The path was narrow and dark. It was the first time Tamtu set foot in Attohwa Chasm, but the hulking Galka in front of him was all too familiar with the surrounding mountains.

“Honey? Are you okay?”, a sweet voice asked him. He turned to look at her blue eyes, shining like water crystals in the pale moonlight. Her name was Sooraya. And they had seen many things together in the short two years they’ve spent together travelling the continents.

He smiled at her and answered.”Of course! You know how I am whenever we go to new places in Vana’Diel.”, he said with a slight tremble in his voice. Sooraya frowned and released a small sigh. “Not like this, Tamtu.”

It was true. Where he usually was bursting with excitement to explore, something about the chasm made him very uncomfortable. Regardless of the presence of Sooraya, his most trusted travel companion, or the renowned Galka Paladin, Veloxe, who had faced many trials and survived, or their close friends Sharlene and Massimo from the Far East…something just didn’t feel right this time.

Veloxe, too, noticed his nervosity. “What’s wrong, kid? Afraid a dragon’s going to eat you?”.

Massimo, the cheerful one out of the other couple, played along and teased the white mage as well. “I heard that dragons usually go after the white mages first. They have this 7th sense where they can pick out who’s a white mage and eat them whole—OW.”

The male ninja was, to Tamtu’s delight, wonderfully interrupted by his cohort, Sharlene, with a smack against the back of his head. “Don’t even go there. He’ll end up ignoring you when you need cures.” Massimo rubbed the back of his head and threw a glare at her. “Yeah, yeah. I’ll stop making fun of your new BOYFRIEND.”

Another smack.

“OW! H-hey!…I was *joking*, Sooraya.”

Sooraya brushed off Massimo’s stupid off the butt of her greataxe. “Save your taunts for beastmen we might run into, Massimoron.”, she retorted.

Tired of the squabbling, Veloxe turned around and glared at the group he felt like he was babysitting now. “Would you brats shut up already? We have to be quiet around here.”

Tamtu walked on ahead and looked around. The scorpions wandering about were much larger than the ones he had fought with Sooraya before, and packs of Antlions paced around, occasionally jabbing eachother aggressively.

Tamtu turned around to look at his party and gave them the same nervous smile he shared with Sooraya earlier. “So why did we go here again?”. Veloxe pushed him forward. “Come on, kid. The sooner we get this over with, the better.”

Massimo put his hand on the white mage’s shoulder. “And I will be forever thankful if you hand me my Noritsune Kote by dawn. Now let’s go!”, the ninja said as pushed Tamtu further and further onto the path. “W-w-waaaait…”, Tamtu exclaimed as his voice faded into the distance. Massimo looked at the remaining three party members. “….what?”

Sharlene followed Tamtu into the secluded path, but not before she smacked him on the head once more. “Sometimes I just want to ground strike you.”

“But you’re not a Dar–OW”.

Sooraya followed Sharlene’s example. “I’m not going to hold back the next time we go sparring.”

“Oh yeah? I’ll take you on anyti–HEY!”

Veloxe pushed Massimo aside into the wall and followed the ladies down the path. “I really wonder how they put up with you.”

“….Come on. I’m not THAT bad.” Massimo said, as he felt the bruise on his head grow bigger and bigger. “I’ll sooner die from a concussion rather than any dragons around here.”.

He sighed and put up his shadows, in case he would get upsmacked some more later on.

~0o0o0~

The crystals growing under water lit up the small river below the path the adventurers took. They had been climbing the mountain with no problems. Massimo actually remained quiet for the rest of the trek upwards, but the silence grew more awkward with each step. Even Veloxe, the usually calm and collected paladin seemed restless.

“Way to go, Ninjaboy. The kid went from nervous to nerve-wrecked.” He spoke up, referring to Tamtu. The blonde male looked up to the Galka and said that he was okay. “Ninjaboy” stuck out his tongue at the paladin. “Whatever, man. I don’t think we have ANYTHING to worry about. Tammy’s just gotta keep his cool and leave the fighting to us.”

“Don’t call me that, you condescending prick!”, the white mage yelled as he swung his hammer towards the ninja, slamming it into the stone wall next to him. Tamtu had enough of it. “You want to know why I’m so damn nervous, Massimo? I’ll tell you right now.”

All eyes were set on him. Perhaps this outburst would calm him down, finally.

“I’ve had a dream about this place before.”

“Oh brother..” Massimo mumbled, only to receive Sharlene’s elbow in his ribs.

“We were all here. And we wiped horribly when this enormous shadow tore us apart. But it kept calling my name. Over and over.”

Veloxe raised his eyebrow. “Now that you mention it…” the others turned to him. “Your name. It doesn’t happen to be based on old lore from the far eastern seas, wouldn’t it?”

Tamtu stared at the galka. “How do you know?” he asked. “Tales of a legendary dragon named Tiamat and its cohort Aspu that created a world of water and their gods. The world had no land and was filled with waters of chaos.The gods grew rebellious of their creators and it escalated to a point where Tiamat and Aspu plotted to destroy their children. Ea, one of the gods, discovered this and put Aspu in a state of sleep, most similar to death. Tiamat sought revenge but was ultimately slain by Marduk, and when she was torn in two, her upper half created the sky, the other half became the land of that world. In some far eastern languages, Tiamat was also known as Tamtu.”

“Wonderful. Now I’m a dragon, bent on the destruction of the world.” Tamtu mumbled.

Sharlene comforted him. “In reality, the name Tamtu is granted to the kindest of people, where I come from. Only when something precious to them is in danger, are they fueled by the power to protect.” She smiled at him and nodded to Sooraya. “You know what I’m talking about, right?”, she asked the warrior.

Sooraya nodded and reassured the white mage. “It’s true, Tamtu. So don’t worry so much. We can handle anything together.”

Veloxe brushed his Koenig shield and grinned maliciously. “And there hasn’t been anything that I haven’t able to tank yet. So…bring it.”.

~0o0o0~

Sooraya couldn’t help but notice a small crimson scratch on the otherwise pearly white armor of the Galka. She increased her pace to walk besides Veloxe and began a question. “So…” Veloxe looked at the petite Hume and returned with a similar tone. “So…”.

Sooraya finished her question. “Any particular reason why your armor still has a speck of red on it?”. He raised his arm and looked at said scratch. “The very reason why we’re here left that mark.”

Massimo, surprised to hear such a statement, just had to ask. “You mean, you were part of the campaign who went up here to take down the kin of the Wyrmking?”

Sharlene continued. “The campaign that returned with only a quarter of its numbers. Some of the brave ones lost were our friends.”

Veloxe nodded. “It was the first time I really learned the limits of my strength. At the time, it didn’t seem to be enough, but hey. We were all new once, right, Tamtu?”

Tamtu sulked. “So there IS a dragon here.”. Sooraya stopped to let Tamtu catch up with her and held his arm. “We’ve killed dragons before, honey.”

