Chapter 21

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OoOoO

"We know what the Senate is after…aside from your throne obviously." Kira said off handedly to Larsa.

"There's more that they want? What more is there to be had? They essentially own all of Ivalice!" Larsa exclaimed incredulously.

"They may own the land, but not her people." Fran said as she delicately crossed her arms.

"And there are only two ways to gain such favour. Tell me young King, which to you seems more effective? Love, or fear?" Balthier said as he picked lint off his pristine cuffs.

Larsa's brow creased slightly as he listened to them, fearing where this was headed. "Precisely, and as you may have guessed, Rossi plans to use fear."

Both Basch and Larsa looked at Kira with quizzical looks and Basch said, "How?"

"By using this." Kira said as she held up the cryst, dangling from its thin silver chain around her neck that Larsa hadn't even noticed before. Larsa and Basch leaned forward slightly to get a better look at the large crystal and observed it's ornate patterns and carvings; they could even feel the rare power emitting from it in the form of heat waves. "This is the Sun Cryst." Kira said slowly.

It took a moment for her words to sink in, but when they did, Basch stepped back and gazed at Kira incredulously. "Impossible, I aided in the very destruction of it!"

Kira sighed slightly and said, "I know, what you destroyed was only a carbon copy of the Cryst, an imitation." Upon seeing their profoundly confused expressions, Kira sighed and said, "I'll start from the beginning then."

OoOoO

"And so, as the last living Druid, I have been appointed as protector of the Cryst essentially." Kira said as she sat with her legs crossed on one of the chairs. "I am still learning many things from the Cryst. I've also discovered inscriptions on the walls. Some are legible while others aren't but you can have a look if you like." Kira said waving towards a door that lead out into a great hall where the walls were covered in murals and inscriptions.

Ashe, who had arrived half way through Kira's story telling, got up to go and inspect the inscriptions in order to try and understand more about these Druids, she was soon followed by Balthier and Fran as Larsa stood, began to pace and pinched the bridge of his nose before beginning. "So, in short, the reason why the Senate has been searching for you so adamantly is because they believed that you had in your possession, the Sun Cryst…the true Sun Cryst." Larsa looked at Kira questioningly.

Kira nodded.

"But it wasn't until Old Dalan gave you that key and it lead you here, did you actually acquire the Cryst?"

Kira nodded again.

"And now you are hiding it from them." Larsa said as he stopped pacing and folded his arms.

"Yes." Kira said simply.

"And this Treaty you speak of, the original Galtean Alliance. If what you say is true, then you should be leader of the Alliance rather than I."

Kira chuckled but nodded and said, "Fancy that eh?"

"My question is, how is it that the Archadian Senate seems to know all of this, given that they are hunting you down for the Cryst, and why is it that this is only the first time we are hearing of the Druids? If they truly were of such high calibre, then all in Ivalice should know of them. How is it possible to cover up such history?" Basch questioned as he leaned forward in his chair.

"Those are all questions I would like the answers to myself." Kira said with a scoff.

"And those answers are not likely to find themselves before you any time soon if you only plan to sit around and converse about it." Balthier said as the three re-entered the room.

"He is right." Ashe said as she walked pass Balthier toward Larsa and Kira. "I tried to analyse the inscriptions to learn more about the Druids and hopefully find some form of clue as to how and why it is that there is no trace of them in our known history, but most of the inscriptions are either in tongues I am unfamiliar with or are illegible all together. But even without that knowledge, something must still be done about Rossi."

"The inscriptions on the walls are older than even the earliest of Vieran tribes and the language is unfamiliar to me, however, it is not what occurred in the past that we must focus on. We should focus on what we can change; the present, and the future." Fran said as she stepped forward.

"Women after my own heart." Balthier said with a wry smile as he collapsed into his chair and crossed his legs. "We need to make a move before Rossi finds us. No doubt he'll use the excuse of hunting down fugitives to search for Kira and the Cryst."

"Yes, and he is likely aware that we would travel as a party, so as consequence it wouldn't be an excuse but the truth." Basch said. "Lord Larsa, where do you propose we go from here?"

