fought common enemies together by pure chance."

"Oh, so he's still in Ul'dah? Good, I should give him a hug later!"

"This is a neat coincidence: I was looking for some former members of the Path of the Twelve, so I planned to reach Vesper Bay tomorrow."

"Oh, I'll accompany you, then!" the woman said, smiling. "It's been too much since I had a chance to salute Urianger."

Cocobusi nodded. "Anyroad, I shared with the ladies your... Predicament."

The Hunter crossed her arms. "Did you?"

The Lalafell looked at Maria with a guilty, defensive look. "It's... It's for what we discussed, I swear! For our common problem with Aetheric manipulation!"

The woman stared at Cocobusi, then she sighed. "Very well."

Mikoto got closer. "Can I feel your pulse, please?"

Maria grumbled, then she gave her arm to the Au ra. Mikoto put her finger on Maria's wrist.

Some seconds passed. Maria kept looking at the bizarre but deceptively cute woman. She wondered if those strange scales were hard if touched, and she had to admit that those eyes with those brilliant rings were a sight to behold. Even her horns were fascinating, the way they looked and curved was like an art piece. Maria had never seen someone like her before, and she was actually finding her compelling and beautiful.

"I reckon you have questions about my look" said Mikoto with a shy smile.

The Hunter blushed lightly. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to stare."

"Oh no, no need to apologise: Au ra like me are extremely rare in the City States, so I understand your curiosity."

Maria tilted her head. "I've read something about your people. You come from the steppes near the former Kingdom of Doma?"

"I'm from Sharlayan" explained the woman. "Born and raised there. Although it's true that the vast majority of my people come from the Azim Steppes or from the Ruby Sea, I'm afraid I have no connection with the Far East."

Maria nodded, then Mikoto left her hand and said: "Sorry, let me try..."

The Au ra got her fingers close to Maria's neck, but the Hunter stopped her. "No, please. I can assure you it won't make a difference."

"Very well" said Mikoto. Then she turned towards the Lalafell. "It's as you say, Lorobuki. Her heart isn't beating."

Moenbryda scoffed. "Couldn't it be that she has a very light heartbeat? Maybe her veins are deeper in her flesh, a bit harder to..."

"No, that's true" said Maria. "I'm afflicted by a curse, and this is the result. Technically, I'm dead."

"Fascinating" said the Au ra. "But you are still able to move. I see that you breathe?"

"Technically, it's not necessary. Believe it or not, it's a habit. I breathe to be able to speak."

Mikoto was taken aback. "That's... That makes an awful lot of sense, actually. Can I conduct some basic neurological tests on you?"

Maria nodded.

"Do you want some privacy?" asked the Au ra, pointing at the Lalafell and the Roegadyn.

"Are you going to ask me to undress?"

"It's a possibility."

"If that happens, then yes. Otherwise, I don't care."

"Very well. Please follow my finger with your eyes, keep your head steady" said Mikoto, putting her index finger in front of Maria's nose and watching the woman follow her movement. Then she tested Maria's reflexes by tickling her feet, making her walk barefoot normally, then on her talons, and finally on her tiptoes. She touched and tickled Maria's fingers and palms. She even checked her tongue. In the end, Mikoto declared: "Hm... I'd say you have no physical issue whatsoever. Your body works just as well as that of a living person. Dare to say, even a bit better."

"I feel fine, funnily enough."

"Can you taste food? Smell? Is your hearing fine?"

"Of course."

"Does your hair grow?"

Maria thought about it. "No."

"Same for your nails?"

"Now that you mention it, same for my nails."

"I see. Interesting. Do you digest what you eat?"

"If you're asking me if I need to go to the toilet, the answer is yes. Unless I don't eat or drink for some days."

"Can you feel pain if you get hit by something?"

"Yes."

Mikoto nodded. "Do you sweat if it’s too hot?"

Maria thought about it. “No. Lucky me, seen that I mostly wear leather jackets.”

"Do you feel pleasure from sexual activity?"

"I don't know, I haven't had sex since I got cursed" said the woman, blushing lightly.

"What about self-pleasuring?"

Maria didn't answer, clearly embarrassed.

"Do you have your periods?" continued the Au ra.

"Is this necessary?" asked Maria, flustered.

"Please don't question the medic" said Mikoto with a suddenly authoritarian undertone in her voice.

Maria rolled her eyes. "No, I haven't had periods since I got cursed. And... Yes, masturbation works."

"I wonder if you can procreate, in your state" murmured the Au ra.

Maria froze, almost horrified. "That's not an option I'm willing to explore."

Mikoto raised an eyebrow, looking at Maria's eyes, but then she continued. "Do you feel the basic physical needs? The need to eat, to drink..."

"Yes, and yes, but I can go on just fine without doing so."

"So..." Mikoto got silent for a second, thinking. "So, it may not be a necessity of your body, but of your mind. You probably just do it because your mind tells you that you need to eat and drink, like your breathing habit. It’s an anchor your mind uses to grip onto your humanity."

Maria stopped. She never considered that angle. "That would actually explain a lot."

"Do you feel pain if you don't eat or drink for some time?"

"I don't know, I never stopped eating or drinking for that long!"

The Au ra nodded: that would've been interesting, but an experiment of that kind would've been immoral. "Do you sleep?"

"Yes."

"Is sleeping a physical need for you?" When she saw the perplexed look on Maria's face, Mikoto explained. "Meaning, can you avoid sleeping?"

"No, I definitely need to sleep daily."

"This is very interesting. For how long?"

"Six hours is my usual time, but I can work fine with only four hours if I get enough tea or coffee."

Mikoto tilted her head. "Wait, you mean caffeine works on you?"

The Roegadyn shrugged. "Well, caffeine works directly on the brain. Didn't you say that her habit of eating and breathing is mind related?"

Maria and Mikoto looked at Moenbryda. "Interesting theory" said the Au ra.

"I agree" said Maria.

"It would also explain why you have all your senses: your mind works just fine. I wonder if drugs would work on you."

"Sedatives do" admitted the Hunter. "I use them while hunting some nightmares."

"I see. So can you get drunk?"

"Probably" said Maria, "but I refuse to drink up to that point."

Mikoto nodded. "Back to the sleep, please. Do you dream?"

"Every time I sleep. And they're all nightmares."

The Au ra and the Roegadyn exchanged a perplexed look. Moenbryda asked bluntly: "Have you ever considered psychological therapy?"

Maria chuckled, then genuinely laughed at the proposal.

Mikoto shrugged, then continued. "If you cut yourself, do you bleed?"

"Yes" said Maria, surprised by the question.

Moenbryda tilted her head, then she asked "How are you able to bleed without a heartbeat?"

"I..." She suddenly went silent. "That's an excellent question, I guess?"

The Au ra nodded. "Do your wounds heal?"

"Part of my curse allows me to heal really fast."

"How?"

"There are many ways. Healing spells work fine. Another way is by soaking my wounds in blood. The ones of my enemies work."

Moenbryda smiled. "That's cool as fuck!"

Mikoto didn't share her friend's enthusiasm. "What about natural healing?"

"I don't have that. My wounds don't heal with time. I need to actively fix them."

The Au ra looked at Maria, surprised. "Don't you risk bleeding to death from a paper cut, then?"

"I don't lose that much blood after a cut. I..." Maria tilted her head. "Now that you mention it, I only lose some blood from a cut, but I don't keep bleeding that way. You can say that my wounds are static."

"It would feel wrong to ask for a demonst-!!!"

The Au ra became pale when Maria simply grabbed a small knife from a table and cut her palm. Moenbryda rolled her eyes, while the lalafell seemed ready to pass out.

Maria cleaned the blood from her hand using a napkin, then she showed the cut to Mikoto. The Au ra got close and looked at the wound. "Interesting. So you don't actually bleed after a cut: you just lose the blood that's closer to the wound. I should measure your blood pressure: my theory is that your wounds work that way because your pressure is extremely low. Makes sense, since you don’t have a heartbeat: blood pressure is a product of the heart's activity." She approached Maria, then kissed her forehead. The Hunter blushed suddenly, but she didn’t say anything when she realised that the Au ra was actually just checking her temperature. "You're cold. Lorobuki, do you have a thermometer?"

The lalafell regained his composure and went to look for something. Mikoto then asked: "And some blood, please: I wish to see if this wound actually closes that fast. Human blood, I reckon?"

"To be fair, all life essence works. Human blood is just the easiest to procure."

"That's lovely!" commented Moenbryda, sarcastically.

After some minutes, the Au ra finished checking Maria's temperature: Mikoto wasn't surprised to learn that Maria's body was exactly at room temperature. She also watched the wound on Maria's hand disappear when Lorobuki poured some pig blood on her hand.

"I can say that your body can mimic a high amount of physical function of a normal human body" said Mikoto, looking at Maria, "but it's not human in the way we usually define it, and most importantly, it’s not alive. Interestingly enough, you don't show any sign of necrotic activity, rigor mortis or any other sign of body decay that are typical of an undead state."

"Because I'm not an undead" said Maria, suddenly annoyed.

The Roegadyn raised an eyebrow after her friend's diagnosis. "Care to share the details of this curse of yours, Maria?"

Maria looked annoyed at Cocobusi. The Lalafell coughed. "The details are not important: the interesting part of this curse is that Maria exists with no Aether at all."

The two women looked at each other. "Mikoto, can that happen?" asked Moenbryda.

"Well... No, it cannot happen. Simply put, that's not supposed to be possible. Cognitively speaking, Maria's predicament is outside the parameters of plausibility. In accordance with the prevailing theories, the tripartite nature of life comprises Aether in its three primary components: the corporeal form, the essence of the self, and the faculties of the intellect. Body, soul, mind. To be utterly devoid of Aether is a perplexing quandary: it defies everything we know about Aetheric energies and the way they interact with the living. To be bereft entirely of its influence, as Maria claims to be, is a highly improbable and, indeed, perplexing state. One cannot help but wonder, how does one subsist without such a fundamental force of being?"

The Hunter tilted her head. "Are you asking me how I can exist in this state?"

Mikoto blushed. "Yes. Sorry, I tend to abuse technicalities when I discuss Aetheric matters."

Maria shrugged. "My life was complicated."

"That is your answer to the fact that you're not supposed to exist?" asked Moenbryda, surprised.

"Anyroad" said the Au ra, "from a scientific standpoint, our predicament is clear: Maria is here, existing and alive, without Aether, so the theory that Aether is a fundamental for life is clearly wrong. As scholars and scientist of the Aetheric, we need to rediscuss the very foundation of our theories regarding Aether."

The Roegadyn pointed a finger at Maria. "No pulse."

"Ah. Right. Well, there's that: your body is dead, so the theories may still be right. Although normally undead creatures, especially the ones with free will, still have some..."

"I'm not an undead!" reiterated the Hunter, rolling her eyes.

The Au ra nodded. "We need to find a term to define your condition, then. Ignoring the rhetoric, your unique state of being presents an interesting enigma, not only in terms of Aetheric theory, but also with regards to the very nature of existence itself. I can't help but wonder if the absence of Aether in all its three forms is, perhaps, evidence of a state that defies our current understanding of the universe. Anyroad, this is definitely interesting. Your condition only makes you a most exquisite subject for my studies."

Maria rolled her eyes, unamused. "Glad to be a delightful lab rat" she retorted with a hint of sarcasm.

"Moving on" Mikoto continued, "there's another interesting consideration to be made."

"Which is?" asked the Hunter.

"Well... I possess the power of the Echo."

"Yes, Lorobuki explained what that..." Maria suddenly froze. "Wait, does that mean you can see my past?"

"My Echo works differently: I can see some possible futures, not the past. However, I can indeed peek into your destiny. Hence, the interesting part: I don't control it, but usually when I focus on someone, as I just did with you, it has a good chance of giving me some visions. But with you... I get the feeling I can't do that."

Everyone looked at the Au ra.

"Meaning, I feel like the Echo is actively avoiding activation. It's just a feeling, of course, but it's pretty intense. So, that could be because either your lack of Aether blocks the Echo, or... Well, considering that the Echo is a gift from Hydaelyn, maybe the Goddess doesn't want that level of intimate connection with you?"

Maria rolled her eyes. "You two are not actually here for my so-called predicament. You're here for what I did at that crystal, and for Cocobusi's theory that I can kill the Primals."

"Bit of both, actually" admitted Moenbryda, a bit embarrassed. "Sorry about that."

***

Edda opened her eyes.

Her head was pulsing. It felt like a squadron of drummers was using her temples as drums. She tried to sit, but it was hard to focus on anything.

She breathed, then she tried to focus. Where was she? It was an inn room, kind of familiar, but...

Ah, this is Maria's room, she thought, noticing the leather jacket on the chair and the Rakuyo near the door. She looked around, then she saw the jug of water, some biscuits, and a letter from Maria.

She drank some water, then she started reading the letter while eating a biscuit.

"Dear Edda,

feel free to use my room for the following days, I don't want you to sleep where your former boyfriend knows how to find you. I'm going to ask Momodi for a second bed in the afternoon or, if you want your own space, for another room close to mine. I'll get your stuff from your old room in the morning. Please take your time, have some biscuits, and remember to drink a lot: it'll help with your hangover. If you manage, go to Momodi and ask for some coffee: that'll help even more.

I need to do some preparations for today's banquet with the Sultana. If you read this before noon and feel able to move, please reach me at two o'clock this afternoon at the Weaver's Guild. However, don't feel obliged to come if you feel unwell.

Please be well.

Maria.

PS: please get up before eating, I don't want crumbs on my bedsheets."

Edda stopped instantly from biting a third time her biscuit, then she checked the bedsheets.

"Crap! Crap crap crap!"

She jumped on her feet to grab the bedsheets and flap them. She regretted her decision as soon as the hangover started beating even stronger.

She drank more water, then she read her letter once again.

Her former boyfriend.

The reality hit with the strength of an anvil falling on her head.

She was alone. After all those years, after moving to another country, after the dreams and the sacrifices, she was alone.

There was no way to recover her relationship, not without killing every ounce of her dignity. She felt like she couldn't breathe for a second: in a sense, being hungover was helping her not think about that, or anything else.

She needed to focus on something. Anything. Remaking Maria's bed could be a good idea, she thought. She grabbed the bedsheets, forced herself through her hangover and started flapping them violently.

While flapping, she hit Maria's night table with the sheet. The jug of water and the other stuff in it fell on the ground.

She felt the weight of the world falling on her as she watched the jug on the ground. Miraculously, it didn't break, but the water spilt everywhere. Edda felt overwhelmed. She fell to her knees and began to cry.

She sobbed for a couple of minutes, then she screamed, then she cried again.

Everything was over. The reality was that everything had come to an end.

She dried her tears with her sleeves. She had to accept that there wasn't much to do: she could either wallow in self-pity and desperation, or move on. 

She gulped, trying to regain control of her nerves. She picked up the jug and a small book to put them back on the night table, then she looked for a rag. As soon as she found one, she cleaned the floor. She grabbed other things that were on the ground: some coins, a crystal, some papers about... a gross lobster recipe? She left the money and the papers, playing absentmindedly with the crystal.

It was so hard to focus in that moment. Every single memory of the last years hurt like a scalpel in her brain. The more she tried to regain control, the more everything seemed heavy and dark. Every single memory she and Avere shared, every smile he dedicated to her, every kind word: was everything fake?

The more she thought about everything, the more the self-pity increased. She felt overwhelmed. She had been so stupid. She had been so blind! She clenched her fists, barely noticing the crystal she was holding. She couldn't believe how blind she had been. It was like her eyes were useless. Why trust her pointless eyes, if she couldn't see a truth so evident? Avere never loved her, but she was too blind to see it. He always berated her; he barely had a good word for her. Her love had been so dazzling that she had lied to herself. Lied to what her own eyes were showing her. Those stupid, pesky eyes!

With the crystal in her hand, Edda picked up the Rakuyo. She turned the hilt as she had seen Maria do the day before, to separate the two blades. She grabbed the shorter sword and looked at her reflection in the blade. She turned it to mirror her own eyes.

A chuckle. Then a laugh. Then a scream, and another laugh.

It was all her eyes' fault. They tricked her! It was their fault she couldn't see the truth.

The light from the window reflected on the crystal directly on the Conjurer's face.

I would be better off without those useless eyes, she thought, watching them again in the blade.

***

"You know that this kind of deception is against our agreement, Cocobusi" said Maria, with her arm crossed.

The Lalafell looked around, suddenly nervous. "Not at all! We're interested in what you can do, not in the nature of..."

"Zip it!" the woman said.

Lorobuki complied.

Maria sighed, then she looked at the two women. "And what about you? What should I do with you two now?"

Moenbryda crossed her arms. "Is this supposed to be a threat?"

The Hunter rolled her eyes. "Please: if I wanted you dead, I would just shoot you without stating my annoyance."

"Fair enough" said the Roegadyn, then she realised what Maria actually meant. "... I guess?"

"I specifically told Cocobusi that I'm cursed" explained Maria. "I may look and feel normal, I can act like a normal person, but I'm not normal. And this curse, left unchecked, destroyed my hometown."

The three looked at Maria, suddenly nervous.

The Hunter sighed. "Everyone in Yharnam became a beast, or violently paranoid, or a mix of the two. And that's the least of the things that my curse caused. The reason..." She sighed again. "The reason why I'm dead is because I killed myself."

Everyone got silent.

Mikoto tried to object. "But... You're here, and... So, you attempted to kill yourself?"

"No, I was successful."

The Aura shook her head. "No, that's not..."

Moenbryda commented: "Remember, no pulse. Honestly, I find that believable."

Maria nodded. "That's what actually happened, I swear: I did kill myself. Out of desperation, out of guilt, out of... Everything. And even that wasn't enough to give me peace. This existence is my personal hell, and I mean it in the most literal way possible! Before reaching Eorzea, I was stuck in my dead body, unable to move, trapped in the dream of a dead god." She chuckled. "The ironic part is, while I was there, stuck into myself, my only duty was to... To protect the secret of my curse."

Mikoto and Moenbryda exchanged a perplexed look. The Roegadyn asked: "Why?"

"Some knowledge is not meant to be shared, and what caused that curse is definitely in that list." She hesitated. Then she shook her head. "No, that's not true. That would be too noble. It wasn't out of some ill-defined sense of duty, and not even because I deserved it. I would've still protected that secret, even if my curse didn't force me to do it. The real reason why no one must find out what I did... It's my shame."

The Au ra bowed. "I'm sorry for your predicament, but... If all of that is true, why are you here?"

Maria shrugged. "Maybe I suffered enough? Maybe this is my solace?"

Cocobusi shook his head. "Yesterday, you entered the Quicksand literally soaked in blood. The City States may be many things, but a place to find solace is not on the list."

"A matter of perspective" said the Hunter. "Here I found something I didn't..."

"Please, if you're going to say something idiotic like Here there's hope, I will scream" said the Lalafell.

Maria looked at Lorobuki. "Not to minimise your tragedies, but..."

"Five years ago, the moon fell on us!" said Cocobusi. "I had to watch Ul'dah burn. My brothers did everything they could to help the town, and they almost died for it. We all lost someone that day."

Moenbryda nodded, with a wounded expression. "I lost my master when Dalamud fell. He was like a father to me."

Mikoto didn't share her thoughts.

"And the worst part is" continued the alchemist "we're getting used to these tragedies. We reached the point that we use these Calamities as our calendar, and this is the Seventh Umbral Era. We had floods, ice ages, the fall of the biggest and most glorious empire of Eorzea, entire continents despoiled of life, and now the sky itself exploded over our heads! So, please, I can understand where you came from, because I'm sure that whatever happened in... Yharnam, right?" Maria nodded, and Cocobusi continued. "Whatever happened in your hometown was a tragedy, but please don't dismiss our predicament!"

Maria nodded, then she bowed. "I didn't mean to offend you. My most sincere apologies, Master Lorobuki."

Cocobusi bowed his head, accepting Maria's words.

The Au ra looked again at Maria. "To add to that, thinking that this is your solace is a rather egoistical point of view: it would mean that this whole reality exists thanks to you."

"Of course I didn't mean like that. I have my theory about what's actually happening to me, but I would rather not share it."

"Suit yourself" said Mikoto. "Of course, this leaves us in a predicament."

Maria looked at the beautiful woman, puzzled. Mikoto kept going. "Correct me if I'm wrong: you claimed that whatever happened to your hometown was caused by your curse. And that you were responsible for it. Are you afraid that, if you explain exactly what fuels your current... Well, peculiar state of dead person walking, this could somehow cause the same thing here in Eorzea?"

"Yes" confirmed Maria.

"Why?"

"Because of the very nature of the human mind. The wrong person hears about what we did, and they could decide that they can control it, that it could be worth it, or simply don't care because they crave power. From a certain point of view, this curse can give an extreme power, but the price is too high. And I won't allow this curse to spread in a world that..." She looked at Cocobusi. "... That, although it has its fair number of tragedies, it's not completely hopeless. No offence."

"None taken" confirmed the Lalafell.

The Au ra asked: "So the secrets of your curse will die with you?"

"Yes"

The Roegadyn shrugged. "Very well."

"I'm sorry" said Maria. "I know that the chance to give all of you the power to kill these Primals may be worth it, in your eyes, but seeing what happened in my hometown, it may be too dangerous."

Moenbryda laughed. "You misunderstood. It's clear that we shouldn't study what's happening to you, so we'll just follow plan B. What is your price?"

Maria rolled her eyes. "I'm not selling my secrets."

"I was talking about your sword. As a member of the Scions of the Seventh Dawn, I want to hire you for some specific jobs."

Maria looked at the two women.

The Roegadyn smiled. "Hunting Primals."

"Before going there, though" said Mikoto, "can I ask for some evidence of this theory?"

Maria tilted her head. "What, you want me to do a trial run against a Primal just to check if it actually works?"

"That would be lovely, but no. Cocobusi's theory was born because of something that happened with a very powerful crystal, I reckon?"

The Hunter nodded. "Oh, you want to check that thing? Sure, but you'll be disappointed: it's just a stone."

"I can confirm that" said Lorobuki. "At this time, the Aether in the crystal is definitely dead. Right now, it should be a perfectly normal and inert quartz."

"Doesn't matter" said the Au ra. "I wish to analyse that crystal, if possible."

Maria shrugged. "I keep it as a trinket. Come with me, it's in my inn's room."

***

Maria opened the door of her room.

She looked inside and instinctively grabbed her gun.

"What's happening?" asked Moenbryda.

The hunter stepped in, looking around, followed by the two scholars. There were bloodstains on the floor. Her Rakuyo was lying on the floor, with the two blades separated. The shorter blade had blood on it.

The bedsheets were on the floor. Some of her papers, too, and also the crystal.

"M-Maria?" whispered a female voice, weak and desperate.

From under the bed.

The woman kneeled, looking under it.

Edda was curled under the bed, her back towards Maria. There was blood dripping from her head, but the Hunter couldn't see exactly where she was hurt.

"Edda? What..."

The Conjurer whispered. "I... I don't know what I was thinking, I... I'm sorry..."

"Edda, please, look at me. What happened?"

"I... I was..."

Maria put her pistol away, and then she tried to touch Edda. She was shaking.

"Edda, please, come out."

The conjurer turned her head.

Maria became paler.

There was a deep cut on Edda's face, from the cheek to the forehead. She could see the white of the bone. It was very close to the woman's eye.

Moenbryda asked again: "What is happening?"

Maria turned towards her briefly. "My friend is hurt. I think she's panicking. Call for a medic, please!"

Mikoto entered the room: "Let me see her, I'm a conjurer."

Maria nodded, then she looked again at Edda. "Please, come out, Edda. Grab my hand."

Hesitantly, Edda grabbed the hunter's hand. Maria helped her get out, then she made her sit on the ground. She was still shaking.

The Au ra got closer, then she focused on conjuring some Aether. The wounds on Edda's face began to disappear. She looked at her forehead. "You'll be fine, my dear. It won't even leave a mark; you'll be just as beautiful as before."

"What..."

Mikoto looked at Edda's eyes. She was clearly in shock. "Please, can you tell me your name?"

The young girl looked around, her expression one of confusion. She could feel Maria's hands on her shoulders, but she wasn't actually registering anything.

After some moments, Edda looked back at Mikoto. "Edda... Edda Pureheart."

Maria nodded. "Good, Edda. Very good."

The Au ra smiled. "Now, please, focus on me. Can you tell me what the last thing you remember is?"

Edda looked at her feet. "I... Avere..."

Maria did her best to keep her composure. "Avere did this to you?"

The girl shook her head. "No, I haven't... Seen him. I did it. It was... Me."

"By the Twelve..." murmured the Roegadyn.

"Because... Because I couldn't see what was happening. I need... Eyes. Eyes to see."

Mikoto noticed that Maria's pallor had become stronger all of a sudden.

The girl continued. "I'm an idiot. My eyes deceived me. I need eyes in my brain, to cleanse my beastly idiocy."

"Edda" asked Maria with a feeble voice, then she pointed at the crystal on the ground. "Please, focus for a second. Did you touch that crystal before stabbing yourself?"

Maria looked at her friend looking around confused. When Edda nodded, she almost forgot how to breathe.

The hunter got closer to the crystal. She grabbed the Rakuyo, then she pushed it into a corner of the room with the blade.

"Maria?" asked Moenbryda.

"I may be wrong" answered the Hunter, "but this gem may not be as inert as I thought."

***

Mikoto removed her hands from Edda's forehead as soon as the girl started sleeping.

The Au ra sighed, then she turned to Maria and Moenbryda. "This spell will last at least three or four hours, if nothing disturbs her."

"Shouldn't we talk outside, then?" asked the Hunter.

Mikoto didn't move. "I meant shaking her or slapping her. Talking normally is not enough."

"Very well."

"Now" said Moenbryda, getting close to the crystal but without touching it. "You said that this is the famous crystal that, according to Cocobusi, proves that you can kill Aetheric creatures?"

"I think we can rule out that hypothesis" commented dryly Maria.

"And why is that?" asked the Roegadyn, grabbing some strange goggles from a bag. They looked just like the ones Thancred used the day before. "One thing is true: this crystal has no Aether whatsoever. It's extremely pure, theoretically it should be able to hold an impressive amount of Aether for his size, but it's empty."

"Those goggles allow you to see the Aether?" asked Maria.

Moenbryda nodded, putting the goggles away.

Mikoto looked at the crystal. "Pray, tell me about the eyes in the brain."

Maria became once again pale. "No."

"Are you afraid that your curse somehow reached your friend?" asked the Au ra. "If I need to check for signs of a curse, I need to know what I'm looking for. Consider me not as a scholar interested in your potential interaction with the Primals, but as a doctor who's trying to help Edda."

Maria closed her eyes, then she sighed. "Only if you swear on your life and on the life of everyone you loved that you will take my words for true and you will not look for a way to replicate these secrets."

Mikoto crossed her arms. "Moenbryda?"

"Yes?"

"Please leave us alone."

The Roegadyn tilted her head. "I beg your pardon?"

"I'm under the impression that Maria will feel better if she has to open up about her curse with only one person. Also, will sharing this secret put my life in danger?"

"As long as you don't try to get some insight about the nature of my curse, I don't think so."

"So there is a chance that your secret is actually dangerous?" asked the Roegadyn.

Maria looked at her sleeping friend with an eloquent face.

The Au ra nodded. "Very well. Moenbryda, please leave us."

The giant woman grumbled, then she grumbled "If you need anything, I'll be downstairs drinking."

Then she left the room, leaving the two women alone.

Mikoto sat on the floor, her legs crossed. "As a conjurer and a healer, I swear that whatever you tell me will be covered by my complete confidentiality, and that I will use it only to treat your friend. And nothing more."

Maria nodded. She opened her mouth, then she hesitated. She looked at Edda.

She sighed.

It was time, after all those years, after her death, after her curse. She had to share the truth.

***

Moenbryda was sitting alone at her table in the Quicksand.

She looked distractedly at the stairs to the inn: she knew that there weren't real risks for her friend, but she didn't like the idea of being cut out. In hindsight, that made sense: she didn't have the medical background of Mikoto, but she was still annoyed by the situation.

"Can I have another pint?" she asked Momodi.

The innkeeper reached her and dropped another beer on her table. "You sure you can handle your fourth beer?"

"Lass, don't provoke me or I'll chug your whole canteen just to prove a point."

"As long as you can pay and survive the alcohol poisoning, be my guest" answered the lalafell.

The Roegadyn, once alone, started drinking her beer.

A few seconds later, another lalafell sat next to her. Moenbryda glanced at him. "Cocobusi."

"Moenbryda" said the lalafell. "That means Moon's bride in Roegadyn, right? What a fascinating name."

"My father is a romantic idiot" said the woman, burping. "What about you? Cocobusi Lorobuki? Why are all Lalafell names some form of alliteration?"

"That's kinda rude and a little bit racist, you know?" protested the lalafell.

Moenbryda smiled. "You may be right. Come, drink with me. I hate waiting alone."

***

"Yeah, I find everything you said hard to believe" said Mikoto, crossing her arms.

Maria rolled her eyes, murmuring "Lovely."

The Au ra continued. "So let me get this straight. You died in this Astral Clocktower, of all the poetic places you could choose in your hometown, which I add I never heard before, even though I studied a lot of geography, by slitting your wrists. Then instead of actually dying, you were trapped in a memory of a dead god?"

"Not a memory: a dream."

"Yeah, sorry, the idea of being able to visit a memory is even sillier."

Maria looked a bit annoyed. "Your point?"

The Au ra shrugged. "I'm just recapping. Somehow, you're telling me that the secrets you obtained from a dead god called Kos released a plague that made everyone in Yharnam go crazy or mutate in... Well, for lack of a better word, werewolves, among various other things. And all this happened while a church that venerated blood, of all things, tried to discover the secrets of evolution, by force feeding the blood of a dead Queen corrupted by another of those bizarre gods, named Oedon, to their followers. This ignores the whole mess you barely mentioned, about some scholars of a university that can't be seen, who killed themselves by putting their heads in cages and starving themselves to death, trying to elevate their state of mind because they wanted... Eyes in their brains, for reasons. And this mess happened because the head mayor of a college, in a mad quest for knowledge and power, sent you and your master to kill that Kos?"

Maria nodded. "A bit oversimplified, but correct."

"You're definitely omitting something."

"Many things" said the Hunter, crossing her arms.

Mikoto shrugged. "As long as keeping one of your secrets doesn't stop me from finding a way to help Edda, suit yourself. So, you're saying that this curse was caused by... Well, by really bad karma, in a way?"

The hunter remained silent for a second, unamused, then she sighed. "All curses are born of bad karma, if you think about it. The main ingredients for a curse are..."

"Rancour and suffering" said the two women at the same time. Mikoto continued: "Yes, I know the theory. I barely studied the Dynamis energy, I'm more an expert on Aether, but I know what rancour and suffering can do when surrounded by the right amount of the right energy."

Maria tilted her head. "What is Dynamis? Doesn't it mean potentiality?"

"It's too long for a detailed explanation, and my knowledge on Dynamis is lacking at best: for now, let's just say that Dynamis is a form of energy that works in tandem with emotions. It's not as powerful as Aether, but there's much more Dynamis in this universe: it's theorised that more than 60% of this universe is composed of Dynamis energy. One of the most widely accepted theories is that curses are a manifestation of Dynamis, rather than Aether. This is why they're so destructive and difficult to remove: they're not part of the usual Astral and Umbral magical configuration."

Maria tilted her head. "Don't misunderstand me, I appreciate a good explanation. And I feel like this Dynamis is probably worthy of some research on my side, if it's one of the fuels behind curses, as you said. But right now, I only wish to focus on helping Edda."

Mikoto nodded. "I'm working on a hypothesis. You mentioned that Edda got some... Insight, you call it?"

"Yes" confirmed the hunter. "She saw the Messengers, and felt that Ascian when he was invisible. She definitely has gained some insight."

"And the insight is being able to see the invisible? Eyes in the brain?"

Maria shrugged. "Only if you gain a lot of insight, you get those. And the Augur that granted that kind of insight is dead."

Mikoto tilted her head. "It's not a metaphor, then? You’re talking about..."

"Actual eyes that grow in the wrinkles of your brain" confirmed Maria.

The mental image is extremely disturbing, thought Mikoto, breathing heavily and trying to focus back on the topic. "And you mentioned the Messengers feed on blood and insight?"

"Well, they offer you service for both" said Maria. "Usually, they sell you stuff for those."

"So what if we take Edda to the messenger and make her sell her insight to them?"

Maria tilted her head. "You want to remove what allows her to peek into the true nature of this reality?"

"A bit oversimplified, but correct" said Mikoto with a smile.

Maria had to admit, she was starting to like that girl. "That sounds too easy."

"It's worth a try" said the Au ra. "I'm treating it as a medical issue, so that requires a tentative approach. My first try, of course, is to check on her when she wakes up. If that doesn't work, we'll try with your Messenger. Speaking of which, what am I supposed to do to gain some Insight myself?"

Maria looked at the woman as if she were crazy.

Mikoto put a finger near her mouth, thinking. "I guess that the quickest way would be to be contaminated by you. If blood is the key, maybe consuming your..."

"You should stop this inquiry" whispered the Hunter, with an extremely quiet but intimidating tone.

The Au ra looked at Maria. She noticed that the woman was caressing her gun.

"... I- Sorry. I just wanted to check if..."

"If you need to check something that requires some insight to be seen, just ask me and I'll answer. But don't try, ever again, to convince or force me to share this curse. You don't want to see the world as I see it."

Mikoto remained silent for a second. "And what do you see?"

Mikoto's question hung in the air, and Maria could sense the weight behind it. With a sombre expression, she locked eyes with Mikoto, contemplating how much she should reveal.

Maria breathed deeply and closed her eyes, then she turned to the window, giving her back to the Au ra. "I see... glimpses of a hidden reality, a realm beyond our perception. This place, Eorzea... It's not what it appears to be."

Mikoto's eyes widened with anticipation, eagerly awaiting Maria's insight. The Hunter continued, choosing her words carefully. "I can barely hear the whispers of a dream. I can barely see behind the veil that shrouds the true nature of this reality. It’s as if we walk within a slumbering mind, but the dreamer remains unknown to me."

Mikoto leaned in closer, a mixture of curiosity and concern etched on her face. "So, you're saying that this world is... What? Nothing but a dream?"

Maria nodded heavily, her gaze fixed on the horizon. "Indeed."

"But... If we're in a dream, what are we?" asked the Au ra, with scepticism seeping into her voice.

Maria shook her head, then looked at the woman, withholding an honest answer. There was a flicker of vulnerability in her eyes as she avoided the Conjurer’s gaze, afraid to reveal too much.

Mikoto waited for one moment, absorbing the weight of that silence. "I see. So, according to you, we're part of the dream?"

The Hunter nodded quietly, her eyes briefly meeting Mikoto’s before averting once again.

The Au ra crossed her arms, a sceptical tone colouring her voice. "But why are you different, then? Why do you have this insight?"

"I'm not sure" said Maria, "Every dream has a host. But I don't know why the host put me here, this time."

"So..." Mikoto raised an eyebrow. "Are you suggesting you're the only real soul in a world full of dreams?"

Maria shrugged, a hint of amusement tugging at her lips. "Sounds a bit megalomaniac, when put that way."

"Yeeeah" said the woman, her voice dripping with scepticism. "Forgive me for refusing to buy this theory of yours."

Maria turned to gaze steadily at Mikoto, a tired expression on her face. "With all due respect, though, I'm not particularly interested in convincing you about the nature of this reality" she said, looking back at her sleeping friend. "I just want Edda to be safe."

Mikoto nodded. "On that, we can definitely agree."

***

Maria didn’t like the idea of leaving Edda in the care of Mikoto and Moenbryda, but she knew better than to decline an official invitation from a regent. She begrudgingly left Edda with Mikoto: she trusted the Au ra, but still she was feeling like she was abandoning her friend. Her only friend, she thought with a sad note.

Nonetheless, Maria reached the Palace. The Sultansworn at the door allowed her to enter, then she breathed one last time. Once inside, she looked around: the rich hall was filled with guests, politicians, courtesans and guards. She could feel the curious look of some of the guests, in particular of a lalafell with a mask on his eyes and a thin moustache on his face. Maria tried to stay discreetly on the side and to be as silent as possible: as she learned on the Court of Cainhurst, that kind of place was the natural habitat of the most dangerous predators.

"Lady Maria" said a deep voice behind the woman.

The Hunter turned, smiling. "General Raubauhn, I’m glad to see you."

"Likewise. Thanks for the dinner yesterday, I had a wonderful time with you."

Maria bowed, humbled.

Raubauhn then asked: "Is your friend Pureheart with you?"

The Hunter grimaced. "I’m afraid Edda is extremely ill today. She sends her most sincere apologies."

The General nodded. "Want me to ask our apothecaries to check on her?"

"She’s currently in the company of an excellent Conjurer. If that will be necessary, though, I’ll let you know."

The man accompanied Maria to the table with the buffet. "Some wine?"

"Gladly" answered the woman.

Raubauhn grabbed two glasses of red wine, and he served one to Maria. "Prosit" murmured the woman.

The two chalices touched lightly, then Maria took a sip of wine. "This is excellent" she said with a satisfied look.

The General nodded. "So, I know that it’s rude to insist when a woman has already rejected you twice..."

Maria raised her eyebrow, drinking again.

"... But I may need your abilities for some jobs. Will you accept some assignments from the Immortal Flames as an... external consultant?"

Oh, thank Oedon, this is not what I was fearing, thought Maria before answering. "Do you want to discuss this in private, General?"

"For now, that's not necessary. I would like to know if you would be willing to accept a private contract directly from me or the Immortal Flames. This will not make you a part of my army, so you'll be free to refuse jobs that you'll judge immoral and orders from the officials of the Immortal Flames. I also add, as a special treatment, that you will receive the same rights we give to immigrants who decide to ask for citizenship by joining the ranks of the Private Company."

Maria tilted her head. "The possibility of acquiring private property in one of the residential districts?"

"That, and full access to the quartermaster's shop of the Immortal Flames. That includes a personal chocobo, that you'll be free to raise and train as you like, and with time, I'll also allow you to command a small squad of soldiers and even to found your own Free Company."

"Why?" the woman asked.

The General tilted his head. "I beg your pardon?"

"That offer is extremely generous. And I mean it. Too good, for a single combatant: you're basically gifting me the privilege of being a captain in your army, without any of the obligations. Why?"

Raubauhn nodded. "Because I want you as my private agent."

"I'll repeat my question: why?"

"Because too many people have been impressed by your actions in a time too short. Mylla Swordsong is not easily impressed. Papashan is even less impressionable. And Cocobuki Lorobuki is..."

Maria tilted her head. "You talked about me with the Thaumaturge guildmaster?"

Raubauhn shrugged. "Yes."

The Hunter nodded. "Then, if you don't mind, I would actually request to have this conversation in private."

The General nodded, then he accompanied Maria to a different room, far away from the guests. Maria noticed that the masked Lalafell kept staring at the two of them as they walked. Once alone in the guest room, Raubauhn asked his personal guards to leave them alone. "So, here we are, Lady Maria."

"Thank you for your discretion, General. I'm sorry if I'm going to be blunt now, but I need to know exactly what the Guildmaster told you."

The giant man shrugged. "Why?"

"I'm having a disagreement with Cocobuki."

"Oh?" said the General. "This is new to me. Anyroad, I discussed with the Guildmaster a couple of days ago: he said that you have a unique Aetheric presence."

Maria looked at the man. "Meaning, exactly?"

"Meaning that it's the opinion of Master Lorobuki that your particular interaction with Aether may cause some unique, chaotic effects in Aetheric creatures."

The Hunter crossed her arms. "Is this about the theory of Cocobusi Lorobuki that I can actually kill Primals?"

The General smiled. "Yes."

"That theory is probably wrong. The reason why Edda isn't here is because my... Unique interaction with Aetheric energies, instead of destroying a crystal full of Aether we were using for testing my condition, became cursed and contaminated her."

"I see. Well, it's still a theory worthy of a field trial" said Raubauhn. "I've lost too many soldiers, killed or tempered by Ifrit. The Amalj'aa are becoming aggressive once again: they're assaulting our commercial routes and accumulating Crystals. They'll try to summon the Lord of the Inferno as soon as they gather enough of those: according to our intelligence, if they continue to steal crystals at this rate, we have from one to two months before it'll be too late. But this could also be the perfect chance to test this theory."

Maria nodded, rotating the glass in her hand to let the wine inside breathe. "What you're asking is extremely ill-advised. If a high number of crystals is necessary for that summon, just send your army to attack the Amalj'aa stronghold and destroy as many crystals as possible. I guess you can ask for the help of the Thaumaturge guild for that."

"What I'm asking is for a final solution to this issue. I won't sugarcoat it, Lady: I want Ifrit dealt with, once and for all. And if there's a chance that you can kill for good a Primal, I will do everything I can to see that this monster will finally find the fate he deserves."

"What if the theory is wrong, though?" asked Maria.

"In that case, nothing changes. We will defeat Ifrit again, with great sacrifice, and we will get ready for the next time the Amalj'aa will try to summon him."

The Hunter nodded. "An immortal enemy. That sounds annoying."

"Monstrous, more than annoying. I lost too many good men because of him, and I had to order the execution of too many of my former soldiers that the Amalj'aa tempered."

That made Maria tilt her head. "Sorry, what is this tempering?"

Raubauhn sighed. "These monsters can corrupt the soul of their victims, changing their Aether attunement. This will make them mutate, gain more affinity with the specific element represented by the Primal, but this will also completely corrupt their free will. They become slaves of the Primal. And this process is irreversible."

Maria nodded. "A fate worse than death."

The General looked at the woman. "The only accepted procedure when a comrade is tempered is to execute him. There's no cure, and we can't allow the followers of the Primals to gain more strength"

The Hunter sighed. "I approve. If their mind is without free will and there's no cure, killing them is not an execution: it's mercy."

"You have experience with tempering, then?"

"No" said Maria, "but in Yharnam something similar happened to the hunters that became lost in the bloodlust. I had to kill some of my comrades who became beasts because of this. A colleague of mine had to become a Hunter of Hunters to stop those who lost their humanity. It was the only way."

"So you know how it feels" said the General.

The Hunter sighed. "I can see why you're clinging to Lorobuki's theory: it's a hope. Very well, then. I'll accept this job." Then, after one second, she added: "But I want part of my payment in advance."

Raubahn nodded. "And pray tell, what part?"

***

The Quartermaster of the Immortal Flames opened the letter from the General. She read it, then she read it once again. That was not an order she was expecting to receive.

"Hey, Roaille?" asked the Lalafell, looking at the Grand Flame Marshall near her.

The Elezen turned. "I told you to call me Marshall while on duty!"

"Sure, sure. Please, read this."

Roaille read the letter. Then she looked at the lalafell. "So?"

"Am I actually supposed to do this?"

"Are you actually questioning a direct order from the General?"

The lalafell sighed. "As long as you agree..."

"Just do what the letter says" she said with an annoyed hand gesture.

"All right, all right" said the quartermaster, resigned. She jumped out of her chair, and she started going toward the stables: as requested, she had to prepare two Chocobos for a new external consultant, a certain Lady Maria of Cainhurst.

***

"As I said" continued the General, "this will give us almost one month of time, according to my intelligence. Before that time, I need something else from you."

Maria nodded, looking at the man. "I'm listening."

"I need you to contact my peers in Limsa Lominsa and Gridania. I'll give you some letters to show them: the official excuse for your presence there will be to invite them for a celebration to the five years anniversary of the Battle of Carteneau."

The Hunter tilted her head. "The day of the fall of Dalamud?"

The General nodded. "The real reason is that I need you to talk with them. I know that the followers of other Primals, Titan and Garuda, are also making some chaos, and according to our intelligence, the Sylphies may have issues that could force them to summon Ramuh. I want you to share information about your predicament with them: this will convince them to ally once again, and to reform the Eorzean Alliance."

"I'm a hunter, not a diplomat" said the woman sincerely.

"Doesn't matter. Merlwyb, the Grand Admiral of Limsa Lominsa, is a former pirate. Hence, she has a very honest and direct approach to every issue, especially when politics is involved. At the same time, Kan-E-Senna is too connected with the Elementals to worry about the intricacies of diplomacy."

The woman nodded. "You're putting a lot of responsibilities on the shoulders of someone you barely know, General."

"Call it my instinct, Lady Maria. You're right, I should probably be more careful, but my guts are telling me that you'll be the right person for this job." He smiled. "I heard that you agree with me about trusting your instinct."

Maria bowed lightly. "Very well, General. I will be your messenger."

The General smiled. "I'm glad for that. Now, Lady Maria" said, moving his arm to make an inviting gesture toward the hall, "want to rejoin the banquet?"

The woman nodded. "Gladly."

Chapter Text

The hooded figures were sitting on their thrones, in a realm of darkness. In front of them, the spirit of one of their underlings. The Ascians were looking at the soul of the agent they sent to sow chaos in Ul'dah. Somehow, that agent chewed much more than any of them could have ingested.

"I've never seen anything like this" admitted Lahabrea, looking at the wounded spirit.

"No one did" said the Ascian dressed in white. Elidibus was puzzled, as everyone else. "For once in my existence, I don't know what to think about this."

The two looked at the wound of their agent. The simple fact that a spirit had been wounded was a novelty by itself, but what was really impressing the two Ascians was the eye that was forming inside the cut in the agent's soul.

A third Ascian got closer to the wound. The eye in the cut turned toward her. "I wonder if that's painful" murmured Igeyohrm.

"I don't know why you're wasting your time" said Nabriales, sitting on his throne. "If an adventurer did this, then we should just kill her quickly and be done with it."

The three turned to Nabriales. "Always the direct approach" said Lahabrea sarcastically.

"At least his direct approach gets results, my dear friend" said a gentle voice behind the soul of the agent. "As far as plans go, I still believe that your plan for the Ultima Weapon will be unsuccessful. But you're free to prove me wrong, I guess."

Everyone turned to the voice. A man dressed in the High Vest of the Garlean Empire came toward them. Various shiny military medals were dangling on his vest. His hair was brown with a white lock, and on his forehead there was the Third Eye of the Garleans. His expression and his mouth were locked in a mocking look.

"Emet-Selch" said Elidibus, surprised. "I wasn't expecting you here."

The man bowed sarcastically. "I must admit you're right, for once. Usually, I don't participate in these little charades."

"Too busy scheming long term with your precious empires?" said Nabriales smugly.

"I wait eagerly for the day you're going to learn that not everything can be brute forced, Nabriales. Some things require long planning and..."

"Our Lord can't wait forever!" objected Nabriales.

The mocking smile on Emet-Selch's face disappeared. His voice became deep and menacing. "Interrupt me again, I dare you."

None of the other Ascians dared answer. Emet-Selch breathed deeply, relaxed and smiled smugly once again. "So, this is the reason why you're suddenly very nervous?" he asked, looking at the eye in the wound. "Hmmm... Yes, this is bizarre. What is this..."

The Ascian got close to the wound.

Lahabrea spoke. "Careful, now. We don't know what..."

"It's just an eye in a soul" said Emet-Selch. "Nothing to be worried about. The only thing strange here is..."

And he suddenly got very quiet.

The other Ascians looked at Emet-Selch.

The man got closer, and he murmured: "What is this trick?"

Emet-Selch saw something inside the eye. He focused as much as possible to see the details: inside the pupil of that bizarre, alien eye that didn't belong in a wounded soul, he could see reflections of things that didn't belong there. "Is that a man?" he murmured.

