Disclaimer: Not all words said by the characters from the game are my creation; some dialogue comes directly from the game.

Here's Chapter Two!

Chapter Two: The First Day

The sun rose slowly as Tipa's caravan progressed. Following the only road which connected Tipa to the mainland, the caravan moved northward past flat, expansive plains filled with green grass and scattered trees.

While Yuniel, Iliana, Tiya, and Nalia remained in the wagon and Firal continued driving the papaopamus, the other three men marched alongside the wagon. Kayan stood upon its right side, Raku walked on the left, and Vaterium trailed behind. All four men remained separated for nearly an hour.

Raku was the first to break silence among the males. With a mischievous smile, he jumped onto the back of the papaopamus. Sitting upon the massive mammal, Raku was now directly facing Firal. "Hi there."

The Lilty's face could not be seen through his metal visor. "You know, you're blocking the road."

"Right." Raku stood and leapt toward Firal. Startled, Firal instinctively moved aside. Raku smoothly landed in a sitting position next to the male Lilty. "Hey, thanks for the spot." Ignoring the bright, hostile eyes staring through the Lilty's visor, Raku asked, "What's your name, soldier?"

"Firal Gat."

"I'm Raku. Hey, I'm liking the armor. Very shiny."

"Don't even think about touching it."

The Selkie chuckled. "Hey, what's wrong? You don't think I'm going to steal it, do you?"

"You are a Selkie."

"No, I'm not a Selkie. I'm Raku." Playfully, lightly punching Firal's armored shoulder, Raku said, "You don't have to worry about me, Firal. We're on the same team, right?"

"Right," Firal growled.

"Right." Suddenly standing, Raku climbed up the wagon. Grumbling to himself, Firal returned to his original seat and intently watched the road.

Laying himself upon the wagon's roof, Raku stuck his head through the curtains which separated the bed of the wagon from the outside world. The four women in the vehicle looked at him in surprise. "Hello, ladies. How are you?"

"Right-side up," Tiya replied almost instantaneously.

"I beg to differ. You look quite upside-down to me." Grabbing the edge of the roof, Raku dropped over the edge and swung through the curtained entrance. He landed in a seat directly next to Iliana. Beyond the Clavat was Yuniel, and sitting on the opposite side of the wagon were Nalia and Tiya. "Wow! You all look so different. I thought you ladies were beautiful before, but you are absolutely stunning when upright."

The four women stared at Raku with a variety of expressions. Tiya had an amused smile, Nalia was evidently annoyed, and both Iliana and Yuniel were confused and didn't know what to think of the male Selkie. Nalia was the first to reply. "What do you think you're doing, barging in here like that?"

Raku was quick to reply. Smiling, he said, "I wanted only to see your esteemed beauty. Oh, and how beautiful you are! Your leaves are red and pristine as a rose, its petals shining with the cold morning's dew." Nalia's face was cold and hard as stone. Turning toward Iliana, Raku continued, "And you, fair maiden: your hair is tantalizing, long and beauteous, curving and mysterious like an unending river." Iliana smiled embarrassedly, her cheeks instantly turning red. Looking past Iliana, Raku said to Yuniel, "And you, sweet damsel, have the armor of an angel, shining brighter than the sun, glowing like a heavenly star." Yuniel shrunk into the corner, evidently embarrassed by Raku's praising words. Raku finally addressed Tiya: "And you, lovely heroine, have eyes as captivating as a Crystal, mysterious and magical, somehow containing more beauty within than the perfect beauty upon the surface."

With a smile, Tiya raised her eyebrows and responded, "Impressive similes; did you spend all morning practicing?"

"On the contrary: never before have I known such words, but upon seeing the four most beautiful women of the land, I was struck and given speech as if four divine goddesses had descended and blessed me with all knowledge."

"If we have indeed given you all knowledge," Tiya said instantly, "then what are our names?"

Raku replied as quickly as Tiya had. "Well, it is clear: you are Silence, Amiability, Humility, and Wit, the four most glorious goddesses of the Earth, the four traits which only the most perfect individuals possess collectively."

