Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of the Abyss.
Chapter 37
Undineday, Gnome-Decan 55, ND2019 – 8:05am local time (Zao Ruins)
Disembarking from the Albiore at the entrance to the Zao Ruins, Florian wondered why Jade had been in such a hurry to leave without helping Noelle. It had only taken fifteen minutes to free the aircraft from the sand dune, and traveling to the Zao Ruins from their landing place had taken less time than that.
He glanced at the Stone Charm pinned to his gray tabard. Jade had distributed various protective charms to the whole group upon their arrival at the ruins: a Krona Symbol to Natalia, an Amulet to Tear, and Stone Charms to everyone else. Florian was glad to be protected from being petrified, but the idea of monsters that could turn living things to stone gave him chills. This journey gets scarier with every Sephiroth we visit, Florian thought. What other dangers might be ahead of us?
The bright sunlight on the pale desert sand was almost blinding in its intensity, and the heat made the air shimmer and waver, like ripples in water. Stepping into the shade of the ruins, Florian blinked a few times to clear the glowing after-images from his vision. As his eyes adapted, he stared around in awe. Sturdy gray-brown walls surrounded a staircase that zigzagged down, down, and down some more, into the dark. The walls, stairs, and walkways were all constructed from sandstone blocks of varying shapes and sizes. Unlike the masonry of the cathedral in Daath, however, these blocks had no mortar in between; the blocks simply fit together like puzzle pieces, supporting each other. Lanterns hung on the walls, spaced at regular intervals. Florian paused to examine one of the lanterns, with its ancient iron frame turned rusty with age, and its glass panels all grubby with dust and dirt. He could just barely see the silhouette of the fonstone inside, shining with golden light. How old are these lanterns? Florian wondered. Who made them, and why have they lasted so long?
"Look out, Florian!" Anise shouted, pointing at something above him.
Florian ducked just barely in time to avoid two Earth Bats swooping down at him. He dodged aside as Natalia aimed her bow at the bats. Two arrows in one shot, and the bats died instantly.
"Are you all right, Florian?" Natalia asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Florian replied. "Sorry about that."
"Pay attention!" Anise scolded him. "We're here to find Gnome, not to wander around sight-seeing!"
Florian glared at her. "I said, I'm sorry!" he snapped. It was really annoying, the way Anise fussed over him all the time. Not only that, but Anise was so critical of him.
Even before the journey, Anise had been on his case about his schoolwork, his reading, his climbing trees on the Daath cathedral grounds – as if not being able to get down again the first time wasn't embarrassing enough! – and so many other things. Now that they were traveling, Anise seemed to criticize Florian every time she opened her mouth. You're slowing us down. Why didn't you tell us where you were going? You shouldn't be doing this. You just want to be a hero. You are SO selfish. You idiot!
None of the others scolded Florian as constantly as Anise did. Guy was patient and encouraging in teaching him to use a sword. Tear had helped him cut his hair and find a new uniform. Natalia, who had scolded Anise for tripping on the stairs in Daath, was kind and concerned whenever Florian needed healing. Even Jade had been only joking when he had called Florian's vow to Undine reckless; the Colonel teased everyone whenever he had the opportunity.
I bet Anise never scolded Ion as much as she scolds me, Florian thought.
Anise glared back at him, but just as she was about to argue some more, Tear set a hand on Anise's shoulder.
"Enough," Tear said, quietly but very firmly.
"Fine," Anise muttered, crossing her arms and turning away from Florian.
"Heads up!" Guy called out. "Here come more of them!"
A swarm of five bats was approaching the group. Okay, Undine, Florian asked silently, what can I do with your power?
The usual beginner's arte using water fonons is called Aqua Edge, Undine replied. An image of three flying blades of water, similar to Wind Blade, appeared in Florian's mind. However, I think you are probably powerful enough to cast Splash. Another image showed Florian a small waterfall pouring out of the air onto the bats.
"Right!" Florian said out loud, and drew on Undine's power. "Aqua Edge!" Two of the blades of water missed, but the third blade hit one bat in the belly. The bat screeched as it tumbled out of the air and landed on the stairs in front of Guy.
