Schezar paused, frowning for a moment, then nodded sadly. "I'm truly sorry to hear that, Miss Blake. You must have cared for him very deeply." He glanced back, hiding a smile as Mr. Scruffington nuzzled into the girl's touch, then licked her fingers.
He slowed as they approached the small monument to Althyk, setting his plant down. "I sense you have a lot of questions. I'm no expert scholar on the topic, but I'll try to answer what I can." He produced a rag from one of his side pouches, and began the task of cleaning the ornate stone.
"You've probably heard rumors of the Echo before. There's a lot of speculation going around about what it can and can't do, and who gets to use it or not." The man looked up at her again briefly, meeting her eyes with his. "Here's what I can tell you for certain - it's a blessing from Hydaelyn, the mother crystal: the spirit of our world."
Schezar then continued cleaning. "You've also probably heard whispers of the new horrors out in the world - of the Primals tempering innocent people, turning them into mindless slaves. Those of us with the Echo are protected from that." As he gazed down at the rock, he recalled his most recent encounter with Ifrit, recalled the desperation in the miqo'te group's eyes as they heard the crystal's voice for the first time.
He stood, wiping at his hands, then looked over at Clover again. "Because of that protection, some have chosen to fight back. Not that it's required in any way - it's simply a personal choice." He glanced up at the temple looming over them.
"Whether to fight, or to continue living in peace - that's a decision that no one should ever have forced on them. We should all be free to walk our own path."
He slowed as they approached the small monument to Althyk, setting his plant down. "I sense you have a lot of questions. I'm no expert scholar on the topic, but I'll try to answer what I can." He produced a rag from one of his side pouches, and began the task of cleaning the ornate stone.
"You've probably heard rumors of the Echo before. There's a lot of speculation going around about what it can and can't do, and who gets to use it or not." The man looked up at her again briefly, meeting her eyes with his. "Here's what I can tell you for certain - it's a blessing from Hydaelyn, the mother crystal: the spirit of our world."
Schezar then continued cleaning. "You've also probably heard whispers of the new horrors out in the world - of the Primals tempering innocent people, turning them into mindless slaves. Those of us with the Echo are protected from that." As he gazed down at the rock, he recalled his most recent encounter with Ifrit, recalled the desperation in the miqo'te group's eyes as they heard the crystal's voice for the first time.
He stood, wiping at his hands, then looked over at Clover again. "Because of that protection, some have chosen to fight back. Not that it's required in any way - it's simply a personal choice." He glanced up at the temple looming over them.
"Whether to fight, or to continue living in peace - that's a decision that no one should ever have forced on them. We should all be free to walk our own path."
![[Image: Pi2KNMr.jpg]](https://i.imgur.com/Pi2KNMr.jpg)
