Chapter 49, Three Sisters and the pirate
In the darkness of the jungle Golmore jungle, a saurian stalked through the trees. The close environment of the jungle did not seem the ideal habitat for such a large animal but his kind were occasionally seen wandering the trails, but now was not the best time to be anywhere near him. The most fearsome predator in all the jungle began shifting and sliding over the forest undergrowth, peering through the leaves the hunter fixes it's eyes on its unwary victim. Waiting for the perfect moment to strike...
"I got him." Muttered Fran softly as the saurian fell without even knowing what had hit it.
"What are you talking about, that was my arrow." Jote protested as they approached their catch.
"No one's as strong as you Fran." Mjrn said sheepishly, coming out of hiding.
Jote glared at her younger sister. "Why did I even bring you along?" She groaned. "I'm the eldest I should be able to hunt alone."
Fran sniggered. "If I wasn't there to support you yesterday you would have been malboro meat."
Jote turned round and punched Fran in the jaw, sending her flying back into a tree. She dropped to the ground hissing like a viper, Jote barked and bared her teeth, Mjrn sidled worriedly between them.
"Don't hurt each other..." She whimpered.
Jote sniffed, scratching her fur. "Come on then." She huffed, "Grab what we came for and let's get out of here."
Young Viera grow a soft downy fur along their arms and down their legs, this lingers to about the end of Viera adolescence at around 39 at which point it falls off and the Viera is considered of age. From that point on she may use a true Viera bow, she may have a say in all matters concerning the tribe and she may choose a mate from amongst any males the tribe captures. Jote's fur was falling off fast, and she never let Fran and Mjrn hear enough of it.
"You wait and see." She boasted. "I'll be the greatest spellweaver the tribe has ever known, I'll kill dozens of monsters, invent bold new forest techniques, defend the wood from the evil Humes..."
"Bold words from a shedder." Fran said slyly, tugging out one of Jote's arm hairs.
Her sister grinned menacingly. "Keep tugging sister, every hair lost is another towards my goals. Soon I'll be the elder of the whole village, then you'll have to listen to me."
"Will I have to let you win at archery?" Fran shot smugly.
"I can spell circles around you." Jote snorted holding her nose in the air. "If you think..." She stopped dead.
"What is it?" Fran crowed. "You don't seriously think..."
"Get down!" Jote hissed dragging Fran to the leaf litter.
Only then did Fran realise where they were. They had wandered too far off the path, she had read about this place before in maps but never actually seen it. The eastern edge of the jungle. The three sisters crouched motionless as the outside world stood only feet away, a world forbidden for any of them to tread.
"Alright." Jote breathed. "Just back away slowly."
"Jote, I'm scared." Mjrn snivelled
"We'll be safe soon." Jote reassured her. She began to lead her away from the edge of the trees but Fran stayed rooted to the spot.
From the gaps in the trees bright daylight shone, dazzling her. She knew daylight from the village but this was different somehow. Like someone had bottled the sun and was trying to blind her with it. Unable to stop herself she started crawling forward.
"Fran get back." Hissed Jote.
"Please Fran." Whispered Mjrn.
Their pleas fell on Fran's deaf ears as for the first time she left the safety of the trees and stepped into the bright daylight. She stood there dumbstruck, the vast rolling Ozmone plains stretched out before her like a green canopy. The light, the noise, the animals. Something about that place intrigued her. She had always been warned about going anywhere near the edge of the wood, but now she had seen it how could she ignore all this.
"Fran, will you come to your senses!" Jote hissed. "Get back here now!"
Then all the years of being told to stay away came crashing back to Fran, all those tales of how Viera who abandon the wood are Viera no longer. How they changed and warped in body and mind, how the wood would no longer speak to them. Shivering slightly at what she had just done she slunk back into the wood's embrace.
They did not speak until they were far away from that place, then Jote spoke up.
"What were you thinking?" She shrieked. "You know what's out there."
Fran was still trembling from her experience and took a while to answer. "I... I'm sorry sister." She managed. "I don't know, one moment I was..."
Jote sighed and pulled her sister into a hug. "Don't scare us like that." She scolded while Mjrn sobbed quietly in the background. "Look what you did to Mjrn."
Fran managed a shaky laugh. "I'm sorry Mjrn, I should have been more careful."
