Last Legend

Chapter 5: Heading Southwest

The sun was gradually drooping in the sky as Roni, Keylla, and Gemma rode along on their chocobos through the Vigoreaux desert heading southwest. The winds were picking up and rushed in between the sand dunes, blowing hot dry air and sand into their path and faces. Gemma was glad that she could hide her face for the most part from the onslaught behind Keylla.

Despite the potion she drank earlier, she still felt drained of energy in a way that made her mind drag its feet through the questions that buzzed around her mind. Questions of why the Empire was putting forth so much effort in chasing her from the forests outside Gelid to Vigoreaux castle and possibly to where she was heading now with her new companions.

It couldn't be merely because of her gift of magic because that man, Fload, could use magic too, could it? She sighed, resigning herself from the endless questions and tried stuffing them away into a little chest in her head to be looked over when she didn't feel so sluggish.

Gemma tightened her hold around Keylla's waist and rested her forehead against the part of her back that wasn't covered by her bag hanging from her shoulders. She closed her eyes and listened to Keylla and Roni's conversation as they trotted atop the sands.

"I've got to send a few messages once we get to the closest village, Ron," said Keylla over the sound of wind rushing past them.

"Yes, make sure to send word to Baron about what has happened," Roni replied.

"There has to be more to the situation besides the Empire trying to get that frozen ester and losing a few soldiers in the process."

"Perhaps it has to do with its reaction to Gemma…"

She felt Keylla shift in her seat on the chocobo's back, and kept quiet in hopes that they would think she was asleep.

Keylla and Roni's conversation turned to how things in Southwest Vigoreaux had been the last time Keylla passed through the city. The newspapers had articles on the Empire's movements on the Southern continent, and how they had taken over a city called Oranda with their youngest general leading the invasion.

"It's been about two weeks since I was last there. They've probably heard about the raid of Gelid by now," Keylla explained. "Word can travel fast when they rely on the coal trains making their weekly shipments."

"Or when the lack of shipments spur questions." Roni's voice sounded tight as if he was clenching his teeth.

"Yeah, if the trains are still running, it may take at least two or three days for word to spread about Fload's assault on the castle."

Roni sighed, "With my Vigoreaux underground, there will be no way for supplies to reach the city."

The men fell silent and they rode on in quiet for awhile. Gemma opened her eyes finally to see that the sky had gotten much darker and massive thunderheads were rolling their way east. Other clouds were enveloped in the brewing storm and spread like ink knocked over by a clumsy hand. The sandy horizon which seemed to go on forever abruptly ended and in its place came what looked like brittle brown bushes and dry grasses peeking through the little valleys the sand dunes created.

Gemma pulled her cheek away from Keylla's jacket and peered over her shoulder, dodging the tails of her many bandanas flying out from their knots at the back of her head. They were quickly approaching a mountain range with sharp ragged peaks stretching into the skies.

"We're almost to the caves, Gemma," Keylla turned her head back so to give the wandering witch a grin.

She felt a small smile come back at her. And Keylla was right because within the next few minutes of travel, the group reached a scrubby dried out clearing before the mouth of a cave leading into the mountains.