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Disclaimer:

I don't own Final Fantasy XII. I do own Edie, my OC.

Chapter XIV: The Great Escape

Once we were back in the maze of corridors we picked up pace. As we dashed down the darkened tunnels that made this place seem more like a rabbit's warren than a dungeon we passed an archway to a room. Vaan skidded to a halt behind the Viera which caused me bump into him.

"Look." She said gesturing to the room with a flick of her hand. I noticed how her long, elegant fingers were tipped with lengthy nails.

"Ah! The prison repository of wrested relicts and armaments."

"So our stuff in here?" Clarified Vaan seems as Mr Arrogant's pompous speech was a tad too much for his ears.

"That's what I said."

The room was like all the others down here, grimy and crumbling however within its confines we crates and boxes all over flowing with all kinds of bounty.

"First things first, we rid ourselves of these meddlesome cuffs. You there..." He turned to me, it was then he realised we hadn't been introduced or even exchanged names yet.

"Edie." I offered.

"Edie, let's see if you can perform the same trick twice and cast your blizzard spell on this here cuff."

I hesitated. I hadn't really had much practice to start casting magicks on certain targeted areas on people. "Come along, we don't have much time."

I sighed and did as he asked, conjuring the spell in my mind. Shockingly, it worked. The cuff was soon covered in a thin layer of frost. The Viera handed Mr Arrogant a war hammer she had found whilst rummaging through the collective inventory of all the prisoners' belongings. He nimbly undid the button on his shirt cuff and rolled the sleeve up so that it wouldn't get in the way of what he was going to do. He took hold of the hammer in his other hand and brought it down. The metal on metal contact created a dull but audible 'clink'. A crack appeared on the cuff's surface right near the engraved prisoner number. He brought the hammer down again and the cuff shattered and broke off. We repeated the procedure with Vaan and the Viera. "Well seems as it doesn't affect your magick conjuring I say we leave yours until we are free of this place." He said throwing the hammer aside, which caused a deafening clatter. He then went about searching through the mountain of loot. I joined him and soon found my bag. I tied the two broken ends of its strap into a secure knot before slinging it over my shoulder. I then notice something glint amongst the stash, it was my hairpin. I placed it in my bag seems as I still had the length of material woven around my head. The others all seemed to have found their belongings. Vaan had his sword, the Viera had a quiver of arrows and a larger than average bow and Mr Arrogant had a big, long barrelled pistol.

"Don't tell me you're unarmed." He sighed when he saw the only thing I had on me was my bag. I'm sure I could swing the damn thing hard enough to give him a good enough clout. "Best we get you something. I'm not warding off fiends for the two of us." He went and began scanning the stock. There was plenty to choose from.

"Just get her something easy to use, like a pistol." Vaan shrugged, probably unaware he'd just insulted the two of us.

"I assure you firearms aren't without their vices. Besides, did you see this one fight earlier? Pistols and panicky hands aren't a good match." He said over his shoulder. "Here, this will have to do."

He handed me a spear. It was made from thick bamboo and had a simple but incredibly sharp looking spearhead. It was surprisingly light. There was a harness for it so I could strap it to my back rather than carry it around in my hands all the time.

"Thanks..." I deliberately paused so he would have to say his name.

"Balthier and this is Fran." He gestured to the Viera who in turn said nothing. So it was him the bounty hunters were after. No surprise there.

In the hazy light of the storage room with all of us stood stock still, I finally managed to get a good look at the two of them. The first my eyes scanned was Fran. She was so striking I had been trying to stop them noticeably surveying her form since she had made her appearance. She was tall, slim and enough muscle definition to make any gym bunny jealous but that didn't mean she didn't have curves. She was very buxom, which she showed off due to wearing her form fitting attire. Her ears had black tips and would twitch and move at any seemingly unheard noise. Her hair was a beautiful, brilliant white, accentuating the tanned colour of her skin. It tumbled down until her lower waist in a high ponytail. Over it she wore a black helmet that's design was captivatingly intricate, it framed her fine-looking face perfectly. Her eyes were a deep crimson, her cheekbones sharp, if she had been a human, I would have pegged her as a model, not a pirate.

