A Different Horizon [2/?]
Title: A Different Horizon [2/?]
Author: Melly
Rating: Pg-15
Characters/Pairings: Us/Uk and France/Canada. A lot of the cast appears, but in this chapter: Wales (Wyn).
Warnings: Language, sexual innuendo, violence, and a whole lot of video game references.
Summary: RPG AU. As adventures often do, Matt’s started with a letter. Now he’s on a treasure hunt with his swordsman brother, a disgruntled black mage, and a summoner who is far too charming for his own good.
A/N: cinderscape asked for an update of this for help_japan! I’m certainly glad people are liking this, because I’m sure having fun with it~ More extensive notes at the end, and as before, this is journal-only. Enjoy!
Part 1
It wasn’t exactly Francis’s style to be involved in a treasure hunt, especially one as unusual as this. Alfred seemed to be the type to leap before he looked, and, certainly, if a stray monster or the Empire didn’t catch up with Francis, he might just meet his end by friendly fire from Arthur. But he definitely couldn’t return home, and wandering around had grown tiresome. A little direction, a little adventure, even, might be what he needed. Not to mention there was Matt, who was adorable and tempting and there was something that made Francis feel like being around him. So it seemed like he would stay a part of the group, however strange it was.
Far below them was the ocean, and Francis could see seafaring ships floating along near the coast. Imperial vessels, judging by the flags, but these were the faster, scouting ships, not the larger, weapon-laden warships. Not yet, in any case.
“Look at them down there,” Arthur grumbled. “Thinking they own the whole damn ocean too.” Matt looked uncomfortable, but Francis wasn’t taking the bait and Arthur said nothing further.
“Look, look!” Alfred turned from the controls for a split second. “You can see the city up ahead.” Matthew looked expectantly, almost excitedly out the window, and Francis smiled to himself, watching as more buildings came into view.
“Almost home.” Arthur sighed. “Pity it’s not for long.” The airship banked, descending slowly as Alfred circled the city.
“Whoo.” Matt shivered. “There’s a lot of magic here…”
“That’s because there are a lot of mages.” Arthur leaned back in his seat, the hum of the ship dying down as Alfred let up on their speed. “The Schools of Magic are in the city…and a bunch of scattered shrines all over the place that are excavated.”
“Anything in ‘em?” Two smaller ships flanked them, and Alfred followed their lead until they reached one of the landing platforms. “The more treasure, the better.”
“Don’t know about the unexplored ones…but everything valuable in the ones they excavate is sent straight to the museum.”
“Well, we should find an unexplored one while we’re here!” Alfred landed carefully on the platform, the airship stilling with a soft whirr.
“Are you daft?” Arthur rolled his eyes and Francis turned in his seat to watch the exchange with interest. “Who knows what’s down in those things? Possibly giant ancient fiends who would burn you to a crisp before snacking on your remains!”
“I’m a hero, I’d slay them first!” Alfred grinned, slipping out of the cockpit and opening the hatch of the ship to get out. Francis stood, stretching, and clambered out after Alfred before he turned, offering a hand to Matt with a smile. Matt looked uncertain, cheeks tinting pink, but he allowed Francis to help him out of the airship.
“Is that a bloody Ribbon in your hair?” Arthur was scowling at Francis again, ignoring the attendants whispering about the rank of his robes.
“Mm? Yes. It is.” He shrugged one shoulder, smile widening. “Useful place to keep it, non?”
“T-that’s a real Ribbon?” Matt’s eyes widened in awe, hands clenching quickly into fists as if he was checking the urge to reach out and touch it. “Those are really rare.”
“It’s real.” Francis untied it, letting his hair fall loose. “Would you like it?”
“What? No. No, I couldn’t.” Matt bit his lip, shaking his head emphatically. “That’s-”
“I insist.” Francis chuckled a little, running his fingers through Matt’s hair, trying to pull it back enough so he could tie the Ribbon in it. “You need it more than I do.”