"And what is your name, mortal?"

"Oh, I am ashamed to introduce my inferior name to the four who are the greatest of the deities. But you have asked it of me, and I cannot defy your divine will. My name is Raku Doon, though in my earthly world I am commonly known as Raku." The male Selkie abruptly jumped to his feet. "And as a mere mortal, I must depart, for fear my very flesh will melt in the presence of the powerful immortals." Bowing, he continued, "I thank you for the opportunity to witness your divine beauty. Either you have given me a great honor, or I am the luckiest man alive."

As Raku raised himself from his bowing position, Tiya stood. "Oh, but a man worthy of seeing the goddesses deserves a divine gift of farewell." Stepping forward, Tiya placed herself only inches from Raku and put a hand upon his chest. "After all, you are the luckiest man alive." Then she pushed her hand forward, strongly shoving him out of the wagon.

The male Selkie fell and landed heavily on his back. Fortunately, the wagon was moving slowly, and the height of the fall was relatively small. Though he experienced some pain, Raku was not seriously hurt.

He landed at the armored feet of Vaterium. The male Yuke halted and looked down, the dark, hollow eyeholes in his helmet staring at Raku.

Raku rolled his eyes. "Women, right?" Vaterium did not respond; instead, he returned to his previous march and stepped past the fallen Selkie. After standing, Raku groaned, stretched out his now-aching body, and ran to catch up with the caravan before being consumed by the miasma.

While Raku was in the wagon, Kayan moved forward so he was located to the side of Firal. "Hello," the Clavat said in greeting. "May I join you?"

At first, the Lilty did not respond. Then, after a few seconds of hesitation, he answered, "Sure." He scooted aside, allowing Kayan to sit beside him. Both stared at the road which slowly moved past them.

"I'm Kayan, by the way."

"I'm Firal."

"Nice to meet you." When Firal did not reply, Kayan continued, "Have you always lived in Tipa?"

"Yes."

"Me too. I'm surprised we haven't met before this. I mean, I certainly recognize you. But I'm surprised we haven't met. Your father was in the caravan, right?"

"Yes."

"Mine too." Kayan paused. "I'm glad they both made it back."

Firal looked at Kayan then. "You…did you have anyone else?" Firal was careful in how he approached the subject. When Kayan gave him a puzzled look, Firal said, "I mean…you didn't lose anyone, did you?"

Kayan gave Firal a light, grim smile and shook his head. "No. And only your father was a member, correct?" Firal nodded. "That's good. I…I still can't believe what happened. It must be so terrible for the others."

"Indeed," the Lilty replied quietly.

Kayan looked toward the back of the caravan. Behind the wagon were Vaterium and Raku walking silently together. Raku had attempted to initiate a conversation after catching up to the Yuke, but Vaterium had not responded. Now the Selkie marched beside him, hoping the Yuke would eventually be tempted to speak by his presence. Raku was not overly-persistent, however; he separated himself from the Yuke by a few feet and allowed the man to walk in silence.

"I'm going to see how they're doing," Kayan told Firal.

"Good idea."

Leaving the Lilty to continue controlling the vehicle, Kayan jumped off the wagon. He waited until Raku and Vaterium were close and then joined their line. "Hi guys."

Raku was standing closest to Kayan. Smiling at the Clavat, he replied, "Good morning." Turning toward Vaterium, the Selkie continued, "Isn't it a good morning?" The male Yuke did not respond. "Well, maybe not for all of us."

"Have you seen the others?" Kayan asked. Raku nodded. "Are they doing alright?"

The Selkie's smile vanished. "They're ok. They were all pretty sad when I came upon them. Only the Selkie was really doing alright. I don't think she's lost anyone, but I can't be sure."

Kayan nodded. "Thanks. I'll go check on them." He extended his hand. "I'm Kayan."

The Selkie shook the Clavat's hand. "I'm Raku. Good luck, Kayan."

