The aerodrome is busy as always, filled with people of strange accents and dress. A foreign city hidden high up in the clouds, lost from the mainland and hung by the Empire's invisible puppet-strings. As if on cue, a group of Imperial soldiers rushes into the port, looking around wildly. Balthier leans over to mutter something to Basch and the captain nods.
"No good, he's not here," one of the soldiers huffs, turning to face the other two.
"Keep searching!" another commands. "This way!"
"You're a dead man," Balthier says, leading the way out of the aerodrome. "Don't forget it." He looks over his shoulder pointedly. "And no names."
"Of course," Basch replies lowly.
The city is built from faded stone, monochrome as ever. In the distance, swoops of bright blue crystal rise from the ground and give off a gentle, pulsing glow. The wind is gentle, chilling my skin as the dense gray clouds hide the sun. Beautiful. Will night ever fall if we keep chasing the sun?
"The Lhusu Mines are just up ahead," Balthier says, leading us past conversing friends and couples alike. "Though, I do hear there's not much left there these days."
"The Empire likely sucked it dry of its magicite," I shrug, earning a curious look from Vaan. Before he can speak, another terribly familiar voice stings my ears. It seems my past wants to yap at my heels these days.
"You're on your way to the mines?" We turn to see a small boy holding himself up on the edge of the bridge's walls, peering down at the clouds below us. A head of sleek black hair turns to reveal pale blue eyes and an assertive expression. "Then please, allow me to accompany you." Gods, of all the things he could've done… "I've an errand to attend to there." The glint of his ruby earrings catches my eye and I nearly groan. Way to blend in, Mr. Upper Class.
"What manner of errand?" Basch asks, looking down at the boy hesitantly.
"What errand? I might ask the same of you." He looks up at the captain, a dark eyebrow raised. Balthier, obviously annoyed with his narrowed eyes and tight jaw, shoots a glance to Basch. I sigh; the boy's "way with words" never subsided.
"Right, come on then."
"Excellent," the boy replies, dusting off his bunched silk pants.
"Do me a favor and stay where I can keep my eye on you," Balthier adds, hands resting on his hips and head lifted high. "Should be less trouble that way."
"For us both," the child nods.
"So what's your name?" Vaan asks, crossing his tanned arms.
"Oh, I…" The boy turns to face him and I chew on the inside of my cheek when his eyes flicker over to mine in quick question. After the slightest bit of stuttering, he answers with flushed cheeks. "I'm Lamont." He tears his eyes away from mine to look at Vaan. As thick-headed as he is, I have to admire Vaan for his genuine concern.
"Don't worry," he replies, misreading "Lamont's" hesitancy. "I don't know what's in that mine, Lamont, but you're in good hands." He grins, turning to face the captain. "Right, Basch?"
If the boy and his little act made me want to smack my head against the ground repeatedly, Vaan's slip-up has me ready to launch myself over the edge of this bridge and fall into the concrete sea miles below. Balthier's jaw drops as he exchanges a bewildered look between Basch and the thief and Fran sighs, disappointed. Unfazed, Vaan rests a hand on Lamont's shoulder, smiling at the captain. And then he realizes, his face falling. Balthier shrugs, rolling his eyes and performing the same odd half-wink I've seen so often. Basch sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose.
"Let's get a move on, then." I break the silence, shoving Basch's armored shoulder and nodding toward our guest. "This boy looks in a hurry."
"It's Lamont," the boy repeats, an earnest look overtaking his face that only I can read. I give him the slightest nod, a seal on a silent agreement. You go with my façade and I'll go with yours.
"It seems you know the city well," Balthier replies a bit tensely.
"You gave us the direction to the mines," I counter. I don't refuse his wayward "take the lead if you know so much" offer, walking in front of the others with a bit more of a taunting sway to each step. "Although, if the leading man is already so tired to have given the control to me, I'll happily oblige."
"Control," he mutters. Fran glances at him, amused. Lamont quickly finds his way to my side, but he never seems to pry Vaan off of him. A pity.
"Do you live here, Lamont?" Vaan asks, nudging our newest addition. The boy looks remarkably uncomfortable, offering me that "help" glance now and then.
"I find it unwise that I should tell a stranger where I reside," he replies simply.
"Hey, I'm from Rabanastre," Vaan shrugs. "See? Wasn't that hard."
"Lay off him, Vaan," I huff, giving him a stern look. "No need for an interrogation."
"It's quite alright," Lamont starts, shutting his mouth when my scowl turns in his direction.
