Once more I throw myself at the mercy of you readers for forgiveness. My muse has left me and I struggle against the tides of writer's block every day. MogGuy, I'm sorry you hate Cyan. Is it a personal distaste or do you dislike the way I've portrayed him in the story?

And hello to new reader Buckbeak, thank you for your enthusiastic first review. I don't care much for Shakesperean authenticity, but I do appreciate the suggestions. And actually, in this particular cases (because it's expanded based on my imagination), the Ancients do not refer to the Three Goddesses. It may be a misunderstanding on my part, but I thought the Goddesses referred to the last three Magi who ended the reign of magic in the world. That being the case in my mind, the Ancients came long before the Magi. Just one more thing I added to my version. I hope in time (as we get more into magic and its history) that things will begin to make more sense.

Thanks to everyone else, I look forward to getting many more reviews. For now, thank you and enjoy.

The journey out of the Phantom Forest led the three men into the plains south of the domain of Doma. There, while fighting the beasts of these lands, it was determined that there was only one town reachable that could take them back to Narshe. Mobliz, on the far side of the great grasslands realm known as the Veldt. However, the only way to get to the Veldt, was through great danger on the river. And the only way to the river was by diving in at Barren Falls, which could be reached through a path along Mount Ethen.

The journey took another four days. But by following the mountains south, and then following them as they opened up a gap in the plains, they were able to find Mount Ethen. The path through the mountain was uninhabited by man or beast, and the three friends quickly made it to the end.

"So this is Barren Falls," commented Sabin, looking out at the towering cascade of water, realizing that this path was as foolhardy as anything he'd ever done.

"Following the river south lies the Veldt," said Cyan, "There art many dangerous creatures that inhabit that land."

"Yeah," agreed Sabin, "but the Empire has got to be right on our heels. Kefka could never allow us to penetrate the camp, tear it shreds, and then escape without following us."

"If we can slip through the Veldt," continued Cyan, "then we could make it to Mobliz. From there we can take a ship back to Narshe, where we will find your friends."

Shadow listened to the exchange, and decided that it was time. He turned his back to the other two men and began walking away, Interceptor at his side. He stopped after a handful of steps.

"I have served my purpose," said the ninja over his shoulder, "now it is time for me to find my own path again."

He began walking away.

"Shadow!" called Sabin, stopping the ninja in his tracks, "Thanks for your help. I never could have done this without you. You're a good friend, Kojiro."

Shadow turned back to face the martial artist. "So are you, Sabin."

"Let's join ranks again, soon. A man is always in need of good friends," continued Sabin.

Shadow bowed slightly, then turned and walked away.

"Is it time, then, Sir Sabin?" asked Cyan, seeing the look of sadness in his friend's eyes.

Sabin took another look over the edge, and took a deep breath. "Sure, why the hell not?"

The two men then leapt off the cliff and into the raging waters of Barren Falls.

Sabin wasn't exactly sure what happened next. He could vaguely recall himself and Cyan fighting some kind of fish-like creatures, and he remembered hitting his head on something. But he didn't know when that was. Sabin suddenly coughed and spat water out of his mouth. He realized he was laying in mud along the bank of the river. He shook his head, trying to think clearly.

He turned to his right, and saw Cyan being pulled up onto the bank as well. Whatever it was doing the pulling was short, draped in monster hides. When it turned to him, Sabin saw the spark of intelligence in the eyes of the young boy. This youth looked to be no older than 12 years, and based on his clothes and wild hair, appeared to be surviving against all odds.

Sabin propped himself up on one elbow. "Hey, kid…"

The boy's head shot up and looked at Sabin. "Waroo! Waroo!" cried the boy as he raced away.

"Hey, wait!" called Sabin, but it was too late. The boy was already out of sight. Shaking his head in frustration, Sabin turned his attention to Cyan. "Come on, buddy, get up."

After a few minutes of gentle shaking, the old knight suddenly coughed and came around.

"You okay?" asked Sabin.

"Indeed," was the knight's answer, "but where art we? Doest thou know?"

Sabin shook his head. "Somewhere on the western end of the Veldt I would guess. I just saw a strange kid help us out of the water. Looked like he was surviving out here on his own."

"Impossible. No youth could survive in this wilderness without aid."

Sabin nodded and rose to his feet. "Well, we should get moving. Mobliz is at least a two week hard march from here."

"Then let us not delay."