Nodding once more, Kayan quickened his pace. Stepping onto the wagon, he knocked before pulling aside a curtain. The four women all looked at him; all but Tiya held great sorrow in their eyes. Raku's distraction had only temporarily lightened the mood within the wagon. "May I come in?" Kayan asked slowly.

"Of course," Tiya replied quickly.

Stepping inside, Kayan remained standing despite the open seats next to Tiya and Iliana. "Hello everyone. Since we're going to be together for the next year, I wanted to introduce myself. I'm Kayan."

Tiya smiled lightly. "I'm Tiya."

"I'm Iliana." After glancing toward the silent, sad Lilty across from her, Iliana faced Kayan once more and said, "This is Nalia, my greatest friend."

Because she and Kayan knew each other, Yuniel simply nodded to Kayan.

"It's very nice to meet you all." Kayan paused before saying, "Nalia, Iliana: I'm so sorry for your loss. I know you don't know me, but if there's anything I can ever do, please let me know." Looking toward the end of the wagon, Kayan asked, "Yuniel: you doing alright?"

The Yuke nodded. "I am. Thank you, Kayan."

Kayan gave her a small smile and nodded. "We'll be outside if you ever want to join us."

Just as Kayan was about to exit the wagon, the vehicle began to slow down. Though the negative acceleration was slow, Kayan gripped the wooden supports beside him in surprise. When they had come to a halt, Kayan, Tiya, Iliana, Nalia, and Yuniel exited the vehicle.

Standing alongside the road were five Lilties encased in black armor. Beside them was a moogle wearing yellow travel-clothes and carrying a brown backpack bursting with maps and other traveling items. Behind the Lilties and moogle were a papaopamus and a wagon, both of which were identical to Tipa's papaopamus and wooden vehicle.

While four of the foreign Lilties were positioned in a line paralleling the road, one stood several feet in front of them. Appearing to be the leader, the single Lilty said to Firal, "Hail, fellow caravanner!"

Firal lowered himself from the driver's seat and bowed to the leader. "Hail, mighty Alfitarian."

The stranger chuckled. "Please, do not bow. We are all caravanners; we are all friends here. I am Sol Racht. What is your name, young man?"

"I am Firal Gat, son of Lyle Gat."

"Lyle Gat?" Sol Racht hesitated. "Oh. I see. You are from Tipa, then." Firal nodded silently. Seeing the other seven members of Tipa's caravan, who had just joined the scene, Sol Racht said, "I am so sorry for what happened to your caravan." Looking at the eight teenagers more closely, the armored Lilty said, "You are all so young." After a moment's pause, he continued, "It gladdens my heart to see your bravery. I admire your courage, your sacrifice, and your strength in keeping hope and protecting your village. Tipa needs you now more than ever. On behalf of all of Alfitaria, I salute you." Sol bowed, and the four Lilties behind him bowed together.

Stepping forward, Kayan said with a grim smile, "Thank you. We are honored. We've heard so much about you and your caravan. Your caravan's strength is known throughout the land. We can only hope that our village's caravans will one day be as great as yours."

"Indeed," Sol replied, "our caravan boasts a history that stretches back thousands of years, and we have established traditions of training and honoring members of our caravan. But despite your village's tragic history, I suspect you have as much, if not more, strength than us warriors of Alfitaria. For strength does not derive from the successes of the past; strength stems from the actions of the present and the hope for the future. I believe you will make your village proud."

Kayan nodded appreciatively. As the Clavat did so, Sol saw the empty chalice with Iliana's arms. "Oh!" Sol exclaimed. "Your chalice is empty. You've had a late start. That is understandable, though, after what happened to your village." After a moment of contemplation, Sol said, "We were headed to River Belle Path, but you should go there, instead. We will travel to Port Tipa and seek Myrrh elsewhere. Do you know where River Belle Path is?"

Shaking his head, Kayan replied, "I am afraid we do not."

