Eight Strangers Bound By Destiny

Indie RP blog for the cast of Octopath Traveler 2, written by Gold. Crossover friendly, open to all

[muses-galore]

"Does anyone have something I can eat?"

*A simple question but behind it was a hunger that just wouldn't be satisfied. It was like the story of Erysichthon who after destroying a tree was cursed with a neverending hunger.*

[muses-galore]

"Thank you for everything you've done."

*When they arrived and the inn the young man smiled at Castti's question and nodded sheepishly. Yes, he had money with him so there was no need to worry on that front. However the thought was appreciated.*

"You don't have to worry about that, I have money with me. Thanks again for the offer though."

[eightfoldjourney]

Castti nodded. Much as she wanted to stick by Kieran a little longer and oversee his recovery, she knew that she couldn't force her help onto him. "It's my pleasure, Kieran. I'll be in town for a couple of days, so if you feel any further discomfort, please come to me right away."

With that, Castti would leave Kieran alone to rest in his room for now. She might occasionally check up on him, but for now, she was satisfied simply knowing her patient was doing better...

[eightfoldjourney]

Suddenly, the caits in Hinoeuma started a conflict between themselves because of the sudden surge of caits delivering letters and packages, which caused a major rift between the felines.

This was definitely unheard of. First, caits becoming couriers. Now, they seemed to be quarreling with one-another? Regardless, Hikari knew something had to be done. He dispatched a contingent of soldiers led by Rai Mei to try and calm the conflicting caits, ideally without having to harm any of them.

[songofsilentechoes]

Noelle smiles and bows to the children before quietly taking her place in the audience, careful to make sure she's not obstructing anyone's view.

She observes the set up...it looked like a puppet show, but with paper art and effects showing the scenes. It was rather clever, and doubtlessly took a lot of planning.

And so she allowed herself to be absorbed into the story as a member of the audience.

[eightfoldjourney]

Once everyone was settled, Temenos began his little 'production.' The inquisitor's play told of an ancient, wicked god called Vide, who tried to plunge the world into eternal night. Eight other gods banded together, but Vide's power was so great, nearly all of them were defeated.

In a final, desperate gamble, seven of the gods lent their power to the last and mightiest: Aelfric, the Flamebringer. With their combined might, Aelfric was able to seal Vide away deep below the waves, where the Wicked God slumbers to this day...

"And so," Temeons concluded. "The Night was halted, but not truly banished. Vide feeds upon the evil and despair in human hearts, always seeking cast our world into Shadow. However, it is through hope and kindness that we can resist Vide's temptations, keeping flame lit and the darkness at bay. Remember: even when all seems lost, there is always a road to the Dawn."

When the play ended and the children dispersed, Temenos approached Noelle again. "So then, what did you think?"

[songofsilentechoes]

Noelle sat quietly with the audience of children. She makes surprised gasps when appropriate and seems to hang on every word. Her reactions seem to get tbe children more invested in the story being told.

But despite this, it was clear she was paying attention very closely; taking in every word.

This wasn't just a story, but a legend from the past. A tale of gods fighting to resist an eternal darkness swallowing everything, and the birth of the blessed flame of this faith.

She waita for the last children to go before she gives him her full attention again. "I feel it was very informative. I have new insight about thia world and the flame of the church."

[eightfoldjourney]

"Is that so? Then it seems I've done my part. Truthfully, I've made some adjustments to the original script, but the overall story remains the same." Of course, Temenos knew this information might not be the most relevant to Noelle, who came from a different world with different gods. Still, as long as she was here in this one, knowing the lore could only prove beneficial.

"With that said and done, I take it you plan to depart soon? If you seek the Isle of the Arcanists, you've a long journey ahead of you. At the very least, I can write up another letter for you. Not many actually know the way to the island, but there is a man I know who can provide you passage... Provided he's not too busy."

[eyesofcuriosity]

Nessa let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding as more of Shirlotto came into view. Relief was quickly replaced by concern. His breathing was shallow, his chest rising only faintly beneath the dust coating his fur.

She knelt beside him, resisting the urge to immediately pull away the larger stones still pinning him.

"No... don't move those yet."

Her voice was calm, though noticeably strained. She rested one hand against the ground to steady herself before carefully examining the remaining debris.

"If we lift the wrong one now, all that weight could shift onto him."

She leaned in closer, looking for where the slabs rested against one another rather than against Shirlotto himself. Osvald's lessons echoed in the back of her mind not just about magic, but observation. Magic wasn't always about overwhelming force. Sometimes it was about understanding the problem first.

