Chapter Nineteen: Conversations with Knights, emotional angst and Landissian home remedies.

'Is there absolutely no way we cannot simply press on to Archades?'

Ashe sidled up to him in an undertone, not wanting to appear too insensitive to the situation they now found themselves in.

Balthier shook his head, ' Old Archades is not a safe place at the best of times, I wouldn't want to bring Penelo there in her state.'

Basch had returned, giving both he and Ashe a hard look, clearly recognising something was up, and informed them that calamity had befallen the rest of the party.

Any lingering fog of lust had lifted from Balthier's thoughts at the prospect of Fran getting hurt and it did nothing much for his nerves to discover that it was not Fran but Penelo.

Penelo was under a Doom. Pale and mute she sat hunched on the stone cavern floor as Vaan, wide eyed and fearful, held her close to his chest trying to warm her.

Fran was silent against the wall of the cavern, yet her posture spoke volumes to Balthier. She was feeling guilty that she had allowed such to befall Penelo, whom Fran had developed a fondness for on this trip of theirs.

The rest of the party was tearing through supply packs and pockets for remedies as the poor girl would be comatose long before they could get her out of the Sochen Caves.

'ssss—ooory. M' sorry Ashe.'

Penelo struggled to get her mouth to work for her, lifting glassy eyes that nevertheless held such a chasm of guilt that Balthier was almost tempted to pick the girl up and make a desperate run for Old Archades regardless. The girl had no right to be so damnedly adorable.

Ashe walked over to Penelo and stroked sweaty hair from the girl's forehead, 'It is I who should be apologising. I am so sorry for this.'

Having discovered that the packs carried no remedies or other curatives that would do the trick instead, Balthier closed his eyes and tried to think of any other place, either lying about on the floor of the caves or on one of their persons that a remedy might be lurking.

Basch spoke interrupting his thoughts, 'Does anyone have any Holy Motes?'

'Why? Will they help?' Vaan asked quickly.

Balthier, having decided that Basch would hardly be asking simply for conversations sake, gathered up the little flakes of condensed light and magick from the pack he had been rooting around in and threw them to Basch who caught them quickly.

' I will need a few tufts of Phoenix Down also and perhaps a potion or two.'

It was Fran who handed Basch the rest of the supplies her eyes sharp with curiosity, she settled down beside Basch on the cold stone.

'You seek to make a remedy?'

Basch nodded, ' It is something I learned on the field when I was a private in the Landissian army. Balthier, do you have any of your alchemicals with you? The ones used for treating your false Licence certificates?'

Flipping open the flap to one of his belt pouches to retrieve the small vials of alchemical he had in there (in case of emergencies) Balthier quirked an eyebrow at Basch,

'You are aware these are poisonous to Humes?'

' Ordinarily yes,' Basch conceded as he accepted the vials,

'however if mixed to the right dosage with potions I believe they can make a remedy for Penelo.'

No one said anything after that, Basch set to work, assisted by Fran who was always eager to learn a new and useful skill and equally keen to aid Penelo.

Penelo, reaching the end of her Doom, couldn't restrain a moan as the death magicks worked on her insides. All the while Vaan held her, rocking gently and murmuring soothingly in her ear.

' It's okay, Penelo. It's okay. Basch is making a remedy and then you'll be fine. It's okay, I've got you.'

Ashe had left the two sweethearts and padded over to kneel by Balthier. Her eyes watched the two Rabanastrans bleeding hurt and guilt. Even if they did cure Penelo the Princess would be insufferably moody after this near fatal episode.

' It is done.'

Fran intoned as Basch poured the steaming concoction he had made into an empty potion bottle and shook it, using his thumb as a stopper. Balthier winced; the liquid looked toxic to him.

It was Vaan who snatched the potion from Basch and more or less forced the foul stuff down Penelo's throat, hands trembling as she hung limply in his arms.

Basch spoke up as Penelo started coughing violently and almost retching, not that Balthier blamed her.

'I am afraid that the remedy is like to make Penelo sick, at least for a short time.'

As if to validate this statement, Penelo lurched into life throwing herself into a sitting position and vomiting profusely across the cavern floor. Charming.

Basch looked guilty as he rooted in one of the packs for a water flask to hand to Vaan, who was liberally covered in vomit also.

'I am sorry it was the best that could be done. The effects should not last long.'

'Hey, better sick than dead.'

Vaan said with blunt cheerfulness clearly willing to be splattered in vomit if it meant Penelo was alive and would be well. He helped Penelo drink some water.

Balthier, realising that now was the time to be gentlemanly, passed the boy one of his handkerchiefs which Vaan dampened with water and then used to clean Penelo up.

Fran approached to Penelo's other side from Vaan and began to help clean up the miserable, sobbing girl, using her bare hands without a thought.

' I will fetch more water.'

Ashe got up and went swiftly towards the pool that Balthier had used earlier. Balthier decided to tidy up their meagre supplies, already greatly depleted.

Basch handed him back the nearly empty vials of alchemical mixture, ' I am afraid there is little left.'

Balthier shrugged cheerfully, 'No matter, it will be relatively simple to acquire more once we reach Archades.'

Basch raised one eyebrow, the scarred one, 'Indeed.' He murmured knowing quite well what Balthier meant by 'acquire'.

