Holy Cow, so sorry this took so long! I got a new position at work and it's been running me both mentally and physically exhausted. (I'm better now, just had to clean up after the person who had it before me) and that brought a creator block. but, I should be good now, !
After a week and a half of climbing up the mountain, they finally made it to the fortress known as Haven- the place where Friar Tuck had sworn that the Urn of Sacred Ashes was. It was a large garrison with a small town around it. Snow was gently falling around them, and Aqua was grateful for the warmer armor and robes that they had managed to find in one of the shops in Orzammar. She pulled her hood up and rubbed her hands together as they stood in front of the gates.
"Locked, Kadan." Kimahri gruffed.
He was right. On the door was an elaborate decorated lock in the shape of a heart. It was an odd thing to have such an ornate lock at the front gates, but the attention to detail was charming. Aqua shook her head and summoned her keyblade to unlock the doors, a deep resounding click echoing over the mountain. Together they pulled the giant door open and began looking around the snowy landscape. She had expected it to have been left to ruins, but the first impressions told her anything but that.
As everything was fenced in, there should have been a lot more snow for them to remove. She, Skuld and Aerith had been using fire spells to clear their way so far, but there was no need to now. In fact, the few houses that littered the area looked incredibly well kept, as if there were multiple people who were living here on this cold, unforgiving mountain. In the setting of the sun, one or two fires could be seen through tiny windows in the houses.
The wind whipped at them again, reminding the group how long they had been out in the elements. They huddled together and hurried towards the fortress when they were stopped by someone clearing out snow from in front of their home. They seemed kindly enough, waving them over and placing their snow shovel back beside the house.
"Won't you come in? It's awfully cold out here and it looks like you folk have been travelling a long way."
"That's very kind of you, thank you." Aqua led them after the person.
Inside the house was a small area with a table, two bedrooms and a roaring fireplace. The whole of it smelled like fresh bread and some sort of stew. As Aqua got a better look inside, she noticed several papers hanging on the wall, pictures of what looked to be the Prophetess Andraste as well as heart shaped moons and fire. The drawing above the fireplace was of a pure white heart with a blue background and black, droplets of inky darkness coming off of the heart. Aqua shivered simply by looking at it, despite the fact that it was just a drawing. She must have been colder than she thought. At least now she could warm her hands and rub feeling into her toes. Outside the windows someone was helping their chocobos into some warm stables.
"Thank you so much for your hospitality." Aqua stated.
"But of course. While we're a small community here, we are welcoming. Please, sit down, I've got dinner on the fire. Make yourself at home."
A small set of eyes peered out at the party from one of the rooms. It was a little girl likely no older than ten. She held onto the doorframe and shrunk back as soon as Aqua glanced over at her. Her big brown eyes looked the strange party up and down, pausing on Kimahri the longest before returning her gaze to Aqua. No one else seemed to be paying her any mind, as their host was getting the food ready and the party was warming themselves and making small conversation.
"Arashi, (1) don't pester our guests so." The voice came floating from the kitchen with a hint of sharpness to it.
The girl ducked back into the room for only a moment before carefully looking back out. She had thin pressed lips and a raven's peak showing since her hair was pulled back into a high brown ponytail. Her skin was incredibly pale, and her cheekbones stuck out a little. Ducking back into her room, the girl then emerged with a paper in her hands. It was an expertly drawn heart alongside the Prophetess Andraste, just like all of the ones on the wall. Without a word, she handed it to Aqua for appraisal.
"Wow, this is really good. Did you draw it?" Aqua spoke quietly, for fear that the girl would be scolded again.
"Yeah. I've loved the story of how Andraste saved everyone and then went to Kingdom Hearts. I wonder if she still lives there. We're saving up for a pilgrimage to see it rise in the sky like all the stories. I hope we can get there before they kill off the Archdemon. Luckily the First says blights last a long time, so we should be fine." she rambled.
"Arashi!" A chiding voice came from the kitchen.
