This story belongs to me and my creative mind. However, most of the characters, names, and places all belong to their respective companies, so don't yell at me for copyright infringements! Remember, Italics represent a person's thoughts or the telling of past events.
Enjoy...
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:Faraway Dreams:
Introduction:
Lindblum was big, no argument about it. Anyone who was even kilometers away from it could easily see the top of the castle looming over the horizon like a manmade mountain. You would be walking towards it, constantly looking up at the massive size of the city, feeling smaller with each step you took towards it. By the time you arrived at the main entrance, Hunter's Gate, after walking up flight after flight of stairs from the ground to the bottom of the castle, you felt like a grain of sand in a child's sandcastle. From an airship, the metaphor was almost a fact, people scurrying about their business below you like tiny ants under a giant's gaze. Once you were through Hunter's gate and stepped into the main Business Avenue, you'd really start to feel small and tiny compared to this vertical city. Buildings were literally stacked on one another, rising into the sky and clinging to the walls with pathways strewn about in all sorts of places. Next, you'd realize that despite all this open air, it is filled with swarms of airships of all conceivable designs. From common Transit taxis to massive Freighter airships, the air was just as crowded as the city, and in the middle of all this stood a castle that imposed on the city like a statue in a town square. You wouldn't be able to help but gawk at the size of it, the castle rising into the sky with only the Lindblum Airship Docks coming close to rivaling it. You just can't escape that feeling of insignificance with all these massive achievements of man standing before you, and once again you fall to that metaphor of being a grain of sand in a sandcastle.
I felt the same way when I first came here, and it took some deep thought and friendly advice from others to see it as a good thing. That proverbial sandcastle may be beautiful and intricate in design, but it still is nothing but individual grains of sand like you and me together with everyone else in this place. Despite all that philosophical talk, though, this city still deserves the title of Lindblum Grand Castle.
Part One: On Dreamscapes And Despair
Chapter One:
Fedrich Castor couldn't stop staring up at Lindblum Castle, no matter what he tried to think about. The burman could hardly walk a step without stopping to gaze at the massive castle before him, bathed in the dying sunlight of the evening. In Burmecia, he walked in open lanes of travel, and saw a castle that seemed a part of the mountains itself. Lindblum, on the other hand, looked like a massive wart on the surface of Gaia, an artificial structure that wanted to contest the skills of the Gods themselves.
"How am I ever gonna find a way around here?" Fedrich asked himself, adjusting his hat against pointed ears.
He looked around the area, a large walkways leading to the base of the castle surrounded by hundreds of stores and carts selling their wares. Standing near a large statue of some important figure was a soldier of Lindblum, the man standing out in his white uniform and large, pointed helmet. Fedrich decided to ask him for directions to an Inn, hoping to get some rest after half a day of walking. He strode through the busy crowds to the soldier, his long strides closing the distance quickly. The soldier looked across at the approaching burman with a curious stare, causing Fedrich some discomfort.
I suppose I do stand out in a crowd of humans. They must not get many people from Burmecia here...
"Can I help you?" The soldier asked Fedrich once he was within earshot.
"I just arrived here from Burmecia, and I was hoping that you could tell me if there are any Inns nearby."
The soldier grinned and pointed to a location behind him. "There's a bunch of Inns on the main street further down. The closest one's on the right just a minute's walk, it's called Lavilero's."
"Thank you very much." Fedrich nodded.
"Anything else you need helpin' with?"
"No, I'm fine for now. Thanks again."
"Alright then, have a good stay in Lindblum!"
"I will!"
Fedrich stepped away from the soldier and continued deeper into the city, amazed at the number of shops and cart selling everything imaginable while keeping an eye out for Lavilero's Inn. He shifted his shoulders around, adjusting the heavy pack he carried with clothing, supplies, one abused short sword, and his modest sum of Gil.
I hope that this Lavilero is willing to accept a long term guest at a reasonable price. I'm not even sure how long 1,400 Gil can last a person here...
After a minute of easy walking, he looked to his right and saw a wooden sign proudly proclaiming the entrance to 'Lavilero's Inn, luxury accommodations for the common man'. Fedrich's clawed feet immediately started to ache, as if knowing a chance to relax and sleep was at hand. He stepped inside and walked to the front desk, a smallish man with a thick mustache sitting and reading a large book. The man looked up at Fedrich, his eyes wide with surprise to have a burman in his Inn.
"Rooms are eighty Gil a night." The man rumbled.
"I'm planning to be here a while, are there any discounts for staying a week or more?"
The man's expression darkened. "Rooms are eighty Gil a night, no exceptions, so a week comes to five hundred 'n sixty Gil. You still want it?"
