Orlando
*As the moon rises over the Capitol, the forest sits oddly silent. While the plains around the center city are blanketed by farmlands and fields, folk tales spread far and wide. If there is one that takes fame, it would be that of the eastern woods. Why? You may wonder...*

***Not a single chirp to be heard, nor is there a sighting of a single bird. Beware the forest edge, lest you be lost to it's maze. Forever wandering, in it's foggy haze. If you sneak out at night, you may fall into a fright. So shut your doors and keep your locks tight.***

*Children know better than to ignore the songs warning. It may act as a folk song to keep the littles in check, but there is some truth to it. As the eastern forest holds many secrets and it's heart pulsates with magic. Raw and chaotic, like a tear into the weave made to invite the hardiest of souls or the craziest of fools to gaze upon it. It is rare that the forest opens it's gateway to outsiders, beckoning them closer to take a deeper look.*

*There are no trails that lead into the forest normally. Yet tonight, there is a clear distinct path of small blue blossoms that have sprouted. Leading directly into the woods that stands as proud as it is ominous. It's beauty is breath taking and while the normal hues of muted greens and browns stand as a statement of simplicity in tranquility. There are now blue-purple lights dancing in the sky, as if to guide spirits home and into their next realms. The leaves of the tree canopy shimmers, as if breathing with the very life that it holds within it.*

*Yet in the strange silence that surrounds these woods, where not a peep can be heard from a single animal. Every time the wind whirls by a small song can be heard. Like a lullaby or the muse of a harp, plucking sweet chords to lure the unsuspecting deeper in. A tune produced by the humming wisps that sit upon the various branches of the woods, as if waiting... For something... Someone...*
Richard
*"We camp here for the night. I'll be going in alone, let nothing happen to these things Valac. Should I find any mishaps have occured with either- ill kill you both no matter who is at fault."* Noctis had said as he removed the gleaming enchanted armor pieces and unbuckled his sword and sheath from his belt. Wrapping them in a blaket, he set the bundle near the firelight so that his two companions could keep close eyes on it. *"Tonight I hope I shall be adding a potion maker to our traveling party."* After giving instruction to Valac and Sylvar, he'd set off, without armor and without his sword, feeling that strength would do him no good in overcoming whatever challenges awaited him. 

Noctis' long legs carried him in swift and impossibly silent strides, the gait of a predator that had never been prey. His silver eyes carried only the faintest glow as he used his magic, enhancing his body to move with a silent grace and boosting his senses to hear, smell and see everything in a sharp definition. It was only a light bit of magic, something he could keep up for quite some time with little effort. Beauty was the core of Noctis' passion, the divine blood that flowed through his veins compelled him to protect and admire that which he thought beautiful, and this forest fit that description. He tread carefully along the flowers, never crushing one underfoot and taking in the glimpses of wisps around him. Seeing them fluttering in and out of his vision, it took him back to a quieter time of his life. 

- - - - 

**"The wisps will guide you home, always, Noct. I carried you here when you were an infant and let the wisps kiss your skin, so they may always know you."** His mother had whispered in his ears as they lay in a clearing within the dense wood that surrounded their mountain home. A creek gurgled and whispered nearby, the leaves of the branches shuddered as they spoke and told of what beats were within and there like fireflies from beyond the veil were wisps, blinkin

G in and out, watching and waiting within the branches and the bushes. He had grown up in the old age, in the dawn of the mortal eras, when the gods had gone but the divine magics remained still soaked into the earth. 

- - - -

"Come now forest, show me what challenges you have for me. I will have my potion maker or become fertilizer for Old Man Oak." He spoke, his musical voice carrying through the dark with authority and yet, never a glimpse of hostility. Noctis' greatest blessing in being a child of the god of beauty, was that he sought out the beautiful aspects of the world and learned about them, and he was born to rebel against the ugly, the wars, the hate. He knew of the woods, of the spirits, he'd danced with them as an ivory figure in rings of mushrooms, he'd slept beneath the bows of trees who'd watched the gods wander the earth. 