"What is it with you Dalmascans? Is staring a part of your social etiquette?" Her partner questioned, placing his hands on his hips.

My attention flickered from her to him. He was handsome. Perhaps if he wasn't so incredibly overconfident I would have warmed to him. He had brown hair that was slicked back from his face. He was well groomed, even his sideburns were trimmed. His face suggested he was from aristocratic background as he had a sharp nose and high cheekbones. His eyes were brown and his lips were almost always turned up at one corner in that self-satisfied smile that he favoured. He dressed well in a simple but stylish attire of black trousers and a white shirt that had a wonderfully crafted leather jerkin strapped over it.

"It's not her fault. Edie kinda lost her memory. She couldn't remember anything about Ivalice. She still doesn't really know who she was or where she was going." Vaan explained to them.

"Still, I'm sure she can remember it's rude to stare."

"Sorry." I mumbled.

"Apology accepted. Now let's be off. We need not linger here any longer."

We took off again, running down the corridors. As we swerved around a corner two hefty doors were slowly closing.

"Make haste!" Said Fran.

We bolted through them just before they closed. Still keeping his pace, Balthier dashed forward only to skid to an abrupt halt and hastily back up so he was once again hidden by the wall that blocked our view of the threat he had just spotted. Vaan tried the doors but they were locked tight.

"There are more turnkeys than cutpurses down here. I've had my fill of chains. Let's tread lightly, shall we?" He said. His back pinned to the wall.

He had been right the small area was littered with guards. Fighting them all would be suicidal. Fran moved and took position at the head of the party line.

"When I speak so, move." She said quietly. She reached behind her back and plucked an arrow from her bountiful quiver and drew it tight against the bow's powerful cord. The strain of the pull caused her arms to naturally flex. I could have watched her do this seemingly simple manoeuvre countess times without tiring. She was so graceful. She stepped out and fired the arrow. It hit its target and the soldier slumped to the grown. "Now!" She hissed. We dashed forward until the next wall, which obscured us from the reminder of the guards. She did this two more times, every time hitting her target, every time silent. We made it through to the corridor without being caught.

We had once again caught up with the Judge and his entourage. Hiding around the corner, I heard a male's voice chant something in an archaic tongue. It sounded similar to the tongue I had used when singing the Dalmascan folk songs. I wondered if it was the same language. I crept forward and peered past the pillar that was obscuring me to see the door that had been sealed shut slowly came to life, as if it were indeed a living, breathing entity. Its metal, spiral design unravelled slowly, like vines of ivy dying. They shrunk back into the door's thick framework. The door then slowly opened as if being sealed for an eternity. The guard that had uttered 'open sesame' stood aside and bowed. The Judge walked passed him not saying a word, his black cape, with a red design of the Empire's emblem decorating its form fluttered as he walked.

After the guards had filed in after him we moved, jogging at a steady pace. I found it hard to run with a spear attached to my back.

The door led to yet another corridor that in turn led to a vast room that had many cages hanging from its ceiling, like bird cages. We hid once more, perched on a small balcony that allowed us to look down and see the reason as to why the Judge had travelled here.

In one of the cages was a man shackled at his hands and feet. The Judge approached him. There was a small gap in between the floor and the deep chasm that the cage dangled over. I watched, enthralled as he removed his well-crafted helmet. He was blonde, just like his prisoner. As I was crouched there, a strange, cool sensation crept over me. I had felt it before, in the alley in Rabanastre. I turned my head and look to see the strange haze was flowing down the stairs and snaked its way the scene below before flowing over the edge of the floor and into the unknown depths.

"See something of interest?" Whispered Fran, her crimson eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"N-no." I lied and once more refaced my attention back to the Judge.

"You have grown very thin, Basch. Less than a shadow, less than a man." I noticed Vaan gasped a little too loudly at the mentioning of the prisoner's name. It seems I wasn't the only one who had snapped my head round to give him death stares. Returning my attention back their exchange, I heard the Judge continue. "Sentenced to death yet you live, why?"

"To silence Ondore. How many times must I say it?" The prisoner replied in a raw, rough voice. His tone's annoyed edge suggested he had been asked such a question many times, if not by the Judge, then by one of his subordinates. It was probably how he obtained the scar on his brow, a momentum of the whole horrible experience. "Why not ask Vayne himself? Is he not one of your masters?"

