Chapter 14 – Success and Failure
"Well, what do you think Vaan?"
The older man asked the blond teenager who was following behind him. The boy looked up curiously, to see the back of the older sky pirate, then leaned to the right to look past him into the chamber they had just entered.
"Whoa!!!" Vaan exclaimed, utterly bewildered at what he was seeing; a room glittering with jewels and treasures, every inch of floor covered in objects beyond his imagination. He hastily shoved past the older sky pirate and stepped into the glow. His blond pigtailed female companion followed with enthusiasm, walking in alongside the viera and older man, and her mouth open with awe. Penelo could not suppress a gasp as she laid her eyes onto the treasures that surrounded them, it was like a childhood dream, one she never thought could have ever existed. She stepped up to the closest shining object and glazed at it, not daring to touch.
"Surprised, I daresay?" Balthier spoke with amused experience, his voice bringing the pair of blond teenagers out of their reverie. Vaan, whom was about to reach out to a glittering gold cup turned back to him, "Yeah!!" He exclaimed, "This is it! We found real treasure! We're sky pirates now!!"
"Hold it." Balthier replied calmly, breaking the feeling of euphoria that was drenching the younger boy, "You're not a sky pirate until you've successfully, and I repeat, successfully, removed treasure from its safe house."
"How hard can that be?" Vaan replied, "All we have to do is grab everything and pile it up in our bags and then we're outta here."
"Wait." Balthier said sternly, "not until Fran can tell us it's safe." He turned towards the rabbit eared woman as he spoke, as so did the two teenagers with hugely curious expressions on their faces. The viera did not respond to their eagerness, she instead took a few steps slowly into the chamber, her eyes closed, her head lifted high and her ears twitching gently. The silent was deathly as they awaited the outcome, indeed Vaan was swaying with anticipation as he forced himself to stay quiet while the viera made her decision, but Fran took her time; haste would only ruin this hunt they had taken so long to acquire. Then she sensed it; within the remains of the serene mist, something more sinister, waiting for somebody to come. She opened her eyes abruptly, seeing the three faces turned towards her.
"No." She spoke firmly, in complete opposition to her trembling mind, "There is something. I sensed it, there are magicks still within this treasure. It will claim the life of any who touches it."
"What?!" The expression in the blond teenagers' face was both disbelieving and defiant as his outburst exploded from him. How could they come this far to fail now? "So, you're saying we can take any of it with us!?"
"Vaan!"
"Vaan…"
Both Balthier and Penelo reacted at his outburst. The older sky pirate turned back towards the viera and asked in a voice of rational calm, "There is no other way?"
"Not unless you wish to remain here within the ruins forever."
Penelo looked worriedly over at her companion, Vaan had turned his back and was now lgazing on the treasures that were so close to his reach. She was about to approach him and offer some form of comfort when somebody suddenly cried out in pain. She whirled around to see the viera falling limp within the sky pirate's arms. Vaan had also turn at the call.
"The mist! It seethes from below the earth! We must leave now!"
"What-?" Vaan asked immediately, his voice pitched in confusion.
"Earthquake Vaan! And we're in ruins, don't you remember? We have to get out of here now!"
But before the older sky pirate had even finished his reply the ground below their feet began to give way. The coins that littered the room were shaking with the tension, and before anybody could move, the cup that Vaan had been admiring not too long ago slipped from its stand, it hit the lurching ground and bounced back up, coming into contact with the boy's heel. The effect was instantaneous. The ceiling above their heads gave an ominous creak and suddenly released itself from the bearings on the walls. A loud screech filled the room as the group stood dumbstruck at the new threat. Without thinking, Vaan suddenly turned and threw himself at the girl standing paralysed in shock.
Everything was shaking and it was impossible to see properly, streaks of dust and gold smeared his vision and the creaking sound of the falling ceiling as it made its downward plight filled his view. All he could think of was getting her out of there alive. They both went soaring through the gap they had only just entered, hitting the ground just as a loud crash sounded behind them. Dust streaked out over them from the fallen roof and also fragments of loose gold. Vaan looked down to find himself on top of his female companion, she held a shocked expression on her face and was breathing in fast rapid breaths as her mind wondered on their near death experience. But it wasn't over yet. Vaan quickly got to his feet and pulled the girl up with him, then turned to look back into the room; it was a mess. The ceiling had smashed into the room, and cracked into many large fragments that lay at awkward angles as it found some of its landing areas already filled with large mounds of gold.
"Balthier! Fran!!!" Vaan shouted over the roar of the still shaking ground beneath it, though it seemed much more quieter to him now after experiencing the rattling of the marauders trap. Penelo was behind him, holding tightly onto his arm as she looked over the shattered ruins. They had both still been in there. But it couldn't be, could it? They had only been standing together talking a few seconds ago. Vaan was still shouting out their names, his voice reaching a pitch of desperation as he continued to call. Penelo could feel tears starting to well up in her eyes, and as the earth continued to rattle below her, the drops flew from her face at angles and landed onto the rocky ground below them.
Then as if by some miracle, a hand popped out from a gap between two oddly uneven fragments of ceiling. The multitude of rings on the fingers made it unmistakable as to whom the hand belonged. "Balthier-!!" Vaan yelled, making Penelo look up suddenly in surprise. Noticing the hand too, she quickly rushed in after the blond boy, clambering over the broken setting. They both grabbed the huge fragment of rock covering the figures below and pulled, but nothing happened, the piece was much too big and heavy for them. But they were determined to see their friends freed, and along with their determination, the ground gave another wrenching lurch to the side and the fragment with they were grasping suddenly began to slide, until a gap formed, large enough for them to see inside.