The journey across the Veldt was long and tiring. Monsters were everywhere and forced the two men to pause in their journey at least two or three times each day. Although neither Sabin nor Cyan knew exactly where they were, Cyan knew that Mobliz lay near the eastern coast, which meant marching across leagues of grassland, battling the monsters that migrated to the Veldt.

Several times, the two men were forced to deal with Imperial soldiers on patrol, who attacked at the slightest provocation. Most dangerous were those soldiers in MagiTek armor, and the two men went through a great many of their healing tonics and potions along the journey.

More than once, especially after battles, the strange boy that Sabin had seen pulling them out of the river appeared.

"Gau! Gau! Me hungry!" cried the boy. But upon seeing that neither of the two men had any food to give him, the strange wild boy hurried away.

After almost two weeks, the two friends reached the eastern shore of the Veldt, and turned north, reaching the town of Mobliz a day later.

Like many towns and villages scattered throughout the world, Mobliz was a small place, being only a mile or so from one end of the town center to the other. As they approached the town limits from the south, an old man walked up and greeted them

"Hello strangers! How in the world did you get to Mobliz?" he wondered.

"We hath come from Barren Falls, good sir," answered Cyan.

The old man's eyes went wide. "You came via Barren Falls! Unbelievable! For the last few weeks they've been flowing like there's no tomorrow!"

"Yeah, well, we can't stay and chat for too long," commented Sabin, "we need to get to Narshe as quickly as possible."

"Well talk to the gents who run the carrier pigeon post office, they might be able to help you," suggested the old man.

Sabin and Cyan nodded in thanks and entered the town. Ahead was the town's inn, but neither man was in the mood to rest too much at the moment. A little to their west was the local armory, and while Sabin couldn't find anything to match his mithril claws, Cyan was able to discard the leather armor he'd been wearing for iron armor, which although it hindered his movement a little, the superior protection was worth it.

Asking for directions within the town led the two men further into the center of the town, where they found a general shop where they were able to restock on healing potions, and Sabin purchased a few helpings of dried meat rations, though he didn't answer Cyan's unasked question.

After leaving the shop, the two men made their way to the post office, where they'd been told that only carrier pigeons connected Mobliz to the rest of the world and kept them informed of news. As they approached, they saw a scholarly man attaching a rolled up parchment to the leg of a pigeon.

"Excuse me," called Sabin.

The man turned politely to them. "Hello, good sirs, what can I do for you?"

"We're trying to get to Narshe as quickly as possible," explained the martial artist, "and we were told that you might be able to help us out."

The man shrugged. "Well, there are no other towns or cities within any kind of traveling distance on the Veldt. Well, there might be a way. There are some really strong currents running through the Serpent's Trench. Have you heard about it?" At both warriors' blank looks he continued. "Just hop into the current, and you'll be swept all the way to Nikeah. From there you can get to Narshe. There's only one problem, the fact that a device we built expressly for the purpose of breathing underwater was stolen months ago and taken into the Veldt. There's no chance of finding it."

Cyan and Sabin nodded in thanks and moved off, talking to each other.

"It doest appear, then, Sir Sabin, that we art marooned here," commented Cyan sadly.

"Not possible," insisted Sabin, "there has got to be a way to get out of here and back to Narshe. We've already wasted weeks of time. They've got to be waiting for us, well, me, certain by now that I'm dead. Oh, hey watch it!"

Not looking where he was going, Sabin had almost walked right into a young girl. She appeared to be crying.

"What tragedy brings tears to thine eyes, child?"

The little girl sniffled. "The soldier in here, he's hurt really bad."

The house behind her seemed deserted, only a young woman pacing back and forth in front of the door gave any hint that there was a person here.

"Fair maiden, what hath happened?" asked Cyan.

They young woman was about Sabin's age, with long, flowing blond hair. Her eyes were rimmed in red. "Some Imperial soldier wandered here a few weeks ago. He was busted up pretty badly. It doesn't look good at all. He should have died a while ago. Only the letters he's been getting from the town of Maranda have kept him going. Please sirs, I can't be the one to comfort him any more. Can you help me?"

Sabin nodded and entered the house without even waiting for Cyan's approval. Which was fine, because the elder knight had no intention of waiting for Sabin. They walked in and went to the back room, where a small, makeshift bed had been set up in the little study.

The man was young, he could not yet have seen twenty summers. The two warriors looked over his injuries. Deep cuts that were already scarring his face were obvious, and it looked as though one of his legs was missing. Sabin, knowledgeable about the human body, was certain that the young man was bleeding inside. There was nothing to be done for that; it was only a matter of time.