“I know. But—” A voice interrupted him. “But nothing to worry about. Tiamat’s dead. I personally took care of that two years ago.”

The white mage staggered. “…Tiamat? But I thought…” Veloxe smiled. “Only in name, Tamtu. I can assure you that there is no connection between you and the dragon. It’s not the one from the legend, though it definitely was a pain in the tail to take down.”

Silence returned as the five adventurers made their way to a tower, that seemed to be crafted by nature..by Altana herself.

“Somewhere up there, we’ll find those Kotes.” Massimo remarked happily. Veloxe sighed. “Just make sure you remember what happened there, what cost those warriors paid to leave such a legacy behind.”

For a change, Massimo’s expression was serious. Almost melancholy. “Yeah. I know.” He lead the way to find the treasure he sought. “Let’s go, guys.”

~end of part 1~

Tamtu felt a lot better, seeing his ninja friend get burned the whole time, and bruised by the girls even more. If anything, it made reassured him that all negative physical attention was going to be directed towards the Ninja.

But in the back of his mind, the dream still crept around. Or maybe it was actually something else creeping around. And why wouldn’t there be? A secluded tower, once the home of a ferocious dragon, would be, and has been, the ideal stage for epic battles. But he silently hoped there wouldn’t be any epic battles tonight.

“What was that??”, Massimo cried out.

…So much for no epic battles.

They quickly regrouped and formed a circle as Sooraya pointed out a shadow creeping on the walls. With each step, or something resembling one, it slowly took the form of something tangible. Veloxe, with his shield ready and his sword drawn, gripped his blade tighter as he slowly recognized the shape of the creature from the shadows.

“Damnit.”

Sooraya turned to Tamtu and the others with a questioning glance, then to the paladin. “Veloxe…is that..?”

The Galka shook his head. “It’s only a shadow of what once was. Nonetheless, get ready.”

The others nodded as they prepared for a fight. Shadows were summoned, skins were turned to stone and attacks were boosted. The five adventurers readied themselves for battle as the dragon leapt towards the group.

~0o0o0~

Engulfing the shadow of what was only a fraction of Tiamat with orbs of red magic, Veloxe pulled the attention of his old nemesis towards him and braced for impact as its talons lashed out at the Paladin. Veloxe was knocked far back, but remained steady. Casting a blinding flash of light, Tiamat roared as it shielded its eyes in vain and swung its tail wildly over the lone knight. Massimo and Sharlene had taken this opportunity to slash at its wings, trying to immobilize it and keeping the beast on the ground.

The barrage of slashes stunned the oversized lizard for a moment, long enough for Sooraya to descend from higher ground, spinning her greataxe and slamming it onto Tiamat’s neck. Once more, a deafining roar escaped from the dragon’s lungs and in response, the beast rose on its hind legs wanting to slam itself down onto the Galka.

Swirls of blue surrounded Veloxe as he nodded thankfully to Tamtu’s curative magic and he readied himself to rush towards the dragon.

He waited…and waited…just for the right moment. As Tiamat fell down, Veloxe used the dragon’s momentum to slam his shield into its chest and, with all his galkan rage and strength, swung the beast overhead, crashing it into the wall. The others stood there, flabberghasted at the impressive showcase of strength, as they watched the dragon fall down the canyon outside. Veloxe panted and rested on his knee, throwing the rest a thumbs up. Tamtu rushed to rejuvenate the paladin until he stood up again. “That won’t keep him down for long. Let’s hurry and go up and find you your things, Ninjaboy.”

” Way ahead of ya!”, Massimo retorted, having scaled the tower walls some more already. Sharlene shook her head and nodded to the others. “We’ll meet you at the top.”, and followed her partner’s lead.

~0o0o0~

“Damn Ninjas.”, Tamtu thought out loud as the remaining three adventurers ran up the stairs towards the top. Sooraya obviously amused at Tamtu’s comment, ran up front, making sure the stairs were clear, while Veloxe kept his eyes on the dragon below.

“It’s still twitching, wondering what the hell just happened, hehe. Keep going, kids.”

Tamtu complimented the Galka’s strength. “That was really impressive, Veloxe. I’ve seen strong Galka before, but that totally rocked.”

Veloxe smiled. “Payback, I suppose. Even if it’s only has a fraction of Tiamat’s power, it’s mere image reminds me of the campaign a plenty.” Sooraya nodded in agreement, knowing exactly what he was talking about. But before she could reminisce about her own experience, a falling pillar stopped her in her tracks.

Veloxe immediately turned to check where he last saw the dragon.

“…..He’s not there anymore.”

~0o0o0~

“Stop worrying about your nails and dig some more, sweetheart!”

Sharlene was, once again, so ready to smack her “adorable boyfriend” into Crawler’s Nest. “Hey, they’re YOUR brother’s Kotes. It’s bad enough he’s not around anymore to tell us where..oh, I don’t know…he got himself buried.”

Massimo tilted his head, disappointed to hear the love of his life say something horrible. “Hey. That’s not cool, sugar.”

Sharlene sighed and stared at the ground before her. “I’m sorry. I just wish he was still around…not just so he could give you those damn gloves.”

She suddenly felt two arms wrapped around her shoulders and a gentle kiss to the back of her head. “I should be the one getting a kiss on the back of the head, but hey. That pain is not as bad as yours.” He turned her around and gave her a reassuring smile. “Let’s get this overwith.”, he said and kissed her.

But not before they were interrupted by their favorite white mage. “I hope you’ve found those gloves yet so we can get out of here, pront—OY.”

“If you two lovebirds don’t mind, we have a dragon hot on our tails. Well. My tail, if you’re going to be all technical about it.” Veloxe shouted after them.

The ninjas both felt the ground tremble and rushed to the edge to find Tiamat. With its wings disfigured, it scalled the tower with the necessary effort, but its arrival was impending. “We haven’t found the gloves yet!!” Sharlene called out to the trio.

Sooraya grabbed her greataxe. “Then we finish it off before it can land it’s ugly mug on this ground.”

Tamtu searched his pockets for something particular. “Come on…I know I brought them.”

Confused as to why Tamtu wasn’t getting ready, Massimo took his battle stance, while Sharlene chanted some Ninjutsu in preparation. “What in Hades do you think you’re doing, Tamtu??”

“Shut up and swallow this!” Tamtu shouted as he stuffed an Icarus Wing into the Ninja’s mouth. “Here, take them. They cost me a fortune, but I had been saving these for emergencies.”. Tamtu exposed four other Icarus Wings and handed them to the rest before consuming his own.

