Chapter Text
Osha’s father had three rules for cave and mine exploration.
First, that you never go underground alone.
Second, you always tell someone- preferably multiple someones- where you intend to go, as well as how long you intend to be gone.
Third, you always bring two backup light sources to go along with your primary light source.
Osha reasoned that she wouldn’t be alone once she found, and rescued, Quiggy. So the first rule was respected in spirit.
And the group of knights that saw her go down the deep crevice after the dragon respected the second rule well enough.
As for additional lighting, well, she had always made sure to have a small aether lamp clipped to her belt. If that failed, she was skilled enough in controlling aether to summon a bit of light, if necessary.
These were exceptional circumstances, Osha thought to herself, and surely the rules could be bent a bit.
The exceptional circumstances beyond being a chosen champion of a sentient crystal that occasionally deigned to speak to her. Beyond her current colleagues in the Scions of the Seventh Dawn being either killed, kidnapped, or otherwise scattered to the wind. Beyond the random Elezen child who had taken to bossing her around like she was a beast of burden.
But while Osha was concerned about the possible realm-wide effects of the recent attacks on the Waking Sands, her brother turning himself into a lizard, and another primal she’d have to put down, at this moment she was more focused on the matter at hand. She had made a friend, a spriggan, and had promised she would help get them home.
She had promised them she would keep them safe .
What kind of alleged hero was she if she couldn’t do something as simple as that?
Osha had yet to meet up with Cid or Alphinaud- or her own frequent adventuring companions, aside from Amandsanji, who had managed to turn himself into a lizard when the Waking Sands was attacked, and was spending the duration of the trip shoved down the front of Osha’s shirt. As such, Osha had been steadily working through the available Ishgardian institutions one by one on her own, as best as she could, considering the standoffish nature of the locals.
While the Ishgardians she crossed paths with thus had mostly inquired about her faith in relation to their own heretics, she had been able to pass herself off as a miner.
From the Miner’s Guild.
From Ul’dah, yes.
Yes, she was very far from home.
… Yes. She used to be a dancer. How could they tell?
No. She wasn’t that Osha Qhantari- slayer of primals and latest darling of the Eorzean Alliance.
Osha was a common enough name amongst Keeper women, and she was far from the only member of the Qhantari clan.
She was a miner. See her pickaxe? And belt laden with miner-adjacent utilities?
Yes, she agreed, that Osha Qhantari was probably taller and much more impressive looking.
But this Osha Qhantari was looking for an airship.
No, she wasn’t involved with the Davanians.
No, she wasn’t a devout worshipper of Halone.
Yes, she knew the Ishgardians were very fond of the Fury.
Osha herself was a follower of the Lover- an idea they seemed to find tolerable compared to the alternatives. They didn’t need to know that she wasn’t the most devout follower of Menphina, either.
After going in circles she had managed to find a lead in regards to the lost airship, a new friend to help, and if she didn’t think about the events that lead her to this precise situation too much, it was delightful to roam so far from home. Everything here was new and bright and thus quite exciting.
Once she was able to secure a coat and the cold didn’t bite so deeply, Osha was able to properly appreciate the landscape. How the snow that blanketed the land seemed to make the world quiet. How the earthen elements felt different here- frozen and hard like the mountains that rose into the sky. She never chanced to visit Coerthas before the last Calamity, unfortunately, but even now, locked in eternal winter, she could see the beauty here.
Even if its denizens were locked in a nigh-unended war with dragons. And some of the most unwelcoming people she’d ever had the misfortune to come across.
The most recent problem started when Osha, as she was want to do, rushed into a dangerous situation like she was greeting an old friend. The sound of combat had come to her on a gust of wind, as if the native elements knew her nature and were extending an invitation. Not in words and sentences as the way of man. But more like the way one might catch a partner’s eye from across the room when the melody begins, drawing both to the dance floor without a word.
Come and dance, the wind might say, if it had the words, this is your song.
Off Osha went, following the sounds uphill to a small battle- where several Ishgardian knights were fighting a dragon the size of a small cottage. Not the largest specimen, if tales were to be believed. But it was certainly not something to be trifled with either.
Osha recognized this as the perfect opportunity to earn some good will with the locals.
And if she got to join in a good fight, well, that was just gravy as far as she was concerned.