Larsa bit his lip subconsciously as he stared hard at the wall in front of him in deep thought. "I think that Kira is our best hope. According to the original Treaty, only a Druid may hold power over the Alliance and not only that but, she would make a good leader given that she is already on good terms with most of the cities and major countries in Ivalice, earning the people's favour wouldn't be an issue…"

"But earning the respect of the world's leaders would be. Men such as King Theodor and Marquis Undore will not likely heed to words of a young girl talking to a crystal she claims to be the Sun Cryst that everyone believes was destroy four years prior. You will need solid, irrevocable proof of your lineage before you can make a move against the senate."

Kira stared wide-eyed at everyone around her and was about to protest when Balthier said, "So I take it we'll be fighting this battle with parchment and ink?"

"As much as possible yes." Ashe replied.

"I highly doubt we'll be able to achieve that quota, the Senate has not been known for delicacy." Basch said.

"Indeed. Rossi would sooner tear through all of Ivalice with a bulldozer to find us and forcefully extract the Cryst from our possession." Larsa commented with a sneer.

"Wait! Wait a minute! Who said anything about me ruling the Alliance? You expect me to be able to rule the world are you crazy?" Kira said jumping suddenly, not liking the way everyone was talking around her like she didn't exist.

Larsa chuckled and smiled at Kira before saying, "Kira, you are more capable than you give yourself credit for, besides, look at the company you keep! You'll be fine." Kira gave Larsa a sceptical look but smiled all the same as the rest of the group members smiled and nodded back to her.

At that precise moment, the Cryst informed Kira of the presence of another life form in the castle and she smiled as she made a window in the wall and watched Kairos swoop in, screeching at the top of his lungs as he dove straight for his master.

"Kairos!" Larsa exclaimed as he stretched his arm out as a perch for his precious hawk. The bird screamed joyously into the hair and pecked painfully yet affectionately at Larsa's wrist. "Ah! Kairos, yes I'm happy to see you as well but your making ribbons out of my wrist!" Kairos screeched indignantly as Larsa quite literally threw him off his arm, rubbing his sore wrists.

"You and that bloody bird. I've heard all manner of horror stories about that bird. Are you certain it's safe?" Balthier commented as he watched the bird circle the ceiling in the corner of his eye.

Larsa chuckled and said, "He's safe, and he has impeccable timing I was only just thinking that I should write a letter to Vaan and Penelo, at least to let them know that we're unharmed. Only God he knows what sort of news may have reached their ears by now."

"That's a good idea. With all that's happened I doubt I would be able to stop by on my return to Dalmasca to fill them in." Ashe said as she began approaching the teleport crystal Kira created.

"You're leaving so soon?" Kira asked as she rushed over to her after conjuring parchment, ink and a quill for Larsa to write with.

"Yes, I am needed in Dalmasca and King Theodor and Marquis Undore have made clear that we need to share words, they had also requested that I bring along Balthier, but I already told them it would be fruitless." Ashe said giving Balthier a sideways glance that he couldn't quite read.

"As accurate as you are M' Lady, I am rather offended that you hadn't asked me anyway." Balthier retorted without getting up from his seat. Everyone knew that there was no way he was going to leave to partake in some boring war meeting with nothing but old men talking about their military prowess.

"My apologies." Ashe said tonelessly before she and Kira embraced briefly. "You'll be sure to see me again soon." Ashe said as she nodded goodbye to everyone before touching the crystal, selecting her destination and teleporting away.

"So our next move should be to go in search of proper evidence of Kira's lineage while staying out of sight of the Senate. But where do we even start?" Balthier said sitting up straight as Basch sat across from him and Fran stood beside him.

"How are to even be sure that a copy of that original treaty still exists? And if it does where would we find it?" Basch mused aloud.

"We should ask Kira," Balthier was about to shout for her, not seeing her in his immediate field of view when Fran stopped him with a light touch on his shoulder.

"We should leave them be. They are yet young and have been through much. They are in need of rest, and each other." Fran said delicately as she made gesture toward Larsa and Kira who had migrated to a darker corner of the room where Kira had created a small pond of drinking water during the days previous.