As soon as Tamtu was the last to feel the power surge through his body, a shadow blocked the moon, engulfing the party in darkness as it came crashing down towards them. The now-all-too-familiar roar grew louder and Tiamat reached out with its large, clawed talon. Again, with the perfect timing, Veloxe dashed forward and swung his sword across the dragon’s chest and struck it’s head as he rose up from the initial strike. Tiamat came crashing down, but now to the party’s advantage. Sharlene and Massimo performed some handseals, releasing a wind element to their katanas. Two small tornadoes rose up as they relentlessly sliced up the dragon’s visage, crossing eachother, marking a spot for Sooraya to create momentum as she spun her great axe once more. Jabbing its head, she struck it on its chin, making it arch away from the tower.

“Finish it off, Tamtu!” Sooraya shouted, as she landed safely on the ground. Tamtu nodded and readied his hammer and ran towards Tiamat, no longer blocking the moonlight. He jumped up, using the dragon’s body as stepping stones and slammed his weapon into the creature’s head, again..and again..and again…pulling his weigth with his Hexa Strike, the rare occasion he could participate in battle outside of healing. As the last hit landed, the dragon’s roar slowly faded as white energies surrounded the white mage and the dragon, accelerating, piercing into beast’s body.

Veloxe stared, his turn to be impressed at the display of ability. “Renkei…”

Tiamat, finally defeated, dissipated back into a shadow, which slowly dissolved into thin air. It was over….

“Oh…shiiiiiiiiii-!!!!” Tamtu shouted as he fell into nothing but air below. His weaponskill had pushed him so far forward he lost his footing and was making his way down the tower, but not like he wanted.

A hand reached out and caught him before falling too far. “Gotcha!” Tamtu looked up to see Sooraya’s face hanging from the edge on her Great Axe. “For once, I let you show off like that, only to have you fall like that. Good job, sweety.”, she teased.

“I love you, you know that?” Tamtu said slyly. Sooraya smiled back. “Yup.”

~0o0o0~

The Crag of Holla stood tall in La Theine’s Plateau. Dawn had broken already and already a rainbow had appeared. This usually meant that a summoner had been born. But for five adventurers, it symbolized closure. In the glow of the telepoint, Veloxe, Tamtu, Sooraya, Sharlene and Massimo, already wearing his brother’s Noritsune’s Kote, emerged and rested on the stairs below.

“Quite a ride, wouldn’t you say?” Sharlene noted. Various sounds of agreement were made. Veloxe, however, stood up and made his way towards the Elvaan Chocobo Stables Rep.

Tamtu quickly stood up and followed him. “Hey, Veloxe. Where are you going?”

The paladin paid the Elvaan girl and mounted the chocobo. “Back to San d’Oria.” Tamtu tilted his head. “Already? We’ll join you in a minute. And I want to pay you for your help.”

Veloxe shook his head. “It’s fine. I found closure, thanks to you kids.” Confused, Tamtu looked at the Galka as he strode past the Hume. “Though I’ll settle with half, if you don’t mind! Hahaha..Hyah!” The chocobo took off towards the forest of Ronfaure.”See you again, Tamtu. And thank you.”

~0o0o0~

As Massimo continued to awe at his new gear, Sharlene couldn’t help but notice something. “I’m surprised they’re a perfect fit, Mass. Noah used to be more buff that you.”, she teased. Massimo poked her a bit. “Hey. I’ve been working out the past two years. If only so I could get his things back to where it belongs.”

Massimo looked down on the Noritsune Kote for a bit, when his hands were grasped by that of Sharlene. “I’m happy we finished this chapter in our lives.” Her soft voice spoke, gently. Massimo held her hands tightly and smiled at her. “Me too, sugar. Me too.”

~0o0o0~

Up ahead, the white mage waved goodbye to the paladin, riding off into the distance. He turned back towards his friends and joined them on the stairs again.

Sooraya rested her head against his shoulder and looked up to him. “You okay now?” Tamtu pulled her closer and watched the sunrise with his companions. “Thanks to all of you, yeah. At least I can sleep more easily now.”

He rose, pulling Sooraya up as well and nodded to their Ninja friends.

“Let’s go home.”

~END~

Writer’s notes

* I don’t know Veloxe. I only know he appeared in my dream, that he’s a kickass Paladin that loves to blood-tank and knows his job. It doesn’t help that his signature challenging Bahamut added a few things here and there. I can only hope I sorta had his personality down. Or even his shield. O.o Edits are easily made, though.

* Originally, in the dream we were fighting Nidhogg, but it didn’t make sense as the area fought it was more like Attohwa, rather than Dragon’s Aery. Henceforth, the dragon was changed to Tiamat, and it also set itself better up for the tie-in to the name-origin of Tamtu.

* The story of Tiamat was taken from FFXIClopedia’s Tiamat page. http://wiki.ffxiclopedia.org/wiki/Tiamat

* The stone tower was added purely for the story. To be honest, I’ve never been to Attohwa Chasm nor have I fought Tiamat >D;

* The levels are not in correspondence with the actual in-game characters. In this story, Sooraya and Tamtu have mastered their jobs of Warrior and White Mage and while the adventuring fellows Sharlene and Massimo don’t necessarily have a set job class, they were written as Ninjas.

* The final weaponskills used in the ending strikes were: Savage Blade (Veloxe), Blade: Ten x2 (Massimo and Sharlene), Steel Cyclone (Sooraya), Hexa Strike (Tamtu)

* Only the last two weaponskills, Steel Cyclone and Hexa Strike resulted into the light skillchain, banishing the shadow’s darkness.

* Hints at character backgrounds were purposely left open for continuation in other stories involving Tamtu, Sooraya and their NPCs.

Lights emitted from his hand, healing the bruise on the cheek of a young Mithra. “There we go. All better.” The girl gently touched her face to confirm that it was indeed healed. It was the last bit to full recovery after Tamtu had found her in a corner of Al Zahbi, wounded due to collapsing walls. “That trrroll shook up the place a lot, it was so hard to concentrrrate.” she smiled. “But at least we got rrrid of them!”

Tamtu nodded. “Good job, Sylbie. Be careful, okay?” he said, as he pulled her up to her feet. “Beastmen assaults are trickier to handle when I don’t have my favorite scholar around.” He winked at her, and reassured her that she was doing a fantastic job as always. So often did the empire’s capital come under siege by the Beastmen from the Near East. If it weren’t the lizardlike Mamool Ja, it would be the serpentine Merrows and Lamiae. Or the enormous Troll Mercernaries, with their hordes of foul monsters. Tamtu particularly hated the Wamouracampas the Trolls brought with them . For some reason or another, they would always manage to hit him when he was trying to find a place to recover. Strolling around the streets of Al Zahbi, the white mage looked around to see if anyone needed help, but with so many adventure–…mercernaries coming to the Empire’s aid when needed, it was no surprise that the wounded were all taken care off swiftly.

