BoZV - Arc 5

[Swim]

Terra watched as Frida maneuvered the craft around the lot and listened intently as Dr. Harkins addressed their group. Terra's gaze darkened, not liking what she heard. Terra wasn't about to let the warring factions of government use Frida for their own purposes. She looked up at her friend and watched as the elf familiarized herself with the controls, learning how she could squeeze every last ounce of speed out of the vehicle. Frida was surely under enormous pressure right now, Terra was determined to shoulder some of that burden. "We'll protect her," Terra declared, balling a fist and striking her open palm for emphasis. "We'll be at her side when she rescues her father and I'll make sure no scheming opportunist lays a glove on her."

At this point Frida pulled up alongside the group and called them all aboard. As Terra looked up at the girl and her dark expression gave way to a warm smile. "And we'll help her find her own path. Frida doesn't need to be her mother... she's got her own strength."

[Sorrum]

Aqua glanced at the others as they boarded, all wearing determination across their face. Silently, she thanked whoever it was that brought her such allies as these in this time. She clutched her chest with one hand as she felt their warmth, but her thoughts now filled with her father's imprisonment, the state of political tension, and of course the apparent Blight mage plotting behind the scenes. Determination filled her. "I'm coming, Dad.." she thought to herself. With one last wave to Harkins, she bid the researchers and the community farewell as they gathered to cheer for their princess.

The Wind Runner peeled out from the facility and drove northwest through a wide path in the forest. The Runner was fast, easily reaching high speed on the long path. The forest would return to it's crystal norm as they moved, then again some time later would return to the normal earth they had known. Before long, the Crystal Forest shrunk into the horizon, as a new environment enveloped them.

A tinge colder than within the forest, the countryside of The Frontier was broken into dirt roads between villages and small forests, rising up gradually. At one point they would cross a sign, in one direction lead Port Town, some far distance away. The other way lead to Meribia, not so far now. Aqua pressed the machine to move faster, cutting down the road. They would pass trade carts that would give them wide berth, stopping to gaze at the machine and shout in surprise at it's pilot. Some would even turn and chase after, but the Runner was faster than the swiftest of horses.

Soon, the mountain range that made up the northern crest of The Frontier came into view. Aqua was now heading directly northwest toward a rising hill. She neglected to say much to the others as she focused on driving, but now she spoke. "Just over this hill!"

Through a cut in the forest on this rising hill, the party would see it; Meribia. A large city below filled the mountain summit, broken apart into three sections by rivers and enclosed by pine forests, which featured light snow the higher rose to the mountain. Lights glittered from the windows and street lamps of the city as dusk settled over the city, and small figures walking the streets could be seen from their point on the hill. Various buildings rose in size and design closer to the mountain. These rivers sported several dozen boats, however the westernmost featured larger warboats bearing the emblem of The Frontier on their sails, heading toward a bay where even more of these ships docked along a line of buildings that supported naval affairs.

Most striking was the statue built into the mountain. Just as Aqua had shown them before with her model at the campsite, the statue stood, but in reality it was massive. It easily towered over the city, visible anywhere in this river summit. Waterfalls from the mountain above crashed around her and fed the separate rivers that flowed through the city. It seemed to be made of a light blue stone and shimmered even now in the last dregs of sunlight the day offered. Aqua would stare at the sight for a while before pushing the machine again, descending the hill and coming upon the city proper.


~~~

ARC 5 END