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myrfing · 2 years

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zone 5. i've been put through the churner i am now butter. major msq spoilers below & sidequests in respective areas as well

z1 / z2 / z3 / z4 / z5 / z6

- otherwise known as "pipis room"

- oh my "elidibus will become a small white dog" theory got smashed. well it is better than being trapped in the rave tower and really that is kinda just that for him which is fine

- HYTHLODAEUS MOTHER OF ALL VIERAS

- hades you look busted as hell that's what you get for being a conservative

- IM BEING PICKED ON BY LONGMEN BRO

- also me going like "oh yeah my azem does not have to look like gourd" -> them immediately busting it. though I did design gourdteenth to share a lot of facial features so it's whatever

- oh my god the pipis room looks like what I imagine the amaurotine egg hatching room to be like. LMFAO. OKAY. WELL I GUESS

- HI DAELYN aka venat. hey girl

- omfg stupid little amaurotine gourd

- fartdaniel you made an autistic bird child. okay

- and you made her an empath yep shes that girl going nuts i heard when zodiark died huh

- BEAST? good god when that gourd beast hits

- girl I can make you an apple. just give me a moment

- aw hermes. you were such a gentle dude. too bad you are just too afraid of death

- UGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH NOW I HAVE TO WRITE AROUND AZEM GIVING HADES A MF RECOMMENDATION i mean it's not impossible im just already reaching cus i dont care about this man

- gourd's stupid hips give him an ass in the robe that the others do not have as elezen bases it is sickening

- YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS THE AMAUROT FATAL FLAW MATCHES MY THING

- bro hermes my azem and aletheia were definitely fucking up flowers making them all nasty and yucky disgusting for similar reasons you guys should have met

- IM SICKKK

- THE RONKA WORM?

- THEY'RE STILL NOT EXPLAINING THE BEAVERS...

- THAT FUCKING ENTRANCE VENAT ARE YOU KIDDING MEEEE I LOVE YOU

- he looks so annoyed at hades butting in LMFAOOO my 1 in character moment *clutches*

- corn

- oh yeah you were insane and depressed and heavy with guilt btw hades. there's this thing called "mental illness" and your acquaintance hermes is exhibiting it also

- i mean thats what I told the people on the twitter emet selt

- this whole time im living in fear they'll show me a hyurlezenified peeled gourdteenth

- she does the wol hand fist im so. you're everything

- [archivist voice] shouldnt you be ummmm dead venat. Just saying

- the fact we get to tell her the world is beautiful. GODDD THIS IS ALL I WANTED

- im gona fucking cry they are so important to me

- THAT DUELLL SHE'S SO COOL osrry im insane.

- i admit being a little hurt when argos did not like me immediately HOWEVER..i hope we get him as a mount one day. also he wiggled for me

- @ the priggish taxonomist you are goingto name it cactuar right. you are calling it a cactuar yes

- oooh that's my first time catching a typo in this game. "I will see this creatures" in the flight of the charybdis sidequest

- also im...shocked that the...dynamis dice.

- oh hey! "it's all wrong" <- definitely overthinking this

- oh man meteion's descriptions of the other planets...one must be the one omega's from. and they are all very lonely

- WHY IS SHE THE CHARACTER OF MY DREAMS RE: AMAUROTJUST MAKING EVERYTHING COME TRUE. i glug

- sorry you are way too sexy with a sword and shield for me NOT to make you tank *kicks emet selt off* also selch as anything but a blm seems wrong which im assuming he is

- bard hythlo...cute

- i dc'd mid dungeon head in hands Please their dps is so low

- No My Power "😔". sorry hermbies

- it's okay hermy it's terrible to say this but because of you I have my world. also emet selch what mf legacy. ALSO WHY DIDNT YOU TWO JUMP WITH US? LMFAO?

- also the implications from sidequests and notes and stuff that the tribes people are like.....made...by the ancients....while the playable races are just the ancients kind of abysmal not gonna lie I hope I am wrong

- mitron sending his mf students to get flowers for his date? god was he always a weirdo then

- oh my fucking god. venat. my love.

- also in retrospect. hermes being like I can transform to help & e-s being like Um no that's embarrassing and weird. and he's like ok. i guess & then later he's like ahhh this is so sad *transforms before anyone can say anything*

- honestly. gourd would not escape the planet for myriad reasons but one of them being he does wish to die under the same sky that the spires did. and also it's the world venat loves so much

- CID TIME? PERHAPS?

