Echoes of Time

"We will offer a place for you far from the warzones where you may live out the rest of your days quietly among other peaceful farmers and villagers and we will think nothing less of you should you choose this path.  Pray, take your time and use this moment here to decide your path."

Staring at a tropical forest Melanie took in a deep breath of the sweet air.  Honeyed fragrances from ripened fruits ready for the picking coupled with the saltyness of the ocean nearby tingled inside her nostrils.  Here on this island sanctuary no dangerous monsters roamed the land and no other people were here to interrupt her, only hard working mammets toiled day and night to accommodate to her needs.  Peaceful days followed peaceful nights.  It was everything she could've wished for even if it was a different lifestyle to that she lived on Earth, yet it was a blessing to be away from the stresses of her old life and technologies that made her frequently unwell and kept her from her responsibilities.

And yet, despite this deep sense of tranquility, she felt heavily burdened.  Burdened by the guilt of denying a world of its champion and of leaving the Scions stranded on the First.  As she thought of them she saw their faces slowly fade away - first Thancred, then Urianger.

At Revenant's Toll an exhausted Kryle, having collapsed from draining most of her aether into trying to keep the Scions alive, wept as she looked up at their cold lifeless bodies  One by one they were carried from the infirmary to be returned back to their homelands where they would be buried.

Back on the First atop the Crystal Tower an encumbered Y'shtola was on her knees looking as if she was about to collapse.  Alphinaud and Alisaie were bent over her looking helpless with tears in their eyes.  They had seen this happen twice before, but there was nothing they could do could stop the inevitable from happening.

Several feet away from them G'raha was frantically channeling magic into a small dark portal that was slowly getting larger, his body had now almost completely transformed into crystal.

"You can't be serious, you promised!" Alisaie yelled out to G'raha.

"And I promised you I would do everything to get you all back home, even if it meant taking my own life" he replied without breaking his concentration from the portal.  The portal opened large enough for him to enter and he turned to his friends with wet eyes and deepest regret writ on his face.  "I'm deeply regretful that I could not save our other friends.  Maybe if I had another hundred years I could've found a way to send you home, but unfortunately time is what I no longer have and I can't delay any longer.  I cannot watch any more of you die."

"NO G'RAHA!!!" Alisaie cried out rushing towards him as he turned towards the portal.  G'raha slammed the base of his staff down onto the ground and closed his eyes with a pained expression.  "Break" he said under his breath.  Alisaie and Alphinaud were suddenly encased in crystalline rock up to their waistlines and unable to move.  "I'm so sorry my friends, farewell" G'raha said without looking at them as tears trickled down his cheeks, then he opened his eyes again and stepped into the portal.

"No...!" Alphinaud gasped, his face grimacing in anguish.

"G'RAHA!!!!!!" Alisaie cried, tears racing down her face and soaking into her collar as she watched G'raha disappear and the portal collapse on itself.

The scene then went dark and Alisaie's voice echoed loudly towards Melanie in the darkness..."You did nothing!  You promised you'd help, but instead you chose to be like a coward and do nothing, and now they're all gone!"

"No....is this what will happen if I choose not to become the Warrior of Light?  Is there nobody else who can save them???!"

Everything started to get fuzzy and moments later Melanie was back inside the Royal Palace at Ala Mhigo.  She opened her eyes to see Krile looking up at her, the rest of the congregation watching in silence.  Melanie took in a few deep breaths through her nostrils as she tried to make sense of what just happened.

"This must've been the Echo and what I saw was the future.  G'raha, Urianger, Thancred...if I do nothing then they all die.  But if I become the Warrior of Light does that mean they will all be saved?  The thoughts of me becoming a warrior are absurd, but if there's even the smallest chance that I can save them all then it's time I stopped being so negative and have some faith in myself for once."

Melanie looked straight at Krile feeling more determined than ever.  "I have come to a decision" she said affirmatively.  "I made a promise to G'raha and I'm sticking to it.  I will become the warrior your people need."

Krile nodded with a smile.  "I had every bit of faith you would say that" she said happily.

"Hang on a minute though" Cid spoke out again.  "Didn't it take years for Lineya to become the Warrior of Light?  As I recall it took her 9 bloomin' years to get to where she did and that was when time itself was at a standstill.  We have a long list of urgent issues that need addressing right now and we don't have that kind of time to wait for her to learn how to swing a sword.  What if the Empire decides to send in a new army to reclaim Ala Mhigo, then what?  Or of the battles taking place in Bozja.  The Eorzean Alliance is already stretched thinly to keep our positions secure but once the Imperials catch wind we don't have a Warrior of Light to fend them off then they'll come charging right back in again and we won't have the manpower to hold them off.  Our people will have died for nothing."  The rest of the room started to buzz in agreement and concern.

"I know time is of the essence and I won't deny that I feel concerned myself" Krile spoke above them.  "This is reason why you've all been asked to swear not to speak of today outside these walls.  Should word reach the Empire about Lineya's predicament then there's no telling to what lengths the Imperials will go to retake lands that have been liberated from Imperial tyranny.  As for Lineya's training we will do everything we can to ensure it goes as quickly as possible.  We have some of the best trainers who'll be working every day to help Lineya reclaim her status.  Most of all we have Hydaelyn's assurance that we will not have to wait long.  Hydaelyn would not leave us without her chosen champion if it were to put us in such a situation that we ourselves cannot handle."

"Well, for all our sakes I hope you're right" Cid replied.

Krile nodded in agreement.  "If that is all then I will call an end for this meeting.  If anyone has anything they want to say or ask then now's the time to say it, otherwise please go about your daily business as normal and speak nothing of what's been spoken today to anyone."

Where To Go From Here

At dizzying heights 3 travellers scaled their way upwards in one of the tallest cities in Eorzea.  Despite the many staircases that reached as high as the very mountains themselves that blocked the rest of Gyr Abania from sight, the 3 travellers continued scaling at a steady pace.  Even Melanie was confused to why she didn't feel exhausted or have any muscle aches after climbing so many stairs.  "It must be from the amount of travelling and fighting monsters that I have this much excess stamina" she pondered to herself.  Several times she felt herself panic halfway up the staircases but with them being so wide and surrounded by tall brick buildings she just kept looking towards the walls and after a while it just became a rhythm to keep on climbing.  Going up stairs was always far more easier for her than going down them, unless she could look over the edge and see the ground below her or she felt the stairs weren't safe or stable enough.

Despite having climbed so many stairs they reached their destination in a timely manner.  Standing outside a tall double doorway that led inside to the Royal Palace, Krile turned to Melanie.  "I know you were warned against speaking to others about your true identity, however I had no other choice to inform all those you've crossed paths with who've worked close with you to meet with us this day as they need to know the truth.  As you can imagine the number of people you've associated with is particularly large as you made such great impressions throughout all of our kingdoms, but I assure you each person in this room has sworn to speak nothing outside of what is to be discussed today.  I hope you won't feel too overwhelmed with what we're about to face."  Melanie felt a little uncomfortable but nodded in acknowledgement.  "It makes sense, if those I worked with don't know of my true identity it would result in awkward discussions in the future" she thought to herself.  Krile faced towards the door and with a gentle shove pushed them open.

Whilst Krile had warned her that the numbers would be huge Melanie was really not prepared enough for what she saw.  The entire throne room was full of important figures she met in the game from city and alliance leaders to other key and important figures from more smaller factions.  The sheer number of people was overwhelming.  "You weren't kidding the number of people would be large" she said quietly to Krile.

