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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I'll always come through. Don't waste your breath shouting never at the moon.
The Chocobo squawked quietly, kicking at the ground as Auron secured its reins around a nearby tree. He put a gloved hand to its beak, calming the creature with a few pats as it settled into its spot for the evening. Though it was difficult to tell through the dense branches and leaves of the woods, nightfall was coming for them quickly, and it would be best for at least one of them to attempt to rest.
Auron watched as the large bird settled back on its haunches, sitting on the ground and making itself comfortable. Though he didn’t have much for it, he did offer the Chocobo some borrowed greens, continuing to gently pat its feathered head as it eagerly consumed the food. For a moment, he was reminded of being nothing but a boy in Bevelle, a beginner monk, assigned to caring for the temple’s chocobos. This bird hardly had the loyalty – it would bolt on him given the chance and return back to the Fractured City – but it was a complicated yet comforting memory all the same.
So far, the Guardian had only been present in this strange new world for naught but a week. One week of suddenly being alive again, blood running through his veins, sensations dialed up to uncomfortable levels, basic human needs constantly reminding him that yes he was indeed living and breathing once more. As an Unsent, he could more easily ignore exhaustion and hunger – they were technically unnecessary for him to continue to exist. Now he was burdened by the need to sleep, the need to eat; problems Auron hadn’t had to deal with in a decade.
His stomach growled uncomfortably at the mere thought of food. Huffing a breath through his nose, Auron searched his satchel for some of the jerky he’d been gifted for the long journey. Dry, salty, and tough – it was hardly enjoyable, but it would at least shut off the hunger switch for a little while. He chewed the morsel thoughtfully, removing his glasses as the world around him grew more dim by the moment.
These woods had a strange air about them. Auron had been warned about what to expect from friendly passers-by of course, but no description could compare to the odd feelings this place evoked. Despite the comfortable temperature, there was a constant coolness just at the edge of his exposed skin, threatening to stand his hairs on end. At times, things were too quiet, and others there was too much noise to focus.
As the sun fully set, Auron expected to be drowned in darkness. He had no intention of making a fire that night, having had a bad enough experience with doing so earlier in the journey as it attracted more attention than it scared off. He placed his other effects at the tree with his Chocobo, about to set himself up against the bird, before a strange light caught his eye.
A floating light, bobbing in the air for a moment before vanishing like it was never there to begin with. Confused, Auron looked around before spotting another similar light, watching as it did the same thing.
They almost looked like pyreflies. Almost.
In his chest, Auron’s heart beat a little faster. He tried to still it, but the sight of something familiar was hard to ignore. The lights weren’t pyreflies, but … could they be something similar enough? Perhaps this world’s version of such a thing? The number of lights multiplied as he watched, congregating more in one area. Auron took a step in that direction, fighting down the false hope that twisted in his gut that he might find someone or something he knew amongst these lights.
With each step grass and leaves crunched under Auron’s boots. The floating lights became more dense as they floated innocently in the air – one even coming close enough to glance off of the scar over his right eye. The glowing orbs continued to grow in number, leading him to a particular area just beyond a thicket of trees.
However, Auron paused, suddenly aware of the presence of something more than the mysterious glowing lights. He stopped, boots spreading in the grass to take on a defensive stance, his right arm reaching behind to grab the hilt of his heavy blade. His eye scanned the surrounding area, attempting to find what had triggered the almost primal instinct in him that the gaze of something sentient was on his back. Yet, all he could initially see were the confusing shadows cast by the floating orbs as they faded in and out of existence.
Post by Zidane Tribal on Aug 25, 2024 11:36:18 GMT -6
Chocobos, chocobos everywhere!
Unlike the Metia Marshlands this wasn't some sickly, twisted, and something-possibly-dead-in-my-boots attraction. Twisted tree roots, and bridges of bark the would-be adventurer had set about in a much better mood now that there was less muck and grime and more wood and foliage. He had only spent a day among the ghouls, moogles, and birds and was already quite attached to the place as it was a distant memory come back to life. He had spent days on end in the Chocobo Forests of Gaia playing with his companions and passing the time with the disgruntled Mene. Only recently had he found himself wandering this strange world full of unexpected sights so he had yet to acclimate to its tender beauty which he quickly disregarded in hopes for returning home.
