Avatar of the Occuria
Chapter 5; Hidden names
Ifrit – Above the Dalmascan Westersand
Harry stormed through his Heavy Cruiser and the crew, both soldiers and techs alike, cleared his path, hastily getting out of his way as he made his way up to Command. The room fell away into two sunken areas filled with control terminals while a long walkway made up the centre of the room towards the front window. Harry walked over it, letting his heavy boots make noise as he came up behind Judge Dratan in his gold and purple flecked armour. The Captain of the Ifrit stood at his side, wearing the grey uniform of the fleet and the two turned to look at him and Captain Volkev went pale. Whether Dratan did as well was another matter.
"Captain Volkev, ready me a transport. Something subtle." Harry ordered sharply. "I need to get to Jahara quickly and without attracting too much attention from Rozarria."
"At once, My Lord Judge Magister!" Volkev past Harry and started snapping orders to his crew as soon as he was far enough away not to be impolite.
"My Lord Judge Magister?" Dratan asked carefully. "Will you be requiring an escort?"
"Not this time, Judge Dratan." Harry growled and itched to put his hand on his sword. "It seems Larsa Solidor has taken a vacation into Kerwon without his escort. I'm going to go and get him. I think it will be easier to do so alone."
"Any orders, My Lord Judge Magister?"
"You will see to the final scuttling of the Shiva and then take the Ifrit back to Nalbina. As you know the Rabanastran Consul has returned to Archades to spend time with the Emperor. I want one of you to take up post in Rabanastre and see that things are as they should be and to my standards." Harry listed. "Is that clear?"
"Yes, My Lord Judge Magister." Dratan bowed his head.
"I'll leave within the hour, Judge Dratan." Harry told him. "I'll be sending a message to Judge Magister Drace asking her to check up on you if this drags out for too long. I expect you will show your Aunt the same reverence as you show me. If she is displeased with you than so shall I be."
"My Lord!" Dratan seemed to want to argue that he'd never disappoint but thought better of it.
"Just don't disappoint me, Judge." Harry told him before turning to head back to his rooms for a quick bath and to gather his supplies. Remedies and potions in case Larsa got himself into trouble and enough food and water to last Harry a week or any other human for two days. He would travel light once he was on the ground in Jahara.
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX
Jahara – The next afternoon
The Atomos landed on a wide river bank just outside of the village of Jahara and Harry pulled his black gauntlets over his hands to hide his only wound. He wouldn't show even a weakness that small around a tribe of warriors like the Garif. Harry walked down the back of the ramp and out onto moist grass and into the bright sun. The ramp began to close behind him as per his orders and in a few moments the Atomos lifted off of the ground, blowing Harry's cloak around him as he slowly walked towards the bridge that led the way across the river and onto the multiple islands that the village was built upon.
The two large Garif towered over him but their attention had drifted to the Atomos as it slowly sunk out of sight over the Ozmone plains and back into Dalmasca. They jerked their masked heads towards Harry as he approached and growled at him. "Who are you?"
"I am Judge Magister Baltheon of the Empire of Archadia." Harry told them without emotion. "I come seeking out a young Archadian boy who answers to the name of Larsa. I am nothing more than an escort and you need not fear me."
"We fear you not!" The large of the two growled at him.
"In that case either take me to the boy or to your leader so I may ask where he has gone." Harry demanded with a rather imperious tone of voice.
"We shall escort you to Great-Chief Uball-Ka but be warned, we will kill you if you try to harm any within our home." The Garif Warrior warned. Harry bowed his head slowly and let the Warrior escort him across a wide rope bridge and then across another island and bridge to a smaller island where a raised promontory boasted a wooden building with a thin trail of smoke rising from the top.
"Judge Magister Baltheon." The Garif Warrior announced his presence as Harry came to a stop across the fire from an elderly Garif. The room was simple with only a few seats and a large camp fire in the centre of the room.
"I come seeking Lord Larsa, a human child from the Empire." Harry told the Garif with a calm voice.
"An Imperial boy?" The Garif asked before chuckling in amusement. "I have heard of you, Judge Magister Baltheon, a man with no regards to loyalty or his word."
Harry narrowed his eyes from under his hood but his senses picked out none of the normal signs that would betray the Garif leader's hatred of him. "Great-Chief Uball-Ka. I have learned of you since taking my post in Dalmasca. Your reputation is a little less astounding than mine but I believe you care more for what your eyes tell you than what your ears hear as rumour."
"Well spoken." Uball-Ka told him. "Tell me Baltheon, why do you seek the boy, Larsa?"
"So I can clip him around the ears and take him back to the safety of Nalbina." Harry told him bluntly.
"Yet it was for an escort that Larsa sent for." Uball-Ka pointed out.
"Well, he's a twelve year old boy. What he wants isn't necessarily what it best for him." Harry snorted and managed to make the sound musical. "Now, I need an answer, is the boy here?"
"He is not." Uball-Ka told him.
"In that case I need to know where he went and how long ago he left." Harry straightened up.
"He has gone on a quest to discover answers. Necessary answers." Uball-Ka told him. "I won't threaten the group he left with by telling you what you want. Your intention to protect Larsa may change to include the desires of your masters."
"Masters?" Harry growled angrily and the two guards by the door stiffened defensively, a motion that alerted Harry to his surroundings and every threat there. His senses picked up all the movement outside the building. "Listen to me, Garif. I'm interested in the safety of Larsa and I will hunt him down to the edges of Ivalice and let me warn you that nobody is more important to me than Larsa. Not even the Emperor, not even you."
The Garif drew himself up. "Their purpose is more important than your desire to protect Larsa."
"Tell me who they are." Harry ordered lacing his words with power and forcing the truth from the Garif.
The Garif staggered backwards as he tried to refuse to answer and though he made a better attempt to fight it than anybody Harry had ever seen he succumbed in the end. "Princess Ashelia and her entourage."
"No need to tell me the rest." Harry studied the Garif. "Tell me..."
"Guards!" Aball-Ka snapped and the two guards by the door leapt at Harry. Harry's magic lashed out and a simple Stop spell caught the two as they raised weapons against Harry. They hung precariously in the air four feet from Harry, only staying upright because of the spell. Harry hadn't even looked at them.
"Great-Chief Uball-Ka. I am in no mood for this." Harry snarled. "Tell me where they went, now!"
"East." Aball-Ka managed to be vague but Harry didn't need to ask for anything more specific. There was only a few things to the East in Kerwon and the main thing that would interest Princess Ashelia was the Gran Kiltias Anastasis.
