I don’t know everything that Phekda would see upon peering into my memories, but from a private conversation I had with her some time later, I believe this is the best approximation of what she observed. As a note, I will refrain from using the true names of those involved in this flashback, as I do not wish to cause those who associated with me in the past any trouble with the publishing of this memoir.

-

I stand alert, adorned in my full armor, on a large tree branch that can overlook the surrounding area. I constantly release a small amount of obscuring darkness in order to veil myself from onlookers while surveying the ground below. After waiting in the cold for what felt like hours, I spotted my quarry-- a short midlander woman with flowing blue locks. I wait for her to get closer, step by step, before descending with the full weight of my claymore beneath me.

She swiftly rolls backward the minute I jump from the branch, and kicks me clean in the stomach after I land, staggering me back and stunning me.

“Looks like I win again, Hally~!” Ruby cheers to herself before walking over to pick me up. “Hmmm, or am I meant to call you Mister Champion?”

“We talked about this, Ruby.” I accept her hand and steady myself. “The fact that you don’t conceal your identity better is beyond reckless. This is dangerous work!”

“Awww, come on!” She places her open palm on the bottom of my helmet. “I bet you look so hot under all that heavy armor…”

“Hah, I could say the same for you.” I flick her bulky metal elbow joints. “Not exactly form-fitting.”

“Curious?” Ruby grabbed the shoulder straps that keep the front and back of her armor together and began to tug.

“I’shanta is waiting for us.” I turn and begin to march through the forest path.

“Hmph! You sure know how to kill the mood.” Ruby quickly runs up behind me. “I’ll have you know, your window of opportunity is shrinking! This cute Limsan boy keeps checking me out, so I’m thinking of asking him on a date.”

“So you’ll be off the market?” I gently push any stray branches out of the way as I walk, making sure to gently release them so Ruby can catch them with ease before they smack into her face.

“Oh Hally…you wound me so.” She clutches her hand into a fist and holds it against her chest. “Are we not friends? Forbidden lovers?”

“It sounds like to me you just need anyone to fuck you.” I stop for a moment. “There are some good places in Ul’dah for that. Cheap, safe…”

“And boring, you forgot boring!” Ruby threw her arms up. “Maybe you’re right. But let the record show that you let the wonderful, fantastical Ruby get away from you!”

“Maybe when we retire, hmm?” I begin walking forward again. “And I can know you outside of this work. This…terrible work.”

“That’s your problem, Hally. You’re too in your own head!” She quickly caught up to my brisk pace and walked side-by-side with me. “Always all…” She deepened her voice as best she could in an effort to imitate me. “Hnng. I am the bearer of the curse, such a terrible burden is mine and mine alone.” She clasped her hands behind her back and walked forward triumphantly, puffing up her chest. “This is just a more noble version of being a mercenary. We’re killing bad people and we get paid, too! At least I’shanta only picks out Eorzea’s cruelest and most dangerous, right?”

“...Yeah, yeah I guess you are.”

“See?” She twirled and took the lead. “I bet you anything, there’s a smile under that helmet.”

“Thank you, Ruby.” I relaxed my posture.

“Hm! Maybe you can buy me dinner after this meeting as a thank-you.” She said with a confident smirk.

The two of us continued in silence up the winding forest path. Around halfway to the path’s end, we took a steep left turn down a hidden cliffside path that gave way to a cavern. Grabbing a torch from the cavern wall, she lit it with a flint and steel in her small travel pack, and firmly held it in front of her as she walked.

After a few minutes of walking, Ruby placed her free arm on the cave wall and unleashed a pulse of dark aether into it, which traveled alongside a concealed, carved-out door frame and swung it open. Within was a cavern filled to the brim with dazzling purple geodes, where I’shanta would retreat to divine the aether of the realm when the need arose. Upon entering the room she quickly snuffed the torch, not wanting to cause a disruption to the bending of light within the room.

In the center sat I’shanta, who was meditating with several orbs of pure light circling her. Carved into the ground beneath her was a loose map of Eorzea, with small, crystal figures used to represent the major city-states. These figures visually reflected the flags of their nation, and stood above smaller protrusions from the ground used to represent local towns. As the orbs circled I’shanta, the light would bounce around the geode-filled cave and reflect onto the carvings.

