Filling In The Blanks
Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy IX or any of its character.
Chapter 72: Free Fall
Dagger adjusted her pack on her shoulder, wincing as she stepped into the harsh light. They'd spent the rest of the day in the Grotto, but she couldn't stall anymore than that. They had to make it to Cleyra before the next morning, which meant they would probably be trekking towards the large, protected city for most of the night.
The sun was setting, casting its glowing rays over bits and pieces of the land. The shadows were long and heavy, while the light was blinding and gold. She glanced behind her one more time, her hair brushing over her shoulders. Her heart skipped a beat as they descended down the grand staircase, seeing Eiko's unmistakable purple hair shining in the orange light.
It killed her to think she was leaving the other girl there to save all of those people… Eiko was so small, and though she was surprisingly knowledgeable on white magic, she hadn't the practice or energy to work so diligently. But Dagger couldn't argue – both the rest of her group and the girl were against her, so she quietly left, dragging her feet the whole way.
Amarant had stayed behind with her. They promised a quick trip to Cleyra after they'd healed and mended every wound that they could, and directed every willing Bermecian to the marsh. A conveniently traveling moogle promised he would drop a letter to Lysandra in the marsh, telling her a whole group was coming from the Grotto.
Now that the fighting and the initial shock of leaving behind the marsh was over, Eiko and Amarant fading quickly into the distance, she had time to herself once more.
Why did Zidane tell me those things?
That was the only thing her mind would land back on. He had told her he loved her, and held her tight. The blonde planted a quick kiss on her lips, and just when she thought the moment couldn't get any sweeter, he told her that he couldn't be with her.
Why?
The question caught in her throat, and she stared hard at the grass. It crinkled under her boots, making a chaffing sound as they trampled through it.
What the genome didn't quite grasp was the fact that, no matter if he died in Treno, or died many years later of old age, she would never not be upset. Her heart, no matter how much he didn't want to admit it, was in his hands, and that wasn't going to change. She loved him, and she knew that very clearly.
Unfortunately, that didn't make the pain sting any less. She didn't think he was lying when he said he loved her, but the way he had acted, walking away before it had even sunken into her skin, gave off a vibe that she wasn't connecting with.
The girl would never understand the argument that he did any of it "for her", because if she got what she wanted, she would rather be with him than not, no matter the haze of the future.
She rubbed angrily at her cheek, trying to scrub away the irritation she felt swelling in her head.
Steiner watched the girl from behind. Him and Beatrix had already exchanged words on her mood: it definitely had something to do with Zidane. He had seen her talk with him that morning – embracing in the quiet breeze before dawn, but then he walked away, and she had shouted…
Steiner didn't need her to tell him to know what had happened. In some ways, he figured the blonde did the right thing… More than once he had told Beatrix, and vise versa, that they were not to express any permanent feelings for each other, even though both of them knew they were there. He glanced over at the brunette woman, her hair swinging in rhythm with her long, cream colored, sleeveless jacket.
He saw her eyes slide to his and knew she was thinking the same thing. Whatever mood Dagger was in, he hoped that Beatrix could be the one to shake her out of it, when he knew he so obviously couldn't do it.
But right then wasn't exactly the best time to do it, with Quina walking obliviously between them and the girl in question, Freya and Fratley marching dutifully upfront, while two of their team were hanging back in the face of a looming danger.
He didn't like this idea for one second, but as the high silhouette of Cleyra emerged and grew larger with each step, he knew they didn't have a choice.
Their pace was considerably slower than when they left the grotto. The vein bulging in Freya's forehead told Fratley that she had noticed it too, but was far more irritable about it. He sighed inwardly, and turned towards his comrades.
Dagger, with all of the energy she'd spent trying to help the Bermecians, was staggering, and more often than not, Steiner would lay a guiding hand on her exhausted shoulder. Beatrix had to shout for Quina every few minutes, because his attention span led him astray with thoughts of delicious (energizing) treats.
The sun was setting after hours of vicious walking, and the dragon knight figured they could probably take a break. It wouldn't exactly make Freya very happy, but he didn't want them collapsing on Cleyra's doorstep.
"We had better stop and rest before night falls upon us…" He finally choked out. Ignoring Freya's stance having gone rigid, he watched with a grin as the others slouched, biting their tongues until they were relieved by Fratley's suggestion.
