Quote:

Sweat soaks Vale's clothes and his breath comes in ragged gasps. His muscles shake, protesting each movement, his legs on the verge of buckling beneath him. He closes his eyes, focusing on the imaginary flame in his mind and feeds all of his exhaustion, his pain, and his rage into it. A chill breeze blows across his hot skin and a dusting of snow begins to fall from the sky. Lightning strikes in the distance and the loud crack of thunder reverberates across the mountains around him.

Stones crunch under his boots as he takes a step forward, thrusting a dagger with enough force to instantly kill most men. He repeats the movement, slowly increasing his speed and the complexity of his movements. Soon, only a whirl of steel can be seen as he moves seamlessly from one attack to the next. A sudden jolt in his right leg causes him to falter momentarily, but he grits his teeth and flows into the next set.

Thoughts run through his mind as he works his body, but he pushes them away. A darkness burns within him, one the flame cannot seem to touch, and from this darkness pours a flood of doubt. 

One strike. He again feels the heat of the flames on his skin as they consume his home.

Two strikes. Vale once more hears the screams of his father as fire engulfs his body. He tastes copper in his mouth as a sharp slash across his mother's body sends blood splattering onto his face.

Three strikes. Visions of his sister appear before him as she's being dragged away by Alistair, his childhood friend, into the woods. Horrible sounds burst from her throat in the distance, followed by the deadly silence that came after.

Four more strikes. He gazes upon a pair of tear-filled eyes, strong and fearesome, but also full of despair. The sound of heartbreak resounds in his ears and he growls in frustration. 

As the last thought ripples across his mind he falters again, his right leg completely giving out from beneath him. He falls onto his side and lies motionless as pain courses through his body. His fingers grow slack and his breath slows. Sudden exhaustion overcomes him and he falls into a deep slumber. 

The conversation with Eleni in Limsa returns to him and the question repeats itself again and again in his mind. "Vale... what if she's your sister?" He throws back his head and howls in anger, his body being consumed by a darkness pouring out of his own chest.

Some time later he awakens with a start, his body covered in a dusting of snow, and a dull pounding in his head. Every muscle in his body seems to ache as he slowly rises to his feet and leans against the old stones of the broken keep for purchase. 

Vale picks up his discarded armor, sheathes his weapons once more and squints upwards at the bright sky. He shakes his head and slowly begins his downward descent to the ground below. 

All the while, a thought tugs on the back of his mind: What would he do when he found Alistair? And... what if the woman really was his sister?

Quote:A sea of stars stretches out before Vale as the airship makes its final approach to Camp Cloudtop. Someone on the dock blows a whistle and a bustle of activity floods the deck of the ship. Vale balances himself against the sturdy wood railing as the ship thumps into place and comes to a rest. He throws his travel bag over his shoulder and slowly departs the ship. The brief respite offered by the bed in the airship was welcomed by his tired body, but now it was time for him to continue on.

He hails a chocobo courier and, after a brief discussion, a sizable amount of gil is handed over. Vale leads his chocbo by the reigns, looking it in the eye and patting its feathers in reassurance. Careful not to spook the mount, he eases himself into the saddle and gives the reins a snap. The chocobo leaps forward and Vale fights back the urge to pull the chocobo up short as it leaps off the edge of the island. The sensation of falling sends his stomach into turmoil for a moment before the chocobo's strong wings pull them ever upward. Realizing he had been holding his breath, he lets it out slowly and focuses on calming his racing heart.

A number of floating islands fill the skies before him and the wonder of it all temporarily erases all other thoughts from his mind. Animals with massive bodies, odd bird-like creatures, and serpents large enough to devour men whole roam the various islands below him. Vale looks on with wonder, but also wariness as he never allows the chocobo to venture too close. Time passes and Vale's concern rises as he finds himself no closer to his destination. With the chocobo struggling, he lands on a nearby island and pulls his map from the satchel lashed to the chocobo's side.

