[Video/Action for Kain (and anyone else ending up on Mount Ordeals, I guess?)]

[praygenius.livejournal.com]

[After becoming so used to Mysidia sharing Alexandria's climate, the dry and dusty air and lack of humidity on Mount Ordeals takes Porom aback for a few seconds. Once she regains her composure, she cautiously nudges the dirt beneath her feet with her shoe, trying to see if the place is real or just another cruel illusion.

It seems real enough. When she turns on the skyphone it's just another test - surely if she can send a message, it means she's not really home.]

Hello? I apologize for the interruption but- I've found myself somewhere that shouldn't exist on Gaia. Am I able to communicate from here? Or have I returned-

[Doubt returns to her after a few seconds. Much as she wants to believe this is true, she's cautious enough after all the illusions not to choose to believe without being sure. One more test. She places both hands over her eyes.]

Sight.

[For a second it works, and she scans the area using the eyes of the stones and the clouds and the wind to see the whole of the mountain. And then she tries to look further and the spell fails spectacularly in a way her spells havn't since she was a child. Maybe the eyes of whatever is beyond the mountain don't want a bothersome white mage seeing through them, maybe whatever is beyond the mountain just doesn't want to be seen. Maybe there is simply nothing to see beyond the mountain. Whatever the reason she yelps in pain, breaking the spell and clutching the side of her head until it stops feeling like her eyes and brain are waging war upon each other. At some point in the mess, the skyphone hits the ground and stops recording and once she recovers the need to test how real the area is is already over. She picks it up and stands shakily.

Real or not, she has to have been sent to such a sacred place for a reason. After a moments' hesitation, she heads up the path.]

Comments

[dragoon-rising.livejournal.com]

[Kain appears further up on the mountain, along the path. He glances slowly around the new surroundings, surprised to find himself back here again. Is this like last time? Or has he really been returned home? A sudden thought grips his mind...]

Zephyr!?

[When there's no response, and no sign of his dragon anywhere in the area, he starts to inwardly panic. He can't bear the thought of separation, especially for her sake- she's large enough to ride now, and can hunt for herself, but she's still rather young. And a dragon always needs the one they'd bonded to regardless of age, anyway.]

[Kain turns, gazing off into the distance... and brooding.]

[praygenius.livejournal.com]

Sir Highwind.

[It's not quite a greeting, more just an acknowledgement of his presence.]

I suppose that's more proof than I should need. This isn't home. You'd be older, or I younger, if it were.

[dragoon-rising.livejournal.com]

[With his brooding session interrupted, Kain frowns a bunch, but now he's certain that this isn't what it seems.]

Porom... [Kain sighs, glancing around.] This likely isn't home at all, in fact... this happened once before.

[praygenius.livejournal.com]

I see. Are we trapped here?

[dragoon-rising.livejournal.com]

Last time I remained here for... a while, several days at least.

[Sigh.]

[praygenius.livejournal.com]

So we can't leave. That's problematic.

[She sighs in irritation and then shakes her head.]

Real or not, this is a sacred place. And there is work to be done. Take this and follow me.

[White magic swirls around her hand, threads of light pulling away from sunbeams and knotting themselves together until they form a small, tight ball of light which she holds out to Kain, apparently expecting him to take it from her hand. DRAGOON HAS JOINED THE PARTY. Whether he likes it or not.]

[dragoon-rising.livejournal.com]

[Of course, Kain doesn't like that. He'd wanted to spend a little while brooding before - hopefully- finding a way off of this place and back to Gaia. He casts an irritated glance at Porom. There's also something unfair about being ordered around by someone you still sort of... know best as normally being five years old.]

Whatever it is you intend, I doubt you need my assistance.

[praygenius.livejournal.com]

As do I, there doesn't seem to be any monsters here. But you're not a native Mysidian, I can't allow you to be in such a sacred place unaccompanied.

[Expect that she sort of. Did. For seventeen years. Ignore that part.]

[dragoon-rising.livejournal.com]

[Folds his arms and glares.]

Before I arrive in Gaia, I went to Mount Ordeals alone to face its challenge.

[praygenius.livejournal.com]

[She glares right back and her tone becomes venomous. She closes her hand on the ball on light, extinguishing it.]

Believe me, I am very much aware.

[dragoon-rising.livejournal.com]

[Shoots her a Look, but he's not going to ask.]

Then you can hardly stop me from going off on my own.

[Why does he have a feeling he won't get away with such a plan?]

[Video]

[trinitycrusades.livejournal.com]

You as well, Porom? Are you all right?

[It's been years since the two of them climbed the mountain together with Palom and Tellah, but he'd recognise it anywhere. Cecil, for his part, is on the ramparts of an oddly silent Baron Castle.]

Ceodore and I have returned home, but it isn't as it should be.

[Video]

[praygenius.livejournal.com]

I'm- [Ow ow ow. Attempting to use Sight to see something that doesn't exist. Not a good idea.] -well, I'm uninjured. I don't recommend attempting to map these places.

The Mountain's unusually quiet. [Not that the lack of zombies is unwelcome.]

[Video]

[trinitycrusades.livejournal.com]

As is Baron. We're searching the castle, but so far it's devoid of any life besides ourselves.

If you're going to climb the mountain, be careful. [Everything about this makes him uneasy.]

[Video]

[praygenius.livejournal.com]

This is all very strange.

I will. There shouldn't be anything here that I can't handle but I'll keep my guard up.

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[lunarianlegacy.livejournal.com]

[Ceodore doesn't recognize the location at all. What gets his attention is that Porom appears to be in significant pain.]

Porom! You okay?!

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[praygenius.livejournal.com]

I...will recover. I do not recall if you have ever learned to use white magic to map your surroundings. If you have then do not try it in the places we are being drawn to. It does not work well.

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[lunarianlegacy.livejournal.com]

[Ceodore shakes his head.]

No, never learned that, although Mother could.

Um, where are you anyway?

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[praygenius.livejournal.com]

This is Mount Ordeals, it's a sacred place. Your father came here many years ago to seek out the light.

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[lunarianlegacy.livejournal.com]

Whoa, seriously?!

That was my favorite story as a kid.

[Because he is not a child now.]

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[praygenius.livejournal.com]

[She nods.]

I...suppose you could also call it your grandfather's resting place.

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[lunarianlegacy.livejournal.com]

[Way to put a damper on things, Porom.]

Oh. I hadn't thought of that.

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[praygenius.livejournal.com]

[She does that. Ruins everything.]

He was a great man. I'm sure you've heard of his deeds, I'll spare you the stories. But you should be very proud to have his blood in your veins.

I will be going to offer prayers to him before I leave. Should I offer prayers for you as well?

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[lunarianlegacy.livejournal.com]

[What is it with everyone bringing up his bloodline. Ceodore sighs and looks away. He knows his irritation is unbecoming, and it might even be meant as some sort of backhanded compliment. But for some reason it just feels like another reminder that he's nothing outside of his family. Worthless squire. He nods once but doesn't quite look at the phone.]

I suppose so.

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[praygenius.livejournal.com]

[She's visibly very, very annoyed by what she sees as Ceodore's dismissive attitude toward his family.]

Then I will.

[And there's a pause. A long pause, where Porom finds herself torn between expressing her annoyance like a normal person and being passive-aggressive about the whole thing and just getting more annoyed. After a second or so, she seems to choose the compromise of acting annoyed but not being particularly open about what she's annoyed about, giving an irritated 'hmph.' and glaring at the phone.]

You're luckier than you know.