- also neglected to mention since I was wondering if i should split the post here but graha really is shining this expac that's my boy...i cant believe he got that sequence though LMFAOO he and alisaie bffs

- also you sharlayans totally fucking plan to exclude the tribes dont you

- sicard is so fucking funyn he's just this random pirate guy everyone let into the room

- them saying "oh I bet this task would be boring for you" I DID ALL THE SIDEQUESTS ALL OF THEM WHAT DO YOU MEAN I LOVE THIS SHIT and I can teleport into the coils and grab it in like a day. come on <- wants to be alone

- s-...seiryu..?

- i know this is supposed to mirror the talos arc but honestly I'm not super enthused about the ark. i live in a world with elongated musks man

- being given actual allotted time to do sidequests is sweet though

- i'm out of image slots on this post but Silken Grin is one of the cutest femroe npcs ive seen

- aw I was hoping I'd get to drag around 4 loporrits and 1 urianger

- bro do NOT learn about the culinary arts from SHARLAYAN

- oh. wow that hit me for some reason urianger & moen's parents. ouugh...seeing her hug him and be glad he's here. im happy for you gentle elf man

- "You can live here your whole life and hardly learn a thing" MANN ew is so good. so good

- erenville you hansome little man OH MY GOD ALPHA AND OMEGA? and ohhh graha is so happy to see NOAH again

- GRHA LMFAOO THANK YOU FOR CUTTING IT SHORT. sorry i just. good for the twins I guess i just do not care

#6.0 spoilers #ffxiv

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rennivere · 23 days

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"You never told them?" He asked incredulously, practically gawking at the mage, taking a moment to look over the group before sparing a soft laugh of disbelief. "Oh. Oh, I'm impressed. That you managed to keep your upbringing as an Ascian a secret this long is truly something to be commended. Elidibus would be proud. Brava."

It was as if time had stopped.

At first, she wasn't sure she wasn't trapped in a dream. She'd pictured herself in this scenario at least a hundred times over the years, imagining how the Scions would react when she told them the truth about herself.

She was an Ascian - born and raised. The rift between shards was no place for a child, and yet it was there that she grew, her mind shaped and molded to believe unquestioningly in the Ardor.

Promises of greatness, of power, strength, and knowledge were spoken into her ear, filling her mind. She grew to worship Zodiark, just as she grew to loathe the people of the Source and its shards.

Then again, those people were hardly people at all - or so she was lead to believe. Even she was imperfect, just a fragment of what she could be if they succeeded in rejoining the star.

Naturally, like the rest of her kin, she sought that perfection. She never thought she would ever question her beliefs, until she met them.

The Scions were not weak, poor excuses for mankind. They were strong, intelligent, personable, loyal to a fault, and they extended a hand of invitation towards her based on a lie - that she was just a normal adventurer, and not an Ascian sent to infiltrate the Scions on behalf of the Emissary. Then again, why would they have any reason to distrust her, when she had so willingly killed one of her own in Thanalan?

He would not be the last, either. She would stand opposed to the Ascians again and again, and what began as a ruse to gain the trust of the Scions soon became Aletheia's reality. Hydaelyn certainly had more than just a simple hand in that matter, her words - whispered into Theia's mind in every dream - causing the mage to question everything she had ever known and been made to believe.

These people around her who were supposed to be frail, fragmented excuses for what they once were and could be were not sacrificial lambs for the greater 'good'. They were people, with their own lives, loves, and stories to tell.

They deserved to live and love.

They deserved the truth.

And yet, for years, Aletheia kept her deepest secret close to her chest, for fear that her closest companions would turn on her in an instant if they knew the truth of her deception. She tried to imagine every possible scenario, and always, something would deter her from disclosing the truth.

And now, with that truth exposed, every instance where she could have - should have - told the truth to her companions flashed through her mind.

Emet-Selch's words echoed in her head until her ears began to ring from the silence that followed.

"You know, ever since I first had the pleasure of seeing the famed Eikon-slayer, Warrior of Light-turned-Warrior of Darkness in person, I thought there was something a bit strange about you. A bit… familiar. At first I thought it might just be a side effect of immortality: Being cursed to see the same dull face reappear every century or so… but that's not it, is it?" "No, no. You're a bit older now, grown and matured… but you still have the same hopeful gaze that used to stare oh so longingly after Elidibus, praying he would give you the light of day. It wasn't often we allowed ones so young in on the truth, but you were a bit of a special case, weren't you? Oh, yes, I remember you now. Aletheia, was it? It has been oh-so long."

He had the gall to look surprised when the Scions turned to her in various degrees of confusion and shock. Urianger was the least outwardly affected - though Theia had long theorized that during the man's own stint as a double-agent, he had somehow learned of her truth, but kept it to himself. Still, his eyes shut, brows furrowing as he lifted a hand to stroke lightly at his chin in thought.

