I'm not sure exactly how I'm going to work the Lunarians in yet, since
their long lifespan might wreak havoc on the timeline I've created. But
just take everything with a grain of salt, if it conflicts with what is
said in the game, try and keep an open mind. Also, most of the names are
based off of the FFIV version, except I happen to like Kain better with a
"K". Enjoy, and please R/R.
*** ***
Kain offered his hand sheepishly to the girl. "I'm no prince," he assured her. Phedre rose to her feet slowly, taking Kain's long fingered hand for support as she regained her stance.
"You have no idea, my lord," she whispered cryptically, before turning back to the royal couple. "I know not how you could have forgotten the Corinthii and the Old World. Unless, of course, you were somehow made to forget…," Rosa pursed her thin lips. This was beginning to sounds like a conspiracy theory. Phedre, noting the wan queen's reaction, squared her shoulders. "Is there, perhaps, a library I could look through?" the raven- haired girl asked.
"So you can manufacture some "evidence" of your ridiculous claim?" Rosa asked coldly. Phedre stepped back as if stung. Cecil laid a restraining hand on his queen's arm.
"Perhaps you could accompany me to the library in order to ensure my good behavior, your grace," Phedre murmured. She said it with no malice, but still Kain raised one sandy eyebrow at the girl's response. Tense silence filled the room. Phedre held Rosa's dark eyes steadily. Rosa, infuriated at the girl's presumptiveness, stepped forward.
"I would remind you that you speak to the king and queen of this state. Alter your behavior accordingly," Rosa said, dark eyes flashing. Kain and Cecil's jaws dropped simultaneously; the had never heard Rosa take that tone with anyone.
"We are all of us nobles here," Phedre answered with aplomb. She was uncomfortable with three pairs of eyes staring at her, especially as she was hot and sweaty beneath her armor, but she refused to back down.
"Tell me, your graces, my lord," she said. Kain didn't bother to correct her about his status this time. "How far back does your history go?"
Cecil cocked his head, crown slipping sideways on his cloud-hair, but Kain guessed what the girl was getting at. "You mean what's the earliest event we have recorded?"
"Exactly, my lord," Phedre answered. "You ancestors went through the Breach 946 years ago. Can you tell me of any event you know of that happened more than 946 years ago?"
Silence fell once more. Cecil became acutely aware that he, Kain, and Rosa were all standing in a phalanx-like formation, and Phedre was practically in the doorway.
"Why don't we have a seat?" the king suggested, still mulling over what Phedre had said as he pulled out his desk chair. "The earliest I can think of is the founding of Damcyan which was…," Cecil added the years up in his head, "…about 900 years ago." History was divided into two eras, the nebulous period of time before the founding of Mysidia, 612 years ago, and AF, after its founding.
"That's the earliest thing I can think of, as well," Kain admitted as he took his own seat. "Even Mysidia isn't that old."
Phedre's brow wrinkled. "Damcyan," she murmured, turning the word over in her mind. The Baronian trio looked at her oddly. "Ah!" she exclaimed in triumph. "Dahmskayan… City of the People of the Fire, is it not?"
"Err…," Cecil replied, unhelpfully.
"Well, that is the seat of the Crystal of Fire," Rosa said reluctantly.
"That's what Dahmskayan means in the Old Language," Phedre offered as she uncomfortable settled her armor-clad torso into a chair. "It must be named for the Crystal. Regardless, Do you not wonder why your history begins 900 years ago? Have you never wondered what occurred before that?"
Cecil shrugged, massaging his temples. "It… never occurred to me to wonder. What about you, Kain?" The king knew that his tall, blond friend was a history buff.
"Didn't occur to me, either," the Dragon Knight admitted. "Could there have been a war a thousand years ago? Maybe some cataclysmic event?" He was beginning to see what Phedre was getting at. "But that event would have to show up in a history book somewhere…"
"You said that your… people… created the crystals for us after a few generations," Rosa said, slowly warming to the subject, despite her unreasoning distaste for Phedre. "Why isn't our contact with you, which would have been just around the time of Damcyan's founding, recorded anywhere? That is, if we assume that the founding coincides with the creation of the crystals?"
Phedre shrugged. "I have no idea," she admitted. "That's what I'm stumbling over as well. According to our histories, we kept in close contact with you until about 700 years ago."
