Chapter 2: The Sands of Debt

It had only been a few days since he had parted with his pupil, but Musosai was already impatient to get started on their journey.

Just the next morning after the fight at the Coliseum, he awoke in terrible pain. He had remained confined to his room for most of that day, desperately trying to find a way to curb the agony that he was in.

In desperation, he had been forced to take one of the potion bottles that were able to restore his vigor and block pain for a short time. He had to be careful though. He only had four small bottles left and so he had to only use them when he had no other choice. When he was finally able to walk again, he stepped out into the hot, dry air and it warmed him instantly—seemingly taking pity on his aching body.

Thankfully, neither Claire, nor Momozigo were around him that day so they had no idea of what he was hiding from them. The day after that however, he met with Momozigo, who had already proclaimed some interesting news about a possible evil that was lurking beneath these desert sands.

"A moneylender?" Musosai repeated as they shared a meal together at the Slick Hand. "And you believe him to have less than honorable intensions?"

"That is just what I heard," Momozigo answered. "That is why I decided to take the next few weeks off from work so that I could look more into this."

"And you are certain that they will not mind you taking a break from your duties at the Coliseum?" Musosai asked, hoping that he wasn't about to get him into trouble.

"Don't you worry about a thing," Momozigo reassured him. "They know how spontaneous I can be and I was due for a vacation anyway. Besides, I told them that I would be keeping an eye out for new recruits to join the Coliseum if we are to travel all over the realm! Everything will be covered for me until I return. I'm ready to go whenever you are."

"I see," Musosai said keenly. "Very well then. First we shall find out more about this moneylender and when my pupil is ready to come back, we will begin."

"When do you think she will be back?" Momozigo asked eagerly.

"When she feels that she needs more to learn," he reassured him. "It shouldn't be too much longer now."

And he was right. For it was just the morning after that talk did she return to the Slick Hand, already looking more the samurai since he last saw her. It was clear, even to his old eyes, that she had trained much since she left here.

"Ah, Claire. 'Tis good to see you again, and stronger for your tireless training," he said warmly when he saw her approaching him. Momozigo squeaked excitedly when he saw her, but said nothing else as he let Musosai explained, "Now then, within the sandblasted walls of this city, we have identified an evil that wants for excising: an unscrupulous moneylender who preys upon the poor."

"This I learned by plying a certain businessman with coin," Momozigo said quickly and blushed red when she looked down at him with interest. "Apparently, the crook in question has been doing his round at Stonesthrow. He charges exorbitant rates on the meagerest sums, and those unable to return it in full are forced into slavery."

Yes, Momozigo had informed him of this yesterday when he had learned more information about this moneylender and the thought made his blood boil that anyone would take such advantage over the poor.

"This is no man, but a leech that feeds off the least fortunate among us," he said in disgust. "Such evil cannot be suffered! Let us head to the shantytown, Storm's Blow and speak with the denizens."

So the three of them finally left for the first leg of their journey together. He was still having trouble finding his way around Ul'dah however, so he was grateful that Momozigo seemed to know every alley and street by heart as he led them outside the gates. They found this Storm's Blow just a stone's throw away from the same gates, where the poor were forced to live in shabby tents and were mostly dressed in rags. It was a sad sight to see and he felt his heart going out to these people.

But while there wasn't much that he could do over the state of the poor, he could make their lives easier and safer by bringing this moneylender to justice.

"It seems a great gulf divides the rich and poor in this nation," he said to his companions. "Hingashi, I am sad to say, is no different."

He then had them split up and began asking around anyone who would be willing to talk to them. He found a few unfortunate souls, who were more than happy to curse this moneylender by telling him how he had all but robbed them of everything they had and were still forced to keep paying him.

"Do the peacekeepers around here do nothing to help?" he asked them curiously.

"I don't think they rightly know about it, to be honest," one man sighed. "Besides, it's not like they care or nothin' about us suffering here, now do they?"

He wanted to say that he was surprised by that, but he honestly wasn't. He had seen this too often back in Hingashi as well. There will always be a wall dividing the rich and poor, but it didn't stop it from hurting when he saw just how big that gap was.

Claire soon returned to him with more grim tales of some of the sufferings that this moneylender had caused them.

