Part 60: Amateur Firewalking

Entry 57: Amateur Firewalking



Sounds like we're set. I'm sure everything will go according to plan.



Back to the mine!



That didn't take long.



Egil goes running by the party, a Black Blade on his tail.

Hmm?



What are you doing here!?



The party takes off after Egil's tormentors.



One shellacking later:



......

Are you listening to me, Egil?

But I'm the only one who knows how to open up the way through.

What!?

You have to squeeze into a really tight hole to open up the way through.

You'd never be able to fit! Not in a million years!

You said nothing about this back at the house! You tricked us!

I didn't trick you. I just left that part out.

It's the same thing! Anyway, I'm small enough to fit through a silly little hole.

But you're too tiny to move the stone lever that opens the passage up.

What stone lever!? You didn't say anything about that!

Nope, I didn't.

Well, we'll have to take Egil with us now. That's the only way to awaken the crystal.

We can't do that! What if he gets hurt!?

No need to yell at Agnès, Tiz! What are you so upset about?

I...

What do you propose, then, Tiz? Will you make him go back by himself?

I wouldn't do that. We'll go back with him.

What if the Swordbearers or Black Blades beat us to the temple?

Egil was just attacked by the enemy, right? He was held prisoner by them before as well. They may already be aware of this passage he found.

But...!

I believe we should focus on the task of awakening the crystal!

Exactly! To cleanse the darkness from the world, we must accept some risk, and some sacrifices...



What, then!? You have been impossible lately, Tiz! You are trampling upon the will of Egil, the late fire vestal, and me.

As the vestal, I cannot let you do this! Do not interfere with my mission!



Both Tiz and Agnès pause, taking a moment to reflect.

He reminds me of my little brother who died, Til...

What?

When that chasm opened up, and Norende was swallowed by darkness... My little brother, about the same age as Egil... He fell along with it...right before my eyes.



The look on his face as he stared back at me and fell into that black pit hasn't left my mind ever since...

The same goes for the water vestal! It was agony watching her life fade in front of me... I couldn't bear to watch Agnès cling to her and weep...



Only most of which he caused himself.

That's why I don't want to lead Egil into peril, even if it is to deliver the world from danger...

Hmm. Then why don't you try to stop Agnès from facing danger, Tiz?

Because I know that no matter what, Agnès would just go off on her own.

And I promised Agnès that I'd stay at her side. To be there to protect her...

Tiz...

Well, there's your answer.

Huh? What do you mean?

We'll go together with Egil. Tiz will protect him. We all will. Right?

......

Please let me go! I want to see the fire vestal's wishes carried out!



Got it! Thanks!

Oh, um...

Huh? What?





A strong point of this game is that past events aren't shrugged off. Instead of 'my village was destroyed and oh well, time to have an adventure', PTSD is a thing. When the past affects a character's decisions moving forward, it adds meaning to their losses.

Tiz is always going to remember Til. Agnès is always going to remember Olivia. But at least now, despite the stress-induced arguments, they can help each other stay on their feet.

As the party takes the last stretch of road to the mine...



...Yeah, yeah. I hear you. Quit nagging me already.

Nag--!? And this, after you lied to me, you pip-squeak!

I'm telling you, I never lied. You didn't ask, so I didn't mention it. That's all!

Ohh, I don't need to take that kind of back talk from you!

And I'm a lot bigger than you. You're the real pip-squeak.

What was that?

Nooothiiing! I didn't say a word.

Honestly! And what kind of attitude is that? And to a cryst-fairy, no less!

Agnès, are you hearing this!? Egil is being horrid! Agnès, please!

...... Airy, he's a child. Please do not be so immature.

Right? Right!? Ha ha, you heard her, Airy. Pfft heh heh heh...

Oh, you little--!

Edea! Ringabel! Tiz!! Somebody say something!!



Hang...in there? I guess?

......



Maybe if you hadn't mentioned sacrificing the kid earlier, the others'd be more sympathetic.

Just as the party's about to enter the mine, the magical mail system keeping them in touch with Norende delivers a new message.



It's thanks to your hard work, Tiz!

Thanks, Agnès.

At first, I had no idea where to begin. It felt like grasping at clouds...

But you did not merely stumble on blindly toward your goal of rebuilding Norende. You chose how to grow the village, how to breathe life back into it.

Norende's success is thanks to your clarity of vision, Tiz.

Absolutely. It's super important to have a firm goal to strive for. I always wanted to get stronger, but no amount of good intentions got me anywhere.

Then I put a note on my mirror that said, "Do 100 pushups!" and every time I saw it, I did.

Edea, that's amazing!

And you've certainly grown stronger for it.

I have the bruises to prove it. Really, please, stop working out...

Er, ha ha...ha... Whoops.

Still, Norende's finally come this far! I couldn't have done it without you all.

Then let's make sure we work just as hard until it's done!

Right!

That first Ringabel line is probably a game typo and was meant to be spoken by Tiz.



Tiz stops Egil just inside the mine for another lecture.

I will. I know this place like the back of my...

