Fandom Xenoblade: Future Reclaimed

[ReaperMelia]

It was obvious that Nia was getting more and more annoyed with the troublesome Nopon the more she thought of him. Melia hadn't considered the possibility of this all being a test. If it was, they'd need to get Riku to talk on their own... It would be tough, but there had to be some way to pull it off. That being said, much like her new companion, Melia was exhausted. Any serious thinking would have to wait until tomorrow. The former commander simply nodded and stood up from her seat before following Nia.

Unsurprisingly, the Nopon had ditched them here, too. Could he get any less annoying? Melia was too tired to protest, though. She listened to the woman greet them and gave another nod. She would normally feel a bit uneasy about sharing a room with a former enemy, but she didn't have the time nor the energy to protest. Besides, they'd agreed to work together, and Melia would have to trust Nia to hold up her part of the truce. "That's fine with me. Thank you."

With that, the two were whisked off to their room. It was fairly plain: two beds, a little nightstand for each, and a few other basic furniture items adorned the room. Melia made her way to one of the beds and collapsed onto it as all of the day's excitement finally fully settled in. She fell asleep pretty much instantly, though she unfortunately couldn't even relax in her sleep. She spent the entire night dreaming about the horrors she had witnessed, reliving the experience of watching her friends die and feeling utterly alone.

Melia hoped that she'd wake up to find all of it was just a bad dream and that she'd be back in her old bunk, but she still found herself in the City. She heaved a sigh before dragging herself out of bed. There wasn't any time to rest; if the Lost Numbers didn't have anything for her to do today, she would need to find a way to stay busy herself. Melia wasn't going to sit around and do nothing when there was so much at stake... And so much to avenge.

A sudden knock on the door drew Melia's attention. After a quick check on Nia, she called out. "Come in." The door slowly creaked open to reveal one of the Lost Numbers' troops standing on the other side, a few books in hand.

"Uh... good morning, ma'ams! I've brought the evidence that Monica promised. I apologize if I interrupted your sleep." He sputtered the words out while giving a hasty salute. Melia did her best to not raise an eyebrow; it seemed their supposed star status was drawing some attention that still felt very strange and out of place to her, but she knew she'd simply have to deal with it. For now, the important thing was seeing this evidence.

Melia gingerly took the books from the soldier, though he seemed to remain still after the books were in her hands. Perhaps ready to answer any questions that came up. The first book had a bookmark poking up from around its halfway point, so the former commander flipped it open to the noted page. Her eyes widened as they settled on illustrations of the queens of Keves and Agnus, though in the art, they weren't wearing their masks. While they didn't look the same, they bore a striking resemblance to herself and her new bunkmate. A caption beneath the art further solidified the intent: "Portrait of Queen Nia" and "Portrait of Queen Melia." It was true; they did share names with the queens, and their faces were eerily similar. The page's text gave descriptions of the queens that were seemingly passed down by their former companions. As difficult as it all was to believe, it seemed that the City may have been telling the truth after all...

"Those books will tell you all you need to know about the queens' lives before they went missing. They have some information on the history of the City as well if you're curious. Maybe some of the names of its founders will help jog your memories... Well, if that's possible, anyway..." The soldier scratched his head. "If you need anything else, please ask me."

 

[Ploegy]

Sleep hadn't come easily for Nia despite how exhausted she had been. The events of the day swirled around in her mind like a whirlwind, making it impossible to fall asleep as soon as she found her bed. It took time, but eventually sleep would find her, even if it was rather restless. Sleep was still sleep.

The knock on the door the follow morning helped little for her slumber. She had only just managed to gain some semblance of a deeper sleep, though it was quickly cast away the moment the sound echoed out through their small sleeping quarters. She groaned softly to herself and squinted open her eyes as she glared towards the door, a soft, unhappy hiss croaking from the back of her throat as Melia told their guest to enter. Admittedly, she wasn't much of a morning person, and she struggled to get out of bed even back in her own colony. She was grumpier than usual, though she didn't speak her displeasures, they showed upon her face as she slowly sat up and let the covers fall into her lap.

