The Blind Box [Competition]

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CassinoChips

CassinoChips

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Setzer's Tent
Welcome to The Blind Box.

Setting: Gaia

Timeline: 160 years after the canon events of FFIX.

What went before: The Mist Continent saw a time of peace and prosperity under the reign of Queen Garnet til Alexandros. Living to the age of 80, Queen Garnet ruled with a velvet fist, judiciously steering her kingdom of Alexandria along the path to wealth and happiness. Lindblum, under Cid Fabool and his progeny, also prospered under the reign of their innovative leader. Burmecia and Cleyra were rebuilt, and were restored to their proper place in the Continent.

Things remained calm for 160 years until, with no warning, an earthquake struck Dali Village. A crevasse rent the hillside in two, and the village was swallowed whole. Some residents were lucky enough to escape. Most were not.

Even more damningly, Mist began coiling up out of the crack, portending the return of vicious monsters to the continent. Unbeknownst to those on the Mist Continent, the Mist is also coiling up from the Desert Palace on the Outer Continent, and from Ipsen’s Castle. Are these events coincidence? Are they connected? Is someone trying to harvest souls?

It is up to you to discover the truth behind these events.
 
In the quiet grasslands of the Mist Continent, small groups of hunter-gatherers lived on the fringes of the great societies that had developed over time in Alexandria, Lindblum, and Burmecia. Numbering no more than thirty per group, the Hadza lived a nomadic existence, hunting game for sustenance and supplementing their diet with berries, nuts, and whatever they could take from the land. Occasionally, members of the Hadza would interact with those in the towns and cities of the Mist Continent, trading for goods they could not make themselves, or offering their services as guides or -on rare occasion- bodyguards. One of the Hadza groups was even known to regularly traverse Fossil Roo and spend time on the Outer Continent.

Onwas was the elder statesman of one of the groups of Hadza. At 37 years of age, he bore the marks of one who had lived his entire life outdoors. His feet were calloused and rough, the soles almost the same consistency as the leather sandals that protected them. His legs bore scars from chasing wild game through thornbushes and sawgrass. His torso, lean and muscular, was tanned a deep bronze from constant exposure to the sun. His face also had scars, but those were put on his face by his father. On his high cheekbones were marks that looked like a box with a cross through it. Crying was a sign of weakness for the Hadza, so they made these small cuts in their young children's faces so that when the tears touched them, it stung. Being a Hadza was a life of toughness. There was no time to cry over loss, or pain, or anything else.

The earthquake that swallowed Dali did little to disrupt the every day life of the Hadza. Even Onwas's group, who had been bedded down a few miles outside of Dali for the previous few days, simply went on with their daily routine. All it was for Onwas was another story to tell, which in Onwas's eyes was a boon. Storytelling was entertainment for the Hadza. They put on no plays, they read no books; their only way to pass the time was to hunt, fish, gather, or tell stories. Onwas was respected amongst all Hadza for his ability to weave tales. Surely, within short order, the earthquake would creep into one of his yarns around the communal fire.

Life did continue on, much the same as it had for the hundreds of years of Hadza existence. But they did notice the Mist swirling out of the crevasse, and it disconcerted them, so they decided to move on, heading east. A few days later, Onwas's teenage son began to undergo strange changes. He became beast-like in attitude and demeanor, and one night he left camp, never to return. As a guide, Onwas had heard tell of the Mist that affected the Mist Continent all those years ago, and he was concerned that there may be a connection between the reappearance of the Mist and his son's disappearance.

So he made his way to Alexandria, in the hopes of finding some answers.

The hustle and bustle of the big city overwhelmed him on the rare occasions he came to Alexandria. As was his custom, he took a seat on the rim of the fountain in the plaza near the eastern entrance to the city and watched much of the crowd go by, taking things in, and adjusting to the pace of the people. He went by almost unnoticed, as his small stature allowed him to blend into the crowd somewhat. He did receive a few curious stares here and there, but he did his best to deflect them with a smile and a nod in casual greeting.

As he sat, he considered his options as to where to go next.

SCORE: 34
 
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Alex traipsed through the newly rebuilt Cleyra casually. He had been here for a few days now, and yawned as he looked around at the local architecture.
It was stunning to look upon, and awe-inspiring.

Alex's grandfather had told him of how the once proud treetop city had been invaded by a horde of Black Mages and soldiers, led by General Beatrix, and had been destroyed after the invasion by Queen Brahne's fearsome summoning of Odin.

Since then, it had been rebuilt, more grand and beautiful than ever. A city built in the trees. It was a thought almost too ridiculous to comprehend until you could see it yourself. See the trunk, the trees, and the buildings themselves.

He lifted his suitcase and prepared to move. He was leaving here soon. His next destination was Burmecia, to see the rest of the landmarks. And for more evidence on Beatrix.

