A Final Fantasy

Chapter 7: Bardin

Reno stirred awake. The sudden stillness was unsettling. He sat up in his bed rubbing his eyes as he tried to make sense of the lack of silence of the airship's engine. Dim light filtered through a small porthole. Reno pushed it open to experience a draft of cool, dry air. The view outside was a stark, rugged landscape bathed in the pale light of dawn. The sand stretched out endlessly, a sea of silver beneath the early morning sky.

The environment made Reno curious yet groaned when the air hit his skin. It was not like the warm climate of Loftcidia. Not even the slightest. He swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood, stretching out the stiffness from the night. Pushing open the door to his cabin, he made his way to the deck, the silence of the ship almost eerie in its completeness.

When he stepped out onto the deck, the full expanse of the cold desert greeted him. The sands were colder than he imagined, and the distant peaks of a mountain range loomed on the horizon. Loftcidia was nowhere to be seen in the sky. He noticed Glass and Otsubara rummaging through a wooden crate. Roxanne stood nearby with her hands on her hips.

"These sand cloaks will help us combat the desert environment. Temperatures at night can reach subzero but during the high of the day the cloaks will keep us cool." said Glass. He threw one to Roxanne and one to the approaching Reno. The fabric was soft and light to the touch.

Glass continued: "Bardin's a short trek from here. However, I could not risk the safety of the airship being in the city limits."

Reno donned the sand cloak. The fabric reached just above his knees. Otsubara also gave Reno a pair of goggles with black lenses.

"For the sandstorms," she informed, "if any."

Reno adjusted the elastic strap and fastened it over his head. Roxanne did the same.

"IC-992 will have to stay with the Halcyon." said Otsubara, "The automaton will be the only way we can leave this desert if push comes to shove." Reno nodded and continued to adjust his goggles.

The party of four departed from the airship and set foot in the desert. The sand was rough and coarse, yet cool as the sun blazed just above the horizon. The expanse of the desert was littered with scarce amounts of cacti and other vegetation. The occasional boulder and rock spire was present but nothing more than a slight obstacle that the party could walk around. In addition, nothing alive seemed to present itself to the traveling group of four on the trek. As they walked, silhouettes of angular shapes appeared near the horizon. It was the desert village of Bardin.

"Bardin!" exclaimed Reno. "Glass, why are we going there?"

"The threat of the Empire may be easily dismissed in a rogue burg such as Bardin," replied Glass. "If we are going to figure out how to avoid the Imperials and return you and Roxanne back to Loftcidia safely, we need to find a way. I have a connection that may help us; however, I doubt it will not be a one-way transaction."

Otsubara looked at Reno and smiled confidently. He noticed her sand cloak covered much of her upper body except the nine puffy tails that protruded from behind her. The cool desert air forced them to sway aesthetically. Reno admired that about this foreign character he was now familiarly acquainted with. What he also noticed was somewhat interesting: the outline of a thin sword that was on her back underneath the sand cloak. It must have been the katana Reno noticed in her room back on the airship. Her pistol, and Glass's triple barrel gun, for the matter, were completely concealed. It was, perhaps, a good thing that it remained hidden from keen eyes like Reno's.

The angular figures began to take shape and reveal sandstone buildings. They were short yet dense. As the party approached the city, Glass Jensen gestured ahead and spoke.