Guilt By Association {A Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles Roleplay}

[BlossomStars]

Exhaustion had settled over the small band of merchants as their long trek to the nearest town wore on. The sun glared down at them, beading sweat on their brows and making them all the more sluggish. Days had been hot and walks had been long. With things being the way they were they could not overwork their papaopamus, whom they relied upon to carry their things and their acting home. This made things all the slower, and it hadn't been long before the spirits of the three travelers began to falter.

"It sure seems like it's been a long time since we reached a town." Cecelia, a young Clavat woman commented, trying in vain to break the silence that had fallen over the group. Still, she received no more than a grunt from her usually energetic Selkie companion, Kifi Hara. It seemed as though no one even had the energy or will to speak, a state that Cecelia feared would only be broken upon reaching the next town and reaping some profit with the spoils they had managed to collect throughout their journey.

"Hey... what's that?" Having been walking with her head down, idly scanning the well-worn cobblestones of the roadway, it was a fluke that Kifi Hara had looked up when she did. A very fortunate one, however, as upon raising her navy-blue tinted gaze Kifi Hara found her eyes falling upon a strangely shaped figure lying in the grass. Though the shape was close enough to see quite obviously it was far enough away to force Kifi Hara to stop and think for a few moments, straining her squinting eyes and sleepy mind to figure out exactly what that was lying out in the grass. As soon as she had figured it out, however, Kifi Hara's impulsiveness kicked into high gear as it so often did and her feet were moving before her brain even had a chance to process what was happening.

"Ki, wait!" Eyes widening in horror Cecelia, called out to Kifi Hara in hopes to rouse her from her thoughtless actions. Though the Selkie didn't seem even to hear Cecelia, the young woman's cry did get the attention of the oldest of the group, a Clavat named Mirabelle.

"What do you think you're doing?" Managing to figure out what had happened as soon as she'd poked her blonde head out of the caravan Mirabelle was on her feet, chasing after Kifi Hara even as she spoke. Cecelia desperately clambered after the two, grabbing their tiny crystal fragment as she scrambled to reach Kifi Hara before she poisoned herself in a bout of nobly intentioned idiocy.

Adrenaline pumping, Kifi Hara barely noticed the burn of the miasma until she'd reached the body laying on the ground. It didn't take too long for her to calm down a little one she did though, and the lack of oxygen combined with the overwhelming pain of the miasma soon began to overwhelm her. Eyes bulging as her lungs desperately tried for air, Kifi Hara couldn't be more grateful for the protection of the crystal when her friends reached her a moment later. Hand clasping her heart Kifi Hara found herself gasping in the purified air, hardly able to pay attention to Mirabelle's lecture.

"There's a body." After allowing herself a few moments to recover from the effects of the miasma, Kifi Hara stood slowly, a little shakily, and turned attention to the fallen individual before the three of them.

"Ki, come on. You know that this happens sometimes. It's not pretty, but that's what miasma does--" Kifi Hara quickly grew irritated with her friends speech and cut her off, pointing emphatically at the body, "They're alive!" Kifi Hara wasn't sure how she knew that the person was alive. She'd not checked their pulse nor looked hard enough to see if slight breaths still moved their chest. Still, somehow she just knew.

"Look!" Seeing her older companion's mouth part to object once more Kifi Hara snapped again, surprising both of her companions with her ferocity. Cecelia was the first to act after that, dropping to her knees to get a better look at the person, lying still in the grass. Cecelia wasn't a renowned doctor, exactly, or anything even remotely close to the sort. She was, however, the closest thing the three merchants had to a medic. Working to check Kifi Hara's claim, a few tense moments passed by. Time had never seemed to move so slowly before. It felt like a short eternity had passed before Cecelia turned her head towards her companions, though what felt like forever was hardly a minute in reality.

"They're alive." Shock overwhelmed Mirabelle's pale features for a moment before determination kicked in. Ignoring a simultaneously victorious and irritated 'I told you so' from her Selkie friend, Mirabelle quickly moved to action. If this person wasn't dead they had to do everything in their power to assure that they stayed that way.

"Bring them into the caravan. Quickly! We'll do all we can, but we need to get him to a town." The girls didn't waste time following that order, doing their best to hoist up the unconscious person and bring them back to the caravan, all hoping that their efforts would not ultimately end up being in vain.​

 

[Minibit]

The body was that of a male clavat; although it more closely resembled a skeleton, with sunburnt skin clinging to the bones, and the already loose-by-tradition clothing hanging off of it; the trousers, which must have been alternating shades of green and yellow at one point, but were now dusted, mudded, and torn into a mostly brown mess, much like the once-white tunic worn above them. The wide belt between the two garments was in decent shape, but in fairness, it was leather, and brown to start with.

