Chapter 27: Hope Upon a Flower
The Crystal Tower was quiet as he made his way to the Ocular, a quiet that was far different from the last time he had made this journey. He was grateful for it. Passing through the halls of the sleeping tower of the Source had been unnerving to say the least.
The Ocular was empty when he arrived. Fragments of memories filled in the space with ghosts of his friends, of G'raha as the Crystal Exarch, and a strange sort of longing settled in his chest. While he was glad everyone was back where they belonged and G'raha had been able to join them, there was something about those first moments on the First that he longed for. With a shake of his head and a soft, amused smile tugging at his lips, he started walking again. He could reminisce later.
The Umbilicus's doors gave easily and opened to a room untouched. The countless books G'raha had stacked about were still precariously piled around the room, like a moment in time to be left preserved for all eternity.
Inexplicably, his thoughts went to Elidibus.
Approaching the Console, he pulled out G'raha's spirit vessel. He wasn't certain how exactly all of this would work. Beyond the few times he had interacted with Allag technology, it had always been minor things. Cid - or even G'raha - would have been the better choice if-
-Biometric authentication complete. Please state your business.-
He jumped, startled, and reflex had the spirit vessel digging into his chest. Out of everything, he hadn't expected it to talk. Since when did it talk? "I'm looking to speak with the soul of Elidibus," he rushed, trying - and failing - to see if he could recall any other consoles talking.
-Acknowledged. Reinitializing Syrcus Tower systems. Searching for "Elidibus" entity.-
The nodes had. Surely the consoles would have too. He stopped that line of thinking; there was no point running around trying to rack his brain for something he obviously hadn't remembered. It was a moot point now, anyway. The consoles could talk. Far better than him stumbling around files and code looking for what he needed. He tucked the spirit vessel away. Probably faster, too. Though, now that he thought about it, how long was this going to take?
-Target located in subterranean core power accumulator. Projecting image.-
Oh. Well that was convenient.
"My home…" Elidibus's voice came from behind him, bringing with it a wash of grief or remorse he hadn't been expecting. "My friends…" He should have. After everything he should have expected the pressure that filled his chest and made it ache. Turning and finding the projection seemed to make it worse. "No more than a dream…" Elidibus's gaze rose to meet his and he held it, steady in his resolve to not let his emotions throw a wrench into all this. He could be emotional when the conversation was over. "You… Why have you awakened me? I no longer sense those places beyond…or Lord Zodiark. You must explain all."
Places beyond? No, that didn't matter. He explained the situation to Elidibus, of how Fandaniel had made the towers and then made a Primal, all of it with the intent of breaking the seal on Zodiark, doing his best to keep it as precise and succinct as he could. "Despite the first attempt failing, in the end Fandaniel did free an incomplete Zodiark and merged with the Primal. With the choices being stopping Fandaniel then and there or letting him destroy the Source…you can probably guess what I chose," he finished a bit lamely.
Elidibus's gaze fell. "So. He is fallen, and my brethren's souls returned to the star…" For a moment, silence settled between them, and Echo'a hoped that Elidibus was right. At the same time, he couldn't help but wonder what Elidibus was thinking about before that gaze returned to him. "The doom we sacrificed so much to prevent is come again. Old burdens, now yours to bear. But if this is Fandaniel's design, then I, as Elidibus, have a duty to fulfill. Your unsolicited act has restored to me some few memories of the Convocation. Such knowledge as I have, I will share."
"Thank you."
"I do this not for you. I merely perform my duty, as I have ever done."
He frowned. As much as he was grateful the other was sharing what he could, he knew well enough Elidibus was not doing this for him. "Would you rather I apologize, then?"
"Why apologize for receiving a favor of the defeated? If it sits ill, consider it payment for freeing Lord Zodiark from servitude." He shifted his weight but kept his tongue still. There was no point in pushing a nonissue. "Where to begin…" Elidibus mused. "Ah. The end. Your understanding of what caused the Final Days is consistent with our own. The decay first took root where the currents were weakest. Yes…a conclusion drawn by him. Fandaniel. Not the him of here and now, but as I knew him. Long, long ago… Having shed light upon the phenomenon, he dedicated himself to devising a countermeasure. Were it not for his knowledge of the celestial, we would never have made the connection - and thence forestalled the Final Days. And though he inherited that noble soul, how different this last incarnation. So consumed by self-loathing and hate."