If the Judge was riled by his venomous question, he didn't show it suggesting he was good at guarding his emotions as well as guarding the Empire's family.

"We've caught a leader of the Insurgence. She is being brought from Rabanastre, the woman, Amalia." The prisoner's head jerked up at the mentioning of the name. "Who could that be?" His interrogator questioned, though I'm sure he knew full well who she was. The hint of smugness in his voice was a giveaway. I remained clueless to who she was. The captive sighed heavily before allowing his head to droop once more in defeat. "Such a faithful hound to cling so to a fallen kingdom."

"Better than throwing it away." Growled the prisoner. The Judge moved to replace his helmet on his head before replying.

"Throwing it away?" He questioned, his voice once again muffled by his helmet. "As you threw away our homeland?" He didn't even bother to wait for the other man's reply before marching off, his entourage following him like shadows.

With the interrogation taking a brief intermission, now was our opportune moment to move out from the woodwork. I followed the two sky-pirates down the stairs that led to where the Judge had been standing.

"How the hell did you get mixed up with them two?" I whispered to Vaan, unsure if the Viera's keen ears would hear my words despite my efforts of being discreet.

"In the palace treasury, there was this stone, see?" He pulled an amber hued jewel from his trouser pocket. It gleamed wonderfully despite the lack of light down here. "Anyway, they showed up saying they had come for the stone as well. Then the Resistance attacked and we all fell into the waterways and had to work together to fight our way back to the surface."

I merely sighed heavily in response. Our footsteps echoed audibly as we walked on the flagstone floor. Balthier sauntered ahead. He passed the cage without a glance and approached the lip of floor. His attention was solely on his escape route.

"Who's there?" Muttered the prisoner, too weary to lift his head. He probably thought we were the Judge's henchmen, come to finish the interrogation.

"Is this the place?" The sky pirate asked his partner, still not bothering to acknowledge the man in the cage.

Vaan and I stopped in front of the cage. I noticed how he was suddenly so ridged and tense. I had seen that look in his eyes before, it was the same look he had had when we were on the Royale boulevard, listening to the Consul's speech. I followed his stare to see that his unblinking gaze of loathing was placed on the prisoner. Was this really the disloyal demon who had caused so much discrepancy and despair? I had thought he'd be more intimidating.

He was a man in his mid thirties, although he appeared much older due to his current appearance. His skin clung to the jaunt of his ribs and hipbones. His face was also gaunt making the dark crescents under his eyes more prominent. He had suffered some muscle wastage due to being bound and unable to move for so long. As my eyes wandered over his battered form I saw that there were clouds of bruising decorating his skin, some were deep purple, others had turned a sickly brownish hue with age. Their bloom was broken by the pallid thin and thick slits of old scars.

"The Mist is flowing through this room, it must be going somewhere." Fran's voice disrupted my studying.

"You! You're no Imperials. Please, you must get me out-" The prisoner said.

"It's against my policy to speak with the dead. Especially when they happen to be kingslayers." Balthier said, although he still didn't bother to look at him.

"I did not kill him!" Demanded the man.

"Is that so? Glad to hear it." Was all he offered before once again returning his full concentration back to the abyss below. The prisoner sensed that his fellow felon was too interested in his own escape to help another and so turned his head in our direction.

"Please, get me out. For the sake of Dalmasca." He pleaded to us.

I notice Vaan begin to tremble with rage. Before I could even move to calm him, he sprinted forward and leaped on to the cage, so he was face to face with his brother's murder.

"Dalmasca! What do you care about Dalmasca!" He roared, rattling the cage's bars which in turn caused the cage to sway. I gasped and dashed towards him. I had never seen his so infuriated. I thought I could piss him off pretty bad, but this anger was something else altogether. "Everything that's happened is because of you! Everyone that's died, every single one! Even my brother." His voice wavered slightly. I leaned over the small gap between the floor and the cage and seized his trouser leg.

"Vaan, get down!" I said tugging at him in hope he'd pay attention for once. The last thing I needed right now was for him to slip and fall.