“I-” Matt stepped out of Francis’s reach, blush darkening as he smoothed out his hair with his palm. “W-why’s that?”
“We can’t have our lovely white mage getting Silenced or Cursed.” Which was logical, really, but Francis was only thinking of Matt’s reaction to the gift…and perhaps keeping him safe in the process.
“Oh.” After a long moment, Matt pulled up his sleeve. “You can tie it on my wrist.”
“All right.” Francis did so, making sure it was secure before pulling back, fingers lingering on the back of Matt’s hand. “There you go.”
“Thank you.” He smiled, fleetingly, before turning around sharply as if he forgot where they were. Fortunately, Arthur and Alfred were still arguing about the shrines, so they hadn’t gone far.
“First things first,” Francis called, and they both turned towards him. “Aren’t we supposed to be visiting the library?”
“I-Right.” Arthur glanced at Alfred in exasperation before smoothing out his robes, straitening his shoulders, and walking towards the exit. “Come along. And stick close.”
He led them out of the Aerodrome, and into the streets, where mages, both black and white, seemed to outnumber the people dressed in common garb. Oddly, Francis thought he spotted a group of people in gray robes. He knew scholars of magic, who studied and researched but did not practice the arts, wore green, but he had never heard of any sort of mage who was supposed to wear gray. Some sort of new fashion, he wondered, but he had to follow Arthur as he turned down another street, and the strange people in gray were gone.
Arthur stopped at the base of the formidable steps that led up to the Royal Library, statues of mages and ancient beasts lining the sides. Francis had seen the library before, on an earlier trip to Albion, but its vastness, its history, was still impressive this time around. Matt looked a little more intimidated than awed, especially when they came to the doors, large and heavy and ancient. Arthur merely waved his hand and they opened with a groaning creak.
As they walked inside to the circular, domed foyer, Francis maneuvered himself so he was closer to Matt, flashing a reassuring smile in his direction. Matt relaxed, just a bit, smiling in return before looking down, eyes drawn to the patterns in the mosaic at their feet. Directly in front of them was a wrought iron gate of sorts, obviously chained and locked. Parts of the library could be seen beyond it, small glimpses of shelves.
“How’re we supposed to get in there?” Alfred approached the gate, examining the lock.
“We have to wait…and don’t get to close to that,” Arthur snapped.
“Wait for what?” Completely ignoring Arthur’s warning, Alfred shook the gate vigorously, as if trying to break the hinges. There was a hiss, and all Francis saw was a spout of flame before Alfred jumped back, unsheathing his sword from the scabbard on his back. Matt moved a bit closer to his brother when he saw the flame, hands held up in anticipation of spellcasting.
“I told you.” Arthur gave Alfred a stern look, folding his arms.
“You didn’t say there was a dragon guarding the damn thing!” Francis cautiously stepped to the side until he could see around Alfred and noticed with some surprise that there was indeed a dragon. A small one, but a dragon nonetheless, with shiny, emerald-colored scales and sharp black claws. It hissed again, smoke issuing from its nostrils, looking like it was contemplating which one of them to set on fire.
“Ach, what half-wit didn’t ring the bell?” A man wearing green robes emerged from a small door on the right side of the room, freezing in his tracks when he spotted Arthur. The familial resemblance was immediately apparent; while the other man had darker hair, he and Arthur had the same bright green eyes. “Ah. Should’ve known t’was you.”
“I shouldn’t have to ring the bell, Wyn. I should have a bloody key already.” Arthur sniffed, gesturing towards Alfred and the dragon. “Can you call that thing off, at least?”
“Can’t be giving a bunch of keys out, now can I?” Wyn whistled, shrilly, and the dragon sat back on its haunches, still looking warily at Alfred. “What’s your business here, Arthur? After so long, yeah?”
“We’re looking for books about the sunken tower in Rus.” So that was where this treasure hunt was going. Interesting.