"An option for peace." Harry mused. "She is searching for a way to retake her throne. It won't work you know. The Emperor will not allow that to happen. He will send the entire fleet to stop it."
"She will have the power to argue for peace." Uball-Ka pointed out with a nervous glance at his restrained guards.
"And her words will fall on death ears." Harry snapped before turning to the side. "Need I restrain you too or may I walk out of Jahara without bloodshed?"
"Be gone!" Uball-Ka snapped. Harry was out of the door inside of a few seconds releasing his spell only when he was out of the village.
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX
That Afternoon
Harry slowed to a walk as he entered the crevice that led up out of the Ozmone Plains and up towards the Forest that supposedly hid the villages of the Viera. He remembered how most of the people of his own world remembered Elves. He'd always remembered picturing them as beings attached to trees, living among them with their houses and the Viera seemed to be just that but Harry himself felt no real attachment to forests and trees. He felt that if there were groups of Elves like himself on Earth then they lived in cities of stone and not tree houses.
He'd slowed to search for signs of travellers since everybody heading East would have to go through this crevice unless they had a ship. Instead of focusing on the ground however he spotted two Imperial Soldiers camped out against the wall of the crevice. He quickly pulled up his hood before they noticed him and slowly walked towards them. Only one was still conscious but he seemed extremely tired since it wasn't until Harry stopped near his feet that the Imperial Soldier focused on him and gasped in surprise.
"Be still." Harry told him and crouched down.
"My Lord Judge Magister." The man tried to straighten up and reached for his helmet. "How can I be of service?" He glanced around as if looking for Harry's escort but found no-one.
"I travel alone." Harry told him before placing his hand on the unconscious man's chest. "He'll live with proper attention. What happened to you both?"
"We're part of the garrison at the mines, My Lord Judge Magister." The soldier told him. "We were attacked from out of the shadows by a being of such speed... and madness!"
"Madness?" Harry queried before continuing. "What of the rest of your garrison?"
"All dead, My Lord Judge Magister." The man shook his head. "I had to carry my friend out. All the researchers..."
"Researchers?" Harry asked. "I did not know there were any researchers based there."
"They came a week or so ago. From Draklor." The Soldier told him. "Please, My Lord Judge Magister. My friend..."
"Will need attention." Harry finished for him before standing. He pressed a button on his left bracer and brought it up to his face listening to the static as his radio came to life.
"This is the Imperial Vessel Ifrit." A voice announced in the standard greeting.
"This is Judge Magister Baltheon, send a Remora to pick up two wounded soldiers in the Eastern passage of the Ozmone Plains for immediate medical attention and send a small garrison via Atomos to the mines in the southern Ozmone Plains." Harry ordered.
"My Lord Judge Magister." Harry recognised Captain Volkev. "It will be done immediately."
Harry turned back to the wounded man who had managed to push himself up to lean against the rocky wall of the crevice in some misdirected need to stand in the presence of one of the most feared Judge Magisters. "You might be able to aid me." Harry told him. "I am tracking a large party of travellers. By best estimates they should have passed this way eight hours or so ago. They would have seemed a rather motley group with at least two or three younger members including a young boy."
"A young boy, an older boy and girl, a woman, two men and a Viera came through this way about two hours ago, My Lord Judge Magister." He told Harry. "But they were going into Ozmone and not out."
Harry thought they sounded like the right people but he wasn't sure since they were going in the wrong direction. Why would they go into Golmore Jungle only to come back out again? Were the beasts in there too strong for them? "Describe one of them to me." He ordered.
"It was the young man that spoke to me." The Soldier told him tiredly. "He was a Dalmascan with messed up blond hair and armoured clothing. He carried a pole weapon."
"Hmm..." Harry mumbled to himself. It was an exact description of Vaan. "Where did they go?"
"To the Henne Mines, My Lord Judge Magister." The soldier sighed. "I told them it was dangerous."
Harry's eyes narrowed and he stood with a flutter of his cloak and gritted his teeth. Larsa was going too far if he thought he could wander into places as dangerous as the Henne Mines without Harry coming down on him. This time he'd make sure Larsa went back to his father even if he had to put chains around his wrists.
Harry was gone before the soldier could thank him for his aid and he ran the distance to the Henne Mines' northern entrance. It only took him twenty minutes but he pushed himself and when he arrived he was breathing heavily and had to control his breathing so that he could approach the shadowed entrance slowly and with the proper caution required when the entrance was liberally strewn with dead bodies. The first few he stopped to study but then it became evident that they were all killed in the same way, with precise and deadly strikes from a short sword, more of a dagger by the depths of the wounds. Both soldiers and scientists were the same and the bodies were less than three hours old. These men and women had been massacred by a single attacker by the way they were lain and fast enough that their reinforcements hadn't arrived from within the mines before they were all dead.
Even Harry wasn't capable of that without his magic. Whoever did this was either immune to physical damage or skilled yet uncaring about their own health. Insane. He heard a dull throb of engines and turned only long enough to take in the two Atomos' landing outside the mine before he turned to study a map that was escaping from the pocket of one of the scientists.
"My Lord Judge Magister!" Harry glanced up at the purple adorned Captain before raising himself into a standing position. "Are they all... dead?"
"Every one of them." Harry told them. "Send out the standard signals to see if there is anyone in the area before following me."
"My Lord Judge Magister?" The Captain sounded nervous.
"I have to go at my own speed, Captain." Harry told him sharply. "I am on the trail of Larsa Solidor and he is in there somewhere. I cannot afford to wait for you to form up and sweep the caverns. Track my signal and if I stop for any length of time get to me as fast as you can."
With his orders given Harry ran at a fast human pace into the mines and as soon as he was out of sight he sped up to his full speed, or at least as fast as he could run within the twisting confines of a mine filled with attacking bats and the odd creature born from evil that all slunk through cracks in the wall. He was having to guess the direction of Larsa's group on the assumption that they'd be following the trail of dead Arcadians just as Harry was but when he heard the faint echoing of fighting and the louder growl of a beast that Harry could just make out as a Wyrm of some kind he picked up his pace, almost hurtling himself dangerously past beasts relying on his magical shield to hold any back if they tried to harm him.
As he circled back towards the entrance he came to a deep cavern where he had traced the fighting and as he entered he took in everything, even from the shadowed entry tunnel. In another tunnel in the far side of the cavern was a small Viera girl clutching a dagger to her chest while the centre of the room was dominated by a large Ring Wyrm, though this species was more often called a Tiamat. Though rare they tended to show up in places people rarely ventured, like the deeper parts of these mines. By the looks of the few soldiers' bodies in this cavern it had attacked the miners and Draklor scientists and even as they tried to flee the Viera assassin had appeared and cut them down.
