She was from the mountains. Well that made sense then. She was a fan of the cold -- not the city -- and it reminded her of home. Faris’ stomach turned at the word. Home. He didn’t know what would remind him of it. Tycoon? The sea? He’d never been much for roots, but he knew he missed the few he’d had terribly. He couldn’t blame her for taking to a place that would sit well with her memories. If he could have, he’d have done the same.

”You’ve got a good heart.” Faris glanced to Eillien. Sticking around just to help people. That sounded like something Lenna would have done. Not him. He’d gone for the money even if he’d liked to have helped people on the side. And as for his pirating…

Well, he hadn’t exactly used his spear for charity.

”There’s a desert here, but it’s not much for towns. I’ve hardly been myself. The heat could just about burn me through.” Still, would he mind stopping by the sands with a friend? He imagined it -- the two of them laughing loud at some desert village with cool glasses of ale in their hands. He thought they could have that anywhere and he’d put his heart into it.

”Eh?” What had he been doing? His stomach sank a little in shame. Crime mostly.

”Taking jobs here and there,” he said instead. ”I don’t mind being a hired spear. It’s mostly good work anyway.” On that side of his life. With Bartz and Krile in tow, they’d been too low on money to rely on the mercenary work that popped up in flyers now and again. No, he’d gone back to his roots, and talking here with Eillien, he wished he could toss them into the sea.

”I stumbled into another friend. She’s a brave lass, and strong too. Another Warrior of Light, but she’s young. She lost her family, and I’m what she’s got. A sad substitute.” Faris smirked wryly. ”Maybe I’ll raise her as a pirate. I’m just a lad plucked from the sea and thrown to work for a batch of thieves.” Faris shook his head. ”Now I’ve got the both of them in my hands.”

ulla

’Do whatever you think is right.’ The advice was about as helpful as a fish on land, but Faris couldn’t fault Eillien for that. It wasn’t Eillien’s responsibility to give him advice just as it wasn’t his responsibility to take charge of Faris’ problems. Eillien had her own way and Faris had his. He was thankful for the shoulder to lay them on as it was. He didn’t need anything else.

Faris shook his head. ”Wandering about with friends. Aye, that sounds like a dream. If only mine weren’t so empty-headed.” He grinned faintly and shoved a hand through his hair, pushing it behind his ear. ”I’ve got nothing but what I’ve said. With the two of them, it’s been hard enough earning gil to keep it all afloat. Work comes and goes, and I’ve got more than my mouth to feed.”

Not to mention keeping Bartz satisfied. If Faris couldn’t manage the job, he’d go taking off on his own again. A sad state when he’d run afoul of a witch’s curse that attracted him to trouble. No matter where he went, absurdity followed -- and not often the peaceful kind. With his crystal only barely unlocked, Faris had his hands full just keeping him alive. And if Bartz ran off without him…

Well, Krile’s sense for danger gave her enough sleepless nights enough as it was.

”Enough of that,” he said. He leaned back in his chair and tilted his head to the side. ”I’d like to hear a tale of your own. Something from your home world if you’ve got any. You’re the type who takes to adventure like water. I’m sure you’ve got enough to fill a book.”

A book he wouldn’t have opened. Reading was slow work, and he’d have far rather listened to it straight from the teller. He nodded. ”I’ll trade one of yours for one of mine.”

ulla

That was not the kind of story he’d expected.

Faris grabbed his drink as he listened, glass awkwardly at his lips. He’d asked for something adventurous -- something that could lighten the mood. Instead, his stomach dropped as soon as the word “enemy” struck his ears. It sunk further with the words “battlefield,” “calamity,” and “blood.” Still, Faris had had too many drunken nights to flinch from talk that suddenly soured the mood. It was a simple risk of the vice, and he couldn’t blame Eillien for taking it five shades darker than he’d intended.

”Ah,” he said though he didn’t really understand. Dalamud, Primals. He knew Bahamut, but couldn’t fathom how a summon had anything to do with it. None of it meant a thing to him, but the message came clear. The battle had nearly killed her. It had likely killed scores more, and it would never really leave her. He wouldn’t have guessed her as a soldier, but that was neither here nor there. They were both here now and the past was squarely behind them.

”That’s a mighty tale,” he said and it was true. It was mighty and strong and like a bitter herb on the tongue. ”I don’t think I’ve got a thing to match it.”

Still, it was only fair to try. Eillien had laid herself bare. Faris would match it out of respect.

”My world was nearly sucked into the Rift.” Faris lowered his glass and shot Eillien a wry smile. ”It’s like the doorway to nothing. Inside, time had stopped. All manner of fiends wreaked havoc there. And it all came back to the great warlock -- Exdeath.”

Faris placed his drink on the table. Where did he even begin on this one? Even now, Faris could hardly believe it all.

”He was sealed away by the crystals. Er, these magic stones. They built up the elements and the world was teetering on the edge without them. They shattered one by one until the devil was loose and he took to his army of monsters. He was after a terrible power. The Void.”

Faris stopped. What was he supposed to say about The Void? Even now, he didn’t really understand it.

”The Void’s inside the Rift,” he said. ”Exdeath went inside and we went after him. In the end, it took him and was just about to wipe the whole world of reality. We killed him first though -- me and Bartz and Krile and-” He paused. He wasn’t ready to talk about Lenna.

”It was a wild ride,” he said. ”I still think about the sight of it. He became a monster himself in the end. I’ll never forget it.” He pushed a handful of hair behind his ear. He still saw that twisted devil in the dark. It was something that shouldn’t have lived. They’d done away with it before it could manage.

”Well that’s the long and short of it, anyway.” He tossed his head towards Eillien and smirked. ”Now that we’ve aired our pasts out in the open.”

ulla

”Hell?” Faris blinked. ”Mayhap.” He shoved his hair behind his shoulder and thrust himself back, thinking. It didn’t feel right. Not really. Not after hearing Eillien’s story, anyway. Faris was just a pirate at the end of the day -- that and a Warrior of Light. He hadn’t experienced anything like war or battle or the kind of bloodshed that Eillien spoke. And he certainly wouldn’t have described his own life as “hell.”

Still, he sat silent -- half baffled and half brooding. Maybe he wouldn’t have agreed, but he wasn’t about to go correcting Eillien on that. He didn’t want to bring up the dark thing lurking in her past anymore than he wanted to bring up the absurd branches of his.

”Aye.” Faris cast her a weak grin as he once again lifted his glass. ”To the future.” He took a long drought and felt the room haze. How much had he had now? Surely not enough to disconnect the colors like they were. Had he eaten today? He couldn’t say. ”You know, I’ve grown used to this place, I think. I’d still take home in a heartbeat but…”

Faris shook his head. ”If I could just get a ship and a crew….Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad.” He glanced at Eillien, grinning faintly. ”What do you say? If I ever land myself a ship, how’d you like to sail with me? I could use the extra pair of hands.”

It was a lousy offer, he knew. With the money he was making, he could barely keep himself afloat let alone afford a ship, but it came like a flare of the heart. If he could have a ship, he’d take her in a heartbeat. The open wind would do them well.

”I’d say my stories are a little more outside the law.” He winked at Eillien and sipped again. Should he stop soon? The thought floated past without roots. He’d have water in the morning. ”It comes with the life of a pirate.”

ulla