Krile stepped forward towards the crowds of people and began to address herself.  "If I may have your attention please" she said loudly.  The room quietened down as everyone stopped talking and gathered in front of Krile to hear what she had to say.  "I thank you all for coming here today especially on such short notice.  I know many of you have very important business you need to attend to so I shall try not to keep you here long."  Krile cleared her throat a little before continuing.

"As all of you were informed prior to arriving here what is to be spoken of today must never leave these walls.  A few nights ago a new star was spotted in the constellation of Azemeya.  At the same time people all across the star felt a new sense of awareness, a phenomena now referred to as The Awakening.  Our lives have far prolonged the years we've spent on this star and until now there has been no explanation to what caused this unusual warping of time, nor were we aware of it taking place.  However this was not the only change that took place.  The Awakening also marked the arrival of a new visitor from another universe."  Krile motioned towards Melanie who then stepped forward nervously.  Krile faced back towards the audience.

"M'leineya Leoh, or as many of you have referred to her as the Warrior of Light, has been with us for the past 11 years and has been a key player in many victories and heroic deeds.  However the person you see standing in front of you now has only walked among us since The Awakening took place.  She comes not from Eorzea but from a different universe."

Whispers started to spread across the room and started to become louder.  Faces contorted in confusion and disbelief.  Krile cleared her throat again trying to catch their attention but the crowd was already overwhelmed by her statement.  "Excuse me Miss Krile, but are you trying to say that the Warrior of Light only just arrived here 2 nights ago?  Then who has been with us for the past 11 years?" a middle-aged male voice spoke up from the crowd.  The room went silent and the crowd stood aside revealing a middle-aged hyur with white shoulder-length hair, a white beard and moustache, wearing a heavy black and white leather coat that was partially buttoned up his chest and displaying a large brass pendant hanging around his neck.  Aside from his white locks and facial hair the blue tinted goggles that were balanced across his forehead were a big giveaway to his identity - Cid Garlond, president of the Garlond Ironworks.

"Allow me to explain..." Krile said before the crowd could start debating amongst themselves again.  "The Warrior of Light was an avatar of the person controlling her from another universe.  As far as she was aware our world didn't exist, it was just part of a simulation used as entertainment for the people of her world until a couple of nights ago when she was spirited from her universe to ours."

The crowd began to murmer amongst themselves again.  Melanie stepped forward feeling she had to say something.  "It's true, everything she says is true" she called out.  "On my world this was just part of a game, the ambitions of a man who created a copy and was played by millions of people.  We had no idea this world actually existed.  Somehow everything we did on my world affected yours until Hydaelyn brought me here which severed the link between our worlds.  I don't know why she chose me in particular.  You see, on my world I'm not a fighter nor an adventurer.  I'm just a regular citizen with a quiet life.  I've never held a weapon nor faced anyone in a fight.  Most importantly...we have no magic.  To us magic is just slight of hand and tricks of illusion and nothing more."

The palace fell into an uncomfortable silence after she finished speaking.  Everyone was lost for words until finally a small voice spoke up inside the crowd again.  "So, if we were to believe what you just said, you are saying you are no longer the Warrior of Light?"  A small lalafel with long white hair wearing a fighter's outfit mostly made of thick leather stepped foward, his brow furrowed with a combination of anger, confusion and disappointment.

"At this moment she isn't, which is why we are gathered here today" Krile replied.  "Part of this meeting was to reveal to you the truth about Lineya's identity although not to shun or disown her for it, the other part is what I'm about to ask."  Krile then turned to face Melanie.  "I know that Hydaelyn brought you here with a purpose, however in the end the choice of what you do from this day forth is up to you.  Should you decide to follow with your purpose I shall ensure that all guild leaders across Eorzea are informed of your predicament so they can help with your training and restoring your status as Champion of Eorzea.  However should you feel this is too much pressure the alternative is that we strip you from all ranks and responsibilities and you be granted the status of a citizen.  We will offer a place for you far from the warzones where you may live out the rest of your days quietly among other peaceful farmers and villagers and we will think nothing less of you should you choose this path.  Pray, take your time and use this moment here to decide your path."

Melanie stood silent for what felt like an eternity.  The thoughts of abandoning a lifestyle of travelling and fighting monsters in favour of one she would be most more likely to fit in was appealing to her and a temptation.  She closed her eyes and started to think hard.

"If I choose to follow the path before me then perhaps I might find a way back home, but should I refuse I may be stuck on this planet forever and never find a way back to my own world.  I'm no fighter or adventurer, I can't imagine myself travelling the world fighting monsters.  This isn't me!  But what of the Scions back on the First, and what about what Hydaelyn said to me that I'm the only one who can save them all?  Could I really live with myself if I turn my back on them just because I have no motivation and no confidence in myself?  But who am I kidding...me, a champion???  A nobody who made no name for herself back on her own world trying to make one for herself on a different world?  This is preposterous!  Hydaelyn made a big mistake in picking me.  I can't...I'm too scared of everything...I'm not like my brothers and my sister, I don't think like them.  I can't just become a fighter overnight!"

Melanie finally opened her eyes once more and looked straight at Krile.  "I have come to a decision" she said.

Way Up High

Melanie was woken up by a light jolt as the airship came to a halt.  She looked around in a panic, her heart was racing and dreams still replayed in her mind as a distorted memory of her travelling through space whilst looking back at Earth and trying to claw her way back, but as she turned to face where she was heading towards instead of it being just a bright light there was someone in there waiting for her, and as she got closer she saw it was Zenos with his arms wide open, his eyes blazing red, and with an evil laugh shouting "Come, let us dance before the pyre!"  The light turned into fire and Zenos's face distorted into a wild and psychotic grin, a darkness rose from behind him with a fearsome aura and struck out at Melanie.  "The end!"

Ephemie looked at Melanie startled at her sudden movements.  "Are you alright?" she asked concerned.  Melanie, now realising she had been dreaming, shook her head.  "It's ok, it was just a bad dream" she replied.  "Oh.  Well good thing you're now awake as we've just arrived" Ephemie said as she pushed herself onto her feet.  Melanie grabbed her satchel that was nearby and pushed herself onto her feet.  Although she slept through most of the flight her body still felt a little wobbly.  She wondered how much time had passed since boarding the airship.  It was hard to tell since there was no light coming in from outside and just a few lanterns to light up the hull.

Together they escallated a small set of wooden steps up to the sides of the airship where a plank was already awaiting them to disembark.  Rays of brilliant sunlight pierced through the dark shadows indicating it was still daytime, probably around lunchtime.  Krile was already waiting for them at the top of the stairs.  Melanie's stomach began to gurgled as she thought about lunch.  Ephemie heard Melanie's tummy and turned to face her.  "Did you not eat before we left?" she asked in surprise.  Melanie shook her head, "I didn't have time" she replied.  "Don't you have anything in your satchel?  We won't be able to stop for food before the meeting" she said.  "Wow why didn't I think of that myself?" Melanie thought to herself as she slipped her satchel off her shoulders.  She remembered the night before emptying everything from her satchel and seeing piping hot plates of food that somehow didn't manage to spill all over everything else.  As she thought about it her hand felt the edge of a plate inside her bag and she pulled out a plate of smoked chicken.  Ephemie shook her head in despair.  "We don't have time for that!" she exclaimed.  "Don't you have something quick you could eat on the go, like a sandwich or a cookie?"  Melanie put the plate back into her satchel and fumbled around a bit more.  Her hands landed on something thin and rough textured.  She pulled her hand out of the satchel clutching onto a large biscuit and looked up at Ephemie.  "That'll do.  Now let's hurry or we'll be late" Ephemie exclaimed.  Melanie swung her satchel back onto her shoulders and started munching on the biscuit as they proceeded to cross the plank.