"Void Tempest!" Guy's arte finished off the fallen bat, and Guy gave Florian a quick grin over his shoulder before slashing at another bat overhead, cutting it in half right in mid-air. A swipe of Tear's staff, a thrust from Jade's spear, and a "Piercing Line!" from Natalia made short work of the other three bats.
"That wasn't much practice," Florian grumbled.
"Leave some for me next time!" complained Anise, who had barely gotten her wand out before the fight was over.
"Now, now, children," Jade said mockingly. "Don't be greedy. There are plenty of monsters here for everyone."
Florian rolled his eyes. He didn't always understand Jade's peculiar sense of humor, but he was glad that the Colonel seemed more cheerful now. Jade had been unusually withdrawn and somber for the last several days, burying himself in the books and papers that the group had obtained in Yulia City, staying up late, barely eating or sleeping. Maybe this change in Jade's mood was a sign that Jade had figured out how to fix the passage rings? That would explain why Jade had been in a hurry to reach the Zao Ruins, but it still bothered Florian that Jade had wanted to abandon Noelle and the Albiore. Noelle was their friend, not just their pilot, and besides... Dwarven Vow Number Two, Florian recalled from the Heroes of Regeneration novels, Never abandon someone in need. He frowned, briefly debating whether to ask Jade why...
Do not try to correct your elders, Undine advised. Especially at this time. He is troubled enough already, and not only by Celsius's threat to his hometown.
Oh, Florian thought. That's right, I remember now. You said Colonel Jade grew up in the shadow of your mountain. He must have friends and family in Keterburg, then.
Yes, Undine replied. His parents and sister are in danger there.
All right, I won't ask him about Noelle, Florian relented. Should I ask him about how to fix the passage rings?
No. Have patience, Innocent One. Leave him alone for now, said Undine. He will reveal what he knows, when the time comes.
The group continued down the stairs, dispatching more bats along the way. Florian alternated between Aqua Edge, Fireball, and Wind Blade, practicing the artes he had learned from Undine, Ifrit, and Sylph. At the bottom of the stairs, a statue sprang to life and attacked the group, but it stood no chance against five experienced warriors and a fledgling Summoner.
The group exited from the structure that contained the spiral staircase. Florian walked alongside Guy at the front of the formation as usual, sneaking as many quick glances at the ruins as he could between the frequent fights against Earth Bats, Earth Spirits, Pans, Great Pans, and Lesser Pans.
This place must have been an underground city, long ago, Florian mused. Unless it was aboveground once and got buried in sand somehow.
No, the city of Zao was always underground, said Sylph. The people who lived here built their homes in these caves to avoid the harsh desert sun and wind. The only aboveground structures were entrances, exits, and trade outposts.
Amazing! Florian marveled. Undine, where did they get their water from?
There was a spring in these caverns, centuries ago, Undine replied. However, the city used more water than the spring could provide, and eventually the underlying aquifer was drained.
What's an aquifer? Florian asked.
An aquifer is a reserve of water deep underground, Undine explained. When rain falls or snow melts, some of it runs downhill into the rivers and oceans, but some also seeps into the ground and collects in empty spaces in the rock formations. The size of an aquifer and the rate at which it collects water always depend on the geology of the region. Gnome can explain more about that, after you make a pact with him.
If he agrees to a pact, Ifrit put in. He can be rather...temperamental.
Hah! Sylph scoffed. And you aren't? Innocent One, don't humans have a saying about people who talk about others like that? Something about a pot and a kettle?
I don't know, Florian replied. Do we?
The full phrase is, 'Listen to the pot calling the kettle black,' Innocent One, Undine said primly.
Hmph, was Ifrit's only response to that.
"Hey, Florian, you're pretty quiet today," Guy remarked, pausing in front of the remains of a house. Florian stopped walking, too, and the rest of the group came to a halt.
"Are you all right, Florian?" Tear asked. "Perhaps we should take a break."
Florian shook his head. "I'm fine. I was just talking to Undine, Sylph, and Ifrit about the ruins, that's all."
"Oh? What did they say?" Natalia inquired.
