#M'ARIANNI ALHA

[lal-ffxiv]

Prompt #14: Telling

Summary: M'arianni is being held hostage and beaten. Then Luc and Epohkan rescue her. There is more violence and bit more graphic than what I usually publish on this blog.

Smack! Forehand. Smack! Backhand. On the backhand the studded glove cut Arianni's cheek. Deeper each time, or maybe it has been 100 cuts coming together into one bloody wound.

A wound that getting mud into it. Arianni had fallen over on last swing of the hand, or was because she didn't have the strength to keep herself upright anymore?

"Pick 'em up." The hitting hand spoke.

Other hands were on her then. Forcing her onto her sore, bruised knees again. With her wrist tied together to her ankles, she was stuck kneeling there.

Upright again the blood and saliva she been drooling welled in her mouth, so she spat it out.

It was so dark, or her eyes were swollen shut. Didn't matter since she spat it at the hitting hand either way. Another hit. On her chin upwards. It made her teeth clack against each other. She tastes the blood at the back of her throat in a more irony flavor.

"Ready to answer the question?"

Arianni couldn't help the gurgling giggle. This isn't answer the hand wants from her.

"My employer, the man you stole from, is lost in grief over his late wife. Now, to have the only physical ties to her taken from him? That is unacceptable. I don't care who stole it, only how to retrieve it. You tell me and you can leave just a little beaten. Otherwise, we leave you in this cave to be seen as victim of the Duskwight or toss you where there is woodrot and let woodsin finish you." He allowed Arianni a minute to consider this information. Then asked, "Where is the necklace?" Arianni had the answer in the back of her throat with the blood.

The necklace wouldn't be found whole. It was set to be cut and delivered as a pouch of stones to a jeweler in Ul'dah who would rearrange it into a set for a rich, living lady. This would all been done already by Epokhan and Luc as planned depending on how long Arianni been here.

Then, those two would become the brute's targets since the jewels couldn't be retrieved. He would need to deliver the thieves. Which wouldn't include Arianni, if she walked out of her and disappeared. Leaving the keepers with the restitution or most likely retribution. Arianni only need to say the names. Give Epokhan and Luc over the brute in trade for her life.

Arianni swallows them down. Those names belonged to her. In the pit of her stomach where the fire burns. On her life those names would stay there.

Arianni uses the fire to look directly at the hand's owner through her blurred vision. "I don't know anything. Expect that lady had very good taste."

The voice sighs. The open hand is lifted again. An arrow is shot through it on the forehand swing. The owner recoils with a grunt. An arrow shot through his neck before he could make another sound.

No more asking questions for you, Arianni thought as closed her eyes to gruesome gore of her rescue.

"There you are." Epokans voice was soft. His hands were cool as cupped her face to inspect the wounds. She feels the instant relief as he cleans and heals her superficial wounds with a potion.

"Hey there Thatcher." Arianni's face still hurts, but she couldn't help a smile when she heard him. "Where is the Songbird?" "Teaching a lesson and leaving a message. For anyone that thinks of coming after us."

Arianni shudders. "Don't kill them in front of me. I want to get away from here first." Arianni wasn't one for mercenary work or murder, no matter how justified.

Epohkan carries out Arianni's request by calling his partner over.

Arianni recognizes Luc's by touch as she cuts away the restraints. "Took you long enough. Almost was worried you wouldn't come for your favorite liar."

"Don't jest right now. You're hurt." Luc lifts her in a cradling embrace. "You should have given them whatever they wanted."

Arianni leans into the other Miqo'te to rest and says, "That would be telling."

[lal-ffxiv]

M’arianni Alha  Epokhan The Thatcher Luc Lyezehbal

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Prompt #12: Quarry

The young lady approached the Keepers of the Moon with a proposal of work in dispatching some vilekin, and it would be easy enough to just take the money in a confidence trick. However, she made claims of hidden treasures in the abandon city of Gelmorra.

"... I do not mean be babbling on about history of Twelveswood to you, but it is quite interesting. Don't you believe?"

"It will believe it if have any proof on where to find these treasures."