“What d’you want with that?” Wyn walked over to the dragon, scratching under its chin. It let out a grumbling noise, almost resembling a purr, before curling up into a ball like a cat. “Just a legend.”
“I have reason to believe it’s not. And you know that.” Arthur looked pointedly at the gate. “So let us into the library.”
“Excuse me for looking out for you.” Wyn glared, an almost perfect impression of Arthur’s scowl. “Gettin’ yourself mixed up with all these sorts-”
“Hey!” Alfred exclaimed, insulted. “What is that supposed to mean? I’m a treasure hunter and a hero!”
“-and running about.” Wyn continued on like he didn’t hear a thing. “For what?”
“The world is big.” Arthur shrugged, if that was explanation enough. “And the treasure doesn’t hurt. I will be back to stay only if the Empire reaches the city.”
“Because war is so much better.” Wyn shook his head, but took out a key hanging from a chain around his neck. He unlocked the gate and pushed back the doors. “Don’t be too long, yeah?”
“Thank you.” Arthur nodded and headed into the library, the rest of the party following. Alfred took one last, wary look at the dragon, which blew an irritated puff of smoke in his direction.
The place was really more of a maze of shelves, all stacked with scrolls and tomes, storybooks and grimoires. Arthur and Alfred had already disappeared to some unknown corner of the library, and since they were the ones who knew what they were looking for, Francis was content to wander around, occasionally picking up something that interested him. Matt was following along, at a distance, running a hand lightly over the spines of the books.
“Looking for something in particular, cheri?” Francis finally turned to address him directly, amused.
“I-no. Sorry.” He bit his lip, a very distracting, very tempting habit as far as Francis was concerned. “It just seems like you can get lost here easily…so I followed you.”
“Ah, well, if we get lost, at least we’ll be lost together.” Francis chuckled, moving further down the shelves.
“Actually…” He looked over his shoulder again to see that Matt had his hand outstretched, as if he were about to tap Francis’s arm or tug on his sleeve. Matt drew his hand back almost immediately, when he saw Francis was looking at him, letting it drop to his side. “Now that you mention it, I don’t know a lot about you-summoners in general.”
“Oh? You’re curious?” Matt nodded empathically, and Francis had to smile at his enthusiasm. “All right. I’ll tell you what I know then. I’m sure a book could give you better information.”
“That’s okay. I sort of…I’d like to hear it from you.” Matt smiled in return, testing the nearest shelf to make sure it was stable before he leaned on it. Francis’s smile widened, and he tugged at his sleeves as he started to speak again.
“Summons are creatures that were sealed away long ago by the ruler of an old empire who deemed magic was more dangerous than helpful.” He shrugged, frowning thoughtfully. “The few mages of that time started a revolt, I’m not sure about the details, but a lot of the summons are still trapped. You can free them, and in return they will help you.”
“Do you know magic?” Matt tilted his head a bit to the side, perplexed. “How else can you free them?”
“True summoners are the people who can hear them speak.” Francis tapped his ear. “They know far greater and far more powerful magic than any of us. They told me what to do. I am simply their vessel.”
“But there’s a cost for every sort of magic.” Matt was frowning in confusion. “That’s the first thing you learn as a mage…surely, even if their magic is their own, there’s something you put forth if you’re allowed to wield it.”
“Oh, yes. The magic comes in anchoring the summons to this plane. But I cannot tap into it as you and Arthur do. The summons do that for me. So, technically, I don’t know any magic myself. But…” An unpleasant memory started to creep to the front of Francis’s consciousness, and he focused on the opposite shelves of books to keep the images and whispers in the back of his mind.
“But…?” Matt prompted, leaning forward curiously.
“Some don’t take magic,” Francis murmured. “There are a select few that prefer your life force.”
“Your…?” Matt blinked rapidly a few times, taken aback. “I’ve heard of spells that do that…it’s very dangerous.”
“Yes. If it goes on too long, the results are…unfortunate.” Francis gave a little shake of his shoulders and smiled at Matt waveringly. “But enough of that…I think it’s time we found your brother and Arthur. They might destroy the place if we don’t keep an eye on them.”
