Final Fantasy XIV: The Winter Calamity

"Hmm."

I scanned the letter twice, being sure to catch the hidden subtleties. One of the more annoying things when it comes to speaking with the well-educated was that they didn't tend to speak in plain terms. Instead, they hid secondary meanings within their words. I still wasn't great at deciphering it all and I most likely never would be, but I knew enough at this point to speak the hidden language. 

Rowena was thinking about building out a bigger network already. While she didn't make enough gil to put her over the threshold and start paying me properly, she was making enough to expand from weapons into other fields. She was finally ready to step into relic trading. It was a positive thing. After the Calamity came, many dungeons and hidden tomes would open up to the world once more.

I needed to make sure these various finds would get funneled to Rowena instead of into the uncultured hands of the Adventurers' guild. No offense to my beloved Momo-nee of course.

For this, buying out the media became even more important. I needed them to spread the word. In addition, I needed to turn that brilliant blacksmith, Gerolt, into a bumbling drunk who was doomed to craft legendary weapons for the Scions. He was down on his luck now, but I needed him to stay struggling for just a while longer. as much as I didn't want to ruin the man's life anymore, the future was more important. 

It would be far more difficult to protect my Minfilia against dark forces without his expertise. I needed those fucking weapons.

I began to pen a response to Rowena, hinting towards buying warehouses and establishing solid trade routes for her goods. I implied that the world was going to get more dangerous as the war re-escalated and she didn't want to get caught using the mainstream roads that were easy to target and plunder by the desperate and depraved.

From there, I sealed the letter, and left the room. I needed to deliver something delicious to the Blacksmith to ruin his life. But I wasn't a drinker. I had no clue how big the alcohol scene was in Eorzea. Considering that there was a town in La Noscea named Wineport then another named Aleport, I thought that it might be a good idea to start with them.

I paced across the stone and steel bridges that suspended the majority of Limsa Lominsa high above the sea's waves. I could feel the salty wind blow through my hair and sunshine bathe my skin. I was pale as hell still, but determined to sunbathe when I could. 

I entered one of the many spires and followed the spiraling stone stairs upwards. If there was a complaint I could make about Limsa Lominsa, it was the structure. While it wasn't has horrible as Gridania... hell, what possibly could be? The city was still separated into the Upper and Lower decks. The Lower Decks sat at sea level and dealt with industries of trades and boats. The Upper decks were dedicated to administration and higher arts. Bars, dineries, the works.

In 2.0, the city-state had developed elevators to move up and down the mountain-like spires, but without them, I had to hike until I was dizzy. 

I walked towards my contact and informed him of my intent.

"Aye sir."

Simple and efficient. I loved these guys.

I passed him his second payment, a fee to get the letter into the Post Moogle's hands, then walked off.

In the distance, I could see Thancred making out with some red haired Miqo'te in the shadows of a building. She was thin, as expected, and short, as expected. I decided to wait and browse the different stores for a bit. My brother's liver should be looking like a shrimp at the moment. I had an alcoholic right there. It would be a shame to go to Wineport and Aleport without him.

I wasn't one to pry into people's love lives. And by that I meant that I was. I found it odd that Thancred couldn't settle down or find someone that spoke to his heart. Perhaps it was the times, something I understood well enough. I wasn't expecting to have kids until the immediate dangers to Eorzean reached a halt. I didn't want my women walking around pregnant and stressing over our kids' safety when there was so much more to do. 

But at the same time, this was the Astral Era. I didn't know how old Thancred was, but he had to be creeping up past mid 20s by this point. There were Lalafell walking around with even smaller babies in their arms at 17. But this guy... I guess I worried for him. 

I wasn't the type to believe that one needed to be married to be satisfied. Your life was what you made of it. Recklessly charging in, to put a ring on your finger didn't end up with you especially better off. Marriage didn't guarantee a better life.

But when you found the right one, when you found someone who covered your weaknesses and boosted your strengths, there was nothing better in the world. You truly did become a new man. Or, that's what I had been told.

Perhaps the life of an Archon in the Circle of Knowing was too stressful? It would explain why all of them were single. All except Louisoix, who had Grandchildren. 

'Oh, that looks nice.'

I saw a white choker with a traditional white stitch pattern on its edges. It looked nice, but I didn't think it would look good on anyone I knew.

I just wanted to see him happier was all. More fulfilled. A lot of things beat that man down in A Realm Reborn. They forge him into stronger stuff. But I liked the Thancred I have now.

"Getting some shopping done?"

I turned to Papalymo who had a bag of what looked like chisels. Wasn't he out of money? 

