Silk Talons: Chapter 3

Another early morning in Gridania, where the sun had not yet risen.  In the stream running underneath the leatherworkers guild, two lance weilding figures were locked in a dance of thrusts and parries, side steps and feints.  "I hear you're doing well."  Grezel Lionight deftly twirled his lance before him to deflect the younger miqo'te's attack.  His already naturally commanding voice seemed even more imposing as it echoed off the walls of the small canyon.  

Ginal playfully smirked as she launched another assault, a flurry of quick thrusts followed by a low sweep at the dragoon's ankles, "Are you surprised?"  

He nimbly back flipped over the sweep, landing on his toes and immediately springing forward in a heavy thrust.  " Not surprised.  Proud."

That means more than you realize.

The blades of their lances locked, and though she could not see his eyes under his dragon skull helmet, she felt his gaze piercing her own.   "Yet, I sense you are troubled." Grezel stated.  

Ginal's grin turned into a half frown, "How could you tell?"  

The corner of his lip turned up in what passed for a smile, "I know you.  What is on your mind?"  

The slick rocks shifted uneasily under Ginal's boots as she withdrew her weapon and spun around in a twirling slash, "I don't think you'd understand. "  

Grezel brought his lance down at his side to block the attack, "Try me.  Could it be about your gentleman friend?"  The miqo'te woman shifted away and leaped backward.  At the height of her jump she hurled her lance like a javelin at her sparring partner, the spear narrowly missing him as it impaled the stream bed.  She almost swore she could see him quirk a brow.

Please drop it.  Don't make me talk about.

"I don't want to talk about it, Grez."  She knelt down and.splashed her face.  The water was so cold that she felt the chill travel all the way through her tail.  

The dragoon harnessed his own lance and retrieved his friends, handing it to her.  "I suppose breakfast is on me?"  

She harnessed her lance with a playful grin, "When is it ever not?"  Ginal's expression softened as she grabbed his gauntlet clad hand.  "Grez...thank you."

I know you mean well, but you don't know me as well as you think.

Mother Miounne sat another mug of coffee down before the miqo'te redhead, giving her a knowing smirk.  "Still leaving a trail of broken hearts and raised tents?"  

Ginal giggled as she looked about at the Carline Canopy's patrons, throwing a wink at a middle aged elezen man she had flirted with on several occasions.  "Always and forever." She answered with a grin.  The older woman shook her head as she walked away, laughing to herself.  

"That would be my cue to leave," Grezel stated as he straightened from his leaning.  "I need to join my company anyway, we think we've almost cleared out the Ixali hunting parties."  

Ginal nodded, a worried look on her face.  "Grez...please be careful.  Those creatures are awful."

They're like living nightmares.

The tall dragoon nodded and pat Ginal's shoulder, "They are indeed, but keep in mind that I've fought worse."  

The miqo'te frowned up at her friend.  "That doesn't really make me feel better."  

Grezel took the young woman's cheek in his armored palm, his lips turning up in a soft smile, "I'll be fine.  I have to come back to keep an eye on you."  The reserved dragoon made his way from the Canopy, his heavy bootfall and deliberate gait displaying no signs of worry.

Master Ywain was away on some sort of business, so there was no formal need for her at the guild hall.  With her obligation free day, the miqo'te girl wanted to play some.  She strolled through the markets in the outfit miqo'te women from the homeland found fashionable, swaying her hips obviously as the red micro skirt left nearly nothing to the imagination.

Gods bless it all, I love this outfit!

"Gods be good, boys, I think I'm in love!"  Her ears twitched as the brogue of a Lominsian roegadyn merchant hit them.  Ginal turned on her heel and bent low, giving a clear view of her cleavage as she blew the bearded roegadyn a kiss.  The man threw his hand over his heart dramatically and pretended to fall back.  

She smirked at herself as she sauntered away, whipping her tail about playfully.  "If you'd focus on your lance with that kind energy you'd be a master already," she said to herself, deepening her voice as she mocked her dragoon friend.

"You sure do know how to gain attention!" Thadthadius chuckled as he walked alongside her.  

Ginal gave him a knowing wink, "It's my specialty."  

