They left the following morning to make the rest of the trip past the end of the trail, where the road forked and lead to the old Djose temple, which was no longer open to the public, after the machine faction had disbanded. They returned their birds to the stable that had been posted near the path to the temple, noticing as the scenery went from cold cliffsides to soft, marshy land as they got closer to the water.

The temple came into view as they walked, crossing over the bridges that led to the landmark. The massive slabs of rock around the temple were almost always floating around the top, in an impressive display of light and electricity. It was previously thought that the phenomenon was caused by the prayer of the summoners inside the chamber of the Fayth, which wasn't too far from the truth, but it turned out to be the massive amounts of energy from the Farplane, or the temple's aeon itself, that caused it. Once this was figured out, someone had the idea to use it to power the town, presumably the remaining Al Bhed from the Machine Faction.

It was quite a sight, one that Wren had never seen before, but it was marked with various colorful signs, signalling to keep out, and pointing to the direction of the actual town of Djose.

"It used to be open, when the Machine Faction was here," said Merris. "It's being used as a power source now, so I can understand why they want to keep people out."

Twill pointed to the converted Travel Agency nearby. "It looks like the office is still open, however. Maybe there's someone there who has an idea about your sister?"

Merris nodded his head. "Yeah, I hope so. She's pretty well known around town, but whether or not anyone knows what she's up to now is the question…"

The person inside the office was an older man, built sturdily, with a scraggly beard and teensie glasses perched on his nose. He was fiddling with a compact looking machine, about as big as a large dog.

"Do you know my sister, Tana?" asked Merris. "I've kept in contact with her through letters for a while, but she hasn't answered in about a month. Do you know where I can find her?"

The man scratched his beard, thinking for a few moments. "Yeah, I know her. She's a real help around here, but it's been a while since I've seen her, now that you mention it. You might have more luck asking someone around town, though. I spend most of my time here, so I don't see too much."

"We just got here, so we were heading there next," said Merris. "Thanks for the help anyway."

"Well I hope you find her, it would be a shame if anything happened to her," said the man, tinkering with the machine once more. "She's a nice girl. Real good at organizing people, y'know. Likes to give orders, maybe, but she's got a good strong head on her shoulders."

Merris thanked him and the group wandered back outside, looking towards the path that had been cut around the right side of the temple, leading through the middle of the town.

"I guess the town is that way," said Wren, looking at the sign posted beside the temple.

They could already see an impressive looking structure from where they were standing, what looked to be the center square of the town.

"Have either of you been here before?" asked Wren, as they started down the path.

"Yeah me and my sister both used to live here but I've been on my own for a while, and we kept in contact through letters, like I said," Merris answered, frowning. "I used to be part of the Machine Faction, but since it disbanded I've been doing my own thing."

"I've… only been here once," said Twill. "It was very small then, so I haven't seen it since it was just starting out, and I didn't stay long. I'm interested to see what's changed, I suppose."

"That reminds me, what sort of person is your sister? I guess she's not the kind of person to just stop responding if you were worried about her," said Twill.

"No, she's really not. Even if she hadn't responded in a while, she'd definitely send something back if I said I was worried about her," he said, shaking her head. "She's very responsible."

"I can see why you're worried then," they said.

The buildings in the town had some obvious wear, but still looked new, the majority of the structures having been constructed in the two years since Djose had been established as its own town. Mobius seemed to be in charge, but from what Merris said, Tana was the unofficial heart and soul of the town. She was the one who organized public events, and had even started a weekly event where crafters and other non merchant types could sell their wares on the grounds on the south side of the town. She seemed to be very busy, aiding with construction on top of that.

Mobius seemed to mostly manage Respira's activity, whatever that was, Wren guessed.

There was a very large building in the center of the town. Wren had been able to see it from the temple, but it wasn't until they were closer that she could get a good look at it.

"This is where Mobius lives," said Merris, pointing at the large structure.

It was made of a material that almost appeared to be glass, but given that the area was prone to bad storms a few times a year during certain seasons, it seemed to be in remarkably good shape. Whatever it was made of must have been of magical origin.

Wren was in awe of his home more than anything. How much influence did this man have, to have such a large home that shone so brightly? He must have been more important than she'd thought before she became aware of who he was.

Was that good or bad? She didn't know. It didn't sound very good.

"When I spoke to Mobius he said we'd have a place to stay with him if we visited," said Wren. "He was acting a little weird at the temple, but I think the offer still stands."

"I think we should stay away from him, but we don't really have a choice," said Merris, frowning. "My sister has done enough for this town that I feel like he might know what happened to her, at least enough to know that something has happened at all."

"He certainly seems to have plenty of room to spare," said Twill, gesturing up at the building. "It will save us the cost of staying at an inn. If we don't find anything and have to move on, the next inn outside of town is on the other side of the Moonflow, so it would be wise to stop here either way."

