So it was that the Warrior of Light traveled to the end of the universe and returned triumphant. However, the journey goes ever on and on.
Soon, adventure beckoned once again-- the New World, Tural!
To the Warrior of Light's surprise, it was not only Krile who broached the subject of this adventure, her grandfather having had a history with Tural. Erenville, too, made an appearance, his newly-defined gray features a glossy gleam under the new multi-directional lighting within the Baldesion Annex.
At the Warrior of Light's questioning glance, Erenville raised a hand with a letter pinched between two fingers.
"My mother journeyed with Gulool Ja Ja, the ruler of Tural. At the behest of Gulool Ja Ja, she has bid me find assistance for the Third Promise, Wuk Lamat."
"Come again?" Alphinaud's voice sounded as the doors to the Baldesion Annex opened and closed from an invisible hand. "You never mentioned you were from Tural!"
"That information is of no consequence," Erenville replied with a sigh and a shrug. "I normally would have ignored such a request from my mother, but unfortunately, Wuk Lamat should have already arrived across the seas, not to mention, the 'City of Gold."
"And your relation to this… Wuk Lamat…?" Alisaie asked suspiciously.
"Just a childhood friend," Erenville shrugged once again in the face of Alisaie's inquisitive stare.
The Warrior of Light, curious for the exact details, reached out a hand to receive the letter, only for Erenville to retrieve the letter into his secured knapsack.
"My mother's words are…" he stuttered, "quite ineligible. However, she has tasked me with finding the 'City of Gold' since I was a child, which is why I will be participating."
Krile's grandfather, the late Gulaf, had mentioned the City of Gold. She was not curious about the city itself, but rather, the past of her grandfather. All that she knew was that one day, her grandfather had returned to Old Sharlayan with a baby lalafell-- her-- in his arms.
"Long story short, Gulool Ja Ja seeks to pass on his throne, and intends to hold a rite of succession amongst his children, adopted or otherwise, with the discoverer of the City of Gold awarded the throne."
"Wuk Lamat, the Third Promise, is an adopted child considered for succession…" Erenville frowned as he said this, before adding, "though I can't help but wonder why she chose to participate in the rite of succession at all."
"Oh?" Alphinaud raised his eyebrows.
"Knowing her, she prefers to wile her days away, visiting different parts of Tural in the caravan gifted to her by her father," Erenville explained. "Anyhow, she should be here soon."
Erenville was proven incorrect, quite quickly at that.
The Warrior of Light stood at an empty space, head turning left and right. No such Wuk Lamat approached. The Warrior of Light, after a time, repeated this action again. Then a third time. Should the Warrior of Light feel relief at not having to do so for a fourth time?
Erenville exhaled in a deep sigh. "I believe I know where she is." He led the other four and strode down towards the harbor.
The viera led them to the Last Stand. There was no need for Erenville to identify Wuk Lamat, for a conspicuous female hrothgar dressed in odd fashion was chomping down on a lobster with reckless abandon.
"Oh!" Wuk Lamat exclaimed as she noticed the approaching group, saliva dripping down a corner of her lips. "Took you long enough, dear Erenville! I believe this is the perfect place to meet. Do you not agree?"
Erenville brought a palm to his face, furrowing his forehead as he sighed… again.
"This is Wuk Lamat," he simply stated before sitting down. The others sat down as well.
"So… this rite of succession…" Alphinaud, as always, immediately sought to gain control of the situation.
"There is no need to care about the rite of succession," Wuk Lamat dismissed Alphinaud's words nonchalantly as a waiter delivered many more dishes to their table. "Now tasting Sharlayan food. This is the highlight!"
"Aren't you competing for the throne?" Alisaie pointedly asked. Already, she could sense that she and Wuk Lamat had very different natures. The Warrior of Light nodded, sharing Alisaie's concern.
"As I previously stated… I do not know why she is even participating in the rite of succession…" Erenville muttered on the side.
"Look," Wuk Lamat paused to gulp down a mouthful of food. "Here's the deal. My father forced me into participating. He threatened to impound my caravan."
Erenville had mentioned this caravan. Supposedly, Wuk Lamat often traveled by caravan to the various peoples of Tural. Judging by the current presentation of Wuk Lamat, the Warrior of Light surmised that Wuk Lamat did so to indulge herself in many forms of festivities and food, most probably.
"As such, I'm only participating to protect my freedom of movement," Wuk Lamat said as she happily taste-tested a salad dressing.
"Are you not concerned that someone questionable might take the throne?" Alisaie narrowed her eyes.
"Hardly," Wuk Lamat was completely unperturbed. "I mean, come on. I know my father well. If some numbskull won the competition, which could happen with a bit of luck, do you think he will simply hand over the throne to someone incompetent?"
"Knowing my father… he only wishes to use the rite of succession to assess the candidate," Wuk Lamat continued. "Forcing me to participate… well, I can't say I know exactly why my father did so. He knows I am not one for the throne."