Beside him, Thancred reeled back, staring at Theia with wide, questioning eyes that desperately sought answers, silently begging the mage to dismiss Emet-Selch's claims.

Minfilia remained at his side, concern and uncertainty causing her to step forward, hands pressed to her chest as she peered around past her guardian, towards the Warrior.

"What is he talking about, Theia? Do you actually know each other?"

"Yes, pray tell, what is he talking about?" Alisaie pressed, turning her full body towards the mage, finally prompting Aletheia to break the unblinking, piercing glare she had on Emet-Selch.

"Are you implying that Aletheia is... an Ascian? That's absurd," Alphinaud tried to reason, giving a dismissive scoff - though there was a swirl of fear and uncertainty in his eyes as he looked towards the aforementioned mage, then back again, "You truly expect us to believe that?"

Emet-Selch's expression was infuriating.

He looked genuinely dumbfounded.

The thick fabric of his gloves resulted in a dull, muted pat as he clapped slowly in response. His expression began to shift from one of genuine surprise to something far more sardonic, a slightly quirked brow, one corner of his lips upturned in a smirk as he lowered his hands back to his side, causing his weight to droop forward again into his usual slouch.

Theia said nothing, every word dying on her tongue as her hands balled into fists at her sides, digging the sharp points of her metal claws into her skin nearly hard enough to pierce both palms. She had half a mind to do just that - surely she deserved a bit of physical pain to pair with the emotional devastation.

Emet-Selch meanwhile must have taken her silence as an invitation to continue gloating.

"Well, I originally came here with a proposition for you and your little band of heroes - a possible alliance, in fact - but it appears I've made a bit of a mess for you to sort out, haven't I? My sincerest apologies, Hero. Would that I had the ability to take it all back so you could go about your merry way, keeping secrets, killing Lightwardens, and all that..."

"Alas, it seems I may have to choose another day to extend an olive branch to you and yours. I suppose I will give you a bit of privacy while you figure out how to justify the past few years of deception to your friends. Do try not to turn on each other: You'll need all the help you can get if you hope to defeat the remaining Lightwardens."

Theia thought she might scream. She thought she might conjure a blaze in her palm and lob it at the Ascian out of pure rage, but she was frozen, left only to watch as the man gave a flick of his wrist, a dismissive wave as he stepped towards the conjured portal of swirling darkness had had appeared only moments before. He stopped just shy of it however, his hand turning as he gave a gentle snap.

"Ah! But before I go: If your friends do happen to turn on you, or you decide you wish to hear my proposal in full, don't hesitate to seek me out. Difficult decisions lie ahead of you: Decisions best made with the benefit of knowledge to which only the eternal are privy."

A slight smirk curled onto his lips once more as his gaze locked on Aletheia's.

"Until then, hero."

The sound of the man's twisted, corrupt magic warping and twisting echoed off the crystalline walls of the Ocular as Emet-Selch passed through the shadowy portal, which rippled before shrinking around him, swallowing him.

Time seemed to halt as he disappeared, the room deathly silent aside from the natural hum of magic from the tower around them. No one seemed keen to speak first, though Theia could feel six sets of eyes peering through her.

In the end it was the Exarch who broke the silence with a somewhat uneasy clear of his throat.

"Perhaps it best to focus now on the matter at hand, and address some recent revelations at a later time," he suggested calmly, unaware of the short fuse he had just lit by speaking up.

"A later time?" Alisaie balked, her boots giving a squeak against the crystalline floor as she twisted towards Theia. "No, I think we address this now!" Steps far heavier than the girl's stature would imply echoed off the walls as she turned to place herself in front of Theia, staring up at the Hyur with eyes that swirled with everything from confusion, to fear, to rage.

"Is it true? Is what Emet-Selch said true, Theia?"

"I'd wager that her silence should more than suffice as an answer to that question," Thancred chimed in, his tone bitter. Aletheia swore she heard the leather of his gloves creak as his hands balled into fists at his sides. "An Ascian," he verbally spit, as if the word alone left a sour taste on his tongue.

"While 'tis true that this deception is great, I would implore thou all to remember that our friend hath been steadfast in her resolve. She hath never once strayed from the path of good, and hath proven through her actions alone to be a loyal companion. I suggest we do not let these revelations taint our opinions of our friend too hastily, and instead grant her a chance to explain herself,"

Urianger. Of course he would have a level head. Aletheia might have thanked him with a look, had Alisaie not scoffed, drawing her silver gaze.

