Silk Talons: Chapter 2

It was midday in the Black Shroud, and as the warm sun washed over the trees, rocky hills and streams of the central region, Ginal surveyed her work, almost admiring herself as she looked over the many funguar she had felled.  She was already nearby when the call went out to put down the suddenly rampaging fungus creatures, and she jumped at the opportunity.  

A good chance to test myself...or a good way to get myself killed?

It had been a long fight, an hour or so at least, for the funguars had just kept coming, and coming.  She admitted to herself that finding the will power to persevere, and the composure to control herself, were every bit as difficult days later, as it was during her Lancer trial.  She had nearly given in and fled from the enchanted fungi, until something had stirred inside her.

"Focus.  You can do this."

She touched her cheek where the hyur woman had smacked her, a half frown forming on her lips.  Ginal still wasn't sure she appreciated the tail pulling and the backhand, but the results were undeniable.

Thank you...

She looked up at her temporary battle companions, some female roegadyn pugilist, and her spell casting elezen companion, "Thank you both for your aid!" she called with a wave.  The two nodded and waved their farewells, then began hiking away from the former battleground.  The miqo'te woman eyed herself over, and began wiping off ichor and other bits of funguar from various spots of her armor.

"Heeeey!" called a young, friendly male voice.  "Lookin' good, girl!"

Ginal half turned, looking up and over her shoulder to see heavily tanned miqo'te male sitting on an outcrop that overlooked her field of victory.  "Thad!" she happily called out, "How long have you been up there?"

The man, who looked to be in his early twenties, grinned mischievously at her, "Long enough to watch you kick some ass!"

She rested the blade of her spear in the soil, shifting her weight to one leg and folded her arms, looking slightly unamused with an exaggerated frown, "And you were going to give me a hand, when?  Or are you just trying to keep a scar off your left eye?"

Thadthadius stood and dusted off his long green coat, the patterns of swirled gold sewn into it indicating the classic outfit of a devout summoner, "You didn't need it.  Besides, your fighting style is inspirational, with all those tumbles n' flips n' such. " his expression shifted to a knowing smirk.

"And I suppose it has nothing to do with this?" she indicated her not quite knee length skirt.

The man feigned shock from his perch, "Good Lady, what ever do you mean?"

The redhead turned on her heel in a mock huff, arms folded over her chest with a whip of her tail, "Just get down here, already. "

And maybe I'll give you the peek you're after...



Since Thadthadius had nothing better to do with himself that day, he volunteered to tag along with his female friend on her errands in the Shroud for the local Wood Wailers, thinning the numbers of the more aggressive wildlife.   After some hours had passed, the two ceased their day's adventure to take shelter at a local guard tower.  They sat just outside its wall to share a sunset meal.

The miqo'te woman relaxed against the stone wall, her ears drooped a bit as she absently swirled her mug of mead, momentarily staring away from her friend.

The purple eyed young man curiously leaned forward, "What's so interesting over there?"

"Hmm...doesn't she look great in that armor?" Ginal indicated a female elezen Wood Wailer standing guard outside the wall.

Thadthadius tapped at his goatee as he looked to the female guard, then to his companion and smirked, "Well, that's an interesting thing to learn about you today, Gin."

 A blush crept over her face as she shook her head, "No, Thad!" she insisted.  "I mean, you know, strong.  Noble.  Like she can take on anything and she knows it."

And yeah, I guess she's pretty.

The miqo'te man chuckled as he leaned back against the stone wall, downing more of his own mug.  "Ah, yeah, I guess so.  What about it?"

His female friend stared at the ground for a moment as she found her words.  "You think I'll ever get there?"

"What, are you kidding?" Thadthadius replied to disbelief.  "Girl, you're already amazing at what you do.  You're as sharp and deadly as talons."

She tilted her head to look up at him, "Talons, huh?"  The purple eyed man nodded, scratching absently at his goatee again.

"Though that's not all about you.  You're like...silk."

Ginal giggled as she playfully bat her tail at his, "How am I like silk?"

"Well, I've seen you be gentle, like with chocobos and kids."  The young man turned himself to better address her.  "And you're strong, too, even if you don't know it."

The redhead frowned slightly and glanced away, "I'm not that strong."

Thadthadius rests his hand on her shoulder, "I saw that your were faltering earlier, with those funguars.  But right when I was gonna jump in, something took hold of you, and you kicked some 'shroom ass!  Strong and gentle as silk, girl."

She pondered his words for a moment as she stared into her drink, "Silk and talons..."

Ginal smiled softly as she searched her friends eyes for signs of sarcasm or jesting, and found none.  Thadthadius' gaze softened as he stared back, his tail reaching over to gently brush her own.  "And like all things made of silk, you're...you know"  He suddenly turned his gaze away, his last word mumbled.

Ginal's ears twitched, "Wow, even these ears couldn't hear that.  What was that?"

The young man sighed softly and looked back to her, "You're...really beautiful, Gin."

She smiled and softly laughed as she put her mug to her lips, "It's just the mead, Thad."

Please tell me more.

The young man moved closer, resting on a knee as he reached for her hand, "Really, I mean it...you're beyond beautiful."

Ginal felt her heart racing as their gaze was locked, his expression soft and his eyes probing as she felt his lion tail entwining with hers.  "Thad..."

