PSL - Felih and Rihnn go to the First...

[featherfoot]

And it's not right.



P'rihnn is honestly not sure what happened. One moment he had been fighting Zenos - or rather, Elidibus in Zenos' skin - and the next he was here. He vaguely remembers being hit by a powerful headache and seeing Elidibus approach him as if for a decisive blow, but the voice that had called him didn't seem quite the same as before. Was this how it had been for the others? For the Scions? Did his body lie on the ground in the Ghimlyt Dark, soul torn away? And for this?

He looks around his surroundings, frown growing deeper and deeper as he realises he hasn't the slightest clue where he is. There is no place he knows with such dense, purple foliage... and the light shining down on him is strangely oppressive, though he can't say why.

Fortunately he can see a nearby structure, and what looks like it might be a path. He can vaguely make out something beyond the trees, too, so... that way, then. After checking to make sure he still has his chakrams, just in case, P'rihnn makes his way to the wooden structure, looking around him to see if he can spy someone he can question.

Comments

[featherfoot]

“You don’t think they’ll wonder where the night came from?” P’rihnn asks, looking far too pleased with himself for making Felih yowl like that. “They must have people watching things in Lakeland. Eulmore and the Crystarium seem to be the two main powers.”

He returns his attention to the food, humming again for a moment while he works.

“Wonder what their leader’s like? Just as soulless as the Exarch, you think?”

[seasoflight]

Felih's ears droop. "...I hope not. Though I wouldn't call the Exarch soulless just yet... he does seem to care for the people here."

He's still a little irritated by P'rihnn's stunt with the fish head, but he drops it for now.

"It's just the Crystarium and Eulmore... I was looking at some maps. This realm- what's left of it... it's so small. It stuns me that folk have survived..."

[featherfoot]

“Does he?” P’rihnn wonders. “Or does he just say that because he’s expected to? Because he needs to pretend to be something, if he can’t act human. I’m standing by the ‘soulless’ assessment until proven wrong.”

He stares at the sizzling fish for a moment, wondering whether this would better serve as lunch rather than food for their trip.

“We’ll take a boat out later, then. Want to tell the Exarch where we’re going, in case he has something to say?”

[seasoflight]

"I think he does," Felih murmurs. "Some folk say he sends people gifts. That he knows little things about them, even if they've never spoken. He must be watching over them from the tower, somehow," he explains, before swishing his tail a few times, ears perking up as he catches the scent of the fish.

"I'd rather just go. If he's not going to tell us anything, why should we owe him the courtesy?" Felih huffs, sulking slightly and letting his chin rest back on the arm of the chaise.

[featherfoot]

“Really?” P’rihnn hadn’t heard that yet, and honestly he’s surprised. Keeps his distance, yet cares enough to pay attention and offer little gifts from time to time... people do seem to like him, so why keep his distance? “Strange. Maybe he’s self-conscious, being all crystal like that. Or...” He frowns, because he’s not sure if this would be a good assessment - he isn’t the best at reading people, after all. “Something happened to him to make him like that. People have done worse things than hide when they’ve been hurt.”

He flips the fish over and hums again, the scent of fish and the light spice making his stomach growl even though it’s not been long since breakfast.

“I figured even if he has nothing to say about himself, he might have something to say about Eulmore. He does know things he shouldn’t... but if neither of us want to see him, fine by me. Now do you want this fish for lunch? I was going to pack it for the journey, but my stomach’s growling.”

[seasoflight]

"Perhaps. There's no way to know, with how intent he seems on hiding himself away," Felih says with a sigh, before giving a lazy, catlike stretch on the chaise. "But I'd rather continue going forward without any potential bias from him. He's given me little reason to trust him."

His ears perk up at the last bit, though, tail aquiver.

"Well, I was hoping that was for lunch... if it's traveling food you want, I can help you prepare it after. I'm quite good at that," he chirps.

[featherfoot]

“Lunch it is!” P’rihnn decides, ears perking up and wiggling a little. “I bought a little too much, so that works out well.”

Fish and a few vegetables (but mostly fish) makes a perfectly good lunch, by his estimation. Despite his seemingly slapdash preparation, for what he lacks in other crafting ability he is a good culinarian.

“‘fraid it’s basic, but I’ve won prizes for my food before!”

[seasoflight]

"I'm not going to complain about fish and vegetables," Felih purrs, tail aquiver as he gets up and happily settles at the table. "I'm just as Miqo'te as you are."

He's delighted with the food, happily downing it quickly enough, and he hums. "I'm a rather accomplished culinarian as well. Working together, I've no doubt we'll have an easy time preparing food for the road."

[featherfoot]

It didn’t take much work to prepare, in the end. Before long they were packed up and ready for the trip, the thought of telling their host of their plans dismissed entirely. P’rihnn supposes he is not too surprised when, right as they are about to board their transport, a guard comes running and calling for their attention.

“Mr Tia! And Mr Tia!” Oh, dear, nobody had told the guard what Tia actually means... “A missive for you, sirs. From the Exarch.”

With a frustrated sigh, P’rihnn wordlessly snatches the paper from the guard, and tears it open to read. The guard, apparently expecting at least a word of gratitude for his work - or maybe a smile, a nod, or some other acknowledgement beyond P’rihnn’s scowl - looks concerned.

[seasoflight]

Felih is much more aware of social niceties, and while P'rihnn is fuming over the letter, he offers the guard a smile and a playful chirp.

"Thank you, darling. We'll heed the missive. Do you need anything of us in return?" he asks, hoping to distract the guard with a hint of flirting while P'rihnn reads the letter.

[featherfoot]

Though Felih is not looking at him to see, P’rihnn rolls his eyes. Always with the charm, this man is, even when it’s just a messenger doing their job... there’s no need for it. ‘Thank you, goodbye’ would have sufficed.