He aspired to be like Beatrix. Skilled in both sword and magic. That was his desire, his aspiration in life. And he would train and search for ways to become like his role model until he found it.

The Save The Queen.

SCORE: 31
 
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"It have been so long since I have been on this airship."

A woman was standing on a bright red airship that was flying at quite the speed. The wind slowing through her short silver hair as she was standing, thinking about the past and how great it was that they decided too take a trip on the airship like they did back in the day.

The gate behind her opened slowly but surely and as it did two other girls came running up too her quite happily. One being a brunette with mid length looking hair even thou most of her hair was braided down. The other was a cheerful blonde girl with barely any clothes too speak off.

It was then the airship was caught in some trouble. Something was affecting it's stability and no one of them knew what it could be. For every time it shook it got worse and they were slowly loosing their balance on the ship. The two other girls had started too run, but as they did the silver haired woman slipped and fell of the ship.

As she fell she could hear her name being called out too as she stretched her arm towards the ship, but after only a few seconds everything went black.

-
"Yu-"

The silver haired woman had woken up at a grassy field. She stood up and looked around and could not recognize anything from this place. The structures, the areas, nothing was like the place she lives in. Could it be that she have been brought too a different world?. She shook her head as that could not be the truth, but the idea did not leave her mind for a second.

It was then she was approached by a scared little girl. She seemed scared by the silver haired woman and something felt oddly odd about it. She approached her with a small stutter, but with a smiling face.

"Are you okay?"

The silver haired woman nodded without showing any sign of actual emotion. She felt somewhat threatened by the girl as if she was expecting her to turn into a fiend and attack her with a full on assault.

"Your clothes are funny."

The woman looked at herself and then at the girl. She already knew that her sense of clothing was odd even for her own world, but it seemed it was even weirder in this world. Her black leather ensemble that was matched with high-heeled boots, elbow-length gloves and quite a unique top that folds back down.

She bent down and looked at the girl with her slender red eyes which eyeliner was the only make-up that graced her eyes. She had a questionable look on her face before she opened up her pink glossy lips too ask the girl for a question.

"Is there a place where I can find.. people. I am lost."

The girl pulled out a map and gave it too her. As the woman opened the map she knew that her theory had to be right. She did not recognize any of the areas at all. She noticed the nation she was closest too was a place called Alexandria. She knew that with this map she could probably get somewhere and ask a few questions about this world. However as she turned her head towards where the girl was she was gone. The only thing that was left was something that surprised her. It was her sphere grid with three of her dresspheres.

She equipped it swiftly and set it too Warrior as her trusted sword appeared in her hands with her skull-like motif on the base of the emblem which was the same emblem she had on her belt buckle. Noticing that her sword had a sheath she could place it on her back as she traveled and by that she started too move towards Alexandria to find the answers she needs.

SCORE: 32
 
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“Have you heard? The mist, it be returnin’.”

“I know! I could hardly believe mah’ ears when I heard.”

Speaking of ears, Altan twitched in the direction of this conversation. He gathered at the ruffles of his cloak, bringing it in closer to himself as he withdrew into the hood. His eyes ever watchful, but he was more intrigued with the conversation behind him, than the sights that lay before him.

“It already been swallowing up some folk, I hear.”

“Is that what happened to that there village in the area? Dali was it? I hear it’s no more. And now some poor sweethearts been done swallowed up in that great big ol’ crack in the ground.”

“It’s a real shame, it is.”

The two women continued on with their stroll throughout the market place, their obvious Southern village accents drowning out into the crowd around them. Altan on the other hand, had another matter to attend to, other than following petty gossip.

But what if this wasn’t petty gossip? What if there was some truth to this old wives’ tale? It may be worth investigating. And if not for informational sake to pass on, but it may be worth a good fortune to exploit out of.

Altan relinquished the hood from his cloak, allowing it to fall and reveal his features to those around him, not that they were at all interested in his looks anyway. Piercing blue eyes darted back and forth, hidden in deep set eyes as they searched for a clue, any clue. He brought up his right hand and grasped his pointed chin between three fingers. If I were a rumour... where would I start? He thought to himself.

A woman’s shriek caused him to turn on his heels and face towards the Northern end of Alexandria, the Marketplace. Of course!

Any rumour’s worth its salt would obviously start in a marketplace and be passed about more than a forged coin. And so Altan turned his attention to the Marketplace that lay before him and strayed towards it, keeping his eyes open, but his ears even more so. To know what had happened to Dali Village would be one thing, but to find out if there were survivors of this casualty and to put an end to the creeping mist would surely bring about good coin, if not notoriety for the man’s skills.

