Kiamo! I was worried when you didn't come home last night or stay in a rent-a-room! What happened?!
I... was just too tired from the whole Promyvion excursion. I couldn't even make it to Selbina from Crag of Dem, Sarima.
Kupo What?! Where did you stay the night?
In an alcove of the crag. I just.. saw it.. wandered over and collapsed.
Collapsed kupo?! Wasn't Sha-chan there with you? He could have easily taken you somewhere... or... Kupoeiii did he stay there with you?
Please don't start that, Sarima. Shagrath was... otherwise occupied.
I dumped the extra bait I had been carrying into a bucket and tossed the bamboo fishing rod into the corner before stripping off my Tunic and pants.
Those were stuffed into a basket to be aired out later. I kicked off my boots too and put my feet into the little waterfall that always babbled in my room before letting out a sigh.
Kupo- Kiki what's the matter..?
Well it's just that... Just please stop teasing me, Sarima.
I picked up a loofah and dunked it into the water. Then raised it over my head and wrung it out hard. The cold water cascaded over my face and trickled down my body to the stone floor. That helped. A bit.
The night previous started out easily enough. I had spoken to an Alchemest in Jeuno about "Emptiness" and was to meet up with Shagrath as well as Tihien, Eden, Hana-san, Aris and Azraell to investigate the goings on of a place called Promyvion Dem, accessible through the shattered telepoint.
I had put on my new Seer's attire, which fit perfectly! Then, went to the Temple of the Goddess to pray. I had a really uneasy feeling about this place we were headed to, but knew better then to be so childish as to ask one of the party members to hold my hand in comfort. I'm an adventurer now, not some little cub scampering about in Rabao, there is no place for such cowardice!
It was at that point I realized only six of us could go. The others were all going back and forth about it. Apparently Azraell, who was in charge of the outing, had not planned for Aris to come. This confused me, because I had thought she would confirm all who had shown interest. Then there was word that Aris had skipped some kind of class to join us. It all went on and on for over half an hour. At which point I was content to just go fishing or farm clothcraft items. When I offered to leave the team to their own devices, I was told the high importance of White Mage to the fight that lay ahead of us.
This only added to my stresses. The battle seemed quite important indeed. I had already witnessed the outing leader telling other linkshell members of her grand achievements in exertion, skill, practice and perseverance on more then one occasion.
If she decided I was not in the same league, then what? Would I be exiled from future similar events?
I told Shagrath I was worried and he informed me that he had a stockpile of Hi-potions he was bringing, so I shouldn't let it stress me.
We headed out to the Crag of Dem and I ascended the stairs where the shattered tele-crystal glistened in a pile.
After examining it, I found myself in a sort of hall... There were two strange apparatus flanking a doorway of sorts.
When I examined one I was... Well I don't know how to describe it. I was sucked through a dark tunnel and into some unknown. I brief vision of tattered windmills flashed before me.
Then I found myself in a place like none I have ever imagined...
It had a weird green to sepia hue about it. I felt like I was about to traverse limbo. Would we find heaven or hell at the end?
The edges of the.. was it a path?.. were jagged. I cautiously peered over the edge only to see similar platforms below, if that was even accurate.
All were surrounded in Pitch Black.
I drew in a quick frightened breath and backed slowly away. What if someone fell... I shook the image from my mind only to be met by another that I did not wish to see.
Azraell. Nearly nude saying something of offering her body to Shagrath. The other men were encouraging her.
I mumbled something about waiting somewhere safe, as there were weird creatures ambling around nearby, and tramped back to where we had entered from. They took no notice.
Eden did catch my dejected sigh as I crouched down and drew my knees to my chest.
Whats wrong?
Nothing... It doesn't matter. I just want to get this night over with.
After another half-hour of everyone deciding who should leave and who would be permitted to stay, we ended up trading Hana-san for Aris.
I cautiously followed Eden to where the group had been, not wishing to see any of the outcome of what transpired earlier.
Everyone appeared dressed... They were deciding the best way to get to something they called a Memory Receptacle.
I busied myself studying a mysterious amber orb that floated just above my eye level.
As we moved along the edge of... existence (in this realm?) I got a slightly closer look at "the empty".
Their bodies looked like spider webs that had been tightly woven or forged into bone-like structures over time.
Somewhere within them was an orb. Each "Empty" had a different color.
What are those glowing orbs inside them? Exposed soul?
No, they are the empty. They have no soul.
What is it then..?
Perhaps memories?
Memories... of what I wonder?
We continued on in silence. Along the way they fought a few very strange spheres called Memory Receptacle's. They would quietly float there until someone attacked it. Once it ?died? a blue glowing circle would appear beneath where it had been. This turned out to be a porter of some sort, because when we stepped on it, we were pulled to another area. Sometimes, nothing appeared. When that happened, we had to search for another Memory Receptacle.
I wondered privately if we were destroying the memories of long departed ancestors.
Eventually we passed by... Well I have no clue what it was, but it had a beauty about it. It looked like it could have once been a doorway, or part of an intricate wall. It had green glowing... were they vines? They snaked through the laced... bone? I wanted to look at it more, but the group was not waiting for me to burn a memory of what I was seeing into my mind.
Reluctantly, I chased after them.
Eventually we made it to the end of the journey and faced Progenerator.
I was fearful for no reason... I hadn't even gone through half of my mana when it fell.
We were transported back out to the Crag of Dem and I was awarded with: Light of Dem.
It was then that the rest of the group asked which one we would head to next.
My head was pounding with a force so strong I had to fight fainting.
I'm... too tired to continue.
Yeah, Kia get's sleepy early.
I thought we were doing all three tonight?
Well, feel free to replace me if you must. But we started so late I simply can not continue on.
With that I tripped off the platform, saw a patch of grass in the recess of the crag, and surrendered to fatigue.
I later found out they had continued on.
Was I in over my head thinking I could keep up with them? Every one of them was well over level 30.
It seemed foolish for me to believe they would wait while I gained levels to continue on with future missions.
I had been so excited to embark on this new journey, but perhaps instead I should have stayed within my means instead.
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