"They all said the same thing," he said when he felt her approach him. "That he comes to them when they need money most, acting like he really does care. At first everything seems alright, but then he goes around and increases the interest rate until it grows so high that they cannot pay him back."

Musosai glanced at her and asked, "I'm guessing that you heard similar stories?"

She nodded as she added, "Yes. And right now, there's apparently a young girl who is about to be sold off to pay off the debts."

Musosai's eyes narrowed at that and he felt fury in his heart as she told him how the girl was desperate for money to get medicine for her ill father. But now was threatened to be 'paid' off to another client of the moneylender.

"It seems I was too kind earlier," he sighed, "This man is no leech; he is the stain that night soil leaves behind. Let us seek out this downtrodden damsel, who sought only to do right by her father. I shall find Momozigo and join you presently."

She nodded and left as he was left to track down Momozigo, who was asking another group of the moneylender's victims. After explaining the news to him, Momozigo couldn't have looked more aghast by what he heard.

"W-We got to do something!" he said at once, "We gotta help that poor girl! We can't just stand by and let this happen!"

"We will, Momozigo, we will," he promised. "For now, let us track down this downtrodden maiden and ask her for her side of the story first before we do anything else. Claire's looking for her as we speak. Mayhaps even found her by now."

It wasn't difficult tracking down his young pupil. He simply had to search for a flash of pink hair and he found her standing next to a young woman, hardly more than a girl, as she was shaking with uncontrollable fear. She was looking around with a twitch in her face as though she could sense evil spirits all around her.

They soon joined her as they heard the downtrodden daughter confess to Claire, "Aye, you heard right. Da needed medicine badly, so we borrowed a handful o' coins. But afore we knew it, a handful became a chestful, an' now I'm having' to work to pay it back."

She lowered her head and shook it despairingly as she added, "But the interest grows faster'n I can work, an' the moneylender's threatenin' to sell me off to a client. If that happens, no one'll be left to look after Da. I just… I don't know what to do no more…"

She broke into a sob, looking so frightened and alone that he wished that he could deal with this foul moneylender for causing such grief.

Momozigo was already crying at her story.

"Her own happiness is on the line, but she still worries for her father," he sniffled, "Ohhh, this moneylender has it coming to him!"

Yes, he was. But first they must track this man down before they could bring him to justice. Yet, no sooner did he think that when a man approached them. It wasn't hard to guess who he was, for the downtrodden daughter gasped in horror at the sight of him, and took a few steps back.

"M-Mister Phelyp! Don't sell me, please!" she begged, "I'll work harder, I swear it! Just don't take me away! My da, ne needs lookin' after!"

The moneylender Phelyp didn't look the least be sympathetic as he barked, "Is that supposed to move me? If anything, you should be thankful. I'm offering you a chance to earn money without any effort—you need only lie on your back." He laughed at that and Musosai's eyes narrowed at the thought of this fiend or any other laying a hand on this innocent girl.

"Now, come quietly," Phelyp warned and the girl cringed in fear.

"Hold it right there, villain!" Momozigo barked angrily, "If you try to take the girl away, you'll have to answer to these samurai here!"

Claire already had her blade in her hand, ready to fight should he try to take the girl by force. While he was glad that she was willing to do whatever it took to help this young woman, she couldn't be hasty. This could cause even more trouble for the girl if they weren't careful.

"I know not who you are, but this is a legitimate business transaction, and certainly none of your concern," Phelyp warned when he saw them. "However, if you insist on threatening my person, I'll not hesitate to summon the Brass Blades."

The Peacekeepers? Strange that he would threaten them with the authorities when he was the one committing such foul acts. And even stranger that he has not yet been brought to justice either if he was so willing to go to them for help. No, he suspected that there was something much bigger here than he first thought.

"Pray forgive us our indiscretion, my lord," he said calmly, though he hated having to address this beast with any form of respect. "As you say, it's none of our concern. Claire, put up your katana."

She looked up at him with surprise, but to his relief, she did what he asked of her and sheathed her blade as Pheloyp took the girl with him.

Momozigo was staring up at him in shock, as if he couldn't believe what just happened.

