Welcome to Adventu, your final fantasy rp haven. adventu focuses on both canon and original characters from different worlds and timelines that have all been pulled to the world of zephon: a familiar final fantasy-styled land where all adventurers will fight, explore, and make new personal connections.
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year 5, quarter 3
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Quistis gave a slight frown at Zell’s question. A soft sight and a shake of her head followed, much like a disappointed teacher. The guide had warned them to not ask questions about how they got here. Not that Quistis could blame him. These were all questions she wanted to know too. But if the scholar knew not why, it was nearly the same as asking him what the meaning of life was, wasn’t it? Maybe there was no answer except speculation.
And there was the scholar’s sharpness again at not being asked that question. Quistis gave a slight wince, even though she was waiting for it.
She tilted her head to the side as she listened. Shiva, Ifrit, and the great dragon were gods here? She had remembered them being guardian force entities in her world. They were beings of energy that could reside inside objects and people that they resonate with. But gods? She was a long way from home and this concept was certainly something she would need to wrap her brain around.
But they were no longer here in this realm. The gods were watching silently until they were needed once more. So, the Crystalus Divider was a gate way for the gods. Her eyes followed his out the window. “And these crystals are in these ancient ruins?” Quistis was going to poke about what these anomalies were. But she did not want to press him on the subject he already stated he didn’t want to discuss. “And what are agents of chaos?” And why would the gods want to bring them here, if they aided the heroes in sealing chaos away in the first place? It seemed contradictory.
“And how will these gods know that their aid is required? Is there a designated spot to meditate and pray to them?” Perhaps a little bit of quiet time in a sacred space is what they needed to try to recharge their energy and collect their thoughts.
If you don't fight for what you want, don't cry for what you lost.
Father Lucas snapped back at the duo, forcing Zell to let out a little eep in response. The SeeD tried to emphasize that he understood the lack of information, hence why he asked for a theory instead. And Lucas did deliver his theory. Zell and the others were here by the will of the Gods.
"So the Gods may have wanted us here to fight off whatever this chaos is." He understood the gist of what was said. That means himself, Tifa, Quistis, and whoever else was yanked from their homeworlds for this greater conflict. It would make sense, considering Quistis and Zell took down the ultimate sorceress of time manipulation with the aid of their other friends. If this theory was true, the others may be here, too.
Quistis laid out the next set of questions; most of which were about the crystals and chaos, and how to contact the Gods. Zell had thought of that too, but given the last response from Lucas, he decided to hold himself back as to not stress out the holy man any further.
"And these crystals are in these ancient ruins?” The girl had insight, he'd give her that. In fact, his heart swelled with her interest. It was rare to find youth these days so dedicated to learning the old ways. 'Perhaps this one was different,' he thought. 'She doesn't seem like a brute at all.'
Another, deeper voice echoed a sinister warning. 'A trick! Keep on your guard. You never know with their kind.'
"And what are agents of chaos?"
"Ah, now isn't that the question!" Father Lucas settled back, looking up in contemplation. "Legends speak of this chaos set loose once again. I had thought it must mean you wanderers, traveling around with your swords and superpowers." He chuckled to himself. "You've certainly left an impression."
He couldn't help it. He felt his mood shift for the better. Such an inquisitive young mind!
"It is theorized -- only theorized, mind -- that they're the emissaries of a dark god. Sent from beyond the veil, as it were. The opposite of the ancient Warriors in concept. They know only chaos and will bring the world to ruin." He shook his head. "The translations vary, but some theorize them the harbingers of apocalypse! You must understand why your people have me worried!"
There. An apology would make it right. Perhaps they had started on the wrong foot, but certainly they could move forward from here.
"Perhaps you could fight them off." He nodded towards the boy. "I'd never considered that interpretation. The texts say that the Warriors would rise again when their need is most dire. A terrible clash between darkness and light! It has generally been accepted that this means that the power of the crystals -- and the Warriors that guard them -- will be freed at the end of this age. I highly doubt that you are the Warriors of legend, but it is an interesting theory..."