"This place used to be an underground city," Florian replied, looking over his shoulder at her, "until the water supply dried up."
"Why did it dry up?" Guy asked. "The first time we were here, we wondered about that."
"Undine says it was because the people who lived here used more water than the underground spring could provide them," Florian replied. "She said that Gnome could tell me more. Anyway, let's keep going," he added, as the ground they were standing on quivered. A few more stones tumbled down from the walls of the ruined house, and small streams of sand fell from the cavern ceiling. "We can get to the passage ring if we keep following this path, right? Let's go."
"One moment, please, Florian," said Jade.
"Huh?" said Florian, turning around.
Tear, Natalia, Anise, and Guy all stepped aside as Jade approached Florian. The Colonel's expression had gone from amused to unusually serious. Florian froze in place, wondering whether Jade was about to reveal some bad news.
"There's something I'd like you to learn, so that you can fight more efficiently," Jade said. "You've become reasonably skilled with that sword, and your fonic artes are coming along quite well. However, you haven't been taking advantage of the fields of fonons left behind by fonic artes, to add elemental attributes to your strike artes or alter the fonic artes you cast. I think it's time for you to learn how to use fields of fonons to increase the power of your attacks."
"Okay..." Florian replied uncertainly.
"First, observe," Jade commanded. "Here comes a monster. Now then... a field of fonons is a place with a concentration of fonons. It's an area of power made by gathering fonons in one location. When you use an elemental attack, you will generate a field of fonons in that spot. Like this: O darkened storm cloud, loose thy blade and run mine enemies through... Thunder Blade!"
A glowing violet sword that crackled with lightning impaled an approaching Earth Spirit, obliterating it in an instant. Florian thought he heard Jade mutter, Oh, bother, under his breath as the noise faded away.
"You don't need to use fields of fonons if your artes can wipe out an enemy in one blast like that," Guy commented.
Jade gave Guy a slightly irritated look before continuing to Florian, "Fields of fonons have the color of their element, as you see here. Earth is yellow, water is blue, fire is red, wind is green and so on. Until the fonons reach a certain level, the fields of fonons will be colorless. In order to change a field of fonons' color, you must use elemental attacks to amass a certain level of fonons. As you generate fields of fonons of the same element, the level of fonons will increase."
"So by casting the same arte lots of times, I can make a field of fonons?" Florian asked.
"Yes, or by casting an especially powerful arte. Now, when you are in a field of fonons, or an enemy is in a field of fonons, and you use certain artes, they will change to more powerful artes. Of course, the element for the field of fonons has to be compatible with the arte. For example, if I cast Flame Burst in this field of Third Fonons, using a different incantation, the wind element will combine with the fire element and change the arte," Jade went on. "Watch. Bring all to ash and ruin... Explosion!"
A large fireball descended into the field of green fonons and burst. Florian flinched at the shockwave and the blast of heat from Jade's arte.
"Do you understand so far?" Jade asked.
"Um... maybe?" Florian answered.
"Watch again," Jade said, as another Earth Spirit approached. "O roar of the earth, bring forth the fangs of the mighty dragon... Ground Dasher!"
"An earth-elemental arte against an earth-elemental monster?!" Anise exclaimed. "Colonel, are you feeling okay?"
"The point," Jade replied with a slight growl, "was to leave the monster alive this time. Now, if I gather fonons using the glyph for Splash, with this incantation: O frigid blades, pour forth... Icicle Rain!" True to its name, Jade's altered arte rained down icicles onto the Earth Spirit, slicing it apart in a few seconds.
"Wow," said Florian. "But how will I know the incantation to use, and what artes are compatible?"
"Since, as a Summoner, you are able to cast without using incantations or fonic glyphs, I suppose that part of the theory is irrelevant to you," Jade replied. "As for compatible artes, just...ah...experiment a bit, all right?"
"All right..." Florian agreed, trying to appear willing to learn while hiding how confused he was.
Tee hee! He's powerful, but he's a terrible teacher! Sylph giggled in Florian's mind.
Even I could have explained it better than that, Ifrit agreed.
Hush, Undine admonished them both. Remember the human saying, 'If you are not helping, then you are part of the problem.'
