Chapter 6
Chapter 6
From that point you are taken away from the observatory tower, supplies are preapred for you, your clothing and belongings packed from your rooms and delivered to were you have been taken. Strangely enough you find yourself atop one of the other towers of the temple library not down in the stables, the wind and rain blasting across the tower top outside the small shelter you have to stay in.
Raziel allows himself to be lead to the other spire without much of a word, as his mind is elsewhere.. chasing after the supposed trail of the thief. Looking up from his thoughts when they come to a stop the man looks around for a moment before tilting his head towards the one that led them before glancing at Vazkor with a lifted brow. "He did say they would give us an edge.. you don't suppose.."
Vazkor keeps a hand resting upon the hilt of one of his new weapons after resheathing them and follows after the guide... The man looking curious as they're brought up a tower instead of where he would expects Chocobo's to be. Peering out at the ran from the little shelter, he glances at Raziel as he speaks, "Flying Chocobo? Never heard of such a thing."
A voice speaks from behind Vazkor "Actuall I changed my mind" It is the mortal sage, he walks onto the tower and one of his assistance unrolls a large rug. it curls at one end and then another, rippling and shimmering brilliantly. "Sit upon this and set your packs down. It shall take you straight to Baguba Port."
Raziel looks over Vazkor's shoulder and then down at the rug. He eyes it for a moment before murmuring, "very interesting.. I've not seen something like this before." The man steps out onto the rug slowly before setting the packs down and then taking a seat towards the center.
Vazkor turns around as the sage speaks up... And his eyes instantly fall upon that carpet as it's rolled out. It takes him a moment to realize what he's seeing, but soon, he grins rather widely, "I had someone try to sell me one of these once in Zara-Qum, but I didn't believe him it was real... Does it really fly?" He asks, as he picks up his pack and slowly walks onto and sits down on the rug.
The MOrtal Sage grins, his eyes twinkling, "His one probably didn't this one" he taps his staff and it lifts up with a rippling swish, your purchase on it quite secure. "This one easily flies... now hold on my young friends. This will fly you straight to Baguba Port! If you see her as you fly down attack and win back the Stelazzio coin and remember what I have taught you and what you have learnt! You must claim the next coin."
Raziel takes a breath and then he tests sitting up on his knees a little.. A glance is given the Sage and he considers before nodding and drawing out the scroll he was given before considering, "if we find her.." The man nods over to Vazkor before looking up at the elder. "I thank you for your assistance.. if all is ready then we best be going.. Ah... one question though. How do you control the carpet? Just in case.."
Vazkor grins some more as he shifts around a bit on the carpet, pushing down some upon the fabric with his hands as if to test it. He personally looks rather excited at the prospect of flying around on this thing, though he also takes a moment to nod at the sage, "We'll get her, sir... Thank you." He bows "Just ask it!" it leaps up into the air! The wind rushes around you both as you race through the air.... you can feel it flowing around you, blowing clothes and hair and yet it is not cold... The world drops away below you, the temple falling behind as the carpet launches itself through the air...... zipping forward across the rippling grass land below...... the hunt is on!
Raziel considers and then nods before shifting down on the carpet as it zips off. The man looks around for a few moments as they fly and at some point closes his eyes while enjoying the familiar feeling of rushing wind. Reopening his eyes though he begins to peer ahead and around, attempting to keep a lookout. "This /will/ speed things."
Vazkor lets out a woop as the thing takes off into the air, still grinning wide as his shaggy black hair whips around his face, obviously enjoying the rush of speeding off through the air like this. At some point he even leans across to peer over the edge for a few moments, watching the landscare blur by below, before turning towards Raziel, "We need to get us one of these... It'll look nice in the living room."
The carpet ripples at Vazkor's words and bumps him up and drops into a steep dive for a moment before righting itself and flying on. It seems it can hear what they say and didn't approve of that commment. As they race through the day the sun beams down but doesn't scorch, the wind races around them and down below herds of Mesmerise and other four legged fiends race across the plains but after about six hours something else comes into sight. A group of wagons pulled up into a ring, a fire burning in the centre... a caravan!
Raziel yerks and he lowers himself towards the carpet, looking at the carpet and then at Vazkor as he's caught. "I'd suggest not saying something like that again.." He smirks though looks back down again and reaches down to pet the carpet's fibers, "though it is something admireable." The open praise a rare thing for the man. As the caravan comes into sight he ponders a little before motioning, "think we should check it out? It's possible she's hiding with them since travelling alone is dangerous."
