Chapter 15 Audience with the Marquis
Vaan drew his sword as the four bangaas approached.
"You slipped away in Nalbina, we missed you." Said the large green one
mockingly. Vaan's eyes darted left and right, weighing up the options. It was four
against five and with Basch they might stand a chance. Then Ba'gamnan heaved
off his back the most savage looking weapon Vaan had ever seen, it looked like a
saw blade strapped to a staff. Vaan saw all chance of victory fly out the window.
"First the judge and now this boy?" Sneered the blue bangaa. "This whole affair
smells of money my brother." Ba'gamnan nodded.
"Indeed, I shall have to wet my beak a little."
"Keep your snout in a trough where it belongs." Mocked Balthier, sounding surprisingly
calm for the situation. "This thinking ill befits you Ba'gamnan." The bangaa roared in
fury.
"Balthier! Too long have I gone unpaid, I'll carve my bounty out of that boy." Lamont stepped
back in alarm but Vaan moved in front of him.
"Where's Penelo?!" He shouted, his voice echoing around the cave. "We're taking her back."
Ba'gamnan paused, thinking for a moment.
"The girl?" He asked incredulously. "Why keep the bait when you've landed the fish." Vaan's eyes
widened in horror but the bangaa shook his head.
"Relax, she struggled loose on the way here and she ran off crying like a babe." He sniggered. "Now
let's get to buisness." He roared making a lunge for Lamont, Vaan raised his shield but Balthier got there
first. Ba'gamnan barely had time to raise an arm before the pellet shot caught him full in the face. He was thrown
to the ground, howling in agony.
"Fran, now!" Balthier snapped, Fran raised her hand, and all was black.
A few minutes later the five of them lay panting in the entrance chamber.
"A few more chases involving headhunting Bangaas and I'm likely to give up sky pirating altogether."
Groaned Balthier.
"Oh shut up!" Vaan panted. "You might have let me know you were using magick." Balthier shrugged.
"We got away didn't we?"
"Barely! And we still havn't found Penelo." Balthier scratched his head.
"Yes that is a problem." He mused. "She must still be lost in the mines, we can't go back in there without
running into our welcoming commitee." He looked to continue but Basch was pointing down the passage.
"Might that be her?!" He said simply. Vaan turned to see Penelo being led out of the mines by two burly soldiers.
"Great." Vaan sighed. "Now the Empire's involved." Balthier agreed.
"This does complicate things, ideas anyone?"
"I could prepare a spell." Fran suggested but Balthier shook his head, pointing out of the entrance.
"There's a judge magister close by, he'd notice you imediately." Vaan looked around desperately.
"What about you Lamont, you know a lot about Archadian patrols here. Could you do anything?" He waited
for an answer, but none came. Confused, he saw the boy was nowhere to be found. "Where is he?" He asked.
Balthier pointed.
"Where all the rest of the trouble is," He said sourly. "Nice to have it all in one place." To his horror, Vaan saw the
boy climbing the stairs after the Imperial patrol.
Judge magister Ghis was in charge of politics and economy, although he could do both very well he was not seen as
a fighting man or a magicks expert. This sometimes was humiliating, he was often viewed as the weakest of
the judges and was often sent on asignments like this one involving strengthening the hold on an already solid
puppet. He had been having a very bad day when the soldiers marched out of the mines carrying the little girl, he
had already lost his charge and didn't have time for trifles like this.
"Sir," Barked the first soldier. "We've captured this urchin in the mines, not from around here by the look of
her clothes."
"I am not deaf captain." Said Ghis wearily. "Nor am I stupid. I do not need to be involved in every little matter
if she was trespassing in the mines then throw her in the city dungeon."
"I'm afraid I can't allow that." Both soldiers looked around as a small boy darted between them to adress Ghis,
the judge breathed a sigh of relief, charge found.
"I see you've been wandering without your company Lord Larsa." He said kindly. "And this girl was caught in the mines,
you should be wary with people like her about." Penelo, struggled against her captors.
"I was kidnapped." She protested but the judge held up a hand to silence her.
