Chapter 49
Terrato landed western outskirts of the northern town, close to the mines, but far away from most of the buildings. Fenrir hopped off into the snow and then turned and held her hands out to catch Stray, who had just landed next to her. He looked up at her expectantly. She smirked and tousled his hair.
"Let's go, Grandma!" she said.
Terrato was bathed in an earthen glow and reappeared the form of a frail old woman. "Of course Dearie."
They entered the main mining shaft where it was pitch darkness a few feet from the entrance. Terrato held up her hand and a bobbling red sphere of fire appeared. It hovered over the old woman. Stray jumped on her back and began batting at it.
"Stray!" chided Fenrir, pulling him off her.
Terrato smiled. "Quite an active boy."
Fenrir sighed. "We have to hurry."
They walked down the main shaft, the bobbing light trailing behind them. They reached a rope ladder and climbed down several hundred feet. At the bottom they saw a maze of deeper passages. Terrato gestured for them to follow her. As they traveled north, they heard faint rumbles far above.
"Are they beginning their attack?" asked Fenrir, glancing up nervously.
Terrato nodded sadly.
When they reached the end of a tunnel they saw it was a dead end. Terrato frowned.
"I could have sworn there was a." she muttered, feeling along the wall.
After a moment a piece of rock face retracted slightly. She pushed on it lightly and it slid to the right revealing a hidden passage. As they headed down it, the rumbling overhead got louder and the walls began to shake. Small rocks began to pelt their heads. They reached a door and Fenrir drew out her sickle and cautiously pushed the door open.
"Kupo!"
Fenrir and Stray gaped at a short white creature with tiny bat wings and a round nose. A small antenna sprouted from the top of its head. It leveled a spear at them.
"Kupopo!" it squeaked.
"It wants to know who you are," said Terrato.
"Fenrir, and this is Stray," said Fenrir, gesturing first to herself, then to the boy.
"Terrato," said Terrato kindly.
The creature nodded and gestured for them to follow it.
"What the hell is that thing anyway?" whispered Fenrir to Terrato.
"It's a Moogle," replied Terrato, "They know me, we should be fine."
The Moogle led them down a sloping passageway into a large cavernous underground chamber. To Fenrir's eyes it looked mostly natural. The caves must have predated the mines she thought. In the middle of the room sat about two dozen Moogles sitting in a circle. They seemed to be very agitated about the activity on the surface.
"Kupo!" inquired one to the guard.
"Kupo, kupo!" replied the guard, pointing to Terrato.
She smiled and bowed to them. "Benevolent Moogles, keepers of the earth, please take me to the Esper Tritoch."
They regarded each other silently.
"No need," said a scratchy voice from the shadows. A giant prismatic bird with a serpent tail flew into view and landed in the middle of the circle.
"Tritoch," said Terrato, "You must leave here at once!"
Tritoch looked down imperiously at her. "You've grown too long in scales great serpent," he retorted, "I answer to no one."
Terrato sighed. "A great army has come and overrun the mining town above."
"I do not care what happens to humans," said Tritoch, preening his multicolored plumage with his beak.
"They're Esper killers!" snapped Fenrir, "And when they come down into this mine looking for you, they will show you no mercy!"
"Quite a fiery young cub," observed Tritoch casually.
"She has a point," said Terrato pointing at Tritoch with her walking stick, "We have to help them or the Moogles will be next!"
"Kupo!" said one of the Moogles to Tritoch.
"Kupopo!" said another.
"Are you sure?" asked Tritoch.
The Moogles all nodded.
The guard led Terrato, Fenrir and Stray down through another passageway. They reached a dead end, but it pulled on a lever inset in the wall and a boulder moved in and to one side. Snow drifted in from the hole. As they walked out Fenrir gasped. All the buildings in town were ablaze. Most of the villagers were running for their lives into the mines. Fenrir crouched down as a volley of fireballs flew into the village and struck several villagers down. A column of soldiers marched into the mining camp, escorted by a few Mage Knights. Fenrir clenched the handle of her sickle tightly. She was about to move as a mass of spikes made of ice exploded underneath them, throwing them in every direction. They scattered to hide behind the burning buildings. A blue skinned woman with green spiky hair landed in the middle of the village. Fenrir stood up.
"Who the hell is that?" she wondered aloud.
"That would be Shiva," said Terrato, "Your sister."