The older, bronze haired sky pirate crouched there, in one arm he cradled a long haired viera, and in the other, he held his gun firmly in an upright position. They had survived from being crushed by the large fragment of rock by the pile of gold resting on one side of them, and by Balthier's gun, which stood on the other end, creating another pillar for which the rock balanced on. But the gun was not so lucky, it had cracked and bent in the middle from the force of the falling ceiling, and for a second as the roof had collided with it, Balthier had been struck with a sudden fear that it might not hold. The relief he felt when finally the rock moved away to expose light and the faces of the two other companions they had travelled with was overwhelming. He had feared they had not been able to get away. He pushed the viera out the gap, where with the help of the teenaged couple she was able to get to her feet, and then clambered out himself, trying to mask to expression of relief on his face and dusting himself off in what was suppose to be his typical behaviour. But the loud crash that sounded from not too far away brought them all back to their senses. "The Mist cools…yet we must hurry, this place will not hold for long." The soothing voice of the viera suddenly said in the verbal silence. Fran was no longer affected by the amount of magic in the atmosphere, but she could still sense the danger they were in; the earthquake may have been slowing beneath them, but the damage it had caused was only just beginning.
"Right. You heard the lady. We move out now!" Balthier called, nobody replied, only nodded in firm acceptance at one another then turned and rushed out the way they had come. Balthier glanced at the shattered weapon he still held firmly in his grasp, then with a non committal shrug, dropped it onto the floor of ruins and raced after the group.
The path they had taken was much different to the one they were now passing through. Now the smooth damp walls were uneven and many cracks and dark recesses had appeared. Vaan was sure he had made a wrong turn as he ran past the unfamiliar landscape, but the Viera companion he had travelled with was sure to have known the way, the sound of her heels clicking on the path right behind him was comforting in a way. Penelo followed after him, puffing as she fought to keep up; the sound of the deep rumbling earth had since ceased, but there would be an occasional creak and crash from somewhere deep within the dwelling that kept the group on their toes as they made for the exit. The running seemed almost endless, and Vaan was reminded of a time when they had once run through dark tunnels, and glancing sideways at the girl that was puffing on beside him, he remembered that it had been for her that they had made the journey; the journey that started it all, he thought as a rush of feeling for her ran through him and he felt himself growing hot, but he passed of the flush of heat as exertion from the race.
"Whoa!!" He slid to a stop and quickly steadied himself from falling forward, as he turned to look at the sudden change in environment; they were back outside. It was dark outside and he realised that it was why he did not noticed he had reached the end of the ruins. He told a deep breath and grinned at the girl beside him, who had also stopped and was now hanging bent over, hands on her knees as she puffed loudly. The sound of footsteps behind him also slowed to a stop, as the viera and hume couple emerged as well. They all stood for a second in silence, captivated by the night sky, where stars glittered and beckoned in welcome. Their battle with death was done, and they had emerged victorious; now the horrible creaks from within cave sounded distant and powerless. They all exchanged relieved smiles with one another, too tired to speak, then began the trudge back to the airships.
"Ahhh….finally back…" Vaan yawned as they stepped into the vicinity of the two large mechanical ships. He stretched his arms up to their full length as he stopped and gazed up at his beloved possession. The other sky pirate came up next to him and followed his gaze, "Fine airship you have. You better take good care of her."
"Wha-at?" Vaan said, obviously feeling insulted by his comment as he turned around to point out the other airship, "Yeah, just like you look after yours!" He said triumphantly as he gestured towards the many scratches and dents that the Strahl had collected on the journey. "Touche' Vaan. Now, how about we stop talking and let our airships finish this?"
"You're on!" Vaan replied as he raced over to the entrance to his ship and stopped; Penelo was just getting on before him. He turned to look back at the other pair of sky pirates, and noticed the wisp of white hair disappearing into the Strahl. Balthier was standing before his entrance with his hands in his pockets, obviously examining something within them. He looked up and noticed the gaze of the younger boy; "Hey Vaan!" The blond boy jogged over, curiously trying to see what his pocket held; his mouth fell open. Balthier held a handful of glittering jewels. "You…you got that from the cave?!" Vaan couldn't help exclaiming loudly, Balthier grinned back smugly, "Vaan, you have a lot to learn on being a sky pirate. One lesson, always be alert for treasure, no matter what the situation. Here." He handed the boy a gold necklace, with a pendant hanging down that sparkled with a large sapphire drop, and three pearls decorating the hinge between the chain and jewel. Vaan stared at him.
"For your girl." Balthier added, dropping the necklace into his hand, Vaan still had a look of disbelief on his face: sky pirates, Balthier in particular, did not relinquish their treasure so easily. "And anyway, could let your first hunt be a complete failure could I?" Balthier finished as he turned and headed off into the Strahl. "Come on! We still have a race to finish!" He called as the door on his ship began to close. Vaan jerked up at the voice, he had still been gazing at the jewel when Balthier had walked off. He grinned up at the older sky pirate, then, stashing the necklace safely into a hidden pocket, he turned and headed off into the Beirouge.
This chapter was long…lol. I have just started playing Revenant Wings too. The airship is called the Galbana? Oh well. Fitting name though I guess, named after the Galbana Lily right? Anyway, hope you guys liked this chapter. Nearly finished this fic; last chapter next, it'll be called 'Coronation', three guesses what it's about? Lol