The Prince of Heaven's Gate - Last Stand At World's End

“Tell me, Lux, when you look at that small village over there, what do you see?” Favonius asked as he looked fondly at the village that he had built on the outskirts of the Kingdom of Gweliven.

“A seed,” Lux replied because that is truly what he felt after looking at the small village in the distance.

Favonius laughed heartily before nodding his head in satisfaction.

“You can also put it that way,” Favonius commented. “It is a seed that will grow into a sturdy tree. This tree will then foster and care for the new batch of seeds, which will also grow into trees and usher in a new era of prosperity and peace.”

Lux smiled, but he knew that this was not the answer Favonius was looking for. Because of this, he decided to ask what that village represented to the Dwarf Saint who decided to retire in a place far from the Capital of the Dwarven Kingdom.

“Hope,” Favonius said as he gazed at the small village with tender eyes. “When I look at the village from here, I see hope.”

The old Dwarf then shifted his attention to Lux and gave him a warm smile that made the Old Saint’s weathered face look like it was ten years younger.

“When I look at you, Lux, I also see hope,” Favonius commented. “Just like the seeds of a dandelion that fly freely with the help of a passing breeze, you are now about to set off on a new journey towards the unknown.”_.

“A journey where you will face countless dangers and hardships, but I am hopeful that you will be able to grow into a sturdy tree. A tree that will shelter the new generation and nourish them before they embark on their own journeys.”

The dwarf sighed as he once again looked at the small village in the distance.

“With hope, people can move mountains,” Favonius softly muttered. “With courage, we can cross the seas. At age two-hundred and seventy, I had seen and conquered many vast domains, and yet, there were still places I have yet to see.”

“As the years pass by and my age increases. Many times I’ve felt that I should have gone farther, and been more adventurous than what I was in the past.”

“This world is so vast, and sometimes you’ll feel like you are just a tiny insignificant speck in the grand order of things. Even a Saint can sometimes feel weak and, in the merciless face of the world, it is very normal for us to feel fear.”

Lux listened quietly on the side as he allowed Favonius to say whatever he had to say. He had already figured out that the person who was standing in front of him was not the real Favonius, but a Will that he had left behind the Favonius Armor that had accompanied him on his adventures.

The Dwarf appreciated Lux’s silence, so he continued to narrate his life experiences as his final parting words to the person who would now inherit his legacy.

“My adventuring days may be over, but my ambition exceeds this lifetime of mine,” Favonius said with a determined voice. “People create weapons and armors in order to fight monsters, and when monsters triumph over them, they create better tools.”

“Where my legs cannot take me, maybe yours can. And when yours fails you, perhaps those around you will carry you instead. My dear friend, I leave you my legacy. Against the unknown, all races must stand as one. To be alive is to live, to set foot in every place that our eyes can see.”

Favonius held Lux’s hands into his own, and through the roughness of the old Dwarf’s hands, the Half-Elf felt as if he was being enveloped in a warm embrace.

“I have little time remaining, and my soul has long been gone from this world. But, between us, your children, future guildmates and friends, I believe that your dying world will be saved, at last.”

The old man gave Lux a playful wink before disappearing into particles of light. The Half-Elf was surprised at Favonius’ last words, because he didn’t mention Elysium in the end, but his own dying world, Solais.

“Such an interesting old man,” Lux said softly as he gazed at the small village in the distance. “Understood, Sir Favonius. I will take you along on my journey to see the sights and heights that you haven’t seen before. Perhaps, someday, both of us will be able to reach that place at last.”

As if touched by his solemn promise, the last traces of Favonius’ Will, that still lingered within that Domain, said its heartfelt words before finally disappearing from the world.

“Thank you, my friend.”

Soon, the Half-Elf was bathed by a warm and radiant light as he bid goodbye to the scenery of the old Leaf Village, which he was about to leave behind.

—–

“Lux, my boy. Are you alright?” Randolph asked as he shook the red-headed teenager, who seemed to have gone into a trance the moment he touched the Favonius Legacy Armor that was left behind by the founder of Leaf Village.

“Stop shaking him,” Grandma Annie said as she observed the Half-Elf who was staring blankly in space. “Maybe he is talking to the founder right now.”

“Talking to the founder? Have you grown senile, you old hag?” Randolph asked. “Careful now. Maybe next time, you will even forget your name because of old age.”

Instead of answering Randolph with words, Grandma Annie’s wooden staff smacked his face, sending him flying a few meters away from the Half-Elf who seemed to be frozen in time.

None of the Dwarf Elders of Leaf Village batted an eye when they saw this scene. They had already grown used to it long ago. Even if Grandma Annie whacked the old blacksmith until his face looked like a pig, they would still not be surprised at the outcome.

A minute later, Lux’s body shook as he woke up from his trance.

“Child, what did you see?” Grandma Annie asked with great curiosity. “Did the Founder leave some instructions behind?”

The Elders of Leaf Village, including the Village Head, Cedwyn, perked their ears up as they waited in anticipation for Lux’s answer. They had carefully handled the Favonius Armor, and studied it for years, which had led to the creation of the Faunus Battle Regalia.

For them, the legacy that their founder had left behind held an important place in their hearts. So if Favonius had indeed left some instructions for the next generation, they would be more than happy to carry out his will with the best of their abilities.

“Yes. Sir Favonius had indeed left something behind,” Lux replied with a smile. “He left behind Hope.”

“Hope?” Cedwyn inquired. “Can you please elaborate?”

Lux nodded his head and told the Dwarves about his meeting with the founder of Leaf Village, Favonius. Of course, he left out the part about his dying world. Although most Solains had a hunch that their world might be dying, this was only a conjecture on their part.

After hearing his tale, the Dwarves sighed and looked at the Half-Elf with admiration and respect.

All of them wished that they were the one to hear the last words of the Legendary Saint of the Gweliven Kingdom instead of Lux.

“Lux, please, take our Founder’s hope and will with you,” Cedwyn said as he held the Half-Elf’s hand. “It is not only his will that you carry with you, but our collective wills as well. You are our pride, and even though you are not a Dwarf, our founder is right. Your heart is bigger than a Dwarf’s.”

Lux nodded his head as he gratefully, and respectfully, equipped the Favonius Legacy as his equipment set. He still hadn’t seen all of its stats because he felt that it was inappropriate to do so at this time.

However, he promised himself that regardless of the stats the armor had, he would always carry it with him as a memento of the Beginner Village that had played an important role in his life.

———–