Explode [OPEN]

Out in his camp Zest looked at his numb hands. It has beed two weeks since he arrived in this place. It has been that long since he had to focus and try to survive on his own. He couldn't bother the townsfolk in Snowhole, they were already suffering so much with the lack of supplies. He could manage, this wasn't going to kill him. He just needed to calm down and make sure that he didn't freeze to death. Luckly he had a way to do that. From making his body completely blood cold thanks to being in Umbral ice form, to summoning Ifrit-egi and let it be there as a moble campfire. He had his ways to survive.

He had stood up from his makeshift seat and looked out to the town. "I suppose it is time to see them again. Maybe this time they will accept my help in this turn of events."He put out the small camp fire he had and left his camp, which was in a nearby cave. He used the leather and fur of wild beasts to create makeshift blankets and covers for the deadly cold. It wasn't the most elaborate set that he had slept on but it was something that he had worked hard to make sure he was alive. It was hard enough as it was with the cold. Zest needed to get them to see that moving away from this cold was the only way. But so far all he had gotten was his face smashed through a door. Not because they hated him but because they were afraid.

Being blind had a lot of advantages, for one being attacked from the back was no longer an issue. He sensed all around him and had a 360 'vision' to say the least. This land, this place was one where he could see almost crystal clear. Faces were still hard to recognize but he could almost see them. He got used to recognize them by their atherical mark. almost like a DNA maker that each person had. Lastly, he was more intuned with the land given that he was borrowing some of their power so he wouldn't run out of magic so quickly. He expanded so much magic simply by sensing that he needed an outside source. so even just a little he borrowed and put back when he didnt need as much. Usually by using his own magic.

He had made it to the small town of Snowholme, it was still so lonely and bare it made his stomach flip. He couldn't just stand here and watch these people suffer. He had to do something but the question was what? He needed someone to come with him and if all he could do was hunt for these people so they would eat for the night then that was what he was going to do.  He came to a stop when he sense someone he recognized. He broke into a sprint, the only thing that made him realize that he wasn't alone that there was someone he could now talk to.

“What happened?”

"This place has been runned down to the ground. Though I assume you can see that for yourself." Zest answered. "I have not been able to get anyone to talk to me but perhaps they might listen to you better. I was never the diplomat type." he noticed the state the Aliese was and took out his tome. Out of the two styles he had  Zest learned to stick to summoner the most. Ifrit's help was something that was desired in him. It was better to have 4 hands or in this case 2 arms and 2 claws. "Swiftcast: Summon!"

Ifirt-Egi was in its small form. getting close to Aliese to warm her up. Zest wasn't too far from them. He wasn't sure why she was here, but maybe with her help he could change things in this small town. Or at least find out how it got this way. 

Zest let out a small smile, he wasn't sure how long was it since he last did that. Too long by his standards. He hadn't felt so happy to see someone he knew. She didn't look too bad, the cold was something that they were working on. This was not a place where just anyone can be dropped off. This was Aliese after all, she was a strong girl. He had been there all the way with her and saw her grow. If anyone can endure being in this place it would be her.

“I’m so glad to see someone in these… peculiar conditions that we seem to be in.”

"Aye," Zest nodded. He couldn't agree more, she was a wonderful companion and a strong ally. "It is not a favorable location but I think we can manage somehow. And it seems that we might have a long work ahead of us."


“So, you’ve made contact with them already, I take it.” Zest nodded, he had tried for the last two weeks to talk to one of them. To get whatever information he could out of them and maybe to help them in anyway he could but he came out short. If it went any longer he would have used force to get one of them to talk. He could be intimidating if it was needed after all. “I’ll do my best to help, then. We can’t just leave them like this, now can we? No matter how much they make it seem like they don’t want us to.”

"No we cannot but it is not going to be easy. No matter what I have tried they will not wield I am afraid." He let out a small sigh and shook his head. Ifrit-Egi swayed side to side warming anyone near it, which at the moment was Zest and Alisale. "Then again I do not seem the approachable type in this state, especially with an Egi behind me. You know how people are, even back in Eorzea they fear summoners because of the stigma they have with the beast tribes." Summoners, though a more powerful form of an archenist, were feared because their exposure to a primal, some mages think that summoning arts are going to be the downfall of magic and humanity due how close it resembles Primal summoning.

“You’ve met them, already. Tell me, what sort of reaction did you get from them?”