"Forget that for a moment," Kain said. There was some nagging feeling within him that there was something important he had forgotten, and it grew stronger every time he looked into Phedre's purple eyes. He shook away the thought. "Mysidia is the seat of the Crystal of Water… but it was only founded 600 years ago. If Phedre's right, then where was the crystal before that?"
Rosa smiled triumphantly at the hole in Phedre's story. She couldn't explain why, but the girl angered her. Though it was uncharitable of her, she prayed that Phedre could be proven wrong so the newcomer would leave. She hated the way Phedre's dark skin and glowing eyes contrasted with her own pale appearance. The queen was immediately embarrassed at the thought, but managed to keep her emotions hidden. Phedre, however, quickly met Rosa's eyes as if she had guessed her thoughts.
The group fell silent once more, pondering Kain's question. Kain, for his part, was beginning to believe Phedre's story, although he could not say why. The word she had spoken before… kirithii… still was sending a shock up his spine whenever he thought it.
"What's the word for water in your language?" Kain snapped his fingers at Phedre. Before she could answer, however, the Dragon Knight colored. "I'm sorry for my rudeness," he apologized. "You did say you were a noble, did you not? I'm sure you're not used to having people snap their fingers at you."
"I am a princess, scion of the house Fenrir," Phedre answered, and then laughed. "I also have six older brothers and sisters. I get snapped at all the time, my lord. The word for water in my language is Yevebeylan."
"Yevebeylan…," Cecil mused. He tried hard to remember his linguistics classes from his boyhood. While everyone on the planet spoke the same language, each city-state had its own peculiar dialect. "Yev would mutate to ev…,"
"And beylan to b'lan…" Kain added excitedly. "Evblan! It used to be in Eblan!"
"But, how?" Rosa asked. Eblan isn't nearly as close to the water as Mysidia is…,"
"But didn't Edge say that the coastline moved further and further out each year?"
"Yevebeylan can also mean "shallows" with the right inflection," Phedre offered. "Are there many shallows or shoals near this Eblan?"
"There are indeed, my lady," Kain said extravagantly. "I must say, your words are beginning to seem more and more plausible."
"Then will you show me the library?" Phedre asked again, beseeching Kain with her eyes. "Perhaps we can find something there…,"
"We will all go the library," Cecil decided. "But after some lunch, all this talk is making me hungry." Rosa could do naught but agree with his assessment.
*** ***
Kain offered his hand sheepishly to the girl. "I'm no prince," he assured her. Phedre rose to her feet slowly, taking Kain's long fingered hand for support as she regained her stance.
"You have no idea, my lord," she whispered cryptically, before turning back to the royal couple. "I know not how you could have forgotten the Corinthii and the Old World. Unless, of course, you were somehow made to forget…," Rosa pursed her thin lips. This was beginning to sounds like a conspiracy theory. Phedre, noting the wan queen's reaction, squared her shoulders. "Is there, perhaps, a library I could look through?" the raven- haired girl asked.
"So you can manufacture some "evidence" of your ridiculous claim?" Rosa asked coldly. Phedre stepped back as if stung. Cecil laid a restraining hand on his queen's arm.
"Perhaps you could accompany me to the library in order to ensure my good behavior, your grace," Phedre murmured. She said it with no malice, but still Kain raised one sandy eyebrow at the girl's response. Tense silence filled the room. Phedre held Rosa's dark eyes steadily. Rosa, infuriated at the girl's presumptiveness, stepped forward.
"I would remind you that you speak to the king and queen of this state. Alter your behavior accordingly," Rosa said, dark eyes flashing. Kain and Cecil's jaws dropped simultaneously; the had never heard Rosa take that tone with anyone.
"We are all of us nobles here," Phedre answered with aplomb. She was uncomfortable with three pairs of eyes staring at her, especially as she was hot and sweaty beneath her armor, but she refused to back down.
"Tell me, your graces, my lord," she said. Kain didn't bother to correct her about his status this time. "How far back does your history go?"
Cecil cocked his head, crown slipping sideways on his cloud-hair, but Kain guessed what the girl was getting at. "You mean what's the earliest event we have recorded?"
"Exactly, my lord," Phedre answered. "You ancestors went through the Breach 946 years ago. Can you tell me of any event you know of that happened more than 946 years ago?"
Silence fell once more. Cecil became acutely aware that he, Kain, and Rosa were all standing in a phalanx-like formation, and Phedre was practically in the doorway.