"Emet-Selch?" asked Elidibus.

"What do we have here..." Emet-Selch kept murmuring.

He could see two men at a computer console. They were on a platform suspended among a twisted, distorted reality. It was as if he were watching them from a scrying spell or a security camera. Both of them had the Garlean Third Eye on their forehead, although the white-haired buffed man was hiding it behind some custom aviator goggles. They were both wearing some uniform, but it was probably from a tech department, not a military one. There was also a strange, cute chocobo, dressed in the same uniform. "What the... This is weird!" he kept murmuring.

"Would you mind sharing with us what you're finding so surprising?" asked Lahabrea.

Emet-Selch looked for one last time in the wound, trying to discern the details of that strange, formless dimension he could barely see in that eye. The men were somehow familiar, but he didn't recognise them. The cute, small chocobo was just bizarre.

"Nabriales?" said Emet-Selch.

"What?" answered the Ascian.

Emet-Selch turned toward his colleague. "So, you said that a single adventurer did this?"

"Yes. That's what the agent said, before entering this strange state."

"I see. Can he speak?"

Igeyohrm answered. "I think he's unconscious. Whatever that cut is, it's corrupting him... Somehow."

Emet-Selch looked once again at the eye. "So he's still alive?"

"Yes."

"Can we heal him?"

"Probably, but before doing that, we have to study him."

"I see." He turned once again to his so-called ally. "Remind me never to have to depend on your good spirit for my survival, Igeyohrm."

The woman didn't budge. "This mutation may be a menace. We need to learn what it is."

"Right" said Emet-Selch, thinking. "Very well, then. Nabriales, kill that adventurer."

All the Ascians turned toward Emet-Selch.

Nabriales nodded, bowed lightly and said: "It will be done." Then he disappeared in a dark cloud.

Emet-Selch then turned towards the woman. "Igeyohrm, check on him. Don't interfere, whatever happens."

"What?" the woman asked.

"Just indulge me. I want to see Nabriales in action, this time."

"Very well" said Igeyohrm, disappearing in another dark portal.

Lahabrea, Elidibus and Emet-Selch remained alone with the broken soul of the agent.

Elidibus looked at Lahabrea, who shrugged lightly. Then he turned towards Emet-Selch. "What are you doing?"

"Something is broken" said Emet-Selch. "If I'm wrong, this will solve itself in the moment Nabriales will come back victorious."

"And if you're right?" asked the man in white.

Emet-Selch started walking away, and after some steps, he made a vague gesture with his hand. "If I'm right, I will have to reconsider many things about the nature of everything. Now cure him, or whatever. I need to attend somewhere more important, now."

The two Ascians looked at each other while Emet-Selch disappeared into a dark portal.

The eye in the wound continued to follow the two Ascians, studying them.

***

Mikoto drank some tea, watching Edda. The conjurer was still sleeping in Maria's bed: her spell was lasting longer than expected, but according to the Hunter, she was drunk the night before, so it could be that she was resting normally.

She turned around, looking at the woman on the chair near the window. Maria, once finished the banquet with the Sultana, came back in the room and waited patiently for Edda to reawaken, but in the end she fell asleep. Smiling, the Au ra grabbed a sheet from the wardrobe and tucked the Hunter gently.

She looked back at Edda, drinking some more tea, then she gazed back at the beautiful pale lady asleep. She turned her head, then she looked outside. The stars were shining over Ul'Dah, and everything seemed fine. It was just a matter of waiting for Edda's awakening.

***

Momodi groaned once again. It was almost two in the morning, the Quicksand was practically empty, and she was glad for that, but that Roegadyn had passed the evening drinking the equivalent of a furniture of beer for the whole Adventurer's Guild by herself. The jokes of the Lalafell were becoming dumber the more she drank. If she had to hear another chemistry related joke...

"... And what do you get if you eat aluminium?" asked Cocobusi.

Moenbryda smiled, drinking again. "Hit me!"

"Metal sheet!"

The Roegadyn laughed loudly once again, while Momodi was wishing for a slow, painful death.

Cocobusi started again. "And what are the elements of life?"

"Oh wait, I know this one! Lithium and ir-"

"By the Twelve, just stop this bizarre chemical flirting and go upstairs for a quickie, you two!" screamed Momodi, tired of that constant noise.

Cocobusi looked at the Lalafell, surprised. "I beg yo-"

"You know, the ladette's right. Wanna come upstairs?"

"Whaaaaa-" The Lalafell looked paralysed while the Roegadyn grabbed him and took him towards the inn's rooms.

Chapter Text

That land was desolate even by the standards of the Dream. The Hunter had just left a lecture building that resembled Byrgenwerth somehow, but he wasn't expecting to find a desert of rocks outside of it. So this is the feared Nightmare Frontier, they thought while watching the desolate, barren territory. They walked a bit, exploring; they could smell the miasma from a distance, poisonous lakes like the one they had seen in the Forbidden Forest. They could hear the grunts and the verses of menacing monsters, that for the moment were keeping their distance. They could see small creatures that looked like tumours with legs, escaping from them and disappearing in a puff of smoke.

They grabbed the Moonlight Sword, keeping it firmly in their hand. The area was clearly full of dangers, but for now, they were alone. No one was getting close to attacking them. So they were exploring.

There was a tower in the distance, lower than where the Hunter was: their insight was telling them that over there something was waiting. A prey worthy of a hunt. They tried to look at the rocks, to find a way to come down and reach the tower. They could probably jump: with a bit of luck and a quick blood injection, they could survive a jump that high.

A quick breath, a syringe in their hand, a long jump.

The impact was brutal, but the Hunter was quick enough with the syringe: they were badly hurt, but the blood was already working. They tried to get back on their feet, but they needed some rest while the wounds from the fall healed. While breathing heavily, they looked at the mist in the valley. And something caught their attention.

Mast trees. There were broken ships, visible in the mist. Far away, lower in the valley.

They could feel it: their real target was there. They couldn't prove it, but their insight was clear: over there, near those broken ships, there was the Fishing Hamlet.

The final answer was in sight. They rise, looking at the place hidden in the mist.

The Hunter was so focused that they didn't hear the dissonant chant behind them. They saw a shadow looming over them, but before they could react, two massive tentacles grabbed them and forced them to turn. They watched helplessly as the grotesque creature attacked them, wearing the same dress as the Doll, but with a giant, massive, tumorous brain full of eyes instead of a head. The only sight of the creature was enough to cause physical pain to the Hunter: they could feel their blood run in their vein at an insane speed. When the creature opened its myriad tentacle mouths, the blood inside the Hunter's head ran so quickly that the veins in their temple and their neck exploded spontaneously. The head of the Hunter was a bloody mass of flesh, while the madness inducing monster started feasting on their skull.

***

Maria opened her eyes, almost screaming.

She breathed heavily, trying to focus.

Mikoto, startled, looked at the Hunter. "Maria?"

Maria looked around, trying to focus. This is an inn room, this is not Yharnam. I'm with Edda and Mikoto. There are no Winter Lanterns creeping here. I'm safe. This is a safe place.

Slowly, the panic attack calmed. The blood in her veins slowed down. She breathed once again, then she noticed the touch on her back. Mikoto was near her, one hand on her shoulder, with a glass of water. "Are you alright?"

Maria nodded, still scared. "I'm sorry... I tend to have bad dreams."

"You mentioned that yesterday. Now calm down: the nightmares are not real."

Maria laughed nervously, then she took a drink of water. "Thank you."

"Maria?" asked a voice.

The two women looked at the bed. "Edda?" said Maria.

"Another... bad dream?" said the girl, half sleeping.

Maria and Mikoto got close quickly. "How are you feeling, Edda?" asked the Hunter.

"I'm... fine? What..." Then she looked outside. "Oh, by the Twelve, the Banquet!!! How long did I sleep?!?"

"Never mind that", asked Maria. "Do you remember anything from yesterday?"

Edda remained silent for a second. "I... had a nightmare... I dreamed that I-I tried to stab my own eyes?" she said, confused.

Mikoto looked at her. "Do you feel an impulse to hurt yourself now?"

"No?" she asked, flabbergasted. "Who are you?"

"I'm sorry" the Au ra said with a bow. "I'm Mikoto Jinba, a Sharlayan scholar and a peer of Cocobusi Lorobuki. I'm a conjurer: you hurt yourself, probably because you were influenced by a cursed artefact."

"... What?" asked Edda, confused. "But I... I swear, I-I feel fine, I..."

The woman thought again about her dream. It was so real! Was she getting crazy? She felt desperate the day before, but self-harm was...

"It's my fault" said Maria.

"That's not true, and you know it" answered Mikoto.

"This happened because I wasn't careful. I should've thrown away the crystal."

Edda tilted her head. "That... The crystal did that to me?"

Maria nodded. Mikoto sighed. "It's a bit more complicated than that, actually. But for now, I just want to be sure that you're all right. Edda, can I do a thorough check?"

The girl tilted her head, confused.

Mikoto and Maria exchanged a look. Maria nodded: "I'll leave you some privacy" and she left the room.

Edda looked at her friend. "She... feels guilty, I think?"

And for good reasons, thought the Au ra without talking.

***

"Here" said Momodi, giving some coffee to Maria.

The Hunter bowed to thank the Lalafell, and then she looked at the time. It was almost six o'clock in the morning: at least she managed to sleep a good chunk of hours that night. She sat down at a table, waiting patiently. As she sipped the coffee, she allowed the bitterness to mingle with the complex thoughts swirling in her mind. She thought about her discussion with Mikoto the day before. The doubts and the scepticism of the Au ra still lingered in her mind, reminding her of the fine line between truth and insanity.

She took another sip. Of course, Maria knew she was not crazy: she had evidence of the true nature of that reality. She could see and interact with the Messengers, she could perceive the hidden truths of the world thanks to her insight... But wouldn’t that be exactly what an insane person would say? Another sip. I’m not crazy, the world is, said the crazy person, she thought. Maybe she was just a lunatic?

She looked outside the window of the Quicksand. That couldn’t be true: she had more evidence, not only her own experience. Edda saw the Messengers, and so did Master Lorobuki. And even Momodi, although just for a second. She and Edda shared the same insight when the Ascian attacked them. And, of course, she was still dead. She wasn't imagining all those nightmares.

She found very little solace in the realisation that she wasn't crazy, because that means also that the horrors of her life were real. It was actually surprising to think that she did not become crazy for facing her own life. But then again, she did kill herself: no sane person would do that. Probably.

She thought about Mikoto once again. Somehow, Maria felt disappointed that the Au ra didn't believe her: she would have loved to show some real, objective evidence to her, but by denying her access to the insight, she was actually saving her. Better to be classified as a megalomaniac or crazy than share that nightmare.

However, some of the things they discussed together warrant consideration. She still had no clue about her presence on Eorzea: that was equally frustrating and worth investigating. There had to be some rational explanation for why she ended up there, or how. In a way, she spent those first days effectively: establishing her name, forming alliances, and ensuring her basic needs. But now she had to focus on her own presence there. Maybe that could also allow her to prove the truth to Mikoto without sharing her curse.

She tilted her head, then she finished her coffee. The fact that Mikoto examined her, accepted that she was cursed and, most importantly, dead, but that at the same time she refused to accept her explanation was really bothering Maria. She sighed, realising that if she were in Mikoto's place, she would probably have rejected that explanation too. How to blame her? You don't actually exist is not a good icebreaker in conversations.

She stopped her train of thought as soon as she heard footsteps from the stairs. She turned: Edda and Mikoto were descending.

Maria stood up. "Edda, how do you feel?"

"Groggy" said the girl, "and hungry."

"She's fine" confirmed Mikoto. "She needs to drink and have a good breakfast. But we need to talk."

Three minutes later, Momodi brought an omelette with bacon and a hot tea to Edda. The conjurer started eating, with a giant smile on her face.

Mikoto and Maria looked at her, then the Au ra looked at Maria. "I wasn't able to determine anything about the crystal or its influence on Edda."

Maria nodded. "I suspected as much."

"Considering this, I must advise against being an adventurer for the time being."

"No way" protested Edda, while giving a giant bite to some bread. "I don't care about-"

"Edda, she's a conjurer" said Maria, interrupting her friend.

"So am I! I can heal myself!"

Mikoto looked at her with a stern look. "I've been a conjurer since I was fourteen, and I'm a Sharlayan Archon. How long have you been a conjurer?"

"Three months" answered the girl, unfazed "but nonetheless, Maria can't afford to travel alone. Not after what happened with the General."

Mikoto tilted her head. Maria sighed. "I omitted that detail on purpose."

The Au ra didn't talk for a couple of seconds, but the way she looked at Maria could kill. The woman sighed, then explained what happened. The vision during the lunch, the bleeding, the flashback. She omitted the details of what she actually did at the Fishing Hamlet: she just explained that she witnessed the reason why she was cursed. "... In the end, apparently this stopped because Edda used some kind of purification spell."

"An Esuna spell?" asked Mikoto. "I'm surprised it worked."

"I don't even know what that word actually means" admitted the hunter.

The Au ra nodded. "Perhaps this will be a topic for another time. I'm more concerned about the artificial stabbed moon in your vision."

"Yeah" said Edda, "you didn't mention that you dreamed about Dalamud."

Maria tilted her head. "The prison of Bahamut?"

Mikoto quickly grabbed a pencil and some paper from her bag, then she drew a rough circle. She then added some monoliths that were stabbing it. And some bizarre markings on the monoliths.

Maria looked at the drawing. "Yes, that's what I dreamt. And a giant metallic bug on it was checking our deeds in the Hamlet."

The two women tilted their heads. "I have no clue about that" admitted Edda.

Mikoto nodded. She was as clueless as the other girl.

Then the Au ra sighed. "I should recommend that both of you retire as adventurers, then."

"Moenbryda wanted to hire me, remember?" said Maria.

"Yeah, Cocobusi's theory is still interesting, but I'm not talking as a scholar now: this is my professional opinion as a medic."

"What if you join our party, then?" asked the Hunter.

Mikoto tilted her head. "Are you proposing to have me become an adventurer with you two?"

"I don't have an actual plan, so far I'm just accepting random jobs to earn some money. Well, I accepted a job for General Raubauhn that calls for a quick tour of Limsa Lominsa and Gridania, and I'm supposed to ally myself with the Immortal Flames in the next weeks to try and fight Ifrit."

Edda looked at Maria. "Wait, when did you accept that?"

"At the banquet yesterday. I'll explain later, don't worry."

Mikoto remained silent for a second. "So, you suggest sticking together until your fight with Ifrit?" She considered the idea. "This will allow you to have an independent healer in case anything happens to you or Edda, and for me to check both of you in case your curse acts again. And, of course, to check if Lorobuki's theory is true."

Maria nodded. "Our rule is to split the gains fifty-fifty. If you accept, we'll still split equally for everyone involved. Of course, that would mean I will accept more dangerous errands. The ones that pay better."

"What about Moenbryda?" asked Mikoto.

"I'll make the same offer to her if you feel she can help. I don’t see the need to separate you two."

The Au ra nodded, convinced. "She's an excellent scholar, and she’s good with an axe. She definitely has more of an aptitude for the adventuring life compared to me."

Maria nodded. "Edda, what do you say?"

The girl finished her omelette with a bite. She burped lightly, then she smiled. "You're the leader of this hunting pack: I trust your judgement!"

Mikoto smiled, then she stood up. "If you don't mind, I'm going to wake up Moenbryda now. I feel like we should make a decision all together."

Maria nodded. "I agree. See you in a few."

The Au ra left the two girls alone.

Edda finished her tea. "Well, having another healer would make me feel safer."

The Hunter shrugged. "I just hope they're as good as they say."

***

Mikoto reached them five minutes later. "Moenbryda will join us shortly."

Maria raised an eyebrow when the Roegadyn came down the stairs accompanied by Cocobusi. She looked at the two, but she scoffed: it wasn’t her business anyway.

The woman looked at Edda, then she smiled. "I'm Moenbryda. Edda, a pleasure to meet you while not in a panic attack."

"... Likewise?" said the Conjurer, confused. "I really made a mess yesterday, didn't I?"

"A bit" admitted the Roegadyn. "Luckily, Mikoto is a really good healer."

"Yes, I can't express how much I appreciated your help" said Maria, nodding to the Au ra. "But there is news, and I wish to discuss with both of you." Then she looked at the lalafell. "And with you, if you want."

"Me?" asked Lorobuki.

Maria ordered breakfast for everyone. Moenbryda and Cocobusi listened to the Hunter carefully: she discussed the job from the General, her plans, and her proposal to form a temporary party together.

Maria sipped some coffee. "... In the end, that's it. I think this would be interesting, having this mission sponsored by the Immortal Flames. Although I was a little surprised that the General knew about your theory, master Cocobusi."

The Lalafell seemed suddenly agitated. "Now let's just calm down and consider that..."

"You discussed your theory with your brother, who shared it with the commander-in-chief of an army in perpetual fight with the Primals." Maria sighed. "Technically, you did me a favour."

Cocobusi stopped. "I... Did?"

The woman made a vague gesture. "A dangerous favour, but still a favour. I have people lining up for me, throwing jobs at my feet. Very remunerative ones, I might add."

"We didn't discuss money" objected Moenbryda.

"Because so far, I can't be certain that I can actually kill Primals. For now, hunting Ifrit counts as a trial run. At least, for what you're concerned: I intend to be fully paid by the General."

"Because he asked you to be his ambassador?" asked Edda.

"Among other reasons" confirmed Maria. "Also, Moenbryda, it may be prudent to have Mikoto with me for the time being. So, for now I want you two to join me in this... Adventuring business."

"What about later?" asked Mikoto.

"If this theory turns out to be a fluke, I'll just continue doing a normal career as an adventurer until I gain enough money to have my own place. Then I'll probably try to join the alchemist guild, and find the host of the dream."

Moenbryda looked confused at Mikoto. The Au ra was a bit annoyed. Maria continued. "But if it's true, I'll increase my tariffs. A lot. The Primals are... Six? One for each classic element?"

"No, there's more than that" said Mikoto. "I can't say exactly how many there are: maybe twenty, maybe more..."

"Still. First, the plan is to verify whether this is true. Personally, I'm sceptical. Especially seeing what happened to Edda yesterday."

The Roegadyn nodded. "To be fair, now that crystal is completely devoid of Aether, so I won't rule out Cocobusi's theory yet. But yeah, I can see your reasoning: something must have happened to her."

"I still can't believe it" murmured the Conjurer. "I never... Never did anything like that before!"

"Anyway" continued Maria, "I need to reach Gridania and Limsa Lominsa for this job. And I wish to recruit you as members of my party."

Moenbryda nodded, interested. "You will have to accept more odd jobs, though, during this time?"

"Probably. I plan to split the gains in equal parts. That means twenty per cent for each one of you."

The women looked at each other. "Why are we splitting forty for us and sixty for the two of you?" asked Mikoto.

"She... Uh. She's including me" said Lorobuki, confused. "B-but I'm not an adventurer, I'm an alchemist! I d-don’t..."

"I need my tools, so I count you as an official member of the party, on top of the deal we already established. This, of course, if you agree to follow us. You will wait for us in the closest sanctuary area, and work as a crafter for this hunting party. For instance, Edda asked for some Ether, and I need that Phantasm Shell. And I may need other things: oil lamps, firebombs, fresh blood vials, mint leaves, rust, aluminium sheet..."

The man nodded, then tilted his head. "I... Sorry, what about the last two items?"

"If you fold oxidised iron inside an aluminium sheet and then hit it with a certain strength, you get a very violent thermal reaction. That's called a Fire Paper: we use those on our weapons during the hunt back in Yharnam. The reaction is so violent that the weapon burns in the impact."

"That's... Impressive. Can I try one?" asked Moenbryda, curious.

The Hunter stared for one second at the Roegadyn, then she looked back at Cocobusi. "I would like to remind you of our non-disclosure agreement."

The Lalafell nodded. "No need to remind me that." Moenbryda huffed, disappointed.

"Good" continued Maria "There will be more items I may need, not counting that Shell. How's the torture going?"

"Disturbing and really smelly, but last time I checked, the lobster was still alive. Half of her eggs are definitely dead. It should be ready as established in some days."

Mikoto tilted her head. What were those two doing?

The woman looked at the four people. "So... Any objections to this party? Speak now, please."

The four women and the lalafell looked at each other.

Then Mikoto sighed. "Well, where to now, oh great brave leader?"

Maria rolled her eyes, then she smiled. "Our first stop will be Gridania. We need to talk with Kan-E-Senna, on behalf of the Sultana."

Edda became pale, while Moenbryda whistles. "You weren't joking about the important mission" said the Roegadyn.

"I seldom joke" commented drily Maria. "Also, we need to organise the trip. Do we all have personal transportations?"

Mikoto, Moenbryda and Cocobusi raised their hands. Edda shook her head.

Maria smiled. "Well, my dear Edda, I have good news..."

***

The five appeared on the Drybone plaza, near the Aetheryte. Maria quickly petted the air near the giant crystal, while Edda tried not to look in her general direction. Mikoto tilted her head, then asked the conjurer: "So... You can actually see those?"

"Maybe I'm just going crazy" said Edda, shrugging. "But yes, I can see the Messengers."

The Au ra nodded. "How do they look?"

"Dead, bloated, emaciated, hairless lalafells emerging from a mist cloud."

Mikoto was flabbergasted. She didn't know how to answer.

"They seem harmless enough" continued the girl. "I'm getting somewhat used to seeing them."

The Au ra tilted her head.

Edda sighed. "Like you get used to tinnitus."

"Ah. I see."

Cocobusi was the last to teleport. He was riding a cart, similar to the one that had taken Maria to Ul'dah a week before. It was attached to two giant flying balloons and moved by a couple of chocobos. Attached to it, on the back, two more chocobos: they had the tabards of the Immortal Flames.

Maria reached one of the two chocobos and caressed her. "Good girl, good" she said gently.

Edda looked at her friend. "Have you picked up a name yet?"

"Agro" she said, petting her chocobo once again. She had her for only a couple of hours, but she already loved that beautiful bird. She looked calm, well-trained, and very receptive.

The chocobo assigned to Edda was a bit wilder: he suddenly turned his head and tried to playfully bite Edda’s ponytail. "Mine is... Confused" said the woman, avoiding his beak and patiently cuddling him.

"He's confusing hay with hair, probably?" said Mikoto, smiling.

"Call him Nipper!" declared Moenbryda.

"What? No!" said Edda, flabbergasted, while everyone else laughed.

Maria jumped on her chocobo. Mikoto whistled, and suddenly everyone could hear the sound of a horse running: after a couple of seconds, a unicorn appeared from behind a rock and got closer to the Au ra, pushing her gently with her head.

"Whaaaaat?" said Edda, while the Au ra cuddled her magical horse.

"Oh, I helped her years ago. She always answers my calls since then: she's surprisingly loyal for a fierce magical creature."

"Neat" said Maria. Then she looked at Moenbryda: the woman grabbed a green, bizarre small sphere from her bag, and threw it on the ground. The ball started flying and expanded, becoming as tall as the Roegadyn. With a jump, Moenbryda reached the top of the sphere and sat down on top of it.

Maria, Edda and Cocobusi looked at the woman, completely at a loss for words.

"What?" said Moenbryda. "You never saw an Allagan relic before?"

Maria tilted her head, then she found her composure. "Very well, my hunting pack: to Gridania! Off we go, I want to reach that place before the dawn!"

***

"What an interesting application of chemistry" said Maria to Cocobusi. "So, the gas in the balloons is lighter than air, and thus it pushes the cart towards the sky. This is brilliant! What is the gas?"

"Oh, a simple byproduct of ceruleum purification" explained Cocobusi. "It's an inert gas and completely harmless, but as you said, it's really light. It also makes your voice really funny if you breathe it."

"Makes sense, a lighter gas would make the sound waves travel faster in your vocal cords."

"Precisely. Are you also a medic, Maria?"

"No, but I studied anatomy to learn how to kill quicker."

Edda sighed. Always with the creepy stuff.

"I never heard of ceruleum before" admitted the hunter, watching the road. "Your knowledge of alchemy, here in Eorzea, is outstanding."

"Thanks. Ceruleum is a natural substance, powerful and highly flammable. The Garlean Empire uses it as fuel for its Magitek technology."

Maria nodded, looking at the bridge ahead. "I'm curious to see these magitek wonders in action. I read about them, these last few days, but I never saw one."

Moenbryda's sphere got close to the two. "There's Highbridge. Behind that, there's the border with Gridania."

Maria nodded. "I'm sorry for this forced trip, but I never visited Gridania before, so I'm not attuned to that place."

"Oh, neither did I" said Cocobusi, "so that makes two of us who had to do the trip."

Maria nodded, then she turned to the others. "You still sure you don't want to just teleport there? I can safely accompany our esteemed alchemist..."

"Never split the party" said Edda, determined.

"I need to check on both of you" commented Mikoto.

"And I don't like the idea of having to wait alone for one day and a half in that boring hippie cesspool" grumbled Moenbryda.

"Fair" murmured the Au ra, while Edda laughed lightly.

The small group traversed the desert of Eastern Thanalan, and finally reached the border of Ul'Dah: a giant bridge built on top of a canyon. The valley was deep, with a mist of sand at the bottom. Maria could see a waterfall not far away, and on the other side of the canyon, there were giant, unnatural structures as high as Ul'Dah towers, glowing with a yellow, corrupt yet beautiful light.

Maria pointed to the alien structures. "What are those?"

Moenbryda looked at them, then she shrugged. "It’s called the Burning Wall: those are pieces of Dalamud. Allagan technology. I wouldn't get too close to those; it has corrupted the land and the creatures that live close to it."

"I see" said Maria. It was fascinating, although alien. Well, she did cross her way with the unnatural before, but that was not supposed to be a competition, and she had to admit that those pieces of a giant artificial moon were... Unnerving and compelling at the same time.

"You can find similar things everywhere in the City States territories" said Edda. "Dalamud fell on Carteneau, but its fragments scattered everywhere. Remember that crater I mentioned near Gridania? It looks the same."

"Fascinating" murmured the Hunter.

The party reached the bridge. Moenbryda looked around: "Be ready with your papers, there will definitely be a border check."

Maria and Edda sighed, and Lorobuki wasn't thrilled either.

The group started to cross the bridge. Maria looked around. "Is it normally this empty?"

"What do you mean?" asked Edda.

"Do you see any guards?"

The other women looked around. The Hunter was right: there were no Brass Blades, no merchants, no travellers. That bridge was the main road that connected two City States, and no one was there. "Maybe we're lucky?" said the Roegadyn, smiling.

Edda and Maria suddenly felt something off place. The Hunter played it cool, but the conjurer looked around very nervously. Mikoto noticed the girl's behaviour. "Edda, are you all-"

"Quiet" murmured Maria. "Act natural, Edda."

The Au ra looked confused at the two women. Edda got close to Mikoto and explained: "Something's wrong. I can feel it."

"So can I" confirmed Maria. "Moenbryda, protect Lorobuki."

Moenbryda obeyed without questioning: she moved closer to the cart, forcing the lalafell to slow down and gain some distance from the others.

Mikoto frowned, trying to look natural. "Is this the Insight working?" she asked in a low voice.

"It is" confirmed Maria. "Maybe it's nothing, but-"

She and Edda turned their head and focused on a specific rocky formation. Very far away, on the other side of the canyon. Too far away to use her gun, thought.

"We're being watched" said the Conjurer, flatly.

***

Nabriales was looking at the distant party that was crossing the bridge, flying over a rock: they were barely visible, some hundreds of yalms away. An ancient magic was hiding him from all sight. And yet, he had the annoying sensation that those people were aware of his presence.

Doesn't matter, thought the Ascian, smiling under his mask: his agent was ready, and with the power of the Soul Crystal the Ascians gave to him, he should've been more than able to take care of five random misfits.

***

For Edda, trying to keep her cool was difficult. Maria seemed natural and impassive, like a statue or a doll, while the conjurer was trying her best not to look around too much. She was starting to be genuinely scared: she really hated that feeling of unease, of tension.

Moenbryda reached Mikoto: the four women were ready for anything.

"There" suddenly said Maria.

Someone was crossing the bridge in the opposite direction. Maria looked at the man; he wore a black, purplish vest, a dark red tabard, and a strange, bizarre dark bandana that resembled a giant horn on his forehead. He was looking at them. The most interesting thing was that he was unarmed: on his belt, there weren't hilts or knives, but a book. Maria studied the man: he had dark skin and white hair. She already saw him somewhere; she was sure of it.

The man was getting closer and closer. The three women were moving carefully, but they were trying their best to conceal their tension.

Then something clicked in Maria's mind. The papers of Momodi. He was one of the former adventurers that the innkeeper told her to hire.

Maria looked directly at the man, then she asked loudly: "Are you Tristan Lowe?"

Mikoto, Edda, and the intruder looked at Maria as if they had all seen a ghost. Moenbryda didn’t budge, stoic as a statue.

The man looked surprised. "What in the Seven Hells..."

"So you are Tristan Lowe" said the Hunter. Her insight was still tingling violently: there was still something that was observing them, somehow. "Momodi Modi told me to look for you."

The man grimaced. "How do you..." Then he opened his book. "Doesn't matter. You're an obstacle!"

Maria sighed. Everyone talked too much in Eorzea!

"Careful, Maria!" screamed Edda, grabbing her staff. "He's an arcanist!"

Tristan laughed. "You wish, little conjurer!"

Aether started to surround him, then he condensed it into the words and the geometric signs of his books. And in front of him, a monstrous creature appeared. A red, legless flaming body. Long, thin arms. And the face of a demon. Mikoto screamed, scared, while Moenbryda quickly looked back to check if Cocobusi was at a safe distance.

Maria looked at the beast, unfazed. She quickly grabbed her Rakuyo and raised her guard. The flaming demon charged her. Maria suddenly disappeared, but the Demon exploded. Everyone was knocked back. Maria appeared on the side of the creature: the explosion hit her full force. She rolled on the ground to quench the flames, then quickly removed her jacket, which was on fire. She was hurt: her arms and her face were covered in bruises and burns, but she was still able to fight.

"So, diplomacy won't work" murmured the hunter, then she pointed a finger at the flaming creature and ordered: "MOENBRYDA!"

"ON IT!" screamed the Roegadyn, grabbing her axe while charging at the demon with her allagan sphere. At the very last second, the woman jumped from her mount and fell toward the creature.

Maria focused on the summoner, while she was suddenly feeling better: Edda and Mikoto, at a distance, were focusing their healing magic on curing everyone. Maria grabbed her Rakuyo and raised it, pointing it at Tristan. The Summoner looked funnily at the woman: the Ascian told him she was dangerous, but there were at least twenty yalms between her and her enemy. There was no chance in hells she could hit him from that distance with a sword.

On the rock, hundreds of yalms away, Nabriales almost laughed. She was too far! How was she hoping to hit that summoner with her sword from...

The Hunter exhaled.

Everyone blinked.

Maria stabbed the man in his stomach.

The Rakuyo emerged from his back.

Not even the Ascian was able to understand how she managed to close that distance so quickly.

The mysterious flame demon disappeared as soon as Tristan started to pass away.

The mage spat blood on the Hunter. Maria took a step back to remove her sword, unfazed. Another violent spill of blood hit her: she didn't move, watching the man collapse.

She looked at him, then at Edda. "Don't allow him to die, I want to question him. Mikoto, help the-"

Mikoto screamed: "MARIA!"

A dark cloud appeared behind the Hunter.

A cloaked man with a mask, his palm pointed towards Maria's head.

She had barely the time to realise she had to move.

An explosion of corrupted energy hit her in the face.

***

A dark cloud appeared on the top of the spires of the Burning Wall. From it, a caped person appeared, then she sat atop the spires. Igeyohrm looked at Nabriales, making his first move against that group of hunters.

This should be over soon, thought the woman. Let's just hope that idiot will close this quickly: I don't feel like watching him play with those mortals.

***

Moenbryda screamed while a cloud of dust surrounded the Hunter and the Ascian.

When it dispersed, the Roegadyn could see Maria on her knees, stunned. Her whole face was a bloody mess.

"My congratulations, mortal. You forced me to intervene directly" said the man with an arrogant smirk.

Mikoto looked at the Hunter, paralysed by surprise. Edda, on the other hand, was already starting to cast a spell.

A dark explosion at her feet interrupted her. Edda was launched on the other side of the bridge. The impact made her pass out.

"I'm talking here" said the man. "Don’t be rude!"

Moenbryda looked at her friend. "Snap out of it, Mikoto!"

"What?" she murmured, her voice trembling with fear.

"Confound it!" said the Roegadyn with a grimace. A quick charge, a scream, and she swung her axe at the intruder.

Nabriales grabbed the blade with two fingers, stopping it with nonchalance.

"As I said" said the man, turning his arm and launching Moenbryda away like she was a doll, "don't interrupt me. I'll deal with you trash later."

Mikoto was shocked. She had never seen a similar display of raw power before.

Nabriales looked at the Au ra. "Frozen in fear?"

"I... I..." She fell on her knees, too scared to do anything.

He laughed and then turned once again toward Maria. The Hunter was still kneeling, trying to breathe and focus.

"Now" said the man, focusing on Maria. "You made a lot of people scared. Your bizarre powers may be interesting, but if you're a menace you must be erased, not studied. That's why they sent me. You may be dangerous against one of our half-assed agents, but against a true Ascian? You may very well kill yourself; you have no hopes of success. So... Maria from Cainhost, or how it's pronounced. Pleased to meet you, but it's time to... Hm?"

Nabriales got suddenly distracted. He looked at the woman, and then a strange glyph, made of red light, appeared in front of his mask. Then he focused on the Rakuyo.

"Oh. I see what happened now" continued the man, studying the Hunter. He chuckled, then it laughed loudly. "That sword caused it. It was never you."

"What..." said Maria, trying to find her composure. "What are you... Talking about, Ascian?" Please keep talking, idiot, I need a couple more seconds so that everything will stop spinning after that hit!

"It's your sword that caused that unnatural cut on our agent's soul" said Nabriales, chuckling again. "I see now... That blade is cursed beyond measure."

Maria widened her eyes, surprised. The Rakuyo was cursed, too? It made an awful lot of sense, seeing what I did with it!

The Ascian continued. "I must admit it, I never saw anything like this. So much hate, rancour and suffering condensed into a single piece of metal... What did you do with it, woman?"

The woman stuck the blade on the ground, to help her equilibrium and to stand up once again.

Nabriales laughed. "Oh, wait, don't tell me. It doesn't matter anyway."

He swiftly kicked the longer blade of the Rakuyo in the middle. Maria fell once again, watching the blade break into dozens of metal fragments.

"And this takes care of it, then" said the man, laughing. "If that was the answer, I'm disappointed by my peers. They seemed so worried by a simple adventurer, a stupid human that-"

The violent sound of the Rakuyo splitting in two. Some sparks appeared from the hilt.

The Hunter controlled her breath, preparing herself for the pain.

"BY THE TWELVE!" screamed Mikoto.

Nabriales suddenly got hit by a spill of blood.

Maria stabbed herself in the belly with the short and the broken blades of the separated Rakuyo. She didn’t make a sound. Blood was spilling violently from her body. The crimson liquid was hitting the Ascian, the floor, everywhere.

Nabriales hesitated, frozen by the absurdity of that act. "What are you doing?"

Maria breathed heavily, then she removed the blades from her own body. An obscene, unnatural scream of pain.

Then, for one second, pure chaos erupted on the bridge.

Everything around the hunter exploded, trampled by boiling blood.

The Ascian screamed: he was burning and feeling pain! He was not supposed to feel pain! He looked at the blood: it was burning his flesh, like an acid or boiling water! He rose once again, then he looked at Maria. She was brandishing two long crimson blades. The hilts were those of her bizarre double-bladed sword, but the blades were as tall as she was, made of a red glass of sorts. The Ascian's eyes widened, shocked by the realisation: those blades weren't made of glass, but they were actually coated with her own crystallised blood. What kind of dark, corrupted magic was that?

The woman breathed heavily, then she moved.

Nabriales started flying away, to go beyond the reach of the two blades.

Maria did a swift slash from the top. Her blades grew during the attack. The woman cut everything in front of her as if it were heated butter. The Ascian, the stone of the bridge, even the cloud of sand under the bridge, dozens of yalms away!

Her enemy looked in shock at his left arm: the blade cut through it like it was butter. He realised with horror that his arm was detached from his body. That was not supposed to be possible! Then he noticed the cut on the ground: the woman had cut not just him, but everything in that line. A small chunk of the bridge collapsed, falling into the canyon.

Nabriales screamed, pointing the other arm at the woman. A purple sphere of corrupted energy appeared in his palm.

Maria ran toward the Ascian. Then she disappeared.

The sphere hit the bridge, exploding in a wave of dark energy. The Hunter wasn't there anymore.

Suddenly, Nabriales was trampled from behind. A flying chariot pulled by two chocobos hit him violently. Cocobusi ordered the birds to keep galloping, dragging the Ascian with them. The lalafell was too focused on doing the right thing to realise how completely bonkers he was acting.

He suddenly screamed like a little girl, when a clawed hand grabbed the border of the chariot.

Nabriales appeared from the side. "That was a really stupid move, Lalafell!"

The alchemist yelled again, terrorized, but didn't stop the chariot.

The Ascian climbed into the vehicle. He looked at his stump, then at his side: being trampled that way had scraped his whole body. Then he focused on the Lalafell, the red glyph shining once again over his mask. He started screaming, blinded by rage. "You stupid, useless, diminutive trash! I will kill you last, after making you watch your friends die and removing your-"

"You talk too much" murmured a female voice.

Nabriales turned his head to the back of the vehicle.

Maria was on the chariot with them, a grimace on her face.

Two swift blades made of blood closed in a scissor movement toward Nabriales' neck.

The Ascian's head fell overboard, while his body collapsed on Cocobusi.

The lalafell screamed once again, losing temporary control of the chariot. Maria grabbed the reins, forcing the chocobos to stop.

A dark cloud condensed from the body, then for a brief moment, a red glyph appeared in front of it. Then the cloud disappeared, just like the first Ascian that Maria had faced some days before.

Cocobusi panicked, trying to remove the body. Maria helped him, then she sighed.

She sat down, exhausted, and said: "He... Escaped."

"What was that?!?" screamed the lalafell.

Maria smiled. "You were really brave, Cocobusi. I... Appreciate that."

Then the Hunter collapsed.

***

Igeyohrm was speechless: someone with the power of Nabriales shouldn't just lose that way, that quickly. That woman, the self-proclaimed Hunter, would probably die soon, seeing the wounds that she had, but still: the simple fact that she managed to force Nabriales outside his possessed body was a feat in itself.

She looked one last time at the fragments of the broken blade: at least that menace was over, if Nabriales was right. With that sword destroyed and that woman dead, no one could cause that kind of damage to the spirit of an Ascian.

For a moment, she considered disobeying Emet-Selch’s instructions and making sure that everyone in that party died. Then she reconsidered. Facing the fury of that man could be dangerous, even for her. Also, she had more pressing matters to attend to immediately.

A dark portal appeared behind her: even if the danger was over, Nabriales lost. She had to find and help him before the cuts caused by that woman could grow eyes like they did on their agent.

On a different spire of the Burning Wall, a blue shoebill opened his wings as soon as Igeyohrm disappeared in that portal, flying toward the horizon.

***

"Maria! MARIA!!!" screamed the lalafell. "EDDA! MIKOTO! ANYONE! PLEASE!!!"

The alchemist tried to feel the woman's breath and her pulse, realising too late that Maria had always been dead: he had no way to actually check her condition. "Oh Gods, is she dead for real?"

The sound of hooves on the bridge got closer. Mikoto was running towards them, riding her unicorn. She was panicking, murmuring "I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry!" When she got closer, the woman quickly grabbed Maria. "Maria, I'm sorry I-I panicked and-"

"Not now, Mikoto" said the lalafell. "Heal her, please!"

"Heal! Right!" The Au ra tried to focus, but she realised with horror that the Elementals weren't giving her Aether to cure Maria. "Oh, please not now!"

"What's happening?" asked Lorobuki.

"The Elementals are scared of touching Maria! Whatever she did must have connected her to those Augurs. They won't-"

Mikoto remained silent for a second. Then she grabbed the Rakuyo. A scream of pain, when she cut deeply into her own palm. Her hand started spilling blood. She looked at the cut, and then she put her hand on top of Maria, letting the blood fall on her wounds. "Please heal, godsdammit. Please!"

Cocobusi looked at the crazy gesture of the Au ra, then he grimaced. He grabbed the Rakuyo too, and then he cut his own palm to help her.

The two passed their hands over Maria's body, letting their blood drip on her.

The Hunter didn't move.

Chapter Text

The chariot crossed the forest on the southern part of the Shroud, followed by a Roegadyn that was riding a giant Allagan sphere. Only the light of the moon was guiding them on that crazy night. Edda and Mikoto were on top of Maria, checking her vitals, while Lorobuki was running like crazy.

Edda kept her bleeding hand on top of Maria, soaking her in more blood.

"Are you sure this is working, Mikoto?" the girl asked. "She seems... Dead!"

"Because she is, but she's still breathing." The Au ra grabbed the shorter blade of the Rakuyo and put it near Maria's nose. The Hunter's breath condensed on the blade. "She's weird like that, so this may be healing her." Mikoto hesitated. “It has to be healing her.”

"The Elementals are still scared, though" said Edda. "And we're entering the part of the Shroud where..."

Suddenly, the chariot stopped. Edda and Mikoto looked at the road: near the southern border of Gridania, armed soldiers were waiting. Mikoto checked their uniforms: they were part of the Order of the Twin Adder, the Grand Company of Gridania. In front of them, two young mages dressed in white, a girl and a boy, with red hair. Horns on the side of their head: two Padjals.

Edda looked at them. "Raya-O-Senna, is that you? And A-Ruhn-Senna?"

The two young boys tilted their heads. "Edda Pureheart, if I'm correct?" said the girl.

"The very same. Please help us, my friend is hurt!"

"Not so fast" said the boy. "This chariot is bringing something that's scaring away the Elementals."

"Yes, we know" said Mikoto. "It's our friend. She's cursed."

The two boys looked at each other, then they got close to check on Maria.

"What is this?" the boy asked, surprised.

The girl looked at Mikoto. "Is she an undead?"

"She's not an undead" answered in unison the two Conjurers.

A-Ruhn-Senna raised his hand, checking Maria. "She's dead, but also dreaming. I can barely feel her thoughts."

Edda and Mikoto looked at each other, then they looked at the two Padjal.

The boy nodded. "She's connected with something hostile and alien. That's what scaring the Elementals."

"What about the arcanist?" asked the girl, pointing at the sleeping guy on the back of the chariot, with his arms and legs tied.

Edda shrugged. "He'll live. He's magically sleeping now; he attacked us, and we want to know why."

"Forget about him. Can you help her?" asked Mikoto, impatient.

The two brothers looked at each other, then the boy shrugged. The girl made a gesture to the soldiers. "Take her to our sister!"

Edda nodded, relieved, while the cart moved again. She caressed Maria's head.

So you're dreaming, my friend? What are you dreaming about right now?

***

That new weapon was interesting, thought the Hunter brandishing it. It was a metallic mace, but when they moved it in a certain way, the metal ball on top started sparking. That mace was somehow attuned to lightning: it could definitely be helpful for surviving that place, thought the Hunter. That part of the city was extremely dangerous: so far, exploring that Unseen Village had caused their death many times. Every time they managed to explore more, but the beasts that were roaming those roads were lethal and silent. And then there was the giant monster in front of the gate. The beast that could summon lightning.

The Hunter looked at their new weapon, unsure of what to do with it. A lightning weapon against a monster that could summon lightning sounded wrong. They put away the Tonitrus, then they grabbed their trusted saw cleaver: it was time to face once again that beast.

Carefully, they dragged themselves on the secret passage behind the church in the Unseen Village. They turned, ready to face the beast once again.

Then they froze in place.

The Beast was there. Part of it was, at least.

The body of the beast had a hole in it bigger than the hunter. Somehow, the hole extended to the floor: the Hunter reached the marks in the ground. The stone floor was glassed! Whatever did that, he killed that thunderous beast with a strength so overwhelming that the floor itself was hit by that attack. A magician of some sort, perhaps?

No reason to think too hard about that, thought the Hunter, reaching the gate. They could finally leave that accursed village hidden inside Yharnam.

Before leaving, though, he looked one last time at the dead beast. There was someone very powerful crossing Yharnam during the night of the hunt: they had to be careful.

On a wall not too distant, a blue shoebill opened its wings and flew through the open gate, flying upwards toward Yharnam.

***

The old Hunter was watching Yharnam's roads from the balcony near Oedon's Chapel. She hated that Godforsaken night! The stench of death would've been suffocating if it wasn't for her crow mask: an old trick of the hunt, a mask with some peppermint leaves in it. She looked around, tired: her mark was in the old graveyard behind the Chapel, and soon the night should come to an end. She didn't have much time, she thought with a sigh. She shrugged, watching the beasts roaming from the safety of that balcony, walking on the stairs that led to Old Yharnam. It was time to stalk her prey once...

"Who's there?" said the Hunter. Some steps from the stairs that led to the Grand Cathedral captured her attention.

She turned to see a bizarre man coming down the stairs.

A tired look on his face, brown soft hair with a white streak on the front. A bizarre gem on his forehead. He walked slowly, with a prone posture. Everything about him screamed I'm tired of everything, and I've lived through too much pain to care, but there was also a sense of deep power and wisdom in him. He wore an elegant suit, featuring some sort of military decoration on his jacket.

The man looked at the bizarre woman dressed in a garb made of crow feathers. "Oh? Finally, someone able to speak?" said the man, a funny tone in his voice.

Eileen looked surprised at the man. "I'm sorry, you startled me."

"I can see why, honestly" said the intruder, sarcasm dripping from his voice. "I saw plenty of places where desperation was the only thing you could find, and this city definitely can join the list."

"Are you an outsider?" the woman asked.

"You can say that" answered the man with a smirk.

The Hunter shrugged. "You picked a terrible moment to enter Yharnam. This is the night of the Hunt."

"I see. I'm curious to ask about this, but I feel like we should introduce first."

"Fair enough. I'm Eileen."

The man bowed elegantly. "Pleased to meet you, Eileen. I'm Emet-Selch."

The woman nodded. "Are you a Hunter too?"

"No, but I'm looking for one."

"I see" said Eileen. "I would love to help you, then, but I'm in the middle of a hunt. My mark is on the graveyard behind the chapel, and..."

"So if I help you with your mark, can you help me in exchange?"

The Hunter tilted her head. "I'm looking for two different marks tonight, actually, and I can't ask for your he-"

"Please don't start the I need to do this by myself routine, it's a cliché so overdone" said the man with a vague gesture. "I need information from this place, and you may help me as a guide. And if your plan for the evening is to slay a monster, any help is always accepted. A simple do ut des."

Eileen remained silent for some moments, then she shrugged. "Very well. Although I'm not hunting beasts."

The man smirked. "And pray tell, what're you hunting?"

"Hunters" said the woman.

Emet-Selch looked at her, puzzled.

***

Eileen and Emet-Selch crossed the Oedon chapel, where the few people present didn't dare to stop them.

"So you claim to be an emperor?" she asked.

"I don't claim to be one, I am an Emperor" said Emet-Selch, rolling his eyes. "Although you may never have heard of my Empire. I came from a very far away land."

"How far away?" she asked, opening the passage to a cellar. "Boletharian? Anor Londo?"

