The Darkness's Comfort

Chapter 4 - Companion

The memory faded out, replaced by the inside of the hospital tent. Erzhi sat cross-legged on the ground with her back to the tent wall. Sechen finished off the remainder of her soup and set the bowl aside.

"I fell asleep like that," Erzhi admitted, giving a smile as Sasaki's consciousness returned. "Afterwards, I started visiting Sechen pretty regularly. After battles, or when bored and waiting for things to happen."

Sasaki rubbed her temples a bit, recovering from the lightheadedness that followed using the Echo. "What I saw... Is that all you two have done?"

"There's a bit more now," Erzhi said. "She makes tea for me, maintains my weapons and armour, sometimes paints my nails or cleans my ears, but you saw most of it."

"But, you two haven't had sex?"

Erzhi shook her head. "We haven't. Haven't even kissed, for that matter."

Sasaki tilted her head. "Have you had sex with anyone since you left Dalmasca?"

Again, Erzhi shook her head.

"Wow." Sasaki stared at Erzhi in wonder. Back home, Erzhi had asked to do lewd things with Sasaki nearly every day since the first time they did. Sasaki had truly expected Erzhi to give in fairly quickly and take a mistress or something. "Really?"

"Really," Erzhi said with a nod.

"I really didn't expect that!"

Erzhi raised an eyebrow. "You expected me to cheat on you?"

"Well, er, yes," Sasaki said, feeling a bit silly. "You were always sort of a nympho."

Sasaki knew now why Erzhi had trouble defining what Sechen was. She couldn't think of a good term for it, either. A platonic mistress, or something.

Sasaki also wondered what Sechen wanted from Erzhi. That expression when Sechen saw Erzhi had returned — that had been love, right? But, Sechen had also seemed overjoyed that Erzhi had been reunited with Sasaki. A completely selfless love, then? Her own feelings locked away, focused solely on Erzhi's happiness?

If so, Sasaki knew for sure that Erzhi hadn't realized it. Sasaki had to spell out her feelings for Erzhi very directly. Since Sechen didn't talk, she couldn't do that. And given that everything had started with Erzhi paying to be touched, Erzhi probably had a strange impression to start with.

First, Sasaki had to figure out how Erzhi felt about Sechen. She'd only seen the first day. She needed more. "Erzhi, can you show me when Sechen left to stay with you?"

"Ah, sure," Erzhi said. She closed her eyes and visualized the memory. "Ready when you are."

Sasaki plunged back into Erzhi's memories. It started in the same place as before, in Kugane. Erzhi stepped into the bathhouse. She'd been visiting so often that it almost felt routine for her.

"Is Sechen here?" she asked the man behind the counter, already reaching down to take off her boots.

"Ah, my apologies," the proprietor said, bowing deeply. "Sechen Qestir no longer works for us."

"Huh?" Erzhi's heart skipped a beat. She stared at the man, blinking. "Where did she go?"

"Again, my apologies. I've been instructed to not give you that information."

Erzhi had a bad feeling about this. "Did she leave willingly?"

"As far as I could tell."

"I see."

"We have many other girls who would be happy to service you," the man said.

"N-no, that's fine." Erzhi shook her head. "If you see her again, tell her I've returned to Eorzea."