Behold! A Chapter for Legend! Rejoice! Okay, I have no excuse for not uploading for...months. Well, I have a few excuses, but I'm sick of doing that at that stage. From now on, I'm working just as hard on this as I do anything else school-wise or life-wise. Plus...we're getting close to my favourite part of the game. Very close again...

Okay, I don't own this game, or the characters, just some of the ideas and such. Same old, same old!

Enjoy!

They burst and stumbled out through the doors, frantically surveying the land around them, yet, not quite taking it all in. The four would only be unnerved by what lay in front of them.

"It's…" Refia gawked in disbelief, sucking in a breath, almost afraid of something happening dare she breathed a word. Her comrades shared a similar disbelief and shock at what their eyes perceived.

Nothing had changed since the four had entered the mansion. The land looked unscathed as it had before. All trees still stood strong and flowers still bloomed through the unscarred soil. The grass still grew fresh, and land remained undisturbed. The only difference in the environment outside was the colour of the sky, turning orange as the sun slowly descended below the horizon.

The other two youths couldn't quite comprehend it either. Despite Luneth having quite a deadpan expression on his face for quite a time now, even he was bewildered that the earth was still intact. He was on the edge of actually voicing his opinion on this.

Ingus was constantly looking around him, waiting for something to crumble, expecting the ground to crack underneath his feet. Though he was clearly relieved, he made his thoughts clear. "We cannot breathe a full sigh of relief. We do not know if the effects are slow, or if the earth has started to decay elsewhere."

His comments hadn't helped quell the others' nerves. They seemed to now keep on their toes, listening out for every sound, every little change in the earth. But for now, there seemed to be nothing.

"So, what now?" Refia enquired, looking over her shoulder to Ingus. All of a sudden the power and authority went to him to lead them on their journey. Luneth hadn't quite stepped up to his normal position as of late.

Arc went to try and express his own proposal of what they should do...only to find he was still without his voice. He could have sworn he saw a something of a triumphant grin from the redhead out of the corner of his eye. His cheeks went red.

Ingus was silent for a few moments, having an internal debate with himself on what to do. It didn't take him long to decide. "We set up camp. It is too much of a risk to travel during dusk." His gaze turned away from the others. There seemed to be an exhaustion in his eyes. "Monsters tend to appear more often as the darkness falls. As well as that, we have already fought a hard battle."

There was a mutual agreement from all of them; more or less through grunts, or murmurs, or nods.

Ingus nodded too as confirmation of what they were doing. He pointed towards a large forest nestling near the mountains, causing the others to turn their gaze to it. "We will set up camp there for the night. Once dawn reveals itself, we will travel back to Amur." Ingus seemed to receive several nods in reply, with hardly anyone protesting against his suggestions - well, orders, if anything.

But each mind was preoccupied with something else, or many things entirely.

Night seemed to fall quicker on the four quicker than they had anticipated. Was that an effect from the Earth Crystal shattering? No, they had been over-thinking it, surely. But could it? No matter, they had to quickly set up camp, else they would be caught in the dark, with the noises and the blank, hunger-filled eyes in between the trees.

They had managed to find a large enough space for the four to stay the night at the north end of the forest, so they wouldn't be surrounded by any monsters or whatever lurked within the shadows.

The four - or rather, three of them - managed to gather the materials needed for a fire. Refia was in charge of that, seeing as she had the magicka to get the fire started too. Arc attempted to set up the tents, with aid from Ingus as he was never quite as quick nor skilled in setting up tents. Though as they went to do so, they found they had no tents because they had forgotten to buy some. The only thing they had was a sleeping bag for each. This day had gone from bad to worse.

By the time night fell, a fire managed to engulf the fuel it was given. Sleeping bags were set out for each of them, but no one had used them as of yet. Sleep wasn't at the forefront of any of their minds.

Refia sat by the fire, with her knees up to her chest, staring at the flames rising from the wood and grass and other things they acquired to keep it burning. There was no wind tonight, so the fire didn't sway as heavily as it probably was prone to do. But no wind meant no direction. No direction meant no progress in their quest. After they would return to Amur and release the ship from its restraints, they would have no idea where to go next. Refia was clueless as to what to do next. It had seemed everything had fallen onto her shoulders. She couldn't crumble under the weight.

Luneth sat against the trunk of a tree, slumped over like a dead man who had met his fate. The young Warrior hadn't yet keeled over, unfortunately, from his view. He drifted in and out of a dreamless sleep; the flickering flame faded from his vision, and darkness consumed it, until it brightened once again. Yet, at the same time, he struggled to keep his eyes open, and had no choice but to fall victim to sleep. Even though he was numb to it all now, he wasn't invincible against the clutches of exhaustion.

