She stared blankly at him.
The guards brought her inside the castle after the battle, unheeding her requests to leave. People parted when the soldiers led her through the crowds, one on either side of her. She didn't know what happened to the Merchant-thief, for the few people attending to him did not carry him through the same doors she was escorted through. She hoped he was getting medical attention, for the blow her shoulder-guard gave him was pretty hard by her standards.
After she got in the castle her wishes for the thief's health became her own. A plump woman had her wounds wrapped with even white bandages and applied a strange green paste to the gashes in Arch's hand. She kept the bloodied silk scarf with her GP, for people were staring at it awkwardly, the spiraling blood patterns some hidden meaning to them. She could not have it washed because as soon as her hand was bound she was immediately brought to a small rustic room. She was glad for the desert heat, for it dried the crimson life-force quickly, making the fabric stiff but not as messy as it could have been.
Now she was being questioned by an elder man with a serious air around him. He was disturbed by something about her, too. His eyebrows joined as he furrowed his head in irritation, waiting for an answer he wanted. Seemingly telling him she did not remember anything more than waking up in a desert wasn't approved of.
He wore red and gold clothes. He was a judge or of the likes, perhaps a high official. He has papers spread out before him on the ancient oak table, quill in hand and black ink on his left. When he talked his teeth and tongue were a dark blue. When Arch first met him she fell it no a fit of laughter. Perhaps that's why he was peeved at her now?
"Your saying you woke up in the desert, hitched a ride on a caravan and got to Figaro Castle, where you got attacked by a much-wanted fanatic in public because he wanted your armor?"
"Yip." "Show me some proof that you are not a fanatic yourself, then!" He obviously thought she was lieing. Arch smiled stupidly and blinked at him.
~What should I say, what should I say?~ She thought amusingly. ~Hey.What is a "Fanatic" anyway?~ "What's a fanatic?
"Bah!" The man leaned back in his chair, his white hair mottled with brown poking out of his hat. It seemed he was worn out by questioning Arch for a half-hour and getting the same answers. "By the Goddesses, you must have sun-illness!"
"I guess," the armored woman said. Then there was a knock on the metal door. The official got up from his seat, putting his quill down in the desk. He seemed to shuffle to the door rather than walk, Arch noticed. ~A limp in the right leg.~
~Fire!Peoplescreaming,theblazehotlikethesuntouchedtheplanet.~
The next thing Arch saw was the man opening the door, like she was cut out of time again. A guard was outside. Arch could not read his lips well or pick up on what he thought, but what he said was accompanied by holding out a scroll of which the Question-man took. She leaned back in the large chair with more lax and flexed her sore hand as she saw the expression of the man seemed to hold less irritation. He claimed thanks and shut the door as the messenger left, returning to his desk like he was oblivious towards the silvered figure in the chair. His eyes darted back and forth as he read. After a few moments of silence he placed the scroll down, looking at Arch.
"It seems the merchants tell me your story is authentic. You are free to leave."
Arch stood, nodding her head in thanks. She smiled brightly as she went to the door and left without another word. ~Hah,~ she mused, ~I wonder what they said?~
For some reason as soon as she left the guarded room of the scribe-like man another soldier met her in the hallway. He was militant, showing no emotions. Arch stared questioningly at him as he held out another bag, the lumps in its sides slightly bulging with the GP.
"For your services," he said. Arch only had time to take the money before he quickly turned and left.
~That was abrupt.~she blinked, looking down at the reward in her hand and stuffing it with the remaining money in her armor. ~I guess it's for helping to catch that "criminal" as the blue-tongued man said. It's not like I hunted him down though. She paused. Do I really need this.? To get to South Figaro, maybe.~
She had a larger smile worn as she made her way out of the castle, wondering how to get rid of the coins. She needed food.perhaps something to hold any other objects she found like that Healing potion, and a Chocobo to get to the southern city. And directions, of course.
When she found herself in the market again people were in it like before. Guards were stationed inside, however. A few civilians still gave her wary glances and moved out of her way while some smiled back at her meekly. She eventually made it to the tailor shop from where she got the silk cloth, her feet guiding her blindly. She didn't know she was even there before she saw the sign and decided to use some manners.
