EARTHLIGHT by Kondoru
Betaed by Ricky
Standard Disclaimers
It was sundown upon the wide steppes; three Chocobo came racing into view, two with riders and a half-grown bird trying to keep up.
"Come on Whin!" Ai was in the lead, riding a big green hen named Whin, she was in the lead, largely due to her bird having a head start to begin with.
Yu followed on his red bird, who was called Rake, Chobi charging along beside him.
"You win again, sis."
"You should spur your bird more, Yu", advised Ai.
"Oh, I wouldn't do that. Its not like he's my bird."
Ai gave a look to Chobi, "did you hear that?" Chobi nodded his head in agreement; "you're going to have to run fast when you are big enough to ride."
The twins were staying with a family of bird herders near Chocobo City.
For once they were left to their own devices, Lisa had gone in search of a reputed Kigenjutsu Master. Leaving the Twins in the care of the Comadeen.
Though glad of safety, this soon palled, Nav resolved to find the twins something to do; "Its time you learnt a trade" he had said.
Ai and Yu were not resolved to do anything. They thought about working on machines like Cid, but when herders from Chocobo City came to visit Comadeen town, Yu decided to leave with them. Chobi was the only bird in Comadeen town, and he thought that company would be good for his pet.
Jonjo came over the rise, his goats following on behind in anticipation of a saltlick. He looked after these goats, though they mainly belonged to Chocobohime, the young matriarch of her tribe, who had trading ambitions, she had arranged to teach the Twins how to herd goats, cows, the odd humpless camel, and of course the vital Chocobo in return for manufactured goods from Comadeen town, tools, cloth, salt, and suchlike.
It was a hard life but the twins were very happy indeed, they still missed their parents, of course, and their new family back in Comadeen town, but looking after the animals was fun, they felt useful, rather than being tagalongs, and when they returned home in a few months time, Chocobohime would give them a few animals to start herds of their own, like as not a few Chocobo would go too, (the birds belonged only to themselves, and so each and every bird rider had to be as accommodating, to attract as many Chocobo as possible) Chobi was their hero.
"Whin and Rake aren't tired...even if you are," Jonjo laughed, as they walked down the beaten track to the main gate of Chocobo City, a noisy conglomeration of animal pens and gers, with a few wooden `government buildings` including the newly appointed (and proud) Comadeen factor.
Sat inside the gate was one of the many beggars who lived in the city, Ai was surprised that they were tolerated, no one was rich enough to idle, all had to work for their keeps, and there was no shortage of activities.
When they put this to Jonjo, he shook his head sadly, "there's lots cant, crippled, or something wrong in their heads."
The Twins nodded sadly at that; trauma of one kind or another due to encounters with Chaos was all too common. They themselves were disturbed; suffering from nightmares mostly, Life in the Inner World was very harsh.
But this beggar, even under his dusty cloak, was taller than most, his hood (1) was pulled over his face, concealing it, but a dirty red ponytail snaked across one shoulder and down to a grimy bandaged mass he had lying across his lap.
Yu pulled up his bird and nudged Ai.
Ai nodded "seems our hero has fallen on hard times."
Yu said nothing more but guided Rake over to the vagabond. He leaned down, secretly pleased that for once he was much taller than the gangly Wynderian. "Kaze..."
"Yu?" Kaze looked up; his face was smudged with dirt, obscuring his tattoos.
"Come with us," ordered Ai in a manner not to be ignored.
Kaze climbed slowly to his feet, tucking the disguised Magun under his cloak. He fell in behind Yu's bird.
"Who's this?" Asked Jonjo.
"An old friend of ours." Ai explained.
"What are you doing making friends with a beggar? I thought you had more decency than that."
"Decency to help an old friend who's down on his luck." Yu told him, rather saddened at Kaze's lowly status in the only city in the Inner World.
Jonjo looked suspiciously "she wont like it."
"Oh," said Ai airily, "he's no trouble."
"I hope so." Jonjo was not happy. His yellow bird snorted in agreement. "He will have to be introduced to Chocobohime soon, I mean soon after he has been cleaned up a bit...he stinks of Soil engines!"
"Who is this?" Chocobohime looked down her nose at the Twins find, something she managed with success even though the silent Kaze was a head taller than the bandy legged woman.
"This is Kuroki Kaze, lately of Wynderia," Yu did the talking, Kaze was uncommunicative as usual. He decided not to mention the Magun, as the bird herders were sometimes wary of magic.
"A friend of yours?" The clan matriarch looked Kaze up and down, appraising him for many things, including her amusement; she drew a blank on everything. "He's a mendicant."
"We have known Kaze for some time now," Ai explained, "yes he is a vagabond, but that is because he isn't capable of much, but he is perfectly able in a fight. The Comadeen think highly of him."