The taste of the biscuit for a moment made Melanie forget where they were.  The buttery sweetness of the biscuit combined with a rich chocolatey flavour and the slightest hint of coffee made Melanie's stresses melt away.  As she approached the plank she almost dropped her cookie and squealed out in fear.  The airship was hovering at the top of a tall circular stone building that was on the edge of a canyon that was so high up that a layer of clouds swirled beneath them masking the view of the ground.  A pair of wide stone stairways curved downwards on the inner perimeter of the building towards a large archway that led into the Ala Mhigan Quarter.  Krile turned around startled by Melanie's shrieks.  Ephemie quickly grabbed one of Melanie's arms and dragged her across the platform onto the top of the building in protest.  As soon as they were off the platform Melanie dropped to her knees clutching herself in a hug whilst shaking and trying to take in deep breaths to stop herself from hyperventilating.

Krile shook her head in dismay as she looked ahead at the huge city peering over the walls, its heights towering over 600 feet high.  "I should've considered a much better place for this meeting, one that Lineya could've reached without her fears taking over" she said to herself sadly.  Ephemie gave Melanie a few moments to catch her breath.  "You think you can manage the stairs?" she asked.  Melanie looked at the stairs.  There was nothing to grab onto to stop her from falling, that wasn't to say that where they were standing now wasn't that much better.  There was nothing to prevent anyone from accidentally falling off the edge.  A strong gust of wind or walking too close to the edge could spell death to anyone.  Melanie closed her eyes tightly and rocked on her knees.  Ephemie could see she was going to have a tough time getting Melanie down.  She closed her eyes as she started to think of a plan.

"I know you're afraid of heights, but this is the only other way into the city without using chocobos or teleports and where we need to go is even higher up than where we are now.  If you can trust me I can help you reach it."  Ephemie held an arm out to Melanie.  Melanie opened her eyes and looked at Ephemie's outstretched hand.  Her body continued to tremble, every limb refused to cooperate for her to get up off her knees, her diaphram bounced up and down inside her every other second and making her want to be sick.  She knew she couldn't stay up here forever and would have to get down eventually.

After what felt like hours Melanie was able to reach out with a shaking arm and take Ephemie's hand.  She took in a couple of deep breathes and together they helped her to get back onto her feet.  Melanie still remained crouched over as she stood up, her knees feeling like she might crumple back to the floor again.  She began to push one foot forward in front of the other and slowly shuffled towards the stairs.  Krile let out a sigh of relief and followed behind.  

As they stood at the top of the stairway Melanie's fears once again began to make her body shake uncontrollably.  She gripped onto Ephemie's arm more tightly than ever.  "I'll walk you close by the wall to make it easier.  If you can help it try not to look down" Ephemie said to her calmly.  Melanie nodded despite inside she was screaming in objection.  "Of all the places they chose here.  Why not Ul'dah or even Ishgard?" she thought to herself.  She trembled and cried, biting on her bottom lip hard to not scream.  Her legs felt like they were about to give way as soon as she took the first step and she stumbled as she tried to get down the first few steps.  She closed her eyes tightly and sobbed, tears racing down her face like a waterfall and soaking her collar.  Slowly they began descending together, Melanie cursing in her head both at her inability to get over her fears and at the architects who designed the city.  After a few steps Melanie was able to touch the wall next to her which helped a little as they slowly descended.

Finally they reached the city level.  Exhausted from exertion Melanie propped herself up against the wall, her head reeling and her body feeling like she had been violently shaken arounnd.  Ephemie looked a little cross that they were wasting so much time but Krile quickly raised a hand to her and then walked up to Melanie.  "Take it slowly, one slow breath at a time" she said softly.  Melanie heeded to Krile's words and began to inhale slowly and deeply.  Her body started to relax and she began to feel her strength slowly return.  "All right, let's make our way into the city" Krile smiled a little.  Melanie nodded and straightened herself up.  Together they walked towards the archway opposite the staircase only to be met by another flight of stairs only this time smaller and much wider.  Melanie once again began to bite on her bottom lip which was now sore and swollen from last time.  She hesitated for a moment, her body starting to object to going down yet another set of stairs after her previous traumatic experience.  Krile and Ephemie walked up to either side of her, Ephemie looking down at her with her arm held out at her side.  Melanie grasped onto Ephemie's arm and together they descended the stairs with less effort than earlier.

Once at the bottom of the stairs a small black metal door was now all that was between them and the city.  Ephemie pushed open the door and together they entered into a building were a man was guarding a double wooden door that led into the city.  Krile proceeded forward and handed in some papers to the guard.  "We're here on business from Mor'Dona."  The guard looked at the papers and handed them back with a nod and stepped aside.

Upon opening the wooden door the first thing Melanie was greeted by was a large blue aetheryte crystal which stood out in the middle of the red brickwork of Ala Mhigo.  The noise of activity filled the air of people chatting with one another, carts being carried back and forth by merchants, and workers nearby expanding some parts of the city to build a better trading quarter in the heart of the city.  Many of the streets were lined with large crates, barrels, sacks, and huge stone bricks whilst merchants made make-shift stalls to peddle their wares.  While the threat of a possible retalliation by the Garlean Empire to invade and take back Ala Mhigo was far at the back of peoples' minds it nonetheless still remained a possibility and all measures to ensure that Ala Mhigo remained prepared for another war were kept in place.  All entrances in and out of the city were well guarded, even the gateway leading up to the royal palace where Zenos yae Galvus once resided were barricaded and watched over by resistance guards disallowing access save those who were on utmost important resistance business or just visiting the gardens.

Krile led the way around the winding streets of tall buildings until they reached the base of the stairway leading up to the palace area.  The guard on duty reacted as she approached him.  "Mistress Krile, I trust you're here for the meeting up at the castle?" he asked.  Krile nodded with a smile.  "These are my companions who'll be joining with me" she replied.  The guard nodded with compliance and went to escort Krile up the long stone stairway.  Melanie looked up with a gulp, there must've been at least 80 steps to the top of the stairway.  "We're going all the way up those?" Melanie asked Ephemie.  Ephemie nodded.  "There's even more leading up to the palace" she replied. 

"Ala Mhigo is famous both for its use of local resources for its unique red brickwork to being one of the most tallest cities in all of Eorzea.  The Royal Menagerie itself stands at over 2,000 fulms, its highest buildings overlooking the entirety of The Lochs." 

Melanie stared at Ephemie eyes opened wide and her jaw hanging low.  She had no idea what a fulm was but she could guess it meant a foot.  "And lemme guess, we're going to climb all of that?" she asked in a worried voice. 

"Oh no, not all of it.  Just two thirds" Ephemie replied.

Melanie almost choked, a shudder surged down her spine.  "I don't know what's going to kill me first, my fear of heights or the long walk up" she said in a slightly sarcastic tone.  "Can't we just like teleport up there or even ride a chocobo?"