"Hey there, soldier," said Sabin softly as he pulled up a chair. The young man opened one eye and looked at this giant of a man. "What's your story?"

The soldier took a deep breath. "I am from Maranda. The Empire… General Celes invaded our town. She beat us into the ground. I was forced to join the Imperial Army. When I heard that we were making for Doma, I deserted. I could not wage war on a place as innocent as my own home had been. General Celes and General Kefka… they sent others after me. They caught up with me… and did this. I can't move anymore. I can't even get up to read the letters from my girl. I know I'll never see Lola again. One of her letters is on the table. I beg you… read it to me, please?"

Sabin nodded and stood up. He could see Cyan standing back against the wall, trembling. Rage or sadness, Sabin couldn't tell. He broke open the seal on the letter and sat back down.

"My love. It's been ages since I've seen you, and I miss you so much. I still can't get used to Imperial troopers walking up and down the streets of Maranda, almost looking for trouble, but otherwise things are okay. Flowers are blooming in the garden, telling me that spring is here. How are you doing? I've been so worried about you. I wish I could fly to your side. Rest, and know that I think about you constantly. Come back to me. Lola."

Sabin finished the letter and looked back at the young soldier, who was crying. Sabin sighed deeply. He knew that this young man was only one of the first. There would be more people hurt like this, more families uprooted and torn apart by this war. He'd been a fool. He had stayed with Duncan, meditated, watched from a neutral standpoint, and all the while he should have been out in the world making a difference. That's what Duncan had taught him to do; make a stand for the innocent and the downtrodden and face down the evil, the corrupt, and the warmongering. It was time to get things done.

"I wish by the Ancients that I could write back to Lola," said the soldier, "but I'm so tired, so weak, I can't even pick up a pen."

Abruptly, Cyan left the house. Sabin looked at the man again. "Don't worry, it'll work out."

Quickly, Sabin followed his friend out, and saw Cyan entering the post office. By the time he got in, Cyan was already handing coins over to the postmaster.

"What are you doing?" asked Sabin.

Cyan gave him a cold look. "That boy's life hath been destroyed by the depredations of Kefka and Gestahl. If all I canst do is keep it so that his love and family continue to write to him, then I hath done well."

The two of them stayed in Mobliz for another few days to rest their weary bodies, while Cyan continued to send letters for the young soldier back to his home of Maranda. Finally, the young man died of his wounds. They and several others of Mobliz did what they could to give the youth a proper burial.

It was then that Sabin decided they had to leave town. They couldn't stay any longer. Narshe was calling to him. Sabin frowned as he led the way out of town, towards the south. He could hardly imagine what was happening in the rest of the world. Hopefully Locke was able to help South Figaro against the depredations of the Imperial army and get to safety. But Sabin was most worried about Terra and Edgar. He had promised Terra that he would look out for her, and Sabin knew he was not a man to go back on his word. As for Edgar, well, he hadn't seen his big brother in ten years, and now he found him again.

"Sir Sabin!" cried Cyan.

Sabin snapped out of his reverie to see several giant winged insectile creatures flying at them. He launched himself into a backflip, his legs trailing in a powerful kick that knocked the insect out of the air.

Cyan nimbly dodged aside of the first insect to attack him, while the second flew straight into his sword blade. With less than half a dozen of these creatures, it took no time at all for the two experienced warriors to dispatch them. Then suddenly, the strange wild boy that they had kept seeing during this journey leapt from the grasses.

"Waroo! Me Gau! Me hungry!" cried the boy.

This time however, Cyan reached down into his backpack, pulling out a package of dried meats that he'd purchased in Mobliz for just this purpose. Moving slowly and carefully, he tossed the meat towards the boy, who tentatively picked it up. After a few moments smelling it, the boy Gau sank his teeth into it, and finished it in moments. The boy suddenly started jumping around in glee, crying out at the top of his lungs.

"What the heck…?" muttered Sabin, watching the display in complete surprise.

Suddenly, the boy hopped up right in front of the two men, his young eyes wide and hopeful.

"Thou art so… odd," commented Cyan, but he shook his head to clear his thoughts, "I am Cyan, and this is Sabin."

"You Cyan, you Sabin," said the boy, smiling and nodding, "me want more food!"

Sabin smirked. "No more for you, that's for sure."

