Alone In Peril

Alone In Peril is the third part of the Trailblaze Continuance chapter Finest Duel Under the Pristine Blue (II). It automatically begins after completing A Web of Pasts Rewoven.
==Steps==
# Break free from the borisin's clutches
# Follow Hoolay's suggestion and head toward the dock area
#* (Optional) Search for help and send news to the outside
# Speak with the suspicious ferryman
#* (Optional) Search for help and send news to the outside
# Return to Hoolay and negotiate with him
#* (Optional) Search for help and send news to the outside
==Gameplay Notes==
* This mission uses the Fate's Ensemble system, played from the perspective of Jiaoqiu. The game provides him for use as a Story character.
==Dialogue==
===Break free from the borisin's clutches===
:
: Jiaoqiu: As I said, I'm a healer, but my art of healing requires the culinary arts to be truly effective.
: Jiaoqiu: The magic of my is its ability to make all kinds of medicines into dishes that patients can eat. When simmered and cooked together, any kind of medicinal herb or ingredient becomes a delightful delicacy.
: Mok Tok: Delicacy... but isn't that just one flavor overpowering the others?
: Jiaoqiu: Well, you have a point... Let me ask you this: If there's a fussy child who refuses to eat green peppers, what's the best way to make him eat them?
: Mok Tok: Stuff the kid's mouth with the green peppers and cook him alive in a pot.
: Jiaoqiu: Hahahaha! You have quite a sense of humor. I've heard that you borisin have lost many of your taste buds during the self-modification process, so you can't experience complex flavors. Only the "saltiness" of blood and flesh truly awakens your appetite.
: Mok Tok: It's a shame I don't have any green peppers right now. Otherwise, I'd happily stuff them into your mouth and cook you alive in a pot.
: Jiaoqiu: I'm just kidding. The answer is quite simple: Chop up the peppers and mix them with minced meat to make meatballs. This way, the flavor of the meat overpowers the taste of the peppers, and even a fussy child can enjoy them.
: Mok Tok: Can I just boil your tongue in this hot pot? I know you're trying to buy time until someone comes to your rescue.
: Mok Tok: You said that Jingliu recently returned to the Luofu, right? Well, she did come back... but unfortunately, I also found out that she committed serious crimes and was escorted to another Xianzhou ship.
: Mok Tok: Do you really think you can delay our departure by provoking Lord Hoolay's desire for revenge with your clever little tongue?
: Mok Tok: You see borisin as savages who know nothing about the Xianzhou, but in fact, we know all about your tracking tricks... like the jade abacus you're carrying and the cycranes in the sky.
: Jiaoqiu: ...
: Mok Tok: The more hope you hold in your heart, the greater your pain will be when death comes. I wonder if you can maintain your composure when I tear your throat open.
: ???: His composure is only a temporary effect of the medicine, and it will wear off soon, right?
: Mok Tok: Lord Hoolay.
: Hoolay: You pathetic foxians. For thousands of years, we were the ones who allowed you to live and who granted you civilization, but in the end, you chose to betray us for the "freedom" promised by the Xianzhou people.
: Hoolay: But it's alright. As long as you catch the scent of your , you obediently return to us... no matter how far you run away.
: (Refute him by pointing out that they are the runaways)
:: Jiaoqiu: Run away, you said? Well, I'm not the one who's trying to run away right now.
: (Sow discord between Mok Tok and Hoolay)
:: Jiaoqiu: Hoolay, have you ever wondered why it took them seven centuries to come to your rescue?
: Mok Tok: ...
: Jiaoqiu: The borisin's era has long passed. Did they ever tell you these harsh facts before giving you hope for returning home, Lord Hoolay?
: Jiaoqiu: Now they're being crushed by the Merlin's Claw of the Yaoqing... by a foxian. They're hiding in remote corners of the cosmos, trembling with fear, like a wounded beast on its last legs, reaching out desperately for any fake hope of salvation, which in this case is you.
: Hoolay: The Merlin's Claw of the Yaoqing... A foxian? Very interesting. Tell me, Mok Tok, is he speaking the truth?
: Mok Tok: ...He isn't lying. That lowly beast was a war slave who ran away from our pack! Cannon fodder! A thief! She stole our power and used her knowledge about us to fight us, using every dirty trick in the book...
: Hoolay: And she bested you, Mok Tok. Fairness is but a pathetic excuse for the dead and defeated. Since our great pack has fallen apart, who told you that I was alive? And who sent you here?