Ephemie scoffed slightly.  "Oh do stop complaining, it'll be good exercise and hopefully by the time you reach the top you won't have any more fear of heights."  Ephemie gave Melanie a quick shove forward with both hands sending her stumbling towards the steps.  Melanie turned around and lightly scowled at Ephemie who in turn smirked back.

"This is gonna be torture, we'll be lucky if we reach the top by nightfall, that's if death doesn't claim me first!" Melanie thought to herself as they began quietly scaling the stairway together.

To Ala Mhigo!

Lying in a warm bed Melanie tried her best not to let her worries deprive her of much needed sleep.  She had gotten lucky, a young miqo'te girl she once helped out in the game was playing near the plaza just happened to live in one of the ground levels of Revenant's Toll and after hearing she was looking for a place to stay begged her mother to let Melanie stay the night.  Despite the room being dark and the walls made purely from dark grey stone it was still warm thanks to a large stone fireplace.  There was little in terms of decoration save a couple of banners on the wall, a large rug, and a small number of wooden side tables with bronze candles.  It was unlike anywhere she'd ever stayed in before but she was thankful enough that she even had somewhere to stay the night.

As her eyes began to weigh heavy she was sure she heard a familiar voice speaking out to her.  "Well, aren't you full of surprises."

"Ardbert?" she quizzed in her mind.

"Not only are you from another world but from another universe entirely."  The room began to lighten as the glowing image of Ardbert appeared in front of her smiling a little.  "I know what you're thinking, that you're not strong enough to become the Warrior of Light.  And as long as you keep on thinking that you never will be."

"Then tell me what am I supposed to do?" Melanie exclaimed, barely noticing that she was no longer in her room but in a bright white space.

"Believe in yourself, believe in what you're capable of doing.  You are more stronger than you realise.  You have a gift very few others have been granted and carry within you a powerful ally that will help you along in your journey to becoming a warrior and a hero."

"That may be true, but what about everything else?  I'm scared of heights, I'm scared of anything I'm not familiar with, I'm scared of bugs that are way smaller than the ones in Eorzea so how am I supposed to confront one that towers over me?" Melanie cried out with a desperate look in her face.

"All things will change over time.  I had a friend who was not unlike you once, but it didn't take him long to overcome his fears and he became a different man afterwards.  What you lack in now you will find over time and in others.  What you need to do is believe as others have believed in you, and don't feel too afraid to ask them for help."

"If only it were that easy" Melanie sighed.  "I've never been one to ask for help and mostly relied on myself to get things done, and look at where it got me.  I've always walked the hard road by myself and I'm no more better for it.  People ask me for advice and I've no idea how best to answer them because of my lack in social experience.  The Warrior of Light is often looked upon for answers to riddles and tough choices, things I could never do by myself.  The only choices I had were those prewritten for me and it was my judgment to choose which one to answer by and not always was it the best decision."  Melanie hung her head low feeling hopeless.  Ardbert closed his eyes and turned his head slightly.

"I didn't always make the right choices myself you know" he said as he opened his eyes again.  "When we chose to side with Elidibus it was I who made that decision for us all, and we both know how that played out.  Nobody expects you to know all the answers and to always choose the right one, and nobody expects you to do everything by yourself.  Even if you were to try to walk the path alone you won't get very far.  Remember what happened to Renda-Rae when she confronted Balam-Quitz by herself?  Had we not followed her and helped her she would never have survived.  If you really want to become a hero you'll first need to learn to change the way you think and be more confident, put aside your stubbornness, your insecurities and lack of trust and patience and stop looking at everything else to pin blame on and trying to do everything by yourself."

Melanie clenched her fists tightly, her face taut with anguish.  "I know what you're telling me Ardbert and what you say won't be easy for me to change.  Fourty years of doing things the way I've always known won't change overnight."  She then looked up at him with determination in her eyes.  "But I'll try my hardest because I know if I don't I'll never succeed, and time is too short for me to spend lollygagging.  My friends are trapped on the First and I'll do whatever it takes to see them home, and whatever reason it was that I was summoned here to do I will see it through."

Ardbert looked back up at her with a smile.  "I no doubts have faith you'll succeed, and if you ever find yourself in a situation where you doubt yourself just remember this conversation we had right here at this moment."

Melanie smiled back as Ardbert's figure slowly began to fade away and the room began to darken as if her eyes were closing once again.  She then felt the bed underneath her as she opened her eyes and pushed herself up on the bed.  Rubbing the sleep from her eyes she looked around.  Ardbert was no longer there and the room was the same as it was before.  "A dream?" she muttered to herself.  "No, that was no ordinary dream.  More like an intervention" she thought.  "Thank you, Ardbert" she said quietly, hoping that he'd be able to hear her.

Melanie heard a chiming noise coming from her ear.  She raised her hand feeling around for where the noise was coming from and pulled away a small pearl encased in a golden setting that had been nestling within the folds of her ear.  The pearl was emitting a gentle pulsating light with the chimes.  Melanie sat up straight as she gazed at the pearl not knowing what to do as nobody told her how to use it.  The chiming stopped and a voice started emitting from the pearl.  Melanie quickly raised the pearl to her ear to listen in.

"Leineya?" Krile's voice spoke through the pearl.  "I'm hoping you can hear me.  I need you to meet at the lake south of Revenant's Toll in an hour.  We'll talk more on your arrival."  Krile's voice then ended.  Melanie took another look at the pearl recognising it as a linkpearl.  How she hadn't noticed it in her ear until now was a mystery.  She decided for the best to put it back in her ear, if she were to put it in something like a pocket or a purse she could easily lose it or damage it.  She felt around for the folds in her ear where the linkpearl was originally nestled and placed the pearl back inside.

Pushing herself off the bed she looked over at the clothes she had been wearing that were in a neat pile on top of one of the cartoniers.  She had gone against the idea of sleeping in her clothes like last time and instead had donned a long night gown she found in her backpack.  She figured the whole thing of sleeping in daily clothes was a limitation in the game engine and that the people of this world certainly did not sleep in them, and as for the bed sheets it made no sense to sleep on top of them either.  There was no change of underwear in her backpack either so before she turned in for bed she had washed her underwear in a sink and hung them on the back of a chair near the fireplace where they dried out overnight.  Surprisingly there were toilets too which she was thankful of as she had been bursting for the toilet all day and was wondering if she would need to sneak outside to use a bush.  Again these were something not accounted for in the game but in this world they existed and she really didn't want to think too hard about how they worked here.

Melanie started to dress in her red mage garments and folded away her night gown and placed it into her backpack.  Whilst in the game backpacks weren't visible they were still very small considering the amount of stuff they could carry.  She already had a go at pulling out various things before going to sleep and tried her hardest to stiffle her laughter as items several times larger and heavier were just pouring out around her.  She could only guess that there was some sort of aetheric manipulation involved and that the backpack was like a small wormhole where upon going near it items would shrink in size and lose their weight so that the backpack didn't get heavier else she would never be able to lift it from the ground.  Despite this there was still some kind of limitation where the backpack would stop accepting items after a while so it wasn't an infinite storage space.  She imagined what this kind of technology would've been like back on her own world.  No more back injuries for carrying heavy bags around, no need for numerous and expensive storage units to store everything in.  Even food stayed in stasis whilst inside the backpack so it didn't rot, melt or lose any heat.  She could easily pull out a plate of baked fish cooked months ago and it would still be hot and fresh.