"The Comadeen can keep him, I have trouble feeding my clan as it is, I only took you on as workers because Nav has given me trade goods in return," she eyed up Yu, "that and your brother is a bird rider."
"Can't Kaze stay?" Asked Yu sorrowfully. "He's a good man."
Chocobohime squinted at the object of alls attention, who said nothing; "can't he speak for himself?"
Any city man worth anything would have introduced himself by now tried to make a good impression on the leader of the clan, get into her bed. But Kaze had so far said nothing.
"Kaze's not the talking type." Yu offered.
"He's very withdrawn, I think its Chaos Shock," Ai added. Kaze exasperated her often, but she did not want to see her hero turfed out of the clan compound.
Chocobohime shook her head, sending her pennae a flutter, "No; he will have to go. He seems deadbeat, and he's so FILTHY! As if he's sat under a bush for twelve years."
Ai looked at Yu, "pack your things, brother, we are leaving with Kaze."
Yu nodded, "right sis."
"Ok, Ok, but he will have to behave, and work, and first of all get clean!" Chocobohime glared at the new arrival. "You can sleep in the stables...No, not with my birds; you're not clean enough for that, go in with the other animals."
As a bird rider Yu was entitled to stay in Chocobohime's hall, Ai did too, no one dared argue with her.
The hall was dark inside, lit by firepits, it was supper, and Chocobohime's cronies sat eating roast meat and bread; this was another good thing about life as a birdrider; plenty of things to eat. The Twins were both getting their old weight back after so long on short rations.
"Take him out this before our lady sees," Yu handed Ai a wrapping cloth full of goodies, Ai excused herself and walked out to the stables, a Chocobo yawped at her sleepily but no one else saw Ai, just as well, as she knew her fussy host would take a dim view of giving the best food to a loser such as her hero. "I'm half hoping Chaos will attack this dump, give Kaze a chance to prove himself." She muttered half to herself, half to Poshepocket who grunted in agreement.
Inside the stables all was silent except the chewing of the clan oxen. "Where is he? Mister?"
"Ai?" Came Kaze's voice. Ai walked down the stalls, to an empty one.
There was a rustling as Kaze sat up, evidently he had been sleeping.
"Have you a light?" Asked Ai, for she knew her way around the compound and needed no lantern.
In answer the sensor on the Magun lit up, harshly bright to Ai's dark acclimatised eyes.
"Not bad. But you see well enough in the dark, don't you?"
Kaze didn't reply to that.
Ai handed him the bundle, "some nice things to eat. Better than you have eaten in a long time I expect." Ai paused. "And if our Bird Lady catches you, better than you will eat for some time to come. Yu got this of her nib's table," Ai said with emphasis, "He's pally with her because he's a bird rider, but I don't think he can sneak you roast meat and cake every day." Ai checked what Kaze had, looked like a good days eating.
"She doesn't like me." Kaze said between mouthfuls of good quality bread.
"She's a Clan matriarch, all she's interested in is what a man has in his trousers," noting Kaze's confused look, Ai added, "and I don't mean spare Soil."
Kaze left of stuffing his face to pull back his cloak; underneath he wore a leather satchel such as moogle courier's use. "I've been to the Desert of Lost Souls...got plenty of Soil."
Ai sighed, she should have known better than to allude to Soil, "I mean your manhood."
Kaze's eyes widened, "oh." Was all he said to that. The gunner pulled his cloak protectively around his thin body. He then frowned, "what about Yu?"
"Yu? I don't know." Ai shook her head. "I really don't know, but yes, I worry about him too."
Kaze remained frowning, silent for a moment. "Shouldn't take advantage of him."
"She takes advantage of every man, Kaze." Ai told him. "Yu seems happy enough, I've no idea if she's made advances to him, but he's able enough to look after himself, we all have to be."
Kaze nodded, taking another big bite of roast pork. He bit at his meat uninhibitedly, wolfing it down like a wild animal.
"Anyway, you are going to have to be a very good boy, Kaze," Ai explained, "you're only in the compound under sufferance, and they wont let you doss around like you do in Comadeen town."
Kaze polished off another hunk of bread "I fight Chaos," he grunted, wrinkling his striped nose.
"So you do and we are eternally grateful for your assistance, but there's no one to fight here, a few vermin to shoot at but that's all."
Kaze looked down; he wasn't interested in pest control.
"You will have to work for your food and shelter, get washed too, I have your spare clothes with me in Poshepocket," Ai reassured. "In a few days you should be out of the stables and in a nice bed by the fire in Jonjo's ger."
Kaze looked sad, he held out his hand and the Magun and looked at them. The gunner shook his head, "I'm just a crippled beggar here," he said in a tone so helpless Ai wanted to hug him, tell him he was her demon gunner and nothing could change that. She knew he wouldn't like it so held back.