Their host came walking back into the main room and the girl darted back into her room, closing the door behind her. The expression on their face was one that left Aqua unsettled for some reason. It was if they believed Arashi had said too much. She had seen that look only once on Cid's face when she and Campbell were speaking. The person who had welcomed them in warily eyed the door before turning to Aqua and her friends.
"My apologies about her. I'm sure you didn't come all this way to look at that horrendous scrawl. If you want a really good piece, this one was done by one of our most popular artists."
"What's with all the hearts, anyway?" Zell asked, leaning back on the tiny couch.
"I suppose you wouldn't have heard about Kingdom Hearts then, have you?" The person wiped their hands on their apron. "Let me get dinner out to you and then I'll tell you the story."
Aqua wasn't sure what to make of their host. They had a brick shaped body and short hair. They hadn't given any way to identify themselves, so she would have to speak tactfully to avoid any embarrassment. The face of their host reminded her of several people at once; it was just one of those faces you swear you've seen a million times in a crowd. No one else had seemed too bothered by the way they had practically chased Arashi back into her room- Terra was annoyed because of his withdrawals and Skuld due to the cold, but otherwise everyone had the kind of expressions she had expected.
"I hope we aren't troubling you too much. Will there be enough for you and Arashi to eat?" Aqua asked cautiously.
"Oh yes, plenty. A merchant and his friend recently came by. Unfortunately they didn't survive the cold, but their wares were still fresh enough to use. So eat up."
"What luck." Skuld stated.
"Hey, I'm not gonna look a gift nug in the mouth." Zell wiped a hand on his pants. "We owe ya!"
"We can do dishes for you afterwards, if you like." Aerith offered.
"I appreciate it. I've got some unfinished business to attend to later, so that sounds like a fair deal."
The host brought out bowls of soup and a loaf of bread and then took some in to the girl. Both the host and the girl came out of her room after a couple of minutes, and she timidly sat in between Terra and Aqua, directly across from her caregiver. The group spoke amicably throughout the meal, even laughing a few times after a tale told sloppily by Zell or some antic that Terra and Ventus had accomplished in their younger days. Stitch curled up on Arashi's lap. After eating, Terra gently slipped his hand atop of Aqua's behind the girl as they sat on the floor.
"Since you live around here, you would be likely to know the answer. They say the Urn of Sacred Ashes is here. Is it true?" Aqua asked.
"Where did you hear about that?"
"There was-"
"A friend." Ava cut her off, preventing the whole truth from being told.
Aqua shot the bard a quick glance, who slightly shook her head. It made sense; the man who had taught her had valued secrets. Ava had picked up on that and kept her lips tight as well, knowing full well that you never knew who was listening. Still, it was hard to understand exactly why it would be important to keep the first Dwarven Chantry a secret.
"Right. Well, this is the place to see the Urn but I'm afraid it's off limits to visitors." Their host explained. "Don't want anyone stealing her away from us."
"Of course. But we're in dire need. Do you think you can make an exception this one time?" Aqua asked.
"I'll have to speak to the First. They're the only one who can change the rules. We can go tomorrow once the office opens. Since it's so late, would you all like to see our shrine to the history of Andraste tomorrow?"
The group looked to Aqua. She knew that Aerith, Ava and Terra would likely be interested in seeing it, whereas Kimahri, Zell and Skuld wouldn't be. There wasn't a whole lot to do around here besides, except maybe to sell their supplies and buy some new ones. They had been richly laden when they left Orzammar, thanks to King Hans. There had to be somewhere they could go to get rid of most of it.
"That sounds nice. But we need to do some trading as well. Skuld, Kimahri, Zell, can you handle that? We should be done around the same time as you three."
"I thought you'd never ask." Skuld responded with a smirk. "Shall I also sell off that horrendous Teryn Xehanort doll of yours, Terra?"
