Note the picture. Credit goes to Seth Rosamilia.
Part LXX: At the End of the World
Date: Yippah 21st, 114 A.U.
The aircraft, now nearly out of fuel, slowly hovered down before touching the ground, steam coming out as it came to rest on the rocky earth. It was silent, and then a door opened up, a ramp folding out onto the ground from the ship. Eight figures walked down it, two figures carrying a body between them. Behind them, the ramp folded back up and closed in on itself as they looked around their surroundings.
They were on a large plateau that overlooked the rest of the volcarren wasteland. In front of them, the plateau ended and the earth dropped to form the depression in the volcano. Although long dormant, none of the Xavier Team especially felt like going near to examine the volcano.
“So. This is it,” Astrid said as she turned. “This is where the star pointed.”
“This is where the star would be on earth, yes,” Reynyagn said. He gestured to the star that brightly shone overhead, illuminating the dim of the twilight. “This is it.”
Astrid slowly shook her head. “So we came here for nothing.”
“That might not necessarily be true…” Brother Tomas said as he ran his hand along one of the rocks that jutted forth out of the plateau.
“There’s nothing here,” Zarien said coldly. “We’re here in the middle of a volcarren wasteland. We travelled for days and have nothing to show for our efforts. We came to the North looking, hoping to find a purpose. We have found nothing. Only the dead bodies of our friends. Kaln, Rider—both dead thanks to our journey here.” She bit her lip. “We have nothing to gain. The ship is nearly out of fuel, which means we’re going to have to walk all the way back through the mountains. It’s over.”
“We must not lose hope,” Reynyagn said, picking up a long stick from the ground to use as a staff. “We must hold onto the promise of the prophesy.”
“And look where it’s brought us!” Number 994 said, looking around him. “Here! The prophesy took us here!”
“Far North the party now must go if it wants to succeed…” Jroldin murmured.
“What?” Astrid turned toward him.
“Far North the party now must go if it wants to succeed,” Jroldin said, speaking in a louder voice, as he spoke the words that he had once been forced to memorize. “The trials that will try the group will bring it to the brink; Despair must run o’er them before the culmination comes. Till purified with fire it will stand against fire.” Jroldin shook his head as he gazed around them. “Don’t you see? The prophesy knew of this! It knew that we would suffer here—we would be purified in our journey—but we would be purified with fire—we would be purified only after we’d be brought to the brink of despair. Don’t you see?” There was silence before anyone spoke.
“Yeah, I see,” Number 994 said. “I see that the prophesy promised our own failure and destruction. Really makes me trust that we’re win this whole thing. It’s over.” Ripping off his gauntlets, Number 994 stalked over to the stone where they had lain Rider’s body, leaning against it as he stared down at the ground.
“We must leave them,” Brother Tomas said in a low voice, moving over toward Monty. “It is time for the Xavier Team to make their own choice.” Slowly nodding, Monty walked with Brother Tomas back to the airship, going back up into the inside.
Part LXX: At the End of the World
Date: Yippah 21st, 114 A.U.
The aircraft, now nearly out of fuel, slowly hovered down before touching the ground, steam coming out as it came to rest on the rocky earth. It was silent, and then a door opened up, a ramp folding out onto the ground from the ship. Eight figures walked down it, two figures carrying a body between them. Behind them, the ramp folded back up and closed in on itself as they looked around their surroundings.
They were on a large plateau that overlooked the rest of the volcarren wasteland. In front of them, the plateau ended and the earth dropped to form the depression in the volcano. Although long dormant, none of the Xavier Team especially felt like going near to examine the volcano.
“So. This is it,” Astrid said as she turned. “This is where the star pointed.”
“This is where the star would be on earth, yes,” Reynyagn said. He gestured to the star that brightly shone overhead, illuminating the dim of the twilight. “This is it.”
Astrid slowly shook her head. “So we came here for nothing.”
“That might not necessarily be true…” Brother Tomas said as he ran his hand along one of the rocks that jutted forth out of the plateau.
“There’s nothing here,” Zarien said coldly. “We’re here in the middle of a volcarren wasteland. We travelled for days and have nothing to show for our efforts. We came to the North looking, hoping to find a purpose. We have found nothing. Only the dead bodies of our friends. Kaln, Rider—both dead thanks to our journey here.” She bit her lip. “We have nothing to gain. The ship is nearly out of fuel, which means we’re going to have to walk all the way back through the mountains. It’s over.”
“We must not lose hope,” Reynyagn said, picking up a long stick from the ground to use as a staff. “We must hold onto the promise of the prophesy.”
“And look where it’s brought us!” Number 994 said, looking around him. “Here! The prophesy took us here!”
