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Chapter Text

She’d lost track of the conversation what felt like hours ago. It’d begun as a friendly debate over a hearty meal but then G’raha had started talking about esoteric techniques around the summoning he’d done to get them to the source and how interesting it would be to compare it to summoning the way that arcanists created their own beasts from aether she’d shut off. It didn’t help that the debate seemed to have gotten livelier as it’d gone on, the overlapping voices now hard to discern across the general noise coming from the group. They’d forgotten. Again. It wasn’t their fault, it was an easy thing to forget considering most of the time she was able to hear them normally- but at times like this when the noise levels had risen, she was lost. She looked between the Scions, trying to read their lips but the debate had gone to speeds that she couldn’t keep up with. Was Alphinaud talking about carbuncles being temporary? That seemed to be the shapes his mouth was making but she couldn’t be sure. 

Eventually her eyes landed on Estinien, his long body leant back in his chair with a practiced ease. He smiled and jerked his head at the group, his hands appearing above the table. 
“You too?” He signed, jerking his finger towards the scions. She bit her lip to stop her giggle. 
“For half a bell. You?” She signed back. He waved his hand noncommittally. 
“Bad day.” Was all he replied and she huffed in annoyance.
“If you’d have said I would’ve switched earlier.” He looked amused by the scowl on her face.
“It’s fine, Kaede. Can’t rely on it all the time.” His response didn’t placate her. He’d accepted that outside of Ishgard the practice of signing wasn’t as widespread and was happy to let people think that he was slow or ignorant. The scions had generally been accepting of their combined need for signing, but sometimes it just slipped their minds. She’d helped them learn, Alphinaud had learnt with her in Ishgard as Hauchefant explained that most dragoons would eventually suffer from hearing loss. It’d astounded her at the time- since leaving her people she’d struggled to hear when noise overlapped and hadn’t had a name for why that might be. It wasn’t until meeting the tribes of the Steppe that someone had explained to her that their horns translated vibrations, that they could confuse their enemies by disguising their sound through drums or chants. It’d suddenly made so much sense to her, a name given to why she would sometimes be unable to pick out anything clear enough. She flushed as she remembered how angry Gaius Baelsar had been when she’d just watched him in confusion- she’d known he was speaking, and Cid had told her what he had said afterwards but at the time it had all sounded like garbled noise. 

“I think they stashed desert in the other room.” She signed at Estinien, his eyebrows raising at the prospect of a sweet treat. They both looked at the scions, still engrossed in their discussion and made their excuses before sneaking into the next room. A pile of still warm honey croissants sat on the counter, the sweet smell hitting them both as they entered. 

“Fury bless your cooks.” Estinien signed, swiping one from the top of the pile and shoving a huge bite into his mouth. He sighed, looking at the sticky residue left on his fingers and continued with his other hand. “We need a better escape signal.” 
“I don’t mind the discussions.” She signed, delicately picking a croissant up. “I just never know what to do when they start talking so quickly.”
“They should know by now, they’re supposed to be your friends.” Without any decorum he licked the honey from his fingers and went in for another pastry. 
“I think sometimes they get so excited to discuss these things that they…” She trailed off, trying to search for the right way to put it. “They forget that’s not where I came from too.” 
“It’s why I like you. You’re a woman of action, not words.” His second pastry had already disappeared as he wiped his hand on his shirt. 
“Isn’t that a bad thing?” She asked, her head tilting to one side as she considered. It was true, she did always jump to action before discussion. She preferred to do rather than debate. 
“No. You get things done.” His curt reply came, and she smiled slightly. She couldn’t deny that. While charging headfirst into danger might not be the smartest way to approach the situations she found herself in, there did seem to be a pattern of things working out for her. 
“Now come outside, I want to see if I can beat your jump distance from last week.” He signed, striding to the door, indicating that the previous conversation was over. He certainly knew how to take her mind off of things, and doing some extra training would absolutely do that. 

Chapter Text

The first few drops of rain hit the balcony with a quiet plinking sound as she moved around the kitchen, happily humming to herself as she stirred the pot on the stove. The chilli sauce recipe she’d learnt while on her travels smelled delicious, the spicy aroma filling the inn room as she put down the spoon and frowned at the rain as it began to pick up. Only moments ago had it been gorgeous sunshine, her mind so wrapped up in her cooking that she hadn’t noticed the sky darken. Kaede sighed deeply, padding over to the balcony opening and staring out over the unfamiliar ocean. Estinien had pulled her back once they’d arrived, her natural curiosity at what lay beneath the surface drawing her to paddle in the shallows to try and search for signs of life. So far Tural hadn’t lived up to her expectations at all. She’d come on the promise of adventure, on seeing the world- and while the land and its people were amazing, there was something missing. And looking around her empty inn room, she knew exactly what it was.

Over the last decade of her life, she had been surrounded by people. But now? 

