Chapter 21 The Treaty-Blade

The Ancient City was long, it looked like the only thing unclaimed by nature is the palace in which still stands. Ashe looked at it, "On the farthest shores of the river of time, shrouded deep in the roiling Mist."

Fran held her hand to her chest. It caught Penelo's attention. "What is it, Fran?"

Fran looked ahead. "The Mist runs thick here."

Vaan looked worried. "Like on the Leviathan?"

"Do not worry. I will behave myself. The Mist here is cooled. I sense something like the shadow here."

Balthier looked inside. "Venat. It appears Cid has yet to arrive. We'll lie in wait for him here."

Penelo looked at the pirate, "So we're not going inside?"

"Not unless you want to end up twisted. Like the old man." Balthier noticed that Ashe was staring right into the city. "Something there?"

Ashe ignored him, and walked straight in her daze like trance. Rasler was guiding Ashe along it seemed. She looked up at Basch, he saw the worry in her eyes.

Penelo walked closer, "What is it?"

"She can see him. Let's follow her." Vaan spoke.

"Ashe…" Auda started to follow.

Ashe lead everyone deep inside Giruvegan. It was dark inside, and a bit eerie. Green lights showed the way, and even created pathways. The fiends weren't much to deal with, but the mist was still dense. Then they notice a massive crystal in the distance.

Penelo looked ahead. "I can't shake the feeling we're somewhere we're not meant to be."

"Yeah, it's exciting." Vaan looked at Penelo.

"Exciting?"

"You are not troubled by the unknown? Who can say what lies ahead? We may encounter the very creators of nethicite." Basch spoke.

"Yeah, I don't know what we'll find. I like it better that way." Vaan put his hands behind his head.

"You're sounding more like the sky pirate every day." Basch put his hand on his hip.

Auda looked over at Balthier, "Are you sure you didn't take him in as an apprentice?"

"I don't have an apprentice." Balthier huffed away, leading deeper into the area, and heading into the great crystal.

Auda rolled her eyes, "Uh huh."

They arrived at the Great Crystal, the mist was bright, and following from a stone in the middle. The first ones to walk out were Balthier, Basch, and Vaan. The females of the party were behind. Penelo looked over at Fran. "I've never seen this much Mist. Are you all right?"

Fran looked at the young hume, "I am fine. Thank you."

Ashe spotted the stone in the middle, "Is that nethicite?"

"I wonder."

"With that much nethicite in one's grasp…"

Fran put her hand on her hip. "You could destroy all of Ivalice. If you wished it."

Ashe walked on, then everyone else. They walked to the wayfinder, and Ashe was on a platform. Auda and the rest of the party were near the platform, but they couldn't set foot in it. Auda groaned. Basch put his hand on her shoulder.

Ashe looked around. "Where is everyone?"

"She can't see us." Auda spoke.

"Fear not, princess of Dalmasca. We Occuria have chosen you, and you alone." Came a voice, from what they guessed, from an Occuria. Auda had no idea what they were. "Ashelia B'nargin Dalmasca. We see your heart desires power, and power most holy shall we grant. Seek you the Sun-cryst, slumb'ring star. In tower on distant shore it dreams. The mother of all nethicite, the source of its unending power. The Dynast-King, his fallow shards, coarse trinkets cut from Sun-cryst's light."

"Such power exists?" Ashe asked the Occuria.

"In time that are long passed away, we thought to save this Ivalice... and chose Raithwall the Dynast-King. He took the sword and cut the Cryst. Three Shards he took from its gilt grasp. His words and deeds run through your veins."

"That's why I was given it - the Sword of Kings."

"The treaty held with kings of old is but a mem'ry, cold and still. With you we now shall treat anew, to cut a run for hist'ry's flow." A sword appeared in front of Ashe. "Now take this sword, this Treaty-Blade. Occurian seal, mark of your worth. Cut deep the Cryst and seize your Shards. Wield Dynast-King's power! Destroy Venat!"

"But Venat - Venat is an Occurian. A being like you."

"Venat is a heretic!" The Occurian snapped. Auda knew then what they looked like. Ashe raised her hands, wind went around her. "The nethicite is ours to give, to chosen bearer or to none. The heretic trespassed and set the rose of knowledge in Man's hand. With imitations they profane, it is anathema to us."

Another voice showed up, "We give you now the Stone and task. Administer judgment: destroy them all!"

"Judgment?" Ashe asked. Her face that she has when she sees Rasler was on her face. "Destroy them all? The Empire?"

"The humes ever skew hist'ry's weave. With haste they move through too-short lives. Driven to err by base desires, t'ward waste and wasting on they run." One Occurian spoke.

