9 - The Black Shroud
“I wasn’t sure what I was expecting when I set hoof in the Black Shroud for the first time… The name conjured images of a dense, shadowy forest with little to no light breaching the canopy, like the Everfree back home.”
A cool, earthy breeze whistled between the towering trunks of the lower paths. The sky overhead had been smothered in a thick layer of dark clouds, blotting out the glare of the sun for the first time since Twilight had arrived in Eorzea. The temperature had dropped significantly, much to her relief.
A flash of light tore across the sky, followed shortly by a deafening blast of thunder that made Twilight jump. The others in the group, however, did not seem bothered.
In fact, some of them looked delighted.
“Ahhhh, finally! That’s music to my ears!” Yda let out a long, loud sigh of relief. “Out of all that stupid sand and heat! It’s good to be back!”
Twilight eyed Yda for a moment before returning her attention to the forest ahead of her.
“But the Black Shroud was nothing like the Everfree, and when I first set hoof under its canopy, my breath was taken away by how… beautiful it was.”
Twilight followed after the group for a short time. The trees here were tall and straight, like arrows plunged into the earth. Thick dens of foliage framed the path they walked on, and overhead, birds with impressively large beaks darted from branch to branch, sounding their shrill calls to one another. Soon, the trees began to thin, the path dipped, and Twilight’s eyes were met with a new sight.
At first, she thought it was a lake spreading out before her, until she saw that the water was only a few inches deep. A vibrant pale blue shone back at her from the gently rippling waves, even in the diminished light. Coils of enormous roots rose from the surface sporadically, and from their peaks rose large bulbs of yellow fungus that emitted golden light. She could see fireflies and dragonflies flitting across the surface, the buzzing of their wings just audible over the ambiance of the forest.
In the distance, perhaps an hour's walk away, a structure could be seen rising up out of the water. Round wooden pillars had been erected, blossoming out with circular platforms that housed a small collection of buildings. From here, Twilight could just make out the sky-blue glow of an Aetheryte.
Beyond the small settlement, the rest of the Black Shroud loomed in the distance, its trees rising high.
“It was lush, and verdant, and plentiful….”
Y’shtola smiled softly at the sight, coming to a stop by the edge of the water. She casually rested a hand on her hip, over her wand, and turned back to the others. “I will confess, Yda, Papalymo. Sometimes, I envy you your chosen region.”
“It is a sight to behold,” Papalymo agreed with a nod. “‘Tis only a pity it is so dangerous.”
“Bah, nothing I can’t handle!” Yda declared, knocking her fists together for emphasis. “Whatever comes our way, if it’s a threat, just leave it to me!”
“So you’ve said. A lot,” Twilight noted.
“Aww, don’t start sounding even more like Papalymo. That just distracts from how adorable you are!”
The blush finding its way to Twilight's indignant cheeks was quite noticeable. “I’m not- Oh for Celestia’s…” she grumbled, hiding her face in her hooves.
Yda gave her a wide grin. “Ador-a-ble.”
“I, for one, believe sounding like myself is nothing to be ashamed of,” Papalymo opined.
“Then you can all be boring together. I’m going to keep making sure we don’t get eaten by the next big monster.”
With that, the cocksure brawler went sauntering off into the waters for the settlement in the distance. The others watched her go with a mixed air of endearment and exasperation. A moment passed before Papalymo shrugged and went after her at a brisk pace. Y’shtola remained behind, turning to Twilight. “Shall we?”
Twilight nodded, moving to follow, but hesitated her ear twitching. Something just moved behind her. Alarmed, she spun to look behind her, eyes scanning the dense trees. But there was nothing. Just a wind howling through the branches.
“But it was more than that. There was something in the air, in the earth, in the very fabric of the world around me. Like the suggestion of a wind, or the memory of a taste. A fleeting feeling at the edge of my senses, always there…”
Y’shtola tilted her head. “Is something amiss?”
Twilight eyed the forest for a moment longer before turning back to her companion with a shake of her head. “N-no, no it’s nothing. Sorry. Let’s go,” she said, moving to walk by Y’shtola’s side.