"I guess farther than that" said the man, shrugging. "Garlemand."

The woman nodded. "Never heard of that place."

"A powerful Empire, a good tool that's doing wonders to help my cause."

"Should I call you with a title, then?" asked the woman, smirking under the mask.

"No need." Emet-Selch turned his head, looking at the survivors in the Chapel. He turned his head, surprised by the smell of burned spices. "Is there something burning here?"

"It's incense" explained the Hunter. "It keeps the beasts away, making this place a safe haven during the night of the hunt."

"Well, then it's not working properly, I’m afraid. Are you aware that one of those men is actually a monster in disguise?" he asked casually.

"What?" said the woman, turning around.

Emet-Selch shrugged. "The half-naked beggar. He ate a woman not much time ago."

"How do you know that?" asked the Hunter.

The Ascian rolled his eyes once again. "Either trust me or don't, but don't question me."

Eileen looked at the people in the chapel. There was a gimp in a corner covered by a shroud, an old man murmuring racist sentences, a man dressed in bandages, a young girl dressed in a courtesan robe. "The one in bandages?" the Hunter asked.

"The very same" said Emet-Selch.

Eileen grabbed a small flask from her belt and then opened it. Emet-Selch raised an eyebrow when he smelled the stench of animal blood from it.

The beggar turned his head, then moved closer to them. Eileen threw the bottle on the stairs: the stench of blood became suddenly stronger. The man started running toward the entrance to the stairs. "You were right" murmured Eileen to Emet-Selch, grabbing a couple of different flasks from her belt.

The beggar ran down the stairs, following the stench. He jumped toward the blood, then he started licking it from the walls. Eileen smirked again, then she threw two different flasks against him: one of oil, the other that took fire as soon as it broke. The beggar screamed in pain while burning alive, and his body started mutating and growing. Emet-Selch and Eileen quickly closed the trapdoor to the cellar, leaving the beast burning on the stairs.

The Ascian smirked. "Crude and unfair, but effective."

"No such thing as a fair hunt. Now let-"

A giant, monstrous fist on fire broke down the door. A scream of inhuman pain came from the cellar, while a beast started breaking down the door. The hunter quickly grabbed her blades, ready to face the burning monster, while the people in the chapel screamed.

Eileen looked at them, worried, then she looked at Emet-Selch: "Leaving the safety of this sanctuary during the night of the hunt is a death sentence to them! Please protect them, while I'll dispatch him!"

The Ascian sighed with an annoyed look, watching the woman getting ready to fight. Then he raised one arm and snapped his fingers.

An explosion on the stairs behind the hatchway launched the door away, which struck the roof of the chapel and fell onto the balcony with a violent thud. Pieces of the beast followed it, falling on the ground in front of the former stairs. Eileen was knocked back by the shockwave. She turned at the cellar door: there was nothing in its place now.

Emet-Selch looked at the burning ichor of the beast on the floor. "I guess it's better not to mention the giant silent creature that's humping the roof outside, then" he said, sarcasm dripping from his voice.

Eileen removed her mask, looking aghast at the scene. Emet-Selch raised an eyebrow: the white-haired woman was beautiful looking, but clearly past her prime, probably fifty or sixty years old. She turned her azure eyes towards the man.

Emet-Selch, with a very flamboyant and theatrical movement, bowed. "You're welcome, Eileen the Hunter."

***

"What is the nature of your powers?" asked the Hunter, descending the damaged stairs. The strong stench of sewer water forced her to put her mask back on.

Emet-Selch looked at the woman. "Want me to teach you how to manipulate astral energy?"

Eileen shook her head. "I'm just curious: I'd rather stay clean of arcane tools. They may be practical, but the danger of using curses makes them not worth it. Not to mention, how they're made: all magical focuses are born from pain. From rancour and suffering."

"Oh, so you use fetishes to focus your magic? So primitive."

The hunter shrugged. She never cared much about arcane anyway, so she didn't feel insulted or anything.

"My powers are natural, in a way" said the Ascian.

"So... You're not a mage, you're a sorcerer?"

The man laughed, following the woman through what appeared to be a sewer. "Last time I heard that distinction, it was aeons ago."

The Hunter made a splashing noise while walking in the water. The mage simply decided to fly to avoid getting his shoes dirty.

Suddenly, Eileen stopped. "My mark is near."

Emet-Selch looked around. "How can you tell?"

"Just an insight. Trust me."

"Fine, keep your secret" said the man, with an annoyed tone. "Where is he?"

She pointed at a gate that went straight to a graveyard.

The magician shrugged. "Very well, wait here."

"What? No, I..."

"Stay here or I'll freeze you" said the man, reaching the gate. Then he turned around, still floating in the air, and said: "Actually, come with me. I need you to identify your mark."

The woman tilted her head. "I know this hunt means nothing to you, since you came into Yharnam very recently, but please don't make light of it."

Emet-Selch looked at the woman, a focused expression on his face. "Who are you hunting exactly?"

"An old Hunter. A friend of mine. His name is Henryk, and I owe my life to him. Many of us do."

"Then why murder him?"

"Out of respect" said Eileen, with a sad expression behind her mask. "Because he doesn't deserve to turn into a beast. I owe him that much."

The magician drew closer, then placed a hand on the woman's shoulder. "I can promise it will be painless, then."

Eileen frowned. "I can't help but feel you're underestimating how unbelievably stubborn and resilient a Hunter can be."

"And I can't help but feel you were not impressed by the display of power I showed in the Chapel against that beggar monster."

The woman crossed her arms. "You're right. I'm not."

A smirk appeared on the man's face. "You're a hard woman to impress."

"You don't become as old as I am in this line of job without facing your fair share of shit" answered Eileen with a flat tone. "And Henryk has been a hunter since before I joined the hunt."

The man didn't budge. Then he turned around, making a vague gesture with his hand. "Then come with me, before I get bored. I'll give your mark the respect it deserves."

The Hunter walked behind the floating man. Under the mask, she closed her eyes for a second and murmured a request for forgiveness to whatever God could hear her.

***

Yharnam was a dark place, but that graveyard was somehow worse. The air itself was dark and oppressive. Eileen was accustomed to that kind of sight, but something about it made her hesitate.

Probably the stench. Probably some of the graves that were sometimes moving, like if something was pushing the dirt from underground with little success.

Probably the delicate and sad music.

There was a man in dirty old hunter garb, with a music box in his hand. A sad, creepy lullaby filled the graveyard: the hunter was looking at it, crying.

Emet-Selch raised an arm, but Eileen made a gesture to stop him.

"Henryk?" the woman said. Maybe I was wrong, perhaps he didn't fall to the bloodlust?

The Hunter turned his head. His eyes were filled with blood, and his mouth was foaming. But he was crying, listening to the music box.

"Eee-eileeeeeennn..."

His voice was broken, like he had screamed nonstop for hours.

Eileen closed her eyes. "I know, my friend. I will fix this."

"Youuuu... can't..."

She sighed while Emet-Selch looked at the dialogue without interfering.

"Gascoigne's death was the last straw, I reckon?" asked the woman. "First your daughter, then your son in law..."

"Nnnoooo... Not... Him... My... Niece..."

The Hunter played the music box again. Eileen closed her eyes, murmuring some curses against the fate of his friend's family.

"What happened to her?" she asked.

"Theee... Cliiinic..."

"I see" she murmured.

Emet-Selch looked at the man, then he bowed gently. "I lost my son, too. No words will be able to mend that pain, but I'm-"

The man turned his head back and screamed. He looked at the moon. The tears in his eyes turned into blood. He started chuckling and screaming.

Eileen grabbed her blades, murmuring words of forgiveness.

Henryk grabbed a saw cleaver. He jumped against Emet-Selch.

The Ascian disappeared in a dark cloud to appear on the other side of the graveyard.

A scream, when the pain assaulted him. Emet-Selch looked at his leg: a throwing knife was stuck in his muscle. "What..." The Hunter had launched the knife where he would've appeared!

The sound of hard steps made him turn. Henryk had closed the gaps among them.

The Hunter raised his saw cleaver.

The sound of metal against metal, when the twin blades of Eileen intercepted his attack.

"You all right?" she asked, moving a blade to hit Henryk.

Emet-Selch looked at the two hunters for a second, surprised by the assault of man's assault. Then his expression turned from shocked to furious.

He raised an arm and snapped his fingers.

A dark cloud appeared under the Hunter. The woman quickly jumped back, while Henryk fell into the portal. A similar cloud appeared over the graveyard: Eileen could see Henryk's legs emerge from it.

Emet-Selch closed his fist.

The clouds disappeared.

An inhuman scream of pain.

The torso of the Hunter was on the ground, while everything below his waist and half of his arm fell from the sky.

Eileen looked at the severed parts of his former friend, then he turned to Emet-Selch.

The Ascian's face was imperturbable. He approached the body of Henryk, then took a knee in front of it.

"As a father, I know your loss" he murmured, closing the dead, bloodied eyes of the Hunter. "I hope you'll find peace with them."

Then he grabbed the knife and removed it from his leg. He focused his aether to cure the wound, then he looked at Eileen.

"And I'm sorry for your loss, too" he stated, respectfully.

***

The crows were already flying over the graveyard. Emet-Selch looked at the Hunter, finishing her mourning ritual. She had wrapped the body parts of Henryk in white sheets and stuck them on top of some twelve-foot-tall poles. Eileen prayed in silence, while a murder of crows got closer.

The Ascian looked at the carrion birds, an indifferent expression on his face, while the crows started their horrendous feast. "A sky burial?"

"This is our tradition for hunters that lose themselves in the bloodlust" answered Eileen. "Being skybound in death sets your spirit free."

"I see." He closed his eyes, murmuring something.

Eileen moved back when more crows arrived. "Follow me" she ordered, worried that the beasts could confuse the two of them for a second dish.

The two walked back toward Oedon's chapel in silence. Once they finally reached the safe haven, the Hunter removed her garb once again from her head.

The Ascian crossed his arms, looking at her. The woman breathed deeply. "I need to thank you, Emet-Selch. You didn't need to help me."

"Maybe" said the man, shrugging, "but we're halfway done, right?"

"I don't know where my second mark is, though. Until I find a lead, my hunt is paused, so I wish to pay you back and help you with your search."

The Ascian shrugged again. "Be my guest. I'm looking for information about Lady Maria of Cainhurst."

Eileen tilted her head. "What for? She's dead."

"I... I'm sorry?" said the man, taken aback. "She was in Eorzea, alive and kicking, just two days ago, back in my..."

The Hunter stopped him with a hand gesture. "You may have met her cursed soul in your dream, but I assure you that she killed herself. Her body is still in the Healing Church, atop the Astral Clocktower. Not even the vultures will touch her. She's that cursed."

The Ascian looked at the woman. "What is the nature of her curse?"

"I can speculate: I wasn't there, where the Byrgenwerth hunters did what they did."

"Can you explain to me what happened, please?"

"Why?" she asked, unfazed. "Do you plan to discover the secret of the Old Blood?"

Emet-Selch shook his head. "I don't even know what’s supposed to mean."

She sighed. "Maria's life is a cautionary tale about the dangers of doing whatever it takes to reveal secrets. It's not that I don't want to help you, mind you: I'm just warning you."

"Why?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "What terrible secret did she discover?"

"I don't know" she said, crossing the chapel to drive the man outside. Once they were out, the woman made a theatrical gesture with her hand to point generically at the roads of Yarnham. "But these are the consequences of her discoveries."

Emet-Selch tilted his head, then he followed her arm. He kept looking around: at the invisible monster, as big as a building, that was hugging the chapel. At the coffins closed with chains, abandoned in every single visible corner of that city. At the creatures roaming the streets. At the destruction and the desperation. The more he looked, the more the Ascian realised how utterly atrocious the consequences of whatever mystery Maria discovered were.

"A single person did all this?" he murmured.

"Four people. Maria was only one of them."

"Who are the others?"

"Maria and her master Gehrman were just the brawn. The brains were Master Willem of Byrgenwerth and Laurence, the First Vicar of the Healing Church."

"Can I meet them?" he asked.

"They should all be alive, yes. But good luck getting anything rational from them. Last time I checked, Willem was in a coma in Byrgenwerth, and Laurence should be somewhere in Old Yharnam. And if I know Gehrman, he'll be in the hunter's workshop, working on some trick weapons."

The man raised an eyebrow, then scoffed. "This is getting me nowhere, though, and I don't like wasting my time. I get it, this town is in a tragically bad situation. Not to burst your bubble, but I've seen worse."

"Did you?" the woman said, deadpan. "You think the desperation of this town comes from the plague?"

"Is this supposed to be a competition on tragedies? I saw pain you can't even fathom. You're desperate, but at least you're alive!"

"And I'm sorry for your loss and your past, but that wasn't my point. Have you ever seen something like that?" she said, pointing at the sky.

Emet-Selch followed the woman's hand once again. "You mean the moon?"

"Exactly. Notice anything?"

The Ascian looked at it intensely. It was an overcast night, with some tiny clouds covering part of the starry sky, but a beautiful, magnificent moon shone. Sure, the moon was beautiful: shining so strongly with a clouded sky was...

Then he noticed it when the wind pushed a cloud near the moon.

"How is that possible?" he said, surprised.

"How is what possible?" she asked, almost smirking.

"The clouds. They're..." He pointed at them. "They're behind the moon! How is that possible?"

The woman watched the Ascian silently for a moment, then sighed. "I don't know where you come from, Emet-Selch, but welcome to the Dream of Yharnam. Please, hope that whatever God is dreaming of this place, it never wakes up."

The man seemed surprised for a second, then he smiled. "Oh, this place is definitely interesting!"

***

The shoebill flew over the balcony and then landed on the roof. He observed the surrounding lake. There was a hunter on top of the balcony, in leather bloodied garbs, who was looking at the waters and the moon on top of it. From that distance, it was impossible to discern whether they were a man or a woman. There was also a man sleeping on a rocking chair, dressed in clothes worthy of a pope. He was asleep, or dead. Probably dead: he wasn't moving, his feet were a mass of gangrene, and there were mushrooms on his neck

The bird tilted his head when the hunter looked at him. Then, without notice, they jumped into the waters of the lake, disappearing.

After a couple of seconds, the shoebill flew again, coming closer to the man in the chair.

A deep wound on his body. The sign of a sawblade.

***

"We can avoid going to that place behind the woods" said Emet-Selch, following Eileen. "The only people there are dead. Or suicidal."

The Hunter nodded. "How can you tell?"

"I have my ways, don't question them. Does that man... William?"

"Willem" corrected the woman.

"Willem, does he wear really flamboyant and rich cloaks worthy of a high priest?"

When the Hunter nodded again, Emet-Selch sighed. "Then he's dead. Just trust me."

"Good riddance" said the woman. "I can live the rest of my life happily without crossing the Forbidden Woods. The Byrgenwerth college is too out of reach for my taste."

"Yeah, not to mention the snakes" murmured the Ascian. "So, that leaves us with the second brain?"

The Hunter shrugged. "I'm not sure where Laurence is, but I would recommend against going in Old Yharnam" said the woman, nodding.

"Is that the place where someone left a sign with DON'T ENTER on a door under a church?"

Eileen nodded again. "That's probably the work of Djura: he’s always busy marking his territory. He doesn't want hunters in Old Yharnam; he thinks the beasts are innocent and that they need to be defended. He's crazy, but he won't fall for the bloodlust. He's not my mark."

"Interesting. That's where I entered this... dream."

The Hunter looked at him. "Go on?"

"There was a strange part of this town, chock-full of statues. And behind a church, a werewolf that could summon lightning. Surprisingly annoying to deal with."

"Ah" said the woman. "You were in Yahar'Gul. Those weren't statues: they’re corpses."

Emet-Selch stopped for a second. "How come you can manage to creep me out every single time you open your mouth?"

She shrugged, ignoring his predicament. "So, from Yahar'Gul you made your way without meeting Djura and reached me at Oedon's Chapel." She stopped, thinking. "Yes, that's not a big detour. It makes sense."

"That leaves us with exploring this hunter's workshop, right? We're looking for Gehrman, aren’t we?"

"We’re already going to the workshop" said the woman. "Honestly, that seemed like the... Best... Option..." She stopped talking, surprised, once they reached an obstacle.

Eileen and Emet-Selch were looking at a giant well, or a pit of some sort. There were parts of broken wooden bridges everywhere. The whole place was a mess.

The Hunter sighed, then she looked down. "I wasn't expecting the bridges to have collapsed. The door for the laboratory is halfway before the..."

"Grab my hand" said Emet-Selch, with an annoyed undertone.

Eileen looked at the mage. He was floating over the broken bridge, extending his hand toward her.

She tilted her head. He sighed. "I'll just float us to the door you mentioned." When she hesitated, he rolled his eyes. "Eileen, do you trust me?"

***

"I shouldn't have trusted you" said the woman, moving her arm to make the tingling sensation pass quicker.

"Oh, relax" answered Emet-Selch. He had gently flown the two of them in the pit to reach the door of the laboratory, but to be fair, Eileen was a bit heavier than she looked, so having all her weight dangling had not been a pleasant experience. For both of them, judging by the woman's annoyed reaction.

The Hunter walked toward the door. "I wasn't expecting it to be open."

"Well, I did see another hunter roam around Yharnam tonight" commented Emet-Selch. "Maybe they stumbled upon this place?"

"Could be" she said. The two of them crossed the door and reached an open garden built on the side of the giant structure on which the Healing Church Cathedral had been built. It was a peaceful, quiet corner: a small garden full of gravestones and old trees. It was creepy in a way, but hauntingly beautiful, especially under the light of the giant moon. The more he looked at it, the more Emet-Selch could feel something weird from the moon. Like some sort of presence interested in-

"This is weird" murmured Eileen, catching the Ascian's attention. He shook his head: he felt like he had to be careful and not stare too much at the moon, but he didn't know exactly why he felt that way.

"What is weird?" asked the man.

"This doll. Were you looking for Lady Maria?"

The magician tilted his head, then he noticed the giant doll sitting on the grass. White hair, an elegant frilly dress. Her hands were made of wood, but her visage was porcelain. It was an incredibly complex and detailed work. "What in the..." he murmured.

"This is a very faithful representation" said the Hunter. "This weird doll looks just like Lady Maria." A couple of seconds of silence. "If you ignore that she would never dress in that kind of frilly dress."

"How well did you know her?" asked Emet-Selch.

"Barely. Best swordsman I ever met in my life, that's for sure, but that's a staple with the Vileblood: all of them are scarily good fighters. I'm still surprised that the Healing Church actually managed to win their crusade against them."

The Ascian tilted his head. "Every time you talk, I feel like I find a piece of a puzzle, but I lose two more. So the people of Maria got exterminated by this... Church?"

Eileen shrugged. "My other mark tonight is a knight of Cainhurst, so they didn't exactly do a good job."

"I see. But what about the man we're looking for?"

The Hunter looked around. "Gehrman’s clearly not here. This is strange, though: he can't simply walk away. He's stuck in a wheelchair now." She then pointed at a small house nearby. "That's his lab. Maybe over there we'll understand something?"

The Ascian shrugged, then he followed Eileen toward the old laboratory.

The lifeless doll's fingers gently moved and tapped patiently under the moonlight.

***

The Hunter was walking over a lake made of very shallow waters, their newfound tonitrus in their hand. There were no coasts in sight, nothing that could help them navigate that place. Except the moon. The beautiful, pale moon.

And that creature.

Their mark was in front of him. That horrible giant spider was looking at the sky. She had very short, tiny legs, and her face, or whatever that protuberance was where a face would have made sense, apparently made of rock. She was hairy and full of white pollen over her body, like a dandelion. A small mouth full of teeth and eyes in every cranny of her rocky head.

Rom, the Vacuous Spider. They have read about her. The student of Byrgenwerth who received Kos' blessing and became an Augur.

The one that was stopping the Nightmare.

They smiled under their mask, a crazy look in their eyes. They grabbed the metallic mace and moved quickly. A thunderous energy appeared on the top of the Tonitrus, following their movement.

Then they charged and swung their weapon against the monstrous being.

***

The lab was destroyed. Books were scattered everywhere, the furniture was broken or burned, and all the weapons that should've adorned the rack on the wall had been removed. But Emet-Selch was still checking everything near here.

A small corner captured his attention. "These ashes were moved recently. Someone dug through them."

Eileen looked at the ashes. "Indeed. You can see the marks of human hands there. You're a very good tracker, Emet-Selch."

"I know my way around" said the man, opening one of the books. "What in the..."

"Found anything?"

He threw the book away. "Some idiocy about courting and fair ladies."

The Hunter shrugged. "Gehrman had always been a ladies' man. And a creep, if you ask me."

"I didn't ask, but I'll keep that in mind" murmured the Ascian. Another book, this time on engineering. "Your friend likes weird contraptions. This sword with a giant hammer as a hilt looks impractical at best."

"It's actually surprisingly effective" said the woman, "but I prefer quicker trick weapons."

The man tilted his head, reading the book again. "You mean these projects are actually real?"

She looked at the pages. "Some of them are. I don't recall this Beast Cutter here" she said, pointing at a specific page. "It's similar to a threaded cane, but definitely less elegant. And more violent."

"I see. Hmmm..." The man looked at another page, deeply interested. "This... Parasite weapon here. It doesn't look like a real weapon, but it actually is if your body is..."

"What is that book?" she asked.

"Gehrman is the author. It’s some sort of mix between a diary, schematics for weapons and a map, apparently" said Emet-Selch. "This page here is explaining how to craft something... Corrupted, I would say. A way to force human evolution. Hmmm... The look wouldn't be great, you would look like a humanoid with broccoli instead of a head."

The woman rolled her eyes. "That sounds like something the Healing Church would be interested in."

"And if I meet someone from that cult, I will definitely make sure to ask. There are also some very interesting details on the side of this diary."

The woman looked at the diary. Emet-Selch pointed at a page. "See this map?"

"Is that... supposed to be a map?" asked the woman, looking at a bizarre diagram of lines.

The man shrugged. "Assuming this place is Oedon's Chapel. See how the author marked a giant creature on top of it?"

"You mean the spider thing with a big head?" she asked, looking at the crude drawings on the paper. "Why should a spider represent Oedon's Chapel?"

"Just trust me. So, this is the graveyard where we faced Henryk," he said, pointing at another place where lines were crossing, "here is that Yahar'Gul place where I entered this dream", another cross of lines ", and this is that college behind the woods."

Eileen checked the lines, thinking about the architecture of Yharnam. The positions were actually correct. "You may be onto something here."

"So... If we're here, this lake near that college" he pointed again at the lines crossing where Byrgenwerth would have been "is the lintel of this dream. Look at these lines, and how they shield the influence of this other place over here. That castle with a brain full of eyes and a word near it."

Eileen followed his finger, then she read the word. "Mensis? Like the scholar order?"

"I don't know, I never heard that word before."

"They were a splinter group from the Byrgenwerth college. I've only heard about them: their leader, Micolash, was insane. He and his students caged their own heads and starved themselves to death in Yahar'gul."

"Did they? Hm. A sacrifice ritual, perhaps?"

Eileen looked at the man. "Sacrifice for what?"

"I'm not sure. I should probably check. But you made me understand these lines here: whatever is hiding inside the lake, it's cutting these lines that connect Yahar'gul and Mensis. So, this means that... Oh" he said, suddenly nervous.

"What?"

"That Hunter I mentioned before? I thought they were committing suicide; I saw them jumping into the waters of the lake. But what if they're actually hunting?"

Eileen tilted her head. "Hunting what?"

"Whatever is hidden inside the lake. Whatever is stopping this Mensis place to influence this dream land. What if..."

Then suddenly, the air itself changed.

Eileen started sweating for no reason. Emet-Selch looked around.

"What is happening?" she asked.

"Something has just awoken. Or..."

The two left the shack.

Everything around them was the same, but different.

***

The chariot reached the gates of Gridania. Maria was still sleeping, under the vigilant eyes of Mikoto and Edda. Everything seemed fine.

Then Maria coughed in her sleep, spitting blood.

Edda screamed, surprised, while Mikoto looked closer.

Behind the chariot, the two Padjal twins were travelling on a chocobo. A-Ruhn-Senna looked at the chariot, worried, and murmured: "The dream changed."

Her sister nodded, her expression one of fear. "It changed for the worse."

***

Eileen was chuckling with a crazy undertone in her voice, staring at the plants and the doll. Emet-Selch looked at her: it was impossible to check her face under that garb, but there was clearly something off.

The Ascian turned around, watching everything around them. The light was dimmer. Redder.

He looked at the plants, at the doll, at the house. He could not understand what the change was.

Then he got silent. "Oh, seven Hells..."

The light. The pale moonlight was different.

Against his common sense, he decided to look at the moon.

It was immense. Twice as big as before.

And its colour was a deep, corrupted, evil red.

"What in the name of Zodiark..."

He forced himself to snap out of his surprise.

Eileen was laughing madly, near him. Then she started screaming.

He focused, looking at her. If that moon was corrupting everything, he probably didn't have much time to save her and himself. He quickly grabbed the diary, and he ran his fingers toward the map.

"Aha! This should probably work." He closed the diary, and he murmured a quick prayer. Please let's hope this will work and these notes are actually about a safe haven!

A dark cloud appeared near Eileen, still chuckling like a maniac.

Emet-Selch started flying, then he launched himself towards the hunter. He trampled her, pushing both of them into his dark portal.

Eileen screamed, surprised, and then the two of them hit the ground.

"WHAT-" she screamed. Her body was in pain.

Emet-Selch smiled, checking his surroundings.

They were still in the old labs, but everything was different. The moonlight was once again white, and instead of the vista on Yharnam, there was only a sea of clouds visible from the fences of the garden, and giant columns far away in that sea.

"Are you all right, Eileen?" asked the Ascian.

"I... Feel well now. What did you do?"

A female voice behind the two. "Good hunters" said the soft, gentle voice.

The two turned. The Doll was looking at them with a serene, peaceful expression. It was walking and bowing gently.

Eileen was speechless. She looked at Emet-Selch as she got closer to the doll and looked at her.

"Oh... I see now" said the man, checking once again the diary.

"Emet-Selch... Where are we?" asked Eileen.

He showed her the diary, once again. "Here" he said, pointing at a cross of lines in the bizarre map of Gehrman's book. "We're right at this intersection. This haven, right here."

He looked at the moon. He could still feel a presence looking at him, somehow. That influence somehow felt even stronger than before, but it was almost like it was protecting that place.

He ignored the unsettling feeling, then he pointed at a small handwritten note under the intersection point in the map. "This place here, according to the map... Is the Hunter's Dream."

"Indeed it is" said a deep, calm, old male voice behind them.

Both of them turned. A man in old hunter's garb and on a wheelchair looked at the two intruders, his face bearing a tired expression.

"I don't know why you two are here, but I'm not used to denying sanctuary during the night of the Hunt" said the man. "I'm Gehrman. Welcome to my house."

Chapter Text

The infinite waters of the lake started moving when a silent creature crossed them, watching the body of the Augur. The giant vacuous spider Rom was lying dead under the crimson moon. And she was watching over her dead friend, crying.

Yharnam was shaking, unprotected against the other Augurs. The still sane men were turning into beasts or becoming increasingly crazy under the influx of the Amygdalas that were infesting the roofs of the city, and Oedon was busy touching the few women he deemed worthy of carrying his progeny and plotting to get what he constantly desired.

However, Ebrietas, the Daughter of the Cosmos, was unaware of those issues, nor was she interested in the fate of the humans. She was busy mourning. The giant, monstrous creature was looming over Rom's dead body. She turned at the red moon, then she noticed someone else over the white lake that was Rom's realm. A woman dressed in white was looking at them. Ebrietas knew her: Queen Yharnam, the first blessed by Oedon, the mother of the Host and the darkest secret of the Ptumerian monarchy. After all these centuries, she was still unable to reach the real death.

The two eldritch creatures watched silently at each other. One was mourning her dead friend, the other her unborn child. One wanted to see her friend one last time, the other wanted her son's soul to finally reach the final death.

Ebrietas bowed her giant, monstrous head. Then she grabbed her friend's body with her tentacles. She sighed while the Queen kept watching her.

Then she woke up.

She was back in Yharnam, in the Upper Cathedral, in the most secret, sacred room of the Healing Church. In her tentacles, the body of Rom. She had managed to successfully bring it with her in the nightmare of Yharnam. She turned her head and watched the altar of the Healing Church, and placed Rom's dead body in front of it. If it were true that the Altar could resurrect a dead Vileblood, maybe its power could work for a mortal with the power of an Augur, too.

So Ebrietas did something that no Great One ever did before. She didn't even know a word that could describe her action or her thoughts, while she was looking at her friend's carcass.

The Old God was praying silently for a miracle.

***

She opened her eyes, confused.

The place was unfamiliar, but somehow reassuring. She hadn't felt anything that peaceful in... days? More? The time was confusing. But she did manage to sleep: that was a rare privilege.

She looked around: she must have fallen asleep under some trees. All the woods were similar, in a way, but she felt somehow like she was safe there. At home. She looked down at her feet; her plague doctor mask was nearby. Eileen grabbed it and stepped up.

Oh, this is why this place seemed familiar, the woman thought. She was near the old hunter's workshop. Then she looked around; instead of the familiar panorama of Yharnam, the place was shrouded in clouds. The moon was magnificent, pale and beautiful.

And Gehrman was near the door, exchanging words with Emet-Selch.

She approached the two men closely. The Ascian bowed lightly.

"Good morning, I guess" said the magician.

"It's still the night of the Hunt" answered the Hunter, "but thank you. I needed some rest."

"I saw that. You basically collapsed, exhausted, when we reached this place."

The woman looked around once again, then she turned to Gehrman. "Gehrman, care to explain what's happening?"

The old hunter laughed, then he raised his head. "It's quite simple, my dear: someone with the power of an Augur was killed."

"Not that much of a God if she can be stabbed to death" commented dryly the Ascian.

The two Hunters looked at Emet-Selch.

Gehrman coughed. "I'm sorry, Emet Sech?"

"Emet-Selch" murmured the Ascian.

"Emet-Selch" repeated the Hunter. "To be fair, I'm surprised that you're here. I can clearly see that you're not a Hunter, yet you managed to somehow enter the Hunter's Dream."

"So, is this another layer of the Dream?" asked Eileen.

The Hunter nodded. "This is a safe haven, my dear. Here, nothing can harm you. There are no beasts, there is no scourge. And the Great Ones that are fighting in Yharnam don't even suspect that this place exists."

Emet-Selch scoffed. "If I found this place only by checking the diary in that old shack in Yharnam, I wouldn't count too much on this." He looked at the moon: he felt like something was watching them from there. It was an alien, annoying sensation, but it was there. "So, what exactly is this place?"

Gehrman shrugged. "A dream."

"I gathered that. And who's dreaming?"

"That's not important. The real question is... Who are you?"

Emet-Selch looked at the man in the wheelchair, then he bowed. "My name is Emet-Selch, and I'm looking for information. I travelled from a land very far away, looking to understand who Lady Maria of Cainhurst is."

"Ahhhh" said Gehrman, looking at him. "And why are you interested in my dead pupil?"

"Because an associate of mine met her, back in my lands."

"I see" said Gehrman.

Emet-Selch raised an eyebrow. "So, you don't look surprised that I just said that your dead student is having fun somewhere."

"Should I?" asked the Hunter, laughing lightly.

The Ascian tilted his head. "I mean, yes? She's a mortal."

Gehrman laughed loudly, hearing that.

The magician huffed, annoyed. "Care to explain?"

The man in the wheelchair stopped laughing. "If death could be enough to escape an Augur's nightmare, many people in Yharnam would've taken their lives already. No, something as banal as death isn't enough to escape Hell."

Emet-Selch hesitated. "Then why is your student in Eorzea?"

Eileen and Gehrman looked at each other, then they looked at the Ascian. "Where is Eorzea?" the woman asked.

"Is that another dream?" asked Gehrman.

The Ascian laughed. "Oh no, it's a very real place."

Gehrman sighed. "So is this dream. So are all these dreams that lie on top of each other."

Emet-Selch crossed his arms, looking sceptical.

The Hunter chuckled again. "You mentioned a diary. I reckon you found my old notebook?"

"Yes" said the man.

"And were you able to read it?"

"Your point?"

"You cannot read in a normal dream. Your mind doesn't allow you to do that."

Emet-Selch tilted his head. He reflected in silence for some time, gazing at the man, who chuckled lightly in his wheelchair. Then the Ascian asked. "Assuming you're telling the truth. If this is not a normal dream, what is it?"

"These dreams are realities created inside the minds of the Augurs" he said with a cruel smile. "Of the Old Gods. Imagine multiple universes touching each other, that are made of the same substance as dreams. And right now, the Augurs are fighting a war in these dreams."

"Gods are fighting a war, how original" murmured the Ascian. "And why are they fighting? For power? For more followers?"

"They want children" said the Hunter, smiling.

Emet-Selch and Eileen looked at Gehrman, confused.

"Everything the Augurs do is focused only on this: on having an heir. Because they can't procreate, but they overwhelmingly want to. Oedon managed to be successful: he sired at least two children in the past. And, if the Hunter that's roaming in Yharnam right now actually managed to kill Rom, he is free to impregnate all the women he deems worthy that are in the Dream, now that nothing is protecting them. I bet some of them are already in labour as we speak."

"What?" asked Eileen. "Is that what happened when the moon became red?"

The Hunter nodded.

Eileen caressed her belly, a worried look on her face.

Gehrman laughed loudly. "Oh, I wouldn't worry too much about it. You're too old, my dear."

"Fascinating" said Emet-Selch, putting a hand in front of Eileen to stop her from quartering the man. "But this doesn't help me."

"Maria is dead", said Gehrman bluntly. "So why are you interested in her?"

"Because, dead or not, less than one week ago, she duelled with a spirit in Eorzea, and now the wounds of that ghost are showing glimpses of a different reality. And I want to understand why."

Gehrman nodded. "Like an eye that spies another dream?"

Emet-Selch tilted his head. "How do you know that?"

The Hunter laughed. "You're looking into the wrong place, then. Maria's death, her curse, her current existence as a trapped soul in a dream and everything that happened in Yharnam after the scourge hit are not connected to your predicament."

The Ascian crossed his arms. "How very noble. Are you trying to protect your beloved student's memory?"

"Maria is dead" repeated gravely Gehrman, "and a corpse should be left well alone."

Emet-Selch didn't comment. Something in the way the man delivered that answer seriously creeped him out, but he kept his arrogant facade without issues.

The Hunter continued. "No, you don't need to look into her death: you must look into her birth. You're looking in the wrong place. I have no answers for you."

"None that you want to share?" murmured the Ascian.

"There are dangerous truths to say out loud. Even in this place." The old man looked at the moon. "Especially in this place."

"Very well, then", he said, turning his back on Gehrman and studying once again that diary.

Eileen looked at Emet-Selch. "What are you doing now?"

He opened the map once again. "If the answers are in her birth, I need to reach this place." He pointed to a bizarre knot of lines on the map. Eileen somehow felt nauseated just looking at the point on the map the mage was pointing at, as if that cross of lines was an affront to reality itself. It also appeared like the drawing was moving, every time she focused on a specific line. But the word under the knot was perfectly readable.

That part of the map was Cainhurst.

***

She opened her eyes, confused.

The place was unfamiliar, but when she turned her head, she felt reassured. Her friends were near her: Mikoto was sleeping on a chair, and Edda was reading. She looked around, silently: that looked like another inn room, but she did not recognise it.

She tried to rise and sit, but even the act of moving was painful.

"Maria?" asked Edda, putting down her book.

The Hunter turned her head, smiling at her friend. "Hello, Edda."

"Are you... All right?"

Mikoto woke up, hearing the voices of the two women.

Maria smiled at her too. "Good morning, Mikoto."

"Oh... OH!" She quickly rose and got closer, but Maria stopped her with a calm gesture.

"I feel fine enough, don't worry."

"Maria, you were dead for two days!" said the Au ra, worried.

The Hunter tilted her head. "I'm sure I've been dead for much long-"

"DON’T! Don't you dare to play down this!" said Mikoto, almost crying. "I-I've been scared, a-and-"

"I don't blame you" said Maria, calmly. "Don't worry. You're allowed to be scared."

"No, what I meant is..."

"Here" said Edda, calmly giving Maria a glass of water. Mikoto remained silent, watching Maria drink.

The Hunter then asked. "So... Two days?"

"Yes" said Edda.

"Where are we? And where are the others?"

"We're in Central Shroud. Cocobusi should be busy feeding the chocobos right now, while Moenbryda is with our prisoner."

Maria tilted her head. "Oh, you captured Tristan Lowe?"

"How did you even know him?" asked Edda.

"Momodi suggested his name as a possible recruit for our hunting pack. He's a former Immortal Flame soldier; he managed to survive against Ifrit. I was actually interested in talking with him, seeing our current mission."

"Yeah, about that..." said Mikoto. "There's a reason why we're at Bentbranch Meadows and not in Gridania."

Maria tilted her head. If she recalled correctly, Bentbranch Meadows was a small village on Central Shroud, half an hour's walk away from Gridania.

Edda made a vague gesture with her hand. "We've met the Padjal on our way here."

Maria tried to focus. "Padjal... Humans blessed by the Elementals at birth? Horn on their heads, really attuned to the Elementals? I read about them."

"Right. Kan-E-Senna, the Gridanian leader, is one of them."

The Hunter tilted her head, confused. "Please, just skip to the point. What's the issue?"

The two Conjurers looked at each other.

Edda sighed. "Whatever you did with your blades, back at the bridges... Speaking of which, what did you do with your blades?"

"I had to improvise" said Maria, shrugging.

Mikoto tilted her head. "I thought you were unable to use magic, by the way."

"It's not magic, technically. Sure, it's hard to explain the difference, but blood magic and bloodtinge rituals are not real magic. It's more akin to an abuse of a curse."

"What did you exact-"

Maria snapped her fingers. "The point, please."

Edda and Mikoto exchanged a glance, and then Edda shrugged her head. "You can't enter the city."

Maria looked at the two girls. She was inexpressive, like a doll.

"Long story short..." Edda hesitated. "You scared the living shit out of the Elementals. We weren't even able to heal you directly after the fight."

The Hunter looked at Edda, then she turned to the other healer.

"She's telling the truth" confirmed Mikoto. "The Padjal govern the city, and many aspects of local life follow the laws of the Elementals. You scare them, so Kan-E-Senna ordered your banishment from Gridania. As a precaution."

"I see" said the woman, rising from her bed. She quickly grabbed her hunter garb and got dressed. Then she looked at the Rakuyo.

The longer blade was shattered, broken beyond recovery. Strangely enough, she felt somehow relieved: she actually couldn't stomach that sword. It had served her well, in good fights but especially in the worst moments of her life, and beyond. And now it was broken.

"I... Recovered the fragments of the blade?" said Edda timidly, pointing at a little bag in a corner.

"This is beyond repair" answered Maria, looking at the broken blade with a sigh. "But thank you. If that Ascian was right, that metal may still have its uses."

"The short blade is still useful" said Edda.

"That's true. But I will look for a working weapon as soon as I can reach a marketplace."

Mikoto sighed, then she said. "Maria, can I say something?"

The Hunter looked at her.

"I... I need to... Back at the bridge, I..."

"You're allowed to be scared" repeated Maria. "Yes, you panicked when we needed you. We all survived. I forgive you."

The Au ra looked at the woman, almost crying with relief.

Then Maria nodded, finishing dressing in her garb. "Let's go. We need to talk with the others, and I want to question Tristan. I need answers about the Ascians."

***

Cocobusi grabbed a giant lettuce and gave it to Maria. "Here. This is a Ghysal Green. Chocobos love it."

The Hunter grabbed some leaves from the lettuce and approached Agro. The chocobo ate them directly from Maria's hand, and then she gently pushed the hunter with her head to cuddle her. The woman smiled, caressing her neck. "Here, Agro. Good girl."

"I'm glad to see that you're all right" said Cocobusi, grabbing more leaves and feeding the other chocobos. "Agro was really nervous."

"She became loyal quickly" said Maria.

"She's very well trained." He sighed. "We need to discuss, I reckon?"

The Hunter nodded, helping the lalafell prepare the leaves. "I appreciate what you did."

"No need to mention it. It felt like a really dumb idea at the time, and it was in retrospect. But we all lived."

"You were really brave, though. Without you, we could all have died back there."

The lalafell gave some leaves to Edda's chocobo, which chirped playfully before grabbing them in his beak. Cocobusi was blushing.

"So" he said to change the topic. "I reckon you need a new weapon?"

"That I do."

The lalafell grabbed more leaves, thinking. "I know a really good weaponsmith who lives closer, on North Shroud. He ain't cheap and he's a drunkard, but his craftsmanship is legendary. Want me to ask him to reach us?"

"Please do. Pay for his travel here, and gift him a bottle of whiskey for his troubles."

"That will require some time, though, since we're talking about a custom product."

Maria nodded. The lalafell, of course, was right. "I need to contact a weapon merchant in Gridania. Make them reach us with some wares, and I'll get what I can. Just as a temporary solution."

"Very well. Out of curiosity, do you want another double bladed sword?"

Maria crossed her arms, thinking. "I'd rather live without a constant reminder of my failures."

Cocobusi tilted his head. "I mean, sure, you lost your weapon, but I'd count the battle at Highbridge as a victory."

Maria grabbed some other leaves and then gave them to Agro. "I wasn't talking about that."

Cocobusi nodded. "Because of what you did in Yharnam, then? Your shame?"

The hunter continued cuddling the chocobo, without answering.

"Then why were you using that blade in the first place, if I may?" asked the lalafell.

"Because I'm very good with that kind of blade, and I needed money. Killing beasts is what I do best."

Cocobusi nodded. "I can definitely agree, after Highbridge. That was impressive. What kind of magic school was that?"

Maria tilted her head. Cocobusi continued. "The blood blades. Was that black magic?"

"Oh. I think you can call it blood magic. One of my bloodtinge rituals, a speciality of..."

Maria got silent, suddenly. She felt observed.

She turned around, watching her surroundings. And then she noticed her.

A young girl, around thirteen years old, dressed in a white and red dress, was sitting on the chocobo fence, dangling her legs. Orange long hair, green brilliant eyes, a jaunty smile. And white horns on the side of her head.

Cocobusi followed where Maria was looking, then he sighed. "That's Raya-O-Senna. A Padjal, and the younger sister of Kan-E-Senna." He shrugged. "She's checking on us since we were forced to stop here."

Maria made a loud popping sound with her tongue, and then she jumped over the fence and approached the young girl calmly. Agro followed loyally the Hunter.

Once she was close, Maria bowed her head.

The Padjal laughed lightly. "You're not what I was expecting" said the girl.

Maria's eyebrow rose, and she asked: "What were you expecting, exactly?"

"I don't know. According to the Elementals, you should be a very dangerous monster. And yet, that chocobo clearly loves you. No evil person can be loved so much by a natural creature."

"Maybe I'm a monster only when it comes to humans."

Raya-O-Senna huffed, a bit annoyed. "Oh sure, maybe you eat little red haired girls. Never heard that before."

The two looked at each other.

"Are you here to check if I am going to violate my exile?" asked the Hunter.

The Padjal shook her head. "I'm sorry about that. If that's of any consolation, I disagree with my sister."

"It honestly isn't" commented Maria. "I'm still banished and unable to do my mission this way."

"Oh, about that: you're here to see my sister? A diplomatic mission, I gathered? She'll reach us in one hour or two to talk with you."

Maria wasn't expecting that.

"Also" continued the girl, "your friends can enter Gridania. The ban is just for you."

The Hunter shrugged. Agro got a bit closer and put her head on the Hunter's shoulder.

Raya-O-Senna smiled again. "May I pet her?"

"You should ask her, not me."

The Padjal tilted her head. "You're not wrong."

Maria scratched Agro's neck. "Why are you actually checking on me?"

"I was curious" said sincere Raya-O-Senna. "I told you. You look like a good person, so I want to understand why the Elementals are so scared of you."

The Hunter shrugged. "Maybe I can eat the Elementals."

The girl laughed, genuinely amused.

Maria sighed. "I'm Lady Maria of Cainhurst."

"Raya-O-Senna. Of Gridania."

The Hunter nodded. "Care to join me at the inn for a drink?"

"Gladly" said the girl, smiling once again.

***

The girl was drinking her juice in silence while watching Maria and the other people at the table near hers, in the middle of the empty tavern. The Hunter was sipping elegantly some wine from a chalice, and in front of her, the leader of Gridania, her sister Kan-E-Senna, was reading a parchment. Behind the leader, her two personal guards, two lancers, were waiting with their arms crossed.

Maria moved her hand, making the wine turn in the chalice to make it breathe, while Kan-E-Senna was reading the letter she had given her some minutes before.

"A commemoration for the Carteneau battle?" said Kan-E-Senna, surprised. "I'm surprised this is the reason why a... Person... Like you is here."

Maria sipped some wine. "That pause when you said person was absolutely lovely."

"I can't classify you" admitted the woman. "You may have been human once, but not anymore."

Maria moved her hand once again, crossing her legs and smirking at the Padjal.

Kan-E-Senna continued. "You're more similar to an undead than a human, but you're different enough that being classified as such would just be plain wrong."

"Thank you" said Maria, rolling her eyes.

"And you're not a voidsend. The best way to describe you would be... A vacuum of Aether. Your very existence is a division by zero."

The Hunter drank some wine, while on the other table, Raya-O-Senna rolled her eyes. Kan-E-Senna glanced at her sister, then she focused once again on Maria.

"As far as diplomatic meetings go" said Maria, "one where the ambassador is banned from entering the town but can still meet the head of state is bizarre."

"I apologise for that" said the Padjal. "The Elementals are scared of you, so I would ask you to not get too close to their sacred places. That means the Menphina's Altar, inside Gridania, and the Evershade Tree."

"Funnily enough, both places are not that far from here" said the Hunter, sipping more wine. "But I will respect your request nonetheless."

"You have my thanks. The Elementals are already nervous as they are for your presence in the Black Shroud."

Maria didn't smile. "I've read a bit about the Shroud. This place includes at least one cursed tomb that is currently used by some sect of sorts devoted to the fall of Dalamud as their base of operations, what remains of the Amdapori civilisation that’s currently overrun by toxic mushrooms and voidsend, and a fragment of the Dalamud moon that missed the city of Gridania by some miles. And your elementals are scared of me?"

Kan-E-Senna didn't object to Maria's observation.

"Well" said the Hunter after a huff, "You actually let me enter the Shroud while I was vulnerable, so there's that. I thank you for this concession."

"I'm doing what I can to adhere to the Elemental's request while acknowledging your diplomatic status" said the woman without smiling. "There's a thing, though, that requires an explanation."

"I'm listening."

"Why are you here?" she asked.

Maria raised an eyebrow.

"I'm serious" continued the woman. "Why specifically you? This kind of request" said the Padjal, showing Rahbaun's letter to Maria "could be delivered by a moogle. It wouldn't be the first time, either. Clearly, the General wanted me to meet you. And although I'm definitely curious about your peculiar condition..."

"According to the Ul'Dah Thaumaturges, my peculiar condition can corrupt Aether."

"I can... Agree with that specific evaluation."

"The Lorobuki brothers are, therefore, convinced that I can kill Primals. For good."

Everyone became extremely quiet.

Raya-O-Senna was the first to talk: "I... beg your pardon?"

"In my group, there are two Sharlayan scholars specialised in Aether, and the alchemist who first had a chance to check my condition. They can confirm this diagnosis. This is just a theory for now, because I never actually met a Primal so far, but if the theory is true..."

