Chapter Seven – The Elemental Star
Absalom now led the four of them back out across the snow to the main temple building, opening the doors to let them in he led them down the corridor until he took a door that led to a set of stairs down underground into a basement of sorts.
The stairs ended in a plain simple chamber with only flickering candles lighting it, Felix initially wondered why Master Absalom had brought them down to this place, then he noticed engravings on the floor.
They engravings were ancient and weathered, twisted and distorting to look at, Esthan characters? Felix wondered. The symbols were inside a large circle that took up most of the dank room.
"This is a 'travelling' circle." Absalom explained. "Once it's believed the Esthan's used these for instantaneous travel to different places of the world, they serve as a tunnel of sorts, when I send you through it you will remerge at the exit point, in this case, Tundara port where you are expected, Talim knows the way."
"Master" Talim bowed towards him and then moved to stand in the centre of the circle.
"Right" Absalom briskly announced. "We are slightly behind schedule, stand on the circle and I will invoke the elemental powers to send you…it can be a little…disorientating first time."
"What do you mean?" Cassandra asked as the three of them moved to stand next to Talim.
"Keep a hold of yourself." Hurin replied for him and Felix was sure he grinned.
"There are few more words I can say." Absalom replied remaining standing out of the circle. "Go safely and there is a lot riding on this, Talim take care of them, Cassandra you know what to do, Hurin…well you're getting paid for this anyway and Felix take care of yourself!"
"I will uncle." Felix inclined his head towards the temple master. "I'll make you proud."
"You already have." Absalom replied smiling and then he shook his hands out and held them in front of his body. "Go safely now, I'll begin the incantation."
Felix stood still next to Cassandra and Hurin as he heard Absalom murmuring something under his breath, suddenly Felix felt elemental power blaze all around him and the circle under them lit up a bright blood red. He felt his skin tingling, his hair standing on end and then he was spinning, faster and faster into blackness…
He wasn't sure exactly what happened after that but when he awoke he was spread out on a hard stone face down and he felt really, really sick. Groaning he pulled himself up and looked around, it could have been the same room really, a plain underground basement with the same engravings on the ground.
Hurin and Talim were standing by the stairs up watching him, Felix shakily pulled himself up and took a slow step towards them and then another.
"Sorry…" He murmured still feeling the after-effects of the displacement. "Not used to something like that."
"It's alright." Hurin nodded past him. "You did better then Cassandra."
Felix turned to see Cassandra in the corner of the room being very, very sick.
Talim abruptly moved up to the stricken woman and laid a hand on her back and Felix sensed the subtle use of elemental powers. Talim stepped back and a few moments later Cassandra's convulsions stopped and she turned around looking white and shaky.
"Pull yourself together." Hurin turned to look up the stairs towards faint light in the distance. "The master said we were already behind schedule, we need to get moving."
"We can wait another moment!" Felix spoke up looking at Cassandra. "Give her a moment."
"It's alright Felix." Cassandra managed standing a bit straighter. "I'm okay…now, Talim did something, I can feel the sickness washing away."
"Well in that case then." Hurin started up the stairs out of sight.
What an ego Felix decided watching him depart before turning to see Cassandra moving towards the stairs with Talim standing just behind her. "Are you really alright?" He asked again.
She in return smiled gratefully. "I am thank you, come on, lets go, after you Felix."
Felix nodded smiling back and then he moved up the stairs, he could feel a cool breeze on his face and he stepped out into the night.
The stairs led out onto a small hill of snow. Below the small port spread out before them on the coastline. It was only a few buildings that held supplies that were shipped to Tundara from Brimshare but it became evident very quickly where Talim was going to lead them.
Felix had heard of the legendary theatre airships, great ships that were owned by travelling theatre groups, through performances to royalty and city's it was a lucrative trade but only Cartilge had the technology to produce such massive vessels and currently there were only three in existence and Felix instantly understood why.
The Elemental Star was massive; it hung just above the small port leaving all the buildings in its shade. Seven hundred feet long the ships wooden frame was like that of a vessel at sea raising up in the air, towers and buttresses came out from the hulls side giving it a rather hodgepodge look, the deck had even more towers raising up with a large central bridge raising above it all. Felix counted thirty massive propellers wafting lazily above the ship keeping it aloft.
