"So, it was the Dawn Shard that brought down the Imperial fleet," Basch muses in a low voice.
"You know your stuff," Balthier replies dryly, slowly pacing the length of the dusty, dark room.
Ashe leans against a rough wooden table, twisting the silver rings on her slender fingers. Penelo and Fran sit at the table beside her, Basch standing at the head of the rectangular cut of wood. My arms are crossed, my back pressed against the cold stone of the wall as I watch the scene before me unfold. My muscles ache and dark bags mark the skin beneath Vaan's eyes but Ashe insisted that we head back to Rabanastre to regroup immediately.
"Destructive power of such force—I've seen it once before," Basch continues, turning fully to the princess before him. Vaan stretches his arms over his head, falling against the wall beside me with a yawn. "Lady Ashe, you know of what I speak."
"Nabudis," Ashe murmurs, settling on the edge of the bench pulled up to the table. Penelo watches them converse with a deep-set interest in her shining eyes. A curiosity blessing those of such youth who've yet to know true agony.
"The capital of Old Nabradia—Lord Rasler's fatherland." And Rasler is her late husband. Together they were to rule the alliance between Nabradia and Dalmasca. What a fiasco this all turned out to be. I sigh. Then again, creating fiascos seems to be Vayne's specialty. "At the time of the invasion, a division of Imperial's entered the city…" Basch takes a deep breath, shaking his head. "There was a mighty explosion. Friend and foe alike died. Something was there—one of the Dynast-King's relics. The Midlight Shard was in Nabradia." Balthier hums, leaning one arm against a pillar of stone and resting his other hand on his hip. His eyes fall to the floor as he speaks, his voice drained.
"More nethicite. Well, no wonder they invaded."
"That ridiculous war," Ashe scoffs, turning the Dawn Shard over in her hands. "The trap at the treaty signing—all this because Vayne wanted power." I scoff, rolling my eyes. That's all he's ever after. However, is it not what you're seeking, Lady Ashe? "He must not be allowed to claim the nethicite. The Empire must never hold it." She clutches the stone to her chest. Balthier huffs, turning to face her with his arms crossed.
"Oh? They already do." He cocks his head to the side. "The Dusk Shard, most likely the Midlight Shard, too. Besides," he continues, his voice growing exponentially bitter. "Can't they manufact nethicite now?"
"Very well," Ashe leaps to her feet. "Then the path set before us is clear. We'll use the Dawn Shard to fight them!" Her voice grows soft, her eyes narrowing. "Dalmasca does not forget kindness, nor ill deed done." Balthier falls back against the wall, another unreadable expression overtaking his face. "With sword in hand she aids her allies. Sword in hand, she lays rest to her foes. This nethicite I hold must be my sword. I will avenge those who have died. And the Empire… it will know remorse."
"That was a nice speech, but I don't see how you plan for seven of us to take down the Empire with a glittering rock," I reply impatiently. She frowns turning to face me and opening her mouth to speak. I cut her off. "Yes, I understand it's a relic from Raithwall and its power is good and well." I shrug, refusing to break eye contact. "However, I will have you know that Vayne of House Solidor is far more ruthless than you could ever picture in the bounds of your base fairy-tale imagination."
"Yes, and you would know of such things," she bites back. "Though, I have yet to see you admit yourself fully from your claims to Vayne's ties." I huff, rolling my eyes.
"You forget; not all of us can break our bonds and run like the heroic wildlings of our nursery rhymes." An incredibly sour smile tears across my lips. "Some ties, Princess, cannot ever be undone." Suspiciously, her eyes narrow and fall to the gleam of light hitting the rings on my fingers.
"The nethicite can break even your bonds, Shae." There's a long pause. Vaan pushes off the wall, head tilted.
"Do you even know how to use it?" The question is innocent, purely curious. Ashe turns to face him, her resolve crumbling.
"I…" she breaks off with a hopeless sigh. Fran's ears twitch and her head straightens, level with Ashe's.
"The garif may know." We all turn to face her, watching as the viera faces forward once more. "The garif people live by the old ways. Magicite lore is a part of their culture. They may hear it. The cry of the nethicite's power." She stands, turning to face the princess abruptly. "Whispers of the Stone's menace."