Arc sat under a tree nearby their camp, flicking through the pages of one of his old Tomes. Though his eyes skimmed over the words, his mind wasn't as focused as it should have been. With what had happened to Luneth, to the Crystal, even with Refia...so many things distracted him from the wealth of knowledge that he held in his hand. What was worse, not only did he have one comrade to worry about, then another, but now, the last of his comrades, had given him cause for concern.

Ingus paced to and from the camp, past Arc, past Luneth, even Refia by the fire, reflecting on his thoughts and the events that had happened. Ingus was a thoughtful young man, but never did the other three see him pace with such haste, hesitance. When you looked into the soldier's eyes, you found a fixed, concealed gaze; an impassive stare that often enough frightened older men. Ingus' eyes were now wide with terror, anxiety; such powerful emotions that Ingus hardly ever expressed openly. His cool exterior had cracked for all to see.

"Ingus."

The young knight halted stiffly on his pace away from the camp. He didn't look around to the source of the voice. Not being able to look at Refia was a telling sign.

"We're gonna need to get more wood for the fire. My Magicka's practically eating away at it."

Ingus gave a swift nod. No answer.

Refia let out something similar to that of a dejected sigh. "I'm going to need you to come with me. I'm not going to do much damage on my own if I'm ambushed. Plus, none of us should be going out on our own anyway."

"Fine. We shall make haste then."

Refia rose slowly to her feet, leaning down and brushing her robe down. She wasn't surprised that she got grass and bits of soil clinging to her robe. She beckoned Ingus to follow her, mumbling something about knowing a place where they could find some more wood. Ingus dutifully obeyed, like the loyal soldier he was, and the two left the haven of their camp, assuming that the other two heard their departure.

One, at least, heard Refia loud and clear.

Arc dropped his tomes, and hastily stumbled his way towards the bag that Refia had been carrying for a time. Fumbling through the ties of the bag, he managed to get it open, and began to rummage loudly through the contents. Potions, antidotes, elemental orbs, everything bar the thing that he needed the most. It was only until he reached the bottom did he pull out some herbs; small, prickly plants. Yanking a leaf off the stem, he rapidly stuffed it into his mouth, chewing furiously at it, until he got the distinct flavour in his mouth. It was spicy, too spicy, yet, it tasted horribly medicinal, just like his mother's home-made remedies that had to be forced down both his and Luneth's throats when they were sick. What was worse was that Arc still had to swallow the herb.

Hesitantly, the White Mage took a gulp, and felt the leaf travel down his throat. The aftertaste was far worse. He coughed with some effort, almost retching at the taste. "Crap..." He swore under his breath, in between dripping saliva off his tongue. He swore, he realised. That meant he talked; he was able to use his voice. Stuffing the herbs back into the bag, and tying the string that closed it, he spat on the ground a few times, hoping to get the taste out of his mouth. It didn't really work out.

There came a grunt not too far away. Arc glanced up as he wiped his mouth tentatively on his robe's sleeve, finding a certain Dark Knight stirring from an unsatisfying sleep. Either Arc's spitting and desperate attempts to get the aftertaste out of his mouth woke him, or Luneth decided sleep was no longer an option. He didn't seem to notice Arc nonetheless as he awakened.

Arc cautiously went to approach Luneth, still groggy from sleep. Disturbing him after any sort of rest - whether it be a full night's rest or a twenty minute nap dreaming aimlessly of Chocobos - should never have been considered an option. But Arc never bothered the just-rested adventurer without good reason.

Luneth's blank eyes lazily landed on Arc, who still continued towards him. He stayed silent, but his eyes remained unmoving.

"How are your wounds from earlier? I know I didn't get to heal them fully." Arc heard some sort of a grunt after posing his question. Common for him, especially having woken up. An early riser, but not a particularly friendly riser. "If you're going to let me anywhere near them, then you'll have to take your armour off."

Another grunt, before Luneth's body leant forward slightly. His armoured hands grabbed the helmet, and with some effort, pulled it off. Underneath was almost unrecognisable.

It was still Luneth. But his face had gone paler; some sort of sick, milky white hue had covered his face. Those bright, wide, amethyst eyes became burdened, heavy, devoid of energy; maybe even of life. There was a darkness developing under his eyes also; circles that aged him only but a couple of years.

Arc, for a moment, had been taken aback by the appearance of his brother in front of him. He shouldn't have looked like that. Had death...really taken its toll on him? He hated to think that it consumed him so much that he looked dead himself.

He swallowed back, tried to remain as nonchalant as he could muster, and he held his hands out. "Hold still...this might sting a little."

