#post-5.3

G’raha had never been to Ishgard before. The way Lin was welcomed by several reminded him of how many times he had read Heavensward as the Exarch. Even meeting the author himself.

However, Lin hardly spent a day there before insisting he follow her to the airship landing.

“So, do you remember that place I took you to in the Burn a week ago?”

He nods his head. “You told me that the Allagan lab there was... trying to do something? Make land fly? Something about dragons? And Bahamut?”

She nods her head, a smile on her face. “Yes, it is. Among other things, a prison for the dragons of Meracydia, who tried to avenge their fallen father, tricked by Ascians to try and call him back. However, there’s more to it. Three other imprisoned primals. That I killed. But it seems something is keeping the power going.”

“It could be reserves. Do you know where this place is?”

Lin nods her head.

“Is it a stationary?”

It takes a moment for Lin to think. “I believe so. Somewhere north of Vylbrand if I recall correctly. But I wanted to show you more. There’s an Allagan Museum there. I’m sure you’d love it.”

A museum? The whole place must be one now.

It takes a few hours of flying on chocobos again before he sees the islands on the horizon. A large ship with chains and anchors to all of them, charging the power to float to everything around it. He can feel the ionization of the air.

Lin lands in a covered place, a landing of some sort. “Welcome, G’raha, to part of your birthright. Welcome to Azys Lla.”

He’d read about the place before, but it was considered a myth while he was at the Studium. And Lin had found it.

“Hm, now, where was the Fractal Continuum? I’m sure you’d love it. Even if I did... kinda beat up some of the exhibits?” She gives a nervous grin.

“Why did you fight the exhibits?”

“Well, the first time, I was trying to save a node Wedge cared for. Second time I was trying to protect an Ixal researcher who thought maybe this was their promised land.”

“It was,” G’raha says. He can feel the memories of his blood there. “The Ixalion were powerful creations. That some became spoken was a miracle that none know the truth of.”

Lin takes a few steps away, as if looking for someone.

Does something still work here?

“Ah, excuse me my lord.”

The words are as clear as day. Electronic.

A node.

There was the one that made its way to the First with him. He’s familiar with their tone.

He turns around. “Ah, pardon me, but did you call me ‘My Lord’?”

The node, one egg-shaped, with a strong point on top, chirps and spins. “Indeed. It has been three thousand two hundred and twenty seven years since Allagn Royalty last visited. What brings you here?”

Lin rushes over. “Ah, there’s one. We were looking for the Fr--”

“Excuse me, miss. I was speaking to the King. He may have gifted you his blood, but that does not mean you are royalty.”

Lin huffs.

“Could you take us to the Fractal Continuum, good node?”

The node chirps again. “I believe the Navigation Node would be the best guide for royalty these days, but do keep your consort under control.”

He can hear Lin choke at those words. He looks over and her hand itches to grab her rapier. A few seconds and she lets it pass.

The somewhat conical node introduces them to a round one with blue markings, the Navigation node in question.

It leads the way, both of them on their chocobos again.

“If you would put your hand here, Your Majesty, we will let you in. Please note, there have been reports of break-outs in the past few years. But I assure you, everything will be safe.”

He does so, and looks around. It is late allagan, when decadence overtook them. But still, the Continuum is an archaeological site in itself, ignoring the rest Azys Lla. Preserved stories and mindsets.

The first two hallways have signs of battle. If Lin hadn’t warned him about her previous ventures, he probably would have been more shocked, but the node’s narration does a wonderful job of filling in the gaps.

The third, however, is pristine. Full of plants and smaller animals from Meracydia, according to the node. Insects and a couple galago species rustle around them in the amber light of the Museum.

“I haven’t been to this part,” Lin says to herself as they walk around. “But it’s beautiful. How did you manage to keep all this going for thousands of years?”

The node replies to her. The answer, of course, lies in the energy of the warring triad, but also nodes caring for the specimens around them.

G’raha stops and takes Lin’s hand. He’s not sure why he brought the small bag with the necklace with him on this stretch of their trip, but he’s glad he did.

“Raha?”

He clears his throat. “Ah, when I was a boy, many long years ago, I yearned to stand tall as heroes of eld.”

She blinks. “What are you doing, Raha?”

Raha continues, his tail starting to swish. “But like a fool seeking to pluck stars from the heavens, my every attempt to reprise their actions fell short.”

“No, they didn’t. You are as much a hero as I am. Please don’t--”

He takes his hand from hers and places it on her lips, His legs feel heavy, and he falls to his knees, as he pulls the bag from his pocket.

“And then, one day, an all-but-forgotten dream from my youth stood before me in the flesh, and she told me I could do that. I can pluck stars from the heavens and reprise every deed. That she would help me every step of the way.”

