Chapter 21 The exile and the flower
"Hurry, this way." Barked Basch leading the party across an unstable looking connecting bridge between two giant silos. The enormous oil sucking structure was bigger than calculated. According to Vossler it took them across most of the sandsea and they were nearing the end of it, at which point they would have a days journey to the valley of the dead. It had taken them nearly a week to cross the structure and their supplies were running low, they had finished the last fresh food last night. Fran had hunted what she could from the scafolding but came back empty handed.
"There it is." Vaan said happily. He pointed towards a ramp on the next column leading down to shore. No more blazing sun, no more hot metal to walk on, the possibility of food. The party quickened their pace at the thought, only Basch and Vossler hesitated. Unlike most of the others they knew that back on land they were vunerable to urutan attack. Only the two knights noticed but the little savages were hiding underneath them on their sand fish. If they were here now then it could only mean.
"Everone wait!" Boomed Vossler his voice carrying over the wind. Fran and Balthier stopped but Vaan ploughed on and jumped down to land. Instantly thirty urutan emerged from beneath the sand itself, bows drawn. Vaan barely had time to draw breath before the creatures let fly. He dropped to the ground instantly but caught an arrow in his shoulder and leg. In seconds Fran was at his side and dropped two urutan with one shot. Balthier followed suite from up on the bridge and another dropped to the sand. A few of them made a brave charge into the group but Vossler and Basch repelled them. Soon it became obvious who was going to win and the urutan retreated.
"We must hurry on." Vossler barked sheathing his blade. "They have gone to fetch the rest of their tribe. The tribes number in hundreds, we'll stand no chance here."
"Wait." Penelo shouted over the large man. "Look." One urutan was not fleeing, nor was it attacking. It just stood there.
"Doesn't that one look a little different?" Vaan asked as the creature approached. It looked different from the ordinary urutan. For one thing it wore no cloak, or for that matter anything and carried a sword much longer and brutal looking.
"Shoo." Balthier tried. No reaction. Vossler made a mock charge at it, still nothing. Finally Vaan could take no more and ran at it fully with and overhead slash. The creature caught the blade on it's own with surprising strength. Undetered Vaan pushed the creature to the ground and made another swing but the urutan was ready, it rolled clear of the blade and struck out at Vaan's hip. If it weren't for the armour he had scavenged from the prison he would be neatly in two parts right now. Startled by this Vaan hesitated to attack a second time and the urutan took advantage of the opening. Diving forward it proceeded to slice upwards, demolishing the hilt of Vaan's sword and injuring his hand. The boy yelped and staggered backwards readying his shield just in time to repel a volley of strikes. This was no ordinary urutan, that much was clear now. As Vaan fell to the floor the creature prepared for the killer blow, but it never came. Vaan opened his eyes to see the creature standing over him, it's sword at it's side. Why hadn't it killed him. Then for no reason at all it began to move away, everyone watched it go curiously. As it was about to dissapear into a ravine it stopped and cocked it's head in an unmistakable gesture.
"I think it wants us to follow him." Penelo said blankly. Balthier raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, let's follow the creatures that tried to kill us."
"It hasn't tried to kill us yet." Basch pointed out, Vossler grunted.
"But could at any time." Vaan stood up and gathered the remainder of his sword, he would need to replace the guard. Then he did something none of them expected. He followed the urutan.
"Come on!" He beckoned to them, hesitantly the small group followed.
"Well this is going to end swimingly." Balthier grumbled.
For two hours they followed the curious animal through various canyon and desert that made up the sandsea, they stopped only at the odd little oasis to refill their waterskins. After what seemed an eternity the creature suddenly stopped.
"What is it?" Vaan asked it, the urutan gestured with it's leg towards a beach at the largest oasis they had past. At first Vaan saw nothing wrong, then one of the giant boulders moved. It grew legs, and a head and it rose out of it's indent in the rock. The entire group gaped as a giant tortoise plodded into the clearing, the creature had been disturbed by a young urutan which was playing nearby. It was moving across the sand at a remarkable speed for it's size and weight, Vaan however failed to notice where it was heading until it was too late. The monster rammed the baby urutan at full force sending it flying into the air, it barely managed a scream before the bizzare tortoise reared up and ate it in one gulp. Penelo gasped and fell to her knees, Vaan couldn't bare to watch, Everyone else watched with a grim sense of reallity. Satisfied the shelled beast went back to it's resting place.
"I think I know why this guy brought us here." Vaan said suddenly, breaking the silence. "He wants us to kill that thing." Everyone looked at him incredulously. "What?" He asked.
"No offence Vaan." Penelo said carefully. "But when was this our buisness?" Vaan glared at her.