The conjurer quirked a brow at her, but made no further comment as they set off into the shallow waters. As they went, however, Twilight could not shake that feeling that something was moving around her. She looked back over her shoulder once again as she walked, her eyes scanning the sky above her.
“The forest was not just full of life. It was itself alive. And it was watching me.”
The journey through the Black Shroud took several days, with minimal discussion, save for the others answering some of Twilight’s myriad questions about the region. The small settlement they had passed on the shallow lake - known as Rootslake, Twilight now knew - was known as Camp Tranquil, while a day’s travel north was a small hamlet known as Buscarron’s Druthers.
The proprietor didn’t even raise a ruckus over the ‘purple horse dwarf’ in his establishment, though Twilight was none-too-pleased with his description of her. Either way, they spent the night there, though there was precious little sleep to be had for Twilight. The forest was never quiet, and no matter where she lay, Twilight could hear the life around her in motion at all times. In a way, it reminded her of the Everfree Forest back home, albeit less immediately frightening.
Perhaps, she had to muse, a more accurate comparison would be the Whitetail Woods. The Everfree was generally dark and foreboding, and the forest she had seen thus far was far more evocative of the peaceful trek that usually hosted Ponyville’s Running of the Leaves event. Although, those woods lacked the dangerous wildlife she had heard so much about, so maybe it was some strange otherworldly mixture of the two…
Whichever happened to be the case, it mattered little in the safety of the inn. It seemed defended enough, notably by the rough-and-tumble-looking adventurers by the gates. So, noise aside, rest was somewhat easy to obtain.
The next few days were spent cutting upwards and to the north. The variety of trees and plant life in this verdant forest was staggering, and Twilight had to resist the urge to break from the path to study every little thing she came across. Not that there would ever be enough time for her to catalog everything.
She really wanted a library.
In time, their path led them to a region Paplymo informed her was named ‘Bentbranch,’ in the heart of the forest. The trees here were farther apart, but far thicker, affording a largely unobstructed view of the sky overhead. The clouds had parted some time back, allowing Twilight to see the rich blue overhead, unmarred by the red tint of the desert dust.
After briefly stopping in one more settlement - a larger town called Bentbranch Meadows - they were on the home stretch. The trees here were small and young, as if their larger kin had been harvested. No doubt they had been used to serve in the construction of the various buildings they had passed, and the settlements they had skirted around or gone through. Ladybugs of unusual size and white squirrels could be seen scampering about in the grass and brush off the trail, scampering to hide from the passing travelers.
It was as the road began to slope upwards that Y’shtola slowed her pace and glanced down at Twilight. “Twilight. We are almost upon Gridania. Ere we enter, there is something I would ask of you.”
Twilight paused, glancing up at Y’shtola. “Huh? What?”
Y’shtola crossed her arms over her chest, looking straight ahead. “Though the Gridanians are a peace-loving sort, they are nevertheless alike to the rest of Eorzea in many ways. They would not react well to that which they do not know or understand… And so as long as we remain in public, it would be for the best if you act in a like manner to an arcane familiar.”
Twilight flinched back, her ears lowering. “Act like a familiar?! Is that really necessary?”
Y’shtola looked away, her own ears drooping somewhat. “‘Tis not a request I make lightly, but I would rather not cause an undue scene.”
Papaylymo glanced at Twilight quizzically, before looking back up at the miqo’te with a concerned expression. “I understand your due caution, Y'shtola. But even if she acts the part, her appearance is bound to attract attention nevertheless. And if you do have her pose as a new form of familiar, the local conjurer’s guild will be up in arms for an explanation. Scholars and new magic are wont to attract as moths to flames.”
“Or a purple horse to a book,” Yda snarked.
“Since when did you start with the witty remarks,” Twilight inwardly groaned.
Y’shtola hummed, placing a hand on her chin in contemplation. “Yes, I must agree to that point. And yet, if it is the familiar that would suffice…”
Twilight suddenly felt like she should be concerned.
And she was. Extremely.
“Papalymo, with your assistance, would it not be possible to cast a glamour, if only temporarily, to make her appear as if she were a carbuncle?”
