Chapter Eight: The In"kweh"dible Ride

The air was calm in Cornelia. Despite this, Princess Sarah was restless; she wandered the halls in an effort to clear her head. "Halt!" a soldier shouted as he ran to the princess, a torch in his left hand and his right hand reaching for his sword. "Oh, princess. You shouldn't be wandering around at this hour."

"Why is that?" Sarah asked, mildly irritated.

"W-Well, it's just that after the Garland incident, we decided to reinforce our security practices. No more slacking off when we have royals to protect." The soldier gave a half-hearted smirk. "Though losing our commander has hurt morale, we resolve to recover and-"

"Wait," Princess Sarah ordered as a dark shape crept through the shadows along the far wall. "There's someone over there. No torch."

"So I see," the guard said as he took steps towards the figure. "You there! What do you think you're doing?" The figure muttered something and threw a hand up. In retaliation, the guard drew his sword. "Answer my-" A thick cloud of white smoke engulfed the man, and when it had cleared, Sarah saw the man lying face down, his sword lying on the floor.

"Hah!" a small gasp escaped her lips, drawing the attention of the figure. Rather than repeating its action against the guard, the figure drew closer. "Who are you?"

"No one of importance," the figure answered, its voice clearly feminine. "I merely came for someone in this castle. And before you ask, no, it is not you or your family."

"What did you do to him? That guard?" Sarah asked the intruder, frightened, but composed enough to hide her fear.

"I put him to sleep with a spell. He looked tired anyway, so he will likely be out cold for a while." Now the woman was close enough for Sarah to see, despite the darkness. Most of her features were hidden by her clothes; a wide-brimmed hat blocked almost all light from reaching her face, and her body was covered by a long, blue robe.

"Then you must be a black mage," Sarah reasoned. "Who did you come here for? And why not wait until daylight?"

"I do not think that your king would let this man go, as he is the infamous pirate, Bikke," the black mage answered plainly. "That man made a deal with me; keep him out of trouble, and he will lead me to a man I am seeking."

"Bikke? Are you a member of his crew?" Sarah asked, glancing at the sleeping guard's sword.

"No, and you can keep the rest of those criminals; I am interested only in him," the black mage explained. Then, without warning, she pointed a hand at Sarah. "I have wasted enough time here. Sleep!"

"No!" Sarah lunged for the sword as the smoke enveloped her. When the smoke cleared, she was lying on the floor in an undignified manner. The mage nodded to herself and walked away "…huh," Sarah mumbled as she raised her head, "I didn't think she'd fall for it." The princess stood up and grabbed the sword before deciding to follow the mage. "I better put a stop to this myself. If too many guards get involved, she might try more severe methods of putting them down." Sarah walked with as much stealth as she could muster as she drew closer to the dungeon. Soon, two voices could be heard; one belonging to the mage, and the other… "Bikke!" Sarah gasped as she saw the pirate captain was not only free, but standing upright. "But I heard that…"

"How long do you plan on keeping that ridiculous accent, Bikke?" the mage grumbled. "Or should I call you Ba-"

"I'd not say another word, lass," Bikke warned, "Leastwise, not in front of me crew." He glanced at his men, who all seemed to be asleep. "Please."

"I can't let him leave!" Sarah reasoned. "Stay right where you are!" The pirate and the mage spun in place as Sarah announced her presence. "Step back in your cell, and I will forget this offense."

"You want me t' just walk back in me cell? Har, that's rich," Bikke chortled as he cracked his knuckles. "And suppose I say nay, girlie? What would ye be doing about it?"

"I'd say…" Sarah gulped back her fear and threw her left hand up. "Sleep!" Before Bikke could react, the same sort of smoke that the black mage summoned surrounded the captain, lulling him into a magical sleep. "I-I did it!" she said to herself, surprised at the level of success she achieved. The princess then glanced over at the mage, who looked somewhat shocked, despite her hidden features.

"You are a black mage too? And you know how Sleep works…" the intruder gasped. "Then it seems I will have to use a different tactic." The robed woman drew a knife and held it in front of her. "Get out of the way or I will cut you. Focus!" The mage threw a beam of light that seemed to magnify Sarah's movements.