Staring at the soldier, she listened to him sputter out his welcome. Unlike Melia she wasn't as surprised over it all. To these people they weren't just ordinary individuals. They were something far greater even if they might not believe it themselves. It was something they would need to adjust to.

Watching Melia take the lead and grab the books from him, Nia huffed softly to herself before clambering from her bed and stepping over to join her companion in looking at the proof that had been provided. Letting her eyes scan over the page she turned to, she couldn't believe the resemblance the two of them had to the images before them. While they looked different in some ways, the faces were hard to dispute. It was looking in a mirror in some sense. It didn't help that their names were plainly written beneath each image as well, only solidifying that it could be them.

Her gaze moved from the pictures to briefly skim over the text, seeing brief mentions of names of those close with the queens. As odd as it was, they felt vaguely familiar though she couldn't say why. It was likely a mere coincidence and nothing more though. There was no way simple words on a page would instantly trigger something hidden deep within her. That wasn't how things worked; not to her. Even so, it made things feel more real. Clearly what they had been told hadn't been a lie, or so it would seem upon all this information. It would take time to look it all over though and form their own opinions on the matter. Who knew what else was hidden in all the books that had been provided, and maybe it would give them in indication as to what Riku might be holding back from them. Maybe that was why he was avoiding their questions; he wanted them to see this first before answering to them. It was plausible.

Her own thoughts came to a stop as the soldier spoke again, and she lifted her gaze up from her brief readings to look at him and give a small nod of her head. "Thank you. I think this should do for now, though you speak of the founders, might there be more of than their names that might help us? Maybe it would be nothing, but figured I'd ask if there is anything beyond the books around the City that would help us out."

It was a long shot, though maybe given how the City seemed to be, there was something more they could look into after they finished up going through the books. If not they would have to search out either Monica or Riku to ask any further questions or to even affirm their resolve in moving forward. She supposed it all depended on the situation and how they ended up feeling over it all in the end.

 

[ReaperMelia]

Melia's eyes lingered on the picture of the queen, narrowing as she tried to think of some sort of logical explanation. There was no way that she could really be the queen, was there? The more she thought about it, the more she realized she couldn't think of an explanation. The similarities were impossible to deny, and their names were the same... If she really was the queen, was she prepared for that kind of responsibility? The thought of leading her colony had been stressful enough. Leading the entire City would put far more weight on her shoulders. The weight was already threatening to crush the air out of her lungs just thinking about it...

Thankfully, Nia's voice cut in and drew Melia's attention away from that dread. She took a quick look at the book again and noted a few names, some belonging to the founders and others belonging to former companions of the queens. They seemed to stir something deep within her mind, though she couldn't figure out what. It was as if she discovered a fog that had lingered within her for her entire life, though it was still too thick to peer through and see whatever was hidden within. Did she really know these people at one point? The mystery only frustrated her further.

The soldier straightened up before responding to Nia's question. "Yes, ma'am. There are statues of the founders in the Memorial Hall near the park. Perhaps that would help restore some of your memories as well. When you're done looking through those books, you can go see the woman at the counter up front. She can call someone to take you there." He scratched his head before casting his eyes down. "I'm sorry to leave so quickly, but I have to report elsewhere as well. If that's all you need for now, I need to get moving. Like I said, just let the woman up front know if you need anything else." He shuffled out the door quickly, seemingly in a rush to get on with his duties... Or perhaps he was simply nervous being with the supposed queens.

Melia thought over the soldier's suggestion. At the very least, seeing those might help lift that fog in her mind. At the very least, it wouldn't make things worse. She turned to Nia, partially to see if she was maybe piecing things together and partially to ask a question. "I think we should go do that once we're done looking through everything he brought us." Her eyes shot back to the book, the pictures, and the names for a moment while she thought it all over. Should she tell Nia what she was thinking? It would at least be a good idea to find out if it was the same for her... Her attention shifted back to her companion.