"Excuse me, Sir?" she asked. A large, burley man with a huge beard turned around from arranging some of the materials he sought to sell. As he saw who was asking for his assistance, his eyes grew wide.
"You?!" He seemed surprised as he was angry, but he kept his voice even.
"Yes." Arch pulled the ruined silk scarf from her bosom, the dust of her blood rubbing off on her fingers. "I'm sorry I took it without consulting you first, but I left the money in the pile."
The tailor-man stared at her white face, then to the violet tinged cloth. His heavy eye-brows lowered. "If your asking if I want it back, you can keep it. It's no good for anything but scrap. You can have your money back."
"No, no! It's alright!" Arch said brightly, waving her hands in front of her, a gesture that was becoming common for her. "You keep the money. But now I'm wondering if I could have that large pouch-bag over there." She pointed to a one-shouldered leather sack that would have normally been used to carry herbs. The tailor, although disturbed by the woman who he saw catch a flying dagger in her hand, agreed to do business.
*
After purchasing the leather pack she found it sat well with her armor. It buckled, so she did not have to deal with trying to get it around her shoulder-guards or reaching for it as it sat on her hip. Shortly after visiting the Tailor's Stand, she moved to the item's cart. She spent five- hundred GP on a multitude of potions (Which didn't do much for her wound besides help it scab), heals, and water. The bright-eyed but slightly sulky woman behind the counter seemed oblivious to Arch's armor and complextion. She stared at her for a moment as she handed over a canteen, "You are traveling alone?"
"To South Figaro, yes. Do you know how to get there?" "Yes, but you would be better to travel with someone." "I'm getting a chocobo." "They won't help you much against humans. The only way to get to South Figaro on land is to cross the East Mountain Range on the Canyon Trail, but I heard that the thieves have been trapping people on the road. The path is cut into rock, so they could jump down and cut off all escape, wither you're on a chocobo or not. I've heard of some real well known fighters who never reached the other side alive. Your better off waiting until the caravan leaves again next week."
~Next WEEK?! Ahg, I don't think so. I'm not mooching off of the Merchants again, and I'm not going to wait. Hey. What about that girl who wanted to go to Narshe with her uncle? ~
Arch tilted her head at the thought. If the trail was as dangerous as the Item's Merchant said the servant girl would be in.
~Deep Crap.~ "I'm confident that I can get through. I might be able to bribe them off somehow."
"Your mad." The woman said flatly. "I agree." Arch quickly replied, chuckling. "Fine then. If you get yourself killed, I hold no blame. The mountains are in the east of here. Chocobos can go on the trail and avoid monsters, but as I said you wont be able to pass the thieves. I doubt you'll make it to the other side of the path, but you'll know you're near South Figaro when you can see the rest of the forest and hills in the distance. Keep going east until you hit the town, and make sure not to stain your chocobo on the rocks. If you see anyone on the tail, stay out of sight. Thieves are tricksters."
"Okay. Thank you!" Arch said, nodding greatfully with enthusiasm. The woman sighed and went back to her work as a mother and child came to the counter.
*
The sun made the illusion of water in the sands through the wide open doors of the stables. There was a tablet on the door leading away from the market that caught Arch's eye and she found that Figaro Castle was not only famous for its battle tactics and technology, but now also for the largest chocobo stable in the world. It could house up to one-hundred and fifty chocobos at once easily.
The smell of dung and sweat was strong as she went in the large room. Yellow feathers were in piles in the corners and floating in the air, being sweeped up by the care-takers as well as the dry turds that strayed from the yellow birds' bedding. Warks and voices echoed in the vast room, leading to the wide doors that led to the desert.
Arch passed by them, the thoughts of the birds easily running through her head like a soft but massive symphony with a fluffy, yellow shape. Fluffy and yellow was the only way she could describe them. A really, really big fluffy yellow. Like the birds. A fluffy yellow.
