"This is the Strahl," Balthier exclaimed, holding an upturned-palm towards the airship as if it were another person. "Beautiful, isn't she?"
To Fran, 'beautiful' wasn't the word; "She's more than that," she murmered, walking past the airship, sliding her hands gently across the magnificent metal body; she expected an airship to feel cold, but the Strahl had a confusing warmth and welcoming hidden deep within.
"And she's all mine," he beamed proudly, like a father.
"How did you get her?" Fran asked, amazed; she had never been this close to an airship in all her forty-six years of travelling in Ivalice. The ones she had seen the most belonged to the Archadian Empire, which seemed to shut away the sky to everyone else but them; the Strahl was different, it was smaller and seemed to be nimbler than the large clumsy Archadian airships. The colour scheme reflected Balthier's personality; copper coloured with hints of sea-blue and firey-red, giving the idea of rebelliousness. Unlike the Empire's, this airship belonged in no fleet; it was an army by itself.
"I had Gil to spare, a longing to be free and a fortunate opportune moment in which I spotted the pretty thing," Balthier replied aloof, staring lovingly at his own airship. He then turned to look at Fran, still smoothing her hands over the metal with awe. "I'm going to be a sky pirate."
The Viera turned in confusion towards Balthier, who was momentarily waiting for her reply. She didn't know what to say; Fran didn't know if this was good or bad as she had never come across the term. "What is a 'sky pirate'?" her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
He re-encated that fanciable smirk that would melt iron in an instant. "Ahh, you haven't come across one before? A sky pirate…flies, wherever he or she pleases, makes their own rules and steals for a living."
"So, you are a thief?" Fran asked, confused.
"No, not yet," he smiled, winking. "That's where you come in; every sky pirate needs a good partner to fly with them and help work the airship. And, if you feel up to the task, steal valuable goods to survive."
The Viera was taken back; she didn't realise she would have to know how an airship works. Fran thought she would just be a passenger while Balthier did the necessary work. After all, he obviously knew more than her. "Unfortunately, I do not know anything about airships," she regretfully declared, looking back to the magnificent ship.
"There's time to learn." Fran looked towards the Hume, surprised he was willing to accept a Viera as an airship partner who knew little about mechanics. She found herself blushing slightly under his soft, concerning, earnest gaze. "I may not be the best teacher, but I can tell that you are quite the observant one. Something tells me you'll be able to operate the Strahl by yourself in a couple of weeks."
She blushed even more and bowed her head to hide her tainted skin. The Viera was pleased but doubtful that Balthier thought she would be able to fly an airship by herself soon. It was unusual that someone she had recently met would be able to label her as the 'observant' type; either he was flattering her, or he had noticed how her sharp eyes had darted around rooms and people's faces, scrutinizing situations. Looking into his eyes, Fran nodded a silent thanks which he returned with a closed-eyed smile. "Where are we sleeping tonight?" she asked, quickly changing the subject before it became too awkward.
"Well…" The Viera had managed to make the situation more uncomfortable for the Hume, despite her noticeable efforts not to. "I wish to make a speedy exit from Archades, as soon as possible," Balthier explained, his eyes facing the wall to his side; an obvious sign he was hiding something. "Was there anywhere in particular you were planning to travel to?"
Fran watched him avert his eyes, almost in shame, until he mustered the courage to look up towards her again. "I intended to visit Rabanastre…" she replied, trying to remember her motives for going there.
"Splendid! Never been there myself," he grinned, throwing his cloak carelessly, yet with formal magnificence, away to the side and walking towards the Strahl. "Don't worry," Balthier added, noticing the troubled face of his new sky partner. "I'll explain what you need to do and you'll get the hang of it sooner than you know."