The sheath of a sword clanged against the edge of the wagon as they pulled him in, sounding in harmony with the buckles on his leather breastplate, worn by the nicks and scars of weapons, as well as the travel stains of the rest of his clothes.

As they set him down, the clear, crystal-protected air finally made its way like a thread into his miasma-full lungs. For a moment, his pulse quickened in his neck and wrist before he started coughing, the respiratory seizure making him push himself into a sitting position as his thin chest heaved, struggling to fill with something besides poison. The hacks were intermittently the scratching sounds of regular coughing, and the whistling sound of someone choking through a constricted airway as clean air fought for entrance.

When he stopped, his breath was raspy, but even. His eyes had been screwed shut, but now they blinked open, shades of jade green peering through the strands of black hair that had fallen forward, and were long enough to obscure most of his face. Licking his dry lips, he managed enough moisture in his mouth for a swallow before he raised a hand, pushed the majority of his hair aside, and looked around at the faces of his rescuers.

"Where am I?"

 

[BlossomStars]

Cecelia jumped back as the male suddenly sat up, beginning to hack with a frightening intensity. The small female clavat wanted to do something to help the struggling young man in front of her, but wasn't completely clear on how. She hesitated to touch him, not wanting to rub his back and risk hurting him more. With the dirt that coated him like a second skin she hadn't any clue what injuries may be hiding. She certainly didn't want to risk doing anything that may make his coughing any worse.

"You're on our caravan." Though both Cecelia and Mirabelle were relieved that the man had awoken and calmed from his fit Kifi Hara was less concerned. Not as compassionate at the clavat's by nature, Kifi Hara's concerns had shifted now that the man had awoken, seemingly alive enough to remain that way a little while.

"Now who are you? What were you doing just laying out there in the middle of the road?" Placing her hands on her hips Kifi Hara quirked a thin green eyebrow at the poor, confused clavat man. With her immidate concerns for his life out of the way Kifi Hara had begun to wonder just who this man whom they had let aboard their caravan was. Something she had, unsurprisingly, neglected to think about when she'd charged into save him.

"Ki!" Mirabelle chastised quickly, glaring at her selkie companion. A little more balanced, she wasn't as prone to having her feelings or expressions change so quickly. The older clavat would admit that she was curious about this man, but thought it best to give him some time to adjust before jumping into an interrogation. He may have been awake, but it was unlikely that the effects of the miasma would have completely worn off so quickly.

"I'm sorry about that. My name is Mirabelle." After a few moments Mirabelle spoke up once more, offering a smile, "That's Cecelia," She added, pointing to a short-haired brunette clavat who offered a small wave, "and that's Kifi Hara. We just call her Ki, though. What's your name?"

 

[Minibit]

The clavat stared back unflinchingly as Kifi interrogated him. He brushed the long, loose strands of black out of his face, which - upon revelation - had the unusual skin quality of skin that is tanned, but very pale beneath. His green eyes followed Mirabelle as she introduced the company. So, he had been picked up by a caravan. He seemed to recall about caravans, but it was fuzzy, unfocused. Much like the tent-like room he found himself in. Blinking, he tried to make the images around him clearer, and succeeded only partially. It was probably another wagon; it looked similar.

"Daniel" he responded, pleased with himself to have an answer he knew the immediate answer to. As he inhaled to speak again, his nose caught the smell of earth, and wrinkled in disdain. He was about to ask what smelled dirty when he realised with a downward glance at his person that it was probably him. He had no idea how long he'd been on the road, and gods knew he hadn't had a chance to wash up in a very long time. His face reddened as the realization fell over him, and he lowered his eyes.

 

[BlossomStars]

Kifi Hara raised a brow as she stared down at the dirt stained form of the dark haired clavat, unsympathetically wondering why he was bothering to act in apparent shame now. It was possible that he was just starting to become aware that he had been saved by a group of small, altogether not very assuming girls, or maybe he was just realizing how filthy he was, finding the state unpleasant, as any person would. Whatever the case was, though, Daniel's embarrassment was not Kifi Hara's primary concern. She was not as compassionate as her clavat companions, nor as polite.

"So, now that you're settled in, Daniel - what were you doing laying out in the middle of a field off the road?" Despite Mirabelle's earlier warning Kifi Hara pressed her question again. This time though she wasn't near so confrontational, her tone much less harsh and her position -now sitting down with her legs crossed as opposed to standing tall with her arms folded over her chest- more relaxed. Had it not been so pointed a question and judgement didn't seem to linger in her tone her query almost would have seemed conversational.

This time Mirabelle didn't reprimand Kifi Hara, knowing that the green haired selkie wouldn't let the subject drop until she'd found an answer that satisfied her. She would likely step in if she felt Kifi Hara pushed too far again, but for now was also a little curious as to why Daniel had been where he was. If he was lost -or worse yet, abandoned- in a field out here there had to be some sort of reason, or at least an explanation.