"Come on," Mjrn called to them. "They'll be missing us at the village."
After that little disturbance Fran had learned her lesson, she vowed never to leave the wood again. An oath she probably would have kept, were it not for the incident that followed five years later.
There was nothing about the village that day that suggested something strange would soon be happening. The spell weavers worked their magick, the blade singers twirled their weapons, the hunters fired their bows, the sun rose and set as it always did. It was as the sun set when all hell broke loose.
Fran was at the edge of the village at the time, firing arrows into a tree a mile away. Knock the arrow, draw like you're combing your hair. Loose. Thunk. It hit the tree a good five inches from where she wanted to hit. Fran frowned, something was off about her aim. Something was off about everything. Maybe because she was shedding. Jote of course had finished shedding years ago and just as she finished, Fran started. She subconsciously reached up and stroked what little fur she had on her forearm, she would miss the comforting fluffy feeling she got when she slept. Although, it did do wonders for her figure. She admired the new her in a pool of water, running a hand up her much more mature body. Maybe that was why males loved Viera so much. She sniggered to herself, she even looked a shade more appealing than Jote.
She had very little time to debate this idea, for at that moment something huge, metallic and on fire hurtled overhead. Instantly she hit the forest floor, crouching as low as her legs would allow, ears flat, weapon ready. Her dark eyes watched the object's progress through the treetops, saw it roll, dive, crash and finally come to rest next to a strong tree a few miles away. Fran didn't have time to think, she picked up her bow and began to run.
On and on and on she ran through the thick undergrowth, dodging branches and the occasional creature. Around her were other Viera desperately running towards what had so rudely invaded their jungle home.
"Fran!"
Fran looked behind to see her sister. "Jote, what is it?" She called.
"I don't know but you should go back."
"Why?" Fran shouted indignantly.
Jote slapped the back of her hand on Fran's still slightly hairy arm. "You're not of age yet."
Fran snorted. "I'm as good as. A few more weeks at the most. Where did you leave Mjrn?"
"Back at the village, are you joking? Can you imagine how she'd handle this?"
Fran sprinted on ahead, if there was one thing she could do it was run fast. No-one in the village could run as fast as she could, soon the sounds of her comrades fell behind. The air began to smell strongly of wood smoke, Malboros fled from the scene not even bothering to conceal themselves, what was this thing. Fran stopped and crouched, as she surveyed this curious visitor to the forest. It looked like an enormous beast or bird made of metal, some of them could be seen flying on the outskirts of the forest but never this part of the wood and never so low. Fran pulled her bow of her back and knocked an arrow, creeping slowly towards the burning wreckage.
Suddenly a loud clanging could be heard from within the monster, Fran froze and crouched lower drawing her bowstring. She knew exactly how dangerous wounded animals were. Another clang, against the beast's stomach, A muffled voice speaking in a hume tongue.
Crash! A large section of the belly blew apart propelling a young hume ten feet into the air before landing full force on the leaf litter. For a few seconds, Fran was quite still. She never imagined this happening, not only was the hume alive but also in far better shape than he had a right to be. More importantly he was male, the season was fast approaching and if she secured him she would be rewarded.
She approached and examined her catch, he had dark skin and a wild black mane of hair, he wore a strange ornate cloth shirt coloured bright yellow. His face was rather fierce but not so much so as to be unpleasant, his bushy eyebrows settled as he was peacefully sleeping. But this didn't matter, she needed to secure him for her sisters, so she set about restraining the hume, scurrying around his body with various vines. She was about halfway done, crouching astride her captive applying the final few knots to his legs when...
"Very nice."
Fran froze, the sudden voice echoed through the clearing like no Viera language she knew. She looked behind her to find her prisoner awake and staring unashamed at her butt with a dreamy look on his face. She swiftly put his lights out again with a swift kick to the head.
"What a curious creature." She muttered.
When the hume was brought to the village he didn't seem particularly bothered he was about to spend the rest of his life in sexual servitude. Nor did he seem distanced from the Viera in the slightest. The village did it's usual welcome of various high standing members of the clan sizing him up before putting him in a heavily guarded hut.
Something about this situation was bothering Fran, something about that hume was not usual. Something about him had a power over her, He was like her unfinished business. Yes that must be it, he was unconscious when she brought him in and it was only natural to want to learn about a creature you scarcely knew. Whatever the reason, something demanded she see him again. So that afternoon she scampered through the treetops and dropped through the open skylight in his hut.
