K'airos and Antimony left the inn about an hour after their meeting with the priest. The young woman didn't let those news demoralize her, and so she walked normally for about four seconds before her ears flung themselves downwards and her tail failed to swing in unison with her movements. She kept walking like this, carrying her bag of belongings on her back, until they reached the chocobo keeper above the town.
As he said he would, Qion'li was there, with all the needed chocobos prepared. His two stiffly silent assistants could be seen walking towards the Golden Bazaar further ahead, not very far. They had no mounts, having chosen to go by foot instead.
Antimony kept close to her daughter as they walked. Part of her thought it might be best to stay here, wait for Ulanan should the lalafell arrive, and perhaps help in some way. But then most of her simply wanted to run - run from those chasing K'aijeen, run from the thought of her youngest being still alive. Or... not alive. An abomination. Her tail shivered. She would go with K'airos; she couldn't leave the girl alone after this. "Perhaps the duty of this trip will help distract you for a time," she spoke softly to her daughter as they approached Qion'li. Once near enough, she greeted the Keeper with a polite bow of her head.
K'airos didn't answer to her mother. She tried to look more eager for the job, but failed quite a bit at it.
"You look discouraged." Qion'li said, raising his hand in greeting to them. "Did you have enough time to prepare?"
"No. No! We...we had enough time." the girl replied, moving to one of the chocobos. She was about to toss her bag on top of it when she looked over it and saw the other two men walking away. "Uhm...are your other...escorts not coming with us?"
"I told them to go ahead. If they see any ambush they will let us now."
"I can't imagine an ambush will be something we will need to worry about," Antimony interjected, looking towards her daughter, tone conciliatory. "I'm sure everything will be quiet."
The blue hooded man nodded. "I do not think the northern roads see much in the way of danger. As long as we keep away from the Invisible City we will be safe."
K'airos secured her bag on the mount and then looked at her mother. "Do you need help with yours?"
"Thank you, Airos. You are so thoughtful." She made herself smile, "but you don't need to worry yourself over me." This said she made to secure her own bag to one of the other chocobos and, soon, was sitting upon it.
K'airos did the same, and soon they were moving northwards steadily. She did not feel much like speaking, so it was going to be a very silent journey.
If Qion'li hadn't spoken, that is. "Are you both from Ul'dah? If you don't mind the question."
Antimony cast an uncertain look towards K'airos, taking up her chocobo's reins. Her shoulders shifted with a faint sigh. "No, but we are from the region."
"Close enough." Qion'li said, keeping his head facing forward. "I do not enjoy the city too much. It's a bit...crowded, I'd say. My brothers enjoy those more than me."
"Ah," Antimony's expression relaxed just a hair, welcoming conversation at least someone removed from the difficult conversation of an hour earlier. "I can understand that feeling. We are not city miqo'te."
"From one of the local tribes, I wager? I was born in one of those. Except in the Black Shroud of course. Not many moon keepers decide to live on their own in a desert. Not that I know of."
K'airos chose to keep quiet, apparently.
"It must be difficult for you to travel here," Antimony acknowledged. "Are you alright with the heat?"
"I have gotten used to it. I prefer it to the Shroud's pests, actually."
"I've heard they have giant insects there." K'airos commented, her voice edging on the 'impossible to hear' spectrum.Â
"That's true. And most of them fly. It's quite disgusting."
K'airos shuddered.
"It is not a friendly place," Antimony agreed, offering K'airos an empathetic look. "Thankfully the worst we get in the desert are fly swarms."
"I'd say Thanalan is quite a friendly place, sun and heat notwithstanding." Qion'li replied. "It has as many beast tribes as and as many unsavory individuals living inside the city as anywhere else. Not a bad place, considering!"
"I suppose not." Grateful that this Qion'li fellow was at least pleasant company, Antimony worked to distance herself further from the earlier stresses. If she could lead by example, Airos would find greater comfort. At least that was how she imagined it. "The open spaces are relaxing. And there is no worry for the woodwrath."
The man huffed. "Ul'dah has the Syndicate to make out for their other lacks of obnoxious recipes for disaster. But at least they can be dealt with, eventually. Supernatural powers are much harder to uproot."
K'airos lingered behind them. She got a little closer, but not too much. She had placed her Blade mask on and seemed to be more concentrated on keeping her eyes and ears on their surroundings.
"Ah, yes, the Syndicate. But... it is as you say." It took some effort, but Antimony managed a small smile towards the Keeper. The hesitated and then ventured, "I hope I am not intruding overly much, but what are your economic interests in Ul'dah?"
"They are the richest city and the most pompous." he started. "Our guild specializes in the crafting of glamour crystals. Plenty of rich merchants and lords like to use magic to impress their fellow citizens at expensive parties. I'm sure one of them will find a much less reputable use, though. But that's inevitable."
