Balthire landed the mini airship just outside of Rabanastra, in the Westersand. Fran was still shaking from her bad reaction to the Nethecite, and she spasmed slightly as the party exited the vessel. Penelo reached out and put an arm around her. "Are you okay?" she asked.
"I will be fine," the Viera said. "There is hardly any mist here. I just need to sit awhile."
"I think I know a fellow in the Bazaar who has a room where we can rest," said Balthier. "Perhaps we should head in that direction."
"The Bazaar?" asked Vaan skeptically. "That's so crowded and noisy. Can we be sure no one will eaves drop?"
"It's better than no room at all," Basch pointed out.
"Let's just figure out what we're doing, and quickly," said Ashe. "I don't like the look of the sky."
Indeed, the sky had grown dark. The gray clouds above rumbled a threatening growl of thunder, promising to downpour on any travelers foolish enough not to seek shelter. Vaan stepped away from the group.
"It never rains in the Westersand," he said. "We're in the middle of a desert."
Even as he spoke the clouds turned from gray to black. Lightning split open the sky and the clouds held true to their threat. Rain fell in a thick sheet from the darkened sky above. Penelo yelled out to her friend.
"Come on Vaan! Let's just get to the Bazaar and out of this rain!"
Vaan just stood there, staring up at the sky. "Look," he said, pointing to something off in the distance. The entire party turned to see what held the boy's attention.
Out in the middle of the desert, stretched across the black horizon, was a great set of wings. Underneath the wings was a large circle which held within it markings both archaic and seething with power. Just as soon as they had come, both the wings and the circle disappeared.
Balthier squinted. "I think something is falling," he said. Sure enough, the party could just make out the silhouette of something dropping down out of the clouds. The band of travelers, with the exception of Fran, all ran to investigate, weapons at the ready. They reached the spot directly underneath where the wings had been. There, in the middle of a vast pit in the sand, was a young man, dressed in strange clothes and clutching a small, white creature to his chest.