“Far North the party now must go if it wants to succeed…” Jroldin murmured.
“What?” Astrid turned toward him.
“Far North the party now must go if it wants to succeed,” Jroldin said, speaking in a louder voice, as he spoke the words that he had once been forced to memorize. “The trials that will try the group will bring it to the brink; Despair must run o’er them before the culmination comes. Till purified with fire it will stand against fire.” Jroldin shook his head as he gazed around them. “Don’t you see? The prophesy knew of this! It knew that we would suffer here—we would be purified in our journey—but we would be purified with fire—we would be purified only after we’d be brought to the brink of despair. Don’t you see?” There was silence before anyone spoke.
“Yeah, I see,” Number 994 said. “I see that the prophesy promised our own failure and destruction. Really makes me trust that we’re win this whole thing. It’s over.” Ripping off his gauntlets, Number 994 stalked over to the stone where they had lain Rider’s body, leaning against it as he stared down at the ground.
“We must leave them,” Brother Tomas said in a low voice, moving over toward Monty. “It is time for the Xavier Team to make their own choice.” Slowly nodding, Monty walked with Brother Tomas back to the airship, going back up into the inside.
“I… I want to believe…” Flek said, sitting down upon a rock as he adjusted his cloak. “The star promised us so much! It-”
It failed you, Flek. You were promised much and the star failed to deliver on its promise. Look around you. Do you see the star working to bring your victory? Or do you see it working to bring you to despair…
It… Flek tried to protest. It promised that-
It promised failure. You’re following a prophesy that promises failure. Flek stared down at the rock.
“We have nowhere to go, now…” Astrid said, sitting down and leaning on the rock next to Number 994. “Just to be out here in the middle of nowhere with a ship about to lose any fuel to return us. At the very least, I suppose that when we die, we’ll at least be able to say that we almost killed the Emperor. We almost won freedom for ourselves before we lost.”
"We almost freed the nations of Arquenia…” Zarien whispered as he sat down on the opposite side of the rock to Astrid. “We almost delivered in on our promise…”
“We haven’t lost yet,” Jroldin said, gritting his teeth, as he laid his axe against the rock and sat down on the other side of Number 994. “We still have hope… right?”
“We still have hope, Priest-King,” Reynyagn said, as he pointed to the star, leaning on his new staff. “Look to the star! It has not yet failed us! We must continue to trust in the prophesy!”
“A prophesy of despair,” Jroldin murmured. “If only I could feel better about my belief of the prophesy… a prophesy I want dearly to believe… a prophesy I believe by my intuition… but a prophesy which my heart rejects.”
“We must look to the star!” Reynyagn repeated. “It is the star of promise! It is a star that has guided us this far along! It is a star that will continue to guide us.”
“But then why are we here?” Flek asked as he stared at the rock under him. “Why are we here of our places, if not to bow down to despair.”
“Maybe it is because the Xavier Team was never complete,” a new voice said, coming from the crater of the volcano. “Maybe it’s because the seven were never full.”
And everyone turned to look.
It failed you, Flek. You were promised much and the star failed to deliver on its promise. Look around you. Do you see the star working to bring your victory? Or do you see it working to bring you to despair…
It… Flek tried to protest. It promised that-
It promised failure. You’re following a prophesy that promises failure. Flek stared down at the rock.
“We have nowhere to go, now…” Astrid said, sitting down and leaning on the rock next to Number 994. “Just to be out here in the middle of nowhere with a ship about to lose any fuel to return us. At the very least, I suppose that when we die, we’ll at least be able to say that we almost killed the Emperor. We almost won freedom for ourselves before we lost.”
"We almost freed the nations of Arquenia…” Zarien whispered as he sat down on the opposite side of the rock to Astrid. “We almost delivered in on our promise…”
“We haven’t lost yet,” Jroldin said, gritting his teeth, as he laid his axe against the rock and sat down on the other side of Number 994. “We still have hope… right?”
“We still have hope, Priest-King,” Reynyagn said, as he pointed to the star, leaning on his new staff. “Look to the star! It has not yet failed us! We must continue to trust in the prophesy!”
“A prophesy of despair,” Jroldin murmured. “If only I could feel better about my belief of the prophesy… a prophesy I want dearly to believe… a prophesy I believe by my intuition… but a prophesy which my heart rejects.”
“We must look to the star!” Reynyagn repeated. “It is the star of promise! It is a star that has guided us this far along! It is a star that will continue to guide us.”
“But then why are we here?” Flek asked as he stared at the rock under him. “Why are we here of our places, if not to bow down to despair.”
“Maybe it is because the Xavier Team was never complete,” a new voice said, coming from the crater of the volcano. “Maybe it’s because the seven were never full.”
And everyone turned to look.
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