"We will find you something to do, never fear."
-------------------
Next morning, Chocobohime was late up, she emerged, and her accompanying bond birds trailing after her like a rainbow hued shadow.
The Twins were drinking tea by the fire.
"Good morning, busy?" Asked Ai, who had missed the matriarch after supper.
"Where was I last night?" Said Chocobohime, "I was with that Kaze in the sauna."
Ai spat out her drink. "Were you?" Of course it would be like Chocobohime to try to seduce Kaze...every male was fair game to her.
"Pretty skinny, isn't he?"
"Kaze's a mystic, like Lisa," Yu informed; "he's a Wynderian Adept of Soil...Something like one of your shamans." He was wondering how Kaze had reacted to Chocobohime staring at him naked.
"Is he? Can he predict the weather and stuff like that?" Asked Chocobohime.
Ai shook her head, mentally cursing her brother for setting their host off on that track. "I have no idea; Kaze's forgotten most of what he knows. But he is very good at sensing danger; its what keeps him alive."
"And he's a crack shot with that gun of his," Yu added.
"A gun?" There were only a few firearms in Chocobo City...Having a gun was a sign of wealth.
"From what we know of Wynderia, it's a technology based world, they don't use crossbows." Yu said.
"Oh, `that` sort of place" sniffed Chocobohime disdainfully, she had lots of opinions. "What's he done to his arm?"
Kaze had evidently kept the Magun bandaged up, presumably he didn't feel he would need it in a hurry. Nor was he sure the bird riders would like to see it.
"No idea, Kaze has always had it bandaged, doesn't seem to be healing up." Yu replied.
Chocobohime frowned; "some chaotic injuries don't heal." She said, supplying her own answer, "and he's sturdy enough. You don't have to have two hands to mind livestock."
And she left, leaving the Twins wondering just what had happened to Kaze.
"Perhaps our bird lady was successful in her quest." Ai laughed as she pulled a saddlecloth over Whin's back.
"What, getting Kaze clean? Bend down Rake," this last to the bird so he could slip the leather hood over Rakes head, the Chocobo were guided by blinkered hoods, pull on the reins and the blinker would open that side, allowing the Chocobo to follow the light. This did for ordinary riding birds; bond birds had a simple leather strap just behind their beaks, to which the reins were attached, more for their rider to hang onto than anything else.
"You know," Ai said darkly.
Outside Jonjo was waiting on his bird, goats milling around; they had been milked and were anxious to get back to pasture.
By him was Kaze uncharacteristically seated upon a Chocobo; the Gunner looked a little unhappy, he wasn't used to being a bird rider.
They headed off to the new grazing, Jonjo telling stories, the Twins laughing, Kaze silent.
Kaze was little trouble, Jonjo gave his new companion several sidelong looks, tried to get him to talk, Kaze did not rise to this.
"Oh, don't worry about Kaze, he's the great silent one, aren't you, Kaze?" Laughed Yu.
Kaze looked away.
But the Twins were secretly both wondering what had brought the Gunner to Chocobo City. They sensed no Chaos; perhaps this was one of Kaze's regular haunts?
It was a quiet day, the goats grazed, the Chocobo ate grain from nosebags, and when this was finished, foraged for certain seeds and plants that they liked, supplemented by the odd mouse or lizard.
Their human companions dozed in the sun, or chatted cheerily, dinner came and they ate bread and cold meat, washed down with fresh milk.
The only real incident was when Kaze's bird, irritated at his inattention, made a grab for the Gunners ponytail. Kaze whisked it out of the grasping beak, snorting in exasperation.
The twins and Jonjo laughed, only making Kaze put up his nose haughtily.
"You will have to talk to your bird more," advised Jonjo, "the Chocobo like attention, if you carry on like that, the bird will buck you off one day, and wont you know it. Aren't there Chocobo where you come from?"
Kaze put on a confused look. "I don't know, I don't know where I come from."
Ai shook her head; "Kaze comes from Wynderia...At least that's what a certain Mysterian told us." She watched Kaze for a reaction. There was none.
"Kumo said that Wynderia's a grim place full of Soil mines, I don't think the birds would like it." Added Yu.
Jonjo shook his head, "sounds awful, I think Kaze's better off here."
A month passed, nothing much happened, the Twins grew bored, Kaze put on weight, as they saw when they went in the sauna with him, Kaze seemed in better condition, he hunkered down in the corner, still bandaged Magun modestly on lap, and fell fast asleep, much to the consternation of Chocobohime who wanted to flirt with him. Instead she flirted with Yu (something she would never have done without Ai as chaperone) Chocobohime's flirting was harmless, indeed with the Twins it was more motherly, Ai would not stand for any mischief.