“Hm. Though neither of us is an arcanist, under basic scrutiny many would likely struggle to tell one type of mage from the next. Unless we make ourselves particularly known, I do believe it is a better option.”
“Ah, yes, ahem…” Yda coughed awkwardly, rubbing at her neck with an awkward look on her face for a reason Twilight couldn’t quite ascertain. “Papalymo does have some… um, experience with that sort of thing.”
“Yes, but I don’t think we need to go into that, Yda.”
“Indeed, I’m sure the tale will be told when you are both good and ready,” Y’shtola grimly noted, earning a look of perplexed confusion from Yda and a solemn frown from Papalymo.
Twilight tilted her head. “There is something going on here that I am missing.”
Papalymo shook his head and returned to the task at hand. “But as it is, yes. I could create a replication of a carbuncle around her. It is certainly a more complex spell, however, than any I might otherwise conjure. So it likely would be a temporary measure.”
“Of course, you could also graft such a spell onto a glamour prism,” Y’shtola added.
Twilight’s eyes glimmered with curiosity. “A glamour prism? Oh! Is that an object capable of holding and sustaining a specific glamour image for usage by the individual possessing it? We have similar items back home, the process of binding them is usually conducted by-”
“Uh, yes, so, magic fox thing?” Yda interrupted.
Papalymo nodded. “Indeed. We lack a prism right now, but while I prepare the sufficient enchantment, with Y’shtola’s assistance, Yda can enter the city and purchase one such item from the marketplace. The board often has plenty for sale.”
“Kinda creepy that so many people wanna look like something else. Makes you wonder what for…” Yda remarked.
“Mostly for over-exaggerated and impractical armour designs to overlay practical ones,” Y’shtola informed her. “That is my experience, at least. I do not otherwise pry into the personal affairs of others.”
“So, with this prism, I can disguise myself at any time?” Twilight asked.
“Indeed,” Papalymo confirmed. “Though given its function is going to be a full glamour rather than binding to a specific object, it’s likely to be more unstable. I wouldn’t expect it to hold up in extreme situations, like combat. Use it with care.”
“Oh, I will.”
After she’d studied it a bit, at least.
With that said, they rapidly pressed onwards up the road towards where the city was said to lay. As they went, they passed more than a few patrols of armed guards and the odd adventurer, all of whom gave the inquisitive glances they were concerned about, but none had yet to do more than that.
It was when they drew close to their destination that the group stopped in their tracks, and Yda was quickly ushered off into the city alone to retrieve the necessary prism.
Twilight herself had little else to do but wait, her magic still being what it was, and watch as Y’shtola and Papalymo got to work. Still, her mental notebook was in full swing as she watched aethereal energies begin to dance like a professional ballet around the lalafell, his peer’s hands glowing in a similar aura as she channeled energies into his forming spell. They needn’t even say any words to one another, with thought and feeling they knew exactly what to do and what needed to be done, crafting the enchantment with an efficiency that all but confirmed their long history with the art of magic.
The display honestly made Twilight more than a little saddened by her own current condition. Magic was as natural to her as breathing. For it to be stunted in such a way…
“Well, we’ll fix that soon. I just need to adjust, that’s all…”
They were still at it when Yda promptly returned, though Twilight’s expert eye could see the leylines forming and nearing their completion. And, sure enough, it was mere minutes later that the energies began to die down and Y’shtola was free to turn her attention back to them.
“I do believe the enchantment is complete,” she announced. “Yda, did you retrieve it?”
“Aye, I did. Still, the guy at the market was a right rotten haggler! Kept trying to put up the price with his smart words and smug stupid face! I almost had to cave it in right there, if there wasn’t a guard watching my every bloody move… So much gil, stupid smug little…”
“Never mind the gil, just give it here,” Papalymo dismissed. “Gil is no object, but this is important.”
“Speak for yourself, you didn’t pay for it.”
“And I thought this kind of thing was an Ul’dahn specialty,” Y’shtola dryly commented. “Now, the enchantment…”
Papalymo nodded, turning his attention to the prism and reigniting the spell’s aura. He channeled its energies straight into the darkened object, a flickering light sparking into existence within. Twilight had to admit, it was quite pretty to look at. By the time it was done, a brilliantly shining prism of light was presented to the alicorn.
