((All follow the events of Sunday June 14th))
Alexander shifted again, trying to find a comfortable position to sleep, but every movement was agony. His shoulder, where Menelwen's axe had struck, throbbed. His abdomen, where Vash had sliced him, stung. His jaw and cheek stiff and sore from Rhianna's punches and subsequent slaps. Every muscle and every old bone ached from the cold and the strain of the previous day's encounter. He lay there, eye closed, as he tried to find one spot, just one spot that didn't hurt in some way. Only one... his groin. He grimaced, shifting again. Even his brain hurt from the primal aether and the efforts and after-effects of removing it. He drifted in and out, rocked between waves of sleep and pain.
As the rays of mid-morning sun filtered through the infirmary's curtains, Alexander dragged himself fully awake, fighting off the heavy eyelids and grogginess of the poor night's sleep. His sour mood turned darker as he realized Rhianna still wasn't there. Unlike the previous times he had been injured and she had stayed by his side, this time he hadn't seen her at all.
The revelation of her pregnancy yesterday had come as a shock, but it had given him the strength he needed to overcome the primal influences just long enough to give them a chance to defeat and free him of them. And, now that he knew his child grew within her, the need to protect her was greater than ever; a challenge made infinitely difficult by the extent of his injuries and his lack of magical abilities, not to mention her absence.
He pushed himself up, gasping in pain as pressure was placed on his stomach; the wound sealed, but still healing. "Dammit, there is too much to do. Too much I have to fix..." He took a few moments, breathing heavily as the pain subsided. Grabbing his monocle off the nightstand, he affixed it to his good eye. "Hells. That's right. I need a new glass eye, as well. Add that to the list of things I need to do," he sighed, grateful, at least, that someone had bandaged over his missing eye so he didn't have a gaping hole in his head staring out at the world.
   He started looking around for something to write with; he needed to get the wheels rolling now if he was going to avert further disaster. It was about this time he heard voices asking for him followed by the sound of boots coming up the stairs. He exhaled heavily, "Seems getting myself arrested won't be necessary after all. I wonder who beat me to it. I shall have to send them a fruit basket," he mused to himself.
A trio of figures in blue uniforms rounded the corner and arranged themselves at the foot of his bed. Crystal Braves. Of course they would send the damned Braves. This was a matter of "Eorzean security" afterall, so certainly this gaggle of chocobo chicks would be his retrievers. Alexander sat upright, looking as dignified as he could in his current physical and mental state as the first of the three men procured a parchment from his uniform, opened it, and read it aloud.
   "Alexander Octavius Stormwind, also known as Alexandros Van Tempesta of the Garlean Empire. You are hereby under arrest for crimes against the people and sovereign powers of the Eorzean Alliance. You and your associate Rhianna Oruissi shall be detained and returned to sovereign Ul'dah soil so the details of your crimes may be examined." He rolled the parchment back up and stuffed it into his uniform.
  The mention of Rhianna being implicated made Alexander's eye twitch. She had gone through a lot of trouble to get him back in one piece, only to be arrested as an accomplice. The idea of this band of thugs mishandling the matron of the Tempesta name made his blood boil, but now wasn't the time... and with his magical ability gone, he was powerless to stop them by force. He would have to get her freed by playing their game for now. Rhianna was a new wrinkle, but not one he could not overcome. He would see her released once he was in Ul'dah, then he could focus on the matters at hand.
   He grunted, slowly swinging his legs out of the bed. "Would you gentlemen kindly hand me my robes and something to walk with? I'm afraid my wounds aren't fully healed and I'm already advanced in age as it is." He moved gingerly and lingered briefly on the amazed thought that he wasn't creaking and cracking like some rusted automaton. He rocked on the side of the bed until he got enough momentum to stand. He stood on wobbly feet and accepted his robe with a nod. "Than you." The men exchanged uncertain glances as Alexander slowly and painfully dressed himself; they didn't know whether to help, hurry him along, or he said with a grunt as he pulled his legs out from the bed. His body was still incredibly stiff and the mere act of walking was going to be an endeavor. He finally got to his feet after a minute of slow movement and carefully pulled his clothes on. The added weight of his robes put pressure on his busted shoulder and his feet ached at being crammed back into their boots. In hindsight, this magicite idea was proving to be more of a pain than he had anticipated.
