Chapter 45

The Pact and a Proposition

Ballad held the sea rod firmly, his mind wandering. Having worked on board the Ross Torama for the last six days without complaint, he had been given the day off. The ship had slowed to haul in schools of the abundant blue-fin tuna and marlin. Any of the regular crew not on shift were also fishing recreationally.

The old sidewinder trawler had reached the sapphire waters in the middle of the picturesque Albatross Archipelago, currently sailing by one of the flawless white bays of the nearest island. Isolated dream homes were visible beyond the sand, populated exclusively by celebrities and entrepreneurs before the annexation. It too was home to holiday resorts, amusement parks and golf courses, now owned by the Empire and largely reserved for the families of imperial soldiers on leave. Beholding it for the first time since his mid-teens, Ballad agreed the Albatross was one of the most beautiful locations in the world. His own nation's Longhorn Island did not come close.

Tyris joined the Garland leader at the rail as she lit one of her cigarettes. Something in Ballad's mind always flicked when he spoke with her, and he had a great appreciation of simply being in her presence. Ballad never forced the meetings, always leaving their paths to cross by chance. Though this was not the first time Tyris had gone out of her way to speak to him.

Ballad was old enough to remember Sorceress Edea's beauty. Tyris had inherited her flawless looks, despite not moving with her grace; she was more like her warrior father and brother in demeanour. Cid's traits were also evident in Tyris; her face was somewhat broader and her jaw firmer. Her skin had bronzed under the equatorial sun, which had also added to the blonde highlights of her dark hair. She was barefoot, wearing just a white tank top and high-cut beige shorts.

The Garland leader was aware of what had befallen Tyris as a child. When his gaze had respectfully lingered on her retiring upper half in the mess one night, Thalassa had perhaps jokingly warned him that Tyris preferred the company of the same sex. Consequentially, Ballad had developed a brusque manner around the former double agent – which was unnatural for him. Their conversations out on deck, or in the mess, had been of a general nature. They had also compared notes on their experiences within the military.

'I thought you'd be doing something else with your time,' Tyris said after a moment. 'Now you're not elbow deep in tuna guts.'

Ballad had long since noted her vaguely Esthari accent. He figured that her original diction had been bastardised from being moved around so much. She took a long drag on her smoke and continued to look at him as she exhaled. Ballad unconsciously gave her the same cocky grin he would give many a woman, but retracted it as soon as he caught himself.

'This is different,' he responded, then carefully added, 'I was raised by my grandfather, in Whitecliff. He was a keen angler, like most of the old guys there.'

'My mother was from Whitecliff,' Tyris replied cautiously. 'I only learnt that recently, though.'

Ballad looked at her. 'Sorceress Edea? Of course, she was,' he trailed off.

'I think she moved away when she was still young, though.' Tyris went on. 'She succeeded Jadis when she was five, and I have no idea what happened to her parents. I lived in Balamb until I was seven, raised by my brother and Fujin, but was evacuated before the invasion.'

Ballad stole a glance at her sidelong profile as she spoke, but returned his gaze to the waves after she stopped talking.

'I'm sorry about your father,' Tyris said suddenly.

Ballad sighed slowly, then shrugged. 'Vinzer Deling was an asshole,' he said firmly. 'Though it's what happened to my mother that affects me more. She loved my father, for better or for worse. And with the assassination of the whole Cabinet, she went from being the First Lady to being precisely nobody overnight. It was only by chance she wasn't killed, too. She had no choice but to move in with Grandpa at Whitecliff, and she couldn't let go. Her broken heart consumed her, and she started drinking heavily. I found her, dead from alcohol poisoning, after fishing out with Grandpa one day. Garden had returned to the Monterosa by then, and after the funeral, I asked him if I could enlist.

'As the only child of a dictator, it's likely I would have been groomed for succession. But I didn't care about any of that. Whether or not my father deserved to die is open to debate, but I blamed Sorceress Edea for what happened to my mother. All I knew was that Edea went into hiding after her defeat at the Battle of the Gardens. That for some reason, the Lionheart let her live. I vowed that I would one day find Edea and take revenge.'

As he paused. Tyris just said, 'That's perfectly understandable. A sentiment shared by many that lost loved ones in the Second war.'

