Note: Ugh. I have nothing interesting to say. At all! Bloo.
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Ariac had long since given up trying to figure out where Chocobo Mage’s house was. They had taken so many turns, come across the same place so many times, gone through so many tunnels of dark vegetation which branched off like a living maze, that she was hopelessly lost. The Chocobo Mage took it all in stride, occasionally muttering to herself or adjusting her pointy mage’s hat. Ariac sighed as they passed a tall, pointed rock covered in moss and poison ivy for the fourth time. Finally she piped up.
"Chocobo Mage, can’t we just take a straight route? Are you trying to confuse me?"
"Not at all old chap. I believe ‘tis you who are trying to confuse me, eh wot?"
Ariac stopped. What was going on? The Chocobo Mage turned sharply on her feet and peered down into Ariac’s face.
"Humans don’t ‘just hear’ about my Synth work. No human has ever jolly well heard of such a thing, for I only work for monsters! And the like, wot wot. So, how did you come to hear of me? Speak up, there."
Ariac fidgeted. "I... can talk to monsters. I thought you’d know, because the Goblin Mages said that the monsters just knew..."
"But I am not a monster."
"I thought... anything inhuman would know."
The Chocobo Mage shrugged. "Now that we’re being truthful, I suppose we can get to my house, wot! Now come along then, stand up straight! Chin in, chest out, arms t’ya sides, and march!" She turned again and headed off northeast. Ariac followed. This time she scarcely strayed from her direction, only for clearings and open spaces. Ariac didn’t ask why. In hardly anytime at all, the Chocobo Mage led her into another tunnel of vegetation. This one was single and straight. When they emerged into the sunlight, Ariac saw that they were about ten feet off the ground. Chocobo mage’s house was set in a tree, a broad, circular platform that surrounded the trunk. The inside of it had been hollowed out; obviously it was a sleeping quarters. Ariac looked up, and saw the top of the tree had been struck by lightening, apparently, for the edges were scorched. It appeared to be a large, flat platform.
"Up there is the forge. All around you is generally my living space, and inside the trunk is my bed, wot wot! I’ll head up to the forge and have a look at your weapon."
The Chocobo Mage disappeared behind the tee trunk, and Ariac followed, She saw a wobbly ladder had been set out, and the Chocobo Mage was climbing it in a rather awkward way. Instead of using her wings and feet, she used her beak and feet. Ariac waited until she had reached the top, then she herself started climbing. When she reached the top, she beheld the Forge. It looked pretty simple, the actual forging area was a broad, flat metal platform with a stack of wood beneath. The rest was bare. Most of the treetop was blackened by fire.
"So.. what’re gonna do to it?"
"I’m going to reshape this bally old thing, that’s wot I’m gonna do!" The Chocobo mage flicked a wing in the direction of the stack of wood. A blue blaze erupted, roaring louder than Ariac had expected. The Chocobo mage deftly untied the complex knot Ariac had slaved over, and studied the metal. Ariac sat back and watched. Finally she nodded, set it down, and cast her wings to either side of the platform. Fire engulfed the Chocobo and her work, and Ariac nearly jumped off the tree! At first she thought there had been a mistake, but she could hear the clang of metal being hammered away at. After a while she figured knew the Chocobo Mage had things under control, so she climbed down and started exploring the dwelling. Most of everything was kept simple, plain. The only thing Ariac found of interest was the straw-filled bed. Imagine, having a whole bed to oneself stuffed with straw! To Ariac, it was a luxury. Back at her old home in Treno, She would lie on! an old burlap sack that had a wooden frame beneath it. If she was lucky, she could stuff some rags she found beneath it. But there were others that she knew that were a lot more worse off. But, as her mother used to say, ‘That’s the way the cookie crumbles.’ Ariac had yet to se a cookie crumble. She sighed. Mother. Ariac’s mom was a simple, practical woman. She wouldn’t hesitate to stand up for herself, and was very protective of Ariac. Of course, the little girl knew that she could not be her biological mother, for they, first of all, looked nothing alike. Ariac’s mom had frizzy brown hair with eyes of the same color. Ariac remembered her face vividly.
"How’s this look, old gel?" Ariac jumped and looked up.
"Jeez! You scared the crap outta me!"
"I’m fixin to beat the crap outta you if you don’t tell me what you think of this flippin’ thing, wot!"