The Twins washed each other's hair, Chocobohime was telling a slightly risque tale of how she bedded a charming young man, only to find in the morning he had horns!
"Horns! Is that possible?" Asked Yu, blinking water out of his eyes.
"Mysterians have horns." Said Kaze, evidently not as out of it as he had appeared.
Ai nodded, deciding not to name a certain Mysterian of their acquaintance.
"I've heard of the Land of Mists, they are called Dragon kin, strange folk, they have hair in different colours like a Chocobo plumage."
Yu realised he had not asked Chocobohime about her multiple pennae; how she managed with a whole herd of Chocobo in her head, later...
"I remember now, there's two worlds; mirror worlds, we call them, as they are linked and opposites, though in many ways alike." Continued Chocobohime, "called Mysteria and Wynderia."
"Yes," agreed Kaze
The Bird Lady peered at him; "you come from Wynderia, don't you?"
Kaze nodded, "I don't remember much about it."
Yu moved closer to his hero; "Here, Kaze, do you want me to wash your hair?" He asked, hoping Chocobohime's talk would jog Kaze's fragmentary memory.
Kaze normally shunned touching, but this time he made no protest. Yu felt he was able to continue.
"I saw Kaze fight a Horned one with a sword once," he paused. Kaze was silent. "The Dragon kin put Kaze on his back, and Kaze's so good in a fight. But he didn't harm him, even though Kaze was at his mercy."
"No? I thought the Horned Ones were ruthless."
Ai shook her head. "No, this one knew Kaze of old."
Yu smiled as he rubbed Kaze's hair, "He let Kaze go; but said something to him first. Do you know what he said?"
Ai giggled, "I slept with your sister!"
Kaze's head shot up; evidently he had not been as placid as he had appeared. "Don't you `dare` bring up my sister!" He snarled, brandishing the Magun at Ai.
"I'm sorry," Ai hung her head, surprised at Kaze's sudden outburst.
Yu turned to his older sister, "You know not to tease Kaze."
Kaze returned the Magun to his lap. "Shall I tell My Lady what you were doing in that cave with Omega?"
"Omega?" Asked Chocobohime, for she regarded that entity as bad as Chaos, whom the bird riders had many dire stories of.
Ai gave a big smile, "Kaze thinks he's funny," she said, implying that the Gunner wasn't to be taken seriously.
"What did you see, Kaze?" Asked Yu, who was deadly curious, and fascinated by the idea of his stoic comrade telling a story.
But Kaze had shut his eyes again.
Two days later they were out on the steppe again.
The weather was cloudy with bright patches. "Looks like rain," said Jonjo, so they had carried their waterproofs.
So far it hadn't rained.
Ai was checking on a nanny goat with twins.
"Look at that!" Called Jonjo
She turned, the bird rider was pointing to the northeast, there was a red light moving slowly across the sky.
Yu was watching Kaze's reaction carefully; anything strange could be danger here.
But Kaze showed no sign of nerves, watching the light quite calmly.
"That's an interesting sight; an aeroplane?" Said Ai.
"Ah?" Said Jonjo.
"A flying machine," Yu explained, "Common where we come from."
Jonjo shook his head, "I've seen pictures of flying machines, I don't think they look like that...or fly that high."
"Can you see any details, Kaze?" Ai asked the gunner.
Kaze blinked, fumbling in his vest pocket for his targeter. Putting it on he regarded the heavenly arrival for a minute.
"Just a light" he confirmed.
"That's because it's probably a spirit light, some dead soul." Said Jonjo.
"Do you think so?" Asked Ai, "what would a ghost be doing flying along like that?" She edged closer to Kaze. "No enemy?"
Kaze gave a slight shake of his head.
Jonjo smiled, "If I was a dead Chocobo Id like to fly a bit."
Chobi warked knowingly.
Ai nodded, looking back to Yu who was as silent as Kaze. "They don't get a chance to fly in life so they might as well when dead. Good or bad sign?"
"Oh, don't be worried, it's good luck."
"We need some more luck," said Yu, looking at Kaze who was still watching the light, which travelled along the horizon.
"So what do you think it is Kaze?" He asked.
Kaze's eyes were distant, as if remembering something,.."An Earthlight..."
(1)
Thanks to a textile archaeologist friend who showed me how to wear my blanket as a wrap (I cant recall the Gaelic term, I think there are several) which gave me several practical insights into Kaze's clothes.
Just tucking a blanket over your shoulders leaves a lot dragging, to prevent this, the cloth would be pleated before pinning...so, and this would provide a hood for wet weather, it also explains why Kaze has such a ruck around his neck. (Though for him this is convenient to hide behind)