"I see." Sol turned and looked toward his caravan. His soldiers were now conversing together. With them was the yellow-clothed moogle. Addressing the moogle, Sol called, "Stiltzkin! Do you have a moment?" When the moogle turned around, Sol said, "This is the caravan from Tipa." Facing the eight teenagers, Sol said, "Allow me to introduce Stiltzkin. He may not look it, but he is a seasoned adventurer. Even we turn to him for counsel from time to time."

After waddling closer, Stiltzkin said, "No, I'm just a moogle that likes to get around. I learned all sorts of things in my travels before I knew it. The world is full of knowledge and mysteries waiting to be discovered."

Speaking now to the moogle, Sol said, "I know you have explored all of the known world, Stiltzkin. Is there any chance I could purchase a map from you?"

The moogle raised his eyebrows. "Yes, but they come at no small price. These maps are detailed; they took a great amount of time and effort to make, kupo."

"I am aware." Facing his caravan, Sol commanded, "Pay Stiltzkin whatever price he requests."

Stiltzkin allowed Sol to extract a map from his backpack. Turning toward Tipa's caravan, Stiltzkin said, "I am certain we will meet again, kupo." Then he departed to collect his fee.

Sol addressed the eight teenagers once more. "This should help you with your travels. Stiltzkin has determined the pattern of the Miasma Streams as well as the locations of all Myrrh Trees."

"I'm sorry," Kayan said slowly, "but I am certain we don't have the funds necessary to buy that map."

"I know." Stepping forward, Sol placed the map within Kayan's hands.

The new caravan was caught by surprise. "We…we can't…we can't take this," Kayan stammered.

"The world is a dark place. It is not often that we caravanners find any source of light, hope, or goodness in the world. We've got to help each other whenever we can."

Accepting the gift, Kayan smiled. "Thank you. We will not forget this. We will repay you whenever we can."

Sol chuckled. "There is no need. But if repaying me means we must meet again, then let it be so." The Lilty bowed once more to the eight Tipans. "Good luck. I look forward to the next time we meet." Spinning around with the practiced routine of a trained soldier, Sol marched back to his caravan.

Beyond the Alfitarian caravan was a diversion leading to River Belle Path. Waving to the five Lilties and single moogle, the Tipan caravan followed the path toward their first Myrrh Tree.

Because they had exited the wagon during their encounter with Alfitaria's caravan, Nalia, Yuniel, Iliana, and Tiya now remained outside. All except Firal now walked alongside the papaopamus and its heavy load.

After briefly studying the map, Kayan approached the wagon to store the map away. He arrived there just as Iliana did. "Oh," Iliana said in surprise when seeing Kayan, "hello."

Kayan smiled. "Hello, Iliana." He noticed that she was still holding the Crystal Chalice. "Would you like me to carry that?"

"I was actually just about to put it away."

"Oh! Good idea." Kayan jumped up onto the wagon. "Here, I'll take it."

Iliana smiled appreciatively as she handed him the chalice. "Thank you."

Kayan disappeared into the wagon and began to freak out. She's talking to me! he thought in a panic. What do I say!? Ah! What do I do!? He had never met Iliana, but he had seen her every year at the end-of-the-year festival which Tipa held for the return of its caravan and the Restoration of the Crystal. Every year he had wanted to speak to her, and every year he had been too scared to do so.

Immediately discarding the map and chalice, Kayan paced the wagon with his hands on his head. Ok, calm down. You're overreacting. Just act normal, just get to know her. Calm down, she's just one person, you don't even know her, just talk to her the way you've been talking to the others. Taking a deep breath, Kayan steadied himself and exited the wagon.

Iliana was waiting outside. "Thank you, again."

"Of course, anytime." Kayan hopped down and walked beside Iliana. The two Clavats moved slowly, creating some distance between themselves and the noisy wagon.

"It was really kind of them to give us that map," Iliana said. "I hope it didn't cost much."

"Yeah, I hope not." Following a brief pause, Kayan said, "I wonder how many maps Stiltzkin has."

"Probably not many. He must have a hard time drawing them. Since, you know, he doesn't have hands."

Laughing, Kayan replied, "I never thought of that."

