Author's Notes: This came out a lot faster than the last one, mostly because I'm waiting on new nibs for my tablet. That and I managed to get past a segment that was blocking me a bit. There's a lot of plot packed into the next several chapters, I promise.

disclaimer: I do not own the Final Fantasy franchise.

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Chapter 11: Guardians of Gaia

Drake hummed happily as he and his blood brothers walked back into Lindblum Grand Castle. They'd each had a haircut, aside from Zidane who declined the trip due to how he couldn't skip any of the meetings, and got to speak with people that knew better than to stick their heads up their own rear ends. Edgar and Sabin both felt better for the venture, as Drake knew they would.

Zidane looked as though he wanted to scream when they saw him again. The meeting must have broken up just recently for lunch, because he was laying on one of the couches with his hands planted on his face and his tail twitching irritably. Edgar and Sabin exchanged glances as Drake wandered over to the monkey-tailed thief, his hands shoved in his pants pockets.

"I take it that there wasn't much done while we were gone?" Zidane twitched as Drake spoke, and shifted to look up at him. He had a scowl on his face. "I told you there wasn't gonna be much getting done. You'd think that seeing as it has an effect on the rest of the world that people would let their egos rest, but nope." The archer shoved Zidane's legs off the couch and then sat down, ignoring the glare he was getting pinned with.

"Are you always this smug about this bullshit?" A cheeky grin was Zidane's only answer. Odette called his name from down the hall, stopping the argument before it got off the ground. She was standing with Dagger, and had an exasperated look on her face as she looked at the clump of men.

"Drake, leave him be. While you three were off gallivanting around the city, the regent and his folk decided to call into question what we thought was settled yesterday." Drake winced at that, and sighed heavily. It was only noon, so he still had to deal with the aftermath of that.

The meetings ended up taking a week to sort through. Eventually, Lady Maria returned and announced that the Constellato would interfere more than they normally do, and tell the adventurers when their friends were ready to begin. Drake was a little surprised at that, but seeing as the Constellato were the guardians of Gaia, it only made sense for them to finally step up and start to help as much as they could.

Another thing that was sorted out was which group went to which temple. Something Drake had been hoping for, which was that the groups would be switched around, didn't happen. He spent a few days getting his armor and weapons treated to resist the flames that he, Freya, and Amarant were bound to encounter. Torres even gave him a vest to wear under his clothing that apprentices wore in the synthesis shops to ensure that they didn't overheat. It would help Drake keep from keeping from passing out because of the heat of the volcano.

Odette saw that he was fretting more than the others did, and did her best to research ways to keep him safe. Freya and Amarant had already admitted to having a natural resistance to heat; Amarant because he was kin to a group called Salamanders, and Freya because her fur trapped cool air and insulated her that way. Between the two of them, Drake soon had several options to choose from to allow him to keep up with his teammates. He was pretty sure he wasn't going to go with the spells, though, seeing as their group didn't have a spellcaster.

They did test his precautions, though, with Dagger standing by in case they didn't work. Thankfully, they did stand up to even a Firaga with barely the scent of singed hair around him. Just before it came time to leave Lindblum, Odette finally found out that she could make a charm that could protect against fire and wouldn't require a spellcaster about. Drake was wearing that underneath his shirt with his wolf's fang necklace when they set out.

Dagger, Odette, and Eiko were the first to be set down, like the game. Drake fretted for a while afterwards until Zidane reminded him that Odette was an excellent swordswoman and would be able to defend herself and the other two just fine.

Next to disembark were the team that was assigned to the Fire Shrine, so they were already getting ready. Odette had kissed Drake's cheek as he settled his precautions, and dropped the talisman against heat over his head. Drake caught her hand before she could pull away, and smiled to her. She hesitated for a moment before leaning against him, closing her eyes. Drake looped an arm around her waist for a moment, enjoying the quiet moment, which Zidane broke after a few breaths by calling for Drake, wanting to double-check the items they were taking to the Fire Shrine.

Zidane, Quina, and Sabin waved to Drake and the others as the three attacking the Fire Temple landed on the sweltering ground. Drake already had a purple scarf wrapped around his nose and mouth to help him breathe. The archer had his bow slung over his shoulder, and a bag full of arrows attached to another purple sash that protected his belt pouch.

Freya and Amarant automatically moved to protect Drake, one walking in the back, and the other in the front as the sound of the belabored airship engine faded, leaving only the sounds warped by the heat of the volcano the temple was set into. The bespelled vest that he wore under his clothing felt like ice in comparison to the heat beating on him. A muttered word activated the talisman that Odette had given him, spreading the cooling relief all over his body, so that he merely sweated as they reached the temple itself instead of fainting because of the heat.

None of them spoke as they walked, though they each kept an eye out. Freya danced back away from a gout of flame that suddenly erupted in front of them. The three of them waited to see if there was an enemy about to pop up, only to see that nothing was there. Drake sighed and adjusted his scarf to cover his nose again. The scent of rotten eggs was overwhelming enough that he could have sworn that it was all he'd smell for the rest of his life.

