Final Fantasy IX copyrighted 1999 Square-Enix. No copyright infrigement intended.

The hours drifted by as we played round after round Tetra master, Zidane’s skill challenging my capabilities to the fullest, and more often than not besting me. “If you fight as well as you play,” I mentioned to Zidane after he won yet another hand, “you are one of the best warriors around.”

With a light hearted laugh he leaned back in his chair and placed his hands behind his head, relaxing while I shuffled my cards for another hand. “High praise from a Dragoon such as yourself, are you trying to put me off guard for the next round?”

With a slight smile I set my deck down and poured myself another glass of wine, noticing the sky outside was beginning to darken with the coming dusk, yet another night spent alone without Sir Fratley. Sighing is resignation I stood up and stretched, my back stiff from the long hours of setting in a hard wooden chair .“I regret that I must be going, my road is yet long and I wish to spend as little time within this town as possible.”

With a glance outside at the approaching twilight Zidane rocked his chair back forward and pushed himself away from the table, collecting his cards casually. “Ah, well if you’re leaving town so soon I might as well too, there’s not really much to do here anyway besides get in trouble.” He replied with a sly wink. “I would enjoy the company of a pretty lady and the protection of a Dragoon in the days ahead, if you’re willing of course.”

“Perhaps our time together is not at an end after all.” I said blushing again at his compliments. I hadn’t been appraised so by anyone but Sir Fratley in so long the words felt foreign to my keen ears. My blush faded quickly and was replaced by a cold ache of loneliness as I remembered the times I had been called pretty, and much more by Sir Fratley, what I wouldn’t give to hear his voice again….

“Hear who’s voice again?” Zidane asked, snapping me out of my day dreams.

“Hmm?” I responded not realizing I had spoken the words out loud. “Oh, Sir Fratley, my life mate and a fellow dragoon, I am searching for his whereabouts, have you seen him by chance?” I tried my best keep the hopefulness out of my voice but knew deep down I could never hide the way I felt about him to anyone.

“Let me think a moment.” Zidane said softly, gathering his supplies while I pulled on my Trench Coat and shouldered my pack. “I don’t think so, maybe one of the Moogles in the Moogle mail service would know.”

“Thank you for the idea.” I told him, my initial disappointment quelled under a new hope that maybe they could point me in the right direction; if not then I would do my best to find him, even if it took me a life time. “Shall we be going? I would feel safer to have this town at my back before full dark.”

“Sure, but let’s not leave through the lobby, the owner might not be too thrilled with us still being here.” Zidane said, walking over and opening the window with a soft click.

“Us?” I questioned him, wondering how my actions could affect his ability to leave like normal.

“Let’s just say the maid set me up with these quarters last night and the owner didn’t exactly know we were in here.” Zidane answered me, hopping out the window and heading for the stables, where I quickly caught back up with him.

“I see, well let us put this place behind us all the sooner then, your wagon tracks will be easy to follow in this mud.” With barely a pause I saddled Threnwin and led him out side to the carts where I was quickly joined by Zidane, his two Chobocos already prepared for hitching to the wagon.

“Freya, my two chobocos are used to pulling side by side, so it would be best if we hooked yours up as the lead.” He told me, expertly fixing the small wagon to the chobocos harnesses.

“Threnwin’s never pulled a wagon before, I’m not sure he will take to it very well.” I replied looking up ahead at the two gate guards, who seemed to be in the same position I’d seen them upon my arrival.

“Good thinking, besides,” Zidane paused for a second as he hauled himself into the wagons seat, his hair blowing freely in the breeze. “It would be best if you were capable of moving about quickly, after all you are my escort.” With a wink he snapped the reigns and the wagon lurched forward towards the exit.

Nudging Threnwin in the sides I hurried after him, drawing in front of his cart and pushing between the two guards as they began to turn around. The gate guards cursed loudly and threw themselves to the side as my chobocos feathery body was replaced immediately after by Zidane’s wagon which lumbered through with a rattle and thump of wood and screech of annoyed chobocos.

Ducking at the expected onslaught of crossbow bolts I urged Threnwin into a light gait and headed left further down the path heading out of town with few regrets.

As we headed down the muddy road the darkness deepened onto full night, the town rapidly vanishing from view as we proceeded down the winding path into the unknown, no sooner had I breathed a sigh of relief then a fire ball hissed out of the darkness and exploded against a pine tree, the impact showering the surrounding area with blazing needles and boiling sap.

Ducking my head at the blast I turned to see Zidane yelling at me to get out of the way as his panicked chobocos lunged ahead down the trail. Thinking quickly I urged Threnwin off to the left toward the origin of the fire ball readying my pole arm for a thrust at our unknown aggressors as another ball of flame sailed from the dark over hang of a muddy embankment towards Zidane’s wagon, followed shortly after by a flurry of arrows from the road behind us.