"Yes please," Beatrix mumbled, more to herself than anyone else as her tired body lowered slowly to the ground.
The walk to Cleyra was further than even the Bermecians of the group had anticipated, and as they watched Dagger collapse into the grass, her eyes fluttering shut as the breeze engulfed her, they flinched. Freya even softened a little… It had been a rough day already.
"They won't attack us when we get there, will they?" She asked, though her eyelids were still shut. Her body refused to move the way she wanted it to, and her feet ached for a break. She stretched her limbs out in the grass, the last rays of sunlight melting over her being. It felt like home for just a moment, even though the lurking danger never quite dispelled from her mind.
"No… Their natural defense lets them see us before we can see them…" Fratley nodded, "I can tell from here that the rumors are true… They've found a new stone."
"What is this stone for anyways?" She asked, her brow creasing in frustration. Everything had to be so damn confusing. Why couldn't things be simple anymore? Her head pounded with troublesome thoughts revolving around the war – and more currently – Zidane.
"With the power of the Nygile Harp and a magister stone, a whirlwind envelops the city in a natural defense. They can stop it whenever they'd like, and have constant guards there watching the stone.
"So how was Cleyra attacked before?" Steiner asked, never quite getting a real answer from Fratley the first time they'd talked about it, way back when they had to navigate through Fossil Roo.
Fratley remembered the events thoroughly. He had been there after all, his duties for the king having been relieved only a week prior. He hadn't wanted to leave, but the king insisted he go to the rebellion where he could do more good – to Freya, where he was meant to be anyways.
Someone had snuck in with a weary group of travelers. All seemed well, as they had cleared passage of the Grotto as well… But when inside, one very powerful man strolled right in and slaughtered the guards. Nobody knew who he was, but they knew he was working for Kuja. After the stone was already gone and the city had already fallen, many Bermecians suspected it was a well trained soldier – taught for years solely for that moment…
Unfortunately, there wasn't much the dark lord could do with Cleyra when all of its inhabitants had fled to areas unknown, and grew bored with the inconvenience of it. More and more soldiers were called away to more promising fronts when the Bermecian's seized their city once more. Since then – granting requests to go into the city was a bit more difficult.
But with who their party consisted of, Fratley was certain they would have no problem getting in.
"We had better keep moving," Beatrix said after many long minutes of silence. Everyone wanted to soak in their relaxation, so they had lapsed into silence after Fratley had relayed the events of Cleyra to them.
Slowly, all of them stood again, staring, just to see the lack of sunlight around them.
"Perhaps we have been lounging longer than we thought…" Steiner muttered.
Dagger stared in the direction they'd come from, trying to make out anything in the growing darkness. "Do you think trouble is behind us?"
"I think we should get moving," Freya suggested in haste, shifting her pack on her shoulders and turning sharply, "so we do not have to find out…"
"Quina like idea!" He nodded rapidly and jogged a little to catch up with the fast walking Bermecians.
Though nobody was in sight, the tension rose continuously in the air. Nervousness pumped their actions. All they wanted to do was make it to their destination safe.
"Well this is annoying…" Cinna mumbled, his brow creased.
"Shh!" Marcus shushed him sharply, shooting out his hand to try and land a smack to his friend, almost knocking Cinna backwards.
"He's right though, Marcus…" Zidane whispered. Cinna was about to groan at the lack of swipes thrown at Zidane, but Blank hastily covered his mouth. "How are we going to get Ruby through?"
"How do we dodge the rest of the guards? There's even more light in there!" Blank mumbled, throwing his head this way and that as he finally released Cinna.
"What do we do every other time?" Baku scoffed, apparently unaffected by the whole ordeal.
"Run like hell?"
"Slice some bitches?"
"Usually fall, and end up fighting and retreating like idiots…"
"Exactly!" Baku grinned, his voice growing too loud. Blank and Marcus shushed him the same way they did Cinna earlier.
"Well where does that leave Ruby?" Vivi murmured. He glanced the direction they came, his heart throbbing at the thought of leaving the girl behind.
"We have to trust she'll find her own way –"
"No!" Blank bit out sharply. "I'll stay… You guys go…"
"What?" Zidane spluttered.
"You mean split up?!" At the sound of rustling below them, all froze, awaiting to see if they'd be caught in all of their noise.
"Did you hear something? Is that why you're going outside?!" It sounded like a younger guard, paranoia raising the level of his voice.
