Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles nor the charcter designs or plots that take place originally from the game. However some of te ideas that come this chapter may not happen in the game such as the dailogue or made up plots, plus some of the character names are made up for the purpose of the story. All other things are in the property ot producers Square Enix.
Final Fantasy; Crystal ChroniclesFull Moon
1 Just the beginnings
The air blowing across the mountains was sweet and gentle. Knife edged peaks zigzagged and curved around the border of Veo Lu like ripples in sand, cupping a lake in the centre valley. Nothing else could be seen among the peaks but row after row of rocky mountains, only a small lush settlement perching on a side of a mountain at the edge of the lake habited the area. Water from the peaks passed over the shallow walls like steps and flowed into the lake, trickling around the columns and platforms of coral-like stone that stood as Shella; home to the tribe of Yukes.
Along a spur of land a crystal caravan came by, crunching the stones under its wheels. A selkie held the reins of a blue beast otherwise known as a papaopamus and drove the caravan. This was Ka Niel, as he was the least sociable of the group he didn't talk much, which was exactly what he was doing now. The papaopamus was no different except she snorted more, and is called Paru for short. A lilty skimmed the blade of her lance across the lake's surface, idly watching the ripples fan out as she went along and pushed back her enormous hat from her eyes. Her name's Naomi and like most lilties she had the similar characteristics; hotheaded, bossy and stubborn. There were also two clavats, one who is walking beside Naomi and one lugging at the back. At the front with the lilty Keris was a girl who grew up in her hometown, Tipa, since childhood. Chocolate brown hair knotted at its long end and matching hazel eyes, she is a kind soul but nevertheless a determined fighter. However the one at the back, was a boy, he had the job of carrying a heavy chalice around. His name is Rorie and he's almost as mysterious as the selkie, often thinking and often daydreaming. But he was innocent, everyone liked him because he was sweet and had a smile that brought out his warm nature. Like Keris he had natural brown hair with a flop just over his left eye that curled at the loose few strands and at the back of his neck and his eyes were a little darker.
Having just departed out of the miasma stream they were heading for Shella for a reason, most hadn't considered about the myrrh. Myrrh is a very special substance that all crystal caravans venture out for and search for it far and wide. They need it for their village. Drawing closer at the entrance they hurried ahead, Naomi rushing in front with her lance pointing.
"Ahead! There's Shella!" she called and Keris looked to Rorie at the back.
"You awake? We're nearly there, catch up okay, Rorie?" she said, and ran after her.
Rorie hadn't noticed she was talking to him until he heard his name but she was already far away. "Coming," he muttered, and tried walking faster. He became level at the front and looked at the selkie curiously. Sensing he was being watched Ka Niel glared at him from the corner of his eye, which made Rorie jerk his gaze away and hurried after the others.
Keris had stopped at Naomi's side and then they were talking to an elder yuke. Just as well he was looking where he was going Rorie stopped dead at a cut off route to Shella, crumbs of hard earth falling away at his feet at a short drop into water. Rorie drew back sharply with terror and when the caravan came by he inched back to it again, bumping into someone.
"Sorry, I didn– " he began but he was interrupted.
"Are you crystal caravanner?" said the stranger's nasal voice, pronouncing his letters precisely. Rorie saw that he had bumped into a yuke, towering over him with helmet hiding his features behind a shadow, which made Rorie uneasy.
"Yes, I am." said Rorie, eyeing him.
"Good. Use this to get in." Rorie felt an object nudge his stomach and he grabbed it without knowing, the yuke shuffled away trying to look inconspicuous. Rorie felt the object and examined it. It was a beautifully decorated blue box with the tribal mark of Shella on it. Just then he heard someone shout.
"What?!" cried Naomi. "But we have more important things to be done! We need to know what is wrong with – "
"No mark of Shella, no entry, that is that!" the elder yuke said curtly. "Imprudent youth, my word!"
"You wanna repeat that?" Naomi challenged him but Keris grabbed her back.
"Is this a mark of Shella? It's quite pretty, what would you need it for, sir?" Rorie stepped in and held out the object, trying to be as polite as possible. "If I give you this, would you let us in?" Rorie smiled pleasantly, but inside he praying for a fluke.
The elder yuke cocked his head and the feathers around his neck ruffled. "Certainly." He took the mark of Shella and gave it to the young yuke next to him, who sniggered. "Most certainly, enter in peace." He shot a look towards Naomi then with a slight gesture of his hand, a translucent bridge formed over the cut off route and connected to Shella. It sparkled like clear ice and glittered with magic, dazzling its crossers like sunlight shimmering off a wet surface. Without a word they crossed it to the other side, Rorie falling behind again so he could look over his shoulder. The stranger was following them.
Rorie thought the yuke was coming up to him and opened his mouth to say something, but instead the yuke brushed past and addressed Keris who he assumed was the leader. Rorie became glum and leaning he watched from a distance instead, they were talking over something and judging by Keris' face it looked quite serious. Suddenly she nodded at Ka Niel and the crystal caravan leapt forward, he stumbled, landing awkwardly on the stone path.