"I... see" said the blonde woman.

The silence fell in the room, while the two Padjal exchanged an eloquent look. Raya-O-Senna hesitated for a second, confused, then she realised what her sister was thinking. "Sister, I must disagree with-"

"Silence, please" said the woman, looking at Maria.

The child tried to object. "But that monster is too-"

"Are you about to propose a hunt to me?" asked the Hunter, interrupting the girl and drinking more wine.

"In a way, yes. But beware: it'll be a challenge like none you've faced before. And it does involve a Primal."

"I see" said Maria.

"Maria, please!" said Raya-O-Senna. She stopped when the Hunter raised a hand toward her in a gentle gesture.

Kan-E-Senna sighed, then she closed her eyes. "Are you familiar with Urht's Fount?"

"No" said the Hunter, drinking more wine.

"It's a place, not far from here. There are some reports..."

Raya-O-Senna objected once again. "Sister, you can't ask-"

"Raya" said Maria, smiling at the girl. "Please."

The Padjal girl looked at Maria. She seemed confident, but she had no way of knowing what monster she might be facing. And if the rumours were true, accepting that job would have been suicidal at best.

The Gridanian leader sighed. "There are some reports. Some witnesses are talking about a man in black roaming the Shroud, on a six legged horse, and an aetheric presence that corrupts the air itself, turning the weather in a tense mist in the whole region when he roams looking for victims. A black armoured man, who kills everyone that crosses his path."

"He's not doing a very thorough job, if there are witnesses" said Maria with a smile.

Kan-E-Senna didn't smile back. "We've already lost ten soldiers of the Gods' Quiver to this mysterious man."

Maria drank more wine with an indifferent expression. "So you're asking me to hunt this man in black? I can do that."

"This is not all" said Kan-E-Senna. "There are legends about Urth's Fount."

The wine tilted again in Maria's glass.

"Legend about a Primal, an incarnation of a dark spirit. A knight with an armour forged in shadow, with a steed worthy of the most corrupted Voidsend and with a mammoth sword that can cut everything."

"I see" commented the Hunter. "Interesting."

"Some Gods' Quiver soldiers are recovering in Gridania, after meeting that knight, and they're talking about this monster. And if what they're saying is true..."

Maria made a loud pop with her tongue, finishing her glass. "Out of curiosity, what's the name of my mark?"

Everyone got silent.

Kan-E-Senna found her composure after a couple of seconds. "You're either confident or foolish to accept a hunt job that could involve a Primal."

Maria shrugged. "The name, please."

After a couple of seconds, Raya-O-Senna answered. "My sister is convinced that the dark knight may be... The Dark Divinity. Odin."

***

"You accepted WHAT?!?" shouted Mikoto, completely flabbergasted.

"Please stop screaming" answered Maria, annoyed. The whole gang was outside, near the stables. Maria was updating them about the meeting with the Gridanian leader, and everyone was staring at the Hunter as if she were completely crazy.

The most upset was the Au ra, but none of the others seemed happy.

"You can't just go and accept a hunt against Odin, of all Primals!"

Maria grabbed the shorter blade of her Rakuyo, trying to balance it. She performed some movements to test using only that part of the blade in an attack, and she wasn't satisfied. Eileen could probably show me a good style for a single short sword, but I feel naked with only a short blade, thought the woman.

"Maria, I'm talking to you!"

"Yes, I know you are talking with me" she answered, moving the sword again. "That doesn't mean I'll accept your objection."

"Wha- Why?!?"

"Because I convinced Kan-E-Senna to pay the party five hundred thousand gil for Odin's head."

Everyone suddenly went silent.

Moenbryda murmured: "T-that's... One hundred grand each!"

Cocobusi shrugged. "Not that impressive: a good retainer can make you gain that in a couple of days. Provided you have the right metals, the right leaves or the right concoctions to sell at the marketplace, of course."

Maria raised an eyebrow. "Oh? I need one of those retainers, then."

"Can we please focus on the topic and be rational?!?" screamed the Au ra. "One hundred thousand or one hundred million, you can't use gil if you're dead!"

"Speak for yourself: I still need money" answered deadpan Maria.

Edda chuckled while Mikoto was fuming.

"Just because I feel there's a misunderstanding going on, let me be perfectly clear" continued the Hunter. "I'm not underestimating a hunt against this prey."

"He's. The. Primal. Of. Death!" objected Mikoto firmly. "He's said to be able to slay every foe, regardless of how strong they are!"

Maria turned at the Au ra. "Please, go on."

"What?" asked the Conjurer.

The Hunter rolled her eyes. "You don't actually expect me to simply go and charge against an unknown enemy like that, especially one that may have a power comparable to a divinity? Of course the first step is to research Odin as much as possible."

Mikoto tilted her head.

Maria waited in silence, then she nodded. "Ah. So you just know that Odin is the Primal of Death, and no real information. I see. Well, here's what we're going to do, then. We need information, and we need better equipment. Or, in my specific case, any equipment at all."

"The short blade isn't enough?" asked Edda. "The curse on the blade should..."

"I'm not going to try my chances on some curse that's still unknown to me" said Maria. "Also, I don't feel safe with only a short blade and a pistol, but if I find a second acceptable sword, I can dualwield that and what remains of the Rakuyo. So, here's what we're going to do. Edda?"

"Yes?" the girl asked, surprised.

"Go to Gridania: I have two jobs for you there. First of all, contact the Gods' Quiver. We need to contact every single witness who saw that dark knight. Every single bit of information may help us. If anyone asks, tell them that we're working for Kan-E-Senna."

"Well, that's not false" said the conjurer, shrugging. "What’s the second job?"

"I need equipment, so please, while you're in Gridania, find a weapon merchant. Tell them that there's a client interested in their wares just outside town."

Edda nodded, then she started walking toward the chocobo stable. Maria turned her head. "Cocobusi, I need your alchemy expertise. I may need those things we discussed during the trip. And the shell."

"Well, the lobster is dead, finally" said Cocobusi, "so whenever you want, you can start with your curse to get that Empty Phantasm Shell of yours."

"Finally, some good news. We will also need the ether, the oil and the fire papers. And seeing that I can't trust the Elementals, I need blood potions. At least twenty. And I need quicksilver bullets. The more the merrier."

"On it" said the Lalafell, walking away. He stopped after a couple of steps. "Should I still contact Gerolt? You know, the weaponsmith?"

Maria nodded, and the Lalafell raised a thumb in approval, before going back to his carriage.

Mikoto raised her hand. The Hunter looked at her.

"Are you asking blood potions because both Edda and I failed to heal you at Highbridge?"

"If you want me to be blunt, it's exactly because of that" confirmed the Hunter.

"I may offer an alternative, then" said the Au ra.

Maria crossed her arms. "I'm listening."

"There's an Astrologian in Sharlayan. She's very eager to expand the astrology school outside the borders of the island: I may try to contact her and..." She stopped when she noticed the confusion on Maria's face. "You don't know what I'm talking about, right?"

Maria nodded, for the frustration of Mikoto. "It's another school of magic, specialised in healing. They don't draw Aether from the Elementals, but from the aetheric essence of the cosmos. And they claim that they can alter fate."

Maria shrugged. "It's worth a shot. As long as the stars don't start to fear me too, I guess."

Mikoto nodded. "I need to write to Lady Leveva, then" said the Au ra, bowing and taking her leave.

"Hold your horses for a second, Mikoto" said Maria, crossing her arms.

The Au ra stopped. "Yes?"

"Sharlayan hosts libraries and knowledge, right?" The conjurer nodded. Maria continued: "Very well. Ask in your letters for any information they have about Odin. Vulnerabilities, myths, a list of historical apparitions, whatever. There are no insignificant pieces of info when you hunt powerful marks."

Mikoto nodded in silence, then she went back to the inn.

Maria sighed, then she turned to the last woman. "And that leaves us for last, Moenbryda."

The Roegadyn didn't budge. "Let me guess. You want to talk with our guest."

Maria nodded. "Is he all right?"

"You hit him pretty badly, but he'll live. He's recovering, and according to Mikoto, he'll be able to walk again by tomorrow. I do have a question, though"

Maria made a gesture to invite the woman to keep on talking.

Moenbryda abided. "You knew his name, on Highbridge. Did you meet him before?"

"I didn't" admitted Maria. "Momodi recommended some names to recruit for my hunting pack, some days ago. Tristan Lowe was the second name on the list."

"I see. And why do you feel like talking to him is important, in the context of hunting Odin?"

Maria sighed. "He managed to survive a fight against Ifrit when he was in the Immortal Flames."

The Roegadyn nodded. "You're looking for some specific tips?"

"Yes" said the woman, walking back toward the house. "I still need to know why he attacked us, but now I have something more important in mind. I need to understand how he avoided being tempered by the Primal."

***

The man was sitting on a bed. He was bandaged, but the cut was healing fast thanks to the spells of Mikoto and Edda. Maria looked at Tristan Lowe: he was a bit effeminate, but cute in a weird way, although his clothes, especially the bizarre fake horn on his forehead were just stupid. Still, he had interesting features: he had tanned skin and white hair. Why are white-haired people so common in Eorzea? That was puzzling for the white-haired lady: in Yharnam, that trait was unique to... well, her, at her age. Gehrman didn't count, the old fart was old. And yet, in just a few days, she met an impressive number of people with white hair in Eorzea. Thancred, Moenbryda, Papashan... Well, Papashan claimed that he was old too. Still, quite an impressive number.

Maria looked one last time at the man on the bed, and then she grabbed a chair and sat in front of him. She crossed her legs and put her hands on her knee, looking at him with a sharp smile. Moenbryda stayed behind her, a couple of steps back with her arms crossed.

"Tristan Lowe" said the woman. "Believe it or not, I wanted to talk with you before our fortuitous meeting."

The man raised his head, watching Maria smiling. There was no happiness in that smile.

Moenbryda, behind her, seemed ready to decapitate him with her axe.

He didn't answer.

Maria sighed after ten seconds of tense silence. "Please nod if you can understand me."

"What for?" He sighed. "Let me guess, you're the good cop and she's the bad cop?"

"No" said the Hunter, stopping the Roegadyn with a gesture. "I'm both. She's just here as a precaution."

"Lovely" murmured Tristan.

The Hunter started playing with a lock of her hair while looking at the man with an indifferent expression. "I know why you attacked me" she said flatly.

"Do you, now?"

"I mean, that's not hard to guess" said the woman, shrugging. "You were just obeying the Ascians. I bet they gave you the power to invoke that demon, and so now you're forced to do their bidding."

Tristan lowered his head. He murmured: "An egi."

"I beg your pardon?" asked Moenbryda, surprised.

"Not a demon. An egi. And you're right. I just received an order from the man who gifted me with the power to summon egis, so I could not refuse to make an attempt on your life."

"An egi" repeated the Roegadyn. "So what, are you... A summoner?"

"What's an egi?" asked Maria.

Moenbryda looked at the Hunter. "It’s a myth. Egis are constructs that replicate the powers of a Primal. According to legend, they were the primary form of magic for Allagan magicians, specialising in summoning rituals. Summoners could call these copies of the Primals to fight alongside them. Extremely powerful, but they disappeared centuries ago."

Maria tilted her head. "So that was Ifrit?"

"No" said the man, sighing. "It was just a pale imitation. The real Ifrit is not even comparable to that."

"About that" said Maria. "Your name was recommended to me because you managed to impress the Adventurer's Guild of Ul'Dah. You survived a fight against Ifrit, right?"

"What about it?" asked Tristan, annoyed.

Maria shrugged. "I plan to kill a Primal."

Tristan chuckled. "Sure! You and what God that's living inside your soul?"

Moenbryda glanced at Maria, nervous. Maria didn't move. "Remember when I fought and won against an Ascian?"

Tristan interrupted his chuckle.

Maria sighed. "I'm going to be honest with you: I have no reason to keep prisoners, and I don't want to execute you if I can avoid it, but I will do it if something forces my hand."

"Is that supposed to be reassuring?" the man asked, confused.

"Right now, though, I can promise you this: help me understand how to avoid the tempering of a Primal, and I will free you."

Moenbryda tried to object, but Maria snapped her fingers. The Roegadyn stopped.

The man remained silent, then he asked: "And how do you plan to kill a Primal? With a broken sword?"

Maria and Moenbryda exchanged a glance, then the Hunter sighed. "I'm cursed. Cursed beyond anyone's understanding. My simple presence can corrupt Aetheric energies."

Tristan opened his mouth, surprised, and then he chuckled. "So that's why the Ascians wanted you dead? Because they're made of Aether, so you're a menace?"

Moenbryda nodded. "It's a theory, but the nature of her curse is so abhorrent and alien to the magical existence as we know it that it's possible she can poison to death all Aetheric creatures. Including Primals. And maybe Ascians."

"Although so far all the Ascians I faced managed to escape" admitted Maria.

Tristan remained silent for almost a minute. Maria didn't budge for all that time.

In the end, the man sighed. "This will be weird..."

"What?" asked the Hunter.

"You said that you plan to kill a Primal? And that you can do it for good?"

"Correct" said Maria. "It's a theory, but I'm planning to test it soon."

"That's exactly the reason why I sold myself to the Ascians."

Maria and Moenbryda kept looking at the man. The Roegadyn was surprised, and the Hunter was inexpressive.

The man continued. "Ifrit tempered my brother. I had to kill him myself. I..."

He looked at his hands. Moenbryda looked at Maria, confused. The woman still didn't budge, her expression rigid and cold like a doll.

After a minute, Maria sighed. "I reckon you'll give me that information, then?"

"I'll do more. If you really plan to kill the Primals, I'll help you on your quest."

"What?" asked the Roegadyn.

Maria grimaced. "My party is full."

"I don't care. Against those creatures, you'll need all the help you can get. And I want to be there when your curse will poison one of those monsters. I want to see them suffer and choke like they-"

Maria interrupted him with a snap of her fingers. "You misunderstand: I can barter your freedom for information, but I can't trust you with an alliance. You still tried to murder us, and you still owe a debt toward the Ascians. As soon as we part ways, we will never see each other again. If we do, and if I suspect that you could be hostile once again, I will kill you."

Tristan nodded. "I see. Well, I still want to help if I can. Do you have any specific inquiries?"

Maria smiled. "I'm looking for information about resisting tempering."

"I will disappoint you, then: the only reason why I managed not to be tempered is out of sheer luck. Ifrit never focused on me, while my unit was fighting him."

The Hunter nodded. "I see. Well, I won't hold that against you, I will still honour my part of the deal: after this conversation, we will let you leave as a free man. Anything specific you're willing to share?"

"About Ifrit specifically?"

"Right now, I plan to test this theory against another Primal. My current mark is Odin."

Tristan's mouth opened in shock.

He remained silent for half a minute.

After a bit, he regained his composure. "The Dark Divinity itself. Are you joking?"

Maria sighed. "I seldom joke."

Tristan nodded. "I'll tell you what I can share, then..."

***

Maria looked at the bizarre stone in the man's hand. It was a green crystal, finely cut and with an incision on it, some kind of rune that the Hunter didn't recognise.

"So this is a Soul Stone" said Moenbryda, surprised. "I admit, I heard about them, but I never saw one before."

Tristan closed his hand, and then he put the crystal away in a hidden pocket. "This soul was attuned to an Allagan summoner. That gave me his knowledge. This is how the Ascian granted me the power to become a summoner: he gave me this Soul Stone."

"I see" said Maria. "So this soul crystal is a phylactery."

Moenbryda tilted her head. "In a way, yes, although the proper term would be a memory bank. These crystals store experiences and abilities, saved in the aether stored inside them."

"So it's better if I don't touch that" said Maria.

The Roegadyn thought about it for a second, and then she nodded. "Definitely don't touch that."

Tristan didn't react to that bizarre exchange. "Anyroad" he said, "this stone gifts me with some of the lost knowledge of his former owner. And seen that we're talking about a summoner..."

Moenbryda looked at the man and said "You have actual intel about Odin!"

"Yes. About all Primals, actually. And I can tell you that Odin is different from all the other Primals."

Maria sat down once again, crossing her legs. "Please, elaborate."

The summoner closed his eyes, focusing on the soul crystal in his hand. For almost a minute, he didn't talk, too busy trying to recall something valuable from the memories inside the Soul Stone. After some time, he said: "As far as I can tell, not even the Allagan summoners at the height of their power managed to tame Odin and make an egi from him."

"Lovely. And also useless" the Hunter murmured. Moenbryda smirked.

"I know" said the man, frustrated. "I can't just remember what I want from the echoes of a dead person; I need to actually dig in all these lost memories. And they are chaotic."

"Annoying, but be my guest" said Maria.

The magician continued to focus on the stone, under the vigilant eyes of the two women. After a couple of minutes, he said: "He doesn’t temper people normally. He can't corrupt you during the fight, nor can he corrupt your allies."

"Good."

"But the person who kills him will be tempered. And his body will become the host of the next apparition of Odin. This is how he never dies. The person who proves strong enough to beat him will become him."

Moenbryda and Maria exchanged a perplexed look. The Roegadyn sighed. "Well, maybe that can't work on someone who doesn't actually have Aether?"

"I could accept that risk" said Maria, shrugging. "Death doesn't really scare me. On the contrary, I would welcome some way to finally find oblivion."

"Yeeeah" said sceptical Moendbryda. "Let's think about something less drastic."

"Zantetsuken" said the man, surprised.

The two women looked at him.

He continued: "The sword. That word, Zantetsuken, is the name of Odin's sword. And that sword is the real Primal. Not the knight."

Maria started thinking, biting her index. "All the people who faced him in the past focused on fighting the knight. Maybe they claimed the blade as a trophy, if they won, and then they got tempered by it."

"It's an excellent defence. No way to suspect its influence" admitted Moenbryda. "And it's nightmare inducing."

The hunter nodded in agreement, then she started thinking again. "What happens if the sword is broken?"

Moenbryda shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe that will stop the possession, breaking the cycle? Or maybe it'll just release a massive wave of Aether, killing everyone surrounding it?"

The Hunter nodded. "It may be worth a shot."

"But how do you plan to break it?"

Maria sighed. "That's the real issue."

***

The merchant rolled a blanket on the table, showing his wares to Maria. "Your associate told me that you were interested in one-handed weapons. Mostly swords, I reckon?"

Maria drew closer, examining the weapons inside the blanket. "My associate told you the truth" she said, caressing some blades. There were short swords, some clubs. Classic weapons, without tricks. Maria sighed: toys for children!

They were inside the Bentbranch Meadows Inn. Raya-O-Senna was on another table, still glancing curiously at Maria, while the others were otherwise occupied. Moenbryda was helping Cocobusi, Mikoto was checking Tristan's conditions once again, and Edda was still in Gridania, searching for witnesses to the mysterious dark knight.

Maria shrugged, checking the weapons.

"Can I try some balance?" asked Maria. The man nodded, smiling.

Maria grabbed a gladius with her right hand. She tried to rotate the blade and to feel its weight, but she put it back quickly. "Too symmetrical."

The man's smile turned into a grimace. "I'm sorry?"

"Do you have any single bladed swords?" asked Maria.

"You mean, like scimitars or katanas?" he asked, surprised. "I do have some exotic wares from Kugane, but the price will..."

Maria threw a small bag of coins on the table. The man opened it, and then he smiled once again. "I can show you my exotic weapons, all right."

The merchant closed the blanket and went back to his carriage.

Raya-O-Senna got closer. "Do you think one of these unenhanced weapons can help against a Primal?"

"Better than facing a Primal with only my fists" said Maria, shrugging. "Also, I still have the short half of my Rakuyo. The Ascian we faced on the bridge said that it's cursed."

The Padjal looked at it. "Want me to examine it? Maybe I can understand the true nature of that blade's enchantment?"

"Not really" said Maria. "So far, my style of stabbing things to death worked well even without that specific knowledge."

Raya-O-Senna tilted her head. "Aren't you scared of using a cursed item without knowing its effects?"

"Worst case scenario, it'll kill me" said Maria, watching the merchant come back with a new blanket. "Been there, done that."

The girl huffed in annoyance while the man opened the new blanket. "The best imported weapons you can get from..."

"Is that a reiterpallasch?" asked Maria, surprised, looking at a specific blade.

The merchant followed the woman's gaze: she was looking at a Garlean weapon. A long sword with the blade only on one side, but it was light and thin enough to be wielded with a single hand. The strangest feature was the gun drum: in typical Imperial fashion, the crafter had added a fully working pistol in the hilt, with the barrel parallel to the blade.

"Oh, that's a gunblade. It's a sword used mostly by the Garlean soldiers. This one is decorated with the marking of a Tribunus Angusticlavius of the VIIth Imperial Legion, and it was salvaged from the battle of Carteneau: very high quality, and it resisted having a moon dropped on it."

Maria grabbed it, trying its balance. It was almost as light as her former blade, maybe just a bit heavier and a bit longer, but she could've compensated easily. She did try some movements.

The merchant continued to talk. "The gun needs standard Imperial cartridges. I do have some, if you..."

Maria opened the drum. A couple of empty cartridges and an unfired bullet fell on the ground. She grimaced: one of the things she hated the most was carelessness when it came to firearms. She sighed, regaining her composure, and she checked the drum. "This needs cleaning." She declared, looking inside the barrel. "Some oil and a bit of pressure should do. Ignoring that, this weapon seems in pristine conditions, especially if you consider that it was neglected for at least the last five years."

The man didn't know how to answer that. After a couple of seconds, he regained his composure and said: "If that weapon is not to your liking, I may..."

"Oh, you misunderstood me. I'll take it."

The man smiled again.

Maria continued. "And a dozen cartridges."

Raya-O tilted her head. "Only twelve?"

"I just want to test the pistol part, after cleaning it. I will have Cocobusi forge some custom bullets for it."

***

Maria turned the wrist once again and hit the training dummy with her new blade. It felt somehow just right: the range was even a bit better than her old blade, although it had a little extra weight. The firearm part was throwing her balance a bit off: she needed to adjust her usual fighting stance to compensate, but she felt it would have required just a few days of practice.

Sitting on the fence near the training ground, Raya-O-Senna was looking at the Hunter, while letting her legs dangling.

Maria turned her head, pointing the gunblade at another dummy twenty yalms away. A loud bang, then a new hole appeared in the dummy. Maria hit the target a couple of ilms from the centre of the wooden head.

The Hunter grimaced, getting close to her target.

"Your aim was off?" asked Raya-O-Senna.

"It's not as precise as I hoped: it shoots a bit on the left side. I need to compensate. I must get used to it."

The girl shrugged. "Well, it's an old weapon, and it had a whole moon fall on it. You should have it checked, probably."

"Or I should adjust. It's just an issue of skills, really."

The girl looked at Maria while the woman opened the barrel once again to check it.

"Why did you get a gunblade, of all possible swords?" asked the Padjal.

"It's similar to a trick weapon I used to practice with, back in Cainhurst."

"Oh, right. The reitan... Leiten..."

"Reiterpallasch" said Maria, articulating every syllable.

The girl tilted her head. "What does it mean?"

"It's a play on words from the ancient Ptumerian language. Reiter means horseback rider, and Pallos means sword." She brandished the blade once again, trying its balance. "Compared to a real reiterpallasch, this gunblade is missing the guarded hilt."

The girl tilted her head. "Maybe you can have it modified to fit your needs better?"

"We'll see." She then looked at the girl. "So, are you still here because you want to join this hunt?"

"No" said the girl, "but I'm still curious. I've asked my brother to take care of our duties by himself at the South Shroud, so I'm free to check on you for the time being."

"And what if I don't want a claque?"

Raya-O made a vague gesture with her hand. "Just ask me to leave, and I'll respect your wish."

Maria rolled her eyes. "You can stay."

"Thank you."

The Hunter moved again, trying an elegant movement with the gunblade and the short Rakuyo. A pirouette, a couple of stabs in the air, then she performed an agile backflip. And then she disappeared, to appear behind the training dummy. The Padjal was in awe: she didn't understand much about martial arts, but Maria moved with the grace of an angel.

"Have you ever considered joining a Thavnair dancing troupe?" asked the girl suddenly.

"Thavnair? I never heard that word before" admitted Maria.

"It's a nation on the east, in Ilsabard, and their dances would suit you. Their performance can soothe spirits, giving joy to whoever sees their movements. And they're also really good fighters."

The Hunter tilted her head.

Raya-O continued. "They use circular discs as weapons. They throw them."

"Ah. Chakrams. Then no, those things require a lot of practice, and I don't have the time to learn a new martial art from scratch."

"I know nothing of martial arts" said the kid. "But they sound neat."

Maria sighed, and then she opened the gunblade to check once again that the barrel was empty, even though she already knew it was. She then turned the blade, offering the hilt to Raya-O-Senna.

The girl tilted her head.

Maria smiled. "Want to learn some martial arts?"

***

Mikoto stretched her arms after having finished casting another spell. "Your wounds should heal completely by tomorrow, and then you'll be free to leave, as Maria ordered. As soon as the scar disappears, you won't need my cures anymore."

"Very well" said Tristan, checking the pink border of the scar on his chest, where Maria stabbed him.

The Au ra sighed. "Are you aware that Maria could've killed you instantly with that attack? In a way, you owe her your life."

"In a way, you're right." The man looked outside the window, barely noticing the Hunter helping a child balance a sword and starting to train her. "In more ways than you can imagine."

Mikoto nodded. "I know you helped Maria by giving her information, and she will desperately need them if we're actually planning to face Odin. But you should consider her words: she will kill you if you menace us again. Seeing how precise the scar is, she wanted you alive."

The summoner nodded once again. "And killing your enemy in a duel is way easier than incapacitating them this way. I can see your point."

He hesitated.

"But I can't just ignore that she's exactly what I'm looking for."

"Moenbryda mentioned something. You said your mission is to eradicate the Primals, right?"

The man didn't answer. He watched the girl outside struggle to raise the sword, and Maria gently but firmly grasped her wrist to help her achieve the correct posture.

Mikoto sighed, and then she got close to the door. "My job is finished for now."

"Thank you. For the cures and for taking the time to actually talk with me."

The Au ra nodded, then she left the room.

She took a couple of steps in the corridor of the inn, until she heard the sound of wings. She turned around: a moogle with a bag and a postmaster hat was near her.

"I'm sorry, miss, are you lady Mikoto Jinba?" said the fluffy flying bear.

"The very same" said the girl, surprised. "You have mail for me?"

"Even better, kupo!" The moogle put an arm in his bag, and then he grabbed a package. It was at least four times the size of the purse!

"What-" said Mikoto, surprised. "How did you-"

"My job here is done" said the cute creature, flying away and whistling happily.

The Au ra raised an eyebrow, then she opened the package. Inside there was a small crystal, a deck of cards, a small book, a planetarium globe and a letter. Confused, she opened the envelope.

Lady Jinba,

let me preface by saying that I appreciate your interest in the arcane school of Sharlayan Astrology, and that I will support your request for a scholarship in the noble art of star reading.

Therefore, it's with my most profound regret that I must refuse your request to join your current party in Gridania: I'm currently in the middle of preparations for an expedition in Ishgard, and I can't focus on a detour right now.

I will, though, gift you with the means to become an Astrologian yourself. Attached to this letter is a Soul Stone that belonged to one of our finest masters, his Star Globe and a diary that will allow you to open the Seven Gates by yourself. Seeing your curriculum as an Archon and as a Conjurer, you should be able to access the secrets of Astrology even without a teacher guiding you. If you ever have specific requests, though, feel free to send me an envelope with your questions.

Best regards.

Lady Leveva Byrde.

Mikoto read the letter a couple of times. This was supposed to be a joke, right? She was supposed to learn a new school of magic without a guide or a teacher, just with a diary and a strange crystal that...

The moment Mikoto picked up the Soul Stone, the whole room turned inside out. She could feel the Major Arcana in the skies, although it was still day: she could feel the connection between the Constellations. The Arrow and the Ewer were blessed by the Moon, the Spear and the Spire were blessed by the Stars. And the Lord and the Lady of the Crows were...

She dropped the crystal. She shook her head, confused: what was that?

She touched it again, breathing calmly. This time, she was ready for the strange feeling of foreign knowledge that didn't actually belong to her but that was somehow finding its place in her mind.

She looked at the card, then she touched the planetarium gently. The cards and the Star Globe started flying near her, following her hand gestures.

She grabbed one of the flying cards and turned it. She felt the power of the stars focusing around her, and a calm wind surrounded her, ready to heal her from any wound.

She opened her mouth when she realised what had just happened. And with a surprised tone, she murmured: "I know Astrology!"

***

Igeyorhm looked at the spirit of Nabriales, worried. She was able to recover her ally, but it was probably already too late: somehow, that hunter managed to cut him. He was in his spirit form, a formless cloud with a red glyph shining in the air, but the cloud somehow had a hole in it. And the hole was growing, like a pustule. The Ascian was feeling like something horrible, inhuman, and alien was staring at her from that hole. She moved, trying to get a closer look at the wound from another angle: as soon as she changed perspective, she immediately thought that the pustule looked like... A snake of some sort.

She took two steps back, then she disappeared into a dark cloud. She teleported to the Convocation of Fourteen, where the dark thrones floated in eternal darkness. The place where the Ascians plotted for the return of their Deity and for completing the Rejoining. There, she found Emet-Selch sitting on his throne.

"Emet-Selch!" the woman exclaimed.

There was no answer from the Ascian.

Igeyorhm flew near his throne. "Please, this is not the time for your weird moods. Listen to me!"

The woman looked closer: Emet-Selch had his eyes closed, and she could swear that he was snoring lightly. She remained silent, taken by surprise: of all the things she wasn't expecting, finding one of the Unsundered Ascian sleeping peacefully was probably at the top of her list. As far as she was aware, no Ascian actually needed to sleep. Why was Emet-Selch in that state?

One dimension away, the hole in the soul of Nabriales grew longer, and it began to assume a bizarre form, resembling a lamprey's head. The alien, monstrous protuberance opened its gaping hole. But instead of teeth, a myriad of small eyes looked around, curious about their surroundings.

Chapter Text

The Hunter entered the window, weapons in hand. They never really trusted Iosefka, not after she asked them to send people to the clinic despite her initial reluctance to help them. However, the night of the hunt was too dangerous: every place of solace, every asylum, and every help they could get was vital. But now, with the red moon shining in the sky that was turning everyone crazy in Yharnam, they had to check how things were going.

They had sent a couple of survivors there: a child and an old lady. Their instinct told them that sending those two to the Oedon's Chapel would've been a death sentence: too much road to cross, too many beasts. So, the clinic was the safest bet.

They regretted their decision as soon as they entered the infirmary.

Inside, there were three creatures. Giant heads, skin like squids and blue. Alien in look. One of them had a little ribbon in their hand: it was the same one the young girl had in her hair when they told her to reach Iosefka.

They took a step back, taken aghast. What was happening there?

The creatures were not hostile, so the Hunter tried to leave the room. Before leaving, though, they found some notes. Handwritten.

They quickly read them: it was a diary for an experiment.

First trial.

Subject: woman, 30~35 years old. No signs of scourge corruption. Injected 1/4 pint of pure blood extracted from Ebrietas.

Results after ten seconds: the subject is screaming. No signs of physical transformation have been observed so far.

Results after three minutes: the subject is still screaming in pain. Still no sign of transformation.

Results after six minutes: the eyes are mutated. Doubled in size, and they shine. The screams continue: now they're all incoherent ramblings. The subject is convulsing. Her blood is starting to take on a light green, phosphorescent hue.

Results after nine minutes: the subject's height increased to 6.2 feet. Her skin is now starting to turn blue. The convulsions on the lower abdomen are becoming increasingly violent.

Results after twelve minutes: the subject expelled her kidneys, her uterus and part of her intestines from the anus. All the organs evaporated as soon as they left her body. Her skin became slimy. A second opposable thumb is growing on her hand.

Results after fifteen minutes: the woman's lips fused together, her mouth is now shut. The screams are continuing.

Results after twenty-three minutes: the transformation is complete. The subject is docile; she has successfully transformed into a Celestial Emissary. She doesn't show traits of hostility.

They felt cold and nauseous. Everything in that note was sick and inhuman. And they helped with that horror? Also, who was that first subject?

A moment of insight. They just realised that Iosefka's voice had changed slightly after they managed to reach Oedon's Chapel. That was the moment she changed idea and asked them to bring in the survivors they met during the night. That first subject was the real Iosefka! Since that moment, they have always spoken with someone who impersonated the nurse!

The real Iosefka was the first subject!

There were more papers. They turned the page, t keep reading.

Second trial.

Subject: woman, 7~9 years old. No signs of scourge corruption. Injected 1/4 pint of blood extracted from subject no° 1.

Results after ten seconds: the subject is screaming. There are some signs of a quicker transformation. Her skin is already...

The Hunter stopped.

They removed the mask and started vomiting on the ground.

It took them a couple of minutes to regain their composure. The alien creature continued to stare at the hunter, its expression impossible to decipher. The Hunter got closer to a door. They had to stop that fake Iosefka.

They noticed something, though. On the bed where they had first awoken in the Nightmare, there was a letter. They grabbed it and turned it: there was a seal, and their name was elegantly written on it. They broke the seal and read the papers inside: they tilted their head, surprised, when they read that Queen Annalise officially invited them to visit Castle Cainhurst.

They put the invitation in their pocket, and then they grabbed their weapon, looking again at the door: the Castle could wait.

For now, they had to make that fake Iosefka pay for that horror.

***

The sound was similar to a buzz saw stuck into a tree. The bald, shirtless man was snoring with his head on his anvil. There was vomit on the metal, and the man was murmuring while sleeping. Something about a fake nurse in a clinic somewhere, and some very deviant acts. He was sleeping outside, on his open forge, in the small village of Hyrstmill.

Cocobusi sighed, annoyed. Every time he had to meet Gerolt, it was the same: he was either drunk or drinking. The lalafell had travelled the whole night to reach the blacksmith, and he wasn't really in the mood for his drunkard shenanigans.

He got back to his carriage and grabbed some pulverised willow leaves and other concoctions from one of his bags, then he grabbed a metal cup. He dissolved the dust in some water, then returned to the forge. He looked at the man, then he slapped the metal cup on the anvil, making a loud sound near the blacksmith's head.

The bald man woke up suddenly, screaming a blasphemy.

"Rise and shine, Gerolt" said the lalafell.

The man looked around, confused. "What the f-" Then he noticed the lalafell. "Cocobusi? The hell?"

"Drink that" said Cocobusi, pointing at the cup. "It'll help with the hangover. This is on the house."

Gerolt tilted his head, confused, and then he started drinking. He almost spat it. "The fuck is this? It tastes like a Roegadyn's arse!"

"Talking from experience, I reckon?"

The man looked at the lalafell, and then he laughed.

"Why are you here, popoto?"

From a bag, Cocobusi grabbed a bottle of whiskey. "Well, I’m not here because I find your company alluring, that's for sure."

Gerolt looked at the bottle. "So that means you're here to give me a job?"

"Yes, and the client I represent needs something special as soon as possible."

"I'm working for Rowena right now, though, so I'm afraid I can't..."

The lalafell grabbed a bag of coins and threw them on the anvil.

The blacksmith checked the bag, then he smiled.

"... I'm afraid I can't disappoint a client like yours, though."

"I agree."

"What kind of weapon do you need, then? A sword, an axe? Or some staff for some magic user?"

Cocobusi shrugged. "Trick weapons."

"Meaning what?"

"That's how she calls them."

Gerolt looked at the coins and the bottle. "This sounds interesting. Tell me more..."

***

Amidst the cold, looming spires of Yharnam Cathedral, a haunting chuckle echoed like a maddening symphony. Swathed in an elegant garb made of crow feathers, a visage obscured by a sinister mask with the marks of Cainhurst engraved on it, the figure moved slowly but with a lethal grace through the dimly lit hall.

Veins of crimson light slithered through the cathedral's stained-glass windows, casting macabre shadows across the interior. The scent of blood and decay lingered in the air, an ominous reminder of the horrors that had befallen this accursed city. Yet, the Bloody Crow showed no hesitation, his purpose unyielding, his soul driven by an insatiable devotion.

Emet-Selch looked at the man from the entrance of the Cathedral. In the flickering candlelight mingled with the eerie moonlight, the gleam of a silver sword caught his eye: the Ascian could feel the bloodthirst of that blade from a distance.

"Is that your mark?" asked the magician to the woman near him.

"Yes. And he's a knight of Cainhurst, so maybe he can give you the way to reach the castle."

"I see" he murmured. "His blade is bizarre."

"A Chikage" said the woman. "The sword symbol of Cainhurst. That blade is cursed, and it will become stronger if you offer it your blood. It will keep drinking it until it kills you, though."

The magician looked at the blade from a distance: it had a haunting allure, as if it were calling to the darkness that resided within the Ascian's heart.

The man smiled. "I may claim a trophy for this hunt."

"You're welcome to try" said the woman. "See his garb? The plumage?"

"What about it?"

"The knights of Cainhurst don't wear those: he got that as a trophy from another Hunter of Hunters."

"Someone like you?" When the Ascian saw the woman nod, he looked back at their mark.

Emet-Selch extended his arms, and from a shadow appeared a massive two-handed sword, its blade radiating an ethereal darkness. Eileen tilted her head lightly, looking at his bizarre ally.

"Please stay back" said Emet-Selch, gravely. "This should be over quickly, but I'm afraid I'll hurt you too if you try to help me."

"Be my guest" said the woman.

The Ascian walked toward the Cainhurst knight, then he jumped and closed the distance between them, charging at him with unnatural speed.

The silver blade of the Knight intercepted the two-handed sword with ease.

Emet-Selch hesitated, surprised.

Then a loud bang, and the pain numbed him. He could see the engraved helmet of his opponent, dirty with blood. His blood.

The smell of gunpowder made him understand: his enemy had shot him in the guts.

The Ascian gritted his teeth, then an explosion of darkness surrounded him. The Knight grabbed his Chikage with two hands, then he began to lose blood from his wrists: the blood ran following the blade, covering it like a crimson cocoon.

Emet-Selch looked at the silver blade, surprised, then he smiled.

He chuckled madly, then burst out laughing like a madman.

His opponent started laughing too.

Then they charged at each other, screaming.

***

She opened her eyes, startled.

Raya-O-Senna looked around: something or someone had scared the Elementals away, and she could feel a violent disturbance in the aether surrounding Bentbranch Meadowns. She quickly got dressed and left her inn room, running in the direction from which the Elementals were escaping.

She hesitated as soon as she realised that she had reached Maria's room. She gulped, then she knocked.

"Who's there?" asked Maria from the other side.

"Maria? Is everything all right?" asked the girl.

"I'm just having breakfast, why?"

"... Can I enter?"

"Sure" said the hunter.

The Padjal entered the room. On a table, there was a silver bowl that smelled bad, like a mix of blood and chemical compounds, with some bizarre runes that she didn't know written on it in blood. When she got close, she could see some crustacean shell dipped in a mix of silver and crimson liquid that were not mixing. The weirdest thing was that the liquid level was slowly but noticeably waning.

Near the table, Maria, in a nightgown, was reading a book and drinking something from a cup.

"Raya" said the woman with a smile. "Did you sleep well?"

"... What is that?" said the girl.

Maria tilted her head. "A coffee."

Raya-O huffed, annoyed. "I meant the bowl, and you know it."

"I'm just crafting a fetish" said Maria, shrugging.

"Oh" said the girl, surprised. "So you're making a cursed item?"

"Yes."

"And that is normal for you?"

"No, but I need some of my old Hunter's tools. This one, if it works, infuses a weapon with arcane energies for a short time. A blade infused that way should be able to hit incorporeal beings."

The girl opened her mouth, aghast. "Wait, you can hurt ghosts?"

"Maybe. Aether works differently, and I used a lobster instead of a parasite of an Augur as the main ingredient, but it should be close enough. As soon as the liquids are completely absorbed, it should be ready. Did you have your breakfast already?"

The girl tilted her head, surprised by how normal that conversation felt. "No, but if you don't mind, I could have it with you."

"I should have some juice, and..."

"Can I have some coffee?"

Maria looked at the girl. "Are you old enough for coffee?"

"What do you mean? I'm twenty-one."

The Hunter raised an eyebrow. "You look... Thirteen?"

The girl shrugged. "So?"

Maria hesitated. "Do you age differently because you're a Padjal?"

"In a way, you're not wrong: I don't age at all."

"But your sister looked way older than you yesterday. Like a twenty-something?"

"She's more comfortable that way. I feel right in this body as it is right now, so I won't age."

The Hunter tilted her head. "So it's a choice?"

"Not exactly: it's a blessing. The Elementals keep our body restored and stop us from passing a physical age that would make us uncomfortable."

Maria shrugged, surprised. "That sounds convenient. I would've loved to avoid puberty."

The girl sat down at the table while Maria poured her a cup of fresh coffee.

"So, did you sleep well?" asked Maria.

"Yes, but the awakening with the Elementals that were fleeing terrorised by that shell, was a bit too abrupt for my taste."

"Oh?" said Maria, sipping some coffee while watching her shell. "Then it'll probably work. I'm glad. The sacrifice of all those unborn lobsters won't be in vain!"

Why does she suddenly talk like a crazy Black Mage ready to explode in a mad laugh? thought the girl, tasting her coffee. Then she made a loud pop with her tongue: it was better, way better, than any coffee she had so far in her life! "Where did you get this coffee? It's delicious!"

"I asked the Ul'dah innkeeper to give me some of her coffee blends. I love it. If you ask me, it was worth my awakening here in Eorzea."

The girl drank some more. "And did you sleep well?"

Maria shrugged. "I'm having weird dreams lately. Weirder than usual, I mean."

"Mikoto told me that you have a lot of nightmares about your hometown..."

The Hunter rolled her eyes. Mikoto was sweet, but she talked a bit too much. "Yes. As usual, I'm dreaming about Yharnam, but some of the details in my latest dreams are wrong. I'm also dreaming about a strange mage with a white tuft of hair and a big, weird gem on his forehead. I never saw him before, but he's exploring Yharnam with an old acquaintance of mine in my dreams."

Raya-O-Senna tilted her head. "Why are you dreaming about a Garlean in Yharnam?"

Maria looked at the girl. "A Garlean?"

"All Garleans have giant gems on their forehead. They call it the third eye."

The hunter finished her coffee, thinking. Why was she dreaming about a Garlean in Yharnam?

***

Edda followed the soldier, nervous. She had to jump some bizarre loopholes for the second job Maria assigned her, so she had to sleep in Gridania, but the girl finally managed to get permission to talk with the survivors against the mysterious dark knight. The last obstacle, though, was the treatment of the survivors: the conjurers who were treating them were opposed to their leaving the safety of the infirmary. That wasn't a good sign. Not at all.

The girl followed a soldier in the corridor of the barracks, then he stopped. "My colleagues are traumatised but not violent: you should not be in any danger."

"... Should. I see" said Edda, gulping.

"This part of the infirmary is the asylum. Nothing is guaranteed here. But don't worry; there are other Conjurers with the patients. You're not alone here."

Edda nodded, gulping again. Then the soldier opened the door.

Behind it, some beds and a table. A classic barrack for soldiers, but some things were different. The walls were padded, and there were pillows even on the ground. There were six patients in white garbs, and some conjurers were near them. One of the patients was in a wheelchair, and he was staring intensely at a lantern while a conjurer assisted him in eating some pudding.

"Edda Pureheart?" said a voice behind the conjurer.

The girl turned, startled. "Master E-Sumi-Yan?" she said, surprised.

In front of her, the grand master of the Conjurer Guild was looking at her. The blonde Padjal had a stern and rigid look, although physically he looked no more than fifteen years old.

"Are you here to help these soldiers?" the Padjal asked.

"I'm afraid I'm here to question them" answered her.

The boy tilted his head. "You're a member of the party that's hunting the dark knight, then?"

The woman nodded. E-Sumi-Yan didn't react: he was always imperturbable, almost annoyingly so, thought Edda.

"Very well" said the master. "Come with me, please."

***

Raya-O-Senna wielded the gunblade once again, making it rotate elegantly with a quick wrist movement. She looked amazed at herself after finishing that spinning, and she laughed.

Maria looked severely at the girl while keeping her arms crossed. "Learn to walk before trying to run: don't do flashy tricks until your grip is well trained."

"But that movement was beautiful!" protested the girl, eager to impress her bizarre mentor.

The Hunter pointed at her feet. "It was, but you risked injuring yourself when you did that spin. You were lucky that your legs were too close: with a proper guard, you would have cut yourself near the knee. Here, let me show you..."

Behind the two, near the inn, Mikoto and Moenbryda were sitting at a table, drinking coffee together. The Roegadyn looked at the small girl training under Maria. "So we've gained a new recruit?"

The Au ra shrugged, while reading her book. "It's pretty clear that Raya-O-Senna is here to spy on Maria. I wasn't expecting to see our leader turning her into a disciple."

Moenbryda laughed. "Have you ever been to Bozja?"

The girl stopped reading and looked at Moenbryda. "You know that I help the Bozja rebellion every time I can. Why are you asking me this?"

"Because I'm fascinated by Maria's way of fencing with that gunblade: it looks nothing like the Garlean style. I was wondering if she was using some form of Hrothgar fencing."

Mikoto looked at the hunter and the Padjal: Maria was moving slowly with a broom in her hand, and Raya-O-Senna was trying to follow her guide. Then the Aura shook her head. "All the gunbreakers I met at Bozja kept their gunblade over their shoulder. The guard of Maria is completely different."

"And all the Imperials I saw used that kind of blade with a different grip" said Moenbryda, grabbing a small cookie and eating it. "Say, where are Cocobusi and Edda?"

Mikoto thought about it for a second, then she touched gently a pocket near her hips. From it, her deck of tarot started floating around her. The Au ra grabbed two cards randomly, then she put them on the table. "Edda is with the... fools, right now. What does it mean?"

Moenbryda looked at her. "Well, she did have to question the soldiers who encountered the dark knight: maybe some of them are shocked by the experience?"

"I can see why, if we're actually going to face a Primal" said the girl, grabbing other cards. "Cocobusi is with a merchant. He did mention something about a blacksmith yesterday?"

"Are these predictions precise?" asked the Roegadyn.

"I have no way to know" said Mikoto. "I'm going to be honest with you: I always considered the Astrologian school a flashy trick. Before meeting Maria, I never had issues with the Elementals." She looked at the book. "I was wrong. This magic school is fascinating! In a way, it's similar to conjuring, but completely different. And these soul stones" she continued, playing with the little crystal in her hand "are unbelievable. I can understand how Tristan Lowe managed to become a summoner, seeing that all our knowledge about Allagan magic is shoddy at best."

"How's our guest, by the way?"

Mikoto tilted her head. "Yesterday evening, he managed to walk a bit. I'll check on him later, but if I'm correct, he should be fully healed by then. He can leave whenever he wants, as far as I'm concerned." The Au ra looked at Maria, still busy with her training. "Isn't that weird that she chose to make him live, though? He may come back as an enemy. I've seen enough war in Bozja to know what..."

"Maybe she values life, seen that she doesn't have it?"

Mikoto kept looking at Maria, instructing Raya-O-Senna. The girl, following Maria's instructions, started repeating some basic movements. The Hunter nodded, satisfied, and looked at the girl for a couple of minutes before moving to join the two friends having breakfast.

"Mikoto, Moenbryda." said Maria with a smile

"Maria" said the Au ra with a slight bow.

The Roegadyn nodded. "So, how's the mascot doing?"