“Wow, that’s amazing…” Twilight said in awe, taking the object in a levitation spell. “Though it could use a string, maybe as a necklace…”
“Not without a pendant or some other casing to hold it in, hang on…” Y’shtola said as she retrieved some binding from her pack and proceeded to tie the prism around one of the pony’s legs.
When she was finished, Twilight lifted her right foreleg up to examine the new accessory. It wasn’t quite as pretty, wrapped up like that, but it seemed secure enough to the limb that she wouldn’t lose it randomly in a street somewhere.
Now, how to activate it…?
“Perhaps now would be a good time to practice attuning to our local aether,” Papalymo suggested. “Try feeling it with your magic, build a connection. If you can activate that much, it’s as good a start as any.”
Twilight nodded, staring down at the prism and lighting her horn. She attempted direct contact with it, more in-depth than her previous levitation of the object, similar in method to how she’d interface with any such artifact back in Equestria.
Yet, somewhat predictably, it was as if her magic hit a wall the moment it tried entering the prism’s surface. It wasn’t quite the same as her spell failures - that had already been established as a failure to secure the necessary mana to cast them due to differences in channelling. This… it was more an outright rejection of her attempts at intrusion, like she was doing something fundamentally wrong that, for all her knowledge, should not have been.
“Ugh, it’s like magic kindergarten all over again…”
Twilight sighed, taking in a breath and letting it out slowly. If her training was failing her, then she would just have to ignore it. Instead, she sat down on her haunches and closed her eyes. Her horn remained glowing, but softened somewhat.
It was back to basics: don’t try to force anything. Just let her own magic do most of the work. She just had to let it flow, work of its own accord. Crude, uncontrolled, but the moment she let go of that deeply ingrained control over her own reserves she could feel it being drawn to something. The prism, or so she hoped.
She could almost see the lines being drawn in her mind, a road to follow. She let her magic go, subtly nudging it to follow the trail ahead.
Slowly, steadily…
Poof.
It was like someone dropped a smoke bomb filled with glitter and blue magical light. Twilight gave an alarmed squeak as she was momentarily blinded by it, screwing her eyes shut. She felt the energy washing over her, skin tingling in response. But the sensation only lasted for an instant, and the feeling in her skin was gone a moment later.
“Aaaaw! Purple. I like it,” Yda remarked, prompting Twilight to open her eyes and look down.
She didn’t see hooves. Instead, she was greeted to the sight of two stubby canine paws covered in lavender fur, and faintly glowing with light. Curious, she began to look herself over, turning slowly in circles. “Woah… what do I look like?!” she asked, having a hard time making out details. The illusion that disguised her appearance did nothing to change how her body felt and moved, which was a relief, but without a mirror…
“Like an adorable little fox thing with big ears, a huge tail, and a big red patch in your flat little forehead,” Yda explained, cooing at the sight. “So cute! I think I prefer you this way, actually!”
Twilight turned to Yda with an irritated scowl… which only made her gush harder. Apparently, her face was just that adorable now. Great.
“There goes my dignity…”
Y’shtola sighed in a combination of amusement and exasperation. “Hmph. We shall have to get you a mirror. For now, we should not delay in the middle of the road any longer,” she said, turning to start up the path again. “Come. We have work to do.”
“Quite,” Papalymo agreed, smacking Yda on the calf as he followed after Y’shtola. “Yda and I are bound for the Adder’s Nest. Twilight, you follow Y’shtola.”
Twilight nodded. “Alright. Will we be meeting up later?” she asked, scampering to catch up to him.
“I rather doubt it,” Papalymo said, sounding almost disappointed himself. “Yda and I are like to be busy here for the foreseeable future. For as peace-loving as they are, the Sylphs have ever been an unpredictable bunch. And besides that, Y’shtola tends to operate out of Vylbrand more often than not. I fear that this is where our paths diverge.”
Yda spun around to walk backwards, whining in utter defeat. “Aaaw! Maybe she can stick with us, instead?” she asked hopefully.
