Final Fantasy XIV: Ashen Dawn

Gilded Dream

"Why do you care so much about me?"

Papalymo was, needless to say, not a fan of how close Estinien was getting to him. He wasn't the kind of person to grow physical in a fight, and had to adapt on his feet while the Dragoon kept him pressured because of that.

"What kind of question is that? You're our friend. Do you think I wouldn't look after you?"

Estinien, on the other hand, was thriving in Papalymo's mania, making him step out of his comfort zone so that he could capitalize on the other man's lack of strategy-all with the intention of putting the Thaumaturge away with one swift swipe of his spear. But it wasn't going to be that easy.

"No, I know that. But that's everyone. What I meant is you. We've barely even spoken to each other until now, Krile."

"Eniro, Stop being so dense."

It was obvious that Krile wasn't actually mad at him. In fact, it was almost endearing how constant Eniro was with his question. It reminded her of herself.

"Wh-hey, who said I was being dense? I just want an answer. Hell, you still haven't told me why you saved me at the Crystal Tower."

"Do I really need a reason?"

"It'd make me feel better if you had one."

Krile sat down next to the boy, pulling her hood off her head and tufting out her hair. There was no point in debating him anymore, she thought, so for now, she'd humor him.

"Huff. Originally, yes. I knew that you were important to everyone, so I saved you without a second thought. But now, I realize just how narrow my view was back then. We all know your story. We know of your constant inner battle with yourself, and the battle that took you from that bar in Ishgard to where you sit now, as a Scion. Or at least, we think we do. I want to know more about you. Why you are the way you are-what shaped you and drove you to becoming such a feared and stoic figure who, in truth, was only handed nothing but a bad deck by fate."

Eniro tossed his hand up in a conflicted state. He didn't really know how to respond, understanding where Krile was coming from but not being able to find an answer that he'd think would be enough for her.

"Well, um...You practically said it yourself. Fate gave me a bad hand, so I struggled through it. I just ended up getting lucky one day. But...something that simple wouldn't satisfy you, would it?"

Krile shook her head in response, a knowing smile forming on her lips while Eniro pulled his knees up to his chest. He let himself drown out the sounds of fighting in front of him with a comforting silence, the moment of quiet being enough for him to think and realize that if he were in Krile's position, he'd be less than satisfied too.

"Look at everyone else beside me. Cyprus and Stryker are both from Ala Mhigo, and want to save their home which was taken by the Empire. Hirosch, Strun, and Ravna are Immortal Flames who want to fight to preserve Eorzea. Dariya's the freakin' Warrior of Light. Me? I'm just a guy. A rogue who was framed for a murder and was given another chance at life because some random Au Ra recognized my tattoo. Cyprus understood my pain, and told me to my face that it wouldn't be right of him to leave me behind. Now everyone has to deal with me when I don't even know what I wanna do with my life."

The boy tightened his arms around his knees, hiding half of his face behind his legs while his scarred eye twitched in discomfort.

"Sure, you could say that I have to give back to Ishgard, but what happens then? Who says they would even want to give me a second chance? Do I really deserve any of this?"

"The same questions you're asking right now are ones I was askin' before I became Warrior of Light."

The woman herself had overheard their conversation, and sat down next to both Lalafells with a bandage on her cheek that was obtained from her fight. Dariya didn't initially mean to intrude, but could very well hear the distraught in Eniro's voice. She felt it necessary to act on the betterment of the boy's mind, and wanted to help him anyway she could.