"Calm down, I'm going to take a piss…" He scoffed and walked out in the leaves, mumbling. "Stupid rookies think every animal is an enemy."
Baku gave a hearty grin to the group of teens, containing a chuckle.
The boys sat like stone in the tree, not moving even an inch as the man fumbled below them, slightly tipsy with alcohol (probably to drown out that obnoxious kid's voice). Vivi's knees began to wobble because of his motionlessness – he was going to blow their cover – that was for sure.
As he focused in on these thoughts, his impressively stealthy settlement on the tree branch began to crack, the foundation slipping out from underneath him. He felt unbalanced, and his breathing hitched as leaves began to shake on just his branch.
Marcus stuffed his fist in his mouth, eyes bulging with irritation and panic. It seemed like he was really the only one who cared if they got caught – he wasn't interested in a fight in the heart of the South Gate. He knew Vivi was the least to blame out of everyone – it's just that his accidental noise was happening at the worst possible moment.
With his next breath, Vivi's legs buckled, and as though walking on a tight rope, he teetered back and forth, silently flailing his arms in small circles to recapture some sort of balance. Save for the rustling leaves, he was astonishingly quiet, even as his feet slipped off the unsturdy branch, and he started to free fall towards the ground… or more specifically – to the guard.
But Tantalus wasn't known for their stealth, speed, and spontaneous tricks to help them out of tight situations for nothing. Zidane dove after him out of pure instinct, snatching the leather gloves and squeezing as hard as he could, completely aware that Vivi was gripping his hands back with equal force. The genome's tail had wrapped tightly around the branch, serving as a sort of rope, and Blank had (ever-so-kindly) slammed his foot on top of it, digging his boots into the bristly fur to ensure it wouldn't come unraveled.
The blonde bit his tongue so hard to stop from crying out, a copper taste pooled into his mouth, and he had to mentally remind himself not to spit and blow their cover. Marcus, the most nimble of those left without a job still perched on top of the tree, swung down, grabbing Zidane's ankle and pulling it upward slightly in an attempt to release some of the pressure from his poor tail.
He swung slightly, back and forth, Vivi only a foot away from the guard. They all roosted awkwardly, eyes wide and locked on the soldier who eventually rezipped his pants and moved back towards the tent. The pesky guard had (thank the lord) moved away from the flap-opening of the tent to bother someone else in the older man's absence.
As soon as the coast was clear, Blank removed his foot, and Marcus let go of Zidane's ankle, and the two dreamers toppled to the ground – one with enough grace to land on his feet, and the other with only enough coordination not to land on his face.
"We need to get out of here," Baku decided, finally seeing the seriousness of the situation. "Blank, if you're really going to be a fucking idiot and stay, then stay, but the rest of us need to get moving."
Zidane opened his mouth to argue, about to refuse to let his best friend station himself in the middle of an enemy base just because he didn't think Ruby could handle herself, but Blank put up a hand before he could even speak.
"Nothing you say is going to change my mind… I need to be there, just incase she gets in trouble…"
The blonde definitely couldn't argue with that. He stared at the redhead for a moment, a silent and brief conversation blooming between them before he suddenly vanished, just another shadow in the night, leaving Blank rigid in the tree, feeling very suddenly alone.
His hearing heightened as the night returned to stillness around him. Without the harsh whispers of his best friends around him, the wind felt cold, and part of his mind wondered if Ruby had already been caught. But he forced himself to sit still anyways, and wait for any sign that she was advancing into the stronghold.
"The well is this way, Miss… We'll be able to get you some fresh water soon enough!"
"Oh my, well thank you, Sir… I'm so sorry to have stumbled upon ya'll like this… I guess I over reacted a 'lil bit…"
"It's quite alright…" He chuckled. "Women are like that sometimes – over dramatic due to all of the stresses from the war…"
Even in the dim-lit path, Blank could see Ruby roll her eyes as she hobbled along, flicking her hair from her face.
The soldier must have noticed her discomfort at her statement, because he cleared his throat and shifted awkwardly next to her. "I mean… It was a pretty deep scratch…" He proceeded shrug his shoulders sheepishly, as though that explanation would help mend his offensive statement.
Instead of granting him forgiveness, she began to sway on the spot, wobbling a little bit as she pressed the top of her hand dramatically to her forehead. "I'm feelin' faint!"