Hey! Sylph protested.
Would you like us to explain further, Innocent One? Undine inquired, ignoring Sylph.
Yes, please! Florian answered mentally. I don't want Colonel Jade to think I'm stupid.
Very well, said Undine. You can use the fields of fonons left behind by your allies' artes, or even by enemies' artes, to change your own artes. But you can also combine our powers by drawing on more than one of our elements at once. Try drawing on Sylph's power and mine at the same time. An image of bubbles rising up from a small pool and bursting flickered in Florian's mind. That arte is called Champagne.
Florian nodded resolutely and looked around, searching for another enemy. A Pan and two Lesser Pans were dancing at the far end of the bridge ahead. Florian walked toward them and stopped in the middle of the bridge to take a casting stance. "Okay, Sylph and Undine," he said, taking a deep breath to gather his courage.
"Huh?" said Anise.
"Florian, what are you doing?!" Jade asked sharply.
Florian grimaced as he remembered that his friends couldn't hear the sentiences' voices inside him. Concentrating, he drew on Sylph's power and Undine's simultaneously. Balancing the two elements in one arte was difficult, but... I have it! Florian thought triumphantly.
"Champagne!" Florian shouted, releasing the wind and water fonons. The pool created by his arte was larger and the bubbles were smaller than Undine's image had shown, but all three monsters were staggered. Recovering, the Pans turned toward Florian and moved to attack him.
Now, try again with Sylph and Ifrit, said Undine. Their combined arte is Spiral Flare.
No image appeared in Florian's mind. "What does it look like?" Florian yelped in panic.
Guy sounded baffled. "Well, it looks like you're—"
"Not you!" Florian yelled at Guy. "Undine!"
Hmph, Ifrit snorted, showing Florian an image of five fireballs swirling toward the Pans. I suppose I ought to cooperate. Are you ready, Airheads?
We're ready! Sylph replied scornfully. Don't screw up your part, you grumpy old devil!
Can't you all just get along? Florian thought furiously as he struggled to draw on Sylph's power and Ifrit's. It was even more difficult this time, and he nearly lost control before he could release the arte. "Spiral Flare!"
The fireballs didn't swirl much, but they did at least hit the Pans, setting the monsters' leafy hair and clothing on fire. All three monsters screamed in pain... and survived. Two more Pans and a Great Pan, attracted by the commotion, emerged from the ruins beyond the bridge to join their smaller kin.
"To hell with it," Florian snarled in frustration, drawing his sword. "Demon Fang! Demon Fang! Demon Fang!"
"Jade!" Guy called, as he ran to Florian's side. "Fifth Fonons!"
Behind him, Florian could hear Jade chanting, "O flames of hell, cremate mine enemies in a cage of fire..."
"Here! Like this!" Guy shouted to Florian. "Watch me!"
"Infernal Prison!" A roaring cage of flames surrounded Florian, Guy, and the six variously-sized Pans. It left behind a field of Fifth Fonons. The two Lesser Pans fell over dead, but the three Pans and the Great Pan were still standing.
"Flames arise! Infernal Torrent!" Guy slashed at the Great Pan using the same motions as Demon Fang. His sword blazed with fire drawn from the field of fonons. The Great Pan shrieked as Guy's arte set its clothing and hair alight, too.
"Oh!" Florian exclaimed. "Is that what Colonel Jade was talking about?"
"Yep!" Guy replied cheerfully. "Try another one, Jade!"
"O roar of the earth, bring forth the fangs of the mighty dragon... Ground Dasher!"
Jade's arte missed the Pans by mere centimeters – on purpose, Florian realized – leaving a large field of Second Fonons.
Stand in the field of earth fonons and use Aqua Edge to cast Freeze Lancer, Undine instructed.
"Got it!" Florian yelled, dashing toward the field of fonons and waving Guy off from doing another demonstration. Guy, looking startled, jumped back to allow Florian into the field. As Florian reached the center of the field, he drew on Undine's power and unleashed his altered arte. "Freeze Lancer!"
Shards of ice flew at the monsters, killing the three Pans and driving the Great Pan back. Florian grinned savagely. I understand now! Sylph, Ifrit, let's try Spiral Flare again!