SCORE: 36
 
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Flicking the blood from her elbow-blades, Dawn turned her crimson eyes to the skies, the rain splattering her pale face. Cursing under her breath for the sudden dive-bomb attack by the bird monster, she span the blades, allowing them to click back into the defensive position she held them in when not fighting. Things were certainly getting a little dangerous around her and Dawn couldn't help but find herself, as was the usual, stuck in the middle of it.

Always in the wrong place at the wrong time. Or the right place at the right, depending on how you might want to look at it. Young Dawn preferred to look at it as the former. She had never really been one for playing hero, after all; yet she constantly found herself doing so these days.

Sighing softly, Dawn flicked her long midnight black hair over her shoulder and moved forwards towards Burmecia. She had been heading there when the monster had decided it wanted to see if she tasted any good for its dinner. Her quest to find out why monsters had emerged so fiercely had brought her to the home of the Burmecians. Part of Dawn was thankful for that. Of all the places to be, Burmecia always felt more like home than anywhere.

After all, Dawn was not from this. She had traveled far before getting here and now she found that beasts that had lain dormant for years were suddenly rampaging? It may have had nothing to do with the half-vampire girl, but Dawn couldn't just turn her back on something like this. What if there was something world threatening at the core of it?

She paused before the gates and allowed the steadily falling rain to wash away her thoughts. The fighter had to stop thinking about where she came from and focus her thoughts on what she was doing. Otherwise, focus would be lost and in the coming fights (battles which she knew lay ahead) that could be costly. Stepping through the gates, steely determination swamped her.

It was time to search for answers.

SCORE: 33
 
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The clouds in the sky began to darken as Reimal Xerbias gazed out from the construction site near his home. It was going to rain soon in the small village of Madain Sari which would mean he wouldn’t have to tend to the crops this afternoon. Reimalsmiled as he leaned against a steel bar resting upon the unfinished structure in the small village. “Everyone inside!” he heard the elder of the Summoner clan call out to others who were rushing to their homes in the wake of the imminent storm headed towards them.

Reimal gazed at the villagers covering their heads as the atmosphere began to moisten and drops began to form from the sky. He began to head into his small house beside the construction site filled with slabs of wood and metal sitting on a pile of dirt. Ever since the villages rebirth, rapid construction had been occurring for the last century while the clan continued to increase. “Get in here now!” Lily, Name’s great aunt and guardian, motioned him to hurry out of the way of the clouds while standing in the doorway of the small house which belonged to Reimal.

“This storm is nothing to be feared. I’ve got to go back into it anyways for Atemog’s letter to Noggy.” He said to her while giving a reassuring smile and heading inside.

“Oh don’t you give me that smile and think I’ll change my mind of you heading out in such weather.” the old woman said as she rested both her clammy palms on Reimal’scheeks and leaned in closer with her small figure beaming up at him.

“It’s fine, I’ve got myself well prepared Aunt Lily. I was already planning to head to Alexandria anyway to get info for the village. They say the mist has risen again.” He said still beaming while grabbing his long blue jacket on the nearby coat rack.

“Well aren’t you our hero.” The old woman spoke as she placed a black hat with a white feather on top of his head. “You look just like your father with those blue eyes and that handsome face.”

“Thanks.” Reimal said glancing down in proud embarrassment as he knew the hat belonged to his father.

He didn’t know much about his father but he knew that he was once a great hero and played a big role in reviving the Summoner culture. “I have to be on my way.” Reimal spoke as he strapped a bag over his shoulder and gave his great aunt a hug.

“May the Eidolons protect you on your journey.” Lily spoke as she watched him leave the house.

The rain had begun to beat every object beneath in a steady rhythm, never once letting up. It had become much harsher than Reimal predicted it would be. He had stepped out of his house and into what was becoming a hurricane of mass proportions. The wind tried to fight him as he stumbled towards the village’s exit onwards to his journey. Reimalwas a little intimidated by nature’s tough fight, but he was not worried about miss happenings on his journey, for he was able to unleash the guardians of Gaia upon any who dare to block his path.

SCORE: 33
 
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Amidst the shambles in what used to be the quiet little town known as Dali Village, a few bystanders remained in the distance, careful not to set foot upon the edge of the darkened abyss. The massive hole that the sudden earthquake had created was a monstrous sight, leaving a deathly scene of chaos trailing everywhere in its path. The shadowed gloom that cast upon the site was intent to leave no mercy, except for the fortunate few that had escaped moments prior to the engulfment of the village.

Genevieve was among the lucky survivors. She stood with the crowd that was growing by the minute and faced the fallout that was once her home from a distance, shutting out the faces of agony around her. The tears trickled one last time as she replayed the surreal images in her mind.


“What are you doing, Mama?”