"She'll learn."

"So...You plan to keep her?"

"No, unless she wants to follow us. For now, it's painfully clear she's here to keep tabs on me for the Elementals."

The two girls looked at each other while Maria grabbed a cookie.

The Hunter sighed, watching Raya-O working on her basic training. Then she shrugged. "If I let her play and if I keep her on my good side, she'll be satisfied. Hopefully, this will also calm the Elementals a bit."

"You can admit that you actually enjoy having another new friend" said Mikoto, turning another card.

Maria turned her head without answering, looking at the enthusiastic Padjal with a soft smile.

***

"I-I... I've never seen anything like it" said the soldier, terrorised. He was watching the ground, avoiding the conjurers' gazes. "That monster emerged from the mist like a spectre. It felt like the whole Shroud was suffocating under a dark mist."

Edda gulped, nervous.

The man kept talking. "And then he moved. With unnatural speed. And he slashed through our ranks like we were insects. Even the sturdiest among us were killed with two slashes." He hesitated. "I- I mean... On his second slash. All of my- All of my friends were dead the moment he moved his blade for a second time."

"Thank you for your help" said E-Sumi-Yan, casting a spell to calm the soldier.

Edda was at a loss for words. For the first time since she met Maria, she was under the impression that this time the Hunter was aiming at a mark too big for her. That was the fourth soldier she had listened to, and they all shared the same horrible tale.

E-Sumi-Yan took Edda toward a young woman, barely more than a recruit. Her hands trembled as she clutched a small lantern, the feeble light flickering in response to the woman's tremors.

Edda looked at her when the Padjal invited her to talk.

The conjurer asked softly: "Are you all right?"

The woman nodded, avoiding her gaze. Edda could see the haunted look in her eyes.

Then she whispered. "I- Can we have more light, please?"

Edda tilted her head, then she looked at E-Sumi-Yan. The Padjal grabbed his staff and touched the ground with the tip: from nowhere, some fireflies started flying around the two women, making a beautiful, soft light near them.

This seemed to soothe the girl, at least a bit. She still avoided the conjurers' eyes. "I can't... I can't bear it. The darkness. It suffocates me. I-I can't be in the dark."

Edda looked at E-Sumi-Yan. The master closed his eyes for a second, sighing. "She was the latest survivor. She met the dark knight two weeks ago, near the entrance to Urth's Fount. Since then, she had suffered violent panic attacks if there was no light."

"I can still see her eyes" she whispered. "They were glowing like- like embers. Sapphire embers. Th- That dark knight then moved her sword and-" The girl hesitated. "It was like facing Death itself."

"Hold on" said Edda, surprised. "Her eyes? The knight is a woman?"

E-Sumi-Yan looked at her student. "There are discordant tales. Some soldiers claim that the dark knight was a woman, others that he was a male Miqo'te. There's one that swears he was a Lalafell."

"So... Does it mean we're against a team?" asked Edda, surprised.

The Padjal thought about it. "It's a possibility. So far, we can exclude nothing."

Edda remained silent for a second, then she reached the door.

"Where are you going?" the master asked, surprised.

"I need to share this with Maria. If we're facing a party of enemies, each of them able to face a soldier team by themselves, she needs to know!"

***

Mikoto turned another card, then she sighed once again in frustration.

"Blank. Again. Why are they always blank when I try to peek into you?" she said, her voice dripping with disappointment.

Maria, sitting on the other side of the table, didn't react much. "It's not that surprising, if you think about it. Your divination is still Aetheric magic, so maybe it doesn't work on me."

"Could be" said the Au ra. "You're frustrating, you know that?"

The Hunter crossed her legs, looking at her friend with a warm smile. "I like you too" she whispered.

Mikoto burst into a laugh, surprised, then she pushed Maria's hat to cover her eyes. Maria moved her hand, feigning protests, then she joined in the laughter.

The two girls were alone on a table near the chocobo stables, enjoying a moment of relaxation together while Raya-O-Senna and Moenbryda were occupied elsewhere. Maria glanced at Agro: she could swear that her chocobo was smiling at her.

Mikoto looked once again at the cards floating near her. "I wonder if your Aether limitation works only on you."

"Meaning?" asked the Hunter, distracted.

"What if I read someone else's future, but ask what your influence will be on them?"

Maria shrugged. "It's worth a try. What's Cocobusi's future, seeing that he's already following me?"

The girl grabbed a couple of cards. The way those cards worked during divination or combat was fascinating for Maria: they were usually blank, but when infused with Aether a random Arcana appeared on them.

Mikoto tilted her head. On one card, there was a cornucopia full of coins, on the other, a mask with a blue top hat and a bizarre walking stick.

The two women looked at the cards. "Maybe he'll become rich and dandy following you?" asked Mikoto.

"You're the astrologian, you tell me" retorted Maria with a smirk

Mikoto shrugged, and then she grabbed two more cards.

"What are you asking now?" Maria inquired

"About my destiny, if I keep following you."

As soon as Mikoto grabbed a card and infused it with Aether, a robed figure of a skeleton with a scythe appeared on it and the card shrank. Mikoto dropped the card, surprised. "Wh-Why did an undead appear on it?"

Maria grabbed the card to examine it. "This is not an undead: this is the representation of death in Yharnam."

The image disappeared as soon as Maria touched it, and the card returned to its standard size.

Maria gave the card back to Mikoto. "So does that mean that your future with me involves a little death?"

Mikoto tilted her head, confused. "I hope I'm just reading these cards wrong, I kinda like living."

The Hunter nodded, then she looked once again toward her chocobo.

Then she ordered: "Ask about Odin."

The Conjurer froze in place, then she nodded. The cards spun around her, then she grabbed two of them with a quick gesture and threw them on the table. After a second, two Arcana appeared: a cloaked man with naked feet and a lantern, and a vase full of water. "The Ewer is a major arcana of the Sharlayan school, but the cloaked man is unknown to me."

"Not to me: it's a Yharnamite arcana, like Death."

"You have tarots too?"

"Yes, but for us it's just a game. That card is the Hermit: he represents loneliness, if I recall correctly." Maria remained silent for a second, studying the cards carefully.

Mikoto raised her hand, and all the cards started flying toward her and gently put themselves on her palm. She then started shuffling them.

"You're still convinced that your healing magic will work on me now?" asked Maria, looking at the woman shuffling.

"Do you want to test it again?"

Maria shook her head. "Maybe we'll do a test later. For now, I think I'm going to follow your cards."

The woman rose and reached Agro. Mikoto followed her, but Maria stopped her with a gentle gesture. "The hermit means solitude. Let me check this by myself."

The Au ra tilted her head. "And what's the ewer supposed to mean?"

Maria grabbed her chocobo's reins and started walking with her. After a few seconds, she hopped onto Agro's back and answered: "I think it's where I'm supposed to go."

***

"Now, where is she?" murmured Raya-O-Senna, walking calmly in the woods of the Shroud. She lost sight of Maria as soon as the woman jumped on her chocobo and ran toward the southern part of the forest, but for someone who could communicate with the Elementals, tracking a person in the Shroud was child's play. Especially if all she had to do was follow in the general direction where the Elementals were slowly turning away.

She reached the small Gridanian outpost of Quarrymill. As usual, she felt some odd Aetheric presence from the ruins of the lost city of Gelmorra, not far away from there, and she felt the screams in the Aether caused by the Voidsend that were occupying the lost keep of Amdapor, on the opposite side of the river, but Maria wasn't headed towards those dangerous places, so popular among the most intrepid adventurers; the Hunter was going toward a small cavern. The Padjal froze when she realised what that meant, then she gulped, trying to focus on her courage.

She crossed the cave, following the fear of the Elementals, and on the opposite side of it, she emerged in a secret valley. She looked around, stunned by the beauty of the place: there was a strange hill, with fresh water pouring incessantly from the top. The place was eerie and silent, if not for the occasional sound of a hog walking into the woods. It was still midday, but that part of the forest was so thick that no light reached the grass.

And the Aether was dancing in the air, invisible to anyone but the most sensible magical creature. Raya-O-Senna watched the aetheric currents, lost in their beauty. The Aether was painting the valley with a breathtaking display of hues invisible to the naked eye. Only some will-o'-the-wisp could betray the real magical nature of that place to the unattuned eye.

But something menacing was always there in that place. A tension in the air, like a mist of dark energies looming over the beauty of Urth's Fount. Raya-O-Senna took a couple of timid steps.

Then she saw her.

Maria was just some yalms away, silently checking the place. She was climbing the hill, trying to reach the place where the Aether condensed more. A few steps behind her, Agro was following courageously, standing guard beside Maria.

The Hunter spoke softly to Agro, and the chocobo responded with a gentle chirp. Raya-O couldn't help but admire the connection between the Hunter and her loyal companion. Maria mused something, and the bird turned his head toward the entrance of that valley. Raya-O instinctively hid behind a tree: it was impossible, she was too far away, and the noise of running water was covering even the few missteps the Padjal was taking, but she felt like Maria was aware of her presence.

She moved again to get closer once Maria reached the top of the hill. When she was able to see Maria again, something was off: on the top of the hill, there was the fount, a small lake full of fresh, clean water. And at its centre, a giant crystal formation was shining. No, it wasn't just shining: it was emitting an eerie, light green light. There was something corrupted about that light: the Padjal could feel the aether in the air becoming tense and dark when it came close to the rocky formation.

Maria was standing in front of it, looking eerily at the crystal. Near her, Agro was looking around, on guard.

The Padjal wasn't expecting to see the Hunter just... chilling with a grave look on her face near a bizarre giant piece of quartz. The girl looked again toward Maria: something was unsettling in the air. She could feel it.

***

Edda left her chocobo in the stables of Bentbranch Meadows. Nipper tried to push her shoulder with the head jokingly, but the Conjurer was too worried to play with her chocobo. She reached the inn, hoping to find Maria; instead, she found Moenbryda and Mikoto on a table, watching Tristan Lowe, who was eating some bread.

The Au ra waved. "Edda, welcome back!"

"Thanks, Mikoto" said the girl, looking suspiciously towards the Summoner.

Moenbryda sighed. "Don't worry: Maria reached an agreement with him yesterday."

"Did she?" said Edda, crossing her arms.

"He's free to go."

"... What." The girl couldn't believe her ears. "After he tried to murder us?"

"As I said" repeated the Roegadyn, "our leader reached an agreement."

Edda shook her head. "Never mind that. Where's Maria? I have info about the dark knight."

"You mean Odin?" asked the man.

"This does not involve you" murmured the Conjurer, gritting her teeth.

The Summoner made a vague gesture. "Part of the agreement was that I helped that Hunter by giving her some information."

Edda rolled her eyes. "Like what?"

"Information I have about the nature of Odin. Part of the knowledge I possess as a member of the Allagan Summoners."

She rolled her eyes again. "Oh, sorry, I wasn't aware you were part of a mythic order of arcanists that went extinct during the Third Umbral Calamity!"

Everyone looked confused at Edda. Moenbryda coughed lightly.

"I assume you meant the Fourth?" asked Tristan.

Edda became instantly red as a tomato. "Yes, the fourth! Whatever, still extinct!"

"It's a long story" said Mikoto, "but he's telling the truth. There's a way to recover the knowledge of..."

But Mikoto stopped when she noticed that Edda was distracted. She was looking outside the window of the inn. "What the hells..."

"Edda?"

"What's happening?" she said, walking toward the window.

Moenbryda and Mikoto looked at each other, confused: there was nothing wrong going on!

The Conjurer pointed at the window. "The messengers are doing something!"

Everyone looked at the girl as if she were crazy. Then Mikoto realised what she was talking about.

Edda looked again at the window: the Messengers were outside, tapping on it violently, doing whatever they could to capture the adventurer's attention. The Conjurer opened the window. "I'm here" she said. "What's happening?"

Moenbryda looked at the girl like she was a lunatic. "Edda, are you..."

"Edda, the Messengers are talking with you?" asked Mikoto, alarmed.

"No. Not talking. They're trying to point somewhere..." she said, looking outside the window. "What is south of here?"

"You mean South Shroud?"

Edda became suddenly pale. "Is Urth's Fount that way?"

The others looked at each other. "Yes, why?"

"Where is Maria?" she murmured, looking at the Messengers.

The monstrous helpful creatures pointed their arms south.

The Conjurer gulped. She didn't know why, but she was feeling something off and horrible. It was similar to when the Ascian was spying on her, but different. Further away, but more deadly.

Then she felt something different. The air itself in the Shroud was changing, somehow. It was darker. Charged with tension.

Edda looked south, toward the direction pointed by the Messengers. They were screaming at her something she couldn't discern or understand, but she could feel the fear and the panic in their voices.

"Very well" said the Conjurer. "Please guide me."

Moenbryda got closer. She couldn't feel anything wrong. "Edda, what's happening?"

"Grab your weapons and your mounts" she ordered. "Maria is in danger."

"How do you know?" asked Mikoto.

"I don't" she said, scared. "It's just an insight."

***

Raya-O-Senna could feel a chill she had never experienced before, as if the very air in Urth's Fount was infused with tension and foreboding. She cautiously observed Maria, who stood resolute, her gaze fixed on the waters in front of the giant quartz.

Raya-O attempted to approach, curious, but Maria swiftly raised her arm, screaming: "DON'T GET ANY CLOSER, RAYA!"

Startled by the force in Maria's voice, Raya-O complied. She wondered if the Hunter had always been aware of her presence, even when she thought herself stealthy.

Maria's grip tightened on her gunblade and short blade. She pointed what remained of the Rakuyo towards the water, her stance unwavering.

And then, she appeared.

A woman, emerging gracefully from the pristine waters. An ethereal Elezen with porcelain skin and cascading brown hair. She rose naked from the water, her skin shimmering in the pale light of the crystal. Maria did not flinch, steadfastly pointing her blade at the lady. The Padjal, on the other hand, was fighting with her instinct to flee: she was terrorised by the mysterious lady, but she didn't know why!

As Raya-O focused her attention, she noticed the sword the Elezen held. It was an exquisite, curved masterpiece, yet it emanated an unsettling aura, an insatiable thirst for blood. The mere sight of it made Raya-O feel sick, as if the blade itself was tainted by rancour and suffering.

The mysterious lady began to levitate, enshrouded in a dark mist. Her form disappeared beneath an ominous suit of armour, piece by piece, until her beautiful face was the last to be concealed by the black metal. Meanwhile, a six-legged, gigantic, armoured horse appeared from behind the crystal and approached the knight.

Maria maintained her unwavering gaze at the armoured figure, who levitated gracefully onto the back of the monstrous steed. The Hunter couldn't help but smirk, her focus unbroken, as the armoured figure raised her bloodthirsty sword. Slowly, Maria moved towards the enigmatic opponent, one calm step after another.

"Odin, I presume," Maria said calmly.

A female voice echoed from beneath the dark helmet, but it was distorted and unintelligible, emanating something inhuman and violent.

With tension thick in the air, the two warriors approached each other, swords pointing toward their opponents. The tips of their blades barely touched, a silent acknowledgement of the impending duel.

Both fighters saluted each other with a respectful nod, their weapons poised to strike.

Maria drew a deep breath, closing her eyes. Her mind was focused. Her heart was steady. Then she opened her eyes.

Both warriors charged forward with a fierce battle cry.

Chapter Text

The Elezen drank from a cup, then she looked at the board in front of her. She crossed her legs while sitting over a void of reality. Everything around her and her visitor was chaotic, a sea of moving stars almost obscured by a majestic red moon, and they were there, in the middle of that empty space. Only them, and a table with a bizarre chessboard. Its corners defied rational logic: the cells were pentagonal, but somehow the ranks and files were perfectly aligned together. And there were a bunch of pieces that made no apparent sense. A white queen, a green bishop, a dark knight.

She stopped drinking from her cup, and then she left it: the cup and the wine inside started floating. Then she contemplated the dark knight.

"A bizarre game" she said, looking at her host. "A fight for the control of a pawn that refuses to follow rules."

The entity in front of her didn't say a word.

The Elezen laughed. "Very well. The prize is interesting, so I'll play your little game."

"You don't have a choice" said the visitor.

She stopped laughing. She moved slowly the dark knight, putting it in a weird position: in a real chess game, the white queen could eat the knight without risks.

The stranger didn't budge. "A sacrifice play? Intriguing."

"Do you think your pawn without Aether scares me? She can still be forced to become my next reincarnation." She licked her lips. "And I want her. A body clearly forged for battles, nurtured in violence and hate, and her bizarre Dynamis energy and blood magic... Perfect prizes. I want her."

"Be my guest" said the entity, moving the queen to eat the dark knight.

Both opponents looked at the game, while the knight disappeared as soon as it was removed from the board. After a moment, the queen began to change colour, from ivory to ebony.

"There's one thing I don't understand, though" said the Elezen, watching the Queen changing colour.

The stranger didn't move, watching the queen turn.

The woman continued. "You're not a Primal, and you're not a God. You defy logic and expectations. Somehow, you managed to contact my true essence during my duel with your rebellious pawn." The Queen was completely black. "And yet, I don't know you."

"And I don't care about you enough to introduce myself, Odin the Primal" answered the visitor. "But you'll be useful to me. All you creatures made of desire and Aether, wounds in the fabric of the dream you call reality. You'll be useful, as soon as you're tamed."

The Elezen grimaced. "Do you dare? Who do you think you are?"

"I'm the one who will get the final prize. Not some pawn that is convinced she's escaping, no. The real prize."

***

South Shroud was a savage zone. The Gods' Quiver and the local Grand Company always struggled to control the areas outside the town borders, so there were ample spaces for brigands and poachers to thrive.

But that day, the leader of the Coeurlclaws and her second in command were having issues finding some prey.

"This is weird" said the miqo'te leader, sighing loudly. "It's like all animals decided not to show today. Like they all escaped in mass from this place."

The Roegadyn near her shrugged. "Eh, a bad day happens, Pawah."

"This is more than bad. I can't feel anything. Not a boar, not a bird. Don't you hear it? The silence?"

The man shrugged again. "I don't have your cat hearing, boss. I must trust you."

The woman sighed again, then she sat on a broken tree. She drank some water from her flask, then she threw it at her friend. "There's also something weird. A feeling of... Wrong." said the woman.

"Like what?"

"Dunno" she said, watching the woods. "There's tension in the air."

"Well, we're pretty close to the Lost City. Maybe we should just call it a day and go back to the camp?"

She nodded, still annoyed. "Maybe it's a-"

Both of them got silent when they heard something running in the woods. Some loud thuds, heavy and fast. The Miqo'te grabbed her bow and tended it silently, following the noise and the heavy breathing. It sounded like a good prey, maybe a big boar. She breathed, closed an eye, focused and threw the arrow toward the noise.

A loud girlish scream and the sound of a scared chocobo were the last noises she expected.

"Pawah?" asked the Roegadyn, surprised.

"I... Wasn't expecting a person so deep in the woods?" said the miqo'te. "Well, let's see if they have something worth sharing with us."

"And if they are alive."

"Whatever."

The two grabbed their weapons, and then they crossed the woods.

Then they found her behind a bush. A Padjal with red hair, a young girl, on the ground, moaning in pain. Near her, there was a chocobo. Pawah's arrow was stuck in her abdomen, and she looked like she had fallen on the ground. She moaned once more, then she grabbed the arrow, pushing it to have it exit from her back. Pawah stared in surprise while the girl, almost passing for the pain, broke the tip and then removed the arrow, while the chocobo near her looked at her worried. She then started launching some spells, and all her wounds disappeared almost immediately.

She looked back, terrorised. Pawah tilted her head, then she made herself show. "Hey, Padj-!"

The girl screamed, scared.

"... What's happening?" asked the Roegadyn.

"Run!" the Padjal girl warned, panicked, as she looked at the two poachers. "RUN!"

"What?" the Miqo'te asked.

"Oh... OH!" She became paler all of a sudden. Then she started running again in the woods, in the opposite direction from the two poachers, followed by the giant bird.

The Miqo'te tilted her head. "Well, that was..."

Then she turned toward her friend.

He was shaking, convulsing. A long, curved, black sword had impaled him from the back of the liver to the shoulder. Whoever was behind him, they were lifting his friend from the ground. He kept convulsing for a second. The sword then turned, and he was bisected in two.

Pawah looked at the woman who killed his friend, finally revealing herself. She was tall, pale, and dressed in leather. She was brandishing a black, long, menacing sword, curved and surrounded by dark energies. On her side, there was a long pistol. She turned her head and opened her eyes, gazing at the miqo'te: they were shining like blue embers.

Pawah grabbed her bow quickly and turned it against the intruder. She breathed, focused, and released an arrow in less than one second.

She wasn't there anymore.

The poacher felt a sudden ache on her neck, and then she felt the pain of someone grabbing her by the hair. She felt everything going dark, and she could feel only pain and cold in every part of her body. She couldn't understand, while everything faded: the last thing she saw was her body falling on the ground and the enemy turning her head to look at it, after having beheaded her.

***

The four were crossing the woods in the South Shroud, running like crazy. Tristan Lowe had summoned some bizarre astral bear as a mount, but Edda didn't really care about him: she was busy looking at the ground, where the Messengers appeared every dozen yalms to point in a specific direction. She didn't know why, but she knew that Maria needed their help.

"Wait" said Moenbryda, suddenly nervous.

"We can't stop!" ordered Edda.

The Roegadyn grabbed Nipper's reins and pulled them to stop Edda's chocobo. "Listen to me, you crazy conjurer!"

Everyone stopped, looking at the giant woman on top of her sphere. "Can't you smell it?"

Edda looked around, confused, while Mikoto and Tristan sniffed the air.

"Wood burning?" asked the Au ra.

"I can smell it too" confirmed the summoner.

Moenbryda nodded. "We need to reach a high place and check what's happening."

Begrudgingly, Edda followed the others toward a hill not far from the outpost of Quarrymill. From the elevated altitude, they could see it: a column of smoke. Part of the forest was burning.

Edda looked at her feet, nervous. "The Messengers are pointing toward the fire."

"Oh, bugger" grimaced the Roegadyn.

"I'm not abandoning Maria" said Edda with determination.

Mikoto hesitated. "I don't want to abandon her either, but..."

"Can anyone here control water with their magic?" asked Edda.

Everyone looked at the conjurer. Mikoto crossed her arms. "You should know that after the War of the Magi and the Sixth Umbral Calamity, there are no more schools of magic with water spells. The world's Aether is still-"

"Recovering from the deluge, yes" said Edda, suddenly red.

"You never had a chance to study some history?" asked the summoner.

"This doesn't help us now!" lamented Edda, pointing at the fire.

"Going there is probably going to be deadly, if it spreads too much" commented Tristan, unconvinced. "But the good news is, the fire seems still small."

"What?" said Moenbryda, looking again at the woods.

The summoner was right: the fire was somehow limited to a small part of the forest.

Edda grimaced, then she grabbed Nipper's reins again.

"Where are you going?" asked Mikoto.

"I'll find Maria. If you wanna help, good!"

The three watched the Conjurer running down the hill, then they looked at each other. After ten seconds, they all followed Edda without a second thought.

***

More pieces were appearing on the illogical chessboard. Some of them seemed insignificant: pawns that looked like Gridanian soldiers or random poachers. Some of them weren't interested in the black queen, but she sometimes ate some anyway while she was following the green bishop.

"I find it interesting how much freedom you're leaving to your so called prize" mocked the visitor.

"I want to see how she plays, that's all" said Odin, looking at her eating another unimportant pawn. The distance from the green bishop increased, but the Primal wasn't worried. The queen was still moving toward her, slowly but steadily. "She's perfect as she is, I must say. A God among men, and yet she's so fragile, a woman among Gods. She'll work fine for me."

Four new pawns were getting close: these seemed different. Three magicians, one of them very ancient, and an executioner. Two of the magicians and the executioner were green, like the bishop who was still running away, but the third one was ivory like the queen at the start of the game. They were getting closer to the green bishop.

"Playing the game more or leaving with your wins" said the visitor with indifference, watching the queen move slowly but steadily toward the bishop. "But that would stop the thrill, won't it?"

"This is not a game. I'm a Primal. I exist to fulfil the desires of my worshippers."

"And yet, you have none."

The Primal didn't budge.

"Oh, don't look at me like this. Of course, I know how your species operates: I may be just a visitor, but I have eyes everywhere. You're different from all the other Primals: you focus all your Aether on a single person to temper, you don't look for proselytes. You have a single worshipper, a single focus."

"You're wrong about me" said the woman. She caressed her white hair, then she looked at the visitor with an inexpressive face, like that of a doll. She no longer looked like an Elezen.

"Please, illuminate me" answered the intruder with a chuckle.

"Every time a mortal suffers, they worship me. Every time someone thinks about ending their own life. Every time there's a desire for a quick, painless death. I am the Dark Divinity, I am the-"

"You're not a God" said mockingly the visitor, looking at the face of Odin: the Primal had the same look of the Vileblood stuck in Eorzea. "None of you is. You're just desire and magic given form."

"And who are you, to say that?"

The entity laughed and then opened all his infinite eyes, staring at the Primal.

"Please allow me to introduce myself: I Am that I Am!"

***

"This way" said Edda, pointing toward the woods.

Mikoto, running on her unicorn behind her, said: "The fire is that way!"

"But the Messengers are pointing this way! Trust me, please!"

The group galloped through the woods, following Edda's insight. They passed the Gridanian outpost of Quarrymill, where the soldiers were getting ready to reach the flames and quench them, but they kept going.

Then they stopped.

Near a small creek, they saw a chocobo.

"Agro!" said Moenbryda. "That's Agro!"

The group got close, while Edda looked around. Mikoto jumped off her horse to check the giant bird.

"He's uninjured, but..." The woman tried to caress her, but the chocobo pushed her away gently. Then he made a loud KWEEH, tapping her feet on the ground. She then moved following the river.

Edda kept looking around, ignoring the chocobo, then she grabbed Nipper's reins and started running, following the creek.

"Where are you going?" screamed Tristan.

"The Messengers are pointing this way!" said the Conjurer, while Agro started running behind her. Both disappeared behind a bush.

Moenbryda hesitated a second. "What now, Mikoto?" she asked. "Should we still trust her?"

"Something is happening" answered Lowe. "If you don't trust your crazy friend, Maria's chocobo is running in the same direction."

The two women looked at each other, and then they all mounted their rides and followed the creek.

They stopped immediately when the river took a turn near a small grotto. In front of the entrance to Urth's Fount, there was a notorious camp of poachers.

Now there were only the bodies and flames.

Mikoto trembled, looking at the mutilated poachers. The grass was crimson for the blood. The tents and the small houses were on fire, and some trees were already taking fire. There were twenty bodies, maybe more. Some heads were cut and left on the ground. One of them was bisected into two perfect halves.

Mikoto gulped, while the others were shocked. "This is... Just like in war" she said.

"What?" murmured Moenbryda.

"Bozja. This is just like the front. What..."

Then they saw her. A shadow against the flames.

She reached an injured poacher, grabbing his hair. A scream from her victim, then she moved a dark, curved blade in a swift movement. The scream ended. She raised his head, leaving the body on the ground.

Then she turned, letting the head fall.

Maria of Cainhurst was looking at them. She was covered in blood, showing a malignant grin. In her hand, there was a black sword that only Tristan recognised.

"That's Zantetsuken" said the man.

Maria looked at them again, and then she turned towards the flame and started walking into them, disappearing from their sight.

***

Edda kept following the Messengers, taking a detour just before the creek took a turn where she knew the Coeurlclaws had their camp. She wasn't in the mood for dealing with random poachers. She looked around: the Messengers appeared again and started pointing east. She grabbed Nipper's reins and turned again.

Then she stopped. Agro passed her, and then he got closer to someone. Edda approached them carefully, then she rushed. Raya-O-Senna was on the ground, panting heavily, her white dress covered in her own blood.

"Raya-O!" said the Conjurer, alarmed. "What..."

"... Edda?" She looked around. "I'm fine, just... Tired. Out of mana."

Edda checked quickly on her. She had no injuries, but she looked exhausted. "How many spells did you use on yourself?"

"Many. We need to... To stop Maria. She's been tempered. She's... She's Odin now."

The conjurer grabbed a bottle from her belt. "Can you drink this?"

The smell made Raya-O-Senna grimace. "Ugh... I hate Ether."

"I know. Suck it up and chug it."

The Padjal drank the potion. It tasted like liquorice and mushrooms, just as it always did. She almost vomited, but she could feel her Aether being restored quickly and her consciousness returning.

"How come the Elementals didn't help you?" asked Edda.

"They... Didn't want to. Too busy escaping."

Edda grimaced. If this ends with the death of Maria, I'll find a way to make the Elementals pay for their cowardice!

"Can you walk now?"

The girl tried to rise. "I still feel groggy. I need to sleep."

"You can't, not now. Jump on Agro, then."

The chocobo tilted his head, then she looked at the Padjal almost with hostility.

"I'm not her knight" said the girl.

Edda looked at the chocobo. "Agro, please, I know she's not your owner, but we're trying to save Maria."

The chocobo rolled her eyes. Edda had to double check: the chocobo actually rolled her eyes. Then she got down, allowing the padjal to jump on her. Raya-O-Senna mounted the bird.

Edda nodded. "Now, back to the part where Maria has been tempered. How is that possible?"

"I don't know. I just saw... Odin appeared out of nowhere. And... They duelled. Maria dismembered the Primal with her gunblade. Then she grabbed Odin's sword, and... And all his Aether surrounded her. Replaced her Aether with the Primal's one."

"I thought there were a bunch of dark knights" said Edda, confused. "I heard so many different stories... So it's simply that Odin possessed who..." Then she stopped. "Wait a second. Maria doesn't have Aether."

"I know. My sister said that she's a void, Aether wise."

"... A void." Edda looked at the girl. "What does she mean by a void, exactly?"

The padjal tilted her head. "You... You're not good at Aether perception, right?"

Edda turned red. "Yes, yes, I'm still green, just help me, will you?"

"Her soul devours Aether. It's like a vortex in the ocean that falls into a bottomless pit. And I mean bottomless! She's a void that will never be filled. That's what scares the Elementals: Maria was joking the other day, but in the right circumstances, she probably could actually eat them."

"So... A vacuum?"

The Padjal nodded.

"And the Aether she eats... Where does it end?"

"I can tell you where it doesn't. It will not go back to the Lifestream when Maria finally dies."

Something clicked in Edda’s mind. "How much Aether does a Primal have? Infinite?"

The Padjal looked at the girl, confused. "N-no? Infinite Aether is just impossible, but they have a lot of it."

The Conjurer's face bloomed. "Maria is still alive, then!"

"What?" the girl asked, confused. "What are you..."

"We don't have time. Just trust me, we need to reach Maria."

"She's a god of Death right now!" protested the girl, watching Edda jump back on her chocobo.

The girl looked back at the ground. The Messengers were pointing again in a direction, toward the flames.

Then she looked at the Padjal. "Trust my insight, please!"

***

"What was that?" asked Mikoto, trying to keep her composure.

"That wasn't good" murmured Moenbryda, focusing.

"She was tempered" said Tristan, looking at the flames where Maria disappeared. "She's now Odin."

The three looked at each other.

"She failed?" asked Mikoto, suddenly scared.

The Roegadyn shook her head. "Well, yes, but actually no. If she has been tempered, it means that she managed to kill the current body of Odin. That's how that Primal tempers his next victim: he possesses who beats him."

The Au ra remained silent for a second. "How does that help us now?"

Everyone looked at her.

Mikoto continued. "We can't kill her, or we'll become the next hosts."

"Assuming we can win against Maria in the first place..." murmured Moenbryda.

The Au ra continued. "Can we... I don't know. Subdue her?"

"I'm more curious about why she avoided us, right now" said Tristan, looking back at the flames.

The two women looked confused at the summoner, then Moenbryda realised what he meant. "She didn't attack. She saw us and evaded us."

"By walking into a wall of flames!" objected Mikoto, then she stopped, thinking. "Actually, how did she manage to walk into a wall of flames without injuring herself?"

"This is not the time for this" answered Moenbryda. "We need a plan."

Tristan nodded. "I think the best course of action would be to follow Mikoto's advice."

The women looked at him. Moenbryda crossed her arms. "And pray tell, how do you plan to subdue a Primal?"

***

He gently grabbed the Queen, checking her closely. Nothing in that dream reality made sense, but for the Primal, that reality wasn't important. The chess piece was everything that mattered, in that moment.

"The other pieces don't seem that menacing, in that position" said the visitor in a mocking tone. "Why retire her in such a blatant way? The cliché of walking toward the flame is so overdone..."

Odin didn't answer. It was more interested in the piece. He looked at the small, detailed little statue of the queen. They had the same look, in that moment: Odin and the Queen were one and the same.

And so, the Primal didn't react when he heard a voice coming from the small piece in his hand.

It was difficult to hear, so Odin focused more.

Then he heard that small voice again. He understood the words.

-I swear to all the Augurs and the Old Blood, I swear to Oedon himself and to the whole Cainhurst family, if you touch them in any way, I will kill myself while you're stuck inside me!-

The Primal put the place back on the chessboard, thinking.

"Having troubles controlling your rebellious pawn?" said the visitor, still mocking.

"No, Oedon" answered Odin, looking at the chessboard. "She just needs more time to break."

The entity remained silent, and then he laughed. A laugh of one thousand mouths, which echoed through the whole chaotic reality. "Very good, Primal. Impressively good! How did you learn my true name?"

"A shot in the dark" said Odin, smiling.

"And pray tell me, Odin" continued the visitor. "How does it feel to be slowly consumed from inside?"

Odin didn't answer, focusing more on her Queen. He could feel it, and now he knew that the visitor knew too. He didn't have much time: he had to find a way to control her host as soon as possible.

A smile on his face when he realised that there was an easier way to win that game and save himself.

***

Edda and Raya-O reached the camp. Everything was on fire. Bodies, tents, trees. It was a massive chaos. The Padjal looked around, still mounting Agro.

"Can you... Ask the Elementals if they can make it rain?" asked Edda.

Raya-O shook her head. "I-I... Elementals don't work that way, so..."

"Because of course they don't. I swear to Halone, I will learn how to be an astrologian too if I survive this night!"

The Conjurer looked around again, searching for the Messengers. They weren't there.

"That's curious... Why would the Messengers leave us now?"

"Who?"

"It's a long story" said Edda. "Just assume they're spirits that are not made of Aether and that help Maria."

"You're not making any sense now."

"I know. But why on earth would..."

Then they looked at the flames.

Maria was walking toward them. Around her, a black aura similar to a full plated armour. Her eyes were blue and brilliant, like two cold embers. On her hand, there was a long, curved blade.

Edda gulped. "This was a bad idea" she murmured.

"No shit" objected the girl.

The Hunter looked at them, then she smiled. There was no joy or friendship in her expression: that was the craziest grin both conjurers ever saw in their lives.

Then she turned once again, disappearing in the flames.

"Huh" said Edda, surprised. Then she realised that Maria was actually leaving them. "Wait! WAIT A SECOND!"

She tried to reach her friend, but she had to stop when the flames became too hot.

She came back to the Padjal. Raya-O was petrified by the terror.

"I... I thought she was gonna kill us!" admitted Edda.

"I may need clean pants" murmured Raya-O. Agro rolled her eyes.

"I don't get it. She's killing everyone indiscriminately, right?"

The Padjal pointed at the poacher camp. "I... I'll take that as a yes."

"Then why leave us alone?" asked Edda.

"She... She did. She hunted me at the beginning. She stabbed me, but I managed to escape."

Edda tilted her head. "So she changed target?"

"Are you seriously analysing the situation right now? We should escape!"

"We won't leave her alone! We have to save her!"

"Why?!? She can't be saved, she's a Primal now! Why are you so suicidal for her?"

"BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE ANYONE ELSE!" screamed Edda.

The Padjal stopped, surprised. Edda was breathing heavily, then she fell to her knees.

"My whole life is in shambles, all right? My betrothed betrayed me, my only friend tried to convince me to leave this life and become a housewife, I'm half a continent away from my family, and I'm... I'm not a good Conjurer! I just... We survived so far because we were lucky, or because Mikoto is just better than I in every conceivable way! And Maria somehow decided that I was worth something, even if I'm a failure! She helped me every time she could, even when she didn't have any reason to! The last ten days have completely destroyed my life, but she's the only reason why I'm not going crazy! I have only this dream to follow, because the rest of my life disappeared when Avere cheated on me, and now..."

She turned around when she felt something touching her ankles. The Messengers were there, trying to touch her. To comfort her somehow. She managed to keep her composure, but it was hard: they were friendly, but still monstrous.

Then she had a moment of clarity. Something was off.

"Where is the Rakuyo?" asked Edda.

"The what?"

"The dagger. The cursed blade. Where is that?"

Raya-O remained silent for a second, thinking. "Maria... Dropped her weapons at Urth's Fount after defeating Odin. They should still be..."

"We need the Rakuyo! Follow me!" said Edda, jumping back on her chocobo.

"Another insight?" asked Raya-O.

Edda didn't answer, focused on avoiding the trees.

***

Suddenly, there was a new sound. Mikoto turned, giving her back to the fire and looking toward the road they came in. There were voices. Dozens of different voices organising, giving orders. She tried to focus, then she noticed the soldiers.

The contingent from Quarrymill had reached the place to quench the flames.

"Soldiers!" said the Au ra.

"What?" asked Moenbryda.

"There are soldiers here!"

The summoner and the Roegadyn looked at each other.

"This is bad" said the man.

"Agreed" said the woman.

Mikoto looked at them. "What? Why? The flames have to be quenched, and..."

The Roegadyn said: "They're more targets for..."

Then they heard the screams.

They looked at each other, then they started running toward the soldiers. When they passed a bush, they saw the massacre.

Maria, surrounded by a dark aura similar to plate armour, was turning her curved blade on one of the soldiers. One of their comrades tried to get close and thrust his spear at her, but she disappeared. The man then fell on the ground, bisected. The soldiers were trying to organise, but Maria focused on her sword and started accumulating Aether.

"Twelve protect us..." murmured Mikoto, then she screamed: "STAY AWAY FROM HER!"

The soldiers tried to run, but were too slow. The sound of a sudden wind, followed by an instant of silence. Then five soldiers fell on the ground, cut into a dozen pieces.

Other soldiers got closer, spears in hand. Maria smiled, looking at them, then she opened her arms and invited them to attack.

"What..." Moenbryda looked at the soldiers attacking again. This time, they actually got closer to hitting the woman, but again, Maria evaded their attacks, barely. This was different from the practice Maria did with Raya-O the days before, realised the Roegadyn: Maria actually had no real guard! She was just playing, but leaving some enormous openings. She was just attacking for the sake of killing, but there was no defence. It was as if she didn't care about her own life. It was like...

"Oh, bugger all!" said the woman, realizing what was happening.

Maria was... Odin was trying to change host. Painting herself as a menace, then have one of those soldiers kill her.

"Mikoto, Tristan! Evacuate the soldiers, now!"

"How?" the woman asked.

"Any way you can!" Moenbryda grabbed her axe, murmuring a quick prayer. "Mikoto, if I die, tell Urianger... Hm, whatever. He knows."

And then she screamed, charging toward Maria.

***

"How's the control?" asked the visitor with a mocking tone in his voice.

Odin was in difficulty. He was slowly but steadily losing aether. He already couldn't form his armour around the queen, just a shadow aura that looked like it. For the first time in immeasurable ages, he actually was in danger. But he wasn't preoccupied. He didn't fear death, or whatever would welcome him on the other side.

"I'm more curious, actually" admitted the Primal. "So, pray, answer some questions."

The entity smiled.

Odin continued. "You're not a Primal, nor are you part of this world. What are you?"

"I'm just an uninvited guest" said the entity. "When the host borrowed Maria, it got more than it bargained for."

"The... Host. What a fascinating concept. So you're implying that this reality is..."

"An illusion. A dream." The visitor stopped to consider something. "No... Calling it a dream is wrong, actually. I don't have familiarity with this kind of host. But when it invited my pupil into this copy of reality, it invited me too."

"Why?" asked Odin, grabbing the Queen once again. "Who is she for you?"

"No one. Just a descendant of my first attempt at a progeny. It's not who she is, nor what she did in her past, that makes her so important to me right now."

Odin put down the pawn on the illogical chessboard. "I see. It's not who she is that matters. It's where she is."

The entity smiled once more.

"So I wonder, what would happen if I broke your little toy?"

The entity's smile grew even larger. "You're more than welcome to try, Primal."

The Primal watched the chessboard, where the Queen was facing the green executioner. He smiled: he may be condemned to oblivion, his Aether devoured by the bizarre void in the woman's soul, but seeing the situation, he would've been more than satisfied if he could manage to negate the victory to the intruder.

Spite was a hell of a motivation.

***

Moenbryda moved her axe and intercepted Maria's blade. The Roegadyn grimaced: the Hunter was strong, but she was clearly holding back. The Scion swung her axe, aiming at Maria's legs, but the woman moved again to avoid her attack, then she punched the Roe in the face.

She rolled back, in pain. She felt suddenly a cold wind around her, and she felt suddenly better: she barely noticed Mikoto mixing her tarots.

A small chuckle, and the axewoman stared at Maria. "Why are you holding back, Odin?"

Maria smiled, then she pointed her blade toward the Roegadyn.

Mikoto was helping her from a distance: she still had to master that new school of magic, but having a possessed Maria as an adversary was proving a pretty quick and dangerous lesson. She turned another card from her deck, and then she pointed it toward Moenbryda: the benediction of the constellation of the Arrow reinforced the Roegadyn's muscles.

The warrior smiled, and then she grabbed her axe once again and turned it to hit Maria.

On the side, Tristan opened his book after finally having convinced the Adder soldiers to withdraw until the Primal was subdued. He moved quickly with his finger on the geometric figures written on the paper, focusing his Aether to summon a creature from the astral plane. Near him, a flaming demon appeared out of nowhere, roaring savagely. The Egi of Ifrit ran toward Maria, trying to slash her.

Mikoto turned another card, pointing it toward Tristan and granting him some extra Aether for more powerful spells. She was starting to feel her Aether dissipating: she was using a lot of powerful spells to help Moenbryda.

She then heard the last sound she expected to hear.

A savage and determined scream, and a high pitched KWEEEH coming from the woods.

Edda Pureheart charged Maria while riding Nipper. She was brandishing the short Rakuyo. She jumped recklessly from her ride.

The Rakuyo hit Maria on her back.

The woman screamed and turned, brandishing Zantetsuken violently.

Then she faced her friend, while her blade stabbed her in the chest.

Everyone became silent for a second, until Raya-O-Senna screamed in horror from the woods.

Edda looked confused at Maria. Then she smiled, closing her eyes.

Everyone ran toward the two women, while Maria was frozen in place.

She took a couple of steps back.

Her left hand began shaking violently. She screamed.

Mikoto was paralysed as Maria released the Zantetsuken, letting Edda fall to the ground.

Then Maria roared.

"I... WARNED... YOU!"

Her scream was as violent as a roar.

Her shaking left hand grabbed her gun.

Her right hand tried to grab her wrist, but she managed to point the barrel at her own head.

A soft click.

Then a loud bang.

Chapter Text

Odin opened his eyes, confused. He was lying on the ground, in a pool of blood. He tried to remember what happened, or how he reached that place. He could remember an impossible game of chess in a place outside realities, and his current host shooting herself.

He looked around, trying to focus. He was in the middle of an ample empty room, with an intricate marble floor. There were columns and chairs that wouldn't be out of place in a cathedral on the sides. On the back, a giant gothic door, at least five yalms tall. And on the other side, a small table with a chalice, a chair worthy of a queen and, on the back, a broken gigantic astral clock. And on the chair, a white-haired woman dressed in beautiful leathery garments, with a pointy black hat, was resting on it. Resting, or dead.

The Primal rose: he attempted a couple of steps, but he was confused. It took him a couple of tries to find a solid composure. He then approached the woman. She was beautiful, pale, tall, and she was dead. Her wrists were cut. Droplets of blood were dripping from the wounds: the pool of blood on the ground was caused by her.

He looked closer at the body. He raised a hand carefully: there was something beautiful and intimidating about that woman. His hand got close to her chin.

And then she grabbed his wrist.

He was pulled toward her. Their faces almost met.

She then gently released his wrist, allowing him to take a couple of steps back.

The Primal looked at her, confused. "You're the pawn."

"My name is Maria of Cainhurst, Odin."

He tried to focus, to summon his armour. To his surprise, he realised he didn't even have his sword. But that was impossible: he was his blade. Odin looked confused at his hand.

"Looking for this?" asked Maria, grabbing a hilt near the table. It was a long, curved, one sided blade. The woman smiled while holding Zantetsuken and pointing it at the Primal.

Odin looked at the woman, surprised. Then he laughed. "I see. Another case of dream logic."

The woman nodded, lowering her guard.

"So nothing of this is real" said the primal, looking at the bizarre room.

"Nothing is" confirmed the woman. "We could duel, if you wish, but that won't change anything. Care to take a walk with me?"

The Primal tilted his head. "It's not the kind of offer I was expecting from you, seen our current predicament."

"You will still die when this dream ends. I see no reason to be impolite."

Odin looked at Maria, and then he looked at his own hands. He felt weak, weaker than he ever had been in the past. And he could see himself disappear, his aether somehow dissolving. He closed his eyes and sighed. "I see. It's not a threat: it's a fact."

Maria nodded. "We're both stuck in my body right now. So you can't find a new host, because nobody has won against you. Your Aether is trapped, so you cannot temper another victim. Best case scenario, we'll die together."

Odin reached the woman. "You're looking for an end, I reckon?"

"Looking? No" said the hunter, crossing slowly the room while the Primal walked near her. "I already killed myself before reaching Eorzea, and as a result, I ended up in the hell you're witnessing now. Being forced to exist like I did in this Astral Clocktower, with no chance to act... No chance to fight, to get redemption or solace... With no end in sight... Stuck forever on that chair, with my failures in front of me and my secret shame behind me..."

She sighed, pushing the door of the Astral Clocktower to open it. "Existing like that changes your..." And Maria got silent.

Odin looked outside: they were on top of a roof. A castle covered in snow, with high walls. There was a bizarre walkway, which allowed the roof to be crossed on the ridge. The slopes on the sides of the walkway weren't steep, but there were a lot of dormer shaped spires on it. The most unusual thing was a throne on the walkway, with a frozen body sitting on it.

"... It changes your perspective" concluded Maria, surprised.

"What is this place?" asked the Primal.

"This is a dream. Given the places we're visiting, I assume I'm the current host. Have you ever heard the saying that you see your whole life before dying? I think this is that moment for me."

"I assumed as much" said Odin, "but I was asking what this actual place was."

The woman looked around. "We're crossing important places in my life. The Astral Clocktower was where I took my life, at the top of the Upper Cathedral of Yharnam. This is Castle Cainhurst... I'd say it's Castle Cainhurst after the Healing Church crusade. This is my birthplace."

"I see. The end and the beginning."

"This is not my beginning" said the woman, walking toward the frozen body. He was tall, emaciated; his clothes were reduced to rags. He had a scythe in his hand, and a golden crown on his head. "Meet Logarius. Martyr of the Healing Church, venerated saint, noble soul." She chuckled. "All nonsense, of course. He was an insane, bloodthirsty sadist, fully devoted to the cause of the Healing Church. He was the commander of a zealot group of fanatics of the Old Blood, called the Executioners, and the Church had the habit to call him every time they needed something... Dealt with. The Church wanted to be in full control of the use of the Old Blood, so they attacked the castle of my family. They paid dearly for their transgression: even our servants were worthy opponents. But in the end, almost all of the Cainhurst knights and nobility were slaughtered."