: Mok Tok: In our darkest hours, it was a Prophet of the Master of Immortality, named Mangas, who showed us the way. Her guidance brought us hope.
: Hoolay: This Prophet Mangas... What does she want?
: Mok Tok: The Prophet made this proclamation: The borisin have been divided for too long, and only your return can unite all the packs, restoring us to our former glory! That's when we learned that you were still alive... It must have been a manifestation of the Master of Immortality!
: Mok Tok: And the Prophet told us that the foxian general of the Yaoqing would take you to her ship during the Luofu's Wardance, and that it would be our best chance to infiltrate and free you from your prison. And just as she said, we did it!
: (Refute him by pointing out that their plan has not succeeded yet)
:: Jiaoqiu: Even if you managed to set Hoolay free, you'd have no way to escape.
:: Mok Tok: We've already prepared our ships, and the Prophet's prediction will surely come true.
: (Sow discord by pointing out Mangas' ulterior motives)
:: Jiaoqiu: That so-called prophet lied to all of you. She just sent you here to die.
:: Mok Tok: But her prophecy has come true! Our Warhead is right here, with us!
: Jiaoqiu: Once the news about the prison break spreads, the Cloud Knights will close all the ports. You may think you've escaped the prison, but you're just trapped in another cage known as the Luofu.
: Mok Tok: Let me kill this unruly lowly beast, Lord Hoolay! I assure you that our starskiffs will soon arrive.
: Mok Tok: Right now, everyone in the Luofu is distracted by the stupid Wardance, so this will be the perfect chance to escape. Once you've returned to your territory, your revenge against the Xianzhou ships will be within reach.
: Hoolay: Perfect chance? To return to my weak and shattered pack, at the mercy of a ridiculous false prophet, and become a mere puppet in her clutches? Heh, her plan is full of flaws. The only paths she has prepared for you are escape and death.
: Hoolay: Listen up, a wolf never allows itself to become prey. From now on, you'll follow my orders.
: Hoolay: Since you are so confident that the Cloud Knights will close the ports, Jiaoqiu, I'm now giving you a chance to go and see it for yourself. Go to the ports, come back, and .
: Jiaoqiu: ...Wait, what did you just say?
: Mok Tok: But my Lord...!
: Hoolay: Would an alpha wolf ever listen to a cub, Mok Tok?
: Mok Tok: No, I've never heard anything like that... I... I wasn't trying to defy your will. I will always unquestioningly follow your orders.
: Why don't you send your people?
:: Hoolay: I'm offering you a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Don't you want to run away, Jiaoqiu?
: What game are you playing?
:: Hoolay: Just a little pre-hunt entertainment. Don't you want to run away?
: Hoolay: You will come back, because foxians like you always obediently return to their masters... no matter how far they run away.
===Follow Hoolay's suggestion and head toward the dock area===
;(Talk to Mok Tok, optional)
: Mok Tok: I don't fully understand Lord Hoolay's intentions, but don't think you can simply run away. Understood?
;(Talk to Hoolay, optional)
: Hoolay: You know why I'm letting you go? Because foxians like you always obediently return to their masters... no matter how far they run away.
: Hoolay: Let's see if they really closed it like you expected.
;(Talk to the injured fugitive, optional)
: Injured Fugitive: Water... I need some water.
: Injured Fugitive: What the heck was I thinking...? If I knew it would end like this, I would've stayed in The Shackling Prison. Better to live in shackles than die free.
: (Examine his injuries)
:: Jiaoqiu: Let me take a look. I can help you out.
:: Injured Fugitive: Are you a healer? Please bandage me up... I don't want to die.
: Do you know where we are?
:: Jiaoqiu: Do you know where we are right now?
:: Injured Fugitive: I don't know. I was brought here blindfolded, just like you.
: Jiaoqiu: (Although Hoolay and his followers can currently hide in the city, it won't be long before they're found. What was he planning when he let me go?)
;(Talk to the injured fugitive again, optional)
: Injured Fugitive: I don't want to die yet...
;(Talk to the disguised borisin, optional)
: Disguised Borisin: Why are you wasting time here?
: Jiaoqiu: You are borisin.
: Disguised Borisin: That's right.
: You look exactly like a foxian...
: Jiaoqiu: So, that's how you managed to infiltrate the Xianzhou ship. If I hadn't been so familiar with the scent of borisin, I wouldn't have been able to tell.
: Disguised Borisin: Never heard of such miraculous medicine, huh?