“Baking a cake, dear. Did you forget? It’s Daddy’s birthday tomorrow.” Genevieve glanced at her 4-year-old daughter Rose, who was staring intently at the mix, a delightful smile plastered on her face.

Rose wrinkled her nose and inquired wisely, “So does that mean he gets another cake tomorrow?” Genevieve smiled at the logic behind the question, shaking her head.

“Daddy’s leaving early tomorrow morning and won’t be home until nightfall, so we’ll celebrate tonight.” She momentarily checked the pot and announced, “Go ahead and wash your hands in the basin, Rose. Lunch will be ready soon.” Rose left the kitchen and headed towards the adjoining room.

As Genevieve stirred the beef stew, she heard the familiar footsteps that brought comfort to her life the past six years. Cade entered and her heart swelled at the sight of him. She greeted him warmly with a smile, and Cade swept her up, planting a gentle kiss on her lips. For a few fleeting moments, everything was perfect. A family, a home – two basic needs in life she ever wanted.

As they broke apart to check on Rose, the ground suddenly shook, the great monstrosity unveiling its elemental strength. Genevieve screamed, her face etched with such intense fear. An earthquake had struck the village, and it was only a matter of time before everything collapses! Cade had taken hold of her hand and rushed into the kitchen, and the bellowing of the earth’s awakening drew ever closer. Both were suddenly plunged across the room by the violent quake. Genevieve cried out in pain as she crashed her head on a nearby table, damaging her parietal bone. The pain sliced like a knife and black shadows loomed over her, but with all her might, she tried to elude it as she stood up on wobbly feet. “Rose! Rose! Cade, where is she?!”

Adrenaline pumping into her system, she dashed towards the next room and immediately gasped in horror. A truss had finally lost its strength and fell upon Rose’s lifeless body. There was no time to react further – the house and everything that was in it, started to crumble. Genevieve wailed at the loss of her daughter as her husband quickly led her outside, her mind still reeling from her young flower’s fate. After several lacerations suffered by both, Genevieve finally collapsed as they made it outside, but a vertical support beam had collapsed on Cade, which rendered his legs immobile. The last thing she remembered was the heightened shrieks from the villagers and unfamiliar hands that carried her weakened body.

Genevieve awoke with a sudden start and a throbbing pain in her head. Her body was covered with thick dust and dried maroon blood. Minutes later, she was informed by the village elders that she had also lost Cade amidst the chaos. He had pleaded to an older man making an escape route to save her the very last minute before the final destruction.



Face hardened with the bitter memory of her family’s final moments, Genevieve continued to gaze out in the open field, the sun shying away from the Dali’s downfall. Her heart mirrored the ghastly sight before her. At 25 years of age, she felt twice older as the detrimental effects she experienced sucked out her remaining strength. Sobbing uncontrollably, she finally fell on her knees in defeat and clenched her fist on the earth.

SCORE: 37
 
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Richard McTavish had been living in Lindblum for years. He tried to live a normal life, keeping weapons near him in case someone wanted to mess with him. He had overheard many talks, rumors, and debates about issues, true and not. One thing that everyone seemed to be talking about caught his attention one day, though.

"Hey, did you hear? Dali is gone!"
"What, no way!"
"Yeah, nobody knows what happened out there, and people are afraid to go check it out."

He thought about it on the way home, then decided that the best option was to go check out the scene. After hitching a ride on an airship and fighting his way through the ice caverns, he arrived at where Dali used to be. Holding his twin shortswords in case of battle, he slowly worked his way forward to examine the crack. As he approached it, a wild beast charged at him from his right. He turned and aimed a downward strike with his left, while readying his right for a sideways slash. The strike landed on the beast's head, and the beast fell to the ground, dead.

"This must be from the mist. I'll have to check this out and be ready for more. Who knows what this mist is capable of. For know, lets take a look at this and see what can be found."
 
The sky had cleared into a pale gray as Remial made his way across the Outer Continent. He now stood in the middle of the wilderness just wishing he could find an airship somewhere nearby, for traveling by foot was something he didn’t realize would exhaust him at first. Traveling was new to Remial, but he enjoyed it so. He loved the squelch of the mud on his boots as he took one step after another south towards Alexandria. He loved the smells of wet plants and nature. He loved the look of gray skies, and how it bathed everything in a fine light that was not too bright, yet not too dark. One thing he didn’t love, however was realizing how far he had traveled and that no matter how tired he got, he was too far to stop.

Braving crossing to the main part of the northern continent alone in a small canoe was enough for Remial to wish this journey was over. But he knew that he had to do this for himself and his village. The weather outside was wet and humid. His clothes were damp and sticking t his skin underneath. Wet and tired a loud noise came from overhead as an airship went whizzing by. Remial’s spirits perked up as he saw it land somewhere close to the Black Mage village.