Arch was smiling and nearly cracking up with laughter like a drunk with a steady and spriteful step by the time she passed the rows of stables, hands behind her back. There were not a lot of humans in majority to the joyful beasts of burden, but the ones that were there seemed dull in compare to a single chocobo, just by the feeling of their minds, although the focus of their thoughts were becoming distant.
There was a tall, brawny man at the gate leading outside behind a counter. A metal bar blocked the enterance so if an untrained chocobo were to somehow escape from their cells of hay they wouldn't get lost out the desert, or possibly to stop people from highjacking. Arch was in the sleepy- bliss like state again, the yellow chocobo-fuzzies floating around in her head. She snapped out of it when the man coughed, staring at her like she grew chocobo feathers herself. "Do you have business here.miss?"
Seemingly if they could see her face people didn't seem to be as confused by her armor. She looked to him, trying to remember what she came here for.
".? Oh, yes! I would like to borrow a chocobo, please." He jabbed a thumb over his shoulder towards the stalls, reluctantly speaking. "Go pick one from row five."
Arch nodded sharply in reply, nearly running to grab a steed for herself. She went to the nearest occupied stable in the second to last row, feeling the boyancy of their care-free minds. She didn't even bother looking at the bird, putting her hand on the latch to open the door.
~Wark.~
She paused. For some reason, the light joy fled and her attention to the physical world grew more intense. She looked into the stable. A normal chocobo, fluffed slightly while picking at grain.
~Wark!~
She closed the latch to secure the door closed again. This was not the chocobo she was "meant" to have. She turned around, staring into the clouds of feathers and dust.
~Wark, Wark!~
There seemed to be a chocobo-call that was distinct over the others, although it was perfectly the same. It was further on the row, coming from the distant end by the Market doors. She followed it, strangely keen to the particular warking.
~WARK!~
She ended up at the fifth to last stall, looking at the inhabitant. It warked again brightly, chirping after. It's bright eyes blinked as it tilted its head. It was smaller than the other chocobos, perhaps five inches shorter in hight, and a little more stocky.
Arch put her hands on the latch, and the thing practically turned into a tornado within itself.
Feathers flew everywhere as the whirlwind dashed in circles, making more noise than an earthquake. The other chocobos next to it started up a following cry, and within seconds Arch thought her ears were going to pop. The next thing she knew someone was tapping on her shoulder, for she felt the drumming on the metal on her shoulder-pad. She turned to face one of the sweepers, who squinted his eyes and shook his head. He had to yell over the chocobos to be heard, and even then it was drowned out.
"You don't want that one!" "Why?" asked Arch, almost screaming herself. The chocobo was only a little.noisy. "The thing's nuts! The last person who tried to ride it had his fingers bitten off!" "So? He has his reasons!" "It's also missing his left toe claw! It can't run fast!" he protested. "Who said speed matters to me?" "He'll kill you! By the Goddesses, lady, are you nuts?!" "Probably just as much as you say he is," Arch replied, jabbing a thumb to the bird, grinning as she took the reins hanging on the side of the wall from their hanger.
*
"What the hell?!" The man behind the counter stood up, the toothpick in his mouth dropping to the floor. The chocobos since calmed down. Arch strode up to him; or at least the chocobo did. The sweeper was walking beside Arch and her mount at what he though of a safe distance of about fifteen feet.
"How the bloody fuck did you manage to.?" started the sweeper, trailing off. Arch shrugged, smiling, "Maybe I didn't refer to him as an 'it'? Chocoboes have feelings, too." She sounded rather like a young child with morals.
The sweeper's face distorted with anger and distaste for a moment, but did not say anything to reply. The man at the counter looked cautious as Arch approched the desk, the bird chirping as lightfully as the others, however lacking a toe.
"How much is it?" Arch asked, figuring he was at a desk like the merchants and hence wanted money-trade.
"Er...Uh...100 gp?" The money hit the desk, one large gold coin. The metal bar was slid back to allow her into the desert as he reflexivley pulled a lever.
Arch and the Chocobo hit the desert, going Southeast like they were running for the sun.
