I'm so sorry for having posted nothing earlier, but we were cut from Internet for some weeks ad I could do nothing. So, here it is. I have't finished the next chapter yet so you'll have to wait a little, but I had this one under my hand so that should make it. Well, enjoy your stay in Lindblum.

Welcome to Lindblum

Dagger held the helm until we reached Lindblum. For a princess, doing unusual things such as piloting an airship and else must be something to remember. Zidane checked the wrecked engines. The navigation room was a mess, just like the rest of the ship. Glass shards were all over the floor, the wood was crackled and burnt and the engines were making a weird sound.

"I think we pushed it a little too hard." The thief said.

"But we had to." I replied. "Otherwise, it could have been worse. But why so silent, everyone? We made it."

Dagger frowned.

"South Gate was badly damaged. It was my fault, wasn't it?"

"Not at all." I said. "It was the Black Waltz's fault since he burst his own engines with that lightning spell. I saw it."

"And anyway" Zidane finished. "Lindblum's workers will fix it up in no times."

"You idiots!" Steiner angrily said. "The cargo ship is wrecked, e lost all the cargo and South Gate was destroyed! I can't believe I played a part in this debacle!"

I smirked.

"You call that a debacle? I would rather call that a success. The princess will reach Lindblum as she planned, the cargo ship is wrecked but I don't mind as long as it carries us to the castle, for the cargo, given it was all black mages, its destruction is for the best-sorry, Vivi- and only the aerial part of South Gate is damaged."

Steiner growled but Dagger cut him.

"Steiner, I didn't mean to get you involved … But you saved us. I thank you."

Steiner kneeled.

"Such kind words! I am not worthy! Well, now I've made up my mind! I vow to protect you, Princess, until we return to the castle!"

I gave him a small wink and muttered.

"And what if mother and daughter were to turn against each other?"

The knight gasped and frowned.

"Then … My loyalty will go to the Princess. Definitely."

I finally smiled.

"My master used to say, that we are always stronger when we have something to fight for."

I looked at him right in the eyes.

"Stay by her side, Steiner. Garnet may be strong, but it is your sword that gives her her strength."

Steiner took his sword.

"Then I swear on my honor as a knight to protect the Princess with my life, as long as she will need it."

Zidane had a mocking smile.

"How do you feel about that, Dagger? He'll follow you to the end of the world."

"It's okay, Zidane." The girl said. "Hey, I can see the main gate of Lindblum!"

We all turned to the broken windows.

"That's Lindblum Castle?" Steiner asked. "How gigantic!"

"The city of Lindblum is inside the castle." Dagger explained. Her protector nodded.

"I see …"

Zidane seemed thoughtful and deceived. I knew he and the princess had gotten close so getting separated would be a little hard for him. Vivi suddenly spoke.

"Zidane, Si'Nai, those black mages and I … are we the same?"

Steiner looked at the mage.

"Master Vivi, why would those mages be the same as you? And why would it matter if they were?"

Zidane smiled.

"Rusty's right. You're an individual, no matter what happens, Vivi!"

"And anyway" I said. "You have definitely nothing in common with them."

The thief nodded and grabbed our sleeve.

"Let's go out to the deck! You've gotta see Lindblum from above! It's the best! Look, the Falcon's Claw is right in front of us!"

Cuddled in its mountains, Lindblum was the greatest town I had ever seen. Dagger didn't lie when she said that the town was within the castle. It was as if it had been built on a small mountain, with the main castle standing at the top and the rest of the town built on the slopes, with the gigantic walls enchasing it. Airship of all kinds and all shapes flew around us as steam came from some homes but none came for us. Under our feet, the people were busy as ants, their voices confusedly reaching us. We finally arrived at the dock and came out of the cargo ship. Vivi looked around in amazement.

"Wow! This castle is huge! It's even bigger than Alexandria Castle!"

"Yeah." Zidane said. "They don't call it Lindblum Grand Castle for nothing."

"An indoor airship dock!" Steiner muttered. "This is truly amazing! Even Her Majesty's Red Rose could easily fit in there."

I looked at the princess.

"Dagger, you don't look too impressed. Have you been here before?"

Dagger nodded.

"Yes, I came here a few times when I was little … I haven't been here since my father passed away. How about you, Si'Nai? You don't look impressed either."

I half-smirked.

"I am a ranger. Towns aren't my favorite places, far from it actually. I don't like having so much stone around me … Makes me feel like they will crush me …"

Ayden violently chirped and we looked at the exit, at the end of the red carpet that led outside. Zidane frowned.

"Here comes the welcoming committee."

Three Lindblum guards came to us, the middle one wearing a heavy red armor. The left one looked at the cargo ship. Garnet came to them, placing the diamond crown on her head.

"Greetings. I am Princess Garnet Til Alexandros. I humbly request an audience with Regent Cid."

"You must be kidding!" The guard in red said. "No member of the royal family, let alone a princess, would ever ride on such a shabby airship. And look at the company you're keeping."

Steiner jumped, his armor clanking loudly.

"How dare you accuse the princess of lying? The princess was forced to come here under extreme circumstances!"