This place was nostalgic. Though it made him miss home more deeply than he had ever since arriving on this world, there was something about this place that allowed him to slow down and collect himself. He sat perched atop a gnarled, twisted vine, Chocobos underfoot grazing amidst the treelines. Crouching down he buried his face into his hands and stamped the heels of his palms against his eyes, fighting back the tears he had been holding in for so long. His long, silky tail had become a vine for a nearby moogle who swung against it, hardly mindful of the broken heart it was attached to. He rubbed his arm across his face, wiping away the moisture that had gathered. Sniffling a bit he moved to fully sit, allowing his legs to dangle over the edge of the branch.
"I wanna go home." He sighed. "This sucks."
He listened as the Chocobos warbled and chirped, enjoying the warm afternoon, the moogle suspended from his tail squeaking away. He couldn't bring himself to shaking the little fae off, so instead let it have its fun. The young man spent the day daydreaming, wondering of ways he could make it home. Maybe he was on another planet? Or he was trapped in a backwards realm full of things he remembered like the Chocobos or Gigan Frogs. Soon the flock of Chocobo laid down to sleep. Feeling the exhaustion finally hit his muscles the agile acrobat would join them and nestle down into the pile of feathery floofs. After a while the tailed youth ended up falling asleep, slipping into dreams of the past. Some time later something disturbed the flock causing them to shift and writhe. Blue eyes blinked clear the haze of sleep as something strange buzzed in the back of his head. A gloved hand rubbed through his hay colored hair, brushing it back before he sat up. He had long since lost his ribbon in the bogs, so his hair hung free from its usual ponytail.
Climbing out of the squirming squall of squawking birds the rogue would attempt to climb up off the ground to gain a vantage on the situation. The birds hadn't fled so it was a good sign, but things were strangely quiet. The night shouldn't be this calm. Looking around he'd eventually find himself a path along the branches which led deeper into the wood. Sliding his tail around one of the hanging limbs he walked until he stood perfectly upside down, feet flat against the underside of the branch. He crossed his arms over his chest and stared off to where a mass of dancing lighting bugs had gathered.
"Those aren't lightning bugs..." He narrowed his eyes before pulling his tail taut until he 'sat' on the branch, legs crossed. Though he hung upside down it didn't distress his sense of gravity. "...they almost look like Ramuh's orbs." But more alive, in a sense.
Scratching the side of his head the rogue climbed back up into the trees and made his way closer. It didn't take long for him to come upon someone else. His steps were silent, the thief only moving when the wind passed by, letting him step between the shifting leaves and bending boughs. By their weapon they looked to be a lone adventurer. They looked ready to fight. Lowering himself into a crouched position the Genome rested his elbows on his knees and leaned his head forward. He watched the space the man was staring at, but nothing was there and nothing else seemed to move.
"You know it's probably just a Moogle." He spoke aloud, breaking the peace in a sudden and rather anticlimactic manner.
The young man couldn't sense it though. Everything in the wood to him felt alive and moving so it had all become a numb, uniformed feeling that escaped his notice.
I'll always come through. Don't waste your breath shouting never at the moon.
Auron felt his pulse, quickened, in his throat. Adrenaline pumped through his veins, giving his exhausted body the strength it needed for any unknown situation, for any enemy that dared to come his way. He was calm – that much was evident – yet he trusted his body’s natural instincts far more than his eyes alone in an unknown land where it was too dark to see clearly. As the glowing orbs bobbed about, the light they gave off ebbed and flowed, leaving nothing but confusing shadows in their wake amongst the strange and mysterious sounds of the woods.
A voice broke through the natural chorus of insects and wind, causing the Guardian to react on a trigger reflex. He whipped around, moving quickly for his stature, heavy sword suddenly drawn by his right arm and pointed toward the intruder.