Odin got close to the body on the throne. He was dead all right, but he could still feel his soul somehow looming around. "Is he a lich?"

"Nonsense" said Maria. "Liches have phylacteries that grant them eternal life. Logarius can be destroyed, all right. But yes, he is a different kind of undead: if you try to find out about the secrets of this place, he will wake up. He cursed himself to become the eternal guardian of this place."

"Why?" the Primal asked.

Maria sighed in annoyance. "It's not that important, but you will die nonetheless, so I see no reason not to sate your curiosity. See that door?" asked Maria, pointing her finger behind the throne. A door that led to nowhere was there. It was just a frame and nothing else: behind the door, the Castle finished. "The Queen is still there, prisoner, but alive. She's blessed by the Old Blood, so she will never die. You can hurt her, slaughter her, quarter her, burn her, grind her to a pulp, but she would still be conscious and alive. And believe me, the Church didn't decide to imprison her here instead of killing her for lack of trying." She caressed the head of the mummified body. "Logarius had an extremely vivid imagination when blood and pain were involved."

"And why would this... Church fight against your people?"

"For power" said Maria simply. "For control. Behind the facade of selflessness and healing, the Church was exactly like any other institution that ever existed: they wanted power and control. The Church gained power thanks to the Old Blood of the Daughter of the Cosmos, so they could not tolerate the existence of a group that was better than them in that regard."

"The Cainhurst castle used Old Blood, too?" Odin looked at Maria. "The Old Blood of Oedon?"

Maria chuckled. "I'm surprised you know of him, to be fair."

"You told me that name when you threatened me. I was facing him, in that moment."

The Hunter didn't budge. "I see. The Augur followed me in Eorzea?"

"Yes. He wants to conquer it, if I understood him correctly."

"You didn't. All he wants is a progeny."

Odin tilted his head, looking at the woman.

Maria gazed at the moon. "Everything the Augurs do is because of that. Because they want children." She remained silent for one second. "They're really easy to understand, once you realise that's the only thing they crave."

"Something doesn't make sense, though."

Maria shrugged, walking toward the door behind the throne. "They're immortals, and they're sterile. Maybe they envy humanity's ability to have children? Or maybe they're just tired of their role in the great scheme of the universe and the dreams, and wish to find a way to leave their duties to someone else? Or who knows, they have their own morality rules and a different concept of good and bad?"

Odin looked at the woman. "But if you die here, he will lose his access in Eorzea. So he lost."

Maria didn't answer.

The Primal chuckled. "I'm glad for that. For all his arrogance, I'm happy he lost."

The Hunter remained silent. She didn't know, she didn't have a way to learn the truth, and to be completely honest, in that moment, she didn't really care about Eorzea or about that childish display of satisfaction from the Primal.

After some moments, she looked at the Dark Divinity. "And I'm happy you will die with me. This is for Edda."

The Primal remained silent. "To be fair, your friend attacked me."

"I don't care. I don't even know if she's alive. And thanks to the way you tried to temper me, I will die with the doubt. And I will never forgive you for that."

***

He opened his eyes, confused.

Emet-Selch looked outside. They were on a carriage, running on a cobblestone road toward the mountains. They were passing a very long bridge. The sight was amazing and ominous at the same time.

"Feeling better?" asked a voice in front of him. The Ascian turned his head: Eileen was sitting in front of him. The woman was maskless, and she was sharpening her blades using a small whetstone.

Emet-Selch moved a bit. "Yes. The pain stopped."

"Glad to hear it. I decided to let you rest a bit. That duel seemed to have pushed you to the limit."

The Ascian sighed, then he nodded. "I know."

"You're good with a sword, too" admitted the woman.

"Next time I decide to be an idiot and to prove a point, though, just ignore my stupidity and help me. That Crow of yours nearly killed me" said the man, checking his wounds.

Eileen sheathed her blades, then she moved to sit in front of Emet-Selch. "Let's check again. Close your left eye, please."

The Ascian sighed, annoyed. "I can assure you, this is useless."

"Please indulge me."

Emet-Selch rolled his eyes, then he removed the bandages he had on his face. A new, fresh, curved scar was cutting the man's face from his ear to his nose, crossing his eye. Like a good crow, the Cainhurst knight had aimed precisely at the weakest point. The Ascian covered his sane eye with his hand.

Eileen raised a hand in front of the man. "Please follow my finger."

Emet-Selch looked in front of him. The only thing he could see was an undefined mist. Something was moving, but it wasn't enough to understand where. The Ascian sighed, covering his eye. "The difference is that I see a white mist instead of a red mist now."

"I hope that means you're improving somehow" said the woman.

The man chuckled. In the worst case scenario, he would simply occupy another of his body doubles when he returned to Yharnam. He had to admit, though, that those hunters were more dangerous than he had expected. "I'm still able to fight, if the need arises."

"You have only one eye, now" said the woman gravely. "Be careful around here."

The carriage stopped. The door opened.

Emet-Selch was confused: he couldn't recall for his life when they entered that carriage, but to be fair, the last hours after the duel had been a blur of pain. He rose, then he descended from the carriage, followed by Eileen.

Both of them remained in stupor silence for a second.

They were in front of a massive castle. Emet-Selch felt like he knew the place: it was from a dream he had just had, a strange vision about the hunter in Yharnam and a Primal. He tried to focus, to remember the details. There was a throne on the roof with...

"What in the name of the Great Ones..." said Eileen.

Emet-Selch turned in the direction the woman was looking.

The bridge they just crossed was destroyed. And by the look of it, it has been destroyed for a long time: the bridge pieces were covered in a thick layer of snow. And the horses that had just pushed the carriage were dead. They were rotten, eaten by the crows, like they had been dead and abandoned for months.

The Ascian tilted his head. "Maybe we're in an isolated part of this dream? Another... How to call it? Another layer?"

The woman nodded, putting her mask back on. "It makes sense. You're getting the hang of these nightmares."

"I hate everything you just said" murmured Emet-Selch, slowly walking toward the walls of the castle.

***

The hall of Castle Cainhurst was silent. It has been quiet for a long time, since the assault of the Executioners. Nothing lived in those rooms or crossed those corridors. Only some ghosts, sometimes.

Until a loud thump, the noise of the main door opening and closing quickly. Then another series of loud noises, when a Hunter and an Ascian started grabbing whatever they could from the hall to block the door and not allow whatever it was in the courtyard from following them.

Chairs, then benches, then they even ran to the next door and came back with a table. Everything they could find was thrown against the door. Then, for good measure, Emet-Selch pointed his hand at the door and snapped his fingers: everything was suddenly encased in ice.

The Ascian looked at the door, breathing heavily.

Eileen, near him, rested for a second, then she looked at the door. "That was bad!"

"Yeah" agreed the man, catching his breath. "I don't know what those things were, but they can definitely die in a..."

The two felt suddenly cold.

They looked behind them, toward the hall.

Dozens of spectral presences were looking at them. Women dressed in white, ethereal and unworldly, were approaching them slowly, their silvery swords in hand.

Emet-Selch moved his neck, which made a loud popping noise, then he extended his arm. From nowhere, the Chikage that belonged to the Crow of Cainhurst appeared in his hand. The Ascian smiled, looking at his trophy, then he looked at the hunter.

"I assume you can't hurt ghosts, Eileen?"

The woman grabbed from his belt a bizarre crustacean looking shell. She turned it over her blades, and an oozing, glowing liquid appeared from the empty shell and fell on her weapons. "I have my tricks, Emet-Selch."

The Ascian raised an eyebrow. "I thought you didn't like arcane fetishes. Too dangerous or something?"

The ooze made Eileen's weapon glow faintly. The Hunter shrugged. "My preferences and my necessities often clash."

The man rolled his eyes, and then he chuckled. "Very well."

And the two charged the ghosts.

***

The Ascian opened another book, then he threw it away after having read the summary.

"I feel like this is not the kind of library you were hoping for" said the woman.

"I can see that" said the man, annoyed. "These are all literature books. Mostly about murder and sex. Whoever was the owner of this room had some very questionable tastes."

"The Cainhurst nobility was notoriously hedonistic" said the woman, opening another book.

"I need something useful, for a change!" protested the man, annoyed. "A diary, a family tree, anything!"

The woman tilted her head, reading a passage in the book in her hand. Emet-Selch grumbled, then he walked away, toward one of the giant windows that granted access to the balcony. He went outside, breathing deeply the cold, snowy air.

Eileen reached him after some moments. "Are you all right?"

"I feel like I'm on a goose chase now. I need to understand why Maria of Cainhurst reached Eorzea! I need to understand why she can corrupt Aether to the point that the Lifestream itself won't accept it, and all I found on this trip are questionable erotica novels and..." He pointed a finger at the horrors that had chased them in the courtyard. "And whatever those... Things... are!"

Under her mask, Eileen rolled her eyes. "Have you considered that Gehrman may have deliberately lied to you and sent you to the wrong place?"

"Of course I did" said the man. "I still plan to go check Maria's body in the... Upper Cathedral, you said?"

"Yes."

"And I also have one person to track, that Lawrence."

Eileen didn't react. "His name is Laurence."

The Ascian dismissed her with a hand gesture.

The Hunter shrugged. "I don't know where you can..."

The woman stopped when she noticed the intense expression on Emet-Selch's face. The man gazed up at the sky with a determined expression.

"Who are the Executioners?" he asked suddenly.

The woman was taken aback for one second. "That is one hell of a non sequitur."

"Were they commanded by someone called... Wait, what was the name? Logarius?"

"How do you know that?"

The man looked again at the sky, then he pointed a finger. "The roof."

"What about it?"

"I dreamt it."

Eileen didn't move.

"Maria and a Primal... Someone from Eorzea. They were there. They were talking, and Maria was explaining that on the roof there was an access to the prison of a queen."

"So what? Annalise is definitely dead, after the assault of the Executioners."

The man laughed. "No, that was the point. The queen cannot die. Logarius is over there, an undead monster, eternally guarding the..."

"Hold on" said the woman. "Are you suggesting that the myths about the immortality of the Vilebloods are true?"

The man smiled. "She may have my answers!"

The woman tilted her head.

Emet-Selch kept looking at the roof, then his face changed from enthusiastic to annoyed in a second. He didn't turn toward Eileen.

"Come on" he said. "Make your objections."

"You're starting to know me a bit too well" said the woman, laughing.

"Yes, yes, just tell them."

"So your plan is to face an undead monstrosity corrupted by an abuse of Old Blood in life?"

The man shrugged.

"And how do you hope to reach the roof?" the woman continued.

Emet-Selch smiled and turned to the woman, offering her his hand.

Eileen crossed her arms. "Absolutely not!"

"Suit yourself, then" said the Ascian, while his feet were leaving the ground.

The woman looked at him as he levitated toward the roof.

With a mocking tone, Emet-Selch said: "Be careful, though, it's a steep climb and the walls are full of ice!"

***

The woman relaxed her arm. She could still feel it tingling, but it was passing.

"Couldn't you just open a portal like you did with Henryk?" asked the Hunter.

"I could" admitted the man, "but it's a spell that consumes a lot of mana. It isn't worth it for short distances."

Eileen nodded, moving the arm again.

"Still tingling?" asked the Ascian.

"Could be worse. I'll be fine in a couple of minutes." She sighed. "The pain of getting old."

The man chuckled. "Yes, it's annoying."

The Hunter scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Let me guess, you're actually immortal because you're a powerful sorcerer?"

"That's not the reason why I'm immortal" answered Emet-Selch with a chuckle. "It's a long story that doesn't involve this dream, so I won't bore you."

The woman shrugged, then she looked around while moving her arm. They were on the rooftop of Castle Cainhurst. The magician looked around. "This is unbelievable" he said, surprised.

"Is this exactly as it was in your dream?"

The man nodded. "The throne over there is where Logarius is resting. Behind him, there's an illusion that hides a door."

"An illusion?"

"I can see the door behind him."

The woman rolled her eyes. Magicians!

She started walking on the bizarre walkway at the centre of the roof. "So... This is how Logarius died? One last martyrdom in the name of the Healing Church?"

The man shrugged. "Does it count as martyrdom if you actually turn yourself into an undead?"

The Hunter tilted her head.

Emet-Selch asked: "Did you ever meet Logarius?"

"Once. I won't sugar-coat it: he was a brute, extremely violent and bloodthirsty. Devoted to the Church to the point of fanaticism, completely addicted to the Old Blood. Also, he was a pretty powerful arcanist."

"Oh, was he?" said the man, shrugging. "That could explain why..."

The two reached the throne on the roof.

It was empty.

Eileen didn't move. "Emet-Selch?"

"Yes?"

"Wasn't the body of Logarius supposed to be here?"

The two of them looked again at the blackened throne, covered in snow.

One second of silence passed.

Then Emet-Selch pushed away Eileen, while trying to roll away.

Then he felt the stabbing. The point of a scythe appeared on his chest. He looked at the blade for an instant, confused. Then his attacker pulled the weapon, removing the blade from him.

The Ascian looked behind him while falling. A giant, dead, emaciated body with a scythe surrounded by a red aura had just stabbed him in the back. He fell on the ground, and then his mind registered the pain. And the blood loss began to numb everything.

He tried to sit, looking at Eileen quickly grabbing her short blades and launching herself against the undead monstrosity, but as soon as he tried to move, everything became dark.

A quick thought crossed his mind while he was passing out.

Weird, I thought... I couldn't pass out in this body...

***

Odin walked a couple of steps behind Maria. After crossing the roof, the two entered where the Queen was supposed to be kept prisoner, but the Hunter was once more taken aback when they found themselves in a small, unkempt room.

"This doesn't look like a place worthy of a queen" said the Primal.

"We're in another part of my past" confirmed Maria, checking the books in a bookshelf. "This is where I became a hunter. Gehrman's laboratory."

"Gehrman. Your master?"

"Yes. He is the First Hunter."

The Primal noticed a wall full of weapons exposed. There were small and big bladed weapons, a big, strange scythe, and an epee with a giant hammer for a hilt. He looked curiously at a threaded cane. "This is bizarre."

"Trick weapons" explained the woman. "With a single weapon that can transform with a single trick, you can adapt more easily to your opponents. Of course, using them requires more skill and mastery than a simple sword."

Odin shrugged, grabbing the threaded cane. "Simple is better."

"A matter of philosophy, really."

The Primal gave the cane to the woman. She rolled her eyes, then she tapped violently the tip of the cane against the ground. Suddenly, the cane opened and became a whip with bladed fragments attached to it. Maria quickly moved her wrists, and with an elegant gesture, the whip moved near Odin. A loud pop, then the candle on the table near the Primal was extinguished.

Maria turned her hand on the handle, then the whip quickly rewound itself and became once again a cane. The woman then gently gave the weapon back to the Primal.

"Impressive" said Odin, "but a weapon like this requires too much effort to be mastered."

"As I said, it's a matter of philosophy. Any Hunter worth his salt knows how to use this trick weapon. The threaded cane is one of the first weapons we master."

"It also seems one of the least effective weapons in this collection" he said, caressing the scythe. "At least, compared to these."

The woman shrugged. He kind of had a point, but she didn't want to admit it. Not to him, at least.

"Also, scythes are overrated" he continued.

"Are they now?" she said, smiling and grabbing the weapon. "This was my master's favourite. The Burial Blade. It's probably the most dangerous weapon in this collection."

"What's his trick?"

Maria turned the weapon: the blade detached from the handle with a violent sound, and she grabbed it by a small hilt. The handle folded, and she quickly put it on her back thanks to a small rope. She was brandishing the curved blade of the scythe like a sword.

Odin shook his head. "Cute trick, but still needlessly complicated."

Maria genuinely laughed, putting the weapon away.

Then he moved once again, reaching for the exit of Gehrman's laboratory.

The Primal walked behind her, but he had to stop for a second. Maria turned her head, looking at him. "Feeling weak?"

"Yes."

"Any idea why?"

Odin nodded. "Yes. You're a peculiar void. Your soul devours Aether."

The woman nodded, unsurprised. "It's a theory I've heard before."

"The theory is correct. And you're eating my Aether, right now. At an unconscious level, probably, but the result is the same. I'm curious to know why, but I feel like I won't survive for long here."

Maria looked at his adversary. Her pale face was inexpressive. "You seem surprisingly calm."

"I know when I'm beaten. I can't leave your soul, I need to temper someone to keep existing in Eorzea. You did manage to actually kill me. Although I'm still curious about you."

Maria shrugged: "As I said, I see no reason to be impolite."

"You exist without Aether. You dissolve it... Eat it, or whatever you do with it."

"Probably. Your point?"

The Primal looked at Maria. "Are you a herald of the Final Days?"

The Hunter tilted her head. "I don't know what that means."

Odin laughed, watching her confusion. "Oh... This is rich. Hydaelyn will hate your guts!"

"... The goddess?"

"All her millennia of preparation, all her efforts, and in the end... The biggest danger for Aether is someone who just appeared out of nowhere!"

Maria didn't move for a second, watching the Primal laugh. Then Odin rose once again.

"I feel better" he declared.

She crossed her arms. "Do you, now? You do know that you're shapeless?"

Odin looked at the woman, confused. Then he turned toward the Burial Blade. He focused on the metal to see his reflection. He could see Maria clearly on the blade, but when he focused on himself, the only thing he could see was a black mist.

The Primal turned again. "Since when am I this way?"

"Since we met in the Astral Clocktower. And you actually became even less defined in the last minutes."

He breathed heavily. "So this is how I'll die. Not with pain or with the last glorious battle. Just by disappearing in a void."

Maria tilted her head. "Would you feel better if I gave you the chance for a fight to the death before the end?"

"Can I actually kill you here?"

Maria thought about it. "I'm not sure. This is a dream, and I'm the host. I imagine that I'm immortal here."

Odin pondered the offer. "A final duel suits me fine."

The Hunter grabbed a weapon from Gehrman's wall. "Choose a weapon. We'll face one last time outside."

Odin looked at the woman while she grabbed a normal looking sword. Then he looked at the wall, and he grabbed the scythe.

"Do you feel ready?" asked Maria.

The Primal nodded.

"There's a flower field just outside the lab. It's the perfect spot for a..."

Maria then froze as soon as she took the first step outside the laboratory. The smell of rotten fish was nauseating. Where it was supposed to be a road, there was mud and water. Broken nets connected the houses. She was in a village.

Odin looked at this place. "Another moment of your past, I..." Then he stopped when he turned toward her.

Maria was looking around, paralysed by the horror.

She was back at that place.

She fell to her knees. She started sobbing, then she screamed.

A scream of pure horror. A scream of pain.

After all that time, she was back at the Fishing Hamlet.

***

He opened his eyes, when he heard that scream.

"..elch! EMET-SELCH!"

On top of him, Eileen was screaming. She had stuck a syringe full of blood into his guts, and she was screaming at him.

The Hunter quickly rolled away after a second. Then Logarius charged once again, trying to hit the woman. She was doing her best to keep her distance, but it was clear that she would soon be overwhelmed.

The undead creature started flying.

Eileen murmured: "Oh no, not again!" Then she started running away, crossing the roof.

Dozens of small skulls made of dark mist started floating towards her. She kept running, but the magic reached her fast. She closed her eyes, murmuring a last prayer.

Then she heard the explosions.

She looked back when she realised that she was still alive.

Emet-Selch was between her and Logarius, the Chikage firmly in his hand. She could see the skulls disappearing, somehow perfectly bisected, although they were made of mist.

The magician asked: "What did you inject into me?"

"O... Old Blood. You were..."

He closed his eyes. "We'll discuss your contamination later. For now..."

He looked once again at the undead. Logarius was chanting something in an ancient language, preparing some lost spell. Emet-Selch turned quickly with his blade, and he stuck it on the roof.

Eileen, surprised, asked: "What are you doing?"

"I'm done holding back" said the man. "This monstrosity committed the cardinal sin of annoying me. So..."

Some dark energy condensed around him. He started to grow, and a dark mantle covered him. His face became a dark void, covered by the hood of the mantle. From his back, two gigantic, beastly arms appeared out of nowhere. Emet-Selch was bigger than Logarius, at least twice the size of his enemy.

The undead finished his spell.

Everything around him exploded in a wave of mystical energies.

The snow on the roof, pushed by the shockwave, became a mist, making it impossible to see.

Then, from the mist, a giant claw grabbed Logarius by the chest.

Emet-Selch, still surrounded by his dark hood, appeared out of the mist. A second, gigantic claw grabbed the monstrous undead by the legs. The Ascian raised Logarius over his head. He started laughing like a madman while pulling the undead from both directions. Blood started raining from the Ascian's gigantic claws and on top of him, and then there was a violent rip. The Ascian threw the two halves of Logarius' body off the roof, and then he kept laughing.

Eileen looked at the monstrosity, paralysed by the stupor. He took a step toward her, while the dark energies that surrounded him started dissipating in a purple mist. Emet-Selch kept walking while turning back to his human self.

Once he reached her, he was back to his usual look, with an amused smile and a really tired look in his eyes.

Then he raised his hand toward the Hunter.

"Thank you for saving me" he said, helping Eileen rise.

"You're... Welcome" she said, surprised.

"Never do that again, though" he continued, walking toward the door protected by an illusion.

***

Eileen checked once again the bizarre door on the roof. It was perfectly closed, and it led to nowhere: the castle ended there. So far, Emet-Selch bizarre dream had been correct: the roof was haunted by the dead body of Logarius. But she couldn't find a way to break that illusion, if it really was there.

"Here I am" said Emet-Selch. The Hunter turned: the Ascian was flying toward her. He had left her alone a couple of minutes before.

"So, did you find the key?" asked the woman.

"In a way" answered the mage, showing a crown to her.

She tilted her head. "Isn't that the crown that Logarius was wearing?"

"I know. Pretty stupid to hold the key of the secret you want to protect so close to the door."

The woman shrugged. "Logarius was strong and intelligent, not wise."

Emet-Selch chuckled while getting close to the throne. He then gave the crown to Eileen.

The woman looked at him. "Why should I wear it?"

"Because I can already see the open door. This is to make you able to follow me."

The Hunter raised an eyebrow, sceptical, and then she shrugged and removed her mask. She wore the crown. She then said: "So this is how a queen feels?"

"Funnily enough, I always wore a helmet in my imperial days. I never had a crown."

"Really?" asked the woman.

"I preferred helms. Well, of course I had a crown, I just never used it."

"I..." Then she got silent. She turned once again to the door. There was a new hall of the castle behind it. She opened her mouth, surprised. "... I... I see."

"Fascinating, right?" said the man with a smile. "I must say, this place is interesting."

The Hunter got close to the door. She gently put her hand on the handle and pushed it.

As soon as she did it, she heard a faint sound, the last one she expected to hear.

"Was that... A child crying?" asked the woman.

"Oh? You can hear it too?" asked Emet-Selch. "I thought I was going crazy."

"Where... What was that?"

"I'm not sure" said the man, "but we should not make a queen wait."

The Ascian entered the door, followed by Eileen.

There was a long staircase in front of them. A hall worthy of a castle. Statues of knights on the side of the room. It was magnificent, but something was off. Eileen caressed her blades, nervous.

Emet-Selch started climbing the long stairs.

On the top, an open door led to a rich, adorned room. A wonderful red carpet, candles everywhere. And statues. Dozens of statues of people screaming.

The Ascian was taken aback. "Are these bodies? Like in Yahar'Gul?" he asked.

"Probably" answered Eileen.

On the opposite side of the room, there were two thrones. And on one of the thrones, a lady with a grey dress was resting. She had a golden mask on her face.

The Ascian took a step into the room.

A voice came from everywhere. A whisper as violent as thunder. "Visitors..."

The Ascian and the Hunter felt the shockwave from that female voice.

"What in the..." murmured Eileen.

"Hush now, my dear" answered with a low voice Emet-Selch. "And mind your manners."

The mysterious voice talked again. "We may hast parted with all our loyal subjects, yet this remains the very throne of Cainhurst. Kneel afore Us, or depart from this presence."

The two looked at each other, then Emet-Selch shrugged lightly. "She's a Queen. Just indulge her."

Eileen walked toward the woman. With every step, she became more nervous: here she was, standing before Queen Annalise herself, the last of the Vilebloods, the Queen of Castle Cainhurst.

She looked confused at Emet-Selch kneeling before her, then she did the same.

From the mask, a small, gentle chuckle. "What ho, doth a Hunter tread these hallowed halls? This be an unforeseen turn, if Our words hold truth. And it doth appear thou art of Our rank, enigmatic wanderer."

Eileen tried to open her mouth, but Emet-Selch made a gesture to quickly shut her up. She imitated him, when he bowed his head.

The woman on the throne chuckled again. "How exceedingly courteous. We do grant thee leave to voice thy words, wandering traveller. Pray, reveal thy identity."

The man bowed. "Thank you for the honour, fair Queen. We are Solus zol Galvus, Emperor of Garlemand. Our companion is Eileen, the Hunter."

The woman bowed gently. "We are gratified by this encounter, Emperor Zol Galvus. Yet We lament that Our court, at present, is ill-prepared to receive an Emperor in all due splendour."

Eileen tilted her head, then she murmured: "She just believed you? Like that?"

Annalise chuckled again. "Aye, We can perceive a verity when it confronts Us, Hunter Eileen."

The man kept looking down.

Eileen tilted her head when she heard once again the cry of a baby. She was starting to feel sickened by that sound.

The Queen tilted her head. It was impossible to know exactly where she was looking, thanks to that mask. Eileen tried to focus on that, to clear her mind of the faint, ethereal cry: she realised that the golden mask was melted directly onto the face of the woman. There was no way to remove that mask.

Annalise tilted her head. Eileen looked at the floor: she couldn't help but feel like the Queen was staring at her, although there were no holes for her eyes.

The woman adjusted herself on her throne. "We are Annalise, Queen of the Vileblood, and sworn foe to the deceitful church. Pray, elucidate what is thou'rt in search of."

Emet-Selch kept his head down. "My Queen, we're looking for information about a Vileblood."

"All Vileblood stand deceased, We're beholden to impart."

"Yes, I'm getting that" he murmured. Then he spoke louder. "I'm looking for answers about Maria of Cainhurst."

The Queen remained silent for some moments. "Ah, Our kinsfolk who betrayed Castle Cainhurst. 'Tis a comfort to relay that she hath met her demise."

"Wait a second" said Eileen. "She betrayed Castle Cainhurst?"

"This business is a matter of kin, alas. Verily, she did betray us. She allied with the Church, seeking to console the victims of their foul experiments. Yet, in time, the Church set its ire upon us. It be evident she did provide them with tidings of our affairs."

Eileen tried to rise, but Emet-Selch stopped her. "Take a knee and don't be disrespectful, Eileen."

The grave tone in the man's voice made her comply. But she talked nonetheless. "Queen Annalise... I can see that the timing is suspicious, but it's a known fact that Maria was just helping the victims of the Asylum: she never officially joined the Healing Church. Why would she betray you?"

The Queen tilted her head. "Wherefore dost thou stand in her defence?"

Eileen remained silent for a second. The cry of that baby almost made her lose her concentration.

Annalise sighed under her mask. "Pray, disregard Mergo's lamentations. His sway is of notable potency within our castle's walls."

Emet-Selch tilted his head. "Who's Mergo?"

"In a different dream, he might bear the mantle of the Host. Yet in this present reality, naught is as it doth appear."

"The... Host." Emet-Selch thought about his dream. Maria called herself the host of the dream, where she was with Odin. But if the reality that he was peeking while he was sleeping, or passed out, was an actual dream with a host, that would mean...

"My Queen..." asked the man. "Are you saying that you're aware that this is a dream?"

"Indeed" answered her. "All within this chamber are enmeshed in its fabric."

Emet-Selch scoffed. "I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I'm not from this dream."

"Verily, yet that doth hold no inherent significance, Emperor. Thou art a thread in another stratum of this dream's tapestry."

The man remained silent for a second. Then he rose. "This is preposterous!"

The voice of the Queen almost became a shockwave. "Kneel."

Emet-Selch crossed his arms. "I refuse to accept your theory, Queen."

The woman moved an arm, annoyed. "What thou chooseth to acknowledge or decline, Emperor, bears no consequence. Thou art a constituent of this reality, and therefore a component of this dream."

The man crossed his arms. "Then, if this is a dream, who is the host?"

The Queen hesitated. "We are unable to respond to that query."

"How convenient. You won't answer, then."

"We can guide thee to the location where thou mayst confront the Host, shouldst thou desire."

"There's no need" said Emet-Selch. "According to the map of Gehrman, the host is in a place called the Nightmare of Mensis."

The Queen chuckled once again. "That verity holds in an alternate reality. In this realm, the Host is inexplicably drawn to our treacherous kinswoman."

Both Eileen and Emet-Selch tilted their head. Eileen objected. "But Maria is dead."

Annalise shrugged. "'Tis a reverie. Death possesseth relative meaning herein."

Emet-Selch shrugged. "Fair enough. I was peeking in Maria's dream before coming here, and apparently, she shot herself in the head to stop a Primal."

"Wait" said Eileen. "Maria killed herself again?"

"I'm sure she will be fine, somehow" said the man, unconvinced. "But if Maria is the key to understand this... Host business, then my quest for answers becomes even more pressing."

"Very well" said Eileen. "But where can we find your answers?"

The man thought again about the dream. About the last detail he saw in it.

The thing that terrified Maria the most.

Then he declared: "We should reach the Fishing Hamlet."

***

Maria rose after some time. She had no more voice. She felt completely numb.

She looked once again at the village, horrified by everything. She remembered every action, every movement, every crime she committed there. She could have refused to continue, but she never questioned her motivations or the purpose of her search until... Until it was all over. Until she and Gehrman were the only two people that remained in the hamlet. Everything she did was...

"Maria?" asked Odin.

Maria yelled, startled. She looked at the shapeless Primal. "What..."

"Another part of your past?"

Maria gulped. "I... Sorry."

"Find your composure, please. I don't want to spend my last minutes accompanied by a hysterical mess."

Maria sighed, then she gulped. She forced herself to close her eyes and to ignore the smell of sea water. She felt nauseous.

With her eyes closed, she said: "Thanks for... You know. Not having tried to kill me."

"I feel like it would be useless. No, it's not that I feel it: I know it."

Maria nodded. She was the host.

But wait, if she was the host... She closed her eyes, focusing on her own will. She knew that was a dream: she had control over it. So she just had to convince herself. She was familiar with the concept of lucid dreaming, so...

She opened her eyes.

Everything around them had shifted. She was in the flower field behind Gehrman's laboratory.

Odin nodded. "Impressive."

"I just needed to convince myself that I'm in control" said Maria. "I may subconsciously hate everything about myself, but I'm still rational."

"Congratulations" said the Primal.

Maria grabbed her sword. "We can satisfy your final wish, then."

Odin closed his eyes. "I'm afraid it's too late for me."

The woman looked at him. His shape was almost undefined, barely humanoid. He was just a dark and crimson mist of Aether that was slowly losing all forms of shapes.

Maria nodded. "I'm sorry for that."

"It would've been a memorable duel" said the Primal.

"Probably. Care to satisfy one of my curiosities, then?"

Odin turned his head toward Maria.

The woman nodded. "Why all the deaths? What motivates you?"

"Desperation. Rancour and suffering. I satisfy the desires of people who wish for death. This is all that motivates me."

"So... It's just who you are? Is it that simple for you Primals?"

"We're desires and prayers that took form."

Maria nodded.

Odin looked at her, then he fell to the ground.

The woman didn't budge, looking at him.

The Primal sighed. "Can I please ask one last favour?"

"You don't want to feel consumed?"

He nodded. "Please."

Maria sighed. "Believe it or not, I don't like to kill."

"And yet you're very good at it. You're almost poetic. In another reality... Who knows."

Maria chuckled. "Are you suggesting that a desire incarnate can fall in love?"

"Who knows..." Repeated the Primal, closing his eyes.

He took a knee in front of the woman, then he gave her the Burial Blade.

Maria nodded.

She grabbed the weapon while the Primal breathed deeply. She walked behind him, murmuring something. She gently approached the area where the neck of the Primal was supposed to be with the blade.

She raised the scythe.

A quick swing.

Then the Primal fell on the ground.

Maria closed her eyes for a second, turning her head toward the moon looming over the flower field.

Then she opened her eyes.

***

Mikoto was sleeping near her, on an uncomfortable chair.

Maria looked around, confused. Was it still a dream, or was she back to Eorzea? She knew that place. She tried to focus, then she realised that she had been there before. She was back at Bertbranch Meadows, at the inn. The moon was high in the sky. It was night.

It was not the looming, majestic, corrupted moon of Yharnam. It was far away, distant, white and beautiful.

She blinked.

Then she said: "Mikoto?"

The Au ra opened her eyes. Then she looked at Maria. She scratched her eyes, surprised. "Maria?"

"I'm here. It's me."

She launched herself to hug the Hunter.

Maria was surprised, but she gladly accepted that moment of humanity. Mikoto started crying in her arms.

Maria closed her eyes, patting the woman's head.

Mikoto asked. "What... What about Odin?"

Maria stopped breathing for a second. "He's dead. For good."

The Au ra sighed, then she gently punched Maria's shoulder. "Don't do that, ever again! We..."

"Mikoto, where is Edda?" she asked suddenly.

The astrologian looked at her. Then she pointed at a bed on the other side of the room.

Edda was there, bandaged and resting. She was sleeping soundly, so peaceful under the pale moonlight.

"Is... Is she all right?" asked Maria.

"She'll be fine" confirmed Mikoto. "It'll take some days, but..."

Maria suddenly felt a rush of relief and disbelief. She started breathing heavily, then tears welled up in her eyes. She started sobbing and crying for the relief, every tear carrying away all the worries, the fear, the doubt that haunted her existence since she was forced by Odin to stab her. It was so strange for her to actually feel so much relief, but she lost control of herself for a brief moment. She looked at Edda, unable to hold back the tears, and she didn't even want to. Each teardrop was accompanied by a deep, shuddering breath. Her trembling lips curved into a radiant smile, as her gaze remained fixed on her friend.

Beside her, Mikoto reached out, laying a comforting hand on her shoulder and offering a gentle hug. Maria reciprocated the gesture by gently clasping Mikoto's hand, too overwhelmed by that miracle she had hardly dared to hope for.

Chapter Text

That was a weird dream, thought the girl with her eyes still closed.

There was my father, and he took me on my date with Avere. Only, he wasn't there: Maria was waiting for me, smiling. We ate something at a kiosk, on a long, beautiful bridge that connected two parts of the city. I had never seen that city before, but the Astral Clocktower was ominous and captivating at the same time. Something was looking at us from the top of the Clocktower, I could feel it. Then she grabbed my arm and we crossed the streets of Ishgard together. Only, it wasn't Ishgard; it was similar but completely different. I don't know where we were, but grotesque statues were everywhere. We reached a small plaza, near the end of the bridge, and a knight in dark armour and with sapphire shining eyes was leading Liavinne and Avere, naked and cuffed, toward a pyre. I watched with a satisfied grin as the two lovers were tied to the logs. The knight grabbed a torch, and my smile widened as soon as the two started burning alive. Then, I hugged Maria when the screams stopped. I murmured to her that I wanted to feel her inside me. She smiled, and she got close to my cheek with her lips. Her smile widened, and her face became formless, then she stabbed me under my belly button with her sword. I looked at the sky and moaned in ecstasy when she started to move inside me, filling my emptiness, feeling her presence in my body, while the moon opened to reveal a gigantic, metallic...

"What in the... Now that was a weird ass dream" murmured Edda, opening her eyes and trying to focus on the reality. She was in bed. She looked lazily around: the place was somehow familiar. Then she realised: it was the inn at Bentbranch Meadows. How did she end up back there? She had no memories of travelling back to the inn.

She tried to turn and look outside the window, but the pain on her chest made her stop. She opened her shirt: there were bandages. She moved them to check what happened: there was a fresh scar, with clear signs of heavy magic healing.

Edda tried to focus. What was the last thing she remembered? They were chasing Maria, possessed by Odin. And Maria stabbed her.

She froze in place.

Maria had actually stabbed her. Well, Odin. She was too confused to rationalise that detail.

She checked again where she was hit: the heart and one lung. She should be dead!

Then she remembers a roar, and the last thing she saw was...

She widened her eyes, in horror.

She remembered Maria shooting herself in the head.

Then there was only darkness and very weird dreams. Dreams about eyes in brains, about a bizarre, dark presence on the moon. About a queen vampire and the formless god that protected her. About a necromancer and a palace full of dead spirits, about the head of Avere turned into a giant flying monstrosity. And about herself in a... Frilly dress and with a scythe?

And then that last dream she had, where she was in that place with Maria. That weird city with statues everywhere, so similar to Ishgard but completely different. And where a formless Maria stabbed her belly.

She shook her head, confused.

She turned toward the door of the room.

And then she noticed them.

Maria was in the bed in front of hers, reading. Mikoto was sleeping on a chair, exhausted.

Edda blinked. Then she said, a bit loud. "Maria?"

The Hunter turned her head. She looked silently at Edda for a second.

A deep sigh of relief, then she closed her book. She was close to breaking her composure, but she managed to smile and to look relaxed.

"Do you feel fine?" asked the woman.

"I... Think so? What about you?"

Maria nodded, then she looked outside at the sun rising. She looked at Mikoto, still sleeping.

Then she declared: "We need to talk. All of us."

***

The whole group was waiting in Maria's room.

There was an awkward silence as everybody looked at the hunter's small and measured gestures. Maria was pouring hot water into a filter to make coffee for everyone. After a couple of minutes, she looked satisfied at the ewer full of black liquid, and she started pouring it into some cups. Then she gave one cup to every person present.

Cocobusi accepted the coffee with a satisfied expression, taking a whiff of the aroma.

Mikoto bowed lightly, thanking Maria and smiling. The Hunter smiled back at her.

Edda still seemed a bit confused. She grabbed the cup, looking at the floor without realising that she was supposed to drink the beverage. The smell was actually a bit disturbing for the girl: she felt like she wanted to puke.

Moenbryda smiled warmly at Maria, accepting the cup with a strong gesture. Maria raised an eyebrow when she saw the Roegadyn chug the hot beverage without issues.

Then the woman stopped in front of Tristan. The Summoner and the Hunter exchanged a silent look.

Maria broke the silence. "I still don't fully trust you."

"I can see why, but we share a common enemy" answered the man. "Should I leave as you instructed?"

The Hunter sighed, and then she gave a cup of coffee to the man.

Tristan nodded. Maria looked at him. "Consider yourself on probation."

"I will."

Maria turned to come back to her chair. Before sitting, she said. "Thank you for helping us."

Tristan tasted his coffee. Then he made a loud pop with his tongue. "Isn't this the Quicksand's blend?"

"Yup" said Maria, grabbing her cup. "Now, I wish to talk about what happened."

Mikoto looked at the Hunter, raising a hand. "Is Odin really dead?"

"Yes" said Maria. "I killed him."

"So my theory is correct?" asked the lalafell.

Moenbryda made a vague gesture with her hand. "Odin was unique even among the Primals, though. I suspect his peculiar way of interacting with the world made him particularly vulnerable to your curse."

Maria drank some coffee. "Please, continue."

"You told me that your soul ate him, didn't you?"

"In a way, yes. I could feel him getting consumed while he possessed me, until he was too weak to control me."

The Roegadyn nodded. "The way tempering works is by changing the balance of the victim's Aether. Odin is more violent: he completely replaces the soul's aether of his victim with his own. This worked until he reached a soul without Aether." She hesitated, thinking. "Your soul is a void, so Odin tried to fill it. But even a Primal has a finite amount of Aether, so..."

Edda raised timidly a hand. Moenbryda nodded.

"A void is, like... When I drink a juice with a straw?" asked the conjurer.

"A bit mundane as an example, but yes" said Moenbryda. "Why?"

"When I drink that way, the liquid crosses the void I make in the straw and ends in my mouth. Things don't just... appear of disappear in a void: they get sucked in. They move. So, if your soul is a straw, where is Odin's aether now? What is the mouth?"

Everyone suddenly went silent.

"This... May be worth investigating" answered Mikoto.

"So Odin may not be dead?" asked Cocobusi.

"No, he's dead" declared Maria. "Shooting me in the head was necessary. I needed him to be stuck on me while my soul kept dissolving him: he was trying to find a new host."

"We thought as much" commented Tristan.

"Yeah, about that" continued Edda. "How did you survive having a bullet in your brain? I was passing away, so I don't know what happened."

Maria looked at Edda, then at Mikoto.

The Healer shook her head. "No, I can't take credit for that. None of my magic is that powerful. Not as an Astrologian, at least."

Maria nodded, and then she realised that something was amiss. "Where's Raya?"

Moenbryda and Mikoto exchanged a nervous glance. Tristan kept drinking his coffee, without answering.

***

Maria knocked at the door of the inn room.

"Raya? I'm Maria." She waited one second before knocking again.

From the other side of the door, a timid voice said: "Are you all right, Maria?"

"Yes. Thanks to you. You saved my life."

There was no answer from the other side.

After half a minute, the girl said: "I'm glad you're well."

"Can I enter?" the woman asked.

"I would rather not be seen by anyone."

Maria nodded. "Very well, but Mikoto told me that you didn't come out since we came back from Urth's Fount, two days ago."

"Mikoto talks too much" commented the girl from the door.

The Hunter chucked lightly.

Another minute passed.

Then Raya said. "Maria?"

"Yes?" said the Hunter.

"Mikoto told you what I did to save you?"

The woman sighed. "Yes."

"And also, what happened to me?"

Maria didn't answer. Not immediately. "Yes."

Another minute passed. Then there was the noise of a key turning in the door. "May I have some of your coffee?" asked the girl, timidly.

Maria nodded. "I'll be right back."

After a couple of minutes, Maria came back with a fresh cup of coffee. She knocked again. "Raya, it's me. May I enter?"

The door opened from the inside.

Maria entered quickly, closing the door behind her.

Raya was sitting on the ground near the door, her knees hugged to her chest. She looked like someone who had been crying and falling exhausted for days. She looked calm, but Maria knew better than that. Her head was covered by a towel wrapped in the style of a turban.

The woman sat near her, and then she gave her the cup.

"Thanks" said the girl in a weak voice. She savoured the liquid, then she shared a small smile with the Hunter. "This is good."

Maria nodded.

The girl looked at her feet, leaving the empty cup on the ground. "I guess this is my life from now on. Years of sacrifices, then..."

The Hunter stared at the ceiling in silence.

Raya turned toward Maria. "Then you appear."

Maria nodded. "I'm sorry."

"I don't blame you. I may blame Odin, or... Or the Elementals. But not you. You stopped a natural calamity, somehow. What you did was... Extraordinary. The Elementals are wrong about you." She hesitated. "When I asked for the mana necessary to revive you from your sacrifice... They refused. I just..."

She sobbed, starting to cry again.

Maria didn't talk.

The girl continued. "I... I couldn't let you die. Not after that. So... I disobeyed. I invoked the Elementals' Aether for another reason, and instead of using it as intended, I used it to cast a Revive and a Benediction spell on you."

The Hunter nodded. She was unfamiliar with the spells, but the point was clear.

Raya sighed, drying her eyes with her sleeve. "Please, tell me that this was worth it."

"You saved my life. From my point of view, it was worth it."

"You know what I mean" said the girl, looking at her. "Is he dead?"

Maria didn't look back. She just nodded.

Raya closed her eyes.

Then she sighed, trying to control herself.

She reached her homemade turban with her hands. They were slightly shaking.

Maria closed her eyes. "You don't need to-"

"I do" interjected Raya. "I r-really do. Please, look at me."

The Hunter complied.

Raya opened the knot she had made on the towel, allowing it to fall.

Maria looked at her red hair. It was dirty and unkempt, but most importantly, it was... Normal. The horns, the distinctive mark of the Padjal, weren't there anymore.

The girl suffocated a sigh. "I-I guess... I guess, after a-all this time, t-the sacrifices..." She started crying again. "I guess it d-didn't matter. N-nothing did."

Maria hugged the girl to hide her face on her chest. Raya remained silent for a second, then she started sobbing loudly.

The Hunter looked at the ceiling, her mind lost in a whirlwind of emotions. Dominant among them, a white fury against those ungrateful spirits.

***

"This is unfair!" protested Kan-E-Senna to her younger brother.

The two of them were at the Evershade Tree, just south of Gridania. The ancient tree, house of the Elementals of Black Shroud and the holy place of the alliance between the spirits and Gridania, was, as usual, a calm and pacific place. But the two Padjal were anything but serene.

The Gridanian leader was keeping her usual calm demeanour, but the brother knew that she was actually furious. Her voice was a bit higher than normal, and her usual stiffness wasn’t there. She was so nervous that she decided to attend the meeting at the Tree without her two bodyguards. This was mostly a family business, sure, but she also had a reputation to maintain with the Gridanians, and no one could see her angry.

A-Ruhn-Senna didn't flinch. "Sister, the screams of the elementals are..."

"Completely unmotivated!" declared the woman. "Although that Hunter's nature may be dangerous, she helped both Gridania and the Elementals, by killing a Primal! Maybe the Elementals forgot about this, but to maintain their physical forms, Primals gorge Aether from the very land they walk on! Odin would have corrupted the whole Black Shroud, sooner or later! By risking her life that way, she saved them, too!"

"They considered that, and still they think that she is more dangerous than a Primal."

"This is exactly what happened with Ea-Sura" murmured the woman. Then she talked out loud: "This is not right! Raya-O saved a life! And a potential ally for Gridania, if we consider politics. And instead of rewarding and celebrating her, now we're forced to strip her of her connection with the nature spirits, of her status as Padjal and White Mage, and we're even forced to exile her from Gridania! Our sister! This is just... This isn't fair!"

The young brother closed his fists. He could hear the Elemental voices better than both her sisters, he always could, so he had always been the more sensible to their lamentations, but at the same time, he was torn: he agreed with Kan-E-Senna, punishing Raya-O because she saved a life was bad! But still, the Elementals had their reasons, and they would not share them with him.

"The worst thing is, you actually agree with them!" continued the woman, pointing a finger at his younger brother's chest.

A-Ruhn-Senna became suddenly rigid and red. "It's not my call! My opinion means nothing on this, exactly like yours, and you know it!" answered the brother, on the defensive. "The Elementals protect the forest, and as such, if..."

Suddenly, both Padjal turned toward the tree.

The Elementals were screaming, terrorised. A-Ruhn-Senna got close to the tree, trying to understand what was happening. All the Elementals were panicking in unison. The only thing that the Padjal could hear was their screaming: Send her away! Send her away!

Kan-E-Senna and A-Ruhn-Senna suddenly turned toward the entrance of the path that leads to the Evershade Tree. She sighed while her brother suddenly started running toward the path. The intruder still hasn't appeared, but it was clear what was scaring the spirits.

"Leave immediately, Hunter!" he said out loud, grabbing his staff. "You're exiled from here for a reason, the Elementals ha-"

"Be silent" whispered a female voice near his ear.

He turned his head.

Maria was behind him! She wasn't even on the path a second before, and then she just...

He screamed in surprise and almost fell on the ground as soon as he actually realised what had happened. He moved back and raised the staff in a guard position. The Hunter didn't budge, looking with indifference at the two Padjal.

A-Ruhn-Senna stared at the intruder. She was alone, and in her hand there was something long wrapped in a blanket. She didn't look like she would-

He screamed again when he suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder. His sister was near him, shaking her head. "Calm down" said the woman. "She deserved to be listened."