Once again he did not seem remotely surprised by this, as if random visitors dropped through his roof every other day.
"Well hello."
His accent was thick and Fran didn't know much hume tongue to begin with but she guessed he was saying hello, she raised her right forefinger and lightly scratched behind her ear as was the proper Viera greeting.
"No hume tongue eh? Well..." He laughed, repeating the motion. "That is something we shall have to remedy."
And so over the next few days Fran visited the hume and learned his language, despite it's garishness it was really very simple compared to her own. She learned many things about the hume as well. His name was Dalan, he had come here running from some bad humes in a metal bird. But it had been wounded and he was forced to land here. He came from a far off country to the north, where the sun shines all day long and there were no trees, just sand.
"I see." Fran nodded eagerly. "So you are not allied to any place."
Dalan nodded and lay back on the floor. "In my culture I suppose you could call me somewhat a pirate, a pirate of the sky."
A memory stirred in Fran's mind, a memory of standing on the edge of the forest, on the edge of everything she'd ever known. "It must be wonderful for you." She said as a wave of regret washed over her. Had she known there were such wonders out there she would have run and never looked back, but her sisters. What would happen to them?
Dalan cocked his head. "You don't look very happy."
Fran shook her head. "I suppose I envy you, being free."
Dalan laughed and rose to his feet. "Well no longer I'm afraid, it seems you will all find a use for me soon."
Fran sighed and got up as well. "The season begins in ten days time, you might have some choice in the matter if you are decisive. I recommend one of your guards, the one on the left." She gestured out the door. "She is known to treat her mates very well."
The hume shrugged. "I don't really talk wither her, or anyone in the village."
Fran looked surprised. "Then why do you talk to me?"
Dalan turned his eyes to Fran's. "Because I think you are beautiful."
Fran did not look any more on track. "Beautiful..." She repeated. "What is this word?"
Dalan laughed. "It means, nice to look at. Like this nicest thing to look at in the world."
Fran sighed. "I think you will find that every Viera in the village is beautiful in that case."
Dalan shook his head firmly. "No, a lot of things like that are nice to look at but you are beautiful. I decided that the first time I saw you."
Fran raised an eyebrow. "You were not looking at my face." She said coyly.
Dalan chuckled. "All the same, beautiful."
"Fran, what's the matter?" Jote sniffed. "You're less accurate."
Fran panted, magick practice with Jote was not easy at the best of times. Now with her mind on the outside world it was even harder. "I don't know why you're so surprised," She growled. "You always win anyway."
"But now it's easy." Jote sighed. "Forget it, you're not focused."
Fran flopped down as Jote disappeared into the trees and Mjrn sat next to her.
"What's wrong Fran?" Mjrn said, sounding concerned. "Jote was right, something's not right about you lately."
Fran forced a smile. "Jote's just being Jote, I almost had her that one time."
"No, not just today. It's like you're not here."
"I'm right here Mjrn, don't be stupid."
"You're body may be here but your spirit isn't, I don't know where it is but it's not here."
Fran turned to face her sister. "You've given this a lot of thought haven't you?"
Mjrn looked rather sheepish. "Find your spirit Fran, no matter what you must find your spirit."
She got up and left the same way Jote had gone, leaving Fran to digest fresh thoughts. She was right, this was the worst she had performed in years. How had this hume so radically altered her way of thinking, was it not two weeks ago she had never considered leaving the forest? Now here she was seriously considering leaving. What was it about this fascinating hume that changed her so? Could it be that this was her usual heat from the approaching season? No, impossible. She'd felt it last season and it felt nothing like this, this was a burning ache. An almost physical pain, but not quite, pounding inside her chest that could only be relieved by being near him. She clasped her hand over her sternum and found she was crying, she struck a nearby tree in frustration.
"What is this infuriating feeling?" She hissed, for some bizarre reason she could not get his face out of her head. Then the realisation of the situation hit her like a solid object, it took a few minutes to accept. It was unprecedented in any of the tales the elders taught, no Viera ever felt love or anything like it, only the need to breed. So impossible, yet there it was.