Iliana also laughed. A radiant smile lit her face, making her absolutely beautiful. "He must have very strong muscles in his feet."

"Wait, moogles don't have toes, do they?"

"Nope. Makes his maps even more impressive, doesn't it?"

The two Clavats laughed together and, for the next few hours, continued to converse as they walked together.

Meanwhile, Tiya and Yuniel were walking alongside one another. The four females of the caravan had come to somewhat know each other during the morning, so the Selkie and Yuke now felt fairly comfortable with each other. They spoke of their past, though both avoided speaking of their parents or of the previous caravan.

Vaterium began far behind Yuniel and Tiya. While the two were engaged in conversation, however, he moved closer and marched directly next to them. Though he did not know what to say, he wished to join them and be a listener. The two women saw him but did not speak. It was not that they felt particularly uncomfortable with him—they were actually glad to have him—but they recognized his silence and were uncertain if he wished to be addressed or not.

Instead, the Yuke and Selkie spoke to each other. "You live in the northeastern corner of town, right?" Tiya inquired. "What does your family do?"

"We are alchemists," Yuniel answered. "We gather, experiment with, and create magicite."

"That sounds really cool! Do you enjoy it?"

"Oh yes. I've learned so much. Magic is truly fascinating; I feel like I discover something new about it every day!"

Raku joined them at this point. Sliding in beside Yuniel, Raku said, "Hey, gorgeous. You know, I almost mistook you for the sun; your armor is truly as golden and beautiful as that heavenly body above us."

Yuniel once again became extremely embarrassed. Tiya stepped in, separating Raku from Yuniel, who gladly hid herself behind Tiya. Speaking to Raku, Tiya said with a smile, "Starting all over with the similes, huh?"

"No, I'd say I'm simply expanding my conceits. Did I mention that your eyes are as beautiful and mysterious as a bottomless lake?"

Tiya raised her eyebrows and put her hands on her hips. "You never give up, do you?"

"To give up, I would require a goal. What is my goal, dear maiden of the diamond eyes?"

"Evidently to seduce all women."

"Then you mistake my intentions. My goal is not to trick with false words, but rather to tell the truth, to show others the beauty they never knew they had."

"Very convincing words."

"I'll take your word for it."

Rolling her eyes, Tiya turned back toward Yuniel. Raku skipped behind and around them, returning to a walk next to Vaterium. Addressing the male Yuke, Raku said, "I apologize if you are sick of me, good sir, but I will persist until you have given me your name."

The Yuke looked directly at Raku, his emotions impossible to see through his metal mask. After numerous seconds of silence, he spoke. "Vaterium."

Raku smiled, nodded, and watched the surrounding countryside without uttering another word. Vaterium was surprised. Wow, he actually stopped, the Yuke thought to himself. He is certainly honest. Perhaps there is more to him than meets the eye. Both Raku and Vaterium were content with the situation, so they continued in silence while Yuniel and Tiya conversed.

In the front of the caravan, Firal continued to drive the papaopamus forward. Soon after leaving the Alfitarian caravan, however, Firal saw Nalia walking alone to the side of the wagon. Firal watched her curiously. He knew of Nalia, for her parents and his father had been good friends in the previous caravan. I have to do something, Firal thought. She's lost everything. I have to do something.

After nearly a minute of nervous hesitation, Firal spoke. "Hey!" When Nalia turned, Firal said, "Um…would you like to sit up here? I can make room."

Nalia glared at him. "I'm not weak, you know. I can walk."

Firal flinched and waved his hands defensively. "No, no, I didn't mean that. I was just wondering if…um…you'd ever driven a papaopamus before."

Fortunately, Nalia's hostility lessened. "Oh. No, I haven't."

"Oh. You…you want to see how?"

Nalia approached and pulled herself onto the wagon. Because he was so familiar with the topic, Firal now spoke fluidly and confidently, explaining and demonstrating how to control the papaopamus. Nalia observed with satisfying curiosity. "How do you know all this?"

