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And Ode to the Scent of Mint: An Analysis of The Wheat Field Scene from a Phainaxa Perspective
"Phainon of Aedes Elysiae, what is your dream?"
That simple question is at the heart of the wheat field scene, a moment referenced again and again by Hoyo and phainaxalings alike. This question has no definitive answer (as im writing this amphoreus is in a 'to be continued' state so there may be more phainon story, we'll see) and yet even if there was, the answer isn't relevant. Looking at what the question means, the context of the scene as a whole, and who is asking this question, we can understand Phainon's struggle with person-hood and his relationship to Anaxa(goras) as his guiding light.
One thing that's important to remember about the Phainon trailer, Coronal Radiance, is that it's from Phainon's point of view. When analyzing each scene, not only is it important to understand what those scenes mean but what they mean to Phainon, the purpose of those memories/dreams in relation to himself. For example, when we see scenes of other's character's dreams play out they aren't actually Aglaea's, Castorice's, and Mydei's dream but what Phainon thinks/interprets them as (PT, 1:27-1:39). What's interesting to note here is how he adds himself into their dreams in his interpretations, not only because this is his trailer but because their happiness is his own. Phainon has stated how his wish is "to fulfill everyone else's wishes," leaving his own desire behind in order to help others (AS, 4:17-4:22). As the embodiment of world bearing, as the destined deliverer, and as that childhood desire to be a hero, Phainon's selflessness is taken to an extreme where he has little concept of what his "self" is because of his dedication to the service of others. While this trait would be perfect for the heroes found in epics, Phainon of Aedes Elysiae is a person, someone with wants and needs and a "self" just like everyone else.
For Phainon, the question "What is your dream?"might seem to have an easy answer. He wants to be a hero, be the deliverer, be strong enough to protect those he love and the world he lives in, something that's evident in everything he does. Scarred by the trauma caused by the calamity, the Black Tide, it's easy to understand where this desire to be a hero comes from. His motives are pure, unmarred by any selfish or self-serving reason like fame or glory, his priority has always been to protect and defend others. But in a world like Amphoreus, where death and disaster has always loomed over the horizon, the desire to be a hero is more of a matter of survival than morality. In the same vain, Phainon's other known wish, to go back to Aedes Elysiae, stems from these dire circumstances. He wants the impossible, another chance to to to the right thing and rescue his friends and family. While on the surface this may seem like Phainon's first and only "selfish" wish, in truth the motives behind him are sourced from the same desire to save and protect people from the cruel world he lives in.
A wish posed by his childhood best friend, Cyrene, highlights the irony of Phainon's wish. In Phainon's trailer we hear the line, "may this world never again have a need for a Deliverer," right before the wheat field scene (PT, 1:11-1:14). While this line may seem like a simple wish for peace, the wording focuses on the role Phainon has taken upon himself and the burdens that come with it. The world needing a deliverer needs a world in peril, an apt description of Amphoreus since the very beginning. Not only is Amphoreus being ravaged by the Black Tide and are desperate to bring about era nova, but Amphoreus is a simulation being ran by a Scepter that seeks to bring about the birth of a Lord Ravager. In other words, there is no peaceful existence for the people of Amphoreus and Phainon has never lived a life without strife, just as the Scepter designed him. These circumstances are part of why Phainon's wish is so tragic and why the weight of what his dream is/ would be is so important. Being such a selfless and heroic figure has come at the cost of his own identity, an inability to define himself outside of his relationship to heroism and tragedy. This understanding helps convey why the question of what his dreams are becomes all the more valuable.
In truth, Phainon's dreams —not the wishes of others — are left mostly undefined. As a child he considers being a scholar and when meeting the trailblazer he is amazed at the idea of 'trailblazing' yet there's little said about Phainon's plans for the future outside of being the Deliverer who will bring about era nova. How could he imagine such frivolous things when the world he loves has always needed saving? How could he consider something as insignificant as his future when so many lives are at stake? His primary goal is to make sure there is a future for Amphoreus, so when has he ever considered what his dream is?
