Chapter 4 Old Dalan
Rabanastre was a thing of beauty on the surface and any visitor would say it's
white buildings were like a pearl in the middle of a desert. Only those who dwell
in the city knew of the small doorways scattered around the city that lead to an
underground slum where most of the population lived known as Lowtown. The
Dirty dark streets locked in eternal twilight were ever a home for plague and
starvation, but it was all the home Vaan had. He had chosen to sacrifice the warm
and comfort of Migelo's house for freedom and pride. The downside of which
was he had to come down here to sleep every night. He would never have survived
were it not for a friend who took him in down in the tunnels, standing outside his door
Vaan knew this man had helped him through thick and thin. Perhaps he could
help him again.
As he entered the room the smell of exotic perfume stung his nostrils. Several
other Rabanastrans looked up as he walked into the tiny apartment. But the man he
wanted to see was at the back. Ever smoking, ever stroking his rabbit, there sat
old Dalan. He looked up and his eyes twinkled from behind he big scruffy beard.
"Ah, if it isn't Vaan Ratsbane." He chuckled through a heavy accent. Vaan grinned,
Ratsbane was the name Dalan had invented for him after killing a total of twelve
dire rats in one day. "Come for a tip on how to skewer something bigger and in
armour down by the east gate?" Vaan gaped,
"You already heard about that?" He said grimacing. Dalan laughed,
"Wise I may not be but well informed I am." He said sagely through a cloud of smoke.
Vaan solidified his resolve.
"They'll get what's coming to them someday, believe me." He said defiantly. "But
that's not why I'm here." Dalan's eyes sparkled again, over the years he had helped Vaan
with his pranks and schemes and was always curious about them. If only
to see whether Vaan ended up in prison.
"Do tell." He said gleefully. Vaan took a breath, and started his story.
"I need to find a way to sneak into the palace." He began. "They've got to have some
great stuff in there, I thought I'd partake." Dalan chuckled slyly.
"Not one to mince words are you boy?" He teased. "The Empire protects
all that's hers and that means the palace and all the treasure inside it."
"That's why I'm gonna do it," Vaan interupted. "To take back what's ours." Dalan
sighed, for a moment he seemed defeated. Like this prank was one step too far.
Then he looked up and saw Vaan's face full of fire, and the life returned to his face.
"So, our champion of the sewers aspires to noble action." He said impresively.
"Admirable, perhaps I can help you." He looked thoughtful for a few minutes.
"Now that I think on it there was a rumour, yes. A secret passageway into the palace vaults,
a door and a magicked stone to open the way." Vaan could barely contain he excitement,
only Dalan could have this kind of knowledge.
"This is exactly why I came to you first Dalan." He said gratefully. Dalan smiled softly at his
enthusiasm. "So where is this magicked stone?" Vaan asked him eagerly, but Dalan seemed
to be lost in thought again.
"Oh I've had it for years." Dalan said matter of factly. "If I can remember where I've tucked it away."
This was perfect. Not only did Dalan have the information concerning the stone but he had the rock
itself. Vaan held out his hand to recieve the stone, but Dalan shook his head.
"The stone itself is useless." He said sadly. "It lost all it's power years ago, however I know the method
of reviving it. It uses the energy from powerful solar magick, therefore if you can find me a sunstone I can
restore it's power." Vaan was a little overwhelmed. He had six hours to get a stone that could be very valuble
and halfway across Ivalice. Dalan chuckled.
"Don't give me that look," He said. "The nomads out on the Giza plains deal in sunstones. Its just two hours
walk to the south to find their village." Vaan's face lit up. There was hope after all. He blurted out a quick thank you,
and was off out the door to the south gate, the sound of Dalan's laughter following him.
Rabanastre was closed in on the east and west sides by desert, but the south was known as the Giza plains.