"You don't scare me," Sarah bark as she charged forward. The mage jumped back, and then lunged forward, stabbing Sarah in the side. "Gyah!" Sarah felt the wound with her free hand; it was a deep wound, but not too serious. "C-Cure!" As Sarah ran her hand over the wound, it began to close and mend itself, though not very well. "Tsk! Needs work."

"White magic too? As well as swordsmanship?" The black mage readjusted herself for another attack. "Though your talents do appear spread noticeably thin. Your black magic isn't near my level yet."

"What do you mean?" Sarah bluffed.

"Did you know that your Sleep spell has already worn off?" The woman asked, causing Sarah to turn in surprise to find Bikke standing behind her. "Enough of this. Hold!" Sarah shrieked as chains of light wrapped around her body, rendering her immobile.

"Well, isn't that a surprise?" Bikke laughed. "This lass was enough to keep you on your toes. And all by her lonesome, too!"

"I did not wish to kill her. Otherwise, the fight would have ended immediately," the robed woman answered plainly. "But by now, some of the guards have likely woken up. Getting out will be most difficult."

"For most people, ye might be speaking the truth," Bikke replied. "But we have the princess, and if she be with us, the guards won't dare fire at us. They might even let us borrow a ship."

"Fine. We will take her along, and then drop her off somewhere once we no longer need her." Bikke grabbed the chains that held Sarah and led the once again captive towards the doorway. The woman paused for a moment before following the captain. "I am so close, but after all this time…"

"Rise and shine, Warriors!" Pierre glared as the living broom swept over to the study. "Did you sleep well?"

"No, I didn't sleep at all!" Pierre snarled, stirring from his spot on the floor. "What kind of sick freak makes someone sleep in the corner?"

"I'm sorry; I thought to let you take my resting place. I suppose it was not to your liking?" The broom drooped slightly, visibly disappointed.

"In this situation, it might have been better to have pitched tents outside," Arin groaned. "W- Ah!" As his weight shifted, he fell from his makeshift bed of jars and landed on the floor, face first. "We would have slept a little better, perhaps."

"There wasn't anything wrong with my 'bed' over here," Agura grunted, sitting back on a chair with his feet on a table. "But what was that racket last night?"

"I agree, there was a dreadful noise much of the night," Arin pointed out. "Did a monster find a way inside?"

"Oh, that," the broom replied, somewhat brightened by the mention of the noise. "I had some trouble caring for Madam Matoya's pets, but that one green fellow helped me calm them down."

"You mean Gordon?" Pierre asked warily. The thief quickly entered the room, as if he had just been called in. "What were you doing?"

"Come with me!" Gordon said excitedly. "You won't believe what Matoya is raising!"

"I don't think I'm going to care unless they can apologize for all the commotion," Agura huffed. "Eh, whatever. I can't say I'm not a little curious." The three weary men followed Gordon and the broom until they arrived at a stable door.

"All right," Gordon whispered to himself before putting his hands up to his face. "Kweh! Kweh!" As he made the strange call, a small amount of racket sounded from the stable until a large creature emerged. Standing at its tallest, it towered over the men. It had the appearance of a bird, though its wings did not appear capable of flight. It ruffled its yellow feathers and mirrored Gordon's call.

"W-What is that thing?" Pierre nearly screamed.

"A chocobo!" Arin shouted. "I thought these creatures were long extinct."

"Almost, but it turns out Matoya used the crystal eye to find the last ones quite some time ago," Gordon explained. "She's been keeping them here, hoping to 'breed them back into the ecosystem' or something like that. There are just a few adults here, but there are several hatchlings, too."

"That will be a difficult feat," Arin said as he neared the chocobo. It held no fear of the man, and lowered its head to him. "There were many breeds of chocobo: black, red, green, white. It may be impossible to return them to their former glory."

"Once again, I am sorry for the unpleasant stay," Matoya's broom groaned. "If there was a way to make up for my error… Oh! I know! The chocobos!"

"What about the chocobos?" Pierre asked, still unnerved by the creature before him.

"Chocobos were famous for their unparalleled running speed. In comparison, even the fastest horse seems immobile," Arin mused. "Would the witch be so willing to part with four of her chocobos, especially when there are so few left in the world?"