Not so far from the camp, Refia and Ingus were returning with the materials needed for their fire to grow strong once again. Their conversations were short, or one-sided on Refia's part.

Ingus was silent, calculating, and sluggish in his footsteps. He couldn't seem to keep up with Refia. A few times she glanced back at him curiously, softly, inviting him to speak to her.

Refia kept that same look on him for some time, hoping that words would come, that everything would spill out as to why he remained so distant. But it never came.

Refia realised she had to delve for the answer herself. They trudged over the forest grass in silence, Refia a few metres ahead, and still some way away from their hastily made camp. She needed to ask now, or not at all.

"Ingus, were you…are you bothered about what happened with Goldor and the Crystal?" Refia threw the answer back to him, keeping her gaze ahead of her for a few minutes, less she walked into a tree. Seconds later, she could hear only her boots brushing against the blades of grass. She glanced over her shoulder back at Ingus, and slowed.

He stood there, still holding the resources for the fire. When he took a cautious glance, there was something else on his face. Shame.

Refia didn't approach him, but kept her distance, only turning to face him. "Look, the Crystal…" she grimaced, trying to figure out what she was going to say. "That…wasn't really our fault."

They look of shame still lay heavy in his downcast eyes. "It…it is not the Crystal that troubles me."

Refia's eyes narrowed, lost in confusion. "Then…?"

"We killed a man."

Refia's breath caught in her throat. She was taken aback by the blunt comment. Ingus was someone who covered his words with a layer of flowery language belonging in the royal court. To come out with that sort of thing was unlike him.

"Ingus, we've killed-"

"No, Refia, we killed a human man." Ingus brusquely interrupted her, a different kind of fire burning in his eyes; fear, shame. Refia awkwardly pinned her gaze to a nearby tree. "It…it is so much different from just murdering monsters. All we have done is rid of the world of monsters. But Goldor…" Ingus closed his eyes, rubbing the side of his face. "Goldor was no monster."

All that could be heard between the two was the stillness of the night; subtle sounds of grasshoppers, the leaves rustling lightly in a breeze that began.

Refia began to slowly approach Ingus, who wilted slightly, feeling the emotions and thoughts he had about himself tire him out. He refused to look at her again after his outburst.

"Ingus."

He didn't meet her fixed gaze. Refia tried again.

"Ingus. Look at me. Please." She added, hoping a small plead would convince him otherwise. Refia was right at least; he returned a look that seemed similar to that of a reprimanded child. "What happened today, that wasn't our fault." She could see he could have begged to differ, but nonetheless kept his lips firmly pressed shut. "If anything, Goldor killed himself. And he started it in the first place. We were just trying to do our job when we had to fight him."

Ingus again bit his tongue, holding back the counter just on the end of it. They didn't even do their duty to their best ability; the Earth Crystal had been shattered into minuscule shards, something that couldn't just be put back together.

"People die for stupid things, but some die for things worthwhile things too. It's difficult, I know…" Refia looked down for a moment. "But…sometimes you've got to put that behind you. Not forever, but you can't let that affect you in the present, especially not when we have such a big task from the Crystals…"

Ingus appeared thoughtful for several moments. The cogs were turning; he was taking in and dissecting each word that was spoken. Then the expression on his face changed. It was different from all the other ones that he had given; this one was one of resolve, determination. "Yes...you are right." He put simply. Ingus was a man of few words; that had already been established. But his choice words always had some meaning to them. "I...I will try to remain vigilant from now on."

"You always are," Refia insisted, the corners of her mouth lifting. "Just don't try and cope with everything alone. That's what we're for, to share any burdens, right?"

Ingus nodded, though, it was clear he was still thinking over her statement. "I suppose so." His gaze shifted in the direction of the camp. "We should make our way back to camp. We can only hope the fire is still alight."

"Of course it will be," The Black Mage reassured the soldier with a knowing smile. "I wasn't going to let it die out quickly after all." Before Ingus could even think of answering her back, he watched her make her way back towards the camp. And then he wondered to himself, why Refia had even taken him away if she knew that the fire wasn't going to die anytime soon. But he didn't put much thought to it; he had learned it did no good to dwell on thoughts.

By the time Refia and Ingus had returned to the camp, they found both boys asleep in entirely different positions. Luneth was still lying up against that tree; the only difference now was that he had one of the sleeping bags pulled up to his chest, and some of his armour lay beside him. It took a moment for Ingus to even recognise Luneth, and he noted that he looked exhausted. As for injuries, he didn't see many that concerned him, no thanks to Arc, no doubt. He thought it best to leave him to rest.