: Jiaoqiu: (Medicine? I heard there was a mutiny within the Alchemy Commission during the Ambrosial Arbor Crisis... These infiltrators must have connections within the Xianzhou Luofu.)
: Disguised Borisin: Lord Hoolay ordered you to go to the port and take a look, you lowly beast. Why are you still lingering here?
;(Talk to the disguised borisin again, optional)
: Disguised Borisin: Lord Hoolay ordered you to go to the port and take a look, you lowly beast. Why are you still lingering here?
;(Go outside the hideout)
: Jiaoqiu: (I can't believe he actually let me go... What game is he playing?)
: Jiaoqiu: (Perhaps I can try to warn the Cloud Knights... No, perhaps I can just escape...)
: (Look around)
::A foxian with a cold expression gazes at Jiaoqiu. There is sharp pressure to the gaze, carrying as if a warning to the healer that says: 
:: Jiaoqiu: (Just as I suspected... he's testing me.)
: (Continue towards the port)
:: Jiaoqiu: (The Cloud Knights must have been aware of the situation inside The Shackling Prison for some time. Will General Feixiao personally lead a squad to capture Hoolay?)
:: Jiaoqiu: (For now, I'll do as he asked.)
;(Try to leave by walking out of bounds, optional)
: Jiaoqiu: (Someone is keeping an eye on me... No, I can't get too far away.)
----
;(Talk to the starskiff pilot, optional)
:The starskiff pilot is just an ordinary but hardworking individual who ferries people from place to place every day. ...Remember: Be mindful of your words and actions.
: Starskiff Pilot: Would you like to board my starskiff?
:You keenly notice that the foxian passengers near the Starskiff Pilot are looking you up and down.
: Yes, but we have several passengers...
: How many passengers can you accommodate?
: Starskiff Pilot: Well, my little starskiff can't accommodate that many... but I have a larger one that will arrive in less than fifteen minutes if you need it. So, where would you like to go?
: Starskiff Pilot: We need to hurry, wherever we're going. The Wardance is about to start, and the Sky-Faring Commission is prioritizing starskiffs heading to the Skysplitter.
: Have the Cloud Knights closed the ports?
:: Starskiff Pilot: Closed the ports...? Why would they do that?
: I want to get outside the Jade Gate. Can you take me there?
:: Starskiff Pilot: What? Are you joking? How can I take you beyond the Jade Gate in this tiny starskiff?
: 
:: Starskiff Pilot: Keep what quiet? Hahahahaha! Come on, spill it if you have something to say.
:: 
::: Starskiff Pilot: You want to leave alone now? Sure, the starting fare is six strales. Where do you want to go?
:::You were searched by the borisin, and now you have no money on you.
::: Starskiff Pilot: Hey, you can't take my starskiff for free. Maybe you should withdraw some money first? I'll be ready whenever you are.
:: 
::: Starskiff Pilot: The Realm-Keeping Commission? It's right up ahead. Look, I've got a business to run, so why don't you go there yourself?
:: Never mind. I just wanted to ask if your starskiff is safe enough.
::: Starskiff Pilot: Hah! I've been in this business for almost a century! You won't find a safer starskiff around here!
----
;(Talk to the Realm-Keeping orderly, optional)
:The Realm-Keeping Commission orderly is not accustomed to handling emergencies like this one. ...Remember: Be mindful of your words and actions.
: Realm-Keeping Orderly: I'm sorry, but the Realm-Keeping Commission Chancery is currently closed. All the officers and officials have been reassigned to assist in the Wardance.
:You can sense someone staring at you from not far away.
: 
:: Realm-Keeping Orderly: If I can help you...
:: 
::: Realm-Keeping Orderly: ...Borisin? Here? Are you serious?
::: Jiaoqiu: These borisin are disguised as foxians. Please warn the Cloud Knights immediately.
::: Realm-Keeping Orderly: Will you please wait here for a while? I'll find a soldier.
:: 
::: Realm-Keeping Orderly: Hi, do you need my help, messenger from the Xianzhou Yaoqing?
::: Jiaoqiu: Borisin are hiding in the Exalting Sanctum. You must deliver this news to the Cloud Knights.
::: Realm-Keeping Orderly: ...Borisin? Here? Are you serious?
::: Jiaoqiu: These borisin are disguised as foxians. Please warn the Cloud Knights immediately.
::: Realm-Keeping Orderly: Will you please wait here for a while? I'll find a soldier.
:: No, it's nothing.
: It's nothing. I'm just wandering around.