"Larsa, just what happened yesterday?" Kira said slowly, fearing he might not want to talk about it.

Larsa looked at her however and smiled sadly before he sat down cross-legged before the pond and gestured for her to sit beside him. Kira sat down beside him and despite the situation she couldn't help the feeling of her heart soaring as she watched him. How could she ever deny these feelings?

Kira felt her heart harden slightly, however, when Larsa turned to her and she saw the anguish deep within his eyes. "I suppose I should've seen it coming." He began. The one sentence brought tears to her eyes. "The day had been going too smoothly before the Wedding Ceremony. In the morning, I had my coronation, which went by without a hitch, then the Treaty was signed by all the leaders of Ivalice. That also occurred without incidence. I don't know how I could've been so foolish," he turned his face away from her, "…as to believe that," his shoulders began to shake, "…all had gone well and that I had won over the Senate. I should've taken greater care. I could've saved her. If only I were more…"

"No! No Larsa, don't say that!" Kira cut him off aggressively. "Look at me. Look at me Larsa!" Kira turned his face to meet hers and she felt her own tears fall at the sight of his. She instantly wrapped her arms around him, cradling him like a mother would her child. "None of what's happened is your fault do you hear? If anyone is to blame it is Rossi and no one else! Catherine wouldn't want you to blame yourself for what has happened and you know that. She loved you, don't soil the memory of her with feelings of regret and shame. She'd have wanted you to remember her as she was alive, not dead." Kira said softly as she cradled him.

Larsa hardly had the strength to protest anymore. She'd managed to strip him of all his defences, as she always could, and turn him into the weeping child he longed to be at the moment. Kira sat there with Larsa half lying in her lap as he cried silently into her bosom, his face buried in the soft tissue of her chest. She only knew he was still crying by the hot wetness that pooled in her cleavage. Kira sniffed softly as she too mourned the loss of a woman she had been ready to call an ally and great friend had she been given the chance, despite their…differences.

Kira could just make out the top of Larsa's head through her lens of tears as she watched him. He seemed to shrink with every passing minute and she could only imagine the sort of thoughts playing in his mind. Likely his silence was due to his reluctance on sharing his mind lest she chastise him for it. Kira frowned, not liking the way he was shutting himself off from the world and decided that a suitable distraction would probably be best for him. As much as she respected that he needed time, just as she had, to at least become accustom to the absence, she was also aware that a lot was going on outside these walls, and they needed to make a move, they needed to get to work on stopping Rossi before anyone else had to suffer what they had suffered through.

There was a lullaby that Kira occasionally sang for the children, particularly Tihanna, that Kira had once explained to Larsa she had no idea where it was from or what the words mention. She only knew that it was her mother that taught her the song, and even this was only something Old Dalan told her after he'd heard her sing it to the children. Upon hearing said lullaby Larsa opened his eyes slightly and glanced up through the wetness to find her eyes closed and her hands resting on his head as she sang softly for him.

He smiled a small smile that faded instantly, just barely breaking the monotony of the nature of his thoughts. However, as the song progressed, finished and started again, he found himself drifting into a dreamless sleep that he was sure was half induced by Kira's use of magic.

Kira could only smirk as Larsa mumbled something just barely coherent before he finally lost consciousness. "That's cheating…" he'd said. Kira sighed heavily and bent to lightly kiss his forehead before gently laying him down on the ground and rising from her position on the floor.

OoOoO

Only half the day passed before Kairos returned with a reply from Vaan and Penelo. By then Larsa had awoken seemingly refreshed and had joined the discussion on how they should proceed after Kira returned with lunch that is. The discussion, however, did not get very far in the time between Kairos' departure and return.

Larsa broke away from the group with an exasperated sigh, glad for something to break the monotony of saying the same things over and over again. "We need to find the original Treaty." "But where could it be?" how do we know it even still exists?" "How can we be sure it ever did?" that last one of course was quickly shot down by Kira.

Kairos nipped painfully at Larsa's fingers and wrist again as he tried to untie the letter from the birds foot and immediately found something wrong with the image. The knot was tightly fastened, as if they were in a hurry and the parchment crumpled.

