event: portal four | the mountain

[mayfield_mods]

The fourth portal, as might be expected, can be found atop the hill known as Makeout Point. The other side of the portal isn't altogether that much different from the side you're entering from, save for the thicker trees and somewhat darker lighting.

The other side of the portal is significantly colder than the Mayfield side; frost covers the ground, and although it's not quite freezing, you'll want to bundle up. A glance at the sky reveals what you might have been dreading: glitch holes, in varying size, litter the skyline. The sun is hidden behind a set of thick clouds, creating a melancholy atmosphere.

The landscape around you is relatively flat, and you can't see too far beyond the forest ahead of you. It isn't until you turn around, facing the portal that you entered from, that you see the rising slope of the ground. The mountain rises high, higher than you can see from its base. There's a rough, primitive path heading up its slope, and for now simply hiking will be sufficient. As you get further, however, simply walking won't be enough: you're going to have to climb...

Somewhere, closer than you might prefer, a single wolf howls, and is shortly joined by more.

Better get moving.

Comments

[waiting_for_the_worms]

[Kariya sighs, staring up at the summit with a steely gaze.]

It's something I had to do regardless. Something I needed to take responsibility for.

[And then he chuckles ruefully, smiling a little as he shakes his head.]

I wasn't strong enough to succeed, but it's a sacrifice I'd make every time. I was fighting for someone very important to me.

[That, and he still believes that his participation in the Grail War was karmic punishment for abandoning the Matous and sealing Sakura's fate. This is the smile of a truly broken man, resigned to an early grave of his own digging.]

[doesnotgetit]

That's a very noble goal. [She offers him a smile at that, despite his somber attitude.] I wish I could say I fought for something like that. I didn't even know what I was going to wish for until the very end...

[waiting_for_the_worms]

Honestly, I think we'd all be a lot better off without the Grail War in the first place. It causes more problems than it solves. So many people throw their lives away trying to chase after it, sacrificing the lives of others in the process.

[He gives a small sigh.]

But I guess I can't really say that. I'm not much different, in the end. I did volunteer for it myself, after all.

[doesnotgetit]

I don't... think it's wrong that you volunteered for it. You said you were fighting for someone important, right? That's not a bad goal. Some people would do anything to fight for the people close to them.

[She knows she'd do anything for Saber, Rin, and Rani...]

But I agree. It would be better if the Grail never existed. Something that causes that much pain and suffering isn't something that should ever be put into the hands of man.

[waiting_for_the_worms]

That's right. Someone very important. I'd give my life for her happiness as many times as it takes.

[He'll... just leave it at that.]

But I like to think that if the Grail didn't exist, the Three Families wouldn't have such a warped outlook on life. Maybe they could even learn to get along with one another and coexist peacefully. But that might just be another naive dream.

[He gives another hollow chuckle at that thought.]

[doesnotgetit]

[Three Families? Oh right, Rin's war was totally different... I guess his war followed the same rules and traditions. She's not even going to pretend to understand all that stuff.]

Was the Grail the only thing they fought over? If so, then it won't be a totally naive dream. Take out the source of conflict, and there's no conflict to be had.

[mayfield_mods]

This is suddenly happening!

[waiting_for_the_worms]

((OOC: The mods said in another comment that we're free to backtag to finish threads if we want, just that no group at this point can progress past the summit, so if you want to keep going with this, just reply here and we'll finish their convo at least.))

...No, it wasn't the only thing. They were all trying to unlock the highest secrets of magic. I think they would have found a way to fight over it regardless of the Grail.

[doesnotgetit]

[OOC; I am a-ok with doing that!]

... Sounds kind of complicated. But... if they're trying to unlock previously unseen levels of magic, wouldn't it be better to work together, instead of against each other?

[... A friend of Rin's, with knowledge of magic and the Grail War, completely blind to mage politics. Weird, huh.]

[waiting_for_the_worms]

But everyone wants to keep the secret for themselves. Mages are greedy like that.

[doesnotgetit]

... That's completely ridiculous.

[waiting_for_the_worms]

Yeah. It is.

...But if you've been in a Grail War yourself, how do you not know about any of that? Did you come from outside the magical community? I heard something like that about Caster's Master in the War I was in, but I didn't think it was all that common.

[doesnotgetit]

I'm... abnormal, it seems. [She scratches the back of her head.] I'm not sure how different our worlds are, but I know it's pretty big... I think Rin called it "Second Magic"? It's a parallel world, I guess.

[waiting_for_the_worms]

That makes sense.

...Well, as much sense as anything else in Mayfield, I suppose.