"The Watcher on the moon mentioned something about the Elpis flower being of some significance. Do you happen to know anything about it?"
"…Elpis?" Elidibus crossed his arms, almost as a sort of thoughtful habit like someone tipping their head slightly to one side. "Yes…the name is familiar to me. Yet I know it not as a flower, but a place." That certainly piqued his interest. Elidibus returned his arms to his side. "A testing facility for determining which of our creations were fit to be released into the world. Many worked there. And before joining the Convocation and assuming the title of Fandaniel, he was their chief. He…was Hermes." Elidibus shook his head. "That is all I know. The crystals tell little of the lives the Fourteen led prior to their induction. Elpis itself would tell even less. Nary a ruin has survived-"
Elidibus jerked before curling forward, his hands going to his head, and instinctively Echo'a took a step forward ready to comfort or assist. Upon realizing his reaction, he relaxed his body but did not step back, waiting.
"Wait…" Elidibus said after a breath, "I saw you there. In Elpis. No…I did not…but I did. I did. A lingering trace of impossibility." Elidibus finally straightened, though Echo'a was certain the other's gaze did not fall to him quite yet. "And a truth…that fills my heart…"
One of his ears flattened out in his confusion and uncertainty for what that statement seemed to be implying. Still, it seemed his reaction was enough for Elidibus to keep talking.
"My memories remain clouded, I fear. However, they have revealed to me one possible course. You must travel to Elpis - to the time when Hermes served as its chief." And there was confirmation for that implication. More time stuff; oh goody. "In glimpsing the Exarch's memories, not only did I make his summoning magick mine own,I also mastered the workings of this tower. Which, having absorbed my empowered essence, now harbors an abundance of energy. As such, I believe I can deliver you unto the past. Unto that place and that precise moment." Elidibus's gaze drifted to the console behind Echo'a. "Given the eons that must be traversed, the gateway will not be fully formed. Your form will be less tangible still than those Warriors of Light I had summoned. In all likelihood, none will be able to see or hear you." That masked gaze returned to him as Elidibus warned him, "Yet even should you manage to interact with others, you will be unable to effect meaningful change. For the reality you wish to save - the reality to which you must return - exists as a result of the Final Days. You cannot reshape the past to undo the tragedies of the present. Cannot unmake the sorrow and suffering fated to come. In full knowledge of this, will you still entrust your life to your foe and make the journey?"
He huffed a laugh, shaking his head as he rocked back enough to return to a stance that was more neutral and properly facing Elidibus. "You say that like I have a choice in the matter." The amused smile that had tugged at his lips fell as he sought out Elidibus's gaze. He shrugged. "I trust you enough to follow through with this, if that counts."
"Very well. I shall cast you unto the river of time. Let this be my final act." He frowned at that but didn't get the chance to ask after it as Elidibus kept talking. "You must input the commands. I no longer have the authority. First, you must reconfigure the systems, that the tower's aether may be channeled for the magick."
Returning to the console, he followed Elidibus's instructions on how to do just that, though his need for guidance diminished after the first few steps. He had to hand it to the Allagans for at least making their system somewhat user friendly.
"The preparations are complete." He frowned; Elidibus's voice sounded different. Echo'a turned to find that the image of the other had vanished, leaving his voice to resonate in the room itself. The unease that had seeped into his chest at Elidibus's statement only grew. "The gateway will soon open. Return at once to the Ocular."
Echo'a turned and started walking, asking as he went, "You mentioned something about this being your final act. What did you mean by that?"