She was already pulling the pickaxe from her back, holding it with every intent of using it as a weapon.
Her new friend, Quiggy, a local spriggan who she was escorting home, followed at her heels, chirping and excited to be present.
Wing-Ding, the red feathered chocobo, followed last, despite being easily the fastest of the trio. She left a healthy amount of room to avoid the strikes from her rider, who often used a flourish of conjury in her attacks.
The trio joined the fray, Osha and Wing-Ding joining seamlessly. They both had seen enough combat together to know when there was an opening to strike, how to avoid the dragon’s return attacks, and how to keep themselves from keeping out of the knights’ way.
It was going fine until one of the knights managed to pierce the dragon’s hide with an impressive strike from their lance. Which the dragon, of course, took exception to, and reacted as one might predict. The creature turned one way to blast a harsh breath of fire, then the other way to whip its tail and knock several knights off their feet. With a screech it rounded in a motion that showed surprising dexterity as it obviously began fleeing-
But not before snatching the smallest and easiest prey in an act of pure spite-
And with Quiggy in its maw-
And Osha, who generally prided herself on her quick reflexes, had been too slow to react,
The dragon had already limped away with surprising speed, its ruined wing unable to bear it to the sky. It exited in the only route available, several yalms away, down an icy crevice. Osha followed the best as she could, sprinting at a speed that fell short of the need only to skid to a stop and stare down the steed drop.
She then dropped flat on her belly, careful not to squish Amandsanji who she had shoved down her shirt, and stared down and calling after her new friend. There was a splatter of dark blood dripping down the frosty wall into darkness. It was difficult to tell what was down there, she knew, but if the echoing reaching her ears were any indication there was quite a lot of space down there.
Quiggy’s small cry of distress cinched a knot in her chest.
The only thing stopping her from following directly down was the thought that she was sure to break several bones- and Brave Poppy wasn’t there to put her back together. Nor was Siren there to encourage her bad decisions.
In the newfound quiet broken only by the wind and the gaggle of knights groaning and righting themselves in the absence of a threat, the sound of Quiggy’s panicked cries rang on repeat in Osha’s head.
Somewhere behind her the collection of knights were regrouping and talking amongst themselves. No doubt strategizing how to best deal with the dragon which had taken to hiding underground. Perhaps they were debating whether or not it was worth following the beast down or if it was better to wait for it to reemerge. If they had acknowledged her, Osha wouldn’t have noticed.
Her eyes were still glued to the blood, cooling now against the ice, and the grooves in the icy wall below her left by the dragon. Further down, where there was less light, but just enough for her eyes to see, another wet smear of dark blood where the dragon’s wounded wing must have hit.
The thought struck her that, once again, she was unable to keep someone close to her safe. The accusation levied by herself at herself rattled her down to the core.
What even was the point of being a hero-
This was unacceptable, she decided at once instead of letting her thoughts run away with themselves.
In the next breath she was leaping to her feet, marching to Wing-Ding with a determined stride. The chocobo regarded her with a quirked head as Osha dug through their saddlebags. Though the pouches were perpetually in a state of messy, but controlled chaos, it was easy enough for her to find the length of carefully coiled rope pressed inside.
With the rope looped over an arm, Osha reached into her coat, and from the warm space between her bra and shirt, carefully pulled out Amandsanji. The man who she had come to consider her brother was currently in the form of a chunky, spikey, tan desert lizard. It was something he had done to himself, being a skilled alchemist, in a moment of desperation when the Garleans came to call.
He had worried himself a coward, in the thin voice she had been able to determine was his, but Osha was simply happy that he was alive.
Amandsanji, who had spent the Coerthan leg of their trip thus far in a state of hibernation from the cold, blinked sleepily as Osha held him carefully cupped in her hands. He looked at her and squinted at the surrounding area, the sun reflecting off the snow was far brighter than what he had grown used to.
“Sanji, I’m going to leave you with Wing-Ding.” Osha said softly, and waiting for something of a reply from her brother.
Amandsanji blinked slowly, stilled, and regarded her as anyone in a barely-conscious state of mind might. He then sent an almost-worded sentiment for her to be safe, and to wake him when she returned.