"What do you make of all this? Is it perhaps ringing any bells for you? I don't remember anything, but it feels like I'm... close to something important. I've never seen or heard these names before, but something about them still seems familiar. I think this put me on the right path to uncover whatever this is, but I can't make it out..." She sighed before casting another glance at the book. "I want to know if those statues will help. Of course, we've still got these other books to look through as well..." She shifted the stack in her hands, taking note of how much more they had to sort through. It seemed like this could all take a while, but it was at least better than sitting around doing nothing.

 

[Ploegy]

To hear there was more than the books that they could look into was a surprise to Nia, though a welcome one. Statues may prove to be useful in the long run even if she doubted that memories would just come flooding back from looking at them. It was a farfetched hope, yet how could she not cling to it? It was all they had in the moment, and even if they still didn't remember, if the proof was convincing enough then perhaps they would buy into it all. It was a muddy slope and in the moment, she was willing to see where it took them.

Giving a small nod towards the soldier, she quietly watched as he shuffled back towards the door and left the two of them alone once more. Her eyes slowly flickered toward Melia the moment they were alone and listened to the words she spoke. It seemed they were on the same page. It was best to go over the material they were given before they rushed off to view the statues. It would give them a better idea of what they were looking at and who the founders might be. "Agreed. We can look this all over first."

Upon her agreement, Nia allowed her attention to move back to the book, letting her golden eyes scan over the pages before them. There was much to look over; words and pictures alike, and while there seemed to be a vague hint of familiarity to them, nothing truly stood out that made her mind say "I remember this." It was as if her mind was trying to grasp at something and cling to it. Was she desperately hoping she was the one they were looking for? Maybe. She couldn't even tell her own feelings at the moment. They were a jumbled mess. As Melia spoke again though, it was as if she was hearing her own feelings laid out before her. It was exactly how she felt too. To know her companion oddly felt the same way put her at ease even if it was hard to be such.

"I understand how you're feeling. I feel the same way," she admitted after a moment before she took a book from Melia and walked over to the small table in the room and sat down at it. "Even upon looking at just that first one I feel as if there is something in my head telling me I know these things. Maybe I'm trying to lie to myself to fit the image these people want of me. For what reason? Who knows. I guess it's better to feel like I belong than to think of the alternative of being looked upon as a disappointment. Even so, looking at that picture of the two queens, it almost feels as if I'm looking in a mirror. It's not quite me, yet how could I not think that is my own face? Am I that woman? Was I her at one point in time? Do I know these people written of in the book? It's a lot of questions to ask."

Nia paused as she leaned back in her seat and let her ears flatten while she pinched the bridge of her nose in a brief display of frustration. She felt herself needing to live up to standards she didn't even know of, even if Monica had ensured they wouldn't be tossed out if they didn't turn out to be who they were suspected to be. Heaving a sigh after a moment, she dropped her hand back down to her lap and flipped open the book which she had grabbed. Finding the marked section, she stared at the words that greeted her: a detailed telling of those whom where deemed to be closest to the queen of Agnus. Each name held the same feeling. Rex, Tora, Mythra, Pyra, Morag, Zeke... all so foreign, yet they clung in her head as if she was close to recalling something.

"Are we sure any of these people were even founders of this place? Maybe that was a question we should have asked. I bet that furball knows. If only he would talk..." she hissed out with clear distain in her voice. "Anything in those other books talk about the queen you supposedly are? Any fun info?"

 

[ReaperMelia]

As strange as it all seemed, Melia felt her stress fade a tiny bit as Nia affirmed she was feeling the same way looking through these books. If her new companion was getting the same sense of familiarity flipping through these pages, that made it feel more legitimate. As much as the thought of all of this being true scared her in a way, the frustration that stemmed from her uncertainty was far more frustrating to deal with than her fears. She just wanted to get to the bottom of this, but she didn't know if she could ever bring herself to believe it on her own.