"You killed my brother!" He shouted.

"Quiet! The guards will hear." Balthier hissed.

It seemed it was too late, I saw Fran's ear prick at a distant sound out of the corner of my eye. It was the sound of heavy armour in swift movement. We were done for if they caught the four of us here! She coolly paced over to the wooden wheel that controlled the cage's pulley.

"I'm dropping it!"

"Edie, climb on!" Vaan said. It seemed the only thing that managed to snap him from his fury was the risk of getting caught by the Judge.

I hopped over the gap and clung on tightly to the rusting iron bars. The cage juddered as the mechanisms holding it in its current place unhinged and allowed the thick chain to run freely. We plummeted down the shaft, the air resistance was so forceful it robbed the breath from my mouth. It whipped at my face and even managed to unravel my turban. I could feel the force of gravity playing havoc with me stomach, sending it rocketing up my throat. I tightened my grip on the bars and squeezed my eyes shut, bracing myself for the impact of the cage finally hitting the ground. Would it ever come? This fall was never-ending and I was pretty sure the dungeons didn't own a bottomless pit.

I came to. The first conscious thought that ran through my mind was that I had survived. I was alive! I assumed the cage had something to do with that, it must have absorbed most of the impact. I crawled out from the rubble that had covered me. I winced. I may have been alive but I was also injured. My arm stung. I couldn't really see the extent of my newly acquired wound due to the air being thick with dust. I coughed and spluttered as my lungs attempted to sift through the dirty air in search of oxygen.

"You are wounded?" said a voice in the dim. It was Fran. She crouched down and ran a hand over my injured arm. I hissed in pain and jerked it away from her. "A bad sprain, nothing more." She held out her hand again and seemed to concentrate. Suddenly a soft green glow engulfed me. It seeped into my skin and I could suddenly feel it working to relieve my injury, soothing the swelling and repairing the damaged muscle and tissue. It felt euphoric, I almost sighed in relief. When the spell had been completed I looked at her with widened eyes. "Curative magicks are most useful, can you conjure any?"

"No." I said.

"Then I will entrust you with these." She handed me a leather bag. I had noticed she had been wearing it when we had been running down all those corridors. I slung it over my shoulder so it rested against my own bag. I undid the satchel's large fastening and peered inside to see there were lots of little glass bottles that were filled with a deep emerald hued substance. I knew what they were, I had seen them before. They were simply called 'potions' and they could cure all manner of aliments from fatigue to a common cold. Their healing properties were why they were so expensive. We sold them in the shop at 50 Gil a bottle. "Hume bones are fragile and you don't seem strong enough to battle well so a medic you will become."

"Use them sparingly." Said Balthier. I looked up to see he was stood not far off, cleansing his shirt of dirt once more. "They're not cheap and our supply isn't bountiful."

I nodded. It was then I noticed Vaan at his feet. He was sprawled out on the floor not moving. I quickly got up and went to him.

"Vaan!" I gentle shook his shoulder in hope to wake him up.

"Leave him be. He'll wake in due time." Said the sky-pirate as he moved from where he stood to approach the mound of rumble where the cage was. "Hmm, wonder if the captain survived the fall." He mused aloud. As if prompted, there was a scratching noise and some of the rubble was upturned. Dragging himself from the rocks was the prisoner. He crawled forward yet one of his hands was still shackled with chains. "Better free him." Balthier went up to him and inspected the chain. He cast a blizzard spell on his shackles and used a nearby rock to shatter the frozen metal.

I watched as the man sat back on his haunches and rubbed some relief into his raw wrists. I wondered how long he had had those chains on. Vaan woke up with a groan. He rubbed his head and sat up. When he had fully recovered, it was then he noticed just who was sat not but a few paces away. He growled and flew at the older man, knocking him to the ground.

"Vaan!" I shouted, once again taken back by his rage. He now had the prisoner pinned on the ground and drew a clenched fist back, ready to strike. Before I could moved to stop him, Balthier seized the boy by his extended forearm and hauled him backwards. Vaan fell back on his butt and let out a feral noise in annoyance that his actions had been cut short.

"Spare us your quiddities." Balthier said, not taking any notice of the tight stare that Vaan had fixed upon the captain.