Vazkor blinks as the thing dips down! And Vazkor's reflex is to hold on tight for a few moments, before relaxing again and giving a chuckle... He pats the carpet then, saying to it carefully, "Don't worry, dear... You belong in the open sky, for sure." Later on, as he catches sight of the caravan, he turns towards Raziel and thinks before nodding, "Let's check it... Though I'm not sure we should let them see us approach on a flying carpet."
The carpet twitches under you all as vazkor speaks and drops! It spins! It's width seems to grow... rounding out until it is circular! It glows... white and purple and blue light shimmering in a halo all around you as it descends toward the caravan! People stop and point and stare and soon enough you can hear excited voices shouting out and calling to people to come and see!
Raziel shifts and looks around for a moment before he blinks at the people. Glancing down then at Vazkor he smirks a little bit, "do me a favor.. see if you can't put on a bit of a show for them. They'll think us some sort of entertainers with a ride such as the carpet." He looks back towards the people and starts looking through the crowd and beyond. Looking beyond the excitement for anyone that seems not to be. Particularily a winged person.
Vazkor blinks as the carpet decides to descend towards the caravan all flashily like that! And he shakes his head for a moment at the thing's antics. At Raziel's words however, he nods... And boldly pushes himself upright! Standing on the carpet and looking over the edge at the people down below. He starts waving his arm then, grinning wide and calling out in a rich baritone, "Hail, people! We come in peace!"
One of them calls out "We hope so! Join us travellers, our fire is open to all who come in peace." The carpet alights and with a ripple settles to the ground with a brilliant flare of light as if it should have trumpets heralding its arrival! It sure has a personality, the children ooh and so do some of the younge adults. An elderly woman with brilliant necklaces bows to the two "Welcome to uor caravan noble travellers of the sage"
Raziel looks up at Vazkor and makes a quiet noise in the back of his throat. He smirks a little bit for a brief moment before rising as the carpet flares out for the children. He steps from it then before bowing back to the elderly woman, taking her as their elder, "ah.. I suppose our friend here must be familiar to you, elder." He glances at the carpet then back to her before scanning the faces of the people quickly.
Vazkor braces himself a moment as the carpet lands, but then smoothly steps off after Raziel to approach the people... He smiles and waves at the children, greeting them with a, "Hello, kids! Isn't she beautiful?" Before looking over at the elderly woman as well, and bowing towards her, "Miss." His own eyes in the meantime roaming around as well.
The lady inclines her head "You ride upon one of the Sage's carpets, we who travel the steppes recognize them though you are not the usual scholars they carry. Be welcome to our fire" she motions Raziel and Vazkor to the fire side, "Do you know the song?" As they move over RAziel doesn't see much beyond smiling, interested faces but Vazkor wuld recognize one of the wagons has no chocobo and a rather bedraggled looking bird tied to another wagon being tended by a couple of men.
"Thank you for the welcome.. though I cannot say I know of it.." He frowns faintly and glances towards Vaz then back once again. "We're actually in search of someone. We had hope that you might be able to help us perhaps." Raziel follows the woman towards the fire after a quick glance at the carpet.
Vazkor glances over the strange wagon... Before smiling over at the elder, "I'm afraid I don't know the song, miss, but I'm willing to learn." He answers cheerily, before following both her and Raziel. As he moves though, he draws Raziel's attention for a moment, and gives a short nod towards the wagon.
She nods her head "Then we continue to search, it is not a song we know but one we seek ourselves." She glances toward the wagon as she sees Vazkor nod at it then looks back at them. "You chase the thief?"
Raziel looks towards the wagon when Vazkor directs his attention and then looks quickly back to the elder once more, his brows lifting a touch before he nods in responce. "You ran acrossed her too then? She's stolen a treasure of my people... an artifact of great import."
Vazkor hmms as he looks back at the elder, and then nods some, "We do... As my companion says, she has something we need back. Can you tell us anything about her, miss?" She sighs "She rode in here last night, she was gentle, polite, and then she stole something from us, stole a team of chocobo and after incapacitating poor Miguel she rode off into the night heading south and east toward the border"
Raziel's lips draw down into a frown before he looks off in the direction she was reported to have gone. "I'm sorry about your man, hopefully he will recover expediantly.. As for the item she stole. Tell us of it and when we find her we will do our best to obtain it for your people."
Vazkor blinks a moment, before nodding. That explains the strange wagon. Listening to Raziel's offer then, he nods again, adding, "We will gladly retrieve what she stole from you, miss, alongside what she took from us..."
