Cry of the Lost: A Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Tale

Chapter 40

"I wonder what Costa Mira is going to be like," Curt said as he and Autumn leaned against the deck railing watching several seagulls fly alongside the airship.

"It's actually a lot like Sumira," Autumn noted.

"You've been there?" Curt asked.

"Once...my dad took me there. That was the last trip we ever took together...he died shortly after that," Autumn reflected.

"How did he die?" Curt inquired.

"He was a lieutenant in the military. He went on a mission to find the meteor with General Chilton and a crew of soldiers...no one ever returned," Autumn shared.

"I'm sorry, Autumn," Curt sympathized.

"It helps to know that he died trying to find a way to protect and save us," Autumn said.

"He sounds like he was a very brave man," Curt commented.

"The bravest," Autumn returned.

"Hey, look down there! What the heck?" Curt suddenly said, pointing to the ground below.

Autumn looked down at the grassy plains below and saw what appeared to be a girl riding on the back of a large gray wolf. Three soldiers riding chocobos seemed to be chasing after her, although they were quite a distance behind. The wolf neared the edge of a deep ravine and turned to the east, passing out of sight under the airship. Curt and Autumn both ran to the starboard side of the ship. The girl on the wolf re-emerged into view following along the edge of the ravine, the soldiers still in pursuit.

"Do you think we should help her?" Autumn asked.

"Absolutely!" Curt replied. "Captain Ren, hard to starboard! And bring us down close to the ground!"

Autumn ran inside the bridge to tell the others what she had seen below. Ren turned the airship sharply and began to descend.

"Increase speed! We need to get ahead of them!" Curt yelled.

The airship lurched forward, and Curt felt an awesome sense of exhilaration as the air currents began to rush past. Autumn returned to Curt's side, and together they watched as the airship finally passed the girl on the wolf. Curt looked to the east and saw the beginning of the Dead Forest. Suddenly, he turned and began running.

"Autumn, stay here and give us some cover if we need it!" Curt shouted as he entered the bridge.

"The girl looks like she's heading for the Dead Forest. We gotta cut her off. Get us down there quick, and bring us around to meet her, Captain! Mark, Paul, let's go!" Curt instructed.

Curt, Paul, and Mark quickly made their way to the hull door.

"Brace yourselves, boys!" Curt said as he hit the switch to open the door.

The three friends suddenly felt the airship wheel around and begin to hover. Wind gushed in as the hull door opened, and Curt could see the chase quickly approaching. He jumped out of the airship as soon as they were close enough to the ground. Paul and Mark followed suit. Curt looked up at the airship deck and saw Autumn shouting and waving at the girl.

"Don't worry, we won't hurt you! We're here to help!" Autumn shouted.

Suddenly, the wolf stopped running, and the girl gracefully jumped into the air, flipping and twisting before landing to face her pursuers. She was still over 30 yards away from the airship, and the soldiers were now only 20 yards away from her. The wolf turned to face the oncoming soldiers while the girl drew a staff from a harness on her back and stood on guard behind the wolf. Curt could now see that the wolf was easily three times larger than any average wolf, and the girl looked like she was probably younger than Autumn. Curt began to run toward the girl with Mark and Paul close behind.