"Glamour crystals? That certainly seems a wise investment. But surely the competition is quite high?"
"I can complain about the competition, just as much as they can complain about me. One or the other will eventually drive the other off or devour it. Just business as usual."
Antimony nodded at that, glancing back towards K'airos. She tried for a smile to her daughter. "You are fortunate to have such a business-wise man as your new employer, Airos."
"Yes. Ah..." K'airos answered, smiling back. "How long did you intend to stay in the region? I mean...my contract is one week only, but since you spoke of an extension I was wondering."
"I'll properly answer that question once we reach Highbridge. I will leave to conduct my business in Gridania for a few days, and fate is capricious little weasel." he huffed at that last part. "I might get a fever, or the Elementals might decide that I'd look funny with a boulder on my head." He turned briefly around to face the woman, and chuckled. "We'll see, that's what I'm saying."
"Did you not say he would keep you on payroll and on-call, Airos?" Antimony's ears shifted.
"Well, yes, but...he could change his mind." Her ears shifted a bit.
"We'll see." Qion'li repeated. "Let’s pray to the gods that no bandit or monster makes me doubt your ability."
"I have every ounce of faith in Airos's abilities. She is a grand huntress and the best Brass Blade you could find," Antimony stated proudly, lifting her chin.
K'airos, on the other hand, sunk her head between the shoulders, embarrassed. Fortunately, Qion'li didn't seem to mind. "I'm sure your confidence in your daughter is well placed." he said.
"Of course it is. As the one who has observed her from swaddled babe to grown adult, I know he capabilities best of all. Perhaps moreso than herself," Antimony nodded.
K'airos got her chocobo a bit too close to Antimony's, making the two snap their beaks at each other for about a second before forgetting all about it. "Mom!" she hissed lowly and barely added a "Please, stop." afterwards.
"What?" Antimony lifted her brows at her daughter. "I am helping your reputation, Airos. You should have more confidence in yourself."
She hissed again. "It's embarrassing!"
Green eyes blinking, Antimony furrowed her brow. Then she sighed. "Very well. Your mother will be quiet now."
"Thank you!"Â
K'airos pulled her mount away so the chocobos wouldn't try to peck each other to death again. Though that was an exaggeration, of course. Qion'li didn't seem to notice their little exchange. Or perhaps he was just pretending.
As he said he would, Qion'li was there, with all the needed chocobos prepared. His two stiffly silent assistants could be seen walking towards the Golden Bazaar further ahead, not very far. They had no mounts, having chosen to go by foot instead.
Antimony kept close to her daughter as they walked. Part of her thought it might be best to stay here, wait for Ulanan should the lalafell arrive, and perhaps help in some way. But then most of her simply wanted to run - run from those chasing K'aijeen, run from the thought of her youngest being still alive. Or... not alive. An abomination. Her tail shivered. She would go with K'airos; she couldn't leave the girl alone after this. "Perhaps the duty of this trip will help distract you for a time," she spoke softly to her daughter as they approached Qion'li. Once near enough, she greeted the Keeper with a polite bow of her head.
K'airos didn't answer to her mother. She tried to look more eager for the job, but failed quite a bit at it.
"You look discouraged." Qion'li said, raising his hand in greeting to them. "Did you have enough time to prepare?"
"No. No! We...we had enough time." the girl replied, moving to one of the chocobos. She was about to toss her bag on top of it when she looked over it and saw the other two men walking away. "Uhm...are your other...escorts not coming with us?"
"I told them to go ahead. If they see any ambush they will let us now."
"I can't imagine an ambush will be something we will need to worry about," Antimony interjected, looking towards her daughter, tone conciliatory. "I'm sure everything will be quiet."
The blue hooded man nodded. "I do not think the northern roads see much in the way of danger. As long as we keep away from the Invisible City we will be safe."
K'airos secured her bag on the mount and then looked at her mother. "Do you need help with yours?"
"Thank you, Airos. You are so thoughtful." She made herself smile, "but you don't need to worry yourself over me." This said she made to secure her own bag to one of the other chocobos and, soon, was sitting upon it.
K'airos did the same, and soon they were moving northwards steadily. She did not feel much like speaking, so it was going to be a very silent journey.
If Qion'li hadn't spoken, that is. "Are you both from Ul'dah? If you don't mind the question."
Antimony cast an uncertain look towards K'airos, taking up her chocobo's reins. Her shoulders shifted with a faint sigh. "No, but we are from the region."
"Close enough." Qion'li said, keeping his head facing forward. "I do not enjoy the city too much. It's a bit...crowded, I'd say. My brothers enjoy those more than me."