He was being polite of course. These ruffians the Warriors of Light? Preposterous.
"The gods will return at the dusk of our age -- perhaps to end it and begin the cycle of life anew? We have only begun to understand the old texts, you see, so the translations are contentious and the sources often contradictory. Another reason I've avoided discussion with the more...unstable of seekers." He sighed. "But you seem a fellow scholar yourself. Surely you will understand the true complexities of our legends."
And she had the dedication for meditation and prayer! Ah, but perhaps he'd been wrong in his assumptions! It seemed that she and her companion were two of the good ones.
"Of course! Our priests have made it their life's work to connect with the gods and the spirits of the Warriors! We've made great strides though of course they have never spoken to us. On hallowed ground, however, we can feel their presence. It is a great honor." He made a reverent gesture and lowered his head. "The scholars at the Metaia temple worked upon the most sacred lands of all. It is a great loss, yes a great loss, with what became of them. Perhaps the forces of chaos sought to tear it from our grasp? If anywhere was to start a communication with the gods, it would have been at its altars."
He felt his heart somber. A tragedy indeed. All of that lost knowledge!
"Well, there is nothing to be done for it." He gestured to them. "If you would like to see our shrines, I could certainly lead you to them. I am always happy to help a fellow devotee."
Quistis had a sword and superpower? She felt he was lumping her in with some other group. But his words were telling. She and Zell were not the only ones shifted here out of their home universe. By Father Lucas’s suggestion, they were possibly here by the will of the gods – for good or evil. And she seemed shocked to be considered a harbinger of the apocalypse. Though she too doubted she would be some great warrior that could prevent it. Even if she was able to defy a sorceress of great power, defying the will of the gods seemed an even greater task.
She silently took in the information. It was a lot to observe and she wanted to leave room for Zell to ask his questions, if he had any. But she wondered what marked the end of this age. Was it simply the arrival of people obviously not originally from this world? Or an event that would bring all those people together, possibly in a final battle over those crystals? But her silence allowed him to answer her questions in a way. “I am trying to understand.” She spoke up finally. “It is a lot to absorb all at once and I would like to contemplate on it for a bit.” She admitted it a little shyly.
“Maybe there is a message in simply feeling their presence. Sometimes words can be confusing, but feeling…” She gave a soft smile and pressed a hand to her heart. “Maybe to the gods it is easier to show followers than to tell them.” She shook her head, “Sorry. I digress. I would love to see the shrines.”
She tilted her head to look at Zell. “What about you? You’re quiet. Do you have any further questions? Or would you like to see the shrines?” This trip was for him. It would do him no good to fall into a silence, so she gently prodded him.
If you don't fight for what you want, don't cry for what you lost.
"I highly doubt that you are the Warriors of legend."
Again, the priest's comments cracked into Zell's backside like a whip lashing at him. It left the young SeeD wondering if his first impression was really that bad that the holy man detested his presence. With that, Zell opted to just keep his mouth shut until Quistis finally inquired for his thoughts.
"I don't know," he said answered. Zell knew it was going to be a lot of information to take in once they got here, even if his wishful thinking wanted it to be some clean cut answer on how they can get back home. Nothing was ever easy.
"Like, we already ran into those 'dead-heads' when we passed by Metaia on the boat. So I don't think a revisit would be out of the question. Especially if it gets us some answers"
A sigh followed. Zell knew that the last encounter wasn't too pleasant and that there weren't many options. What if the shrine gave no results? Was this entire trip for nothing?He huffed and shook his head to rid himself of those thoughts. He knew if they never came here, he would have never known of the information that Lucas was so willing to share. Knowing something is better than knowing nothing.
"Alright. The shrines it is, I guess. We'll figure out what to do from there."
"Excellent!" Lucas sat forward, thoroughly pleased. How long had it been since the youth had shown an interest in the old ways and the legends of those who had come before? These strange visitors certainly had challenged his perceptions, he had to admit. "I'll give you the tour."