With a sparkle in his eye Remial raced to the Black Mage village in a hurry, trying desperately to catch up with the ship. He would hate to have to travel by foot any longer. Remial ran, a small grin etched upon his lips. He ran like the wind until he could finally see it. The ship was small, but it was indeed an airship at that. Never had Remial been so relieved. How else was he supposed to get over the mountains that lined the mist continent? Remial huffed as he sprinted. All he had to do was ask the owner of the ship for a ride for a small fee and he would be good to go.
 
Hands trembling slightly, Genevieve accepted the wooden bowl and drank. The cool rush of water washed down her dry throat and revived a tiny bit of life inside her. She murmured a quick thanks to the older man but avoided eye contact. She could not stand the look of pity in his eyes and tried her best to avert her gaze elsewhere.

Far off the distance, she noticed the patch of cloud covering the area of what used to be Dali. She winced and shaded her blue eyes as she slowly stood up. “Why would there be clouds…” She reigned in her thoughts and focused harder, her body rigid as she witnessed the thick smoke rising from underneath the ground that reminded her of eerie ghosts. “Mist…”

Genevieve knew a small chunk of history of the Mist from her grandfather. As a child, he often told her stories about the kind-hearted Queen Garnet and a legendary thief that saved the world of Gaia. According to him and later confirmed by the other villagers when she asked for more clarity, the Mist was an essential part of energy sources to power more advanced technologies. She also vaguely recalled a being called SoulCage, the main source of the Mist, who was eventually defeated in battle. She tried to rack her brain for more information, but her knowledge is quite limited, or perhaps her thoughts are still muddled by today’s events.

As folks gathered around and the frightened whispers heightened, Genevieve caught a tiny glance of movement on the ground. The unusual form of silhouettes was hard to determine from the distance, but the goose bumps on her body recognized the expected danger to come. Still, she must not waste any more time. Genevieve gathered up her blue skirts and walked briskly past the small crowd, calling out for attention, “Everyone! Quick, to Alexandria! We must get protection! There are monsters in the mist!”

Now frantic, Genevieve could not ignore that there may be a connection with SoulCage and the sudden return of the Mist and monsters. Or perhaps another creature is involved, a more vicious one at that, but she was determined to unravel the mystery behind it all the same.

She turned back to her disastrous home village in agony, the wind caressing her golden-brown hair and whispered a final goodbye to Cade and Rose. “I’ll find out what happened…” she silently vowed, and the sound of monstrous shrieks bellowed out in return.
 
Sitting quietly at the central fountain of the plaza, Onwas allowed his mind to wander as the sounds of the fast-paced city of Alexandria swept over him. The meditation calmed his nerves somewhat, and as he reached deeper into the corners of his mind, he began to have something of an out of body experience. He felt as if he were rising above the plaza, looking down on all the Alexandrians going about their daily business. He saw the garish colors of the dresses the women wore; he heard the laughter of children at play; he smelled the aroma of fresh baked pastries and breads being sold by the bakers' stands.

This out of body happening was never something planned. But Onwas had learned to accept it and use it as a means of gathering information for the tales he would tell his fellow Hadza. His mind was much more attentive to details in this state, and his memory for images and conversation was immaculate.

A woman's shriek came from his right, shattering his meditative state. The high-pitched keening was tinged with fear. Instinctually, Onwas began moving toward the sound at a light jog. Before long, he reached the Marketplace, where he thought the sound had emanated from. As he came to a halt, he absently noted a cloaked man with bright blue eyes. Quickly his attention returned to the Marketplace.

Just what was going on?
 
Rich had made a small camp site for himself, since he wanted to stay for a bit to investigate. He hadn't had an incident since the beast attacked him, but he still was ready for anything. He was just getting ready to go to bed, when he heard a noise. Thinking quickly, he blew out the fire, then drew his weapons. He was looking around for the source of the noise, but wasn't finding anything. While looking, a long drop of saliva dropped in front of him. He turned around and looked up to see a dragon standing there.

"Oh, shit. This can't be good."

He started to run, but the dragon grabbed him. He tried as hard as he could to get out, but everything he did had no effect. The last thing he remembered before blacking out was the dragon taking off from the Dali area.
 
A steely clang echoed around her as spears crossed before her, barring her way into the City of Burmecia. Running her eyes along the length of the polearms, Dawn's eyes came to rest on the union of the two, curiosity dancing behind blood-red irises. Courtesy begged her to halt before this display, and so she did, lowering her head slightly out of respect for those guarding the entrance. There was an almost palpable silence and an odd sense of fear arose in her gut.

“Who are you?” The guard to the left asked.

“A traveler,” Dawn replied, only half lying.

“At times such as these?” The guard to the right sounded suspicious, drawing his spear away from his partner's.

