Chapter 6 The palace.
As Vaan walked down the set of stairs he used so often to descend into the sewer
system, he began to wonder if he was going a little too far. Maybe Penelo was
right, what if he was captured and locked in a dungeon or worse executed. What would
become of their little makeshift family. Was he really going to blow all that happiness
on foolish pride and patriotism. He stood still for a while as the magnitude of what he
was about to do hit him. It was too late to stop now, he had come too far. Penelo would
thank him when they were provided for for months to come. Now he had reached the point
of no return, before him he had a choice of two doors. To the left lay his usual dire rat
hunting ground. It was the section that dealt with the sewage and rubbish from the city above.
However to the right lay a level higher than the sewer. The pipes that channeled water from the
Giza plains and into the city. A plumbing system that had become known as the Garamscythe
waterway. Vaan took a breath, and turned right. Little did he know that the choice he had made
would change not only himself, or his friends, or Dalmasca, but the entire world.
Vaan stepped through the door, and wasn't sure of what he'd found. It was not so much
a plumbing system but a work of art. Great towering stairways covered the room, huge
pillars rose from the crystal clear water, streams and waterfalls sparkled in all directions.
Even the rust on the pipes contributed to this artistic complex. Vaan stood and admired for
a little while and then began recalling everything Dalan had told him just a few moments before.
"In the old warehouse in north lowtown." Dalan said stroking his beard. "You will find, two doors.
One leads as you know to Vaan Ratsbane's usual hunting ground, but you must turn right into
the city's water supply known as Garamscythe. The tunnels lead directly under the palace where they
come up in the storeroom. That's your way in."
Vaan pulled a map out of his pocket, tracing the route he needed to take. It was a long and wet walk
but the prize at the end he convinced himself was worth it.
While the guards stood on duty in the great hall two figures ran down the corridors. Both of them
moved decisively, earlier they had memorised the layout of the building. Two skilled individuals
on the loose was very bad news when only a few guards were on patrol. Two such men were drinking
while standing watch over an atrium decorated with golden statues, they had had quite a few and were
hardly at their most alert. Suddenly there was movement in the shadows. Even the drunk men noticed
and rose shakily to their feet drawing their swords. However they faltered when they realised their opponent
was a slim figured woman, that was good. They also noticed she was wearing very little, even better. What they
failed to notice though was the strung bow in her hand, she promptly raised her weapon and loosed her arrow.
The first soldier went down without a sound, the arrow cleanly piercing through the chainmail in his neck. The
second gave an outraged cry and began to charge but with a resounding clang something hard and metal
struck him on the back of the head. He stood there frozen, and then collapsed beside his friend. The second figure
went over to join the woman. So far so good.
In the palace storeroom a trap door sprang open and a wet and miserable Vaan staggered out. Never again
would he traverse that particular waterway. He had been attacked by monsters and thanks to that tomato thing
his sword now lay in several pieces in the Estersand and his knife had been little defense against the rats and steelings.
He had nearly been drowned when he had to pass through a section practically underwater and right now he would
like nothing better than to curl up and go to sleep. Slowly his will grew stronger and he told himself he had to push
on. He owed it to himself. He slowly rose to his feet. He looked at his surroundings, an empty storeroom. Just as well
Dalan was right. Now he needed to find his way into the main palace. He slowly walked to the door and eased it open.
He was in the subteranial storage chambers where a group of peasants hired to clean up the mess afterwards were waiting.
Vaan grinned, perfect, he could simply blend into the crowd for now.
Four more guards later and the two intruders were close to their target. They had returned to using their
skif bike and were making great progress humming down the corridors. They would reach their destination soon.
Suddenly the bike pulled into a sudden stop as the woman noticed something wrong. She looked ahead to see a patrol
of no less than twelve guards and a mage. The second figure shook his head, this meant trouble. There was
every possibility that the two of them could dipatch the soldiers, but very little chance they could do it without the
alarm being sounded. None at all if you include the mage. If they were to fight him then someone would notice
the magical discharge and that would be that. They had no choice but to wait. This was a patrol so they had to move
on at some stage.