Whoa!



Egil jogs away.

What!?

Before Tiz has a chance to follow, Egil runs back.



This isn't the time for that, Egil. You've got to stay with me, okay?

Oh, come on!

Finding this can mean the difference between eating or not, you know? It's a precious find.

Let it go, Egil. The war will be over soon.

Then you won't have to worry about finding mythril anymore.



When we find some of this, we get eggs with our dinner. It's my lucky day!



This bodes well for the rest of the trip. The party continues on.



Hm? Are you alright!?

Yeah, sorry. Just stumbled a bit.

My eyes haven't really adjusted.

All the more reason to be careful where you step.

You know, when you think about it, the moon's way better than the sun.

What makes you say that?

The moon shines when it's dark out, so we can see at night. The sun only shines during the day when it's bright anyway.

Ah ha ha, it's bright during the day because of the sun, silly.

And did you know that the moon only shines because of the sun's light?

Whoa, really? Huh... The moon only shines because of the sun...

I guess that makes sense. It must be really grateful!

Grateful? How so?

Because whenever the sun is tired, the moon fills in for it while it rests!

......

Egil's mischievous but a good kid. He's also, as the party is learning, socially and educationally stunted thanks to the whole slave miner thing.



It's an easy guess where we're heading, based on what we saw while rescuing the canary boys. To the lower floor, at the northern end.




The Adventurer and sealed door were a bit of a giveaway.



Egil goes over to the rocks right of the sealed door.



As the party waits, Egil worms his way through to the other side, out of sight.

Okay? Here I go.

*KA-CHUNK*



Egil, being an eight-year-old, squirms back through the hole to the party rather than taking the newly opened door.



Whoa, I felt a blast of hot air...

The Temple of Fire must be down here. Let us hurry.



Going into an active volcano? Best mood Airy's been in for a good while.



The Adventurer's concern is appreciated. Let's show we care by buying some new stuff from Norende.



Unfortunately, its powers only apply to the mostly dead, not to those killed by plot. The great sage must've had a secret method not passed down with the staff.



How cute! The maker's mark says "Sanrio". Must be a new Florem brand.



I haven't been showing off weapon/shield models because most are boring and the screenshot count's already so high, but this one's pretty good.



Lambent means glowing. A metal hat that amplifies lightning. This seems safe.



Cura without speccing White Mage can be handy.



Plus, despite its gaudy look, it's not a bad shield. Bonus for the center gem being heart-shaped. Perfect compliment to the magical girl bow.

Shopping's done for now. Onto the volcano!



Good news is no one else has been through here recently.



The Black Blades would have needed the help of a little kid like Egil to get through, and no one on their side bothered to gain Egil's trust.

The Temple of Fire is...that way!

Great! Way to go, Egil!

Heh heh. I only know because the fire vestal told me. It's nothing special... I bet you're glad you brought me, though, right?

Yes, yes. Let's get going.

There's no facial expression for it, but during Tiz's final line there he sounds like a happy older brother. From what little we saw of Til, he and Egil seem to have a lot in common. Clumsy and enthusiastic.



Edea's line about a 'blast of hot air' may be an understatement. Magma chambers are slightly hot.

Also, note the giant boulder blocking the path leading left.



But not to worry. Intense heat, pressure, and chemicals that would instantly kill normal humans are no match for the party's sheer force of will!



As with Miasma Woods and Florem Gardens, the Underflow has an environmental gimmick.



The dark, uneven-colored areas will periodically heat up, glowing in their intensity.



Even the party's sheer force of will has its limits.

Yeowch, that's hot! A guy could get burned...

Forget burned. A person could get dead if she's not careful!

Have a close look at the magma. It seems the ground is suddenly rising and falling in temperature.

So as long as we time it right, we should be able to cross unharmed!

Hmph, I don't know about that.

Even if the magma cools, my heart still burns like a hundred--

Look there! The ground is cooling off!

You're right! And awfully fast, too.

It's almost room temperature now. We should be fine.

Like...a hundred...

Come, Ringabel. Quickly! While it's just sputtering uselessly!

Sputtering? Uselessly...?

Don't take it personally. Now, let's go.

Er, right...

By this point, Agnès is taking Edea's lead and wising up to Ringabel. Hard for a man to get his groove going when both women in the group refuse to play along.



In great RPG thematic tradition, the enemies here are mostly fire-elemental. The party proves they can withstand over 451 degrees farenheit.



Ringabel keeps the journal stashed safely away from the flames.



Recolor of one of the first enemies in the game.



Angry and highly territorial.



Lastly, a minotaur. Not fire-related, but it is a zombie.



At some point, someone dumped a bunch of minotaurs into a volcano and then, after they died, performed necromancy on them. Makes sense.


Next: According to D's journal... Uh-oh.

--

Event Viewer
Main Scenario:
Egil in Danger
We'll All Protect Him
Into the Mine
Egil Opens the Way
The Underflow

Party Chat:
Airy vs. Egil
Norende Nears Completion
Egil's Words
Don't Get Burned