  Once dressed, they cuffed him to a Brave on either side of him before handing him a simple walking stick. The arrangement wasn't the most comfortable and the stick-side Brave held the staff with him, however, it enabled him to support himself. 'They probably don't know I can no longer use magic,' he mused as they started off.Â
It was slow going; between his own pain and the cold Coerthas air which made him ache even more, he was winded by the time they got to the stairs. He stumbled and was surprised to find they caught him. A few steps later, he stumbled again, this time on purpose. Once more, they came to his aid, catching him before he hit the ground. His suspicions that they needed him alive and relatively unharmed were confirmed. The question was now would he remain that way or was there someone who wanted that pleasure to themselves once he got back to Ul'dah?  'Could be both...' he thought as they reached the bottom step. He asked for a moment to catch his breath. He felt so damn helpless and already it was grating on his nerves. He was tired, it was cold, he had no idea where Rhianna had disappeared to and now they were looking to locate and arrest her as well. One day to recuperate was apparently too much to ask.
The Braves fidgetted impatiently while they waited for him. When he was ready to move again, they opened the door and helped him out into the snow-blanketed courtyard. At the bottom of the ramp a covered chocobo-drawn cart was waiting for him. Either someone had done their homework and learned he was injured or the Braves simply didn't want to sit out in the cold any more than he did. Either way, he was thankful; the trip to Ul'dah would be far more comfortable in the cart than having to walk or ride on the back of a chocobo.Â
When he finally reached the bottom of the ramp, the two bound to him hopped into the back of the cart then turned to assist him. His walking stick was given to the third, who took it with him to the front of the carriage. Once they were settled he turned to his two guards, "When your compatriots find Miss Oruissi, would you be so kind as to have your superiors pass word to me? I'd like to get her released as soon as possible rather than draw out this whole process. She had nothing to do with my research or what happened, so she is completely innocent in this situation."Â
The men looked at him for a moment before one smirked and responded, "Your lady-friend has been in custody since last night. And never you fear; our interrogators will determine the extent of her involvement and guilt." The Brave leaned smugly back in his seat as Alexander's jaw clenched. The carriage lurched as they started to move. Alexander sat back in silence; the news was troubling, but not entirely unexpected. It just meant he had to come up with a plan a little quicker. Exhaling slowly, he closed his eye and began to formulate ideas and contingencies.
Alexander shifted again, trying to find a comfortable position to sleep, but every movement was agony. His shoulder, where Menelwen's axe had struck, throbbed. His abdomen, where Vash had sliced him, stung. His jaw and cheek stiff and sore from Rhianna's punches and subsequent slaps. Every muscle and every old bone ached from the cold and the strain of the previous day's encounter. He lay there, eye closed, as he tried to find one spot, just one spot that didn't hurt in some way. Only one... his groin. He grimaced, shifting again. Even his brain hurt from the primal aether and the efforts and after-effects of removing it. He drifted in and out, rocked between waves of sleep and pain.
As the rays of mid-morning sun filtered through the infirmary's curtains, Alexander dragged himself fully awake, fighting off the heavy eyelids and grogginess of the poor night's sleep. His sour mood turned darker as he realized Rhianna still wasn't there. Unlike the previous times he had been injured and she had stayed by his side, this time he hadn't seen her at all.
The revelation of her pregnancy yesterday had come as a shock, but it had given him the strength he needed to overcome the primal influences just long enough to give them a chance to defeat and free him of them. And, now that he knew his child grew within her, the need to protect her was greater than ever; a challenge made infinitely difficult by the extent of his injuries and his lack of magical abilities, not to mention her absence.
He pushed himself up, gasping in pain as pressure was placed on his stomach; the wound sealed, but still healing. "Dammit, there is too much to do. Too much I have to fix..." He took a few moments, breathing heavily as the pain subsided. Grabbing his monocle off the nightstand, he affixed it to his good eye. "Hells. That's right. I need a new glass eye, as well. Add that to the list of things I need to do," he sighed, grateful, at least, that someone had bandaged over his missing eye so he didn't have a gaping hole in his head staring out at the world.
   He started looking around for something to write with; he needed to get the wheels rolling now if he was going to avert further disaster. It was about this time he heard voices asking for him followed by the sound of boots coming up the stairs. He exhaled heavily, "Seems getting myself arrested won't be necessary after all. I wonder who beat me to it. I shall have to send them a fruit basket," he mused to himself.
