Warrior of the Void Book 1, Chapter 50

Muur opened her mouth, but no words would come out. For the first time in her Eorzean life, she was at a complete loss…

“From what thou hast said, I suspect that the entity that has aided thee hoped to ensnare thee through the third method.” The Warden meanwhile spoke with practiced disinterest as it took up its untouched cup and brought it to their face in order to take a deep breath of its aroma.

“With perhaps a touch of not wanting anyone else to eat her scaly meal, if the dreams I have been having hold any water.” Muur muttered unhappily. There was definitely an air of ‘you’re a shit, but fuck the other guy’ to how Himiko acted around her fellow Voidsent.

“Most certainly, yes.” The Warden agreed.

“Hold a moment please,” Cocobani interjected by raising his hand before anyone else could speak, “From the way you spoke, are we to understand that this isn't an anchor?”

“If so, then what is it?” Without any regard on if his brother was finished talking, or pausing to afford himself a moment to think, Cocobuki hurriedly asked his own question, “Because it most certainly is not anything akin to Voidsent's vessel. Nor can it be one, it was never fashioned with such goals in mind!”

“No, no it is not,” Putting down their cup, the ghostly Thaumaturge motioned to the talisman, before pointing to the two of them starting with Cocobuki, “Tell me, what feature of it pushed thee to seek mine expertise? Thou art a Void Hunter at heart, even as thou hast embraced new responsibilities, what thou hast witnessed as a slayer of the foul and the wretched linger within thou.”

The Guildmaster stammered, whatever immediate response he had in mind dying on his lips, and leaving a thoughtful silence instead, “While thou art the pre-eminent mind of our clergy when the nature of Voidsents is concerned,” Which allowed the Warden to slide their finger towards their brother, “What says thee?”

“It's empty,” Cocobani eventually said after a long stretch of silence, “Be it an anchor, or a vessel, it contains something of the Voidsent. But this? By all accounts, it holds nothing.”

“Nothing, brother?” The last of the Guildmasters’ eyebrows rose in confusion, “From where I stand, it most certainly contains the Voidsent's powers.”

“It does, aye,” Nodding along with his brothers’ words, Cocobuki glanced at the talisman, then at Muur, “But that is all it holds. Power. I would not expect you to be able to sense the difference as acutely as I, or Cocobani. To you it must feel as merely another Void-touched item. But to us, who have dealt with the horrors of the Void for so very long it feels completely different.”

“I am more preoccupied with what the Voidsent can do with this, if so inclined.” Muur cut in quietly. Power of the Voidsent? She already had plenty of raw power. What she wanted was the power to not blow herself up.

“In a single word? Naught,” Consternation flashed over the face of the Guildmasters, which prompted the Warden to shrug almost helplessly, “Or so I am led to guess. Never have I heard of, much less witnessed, such a strange creation.”

“How can that be? We can see the Voidsent’s feather merging with the talisman, surely–” “Such are your words,” Holding a hand up, the masked thaumaturge stopped the Guildmaster, “But is it truly what is taking place? It is my belief that it is not so. I would venture that the talisman is absorbing the feather’s own aether, ‘devouring’ it in the process. How else can we explain its workings have not failed?”

Muur drummed her fingers on the table, giving a gimlet eye to the talisman, “So let it finish doing that, inspect it again, make a judgement call then? I can switch to the cloth talisman as an interim solution if need be.”

“T'would be the most prudent action, yes… regardless, I shall require thee to visit this abode regularly.” The Warden replied with a dip of their head.

“Might I ask why, Warden?” Cocobani piped up, a curious look on his face, “Could it be you plan to teach her?”

“Offer advice, perhaps. But naught more than that, I would never dream of stealing away thy joy of teaching.” They chuckled softly.

“Perish the thought, Warden!” The Guildmaster gasped like he was an actor in a bawdy play, “It is a joy I would never deny another. Teaching another is a truly transformative experience, one can never be prepared for the newest and unexpected headache their pupils will unleash upon them.”

“Hear, hear,” The Warden chuckled, “Alas, the reason is that although the talisman ought to be safe, the Voidsent’s attention will surely remain the same. If it has not intensified considering the sheer amount of aether it has been given. Further monitoring is required I fear… Not to mention, she has stumbled her way into a most fragrant blend of fermented tea! T'would be a true same to let it rot in her trunk.”

“Don’t forget the scones, either.” Muur snorted, relishing the moment of levity after that rollercoaster of an interaction.

“They are passable at best,” The Warden told her without missing a beat, “I recommend those from the Matronly Chocobo. The owner has, by some arcane means I cannot decipher even with mine mystical might, secured a supply of the most wonderful buffalo butter for her pastry making.”

“Oho, I will be sure to pay them a visit.” Muur replied with a thumbs up.

“I am not quite satisfied by what we have uncovered,” Digging into his robes, Cocobani pulled out a time piece and sighed, “Far too many questions and unknowns still. But, alas time is finite, and if we are to hope to craft a talisman today it is high time this meeting ends. Otherwise, we will not be able to attend to our obligations, and young Muur to her wasp extermination– that is, unless you would rather push that venture back?”

The face she made said it all.