With that, he stood, waiting for them patiently at the door before leading them on. For as much traffic as the Crystallus Divider saw through pilgrimage, the temple itself was rather small -- relatively speaking that was. With no safe trade routes between the remote ruins and the main cities on the western basin, supplies were scarce and building resources even scarcer. Still, Lucas was proud of his little haven of culture carved out of the grassy plateau. His pride wasn't entirely unwarranted.
The Crystallus Divider was first and foremost a place of history. It was a shrine long forgotten to time, carried on only by legend to which one could dedicate himself without ever truly understanding. Whatever wisdom had once been gathered in its halls were long since faded, kept only in appearance by its scholarly caretakers. Still, there was a pervasive sense of importance to the place accented by its high ceilings and carved trellises. It was a place of beauty if nothing else. Forgotten faces watched the strangers through the fragmented lenses of mosaic murals.
"The Crystallus Divider is thought to date back centuries -- perhaps even a millennia!" Father Lucas smiled smugly, swelling with his own self-importance. "Back to a time of magic and gods. We can only speculate what life must have been like then, but it's fair to say that the world looked much different. We think it carried a kind of spiritual power that has been long lost. At least, that's what our records indicate."
He brought them before a set of heavy double doors, pausing for dramatic effect. "And here we are," he said, relishing every moment before finally pushing them open.
The scene was breathtaking.
An open, three-story ceiling. Open archways lacing meticulously carved marble. The floors were a patchwork of colorful stone, expanding out in Byzantine patterns. The air itself was thick with a kind of sacred hush. Their footsteps clicked across the lacquered floor, echoing in the eaves.
"Do you feel their power?" Lucas gestured towards the statues set into the opposite wall. They seemed to loom over the room with an imposing force, white and immaculate. "The gods linger here."
And so it seemed. Seven figures stood before them, topping a dais framed in smoldering incense. To the left was a fearsome woman clad in armor so that only her blazing eyes were visible through her ornate helm. Beside her was a barbarian of a man, hulking and beastly. Then came a mounted knight, an elder mage, a woman dressed in sleeveless silks, and a great sea serpent entwined within the stone. Above it all was a great dragon, its wings spanning the others in a terrible shadow. Its maw was open as though ready to engulf its worshipers in flame.
Lucas smiled knowingly. "I'll leave you to your thoughts," he said before he left, the doors shuddering closed behind him. Their echo resounded through every eave before the room faded once again to reverent silence.
Quistis listened to Zell with a heavy heart. He seemed like someone kicked him while he was down. She was just drawing conclusions, but perhaps his hopes had been too high. Or maybe the small jabs by Lucas was getting under his skin. Possibly both. Zell wanted to come so badly, but he hardly asked any questions. A part of her wished she could give him closure, but she knew it was something she could not give him.
"Metaia temple? If the outskirts were that difference, perhaps its best to regroup and resupply before you head back towards it..." She simply did not want him rushing headlong into danger for possible information that may or may not exist. But she would not stop him from searching.
Her words, however, seemed to have swelled Lucas with self-importance and eagerness. Quistis could at least use diplomacy to pull some more information out of him. She smiled warmly as she pushed her chair back to stand up. Father Lucas was being patient with them, despite his over eagerness. She took in the sites of the small temple. For how small it was, it was cozy and elegant in its murals. Her eyes studied the murals before she found herself a little behind. Perhaps in time, she could study its importance.
Father Lucas’s voice seemed to echo along the corridor. But it still felt like he was talking in mysteries. Speculations of what could have been back in the days of gods and magic. She wondered what this spiritual power would have looked like back in the day. She held her breath at the door as he took his time in opening them. She was speechless at the sight. It was definitely a work of beauty and much care was placed here. She wondered if the archways and the colorful byzantine patterns here held some symbolic meaning to bring one closer to the gods.
