Author's Note: Didn't think chapter would be so long, but here we go. Hope you enjoy it. After the next chapter I think I'll have more freedom to have fun with the characters.

Chapter 10 A tomb fit for a king.

"So, you were transported a full day before me?" Lightning asked her sister as they departed the Strahl unto the Dalmascan Westersands.

"Yeah, you were nowhere to be found," Serah replied as Mog floated around her. "The Crystal shattered once I let go and I couldn't put it back together. So I just went to Rabanastre. I figured you got here before I did."

"I don't suppose you know what brought us here do you?"

Serah shook her head. "No. I spent the day looking for you. When I couldn't find you I decided to try and find out what happened. No one knew of something this happening."

"I don't have any leads either," Lightning confessed as she crossed her arms. "Our best gambit is to follow Ashe and her entourage. Something should present itself sooner or later."

"Hey Lightning," Serah said softly."Do you think we can go back? To Snow? To New Bodhum?"

Lightning didn't want to answer that question. It seemed less likely as time went on and their knowledge of Ivalice grew. Knowledge that showed no promise of a return. "If something brought us here, something can take us back. We just need to find the person behind that voice."

"But you know, Ivalice isn't too bad really. Compared to what went on in our lives."

"That's true," Lightning agreed. "I know we may not want to discuss it, but there may be a reality where we have to make this place our new home."

"I know," Serah sighed, obviously having crossed her mind a few times. "We'll just have to make the best of it. I think Sky Pirate is in my future."

"Not by a long shot," Lightning remarked quickly. "I don't want to even think of you in that position."

"I did say 'I think' right?" Serah asked innocently. Lightning wasn't being fooled so easily. "You just don't like Balthier do you?"

Lightning turned her head to Balthier who had been securing the anchor to the Strahl. "I trust him so long as our ends are the same. He's not without a moral code. He's not my type, but I see why you like him."

"He's not too bad," Serah grinned while looking at him walking with Fran some distance from the anchor.

With the whole group now off the ship, Balthier signaled to his moogles on the ship. A moment later the ship began phasing out of the light spectrum and became transparents.

"Cloaking technology?" Lightning asked to herself. "Even Cocoon didn't have that."

"This 'come in handy' often?" Ashe asked turning to the sky pirate.

"It's tough being popular," Balthier responded smugly. Wouldn't want any admirers dropping in while we're away. Well now, that's as far as she goes. We'll be in jagd from here onwards."

"Across the sandsea to the Valley of the Dead. And to King Raithwall's tomb below," Ashe asserted. She motioned for Mog to come over. The moogle hovered over and produced a world map for Ashe to use as a reference. With her finger she traced the path they needed to take.

"So, when you're in jagd, skystones don't work at all. That's why we gotta walk the whole way," Serah explained to Lightning as they joined the group.

"Not often you have get to educate me on something," Lightning commented as Mog put away the map and rejoined Serah.

"Well, if you want to be a sky pirate, you have to know...what?" Lightning shook her head and crossed her arms. "You really don't want me to be a sky pirate do you?"

Lightning didn't say a word. Instead she just turned to Ashe to wait for her to continue on. With a nod the grouped moved forwards into the Ogir-Yen Sandsea. Appropriately named for the unusual 'sea' that encompassed the region. Nothing but sand but flowing as if it were truly a body of water. Lightning and Serah had never seen such a wonder like this. Though Lightning had to remember she had seen a monster shoot lava into the air to catch a continent and freeze it instantaneously. Compared to that the Ogir-Yen Sandsea was just eye candy.

Going further into the Sandsea showed giant red and rusty colored platforms spread across the vast desert. They looked deserted however. No movement on top, no construction workers repairing damaged bridges or falling parts pieces. The elements, as harsh as they were, took their time and toll on the constructs. The only thing left were wild monsters. None of which posed a significant challenge to the party of six.