Using a small piece of aetheryte to light his map, Vale runs his fingers down and across while mumbling to himself. At last, he taps his fingers onto the map and lets out an annoyed grunt. "Too far north. Should've gone further east. Going to be a long night," he says before stuffing the map back into the satchel. A sudden screech erupts from behind Vale and the chocobo bucks, nearly ripping the reigns from Vale's hand. He whirls, hands on his sword. Before him stands a massive griffin, beady eyes boring into him, massive talons digging into the ground beneath it. The creature screeches ferociously, its eyes darting hungrily between the chocobo and Vale. With one fluid motion, Vale draws his sword and pulls strength from the imaginary flame in his mind. The griffin takes a step back, its attention now fully on him. It bends down and with animal speed, launches itself directly at Vale. 

Memories of his encounter in Western Coerthas return to Vale and his body seems to almost move on its own as it dodges the griffins initial strike. Its beak snaps shut in the empty space where he had been standing only a moment before. The beast hesitates for a moment, but it's long enough. Vale steps forward and slashes the sword visciously through the beast's side. It shrieks in pain and and lashes out at Vale. He jumps back, but not fast enough this time. The beast grazes his shoulder with its sharp talons and rips through his armor. Blood trickles down his arm, but he grits his teeth and keeps his sword ready for the next attack. With the scent of blood in the air, the griffin seems to grow in size as it throws itself onto its hind legs and beats its wings angrily. It launches itself forward once more, its claws coming down in an arc. Vale jumps back, narrowly dodging the strike, but as the griffin's claws smash into the ground it slams its head into Vale's body and sends him flying backwards. The crack of ribs sends a wave of pain through his body and all the air in his lungs bursts out in a sudden gasp.

Time seems to slow as he fights for air. The griffin approaches, confidence shining in its eyes as it moves to finish its prey. A flood of pain runs through him, and though he tries to feed it to the fire, he cannot draw any strength back from the flame in his mind. Weakness courses through him and he lets out a low curse under his breath. "Thal's... balls," he pants. Memories of Eleni, and of his first wife Cecily, run through his mind. He sees the flames again, feels the pain and the anger he felt back then. Suddenly, something clicks in his mind and he douses the flame. Instead of trying to rid himself of the pain, he embraces it. A smokey darkness runs around the length of his sword and a new strength courses through his body. He pulls himself to his feet and readies his sword for the next strike. The griffin pauses, the confident look in its eyes fading as it gazes upon him. Vale takes a step forward, a dull gleam along the edge of his blade. "Come if you're going to," Vale begins, his voice low and hoarse, "or die running. The choice is yours." The griffin hesitates for a moment before leaping at Vale, but this time Vale doesn't avoid its attack. He plants his feet in the ground and plunges his blade deep into the beast's chest. A squeal sounds from the griffin, its eyes glazing over as its life's blood pours onto the ground beneath it. Vale's muscles flex and he easily rips his sword from its body before walking over to its side. He brings his sword down in a ferocious slash and severs the creature's head from its body.

As the creature goes still the strength fades from Vale's body and the glow in his sword vanishes. He drops to his knee and props himself against his sword. The pain in his chest returns and a dull throb pounds away in his head. "Wh-What was that?" He gasps. "That... wasn't..." Words fail him and he pulls a small whistle from around his neck. One blow, two blows, but nothing happens. Finally, he gives it a full breath on the third and a shrill "Kweh!" echoes from the distance. His chocobo lands next to him, its eyes wild with fear as it looks upon the dead griffin. Vale throws himself onto the chocobo and grunts at the sudden explosion of pain in his chest. He takes shallow breaths, trying not to breath too deeply and spurs the chocobo back into flight. It obeys quickly and launches itself into the air. 

Some time later the glow of lights in the distance catches Vale's eye and he directs the chocobo towards them. Landing on a small island, he slowly dismounts from the chocobo and surveys the location. Surrounded by massive floating rocks on all side appears to be a small settlement, primarily consisting of the bird-like creatures he'd seen earlier. "Must be... Ok'Zundu," he says to himself. He turns back to the chocobo and pats it on the head before remounting. "Almost there. I hope they have some gyashi greens. You've certainly earned them tonight, my friend." One last time the chocobo launches itself into the air and flies the remaining distance to shelter and safety. 

Vale glances back at his sword, now plain and ordinary as it's always been. "I know not what that... strength was or where it came from, but... I mean to find out."