"The magick should consume every last mote of my essence," Elidibus explained plainly. Of course it would. His expression must have fallen because Elidibus was talking again. "Why are you crestfallen? Lord Zodiark is no more. There is nothing for me here. The ones I love and long to see again are waiting. In that promised land, beyond memory and dream…"
He shook his head as he came to a stop at the bottom of the platform. "Is it so wrong to mourn those who leave us? What you've been through was bad enough; but as long as you truly get to join them when this is done, I will keep my grief to myself."
Silence answered him. Honestly, he deserved it.
"All appears to be in order," Elidibus said, breaking the silence. There were no hints as to what Elidibus was thinking in that neutral tone. "The aether flows unimpeded." The very portal he had used to go between the First and the Source time and time again filled with light before settling into the familiar brightness of an active portal. "Now go, Warrior of Light. Go…and do not look back."
His footfall did not hesitate to drag him through the portal but he could not heed Elidibus's last words. He glanced back as he passed through the portal's surface, taking one last look at a place that held far too much meaning for what it was. If the Twelve had any mercy, he prayed they carried Elidibus's soul to wherever his fellows were. It was the least they could do for him after everything.
He hoped the same had happened for Emet-Selch's soul, but a shade in the midst of a fight made that hope seem rather pointless.
The river of time, as Elidibus had so eloquently put it, was far less a river as it was just an emptiness with balls of…were they ice? Whatever they truly were, the glowing clusters flew past him. It was rather beautiful, though he was certain he would have appreciated the view more if it hadn't left him with the odd sensation of freefalling head first into a never ending void. Granted, the freefall wasn't as rapid as a proper freefall was but it was still discerningly similar. And after a short while, it became apparent he was 'falling' towards a specific cluster. The closer and larger it got, the brighter it became until he was rightly blinded by it.
When that brightness faded, he found himself standing in a room he had never been in before. Ahead of him was a massive aetheryte, or at least the equivalent of as it became very apparent he was truly in the past when one of the ancients approached him.
No, not approach. Realizing the person wasn't paying him any mind, he quickly backpedaled to avoid getting trampled on, a cry of annoyance and warning escaping him with the motion.
Except, no sound escaped his mouth. Air passed through his lungs, through his throat, and he could feel the vibration of noise, but he heard nothing. He wasn't deaf. The person's footfall had been audible and the chatter about the room filled the air with a soft din of noise. Which meant Elidibus's assumption about his state of existence in the past was accurate. Even looking at his hands found them to be almost nonexistent except for the faintest disruption in the air. He rubbed them against his face if for nothing more than to help ground himself in the weird reality he was now facing.
It would be fine. He could wander around as barely a ghost and get the information he needed and return back to the present. It would be fine.
It had to be fine.
With a steadying breath, he tucked the overwhelm aside to deal with at a later date and focused on the space he was in. There were a small handful of ancients scattered about the room, most in small groups talking. He drifted among them. The only thing that seemed noteworthy was that he was in 'Propylaion' but the rest of the conversation gave absolutely no context if that was the name of the building, whatever laid beyond the building, or the country itself, even. Elidibus said he had sent him to Elpis but had apparently failed to be specific about where he was being sent.
With a headache already starting to brew, he wandered over to the large doors he assumed led out of the building. Not wanting to test to see if he'd just pass right through or not, he sat down to one side of the door as close to the wall as he dared. The floor he knew he wouldn't pass through - he was standing on it - but everything else-
He buried his face in his hands again. He was spiraling. The overwhelm he had tried to bury wasn't staying tucked away and if he didn't calm down, he was going to have a very hard time thinking things through and right now he needed as clear of a head as he could get.
He slowed his breathing, deliberately counted each inhale and exhale and the seconds between them as he coaxed tight muscles to relax. The sounds of the room never stopped but having his eyes closed certainly made it easier to handle them.
There was a soft sound, like a dancer's fan being swished through the air, that sounded almost like the same noise from someone using the aetheryte.
"And here we are. Elpis."
His ear twitched towards the speaker. That voice sounded vaguely familiar, like he had heard it once at some point not overly recent.
"Well, well," a second voice spoke up, "how rare to receive you in person. To what do we owe the honor?"