"Is it from Vaan and Penelo?" Kira asked as she came up behind him and took the obnoxious bird off his hands to allow him to read the letter.

The writing too was a scrawl, even though it was definitely Vaan's hand, it seemed odd. Sure they were probably desperate for answers, but so much so that they would nearly rip the parchment with a quill in the quest to acquire it?

Larsa ignored it however and read the letter aloud. "We're so glad you're all alright! We were seriously starting to worry about Kira and after all we'd heard about what's going on in Archadia we were really worried about you too Larsa. Listen no need to worry about us though; we're fine on our end. Hoping you're well…Vaan and Penelo…" there was silence for a moment before Larsa crushed the paper in his fist and said, "Vaan, would never, reveal my name in a letter like that. We had promised that my alias would always be Lamont, even through letters. Something's not right…"

"You can say that again…" Kira said absently. The others looked over at her and were surprised to find that her eyes had glazed over with myst, much like when she had lost control after discovering the murder of her father. Basch was instantly alarmed but was relieved when she blinked and her eyes returned to normal. "There are enemy ships approaching, most likely Archadian. They must've captured Vaan and Penelo in hopes of finding us. Balthier?"

"What am I your courier service?" Balthier retorted as they made haste to gather what little inventory they carried and raced out of the hall towards the staircase immerged in myst.

Everyone gave at least a small smile and then a hearty chuckle as Fran said, "See, you truly are more suited to a supporting role."

"Fran please," Balthier moaned as they hopped up the stairs two by two.

"How much time before they reach us?" Basch asked as he took up the rare guard.

"Not long before they come into view of the island. We should be able to reach the Strahl and board before they notice we've noticed that they're here."

Kairos gave an indignant screech then and flew off ahead of them. "And how are we to avoid them once we've boarded the Strahl? I prefer my airship whole rather than in pieces and skewered thank you very much." Balthier said as they found their way into the small cave like dome of rock by the entrance to the castle.

There was a grinding of rock against stone as the door closed itself and Kira said, "Don't worry about that." Her eyes suddenly flashed white mystiness again and this time Larsa noted that the Cryst as well seemed to shift its patterns temporarily. "Shit they're closer than I thought. Fran, lead us to the nearest way stone in the subterra of the pharos!"

Fran hardly questioned her and simply began to run in the direction of the subterra that she and Balthier had fought through to arrive at this cave the first time. "The Pharos? Kira have you lost your sense? The Strahl is on the other side of the island!" Balthier quipped as they ran.

"I know that, but I'm not that strong enough yet, I'll need help from some magical instrument." Hardly anyone had time to question her any further as they were suddenly overwhelmed by a surprise attack from the foul creatures of the deep subterranean levels of the Pharos.

"Ugh, this is ridiculous, we'll never escape through this way!" Larsa exclaimed as he finally managed to chop down an undead only to be faced with three more of the same.

"I don't understand. The monsters here weren't this strong or plentiful when we first passed through here." Fran exclaimed as she quickly healed herself after taking massive damage from the foul breath of some creature she could hardly even make out form the rest of them.

"You're right this is ridiculous…" Kira muttered and suddenly a down pour of oil showered over their group with a good two metre radius and while the oil never landed on any of the party members, it covered every single one of the enemies and before anyone could blink, Kira let loose an inferno the likes of which they'd never seen before.

Within a matter of seconds every monster within sight had crumpled to ashes. "come on let's get going…" Kira said, but the strength of her voice contradicted with her body as it teetered dangerously while she tried to move forward. Larsa caught her by the shoulders and draped her arm over his shoulders.

"Don't push yourself so hard! There's a limit to the things you can do dammit!" He chastised and she smiled warmly before apologizing.

The party moved on until they found the nearest Way stone, miraculously not happening upon any other enemies along the way. Kira detached herself from Larsa with a little difficulty due his resistance and approached the way stone. "Kira…" Larsa began but she shushed him and gestured for everyone to gather around the way stone upon which she laid her hands and took a deep breathe.