Terrato landed western outskirts of the northern town, close to the mines, but far away from most of the buildings. Fenrir hopped off into the snow and then turned and held her hands out to catch Stray, who had just landed next to her. He looked up at her expectantly. She smirked and tousled his hair.
"Let's go, Grandma!" she said.
Terrato was bathed in an earthen glow and reappeared the form of a frail old woman. "Of course Dearie."
They entered the main mining shaft where it was pitch darkness a few feet from the entrance. Terrato held up her hand and a bobbling red sphere of fire appeared. It hovered over the old woman. Stray jumped on her back and began batting at it.
"Stray!" chided Fenrir, pulling him off her.
Terrato smiled. "Quite an active boy."
Fenrir sighed. "We have to hurry."
They walked down the main shaft, the bobbing light trailing behind them. They reached a rope ladder and climbed down several hundred feet. At the bottom they saw a maze of deeper passages. Terrato gestured for them to follow her. As they traveled north, they heard faint rumbles far above.
"Are they beginning their attack?" asked Fenrir, glancing up nervously.
Terrato nodded sadly.
When they reached the end of a tunnel they saw it was a dead end. Terrato frowned.
"I could have sworn there was a." she muttered, feeling along the wall.
After a moment a piece of rock face retracted slightly. She pushed on it lightly and it slid to the right revealing a hidden passage. As they headed down it, the rumbling overhead got louder and the walls began to shake. Small rocks began to pelt their heads. They reached a door and Fenrir drew out her sickle and cautiously pushed the door open.
"Kupo!"
Fenrir and Stray gaped at a short white creature with tiny bat wings and a round nose. A small antenna sprouted from the top of its head. It leveled a spear at them.
"Kupopo!" it squeaked.
"It wants to know who you are," said Terrato.
"Fenrir, and this is Stray," said Fenrir, gesturing first to herself, then to the boy.
"Terrato," said Terrato kindly.
The creature nodded and gestured for them to follow it.
"What the hell is that thing anyway?" whispered Fenrir to Terrato.
"It's a Moogle," replied Terrato, "They know me, we should be fine."
The Moogle led them down a sloping passageway into a large cavernous underground chamber. To Fenrir's eyes it looked mostly natural. The caves must have predated the mines she thought. In the middle of the room sat about two dozen Moogles sitting in a circle. They seemed to be very agitated about the activity on the surface.
"Kupo!" inquired one to the guard.
"Kupo, kupo!" replied the guard, pointing to Terrato.
She smiled and bowed to them. "Benevolent Moogles, keepers of the earth, please take me to the Esper Tritoch."
They regarded each other silently.
"No need," said a scratchy voice from the shadows. A giant prismatic bird with a serpent tail flew into view and landed in the middle of the circle.
"Tritoch," said Terrato, "You must leave here at once!"
Tritoch looked down imperiously at her. "You've grown too long in scales great serpent," he retorted, "I answer to no one."
Terrato sighed. "A great army has come and overrun the mining town above."
"I do not care what happens to humans," said Tritoch, preening his multicolored plumage with his beak.
"They're Esper killers!" snapped Fenrir, "And when they come down into this mine looking for you, they will show you no mercy!"
"Quite a fiery young cub," observed Tritoch casually.
"She has a point," said Terrato pointing at Tritoch with her walking stick, "We have to help them or the Moogles will be next!"
"Kupo!" said one of the Moogles to Tritoch.
"Kupopo!" said another.
"Are you sure?" asked Tritoch.
The Moogles all nodded.
The guard led Terrato, Fenrir and Stray down through another passageway. They reached a dead end, but it pulled on a lever inset in the wall and a boulder moved in and to one side. Snow drifted in from the hole. As they walked out Fenrir gasped. All the buildings in town were ablaze. Most of the villagers were running for their lives into the mines. Fenrir crouched down as a volley of fireballs flew into the village and struck several villagers down. A column of soldiers marched into the mining camp, escorted by a few Mage Knights. Fenrir clenched the handle of her sickle tightly. She was about to move as a mass of spikes made of ice exploded underneath them, throwing them in every direction. They scattered to hide behind the burning buildings. A blue skinned woman with green spiky hair landed in the middle of the village. Fenrir stood up.
"Who the hell is that?" she wondered aloud.
"That would be Shiva," said Terrato, "Your sister."