Arc was curled up near the fire in another sleeping bag, his book lying open on a page he kept a hand on, though he had clearly fallen asleep whilst scouting its pages. Refia noticed him like this first, and before she could find anything to complain about - to herself, of course - she found that two other sleeping bags had already been laid out. She tried to ignore the pangs of guilt for jumping to conclusions by wandering over to her sleeping bag.

Along the way to his own, Ingus carefully slid the book out from under his hand. Carefully, without so much as a sound, he closed over the book, before setting it down by Arc's side again. As he rose again to his feet, the soldier glanced to each comrade settling down for the night, and realised that he shared in their troubles and woes. Yet, he hardly disclosed his own. Those words from Refia still stirred within Ingus, that they could all share their burdens. And perhaps she was right.

Burdens were meant to be shared.

They had already made tracks at early dawn, and within a couple of short hours, the four found themselves back where they started; Amur. Arc had quickly suggested that they sell off the Golden Swords they had managed to drag out of the Manor in pursuit of extra gil in their pockets. After all, they shouldn't be too difficult to peddle off these rare items, he remarked.

"Sorry... but I can't buy them off you."

"Seriously?" Arc slumped his shoulders, dejected that his hypothesis was proven wrong already. At a store that sold weapons, no less.

"Seriously, kiddo," the older man vending answered, scratching the scruff on his chin. "I ain't got the funds for 'em. And neither do the other stores, before you go around tryin' them."

Refia mumbled something under her breath. Luneth remained visibly nonchalant as he had before he even entered the store. Ingus was at least a little bit more understanding.

"Okay... thanks anyway, sir." Arc murmured, deflation clear in his tone. He turned, as did the others, to leave, when the older man snapped his fingers, causing them to turn again.

"I know where you could peddle them! There's a few places around Saronia - huge old kingdom on the Omega Continent. You guys have a map?"

Ingus shook his head, to which their elder was already fishing one out from behind the counter. He heeded his beckoning and approached the counter, as did the other three. From there, he marked out co-ordinates and the directions they should take to get to the continent. Thankful was an understatement to the Warriors.

And so, the four were on their way again. At least they had some sort of aim now, even if it wasn't entirely to do with their quest.

Ingus was the one with the proverbial golden key; the one that would break their ship from its chain. No sooner than Ingus pushed the key into the lock and turned it, there was a clicking sound. Relief poured out in a chorus of sighs.

Before long, they had been reunited with their ship, and they had set off on their way to the said 'Omega Continent'. Ingus opted to direct and take them there, whilst the others (Arc and Refia, excluding Luneth who instead hung around the deck like a wandering lost soul) would man the sails and generally man the deck.

There was still little exchanged between the two deckhands, other than mumblings of what the two had to do, maybe a nod of acknowledgement at the very most. The first word that Arc had exchanged with her since she confronted him on the sensitive matter took Refia aback; she hadn't realised he had gotten his voice back again. She was rather disappointed, since she believed karma had delivered its justice fairly. Arc on the other hand, was rather triumphant on the matter. The tables had turned. Of course, this was all silently communicated - if Ingus caught on, it could have spelled disaster for both parties. They simply learned to deal with each other at this stage.

Luneth was still detached from the group as seemed prone to do now. Though, there was something in his expression along the entire trip. There was thought there in his face as he leaned against the edge of the ship, watching the waves lap up against its sides. Whatever he was thinking about - and the three knew explicable what his mind focused on - there was a sorrow lying dormant there. For a time, his eyes had been blank, empty, and for the rarest flicker of a moment, there was something there; Luneth was there.

Though when they neared their destination, he was gone again.

Duster. A quaint village on a lone island not far from the self-titled Omega Continent was where the Warriors next found themselves. Upon entering, several villagers went about their business. Some were dressed in the same attire as that of Geomancers. Other people were dressed somewhat differently; tied around their necks were forest green cloaks that extended over their left arms, the bottom laced with a red and white stripe, and a triangular white pattern above. They wore blue tunics with corn-yellow cuffs, their waists fastened with a thin string, and their boots were a similar forest-green colour to their cloaks. Noticeably, sticking out of the headbands they wore were Chocobo feathers.

The further the four made their way into the village, the more noticeable the dulcet tones the air carried became. It wasn't common for there to be harmonious music and singing to be so public; often they were saved for one's own home or for certain events. To hear singing be such a normal and common tradition everyday was odd for the four.

"Lord Bahamut, the greatest drake of all,

awaits a champion before to fall,

his power one's alone to call."

Arc couldn't help but muse over one of the ballads that reached the four's ears. Bahamut, or the 'The Dragon King' as the deity was better known, of course came up in some of the youth's reading material. Of course, his title wasn't limited to just that; he was the 'Conqueror of the Skies', the 'Hallowed Father', and the 'First Sire', all depending on where you hailed. The draconic beast of legend was said to have ruled over the skies, and his power was unmatched by any other dragon or draconic creature. Any attempts to harness Bahamut's power, or let alone to prove it and the Dragon's existence, had been futile.