We head south through the sky-strewn city. Shops line the streets and people wander from place to place, speaking of the Empire, the Marquis, and where they might find the newest madhu brewery. Not a terrible place to lay low, if the Fates smile on me. I'll help them rescue the girl and then I'll bolt. A simple, and hopefully accomplishable, plan. The further we go from the main city, the more the gentle chill of Nhujerba brushes my skin, raising sharp goosebumps. Before long, the mouth to the Lhusu Mines is wide open and dead ahead, enraptured in darkness as the sun begins to fall below the crystal mountains of the floating island.
"Here we are!" I announce, crossing my arms. "The Bhujerban Lhusu Mines, once chock full of magicite, now under Imperial—"
"What are you, a parijanah?" Balthier scoffs, interrupting my monotone speech. I only grin, letting him take the lead once again. We head down the stairs, stopping before the entrance. "This mine is one of the richest veins in Ivalice."
"Under Imperial guard, no doubt," Basch adds.
"Actually, no," Lamont speaks up, stepping forward. "With but few exceptions, the Imperial army is not permitted in Bhujerba." He motions toward the open mouth of the mines. "Well, shall we proceed?" We follow him inside the dim, stone-carved cave before Basch and Balthier take the lead, apparently inseparable friends. I can't help but give our guest a hard time.
"I suppose the children up here are always well-informed," I observe innocently. Lamont looks up at me, dark eyebrow arched.
"Yes, and I suppose all adults from below are incredibly nosey." Vaan laughs, shoving the younger boy gently.
"He got you there, Shae!"
"I'm not nosey," I reply with a shrug. "Quite the opposite actually."
"You prefer to keep everyone's business to themselves," Lamont points out, justifying his "sudden conclusion" quickly. "Is that correct?"
"Aren't you a bright one," I scoff, heading down the darkening stairs that lead further into the mine. Fran suddenly goes on high alert, motioning for us to follow her in the shadows. Hurried, we obey, not quite sure what's set her off until a group of Imperials walks into the passageway. A Judge walks beside another man dressed in fine robes, breaking the silence first.
"You will forgive me for asking, but you are diverting the purest of the magicite—"
"I can assure you it reaches Lord Vayne most discretely," the nobleman says abruptly, cutting the Judge off.
"Ha! You wear your saddle well."
"Be that as it may, I have no intention of being bridled, Your Honor," the white-haired man replies, adjusting his long, yellow coat.
"Then you prefer the whip?" The Judge turns back to face him, face disguised by a heavy horned helmet, golden just like the rest of his armor. "Stubbornness will see not only you broken, Excellency, but Bhujerba as well."
Lamont jumps from the pillared ledge we hide on first, watching the backs of the nobleman, his attendants, and the Judge leave the mines. I drop down beside him, nodding toward the yellow-coated man's back and keeping my voice low.
"Who's he?"
"Halim Ondore IV, the Marquis of Bhujerba," he answers, blue eyes narrowed as the Imperials disappear into the light of outside. "The Marquis served as mediator as the negotiations of Dalmasca's surrender." His voice takes on an edge. "It would appear that he is somewhat less neutral now."
"They say he's been helping the Resistance," Balthier says, tucking his thumbs into the pockets of his black leather pants.
"They say many things," Lamont replies, raising an eyebrow. Balthier returns the expression and I feel my heart stutter as the boy gets defensive.
"You're certainly well informed. Who did you say you were again?"
"What difference does it make?" Vaan cuts in, walking between the pirate and the child. "We have to find Penelo."
"And Penelo is your…?" Lamont starts, his accented voice trailing off. I understand that Archadians, Bhujerbans, and Dalmascans mingle quite a bit these days, but the way he speaks alone should be a tell-tale clue to the others; it makes me want to cringe.
"She's a friend. She was kidnapped and taken here," Vaan explains, turning back to face us. With that, he runs toward the tunnel that leads deeper into the mines. Choosing the better of two choices, I follow, waving for the others to get moving.
The mines are relatively empty, save for a steeling or two that drops from the ceiling to dive toward us. No one speaks much, aside from the occasional joke from Vaan and an efforted grunt from Basch. The tunnels all look the same, doubled and following a set of nonoperational railroad tracks. The occasional empty crate lines the carved walls, Fran pulls her last arrow from the body of a steeling, testing the bend.
"I should have stopped by a shop," she sighs, snapping the slender stick in two easily.
"How are you going to fight?" Vaan frowns. Before she can reply, I toss the viera my spear; she raises an eyebrow. I pull my mythril dagger from my boot.
"Don't break that, too," I warn, teasing.