Fighting the Tiamat were Harry's own targets, his eyes lingered on his older brother and a yearning flooded his heart as he was reminded of all the years he'd lost when Balthier had ran out on him. Also hanging back from the fight was the Viera woman, Fran and Penelo, the street rat from Rabanastre who were using a rifle, bow and crossbow respectively as well as the odd healing spell or black magic spell when needed.
Surrounding the Tiamat were the rest. His old long term guest, Basch Von Ronsenburg was looking a little more tanned and he'd obviously worked out the creaks in his fighting style as he darted around the Tiamat's massive head and sharp claws slicing at its armoured hide trying to find a weakness. Also fighting close in was Princess Ashelia and finally Vaan who caught Harry's eye for a long moment and Harry felt that pained throb in his chest once again as he watched Vaan twirl his staff around his head before stabbing the end at one of the Tiamat's eyes even though it only gouged a deep gash in its eyelid.
The last in the room was the one Harry was really there for. Larsa stood near to Vaan but he held back from the fight, throwing in small spells and useful potions whenever he could and he'd evidently struck a few of his own blows too and taken a few scratches just like the others. Harry instincts told him that the greatest injury that somebody had taken was a long and deep gash that went up the front of Balthier's right leg to his knee. It was so deep that it had wounded the muscle and he wasn't able to put any weight on it.
Harry concentrated and reached out a hand to his older brother, muttering a Cura that struck Balthier's leg and flowed over the ragged gash like a thick sludge leaving pure flesh and skin behind. Harry sent out a barrage of buffering spells over the group, flooding the room with magical shields starting from himself and spreading out to the nearest people until all had a shield against both magic and physical damage over themselves.
As the powerful magic flickered across their skin they risked glances around themselves but most didn't see him before their attention fell back to the Tiamat. Balthier however spotted him in the doorway and stared at him as he took his weight back more evenly across his legs.
Harry stepped into the room properly wanting to end this battle as fast as possible and not risk Larsa's health. He lifted his hands over his head and pulled up a spell he'd learned at eighteen. The most powerful spell in creation formed over his head as a bright vertical ring of revolving light before it filled in and lanced across the cavern burning the air as it went.
The Tiamat felt the power in the spell and tried to evade but the cavern was too small and it was too big and even as it moved half out of the path of the spell Harry let the spell change course to strike the beast cutting through its hide like a hot knife through butter, killing it instantly and throwing it back into the far wall of the cavern. Harry cut off the spell before it could drain all of his reservoir and felt the wind catch at his back as the suddenly reduced pressure drew in more air from the other tunnels. With it came the far distant sound of Imperial troops but even as Harry heard it the sound vanished. They were a long way off, at least five minutes away.
"You!" Princess Ashelia turned to him, her eyes going wide as she took in his cloaked form, his face hidden under his hood as always.
She and Captain Von Ronsenburg levelled swords at them. Vaan drew back his pole ready to lunge forwards. Penelo and the Viera, Fran were a little more relaxed while his older brother fingered the side of his rifle nervously. Not as nervously as Larsa was though, he'd drawn his short sword back behind his leg as if to hide the fact he'd been fighting and he was alternating between looking for a way to hide and trying to tell Harry some faked apology.
They were interrupted as all of a sudden the Viera girl stumbled out of the other tunnel with a highly erratic prance that reminded Harry of a strung puppet. The group backed away from her and Harry checked on the buffering he'd placed on Larsa and Balthier especially.
The Viera girl staggered and something fell from her hands and shattered against the floor. Harry felt a rush of magic as it spread out but it faded quickly. Harry took in the colour of the stone easily, it was Nethicite, anti-magic locked away in a stone. Draklor was become rather adept at making them if both Larsa and now this Viera girl had gotten a hold of them.
The girl fell to her knees in exhaustion but Harry was focused on the ripples of Myst that crept from her body, filling the air. It rang in Harry's ears as a counter-harmony to the ever present Song and while it wasn't unpleasant it sounded so different to what Harry was used to that he didn't like it. Out of the ebbing Myst an image of a creature took shape. It's face was hidden in shadow, or it was shadow, but two brightly glowing golden globes hung in that darkness. An elaborate shape framed this darkness with two higher sections to the side joined by the top edge of a circle that crowned the being's head. It exuded power beyond even Harry and his right hand ventured back over his shoulder towards the hilt of his sword. He'd just gripped the sword when pain flashed through the back of his hand and he was forced to release his grip.
Before his left hand could take hold of his faithful Katana the being faded from sight leaving the room suddenly rather empty. Harry shuddered slightly but he didn't give away any sign that it was strange to be holding his Katana with his left hand. The group slowly turned on him, all but Fran who ran to the small girl's side. Harry returned the defensive motion by slowly drawing his Katana from its sheath, mentally reminding himself that even though he wasn't brilliant with his sword in the wrong hand he was still pretty decent and most fighters couldn't defend against a left-handed opponent.
"Baltheon." Princess Ashelia. "Are you hunting us?"
"Hunting you?" Harry laughed and levelled the tip of his sword at her throat before dropping it slightly to point at her feet, which actually put it in a better place for him to strike with. "No."
The answer surprised them. "Then why are you here?" Harry turned his head to look at his older brother and his sword tip followed. Baltheon frowned as he realised that Harry's sword was in the wrong hand but he didn't comment on it.
"I am here to carry out my duty." Harry told him bluntly. "Any Judge or Judge Magister's duty." The slight stress on the word Judge didn't get past Balthier whose lips flickered, threatening a grin. He'd been named a Judge before he'd left. "Larsa, you're coming with me."
"He's not going anywhere with a murderer!" Vaan spat and pulled his pole back ready to attack.
"Vaan, I can look..." Larsa began to try to placate Vaan.
"Larsa?" Harry asked. "Shut up, you can't look after yourself and I'm fed up of having to run after you to keep an eye on you."
"Ha..." He shut his mouth and even if his most of the group didn't notice his stumble Balthier did. "Baltheon, I..."
"I don't care about your reasons, Larsa." Harry told him. "If I can't trust that hound of a man, Gabranth, to look after you I'll have to do it myself."
"Oh? Protect him so you can kill him later?" Ashelia glared at him.
"Princess, kindly close that mouth of yours before I decide it's also my duty to hand deliver you to the Emperor. It has been noticed in the Senate and Magisterial Council that regardless of my standing record for never failing a mission I keep failing to prevent your escapes and I might just decide to remedy that blight on my record by capturing you." Harry snapped.