Quote:A shudder runs through Vale's body as the last traces of healing magic begin to fade. He takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly, the tension leaving his body as he realizes the pain is gone. The large avian Vanu stands over him and gives a polite nod. "Netherlings bring good to Vanu, so Vanu do good for Netherlings. Hold chest high like cloud now and be well." 

"Aye, thank you for your kindness," Vale says. "Where might I find your leader? I must speak with him."

The Vanu's ears twitch and it points at a long staircase next to a huge totem. "Aanu Vanu up there. You go up stairs like other Netherlings." 

Vale pulls himself onto his feet and dusts himself off. "Thank you again, my friend." He bows to the Vanu and makes for the long stairs upwards. At the top of the stairs lie three more Vanu, one the middle and two on either side. The two on the outside are slightly larger and hold long stave-like weapons, while the middle one is shorter and appears to be unarmed. Vale sets his sword aside and approaches cautiously.

"More Netherlings?" The middle Vanu says. "Once cloud was quiet like night, but now Netherlings bring stormy noise with them. What does Netherling want with Vanu?"

Unsure of the proper amount of deference required amongst the Vanu, Vale drops to one knee and bows his head. "Aanu Vanu I presume? My name is Vale Myr'it. I want nothing from the Vanu other than your permission to train amongst your lands. I have heard you are protective of your territory and do not wish to cause conflict with my presence."

Aanu Vanu tilts his head to the side questioningly, his gaze focused on Vale. "Then Nethlering must prove himself first. Find one Vuk'laii Vundu and defeat it in single combat. Bring feathers back here to me. Then you may train with Vanu."

"And where might I find these... Vuk'laii Vundu? And how will I know I've found one?" Vale asks.

Aanu Vanu turns and points behind him. "Far east, amongst Ok' Vundu Mok. Netherling will see their totems. Vuk'laii Vundu will have staff and powerful magic."

Vale nods, taking note of the direction Aanu Vanu points in, before taking his leave. He grabs his sword on the way out and mounts his chocobo. A quick snap of the reigns and they're soon soaring across the sea of clouds. Vale squints, his hand held over his brow to reduce the glare, and scans each island he passes over for signs of the Vundu. Finally, he spots what appears to be a settlement. He circles his chocobo closer and glimpses the distinct shape of a totem as it casts its shadow across the ground below. 

The chocobo lets out a soft "Kweh!" as he lands a short distance away from the settlement. Taking cover behind a rock, Vale slowly edges his way around the perimeter, careful to keep out of sight. He settles behind a large boulder and watches the movements of its inhabitants. Their lumbering bodies plod across the tufted grass of the island as they go about their duties. Large serpents follow some of the Vundu around. Vale edges further into the darkness when they pass by. As the sun begins to dip towards the horizon, a lone Vundu wanders over by Vale's boulder and turns its back to him. It rests against the long staff in its hand and mutters something unintelligble to itself. Seeing his chance, Vale quietly unsheathes his sword and walks quietly up behind the Vundu. With a sudden burst of speed, he lunges forward and runs his sword through the creature's chest. It screams silently before slumping to the ground. 

He looks down at the creature, and back at the settlement. A moment of guilt overwhelms him and he grits his teeth. "I came here for one purpose. I cannot falter now." He reaches down and plucks several of the feathers from the creature's corpse before returning to his chocobo.

A short while later he arrives back at the Vanu settlement and presents the feathers to Aanu Vanu. The Vanu holds the feathers in his hand for a moment before turning and scattering them into the wind. "Netherling has passed test. Though it pains me to see the Vundu like this, it is all we can do for them now. Netherling may use our lands as he wishes. Go now."

"Thank you," Vale says before rising to his feet. "I did not feel pleasure in taking this life. In fact, they seemed to live little different than the Vanu do. I... hope that one day the Vanu are able to come to terms with the Vandu."

Aanu Vanu nods silently, his face still turned from Vale's gaze. Seeing his dismissal, Vale turns and heads to a small island just side outside of the Vanu settlement. Settling into a seated position, he lays his sword in front of him and enters a meditative trance. He calls forth the imaginary flame in his mind once more, but it comes much slower than usual. A tiny ember appears and as he feeds more of his will into it the ember suddenly bursts into a tiny flame. A moment of distress comes over him and the flame wavers, nearly extinguishing itself, but he takes a calming breath and forces the flame to stabalize. 

