Final Fantasy XIV- A Dream Untold: Hitocillia's Story.

The Safety.

Silence.
Absolute silence.

Darkness.
Absolute darkness.

No, that wasn't right.

Her head was throbbing in waves of dull hums. Enough to persuade her to shift onto her sides. In her ears, she made out a crackle. A groan escaped her lips. Moments later, the lids of her eyes fluttered open.

Her lulled eyes glossed across the room before finally fixating itself on a light source beside her bed. It'd been the warm glow of a candle. Light.

The crackle must've been a nearby fireplace. Sound. It brought her comfort. Safety. Perhaps she'd be able to sleep a little longer...

If she didn't know any better, she'd believe that she was back at home, relaxed in her chamber after some difficult assignment. Perhaps Freya brought her back to bed, helped her unwind, and gave her some time to lick her wounds. The usual.

It's strange. though. Just seconds ago, Hitocillia could've sworn that she was just outside. A forest?

Oh well. Must've been some bad dream. 

But, she just couldn't shake the feeling. Something was off. The story wasn't adding up in her head. There was no way she'd dream up such vivid details. The pain felt all too real. How could she have possibly made it back in one piece? Hadn't there been an altercation moments before?

Not to mention, the lingering memory that scratched at the back of her skull. Felled trees. A snarl. A shadow.

Blood.

As relaxed as she was, something didn't feel right. Her body clung to the safety of the confines, but this wasn't hers. 

Then it hit her.

 This wasn't her barracks. Much less her chambers.

Her body instantly shot up, awash with panic. In her daze, she didn't even notice the man that sat in the corner of her room. A shadow cast along his body, most likely from the adjacent fireplace she heard earlier. She didn't recognize him at first.

"Easy," he stressed. "Relax a little. You're safe." Hitocillia plainly ignored him, her eyes darting around the room. There. Her clothing was piled in the corner. She reached for it, and..

A sharp pain shot across her abdomen. It made her wince slightly.

"See, I told ya. You came back in rough shape. The village medic patched you up with some magic, but I was told to warn you it'd still hurt like a punt from a Chocobo!"

A Chocobo's kick was an understatement. The sudden shock almost made her throw up. Regardless, she pressed forward, unwilling to relent until her fingers gripped upon her armor. With as quick a swipe she could muster, she pulled it onto herself. She searched its contents, fixated on one thought alone. There. The contraption grazed her hand. She quickly propped up the device to her ear. Press after press, she searched for a signal. A signal to call the only person that could provide her comfort at this moment.

She instead was greeted by static.

Realizing she wasn't going to stop any time soon, the man in the corner cracked up. "Them machinations won't work in this village, lass." He rose from his seat, slowly approaching her. "There'd be all too much interference fightin' communication. You've got naught but time to relax, you're still-"

"Keep your distance," she snapped. He reeled slightly, confused by her hostile response. He didn't have time to address it, however, as the chamber door opened.

A child entered the room, pantry in hand. She scurried over to the man, and the two exchanged pleasantries. Once her eyes glossed over by the on-alert Hitocillia, however, her eyes opened wide. A smile crested on her lips. "She's already awake? Amazing!"

"Aye, that she is," the man responded. "And a little shaken up, from the looks of it." He looked down at the child's pantry, and noticed some of the fruits and grain they were carrying. Then, an idea came to his mind. "Hey, why don't you treat our guest to some? Surely she won't be snippy to a youngin'," he mused.

The child nodded and came over to Hitocillia's bedside. With an eager glance, she raised the platter up to allow her to pick from the tray. Hitocillia shot a glance at the man, not understanding his game. He merely shrugged his shoulders.

"Thank you," Hitocillia muttered, taking an apple and what seemed like a loaf of bread. Although, from how warm it'd been, there was probably some sort of filling. In turn, the girl beamed. It was then one could really make out her features. Specifically, the dirty-blonde hair that ran past her shoulders. It'd almost been like looking into a mirror...

As quickly as the child came, she left, leaving a portion of the pantry for the male who eagerly accepted. Taking a crunchy bite out of his pear, he made his way to leave. "Well, I best leave you to your own devices. I'll have darling little Akemi come by with some clothing later on. That way, you can put that bulky getup down for a little." With that, he set to leave too.

"Wait," Hitocillia beckoned. He perched his ears in the door's frame.

Seeing him stand against the natural lighting clicked something in her mind. At first, the details were fuzzy, but now she definitely recognized this man. He'd been one of the men that came to her rescue in that dream. She was sure of it. One of the three before she passed out.

 She had several things she wanted to say, wanted to ask. But, she didn't even know where to begin. Moments ago, she thought her life forfeit. In another, she was bedside, being tended to.

 But, above all else, one stuck out in her mind the most.
"Where are we?"

He smiled at the question. A big, toothy grin. "Right, you were out of it when we found you. This is Scala ad Caelum! Welcome!" Then, the door shut behind him.