“Right.” Matt pushed himself off the bookshelf, smiling back hesitantly at Francis. “Thank you, for talking with me and answering my questions. I’m afraid I’m not very…worldly. Unlike Al, I never really left Vinland before now.”
“My pleasure.” Francis began to walk along the rows of shelves again, looking for their other two companions. “And you shouldn’t worry about that. We’re on an adventure now…” He grinned, brightly, over his shoulder at Matthew. “I’ll show you all the parts of the world you want.”
*****
“Why the tower in Rus?” Wyn had followed Arthur and Alfred as they made their way through the library, searching for information on their treasure hunt. He was currently peering over Arthur’s shoulder as the other checked maps against references in journals and tomes.
“Among other things, that place seems to be one that the Empire isn’t sticking their nose into.”
“And it probably has all sorts of stuff in it that no one has ever seen before, since it sunk a really long time ago,” Alfred added helpfully. Wyn gave him a brief glance before sighing and addressing Arthur again.
“Listen t’me. The world is changing. And you can’t keep it from that by running off on a treasure hunt.”
“All I want to do,” Arthur said, closing the book he was leafing through. He looked up, finally, eyes narrowed at Wyn. “Is find and hold onto some of the ancient magic in which everything I was taught is rooted. Even if the world is changing, and even if you think me foolish, I don’t want to lose that. And so I will go on this treasure hunt.”
“You are a fool.” Wyn sighed, shoulders slumping a fraction, but his tone lacked all bite. “But you are a better mage than any of us, so maybe you’re in th’right here.”
“Thank you.” Arthur drummed his fingers on the table’s surface, glancing up at Alfred briefly. The other looked a little awed, something similar to the admiration he expressed when learning Francis was a summoner. Embarrassed, Arthur shifted his gaze back down to the map in front of him before clearing his throat. “So do you know where we can find what we’re looking for?”
“About Rus? Can’t say I do…” Folding his arms, Wyn moved to stand next to Arthur and briefly examined the titles of all the books strewn across the table. “I don’t recall seeing anything but the myth itself. I could look into it for you, if you’re staying here, but things have been a mite hectic at the University recently.”
“There’s been problems?”
“An expedition team was set to excavate an unexplored ruin out in the hills…simple stuff, yeah?” Wyn shrugged one shoulder. “They did some scouting beforehand, and it didn’t seem like anything dangerous, but then the whole group went missing. We’re planning on sending a search team, but apparently, the magic around there is off kilter now.”
“Can we go?” Alfred interjected. “I mean, we’re a team, basically, and we can figure out what happened to the group if you let us keep whatever else where find.”
“There’s no rules against it. It’s your own risk…Arthur? Up t’you, then.”
“I wasn't planning on visiting one of those dreadful places, but I suppose we’d be helping you…” Arthur said, slowly.
“So it’s settled!” Alfred jumped up from his seat excitedly. “Good deed, treasure, and experience all in one! What could be better?”
“I could think of a few things…” Despite his words, Arthur stood up as well, nodding once. “All right. Best find your brother and Francis to tell them the new plan, and then let’s get some rest. We’ll leave in the morning.”
A/N: Well, this is back! It really is fun. I like being self-indulgent like this, it acts almost like a break. Now some notes!
Ribbons, such as the one Francis gives Matthew, are accessories that, in most Final Fantasies, prevent all status ailments. In some games, they are notoriously difficult to obtain, which is why here, both Matthew and Arthur are surprised Francis has one.
Arthur left Albion very soon after he made the highest mage rank, much to the disappointment of his brothers. They wanted him to stay closer to home.
There are a lot of hints in this part about things to come…some are more subtle than others. And next time, we get our first dungeon~ As before, not really cross-posting this anywhere because it is really self-indulgent, but I hope everyone who does run across this is enjoying it! Feel free to ask questions, although I can’t say I’ll answer everything due to spoilers.
