And…we're…back. Welcome to chapter 6 of Enlighten Me (a title which I promise will make sense by the end of this story) Still rated T for cursing, and I still don't own em'. Thanks to those of you who reviewed the last chapter, it is much appreciated. Sorry once again if people get a little out of character, but you were warned. Enjoy and please review!
Enlighten Me
Chapter 6
Pounding of the Heart
With hazel eyes scanning the horizon for any sign of prey, Basch made his way through the flooded Giza Plains, sword at the ready. He and the pirate had not eaten in days, and neither of them were going to be strong enough to get out of here if he didn't find food…and soon. Droplets of rain cut streaks through the dirt on his tired face, and he wiped them away with the back of his hand. Hunger gnawed at his stomach, but it was a feeling he had become all too accustomed to in the last year or so, so he ignored it. Balthier of course had insisted on coming with him, and it had taken more damn time and energy convincing the other man to stay behind than he had wanted to give. He smiled to himself, almost admiring the pirate for refusing to sit and do nothing when their situation was becoming more dire by the minute. The infection in his side had gotten worse, and without healing, and soon, Basch was uncertain as to what would happen to the young sky pirate. Pushing the thought from his mind, he continued across the soggy terrain.
Balthier couldn't help but be relieved when Basch left, and for several reasons. First of all he had been more than uncomfortable spending so much time alone with the other man. He enjoyed spending most of his time alone, as did Fran, which might have been why they got along so well together. It had been the hardest thing for him to get used to since joining this insane quest, the constant company that is. He didn't mind the younger ones so much, Vaan's incessant chatter allowed him to stay out of the conversation for the most part, and Ashe tended to avoid him most of the time. But Basch was a different story. Being a rather quiet man himself left a lot of awkward silences between the two of them, and the fact that the older man had shown interest in his past had not helped matters. He knew Basch had good intentions, and that he cared deeply about the outcome of their long and perilous journey. Perhaps that unnerved him as well. The pain in his side had become a dull throbbing sensation that never ceased, and Balthier couldn't help but wince every time he attempted to move. He attempted another healing spell, but the light that flickered from his palm faded as quickly as it appeared, and did nothing to help the angry looking wound. Basch had done well at keeping the wound clean, and it seemed as if it might have been just a tad bit better, but the pirate knew he could not make the journey to catch up with the others in his condition. Why in all Ivalice they hadn't left Fran or even Penelo, who were the best healers in the group, instead of Basch with him he couldn't fathom. Of course Ashe had her own agenda, and Balthier supposed she'd needed Fran so that she wouldn't lose the Strahl as an asset while he was injured and Penelo and Vaan were the best at haggling for or even stealing supplies. With all six of them together there were few situations that could overwhelm them. Each had his or her strengths that the rest of the group relied on. It just so happened that both he and Basch's main strengths were in battle. Unlike Basch however he was, quite experienced with magic and could have healed such a wound easily had it been inflicted on someone besides himself, but his strength was zapped and his body would just not cooperate. He kept telling himself that if he moved he would work the soreness out of his side eventually, but he always regretted any sudden movements he made. Propping himself up against the wall, he examined his ruined shirt and vest, eventually tossing them aside with an aggravated sigh. At the sound of movement he grabbed his gun, only to find himself aiming at a surprised Basch.
"You mind pointing that thing somewhere else?", asked Basch as he dropped the carcass of some wild animal to the floor of the cave, "If I get shot we'll really be in a mess."
Balthier smirked and lowered the gun, "Looks like you had a bit of luck hunting. What is that anyway?"
"I have no idea; I've never seen it's like before."
"But it's edible?"
The older man shrugged, "Guess we'll find out. How are you feeling?"
"I'll live I suppose."
Basch nodded and returned to the task of skinning the strange animal he'd killed. The pirate watched him a moment, unsure of whether or not he should attempt to keep the conversation afloat. Finally he scooted himself over to the other man and took the dagger from his hand.
"I'll do this. You should get dry. Can't have you catching your death out here."
He waited a moment before responding, but finally gave in to the pirate and stood, removing his shirt and laying it by the fire to dry. He settled down in a spot not far from the where the other man was busily readying the animal to be cooked. The droplets of water that ran down his chest quickly dried and Basch began to feel warm and comfortable. Leaning back against the wall of the cave he closed his eyes, letting himself drift off to sleep. Later he would wonder whether spending so much time with Balthier alone had caused the dream he had that day.