"He's stalling." The Viera Fran announced, placing an arrow on her bow. "I hear men approaching. Imperial Soldiers."
"Not so confident when you're not protected by a wall of bars?" Ashelia asked spitefully.
"And what is wrong with your hand?" Captain Ronsenburg asked. "You've always been right handed. You are wounded."
Harry laughed in amusement. "A small injury, an oversight on my behalf. I shouldn't have done something and my magic rebelled." It was clear by the widening of Balthier's eyes that he'd realised what had happened but the others couldn't work out the cryptic statement.
"Murder somebody else?" Vaan chuckled. "I bet I'm right."
"If I'd done that it would have killed me." Harry shook his head. "You look like your brother but you don't sound like him. He wasn't filled with such hate, even when he was dying." Harry hadn't been able to prevent the comparison from tumbling from his lips but he realised he should have kept the observation to himself as Vaan almost screamed out in anger and the fluted edges around his pole flashed in the dim light as he launched himself forwards.
Harry deflected the strike and the solid metal of his sword screeched as it slid the pole away from him. Harry twisted and his katana followed his path around in a wide circle forcing Vaan to leap clear.
Harry twisted back around as his senses heard the whistle of another sword and it flew clear of him. It was Basch's sword, a two handed sword. Harry watched it slide clear of his shoulder and inverted his katana to parry a new blow from a short sword that came from behind him. The Princess had decided to help them. Harry twisted his body even so close to three assailants spinning his entire body over the top of Basch's sword. He landed on the pommel forcing his right leg down to the ground along with the sword, wrenching it out of Basch's grip. As soon as his foot was on the ground he used the handle of his sword to daze the man with a solid strike under his jaw sending him flying backwards onto the ground.
In only a few seconds he'd disarmed Captain Ronsenburg and held Princess Ashelia and Vaan at bay, all without trying. Harry stepped away from Ashelia and Vaan who, seeing Harry's true skill for the first time stayed close together while Penelo tried to cast a spell to get Basch back in the fight. That was where they realised that Harry's previous buffering spells he'd placed on them earlier were still active and strong and they didn't let them aid each other and since they were under Harry's control he could drop them at any time and strike at them with magic.
Vaan struck next sending the end of his spiked and fluted pole straight at Harry's stomach and Harry knew that the Princess hoped he'd commit his katana in blocking the strike only to leave himself open. Instead Harry caught the edge of the pole with the bracer on his right arm and sent it clear of him even as Ashelia struck. Harry deflected her blow with ease and ended up turned to his right, his Katana running back along his left arm towards both Ashelia and Vaan who were to his left and very close to him. Too close for them to dodge when his left arm which had rounded behind him to parry her sword smashed back driving the point of his sword directly at Ashelia with enough force that when she brought her solid shield up to block the attack the force of the impact cracked her shield and sent her flying backwards. Her body caught on Vaan and sent him back as well and their weapons fell from their grips.
"Please! Stop!" Larsa screamed in the sudden stillness. "Don't hurt them."
"Them?" Harry asked Larsa. "I thought you knew me better than that. Then again I thought I knew you well enough to differentiate between you and you brother but obviously not."
Larsa flinched back like he'd been slapped and even though Vaan didn't really understand the insult he was only angered further as he saw the hurt on his new friend's face. He stood up and raised his arms to the side. Harry frowned as he felt the power fill the room and across the floor a complex design rose from the floor.
"Vaan! No!" Balthier leapt forwards and wrestled Vaan from his position breaking the strange magic before it could take effect.
"Balthier?" Vaan seemed wounded. "I can kill him."
"And you'll doom us all!" Balthier snapped and suddenly, in the moment before Vaan tried to come up with a response dozens of Imperial Soldiers flooded into the room.
"Belias can take them!" Vaan hissed angrily but Balthier wouldn't let Vaan escape his grasp. Harry was confused by his older brother's response. Clearly Balthier felt that if Vaan cast his spell he'd be able to hurt Harry and no boy like Vaan had been able to hurt him since he was ten.
"Drop all of your weapons." Harry said simply and the Imperial Soldiers, all thirty of them advanced around the group in a complete circle. Fran took hold of the small girl and helped her stand and at the prompting of the silent soldiers led her to meet the others in the centre of the room.
"My Lord Judge Magister?" The Captain of the Soldiers asked. "What do you want us to do?"
"Just wait a moment, Captain." Harry told him before stepping inside the circle. "Drop them, Princess, or I will let them disarm you by force."
Princess Ashelia glowered at Harry but placed her newly retrieved sword onto the floor. A bow, rifle, crossbow and several daggers and shields joined the pile and soon a couple of his Soldiers tossed Basch's double-handed sword and Vaan's pole onto the pile. Harry walked towards them and gestured for Balthier to let Vaan go who'd stopped struggling against the twenty-two year old man.
"You don't understand even half of it, Vaan." Harry said quietly so that the Soldiers couldn't overhear. "If your older brother would've been able to testify to the truth do you really think the Empire would have allowed me to return him to you? I do not break my oaths, Vaan, not even ones made to my enemies."
Harry turned to Princess Ashelia. "You journey to Mt. Bur-Omisace but I tell you now that even if you gain his permission to take back your thrown, it will be in title only. The Empire will not allow you to take back your seat by force. Your only recourse is through making an agreement with the Emperor. Agree to come with me now and I will escort you to him."
"And if I don't?" She challenged.
"I had no intention of arresting you or your friends here, Princess. You attacked me remember." Harry turned his back on them and looked to the Captain. "Captain, take Larsa Solidor into our custody. If he resists then lock him in shackles."
"Baltheon!" Larsa gasped.
"My Lord Judge Magister?" The Captain seemed reluctant.
"The boy has no power over you Captain, but I can hang you for disobeying an order. Take him into custody." Harry ordered and the Captain and three of his men stepped forwards with a slow, reluctant pace. Harry didn't think there was a single soldier in the Empire that disliked Larsa, they wouldn't want to carry out his order but they were just as afraid of Harry as they were of dying and they'd do what he ordered. Harry turned to Larsa as he made to struggle against the first Soldier that reached him. "Larsa, if I have to threaten your new friends to make you come with me then I will."
Larsa stilled and his head sagged slightly and he stepped forward. The Captain rested a hand on his shoulder. "What of the others, My Lord Judge Magister?" The Captain asked as he and Larsa came level with him. Larsa refused to look up at him and simply stared towards the tunnel that led back to the entrance.
"They are free to go, I have no need to bother with them. Larsa is what I came here for." Harry told him and gestured for his men to begin emptying the cavern.
"Just let it go, Vaan." Harry heard Balthier whisper and he turned his head to look at him, letting him know that he'd heard him.