Noctis perhaps wasn't a paragon of good, he'd do what it took to survive and to make the changes he wanted, but he was never ignorant of the world around him.
Orlando
*Noctis will find the petals of the blue moon blossoms petals turning white, returning to their original color when he passes them by. Each one producing the sound of a chime. As if trying to sing to the moon of the night, humming with each step he takes. Small bits of what looks like pollen that mimics the light of fireflies can be seen all throughout the area. Again, breathtaking is an understatement. It as if he has walked right into a children's storybook, a dream, or a painting of the visionaries.*

"Shh! Someone is coming!" *A child-like voice ushers.*

*Suddenly, all light from the area fades as Noctis stands just within the entrance. The wisps out of sight and it becomes near impossible to see. Yet he is not alone. In fact, Noctis is surrounded though it is impossible to see with the naked eye without the enhancement of magic. Small wisps chat amongst themselves. Whispers of debates, what to do, how do they address the stranger? Then silence as a creature makes herself known to Noctis whereas her smaller cousins remain hidden.*

"Child of the ancients, you have come." *The older spirit comments, her voice smooth as it is monotone.*

*She may sound as though she is devoid of emotion. But on the contrary, it is quite the opposite. She is a being of the weave, chaos is what makes her, she is all emotions at once yet none at the same time. The stars on her skin mimic the lights in the night sky. Her ethereal white cloak nearly blinding, her gaze soft. As she stands proud, she reveals her hands and with it she sprinkles a type of powder on the ground. Producing a line of growing white mushrooms.*

"You are eager for the challenges, yet are you worthy? You have made your claim, is that truly what you wish to earn from the grove?" *She asks, as if referring to Esme or more so her location as a reward.*

"Once you pass the pixies parasols, you may not be able to return back. Are you truly ready to speak to the denizens of the grove? Should you find it."
Richard
Noctis was silent as the spirit appeared, his raven black hair only making his pale skin and silver eyes more stark in the night. Child of the ancients was right, the gods had walked the earth for eons before he and his kin, before the elves with their trees and the giants with their stones. In a technical sense Noctis might be one of if not the oldest mortal on Aeterna, that he did not know. What he did know was that he'd stepped into a very dangerous place. 

Magic of the Fae was not something fireballs or superhuman strength could simply overcome, especially not when you walked so openly into their land and willingly took part of their rituals. Once you'd done that- your fate was out of even the gods hands. How he wished Masculo would end the silence and speak to him. 

"Honored friend." He said, and he bowed low, hooking one ankle behind his heel and dipping down, never breaking eye contact and extending one black clad limb out like the wing of a bird. After straightening, he watched the mushrooms and took in the soft breezes of the trees, the seen and unseen, the known and unknown. 

*"You could turn back."* The voice of an old friend warned, but he pushed it away. The eleven demigods were either dead or worse, all but their title had vanished so far as he knew. Nary even a song of anyone but Scipio and his enemies. 

"I know not if I'm worthy, but I am sure of what I want. I seek things that can only be accomplished by the right means- and your forest houses one of those means." He responded, waving his hand to create illusions of the petals that Esme had left behind when she'd flown away. 

After his statement, he moved and stepped over the mushrooms, knowing that now there was officially no turning back. Weaponless, armor-less- but never hopeless. 

How many legends had he faced and conquered? How many times had he, half human as he was, done what was thought impossible? He could succeed here, or perhaps his story would come to an unceremonious end.
Orlando
"Then your choice is decided." 

*The spirit's voice echoes as the winds stir. The trees sing in symphony as their leaves wildly ruffle against on another, the spirits hum and all of them appear for a moment of a second before fading away with their elder cousin.*

*Silence... Darkness... Noctis, you are alone.*

*Yet there are faint chimes that can be heard in the distance. A fragment of hope? Or perhaps a trap lying in wait for the foolish to step in. For what fey doesn't want to take hold of a half human born of the ancients? Small giggles pluck like harp strings to the ears, little footsteps echoing in the distance. Then there is the sound of... Is that a clock ticking?*

*Suddenly, one of the spirits appears as if to be walking beside Noctis. It is quiet, it's gaze downcast. It looks guilty. It's arms held behind it's back, it's feet dragging across the ground and leaving small imprints of where it walked. Occasionally it looks up at Noctis but then a small bit of blue blush appears on it's face. Quickly averting it's gaze and murmuring to itself in a language likely lost to time. Then it kicks a tiny pebble and it lets out a tiny gasp, flickering in and out of view before calming down.*

*Timid little thing, isn't it?*

"Worfy... Worfy... Dunno if worfy..." *It continues to mumble to itself, occasionally looking up and narrowing it's gaze at Noctis before repeating it's past behavior.*
"If not worfy... Dunno what do..."
Richard
Noctis had been born with many gifts, the Gift of Tongues for example let him understand and be understood in any spoken tongue, save a select few. The Gift of Grace always kept him surefooted, so on and so forth, he was beauty incarnate. Now however, he did not know if it would help or hinder. Fae loved beautiful creatures and people, many times he'd nearly been whisked away from his mother to be raised a princeling or eaten or buried to make a great tree. Yet here he stood... 