It took them a while before they reached the temple, where they would camp until they were alerted that everyone was in position. Regent Cid had boosted the speed of the airship to cut down on how much time it would take for the ship to get to get from one point to the next. What that meant to them was that they'd be stuck in the miserable heat for only about a day.

It was agreed by the meeting that most of the water reserves be sent with the Fire Temple group. Drake was carrying most of it, because he would need most of it. He didn't want to move his scarf much to get the water into him, though. It was one of the only things keeping his lungs from getting scorched by the intense heat. If only there were straws, he wouldn't have to be so careful.

Amarant and Freya left him be for the time being, instead setting up their little camp. They didn't even bother with a tent, seeing as they were already indoors, but they did scout around and make sure that there weren't creatures laying in wait to attack them. Drake shifted so that his bow was to his side instead of digging into his back before closing his eyes to protect them from the heat as well.

His teammates let him rest, taking turns keeping watch. While Drake had ways to prevent his death due to heat, his energy was still sapped by it. After a while of sitting with sweat trickling between his shoulder blades, he remembered something that Sabin had mentioned to him. Meditation was a way to trick the body into thinking that the conditions around it weren't as insufferable as they actually were.

A soft voice interrupted Drake's meditation on the winter chill to tell him that it was time. Freya and Amarant looked startled when Drake stood, but nodded when he gestured towards the temple. They knew, thanks to the time on the ship, that the archer was hard to understand through his new scarf. He could have had a pair of goggles as well, but he'd begged off due to how they would warp his sight.

The air danced deeper in the temple, casting enough illusions that Drake was uncertain of the placement of anything. Instead of traps, there were puzzles that they had to get through. At least at first. Drake yelped as they were solving a puzzle, the sound muffled by the roar of flame that erupted behind him. He twisted as he shifted out of the way, the heat licking at his armor.

Freya stepped to Drake's side to make sure he wasn't on fire, gesturing for Amarant to keep working on the puzzle. Each wrong choice got another gout of flame erupting from somewhere. Eventually, Drake stomped over to where Amarant was, and pushed him out of the way, looking at the clues himself.

Oddly, the puzzle was about the forms of matter and the shapes that they were supposed to be. Drake had to pause a little to think before putting the cut crystals into the correct places. No flames sprouted from the floor, and he turned to look at Amarant, irritation in his eyes. The monk simply held his hands up in surrender.

A clank set all three of them on edge, and Drake slid an arrow from his arrow bag, his eyes scanning the area. All that had happened was a small door had opened to let light shine through. It hit the four sided crystal that Drake had placed correctly and refracted, the beam pointing towards one of the doors. They stared at the light for a moment before Drake walked to the wall and ran his gloved fingers over it.

The puzzle was another about the elements, though this time it was a matter of animal representation. Drake didn't even hesitate before he pressed on the figure of a large bird. There was a dull thud, and then the wall slid open. Drake turned to look back at his companions and lifted his eyebrows. Freya shrugged, and Amarant just walked through the opening before Drake, checking to make sure that there were no unpleasant surprises.

The short but frustrating passage was finally opened to the shrine itself. Drake took a moment to drink some water and rub sweat from his face before glancing around. Freya was approaching the shrine with the mirror. Drake noticed that Amarant was looking at him, and shrugged a little as he started towards the shrine as well. He knew that there was another fight coming up, but he didn't want to alert them. At the very least, the place didn't look like it was sitting in a lake of lava, like he'd feared it would. There hadn't been very much information about the Fire Shrine in the game.

Drake was standing several feet back from the other two as Freya looked over the slot the mirror would sit in. As Amarant and Freya talked slightly, Drake's attention was drawn up. He shifted a little and pulled an arrow out to set it onto his bow as he saw the Fire Guardian on top of the shrine. She didn't seem to have noticed him, her attention on the two below. She slithered down around the pillars, prompting the dragoon and monk to jump back towards where Drake was to avoid injury.

"It's just as Kuja said...He said I should expect intruders." Drake's bow creaked as he drew the arrow back. Amarant and Freya stood to either side of Drake a few steps ahead to keep the fight a bit more of a distance from him. Cool confidence settled into Drake's skin from somewhere, and the archer suddenly knew that one of his predecessors was guiding him.

"You work for Kuja?" That was Freya, standing with her spear at the ready. She'd noticed that Drake was ready for a fight and assumed he knew what he was doing. The Fire Guardian still hadn't turned to look at them properly, still coiled around the pedestal that the mirror belonged in.

"We are the guardians of Terra. Filled with the power of Terra itself." That explained why Drake was being guided all of a sudden. A faint purple tinge covered his armor, though that was hard to see with the soot spread all over him. Freya glanced to Drake, an odd look on her face. The archer looked back to her, and blinked. She was covered in a tinge of bright orange, the color of the dragoons. A glance to Amarant showed that he had a tinge of gold as well. The Einherjar couldn't physically manifest, but the Constellato were allowing them to help more than just the living Chosen.

