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Sabin dismounted the chocobo and led it, on foot, towards the ruins of the old castle at the far reaches of the Figaro desert. The sand made soft crunching sounds under his bare feet as he trodded forward through a line of rock outcroppings forming a square, careful to not step where he shouldn't.
The air seemed to hum slightly, but other than that, all was quiet under the setting sun.
Far behind the supposed-king of Figaro plodded two pairs of shady feet, and the scritchings of a long dress dragging in the sand.
Meanwhile, the actual King of Figaro waited. He hated waiting, though just a little longer....soon, this would be over. One way or another. Telling himself to be patient, Edgar paced inspected the room around him as he'd done a hundred times already. For castle ruins, it was in surprisingly good repair, only the relatively recent earthquake carving long cracks into the walls. Edgar was not bothered by that, however. As long as the device set in place by the twins' ancestor was repairable -and it had been-, then the king in exile cared for nothing else. At least he discarded the garb of Gerad by now...no point when working in private, and when there would be no further need of it. Good. He was past tired of being Gerad, wanting nothing more than to be Edgar again, king and all. So he waited, knowing their arrival was imminent...
And there, Sabin spotted it. The flat circle of metal in the center of five pillars. That was where the people following him needed to be... but now, he just had to lure them there.
Keep it off, he hoped he asked Edgar.
Meanwhile, Sabin went directly to the circular slab of metal and examined it. It did appear to be a door or something, of some sort. "Is this where you meant, brother?" he asked a little too loudly, using his voice. He tapped on the metal once, twice, and then sighed. "There must be a way under here." With that he stood up and walked towards one of the pillars, which happened to be surrounded by a high wall.
The two shadowy figures took the bait. After a few moments, footsteps creeped out from their hiding place, heading directly for the central point.
Edgar paused his pacing and perked up, a small grim smile forming as Sabin's voice echoed in his mind. Of course. Just let me know when it's showtime. He was almost jittery with impatience, though this close to the end he had no desire to mess things up now. Just a little longer...his eyes darted to the switch, listening to the very welcome sound of his twin's voice. "Good, you made it. I'll be right with you..." Well, soon enough. One of the figures paused at hearing Edgar's voice though rejoined the other for the time being. Curiosity was a powerful lure...
Where's that other switch? Sabin looked over across the way, making sure the two figures were in position. Oh, Sabin hated unnecessary death, but this was for a good cause -- for the good of the world. And it would get rid of that irritating excuse for a wife that he had.
One figure, predictably, knelt near the center of the metal circle.
One in place.
I'm right next to it. Don't worry, just do your part. Edgar abhored causing death just as much as his twin, though through the link he also conveyed that impatience to just get this over with. The sooner it was, the sooner the balance to their world would be restored. That duo had done enough damage, time to fix it. And the other? The other wasn't so quick to follow the other, glancing around surreptitiously.
Not yet. Say something else to lure him in. The two of them just needed to be on that metal platform, and Edgar just needed to turn those switches, and Sabin would just need to get out of the way, and it would all be over.
Edgar sighed, though he hadn't seriously thought it this was going to be easy. But Figaro blood was needed, and he certainly wasn't going to see anyone else bleed for this but the duo who had caused so much destruction in his world already. Not that it would solve all the world's problems, but it'd be a start. Tired of justifying this to himself, Edgar called out. "Sorry for the delay, I was just trying to find what we came here for. Hold on." The hesitant figure stepped in the direction of Edgar's voice, then turned back and headed back to the edge of the metal platform. Not quite stepping onto it, sparring another glance around before turning to the other.
There was a soft whispering as the stationary figure beckoned to the other, crouching down in the center of the platform.
Sabin grinned in triumph. They were falling for it... though slowly. It was really a shame that this had to happen, but in order to get the device up and running it needed verification that it was really a Figaro doing this, and for the good of the world. And that required a sacrifice of blood... a great sacrifice.
The more Sabin thought about it, the weirder it seemed. A sacrifice? Blood to make a machine work? He didn't know what he had expected from an ancient ritual... the Magi had been a strange breed of folk back after the war a thousand years ago. And they had the strangest forms of safeguarding.
Almost there, wait for it, he's right on the edge... Sabin shifted his position in his crouch, watching the two figures, waiting for the perfect opportunity to let his brother know to start the process.
