Chapter Text
The freezing night had finally returned to the deserts of Thanalan and with it, the stars. Her cloth-wrapped feet sank into the still warm sand as she made the journey to the top of the dune. Rivulets of the loose, bothersome particulate cascaded down the almost sheer side of the dune with her every step.
She was tall, taller than most of the races of Eorzea – the continent in which she dwelled - and indeed, most of the continents beyond.
She reached the apex of the mountain of sand and looked up, removing her hood. Her breath fogged in the cold air and she shivered, pulling her cloak tighter. Her pale face and bright blue eyes seemed to reflect the low moon and twinkling stars. The sight never failed to leave her breathless.
She often wonders – being a master of magick – if she should set up shop in one of the larger cities. Perhaps as an astrologian? Her love of the stars and the space between them would be invaluable to those looking to determine their fate – whatever that may be. With they find love, will they gain wealth, will they die happy or sad?
But it was not her first love.
She turned her attention to the landscape before her. The southern desert of Thanalan seemed to stretch on and on, a deathtrap to those adventuring without the correct provisions. The heat of the day, the cold of the night and the many, many creatures looking for an easy meal would make short work of those caught unaware. Doubly so in the dark. Alas, travelling at night through the desert was the smart thing to do. While there is a possibility of coming across a hungry creature at night, the sun was ever-present during the day.
Her eyes narrowed as she scanned the horizon, her staff gripped just a little tighter in her right hand. It was smooth – save for the runes carved over every inch of the ash wood. The blue gem at the tip – as blue as her eyes – was gripped hard by the wood which seemed to grow around it.
Her long, rabbit-like ears – white furred with black tufts at the top, twitched as she detected her companion approaching from behind. She rolled her eyes; she loved to be alone. She found her own company to be far more than enough for her. It’s why she lived out in the middle of… well, nowhere really. And this one… he was not cut out for the desert at all. No, not at all. Exactly why he hired her, the feared ‘desert witch’, to escort him.
His footsteps were hard and fast. A feat considering the deep sand they walked through. He reached the top of the dune and panted in exertion, his hands on his knees.
“What is it, witch? What do you see?” He asked.
“Shush.”
The man let out an indignant scoff at her response. Her long, wide ears atop her head twitching, scanning, listening.
“Well?” the man tried again.
She’s quiet again before turning and grabbed the man by the collar, her much taller frame towering over the chubby, moustachioed merchant.
“Are you trying to attract every beast in the area?” She whispered, scornfully. “Or perhaps you seek to test my patience?”
The man struggled in her tight grip. “U-Unhand me, witch! I paid for your services, you are under my employ, now unhand me!”
He struggled in vain against her lithe, solid form. You see, the witch of the desert was a Viera. A tall, humanoid lagomorph. ‘Viera’ means ‘people of the wood’. Her homeland was far, far away from this barren desert. She hadn’t been home in… how long was it now?
The witch had spent her youth being a lot more physically active that she was now. It was essential back then. But that physicality had paid off and she was rather fit, even now into her middle age. She could keep up with her fitness, but she really had no need. Besides, who needs to be physical when you can get magick to do it for you?
The point is: This chubby merchant had no chance.
Again, she rolled her eyes and dropped him, his body impacting with an embarrassing thud. She was very tempted to kick him down the side of the dune and watch him roll. The corners of her mouth twitched in amusement.
“No wonder they shun you in Ul’Dah!” He said as he climbed to his feet.
She ignored him and continued to listen for threats. Unfortunately, she found none. ‘I suppose I’ll have to escort him the whole way after all…’ she thought, sighing.
She continued to walk, making her way down the tall dune and towards the chocobo carriage at the bottom. It was laden with cargo. The chubby merchant took the reigns and began to lead it, following behind the – frankly, intimidating – witch. He narrowed his eyes and cursed. How did he become so unfortunate as to end up in this situation? No matter, it would be over soon and he’d be far away from her.
They walked in silence, save for their footsteps in the sand and that of the merchants chocobo, the bird letting out the occasional ‘Kwark!’ As they did, the dim glow over the horizon got ever closer. Their destination; Ul’Dah, the supposed ‘jewel of the desert’ according to the wealthy who rule it. The reality was far different.
“Why wouldn’t you take the main road?” She asked, breaking the quiet of the cold night. “I mean, don’t get me wrong I’m thankful for the coin, but to be so far out that you sought the feared ‘desert witch’ to guide you?”
Honestly, she didn’t hate the stigma she got. Viera like herself were few and far between this far out, and after the rumours circulated around Ul’Dah about her being banned from the thaumaturge guild, the people of the city were all too happy to see her wander off into the desert.
She preferred being alone, anyways.
Really.
The man grimaced. “Bandits. And isn’t it always?”
The witch looked at him then. “Bandits? Around Ul’Dah? Theres no way. Such a threat to the city wouldn’t go unpunished.”
Ul’Dah was a trade city. Ruled by a mercantile class of the greedy, disguised as a monarchy. Bandits meant a threat to trade, a threat to trade meant a threat to the city. Theres no way they’d let that stand.
“I’m just telling you the news I heard in Gridania.” The man growled in frustration. “‘Bandits have been seen in the mountains surrounding Camp Dry Bone’, they said. I thought it better to go the long way around and avoid them, than risk dying or worse, losing my cargo.”