Do I really want this?  Can he even accept me for what I am?

A rustling from the nearby trees, as darkness crept over the small outpost.  The sound of a snapping branch, and the two miqo'te turned their attention to see the female Wood Wailer readying her lance in a battle stance.  Ginal scanned the trees and bush, her ears twitching as she strained to see or hear.  She caught a whiff of a smell she was unfamiliar with, "What is that smell?"

Thadthadius grimaced as he pulled a large, engraved tome from his coat.  "Ixali!" he called out, quickly flipping through his tome until he found his specific page, and began reading to himself.  Hearing Thadthadius' call, the female guard turned to call for aid from within the outpost.

From the darkened treeline beyond the immediate road, from the right flank of the guard tower, they came all at once.  The large, monstrous bird warriors spilled out as they squawked and cawed and growled their battle cries, wielding crudely crafted weapons of various make.  The Wood Wailers of the outpost rushed to engage several of the Ixali, their part of fight obscured by the dancing torchlight and the fading sunlight.

A flash of light in the corner of her eye, and Ginal turned to see her friend materializing aether into one of his Egi constructs she had heard of, though she couldn't begin to know what Primal this one was taken from.  Thadthadius shouted a command as he pointed to another small group of Ixali coming from the out left flank.  "Gin, watch it!" he cried, and she turned to see the warrior charging and squawking angrily at her, banging its crude sword and shield together.

Ginal had never seen an Ixal up close, only heard the tales of their viciousness and depravity.  Its large, long black horns looked utterly demonic, only enhanced by the ugly mottled skin and large beaked mouth.  Its eyes bore down on her with rage and hunger.  She felt her heart in her throat as her legs began to tremble underneath her.

"Ginal!  You can do this!"

She dropped low, her spear forward and her eyes narrowed.  The bird monster towered over her as she spun her spear to deflect its sword.  Momentarily off balance, the Ixal swordsman put its weight into another attack, bashing Ginal's torso with its shield.  She tumbled to the ground, her chest aching as she drew in a desperate breath.  Her foe was already on top of her, swinging its blade down with all its might.  She brought her lance shaft in front of her and locked with the enemy sword.  The Ixal pressed down hard, her own muscles struggling to hold it at bay.  Its beak twisted in a wicked grin, and she absolutely hated the reek of its breath as it muttered something in that bizarre cawing language.  She knew when she was being taunted.

"Stop...mocking...me!" she cried through strained breath, her heart pounding in anger as her peripheral vision seemed to fade until all she could see was this beast on top of her.

She managed a sudden turn of her lance, throwing the Ixal sword aside as she rolled to her feet.  She locked her opponent's gaze, her tail upright and stiff as she gripped her lance tight.  She bore her canines in a long, angry hiss and leaped forward with all the strength her legs gave her.  She was in front of the Ixali before it could properly react, jabbing and thrust her lance furiously as the beast only barely kept up enough to deflect her attack.  "Stop mocking me!  Gods damn you, just shut your ugly mouth!  Shut the hells up and leave me alone!" she spat the words through clenched teeth.  Her vision grew more narrowed as the world began to turn red.

What gives you the right?!  I never did anything to you!  Leave me alone!

"Composure of self, and a determined will."  "Focus!"

The miqo'te woman blinked and shook her head, her proper vision returning as she realized she had indeed connected her weapon to her enemy, the Ixal's arms and legs sporting multiple bleeding slashes, its sword on the ground.  As her anger subsided, she already felt tired from the emotional outpouring.  The beast before her cawed angrily and seized its opportunity and drew a crude, jagged dagger. Grabbing her lance and forcing it aside, then plunging the dagger quickly into her shoulder. The pain was even worse as the blade withdrew.  Ginal screamed in pain and was shocked by the sight of her own blood.  She desperately clutched her lance with that arm, though the effort was more painful than she had thought it would be, and she threw herself around the larger creature.  She jumped back a bit and threw her lance forward, impaling the beastmans back.  It squawked defiantly and fell to its knees, then to the ground.

Ginal turned to see Thadthadius and his Egi fending off the last of their foes, the tanned man turning to give her a triumphant grin. Ginal's ears twitched as she heard a scraping sound, turning to see her opponent slowly rising and raising its retrieved blade.  Suddenly its eye went wide as flames began to form along its arms and legs.  It screeched briefly in agony as the fire quickly consumed the beasts body and turned it to ash.

Ginal blinked in disbelief as she looked up to see the pointy hat and puffy sleeved coat of a black mage.  "You stole my kill!" she insisted.

"Maybe, but you've got to admit that was some amazing casting!" came a jovial, almost sarcastic voice of a young man, as she noticed a swishing black tail.

"Madam, are you alright?" came a soft toned, educated voice of a man from her side.  A well dressed, dark haired elezen man strode up to her, and she recognized the thick glasses and square hat of the studious scholars.  He gently placed his hand on her shoulder, "The wound goes deep.  If you don't mind?"

"Gin, you okay?" Thadthadius called as he rushed to her side.

Ginal smiled through the pain at the elezen, "Actually, I'd rather if my friend handled that.  No offense, sir."  The elezen nodded as Thadthadius looked over the wound and began to channel aether through his hands.

"Would that be short for Ginal?" the elezen asked.

The redhead quirked a brow and nodded, "Yes...Do I know you?"

