(Sorry the formatting went FUBAR. I hope having a chapter 2 ups the views! Promise it gets quicker.)
The aerodrome was much smaller than it looked from the outside, but still grand. The multitude of ships were anchored outside at varying heights. She could just make them out through the large terminal windows. The docents behind their desks dotted the whole of the place, sunstone powered signs lighting up destinations and departure times behind their heads. Everything was illuminated by sunstone, it gave the place a warm, inviting feeling. Even though the ceilings arched toweringly over their heads and every noise echoed and reverberated off the slick surfaces of the floor and walls. It wasn't any quieter in here than it was on the streets. There were people saying goodbye tearfully and loud thumps of feet running towards families and wheels of luggage rolling on the tile. She could pick up snatches of conversation as she passed, like tuning through radio frequencies, including pieces from her new captors behind her
("This is unlike you…" "…don't…something…" "..wait and…"). She was too busy looking around to focus too long on any one conversation.
"Never seen the aerodrome before?" the man's voice appeared much closer behind her, as he grabbed her shoulder to halt her from walking further. She turned and shook her head, smiling a little.
"The guards would never let me in because they could tell I didn't have any money for a ticket," she replied. They stood in a corner, but there were still too many people for them to keep a deliberate hold on her. He shifted his weight with his hands absentmindedly finding his hips, the confident pose seemed comfortable on him.
"Right, you stay here with Fran. I'll go inform the repair crew about the sudden change in plans," he didn't bother hiding a look of exasperation in her direction. She pretended not to notice and turned to the viera.
"Fran? That's your name?" she asked. The woman only nodded.
"And what should I call you?" she asked the man's retreating back, "'Captain'?"
To her surprise he let out a short laugh.
"I rather like that…" he said mysteriously before hurrying off towards a terminal exit. She had meant it as a joke, she wasn't sure if he did as well. She looked at her companion to find any hint but instead found a hand held out in front of her.
"Your arm. Let me see it," the woman said softly. The girl blinked, having been completely distracted up until this moment she hadn't given a second thought to her arm. Now that she tried to move it, she felt a sharp pain shooting through her and winced. It was strange how often an injury could go painless until spoken of, like some spell. Her dark skin was startlingly red and swollen around the wrist when she laid her hand atop Fran's. She turned the hand over, being mindful of her sharp claws, sending more shockwaves of pain through the girl's right side.
"I can mend it, later. If you can wait." That was that, she let the arm down carefully and straightened to look at her partner who was now returning.
"The moogles are aware of our situation, though they're none too happy about it. By the way, what should we be calling you? I don't suppose you'd answer to servant girl very long," he shot at the girl. It took her a moment to realize he was talking to her and she narrowed her eyes, thinking on it. She had to be delicate, but just because he was Arcadian didn't necessarily mean anything. He was a criminal too, after all.
"My name is Tahnjr, and servants are usually PAID for their work," she responded. He crossed his arms.
"You took your payment well in advance. Tahnjr it is then," he said and motioned for them to follow.
They pushed through the crowd of passengers and out the terminal door where an old red anchor was planted apart from the rest of the ships. Tahnjr stepped into the large shadow and squinted up, following the anchorline with her eyes. She gasped when her eyes met a huge ship, bobbing on the air currents. She'd seen other airships before, naturally; even heard about them living in the village. This was the first time she'd been so close to one, and then the prospect hit her and she swung around, unable to keep an edge of excitement out of her voice.
"We're really flying in that?!" she asked them. The man looked offended briefly before noticing she spoke with eagerness and nothing close to disdain or snobbery, and immediately changed his disposition.
"What's a pirate without a ship?" he said easily and pulled something shining out of his pocket, clicking a button. A rumbling above her made her start and she backed up, watching tensely. A hatch opened with a hiss and lowered itself to steps.
"A pirate, huh…?" she voiced absently. That would explain a lot…
"You two go on in, I've heard there's a gentleman here who might be able to give us some information," he waved towards the ship and didn't wait for a response before darting off.
A hand pushed gently on Tahnjr's back and she shivered, looking up at the steps and beginning to climb. The viera was kind enough but she radiated a powerful air, one you wouldn't want to mess with. They hauled themselves up through the hatch opening and into the cramped intersected hallways. Fran hung up her bow and quiver and steered left, through the narrow hallway with Tahnjr close at her heel. They passed a couple unmarked doors and what looked, through the open archway, like a kitchen nook (she doubted more than two people could comfortably fit in there). At the end of the hallway they opened an unlocked door and stepped inside. It was a small room, just big enough for a bed, a trunk, and a chair. There was a tall window facing the ocean that made her gasp. She turned once.
"Is this… Mine?" she asked timidly. The taller woman nodded and gestured to the bed.
"For the time. Sit," she instructed. Tahnjr did as she was told.
"This will hurt," Fran said as she pushed a pillow towards her and excavated her injured arm. Tahnjr clutched the pillow tightly, looking apprehensively at the wound. The grip on her arm was light but still painful. Fran's soft voice was muttering words she didn't understand, but they came with a strong energy flowing around them; strong enough to pass as a light breeze it felt. It made her scalp prickle and there was a warmth in her arm. It felt good until the pain started, with the rapid shifting under her skin. She buried her face into the pillow to scream and realized the bones were aligning themselves again, mercilessly. The pain formed a cloud in her mind and dulled her other senses, with the constant grinding of bone against bone.
By the time the pain had lessened to a dull throbbing and her senses returned to her, Fran was placing a saturated towel over the wrist (which she noted was back to its normal size and only slightly bruised). She hadn't even noticed the woman letting go of her or leaving the room.
"The wound is set," she informed with a very slight smile (it looked good on her, she realized), "It is healed, though it may not feel so."
Tahnjr had enough strength to nod and rest her arm on the bed.
"Thank you… What was…?" she asked, puzzled.
"Base magicks. Something all good pirates should know," Fran responded. Before any more questions evolved there was a knock at the door, and without an answer it opened.
"You know you really should wait for an invitation before entering a lady's room…" Tahnjr scolded lightly as her new captain stood in the doorway. He leered at her with a half grin on his face. Something had preoccupied him.
"I'd assumed you wouldn't be changing in each other's company, unless I've missed something," he teased airily and pushed into the room. She crossed her arms and felt warm in the face.
"We've got a lead," he said, a little more enthused. He didn't show it excessively, but she could hear it in his voice and see it in his eyes and the corners of her mouth caught on the excitement, turning up.
"Treasure?" his partner asked, and he nodded. "A reliable source…?"
He sighed and shrugged.
"It's the best lead we've got. And since we haven't much else I say we take it. I was directed to a man up in Dorstonis ."
Tahnjr's heart fluttered a little; the sky continent, they were really going to fly. She was leaving this fish nest and not a moment too soon. The pirate turned his attention back to her and motioned for her to follow.
"Strap in while we set off, then you might as well see the rest of the ship." They retraced their earlier steps and skirted down the narrow passage directly in front of the hatch until the path widened, and both pirates took seats in front of the yokes. She took an empty seat in the back and brought the safety straps across her chest as she heard the clinking of the anchor retreating into the ship. As the engines started warming up she looked out the panoramic windows and wondered, briefly, just what she had gotten herself into.