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**Unnamed Mercenary** · **07-01-2014, 12:20 PM**

Why? Why today? Why did it have to be today?

Frhanz walked up to the Aetherite. "Kage, do you remember what it means when one of these is orange? It is the same as five years ago, shortly before the Calamity. When an aetherite gains a hue such as this, it is overloaded. ...As for what it means..."

He paused. The Garlean couldn't possibly have had thatÂ much aether in him, could he? The amount needed to do something like this to such a large aetherite would have rivaled what would be needed to summon a primal. Speaking of which, where was he? A simple aethernet teleport should have been instant. The man couldn't actually have gotten stuck, could he?

"Kage, the Garlean mercenary, 'Merc' if I may, did you ever see him teleport in to Ul'Dah? Or rather, anywhere?" "If what he said was true, and can be believed however crazy, I don't think I can fix this. Twelve be with us, we need to get him out before any thingÂ notices this."

Normally, the ability to teleport and use aether as a means of transportation would come intuitively. If the man had actually not been born with the ability to use aether though....he could be anywhere, everywhere, nowhere. Frhanz began calculations for something that would be risky. He would use himself as a guide out of the aether. It would likely kill him, but it would restore the aetherial flow, fixing his mistake.

"Kage," as Frhanz turned around. "I'm sorry. This was my fault. I'm the one that told him to enter. I need to be the one to get him out." Reaching out a hand to the aetherite, Frhanz gave a sad smile. "I don't know what will happen, but if either of us survive this, give him a chance. I don't think he's nearly as bad as you think he is. Just...confused and lost."Â

He made a link with the node, trying to find the man. "He should still be around here, in the aether..."

Kage · **07-01-2014, 12:36 PM**

Kage furrowed his eyebrows muttering, "He teleported me right outside of the Quicksand to some place near Camp Drybone for a fight a moon or so ago..."

He shook his head worriedly before pleading with Frhanz, "What are you doing? Won't you get lost as well?"

**Unnamed Mercenary** · **07-01-2014, 02:59 PM**

Frhanz never heard Kage. He opened a gate into the aether, but didn't step through, instead, focusing all of his attention on the device the Garlean would hopefully still have on his person. Simple enough, it contained a small amount of Frhanz' aether, enough to be used like a tracking device.

He focused harder, using as much of his knowledge on how aetherial travel functioned.Â

A moment later, he felt it. He could sense the device, and what had to be the person still holding onto it. As aether flowed from him, he made a small path to the device, carrying a simple message "this way". He'd be the exit.Â

--

As he had stepped into the aethernet, the Unnamed Mercenary knew something was wrong. Other than the sickening feeling, he was lost. The entrance was gone, and he couldn't get out. Again. He was stuck in the aether. He held on to the device Frhanz had given him, in the chance that it would possibly help. He knew he shouldn't have gone in. And "she" had already told him she wouldn't fix a mistake like this again. Not that it matter much. As he sat in the space, he wondered what would become of him. Would he be doomed to an existence all alone? Would he eventually just fade into the aether itself?Â

Would he ever go home? See his family? Did he even have a home or family? As these questions swirled around in his thoughts, he heard something. "This way"

"This way will lead you out."

As he focused on the voice, it because louder, more clear. It was Frhanz, the elezen man that said he would help. Why could he hear him here, in what what felt like an abyss made of aether? As he followed it, he understood. The elezen was leading him to his destination.

--

It happened quickly. As the Unnamed Mercenary traveled through the aether, he passed through Frhanz, and Frhanz passed through him. Their aether intertwined and it was as if they lived each others' life. He felt everything. All of the elezen's life, memories, experiences. It was as if they were his own, but they weren't. They were only an echo of his past.Â

As the Unnamed Mercenary left the aether a changed man, he could have sworn he heard "Please pass my regrets to Kage. This will be hard on him, I'm sure." He was back in Ul'Dah, but Frhanz was nowhere to be seen. The aetherite shown vividly blue, as it should, and the Unnamed Mercenary breathed a sigh of relief. "So the aether has stabilized. It isn't over-aspected any longer." He knew that wasn't something he would say, but Frhanz. The elezen had used himself as an aetherial gate, and was gone. The Garlean would have to live for the both of them. A new man. A better man. Someone who was aware of both Eorzea's mysteries and the Garlean Empire's plans and methods.Â

The artificial aether device he'd had implanted may have been destroyed in the teleport, he couldn't tell one way or another. He felt the aether around him, this time, comforting. As if naturally, he cast a glamour to hide his Garlean feature. An informed mage would easily see past it, but every day people shouldn't notice.

