"Just stop for a moment, Cidolfus!" Doctor Ranshal walked quickly, trying to keep pace with Ffamran's father while managing a heavy limp in his leg. "Ffamran had to see me again today because of that gun wound. The armor is chafing right into it. I can give him medicine, but what he needs is to get out of that chain mail and rest!"

"Ffamran will not be slowed by something as trifle as a day-old gun wound."

"The night before he began his duties, he'd been hurt again! He's exhausted!" Ranshal countered.

"Those wounds were all his fault in the first place. Foolish boy probably deserves them."

"Even so, as his doctor, I urge you to relieve him of this strenuous occupation! At least until he's recovered." Cidolfus turned and adjusted his half-moon glasses while facing the fretful physician.

"As his doctor, you should know that you are only his doctor." Ranshal held his tongue, but had plenty of remarks ready on them. Cidolfus smiled. "It's quite reassuring to know my boy has such a considerate doctor as you, Strahl." Ranshal's face was stern after hearing his first name in use. Trying to get on his better side once more by using familiarities? Ranshal gave his old friend a quick once-over with his trained eyes. Ffamran's words were true to the bone. Cidolfus' hair was graying early, his skin fading early in life as well. Even though Strahl Ranshal was a bit older than Cidolfus Bunansa, he was the younger looking man. This man had been different ever since he'd returned from his latest nethicite expedition.

No longer was this the friend he knew.

"If you will excuse me, Sir Bunansa." Ranshal turned, relieved to be looking away from those haunted eyes and made his way back down the hall. The carpets here were dark, woven with intricate patterns that made no definite sense when one examined them. Ranshal hated walking these corridors. He hit the button on the wall beside the elevator with the end of his cane, eager to return to the lower levels and take a taxi airship to his home. Today had been much too long. The double doors opened with a ding, and Ranshal stepped inside before another could crowd in beside him. He was not normally so grumpy, but after listening to Cidolfus he was as eager as anyone…

Blood.

Ranshal picked out the fresh spots of crimson in the dark carpet instantly. They glistened in the dim lighting, newly fallen from an open wound. He hastily hit a different button, to the second floor.

~ Ranshal's POV

I entered the first open door on the right, following the sparse trail into the hospital.

"Which room is he in?" I asked my secretary. She seemed surprised that I knew of his arrival.

"Oh. He's, uhm, just down the hall in room four, sir." Without another word, I hobbled down to the examination room as quickly as I could.

"And what was I just telling his father." I turned into the room without so much as a knock. "Not calling for my nurses yet? Oh my." A viera stood beside the examination table on which a small moogle in a green jumpsuit sat. I recognized him instantly by his striking attire. "Nono? Oh, what have you gotten yourself into now?" One of his small feet was bleeding from a long cut, dripping blood onto the floor.

"Your nurses? We have been asking for them for some time now, but you are the first to show." The viera said. I sighed and rolled up my sleeves. And I wanted to retire early tonight. Now I'd be stuck here for another half hour. Well, Nono was one of my moogles, so I suppose I had an obligation there.

"Well, I'm here now so I ought to take a look." I knelt before the table and took Nono's foot in my hands. "How did this happen?"

"That nasty elevator in the airship warehouse closed on my foot, kupo! Fran was able to pry it open before it chopped it off entirely, kupo." I grimaced.

"What a pleasant tale, that."

"But I'm rather relieved that it's you, master, that is to bandage me up, kupo."

"That's Strahl, to you, Nono. But do try to be more like your brothers and stay out of such trouble." I paused, furrowing my brow. "Except Montblanc." I had stopped the bleeding with my palms, and wanted to wrap in up before it could start again. The gauze I was eyeing was out of reach, though. The viera caught my stare, following it with chestnut-red eyes. She took a step, her heels tapping on the floor softly, held the bandages from the glass shelf and offered them to me. I took a roll and began wrapping the moogle's foot. "You're the viera in charge of the new airship, am I correct? Fran, was it?"

"Yes. Am I at fault?" I scowled.

"How can you build more war crafts so willingly? Do viera lack conscious?"

"I would not have brought my companion here if I did." I shrugged.

"You have a point there."

"As do you. Many viera choose to ignore what they feel."

"That still doesn't explain why you're helping Archadia crush Dalmasca into rubble." Her pause caught my eye.