Noctis doesn't stop for the spirit, but he doesn't ignore it either. 

"Hello Honored Friend, are you my guide? Or are you here for tricks?" He asked, and he wove only the slightest bit of Charmspeech into it, to encourage the spirit to speak true. Noctis would play their game, but he could weave in some of his own rules too. Scanning the darkness, he tried to determine which way would get him to this grove. The Witch he sought was definitely no ordinary one, and not of a dark coven either. He'd met a dark coven and only barely escaped their wrath through the aid of friends. "I would deeply appreciate your company." He said, and plucked a sweet candy from his pouch, handing it to the spirit. Giving gifts was good, but it was a terrible idea to accept a gift from a Fae. That meant you could become a slave, or worse. Far worse. 

"Ignis luxim." He said, and created a small hovering fireball that orbited his head slowly to cast light for him to see with. 

*"Never alone."* He thought to himself, thinking of his father, of the ghostly face of Emi still twisted in pride at her betrayal, of the blank and faceless spectre that was Scipio and his fate. 

"Which way..." He murmured to himself softly.
Orlando
*The fae spirit is hesitant as it is addressed and it naturally falters away. Clasping its hands together as its shoulders raise towards its ears, if there even are any. It grumbles for a moment, twiddling it's fingers as it paces back and forth. Honored friend? Suddenly, it swoons and giggles as it turns it's back towards the man. Clearly happy to be bestowed such a title more than anything else.*

"Forst tim, forst tim (first time)." *It chuckles to itself as it jumps up and down.*

*Then it's white eyes go wide as it then holds out its hand to take the little candy. Wrapper and all it chucks the item into it's mouth and produces three little spirit-flame hearts. Humming in joy as it does a little jig. But then it notices Noctis' distant stare and like a puppy, it circles him in curiosity. Each step produces a subtle sound of a heart string and soon it tugs on his pant leg as it stands side by side.*

"Never alone?" *It says, speaking out his own thoughts before it then cheers.* "Never alone! Never alone!" 

*Hopping around and flailing it's arms around, running a little ahead before skidding it's heels into the ground to come to a stop. Turning around and looking back, as if waiting for Noctis to catch up. Beckoning as if to follow as it covers it's lower mouth with it's long white sleeve. Humming a small song, one that the songbird sang when she flew off just a few days ago. Perhaps the wisps are her doing... Or maybe she merely mimicked their song given she lives here.*

*Perhaps this is a path forward? Perhaps not... If Noctis looks back, he would only see an endless forest. The path out is gone as it is as if he has been transported into another world. It seems the maze of the children's tale is true. So is this fae of pure heart, or one more sinister?*

*The choice is yours. To follow this little fae in the direction of the chimes? Or will Noctis go his own way, into the fast darkness of the unknown. To make his own light and path forward.*
Richard
Noctis had spent his entire adult life following the will of one man. He had been more than an underling, he'd been a sworn brother, a comrade in arms, he'd served his master Scipio faithfully. Even now he couldn't help but wish that Scipio would come striding out of the darkness to lead them to another victory. By the side of the most legendary of mortals, Noctis had felt invincible. Now, he was just a man in the woods, nothing more or less. The small spirit was amusing to say the least, and it helped that Noctis knew at least some of the customs to keep himself from becoming entrapped. Entrapped... Was that what awaited at the end of this road? How to know which would lead to Esme? Noctis had spent plenty of time chasing women- never had he chased one this hard, and he didn't even have a desire to court her. 

He chose his words carefully. 

"We walk the same road, but I do not follow you." To follow a fae was to give them control of your feet. Yet he could happen to walk in the same direction of this spirit. He relied lately so much on his overwhelming physical strength, but it could not save him now. Crashing into the dark forest was likely to lead to his demise... 