"Why bind Gaia to Terra?" The Fire Guardian turned finally, settling herself on her feet properly. All that Drake had seen of her previously was what looked like her hair, but was more akin to the body of a snake.

"We did not become guardians to chat with mortals..." Now Amarant slid into a ready position, turning his head a little in the direction of the other two. That movement made the guardian turn more, finally revealing her face. Drake had to wince a little as he realized that her purple scales were patterned in what he recognized as lingerie. He'd been somewhat hoping that was just a design thing to market the game on Earth, but nope. "We derive pleasure from ending your worthless lives." Amarant lowered his head a little.

"Just to prove how powerful you are..." Drake's eyes slid to the monk. Had there been a hint of scorn in his voice? His muscles were starting to ache a little from holding the string back. The heat was really doing a number on him, even with the talisman and spelled things.

"So you understand. But will that knowledge help you?" She sounded gleeful, much to Drake's disgust. He was pretty glad that Amarant wasn't as thickheaded as he used to be, but by this point in the game, he'd already changed anyhow. It'd just been all offscreen development. Which...that actually made a lot of sense to him now, seeing as he'd taken it onto himself to change the monk's mind about fighting alone.

"Foolish." Yeah, the guardian hadn't been expecting that reaction. She rocked back a little, confusion flickering on her face for a moment. Drake grinned under his scarf, glad that his face was mostly hidden. "Picking fights with strangers in a place like this...I used to know someone like that. He was a loser." Now Drake snorted. It was lost in his scarf, thankfully. He knew perfectly well that Amarant was speaking of himself. "He refused to find beneficial ways to use his power. Instead, he'd seek out people to fight." Freya turned her head to look at Amarant. Drake would have bet that her eyebrows were trying to meet her hat.

"What...are you talking about?" Drake winced a little as he noticed that he'd allowed his drawing arm to relax a little. As he pulled it back the rest of the way to his ear again, Freya checked her own stance. Amarant rolled his wrists in preparation for the fight, what Drake could see of his face impassive.

"We'll show you what he means!" Now the Fire Guardian turned to face them properly, having only been partially turned towards them before, and looked over each of them with an expression as frozen as the air was hot.

"Interesting...but, you'll regret this." Her snake-hair shifted under her, supporting her weight as she rose above them. Drake took a deep breath in as he focused on what his guide was telling him. His eyesight sharpened, even with the heat creating ripples in the air, so that he could predict exactly where to shoot even with the distortions.

The Fire Guardian was well aware that Drake was one of the Chosen, by the way she focused on him. He was still able to add an element to his arrows for all he was moving around constantly to evade her attacks. He barely had the time to think wistfully on how much easier this would be if Odette was by his side.

More than once Drake had to catch his scarf before it was torn away from his face and hastily wrap it around his nose and mouth again. Amarant and Freya gladly took advantage of the fact that all of their opponent's attention was on Drake, though, piercing her scales with their weapons and cause there to be pools of her blood glowing softly on the floor all around the shrine. Drake was all but convinced that she had lava flowing in her veins, so he didn't even dare touch one of those pools.

Finally, the guardian fell, and Drake rearranged his scarf again, his breath coming short because of how it had fallen away from his face a little, and drank some water. Freya and Amarant double checked that she was dead, and then Freya set the mirror in place. Drake and Amarant took a few moments to retrieve what arrows could be salvaged while she did so.

"Let's go, we've a ways to walk so that they can pick us up again." Drake and Amarant nodded, and turned to walk back out of the place. They didn't have to do any more puzzles, thankfully, so it was a straight shot out. Amarant scouted the way out and found a much cooler place for them to camp before night fell all the way.

Drake sprawled on the ground next to the fire, glad to finally be able to take off some of his layers to let the pent-up heat escape. Freya and Amarant were doing much the same. While they could stand the heat better than Drake did, apparently they found it just as exhausting.

"So what was it with that film of light?" Drake let his head roll a little so that he could see Amarant. Freya was looking at him as well, and Drake sighed before stretching. He was still wearing his cooling vest, but it wasn't unpleasant yet.

"The light was unusual, but the feeling that came with it? That's pretty normal for when an Einherjar is helping a warrior. I didn't know that it was possible for it to happen with non-Chosen, though." Drake heaved himself upright and drank some more water, knowing he'd have to go take a leak sometime soon.

"Interesting. I wonder if it's because we were battling the guardians of Terra?" Drake shrugged and looked up at the sky. The stars were starting to come out. The archer had a feeling that Zidane would go and pick up the girls from the Water Temple first. Drake would, if he had the ability to. He was worried about Odette.

"If Chosen normally feel that amount of power, no wonder they're better fighters than most." Drake couldn't help but snort a little at Amarant's quip. He popped his back as he leaned forwards to rest his elbows on his legs, and sighed with relief. He was feeling much less like he'd taken the heat of a furnace into himself. He then looked to the monk with a wry smile on his face.

"Don't think we didn't figure out who you were talking about earlier." Amarant stiffened a little, and Drake went on. "It's a good thing that you're aware of how you've changed. It means you're getting better at being a team player." Freya sat up as well, her hat sitting beside her for the time being.