The stone seemed to breath with her as it glowed with the power of its magic and a warm buzz hummed through them that seemed to emanate from the stone. It was hardly a moment's wait before they experienced the familiar sensation of being rapidly squeezed like an orange and found themselves standing by the teleport stone directly in front of the Strahl.

"I wasn't aware you could teleport from a way stone to a gate crystal…" Fran said in awe as they began making their way to the Strahl.

"Neither did I." Kira said with a smirk as Larsa guided her up into the Strahl after Balthier called her down and opened the hatch.

They walked passed Nono as he stood by the ship door bowing and kupoing to them all. "Nono, ready the engines for flight I want quarter power to the rare boosters and full power to the wings. We need as close to silence as possible. Now Kira, please tell me you have a plan to keep us out of sight of these ravenous dogs. I don't much feel in the mood for a tango with hot lead." Balthier said as he made his way to the bridge and looked out the windshield to just see an entire fleet of Archadian ships crossing the horizon.

Kira didn't reply but stepped away from Larsa and pressed her hand against the wall of the ship and everyone felt a slight shiver run through the ship. Balthier glanced back at her, then back at the controls and noticed that the little icon that represented their position on the radar and map was gone. "brilliant, if even we can't detect ourselves surely neither can they…" Balthier said half sarcastically.

Kira smirked slightly and retorted, "Just shut up and fly this thing!"

Larsa watched Kira warily and only sat down and buckled himself in when she assured him that she would be alright. There was hardly a moment's wait before the ship rumbled into life and took off slowly but quietly.

"Kira, where should we, ugh!" Balthier had been rudely interrupted by the Strahl as she jerked suddenly, shifting everything inside her. She stilled for a moment before suddenly the Strahl begin to sway and bob up and down in the air. "Fran! What's going on?" Balthier shouted as he tried everything to get the airship back under control.

"I don't know! I think she is reacting to…"

"It's the Cryst! The Strahl's magicite is reacting to the Cryst!" Kira said as she felt the Cryst burn against her skin. "I don't know how to stop it!"

"We have to make an emergency landing!" Basch said over the clammer.

"Look, we're over the Paramina Rift, if we aim for the snow it should be a soft enough landing." Larsa said pointing out the windshield as he leaned in between Balthier and Fran.

It was true, in all the chaos, the Strahl had somehow drifted far enough south to just clear the sea. "Well if you're gonna land this thing then do it! I can't keep the cloaking up for much longer!" Kira demanded with a snarl as her nails scratched paint of the inner wall of the ship.

"Alright! Hold onto something!" Balthier cringed as he tried to guide his ship as delicately as possible to the ground knowing that she would definitely suffer extensive damage and would no doubt leave quite the dent in his pocket to repair.

There was a unanimous yelp through out the ship's interior as they Strahl touched land rather rashly and roughly skidded to a lopsided stop somewhere in the middle of the Paramina Rift.

There was silence in the airship for a moment. Balthier lifted his head off the control board where it had landed rather harshly during the landing 'process' and was about to make a comment when the lights in the roof suddenly flickered and died.

Balthier opened his mouth and closed it again before he just closed his eyes, dropped his head back on the control board and sighed. "uhm, Balthier…" Kira started but he raised his hand.

"Don't. Fran, open the roof hatch and let everyone out, I'll stay with Nono and assess the damage." Fran climbed out of her seat which had somehow been turned on it's side in the crash and lead everyone to the roof hatch.

"Will he be alright?" Larsa asked.

Fran glanced back at him and said, "He is only being childish. He is only truly worried about the weight his pocket's about to lose."

"I'm sorry, I should've known the Strahl's Magicite would react to the Cryst…" Kira began as Fran helped her out of the hatch.

"Do not worry. We are alive and they do not follow," Fran said as she looked north and found no Archadian airships breeching the horizon. "that is what really matters, and it's thanks to you."

OoOoO

To be continued…

Hey, hope you enjoyed this chapter as well. Hopefully I'll be able to keep the updates coming like this cause things are gonna get pretty heated form here on ^^

Well see yah next time =D Don't forget to REVIEW! Plz n thank you.