"Oh, just a few odd tasks," that familiar voice replied. "We'll be here a while."
He scrunched his face still buried in his hands. Where did he know that voice from?
"You're welcome to stay as long as you see fit, of course. As a matter of procedure, however, I must ask that you kindly remove your masks."
"Come now," a third voice drawled, "is this truly necessary? Surely you can tell who we are."
His head snapped up but his vision was blurry from the pressure that had been against his eyes. He knew that voice.
"Who you are, perhaps," the first voice spoke up, "but I am far less infamous." He scrambled to his feet. No, he knew that third voice. He would know that voice anywhere. "Regardless, if we do not follow protocol, 'tis our hosts who would be held accountable. So please, do favor us with your handsome face."
It was the sigh of defeat that gave him away, surprisingly enough. The silver hair was certainly similar enough that he probably would have guessed right but Emet-Selch's personality had clearly survived several countless lifetimes. The pair removed their masks and Emet-Selch, obviously annoyed, crossed his arms and let his gaze drift.
Yellow eyes that seemed to almost glow with how vibrant they were came to a stop looking right at him. Despite the hair and eyes being different, there was no mistaking Emet-Selch for anyone else. He tensed under that gaze, his vision blurring for a moment as he sucked in a breath, but it cleared as soon as he blinked. A split second later, he registered the fact that tears had filled his eyes. Immediately looking away from Emet-Selch, he blinked back the remaining tears as he rubbed his cheek against his arm.
Damn. And he had been doing so well getting calmed down.
Emet-Selch's voice curled around him despite the word not meant for him. "Satisfied?"
"I thank you for your cooperation. You are free to go about your business."
Out of all the people he would run into, he had not expected Emet-Selch. Elidibus, sure. The man had made it obvious they would meet at some point while he was in the past but Emet-Selch? He rubbed at his face one last time before running his hand through his hair. Though, he did have to admit, it beat following a stranger about. And with as transparent as he was, there was no way that Emet-Selch had seen him. Their gazes meeting had been purely one sided; Emet-Selch had no idea he existed.
Gods, he really hoped this didn't take more than a few hours.
The sound of footfall dragged him out of his thoughts and he brought his awareness back to the world around him. Emet-Selch and his companion were approaching the door, said companion leading the way. Echo'a stepped back from the door. As long as he could manage to keep pace with their long strides, tailing them should be easy enough.
Emet-Selch's companion stopped at the door but did not move to open it. With a slight turn of the head, they asked Emet-Selch, "By the by. You see it too, yes?"
It? What were they- Wait. They couldn't mean him, could they?
Emet-Selch crossed his arms and looked in the opposite direction of Echo'a. "I haven't the foggiest what you're talking about."
Emet-Selch's companion turned just enough to look at the man, amusement just as apparent on their soft expression as in their words. "Hmm? That's odd." Emet-Selch's companion knelt facing Echo'a and those vibrant purple eyes focused on him, holding his gaze. By the Twelve, they had meant him. He tensed under the sudden attention, his gaze briefly darting to Emet-Selch. "It's right here. A bit thin in the aether, but there's no mistaking it; the color of its soul is almost identical to Azem's." His ears lifted at the name despite his unease with the situation. That purple gaze left him for Emet-Selch. "Do you suppose he created it? Rather unusual for a familiar to have a soul, though."
Emet-Selch's gaze landed on him again and he bristled under it, ears pinning back as he was subjected to the man studying him for a long second. The coil of grief filled his throat but his eyes barely watered. He couldn't say anything to his expression, though. And then, just like that, Emet-Selch's gaze left him as the man drawled, "Don't ask me. All I know is that it's trouble - doubly so if it's his spitting image. So let's leave it be. Come, now."
So much for being able to follow someone he at least recognized around. He glared at the bottom of the door so he didn't glare at Emet-Selch, more hurt than mad - not that he would admit it outloud. As long as they opened the door long enough, he could figure out where Hermes was and maybe sort out how to get answers when the only two ancients that seemed to be able to see him were just going to leave him be.