In the tree was … a young man. Even in the dim, twinkling lights, Auron could make out enough about him. Blonde, boyish, potentially armed. He waited a breath, then two, before slowly withdrawing his weapon from the air and holstering it once more behind his back. Whoever the boy was, if he’d wanted to attack, he’d have done it before drawing attention to himself. No, judging by his voice and expression, the blonde had no intention to fight unless attacked first.
One of the floating lights passed in front of the boy, and in its wake, the image of Tidus was left behind.
Auron blinked, and the face of the stranger returned.
Repressing the rush of the fiery adrenaline, the warrior sighed, weary. He let the boy’s words turn in his mind once, before realizing they made little sense to him. Moogles were nothing but folklore in Spira, of which there were no definitive answers on whether or not the creatures had ever once truly existed. They were nothing more now than dolls, clutched in the arms of children, and occasionally moved to some sentience by black magic. Yet, this wasn’t the first he’d heard mention of moogles in this world. They were included in the information given to him about this forest, weren’t they? “ … It wasn’t a Moogle,” Auron finally spoke, resisting the urge to tack on it was just a brat at the end of his sentence as he grumbled, “How long have you been watching me?”
Post by Zidane Tribal on Sept 1, 2024 20:53:36 GMT -6
Despite the narrow nature of the branch, the youth appeared to have no trouble balancing on the precarious perch. He moved to fold his arms behind his head, the soles of boots firmly pressed on the slender limb. Hanging behind him was the wisp of his tail, but in the darkness it would probably be difficult to discern the fifth limb from the scabbard hanging from his hip. His blue eyes did well in the low light so it wasn't too difficult for him to see where he was going. He didn't appear to be carrying a lantern with him and was usually stumbling around in the dark for one reason or another.
The man insisted the phantasmal noises didn't emanate from a Moogle and Zidane was one to usually argue. But seeing as it was the dead of night and Moogles weren't usually wont to skulk about in the shadows, he would acquiesce with the old man's refusal. Zidane clicked his tongue and took a step forward. That step walked him clear off the branch. He dropped down to the ground with a light thump. When he landed he sunk into a crouch to help buffer his jump. He snapped up to a standing position and clapped his gloved hands together before approaching the man. He wasn't wearing his usual cloak because the youth wasn't expecting to meet any humans out here. Because of that he shifted his tail in a way that he kept it behind his back until he could be sure of the man. Many of the people of this world seemed to take offense to Outsiders and anything that stood out to make him a stranger quickly locked them up.
"I haven't been." The rogue assured. "Just walked by cause I heard something. What about you? Kinda strange someone wandering around the woods in the middle of the night." He had a grin on his face, clearly ignoring the irony in his comment.
Zidane couldn't make heads or tails of the feelings he picked up in the woods. If he had to compare it to anything it reminded him of the Ilfa Tree. It was haunting and had a strange, otherworldly feeling, but he was sure that was because he was in another world. His azure gaze drifted to the side, eyeing the bouncing orbs of light.
"By the way, are you a ghost?" Zidane felt compelled to ask. He wasn't sure why, but maybe it was the feeling he had in the woods. "I've been here for a few days and haven't seen a single human." And in his experience only criminal and the wayward wandered beast filled woods at night.
He was the latter.
"If it wasn't a Moogle, what was it?" Though Zidane went on, he didn't do so casually.
He maintained his distance to Auron and kept his arms at side in the case he needed to grab his blades to defend himself. His back was to the tree, ensuring no one would be able to sneak up behind him. On the outside he was relaxed, but every edge of his person was guarded.
I'll always come through. Don't waste your breath shouting never at the moon.
“Kinda strange someone wandering around the woods in the middle of the night."
