Final Fantasy XI: A Mithra and Her Wyvern: Part I
Final Fantasy XI: A Mithra and Her Wyvern: Part I: The beginning of a friendship
Reenie covered her eyes as she walked through the vigorous sand storm. Her fabric cloak flailing to and fro violently by the seeming ever lasting force of nature. Sand blew up in her face that made her wince and cough as some of the tiny grains forced their way into her throat. Her eyes were so tightly shut that she could barely see where she was going as she forcfully made her way over the hot and dry sand dunes of Valkurm.
It had only been a few days since she left San d'Oria on her quest to Selbina. A quaint little town on the edge of the dunes that was the only transportaion bettween the two main contenents of Vana'diel. Well, the only other transportation besides the Airships and a well trained chocobo. But she didn't have the money nor was she of high standing enough to even obtain a pass to board such vessels as the airships and she had yet to find herself a chocobo she could train or ride for that matter.
"Damn sandstorrrrrm! I picked the purrrrrfect time to decided to trrravel through a place like this!" she growled protesting against the winds that sought to fling her back on her back in the sand. "It's times like these that I wish I would have just walked to Jueno." she scolded herself. But then remembering that she had heard of several vicious Orcs and Tigers, not to mention goblins in that area that would not think twice of killing her for breakfast or just for sport. "Those damn beastmen! When I'm strrrrong enough I'm going to blast all theirrrr hides to the heavens and have Altana deal with them." she thought and continued her way through the endless torrent of stinging sand. Her beautiful silky white hair, now an nice shade of red and yellow, whipped her face relentlessly. Her ears were well folded against her skull to prevent anymore sand that wasn't allready in them to get in.
She paused for a moment at the top of a very steep dune to look around her in hopes of finding some sign of Selbina or maybe a cave to escape to while this storm blew over. She sighed in unison of frustration and exaustion "No such luck...." she thought to herself. She began her decent back down the dune in the direction that the elf had told her where it would be. Thinking back on what the elf had told her she probably should have taken his advice.
"Miss, I suggest you not go to the dunes now, I had word from one of the messengers of Selbina that the dunes are due for a sand storm real soon."
"I don't have time to wait Mr Rrrrroyal Knight. I have to get to Windurrrrst as soon as possible."
"What, may I ask, is in Windurst that you need to be there so urgently."
"If that was any of yourrr business then I would tell you but this is a prrrrivate matter now get out of my way."
She cursed herself for being so hasty, which she was now paying for as we speak. She made her way down the huge dune even for down hill travel it was difficult travel. The sand move under her paws and made getting any traction at all seemingly impossible, but after much stumbling and flailing she made it down. She took a moment to rest and sat down at the bottom of the dune and put part of her cloak over her mouth to filter out the sand and get a decent enough breath in the tainted air. Huffing and puffing though the thin fabric she strained to catch her breath, both of her lithe legs under her in the warm sand getting her thin fur even more dirty with more sand.
After quick moments rest she decided to continue on towards her goal, she began to sit up but stopped when she thought she heard a faint noise. Her small ears twiched and moved in all directions as she tried to locate the source of the noise. She waited............nothing. She could have sworn she heard something but nothing was there.
"Hello!!!" She shouted, only to have her voice stolen but the strong gusts of wind about her.
She waited for a reply but nothing came. She was about to dismiss it as her imagination and the heat getting to her but then the noise came again. It was very faint but it was definitely there. It sounded like a elvan child screaming but there was something else to it. Reenie's ears perked up and scanned the sands again, her head swinging from one side to the other. Finally the sound came yet again this time it came from off to the right of her position. She quickly got to her feet and rushed off in that direction, her paws padding the sand quickly. She called once.....twice....the noise came again. By this time she had pin pointed where the noise was coming from and could allready see a dark figure in the distance. She began to run towards the figure calling out to it getting a cry with each.
Finally she reached the poor figure and she immediatly jumped back and gasped. Right there in the sand was an almost full grown Wyvern!! Its body was covered in a dark cerulean color with black splotches here and there in two rows up its back, small nubs where spikes are supposed to be ran up its back all the way up to its head which Reenie couldn't she due to wyvern's wings covering it's head to protect its eyes and face from the onslaught of the blowing sand.
The wyvern noticed her presence and lifted it's head. It's dark ebony eyes met with Reenie's green crystal eyes freezing the both of them in time for a moment. Reenie wanted to run, but her legs wouldn't work, she couldn't move, her body completly frozen in the gaze of the young adult wyvern. Even her tail had completly stopped its swishing and seemed that even the wind could not move it. Her hair and cloak being the only thing that could move at all at the winds will.
