Chapter 6 - The morning after

"We're not going to make it you know?"

"Why are you like that?"

"Like what?"

"Always looking on the downside of things. Always having that uptight better than you attitude. It doesn't help anyone. Especially in situations like this."

"Hey! I'm just seeing the situation for what it is! No need to get personal."

"We'll be fine …. Help will come soon."

"I wont hold my breath. No point dying before my time."

As Bootus opened his eyes, facing the clear blue sky of the richly vegetated highlands, the nights dream started to fade away leaving a moment of bliss before his memories came rushing back to him. Some how darkening the sky.

Looking to his right Bootus saw Voldos standing by the Crag of Dem relieving himself on the colossal structure.

"If the someone told the people who built this that sometime in the future their proudest creation would be used as a glorified toilet to some stuck up idiot elf, I'm sure they'd laugh at them before having them arrested for plots to defile the construction."

"Pfft. If they didn't want it to be used as a toilet they should have made sure that it would always be in use through out time."

"I'm sure there's some Elvaan logic in there somewhere." Bootus knew it was pointless to inform Voldos that something being unused doesn't mean it can be used as a toilet. Smiling to himself he looked to the right to see whether or not Bollo was awake, but the Taru wasn't were he had been when Bootus had drifted off to sleep. Looking round he saw a small shadow sitting up ahead, watching the sun rise. Getting up Bootus walked over to where Bollo was sitting.

"It'll be ok. We'll get help and save whatever is left of Bastok." It was obvious what was on Bollo's mind that even Voldos could probably notice.

"Its just … if it is the shadow lord I don't think we'll have a chance of victory. The nations are to concerned with their own petty battles that I don't think we'll be able to defeat it this time."

"Though the armies might not be what they were adventurers like us will take up the calling instead. Anyway I'm sure that the 4 nations joined together could easily thwart the evil bastard."

"Hmmm"

"Come on. Getting all thoughtful and depressed about it isn't going to help anyone. Soon as Zinkata and Vivli are up we'll get going to Selbina."

"Ok"

Unbeknownst to Bootus Zinkata was already up and had been for at least an hour. Usually Zinkata didn't mind waking Vivli up, mainly because Zinkata planned to wake everyone else up as well and get them moving on. But after last night some deep seeded feelings had been awoken in Zinkata and after waking up to notice Vivli happily resting on him he couldn't bring himself to wake her. When they first met Vivli had warn her hair quite short, putting what little hair she did have in pig tails. Now as a young women she had let her hair grow and usually let her hair down, hugging her smooth cheeks and resting on her shoulders. Now her hair rested across Zinkatas lap, reaching up his stomach towards his chest. Zinkata had spent the better part of the hour noticing little things like the freckles on her nose, and how she sometimes purred in her sleep. But all this was disturbed when Bootus's thunderous steps ruined the moment, bringing Zinkata back to reality and realising that after the night before him looking googly eyed at Vivli wasn't a good idea. So pretending to just waking up he begin the generic just woken up stretches and yawns, this in turn woke up Vivli who did the same.

"Wake up love birds we've still got a lot of ground to cover before we get to Selbina, let alone Jeuno."

"Love birds? What are you talking about?" Vivli having been asleep before the nights discussion was unaware of the new Zinkata Vivli love theory.

"Uh, he's just messing with you like always Vivli. Pay no attention to him." Zinkatas jittery defence brought a smile to Bootus's.

"Why are we going to Selbina anyway? Wouldn't it be quicker to just go through Rolenberry fields?" Vivli's defiance towards Bootus had been practised so much that it appeared to happen on an instinctive level.

"Not really. Boat will take about a day to get to Mhaul where we'll take the day walk to Windurst where we will rent some chocobos which will get us to Jeuno in about a day and a half. Where the Rolenberry way will take at least 5 days, that's not calculating the battles. Beastman are quite vicious in the Jeuno area."

"Yeah, yeah. Fine." When defiance is being used on an instinctive level the cognitive part of the brain is usually bypassed meaning that the situation is never thought through enough, which in the case of Vivli meant she usually asked questions on something that Bootus had already thought through causing Bootus to come off looking knowledgeable and in this case, organised.

"So lets not make this trip take longer than needed by spending all morning making lovey eyes at each other."

"What about breakfast? I haven't eaten in almost 30 hours!" Vivli's stomach had been noticeably rumbling for sometime now. In fact one of her dreams had been about food.

"We'll get something at Selbina, now get a move on."

Once everyone had picked gathered there things the group of adventurers were once again on there way to Jeuno via Selbina.

Selbina was a nice quiet port town where most of the inhabitants made their money by fishing or trading. The traders made there money by adventurers coming into the town to use the boat that did twice daily trips to Mhaul. Even with the booming business of the travel agency the town still kept its air of tranquillity and peace.

"When I retire remind me to get a place here." This wasn't lost on Bootus

"Adventurers can retire?" Voldos's thoughts of the future mainly consisted of him fighting have having sex with some sexy maiden.

"Course. It's when we get too old to hold our weapons anymore so decide to stop and just settle down and enjoy the peace if life."

"If that's the definition of retirement I think Vivli's already retired."

"Hey! I can hold my weapon thank you!"

"Sure you can!"

"Damn you Elvaans!"

"Quickly guys. The boats just arriving." Zinkatas usual method of not getting into the childish arguments of the others by concentrating on something more important, whether or not the boat is at the dock or not for one.

"But what about breakfast?" Vivli's stomach had been annoying her throughout the trip to Selbina.

"Li. They sell food on the boat." Bootus's love of humiliating Vivli, no matter how small a humiliation, usually meant he got in with the joke or fact at her expense. However this time it was Zinkata there first. Though not to humiliate her, he just wanted to get on the boat as fast as possible.