**"If you truly wish to prove your fate-less fate. Then test it there. If you believe fate that our paths have met, or lack thereof and by sheer luck. Then grasp it and meet me again within the heart of the woods. Look for the moon blossoms and if your intent is true... Then we will meet again."** Esme's sing song voice danced in his head. Noctis had hardly wanted anything more than to get Esme to travel with him. A demon, a shapeshifting thief and a potion maker who could nudge fate. They were no demigods of war, no masters of devastation to bring death- but they could be exactly what he needed to find out the truth of what had happened to his beloved Aeterna. 

Reaching into his pocket again, he enhanced his hand strength and smashed severeal coins into glimmering pieces, tossing them to the floor

Occasionally as he walked. An old wives tale told of kids who were led into the woods where a witch dwelled, who found their way home by leaving a trail. It couldn't hurt to take some lessons from myths. After all, they were called *Fairy* Tales for a reason.
Orlando
*The spirit gives a blank stare as Noctis walks by and before long, it is walking a few quick paces behind him with it's little feet. For every one step he takes, it has to take about five or six. Yet as the two get closer towards the chimes, they get loud. As if praising the man for his choice yet still remaining ambiguous in it's intention. Where the forest was once dark, now in the horizon there are small fireflies fluttering about. Producing hues of blue and white. A journey that feels endless, accompanied by the chatter of the smaller spirit right behind him.*

"Luck... Lucky! Luck!" *It mumbles, repeating the word over and over again as it picks up a small piece of grass.*

*Pulling it to it's mouth, it blows gently to produce a small note to accompany the chimes. This seems to cause a hiss to be produced from the forest depths yet it holds no anchor point as to where it came from. But the spirit doesn't stop. Using a grass whistle, it continues to blow the same note. Breathless and uninterrupted. Yet the fireflies dance and if Noctis listens clearly, it is the same song he had heard previously.*

*So where are the moon blossoms? There are none nearby... Or are there? The small spirit bobs up and down, slowly swaying to it's own tune while the forest clearing remains barren. With the only noticeable thing to note are those very fireflies. They do not seem to move in any particular pattern or any real cause. Yet the chimes persist and Noctis may feel eyes on him. But where? Them suddenly...*

***May I ask you, do you think your dreams are at least determined by fate?***

*Esme's voice echoes, bouncing from tree to tree as the wind howls in the distance. The radiant lights above, just barely visible through the tree canopy seem to no longer dance. Frozen in place like a painting. A hint? Perhaps an absolute. Just what is to be done here? What does the forest want?*
Richard
Slowing to a stop, Noctis gazes out at the fireflies in the distance. A distraction? Or his true goal? The spirit was amusing, but was it just a trickster? It was highly likely, Fae loved tricks more than most things. Scratching his jaw, he pursed his lips and whistled the same tune as the grass whistle and the chimes, whistling it out whilst still watching the fireflies. Then his eyes flicked up and he studied the... Stars? Were they stars? 

"Worthy? Thats what you asked, Honored Friend, to know if I was worthy." He said absently as he ended the tune, still deep in thought. He couldn't stand still long lest the forest swallow him whole. 

"Tick tock, tick tock." He murmured softly to himself, and tried to match the lights above to the fireflies, looking for a pattern, a sign. 

*"I think that I don't care if fate decided on my dreams or not. I have them, I want to make them reality. I need Esme for that."* He finally responded to her voice, waiting to see if he could decipher anything from his study of what was presented.
Orlando
*Like a drop of water, the world becomes still. The fireflies hold their positions as the song comes to an end. A final chime, upon reopening his eyes Noctis can see constellations. Stories of new and old, figures of war and faces of love. A repeating cycle and a nonstop clock, tick tock the spirits say. Tick tock on the clock.*

*Suddenly, all fireflies move themselves from their starry form as they embody the figurative form of magic. Falling to the ground like little comets, a small seabed of sprouts appear. Perhaps these are the flowers Noctis seeks. Each one holding dreams, aspirations in the metaporical sense. As the small blade of grass falls from the tiny spirit's hands. It looks up at him, giving its head a tilt once more as it steps closer.*

"Then which one is worthy of growing?" *It asks, suddenly speaking clearly in a voice still reminiscent of a child.*