"A construct to draw oil from the ground," Basch explained as he saw Serah gazing on the platforms. "Abandoned many years now it seems."

"I see that," Serah replied."Did the Dalmascans build them?"

"No. The Rozarrians. Their empire lies far to the west, ever at war with Archadia. Heedless of the kingdoms caught in their midst." Basch paused for a moment thinking about all the destruction the war had wrought before listing them. "Dalmasca. Nabradia. Landis."

"Tis the small craft's fate: to watch the list of the galleons and pray for light winds." Vossler had appeared from behind the group.

"Vossler! Why are you here?" Basch asked, surprised at Vossler's appearance.

"Imagine my surpise when upon my return to Bhujerba, I find both you and the Lady Ashe have vanished. I thought you above consorting with sky pirates."

"Balthier is a man worthy of our trust," Basch defended. "And it was the Lady Ashe's decision. I am content to lend my arm. As I could not when Rasler died, when her throne was taken." Basch paused again as the thought of his failures crossed his mind. "Never again. I will defend her this time."

"You walk the knight's path. The Lady Ashe?"

Basch turned and pointed to Ashe, standing by a rail with Lightning beside her. Vossler began walking towards her before Basch placed his hand out to stop him temporarily. "You call me a knight, but you should know Her Majesty has bestowed Lightning with the Order of the Knight."

"What?" Vossler seemed taken back from this. "That title hasn't existed since the Dynast-King himself. Why give such an honor to a foreigner?"

"Lightning has proven herself to Lady Ashe," Basch explained before lowering his arm. "She seems quite taken with her."

Vossler shook his head in disbelief. He left Basch and Serah to themselves as he walked over to Ashe. Balthier and Fran were on the other side of the oil rig, talking about some disturbing patterns in the sandsea. Fran always had a sixth sense to the environment around her. Serah walked to the rig with Basch beside her, talking more about Rozzaria, the size of the desert, and other topics. Being a teacher Serah had very keen on learning more about the world. With a whole new one to learn her mind became more inquisitive.

"I see," Vossler said after hearing Ashe's plan. "So the Dawn Shard does lie in King Raithwall's tomb. The Marquis sympathizes with your plight, yet the Empire purges as a carrian bird on his shoulder. He can keep whispers of your "abduction" silent for only so long."

"Yes, but tell me, Vossler, what have you accomplished?" Ashe inquired.

Balthier came running over to the group of three. "We leave at once! This is Urutan-Yensa territory and they are unfond of visitors."

Before Lightning could even ask what he was referring too her question had been answered in the background. The sandsea erupted as a dozen fish like creatures jumped out. On their back were small humanoid looking creatures wearing sand colored attire. In what Lightning assumed were their hands seemed like spears. Even from the sizable distance between them and the party their high pitched battle chants could be heard. Now Lightning knew what a Urutan-Yensa was.

"Looks like we've attracted the wrong sort of attention," Balthier said stating the obvious. "Let's quit this place while we still can. Move!"

"Vossler!" Ashe half-shouted to catch Vossler's attention who had been running already. "Have you found the means to restore Dalmasca?"

"First, we must claim the Dawn Shard. It all begins with that."

Ashe wanted to know more but present circumstances made that difficult. Turning to Lightning she found her Knight giving a nod to indicate she had her back. Ashe gave a nod in return and began running with the group, Lightning right behind her. The rest of the Ogir-Yen Sandsea hadn't been too difficult. Very few surprises laid in wait for them. The Nam-Yensa Sandsea, the last patch of desert before the tomb of Raithwall, proved more challenging.

The Urutan-Yensa had scattered themselves around the Nam-Yensa in preparation for the party. They were very territorial and didn't care for any humes as they were called. Lightning and Serah were still getting used to that term. Unlike the typical monsters in the region they were more intelligent, using tactics and spells at the party. But the party could match them with their own techniques. Fran, Balthier and Serah attacked from the back while Basch, Ashe and Lightning became the front lines The combination worked well all the way up to King Raithwall's tomb.