Emet-Selch's companion stood up. "Why don't you give it some aether?" Echo'a's gaze snapped to the purple haired ancient in surprise but they were currently looking at Emet-Selch. "Spare a snifter of your bounteous reserves."
Emet-Selch scoffed. "Who do you take me for?"
"Why, a dear friend, of course. One who wouldn't let acts of kindness - such as my accompanying him on errands to far-flung outposts - go unrewarded?"
Echo'a blinked up at the pair of them. Did…did Emet-Selch just get coerced into helping him? The look on the man's face as his companion spoke was one he had certainly never thought he'd see on the ever scowling Emet-Selch. The defeated sigh certainly seemed to confirm it. The glare he received made him jump but Emet-Selch's voice was the same drawl that he had used on his companion. "I suggest you close your eyes, or this may be…unpleasant."
The small flinch when Emet-Selch raised his hand was involuntary as he squeezed his eyes shut. There was the anticipated snap of fingers and a shudder shot through him as aether filled him. Not wash over him like he was used to but actually filled him. It reminded him too keenly of the First and taking on that of the Lightwardens. The only difference was this had lacked any pain. It had lacked any sensation at all, beyond the aether itself, and even that didn't linger.
Emet-Selch's voice cut through his observation. "You may open your eyes."
"Oh, you even adjusted its size," Emet-Selch's companion said, sounding happy with the fact as Echo'a complied. Emet-Selch had indeed increased his height - probably even back to his original height, not that he would be able to tell with how large everything in the past was.
"The better to indulge your whim," Emet-Selch said, brushing off the comment. Echo'a looked at his hands and found them as solid as if he was back home. "This way it will be easier to communicate."
"How very thoughtful of you. And may I applaud your artful reinforcement."
He lowered his hands and found Emet-Selch staring at him again. He managed to quell the desire to bristle under the gaze, though he couldn't keep his back from tensing. "Thank you," he said, earnest in his words even though it felt a bit lacking.
Emet-Selch scoffed but didn't reply.
His companion, however, did. "Think nothing of it. Now, without further ado: Greetings! I am Hythlodaeus, chief of the Bureau of the Architect." This was Hythlodaeus? Despite his ears coming up at the name, every bit of tension left his body. While he didn't know Hythlodaeus beyond the shade and the soul he had met, those two interactions had spoken much of the man's character and he knew he could trust him. "Sulking beside me is the most honorable Emet-Selch of the Convocation of Fourteen. And how might we address you, my new friend?"
"Echo'a," he replied simply.
Hythlodaeus nodded. "A fine name. So tell us, whence have you come? The thinness of your essence suggests you weren't created here…"
He couldn't help the chuckle that escaped him from that. "That's one way of putting it." He shook his head. "The thinness of my essence is due in part to the journey it took to get here."
Hythlodaeus brought a hand to his chin in thought. It did not surprise Echo'a his nonanswer did not go unchallenged. It wasn't like they would believe him even if he told the truth and he had already been warned off by Elidibus about making an impact on the past, though not necessarily in so few words. "Hmm. Allow me to ask a different question, then." Echo'a nodded on reflex. "What brings you here?"
A silver flower turned yellow flickered through his thoughts. "I am here to learn about Elpis," he said. It was true enough; hard to learn about a place without learning about the overseer at the same time.
Surprise pulled a smile to Hythlodaeus's lips. "Well now, the same as us." Hythlodaeus looked to Emet-Selch. "Perhaps Azem wished to come too, but had to settle for a familiar."
Echo'a was not above using that to his advantage if it made things go over smoother but Emet-Selch was quick to point out, "If he truly wished to be here, then he would be."
Hythlodaeus seemed unperturbed by the correction. "Right you are," he said before turning his attention back to Echo'a. "My apologies if we've given offense. The two of us can discern the color of souls, you see, and yours happens to resemble that of a friend. And with your purpose matching our own besides, we jumped to a hasty conclusion."
He offered a soft smile. "No offense taken. It was a sound conclusion even being off the mark."