He opens the bag and pulls out the necklace. “And I would give much and more for her to stay by my side every step of the way.”

“Raha, are you-- Is this--?”

He tries to stand up, but his legs feel locked in position. “Perhaps I am weak, unable to believe in myself without you next to me, but please, Lin. I know it will not be your first time marrying, but I would give much and more to call you my wife.”

She kneels next to him, kisses him on his lips. “I promise every day will be an adventurer as long as I can call you husband.”

He places the necklace around her, smiling at the stones sparkling in the artificial light. Elsewhere, it would be even more gorgeous, but this is good.

“Ah, I had wondered if she were a consort or more. This is the fifth royal betrothal in this very room.”

Lin chokes again. “C-conso--” She starts to laugh.

He joins her. He hadn’t thought it a tradition of his blood. He hadn’t planned on today, or here. Just soon.

“Are you sure?” Lin asks. “I know you like to watch me fight?”

G’raha nods his head and kisses her nose. “I’ll be fine. As much as I’d like to meed Sadu. I saw some amazing goods in Reunion. Best of luck with your spar.”

She smiles, finds her mount and flies off.

Now, where was it?

He remembers seeing a gorgeous necklace the other day, while Lin looked for her favorite food stand.

Please let that merchant still be here.

Please let that necklace still be for sale.

He rushes through lane after lane, looking for anything that resembles it.

It takes almost an hour, but he finally finds the stall.

Before, he had thought the beads to be made of glass, perhaps even crystalline glass, but no.

They’re made of stones, if he looks at it right. Turquoise, he thinks, for the blue, and some sort of ruby for the red. He can’t quite place the metal that links the pieces together, but it’s something of high quality

“You’ve a good eye,” the man says. “To find your way here. This necklace is one of the finest my brother has made.”

“How much?” G’raha asks. “In Eorzean gil.”

The man chucles. “Ah, Eorzean gil. It has been far too long since I last had such an offer. But that is because I have not been to Hingashi in a long time to hear offers in several prices. Were it my brother, it would be for something only worth three tögrög, which was about 450 gil. Not even worth the cost of materials. He is lucky to have me.”

“How much for the necklace?” G’raha asks again.

“Given the time he put into it, and the materials, and some extra for both of us... 15  tögrög.”

G’raha does the math in his head. “Twenty two hundred fifty gil, are you mad?”

“That was the price in tögrög, sir. Gil is near useless here. I could use it for another trip to Hingashi, or perhaps Doma. If you have no tögrög, then the price doubles.”

Fourty five hundred. That’s a good chunk of his spending money. They haven’t even gone to Doma yet. And Lin wanted to take him somewhere near Ishgard after all this too. She’s been mum.

But did Lin not say that bartering was expected? Perhaps he gives a price expecting him to wear it down.

“I’ll give it to you for the direct conversion. Twenty-two Fifty.”

The merchant grins. “Ah, you want us to starve with your useless money. If I go to Doma instead of Hingashi, I suppose I could do four thousand.”

G’raha’s bartered before many times in the past. Both on digs he’s been to an d as the Exarch. “It’s a start, perhaps i can meet you at, oh, twenty-eight hundred?” A bit more than the merchant’s offer, but a sign of good will.

“Twenty-eight? You want me to have that little to return to those who use gil? Thirty seven.”

Apparently this one mistakes good will for dullness. He hoped to get it to three-thousand, but apparently, his partner went for thirty-five hundred.

He didn’t have enough room if that were the case, thirty two hundred perhaps.

“I see your offer and return with three-thousand.” His original hope. But if this merchant sees it as adversarial, then he’ll act that way.

It’s a wider grin that matches his. “You’re learning Eorzean. If you are so determined, perhaps thirty-five hundred is for you.”

“We can meet in the middle,” G’raha says. “Thirty-two hundred, perhaps?”

The merchant clicks his tongue. “You are sharper than I thought you were at first. I am certain that this necklace would look well on our Khagan’s neck.”

Is that a no, then?

“Thirty-two hundred gold, but try and give this to her before your business takes you elsewhere.”

Oh, oh yes. He forgot about the story of the Nadaam. Lin technically was Khagan, but she refused the title, passing it to the Mol tribe to pick another.

Other tribes did not honor that wish.

G’raha hands the money over. The merchant carefully wraps the necklace and puts it in a special sack.

Sparring with Lyna is always fun. Each time, she learns something new, both from the spar itself, and what Lyna notices in her patterns of attack.

Lin finds herself catching up these days. Lyna is still quite far, but this time, she notices her friend using more advanced techniques than before. A sign of trust.

However, as the fight is done, Lyna with her chakram at Lin’s neck, someone walks up.

“That’s not very entertaining.”

Lin hardly has time to disentangle herself from the position she was in before Lyna speaks up. “Excuse me?”

