Final Fantasy XVI - Thunder's Torrents

Ch. 31 - Embers

"How are you feeling?"

Erie stood on the edge of the cliff on which Martha's Rest had been built, looking down at the landscape of Rosaria, at the moors, and the mountains in the distance. The wolf sat next to her. Erie glanced over to Rosalith. Was it still possible to get into the capital? Cid had come to her side while she admired her home.

She shifted her gaze from the scenery, turned to him and smiled. "You brought me home."

"Promised you, after all." He smiled in turn. "I want to apologize to you. It was ... a difficult task I gave you. But I wouldn't have chosen it if I hadn't been sure you were ready for it."

"There's no need to apologize," Erie assured him, "it was what I needed. Okay, at first I almost threw up and wanted to run away, but something was different this time. I wasn't alone. You were with me, you both. I'm grateful."

"You did good."

"I really did, didn't I?" She giggled. "Thank you both for believing in me."

"You know, I liked this bossy manner of yours earlier. Much better than when Otto gets on my case."

"It's a shame you don't listen to either me nor Otto."

"If it comes from you, I might listen from time to time." He took a step towards her, and Erie's heart, already filled with the joy from being home again, leapt at his gentle expression. Their gazes locked, Erie felt his hand take hers. Carefully, almost shyly, they interlaced their fingers. And yet it felt so natural, as if they did nothing else every day. His glance drifted from her eyes to her lips. Excitement spread through her while she had to take a deeper breath than usual.

"Cid, I..." she began, not knowing what she was going to say. Gav rescued her, pushing open the door of the Golden Stables. They let their hands slide apart and waited for Gav to reach them.

"Martha will give us a chocobo with rations while we're here. We can bring it back in a few days and take the payment with us," he announced.

"Excellent news. Then we should load up this chocobo and make our way back. I'm sure the others will be curious to hear the story of Erie's test." Cid pointed in the direction of the chocobo stables that could be seen from where they stood.

"Hey. I'll be happy to help you pack. After that, I'd like to stay in Rosaria for a while," Erie declared.

Cid and Gav, who had already taken a few steps ahead, stopped and turned to her with questioning looks.

"Come again?" Cid enquired, resting his left arm on the hilt of the sword at his hip. Gav placed a hand on his own hip as well, waiting for her answer.

"Now that I've completed my training, I can move freely, can't I? I have a few things to attend to here in Rosaria and I'd like to take care of them now. I can't waste any more time."

If there was one thing she had learned from the test, it was she no longer needed to be afraid. She was ready to face what Rosaria had become, starting by traveling to Port Isolde to find out if Uncle Byron was still alive. And if so, what he had to say.

"Love, you could have roamed free anytime you wanted," Cid merely returned, "but now you have a fancy title to go with it. Let's get going."

They loaded the chocobo with the rations Martha gave them. When Gav finally took the reins, ready to head back with Cid, Erie said, smiling, "Time to say goodbye."

"Where are you heading?" Gav asked curiously, the chocobo at his side squealing excitedly with wanderlust.

"Port Isolde. Archduke Elwin's younger brother, if he's still alive, should be living there. I've known him since I was a little girl. Practically grew up with him. He's family and I hope he's okay. I need to know."