*If Noctis truly wishes to accomplish his goals with the help of the sacred treasure deep within. Then he will need to tap into his wellspring of magic, to reach into the weave without fear. To choose a sprout and watch it blossom into his greatest desires. But no fae tell can be so easily deciphered. Dreams of his own doing, can easily be his undoing. As a small haze begins to corner into the clearing, though not close or thick enough to cause alarm. Voices of a past whisper, voices he may even find familiar as if old memories are attempting to resurface and maybe be reflected upon.*

"Grow?" *The spirit then asks, pointing to the field. Almost as if curious to see what he will do.*

*There are three notable sprouts:* 
***The sprout of power.***
***The sprout of life.***
***The sprout of knowledge.***

"Grow!" *The child-like spirit squeaks up, waving its hands in the air as it runs into the fields. The winds around it unusually still as it kneels down towards a sprout of its own.*
Richard
Noctis stared at the sprouts, chewing his lip while deep in thought. Of everything he'd faced so far, only this trial had truly brought him any discomfort. Valac wasn't strong enough yet to be a danger even if he lost control, Sylvar would honor the contract because it was in his best interest. This however... He'd come unarmed into an unfamiliar fae wood all on the off chance he might get a potion making witch who was more aloof than anyone he'd ever met to join his party without even a set time for her to be there. She could join for a day and bug off easily. 

None of that helped him answer his question, *The* Question. Which Sprout was worth growing? Taking a step closer, he examined each one in turn. Each pulled at him, each grabbing the strings of his past that still haunted him and pulling with a force that threatened to rip him apart. 

- - - - 

**"Power, Noctis, means peace. Look..."** Scipios strong hand rested on Noctis' shoulder and turned him to look out over the city that slept peacefully. The Conflict had officially ended two years ago, the Conqueror was the First Emperor and now they rested at the cradle of humanity. **"With enough power you can make mountains move, can make any dream of yours a reality. You NEED power to do good in this life, little Rose Boy."** Scipio said with a laugh, messing with Noctis' hair. 

- - - - 

Power... To have enough of it, perhaps he could simply just conquer this new Aeterna. He could bring it to heel, then get any answers he wanted. How many would die in the process? How many people would he have to lie to and use and how many more people would gaze endlessly out like that boy Blythe had in the tavern? Would enough power prevent all of that, or just herald it in? 

- - - - 

**"Noct, promise me you will treasure life like I showed you."** The beautiful elven faced of his first love was glimmering in the moonlight as they lay beneath the massive white tree in what would be known as the realm of Velaris. **"Life

Is sacred, life belongs to Aeterna and it isn't up to us to determine who should live and die. These battles that have started from your cousins- do not let it consume you. Please."** She had wanted to see the good in him, to believe in the chance that he would not become what all the other demigods had- tools of war. Yet how many lives had he taken? Over a thousand, all told. Humans, elves, giants, dwarves, even Drow and a Dragon. Life was not precious to him, it was a privlege that others lost if they crossed him. That was not what he had wanted for himself... 

He gazed at the last sprout, that of knowledge. His power, his life, he had already decided what it would be used for. He needed to know what happened to Scipio, know why the Dragons tried to kill him, why Emi worked with them, what disease had settled into Aeterna that it could not know peace even when all but a few of the demigods had left this realm? He needed... 

"Knowledge, I need the sprout of knowledge to grow. There is so much to know, and I know that must be what Esme wants too." Maybe, maybe she wanted life. Maybe to her magci *Was* Life. He'd always had an abundance of magic, and though he didn't know a huge amount of types, the magic he did know he could use in ways that had made him a living legend in his own time. Closing his eyes a moment, he tapped into that divine blood. This place wanted to see who he was, what he wanted. 

What he wanted was a beautiful world, a world that children could run easily through, a world where war wasn't always brewing on the horizon and the ugly facets of life never reared their head. That world was impossible to get, to bring about. Yet it was his dream, and Fate wouldn't have it. 

He would show them who he was to challenge fate. 

His clothing began to swirl around his body, cloak whipping against his heels as silver, pink and golden light built up around him until it began to coallesce into the shape of a man, a man who stood over twenty feet tall

The man was *So* **Beautiful** That it would be hard to think of anything else. This was the visage of Masculo, God of Beauty, and Noctis had briefly summoned his avatar armor. The glow faded but the surge of magical power would be so immense that the forest would have plenty of it. Noctis however would stumble a step, tapping into divine power was a strain on any demigods body and he coughed some blood into a black cloth, before tucking it away into his cloak pocket. 

