III) Those Who Hunt Exspheres
The sun was reaching its zenith as the Rheaird soared lazily through the chilly coastal air surrounding Altamira. The few clouds in the sky tumbled past; tinted orange by the warm glow of the sun and Presea found herself deeply inhaling the slight wind as it whipped by. Over the course of time, she had found herself increasingly fond of travelling in this manner. She had never considered it before, but the feeling that grew within her when the wind was tearing past and ripping through her hair was like nothing else she had experienced. For Presea, it seemed almost magical.
Maintaining conversation whilst in flight was a difficult task, but Presea had attempted to talk to Rochelle during the journey. The Felesian had been very quiet after she had stopped crying and hadn't spoken much – which, for her, was quite unusual. Presea knew enough to realise that she was yet to fully understand the workings of emotions, so she didn't really question the urge she had to make sure the girl was all right. Even though the Rheaird had slowed to a safe speed, the Felesian still had her arms wrapped tightly around the pink haired girl.
"Rochelle…if you are interested then you should have a look at the horizon. The view of Altamira is quite attractive."
She felt Rochelle shift position as she sat up. "Wow, you're right," she whispered. "It's really pretty."
The view certainly was breathtaking. A near silhouette in the deep blue of the ocean, the isle that housed Altamira shimmered on the horizon like a ocean mirage, the early afternoon sun casting an enormous yellow reflection on the surrounding waters. Snow coated the rooftops of the buildings, despite the fact the weather was so mild. Knowing that Rochelle was watching the scene too made it feel like a shared experience to Presea, like she had had with Lloyd when they watched the snow fall in Flanoir.
"Yes…" she replied, after a pause. "Rochelle…are you feeling…um…better now?"
The Felesian gave her hand a quick squeeze. "Yeah, I guess…I'm sorry for worrying you babe. I…hope I haven't got you both into trouble."
Presea thought back to the cursing guards and was surprised to find herself smiling at the memory. "Well, not a large amount of trouble anyway." She wanted to ask Rochelle why she had used the term 'Big Sister', but the girl still sounded distraught and Presea didn't think it was appropriate to press the matter.
Rochelle's sudden laugh surprised her. "Well, thanks anyway – I guess I owe you twice now." Her grip relaxed then and Presea cast a quick glance round to see the young Felesian smiling as she looked below.
"It is of no concern." Presea felt the air climate change as Lloyd brought the Rheaird down towards the harbour in Altamira. Rochelle's excitement seemed to increase as quickly as they descended, and she was soon fidgeting restlessly as the craft headed towards the aerial docking facility.
It wasn't the first time Presea had set eyes on the vast facility, which had been constructed to house parked aerial vehicles, but she still found her breath taken away by the symmetrical beauty of it. The Lezareno Company had utilised the mana-based systems of the Rheairds and had developed and adapted it to a variety of different aquatic frames. Other manufacturers in different kingdoms had followed suit, and the result was a rapidly developing aerial transportation network. Some companies, such as the Delphinium Administration, had apparently even developed a variety of combat orientated ships to fend off the increased number of sky pirates now stalking the skies.
The facility itself, a large building split into multiple hangers, had four circular landing platforms – two small and two large – encircling it high above. Each of these was supported by long columns that housed lifts to take passengers to and from their ships. It was a tribute to the Lezareno Company that they had managed to construct such a complex building without utilising Exspheres, for Presea knew that other manufacturers had not been so considerate.
Lloyd flashed the mana signal lights on the Rheaird, something that had been installed as a legal necessity and waited for a reply from the building. Shortly after, a reply came from one of the beacons on the facility, a burning red magical glow that flickered three times before burning out.
"Three flashes, that means…uh…" Lloyd paused, hesitant.
"Platform two," Presea said automatically. "I would advise that you at least try to learn the signal codes for landing and ascending."
"Yeah, yeah." Lloyd sounded as though he was scowling. "Three flashes for platform two – I mean, how little sense does that make?"
"It does not need to make sense. If you read the instructions for docking then you would know."
"Hey, who's flying here?" Lloyd sighed. "Man, I'm gonna start calling you Professor at this rate."
"Pointless sarcasm will not strengthen your argument."
"Who said it was pointless?"