"Oh, no, I can't permit anything permanent, but these chocobos have been specially trained to return to the stables from as far as Pravoka. It is well within my power to allow you to borrow their services." The broom swayed to the stable door, where three more chocobos poked out their heads. "You all will help these men, understood?"

"Kweh!" the three in the stable answered in unison; immediately, all four walked towards the doorway.

"Well well," Agura said with a smirk, "I guess they are apologizing, in a sense. Go figure." The four men thanked the broom and followed the birds outside. "Faster than horses, eh? This I gotta see. Anyone up for a practice ride? Gordon? Air?"

"Please," Pierre huffed, poorly masking his unease around the chocobos, "if you want a race, you should know that I have the most experience riding mounts. I'd go so far as to say that I was the best rider of the Cornelian Knights."

"Is this true, Gordon?" Arin asked.

"I think so," the thief replied. "I don't remember Garland being much for horses."

"I see, but riding a horse is not quite the same as riding a chocobo," Arin added. As if to punctuate his claim, both Pierre and Agura struggled to climb onto their mounts without slipping or upsetting the birds. "You have to let them sit down before mounting them! And Agura, be sure to keep from resting your legs on the chocobo's wings! Pierre, if you hold on like that, your chocobo won't be able to breathe!"

"How on earth do you know-" Pierre's interrogation was cut short by his squealing chocobo. "Oh, no."

"Let's ride!" Agura announced, which was more than enough of a signal for the chocobos. They started at a light trot, though they were moving much faster than they expected. The two chocobos picked up speed rapidly, ignoring the panic of their riders. "Whoa! Whoa! Slow down, Bucko!"

"Kweh!" The two runners screeched to a stop, their talons clawing the dirt in an effort to brake. Agura and Pierre both gasped for breath, their hair blown back by the wind. "Kweh! Kweh!" Pierre was certain the chocobos were mocking him.

"So, how was it?" Gordon asked.

"It. Was. Awesome," Agura answered. "Can you imagine how quickly we could save the world with these guys on our side?"

"Perhaps," Arin mused, "but that is not for us to decide. These birds belong to Matoya."

"R-Right," Pierre added, "we won't be able to take them with us. A shame, really." With great speed, the warrior jumped off his mount and nearly sprawled out onto the ground. "Oh, I missed the ground beneath my feet," he whispered.

"Hey, I just thought of something," Gordon spoke up. "Arin needs to stop in Pravoka for magic lessons, right? What if he ran his chocobo straight there while the rest of us went back to the Leviathan?"

"Would he even make it on his own?" Pierre questioned. "He's not all that durable, you know."

"Under normal circumstances, I would agree with you, Pierre," Arin answered, "but with a chocobo, things are much different. These creatures are as cunning as they are quick. As long as I am with it, I will be safe."

Agura dropped down from his chocobo and laughed. "So let's see if I got this right; you're going to go to Pravoka by chocobo while the rest of us run back to the ship, then you will take some sort of wizard classes while we sail over there to pick you up before making our way to Elfheim? Am I missing anything here?"

"Well, it might be wise to stop by Cornelia for supplies," Pierre added. "I can handle that while Gordon and Agura deal with any ship repairs that spring up."

"What? Why me?" Gordon argued.

"Well, erm… because you are able to reach parts of the ship I'm too afraid to climb, and if I go, we won't need to spend much on delivering the supplies, since I can carry more." None of the men bought his excuse, but neither did they feel like calling him out on it.

"I believe it is a sound plan," Arin said as he put a hand on his chocobo. "I will stay around here for a moment. Go on ahead, and I will see you again when you arrive in Pravoka."

"Alright!" Agura shouted. "Gordon! Pierre! Time to make for the Leviathan!" The monk jumped up onto the nearest bird and darted off towards the ship.

"W-Wait! Already?" Pierre groaned. "But I just got down off of that yellow nightmare!"

"Eh, how bad can it be?" Gordon shrugged as he boarded his mount. "Let's go, boy! Whoa!" the chocobo let out a hearty screech, then chased after Agura. "Whoo hoo! Agura is right! This is fun!"