Gau leapt at the martial artist and poked him in the chest. "You go. Get more for me!"

Sabin laughed and stared down at the kid, who barely came up to his stomach. "You're a regular little munchkin, you know that?"

"And you! Afraid of me!" cried the boy.

The martial artist chuckled. "You want to fight? I have no problems taking you on."

Gau looked at Sabin and crossed his eyes. "Me not wanna hurt you."

Those crossed eyes were weirding Sabin out. "Quit looking at me like that, kid!"

He reached for Gau, but the youth hopped out of the way. Sabin lunged towards him again, and this time got a hold of the furs on his left shoulder. As he pulled the boy around, Gau slipped out of the martial artist's grasp and rolled on the ground.

Sabin looked at the young boy with a mixture of amusement and admiration. "Huh, you're pretty tough, you know that?"

Gau laughed. "That fun! You strong! Me like dancing, you good leader."

"Shut up!" said Sabin vehemently.

"Calm yourselves, good sirs," cried Cyan, putting himself between the two of them. When Sabin finally seemed relaxed, the knight turned to Gau. "And thou, wild one, who might thou be?"

Gau laughed and started jumping all around. "Thou! Thou! Thou! Thou! Thou!"

Cyan suddenly felt tears in his eyes, looking at the carefree child but able only to see his precious Owain. He turned and walked several steps behind Sabin, shielding his eyes as the tears fell.

Gau noticed this immediately and instantly ran over to Cyan, trying to look at him. "You angry? Cyan? You angry… me?"

Sabin, despite his growing distaste for the kid, grabbed his arm and pulled him away from Cyan. "Listen to me, kid, his family was just, just…" Sabin couldn't bring himself to finish the sentence.

Gau nodded and went back to Cyan. "Me understand. Me sorry. Me not mean person."

Cyan sniffed once and stood straight up. He knew it would not do well for him to allow everything to remind him of his family. He had to avenge them. Once Kefka was dead, there would be plenty of time to mourn and cry. But for now, there was work to be done. He turned back around to face Sabin and Gau.

"Look sirs, we can't have ye two prancing around here all day! Gau, I am certain that we shall do well together. I invite thee to travel with us."

"Ah!" cried Gau happily, "I give present! Gau give Cyan and Sabin nice gift for good food."

Sabin snickered and looked at Cyan. "What kind of rubbish do you suppose…"

"Gau's treasure!" interrupted the boy, "Shiny! Shiny! Shiny!"

The young fighter's eyes widened slightly at that. "Can anything be that shiny?" he asked Gau.

"Does Mr. Thou like shiny thing?" asked Gau happily.

Sabin's grin died immediately. "Mr. Thou is that one, over there!" he said, pointing to Cyan. Then his grin came back. "A shiny thing, hmm? I can just imagine how jealous Locke's going to be when he hears about this."

Gau came over. "Who be Locke?" he asked, "He bad man? Maybe he try steal Gau's treasure?"

"Locke? Well, he's…" Sabin paused, trying to find the words to describe the treasure hunter. When he brought his mind back, he saw Gau running around in circles. "Hey! Listen when someone's talking to you!"

"I do think thou is trying to us something, Sir Sabin," commented Cyan, smiling slightly at the impulsive young fighter.

Sabin sighed again. He'd been doing that a lot since Cyan had fed Gau that meat. "All right, carry on. I won't stop you."

Gau hopped back a little bit and then looked at both of the men. "Here here! Shiny thing here! Sabin, place where get food, call Mobliz. Cyan, place where stand, river brought there. Now go Crescent Mountain, shiny thing there!"

Sabin rolled his eyes, a motion that Cyan caught. "See here, Sir Sabin. We shall journey with Sir Gau to thy Crescent Mountain and see what there is. Come along, Sir Gau, lead on!"

Gau immediately turned south and began walking, and Cyan hustled to catch up to the young boy. Sabin dawdled a little bit, thinking to himself.

"Oh Ancients, why did we have to bring him along anyway," he wondered. But exasperated as he was, Sabin had to admit that the kid had spunk. And he knew that energy and enthusiasm were often a great way of taking the measure of a person.

"Mr. Thou! Hurry! We leaving!" called Gau.

"I told you, I'm not Mr. Thou," growled Sabin as he followed.

The journey took another three days traveling to the southwest. Several times during battles with the creatures of the Veldt, Gau would disappear for hours at a time. He did his best to explain that he could study the attacks of his enemies and learn how they fought. With a little practice, he could then use those tactics and special abilities as his own.