"If wandering alone is a crime then I too am guilty." Said Larsa cooly. "Marquis." He said turning
to face the old man behind the judge. "I trust you can accomodate another guest?" The old man smiled.
"Why not." He said brightly. Without another word Larsa took Penelo by the hand and led her away.
"Nice to meet you, Penelo." He said softly.
"Of course." She stammered, more than a little confused.
"What's Penelo doing?" Vaan said as loud as he dared. "And what's the deal with Lamont?" Balthier
smiled knowingly.
"That's no Lamont." He said. "Larsa Ferrinas Solidor. Fourth son to Emperor Gramis and brother to Vayne."
For a few seconds Vaan would not believe it. This boy had been friendly and polite, nothing like Archadian nobility.
"Perhaps you are misjudging him." Said Basch sensing his confusion. "After all he did save your friend."
"Don't worry," Fran murmered. "He will treat her well." Balthier grinned.
"No-one knows men like Fran does." He chuckled as Fran shot him a scathing look. "But if you want to see her
this side of the border again I would find a way to talk to the marquis."
"And how do we do that?" Vaan asked eagerly. Balthier shrugged.
"I don't know, cause a commotion." Vaan's eyes flashed, causing commotions was his speciality.
"Let me get this straight," He asked in a hushed voice. "Basch needs to keep his name a secret here cause the
marquis announced his excecution and he's be in trouble if they knew he was alive?" Balthier nodded cautiously.
"Well," Vaan continued. "What if someone was spreading the word that he was alive?" The pirate looked thoughtfull.
"I suppose that would start a commotion." He said slowly. "But I really don't think..." He realised he was talking to
an empty space, the boy that used to fill that space was running down the street screaming at passers by.
"I'm Captain Basch!" And. "Don't listen to Ondore's lies!" Balthier shook his head at the shrinking cloud of dust Vaan
was producing.
"Time for a drink I think." He suggested.
Basch watched nervously over the edge of his tankard as Balthier put away drink after drink, after the
seventeenth he felt he had to say something.
"Steady on now." He said watching the pirate's eyes trying to focus. "Should you really be drinking so much?"
"Why, what's the occasion?" Said Balthier, already begining to slur. Basch tried again.
"There is no guarantee we'll avoid a fight, we want to have our witts." Balthier shook his head.
"Y'know, when I travelled to the east." He said. "I met a sort of warrior priest, a monk if you will and he tried to convince me
alchohol increased his ability to fight." Basch shook his head as his comrade tried to stand up. "Well naturally I didn't believe
a word of it, so I took him to the local tavern until his brains were blown very firmly out the window and then threw him
in a pit with a bunch of monsters." Basch raised an eyebrow.
"And?" He asked. Balthier flopped back down into his stool.
"Sure enough he beat them all, don't remember much of the fight myself, I was in a bit of a state." Suddenly Basch remembered
something that happened back in the mines.
"Why did you react so harshly to the child's story of nethicite?" He said, instantly Balthier lost all his cheer and light heartedness.
"Well." He said, becoming less and less understandable. "I believe it's because of Venat." Basch looked at the pirate shaking his head.
"Who's Venat?"
"No-one knows." Laughed Balthier, but it was a distinctly empty laugh. "Venat, what's that your saying. You want what for breakfast tommorow?"
Basch groaned, he would get no more out of this drunkard. Suddenly the doors of the bar burst open and Vaan was dragged in
by two bhujerban guards. Basch hoisted Balthier off the stool.
"Come on, time to work." He growled.
Basch leant against the door, he had abandoned his drunken ally a while ago. Pressing his ear to the wood
Basch listened to the conversation inside.
"I knew he weren't no captain." Said a gruff voice. "That was a mean trick to be playing boy."
"If at trickery it ended it would end well enough." Said a second voice. "But why this boy, and why captain Ronsenburg. An
explanation is due and I will hear it."
"A shame if the empire's hounds which grow bold indeed heard the marquis trafficked with the likes of you." Slurred an all too
familiar voice causing an uproar in the room. Basch groaned, Balthier had found his way in. "Agents masquerading as guides,
a hideout in the back of a tavern. Not exactly earning points for originality now are we?" Continued the smashed pirate. Basch
knew there was only one way to end this peacefully, he opened the door and stepped in.