He was surprised when there was a shift in Hythlodaeus's posture, like the other had been tense. With his actions and words so far, Echo'a hadn't expected to see tension bleed from the other. He glanced at Emet-Selch. How was he friends with such a good soul? How much change had thousands of lifetimes caused that Echo'a would even question such a friendship?
Hythlodaeus spoke again, oblivious - thankfully - to the thoughts running through Echo'a's head. "We are here to speak with Hermes, the chief overseer of this facility, which we also intend to tour in order to gain greater insight into the man's work. "We", I say, though this is Emet-Selch's charge. I am here only to serve as his guide. And I should be happy to serve as yours as well by way of an apology for the misunderstanding."
Emet-Selch cut in. "Wait, are you suggesting that we bring it along on official business? This thing we know next to nothing about?"
His expression flattened at being called a thing but he didn't move to correct the man. It worked in his favor if they assumed he was something he wasn't. Though, it might hinder him in areas as well.
Why did this have to be so complicated?
"If you harbor suspicions, better to keep it close than leave it to its own devices, wouldn't you agree?" Hythlodaeus asked, his tone light but to the point, a showcase of the intelligence Hythlodaeus harbored. No, ok. Now he understood why Emet-Selch would be friends with Hythlodaeus. Hythlodaeus moved to the door and opened it, adding as if Emet-Selch needed any more convincing, "Besides, having a mysterious life-form in tow is the norm rather than the exception here."
Hythlodaeus walked through the doorway and onto a stone path amongst greenery. What little Echo'a could see from the doorway spoke of blue skies and lush grounds. There was the sound of shifting fabric before he heard Emet-Selch start walking. "Come on, you," Emet-Selch said from his left shoulder as a hand pressed into his back and shoved him forward with little force. Adrenaline shot through him at the point of contact. He darted forward two steps, turning enough to lock eyes with Emet-Selch, forcing himself to calm down. That had startled him. While he was certain it was his imagination, he could almost see hints that his reaction had startled Emet-Selch in turn. The man's next words certainly retained a rather familiar annoyed tone giving nothing away as Emet-Selch walked past him. "If you are coming with, keep up. We will not wait for you if you fall behind."
Echo'a quickly followed after but his attention was immediately grabbed by the view.
He was reminded of several places on the Source but they all seemed like imitations to what was the original. Floating islands filled to the brim with greenery stretched out before them, staggered in elevation and varied in what they contained. Waterfalls cascaded over the rims of several islands and the greenery he had only glimpsed before was speckled with countless flowers. What lay immediately ahead of them was mostly grasses and trees while an island beyond at one of the higher elevations seemed to only host a massive building.
A tug on the shoulder of his coat drew him up short before he ran into Hythlodaeus. Emet-Selch only frowned at him when Echo'a glanced his way. The thanks that had been on his tongue leadened it instead and he quickly looked to Hythlodaeus instead as Hythlodaeus said, "Welcome, my friends, to the testing ground of creation at heavens' edge: Elpis." Hythlodaeus turned to them both, beaming. "This is hardly my first time here, but the scenery never fails to take my breath away. Why, it feels as if you could reach out and touch the heavens." Hythlodaeus clapped his hands together. "Now then, to begin our guided tour." Hythlodaeus's gaze settled on Echo'a. "Perhaps you already know these things, but for the sake of thoroughness, I shall start with the basics. Using concepts to give shape to aether, creation magicks allow us to bring forth anything we desire, be it inanimate objects or living beings. Anyone may conceive of concepts, but they must all undergo evaluation at the Bureau of the Architect. As part of that process, living beings and certain arcane entities may be sent here to Elpis for in-depth observation and study." His interest must have shown on his face because Hythlodaeus chuckled. "A fascinating facility, isn't it? I daresay you will enjoy touring it with us."
Oh most definitely. Even if there was still a thick knot of overwhelm gnawing at him, he could not deny the fact that he was looking forward to learning about the past in the past. If only he had been able to bring G'raha or Y'shtola with him. They would have been over the moon if given the opportunity to learn so much history from its source.