Dawn lifted her head to gaze upon these men... no. They weren't men in the typical sense of the word. The stood like men, but their features were far more rodent like. So this is what those rumors of 'rat-knights' had meant.

She didn't have time to think as the guard to the right lunged his spear towards her midsection. It was by sheer gut instinct that she managed to narrowly avoid the thrust, the sharp point cutting neatly through the fabric of her shirt, grazing the leather vest she wore beneath. Uttering her thanks to her God for the protection of the blessed vest, Dawn nimbly stepped up on to the spear, ran a couple of steps up the shaft before using it as leverage to propel herself into the air.

As the guard's head snapped around to follow her flight path, Dawn snaked her right foot deftly outwards, connecting with his jaw. She wasn't aiming to kill, but merely to knock him out. The crack of bone beneath the force of her foot caused Dawn to winced slightly as the guard fell to the ground with a rather sickening thud.

“Sorry...” she whispered, turning her eyes towards the other guard.

“You're not a traveler...” the voice sounded remarkably more feminine to Dawn now.

“I'm not your enemy, either.”

The guard paused, seemingly wanting to avenge her unconscious comrade. “We don't -”

“You don't have to trust me... I'm here to help uncover exactly why monsters are returning in such numbers.”

The guard was still hesitant, shifting nervously as her eyes alighted upon the weapons clipped to Dawn's elbows.

“You know of the monsters?”

“A little... I wish to learn more, however. Let me lend your people my strength.”

The Burmecian swallowed audibly. “You may pass. Tell the guards at the ...” she paused. Mulling something over, she gave Dawn the most curious of little smiles. “... big building over there, that you are to be taken before the King on my orders. My name is Aruin.”

Dawn gave the Burmecian a small nod. “Many thanks, Aruin.”

Giving the crumpled gate guard on last, sorrowful glance, Dawn stepped into the city of Burmecia itself. 'The big building' her new destination point.
 
Alexandria is both a nation and a capital of that nation. It is a large kingdom centered on a plateau in the northern Mist Continent, extending out over the Zamo and Gunitas basins. It was previously ruled by the late Queen Brahne Raza Alexandros XVI and is now ruled by Queen Garnet, that was atleast what she herself had heard as she have traveled from where she woke up to where she was now.

Walking around in Alexandria she noticed how the area was not directly technologically advanced and there were no way to travel in this place without walking on foot. She was however amazed by the buildings and structures. It was completely different from the places she have seen in Spira, thou it slightly reminded her of Bevelle.

As she walked she could notice how the people were different in this area. They were somewhat smaller than her and they were mostly giving her weird looks as her clothes and style in general did not fit with the rest of the people. It was as clear as the sunlit sky that she was a foreigner in so many ways.

It was then she witnessed a poor girl getting mugged by a mere thief. For some reason she sighed as she felt a feeling that she was somewhat familiar with due to the fact one of her friends was such a world saver that it had rubbed off on her.

As she thought of that the person that mugged the poor girl had run past her and without a second thought in mind she did a 180 degree turn and almost threw her left foot in front of her so she could get a good running speed. As she did a pair of voices went of in her mind.

First was the calm and collected voice, the voice of someone who have saved the world and could bring justice to the once who tried to ruin the world.

"Give me a Y!"

The other voice was a cheerful and bubbly voice that sounded like it was full of life and mischief and seemed to give her a troublesome look on her face.

"Give me a R!"

With another sigh she started to run as fast as she could after the thief before she herself mumbled her own small sentence.

"Give me a break.."

Running after the thief she noticed how many looks she got. It seemed that it was odd how someone like her would blindly follow some mere thief that had mugged a poor girl, but jumping heads first into trouble had sort of become one of her things as she had spent a lot of time with her friends.

The thief started to slow as his stamina seemed to not be as good as hers and as she got close she jumped into the air and did a 360 degree spin in the air before her right foot closed into the thief's body.

"Here comes the hurt!"

As her foot connected with the thief the thief flew across the ground and rolled several times, dropping whatever that was in the bag that he had mugged from the girl. She picked it up before looking at the thief with her red piercing eyes trying to strike some sort of fear into him and it worked. The thief picked himself up and ran away into a alleyway. Without thinking twice she returned back to the girl which was now with two guard looking women. It seemed that she had called the guards.

The girl pointed at the woman with a scared look as she probably was startled by the entire situation. The guards approached the woman swiftly and the woman passed them both swiftly and approached the girl.

"I believe this belongs to you."

The girl suddenly started to smile really wide and grabbed the woman's hand was crying happy tears of joy. She opened the bag and noticed that everything she had in there was still in there. Placing her hands at her chest she managed to mumble a couple of words from her joyful state.

"Thank you."