"What are you doing, Musosai?" he demanded furiously once the moneylender and the girl were out of their sights, "Or should I say not doing? I thought the idea was to punish evil!"

"Now was not the time to draw steel; doing so would have only worsened the situation," Musosai explained, "We must be patient and wait the right moment. Besides, I suspect that there is more to the operation than this Pheloyp alone. If we give him a line, he will surely lead us to his accomplices. Come, let us follow him."

They agreed and they followed at a distance as Momozigo asked what made him think that Pheloyp would have accomplices. And so, Musosai told them about his suspicions, how that if he was so willing to go to the Peacekeepers for aid when they tried to stop him.

"He could have just been bluffing," Momozigo offered.

"That is certainly possible," Musosai agreed. "Yet, it seems that he has been allowed to continue on with his transactions freely. Surely the Peacekeepers would suspect that something is happening. That is why he targets the poor, where they would be less likely to be taken seriously by the authorities than someone who has much power and influence. No, I cannot believe that he is capable of doing all this on his own. He must have accomplices aiding him. We follow him long enough, we shall find out who it is, as well as make sure that the maiden remains safe."

"I… I suppose so," Momozigo said as he thought it all over. "Can't say I'm happy about the girl being taken like that, but just know that if they lay a hand on her, I'm jumping in to help with, or without, you."

He gave him a quick smile as he said, "I know you will, my friend. But rest assure that we will not leave the girl to such a fate. We will find a way to save her as well as punish this Pheloyp. Just be patient."

They followed the two of them onwards for only a short time. They soon came upon a place where there were a few buildings of wood and strange metal railings in the dirt. He frowned down at them, for it looked like these metal railings went on for miles.

"Where is this place?" he asked as he looked around at the metal strips.

"This is the railway that connects to Black Bush Station," Momozigo explained. "But that's not important. Where are they?"

Claire pointed past one of the buildings and they quietly approached it and looked out from behind it to see that Pheloyp was there with the young girl, who was shaking worse than ever.

"Just you wait, Pheloyp! We'll get you yet!" Momozigo vowed.

"It appears the man is meeting with someone," Musosai spoke up in a whisper as he tried to hush Momzigo, "Ah, speak of the devil…"

Soon enough, he saw that some of the armed men he had seen patrolling the city had appeared. No wonder he was able to threaten them with the Peacekeepers… for they were working with him in his despicable actions.

"Hehehe… even with the rags, 'tis plain she is a beauty, yes?" Pheloyp asked them smugly as the girl quaked behind him. "I trust she will serve to stay in your good graces."

"Oho, you've outdone yourself this time," one of the Peacekeepers laughed at the sight of the girl. "Yes, she will serve very well. Very well indeed. You may continue to conduct your business freely."

"She's being used to bribe a Brass Blade, and a commanding officer at that!" Momozigo growled in outrage at the sight. "Grr, damn that scoundrel!"

"Now we know why this villain was able to operate in plain sight, unmolested by the law," Musosai said, knowing that now was the time. "Claire, the time is come to draw steel."

She nodded as she pulled out her blade and was already the first one to take action. She ended up taking them all by surprise. There were several cries of shock as the commanding officer barked orders at his men to deal with her. The girl cowered as the fighting went on and the villains cheered their men on. Musosai watched, planning to jump in only should it prove that his pupil needed aid. As she already took down two of the three fighters though, he had a feeling that there was no cause for alarm.

Soon enough, she brought down the last man and when Pheloyp and the Brass Blade saw that they were on their own, they showed their truth colors as cowards and shook at the sight of her.

"Owahhhhhhh! Mammy!" Pheloyp cried out.

"D-don't hurt me! I surrender!" the officer yelled, despite being twice her size. Meanwhile, the downtrodden girl looked up cautiously to see that Claire had sheathed her blade. Without another thought, she jumped up and ran into his pupil's arms, crying out, "Thank you! Thank you so much!"

As Claire worked on calming the girl down, he stepped up and dealt with the corrupted officer and moneylender by tying them up. As much as he would like to have permanently dealt with them, they had not taken life, so he would not do the same. Even the three men on the ground that his pupil dealt with were all still alive. They would be thrown into gaol to rot for their crimes after being thrown out of Peacekeepers with disgrace—that should suffice. He let Claire speak to the girl quietly until she calmed down and was wiping the tears of gratitude from her eyes. Once she was able to regain control of herself, he approached them both, doing a quick look over both of them to make sure that neither was hurt.