So swayed was she, she almost did not even notice Father Lucas’s words. The gods linger here. She could see why they would linger in such a beautiful. Her eyes were directed to the statues that held the power here. Seven of them in all. And she wondered what each one was. Part of her felt they bore a resemblance to what she knew as Guardian Forces. Were they gods here? Or were these entities separate?
So lost in her thoughts, the sound of the doors closing seemed to wake her up. She reached out a hand to place on Zell’s shoulder. A way of a reassuring him. “If we meditate here, then maybe some answers will come?” She doubted it would be so simple. “Would you like me to stay? Or…” She could hover close and think here.
If you don't fight for what you want, don't cry for what you lost.
The priest took the two SeeDs to the holiest site at the Crystalus Divider. The shrine was truly a marvelous sight. Zell was left in awe at the intricate design and architecture of the place. He could feel like he had seen something similar in his past, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.
"I don't know," he said, unsure if they had what it took to actually commune with the Gods. "I guess we could give it a shot."
Zell approach the archway and found a spot that seemed suitable for the meditation. He took a seat on the ground with his legs folded and arched forward slightly. It was something else that the blonde felt like he had done before, yet his memory kept that locked from him, too.
"Quistis?" He looked over to his companion ,who was likely preparing for some sort of meditation, too. "Does this place look familiar at all? I can't help but feel like I've seen something like this before."
Despite his awe to the beauty, Zell didn’t feel whole heartedly convinced at this communing. Their guide had said that the gods here hadn’t spoken to someone, but were merely felt in this room. Quistis took one of the ground cushions and placed it beside Zell, since he seemed comfortable where he was for the most part. She sat upon it, back straight and legs folded off to the side. Hands folded in her lap as she looked up at the statues.
She leaned a little sideways to take in his question. Her eyes studied the architecture before her. She hummed thoughtfully at what this could look familiar to. “There was the Centra Ruins that held statues of a similar nature. But it was at less extravagant looking than this.” She tried to recall the details of the ruins. It felt so long ago, when she knew that couldn’t be possibly true. “The ruins had similar arcs and material used for its architecture. The dragon statue here reminds me of the demon statute where we had to find the eyes and fit them in the right slots. The knight statue on the horse reminds me of the guardian force, Odin, at the end of the trial.”
She fell into silence and studied the statutes more. “Each one seems to bear a resemblance to a guardian force. I wonder if that means something. If there is a connection from here to home in a way.” She took a breath and let it out. She was sure it was wishful thinking.
But right, this was a place of prayer and meditation. “So, I’m no expert in meditation but…” She closed her eyes and sat up a little straighter. “The best way to start is to clear your mind and find something to focus on. Typically the flow of your breath.” Sort of like how she calmed herself and focused on preparing lessons.
If you don't fight for what you want, don't cry for what you lost.
"Centra Ruins?" he asked. The name, like so much else, sounded familiar. Quistis gave him the description of the ruins that they had explored back on their home world. Zell made sure to close his eyes as she described it in an attempt to imagine the scenery there.
It seemed to work, as the layout formed in his mind like she described. Structures that were once elaborate began to crumble as the gray sky spread overhead. He could even see the demon statue she described, as well as a darkened chamber inside of the largest structure. From within, the outline of a large man sat upon a faintly seen throne. This must have been Odin.
"Right," he said in response to her suggestion of clearing his mind. Zell's gloved hands rested on his knees before taking a deep breath. At first, he thought it would be difficult to clear his mind. There was so much he wanted to know and so much that was hidden in his own mind. However, meditation was yet another thing that came easily to the SeeD.
The more he focused, the less he could notice about his surroundings. Soon, even the distant sounds of other people faded out. He was back in the dark emptiness of his mind, the place he last visited when he was unconscious in Sonora.
There was an odd feeling of relaxation that washed over Zell. It was his first time meditating, at least on Zephon, and it seemed to like it. He felt as if there wasn't anything that could bother him. He felt weightless and free. It was quite liberating.
Now to see if the Gods would actually give him some sort of response.