Auron immediately scoffed at this statement, rolling his eye at the obvious irony of the young man’s statement. The blonde didn’t strike him as the type to attack without first being provoked, but either way, the Guardian kept his guard up. It wasn’t lost on him how the youth dropped from such a height and sprung back up like it was nothing. Between his obvious strength and the scabbards at his side, it was clear the young man was likely a nimble and talented fighter. Quick opponents … Auron didn’t particularly wish to pick a fight with if such a thing could be avoided.
With a causal wave of his gloved hand, Auron gestured at the floating lights, “I followed them. That’s why I’m here.”
The blonde approached him with his hands clasped together, and Auron did nothing but watch him carefully. He remained rooted to his spot, his left arm tucked into his haori, his right still but ready to move on a moment’s notice to reach for his blade once more. Around them the lights drifted to and fro, unchanging from their behavior thus far. It was irritating, in a way, that Auron couldn’t identify what they were. This forest … this world was a complete mystery, and for a man that was used to having most answers at hand, it was irritating to be back to knowing nothing. Perhaps, if he was still a dead man, he could have at least sensed something strange about the mysterious woods – but even that had changed upon his waking.
Lost in his thoughts, he nearly missed the young man’s comment, "By the way, are you a ghost? I've been here for a few days and haven't seen a single human."
Well, at least this time, the blonde had no idea how ironic his observation was. Auron simply shook his head, “Not a ghost. Just a man. I can understand your confusion, however – I haven’t seen another sentient soul in days.”
It would certainly be easier to have been a ghost or an Unsent, that much was for sure. Being truly alive again came with its own host of consequences that Auron hadn’t had to deal with in a decade. He brushed the thoughts away with a weary blink. The young man muttered thoughtfully about what else could have attracted their attention if it wasn’t a moogle, and as he did so, Auron turned slightly to watch the bobbing lights. Those were what had caught his attention in the first place, until the blonde’s presence had distracted him.
Slowly, the air around them began to grow dimmer. More of the floating lights were making their way toward a particular area, drifting through the thick growth of the forest. Auron wasted no time in moving toward the direction they seemed to be drifting in, cautious but eager to scratch the itch of his curiosity. As he pushed through the thicket, the forest opened up a bit more – enough to reveal lines of dancing lights from several directions, all heading toward a central point. “The answer is ahead,” Auron spoke back to the blonde, brushing a stray leaf from his own graying hair, “Come along, if you feel the need. Otherwise, leave me be.”
With the offer left hanging in the air, the Guardian continued onward, following the mysterious lights at a casual pace.
Post by Zidane Tribal on Sept 15, 2024 18:14:28 GMT -6
'Them'? At the mention of a 'them' the rogue turned his attention towards the floating lights. The young man didn't discern any sense of sentience from them like one would get from a Chocobo or person, but they did seem to have a presence all their own now that he took a moment to observe them. It was strange. The wood had seemed so full of life and he supposed this was the reason why every corner felt -- alive, somehow. How weird.
First his ear caught the man's words, responding to his query of whether or not he's passed in this world. When the man wholly denied the accusation with a simple answer, Zidane couldn't help but let out a laugh. Now that he thought about it, it had been a strange thing to ask, but the man seemed to respond with such stalwart sobriety that the thief was taken aback for a moment. This man was a serious fellow that reminded him of a certain someone from his past.
"There's plenty of sentient creatures, if you know where to look." Zidane moved to fold his arms behind his head, seemingly more relaxed than he had been but moments ago.
His posture seemed quick to change, but it also flowed in a natural way that made it difficult to discern the intentions of his actions. While clearly not out to rob someone in the dead of night, he also didn't have any reason himself to be deep in these haunted woods.
He'd speak again. This time it was less concerning him as a person, but the wood as it was. This place was weird and Zidane was only incidentally passing through. He had no personal interest in delving into the mysteries of its nature until Auron gave him an ultimatum. To him the guy seemed strangely lonely, yet at peace with his solitude. Zidane couldn't have that! His long tail flicked beneath his cloak as he made the decision to follow the older man.