Instantly the aforementioned Warden's face grew a deep pink color, and his hand left Aqua's. His body had tensed up and there was sheer annoyance in his eyes. Aqua had known about the wooden doll; it had been a gift from Ventus several years earlier. Even after the Teryn had acted at Ostagar, Terra hadn't been able to throw it away. It was almost like a lucky charm; a tacky lucky charm, but lucky nonetheless. They had survived so much this far- maybe it was the doll that had helped to see them through.
"It's not a doll, it's a figurine. And it came from a friend of mine." Terra spoke through gritted teeth. Aqua guessed he was going through another withdrawal.
"My my, getting so worked up." Skuld chuckled. "For your information, I was joking….mostly."
"Well, I can see you've set plans for tomorrow. How about we talk about the Urn when we walk through the shrine?" Their host suggested, sensing some tension.
"That sounds like a wonderful idea." Aerith added in.
Arashi cleared the dishes while Terra offered his shoulder to Aqua, as drowsiness already visibly starting to take her. Aerith and Zack did the few dishes like they had promised before coming back to sit down. Aerith relaxed in Zack's lap, his arms wrapped around her and his hands rested on her thighs. Ava, Stitch and Zell took the couch, and Arashi was snuggled beside Aqua, having hardly left her side the whole time they were there.
Their host stood beside the fire, tending to the flames before beginning the tale of Kingdom Hearts and all its majesty. Their voice was soft and lilting, dancing almost as the fire itself. Aqua had heard the story here and there, but never as completely as this. She also hadn't realized that the Prophetess Andraste was so connected to the story. Perhaps it was because the Chantry hadn't wanted to show that aspect. Based on the templars she knew, she didn't put it past them.
"Long ago" their host spoke. "Andraste was born to unknown parents in this very village. She was given visions from the Maker, and was a kindly child, always singing songs that she'd made up."
Upon hearing that, Aqua looked over at Ava. She had said that her visions had been the reason why she had been ostracized at the Chantry in Lothering and had had a few while they traveled together. The bard's hands clenched into fists as she placed them on her knees. Once again Ava's mask made her face unreadable. What was going through her mind?
Before the story could move on, however, there was a knocking noise coming from what felt like one of the back rooms. Their host excused themselves and headed towards the sound. It had come so unexpectedly that Aqua hadn't even heard it. She was too busy trying to pay attention to the story. Although they hadn't gotten a tour of the place, it was unlikely that there could have been a door back there. Maybe someone had come to the window?
"What was that all about?" Aqua stood up.
"It sounded as if the knocking was coming from inside the house, as I don't think there's a back door." Ava spoke silently.
"We should go find out." Aqua began moving in the way of the room when she felt a small tug at her sleeve.
Arashi shook her head, pursing her lips. The girl sat back down and stared intently at Aqua.
"If you follow, they'll be mad."
"You mean your guardian?"
"I'm not allowed there either. I think it's where the biggest secrets are kept."
"What kind of secrets?" Terra asked gently.
Arashi looked into the fire before her gaze trailed up to the picture of the heart being covered in inky blackness. Aqua's eyes followed hers and took note of the picture. She quickly pulled the pin from the wall and took the picture down. In the corner of the vellum there was a signature, but it had since been rubbed down to the point where it was unreadable. Their host must have held onto the picture just the way she was doing for a very long time.
There wasn't anything out of the ordinary with the picture itself- nothing on the back, nothing on the corners or in the picture itself. Aqua turned around and gave the paper to the little girl.
"Can you tell me exactly what this is?"
"It's Kingdom Hearts. The legend says that light will expire and darkness prevail."
"This Kingdom Hearts seems to be popping up everywhere. We can't get away from it." Zack shook his head.
"You're right. Legend says it'll show up when the Archdemon arises. Do you think the shrine will have more information for us?" Aerith piped up.
"Maybe. We still have to close that door, too." Aqua mused.
"Then it's best not to get distracted." Ava shot a glance at the two Wardens, drawing forth a blush from them.
Their host came back and announced that there would have to be arrangements made for their sleeping quarters after the story, as there was not enough room for them in their current location. They sent Arashi out to the neighbors to look for a space. She managed to find three neighbors who had a room open.