"My father showed me how whenever the caravan was home. He taught me everything I know." Nalia became sad and somber at the mention of parents. Seeing this, Firal quickly asked, "Would you like to try?"

"Sure," Nalia murmured softly. She took the reins and drove for the next few hours while Firal assisted her and offered her many pieces of advice.

The caravan traveled for the rest of the day. Some hours after encountering the Alfitarian caravan, the eight Tipans discovered a patch of trees with many dead limbs scattered upon the ground. Deciding this was an adequate camping spot, the caravan halted and set up camp near the road.

When the caravan had come to a stop, Iliana said to Kayan, "It was really great talking to you. I'm going to go see how Nalia is doing."

"Right. Great to meet you." Iliana smiled and departed. When the female Clavat vanished behind the wagon, Kayan quickly scanned his surroundings. Seeing that nobody was looking at him, he raised his fists into the air and silently cheered. Yes! I actually talked to her! Quickly regaining his composure, he joined his companions with a smile upon his face.

The caravan quickly prepared the camp as a new yet fairly efficient team. Nalia and Iliana fed the papaopamus, Kayan and Yuniel laid out blankets and food, and the other four gathered a week's worth of firewood.

By the time the chores were completed, the sun had set. Firal organized a pile of wood and Yuniel ignited it with a Fire spell, creating a blazing, warming campfire. Though the night was only somewhat chilly, the caravan was grateful for the comforting heat of the fire. When gathered in a circle around the flames, the eight teenagers said very little to each other. Instead, they stared at the raging fire before them. All thought of home, though not all recalled their memories with fondness.

Not long after the eight individuals had finished dinner, Raku stood. "Well, I'm off. Good night, my dear companions."

"Where are you going?" Iliana asked.

"I shall be the lookout for the night. More is always safer, but I suspect one guard should be sufficient. Don't worry; I won't fall asleep."

"Great idea," Kayan said. "I hadn't thought of that."

"Don't worry," Raku replied. "That's what a team is for." Without another word, Raku departed, scaled the wagon, and sat upon the roof of the vehicle. After waving to the others, Raku intently watched the surrounding landscape.

Weary from their first day of travel, Kayan, Iliana, Nalia, Firal, Tiya, and Yuniel slowly drifted into slumber. Only Vaterium remained awake. The Yuke continued to gaze at the fire, his eyes never straying from the consuming flames.

When nearly an hour had passed, Raku called with a loud whisper, "Hey!" Vaterium turned, moving his gaze from the dying embers to the male Selkie. The others did not awaken. "Wanna join me?"

Vaterium simply stared at him for many long seconds. Then he silently stood and approached the wagon. Raku reached his hand down and assisted the Yuke in boarding the vehicle. "Let's sit back-to-back," Raku suggested. "We can work as a team."

The Yuke quietly followed the directions. Once Vaterium had sat, he hesitantly leaned his back against Raku's. Raku sighed in relief when the Yuke's armor was not as uncomfortable as he had anticipated. "Hey, thanks," Raku whispered. "My back was killing me. And I was wrong: it is quite difficult to guard the caravan alone. It's impossible to keep a vigilant eye without a 360-degree scope. You are a great help."

Vaterium did not reply. The two sat in silence. Over time, the glow of the fading embers completely vanished, causing the moon and the stars to be the only visible sources of light within the dark night. The land was brightened by the heavenly bodies, allowing the two men to more easily guard the encampment. Fortunately, they never saw movement apart from the occasional swaying of trees, caused by gentle, sporadic breezes. Though the zephyrs were weak and few in number, they were noticeably cold, assisting the two sentinels in remaining awake.

Several hours after Vaterium had joined Raku, when the moon was at its zenith within the sky, the Yuke spoke. "Thank you," he murmured. His voice was as soft as the light winds which occupied the night. "Thank you...for including me."

Raku smiled. "Of course," he whispered in return. "We're a team now. We've got to look out for each other."

The two said nothing after that. They remained awake throughout the night, watching over the land like the dim stars glowing above them.