She rose to her feet, in five days time the season would begin and Dalan would be given to one of the standing members of the clan and they could never be together. She knew what she had to do to be with Dalan, and as Mjrn said find her spirit in one fell swoop.
Dalan was snoozing in a corner when Fran dropped through the roof, landing gracefully on his foot.
"Youch!" He yelled rubbing the offending limb. "You can certainly pick your times can't you."
"You must escape this place." Fran said urgently. "In a few days time the season will begin and you'll never be able to leave."
Dalan pondered his doom. "I can think of worse fates." He said.
"You misunderstand." Fran said mischievously. "I need you to escape, so I can come with you."
Dalan raised an eyebrow. "If you want to leave then leave, I'm sure none of your people will stop you."
Fran did not have time to explain all the taboos of leaving the wood to him so she waved away the question. "I'm sure I could escape if I wanted but I... Want to leave with you." She finished rather sheepishly.
Dalan scratched the back of his head. "I suppose if you were to come along , I could see myself leaving." He mused. "But I don't think I could get my ship to fly far."
"How far could it fly?"
"Maybe to the Ozmone plains."
That was enough to clear Golmore jungle surely, the Viera wouldn't follow them outside the wood. Now all she had to do was get him there.
"Our best chance is just before the season. We have a feast, song and dance with the wood to celebrate at the end of which the elder divides the captured mates among the clan..."
"Well I'd hate to miss that." Dalan chuckled.
Fran kicked him, she wasn't sure why. "Anyway, during the feast the guards will leave. I can sneak you out easily, it's no more than an hour's run back to your machine."
Dalan looked very seriously at her. "I thought Viera didn't feel any true attachment to their mates?"
Fran looked coyly at him. "We are not mates, yet! Are you suggesting something?"
Dalan laughed. "Very well my beautiful Fran, whatever your reasons I shall escape this place and take you with me."
Fran grinned. "I will return here on the eve of our departure." And she nimbly jumped back out the way she came.
The next few days were a blur to Fran, she knew full well it would be the last days she would ever spend as a full Viera. She hunted, she practiced, she walked, she climbed, she waited, she listened. She fought with Jote, she spoke with Mjrn but in all honesty she could not wait to be rid of it all. Perhaps she was being selfish but at that time she didn't care. Nothing mattered anymore, only Dalan, and the future he promised her. Freedom, nothing but the two of them in this extraordinary world that existed outside this wood. And finally the night came when they were to leave, before the celebrations were to begin she prepared to say her last words to the people she cared for most.
"Jote?" She muttered.
Jote jumped, she was in the middle of shimmying into her ceremonial wear. "What?" She hissed.
Fran wondered if she should say it, "You look like a chocobo."
It was true enough, the outfit was covered in feathers. Jote blushed furiously. "Tough talk from a shedder."
Fran smiled serenely. "Not for much longer." Her hand subconsciously reaching for the barely present patches of fur. "Another day or so at the latest."
Jote grunted and adjusted her outfit. "Shouldn't you be getting ready too?" She snapped. "You're going to be late."
"I plan to be late I'm afraid."
Jote's ears twitched, she looked around suspiciously. "What's wrong with you? You're acting like you've just reached paradise. You're missing part of the ceremony and you're not fighting with me!"
Fran just smiled. "You'll make an excellent warrior one day, promise me you'll take care of the clan."
Jote's expression softened. "Hey now." She said. "I'm only mean to you to toughen you up. You'll be a warrior too you know, we'll protect the clan together."
"Yes, we shall." Lied Fran.
Mjrn sat by the firelight, watching the flames dance in front of her. "I can hear you Fran." She called behind her.
"When did your ears get so sharp?" Fran asked incredulously stepping out from behind a tree.
"Both my sisters say so." Mjrn said sadly. "I've got the biggest ears."
Fran sat beside her sister and put an arm round her shoulders. "That's a good thing you know?" She whispered. "You'll be able to hear thing no one else hears."
"Sister, why are you so happy?"
"Mmnn?"
"You seem happy, happier than I've ever seen you. Did you find your spirit?"
Fran smiled. "I think I might have. You'd better rest now, there's a big celebration to be ready for."
Fran found a secluded spot away from the village, she had to do this at least once more before leaving. If nothing else to have a clear conscience. She breathed deeply the way the elder had taught her, in and out, in and out. And she began to sing. Slow and fluctuating melodies that allowed her to tap into that vast consciousness around her that sustained all within the wood.