Keeping low against my choboco I was able to make a human sized figure crouched underneath the overhang his hand swirling in the process of casting yet another spell. As I prepared to drive my pole arm through his chest the blackness to my right erupted into light, the recently cast fireball setting the Zidane’s wagon a blaze and blinding me the sudden intensity of the light.

Screaming in shock I pulled my pole arm back, covering my eyes reflexively, the air around me tingling with magic and Threnwin chirping in rage. Shaking my head to clear away the linger spots I tugged Threnwin to the right hoping to circle about for another pass, unfortunately my steed had other plans..

Angling his beak low he drove into the narrow space underneath the over hang, his beak piercing something hard with a sharp crack followed by a guttural sigh as my vision cleared only to be dazzled yet again by the point blank impact of the mages lightning bolt into my chest shield!

Every thing went from blinding white to dark blackness as I fell from the back of Threnwin to collide with the muddy ground, my body spasming from the charge of the mages lightning.

Crying out in terror I tried to roll to my side and out of the way of any further attack but succeeded only in turning over onto my stomach as something warm, wet, and sticky splashed against my feet.

Struggling to my feet I readied my weapon yet again prepare to deliver the killing blow to the already injured mage only to find his head less corpse quivering limply at my feet, his blood running in rivulets over my feet and down the muddy trench along the side of the road.

Pausing to catch my breath I saw in the distance Zidane’s wagon burning brightly as is rounded a corner, Zidane’s himself locked in mortal combat against three cloaked figures balanced precariously upon the front of the vehicle.

My respite was short lived however as three arrows sailed from the darkness to imbed themselves in the ground, a fourth ricocheting off my blackened chest shield. Crouching I leaped into the air at my enemies, eight men in dark green cloaks riding on the backs of chobocos with short bows and evil grins, apparently bandits from the town.

The stared in amazement as I sailed into the air over their heads, three of the fools falling off the back of their chobocos as they leaned back to keep me in sight while I vanished into the night sky.

Focusing with my inner energy as I neared the peak of my jump I concentrated my will upon a single man in the lead, his hood down and gnarled hair blowing in the wind as his mount dashed after the wagon.

Night air rushed past my face as I streaked towards him in blinding speed, the steel head of my pole arm glinting in the light of the burning pine tree a fraction of a second before it tore through his back, shattering his ribs like kindling and blasting him from the back of his choboco into the darkness beyond.

As I landed next to the bird I raised my pole arm in a sideways swing, the motion carrying the razored tip into, and through the leg of the nearest bandit, severing it cleanly at the knee cap, his look of shock at my sudden reappearance changing to one of intense agony as he grasped at his missing appendage, blood squirting from between his fingers.

The next bandit was charging straight at me his chobocos beak open wide in a caw of purest hatred, the bandits sword already half out of it’s scabbard. Kneeling a rolled off the path into the bushes, the bandits racing by in a shower of dirt and yells, seemingly intent on Zidane’s wagon as their prize.

No sooner were they past then I stepped back out on the road and launched my pole arm at the closest brigands back, the point burying itself to the hilt effortlessly, the other raiders pulling ahead of his now limp form as it slid from the back of his panicked choboco.

Running forward I retrieved my pole arm and let out a loud squeak to signal Threnwin who emerged from between several trees, his talons and beak covered in blood and gore.

Wrinkling my nose in disgust at the smell I leaped into the saddle and gestured fro him to speed ahead, where Zidane was in desperate need of my assistance.

Long seconds trailed by as we closed the gap with our assailants, Zidane’s wagon acting as a beacon in the dark starless night although my natural night vision easily allowing me to see all else beyond it’s illumination. His chobocos seemed driven to the point of blind terror as they flew ever faster down the trail in a vain attempt to escape the flaming wagon behind them.

As we drew closer I noticed two of the three shrouded opponents Zidane had been facing off against were still and unmoving, Zidane himself a flurry of blades and movement as he slashed and parried against a enemy smaller than himself but seemingly full of energy.

As I approached the burning vehicle the remaining bandits on Chobocos quickly broke off pursuit and faded down side trails barely visible to me at the speed of my charge, apparently losing all interest in continuing the fight, even though they out numbered us at least two to one.

My bafflement changed to horror and despair as I witnessed a sharp bend in the road up ahead as it turned right to parallel a sharp cliff that over looked a several hundred foot drop into the valley down below.

I attempted to scream a warning to Zidane, but even as the words left my lips his wagon dove over the edge of the cliffs, sailing into the emptiness beyond, followed scant seconds later by me and Threnwin …