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:
Chapter Twelve:
"How much progress do you think we've made!?" Ruthy shouted over the din of passing wind.
"We crossed the Cebeel an hour ago, so we should be getting close to the Aerbs' foothills!" Fedrich replied, checking his compass needle. "If we keep pushing northeast, eventually we'll meet with the Cebeel again, and that'll lead right to the South Gate roadway!"
"Alright!" Ruthy shouted.
"Let's kick up the pace, we've still got a lot of land to cover by nightfall!" Fedrich suggested, thumping the chocobo's side with his feet to prod it onward.
The chocobo warked at the action, but quickened its pace regardless. The ground sped by rapidly, each footfall covering almost three meters distance as the two birds sped their way across the King Ed plains. Thick patches of reeds and grass sprouted up from the ground, an occasional rise or fall in the landscape, but little else was present to hinder the view of the horizon. Far off in the misty distance, the tips of the Aerbs mountain range rose above the barriers of land, giving the two Regulators hope that their journey was coming to a close. The sun was climbing up to the top of the sky, clouds from the ocean lazily drifting inland with the steady breeze that coursed over the plains.
"We might need to rest soon!" Ruthy called out. "Pluck here is looking tired!"
Fedrich looked back at the aforementioned chocobo and saw that it's head was drooping a little, eyes barely focused on the ground ahead. Checking his own bird, he saw that it too was keeping it's head low from being pushed as it was.
"Okay!" He agreed. "We'll take a break at the top of that rise ahead!"
"Gotcha!"
Fedrich wasn't surprised that the birds were getting tired. Having lost time the previous day, he continued riding to the Byan Plateau even past nightfall, coming to a suitable clearing only when it was near midnight. Rising at dawn to continue the treck, even he was feeling fatigue pulling on his mind and body. Suddenly both chocobo's skidded to a halt, both of them now alert and with heads raised in the air, tail feathers twitching.
"Hey, why'd you stop?" Ruthy asked her bird.
"Come on, just a little more and we can rest." Fedrich prompted his bird, kicking its side to get it moving.
The chocobo warked in protest, feet stamping on the grass as it held put. Another squawk came from beyond the rise in the land, and the chocobo backed up further. From over the rise in the landscape, a white-feathered chocobo bounded up and raced past the two Regulators, warking loudly as it fled. Fedrich reigned in his mount as it bucked in panic, then looked around the area in confusion and curiosity.
"What was that?" He pondered.
"That choc had a saddle and packs." Ruthy observed. "Maybe he got away from a traveler?"
"Maybe...let's press on." The Burman decided.
The two continued their treck across the flats, passing to the top of the rise to see a gruesome sight. Scattered around the area were nearly a dozen chocobos and a similar number of travelers, all dead. Monsters, a few Vices with bloodied daggers and swords, were quickly rooting through packs for food and valuables as others fought with two remaining humans.
"Gods no." Ruthy paled.
"Let's go, quickly!" Fedrich ordered, jumping off his mount and drawing his sword.
Ruthy reached out and grabbed the other chocobos reigns to keep it from running, then slung her longbow free and readied an arrow. Firing the projectile, it whistled through the air and caught a vice in the shoulder, flinging the monsters down. Quickly pulling another ready, she finished it off as Fedrich cut down yet another. Looking around for other targets, she gasped as the last vice cut down one of the two humans.
"No!!" Fedrich cried in vain, watching the Vice impale one of the last standing warriors. He rushed forwards, sword ready to kill the murderous monster before it could turn it's blade on the last standing traveler, a slight woman in red attire. He hesitated, though, as the woman suddenly brought her hands together and chanted, sparkling light dancing on her fingers.
"Blindness!" She shouted, the energy shooting out and engulfing the Vice's head in a thick shroud of black mist.
The monsters stopped suddenly and growled, chittering as it spun around in confusion at it's lack of vision. The woman knelt and picked up a wooden staff, then rushed forward and attacked. Her blows did little harm to the monster, sending it stumbling side to side, eventually knocking it's sword loose from broken digits, but little else. Fedrich, close enough, jumped up and used the added momentum to cut through the Vice's back and end it's life. The woman, enraged still, continued to swing her weapon, forcing the Burman to block the staff.
"Miss, stop!" He pleaded. "The monsters are all dead, you're safe now!"