Twilight regarded Yda with a confused frown. “...And have two massive eggheads in the same group? Are you sure you’re okay with that?” she asked skeptically, recalling all of Yda’s whining when things got even remotely technical.
Yda actually hesitated at that, as if weighing the pros and cons in her mind. Papalymo just laughed and shook his head. He turned to Twilight with a warm smile. “Where you choose to focus your efforts is ultimately up to you. But as matters stand, I would personally recommend you stay in Y’shtola’s company. She may need the backup out on Vylbrand, and you need a guide… and I can only do so much while also working with Yda. Dear to me as she is, she can be rather… dense, at times, I am sure you’ve noticed.”
“I have,” Twilight confessed.
The group continued on in silence for a short time, following a narrow path that soon led them onto a bridge suspended high above a large, rich blue lake that rested at the foot of the city. Twilight could just make it out through the foliage, resting at the top of a steep cliff. She could just make out the glow of the city lights through the dense shrubbery and trees, and noted that many of the buildings she could see from here housed large waterwheels, spilling their contents down the cliff face in a series of serene waterfalls.
A rich orange canopy was held taut over the walkway, with warmly glowing lamps spaced evenly apart. They followed the path for a few minutes before coming off the bridge and along a cobblestone road sloping and around towards a thick wooden wall that housed the front gates. Men and women in thick, green armor with darkened masks over their eyes stood watch with lances, bows, and arrows, keeping a silent vigil. They eyed the group as they approached, but made no motion to stop them.
Following the road for a short while longer, the group at last came out into the city proper. Twilight’s eyes were met with the sight of the cliff dropping into the large lake off to her left, affording her a breathtaking view of the Black Shroud sprawling beyond. The road wound up and to the right, then left, leading to a large building from which the sounds of loud, boisterous discussion could be heard. And deeper into the city, following a road that went past that building to the right, the sounds of the people of the city going about their day could be heard.
Twilight took a deep breath and let it out in a relieved sigh. Finally, they were here. She turned to Papalymo with a weak smile. “Alright… Well, I guess I’ll see you two later, then?” she asked with a smile.
Yda continued to gush at her. Twilight really needed a bloody mirror!
Papalymo nodded. “Aye, that we shall. Will be at the Waking Sands, most like, when next we are all summoned together for a group meeting. Till then, Twilight Sparkle, I bid you take care of yourself.”
“You too,” Twilight bid him in turn.
Papalymo turned to his companion, nodding at her to follow along. She gave some slight noises of disappointment, but after a few forlorn looks over at the faux carbuncle before her, she turned and began following the diminutive mage.
Twilight watched them go, the duo vanishing up the path ahead, before finally turning to face the remaining Scion in her company.
“So… we’re off to meet your sister, yes?”
She nodded, starting to walk down the path herself as she bid Twilight to follow. “Indeed. Y’mhitra is likewise an expert on the subject of magic, and far better in the art of tutoring than I. I would much like to hear her opinion on your… situation. And she may likewise assist in your immediate problems.”
“Like Urianger said, I remember,” she confirmed in turn. “Are you two… close?”
“I hardly see the relevance.”
Her ears wilted, adding an extra level of sadness upon her newly canine features. “I didn’t mean to-”
“There is no outstanding drama between us, if that’s your impression,” she sternly interrupted. “Alas, there is no need to tell you the details of my loved ones, or would I be wrong?”
“I only want to get to know you! To, you know, be friends and…”
“You know my position. Do try to understand it. For now, let us leave it at that. ‘Twould be for the best if we were not heard speaking in public.”
Twilight glanced downwards. She’d hope that maybe, over the past few days, she’d actually started to warm up to her. She’d seemed to, here and there. Maybe that had been too much to hope for. She was sure they’d have so much to talk about, as well…
The rest of the walk was conducted in silence, Y’shtola’s gaze firmly locked onto the road ahead while the mage’s newly acquired ‘carbuncle’ followed behind her. At least, that was what the residents of Gridania would have seen. In truth, Twilight merely elected to keep her head down as much as possible. Both to avoid undue attention, and to prevent the continued ire of her guardian.