"Ah well if that's the case, can't just leave you alone. Old guy like you may keel over from a heartattack if someone unfriendly jumped you!" He teased in a friendly manner. "Name's Zidane." He offered, with no intention of asking or exception of being offered a name in return. It was merely a courtesy, as far as he knew, that provided a convenience for traveling companions. "What's a guy like you doing neck deep in haunted woods. You don't look like a hunter." Normally hunters had a teams or at least an old Chocobo with matching scars that warbled with equitable gruffness.
Why did the wood move like this? If Zidane had to compare it to something, he'd regard it similarly to the Ilfa tree. It was alive, but he didn't see zombies, ghosts, or any skeletons about. So what kind of life did it possess?
I'll always come through. Don't waste your breath shouting never at the moon.
There was a pause, a few moments of silence as the blonde considered Auron’s proposal. A part of the weary Guardian hoped that the youth would take that as a cue to depart and leave the man to his own mystery solving, and yet another small – oh so significantly tiny – part of him enjoyed the company. It had been a while since he’d had another soul to converse with, and as much as the blonde had set off immediate alarm bells when he’d first made his presence known, he wasn’t awful company thus far. He wasn’t trying to kill Auron, and such a thing was certainly a plus.
It seemed the blonde, Zidane, had landed on the latter option. Auron rolled his eye, a displeased grunt leaving him at the comment about him being old. As if he hadn’t heard such a thing repeatedly from Tidus over the years; the kid had called him old before he truly even was. Ironic, since he was dead and his appearance at the time had been more a farce if anything. Strange, how it had stuck with him upon coming back to life.
“Auron,” the Guardian offered his name in return, out of nothing but courtesy. The path they walked was dark, lit only by the dancing of the strange lights they followed. The leaves and branches cast strange shadows as light hit them in ways it never normally would, causing everything before them to constantly shift and change shape. It felt like being essentially without sight, as such a thing was useless when nothing stayed consistent for more than a moment. It was bothersome, but not enough for him to voice a complaint about it.
“I could ask you the same,” Auron turned the question back to Zidane, boots scuffing the dirt as he continued along without looking to Zidane, “I’m passing through. There are only two paths to the next city, and this one seemed …”.
Less horrific? Well, no, he heard plenty of terrible things about both the woods and the Marshlands. More tranquil? Certainly not, considering all the warnings he had been given. “... the lesser of two evils,” Auron finally settled on, a touch of humor in his deep voice as he considered the horror stories he’d heard from others about both places.
They had yet to approach where the lights seemed to be gathering, but the Guardian did notice a change of something in the air. The wind was blowing gently, but almost pulsatile? That was strange. It would pick up for a moment, rustling the leaves and Auron’s own clothes for a minute, before stopping completely for another. Then, the cycle would repeat. The lights moved along with this pattern, rising and falling, traversing along their paths.
He’d previously thought the lights to possibly be sentient – but that didn’t seem to be the case. Were they instead controlled by something else? Earlier, Auron had considered the lights to be more of an innocent wonder, but now … they made him feel wary. There was still quite a bit of ground to cover, before they were to reach the spot where the lights were gathering. “Don’t touch them,” he muttered, seemingly to himself.
Post by Zidane Tribal on Sept 22, 2024 17:16:25 GMT -6
Of course Zidane wasn't really sure how old the man was, but with his grizzled appearance and the general 'tired of your shit' air about him -- the man reminded him a little bit of his boss, Baku. Though Baku was more mirthful than this fellow, the bat appeared a lot older than he was because of his years of worldly experience. Though Baku had not seen much of the world he had experienced many things with the troupe and was wise beyond his years. Hardships were no stranger and that fleeting desire to just lay down the sword never came.
Zidane turned to follow the man. Unlike before his steps were not the ghostly whispers they had been before. Since he wasn't trying to hide his boots plodded into each trench and his soles scraped into every gnarled root. The scabbard on his hip softly trembled, bouncing against his hip with his light and agile steps. The terrain was little more than an afterthought for the rogue, his ventures having taken him far and wide across the lands. Though he was still a stranger in these lands that didn't mean he hadn't made the effort to adapt. By hiding a portion of his identity he was able to fend off a majority of the mistrust sewn into natives towards Outsiders.