Finally the silence between the two was shattered as the wyvern let out a cry of pain closing its eyes and moving its head down to its back leg and began to lick it gently. Reenie snapped out of her trance and took a few steps back and turned around like she was going to run but was stopped as the wyvern cried in pain again and began licking at its paw again, where the protrusion of what looked like a broad sword could be seen sticking out of flesh, a trickle of blood began to pour out from where the blade was wedged in the poor wyvern's leg. Reenie turned back around and watched as the wyvern continued licking its wound. The wyvern turned and looked back at her, its eyes gleaming despite the sandy winds stinging them. For some reason, even knowing how dangerous these things were, Reenie felt sorry for the poor thing. She began to examine the wyvern looking from its blood stained leg to its muscular but yet seemingly anerexic chest and belly. Its leathery hide was a nice color pattern, pleasing to the eye, a greedy person no doubt would have killed the beast in an instant for such a coat as beautiful as its was. Wyvern skin was indeed a very expensive item on the market. But Reenie was not a greedy person nor was she cruel. Looking at this creature's condition and here it cry in pain was enough to make hot tears well up in her eyes.
"What should I do? I surely can't help it, it'd chomp me to bits if I even got close to it. But I can't just let it sit there and die from a wound like that." Reenie thought to herself again looking at the graceful yet fierce looking being before her.
"Oh hell..." She said aloud and took a step towards the wyvern, finally deciding she could manage to get the blade out, maybe that would be enough to help it. The wyvern did nothing but let out a soft whimper and watched Reenie as she walked closer to it. Reenie kept her eyes on the wyvern's as she slowly crept closer to its wound in its leg. Her heart racing and her palms becoming sweaty. Her instincts told her to run, get out of there now, but she remained calm despite the nagging feeling of fear. Finally after what seemed like an eternity she reached the wyverns leg. The blade was evedently stabbed into the leg and then broke off on purpose, this was no accident. "Well of course..." she thought "why else would a blade be in this thing." She reached a hand out to grasp the blade, immediatly elicting a whine from the wyvern as it turned its head slightly and closed its eyes.
"Poor little fella, it must hurt as bad as a death wasp's stinger." She said aloud this time reaching a hand down to caress its leg to help relax it.
"Don't you worry, I'm going to get this thing out of you real soon." She said comfortingly. She then took off her cloak and held fast to it so it would not blow away in the wind. She placed her other hand on the blade and tugged a little, testing how deep it was in there. The wyvern however was not fairing with the pain too much, it cried out again clawing the sand with its razor sharp claws. Reenie then firmly grasp the blade on both sides, making sure not to touch the sharp part of the blade and pulled once, twice....but it wouldn't budge. The was filled with cries from the poor wyvern bolt after bolt of pain shot up its spine.
"By Altana that thing is in there deep, isn't it. It must be in the bone!" She said loudly. "I guess I can give it one last try. Do you think to can with stand that boy?" The wyvern seemingly understanding her turned its head and looked at her and made a nodding motion, which confused Reenie for a second. "Can these things actually understand our language?" She though, but didn't give it much thought as she preped herself for another try. Again she firmly grasped the blade steadied her legs in the sand and with all her might pulled on the blade. At first it didn't budge but then she felt the blade give a little! "Yes! Come on! Get out of there!" She said to herself. Suddenly without any warning there was a small "PINK!!" kind of sound and the blade flew out of the wound! Sending Reenie falling back on her bottom and the bloody blade flying from her hands off somewhere over another dune. She didn't think about where it went though and quickly grabbed her cloak again and wrapped it around the wound in the wyverns leg making sure no more sand got into it. She wrapped it tightly around the leg and tied a very tight knot as to make sure it wouldn't come loose.
Stepping back she viewed the makeshift bandage, silently cursing herself because that was her favorite cloak but none the less marked it as a good job. The wyvern looked back at its leg and nuzzled the bandage gently licking it softly and turned its head back towards Reenie. "Well little fella I hope that helps you, I had to use my favorite cloak that I bought just the other day to bandage your wound but at least you won't be suffering anymore." The wyvern churred, or what seemed like one, and moved its head up to lick Reenie's face. Reenie on the other hand tried backing away, a bit of fear still inside of her, but she was reassured that the move was not a malicious one but a kind and friendly lick on the face.
"Hehehe...I bet you're happy now that I got that out of you aren't you fella." She said chuckling and reach a hand up to caress the wyverns head while the other moved under its chin and scritched a little, elicting a small murr from the beast. She laughed again and looked up noticing that the sand stormed had definitly died down alot since she had run into the wyvern. "At least I won't need that cloak now" she thought and scritched the wyvern's chin some more.
A thought occured to her and she look up at the wyvern. "You wouldn't happen to know where Selbina is would ya fellow?" The wyvern murred again and moved its head away from her hand and pointed its head off in the direction south west of their position. "This creature really does understand me." She thought looking in the direction it pointed to. Then slowly moved itself up on all fours, or rather threes since it's leg still hurt a lot and turned it's head again and this time pointed to its back.
"You want me to get on?" She said looking into the wyverns eyes. It slowly nodded and moved slowly over close to her and nuzzled her face. "Are you sure? Your leg is pretty beat up, you won't be able to carry me all the way there will you?" The wyvern shook its head and moved its wings flapping them once then twice. "Oooh, you're going to fly me there, not walk." It nodded and rather fluidly reached around and grabbed the back of Reenie's separates and lifted her up and over its back placing her gently on the small of its back, which caught the mithra off gaurd but she looked into the wyvern's eyes again and was instantly reassured everything was fine.