"My reasons are my own. And this craft I have completed…?" She looked off to a side. "It was a,as you humes say, fluke. No other airship will come from this." I watched her face carefully. Viera were known to be stoic, but I recognized her expression, no matter how she tried to suppress it.

"You seem regretful." Nono examined his foot happily.

"Much obliged, kupo. We will take our leave now, Master Strahl, kupo." The moogle made his way to the door, and Fran stood to follow him.

"Regretful?" She turned back to me with a sad smile that only lasted a second. "My only regret is the time I spent here in the name of this ruthless war."

~Fran's POV

"My foot doesn't even sting, kupo! I'm quite glad that he stumbled into us, kupo." I briefly nodded as we approached the conference room.

"You seemed to know each other quite well."

"Oh yes, kupo. Master Strahl takes care of my sibling as I, kupo." Nono's ears drooped, and his red pom-pm seemed to drop low. "But Master is becoming quite old…I do worry for him, kupo…" Nono murmured to himself as we approached the conference room.

"I wish to end this quickly. I do not enjoy the company of Vayne Solidor."

~Ffamran's POV

I leaned back in my chair around the large oak desk. The conference room was crowded with Imperial Judges, all but me listening intently to the rubbish talk of Vayne Solidor at the head of the table. He was briefly praising our hard work, with such emotion that he was using to mask his lack of interest. We were just foot soldiers after all. Rankless door-guards. A few knocks came from the double doors.

"Sir Vayne. The Head of the department of airship construction has arrived with her report." The young, war leader smiled.

"Ah. I see. Send her in then."

"Yes sir." The doors closed once more, then opened soon after. My favorite little viera strutted to the edge of the table, across from him, with a limping moogle at her side. She gave no inkling that she was aware of the meeting in progress, and the many eyes upon her.

"The Prototype Airship has been successfully charged as of today. The ship is fully functional and air-able." She informed, her elegant voice ringing across the desk. The conversation just got a whole lot more interesting. Vayne stood.

"Excellent. All of the construction plans were followed, then?"

"The addition of a second Glocair ring was necessary for the dual wings to be operable." Vayne scowled, turning his head to the side.

"That was not part of the blueprints. How necessary was this?" The viera chose her words carefully.

"With only one ring, the wings would break off on either side due to lack of energy flow, and their weight. By making the wings a pair, we were able to stabilize the craft. It was absolutely required." Vayne tapped his fingers on the dark oak, openly pondering the matter at hand. I kept my eyes fixed on tall, dark, and gorgeous. Something about her was tense. She was nervous? Well, she was apparently in charge of the entire new ship. If she failed, it would directly reflect upon herself. But from what I understood, what was displeasing Vayne so much would only make the airship more efficient. He looked up.

"Fran, I'm rather disappointed." Fran? I glanced at the young woman who he'd addressed. Fran! That was her name? Oh, the one victory of forced in becoming a Judge! "It seems that the new wing design has been quite a bother. I'm sure they will prove just as a nuisance in battle as well." Vayne sat, no longer interested. "Scrap it. Your services are no longer required." I would not be surprised if my mouth had fallen open. She bowed slightly, the opposite of what my response would have been.

"Of course. As for my contract, how do you wish to fulfill it?" Vayne's dark eyes flashed to hers.

"Ah…You mean the airship you were promised?"

"I do."

"The project failed. Thus you failed to uphold your end of the bargain. I have no need to uphold mine." He meant to end their conversation. "Now if you would-"

"You disclose the project in an act of preference." Fran persisted. "The craft is operable, if not impressive. I met your requests."

"I requested an airship that I would be pleased with. That ship holds no place in any of my fleets." Vayne's stare became colder. "You have heard me well. Take your leave." Fran held his gaze for an instant longer, as if deifying him in the only way she could, then turned her back to him and held her face high as she left.

I followed her with everything but my legs. She had questioned me as a Judge, but I was obviously not a threat. She had been impressive, but the encounter could have meant anything from flirting to foolhardiness. But she was truly was not intimidated by the Empire! I'm sure all the others were thinking similar thoughts, though with less admiration. Vayne must have realized this as well, because he beckoned the nearest foot soldiers with a discrete flick of his hand. Because of my exiled seat in the back, I could not hear their words, but his orders were clear enough. As they turned to follow his commands, I rose from my seat and dashed out the doors. They must have seen my hasty leave because of my bother of a cape, but I was able to gather the head start I needed.