The feeling I had when fighting the griffin... I need to find it again. If only I could remember...

He tries to recall the thoughts he had at the time. Images of his past bubble to the surface, the pain and suffering he and his family felt, the death of his first wife, and the pain in Eleni's eyes. The flame in his mind dwindles as a darkness surges within him. His eyes snap open and he wraps his fingers around the hilt of his sword, willing the feeling within him into it. As the flame snuffs out in his mind he stares at the sword expectantly for some time, but nothing happens. Growling in frustration, he conjures the flame in his mind once more and repeats the process, but still the result is the same.

Stars wink to life in the sky around him and the moon soars above his head. He tries again and again, but no matter how many times he tries to replicate the process, not a single shimmer of light shines upon the blade. Some time later he awakens to the first rays of the new day. His legs are sore beneath him and his eyes crusted over. Vale wipes his face and slowly unfolds his legs with a painful groan. He works the kinks out of his body and straps his sword to his back.

"I have to be missing something. If I can't find it here, then perhaps... elsewhere." He turns to his chocobo and pulls himself into the saddle. "Come. There is yet one more method I might try."

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. 

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. 


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. 

Quote:Vale grunts as he pulls his make-shift bandage tight with his teeth. Blood trickles down the side of his arm and drips onto the marbeled floor beneath him. He leans against his sword and gazes at the shelves full of books spread throughout the room. The corpse of a large ghoulish creature lies on the ground behind Vale, its wings hacked to pieces and a pool of black blood soaking into a pile of ruined books. 


The journey through the library taxed his body and weariness coursed through him. Most of the security had been disabled already, of which he thanked Hydaelyn for, but some remnants were left behind. These he fought with all he had, swinging his sword again and again until he'd lost feeling in both of his arms. Now, the simple act of keeping his eyes opened was a monumental task. Each time they threatened to close he forced them open again, the knowledge that he was close to his goal keeping sleep at bay. 


He lumbers forward, the tip of his blade making a loud thunk on the stone floor with each step, and passes through a large archway. A skylight at the top of the room illuminates hundreds of bookshelves containing thousands and thousands of books. A wave of despair runs through Vale and he drops onto the ground as his strength gives out. His vision swims and he laughs, low and harsh, as he rubs a hand across his face. "There's so many... how am I going to find anything in all of this?" Tears stream down his cheeks and he pounds his fist on the ground in frustration. "Gods!" He screams. "What do I have to do?" His voice echoes across the empty room, the question repeating itself again and again, until at last silence hangs over him once more. 


Some time later, Vale wakes with a start. His side throbs from laying on the hard floor and pins and needles poke at his arm. He shakes his arm to get feeling back into it and squints upwards. The moon glimmers in the sky above him, its pale light casting an eerie shadow across the library. Carefully, he pushes himself onto his feet and stretches his sore muscles. A jolt of pain runs down his injured arm, but the bleeding had long since stopped. He peals back the make-shift bandage and grimaces. "Need to wash it... and change this out. Maybe there's something around here I can use..." Vale glances at his sword and shakes his head. "No need to lug that around for the time being." He limps through the library, dipping his head into each room as he passes by, until he comes to a small office-like space with a number of desks pushed haphazardly against the walls. After rummaging through the various drawers, Vale drops an armful of items onto a desk and eases himself into a creaky old chair. He lets out a slow sigh as he inspects the items in front of him: a half-full flask of alcohol, several pieces of cloth, a handful of gil, and a solid gold pen. Vale shakes his head at the last one before pulling the old bandage off his arm and dousing the wound in the alcohol. He hisses through his teeth at the stinging sensation before re-wrapping the wound.


As Vale reclines in the chair, his gaze set upon the scraped and pealing wood of the desk, an old dusty book hanging off the corner catches his eye. He picks it up and brushes the thick coat of dust off it before flipping it open. "The Effects of Arcanima on Eorzean Society," Vale reads to himself. "Sounds... dreadful." He makes to toss the book back onto the desk when something sticking out of the book catches his eye. Vale flips the book open only to find a card with neat handwriting scrawled across it functioning as a bookmark of sorts. He lifts the card up into the light and reads it slowly to himself. His eyebrows raise as high as they can go as he realizes what he's holding in his hand. "It's... an index card. Of course! A library this size must have a way to keep track of where books are. Otherwise they'd never have found anything." He sets the book on the desk and leaps to his feet, the card gripped tightly between his fingers. "Now I just have to find the index..."