The lion tailed man let out a heart felt laugh, "One of them, yes.  I'm sorry I havent contacted you in a few days, Gin.  The life of an adventurer, you know?"  

Ginal playfully whipped her tail at him, "I suppose I can forgive you.  This time."  

Thadthadius grinned and half bowed as they walked, "I'm ever so honored.  Truly, though, I wanted to ask you something."  They reached the end of the Stalls, and the young man scanned the small courtyard.  "Over here." he beckoned for her to follow, and led her down the path a bit, until there were no immediate passersby.  He bit his lip in thought as his tail flicked about nervously, as he suddenly had trouble meeting her gaze.  

The redhead quirked her brow as she looked him over, "What's gotten into you, so suddenly?"  

Thadthadius slowly exhaled and met her gaze.  "I thought about what you said that night at the tower, and....I want...to ask you on a proper date." 

Ginal blinked in surprise as her mouth hung partly agape, "Thad, I..."

What should I say?  Do I truly want this?  Can I trust him?  Will he want me when he knows?  Am I leading him on?  Will I hurt him?  Will he hurt me?

Her expression softened as she reached up to touch his cheek, her smile warm and inviting.  "I would very much like that."  

The young man began to breath again, his posture relaxing as he returned the smile.  "Good.  Good!  Look, I've got some business around the city that will take most of the day, but how about the Canopy, after sunset?"  

Ginal nodded and leaned up to kiss his cheek, "Don't be late."

Ginal sat with her legs hanging off the ledge of the Aertheryte Plaza's balcony, sipping on some sour drink of lalafell recipe as merchants and adventurers of all races and backgrounds came and went through constant hum of the aethernet.  She smiled at nothing as she watched the clouds overhead, partially obscuring the sunlight.  

"Hello there, Kitten."  Ginal turned about at the familiar voice to see dragoon Selah approaching, her heavy bladed lance harnessed on her back.  

Ginal wasn't certain if it was the alcohol,  the woman's obvious and overwhelming confidence, or both, but she couldn't help but blush as Selah Phocina approached.  That heavily revealing subligar and small top she seemed to always wear didn't help.

"How's our guilds' rising star been?  Word of your part in that Ixali ambush spread fairly quick."  The hyur rested herself against the banister as the a light breeze danced with her auburn hair.  

The orange eyed miqo'te shook the blush from her face as her gaze became somewhat distant, "Yes, that.  That was..."  

"Terrifying?" Selah finished the thought.  

Ginal frowned and nodded, "Yes.  I don't think I've ever felt so frightened.  Or angry..."  

The hyur woman titled her head and quirked a brow, "Angry?"  

"The one I dueled, it...it was mocking me."  Ginal's expression hardened as she recalled the battle, and began to clench her fists.  "It mocked me...I couldn't stand it...I was so damned angry."

Leave me alone!  I never did anything to you...

Selah leaned over to rest her hand on the miqo'te's shoulder, "Ginal, it's fine."  Her voice was gentle and calming as her smile sought Ganal's gaze.  "You survived it.  You're back here with us."  

Ginal blinked rapidly as her mind returned to where she was.  "I...sorry, Selah."  The hyur woman laughed softly as she stood back up, crossing her arms over her chest.  

"Believe me, I understand what it is to be lost in unpleasant memories.  What matters, though, is that we survive."  Selah's eyes scanned over the miqo'te's frame as her typical half smirk bent into a playful grin, "And, let me add that Gridania would be without some remarkable eye candy without you.  Especially in that outfit."  

The redhead's blush returned, this time a deeper crimson as her tail flicked about nervously.  "Are...are you flirting with me, Miss Phocina?"  

The female dragoon rested against the banister, her eyes filled with amusement as she watched the flustered younger lancer.  "I could be.  I've seen the way you look at me, and the way you keep blushing is beyond adorable."  

Ginal turned her head away and crossed her legs as she bit her lip, "I'm certain I don't know what you're talking about.  I don't fancy women like that, Miss Phocina."

Push it down.  Don't think about it.  Don't let it show.  Be a real woman.

