In the city of Ul'dah, when the sun is just rising above A small Au Ra looking woman walked down the road. She had long black hair, black eyes with bright Umbral purple rings. Her skin a deep shade of blue, bordering purple and her scales as black as the night. Accompanying her were four oddly floating crystals in the shape of stars. A red one set ablaze, a blue one dripping with water, a brown one with a shell of a rich mineral and a green one swirling in it's own vortex. These hover just behind Xyla's shoulders and head. This woman up until now has hidden from sight but with time creeping up, she would need all the help she could get. Yet one problem came up...

Mentioning her name will surely cause much confusion and anger.

A name that not only she had, but her creator has as well.

Never the less she continues on her merry way down the stone paths in the grand city of Thanalan. Her small stature could be lost in a crowd without even trying, yet those four odd crystals were a dead giveaway. As she walked, Xyla noticed a child who tripped and fell. A young boy with a slight scratch on his knee. She calmly approached the child and knelt before him. In her monotone voice she asked...

"Mind if I see your leg?"

The young child, clearly holding his pain back nodded with a pouting expression. Xyla calmly brought out the wind and water augmentation crystals, channeling the energy they held to create a faint mist that covered his knee. The healing process was accelerated and soon he felt no more pain at all. Like the wound never happened. As the boy was going to say something, his mother came in and snatched his arm, dragging him as she spat out.

"You keep away from my child, witch!"

Witch. That word again. It wasn't uncommon for Xyla to be compared to her creator despite not being similar in looks. In fact, this Xyla always wanted to call herself Quint to make it easier. So with that incident, Xyla felt a pain in her body but couldn't really tell what it was.

"...What is this emotion that keeps coming up? It places a pain on my chest as if I want to cry." Xyla quietly mentioned as she stood up once more. She decided to take a trip to the marketplace to find anything new. Approaching the square, her eyes looked around to find the vendors selling various goods. Nothing caught her eye so far at least but with enough time she would halt at a vendor with apples. The various colors of red and amber tempted her, but she could not even taste them. In fact, she had no real reason to consume anything. It was just a pleasure she hoped to one day have.

"Apples. Bore from a tree in the rose family. Used in ciders and pies, can be crushed into paste or even eaten raw. Crisp yet sweet at times. Some are tart." she went on to say, being the little bookwork she was. The thin glasses pushed back up into her face. 

Elsewhere in the world, far in the northern lands. Where the snow blankets the ground and the nights are suffocating to walk through there is a young looking Elezen woman. Her hair as black as the night, her eyes merely empty mirrors in color of ebony, yet her pale like skin easy to identify with such dark parts. The attire she wore was Elegant, Fashionable...and made for war. Heavy fur lining on the robe keeps her warm and the hourglass like design meant to seduce the eyes on her body. She started harvesting some minerals in the harshest environment known to the inhabitants of Ishgard. It was her ideal condition.

"Ma'am! This place is dangerous. You should seek shelter before it picks up!" the voice of a male traveler concerned for another, yet Xyla didn't seem so...disturbed. Her body slowly stood up with an armful of Mythrite nuggets and with a smile she replied.

"It's not the land that is dangerous..." the sound of cracking ice came from underneath the roaming traveler. A spike shot up, narrowly missing him. In a panic he froze for just the right amount of time.

With a creepy smile, Xyla finished with a more potent Aetherial aura.

"...It's me."

Crack! An icicle erupt once more, impaling the adventurer through the gut as more shot up to skewer him in place. His death was swift and with minimal mess. Xyla casually walked over to the corpse and examined it with a sort of glee. She gently pinched his cheek then his arm. 

"Flimsy. Not enough fat. His bone structure is below normal..." she sighed, retracting the ice before an earth like hand burst from the snow to grab and drag him into the soil. Not to hide the body but to return the nutrient to the land. She lamented "Why must only traders come through here? I need a good, strong body for testing." casually walking through the snow. Leaving behind nothing but a single drop of blood from the now buried man's body.