The wood flowed in and out of her every pore, it filled her and emptied her, she and it were one and the same. In this state a Viera could speak to the very wood itself, Fran held contact for a few seconds, then broke off. She allowed the beautiful feeling to leave her for the last time, breathing heavily she repeated the words still ringing in her head.
"Stay... Stay with me, close to me, always with me."
A tear slowly trickled down her cheek as for the first time, she disobeyed.
"How much longer is this going to take?" She barked at her companion.
"I'm still trying to get the stabilisers rebooted," Dalan's voice echoed from inside the enormous metal bird. "I don't even know if this thing will fly!"
"Make it fly, or we shall never escape this place." She observed the strange contraption curiously. "How do you fly a thing such as this?" She scoffed.
Dalan chuckled. "This can fly better than any bird you have ever seen." He said cheerily. "This can carry dozens of men hundreds of miles, this can go on and on without ever stopping."
"The perfect escape." Fran murmured.
"Indeed sister."
Fran could sense the attack before she heard the voice, she whirled round but Jote had always been faster. Her sister's punch struck her full in the face, she flew backwards tasting blood. As her sister pressed forward she rolled back on her shoulders and kicked out hard, Jote effortlessly stepped around her legs driving an elbow into her stomach. Fran yelped and spasmed as her organs took the impact. For a moment she lay on the ground retching, finally she managed,
"Why do you hurt me sister?"
"Hurt you?" Jote shrieked incredulously. "I am saving you, saving you from what this hume has sung into your head!"
"What I do now I do for myself."
"Liar!"
Fran rolled away from her sister, whipped her bow off her back and knocked an arrow. "Leave me be Jote." She hissed. "I'll kill you if I must."
"What of Mjrn Fran?" Jote screamed, sounding quite deranged. "What am I supposed to say to her?"
"Tell her I did what I thought was right, or just tell her what you tell all the others left behind. I am Viera no longer."
"Not yet you're not."
Leaping from her position she expertly swung round Fran's bow and dislocated her elbow. Fran yelled as pain racked her arm and Jote locked her head under her arm.
"You are coming back with me if I have to break all your bones and drag you back."
"I am never going back!" Fran shrieked. "Not now I know there's more out there. There is so much more sister, I cannot sit here knowing that, and Dalan will show it all to me."
"Open your eyes, he's using you!"
"What would you know about him?"
Fran hurled herself against her sister, unsteadying her.
"Flauterratridem." She hissed, a great column of fire sprang up between them. Jote quickly dispelled the barrier but not before Fran had knocked another arrow with her teeth.
"Sister, I don't care what you think this man is to you." Jote said quietly. "But I will not allow you to throw away your life in such a way. You have no energy left and have lost an arm, will you..."
She was interrupted as the broken wreck of the ship behind her shuddered, grumbled then burst into life. Damaged gears and gyros screamed in protest as the engines woke from their torpor, Dalan stuck his head out of the cabin.
"She'll hold long enough to get out of the jungle, we'll probably need to put down in Ozmone to do some fine tuni...Oh." He finished lamely, finally noticing the situation.
Fran saw her chance. She leaped through the air towards the doorway, Jote lunged forward but Fran ready.
"Cytos anotera."
A miniature cyclone exploded up from beneath Jote, she was sent flying into the air and disappeared into the canopy. Fran carried on her path with no energy left to even land on her feet. Consequently she crashed headlong into Dalan who was still at the door, the pair of them landed in a heap by an instrument panel.
"Well." Dalan said at last. "That was impressive."
"Get us out of here." Fran breathed. "That won't have stopped her for long."
Nodding curtly Dalan took the controls and the airship heaved it's broken body into the air. Fran turned her head to look out of the still open door, there was Jote watching her from the bushes. A look of utmost desperation and pleading. Her eyes could not leave hers, as if somehow locking eyes was preventing her from leaving. Fran allowed herself to feel that one last chance to turn back, then shut her eyes. Cutting away her past forever.
I'm back! Yes I know it's been too long but I wrote an extra large chapter to compensate, yes I know it's backstory but I'd rather get it done in one chapter than three or four. Anyway for the moment I have a pretty free schedule so you can expect more updates soon.