"I was just looking around. I do not think there's anything I'd want to buy."

"Indeed. The shops in this city are almost as savage as Ul'dah, but their shine is surface deep."

I wasn't quite as harsh. But the quality truly didn't match what I could find in Ul'dah. Or perhaps Rose has ruined me. I didn't give a damn about stitching patterns before sitting down with him. Now I noticed too much.

"So, what are you getting up to Papalymo? Are those chisels?"

"Hmph! Your surprise magicks are to blame! I almost couldn't sleep last night just thinking on the possibilities of its nature. Then that Return- Hearthstone! Absurd! I ran a series of tests with a few of my more familiar spells and saw progress! Now I'm running around in a sweat to get more research tools!"

He was complaining a lot but I could see a spark in his eye. The subject was obviously enjoyable. 

"Tis quite the ambitious field. I fear that your wallet would end up further emptied by diving too deep-"

"Nonsense! When it comes to knowledge, what's a few coin! There's oh so much to do and so little time! You fear for my wallet, I fear the clocks conspiring to move faster than I expect!"

The Lalafell's eyes were glowing with excitement.

"Haha, I understand your meaning. Especially with all this Prophecy business going on, you must truly feel stressed for time."

"sigh More than you know, young man. Speaking of which, I must be off. Too much to do and too little time."

I waved the scholar off just as Thancred was walking my way.

"Shopping?"

"For you." 

"Stealing my heart isn't so easy, Little Winter."

"I'll do my damnest."

We started walking along the bleached cobble roads of the Upper Decks.

"New lover?"

"Old one. Says she wishes to join the Maelstrom."

"Worried for her?"

"Not much. Much of the work sounds... Uhh-"

"White collar?"

"Indeed! White collar."

We were getting within range of the Bismark. Eorzea's premier restaurant, famed for its excellent cuisine and artisan chefs. The name Bismark comes from a legendary whale that supposedly ate everything within its path. 

This very same whale was, in truth, a Primal. I didn't know if there was a connection between the two, as this Primal was located high above the clouds. It seemed strange to me for such a thing to be familiar to Limsa Lominsa's chefs, but what did I know?

The smells that wafted through my nose and glided along my face were mouthwatering. 

"You've to bring Minfilia to this place. She's always been a bit of a gourmet, no?" 

"Yeah, Kan-E too. She'd enjoy seafood I think."

"Who?"

"Kan-E."

"Who?"

"...Kan-E-Senna. The elder Seedseer of Gridania and also my second love."

Thancred stared at me with black lines covering his forehead. 

"You could drive a man to drink."

"But you do drink."

"Not me! How in the hells-"

"Speaking of alcoholics-"

"He's ignoring me..."

"For the sake of the realm, I must ruin a man's life with drink."

"Here we go..."

"What would you recommend?"

"Firewater."

"What's that?"

"An accursed Qiqirn concoction that blinds the sight and stills the heart."

God.

"Ok, perhaps life-ruining is a bit too much. The man is a disgraced blacksmith with exceptional talent. I'd like for him to keep those skills if possible."

"Hm..."

"I planned to visit Aleport and Wineport for research. Would you come along?"

"...Why not. However, I daresay Wineport is worth a skip. A disgraced blacksmith wouldn't have the coin to purchase their wares on a routine basis."

"As long as he gets hooked, isn't it fine? A fiend will always chase their first high, but never find it. Is it not similar for alcohol?"

"...a fiend? No matter, it depends on why one drinks. The mind has far more to do with a love of drink than the body does."

"So we need to break his mind."

"There are indeed some addictive brews out there now that I think about it! Let us away for a look!"

---

"2,500 if you please."

Thancred felt a strong pinch without exception anytime he had to travel by Aetheryte. Not only was the amount absurd, but the process was equally lengthy.

Walk across half the bloody star to get to the Aetheryte, always some twelves-forsaken thing hidden away in a corner or small room.

Chat with the attendants, begging for a slight discount and lying about your starving family or some such.

Getting told to pay the toll anyways, feeling your spirit being torn from your body as 5,000 gil, enough money to feed a man for 2 weeks, is stolen from your pockets. If you travel within the city-state's territory, they only steal a measly 2,500 GIL TWELVE BE GOOD! HOW WAS IT LEGAL??

Then having to endure the awkward silence as the attendants shift the Aetheryte's rings to send you to the right teleportation point and not into the middle of the sky or at the bottom of the sea.

All the while, they are gingerly holding your hard-earned gil in their hands and staring you down like a disgusting roach. How dare you only pay this much. Where's the remaining 195,000 gil?? Was this a jest???