Osha kissed his tiny lizard head, and carefully tucked him into a smaller bag attached to Wing-Ding’s saddle, snug amongst some extra clothes and a few fire crystals. “There you go, that should keep you warm while I’m gone.”
She secured the bag’s closure before turning her attention back to her chocobo, and spoke with a gentle voice, “I need you to be a good bird and stay.” Her steely mood had broken long enough to tend her brother and stroke her mount’s beak. She waited long enough for Wing-Ding to give a throaty kweh of acknowledgment before turning away.
There weren’t any trees or stumps or appropriately sized rocky outcrops near enough to use as an anchor for the length of rope she carried. And Osha was not about to burden Wing-Ding with such a task.
But there was a gaggle of Ishgardian knights within reach. Several of whom had approached the crevice, some looking over the edge, clearly discussing their next steps. All of whom were weighed down with chainmail, some of them looking like perfect counterweights to her much slighter frame. Osha may have been tall for a miqo’te maid, but she was easily dwarfed by the many Elezen that populated the area.
Right, that one looks sturdy, Osha thought, eyeing up a particularly tall knight with silvery hair and enough bulk that holding her weight should prove no problem for him. With one half of the rope already run through a loop on her belt, and a quick knot thrown, Osha didn’t break her stride as she pressed the other half of the rope into the man’s chest. This startled him enough for his very pretty blue eyes to widen when their gazes briefly met.
“Hold this.” Osha instructed simply, offering no further explanation as she continued towards the opening and the deep drop the dragon had scampered down.
“Excuse me? Wait! Miss!” That must have been the knight she had charged with holding the rope, and apparently he was going to try to talk some sense into her. “Surely you don’t mean to-”
“Don’t drop me.” Osha cut him off sternly, and before he or the other gathered knights could stop her she was already leaping down the hole.
It was not a slow and carefully controlled descent, which suited her just fine. The knot at her belt allowed her to slow herself enough that she wasn’t freefalling, at least. And to the credit of the random knight she had charged with serving as her anchor, he hadn’t dropped her. Her boots scuffed the frosty walls, they barely left a mark next to the deep scratches and blood slowly coagulating and freezing over.
The last yalms she loosened her grip on the rope and landed in a crouch. Osha slipped the knot and pulled the rope from her belt loop. Her ankles and legs were pleasantly unbroken, if a bit sore. Her tail gave a twitching slash through the air behind her while her ears tried to catch any sounds in the air.
Above her the sky had narrowed to a gray slash, and before her the caverns stretched into tunnels. Osha didn’t have to wonder what direction the dragon took as the trail of blood on the ground, and occasionally splattered on the walls of the cave, determined her path. Without the wind or sounds of battle it was eerily quiet. She could just make out the sound of the knights above, talking though their voices were too distant to make out words. They might be talking about what their next move would be from here. Or possibly wondering about the mad woman who just jumped down the hole.
“Are you alright down there?” Someone called down. It sounded as if it could be the man Osha had volunteered to serve as her anchor.
“I’m alright!” She shouted back up, and after a moment followed up, “Thank you for not dropping me!”
“Splendid! Now, please start making your way back up!”
Osha tried not to roll her eyes, for she could guess the request came from a place of concern for her safety. “I can’t do that, I’m afraid! That dragon has my friend, so I’m on a rescue mission now!”
“If I could possibly dissuade you, that is a very dangerous idea, going alone!” The knight called down, sounding more serious now. This time Osha did roll her eyes. “There will be no rescue party forthcoming! It's too risky sending anyone down after you!”
“I’m sure I’ll be fine! But I would appreciate it if someone could look after Wing-Ding?”
“... I’m sorry?”
“My chocobo! She can be a bit standoffish with strangers, but if you have anything sweet on hand she’s easy enough to bribe into behaving.” While she was sure her chocobo could take care of herself, Wing-Ding did prefer the company of others. Even if she could be difficult to win over. Without waiting for an answer Osha decided she had wasted enough time, and turned to leave. “I’ll be going now! Ta!”
“Wait! May I ask that you reconsider!”
“No thank you~! I’m walking away now~! I can’t hear you anymore~!” Osha was walking away, her voice a sing song, which belied how seriously she took her current objective.
She still wasn’t very good at being stoic and serious even at the worst of times.