"Oh yes, please do explain why you deemed it acceptable to keep a rather important detail about your life a secret from us this entire time! An Ascian? Really?"

"I have not answered to the Ascians since before the turn of the era," Theia finally spoke, though she wasn't able to get much further before Alphinaud was chiming in with a dry snort.

"So you admit it, then. While we have been fighting against the greatest threat our world has ever known, little did we know that one of their own was in our midst the entire time. Did you truly never deem it necessary or relevant to share this little fact with us? Has it truly just slipped your mind all this time?"

The boy sounded more hurt than angry, bewildered. He moved to stand beside his sister, perhaps to help anchor her lest her anger turn into something more - or perhaps ready to join her. Theia wasn't entirely sure, though she was certain that nothing pained her quite as much as seeing those near identical sets of eyes staring up at her in dismay.

While all of the Scions were undeniably dear to her, the twins had become especially important to the mage. She viewed them both as her own siblings - and if she was right, the feeling was mutual. Despite their capabilities as fighters and their shared fierce independence, Aletheia often found herself quietly and gently doting on the pair, always the first to remind the rest of their party that the Leveilleur twins were still, by all accounts, kids.

They did as teenagers often would of course - scoffing and defending their own faculty, insisting they didn't need any extra care than the rest. It only endeared the mage more to her two young companions.

That made the looks of disdain they gave her now hurt far, far worse.

"Clearly she did not think it necessary to be honest with us. It certainly puts into question what other secrets she has kept since the start," Thancred muttered dryly, contempt dripping from his words.

Alisaie was certainly passionate, but Thancred looked at her as if he were a lover scorned. Thancred was the one who recruited her into the Scions at the start after all, the one who put his trust in her and shared their secrets. Not to mention, he was also the one with a rather personal reason to despise the Ascians, beyond simply the threat they posed to the world.

She couldn't blame him for being upset. She couldn't blame any of them, frankly. She couldn't even blame Emet-Selch for exposing her truth - though she would, she realized consciously.

That was simply far easier than accepting all of the blame outright.

"Had I been honest upfront, would you truly have believed me if I said I was no longer loyal to the Ascians?" Aletheia asked, annoyance slipping into her tone as she turned to properly face the group, putting her back to the Exarch, who used that as an opportunity to approach the group, stopping not far from her left.

"Well we'll certainly never know now, given how you lied to us all this time," Alisaie spat bitterly, "Thancred makes a valid point. What else have you kept from us?"

"Nothing," Aletheia responded firmly, "I have been honest in every other regard. What would I gain from weaving a web of lies? Nothing," she repeated, her brows knitting above her bridge as her gaze flicked over the group. "Tis true: I am - was - an Ascian. I was born on the Source, but I was raised in the rift between shards, brought up to worship Zodiark and to believe only in the Ardor. I answered to the Emissary, and it was he who tasked me with seeking out the Scions and to report back with what I learned."

"But in seeking out the Scions, I encountered Hydaelyn. She spoke to me, and I began to see the truth. In meeting you all, I began to learn that everything I had been led to believe about mankind was a lie."

"And how long did that take, exactly?" Thancred scoffed, his arms rising to cross over his chest as he sneered at the mage. "Exactly how long was it before you stopped reporting back to your betters? How long were you sharing our secrets before you switched sides?"

Stubborn, stubborn man.

"Less time than it took for you to fall victim to Lahabrea's plotting," she said flatly, though her words were not pointed or accusatory. Thancred seemed to still take them as such though, given how his nose flared, arms unfolding as he moved to take a step forward, only for a small arm to outstretch across his midsection, giving him just enough pause to stop and look down at the pair of solid cerulean orbs staring up at him.

"Stop, stop," Minfilia insisted, her voice pleading. "I... I can't imagine how you all must be feeling right now... but it is as Urianger said: Theia has more than proven herself to be on our side. If she wasn't, why would she be helping with the Lightwardens? Not to mention all the stories you all have told me about what you've done together on the Source... if she were secretly still working with the Ascians... why would she do so much to thwart their plans...?"

Her words were enough to have Thancred stop fully in his tracks, his head tilting as his gaze downcast, though his posture gave away his continued frustration. He would not be so easily convinced.

"Agreed," the Exarch now chimed, "Which is again why I propose we turn our attention to the matter of the sin eaters. In striking down the Lightwardens of Lakeland and Il Mheg, together, you have accomplished more in your short time here than all of our forces managed in the last century,"

He emphasized together, Aletheia realized, stressing the word to help further his point. On either side of her, Theia heard both Thancred and Alisaie scoff, both equal parts unconvinced. Alphinaud on the other hand sighed, his head nodding.

