[HQ Ignorance] Scene 168 : Charg: The Land Under the Syndics Ban

[Lev Lafayette]

Fleeing the devastation around them a handful of members of The
Fellowship mounted their giant bunnies and hopped their way westwards,
into the fog that would lead to the notorious land of Charg, the
largest place on Genertela where the Syndics Ban remained in force. All
about them there were people screaming in fear, at the sight of massive
Chaos Dragon, and is sudden and ghastly protrusions that would explode
from its body. Even though the dragon was by no means directing its
attention to the Castle itself, the effect was still real. The
strongest fell to their knees wailing, calling upon Gods to relieve
them of this terror, and to their credit some were whisked away to
places unknown. Most however simply ran about aimlessly hoping to find
refuge. One trollkin had run amok, stabbing everything and anyone that
came within close distance, until he was beaten into unconsciousness by
his fellows. One of the wizards of Orathorn calmly sat cross-legged on
the pavement and summoned a fire elemental to consume him.

As the party hopped into the fog, the screaming and the shouting became
distant. So too did the awful clamour of the Chaos Dragon, and even the
debris that its mountain-range tail flung about. The place was
curiously at peace. The fog itself added a gentle and soothing coolness
to the air and silence after such clamour brought a sigh of contentment
to each member of the Fellowship that had made the journey. True, the
lay of the land was rough, with broken grassy lowlands, craggy and
rocky hills, with the occasional and sparse woods. If any people lived
here they were few and far between, and Azhur in particular found the
lay of the land not too unlike parts of the Nev Mountains, where had
chased brigands in what seemed a lifetime away. "Perfect land for
ambushes", he mused.

Without the sun clearly overhead to provide direction, only a
translucent light provided by Yelm, the party continued in a westward
direction as best they could for some hours. Time itself became
difficult to judge as well. Was it the just the environment, or was
something else at play? It became increasingly difficult to tell. Each
of the travellers found themselves increasingly prone to their own
thoughts and remained silence. 

Increasingly the land became difficult to navigate, and the fog
heavier. What was once a pleasant and soothing escape from the outside
world become oppressive. One by one, the travellers dismounted their
giant bunnies, and led them by their bridle. Slowly, and unconsciously,
the travellers became separated from one another. Rikku was the first
to notice, opening his mouth and calling out, but try as he might only
a whisper echoes from his lungs. Something was seriously strange and
alien about this place, as each member became lost on their own.