"Oh no!" The man cried out, gently grabbing her shoulders and lowering her to the ground. "You rest, I'll retrieve you some water!" She watched him go with an irritated expression. He had won the argument about how got to take care of the pretty girl, instead of stay on guard duty, and he was determined to do a good job… an overly annoying good job.
Blank raised an eyebrow as her eyes swiped the site. He was sure she'd spotted him right away, knowing exactly what to look for. Her eyebrow went up in mocking suspicion, and she glanced at the soldier as he hustled to bring her back some water. He rolled his eyes.
Ruby better not expect me to start waiting on her hand and foot. Though he grudgingly admitted to himself that he would probably do it if he thought she was hurt.
She sucked down the water as soon as it was given to her, signaling that she really didn't want to stay there for too much water. The young actress had done enough milking of the situation and was really ready to get on with the night… They were incredibly behind on their schedule to Treno…
"I assume ya'll found a bed for me tonight? I couldn't possibly go back out in that scary ol' dark…"
"Of course not! But you wouldn't want to room with any of these grimy men, would you?"
"Heavens no!" She cried out, gasping and slapping a gloved hand over her mouth. She couldn't alert many others that she was here.
"You could stay with me…" He shrugged, "I have my own tent and –"
"With all due respect…" She smiled kindly, even though to the redhead, it looked more like a cringe, "I'm just so tired, and would fancy a place to stay that's quiet… Besides, all them other boys pro'lly need a big strong man to help keep watch," she winked at him, hoping to add to her effect.
It seemed to work as he puffed out his chest and held his head high. "Well… They do seem to need a lot of help."
"I'll be here in the mornin' to see ya!" She grinned a foxy smirk at him, and he stepped back, obviously intimidated. "Right…" He nodded though he was blushing… Even from the trees Blank could see that, and he had to admit – he was a little jealous. "I think there's an empty tent this way," he started as he pulled her up. "Private Sterlings went with the group headed towards Lindblum, but I think he left a few blankets, and I know we have extras…"
As their voices faded into the distance, Blank knew he had to be patient. He did the routine "one-hundred and twenty second" count before following close behind them, careful not to step on anything to give him away. He was lucky – in the middle of South Gate, there really wasn't much around. Tents dotted the area, and a make-shift eating hall and bathroom were thrown into the mix – not to mention dozens of trees the thief could simply jump to.
Ruby would come out only when the redhead gave her the clear, and this time, he felt like he had a lot more weight on his shoulders. He wasn't just looking out for himself, and nor did he have the team behind him… He and Ruby wouldn't be able to take on the whole damn camp by themselves, so both of their lives teetered in his skills.
His stomach twisted with nervousness.
Ruby, on the other hand, was doing a delectable job. She was hollering just loud enough for Blank to follow, and doing a really good job convincing her caretaker that she was innocent. Somehow, Blank decided as he followed that Ruby probably could have done this by herself… But being there to watch out for her really never hurt anybody…
He was hoping that it wouldn't be his mistakes that made that statement come back and bite him in the ass…
"I feel like we've been away for Lindblum far longer than a couple of weeks…" Beatrix made a face as they walked the final stretch to Cleyra.
To Dagger, it was as though they'd been in front of the growing sandstorm for hours – always the same distance away, and never moving forward. She scrunched her eyes in exhaustion as she continued putting one foot in front of the other.
What the brunette had said was true, and though nobody gave much of a verbal reply, they were all thinking it. Time seemed to blur together in that marsh – maybe that's why the Qus lived so contently – never having to leave because it felt like time had suspended around them.
"Any moment now, someone should be coming to meet us… They'll probably reach the entrance just moments before us," Fratley commented, though he wasn't entirely sure the rest of their small group honed his same enthusiasm – or belief that they'd be inside the city soon.
"I'm finding it hard to believe we'll be living inside of a sand storm for the next couple of weeks," Steiner commented with a chuckle. "I wonder what it looks like."
"Colorful." Fratley answered him pleasantly, as though trying to lighten the mood. "I understand from the outside it is not that way, but once you move above the sandy caverns, the sun shines comfortably, while large flowers and winding vines grow around the stone streets and white marble buildings… All of the Bermecians dress in gear that reminds many of great dancers – clothing light and fashionable."
