Scenario:Sarunan - Where to Next, Honey
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Where to Next, Honey?
After leaving behind a record on how to extend Honey's life span, Sarunan stops by a local shop to look for clues concerning the Island of the Astrals. Learning from the shopkeep that someone outside of town is looking for him, the mage pursues the lead, encountering monsters on the way.
Sarunan: ...
Aboard the Grandcypher, Sarunan writes intently in his notebook.
Sarunan: "I will record here the spell for sharing a person's life force with the spirit Kazann, who resides in my staff."
Sarunan: "First, drip some of the spellcaster's blood onto the staff in order to forge a connection between Kazann and the caster."
Sarunan: "Next, recite the incantation noted below. The incantation is written in an ancient Erune language, but it isn't necessary to understand the meaning."
Honey: ...
Sarunan: What am I doing? I'm writing down the method for extending your life span.
Honey: ...
Sarunan: It's just a bit of insurance. I simply want to make sure you'll be all right if something happens to me.
Honey: ...
Honey casts her eyes downward. As she does so, a strong gust of wind blows in from the window.
Sarunan: Ah...
The wind—summoned by Honey herself—causes the pages of the notebook to flip backward.
The notebook opens to a page where a short poem has been scribbled down.
Sarunan: "My eyes were clouded until that moment when I first beheld your radiance."
Sarunan: "Everything around me had become dull and lifeless, but suddenly my world was full of color. That which brought light to my life I shall call: love."
Sarunan: "Sarunan's Ode to Love, Part I..." That brings back memories.
Honey: ...
Sarunan: Now this is a surprise. Were you trying to cheer me up?
Honey: ...
Sarunan: Well then. Thanks to you, I think I have the energy to head back into town and gather information.
Closing the notebook and putting it into his pocket, Sarunan leaves the Grandcypher.
Sarunan: Did you happen to find any information about the Island of the Astrals?
Man: A bit... But I guess it's more rumors than info. Still interested?
Sarunan: Yes. At this point I'm grateful to find even a single clue. You have my thanks.
Sarunan takes the document from the man and hands over his payment before heading out of the general store.
Sarunan: (There are rumors about the island floating around everywhere, and it was mentioned in that letter (Captain) showed me as well...)
Sarunan: (The information I've collected about the Island of the Astrals while traveling with (Captain)'s crew has made me all the more certain it really exists.)
Sarunan: (However...)
Sarunan: ...
Sarunan: (However, we have yet to discover the way to the Island of the Astrals. I may not be able to hold on long enough to make it there...)
Man: Excuse me, sir! I have one more piece of info for you!
Sarunan: Hm... That would be helpful. What is it?
Man: A person showed up saying they wanted to help you or something. They're waiting for you outside of town.
Sarunan: Hm...
Sarunan and Honey make their way toward the meadow outside of town.
Sarunan: Whew... That breeze feels nice, but the sunlight certainly is strong.
Honey: ...
Sarunan: Don't worry about me. I feel fine thanks to you.
Sarunan: There's just one thing that concerns me...
Golem: ...!
Sarunan: What nerve, setting up a trap like this at our meeting place.
Sarunan: Honestly... Just what is this so-called helper of mine thinking?
Where to Next, Honey?: Scene 2
The monsters were sent by a boy from Sarunan's hometown who underwent rigorous training to recover the guardian spirit Kazann—also known as Honey. Sarunan is ready to give up without a fight but asks the boy whether he is prepared to give up the greater portion of his life for the spirit.
Golem: ...!
Sarunan: Well then. Now that you've had the chance to gauge my true strength, I implore you to show yourself.
???: ...!
Sarunan: So it was you.
He could never forget that face—the face of the boy he met while visiting his home island.
The boy had learned of Sarunan's deeds while searching for the missing guardian spirit of the island, Kazann—also known as Honey.
Erune Boy: I've been looking for you forever! I came to take back the spirit!
Sarunan: Hmm... Is that so? I gather that means you've become strong enough to defeat me?
Sarunan surrounds his body with an enormous amount of magic power in an attempt to intimidate the boy.
Erune Boy: Urgh!
Sarunan: Why, you're frozen stiff. Weren't you going to take Honey from me?
Erune Boy: Y-yeah! That's right! I'll show you just how strong I've become!
Refusing to be outdone, the boy releases his own magic power and assumes a fighting stance before Sarunan.
Sarunan: You must have trained hard to be able to use such strong magic.
Erune Boy: Yeah! I've been protecting the island ever since you left!
Sarunan: I see. Well, I suppose you win.
Erune Boy: Huh?
Sarunan: Do you know why the spirit drove away monsters and protected the townspeople?
Sarunan: Because that's just who she is.
Sarunan: Just as she was born to make water flow and make the wind blow, she was born to love and protect the people of the island.