Turning away to head to the upper path outside, I see Balthier staring long and hard at the weapon in his partner's grasp, eyes narrowed the slightest amount. He catches me watching and quickly sets himself into motion, leading the way down the path. I pray to the Fates that Fran doesn't hand the spear over to the curious pirate.
It's not long before the path splits. Somehow, the way we choose to go isn't a dead end. I don't want to know what happens if you go the wrong way in a creepy place like this. Even the open-aired sections of the mines are dim, the sun long gone below the horizon. The next area is rocky and dark, carved out of the underground rather than built up with ornate pillars and walkways like the rest of the mines. The only source of light is the dull glow of blue crystals scattered about, undoubtedly nethicite of some sort. Lamont hurries forward and kneels, pulling a matching blue shard from a pocket inside his shirt.
"This is what I came here to see," he mutters under his breath.
"What's that?" Vaan asks, looming over the boy's shoulder.
"It's nethicite," Lamont replies, lifting the stone higher. "Manufacted nethicite."
"Nethicite?"
"Unlike regular magicite, nethicite absorbs magickal energy. This is the fruit of research into the manufacture of nethicite. All at the hands of the Draklor Laboratory." An unreadable expression crosses Balthier's face as his eyebrows raise briefly, his eyes flickering down to the knowledgeable boy. And then it's gone and I save it for pondering later. Not that it will matter then when I'm free from this mess.
"So this is where they're getting the magicite." Lamont stands, staring up at a tall wall glowing with nethicite shards.
"Errand all attended to, then?" Balthier asks, walking toward him.
"Thank you," Lamont replies, his eyes still locked on the wall. I watch uneasily as the sky pirate gets closer. "I'll repay you shortly."
"No, you'll repay us now," Balthier corrects sternly. "We have too much on our hands to go on holding yours." Lamont turns his back to the wall, staring up at Balthier with a startled face. The pirate traps him, staring at him hard with his eyes narrowed. "So, where did you hear this fairy tale about 'nethicite'?" Shit. I bite my cheek so hard blood floods over my tongue. "And where did you get that sample you carry?" Balthier pushes him farther back against the rock, looming over him with venom laced in his voice. "What do you know about the Draklor Laboratories?" He blocks off the boy's escape by pressing his hands to the wall on either side of his head. "Tell me: who are you?" I can't take it anymore; I can't have Balthier messing up the sweet deal I've found with this boy.
"Balthier, leave him be," I snap, earning far more attention than I want. "He's only a child who knows far too much for his own good. Probably snagged nethicite off an Imperial and got curious." Balthier scowls at me, sensing there's more to this than he originally thought. Quickly, I turn this against him. "Besides, why's a sky pirate so worried about manufacted nethicite and laboratories, anyway?" Before he can give his biting reply, we're stopped by a rough voice I never wanted to hear again.
"You kept us waiting, Balthier!" The sky pirate sighs, turning with the rest of us to see four bangaa head hunters wielding glinting weapons in the entrance of the room. "You slipped away in Nalbina. We missed you!" Ba'Gamnan slams a jagged metal hoop onto a staff and the circle spins to life, whining like a power tool. "First the Judge, and now this boy. The whole affair has the smell of money about it. I may have to wet my beak a little." The crew is dangerously close before Balthier snaps his answer back sharply.
"Keep your snout in the trough where it belongs. This thinking ill befits you, Ba'Gamnan."
"Balthier!" the bangaa snarls, laughing. "Too long have I gone unpaid! I'll carve my bounty out of that boy!" Vaan steps up, aggravated.
"Where's Penelo?" he demands. "We're taking her back!"
"The girl?" the headhunter repeats with disgust. "Why keep the bait when you've landed the fish? We cut her loose on the way here and then off she ran, crying like a babe!"
Lamont, fed up, breaks past Balthier and hurls his nethicite into Ba'Gamnan's face. Panicked, the boy runs and we follow. I make a point of shoving the disoriented bangaa to the ground as I sprint past.
"Hey! Wait up!" Vaan calls, trying to catch up to Lamont's hurried speed. But the boy knows he's been caught by both parties; he won't be slowing anytime soon.
"We'll not be able to take them all!" Balthier calls. "Fight who we must, leave the rest!"
I run beside Basch at the back, legs pumping hard to escape from the bloodthirsty headhunters. I could easily catch up to Lamont, but to do so would raise even more suspicion than I've already aroused. So instead I stay at the back, pretending to run out of breath now and then. The whine of Ba'Gamnan's saw keeps me going strong, Basch breathing heavily to my right. Why did we have to go so far in?