The woman smiled before she decided it was best to leave. However she quickly turned around on her heels as it was the perfect opportunity to ask someone for more information on this place. She approached the girl again with a not so threatening look on her face and decided to ask her.

"Do you know where I can find a huge group of people? Especially the kind with information about things?"

She knew that her question was very far fetched, but her existence in this place was just as odd as her question. The girl looked somewhat confused, but seemed to understand her question quite clearly.

"Go to the marketplace. It's not far from here."

"Thank you."

Just as their conversation ended she could hear shriek from somewhere. The girl seemed to react quite swiftly to the shriek and started to point erratically towards where the sound came from.

"It sounded like it came from the Marketplace. If not then still the Marketplace is that way."

The woman gave her a nod of gratitude as she started to move swiftly towards the marketplace. Not only did the shriek somewhat startle her, but getting to a area where there is a good amount of people would be amazing right about now.

Thou there was people everywhere she looked and quite a good amount she felt that if she had a area where people usually were then she could possibly get a better idea of who to ask for information about everything she could possibly need answered.

Hoping to get some answers she entered the marketplace and hopefully this would come with some results.
 
The sounds of the Gargan Roo were slightly unnerving to Alex. Fear was enhanced by the creaks and screeches of the various creatures beneath the Mist Continent.

In the years following Brahne and Kuja's removal from power, the Gargan Roo had become open for public use, and the monsters exterminated from the depths of the tunnel, aside from the Gargant themselves, which were still used for transport, under Queen Garnet's orders.

Tired from hours of traveling, Alex sat down on a rocky ledge overlooking the long distance he still had to go. He had come this way to get to Cleyra, and now it seemed almost an impossible task.

He noticed something on the ground below, sprouting out of a crack in the ground. A large yellow flower, its petals blooming, spreading outwards. It looked like something the Cleyrans had told him about before he had left. Some kind of flower to attract the Gargant.

Standing up and jumping down from the ledge, Alex stumbled slightly, but still landed on his feet as he ran over and plucked the flower. Before a few seconds had passed, he saw another cluster of the same flower, and ran to pick them, gathering them in his hands.

Something was making sniffling sounds. Something large and... almost mole like. It approached him quietly, then bowed its head towards the flowers, which Alex raised in offerance.

The beast munched on them fervently, making small snuffles of delight. Alex chuckled, then blinked as it lowered its back. Did it... want him to get on?
 
Altan’s pace had quickened into a brisk jog, making his way towards the center of the Marketplace. The shriek of a woman had brought him towards the center of the commotion. The sound wasn’t one of pain or loss, but perhaps more of... joy? After narrowly avoiding a few passing pedestrians he came to a halt, his eyes settling on that of a young lass.

“I can’t believe you won, darlin’!” The lady leapt into the arms of a young man her age, possibly their early twenties who were seated at a table surrounded by 3 other brooding gentlemen. The young man shoved at his companion.

“Git off, will ye? Yer’ embarrassing me.” The company were holding a small gambling tournament amongst each other. The young lass, a cheerleader for her man obviously got too excited.

As did Altan. Seeing this mockery of danger caused the man to sigh heavily. His shoulders slumped and his feet dragged on the ground as he picked up his dashed dreams of a lead in the Mist case, and turned to the right. Although this wasn’t without purpose. From a glance, a mere chance that he had seen this, Altan laid eyes on another a few yards away. This individual also looked weary with chase, possibly they had followed him? But this person didn’t look threatening in any way, nor should they pose any bit of a threat towards him. Yet, Altan wondered where this calloused wanderer had come from; moreover, what had enticed them to follow him towards the Marketplace.

Perhaps it was time for a game.

Altan stretched out his arms from beneath his cloak, his tanned slightly toned arms showing in the gleam of light for once in God knows how long. With a feigned yawn, Altan turned his attention towards the Accessory stand. A few paces ahead and he stood before it, jaggedly scarred fingertips brushed against a few broaches, each one with a different ability. Some could help protect against poison, some against negative effects such as drowsiness or uncertainty.

Altan smiled at the clerksman, a rugged man in his late 50’s with a short white tattered vest that barely covered the belly that nudged against his side of the stand every now and again. “See anythin’ yah like?”

Picking up a small cerulean broach, he studied it carefully, his similarly coloured hues glancing in its reflectiveness for the stranger that was following him. Would they sneak up on a man who was simply purchasing a small item? Or would they go about their business as if Altan had nothing to do with anything going on. Either way, he figured that this wasn’t going to go on without some investigation on his part as well. His response was slow and distracted. “I’m just... browsing.”
 
After regaining conciousness, Rich looked around to get an idea where he was at. He finally figured out that he was in a heavily forested area, surrounded by what would appear to be dragon eggs. He also noticed that the dragon that caught him was not anywhere near, or so he could tell anyways.