"Hold on! I won't be bested by you!" Pierre grunted as he pitifully crawled onto the last chocobo. "Get going, you." At the command, the chocobo took off with great speed, faster than the two before it. "Aie! Too fast!" Pierre cried, voicing extreme displeasure until he was out of Arin's sight.

The speed and stamina of the chocobos was not mere exaggeration, the three riders discovered. In less than a day, they had arrived at their ship, and the birds didn't even look tired. "Ah, the Leviathan is just as we left it," Agura sighed in relief. "Not that just anyone can sail it out of here, anyway."

"Why do you say that?" Gordon asked as he dismounted from his chocobo.

"Well, the ship has a really cool security system. If you try using the ship without using the proper method, grabbing the wheel will send a shock, almost as powerful as one of those Thunder spells a black mage throws around." Agura started to laugh as old memories came back to him. "Oh, I remember when I showed that off to Fiona. She got so frazzled that she didn't speak to me for a whole month!"

"Who's Fiona?" Gordon asked.

"Oh, she's-"

"STOOOOOOP!" Pierre screamed as his chocobo was dashing here and there, refusing to let him off. "Please! I'll pay you in whatever you abominable birds eat, just let me go!"

"I'll get him," Gordon grunted. "Kweh!" As he called the chocobo, it stopped running and trotted over to the thief. Despite the fact that it stopped running, it still moved about too much to let the warrior down. "Agura, do we still have any of those carrots from Cornelia?"

"I'll check the cold storage," Agura said as he dashed onto the ship.

"Carrots? Is that what they eat?" Pierre whimpered.

"Well, according to the broom, they really love to eat plants known as Gysahl greens, but carrots are the next best thing," Gordon explained.

"Found some!" Agura announced. He leaped off the ship and landed next to the chocobo. "For the bird, right?"

"Yes, yes! I'm being held ransom by this thing!" Pierre squawked. "Get me down now!"

"I've got this," Gordon took three carrots and held them up to the chocobo, then jerked them away just as the bird was going to grab them.

"What are you doing?" Pierre cried.

"Let the man down first," Gordon ordered. The chocobo allowed Pierre to get off, and then stared at the carrots. "Now, take these, but share them with the others, okay?"

"Kweh!" The bird grabbed at the carrots by the greens and trotted towards the others, who each took one. They each devoured their carrots in no time at all, and then stretched in satisfaction. "Kweh Kweh!" One by one, the birds waved at the adventurers with their wings and took their leave.

"What?" Pierre gasped. "What was that?"

"The chocobo was frightened for some reason," Gordon explained. "You didn't run across anything dangerous, did you?"

"More than likely, the chocobo was scared of him," Agura grunted. "What did you do to it, Pierre?

"Nothing!" Pierre asserted. "I'll admit, that blasted thing is nothing at all like a horse, so I went off course once or twice, but I think that yellow devil was enjoying himself the whole time. What most likely set him off was a group of ogres that was walking by us." Pierre paused for a moment. "One of them had a severely injured arm… Oh, no."

"Ungan and his tribe, I'd bet," Gordon added. "I forgot all about him. Should we go back for him?"

"How?" Pierre countered, his face contorted by worry. "We just sent away those chocobos! It'd take too long to get there on foot." Pierre grunted in frustration and stomped onto the ship.

"Then he's on his own, then," Agura said with a frown. "I hope that old man is true to his word."

Even if he isn't, Arin still has the chocobo to help him," Gordon reasoned. "If there's trouble, it can keep him safe. The broom warned me that those talons on their legs are for more than just running." The three men looked on towards the mainland, then sighed.

"We won't gain anything from worrying," Pierre finally said. "The best we can do is continue with the plan and hope for the best." The other two nodded hesitantly. "Now, let's get moving. With how fast those demon birds run, Arin will grow old waiting for us to get back to Pravoka."

Gordon brightened a little bit at Pierre's words. "True. Arin is much tougher than he looks. He'll be fine."

"Alright, then it's settled." Agura began preparing the Leviathan for its voyage. "Let's head back to Cornelia!" The two Cornelians nodded and made for their positions on the ship- Pierre stood port side while Gordon climbed the crow's nest- and the Leviathan tore away from the dock and sailed back to the Kingdom of Dreams.