Shadow Of The End

"Let's hope for the best on this journey." Steven said as he followed Eiria outside and looked across the fields. "May Nayru protect and guide us with her love and wisdom..."

"Ah, you see, but thats where you wrong. For one, a good joke can lively up any situation. And two, we are at an all time high of hope." the man said. "You just need to know where to look for it."

"I'm done looking," Lyn answered simply, looking away from him. She continued to dig.

"Everytime I look for hope..." She paused for a moment, then, sighing painfully, continued. "I end up having to bury it. I don't want to bury any more."

The man watched her momentarily, and then took off his hat. He reached into to it, and oddly enough, pulled out a small bottle filled with yellow liquid. He held it towards her.

"...give this to your mother." he said.

Lyn frowned, pausing her digging to take the vial. She narrowed her eyes suspiciously at it, then looked back up at him.

"Why? What is it?"

Eiria wove her way around the back alley ways of Castle Town. She kept her head down and avoided the main streets when she could, the whole time very conscious of the stone in her pocket, until she stopped in front of a building that matched the addess on Priestly's note.

"Well, this is it..." She glanced up at the building and approached the door. She hesitated slightly before knocking, hoping to the gods they would have a little more success with this person than with Priestly.

"Because its good for the heart, soul, spleen, shoulders, toes, stomach, apendix, ecetera ecetera. It also tastes of lemons." the man said with a smile. "Trust me...she may feel a little more perky afterwards. Perhaps not better, but...well, y'know."

---

There was the sound of scrambling about within the house, suddenly the door swung open, revealing a man in his twenties with spiky, brown hair and goggles.

He pushed up the goggles, and blinked at Eiria. "If your one of those salesman, for the last time, I don't want to by your products. Otherwise, how can I help you?"

Lyn raised an eyebrow, still unsure about it, then looked from it back to the man. She pocketed the vial and nodded to him. Turning to the hole, she raised the shovel, and stuc k it firmly in the dirt, so when she took her hand away from it, it stood straight up on its own. She took a step away from it, looking back to the man as she said, "I could probably ask you a lot of questions right now. Why you choose to give it to me, how you knew to come here in the first place, or why I should even trust you..."

She turned away, facing her house.

"But if I could only ask one, then I would ask of you, your name."

"No, no we're not salespeople," Eiria said and lowered her tone. She subtely took the blue stone out and showed it to the man. "Do you know anything about this?"

"You can call me Fluxum, if you want." he replied, nodding. "And...if you would like to go give you hope meter a little boost; travel to Lake Hylia. There's a young man there who seems to have a similar mental state to you...I'm sure he could use a little pick me up."

---

The young man's eyes went wide. "Oh my..."

He suddenly snatched the stone out of her hands and slammed the door shut. After a few seconds, he opened it again.

"Sorry, forgot you wanted to come in. Wipe your feet on the mat, please." he said absent midedly while he stared at the stone, walking back into his house.

"Why not?" Lyn mumbled dryly, looking off to the side. "I've got nothing else to do here except dig more graves."

She looked sideways at him, saying, "Let's hope I won't be carving your name on another headstone anytime soon."

Fluxum burst out laughing, and slapped his thigh. "Oh, godesses...thats a good one." he chuckled.

He stood up straight. "Now, don't diddle daddle! Go give you mother that medicine, and then pop off to Lake Hylia...only if you want to, of course."

Lyn rolled her eyes, but glared at him quietly.

"A graveyard is hardly a place to be making jokes," she snarled. "Show some respect to the dead." She then turned and began to walk back to the small house nearby.

Eiria did as the man said and followed him into his house.

"So what is it?" She asked.

"Hmm...wise words from a wise women." Fluxum said. "Goodbye, then...and have fun."

And with that, he vanished without a trace.

---

The house was a bit like Fluxum's lab, but a lot more messy and cluttered, with piece's of paper and junk lying everywhere.

"Its an echo stone..." the young man said. "I haven't seen one of these in ages. It kind of records a few moments of someones life, and-"

"AEDIOX!" came a loud and piercing voice. A Oocca suddenly hopped up onto on of the tables in full view of everyone. "What have I told you about using proper technical terms!? Really, and you consider yourself a scietist..."

"Geez...sorry, mum." Aediox said, rolling his eyes.

(Going to bed...see you)

Lyn shook her head, unconcerned with the fact that the man had disappeared. She had other matters to attend to... And walked to her house, and to her mother, who was waiting for her inside.

She gave her the medicine, left some food for her, and when was all done...

She saddled up her horse.

Eiria looked twice at the Oocca and then turned her attention back to the man, or Aediox, as the creature had called him...

"...Go on," she said.

Silver had just remained with the group. Not much else for her to have done.

Gwene's fever was getting worse, as was her nightmare, she began to thrash around in her sleep. She seemed to be trying to get away from something.

"Gwene," Konbei said. He smoothed a hand over her forehead to try and calm her.

She was unaware of his presence, she was starting to scream.

(Hillsy, I posted with Rausten...?)

"Yes, yes. Echo stone. It records part of someones life..." Aediox said, scrurrying around the room. "Then, if you run ligh through it, the recording comes to life infront of you. Like you seeing that part of the persons life again."

Rausten put his papers down and stood "Very well, take me down there." he proceeded to the door and held it open for the soldier to proceed first.

Konbei didn't know how to help Gwene. It worried him to see her like that.

----

Eiria raised her eyebrows in slight amazement that such an object existed. "Could we try it out?" She asked hopefully.

The officer saluted again, and led him out. "However, there has been a...strange occurance with this attack, so to speak."

---

"Yes, we shoud..." Aediox said, scurrying around his lab. "I just need to find the...now where did I put it? Uhh..."