"He's just protecting, Larsa." Penelo's hand came to touch Vaan on the elbow and Harry felt an odd sensation of envy in his chest.
"He has a strange way of showing it, the bastard." Vaan said far too loudly and Balthier grabbed him tightly as Harry watched from the edge of the cavern, in clear view of them. Three Soldiers heard Vaan's insult and looked up towards Harry who gestured them past him.
"Be careful, Vaan." Basch said. "Saying such things about a Judge Magister around any Imperial will have you killed."
"Or whipped." Balthier added sounding pained.
Harry laughed and Balthier looked up at him realising that only Harry remained in the cavern now that Larsa and the Soldiers were gone. "You'd know, Sky Pirate." There was no mistaking the amusement in Harry's voice. Balthier looked down at his feet and Vaan glanced at him in confusion. "Princess Ashelia, make your choice now. Do you wish to speak to the Emperor about retaining your crown?"
"I'd rather rot in hell!" The Princess told him regally.
"So be it." Harry turned and disappeared into the shadows an instant later.
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX
Ozmone plains
Larsa sat silently in the back of the Atomos watching in silence as his previous group walked off into the East, leaving him behind. Harry felt sorry on three accounts, he was unhappy because not only had he upset Larsa but he'd had to walk away from his older brother and also not been able to get on Vaan's good side. Not that he'd really tried but every day that Vaan was angry at him only made Harry feel more and more like what they believed he was. If his Soulmate could hate him then what chance did Harry have?
As the group disappeared from view Larsa turned his attention back to Harry who looked away from him and back to the map he and the Captain were looking at on the ground between them. It showed the Galtean Peninsula in the centre as well as most of the Kerwon continent that they were currently in the middle of as well as the southern third of Archadia and the easternmost borders of Rozarria to the west of the map. Kerwon wasn't really in anybody's hands but most of the map was Imperial territory and Harry's territory took up the centre of the map, the old countries of Nabradia and Dalmasca as well as the small sky island of Bhujerba above the Eastern sea.
The rest of the soldiers in the group were hauling bodies out of the mines and putting them in body bags to be returned to their families at the earliest possible time. Harry paused in his planning as he heard Larsa playing with the shackle that attached him to the inside of the Atomos. He held up a hand to the Captain who nodded and retreated to help his men and Harry raised himself up to his full height and walked towards Larsa, pulling down his hood as he went, savouring the fresh wind.
Harry sat beside the boy. "You know why you're cuffed don't you?"
"Because you're a git." Larsa told him without emotion. Harry laughed but didn't speak for a while. "I needed to go to Bur-Omisace."
"So you ran out on Gabranth even though I told you to go back to Archades?" Harry shook his head. "Not only that but you didn't take an escort with you. Not only that but your father is frail already, what will happen to him if he finds out you've gotten yourself hurt. Half the reason he is still alive is because he refuses to leave the Empire until you are ready to take control of it."
"Don't talk like that, Baltheon." Larsa told him.
"I'll talk however I like, Larsa."
"So you can tell me what to do but I can't tell you what to do?" Larsa argued.
"Precisely." Harry nodded. "So, apart from getting Princess Ashelia back her throne and starting a war with the Empire what reason did you have to go to Bur-Omisace?"
"That's not what she's doing." Larsa told him. "She's a good person."
"Sure she is, but she's too needy of power at the moment and she's willing to start a war in what is essentially a peaceful place." Harry pointed out.
"It's only peaceful because you enforce your rules." Larsa almost snapped.
"Are you trying to tell me that I shouldn't?" Harry asked offended more than he'd like to admit. "Do you believe what Vaan and that Princess have been telling you? That I'm just a murderer of Kings?"
"No!" Larsa realised his mistake. "I don't think you had anything to do with that. I think one of the other Magisters ordered the assassination and made it look like you."
Harry chuckled in amusement. "Close Larsa but you're not quite there yet." Harry shook his head as Larsa made to argue. "Why were you going to Bur-Omisace, Larsa? And don't avoid the question again or I'll force it from you."
Larsa went pale. "I was going to meet with Al-Cid Margrace."
"The son of the current Ruler of Rozarria?" Harry narrowed his eyes, "And a spy as well. What did you want with him apart from to give him a bargaining chip against your father?"
"He wants to talk about a way to maintain peace, especially in Dalmasca."
"But you don't have any way to ensure that, Larsa." Harry frowned before he full out glared at the boy. "That's why you requested an escort. You knew I'd come here myself to drag you back."
"You can talk to him." Larsa turned to him with a rattling of the chain. "You want peace, I know you do and you have sway over the military."
"Well your plan failed, Larsa." Harry stood up. "You got me here but now we're going back to the Empire."
"Please, Baltheon!" Larsa stood up. "I know you want peace and you know it's all breaking apart. I've heard the rumours of this resistance force and if we don't do something soon everybody will be at war. Princess Ashelia sees this too but she can't do anything about it until she has power of her own. Power to treat with the Empire."
"I gave her that option, Larsa." Harry countered. "Several times but she's refused and decided to take up arms instead."
"Can you blame her?" Larsa argued hotly. "Her father died in just such a way."
"Larsa..."
"No, Harry." Larsa hissed. "I need to go to meet Al-Cid Margrace in Bur-Omisace."
"Well, you're not going." Harry shook his head.
"All this time you've been trying to find a way to help Ivalice, Harry." Larsa spoke quietly and Harry stopped mid turn to gaze back at him. "You've never been happy with what you are, we both know it, but if you help me to change all of this we can make a better world to live in. Where nobody in the Empire has to juggle the power they have in case a simple move of a fleet triggers a war with Rozarria. Even now you don't keep the Ifrit over Rabanastre like you want because you're worried how they'll take it."
"That might be how I think, Larsa. But there are some people in the Empire who want a war. Doctor Cid for example." Harry spoke quietly. "And for that matter we both know your brother is one of them. Who do you think tried to kill me that time in Archades?"
Larsa didn't look at all shocked by this revelation and Harry made himself remember how smart the boy was. "Harry. Nobody knows what's going to happen but we can't just sit back and let it happen without trying to guide it. You're the most powerful person I know and if anyone can make a difference in this it's you and I know you'll guide it the right way."
Harry studied him for a moment before feeling more tired than he'd felt since he'd injured his hand when he'd struck Vaan across the face. "I don't know why I listen to you, Larsa." He sighed before slipping a hand into his pocket. "But I swear that if you so much as leave my sight for more than ten minutes we're going back to Nalbina where you can study the world from inside my rooms. Is that clear?" Larsa nodded so Harry pulled the key from his pocket and tossed it to the boy.