"You did well," he said to Claire, "But remember, a katana is not to be drawn blindly. Within its sheath you must let it rest, steeping in power, until the time is ripe to strike. Such is the way of the samurai! Hmm?"

The girl suddenly gasped and hid behind Claire once more when she looked away from them. He turned to see Momozigo appeared with more Brass blades right behind him and at the sight, he feared the worse, that Momozigo had been in on this plot from the beginning and had turned them over to the enemy. He went for his own blade, prepared to draw it should that be the case.

"What have you done, Momozigo?!" he demanded, ready to fight.

"Musosai wait! He's my friend and he's here to help!" Momozigo said quickly as the Laugh a Bell in the uniform of the Brass Blades marched up to them.

"Hm?" Musosai asked as he slowly stood straight, but kept his hand on his blade in case. "He is not the enemy?"

"Oh, not at all, good sir," the Laugh a Bell answered him. "Long story short, we've been trying to find decisive evidence linking the moneylender Phelyp to one of our officers. And thanks to your timely intervention, we've done just that. His involvement in this racket is a stain upon our honor… which is admittedly far from squeaky clean. But now that there are many honest Brass Blades still—good men and women who strive to serve the public trust."

Ah, that is a relief to hear. He would have hated to think that all the officials in this city were working with such despicable vices.

"If you hadn't appeared, gods know where I might've ended up," the girl said as she looked to them all, smiling a watery smile. "I don't know how to thank you."

"Think nothing of it—the work is its own reward," Momozigo reassured her kindly. "Now, hurry back to your da and put his mind at ease."

She nodded before she gave a bow and left, heading back to Storm's Blow, probably excited to tell her father what just happened.

"Pray allow me to thank you also," the young Laugh a Bell of the Brass Blade said, "With your help, we succeeded in catching slippery crooks who had long eluded us. Rest assured we shall see to the rest. By your leave."

He saluted them all before he ordered his men to haul away the prisoners to face justice for their actions. They watched as the moneylender and disgraced Brass Blades were led away in silence. Once the three of them were alone, Musosai looked down at their friend with a shrewd look.

"For a moment, I thought you had given us up to the enemy. Next time I would thank you to share your plans," he said with a chuckle.

Momozigo grinned and laughed while he said, "Have a little faith, will you? Thanks to my spontaneity, we managed to wrap this up in a neat little package. Fufulupa, he and I go back a long way. Fellow's as honest as they come."

Well, if he said it then it must be true. Everything would be well taken care of now.

"I do not doubt it. Now then, our work here is done, one fewer evil afflicts the realm," he answered back good-naturedly, feeling very much at peace with his two young companions at his side. "Let us move on, to wherever the wind should blow."

He closed his eyes and felt the warm breeze, but there was something in the dry air that was mixed in. It was just the faintest scent of the ocean.

"And the wind blows, 'twould seem, to the sea," he said at last, taking this as a sign. "Momozigo, pray take the lead."

"Right! This way, friends—we're going to Limsa Lominsa," Momozigo said brightly and he went marching off with himself and Claire going after him. Their guide said that they had two choices, they could take either an airship in Ul'dah, which was quicker, or take a ship from Fester Bay. The idea of flying on a piece of metal hammered together through the skies excited him as well as terrified him.

Yet, in the end, they decided that they would walk back to Fester Bay and simply sail to this city on the sea. Momozigo was more than happy to talk the whole way there along the road. He was more than happy to answer any questions that Musosai had about Heir's Ear, though he noticed that Momozigo tended to speak some words a little slower and clearer as if he was worried that he would forget about them.

Their guide was also spending the time trying to get Claire to talk about some of the adventures that she had been on, which wasn't easy. She merely smiled mysteriously as she would drop in hints and clues. But after some prompting the whole way to Fester Bay and secured passage across the sea, she finally told them a little more about her adventures in the north and battling dragons. He had heard the stories of dragons since he was a young child and had long since longed to see them with his own eyes.