"I'm so sorry about that interruption. Where were we?"
"You were just getting to the part where Andraste was betrayed by her husband." Aqua noted.
"Right. So Maferath (2) sent his wife to be burned at the stake. Instead of her spirit going away though, the Maker took her to Kingdom Hearts to live with him. They say that it only appears when the Archdemon does because it's a symbol of his wrath against the humans. But under it's light, we can feel her mercy shining down. All those who survive the blight are said to be chosen by her to live on in her care."
"So they live in Kingdom Hearts- a place you can in theory actually visit." Zell stated. "Has anyone tried to knock on the door?"
"You have to be a powerful mage with the proper spell to go in." Their host replied.
"And I take it you dont have that spell." Zack guessed.
"We'll have it soon. The first is a mage and we have the entire library here that Andraste had access to. I can only imagine how many questions I'll be able to have answered then. But for now I have something I need to do and you all have beds awaiting you. Arashi, show them to the neighbor's houses please."
They split up into three groups which ultimately left Terra and Aqua on their own in a stranger's house. It was warm and cozy, with basically the same set up as Arashi's house. The family members who were still awake showed Terra and Aqua to the room with a small mattress shoved in the corner. It was sparce, but liveable, with some of the same pictures of heart moons and Andraste that they had seen at their host's house, including the inky black one. Their hosts bid them goodnight and closed the door behind them.
"You can have the bed tonight, Terra." Aqua offered, sitting down and taking off her boots.
"No way. You think I'm really going to let you take the floor?"
"You've been dealing with major headaches. The last thing you need is to sleep on the cold ground."
"And we don't need you getting sick."
He held his gaze on her for a moment before sitting on the bed and then laying down, an inquisitive look on his face. He reached his arm out without a word, as if he were measuring something. Aqua tentatively sat down by his feet, watching as he finished whatever it was he was doing.
"The bed is a little small, but I think we'll be just fine to sleep on it together." Terra sat up again and proceeded to take his boots off as well.
"Terra...are you sure?"
Aqua's blush ran deep and her heart began to pound. They had been sleeping close together for the last week and a half, but that was in separate bed rolls and the group had cuddled up together when they couldn't find a cave. Since they had confessed their feelings for one another, they hadn't done much that a regular couple might do besides occasionally hold hands at night. She wasn't sure what was proper to do, and wanted to avoid making it awkward for anyone.
"You've already confessed your feelings for me, so it's okay. Besides, we're just going to be laying together. It's not like we're going to bed like that."
He realized what he said and then looked away from her, rubbing the back of his neck before running a hand through his hair. Terra was brought out of his awkward pause when she gently placed a hand on his arm and gave him a smile. Suddenly all of the tension in the air had gone away, leaving a serenity that Aqua hadn't felt very often. Usually her mind had some worry on the back burner. Here in this room with Terra, the thoughts were silent.
Terra laid back against the wall and patted the spot next to him. She lay down cautiously, staring up at his beautiful blue eyes. They were still clouded over by the pain that he had been feeling because of his withdrawal, but they were clearer today than they had been in a while. She felt his hand press against the small of her back after he pulled the covers up, leaving a small kiss on her forehead.
"I love you, Aqua." Terra whispered.
Hearing his voice so close in her ear gave Aqua goosebumps as she nestled against him more comfortably. Granted it was difficult to get comfortable as his years of training had left him with very little fat on his body, but she adjusted as best as she could, turning her back to him so they fit together. His free hand rested on her stomach and slowly moved up and down ever so slightly. She closed her eyes and took in the warmth that radiated from him, listening to his steady heartbeat. As he took deep breaths, she could feel his chest rise and fall. He must have been more tired than she expected.
"I love you too, Terra. You're one of the bravest men I've ever met."
"Thanks. I could say the same about you, but I guess it would just come off as a little uncreative now that you've said it." He chuckled.
"There are other words to choose from that describe me, you know."