Selah covered her mouth as she tried, and failed, to stifle a hearty laugh.  She opened her mouth to speak, but stopped and stood straight with surprise as a wounded Wood Wailer materialized from the aetheryte, falling to his knees as he clutched a bleeding wound under his shredded armor.  

Other Wailers rushed to his aid and began to carry him away.  "Bentbranch...under attack...Ixali..." he spat through blood and broken breath.

A determined look formed on Selah's face as she retrieved the man's spear from the ground and tossed it to Ginal.  "Come on, we need to help!"  

Ginal caught the weapon and stared in disbelief, "I'm not ready.  I don't even have my armor!"  

The female dragoon shook her head, "We're not always going to be ready.  You'll never know what you can do until you've tested yourself when you're unprepared.  Besides, they need help right now, and you're more than capable."  The miqo'te matched Selah's determined gaze and stood, nodding in agreement before running to the aetheryte spire.  She touched the crystal and pictured her destination in her mind, and the world around her began to swirl and bend...

A feeling of falling, of flying, of being bent and reshaped.  A thundering hum in her ears as she began to see the world take shape again.  Ginal stood on the central platform overlooking Bentbranch Meadows, and wrinkled her nose in disgust as the scent of Ixali assaulted her.  Her ears were overcome by the sounds of townsfolk yelling, bootfall from Wood Wailers and Godsbowmen running about, and the clanging and crashing of weapons.  And that wretched, terrible cawing and squawking.  Her breath came quickly as her heart began to pound in her chest, and an ache crept into her shoulder.

I barely survived one of those monsters.

The miqo'te was spun around and met by Selah's fierce and confident gaze, "Don't be fearful.  Don't be angry.  Take hold of your heart and focus on what you need to do.  I believe in you."  

Ginal swallowed her building fear and nodded, readying her borrowed lance, "I'm ready."  

"With me!" Selah called, readying her own weapon as she dashed for the banister and leaped, soaring all the way to the village's main gate.  Ginal stood in awe as she watched Selah land and engage a group of Ixali warriors, thrusting her lance forward, behind, spinning about like a cyclone, twirling her lance to deflect attacks, and deftly shifting around her multiple foes.  In seconds, Selah had felled seven of the bird beasts, and wasn't even breathing quickly.

She's amazing.

The dragoon turned back and beckoned to her miqo'te friend to hurry, shaking Ginal from her awed stupor.  Ginal clutched her weapon close as she ran down the stairwell to the expansive wooden platform.  She spied an Ixali closing behind a distracted Wailer, and jumped as high as she could before hurling her spear.  The weapon pierced clean through the beasts' body, dropping it immediately.  An angry squawk from her flank, and she turned to see another Ixali wielding a crude spear charging toward her.  Ginal sank low in a ready stance as she brandished her sharp nails.  Her tail stood tall as she let forth a low growl, sidestepping the lance and taking hold of it, easily pulling it from the startled bird's grasp.  She swept the weapon low and knocked the creature off its feet, then spun the lance tip down and impaled her foe.

She looked up to see her short haired friend had seen and was giving an approving nod.  Selah then turned her attention to another oncoming beastman and ran to meet him, kicking off the beasts' torso to launch herself up.  Selah sailed overhead the bird beast and immediately plummeted, bringing the lance down straight the the creatures' skull, neck and torso.  It stood limp on its feet before Selah kicked it over to pull her weapon free.  For some reason Ginal couldn't explain, in that moment the sunlight seemed to be shining almost exclusively upon the female dragoon.

She's absolutely amazing.

The redhead miqo'te felt the insignificance from their first meeting creeping back into her heart.  This woman had earned every bit of the confidence she radiated, and it made Ginal feel weak.  

A whooshing sound passed near her ears, and she turned to see a blonde, light skinned miqo'te woman, wearing tan and brown leather armor lowering her longbow.  "Watch your surroundings!" she shouted as she adjusted the goggles on her face.  Ginal looked the other way to see an Ixali laying dead with two arrows piercing its throat.  

A lalafell man donning the red trimmed, flowing white robes of the white mage ran up along side the miqo'te archer and tugged on her pants.  "I need to check the Wailers and Godsbowmen for wounded!" he explained quickly, not even finished speaking before he was running off.