:: Realm-Keeping Orderly: Hey, although we're short-staffed at the moment, if there's anything I can do to help, please feel free to ask me.
===Speak with the suspicious ferryman===
;(Approach marked location)
:Nothing seems out of the ordinary in the harbor. You are filled with anxiety.
;(Talk to the Cloud Knights soldier, optional)
:The Cloud Knights Soldier on duty here is alone and without reinforcements. ...Remember: Be mindful of your words and actions.
: Cloud Knights Soldier: Hey there, I noticed you've been looking at me for quite a while. Do you need my help?
:You can sense someone staring at you from not far away.
: 
:: Cloud Knights Soldier: Could you please provide more details?
:: 
::: Cloud Knights Soldier: What!? Are you sure about that?
::: Cloud Knights Soldier: Wait... I recognize you... You're the lost Yaoqing messenger. How are you here?
::: Jiaoqiu: I was brought here by the borisin. Please make sure to report this news.
::: Cloud Knights Soldier: Alright, I'll call for reinforcements.
:: 
::: Cloud Knights Soldier: Wait... I recognize you... You're the lost Yaoqing messenger. How are you here?
::: Jiaoqiu: I was brought here by the borisin. Please make sure to report this news.
::: Cloud Knights Soldier: Alright, I'll call for reinforcements.
:: No, it's nothing.
: It's nothing. I'm just wandering around.
:: Cloud Knights Soldier: Understood. Please come to me if you need any help.
----
;(Talk to the suspicious ferryman)
: Suspicious Ferryman: Stop asking. I'm off-duty now. Go bother someone else.
:You sniff a familiar scent on the foxian pilot.
: May I ask why?
:: Suspicious Ferryman: Can't you just stop asking?
: What if the Warhead wants to leave?
:: Suspicious Ferryman: ...
: Suspicious Ferryman: You're not one of us, but I smell a familiar scent on you.
: Jiaoqiu: The Warhead sent me here to check on the situation.
: Have the Cloud Knights closed the ports?
:: Suspicious Ferryman: No, not at all. Instead, the Sky-Faring Commission is clearing routes to prioritize starskiffs heading to the Skysplitter. This will make our ships more noticeable when we try to escape.
: The Warhead wants to know if we can leave now.
:: Suspicious Ferryman: Not yet. There's no way for this tiny ship to escape from the Xianzhou. Only the starships at Stargazer Navalia can break through the Jade Gate. Mok Tok said there would be insiders to pick us up, but I haven't heard anything yet.
===Return to Hoolay and negotiate with him===
: Jiaoqiu: (The ports haven't been closed... What is going on?)
: Jiaoqiu: (Stalling won't help... It's time to confront Hoolay and see what tricks he's up to...)
;(Talk to the suspicious ferryman again, optional)
: Suspicious Ferryman: What exactly is happening... We should have received word from Stargazer Navalia long ago.
----
;(Approach marked location)
: Hoolay: You're back, Jiaoqiu.
;(If Jiaoqiu didn't seek help)
:: Jiaoqiu: You were closely watching me, weren't you? And if I sought help from anyone, your people would kill them... Was that your plan, Hoolay?
;(If Jiaoqiu sought help with only one person)
:: Mok Tok: Come and take a good look. Who is this person?
:;(If the person is the starskiff pilot)
::: Starskiff Pilot: This Cloud Knight says there's official business that requires my cooperation.
:;(If the person is the Cloud Knights soldier)
::: Cloud Knights Soldier: Don't worry, this captain will help us.
:;(If the person is the Realm-Keeping orderly)
::: Realm-Keeping Orderly: This Cloud Knight will help you.
:: What are you trying to do, Mok Tok?
:: Jiaoqiu: What are you trying to do, Mok Tok? They have nothing to do with this!
:: Hoolay: Nothing to do? I told you to go to the port and check out the situation... but I never gave you permission to talk with others.
:: Hoolay: Remember, this person died because of you.
::
:: Jiaoqiu: You want to prove to me that... you hold everyone's lives in your hands, right, Hoolay!?
;(If Jiaoqiu sought help with two or more people)
:: Mok Tok: Come and take a good look. Who are these people?
:: Cloud Knights Soldier: Don't worry, this captain will help us.
:: What are you trying to do, Mok Tok?
:: Jiaoqiu: What are you trying to do, Mok Tok? They have nothing to do with this!
:: Hoolay: Nothing to do? I told you to go to the port and check out the situation... but I never gave you permission to talk with others.
:: Hoolay: Remember, these people died because of you.