Speak out loud as you call upon our power, Undine suggested, so that your friends will know what you are doing. Communication is important in battle.
"Okay!" Florian acknowledged. "Sylph, give me a field of wind fonons! Ifrit, get ready!"
A rush of wind surrounded Florian, leaving a glowing green field. Florian drew on Ifrit's power exactly as he did when casting Fireball and flung out his arm. "Spiral Flare!"
This time, the five fireballs swirled through the air in a perfectly symmetrical spiral, striking the Great Pan one after another and reducing the creature cinders.
"Yeah!" Florian cheered, pumping one fist in the air. "Is that how it works, Colonel Jade?"
"Yes, more or less," Jade replied, adjusting his glasses. He frowned at Florian and added, "You are able to draw on the power of more than one sentience at a time?"
"It's a lot harder," Florian admitted. "But I think if I practice some more, I can use these altered artes with or without a field of fonons."
"I see," said Jade in a slightly choked voice. "Very well. Let us practice, then, as we continue on our way through these ruins."
"As long as you don't wipe out the monsters before I can cast," Florian replied, smirking at Jade.
"You can use fields of fonons to alter strike artes, as well as fonic artes," Jade continued, seeming to ignore Florian's jab. "If you would be so kind as to provide some fields of fonons for Guy, using the sentiences' power, he can show you how to alter your strike artes."
"Damn it, Jade!" Guy snapped, startling Florian. "Why don't you show him?!"
"Oh, but I use a spear, not a sword," Jade caroled. His lighthearted voice carried a slightly poisonous undertone. "You're the one teaching him sword artes to begin with."
"So what?!" Guy retorted. "Stop making me do all the work! I'm not your servant!"
Jade looked a little taken aback, but he recovered quickly. In a more serious tone, he said to Guy, "You can teach far better than I can. We all saw it just now. Your example was more helpful to Florian than anything I attempted."
"All right, fine!" Guy threw up his hands in surrender. "I'll do it, you son of a—!"
"Honestly!" Natalia hissed, stomping up to Guy and Jade. She seized both men by their shirt collars, thereby cutting off Guy's insult. Ignoring Guy's panicked flailing, she began to lecture the men. "While you two are standing there arguing, Gnome's power is going further out of control! Now get your heads out of your—!"
"Natalia!" Tear interrupted. "Guy! Both of you, watch your language!"
Jade grabbed Natalia's wrist and twisted it, breaking her grip on his collar, and shoved her at Guy.
"Ouch!" cried Natalia, releasing Guy's collar and clutching her injured wrist.
"Uwah!" Guy yelped, as he backed away from Natalia so hastily that he lost his footing and fell on his rear end, smacking his head on the bridge rail as he went down. "Ow!"
"Hey, whoa! We're supposed to be fighting the monsters, not each other!" Anise exclaimed.
"My apologies," Jade replied stiffly, adjusting his glasses again. He turned away from the group and strolled casually across the bridge with his hands in his pockets. As he disappeared out of sight into the ruins ahead, Florian heard him mutter, "Just as I expected... I can't teach worth a damn."
"Wait!" Florian cried, running after him. "Colonel Jade!"
Leave him alone! Undine warned.
No! Florian replied silently as he pursued Jade. He felt guilty for abandoning Guy and Natalia when they were both hurt, as well as Tear and Anise, but... This is my fault for teasing him! "Colonel Jade, wait! I'm sorry!" he called.
Jade's steps slowed, and Florian caught up to him in a few more moments.
"I'm sorry...Colonel Jade...!" Florian repeated, between gasps for breath. "I didn't mean it!"
"Hmm?" Jade inquired, glancing sidelong at Florian. "Didn't mean what?"
"I'm sorry for teasing you. I shouldn't have said—"
"Oh," Jade sighed. "That." He stopped walking and turned to face Florian. "Don't worry about it. After all, what you said was merely the truth."
"Just because it was true doesn't mean I should have said it," Florian countered.
"Why not?" Jade asked, raising his eyebrows. "Would you rather have lied to me, saying that I'm a wonderful teacher or some such absurd thing?"