Snap.
Sticking out of a troll’s leg was an ornamented arrow. Only one archer in Vana’diel was vain enough to sign their victories in such a manner. Silently, Tamtu hoped that by stepping on the arrow, he had stepped on Nightbird’s ego, and smirked a bit. It seemed that, while he had consorted himself with the Corsairs on the seas lately, he would never let go of his Ranger backgrounds. “Shooting arrows, shooting bullets…it’s all the same. But you know what? There’s a certain kind of freedom with these swashbucklers that puts my mind at ease.”, he explained, back in the day. The former Ranger was nowhere to be found however, so there wasn’t much else to do for Tamtu besides retreating to his mog house.

~0o0o0~

“Welcome back, Kupo!”

As usual, he was greeted by the white flying fluffball. “I brought your stuff over from San d’Oria, Tamtu! Was there anything you wanted to sell here?” There was a stack of silk thread spools that he considered selling in the Near East, and then there also was a shield he thought might be worthwhile after defeating a Yagudo during a mission in Windurst. “Sorry, Moogle. I just want to rest up. Long day.” he said, as he dropped onto the bed. The moogle sulked. Tamtu tilted his head and looked at it. “Any news from Sooraya?” Moogle shook its head. “Nope. Sorry again, kupo.” Tamtu took off his gloves and put them on a small shelf next to his bed. “I’m sure Massimo has more than his hands full with her. Hehe..”

The incense was soothing and it helped him relax. There’s usually no place like home, but Moogle agreed with Tamtu that there was something about Al Zahbi that was incredibly compelling. Instead of going out and travel across the continents, going on quests or doing missions, Aht Urhgan required something else. To be ready for grand battles and any give moment. To fight alongside the five Serpent Generals of Al Zahbi was exhilirating.

Their leader, Skyserpent General Rughadjeen was a paladin unlike Tamtu had seen before in San d’Oria. Where the paladins from the Quon and Mindartia continents excelled in their defensive capabilities, Rughadjeen always went full out in the offense, displaying magnificent strength and the passion to protect; something all Paladins share. The Stoneserpent General Zazarg was a kind soul, though his exterior shows otherwise. Fierce, confident and like all mighty Galka, powerful. Tamtu had fought together with Monks from all over Vana’Diel, but like Rughadjeen, Zazarg was incomparable.

Gadalar was an interesting one. He was extremely gifted in the arts of Black Magic, but unlike the black mages Tamtu has known, Gadalar would refuse to keep his distance from battle. Wielding an enourmous scythe, he burned and sliced through the beastmen hordes that would attack the city, one wave after another. With a fuse as short as that of the Flameserpent General, it was wise to admire him, but from afar. Similar in temper was Mihli Aliapoh. It took a while to get on her good side, something that seemed impossible with Gadalar. After having a few run-ins with her dagger, Tamtu eventually charmed his way onto her good side. They were both White mages, after all. And one would think that he would get along with Mihli the most.

“Najelith…”

As Tamtu fell asleep, the name of the Galeserpent General was the last whisper before slumber embraced him.

~0o0o0~

“And that, my little white mage friend, is how you stay out of trouble. Take them out before they even know you’re there.”.

A silver feather on the tall Hume’s beret glowed in the light of the sun. The Ranger known as Nightbird walked over to the Orcish Fodder, confiscating its axe from its three-fingered hand. “That’s yours, buddy. It should help your boss about how close to the city walls the Orcs are hanging out at.” Tamtu looked at the axe. There wasn’t even blood on it. Just a single arrow from afar and it was done.

“What’s so cool about being a Ranger anyway? You never get to experience the thrill of battle.”, the White mage asked. Nightbird bursted out in laughter. “Hunting prey is a different thrill altogether, pal. And it’s complete efficient, too. No bloodshed on our side, saving you the trouble of healing.”

The archer had a point. It was efficient. Tamtu never understood the point of the ranger job; he had only heard Nightbird mutter over ammo prices going up from time to time. And in the past, he paid a visit the Mithran Chieftainess in Windurst, Perih Vashai and granted her request of obtaining an old tiger fang. She mentioned that if he wanted, that he could grow into a great hunter. At the time, it didn’t seem interesting, but he was flattered she saw such potential in him, regardless.

“Can I give it a shot?”

There was a moment of silence. Nightbird was serious. Tamtu was actually interested in his job? Tamtu, who had been a white mage for years, wanted to try something else?

The silence was bugging Tamtu. “….what?” It was then when Nightbird bursted out in laughter once again. “Tamtu…you’re a funny one. But…sure. Here.” The ranger regained his composure and handed his massive bow to his friend and pulled an ornamented arrow from his quiver. “These are my babies, Tamtu. Cherish this moment. Don’t waste it. Because if you do, I’m going to be very upset with you.”

Tamtu looked at the arrow. It seemed so pointless to have them so…signatured. He shrugged and pulled the string, with the arrow resting on his hand. “Try hitting that worm. You can’t really miss them.”

He focused and aimed at the worm. “There’s a bit of wind coming in from the west, so try to adjust.” Tamtu nodded to Nightbird’s sagely sounding advice. Pure concentration. He could feel his heart beating in his throat. “Now!”

Whiff!….Clang!

The worm retreated. Instead of hitting the worm, the arrow bounced off a rock behind where the now submerged target was crawling around.

Tamtu sighed and handed the bow back to his friend. “Maybe some other time. I think I totally lost interest for the rest of the day.” Nightbird took back his bow and placed his hand on Tamtu’s shoulder. “It’s cool. It would’ve been a good shot though. Maybe..if you ever get bored, you could pick up a bow and some arrows.”

Orcish Axe in hand, the two men headed back for the San d’Orian Eastgate.

“We’ll see, Nightbird. We’ll see.”

~0o0o0~

Tamtu was woken up from his rest, as his pet moogle shook him wildly at the collar. He sleepily looked at Moogle and wondered what the hell was going on. “I have a message from Sooraya!” His eyes shot open. “What?! Tell me!” Tamtu said as he shook Moogle at its collar in return. “Is it bad? Is she okay?”

“KupooooOOOooOOooOOooooo. She’s fine, master. She just wanted to let you know her ship to Al Zahbi was delayed due to to really really bad weather, kupoooo”. Poor Moogle descended onto the floor to sit and recover to get his head straightened out. Tamtu chuckled. “Sorry. Just don’t shake me up like that and worry me anymore. There’s plenty to do here, so…” Moogle nodded and rose up into the air again. “So what’s the plan today, kupo?”

Tamtu headed to the closet and stared at the clothing options. “I don’t know. I think I’ll drop by the Commoner’s Ward and check up on the Generals. I didn’t get the chance to talk to them yesterday, aside from the occasional “thanks!” during the siege. What about you?”

“I think your flowers back in San d’Oria are blooming now. I’ll go harvest them and prep them up for you for sale!” Moogle replied happily. Tamtu nodded as he put on his good old adventurer’s vest from so long ago. He headed towards the exit and waved at his fluffy housemate. “I guess I’ll see you later then, Mog. Have fun!”

