An offer declined

The private quarters of the both guardsmen are prepared for the assassination. Avan Pentos is asked by Leih'to Wahraindaq to provide more details to which Avan openly admits that he does not know more than that what was told by the Ixal.

Avan becomes suspicious whether Leih'to - despite his claims - might be able to carry out the job but failure is out of the question. Unsure about what to do, he unconsciously nestles at An offer from M. (letter) stashed inside his arm guard and scratches off another patch of Sweet Stench.

The very distinctive smell is recognized by both. Avan refers to this stench as an method of "her to spoil me" and assures Leih'to that the effect doesn't last long when Leih'to offers to heal the sensory suffering caused by the stench.

Eventually Avan lies when saying that he needs to know what is inside this paper whilst remaining vague what this paper/ letter actually is. Avan teleports to Ul'dah and Leih'to agrees to stay behind and stand watch.

In Ul'dah, Avan gets the letter re-read, desperately searching for a way to not have Leih'to assisting him in cold blooded assassination. The Visions of the Dalamud Shard led Avan to assume that Leih'to's important role to heal the corruption, caused by the Dalamud Shards, outweighs his own life by a fair margin. Reflecting on his own character, Avan realizes that M. was right: his strong will to survive, triggered at the wrong time, would sell his friend Leih'to.

Disgusted by his own cowardice and under the impression to be outmaneuvered by M.'s machinations, he finds *his* solution: dying a warriors death at the hands of his friend - while provoking him to do the *right/ good thing*. He dictates To my friend (letter) since he cannot write the letter himself. The letter's content explains that his death is Avan's own choice and frees Leih'to from any responsibility.

Back at Camp Bronzelake, Avan seemingly out of nowhere speaks about the inevitable and that Avan knows that when the time comes that Leih'to will do the right thing. He also assures Leih'to that he is fully aware of the threat the dalamud shard pose and that it is of utmost importance to deal with them. Leih'to has an emotional outbreak, fearing Avan to just part ways. Avan manages to reassure Leih'to of his loyalty and both focus on the task in front of them.

Eventually both guardsmen get knocked out by Leih'to and Avan. Leih'to gets more and more restless hearing Avan's explanations about how corrupt the inner workings of Limsa Lominsa and the Marauders Guild truly are. Avan admits that he was corrupt himself back when he was enlisted in the Marauders Guild. Leih'to's and Avan's view on what is just and what cannot/ should not be done clash for the first time.

Eventually Avan takes off his armor and puts aside his axe, after both agreed - not without a struggle - to let the older guardsmen (the bribed one) flee to have an eye witness.

Only armed with a bread knife Avan intends to carry out the murder on the younger guardsmen. Leih'to cannot agree any longer to what Avan is trying to do. Failing to convince Avan to stop, he safes the younger guardsmen using his Ninja skills.

Avan only manages to snatch one dagger from Leih'to's belt being no match for Leih'to's sudden speed and dexterity. Agony holds Avan when realizing that the situations spiraled completely out of control. Neither got the job carried out nor did he provoke a fight. Avan got himself trapped and the only way out is to die a cowards death - by his own hand, alone. In bitter grief of having betrayed the friendship with Leih'to, he wraps his last words around the hilt of Leih'to's dagger in hopes to be found and read by Leih'to.

Leih'to not even remotely thinking of abandoning Avan returns to the guardsmen quarter only to see his friends hands driving his dagger hilt deep into Avan's chest. An alarming amount of blood is pumped out of cut atery.

Without really understanding the situation Leih'to quick-witted uses his complete reservoir of aether to immediately counter heal the dying friend. Way over his limit damaging his own aetherical system, flow after flow of Leih'to's healing aether is absorbed by Avan. Stubbornly resisting any notion to let his friend part from this world he calls out to the ever dwindling soul of Avan.

Leih'to suffers an emotional breakdown when he manages to counter the supposedly fatal wound and sees Avan breathe again. Avan shortly opens his eyes, to find himself in the arms of his friend, only to fall into a regenerative coma induced by the heavy aether flows.