Author: Melly
Rating: Pg-15
Characters/Pairings: Us/Uk and France/Canada. A lot of the cast appears, but in this chapter: Wales (Wyn).
Warnings: Language, sexual innuendo, violence, and a whole lot of video game references.
Summary: RPG AU. As adventures often do, Matt’s started with a letter. Now he’s on a treasure hunt with his swordsman brother, a disgruntled black mage, and a summoner who is far too charming for his own good.
A/N: cinderscape asked for an update of this for help_japan! I’m certainly glad people are liking this, because I’m sure having fun with it~ More extensive notes at the end, and as before, this is journal-only. Enjoy!
Part 1
It wasn’t exactly Francis’s style to be involved in a treasure hunt, especially one as unusual as this. Alfred seemed to be the type to leap before he looked, and, certainly, if a stray monster or the Empire didn’t catch up with Francis, he might just meet his end by friendly fire from Arthur. But he definitely couldn’t return home, and wandering around had grown tiresome. A little direction, a little adventure, even, might be what he needed. Not to mention there was Matt, who was adorable and tempting and there was something that made Francis feel like being around him. So it seemed like he would stay a part of the group, however strange it was.
Far below them was the ocean, and Francis could see seafaring ships floating along near the coast. Imperial vessels, judging by the flags, but these were the faster, scouting ships, not the larger, weapon-laden warships. Not yet, in any case.
“Look at them down there,” Arthur grumbled. “Thinking they own the whole damn ocean too.” Matt looked uncomfortable, but Francis wasn’t taking the bait and Arthur said nothing further.
“Look, look!” Alfred turned from the controls for a split second. “You can see the city up ahead.” Matthew looked expectantly, almost excitedly out the window, and Francis smiled to himself, watching as more buildings came into view.
“Almost home.” Arthur sighed. “Pity it’s not for long.” The airship banked, descending slowly as Alfred circled the city.
“Whoo.” Matt shivered. “There’s a lot of magic here…”
“That’s because there are a lot of mages.” Arthur leaned back in his seat, the hum of the ship dying down as Alfred let up on their speed. “The Schools of Magic are in the city…and a bunch of scattered shrines all over the place that are excavated.”
“Anything in ‘em?” Two smaller ships flanked them, and Alfred followed their lead until they reached one of the landing platforms. “The more treasure, the better.”
“Don’t know about the unexplored ones…but everything valuable in the ones they excavate is sent straight to the museum.”
“Well, we should find an unexplored one while we’re here!” Alfred landed carefully on the platform, the airship stilling with a soft whirr.
“Are you daft?” Arthur rolled his eyes and Francis turned in his seat to watch the exchange with interest. “Who knows what’s down in those things? Possibly giant ancient fiends who would burn you to a crisp before snacking on your remains!”
“I’m a hero, I’d slay them first!” Alfred grinned, slipping out of the cockpit and opening the hatch of the ship to get out. Francis stood, stretching, and clambered out after Alfred before he turned, offering a hand to Matt with a smile. Matt looked uncertain, cheeks tinting pink, but he allowed Francis to help him out of the airship.
“Is that a bloody Ribbon in your hair?” Arthur was scowling at Francis again, ignoring the attendants whispering about the rank of his robes.
“Mm? Yes. It is.” He shrugged one shoulder, smile widening. “Useful place to keep it, non?”
“T-that’s a real Ribbon?” Matt’s eyes widened in awe, hands clenching quickly into fists as if he was checking the urge to reach out and touch it. “Those are really rare.”
“It’s real.” Francis untied it, letting his hair fall loose. “Would you like it?”
“What? No. No, I couldn’t.” Matt bit his lip, shaking his head emphatically. “That’s-”
“I insist.” Francis chuckled a little, running his fingers through Matt’s hair, trying to pull it back enough so he could tie the Ribbon in it. “You need it more than I do.”