The fortress seemed to be the center of the town, with everything else built around it. In this market circle, there were many other hubs for recreation and gathering, even an inn, and in the streets out in front of the shops were merchant stalls. Towards the south side facing the cliffs, there was a gap in the buildings, allowing a clear view of the sea from the balcony. This was also where the vendors would gather once a week, so colorful little tents would be put out for the day, but as they stood in front of one of the corner doors of the cathedral-esque mansion, there was nothing there but an empty field.

Wren knocked on the door apprehensively.

"Is anyone home?" she asked softly.

A strange ringing sound was heard, to her surprise, and she jumped away from the wall, which seemed to be the source of the sing-songy static. "What is that?"

"Look, isn't this like the thing Lady Yuna gave to you?" asked Twill, pointing.

They were right, set into the wall appeared to be almost the same device as the Commsphere given to her by the summoner. "Is it...?"

"Who is this? Wren, is that you?" asked Mobius' voice from the sphere. "I'm glad to see you're doing well. Please come in. Forgive me for not greeting you in person."

Wren opened the door and looked around. It wasn't overly gaudy as it was expected, instead stylish, if a little cold. Not as well lived in as the smaller homes she was accustomed to. At the very least it was obvious that the designer had a strong sense of aesthetic. They were standing in a large reception area, almost like a ballroom, and she wondered if he held public events here as well. This might have even been where the people would meet, on certain occasions.

She didn't see Mobius, however, but a few minutes later he did appear, stepping down the stairs from the second floor corridor that went around the room and seemed to lead to the balcony.

"There you all are," said Mobius. "Wren, I'm glad you've recovered already from your ordeal."

"Oh, yeah…" said Wren, rubbing at her arm, a little embarrassed. She was getting a kind of weird feeling, but she wasn't sure she should feel that way about him. After all, he was the one who took her back to her friends when she was injured. "Yeah, I'm fine now. I slept for about a day afterwards, but I made it through it."

"It was very strange, that thing that attacked you," said Mobius, murmuring in approval. "But you must be quite strong to have recovered so quickly."

He continued. "Anyway, you've finally made it to Djose. Can I help you with anything?"

"Actually, I'm just looking for my sister," said Merris, pointing to himself with his thumb. "Do you know where Tana is?"

"Ah, you're her younger brother," said Mobius. He tilted his head slightly, frowning. "No, I haven't seen her recently. I will offer any assistance I can to help find her, though."

"Aren't the townspeople worried about her too?" asked Merris, frowning. "Shouldn't you already be looking for her?"

"I hadn't realized she was missing," admitted Mobius. "At least, not until recently. She does go off on her own occasionally to procure materials for her work-you must know that. Sometimes it can be days before she's seen again, if she has the time. I assumed she was on one of these excursions, but enough time has passed without anyone hearing from her, that it would be difficult not to be worried."

"Yeah, I knew that," said Merris, backing down. "I waited a bit too, before I started getting worried and started looking for a reason to set out to find her…"

"I doubt the others in town will have much more to offer," said Mobius, thinking. "If you want to find her, my best guess would be… to ask around places she frequents, and then if nothing turns up, I would start moving towards Guadosalam."

Wren glanced at Twill when he said that, and she could see in their eyes that they were hesitant to do so, but they didn't say anything.

"What's in Guadosalam?" asked Wren, looking between the other two for a moment.

"Tana is… pretty good at making things," said Merris, thinking. "She makes and sells her own jewelry, and works with some other more exotic materials making sculptures and stuff as a hobby, so… She's got to get those materials somehow."

"As close as we are to the Moonflow, we trade with Guadosalam frequently," said Mobius. "Our two towns have helped each other a lot since our establishment, and Guadosalam is starting to again become the cultural hub it once was. Tana is part of the reason we were able to establish trade with the Guado, so I'm sure that's where she would have been headed."

"We'll ask for clues around town, and probably head there next?" suggested Wren, looking up at Merris.

"Yeah," he said. "I'm sure someone will have some idea. If not… well, there are still a few hours left in the day, enough to cover the town, and… we can leave in the morning."

They agreed, Twill somewhat reluctantly.

Wren looked back to Mobius. "Oh, and I hope this doesn't sound too rude, but when I mentioned my research before, you said that when we arrived, you would give us a place to stay for the night. Is that offer still open?"

Mobius, who had been following the conversation silently while they discussed their options, nodded. "Yes, of course. I will show you to your rooms when you come back from your search. You're welcome to dine with me as well, but if you don't make it back in time, then I'll have something waiting for you anyway. Good luck with your search."

The three thanked him, then split up to cover the town, working from the inner circle out.

Wren worked east, asking around the market first, then the inn, then began checking some of the shops.

When the three of them met up again, the sun had already gone down, the search winding down as the town went to sleep. They were all three quiet, but looked eager to discuss it with each other as they looked between each other when they met up once more inside Mobius' mansion.

