"Captain Wolfe." One of the sergeants addressed her by rank. Elise stayed still, seated vigil within her quarters atop a newly imported Doman tatami mat--a gift from one of the immigrants after a local foray was resolved by her.
"Sergeant." She said, raising her head slightly. Her irises, once a vibrant morbol green, were now faded and as white as clouds in the sky. "If it's written, you'll have to read it."
"A-ah... apologies ma'am." He stammered, embarrassed, and swallowed once before quickly opening up the letter. Elise's ears twitched as she heard the slow tearing of paper from the small knife he used; a quiet process not usually given a second thought captivated her.
"Strange..." She said out loud.
"Something wrong, captain?"
She turned her head towards the direction of his voice with a plain look on her face. "Nothing. Please, read it."
The man gave a silent nod and opened up the letter, reading it out loud with a clean, brisk voice. As he went through the motions with his hands, Elise paid attention to how his arms and hands moved, as if assessing his physical details on a whim.
"Number of privateers increased by 27% within the past few moons. Adventurer applications at the Adventurer's Guild increased by... 35%. Maelvaan's Gate shows an increasing number of merchants and crafters shipping out goods to and from Coerthas--25% in the past moon alone and 15% the five moons before it." A pause in his voice. "That is all for this report." He finally stops, puts away the letter within his overcoat, and looks up at Elise. "Permission to speak freely, captain."
"Granted." She said, right as he finished addressing her, with a small wave of the hand.
"This current situation... mayhaps it tied to the effects from Ishgard joining the Eorzean Alliance?"
She let out a deep breath, mulling over her words before replying. "You need only know that Limsa Lominsa gains treasure from Ishgard opening its gates in many ways. Our city-state is still recovering from the Calamity, but recent events have... expedited the healing process." Elise turns her head back down and looks down at her knees. "If that is all, you're dismissed."
"Captain." He salutes as he closes the door behind him while exiting the room.
With the room to herself once more to herself, she stood up and grabbed the sword placed in front of her with her hands. She attached the blade to her left hip and unsheathed the sword with her right hand. Elise closes her eyes and raises the blade to eye level as she points it towards the wall in front of her. Inhaling and exhaling slow, deep breaths, she listens to the sounds not easily heard. The rustling of the ocean waves, the touch of the breeze, the flickering of the candle light on the nearby desk. She moves the blade in her hand and practices some swings. The sound the sword makes as it slices through the air is felt throughout her body and keeps her from accidentally hitting herself.
After a dozen swings she stops, sheathes the blade, exhales once, and opens her eyes once more to a hazy world. Her sight only captures the light around her and leaves all else black as night. She sighs and lays down on the mat, resting her head on a pillow.
"A curse... or is a gift?" She muses at the thought for a moment, but soon falls asleep as she cannot physically stay awake any longer this eve.
"Sergeant." She said, raising her head slightly. Her irises, once a vibrant morbol green, were now faded and as white as clouds in the sky. "If it's written, you'll have to read it."
"A-ah... apologies ma'am." He stammered, embarrassed, and swallowed once before quickly opening up the letter. Elise's ears twitched as she heard the slow tearing of paper from the small knife he used; a quiet process not usually given a second thought captivated her.
"Strange..." She said out loud.
"Something wrong, captain?"
She turned her head towards the direction of his voice with a plain look on her face. "Nothing. Please, read it."
The man gave a silent nod and opened up the letter, reading it out loud with a clean, brisk voice. As he went through the motions with his hands, Elise paid attention to how his arms and hands moved, as if assessing his physical details on a whim.
"Number of privateers increased by 27% within the past few moons. Adventurer applications at the Adventurer's Guild increased by... 35%. Maelvaan's Gate shows an increasing number of merchants and crafters shipping out goods to and from Coerthas--25% in the past moon alone and 15% the five moons before it." A pause in his voice. "That is all for this report." He finally stops, puts away the letter within his overcoat, and looks up at Elise. "Permission to speak freely, captain."
"Granted." She said, right as he finished addressing her, with a small wave of the hand.
"This current situation... mayhaps it tied to the effects from Ishgard joining the Eorzean Alliance?"
She let out a deep breath, mulling over her words before replying. "You need only know that Limsa Lominsa gains treasure from Ishgard opening its gates in many ways. Our city-state is still recovering from the Calamity, but recent events have... expedited the healing process." Elise turns her head back down and looks down at her knees. "If that is all, you're dismissed."
"Captain." He salutes as he closes the door behind him while exiting the room.
With the room to herself once more to herself, she stood up and grabbed the sword placed in front of her with her hands. She attached the blade to her left hip and unsheathed the sword with her right hand. Elise closes her eyes and raises the blade to eye level as she points it towards the wall in front of her. Inhaling and exhaling slow, deep breaths, she listens to the sounds not easily heard. The rustling of the ocean waves, the touch of the breeze, the flickering of the candle light on the nearby desk. She moves the blade in her hand and practices some swings. The sound the sword makes as it slices through the air is felt throughout her body and keeps her from accidentally hitting herself.
After a dozen swings she stops, sheathes the blade, exhales once, and opens her eyes once more to a hazy world. Her sight only captures the light around her and leaves all else black as night. She sighs and lays down on the mat, resting her head on a pillow.
"A curse... or is a gift?" She muses at the thought for a moment, but soon falls asleep as she cannot physically stay awake any longer this eve.