"I know, but when you're this close to me, I kind of have a hard time coming up with the right phrases." Terra admitted. "Care to help me out?"
"And make me compliment myself?" Aqua teased. "It can't be that hard to think of at least one."
Immediately his hand stopped moving and he paused in order to come up with a way to describe the woman who he was sharing a bed with. She had already lay down her head and was nestling into the blanket. He noticed the small contented sigh that left her lips once she had tucked herself into a little ball. So many words came to mind about what he thought of her, but none of them were good enough. He didn't need the complexity of the more refined phrases, but the simpler ones surely didn't even begin to cover just how much he had grown to depend on her.
"You're beautiful." He suggested, although that wasn't nearly enough.
"Is that all?"
"What else?"
Aqua turned over just to smack him in the arm, her eyes looking into his. She couldn't believe the nerve of him. Weren't lovers supposed to write songs and odes about their other's virtues? She had always read about it and had heard others in the circle whispering here and there about their secret lovers and crushes. It disappointed her, she found, despite the fact that she hadn't expected it to.
"You didn't let me finish." Terra protested. "I had more. I just have to find a way to put it into words."
"You've got to start using your head, Terra." Aqua placed her hand on his temple, her palm brushing against his cheek.
"No, not my head." He grasped her hand and brought it down to his chest. "I need to listen with my heart."
She tried to pull away to hide her face as she normally did, but he had a strong grip on her. So instead she realized into his hold and buried her face in his broad chest. The scent was distinctly his- cedar mixed with smoke and sweat. Here she was safe in his embrace, warmed by his core temperature. No matter what happened, they could make it work. They'd gather more Wardens, they'd carry on Eraqus's legacy. Which of course was the reason why she dreaded the rise of the Archdemon so much. The end was coming.
"Terra? Do you think that girl is okay? Arashi?" Aqua asked, changing the subject.
"Hm? Why do you ask?"
"It's just the way they all talked tonight. Her guardian snapped at her for the littlest thing, and this obsession they have over Kingdom Hearts is a little odd."
"I guess. But is it really the worst thing to be fanatic about? We've only been shown kindness by these people."
She paused. "I guess you're right. I just had this gut feeling that something isn't right."
"Are you suggesting we try to go sneak back into her house to check in on her?"
"Well when you put it like that..."
"Hey, I know you worry a lot." Terra sighed and then sat up. "Can you at least use some sort of spell that will make us more quiet?"
Although Aqua didn't know any spell that would help them sneak in the shadows, the snow on the ground softened their footsteps and she used an ice spell to cover their trail. The house where Arashi stayed was close by, and their fireplace was still aglow, despite the late hour. They looked into the small window in one of the back rooms to find a small amount of light coming up from the floor. There had been a cellar underneath the house the whole time. The host walked up some steps with a large load in their arms and headed quietly into the kitchen.
Without losing any time, Terra and Aqua hurried to one of the only other windows in the house which was near the front door, but still provided an excellent view. Perhaps it was her paranoia, but she half expected whatever the host was carrying to be something of a dangerous nature. I stead it was bottles and vials, each with its own label. The host stood over the jars and looked through each one carefully, picking up a list and checking between the vellum and jars. When they had what they needed, they took everything else and returned to the cellar to put it away.
"See? Nothing out of the ordinary. They're just grabbing some kind of food out of the cellar. It must be where they decided to store the leftover goods from those merchants." Terra whispered.
"I guess you're right. Sorry, I know this was stupid."
"Unless they're spell components." Terra added.
"As in, components to enter Kingdom Hearts?"
"You're the mage here, you tell me."
There hadn't been anything in any of the books she had read about a way to get into Kingdom Hearts. It was supposed to simply be some old wives tale about a place with incredible magical power. The amount of people who were taking this story so seriously was beginning to make her wonder if there really wasn't more to it.
"I'm losing it. This is crazy. We snuck out of a perfectly nice room to spy on someone who's been nothing but kind to us. I'm sorry Terra, I let my imagination get the better of me."