Balthier had just been grabbed round the neck by a large and rather ugly bangaa when someone's voice carried over the
commotion.
"Wait, stay your hand!" Roared Basch over the shouting crowd and all fell silent. Finally the apparent leader began to laugh.
"I had to see it to believe it." He chuckled. "So Basch fon Ronsenburg does yet live."
The Marquis's palace was not what you'd call massive, Bhujerban architecture was far more minimalist than the grandeure
of Dalmasca or certainly Archadia but it provided one of the finest views in all of Ivalice from it's four top rooms. One such room
was currently being occupied by Larsa Ferrinas Solidor and his guest, Penelo had been given a change of clothes upon
arrival, she remembered seeing nobility in Rabanastre in similar garments and wanting to be like them but this dress was
at least twice her size, heavy and rather difficult to walk in dispite Larsa's insistance that it suited her. Her host was currently
writing at the desk while she sat on a large sofa by the window.
"So Vaan's really alright?" She asked suddenly, Larsa looked up from his papers. "I didn't think I'd ever see him again." She said
softly.
"You'll join him soon." Larsa asured her. "Until then I will see to it that you are kept from harm." Penelo nodded.
"Thank you." Larsa made an attempt at writing again but faltered and put down his quill.
"I'm troubled." He said, more to himself than her. "The Rabanastre Imperial guard appears to have overstepped their bounds.
I will speak on this with the consol."
"What!" Said Penelo incredulously, how could this boy speak with the son of the Emperor. Larsa sensed her confusion.
"Vayne Solidor the consol is my brother." He explained. "My brother is not one to fail in his dutys, give him time and he
will see peace restored." Penelo nodded in agreement, she had seen first hand how he had won over the people of Rabanatre.
"He frightens me." She said simply. Larsa looked taken aback. "You don't understand how much we lost in the war." Penelo continued. "My
friends, my parents." Larsa looked unconfortable.
"So you hate the Empire?" He managed, she gave no response. Suddenly he crossed the room and knealt before her.
"The men of my family are taught to put other's needs before our own. I will see to it that you are kept from harm, it is my duty to house Solidor."
Vaan at that very moment stood a few floors bellow in the marquis's office staring at the evening sky. With him were Basch, Fran, Balthier and the Marquis. He sat at the desk staring in wonder at the man before him.
"Sir Basch Fon Ronsenburg." He said carefully. "It was not so very long ago that I announced your excecution." Basch nodded solumnly.
"And that is the only reason I draw breath." The marquis sighed as a look of realisation dawned on him.
"So you are the sword Vayne strung above my head, I do as he says and he tells no one of your survival." He lifted his gaze to meet the knight's.
"And what else to come to me for?" Basch stepped up to the desk to meet the old man's eyes.
"A leader of the resistance has been captured by the Empire, I would save her. A woman by the name of Amalia, I need your help." The old man stared back at him with mild interest.
"This resistence leader, this Amalia. What is she to you?" He asked curiously, Basch stiffened. "You understand there's my position to consider." He continued gravely.
"Can we please see Larsa?" Vaan demanded, tired of waiting. The marquis paused as if debating within his own head.
"I'm afraid your too late." He said, his voice taking on a curious tone. Balthier bristled at the sound of it. "Larsa has already joined
the Imperial detatchment, they will depart for Rabanastre this evening." Balthier ran to the window and flung wide the shutters, there
sure enough, hanging in the sky outside was the 8th fleet of Archadia in all it's glory. Suddenly it all became painfully clear. The Marquis
was betraying them. Vaan reached for his sword but Balthier stopped him.
"Come on, what are we waiting for?" He yelled.
"You to calm down." Came the indignant reply. The old man stood looking triumphantly at the group.
"Captain Ronsenburg." He said. "Surely the exigencied of position are not lost on you, in fact you should find the chains of the enemy
an easy burden to bear." Basch growled and went for his sword dispite Balthier's protests.
"Guards!" Shouted the marquis, as the ships descended from above.