The battle had started off relatively simple. With Vaan and Fran in the background throwing healing spells and hi-potions whenever needed both he and the pirate had been able to focus on taking Cid down. Penelo and Ashe had also been some ways back, contributing to the fight with ranged weapons. Out of respect for the situation everyone followed Balthier's lead, letting him cast the first hit and dominate the fight. Even in the confusion of the fight the blank expression on the pirate's face had not escaped the others. Basch had wondered silently how the other man kept himself so in check, of course that had been before he'd had his chat with Fran and learned a little more about the other man's past. He was surprised at how quickly Dr. Cid was going down; perhaps this battle was going to be much easier than they had thought. The tables quickly turned when Famfrit was summoned to Cid's side. It didn't seem like their hits were doing much damage, and both Penelo and Ashe stopped firing to cast repeated Fire spells in the esper's direction. In addition to Famfrit's powerful hits, Cid was still firing. A bullet whizzed past his ear and struck Vaan, who went down immediately. Quickly slinging a raise spell in the fallen boy's direction he opened himself up to attack, and a powerful hit from the esper sent him reeling into blackness. Someone raised him, and when he opened his eyes he saw that Vaan had also been raised. He was unsure if it had been his own raise spell which had done it, but it didn't matter. His sword clashed against the esper, and out of the corner of his eye he saw Penelo hurriedly throw a phoenix down in the pirate's direction. Keeping him alive was imperative, it didn't seem right to proceed without him. Finally, the esper fell. After that they made short work of the good doctor. The five of them backed away, allowing Balthier to deliver the final blow.
"Hadn't you best be off, fool of a pirate?" he'd heard Cid whisper in the end. He was unsure if the others had noticed the look of pure pain that crossed Balthier's face at hearing those words.
He awoke to the rich smell of cooked meat. Opening his eyes, he was surprised to see Balthier up and about.
"Sleep well?"
"Well enough. You've been busy," he said, pointing to the spit of roasting meat over the fire.
"I thought it was about time I made myself useful," joked the pirate, "Besides you needed the sleep."
Basch nodded, "Feeling alright? Don't overdo it."
"Stop nursing me Captain, I am quite capable of taking care of myself thank you," snapped Balthier angrily, but after a moment sighed and turned back to the other man, "Thank you for the concern though."
They ate in silence for the most part, and Basch was surprised when Balthier handed him a bottle of Madhu after the meal was finished.
"I found it in the bottom of one of the packs," he explained, "I thought it a welcome surprise."
"Very welcome," chuckled Basch, pulling the cork from the bottle with his teeth. They passed the bottle back and forth for some time, the liquor making conversation easier for the both of them. Eventually the conversation drifted from light hearted chatter to the quest at hand.
"I've often wondered what is in all this for you and Fran."
Balthier shrugged, "It seemed profitable at the time, and then…well…now it's personal."
"It seemed the empire has taken someone from all of us," sighed Basch, "Perhaps that's what binds the six of us together."
"I lost my father long before the evil of the empire took him, but I suppose you already knew that."
"You really hated him didn't you?"
"Yes and no," answered the pirate, accepting the half empty bottle the captain offered him, "The man was insane, some of what he did is not entirely his fault. But believe me, as I'm sure you'll soon find out, killing the last of one's own family…even if you have no choice…is not something easily lived with afterwards."
Basch didn't reply.
"I'm sorry. That was tactless of me," Balthier offered, and he seemed to mean it.
"It's true I suppose. But Noah made his choice, and he leaves me none."
"The same could be said of the good Dr. Cid; still…I can remember when he was a very gentle man. But I saw none of that in his eyes when he fell. Nothing of the man I knew as a child," said the younger man, looking away suddenly and taking another swig from the bottle.
"You left when his mind began to leave him then?"
"Hmm? No, not for quite a few years after that I'm afraid. I suppose I thought he'd get better, but then again I was too young to go anywhere anyway."
"His insanity began so long ago?"
The pirate nodded, "when I was five to be exact. Right after my mother left us. He…he was never the same. Amazing how much one event can change a person. How it can make them hate the people they were once close to. Before she left he used to make me these little toy airships that flew by remote," he chuckled at the memory, "we used to go and fly them almost every afternoon, it was my favorite thing in the world." The smile faded from his face as reality sank back in, and Basch pretended for Balthier's sake that he hadn't seen a rogue tear escape the pirate's eye, only to be quickly wiped away with ringed fingers.
"Noah and I preferred toy boats," he said suddenly, not knowing why he did, "we spent a lot of our childhood watching them float in the harbor. It was…peaceful."
Balthier managed a weak smile, "how did it all get so fucked up Basch? What happened to the good old days when all we had to worry about were lazy afternoons of play? What happened to the people with whom we share those memories?"
"Things change, people change I suppose."
They fell silent, both lost in their own painful memories, and the only sound to be heard besides the falling rain was the pounding of their hearts.
To be continued…
Ok so once I beat Dr. Cid and Famfrit in the game I had to go back and do some leveling up before facing off with Gabranth and Vayne for the last time and I did that in the Giza plains so that's where the inspiration for most of this came from. Hope you enjoyed! Reviews earn updates!