He walked over to Kage, wondering what the man could be feeling as we he watched a precious friend dissolve into the aether. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry... He..., he wanted you to know." The Garlean gave a sympathetic expression. "I...seem to experienced his life up to now. He knew he wouldn't make it, doing what he did."Â

He started to walk away slowly. He didn't know how to help Kage get through this, and he needed to return what Frhanz had borrowed from the Alchemists' Guild. He couldn't be there for Kage like Frhanz would have. He'd already done terrible things to the lalafell turned miqo'te, another thing he'd done. How would he sort out Frhanz's life when he couldn't even handle his own? He thought back to the woman and girl he'd dreamt about the night before. That feeling of being so familiar, but so far away hurt.

He'd take on a name now. "Franz nil Renatus". The first name in legacy of the man who tried to help him. The Garlean title from how he'd come to Eorzea. It seemed filling.

Â If Kage came to him, he would do what he could. Otherwise, he'd give the man space. He didn't want to ruin the friendship Frhanz had had, or rather, the friendship Frhanz'ir Kirche, the Duskwight Elezen from Ishgard.

McBeefâ„¢ · **07-01-2014, 03:26 PM**

Natalie walked by the man and waved absentmindedly as she continued her patrol.

"Oh hey porkchop."

**Unnamed Mercenary** · **07-01-2014, 04:36 PM**

He paused for a moment, as the nickname irked him. That was Natalie.Â

He also knew Kage looked up to her. Kage wasn't in sight, he'd walked far away enough for that. Attempting to catch up to her, he called out. "Natalie, we need to talk. Now, if you have a moment."

McBeefâ„¢ · **07-01-2014, 04:52 PM**

She rubs her head, "Not so loud por..." she clears her throat, "I mean Merc-chop. I'm still recovering from yesterday. Sure, we can talk... but first what happened to your mask? Did you eat... *cough*... I mean lose it?"

**Unnamed Mercenary** · **07-01-2014, 05:01 PM**

He glares at her for a moment. "No, I lost it." It was for the better for me, but probably not for some others..."

"And really? I take pride in my image, you know." He takes a moment to quickly inspect himself. He didn't feel very different at all that had happened, just, not sick anymore. He assumed he'd looked the same before everything.

"Getting to the point. It's about Kage..." He figured that should invoke some kind of response. From what he could gauge from Frhanz's perspective, the two were also good friends.

McBeefâ„¢ · **07-01-2014, 05:05 PM**

"You ate him?"

**Unnamed Mercenary** · **07-01-2014, 07:17 PM**

He makes an attempt to pick her up from the back of her armor, like holding a kitten from it's scruff.

"Not funny." "That's repulsive". The words seemed to slip out in an incredibly Ishgardian dialect. He would need to work on that.

"Some things happened today and he lost a friend. I figured you could give him the consolation he needs. I'm probably the last person he'd want to see, but let him know 'Frhanz is staying at the inn for a while'."

McBeefâ„¢ · **07-01-2014, 07:22 PM**

Natalie seems too hungover to resist, and makes a small annoyed grunt as he lifts her. "Ugh... why is everything so loud." She blinks at him a few times, "You sound different."

"Franz...? That Elezen fellow? Heh." She chuckles, "Never took you as one to be friends with the bookish types. Sure, I'll tell him, but what friend did he lose? I haven't heard anything about that."

She dangles in his hand and yawns, grateful to be off of her feet.

**Unnamed Mercenary** · **07-01-2014, 08:00 PM**

Slightly amused she didn't put up a fight, and hasn't asked how he knows Kage or Frhanz, he continues the conversation while walking, as she hangs along for the ride.

"Let's just say it's not my place to say that, even if I was there."

"I'm sure if you ask him, you'll get a part of the story. Come talk to me after if you want. Maybe we'll have a drink or two. Possibly a short-lived fracas." Another unfamiliar word that the old him wouldn't have used.Â

He puts her back down softly, as if the fall from a few ilms would hurt. Walking away, he waves goodbye, his back to her. There was a lot to sort out.