"Yeah, but-but he's a-"

"A traitor, I know. Stay here and fight if you want." He then turned to the traitor in question, who was once again pulling himself up from the floor. "If you can walk, let's go."

"You're taking him with us?" Vaan questioned in disbelief. He was quick and up on his feet within a heartbeat.

"We could use another sword arm."

"And you have it." Said the prisoner as he rose to his full height. He was tall, nearly as tall as Fran (well if the length of her ears were included in her height). Vaan let out an irritable huff before storming off. The two sky pirates turned and walked off also, leaving me behind with the prisoner.

Fran glanced over her shoulder to look at their ever expanding party's newest members. The captain, Basch, he was going to be of use. Sure, he wasn't at his strongest due to being cooped up in a cage for a couple of years but she was sure he would quickly recover his losses. Military men were accustomed to fluctuation in muscle gain and loss. Then there was the girl, Edie. She had lost her turban in the fall, which now allowed a long length of black hair to tumbled down her shoulders. Fran would catch her every now and then looking at something that seemingly wasn't there, well, wasn't there to the likes of Humes, anyway.

"Our company worries me." She said to her partner.

"The captain? Yes, not the best person to be seen with."

"It's not him that I speak of."

"The girl?"

"She is hiding something."

As we walked on I deliberately dawdled so the man could keep pace with me. He seemed to be struggling to walk, which wasn't surprising seems as he had been bound by chains for such a long time. I glanced up ahead to see Vaan marching onwards upfront. I reached into the bag Fran had given me and plucked out a potion.

"Here, maybe this will help." I said offering it to him. He took it and without querying what it was, uncapped it and drank the small bottle's contents in one gulp.

"Thank you." I gave him a nod and a small smile in response before quickening my pace. However, he was now able to keep up. "How is it that you and your friends came to be in the dungeons?" He asked after a long and somewhat uneasy silence.

"They're not really my friends. Well the boy, Vaan, he is but the other two I've only just met. Their names are Balthier and Fran." I said gesturing to each of them as I spoke their names.

"May I ask yours?"

"Edie."

"Basch." He returned.

"I already know your name." I stated quietly, feeling a little unnerved I was talking to a murder. We continued to walk together though we both remained silent.

Soon the winding corridor came to a room that was dimly lit. We began walking down the stairs when I noticed halfway in their descent they branched off to a platform that rose from the floor below like a pillar. Fran went over to it and flipped a lever that was attached to it. Nothing happened.

"The fuse must not be working." Said Balthier.

"Is it a fuse you're after?" Came a voice from further down the stairs. We continued down them to see a Seeq sat next to a large iron gate. "Got one right here, not in the best of condition but it will give a good enough jolt to open this here gate."

"How much?" Balthier questioned, folding his arms across his chest.

"This bit of junk? No charge. I was going to use it to try and escape but the Barheim passageways are treacherous, teeming with fiends. It's yours if you want it." The Seeq held out his hand, the fuse nestled in his palm.

We returned to the platform and replaced the fuse. This time when the switch was flipped, the room's light became brighter and the gate shuddered open. The corridors leading from the room were all also lit brightly. I liked it seems as this way I could see if anything threatening decided to charge at me. The Seeq's warnings about fiends had put me on edge. We entered a larger, wider tunnel, our footsteps echoed in the vast stretch of space. Suddenly the lights started to dim.

"Hey! Who turned down the lights?" Vaan asked looking around trying to find the problem.

It was in front of us feasting on an electrical cable that crackled with stray sparks of energy due to its cords being shredded by the fiend. It was like a big spider, with six spindly legs and large fangs that were embedded into the cord's frayed ends. "One of those?"

"I've heard of these: Mimicks." Said Balthier. "They disguise themselves as all manner of things, then strike when you're least wary. Some of them have a fondness for energy, I'm told. They gorge themselves on the stuff till there's naught left."

"So... what happens then?"

"Lights out. And it's worse in the dark, much worse. So, let them get too close to one of those conduits and they'll suck it dry. But don't worry. It'll give you the energy back, if you ask it nicely. Sticking it with a sword helps too. Clock's ticking!"