Vale back tracks through the library, his eyes scanning the shelves as he passes by. He notices numbers and letters at the top of each, their golen luster long since faded. Some letters hang upside down, others missing completely, but as he continues his way towards the entrance an picture of how things are sorted begins to form in his mind. Upon reaching the first room, he walks over to a desk and glances at the cabinents behind it. Several cards matching the one in his hand lie scattered on the ground below and a feeling of relief spreads through him. He pulls open the first drawer, labeled A-1, and begins to read through the cards. 


Several days later, Vale walks back into the small office-like room with a stack of books in his arms. He balances them with his chin as he meanders over to the old dusty desk and sets them down with a loud thump. With a sigh of relief, he plops down into the chair and wipes the sweat from his brow. Vale pulls his leather-backed notebook and his pencil from his pocket and flips the notebook open to a blank page. He glances at the golden pen on the desk and grins to himself. Setting his pencil down, he takes the pen in hand and opens the first book at the top of the pile: "Channeling Aether: A Study on Magic". 


Days and weeks pass, the pile of books growing larger and the pages in Vale's notebook filling up as he reads. A pile of books soon surrounds his desk, but only the needs of his body break him out of his trance. As his supplies run out, he begins gathering and hunting outside of the Gubal Library to supplement his food and water supply. It's on one cloudy morning, his eyes bloodshot and his hand cramped from writing that a sudden realization dawns on him. He reads the line again in his book as it talks about gold and other precious metals in relation to channeling aether.


Vale sets the book down and holds the pen in front of him. He closes his eyes and pictures the flame in his mind as he's done so many times before. Carefully, he douses the flame and feeds upon the pain and anger lying deep in his heart. A sudden feeling of power blooms within him and he pictures, not the flame, but the pen instead. Directing the flow, guiding it with his mind, he sends it into the pen instead of allowing it to run rampant through his heart. 


His fingers spasm and heat shoots through his arm. Vale's eyes pop open and there, in his hand, is a golden pen encased in aether. His own aether. It glows red, a small flicker of light barely perceptable if one wasn't looking for it, but there all the same. A slow smile spreads across Vale's face and he pushes himself onto his feet. "Conduction... that's the key. I... need more swords." He shoves the pen in his pocket and begins gathering his supplies for the return trip. The goblin creatures in the ruined city had many trinkets, but one thing he saw plenty of from the merchants was weapons. Certainly, amongst the weapons brought in there had to be one that would fit his needs. 



One last time, Vale straps his two-handed sword to his back and makes his way to the library exit. He shoulders the door open and blinks several times as his eyes adjust to the light. "I'm almost there, Eleni. Just wait for me a little longer." 

Quote:"Tis' not enough." The merchant stood opposite from Vale, his arms crossed. "I ain't no charity. This sword," He traces his finger along the silver-worked hilt of the ornate blade. "Y'see that? Real silver, that. You won't find another blade like this, especially out here all of places."

Vale makes an annoyed sound in his throat, his eyes flickering from the blade to the merchant. "You already have all of my gil... and even several books from The Gubal Library. Thal's balls, one of 'em is from the restricted section! You can sell them in Ul'dah and make four times what you sold this sword for!"

A bead of sweat rolled down the merchant's nose and dropped to the ground as he shook his head. "Can't sell these. More as like to get them confiscated before I see a single gil. No, if you want this sword you're going to need to give me something else."

With a sigh, Vale unstraps his two-handed sword from his back and sets it onto the counter. "I'll give you this, as well. This sword may not be as fancy, but... it's master crafted. Never lost its edge and has slain two griffins since I've had it."

The merchant's eyebrows raised at the last part. "Two griffins, eh?" He uncrossed his arms and bent forward to inspect the blade. After carefully testing the edge and turning the sword over several times he returned his gaze to Vale. "Tis' a sword made for killing, that I can rightly see. Tell me, what would make you want to give up such a blade for one so... fancy? Doesn't seem like your sort of style, if you don't mind me saying so."