McBeefâ„¢ · **07-02-2014, 12:02 PM**

Natalie watches him walk off with a confused expression. "Huh... he seems different."

She grimaces, rubbing her aching head as she heads off to find Kage, "Probably just ate."

**Unnamed Mercenary** · **07-02-2014, 06:37 PM**

((End of scene for Merc. Natalie and Kage, feel free to add any interactions if you would like))

The next few days were a blur. He managed to convince the inn staff that the room was bought for himself by "the elezen", and received a key. Because Frhanz's tip had been "quite high", they had delivered his belongings from the airship port to the room. The Garlean recognized them, knew the motivations behind each, but the emotional attachment wasn't there. He'd deal with it the next day, and passed out on the bed.

**Unnamed Mercenary** · **07-15-2014, 12:58 PM**

((More of a journal entry in lieu of recent events))

The last thing he remembered before passing out was the fairy. And his knee. He'd passed out again, which was happening a lot. Why did he keep doing that? And it seems like every time he did, some piece of the life he had was broken off of the man he was and returned.

This time, he found himself at a military base. She was there too, Lydia. But she didn't know him. I must have been an earlier time. Before they knew each other. The memories washed over him, and as they did, it became early in the morning.

The first thing he noticed when he awoke wasn't that the fairy was still there. Oh, she certainly was there. Fluttering about aimlessly, like a small child on a sugar rush. The first /important/ thing was that he hadn't bled out from his attempt at fixing himself up. In fact, the wound itself seemed to have gone away, with only a light bruise. The little fairy, catching eye that he was awake and clearly confused fluttered over, lightly tapping the bruise, making it fade.

He just stared in shock. /This/ was not expected, and /not/ something he'd learned from Frhanz. Putting some weight on the leg, and eventually standing up, he felt pretty good. The leg being healed would have been an understatement. He looked at the fairy questioningly, "you did this?" She didn't say anything. She simply stayed by his side. He grumbled a bit. "Well, you have my thanks." He couldn't remember where she'd come from, or why she was sticking around. He just remembered passing out on the couch after a physick backfired.

He got to work on the sketch of Jin'li for Kage. While certainly not one of his "better" works, if one could say his "memory" served him well, the drawing did capture all distinct features and could easily be identified as such. He'd leave the drawing and a small note attached for Kage underneath the door to his room.Â

"Kage, as requested, here's a sketch of the man I know of as 'Jin'li'.

May it be of some use to you.Â

There are some things I'd like to pick up from Frhanz's house in the Black Shroud, and I'll be there for perhaps a sun or two. You know how to contact me, and I can assure you this isn't running away, but I'd rather be....prepared for what may come."

The letter was written in a formal Ishgardian script. His "name", signed in Garlean. Merc figured Kage could fill in the blanks in he needed to get in contact.

**Unnamed Mercenary** · **07-16-2014, 11:59 AM**

As he walked to the airship docks, the fairy followed closely behind. Merc had tried getting her to go away. Kindly at first, then resorting to trying to shoo her away. Nothing worked. He'd just given up at this point and started ignoring her.Â

Coming up to the counter, he took out the necessary gil for one ticket to Gridania, where could could more easily use of the Gridanian aethernet shards. The attendant looked up from the counter. "Sir, the airship doesn't normally allow pets on board. I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to unsummon that fairy, if at all possible".

He stared blankly at the attendant. "I'm sorry? /I/ summoned that-", pointing to the fairy. Talking to himself, "no wonder she wouldn't leave me alone." Looking at the attendant sincerely, "I apologize. I um...didn't even know how that happened." Leaning in to whisper, "I have no idea how to unsummon." The attendant looked up at him. "Well, good for you you're in Ul'dah sir! I suppose we can let you on board, provided you pay for another ticket for your 'pet'. "Â

That's what this was. A money scam. He didn't have the time to deal with this. Taking out some additional gil, he handed it to the attendant. "Happy now?" The attendant smiling, "why yes, good sir. The airship is right this way", motioning in the direction.

As he boarded the airship, he wondered what else Frhanz's life had he wasn't aware of.Â

((End scene. What he finds there and how he learns to handle an Eos will not be explained publicly))

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The Day After [Journal]

RPC has moved! These pages have been kept for historical purposes