~~~~
Author Noties!-
I'm going to have to find a way to make this more illegable.If the style changed a bit from the previous chapters, sorry! I wrote this in a hurry. Bah! @_@
The guards brought her inside the castle after the battle, unheeding her requests to leave. People parted when the soldiers led her through the crowds, one on either side of her. She didn't know what happened to the Merchant-thief, for the few people attending to him did not carry him through the same doors she was escorted through. She hoped he was getting medical attention, for the blow her shoulder-guard gave him was pretty hard by her standards.
After she got in the castle her wishes for the thief's health became her own. A plump woman had her wounds wrapped with even white bandages and applied a strange green paste to the gashes in Arch's hand. She kept the bloodied silk scarf with her GP, for people were staring at it awkwardly, the spiraling blood patterns some hidden meaning to them. She could not have it washed because as soon as her hand was bound she was immediately brought to a small rustic room. She was glad for the desert heat, for it dried the crimson life-force quickly, making the fabric stiff but not as messy as it could have been.
Now she was being questioned by an elder man with a serious air around him. He was disturbed by something about her, too. His eyebrows joined as he furrowed his head in irritation, waiting for an answer he wanted. Seemingly telling him she did not remember anything more than waking up in a desert wasn't approved of.
He wore red and gold clothes. He was a judge or of the likes, perhaps a high official. He has papers spread out before him on the ancient oak table, quill in hand and black ink on his left. When he talked his teeth and tongue were a dark blue. When Arch first met him she fell it no a fit of laughter. Perhaps that's why he was peeved at her now?
"Your saying you woke up in the desert, hitched a ride on a caravan and got to Figaro Castle, where you got attacked by a much-wanted fanatic in public because he wanted your armor?"
"Yip." "Show me some proof that you are not a fanatic yourself, then!" He obviously thought she was lieing. Arch smiled stupidly and blinked at him.
~What should I say, what should I say?~ She thought amusingly. ~Hey.What is a "Fanatic" anyway?~ "What's a fanatic?
"Bah!" The man leaned back in his chair, his white hair mottled with brown poking out of his hat. It seemed he was worn out by questioning Arch for a half-hour and getting the same answers. "By the Goddesses, you must have sun-illness!"
"I guess," the armored woman said. Then there was a knock on the metal door. The official got up from his seat, putting his quill down in the desk. He seemed to shuffle to the door rather than walk, Arch noticed. ~A limp in the right leg.~
~Fire!Peoplescreaming,theblazehotlikethesuntouchedtheplanet.~
The next thing Arch saw was the man opening the door, like she was cut out of time again. A guard was outside. Arch could not read his lips well or pick up on what he thought, but what he said was accompanied by holding out a scroll of which the Question-man took. She leaned back in the large chair with more lax and flexed her sore hand as she saw the expression of the man seemed to hold less irritation. He claimed thanks and shut the door as the messenger left, returning to his desk like he was oblivious towards the silvered figure in the chair. His eyes darted back and forth as he read. After a few moments of silence he placed the scroll down, looking at Arch.
"It seems the merchants tell me your story is authentic. You are free to leave."
Arch stood, nodding her head in thanks. She smiled brightly as she went to the door and left without another word. ~Hah,~ she mused, ~I wonder what they said?~
For some reason as soon as she left the guarded room of the scribe-like man another soldier met her in the hallway. He was militant, showing no emotions. Arch stared questioningly at him as he held out another bag, the lumps in its sides slightly bulging with the GP.
"For your services," he said. Arch only had time to take the money before he quickly turned and left.
~That was abrupt.~she blinked, looking down at the reward in her hand and stuffing it with the remaining money in her armor. ~I guess it's for helping to catch that "criminal" as the blue-tongued man said. It's not like I hunted him down though. She paused. Do I really need this.? To get to South Figaro, maybe.~
She had a larger smile worn as she made her way out of the castle, wondering how to get rid of the coins. She needed food.perhaps something to hold any other objects she found like that Healing potion, and a Chocobo to get to the southern city. And directions, of course.
When she found herself in the market again people were in it like before. Guards were stationed inside, however. A few civilians still gave her wary glances and moved out of her way while some smiled back at her meekly. She eventually made it to the tailor shop from where she got the silk cloth, her feet guiding her blindly. She didn't know she was even there before she saw the sign and decided to use some manners.