Edgar tried not to think about the strangeness of the entire situation, what was required. He found it distasteful, whatever would result from it. But this Figaro ancestor had designed a way to safeguard the world from the ravages of overabunant magic, and they didn't exactly have time to try anything else. He knew the storm had turned southward from Narshe, heading towards Figaro itself. There wasn't much time to spare. At Sabin's words, he gave a mental nod though fell silent otherwise, tense and just wanting to get this over with. A soft whisper in response as the figure at the edge paced around it to see what was worth beckoning over for.
Sabin felt like beating his head against the rock he was leaning against. Would they just hurry up and both get on the platform so this could be done with? The younger of the twins had gotten better at being patient over the years, yet it still wasn't his greatest strength.
"It's hollow," one of the figures whispered, a very feminine voice. "There's something underneath."
Even the older, more patient twin was beginning to feel the same way. Edgar had to remind himself not to act hastily, or all would be lost. Just a little longer...right? "Can you see what?" The other figure murmured in a tense voice to his feminine counterpart, curious though also alert to their situation and that they were very much not alone.
"No, I need help lifting it," said the other figure.
This is it, Sabin couldn't help but to think. Come on, just a couple of steps forward...
Edgar echoed his twin's thoughts, pacing though he made certain to stay near the switch. The figure at the edge of the platform sighed softly and stepped over to join in lifting. There wasn't much time to waste if they were to see what the royal twins were hiding from them.
Sabin's heart leapt when he saw the figure move. He turned, looking down to where his brother would have been, and away from the sight before him. Go.
Stay back...oh, and look away. Edgar was glad not to be within sight of what was to happen. By what accounts he read, this was not pleasant to watch. The magitek barrier would be potent once restored, and that required nothing short of a tremendous burst of energy...and Figaro blood. Though Edgar had done what he could to repair what was obviously damaged, he hadn't had a chance to test it considering the only way would have been to bleed himself for this and....well, no. Suicide just to see if something works wouldn't have served any point and he couldn't have done it alone anyway. With no time to waste, Edgar stepped back over to the switch and flipped it, turning his face away from the door to avoid being blinded...
There was a rumbling sound, and the pillar just above Sabin began to shake. Crouching and covering his head to protect from an unnecessary head wound, Sabin anchored himself to the ground and very pointedly did not look towards the center of the circle where the two figures, Rhenn and Marcellina of Zozo, had been previously standing.
As the rumbling grew louder, the ground shook underneath the ruins and a great light suddenly illuminated the entire area.
Chasing the light was a shrill scream of pure and utter horror.
As the ground began to shake, Edgar remained with his back firmly against the wall, raising a hand to ward off crumbling bits of ceiling. He kept his shut though even then he felt the flash of blinding light that reached even him through the doorway. The ruins, so long shrouded in shadows was for the moment an illuminated beacon. Beautiful, really...if anyone could look at it and not be blinded. Not to mention the screams...Edgar tried his best to block those out, though he doubted he'd ever be able to get those out of his mind.
As the shaking and rumbling came to a slow stop, Sabin composed himself long enough to say a short prayer to forgive him for this deed, not that he hadn't prayed about it before, and to help those who had fallen from the light find their way back. After a few moments, there was a crash of thunder and then silence... perhaps the last remnant of the magic overflow that had ravaged the world? Sabin couldn't tell. He looked up over the outcropping of rock, noticing that anything that had been in the center of the circle of pillars was no longer in existence. There was just the metal platform, and the sand.
For a moment there, Edgar was certain he would lose his footing, or go deaf from the noise, blind from the light...if it had gone on any longer, perhaps he would have been correct. However, there was no need to put that to the test as finally the light faded and the silence pervaded the area after that thunder crash. At least mostly. With clouds of dust from the debris expanding, for a moment it was all Edgar could do to cough, waving it ineffectually away as he pushed away from the wall. Sabin?
Here. Everything's gone. And... Edgar... you should see this. Sabin was referring to the way a barely-visible light was swirling against the sky, spiralling down into the circle, into the device that was created to regulate magic. It was a gorgeous display of soft light, barely visible enough to alter what could be seen behind it. I think it's working.
After all that, it had better be... Edgar tried to stifle those racking coughs as he emerged. Damn dust. Though he completely forgot about that when his gaze fixated on the spiral of light, startling blue eyes widening as he watched. It was one thing to read about the device in motion, another to see it at work.