“Bye, kupoooo!”

()~()~()

The weather was always nice in Whitegate. Sometimes windy, but that’s usually the case with cities located by great bodies of water. There was one really dark cloud, however, that seemed almost ominous. It was literally hanging over a man clad in the imperial infantry armor. He was sulking and looking out at the Baflau Thickets through a small window-like opening and mumbling something about “the great…” something something. Tamtu walked up next to him and leaned against the wall. “Hey Gaweesh. What’s up?”, the White Mage said with a bright smile, hoping to outshine the adjutant’s dark cloud. “They got her.”

Tamtu’s smile faded. “What?”

Gaweesh took off his purple turban and fiddled with it. “The Trolls took her and retreated shortly after.” The mage crossed his arms and looked at Gaweesh, confused. It made no sense. Tamtu had seen the general right before the battle had ended, after she dispatched a few enemies behind him while he was healing people all over the place. “So what is Rughadjeen going to do about it?” Tamtu wondered.

“A rescue team is usually always dispatched immediately…and–.” Gaweesh interrupted him. “The Astral Candescence was taken. All priorities are set to retrieving the orb. You know as well as I do that the Candescence takes precedence over anything else in the Empire, Tamtu.” The adjutant gripped his turban tightly and slammed his fist against the wall. It was a trait he shared with other adjutants. If their general was captured (which didn’t happen too often, thankfully), their adjutants were responsible for their duties until an imperial or mercernary rescue squad had freed captives. Gaweesh was powerless to do anything to find his beloved general. Tamtu nodded and reassured fellow Hume. “I’ll see what I can do, Weesh.” Gaweesh knocked Tamtu’s hand off his shoulder. “Yeah, yeah. Just go. And don’t get yourself killed. You’ll break her heart.”

Tamtu smirked and walked off towards his Mog House. “Not need to be jealous, pal.” Tamtu retorded as he flipped back his middlefinger at Gaweesh, exposing a silver ring.

“Ugh…” was all Tamtu heard from the general’s adjutant as he walked down the stairs to the mog houses.

()~()~()

“I’d love to help ya, kid. But you see my throat? Some psycho priest dude did that. You’d think after beating the daylights out of Tiamat would show I was tougher than that. Besides, I’m on some business of our own here with Neelia and Krilldog.”

No help from Veloxe there. Which was disappointing, since he would’ve loved the safety of a capable Paladin such as his Galka friend. And the pushy Elvaan thief he showed around earlier was nowhere to be found. Sooraya wouldn’t be here for a while either, and he knew he would definitely be able to undertake this rescue mission with her. But Tamtu was running out of options, as well as time. Missions like these would have to be done with skilled people he trusted completely, or had the same drive to do such a mission.

Tamtu was almost at his rental room when he heard a familiar voice calling out from a room. “I’m so sorrrrrry!! I really trried to get there in time but I was so busy with so many things!!!” he couldn’t help but peek into the window to see a blonde Mithra girl talking to Abquhbah, Naja Salaheem’s assistant for various missions to be carried out by mercernaries. Tamtu had his fair share of run-ins with the notorious, morning star-wielding Mithra, but he always managed to get back on her good side. He knocked against the open door and smiled at Abquhbah. “It’s my fault, really. I made her help me heal the wounded after the last siege! Tell Naja she can take this cut off of my wage next time!”

The young Mithra stared blankly at Tamtu. Abquhbah pushed up his glasses and took a form off the table in front of him. “Very well. You know Miss Salaheem won’t be pleased with this, do you, Mercernary?” Tamtu grabbed Abquhbah by the shoulders and pushed him out the door. ” Yes yes yes, Abs. I’ll report to her as soon as I get back from another mission. It’s aaaal for the glory of Salaheem’s Sentinels~Byebye!”

Thud.

Tamtu rested against the door, now closed, and looked at the girl in the room. “Second time I helped you out there today, Sylbie.” She sulked and fiddled with her thumbs. “Thanks, Tamtu…he was being rrrrreally mean about it. I couldn’t help it though! There were people all over the place and–”

Lights started swirling around her head and the words started to fade. “Siiiilence~. Now calm down, Sylbie. I need your advice. Think you can help me out after you’re calmed down?”. Her bangs shook nicely back into place as she nodded “yes” and Tamtu cast Silena on her. “Sorry about that, but I’m about to do something either really brave, or really stupid. So get your maps and tactician’s grimoires out.”

“Maps?…Tactics?”

Tamtu nodded. “I’m gonna go rescue Najelith. Alone.”

Another thud. But this time, it wasn’t the door.

A loud battle cry sounded from the Baflau Thickets. It almost sounded desperate, frightening..but at the same time, angry. “TAMTU. I. HATE. YOU.”

Sooraya swung her axe wildly, but with uncanny precision at the Aht Urhgan Attercops that were swarming around her. Tamtu did his best to keep her healed and enfeebled the spiders as much as he could. “Well, excuuuuuuse me, princess. It’s hard to see spidernests around here. You’re doing fine, by the way.”

Moments earlier, Tamtu had accidently stepped on a spidernest that partially stuck out of the ground when his eye had caught sight of a frayed arrow with a ribbon. “You just had to go and piss off spiders, didn’t you?” The white mage whacked his hammer at the needle-like legs of the Attercops, hoping it would slow them down a bit. “Well, princess, we’ll argue about this later, okay? Let’s run for that tower!” Tamtu hastily replied and tossed a Slow spell at the nearest spider.

The gate was locked. And the spiders got closer and closer. The duo gripped their weapons tightly as they readied themselves for the arachnic assault. “Let’s give them a shocker, princess. You ready?” Sooraya nodded and readied Sturmwind and let out a loud cry, as if she would eradicate all spiders in the world with one blow, just so they wouldn’t bother her ever again. “Eat this!!!”

The ground shook as her great axe slammed into the ground, but just as Tamtu was about to finish up their usual routine with a Seraph Strike, the remaining spiders were swiftly dropping dead, one by one.

A gentle female voice spoke up. “Good afternoon, adventurers. Looks like I made it just in time.” She took off her red chapeau and introduced herself. “I’m Najelith. Is everything okay?”

Sooraya leaned on her great axe, more fatigued as her natural fear of spiders usually drained her more than regular battles. “I…think I need to take a nap.” Tamtu helped her up and looked at Najelith. “Would it be possible to stay inside the tower for a bit?” he asked.

The archer searched her pockets for a key and unlocked the gate. “Of course. You can both rest inside as long as you want.”

As Tamtu and Sooraya entered the tower, Najelith couldn’t help but notice something sticking out of the white mage’s pocket.

“Hmm…”

()~()~()

The stove had been on for a while and Tamtu finished up the meal with some herbs before serving it to the dark-haired Hume. “How is she doing?”, Tamtu asked. Najelith stood up from the bed Sooraya was sleeping on and sat down by the table. “She’s sleeping soundly. Is she your companion?”