Checking to make sure she didn't leave anything behind Melanie picked up her backpack and exited the room.  As she closed the door behind her the owner of the house she was staying at was passing her by.  "Ah Miss Leoh!" she said upon seeing her.  "I trust you slept well?"

"Yes, thank you so much for allowing me to stay the night.  I'm ever in your debt" Melanie responded.

"Oh it's no trouble at all.  It's rare that we have guests considering the number of people who pass by, but you are such a great influence to everyone that it would be ill of me not to offer you a bed.  After all you helped my daughter so it's only fit I pay you back in a similar manner."

Melanie nodded greatfully.  She couldn't remember what it was she did to help her daughter but clearly this lady didn't forget.

"Wouldn't you stay with us for breakfast?" the lady asked noticing that Melanie was ready to leave.

"Ah I would but I have an urgent matter to tend to" Melanie replied.

"I see" the lady said trying not to sound disappointed.  "I'll let my daughter know you had to leave early.  Stay safe out there and may the Gods watch over you."

Melanie bowed graciously and then turned around towards the front door.  As she opened it she was met with the same thick pink fog she saw the night before only it was more denser this time.  The area she was heading to wasn't that far away even on foot and wouldn't take much more than 15 to 20 minutes to walk there, although she wasn't exactly sure where she was supposed to meet.  She poised a guess that she was to head to the nearest point where she could reach the lake shore which was a short ways from the rocky trail.

Battling through the dense gloomy fog Melanie could hear the slithering of giant cobras and the sounds of water gently brushing against rocks.  The cobras hadn't seen her yet, but she also couldn't see them either which made her feel nervous.  As she strained to look around she heard a loud explosion and the loud hiss of a cobra followed by a thud.  Several hissing noises echo'd around her as the remaining cobras quickly slithered away.  Melanie spun around rapidly trying to see where they were going and what caused the explosion.

"There, that'll take care of the rest of them" Melanie heard a woman's voice nearby.  Melanie strained hard to see who the voice belonged to.  The patterns swirling in the fog made it difficult to make out anything tangible until suddenly an elezen woman's form stepped through the fog followed by Krile and Tataru.

"Ah there you are Leineya" Krile said with a cheerful smile on her face.  "I trust you remember Ephemie?  She'll be accompanying us to Ala Mhigo to relay whatever developments are result of the meeting there to some of our most trusted allies."

"Pleased to make your acquaintence once more" the young elezen woman said bowing slightly to Melanie.  As Melanie nodded back in response the dense fog began to clear and Melanie was able to get a better look at her company.  The elezen woman had long mousey brown hair that was braided and pinned up at the back of her head with a couple of braided bangs hanging down either side of her face with silver metal clips holding the braids in place.  Bronze clasps held onto the bottom of her large and wide pointed ears.  Her grey eyes hid behind a thick line of black eyeliner and brown eyeshadow and a single beauty mark adorned her pale face below her red glazed lips.  She wore a stylish red and brown leather bliaud and tall black leather boots that reached up to her thighs, and a large cloth choker was clipped around her neckline making her neck look even taller.

Krile took a few steps towards the lake looking outwards.  "Ah, there's our ride at long last." she said.  Melanie turned around to see a large airship behind her gently touching down onto the water as it made its way towards them.  Melanie began to panic worriedly at the whole idea of flying.

Tataru gazed at the incoming airship with great anticipation.  "I give you the Bonanza, the Scions' very own airship!" she said excitedly.  "She's not completely finished yet and we were in the process of outfitting her with some newly designed manacutters for quick travel in future excursions.  I was going to save the surprise for when our friends returned from the First, but present circumstances call for more immediate action."

"Um, maybe you don't know this but I have a severe fear of heights" Melanie said as her eyes remained fixated on the airship that just kept on getting bigger and bigger as it moved towards them.

"I'm fully aware.  There's a fully sealed area below the deck you can sit in so you don't have to worry about looking outside or fear being blown off the ship" Tataru replied reassuringly.  Melanie still felt nervous looking at the airship.  Eventually the airship came to a halt just short of hitting the shore and a large roegadyn man dragged out a wide plank leading up to the airship.  Melanie began to tremble as her companions moved forwards towards the plank.  "All aboard!" Tataru chimed, then she turned around and saw Melanie hesitating and shaking.  "Come along, it's all perfectly safe!" said with a cheerful smile.  Melanie felt like she wanted to crumple on the spot and cry.

Krile and Ephemie stopped what they were doing and turned to look at Melanie.  Ephemie walked back towards Melanie.  "Here, look up to me and keep your eyes on mine" she said as she reached a hand out to Melanie.  Melanie took hold of her hand and slowly Ephemie started to back towards the airship with Melanie following her and Krile close behind.  "Don't look anywhere else, just keep looking at me" Ephemie continued with a smile.  Melanie felt her feet hit the plank and started to climb upwards towards the airship.  Her body began to shake even more and she began hyperventilating, her heart beat fast and hard in her chest.  "That's it, keep looking at me, nothing else" Ephemie continued.  Melanie started to hold on more tightly to Ephemie's hand and bit her lip to not scream as they scaled the plank and finally boarded the airship.  Tataru waved at them from the shore once they were all on board and the roegadyn pulled the plank back into the airship.

Ephemie guided Melanie into the lower part of the airship where it was completely sealed with not even a window to look outside from.  It seemed this part of the ship was designed to be used for holding very large cargo since it was sparce of any kind of furnishing.  Ephemie sat down on the floor with her back against the wall and Melanie sat down next to her whilst Krile made her way back up to the upper deck via a nearby set of wooden stairs.  As Melanie started to make herself comfy she felt the airship move foward and then jolt as it lifted off into the air.  Melanie panicked a little looking for something to hold onto to brace herself but there was nothing.  Instead all she could do was sit and try her best not to have a panic attack.  Her ears started to pop with the change in air pressure.  Ephemie on the other hand didn't seem bothered at the fact they were now airborne.  Instead she just looked at Melanie with a reassuring look on her face.  "I'm guessing this is the first time you've ridden an airship?" Ephemie asked.  Melanie nodded and then suddenly looked at Ephemie with surprise.  "Wait, do you know about me?" she asked.

Ephemie nodded.

"Krile told me a few things but not in whole detail.  She said you're from another universe and that this is your first time in Eorzea.  She needed to let me know considering I'll be the one who'll be letting the rest of our allies know what the conclusion to this meeting will be."

"Oh, I guess that makes sense" Melanie responded.  "So, what do you think about me being from another world?"

Ephemie looked at Melanie a little amused.  "To be honest I'm not sure.  You do seem different from the Leineya I remember, a lot more anxious and uncertain.  But you made it this far and that shows you have determination, something the Leineya I remember having plenty of, so I have high hopes that you'll overcome these issues and rise up just as strong" she said with a smile.

"We should probably take this time to get a little rest, this journey will take a while" Ephemie continued as she tried to make herself more comfortable.  Melanie had to admit she was still a little tired from having waking up so early, not to mention not having eaten any breakfast yet meant she was low in energy, but her fears made food the last thing on her mind right now.  Confident that the airship wasn't going to suddenly drop out of the sky or that she was going to fall through the wooden hull Melanie made herself as comfortable as she could and shut her eyes.