Fran and Vaan had worked together to get Penelo to her feet, Vaan stooping to sweep her up into his arms when she swooned.

' My stomach, it hurts. I'm sorry.'

Penelo continued to cry, sounding as young as she truly was and apologising profusely for something that could have happened to any of them.

Fran hovered close to Vaan and the girl as he swiftly walked Penelo towards the pool to wash and clean up. After a moment she began to murmur a Viera lullaby to the girl, the exotic words trilling in Balthier's ears as they passed.

Basch watched with sympathy in his eyes, ' A sweet girl like that should not have to live such a life as this.'

Balthier merely shrugged, 'I should imagine many a sweet girl is suffering a far worse fate than she, even as we speak. At least Penelo is fighting back.'

Basch looked at him sharply then grunted in acknowledgement. 'The Princess tells me you were once a Judge of the Empire.'

Balthier controlled his reaction with difficulty and was annoyed that his tone so clearly spoke of his discomfort.

'The Princess cannot keep a secret, it seems.'

Basch remained impassive merely shrugging, ' I had believed that one did not become a Judge until he reached the age of eighteen, unless you left Archades very recently it does not seem possibly you could have made Judge.'

' It has been six years.' Balthier admitted, trying to side-step the meat of the question.

Basch saw the evasion for what it was and changed his attack,

' Ashe also told me you are the son of Dr Cid, the man behind this manufactured nethicite threat.'

'What of it?' He demanded petulantly, cursing himself inwardly for being so affected and cursing the Princess for having a loose tongue.

Basch studied him thoughtfully, ' It is true then?'

Balthier felt his anger rise, ' Did you think I made it all up in order to win the Princess' trust, good Captain? Or perhaps weasel my way into her affections?'

Basch was a man almost impossible to anger; he merely shrugged and spoke calmly, if a little sardonically.

'You have that already, the Princess is not one to trust readily and yet with you she seems to have made an exception.'

' Then why the interest in my lineage, Captain?' Balthier snapped.

'We are like to come into conflict with your father.'

' Yes. Please, tell me something I do not already know.'

'I am responsible for Ashe's safety. If we fight your father it may be to the death.'

' Again, tell me something I do not know already.'

Balthier noticed a smudge of dirt on his cuffs and picked at it savagely. Damned Imp blood, he'd never get the stuff out. Maybe he should just stop wearing white shirts?

Basch watched him with something almost like pity; Balthier bit down on his anger and continued to harass his shirt sleeves as a distraction.

' You are prepared to take up arms against your own father, even unto death?'

'If our positions were reversed he would not hesitate to snuff out my life.'

Basch blinked, ' You are sure of this? You yourself said you have not returned home in six years. How can you know his mind?'

Balthier laughed, the sound ripping his throat to shreds as the near hysterical outburst caused his vision to blur with sudden, inexplicable wetness.

'Know his mind? Dear Captain, Dr Cid is a lunatic, I never knew his mind. The very best I can do for my father' He spat the word out in an almost growl, 'is put him out of everybody's misery as quickly as I can.'

Balthier tugged so hard on his sleeve that it ripped, he swore in a hissed undertone, not looking at Basch. The older man's weatherworn hand came into his view, resting briefly on his own hand that still clutched at his damaged sleeve.

' I am sorry, I should not have pressed you.'

Balthier leapt to his feet. He could not abide sympathy, especially not from a man like the Captain who seemed over-brimming with compassion, despite the hardships he had endured.

' Nonsense, Captain.'

He said in brisk tones, struggling for his habitual lightness, ' You have a duty to your Princess, you must be ever vigilant against predatory fortune hunters like myself.'

Basch ignored the dig and instead spoke once more of the past.

' Your father made you a Judge?'

'At fifteen. I believe I have the distinction of being the youngest ever promoted to that honour. Though you are wrong, Captain, one can be made judge before eighteen.'

' Then you left home when you were..?'

'Sixteen. Penelo's age. Really, Basch, am I truly so fascinating to you? Would you like to be my personal biographer?'

To his surprise Basch actually chuckled, 'Nay, I will ask no further questions.'

The Dalmascan Knight got to his feet, making his way towards the pool where the others tended to Penelo. He turned back to Balthier at the entrance to the passageway.

'I will ask no further questions in regards to the Princess also.' He added gravely.

Balthier, who was wondering if it was somehow written in stone somewhere that he, Balthier Sky Pirate, must make sport with the heart of Ashelia B'nargin Dalmasca before this quest was through, merely gave the Captain his best, most insouciant smirk.

' I have not the faintest idea to what you refer, Captain.'

Basch lifted his eyebrows, 'An ignorance you would do well to maintain, pirate, for I am within the rights of my duty to see you hung drawn and quartered if you should know the Princess any better than you do now.'

Balthier laughed at this, but the sound was hollow, he would soon lose patience with this constant suspicion. Really anyone would think he was as licentious a fool as the Arch Duke Margrace.

After all he already had a partner.

' I will bear that in mind, Captain.'

Author note: I would like to give a big shout out thank you to everyone who has reviewed this story and stuck with it so long! The response has been so positive and I love hearing what you think.

This is my first time posting and it's wonderful to know people out there are reading and interested!

P.S: Damsel of Doom if you're still out there – have faith, keep reading, there's a long way to go on this Odyssey yet.