Ballad continued. 'I threw myself headlong into training with arms and para-magic at Garden. I excelled at the top of every class, acing every test. I learned everything I could about Guardian Forces, as I knew the Children of Fate needed their power to prevail over Edea at Centra. I passed the prerequisites for joining Garland at fifteen, becoming a badged member of the Regiment along with my closest friends, Siegfried and Nadia.'

He glanced at Tyris, who was still listening attentively.

'Though it was during our trial at the Jade Passage that something passed between Cerberus and I. I knew the Gatekeeper had been warped by Edea before the Battle of the Gardens. After gaining his approval, I told him that one day I would return to the Jade Passage. That I would seek to be the first to junction with him since the Torama Fang. That, together, we would exact vengeance upon the Sorceress that wronged us both.

'Of course, Xu told Cerberus the truth after Centra. That it had been Ultimecia that warped him, and not Edea. But I was still unaware of this. I didn't mention Edea by name, and Cerberus just nodded his heads at me. One year later, news reached Garden of Edea's death. Murdered in a stone orphanage in Centra, along with your father. I had no idea why Edea would be sheltering children. I always assumed that she was killed by people with a like mind to myself, and that Cid had simply been killed defending his wife. Afterward, thinking my avengement forever denied to me, I put all my focus into my military career, not suspecting that the Sorceress responsible for my own fate was the one that was steadily putting the free world under Esthar's shadow.'

Ballad met her eyes again. 'That's why Cerberus sought me out after Xu's death. It wasn't a spontaneous choice. Sorceress Ultimecia has emerged in the present, and now we can honour that pact formed in Jade Passage.'

Tyris just said, 'Feel free to stand by me when I face her.'

Ballad had not had a bite for a while, thinking that maybe he should check his bait.

'It looks amazing, here,' he commented, taking in the sight of the nearby island again. 'I haven't been here since Balamb's fall, either.'

'I've never been in one place for too long, since leaving Balamb,' Tyris said. 'I thought about buying a boat after the war. Certainly not a stinking trawler, though. When we get to the Fire Cavern, I'll be throwing these clothes into the magma!'

Ballad murmured in agreement, all the while thinking that winning the war was not a given. Furthermore, an end to the war was something that seemed incomprehensible to people of Ballad's generation. He had still been a boy at the end of the last peacetime, which seemed like a barely remembered dream now. He would not permit himself fantasies of teeing off on a golf resort or sailing the Albatross in a pleasure yacht until Balamb had been liberated, at the very least.

Nothing more was said for a time, but Tyris made no move to leave after stubbing her second filter into a standing ashtray. Ballad reeled in his line and saw that a cheeky tiddler had made off with his bait. Attaching a new meshed mackerel ball to the large hook, he cast back out. The trawlermen mostly used live bait when game fishing, but he opted not to hook a live fish in front of Tyris. He was concentrating on the tip of his rod when she spoke again.

'So,' she said. 'Do you have a woman waiting for you back in Galbadia, Trooper?'

There had been a couple of times, whilst knocking back tankards of ale in the mess, that Ballad thought Tyris might have been giving him signals of romantic interest. But he would not allow himself to believe it. He increasingly believed that she was an amazing woman, feeling like he had a most coveted treasure just out of reach. Surprised by her sudden bluntness, he tightened his grip on the rod.

He met her eyes and just said, 'No.'

'A man?'

He smiled, feeling his tension ease somewhat. 'I was engaged to a woman once. But as I'm sure your aware, military life doesn't always go hand in hand with civilian life.'

'What happened?' she inquired.

'It's more what didn't happen,' he replied honestly. 'I was never there, so she called things off.'

The ex-fiancé had left a younger Ballad for a successful businessman from Galbadia City. But Ballad did not want to sound bitter, so did not volunteer any more details. It had been a few years ago, anyway. He was genuinely over it, and the manner of its end made it clear to him that he and Leah had not meant to be. Seeing as Tyris had asked first, he thought it would be acceptable to return the question, just as he felt a sudden vibration through the rod that suggested his bait had been nudged.

'How about you? Did you leave anyone behind in Esthar?'

'Not really,' Tyris replied, her left hand subconsciously going to the pocket that contained her cigarettes. 'I had an on-off affair with my superior officer, Selena, over the last couple of years.'