The elezen smiled and shook his head, "No, but I lead the free company that employs Grezel.  He speaks of you often.  My name is Timothy."  The miqo'te girl winced as her friend's aether swirled over her shoulder, the wound slowly mending.  "We were employed by the Twin Adder to track some Ixali hunting parties that slipped through the border, and this was one group we had been tracking." Timothy explained, his words deliberately enunciated.

The elezen turned to the miqo'te mage, "Aerick, contact Grezel's group and tell them one Ixali party is neutralized.  Ozalie," he turns around to address a black haired hyur girl, sporting purple and brown leather armor with a large bow resting on her back. "Check the Wailers, see if they need aide."  The woman nodded and hurried off.

Ginal looked down at her shoulder to see that the bleeding had ceased and the flesh was mended.  She smiled at her lion tailed friend and flexed her arm, "I guess you've got more than your good looks after all, Thad."  Thadthadius grinned wide and playfully shrugged.

"We'll escort you two back to the city gates."  Timothy approached, searching between the two for approval.

Ginal harnessed her lance on her back and looked to her friend, "I think that's fine. Thad?"  The elezen bowed politely and went to retrieve his companions.

Thadthadius surveyed the now starlit battlefield and let out a low whistle, "One hell of a first date, huh?"

Ginal softly chuckled and reached her hand up to touch his cheek.  "Next time, just ask a girl out for dinner."  The two miqo'te joined their new friends on the road, and began their march toward Gridania.

Maybe I can do this...Maybe I can do more than I thought.  Thank you again, Ywain and Selah.

Silk Talons: Chapter 1

Dawn was barely breaking as the leanly built miqo'te woman jumped and spun about, just outside the gates of Gridania.  She bathed in the still needed torchlight, sweeping and thrusting her lance about as she sparred with the shadows of the trees and hills of the Shroud, while the spikes of her red hair bounced with every movement.

A new home.

She paused her mock battle to lean over a tall stone, panting as sweat dripped down her face.

A new chance.

She turned on her heel and threw her lance as a javelin, impaling a nearby tree.  She crouched in a fighting stance as she displayed her canines, her open fists showing her sharp, clawlike nails.  Through tumbles and flips, she growled defiantly at her imagined foes, sweeping her hands to slash at the air.

A new life.  May the Twelve have mercy on me...just grant me some peace.

"Your form is already improving," came a low pitched voice, almost commanding in its' tone.  "You've only been training within the guild for two weeks, and you're already beyond a novice level.  Keep it up,  Celah."

A tall and muscular hyur man leaned against a tree, the horns and spines of his otherwise smoothly crafted dark armor marking him as an elite dragoon.  The young woman approached him with her lance resting on her shoulder.  "Do you sleep in that armor?  I've never seen you without it."  She giggled as she jabbed at his chest plate with her finger.  "You're right though, I am getting quite good at this, aren't I?  You'll have a lot to learn from me soon enough."  She flashed a playful grin as she strode toward the city gate.  "Come on, Grez.  Breakfast is on you!"

The hint of a smile formed on Grezel's lips, "It always is..."



Ginal strode into the main hall of the Carline Canopy.  Her ragged exercise clothing now replaced by studded leather boots, gauntlets and chest piece, with a simple short skirt rounding out her outfit.  She made her way to the bar where Grezel was waiting, and gave the young elezen man tending the bar a soft smile and quick bat of her eye lashes.  "Good morning, handsome.  You remember my favorite plate by now, right?"  The elezen chuckled to himself as he stepped away to the kitchen.

"You have a big day ahead of you, Celah.  Master Ywain is likely going to put you through your first trial."  Grezel leaned against the bar, arms folded  and head tilted down in what Ginal now believed his only stance.

Ginal leaned herself against the bar and imitated the hyur man's stance.  "Yes, of course."  She spoke in a caricatured imitation of his voice, "And not once shall I speak of non serious matters."

A small smirk briefly forms on the hyur's face, "Very well, what do you wish to talk about?"

Ginal unfolded her arms and noticed a young adult miqo'te male eyeing her from a table.  She found the small but visible scar on his cheek strangely cute.  A playful grin formed on her lips as she turned to lean against the bar tilting her hips and arching her back in just the right way to allow her skirt to show the entirety of her legs, and just barely stopping there.  She glanced over her shoulder at the man and winked.  The miqo'te man's face flushed bright red as he turned his stool to not only avert his gaze, but to turn his lap away from her.

"If you'd focus on your lance as much as you focus on your flirting, you'd rival the lancer elite within a month," Grezel stated, his tone turning from mentoring to chastising.

Ginal straightened and sighed, giving the dragoon a half frown.  "Let me have my fun, Grez.  I'm not hurting anyone."  She glanced back at the bashful miqo'te, "Besides..." her voice was low as her words trailed off in a whisper, "I like it when they look at me like that..."

Just let me have this.

A half hour later, after Ginal had eaten her fill and Grezel proved once again that he was sustained by stoicism, she hefted her lance over her shoulder and gave her friend a warm and genuine smile.  "Thank you, Grez.  Now, I'm off!  I do have a big day ahead, as you said."  She took her time, enjoying a casual stroll through the tree lined roads toward Old Gridania.