 

[Minibit]

Daniel swallowed nervously under the penetrating gaze of his rescuers. He reached upward, fidgeting one hand through the hair on the back of his head and twisting the length round his fingers, which messily gathered a good deal of it out of his face.

"I, uh, I was dropped off" he said, the inflection of his voice making the statement sound almost like a question. "And, well, I kinda didnt make it too far without food or a crystal."

He frowned, recalling dimly how quickly he'd succumbed to the poisonous fog in the air, and realizing just how indebted to these women he was. Swivelling his feet back so that he sat upon his knees and not his ass, he placed his fists on his knees, bowing his head.

"I owe you all my life" he said, voice still slightly rough from the poison. "I am deeply in your debt, and if in any way I can repay it, I only ask to be told how"

 

[BlossomStars]

The three girls exchanged glances as the young man before them bowed humbly, any suspicion his statement had aroused disappearing. None of them had anticipated this level of gratitude, though it was deserved enough. Still, being of fairly humble status themselves -as traveling merchants they were largely at the mercy of others to make ends meat and were often much closer to Daniel's current position than they were held above anyone- they were unused to such treatment and unsure exactly how to respond.

"O-oh, no, really don't worry about it." Cecelia lifted her hands in position that was a vaugly representative of surrender, an awkward smile on her face.

"Any decent person would have done the same." Mirabelle chimed in, trying to further reassure the young man. None of them wanted him to feel guilty about their having rescued him.

"Just pull your own weight until we get to Marr's Pass. We'll drop you off there." Kifi Hara added with a shrug, her attention slowly shifting else where, eyes that were now staring at what could be seen of the road from the open front of the caravan seemingly following after it, "We're not too far from it now."

 

[Minibit]

Daniel nodded, straightening his back as the girls got the wagon moving again. He lifted himself to his feet, resting one hand against the wooden frame that supported the wagon's canvas cover, but no sooner had he managed to straighten into a balanced standing position when a loud crunching sound tore through the air, and the wagon's floorboards jolted beneath his feet, sending him right back down to his knees.

Scrambling out of the wagon behind his rescuers, he cringed as he surveyed the damage; the wheel was not only splintered over a large, sharp-edged stone in the road, and it seemed to have taken a chunk of the axle along with it.

 

[BlossomStars]

The caravan filled with a chorus of high, feminine squeaks as it lurched forward, the sudden movement bringing a sound of surprise from all three of the girls inside. That was strange. Worried looks were exchanged by the three, wondering what could have stopped them so suddenly, and in such a violent manner. Whatever it was, it was obviously very bad.

Kifi Hara was the first to hop out of the caravan, racing out to see what had happened. When she did take note of the problem she let out a curse, running her hand through the thick green locks of her hair. None of them were exactly master wood workers, and, in all honesty, Kifi Hara only knew enough about these kind of things to be able to tell that the wheel was broken.

"That looks really bad." Cecelia spoke nervously, crouching to look at the broken wheel. There was no way they would be able to move on with things like this. Even the strength of the large, blue creature -whom Cecelia had very creatively christened Blue- would not have been able to drag the wheel along with it damaged this badly. Being stuck here for too long would be bad for them too. Monsters became more and more active the later it got, and they would surely be drawn to the injured caravan. They were feral creatures and would strike first at weakened prey, leaving the girls and their new companion as sitting Ducks.

"Maybe we can jerry-rig her so she'll be up in working condition until we find someone to fix her up properly at the pass." Kifi Hara suggested, standing back with her hands on her hips. Having had time to feel irritated over the hitch in their plans she was now up and ready to start at least attempting to work for a solution - though she was still a little annoyed at the situation they found themselves in.

"We should probably try to prepare to spend the night here, just in case." Mirabelle nodded. She wasn't exactly planning on staying here that long but she wanted to be prepared in case they had to. They would all need to move together to collect supplies lest anyone be left without the crystal's glow, so they wouldn't be able to venture too far from the caravan. Leaving it undefended would leave it open to bandits, monsters, and all manner of threats that walked these roads.

"We should head out while there's still light. Monsters and bandits are more active as it gets darker and the less risk we take the better.

 

[Minibit]

Daniel hung back, cringing at the damage done and listening to the conversation among his rescuers. The damage was far too much for the wagon to be able to move; their beast of burden would be dragging it by three wheels, probably increasing the damage and definitely causing undue strain on the rest of the wagon.

"I can help to- woah"

Spots began to flicker before his eyes, turning into burning stars as his stomach lurched, and he staggered back a step; it seemed jumping upright was a little too much for him just yet. He closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose and shading his eyes with one hand as he leaned back against the wagon's corner.

Blinking rapidly to try to clear his vision once he had sunk to the base of the intact rear wheel, he found himself shaded by Mirabelle hovering over him.