"You need sleep. You've been exhausting yourself and your lyrium supply."
"You're right. I should have listened."
"Hey." Terra caught her chin with one of his hands. "Don't bother with that. If you have a gut feeling, you should follow it. You never know, it might lead you- and maybe all of us- to the truth."
Aqua blushed, her cold skin warming up slightly at the compliment. She could feel his hands trembling ever so slightly with the cold as well. Dear maker, they hadn't even thought to bring their coats wanting to get in and out as quickly as possible. They needed to get out fast without revealing themselves. As quietly as one could in a crouched position, Aqua turned and headed back to the home they were staying in when she bumped into something incredibly well hidden in the shadows.
"And here I thought you two were the good kids of the group. What are you doing here?" A small voice erupted from whatever she had bumped into.
"Ava? What are you doing here?" Aerith asked.
"I believe I asked you first." She pulled the dark cloak off her form. "Wondering about what our host was up to tonight too, huh?"
"There just was something that didn't sit right." Aqua admitted.
"If they're up to anything, we'll know by seeing whatever is in that jar. If you'll unlock the door, I can be in and out in a minute."
The Warden reluctantly nodded and they crept over to the door. A second later Ava had crept into the house. Although it was difficult, it was barely possible to track her movements through the dim room. She moved like the fennec foxes that the group had seen on their way to Redcliffe. Perhaps that was why she had chosen the fox to represent her on her mask.
The light in the back room lit up for a second as the trapdoor opened and the light was extinguished. All the light they had to see by now was the fireplace, and it was low in the hearth. That was good news for Ava to a point, but now there was a variable. They had no idea how well their host could see in the dark or if Ava could get out of there in time. Aqua clenched her fists together so hard that her knuckles had turned white. Without moving his eyes off Ava, Terra placed a hand over hers.
Their host walked right by her, Ava stilling her breath until she was sure they had passed. They sure we're taking their sweet time standing around. In the faint light, she swore they looked at her once, though made no motion toward her. The muscles in her legs, though trained, were starting to get tired standing perfectly still. Her eyes never left the form, not even to check if Terra and Aqua we're wise enough to keep their heads down. All that mattered was the motion inside the room.
They put out the fire and walked once more around the room, arms stretched out in front of them. Ava thanked the Maker Gula had gone over the trick of disappearing in shadows. She would have to remember to thank him, should they ever meet up again.
Just then, the host took a step toward her and she made herself as small as possible. There was no escaping their touch now. But she was never found out. Or at least, the host avoided grazing her with their hands or feet. They didn't say anything either, so if they had known Ava was there, they didn't let on. Instead, they simply left the room and closed the door behind them.
Without a moment to hesitate, Ava bolted out the door and rushed Terra and aqua away from the house.
"So, what was it?" Aqua asked once they got far enough away. "What was in the jar?"
Ava sighed, looking more tired than Aqua had ever seen her. The bard answered in a dejected tone.
"Flour."
Whew, finally done! I was going out of my comfort zone there because I wanted to try something new. I hope you guys enjoyed it! Now, on to the notes!
1 okay, I know that I wanted more latin names here (hence Corvin), but Arashi is an oc that KeywielderAnima and I created, so I decided to utilize her here. Naming conventions be darned. (Also, if you need some more content to read, her Oathkeeper's Awakening is very good)2 you'll notice that I've been keeping the names of Andraste and her husband as well as the the one member of the Elven pantheon who has appeared. This is mostly because I hadn't done enough research on each of their personalities to come up with Final Fantasy characters for each of them at the time I started writing this. Also, when I wrote this, we didn't have as much info on Dragon Age 4, or as many fan theories. With as important as some of these characters will likely end up being, chances are good most of the Elven pantheon will be given specific characters that even casual fans should be able to recognize. But my guess is that Andraste will be much more important than Maferath, so it's totally cool that his name remains.
Thanks everyone for reading and I hope to see you again soon!