The city was broken up into little ‘bubbles’ connected by pathways that wormed through rocky passages, Twilight soon discovered. Each one was home to a different array of buildings and establishments, denoting the function of each as miniature districts. Some were home to sprawling marketplaces where foreign merchants peddled their wares in exchange for those of the locals, while others were home to workers and crafters, while yet more were home to simple housings for the residents of the city.
Y’shtola led her through several such bubbles before they came to a stop in a smaller one. Her pace slowed, and the gentle trickling of a waterfall could be heard up ahead. Twilight’s ears swiveled forward curiously. As they rounded a bend, she was greeted to a small alcove worn into the stone. A miniature waterfall was at the back, flowing into a shallow pond that faintly shimmered in the light of nearby lamps. Various benches lined the edges of the area, but all were empty.
In fact, there was only one person here. Another Miqo’te woman, standing at the edge of the pond with her back to the new arrivals. Her hands were folded behind her back, her shorter tail swishing from side to side. She wore a pale blue top and tight-fitting black pants. Strapped to her hip was a wand, not unlike Y’shtola’s.
Y’shtola stepped forwards and cleared her throat, immediately drawing the other woman’s attention. She turned to face them, allowing Twilight to see her gentle features and silvery-blue eyes. She smiled warmly at the sight of Y’shtola.
“Shtola! ‘Tis good to see you, sister.”
Y’shtola smiled, lifting her hand in greeting. “You as well, Mhitra. I thank you for agreeing to speak with me on such short notice.”
Y’mhitra stepped forward with a shake of her head. “Think nothing of it. I’m always eager to spend time with family,” she said happily. She then paused and glanced down at Twilight with a quirked brow. “Though I must admit… based upon the description you gave me over linkpearl, I was under the impression your new friend looked rather… different.”
“‘Tis a glamour to keep prying eyes off of her, nothing more.”
Twilight nodded, scuffing the ground with a hoof- paw, she had paws now, had to remember that. “Right… my name’s Twilight Sparkle.”
Y’mhitra smiled and knelt down onto one knee with a nod. She briefly closed her eyes and waved her hand in front of her. There was a shimmer of light, and before Twilight knew it, her glamour had been dispelled, leaving her once again in her true form. Y’mhitra examined her with a smile, then placed a hand over her chest. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Twilight Sparkle. I am Y’mhitra Rhul. I’m sure you and I have much we can learn from each other.”
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Nice chapter!
Aww. Purpbuncle.
NGL, stretching the size of the Black Shroud to have actual travel time was...oddly amusing. Hours' walk from the Shroud/Thanalan border to Camp Tranquil? Takes 5 minutes on Chocobo from Tranquil to Drybone.
Anyway, it was interesting that Twilight seems to be vaguely aware of the elementals' presence. At least I'm guessing that's what was causing the strange feelings she was having.
Y'shtola...clearly has a long way to being won over by Twilight's good will. Can't say I blame her for being suspicious, but oof nonetheless.
Foxlight Sparkle sounds precious.
Is it bad that when Twilight adjusts more to the magic of the land that I hope she try's to cast the glamour herself without the enchantment, only to somehow get it to become an actual transformation. Especially if that is the only form she is able to use it on.
10944274
Well, Square didn't attempt to build open world like Blizzard did, their infrastructure was abysmally weak to begin with for such. The zone transit area aren't connected to each other, they can be ends of quite long paths hidden in "loading time"
10947676
Oh I'm not really talking about 1.0. The zones probably had to be small so the PS3 could run the game
10947681
I didn't saw flopped 1.0, but the early reboot. It related to server too, because server have to track mobs, collisions, aggro tracking, etc. and open world would require more zones, with their own grids, that's more data to process snd sync. Their _server_ infrastructure was weak at the moment of reboot, Linsa had issues with that, but not anymore.
Looking forward to finding out what class Twilight will be. (or main.) Scholar would make the most sense based on the name alone, but for some reason I can't imagine her with a fairy. (Oh imagine a carbuncle with a fairy companion when disguised in cities. How amusing!) She could also become her own unique class, like how Alphinaud was the scholar-variant "Academician".
10949046
AST is my guess