"Please grow." He said softly.
Orlando
*The grass begins to rustle and where it was once a muted green, now a bright white. Mimicking that of snow yet there is no cold here but rather, warmth that surrounds the clearing. The smaller spirit besides him no longer visible and small petals fall from the tree canopy. A vast emptiness as far as the eye can see, whispers no longer, all but a single sprout and the child of ancients.*

*It's stem twitches, slowly swaying back and forth as the first bud grows. As it begins to open its petals, producing faint shades of blue small dew drops from its core into the ground. Feeding its own roots as a single crystal-orb appears to be resting at the flower's base. It sparkles with light that rivals the moon above and one by one, fireflies begin to appear again. Each one serving as a memory of the past. Memories of friends, family, strangers, enemies. All appearing, each one allowing Noctis to appear into a small fraction of what had been their lives. Lives that once stepped foot here, lives that he had been familiar with.*

*And then there's Esme's own memory fragment. The potion seller providing a small concoction to a woman appearing no older than thirty. A young babe clutched into her arms, crying as her mother's body had begun to grow cold. But then that familiar feeling, the same magic aura that was inn the in when the waitresses fate changed. Then... A breath of life, a mother now able to coddle and provide for her child. Golden eyes and the silhouette of the witch fading. For magic had changed what natural remedies could not.*

"O' seeker of knowledge, wielder of the infinite expansion... Are thou fated to know absolute truths?" *The ancient spirit's voice echoes and soon the flower morphs into the very moon blossom he had been seeking. Yet now he is alone with no spirit to guide him. Instead, there is a clear path behind him and a path covered in a haze before him.*
"At what cost will you give to gain the knowledge you seek, and is it truly your fate?"

*To move forwards into the vast unknown or backwards to the path that is known. The maze has it's walls high now. What Esme would have chosen, what the spirits expect him to or perhaps even what Noctis expects of himself. All seem null as not even the laughter of children can be heard nor the winds of the woods. Yet again, another choice to be made as it holds no sympathy or compassion for situation. The weave is cruel as it is loving.*

*Going back could be the safer option. The flower is present and now can be obtained. Going forward is uncertain and the weave within the haze is strong, it is unknown what it could do to a now weakened body.*
Richard
Gently taking the blossom, Noctis inhaled and felt his legs shake and tremble. He was definitely weakened, and he couldn't afford to use his mana now to reinforce himself. He would need to keep his reserves just in case Sylvar or Valac decided to betray or lose control, respectively. To be traveling with companions that could just as easily be a danger to him as roadside bandits, well... It was what had to be done. His silver eyes were now a deep and rich amber, it happened after using his fathers power. They would not revert for some hours now and it would take that amount of time to get some strength back. It was too late now, he was caught in whatever web this was. He needed to push through, perhaps he could go back and find Esme- but would he ever get the chance to understand her if he stopped now? What was this all for if not to try and understand the Witch, to know her and to see why she was able to influence the world. He needed to know, needed to know about Valac and Sylvar, about Scipio and the Eleven, there was so much he did not know. 

So he must travel the roads unknown to learn. Holding the glowing flower to his chest, he staggered into the billowing maze of hazy fog, his black cloak still rippling around his feet from the aftereffects of his fathers power.
Orlando
"Go back!" *A harsh whisper plucks like a shattered violin string.*
"Turn around! This is a bad idea." *Another unknown whisper doubts.*
"You're not worthy. Who is he to change fate?" 

*The whispers barrage against Noctis like an onslaught from hell. As if demons are trying to crawl up from the pits and take hold of the mind. Poisoning it with seeds of doubt. Yet in his palm is the hope of knowledge that glows against the gray haze that clouds the surrounding area. He will not be able to see except for the two feet underneath him. It is easy to trip, fall and even walk off of a cliffs edge if there were one. But then sudden a voice all to familiar bellows in the back of Noctis' mind. A a voice he would know because it is his own.*

"I am going to fail... I couldn't tell love from foe. So how can I do this?"