Balthier drew his gun and fired a shot at the Mimick, disturbing it from its feasting. It spun round and began to scuttle towards us, fangs at the ready. The remainder of us drew our weapons.

"Give your spear to the Captain! He'll make better use of it than you will!" Shouted the sky-pirate.

I complied and handed it over to him, I just wanted the horrible, overgrown spider dead before it could get too close to me. Basch wordlessly accepted my weapon and skilfully swung it at the fast approaching fiend. The Mimick quickly dodged the attack. I shuffled backwards wanting to put more distance between it and me. Basch lunged again and this time was swift enough to strike the Mimick. The spearhead pierced through the creature's tough looking shell with little problem. It shrieked in pain but it still tried to attack, its fangs gnawing on the spear's bamboo. With it finally pinned down to one spot, Fran finished it off with one of her arrows. The impact of the arrow hitting its target sounded eerily like a nail being hammered into a coffin.

We continued down the passage only stopping to kill off the pesky Mimicks as we went. There were many corpses of those who had been desperate enough for freedom that they risked their lives travelling down the tunnel. One corpse was a Hume dressed in lightweight armour, a sword still tightly clutched in his hand. Basch stopped and inspected the carcass. He handed me my spear back and then carefully went about taking the armour from the body. He then began to dress himself in it.

"The Mist seethes." Fran said, her eyes fixed on the churning, fast flowing haze that was running down the passage. I could see what she meant. Did that mean I could see the Mist? I thought back to what Penelo had told me about the entity. Humes couldn't see the Mist so why could I? Perhaps it was because I was a human and not a Hume.

"It reeks. Something's close." Balthier commented.

Basch had finally finished putting the last scrap of armour he could salvage from the dead body. He even had a clip to tie back his overgrown crop of hair. He then carefully unpicked the soldier's fingers from the sword. He lifted it and tested its weight by performing a brief series of impressive slashes. It was a remarkable display for someone who could barely walk a couple of hours ago. "Nice moves there Captain."

"You mean 'traitor'." Corrected Vaan, venomously. He still wasn't happy that his brother's murder was within our ranks. I was quite surprised he hadn't tried to beat him up again, mind you with Basch getting stronger with every battle it probably wasn't a good idea.

"So they say. But I didn't see him kill anyone."

"My brother did." This caught the older man's attention. He turned to face the two. Vaan scowled at him, that hatful blaze back in his eyes. I moved to his side just in case he gave into his rage and did anything stupid again.

"Reks. He said he had a brother two years younger. I see he meant you." There was a brief pause. "Your brother. What became-"

"He's dead."

"I'm sorry."

I was a little confused as to how a murder had forgotten he had killed another. Basch seemed clueless to the fact that it was he who had murdered Reks. Even his apology was so strongly sincere, like when you tell another that you're sorry for their loss. It was clear the apology wasn't for his actions that took Rek's life.

"It was you who killed him!"

"I give you my word: that was not the way of it." He said in a sombre voice.

"Then how? How did he die?" I spoke up, knowing that my butting in would prevent Vaan from charging at the man in front of us.

"The eve of the treaty signing, the Order knew King Raminas' life was in peril. We went to his aid. Reks was within our platoon, he had fought well against the Imperial footmen. My men and I went on ahead of him, at his request to where his Highness was being held... We were ambushed by a Judge and his henchmen. My men were slain before my very eyes and I was beaten and held in the shadows. The Judge, it was he who attacked your brother. Judge Gabranath, the officer who you saw before. The house of Solidor's guard and a sibling of mine... My twin."

There was a long pause as Basch moved to sit down, leaning his back against the wall. Perhaps I had been wrong to think he was slowly regaining his strength as he suddenly seemed so drained, although maybe it was because he was reliving the moments that cost him everything in his mind.

"He has changed so since I saw him last. When he had attended the signing he had let his hair grow, he had worn an immaculate replica of my armour, he even imitated my voice. You're brother was fooled by the likes of him and the Empire."

"A twin brother? Fancy that. But still the pieces fit. I'll give you that much. And he did look like you." Said Balthier. It was true now that I thought about it the Judge had looked a lot like a healthier version of the man before us all. I looked over at Vaan, who had moved away and turned his back to us. His shoulders were still tensed.

