The wind whispers into one's ear. The foolish is after the Wind El and are harming the inncoents.
Quest Completion Dialogue
(TAP TAP TAP!)
Lithia:[I felt out of breath from running. Yeah, I was urgently running across the temple corridor.]
Lithia:(Huh? Why am I here?)
Lithia:(I thought I... The ship...)
Ruda:Lady Vayur!
Lithia:[Impatient, I swung the door open and called out. Behind the door, a middle-aged woman dressed like a priestess was waiting.]
Ruda:Lady Vayur. Did you summon me?
Lithia:(Huh...? Why am I saying that?)
Vayur:Ruda. I apologize for calling you so suddenly, but I am in need of your assistance.
Lithia:[My body stiffened. I knew instinctively what was going on.]
Ruda:Where is it this time?
Lithia:[The lady named Vayur pointed to a place on the map. It looked like a map of Sander... But it was different from what I was familiar with.]
Lithia:[My mouth moved on its own again.]
Ruda:... Calmahari? But they already raided it last time! They must have confirmed that it's not there!
Vayur:I'm sure they're refusing the accept it. They believe that the Wind El is hidden somewhere around there.
Vayur:It's terrible... but there's nothing we can do. We cannot reveal the location of the Wind El...
Ruda:...... I will go.
Ruda:[Lady Vayur nodded. I stormed out of the room.]
[Year XXX Day xx. Kalmahari We lost the village due to bandits' attack. May the poor souls rest in peace.]
[Year xxx Day xx. Kalmahari Slowly became more barren after the attack and was abandoned. May the people journey safely, and find safe lodging...]
Year xxxx Day xx. Kalmahari Completely barren, there's barely a single patch of grass. May those who disappeared find somewhere they can lie their weary forms.]
[.......]
[.......]
Ruda:[... It's the record of villages that are now gone.]
Ruda:[An emotion wells up within me. Who else will remember these villages if not for us...]
The people of Sander are suffering because of crimes breaking out to steal the missing El. There's nothing that can be done other than watching this tragedy unfold? Why isn't the Goddess watching over us? Is there truly no way to break this chain of tragedies?
Quest Completion Dialogue
Ruda:.......
Ruda:Lady Vayur. Why can't we reveal where the Wind El is located?
Ruda:Villages are attacked everyday for the possibility of holding the Wind El because the actual location is hidden.
Vayur:.......
Ruda:You know they're only looking for an excuse, Lady Vayur.
Ruda:Once a village settles and prosper, they appear.
Ruda:They connect the villages' prosperity with the El, and use that as an excuse to plunder the village and set fire on the houses.
Ruda:At least for the people suffering in Sander, we can't let them use the El as an excuse to raid the villages!
Vayur:I cannot allow that, Ruda.
Ruda:Why not? The Wind El is housed inside the Behemoth.
Ruda:If they know where the El is located, and realize they have no way of obtaining it...
Ruda:Then maybe we can stop this tragedy!
Vayu:Ruda, do you not realize the contradiction in your own words?
Vayur:Those ruffians are attacking the villages out of their own self-interest. Do you truly think they'll stop because they know the location of the El?
Ruda:But...!
Vayur:And what makes you think they won't touch the Behemoth?
Vayur:Ruda... Keep in mind. The Behemoth has gone berserk and destroyed Sander in the past.
Vayur:That tragedy has ended when the Wind Priestess at the time sacrificed her own life to quell the Behemoth.
Vayur:If those ruffians awaken the Behemoth in order to acquire the El... The tragedies of the past may repeat again.
Vayur:Even if that doesn't happen, the Wind El will surely be in danger.
Vayur:Ruda... You must remember that we ae much more fortunate than others.
Vayur:Other places do not stop at pillaging, and are dealing with full-scale wars to claim the El.
Ruda:So what, am I supposed to dance with joy?
Vayur:Ruda!
Ruda:... I apologize.
Vayur:Ruda... I understand your feeling. The situation brings me grief as well.
Vayur:But there's nothing we can do. We must protect the Wind El. We must protect it and wait.
Vayur:When the Goddess looks after us again, the El will be joined once more, and the chain of tragedies will finally end.
Ruda:But what about now? The people suffering from the bandits... Is there nothing we can do to help them?
Vayur:No. There is. We can protect them. Stop the unjust, and tend to the wounded.
Vayur:Ruda.... Be patient. And you must protect yourself.
Vayur:You cannot lose to despair and sadness. You cannot give up.
The innocent people suffering between the tribe of wind who has forgotten shame and the ruffians blind with greed. They are slowly losing the will to resist, consumed by despair. Is there any meaning to this patience? How are they supposed to resist the future if they cannot change this moment?
Quest Completion Dialogue
Ruda:[It calmed down once I chased away the Harpies.]
Ruda:They ran with the riches while I was fighting.
Ruda:Is this why they involved the Harpies...? Conniving crooks.
Ruda:I will not fall for the same trick again.
Ruda:[I've swallowed my bitterness and called out to the villagers hiding in their homes.]
Ruda:Everyone! It's safe now!
Ruda:[Though I could sense their presence, I did not hear any sound. I went to the closest house and knocked on the door.]
Ruda:Is anyone here?