Tamtu blushed a bit as he set the plate down before her. “Well…yeah. Sorta. I’m saving gil for…you know..uhm…Enjoy your food.” Najelith smiled at him and looked at the dish in front of her. “My name is Tamtu, by the way. And that’s Sooraya. We’ve travelled all over the continents together, exploring as much as our skills allow us.” The Hume sat down across from Najelith and studied her armor. It was crimson red, beautifully decorated with golden swirls. Her weapons were equally magnificent. Considering she was wearing a dagger and a bow, she must’ve been a Ranger. “We travelled with a Ranger for a short while. He was really skilled and often saved myself and Sooraya from tedious situations, kind of like the way you did today.”

She didn’t seem to talk much, so Tamtu tried to keep the stories coming, even asking some question to try and get her to talk as well.

“You must be ranked really high in the Empire. There’s something almost regal about you! The armor is just gorgeous. I’ve never seen anything like it before.” Najelith nodded. “Is this your first time in Aht Urhgan? I’ve never seen you around before.”, the archer asked.

Tamtu nodded happily. “It’s amazing here. The atmosphere is so vastly different from the Quon and Mindartia continents, and the people are so kind, too.” In his excitement in sharing his new experiences, he had been walking all over the room, like a child telling their mother about their day. The only other time he did something similar was when he had been reunited with his sister Emma not too long ago. There was just so much to tell. Tamtu went back to his seat and tried to sit down, when something poked him in his side.

“Aaah… That’s sharp!”

He jolted back up and took out the arrow he had found earlier. “Right, I got this off one of those spiders earlier today. I thought it was kind of weird to find an ribboned arrow with a spider.” Najelith stood up and came next to him.

“There’s a story behind that arrow.” she said and gently took the arrow out of his hands.

“Please sit. In return, I wish to tell you my story now.”

Tamtu stretched out on his chair and put this hands behind his head. “I owe her that much. If no one’s going after her and the other captives, who will?” he said, gazing at the ceiling which, in the usual Aht Urhgan fashion, was also decorated with golden tints.

He hopped from the chair and pouted at Sylbianna. “No one can do aaaaaa~ny~thiiiiiing for my poooor Najelith, Sylbie….Nobody waaaaants tooooo…”. The scholar sulked and looked at Tamtu.”I-I’ll come with you.”

FLASH.

“MRRREOW!!!!” Sylbianna staggered backwards, rubbing her eyes. “Tamtuuuu. W-w-w-what was that for??”

Tamtu smirked and patted the Mithra on the head. “I told you. I’m going alone. You’ve helped me out enough already. I promise I’ll keep the map in one piece for you.”

“B-be careful, okay?”, the scholar whispered.

Tamtu smiled and nodded. “Always, Sylbie.”

()~()~()

“Kweeeeeh!”

Tamtu fed a San d’Orian carrot to the rental chocobo as he walked it to the gate. He made sure the reigns were secured tightly, since it was going to be quite a trek to Halvung. He double checked his gear, made sure he had a warp scroll with him for Najelith so they would be able to get out of there easily.

“Tamtu!!”

He couldn’t see who it was because the Chocobo was blocking his sight. Tamtu peeked between the bird’s tailfeathers and saw Gaweesh catching his breath.

“Weesh? What’s up? Why aren’t you at your post?”

Gaweesh set his turban straight and handed over a beautiful dagger. “You’re going, right? Give this to her.”

Tamtu took the blade into this hand and looked at it. It was Najelith’s. “Did she lose it in the battle?”

The adjutant nodded. “Maybe you could even make some use of it, since…you know..” he said. Gaweesh looked irritated, but it was obvious that it was because of the bounds of his duty as the Najelith’s second in command, not because he was jealous of the White Mage.

“I’ll bring her back.” Tamtu said as he mounted the yellow bird. You keep doing your thing here, Weesh. She’d be disappointed if you didn’t!”

A quick jolt off the reigns and the chocobo speeded of into the Wajaom Woodlands.

“Gotcha….”

()~()~()

The forests surrounding Aht Urhgan were thick and hidden paths were everywhere. More often than not, Tamtu and Sooraya had found them by chance, saving them from certain death whenever trying to support Imperial troops stationed all over the continent. Going to Halvung didn’t require any shortcuts. It was generally straightforward, as long as you kept heading towards a watchtower to the north.

Chocobos were brave creatures. They were always able to outrun many monsters, keeping their riders safe from harm. Altana was kind to bless her children with these birds, who would never stop until their masters were where they needed to be. It was in little things like these, and thanks to his religious upbringing in the San d’Orian cathedral that Tamtu was able to appreciate the world around him so much.

One of the special things in the world was the watchtower he made sure he stopped by at. He dismounted the chocobo and prepared a small meal for it. Things would especially be dangerous from here on out, so it was only wise for both of them to take a break. Tamtu sat down against the gate and unwrapped a rice ball and some dumplings for himself. This was where he first met Najelith and where they shared stories of their lives together.

“Breathe easy…and keep your eyes focused. You’ll know when to let it go.”

Archery. He never imagined he would get into it. But it made sense, for some reason. One of his best friends was a Ranger. Nightbird’s constant boasting about how efficient he was eventually rubbed off on Tamtu. But he would always face reality in the end. Financial reality, to be exact.

“A wind crystal, some arrowheads and the right type of wood….”

Najelith provided him with a solution, since she saw he had some proficiency in synthesis and showed him how he could easily keep his wallet ready for other things. It was easy to pick up archery with the Aht Urhgan resident. With the basics that Nightbird had taught him before it was only a matter of time until Najelith invited the white mage to join her in the occasional hunting in the thickets or woodlands. During those times, he understood why so many would follow her lead. But it was particularly the tales they had waiting for eachother that developed such a strong bond between the two of them.

()~()~()

But Najelith was the first one who gave him proper training in tracking, marksmanship and archery. The proper way to hold a bow, the most efficient way to use ammunition and how to create different kinds of arrows. Each training session was usually scheduled whenever she would visit the watchtower. It became a regular activity. Every other Windsday, she would head to the tower and find Tamtu already waiting eagerly for the next lesson. They would ride deeper into the woodlands in search for monsters to practice on.

One time, Tamtu had missed a sapling and hit a Wajaom Tiger resting behind it. That day, he definitely learned that the most efficient way to keep himself alive was to stick with white magic. Thankfully, Najelith was equally skilled with the dagger as she was with the bow and made short work of the beast.

The winds were strong, as could be expected on Windsday, but she was able to harness the elemental power into a powerful thrust, gusts of wind surrounding and slashing into the tiger as it fell onto the ground.

It was the Cyclone dagger technique. A sense of familiarity hit Tamtu when the leaves swirled into the air, reminding him of Sooraya’s favorite technique when they were travelling around and fighting off beastmen and goblins that would try and attack them.