Larsa fumbled with the key but managed to get the shackle off before he launched himself forwards and hugged Harry around the waist, burying his face in Harry's side. "Don't make me regret this, Larsa."
"I won't." Larsa promised.
"Go get your stuff and whatever supplies you need." Harry ordered the boy before striding over to the Captain who braced himself as he watched Harry approach. "There's been a change in your orders, Captain. As far as you need to report I summoned you here to deal with the attack on the Henne Mines. You didn't see Larsa Solidor or the others. Is that understood?"
"Yes, My Lord Judge Magister." The poor man sounded confused.
"It's rather simple, Captain, but you don't need to know the reasons why." Harry told him and that ended the conversation on that aspect. "I'm going to take Larsa on a little training exercise. He'll be quite safe with me but it seems to me that he's become rather too rebellious for his own good. Some time away from the city may do him some good and I can't think of a better person to protect him than myself."
"Do you need an escort, My Lord Judge Magister?" The Captain asked.
"That won't be necessary." Harry shook his head. "The boy won't learn anything if we've got a large entourage to attract attention, he gets enough of that in the city as it is. You're to finish here before returning to Rabanastre. Tell the Consul's Captain there that the Mines need a new Garrison but don't permit him to take anybody from my troops. Is that clear? I don't want my own forces depleted because of Draklor's little experiments."
"Of course, My Lord Judge Magister."
"I think we'll get a little head start on our trip though. Have one of your pilots ready an Atomos to drop us off at the Paramina rift. That place will give him a much needed sense of discipline don't you?" Harry asked with a chuckle. It was a rather cold place and though not as dangerous, creature-wise, as the Tchita Uplands it still wasn't a pleasant place to go for a stroll.
The Captain nodded and Harry left him to prepare his own equipment. Hopefully they'd arrive in the Paramina Rift long before Balthier and his group made their way through the forest. In fact Harry would be sure to hunt and cook some food for Larsa in the hours they'd have to spare.
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX
That evening – Foothills of Paramina Rift
Harry stood watching the sun slide down towards the western horizon, illuminating the edge of the Golmore Jungle with a dull orange colour. Harry wore his hood up knowing that if he'd guessed right his older brother would lead their group out of the dangerous Jungle and out onto the flats since it would be easier to guard the camp over the night and he doubted the Viera would disagree and Dalmascans had a way of sensibly following the advice of more experienced people.
There was a small fire going behind him about five feet from the front of the standard issue tent that Harry had brought with them. He'd make sure to share with Larsa so he could protect the boy better. It was roomy enough for them and all of their equipment and probably even a third person if it was necessary. It was standard practice in the army to share tents in three so that one was awake and the others slept. And in a small camp there'd always be two soldiers awake, one roaming the perimeter and the other in the centre of the camp.
Larsa was on the ground in front of their tent, scrubbing at the edge of his leather armour, a rather decorative one that Harry had outfitted him with a year ago as he grew out of his old one. They'd already eaten but Harry had left the majority of the rabbit stew near the campfire to keep it warm. It was approaching sunset when Harry saw the Viera woman walk out of the forest along the main path, she stopped as she caught sight of Harry. Or rather she saw the fire first and then Harry watching her.
She raised her right arm to stop Penelo from walking past her and said something to the people behind her who spread out to see where she was looking. Harry heard Basch swear and saw him, Vaan and the Princess draw their weapons. The Viera didn't draw her bow and Harry knew it wasn't simply because she didn't see a threat, she could draw her bow in a fraction of the time of a human. Balthier and Penelo also only stood watching him even though it was only them that could hit him from that distance though Harry didn't have much trouble dodging either arrows or bolts.
Together the group slowly approached them and Harry half turned to get Larsa's attention. He looked up, grinned happily and scrambled up leaving his armour and sword on the ground. He stopped at Harry's side just as the other group came to a halt almost twenty feet from the edge of the camp. Penelo made to move forwards towards Larsa but Vaan stepped in front of her with his pole in a cross block. Basch and Ashelia levelled weapons at him yet Harry simply raised his arms up to the sides to show he wouldn't go for his Katana, once again in its sheath under his cloak.
He raised his arms to his hood and Basch narrowed his eyes as he realised that it put Harry's hands closer to his sword but Harry completed the move and lowered his hood watching as they all took in his young appearance.
"Princess Ashelia B'nargin Dalmasca." Harry dipped his head, letting his shoulder length black hair stay over his pointed ears. He had thought about forcing his ears to shrink to the normal shape of any human's ears but he didn't like the feeling and soon they'd realise just how beyond a human's abilities he was. "It's unfortunate that our last dealing led to a fight but I promise you that I had no intention of such a thing and I believe, if you look back over our encounters, I have never tried to harm you."
"He's right you know." Balthier joined in helpfully. "You attacked his party, got yourself locked away, then he let you escape from the Leviathan."
"He didn't help us escape from the Shiva." Vaan pointed out angrily and Harry caught himself before he could glance at the boy knowing that it was only make his wound hurt even more.
"You helped them escape?" Larsa frowned at Harry. "When?"
"When they made their escape from the Leviathan after wounding Ghis." Harry told him simply. "Their ship came too close to the Shiva and we detected them with ease. I ordered my crew to ignore them."
"You could hang for that!" Larsa sounded worried.
"Not likely, I was not officially notified of Princess Ashelia's escape and it was only my own prisoners escaping and I didn't want to have to occupy Bhujerba to find them." Harry told Larsa before turning back to the Princess. "The Marquis may be the leader of the resistance and might be planning to stab the Empire in the back but I was not ready to start a war over the lot of you."
Ashelia's eyes went wide in horror as Harry announced Marquis Ondore's secrets so bluntly. "Why are you here?" Basch asked.
"Larsa has convinced me to let him go to Bur-Omisace and since I felt he needed to walk I thought we'd accompany you for the journey." Harry said simply. "You seem to have hit it off with him and you've survived enough to prove you can defend yourselves."
"We might get along with him but that doesn't mean we'll tolerate you." Vaan snarled angrily but Harry refused to look at him, keeping his gaze on Balthier. "Balthier, what say you?"
"Balthier is not the leader here." Basch told him.
"As ranks go, actually, he is." Harry interrupted Balthier from speaking. Balthier shot him a hard look and Harry chuckled surprising them all. "Still keeping that to yourself are you, Balthier? Well I shouldn't really be surprised."
"I may not outrank you, Princess." Balthier regained his calm, "But if you want my advice I'd say let him come. If he wanted to harm us he wouldn't need to waste his energies on something like this."