Unlike the Estersand or Westersand this place had regular rains which flooded the area, it was a paradise for
wildlife. However due to the changing circumstances of weather it was very difficult for humans to live there. The
only ones who ever tried were a group of travelling nomads living just south of Rabanastre. Vaan had never seen them
but he had heard they were masters of the plains and veterans of survival. When he first saw the broken down camp made of
slaven skin however, he was doubtful.
"This place is a dump." He said to himself as he approached a young woman. She looked up
and smiled politely.
"Uh yes, I'm looking for a sunstone." Vaan began. "You couldn't help me could you?" Her smile turned to
a worried frown.
"I could help you out," She said, "But one of our children who makes the sunstones hasn't come back yet.
If you could find him for me then I would certainly help you." Vaan groaned. More quests for Vaan Ratsbane.
He wandered over to the group of children underneath a broken down sign advertising sunstones. One of
the children stood up, considerably taller than the others, considerably blonder too. With pigtails and a mischievous
grin.
"Penelo." Vaan exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"
"I could ask you the same," Came the indignant reply. Vaan turned his head away. "Though the answer's pretty clear,"
She said walking over to him. "No good." Vaan looked sulkily at her.
"What, I'm being good." He said innocently. Penelo eyed him suspiciously.
"Then you wont mind if I tag along with you for a while." She said leaping daintily out of the circle of children. "Migelo
is busy with his party up at the palace so I've got the day off." Vaan opened his mouth, then closed it again.
There was no arguing.
"Come on," Vaan called to Penelo. "Keep up." Without waiting for her he ran on across the dusty grass.
"What's the rush?" Penelo yelled at him from behind. "Got something to do?" Vaan stopped, composed
himself, then turned to face her.
"Nah, I just want to get this done as soon as possible." He said, but froze as he noticed Penelo unsheathing a
dagger on her waistband. "Woah Penelo I'm telling the truth." He protested but she raised her hand to silence him.
Then in one motion she threw the long knife right past his head. It passed so close to his head that Vaan felt sure it
had given him a haircut. He rounded on Penelo.
"What the hell!" He roared. "You almost killed me." She pouted and pointed behind him. Vaan looked, and saw the enormous
corpse of a hyena, a distant cousin of the wolf with a knife in it's eye.
"If I hadn't," Penelo said airily as she strode over to retrieve her knife. "He would have." Vaan was
speachless. He knew Penelo could fight but not throw a knife into something's eye.
"Remind me never to piss you off." He said admiring the shot. Penelo smiled as she drew the blade out of the creatures eye.
"Perhaps you'll pay more attention to me now." She said. Vaan was about to reply when a shrill cry broke the silence of the plains.
Both froze, listening for the source.
"It's this way." Whispered Penelo, Vaan shook his head.
"No way, I heard it coming from that glade." penelo frowned.
"Fine then you go that way then." Penelo retorted and disappeared over the tall grass.
Five minutes later Penelo was kneeling over a wounded boy, ten minutes later Vaan found his way there.
"Ok so you were right this time. "He sulked. Penelo ignored him.
"What's your name?" She asked kindly. The boy sniffed.
"Jinn." He gulped. "Ive got to get this stone finished and get back." Vaan's eyes lit up.
"Do you mean a sunstone?" He said eagerly. Jinn nodded.
"Yeah, but the shadestone is the only one I've got." Vaan frowned.
"Shadestone? I thought you were making sunstones." He said. The boy managed a shaky laugh.
"No stupid, you need to take this shadestone and bring it near to one of those big black pillars around the plains."
Vaan still looked confused, Jinn sighed and continued.
"Those huge pillars absorb sunlight. When you hold the stone near them it transfers the energy into them,
then it becomes a sunstone." He paused. Vaan scratched his head, and then nodded.
"So," Said Vaan quizically. "If we get this stone made for you can we have it?"
The boy pondered for a minute.
"I need to get back to camp so okay." He said finally. Vaan breathed a sigh of relief, he know had a stone.
All he needed to do now was charge it, use that to charge another stone and finally break into the royal palace
of Rabanastre. How hard could it be?