"He's not the only one that's changed, Drake. You've changed a great deal from when we first met." Drake shrugged a little, and pulled off some more layers so that he could get the cold vest off. It was starting to feel too cold. "You're willing to let others take the lead, but you're still a much better leader than you were when we first headed to Burmecia. You don't hesitate as much either, and I'm not sure if it's just because you're more confident in your fighting capabilities."

The archer sighed happily as he sat with his torso bared to the night air. It would have been a bit chilly if not for the fact that they were still close enough to the volcano for the heat to counteract the cold, even if they were still right around Esto Gaza. There would have been greenery around them if not for the fact that water was scarce there. Still, his mind was muddling over the question of if he could drop his one final secret on these two.

Freya and Amarant were very good at keeping secrets, he knew. Amarant certainly could, at least, and he seemed to trust Freya to keep his secrets. They trusted him, even after he revealed he'd been keeping secrets from them, and he didn't want to lose that. Still, he needed help from someone besides Odette to get attention off of him when he wasn't reacting to things properly because he was expecting them...

"Yeah, well...I think it's partially cause I'm not so stressed?" He ran his fingers through his hair with a slight yawn, and then cracked his neck. "Keeping secrets is pretty stressful." Freya and Amarant both made surprised noises, and he smiled wryly at them. "Don't get me wrong, I'm glad everyone's still treating me pretty much the same, but...I wouldn't be surprised to find some grey hairs." Amarant snorted at the joke, and Freya smiled.

"That was quite the secret you were keeping, too. You looked about ready to be sick when you were explaining things." Drake ran his hands over his face at that, blushing a bit at Freya's comment.

"I almost was." Freya offered a sympathetic smile, and passed Drake some of the hardtack that she'd been carrying in her belt pouch. It was still warm. "I do still have a few things I've been keeping from you guys, though." That got startled looks from both of them. "Yeah, I know, it seems like every time you guys turn around, I've got something hidden." Freya tilted her head to the side.

"You wouldn't bring that up unless you trusted us, though." Drake nodded a bit and broke off part of the hardtack she had handed to him. He chewed it a bit before swallowing it mostly whole with a particularly large swig of water. He winced and pounded on his chest to get the feeling of something stuck gone.

"Yeah. Odette already knows this, because, well, she knows some of the same things. But you two know how to keep your mouths shut about secrets." Amarant tilted his head to the side to get a better look at Drake. "Well... Let's just say that the reason Kuja decided to try to bring a soul from Earth to Gaia despite the seal keeping them apart was because he wanted information that could only be found on Earth. And not the scientific sort. You see, there are...storytellers there that somehow know of the future of Gaia."

The moment that Drake mentioned the word 'future', both of them stiffened. Drake smiled wearily, even as he assessed their reactions. Amarant would keep his mouth shut no matter what, he was just ornery like that. He had to convince Freya, though.

"Some things were left out of the stories. The Constellato and Caledonia weren't even hinted at. Some things have changed, because my actions altered them in some way. In others, it's similar but things were worded differently because of earlier changes, like ripples." Freya looked concerned, and Drake shrugged a little. "One of the biggest changes that I caused was Cleyra." That got her to sit up again. "The story that I grew up knowing, Cleyra was completely destroyed. I..." Drake paused and grimaced. "I couldn't stand that. There's been plenty of ripples since then."

"So because you were there, Cleyra was spared." Drake nodded slowly. "Did you and Odette feature in these stories at all?" Now the archer shook his head. His fingers were crumbling the hardtack without eating it.

"No, there were never any mention of an archer or a red mage in this group. It was never confirmed that Kuja had control of the Kings estate, Caledonia remained unnamed, Cleyra was destroyed... It's been hard to keep quiet about what information I have, but like with any story, there is an end to it. Eventually I'll know just as much about what's coming as anyone else. We'll be coming up on that soon enough." A couple of confused sounds came from his audience, and Drake looked up at the two moons.

"Ah. Things have certainly been becoming more dire the more time passes. I assume that it will continue?" Drake nodded, glad that Freya was willing to at least humor him, if she didn't believe him. "In hindsight, this knowledge of yours certainly explains some of your decisions." The archer blushed a little. That was definitely true, such as the decisions to defend Cleyra.

"I couldn't very easily pretend that I'd never known these things. I won't burden the two of you with knowing exactly what's coming, it'd be too long a tale. Just...there are things coming that I'm concerned, no, frightened of. So if you see me hesitate to do something or go somewhere, chances are that something is going to happen." There was a sound of people shifting, and Drake looked back down at his companions. Freya was leaning forwards a little to look at him.

"What sort of things are coming? Is it Terra?" Drake shook his head and rubbed his fingers together. He couldn't keep the troubled look from his face. Not when Freya's question made him realize just how connected the rest of the crisis was.

"...no, but it starts there." He couldn't tell them that there would be multiple times that they would be on the brink of defeat, even death. "The source of the danger is already here on Gaia, but the key to the destruction is on Terra. And I don't think I can stop it." Freya frowned, and Drake stretched again.