After a moment she did as he asked, holding the staff protectively as she looked at the Burman. Adrenaline and fear fading away, tears broke out in her eyes and she slid to the ground, crying loudly. Fedrich stood still, feeling strange as he watched her weep, barely noticing Ruthy's arrival to the scene. The redhead hopped down from her chocobo, then knelt down a close space from the older woman.
"Miss? Are you hurt at all? I can help you if you are." Ruthy cooed in a gentle tone.
"I'm...I'm fine." The elder woman answered, sniffing. "But the others..."
"It doesn't look like anyone else survived." Fedrich commented.
Ruthy glared back at him with an angry look, causing the Burman to close his mouth. Apparently, he figured, the situation needed a more womanly approach.
Ruthy looked back at the elderly traveler, inspecting her appearance. Her knee length traveling dress was dirty and speckled with blood and cuts, but nothing too serious. The gold bodice that fit her torso was intact mostly, but the circular red fabric that went around her shoulders was torn nearly in half. Red gloves and red boots, each adorned with a purple ribbon, were covered in mud and blood, but none of it seemed to be hers.
"Who are you?" The traveler asked meekly.
Ruthy smiled warmly. "My name's Ruthy, and my friend is Fedrich. We were traveling through here when we came on this. What happened to you?"
"We had just gotten on the road after a break...and these monsters just came out of nowhere and started going for the chocs." The woman explained in an even, worldly tone. "We tried to stop them, but they turned on us, and..."
"It's okay." Ruthy interrupted. "I know."
"I'm sorry, I haven't introduced myself." The woman spoke, standing and brushing loose dirt from her clothes. "I'm Leena Doreen, a Red Mage of Mysidia."
"Well, it's nice to meet you, Miss Doreen." Ruthy nodded.
The red mage shook herself up to get her limbs working, dark brown hair falling in her face. She stooped over and picked up a wide brimmed hat with beads decorating the edges, placing it on her head to pin loose locks of hair still.
"This is horrid." Leena muttered, looking around the field. "I'd be lucky to find a scrap of anything here."
"What were you doing out here?" Fedrich asked, watching the mage pace to an overturned cart.
The woman didn't respond, but leaned inside the splintered hulk and looked around, gingerly stepping onto the frame and going inside. A few seconds later a mournful cry leapt from the cart, drawing both Fedrich and Ruthy to its entrance.
"What's wrong!?" Ruthy asked immediately.
"The books! They've all been ruined, stolen!" The mage exclaimed, looking at empty shelves and boxes. "This is terrible. No no no...there has to be something left!"
Leena knelt down in the rubble of the cart and sifted through broken wood and crates, whimpering as desperate eyes hoped to find even one book intact. Ruthy looked inside, hoping to find a book left, but couldn't see any that weren't cut apart or torn to ruin.
"Damn them ten times over, the bastards." Leena swore, sinking to the bottom of the cart to sit in shock.
"What were in those books?" Ruthy asked after a long minute.
"...Materials on the study of magic, historical tomes about long past cultures and nations, a lot of different series on the study of mythical beasts and the lore of ancient mages. We were going to Alexandria to donate these to the Queen's personal library as a gift for her support of our cities on Dagurerro...but this happened."
"I'm sorry we couldn't help you stop them soon enough." Ruthy apologized.
"It's fine, you had no way of knowing." Leena waved it off, standing up and leaving the cart. "What to do...fuck, what am I supposed to do now!?" Wiping her eyes of fresh tears, she looked around at the bodies of her traveling companions. "I...guess I'll have to go it alone..."
"No you don't, we can help you!" Ruthy chirped.
"You...would?" Leena asked, surprised.
"Of course, we can't just leave you here like this." Fedrich added with a grin. "All this blood will attract other monsters soon. We'll have to pack what you need and go quickly."
"But my choc ran off once they attacked..."
"Hey, that must have been Leena's chocobo we saw earlier!" Ruthy declared.
"No, there he is!" Leena pointed to the bird, standing carefully on the rise. "Polom, you coward! Get your pansy hide over here before I pluck your feathers out!"
The bird strode over to her master, almost looking annoyed with Leena's belittling words. However, she stepped up and hugged his neck and stroked it's feathers.
"Good thing you are a coward, else you'd be bloodied and dead like the rest, eh?"
The bird warked, and she laughed slightly, looking back to the two Regulators. "Alright, let's check the other packs and see if there's anything left to take."