"No, but it wasn't very nice of me to tease you like that," Florian replied.
Jade sighed again. "Are you familiar with the phrase 'a taste of one's own medicine,' Florian?"
"Kind of...?" Florian answered hesitantly. "It was in a book I read, but I don't remember what it meant."
"Hmmm. Well, leaving that aside... I ought to be able to accept others teasing me as often as I tease others."
"Oh," said Florian.
"I'm not suited to be a teacher," Jade went on. "I'm just...not. Don't blame yourself, Florian. The fault is entirely my own."
"Please don't give up, Colonel Jade!" Florian begged. "You can teach! You...you just need to practice, right? And I need to practice using new artes! Come on, we'll practice together! You said we would, right?"
"Florian..." Jade murmured, with another sigh.
"Come on, please?" Florian wheedled. "I'll use Sylph, Ifrit, and Undine's powers to make fields of fonons for you, and you can show me all your artes. You can wipe out every monster in these ruins without holding back!"
"And just how, precisely, will that teach you anything?" Jade asked levelly.
Rather than saying I don't know, Florian switched tactics. Attempting a stern look, he declared, "I won't let you quit so easily, Colonel Jade. You said you were going to keep me out of trouble. Do you want me to just try stuff until I screw up?"
"No!" Jade's voice was sharp with alarm. Florian jumped slightly, surprised by the vehemence of Jade's answer.
Do not push him too far, Innocent One, Undine cautioned. This is a sensitive subject for him.
Trying stuff until he screwed up was what he did as a child, Sylph added. It got his teacher killed.
Oops, Florian thought. I forgot about that. I should have remembered it from Luke's diary.
Jade took a deep breath, as if to steady himself. "Florian," he said quietly, "what makes you so certain that you can learn anything more from me?"
"What makes you so certain I can't learn from you?" Florian retorted.
"I've already done everything within my ability. I explained what fields of fonons are, I showed you two examples of altered fonic artes... and then after Guy showed you one example of a strike arte, you were able to cast two altered fonic artes immediately."
Tee hee hee! Sylph giggled, inside Florian's head. He's jealous! He's jealous!
"But I didn't learn Freeze Lancer and Spiral Flare from Guy," Florian protested. "I learned them from Undine, Sylph, and Ifrit."
"Oh," said Jade. "I see. Yes... Ifrit mentioned at Mount Zaleho that Undine was a patient teacher. I suppose she must have thousands of years of experience." The bitter envy in Jade's voice was obvious to Florian now.
"Undine says I'm probably powerful enough to cast Splash," Florian offered tentatively. "I haven't tried it yet. But without Gnome's power, I can't turn Splash into Icicle Rain the way you did."
"So you want to learn Splash and Icicle Rain?" Jade asked. "From me, rather than from Undine?"
"Yeah! And I want to learn that other arte you used."
"Which other arte?"
"The one that exploded when you used wind fonons with it," Florian said eagerly. "That was so awesome!"
"Flame Burst and Explosion," Jade interpreted, as he began walking again. "I expect you can learn those from Ifrit and Sylph, then, since you are able to use more than one element at a time."
"But I want to learn them from you!" Florian insisted, hurrying after Jade.
"Oh? Why?" Jade asked, looking straight ahead and not even glancing at Florian. "Why do you want to learn from a bad teacher, when you have better teachers available?" His flat tone of voice did not invite a response.
Florian ignored Jade's uninviting tone and answered, "Because you want to be a good teacher."
Jade froze, and Florian almost collided with him. After a tense moment of silence, Jade asked lightly, "Now, where in the world did you get that idea? I hate teaching. I don't take apprentices. I don't impart knowledge."
"Oh?" Florian asked, mimicking Jade's sweetest mocking tone. "Would you be so upset right now, if you didn't care what kind of teacher you were?"
Innocent One, Ifrit warned, you are playing with fire. Stop, before you burn yourself.
You are on very thin ice, Undine added. Do not go any further.
Florian held his breath, feeling suddenly indecisive. Had he pushed Jade too far by teasing him twice? But I want to learn more artes, Florian thought. And I want to help Colonel Jade. He's my friend. Helping each other is what friends do, right?