'You mean Colonel Vlahos?' Ballad asked.

Tyris nodded. The rod had dipped as Tyris spoke. He concentrated on her words while straining to reel in the fish; it was a fighter.

'Yes,' Tyris spoke again. 'Some would say the relationship was inappropriate. Not least because she knew me from being a child; she was the one that got me out of the mines. I always thought her feelings for me were true, and her actions at Galbadia City confirmed it. My betrayal of Esthar cut her deeply, and that was my sole regret. As harsh as it sounds, things would have been much easier for me if Seifer had killed her on the Great Plains.'

After a few minutes of reeling and letting line run, Ballad's arms were on fire with the strain. His core strength helped. The fruit of his labour was a stubby bluefin tuna of about twenty pounds, now thrashing over the railing. Small for its species, really.

'Not bad, mate!' one of the trawlerman called.

Ballad realised that Tyris had moved the landing cradle into position for him, and he manoeuvred it into the net. Once Ballad had removed the thick hook from its mouth, Tyris asked, 'Do you want a picture?'

'Why not?' he said with a grin. 'It's my biggest ever catch!'

Ballad readied the camera on his phone for her, then lifted the bluefin horizontally with his coarse fingerless gloves, grinning again. Tyris clicked the camera button a few times before the fish began thrashing again. Despite the gloves, it squirmed out of his hands, flopping madly on the deck. A couple of the trawlerman started laughing as Ballad pursued it.

Tyris looked through the pictures and said, 'I think you'll be happy with these.'

With the bluefin back under control, the Garland leader gently put it under the railing and let it sink back beneath the waves. He had decided to pack up his gear early that afternoon. The sun was at its noonday crest, his sleveless top was plastered to his torso with sweat, and his sun lotion had run into his eyes during the battle with the bluefin. In any case, the whole conversation with Tyris and her approval of his catch had filled him with elation.

'Shall we grab a beer?' he chanced.

That evening, most of the crew were in the mess. The evening was much cooler, and spirits were high for the insertion team's final night before the daring infiltration of the Rinaul Coast. Gerra was singing while George accompanied him on his guitar. The crew had been impressed with Gerra's baritone on his last voyage and had implored him to sing night after night. He had come out with songs some of them had never heard before; ballads that he, Tyris and Thalassa knew must be from the future.

To think of how much gil Gerra could make by releasing those songs hundreds of years early. Or how much he could win Ballad in sports bets, the Garland leader mused, as he nursed his pale ale – suitable for the climate. He might not need to serve a full twenty-five years in the forces, after all.

Ballad had been sharing a cabin with the man from the future, though Gerra was seemingly a man of few words. On a personal level, Ballad had been able to garner very little about Ultimecia's former Knight. Each evening, Gerra would consume copious amounts of ale and whiskey, sitting quietly alone in a corner when not called upon to perform. He would vacantly stare into the middle distance until he was joined by Thalassa. Ballad would always retire to the cabin to find Gerra snoring loudly on the top bunk.

After singing The Saviours of the Elder Tree for the third time that week, it was clear this would be Gerra's last performance of the night. His voice was beginning to slur. The fishermen went back to their tankards as George began strumming another tune, faintly singing with his own tenor. As usual. Ballad paced himself with the pale ale, to remain more alert should the trawler be approached by an Esthari vessel. Ballad noticed something pass between Thalassa and Tyris as the White SeeD nodded. Thalassa walked by Gerra and inclined with her head for him to follow, unnoticed by the rest of the crew. Ballad smirked at the thought of the former Sorceress' Knight being put to bed early before their mission, draining the rest of his tankard.

Tyris offered Ballad a smoke, which he took. He only ever smoked when drinking, and they would help to further pace his consumption of ale. Deciding he would have one more pint before a cool shower and an early night, he rose to refill his tankard from the inviting barrel by the kitchen counter.

'Gerra has my brother's GF,' Tyris commented as he returned. 'I hope he succeeds in getting Phoenix.'

'Me too,' Ballad replied.

'I just wish Leviathan would return,' she remarked. 'We're more vulnerable now. My newfound power has been divided, and we're deep within enemy waters. If Ultimecia finds us now, we won't stand a chance.'