Ruda:[When I heard no reply, I had a sudden bad feeling and felt shivers down my back.]
Ruda:[Thankfully, I heard a voice. It was weak and in despair.]
Villager:Lady Ruda...
Ruda:You're here! Are you safe?
Villager:Lady Ruda... We are safe, but what use is it? It's all for nothing.
Ruda:[I swallowed my greeting. Of course. There was no relief to be felt. They have already paid a sacrifice too big to ask for anyone.]
Ruda:[Kalmahari is not a land with abundant resources. It was the patience and perseverance of the people that has led to the success of this village.]
Ruda:But the bandits attacked the village two times like this...!]
Villager:This is their second attack. I'm sure for the bandits, our village looks like well fed cattle for slaughter.
Ruda:Don't say that...
Villager:The way they come by and take out belongings like they are entitled to it seems to suggest that's how they view us.
Villager:So you don't have to worry about us any more, Lady Ruda. We will be leaving.
Ruda:... Do you have a place to go?
Villager:The land is as vast as the sky. Surely we can find somewhere we can settle.
Ruda:It's hopeless. They have lost most of the wealth they have accumulated. Even moving to another village would be difficult endeavor.]
Ruda:But... There's nothing I can say. I said my farewells and returned.]
Ruda:There will be more letters to inscribe on the wall.
Ruda:I have yet again failed to protect them...
[Village Outskirts]
Ruda:[On the way out, I fond a bandit who has yet to run away in a house partially destroyed by bandits.]
Ruda:Because of you, innocent people, who didn't have to lose their lives...!
(TAP TAP TAP...!)
Ruda:[I chased down the bandit desperately running away again and again, until I cornered him.]
Ruda:The bandit, trapped by the wall, sank to the ground.]
Ruda:[... He was a terribly skinny young man.]
Ruda:[He was barely twenty. It was hard to tell, because of how emaciated he was, but he must have been around that age.]
Young Man:I'm young! I was just, so, so, hungry! I didn't kill anyone! Please... Have mercy...
Ruda:[The dull sword he dropped did not have a single drop of blood.]
Ruda:[I could see his bony arms and legs between his battered clothes.]
Ruda:[When I saw his sunken stomach, with his ribs all visible... I have lost my will to fight.]
Young Man:I swear! I only followed them because they told we won't have to wander, to starve if we find the El!
Young Man:And then, I saw a pot covered by a lid in the kitchen, and hope maybe, there would be food...
Young Man:I'm telling the truth... I didn't steal anything! I couldn't find the El... I don't even know what that looks like!
Ruda:You idiot! The Wind El cannot be found! It's been sealed with the Behemoth aleady, ages ago!
Ruda:[Without meaning to, I yelled in sorrow.]
Ruda:[The boy did no understand what I said. He only cowered in fear and sobbed because he was afraid of me raising my voice.]
Ruda:Ahhh... Ahhh...! Goddess, why must such tragedies exist!
Ruda:This hunger, this grief...! How long do we have to repeat this cycle!
Vayur:(Ruda... Be patient. You must.)
Vayur:(When the Goddess looks after us gain, the El will be joined once more, and the chain of tragedies will finally end.)
Ruda:No! No, Lady Vayur! You're wrong... That day will never come!
Ruda:I have seen it... The wind whispered to me!
Ruda:I saw the land burn, the people aim their weapons to each other!
Ruda:The war to claim the El will never end! Out patience will never be awareded!
Ruda:What are we praying for?
Ruda:What do we have to do to escape this tragedy!!
What Lithia experienced was a strange dream. What meaning could be behind this dream that she started having since she received the curse from the wraith?
Quest Completion Dialogue
Rift:Now there's Sander village... But I heard in the past, there were many tribes and villages that led a nomadic life.
Rift:This must be a story of that time...
Lithia:Yeah... It was a very strange and sad dream.
Lithia:I've had similar dreams, but this was the first time it felt so real.
Rift:... Wait, this wasn't your first time?
Lithia:Nope. It started after I received that curse from the wraith.
Rift:You didn't say anything...!
Lithia:I didn't?
Rift:Come on...! I know I didn't heal you right when I was little, but show me some faith!
Rift:It IS my job! It's how I make a living!
Lithia:Alright! Calm down! I wasn't trying to hid it or anything.
Lithia:You don't really remember your dream when you wake up from your sleep, right? So I just didn't remember.
Rift:... Really?
Lithia:Yeah! You know I always traveled by myself. So, when I suddenly had to travel with two snorers, I thought I was dreaming from my sleep being disturbed.
Lithia:Anyway... I wasn't aware then, but I learned a lot, thanks to the dream.
Lithia:Of course, it didn't answer any of the questions I actually wanted answers for, like what the curse is, why I got cursed, or why my mana increased.
Lithia:But I was able to figure out the identity of the wraith in Sander's tomb and what the building was for.
Lithia:But back then, I was too preoccupied to think about it. The dream was too shocking to worry about the implications.
Lithia:A feeling of becoming someone other than myself...
Lithia:I would get confused when I wake up because of that. Like, I would think, huh? Why am I here? I thought I was in Sander...
Lithia:.......
Lithia:Next memory... I don't really want to think about it. I did something realy dumb, after all.