::
:: Jiaoqiu: You want to prove to me that... you hold everyone's lives in your hands, right, Hoolay!?
: Hoolay: Exactly as you said. So, have the Cloud Knights closed the ports?
: Jiaoqiu: ...No.
: Hoolay: They don't want to publicize my escape. I understand. It's no surprise, for fear is more deadly than claws and fangs... especially during a festive time like the Wardance.
: Hoolay: What lurks here is not a group of fugitives, but rather a pack of wolves amidst the flock. My cubs are hungry, ready to feast on flesh and blood, reveling in your fear.
: Hoolay: Your calm facade will soon crumble. I can tear through it and expose your pathetic bones anytime. There's no escape from me, Jiaoqiu.
: Hoolay: Of course, you can try your luck and believe that your wits will save you. But remember, you're not the only hostage in this city. If you try anything funny, innocent people will die because of you.
: Hoolay: Now, let's talk about the foxian general you serve. Mok Tok says she's here for me, which means she'll be hunting me herself.
: Hoolay: Before the hunt begins, I need to know my opponent. You can refuse and play tough, or you can cooperate and save us both some time, healer.
: (Show weakness, making him believe you've surrendered)
: (Refuse, letting him know you won't talk)
:
:
: Jiaoqiu: Agh...
: Hoolay: Good, at least you didn't try to draw attention with a scream. That way, no one will die in vain.
;(If the player refused)
:: Hoolay: But remember, the next time you refuse me, I'll crush your healing hands, then your knees, then your spine... I'll dismantle you piece by piece until only your silver tongue remains for you to speak.
: Jiaoqiu: ...Fine, I'll tell you what you want to know about her, but I expect something in return.
: Hoolay: What makes you think you're still in a position to negotiate with me?
: Jiaoqiu: You can torture me until I talk, or... let's save us both some time, Warhead.
: Jiaoqiu: Here's the question that's been bothering me: How have you managed to survive and endure centuries of torture? Borisin aren't supposed to live that long or possess such regenerative abilities.
: Hoolay: So, is that why the Xianzhou Yaoqing wanted to take me away? To some, I'm a hostage, but to others, I hold the secrets they desire...
----
:
: Hoolay: I still remember, in the early years of my captivity, the foxians came and went... They extracted my blood and marrow, trying to unravel the mystery of Moon Rage. They wanted to conquer their fear of the borisin and free themselves from their bloodline.
: Hoolay: Unfortunately, they failed to uncover the secret, so they resorted to the most brutal punishments they could imagine.
: Hoolay: Some seek power to destroy their enemies, while others seek power to become their enemies... Which one are you, Jiaoqiu?
----
: Hoolay: Ah, I see! You're the most pitiful of them all, healer of the Yaoqing! You seek power to share it with others and do good.
: Hoolay: Well, then let me tell you the answer you seek.
: Hoolay: In our ancient legends, Duran, the ancestor of the borisin, was dissatisfied with his limited lifespan and power. He yearned to dominate the skies and become the master of all the stars.
: Hoolay: To achieve his goal, he sacrificed the lives of countless borisin and foxians, pouring them into the spring bestowed by the Master of Immortality. Through a form of genetic sorcery, the water gave birth to a miracle — the Lunar Embryo.
: Hoolay: Duran ascended and obtained what he desired: a heart in the shape of a deep-red full moon. He cut open his chest and replaced his original heart with this crimson moon.
: How typical. Just another borisin myth...
:: Hoolay: Laugh all you want, but only I know the truth behind every word.
: I'm not buying your absurd myth!
:: Hoolay: The Ambrosial Arbor is also an absurd myth, but you Xianzhou folk know it's true.
: Hoolay: This moon heart beats within the body of every generation of the Borisin Warhead. In the ritual that decides the new Warhead, the successor cuts open the previous Warhead's chest and consumes the divine heart, thus possessing it as their own!
: Hoolay: Devouring is the true essence of life, allowing us to endure and thrive. It gathers the life essence of all the prey we consume, making us stronger and stronger!
: Hoolay: I thought all hope was lost after seven centuries of torment, but now, this heart is beating once again.
: Hoolay: Alright, now it's your turn to tell me... everything about the Merlin's Claw.
;(Moze covertly watches the situation unfold from a rooftop)
: Moze: Jiaoqiu... I've found you.
----
:Returning to the Trailblazer's POV...
:When you have a chance to make a choice, make one that you know you won't regret.
==Other Languages==
==Change History==
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ru:Молот и наковальня, душа в чужих лапах