"Then show me some kind of proof of your royal heritage."

"Very well …" Said the princess as she took a jewel she had been hiding in her jumpsuit.

The guard almost jumped.

"This pendant … Is it a Falcon claw? No. The shape is a little different."

He turned to one of his subordinates.

"Call Minister Artania!"

The guard immediately left as Steiner turned to Zidane and I and muttered angrily.

"If you weren't such filthy-looking oafs, they wouldn't be so suspicious of us!"

Zidane immediately retorted.

"Hey, I'm not the idiot with the loud voice and the dirty, rusty armor."

"WHAT?"

I smiled.

"Zidane is right, Rusty. While we are in Lindblum, I suggest you find time to get a new armor, one that fits with that so powerful black sword of yours."

The knight growled and I crossed my arms.

"Or maybe you're broke …?"

Had Artania not come at that moment, I would have burst out of laughter before Steiner's red, steaming, angry face. He was so funny … But the minister came and I held it.

"What is going on?" The man asked. He was rather old, at least in his mid-sixties with a formal brown outfit and a mid-long beard.

"Sir" The guard said. "We have unknown visitors who wish to see the regent. And one of them is carrying a pendant that looks exactly like a Falcon Claw."

The minister frowned and nodded.

"You are dismissed. I'll take care of this."

"Yes, Sir!"

The guards quickly nodded and Garnet ran to the elder man.

"Uncle Artania!"

"It's good to see you, Princess." The man smiled. "Please, follow me. The Regent is waiting."

Artania drove us through the castle. I was surprised by the number of guards everywhere and the richness of the place. It almost made me forget how cold it was. Red tissue was on the ground, a soft crimson color the golden lines gave some warmth and there was a fountain at a crossroad. I took a sip of it and was surprised to find it to my taste. We finally reached a lift and Artania kindly explained its use.

"Lindblum Castle has three levels, all connected by this lift. From the Base Level, which lies below the Mist, you can take a trolley to the harbor and the back gate. Ships hardly arrive to the harbor anymore since travel by air has become so popular. The Mist poses great danger, so we've sealed off everything. Just above the Base Level is the Mid Level. You can ride the air cab from the Mid Level to go to town. The Upper Level contains the royal chamber and conference room. Access to that level is restricted, because the Regent himself resides here."

Zidane turned to Dagger.

"Hey, what's Regent Cid like? I've lived in Lindblum for a while, but I never met him."

The princess smiled.

"Regent Cid is very wise. He always thinks ahead. He may seem a bit odd at times, but he is very dependable. He and my father were best friends …"

She turned ad looked away in worry.

"I wonder is he will ever listen to what I have to say …"

"Don't worry." Zidane said. "We're not leaving until he does."

Artania turned.

"We will arrive at the upper level shortly."

Walking through the regent's home, we finally reached the throne room. The man didn't seem to be there but the minister still spoke.

"Sire, Princess Garnet of Alexandria wishes to see you."

Dagger was the first to enter and bowed, but soon noticed the empty throne. Steiner came just behind her.

"Princess, is something wrong?"

"The regent isn't there and I don't know who … Take a look at the throne."

I was behind them when the regent appeared. He was … the biggest oglop I had ever seen! I don't know why people are scared of oglops. In any case, I never was. What made me understand were the red cape and the grey moustache that spiked upward. No oglop had those traits … but men did. Scared of those bugs, Steiner violently punched the regent back to the throne when he came to us. Alarmed by the sound, Zidane and Vivi came.

"Dagger, what's wrong?" Asked the thief. "Why aren't you talking to … GEEZ! That's an oglop!"

Vivi was as surprised as our friend.

"Wow … Even the oglops are big in Lindblum."

"What is the meaning of this?" Steiner angrily asked. "How dare you greet the princess like that? Get that repulsive bug off the throne immediately, and call the regent!"

As he stepped before the throne, Artania came before him.

"Please, settle down! You are before the regent!"

"What? Enough of your nonsense!"

"Steiner, stand down!" Dagger suddenly said. "I remember that moustache. Is that really you, Uncle Cid?"

The bug nodded.

"Yes. Greetings, all-gwok-. I am Cid Fabool, Regent of Lindblum."

He looked at the princess as we bowed before him.

"I knew it was you. I recognized your pendant's description. It's so much like my Falcon Claw. I'm delighted to see you again, Garnet. You have truly-gwok-become a fine lady. I, on the other hand …"

"Allow me to explain." Artania said. "About six months ago, someone snuck into the castle and attacked the regent in his sleep. Unfortunately, we were too late … The regent had been transformed into an oglop and his wife, Lady Hilda, was abducted."

I frowned at the tale. As Zidane said, the one who did this was surely skilled, given the amount of guards in the corridors. But when Steiner accused the thief, Cid shook his head.

"That's not possible."

"How can you be so sure?" I asked him. "Do you know who they are?"

"Of course. I may be a bug-gwok-, but I am still the regent of Lindblum."

The princess finally spoke.

"Uncle Cid, I appreciate you seeing me on such short notice. I desperately need to speak to you about my mother."