This isn't to say that Phainon has no desires, wants, or needs, but rather an emphasis of how little he thinks of himself. As shown in the trailer, the dreams/wishes he imagines for himself aren't his own but rather a picturesque world where his friends and loved ones have all they want and he is allowed to share in their joy. Right after those scenes and his fight with Flame Reaver, Phainon attempts to answer the question by saying, "In truth…I just want…" however he is cut off after losing his battle and being stabbed (PT, 1:53-1:59). The trailer depicts the tragedy of Phainon's inability to answer the question, his words cut short by another version of himself created by the circumstances of his existence. Flame Reaver is a byproduct by Cyrene and Phainon's plan to save Amphoreus, sabotaging any chance Phainon had to come up with his own dream. The time to explore his inner self, to wonder what a world without a need for a deliverer would mean for him, is cut short and left forever incomplete as Phainon's journey through the Eternal Recurrences send him back to the start once more.
Although Phainon may not care about his own dreams, Phainon knows someone else does. Before the wheat field scene, the trailer shows Aglaea, Castorice, and Mydei telling Phainon their dreams and desires, followed by their deaths in battle. This sequence shows what was at sake Phainon's mind, how he's thinking of the dreams cut short by the bloodshed. The next person he thinks of is Anaxa, but instead of a dream Anaxa asks him a question. Where the weight of his friend's wishes would be is instead a challenge posed by his mentor, and instead of the battlefield he finds them both back in the comforting wheat fields of Aedes Elysiae.
The contrast between the horrific battle that came prior to the tranquil warm hues of Phainon's imaginations is created by his memories of Anaxa. As Anaxa explicitly refused to tell Phainon his wish, when Phainon tries to think of his fallen comrade's wishes he is instead lead to think of himself. While Anaxa's wish was not directly expressed as the desire for Phainon to think of his own wishes, the role he played in Phainon's life and the ideas he represents to him is illustrated by his inclusion in Phainon's imagination.
On the brink of death and with no one standing beside him, Phainon confronts himself and wonders what he's fighting for now that all those he loved have fallen. However, this moment of internal reflection is still marred by his own selflessness as rather than talking to himself he imagines himself providing a service to another. The question, "what is your dream?" comes from within himself but is presented as though he is being asked by his professor, someone who had already died earlier in the cycle. As seen in Eternal Recurrence #67023, Phainon is prone to deluding himself that Anaxa is still with him and talks to this imagined version of his professor for guidance (Patch 3.4). In the trailer we see Phainon using the same trick, imaging Anaxa during times of stress, though this time confronting a question he never thought of answering. In his imagination, rather than a moment of self reflection, the question is refrained as a challenge by his mentor, making the question much more digestible to himself and more purposeful under the guise of being a service to another rather than to himself
Anaxa being the chosen representative for the question highlight's Phainon's feelings about his professor as well. In Phainon's own words, "the courage to be unique is a virtue I learned from him," which highlights how Phainon thought of himself prior to his time at The Grove and what lesson he learned from him (VO, About Anaxa). Before then, Phainon lacked this "courage to be unique," and was more than happy to fall in line with the rest of the legion at Okhema, as his first move after loosing his home was to go to the holy city and join the army. Even after his time at the Grove, Phainon was very receptive to the idea of being shaped by those around him and doing what others expected of them. However, along the way, Phainon learned where and when to be decisive, to follow his heart and trust his own mind, a trait he attributes to Anaxa. We see his debate skills from his record and in defense of the Flame-Chase Journey, and his ability to rise to the position of leader after Aglaea's death shows how Phainon has embodied that virtue. While he understood he needed to stay unique, Phainon understood "it was the courage to stay true to himself that he still lacked," as he main priority was to protect others and he was willing, "to carve himself into the shape the people needed him to be," regardless of his own wishes (CS, Part 2). This line between staying unique and being what the people needed was a balance Phainon had always struggled with and never fully conquered, despite his mentor's teachings and beliefs.