"Well you won't be doing it alone anymore, anyhow." That had been Amarant. Both Drake and Freya blinked at him, slightly startled. "You're part a team, now." Drake gave him an odd look, and then noticed that he was chuckling. "I should have guessed that you'd be the shady sort, back when I first saw you. Climbing a wall to get a better view isn't something that most archers would do." Drake grinned, seeing that Freya was nodding. He'd won her over.

"Well, I am a Chosen, and I was raised with a couple of other Chosen, one of which being the leader of thieves. It's pretty obvious that I can fight like a monk, my other brother's class, so the thievery had to rub off on me somehow." Freya was snorting as Drake used an over-eager tone of voice. Her laughter was contagious, and the other two started to join in, shortly. "So who gets first watch?"

That ended up being Freya, so Drake and Amarant got some time to get some rest. Drake didn't even realize how tired he'd gotten until he closed his eyes one moment and then woke up to Amarant told him that it was his turn for watch. He stretched and waited for the sun to rise, occasionally walking around their camp to make sure that there weren't any creatures lurking, waiting for his guard to drop.

The dawn was beautiful, purples mixing with oranges and pinks that painted the land the colors of dreams. It also highlighted the ship that was slowly making its way towards them. Amarant and Freya needed to have it pointed out to them, thanks to the fact that Drake's eyes were more used to picking out the details in things at a distance.

They ate breakfast once it was heated up over the fire, and then found something that was burnable that made a lot of smoke. Drake found he had to keep upwind of the fire after that, to keep from choking on the smoke. It smelled like what they'd thrown on the fire was some sort of dung. It had been dense and heavy, so he really didn't want to meet whatever had produced it.

They made sure that all their things were packed as the ship hovered overhead, and then climbed up the rope ladder that was dropped to gather them. Drake nearly fell back off the ship as Odette hugged him the moment he was on board again. He was about to comment about what he must smell like, but by how hard she was clinging to him, she'd been worried about him.

"So how was the trip?" Drake looked over Odette's shoulders at Sabin, who was dressed warmly for the cold of the area surrounding the volcano. "I see you didn't melt." Odette pulled away finally and Drake sent a kick towards his brother. The monk laughed and dodged, only to get whapped by Odette.

"The only reason I didn't melt was because of magic. I'm pretty thirsty." Sabin handed Drake a full canteen, and the archer gratefully emptied it. "How did you two manage?" Odette wrinkled her nose, and Sabin shrugged.

"We had a skeleton or something like that to fight. Apparently the girls had to fight some sort of underwater monster. None of them have wanted to talk about it much." Drake looked down at Odette, concerned. She didn't look injured, but physical injuries were one thing, and mental injuries could have a much longer lasting effect.

"It was just a disgusting experience is all. Smelly and unpleasant." Drake tilted his head a little, still looking concerned. Her smile softened, and he relaxed. He didn't have to tell her what he'd been so concerned about, she understood, and it hadn't happened.

"Wow, and here I thought I acted like I'd already been handfasted with Aoife. The two o' you act like you've been together for decades." Drake blushed and coughed a little, looking over the railing as Odette giggled. "You don't even need to talk." Drake started towards the door to the inside of the ship, pushing his brother with the now-empty canteen.

"That's because we knew each other in another time." Odette helped Drake to shove Sabin in the door, giggling. Drake smiled at her and then grinned mischievously, poking Sabin where he knew he was ticklish. Sabin yelped and arched away from the poking finger, nearly knocking down the door.

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Drake leaned over the railing as he peered down at the three figures climbing up the rope ladder below. All three of them seemed to be doing fine, though Steiner was struggling with the weight of his armor. Once again, Drake couldn't help but think that the man really just needed to get a proper fitting for a new set of armor. He wasn't supposed to struggle with it quite so much.

Edgar accepted a hand over the railing, and then turned to help Vivi and Steiner to safety. Drake kicked the winch that pulled the ladder up and then made sure that the gate closed, and then looked at the others. Edgar had a long scratch over his nose and cheek that was already starting to look infected.

The wind was too loud for them to hear anything anyway, so Drake led the way inside the ship, staying upwind of Vivi so that he wouldn't get buffeted quite so much. He had volunteered to be the one to go out and help the last three members of their group get back on board, mostly because he was very comfortable with heights.

All four of them shed sand once they were inside, and then Drake hauled Edgar to the lounge area, where he was pretty sure the healers were sitting. Edgar didn't even protest, which just told Drake that his brother knew exactly what he was concerned about. Odette was the only one in the room when they got there, frowning at her book. She stood as soon as she saw why Edgar was getting pulled in, and touched a lightly glowing hand to the cut.

"So how was your fight?" Drake turned to look at Vivi and Steiner, who had followed them. Edgar was grumbling at his back as he got his injury tended to. Odette shushed him impatiently, completely unafraid of him.