"Well, of course. I came across this map in my grandfather's library. He is so old. He might as well be one of the first that came out from the underground, and see here this is marked as sacred place, so I believe any relics would be stored there. I plan to make a collection of the relics as I am sure I am not the only one to be fascinated by the citystate's origins. Unfortunately, my father not one of those people. He refuses to lend his men for my expedition. As a business man, he can only understand the words of money. I tell him he is inviting the wrath of The Elementals upon himself by logging. Although, without his sacrilegious lumber mill then I would not have this opportunity. It is with my allowance from him that I fund this venture, which is just enough for two guards. Are you interested?"

Epokhan's head spun by time the long-winded maiden had stopped talking. He was afraid of giving her an answer as it would allow her to start talking again.

Luc was quick on her feet and tongue. While tedious in her speech, the young lady was trusting and optimistic, so a perfect pigeon. Since Luc loved birds, she made the choice on the deal. "This sounds like a very meaningful venture, and we would please to undertake it, but sounds much to dangerous for you come along. My partner and I have to insist on half payment now, and the rest once we have returned with your relics."

"And due to danger, we will need to double the price." Epokhan added.

The girl took her head violently like a child throwing a tantrum. "No, no, no! First, I am not paying you to stand prettily while I search. I need to be able discern the relics of value. I want none of gaudy relics of any precious metals or jewels. Second, I need to see the place were my people toiled for my kind's survival under the harsh rule of The Elementals. I must go to the underground city myself. I will pay the higher price, but I can not be denied this wish."

She had more than just earnesty. She had a fire in her eye that Luc would not argue with. Instead Luc looked to her partner. If the treasure were true then they could make more profit with her along, if they weren't the couple could still rob her and leave her in underbelly of the earth on their merry way.

"Alright. We'll take the venture."

"Excellent! I am so excited! Truly I did not believe I would find a pair so brave as yourselves. Father also warned me about ... that is end of that. I will meet you both at Camp Emerald Moss on the morrow then." The young lady beamed, and sadly walked away with her full coin purse as Epokan's and Luc's stomach growled.

Epohkan, a well-learned hunter, would blame the hunger on addling his mind. No other reason would he walked into such an obvious trap.

As soon as the trio entered the underground, they were overrun. Not by seedkin or vilekin, but by duskwight bandits.

Luc held the line while he cut his way from the net. He would have thought their client lost in the confrontation as he became Luc's sole concern aside from her own life. From his hovering position though he could see maiden go from green to grey, and raided the bandit's stores appearing as bandit herself. Epokhan fell from the net, and lost sight of her. For now.

He is a trained tracker too after all. Side by side the two of them made a quick show of incapacitating the bandits to chase their quarry.

The arrow scraped the tip of her nose. It would have gone straight through her head, if the arrow had been aimed for it. She took the hint and walked backwards to face her attackers.

"What have I done to deserve this greeting?" Asked the duskwight from the keepers.

"Drop the act. We know its you." Epokhan said as Luc let another arrow fly towards the elezen.

"Oh caught on to me and my tricks did ya." A wave of the hand and in front of them was young lady over the bandit.

"Leading us to our death was the whole plan was it?"

"I haven't killed anyone, nor do I plan to. Only I thought a mob of bandits would distract you longer while I got farther away from here is all."

"Like how we were meant to distract the bandits while you stole from them."

"It it really stealing when you take from a rob-"Luc fired an ice core tipped arrow with the idea of freezing her mouth shut for good. It would be well worth the tipped arrow as to never hear the elezen's voice again.

Instead the sprite core reacted to the active glamour prism. Then, a Seeker of the Sun stood before them.

Ri'anni Tia felt naked without a glamour over her, even worse than that. She was being perceived wrongly in this very moment. After a lifetime of that, she wasn't going to take another second of it.

Arianni dropped the item she sought to activate another glamour. Then, faced her attackers anew. "That was more embarrassing than being caught in my smallclothes, so let forget about it."

The Keepers of the Moon were stunned though. Luc had lowered her bow, and Epokhan stood mouth wide.

"Why disguse yourself was a woman?" Epokhan asked

"You sound like my mother." Arianni groaned. "Because I like to, why else?"

"How does it work? Can you show us?" Luc asked.

The skill every criminal should hone is being able to find the object a person wants and promising it to them.

"Oh is dressing in eachother's clothes not fooling the amount of people you want?" Arianni found the thing that might save her life from the Keeper with the bow and arrow.

"I learned from some imps, but I can only teach you if you have the talent." She offered and waited.