I don't think putting more pressure on him is a good way to help him, Sylph remarked.
The silence stretched until Florian couldn't stand it anymore. "Colonel Jade?" he asked softly.
"My, my," Jade said at last, with a dramatic sigh. "For someone whose name means 'Innocent One,' you certainly are insightful. Not to mention persistent. Perhaps Anise should have named you Eizen instead."
"What does Eizen mean?" Florian asked, before he could stop himself.
"'Eizen' is an Ancient Ispanian word for 'stone,'" Jade replied. "As a name, it means 'Stubborn One.'"
Florian gave Jade a winning smile. "See, Colonel Jade? You just taught me something new. Was that hard?"
A look of surprise flashed briefly across Jade's face. "...No," Jade admitted. "But it also wasn't intentional," he added. "It's not the same thing, Florian."
Florian frowned thoughtfully. "So you taught me a new word without trying to, right? Okay, then what if you don't try to teach me? What if you just let me follow you around so I can copy all your artes on my own?"
Jade gave Florian an indecipherable look. "How odd," he murmured after a moment. "So different, and yet so alike."
"What?" Florian asked in bafflement. Then he remembered that Jade had invented fomicry. Of course Jade would compare replicas to their originals...and to other replicas, Florian realized. "Are you comparing me to Ion, too?!" he demanded.
"No – to Luke," Jade answered simply.
Florian was caught off guard. "Huh?!"
"Luke said almost exactly the same thing," Jade went on reminiscently. "When I told him that I don't impart knowledge, he said, 'I'll just steal it on my own.' I thought it was very amusing at the time."
Florian snickered. "Then that's what I'll do, too. Steal it on my own. Please, Colonel Jade?"
"How do you plan to accomplish this...ah...theft?" Jade inquired.
"Just like I said before," Florian replied. "I'll make fields of fonons using the sentiences' power, and you cast all your artes. Come on – let's destroy some monsters!"
"Oh, very well," Jade gave in, just as Guy, Natalia, Tear, and Anise caught up with them at last. "I don't know how I let you youngsters talk me into these things. I'm getting too old for such adventures."
Florian suppressed a grin, relieved to hear Jade's usual joking complaints about his age. "Okay, here come some more Earth Spirits! What kind of field of fonons do you want?"
"Let's use a fire elemental field," Jade said reluctantly. "I'll cast Turbulence, which will change to Flare Tornado. Whenever you're ready, Florian."
A/N: Whew, this chapter was tough to write! I hope Jade isn't OOC here. I almost split this into two chapters, but it was easier to write these scenes from Florian's point of view, rather than switching to Jade's (he is SO hard to write!). Mostly, though, I don't want to renumber all my chapters AGAIN, because I've lost count of how many times I've had to do that.
Special thanks to new reviewers BraveDimension and Astlexis for providing extra motivation to get this chapter finished and posted! Also, Silver, it's great to hear from you again! And of course, Baby Kat Snophlake, it's always so, SO helpful to have your feedback and ideas. I never paid attention to some of the architectural details in the Zao Ruins until you described them – and Raine's reaction to them – in your Symphonia/Abyss crossover "Fight or Flight." Shameless plug here: Readers, you should definitely check out "Fight or Flight" ASAP! You can find it and some of Kat's other fics in my Favorites.
I'm calling FoF changes "altered artes" in the style of Tales of Vesperia from here on out because it flows better when reading... or at least, I think it flows better. Let me know what you think in the reviews so I can use the feedback to put the finishing touches on Chapter 38 and get that chapter posted! Chapters 39, 41, and 42 are finished, apart from any last revisions based on reviews, and Chapter 40 is half complete. The story will continue!
Footnotes/credits: Jade's lecture to Florian on fields of fonons is based on his in-game dialogue during the battle tutorial at the Fubras River. Also, Eizen is a character in Tales of Berseria, but y'all probably knew that already. :) Bonus points to anyone who knows the actual etymology of Eizen's name without looking it up, though! (Hint: it isn't "stone." That's a reference to Eizen being an earth-elemental character.)