After training, they would usually conclude with a meal, made from the beasts they had just hunted. It was at that moment they would share stories. Najelith always enjoyed listening about Tamtu’s adventures with Sooraya, while he always listened to her stories of great battles in the Far East, as well as in the Empire. They were from two different worlds, yet the tales were always familiar if it was about companionship among battle comrades. But it was the first story she ever told him that forever stuck with him.

()~()~()

She had been transferred from the Eastern front to recover from an injury to her shoulder. The beastmen threat wasn’t as great years ago as it was currently, so they felt it was best for Najelith to stay in Al Zahbi. She was the daughter of one of the greatest bowmen in the Imperial Army and was rumored to have been able to pierce the helmet of a beastmen general from over a hundred yalms, who had peeked over the garrison a little bit too long. Her accomplishments confirmed the rumors and myths surrounding her abilities as an archer. Some say she might have been better than her father.

She was also the sister of an imperial Scout, notorious for his failures, as well as questionable combat skills. His fellow soldiers called him “Ryaaf the Rat”. Her transfer allowed her to spend so much more time with her younger brother after being seperated for a while. However, both her and their father’s reputation always played a large role in his personal development as a soldier. He wanted to be known as a great soldier because of his skills, and not be known as someone’s son or brother.

On Ryaaf’s birthday, she had taken a day off from her duties so she could spend the day with him. It unfortunately escalated into a heated discussion where he tried to express his feelings about her motherly behaviour towards him, but failed to get through to her. She failed to see that he was no longer a little boy, but before they could work things out together, she was called in for an operation by her commander.

The trolls were rumored to assault the city, which was recovering from the last attack. The walls were still being reconstructed, and sending out a batallion out to engage the beastmen outside of the city was no option, since the priorities lay with defending the city. Najelith offered to go alone and snipe the Troll leader on their march to the city. Her commander refused to approve the request, but since she was still off duty, she suggested she would go under the guise of a picnic in the woods and that she acted independantly. Having pursuaded her commander, he opted to join her and make sure that her sniping mission would be succesful.

All went well and as suspected, the Trolls passed the tower she and her commander were stationed at. But something wasn’t right. The pack of Trolls seemed angry, as if they were provoked. They would never engage the city in a frenzy like that, as it would mean certain defeat against the Imperial Army. No, instead they were chasing someone.

They were chasing Ryaaf.

It was the scariest moment in her entire life. It was also her weakest moment. Ryaaf had engaged the Troll leader in combat, and surely his demise would mean the troll’s retreat back to Halvung. Just one arrow would make the difference. But she couldn’t risk hitting her brother by accident.

“If you cannot hit your mark….aim for Ryaaf.”

At that moment, her body went numb.

()~()~()

The trolls were huge, in comparison to his small stature. The Great Axe worn by the Wooltroll Warrior was wielded in one hand. It was a display of immense strength, when he thought of Sooraya wielding a similar looking axe with both hands. But while powerful, they were slow. And definitely not the brightest creatures either. Hiding from a bush, Tamtu silently prepared a Repose spell, slowly putting the Troll into a state of slumber. It worked. The axe fell down to the ground and the Troll hunched over, producing a sound that must’ve been their equivalent of snoring.

TamTu cast Sneak and Invisible on himself and carefully approached the giant, praying to Altana he would find a key to the cells deep inside Halvung. The armor that he wore had no pockets of sorts, so keys were often hanging from belts or the likes.

And as if Altana did answer his call, a brass key was sticking between some of the armor plates. He reached out to the key, but the Troll suddenly moved. TamTu froze and looked up.

“Please be dreaming or something please please please please…”

Just a jolt. It seemed like the Troll was dreaming after all, albeit vividly. A relieved sigh escaped Tamtu and he gently pulled the key from its place and ran towards the cave.

()~()~()

If there was something that TamTu hated more than the freezing plains of Beaucedine Glacier, it was excessive heat. He didn’t like running around in the middle of Altepa Desert, but at least there was always the prospect of arriving in Rabao to recover. He wondered how the Trolls could stand living in tunnels filled with lava, wearing armor no less. Maybe that’s why they were always so aggressive. Because they were so heated up. Literally. Halvung was a fortification built at the base of Mount Zhayolm, with a large portion of it being hidden underground. Beastmen and their pets roamed the tunnels leading to the prisoners, deep within.

Including those dreaded Wamouracampas.

He could see his hand becoming visible and realized that his Invisible spell was wearing off. He looked around, trying to find a safe place to restore his stealth. Of course, the only place he could recast the spell was at the far end of the room, meaning he had to run through a pack of the caterpillar-like creatures. He wasn’t sure whether they were blind like the bats in the tunnel, but he couldn’t risk it.

But there was another way.

()~()~()

“Uh…Najelith? Where are you?”

Wajaom Woodlands. Windsday.

“Come on, Naj. This isn’t funny!”

Rangers had the ability to camouflage themselves for a short period of time, similar to its white magic equivalent. Najelith showed him this particular skill during one of their training sessions. He was not allowed to use White Magic during those sessions so there was no way for him to track her or to dispel her stealth.

“Whoa!”

Something had knocked him onto the ground and was heavy enough to keep him grounded. Invisible, no less, but he recognized her scent.

“Did you gain some weight, Naj?”

A sharp metal was pushed onto his throat and the Hume faded back into sight on top of him. The Jambiya was a beautifully decorated dagger, even being on the receiving end, one couldn’t keep their eyes off of it. Najelith narrowed her eyes and glared at the Ranger-in-training. “You were saying, Tamtu?”

He smiled and slowly pushed the dagger off his throat, since any attempt at speaking would surely cause self-inflicting damage. “I was kidding, oh mighty Galeserpent General.” She got up and extended her hand out at her apprentice. “Flattery won’t get you anywhere right now.” He took her hand and got up. “Are you going to teach me that magic trick today?”

Najelith pulled out a small bottle with a dark substance out of her pocket. “Not magic.”

()~()~()

Tamtu carefully took out a small flask from his pocket. Unlike prism powders, which were incredibly expensive to obtain, this recipe was known and shared among rangers only. It was easy to create and that’s why they would always have a small supply with them. He poured the substance in a circle around him, where black fumes would arise upon touching the ground. It created a veil around the user, allowing them brief invisiblity. It would be enough for now, covering what was already visible.

He ran as fast as he could towards his goal. Sneak often lasted longer than Invisible did for him so he was able to maneuver through the monsters effortlessly.

Trip. Thump.

“Oh…!@#$%&.” Halvung tunnels weren’t like the paved streets of San d’Oria or Bastok. TamTu tripped and fell loudly. No spell could hide that. A single Warmouracampa slowly made its way to where he was. He had no choice but to engage. Tamtu slowly backed off towards the entrance, hoping the other Warmouracampas wouldn’t notice this stray.