Anaxa, in contrast to Phainon's saint-like selflessness, is much more concerned with his own self over the expectations of others. Disliked for his status as a blasphemer and shunned by the general populous, Anaxa still carries out his experiments and teachings without much concern for what others may think of him. Unashamed of his love of Dromas — to the point of teaching one of his classes in his onesies — he embodies the ideals of individualism and priorities the self over all else. Time and time again, Anaxa gladly ignores what others demand of him and sees the person first before any other social constructs and labels. Even his own distaste for the titans can be easily put aside as at the news of Castorice inheriting the core flame of death he says, "So what if she's a Titan? She's still a student of the Grove," showing how little these titles mean to him (VO, About Castorice). In the same vain, Anaxa never calls Phainon the Deliverer and even resents the prophecy from the start, instead still seeing Phainon as his student despite the years that have past. While he initially opposes the Flame Chase Journey, he still trusts that Phainon can carry out Era Nova, not because the prophecy says so, but because he has faith in Phainon and his convictions. Anaxa supported Phainon's debate defending the Flame Chase Journey by asking him to rethink his approach to focus more on his own personal beliefs over Phainon's attempt to help Aglaea.
These moments reveal where Anaxa's priorities lie, within himself and others. His irreverence of Titans stems from their apparent indifference to humanity's plights and the desire to reclaim control over his own life. It is this belief he wishes to convey to others, to look within themselves and to grasp that power for themselves. In the unsent letter to Phainon he wrote, "As alchemy teaches, a blank slate holds infinite potential," which is not only a compliment but a call to action (CM, Anaxa). As Phainon is the blank slate it is his responsibility to write on it himself, even if he wishes someone else could do it for him. Before the debate infront of the Council, Anaxa chastises him for worrying if Aglaea made the right choice to trust him by saying , "Why are you fretting about on her behalf? Or have you been seeing yourself as her pawn all this time?" revealing how Anaxa understands Phainon's thought process (Patch 3.2). He knows how selfless his student has been, how he relies on others to define him, and how desperately he wants Phainon to break the habit. While in that patch we see Phainon make those strides towards acting for himself, in the end it is not something he is completely willing to embrace. Still, this moment and Anaxa's own themes of self-reliance and individualism ring true to Phainon well beyond Anaxa's final moments.
Phainon's imagination, when confronting the question of what his dream is, combines both the comforting memories of home with his memories of his teacher who guided him through the dark to give himself the space to ponder. Since there was never a time in Phainon's life where Amphoreus wasn't in peril, when the world never needed a Deliverer, Phainon imagines one for himself in order to ask himself what his dreams would be without the weight of his title. The wheat fields of his childhood home represent a time before he knew of the danger on the horizon, before he was confronted with the horrors of the black tide and the ignorance before inheriting the memories of all the Eternal Recurrences. The teacher who showed him how valuable his self was and urged him to find a meaning for himself, reminding him of the times he had considered his own future and the untapped potential unrelated to being named The Deliverer. This imagined moment, from the location to the person he imagined is with him, deliberately separates him from his duties as a hero and the title that he chose to bear, to give him a moment to himself. For a few fleeting seconds he is off the battle field and back where he belongs, waking up in the fields he called home with the person who cared about him as a person more than anyone else. Only in that imaginary scenario, when asked by someone he cares about, can Phainon confront himself and his own identity.
In a scene that lasts only lasts 6 seconds, Phainon puts himself in a place he feels the most comfortable to ponder one of his most pressing questions to himself. It's a moment that doesn't last. As he continues to fight the Flame Reaver in the present he imagines the world he failed to bring, seeing his fallen comrade's wishes play out while imagining himself by their side, still putting others before himself. In the end he never gives that imagined Anaxa an answer, dying before becoming Khaslana and carrying out the end of a cycle and starting another. But that moment highlights how complex Phainon's relationship to his own identity is. Seeing how and when he confronts such a looming question, his inability to answer, the opportunity cut short by his own selves —Flame Reaver and Khaslana respectively — emphasizes his struggle. While he wishes that he had an answer for his professor, for his guiding light, for the one who believes in Phainon of Aedes Elysiae the most, Phainon falls short of those expectations, even the ones he made for himself.
Citations Abbreviations:
PT = Phainon Trailer
AS = Animated Short
VO = Voice-Overs
CS = Character Story
CM = CHRYSOS Magazine