"That's what I figured. But I'm sure we can wait 'til tomorrow. Why don't you all get some rest for today?"

"Thank you."

"It is time for lunch." Artania said. "Please, follow me."

We followed the regent and his minister to a room with a set table bearing appetizing dishes. However, the bright look and subtle smell of it made me back up, and so was Zidane. The two of us were used to more simple meals so we kindly took out leave. Zidane took me to the second level at an inn he knew.

"I can't stand the food at the castle." He said. "It's way too high class for my tastes. How can anyone get full on that stuff? The cheap food here is much better."

"Sure thing." I said. "My master was never much of a cook so he often gave me simple things to eat. The only condiments he used were herbs and honey when he could find some. And it was always delicious, never tasteless."

The thief looked at the menu.

"Well, today's special is … Soup du Silence. Not bad. I'll take that."

"Okay. Roasted trick sparrow wings for me."

There were some customers already sitting in the place, a green-skinned man drinking on a table while some were at the counter or in the end of the establishment, chatting about god knows what. There was someone who caught my attention, a rat-like woman wearing a red outfit and carrying a spear in her back. No doubts she was a burmecian. I took my seat next to her, Ayden flying at my side.

"Yo, Pops." Said Zidane. "I'll have the stupid special."

"And I'll take the roasted wings." I added.

The man smiled as he saw us.

"Zidane … I figured it was you. Looks like you brought a friend.

"Friend, friend … how've you been?"

"Not bad, I guess. Take a seat like your 'friend. Your soup'll be ready in a minute."

A maid came at that moment and stopped for a bit.

"Do you mind?" She asked kindly. "You're standing in everyone's way."

The thief let her go but I could still see he was hitting on her by his sight … and the fact that he followed her. She turned to him and I noticed she was beautiful with her chestnut hairs and red dress with yellow borders slightly open at the right.

"Yeah? Do you want a drink?"

The thief had a devious smile.

"How about you and me go on a cruise on an airship?"

I sighed. Zidane was a real flirt. I thought about yanking his tail when the maid answered.

"Really? An airship?"

"Sounds like you've never been on one." The thief smiled. "You know, Lindblum's quite a sight from high above."

I was about to call him back but the rat-woman at my left was faster.

"Hey, monkey-tail, you're disturbing the other customers."

One thing about Zidane: he hates it when someone calls him 'monkey'. So, of course, the answer was sharp.

"What the … You've got a tail, too, rat-face!"

The woman sighed.

"Rat-face … After I finish my drink, I'm gonna kick your butt."

I frowned at the reply and whispered lowly.

"Do that and I don't give much of your eyes …"

The woman suddenly laughed out loud and turned to us. Zidane's face lightened up.

"Long time no see, Zidane. Looks like you made some new friends."

"Yeah, and a good one. Si'Nai, this is Freya. Freya, Si'Nai. He is a ranger."

I rose from my seat and we shook hands.

"Nice to meet you, Miss Freya. Sorry for my late reply. I tend to be protective toward friends … This is Ayden, my falcon pal."

Ayden chirped and let the burmecian caress its head.

"A silver falcon … He is beautiful."

"Thanks."

I let Zidane sit between us. Freya was closer of a friend to him than I was. They began to chat as our meal was served. I listened to them, chewing the wings and letting Ayden take bits in my plate.

"So, how've you been? How long has it been already?" Zidane asked as he took a sip of his soup.

"About three years."

"Hey, did you ever find out anything about your boyfriend?"

"No …"

"So … What brings you to Lindblum?"

"The Festival of the Hunt. What else? It's a good opportunity to test my skills."

I frowned when they talked about the festival. My master had won it once and shared the experience with me, but I never actually attended one.

"Oh … Well, I'm sure you'll find him someday."

"Aren't you participating?"

"Nah. I think I'll pass."

"Lazy bum."

"Are you ever gonna go back?"

"I have no reason to return to Burmecia. There is nothing there for me anymore."

Freya seemed sad. I gave her a kind smile and finished my meal. The rat woman turned to me.

"So, Zidane said you were a ranger. I heard they were all gone."

"That's partially true. I am the last.

"Really? I heard quite a lot about them. They belong to no country and their skills make them akin to burmecian dragoons."

I smiled and caressed Ayden.

"Our job makes so that we rangers have no affiliation to any nation. We are to keep the forests safe and in good shape and we are similar to dragoons in the way that we have our very own skills. The dragoons have their spears, we have our bows, and every one of us has his special abilities."

I took my bow and looked at it.

"When we were in the evil forest, I noticed bones in the lair of the master of the forest. Ayden gave me this bow he found among them. I can only guess, but I think the rangers of the mist continent once wanted to purge the forest of its evil once and for all and failed. They all died. As for my master …"

I sighed slowly. Freya gave me a kind look.

"He died, didn't he?"

"Yes. He was killed. By black mages. … He was like a father to me."

"Sorry for your loss."

"Thanks. Now if you may, I will take my leave and find a good inn. There is a Festival soon I'd like to subscribe."

Here is the end for now. Just a little wait and (maybe) you'll get that hunting festival. Well, 'til next time.