"You shouldn't push yourself" she scolded, her stern tone belied by the slope of her eyebrow and slight pout of her lip as she fished in her pocket and brought out a flask of water, pressing it to his mouth.

"Drink up, you'll feel better."

He obeyed, mutely, taking the flask from her with one hand and relishing the (rather warm) water running down his throat. When he had finished, he murmured his thanks, passing it back to her and glancing sideways at the selkic girl, who was tapping her foot impatiently

 

[BlossomStars]

While Mirabelle took care of Daniel, kindly and motherly spirit seeming to kick in when she noticed his wobbling stance and apparently lingering ailment, the other two girls watched on. Both wore very different expressions, Kifi Hara having one of irritation and impatience (if he was still too ill to function too well he should have been taking it easy shouldn't have even begun offering aid, worrying first about his own health instead) and Cecelia one of concern.

"Keep an eye on him OK?" Mirabelle admonished Cecelia quietly, turning the care of their still somewhat sickly traveler to their make-shift nurse. Cecelia hadn't had any formal training but she had a gentle manner which put others at ease and had gained a decent amount of experience while traveling with Mirabelle and Kifi Hara.

"Come on, we have to go before it gets too late, otherwise we won't be able to make the trip." Once everyone was settled again after Daniel's dizzy spell Kifi Hara spoke up again. She was anxious to get going and didn't want to leave their caravan alone too late. The sooner they left the sooner they would get back, after all. So, after ensuring that Daniel was feeling well enough to get up and walk once again the three headed off, taking only minimal food and their flasks of water to refill in town. Hopefully they could fix everything and get back by the next morning but it never hurt to be prepared - especially since Daniel may need a little extra water to recover more smoothly.

"Don't worry about us. We travel all the time so we're used to having little bumps in the road like this." Cecelia turned to Daniel once they started their trip, tilting her head up slightly to meet his eyes. To call this a little bump was an exaggeration as this was rather unfortunate and quite an inconvenience but she didn't want the man to worry. The young brunette also hoped that by speaking such hopefully encouraging words she could prevent Daniel from trying to push himself again. The last thing she wanted was for the man to make himself feel any worse.

 

[Minibit]

"If this is a little bump, then there's definitely nothing to worry about." Daniel replied, shifting the pack he'd insisted on carrying across his narrow shoulders. It was lightweight; probably just the wagon's schematics or something to show to a repairs person. Still, he felt better about carrying that than nothing at all.

He hadn't passed out again (yet) but he still couldn't help but feel like he wanted a night's sleep and a good meal a good deal more than he wanted to be marching along a dusty, unpatrolled road towards an unknown town in the heat of a summer afternoon. It was very ungrateful of him, but as he blinked spots from the edge of his vision and wiped sweat from the palms of his hands, streaking them with damp dirt, he couldn't bring himself to feel too, too badly about it.

The shadows were starting to stretch when the Pass finally came into view; the heat absorbed over the afternoon radiating out from the stones beneath their feet, only slightly less so under the shade of the overhanging trees. Daniel's eyes were scanning for water before they even made it to the market square, and he completed a Bee-line for the well as soon as he laid eyes on it.

 

[BlossomStars]

The girls were all relieved as they finally reached the pass. Sweat-streaked with their bodies begging for food and water the feeling was understandable. When Daniel ran towards the well the girls all took a moment to watch him go, the clavat females looking on with concern while Kifi Hara just looked tired.

"I'm just going to go ahead and try to find someone who can fix up our caravan before it gets too late." Kifi Hara spoke, deciding she would rest up later. The last thing she wanted was to have to stick around this town any longer than needed. As the saying went, time was money.

"Ok. We'll meet you back in the square so you can let us know what happens." Mirabelle nodded, fishing a pouch of coins from the small bag she'd brought an handing it to the green haired selkie before her. With that agreed upon the group separated, Kifi Hara heading off to try to find someone to fix their caravan and Mirabelle and Cecelia making their way over to Daniel. After making sure the man was alright the girls took their turn to drink some of the avalible water. They had brought a bucket with them so they could fill up on water before leaving - something that hopefully wouldn't take too long.

"We should probably get you some clean clothes while we're here, if we can" Cecelia thought aloud, eyes scanning over the tattered, filthy attire Daniel was currently dressed in. It couldn't have been comfortable and it wasn't good for him. A fresh outfit would probably do the young man good.

"Do you want to see if they have anything in the market?" Cecelia asked, pointing a slim finger towards the area before them where merchants stood in shops and behind the counters of stalls, the best of their wares displayed in front of them. With it begin this late in the day much of the shop's best had been picked clean but there may still be something left and with the evening growing later few people still roamed the marketplace streets, leaving them without much competition for whatever purchases they may decide to make.