Gau led them a little ways up the slopes of the Crescent Mountain and into a cave. They traveled back a ways as Sabin held a torch aloft. About two hundred feet back, the little tunnel opened up into a cavern, with a deep chasm just to the right of them. It was dark and somewhat creepy, causing Cyan to draw his sword.

Suddenly, Gau dropped to his knees and began crawling back and forth over the dirt. Both of the older men looked on curiously.

"Cyan," said Sabin, "the shiny thing Gau spoke of. It has to be here!"

"Sir Gau, where exactly is thy treasure?" asked Cyan anxiously.

Gau stood up, a confused look on his face as he turned around several times. "Gau, forget."

Both men's faces fell at the same moment.

"Gau know it here somewhere."

"Well," said Sabin, "should we look around for it?"

"Indeed, sir."

The three of them walked around a little, and Gau eventually led them to the opposite side of the cavern. There seemed to be a narrow pathway along the right, which led the trio to the other side of the chasm. Gau leapt ahead, his body language a bit more urgent as they traveled along the chasm again.

Suddenly, Gau dropped to his knees and began digging. A moment later he cried in joy and held his find aloft.

"Is this the treasure you spoke of, Sir Gau?"

"Treasure, yes!"

The shiny treasure looked to be a gold or brass cylinder. Coming out of it were three long tubes, at the end of each was a helmet with a portion of it clear.

"Looks like glass," commented Cyan, but he tapped the tip of his sword into it, and realized that if it was glass, then it had some kind of enchantment to make it harder to break.

"Well," said Sabin, "they look like they might just fit us. Let's go find out if they'll really enable us to breathe underwater. Let's go!

Ahead of them was another tunnel, and this one led them outside very quickly, to a small cliff. At the edge was the beginning of the Serpent's Trench. The two older men looked at the flowing waters, and Cyan gulped.

"Thy current, is extremely swift," he murmured.

Sabin gave a quick, humorless laugh. "Yeah, no kidding. But unless we hop in and take our chances, we'll never see anyone again. Let's go."

The martial arts master slipped one of the helmets over his head, and Cyan followed. They both turned to Gau who was huddling in a corner, scared out of his mind. Sabin picked the youth up gently while Cyan placed the helmet over the boy's head. As one, they leapt into the swiftly flowing water.

The journey through the Serpent's Trench was fast and furious. Sea creatures surrounded them and many sea monsters were attacking with ferocity almost unknown among surface monsters. Gau had been fortunate enough to study the attacks of a creature capable of creating bolts of lightning, and these attacks were particularly useful. Cyan kept his blade out and would slice at a monster as he passed by on the current. Sabin kept watch on the rear, ready with an aurabolt for all the creatures foolish enough to attack him.

None of the travelers could guess at how much time had passed under the water. An hour? A day? It was impossible to tell.

Suddenly Cyan flew into something solid and the glass faceplate cracked and began leaking water into his face. Panicking, he tried to signal to the others what had happened. Sabin swam over and helped Cyan remove the helmet, and the knight shot for the surface of the water.

Cyan's head broke the water's surface and he gasped deeply. He began heaving as he realized the solid object he'd gone into was a support pole for a pier. Slowly, he pulled his aching body onto the docks. A few moments later, Sabin and Gau appeared and removed their helmets.

"We made it," gasped Sabin as he pulled himself up onto the pier. He reached down and pulled Gau out of the water next.

"Aye, Sir Sabin, but we hath made it to where?" wondered Cyan.

Gau suddenly hunched over and began shaking all the excess water off his body. "Gau hungry."

Cyan and Sabin both nodded. "We also need to get some dry clothes," added Sabin, although a moment later he realized it might not be necessary. The sun was shining brightly overhead, and the air was warm. It took him a moment to realize that in the weeks since he had been separated from Terra and Edgar, spring was ending and summer was beginning to arrive.

"Come, sirs," said Cyan, "let us discover the name of this town."

Sabin hopped to his feet and followed the elder knight and the kid down the docks. There were numerous boats tied up alongside the piers, and several were loading up supplies and trade goods.

Moving into the town, they saw it bustling with activity. Open-air stalls seemed to be the norm, with young children scampering all around. Doubtless some of them were pickpockets. Directly ahead of them was a café, and Sabin moved towards it.

"Excuse me, miss," he said to a young waitress outside, "but my friends and I have gotten lost, could you tell me where we are?"