"Excuse me, Sir?" she asked. A large, burley man with a huge beard turned around from arranging some of the materials he sought to sell. As he saw who was asking for his assistance, his eyes grew wide.
"You?!" He seemed surprised as he was angry, but he kept his voice even.
"Yes." Arch pulled the ruined silk scarf from her bosom, the dust of her blood rubbing off on her fingers. "I'm sorry I took it without consulting you first, but I left the money in the pile."
The tailor-man stared at her white face, then to the violet tinged cloth. His heavy eye-brows lowered. "If your asking if I want it back, you can keep it. It's no good for anything but scrap. You can have your money back."
"No, no! It's alright!" Arch said brightly, waving her hands in front of her, a gesture that was becoming common for her. "You keep the money. But now I'm wondering if I could have that large pouch-bag over there." She pointed to a one-shouldered leather sack that would have normally been used to carry herbs. The tailor, although disturbed by the woman who he saw catch a flying dagger in her hand, agreed to do business.
*
After purchasing the leather pack she found it sat well with her armor. It buckled, so she did not have to deal with trying to get it around her shoulder-guards or reaching for it as it sat on her hip. Shortly after visiting the Tailor's Stand, she moved to the item's cart. She spent five- hundred GP on a multitude of potions (Which didn't do much for her wound besides help it scab), heals, and water. The bright-eyed but slightly sulky woman behind the counter seemed oblivious to Arch's armor and complextion. She stared at her for a moment as she handed over a canteen, "You are traveling alone?"
"To South Figaro, yes. Do you know how to get there?" "Yes, but you would be better to travel with someone." "I'm getting a chocobo." "They won't help you much against humans. The only way to get to South Figaro on land is to cross the East Mountain Range on the Canyon Trail, but I heard that the thieves have been trapping people on the road. The path is cut into rock, so they could jump down and cut off all escape, wither you're on a chocobo or not. I've heard of some real well known fighters who never reached the other side alive. Your better off waiting until the caravan leaves again next week."
~Next WEEK?! Ahg, I don't think so. I'm not mooching off of the Merchants again, and I'm not going to wait. Hey. What about that girl who wanted to go to Narshe with her uncle? ~
Arch tilted her head at the thought. If the trail was as dangerous as the Item's Merchant said the servant girl would be in.
~Deep Crap.~ "I'm confident that I can get through. I might be able to bribe them off somehow."
"Your mad." The woman said flatly. "I agree." Arch quickly replied, chuckling. "Fine then. If you get yourself killed, I hold no blame. The mountains are in the east of here. Chocobos can go on the trail and avoid monsters, but as I said you wont be able to pass the thieves. I doubt you'll make it to the other side of the path, but you'll know you're near South Figaro when you can see the rest of the forest and hills in the distance. Keep going east until you hit the town, and make sure not to stain your chocobo on the rocks. If you see anyone on the tail, stay out of sight. Thieves are tricksters."
"Okay. Thank you!" Arch said, nodding greatfully with enthusiasm. The woman sighed and went back to her work as a mother and child came to the counter.
*
The sun made the illusion of water in the sands through the wide open doors of the stables. There was a tablet on the door leading away from the market that caught Arch's eye and she found that Figaro Castle was not only famous for its battle tactics and technology, but now also for the largest chocobo stable in the world. It could house up to one-hundred and fifty chocobos at once easily.
The smell of dung and sweat was strong as she went in the large room. Yellow feathers were in piles in the corners and floating in the air, being sweeped up by the care-takers as well as the dry turds that strayed from the yellow birds' bedding. Warks and voices echoed in the vast room, leading to the wide doors that led to the desert.
Arch passed by them, the thoughts of the birds easily running through her head like a soft but massive symphony with a fluffy, yellow shape. Fluffy and yellow was the only way she could describe them. A really, really big fluffy yellow. Like the birds. A fluffy yellow.