"...There."

She pointed toward a broad slab wedged diagonally across the pile.

"That stone is acting like a bridge. It's holding the rest up, but it's also what's trapping him. If we can support its weight first, we can slide it away instead of lifting it straight up."

Nessa swallowed, feeling another wave of exhaustion wash over her. Even gathering the wind around her fingertips made them tremble.

"I... I don't think I have enough strength left for a powerful spell..."

She laughed quietly at herself.

"So we'll have to be clever instead."

Closing her eyes, she whispered an incantation. Soft streams of wind curled around the slab not enough to throw it aside, but enough to lessen its weight ever so slightly and keep it from tipping.

The breeze hummed steadily around the rock, causing dust to dance harmlessly through the air.

"Ochette... Mahina..."

Her breathing had grown noticeably heavier from maintaining the spell.

"When I say 'now,' push together. Don't try to lift it high just slide it toward me. I'll keep the pressure off as best I can."

She looked at Ochette with complete trust.

"You've got the strength. I've got... what's left of the magic."

A faint smile crossed her lips.

"Between the three of us, that's enough."

Then her expression grew serious again as she fixed her eyes on the trembling currents of wind wrapped around the stone.

"...Ready?"

She tightened her resolve and spread out her fingertips once more, took one slow breath to steady both herself and the spell, and quietly counted.

"...Three..."

The wind steadied.

"...Two..."

Her knees threatened to buckle, but she held firm.

"...One..."

"...Now!"

[eightfoldjourney]

It was clear this ordeal weighed heavily on Nessa. Compared to fighting terrifying monsters, this was much more difficult... Ochette understood well. Protecting a life could be far more taxing than taking one. Even so, Nessa pushed forward, keeping herself calm despite everything.

When the scholar had figured out a plan, Ochette and Mahina followed along, putting faith in their new friend. They braced themselves as the countdown began, and when it ended, both hunters used all the strength they could muster to move the rocks while ensuring Shirlotto wasn't crushed.

It was close. Too close for comfort, even. However, with their strength and Nessa's magic, the part was able to move enough of the stones that Shirlotto could finally be pulled out from the debris. The older beastling groaned a little from the effort, but at least he was still alive.

When it was all over, Ochette plopped down on the ground. "Phew... What a relief." She smiled at her friend and giggled. "Hehe... We did it, Nessa! Now we just have to get this guy back to the village."

But first, a small rest was in order.

[songofsilentechoes]

Noelle smiles and bows to the children before quietly taking her place in the audience, careful to make sure she's not obstructing anyone's view.

She observes the set up...it looked like a puppet show, but with paper art and effects showing the scenes. It was rather clever, and doubtlessly took a lot of planning.

And so she allowed herself to be absorbed into the story as a member of the audience.

[eightfoldjourney]

Once everyone was settled, Temenos began his little 'production.' The inquisitor's play told of an ancient, wicked god called Vide, who tried to plunge the world into eternal night. Eight other gods banded together, but Vide's power was so great, nearly all of them were defeated.

In a final, desperate gamble, seven of the gods lent their power to the last and mightiest: Aelfric, the Flamebringer. With their combined might, Aelfric was able to seal Vide away deep below the waves, where the Wicked God slumbers to this day...

"And so," Temeons concluded. "The Night was halted, but not truly banished. Vide feeds upon the evil and despair in human hearts, always seeking cast our world into Shadow. However, it is through hope and kindness that we can resist Vide's temptations, keeping flame lit and the darkness at bay. Remember: even when all seems lost, there is always a road to the Dawn."

When the play ended and the children dispersed, Temenos approached Noelle again. "So then, what did you think?"

[eightfoldjourney]

suddenly, caits have started to deliver letter and packages

Well, this was quite an odd turn of events. People all across Solistia were receiving mail from caits, of all things! Had the postal services all suddenly hired the tricksy felines? Did this mean caits could be employed for other jobs as well? Partitio certainly wouldn't be opposed to hiring a couple...

[eyesofcuriosity]

She is simply enjoying wearing the sundress and dance with herself.

[eightfoldjourney]

Agnea would like to join in!

[muses-galore]

"Does anyone have something I can eat?"

*A simple question but behind it was a hunger that just wouldn't be satisfied. It was like the story of Erysichthon who after destroying a tree was cursed with a neverending hunger.*

[muses-galore]

*After hearing that the young man couldn't be happier, yes Kitakami was quiet but it had a unique charm that he felt made it special. As such Kieran would love to show Cassti around when she decided to visit.*

"Let me know when that is and I'll go with you. As for the nearest hospital...I haven't but I would guess it's in either Hearthome or Veilstone. Both would be a bit of a journey from here. Maybe we could ask around later."