She stood in the Lancer's training hall, surrounded by foes.  The blunt end of Ginal's lance met the midsection of another lancer trainee, some lalafell girl Ginal didn't know, forcing her to double over.  Master Ywain had taken a special interest in Ginal over that last two weeks, and as Grezel said, decided to put Ginal through her first trial.  This trial, though, strayed from the norm that Ywain put his students through.

"You are vicious and agressive, "He had told her.  "Indeed, you are a ferocious warrior, but that will only carry you so far.  You need composure of self and a determined will to persevere through lengthy engagements."  She faced forward and twirled her lance to deflect the blade end of another trainee's attack.  "You have neither.  I've seen you start strong, and then fade.  Something takes hold of you, and you almost always lose your edge."

Ginal's trial was to stay on her feet through three hours of continuous combat with the other trainees.  If she could find the composure and resolve she needed, she'd pass and Ywain would continue her training.  She was beyond tired, and muscles she didn't realize she had ached all over her body.  It had only been an hour.  She side stepped an attacker's thrust, and swept her lance at his ankle to trip him.  She realized at this moment, that she didn't have what it took to continue.  She was going to give in.

A light skinned hyur woman stood beside Guildmaster Ywain, resting her head on her fist as she watched the miqo'te girl.  "It isn't her form that needs work.  Not her aggression, either." she commented knowingly.  "I'd say you're right, Ywain.  Something is in her heart that holds her back.  Is that...doubt?  Fear, perhaps?  Can you see it in her eyes as well?"  Ywain silently nodded.  The hyur woman turned to Ywain, "She won't make it much further, and certainly not to three hours.  How about this: have her face me, no holds barred, and we'll determine if she's ready to advance her training by how she handles me, hm?"

Ywain stood for a moment in consideration, then looked to the woman and nodded.

"Enough!" called the Guildmaster, and at once the trainees halted and stood at attention.  Ywain approached the near exhausted Ginal and clasped her shoulders.  "Last minute change: you'll be forgoing the next two hours to fight her, instead."

Ginal was immediately taken aback when she looked upon the hyur woman.  It wasn't her outfit, though that the woman was wearing what could only be described as some sort of plate mail crafted bikini and matching tiara was certainly not helping.  It was that the woman radiated confidence.  Her posture, her stride, that half smirk and that glimmer in her eyes.  A blush took hold of her face as Ginal immediately felt small and insignificant in this woman's presence.

There was something else...a strange sense of familiarity crept over the redhead as she briefly tried to place how she knew this hyur.

Who is this woman?

"This is Selah Phocina, "the Guildmaster explained.  "She used to be one of my best students, and has since joined the ranks of the elite dragoons.  If you can best her, and only her, then you pass your trial."

The miqo'te looked upon this Selah and slowly nodded.  "I, erm, like your hair." was all she could stammer out.

The auburn haired hyur laughed softly as she reached up to pat at her short cut hair, the bangs messily swept back over the top oh her head, "Well, thank you Miss Celah."

Ginal shook off her embarrassment and assumed a ready stance, lance forward.

"Ginal, look at me." Selah commanded.  "You can do this.  You have what it takes."  Ginal met the hyur's eyes, and saw something different than the moment before.  The confidence wasn't what the woman felt for herself, it was what she felt for Ginal.

She...believes in me?

Before she realized, her opponent was almost on top of her, and Ginal could barely bring her lance up in time to lock blades.  The woman spun around Ginal and took hold of her tail, giving it a hard tug that forced a shriek of pain from the struggling miqo'te.  Ginal's eyes flashed angrily at her foe as the taller woman sprang back.  "I wondered how much that would hurt." she mocked.  The smirk on her face faded as she locked her eyes with Ginal, "Hold that anger where it is."

Ginal grimaced and stepped forward quickly, trying for a feint thrust and spinning herself around the flank the hyur woman, aiming the blunt end of her lance at Selah's exposed midsection.  The woman simply side stepped and pulled Ginal forward by her weapon, following through with a back handed slap across Ginal's cheek.

 You bitch!

Ginal wrapped her hands tightly around her weapon, visibly trembling in anger as a low growl escaped her throat.  "Good, you're mad.  Force it down!" Selah again spoke as an authority.

Shut your mouth!

Ginal hissed angrily and leaped forward, dropping her lance and wildly slashing with her nails at the woman.  "I'll ruin that pretty body of yours!" She cried out.

Selah smirked as she ducked and dodged the assault, "Oh, you think I'm pretty?"

Ginal stopped and shook her head rapidly, "Stop mocking me, damnit!"

The hyur woman leaned forward to ensure she had Ginal's gaze.  "Ginal!  Look at me!"  The mixture of compassion and confidence in the hyur's gaze held Ginal's attention.  "Force it down.  Control it, don't be controlled."

You're trying to help me?

Ginal drew in a deep breath and shook her head, and felt the anger slowly subsiding.  She was finally able to regain her composure.  The hyur woman nodded knowingly to her, and Ginal retrieved her weapon.  She assumed a ready stance.

Thank you...I think.

Some blurred movement, some brief pain in her midsection, and then Ginal lay on her back starring up at the lance at her throat.  Selah laughed softly at her opponent, "I'm a dragoon, dear.  Been at this much longer than you.  You really never stood a chance."  She offered a hand and pulled Ginal to her feet.  "What do you think, Ywain?" Selah asked of the Guildmaster.