Another spoke next. "Undying, we Occuria light the path for wayward sons of Man. Oft did we pass judgment on them so that Ivalice might endure. Eternal, we are hist'ry's stewards, to set the course and keep it true. The chosen is our hand, our fist, to let live some and crush the rest. Princess, you have been chosen. Take revenge against those who stole your kingdom. Fulfil your role as savior." Ashe moved her hand to the blade, but she was hesitating. "Attain to your birthright!"

Then the barrier that held the party from Ashe went away. Everyone went running to her. Vaan was the first to reach her. "Ashe! What's with these Occuria? What gives them the right to tell you what to do?"

"Will you take revenge, as they ask?" Fran asked.

Ashe gave a gasp.

Basch walked to her, "We could not see them, but we heard the Occuria speak. They may be gods, but we are the arbiters of our destiny. Your Highness, I am against this. The Empire must pay, but destruction?"

"Them Gods?" Auda questioned. "What Gods commands violence and revenge?"

Penelo looked around. "Um... Does anyone know what happened to Doctor Cid? Wasn't he saying he'd be here?"

"He should've arrived by now." Basch placed a hand on his hip.

Balthier groaned. "And I should've realized by now. He's not coming. He laid out the bait, and we bit. Remember what he said? He wanted Ashe to get the stone. He wanted that all along. That's why he flaunted his nethicite, and reeled us in with stories about Giruvegan. All to bring Ashe to the Occuria."

Penelo looked at him, "But wait - if we got a hold of the nethicite, wouldn't that be bad for the Empire?"

"Maybe he wants to see what happens when foes with nethicite collide? That'd be just like Doctor Cid." Balthier spoke Doctor like it was a poison.

"He would." Auda agreed, folding her arms, "His search for answers surpasses any common sense."

Ashe paused, "I will search out the Sun-cryst." Ashe had to choices now, destroy the sun-cryst, or make it smaller. One will mean she picked saving her kingdom, another means revenge. Everyone began to walk away, wondering which one will she picked. Auda gave her answer to her before, whatever she picks she will have her as a friend, just pick the choice that will make her the happiest.

Balthier looked at Ashe. "'History is built by our hands.' That's his favorite line. He'd never stand by and watch the Occuria's Stones shape things. So... he was talking to Venat all along. He wasn't mad at all then, was he?"

They walked to the way finder. Basch looked over at Fran. "In tower on distant shore dreams the Sun-cryst. Do these words mean aught to you?" She shook her head.

Vaan looked at Basch. "Didn't Reddas say he was going to follow some 'other course'? Maybe he found out something that can help."

Balthier put his hands in his pockets. "I'd rather stay out of that sky pirate's debt, thank you."

"What's wrong with Reddas? If you can't trust your own kind, who can you trust?"

"You're an expert on pirating now, are you?"

Auda shook her head, "Reddas isn't that bad."

"You have a biased past with him."

The wayfinder took them back outside the city. It was dark by the time the exit. Auda stretched, "We have a choice, travel with the transportation stone, and sleep on a nice bed at the inn within Balfonheim, or we can camp out doors. I say bed."

"I say bed too." Penelo spoke. "With the loot today, can more and pay for it right?"

Auda nodded her head. "Bed it is!"

"Try to keep the moans down." Balthier spoke.

Auda blushed, "Who said…" She looked at Basch for some help. He didn't say anything, but had his eye smile, she looked away defeated, knowing Balthier's idea wasn't such a bad idea.

At the city of pirates, it was still dark. Rumors was that Reddas and his crew hasn't returned yet. So they went into the inn without any regrets in their actions for sleep. Auda and Basch got a room together, which was seeable, and no shocker to anyone. Neither were Balthier and Fran sharing a room together as well.

Auda crawled on the bed, already stripped down out of her clothes. She was tired, but looking up at Basch, she tilted her head. He sat on the bed and sighed. She got up on her knees, and went behind him. She put her hands around his neck, and kissed his head. "Basch?"

"I do not want to take revenge." He spoke.

"I have hope that she will not." She kissed his neck next.

"How can you have hope?" Basch grabbed his hands.

"I know her, she isn't ready to let Rasler go, but she will think of what he will want. The Rasler I have been told about, he wouldn't want revenge as well, correct?"

"Aye." Basch kissed her hand. "Using him as bait..."

Auda nodded her head, and kissed his neck once more. "We need to relax Basch." She then pulled away from him, and sat on his lap straddling him. Her head went to his neck once more, giving it a little kiss, and a small bite.

"I think relaxing is far from your mind." He stood up, picking her up with him. Her legs went around his waist.