*Well once he's rested up he'd help. After all it wouldn't be fair to have her nurse him back fully since it was his mistake that had caused him to have the incident in the first place.*

[eightfoldjourney]

"Hmm... I see..." Castti supposed a small town like this wouldn't exactly have a fully modern hospital, but there must at least be some place where the sick and injured could stay. "In that case, let's at least find you a place to rest for now."

She brought Kieran to what looked like some sort of inn. "Here we are. Do you have enough money for a room? If not, I can pay for you."

[songofsilentechoes]

"I can understand that being a bit tiresome...but peaceful times are always preferable, yes?" Noelle replied.

"As for how I do it...well, I learned how by accident. I'm not powerful enough to just...rip open a hole between realms, or warp that way easily."

She ponders, looking for how to word it. "It's more like....I learned how to fall between the seams. Slip through natural cracks of reality and into the space between...and ending up....somewhere else. I can return home easily enough, and I can even return to places I've been once I've been there once. But I can't drop in just anywhere. If I control it, it'll always bring me to a place I marked. Otherwise, it'll drop me wherever I fall."

"This method is much less taxing than what I would consider the 'expected' sort of travel. But it's something that I can manage to do."

[eightfoldjourney]

Temenos listened on with interest. So there were 'seams' one could travel to, were there? That might be worth investigating unto itself. Not that Temenos had any particular desire to run off and explore other worlds, but it did raise a concern: if Noelle was capable of coming to Solistia through this 'cracks,' then who or what else might creep through?

A question to ponder later, he supposed. They were near the bottom of the path now, and thankfully, no monsters cropped up this time. "Thank you for sharing, Noelle. I'm afraid that's all the time we have to discuss such matters for now."

He began walking east, waving toward some of the townsfolk. "Tell me: have you ever seen a paper play before?"

[songofsilentechoes]

"I'm not familiar with the term." She admits as she follows him, her footsteps ever silent as she raises her hood to shroud herself a little from the people. "I've heard of plays, puppet shows, opera, orchestras...but not a 'paper' play before."

"But you've piqued my curiosity. I look forward to seeing what it entails."

[eightfoldjourney]

"Oh?" That certainly came as a bit of a surprise. Noelle had been to plenty of worlds from the sound of it, yet none of them had paper plays? Or at least, none that she'd ever seen... "Well then, I do hope you'll enjoy the show."

Soon enough, they reached the church, where Temenos was promptly greeted by several enthusiastic children. He smiled and greeted them all, briefly introducing them to his guest. "This is Noelle. She is... A traveler of sorts. She's here to watch the play with you all, so be good and don't make too many interruptions, alright?"

The children obliged, taking their seats. Before the lectern was a small makeshift stage of sorts, almost like a box. Several paper cutouts of what looked to be various characters on sticks were lined up on top of the 'stage.'

Temenos cleared his throat and moved to stand behind it. "Now then, today we'll be recounting a tale I'm sure many of you are somewhat familiar with: the tale of how Aelfric and his fellow gods sealed the darkness and restored light to our world." He briefly glanced around, making sure everyone was paying attention...

[eightfoldjourney]

Suddenly, a cait gives temenos a letter from Steorra, Starseer

Temenos blinked, rather surprised by the sudden appearance of a Cait in his office. He was even more surprised that it delivered a letter to him before rushing off. "Well now, this is quite curious. What have we here?" He cautiously opened the letter and began to read over its contents...

[muses-galore]

"Does anyone have something I can eat?"

*A simple question but behind it was a hunger that just wouldn't be satisfied. It was like the story of Erysichthon who after destroying a tree was cursed with a neverending hunger.*

[muses-galore]

"I suppose we're the same, I've heard of Kalos but never been. It will still be your region even if you haven't been back in a while. I want to travel and although this is my first stop on my own without my sister or the academy the setback won't stop me from continuing on my goal. Oh and if you're ever in Kitakami I'd be happy to show you around."

*He had wanted to become stronger, still does but Kieran wished to see what that actually meant by travelling to different regions. This just happened to be his first stop and of course had to have an incident. Though maybe it was for a reason as if he hadn't had that issue they'd never have met.*

[eightfoldjourney]

Castti couldn't help but smile a bit at that. Home was home, no matter how long she was away... It was a nice sentiment, as was Kieran's offer. "Thank you. Perhaps I'll make Kitakami my next destination, once the time comes for me to leave Sinnoh."