"Windy." Steiner's answer made Drake laugh, and he ruffled his hair. He wasn't as sandy as his friends were, but a fair amount had still managed to work its way into his scalp. "I take it everyone else has returned?" Drake nodded, and gestured for them to follow him as he stepped out of the lounge and started towards the bridge.

"Yes. I think Sabin was trying to argue Zidane into stopping by our village before we head to the Isle of Souls." Whether or not Sabin was trying to do that so that Odette would have to meet his parents, Drake wasn't sure. After all, he could just be wanting to see his own sweetheart again.

"I wouldn't object to that. Your clan are very welcoming people." Drake smiled lopsidedly. Steiner had gained a love of mead over the winter. Maybe if Drake put a word in the ear of one of his many uncles, they would tell him how to make it. That'd be something for the nobles to try instead of their wines.

"Hospitality is one of the pillars of our culture." Sabin was leaning out the door, having heard them coming. He had a grin on his face. "And you'll be able to get another taste of it. Zidane's agreed to stop by our village, on account of getting blessings from Drake's mum." Drake blinked and thought again, and then swore before cutting himself off, glancing in Vivi's direction.

"What?" Steiner eyed Drake, who was just gritting his teeth and glaring at Sabin, whose grin had only increased in size. "What's so bad about going to see your mother?" Drake shook his head, still biting his tongue to keep from swearing the air blue. Sabin started to cackle, thoroughly amused by Drake's reaction. Finally Drake took a deep breath in and managed to calm his temper.

"It's nearly Beltane." That got several blank looks from those that weren't from the mountains. "Fertility festival." Steiner choked, and Sabin nearly fell over laughing. Drake kicked him. He'd never actually taken part in the festival before, mostly because he hadn't had that much luck with women before he had left for the Mist continent. Just the thought of taking part in it now was making his face turn beet red.

"What's so amusing?" That was Zidane, peeking around the doorframe at the group in the hall. "Woah, Drake, you okay?" The archer just groaned a little as his ears burned even more, and waved his hand at Zidane before pushing into the bridge, making sure to give Sabin another kick as he did so.

Drake walked over to the map to study it. The last time they'd visited his clan, they'd been in a sea-bound boat, but now they could land as close to the mountains as they wanted to. There weren't too many places that were sufficiently large enough for an airship to land in that were also close to a path that led to the mountaintops and weren't in Helgigas' territory or desert. Erin was there as well, poring over the map.

They hadn't been able to stop by the mountains before the temple, but Drake suspected that Dagger had helped Sabin talk everyone who had been against the stop around, if just so that those from Caledonia could put things into order like the rest of them had. His mother's blessings would like just be in the form of protection charms to add another layer of magical armor.

"This looks like it might be an acceptable landing zone." Drake turned his head to where Erin was pointing. He leaned in, taking note of the landmarks around the area, and shook his head. It looked favorable, but he knew the area.

"No, that land is too treacherous. The clans avoid it because it's far too easy to drop through a hole you weren't even aware was there." He thought for a moment, and drummed his fingers on the table. "How small an area can you land in?" Erin rubbed at her jaw, thinking.

"Haven't tried any delicate landings with this ship yet. Why do you ask?" Drake pointed to the cliffs not far from Conde Petie. There was a small mark there for the corral-like canyon that the Ride of the Horned Child used as a stopping point. "Hmm...That's possible, seeing as it's been marked, but is there any trail leading from it?"

"Every man knows of that trail, in the clans." Sabin had recovered from his laughter, and was now leaning on the map table. "We can follow it in the dark of night, and have done so many times before. It's only ever used in one festival, an' that's the harvest one." Erin looked between the two of them, then at the map where Drake had pointed, then nodded.

"Alright, we'll give it try." She turned and started shouting orders to the crew, who jumped and stared at her before scurrying to do as they were told. Drake drifted off to the front of the bridge, where the others were sitting.

It was nice to rest and let other people do the work to get from one place to another. Not that he was feeling lazy, but after going through the Fire Temple, he felt he deserved a chance to relax. Being on edge so much was exhausting, and he was pretty safe on the bridge. He'd have to be watchful again soon enough.

He wasn't the only one that was just sitting and watching the scenery go by, either, he noticed. Dagger was sitting right by the glass, her eyes on the landscape. Eiko was right next to her, fiddling with her ribbon. Drake found himself a comfortable spot of floor and spaced out until he fell asleep. He didn't get woken up until they arrived, and by that time, he was quite hungry. The sun had almost set behind the mountains, making the task of mooring the ship to the ground below much more difficult than it should have been.

After some arguing with Edgar, Drake decided to take Sabin along with him to go let their kin know that the loud ship that had gone over the mountain to get to the mooring site was with them. They ate the slightly stale rolls they took out of the galley as they walked, familiar with the path enough that they didn't truly need the light to keep from making a wrong turn. What they did need the light for, though, was to keep from getting attacked by those creatures that hunted by the light of the moon.

They had a lantern from the ship with them, and Drake was wearing the armor he'd helped his uncle to make during the winter, though he didn't have his bow with him. It was folly to try to hit anything at a distance during the night. You were more likely to accidentally injure someone. It made much more sense to keep to close combat.