'I trust he will return to Lassa soon,' Ballad said. 'It will be amazing if he can rescue Odin.'

Tyris looked thoughtful. 'A horseman without his sword and spear. I wonder if Gilgamesh will give them back.'

Ballad chuckled. 'Odin has spent twenty years stuck in the Lunatic Pandora. I don't think he'll be taking "no" for an answer!'

When his tankard was finished, Ballad was happy to retire for the night while feeling slightly merry. With her own tankard half full, Tyris bade him good night. When he entered his cabin, he discovered that Gerra was not there. So, Thalassa had put him to bed in more ways than one.

Ballad peeled off his sleeveless top, drier from sweat now, along with the rest of his clothes. He wrapped a towel around his waist before heading to the trawler's mediocre showers. There was no wonder some of the old boys on board smelled permanently of fish. Ballad hit the button for the weak, fixed jet multiple times as it stubbornly timed out after thirty seconds, the same pretense of conserving water giving him the excuse he needed to urinate into the drain.

Fifteen minutes later, Garland's leader lay awake at a content level of drunkenness, staring at the underneath of the unoccupied top bunk. Yet sleep would not take him. The thought of Gerra getting his leg over with Thalassa just made him think of Tyris. And try as he might, he could not banish the image of her curvaceous form leaning against the ship rail. He lay there for a few minutes with a persistently stubborn erection, and eventually admitted defeat as he gripped himself beneath the sheets.

The sound of the door opening made him stop mid stroke and pretend to be asleep. Though it was the barefooted steps of a woman that approached his bed. He turned his head to see the silhouette of Tyris in the moonlight, wearing a thin dressing gown that exposed her toned thighs. Ballad realised it was the first time he had seen her smiling.

Tyris untied the gown and let it fall to the floor.

'Tell me if I'm out of line, Trooper,' she said.

Ballad grinned back at her as he pulled down the sheets to expose his erection.

'At ease, Lieutenant.'

She gave that rare smile again.

'Was I interrupting something?' she said as she straddled him.

'Another minute, and I'd have been no good to you,' he admitted.

Her gasp was not feigned as she guided him deep within her. Nothing more was said as she swiftly found her rhythm, softly moaning with appreciation at each counterthrust. She slowly rolled her shoulders back and threw her considerable breasts out. Ballad cupped them in both hands, gently caressing her nipples before one hand slid down her around her waist, resting on her rear.

Tyris had to be in control. It was the only way she could do it. This was not the first time she had been with a man, but those experiences had been few. The last had resulted in the death of a hapless young infantryman during the Timber campaign. She had taken a liking to a boisterous junior soldier named Gau, fresh out of basic training. Unfortunately for Private Gau, he had presumed to wake Tyris for one more round in the middle of the night, climbing on top of her while she was in a rare deep sleep. Her PTSD had set in immediately as she had pictured General Zebalga's loathsome face in the dark, and she had killed poor Gau with lightning. Selena had burst into her tent minutes later, and Tyris had been forced to cry rape.

They had not even buried poor Gau. His body had been left for the geezards. The junior soldier's face was one of those that haunted Tyris at night. She had not been with any other man, until now.

Ballad only managed to last a whole two minutes longer than his estimation, as it happened, but that was okay. She was not planning on going anywhere. They lay side by side, Tyris having pulled the sheet over them as she came off him. Her back tingled as Ballad softly rubbed it. They listened to the lapping sound of the ocean, gazing at each other in the moonlight. This night, she felt a calmness within his arms that assured her she would not be troubled by any ghosts from the past.

'I wanted to say something to you before,' Ballad said quietly after a while. 'I first saw you in the skies above Galbadia, and I fell in love with you as soon as I laid eyes on you on the battlefield. You're an amazing woman, Stormbringer. Everything I said to you at Battlefield Island came straight from the heart. I just want you to know that, even if we never spend another night together.'

She put a finger to his lips. 'Thank you. We will, Ballad. We just need to get in and out of Balamb first.'

They kissed - for the first time, Tyris realised guiltily. It lasted a long time, and she waited for Ballad to end it. He moved his head slightly away and closed his eyes. Eventually, his breathing slowed. Tyris shortly followed, falling into a blissful sleep in his arms.