"If you're lying to yourself, I suppose I would be, too. To tell the truth, I'm not sure if I want to fit their image in the first place. Even if I was a queen in the past, I'm not that same person now... At least not the way they seem to want me to be. I'll gladly join the fight against the Consuls, but I don't know if I am ready to hold that title." Her eyes drifted off the pages of her book and down towards her feet. Could she really shoulder those expectations? Melia slowly shook her head to try to snap herself out of it. She couldn't show those fears now. Not in front of the person she'd agreed to work with to end this war. She had to be strong. "Anyway... it's like looking into a mirror for me, too. Queen Melia doesn't look exactly like me, but there are so many similarities that it feels impossible to deny that there's a connection. Maybe they really are right about all of this..."

While Nia continued flipping through the first book they had opened, Melia took another from the pile and opened it to the marked page. The book had more information about the queen... or herself if Lost Numbers really knew what they were talking about. She scanned through stories of Queen Melia Antiqua traveling across the world, uniting all sorts of people, and forging a peaceful land. It all sounded absolutely impossible, of course. She had never heard of the places mentioned in the book, and there were no nations in their land aside from Keves or Agnus. Of course, that last point had been somewhat proven wrong by the City's existence, but was there really this much history to their world? And was she really the one who helped bring those people together? She had always doubted her ability to lead an entire colony, let alone a vast nation. How could she believe she had done all of that in a past life?

Still, she couldn't deny the faint sense of familiarity that hung over each name she came across. Fiora. Reyn. Sharla. Dunban. Riki. And most of all, Shulk... She had never met anyone with those names before, but it was almost like she could make out a faint silhouette in the back of her mind when she read each name. None of it made any sense. She couldn't think of any way to rationalize it outside of the City telling the truth, but their stories sounded just as outlandish. Did she have any choice but to entertain the possibility that Monica was serious about all of this? Melia silently wondered if she should at least just pretend to believe it to try to end the confusion.

After spending more time reading the book, Nia spoke up with some new questions. Melia glanced up from her book to look at the offseer while she thought over her questions. "One of these books may go more into the history of the City itself. I've been focusing more on the queens to try to find some connections, to be honest." Her attention shifted over to the stack of books as she began sorting through and checking their titles. "This one might have that information. I'll take a look at it, and perhaps we can bring it with us when we go see the statues." She gently set it aside before mentally running through what she had learned so far. There were plenty of things she could tell Nia, it was just a matter of deciding what was most important.

"According to this book, the queen and her friends traveled to places that sound a little familiar, but they're very different from anywhere I've heard of. Supposedly, she brought together people from all sorts of different places to fight a battle to create a peaceful world, though the only group I recognize is the Nopon. I can't say I've met many Nopon who were fighters..." Was Riku one of them? He did mention knowing Melia back when she was supposedly the queen, after all... It was yet another question she'd have to ask him when they figured out how to make him open up.

"It's hard to imagine a peaceful world, too... All I've known my whole life is fighting. The City is strange enough, but to think the whole world was like that for a time... Do you think that would even be possible?" As incomprehensible as it was, deep down, she hoped it really was possible. She still couldn't imagine Keves and Agnus ever getting along, but wasn't she learning to work with Nia now? Maybe one day, this legendary peaceful world could exist again... But she'd have to do her part if there was even a chance that could happen. "What about you? Is there anything interesting about your queen in those books?"

 

[Ploegy]

Hearing Melia's thoughts, Nia remained silent for a moment, taking it all in. Many of her feelings aligned with her companion. It was odd and she couldn't explain it, yet she had to accept it. They were both going through the same thing whether they liked it or not. No matter the differences they tried to put up between them, they were the same in this scenario. That was hard for her to wrap her mind around.

Pursing her lips at the thought, her eyes shifted down to the book opened in front of her and she dared to flip through more of the marked pages. Her eyes scanned over the words presented to her and she tilted her head out of curiosity. Much like Melia explained, there were places she had apparently been that sounded vaguely familiar even though she had never heard of them existing in Aionios. That didn't make any sense to her. How could places that probably didn't exist seem so familiar? It seemed ridiculous yet there was no shaking it. The names were no different although people could have existed compared to places.

