Welcome to Gaia! ::

The weight of the orbs in her arms had grown comfortable as she traveled to the Shrine to drop them off as offerings. Viola'i kind of wanted to keep one of them, something deep in her fond of items but she knew it would not be so as she needed to prove herself worthy of the Goddesses, for them to strengthen her heart.

She laid them out carefully, arranging them almost in a pattern. Trivial really, the orbs would have probably been taken regardless and the gift to her no more different than for anyone else who completed this task. But it felt like it had needed to be done and had brought a smile to her featureless self as a sensation spread about her. As if... completing her.

Viola'i opened her eyes, unaware she had closed them or that they were there but they were. Solid. More solid, that's how she felt. More defined, complete.

And now more aware. "Aa... She breathed out. It felt... nice.

It had taken her a long time but she had done it! Ganximei had gotten all five fragments and completed the task that was given to her.

She happily gave them over and went on her way. A tiny feeling of finding a bit more of herself with this task completed. It was a nice feeling.

He slipped back into the mist of the shrine, eagerly this time now that he knew what fate it held for him. Shiohlu held the orbs tightly under his arm, not wanting to lose them into the fog that curled its way back over his limbs until once again everything faded away into nothingness, until it was just him and the statues again, until it was just him and the particular the statue, the one he sought and the one that sought him.

“For you,” he offered the orbs with outstretched arms, bowing forward humbly. The gift was accepted in silence, a shadowy hand extending from the figure to touch him again, to offer again its blessing.

The touch scorched his core, burning it like clay into something malleable, slowly shaping the details and contours of his form. By the time the figure receded, he was no longer a shapeless mass of grey and fog, but had emerged a being, features muddled yet no longer indistinct. He reached fingers to his face, to his body, feeling suddenly more complete.

“Thank you,” came his soft murmur, and Shiohlu straightened as he was left along again in the mist. It was cold here, he thought, and his mind drifted back to the warmth of the blue hearts he’d encountered only moments before returning to the shrine. Though his first task was complete, the restless need to find what he was looking for had yet to wane, and another feeling had now joined it, a need to belong, to be near those other hearts. It was only a feeling, but those others were important to his quest, this much he now knew.

Errand returned the fragments he had gathered to his goddess with a smile. He hoped she would enjoy them. He felt the blessing take hold, feeling the warmth of his new strength take root.

It was nice to have a more solid form. Even if parts of him seemed to be torn in a few places.

It really didn’t matter though in the long run. Now he just had to make more friends. He’d already made out of Vettey – or so he hoped.

Oh well, he would wait to see what his goddess needed next.



--

Krona gladly returned the fragments to his goddess. Wanting to grow stronger and receive every blessing he could gather.

As he gifted to her his fragments, he felt himself become more solid – more real. Shivering a little at the feeling of his core growing stronger, he grinned and flexed his fingers. Strong hands – good strong hands.

He knew he could not do this alone though – he would need to find people to help him gather more power. The more hands working together meant more power at his disposal, power to become a goddess!



--

Vast At quickly returned the fragments he had found to his goddess, allowing the objects to go swiftly to her. He accepted her blessing happily, Feeling the strength begin to flow into him. Shivering happily as he gained a more solid form.

He enjoyed the feeling of strength it gave him – the feeling of being more, of being warm and whole.

He was one step closer to joining his Goddess. One step closer to earning his place by her side.

He looked forward to it.



--

Zealot He returned the fragments to the Shrine, happily gifting them to his goddess so that he might better learn about himself. He felt his body grow stronger – more solid. His fingers were more like claws, and he felt the beginnings of what might be horns on his forehead – but these mattered not to him. What was important was that he was becoming stronger.

Soon he would be able to help his goddess even more!

She was carrying the fragments like one would carry a baby or small child. They settled into her arms and she blinked as she entered the shrine, her mind filling with the Goddess's words. Whole... what did whole even mean? It meant she couldn't be whole now and it was a strange sensation.

As she approached the statue she held out the red fragments, feeling accomplished yet saddened by loss of something she'd worked towards getting. Becoming whole, finding a form, surely that was worth the little sacrifice of the fragments. Not to mention that there were still plenty back where she had come from if she was really dead-set on keeping one.

"Here you go!" She said as they were taken from her. There was a silent moment before she felt it seizing through her. Her body had changed, or had it? She looked down and moved her ears up and down a few times. A familiarity moved through her though it was still fuzzy, she felt better. Mel'ae was at least more aware of what she was. Something was nagging at her, something lost.

She shrugged and bowed her head a little. "Thank you!" She called before turning and skipping back to where she had come from.

It had been so tedious the words of the Goddesses nearly fell on deaf ears as she entered. Somehow she had managed to complete the task at hand and was looking forward to trading away the fragments. Ayrie held her hands up and watched as they vanished, taken in and away.

It was immediate and she held her chest as a rush moved through her, a tingling sensation riding up her bac. Her body changed slightly, feeling more complete and finally having some sense of self. She felt less clunky and looked down at herself as the wisps at her sides had folded over, sticking into her form.

A sigh came from her and she nodded, turning away. Something clicked in her head and then was gone again and she frowned, trying to get her mind to get it again. When it didn't come she left without a word, leaving her only wondering.

Mnezara needed more.

The blessing from the Ruin Goddess and the fragments was just like peeking through a keyhole into another world that was shrouded in mystery. She needed to know. She needed to understand. She needed a better form.

The five fragments gathered in her clasped hands, she made her way to the shrine, and released the little shards of light.

Almost immediately, she felt herself become more solid, and the names and voices she had heard echoed in her mind. Were they someone important? Were they here? Perhaps there was someone she could talk to about this...

Everything was confusing.

Maybe, he thought; when the goddess whispered to him, maybe he would understand more if he did as he was told. If he had a form, would he understand those broken sentences, those words, he had heard.

He cradled the fragments in his arms and released them in front of the shrine. Almost immediately, he felt the effect of doing so; it was as though his feet could touch the ground properly now. There were no voices echoing in his ear, but at least, something clicked in his mind.

There was someone important. To him. Or more...