"I don't believe you." He said.

"Of course not. It was my fault that Reks was there. I am sorry." Vaan's metal gloved hands clenched tightly into fists.

"My brother, he trusted you. He trusted you and he lost everything. How can I believe you?" Basch rose from the ground.

"Not me then. Believe in your brother. He was a fine soldier. He fought to the last to protect his homeland. No, surely he fought to protect his brother."

"You don't know anything!" Vaan shouted, whipping around to finally face the older man. Balthier stepped in front of his path and coolly said,

"Believe what you want to. Whatever it takes to make you happy." He turned and started to walk, as he passed the captain I heard him utter, "What's done is done."

That was the last of the discussion. We moved onwards along the passage, still searching for a way out. When the long tunnel opened into a large chamber it didn't look any more promising. In the midst of the chamber was a gigantic alien like creature. It squatted and laid another egg in centre of an already copious cluster. The goo coated egg promptly hatched, revealing yet another Mimick. It scuttled along to the nearest energy conduct and began feeding from it.

"I grow tired of these pests!" mumbled Balthier, drawing his pistol.

"Did you honestly think it be that easy to escape?" Fran jibed.

"What can I say? I'm forever the optimist." He sighed before taking aim and firing a shot at the great beast.

I quickly grabbed my spear and drew it from its harness. I tried to concentrate on the already more known Mimick monsters rather than their Queen as I was already trembling and an upward glance would only make me want to run back the way I came.

"Edie! Use the medic's kit! When one of us is injured it's your task to see that we are mended again!" Shouted Balthier. Suddenly I wasn't so keen on my battle position. Mimicks were scattered around everywhere and would attack at any given notice. I was constantly moving and batting them away with my spear, a frightened yelp my war cry.

"She is weak to ice magicks! Bring her down!" Fran shouted, firing yet another arrow from her bow.

She was exactly the opposite of me in battle. She strode around with confidence, searching for an opening which she could fire at and when she did strike it was quick and deadly. Vaan used his speed, quickly attacking the crafty, smaller Mimicks before they leeched the electric conduits of their power. Balthier was incredibly cool headed despite the horde of fiends we were up against, like Fran, he chose his moment carefully to attack. Basch was just how I would expect a captain of war to be. He used a deadly mix of power and agility.

I decided to contribute to the battle and try to cast a blizzard spell, yet every time the words of the spell flooded my mind a Mimick would attack and I would be forced to deal with it. At one point I had allowed myself to be so distracted by the spell I was pinned by one of them.

"Edie!" Vaan dealt the fiend a swift blow with his sword, knocking it off my torso. "You okay?"

"Yeah." I nodded, jumping back to my feet, shaking off the heart juddering feeling that I had almost died. "Cover me so I can cast a spell."

He did as I requested and finally I felt the familiar surge of energy. I pushed it onto the Mimick Queen. The shards attacked her like a thousand frozen spears, but still this didn't halt her attack. I cast the spell again. Fran had also adopted this form of attack. Soon Balthier did the same and we swamped her with ice attacks. Basch and Vaan kept up with attacking manually, striking at her powerful legs. Eventually, she fell. Her violent death shook the chamber so much that the stonework began to crack and crumble.

"Time for us to take our leave before this place falls on our heads." Balthier said, shoving his pistol back into its holster.

We dashed out of the gates and along the tunnel beyond them not stopping until our feet came into contact with soft sand.

The sun's rays were blinding. I shielded my eyes from their onslaught with a hand against my brow. We were all covered in dust making us look like ghosts. I patted down my outfit attempting to rid it of the dirt. My hair was a lost cause. I would deal with it when I returned home. I cast a glance back to the mouth of the passage. It had caved in completely, leaving nothing but rumble.

"To think Dalmascan air could taste so sweet." Came Basch's, rough voice.

"Where are we?" Asked Vaan.

"The Estersand, by the looks of it." Balthier informed. "Let's back to Rabanstre before we shrivel up. By your leave, Captain."

"Yes, the hour of my leave is already over late. The people may hate me, but that does not free me of my charge." He said, walking off down the slope and into the desert. We followed.