Now that she was down in the cave, with a trail of dragon’s blood to follow, Osha tried not to think about how irresponsible she was being with her own safety. She tried not to think about how her father would not only be disappointed but worried at the situation she had, quite literally, put herself into. As the knight had said, there would be no reinforcements coming to her aid- not that she expected any. The places she’d been going lately didn’t easily brook rescue efforts, and she did not blame the local Ishgardians for being unwilling to shoulder the burden.
On top of that she hadn’t slept more than a few bells in the past days, and had not had the chance to properly rest after facing the primal Titan.
While her coat pockets had some supplies in them, most of her things were in the saddlebags Wing-Ding carried.
All in all, less than ideal conditions to be doing a rescue mission.
But she didn't need much to save Quiggy. She had an aether lamp for light, a good coat to keep off the chill, and a pickaxe that could serve as both tool and weapon- and failing that, she always had her fists. That was enough to see her task through.
It had to be.
It would be enough , Osha thought with a sudden sense of defiant confidence.
The Scions had been throwing her at greater threats lately, hadn’t they?
It was entirely possible that Quiggy was already dead. But Osha tried not to think about such an ending to her friend’s story. Especially when there was a chance that they were alive, scared, and in dire need of rescue.
And if they were dead? Well, Osha wasn’t about to let Quiggy go unavenged nor allow such an obvious threat to the locals go unquelled.
But there in the near silence, was the faintest cry of distress echoing off the chilled walls of the cavern.
Still alive then, Osha thought hopefully as she sprinted forward, following the sound and the blood trail. Already she was pulling the pickaxe from her back, ready to meet trouble when she found it.
But the angle of the ground fell steeper than she was prepared for, and in the eternal winter of Coerthas the rocky surface had formed an icy layer on top.
So her stumble turned into an outright slip, which her flailing arms and swinging tail were not able to correct.
Which turned into her controlled sliding down an incline. Her eyes traced the path ahead and she had a flash of panic as the tunnel opened to a cavern, and she was barreling towards a gaping opening in the ground. She was going too fast, and she didn’t know how deep that drop went.
On instinct Osha swung her pickaxe in a wide arch to slam into the icy ground. With a pulse of aether and an instinctual plea to the ambient elements, the stone answered with a rumbling shot. Pebbles and shards of rock materialized at her feet, wrapping to entomb her boots and pulling her to a stop just short of the edge.
As always when her conjury worked out she willed a silent gratitude to the native elements for their aid. She could feel the solid reassurance of the stones at her feet. She pulled herself upright and ventured to peek over the edge. The drop was steep, the ground falling off to a gaping maw in the cavern. It was deep enough that not even her keen eyes could see the bottom.
"Oh, yeah. That is deep." Osha muttered to no one. Then went on, to herself, with a bit of humor, "I definitely would have broken something if I fell down there."
Osha glanced behind her, eyeing the specific incline that led to her slipping. could guess that if she was careful she could make her way back when she needed to.
If she needed to.
No.
When she needed to, she reaffirmed to herself.
With fresh determination her eyes traced the trail of blood that would lead her to her quarry. She was going to make it out of this cave, with her friend, both of them alive. Or she was going to die trying-
What was that noise?
Her ears perked and swiveled to a sound that interrupted the otherwise quiet cave. It wasn’t part of the ambient sound one would expect. It sounded like something solid grinding against ice, and she had barely a moment to think, just react.
The man-shaped blur rushing past her apparently made the same mistake that Osha had just made in misjudging the footing. Except where her reflexes were quick enough to stop her from going over the edge, his were not.
But Osha was still quick enough for her arm to shoot out and grab his wrist, and her single handed grip was enough to hold his weight firm. It was enough to stop him from falling, abruptly, but left him dangling. The stones at her feet redoubled their efforts to hold steady without her having to ask.
It gave her time to be baffled without losing ground, because she found herself staring down at the same handsome, silver haired knight she had entrusted with the rope earlier. He was looking right back at her, with those pretty blue eyes, and apparently equal bewilderment.
And just what in the Seven Hells was he doing here?
She didn’t ask just yet. But she did like that he was either very brave or very reckless- or perhaps both. Without preamble she hauled him up over the edge with moderate effort to safety.