Vaan slipped up the stairs, after sneaking past the guards at the feast there was nothing much to really worry about.
The palace was practically deserted. What was strange was the lack of guards even in the areas Dalan had insisted
they would be, though often he would find a dropped sword or an abandoned helmet. Vaan didn't concern himself.
They were probably off stuffing their faces like all Archadians. He followed his map until he reached an ornately
decorated set of corridors. Here was the place Dalan was talking about. He drew out the crescent stone from a
pouch on his belt. It was now glowing as bright as a sunstone. He had gone through a lot to get this stone full
of magick, it had better be worth it.
"The signet yearns for sunstone's strength to light the clouded way." Dalan said wisely. "Or that's what I heard
anyway." He added with a snigger.
Vaan sighed, so he needed to find a signet and hope that something happened. Seemed simple enough but the
room was so ornate it was full of signets. There was nothing else for it. Vaan began searching.
At last the mage had moved on, but five soldiers still remained. The man knew that in order to get by they would
need to dispatch them, now they had a chance to. For the last few minutes the woman had been preparing a spell,
this would hopefully put all the guards to sleep without alerting any nearby mages. She stood next to him ready to
cast, both held their breaths. If she had made a mistake anywhere in the incantation. Then a mage would feel the
discharge and alarms would sound in seconds. With a breath, she released the magic. For a few seconds nothing
happened, then a soldier began to yawn. His fellows followed suite and soon all found they could no longer stay on
their feet. In less than a minute all of them were snoring like babies. The intruders waited, waited for the alarms, waited
for the moment of discovery. Silence. They were safe, with newfound confidence they strode past the sleeping guards.
Vaan collapsed on the fluffy carpet. He had been searching for ages and found nothing that even reacted to the stone.
This whole trip had been a total waste of time. Only an hour remained before the feast ended, then the corridoors would
be inaccessable. He should just get out of here while he could, furious with himself he flung the crecent stone down the passage,
where it came to rest on a lion signet. As Vaan was turning to go he noticed a glow behind him. Fighting to
contain his excitement he turned to see the lion signet and the stone glowing with the same light. It was like a burning campfire.
Slowly the light began to move along the carpet and down the corridoor. Vaan eagerly followed, this was it. this was the treasure room.
The light stopped in front of a door and then suddenly went out. Vaan shook his head in disbelif. Was that it?
Could he go no further. Then he noticed something shining through the wall, It was the same light. Slowly he reached
towards the wall and placed his hand upon it. But it didn't connect with anything it simply fell through. Eagerly
Vaan leaped through the passable wall, and gasped. He was in an enormous hall filled with treasure.
Finally they had made it to the main treasury entrance. Perhaps all this work will have been for something. The legendary dusk shard had to be worth something. The two tired intruders reached the ornate door with the complicated looking lock and nodded to each other.
The man pulled an enormous gun off his back while the woman stood ready to open the door, all was ready.
Vaan was busy rolling around in the piles of gold when he accidently brushed a lever hidden under the coins.
He stood up abruptly as he heard the ticking of clockwork mechanisms, he twisted and turned his ears trying to hear where the
source was. Finally he noticed the golden statue of a godess in the corner, nothing out of the ordinary in this room.
Except her face was opening up. The gold peeled away to reveal expert mechanisms and... Vaan couldn't believe his eyes.
He saw within the head the most beautiful stone he had ever seen. It seemed to shine like the setting sun. Slowly in case
od traps he reached up and took the jem from its place, it was much heavier than it looked. As Vaan held it
he couldn't help but feel some strange power eminating from it. Then it happened, actually several things happened.
One, there was a bang that echoed throughout the palace and quite a way beyond. Two the lock to the treasury door shattered.
Three a small group of Dalmascan soldiers ran across the coutyard to challenge the guards. Four Vaan hurled himself
into a pile of silver to shelter from the resultant dust and shrapnel.
"Quite a performance." Said a commanding voice through the smoke. Vaan choked and tried to rise to his feet.
"Who are you?" He rasped. A man walked out of the smoke laughing.
"I play the leading man" He said impressively. "Who else."