Final Fantasy VI – Magitek Tales
Celes' 1st Tale – Journey To Jidoor
"17,000? Don't you think that's a bit steep?" Celes asked the armor clerk in Maranda.
"Well, ma'am, it's crystal mail. Almost impenetrable, it is."
"I might take you up on that offer, but I'm fine for now. Thanks."
Celes exited the armor shop, walking down the stone steps across the creek. She smiled at various passers-by, finally coming to a house at the edge of town. Just before she knocked on the door, It swung open, revealing a young woman.
"Oh Celes, you came!"
"Of course I did, Lola. You're letter seemed hurried. Is everything okay?"
"Everything is fine, I just wanted to ask you a favor."
"I've nothing better to do these days, what is it?"
Lola walked over to a chest, opening it and producing a small, sealed box.
"I wanted somebody I could trust to bring this personally to a man in Jidoor."
Celes took the small box, running her fingers over it. She smiled gently.
"Why can't you take it yourself?"
"It's…a long story."
"So what's this mans' name, if I may ask?"
"I don't know, Celes." Lola smiled innocently, folding her hands behind her back.
"He should be staying at the inn there. When you walk in, just show the inn-keep that box, and he'll point you straight to him."
Celes slid the small box into her satchel beneath her cape. She still wore her white general attire, still kept her blonde, silky hair long.
"Consider it done Lola, but you owe me one."
"For sure!"
Celes exited the house, leaving the town of Maranda. She knew there were no chocobos, at least not in Maranda, but as long as she made it to the Opera House, she might find safe passage to Jidoor.
Wasting no time, she immediately began jogging through the fields towards the Opera House. Maranda and Jidoor were on the same continent, but they were separated by a small stretch of land which included a desert and the Opera House.
She traveled towards the north shore of the continent, trying to avoid the heat of the desert to the south. She didn't take a break for anything, considering herself lucky not to have run into any of the particularly foul beasts on the continent.
Only a few hundred feet from the Opera House, a giant brown mantis landed in front of Celes, staring down at its' next potential meal.
"Man…man…mantodea!"
Celes drew her sword, swung at the giant insect. Not fearing the weapon, the mantodea slammed it's pincers down into the ground just inches from her. She stumbled back but managed to hold her ground. She raised her free hand, casting a spell at the beast.
"Fira!"
The spell torched the mantis, but just barely. It scuttled towards her with lightning fast speed, nearly impaling her on its' pincer. She managed to roll underneath it, slamming her sword into its belly. The mantodea groaned, rearing up on its' hind legs. Celes slid past it completely now, running at full speed towards the Opera House.
With her sword still jutting from its' belly, it began sprinting after her, not wanting this delicious morsel to get away. Just as it was about to finish the former imperial general off, a spear imbedded itself in the mantodea's head, and it fell to the ground, motionless.
Celes looked up, seeing a fully-armored man atop a chocobo near the entrance of the Opera House. She backtracked to pull her sword from the corpse of the mantodea, then made her way to the man, bowing to him.
"Thank you, sir."
"No need to thank me, lass. You're just lucky, is all. I was just here for some fine opera."
The armored man dismounted his chocobo, leaving it to graze as he entered the Opera House. Celes followed behind him, grateful to be inside, safe from the beasts outside.
"Excuse me, sir. I came here to see if I could find transportation to Jidoor. Could I hitch a ride with you on your chocobo?"
The man continued walking as he spoke over his shoulder to her, his armor clanking gently as he strode.
"Here only for a ride? No, I tell you what. You stay with me for the show, and I'll give you a ride to Jidoor afterward. Deal?"
"But by then it will be nighttime. I've already been traveling since morning."
"Perfect! Then the show will give you chance to relax."
The armored man disappeared up the steps to the balcony area. Celes sighed and rolled her eyes, but followed him up.
---
She sat through the entire show, and afterwards, they both still sat in their seats as the others drifted out into the night.
"You know," Celes began, "I was the star in a play here many years ago."
"Oh? Do tell." The armored gentlemen responded.
"I played Maria in-"
"Ah, a beautiful role in a magnificent play. I witnessed one here at this very opera house long ago which had a twist. First a strange purple squid-like creature attacked, and then a man in an airship kidnapped the girl playing Maria."