A familiar, black haired hyur woman, also wielding a longbow with her purple leather armor chased after the lalafell, "Yuski, hold it down at the gate!" she shouted to the blonde miqo'te, "Timothy's at the market entrance with Aerick and Thiba, so none of us are far!"  

"And where the hells are our dragoons?" the blonde woman demanded.  

The hyur archer stopped to turn back, "Grez, Histy and Tenzou were defending Gabineaux's Bower.  The damn things were trying to pull us away from Bentbranch!"

"Kitten!" Selah called to Ginal, getting her attention from the banter of the reinforcements, "Go to the Moogle's Gift and make sure the chocobos are safe!  I'll catch up, go!"  

Spurred on by her friend, Ginal ran as quickly as her legs would allow.  She passed by Godsbowmen at the balconies loosing their arrows upon distant bird beasts, and caught sight of the elezen man Timothy, that miqo'te black mage and some other miqo'te woman, donning stunning silver plated armor and some kind of golden crown over her black hair, holding down the fight at their own gate.

She reached the Moogle's Gift stables and quickly scoured the grounds.  She came upon another sword and shield wielding Ixali as it hovered over a cowering stable hand.  Her vision narrowed, and her heart began to thunder in her ears.

"Don't be fearful.  Don't be angry.  Take hold of your heart and focus on what needs to be done."

She brought her lance up and hissed at the beastman, her vision cleared of its blur.  The beast turned and brought its shield up to defend itself, but Ginal quickly pulled her lance back from the attack and twirled about, the spinning attack slashing the creatures' chest.  It cawed in pain as she brought the blunt end up and knocked the shield from its grasp, spinning her lance about and driving it through the beasts' chest.  She stood over her felled foe, panting and wiping sweat from her forehead.

"Well, that was impressive." came the enunciated speech of elezen Timothy.  "A considerable improvement from what I saw last time, no doubt."  

She planted the lance in the ground and helped the stable hand up, "You've got quite a company, Master Timothy.  I hate to admit, but I think I owe your blonde archer my life."  

The elezens silver eyes seemed to pierce her own as he smiled at her.  "Perhaps you can get the opportunity to repay her, as a comrade?"

Ginal looked questioningly at Timothy as the stable hand quickly made his way away from the ranch field.  "Are you offering me work?"  

"Not just work," the elezen answered as he took a polishing cloth to his thick glasses, "but a place within the company.  You seem to be everything Grezel has said you are, and we could certainly use another talented lance wielder."  He slid the glasses back onto his face, "Steady work and pay, competent and jovial comrades, and you may reside at the company's estate in Mist, if you wish."

Ginal stood stunned, and her mind excitedly raced at the notion.  She knew it could be a good chance to make some real money, and she also didn't have many friends since moving to Gridania.  Furthermore, if Grezel woul be around, she knew she wold be fine among these mercenaries.  She looked up at the man and nodded,  "Yes, sign me up."  

The dark haired scholar smiled and sealed the dealings with a firm handshake.  "Welcome to free company Doom, then."

Ginal had barely returned to her room in time to clean up for the evening.  She stood and stared at herself in the mirror, adjusting her outfit.

Do I really want this?  Will he accept me?  Can I make this work?

She drew in a deep breath and slowly let it go before splashing her face once more.

Ginal and Thadthadius had finished an outstanding, and large meal, and stood on the Carline Canopy's upstairs balcony, looking out over the torch lit city.  The two miqo'te were laughing as Thadthadius took a drink from his mug, "True story!   I swear it!"  

Ginal nodded enthusiastically, grinning at the man, "Oh yes, I'm sure of it.  Completely not false!"  

He returned her grin, mischief in his eyes, "No less true or false than when I saved you from those opo opos!"  

Ginal's eyes widened as she looked back behind her, hoping no one overheard.  "You told me you'd never bring that up!  It's bad enough that the attack was my own fault.."  

Thadthadius laughed his agreement, "You shouldn't have been carrying those beans."