The Keepers shared a look between themselves. Arianni was quite jealous of the intimacy the two shared. To know eachother's thoughts without words, that was something she could never have with another.

"We'll considered forgiving you if you teach us the way to be disguised." Epokhan started

"As if you weren't planning on leaving me there for dead either." Arianni interrupted. Luc lifted the bow again. Arianni sewed her mouth shut quick.

"But your debt is separate, and for that we will go along with to where you'll be fencing that." Luc pointed at the trinket Arianni had dropped in her desperation. Split three way the reward for retrieving the noble's personal property was going to be small, but living another day is worth more.

"Then, you will stay right by us until we've learned." Luc finished.

"Fine, but then we never speak another word to each other after."

Arianni crossed her hands to shake each one theirs, so the three shook hands on the deal.

[lal-ffxiv]

Prompt #11: Surrogate

The evening was warm on the Rhotano Sea. M'arianni and Foggy were sitting on deck sharing a bottle of spirits, watching the lights of Liminsa Lomisa come on as Lucien fished off the bow of the ship. A good domestic scene.

"He doesn't look much like you. Except in the eyes. The physical differences between Seekers and Keepers are misconceptions or sterotypes, I know, but does he look like his mother-father more?"

M'arianni snorted, but followed Foggy's observation of Lucien. As it often felt when she looked at him, her heart stung with regret. He did have similarites to Epohkan, but when he hummed, as Lucien was doing now, she could only see Luc's reflection in him. M'arianni briefly wondered about the other one, if they shared any qualitiies in apperance or habit with the trio that had been.

"Not much, nor the the other parent."

"It drives me mad when you say that without elaboration. Your mysteriois relationship with these past live lovers." Foggy took a deep drink from the bottle with shake of head. "If he looked more like you, it would much better for business. Customers feel such pity for single mothers."

"I'm not his mother. He has a mother. He is just my responbility until his parents come for him."

"You are a mother nonetheless. Otherwise we would be feching a pretty price for his head."

M'arianni didn't grab the bottle from his hand this time, but Foggy's wrist. Her nails like claws dug into soft flesh until he cried out. M'arianni caught the bottle in her free hand. Then twisted the wrist in her grip slightly.

"If anything happens to him, and I have even a hint of your invovlement, I will have you at bottom of the briny before you know it and I'll keep the boat."

M'arianni released Foggy's wrist. There isn't an open wound since it only a warning. Foggy was sure the red marks from her finfernails would grow into a burise though.

However, any further argument or discussion was halted by the beam of light that hit the deck. Lucien scurried to M'arianni's side on cue.

"Are you civilians?"

"Yes sir. Just the miss, the child and myself." Foggy put his hand to the back of M'arianni's waist.

The officer nodded at them. "Clear off from this area while we search it for suspcious activity."

"Oh anything we need to be worried about." M'arianni used the action of pulling Lucian closer to push away from Foggy's hand.

"Searching for a burglar. If you put into port, you will be safe."

"We will be reporting anything we see to the tower." M'arianni promised to officer as his boat was rowed away.

Once vinicity was cleared a wet sack was throw onto the deck from the sea.

Lucien went to look over the gunwale to see a head bobbing in the water.

"Pull me up already. The water is freezing." The man shouted.

"I'm checking the goods frist." M'arianni shouted back as Foggy inspected the contents.

"Plates and prisms in perfect condition."

M'arianni tossed a rope latter to allow the burglar onto the boat. "Stay below deck. And warm yourself up with this." M'arianni handled him the bottle of spirits to Foggy's protest.

"We will split the profits once you have glamoured the items. For now lets get the hells away from here before that officer circles back."

"What's my split?" Lucien asked as he played his role to perfection.

"Hah! I've taught how to read, write and arithemtic on the level of arcanist. You owe me a debt if anything! Now I'm gonna teach you how get this sail up. Grab that..." As Foggy continued to instruct, M'arianni watched.

Once again looking with her whole heart at the young miqo'te boy. Heartache rang out to her, and she felt the responbility of his life over her head that she never wanted for herself. No love could grown from that soil, so he would never be anything to her. However, much like the choice of having Lucien in her life, she could not stop him from seeing her as someone else. Surrogate nonetheless indeed.

[lal-ffxiv]

FfxivWrite2021 FOSTER

This is ugly but didn't want to miss day1 this year. Will fix and post as text.