He pulled his arms beneath his clock, tucking his thumbs into the band of his trousers. He couldn't help the laugh that escaped his chest when Auron turned the question back to him. Indeed it was strange that someone like Zidane roamed the woods. He was more of a city boy and hated more than anything the great outdoors, but he was also prone to wanderlust and sitting in one place never suited him until recently... His eyes drifted to the side, the lights floating about their bodies.
"You know -- that's fair." He'd grin. "I think a stroll through the forest is less antithetical than the marshes." He turned his eyes away as the corner of his mouth curled up into a light sneer. "You made a good choice." Whichever direction he was going, east or west, the Metaia Marshlands was not a choice an educated man made. He clearly had experience with the latter and it had not turned out well.
The luminous wisps appeared to be converging on a singular spot. Though Zidane didn't have much experience with otherworldly things he was reminded of how the Ilfa tree had felt and how his friends compared the place to being alive. Though he wouldn't have been able to point it out on his own he did remember the sensation. It made his skin crawl and the fur on his tail stand on end as if a chill was coursing through his veins. The rogue rubbed the thumb and forefinger of his right hand together. The gloved limb reached out towards one of the wayward orbs, finger stopping inches from one before Auron muttered something that was difficult to hear.
"What's that?" He finished his action, prodding at the orb. "They're kidna cute. They remind me of a Moogle's pom pom." He would attempt to capture one between his gloved palms as he looked towards Auron. "What do you think they are?"
He didn't know why they gathered about this one spot, but if he had to guess maybe there was font of power deep underground.
I'll always come through. Don't waste your breath shouting never at the moon.
It happened on reflex before Auron could even consider what he was doing. His right hand shot out, grasping at the back of Zidane’s cloak and yanked him back, away from the glowing light that he was attempting to capture between his palms. His grip lingered for only a short moment before the Guardian released the blonde, not bothering to lie with an apology. He truly hadn’t meant to pull Zidane away, but he didn’t regret the action either. “I said not to touch them,” Auron repeated sternly, giving the blonde a harsh, one-eyed stare before going back on the path he’d been following, “Did no one ever teach you to keep your hands to yourself?”
The implication was there, in less words; you don’t know what those are, and you don’t know what they’re capable of. While Auron hadn’t meant to act on such a strong reflex earlier, he wasn’t surprised that he had. Zidane reminded him of Tidus, and the Guardian had spent many years raising the too-curious child that had a penchant for getting into trouble. It felt like second nature now to keep an eye on those younger than himself that had yet to learn the oppressive lessons of the world, or worse yet, continued to ignore them.
“ … I don’t know what they are,” Auron admitted, finally looking to answer Zidane’s question with his own non-answer, “I doubt they’re simply innocent lights.”
Not after everything he heard from those that warned him about these woods. The floating lights may have filled others with wonder, but they gave Auron a sense of unease. For them to suddenly appear, and to be converging on a singular point, it was odd. There was clearly more to them than one would be led to believe, but they certainly didn’t give off an air of danger. They baubled in the branches, danced around leaves, bobbed without a care. Yet, the rest of the forest seemed so very still.
Auron continued walking, pushing through the underbrush as their path became obscured by thick foliage. The glowing orbs continued dancing overhead as they slowly converged toward their goal, the flock seeming to grow thicker by the second. As Auron considered that they must have gotten close, his boot scuffed against a large root that threatened to trip him. It was difficult to see in the darkness, but under the dense brush there appeared to be several large roots appearing and quickly tapering upward.
Finally, pushing a tall limb to the side, the pair came upon the point of convergence. Before them stood a huge tree, wondrous in its splendor. The lights were converging under its branches and between its huge leaves, nestling in and making themselves at home on the bark and in the limbs. The giant tree was radiating, glowing with such magical light that it was difficult to look at for a long period. The glowing orbs landed anywhere there was room, sticking to free space that was disappearing quickly. The area around the tree was clear of brush and the ambience was strangely silent; not a rustle from a small critter or a call from an insect to be heard.