Vale shook his head, a smile on his face. "Not too long ago I would've said you were right, but my time in the library made me realize something. Let's just say that my needs have... evolved."

Several moments went by, the silence staring at Vale in silence. Finally, he gave a slow nod. "Fine. The gil, sword and books for this and..." He reaches behind the counter and pulls out a silver-worked shield with the face of a lion etched into the metal. "You'll need this too. One-handed swords don't have the reach of what you're used to. This'll help keep you alive."

With a nod, Vale takes the sword rubs his fingers across the flat edge of the blade. He eyes the gem encased in the hilt and slides the sword into its sheathe before strapping it to his waist. The shield he straps onto his back, the lightness compared to his old sword still not feeling quite right to him. Vale gazes at his old two-handed sword with a twinge of sadness as the merchant heaves it off the counter and lays it against the rack with his other weapons. "May you protect another as you have me all this time, my friend," Vale mutters under his breath and turns from the merchant stall.

He hoists his bag of supplies over his shoulder and walks outside of the ruined city. The sound of cart wheels bumping down the road, merchants trying to shout over one another, and goblins high-pitched voices as they excitedly scramble over some new trinket all fade away as Vale walks by himself. When all has faded to silence and only the sound of his own breath and footsteps fill his ears, Vale turns off the road towards a ruined structure and sets his supplies down. He gazes around him and nods. "This'll do."

Vale unsheathes his sword and pulls the shield from his back. He sets them on the ground in front of him and traces his fingers along the etchings on each. It wasn't gold, but the books had said that silver should work as well. "Hopefully, anyway." Vale reaches into his pocket and takes out his notebook. Flipping through the note-filled pages, he finally finds the page he was looking for. "Precious metals, gold and silver for example, will allow the aether to travel. Add a gem for enhanced affects," Vale reads to himself. He sets the notebook down next to him, reading over the instructions once more. He takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly before laying his hands flat on the sword and shield and closing his eyes.

A flame springs to life in Vale's mind, but unlike before he keeps his emotions to himself. He snuffs the flame out and allows the fear and pain in his heart to permeate through him. A peace, of sorts, settles over him as the realization hits him. "All this time I've been running from my own feelings; pushing them away. I was weak because I couldn't come to terms with the fear in my heart, and the rage that slithered inside of me. But now..."

He conjures images from his childhood in his mind, watches himself from afar as years later he slays Garlean soldiers mercilessly. Salty tears stream down his face, leaving streaks through the dirt as his sister is dragged off. The whisper of Eleni's arrow as it soars through the air and lodges itself into the chest of his mentor. A stream of images flash through his mind like the endless crash of the sea. Vale sets his jaw and delves deep inside himself. He directs the chaotic flow, wrapping it around itself and pushing it upwards. A shape begins to form, long and thin, seemingly with a life of its own. Vale smiles sadly as the last of his painful memories fall into place. "...Now, instead of feeding my pain and hurt to the fire... I shall become the flame itself!"

Where before a bright flame had flickered in his mind, now a dark one took its place. It flickered evily, writhing and pulsing with a life of its own. Vale slowly wraps his hands around the flame, a burning sensation in his mind as it sears his flesh. He resists the urge to let go, knowing that if he did so he would lose himself to this darkness, and lets out a roar as he rips the corrupted flame from his mind and channels it through his fingers.

His eyes pop open as the last of the flame gutters out in his mind. Vale glances down at the sword and shield before him in wonder. Where before there had been plain metal, now a deep-red fire all its own snaked its way through and across the blade and shield. He reached out carefully, running his fingers across the hilt, but the metal was cold to the touch. Gripping the hilt in his hand, Vale pushes himself onto his feet and swings the blade in an arc before him. It slashes the air, a trail of red fading behind it. He swings the blade downward towards a corner of the ruined wall and the blade slices through the stone with ease. Vale stares at the blade in awe, a slow smile spreading across his face. He sheathes the blade and picks up the shield, his fingers tracing the aether as it courses through the metal. 

"Finally," He says to himself. "Finally, I've found my answer. All these years and it was right in front of me." He straps the shield onto his back and turns towards the road. "Now I'm ready for you, Alistair. Do what you will." Vale hoists the sack of supplies over his shoulder once more and steps onto the road. He looks both ways before turning and taking the first step towards home.

The End.