She gasped the laughed, holding on to him. He placed her on the bed, she looked up at him. She couldn't really disagree with him. She watched him as he leaned down, her arms never left his neck. A kiss that was so sweat, so full of passion and lust, was shared between them. Auda moaned into the kiss, knowing that she would indeed have to be quite.

He pulled away from the kiss, and went to her neck. It seemed he have already memorized her spots from that one night, as he went to the base of the neck where it hits her ear. She gave him more room, moaning contently. Her hands went to the bottoms of his shirt, already starting to pull it up. He bit down, her breathing quicken, not wanting to be load. He bit down again, this time she couldn't hold back. She closed eyes, her hands squeezed his back. She felt his scars under her hands. She pulled his shirt off, pulling his head away from her.

She sat up a bit, kissing him before he placed her back on the bed. She rolled them over, and smiled into the kiss. Basch's hands reached behind her to unhook her bra. His hands took it off. His hands went to tug on the nipples, and she moved lower. She pulled out of his reach, and her hands went to his shorts. She looked up at him with that smile of hers. She took them down, along with his boxers.

"Auda…" He spoke softly. "You don't…"

Auda ignored what he had to say, she knew what she wanted, and right now, she wanted him. She looked up at him, her hands went around his length, it was already nice and hard, awaiting her. She moved her hands up and down, and he relaxed underneath her. She leaned down, and gave the tip a little kiss, and then licked around the head. It twitched under her, and his hands went into her hair.

She smiled, before taking it into her mouth. She wondered what he liked, and so she teased around. He moaned when she went tighter. She gave a soft moan, in which his hips buckled, pushing it in more. She moved faster and deeper. "A…Auda…" he moaned softly. His moans were music to her eyes. It was something else, having that cool, collected Captain Basch moaning to her touches. It was really a turn on. He soon pulled her up though.

Auda pouted, "I wasn't done." Basch's hands went to her lips that were covered by the panties. He felt how soaking they were. She moaned, as he moved his fingers up and down, and then rubbing her clit. She put her head in the arch of him neck. "Basch…" Her hands grabbed his hard-on and pumped up and down. He took of the underwear, and entered her. She sat down on his length, with a moan in bliss. Her head was brought back, and she looked at him.

Basch's hands went on her hips, moving his. She moved with him in a way where her clit was also being rubbed. She tried to be quite, but it proved impossible, since he hit that spot in her at each pass. She leaned down, kissing him, already a moaning mess above him. They moved faster, and which was too much for Auda. She bit down on her lip, trying not to scream. She tighten up around him, and he pulled her into another kiss. She soon had her release. She pulled away from the kiss, and went limp on top of him. Her energy was gone. He smiled, kissing her shoulder, still moving within her. "Basch…"

He moved faster, and harder. She buried her head in his neck, giving it a bite. His hands reached down, and rubbed her clit, and other hand went up and pulled on a nipple, teasing it. Auda couldn't help but move her hips, and it was enough to get her close again. She closed her eyes tightly. And then sure enough, she had her climax, which was too much for Basch to bear. He filled her up, and pulled out. She fell to the side catching her breath.

Auda then stood up even though her body yelled at her to stay and cuddle with the man. "Wanna join me in the shower?" She asked.

Basch stood up, and kissed her. "Hmm."

She smiled, and lead him in. The shower was nice and hot when Auda stepped in, and he joined her. He washed his hair, and then washed hers. Auda got the soap ready, and started washing his back first. Her fingers traced the scars. "Do they still hurt?" She asked.

"No." He spoke dismissing her question.

She turned him around, and started to wash his body. This was nice, the two of them. She looked up at him. He grabbed the soap, and started to wash her body, his hands lingered on her breasts, teasing them, and the nipples. She moaned out, she couldn't help it. His hands then went lower. He entered his fingers within her. She leaned against the wall, knowing she wouldn't be able to stand. "Basch…"

He moved his fingers faster within her. Even though he couldn't continue, he still wasn't done with her. She moved her hips, and they shared yet another loving kiss. He moved his head back to the arch of her neck, and bit down. Her hands went around him, digging into his head.

"Basch…." Her moan was disparate. He bit down harder than he intended to, but she welcomed it. She moaned. "Basch… Please… I… Basch…" His hand switched to the other nipple. Soon she released.

He released her, and she lost her balance. She placed her hands on his arms. She looked up at him, and let out a soft laugh. He kissed her, and helped her out of the shower. They dried off, and he took her back to the bed.

"Rest, Auda."

She nodded her head, relaxing on the bed. "Night Basch."

"Good night." He kissed her on the forehead before crawling into the bed next to her. He pulled her into his arms. She was already out.