Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles
River Belle Pass
A giant, blue creature with curly horns and six legs pulled the two-wheeled wagon of supplies away from Padarak down the cobblestone path. Tipa lead it by the reigns with Sora and Riku walking beside her while Kairi and Zefferia sat on the back of the wagon, dangling their feet off the side. Mog rested between the two humps on top with the chalice, stabilizing a pocket devoid of miasma around the party as they progressed.
Trees were sparse across the tall fields of greenish brown grass. The air was dry, but the morning was still cool. The puffy clouds in the blue sky promised good weather for the travelers. Besides the wheels grinding against loose rocks, the only sound to be heard was the whirring of bugs in the grass.
Sora looked up at Tipa and asked, “So how do you know where to find myrrh trees?”
“There are places marked on the map where trees have been found. The trees will produce one drop every three years, so we must find one that hasn’t been visited in a while,” explained Tipa.
“Any idea which one we’re going to try first?” asked Sora.
“River Belle Pass,” she responded.
“River Belle Pass?” repeated Sora.
“They say that wicked creatures prowl the road along this beautiful riverbank, but nobody has ever seen one. I once asked a man why. He simply replied, ‘Because anyone who happens upon one is promptly eaten!’ But it is long since anyone has met such a fate. For nowadays, people take another route, far away from the spooky old road. Only we walk the old way now...travelers in crystal caravans,” Tipa enlightened.
“That sounds prophetic…and eerie,” Sora shuddered.
“What, are you scared?” Riku joked.
“Huh? No!” defended Sora.
A chuckle echoed from Tipa’s helmet then she continued to elucidate, “However, other villages also search for myrrh drops for their crystals so we may find one that has been used. Our village is remote enough on this peninsula that we usually don’t see other caravans down here, but if that does happen, we’ll have to explore to find other locations. Most locations had tribes living around them until the monsters showed up, so abandoned establishments are a good bet.”
“How long have the monsters been around?” questioned Sora.
Tipa let out a reminiscing sigh, “As long as I can remember. Life has been this way for ages. However, recently stronger monsters have appeared that have destroyed other caravans, which is why our village is in such desperate need.”
Sora and Riku gave each other a knowing look about the stronger monsters which Tipa referred to. It seemed that the danger that threatened their home-world was causing problems in other worlds as well. They would need to be on the lookout for suspicious characters as well as the key to open up the way out of the world.
“I gather wondering about as you were, that you already have your own weapons to defend yourselves with,” Tipa implied.
“Oh yeah, don’t worry about us,” Sora said, “We’re well acquainted with fighting tough monsters.”
When the paved road turned to dust and they arrived at some worn stakes in the ground, Tipa halted the party. They looked at the remains of the pass while Tipa tied the cart to one of the stakes. The pathway was narrow with weeds growing along it. Rotted wood of an old fence framed the walkway, leading up to a broken bridge. They could hear a babbling brook flowing through the crevice.
To the left, a pathway forked off. The grass was shorter and greener and the trees were lusher than in the prairie they crossed. It offered shady protection from the sun with a few welcoming bird calls. Despite the serene scene, it gave off an ominous impression.
“We’ve arrived at the pass, be on your guard,” Tipa warned, leading the others into the woods.
“What about the miasma, won’t it hurt the wagon and the ox?” Kairi asked.
“The miasma won’t affect him, he’ll be fine,” Tipa reassured.
They proceeded slow and cautiously so Mog could keep up with the chalice. As they circled around a hill, Tipa slipped out her mallet that was hanging from her back.
“Meow!” exclaimed Zefferia.
Tipa, Sora, and Kairi jumped and turned towards Zefferia, who was pointing up at a tree branch. The branch appeared normal.
Excited, Zefferia said, “There’s a cat up there!”
Kairi squinted, “Really? I don’t see anything.”
“Neither do I, you got us all worked up over nothing,” Sora exhaled.
“Really! I saw a sleek, black kitty cat with a giant orange ribbon and bells!” Zefferia giggled and continued making cat calls.
Riku placed his hand on Zefferia’s head, ruffling her hair.
“You probably scared it off,” he sighed.
Finding amusement in her travel companions’ antics Tipa muffled a soft laugh, “You probably saw the old ghost of the immortal cat Sherlotta.”
Suddenly an odd noise sounded behind Tipa. It was the sound of Heartless being summoned. Beside the gang, three goblin-looking Heartless shot up from the ground. The trio stumbled a bit and then charged the travelers.
Tipa gasped and struck one on the head with her mallet. Other than the force pushing him away, the hit had little effect on the Heartless. Sora and Riku were quick to pull out their Keyblades and launch themselves on the enemy.
The goblin Heartless could take a better beating than the shadows they encountered on Destiny Islands, but were still sluggish and clumsy in their attacks. With a few hits and some dodging, Sora and Riku wiped out the opponents in fair time. The last one to fall left a small green orb on the ground.
“You weren’t kidding when you said you’ve had experience with monsters,” Tipa said in awe.
Sora gave a big smile and said, “It was nothing. We’ll get that myrrh drop for you in no time!”
Tipa walked over to where the last Heartless stood and picked up the orb.
“This is magicite,” she explained, “It lets me cast magic spells. I’m more efficient in attacking with spells than physical contact, and rather quick to cast as well.”
“Wow, cool! In that case, let Riku and me handle the front lines so you can attack with spells from behind,” Sora suggested.
Riku walked over to Kairi and placed a hand on her shoulder.
“There’s bound to be more trouble ahead,” he whispered, “Remember the Keyblade I gave you; you better keep it ready. I don’t want to see you get hurt.”
“Right. Don’t worry, I’ll be fine!” Kairi smiled.
Zefferia snuck up behind Mog and asked, “You weren’t scared of those Heartless at all, were you, Mog?”
“Of course not, kupo,” Mog chirped, “Technically, I’m a monster as well, so they never attack me!”
“Well isn’t that convenient?” Zefferia chuckled.
She stood behind him, patting his head, her hand passing through his antennae. Unaware of this action, he continued contently flapping in the air, chalice in hand.