The elder frowns then makes a motion, her people back away from the fire, leaving you alone with her. She looks at you both then sighs and sits down, "He will recover, but she stole from us an item of ancient majesty. Something we had been charged to care and carry for long years now. The Taurus as the sage sent you I shall trust that he has the faith in you to be able to stop this thief?"
Raziel's brows lift and he whispers, "Taurus... And Aries from us." He frowns and then nods to her, "we will get the coin back for your people.. but we will not want to linger long with you. While the trail is still warm we will need to move. Is there anything else you can help us with regarding this?"
Vazkor arches his brow some and glances at Raziel, "It seems she's collecting... For who, I wonder?" He remarks, before looking back at the elder and nodding, "We two are tenacious folk, miss. We'll catch up with her sooner or later."
She nods and stands up, "I canot tell you much, but I can tell you who guards Gemini and Cancer, in Baguba Port, somewere in the great Cathedral of Steam, the home of Mog himself you will find a priest engineer. Jasper is his name, he holds in charge and trust two of the great Stelazzio Coins you must go. You must find him before she does" Your carpet drifts over,a bunch of laughing xchildren sat on the back of it cheering happily!"
Raziel looks down then up before he nods to the woman quietly. He glances towards the carpet then back once again, "Jasper in the Cathedral of Steam.. Thank you for the knowledge and the trust you are putting in us." He looks back up then and waves his hand, "Ah... carpet? We should be going.." Vazkor bows some towards the elder, "Indeed, thank you... We will do anything to stop her, rest assured." And with that, he turns back towards the carpet, chuckling some at the children upon it before he approaches to climb on himself.
The Carpet lowers down and the Elder shepherds the children off. She bows her head, "It is sad that you leave our side without a farewell feast. We thank you and wish you every moment of success! Fly true heroes, fly fast and stop the thief"
Raziel bows his head, "we have not yet done anything deserving of it." He looks at the children for a moment and then steps onto the carpet and kneels down so he doesn't lose his balance when it takes off, "alright carpet.. we need to get to the Cathedral of Steam in Baguda Port.. and we must get there fast."
"Oh No don't say...." the elder starts to say but her words are lost as without any warning the Carpet LEAPS forward! The world shoots past and there is a faint rippling BOOM in your wake as the plains lurch by beneath you! The carpet streamlining, the slipstream intense and deadly.......
Vazkor manages to settle down properly on the carpet just in time! Clinging on as it speeds off like that with all his might! However, he soon notices Raziel starting to slip off... And his first instinct is to reach out and grab for the Aegyl! Sadly though, this seems to have the effect of the swashbuckler losing his hold on the damn carpet himself... And with a short yell, the man goes flying off!
The carpet ripples and tosses Raziel off into the air and then spins backwards..... as the pair of men plummet it zips down beneath them. Catching first Vazkor and then Raziel, the two of you landing with heavy thumps on the thick fabric! It shivers and the edges raises up like gunwhales as it slows down zipping over the grass land as the sun slips toward the horizon. There is a definate air of "Silly Humans" radiating from the carpet as if it is all their fault.
Raziel lets out a startled yelp and his eyes widen a bit a bit as he tries to hold on. The man struggles to maintain his hold.. desperately missing his wings just about now.. before he too slips free. The man spreads out his body to try and create more wind resistance. As the carpet zooms in under them and catches vazkor he lets out a breath while bracing himself... and then he too is caught and he feels the breath rush out of him before he gasps. "Right... a little /too/ fast there..."
Vazkor lands onto the carpet with that heavy thud! And he instantly flattens himself against it, looking wide eyed and out of breath from the shock of the fall, and the yelling he did while he plummeted through the air! Staring at Raziel some then, he swallows, before slowly pushing himself up a bit again, "... Let's not do that anymore."
The carpet settles into a steady flow, sliding through the air as the sun dips toward the horizon! Sinking down out of sight as the sky starts to illuminate with glittering pinpricks of light!
Raziel rests his head on the carpet quietly and he exhales before nodding to Vazkor's request, "deal.." He sits up then and looks around before leaning up against Vazkor as they travel at a smoother pace.
Vazkor rests a hand on Raziel's shoulder as he leans against him, just as much for his own sake, wanting to feel a bit more grounded after that fall. In the meantime he studies the enviroment as it rolls by, as well as watching the stars as they reveal themselves, "We always get ourselves into something, don't we?" He comments.
The carpet ripples under them, the weave seperating, blakets forming to snug over them both to keep off the chill as they glide through the deep rich night, heading toward Baguba and the coast..... flying onward!
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