"Perhaps you are right. For now at least, let us focus on dealing with the sineaters. We can address certain... revelations once the greater threat has been addressed," the young Elezen suggested, his tone slipping into that of the young diplomat Alphinaud often portrayed himself as, for better or worse.

"Agreed. To that end, it is imperative that we address the remaining Lightwardens of Kholusia, Amh Araeng, and the Rak'tika Greatwood. Alas, their precise whereabouts are as of yet unknown to us," the Exarch agreed, "Which is why I propose we divide our forces and conduct a systematic survey of each region. Once we have found our quarry, we may then determine how best to proceed. I imagine this will also allow us all the time needed to gather our thoughts and decide how to best address the various matters at hand,"

"Fine," Alisaie muttered bitterly, "I'll take Amh Araeng by myself," she said firmly, leaving little room for argument from anyone else.

"Then I will make for Kholusia," Alphinaud followed, his body turning. Neither twin seemed inclined to meet the gaze Aletheia spared them both. "I have connections there both in and around Eulmore that may prove useful."

"Wonderful," the Exarch approved with a nod partially hidden beneath his cowl, the slightest smile tugging across his lips - the man clearly relieved that the party had not deigned to continue their verbal assault on their companion. "Then I would recommend the rest of you venture to Rak'tika, where you will find Y'shtola. We will need her aid in finding the Warden hiding there."

"I doubt all of us will be needed to find Y'shtola. Urianger, Minfilia, and I will venture there in search of her. It shouldn't take long to track her down,"

Ah. Thancred's words were a firm message on their own: Aletheia was not invited on their venture into the wood, it seemed. The mage felt her teeth grit as she turned to peer at the man, her gaze flicking towards Urianger, who met her eyes before giving a quiet sigh, clearly disinclined to argue.

"Very well then. I have my own matters to which to attend as well."

The Exarch brandished an envelope from within the folds of his robe, further drawing attention away from Aletheia's exposed past. He spoke of the invitation he received from Lord Vauthry, and his intent to take the man's offer, despite the thinly veiled trap it tried to conceal.

Aletheia had a mind to offer to accompany the Exarch, but she wasn't given the chance before the Exarch turned towards Alphinaud, personally requesting his escort instead, leaving little room for Aletheia to insert herself.

Thus, plans were set in motion, prompting her companions to turn and take their leave. Aletheia hesitated, her lips parting as she tried to find the words to say - something, anything, be it a desperate plea of her case or something else that might help rebuild their confidence in her... but her tongue went dry, any words she tried to utter never making it to her lips. She was left to watch as the five Scions departed the Ocular, leaving her to watch as the door began to swing shut behind them.

The silence that followed was so deafening, Aletheia nearly forgot that she wasn't alone.

"For what it is worth," the Exarch spoke, his words smooth, carrying a warmth to them that had Theia finally taking a breath, a modicum of hope fluttering in her gut as she turned to look at the man, who greeted her with a gentle smile beneath his hood, "I do not view you differently. As Urianger said, and Minfilia after him, you have more than proven yourself time and again to be a hero, just and true. It may take time for the others to see it that way... but I have faith that time will heal these fresh wounds."

Theia's brows furrowed in thought as her head dipped, lips pursing in a tight line as she bit gently at the inside of her bottom lip in thought. Perhaps he was right... but did she deserve their forgiveness?

"Thank you, Exarch," she finally said, her attempts at a steady tone somewhat failing, unease slipping into her words. The Exarch's response was only to smile a bit wider, nodding as he lifted a hand, his crystalline palm solid and cold as it moved to squeeze her shoulder reassuringly - a fleeting gesture of comfort before he let his arm fall back to his side.

"If but I could do more to help convince them. Alas..." he trailed off then, seeming to mull over his thoughts as Theia peered down at him with a pinched brow. "Might I suggest you also venture East to the Greatwood? Be it alone or with the others. Despite Thancred's words, I believe it would be beneficial to have more eyes and ears on the ground. And... perhaps you'll manage to stumble across Y'shtola yourself, and be able to share certain matters with her in your own words."

She couldn't argue with that.

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rennivere · 23 days

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#ffxiv #ff14 #warrior of light #ffxiv wol #final fantasy xiv #ffxiv gpose #gpose #wol #hyur #ascian #azem #wol: aletheia

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rennivere · 19 days

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"How can you say that?" she demanded, her voice rising with indignation. "How can you stand there and tell me that the lives of countless people, the bonds they've formed, the struggles they've endured—they mean nothing to you?" Emet-Selch regarded her with an unwavering gaze, his expression impassive. "Because in the grand scheme of things, they are insignificant," he replied, his voice devoid of emotion. "Mere fleeting moments in the tapestry of existence. They are but grains of sand in the hourglass of time, destined to be swept away by the inexorable tide of fate, unless we Ascians succeed in the Rejoining. Only then can we have any hope of returning life and meaning to these broken, meager creatures."