"Hmmm. This really blows. What am I gonna do now? I don't have a damn clue of where I am, and I can't really see anything ahead of me."

He figured he could either take his chances running around the forest until he got out, or stay here and try to hide. His leg was in pain, so he knew that actually running from something was out of the question. He was thinking about this for longer than he expected, and suddenly blurted out:

"What is taking me so long to think about this? I'm getting out of here."

He picked a direction and started walking, making sure to listen for anything that would be dangerous to him. He hoped to get out of this place so he could at least get back to his stuff, which was probably gone by now. The only problem was that he had no idea where he was, or where he was going.
 
A voice echoed in a slow beating drum, piercing through her soul.

“Mama…Mama…”

She clasped the golden brooch that held her cloak together, her breathing matching the rhythm of her heartbeat. Genevieve awoke with a start, clasping the handle of a dagger she kept nearby. The moon reflected upon the double-edged blade, and Genevieve was caught in a stunning trance, if only for a moment.

“A nightmare?”

She looked up briefly to the older man who had saved her, offering no response. She was still exhausted. The three-day journey was enough to wear anyone out, especially since the small group had traveled by foot. There was no time to save a few of their livestock. Granted, a healthy chocobo would have been a blessing.

Few minutes passed, and the man spoke wisely, “The first key to winning conflict is good communication. In times of conflict and confrontation, our unity gives us strength. But I know it is very difficult, so communication must be amplified.”

Genevieve slowly met his gaze, trying to form her thoughts. “Not a nightmare, no. But somewhat close – in many ways. Either way, I don’t wish to conjure up these images.”

The older man nodded, catching her meaning. He sat beside her and said, “North Gate was miles behind, so Alexandria is up ahead. Perhaps a two day journey left, if that.”

She hugged her knees, not quite sure what to say to his obvious statement. Instead, she asked, “Do you think cable cars will function once again, now that the Mist is present?”

“There is no guarantee, but it is a possibility.” The man studied her. “Is there a reason why you might take interest in that?”

Genevieve sighed, and pretended to fix her bedroll. “No reason.” She wished for the conversation to be over, but she remembered one detail. “I’ve never seen you before in Dali. What business did you have in the village?”

The man was taken aback, and then he chuckled, “That’s a very bold question, coming from a lady. My name is Gale, by the way. Since you neglected to ask, I noticed.”

“Pardon my rudeness.” She did not like the playful tone of his voice. She also noticed he neglected to answer her question. However, she was in no mood to play games. “If you don’t mind, I would like to catch more sleep before dawn breaks.”

“As you wish.” She waited until he moved away and back to the far end side before she closed her eyes, although sleep was becoming to be quite a challenge every passing night. There are still monsters lurking, no doubt about that. She peeked with one eye to make certain that two men from her village were still up and about from a short distance, standing guard.
 
The "large building" rose up before Dawn as she strode along, only half paying attention to her surroundings. She took little note of the area bar the various faces that gazed back at her with mingled expressions of curiosity and fear. Normally, the young woman would have stopped to reassure these strangers... but right now, she had more pressing issues on her mind.

The Burmecian Guards at the entrance to this large, majestic building did not greet her the same way those at the gate had. Instead, they swung the doors open and gave her a courteous bow.

"We have received word to let you pass," one said.

Noting the look on the half-vampire's face, the second clarified.

"News travels fast in Burmecia," he said. "Aruin sent a messenger as soon as you parted company."

"Oh..." Dawn was a little stunned that word of her arrival had beaten her here. Then again, the messenger would have known all the little side streets and such, whereas Dawn had stuck to the main road to prevent getting lost.

"Please... enter. The Throne Room lies at the top of the tower. You will find the King waiting there." The first guard indicated the stairs leading up with a little flick of his lance.

Dawn nodded politely. "Thank you," she said softly before taking the steps two at a time. If she was perfectly honest, she was eager to discover if the King knew any more about the recent events than she did. After all... something had brought her here. Which meant, in her mind at least, that she had some part to play in this.

Entering the Throne Room (for the doors lay open before her), Dawn stuck by the traditions of her own Kingdom and slid down gracefully to one knee, hands resting upon the one before her. Keeping her head bowed out of respect, the woman then held her arms out either side and unclipped the elbow blades, allowing them to fall to the ground with a clatter of metal on brick.

In her own Kingdom, this was done when presented to the Royal Family to show that they meant no harm and came in peace. The Burmecian King, rather confused by this display, cleared his throat.

"Curious..." he stated.

Dawn lifted her face to gaze up at him. He was a regal looking Burmecian with a sort of arrogant yet friendly air about him.

"Welcome to Burmecia, Dawn."
 
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