Doubtful

Sat in a dark corner of The Rising Stones, her hat and satchel next to her on the floor, Melanie twiddled her thumbs over a steaming cup of Ishgardian Tea as thoughts began to process in her mind.  "Me, the Warrior of Light, for real" she thought to herself nervously.  At first the thought sounded admirable until she remembered who she really was.  She was very sensitive to pain so she always avoided conflict and almost everything scared her.  Even though she felt she owed it to help the Scions who were trapped on the First to get back home again she couldn't help but feel she was overestimating her own strengths and putting both them and herself in extreme danger.  "What if I can't become the Warrior of Light?  This is just too much for me, yet out of the millions of others who play the game Hydaelyn chose me.  This must be a mistake.  Does she even know I freak out over a spider the size of a penny let alone one the size of a car?"

Hydaelyn's voice once again echo'd in her mind, "thou must become the Warrior of Light, for there are none other who can save us."

"Oh shut up Hydaelyn, like you really know me or else you'd have picked someone else to do the job!" she thought angrily.  She let out a deep and saddened sigh as she stared at her tea that was slowly cooling in the cup.  "I don't want to do this even though I feel obligated to.  I don't want people to be hurt because of what I could or couldn't do, and what's more I'm scared.  I'm scared of confrontations, I'm scaref of uncertainty, I'm scared of pain.  If I can't withstand something as small as a needle I have no chance against a sword or something with teeth, and how will I be able to get around?  Teleports will only get me so far but then I'd still need to fly or climb high buildings and tall staircases.  How can I even be the Warrior of Light if I can't do any of this?  I'll be a major letdown to everyone.  People will get hurt and it'll all be my fault!"  Tears started to well inside her eyes as she thought about home.  Whilst it wasn't much of a life she had been living all these years she was now craving more than anything to be back at home with her comfortable life hiding away from everyone and leaving others in charge.  Now she felt exposed and vulnerable and it was freaking her out.

"Ahem" a small voice interrupted her silent lamenting.  Melanie looked up from her cup to see Tataru looking at her with a smile on her face.  "You'll be pleased to know I've contacted all Eorzea's leaders and a meeting has been arranged at Ala Mhigo for tomorrow morning."

"Oh, thank you Tataru" Melanie said trying to smile back.  Tataru's head tilted slightly with a concerned expression on her face.  "Is...everything alright?" she asked.

"I'm...having doubts" Melanie replied.

"Oh?" Tataru pulled up a seat to the table and hopped on it.

"Hey, is it ok to talk in here about this?" Melanie said quickly looking around concerned that someone might be listening in on their conversation.

"We're safe to speak here.  All who work at the Rising Stones are sworn to secrecy to protect each other.  It would do us naught if we were to talk behind each others' backs, however beyond that door is a different story" Tataru motioned towards the doorway leading out to the other side of the tavern known as The Seventh Heaven.

Melanie sat back into her chair sighing dejectedly.  "I don't know if I'm up to the task of becoming the Warrior of Light" she said in a quiet voice.  Tataru leaned in and listened intently.  "Truth is I'm a coward who spent all her life hidden away in a room letting each day pass by as I immersed myself into what I thought was a world of fantasy where I could be a hero.  I'm scared of everything from heights to small insects, fast moving vehicles, the dark, and even being injured or worse yet, dead!  How am I supposed to be a warrior if I can't face my own worst fears?  I'll be letting myself down as well as those who are depending on me and I'll be helpless as I watch them getting hurt or even killed because of me!"

Tataru looked on with sympathy.  "You know what I think?" she asked after a few moments of silence.  "I think it's yourself you fear most.  You lack in confidence in yourself and fear what you can't do."

Melanie shook her head in disagreement.  "No, you don't understand.  I've lived like this for years and as much as I want out and to just be normal nothing changes the fact that I'll freak out part-way up a staircase or if a fly lands on my shoulder."

Tataru mulled over her thoughts for a moment.  "I still think a lot of this stems from you fearing what you can't do.  Whilst I'm no expert in this sort of thing I do know that if you try to believe in yourself then eventually you'll overcome those fears.  As receptionist to the Scions I've seen several who've lacked faith in themselves grow to become strong members of the resistance.  They too once thought they were incapable of becoming warriors, and yet there they are now making history as one of Eorzea's finest helping to rebuild settlements and ushering in a new era of peace and prosperity to our Eastern allies.  I have faith that over time you too will find strength within yourself to face your fears and become a beacon of light to all those who've lost hope."

Melanie swallowed hard.  Despite what Tatatru said Melanie still felt that she wasn't up to the task, but after hearing Tataru's words she was now feeling a little less doubtful about herself.  "Thank you Tataru, your words mean a lot to me" she said with a smile.  Tataru smiled back.  "Full glad am I to have been of help."  Tataru hopped back down from her chair and did a little stretch.  "As much as I'd love to keep chatting I'm afraid I have much work I still need to do.  I suggest that you get some rest so you can be up bright and early for tomorrow's journey into the East."

"Ah, good thinking" Melanie replied.  She had no idea how much time must've passed since arriving in Revenant's Toll but judging from the lack of light coming in through the windows it was already evening.  As she began to finish off her now lukewarm tea she began to think about where to stay.  Last she remembered there was no actual inn at Revenant's Toll.  "Is there somewhere here I can check in for the night?"

Tataru began to ponder.  Whilst Revenant's Toll was home to the many workers behind its walls and provided many stalls and places for adventurers to relax over a hot meal there hadn't been any kind of overnight accommodation provided for those on the road.  "Now that you mention it there isn't anything like that here or outside of any of the cities..." Tataru pondered.  "Can't you just teleport to a city to use one of their inns?"

Melanie shook her head.  "I don't know how to use magic" she replied.

Tataru stepped back surprised, her arms raised and her mouth agape.  "Considering how unsafe it would be for you to travel on foot to somewhere as far as Ul'dah or even Ishgard I would recommend staying here at Revenant's Toll, but the only beds we have are currently being occupied."  Tataru began to ponder again.  "The only option I guess is to ask around some of the people working here and see if they can provide you with some accommodation.  With your reputation I'm sure one of them will be able to assist."

"Thank you, for everything" Melanie replied.  Tataru nodded and waved goodbye before disappearing behind one of the doors at the back of The Rising Stones.  With it now getting late Melanie knew if she wanted to find somewhere to stay the night she would have to act fast asking around before everyone turned in for the night.  Grabbing her satchel and placing her hat on her head she made her way outside.

Welcome to Eorzea

It didn't take long for Melanie to walk through the gateway into the dark cobblestoned streets of Revenant's Toll.  The tall stone walls surrounding the small village and the rocky landscape shielded the inhabitants from the chilly winds coming in from the north.  The air had also started to change into a thin pink fog that had an unnatural slick sheen to it as if the fog was made of oil vapour.  Despite the air humming and loudly crackling with energy from the remains of Dalamud's core nearby none of the residents seemed phased by it, nor did it or the fog seem to cause any ill side effects.

At the heart of the village was the aetheryte crystal spinnning above a dark metal and stone dias on a small patch of grass.  Whilst it looked a lot less impressive than the one she saw in the Crystarium it was still a sight to behold especially under a pink sky.  Its shape reminded her of the mothercrystal she encountered before arriving on the First, only this one was hollow with a static metal object floating in the middle.  For a moment she was distracted staring at the crystal that she almost forgot why she was here in the first place.  Further ahead up on top of a small hill were various small outdoor market stalls that when looking at took her back to her childhood back on Earth.  In fact this small village despite looking like a medieval fortress was the only place she could relate to and it began to make her feel a little homesick.

