sieg catchall

[sageguidance]

"catchall" it's for one thread he's dying tomorrow



edit: nvm jae is all mine now :)

Comments

[sageguidance]

Power is not everything, Sieghart.

[ercnerd]

I'm a gladiator. I'm better off with power than without.

[sageguidance]

Naturally. However, I should warn against it becoming a single-minded focus, as well.

[ says this kid to the immortal ]

[ercnerd]

[Sweet Alphinaud.]

You don't need to warn me. I'm not looking for power for power's sake.

[sageguidance]

Then... call me curious, but whatever for?

[ercnerd]

I'm the last Highlander, and a prime knight at that. My duty is to enforce balance on Aernas. That means I have to battle countless monsters and demons, as well as any other entity that threatens my dimension. I can handle anything on my own, but it's easier to deal with troublesome foes when I'm stronger.

[sageguidance]

Ah—no, you are not wrong about that. I, too, strive to perfect my magicks for similar reasons... Though, I should have known you hold a position of such high esteem.

[ercnerd]

I am a legend. My skills are a hundred-percent; even the deities couldn't look away.

What about you? Do you oversee your dimension as well?

[sageguidance]

[ At least he's confident... ]

Oh—um... I would not say I oversee it, precisely. I am, however, a member of a society that strives for the peace and safety of our star, whether it require fighting alongside a nation's soldiers or negotiating in politics.

[ercnerd]

[In one thing, at least.]

You guys get around, huh . . . Politics are too troublesome for me, but I can see you taking part.

[sageguidance]

I much prefer it to the battleground, if I must speak true. Words are a better weapon to me than any spell or sword could be.

[ercnerd]

Aren't spells just words taken form? Granted, I don't know the source of your dimension's magic. But I do believe that you're best suited for any role that requires speaking.

[sageguidance]

Some, I suppose, but... Well, you do catch my drift, yes? Regardless, I do wish my particular skillsets could be of more use in scenarios such as these.

[ercnerd]

You can say that about any skillset here. If anything, the ability to speak well or negotiate is most valuable in places like this one.

[sageguidance]

I wonder... Or perhaps I have taken the wrong approach.

[ercnerd]

What makes you say that?

[sageguidance]

During our time at Wiwaldi, my particular role granted me access to information most lacked, and I strove to do what I thought most right with it. Unfortunately, I was mostly met with resistance, and eventually I came to learn that most cared little for the justice I wished to bring.

Of course, we all made it out in the end, but I still wonder what I could have done better. Both back there, and here.

[ercnerd]

Hmm . . . What sort of justice were you trying to realize, exactly?

[sageguidance]

I... feel a little foolish for saying, knowing what I do now—but at the time, I had thought that more would care that there were those among them who were purposefully going about taking the lives of our fellows. Alongside those compelled into there actions, there were always those who were not.

Instead, most were willing to turn a blind eye.

[ercnerd]

Everyone had their reasons. Probably . . . some wanted to give the benefit of the doubt, while others just didn't want to face that particular loss.

For someone who cares about righteousness as much as you, that divide must've been difficult to swallow.

[sageguidance]

I cannot deny it was. Upon receiving my role, I had believed it my duty to use my knowledge to protect those around me. In the end, I was not certain I had succeeded.

I wanted to do better here, but the nature of our circumstances makes it difficult to navigate. Not that it... mattered for long, I suppose.

[ since he died anyway. ]

[ercnerd]

Why didn't it matter? Regardless of our location, we still had our awareness.

If you ask me, the school was pretty polarizing. This time was better, because we all worked together to come this far. That includes you, of course.

[sageguidance]

[ He slips out a thoughtful hum. ]

It did not feel as though we had been pitted against each other this time, no—you are correct on that. Because of my experiences at Wiwaldi, however, I did find myself more reluctant to act more, but...

I hope you are right. In spite of my feelings, I still desired to do all I could.

[ercnerd]

And you did.

It's easy to think back on what happened and judge your actions. While it's important to learn from your mistakes, you can't expect perfection all the time. . . . Unless you're me, of course.