There were two final obstructions to the tomb. One was a heavy armored tortoise that even the Urutan-Yensa preferred attacking than the group. Deciding to show compassion the party attacked the tortoise with all their skills. The tortoise used a spinning attack when it could to make sure being surrounded wasn't it's weakness. Vossler and Basch pressed hard against the sides of the creature to make sure it didn't spin. Lightning flew high into the air before coming down with her gunblade drawn, striking into the shell, killing the creature.

The final test, right outside the tomb itself was a large phoenix like bird. A certain glow emitted from the bird as it flapped it's wings angrily at the party. Either it had been guarding the tomb or didn't want them in their territory. Didn't really matter either way. This time Balthier, Fran and Serah provided the front lines since their weapons could reach the creature in the air. Lightning send Thunder spells when she could. The bird constantly made sweeps of the party, trying to grab and attack them with it's talons and giant wings. But every time the bird did that Ashe and Lightning would strike it with their own blades. After a few more minutes of attacks the bird finally came crashing down in defeat.

With the bird gone, the group began climbing the vast amount of stairs leading up to the entrance of King Raithwall's tomb. "Long ago," Ashe began, "the gods granted their favor to King Raithwall who would oversee the subjugation of a territory spanning from Ordalia to Valendia. Here he forged the Galtean Alliance. Though he is called the Dynast-King upon establishing the Alliance, he demonstrated compassion for his people, and disdain for needless war. A philosophy passed on to his successors. One that would bring peace and prosperity for hundreds of years to follow. It was during this time of peace that the city-states Archadia and Rozarria each members of Raithwall's Alliance took root and flourished. Raithwall left three relics signifying descent from the Dynast-King. Of these, the Midlight Shard was given to what would become House of Nabradia and the Dusk Shard to my ancestors, the founders of Dalmasca. The last of these relics was the Dawn Shard. It remains hidden here known only to those of royal blood."

"As though the Dynast-King foresaw the very plight before us now," Vossler speculated.

"Only his descendants are suffered within. If we enter without proof of such lineage.."

"There's no guarantee we'll make it out alive," Balthier finished her sentence. "Vicious beasts. Fiendish traps. Something like that?"

"After an armored torotise, a garuda, and sand marauders I think we're overqualified," Lightning remarked.

"But you must consider the Prize," Ashe reassured. "The Dawn Shard lies within. And Raithwall's tresure."

"And there was I thinking this was going to be hard." Balthier took the lead into the tomb, opening it's doors for the first time in who knows how long.

The inside of the tomb looked surprisingly simple. Long hallways, tall stairwells and wide open spaces. But as the group traversed the tomb monsters came in all forms to guard the king's treasures. Bats from above, skeletons from below, all ready to attack any unworthy. But the party proved themselves capable and bested any creature the tomb threw at them.

Their first real test occurred after they descended some stairs to walk across a long and narrow bridge. From the moment they stepped unto the bridge a defense mechanism was activated. From behind a wall came to life, springing out a dozen legs to push itself forward, two arms with swords, and a whole wall as a back.

Mog flew himself over to the door at the end of hallway, trying to open it for the group. "It won't open kupo!"

"This thing is guarding it," Lightning stated as she took out her gunblade. "Gotta get through this first."

Like the tortoise and garuda earlier the party teamed up to attack. Slowly the creature approached, as if to taunt the party with a time limit. They didn't need it however. Ashe, Basch, Vossler and Lightning were quick to attack as hard and fast as possible. Balthier and Fran hit from long distance while Serah cast spells for the party to recover any injury. The Demon Wall barely put up a fight compared to the others prior to entering the tomb. It only made it's way a quarter through the bridge before being destroyed and being turned into rock and dust.

The door at the end of the bridge unlocked with the creatures defeat and the party was able to proceed. Ashe stayed in pace with Lightning as the group went through the doors. "Lightning?"