The twins had taken themselves off somewhere, which they were wont to do after their experience in Ultima Thule. Ever since that day they’d been almost inseparable, and she was concerned at how unsettled they were when they were apart despite insisting that they were both fine. Thancred and Urianger were still nowhere to be seen, although she doubted that her friendship with Thancred would ever go back to the way it once was before everything that had happened on the First. Krile was spending every waking moment learning new things about Tural, so she was barely ever in their rooms, and Estinien had disappeared as quickly has he had appeared, which hadn’t surprised her but it had stung considering how close they’d become. Kaede leaned against the post, her body sagging a little as she was hit with a gnawing feeling in her gut. Her room suddenly felt more empty than it had before, too quiet, too still. She could visualise where each of her friends would be- Urianger and Krill pouring over the books that Wuk had supplied her with, Thancred and Y’shtola arguing over something in the kitchen as the twins flitted between the groups, G’raha trying to keep the peace and warn them that the pots were about to bubble over. Estinien would appear just as the food was being served and they would eat together like one big happy family. 

She sucked back the lump that had risen in her throat, trying not to think about those happier times before Ultima Thule. Before things had changed for them all and fractured them in ways that no one seemed ready to talk about yet. She could see it in the way that they walked on glass around each other now, how they all struggled in ways that they hadn’t before. That gnawing feeling in her stomach was getting worse and worse the more she lingered on thoughts of what had happened, her eyes closing as the scar along her back throbbed like a bad memory. A deep seated longing hit her as she turned back to her pans, but she couldn’t, could she? The Sharlayans had been clear about his imprisonment and the leaders of Eorzea had agreed to it. He wasn’t to leave, and he’d told her emergencies only. But was this not an emergency? 

Her hand reached into her pocket, curling around the familiar crystal. Its warmth already comforting, the aether pulsing around her hand and up her wrist as it recognised her. It would be late in Sharlayan. No one would know. And surely they could grant her one night? She was the hero of the Source! 

Turning off her chilli sauce she returned to the window, the rain heavier now as she placed her crystal in the palm of her hand and whispered a name. Despite the distance, she felt his aether respond immediately, the heaviness of his presence curling around her own, more flighty powers as she gave it a tug. She could imagine the smirk on his face when he felt the call, the quirk of his lip lifting as he placed the book he was reading down and moved between the veil to her side. In an instant, he was there, his larger body next to hers as he looked down at her. 

“Is this such an emergency?” His drawl came, as he inspected the room. She didn’t give him a chance to recover from her summons before she threw herself into his arms, his familiar earthy scent surrounding her as she buried her face into his chest. “Hero?” 
“I missed you.” She mumbled into his coat, his arms wrapping around her and lifting her properly into the embrace. There was nothing but the sound of the rain for a few moments as they took each other in. It’d been only a month but it had felt like eternity since she had last seen him. As she stepped back she inspected him, his white hair still stubbornly refusing to return to its once brown colour. It was slightly shaggier now, covering his Garlean eye a little more. He’d filled out as well, the skinniness of the body she had first met on the First gone and replaced with the musculature of someone who heaved around a claymore when he would deign to join her in battle. 

“I should never have given you that crystal.” He chided, but she could hear the amusement in his voice. 
“What use is it if I can’t use it for this?” She replied, reaching up on her tiptoes to press a soft kiss onto his jaw.
“I see.” He whispered, tilting his head to catch her lips in a real kiss. “I suppose if we only have one night before I must return to imprisonment like a good boy, we should make it count” 

They didn’t speak for a while after that, the storm outside picking up and disguising that Hades was even there. 

Chapter Text

As they left the frozen wastelands of Coerthas behind, Kaede wasn’t yet ready to remove some of the layers the group had bundled her up in. She remembered thinking Coerthas was cold back before everything that’d happened with Gaius, but this side of it was cold on another level. It’d been bitter, aching right down into her bones, her poor tail still wrapped in an extra blanket Estinien had produced when he’d realised that her shivering wasn’t subsiding. But it was behind them now, and they had a job to do. 

The sound of wild chocobos roaming the forest echoed around them as the group slowly moved deeper into the trees. She stared at them in wonder, marvelling at the sheer size of them trying to compare them to anything she had seen before. While the canopy was less dense than that of Gridania, the trees towered over them, the leaves a huge variety of pinks, oranges and browns in comparison to the lush greenery of Gridania. A mountain towered over the rest of the area, its steep camber almost menacing, leading up to a jagged ridge where she could feel aether pulsing from. Above was the mountain top, sheared off and floating a few malms above the rest of the mountain itself. The air was thick with the presence of something powerful, and she guessed from Estonian’s apparent agitation in his movements that they were close to dragons. As the path slanted downwards, she stumbled slightly over the uneven surface, rocks sticking out of the mud beneath her feet slowing her pace down. Estinien and Ysayle didn’t seem to notice, their long strides purposeful as she was left behind by the two taller members of their group. Alphinaud glanced at her, appearing torn between slowing down so that she wasn’t alone, and catching up with the two other Elezen in their little group. Before he could make a decision, Ysayle stopped and gestured in front of her. 

“We now stand on the threshold of Dravania. The path to Sohm Al will take us far to the west, beyond the embrace of the forest's branches. It will be a long and demanding journey.” She said, looking at each of them in turn. “Might I suggest that we take our rest at the village up ahead, and see that we are properly provisioned?”