Sabin stood, his form a silhouette against the light show before them. It was a beautiful sight, indeed, but he knew it probably wasn't safe to stick around for long. Besides, there was a kingdom waiting for Edgar... and Sabin's real wife waiting for him.
The air seemed to hum slightly, but other than that, all was quiet under the setting sun.
Far behind the supposed-king of Figaro plodded two pairs of shady feet, and the scritchings of a long dress dragging in the sand.
Meanwhile, the actual King of Figaro waited. He hated waiting, though just a little longer....soon, this would be over. One way or another. Telling himself to be patient, Edgar paced inspected the room around him as he'd done a hundred times already. For castle ruins, it was in surprisingly good repair, only the relatively recent earthquake carving long cracks into the walls. Edgar was not bothered by that, however. As long as the device set in place by the twins' ancestor was repairable -and it had been-, then the king in exile cared for nothing else. At least he discarded the garb of Gerad by now...no point when working in private, and when there would be no further need of it. Good. He was past tired of being Gerad, wanting nothing more than to be Edgar again, king and all. So he waited, knowing their arrival was imminent...
And there, Sabin spotted it. The flat circle of metal in the center of five pillars. That was where the people following him needed to be... but now, he just had to lure them there.
Keep it off, he hoped he asked Edgar.
Meanwhile, Sabin went directly to the circular slab of metal and examined it. It did appear to be a door or something, of some sort. "Is this where you meant, brother?" he asked a little too loudly, using his voice. He tapped on the metal once, twice, and then sighed. "There must be a way under here." With that he stood up and walked towards one of the pillars, which happened to be surrounded by a high wall.
The two shadowy figures took the bait. After a few moments, footsteps creeped out from their hiding place, heading directly for the central point.
Edgar paused his pacing and perked up, a small grim smile forming as Sabin's voice echoed in his mind. Of course. Just let me know when it's showtime. He was almost jittery with impatience, though this close to the end he had no desire to mess things up now. Just a little longer...his eyes darted to the switch, listening to the very welcome sound of his twin's voice. "Good, you made it. I'll be right with you..." Well, soon enough. One of the figures paused at hearing Edgar's voice though rejoined the other for the time being. Curiosity was a powerful lure...
Where's that other switch? Sabin looked over across the way, making sure the two figures were in position. Oh, Sabin hated unnecessary death, but this was for a good cause -- for the good of the world. And it would get rid of that irritating excuse for a wife that he had.
One figure, predictably, knelt near the center of the metal circle.
One in place.
I'm right next to it. Don't worry, just do your part. Edgar abhored causing death just as much as his twin, though through the link he also conveyed that impatience to just get this over with. The sooner it was, the sooner the balance to their world would be restored. That duo had done enough damage, time to fix it. And the other? The other wasn't so quick to follow the other, glancing around surreptitiously.
Not yet. Say something else to lure him in. The two of them just needed to be on that metal platform, and Edgar just needed to turn those switches, and Sabin would just need to get out of the way, and it would all be over.
Edgar sighed, though he hadn't seriously thought it this was going to be easy. But Figaro blood was needed, and he certainly wasn't going to see anyone else bleed for this but the duo who had caused so much destruction in his world already. Not that it would solve all the world's problems, but it'd be a start. Tired of justifying this to himself, Edgar called out. "Sorry for the delay, I was just trying to find what we came here for. Hold on." The hesitant figure stepped in the direction of Edgar's voice, then turned back and headed back to the edge of the metal platform. Not quite stepping onto it, sparring another glance around before turning to the other.
There was a soft whispering as the stationary figure beckoned to the other, crouching down in the center of the platform.
Sabin grinned in triumph. They were falling for it... though slowly. It was really a shame that this had to happen, but in order to get the device up and running it needed verification that it was really a Figaro doing this, and for the good of the world. And that required a sacrifice of blood... a great sacrifice.
The more Sabin thought about it, the weirder it seemed. A sacrifice? Blood to make a machine work? He didn't know what he had expected from an ancient ritual... the Magi had been a strange breed of folk back after the war a thousand years ago. And they had the strangest forms of safeguarding.
Almost there, wait for it, he's right on the edge... Sabin shifted his position in his crouch, watching the two figures, waiting for the perfect opportunity to let his brother know to start the process.