The older man stepped up to Ginal and clasped her shoulders, "Did you finally learn how to control your aggression, Celah?"

The miqo'te looked down to gather her thoughts, then met his gaze again and nodded.  "I'll need to work on it, but...yes, I finally understand."

The Guildmaster smiled at Ginal, "Then your trial is passed.  I want you here at dawn tomorrow, we begin training in new techniques."

I did it?

"I'm sure I'll see you around soon enough" Selah Phocina said to Ginal, offering a genuine smile as she made her way out of the training hall.  She stopped at the door to look back, "Welcome to the Lancer's Guild, Kitten.  Do us proud."  The dragoon paused for a moment and slowly looked the miqo'te over.  Their gaze met, and Selah playfully winked before leaving.

Ginal blushed a deep crimson, feeling certain the hyur woman was flirting.  She titled her head and quirked a brow, "What a strange woman..."



Into the evening, Ginal sat on the bed of her rented room, hugging her legs as she trailed her eyes across the stars, through the large window.  She paused when she spied a particularly bright cluster of stars, and for a moment, felt overcome by a sense that someone she knew was looking at those same stars at that same moment.  Her mind then drifted to the woman she met today.  Ginal was very certain they had never met before, and yet, this powerful familiarity enveloped her as she thought of the woman.  She shook the thoughts from her mind.  

A new life.  Twelve help me...I think I'm in over my head already.

Companion Chapter: Another Mile of Broken Road-Selah's Side

The easy part of writing is when a character comes from within your own soul.  It's fairly simple to make a character interesting and multidimensional when you have an innate intimate knowledge of who they are and where they came from.  But what happens when you're faced with a character who doesn't come from within, that you don't have this innate understanding of?  That's why I and player Selah Phocina decided to engage in an experiment: to see how well we can write each other's primary characters and still make you, dear reader, care about them.

You'll no doubt notice some differences in dialog, events and details between our two sides, but just remember that that's part of the point.  There are at least two sides to every story, and the truth falls somewhere in between.

Personally, I'm pleased with the results, and I hope you will be, too.
-Ginal Celah in real life


**This piece takes place during Part 5: Gods Bless the Broken Road, written by Ginal Celah**


It was dammed annoying how the road of life curved, bent and forked to take us places we would never have chosen.  As Selah closed her eyes, she saw herself before one such fork, and for the life of her, she couldn't decide which path to walk.

The path to the right went on into the horizon, straight, clear and uncomplicated.  It was a familiar path, for she had been walking this path for years since she escaped her life of torment and servitude in Coerthas.  It was a path that allowed her the freedom to live her life on her own terms, go where she pleased, and answer only to herself.  It was the path of freedom and independence that she desperately held to, for she had sworn to herself to never again lose control of her own life.

Then there was the path on the left.  This path went through territory unknown: through a cluttered and rocky pass, over a restless and raging river, and to a dark and foreboding wood.  She knew this to be a path of great risk, for to walk this path would mean to answer to another aside from herself.  It would mean to expose her heart and soul as she had never done, to make herself completely emotionally naked.

It was the path to a life with Ginal Celah.

Ever since Selah had met the lovely young lancer during a training trial in Gridania, the road of Selah's life had begun to bend, clutter, and occasionally break with greater and greater frequency.  What began as a simple attraction and a desire to aid a fellow lancer, quickly blossomed into a recognition of the soul, and a genuine concern and fondness.  Now, after having fought alongside the miqo'te, traveled with her, shared meals and conversation, and shared a briefly intimate embrace, the dragoon felt terrified.  She was terrified, because she knew she was beginning to fall for Ginal.

Selah's needs and desires had always been satisfied by one night encounters or brief partnerships.  The hyur had never needed, or even wanted, anything longer or greater.  Again, it was damned annoying how the road of life could could bend and break, for Selah's heart was beginning to call for something longer and greater.

And it was calling for Ginal.

So now, as Selah held her eyes shut and envisioned herself before the fork in the road, she continued to look from one path, to the other.  The right path; clear, straight, uncomplicated...and now, somehow, strangely empty.  Or the left path; uncertain, winding, complicated and frightening...and yet, with a potentially great fulfillment at its end.

Which path of this broken road?



It was past midday in the southern Shroud, and soon enough to enter evening.  Selah rode atop her chocobo Dinornis, ahead of Ginal and merchants in their wagon, as she kept watch for the myriad forms of trouble that the Shroud could hide and throw at careless travelers beneath its thick web of high reaching branches.  The merchants and their mercenary guards had traveled halfway between Quarrymill and Buscaron's Druthers, accompanied all the while by the unending choir of local day birds.  The dragoon looked over her shoulder at the inexplicable feeling of being watched, and found the miqo'te behind her staring at her.

There's that look, again.

It was the same starry-eyed stare that was always accompanied by that adorable blush that seemed unique to Ginal.  It was that look of idolizing adoration, heartfelt appreciation and deeply buried desire that was as disconcerting as it was wonderful to bask in.  It was something the auburn haired woman had only ever seen from this miqo'te.

Why does she keep looking at me like that?  I'm nowhere near worth that kind adoration.

The redhead seemed to finally realize she had been noticed, and her face flushed that adorable crimson.  Selah grinned and gave a playful wink that caused the younger woman to turn away.  In the dragoon's eyes, there truly had never been so undeniably cute a woman.