After they ate, they were shown to their individual rooms. Mobius gave them free reign to look around, pointing out rooms of interest to them, should they want to explore for themselves, then took his leave of them to settle down for the night. Despite that, they all three settled inside Merris' room to talk.

"I didn't find anything," said Merris, shaking his head. "Everyone with anything useful to say told me the same thing Mobius did. It doesn't seem like anyone knows where she is."

"Me either," said Wren.

"I know she wouldn't disappear on her own without saying anything," he said. "But no one knows where she is. They can't all be lying, so something else must have happened."

"Maybe," said Twill, frowning. "But what do you think it could be? We still have one option: to move towards Guadosalam, and ask anyone there for help, if they've seen her."

"I… don't know if we'll find her there," admitted Merris. "If no one can say for sure that's where she went, then I'm not sure this is one of her trips. I feel like someone would know about that. The town runs without her just fine, but people notice when she's gone."

"Is she that well known here?" asked Wren. "Maybe… she needed a break?"

Merris' expression told her that he clearly didn't think that was the case.

"This isn't going to sound very good, but to be honest, I feel like Mobius is lying," he said, after a few moments. "I guess I don't have any proof, and I'm not about to run out there to point any fingers at him, but…"

Wren blinked. "Why would he… lie about that?"

"I don't know, I just don't trust him," he said, pursing his lips. "Listen, I know he likes people watching, it's why he wanders around so much. I don't think that he couldn't have realized she'd been gone longer than normal."

"Maybe that's true," said Twill, thinking. "He is… strange. I can't quite read him, but he has that same tinge on him from the temples, so that could be why, but… I don't know if that means we shouldn't believe him. We don't know how long he was traveling before we met him ourselves, after all. It's not too hard to believe he doesn't know anything, if he'd been away from the town."

"Yeah, I guess," said Merris. "Mobius is the one with all the money to fund this place's construction, but apart from that, he's more like a… Hands off kind of leader. Disputes are more or less managed by the townspeople, and usually Tana handles that kind of thing, so I can see that as a possibility."

"I'm not saying we should trust him either," added Twill. "But I think it's too early to decide that he's a liar. It's… a little rash to accuse people of lying about the whereabouts of another person, if their safety could be on the line."

Merris shrugged, leaning back in the chair he was seated in.

Wren had made herself comfortable sitting on the bed, but was averting her eyes from the conversation while she thought. Merris was frustrated, that much she could tell, but she didn't know what to say to be helpful to him.

"Maybe we should sleep on it?" asked Twill. "I know this is important to you, but maybe it can wait, so we can all rest for a bit. We've basically been on our feet since we woke up this morning."

Merris mumbled something in agreement.

"...What about Guadosalam?" asked Wren. "We should still look there, right? Maybe someone knows something?"

Twill rubbed their left arm, sighing. "Do you wish for me to continue accompanying you?"

"Will you leave if we go to Guadosalam?" she asked, frowning.

"I don't want to leave," said Twill honestly. "But I am nervous about going back. I don't know if I'll be allowed to pass through there peacefully or not, or if I'll even be recognized. That is… part of what my disguise is for, after all."

"Maybe you could stay here, and me and Merris will go by ourselves?" asked Wren. "I don't want you to leave."

"Then I'll risk it," they said, nodding. "Finding Tana safely is more important, and if I am treated as a criminal, then it's the same as if I leave. I do want to help, and I can't do that if I stay here. We'll lose more time if you have to come back for me."

"I'm not asking anyone to get arrested!" exclaimed Wren softly. "You really don't have to do that."

Twill nodded somewhat, then shrugged. "I'm getting a little attached to the two of you. This may be insensitive to say, but strange things have been happening since we started traveling, even though it hasn't been long. I kind of want to understand it myself, and I also want to be helpful. Better that than wandering Spira on my own for four years."

Wren nodded, smiling a little. "Okay. So we'll look for Tana together, then."

"Thanks," said Merris, quietly. "It'll be easier with all three of us. I didn't want to come all this way by myself when we started out, so thanks for helping me."

Twill seemed particularly pleased with that response, and reassured him once more.

Merris, somewhat embarrassed, made a comment about how late it was getting, and they started to clear out of his room after saying goodnight to each other.

There was still something bothering Wren, but she hoped that things would calm down after everyone had time to sleep. At least they had some clues about where to find Merris' sister. That had to come first. After that, they could get back on the road, exploring the temples.

She crawled into her bed, a little too soft for her tastes, but she got comfortable before she knew it.

As she considered later asking Mobius if she could have a peek inside Djose's temple, she was already beginning to doze off.


A/N:

Hhhh I haven't updated in a couple of months because I've been busy with art commissions since January, so I wrote this because I was feeling guilty and I was missing working on this, haha.

My ideas for this chapter got a little long, so I'm splitting it into two, and unfortunately ending a chapter on Wren falling asleep again, but I promise this time the fact that she's asleep matters.