Soon enough, the two arrived at Solaceon Town. "Here we are. Now then... Do you know where the nearest hospital is? I'm afraid I'm still quite new to the area, myself."

[songofsilentechoes]

"I can understand that being a bit tiresome...but peaceful times are always preferable, yes?" Noelle replied.

"As for how I do it...well, I learned how by accident. I'm not powerful enough to just...rip open a hole between realms, or warp that way easily."

She ponders, looking for how to word it. "It's more like....I learned how to fall between the seams. Slip through natural cracks of reality and into the space between...and ending up....somewhere else. I can return home easily enough, and I can even return to places I've been once I've been there once. But I can't drop in just anywhere. If I control it, it'll always bring me to a place I marked. Otherwise, it'll drop me wherever I fall."

"This method is much less taxing than what I would consider the 'expected' sort of travel. But it's something that I can manage to do."

[eightfoldjourney]

Temenos listened on with interest. So there were 'seams' one could travel to, were there? That might be worth investigating unto itself. Not that Temenos had any particular desire to run off and explore other worlds, but it did raise a concern: if Noelle was capable of coming to Solistia through this 'cracks,' then who or what else might creep through?

A question to ponder later, he supposed. They were near the bottom of the path now, and thankfully, no monsters cropped up this time. "Thank you for sharing, Noelle. I'm afraid that's all the time we have to discuss such matters for now."

He began walking east, waving toward some of the townsfolk. "Tell me: have you ever seen a paper play before?"

[tribus-semitae]

Annushka had expected teeth, she had expected crushing force. She had even expected the creature to burrow beneath the dunes and strike from impossible angles.

What she had not expected was intelligence.

The torrent of sand struck her like a desert storm. Instinctively, she turned her head and raised an armored forearm across her face. Grains rattled against steel and cloth, finding every gap they could. Her vision vanished in an instant as the world became little more than heat, dust, and noise.

For a lesser warrior, it might have been enough.

For Annushka, it was merely another battlefield complication.

She immediately planted the tip of her greatsword into the sand and lowered her center of gravity. Charging blindly would have been foolish. The beast wanted her disoriented and moving.

Instead, she listened. The roar of shifting dunes. The grinding movement beneath the earth. The thunder of Hikari's approach. Then came the sound she was waiting for.

Steel biting flesh.

The Lord of the Sands shrieked.

A smile crossed her lips.

"There you are."

The moment Hikari's assault redirected the creature's attention, Annushka moved. She burst from the cloud of dust like an arrow loosed from a bow. Sand still clung to her cloak and armor, but her eyes had already found the opening. Hikari's rapid strikes had forced the worm to twist its immense body, exposing a vulnerable section of segmented hide along its flank.

Rather than aim for the head, Annushka altered her approach entirely. A beast this size would not be felled by heroic charges. It would be brought down piece by piece. Her boots dug into the dune as she accelerated before launching herself forward with surprising speed for someone carrying such a massive weapon.

The greatsword came down not in a vertical strike but in a brutal diagonal arc. Steel crashed into chitin. The impact echoed across the desert. Annushka felt resistance immediately. The creature's hide was thicker than plate armor, but she had not intended to simply cut it. She drove through. Muscles strained beneath steel as she forced the blade deeper, carving a jagged wound across one of the creature's larger segments.

Dark blood sprayed across the sand. The Lord of the Sands roared.

"Rai Mei!" Annushka shouted as she wrenched the blade free. "Benkei!" The wounded segment twisted violently as the beast tried to pull away. "Here!" The command was immediate and purposeful. The cut wasn't meant to be decisive. It was meant to create a weakness. A place where spearpoints could find purchase. A place where Hikari could strike something softer than the creature's armored shell. The worm reared upward, towering over the battlefield once more. Annushka naturally did not retreat but instead, she stepped closer.

Blue eyes locked onto the monster's enormous maw.

The earlier confidence in Hikari's voice returned to her. "It will not swallow any of us." A faint grin appeared despite the danger. "Good," she muttered, hefting her sword once more. "Because I am beginning to dislike this thing."

Then she shifted her stance, preparing to intercept whatever came next while leaving the wounded flank exposed for her companions to exploit. Unlike during their spar, she wasn't trying to corner Hikari.

Now they were fighting together.

And Annushka was already beginning to understand why so many warriors chose to follow him into battle.