"Wait!" cried Rorie and scrambled to his feet and ran through people who had just dispersed after letting the caravan pass. His ankle was letting up and obeyed numbly, and he crashed into another person and they toppled about. He heard a clattering noise and then he realised the person had dropped little talismans and necklaces he was selling around the junction. They skittered everywhere and passer-by's kicked them away without notice. Rorie tried gathering up the remaining talismans and felt annoyed and clumsy of himself for crashing into someone for the second time.
"I'm so sorry, I was trying to catch up and I tripped and – " he became surprised as he looked up, for what he thought was a yuke, was a clavat just like him. "I'm sorry. I'll pay for it," he continued, handing the clavat the charms and digging into his pockets. His face went blank as his hands came across nothing. "Erm, well… I'll … "
"Hey, no worries, it's fine! I haven't sold a thing here so what's the loss?" smiled the clavat, flicking a dull blonde strand of hair away.
"I'm sorry, I've been bumping into everything today." Rorie smiled back but it turned lopsided with a frown. "I didn't think clavats would live here," he said.
The clavat brushed the dust off his blue garments. "Don't know about that, but I don't live here that's for sure. Just came here to do a bit of decent earning, but it turns out nobody's interested in charms or amulets." He said. "Oh, and I'm half selkic too by the way,"
Rorie stared at him weirdly. "Is that possible?"
The clavat laughed. "Well, my ma's a clavat and my pa's a selkie, I guess it must be weird, huh?" he smiled again. "You're funny. Hey, I'm Nestor, nice meeting you!"
Rorie shook his hand. "I'm Rorie Thaih, from Tipa."
"Oh, sweet." Nestor starting picking through the charms in his hands and held one out for him. "Here, have a charm. We'll meet again hopefully. See you around Rorie Thaih! Looks like it's back to my music again."
Music? He noticed the lute strapped on his back as the boy walked away. "Er, bye. Nestor." Rorie fumbled about with the charm in his hand and frowned again. What a strange person, he thought, tying the leather string round his neck and tucking it behind his collar. Might as well wear it, he thought. He turned to go back after his caravan, which he saw poking over the stone walls on a high platform beside a huge structured house. Taking care this time he wormed his way through crowds and sprinted up a steep path. His ankle began to ache again and sent a dull pain burning when his foot landed on the ground so to others he looked as though he was hopping up a hill. Finally he emerged at the top exhausted and there was his group at the far end by more tall yukes, the caravan parked far away with Ka Niel brooding around it. He arrived breathless and was greeted by Naomi.
"Where the heck have you been?"
"Oh, another one?" said a reedy voice belonging to a yuke standing right beside a floating hologram showing a map of the regions and elements. "Master Agamem, I thought you said they were all here."
The one called Agamem turned his helmet up. "How could I forget, I gave him the mark of Shella." Agamem directed his helmet at Rorie. "This is my teacher, and I'm his student, Agamem. And who might you be?"
"Rorie," he said and gulped a breath. "Thaih."
"That old yuke is still allowing those marketing pieces to go by? When will there be a bridge is all I say," complained the teacher. "Oh, pardon me, just my dribbling again."
"I've been listening to you drool for six years now." Grumbled Naomi. Keris punched her.
"Well, I've no reason to keep you then. You can tell master Rorie on the way to the sluice. There maybe you can work your way around and avoid any contact with monsters. I hear there have been sightings from our civilians here," wheedled the teacher.
Rorie appeared worried. "What's happening?" he said to Keris.
"You remember that the river Jegon is dried up?" she said. Rorie thought for a while, and remembering he nodded. The river had been dried up for so long now that he'd gotten used to the idea that it had been that way forever. It was the reason why they had set out to Shella. "Shella's caravan has never come back to sort it out, they've been missing for weeks. That's why the river hasn't changed, and because the sluice is blocking any water from passing through, the lake is rising. If things are not done quickly, maybe Shella's village could be drowned." She paused. "We're going to help and head to the sluice. It's something to do with flowers and reviving them."
Rorie still appeared worried. "O-okay," he uttered.
Finally appearing like he was awake, Ka Niel flicked the reins of Paru and began to lead the caravan down the path and the others followed, until they heard a cry.
"Hold on a moment!"
They stopped and all eyes settled on Agamem as he came shuffling to them. "Do you even know how to revive these plants of the sluice?"
"Kick 'em awake," suggested Naomi.
Keris exchanged looks with Rorie. "No, how do we do it then?" she said.
"Ah," he wheezed and pointed a furry hand at himself. "That's where I come in."
Author's yip yap
Wow, did you really read all that? I sincerely thank you! Must of really been long for a start, ah, well, I try. My first fanfic and it has taken me ages to get this far – well, I mean the planning and using a thesaurus. Oh, I babble. Sorry, did anything confuse you in this chapter? I guess the names might have. Okay then, for Ka Niel you say it like car-neil. That's how I like to call him! Keris sounds like ferris, and I'm sure Naomi is a real name, and you say Agamem like Ag-ah-mem. Okey dokey, thanks again for reading my fanfic! Zanzangoose