"Plus, there's my two older brothers, Zoraal Ja and Koana, the First and Second Promise."
"Zoraal Ja is beloved by the Landsguard and the people. My older brother is a noble soul, resolving issues across Tural's many locations, especially during the recent disaster of our very own transforming into malformed beasts. He has a decent mastery of the techniques of resolve, and has displayed the energy of resolve on occasions."
"Koana, having received Sharlayan education, has innovated technologies that improved the very lives of our people."
"Me? I am not needed," Wuk Lamat laughed. She was not at all disappointed in herself, and was filled with happiness. "I very much prefer to travel around in peace and tranquility, tasting the very cultures of Tural's people."
"She's well-liked by all, but… they see her more as just a… fun-loving sister, if you know what I mean," Erenville muttered, making no effort to filter his words despite being seated right next to Wuk Lamat.
Wuk Lamat was momentarily speechless.
"Just so," she eventually coughed and agreed with Erenville's damning assessment of her reputation in Tural.
"The energy of resolve?" Krile widened her eyes.
"Yes, yes." Wuk Lamat enthused. "It is known that my father's techniques cannot be copied, for one needs to have a tempered heart to bring forth the energy that completes the technique!"
"How curious…" Krile mumbled as she shared a glance with the other present scions as well as the Warrior of Light.
"Back to the point. My father has demanded that for the rite of succession, that all three of us, recruit help from these foreign lands. His reasoning was that we are to walk in his footsteps. He certainly had companions from afar in his own journeys."
"So here I am, to protect my lovely and most wondrous caravan," concluded Wuk Lamat with a cheerful smile.
The Warrior of Light glanced at Alisaie, then Alphinaud, then Krile. None of the four held any measure of confidence in Wuk Lamat based on what they had seen so far. Then again, it was never their intention to put someone on the throne.
The Warrior of Light only wished to see more of the world, as per Emet-Selch's taunting statement before his return to the aetherial sea.
Alphinaud and Alisaie? The twins are simply curious as to how Gulool Ja Ja had integrated the various cultures on Tural.
Krile? He was mostly interested in her grandfather's experience in Tural, and her own origin.
Whether Wuk Lamat participated seriously in the rite of succession… Well. Perhaps Erenville, tasked by his mother to find the City of Gold, might care. Yet, the rite of succession should have no impact on the existence of the City of Gold.
If Wuk Lamat's opinion of her father was true, then the rite of succession was but a method through which Gulool Ja Ja assessed his candidates, and the City of Gold might very well be but a fabrication.
"This City of Gold…" Krile muttered, unsure of its importance.
"It's said that those who attempt to find it disappear, and all who returned failed their search. But Gulool Ja Ja assured my mother that it does exist," Erenville said.
Seeing the uncertainty in their eyes, Wuk Lamat suddenly shoved more food across the table to every single one of them.
"You should all agree to come. You won't regret it. Tural is a lovely place, and I have friends at every single location you'd want to visit! Treat it as a vacation! Though… I might have to complete a few menial tasks to satisfy my father's demand to participate in the rite of succession…"
"Taking the rite of succession a bit more seriously now, are you?" Alisaie griped.
"She just wants to protect her use of her… most wondrous caravan," Erenville sighed, causing Alisaie to scowl at her own foolishness.
"Please…. Just a bit of help…" Wuk Lamat's eyes gained a doe-like quality that sent an eerie fear into the hearts of all present.
The Warrior of Light's heart very much desired to visit a new place, but being conquered by such doe-eyes would be shameful.
"You do know that the food here is not really Sharlayan food, yes?" The Warrior of Light told Wuk Lamat in the most serious of tones.
"It isn't? What did Koana eat during his stay then?!"
Alphinaud was beginning to recall the image of a green-haired miqo'te named Koana, though that miqo'te was presented as but a normal student with no royal lineage
"There has only been one Sharlayan dish since the beginning of time. Archon Loaf!" The Warrior of Light declared. "I am certain that all present will journey to Tural, participate in the rite of succession despite your disinterest, provided that you spend a whole day sharing in this exquisite Sharlayan dish of culture."
"Really?!" Wuk Lamat seemed overjoyed, mistaking the hardened expressions of these Eorzeans before her as determination to assist her in protecting her caravan from father's clutches.
Many heads nodded and the agreement was made.
It was only upon the first nibble of an archon loaf that Wuk Lamat realized that she had been fooled. However, her desire to protect her travel caravan gave her the resolve to persevere and tough out the whole day of only consuming archon loaf.
She finally vomited in disgust upon boarding the ship traveling to Tural.
"Just seasickness, I assure you," she declared to all onlookers.
"Well…" Erenville smirked on the side. "I suppose at least you now fully understand the nature of Sharlayan culture. The archon loaf is, after all, calculated and manufactured with the most key nutrition in mind for the survival of their researchers, locked in their labs for days on end."
"I… I certainly have gained a much deeper understanding," Wuk Lamat mumbled as the ship set sail for the New World.