“There is a village here?” Alphinaud said, peering towards where Ysayle had gestured ahead. “But I thought these lands the sole domain of dragonkind. Why would anyone choose to live in so perilous a place?”

That’s what they’d been told anyway when they’d pressed some of the people of Ishgard for information at the Forgotten Knight. They had all blanched at the idea of traversing here, all claimed that they would never approach anywhere they knew the dragons roamed out of fear for what may befall them if they did.

“The wild chocobos.” Ysayle replied, like it was obvious. “Tailfeather was built by hunters who make their living capturing and selling the beasts. Their leader, Marcechamp, is an acquaintance of mine. Being a gregarious sort, he will no doubt welcome our arrival. And he will also possess more recent knowledge of the road we seek to travel. I trust there are no objections?” 

“Only to this ceaseless chatter.” Estinien growled, glaring at Ysayle like she’d personally offended him. “If we are to meet this acquaintance of yours, let us do it before Ishgard burns.” 

She felt her tail go to wrap around her leg in a comforting gesture, hindered by the way it’d been wrapped to protect it from the cold. She didn’t like travelling with two people who seemed to hate each other. She never knew how to act around either of them, worried that she would say something wrong, start another argument. She supposed that the cold of Coerthas hadn’t helped warm either of them up to each other, but she had been hoping that there would be some kind of a break in their frosty feelings towards one another. Alphinaud shot her a look of sympathy and followed Ysayle as she began striding towards what looked like a stone gate placed between rocky outcrops. She let the group move ahead, lingering behind to look again at the fauna as she walked slowly towards her destination. Her eyes landed on a peculiar looking flower growing in the underbrush near the gate. Its petals were long and bright white, with bight orange stamen peaking out in contrast to the pale petals. Something about it bubbled her magic to the surface, her fingers itching to reach out and pluck the flower to hold onto. She could feel that healing warmth running up and down her body, drawing her closer and closer to the flower as she reached out and brushed a finger against a petal. She knew this feeling, the feeling of sudden knowledge, of her magic developing into something she could shape and hone during battle, and she was filled with a giddy wonder as she thought about how she might be able to use this to her advantage. Conflict forgotten, she plucked the flower from the earth and tucked it away, rushing towards the village. 

Chapter Text

Being able to be sat in a tavern and remain anonymous was something that had become a novelty to Kaede. Since taking up the mantle of the “Warrior of Light” it’d become harder and harder to be alone when she was out and about- people in Eorzea immediately clocking her due to her “unusual” race (which she had to admit was one of the nicer things people had said about her tail and horns at first). So sitting in The Wandering Stairs with a glass of wine, watching the world go by felt quiet. Peaceful. Things here in this place had been nothing but since she’d arrived, being immediately called into action and dragged across different lands to solve people’s problems. She didn’t like to admit it to the rest of the group, but being that problem solver was starting to weigh on her. She’d been ripped from the midst of emotional turmoil and shoved right into another high pressure situation, expected suddenly to take on all these burdens, all the light and just be fine. Put on a smile. Do what you’re told. It felt as suffocating as quicksand, trying to wade through to safety.

Flashes of her life in Sui-no-Sato appeared behind her eyes as she took a large gulp of wine. That’s why she’d left. How had she let this happen? Things were supposed to be different, they were supposed to- 

A figure out of the corner of her eye stopped her thoughts in their tracks. He didn’t look any less imposing than the first time he’d revealed himself to her, his dress and Garlean eye making him stick out like a sore thumb among the residents of the Crystarium. He was looking at her with that intense gaze of his, his eyebrow quirking as he realised he’d been caught. He lifted his own glass up and tipped it at her, an invitation for conversation if she’d ever seen one. Wrapping her own hand around her glass she huffed, her tail flicking in anger as she marched over to him in what she hoped was an intimidating manner. 

“Why are you here?” She demanded, that previous frustration bubbling to the surface, only made worse by seeing his face. 
“I am simply enjoying the amenities that your Crystal Exarch is so kindly allowing me to use.” Emet-Selch replied nonchalantly, raising his glass to his lips like he was making a point.
“Let me rephrase- why are you watching me?” She growled, annoyed as he didn’t seem to care how upset she was. 
“I told you my dear, I enjoy watching. It is part of my role after all.”
“Well, stop.” She turned on her heel, intending to go back to her room but his voice stopped her. 
“I think you enjoy it.” 
“Excuse me?” She turned back to him, stunned by his words. What did that mean? He rose, towering above her. She could smell the wine on his breath as he leaned in closer, sweet and floral. She inhaled sharply as his gloved hand rose and a finger touched one of the scales on her cheek.
“Fascinating.” He muttered, tracing the outline of where it met her skin. 
“Don’t touc-” She began, cut off as the hand moved down to her neck. She let out a shiver at the gentle way he handled her, like he was inspecting her. She should’ve found it strange, but something about being so close to him was making her feel dizzy. Maybe she’d had too much wine. As quickly as it had begun, he released her from his grasp, watching her stumble backwards gaping at him. 
“What-” She tried to ask, but he turned on his heel and marched away.