"Comfort instead of convenience…" Freya tacked on, though her tone made it seem like a bad thing.
"Precisely, Love…" her fiancé agreed, ignoring the sarcastic ring to her words. "For why should simple civilians in a natural fortress dress for convenience."
"They've been attacked before," She clicked her tongue. Her voice was harsh, but remained even. "I will never understand why they do not think it will happen again…"
"Who knows?" Dagger smiled, lacing her hands together behind her back as they slowed down (Thank the heavens, she was going to faint if they continued at that pace any longer), "Maybe it's changed!"
"Quina hope town has delightful treats," he nodded, his tongue rising up in the air, before settling back down along his front once more. "Quina hungry!"
"I agree with the Qu for once," Beatrix nodded, her voice sounding drained. Time couldn't be moving fast enough.
But the conversation slowly began to die down as everyone concentrated on moving forward. With exhaustion shadowing their every move, the harsh winds, growing only more violent with every meter they moved, it became increasingly difficult to continue.
"Are we going to be forced to fight through this the whole way?" Dagger demanded, putting up an arm to shield her face. Pebbles became bullets rocketing towards them, while sand became pin pricks slicing the air and stabbing any exposed skin.
"Only for a short while… The cove will give cover!" Fratley instructed. Nobody else bothered asking anymore questions as they pushed on.
The wind bristled in Dagger's ears as she squinted her eyes against the deadly fortress. More than one part of her mind was wishing she'd gone with Tantalus, but in a huff of irritation from the last twenty-four hours, she angrily told herself that she had done well before Zidane, and she'd do fine without him (right now anyways) too.
The petite seventeen-year-old continued to push against the harsh winds with all of her might, until her back bumped into something. She glanced up quickly, seeing Steiner gazing down at her with mild amusement.
She was absolutely baffled.
"You're not moving forward anymore, Dagger!" He let her in on the secret, "You're too light!" Before she could really comprehend what he had said, he was pushing her forward almost blind in the sand, while both of his hands anchored on her shoulders and heaved her forward.
When she eventually realized what he was doing, she put a hand up to try and block his face, while keeping her left over her own eyes. It didn't help much, but the older knight appreciated her efforts.
Just when the wind was too tough – when Beatrix started to slide back into Quina, and even Freya had problems against the brutal wind, it completely stopped, all at once. The sand dropped to the ground like a gritty rain, and all of them fell over in a heap.
Steiner rolled so he didn't land on Dagger and glanced over, making sure the woman and the Qu were still with them. Beatrix hadn't been so lucky. Her eyes bulged when Quina fell on top of her, too dazed to realize what he had done and move.
Steiner quickly scampered over and rolled him off, allowing her to take a full breath. Their scene was completely ignored by everyone else… Steiner and Beatrix turned just as a light colored Bermecian – a shimmering silver, greeted them at the entrance of the cove. It was still a few yards away, and shakily the small group made their way to this strange creature.
He was similar to Fratley and Freya, but in completely different ways… They had the same typical Bermecian structure to them, long legs, tall ears, and thin limbs, and a long, slim tail, but the color was different, and his eyes were a sharp amber color, glittering like sparkling sand. His hair was a deep chocolate color, hanging freely past his shoulders. He was wearing a silk robe that flowed in the now gentle breeze. A smile grew on his lips as he extended his arms outward.
"Welcome Sir Irontail Fratley and Miss Freya Crescent of the Dragon Knights past…" He gave a slight bow to them, the tickled grin never leaving his face. "Come inside where the wind does not affect you!" He ushered them all forward – not stopping to ask any questions about the two Bermecians' company. "I am Cotex, one of the three rulers of Cleyra…"
Once inside, starting as a low hum and reaching a high pitched howl, they could hear the wind crash against the rocks once more, as the dark haired creature led them forward.
"Who are you?!" All at once, four or five Bermecian guards leapt from behind the rocks, their spears and lances at the ready. Immediately, Steiner threw Dagger behind his back protectively, as they all pressed together.
"There is no need to be hostile," the first Bermecian who had greeted them bit out, though his voice was still soothing. "These are friends… Kalipso has predicted they might come…"
At the name Kalipso all of them visibly relaxed, lowering their weapons, though still unsure.
"Kalipso?" Freya whispered, though nobody answered her. An expression swept over her face that told them she was in deep thought now, trying to pinpoint that name.