She shook her head after a moment before raising her gaze from the pages and looking back towards Melia. "It's no different for me. As far as I know, none of these places exist in this world, yet it feels as if I still know them... as if I've been to them before even though I know I haven't. Maybe it's my own brain trying to trick myself into believing it's true; to be the one thing these people want me to be. It all sounds funny, but I can't come up with another answer as to why I feel this way."

Nia's ears pinned back in irritation at those words as frustration overcome her face. All this was making her angry. It was understandable, especially since she hated being lost. An onslaught of information was bound to make one struggle and it only made it worse when it was things supposedly about herself. This wasn't her. Even if it was all true, she had clearly changed from the Queen that was presented. She was no leader nor had she ever held a position of similar power. She was an offseer and healer. While healing seemed to be something the Queen of Agnus did, she seemed like no offseer. If anything she had far more potent healing than Nia even had. Such a thing was only something she could dream of having access to because with it, she'd be able to keep her allies up far better.

Snapping out of her thoughts, she lifted her head as she was addressed once more. At Melia's words, she slumped back in her seat and closed the book in her lap, allowing her fingers to idly tap against the cover.

"Admittedly, this queens sounds like something far out of my reach. Her adventures... her abilities... they all seem like things I could never achieve. Sure, she specializes in healing much like myself, but to read about how she supposedly could bring people back from even the worst of injuries is something I could only dream of," Nia paused before letting out a sigh and lifting a hand up to comb through her hair quickly. "But much like you learned, this Queen helped bring peace to her own home. That might be even more difficult to wrap my head around given the circumstances of the war going on. Could that really be possible? I guess we would only know if the Consuls were taken care of. If anything all this makes that even clearer."

There was no doubt in her mind that things could change if the enemy was taken out. That fact alone didn't need her to be the Queen or not. It required her being able to fight and win. Was that something she could do? Maybe. Then again, others before her had likely tried, and given things had never changed, it made her wonder if her own part in it all would make a difference. Could two people truly sway the tides that much? Her mind wanted to tell her no, yet the City seemed to believe otherwise. They believed that the Queens could bring forth this change that seemed so far away. Such optimism was beyond her even though she wouldn't openly voice it.

"I can't say any of this helps me believe I'm the Queen of Agnus, but I still can't deny that it isn't true either. All I know is the least I can do is try to make the difference they are hoping I will make, as impossible as it sounds."

 

[ReaperMelia]

As much as Melia hated the confusion tied to the familiar locations she knew couldn't exist, hearing that Nia was getting the same feeling reading about her own queen once again added some legitimacy to her own feelings. The commander still had her concerns regarding what it meant if all of this was true, but they were at least coming closer to some sort of an answer. After taking a quiet breath to steady her own thoughts, her eyes returned to her companion. "I don't think it's your brain trying to trick you, if that helps. Both of ours would have to be doing the same thing in that case. We both had the same idea on our own... That has to mean there's something more to this than a simple trick. It may not make any sense, but it all seems like too much to just be a coincidence."

Of course, deep down, Melia was wondering if this was just an attempt to convince herself of what seemed like the easy solution... Even though it didn't seem easy at all. Still, there couldn't be any other explanation for both of them finding familiar names in the queens' stories, could there? It just seemed to make sense, even if she still struggled to believe any of this was true.

That wasn't the only thing they were both feeling, too. Nia voiced her own doubts on her ability to match up to the queen's stories, and that made Melia's eyes fall back to her book. She wasn't really reading, though. She was doing her best to not make the frustration and sorrow in her own eyes obvious. Queen Melia had done so much to bring people together. She had faced countless setbacks and always rose back up, no matter how much she was hurting. She might not have had the incredible healing powers Nia spoke of regarding her own queen, but Queen Melia's strength seemed to lie in her tenacity, willpower, and ability to lead. How could Melia possibly match up to that? She'd lost everything she had. She failed everyone she knew. After that battle, it took every ounce of rage within the commander to pull herself out of the sparking wreck that was her own failure and throw herself into a new cause for the sole purpose of avenging her friends.