“I-” Matt stepped out of Francis’s reach, blush darkening as he smoothed out his hair with his palm. “W-why’s that?”
“We can’t have our lovely white mage getting Silenced or Cursed.” Which was logical, really, but Francis was only thinking of Matt’s reaction to the gift…and perhaps keeping him safe in the process.
“Oh.” After a long moment, Matt pulled up his sleeve. “You can tie it on my wrist.”
“All right.” Francis did so, making sure it was secure before pulling back, fingers lingering on the back of Matt’s hand. “There you go.”
“Thank you.” He smiled, fleetingly, before turning around sharply as if he forgot where they were. Fortunately, Arthur and Alfred were still arguing about the shrines, so they hadn’t gone far.
“First things first,” Francis called, and they both turned towards him. “Aren’t we supposed to be visiting the library?”
“I-Right.” Arthur glanced at Alfred in exasperation before smoothing out his robes, straitening his shoulders, and walking towards the exit. “Come along. And stick close.”
He led them out of the Aerodrome, and into the streets, where mages, both black and white, seemed to outnumber the people dressed in common garb. Oddly, Francis thought he spotted a group of people in gray robes. He knew scholars of magic, who studied and researched but did not practice the arts, wore green, but he had never heard of any sort of mage who was supposed to wear gray. Some sort of new fashion, he wondered, but he had to follow Arthur as he turned down another street, and the strange people in gray were gone.
Arthur stopped at the base of the formidable steps that led up to the Royal Library, statues of mages and ancient beasts lining the sides. Francis had seen the library before, on an earlier trip to Albion, but its vastness, its history, was still impressive this time around. Matt looked a little more intimidated than awed, especially when they came to the doors, large and heavy and ancient. Arthur merely waved his hand and they opened with a groaning creak.
As they walked inside to the circular, domed foyer, Francis maneuvered himself so he was closer to Matt, flashing a reassuring smile in his direction. Matt relaxed, just a bit, smiling in return before looking down, eyes drawn to the patterns in the mosaic at their feet. Directly in front of them was a wrought iron gate of sorts, obviously chained and locked. Parts of the library could be seen beyond it, small glimpses of shelves.
“How’re we supposed to get in there?” Alfred approached the gate, examining the lock.
“We have to wait…and don’t get to close to that,” Arthur snapped.
“Wait for what?” Completely ignoring Arthur’s warning, Alfred shook the gate vigorously, as if trying to break the hinges. There was a hiss, and all Francis saw was a spout of flame before Alfred jumped back, unsheathing his sword from the scabbard on his back. Matt moved a bit closer to his brother when he saw the flame, hands held up in anticipation of spellcasting.
“I told you.” Arthur gave Alfred a stern look, folding his arms.
“You didn’t say there was a dragon guarding the damn thing!” Francis cautiously stepped to the side until he could see around Alfred and noticed with some surprise that there was indeed a dragon. A small one, but a dragon nonetheless, with shiny, emerald-colored scales and sharp black claws. It hissed again, smoke issuing from its nostrils, looking like it was contemplating which one of them to set on fire.
“Ach, what half-wit didn’t ring the bell?” A man wearing green robes emerged from a small door on the right side of the room, freezing in his tracks when he spotted Arthur. The familial resemblance was immediately apparent; while the other man had darker hair, he and Arthur had the same bright green eyes. “Ah. Should’ve known t’was you.”
“I shouldn’t have to ring the bell, Wyn. I should have a bloody key already.” Arthur sniffed, gesturing towards Alfred and the dragon. “Can you call that thing off, at least?”
“Can’t be giving a bunch of keys out, now can I?” Wyn whistled, shrilly, and the dragon sat back on its haunches, still looking warily at Alfred. “What’s your business here, Arthur? After so long, yeah?”
“We’re looking for books about the sunken tower in Rus.” So that was where this treasure hunt was going. Interesting.
“What d’you want with that?” Wyn walked over to the dragon, scratching under its chin. It let out a grumbling noise, almost resembling a purr, before curling up into a ball like a cat. “Just a legend.”