A trio of figures in blue uniforms rounded the corner and arranged themselves at the foot of his bed. Crystal Braves. Of course they would send the damned Braves. This was a matter of "Eorzean security" afterall, so certainly this gaggle of chocobo chicks would be his retrievers. Alexander sat upright, looking as dignified as he could in his current physical and mental state as the first of the three men procured a parchment from his uniform, opened it, and read it aloud.
   "Alexander Octavius Stormwind, also known as Alexandros Van Tempesta of the Garlean Empire. You are hereby under arrest for crimes against the people and sovereign powers of the Eorzean Alliance. You and your associate Rhianna Oruissi shall be detained and returned to sovereign Ul'dah soil so the details of your crimes may be examined." He rolled the parchment back up and stuffed it into his uniform.
  The mention of Rhianna being implicated made Alexander's eye twitch. She had gone through a lot of trouble to get him back in one piece, only to be arrested as an accomplice. The idea of this band of thugs mishandling the matron of the Tempesta name made his blood boil, but now wasn't the time... and with his magical ability gone, he was powerless to stop them by force. He would have to get her freed by playing their game for now. Rhianna was a new wrinkle, but not one he could not overcome. He would see her released once he was in Ul'dah, then he could focus on the matters at hand.
   He grunted, slowly swinging his legs out of the bed. "Would you gentlemen kindly hand me my robes and something to walk with? I'm afraid my wounds aren't fully healed and I'm already advanced in age as it is." He moved gingerly and lingered briefly on the amazed thought that he wasn't creaking and cracking like some rusted automaton. He rocked on the side of the bed until he got enough momentum to stand. He stood on wobbly feet and accepted his robe with a nod. "Than you." The men exchanged uncertain glances as Alexander slowly and painfully dressed himself; they didn't know whether to help, hurry him along, or he said with a grunt as he pulled his legs out from the bed. His body was still incredibly stiff and the mere act of walking was going to be an endeavor. He finally got to his feet after a minute of slow movement and carefully pulled his clothes on. The added weight of his robes put pressure on his busted shoulder and his feet ached at being crammed back into their boots. In hindsight, this magicite idea was proving to be more of a pain than he had anticipated.
  Once dressed, they cuffed him to a Brave on either side of him before handing him a simple walking stick. The arrangement wasn't the most comfortable and the stick-side Brave held the staff with him, however, it enabled him to support himself. 'They probably don't know I can no longer use magic,' he mused as they started off.Â
It was slow going; between his own pain and the cold Coerthas air which made him ache even more, he was winded by the time they got to the stairs. He stumbled and was surprised to find they caught him. A few steps later, he stumbled again, this time on purpose. Once more, they came to his aid, catching him before he hit the ground. His suspicions that they needed him alive and relatively unharmed were confirmed. The question was now would he remain that way or was there someone who wanted that pleasure to themselves once he got back to Ul'dah?  'Could be both...' he thought as they reached the bottom step. He asked for a moment to catch his breath. He felt so damn helpless and already it was grating on his nerves. He was tired, it was cold, he had no idea where Rhianna had disappeared to and now they were looking to locate and arrest her as well. One day to recuperate was apparently too much to ask.
The Braves fidgetted impatiently while they waited for him. When he was ready to move again, they opened the door and helped him out into the snow-blanketed courtyard. At the bottom of the ramp a covered chocobo-drawn cart was waiting for him. Either someone had done their homework and learned he was injured or the Braves simply didn't want to sit out in the cold any more than he did. Either way, he was thankful; the trip to Ul'dah would be far more comfortable in the cart than having to walk or ride on the back of a chocobo.Â
When he finally reached the bottom of the ramp, the two bound to him hopped into the back of the cart then turned to assist him. His walking stick was given to the third, who took it with him to the front of the carriage. Once they were settled he turned to his two guards, "When your compatriots find Miss Oruissi, would you be so kind as to have your superiors pass word to me? I'd like to get her released as soon as possible rather than draw out this whole process. She had nothing to do with my research or what happened, so she is completely innocent in this situation."Â
The men looked at him for a moment before one smirked and responded, "Your lady-friend has been in custody since last night. And never you fear; our interrogators will determine the extent of her involvement and guilt." The Brave leaned smugly back in his seat as Alexander's jaw clenched. The carriage lurched as they started to move. Alexander sat back in silence; the news was troubling, but not entirely unexpected. It just meant he had to come up with a plan a little quicker. Exhaling slowly, he closed his eye and began to formulate ideas and contingencies.
