<Sylph>:<br/>She had been pondering over the exact same question ever since the fire, but hadn't found an answer yet.<span style="color: #00BF80">"I do not yet know the answer to that,"</span>she explained,<span style="color: #00BF80">"Choosing a vessel can be a very tedious process."</span>She didn't have an answer for him, simple as that.<span style="color: #00BF80">"Now, how long do you intend to stay bonded to that woman, Origin?"</span><br/><br/><Origin>:<br/><span style="color: #FFFFBF">"After departing from this world for a time, I was reborn into this girl; she and I have been connected since her birth. I have no intention of bonding with anyone, or anything, else,"</span>she responded plainly.<br/><br/><Zel>:<br/>So then... Larea really had always had Origin inside of her. It was still hard to believe, but he felt like he was starting to get a grasp on what was going on.<br/><br/><Sylph>:<br/><span style="color: #00BF80"><span style="font-style: italic">Reborn?</span></span>This had never happened before, as far as she knew.<span style="color: #00BF80"><span style="font-style: italic">Did it matter if us spirits faded from the world then? Would we just be reborn into a human vessel?</span></span><span style="color: #00BF80">"Can you recall anything from your time spent gone from the world?"</span><br/><br/><Origin>:<br/><span style="color: #FFFFBF">"Not in particular, no.. I was occupied trying to pull myself together, and it didn't feel as if it were long before I was reborn. It had been years, though, and I fear my absence from the world has had a hand in the disasters that plague us so now.."</span>After explaining this, Origin floated over to be in between all of the people gathered.<span style="color: #FFFFBF">"Do any of you have further questions? I should be happy to answer them before explaining why I brought you here, though you might already understand my reasoning."</span><br/><br/><Sigrun>:<br/>Sigrun looked up to the giant orb of light, pondering something. It's not everyday a strange purple haired knight gets to meet the lord of all the spirits. Though it's appearance was somewhat underwhelming, that could have to do with either the fact that she was weakened, or that she had Larea as a vessel instead of Ahmaht. Maybe one's physique carries over to the spirit, which in Larea's case, she has none. Eventually, something sprung to mind. "You seem somewhat familiar," Sigrun said. "Have we met before? Maybe when you were the form of a talking candle?"<br/><br/><Zel>:<br/>Zel actually did have a few questions. He wondered how the spirits were able to communicate, while it seemed they were bound to different people and places. While this phenomena made him curious, he felt it wasn't important enough to bring up in the middle of such an important discussion. But of course, leave it to Sigrun to bring up something even more useless<br/><br/><Origin>:<br/>Origin looked at the Knight who had just now spoken up, with what would have been a curious look on her face, had she any features to speak of.<span style="color: #FFFFBF">"I, er.. don't believe I've ever been a candle before.. And I'm sorry to say that you are unfamiliar to me, save for this meeting. My apologies."</span><br/><br/><Sigrun>:<br/>"Why can't I shake the feeling that we met before? There was some reason... some purpose to it," she said, somewhat melancholic in tone compared to how her voice usually was.<br/><br/><Zel>:<br/>For once, Zel almost felt that Sigrun was actually trying to contribute to the conversation. She seemed serious about her earlier statement. But Origin herself said they'd never met. He wondered what it was Sigrun thought she was remembering. "Perhaps," he suggested, though he didn't quite believe it himself, "You met a different spirit?"<br/><br/><Origin>:<br/><span style="color: #FFFFBF">"That is entirely possible.. or perhaps we met before the event that caused my vessel to lose her memories? I draw most of my own from her, as we coexist as one and the same."</span><br/><br/><Sigrun>:<br/>"I am fairly certain this was the voice I heard. Though it certainly seems like it would be the latter," she confirmed.<br/><br/><Zel>:<br/>Zel shook his head slightly, more to himself than to Sigrun or the others. He supposed the only reason he was doubting her really was because she was Sigrun, and that was hardly fair. Who knows, maybe Sigrun really had met Origin, and she was the only one to remember? Still though, it seemed rather unlikely. Zel couldn't rightly say he'd ever met a spirit... before today. He gave a curious glance to Ahmaht, who hadn't said anything yet, wondering how he was reacting to the situation.<br/><br/><Sylph>:<br/><span style="color: #00BF80">"Have you had any contact with the others?"</span>This was obviously directed towards Origin, though she made no sign of it.<br/><br/><Origin>:<br/><span style="color: #FFFFBF">"I have very briefly spoken to Undine, recently; though I did not learn much, other than confirmation that she is indeed going through similar troubles as we are. It would seem that none of us are unscathed by whatever it is that's happening.."</span><br/><br/><Zel>:<br/>"Except possibly Umbra," Zel threw in. "You said you couldn't contact him, so you don't know for sure how he's faring in all this."<br/><br/><Origin>:<br/><span style="color: #FFFFBF">"Yes,"</span>she began.<span style="color: #FFFFBF">"There is a vast amount of uncertainty in Umbra's position, which is far more worrisome than it is comforting. I'm afraid he and I never quite saw eye-to-eye."</span><br/><br/><Sylph>:<br/><span style="color: #00BF80">"It would be a shame if you two had"</span><br/><br/><Zel>:<br/><span style="font-style: italic">The forces of chaos and light, and earth as the host for their battles.</span>the quote from the tablet automatically flashed through Zel's mind.<span style="font-style: italic">So Origin is Light, then Umbra must obviously be chaos, or darkness depending on how you translate it.</span><br/><br/><Sylph>:<br/><span style="color: #00BF80">"Have we any knowledge of Umbra's vessel, or where he might reside?"</span><br/><br/><Origin>:<br/><span style="color: #FFFFBF">"None whatsoever, I am afraid,"</span>Origin responded, concern written plainly in her voice.