"Halloo! Who goes?" That shout made Sabin and Drake exchange grins. Sabin held the lantern up higher so that it fell on both of them enough for Niall to recognize them. "Drake! Sabin! An' here we thought ye'd be coming back the way y' left!" Drake shrugged, and the two of them kept walking forwards to where his uncle was.

"No, though we've been through quite a bit since then." Drake rubbed his chest. He didn't have any scars thanks to Eiko's healing in Figaro Palace, but he was going to remember that pain for the rest of his life. At least he hadn't lost anything during that, besides a fair amount of blood.

"We managed t' get a ride on an airship as doesn't need the Mist to fly. It's moored in th' corral canyon. The rest of our group should be arriving tomorrow." Niall looked at them both carefully before nodding and gesturing for them to follow him.

"It's been quiet since y'all left. We haven't started th' plantin' yet, but I'll wager you lot won't be staying to help with that?" Sabin and Drake both shook their heads without pausing to confer with each other. "Thought as much. What've you been up to?" Drake noticed the grin on Sabin's face, and sent him a glare.

"Well...Drake here's found hisself a lady." Sabin dodged a swipe from Drake, still grinning. "Th' two of 'em are always sneakin' off t' whisper sweet nothin's to each other." Niall saved the lantern from going flying with a laugh as Drake dove to attack Sabin. His blood brother dodged with a whoop of amusement.

Drake chased Sabin all over the commons for a while, until the doors of the main hall swung open and people began bellowing out at them. They both stopped to look at the hall and then trudged up the hill to greet their kin politely. Drake got dragged into a headlock so that his father could rub his knuckles over his son's scalp in greeting.

In the light of the hall, Niall finally got a look at the armor that he'd given Drake. The archer grimaced a little and glanced down at the leather. It was mottled brown and black, and no amount of polishing had managed to get the stains out. He wriggled free of his father's grip and gingerly rubbed at his scalp, and then glared at Sabin, who had his arm around Aoife.

"Ach, what'd you get up to that marred your armor?" Sabin snickered a little, and Drake shifted as if he was tempted to kick him. "I've tested the compound we used on it and it only has that reaction after exposed to heat for hours!" Now Drake sighed through his nose.

"I'll tell you about it while we eat. Neither of us have had much in the way of food, and I'm starving." Niall grimaced a little, but didn't mutter too much about it. Drake's father pulled him into the hall and bellowed for someone to bring a plate of food for his son.

Drake did keep to his word, though, and told about Ipsen's Castle and the four temples. Niall grimaced at the information that Drake had gone through the Fire Temple, but had told him he'd be able to make the rest of the leather match the mottled parts, as well as make it stronger overall. He'd been working on Sabin's armor since they'd left, and that was nearly finished.

"An now ye're off to the Isle of Souls, eh?" Drake nodded and looked to his father, who was sitting in a chair instead of at a bench like the rest of them. He scratched at his chin through his beard, looking thoughtful. "Tha' missionary as was taken by the Wild Hunt came from the city overlooking that island, I think. He spoke most t'the elders, ye may be able to get more information from them." Drake smiled lopsidedly.

"I don't think I really need to ask that much, we passed through tha city on our way to save Eiko from Kuja." Reminding them that the silver-haired man had tried to cause harm to the little girl that most everyone in the village had started to care for caused a few people listening to the story to frown and growl. "Also, that's where the Trickster lives." That caused more than a few people to stop and stare at him.

"'E helped us get past the leader o' the cult as sent that missionary. They're fulla themselves, e'en more than that foreigner was." Drake nodded agreement to Sabin's information, his mouth full of stew. "I'm pre'y sure ye'll like Odette, Drake's ladylove. She's softer spoken than most, but she's smart, an' great with magic o' all sorts." Drake swung his foot and kicked Sabin in the shin. He yelped, jerking, and Drake narrowed his eyes at his blood brother. He was well aware that he was blushing, but he wanted them to meet Odette before making an opinion on her.

"I'm sure she's a wonderful lady. She'll be in the group arriving on the morrow?" Drake nodded his head as he looked down at his bowl, using his spoon to draw patterns in the sauce left over. "I look forward t' meeting her. Now then. You boys have obviously had quite the adventure of late. Drake, lad, you can leave your armor here, Niall will take it with him to work on it, an' you two can stay here the night. We can work on airin' out your lodge in the morn." When the chief's wife used that tone of voice, people tended to just do as they were told, otherwise they'd find themselves having quite the argument.

~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~*~.~

Drake managed to sneak away from cleaning duty to head back to the ship the next morning, riding bareback on Aisling's back. It wasn't warm enough that he could do without a shirt just yet, even though spring had thoroughly arrived in lower climes.

He brought a couple of horses along with him on a lead line, and kept an ear out in case any monsters decided he'd make a tasty treat. Most monsters didn't attack riders for one reason or another, so he was largely safe, but some decided to try their luck anyhow, from time to time.