You teleport, being thrown around the Lifestream like you've been planted onto a wheeled-carriage ride that hit a rough patch. Each bump in the road spun you round at least once if not twice.

Then you sit on the other-side, queasy, weak, and staring at the hand of another attendant that asks for another 5,000 gil, else you're going in the pen for a night.

Little Winter covered this second transaction for the two of them with grace.

'Why did I become an Archon??? Why am I not a bloody Alchemist? What was I thinking?!'

"Wow, it's beautiful here..."

Little Winter gazed around the port, that to Thancred seemed dirty and chaotic, with amazement. The young man always found the time to smell the flowers, despite the looming threat that would likely come to pass.

'Thancred... if you knew what the future held, would you try to change all the bad parts... and keep the good parts?'

What did he mean? What did he see? How did he see it?

'Grog, Blackbelly, Moonrise, Mulled, Salt Ale...'

Thancred was flickering through the differing brews he's had to consume while scouting information and sorted them by how close they were to knocking him out cold, and how easy they were to obtain.

It was a bid to distract him from the question that he tried to brush off like all the others.

'A blacksmith? Why?'

Focus.

'Perchance a Slug It Out? One hells of a drink.'

Thancred had long suspected that Little Winter's knowledge was strange. The young man lacked much common sense, but ran around in a fervor to seemingly "set things up".

Buying Thancred a second dagger and telling him to train with it.

Running through the Quicksand's legal standing.

Interfacing and doing work with the Horn and Hand.

Chatting up merchants from seemingly isolated markets.

None of it truly clicked.

'Hello. Quite a kick you have there.'

Mm. It was always strange. Especially his magicks. 

It didn't click until he asked that question. Little Winter stood in the entrance way, staring in silence at the Circle of Knowing. The look in his eyes was unfamiliar to Thancred. Sadness. Mourning.

Thancred knew how to read a man and Little Winter was easily one of the easier men to read. His face was an open book. Or at least it was when around people he knew.

'Thancred... if you knew what the future held...'

He didn't have the Echo. But he had something else. Little Winter believed, or perchance even knew, that the people in that room would meet sorry fates.

"Are you curious?"

Thancred was pulled from his thoughts and gazed upon his brother's carefree smile. His eyes were the same periwinkle blue. Glowing and unperturbed.

"About what?"

"About how much I know?"

"Not at all."

"Liar. Hehe."

Little Winter smiled and looked up near the top of Aleport's walls. The town functioned as a port for the region's main export. Alcohol. Wineport also tended to send their carefully curated choices for exporting here, rather than delivering to the main ports within Limsa Lominsa. It was cheaper. Though the occasional Auroch, a gentle but massive buffalo type beast that's twice as tall as a man, would halt the deliveries here and there.

Large ramps that lead down to strong stone docks made up the majority of the town. Residents lived within the wall that surrounded the port for the most part.

"I was a bit scared to talk about it because I didn't know if things would change."

Thancred understood the idea. Every small change in the past could result in massive changes in the future.

"To answer your question, I don't know everything. I never could. I am no Scryer or Astrologian. I have seen small bits. Glimpses in time. When I woke up in that desert, I only had a loose idea of what these visions meant. And before now, I was reserved in how much I wanted to address them. My involvement could easily make the world so much worse than what I have seen."

Not a single lie, as is usual. 

"Then... the 7th Umbral Era..."

"I dare not say. We all have our roles to play, brother."

"sigh"

Thancred could understand. Dammit he could. It's what the Twelve have written. It was Hydaelyn's will be done. But...dammit.

"What I can say however-"

Thancred perked up.

"Is that I'll save as much as I can. We will be alright. Even if it costs me everything-"

"Don't. Don't you dare speak of that."

Thancred was more than a bit upset. He was not interested in seeing his brother become a martyr. He still had not forgotten the boy's dying gasps during the parade. They still haunted him, urging him to train in that second dagger for longer. To push himself harder.

"If that's the cost, then I'd rather bear what may come in silence."

"Hahaha! You're too high strung! Trust me, I intend to survive. I wouldn't throw my life away on foolishness like being a hero or something of the sort."

Relief tapped onto Thancred's heart once more. That was more like the Little Winter he knew.

"But-"

Then Little Winter stared at Thancred with resolve in his eyes.

"If I must save those I love, you included, I would sacrifice many, many things. As many as I must. I can't explain what part you and I play. But as long as we play it well, such a terrible future won't come to pass."

"..."

Something like that...

"Deserves a ballad."

"What would it be called?"

"Hmm...Resolve. Judge of Eorzea. Or perhaps-"

"The Winter Cala-"

"No. Not that."