Rochelle was still wriggling around restlessly, completely oblivious to the exchange. "Wow…cool!"
To his credit, Lloyd guided the Rheaird into its allocated place on platform two with little trouble, despite the crowded bay. Presea looked about in wonder as she glanced at each of the numerous small craft parked in the vicinity. She had known that aerial transport had become popular very quickly, but there seemed to be so many different vehicles on this platform alone it was hard to believe.
Rochelle was in awe from the moment she set foot off the Rheaird, bounding around the platform on all fours, peering at all the different aircraft and looking over the external barrier at the scenery down below.
"Wow, you guys – come look! The view is amazing."
Lloyd was sorting out the docking details with an employee, so Presea joined the Felesian at the railing to look down at the harbour and beach below. Despite the winter elegance of the view, she immediately regretted it – feeling a powerful nausea and dizziness fill her head. She gripped the rails weakly, feeling very faint, and focused her gaze on the sky above. I really do not think that I like heights, she thought.
Her actions went unnoticed by Rochelle, who was leaning over the railings far too recklessly.
"It's amazing! Isn't it amazing Big Sister?"
"Um…yes…it is quite…fascinating." Presea closed her eyes, feeling the dizziness subside in small waves. Rochelle had used that term again, and she was really feeling curious about it.
"Rochelle…why is it that you call me, ah, big sister? We are not siblings."
"Huh? Um…" Rochelle was sat on the ground, her legs hanging between the railings over the edge of the platform. "I don't really know babe. Sorta just popped into my head. Kinda suits you though, eh?" She grinned and lay down on her back, staring up at the sky.
They stayed like that for a few moments in silence, before the Felesian fidgeted, sitting up again. "Hey babe, I was wondering, what's that around your neck?"
Presea was surprised by the sudden question. She looked across at her companion as a hand raised instinctively to touch the object of discussion.
"It is an Exsphere."
"Oh…I heard about those. Is that what Lloyd has too? Aren't they supposed to be bad?"
"Well…" Presea paused in thought at the honest question. In some respects they were bad, but it was through no fault of the Exspheres themselves. "…It is complicated. Why do you ask?"
Rochelle's tailed twitched. "Erm, no reason. Just curious. Grandpa – I mean the old man who took me in – said they were dangerous. So are they?"
Lloyd returned then, effectively ending the conversation. "Hey you two – you ready or are you still sightseeing?"
Presea nodded, glad for the interruption. "We are ready."
The elevator taking them from the platform to the ground took very little time to reach its destination, and the trio stepped out into the cold salty breeze of the harbour with the sun hanging heavy overhead in the bright, cloudless sky. The docks were full of vessels loading and unloading cargo and numerous workers scuttled back and forth, carrying out their duties.
Lloyd stretched his arms as they walked towards the transport boat terminus. "Woah, sure is busy here today – I wonder what's going on?"
Presea looked about, wondering, in addition, why Rochelle had been holding her hand since they had left the elevator. The young Felesian was so outgoing normally that it seemed odd for her to have insecure moments like these. "Perhaps Regal will be able to inform us when we arrive."
"Yeah. Y'know, I'm really looking forward to taking a break for a while. This is going to be really fun."
"Hey guys, look at all these shops! Wow! Lets go shopping!" Rochelle scampered forward, pulling Presea along with her.
"Please wait," the pink haired girl replied, changing direction. "Our reason for being here takes priority over any other matters."
Despite her pleading, Rochelle allowed herself to be taken by Lloyd and Presea to the station housing the transport boats. After just a short wait, despite the crowds, they boarded the vessel and began the short journey to the Lezareno Company headquarters.
Presea looked up at the building as she climbed out of the boat. It was one of the few things in Altamira which hadn't really changed since Regal's return to the Company. A mixture of old and new architecture, it was a proud structure of white marble and stone, with added touches of glass for practical, rather than stylistic effect. A simple curving path flowed like a river from the front door, down the slight hill to the boat station, and a wide variety of plant life encircled the rest of the building protectively. Like everywhere else in Altamira, a thin layer of melting snow coated everything, forming beautiful long icicles where it dripped.
The passengers trooped off up the path, some of them employees of the Company, others tourists stopping by to admire the building. Presea walked slowly up the path, having exchanged Rochelle's hand for Lloyds at some point. The Felesian had bounded on ahead, and was leaping in the bushes when they caught up with her.