"But the Elementals..."

The leader of Gridania watched the path. "This time, they can wait."

The boy begrudgingly complied, relaxing his arms.

Kan-E-Senna got closer to the woman, keeping some yalms among them.

Maria looked at the kid, then at the woman.

Then she threw the blanket near her feet.

Kan-E-Senna raised an eyebrow, and then she opened the blanket. Inside, there was a black, curved sword. It was beautiful, in a way, but also eerie: touching it felt like touching a dead body. Like the sword had been alive, but not anymore.

The woman nodded. "So this is Odin."

Maria crossed her arms. "His real host. He had an honest death."

Kan-E-Senna grabbed the sword, wrapping it back on the blanket. "You can keep this blade. You deserve a trophy. I'll reach you back at Bentbranch Meadows with your money."

"Good. This is the last time I will do business with Gridania."

The Padjal nodded, sighing and closing her eyes. "I see."

"Well" said the boy, surprised. "Good! The Elementals are..."

Maria looked at A-Ruhn-Senna.

The young Padjal stopped talking.

The Gridanian leader looked at her brother, and then she turned toward Maria. "I assume I won't be able to change your mind."

"No" declared the Hunter. "Enjoy the company of the other two Primals that live in these woods. Garuda and Ramuh, I reckon?"

The leader closed her eyes and breathed deeply. "Innocent lives are at stake, for-"

Maria gritted her teeth. "Don't! You! Dare! Don't you dare talk to me about innocence! Not after what you all did to Raya!"

Kan-E-Senna sighed again. "This was not my call. She's my sister. This decision will haunt me for decades."

The Hunter didn't answer. She looked at the woman with fury. After ten seconds, she asked. "Are the Elementals listening?"

The boy shook his head. "They're screaming. They're scared."

"Good" she said with an evil grin. Then she looked at the Evershade Tree, without talking.

She just stared at it, deeply.

The forest itself became suddenly silent. Not even the wind was making a noise.

Maria opened her mouth. Her voice was louder, but she wasn't shouting. "I'm Lady Maria of Cainhurst. Cousin of Queen Annalise of the Vileblood, Knight of Cainhurst, Hunter of Nightmares, Killer of Augurs, and Slayer of Primals. I can destroy Aether just by virtue of existing, and thus I can crush all of you Elemental for good, like I did with the Dark Divinity!"

The two Padjal looked at the woman, suddenly nervous.

Maria looked at the tree, and after a dramatic silence she declared: "But I'm not the monster you think I am! So I won't, although you all deserve it!"

Then she grabbed back the blanket, turning her back to Evershade Tree and walking away.

A-Ruhn-Senna looked confused at the woman leaving. Then he turned toward her sister. "What just happened?"

"Pray, soothe the Elementals" ordered the woman. "I need to talk with her. Away from here."

And then she started walking, following the path far from the Elementals.

***

Cocobusi and Moenbryda were waiting on the lalafell's carriage, at the beginning of the path that led to Evershade Tree. The lalafell was reading some papers, while the woman was using a whetstone on her axe.

The man relaxed his eyes, and then he noticed an abandoned mansion, barely visible from their position. "I wonder what that place is."

"Haukke Manor" said the girl, turning her head. "A villa owned by a noble dynasty of elezen, abandoned after the last heiress got crazy and murdered a bunch of girls to bathe in their blood, or something like that. Now it's full of undead creatures, voidsends and overgrown carnivore tentacle plants."

"Because of course it is" commented the lalafell, rolling his eyes. "For being a place protected by benevolent spirits, there's a lot of dark shit going on in the Black Shroud."

Moenbryda chuckled while the man tried to read again. The woman checked her blade one last time, then she turned toward Cocobusi. "What're you reading?"

"I have a theory about Aether regeneration" answered the man. "If I'm right, I may be able to unlock the secret of granting mana generation even on people with a limited Aether attuning."

"I thought Maria wasn't interested in attuning herself to Aetheric energies."

Cocobusi coughed. "It's... Not for her. It's for me."

The Roegadyn looked at him. "I... Wasn't aware. "

"Well, yes. I have almost no Aetheric attuning. I will never be able to be a magician, as I am right now. I can barely use the Aetherytes to teleport."

Moenbryda bowed lightly. "I'm sorry to hear that."

"Please spare me your pity." He sighed. "This is why I don't like to talk about this topic."

"I guess I can see your point."

Cocobusi nodded, looking back at his papers. "Yeah, it's time for standing bare and sharing my shameful reality, I guess."

"I mean, I did see you naked already" she remarked with a teasing grin.

Lorobuki snorted at the comment. "You know how to lighten the mood."

"I have my merits" said the woman.

"Anyroad, I'm the last of six brothers. All of them are experts in mana manipulation. And I really, really wish to be just like them. It's my dream. I want to learn how to use magic too."

"Oh, the Lorobuki brothers?" the woman said, nodding. "The Thaumaturge masters?"

"Yes, I'm the black sheep of the family. Not by choice, mind you: it's just what I am."

The woman nodded.

Cocobusi continued. "This is why I'm following Maria. She's an Aetheric anomaly, much bigger than I am: I hope that by following and studying her, I can understand better my... Peculiar condition. And she agreed to being analysed."

"Makes sense" said the woman, checking the papers of Cocobusi.

She tilted her head as she began reading to discover the real topic of those documents. "Isn't this a study about bats?"

He nodded. "Yes. Many aggressive species of bats don't have Aether, per se, but they can absorb it from their victims and use it to create mana that they use to power up their natural magical abilities."

Moenbryda nodded. "From the blood of their victims? Maria would absolutely love that detail. Chigoes also use a similar effect to power up their magical affinity."

The Lalafell stopped reading. "Chigoes. Chigoes... Aren't they the giant mosquitoes that live here in the Shroud?"

The Roegadyn smiled. "We can organise a hunt to capture some exemplars for you, if you need them for your study. Shouldn't be that hard."

The Lalafell shook his head. "That would..." Then he thought about it. "That would actually be a good idea. Especially if Maria really wants to move to Limsa Lominsa soon."

"You can ask her" said the woman. "She's coming."

Lorobuki turned toward the path. The Hunter was getting close.

She reached the two without a word, and then she jumped on the carriage.

Moenbryda looked at her. "I reckon it didn't go well."

"It was never supposed to" confirmed Maria. "Let's reach the others; I want to leave this swamp as soon as possible."

Cocobusi grabbed the reins, and the cart departed toward Bentbranch Meadows.

Maria looked at the blanket with the Zantetsuken inside.

Moenbryda turned toward the Hunter. "I would recommend getting drunk and saying bugger all to everything tonight. We can worry about leaving for Limsa Lominsa tomorrow."

The pack leader nodded. "Yes. I may welcome the numbness, for once"

***

Edda opened her shirt and removed her bandages, while Mikoto quickly cleaned her hands.

Once ready, the Au ra got close to the conjurer and started examining her wound. It was very different from the precise cut that Maria did to Tristan: Edda's wound was violent and brutal.

"How do you feel?" asked the Au ra.

"Mostly nauseous" said the girl. "I hoped it would pass, but it's there."

The Astrologian nodded, focusing on the cut. "What about the wound? Does it itch, does it hurt?"

"No, and no. I can feel it, that's for sure. It's almost pleasurable if it gets touched."

Mikoto raised an eyebrow, but she didn't comment. It wasn't the first time she had heard someone say that a closing wound gave weird sensations when touched.

"This will leave a scar" said the Astrologian.

Edda shrugged. "I don't really care. It's part of the game, in this life."

"This is not a game, though" commented Mikoto. "You got lucky that we were there: you would have died in seconds, otherwise. Even Tristan used a cure spell on you."

The girl tilted her head. "I wasn't aware that arcanists had restorative cures."

"They're really bad at healing, but they do have one spell in their arsenal." Then she chuckled. "You really don't know much about Aether schools, do you?"

Edda became red, and then she sighed.

Mikoto bowed. "I wasn't trying to embarrass you."

The girl turned her head toward the ceiling, sighing again. "I never had a real chance to study. I'm from a poor village. I know how to read and write, but that's it. I never had access to a real library before joining the..."

The Conjurer stopped talking as soon as Mikoto grabbed something from her bag. It was a small book.

The Au ra smiled. "Are you familiar with the Students of Baldesion?"

Edda shrugged, then she shook her head.

"It's a small organisation of Sharlayan scholars, founded by Galuf Baldesion around thirty years ago. Right now, they're mostly focused on studying the Aetheric mysteries of the Isle of Val."

The Conjurer tilted her head.

Mikoto smiled again. "This is Galuf's personal diary of his first exploration of the Isle of Val. Well, not the original, of course. It has plenty of notes and studies about Aether application, while being easy to understand even for someone who's just starting to learn Aetherology. And it's also a pretty exciting and adventurous book."

Edda grabbed the diary, confused.

Mikoto nodded. "Everyone has their past and their experiences. I'm not sure why you didn't have a chance to study before, but it's never too late. You can start from here, and if you need help, you can ask me. As soon as you finish studying this one, I'll give you other books."

The Conjurer opened the small book, smiling like a child. "I would hug you, but I'm still in pain."

Mikoto laughed, turning toward the window. Outside, Cocobusi's carriage was coming back to the inn.

She turned toward Edda. "I would say that tomorrow you will be completely healed. It will be like nothing ever happened."

"Thank the Twelve for restorative magic" said Edda, getting dressed.

Mikoto started grabbing her stuff to leave the Conjurer alone. She needed some rest.

Once her shirt was closed, Edda opened the diary, confused. Then she asked: "Mikoto?"

"Yes?" said the Au ra, stopping at the door.

"Conjuring won't save Maria, next time something happens to her. Raya is proof of that."

The girl stopped. Then she nodded. "The Elementals are not our allies, in this situation."

"I may need to learn a new school of magic."

Mikoto nodded again. "I can't teach you Astrology, though. I'm still too green with it."

"What if I use that weird gem too?"

"The Soul Stone is what's allowing me to be an Astrologian in the first place" admitted the girl. "I can't share it with you. I'm sorry."

"Then what?" asked Edda. "I feel useless as I am. Especially compared to you."

"Healing is not a competition" answered Mikoto. "You have been helpful many times in this adventure."

The girl turned red. "Flattery won't help you, Mikoto. But still, I need an idea."

The Au ra looked at the ceiling, thinking. Of course, Edda was right, but she has no real answers for her.

"I need to think about it" said the Au ra, bowing one last time and pondering a solution.

Edda huffed, annoyed, then she lay back on her bed. She opened the diary and started skimming through it: maybe that Galuf Banda... Bande... Galuf Sharlayan Scholar can give me an idea!

***

The carcass of that boar was perfect. Putrid and rancid, it was the ideal place where she could deposit her eggs. The giant mosquito turned her head around: nobody could disturb her. She got closer and probed the body with her proboscis.

Then the chigoe felt suddenly tired. She fell asleep over the boar after a couple of seconds.

"Easy" said Tristan, crossing his arms.

Moenbryda shrugged. "A sleep spell? Simple, yet effective."

"The best solutions are usually the simplest. You wanted that thing alive, I reckon?"

"Not me. Cocobusi wanted him alive."

The Summoner nodded. "Alchemists are always interested in chigoes."

"Alchemists are interested in a lot of things" commented drily the woman.

Tristan looked distractedly at the Roegadyn while she grabbed a barrel and stuck the sleepy creature inside it, and quickly sealed it. "It's heavier than I expected" said the woman, raising the barrel over her shoulder without apparent issues.

The two started walking toward Bentbranch Meadows.

After some time, Moenbryda asked: "How did you reach the Ascians? You know, to have them give you that Soul Stone."

The man tilted his head. "I didn't. They reached me."

The woman stopped. "Really?"

He kept walking. "You're free to dismiss me, of course. I gave you no reason to trust me."

She reached him. "Why would they contact you, though?"

Tristan walked in silence for some seconds. "I suspect it's because of what I did as a member of the Immortal Flames. I managed to kill one of the manifestations of Ifrit, some months ago."

The Roegadyn whistles. "I'm impressed."

"One of the requisites for summoning an Egi is to be present when the Aether of its original Primal gets dispersed, once its physical manifestation gets killed."

"Ah" said the woman, thinking. "Part of that Aether gets stuck on you, so you can manifest it as a weaker copy of the Primal." She remained silent for a couple of seconds. "But this requires the assistance of a spirit guide: no human soul can directly manipulate that kind of Aether. Not without altering your own Aetheric structure, at least. That means... Hm. That means that a fundamental prerequisite to becoming a summoner is being an expert arcanist: you can't summon an Egi without a Carbunkle, or an analogue spirit guide, assisting you."

Tristan nodded, surprised. "You know a lot about Aether."

"Don't let my weapon of choice deceive you: I may fight like a Lominsan marauder, but first and foremost, I'm a Sharlayan scholar."

The two walked in silence for a bit.

The woman continued after a moment. "So you got contacted by the Ascian because you had the requisites to become a Summoner. You were an Arcanist, and you killed Ifrit."

"Exactly" confirmed the man. "Although killing Ifrit didn't stick, of course."

"Of course. You just destroyed his current manifestation." Moenbryda kept walking, thinking. "I wonder if that means that you can summon an Egi of Bahamut."

"I never faced Bahamut" said the Summoner. "And I definitely never killed him."

"Yes, but when he was killed by Louisoix his Aether was dispersed through all Eorzea. It probably stuck with everyone."

Tristan tilted his head. "That sounds heavily improbable. It doesn't really make sense."

The woman nodded, shrugging. "Yeah, you're probably right. But what about Odin?"

"Not even the Allagans managed to create an Egi from him. I don't think I'm better than Amon or other legendary Aetheric scientists."

"Fair" commented the woman with a shrug.

Tristan remained silent for some moments, thinking. "I'm curious about one thing, though: Maria managed to kill a Primal for good."

"Yes?"

"Primals are Aether condensed around a desire. Now, Odin is a particular case, but let's say that she managed to kill... Titan, or Leviathan?"

"Your point?"

"I killed Ifrit, all right? After that, the Amalj'aa stole more Aether crystals and, as soon as they had the required number, they prayed really hard for a new manifestation of their desire. Lo and behold, Ifrit was back after some months."

The woman nodded. "I think I know what you mean. What would stop the Amalj'aa, or the Sahagin or the other tribal beasts, from summoning a new incarnation of their Primal after Maria kills them?"

The man nodded.

"It's all speculation from my part" explained the woman. "Remember the straw example?"

"Yes?"

"A common theory is that a part of the Aether that forms a Primal reincarnation is its original desire. That should explain why their shape is always consistent, and also why their manifestations keep memories and experiences."

"It's not a theory: I can confirm it works that way. This is why the same Primal can't manifest at the same time in two different places, no matter how many Aether crystals you grab."

Moenbryda almost lost her steps for the surprise, then she chuckled. "Of course. Allagan knowledge from your Soul Stone."

Tristan nodded again. "I'm afraid I can't prove it to you, though. You have to trust my word."

The Roegadyn continued. "Back to the point. I think the part that Maria ate through the straw in her soul is the real, original desire. Think of it as the sand grain that gets stuck inside an oyster: without it, there wouldn't be a pearl. Same principle: without the original desire, the Aether won't be shaped as a reincarnation of a Primal. Or if it will, it will be lobotomized."

"That should be interesting" commented the man, following the path.

The two finally reached their destination.

Moenbryda dropped the barrel gently, then she went toward the inn. "Well, I definitely earned my booze. Let's get wasted, Tristan."

The man looked at her, a confused expression on his face. "Why do you trust me?"

The scholar turned her head. "Oh? I'm sorry; I gave the wrong impression if you think that. I still don't trust you. I just trust that if you do something stupid, Maria will decapitate you before I have a chance to grab my axe."

The Summoner didn't answer.

Moenbryda shrugged. "Keep your friends close and your enemies closer, said the wise man. Do you want that whisky or not?"

Tristan shook his head, confused. Then he found his composure. "... Sure, why not."

"Good boy!" said the woman, smiling and pushing him gently inside.

***

Maria was walking around the inn, with Agro faithfully following her. The chocobo rested her head on the Hunter's shoulder. Maria scratched her near the base of her neck. She loved how quickly the two of them formed a bond: she couldn't have asked for a more loyal mount.

She stared silently at Moenbryda and Cocobusi, who were discussing near the Lalafell's carriage. The Roegadyn gave a small slap to a wooden barrel, which suddenly moved as if something inside had awakened and become angry. The Hunter shrugged: she didn't really care about the dynamics between those two, although she was pretty sure that they slept together at least once. Not her place to judge, as long as the hunt didn't stop, and so far, both of them have been highly professional. Still, a small curiosity lingered in her mind: how could it work between the gigantic woman and the short man? She shrugged, removing the mental image as soon as Agro asked for more scratches.

Moenbryda looked back at Maria, realising she was there. She raised her hand to salute the hunter, then she said loudly: "Maria, I took the beer and the whisky! Whenever you want, we're ready for dinner!"

"I'll reach you in a few" answered the hunter.

The Roegadyn and the Lalafell went back to the inn. Maria kept scratching the neck of her chocobo, then she looked at the windows of the building. She saw Raya checking on her from the glass, and quickly disappearing under a curtain as soon as the hunter looked at her.

Agro suddenly turned her head, looking at the road for Gridania.

Maria looked the same way, checking what startled the chocobo. She suddenly sighed, annoyed.

The Gridanian leader was walking toward her. Alone, without her brother or her lancer guards.

The Hunter looked at Kan-E-Senna with an indifferent look. The Padjal walked slowly toward her, accompanying every step with her long staff.

Once the woman reached Maria and Agro, she stopped and remained silent for some moments.

The two stared at each other.

Maria suddenly said: "Unless you're here with my money, I have nothing to say to you."

The Padjal nodded. "A moogle is on his way with your gil. You've earned them."

"Good" said the pale woman with a dismissive gesture. "Then you have no reason to stay. Farewell and good riddance."

The Gridanian sighed. "I need to hire you for another job."

"I told you to leave" warned the Hunter with a feeble but stern voice.

"You have every right to be angry at me. I'm furious with myself, too."

"I don't want to hear your voice, I don't want to see your face, and you don't deserve my help or my time."

"I want you to help, protect and guide Raya-O. And I can pay you fo-"

Without warning, Maria slapped the woman.

Agro made a loud verse, startled.

Kan-E-Senna didn't react. Her cheek became suddenly red.

"You abandoned her!" whispered the Hunter, her voice barely audible but clearly full of rage. "I don't know and I don't care about your political deals with the Elementals, but you allowed them to sacrifice your sister! Your own flesh and blood! And now you're trying to... What kind of empty gesture is this? Are you trying to bribe me to help Raya? Hoping that this will soothe your conscience?"

"I don't expect and I don't want you to understand what the Elementals mean for the Shroud. And I won't even try to make you understand."

Maria dismissed the woman with a vague gesture of her hand. "Is there a but incoming?"

"No. As I said, I won't try to make you understand. And, for what it's worth, I honestly believe that the Elementals are wrong about you."

The Hunter scoffed. "Easy for you to say, but words get lost in the wind every day. Your sister put her mouth where the money is, and you didn't defend her."

The Padjal closed her eyes. "I have no leverage with the Elementals. Gods answer to prayers only if their mood is right."

Maria chuckled sarcastically. "What a splendid alliance you have!"

"I love my sister" said Kan-E-Senna. "I need to keep my composure, for the sake of Gridania, and my obligations will force me to follow this road, but I can't abandon her. So please... Protect her. Help her find a way, now that she's a Hyur. She spent too many years as a Padjal to just... Move on instantly. And she will have to move away... Away from me and Gridania. This is the fate of the former Padjals rejected by the Elementals, according to their laws."

Maria crossed her arms. "I reckon this isn't the first time it happened, then."

Kan-E-Senna didn't answer, but she did avoid the Hunter's stare. She sighed. "Raya-O needs assistance and a guide. And you own he-"

"I swear to the Augurs, if you finish that sentence, I will kill you right here and right now! Don't you dare try to guilt trip me into this!"

The Padjal nodded. "Will you help Raya-O?"

"I won't tell you what I plan to do. You don't deserve to know. I don't want your money, I don't want your help, and I will recommend Raya to never answer to your future attempts to soothe your conscience after you abandoned her this way."

For the first time, Kan-E-Senna stoicism seemed to break. "Please, I... I need to know."

"Exactly. You need it." Maria turned her back to the Gridanian leader. "That's why you don't deserve it: because you're doing it for your own conscience, not for Raya. If you were actually interested in Raya, you would fight for her against your precious Elementals, or at least stop her exile! But no, your Elementals are more important than your blood! And this is how I will punish you. By not letting you know."

"I can't abandon my sister!" said the Padjal out loud.

The Hunter walked away. "You already did. Now leave. There's nothing for you here."

The Padjal looked at the Hunter, her only hope for keeping her sister safe, turning away and leaving. She brought her hand to her mouth to suffocate a sigh, and she wiped a couple of tears from her eyes. She fought hard to avoid breaking down.

She noticed a curtain on the first floor moving. She stared at it for some seconds.

Then she forced herself to regain her composure. It took a couple of tries, but in the end, she regained her regal and stoic facade. She walked away from the inn, back to Gridania.

Once she reached Bentbranch Meadows' fence, she turned one last time toward the inn's windows.

All the curtains were closed.

***

"You should not drink" said Mikoto calmly, grabbing the glass of beer from Edda's hands.

"Awww, come on!" protested the Conjurer.

Maria laughed, on the other side of the table. "Come on, Mikoto. We need to celebrate!" She pointed at the Moogle that was leaving the inn. "We got paid by the Gridanians!"

"Yeah, not bad if you consider what you said to Kan-E-Senna" commented Cocobusi, grabbing a glass full of whisky. "You were great, by the way. I don't want your money or to help you: that took guts, that Padjal is still a head of state!"

Maria shrugged, sipping her whisky lightly. "That's not the same. I already did the job, so this money is hard earned."

Moenbryda grabbed her fourth glass of beer. She was definitely the heaviest drinker of the bunch, by a large margin. "Well, we got paid, and we're all alive and well!"

Maria looked at the brown liquid in her glass. Her smile disappeared. "Not all of us are well. And not everyone is alive."

That turned the mood fast. Moenbryda drank some of her beer in silence.

Mikoto looked at Maria. "Are you talking about the people that Odin killed?"

"In my body. I saw him do it, although I wasn't in control." Maria closed her eyes, then she chugged her whisky.

Moenbryda nodded without a smile, while Mikoto put her hand on the Hunter's shoulder. Then the Roegadyn grabbed a small glass of whisky and raised it. "A toast. To the fallen."

Maria filled her glass and tapped it loudly on the table, cheering with the Roegadyn. Mikoto and Edda did the same.

As soon as everyone chugged their glass, Edda started coughing violently, and she vomited on the floor.

"Crap!" said Mikoto, getting away.

Moenbryda laughed. "You really can't keep your drink, little sprout!"

Edda, still on the ground, answered the Roegadyn with a vulgar gesture. Moenbryda laughed once more.

Cocobusi drank once again, then he turned his head toward Tristan, on the other side of the table. The Summoner had passed out at his very first glass of whisky, and now he was murmuring something in his sleep.

Mikoto helped Edda get outside to get some fresh air, leaving only the Roegadyn, the Lalafell and the Hunter. The passed out Tristan didn't count.

Moenbryda filled the three glasses. "I must say, your resistance is surprising for someone so small, Cocobusi."

Lorobuki made a gesture to reject the whisky. "To be fair, I'm at my limit. Give me another glass, and I will start singing Answers in a drunken stupor."

"Please don't, anything but that!" said the Roegadyn, laughing. Maria tilted her head: she didn't know that song.

"So" continued Moenbryda. "What are our plans now, great leader?"

Maria stopped, thinking. "Go back to the Ul'dah territories, and take a boat to Limsa Lominsa. While we're at Vesper Bay, I need to reach a place called the Waking Sands and talk with the Scions: I still have a letter of introduction. I still need answers about that crystal imbued with Echo, and if Master Mylla is right, they should be able to help me find them."

"No rest for the wicked" said the scholar with a chuckle.

"Also, I still have my mission for Raubahn. This" Maria raised the purse full of gil that the moogle left them, "was a very nice extra, but technically it was not the reason why we reached this swamp."

"But hey, it was a success. And it gave us some answers to our theories" said satisfied Cocobusi.

"While raising more questions, though" said Maria, sipping more whisky.

The Lalafell tilted his head. "True. And also, we must..."

Everyone got silent when the sound of timid steps reached them from the stairs. Raya-O-Senna was coming down from the top floor. The girl had a small straw hat to cover her head, and her clothes were normal. Maria tilted her head: she had no idea where the girl had got those clothes, since she had been stuck in her room for days.

The girl silently reached the others in the common room and sat at the table.

Everyone looked at her. She had clearly cried in the last hour or so.

Moenbryda nodded. "I'm glad you came out of your room."

"Thanks" said the girl with a flat voice. She then looked at Maria. "I heard t-that you're going to leave tomorrow?"

Maria sipped some whisky, thinking. She was starting to feel the numbness. For once, it was a sensation she would have gladly welcomed. She turned her head toward Moenbryda, looking her in the eyes.

The Roegadyn tilted her head, and like in a silent conversation, she nodded. She then grabbed a new glass and poured a bit of whisky into it.

Raya-O tilted her head, confused. "What does that mean?"

"We're drunk" said Maria. She made a nod with her head toward Tristan. "Some of us more than others. This is the time to make bad decisions."

The girl remained still. "I don't understand."

"We won't abandon you" declared Moenbryda.

"Yeah" said the lalafell. "You helped us when we needed the most. We'll take care of you, if you want."

"Only if you want" said Maria, raising her glass. "This is a really bad decision, and I'm sorry you have to take it. And there's no better way to make a bad decision than by sealing it with a cherry popped."

The girl looked around, confused. "So, are... Are you inviting me in your party?"

Maria smiled once again, nodding lightly.

Raya-O tilted her head. "I... Can't help you with your quests, though. I'm no longer a White Mage."

"You will be my apprentice" said Maria. "I'll teach you how to fight. You'll become a hunter."

The girl tilted her head. "Does that mean that I will have to craft cursed items too?"

Maria looked confused at the girl, and then she laughed. "Probably. But what's the worst that can happen?"

"Die for an uncontrolled curse?" said the girl, confused.

The Hunter shrugged. "Trust me, death is overrated." She then reconsidered. "Of course, if you prefer something more peaceful, I'll teach you alchemy instead."

The girl remained silent.

The Hunter continued. "Consider this proposal, Raya. If you allow us and if you want to follow us, we will not abandon you."

Raya-O chuckled. "You know... It's actually pretty rude to call a Padjal with a diminutive. My name is..." She sighed. "... Was... Was Raya-O." She played with her glass. "But I guess you can call me Raya now."

Maria nodded, then she smiled when the girl raised her glass.

Raya smiled timidly. "Cheers?"

Maria raised her glass too. "Cheers."

Both of them drank their glass of whisky with a big gulp.

Then Raya instantly became red and started coughing violently.

Moenbryda laughed, and even Maria conceded herself a smile. "There you go, my girl" she said, filling her glass once again and chugging it, and then laughing when the alcohol finally started working on her. "Feel the heat."

"This tastes like ceruleum and used socks" lamented the girl, feeling the whole room spinning and her stomach burning.

Everyone laughed while Raya kept coughing and trying not to vomit.

Maria looked at the girl, smiling.

This is a really bad decision, thought the Hunter. I hope I won't regret it.

Chapter Text

The wooden building near the entrance to Menphina's Altar, in Gridania, was brimming with activity and bizarre guests even at that late hour. Dozens of moogles were flying in and out of Kan-E-Senna's private rooms.

The small beary creatures were sorting dozens of letters and preparing packages with documents and gils to send all around Eorzea. Mostly toward Limsa Lominsa, but also in Gridania, in Mor Dhona and Ul'dah. A moogle with a postmaster hat was giving orders to his colleagues. "Double time, kupo! We have work to do, and we must finish before midnight!"

"Chief" said one of the moogles, "are there more letters for Limsa Lominsa?"

"No, you can leave" said the leader. Five moogles grabbed their bags and left flying toward the horizon. The chief postmaster nodded, satisfied, as he watched his underling leave.

The two personal guards of Kan-E-Senna were outside the door of the leader's private room. The chief Moogle approached the bearded guard. "We sent everything, kupo!" he said. "Can we ask the Elder Seedseer if we're done for the day?"

"Lady Kan-E-Senna said that she had two more letters to finish" said the guard. "Don't worry; they have to get delivered close to Gridania."

The moogle nodded. "I will deliver them myself then, kupo!" Then he turned to the others, clapping his paws. "All right, this should be all! Have a safe journey, kupo!"

All the moogles saluted the chief, then they left. Except one, that was sleeping and flying at the same time.

As soon as the moogles left, there was a gentle tap at the main door of the building. The guard got closer and opened it.

"Mother Miounne" said the man, allowing the tall Elezen to enter.

The representative of the Adventurer Guild entered the house, bowing with elegance. "I'm sorry for disturbing at this time of the day, but I was summoned with urgency by the Seedseer."

"We were expecting you" confirmed the guard. The man got closer to the door of Kan-E-Senna's private room and knocked.

From inside, the leader asked: "Mother Miounne is here?"

"Yes, Seedseer" said the man.

"Let her in."

The guards opened the door, allowing the Elezen to enter the room. Mother Miounne looked around: as she always imagined, the Seedseer had a very modest personal room. A small desk, a bed for one person, a bookshelf with dozens of old scrolls and books, and an armoire. Not a painting, not a carpet, not a decor. Just a basket full of fresh fruit, the only luxury that the woman conceded to herself. Hardly surprising, thought Mother Miounne: the Padjal were always very frugal.

Kan-E-Senna was writing at her desk. She was constantly erasing and rewriting words. Then she turned toward the Elezen. Mother Miounne respectfully bowed.

The Padjal bowed in turn. "Thank you for reaching me on such short notice."

"I serve at the pleasure of the Seedseer." She reached her purse and retrieved some documents.

The Padjal accepted them and quickly read them.

Miounne started talking. "As you instructed, I did all the registrations you asked. The documents are ready, and I've already sent a copy to the Adventurer's Guild in Ul'Dah and Gridania."

Kan-E-Senna nodded, looking back at the letter she was struggling to write.

The Elezen continued. "I also registered everything at the Order of the Twin Adder."

"Very well. Did you register the Free Company with the name I gave you?"

The woman nodded. "The Cainhurst Hunters."

"Perfect" said the leader, looking back at her papers. "That will be all, and thank you again."

"Seedseer, if I may..."

The Padjal turned toward the woman.

The Elezen continued. "This is extremely irregular. You asked me to register your sister as an adventurer and to create a Free Company in her name. I have no objections to registering Raya-O, she's a White Mage and as such..."

"She's... No longer a White Mage" said the leader, hesitating.

Mother Miounne looked at the woman. "May I speak freely, Seedseer?"

"Please do" allowed Kan-E-Senna.

"You know that Mother is just a nickname I earned?" She looked at the Padjal with a calm smile. "The adventurers call me that because I've become a motherly figure for them. I protect them, guide them and help them find their way. In a way, they do become my children. And part of the duties of a good mother is to listen to their children."

Kan-E-Senna conceded herself a small chuckle. For her usual composed demeanour, that was comparable to a burst of laughter.

Mother Miounne didn't budge. "I know your real age, Kan-E. It doesn't matter if you'll live for centuries, I will forever be older than you."

The Padjal sighed, looking at the woman.

Then she nodded. "You will think less of me, once I've explained what happened."

"I know that everything you do is for the well-being of Gridania, Kan-E. I won't change my opinion about you."

The Seedseer closed her eyes. Then she started explaining.

Mother Miounne didn't move for the whole time, listening patiently.

***

"... The Ala Mhigan refugee crisis cannot be underestimated" said Teledji Adeledji. "We should-"

"Allowing more refugees in Ul'Dah, right now, will only create more tension among our citizens" rebuked the lalafell near him. Lord Lolorito ignored the hateful stare of his colleague and continued: "We already have a crisis in the Copperbell Mines: Amajina & Sons cannot continue its mining operation, and many people between Horizon and Ul'dah are currently without a job because of that."

"The problem in the mine will be solved soon" declared the leader of the mining company, Chief Foreman Fyrgeiss. "Adventurers are already answering the call en masse, and soon the rebellion of the giants will be suppressed for good."

Raubahn sighed, disappointed. That reunion of the Syndicate was going nowhere, and the Monetarists were, as always, bickering. The General was surprised that the leader of the Mirage Trust Company was so eager to help the immigrants from Ala Mhigo: his words were generous, but Raubahn knew that snake enough to see that he cared only about personal power. Nobody becomes a member of the Syndicate by being generous.

The Sultana, sitting at the head of the table, interjected in the discussion. "The current troubles of employment in Ul'Dah are an issue that must be solved, but at the same time, the refugee crisis has to be dealt with. Little Ala Mhigo is not a place suited for survival. There's little water and..." She stopped for a second, when an Immortal Flame official entered the room and gave a letter to Raubahn. The woman continued. "... And although I'm grateful to Lord Manderville for his help in employing so many refugees in his Gold Saucer, this is not enough."

Lord Godbert Manderville, on the opposite side of the table, bowed gently.

Adeledji nodded. "The Mirage Trust Company is more tha-"

"I'm sorry to interrupt" said the General, closing the letter, "but I just received an important development that requires my full attention. May I ask for an adjournment?"

The rest of the Syndicate and the Sultana looked at the General.

Nanamo Ul Namo nodded. "Something you wish to share with us?"

"Apparently, an adventurer found a way to kill a Primal for good."

The whole room fell suddenly silent.

The Sultana coughed lightly. "Very well. This session is adjourned, we'll continue..." She looked at the time. "Tomorrow morning, at nine. Please be there, everyone."

"I'm afraid I will have to send a delegate" said Adeledji, bowing.

The Sultana nodded. "Very well. Anyone else won't be able to come tomorrow?"

No one answered.

The woman smiled. "Thank you all for your time, then. Raubahn?"

Everyone bowed while the Sultana and the General left the room. Raubahn sent a soldier to summon his second in command while walking toward the Immortal Flames barracks with the woman. A small group of Sultansworn started following the regent.

Once they arrived, Raubahn reached its office: Elaine Roaille, the General's most trusted commander, was already waiting. The Elezen woman saluted the leaders respectfully.

"At ease" said Raubahn. "Master Lorobuki's theory is correct."

Both women looked at the General.

The Sultana spoke first. "Lady Maria of Cainhurst?"

"The very same. She killed the Dark Divinity, and the Elder Seedseer confirmed that his Aether is irremediably broken: Odin will never be able to reassemble himself."

"My lord..." said the Elezen, shocked. "We... What... This means the end of the Primal menace?"

"Assuming that we can replicate the Lady's way to kill a Primal" pointed out the Sultana.

Raubahn shook his head. "According to Master Lorobuki, it's impossible. Cocobuki Lorobuki flat out stated that Maria's aetheric features, or lack thereof, are unique."

"So what's the plan now?" said the lalafell.

The man thought about it. "Maria created her own Free Company, some hours ago."

"Already?" asked the Elezen.

"She will gain a name fast." Then he chuckled. "Lady Maria of Cainhurst, the Unsevered."

The two women looked at the General, confused.

The man shrugged. "An old grim way of saying, back in Ala Mhigo. We called Odin's victims the severed when he manifested near the Fringes one century ago. Maria is the Unsevered."

"So Maria chose to affiliate herself with Gridania?" asked Roaille, ignoring the lame nickname.

"She's not even the leader of her Free Company" commented Raubahn, reading once again the Seedseer's missive.

The woman nodded. "Do you have orders, General?"

Raubahn tilted his head, thinking. "Lady Nanamo? Any advice?"

"Military expertise is your sector" said the woman. "But Maria is a precious and irreplaceable resource. Recruit her."

"She rejects the military life: she values her freedom too much. I already tried that."

"What about conscription?"

The man shook his head. "That would do more harm than good, knowing her. Especially seeing that her Free Company is already affiliated with the Order of the Twin Adder, we'll risk not only losing Maria, but also causing a diplomatic embarrassment."

"Then hire her. You can use the Sultanate's treasury, with no limit on expenses."

The man nodded. "Very well, I'll go with Ul'dah diplomacy. I'll write to Maria right away. Roaille, you're dismissed: I'll call you tomorrow."

The Elezen bowed, leaving the Sultana alone with the General.

Once in the corridor, she remained silent for a second, thinking. The menace of the Eikons could be ended, once and for all!

She turned toward the door: this was excellent news, but the way the Grand Companies were already quarrelling for the control of Maria was a disaster. Eorzea was guided by children, eager to fight for a doll until it would break, instead of thinking about the real prize.

And even if that wasn't the case, she had her orders from her real master. She calmly reached her private room in the barracks, then she reached a small bowl full of coloured glass spheres on her bookshelf. She grabbed a purple glass sphere and took it near her ear. She pressed on it, activating the secret linkpearl, then she said with a whisper:

"I'm the Ivy. I have a message for the Black Wolf."

***

The Elezen closed her eyes, thinking in silence.

She could barely believe the story that the Seedseer had shared with her, but Kan-E-Senna wasn't exactly known for being a comedian.

Mother Miounne looked back at the woman before her. It was impossible, at first glance, to see if she was actually tired: her stoicism was perfect. And yet, the innkeeper could somehow tell that the Padjal was cracking under the pressure.

The Elezen sighed. "I don't envy your position."

Kan-E-Senna didn't budge. "So you do understand why I have to comply with the Elemental's requests."

"Of course I do, I'm not naive: the Black Shroud is pinched between the dunes of Thanalan and the dry lands of Gyr Abania. If not for the Elementals, Gridania would be a desert just like our neighbours. And after the fall of Dalamud, Coerthas in the north became a perpetual magical snowfield: we live in a bubble of miraculous magic. Alienating the Elementals will kill Gridania and the Black Shroud."

"Would you have chosen something different, in my stead?"

Mother Miounne hesitated. "I would've helped Raya-O differently, probably: I would've talked to E-Sumi-Yan, asked him to become Seedseer, taken the lead of the Conjurer's guild in his stead and moved it outside Gridania, and then I would've moved with Raya-O in a private house near the new Conjurer's guild to help her during her transition to a life as a Hyur."

The Gridanian leader tilted her head in surprise.

Miounne continued. "But I know that's not a compromise easy to achieve, especially seen that you would have to ask E-Sumi-Yan to switch roles this way. Also, moving a whole guild is a logistical nightmare." She shrugged. "I would've attempted it nonetheless."

"So you too think I'm wrong."

"I think you're in a position that can't reach an acceptable outcome. Do you trust Maria of Cainhurst?"

The Padjal nodded. "I met her only three times, but she seemed honourable. And she has a big debt toward Raya-O, so I hope she will feel honour bound to help my sister. That's why I asked her to... Help Raya-O."

"Anything else you saw in Maria?" the elezen asked.

Kan-E-Senna stopped one second, thinking. "She had the one thousand malms stare of a soldier who lost too much in a war. She doesn't actively look for death, but she doesn't fear it. And she's extremely pragmatic and sassy."

"I would probably like her, then."

The Padjal smiled lightly. "In other circumstances, I would too. My hands are tied by my duties, though."

The innkeeper nodded. "For what it's worth, Kan-E... I disagree with your methods, but you did what you felt was right to balance your precarious deal with the Elementals and to help your sister. Maria may not understand it, and you may feel guilty, but you did your best."

The Seedseer sighed. "Thank you, Miounne."

"But this won't help your sister in the long run: Maria is an adventurer, so there's a very high chance she and her party live a nomadic and unstable life. Changing inn every night, following adventures around the world, without any resemblance of stability. That may very well be the worst possible place for someone who needs some stability while changing their life."

The Padjal nodded. "To be fair, I thought about that too. I had to pull some strings, but I think this will be solved by tomorrow."

The Elezen tilted her head. "What did you do?"

"I begged a demon of the sea for a favour, of course."

***

Merlwyb Bloefhiswyn was a no-nonsense and pragmatic woman, and her attitude greatly contributed to her successful long career as Grand Admiral of Limsa Lominsa. She always favoured a direct and honest approach, and she always liked to know exactly where her friends were and who her enemies were. In a way, her relationship with diplomacy was extremely dry and rude, but honest. She considered herself unique among the leaders of the Eorzean City States. Thus she always sought different angles and approaches when dealing with people outside the safety of life under the Code of Limsa Lominsa. She trusted cutthroats and pirates more than politicians and envoys from other nations, and that attitude so far had always saved her life and kept her in power.

So the massive Roegadyn woman was confused by the letter she received from the Gridanian leader. It was not a diplomatic request full of fancy words and flattery, and it was not something that required reading between the lines for a trap: Kan-E-Senna had written her what she could only interpret as a very weird request.

The woman read the letter a couple of times, then reached for the window of her office. She looked at the moon rising over the sea, her arms crossed behind her back.

"Marshall Slafyrsyn" she said out loud, looking at the window.

A massive Roegadyn dressed in the red uniform of the Grand Company of Limsa Lominsa, the Maelstrom, entered the room. "Grand Admiral?"

The woman didn't move. "Please, enter. There's a letter on my desk, from the Gridanian Seedseer: I wish to hear your opinion about it."

The man grabbed the letter and read it, while the woman didn't budge, too busy thinking while watching the moon rise.

After a couple of minutes, the Marshall nodded. "Is this true? Someone actually managed to kill a Primal for good?"

"I'm surprised as you are" murmured the Admiral.

"I thought that was impossible" commented the man, reading again.

"You know my motto: impossible is a word coined by the weak" said Merlwyb flatly. "What about the second part of the letter?"

The Marshall opened the letter once again and read it out loud. "Other adventurers cannot replicate the method that Maria of Cainhurst used to kill the Primals. Also, the way she dealt with Odin was so unnatural it forced the Elementals to officially exile her from Gridania. Still, even though my alliance ties my hands with the Elementals of the Black Shroud, I cannot ignore how..."

"Go to the request, please" said the woman.

The man skipped a couple of paragraphs. "... And thus, I humbly ask if you can facilitate the purchase of a housing lot in the Mist, to grant the Cainhurst Hunters a stable base of operation. I will personally cover every expense for the purchase and the furniture of..." The man hesitated, thinking. "This is bizarre."

"To say the least, Eynzahr" said the Admiral, looking at the moon. "Kan-E-Senna is basically gifting us a way to coddle an adventurer who knows how to solve our problems with the beast tribes once and for all. And she's doing it for free. Even better, she asks to pay us for that privilege."

"Who is this Lady Maria?"

"A new adventurer, according to the Guild. She quickly made a name for herself in Ul'Dah by cleaning Halatali without assistance." The woman continued to gaze at the moon. "I'm also interested in her Free Company. The leader is Raya-O-Senna."

The Marshall tilted his head. "Kan-E-Senna's sister?"

"The very same. This," she turned, pointing at the letter in the Marshall's hands, "makes me think that something weird happened. Padjals don't become adventurers."

The man nodded. "So what are your orders, Admiral?"

Merlwyb looked at the moon, then she closed her eyes, thinking. "Wasn't there a Free Company that disbanded recently? Something about an unlucky meeting with the Sahagin? Their house in the Mist should be destroyed soon, if I recall correctly"

"Why do the mansions of all the Free Companies that disband get destroyed after one and a half months? That's a waste of resources, not to mention the..."

"Don't question the Adventurer's Guild rules" said the woman, shrugging. "They barely make sense, but if they act that way, they'll have their reasons."

The man murmured something, and then he tried to remember the daily reports. "Yes, a Free Company disbanded, and their house will be vacated soon. The Undying Flames, they called themselves." He remained silent for a second, and then he chuckled. "They all drowned when the Sahagin flipped their schooner."

The woman kept her composure, closing her eyes. "What an awfully unlucky name. Poor bastards."

"Luck may be blind, but irony always hits the right target" said the man with a shrug.

The Admiral looked at the man. "Very well. Order the seizure of their house before it gets demolished, have it cleaned and emptied, and sell all the furniture in the marketplace. Send the bill for the acquisition of the house and the cleaning to Kan-E-Senna, let's see if she's bluffing. Worst case scenario, if she is actually bluffing, we will use the house as new barracks in the Mist for the Maelstrom"

The man nodded. "So this means Lady Maria will reach Limsa?"

"If she has already started moving like the Seedseer says in her letter, she should reach La Noscea in two days. Let's prepare a good reception for our Primal slayer."

***

The Seedseer nodded, looking at Miounne. "Yes, I'm aware of that."

The Elezen continued to admonish the Gridanian leader. "I mean it, Kan-E: you're going to pay the Admiral for something overpriced and almost certainly inadequate for your sister's needs."

"I'm forced to rush blindly" admitted the Padjal. "And honestly, my sister's safety matters more than money. I don't like having to do things without planning, but I wasn't ready for this eventuality. I couldn't honestly predict someone like Maria, or the unreasonable reaction of the Elementals."

The innkeeper nodded. "They really disappointed you, didn't they?"

"I was this close to actually considering leaving my position out of pure spite" admitted the woman. "Alas, my sense of duty toward the Gridanians stopped me."

Miounne smiled. "Are you done writing your letters?"

"I'm missing two of them" said the leader, looking at the envelopes on her table. "The most important ones."

The Elezen looked at the woman. "One for Raya-O, one for Maria?"

Kan-E-Senna nodded.

Mother Miounne sighed. "Leave here the letters. You need to vent."

The Padjal tilted her head. "I beg your pardon?

"Follow me, please" commanded the innkeeper with a sweet voice but with a tone that wouldn't have accepted a negative answer. Kan-E-Senna obliged.

The guards and the chief moogle stared in surprise to see Mother Miounne and Kann-E-Senna walk outside the Seedseer's house. They followed the two women until they reached the Adventurer's Guild of Gridania.

The inn was built on top of the Gridanian station for airships, and it was full of adventurers and clients even though it was pretty late. Even the drunkards became suddenly silent when the Elder Seedseer entered the guild. The leader sighed, then she smiled at Miounne. "Time to vent, I reckon?"

"Very well, my leader" said the Elezen. She clapped her hands loudly, then she said out loud: "LISTEN UP, EVERYONE! We're celebrating wonderful news, this round is on the house!"

The innkeeper reached her desk while everyone was clapping, then she quickly mixed a concoction for the leader and her guards. "Just a juice of mixed fruit and frozen milk, no alcohol" she said to Kan-E-Senna.

The leader accepted, smiling. Then she said out loud. "We're celebrating a great triumph today. One of your peers managed the impossible: Odin, the Dark Divinity, has been killed for good!"

A surprised, stunned silence filled the inn. Then the murmurs started.

"A Primal?"

"No way in hells!"

"Oh Gods..."

Kan-E-Senna raised her glass. "The Shroud is a safer place, thanks to the deeds of Lady Maria of Cainhurst. Let's celebrate her victory and drink to our fallen friends, may they rest in peace, knowing that monster won't torment us once again."

One Ala Mhigan adventurer on a table in the back raised his glass and screamed: "To Maria! Maria the Unsevered!"

The other Ala Mhigans in the tavern joined the toast, for the confusion of the Gridanians. Kan-E-Senna laughed lightly, and then she raised her glass. "To the Unsevered!"

Everyone cheered in celebration, joining the toast. The whole tavern exploded in laughs, cheers, hands clapping and the improvised songs of a couple of bards.