The hyur resumed her point watch as she affectionately pat Dinornis.

"A nice, quiet stretch, eh boy?" She asked of the bird.  No sooner spoken, when Ginal called out,

"Did you hear that?  A snapping sound."  Selah narrowed her eyes as she searched around for the cause of the noise she hadn't heard.

I'd never be amubushed with Ginal around, that's for sure.

Ginal's senses had proven to be every bit as sharp as her people were credited for, a quality she felt considerably more appreciative of after the last time she had been involved with a miqo'te woman.  She remembered D'itria having rocks for brains and the attention span of a ladybug.  Selah had only kept the woman around for her talented tongue.  It wasn't the first time the dragoon had been led by her loins.

Nophica knows I hate those desperate days...

The hyur shook off the thoughts and returned her attention to the moment at hand, just in time to hear for herself the rustling and snapping sounds coming from the underbrush to their right.  In an instant, the warrior women had dismounted their birds and drawn their lances.  Dinornis stretched and fluttered his wings, kwehing that he was ready for a fight, while Ginal sent her battle untrained bird to stay with the merchant cart.

Then came the ziz, an entire pack of the brightly colored, horned reptiles emerged from the wood, the fins on their heads and backs up in their attacks stance.  Selah leaped, and soared into the fray, bringing the tip of her lance expertly down into one reptile's skull to immediately end its threat.   The hyur looked over to check on her companion, and found that her battle behavior was suddenly much different than before.

Ginal was twirling and leaping about in her attacks in a manner that seemed almost an attempt to mimic Selah's own dragoon form, and while it was true that the miqo'te showed promise well above most of Ywain's other current trainees, this seemed both too advanced for someone of Ginal's skill level, and unnecessarily flashy to be practical.  Selah noticed a small grin on the miqo'te's lips as Ginal quickly glanced over at her mentor.

The dragoon brushed an auburn bang from her face as another snarling ziz barreled down on her with its nose-horn forward.  With an easy sidestep she avoided the clumsy assault, and put her lance deep into the reptile's side.  She withdrew her weapon and turned back to watch her miqo'te companion, and saw that she was still moving in that flashy manner.

As well, the redhead fought almost as though she were back in the Canopy, flirting and teasing the male patrons.  Ginal would feign lowering her guard, and lash out with a thrust or spin-attack every time a ziz would would seek to engage her.

What are you doing, girl?

The dragoon met the lancer's gaze, and Ginal gave a playful smirk.  Her battle behavior changed again, this time with the miqo'te assuming low bending stances that gave unobstructed views of her cleavage, or bending at her waist to give the hyur a look at her panties.

You want my attention, do you?  This is hardly the time.  You'll get yourself killed acting like that in combat.

Gods dammit, she knows how to make me want to look.

With a few more thrusts, jumps, sidesteps and twirls, the few remaining ziz of the pack called to each other for a withdraw, and trampled their way back into the wood whence they came.

Selah noticed the ziz blood and scales on Dinornis' talons and beak, and smiled proudly as she caressed his neck, "Did you get yourself a ziz?  That's my good boy!"

The bird proudly kwehed as the dragoon pulled some gyshal greens from her saddle bag and fed the chocobo the treat.

As the warrior-women mounted up, Selah caught Ginal's gaze and couldn't help but give a knowing grin.  The redhead looked down as she bit her lip and blushed, the realization of her behavior a moment ago seeming to finally dawn on her.  The dragoon laughed softly as admitted to herself that she was most certainly not above a free look up an attractive girl's skirt.  Ginal looked good in green, anyway.

The last time a woman had been so blatant toward Selah was that barmaid from Limsa she met a year ago.  Selah grinned widely to herself as she led the caravan on its way.  She remembered the blond haired, blue eyed hyur vixen had a backside to rival an elezen, and gods be good, was she one hell of a kisser.  Why, the two had spent nearly an hour just...

Selah blinked as she came back to reality.  She looked down at herself and frowned with a sharp sigh.

Well damn.  Went and made myself wet.  Has it been that long since I've had a good roll-around?




Hours had passed, and it was soon to be sunset by the time the travelers arrived at Buscaron's Druthers.  The merchant couple had business and pleasantries to tend to with Buscaron, so they decided to rest here overnight.  Selah knew an opportunity when she saw one.  There was a ziz breeding ground just a walk north of the Druthers, and not only could Ginal use some extra training, she needed an honest chastising.

I don't care how much she turns me on, I can't let that kind of behavior slide.  She has to know that it's too damned dangerous.

As the two unpacked their saddlebags onto the shelves of the small room they'd be sharing, Selah looked over her shoulder and briefly watched Ginal, suddenly feeling much more serious.  It's true that Selah was more attracted to miqo'te women than other races, and it's true that much of what she was feeling right now was due to a rather raging need to take a new bed partner, but it wasn't just raw sexual attraction that was driving Selah where Ginal was concerned.

Every time the dragoon had looked into the younger woman's eyes, she had seen a fear, and a sadness, and a pain that lie just beneath the surface.  Something that the redhead was obviously trying to mask and bury, but could never escape.  Selah recognized it so easily, for it mirrored her own.

What have you been through, Kitten?  Have you suffered as much as I have?