Edgar tried not to think about the strangeness of the entire situation, what was required. He found it distasteful, whatever would result from it. But this Figaro ancestor had designed a way to safeguard the world from the ravages of overabunant magic, and they didn't exactly have time to try anything else. He knew the storm had turned southward from Narshe, heading towards Figaro itself. There wasn't much time to spare. At Sabin's words, he gave a mental nod though fell silent otherwise, tense and just wanting to get this over with. A soft whisper in response as the figure at the edge paced around it to see what was worth beckoning over for.
Sabin felt like beating his head against the rock he was leaning against. Would they just hurry up and both get on the platform so this could be done with? The younger of the twins had gotten better at being patient over the years, yet it still wasn't his greatest strength.
"It's hollow," one of the figures whispered, a very feminine voice. "There's something underneath."
Even the older, more patient twin was beginning to feel the same way. Edgar had to remind himself not to act hastily, or all would be lost. Just a little longer...right? "Can you see what?" The other figure murmured in a tense voice to his feminine counterpart, curious though also alert to their situation and that they were very much not alone.
"No, I need help lifting it," said the other figure.
This is it, Sabin couldn't help but to think. Come on, just a couple of steps forward...
Edgar echoed his twin's thoughts, pacing though he made certain to stay near the switch. The figure at the edge of the platform sighed softly and stepped over to join in lifting. There wasn't much time to waste if they were to see what the royal twins were hiding from them.
Sabin's heart leapt when he saw the figure move. He turned, looking down to where his brother would have been, and away from the sight before him. Go.
Stay back...oh, and look away. Edgar was glad not to be within sight of what was to happen. By what accounts he read, this was not pleasant to watch. The magitek barrier would be potent once restored, and that required nothing short of a tremendous burst of energy...and Figaro blood. Though Edgar had done what he could to repair what was obviously damaged, he hadn't had a chance to test it considering the only way would have been to bleed himself for this and....well, no. Suicide just to see if something works wouldn't have served any point and he couldn't have done it alone anyway. With no time to waste, Edgar stepped back over to the switch and flipped it, turning his face away from the door to avoid being blinded...
There was a rumbling sound, and the pillar just above Sabin began to shake. Crouching and covering his head to protect from an unnecessary head wound, Sabin anchored himself to the ground and very pointedly did not look towards the center of the circle where the two figures, Rhenn and Marcellina of Zozo, had been previously standing.
As the rumbling grew louder, the ground shook underneath the ruins and a great light suddenly illuminated the entire area.
Chasing the light was a shrill scream of pure and utter horror.
As the ground began to shake, Edgar remained with his back firmly against the wall, raising a hand to ward off crumbling bits of ceiling. He kept his shut though even then he felt the flash of blinding light that reached even him through the doorway. The ruins, so long shrouded in shadows was for the moment an illuminated beacon. Beautiful, really...if anyone could look at it and not be blinded. Not to mention the screams...Edgar tried his best to block those out, though he doubted he'd ever be able to get those out of his mind.
As the shaking and rumbling came to a slow stop, Sabin composed himself long enough to say a short prayer to forgive him for this deed, not that he hadn't prayed about it before, and to help those who had fallen from the light find their way back. After a few moments, there was a crash of thunder and then silence... perhaps the last remnant of the magic overflow that had ravaged the world? Sabin couldn't tell. He looked up over the outcropping of rock, noticing that anything that had been in the center of the circle of pillars was no longer in existence. There was just the metal platform, and the sand.
For a moment there, Edgar was certain he would lose his footing, or go deaf from the noise, blind from the light...if it had gone on any longer, perhaps he would have been correct. However, there was no need to put that to the test as finally the light faded and the silence pervaded the area after that thunder crash. At least mostly. With clouds of dust from the debris expanding, for a moment it was all Edgar could do to cough, waving it ineffectually away as he pushed away from the wall. Sabin?
Here. Everything's gone. And... Edgar... you should see this. Sabin was referring to the way a barely-visible light was swirling against the sky, spiralling down into the circle, into the device that was created to regulate magic. It was a gorgeous display of soft light, barely visible enough to alter what could be seen behind it. I think it's working.
After all that, it had better be... Edgar tried to stifle those racking coughs as he emerged. Damn dust. Though he completely forgot about that when his gaze fixated on the spiral of light, startling blue eyes widening as he watched. It was one thing to read about the device in motion, another to see it at work.
Sabin stood, his form a silhouette against the light show before them. It was a beautiful sight, indeed, but he knew it probably wasn't safe to stick around for long. Besides, there was a kingdom waiting for Edgar... and Sabin's real wife waiting for him.