"That's true." Harry shrugged. "If I wanted to capture or kill you I would have brought the Ifrit with me. You might be good but I don't know anyone that could bring down a Heavy Cruiser single handed."
"We need to camp for the night regardless." Fran spoke up without a care in the world who she was talking to. "Would you rather sleep where one of us can see him or out in the wild where none of us know where he is?"
Harry laughed and turned around knowing that he'd won out. There was logic in what she'd said, if you knew there was a wolf around, you were better off when you could see it. "There's still some food left in the pot." Larsa smiled at Penelo and Vaan. "It's good. Harry's good at making food."
Done with the theatrics, Harry made his way to his tent and drew the cloak off of his shoulders and unbuckled his Katana from its harness before he moved the harness around his waist and refastened his weapon against his right hip. It felt strange hanging it there but he had little choice. Harry kept well clear of the group as they talked to Larsa around the camp fire, eating and tending to their wounds. Harry noticed a few but one in particular caught his view as Vaan moved his arm and his waistcoat slid up his shoulder. He'd been scratched only lightly but it was swelling up and in the newly dim light nobody had noticed.
Harry could sense it though, Vaan was poisoned, his body was hotter than it should be and Vaan was more exhausted then the others. Being so close to the fire, Vaan clearly hadn't noticed either. Harry approached silently and only Balthier and Fran noticed his approach from where they were sitting opposite Vaan.
"Judge Magister." Balthier stressed the name in humour. "Are you going to join us?"
"No." Harry said simply making Vaan flinch and try to stand. Harry pushed him back down gently even as Basch on his left and Ashelia on his right stood slowly with their hands going to their weapons. "I'm only bothered with making sure that you all wake up tomorrow morning. Untended, Vaan's wound will put him in a coma before morning."
"What?" Vaan frowned. "I feel fine."
"You've been poisoned." Harry said simply and sighed as they glanced at the remains of the food in the pot. "Not like that you idiots. You've got a scratch on your right shoulder."
"It's just a scratch." Vaan argued.
"You're a Dalmascan, Vaan." Harry said simply. "You are used to snakes and spiders which are poisonous but there are many other types that can be too. You should keep an eye on all wounds."
"We did fight a few poisonous creatures. That Elder Wyrm being one of them." Balthier commented. "How bad is it?" He asked Vaan who forgot about Harry temporarily as he pulled his waistcoat up his shoulder. The wound was getting worse and the skin had begun to go green around it. Green veins reached down his arm.
"Do you have something to cure that?" Larsa asked. "I've never seen something like that before."
Balthier frowned. "We might have something but it'll take all night and he'll be weak tomorrow."
Harry sighed and reached to his weapon harness, now his belt, and slide out a small ceramic container will barely three drops within it. Harry never needed antidotes so the few he carried were designed to bring people back from the verge of death by poison. "One drop only." Harry said simply and past the vial to Vaan who took it before he could become suspicious. That didn't allow him to take it though. "It's an elixir. It'll have the poison gone in a few minutes."
"How do we know it's not poison?" Basch asked.
Harry simply shrugged and turned his back. "That stuff is expensive so don't waste it." He said before heading off into the shadows to look out across the flats towards the mountains, silently making the decision to take the first watch.
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX
Early morning
Harry woke up with a gasp of pain and his eyes refused to focus properly in the dim early morning light. He was more frightened of the fact that he was waking so slowly than anything else. He couldn't seem to get up the energy to move his arms to fend off against whoever had a sharp edge pressed against his throat but he could sense the assailant hanging over him even as his eyes forced themselves to focus on the angry face of Vaan.
Vaan had snuck into the tent that Harry shared with Larsa and pinned Harry down with a dagger across his throat. Harry could feel it already cutting through his skin, drawing blood. What it took Harry a moment to realise was why he felt so weak and why he had trouble hearing anything. Vaan was holding the small gem of Nethicite down on his bare chest, directly in contact with his skin. It felt like something was draining the life out of him and he knew that that was exactly what was happening. Harry was a magical being, a being infused and powered by the Myst that ran freely through this world and his own one and it was being drained from him and into the stone.
"Nethi..." Harry gasped.
"Penelo told me this would happen." Vaan growled but Harry still had trouble hearing him. Harry struggled for a moment but his body was just too weak to fight off the boy's weight and strength. His movement woke Larsa up and he yelped as he turned and saw Vaan leaning over Harry and then the blade.
"Larsa, no." Harry breathed out to stop Larsa from doing anything stupid.
"Vaan? What are you..." Larsa started but Vaan just pressed down harder with the knife with a growl.
"He killed my brother." Vaan hissed. "I swore I'd have my revenge."
"It's not me that..."
"Shut up!" Vaan shouted. "It was you!"
"No." Harry hissed. He could feel Vaan's anger burning into him just as clearly as he felt the blade at his throat and the bubbling sensation of his energy draining from him. "Let me explain."
"I don't care about listening to your lies." Vaan hissed before his head twisted to the side. Somebody had heard him even though Harry could barely hear anything over the distressed Song.
"Vaan. Please stop!" Larsa begged. "You'll kill him!"
"That's the idea." Vaan hissed.
Harry knew he had no other choice and in an instant his body flashed with power. His eyes changed shape turning from their bright emerald green into the large narrow pupils of a cat. Magic stretched out and although the Nethicite protected Vaan from most of it he was still sent flying out of the tent.
Harry pushed himself up as strength began to flood back into his limbs and Larsa scrambled up. "Harry! Don't do anything..."
"Calm down, Larsa." Harry snapped. "I'm not going to do anything permanent."
Harry was out of the tent wearing only his black trousers although he grabbed his Katana from next to his bed as he went and after drawing the sword from the sheathe he dropped the less lethal part and made his way across the camp to where Vaan was struggling to stand with the help of Penelo who was fully dressed like Vaan was. She'd clearly been on watch duty for the group. Harry strode towards her and she looked up at him in horror before scrambling to aim her crossbow. Harry made a deft little flick of his Katana and it slapped across the back of her moving hand forcing her to drop the device on instinct alone. The tip of his sword then pressed under her chin, forcing her to stand up and move away from Vaan who was still trying to rise, small bolts of Harry's Thundara spell flickered over his body.
Harry didn't have a chance to say anything and Vaan let himself fall back onto the ground in defeat as Larsa ran out of the tent pulling a shirt over his head. He had his sword in hand and beat the rest of the group by mere moments. Out of one of the tents Balthier and Basch emerged and from the third of the four tents came Ashelia and Fran who drew her bow and aimed it at Harry even as she got clear of the entrance of her tent.