Lamont quickly disappears from sight for good, no sign of the curious boy left anywhere. Not surprising. When he doesn't want to be found, he makes it impossible to locate him. At least until he gets a head start. Finally, Basch and I break off, heading left where the others head right and jumping back into their path at the last second. Hiding behind a wall, we all stop to catch our breath.
"It would not seem they follow," Fran comments, listening hard for the sound of footsteps. "We've lost them." Balthier stretches his arms over his head and yawns as if this is part of his daily schedule.
"Much more running about with bangaa at my heels…" He drops his arms, shaking his head with a slight smile. "And I'm apt to give up sky pirating altogether."
The walk back is silent, no animals of any sort deciding to pick a fight. I can feel the stares burning into my back as I walk, keeping my distance far ahead of the others to avoid questions. It's none of their business; frankly, it's better for everyone if I keep my secrets to myself. They're secrets because common knowledge makes people angry and gets innocents killed.
On our way outside, I spot Lamont heading straight for the cluster of Imperials we saw earlier outside, head held high. The others rush toward thick pillars, hiding and spying. Basch loosely takes hold of my arm, pulling me back into the shadows. Thank the Fates no one saw me. I was too lost in my head to realize I should hide.
"I see you've been out walking without the company of your cortege, Lord Larsa" the Judge comments, facing the boy head on. I fight the urge to gauge everyone's reaction and watch on. A pair of soldiers moves to the side to reveal the blonde girl who fought to see Vaan at his arrest. Penelo. Vaan emerges from his hiding place, trying to run toward her, only to have Balthier pull him back with a scowl.
"We caught her wandering out of the mines," a guard reports. "You must take care with such undesirables about."
"I was kidnapped!" Penelo protests.
"Silence!" The Judge stares her down through his golden helmet, only for his gaze to be broken by Larsa's words.
"If it is a crime to wander on one's own, then I, too, am guilty." He turns to face the Judge with no hesitation, raising an eyebrow. I wrestle with a smile, overjoyed to see one of House Solidor's dogs put in his place. Larsa turns away. "Marquis. I trust our estate can accommodate another guest?"
"Why not?" the Marquis replies, offering a smile to Penelo.
"Judge Ghis, I shall heed your counsel. I will not travel unaccompanied any longer."
With that, Larsa takes Penelo's hand and hurries away. Vaan huffs as the Imperials leave, watching his friend go with the boy Balthier was so very interested in just thirty minutes ago.
"What's Penelo doing?" he mutters as we regroup. "And what's the deal with that Lamont?"
"That's no 'Lamont'," Balthier cuts in, turning to watch the boy walk off into the night streets of Bhujerba. "Larsa Ferrinas Solidor. Fourth son to Emperor Gramis… and younger brother to Vayne."
"What? That kid?!"
"Do not worry," Fran assures him, a hand rested on her hip. "I believe he will treat her well." Balthier smiles, shrugging dramatically.
"Nobody knows men like Fran does."
"Our purposes lead the same way: to Ondore," Basch says, immediately changing the subject. "We must find means to approach him."
"The Marquis is channeling money to organizations opposing the Empire," Balthier explains as we head back toward the town. "We'll start there." He looks up toward the starry night sky. "However, it would be wise to rest up before we do so. Penelo is in good hands for now."
"I guess," Vaan replies, defeated. He yawns, lacing his fingers together behind his head. "So… that Larsa. If he's so important, why didn't anyone recognize him?" I tear my eyes away to something oh-so-interesting in the distance, but I can feel Balthier staring at me pointedly.
"I wouldn't say nobody." We continue walking toward the inn, though the brief, tense break in conversation is enough to get my heart racing and my lungs begging for fresh air. "Care to explain, Shae?" I remain tight-lipped a moment longer, scanning over the citizens of the city and ignoring all the eyes locked on me. Then I sigh, having built the simplest of tales.
"A deal made about a year ago. Nothing special, just a trade-off, a clear bounty, and a promise to never acknowledge each other in the presence of company." I shrug, dropping my knife down into my boot. "I previously had a partner who insisted on the whole thing, so I went along. Didn't see it fit to drop it after he was gone."
"Your partner, what happened to him?" Vaan asks.
I say no more, pushing the door to the inn open and dropping a bag of gil on the counter. Without a word, I pull my spear from Fran's grasp, take my key, and lock myself in my room. I should wash up, but for now, I throw myself onto the rough bed and shut my eyes. I swore I would help them get Penelo back, but I should've known it wouldn't be as simple as I originally thought. I don't know why I think anything's simple anymore. Nothing ever is.