"I'll take the bottom bed, if you don't mind." the dragoon stated matter-of-factly to Ginal.

The miqo'te paused for a moment to think about it, then shrugged with a nod.  Truthfully, Selah thought Ginal might need the extra privacy.  The last thing the redhead would need is for Selah to come down from the top bunk to find her companion betrayed by her own arousal.  Selah still clearly remembered that poking sensation from their embrace in the Canopy.

"Meet me in the yard when you're ready," the auburn haired warrior told Ginal.

"Ready for what?  I thought we were turning in for the eveing?" Ginal inquired.

The dragoon set her enchanted relic weapon against the wall, "We're going hunting.  There's a ziz breeding ground a short distance away, and I think we could use a chance to practice."

The frown that formed on the miqo'te's face was enough to convey the thought of "You mean I need practice, right?"  The dragoon simply shrugged and headed outside.

The hyur wondered if that pain is what she had seen surface during Ginal's trial weeks ago.  It made sense, now that Selah consciously thought about it, since Ginal didn't display that rage until she had been taunted so badly.  Perhaps it had been more cruel of Selah than she originally thought.  Was it to do with the lancer being a hermaphrodite?

Selah had been putting pieces together for days now, and she finally had a picture clear enough to make some sense of.  Maybe she so relentlessly teased and taunted the men around her because she knew she could act out without becoming aroused?  Aside from the way she kept giving Selah that look, she had also seen the miqo'te occasionally attempt to hide her glances toward other woman.  It was clear enough to the dragoon that Ginal had only an interest in women.

And that brilliant capacity for aggression she carried, maybe that was the result of some sort of abuse suffered?  There was also a bit of gossip that circulated among some of the lancer woman, with words like "freak" and phrases like "did I really see that?" being thrown about.  It seemed that, unfortunately, Ginal's attempts at privacy and discretion had only drawn some unwanted snooping.

Then there was, of course, that embrace in the Carline Canopy, where the miqo'te's eyes had pleaded with Selah, "Please just take me."  The poking sensation that followed was enough to set the hyur on a search for some answers to her questions.

There were also questions in her mind like, "how formed are her parts?" and "how functional is she, anyway?"  Not to mention the lingering curiosity of "can she even use that thing during an intimate moment?"  If she could, how would it be?  Would it be like..?

Ah, Loetgeim...

Loetgeim had been the longest, not to mention loudest, sweatiest and most exhausting relationship, of Selah's life.  The roegadyn pirate princess was as ruthless in bed as she was in battle, and had absolutely perfected bringing the dragoon to her knees with that obsidian carved toy...  It's too bad she had turned out to be a murdering psychopath.  Killing your own sister for a larger share of profit wasn't something Selah could condone on any level, and she had been only too happy to be back on dry land.

The hyur sighed at herself and shook her head as she walked out into the central yard of the Druthers.

I haven't thought of any of these women in ages.  What's gotten into me?  Why do I suddenly need so badly to remember them?

Selah marched up to a traveling weapons merchant she noticed on their way in, and began browsing over his displayed wares.

"Something you're looking for in particular, Miss?" the older hyur man asked.

"Hmm...this one." she answered as she hefted a steel bladed lance from its display.  Selah twirled the lance overhead and gauged its weight and balance.  "I'll give you one thousand for it," she said to the merchant.

The man looked positively offended at the words, "That's high quality Ishgardian steel, the very same used to slay dragons!  It's worth several thousand on the open market!"

"It isn't either of those," the dragoon retorted.  "But it is still quality steel work.  Fifteen hundred, plus...this."  Selah pulled a small tourmaline crafted ring from her belt pouch, "It's aether enchanted, worth a few grand at least."

The older man studied the ring for a moment, "Two thousand and the ring, and it's a deal."

"Done." Selah answered.  She scattered some coins before the merchant and rested her new lance over her shoulder.

The dragoon turned to find Ginal walking up to her and eyeing the new weapon, "What's that?"

Selah grinned at her companion, "I thought I'd even things up between us.  No Dinornis, no enchanted weapons."  She saw the look of annoyance on the miqo'te's face, and understood that she felt condescended to.

Sorry, Kitten, but I've got a point to make.



After crossing over the river just outside the outpost, and an hour's hike north, they came to a relatively clear place among the trees, where there were a handful of the lumbering reptiles feeding, mating, and sleeping.  They hid behind a large boulder that jutted from the ground, and silently watched for a long moment to take in the scene.

The hyur beckoned her companion a few steps away from the hiding place, "First, I want you to try a technique called phlebotomize."  Ginal nodded, having apparently heard of the technique.  "The idea is," Selah hefted her lance and made several quick jabs to emphasize her words, "to identify a small number of veins and puncture them.  It's rarely enough to kill, but it causes some short term bleed-out and can severely weaken."

"Right," Ginal answered.

"Second, remember to be mindful of the order in which you deploy your techniques.  For example, you should open with a phlebotomize to maximize its use to you.  Use it too late into a fight, and it's worthless to even try."  Again Selah saw that look on Ginal's face, the one that said she knew she was being condescended to.

Selah chose to ignore it.

"And last...that behavior from earlier?  The sexy bending, the false vulnerability.  Stop it." her tone came harsh and scolding, causing the miqo'te's ears to droop in embarrassment.  She rested a hand on Ginal's shoulder, "Kitten, I like having you around, but that kind of behavior in combat can get you killed."  Their gaze met, and she knew the lancer saw the sincerity in her eyes.