“Blink.”

The White Mage was accompanied by two shadow copies. It startled the monster, and the way its head wrinkled almost made it look like it was confused. With a hiss, it crawled faster towards Tamtu. He counted to three, tried to paralyze the Warmouracampa and ran for the exit, which should lead him to the prisoner’s ward within volcanic subterrane. The Wamouracampa engaged in pursuit after the Hume not long after. He always thought he was somewhat of a decent runner, but the Wamouracampa was fast. The gap between the monster and the Hume grew smaller with each step.

Tamtu screeched to a halt and looked over a ledge. It was deep to a point where the lava was glowling dimly. The creature ran faster and faster. Tamtu braced himself as it leapt towards him. Its scream was a nasty screeching sound, disorienting Tamtu briefly. Time seemed to slow down as the Wamouracampa lashed out at the Hume. Its razor sharp talons cut through his body…or so it seemed.

It wasn’t just its claw that tore through the Hume, but the entire creature fell through what was supposed to be Tamtu and crashed into the ground behind him. The image of Tamtu faded into thin air as the Wamouracampa wildy squirmed in pain on the ledge.

“Gotcha.”

The Wamouracampa had been chasing one of Tamtu’s shadows copies as he hid behind the exit, waiting for the right moment to attack the monster. “Tee time, you bastard!” Tamtu exclaimed as he swung his mace towards the Wamouracampa and lobbed it off the ledge, into the lava below. He peeked over the ledge, watching a splash of lava slowly burned away the remains of the creature, its dying screams echoing through the cave. He hung his mace back onto his belt and wiped his forehead. “Phew. That takes care of that.” Relieved, he pulled out the map he got from Sylbianna and took this moment to re-orientate his surroundings. As Sylbianna explained, from his insertion point he had to get over Mount Zhayolm before he could reach the cells. He carefully folded the map and put it back into his pockets. Unfortunately, there was no faster way there so he would have to heal up properly before continuing.

“Okay. Smooth sailing from here on out!” He happily exclaimed, still feeling victorious from defeating the Warmouracampa and turned towards the direction of his destination.

Clank!

“Ow! What the….”

A growl escaped a green mask towering above the Hume. It was a Troll Ironworker, accompanied by several Artillarymen and a Combatant. “[Look what we have here, boys.]“, the Troll spoke up in a language which made no sense to Tamtu’s ears. He was in trouble, that much he knew and slowly stepped away from the Trolls. A wave of false hope washed over him as he tried to talk his way out of it.

“H-h-hi guys! Wow, this isn’t Bastok, huh? I could’ve sworn it smells the same. PHEEE-YEW! You know? Eh-hehe!”

The troll grabbed him by the collar and held the white mage high above the ledge. It seemed like he was going to follow the Warmouracampa’s fate, ironically and in his mind, he had started chanting the inscription of Teleport-Holla. The trolls sniggered at the sight of a Hume praying like it was his last moment, but one of them noticed his weapon. It wasn’t the mace that sparked its interest, but Najelith’s Jambiya.

He opened his right-eye, trying to figure out why he wasn’t plunging into his heated doom yet. “So…I kinda have a fear of heights, especially when I’m travelling by Troll.”

“[Quiet, you little worm!]“, a troll shouted. “[Take him to the cells. He's a high ranking officer! We can use him...]”

The shouting made Tamtu feel uneasy. But they were distracted enough for him to reach into his pocket and get his linkpearl. A little rub on it was more than enough to transfer sounds to its brethren pearls. The Ironworker threw him into a nearby wall, trying to knock the Hume unconscious.

Unconscious? Not really. Painful? Incredibly.

Unsure whether his message would go through or not, he whispered into the linkpearl.

“Halvung…rescue mission..gone bad…prison cells..”

His speech faded slowly as the Troll Combatant cast a sleep spell on the Hume. Tamtu wobbled on his legs and flipped off the trolls in the same fashion he did Gaweesh earlier in the day, his ring flashing them for a brief moment.

“Hehe…When she…gets here….You’re…gonna… in trouble…”

Thud.

The weather had finally cleared up and she was well on her way to the port of Al Zahbi. It was a long boatride, but it was usually 6 hours of resting or studying. Night fell and she retreated to the lower deck to get some sleep. The ferry was nothing more than a freight ship that allowed whoever able to pay the fare to board. Occasionally, the passengers were merchants with wonderful deals. But they were usually adventurers, wanting to try their luck in the Near East. Because of the delayed departure, a number of adventurers had amassed by the port and as she expected, the lower deck was full with adventurers, sleeping, snoring, doing whatever. She didn’t mind people snoring, but there was a Galka in particular that had a most obnoxious wheezing sound paired with his unflattering sleeping habits. Obviously, the remarkable Adaman Cuirass armor misguided her initial impression of the Galka, turning it from a certain level respect, to that of utter disgust.

She shuddered and returned to the upper deck and sat down on the stairs to look at the stars high above. It reminded her of Tamtu, who had minor interest in the forbidden magic of summoning and told her about the legends of the avatars as they were written in books found in the Windurst. The constellations in the sky were named after the actual avatars.

“Excuse me, miss..”

Sooraya turned to look at a little mithra girl, dressed in rags, shivering in the cold seawinds. Her heart sank, but smiled for the child. “Hey sweetie. What’s up?” The girl perked up, happy she got a nice response from someone. Her tail wagged a bit as she approached Sooraya further. “Do you have snacks to sparrre, miss?”

It seemed like the girl was a stowaway trying to get by with hiding on the decks and coming out at night. Sooraya grabbed her pouch and took a fire crystal, some dried majoram and some hare meat she hunted from the Rarabs outside of Mhaura. The mithra girl looked confused. But Sooraya winked at her and started a synthesis. The ship lit up from the crystal and the little kitten stared in awe as the Hume in front of her finished up cooking. It was an easy recipe that her white mage partner often made for her.

“I hope you like grilled hare.” Sooraya said and handed the food to the girl. She nodded her head and enjoyed every bite. “Fhank yeww, mith Hume.”

The warrior giggled and sat back down. “I’m Sooraya. What’s your name?”

The mithra finished up her last bite and looked at the hume. “Aryana. Thank you again, Sooraya.” she said and stood up, waving. “I won’t forrrget this!” Sooraya tilted her head and watched the Mithra run off towards the crates and hid behind them, out of anyone’s sight. She followed Aryanna to the crates and peered over them. The girl was already fast asleep, much to the warrior’s surprise. She was still shivering, the meal obviously no longer keeping her warm.

Knowing the snorefest was still in full force below deck, Sooraya climbed over the crates and sat down next to the girl. “Aryanna, huh?” she whispered to herself and took off her cape. She carefully placed it on the sleeping Mithra.

“Goodnight, kid.”