Arcane fire wreathed the blackened, wrought-mythril head of the aetheric focus. A deep violet glow began to emanate from the crystal within the stylized shooting star. Thought became action, became a manipulation of aetheric potential. Action became reality and a tremendous explosion rocked the desert as a bright pulse of intense, white-hot aetherial power condensed and expanded outward.
The miqo'te opened her eyes to witness the destruction she had wrought. Fully half a dozen figures lay motionless upon the ground, their features and garments blackened beyond recognition. The sand beneath their bodies had glassed, melting beneath the intensely energetic aetherial manifestation. The cool evening air battled the residual heat, rising in distorted waves from the blast radius.
Aeriyn Ashley blinked and glanced at the staff in her right hand. Thanalan hadn't changed much since she had left, two years previous. The bandits were still fools who would attack anyone not wearing rags. The miqo'te slung her staff across her shoulders and made her way back to the old Allagan road.
She wasn't far from the city now--Ul'dah loomed in the distance, a shining beacon of wealth, intrigue... and more misery than either. Aeriyn had left the city of her rebirth three years after the Calamity. It still looked exactly the same, though perhaps there were more shanty towns cropping up around the city walls.
"This is not a homecoming," she muttered, seemingly to no one at all.
"It's not," a soft, lyrical voice agreed. "It's more important than that."
"Rinah," Aeriyn said, the miqo'te's ears flattening slightly. "You followed me here?"
A soft, golden glow emanated from behind and Aeriyn's violet eyes narrowed as a tiny winged form floated into her vision. The newcomer was perhaps only slightly taller than the length of Aeriyn's forearm. The fairy's body practically glowed with aether, leaving slowly-fading motes of golden light wherever she went, her vividly-colored wings fluttering rapidly.
"Had to," Rinah said, flitting across to land lightly on Aeriyn's left shoulder. "We're in this together, you and I."
"You should have stayed in Limsa. It's not safe for you here," Aeriyn objected.
"It's not safe for you here, either," Rinah pointed out. "This is very likely to be dangerous for you, Aeri. You have a much better chance of surviving if I'm with you."
"Even if it kills you? You've been cut off from the flow of aether. If you die--"
"I know," Rinah cut her off. "It doesn't change anything. If you die, I'll never be able to find out what happened to me. I have a good reason to risk it."
"I'm not completely convinced I can help you," Aeriyn said. "I'm not an evoker."
"You've practiced. You've been studying the processes I've shown you. There are better arcanists, Aeri, but I trust you far more than I trust them. You know how it feels to be cut off, adrift. You saved my life, such as it is, and I'm going to protect yours."
The miqo'te opened her eyes to witness the destruction she had wrought. Fully half a dozen figures lay motionless upon the ground, their features and garments blackened beyond recognition. The sand beneath their bodies had glassed, melting beneath the intensely energetic aetherial manifestation. The cool evening air battled the residual heat, rising in distorted waves from the blast radius.
Aeriyn Ashley blinked and glanced at the staff in her right hand. Thanalan hadn't changed much since she had left, two years previous. The bandits were still fools who would attack anyone not wearing rags. The miqo'te slung her staff across her shoulders and made her way back to the old Allagan road.
She wasn't far from the city now--Ul'dah loomed in the distance, a shining beacon of wealth, intrigue... and more misery than either. Aeriyn had left the city of her rebirth three years after the Calamity. It still looked exactly the same, though perhaps there were more shanty towns cropping up around the city walls.
"This is not a homecoming," she muttered, seemingly to no one at all.
"It's not," a soft, lyrical voice agreed. "It's more important than that."
"Rinah," Aeriyn said, the miqo'te's ears flattening slightly. "You followed me here?"
A soft, golden glow emanated from behind and Aeriyn's violet eyes narrowed as a tiny winged form floated into her vision. The newcomer was perhaps only slightly taller than the length of Aeriyn's forearm. The fairy's body practically glowed with aether, leaving slowly-fading motes of golden light wherever she went, her vividly-colored wings fluttering rapidly.
"Had to," Rinah said, flitting across to land lightly on Aeriyn's left shoulder. "We're in this together, you and I."
"You should have stayed in Limsa. It's not safe for you here," Aeriyn objected.
"It's not safe for you here, either," Rinah pointed out. "This is very likely to be dangerous for you, Aeri. You have a much better chance of surviving if I'm with you."
"Even if it kills you? You've been cut off from the flow of aether. If you die--"
"I know," Rinah cut her off. "It doesn't change anything. If you die, I'll never be able to find out what happened to me. I have a good reason to risk it."
"I'm not completely convinced I can help you," Aeriyn said. "I'm not an evoker."
"You've practiced. You've been studying the processes I've shown you. There are better arcanists, Aeri, but I trust you far more than I trust them. You know how it feels to be cut off, adrift. You saved my life, such as it is, and I'm going to protect yours."
attractive enmity device