Something about the dragon on Canaan's 'Dragon's Peak' seemed to make Arc feel uneasy.

Ingus, taking his new position as temporary leader of the four in his stride, already addressed why they were in Duster, and what their end goal was. Ingus would the one to go and try and peddle the Golden Swords off, whilst two others at the most could speak to the locals and possibly get some hints as to where their journey could take them next. For the first time since they left Amur, Arc and Refia seemed to visibly agree on the matter.

Arc, however, took no chances, and grabbed the opportunity of going with Ingus to peddle their treasure. He managed to direct Ingus away before Refia could object to the matter. And as she turned to discuss with Luneth what their plan of action was, Luneth found himself ambling off to the other side of the village.

Finally, the girl was on her lonesome.

Refia cursed something under her breath. She stood still as she scanned the village, wondering where she would even begin. Then, once more, stringed harps among the village began to carry its melodious notes through the air to Refia's ears.

"Leviathan, the great shade of the lake,

bides his time for a day he would break the chains o'er his darkness,

and then awake."

Yet again, there was singing of another great deity; Leviathan, 'Serpent of the Seas'. The young woman remembered the tales told by her father and Cid whenever they took her down to the coast by Canaan. They told Refia that the sea creature commanded each wave and tide, and though Leviathan hid itself away, the waters were still under the deity's watchful gaze. The young girl hearing these stories at the time then insisted they bring fishing rods and nets to reel in Leviathan.

If the legends were true that Leviathan would lend its power to whoever was deemed worthy of it, then Refia would need a bigger fishing net.

The girl searched for the source of the tones, eventually finding a gathering of people sitting near a large spring, plucking at their harps whilst others lay humming among growing petunias. And then a thought crossed her mind.

It couldn't hurt to talk to these locals, could it?

Meanwhile, Ingus and Arc were trying to seal some sort of deal with a weapons vendor; a towering hulk of a man who carried as much authority and fear to strike in a man almost as Takka had. He stood debilitating - for too long, Ingus might have added - on what to do.

"They are real gold," Arc couldn't help but add as he inspected one of the swords over in his hands. "We were recommended to come to you, seeing as the weapon vendor in Amur found you'd make some use of them." The White Mage saw an opportunity to turn on the charm with the man; it was a trick he had took from Topapa as a boy whilst he tried to bargain with the merchant that often came with his trusty Chocobo to sell goods.

It seemed to work. The vendor put down the sword on the counter, leaning over it as he looked to the boy with some intensity. "How many you got, kid?"

"Eleven," Ingus stepped in. As much as he would have liked Arc to try and take control of the situation himself, they both still had to sell these off.

"...I could take each of them at five hundred gil."

"Five hundred?" Ingus uttered, a hint of disbelief lingering in his tone.

"I ain't made of gil, boy," The man grumbled, tapping the desk with his fist as if it were reiterate the point.

"Well, we wouldn't insist on you buying all of them, unless you wanted to that is," Arc hastily added in. "We...just think they're worth more than what you're valuing them at."

"Name your price then."

Arc took a sideways glance at Ingus beside him. Problem was, neither of them had a price to name. Ingus nodded to him in his mannerly way; it was a sign Arc should be the one to name a price. The boy swallowed back and hesitantly looked to the vendor who patiently awaited his response. "Three thousand gil...for four swords."

There was a pause as the vendor tapped the counter yet again. "I'll do you a deal at two thousand five hundred for four."

Arc took another sideways glance at Ingus, who nodded yet again, only this time in affirmation. He turned back to the vendor and returned his own affirmation with a smile.

Before long, both of them sold three more swords at the same price, and already, they had a healthy sum of gil between them. They believed it didn't hurt to spend some of it at least; from the armoury, they bought some vests and bracers they considered to be useful, and from the vendor who sold weaponry, two bells, and three harps. Ingus insisted they might come in use; they often did raise spirits (and he knew of a few who could have needed this).

The two were in the midst of celebrating and congratulating one another as Luneth made his way over to them again. Their cheers ceased for but a moment.

"I have an idea of where we're headed next."

Arc's eyes lit up at his brother's words. He couldn't help but step forward, enquiring eagerly as to what Luneth had found out. "Well?"

"Some guy told me that the Dalg Continent is south from here."

Something seemed to click with Ingus as he tilted his head at Luneth's words. With unblinking eyes, he uttered, "The Dalg Continent...where have I heard that before?" He pondered for several moments before Arc could input his own thoughts. "Yes...I remember now. A voice in my dreams instructed us to go to the Dalg Continent..."