"Ah," Antimony's expression relaxed just a hair, welcoming conversation at least someone removed from the difficult conversation of an hour earlier. "I can understand that feeling. We are not city miqo'te."
"From one of the local tribes, I wager? I was born in one of those. Except in the Black Shroud of course. Not many moon keepers decide to live on their own in a desert. Not that I know of."
K'airos chose to keep quiet, apparently.
"It must be difficult for you to travel here," Antimony acknowledged. "Are you alright with the heat?"
"I have gotten used to it. I prefer it to the Shroud's pests, actually."
"I've heard they have giant insects there." K'airos commented, her voice edging on the 'impossible to hear' spectrum.Â
"That's true. And most of them fly. It's quite disgusting."
K'airos shuddered.
"It is not a friendly place," Antimony agreed, offering K'airos an empathetic look. "Thankfully the worst we get in the desert are fly swarms."
"I'd say Thanalan is quite a friendly place, sun and heat notwithstanding." Qion'li replied. "It has as many beast tribes as and as many unsavory individuals living inside the city as anywhere else. Not a bad place, considering!"
"I suppose not." Grateful that this Qion'li fellow was at least pleasant company, Antimony worked to distance herself further from the earlier stresses. If she could lead by example, Airos would find greater comfort. At least that was how she imagined it. "The open spaces are relaxing. And there is no worry for the woodwrath."
The man huffed. "Ul'dah has the Syndicate to make out for their other lacks of obnoxious recipes for disaster. But at least they can be dealt with, eventually. Supernatural powers are much harder to uproot."
K'airos lingered behind them. She got a little closer, but not too much. She had placed her Blade mask on and seemed to be more concentrated on keeping her eyes and ears on their surroundings.
"Ah, yes, the Syndicate. But... it is as you say." It took some effort, but Antimony managed a small smile towards the Keeper. The hesitated and then ventured, "I hope I am not intruding overly much, but what are your economic interests in Ul'dah?"
"They are the richest city and the most pompous." he started. "Our guild specializes in the crafting of glamour crystals. Plenty of rich merchants and lords like to use magic to impress their fellow citizens at expensive parties. I'm sure one of them will find a much less reputable use, though. But that's inevitable."
"Glamour crystals? That certainly seems a wise investment. But surely the competition is quite high?"
"I can complain about the competition, just as much as they can complain about me. One or the other will eventually drive the other off or devour it. Just business as usual."
Antimony nodded at that, glancing back towards K'airos. She tried for a smile to her daughter. "You are fortunate to have such a business-wise man as your new employer, Airos."
"Yes. Ah..." K'airos answered, smiling back. "How long did you intend to stay in the region? I mean...my contract is one week only, but since you spoke of an extension I was wondering."
"I'll properly answer that question once we reach Highbridge. I will leave to conduct my business in Gridania for a few days, and fate is capricious little weasel." he huffed at that last part. "I might get a fever, or the Elementals might decide that I'd look funny with a boulder on my head." He turned briefly around to face the woman, and chuckled. "We'll see, that's what I'm saying."
"Did you not say he would keep you on payroll and on-call, Airos?" Antimony's ears shifted.
"Well, yes, but...he could change his mind." Her ears shifted a bit.
"We'll see." Qion'li repeated. "Let’s pray to the gods that no bandit or monster makes me doubt your ability."
"I have every ounce of faith in Airos's abilities. She is a grand huntress and the best Brass Blade you could find," Antimony stated proudly, lifting her chin.
K'airos, on the other hand, sunk her head between the shoulders, embarrassed. Fortunately, Qion'li didn't seem to mind. "I'm sure your confidence in your daughter is well placed." he said.
"Of course it is. As the one who has observed her from swaddled babe to grown adult, I know he capabilities best of all. Perhaps moreso than herself," Antimony nodded.
K'airos got her chocobo a bit too close to Antimony's, making the two snap their beaks at each other for about a second before forgetting all about it. "Mom!" she hissed lowly and barely added a "Please, stop." afterwards.
"What?" Antimony lifted her brows at her daughter. "I am helping your reputation, Airos. You should have more confidence in yourself."
She hissed again. "It's embarrassing!"
Green eyes blinking, Antimony furrowed her brow. Then she sighed. "Very well. Your mother will be quiet now."
"Thank you!"Â
K'airos pulled her mount away so the chocobos wouldn't try to peck each other to death again. Though that was an exaggeration, of course. Qion'li didn't seem to notice their little exchange. Or perhaps he was just pretending.
![[Image: AntiThalSig.png]](https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/179079766/AntiThalSig.png)
"Song dogs barking at the break of dawn, lightning pushes the edges of a thunderstorm; and these streets, quiet as a sleeping army, send their battered dreams to heaven."
Hipparion Tribe (Sagolii)Â - Â Antimony Jhanhi's Wiki