"I wonder if he's actually here this time," said Lloyd as they entered the lobby.
"Yes. He must be very busy now. It would be good to see him again though."
"Yeah!" Lloyd grinned, giving her hand a squeeze. "So you thought about where you wanna go first?"
Presea smiled, feeling happiness at the prospect of seeing old friends. "I don't really mind who we see first. It will be wonderful anyway." She paused for a second, watching their companion enter the lobby, looking around in excited awe. "Rochelle…please respect the formal nature of this building while you are in here."
The Felesian paused, blinking in confusion. "Erm…what?"
Lloyd laughed, "She means be good Rochelle."
"Oh…well, sure babe – of course I will."
Presea wondered why neither Rochelle's words nor the strange gleam that was in the Felesian's eyes reassured her.
The receptionist eyed the trio warily as they approached the desk. "Can I help you?" She asked, sounding as though she rather doubted she could.
"Is the President in?" Lloyd asked pleasantly.
"President Bryant is in at this moment in time. Do you have an appointment?
"Well…no, not really. But we do have this." Lloyd placed a small circular metal seal on the desk, engraved, in ruby, with the symbol of the Lezareno Company. It had been something Regal had given them so that they would always be able to enter and see him at will, or to access company records if he was not present. Not many people had these, as the changing expression of the receptionist showed. "Oh…o-of course. That will b-be acceptable." She fussed about the cluttered desk for a second. "I will just see if the President is free. W-what were your names?"
Lloyd seemed taken aback by the sudden panic in the woman's voice. "Er, don't worry about it. It's Irving, Lloyd Irving, and Presea Combatir and Rochelle…um." He looked across at the Felesian.
"Just Rochelle is fine babe," she said, staring at her feet, her voice flat. Lloyd turned back to the receptionist.
"U-um, okay. Please wait there for a second while I see if the President is free." Presea heard the woman talking as she looked across at Rochelle, wondering why she didn't give a surname. Perhaps she doesn't remember that either, she thought.
"That will not be necessary, he is always available for his friends."
The four people looked around at the voice and saw Regal walking down the last few steps of a rather grand staircase into the lobby. It had only been about a week since they had come to the Lezareno building last, but Regal had been out attending business then, so this was the first time they had set eyes on their friend in just over a month. Presea found herself surprised at how much older the man looked. No major changes, but just little things like how he carried himself, and the tiny wrinkles that creased his face as he smiled in greeting. She attributed it to the pressures of running a company as big as Lezareno.
"Regal!" Lloyd walked forward to shake the older man's hand in a warm greeting. "How have you been? Cutting a pretty fine figure in that suit!"
"This? Well, I cannot say I am entirely comfortable with regularly wearing this kind of attire, but it is growing on me." He smiled. "Lloyd! It's good to see you again."
Presea smiled warmly at Regal as he approached her, and embraced him. It still seemed odd to see him without his hands bound, even though she had been the one who had severed the shackles. "How have you been Presea? It has been a while."
"It has…truth be told, it has been too long. But I am doing well." She looked across at Lloyd quickly, feeling a sudden rush of warmth fill her as she thought of her partner. "Very well."
"Yes, you look as though you are. That's good to know." Regal glanced at Rochelle, who was leaning over the front desk and generally making a nuisance of herself to the receptionist. "And it would appear you have an extra companion. An unusual one at that."
"Oh…yes we do." Presea looked across at the Felesian and found herself sighing. Is this what she called being formal? "Her name is Rochelle. She is of a race of beings called Felesian's. They are…unusual."
The girl's ears pricked at the sound of her name, and she whirled around on the spot, catching the scowling receptionist's nose with her tail. "S'up, Presea babe?"
Presea found herself colouring as Lloyd tried to suppress a grin and Regal raised an eyebrow, amused.
"She is…ah, slightly gregarious. Rochelle, this is Regal Bryant, the friend we came here to see and the President of the Lezareno Company."
"Oh…" Rochelle paused, a hand over her mouth in shock. Presea found the effect quite endearing as the Felesian grabbed hold of her rogue tail and fiddled with it as she spoke, looking very awkward. "…Um, p-pleased to m-meet you Mr. President. I'm Rochelle, but I-I think Presea mentioned that already, so I guess I don't have to…even though I just did…haha." Her nervous laughter echoed about the lobby and Presea became aware of the eyes of other workers on them.