*His own voice whispers, trumping any other whisper that once sung here. Then the laughter of his past beloved. Oh Emi, sweet Emi. How she understood him, how he thought he understood her. She coos his name, sweet honied words that can only be savored on the tongue.*

*The magic pressure is even stronger within the haze and only those will strong willpower can truly navigate. There is no exit in sight, chaos. The very foundation that is magic, it pulls and tears at Noctis. Testing him yet lashing out all at the same time. Voices of his past echo from multiple locations yet no figure in sight for them to belong to. The smell of that day, when truth was revealed.*

*No matter how kind or painful may be, knowledge is to seek absolute truth. So is this truly what Noctis wants? The haze seems endless and there is no clear path in sight.*

*Yet in all of the chaos that surrounds him in the haze, there is a soft and easy to miss voice. It is muffled and near impossible to hear, but it is there. Coming from the center flower.*
Richard
**"YOU TRIED TO WRITE ME OUT!"** He roared, still cradling the glowing flower in a trembling fist, his amber eyes ablaze with a light that burned hotter than fire, that made the cracks in the black seared stone of Lestos seem cool and inviting. Brilliantly white teeth were flashing fangs, his pale skin ivory and hard like cool and polished marble. He was a terrible beauty, a nightmare of perfection- and he was human. Spittle flying from bared teeth in a fight for survival, a fight against the very flows of fate that worked against him. 

He could feel the knife in his gut, feel the way it twisted and shredded him inside. The cold dread that crept up his neck as the dragon rose, the spike in magical power as it built up its breath weapon, the burn of every nerve as he was hit by wave upon wave of frigid magical power. The force of colliding with the ravine walls over and over again, his life blood pouring out and then... Darkness... Darkness... And he'd slept for eons, slept as the world he'd fought and shedded so much of his humanity for was ravaged by *Dragons*, as Scipio seemingly abandoned his people and the 11 Demigods faded from history, after **Everything** They'd done to save Aeterna and it was all for naught. 

Noctis **Raged** Against the whispers, his magic flaring so strongly that it would look almost like a beacon in the sky as he continued to stagger forward, deeper and deeper as it felt as if every fiber of his being was torn apart. 

"I'll have who I came for or you can *Destroy* Me." He seethed, pushing further and further on. "I want to exist. I want to have done something that matters to this world. I refuse to be a blank spot in history, I refuse to go quietly until I know **Why** You took my life from me damn you!" He shouted, tripping and only managing to stay afoot thanks to the Gift of Grace. His body was a lightning bolt bristling in a typhoon, he was the raging wave against the tide- what did he want? He wanted to force another chance, rewri

Te the fabric of fate to include his name in it permanently. He wouldn't settle for anything less.
Orlando
*Grass colored white now stained in ash as the crackling flames surround the area. Trees ablaze, infrastructure destroyed. A hellish landscape that captures almost too perfectly the destruction of war. Then a mass gust of wind and a flaming gold ire filled with malice and scorn looking from the sky. Ignition in the clouds followed by silence.*


*A touch of the hand, gentle and soft. The faint smell of rosemary and pink petals. A vision? Or perhaps the witch was here momentarily? She is nurturing, she is calm and the vision of cruelty is no more. Yet should Noctis open his eyes and look behind him. He would see only the small fae from before. It's held tilted to the side as the haze can no longer be seen. Rather, the forest has shifted and it appears has trekked deeper within. With small ponds and lakes just on the horizon. Calming streams and the fell of spring air. Each firefly making elemental constellations in their respective groups. Maybe it was by the hands of Esme that he had persevered past the haze. Or maybe it was Noctis' own willpower.*

"Strong?" *The spirit asks, now tilting its head the other way.* 

*Trees made of royal wood, their leaves flashing in vibrant purples and blues. Small lanterns with ornate design swing from their respective branches. The fairytale dream resumes and the demons of the past seem to be unable to haunt no more. Even down by Noctis' feet he may see not only a small cobbled road. But more of those Moon Blossoms. Though none are as bright as the one he holds tightly within his palms. As the jewel in the center continues to beat like a heart. In fact, even the fae seems to seek to comfort. Moving closer and setting its tiny hand on his lower leg, looking up at him in almost a pitiful gaze.*

"Close... Sad, no more." *It murmurs as it lowers it's head.*

*It's words likely ring true. Esme's perfume is around this area. Which means where she resides has to be nearby. One need only to pass the final test... But what is it? Where is it?*