Impurities of the Heart: Part 4
Vale Myr'it Alistair Wright Story Arc
Day 24
Quote:Vale steps slowly through the ruins of the once great city, his gaze drifting from face to face. Small creatures called goblins, or so he's told, reside in small groups all throughout the area. Mercenaries and merchants occupy the rest of the space. He steps to the side as a large caravan passes through, their wagons loaded with goods from across Eorzea. A high-pitched squeal erupts from behind him and he whirls around, his instincts telling him to prepare for an attack. Vale hesitates as a moogle flies up to him, its cheeks red and excitement in its large eyes.
"Are you Vale Myr'it, Kupo?" The moogle asks.
Vale relaxes and places a hand on his hip. "Aye, I am. What business do you have with me?"
The moogle twirls in the air and makes a sound of glee. "Finally, Kupo! You have no idea how long I've been trying to find you!" The moogle reaches into its small bag and pulls out several letters before offering them to Vale. "You're a hard person to find Mr Myr'it, Kupo! I have a delivery for you... in fact, several deliveries! Kupopopo."
Vale takes the letters from the moogle and flips through them. "One from a contact in Ul'dah, probably a report from Limsa and... one from Yayuki?" He raises an eyebrow and sets that one aside before continuing through the rest.
"Is there anything else, Kupo?"
Vale pauses and looks up. He pauses for a moment before speaking. "If I write a letter could you... deliver it for me?"
The moogle dances happily in the air, its wings flapping quickly as it spins around. "Why of course, Kupo! As a proud member of the moogle mail system I deliver letters all across Eorzea! Just make sure you address it properly and I'll be sure it arrives, Kupo!"
Vale motions for the moogle to wait and pulls out a leather-backed notebook and a pencil from his coat pocket. He walks over to a shaded stone outcropping and sits beneath it. The soft sound of scribbling can be heard as he sets his pencil to the blank parchment.
My dearest Eleni,
Not a day has passed that I have not thought of you. I am truly sorry for the suddeness of my departure. I wish I could have brought you with me, but this was a journey I needed to make on my own. Know that I do not doubt your strength of character, or your prowress in battle. You are strong, Eleni, and I both love and respect that in you. I am the one that is weak. And so, I must find my own source of strength if I am to stand up to Alistair. I know this has been tough on you. I could see it in your eyes when last I saw you. The way you hid your sorrow behind a smile while tears filled your eyes. A slight shake to your hands as you embraced me. I see so much that it is hard to force myself to be ignorant of the way others feel. But, for you Eleni, my eyes are always wide open. I know that my departure hurt you and, I promise you, that when this journey has concluded I will be stronger. Not only for you, but also for myself. I am close now. Soon... soon, I will come home to you. Just wait for me a little longer, my love.
Yours now and forever,
-Vale
Vale seals the letter and blinks tears from his eyes. He pulls out the letter from Yayuki and opens it. Quickly scanning the contents he raises an eyebrow. "Raime is now... Sen? And they're getting married... good for them." He pulls another page from his book and writes a short note addressed to Yayuki.
Dear Yayuki,
I'm glad to hear of your and Raime's engagement. Or, I suppose I should get used to call her Sen now. Unfortunately, I am abroad at the moment so I cannot greet you in person. I do apologize for my hasty departure. After training you I knew I wasn't ready to face what lies before me, and so I am currently seeking new strength. Right now I find myself in a place with a great number of creatures called goblins. I've never seen such creatures before, but they are quite a wonder. I should return soon, I hope. I feel that I'm very close now to my goal.
Regards,
-Vale Myr'it
He seals up the second letter and hands the two letters to the moogle. "Please deliver these with all the speed you can muster."
The moogle stuffs the letters into his satchel and gives a mock salute. "Aye, aye, Kupo! The moogle mail service never fails!" And with a flap of his wings the moogle takes off into the sky, soon vanishing into the distance. Vale lets out a sigh and turns to the road before him. Once more he mounts his chocobo and they begin the long journey across The Dravanian Hinterlands.Â
Vale's eyes widen slightly as he flies over a large mechanical contraption seemingly frozen in mid-step inside of a lake. A massive barrier surrounds the entirety of the area and he steers the chocobo clear of it. A short while later a building with several large pillars and a massive bridge leading up to it comes into sight. He squints at the building and lands his chocobo just short of it. Vale dismounts and pulls a piece of folded parchment from his pocket. He unfolds it and looks from the building to the sketch on the page. "This is the place... no doubt about it." Vale returns the parchment to his pocket and steps up to the entrance. "The Great Gubal Library. If any place has the knowledge I seek... this is it." Vale shoulders one of the doors open enough to pass through and steps inside.Â
Old, dusty tomes lie scattered across the floor. Splintered wooden furniture adds an atmosphere of chaos to the room before him. Vale's footsteps echo off the ancient walls, once vibrant tapestries now hanging in tatters off them. The door slowly creeks shut behind him and he unsheathes his sword. "Time to get to work." He turns towards the shadows and swings his sword in an arc as the first creature lunges for him.Â