“I have reason to believe it’s not. And you know that.” Arthur looked pointedly at the gate. “So let us into the library.”
“Excuse me for looking out for you.” Wyn glared, an almost perfect impression of Arthur’s scowl. “Gettin’ yourself mixed up with all these sorts-”
“Hey!” Alfred exclaimed, insulted. “What is that supposed to mean? I’m a treasure hunter and a hero!”
“-and running about.” Wyn continued on like he didn’t hear a thing. “For what?”
“The world is big.” Arthur shrugged, if that was explanation enough. “And the treasure doesn’t hurt. I will be back to stay only if the Empire reaches the city.”
“Because war is so much better.” Wyn shook his head, but took out a key hanging from a chain around his neck. He unlocked the gate and pushed back the doors. “Don’t be too long, yeah?”
“Thank you.” Arthur nodded and headed into the library, the rest of the party following. Alfred took one last, wary look at the dragon, which blew an irritated puff of smoke in his direction.
The place was really more of a maze of shelves, all stacked with scrolls and tomes, storybooks and grimoires. Arthur and Alfred had already disappeared to some unknown corner of the library, and since they were the ones who knew what they were looking for, Francis was content to wander around, occasionally picking up something that interested him. Matt was following along, at a distance, running a hand lightly over the spines of the books.
“Looking for something in particular, cheri?” Francis finally turned to address him directly, amused.
“I-no. Sorry.” He bit his lip, a very distracting, very tempting habit as far as Francis was concerned. “It just seems like you can get lost here easily…so I followed you.”
“Ah, well, if we get lost, at least we’ll be lost together.” Francis chuckled, moving further down the shelves.
“Actually…” He looked over his shoulder again to see that Matt had his hand outstretched, as if he were about to tap Francis’s arm or tug on his sleeve. Matt drew his hand back almost immediately, when he saw Francis was looking at him, letting it drop to his side. “Now that you mention it, I don’t know a lot about you-summoners in general.”
“Oh? You’re curious?” Matt nodded empathically, and Francis had to smile at his enthusiasm. “All right. I’ll tell you what I know then. I’m sure a book could give you better information.”
“That’s okay. I sort of…I’d like to hear it from you.” Matt smiled in return, testing the nearest shelf to make sure it was stable before he leaned on it. Francis’s smile widened, and he tugged at his sleeves as he started to speak again.
“Summons are creatures that were sealed away long ago by the ruler of an old empire who deemed magic was more dangerous than helpful.” He shrugged, frowning thoughtfully. “The few mages of that time started a revolt, I’m not sure about the details, but a lot of the summons are still trapped. You can free them, and in return they will help you.”
“Do you know magic?” Matt tilted his head a bit to the side, perplexed. “How else can you free them?”
“True summoners are the people who can hear them speak.” Francis tapped his ear. “They know far greater and far more powerful magic than any of us. They told me what to do. I am simply their vessel.”
“But there’s a cost for every sort of magic.” Matt was frowning in confusion. “That’s the first thing you learn as a mage…surely, even if their magic is their own, there’s something you put forth if you’re allowed to wield it.”
“Oh, yes. The magic comes in anchoring the summons to this plane. But I cannot tap into it as you and Arthur do. The summons do that for me. So, technically, I don’t know any magic myself. But…” An unpleasant memory started to creep to the front of Francis’s consciousness, and he focused on the opposite shelves of books to keep the images and whispers in the back of his mind.
“But…?” Matt prompted, leaning forward curiously.
“Some don’t take magic,” Francis murmured. “There are a select few that prefer your life force.”
“Your…?” Matt blinked rapidly a few times, taken aback. “I’ve heard of spells that do that…it’s very dangerous.”
“Yes. If it goes on too long, the results are…unfortunate.” Francis gave a little shake of his shoulders and smiled at Matt waveringly. “But enough of that…I think it’s time we found your brother and Arthur. They might destroy the place if we don’t keep an eye on them.”