"To find a...Doga, right?" Arc piqued in, looking to Ingus for confirmation so that he truly wasn't just dreaming aimless things. He received a nod in reply.

"Yes, exactly. So, we head south then after we sell the majority of our swords."

It was only after these realisations were discovered and plans were set that Luneth decided to step in himself. "There's a problem."

Ingus peered to the Dark Knight. "What problem?" He couldn't help but ask through gritted teeth.

"There's a giant gust protecting the entrance. Apparently, it'll blow anything away that'll come near it."

Ingus muttered misgivings under his breath, clearly irked at yet another obstacle blocking another path they had set for their journey. As a backdrop to his mutterings, another string of words seemed to echo in the three's ears.

"Odin supreme, the knight of knights,

fearing his own power,

sealed his blight forever in slumber,

waiting for the light."

Odin, also known as the 'Champion of Men', was indeed a knight notable among legends. He was an ancient knight revered by many, particularly the Vikings the four Warriors had previously met. His overseeing of the great hall of Valhalla was a much eagerly anticipated journey after death for some, to be seated under Odin himself. Though, tales like this one speak of Odin aiding chosen warriors in a different way. He would give his aid to them if they were able to survive his Zantetsuken ability; the iron-cutting sword.

Looking around for the source of the singing, the three youths found Chocobo feather-clad villagers sitting near the large spring located at the far side of the village. Upon further inspection, the three found a familiar redhead sitting among them, applauding their song. Whatever else it was that was said to the girl, she happily nodded and chuckled along with them. Notably to both Arc and Ingus, she seemed more content than she had been for the last day or two.

Without consultation from Luneth or Arc, the soldier began to make his way over to the group. Arc dutifully followed behind, whilst Luneth took longer to consider even following them.

"Pardon the interruption."

Refia glanced over her shoulder, finding Ingus standing directly behind her, Arc some few metres away from her.

"You must be her comrades." One of the young men rose, and he nodded to them in an act of politeness. Ingus exchanged a similar nod of the head back.

Refia took this as a signal that they would be departing now. Slowly, she rose to her feet, brushing her dark robe down so it left little trace of loose clippings of grass on it. They had discoloured, gone a murky brown colour. She couldn't help but think this was a sign of the decaying earth. "Well, guys, it was nice talking with you." She managed a smile and nodded to each of them like they were old friends.

"Wait," another of the group stood; a young woman, not so much older than what Refia herself was. "Surely you have time to hear another tale of ours?"

Refia glanced back to the other three. Arc glanced away, not really sure if his opinion would be taken in on this occasion. Luneth was passive as usual; it didn't matter whether they did or didn't. Ingus seemed like he would veto the idea...but his manners got the better of him, and he nodded to the girl.

Refia turned back to the young woman, nodding to her. "Well, it makes good practice for you, doesn't it?"

She smiled and nodded at her words. The girl turned to the others sitting around her, who started to prepare themselves once again for another ballad. The four Warriors then prepared themselves to hear another tale. The voice spun the webs of this tale in a tone of mezzo-soprano; not too high, yet not too low either.

"In Ancient times,

man's greatest wonder was to harness light;

but what a blunder!

Its newfound induction led man to destruction,

and mortals wound up six feet under.

Yet with the world in distress,

Four hailed from the world of darkness.

The light they did track down and thus brought it down,

Thus banishing man's foolishness."

There was a silence thereafter. Not because of the singing itself, but its words. The Four came to get answers. Not more questions.

"Those poor bards. I've never seen people like them more confused at seeing us being confused."

"Indeed...but was there a need to give us one of their harps?"

"Maybe it was for compensation. Or maybe one of them really liked me."

Luneth - when Refia had her back turned - rolled his eyes. Arc almost felt the same; though knowing his luck, it would probably be noticed and he would be at the other end of a hard whack with a harp.

Their next entrance was to another small village; Replito. Had it not been for Ingus' trustworthy eyes, they group wouldn't have spotted the village past sprawling woodland that hid it from view. They sailed up to the coastline once again and had to make their way on foot once again until they passed the Woodland, and came across the village by the flowing river.

"Strange that the… Light was the danger to the world years before…" Ingus mused, seemingly troubled by the concept.

"I don't… get it. Darkness is the worst of the worst, right? So, what danger would Light pose?"

"I am unsure," Ingus hesitantly replied. There was a silence for a few moments before he added, "No matter," Ingus was hasty to change the subject, his eyes already set on the next set of shops they could peddle to - as well as buy from. "We sell these swords, talk to the locals, and be on our way again." He never added on what they would do after that. He was still working that one out.