She couldn't unite people the way the queen once had. She couldn't even do what her former commander could. Unlike the queen, Melia had nothing left. She was a stranger in this City. How could she possibly be expected to rally Lost Numbers into battle? As much as she wanted a peaceful world, she couldn't deny that her primary motivator was a desire to set things right for her fallen colony. Melia just couldn't face herself if she let all of their deaths be for nothing.

Before she could sink deeper into the pit of gloom pulling at her, Melia blinked away the tears that were forming in her eyes and shook her head. There would be time for this after the Consuls were dead. Until then--assuming she could survive that long--she'd use the pain to fuel her drive to stop them. She had to keep reminding herself of that. For now, she had to focus on her work with Nia.

"To tell the truth, it's the same with my queen. I don't know how I can live up to the standard she set. I also don't know if peace is truly possible... I suppose I've learned that there is more to the world than I once knew, so maybe... But how can we defeat the Consuls? How can we get Keves and Agnus to stop fighting and learn to work together? It all seems impossible. If everything in these books is true, I bet the real queens would have known how to do it..." Melia heaved a sigh and set her book aside. Her head was starting to hurt just thinking about all of those questions. Maybe it was time to take a break from reading. With that distraction out of her way, Melia's eyes focused back on Nia.

"It seems we've both reached the same conclusion, then. I don't know what having us around will to do bring the changes they're hoping for, but I'll do what I can to help end this war. If we really are the key to all of this, then I'll do my best to live up to their expectations. If not... well, as long as I can make some sort of difference in this, I suppose that is what matters." With that said, Melia rose to her feet and stretched. "Would you like to go see those statues? I think I could use a little break... A walk sounds good right about now."

 

[Ploegy]

It was comforting to hear that much like herself Melia seemed to be feeling exactly the same way that she did, lessening the chances of her head simply messing with her. Still Nia couldn't shake the thought of it being such. Who could blame her? It was hard not to try and fit into the very image that was wanted of her. It was one way to fit in and in some way, it wouldn't be strange for her counterpart to also want the same thing. It was difficult to say even if the other was telling her it couldn't just be a coincidence.

Shaking the thought off for the moment, Nia quietly ran her fingers through her hair as she let everything settle in. Despite everything, it was clear the two of them were in agreement and that she could not deny at all. They were going to help with this fight whether they were who the City thought they were. It was the least they could do and would allow them to put their skills to use even if they didn't turn out to be the Queens. She could only imagine what that might do to morale though. It made her worried, but those worries were hers alone to carry. They weren't something to bother others with. She couldn't dwell on it, and luckily Melia's words brought her out of her own stupor. Again, she was right. She seemed to be like that a lot of the time. Nia wasn't complaining. It spared her the effort to need to think of what was right or not. Even so, it did make her feel as if she was offering very little in the moment, yet that feeling was one she kept to herself.

"I suppose we have no other choice but to learn. Maybe the real Queens would have already known what to do. Maybe they even had a plan before this was all put in motion yet they got caught up in it all. Who knows what really happened to them, whether it be they are us or not. Whatever it may be we must just push on. It's all we can do."

She hated to admit as much, yet it was the truth. It didn't matter in the end what they might be as long as they could make a difference in the war that waged on. If they could do that then the others could believe whatever they liked. To her it was as simple as that. Maybe it was a poor way to look at things, but it was best to take it all in stride.

With that conclusion reached, Nia leaned back in her seat and tossed the book she had on the table in front of her, letting a long winded sigh slip from between her lips. Again Melia spoke with purpose and was once more reasonable in her words. She couldn't disagree that she wanted to escape the books despite how little they had looked over. The pages would only continue to give her the same feeling no matter what she read; that being an odd sense of deju vu. It drove her wild. Perhaps a walk would benefit her in that regard, and besides, the statues could offer some light on the situation that the books themselves did not.