Auron had no words for the moment, choosing instead to crouch and observe the mighty tree and all its lights in thoughtful silence.
Post by Zidane Tribal on Nov 3, 2024 18:41:29 GMT -6
"Hrk!" Zidane coughed out when the tail of his cloak was suddenly pulled back, with him still in it.
The thief nearly tumbled back, head over heels, but managed to throw his arms out to the side, spinning them in order to maintain his balance. He had kicked his leg in the air, stomping it back to earth when he steadied. The grey-ash fabric of the hood fluttered down, concealing his puffed up and frazzled tail, the stiff limb relaxing when he was balanced. Resisting the urge to curse the youth reached back to his neck and rubbed at the base of his skull.
Zidane was fascinated by the glimmer of the lights. He was reminded of the lightning bugs around Treno. A lot of critters gave off a natural bioluminescence, but lightning bugs were special in how they generated the light from their bodies and didn't just 'glow' as if by a circumstance of being a certain type of plant or having deadly markings that shone brightly against the backdrop of certain types of light. It was mesmerizing and called to the young man like a siren's song. It wasn't as if Hr was attracted to trouble like most, but the inherent danger of creatures of a foreign realm was lost on him. It wasn't home and there was no telling what sort of abilities or curses were carried by these creatures. He would continue to forget he wasn't home and the experience he gained through the trials and tribulations from his travel through and between Gaia meant nothing on Zephon. It was like starting over from scratch.
At Auron's query the rogue slowly opened his hands, looking between his fingers where the illuminated little specters through, threading between his gloved fingers. It was a good question, but not one he ever took any amount of time to consider. Dusting off his hands he moved his palms to rest at his hips.
"Well -- not really." He'd admit. "I was always taught to push the envelope and try things. There's always an inherent risk through becoming experienced, right?" At least Baku always warned him about being mindful of his abilities and gear. He didn't want to be caught half way through a desert with no reasonable survival skills. "What about you? Who taught you to be so cautious?" It wasn't just any kind of life experience that made a man guarded.
Though it was true Zidane didn't know what the creatures were, the only way they'd find out was to give it a go. The risk was calculated, at the very least. How much damage could such small creatures do? Though it made Zidane think back to the Movers -- those bouncy little pink moss balls certainly caused a lot of trouble for him. After a trying and tedious battle that left them bloodied and bruised, one of his companions ended up sick for hours with a strange viral infection that affected their ability to acclimate to new scenes of battle until they were able to find a cure. It didn't help that they were far from home in a foreign realm, much like this one.
"There's a lot we don't know." And the youth didn't like not having an answer to a very clear problem. "We can't have that..." The rogue looked around.
They didn't seem to be in any danger, but this unsettling feeling of something moving around, something unlike the animals of the wood. They had to move forward somehow and this standing around wasn't going to get them anywhere. He didn't want to put Auron in danger though. He not only didn't know the man's capacity for combat, but if it went sideways he didn't need on his conscience that he had put someone uninvolved, into danger. More than anything the risk had to be worth the reward. Following Auron the youth looked around. It didn't seem that anything changed the closer they came to the gathering blooms of light. Idling around wasn't his style though.
"Well, let's go see!" What was the rogue thinking? "I'll go out first, if something goes wrong, just run for it."
Zidane pushed up his invisible sleeves and spread out his legs at his shoulder's width. He clenched his hands into fists and stared at the fluttering faerie lights out in the clearing. Zidane bent his knees and took off running from their settled spot. It was dumb as hell, but they had to find out. Halfway across the clearing Zidane dove forward and made an attempt to jump and rapidly climb up the tree.
If it was anything like the Ilfa tree there would be numerous hoards of monsters barring his way up, but if it was more akin to the roots of Pinnacle Rocks and home to the Moogles and other amicable creatures. Worst case scenario he would be in quite a lot of trouble if this ancient arbor housed an Eidolon...