Behind her a doorway opened as a small number of villagers walked outside chatting.  Inside was the sound of chatter, laughter, music, and clinking of cuttlery.  This was the place known as The Seventh Heaven, the village tavern that also acted as a headquarters for the Scions of the Seventh Dawn that was nicknamed The Rising Stones.  Melanie walked inside the stone building and looked around.  A doorway at the back of the tavern with what looked like a No Entry sign marked the entrance to The Rising Stones.  Boldy she walked up towards the door and gave it a heavy shove to open it.

Inside The Rising Stones looked much more prestigeous than the actual tavern itself.  Fancy wooden furnishings, planters and rugs that looked like they belonged in mansion greeted her.  At the back of the room was a private bar area where a female miqo'te in a blue dress and glasses tended.  The rest of the room was where all the tavern's wine and food stocks were being held in various crates and barrels.  Even further to the back were a pair of doorways, one that lead into a smaller room where the Scions often held their meetings, and another doorway to the side that as of yet she hadn't any idea what was for.  As she began to ponder where to go next the side doorway opened and a very exhausted lalafel with ocean green eyes wearing a yellow cape with ears that reminded her of a certain pokemon stumbled out.  This was Krile Baldeison, one of the lead bodies of the Scions who had a gift of premonition and would oversee many of their adventures.

"Oh, Leineya you're baaaack!" an excited voice was heard behind her.  Melanie turned around to see another lalafel sporting pink leathers and a red beret ran up to her excitedly as if she was about to pounce on her and give her a big hug.  This was Tataru, the receptionist for the Scions who had a very lively personality.  On hearing Tataru, Krile opened her eyes wider and tried to straighten herself up with a smile before greeting Melanie.  "Ah, full glad am I to see you again Leineya.  What brings you back to The Rising Stones?" she asked.  Before Melanie could even utter a word Krile suddenly stumbled and clutched the side of her head with her hands as if experiencing a severe migraine.  Melanie was ready to rush to her aid when she realised what was happening.

"Wait, this is the echo."

Tataru began to do a panic dance on the spot with a worried look on her face.  "Ooh, Mistress Krile is everything alright?" she asked worriedly.  Krile grimaced for several seconds with her eyes tightly closed and then lowered her hands and raised her head back up again.  "It's alright Tataru" she said to her with a smile.  She then turned towards Melanie with a slightly more serious look on her face.  Melanie wondered what it was that she had seen in her vision.  "Well now, it appears we have quite a situation here" she said looking up at Melanie's face.  "I guess you know about why I'm here then?" Melanie asked.  Krile nodded slowly.  "I think it's best that we go to the Solar so we can talk in private" Krile replied, then she motioned to the doorway at the back of the room with Melanie and Tataru in tow.

Once the doorway closed behind them Krile turned around to face Melanie again.  "Let me be the first person to say welcome to Eorzea" she said to her.  Tataru looked confused at Krile's words.  "Our Warrior of Light is none other than a traveller from an entirely different universe who recently arrived on ours but a couple of days ago" Krile explained to her, then she turned her attention back to Melanie.  "However at present you're anything but a Warrior of Light, and that is a problem for all of us.  I have no idea why Hydaelyn chose you to fill in the place of her champion and the timing couldn't be any more worse than it is now, but I trust in her decision."  Krile closed her eyes and let out a sigh and slowly shook her head.

"I cannot stress just how pressed we are for time, especially since you'll be needing every second to relearn everything from the ground up in order not just to become Eorzea's champion but to fit into our society.  Your world is so very different from ours that this will be one of the biggest and difficult of all tasks that you'll have ever faced, that is should you choose to follow through with this path."

Krile then opened her eyes and looked back up at Melanie.  "Whilst I do not wish to put pressure on you, know that our friends' lives and quite possibly our own future fully depends on whether or not you choose to take up this task.  Either way we're going to need to have to involve all leaders of the Eorzean Alliance and inform them of the current situation so they can be ready to act if necessary."  Krile turned around to a nearby desk, took a seat and started jotting down on a small piece of parchment paper.

Melanie approached the desk expecting to be given a task.  "Will I need to travel to all the different cities and outposts?" she asked.  Krile stopped writing for a second and looked up at her with a big smile.  "Don't be silly" she said with a slight chuckle.  "We now have use of other facilities that allow us to do those things much more efficiently that doesn't require you to have to run around on our behalf.  Besides even if I were to give you missives to hand around I doubt you'd be capable of running the task."  Melanie frowned, did not being the Warrior of Light make Krile have so little faith in her?  Krile raised up the piece of parchment she had been jotting down on and showed it to Melanie.  "Here, take this and see if you can read what I've written."

Melanie looked at the small piece of parchment.  The words written down were in Eorzean which almost resembled English that she could make out what some of them said.  She strained as she picked out a select couple of words that looked familiar.  "Limsa Lominsa" she said looking back at Krile.  Krile continued to grin at her.  "Very good, now try to read what's below that" she said, her eyes locking onto Melanie's.  Melanie looked back at the parchment.  There were 2 long words that she wasn't able to decipher no matter how much she tried to piece together similar looking letters.  Krile nodded satisfied with her judgment.  "You see, were I to give you missives you wouldn't be able to give them to the right people since you can't read our language."

Tataru gasped in surprise.  "She can't read our language?  Then she really isn't our Leineya?" she muttered under her breath.

"Don't worry, Tataru can see to it that the message gets across to the right people.  For now I would advise staying within Revenant's Toll for your own safety.  You must try to keep a low profile and pray do not speak to anyone what's been discussed today or about your own origins, and needless to say the same goes for you too Tataru."

The Crystal Landscape

Travelling through a rift between worlds was certainly not something Melanie wanted to do so soon again nor did she believe she'd ever get used to.  Rushing at high speed through an invisible tunnel in space, seeing and hearing echoes of people and places she visited in the game.  Melanie screamed out but she was moving so fast it was as if no sound left her lips.  Terrified she tried to shield her vision with her hands and grit her teeth.

Melanie had no idea how much time passed whilst she was being hurled through the rift.  Although it felt like minutes it was most likely mere seconds.  A blinding light that engulfed her marked the end of her journey and she stumbled like a drunk person ready to hurl as she landed on solid ground inside a deep and dark trench at the Crystal Tower's foundations on The Source.  Here the air was damp and earthy and had an ancient musty smell to it.  Several large crystal formations protuded from the rocks giving off a faint glow that barely illuminated the walls of the trench.  In the nearby distance a small number of shadows were seen lurking around.  One of the shadows carrying a lantern moved towards her and stopped several feet away.  "Who goes there?" a woman's voice was heard.  The woman raised the lantern lighting the area where Melanie was grappling against the wall.  "Oh, Warrior of Light it's you!" the woman exclaimed.  "We didn't even know you were coming back this way.  Are you alright?  You look a little pale" the woman came close up to Melanie and gave her an arm to support her.

