Author's notes -
sorry if this next chapter escalates a little quickly, I'm pretty new to this.
Chapter two: We Weren't the First
"Heh, good to see that you've not forgotten me", Tull said.
"Well, it's hard to forget a mask like that. So tell me, what are ya doing all the way out here. And another thing, where've ya been",Nia asked, concerned. She had been all over Alrest and had not seen a single trace of him.
"Well, I was on my way to Leftheria. I heard that you had recently settled there. As to why you haven't seen me, I've been imprisoned."
"Indol final caught up with ya, huh?" Nia asked.
"Yes, but when it fell, I seized my chance to escape amidst the chaos,"
"Well good for you, but could ya, by chance, help me get this damn fire going."
"Of course," Tull stated, and brought out a small box of matches from his bag.
Nia just sighed into her hand. "I really should've been better prepared for this, huh"
"Heh, you always were he type to get caught up in new ideas. And once you did, you rarely gave it a second thought," Tull said, lightly chuckling.
"Oi, that's not how it is anymore, this is actually a first in a long while," Nia said, defending herself. "I guess that I just got used to having Pyra around."
"That would be the Aegis, correct? Word travels fast in prison"
"Yeah. Say since you were coming to see me anyway, how about exploring Elysium together, eh?"
"I was actually going to ask you that. I'm putting together a team, and you're my first recruit. There's something not right with this new land. Something tells me that we're not the only ones here."
"Oh?" Nia was curious, now. Her old friend could be a bit theatrical at times, but this sounded serious. "Well, now ya got me curious."
"I've been exploring this place for awhile now, actually. And I've found one strange set of ruins after another. They all have odd, what I assume to be, lettering on them. I personally find it rather unsettling."
"Well, it is possible that we were not the first ones here," Dromarch added.
"Precisely," Tull said. "But whenever I go to these ruins, I get a feeling of an ominous presence watching me. I once went to some ruins at night, and there were voices coming from the stone."
"Are you seriously saying that there's something supernatural about this land?" Said Nia.
"Think about it, My Lady. We are in another dimension, I believe. The rules of our reality may not apply here," said Dromarch, not really siding with anyone but more just playing devils advocate.
"That was my thought, as well. There are some ancient tribes from Alrest that attempt summoning magic, were there not?" Inquired Tull.
"Yeah, but nothing ever happened with that. Even Vale admits that she never gets anywhere," said Nia.
"Well, what if the rules are different here. What if there actually is something to summon."
"He has a point, My Lady. At the very least it would not hurt to see some of these ruins for ourselves."Nia just sighed into her hand.
"Fine, we'll check them out, but I'm telling you; we'll find nothing"
"Great, we'll head out in the morning," said Tull. "It would be better if we visited during the day."
"That, and I'm tired. Let's get some shut-eye." Said Nia as she yawned.
"Let's," agreed Tull.