“Right.” Matt pushed himself off the bookshelf, smiling back hesitantly at Francis. “Thank you, for talking with me and answering my questions. I’m afraid I’m not very…worldly. Unlike Al, I never really left Vinland before now.”
“My pleasure.” Francis began to walk along the rows of shelves again, looking for their other two companions. “And you shouldn’t worry about that. We’re on an adventure now…” He grinned, brightly, over his shoulder at Matthew. “I’ll show you all the parts of the world you want.”
*****
“Why the tower in Rus?” Wyn had followed Arthur and Alfred as they made their way through the library, searching for information on their treasure hunt. He was currently peering over Arthur’s shoulder as the other checked maps against references in journals and tomes.
“Among other things, that place seems to be one that the Empire isn’t sticking their nose into.”
“And it probably has all sorts of stuff in it that no one has ever seen before, since it sunk a really long time ago,” Alfred added helpfully. Wyn gave him a brief glance before sighing and addressing Arthur again.
“Listen t’me. The world is changing. And you can’t keep it from that by running off on a treasure hunt.”
“All I want to do,” Arthur said, closing the book he was leafing through. He looked up, finally, eyes narrowed at Wyn. “Is find and hold onto some of the ancient magic in which everything I was taught is rooted. Even if the world is changing, and even if you think me foolish, I don’t want to lose that. And so I will go on this treasure hunt.”
“You are a fool.” Wyn sighed, shoulders slumping a fraction, but his tone lacked all bite. “But you are a better mage than any of us, so maybe you’re in th’right here.”
“Thank you.” Arthur drummed his fingers on the table’s surface, glancing up at Alfred briefly. The other looked a little awed, something similar to the admiration he expressed when learning Francis was a summoner. Embarrassed, Arthur shifted his gaze back down to the map in front of him before clearing his throat. “So do you know where we can find what we’re looking for?”
“About Rus? Can’t say I do…” Folding his arms, Wyn moved to stand next to Arthur and briefly examined the titles of all the books strewn across the table. “I don’t recall seeing anything but the myth itself. I could look into it for you, if you’re staying here, but things have been a mite hectic at the University recently.”
“There’s been problems?”
“An expedition team was set to excavate an unexplored ruin out in the hills…simple stuff, yeah?” Wyn shrugged one shoulder. “They did some scouting beforehand, and it didn’t seem like anything dangerous, but then the whole group went missing. We’re planning on sending a search team, but apparently, the magic around there is off kilter now.”
“Can we go?” Alfred interjected. “I mean, we’re a team, basically, and we can figure out what happened to the group if you let us keep whatever else where find.”
“There’s no rules against it. It’s your own risk…Arthur? Up t’you, then.”
“I wasn't planning on visiting one of those dreadful places, but I suppose we’d be helping you…” Arthur said, slowly.
“So it’s settled!” Alfred jumped up from his seat excitedly. “Good deed, treasure, and experience all in one! What could be better?”
“I could think of a few things…” Despite his words, Arthur stood up as well, nodding once. “All right. Best find your brother and Francis to tell them the new plan, and then let’s get some rest. We’ll leave in the morning.”
A/N: Well, this is back! It really is fun. I like being self-indulgent like this, it acts almost like a break. Now some notes!
Ribbons, such as the one Francis gives Matthew, are accessories that, in most Final Fantasies, prevent all status ailments. In some games, they are notoriously difficult to obtain, which is why here, both Matthew and Arthur are surprised Francis has one.
Arthur left Albion very soon after he made the highest mage rank, much to the disappointment of his brothers. They wanted him to stay closer to home.
There are a lot of hints in this part about things to come…some are more subtle than others. And next time, we get our first dungeon~ As before, not really cross-posting this anywhere because it is really self-indulgent, but I hope everyone who does run across this is enjoying it! Feel free to ask questions, although I can’t say I’ll answer everything due to spoilers.