"Why don't we have a seat?" the king suggested, still mulling over what Phedre had said as he pulled out his desk chair. "The earliest I can think of is the founding of Damcyan which was…," Cecil added the years up in his head, "…about 900 years ago." History was divided into two eras, the nebulous period of time before the founding of Mysidia, 612 years ago, and AF, after its founding.
"That's the earliest thing I can think of, as well," Kain admitted as he took his own seat. "Even Mysidia isn't that old."
Phedre's brow wrinkled. "Damcyan," she murmured, turning the word over in her mind. The Baronian trio looked at her oddly. "Ah!" she exclaimed in triumph. "Dahmskayan… City of the People of the Fire, is it not?"
"Err…," Cecil replied, unhelpfully.
"Well, that is the seat of the Crystal of Fire," Rosa said reluctantly.
"That's what Dahmskayan means in the Old Language," Phedre offered as she uncomfortable settled her armor-clad torso into a chair. "It must be named for the Crystal. Regardless, Do you not wonder why your history begins 900 years ago? Have you never wondered what occurred before that?"
Cecil shrugged, massaging his temples. "It… never occurred to me to wonder. What about you, Kain?" The king knew that his tall, blond friend was a history buff.
"Didn't occur to me, either," the Dragon Knight admitted. "Could there have been a war a thousand years ago? Maybe some cataclysmic event?" He was beginning to see what Phedre was getting at. "But that event would have to show up in a history book somewhere…"
"You said that your… people… created the crystals for us after a few generations," Rosa said, slowly warming to the subject, despite her unreasoning distaste for Phedre. "Why isn't our contact with you, which would have been just around the time of Damcyan's founding, recorded anywhere? That is, if we assume that the founding coincides with the creation of the crystals?"
Phedre shrugged. "I have no idea," she admitted. "That's what I'm stumbling over as well. According to our histories, we kept in close contact with you until about 700 years ago."
"Forget that for a moment," Kain said. There was some nagging feeling within him that there was something important he had forgotten, and it grew stronger every time he looked into Phedre's purple eyes. He shook away the thought. "Mysidia is the seat of the Crystal of Water… but it was only founded 600 years ago. If Phedre's right, then where was the crystal before that?"
Rosa smiled triumphantly at the hole in Phedre's story. She couldn't explain why, but the girl angered her. Though it was uncharitable of her, she prayed that Phedre could be proven wrong so the newcomer would leave. She hated the way Phedre's dark skin and glowing eyes contrasted with her own pale appearance. The queen was immediately embarrassed at the thought, but managed to keep her emotions hidden. Phedre, however, quickly met Rosa's eyes as if she had guessed her thoughts.
The group fell silent once more, pondering Kain's question. Kain, for his part, was beginning to believe Phedre's story, although he could not say why. The word she had spoken before… kirithii… still was sending a shock up his spine whenever he thought it.
"What's the word for water in your language?" Kain snapped his fingers at Phedre. Before she could answer, however, the Dragon Knight colored. "I'm sorry for my rudeness," he apologized. "You did say you were a noble, did you not? I'm sure you're not used to having people snap their fingers at you."
"I am a princess, scion of the house Fenrir," Phedre answered, and then laughed. "I also have six older brothers and sisters. I get snapped at all the time, my lord. The word for water in my language is Yevebeylan."
"Yevebeylan…," Cecil mused. He tried hard to remember his linguistics classes from his boyhood. While everyone on the planet spoke the same language, each city-state had its own peculiar dialect. "Yev would mutate to ev…,"
"And beylan to b'lan…" Kain added excitedly. "Evblan! It used to be in Eblan!"
"But, how?" Rosa asked. Eblan isn't nearly as close to the water as Mysidia is…,"
"But didn't Edge say that the coastline moved further and further out each year?"
"Yevebeylan can also mean "shallows" with the right inflection," Phedre offered. "Are there many shallows or shoals near this Eblan?"
"There are indeed, my lady," Kain said extravagantly. "I must say, your words are beginning to seem more and more plausible."
"Then will you show me the library?" Phedre asked again, beseeching Kain with her eyes. "Perhaps we can find something there…,"
"We will all go the library," Cecil decided. "But after some lunch, all this talk is making me hungry." Rosa could do naught but agree with his assessment.