She felt her heart pounding quicker as she looked upon the man beside, his expression softening as he returned the gaze.  Her tail flicked nervously as she looked away.

What am I supposed to do?  What am I supposed to be?  Can I trust him?  Why can't I figure this out?

The redhead shook her head and gazed out at the city and its myriad types of torches and sconces.  She exhaled peacefully as she turned her attention to the heavens and found herself briefly counting the stars.  She looked back to her friend, "Thad, I..."  Her sentence was interrupted as Thadthadius pressed his lips against hers, taking hold of her by the shoulders.  Her eyes went wide, her tail stood straight and her heart felt like it was about to escape her chest.

"No-no!" she cried out, desperately pushing the goatee sporting man away.  Before she knew what she was doing, her palm connected with his cheek in a firm, loud slap, sending the miqo'te man stumbling back.  

"What in the hells in wrong with you?!"  He held his cheek and looked upon her with shock, confusion and anger.  

"I didn't tell you you could do that!" she replied, her breath short and fast as she bristled with anger and nervousness.  

"Tell me?" he asked in disbelief.  "You kiss my cheek, flirt with me constantly, meet me for proper dates!  What in all hells am I supposed to ask you?"

Ginal shook her head furiously, "Just go!  Get out of here!"  

Thadthadius stood and stared for a long moment, his mouth agape in astonishment.  Finally, his expression hardened and he nodded.  "You know what, if this is how you are, then I'm not sure I'd want to be with a freak like you."  He stormed away, his bootfall heavy and angry.

"If this is what you really are, then I don't want to be with you.  You're a freak!"

The words hit Ginal like a punch in the gut, and as she turned back to lean against the railing, she couldn't fight the tears.

"Hello, Kitten..."  That voice.  That confident, knowing, playful voice.  "Not exactly how I pictured meeting you again."  That gentle, kind and understanding voice.  

Ginal wasn't certain how long she had been sobbing at the balcony, but it seemed as though she was already, or finally, running dry.  "S-Selah," she shakily answered, wiping at her eyes in shame.  "I, um..."  

"I saw most of it from down at the bar." Selah interrupted.  "I'm not sure what the fight was about, but...are you alright?"

The miqo'te woman blinked away some remaining tears and shook her head, "Have you ever had absolutely no idea who...or what...you really are?"  

Selah slowly stepped up alongside Ginal and rested her hand on the miqo'te's shoulder as she peered at her worriedly, and studied Ginal for a long moment.  "Tears like these...If your demons live as deep as they appear to, then yes...I'm rather familiar with that desperate question."  

"I don't know how to make sense of myself, Selah..."  Ginal continued to whimper through her words.  "I...I know I should want him, but...But I don't, and..."

The female dragoon shook her head gently and tilted Ginal's face up by her chin, "Whatever it is you're trying to force from yourself, please stop."  Her gaze was understanding, yet worried, and Ginal believed she knew exactly what she was talking about.  "Who you are is up to you, but what you are is something you can't control.  That's something you need to learn to accept."  

Ginal's teary eyes searched Selah's, "Why are you so kind to me?"

Selah's gaze softened into a kind and gentle smile, "Because you remind me of my younger self... and I'm hopful I can help you through some of your grief."

Ginal suddenly embraced the hyur woman tightly, feeling overwhelmed by a returning sense of familiarity with the moment.  Surprised at first, Selah closed her arms around the miqo'te and gently spoke into her ear, "It'll be alright Kitten.  There's nothing you can't work through."  Ginal's nose twitched as she closed her eyes.

She's so wonderful...Is that lavender?

The miqo'te looked up at the hyur woman, searching her eyes for approval to continue.  Selah nodded slightly and began to close the distance.  A familiar stirring of arousal ran through Ginal as their bodies were pressed together, and the female dragoon's expression filled with confusion, "What...is that?"  

Ginal suddenly pulled away, "I...I'm sorry, Selah!" she sputtered nervously.  "I-I need to go!"  The younger miqo'te hurried away through the Canopy, and up to her room.

Ginal sat on her bed, hugging her knees as she sobbed once more.

Push it down.  Don't think about it.  Be a real woman...  Gods, help me, what am I supposed to be?