The sheer mention of the woman's name may bring some older residents from the shroud, especially the more superstitious Elezen to panic. For her name is...

Xyla Quintessence, The Black Witch of the Shroud.

Xyla had yet to buy anything from the vendor as she looked among the variety of fruit to choose from. She then sat up and walked off, down the strip to see other vendors and what they sold. She enjoyed looking at the various trinkets and toys. It made her more than curious for history and what things are. The four crystals that hovered behind the Au Ra did make some people look at her questionably. Not sure if those things were lethal.

She then felt it was time to visit the Quicksand. Oddly enough she found it much easier to read with voices around her. Though taking up a table for herself felt rude. So she opted to find a nice wall, eased herself into a sitting position and with the small bundle of books she carried, would unlatch and begin reading them. Her glasses pushed up once more to prevent from falling on the ground as her eyes looked to the words. 

'Anatomy of Humanoids and More' was the book's title.

Xyla, being a doll, had no organs in her aside from a brain. Effectively making her head the only section that can kill her. Her inner workings were of various materials that made up the soft Hyur skin but with the Au Ra sample, scales were in various locations along with her horns. Because of this, her need for food, water, sleep and anything else to maintain a healthy body has been eliminated...But because of this her body is indeed frail. Her physical skill is not grand. So she sat there, idly reading the book as a few people passed and looked at her with an odd glance.

So she sat there, reading the books she had. Though if someone approached her, she wouldn't mind talking.

The voice of a Miqio'te caught Xyla's attention as she stared up from her book. The dark brown eyes with pinkish umbral rings looked up through the glasses on her face. Her lips seemed straight as if she took no jokes when in truth it was just how she was.

"Reading." She said in the most monotone voice possible. Xyla flipped a page before speaking again.

"Reading about the internal structure of various humanoid beings on the planet. Organ structure, Bone placement and shape, Extra bits like the dormant flame sacs and that extra bit in Miqo'te to allow them to purr." she spouted on like a tutor when in truth her curiosity for such learning arts was like a child. Among her books were a cookbook, three books on history and another on playing instruments. She then thought back to how people's rumors about her bring a witch due to the crystals and how she used magic would probably get to others. She placed the book gently back down.

"I didn't feel the need to take a seat at a table occupied by others or empty with more than two chairs. It's a waste and i wish to not inconvenience anyone who may be looking for a table for their companions." the way she spoke was detailed rather than to the point. Oddly enough one of the books at the top was put together on it's own with sloppy hand writing.

"If sitting on the floor is not allowed, I will find another place then."

With the hand offered to her, Xyla raised a single finger, picked up the book with the sloppy text on it, and read it over. 

"If someone offers you a hand it usually means they want to help you up even if you are not injured or on the verge of death. At times it's considered a gesture of good intent." and with a shut of that book she took the hand.

Standing up, she twirled a small finger. At her command the crystal enveloped in the wind resonated and lifted the stack with ease beside her. She held the book on socializing close to her chest as she followed Rihxo to a table. There, she would once again motion her hands to allow the books to stand beside the chair she sat at. Her posture straight and stiff. Almost no life to it. she opened that same book of awful hand writing and read off from it.

"...I am Quint, and you are?" Xyla's voice only monotone. No joy or sorrow. The four crystals just behind her shoulders just floated there.

Xyla- Or rather Quint- Started to see what Rihxo was doing. The tin with the chocolates and how she casually ate them, she didn't want to feel out of place too much. So she plucked one of the pearls and popped it in her mouth. To many it would taste sweet...but to Quint, it was like air. Taste was far from her reach. Yet even in her moment she would try to seem as if she was tasting it. 

The question of why she was here was a question that Quint has lied in her answer time and time again. She couldn't tell random people of her plight. Not while her creator shared the same name as her. Especially not now. "I come from a small place to read. The books that have been stored all seem interesting." She replied. But then her attention was again on the book for socializing. In it she read an instruction.

"I am also a scryer. I can see into the future of one of many possible scenarios with varying results each time. They are true but not true. Some people see good others see bad. The same people see just the opposite in their emotions when they did it again. If you like, i could scry for you on a future if you will allow me." she offered with such a professional air about it. 