The witch grinned. “And got horribly lost in the process.”
The man folded his arms and huffed. “Yes, well, that’s beside the point.”
She grinned wider “You’re lucky I found you~” She sing-songed.
“Enough! We’re nearly there, can we just go?”
“Fine.” She re-tied her long white and black hair into a ponytail and dropped the subject. As much as she loved teasing, it wasn’t worth drawing this trip out. Soon, she would be back in her burrow in the desert, surround by books to study and tea to drink. In the calm quiet and so incredibly, blissfully alone. She smiled.
Oh yes, she couldn’t wait.
Another hour of walking and she suddenly stopped mid stride. The merchant, not paying attention, bumped into her back. He righted himself. “Watch where you’re standing, wit- Mmph?!”
Her pale hand darted out and covered his mouth. “Quiet.” She mumbled under her breath.
The merchant stilled as the ground seemed to move. Shift in a way that wasn’t normal, even with the cold breeze. Both he and the Viera were very still, her hand still over his mouth. He watched, wide-eyed, as the sand in front of them pooled together and began to disappear into a point in the ground, not unlike sand in an hourglass.
After a few more seconds, a large mass started to emerge. It did so slowly, grey and rough looking, with spiked horns along its back, it writhed and undulated as if boneless, as it pulled itself free from the sand.
The witch’s eyes narrowed. She watched as the tip of the creature – what she assumed to be its front – moved this way and that. It was hunting for them. As long as they stayed still, the eyeless creature would leave without a fuss. It moved like a snake around them and the chocobo carriage. Even the large bird had enough sense to keep still. It sniffed at the crates on board and the merchant instinctively moved to intervene but the witch held him fast. ‘Does he have a deathwish?!’ she thought.
The front of the creature split open, revealing rows upon rows of sharp, tiny teeth. It drooled over the crates as it sniffed at them. Then, it moved away and buried itself in the sand, disappearing beneath the dunes.
The witch listened for while longer, hearing nothing. She finally let the man go and he wiped his mouth. She eyed him disdainfully as he ran over to check his wares.
“What was that?” He asked.
“Sandworm.” She spoke. “They’re pretty common around here.”
“Twelve get me out of this forsaken desert.” He mumbled.
“Screw the twelve, it’s me who’s doing that.” She said under her breath.
“Nothing seems damaged.” He said, relieved, then hopped down.
The moment his foot touched the sand, it was too late.
A cloud of sand blew outwards as the sandworm exploded from the ground, grabbing his foot and hoisting him up into the air. The man screamed as his arms flailed.
“Gods damnit!” cried the witch as she readied her staff.
“HELLP!” Shouted the man as he was ragged through the air. There was no doubt that he’d be losing that leg.
The witch sent an effort of will down her arm and through the ash wood of her staff. The runes glowed and the blue crystal at the tip trembled as a fireball the size of her head was launched out in a wide arc towards the blood-lusted and starving desert creature.
It hit the side of it, the fire wicking away a layer of it’s tough hide, and it let out a high-pitched screech. It dropped the man and turned its attention the witch.
“That’s my payday you’re trying to eat!” She shouted as she readied another spell.
The worm wasted no time slithering quickly towards her, zig-zagging through the loose sand.
Again, she launched another fireball, the light of it sailing wide as the worm darted to the side. She cursed as the worm launched at her, its mouth wide and rows of teeth ready to chomp down on its meal, when she focused on the merchant.
She brought her arms together as well as her staff, and flew towards him, her body carried on aethereal wind. The only thing the worm managed to bite was a portion of the sand previously beneath her feat.
She paid little attention the unconscious merchant as she turned and flung out another spell, this time, nothing was launched from her staff. Instead, flame erupted from beneath the worm’s skin, shooting out of any orifice on its body. The worm writhed and flailed in agony as it was roasted from the inside out, eventually succumbing and shrivelling in on itself.
The witch wrinkled her rabbit-like nose at the stench.
“Why… Why didn’t you do that earlier?” groaned the merchant. She looked down at him.
“You’re in a bad way.” She stated, factually. And it was true. His leg was torn to shreds by the worms many teeth, his shoulder looked dislocated and his arm was likely broken.
The merchant groaned in pain as the witch began to send healing magicks into his leg.
“The… cargo…?”
She shook her head. “You’re a fool.”
He said nothing in response to that.
A few minutes later, she stands. “I’ve stopped the bleeding, but you’ll likely lose the leg. You’ll need to seek medical attention when we arrive.”
“I paid you to protect me… does this look like you’ve done that?” he asked.
“It looks as though I just saved your life.”
“You’ll not be getting the other half of the payment.”
She just stared at him. Was he for real? People like this actually existed?
She could say a lot of things right now. Threaten to leave him here, threaten to burn him, freeze him, ruin his reputation and thousand things more.
But she was done. Done with this quest. Done with him.
She wanted to go home. Home to her little burrow in the dunes, away from people like this.
She just sighed, nodded and picked him up, placing him in the carriage. She took the reigns of the chocobo and began to walk, her staff at the ready. Soon, she could see the spires of Ul’Dah and soon, she’d be alone again.