Ruthy and Fedrich nodded their agreement, walking to the bodies of the fallen to search for anything useful. Leena was slowly progressing to each body, whispering words of condolences and prayers as she tried to clean them up properly. After working for several long minutes, the three shoved the gathered goods into whatever spare room their packs had and mounted their rides. Leena sighed painfully, looking around the field.
"I wish I could give them a proper burial." She sulked.
"So do I, but it isn't safe to stay here." Fedrich repeated his warnings. "We should go."
"Alright." She nodded, prodding her chocobo to movement while casting a backwards glance one last time. "The blessings of the Gods be with you all, friends."
The nighttime air swirled with aimless direction, the close proximity of the mountains making the currents uneasy as cold air met warm. Trees swayed and creaked as the breezes caressed their tall branches, the occasional twig falling onto the needle strewn ground.
"Soup's done." Ruthy announced, the other two travelers scooting next to the small fire.
Shadows danced along the nearby conifers as they all ate the meal in heavy silence, the perpetual wind and the occasional chirp from a sleeping chocobo all that was heard. Fedrich set his small tin bowl on his pack and yawned heavily, the mounting stress of the trip weighting on his waking mind.
"That was delicious, Ruthy." He praised.
"A little thin for me, but we've got to stretch our food supply as it is. Thanks." She grinned, looking back at Leena, who was at the edge of the clearing. "You okay, Leena? Care for some more?"
"No, but thank you anyway." She replied quietly.
Fedrich looked at the sullen red mage with a somber feeling, wondering if the woman would ever recover from the shock of the battle that claimed her friends. Despite his own meager efforts to comfort her, she was still unable to come around, even Ruthy's sometimes infectious humor doing little to raise the spirits of the trio.
"You think she'll be okay?" Fedrich whispered to his redheaded friend.
"She's suffered a lot today...I don't know if she will ever be okay." Ruthy sighed. "She's being a lot calmer than I imagined someone would be in this situation."
"I guess so..."
Silence pressed on them for a long minute, the two considering their thoughts on the change in their plans.
Ruthy finally broke the quiet. "What are we going to do now?"
"Hmm?"
"Leena." She clarified. "We just can't leave her alone at a time like this, and she needs to get to Alexandria."
Fedrich heaved a sigh. "We'll just part ways at South Gate, we don't have enough time to go there and back."
"I don't think we should let her go alone, though."
"What can we do, then? If she was going to meet with the Queen of Alexandria, then there must be someone she knows in the castle. She's old enough to take care of her own affairs, we don't need to babysit her forever."
The red mage stirred from her spot, silencing both travelers.
"You don't need to be overly considerate, I know that you've got important things to take care of." She deposited herself next to the fire and readied her bed. "Taking me to South Gate is more than enough help, I can manage on my own wits."
"But it's still dangerous to travel alone!" Ruthy blurted out.
"I'm aware of that. Polom there can run quick enough, I should be fine." Leena insisted. "Besides, I can tell that the both of you are in a rush, so I wouldn't want to impose."
"It's no problem, none at all!"
The red mage chuckled lightly. "You're too kind, but I'll be going once we hit South Gate. Your friend there said that you don't have time to waste, so I don't wish to hold you up."
Ruthy tried to go on, but her voice refused to work, leaving her flustered. Fedrich stood up and stretched his arms, scanning the horizon before picking up the sheath to his sword.
"I'll take first watch, so you both best get some sleep." He looked towards Leena. "I'm sorry we can't help you more than this, but..."
She nodded. "I understand, I'm a stickler for schedules myself."
"...Thank you." He offered a weak grin. "Goodnight."
* * *
Clouds sat in mute observation of the mountains, hugging to the steep faces and providing moderate shelter from the late morning sun to weary travelers below. Cutting through a layer of such clouds, an Airship pushed towards a massive, artificial barrier set into a natural valley of the mountain range. A circular barrier in the center of the wall split down the middle and slid into the sides, granting access to the flying craft. Below, a similar stream of travelers walked though the misty trails leading to the base of the gate, a large plaza awaiting them. Among them trotted a trio of chocobos in full gear, making fast time to the entrance at the end of the roadway.
"Almost there!" Ruthy cheered.
"Good time at that, we might make Treno before the sun's out." Fedrich added.
"You're going to the sleepless city?" Leena asked from behind the two.
"Yeah!" Ruthy answered quickly.
Leena's face lit up for the first time since they met, a welcome sight for both Regulators. "Praise be to Leviathan, I'm going by there on the way to the capitol!"
"Then it seems we'll still be able to help you on your trip there." Fedrich grinned.