The fact that his pupil was known as the 'rider of dragons' almost knocked him off his feet. Even he began asking questions, which she teased with more tempting hints without any real details.

"There is such a thing as being too humble," Momozigo cried out, as he jumped around on the deck of the ship that just sailed out of the port, leaving the desert behind them. "Come on, you can tell me what it was like to be the one who put an end to the Dragonsong War!"

"Oh, look," she said suddenly as she pointed out at the water in one direction. "I think I see dolphins. Aren't they pretty?"

"Don't change the subject!" Momozigo cried out as Musosai laughed. This journey across ocean was, without a doubt, much more enjoyable than his last one. They left the hot sun behind them as it cooled down and grew cloudy and he could see it in the distance. A series of pure white stones rising out of the sea, connected with steel and bridges. He couldn't help but gap in amazement when they drew closer and he could see the people walking about

"This is Limsa Lominsa," Momozigo called happily. "I've been here a few times before! We'll be standing at the inn called the Drowning Wench."

"Ah, what secrets this city must have," Musosai asked as they stepped off the ship when they reached the docks—thought to be fair, the entire city seemed to be made of nothing but docks. "A city practically floating off the water? There is nothing like this in Hingashi."

"Yeah, just about every city in Eorzea is unique in its own way," Momozigo said with a grin. "Been years since I was last in Limsa, but I still have friends here and there who could help us."

"Good, good," Musosai answered as he walked around and enjoyed the salty air in his lungs. "Then we should increase our chances of seeking out any evil that has taken root here."

"We might have a job of sorting that out even without help," Momozigo informed him, "This is a sort of haven for brigands, cutthroats, curs, and pirates! So, it's not exactly uncommon in this part of Eorzea. Sure, the Admiral and the Yellow Jackets are able to keep things fairly calm here, but just about everyone here in this city was a pirate at one point."

"Truly? Well, looks like we may have our work cut out for us," Musosai said at the news. He would normally say that they have time, but at his age…? That may not be possible. Still, there wasn't a way to help it. They must be patient, and he could only hope that his health would bear with him for a while longer.

"Ahh, I do love the sea," Momozigo said to them as they stepped up to the Upper Decks. "There's just something cleansing about it, and I don't mean just taking a dunk."

"Indeed," Musosai agreed as he thought of the Ruby Sea back in Hingashi and the days that he spent travelling through such beautiful lands. How the sun cast a twinkling sunbeams across the expanse of water. And when the sun would set, the entire stretch of ocean was cast in a ruby-red glow…? Oh, just the thought was enough to bring him a sense of peace.

Momozigo led him up to a small, and rather dark tavern, where there were already a handful of men who were deep in their cups. There was certainly no shortage of unique and different individuals in this city—he could admit that.

"Such a vibrant port city, brimming with people of all races and creeds… mayhaps one day Hingashi, too, will learn to open its arms to the world," he said admiringly as he met with his companions once more to discuss their plans.

"Now then, as before, Momozigo and I shall seek out evil and injustice in this place," he said to Claire. He had grown quite fond of having them both around, and he truly did enjoy hearing Momozigo trying to gain more stories out of his pupil, but he knew that she needed time to practice and train. Which he knew that she couldn't truly do if she was stuck waiting in a tavern with them. He would let her spread her wings once more and go where she wished and train how she saw fit.

"Pray use the time to further hone your skills in our art, that you might stand ready to content with whatever villainy should manifest," he finished telling her.

She nodded in understanding as Momozigo sighed. "Come on, just when I was getting close with her telling me more stories!" he moaned out.

Claire smiled brightly, and she seemed to be trying hard not to laugh as she gave a wave and went running off.

"You know… there is such a thing as being too modest!" Momozigo called after her. "You're gonna have to tell more stories sooner or later!"

"Don't complain," Musosai chuckled. "She is how she should be. Most would have let their renown go straight to their heads and allow their egos to grow."

He thought back for a moment to how he had secretly enjoyed the renowned he had received once upon a time. Perhaps that he allowed himself not to see the evil that was growing both within… and without?

"It is good she is like this," he nodded as he watched her leave, "Less likely she will have of letting it blind her to what might be right in front of her."