Chapter 39, Jahara
Vaan couldn't do much more than stare at their saviour. It was without doubt the strangest creature he had ever clapped eyes on. It was vaguely human shaped but its shoulders hunched forward and its neck stuck out almost horizontally, giving it a very angular look. It was also enormous, fully half again as tall as Basch. Thick sinewy muscles wound their way around its body and it seemed to be covered in a thick down of feathers. It wore nothing but for a simple skirt made of various plant life and its face was obscured by an peculiar mask shaped like a bird head complete with a pair of flanking wings the size of Vaan's body, it was a wonder it could even hold its head up.
The wyrm bellowed its outrage but was powerless in its icy prison. Fran strode over to the newcomer.
"Supinelu, how long have you been standing there?"
"Long enough to know many things." Supinelu said evasively.
"Who's this guy?" Vaan said suspiciously. Fran whipped round, deliberately catching him on the side of the head with her bow.
"Show more respect to the war chief of Jahara." She said sharply.
Penelo gasped. "So this is a Garif."
Supinelu threw back his head and laughed long and loud, it sounded like the echoes across the plains.
"Have we grown so reclusive that Humes no longer know a Garif when they see one?" He boomed, "Well I suppose it's better than the alternative. Come on then, if you know nothing of my people then it's time you learned."
He began to stride quickly to the west.
"What about him?" Balthier said uncertainly pointing at the wyrm. The Garif shrugged.
"The ice will melt eventually but by then we will be far away from here."
The further they walked the dustier the land became. There were fewer and fewer trees and more and more rock formations.
"You were not far off course." Supinelu called over his shoulder. "Another day on the wing and you would have made it here."
Balthier drew level with their leader. "Tell me." He asked. "You are the war chief of your entire tribe, correct?"
"Yes."
"Then why are you so far from you village without an escort?"
The Garif looked a little uncomfortable. "Once you see our warriors train, you will realise the plains hold no danger to us." Though the feeling couldn't be shaken that this chief was playing truant.
The sun was beginning to set by the time the small group arrived at a pair of enormous wooden gates at the end of a long wooden bridge.
"You arrived at a good time." Supinelu said as he knocked loudly on the gate. "Tonight we celebrate the festival of Chiom"
The gates were hauled open and two bulky Garif lumbered out.
"Ahh, chief. Again!" One said exasperatedly.
"You know exactly how the great chief will take this."
Supinelu raised his hand for silence.
"I will deal with the great chief but for now see to it that my friends are fed and watered."
At once the attitudes of the guards became colder.
"Humes war chief? At this time?"
"They are no friends of Archadia or Rozaria." The chief said sternly. "They come seeking our help. And they shall have it."
The guards reluctantly let them past into the village. Jahara had always been friendly towards any neighbouring country, accepting any who wished to see their dusty plains and grazing herds. This gave Archadia and Rozaria the idea that the Garif were a bunch of pansies. After the crippling of the Titan and her fleet, almost one thousand strong, both sides decided to leave Jahara alone. The occupants however had never quite forgotten the unprovoked attack on their homeland, and were being much more careful.
Vaan was reminded vaguely of the nomad village but on a much bigger scale. The huts looked big enough to house whole families, there was a huge fence running round the perimeter and always these huge Garif lumbering everywhere. He felt he'd shrunk a metre or two just looking at them.
Supinelu seemed to notice this. "It's not like we wanted to be tall," He quipped. "We were just born that way."
Vaan snapped out of his daze. "So what so you Garif do besides... be tall?" He said lazily.
"Well we hunt, we make things, we herd our nanna, we milk our nanna, we build huts, sing songs, dance around fires... Some would also say that we give good advice. But we do all these things better with food in our bellies."
Dinner was in a leaf around a campfire. Many were hoping for something a bit more civilised but hunger soon took over. They gorged themselves to bursting not really caring what it was they ate, except perhaps for Penelo who wouldn't touch a slimy green substance which many of the Garif were shovelling into their mouths as if it was keeping them alive. Strangely, the Garif didn't remove their masks, even to eat. They simply lifted them enough to expose a sharp pointed mouth in order to get the food in.
"Why do you wear those masks all the time?" Ashe asked Supinelu curiously.
He chuckled, bending down so she could see all of his mask. "A creature's face can tell a lie, even if it doesn't mean to. The purple miyoa flower can't help being beautiful any more than it can help poisoning you. In our culture it doesn't matter if you're ugly or beautiful, this mask is my true face. It tells you exactly who I am before you even speak to me."
"Aren't they heavy to hold up?"
"You get used to the weight."
Fran walked over and sat down on the other side of Supinelu.
"How is my old knife doing then?" He asked cheerfully.
Fran pulled the short straight sword from its sheath, Basch's eyes widened.
"Where did you get that?" He breathed.
"From me." Supinelu answered as he turned to stare at Basch, for a moment he felt like the creature was looking right through him. "You're familiar with the design of this sword aren't you?"
"How did you get your hands on one?" Basch asked sharply.
"I didn't steal it if that's what you mean." The chief replied coolly. "Landis was a good friend of ours in the past and a traveller entrusted us with the knowledge to make one."
Basch stood up and left the fire stopping only to pick up his giant bundle.
"So how do you know Fran?" Penelo said.
Supinelu dipped his head. "Almost fifty years ago now, she crawled up the steps of our village half dead. She had walked all the way from Golmore to Jahara, two weeks walking without any water." He turned to Fran. "Your hair was shorter then." He chuckled.
She punched him playfully in the arm. "If you're going to tell the story, don't break the atmosphere."
"Anyway, we Garif don't usually have dealings with Viera." He continued "A few of our texts say this sort of thing is a bad omen. I say if someone needs you, you help."
"He saved my life." Fran said simply. "I was dying in more ways than one, he fed and watered me, clothed me, armed me and gave me some good advice."
"Again with the advice." Supinelu exclaimed. "We're not sages you know."
"He gave me his own knife." Fran said, stroking the short sword affectionately. "Made with Akion steel in the style of the Landis blades."
"And now." Supinelu cut across her. "Another woman comes to me lost, tired, so far from home and looking for help." The atmosphere plummeted. "Am I wrong princess of Dalmasca?"
Ashe looked a little taken aback. "Listen, I only want to talk to whoever here knows about nethicite."
"That's easy enough." The chief murmured. "We all know about nethicite, but my people have successfully stayed out of this war. We have shown the world that our little land is not worth being conquered. If you are about to bring it to our doorstep I will personally see to it that you leave at once."
"You survived last time the empire attacked." Fran pointed out but the Garif scoffed loudly.
"One pitiful airship and a few flanking cruisers. One thousand Humes. Hah! Garif have both the power of a slaven and the magick of a wyrm, Archadia underestimated us last time. Next time there will be more."
"You cannot be beaten by them." Fran assured him.
The chief hung his head. "At the gates this evening the guards did not want to let you in, were they right to think so?"
Ashe closed her eyes in thought. "I don't know, if the Empire finds out we're here there's no telling what will happen to Jahara. But your people are strong and proud, and if we don't get the information we came for then it's only a matter of time before either Archadia or Rozaria takes over this land too."
For a moment all that could be heard was the crackling of the fire, Then Supinelu began to laugh.
"Spoken like a true monarch." He said heartily. Very well, I will let you see the great chief. You may stay in Jahara for a few days, these days few humes get this honour."
He rose to his feet. "Sweet friends, to bed."