Leviathan, Odin and Sleipnir moved through the sky over Wilburn Heights, having reached the western continent shortly before. The Pale Rider and his steed were galloping on a rolling wave that stayed under Sleipnir's hooves. His pale armour and his black, horned helm were restored, yet he was without Zantetsuken or Gungnir.

After circling the entirety of the plateaus for a while, they found what they were looking for. Gilgamesh wandered below, perhaps once again looking for the means to return to his homeworld. Any bite bugs and thrustaevises that had been unlucky enough to be in his path lay eviscerated on the rock surface. The Red Reaver acknowledged the Guardian Forces as they approached. The eight-legged warhorse touched its hooves down onto a hard surface for the first time in two decades, and his rider dismounted. Leviathan hovered a short distance above.

Gilgamesh met Odin's eyes evenly. He would have only heard legends and hearsay about the Odin of this realm, although he was familiar with Odin's counterpart back in his homeworld.

'You're the one who cut through the Rift?' the outworlder asked.

'Indeed,' Odin replied. 'I hast cometh to reclaim mine own arms, alien.'

Gilgamesh pointed all four swords at Odin. 'What if I don't want to give them back to you?'

Odin held out both hands. Zantetsuken flew from one of Gilgamesh's hands, the blade wheeling through the air, caught expertly by Odin in the next instant. Then Gungnir shot from behind the Red Reaver's back, flying as though thrown vertically, before falling to Odin's other hand.

'I wanteth the Zantetsuken not for myself,' Odin explained. ''Tis the key to the chamber wherein mine own Elder, Griever, lies in state. The Lionheart and the two Descendants of Hyne needeth Griever's power to prevail over the vile Ultimecia.' The Pale Rider pointed his reclaimed sword at Gilgamesh now. 'Thee wilt taketh Zantetsuken to them!'

Gilgamesh grunted. 'And why would I do that? I never did like you, Odin. You were even more obnoxious in my homeworld, disappearing but one minute after you were met with a worthy adversary! The affairs of this world mean nothing to me! If I could find the Rift, I would leave it in a heartbeat!'

Leviathan's voice was a deep rumble. 'How about a proposition, Reaver? The Lionheart has travelled to the Rift to recruit my brethren, the Dark Messenger. There is also a very handsome sword located within Battleship Island, which will be more than a worthy replacement for the Zantetsuken. It is the Ultima Weapon, once wielded by a demon of the same name, hailing from the Otherside. This sword cannot be wielded by a mortal.' Gilgamesh tilted his head in intrigue. 'I am confident the Lionheart will make the trade!' Leviathan continued. 'Also, if the Wraith of Winhill is successful in junctioning with Diablos, then SeeD can clear you a path to the Rift once Ultimecia has been vanquished. I will pledge my own power to this, too!'

Gilgamesh seemed to be swayed. He remained silent as he lowered his weapons, looking to the storm clouds over the distant Great Plains.

'How will the Zantetsuken open a path to your Elder?' he asked.

Odin threw the sword back to Gilgamesh. Now freely given, the Reaver took it.

'Griever hast did impart the last of his energy unto it before his longeth slumber,' Odin explained, 'so the chamber shall open only in response to it. The entrance is located beneath the throne of Axtius, where I stoodeth as guardian f'r timeth to timeth since the baleful Adel departed the southern lands. Griever's essence shalt not open the way lest your heart be well and true, though!' he warned.

Gilgamesh gave his signature chortle. 'My heart stopped beating long ago!'

Leviathan spoke again. 'I trust you know right from wrong, Reaver. Did you not tell Thalassa that you turned on your former master to defend the Dawn Warriors of your homeworld? That you gave your life to save them from the Necromancer? You saved the Children of Fate from Adel, and you defended Thalassa from Ultimecia at Galbadia City. Griever will be able to read even an undead heart, Gilgamesh!'

The outworlder's pupilless eyes narrowed. 'If you insist. It'll take me a while to reach Centra, though. I can't fly like you Summons can!'

Leviathan's laughter was an even lower octave than his voice as Odin remounted Sleipnir, Gungnir raised to the heavens.

'Climb unto me, Reaver!' Leviathan offered. 'I shall take you to the Lionheart, and he shall transport you to the Necropolis!'