The three travelers pressed through the swelling number of crowds, quickly moving towards specifically designed trails for the large birds. Strong legs propelling them up steep inclines and tunnels, they emerged into Alexandrian territory near the apex of South Gate.
"We ought to stop a while and let the chocs rest up." Leena suggested with a knowing expression. "We've pressed them hard, plus we need to resupply for the rest of the trip. Things are too expensive in Treno to be worth investing in, I've heard."
"I can attest to that." Ruthy called, slowing her bird down. "The summit station has a market, we can stop there."
"More of that bundt cake, too." Fedrich smirked, stomach recalling the sweet texture.
The three rode on until coming to a stall for the birds to rest at. Securing their packs and the reigns, they emptied healthy portions of greens for the birds to eat as well as buckets of water. Pacing along with the majority of other travelers, they entered the summit station and the plethora of carts and merchant stands.
"Okay, I'll definitely need to get extra rations of jerky and dried fruits..." Leena rattled off absently. "Nuts, too. Water, flatbread...fish?"
"I don't think they have that." Fedrich chuckled. "They've got some tasty sweetbread, though."
"Eh, none for me, thanks. Sweets rot your innards, they say."
"They must be lunatics, it's heavenly stuff." He jested.
"Each man to his own." Leena toned. "We can reconvene at our birds in an hours time, I can take care of business and see about getting a message back to Mysidia."
"Okay then, see you later!" Ruthy chimed in as the red mage moved into the thick of the crowds.
"Right, let's get going. You know what we need, Ruthy?"
She nodded. "Yes, we can get anything else you want as soon as we're done with what's necessary. First off is water, then we need more bread and fresh fruits and vegetables..."
"We really don't need to buy that much here, Treno is just a half day away."
"Still, better to prepare while you can." The redhead insisted.
Fedrich nodded his understanding, but quietly protested having to wait to get the sweetbread he desired. Walking through the crowds of the summit station was a refreshing change of pace, again surrounded by humanity after two days of solitary travel on the open plains. Wandering from cart to cart, the two Regulators slowly amassed the foods they needed until Fedrich's arms were nearly overflowing with edibles. Buying a cheap pack to hold the foods, Fedrich them happily strode off and bought a large share of bundt cake to sate his sweet tooth. Although relishing the time to relax, the two slowly walked back to the posts where their birds rested and saw Leena patiently writing in a small book.
"A message for home?" Ruthy asked.
"Nope, journal entry for the day. It helps me to relax whenever I've had a rough time."
"Some bundt cake to help?" Fedrich offered as a polite gesture.
"Again, no thanks."
"Alright then, more for me!" He grinned.
"You're more than welcome to it." Leena remarked with a sarcastic drawl. "I assume you both got everything you need?"
"Yes." Ruthy took her temporary pack and slung it onto her bird. "And you?"
"The same." She stretched. "Let's get going them and cover the rest before nightfall."
The trio mounted their birds after loosening the knots on their reigns, then prodded them into motion taking them down the Alexandrian side of the Aerbs. Taking the switchback trails with a quick pace, they descended down a basin close to the Berkmea cable cars and made for the Treno gate. Showing the guards the appropriate papers, they passed through and entered the long stretch of plains on the Bentini flats. The sun slowly drifted down the sky as they progressed across the featureless fields, slowly changing into a false moon as they entered the Gaia Shroud. As a pocketwatch revealed it to be a little past nine 'o clock, the brilliant lights of Treno appeared on the horizon, signaling the end to their trip.
* ^ * ^ *
The Author Speaks!
*Grumbles* My thumb's all sore, although I suppose you'd not care to hear me complain about that. On a note that you would be concerned with, I've got some more news about the story, some good, some bad.
Good news: I've been going on a spree of playing historian within the realm of the Mist Continent, and have written up a few documents about it's past. Adding that into some massive updates to the transportation section of the database, plus some more characters, it looks like next chapter update will see the unveiling of the information database 2.0!
Bad news: My parents are moving to Washington state come the middle of June. I, being a simple college student with a part time job, have no means to staying down here in sunny southern California, so I'll be shipping up north with them. What this means for you all is that I might not be able to sit down and work on this story for a good month, definitely something I wish I could avoid. I should be able to churn out a few more chapters between then and now, so I'll be sure to most a reminder about it and possible dates of when I'll be back online.
Bleh, I'll see you all next time. Peace 'n love, readers.