“Ruby and Halone’s Champion. You have done well to arrive when you have.” I’shanta rose her arms all the way up and the light intensified, condensing into two spheres. One rose above, near the ceiling, while another stayed in her lap. The one in the ceiling spread brilliantly to a large chunk of Eorzea, smothering La Noscea, The Twelveswood, and Thanalan in its light. The other was much more refined and focused, pointing to the northern city-state of Ishgard directly. “The elements have spoken.”

“Ruby. Your training has served you well and honed your skills, but you must learn to play a slower, steadier role if you are to succeed. On your current path, it is only a matter of time before your impulsive nature gets the better of you.” I’shanta said coldly, before turning to me. “And you, Champion, desperately require more skill to stand on your own. As you are now, you would struggle to face even a single paladin by yourself. In order for you both to overcome these challenges, I will divide you, and you will spend the next few months growing.”

“To Coerthas, then.” Ruby crossed her arms. “Do you have greater instruction?”

“As you both know, the frigid cold of the north makes it difficult to sense the aetheric shifts, but with such a direct focus on the city…it is hard to say.” She folded her hands into her lap. “If possible, I would like for you to gain connections in and around the city. The Ishgardians are…not generally welcoming to outsiders, so this will take significant time. If this proves too challenging, please instead learn of any villains in the area who might be disturbing the balance of aether.”

“As for you, champion.” I’shanta turned towards me once again. “Despite not having much background with it, it is clear to me that you have great aptitude for weaving spells. If you expand your arsenal of abilities over the coming months, it will aid you in your path to glory tremendously.” She leaned back. “I know not where you keep your residence, but each city-state has access to magic that would suit you. Since you have shown strength with astral aether, I would recommend pursuing Lightning, Fire, or Wind magic. In order to verify your strength, I will send you on increasingly difficult missions rather than attending to them myself.”

“...Yes, my lady.” I nervously bow my head. “It shall be done.”

“Good. You are dismissed. In the coming weeks, I will have a mission for you in Limsa Lominsa-- make sure your veil of darkness is at its peak before then.”

“Looks like we’ll have to skip that dinner.” Ruby looked at me with a tinge of sorrow. “Try not to miss me too much.”

“I’ll try, Ruby.” I say, feeling the weight of what has been asked of me. “I’ll try.”

-

“...Ah.” Phekda shook her head alert. “Sorry about that.”

“See anything useful?” S’olahr helped her stand herself up straight and handed her a flask of water, which she happily took a sip from before locking eyes with me.

“...You were contracted, too.” Phekda half-asked, half-declared. “Do you know her? Kuromi?” S’olahr’s cheerful demeanor sours quickly.

“I can’t say I’ve ever met her, no.” I awkwardly cross my arms. “When we apprehend her, I’ll be able to tell if she’s a dark knight or not, but from what I’ve heard the similarities seem to be superficial.” S’olahr looks like he’s gearing up to say something, but gets interrupted.

“That’s alright.” Phekda punches her right hand into her left open palm. “We can’t get distracted, not while the trail is still hot!” She turns to Anah’to and S’olahr. “Will you two be alright to head to the alchemist guild in Ul’dah?” They both nod readily.

“I know a woman there-- Shinobu.” I interject. “She gave me the ink needed for that grimoire I got you.” Anah’to’s ears do an involuntary flick when I mention this. “I’d recommend speaking to her about it-- she seemed very…meticulous, and specializes in potions.”

“Hmm…if you’ve met her before, maybe it would be best for you to ask her directly?” Anah’to posits.

“I know! Olahr and Erden can go together, while S’anah’to and I do a little more digging.” Phekda proposed. Well, ‘proposed.’ The way she carried herself tended to leave little room for resistance. “Since S’anah’to has connections in Ul’dah, the three of you can head there, and S’anah’to can focus on gathering more broad information about the assassin’s location. Meanwhile, I’ll reach back out to The Scions and see if they have any more developments.”

“Alright.” I say, but what I mean is, ‘why would you ever put S’olahr and I in the same room alone for more than 3 seconds, he’s going to kill me and claim that The Elements compelled him to do so.’

“If you think that’s best.” S’olahr says, but what he means is, ‘Phekda have you lost your mind? This deranged lunatic is going to kill me and claim it was a pure-hearted crusade of righteousness.’

“Sounds good!” Anah’to says, gently tapping his right fist against his chest. “While I’m in Ul’dah, I’ll spend some time copying spells into this new grimoire, and put something new together that I’ve been thinking of.”

“Sounds great.” Phekda says confidently. “Here.” She hands each of us a one-way aetheryte ticket back to the Waking Sands. “Try to be back around dinner time-- I hear they’re making dodo stew!”