She knew he was there long before he actually announced his presence, but she thought - or hoped - that if she deigned to acknowledge his presence, perhaps he'd slip back into whatever shadowy portal he climbed out of.

But Emet-Selch was far too insufferable to do that.

The grass crunched beneath her boots as she finally stopped in her tracks, piercing the glowing crystalline end of her staff into the dirt as her head fell back, eyes squinting as she peered up at the blinding daylight that filtered in through the overarching tree tops that loomed high overhead. She sighed bitterly, tapping the metal tips of her false claws against the rod of her staff, trying to decide if she wanted to acknowledge the shadowless shadow that trailed behind her.

In the end, she let her eyes slide shut, shoulders slumping.

"Have you not done enough? What, have you come to gloat?" She asked bitterly, turning to peer over her shoulder as the man meandered up to her side.

She snorted as his hands rose in a shrug, prompting her eyes to give a slight forward roll as a scowl took over her face - not unlike the one the Ascian began to sport as he replied.

"Gloat? You wound me. Do not blame me for your lack of honesty with your friends up until now. Speaking of your friends though... given their absence, I assume they took it... well?"

"Piss off," Aletheia sneered, whipping forwards as she continued to walk. Behind her, she heard the Ascian sigh. She didn't have to look at him to know he had dipped back into a defeated slouch.

She was right, of course. Emet-Selch gave a shake of his head before slowly beginning to follow after the mage once again, seemingly content to ignore her dismissal.

Before long, Emet-Selch began to match her pace, his presence a persistent shadow at her side. She could feel his gaze boring into her, silently looming, demanding her attention. With a resigned sigh, the mage turned to face him once more, her expression a mixture of frustration and defiance.

"What do you want, Emet-Selch?" She asked, her tone tinged with irritation.

The Ascian met her gaze with a knowing smirk, his eyes gleaming with a hint of amusement.

"Oh, I want many things," he replied casually, sarcasm dripping from every word. "But in this moment, I simply find it fascinating to observe the consequences of one's actions,"

Aletheia narrowed her eyes at him, a spark of anger flickering in her silvery gaze.

"Save your lectures. I have no need of them to realize my own folly," she retorted, turning away from him once more.

Emet-Selch didn't relent. He continued to walk beside her, his presence serving as a constant reminder of her situation with the Scions. Despite her best efforts to ignore him, his words continued to worm through her mind, stirring up a whirlwind of uncertainty.

As they journeyed deeper into the forest, Aletheia's frustration began to mount, her patience wearing thin with every step. Finally, unable to bear his presence any longer, she whirled around to face him, her voice tight with suppressed anger.

"Enough!" she snapped, her words echoing through the trees, "I tire of your games, Emet-Selch. If you have something to say, then say it. Otherwise, leave me be."

Her words had the Ascian pausing, responding first with a series of slow blinks, hovering somewhere between mildly surprised and unimpressed.

"My, you are a fiery one, aren't you?" He mused, his words bringing a deeper scowl to Theia's lips. "I told you when first we saw each other on the First: I wish to observe. I wish to understand: to see what inspires you to fight, day after day. You especially fascinate me, given your upbringing. You already know what drives us, why we seek the Rejoining... and yet, here you are, primed to oppose us."

Silence followed Emet-Selch's words, as Aletheia's eyes narrowed at the Ascian, her jaw flexing. If she considered answering earnestly, her expression didn't show it. For the time, she seemed content to remain silent, glowering at the Ascian as he peered down at her. Eventually, Emet-Selch sighed, head giving a shake as his hands rose in a shrug.

"Keep to your silence if you must, but if there is any hope of us seeing eye-to-eye, then it requires you to speak," he snorted.

Aletheia's gaze hardened, her resolve steeling against Emet-Selch's probing. She had no intention of revealing her inner thoughts to him, especially not after his relentless taunting. But even as she remained steadfast in her silence, a part of her couldn't shake the nagging feeling that he was right.

With a frustrated huff, she turned away from him once more, quickening her pace as she sought to put some distance between them. But no matter how fast she walked, Emet-Selch remained at her side, a persistent reminder of the turmoil churning within her.

"My entire life..."

Her words broke the silence between them after some minutes, startling the Ascian just enough to have him pausing briefly in his stride before falling back into step beside her as she continued.