Fedrich leaned his head back in thought, then nodded and drew out his pouch of Gil and fished out the payment for the night. The man pulled the coins into his hand and into a hidden spot below the counter, then reached back and plucked a key from a small board of them.
"Room seven, third floor." He recited from the key's tag.
Fedrich reached for the key, but the man drew it back and caught his eyes. "Don't lose it."
"I won't." Fedrich swallowed, uneasy at the man's attitude.
The man gave Fedrich the key, and the burman turned and ascended the stairs to the third and top floor, finding his room nearly at the foot of the staircase. He shoved the key in and turned it, a loud click unlocking the handle. Fedrich opened the door and was presented with a room less than what he expected. A bed with thin sheets was stuck in a corner, a small table was in the center of the room with a single chair, and a rickety looking dresser was set opposite the door. Above him was a solitary lamp, fueled by an electrical connection that shone a dim yellow light into the room, revealing sad blue walls and a single window drawn shut.
"This is luxury?" Fedrich asked the room, getting no response.
With a sigh, he slung his pack onto the ground next to the bed, setting the key onto the table and sitting on the bare chair. He pulled the pack open and set his foodstuffs onto the table, mostly bottled water and dried meat. He pulled the short sword out of the pack, then drew a small portion of the blade free of the sheath.
This sword has seen far too much action to be of any use now. I used it a few times myself, but my father put it through so many skirmishes as a soldier that it's practically worthless...
He put the blade back in place, then tossed it onto the bed and continued unpacking. He opened the dresser and put his spare sets of clothes into the drawers, then set his hygienic materials on the top. Afterwards, he took his empty pack and tossed it next to his bed, gathering his pouch of Gil and securing it in one of the pockets on his belt. He picked up the Inn key and left his room, locking the door and putting it into another pocket.
Can't sleep on an empty stomach!
Fedrich walked back down the stairs and found the man at the desk back to reading.
"Know any places to eat?" He asked.
"Across the street. Farrels." The man replied without lifting his eyes from the book.
"Thanks." The burman muttered.
Fedrich exited the Inn and walked across the avenue, and true to the Inn worker's word, there was a small cafe nestled between two shops in a dimly lit lamppost. He pushed the door open, and revealed a small eatery full of a collection of different people. Older men were sitting at the counter, a mother was trying to keep her three kids quiet, and a group of young men were playing cards on a table near the door with a waitress chatting alongside them. Fedrich walked to the counter and sat at one of the open stools, and a kitchen worker stepped up to his place.
"What'll ya have?" The man asked.
The burman looked up at the menu posted, and he was quickly overwhelmed with a selection of meals he hadn't ever seen. In regards to drinks, however, he did spy a few that he had at home.
"I'll just have some black ale for now, please."
The worker gave Fedrich a strange look. "How old're you, kid?"
"Nineteen..." Fedrich replied, curious.
"Sorry, just had 'ta ask 'cause the soldiers dun appreciate lettin' youngsters drink the heavy stuff."
"That's understandable."
"Right, I'll be sec."
The man went to the bar and picked up a mug from the rack, giving it a good cleaning and drying with a wet rag. He then put the mug under a tap and poured in some dark looking syrup, then filled the rest with an amber liquid and gave the drink a stir with a small glass rod. He set the mud in front of Fedrich, brought out a small tablet and listed the single ale, then went to the other customers at the counter. Fedrich picked the mug up and took a swig of the ale, and proceeded to stifle a cough as it burned down his throat.
Goddesses! This stuff is a lot more potent that the ale at home!
Fedrich finally coughed slightly, then looked back up at the menu to try and find something that looked like it would be edible. Listed were all kinds of sandwiches, soups, and meats that weren't at all like the meals he had at home.
There are so many different kinds of food here, it's almost too much to believe. Burmecia always had a small selection of foods, but it was enough to sate our appetites. I suppose it's to be expected, this place does specialize in having things from all over Gaia...
"You made up yer mind?" A voice asked.
The burman looked back down to see the same aproned worker in front of him.
"Eh, what would you recommend? I'm new to Lindblum..." Fedrich admitted.
The worker grinned slightly. "I'd go for the fish 'n krakka lettuce, goes good with spicy drinks."
"Okay, I'll have that."
"Right. It'll be a few minutes 'til it cooked."
The worker wrote in the order on his tablet, then stepped into the kitchen and barked out the order before going back to his post at the counter. Fedrich again went back to his thoughts, specifically his plans for the next few weeks.
Well, at least I have a weeks worth of bed at the Inn. Food won't be too much a problem, and I can always buy dried meat to stretch my money a little more. The problem right now it going to be finding someone who'll buy my fathers sword for more than petty change, I can't hope to improve my skill with a dull thing like that. I also gotta get a lot of medicine for training, and find a doctor if I get hurt badly. So much needs to be done, and I already spend a third of my Gil just for boarding! I pray to Rei that scavenging monster hides can at least break me even...