"I can talk to the locals again."

"Talk, not flirt with them," Luneth grumbled under his breath, but unluckily for him, Refia's ears were trained in the art of men's mumbling.

"I'd like to see you do better!" Refia retaliated. It didn't seem to sting Luneth. Her tongue got the better of her. "If you didn't just amble around moping-!"

"Luneth, do you mind accompanying me? I believe there may be some need for gentle persuasion."

Luneth grumbled something of an agreement, before rolling his shoulders back, and proceeding on in front before Refia's comment had the ability to sting.

Ingus shot a look back to Refia; a warning not to cause further strife. Refia scrunched up her nose, turning her back on Ingus before she really said something she would regret.

And now Arc was technically on his own. Suppose that was something for Refia to get even on after being left alone. Before Refia could shoot him a dark Ingus-like look of her own, the White Mage quickly made off in a random direction. Somehow, he got into a conversation with a woman carrying a basket full of greens about the Dalg Continent, possibly because Arc enquired about any possible way to get there. There was no definite answer of how to get there; but instead, the local began to spew out information regarding the Continent.

"The Great Magus Noah lived on the Dalg Continent, you know. Well, lived, he passed on a hell of a time ago."

"Ahuh..." Arc hummed, his eyes drifting to and fro to see where his comrades had gone. Not that this information wasn't interesting, but he had an uneasy feeling he would be left behind. Probably on Refia's watch, no doubt.

"You should hear the legends - apparently he could summon Leviathan and Bahamut himself. And he even sealed them away before he passed."

Arc's eyes drifted back to the woman telling him all this. "But...didn't you say he was a Magus? I thought they were only able to conjure the highest of Black Magicka."

The woman shrugged. "I'd ask him, son, but he's dead." There was a pause, and for a moment, Arc slipped out of the conversation again. He watched another local nearby, donned in a white blouse with frills at its hem and sleeves, an emerald green vest with its hem protruding outwards in a fading yellow colour, similar coloured shoulder pieces, cuffs, and black pants, slump his shoulders in defeat. He just shook his head at the Chocobo that trotted its way across to the only female in their small group.

"Hey, there, buddy."

Arc could hear her greeting the bird with some amount of cheerfulness in her tone, and watched as she patted the creature's beak, spoke to it in a gentle and reassuring manner. He smiled a little when the Chocobo nuzzled into her neck, tickled her at her, and she gave a giggle in response. She seemed a little more relaxed...not on edge.

"And anyway, it's all legend anyway." The woman had continued on, with Arc not noticing. "A bit like the one about one of his apprentices sleeping away in the fjords somewhere to guard the World of Dreams."

Arc's head snapped back to the woman again. "Wait, huh?" He felt like there was something important in all of this that he had missed. He wasn't sure what it was exactly, but it was something.

The local just sighed and shook her head. "Ah, never mind. It's all tales anyway." She gave a polite smile and a nod, before she was on her way again. Though her 'tales' left Arc with more questions than answers.

"Arc."

The White Mage glanced to the side upon hearing his name being called. He wasn't surprised to find it was Ingus who had called him.

"We managed to sell the remaining swords." Ingus shared a triumphant smirk with the youth. "We...also went ahead and stocked on curatives and the like. I hope you and Refia do not mind our decision without your input."

"No, not at all..." Arc murmured, glancing over at the girl again, where the local had pried the bird away from its new friend. Ingus noticed the thoughtful expression playing on his face.

"Something troubling you?"

Arc shook his head, but then regretted that gesture, and rubbed the back of his neck. "I'll tell you onboard. I might have another lead to where we could be headed next."

The two - three, counting Luneth noticeably lurking behind - made their way back to the entrance. Refia met them on the way out.

The Enterprise was finally airborne again, now able to sail through bulbous clouded skies without the impending force of darkness upon it. To feel the Wind cutting past their faces was of some comfort to the four; it meant that at least some of their world was still intact, and that truly the Wind was beginning to steer them on course once more. They had almost forgotten what sailing the skies felt like.

"An apprentice...?"

"I'm as confused as you are." Arc murmured, stretching out gloved hands. "I didn't really hear much else about either that apprentice or the Magus."

Ingus hummed something, raising an eyebrow as his eyes quickly moved to the mage. "Anything in your readings?"

"Not that I remember. There might not be any information recorded on them at all."

Ingus narrowed his eyes again as he peeled his eyes back to the sky. "Curious." It was the only word he could muster as he thought on it.

Refia approached and stood behind Ingus, inspecting the skies further beyond them.