Ariac took the butt end of the stick and drew it away. The blade was incredible. It was very thin, but obviously nothing would chip or break it, at least, not easily. It had one end like a great scythe, while a single, spiked rod stuck out straight from the base. The handle was made of the stick she had found, and the blade was secured with a simple tight knot.
"Nothing fancy, but I’ll get you a better stick, wot!"
Ariac just stood there turning it over and over, gawking at the steely shiny smooth sharp slick silver blade. The Chocobo Mage was obviously proud, but kept her beak shut.
***Three years later***
"A few days. Tcha! A few years is more like it, wot!" The Chocobo Mage was loading a haversack with a few days’ provisions of food. Ariac-now thirteen-twirled Al Tashir, her weapon, experimentally.
"It’s funny how those things turn out." She said, thrusting at an imaginary foe. Ariac was just now recovering from a coma, and she needed practice. One day she felt a great jolt, as if something inside her had died, and collapsed in the forest. The Chocobo Mage had sat by her bedside for two months, force-feeding her. Ariac was quieter now, but Chocobo Mage was there to make her laugh. Ariac had always the thought of her like an aunt of sorts.
"Now, the dwarves at Conde Petie are a bit peculiar but they can cook spiffin’ food! Are you sure you want to bring Al wotitsname? I don’t think those fellows will like you carrying around some big bloomin’ scythe-thingummy, wot wot!"
Ariac brought Al Tahsir down hard, making a deep furrow in the dead earth. She spun on her heel and lifted the blade to strike at a low-hanging branch, slicing it cleanly off. "Hm, what if I run into trouble? I heard black mages were popping up around there..."
Chocobo mage turned her eyes upwards, as if seeking patience. "How many ways do’ya want this told? Not all of those chaps are bad! I dunno where they come from, but I don’t want you jumpin’ to conclusions if ya seen one, bad form, doncha know."
Ariac nodded and patted her friends shoulder. "No need to worry y’self. I’ll give it a change for retaliation."
"Ya missin’ the point! Wot if he doesn’t retailiate?"
"I’ll kill it."
"No, you won’t! Treat him like... like you would treat a monster! Approach the chap cautiously and talk to him politely. Is it a deal old gel?"
Ariac sighed exasperatedly and shook Chocobo Mage’s outstretched wing. "Now wot’re you to do?"
"I am to walk to Conde Petie. If it gets dark by the time I get there, ask to stay at the inn. If not, ask to stay at the inn. Talk with the dwarves and let your name get around."
"And what’s the greeting?"
"Rally-ho!" Ariac cried with gusto.
"What’re you gonna do if ya see a Black Mage?"
"Try and talk to it." She replied dully.
Chocobo Mage grinned. "Good then, off ya go, this’ll be good for ya!"
Ariac waved as she began her trip. It was still early morning, with the sun close to the eastern horizon. The sky was still a bit colored, but to the west the rich blue was showing. Ariac was enjoying her stroll. It would be nice to talk to... a humanoid. That word had always sounded funny, scientific. But Ariac never used that word around C. Mage, she would not hesitate to take offense. Chocobo Mage was nice, but she was different. There were several well-worn paths- hidden to most travelers-that Ariac took as she headed for Conde Petie.
-Noontime-
Ariac sat on the dusty, wind swept plains that formed most of the outer continent. Cone Petie wasn’t far now; Ariac could just make it out on the horizon. She wondered what these green dwarves would look like. She had never seen a dwarf, but she assumed they’d be a bit short. The word ‘dwarf’ just seemed to be a short-ish thing to her. She chewed her sandwich thoughtfully.
"I wonder if this meat came from Conde Petie. I know this bread did. What’s this meat made of..? She wondered aloud, leaning back and swirling dust about with her tail. She reached into her pack and fished out a beaker of spring water, not uncommon in the Dead Forest. Taking a deep swig, and packed her things and stood. Time to go.
The sun beat down on her as she continued to walk. Not far now. She could see a chain of mountains looming over the curious structure, blocking any further view. There was a deep ravine below the village; which was a sort of rectangular building with four leg-like structures that supported it. Ariac became nervous. She had a slight fear of heights, but she’d never admit it. Ariac walked up one of the wide paths, tying not to look down.
"Rally-ho!" a voice called. All fear diminished.
"Rally-ho!" she called back, waving and picking up her pace.
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Note: Doo-doo-dee-doo... Special thanx to Tower-chan for da feedback >^.~<... I am a kitty! Neow! Mweeheheh... Next chapter the actual FF9 chars come in *gasp*!