"Fish 'n krakka platter!" A chef announced from the kitchen.
Fedrich snapped out of his thoughts, seeing the counter worker pick up the platter and present it to him.
"Enjoy."
"I will." Fedrich replied, utensils in hand.
Fedrich unlocked the door to his room and walked in, feeling pleasantly full after his meal.
"He was right, that meal and ale went good together, and the twenty five Gil cost was quite a bargain, too."
The burman took his pouch of Gil and tossed it on the table along with the room key, then went to the dresser and changed into his night clothes. He stretched out his arm and legs, then sat on the bed, which didn't offer much comfort. Taking the used sword and leaning it against his pack, Fedrich went to the light and closed it's shutters, blotting out the yellow light to a dim glow. He then went to the bed and slid into the sheets, resting his head against the flat pillow and closing his eyes to a fitful sleep.
* * *
Fedrich found himself in front of a massive castle, looking into a window, a young human girl staring at the skies. He looked around, and saw that he was hovering in the sky without any support. He was shocked, but the scene changed before he could react to the unnatural situation. After a second, he was facing a stage that looked like it was floating on an airship, actors running around and two young men dueling in front of the crowds drawing cheers and whistles. The next change revealed the blonde boy in disguise, talking to a young girl dressed in a white healers robe. Fedrich was getting confused, wondering what kind of bizarre dream he was having.
This is no ordinary dream, Fedrich
"Who is it!?" Fedrich demanded of his dreamscape, seeing no one around.
I am unimportant, look
Fedrich looked back to the scene, seeing it changed once again to show a large airship fleeing a massive city, smoke pouring from it's backside and fires spewing from windows and cracks in the hull. The scene changed, showing the same airship crashed into a forest, a young blonde man racing towards it.
"What is this supposed to be?" Fedrich asked.
This is a scene from the future, an incident on the outskirts of Alexandria
"Alexandria? What does it have to do with me?"
Look again
The scene showed the same blonde man in combat, daggers drawn and alongside a knight in silver armor. A plantlike beast was attacking them, a small boy in a pointed trapped in its vines and casting fire from his hands. A change, and this time the blonde boy, the mage, the knight now holding a young girl, and a taller boy with patched skin were running from monsters made of plants. The patched skin boy threw something as the monsters caught him, and the blonde caught it and escaped the forest as it turned to stone.
"What kind of dream is this? Why is this quartet so important?"
What you look at is the promise of the future, the saviors of our planet
"What!? Saviors of Gaia? How absurd!"
There is more
The scene changed again, showing the foursome walking through the mist covered plains below Alexandria. Faster it changed, showing them traversing a cave of icy winds. The blonde boy fighting a winged mage and a massive serpent monster. The four walking into a village with hopes to rest. The small mage being captured by two adults. The blonde boy and young girl descending into the earth and finding a secret cave. A massive machine producing mages. The blonde boy, girl, and small mage fighting a taller mage with two large wings. The four of them boarding an airship. A third winged mage causing havoc on the airship with fierce magic. A pursuit that traversed through south gate, the winged mage's craft exploding and damaging the south gate.
"This...t-this is utterly bizarre..."
Bizarre it may appear, but this is the future of these four Saviors of Gaia
"You say they are saviors, but are they going to save us from?" Fedrich asked.
At first, they will save the three great kingdoms from destruction, then our own Gaia, and finally all of existence as we understand it
Fedrich was stunned at the revelation, hardly able to comprehend the vast information being fed to him.
"That cannot be possible! What mortal danger can be so great as to threaten the existence of our world!?"
You will understand all in time, young Fedrich, but heed the warnings you have seen and prepare for the conflicts to come
"What do you mean?"
Beware the princess' sixteenth birthday, for that will signal the start of this tragedy
"What princess? The princess of Alexandria!?"
The dreamscape didn't answer, angering the burman.
"Come back, phantom speaker! Answer my questions! Are you there!?"
The voice didn't respond, and Fedrich cursed under his breath and looked at the scene. It showed the quartet maneuvering the airship through the Falcon's Gate of Lindblum, entering the massive city and heading for the castle. The scene blacked out, leaving Fedrich hovering alone in his dreamscape. Suddenly, an image of a brilliant gem flashed into his view, painful light emanating from it and starry chaos swirling around it.
Fedrich shot upright from his sleep, sweat matting his fur and his green eyes wide in shock. He pushed himself out of bed and walked to the table, picking up a canteen of water and taking several swigs of the cool liquid. He capped the container and sat it on the table, resting his hands on it as he reflected on the mysterious dream.
What kind of danger could come to this world? Why would this...phantom...tell me, out of all the other important people who could stop this? And what was that gem I saw before I woke?