"Gregarious?" Regal said with a smile.
"Well…she normally is…" Presea trailed off as the Felesian stuck out her tongue at her before bounding up to where they were all standing..
"Ah, the hell with it…I can't do formal, Presea babe – sorry." She grinned broadly as she held out her hand. "I'm Rochelle, Mr Bryant – pleased to meet'cha."
Regal shook her hand. "Just Regal will be fine. So, you've been taken under the wing of Presea and Lloyd then?"
"Oh yeah mister!" Presea watched Rochelle as her eyes began to gleam excitedly. "Big Sister and Lloyd have been great to me. They saved me from harassment at the hands of those Meltokio…um…"
"…Royal guards." Presea finished. "Because you were stealing."
"Huh…well, not…oh, you make it sound so…wrong! I told ya why Big Sis. Hey Lloyd! Let's have a peek at that cool looking picture over there."
As Rochelle dragged the reluctant swordsman away Presea found herself smiling. She couldn't quite figure out why such a strange overwhelming force seemed to draw her to the Felesian, and she felt such a level of affection for the girl that it confused her.
"Aren't those your clothes?" Regal asked after a few moments.
"Yes. Rochelle required some new items of clothing." Presea paused. "She is…"
"An unusual girl," said the blue haired man.
"Yes she is, but…I don't know, sometimes I get this feeling that she is hiding something. There was an occasion earlier where she became very fragile. Sometimes it seems that that she just requires companionship."
"Like you did."
He said the words simply, but Presea understood the depth behind them. It was true, there were moments where the Felesian had seemed almost lonely. During those times, Presea could recall how she used to be when she first met Lloyd and his friends and there were indeed some similarities – except Rochelle seemed to try to hide hers through being loud.
"Perhaps," she replied at last. "She cannot remember much about her past until five years ago. I am not sure whether it is because of such similarities that I get this feeling of…familiarity when I look at her." She realised she was thinking out loud too much and smiled at Regal apologetically. "Perhaps I am just confused. There is still a lot of things I do not understand."
He placed a hand on her shoulder. "It will come in time," he said reassuringly, looking around the busy lobby. "Why don't you all come up to my office – we can talk there. It's a lot more private…and more comfortable."
"I see, so there were Exspheres still present in the Fooji storage facility." Regal looked out of large window behind his heaving, yet tidy desk and stroked his chin in thought. "I wonder how many of the older facilities still contain them."
Presea watched Lloyd as he leaned back into the comfortable sofa they were sitting on. "Facility? You have to be joking! That was just some dingy network of caves in a mountain. But yeah, we disposed of them."
Rochelle sat up suddenly on the sofa opposite, her attention turning suddenly away from the fish tank on the cupboard beside her. "Disposed of what? Those…Exsphere things?"
Lloyd looked across at the Felesian. "Yeah, that's right. It's kind of what we do."
Regal nodded as he turned around. "Exspheres are…complicated things. But the course of action we take is for the best."
"But…what about people who have Exspheres? What do you do with them?" Rochelle looked at her feet. "I-I mean, you have them."
"That's true." Lloyd looked at the Exsphere on his hand and sighed. "I guess it must sound kind of stupid right? We use our own Exspheres to give us the strength and abilities needed to be able to dispose of other ones. But once we have finished in this task, our own will probably go the same way." To Presea, he sounded almost sad as he said those words.
"There are those who would use them for their own immoral deeds," said Regal, taking a seat beside the young Felesian. "Did you know that Exspheres are nurtured and created through the loss of a human's life?"
Rochelle shook her head, silent. Her hair was falling loose around her face, but she looked sad, and Presea had a strange feeling that something was wrong.
"Knowing what Exspheres are, and still choosing to abuse them in such a way – it is an unforgivable crime." Regal smiled sadly. "Yet there are many people who do. That is why we do what we do."
"I-I see." Rochelle's voice had become soft, and her face had a pink tint to it though she kept her head down. "U-um, do you have a bathroom I could use mister, please?"
"Of course," Regal replied. "Turn left when you leave this room and it's the second door on the left round the corner. Would you like me to show you?"