"I got it.  I'll stay focused," Ginal answered.

I'd cry if I lost you, now...

They rose and stepped back to their hiding place behind the boulder, again watching and waiting as they took the unchanging scene in.  They charged from their hiding place, and taught the ziz how an ambush truly looks.  With a flurry of thrusts, sidesteps, twirls, jump, jabs and feints, it was over.



The lance wielders walked away from their field of victory covered in ziz ichor, and headed straight for the nearby river as the orange and red of the setting sun washed over the wood.

"You see?" Selah asked as she pointed ahead, "The river forms into a few small pools that are perfect for a cool bath."

Ginal nodded, but seemed distracted by her thoughts, and tense.

I know, you don't want me to see.  That's okay.

"I'll take the pool down that way, and you can take this one." the dragoon offered.

Ginal immediately relaxed and nodded with a smile, "Sounds great!  I can wash up my clothes, too."  Selah smiled and left the miqo'te to herself as she walked to her own private pool.

The hyur stripped out of her subligar, top and boots, and stepped into the cold water.  The chilled water sent a pleasant shiver through her body, and she began to scrub her clothes against the rocks.

She looked over her shoulder to where Ginal was, and felt her heart aching.  It was becoming harder by the day to not tell the younger woman what she felt.

I want to take you... I want to try to be with you... I...I think I love you...

These feelings were making her crazy.  She hated feeling this way.  Selah never wanted to be in love, never needed to be close to someone.  She liked her life as it was, she relished her freedom, and yet...And yet, the idea of answering to Ginal wasn't so bad.  The thought of letting the miqo'te into her heart, to see her from within...it wasn't nearly so awful a thought as it had been in previous years.

So what if we tried?  What then?  If it somehow lasted?  If it we somehow worked?  Where would we go from there?  

Marriage...?

It wasn't a thought that Selah enjoyed.  Her own experience with marriage had been beyond horrible, and she had no desire to be put in that same position.  It didn't help that some of her observations on other marriages weren't exactly what dreams were made of.

Like Hanama Nama...

An old friend of Selah's, the wife of successful merchant man, Hanama had everything she caould ask for:  A large and well furnished home, more money than she could ever spend, competent maids who tended to all needed housework, and a complete and total lack of love or affection.  Of course, that was to be expected, since her friend's marriage wasn't even voluntary.  Arranged marriages had a way of sucking the very joy out of your soul, something the dragoon was all too familiar with.

What began as a friendship and an understanding of what her friend was made to live through eventually escalated to a night of wine fueled passion, hosted at a sort of place that boated mirrored ceilings and musicians hidden in the walls.

Selah admired her friend's decision to eke out her own happiness, and her refusal to be a victim to her husband's affairs away from home.  Still though, one night was enough, and Selah decided it was best to pull away a bit and simply retain a friendship.

It that all there is to marriage?  Abuse. lies, and secrets?  

Some people seem happy enough, though...

She finished scrubbing at her clothes and set them aside to dry.  She splashed herself over and submerged under the water a few times to wash herself as well.  The hyur frowned and shook her head at her thoughts.  All these women, despite the differences in their backgrounds and life goals, had one thing in common: They were all only in the moment.

Fun and some temporary company was all Selah ever needed.  She never felt like she wanted more in her life to be happy, but now... Now, she felt like she honestly wanted to try for something longer, for something deeper.

But was she serious about this?  Was she just out to find another temporary lover?

I don't want to hurt you, Kitten...You deserve better.

She only felt this way when she though of Ginal.

What is it about you, Kitten, that's gotten so under my skin?  And why have I felt all along like I've known you before?

Ginal wasn't anyone from Selah's past.  She was different, rare, unique even, among all the people Selah had ever met.  Her physical state of being didn't even factor into it.  Ginal had a natural competence in battle that you knew you could trust to watch your back.  She had that adorable blush that told you she'd never get used to being complimented or looked at.  That genuine, joyful smile that lit up whatever room she was in... And that other look in her eyes, beyond the pain and fear.  That look that, when their gazes met and lingered, told Selah "I promise I'd try as hard as you would."

The dragoon sat back against the rocks and closed her eyes.  She again saw herself standing before that fork in the road of her life.  Left or right?  Uncertainty or familiarity?  Absolute freedom, or freedom to be shared?  This frightening yet comforting, and all consuming feeling in her heart, would not be reasoned with or pushed aside.

She knew, now, that she'd never no peace along the right path unless she at least tried to walk the left one.  And, Twelve damn it all, Selah was a lancer, too.  Lancers faced danger and uncertainty head on, without the need for shield and bulky armor like their gladiator and paladin cousins.

"Composure of self, and a determined will."

Master Ywain's favorite words had never seemed so appropriate.  So with a shift of her weight, and step forward, followed by another, and another, Selah Phocina began to walk the left path.  It was the most frightening, and proud moment of her life.

And maybe, just maybe...If she could get this one thing right...If she could give this beautiful, adoring young woman the love she deserved, and help her through her pain...maybe she could shut the door on her own.

Nothing lasts forever...but maybe this one will.


**Please read Companion Piece 4: Another Mile of Broken Road-Ginal's Side for the full effect of this story**