Cassandra whistled, her sickness forgotten. "So that's an airship…"
"What never seen one before?" Hurin grinned. "That's quite some ship, looks like Absalom really does have contacts, but I did hear a few weeks ago that the Elemental Star was going to be performing in Brimshare, looks like you're uncle has been planning this for a while." He grinned again at Felix who felt a tingle of unease. Had Absalom really been this far-sighted, maybe there was more, that he didn't know and maybe there was more at stake as well…
"This way then" Talim started forwards towards the town. "We're going down to the port to meet the captain of the Elemental Star and then the ship can get under way."
"Lead on then." Hurin motioned towards the town with one arm and she did moving to the front she began walking through the ankle high snow towards the cluster of buildings.
The rest followed as Felix moved next to Hurin. "Isn't she cold?" He asked looking at the little girl, her bare legs, arms and stomach exposed to the cold. "I'm wearing all these layers and she wears not half as much and yet she walks without shivering at all…is it something to do with elements?"
"Partly yes" Hurin replied. "She must have great control of the elements, once you are skilled with the usage of you're element you can use it in day to day use to help you, she must use the wind power to heat the air around her to keep herself warm."
Felix nodded in understanding and fell back closer to Cassandra who was still looking a little pale.
Walking in silence they followed Talim as she led them past the silent warehouses and buildings to the centre of the small port directly under the massive airships hull. There they waited.
After a while Felix took to pacing up and down through the snow, it was even colder in the shade of the massive airship, craning his neck somewhat he looked up at the smooth wooden underside of the ship…"A beauty isn't she?" A voice suddenly sounded from afar.
Felix jumped turning to see out of one of the buildings a large, beefy man move out towards them striding purposefully with big heavy steps. He was well dressed in thick furs and his bald head gleamed, across his back was slung a massive half-moon axe.
Hurin and Cassandra moved over but the man reached forwards with one hand which Felix gingerly shook feeling his hand completely enveloped by the others. "I'm Captain of this here ship, the Elemental Rain, names James Butterworth." On releasing Felix's hand he shook Cassandra's (with enthusiasm) and Hurin's (with somewhat less enthusiasm) and then caught sight of Talim standing over to one side. "Ah-ha Talim! It's been a while eh? Last time I was here you barely rose up to my knee, now look at you, you just about reach my elbow." The man chortled for a moment.
Talim for her part smiled and bowed. "Indeed it is good to see you again James, I am glad that it is you who will be taking us to Brimshare and aiding us in our quest."
James face changed subtly. "Indeed, its been a busy few weeks, the King of Cartilge has spoken to me at length and I've received carrier birds from Master Absalom coordinating this undertaking, I know what needs to be done and I am being well paid for my troubles, you understand that for me its just a play, I won't be actually helping you steal anything, I will not risk my ship or crew, understood?"
"Yes." Cassandra nodded. "Don't worry we'll handle it."
"I'm glad to hear that." James nodded and reached into his thick coat and produced a small tube from a large pocket. Raising it above his head he pulled a rope out of it and a shower of sparks flew up into the air briefly illuminating the night sky. "We'll be onboard in a moment."
From above Felix heard the sound of metal scrapping and from the underside of the great ship something began lowering towards them.
"Right then" James drew all attention back to him. "I'll be going over what needs to be done once we are aboard, we are slightly behind schedule as it is so we must make haste and be in Brimshare by noon tomorrow, the play is to be preformed at sundown tomorrow, we need to go over positioning, timing and all the rest."
"Agreed" Hurin nodded.
"And while we are aboard you will address me as Capt or Sir." James added. "This is my ship ladies and gentlemen, my crew, my theater troop, we have a play to perform and I won't let you jeopardise that but I have planned the course of action that must be taken by you to suceed in the venture before you."
Felix saw Hurin nod, Felix suddenly had a feeling that he was out of his depth, what exactly was he doing here? About to embark upon this massive airship to a kingdom to rob a crystal held by the royal family, a small part of his brain told him to run, run now, fast and far away before anyone could stop him.
"Ah here we are." James voice brushed away Felix's confused thoughts and he looked up to see Cassandra with one arm resting on his shoulder, bright eyes showing concern. "Are you alright Felix?"
"Ye, yes." Felix nodded feeling unsure himself. "I'm alright."
"Okay…" Cassandra turned away not looking satisfied and Felix moved his eyes to see the object that had been lowered from the ship hit the snowy ground with a thud.
It was a large basket, akin to the ones that hung below a hot air balloon except this one hung by a large thick metal chain that stretched all the way back up to the theatre-ships underbelly.