"No, it's Ok, I'll find it." The Felesian rose quickly and dashed from the room. Lloyd raised an eyebrow. "Uh, is she all right?"
Presea stared at the door Rochelle had left by. "I do not think so."
Regal looked concerned. "Oh…did I say something wrong?"
Rochelle slammed the door to the bathroom and locked it, sliding to the floor. She stayed there for a second, trying to get her breathing under control. She felt a dizzying nausea overwhelm her, and her eyes burned as she wiped tears away from them.
"Grandpa, why? Why didn't you tell me?" She sniffed, bringing a hand up protectively over her upper arm. "They're gonna hate me now."
Presea had been tormenting herself, trying to decide whether or not to go after the young Felesian. It was not likely that Rochelle would talk about anything that was concerning her – after all, she hadn't done so yet – but Presea felt like she wanted to at least show she was concerned. In the end, she decided she would wait a few minutes, and then go and check.
She listened absently to Lloyd explaining his plan to Regal, about taking a break for a while to go and visit everybody.
It seems like a good idea," the older man said. "You have both been hunting Exspheres continuously for some time now. Plus, until I can get some of the archive records shipped here it is going to be a while until I can be of further help. As it is, Altamira is filled up to near full capacity with all manner of airborne ships, so I doubt the cargo ship transporting the records is going to be able to dock here any time soon."
"Yeah," Lloyd nodded. "What was with all those ships anyway? I've never seen so many in one place before."
"Most of them are here for the Altamira Cup, I imagine. It's held the day after tomorrow."
"The what?"
"Altamira Cup. Since the advent of cheap aerial transportation, competitiveness has developed quickly in the skies. Who has the fastest, who owns the most powerful – things like that. Several different cities and venues hold races for the private vessel owner to pit his or her wits against others in races. Altamira's is just one of many, although it is one of the most popular."
Lloyd frowned. "Sounds weird."
"Well, you should stay around for a few days as it can actually be quite interesting. You can always see the race yourself – I have to attend, being the president, but I can accommodate guests too. The view from the president's box is quite impressive."
"Cool," Lloyd looked across at Presea, smiling brightly. "What do you think?"
"I do not mind." The pink haired girl returned his smile. "It is, after all, time spent with friends – we should all just enjoy ourselves." She found her gaze falling back on the door, "Please excuse me, I just want to see if Rochelle is all right."
"Of course Presea." Regal smiled, "But do hurry back, I've had a guest staying at my house the past couple of days who wanted to see you both, and I sent word to have them brought over when I saw you arrive here. They should be here presently."
Presea nodded. "Then I shall be brief."
She left the room and walked to the bathroom Regal had indicated earlier. She tried the door, but it was locked, so she rapped on it, the heavy wooden thumps echoing down the corridor.
"Rochelle? Are you in there?"
There was a long pause, and the sound of someone moving about quickly. "Yeah babe, I'm in here. Just freshening up, y'know." She laughed, but it came out muffled through the thickness of the door and sounded strained.
"Rochelle…are you feeling all right?"
The door was unlocked then, and the Felesian came out, stepping out into the corridor. She had been crying, that much was obvious, but she had washed her face with water in an attempt to hide it. The stains were still there though, shining in the afternoon light through the windows in the corridor.
"I'm fine, why shouldn't I be?" Rochelle smiled but, like the laugh, it seemed forced and empty.
Presea paused, returning the girl's stare. "If you are sure…"
"Yeah, 'course I'm fine." Rochelle scratched an ear. "C'mon! I'll race ya back."
The Felesian spun round and ran up the corridor. She rounded the corner and disappeared from sight. A few seconds later Presea heard a collision, and a pair of "Ow's" filled the air. She hurried round the corner.
Rochelle was picking herself of the floor and rubbing her tail, looking slightly sheepish and unsteady on her feet. Beside her, face down on the floor, was another girl. Her straw blonde hair was long, and fastened in two long ponytails that would probably reach down to her waist when she was standing. Her clothing was certainly exotic for Altamira standards, but as she stared at it Presea recognised it was Mizuho in origin. As the girl rolled over with a groan, Presea felt an immense joy well up inside of her.
"Colette!" She exclaimed, "What are you doing here?"