The girl, who looked to be younger than Terra, stared at him with wide eyes. It was hard for her to imagine that she barely came up to this stranger's chest. "This is Nikeah, trade goods from all over the world come here to get shipped."

"My fair maiden, doest thou know how to get to the town of Narshe?" asked Cyan.

"Yeah, sure. Narshe is just a week or so northwest of here," she answered, "but you can't get to it on foot. There was some kind of major rockslide in the mountains. The passage north is completely blocked. However, one of the ships is heading there. I think it leaves tonight or tomorrow morning."

"Thanks for your help, miss," said Sabin, as he handed over a few gold coins, "For troubling you."

Cyan decided that he needed a warm drink and moved past the martial artist into the café. Gau and Sabin followed him, and they saw that the inside of the café was rather deserted. Only a handful of people were having some drinks. The two older men went over to the bar.

"G'day lads," said the bartender, "What'll ye be having?"

"Ale," replied both at once.

"Gau hungry," whined the boy, struggling to see over the counter.

Sabin grinned. "And if you've got any food and drink for a kid, we'll take that too."

The bartender was back a moment later with two tall mugs, and a smaller cup for Gau.

"Hey, it seems pretty empty here, what's going on?" asked Sabin.

The bartender shrugged. "Well, there used to be a lot of shipping that would come through here and then continue on to the southern continent. Usually kept this place jumping day and night. But all the cities down there, Tzen, Albrook, Maranda… burn them. They've all been smashed. The bloody Empire has washed over them and turned them into their own little provinces, feeding the Imperial war machine. Too much is confiscated by Gestahl's soldiers, and we were losing money on shipping to there. So, we stopped shipping, and business is dying down."

Sabin nodded and turned back to his drink. Cyan took one of the towels nearby and dried off his face. He didn't notice the young woman coming up to him.

"Hey there, handsome," she cooed, "How about joining me for a fun time?"

She was young and fairly attractive, perhaps Sabin's age, but the way she walked and acted showed that she'd been picking up travelers for profit for a while. Cyan's eyes widened in shock and indignation.

"H… How dare thee, thou licentious howler!" he cried, backing away from the girl. But she didn't give up.

"Geez, don't blow an artery, baby. I'm not going to hurt you. You can have a lot of fun with me, baby."

"B… baby?" gasped Cyan, looking ready to draw his sword.

"Cyan," said Sabin, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder and steering him back to the bar, "Just relax. This is what she does for a living, so she can keep a roof over her head and food on her table. Don't let her antics get to you."

"It's just… I'm not like that!" the knight whispered fiercely.

"No one thinks you are," Sabin assured him, laughing inside, "Just let it go, man."

But the girl was not about to let a potential meal ticket slip away without a fight, so she pushed on. "Stop whispering, my ears are burning, baby."

"Enough!" cried Cyan, "Have you no shame? I'll have you know…"

But Sabin had stepped around the knight and taken a hold of the girl's arm. He led her away to the opposite end of the room. Cyan was still trembling with exasperation when he saw Sabin grab the girl tightly and place a deep kiss on her lips. The girl stumbled away, holding something in her hand, and Sabin returned to the other two.

"What didst thou do, Sir Sabin?"

Sabin grinned. "Told her I was going to make a good show and pay her about what she made in a week. After I kissed her I… suggested… she take the rest of the day off."

"Why Mr. Thou kiss girl?" asked Gau, "You like her, Mr. Thou?"

Sabin glowered at the boy, then turned back to his drink.

An hour later, having eaten their fill, the three of them went back to the docks. They quickly found the ship leaving for Narshe, and learned that it would leave in two hours. In the meantime, they returned to the town proper and perused the stalls for weapons, armor, and other items that could be of use.

They returned to the ship with plenty of time to spare, and were told the journey would take three days before stopping near Narshe.

All three of them stood up on the deck as the sun was setting into the distant horizon. Gau huddled near the front of the ship, watching the water pass by beneath him. Sabin and Cyan lounged nearby on the forecastle.

"Well, Sir Sabin, our journeys alone are nearly over," said Cyan, "Narshe is only a short distance from here."

"Yeah, I just hope the others arrived safely. I've been worried about them," said the martial artist. His thoughts turned to his brother, and a young girl of green hair and great beauty.

Cyan saw the far away look in his friend's eyes, but didn't know what to make of it. "I'm sure they're fine."

"Me hope so too," said Gau, staring out across the horizon.