"...I was taught by you and yours that the people of the Source and its shards were expendable. Weak, meager, barely living creatures. Sorry excuses for life. But when the Emissary tasked me with seeking out the Scions, I learned first hand that none of that was true. These people had lives of their own, history, family, loves. They had faced trials and overcome them. Together, we defeated Primals, and reveled in the joy of those we saved."

"I began to realize that these people were worth far more than I had been led to believe, and when Hydaelyn spoke to me, I knew her words were true."

As Aletheia spoke, a weight seemed to lift from her shoulders, her words carrying the weight of a lifetime of revelations. She felt a sense of liberation in finally expressing the conflict that had been brewing within her, a tumultuous storm of doubt and conviction.

Emet-Selch listened intently, his expression unreadable as he absorbed her words. For a moment, there was a flicker of something in his eyes—a hint of recognition, perhaps, or even understanding. But just as quickly as it appeared, it was gone, replaced by the inscrutable mask he wore so well.

"Hydaelyn," he mused, the name falling from his lips like a whisper on the wind. "A curious choice of ally, considering her role in all of this."

Aletheia bristled at the mention of Hydaelyn, her defenses rising instinctively. She had no intention of letting Emet-Selch sow doubt in her mind, not after everything she had witnessed and experienced.

"Say what you will about Hydaelyn, but she showed me the truth, and she gave me the ability to see through the veil the Ascians tried to cast over my eyes," she replied, her voice steady and unwavering.

Emet-Selch regarded her with a thoughtful expression, his gaze piercing as he studied her intently. There was a calculating glint in his eyes, a spark of something that sent a shiver down Aletheia's spine.

"You are a fascinating contradiction, Aletheia," he said, his voice low and measured. "A product of your upbringing, yet capable of seeing beyond what you were taught - even if it is all simply a weave of lies and half-truths meant to deceive you."

She snorted in response, finding the Ascian's words almost comical.

"Rich, coming from you," she sneered.

"Nothing you were taught in your upbringing was ever a lie," the man said firmly, his resolve making Aletheia momentarily pause in her step, slowing to peer at him once more. Her silvery gaze was sharp as it locked on Emet-Selch's own golden orbs, narrowing in search of any sign of dishonesty.

But there was none.

Emet-Selch's assertion caught Aletheia off guard. She had expected him to deflect or obfuscate, not to affirm the teachings of the Ascians so unequivocally.

"Nothing?" she echoed, her voice tinged with skepticism. "You would have me believe that everything I was taught—the idea that life on the Source and its shards is insignificant, disposable—was the truth?"

Emet-Selch met her gaze with a steady stare, his expression unreadable but tinged with a hint of something resembling regret.

For what, Aletheia couldn't be sure.

"Yes," he replied simply. "The truth of the world as we know it is far more complex than you can imagine, hero. The balance of life and death, light and shadow—it is all part of a grand design that stretches far beyond the confines of your mortal understanding."

Aletheia's mind raced with a whirlwind of conflicting emotions. There was a fleeting moment, while the Ascian spoke, that she wondered. There was much she did not know, much she did not understand. But could she trust Emet-Selch, of all people, to tell her the truth? She doubted it.

"But what about the people I've met, the lives I've seen saved?" she protested, her voice steady despite her frustration. "Are you truly telling me that none of that matters?"

Emet-Selch's expression softened, a hint of sympathy flickering in his eyes, and for a moment he simply looked at her, chin raising as if something had dawned on the man. For a time, Aletheia thought he might concede, that perhaps her words had struck the right chord in the Ascian's mind.

Alas, that was far from the case.

"Yes, I am," he uttered bluntly.

Aletheia's heart sank at Emet-Selch's stark affirmation. It felt like a blow to her very core, a confirmation of her worst fears. She had hoped, perhaps foolishly, that he would offer some glimmer of empathy, some acknowledgment of the value of the lives she had fought so hard to protect. But his cold dismissal only served to fuel the fire of her defiance.

Emet-Selch regarded her with an unwavering gaze, his expression impassive.

"Because in the grand scheme of things, they are insignificant," he replied, his voice devoid of emotion. "Mere fleeting moments in the tapestry of existence. They are but grains of sand in the hourglass of time, destined to be swept away by the inexorable tide of fate, unless we Ascians succeed in the Rejoining. Only then can we have any hope of returning life and meaning to these broken, meager creatures."

Aletheia's fists clenched at her sides, her nails digging into her palms as she fought to contain the storm of emotions raging within her. She wanted to scream, to lash out at the callousness of his words, but she knew it would do no good. Emet-Selch was unmoved by her anger, unaffected by her pain.