<br/><br/><Zel>:<br/>Zel put a hand to his chin and posed to himself a ridiculous hypothetical question:<span style="font-style: italic">Hmm... if I were a spirit of chaos, where would I be?</span>He of course had no sure information on this subject, but he felt even an educated guess might trigger an idea of some sort in one of the two spirits before him. "What sort of vessels has he used in the past?" Zel asked.<br/><br/><Origin>:<br/>An audible sigh came from Origin after Zel's question.<span style="color: #FFFFBF">"Unfortunately, I do not know. I have not been in contact with Umbra since I was reborn, and as we never got along, we hadn't much reason to communicate before then."</span><br/><br/><Sigrun>:<br/><span style="font-style: italic">If a spirit of night dies, does that mean it's daylight all the time?</span>Sigrun thought.<span style="font-style: italic">Does the moon spontaneously explode?</span><br/><br/><Ahmaht>:<br/>As the conversation was tossed back and forth from everyone else, a few questions bubbled up in Ahmaht's mind. He kept his mouth quiet as everyone else asked their questions, then chimed in suddenly. "Do you know the location of the other spirits?"<br/><br/><Zel>:<br/>Zel turned to Ahmaht. "If I had to guess, Undine would be in the lake we frequented, yes?" he asked Origin and Sylph. It was a guess, but an educated one.<br/><br/><Origin>:<br/><span style="color: #FFFFBF">"A good guess, but no. That lake was enshrined as an homage to Undine's life-giving waters. As such, it is blessed by her powers, but she does not reside there."</span><br/><br/><Zel>:<br/>Zel shrugged. It was only a guess after all. He supposed he could be glad that the lake had at least something to to with Undine, otherwise his guess would have been a drastic failure. Zel went back to his previous topic, "Alright then," Zel said, partially disappointed by the lack of information here. "If a human is bound to a spirit, can they use the spirit's powers?" He asked this partially remembering what the tablet said, and partly to determine where Umbra might possibly be.<br/><br/><Origin>:<br/><span style="color: #FFFFBF">"It depends on their connection to the spirit. However, if a human is compatible enough with a spirit to act as a vessel for them in the first place, then that power would likely not be far out of their reach, especially if they already had some form of magical prowess."</span><br/><br/><Zel>:<br/>Zel put his hand back to his chin. His thoughts were piecing together more slowly than he would have liked. Origin had been out of commission for quite a while it seemed and Umbra had gone missing. Zel didn't think Umbra had gone inactive. It made sense to him that chaos in the world would ensue if a spirit of chaos continued as they were while their--<br/><br/><Zel>:<br/>opposite force was unable to balance them.<br/><br/><Origin>:<br/>Origin waited for a moment to see if any more questions would arise. When none did immediately, she spoke again.<span style="color: #FFFFBF">"The location of the rest of the spirits is one of the reasons I called you here. I wish to ask your assistance.. though I hesitate to do so as you have already done so much.."</span><br/><br/><Zel>:<br/>Zel thought about it. It seemed his goal was directly tied in to whatever was going on with these spirits. Quite possibly, his best shot at getting what he wanted was to help out. "Well, I'm in," he said surely. "I'm curious about what's going on here..."<br/><br/><Ahmaht>:<br/>Ahmaht nodded. "Do not hesitate. I already pledge to help you, great Origin."<br/><br/><Origin>:<br/>Origin was somewhat surprised at the lack of hesitation in their answers.<span style="color: #FFFFBF">"I have not even offered the details to you, but you already accept? Truly, you chose your companions well, Larea. Then let me explain."<br/><br/>"The problems this world faces are obviously ones that will not dissipate on their own. I need you to seek out the answers to this phenomena, as well as the spirits themselves. If it is true that we are all undergoing these problems, it is likely they will need assistance; whether it be a new vessel or something else entirely, I cannot say. It will not be a short journey, and likely not an easy one. If it is true that new vessels will be required, it is very possible that years will be spent searching for them. Sylph, in the Videlian Woodlands. Undine, in the Gratian Icelands. Terra, in the Arakay Desert. Ifrit, in the Calleran Islands. Seek out the three that you have not met. Help them, and in the process, restore balance to the world. As you do, find any information you can of Umbra's whereabouts, for true balance cannot be attained without darkness. I will help you in any way that I can, but I doubt I will be able to speak openly, save for places of great spiritual power."<br/><br/>"This is the task I entrust to you."</span><br/><br/><Sylph>:<br/><span style="color: #00BF80">"Good luck on finding Sylph, she can be rather elusive"</span>said Sylph, in a playful tone.<br/><br/><Zel>:<br/>Zel supposed it made sense that the spirits would be spread out all over the world, but he was still surprised by it. It would definitely be a long journey by the sounds of it, but he'd already<span style="font-style: italic">been</span>on this journey for a long time, in essence. "Well, at least it doesn't sound impossible," he said, but they really did have a long road ahead of them. Zel held back a sigh at the spirit's attempt at a joke. Right now, she was about as elusive as a boulder.<br/><br/><Larea>:<br/>Larea stayed motionless for the majority of the conversation, her mind racing as she tried to process all of the information given to her. If this was all true, then she had what was the equivalent of a god living inside of her, all this time.. She was in shock, and had no questions to ask the entire time. She only nodded meekly when Origin asked for their assistance; there wasn't much else she could do. If Origin was inside of her, she had no choice. Her quiet, simple life was over, and there was nothing she could do about it. She felt helpless, despite the apparent spiritual powers she might have access to.