[eightfoldjourney]

Hikari watched as Annushka darted from the cloud of sand, displaying surprising speed in spite of the sizable weapon she carried. Her movements were calm and precise, even with her vision partially obscured, and her blade struck true to rend an opening in the great worm's thick hide.

A roar of pain resounded through the desert, and the beast thrashed and flailed about as it tried to swat away the warrior who had so badly wounded it. However, its efforts only wound up turning that wound toward the spear wielders, who understood the opening Annushka made for them and capitalized on it.

Rai Mei raised her enchanted spear, calling down bolts of lighting toward the spot where the gash had been made. Most of them mist, but one struck true, causing the magic of storms course through the beast's blood. Another scream of fury and pain resounded through the desert, while Benkei charged in for his own strike. His weapon stroke home, and the creature seemed to slow its movements a bit.

Hikari, seeing an opening of his own, closed his eyes and focused. He began to tap into the power latent to his blood, but it was... Different from before. Unlike the broiling bloodlust that sought to escape during his duel with Annushka, this time, it seemed like Hikari entered a state of complete, unwavering calm and focus.

"TENRETSUZAN!" Hikari charged forward, spun, and then leaped into air with his blade pointed upwards. The sharpened steel cut through the Lord of the Sands like a hot knife through butter, creating another sizable gash long its side near the head. The beast fell onto its side as Hikari came down for a landing, now vulnerable for a finishing blow...

[stratecheez]

Matchastti

[muses-galore]

"Does anyone have something I can eat?"

*A simple question but behind it was a hunger that just wouldn't be satisfied. It was like the story of Erysichthon who after destroying a tree was cursed with a neverending hunger.*

[muses-galore]

"If you're sure...then I'll drop it. I'm from Kitakami, I'm not sure if you've heard of it or not. It's nothing crazy like the cities or towns that I've been to lately but it has its own charms. There's festivals and small guided tours as well as apple orchards."

*Kieran couldn't help but smile at that as he remembered his applin who had long since evolved into a hydrapple. Many would probably hate that it's so quiet but it helped him honestly. The stories he heard shaped who he was even if they had now been proven to be untrue. It didn't change how he felt back then.*

"How about you? Where is your hometown if you don't mind me asking that is."

[eightfoldjourney]

Castti listened attentively. It was good to try and keep Kieran's mind occupied, particularly with pleasant topics. Little things like that could do wonders for ensuring a patient's continued well-being. "Kitakami, you say? I've heard of it, but I've never been. I think I'd like to someday, though..."

Suddenly, the topic shifted to herself. "Me? I'm from Kalos, though I admit I haven't been back in quite some time... I travel all over, never staying in one place for too long. I have heard that Lumiose City recently underwent some sort of expansion, however. Oh, that's the region's capital. Do you know it?"

[songofsilentechoes]

"Ah, I see." Noelle was quick to catch the slight tone shift and looked a bit embarrassed for her enthusiasm. She decided not to press the issue.

"Ah, y-yes. Please, lead the way." She said, standing and scooting her chair silently back into place.

[eightfoldjourney]

Temenos was glad that Noelle chose not to press the issue. With that established, he would step out of his office with her in tow, nodding to guards and priests as he went. He began to lead her down the mountainside.

"You know, I must say: this has all been a rather pleasant change of pace. My chief role as Inquisitor is to investigate matters on behalf of the church. Criminal or even blasphemous behaviors fall under that purview. However, well... While I'm hardly WISHING for trouble to rear its head, things have been quite peaceful as of late. I daresay your sudden arrival is the most interesting thing to have happened in months."

He glanced back over his shoulder at Noelle. "Tell me something: how DOES one travel between worlds, as you do?"

[muses-galore]

"Does anyone have something I can eat?"

*A simple question but behind it was a hunger that just wouldn't be satisfied. It was like the story of Erysichthon who after destroying a tree was cursed with a neverending hunger.*

[muses-galore]

*Kieran had been unsure what the solution to all this would have been and when he noticed the Audino being sent out he has a fair idea it was only a temporary solution. Though it was enough to get him back into town. However helping even after getting back would be unfair to her, wouldn't it?*

"Thank you, I'll make sure not to take up too much of your time."

[eightfoldjourney]

Castti simply shook her head. "Please, don't worry about it. My time is best spent serving those who need me." She reached out help Kieran stand, then started walking down the path with him. Malaya the Audino followed close behind, keeping an eye out for wild Pokemon that may try to impede their path.

"So tell me: where are you from, Kieran? If you don't mind my asking."