"Yes Your Majesty?" Lightning responded

Ashe shook her head with a playful smile. "A Knight doesn't have to call me by title. Especially when for the moment I am without one. I'm curious, is Lightning your real name?"

"No. It's a name I started using years ago to distance myself from who I was and who I'd prefer to be."

"Like Amalia," Ashe pointed out. Lightning nodded in response as a small smile grazed her face. "What is your real name?"

Lightning didn't have an immediate response. She had been so used to being called Lightning it felt like her real name. Even her sister calling her by it these days had felt odd and out of place. At this point, to her, it felt like something only her close friends should know. Then again, Ashe did appoint her as her Knight. She trusted Lightning. For some reason that made her heart beat faster, to have that connection. "I tend to keep it a secret. Light can be used for short if you like."

"Fair enough Light," Ashe accepted with a smile. "I understand the importance of keeping a secret. You can tell me your name after I've restored Dalmasca."

The group entered through the door to see a series of stairs leading down into a deep series of halls and stairs that hugged the walls of the tomb. All leading down to the bottom level, their final destination. Though it still looked like they had a ways to go it wouldn't be too long to reach their goal.

"Incredible," Vossler breathed as he gazed at the inner portion of the tomb. His expression changed however when he stared at Fran and Balthier scouting the place. "It wounds me to look on as they Pillage so solemn a place."

"Yet without help, you and I are as nothing. Is this not so?" Ashe tried to reason. Vossler retorted with a rough sigh. "He thinks ever and always on his own profit. Assure him of it, and he shall remain true to our cause."

"I do not share Your Majesty's trust," Vossler retorted as calmly as he could. His gaze focused on Lightning who had joined her sister and Mog on the other side of the rail. "I'm surprised you even bestowed such a title as Knight to that woman. She's proven herself trustworthy I admit, but why such a title?"

Ashe looked over at her Knight, someone she had only met recently. "She knows what it's like." Turning back to face Vossler. "Lightning told me about being branded an enemy of her home, hunted down, for something she didn't commit. Much like Basch. Like me she lost her home, forced to make a new one, and still rebounded to fix it. She understands the issues I must go through better than any. Despite the hardships she's willing to go through them with me. Even if it means that it will remind her of her own past. She's more than qualified for the position."

"Your Majesty I don't think..."

"We will continue this later," Ashe said irritated as she walked past Vossler. The part she had left out was that someone who had been willing to stay with her, not out of duty or patriotism, but simply because they cared, hadn't touched her quite like this since Lord Rasler. " Now we should concern ourselves with finding the Dawn Shard. It sleeps, in waiting. Somewhere deep within."

"How can you be certain?"

"I can hear its call."

Ashe signaled for Basch and Lightning to join as she began descending the stairs. The rest of the party followed a moment later. The rest of the trip down wasn't as treacherous as they had predicted. No unusual enemies to face compared to earlier. The tortoise, garuda, and demon wall had been by far the greatest challenges. Compared to them the undead warriors and bats were no match for any of the members. Serah and Balthier were so fast with their weapons that the bats couldn't even get close to the party. But the final challenge laid before them as they hit the bottom floor.

In front of them stood a giant monster guarding the final chamber of the tomb. A tall beast with two sets of arms, hooves for legs, covered in fiery colored fur and wielding a large and thick staff. The creature unfolded it's arms and took a few steps forward to the party. Grasping the staff in one of it's arms, he brought it up into air in one stroke. The flames lighting the chamber grew ten fold and roared violently.

'This one might be a challenge,' Lightning thought as the group grew their weapons. Indeed the gigas proved to be a formidable opponent.