In the distance, a sprawling castle with four towers sitting close, a metropolis of concrete and asphalt, sat elevated on a piece of land overlooking several smaller structures not far from it, that all in some way seemed to be interconnected. The area seemed to be enclosed within four barren, grey, and gigantic walls, tall enough to just see the castle. From where they were flying, even Refia thought it was large. What would have it been like if they were standing on the ground looking up at it?

"Where do we go from here?" Refia enquired, her eyes peeling away from the scenery ahead of them to look at Ingus.

"I cannot say I have the confidence to answer that question," Ingus responded, one gloved hand resting on the wheel as the other tipped his horned helmet off his forehead, wiping his brow from the perspiration that had developed there. "We must get to the Dalg Continent. I can only say as much."

"But how do we get there if a gust stronger than an airship itself is keeping us out?"

"We will figure that out," Ingus quickly threw back, almost as if he had been rehearsing those very words for some time. He earned a sigh of defeat as a reply.

"We can't keep wandering the world like this," Arc insisted, folding his arms as he watched the structures in the distance get menacingly larger.

"But we can't do much else other than that," Refia grumbled and watched Arc for a moment to see how he would react. But his reaction was a different one than she expected.

"Did you guys hear that?" Arc enquired, glancing around him for several moments.

Ingus just barely took his eyes off the course ahead and glanced over his right shoulder to Arc. "You must be referring to the propellers. It may take a time for them to normalise again. After all, they have not been in usage for a few days now."

Only when they ceased conversation did a different sound make itself known. From around them, there came this reverberating sound; one that seemed to shake the airship and its passengers itself. It rang in their ears several times over and echoed through the clouds. Then there came another similar sound.

Ingus appeared thoughtful for a few moments. "That sound...it sounds just like Sasune's cannon-"

"-ball! Get the hell down!"

Luneth was the one to howl these words as he tackled Refia to the deck and barely grabbed his brother by his scarf to pull him down also.

The weight of the airship tilted dramatically to the right. Something crashed through the deck nearby, as heavy as a mountain, yet as quick as a herd of Chocobos.

Refia screamed under Luneth's weight, who almost felt like his heart would leap out of his chest. Arc gripped onto Luneth as tightly as he could hope for. Ingus still managed to grip onto the wheel, but his body didn't remain upright, but rather lay heavily on the deck as he struggled to hoist himself up.

Luneth glanced over his shoulder. The back-end of the ship had been torn to bits; the left propeller was gone completely, part of below deck and the deck they were on had been ripped apart as if a giant punch created this hole. And the engine room...damnit, where in the hells was the engine room?!

"L-Luneth, how bad is it?!"

The Dark Knight could hear his brother yelling at him, gripping at the collar of his turtleneck, too afraid to bear witness to the damage caused. But he couldn't answer. By the gods, he wanted to, but he couldn't get those words out.

There was another violent shaking, another tight pull. The smell of smoke was strong now, so strong it burned Luneth's nostrils. He could hear crackles, the roaring of flames behind him. Refia's panicked shrieks of prayers underneath, Arc's uncontrollable breathing. Ingus shouting at him. Something about turning the wheel portside. That there was nothing more they could do.

The Enterprise trembled under the damage that had been done to her body. She convulsed under the pressure, felt herself shutting down. And all of a sudden, descending. Falling. Not falling nose down, but off to the side. It was slow, heavy at first, but the pace quickened as the descent increased.

And a thought crossed Luneth's mind. I don't want to die.

Ingus managed to grab onto the others, enveloping them in his arms as they huddled against the helm together, possibly travelling to an agonising death, a quick doom, a long wait for this to be over.

She shook harder, made spluttering, crackling sounds an airship was not supposed to make. Her spirit had gone. Her strength diminished as they plummeted further out of the sky.

The four never looked to see how far they fell, or if they were any closer to their place of impact. They just sat huddled, together, a four once again, like they had started as, and now how they would end as. It was in this moment, each one realised.

Burdens were meant to be shared.

Airship crash yet again? CHECK! *ticks off event on her tropes list* How many times has this happened? There was Cid's ship...then his other ship...then this one as far as I remember. Third time lucky?

Anyhow, the chapter was sort of filler between Goldor/Saronia, as you can tell. I sort of saw an opening to throw in some lore, and tie more of it in as we get further in game-wise. Plus, characterisation. And angst. And airship crashes, they're one of the many tropes at the height of this game. Minus, well, falling down holes and orphans being chosen to fight for the Crystals. A particular favourite!

Once again, thank you for the reviews and favourites and follows yet again. I hope this chapter was (somewhat) worth the wait, and I hope it gets you hyped for the next chapter! BECAUSE I SURE AS HELL AM PUMPED.

See you around!~