The woman sporting a black and blue padded leather outfit bearing the symbol of the Garlond Ironworks at the top of her sleeves and long white boots escorted Melanie towards a small group of other excavationers who were gathered around several boxes with various documents and blueprints scattered across them.  The group looked up and caught sight of Melanie as she leaned against one of the boxes and groaned.  "Wow you look worse for wear, the journey this time must've been a rough one huh?" one of the excavationers said to her.  A blue skinned roegadyn pulled a small flask from his belt, poured some of the contents into a tankard and walked over to her.  "Here, this'll put some fire in yer belly."  Melanie raised her head slightly to see him holding out the tankard to her and slowly took it from the roegadyn and began to down some of its contents.  The liquid in the tankard was a very potent spirit with a blend of fruit and earthy flavours that made her throat burn but once it reached her belly it was as if an inferno was alight inside her.  Her nausea was now replaced by a slightly spinning head and a burning throat and stomach.  "Great gods, what is that?" she asked, gagging as she passed the tankard back to the roegadyn.  "Blackbelly whiskey, a fine vintage at that too.  Used to be common among fledgling pirates who weren't used to the water yet, but a flagon of this an' ye troubles were no more.  Of course most of 'em would pass right out."

Melanie stood upright and stretched her back, the burning sensation of the whiskey feeling like it was spreading and warming every inch of her body.  Her head slowly came around that she could walk straight again.  "I think I can make my way out now" she said as she thanked the excavationers.  The roegadyn nodded at her.  "Before you leave you probably don't know about some of the changes that's been implemented all across Eorzea" he said to her.  "Since The Awakening there's been a few changes put in motion so don't be too surprised if you see things looking a little different."  Melanie was now curious to what was awaiting her outside the crystal tower's foundation level.

Continuing down the dimly lit trench it wasn't long before the smell of water reached Melanie's nostrils.  The trench led upwards above the tower's foundation levels and into the open where a large lake stretched before her.  Nearby a greyish skinned roegadyn sporting a brown cotton robe and a leathery hat with goggles hailed her over to a small rowing boat nearby.   "G'day miss!  Heading over to mainland?" he asked in a hearty voice.  Melanie nodded and looked at the small rowing boat.  She hadn't ridden many boats back on Earth and definitely not one of this size before.  She swallowed hard as she proceeded to climb into the boat.  One foot in and the boat started to sway wildly causing Melanie to jump back and panic.  The ferryman gave her a startled look.  "I'm sorry miss, need me to try to hold her steady for you?" he asked.  He pulled in the boat with his strong arms and with all his strength he held onto the boat.  Melanie made another attempt to climb into the boat which was now a bit more sturdy thanks to the ferryman.  She sat down and placed her backpack next to her.  The ferryman then climbed into the boat, causing it to rock wildly.  Melanie grasped the sides of the boat quickly and bit hard on her lip trying not to cry out in fear.  Using a pair of oars the ferryman pushed the boat from the nearby river bank and then sat himself down and began to row into the wider part of the lake.

Melanie's fears were soon replaced with awe as they sailed further into the lake, revealing a rocky landscape covered in hundreds of large glowing blue crystal formations.  The gigantic ruins of the Garlean warship Agrius protuded from the heart of the lake entwined by the petrified remains of the great dragon Midgardsormr, whilst not much further in the distance the towers of Revenant's Toll and the highly energetic remains of Dalamud's central core peered from behind the rocks at the other side of the lake.  Melanie could understand why the land that was the impact zone of Dalamud was known as the Singing Shards as the energies emanating from the blighted land resonated in a high frequency that sounded almost like ethereal music.  Behind them the Crystal Tower of the Source glimmered brightly in the dank landscape.  Despite it being the very same tower as that on the First Melanie could sense the difference as she looked back on it.  It was as if the tower itself was sleeping with the younger G'raha Tia inside it.

Her thoughts were interrupted as the ferryman spoke out to her.  "I must admit, I'm surprised anyone still requires my services now with the new changes an' all" he said.

"What changes?" Melanie asked.

"Oh, you haven't heard?" he asked surprised.  "Since The Awakening the whole world's been abuzz with people proposing new laws and alterations to our current ones.  For example, did you know that the flight restrictions for chocobos across Eorzea has now been lifted?"

Melanie opened her eyes wide as she shook her head.

"Well now that everyone can fly wherever they fancy it's putting people like meself out of business!  Mind you those things can only carry so much so I guess there's still need for ferries to transport large cargo, but it makes me wonder how much longer I'll still be in business 'fore they start using airships to do even that."

"What other changes have taken place?" Melanie asked curiously.

"Well, for most of it you'll have to see for yourself, although much is still being debated over and some things are taking a little longer to put in motion.  At least those city guards now have a rain coat to protect them from the weather.  As for me I still have yet to be taken notice of" he said, tugging at his damp and slightly ragging cotton robes.  The ferryman then folded his oars back into the boat as it approached land again.  The boat jolted as it hit against the rocks, startling Melanie and causing her to gasp in panic.  "Here we are" he said, his voice livening up as he pushed himself onto his feet and waded out onto the embankment and pulled the boat further inland.  Melanie grabbed her belongings and climbed out onto shore.  "Do me a favour miss, when you pass through Revenant's Toll could you pass word for me to get some better overalls?  If these get any more damp I doubt they'll last long before they turn to rags."  Melanie nodded then turned to face the landscape.

It was eerie seeing MorDhona in person.  Nearby the ruins of what looked like a small cathedral leaned unnaturally towards the ground held up by large crystal rocks protuding from underneath them.  The land was littered with huge metallic chunks of what was once the hull of the moon Dalamud.  Whilst there wasn't much wildlife what little there was was enough to strike fear within Melanie.  Along the lake shore serpents as tall as double decker busses slithered across the ground and muscular giants wielding huge clubs the size of tree trunks stomped around inland.  Melanie swallowed hard, her nerves getting the better of her and her feet planted on the ground unable to move.  Her heart started pounding so hard it felt like it was going to explode.  The beasts hadn't noticed her yet but she was pretty certain if they could smell her fear they would soon take notice.  She clenched her fists tight, closed her eyes and took in some deep breaths to try to calm her nerves.  At best she could try to feign being a fearless warrior and hope the beasts would be fooled and turn a blind eye on her.  Taking one last deep breath she opened her eyes.  "It's now or never" she thought to herself.  Boldly she put one foot in front of the other and started to walk towards the heavily worn dirt path leading up to Revenant's Toll.

As she started to move forward the beasts nearby began to move closer in her direction.  Melanie pretended not to notice and continued pushing foward.  "Just keep looking forward and stick to the road, don't even look at them" she thought to herself.  A nearby giant turned around and looked directly at her, his spiked club covered in congealed blood, his muscular body covered in white warpaint, and his sunken stomach and protuding rib cage showing that he hadn't eaten well in several days and could easily make a meal out of her if he decided to attack as she had no means to defend herself and there was nobody else nearby who could come to her aid.  Walking across this hostile landscape was suicide, but she knew of no other way to get to Revenant's Toll.  She could maybe summon a mount but she had no idea how to ride one, and what if it decided to fly?  She realised that her doubts were adding to her fears and if she wasn't careful this lumbering mass of muscle would sense her fear and bring her to an untimely end.  Quickly she dismissed her thoughts and clenched her fists even tighter.  "No, I will not let my fears get me killed!" she thought with determination.  She took in another deep breath and then looked towards the giant, her eyes blazing with defiance and determination.  The giant stopped in its tracks and lowered his gaze towards her as she continued to walk past eyes firmly set against his.  The giants' eyes followed her for a while and eventually he turned around and walked away.  Melanie felt adrenaline surge through her excited that she had won a staring competition against a giant twice her height and at least 5 times her build and couldn't help but smile, even though deep down she was quaking with fear and silently breathing a sigh of relief.  Her eyes turned once more to the path ahead of her, more confident than ever, adrenaline and determination guiding her feet swiftly and safely towards Revenant's Toll.