"Well that deserves a yes and a no type of answer." Zest scratched the back of his head and looked somewhat embarrassed. "Well you see while I did try from time to time I sort of gotten a few doors slammed to my face. Though I do not take it against them. It is not that they hate me or anyone really. I could sort of sen- I mean see it on their faces. Their eyes showed fear. However, if someone more sweet should come to their doors maybe they would open us just a little." He internally cursed himself for that slip up, he wasn't sure if she knew about his.... condition. If she didn't then he didn't need her to worry about it. the less she knew about it the better.

If they didn’t reach out and ask for help or talk to you, there must be something barring them from doing so. If we can get at least one on our side and willing to talk, we’ll be able to figure out what the problem is. It could be something simple, like trust. Or there’s something bigger going on here.”

"I am not sure, though that brings up a good question.  Are there any towns close to this one? I have not gotten the chance to explore this land very much other than hunting food and other necessities. If so what can you tell me about them? Mayhap we could find a way to parley and bring help to this poor town." He placed his hand underneath his chin and continued. "If only we had a map to tell us how far is it to the closest none winter land. We could start making plans and moving these people. I'd say we can take care of most threats you and I so that is also an option. However for any of those things to work we need to get them to trust us and open up to us."

“Yes, well, we’ll just have to show them that you don’t mean any harm.”

"I suppose we could somehow. I was thinking that if words were not enough to show my intentions then perhaps a bit of offerings might help. This place does not seem like they are well fed." Zest crossed his arms and looked around. This place that seemed abandoned, if he didnt know any better it was. However, he had been here for a couple of weeks. He had scared the few people that were outside with his training and hunting, now they would go into their homes if they caught word that he was in town. Zest didn't mean to place the villagers in distress, but he wanted to stay warm at the time. "At this point I am willing to try anything to help."

“It shouldn’t be that hard, you have quite the useful summon for an area such as this.”

"It was not Ifrit's fault.... well not entirely." Zest scratched the back of his head. "I think they caught me using some techniques and that might have frightened them a little. Perhaps it was not wise to use so much force back then, cannot be helped now. Though in hindsight I should have restrained myself and not trained while I was on foreign grounds." He should have noticed back them that he was not in Eorzea but he was caught in the moment.

Zest wanted to find out more of where she was before she eneded up in this place. Aliasile seemed to know more than he did, so it felt natural to ask if she knew about the surrounding towns, if any. Though from the expression on her face it seemed it was the wrong thing to ask. He might as well asked her if she wanted to invite the Garleans out to tea. He was about to ask why she made that face, while he couldn't see it as a normal person, this new world and its Aether made it so easy to 'see' expressions. He couldn't pick up all the details but he could sense it and it wasn't pretty.

“There’s just one town close enough to this place, and it’s called Meia.” If Zest didn't know better he could have swear that she spat out venom. “Do not bother with them, the entirety of the town is filled with money grubbing imbeciles. I just left there myself. They charge you out of house and everything you own with outlandish prices. A thousand gil for a room! A thousand! Absolutely preposterous!”

Zest didn't have the heart to tell her that how she described it was a normal day in the markets of Uldah. If one wasn't careful and ignorant of the value of wares, merchants could overprice everything if allowed to. It was only to the sense of arguing that one could have things dirt cheap. One just needed to know how to haggle. "I see, that does not sound good."

“They will grant no parley. If they do it would only be to mock us, and deny any succor. They hold no small amount of distaste for SnowHolme, for some reason. I couldn’t manage to find out why, for it didn’t seem necessary at the time. Now that it is, I wish that I had.”

"It matters not." Zest let out a small sigh. This was going to be harder than he thought. "You have told me what I needed to know. Though I feel it is just a simple reason. It may be due to their weak nature that this Meia picks on other smaller villagers. It is hard to tell at this point. Mayhap I should go there and see for myself."

“We will need to learn more about this place, and a map would benefit us greatly, if only we had the means to get one. None here seem ready to give us one, but yes, that is where we shall begin. Getting them to trust us so that they would, and learn more about their predicament.”

At that Zest could agree, if they could trust them then the duo could help the people. trust worked both ways. Still, no matter what they had to keep their eyes on the prize. Among other things. "That is well and good. However do you feel ok? DO you wish to rest before we start this? If you wish we could go to my base outside the town. I made sure to have some sort of warm home while I talk to these people. Since they were too scared to help me or maybe they couldn't. I just do not wish for you to catch a cold or some other illness. You did seem to walk pretty far from where you came from. There are also other things I wish to ask you. However, that is something that we have to do in private. Though yes, no one knows us, i feel that it is safer that way."

The small flame summon twirled lightly, its flames radiating as it circled them, trying to bring his master and friend the warmth in this cold and baron land.