"Irontail Fratley and Freya Crescent of the late Dragon Knights have joined us… and they've brought important friends… Adelbert Steiner, Captain of the late Pluto Knights; Beatrix Vaylor, Captain of the late Rose Brigade; Quina Qu, Apprentice Chef of the Great Master Chef Quale Qu, and Princess Garnet Alexandros til XII of Alexandria…"
His voice echoed dramatically for a moment on the dark cave walls, before all weapons were thrown to the ground, while awed mumbles of forgiveness rang out around them.
"How did you know this?" Beatrix asked, her voice tough. Steiner very rarely ever heard her speak with such authority anymore… Needless to say, after their move to the Outer Continent, Beatrix had connected with so many more people, and though still in the top five ranking officers of the resistance, was far softer now than she'd been months ago.
"It's the knowledge of Kalipso," one soldier from the crowd wandered forward. He was in traditional Bermecian clothing – long jacket, hat, fighting pants and long boots, his long feet digging into the sand below them. His color matched Freya's, while his eyes matched Fratley, and his light colored hair was mostly hidden underneath his hat. He was originally from Bermecia… uncertainty rumbled in Freya's stomach… if he was here – what was the state of her home?
Nobody stopped the warrior, so he continued. "She is a Visionary…"
"A Visionary?" Fratley gasped, whipping around to see Freya's equally as shocked face.
"Wait, wait… What's a Visionary?" Steiner asked, his eyes swiveling from one person to the next in order to make sense of the conversation.
"Let us enter the city before we talk anymore…" Cotex nodded slightly, before guiding them forward once again.
With questions itching their minds, nobody could think of any small talk to make. Both the resistance members and diminutive clump of soldiers ambled forward behind this relaxed Cleyra-Bermecian.
As they pressed on up the dunes, claustrophobia settled around them as the moments ticked on. Just how long was it going to take them to break into the city. Dagger was about ready to bolt ahead; she squeezed her hands together and clamped the muscles in her legs to physically hold herself back. Squinting her eyes she finally found a break in the dull atmosphere swirling around them. Beyond a taller hill than she cared to see, the sun glittered in on the tan sand. The raven haired girl could almost taste the warmth that its golden rays produced, and fought harder still to keep her meandering pace.
The time came soon enough as all of them huddled closer together, a herd seeking water, as they pooled into the sand below the city. Around them they saw the sandstorm, whipping so rapidly the outside world was hardly visible, and yet completely unmoving while the city laid unharmed and unbothered inside.
Large flowered bloomed with heavy petals around them, surrounded by large leaves the size of Vivi. Grass even dotted the desert sand around them, and close by, a wooden rope bridge teetered slightly in the comforting breeze. A blue sky was above them, while a city built on top of itself glittered with all of its colorful greatness. From below, they saw a few figures crossing pathways and more bridges smothered in deep emerald vines.
It finally clicked in her mind. Through all of her weariness and questions, Dagger finally spotted the secret of the city.
Cleyra is a city built in a giant tree… A smile spread across her lips when she finally figured it out, voting to not say it out loud – to everyone who'd done something in their lives before the war - that was probably easy knowledge… To a girl who'd never left Dali until close to a year and a half ago… This was completely new territory.
As they stepped forward, flooding over the bridge a waterfall sprinkled water on the raven as she passed by. In awe, she stared at it as the water fell into a pool below them, not even bothering to try and make sense of how exactly they got a makeshift stream into a tree.
Music wafted around them, a gentle note on the breeze, as Bermecians – most dressed like dancers just as Fratley said – stopped and allowed them through. With Cotex leading them, nobody seemed hostile – some even bowed as they passed.
Dagger paid no attention though – her eyes were drawn to all of the wildlife in such a small area, along with the music, sounds, people, and colorful scenery.
"Now…" Cotext started as he led them into a marble gazebo hanging out on a thick tree branch. Even the soldiers piled in, excited to hear the story. "Let me tell you about Kalipso the Visionary…"
A/N: So… I'm not very fond of that chapter… I feel like it was very rushed, even though I'm pretty sure it wasn't, and just kinda weird… I don't know, I've probably just been on this chapter way too long!
Another exciting place coming up! Cleyra is going to be interesting, I promise! And once Tantalus finds a way out of the South Gate, Treno will be pretty fun too! I hope you enjoyed reading!
-zesty-
