Tales of Zestiria: The World Beyond

Chapter 2

"Sorey, Mikleo," Arthur said as he and Celica made it out of the temple and saw the two boys were outside.

"Arthur, hey." Sorey waved back as his partner did a facepalm.

"What are you two doing here?"

"We're still looking at the temple. It's amazing."

The temple was huge in decor and design, it was like a fairy tale if Arthur didn't know better. Places like that existed in Lumina, of course, but in small quantities. Those ruins were created by the ancients of the world, perhaps much like the ones in Sorey's world. Perhaps there was much more to Sorey and his partner than met the eye. What was also interesting, were the plains that surrounded the temple. They were nothing like the forest of Lumina where the temple appeared.

Sorey got Arthur's attention and started talking about the temple. He was a strange boy, he was fascinated by the smallest of things, and his partner Mikleo was the same. Mikleo seemed to be more informed when it came to ruins as Sorey just fancied the looks. Arthur told Sorey to calm down, he was getting overwhelmed by Sorey's energy and needed time to rest. Mikleo agreed and told Sorey they had to go home.

Celica was worried about that part, since they were in a different area, she and Arthur didn't have a place to rest in the night. Sorey offered for Arthur and Celica to stay at his place, it was a small village full of their friends and was peaceful. Mikleo hesitantly agreed, only because there was nowhere else for the two to stay.

The village was full of houses made of wood and in a circular shape, there were also people around who were similar to Mikleo, each with colored hair and matching clothing. Sorey went up to one of them and told him about Arthur and Celica. He was excited to have visitors and the man told him to be careful, the last time he brought a visitor, she caused an uproar and a hellion attacked them.

Arthur was curious to hear the word "hellion", but stayed quiet to not disturb anyone. Celica, on the other hand, had no problems in approaching the people and talking to them casually. They didn't seem to mind her, as if they saw her as one of their own, while they saw Arthur as a stranger. Sorey approached Arthur again when he was done talking and guided Arthur to his house.

"I'm sorry I can't give you anything in compensation for your kindness." Arthur bowed.

"Don't worry about it. I'm happy to help," Sorey smiled.

"I hope someone isn't trailing this one," Mikleo whispered.

"I'm sorry?" Arthur asked. "Trailing?"

"Wait, you heard what he said?!" Sorey asked shocked.

"Yes, he's been staring me down ever since we got here, and everyone else has been watching me like I'm going to burn the village down."

"I'm sorry, they don't like outsiders."

"I heard about a 'hellion' attack the last time you had a visitor."

"Alisha..."

"What's a 'hellion'?"

"You don't know?"

"It's a being that's been taken over by malevolence. I guess it's not common knowledge to everyone after all."

"Where have you been lately?" Mikleo asked. "I thought Rose and Alisha would have told you. They promised to spread the word when we left."

Arthur knew he was in a different world from the term Sorey used and wanted to keep it secret he wasn't from there, he made the excuse of coming from another land and danced around any other question Mikleo shot at him. Sorey was just the same as he was in the ruins, he asked more and more questions and become more curious as Arthur made up stories. Arthur hoped Sorey wasn't the type to figure out a lie, but it wasn't completely a lie, only the names changed for Arthur. The spirits of Lumina worked so like the seraphim of Sorey's world. It was almost uncanny.

Things such as resonance and Artes were also the same. Which was even stranger. What was different, was the concept of the Shepherd. Sorey was one at a time, he made a pact with the seraph Lailah and received the silver flame to purify the hellions. In Lumina, rather the universe Lumina was from, the term was "Savior" and the silver flame came from the reincarnation of the god who had it. With how different the two worlds were at that point, Arthur left out the knowledge he had of saviors and just nodded to Sorey's words about the Shepherd.

"Remember tomorrow, we have to meet up with Rose," Mikleo reminded his friend.

"Right, she's been investigating some other ruins." Sorey thought out loud.

"You don't mind if we tag, along do you?" Arthur asked.

"I have no problem with it," Sorey answered.

"Maybe we'll see if Lailah and Edna are around."

"Old friends of yours?" Arthur asked another question hoping it wasn't too much.

"They helped us on our journey. Maybe we'll see Alisha too."

"The princess, right?" Celica asked as she entered the house.

"Celica, how did you-" Arthur stooped himself after he saw Sorey and Mikleo's faces.

"They said they went on a journey with Alisha, and from her description, she sounded like a princess."

"Sometimes I don't know what to do with you."

"In the morning we'll head out and show you more!" Sorey said with a smile on his face. He was a nice, although naive, boy. It was no wonder Mikleo kept an eye on him.

Arthur and Celica stayed in Sorey's house for the night, both slept in the living room and let Sorey keep his room, they didn't want to take too much from him. Arthur looked up, part of the night sky was visible from the small openings in the ceiling. The stars were the same as those from the temple, solidifying that it was a different world he and Celica found themselves in. Even so, Celica was comfortable in the world, more than she was in Lumina.

Perhaps it was because she found people who were like her. She didn't have that back in Lumina, she couldn't talk normally to anyone because they were either too busy, a higher-up, or older than her. Older spirits didn't like her due to her childish nature, something that bothered her. But seeing her with the seraphim made Arthur happy, she finally found a place she fit in, even if it was temporary. 

Arthur got up from his bed and went outside to take a better look at the sky, he felt a cold breeze on his face as the wind gently passed him. The village was quiet at night and nothing seemed to be wrong with the world, unlike Lumina, there was no defense laid out to protect the people against monsters. No weapons set up at the borders or a watchtower nearby. Arthur found it both peaceful and unsettling, he wasn't used to a place that wasn't on its guard every second of the day.

Mikleo approached Arthur with a few questions. He was curious about how Arthur could see the Seraphim, not many humans had that ability and he only knew one other. Arthur didn't have a response to give him, not a proper one. In Lumina, people were born with it if they were in certain areas. Maybe it was the same in Sorey's world and maybe it wasn't, Arthur didn't know. He told Mikleo that he had that ability since he was young.