The rest of the group looked rather groggy when Drake got there, and he couldn't help but grin a little. It was easy for Drake and Sabin to adjust to the time difference, but the others were either exhausted from the temples still, used to other regions, or just plain liked to sleep in, like Edgar.

Edgar and Dagger both got one of the horses that Drake was leading, while Odette got the third. Drake ended up loading the children on Aisling and led her along, walking with them back to the village. He couldn't deny that he was fairly nervous about how his mother and father would react to Odette, but he did try to suppress it.

The village was bustling, people setting up the decorations for Beltane and stacking wood for the fires already. It gave the buildings a rather festive air, brightly colored flags slung between buildings and trees. People greeted the newcomers with a cheer, and Sabin headed over to help get the children off of the horses. Dagger got help from Edgar, and Drake, of course, helped Odette get back to the ground.

Drake's mother walked over to greet them, wearing a green shawl with moons embroidered on the hems. It wasn't ceremonial, but its presence did normally mean that she was going to be serious. Drake glanced to Sabin and Edgar to see if they'd noticed she was wearing it as well. Their eyes were wide as well.

"Welcome! I see at least one new face. I am Breena, wide of the chief of this village and head priestess." Drake blinked as he realized no one had properly introduced his mother to everyone. He barely remembered her name some days, he'd always called her mom or 'mum'. Odette shifted a little to hide behind Drake and he offered her a small smile. He would introduce her to his parents later, once they could get some privacy. He didn't want to stress Odette out more than she had to be. "Come, we'll arrange places for you to sleep. Drake, Edgar, Sabin's already airing out the lodge. Go ahead and go help him."

The three men exchanged glances, and Drake tilted his head to the side slightly before heading towards the lodge. Apparently his mother didn't want him around while she assessed his girlfriend's personality. He didn't dare disobey his mom, though, because for one, she was his mom, and the other reason was because she was the head priestess. Some people you just don't piss off.

The lodge that he, Edgar, and Sabin shared was certainly in need of airing out. They had to find all the places where the cat had decided to use instead of a litterbox, and put whatever had been soiled into the laundry pile. All the windows were opened to let the stench out, but it was still eye-wateringly noxious.

Around noon, Zidane and Amarant brought some food over to them so that they wouldn't have to go all the way up to the main hall to get it. The stink was considerably less by then, but it still made at least Zidane reel back a little. Drake simply pointed at the cat that was perched in the window, watching the birds fly past intently.

"Go figure. At least she had some things to eat while we were gone. I swear I got run over by mice at least once." Drake snorted a little at Zidane's words, and wiped his face on the back of his wrist before sitting down just outside the door. Edgar and Sabin joined them shortly, and the basket of food was passed around to disperse the pasties and turnovers they had been sent. There was a skin of watered down ale for them to drink as well, to make sure that they wouldn't get drunk, but they passed it around amongst themselves as they watched the rest of the village work.

"Last I saw of Odette, she was relaxing as best she could. Your mom sure talked a lot to her, though." Drake groaned a little, and licked meat juice from his fingers. He'd wanted to introduce her to his parents instead of letting them meet without him there. "I'm pretty sure your mom knows about how much of an issue with control you've got." Drake grimaced and looked at Zidane with an odd look.

"He's not as bad about it as he could but, but...Zidane's right that you've got a tendency to oversee everything, Drake." Drake emptied one of his hands so that he could show Edgar what he thought of that. It just made the others laugh.

Eventually, they hauled the soiled fabric down to the river where people were already washing things. They were directed to drop the things in a tub already full of water, soap, and dirty clothing. Most of what was in there was children's clothing or sheets, though. It was a little embarrassing that they were going to have to sort their things out of the littles' wash, but some things like that happen when you've got a cat.

They spent the rest of the afternoon helping haul things around. At some point Drake gave up trying to keep his shirt dry and just took it and his vest off. Amarant had wandered off to keep monsters at bay, leaving the rest of them to help with the laundry. By the time they were done, Zidane and Edgar were looking rather pink.

The main hall was already bustling by the time they got there. Odette and Drake's mother had their heads together, though when Drake walked over to them, they smiled at him. Odette didn't look stressed at all, and his mother didn't look disapproving in the least. And that had to mean that they got along, like he'd hoped.

"Ah, Drake, there you are. Niall's been working on your armor all day, I believe. When I went to visit him, he said that it should be ready by Beltane." Drake nodded, and sat down on Odette's other side with a slight groan, feeling his back pop. Helping with the laundry was not an easy task.

"Well, that's good. I'd hate to have to go without my armor to the Isle of Souls." Odette leaned against Drake, and he wrapped an arm around her shoulders companionably. His last bit of stress before they left for Terra had been resolved without him there. Maybe the other were right, and he did have a slight issue with control? At any rate, with Freya and Amarant clued in, and the extent of his knowledge of future events depleting at a steady rate, he wasn't going to have as much stress as he was used to.

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End Notes: If I get the next chapter done before my tablet's new nibs arrive, then I'll probably put it up early next week. If the nibs arrive first...then I can't guarantee when the next chapter's gonna come out.