"When we just saw a kid getting eaten by that thing."
"That was an urutan kid, they tried to kill us."
"Cause we were on their turf." Basch put a hand on his shoulder.
"I'm afraid she's right Vaan, there's nothing we can do." Vaan brushed the hand away.
"Well I'm doing something whether you like it or not." With that he stormed away from the group.
Around the fire that night Vaan still hadn't returned.
"Do you think he'll be alright?" Penelo asked anxiously. Basch smiled reasuringly.
"I think if any fate awaits Vaan it's not to die out here in the desert." He said, sounding a lot surer than he felt.
"Well drat him I say." Balthier added. "Since the start of this whole affair he's been nothing but trouble. If he hadn't been there the robbery of the palace we would have escaped, the youngest of us wouldn't have been kidnapped, Her highness would still be prancing around in the resistance and our knight in shining armour would still be locked up where he can't batter the general mood with his brooding." He finished.
"An impressive rant pirate." Vossler chuckled.
"What my partner is trying to say." Explained Fran. "Is that he misses him and wants him back." Balthier scoffed.
As the moon rose over the trees Vaan applied the finishing touches to his sword hilt and sheathed the weapon. The urutan was beside him, sharpening his own blade. Together the two of them readied themselves, something that scientists told was impossible. Hume and Urutan, brothers in arms.
"Let's go." Vaan said decisively making the final ajustments to his armour. and together they strode into the night. The creature lay on it's side in it's ditch, undisturbed as the assailants approached. Vaan was the first to strike, his sword struck home but bounced off the enormous shell. The boy winced at the impact jarr on his wrist, that shell was tougher than steel, and now it's owner was considerably less passive. The monster rolled to it's feet and turned to face it's two attackers. The sword and shield felt significantly puny and weak in comparison to the giant Vaan now faced, but for the moment he didn't have to. The urutan leapt into the fray, striking the turtle several times in it's face which seemed to be affecting it. Inspired by the creature's courage Vaan charged in again trying to replicate the feat. To his surprise the head was remarkably exposed and vunerable. He could do this, he could hurt this creature and if he could hurt it he could kill it. Then the tortoise reared up on it's back legs and flattened him. It was only the powerfull chestplate armour he was wearing that prevented his ribcage from shattering, even so he heard several things crack. That was it then, he was unable to fight. This creature was going to eat him alive just like it had done to the urutan child, in desperation or perhaps rage, he struck out. Right into the monster's jaw. It gave a great scream and staggered backwards into the water of the oasis temporarily blinded with pain. Vaan's partner didn't miss the oppurtunity, he charged in on a side angle and swiftly decapitated the creature. Vaan watched it fall with a curious expression on his face, as if watching an object of facination, in that this carcass was once a mighty beast. Cleaning his sword, the urutan walked over to Vaan and inspected him. Vaan choked on the blood in his lungs before he could say anything. The creature cocked it's head, then reached into it's pouch and drew out a piece of paper pressing it against his chest. Almost instantly sparks began flowing out of it. Vaan cringed as he felt his bones knitting back together. After a few minutes healing Vaan stood up ajusting to his new bones.
"Thanks." He said gratefully to the crustacian like face of the urutan, again his comrade cocked it's head and began to walk away. Curiously Vaan followed. After walking through the trees for a few minutes they reached a clearing where the trees overhung the path like a cave. As Vaan looked inside he saw that this must be the urutan's home, all around were discarded items like weapons and bones. The urutan dissapeared inside for a few minutes and came out again cradling something in it's hands. As Vaan knealt down beside him he shoved his item into Vaan's arms, it was a plant. Vaan stared at it entranced. It was bright purple, it's flower was blue and it grew little berries from it's stem, without question this flower must be very rare and one of the urutan's prized treasures.
"Thank you." He said breathlessly, the urutan bent it's knee in an unmistakable bow. Then in a flash of light he knealt there for a full two minutes, bewildered, covered in the ash that was only minutes ago a living breathing animal. Only when he finally looked around did he see a group of urutan in the bushes, along with a different one. One who looked powerfull not only physically but magically, it shuffled it's feet at him angrily. Vaan didn't know the language but the message was clear. Get out of my land or die, the "queen." Let her message sink in, then vanished into the trees with her men.
The next morning the group gathered at the spot where the urutan fell, no one really knew why they were there but Vaan had been very convincing the following night. They simply stood in silence for a few minutes honouring the death of a noble warrior.
"They killed him for asking you for help." Fran explained. "It is considered blasphemy in their culture." Vaan didn't care the reason, all he knew was the urutan was dead, and there was only one thing he could do for it now. He took a few of the berrys from his plant, and then planted it in the soil on his death spot.