Arch was smiling and nearly cracking up with laughter like a drunk with a steady and spriteful step by the time she passed the rows of stables, hands behind her back. There were not a lot of humans in majority to the joyful beasts of burden, but the ones that were there seemed dull in compare to a single chocobo, just by the feeling of their minds, although the focus of their thoughts were becoming distant.
There was a tall, brawny man at the gate leading outside behind a counter. A metal bar blocked the enterance so if an untrained chocobo were to somehow escape from their cells of hay they wouldn't get lost out the desert, or possibly to stop people from highjacking. Arch was in the sleepy- bliss like state again, the yellow chocobo-fuzzies floating around in her head. She snapped out of it when the man coughed, staring at her like she grew chocobo feathers herself. "Do you have business here.miss?"
Seemingly if they could see her face people didn't seem to be as confused by her armor. She looked to him, trying to remember what she came here for.
".? Oh, yes! I would like to borrow a chocobo, please." He jabbed a thumb over his shoulder towards the stalls, reluctantly speaking. "Go pick one from row five."
Arch nodded sharply in reply, nearly running to grab a steed for herself. She went to the nearest occupied stable in the second to last row, feeling the boyancy of their care-free minds. She didn't even bother looking at the bird, putting her hand on the latch to open the door.
~Wark.~
She paused. For some reason, the light joy fled and her attention to the physical world grew more intense. She looked into the stable. A normal chocobo, fluffed slightly while picking at grain.
~Wark!~
She closed the latch to secure the door closed again. This was not the chocobo she was "meant" to have. She turned around, staring into the clouds of feathers and dust.
~Wark, Wark!~
There seemed to be a chocobo-call that was distinct over the others, although it was perfectly the same. It was further on the row, coming from the distant end by the Market doors. She followed it, strangely keen to the particular warking.
~WARK!~
She ended up at the fifth to last stall, looking at the inhabitant. It warked again brightly, chirping after. It's bright eyes blinked as it tilted its head. It was smaller than the other chocobos, perhaps five inches shorter in hight, and a little more stocky.
Arch put her hands on the latch, and the thing practically turned into a tornado within itself.
Feathers flew everywhere as the whirlwind dashed in circles, making more noise than an earthquake. The other chocobos next to it started up a following cry, and within seconds Arch thought her ears were going to pop. The next thing she knew someone was tapping on her shoulder, for she felt the drumming on the metal on her shoulder-pad. She turned to face one of the sweepers, who squinted his eyes and shook his head. He had to yell over the chocobos to be heard, and even then it was drowned out.
"You don't want that one!" "Why?" asked Arch, almost screaming herself. The chocobo was only a little.noisy. "The thing's nuts! The last person who tried to ride it had his fingers bitten off!" "So? He has his reasons!" "It's also missing his left toe claw! It can't run fast!" he protested. "Who said speed matters to me?" "He'll kill you! By the Goddesses, lady, are you nuts?!" "Probably just as much as you say he is," Arch replied, jabbing a thumb to the bird, grinning as she took the reins hanging on the side of the wall from their hanger.
*
"What the hell?!" The man behind the counter stood up, the toothpick in his mouth dropping to the floor. The chocobos since calmed down. Arch strode up to him; or at least the chocobo did. The sweeper was walking beside Arch and her mount at what he though of a safe distance of about fifteen feet.
"How the bloody fuck did you manage to.?" started the sweeper, trailing off. Arch shrugged, smiling, "Maybe I didn't refer to him as an 'it'? Chocoboes have feelings, too." She sounded rather like a young child with morals.
The sweeper's face distorted with anger and distaste for a moment, but did not say anything to reply. The man at the counter looked cautious as Arch approched the desk, the bird chirping as lightfully as the others, however lacking a toe.
"How much is it?" Arch asked, figuring he was at a desk like the merchants and hence wanted money-trade.
"Er...Uh...100 gp?" The money hit the desk, one large gold coin. The metal bar was slid back to allow her into the desert as he reflexivley pulled a lever.
Arch and the Chocobo hit the desert, going Southeast like they were running for the sun.
~~~~
Author Noties!-
I'm going to have to find a way to make this more illegable.If the style changed a bit from the previous chapters, sorry! I wrote this in a hurry. Bah! @_@