"Allright, I'm trusting you now boy. Don't you go and eat me or anything." The wyvern shook its head and lowered it's head and raised its back and began flapping its wings hard. After the third flap they were of the ground and after another they were ten feetin the air! "Wow she thought, and this is with me on him too." she thought, soon they were flying quite steadily south east towards Selbina and a safe haven from the storm.
On top of the wyvern, it seemed so easy getting through the dunes. The air was a much more better way to travel. No wonder only nobels and higher ups were able to ride the Airships. In no time it seemed Reenie could see the outline of city gates below them near the side of a rocky oriface. The wyvern then began to slowly descend, flying in circles as it went making its way down inside the gates. The flight was so smooth and fluidlike that Reenie didn't feel anything when the wyvern reached the ground and stopped.
"Wow, I'm impressed boy, you sure know how to fly!" She said stroking the back of the creature's neck softly before jumping off its back. The wyvern turned and looked at her with something that seemed like a smile as it murred softly at her. She smiled back purring happily in return. "Thanks alot boy, I really owe you one for getting me here so fast." The wyvern shook its head and murred again. "Oh, heh thats right, I forgot all about the sword." she said looking back at its leg, traces of blood allready showing up on the cloak's surface. "Well, I guess we're even then huh?" she said while scritching the wyvern under its chin again and coo'ed softly as it murred at the attention. Then she pulled her arm away and stepped back. "Well I have to get going, okay boy? I really need to catch the next boat to the next contenent." The wyvern moved closer too her and shook its head and nuzzled her again flapping its wings. "You mean you want to take me there yourself? But you're still injured, you should wait until your wound heals." It shook its head again flapping its wings. Reenie sighed "Okay, I'll let you take me, but before we leave I'd really like to get some rest here in Selbina before leaving, plus not to mention get clean." dusting herself off a little. The wyvern nodded and began walking towards the gates and motioned to her. She tilted her head slightly in confusion "He wants me to come in? Certainly he hasn't been inside the gates before? Or...has he?" All these thoughts ran through her head until the wyvern reached the gates and let out a small roar. Suddenly two Tarutaru appeared at the top of the gate and immediatly vanished. Reenie was sure she was goign to get cries for help. But instead she heard a faint voice yell. "Open the Gates!!!" Open the gates? For a wyvern? Surely they don't mean to let the creature in do they? All her questions were answered as the gates flew open and a group of tarutaru flew out and began jump up and down and hugging the wyvern. Thoroughly confused Reenie stepped forward towards the wyvern and the tarutaru. "What's going on? Aren't you afriad of this beast?" She shouted incoherrently. One of the tarutaru looked at her and said with a strange voice.
"Are you kidding-widding why would we be afraid of ol' Rex?"
"Y-You mean you know this wyvern?"
"Of course we do!" Another one with brown hair spoke up. "He's been living-wiving here in Selbina ever since his master Dragoon died years ago."
"Oh really? I didn't know there were still any Dragoons around in this area." Reenie said walking closer to the group of tarus.
"They're aren't anymore, at least, not now. Master Draken died 10 years ago, he was the last one here in this areataru." A third one spoke up. "And ol' Rex here was his pet wyvern, he was but a baby then but now he's a nearly-wearly full grown wyvern now!"
"I see." Reenie said running a hand over the wyvern's back, making it murr again. "But if he lives here in Selbina, then why was he out in the sand storm and whats more what or who tired to kill him?" She said pointing to the bandage.
All of the taru gasped and looked at the bandaged up wound and cried "Oh no Rexxy-wexxy got hurt! Who could have done such a thing!" Suddenly a burst of cries came from the tarus who all began to chant something Reeine had hearn many of times before.
"Altana, hear our cry heal this being bye and bye!" They all chanted five times and a glow of light came through the cloak, right where the wound was! Of course, they were chanting the healing spell, most of them must be mages Reenie thought. As no one else can use that spell. The wyvern or Rex began to murr from what Reenie knew was the pleasure of having his wound completly healed and sealed up. After only a few seconds of chanting the group of tarus stopped and began to praise happily that their speel had worked and began to remove the cloak, revealing the newly restored flesh.
"Yay for Rex!" "Altana hear our pleas and helped us!" They all shouted gleefully and then turned towards Reenie. One of them came up to her and bow gratfully. "Thank you so much for helping and bringing Rex back. We are in your debt, we just don't know what we would do if ol Rex had gotten himself killed out there. You see-" "Shanna please don't keep our guest waiting out here in the storm." said an elder Hume who was just now comming out of the gates. "Please, would you like to come in out of the storm miss...?" "Reenie. Reenie Lynx." Reenie replied "And yes I would love to get out of this storm." The hume nodded "Okay everyone back inside the city, now" All the tarus began running back inside the gates, followed by the Hume and Rex, Reenie following close behind. As they all walked past the gate entrance the gates slowly shut behind them, followed by two Hume soldiers and a Galka as the gate was tightly sealed keeping any and all intruders out. Reenie took one glance back at the gates and then turned back around and made her way with the others into Selbina.
End of Part I
Final Fantasy and All Races Copywrite of Square Enix
Reenie Lynx copywrite Me