The woman crosses her arms. “You’ve done this for ten weeks now. I don’t know why people like to watch you two. It’s little better than the fighting you do against eaters.”

Lin speaks up this time. “Well, we’re sparring. It’s meant to be like fighting. What are you expecting?”

“Those chakrams are nothing but pretty dancing weights,” the woman says. “I don’t know how Captain Lyna, let alone the Warrior of Darkness, chooses to fight with them. You’re suppose to help others and be pretty. Neither of you dress for the occasion. The captain’s in her official garb, and you’re in those... rags.”

Lin looks down at her tunic and trousers. They’re not much to look at, true, but even at her most showmanlike, she still prepared for combat. Perhaps the clothes she wore as bard would be prettier, but she doesn’t want to ruin the dress until she’s mastered the steps.

“I can assure you I am far from the first to decide the chakram and fighting fit the style. And where do you think you get off on telling the captain of the guard and the Warrior of Darkness what we should do.”

To her surprise, the woman speaks up without question. “I’ve been reading books about the Naabath dancing styles, and they’re such lovely forms. It even says that while it can be considered a martial art of sorts, it is not combative. The point was to match movements, not fight each other.”

“We’re matching each other’s movements,” Lin says. “And might I ask, is your family from Naabath Areng?”

“No, Kholusia.”

She can hear Lyna’s hand hit her face. As if this is not the first time someone compained about her choice of fighting style.

“Then I suggest you back off. Where I come from, there is a form of fighting that is much like Lyna’s movements. It is why I sought her out as a teacher. Should you want a peaceful performance, I believe Thiuna’s writing a song for her lute. I’ll continue to train with the Captain.”

The woman huffs and runs off.

“That opinion is not common, for the most part,” Lyna says. “And the book she read is by a Voeburtite who travelled there. Several other texts make it clear that it was often used in times of war.”

Lin nods her head. There’s only so much she can do. “So, another round, Lyna?”

I looked up the word and kinda went for the less violent definition on it, but Lin’s not exactly the kind to deal with that, so my mind went to Tataru.

And yes, it’s canon that Lin did all the Crystalline Mean quests. She spent six months “Stranded” in the source, after all.

It’s quite the flight over the Ruby Sea. They race on chocobos together, laughing and catching currents. Lin tries to make a game of who can go higher, but before long, it would push their arrival later than she would like.

It’s dinner time when they reach their location, Reunion.

“I can never thank you enough for this Lin,” G’raha says, smile still wide from the flight. “I always felt like I missed my chance back in Norvrandt. The world there was beautiful, yes, and I miss the people every day, but it was all Eorzea. And not even all of it. There were so many places to go that I couldn’t.”

“Well,” Lin says. She has a smirk on her face as she backs towards a buuz stand. “I know you still love Allagan artifacts. Did you know there are some here in the Steppe? And even the Burn a few bells out.”

G’raha’s eyes go big. He quickly covers the distance and kisses her. She can feel his tail swish in so much excitement it fans her legs.

A motion she returns, her hand curling into his braid, other hand on his hip, her tail curling around his leg.

“You know the way to my heart,” he says  when he pulls away. “Travel and Allagan ruins.” She can feel his stomach growl. “And food. So, what is this here?’

Lin orders a few different kinds of buuz for both of them, and lets him wander the stalls with her. While many stands have closed for the day, many others stay open still. However, as they start to make their way to the merchants’ tent, G’raha stops and looks in one direction.

Her tail swishes as she looks in the same direction. It takes her few seconds until she notices what he’s looking at. A chocobo-like creature, about a yalm tall, dressed in the Ironworks’s uniform. A silvery mechanical bug-like mammet at their heels. “Alpha! How fare your journeys friend!”

She hears a Kweh and a greeting at the same time as the chocobo walks up to her. They look at G’raha, who still watches, his mouth wide in shock. “Ah, this is a friend of mine. I don’t think he knows what--”

G’raha cuts her off and falls to his knees, hugging Alpha. “Oh, gods, it’s been so long my friend. I remember you and Omega survived, and I was the first to learn they managed to have their consciousness in your model friend after centuries.”

Alpha kwehs in confusion.

Lin tries to figure out what he’s saying. “Oh, yes, with the Tycoon you must have known about my fight with Ome-- did you just say I didn’t kill it?”

She watches as G’raha looks to her. “Ah, erm... I did not realize such was a, but I did notice that the model was more sapient than it let on.” He pets Alpha a few times. “But I can assure you that Omega poses no threat any longer. They only wish to observe the world as it is.”

Alpha kwehs again, less surprised, and perfectly accepting of G’raha’s affection. And no shock at Omega existing in their companion.

“Ah, I suppose I have a story to tell you both then. This is G’raha, a friend. Well, a bit more than a friend, but a friend nonetheless.”