It took one heavy swing downward against Vossler, who tried to block the attack. The strength of the attack pushed him to his knees immediately. With a spare hand, or two, the gigas shot two fire spells at Fran and Serah, inflaming their arrows to ashes. Lightning threw a few lightning spells at the creature, who barely even noticed the attack. Rather the creature began attacking Vossler and Basch repeatedly with quick and power strikes. Enough to force the two veteran swordsmen on the defensive. Two of it's arms sending out fire spells to repel the arrows while the creatures bulk seemed firm enough to weather the attacks Lightning and Balthier sent it's way.

"This isn't working," Lightning stated as the battle continued. It may have seemed like a draw, but the gigas was beginning to wear Vossler and Basch down. "Serah!"

Serah heard her sister, knowing what she needed to do. Charging her bow and arrow she pointed at the sky, right above where the creature stood. Letting it go the arrow soared until it was right above it's target. It split into dozens of arrows, raining down on the gigas. The attacks were quick and strong enough to make the creature pause in it's attacks. Long enough for Lightning and Ashe to strike on it's left while Vossler and Basch hit the creature from the right. Instead of countering, every time the gigas began to cast a fire spell or raise it's staff to attack, the movement was stopped by Balthier's shooting it's hands.

The creature stumbled back, only to summon a large circle behind it. With a wave of it's hands the circle emitted large amounts of fire, spouting in all directions. A fourth level size fire spell. Lightning wasn't going to let it continue for long. With a huge jump she found herself shooting to the fire creature, gunblade and pointed forward. Piercing through the fire she planted her gunblade into the side of the creature and cut through. The flames stopped immediately, just as the monster fell forward, erupting into light.

"In vain glory they arose, shouting challenges at the gods," Fran began to explain as the new flames and light formed a crystal with a symbol in them. "But prevail they did not. Their doom it was to walk the Mist until Time's end. A legend of the Nu Mou."

The crystal hovered it's way over to Ashe who took it in her hands. "My family tells a story of the Dynast-King and an Esper. The story goes that in his youth the Dynast-King defeated a mighty gigas, for which the gods took heed of him. Thereafter, it was bound to him in thralldom."

"So all this time it's been here guarding the Dynast-King's treasure," Balthier asserted to the stories he just heard.

"Not so," Ashe replied as she made her way to the entrance of the cmaber. "The Esper is the Dynast-King's treasure."

"That's your treasure?"

Ashe turned herself to face them as a silhouette of Belias the Gigas appeared around her. "In this Esper we now command rests a power whose worth is beyond any measure."

"Is that so? Call me old-fashioned, but I was hoping for a treasure whose worth we could measure." Balthier seemed a bit disappointed for not getting the treasure he wanted.

Lightning found herself smirking. 'Even though Ashe meant what she said, she unknowingly outwitted Balthier. Well done.'

The doors found themselves opened as Ashe pushed them apart and to the side. Her party following a moment later to find themselves walking up a few more stairs. In front of them laid a tall pedestal with a purple orb hovering above it. The group stood still, transfixed by this orb.

"What's wrong?" Basch asked as he looked at Vossler. Lightning had noticed it took. The look on his face of wonder and amazement. But something did seem off about it.

Vossler shook off Basch's question before turning to Ashe. "Your Majesty, we must go."

Ashe nodded in agreement, unaware of what Vossler had looked like a moment ago. Slowly she moved forward to the shard, climbing up the steps. The orb let out a bright glow as Ashe picked up the shard from it's holder. Though no one could see it, a ghost image of her late husband Rasler appeared before her. He only stared at her before walking by, passing her and the group to the outside where he faded away. Before he did Ashe could tell no one else could see him, but Serah and Lightning who looked at each other confused.

Moments later the party had reached topside and began readying themselves for the long trek back across th desert. Ashe held on tightly to the shard. "Let's go."

The group exited the tomb, only to find large shadows cast over them and a loud rumbling from above. Looking up the 8th fleet, let by the Leviathan descended upon them. A transport ship came down to greet the party with dozens of soldiers, ready to take them in.

'Not again,' Lightning groaned as they went back into chains.