Cassandra looked dubiously at it to which James grinned, opening up part of the basket to move into it and he gestured for them to follow. "Come, come, we must move quickly."
Talim was the first to step in, Hurin followed with Felix and then Cassandra, albeit reluctantly and James shut the flap behind them sealing them all in. A moment later the basket jerked and the chain began reeling back in, pulling them up into the sky.
The basket rose higher and higher into the sky as Cassandra sank lower and lower into the basket until she was sitting against the wooden rim. Felix for his part stood near Talim admiring the view of snowy plains to one side and the crashing sea to the other, the night all around them, stars shining.
Finally they came up against the theatre ship, Felix looked up as they neared the hull to see a small hole in the underside which the basket was pulled through, into the ships superstructure.
The basket was winched fully into a large wooden hanger of sorts where other baskets rested all around. The basket Felix was in jerked to a stop as the chain disappeared into the wooden beams above them. Crewmen rushed forwards dressed in plain white clothing to place wooden beams under the basket covering the hole and then the basket was lowered to rest on these beams and one of the men moved forwards to open the basket and salute James as he stepped out onto his ship.
"Tell the helmsman to take us out, head straight for Brimshare, all ahead full." James ordered the man who nodded, turned and rushed out of the room.
James turned back to the four of them. "I will show you you're quarters for now, it is late, sleep and tomorrow as we come into Brimshare I will run over what needs to be done."
Talim bowed for all of them. "Thank you Captain, we appreciate it."
"Ha, no worries" James turned around towards a far off door in the distance. "This way" He spoke and started off in that direction with the others falling into step behind him.
James led them out of the basket resting room and down a small wooden corridor past several crewmen moving about their duties, up a flight of stairs and down another corridor until they came to a row of doors.
"Each of these is a cabin for the night." James motioned towards them. "We sometimes have to carry important delegates or transport important goods and such people demand secure sleeping rooms and I offer you the use of such rooms for the night."
"Thank you sir" Cassandra smiled gratefully looking somewhat sleepy while Hurin was already moving down the corridor, opened the nearest door and moved in and out of sight.
Suddenly there was a jolt and the deck began shaking as a powerful rumbling shook the ship and the hum of far off machinery coming alive as the Elemental Star began moving.
"Ah we are underway." James nodded to the three of them. "I will see you in the morning on the bridge, don't leave it too late but get a good sleep, you will need energy for tomorrow."
Without waiting the large man turned and moved briskly off down the corridor leaving Felix, Cassandra and Talim standing where they were.
Felix for his part steadied himself against the side of the corridor, unused to the movements of an airship, Cassandra as well seemed similarly disturbed, Talim did'nt seem affected at all and she smiled to the both of them. "Captain James is most likely correct, you both could do with rest for tomorrow, we'll go over the plans in the morning." She then bowed to the both of them and moved off down the corridor to find another room.
Cassandra turned to Felix and offered him a lopsided grin. "Well looks like we're all in it together then." She spoke somewhat sheepishly. "Sounds like we have a lot to think about." Suddenly the airship shook a little more violently then it had and Cassandra went pale and her hand flew to her mouth. "Excuses me!" She managed and then she had darted down the corridor and vanished into one of the rooms leaving Felix unsure if he should move to help her or laugh.
Deciding on neither he moved down to the far door and stepped into the small cabin which was little more then a bed and a window. Moving to the window he looked out onto a view of the far off sea.
Sitting down on the bed his hands moved to touch the blue crystal that hung around his neck, he still felt no difference but then he had never been sure what to expect on taking up the elemental powers inside him.
Unsure of how to proceed he raised his hand out in front of them and concentrated, trying to draw up power of some sort. He tried harder and harder to build up some sort of reaction but after a moment when nothing happened he gave up and lay down out on the bed and tried to sleep despite the deep humming and rocking of the ship.
When sleep came it was restless and disruptive, in his dreams floating crystals tormented him, Hurin mocked him, Talim looked on him with big, sad eyes and Cassandra walked away from him, leaving him alone in the night.
The Elemental Rain rushed on through the clear night sky over the bay of clear sea water, moving closer to the great city of Brimshare.
It was to be its last voyage.
Theater Airships - Final Fantasy IX (PS1) massive airships that travel the sky taking entertainment far and wide across the world. FFIX starts on one and ends with one too.