“No sir!” the guard assures him. “You are free to be on your way.”

It’s surprisingly short, considering the Exarch seems the sort to use ten words where three will do. Given your choice of transportation, it appears you are headed for Kholusia... in other words, he had seen them headed this way and had very little time to pen this.

“Travel tips,” he says, ignoring the guard. “Including what not to eat.”

[seasoflight]

With that, Felih bids the guard goodbye, and returns back to P'rihnn's side and gives him a light thwap on the arm.

"Be polite to people," he chides, before peeking over to look at the hastily-scrawled missive. His lips quirk in amusement. "I see he's been watching us move about... I wonder if Kholusia is out of range of his influence, if he's truly bound here to the tower."

"...what should we not eat?"

[featherfoot]

“You’re pleasant enough for both of us, gives me a break from trying,” P’rihnn says, not looking up from the letter for a moment and skimming over its contents again. “And I’m guessing so - says here he doesn’t actually want us to go.”

He taps the line in question, where the Exarch claims to know better than to try and stop them when their minds are made up. Good call on his part.

“We’re not to eat ‘meol’. Doesn’t say why. He also says the ‘Chais’ are trustworthy, but that they don’t know him so don’t mention him... and that ‘what we seek’ is in the city’s underbelly. I assume he means the Lightwarden.” He couldn’t know that their target is Minfilia, right?

[seasoflight]

Felih swats at him once more. "P'rihnn! Honestly, I'm stunned you've made it this far being so rude," he whines, before humming, tilting his head at the note.

"...I hope he means the Lightwarden," he murmurs, because if they find Minfilia instead, then Felih will know the Exarch has been outright spying and eavesdropping on them, something that makes Felih bristle uncomfortably. "But we should get going, either way."

[featherfoot]

Felih’s swatting and batting at him in protest only makes him grin for a moment, apparently pleased to be such an annoyance. Even so, he keeps his focus on their mission.

“It has to be the Lightwarden. We haven’t exactly been talking about Minfilia out in the open,” P’rihnn points out, though Felih’s uncertainty makes him frown, because... what if he doesn’t, and he does somehow know of their plans? Is he always watching them? It seems like he does watch the cityfolk...

Well, no use thinking about that now. He shakes his head, then whirls around and places hands on hips decisively. “To Kholusia!”

[seasoflight]

Felih can't help but feel a bit cheered up by P'rhinn's apparently enthusiasm, and he smiles and follows along.

"To Kholusia," he agrees, and soon they're on their way. The moment they arrive on the strangely deserted shores, he already feels uneasy, the entire area having an odd aura about it despite it being a seaside region.

"This place feels strange, doesn't it?" he murmurs, before sticking closer. "I would've expected a seaside region to be bustling more, but I suppose it's really true that most folk fled to Eulmore... ugh, it must be that garish looking thing in the distance."

He makes a face of mild distaste at the struction on the south shore. "But should we look around or just head straight there?"

[featherfoot]

That is a point. Under normal circumstances, coastal areas like this would have more in the way of fishing villages and communities, trade and hustle-and-bustle... here, it looks like there’s not even a smuggling operation going on. It’s a few ramshackle houses with a handful of downtrodden, dirty-looking folk. Perhaps once it was busier, as he can see an aetheryte in between the houses, but right now...

“Geographically, this ought to be more like La Noscea... but it looks dead.” He hops atop a rock to scan the area, but it’s all more of the same dirt and dry grass, with only what Felih assumes is Eulmore in the distance. “We can ask around the village and get an idea of what’s happening, but I’d say we should head for Eulmore directly.” Mostly because he doesn’t really have the patience to gather information here when he could gather it over there.

[seasoflight]

"It looks very dead," Felih agrees, tail twitching nervously as they make their way out and towards the little town. "But let's see what we can learn, and get going. Something tells me I won't want to linger here too long, if I can help it..."

A soft sigh. "Hopefully the folk won't be too wary of us. I've heard Eulmore and the Crystarium aren't quite on the best terms..." He trots along, expecting P'rhinn to follow, and curiously makes his way into the tiny town. There's not many folk around at all... it looks as if the town may have been larger and busier once, but it's clear that most of it is empty or in ruins now.

"A pub. Seems as good a place to ask around if any," he muses, noticing a worn sign, and makes his way towards it.

[featherfoot]

“Maybe grab a drink, while we’re at it...” P’rihnn says, hopping back down from his rock and charging ahead, throwing the door open and greeting the elezen - elven? - woman at the bar with a simple “morning! Or whatever time of day it is, I can’t tell.”

There’s no sun. How’s he supposed to tell if it’s day or night?”

One very brief conversation reveals that new customers are practically unheard of and their strange and foreign coins are apparently worthless. He’s not that desperate for a drink, so he turns to Felih with a small shrug - if he wants more info, he’s the people person of the pair.

“I’d be up for pest control if need be,” he says, as it seems that would be suitable payment, “but let’s figure out what we’re going to do first.”

[seasoflight]

Felih just huffs and follows P'rihnn into the bar, mildly amused by the way the other man prefers to just barge into the place without any grace whatsoever. As annoyed as he is about their gil being worthless, he sighs and stretches idly before chatting up the barkeep. He purrs and flirts happily- the woman is pretty- but she's clearly used to waving off flirtatious patrons anyway, not easily swayed.

It doesn't discourage Felih, though, who just settles down at a table with his companion before humming thoughtfully.

"So it seems that most folk from here have fled for the base of Eulmore, hoping they'll get into that 'sanctuary.' Though I doubt it's so simple, considering what we've found out... Is there much need for us to wander about Kholusia? If not, it might be more prudent to simply make haste for Gatetown."