Chapter 7: Departure
Perih Vashai's guards awoke Matt an hour before dawn, and instructed him to meet the chieftainess at the chocobo stables. The sun had not yet risen and only a sliver of silver marked the location of the moon, yet he had no problem finding his way through the city due to Gordius shining brighter than Matt remembered ever seeing it, illuminating his path as much as any moonlit night.
As he arrived outside the stables, he saw Perih and her guards waiting outside. Perih heard his approach and turned to him and smiled. "Sleep well, Matthias?"
Matt rubbed his sore neck, "Not really. Was so tired I slept in my armor. I'll be chafing for days1."
Perih nodded, "Mark of an old soldier. This is why the Mithra Mercenaries never wore any heavy armor, not that we needed it." She turned and beckoned to a heavily clothed figure, wearing a brown cloak with the hood drawn. The figure walked forward and stood next to Perih, who pulled the hood back revealing the figure to be Karana. She was clean and well-groomed, with her dark hair pulled back and tied in a ponytail in the popular style among female humes. "Karana, this is Matthias. He'll be taking you to Bastok."
"Hello Karana," said Matt, extending his hand to her. Karana, ignoring his hand, regarded him defiantly and apathetically. Matt raised his hand and held it inches from her face, fingers outspread and whispered a few words. Karana's eyes narrowed in alarm, then closed as she began to slump to the ground2. A guard quickly moved forward to catch her.
Perih raised an eyebrow. Matt stifled a grin, "Figured that'd make things a bit easier." As Perih rolled her eyes, Matt looked at Karana and asked, "Once she wakes up can I expect that she'll go quietly or will I need to keep her on a leash?"
Perih stepped forward and pulled back a part of the mass of cloth, revealing Karana's wrists, tied with rope. "Way ahead of you."
"Great," Matt said with a sigh. "Alright let's get this going." Matt took Karana from the guard, and began to carry her towards the chocobo stables, as Perih and her guards followed. "This is… a lot of clothing. Trying to cover her up so people wouldn't recognize her?"
"Yes. So people wouldn't recognize her. But I wouldn't worry about that too much. At least not in Sarutabaruta."
Matt strode on ahead into the chocobo stables, and did not notice the bemused smile that touched Perih's face as she followed him.
An elvaan was waiting inside, holding the reins of a huge, well-muscled chocobo. She bowed and said, "Greetings Matthias. I was surprised to hear you were here, and am disappointed that you must leave so soon."
Matt returned the bow and said nothing. Perih stepped forward and said, "Thank you Sariale, for holding the chocobo for us." She handed her a small pouch that jingled with coins.
Sariale bowed as she accepted the payment. "Anything for the chieftainess." She handed the reins over to Perih and then opened the pouch and began to count the coins. Perih pulled on the reins, urging the chocobo to crouch.
Matt headed over to the chocobo and set Karana onto it. "Well it was a pleasure, Perih."
Perih nodded, "You were my best student. Please do come visit us again sometime. You are always welcome here, with or without an invitation."
Matt mounted the chocobo behind Karana and took the reins, "Well that sounds like an invitation right there to me. I'll contact you once I arrive at Bastok and see what I can accomplish with her."
Perih seemed to consider those words but said nothing. She saluted Matt and said, "Altana go with you, Vestal Chamberlain."
Matt returned the salute, and bowed to her guards, who returned the bows. Without a word he turned his chocobo towards the exit and rode off into East Sarutabaruta.
****
As Matt was carrying Karana into the stables, the sun had begun to peak over the horizon to the west, and Heih Porhiaap and Taby Canatahey began their shifts outside the Leviathan gate. Yawning and stretching their cramped muscles, they talked about the events of the previous evening, and discussed what awaited their beloved city. In the end they discounted it all to coincidence, and anticipated another long, boring day of sharpening weapons, card games, idle chatter, all the while guarding Windurst Woods against dangers that would never come.
Just as they began to settle into their posts, a swirling wind began to rise in the distance. Slowly it grew and grew until finally it began to once again bombard the walls of Windurst Woods. The two mithra looked at each other incredulously as they realized a full-scale sandstorm had erupted in Sarutabaruta for the second day in a row. They increased their vigilance tenfold and kept their weapons brandished and ready all day.
Goblins roaming in Sarutabaruta regarded the oncoming storm with frustration. Fishers and diggers had already lost a day of work and wages, while roving brigands of thieves knew no adventurers would be wandering through such a storm. With little profit to be made and potentially their own lives forfeit, they retreated to the Horutoto ruins, grumbling against the forces of nature.
Yagudos in Sarutabaruta took note of this second rare occurrence and retreated to Giddeus. Convening with their priests, they discussed the portent, and considered the possibility that this was divine punishment against the heathen Windurstians. This possibility struck a chord among the deeply religious yagudo, and dispatches were immediately sent to Castle Oztroja seeking the counsel of Tzee Xicu the Manifest. They eagerly awaited a response and dreamed of the potential glories to come if the gods had truly turned upon Windurst.
In East Sarutabaruta, the passenger from Mhaura rode upon a chocobo towards Windurst. As the sandstorm grew, his chocobo reared and struggled, and after multiple turns and near-losses of control they had finally lost track of where they were and the direction they were headed. Being unable to see Windurst through the heavy storm, the man looked around for shelter. Finding a huge tower that seemed to serve as an entrance to an underground complex he dismounted his chocobo and led it inside, and decided to wait out the storm.
And as Matt and Karana left Windurst Woods through the special exit built into the chocobo stables, they were immediately engulfed in this same storm. The rarity of this event was not lost on Matt, who relied on his superb direction sense to push north through the storm towards Tahrongi Canyon. He looked down at Karana, still asleep in front of him, heavily clothed and hood drawn, perfectly protected against the ravages of the sandstorm.
It was then that he realized the significance of Perih Vashai's earlier words...
"So people wouldn't recognize her."
"But I wouldn't worry about that too much. At least not in Sarutabaruta."
1 A reference to Dragons of a Fallen Sun by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman.
2 Sleep: BLM Lv. 20 / RDM Lv. 25 / DRK Lv. 30 / SCH Lv. 30 (Addendum: Black), Puts an enemy to sleep. Spell cost: 19 MP, Spell element: Dark, Magic skill: Enfeebling Magic, Casting Time: 2.5 seconds, Recast Time: 30 seconds.