Ashe leaps to her feet, brushing by Basch to stand before the towering viera. In her hands, she clutches the shimmering Dawn Shard.
"Dangerous though it may be, what we need now is power." She comes to a stop before Fran, Balthier watching the princess carefully. I'm careful to keep my eye on him—he's up to something. "Should we declare Dalmasca free without the means to defend our claim, the Empire would crush us." Her voice is pleading, her eyes full of desperation. "You must take me to meet with the garif." Fran eyes her momentarily before speaking.
"They live beyond Ozmone Plain."
"Not exactly close," Balthier speaks up, pacing toward Ashe. I feel my muscles go stiff, weary of the man's intentions.
"Compensation, is that what you want?" Ashe demands. Balthier smiles, his voice morphing into a dangerous purr.
"Straight to point, aren't we?" He lowers his chin to see the close princess better. "I like that." He cocks his head to the side, motioning toward Ashe's hand. "Compensation? How about the ring." Something flashes in Ashelia's eyes.
"This?! Isn't there something else?" Balthier shakes his head, shrugging and holding out a hand.
"No one's forcing you."
Sighing, Ashe reluctantly pulls the glittering silver ring from her finger and watches it glint in the room's dim light. A wedding ring? Come now, Balthier. I shake my head, tearing my eyes away as she drops the metal band into the sky pirate's waiting palm. Balthier looks from the ring to the princess's face and closes his hand around the jewelry.
"I'll give it back to you—as soon as I find something more valuable." I fight a smile, shaking my head. A guarantee for treasure. I like the sound of that. Ashe turns away swiftly, pacing the room. Vaan frowns.
"What do you mean 'something more valuable'?" he asks, approaching the pirate. Balthier shrugs.
"Hard to say. I'll know when I find it."
"It's more of a place holder for any treasure he might find," I explain, cocking my head to the side. "A bit of a low blow, Balthier, but you do what you must, I suppose." Balthier scoffs, heading toward the door with everyone else. He pauses, turning to look back at the two of us.
"What is it you want, then? Adventure, riches, something like that?" He shakes his head slightly when I frown. "I've got the compensation; treasure goes to me and Fran. Best find a new way to pay your debt." I scoff, brushing past him to leave the room.
"You keep thinking like that and you'll wake up having been robbed blind." I toss a mischievous smile over my shoulder. "Don't give me more incentive, Balthier. You'd hate to be that poor bastard." My smile falls as I face forward, tracing the stone walls as I walk, closing my eyes and picturing the smile of Dern. That grin, that laugh, that joy… It's all motivation enough. Vayne will pay. Jonan is a trouble for another day.
We gather outside the meeting room, in the midst of busy, bustling Rabanastre streets. I have to huddle close in the circle to hear Basch's voice, my shoulders pressed to one of Fran's and one of Penelo's.
"The garif are said to dwell in Kerwon," the knight explains. Balthier nods.
"So they do. We'll need to head south, past the Giza Plains."
"It is the Rains now in Giza—the wadis will be swollen with the deluge," Basch points out, blue eyes flickering from face to face. A seeq knocks into my back and I quell the flash of annoyance that presses into my chest. "Passage may be difficult."
"I know something of the plains," I reply, raising my voice in order to be heard. "Those waters can be dangerous or they can be a mild annoyance, depending on how well you know that area."
"Those same waters may also lay open new routes for us," Balthier adds.
"Regardless, we must go south, yes?" Ashe asks.
"First things first," Balthier starts, eyeing the princess. "You're eager to be on your way, I know, but we should see that we're prepared before setting out." Ashe shakes her head.
"I made my resolve two years ago. I swore to overcome any hardship I may face."
"Man cannot live by resolve alone, Princess."
"It seems I've been doing fine for quite some time," I retort, flashing a sheepish grin.
"Yes, and you're some sort of head case I've yet to understand," Balthier mutters.
The conversation ends when Vaan runs out of the building we left behind, knocking into a bangaa. Said bangaa hisses at him in warning and continues on his way. The thief elbows his way between me and Penelo, giving a grin.