"I agree, a walk does sound good right about now," Nia responded with a nod of her head as she slowly pushed herself to her feet and stretched her arms above her head. With how cluttered her mind was, her body was doing no better. She was tense and stiff; a bad combination. "The statues will either give us more of the same feeling or maybe we feel nothing. Best to take the chance to see them to clear our heads at the very least."

 

[ReaperMelia]

Would the queens have managed to come up with their own plan at one point? Of course. If they were truly as amazing as the stories suggested, they must have had something in mind. In fact, Melia was shocked this war was even still raging with leaders as incredible as them. Unfortunately, it was, and any plans they may have had were now lost. That or the stubborn Nopon was hiding them until the right moment. Frustration and gloom were starting to bubble up within her again, but thankfully, Nia seemed just as interested in taking a break from this as she was. Melia steadied her breath for a moment to try to cool off.

"Clearing our heads sounds like the best thing we can do right now." In all honesty, she was much more interested in taking a short break from their research than seeing the statues, but she knew they couldn't spend too long away from this anyway. This at least gave her an excuse to get away from the books, even if it was only for a moment. "Hopefully the statues can help us find the answers we need... And after we look at them, we'll have plenty of time to keep reading... at least until the Lost Numbers tell us what it is we'll be doing with them." She turned away from her companion to face the door.


After a relatively uneventful walk, the two found themselves entering a building next to the park. The small structure had five statues evenly spaced against the walls around the entrance, and a plinth stood at the center. Each statue had a plaque on its base with a brief description of the person it was meant to represent. The soldier who had delivered the books earlier said that these statues represented the founders of the City, though Melia had her doubts that she would recognize any of them in the first place. Sure, some of the names she read seemed to bring some strange feelings back to the surface, but would she have known the founders? Was the city founded before or after she was supposedly reincarnated? Just thinking about it gave her a bit of a headache, and that was before she even had a chance to look at the statues.

The commander took a quick glance around the room, but her eyes quickly focused in on one statue in particular. It depicted a man with long hair wearing a long coat. Melia took a few slow steps towards it, practically entranced. Why did it draw her in? Once she stood just in front of it, she knelt down a bit and rested her palm next to the plaque before reading it. The plaque noted that this statue didn't actually represent one of the founders; it depicted the mentor of one of the founders. After taking some time to digest that information, she slowly stood up straight and gazed up at the statue. Whatever she felt was the same sensation elicited by the names she read in the book--was this mentor one of the people Queen Melia journeyed with? She tried to find the answer, but the fog in her mind was too thick to pierce.

After taking a moment longer to study the statue, Melia sighed and looked around again to see if any of the other statues would maybe ignite another spark in her strange memories. There was another that seemed familiar, though the feeling wasn't quite as strong. She walked over to the statue of a young man wearing goggles. In some ways, he looked a bit similar to that first statue. Unlike that one, the plaque stated that this statue did depict one of the founders. She crossed her arms as she gazed at it for a moment longer; if the claim that she really was the queen was true, maybe she did know one of the founders after all? Melia's head was starting to hurt again, but in a way, this sense of familiarity at least gave her more reason to believe the City's claims of her true identity.

Of course, the best way to be more certain that there was something to her feelings was to see if Nia felt the same way. Melia gazed around the room before finding and focusing on Nia. "This statue and the one over there are giving me the same feeling those names in that book gave me..." She pointed towards the first statue of the main in the long coat for a moment before approaching it. "In fact, this one's giving me a particularly strong response... The plaque says this man was the mentor of one of the founders. Perhaps he's one of the individuals I read about earlier..." She brought a hand up to her temple as the pain seemed to intensify for a moment. After taking a moment to steady her breath, her hand dropped back down to her side. "What about you? Are you feeling anything from any of the statues?"