"Is that what you truly believe?" Aletheia's voice was strained, her eyes ablaze with a mixture of fury and disbelief. She couldn't fathom how anyone could be so devoid of empathy, so utterly indifferent to the suffering of others.

Emet-Selch regarded her with a detached air, as if he were merely an observer in a play unfolding before him.

"It is not a matter of belief, Aletheia," he replied coolly. "It is simply the nature of our existence. We Ascians have a duty, and if that duty requires sacrifice, then so be it."

"You speak of duty as if it justifies everything," she seethed, her voice trembling with suppressed rage. "But what about the lives you destroy in the name of your so-called Rejoining? What about the families torn apart, the dreams shattered, the futures erased? Do they mean nothing to you?"

Emet-Selch's gaze remained unfazed, his expression unchanged as he met her fiery stare with a calm resolve.

"They are but casualties of a war far greater than they can comprehend," he stated flatly. "Their suffering is regrettable to some, I suppose, but it is necessary for the restoration of our world, our existence."

Nothing in Emet-Selch's words were different enough to warrant Aletheia pause, and yet she did. For a moment, she returned to silence, brows furrowed enough to crease her skin as she peered at the Ascian. He stared back, a brow quirked questioningly.

"Then tell me of it," she finally demanded. "Tell me of this world you fight so hard to restore."

Emet-Selch's lips curled into a sardonic smile, as if he found Aletheia's request amusing. "Ah, you wish to hear of the world beyond the veil of ignorance," he said, his voice dripping with condescension. "Very well, if it will satisfy your curiosity."

But before Emet-Selch could delve into his tale, the sound of rustling leaves and snapping twigs shattered the tranquility of the forest, and Aletheia's senses snapped back to reality. She whirled around, staff at the ready, only to find herself surrounded by a group of armed figures clad in dark robes.

"Sineaters! Surround them!" Spoke one of the offenders - a large beast of a man, with white fur and a dark mane, but a gaze hardly befitting a fighter.

As Aletheia became aware of just how surrounded they had become, she conceded, jaw clenching as she slowly leaned to set her staff on the dirt, raising with her hands held in submission.

"We are not sineaters," she insisted calmly, gaze darting to the side as she caught a glimpse of Emet-Selch similarly surrendering beside her.

"Oh dear," the Ascian muttered, tone dripping with dry humor, "Would be a shame if I left you to deal with this all on your own, hm?"

"Don't you dare," Aletheia hissed, mildly aware of the quiet, bewildered muttering from the robed defenders around them as they discussed whether or not the surrounded pair were in fact sineaters or not.

"You're no fun at all," Emet-Selch mused, giving a little tut of his tongue - although to his credit, he did not opt to fade into the shadows.

"Lower your arms,"

A familiar voice had Aletheia's gaze snapping forward, a small smile tugging onto her lips.

"Master Matoya...?" the large Ronso questioned, turning his full body to face the approaching Miqo'te.

"These are not sineaters. Not unless they have learned to mimic the voice of long lost friends,"

The woman's tone began to drip with amusement, though as Y'shtola approached, Theia could hardly miss the way her brows furrowed with uncertainty.

"Is it truly you? Urianger told me of your arrival, and of your endeavors against the Lightwardens, but I will admit... I was not prepared for just how corrupted by the light your aether would be. He also failed to mention that you would be joining them in Rak'tika, or that you would be accompanied by... a new friend?"

Aletheia lowered her arms as the woman spoke, leaning down to fetch her staff from the ground before taking a stride forward, a hand reaching out towards the Miqo'te - which Y'shtola obliged, taking a few strides towards the Warrior to place her gloved hand in Aletheia's own.

She went to speak, but Y'shtola's description of Emet-Selch had Aletheia snorting, her nose giving a brief wrinkle as she glanced over her shoulder towards aforementioned 'friend', who simply shrugged in response, remaining silent - for once.

"It is a... very long story. I ventured here on my own, in hopes of finding you," she explained, her words slowing at the end as her eyes narrowed - not in suspicion, but intrigue, a slight grin tugging at the corner of her lips, "Master Matoya?"

"Ah," the Miqo'te deadpanned, "Yes. It seems we both have much to share. I'm afraid you just missed Urianger and the others, but pray, follow me. Let us get out of this damnable light and back into the shade so we can talk,"

"Yes, let's," Emet-Selch muttered behind them, causing Aletheia to softly sigh. It seemed like the Ascian had every intention of sticking around.

That would certainly make certain confessions... particularly interesting.

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