Now however people can say it, not everyone can see into the future. Yet Xyla had this one trait about her that gave off a mysterious vibe.

A passing patron overheard her talk of scrying as he warned Rihxo openly.

"Don't trust the witch. She might steal your soul." 

And walked off. Leaving Xyla to retract her offer a little. Sighing. 

Quint wasn't really affected by it. Simply because she has not built that emotion into her being yet. But when she complied to the idea, Quint used a finger like a baton to guide the four crystals around to before her. She quietly chanted with both her hands together as they formed a square formation, then flipped on one tip. The earth on the bottom, Fire and Water on the sides and Wind at the top. The crystals soon shot forth lines of their respective element into the  the neighboring crystal. When linked, they formed a new element. Between the wind and fire, Lightning surged between them. From Water and Wind, it froze like ice as the chilling wind fell off. From the earth and fire, Lava encased in a harden black shell was formed and from the Earth and Water, grass and water were in harmony.

"I will show you the future of what may be or what will be. The result will be up to you on if you choose to believe it or not....For there are always many chances to change your future. There are only possibilities." 

And almost in a flash, a bright purple and pink portal spawned in the diamond like shape. swirling constantly. She held this together with both hands emitting some Aetherial properties.

"Please. Stick your hand into the portal as deep as you wish. When I say to pull out, please do so." Quint instructed as she waited...Waited to show one of many possible futures to befallen her or even in general...

"P-Pull out now!" Quint said with haste and worry. These portals she made were handy but they only can be made to open for a few minutes. Her hands trembled and it seemed like the portal would collapse. Only then when Rihxo's hand escaped the gap, Quint would drop her arms as the four interconnecting crystals detached and hovered back behind Quint. She huffed for a little while then finally slowed her obvious exhaustion down. She felt worried if the woman she met had seen something not of her fate.

"Tell me what the future showed you? No details are needed. Just remember to keep calm. The vision you saw will most likely not come to pass, but it's not out of the realm of probability." 

While this all happened, patrons who did look over at Xyla were obviously not sure about her way of magic.

"It can mean many things. It can mean that a creature like that will be fought at some point or that it's a warning if something is not stopped. It can also just be of another possibility that we may never see." she opened her journal, a book hidden in her robes, and wrote down Rihxo's vision. Keeping any and all records to understand what is going on. Her notes were of various accounts as well. She closed it before anyone could see them. Quint turned her attention back to Rihxo. "I wouldn't take it as serious. You will probably never have to see such a thing in your life."

Despite the tone she had, it was clear that Quint was trying her best to be reassuring. The glasses she moved up again to prevent them from falling. Yet now was the awkward part. She had no idea how to continue the conversation. "W-well...Uhh..." Quint redirected her attention to the hand guide of sloppy text and flipped through the pages like made before halting.

"Are you...an Angel?...Because you must...of fallen from heaven..." Quint read from the lines, then noticing the chapter she flipped through it and said something else. "...Enough about me...What about you?"

Whoever wrote this book was either a lady's man or just some kind of idiot.

"You have other kin as well? I have...well...." she started to count. Quint used all her fingers in a moment then looked to Rihxo. "It's a lot more than most have." not wishing to bring up the number of possible other dolls with the same name. For being the Four hundred and first one, she rather not mention it or be related to such horrible monstrosities.

"In any case, you do not need to be special to be interesting. Average is all about how you precede as 'Average' in your eyes. I am sure with enough time, you will not think about yourself as that." Quint spoke as she pulled the cookbook out and overlooked with it open to all. She tried to take another chocolate to show she was indeed like her, yet still nothing to the taste. She couldn't admit it though. 

"And if you have a passion for love, mind explaining it to me?" Quint openly asked and admitted "I am not too versed on the whole love thing much. Mind explaining it to me more?" with a tilted head of curiosity, she waited.

Some people was wondering why she was talking to Quint...Hopeful that the Miqo'te would just leave.