Sarunan: Being the way she is, I'm certain she doesn't wish to see us fight. In that case, I lost the moment you challenged me to battle.
Erune Boy: D-does that mean I can take the spirit back to the island?
Sarunan: As long as you're prepared to sacrifice the greater portion of your life for her sake.
Erune Boy: ...!
Where to Next, Honey?: Scene 3
Honey prevents Sarunan from giving the boy the notebook with instructions on how to extend her lifespan. In lieu of returning, she transfers some of her power to the boy so that he can protect the island, who in turn thanks Honey and leaves without looking back.
Sarunan: As you know, the spirit is reaching the end of her life span.
Sarunan: Someone needs to continue sharing their life force with her, or she'll disappear. Are you prepared to shoulder that responsibility?
Erune Boy: W-well, I—
Sarunan: You don't have to answer right away. But I'd like to at least give you this.
Sarunan pulls the notebook out of his pocket.
Sarunan: I have written the method for becoming Honey's vessel in this notebook. So if you're ready—
A strong gust of wind suddenly blows.
Sarunan: Hey! My notebook!
Sarunan's notebook is blown from his hands and tumbles across the grass.
Honey: ...!
Sarunan: Was that wind your doing, Honey?
Honey: ...
Sarunan: I shouldn't be putting strange ideas into a child's head? Don't say it like that! Someone's going to get the wrong idea!
Honey: ...
Sarunan: And you don't want anyone to see all that embarrassing poetry in my notebook? I wrote those for you, you know!
Erune Boy: ...
The boy watches the exchange between Sarunan and Honey, dumbfounded. Finally he realizes something.
Erune Boy: Does the spirit not want to go back to the island?
Honey: ...
Sarunan: Hm... You'd rather die than use the life of any more islanders?
Erune Boy: B-but then who's going to protect the island?
Honey: ...
Honey places her hand on the boy's cheek, and a faint glow flows into him.
Sarunan: What exactly are you thinking by giving him a portion of your power, Honey?
Honey: ...
Sarunan: I see. You gave him something to take back to the island in your place. I can't say I approve though.
Erune Boy: What! But I've been working so hard in order to bring the spirit back to the island!
Sarunan: ...
Sarunan: But Honey doesn't intend to return. In that case, shouldn't you be the one to protect the island?
Erune Boy: Huh?
Sarunan: With the power Honey gave you, you should more or less be able to drive monsters away from the village.
Sarunan: And on top of that, you've worked hard to become strong enough to face me—all for the sake of protecting the island.
Sarunan: With Honey's power and your own strength at your disposal, you ought to be able to handle most anything that comes your way.
Sarunan: Rather than pursuing wishes that won't be fulfilled, why don't you try figuring out what you can do on your own?
Erune Boy: ...
Erune Boy: Kinda harsh, don't you think?
Sarunan: Humph. In a situation like this, I've no choice but to be blunt.
Erune Boy: Okay. If the spirit doesn't want to come back, there's nothing I can do about that.
Erune Boy: But thank you for not abandoning us, great spirit.
Having received a portion of Honey's power, the boy turns and leaves without looking back.
Sarunan: Thank you, Honey. If that boy had become your vessel, he'd only have ten or so years left to live.
Honey: ...
Sarunan: You were destined to leave the island one way or another—whether because of me, or because you reached the end of your life.
Sarunan: All things considered, this is definitely the preferable outcome.
Where to Next, Honey?: Scene 4
Sarunan and Honey reflect on their own situation. Realizing that reaching the Island of the Astrals with their current life spans may be an impossibility, they decide to simply make the most of what they have.
Following the boy's departure, Sarunan and Honey stand in the meadow, caressed by a gentle breeze.
Honey: ...
Sarunan: What's that, Honey? You're worried that giving the boy your power is going to have a negative effect on me?
Sarunan: Don't worry about that. I don't have much time left as it is anyway.
Sarunan: And besides, I realized something as I watched that boy walk away.
Honey: ...
Sarunan: I think the words I said to him may have been the very ones I wanted to hear myself.
Sarunan: My dream has little chance of coming true. There's simply too great of an obstacle standing in my way.
Sarunan: Now that I've accepted that fact, perhaps figuring out what I can do on my own is the best course of action.
Honey: ...
Sarunan: It's strange. By simply freeing myself from that obsession, everything around me suddenly looks different.
Sarunan: Ah... It reminds me of when I first met you.
Sarunan: The moment I laid eyes on you, my world was suddenly full of color.
Sarunan lets his eyes wander across the meadow, his expression one of longing.
Sarunan: I quite like it here. What about you, Honey?
Honey: ...
Sarunan: It might not be so bad to live out our final days here together in peace.
Sarunan has always been willing to do anything in his power to extend Honey's life span.
However, he can no longer ignore the fact that his dream is crumbling before his very eyes.