"So, what's the plan?"
"Get all you need for the journey now; we're heading far south through the Giza Plains," I explain.
"Giza?" Vaan raises an eyebrow, smiling like a fool. "I've heard of it. Never been, though."
"It's your lucky day, then," Balthier replies, peering at the crowds over Ashe's head. "We must be on our way soon."
"Yes, don't forget to buy a few spells if you can afford it," I wink. Penelo giggles, shaking her head and elbowing Vaan.
"I'm sure he's got that under control."
"Hey!" Vaan protests.
We break apart with a promise of meeting at the South Gate of Rabanastre in half an hour. I head straight for the nearest bazaar stand full of odds and ends. I pull out a small pouch of bits and bobs I collected from monsters in Raithwall's Tomb and barter for a small pouch of five hundred gil. I cannot help but feel wary as I search the crowds for a familiar head of blonde hair, towering over the rest.
Wary is the right feeling to have; all too soon, I spot the young man wandering the crowd, though he has yet to see me. Curious and beating down the feeling of dread, I follow him carefully, keeping an eye on gleaming fair hair and a pale leather vest. I slip past seeq, hume, and bangaa alike, occasionally spotting a lone viera towering above the crowd. Finally, Jonan turns into an alleyway, glancing over his shoulder twice before turning a final corner. I keep my distance carefully, now far away from the crowds of Rabanastre.
A bangaa with violet scales stands waiting at the end of an alleyway. Jonan greets him with a mutter, silently accepting a green glass bottle and taking a swig. He leans back against the wall, deep blue eyes scanning the bangaa over as he crosses his arms. The young pirate takes another drink before speaking.
"Have you found anything?"
"Not yet," the bangaa replies in a raspy voice, shaking his head. "She seems to have vanished alongside the main members of the Resistance."
"Of course she has." Are they talking about me? There's another long pause. "Do you remember why I hired you?"
"To locate the p…"
"Yes, to locate her," Jonan replies bitterly. His bottle shatters on the ground as he reaches for his rapier, pressing the slim point into the poor bangaa's throat. "And you've yet to do so. It's been nearly a week and I'm no closer to finding her. I do believe that's what they call a waste of time and resources."
"Wait! I can convince another one of—"
"Too late," Jonan shrugs. With that, he twists his blade upward through the base of the bangaa's jaw and up into his skull. The reptilian body before him crumples to the ground. With a grunt of disgust, Jonan flings the blood from his slender blade to the cobblestone. Taking a deep breath, I step away from the shadows.
"Quite the business you run these days, isn't it?" Jonan starts, lapis colored eyes staring hard at me. "You could have been patient, you know."
"And who are you to speak of patience?" he scoffs, sheathing his sword and watching me carefully. "Why are you here?" I pull out my bag of gil, waving it tauntingly with a raised eyebrow.
"Have you forgotten? I told you I would pay you eventually."
"Yes, you did, didn't you?" He reaches for the bag; I pull it just out of his reach, grinning. "You're hardly in a position to withhold this from me, Shae."
"I only need you to listen," I shake my head, trying to drown out the sound of my heartbeat as he steps closer, eyebrow arched. "I'm leaving to travel through the Giza Plains. Heading south and all. I'm giving you a fair warning this time—I'll be very hard to find."
"I don't plan on staying here another night," Jonan shakes head. "However, I have my ways. I'll find a way." I scoff, nodding toward the bleeding body behind him.
"Is that one of them? Your ways?"
"Are you going to pay me or should we continue where we left off in the Sand Sea?"
"I suppose I'll have to decline that offer," I reply smoothly, pressing the pouch into his chest. He scoffs, taking the bag in one hand and my chin in the other.
"Well then, I suppose I'll have to wait until I see you again, eh?"
"You're damn right you will."
Chuckling, he swiftly leans down and presses a kiss to my lips. Moments later, he's brushing past, tucking his payment away into his pocket. Shaking my head, a take a deep breath and beg the gods to erase the flush from my cheeks as I hurry out of the alley and toward the South Gate. That twisted bastard… Who's he off to ruin now?