"That's such a coincidence! I played Maria in that very play! The squid thing was Ultros, and the man with the airship was Setzer. Man, those were the days…"
"Setzer, you say? The same Setzer who is behind the world famous casino in South Figaro?"
"The very same!"
"Dispicable. Can't stand casinos, and the idiots who go to them."
Celes stood up, facing the man, placing her hands on her hips.
"Excuse me? Casinos may not be the best places, but Setzer was among myself and the others who saved the world! Just because he is a gambler doesn't mean he's a bad person!"
"Oh come now. You can't think-"
"I do think. I think that I do not need a ride from you to Jidoor. Good day."
Celes left the man in his seat, exiting the opera house. Not much had made her mad lately. Most everyone she had met was grateful, considered her and her old friends heroes. But here was a man who considered a hero not worthy because he fancied gambling. He was the despicable one, she thought.
A few miles from the Opera House though, she felt she had made a mistake. It was a long way, at least a few days trip to Jidoor on foot. Sure she had been angry at the man, but she should never have left the opera house without a way to Jidoor.
She began to feel vulnerable as she entered a small forest. There was limited visibility, and it was dark on top of that. The only thing that lit her path was the moon above, shining through the canopy. It wasn't long before something had decided she'd make a good meal.
She stopped walking momentarily, thinking she had heard something. She unsheathed her sword, holding it by her side as she slowly progressed. Hearing something again, she swirled around, seeing two geckorexs. Turning back around, another two of the vile green six-legged lizard like giants had blocked her path. She was surrounded.
She tightened her grip on her sword, slowly unstrapping her shield from her back and steadying it in her free hand. All four creatures slowly progressed towards her, hissing in random intervals. She looked for a way out, any way to good before she was ripped apart.
She tried to think of a plan for too long, as one geckorex leapt from behind, pinning her on the ground. Her sword flew from her hand, landing between nearby roots. She still had her shield though, and that was better than nothing.
Rolling on her back, she swung her shield, clocking the geckorex. The creature backed away, and a second lunged for her. She rolled out of the way, causing it to collide with her first attacker. They began fighting with each other for the moment, leaving her to deal with two geckorexs.
She raised her hands, chanting softly as the two approached her. The air suddenly grew cold around her as the two beasts froze in their place, surrounded by thick blocks of ice. She wasted no time in running to retrieve her sword. As she picked it up, disaster struck. What felt like three razor sharp blades scraped in diagonal lines across her back. She screamed, falling to her side.
Her white cape was slowly turning red as the blood ran from her back. She squinted in the moonlight to see a chocobo racing towards her and her attackers. What followed were the sounds of the geckorexs screaming and steel cutting through bone. Then she heard a familiar voice. It belonged to the man in the Opera House.
"You're okay now."
Despite the man's assurance, her eyes felt heavy, and soon they closed, leaving her in darkness.
---
Celes' eyes fluttered open. She lay in a bed, staring up at a wooden ceiling. She sat up slowly and looked down. She ran her fingers over the bandages that enveloped her torso. Looking to the bed stand, she saw all her belongings, including sword and shield. She did notice one thing missing though. The satchel, which contained her magicite, and the box which Lola had given her to give to a man in this very inn.
She slowly rose from the bed and staggered, still weak from her wounds. She stumbled over to the counter, leaning on it for support. The inn keep approached, a troubled look on his face.
"Aye lass, are ye alright?"
"I'm fine. Where is the man who brought me here?"
"He left shortly after bringing you here."
"And did he leave anything for me?"
"No lass, I'm sorry."
Celes slowly stumbled back over, sitting on the edge of the bed. She looked around the inn, not seeing anyone she could have even given the box to. Now she was missing her magicite, Lola's box, and had nowhere to go but back to Maranda.
For the first time in what seemed like eons, she wanted to cry. But she didn't. She refused to shed any tears. She'd been through much more than this. She would let her wounds heal, then she would hunt down the chocobo rider. Luckily for her, she knew someone living in Jidoor who would gladly join her.
It was time to pay Relm a visit.