One of the adventurers discreetly walked outside the Guild and reached the balcony. He breathed heavily, confused by the revelation, then reached into his pocket for a linkpearl. After some seconds, he said to the glass sphere: "Yes, Camp Dragonhead? I have news that may be interesting for lord Greystone..."

***

The giant walls of Castrum Oriens were a clear and glorious sign of the supremacy of the Garlemand Empire. The black, metal fortress separated the Gridanian territories from the Ala Mighan province of the Empire, and although the Eorzeans were a clear menace, for the moment, the fortress was just a border, not a place for invasion.

Gaius van Baelsar was walking under the moon, gazing at the territories on the other side of the walls: the lush, green lands protected by the Elementals. The free nation of Gridania, one of the four city states still independent in Eorzea. Five, counting the ungoverned territories of Dravania. The man was wearing his full armour, with his menacing and perfectly decorated helm hiding his face and his expression.

The Garlean commander didn't turn when he heard the heavy steps of men in armour. He then looked at one of his most loyal lieutenants getting closer.

The massive Roegadyn Rhitahtyn sas Arvina bowed before Gaius.

"Legatus van Baelsar" said the Praefectus. "You summoned me?"

"Rise, Rhitahtyn" ordered the commander. "Walk with me."

The two men traversed the walls. The soldiers guarding the border saluted the commanders respectfully; every time, both men returned the salute politely. After some minutes, Gaius turned toward the Gridanian forest.

"I need your honest opinion, Rhitahtyn", said the Legatus suddenly.

"I'm at your service" said the giant.

The commander raised his arms to reach the back of his helm. He opened the safeties to remove it. Once free from the helmet, he breathed deeply the fresh air coming from the forest.

"What do you think of Gridania?" asked the commander suddenly.

Rhitahtyn didn't budge. "My opinion is not important. They refused our help against the Eikon menace and allowed three of them to fester in their land, so they cannot be trusted with independence. They must accept or rule. It's the only way to save them."

"Rhitahtyn" said the man, turning toward him. "Please, feel free to speak freely."

The Roegadyn nodded. "Gridanians are an elitist, racist bunch of privileged brats who live rich and prosperous lives, adoring dangerous Aetheric creatures. In a way, I believe that the Elementals that protect their forest are akin to Eikons. Their precious Gods protect them, but as far as we know, the Elementals may be siphoning Aether from the lands outside Gridania to thrive: it may not be a coincidence that all territories surrounding Gridania are some form of arid lands. This includes our province of Ala Mhigo."

The Legatus nodded, looking back at the luscious green outside the fortress's walls. He then turned toward his loyal underling. "I've received a dispatch from one of our contacts. The Gridanians claim that someone found a way to kill an Eikon for good. An adventurer who recently reached Ul'Dah, a duelist of some sort: something about the way she interacts with Aether is able to poison the Aether of the Eikons. Odin is her first victim."

The soldier didn't react. At least, it was impossible to understand if he had a reaction, thanks to his massive full armour and his helm.

After some seconds, he spoke. "My lord... This means... The war may end?"

The Commander nodded. "The Garlean invasion of Eorzea started because of our claim that the Eikons must be stopped, and the Eorzean cities are not prepared to do the sacrifices needed to actually destroy them for good. This is why we're annexing them to the Empire. But if there is a permanent solution to the Eikon menace..."

Rhitahtyn looked at the man, and then he too removed his helmet. "My lord... May I speak freely?"

"Please do" said the commander with a gesture.

"The war, officially, is against the Eikons. This is the focus of our invasion. Yet, although we conquered Ala Mhigo, we never found a definitive way to stop the Ananta from summoning Lakshmi repeatedly over the last few decades, and this happened in our  lands. There are theories, of course, but..."

"Please reach your conclusion. I want to hear your true opinion."

The Roegadyn hesitated. "What will happen when the news of an adventurer able to kill the Eikons reaches the Emperor? Will he just stop the invasion and seize control of the land we've already claimed as part of the Empire, and renounce his claims on Eorzea, while the Eikon problem will be solved by this adventurer? Or will His Excellence see her as an obstacle to his true plan, and think about... Removing her for political gain?"

Gaius didn't answer immediately, looking at Gridania. He breathed deeply. "I think we're having the same doubts, then. The Emperor is not naive, though: he won't ask for the adventurer's removal unless she actively opposes us. He would rather do everything in his power to gain her as an ally if replicating her methods of dealing with the Eikons is impossible."

Rhitahtyn continued. "And what will happen when the Prince hears of an adventurer able to slaughter for good the Dark Divinity? Someone able to hunt prey that even he can't kill, a... How should I call her? A hunter of Eikons. This will pique his interest, and we know what happens when he focuses on someone."

That made Gaius tilt his head. "Zenos? I didn't consider that. He would..." Then he stopped, considering what would happen: the Prince would mark that adventurer as a worthy adversary or whatever lunacy pushes his bloodlust, and in his madness, he would hunt the most dangerous game. "... He would kill her for fun."

"My lord... We should not allow that!"

Gaius looked at the man. "Continue."

"Eikons are a menace. Assuming you're right about His Radiance, Eikons are just too dangerous to let roam free. And if Zenos, as I suspect, will aim for that adventurer..."

The Legatus nodded. "I agree. The Prince must never discover this information until we find out her secret or gain her alliance. Where is he right now?"

"He's currently in the province of Doma, my Lord. In the far East."

Gaius closed his eyes. "Maybe we're lucky, then. Very well."

The two men walked in silence toward the end of the walls. Before entering the barracks, the Legatus looked at his underling. "Of course, I trust your discretion."

"This was completely off the record. May I ask one thing, though?"

Gaius turned toward his man.

The Roegadyn continued. "What do you plan to do with that adventurer?"

"I need to know her secret, so the first step is to learn everything I can about her. I will move all my sleeping agents to Eorzea for that task. And then... We'll see. We'll either contact her or conscript her." He opened the door, then he added: "Hoping that the person we discussed before won't force my hand."

The Praefectus followed the Legatus inside. He didn't express his doubts, but in silence, he prayed that his leader was right.

***

"... Of course it's for the betterment of Isghard" said Stephanivien de Haillenarte to the Inquisitor in front of him. "I do understand the benefit of respecting traditions, but..."

"Then if you understand it, sir Haillenarte, you should stop trying to sell your weapons here" said Inquisitor Guillaume. "Tradition must be respected for a reason, and our way of fighting dragons with cannons and spears served Ishgard well for generations. No need to involve... Commoners and firearms."

The young Count sighed in frustration, grabbing his spoon to savour some of his soup. He had reached Camp Dragonhead the day before, to visit his brother and to discuss with his friend Haucherfaunt Greystone about a new idea he had about firearms: they were discussing lively about his idea for a new type of soldier called the Machinist during dinner, trained with firearms and simple Aether-powered automata, but Haucherfaunt had to leave for some minutes and the Inquisitor that was dining with them was somehow trying to dissuade sir Haillenarte to continue.

"Look" said Stephanivien, "Ishgard is not winning the war against Dragons: we just push back every-"

"How dare you! We won't accept to-"

"Gentlemen", said a grey-haired young Elezen, entering the room. Haucherfant Greystone, commander of Camp Dragonhead, looked at the two men discussing with a smile. "Please, no need to ruin a fine dinner with political discussion. Enjoy the soup, the wine and the salt."

Stephanivien bowed lightly, while the Inquisitor scoffed.

The young heir of the Haillenarte family asked: "I hope whatever issue took you away from this fine dinner is solved."

The commander grabbed his spoon. "More a curiosity than a real issue, actually. It was just a piece of news from a friend of mine, barely a gossip, but the subject of it was definitely worthy of interest: someone in Gridania found a way to kill Primals once and for all. It was an adventurer, by the look of it."

Everyone suddenly went silent. Stephanivien just stared at the Commander, with a shocked expression on his face.

A servant entered the room, bringing a large bowl of salt rocks. Haucherfant nodded with a pleased expression, and then he grabbed one of the salt crystals and licked it. He savoured the salty taste, and then he had a big spoonful of his soup. Stephanivien shook his head, confused. Looking at that weird Ishgardian tradition, which he had always despised, took him back to reality.

"I'm sorry?" the machinist asked. "A Primal... Dead?"

"It's definitely interesting news, but Ishgard doesn't have issues with Primals. I should still share this information with the Holy See and with Lord Aymeric: our Dravanian neighbours may benefit from someone with those skills, seen that the Gnath keep awakening the Primal Ravana and that, according to our scouts, a Primal shaped like a flying whale is eating whole islands in the Sea of Clouds." Then he pointed his spoon at Stephanivien. "Oh, you will love this: the adventurer that managed to kill the Primal in Gridania is a musketeer that uses two swords and a custom gun. And a complete unknown adventurer, on top of that. Lady Maria from... Hm, somewhere. I can't remember."

Suddenly, something clicked in the mind of the Count. "Lady Maria of Cainhurst?"

"Yes, that's the name!" said the commander, snapping his fingers. "Did you meet her?"

"No, but the Alchemy Guildmaster of Ul'Dah wrote me an enthusiastic letter about her, some days ago. He invited me to meet her, because he was convinced I was interested in her bizarre way to approach gunsmithing and alchemy..."

"Master Severus Piton?" asked Haucherfaunt, trying to remember.

"Master Severian Lyctor" commented absentmindedly Stephanivien. "And she can kill Primals, you said?"

The Commander nodded. "So you got an official invitation to meet Lady Maria?" Haucherfaunt then thought about it. "I wonder if Maria is the surname and Lady is the name. Where is Cainhurst?"

"Never heard of it" murmured the Inquisitor. He was too surprised to think straight. "My lord... Maybe the Gridanians have... Maybe they are wrong? They could have misunderstood what happened, or... Or maybe they're lying?"

"Why should they? The person who contacted me said that the Seedseer herself confirmed the adventurer's success in an informal meeting." The man shrugged. "Maybe it's propaganda, sure, but if that's the case, it's a weird way to spread it."

"Maybe I should answer to Master Lyctor" murmured Stephanivien, thinking. "If she's a musketeer, maybe... I was considering recruiting a former Lominsan combatant to teach Ishgardian people how to use guns, but..."

The Inquisitor started objecting. "I alread-"

The Commander silenced him with a gesture. "That may be an excellent idea, Stephanivien!"

The two guests looked at Haucherfaunt, confused. The grey-haired man continued: "To be completely honest, I do like your idea for these machinist soldiers." He quickly gestured toward the Inquisitor to shut his objections. "Only a fool won't see the advantages of gaining a militia to support our Dragoons while we're fighting a millenary war against dragons, but of course, your idea needs to be tested, and people need training from experienced musketeers. And who knows, maybe an independent adventurer specialised in duelling with a musket may be the friend you need to learn where your idea has strength and where it's lacking. According to my friend in Gridania, Lady Maria is moving toward Limsa Lominsa: weren't you planning to find someone to help you there?"

Stephanivien nodded. "I had my eyes on a former member of the Knights of the Barracuda..."

"A pirate" commented Guillaume with a disappointed voice.

"Former pirate" answered Stephanivien. "He paid his debt, he's not wanted in Ishgard, and he's a free man in Limsa Lominsa. As a man of faith, you should welcome penance and redemption."

The Inquisitor scoffed.

Haucherfaunt clapped his hands. "Gentlemen, please. Anyroad, I would suggest that you contact this Lady Maria, Stephanivien. Maybe she's exactly the ally you need for your project. Or who knows, she may very well be a future friend on your road."

The machinist bowed, and the dinner continued. After some time, the servants cleaned the table, and the Inquisitor asked permission to leave, leaving the two noble Elezen alone. As soon as he left the room, Guillaume reached the stables and grabbed a chocobo. He saluted the guards, and he started running toward the closest fortress, but before reaching Whitebrim Front he looked around to see if he was alone. Once he was certain that no one was there, the man left the road and walked in the snow field of Coerthas to reach a small cave. Once there, he whistled loudly and waited.

After a few minutes, some people emerged from inside the cave. Elezen rebels, heretics, enemies of the Holy See and the Inquisition of Ishgard. They seemed disorganised and armed with poor weapons but determined.

The Inquisitor nodded, looking at his friends, his comrades, his fellow believers in the way of the Dragons. "I need to talk with Lady Iceheart".

A female voice behind the heretics said: "I'm here, my friend." An elezen woman in a blue dress, with long hair white as the snow, walked toward the Inquisitor and smiled. "Is our plan proceeding?"

The Inquisitor bowed gently his head toward the leader of the rebels. "For now, my cover is working. Nobody found the body of the real Guillaume, so I'm still acting with the authority of an Inquisitor of the Holy See, and so far nobody is suspecting a thing. But, Lady Iceheart... I have news from Gridania. Dire news."

"From Gridania?" the woman asked, surprised. "Please, share your news."

"Someone found a way to kill Primals."

Lady Iceheart didn't budge. Her lips were thin as razors.

One minute passed in complete silence.

Then, with a heavy and worried voice, she said: "Tell me everything. Now."

***

The Arrzaneth Ossuary in Ul'dah didn't receive many communications from outside, at least with ordinary mail: the only reason why people wanted to contact the Thaumaturge guild was to have a loved one buried according to the rites of Thal, or to have something exploded, frozen, electrocuted or all of the above. And for both reasons, you don't resort to the postal service. But sometimes a moogle entered the guild's door to deliver a letter.

That was one of those evenings.

Master Cocobuki Lorobuki, the eldest and most powerful Thaumaturge in the guild, read the letter from the Gridanian Seedseer in silence. Once finished, he sighed and strolled outside, followed by the curious stare of the guild's receptionist. He walked for some minutes along the city road, breathing slowly.

Then he sighed, looking at the sky. The first stars began to appear while the sun was setting.

He closed his eyes, chuckling to himself, and murmured; "Good job, Cocobusi. I'm proud of you."

***

The moogle was traversing the desert of Thanalan peacefully, going as fast as his wings allowed to reach Vesper Bay from Horizon. Once he reached his destination, he flew lazily toward a building near the port. He knocked on the Waking Sands' door, and he waited. After some moments, a lovely voice from inside said "Comiiiing~". The moogle could almost feel the tilde in the sweet female voice.

After some seconds, a pink dressed lalafell lady opened the door, smiling. "Ah, welcome, welcome!"

The moogle put a pawn in his bag and grabbed a letter. "A delivery for Lady Minfillia Warde, kupo!"

Tataru bowed kindly. "You can leave it to me, I'm the receptionist. She's not here today."

"Very well." He left the letter and saluted kindly before leaving the building.

The lalafell saluted in return, and once alone, she reached the inner sanctum in the building and entered the office of Minfillia. She stared one second at the broken magical staff behind a protective glass, like every time she entered that room. That was Tupsimati, the relic used by Louisoix Leveilleux to save Eorzea from the destruction caused by Bahamut. She wasn't at Carteneau that day, but she sighed, thinking about all the friends she lost in that battle.

She stopped thinking about the past and left the letter on the table: the leader of the Scions would have read it in the morning. Whatever it was, it probably wasn't that urgent or important.

***

Kan-E-Senna closed the door of her private room while the guards resumed their duties outside. She sighed, then she smiled lightly. Venting, as Mother Miounne called it, had been more necessary than she imagined. She had focused so much on fixing everything that she hadn't considered anything, but after that brief, unimprompted celebration, she felt better.

The drafts of the letters to Raya-O and Maria were still on her desk. She looked at them, sighing. From the bowl of fruit on the desk, she grabbed a small grapefruit and ate it, then she nodded. She grabbed her pen and started writing.

This time, the words on the papers weren't orders or instructions: she wrote about her doubts, her mistakes, her feelings. And how she would do everything in her power to help Raya-O while trying her best to do the responsible things with the Elementals' orders.

It took her twenty minutes to finish the envelopes.

Then she closed them, reached the moogle postmaster still outside and bowed. "Thank you for your patience. These two are for Raya-O-Senna and Maria of Cainhurst, in Bentbranch Meadows. Please hurry, I suspect they will leave the place tomorrow."

The moogle saluted and quickly left the room, flying south. The Seedseer sighed one last time, then she closed the door.

For that day, she felt like she had attempted everything she could to salvage that disaster.

Chapter Text

Mikoto entered the common room with an ewer full of coffee. The Au ra sighed, looking at her friends: they were all still sleeping on the couch, on the tables, on the ground. Moenbryda and Cocobusi were snoring loudly, sleeping together over a carpet. Tristan was still laying on the table where they left him the evening before: he really could not stand alcohol! Raya-O was murmuring something in her sleep, sitting on the ground and with her head against Maria's chair. And Maria... The pale, beautiful lady was perched on a chair, sleeping so deeply she resembled the very image of Death itself. Mikoto was well aware of Maria's absurd and unique curse, yet even with that knowledge, witnessing Maria just laying stiff on a chair, with no breath that graced her lips and no movement that stirred her form, was sending a shiver down the Au ra's spine: there was no other way to describe the Hunter but... Lifeless. Maria was dead. She was just there, perfectly still, her head gently tilted on one side, her arms gracefully lying on the armchair. The Hunter rested in a state of absolute immobility. It was both fascinating and eerie, like a deep, mysterious enchantment on her.

Mikoto inched close: she couldn't help but study her friend's features. The delicate curve of her neck, the serene expression on her face, and the stillness of her form. In this quiet moment, Maria's beauty seemed even more profound, although she looked dead. Well, she was, in a way. Mikoto gazed at her for a second, looking at her pale visage. She then looked at her hands. She hesitantly approached her more to feel her pulse. Her hand got close to Maria's...

"KUPO!" chirped a voice from behind the woman, before she could actually touch Maria.

Startled, Mikoto withdrew her hand abruptly, turning to face the unexpected interruption: two moogles were in the room, looking at her with their bizarre closed eyes.

"Who- What- Wh-?!?" stammered Mikoto, looking at the two intruders.

"Salutations, my fair lady!" said one of the two moogles. "We have to deliver a letter to Lady Maria of Cainhurst, kupo!"

The other moogle did a pirouette. "And I have one letter for Raya-O-Senna!"

Mikoto tilted her head, a bit confused. She then turned toward her friends. Even with all that noise, no one woke up.

The Au ra sighed, then she looked at the moogles. "Do you want to leave the letters here? I can give them to..."

"No, kupo!" the two moogles said in unison.

Mikoto looked at the two fuzzy creatures, confused.

"It's our sacred duty to deliver them in person!" said the first moogle.

The other one nodded. "Also, Kann-E-Senna asked us to check that they will actually read them without throwing them away, kupo!"

"I... see" said the girl, even more confused. "Do you want to wake Maria up, then?"

The two creatures looked at Mikoto, then they looked at Maria. Then they looked back at the Au ra.

"... I'm afraid she will shish kebab us if we wake her up" said one of the moogles.

"Or that she'll rip up our pom, kupo" added the other.

"I..." Mikoto tilted her head. "I won't exclude that, if I were you."

"We can wait, kupo!" said the second moogle, startled. "We can definitely wait!"

The Au ra laughed lightly, nodding. Then she turned her head, looking at Raya-O.

And she suddenly had a bizarre idea. "Actually, can I ask you two a favour?" asked the Au ra.

The two moogles looked at her. Mikoto continued. "I need to write two letters: can I give them to you while you're here? One is to be delivered in Gridania, the other in Ul'Dah."

"Sure, kupo!" said the first moogle.

"As long as you can give them to us before we deliver our current letters" added the second moogle.

Mikoto nodded, then she bowed gently to the moogles and left the common room to reach her bedroom.

Once inside, she found Edda sleeping on her bed. Mikoto tilted her head, then she remembered: Edda had started vomiting almost instantly the night before, so the Au ra helped her, then took her to sleep, but Edda had somehow lost the keys to her room. That's why Mikoto had slept on the sofa in the common room!

The Au ra sighed, then she grabbed a piece of paper and a pen. She had to write two letters quickly, to a couple of contacts she had in the Bozjan rebellion.

And the sooner they could solve the party's issues, the better!

***

The two moogles exchanged hushed chirps as they stood in the dimly lit common room, their small forms contrasting with the towering furniture around them.

"I must say, kupo! These adventurers do enjoy their slumber parties" remarked the first moogle, surveying the sleeping adventurers sprawled about.

"Indeed, kupo!" said the second moogle. "I'm surprised by Raya-O, Moglin. Do you think she's drunk too?"

"I can't say, Mogwix" answered Moglin, tilting his head and getting closer. "There's something different about her, too..."

The two moogles looked at the girl. 

"She's not in her White Mage dress" concluded Moglin.

"Definitely that, kupo" said Mogwix, nodding. "And nothing else weird about her, kupo!"

Then their attention shifted toward Maria. Mogwix suddenly tugged at Moglin's fuzzy arm. "Kupo, something's peculiar."

Moglin squinted following Mogwix's gesture: his friend was pointing at Maria. She sat there like an elegant statue, her visage serene and her form utterly still.

He leaned closer to Mogwix and whispered, "Kupo, do you think she's... well, you know?"

Mogwix frowned, his moogle brow furrowing in concern. "You mean... dead?"

Moglin nodded, and they both regarded Maria with a mixture of curiosity and worry. The room was silent except for the soft snores of the adventurers sprawled across every available surface.

Just as they were about to conclude that Maria might indeed be in a deep, eternal slumber, the Hunter murmured something in her sleep, her words barely audible.

Both moogles leaned in closer, their large ears twitching as they strained to hear.

Moglin turned to Mogwix. "Did you hear that, kupo?" he asked in a hushed tone.

Mogwix's eyes started blinking. Both moogles leaned in closer, their fuzzy ears twitching in anticipation.

Maria continued to mutter in her sleep, her voice carrying a hauntingly beautiful melody.

The two moogles got closer, trying to understand what the Hunter was saying.

Her voice was less than a whisper. "...rust Annalise... Don't... ...ise..."

"Kupo, she's not dead!" Mogwix whispered with relief.

Moglin nodded in agreement. "Indeed: just lost in dreams, perhaps. What do you think she's dreaming about, kupo?"

***

Emet-Selch was sitting on the throne that belonged to Logarius, contemplating his surroundings. The mountains that surrounded Castle Cainhurst were too steep, and the road was destroyed. The panorama was awe inspiring, that's for sure, but there was no logical explanation of how he and Eileen reached that place. Especially considering that he could see the broken carriage with the dead horses from that angle.

"I'm getting bored of this illogical dream" said the Ascian, sighing.

Eileen, near him, chuckled. "Dreams are illogic-"

"Please spare me" answered the man, rolling his eyes. "I know that there's no logic in a dream."

"Then just accept it and do your part in this dream" said the woman, shrugging. "If you have one, of course."

Emet-Selch kept staring at the horizon. "I don't have a role in all this, of course. I'm just a guest here. I'm not a dream, nor part of one. I'm a real person."

Eileen walked around the throne, thinking in silence.

The Ascian looked at her, and then he rolled his eyes once again. "I can hear the noise of your thought process."

"I apologise for that" said the Hunter with a mocking tone. "Perhaps you should consider how inherently offensive it is to consider yourself a real person while being stuck in a dream world?"

"Oh? Then indulge me, please. What is your part in this dream?"

Eileen shrugged. "I don't know, and I don't care. I am just a humble Hunter. And a hunter must hunt."

Emet-Selch looked at the woman, chuckling lightly.

The Hunter stared at him. "That wasn't supposed to be funny."

"Oh, I know. It's just the way you pronounce Hunter. You were all A hoonter must hoont. It was adorable!"

Eileen tilted her head, and then she had a genuine laugh at the observation. "Oh, you're a jerk" commented the woman, laughing again.

"I try not to disappoint" answered the man, bowing theatrically. "But this doesn't help me now."

The hunter looked at the magician, removing her crow shaped helmet. "You still don't know what to do?"

From his pocket, Emet-Selch grabbed Gehrman's diary and opened it on a specific page. "The place I saw in Maria's nightmare isn't on this map. The Fishing Hamlet. Everything in Gehrman's indication is focused on two different parts of Yharnam: the Nightmare of Mensis, and the Hunter's Dream. With Cainhurst Castle that is, in some bizarre ways, outside every other part of this dream, although we were able to reach it by horse."

Eileen looked at the map once again. She could swear that some of the lines in that drawing were somehow moving every time she focused on a different detail.

She pointed to a specific part that kept somehow shifting. "What about this part of the map, here?"

Emet-Selch looked at it, then he shrugged his head. "According to the rest of the diary, that part of the dream is constantly formless, in a way. And to access it, you need to drink blood from specific chalices."

"Thou speak'st true, Emperor: to access such domains, one must partake from the hallowed chalices. In those regions of the Dream lie ancient Pthumerian ruins, graced by Oedon's divine hand." said a powerful but whispering voice behind the two. Emet-Selch and Eileen turned: Queen Annalise was walking toward them.

Eileen took a knee quickly, while Emet-Selch looked at the Queen, crossing his arms.

The Queen laughed lightly under the mask. "Dost thou no longer kneel in reverence for the Queen?"

"I'm going to pass for now. Forgive my attitude."

Annalise kept walking toward them. Emet-Selch kept looking at the Queen, watching every movement of the Vileblood. Once the woman reached them, she raised her head to stare directly into Emet-Selch's eyes. Or at least, that was the intention, but the golden mask made that impossible.

Emet-Selch made a vague gesture with his hand. "I'm sorry, my Queen, but I don't share your point of view about my nature in this reality."

"That privilege remains thine, of course, but conflicting with Our counsel shan't serve thy cause. Pray, may We pose a query, Emperor?"

The man crossed his arms and shrugged. "Of course."

"Thou didst declare thy interest in Our treacherous kinswoman. Pray, wherefore this intrigue?"

The magician shrugged once again. "Because she may interfere with my plans, somehow. She can manipulate the magic that regulates my reality in weird, unpredictable and very destructive ways. For instance, she managed to kill a Primal: that's not supposed to be possible."

Annalise laughed lightly once again. "And dost thou aspire, by unraveling her most grievous transgressions, to fathom the mystery of how she might manipulate thy mystical realm?"

"What is with everyone trying to dissuade me from finding information about Maria?" murmured the man, exasperated.

"Thou misconstruest, Emperor. We harbour the intention to aid thee in thy noble expedition."

Eileen raised her head, confused. Emet-Selch didn't budge.

"Yet, We beseech a favour in exchange."

"Of course you do" murmured Emet-Selch, rolling his eyes.

"We entreat thee, remove Our gilded visage."

The Hunter and the Ascian looked at the Queen in silence.

Annalise continued. "Do so, and We shall disclose the whereabouts of the Fishing Hamlet within this existence."

"That sounds awfully convenient" said the man, sceptical.

Eileen looked at him. "Emet-Selch..." Then she gestured to him quietly to convince him to walk away for a second.

The magician nodded, then he bowed toward the Queen. The two of them walked away.

"Let me guess" said Emet-Selch, rolling his eyes. "This is a bad idea."

"I don't know about that" admitted the Hunter. "But Vilebloods are powerful. Remember, the Crow that blinded your eye was one of them. Hell, Maria is one too!"

"So?"

"Annalise is their Queen, and I suspect that mask is not there for her protection. I think it's her shackle. And she is the Vileblood that received her blessing directly from Oedon himself. She may be way more powerful than Maria."

The man tilted his head, thinking. "Gehrman's map is useless now. That place is not in here, so I do not know how to reach it, even with my portals. Do you know another way to reach the Fishing Hamlet?"

Eileen crossed her arms. Then she sighed, resigned. "No."

"We're both hunters, Eileen. Right now, I'm hunting the truth. And a hunter..."

Eileen rolled her eyes. "Don't."

"... Must hoont."

"I hate you" said the woman with an amused grin.

Emet-Selch bowed again. He turned toward the Queen and reached her.

"A helmet for a hamlet" he said.

"As we concurred" confirmed Annalise.

He got close to the Queen, looking at the mask. There was no lock, there were no hinges: it was a prison. Perhaps Eileen was right: that was not for the Queen's protection.

"I'm afraid I don't see a lock" said the magician, crossing his arms.

"To unshackle Us, I beseech thee to sever Our head."

Eileen, some steps behind, made a loud pop with her lips.

Emet-Selch nodded. "Of course, remove the head to get rid of the mask! How did I not think about it sooner?"

The Queen didn't budge. "This visage clings to me, unremovable. Fear not: as Queen of Vileblood, We canst be reborn. So, We beseech thee, sever Our head, carve Our flesh from inside the mask, and let it rest o'er Our lifeless, headless frame."

"So, to recap: step one, off with your head. Step two, empty the mask... With a spoon, I reckon. Step three, gather all the fragments of your body together. Am I missing anything?"

The woman sighed. "Then, lay hold of an ounce of Our flesh. Maketh thy way to the Altar of Despair in the prison of Ebrietas, atop yon accurs'd Church's Upper Cathedral. And present Our flesh to the altar."

"That may be an advantage to us" said Eileen, "since Maria's body is in the Astral Clocktower: the main entrance of the Clocktower is near the Upper Cathedral. "

"This is fascinating" said Emet-Selch, with a mocking undertone. "Now, for a real question: who or what is Ebrietas?"

The Queen tilted her head. "She's an Augur ensnared in this realm. The accursed Church hath exploited her and her Old Blood."

"I thought the Old Blood that the Church used came from Oedon" said the Hunter, curious.

The voice of Annalise became suddenly sharper. "Be not profane, Hunter. Lord Oedon would ne'er yield to those malefactors."

The magician rolled his eyes. "This is all very interesting, but also needlessly complicated. May I try my method before beheading you, my Queen?"

The two women looked at Emet-Selch. The Queen asked: "Thou dost possess a... Method?"

The man raised an arm, looking at the mask.

He smirked with arrogance, and then he snapped his fingers.

A loud thud, and the helmet fell on the ground near the Queen's feet. The magician had teleported the metallic mask without issue near Annalise.

Eileen and Emet-Selch looked at the woman's visage. She was pale, beautiful, with long, plain hair that reached her knees. She appeared to be a young woman in her twenties. Her lips were crimson red, and most curiously, a purple blindfold was over her eyes. Whoever put that mask on Annalise, they blindfolded her before sealing her.

"I wasn't expecting the blindfold" admitted the Hunter.

"Neither did I" said the Ascian in agreement.

The Queen tilted her head, and then she smiled without removing her blindfold. "At length, liberation. Freedom to rove, to depart this fortress, and once more pledge service to the splendid Oedon."

"Wait, what?" asked Eileen.

The Queen extended her hand toward Emet-Selch. As before with the helmet, she seemed able to see even with her eyes covered. "And now, Emperor... I beseech thee, come with me. I shall guide thee to the entrance of the Fishing Hamlet."

***

The two curious moogles buzzed around Maria's chair like eager bees. In the dimly lit common room, the adventurers were still in the throes of their slumber.

Moglin whispered in his high-pitched voice, "Mogwix, I'm not entirely convinced she's alive, kupo!"

Mogwix shook his head, his tiny wings fluttering nervously. "Nonsense, kupo! You heard her murmur in her sleep one minute ago."

"Yes, but she's not breathing. Look!"

The two got closer, checking Maria's chest and bosom. There was no movement.

Mogwix tilted his head, curious and a bit frightened. "Go grab a spoon, kupo."

"What?" asked Moglin, confused.

"If we put it near her nose and it appears condensation, it means she's breathing!"

Moglin remained still for a second, then he exclaimed out loud: "BRILLIANT, kupo!"

"Shush, you'll-"

Maria's eyes snapped open, and for a brief, disorienting moment, she found herself face to face with two small, serrated-eyed creatures she didn't recognise. Her heart leapt in her chest, and her body jolted with surprise.

A quick hand grabbed the closest moogle by the pom, eliciting a terrified scream from the little creature. "NOT THE POM NOT THE POM!!!"

Startled and dishevelled, Maria blinked at the scene before her. It took her a moment to realise what she was holding, and once she fully realised who was there, she slowly released her grip on the poor moogle's pom.

"Seven Hells" lamented Moenbryda, waking up. "What is this noise?"

"Mogwix?" asked Raya, opening her eyes. "And Moglin?"

"P-please don't hurt us, kupo!" said Moglin, while Mogwix was checking on his pom. "We're just doing our job, kupo!"

The Roegadyn watched the scene, confused, and then she realised she was sleeping on the floor. She began to rise, moving Cocobusi, who kept sleeping. "I can smell coffee!"

Raya put her hand on her head. "Ugh, my head hurts..."

Moenbryda approached the ewer, then she smiled. "Ah, Mikoto must be already awake: freshly made coffee!"

The Roegadyn reached for one of the glasses they had used the night before, quickly dried it with a napkin, and poured some coffee into it. Then, she drank it. "Much better" she exclaimed.

The former Padjal tried to focus on the two moogles. "Moglin, Mogwix, not that I don't appreciate seeing you, but why did you wake us up?"

"And how did you enter?" asked Maria with a dead serious tone.

"The... The bathroom window was open, kupo" said Mogwix sheepishly.

"Of course it was something like that" murmured the Hunter, shaking her head.

"We're here to deliver a couple of letters" continued the other moogle. "One for Raya-O, one for Lady Maria."

Mogwix reached Raya to give her an envelope. Still, when Moglin realised that he had to actually get close to the pale, tall, menacing lady with a murderous expression, he hesitated. "I-I can leave the envelope on the table near the coffee, kupo?"

Maria rolled her eyes. "Be my guest"

Once he left the letter on the table, Moglin quickly got far away, while Maria got close to the ewer and poured herself some coffee in the glass she used to drink whiskey the night before. She had a hell of a headache: she was able to chug a lot of alcohol before feeling the effects, but the hangover's kick when she crossed a certain line was always terrible.

"Oh" said Raya. "It's... From my sister."

"Of course it is" murmured Maria, suddenly annoyed. She drank some coffee, sighed and grabbed a knife to open the envelope.

Raya tilted her head. "I thought you didn't want to hear from her anymore."

"I may be furious, but I'm not an idiot. Of course I will hear from a head of state."

Raya shrugged, and then she opened her letter as well.

The two spent some minutes reading. Maria drank her coffee in silence, with an inexpressive visage, while Raya looked nervous. Once she finished, she looked at Maria, taken aback.

The Hunter asked. "Are you all right?"

"I... Don't know?" said the girl, confused. "What am I supposed to think?"

Maria sighed, and then she started walking toward a door. "I'm going to wash myself and change. I suggest you do the same, Raya. Moenbryda?"

"Yes?" the Roegadyn said.

"Please wake everyone up. This is news worth sharing, and I don’t want to repeat myself."

Raya looked at Maria, then she read the letter once again. The more she read it, the more confused she was!

As the Hunter left the room, Mogwix and Moglin watched with great curiosity, still somewhat perplexed by everything that occurred in that room. It was certainly an unusual morning in their line of duty as postmoogles!

***

Mikoto watched as the two moogles left the tavern and flew in two different directions. She didn't have many hopes of getting results from the two letters she sent, but perhaps contacting her old allies from the Bozjan Revolution could help find solutions to some of the party's current problems.

"Huh" said Raya, near the Au Ra. "Usually Moglin and Mogwix work in tandem; you don't see them split."

"I asked them to deliver some letters to two very different places. Maybe that's why."

"I see" commented the girl.

Mikoto looked at Raya. "Actually, I have a question: how did you recognise them?"

"What do you mean?"

"All moogles look the saa..." Then she hesitated when she noticed the look on Raya's face. "Uh. I'm about to say something really racist, aren't I?"

"I'm afraid so" confirmed the girl. "And to answer your question, the way they groom their fur is unique for each and every moogle."

"I beg your pard-"

"All right, everyone" said Maria, loudly. "Are we all here?"

The Au ra and the former Padjal turned toward the room. Cocobusi was drinking his coffee with a satisfied expression, Moenbryda was leaning over a wall with her arms crossed, Tristam was still looking like a reanimated cadaver, and Edda was eating some bread.

Mikoto reached the table. "I think we're all here, chief."

Maria nodded. "First things first, then: something weird happened tonight."

Edda looked at Maria. "Good weird, bad weird, or you're going to die for one day again weird?"

"Bureaucratic weird."

Everyone sighed, suddenly annoyed.

Maria continued, unfazed. "Apparently, Kann-E-Senna decided to help us in a very big way. She pulled some strings with the Adventurer's Guild of Gridania and... Hm. Probably the best explanation is that she forged some papers."

Moenbryda asked: "What does this mean?"

"Among us, the only people officially registered at the Adventurer's Guild are Edda, Tristan and I."

The Roegadyn shrugged. "So?"

"Starting from yesterday, the three of us are officially all members of a brand new Free Company, called the Cainhurst Hunters."

"Was this your idea?" asked Edda, confused.

"It definitely wasn't" denied the Hunter. "Kan-E-Senna did everything without consulting us, yesterday night. And the reason why she did this is to give Raya a place where she can live by herself."

Everyone at the table turned their head toward the young girl.

Raya didn't comment, drinking some coffee.

"Kan-E wrote to me and to her" continued Maria. "She did all this because this way she could indirectly buy a house for a free company and..."

"Wait a second" said Mikoto. "Are you saying that you own a building lot for a free company?"

"Not a lot" said Raya, sighing. "A whole house. It already exists. Probably an empty one, but still... It's a place where we can crash."

Cocobusi whistled loudly. "Those things aren't cheap. Even a small house can easily cost up to three million gil."

Maria looked at the short man. "Speaking of money, Cocobusi?"

"Yes?"

"After this meeting, we need to discuss about those retainers you mentioned the other day."

The lalafell nodded. "That may be smart."

Maria then looked at the table. "Now, for the bureaucracy. The official leader of this free company is Raya-O-Senna."

Everyone looked at the young girl once again. Raya sighed. "Please don't stare, it's not my idea."

"Personally" continued Maria, "once I understood what having a free company entails, I agreed with Kan-E's decision."

Edda tilted her head. "Are you saying that we're supposed to follow Raya's lead now?"

Raya immediately answered: "Absolutely no!"

Maria nodded, smiling. "Raya and I discussed before this meeting. This whole free company business may be beneficial for all of us, but in reality, it's just to give her a safe place where to crash and fix her life. And seeing the situation, she deserves that. She can live peacefully and safely in that house, while we go adventuring all over the world and come back in the evening via Aetheryte teleportation. Or, well, Messengers teleportation, in my case."

"Yes, about that" asked Mikoto. "Where's the house?"

"In the Mist, near Limsa Lominsa" said Raya. Then she looked at Maria. "I still plan to help you all in your adventuring."

"You can't use conjuring no longer" observed Moenbryda.

Raya nodded, a bit embarrassed. "After Maria's training?"

"We'll discuss that when you won't risk cutting your own leg while guarding with a reiterpallash", said Maria, doing a vague gesture. "For the time being, you'll be the official leader of this Free Company, and you'll train under my wing."

"Also, this way Raya can act as a figurehead to deal with politics in your place, now that you'll become famous as someone who can kill Primals" said Edda, chuckling.

Maria shrugged. "That may be an advantage, actually."

"I'm suddenly not that happy to be the leader" said Raya half joking.

"Anyway" continued Maria, "this means that whatever happens, the house will forever be yours. You're safe now, and you will always have a roof over your head."

"And I'm also far from Gridania and the Shroud" lamented the young girl.

Everyone fell silent. The only noise was Tristan, who kept drinking his coffee.

Maria sighed. "I know, and I'm sorry for your predicament, but to be blunt, that's not my call. Now, to answer the unasked question: Raya is the owner of the house and the official leader of the Free Company, but when we're on the field, I'm still in command. This also means that I will have the power to veto the recruitment of additional people. We both agreed on that, as soon as we talked about Kan-E-Senna's decision. And, of course, if I understand the bureaucracy of these Free Companies correctly, you are under no obligation to accept this registration; you may freely leave whenever you want, if you decide to do so. No strings attached."

Everyone started talking to express their approval. Maria waited a second, then as soon as the table got silent again, she said: "This is not perfect for many reasons, but I won't look at a gift horse on the mouth: having a real place to crash where we can teleport easily is a blessing."

"I wonder what the price is, though" asked Mikoto. "I can't believe Kan-E-Senna did something like that in one night without expecting something from both of you."

Maria and Raya looked at each other. Then Maria said: "That's not important. Let's just go with this."

Cocobusi raised one arm. "I'm sorry, now that I think about it..."

"Yes?"

"Does this mean I'm a registered adventurer too?"

Maria looked at the Lalafell, then she shook her head.

"Officially, there are only four members of the Cainhurst Hunters. If you, Mikoto or Moenbryda want to join us officially, you need to register yourselves as adventurers beforehand."

Cocobusi tilted his head. "I should probably consider it, then. Although I'm not sure how I can do it, seen my predicament."

Moenbryda nodded. "Once we reach Limsa, I will speak with some of my old friends in the Marauder guild. What about you, Mikoto?"

The Au ra crossed her arms. "Actually, I'm not that interested in becoming an official adventurer."

The Hunter nodded. "Very well, let's close this meeting. I want everyone to be ready to pack and leave within the next hour. I want to reach Drybone before dusk, and tomorrow we'll head to Vesper Bay. The following day, we will reach Limsa Lominsa by boat."

"Can't we just teleport to Limsa?" asked Tristan.

Raya shook her head. "I never left the Shroud. The farther I can go with Aetherytes is Camp Tranquil, near the border with Ul'Dah."

Maria nodded. "I will take the road with Raya. Of course, if some of you want to take some days off, you can teleport to Limsa Lominsa in three days: we can meet at the Aetheryte plaza. We don't need to go as a full party for this one."

Moenbryda nodded. "I think I'll take a day off, then. I want to spend some time at the Gold Saucer."

Tristan finished his coffee. "I have business in Ul'Dah."

"Me too" said Cocobusi.

"I will reach you in Drybone tonight" said Edda. "I want to ask something to Master E-Sumi-Yan, while we're in Gridania."

Maria nodded, then she looked at Mikoto. The Au ra shrugged. "I can come with you two."

"I appreciate that" said the Hunter. "Thank you. All right: everyone get ready, we're going to leave the place in a few hours!"

Everyone left the room, except Mikoto and Maria.

The Hunter finally drank some coffee. "Let's just hope this time no one will attack us while crossing Highbridge."

"Please don't joke about that" lamented the Au ra.

***

Maria was almost done packing. She fixed one last bag to Agro's back, then she caressed her chocobo's neck. The giant bird chirped and pushed the Hunter gently with her head to play a bit with her.

Edda, near her, reached her chocobo. Nipper tried to bite her hair again, to the Conjurer's consternation. "So" said the girl to Maria. "See you in Drybone in seven hours?"

"Take your time, Edda" said the woman, smiling. "See you at the inn."

Edda grabbed Nipper's reins and jumped on his back, then she started moving toward Gridania. Maria saluted her friend, then she kept working on her preparations.

Behind the Hunter, Raya looked at the chocobo going. "I wonder what she wants to do in Gridania."

Maria prepared another bag. "She told me she wanted to ask some advice from the Conjurer guild master. About switching to a different magical career."

Raya nodded. "We were three Conjurers, and now we are all trying to switch careers. With various degrees of success."

"The Elemental's stubbornness really worked against us, as far as I'm concerned" commented dryly Maria.

The girl shrugged. "In a way, though, I can see why they were scared: you're basically a predator for magical beings."

Maria groaned, annoyed. "It's not the same."

"I know. Predators hunt for survival. They kill to sate themselves."

The Hunter nodded. "I actually plan to retire and live peacefully, if I can."

Raya made a vague gesture. "What stops you from doing that?"

"Mostly my nature, I guess" murmured Maria.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"A hunter must..." The woman stopped, thinking. She remained silent, trying to remember something that she felt was important.

Raya noticed Maria's hesitation. "Maria?"

The Hunter shook her head, confused. " I'm sorry, Raya. I was thinking about a dream."

The girl looked at Maria. "Oh right, your recurring nightmares about Yharnam?"

Maria nodded in silence.

"How was your homeland?"

"Cursed by Gods we should not have evoked. Ridden by a plague. Addicted to the Old Blood." She sighed. " It's a place beyond any possible salvation."

"I... see."

The Hunter nodded, getting another bag on the chocobo. "But I have this recurring nightmare now. A magician with a gem on his forehead... A Garlean, as you called him. Someone called Emet-Selch. In my dream, he and an old acquaintance of mine are exploring Yharnam, trying to... I'm not sure what they're trying to do. Explore my past, I guess?"

Raya tilted her head.

Maria continued. "I was dreaming that they were making a deal with my Queen, Annalise, when those moogles woke me up." She chuckled. "Now that would be incredibly dangerous."

"Your Queen is dangerous?"

"It's a long story. Let's just say, the Healing Church tried everything in its power to kill her once and for all, and the best they could do was to seal her away. Now the Healing Church is destroyed, killed by their hubris and greed..."

Raya nodded. She had never heard of that Church before, but it was clear that Maria was trying to follow a specific train of thought.

The Hunter continued. "What makes Queen Annalise dangerous is that, in a way, she's just as fanatic as the Church, but while the Church is self-indulgent in their hunt for evolution and power, Annalise is completely devout to Oedon. I also suspect he actually talks to her."

Raya tilted her head. "Oedon?"

Maria sighed. "Sorry, I was rambling."

The girl shrugged her shoulders. "In a way, it's a fascinating story. I would love to hear more about Yharnam, if you want."

Maria sighed, looking at the inn. Tristan, Cocobusi and Edda had already left, and Moenbryda was saying goodbye to Mikoto. They were ready to leave.

The Hunter smiled. "I'll have some time to share with you some stories about Yharnam on our way to Drybone, if you want."

The girl nodded. "Please do. I would love to learn about you."

***

"I can't help but feel like you should fear those Augurs" said Raya, while driving Cocobusi's carriage. "And also, that you should fear the Old Blood"

Mikoto nodded while riding her unicorn. "I agree with her, Maria. Your story is downright creepy."

The trio was crossing the southern part of the Shroud: although Raya and Mikoto could've teleported to Camp Tranquil and cut some hours of travel, Maria was in a coma the first time she crossed that part of the woods, so she wasn't able to attune to the Aetherytes in the South Shroud. In addition, Raya had requested a detour: Kan-E had arranged for her to meet someone in a location not far from Urth's Fount, and thus the small party was heading toward the camp of Quarrymill.

Maria caressed Agro, shrugging. "Maybe this is just a cultural difference between Yharnam and Eorzea. Funnily enough, Master Willem always agreed with you. He always repeated that we should Fear the Old Blood. It was a mantra for him."

Mikoto tried to think. "That deacon you saw die in your dream? The leader of your College?"

Maria nodded. "Yes. He's dead now. Fearing the Old Blood didn't stop him from studying the Augurs. He was a hypocrite: he always recommended to fear the Old Blood, but in reality, he wished to become an Old God himself." Maria sighed. "He was the mind behind everything that happened in Yharnam. If it wasn't for him..."

Raya noticed that the Hunter's hands were slightly shaking. "Maria, is ever-"

Maria got startled for a moment when she heard the girl's voice. Then she shook her head. "It's nothing. I'm fine."

"Are you sure you're comfortable discussing your past?" asked Mikoto.

"No, but that's irrelevant." Maria chuckled. "The Elementals are correct, if you think about it: I may be considered a monster."

The Au ra and the girl exchanged a glance before focusing back on Maria.

"You're not a monster" said Mikoto.

"I may very well be" retorted Maria calmly. "I followed Willem's orders. Everything that happened in Yharnam is my fault. As a Vileblood, I should've known better than to mess with an Augur. It was my fault."

The two girls tried to answer, but Maria stopped them with a simple gesture. "Nothing you can say will convince me otherwise."

"You should learn to forgive yourself" said Mikoto.

The Hunter scoffed. "You don't know what I actually did for Willem."