"What is going on here?" Ashelia demanded levelling her sword at Harry. Basch had already done the same thing. Harry dropped his sword away from Penelo's neck and held it aimed at Vaan.
"Vaan tried to kill, Baltheon." Larsa said simply.
Harry made a small jerk of his head and the motion drew their attention to his neck where the red line of the cut was steadily dripping blood down his throat and onto his bare chest. Balthier gasped almost too quietly to hear and made an involuntary step forward. Harry lifted his right hand, which was only covered by bandages and wiped at the blood before letting his inherent Elvin traits take over. He felt an itching at his throat and slowly the wound closed over, only just clear for the others to see in the early morning twilight.
"How?" Ashelia looked worried.
"You may not have already noticed but I am not a mere Hume." Harry hissed, raising his hand to brush the hair away from one of his ears, bearing his Elvin ears to them. They didn't look too surprised by the announcement so clearly Penelo had made mention of it to them.
"How did Vaan get close enough to do that?" Balthier questioned, still the only one that didn't have a weapon aimed at Harry out of the four of them.
"Nethicite." Harry spat. "It's poisonous to me though I don't suppose you knew that before. It seems that Penelo told him which makes her an accomplish in this."
"We can't trust him." Vaan managed to get out from his place on the ground.
"You really think you have any hope defeating the Empire?" Harry laughed. "I can tell you simply that no matter the power Princess Ashelia might gain the best you can hope for is convincing the Emperor not to go to war with you. The Empire is beyond your ability to destroy, Vaan, and the sooner you realise that the better."
"Lower your sword, Baltheon." Balthier told him gently and pleadingly. "You used to listen to me so do it now. Vaan's a good boy and he doesn't understand what he's doing."
"Why should I listen to you, Balthier?" Harry snapped without thinking but as soon as he did all his old worries came flooding back. "They don't even know your real name!"
Ashelia and Basch rounded on Balthier in surprise and Balthier narrowed his eyes at Harry but then made a vague gesture with his hand. "That name means nothing to me anymore."
"And what of the decision you made at sixteen?" Harry went on relentlessly. "Did you even care what I'd think had happened if I hadn't realised what you were planning? If I hadn't already known why you were doing it I would have thought you'd left because you didn't care!"
"What is he talking about?" Basch asked Balthier.
"I might as well tell you then I suppose." Balthier didn't seem happy about losing his anonymity. "I'm afraid I haven't been perfectly honest with who I am. It's not as if I've outright lied to you though."
"Forgetting to mention that you're a Judge is a rather large oversight." Harry pointed out before slowly lowering his Katana, letting the tip of it touch the ground at his feet. Penelo leapt forward to help Vaan rise into a sitting position.
"A Judge?" Basch eyed Balthier warily.
"Not a title I wanted. Unfortunately when I turned sixteen, my rather influential father gifted me the title." Balthier explained. "I left shortly afterwards, stealing the Strahl as I went."
"So that's how you know Baltheon?" Vaan asked as he backed away from Harry.
"Perhaps you should explain this?" Balthier asked Harry, clearly not knowing what to disclose.
"I have no family in this world." Harry told them. "When I was seven I came to the Capital of Archadia and was placed under the care of Balthier's family. Balthier was nine at the time and after his mother died and his father lost interest in his raising and anything to do with me that didn't include my training, Balthier started to raise me. From the time between when I was nine and fourteen Balthier raised me as his younger brother. But after a slight mishap when I was fourteen Balthier decided I'd be safer on my own and he stole the Strahl and fled the Empire."
"A slight mishap he calls it!" Balthier turned to Fran. "See what I mean?"
"What mishap?" Larsa looked between the two. He'd always suspected who Balthier was, he'd recognised the Strahl and recognised the similarities between Balthier and his father, but never realised that Harry had been raised by him.
"Balthier was caught insulting the Emperor." Harry told him. "I took the blame because as an Elf I am better suited to take serious punishments. Because of Balthier's father the punishment was only thirty lashings."
"And you took them?" The Princess eyed him with renewed interest.
"It was either me or him and I heal in days whereas Balthier would still now wear the scars." Harry pointed to his perfectly healed throat. "Balthier couldn't take what he'd caused so plotted his escape."
"And even though I didn't tell Harry, he still knew and I found a goodbye note in my pocket." He patted the breast of his leather jacket and Harry knew that his older brother had kept the note.
"This is a little strange." Basch admitted. "And Harry...?"
Harry shot Balthier a look. "My real name isn't Baltheon. I took that when the Emperor named me Judge Magister to hide my strange lineage and so that Balthier could be assured that I still thought of him."
"The only thing I can't work out is the truth about King Raminas." Balthier told him honestly. "I can see why you keep a firm grip over Dalmasca to stop an uprising, and I can see why you brought the King to the treaty table. I can even see why you used the offered position of Judge Magister rather than refusing it but I can't see you working some backhanded deal with Gabranth to assassinate the King."
"Nor why you allow such rumours to blacken your reputation." Larsa joined in.
Harry tensed at Larsa's confusion and saw the waiting looks on everybody else's faces. "I suppose if I explain the truth you may stop hating me." Harry sighed and turned to Larsa. "You will not like this answer, Larsa. Are you sure you want it? I'd rather have them all hate me then to hurt you."
"I want the truth, Harry." Larsa used his real name. "Regardless of what it is."
"Princess Ashelia." Harry turned and dipped his head at her, well aware that he stood shirtless in front of her. "I was true to my word when I brought your father to the treaty table. I released the prisoners of war because I wanted the Dalmascans to know that I was interested in their wellbeing and I have never used your people as slaves regardless of pressure from certain members of the Imperial Senate and Magisterial Council. Even you must realise that."
"It has been brought to my attention." She admitted.
"I wanted King Raminas to come to the table and agree to call off his side of the war and permit overrule of the Empire. In return he would maintain his thrown and local authority and even military in return for our protection and assistance." Harry explained. "I understand that the war was started by the Empire without provocation and what happened in Nabradia was atrocious. Myself and my allies in the Council were unaware of its planning until after the explosion."
"What happened then?" Basch asked.
"The Emperor, under advisement of the Senate and Vayne ordered the assassination of the King using Gabranth to impersonate Basch so it would look like he had killed his own King to prevent the treaty." Harry told them, ignoring the shocked yelp from Larsa. "It worked out better than they hoped. The military moved on Rabanastre and after you faked your own death, Princess, your people didn't put up a fight. I played into Vayne's hand by ensuring that his witness, young Reks, was returned to his family where he could spread the story of Basch's regicide without a clue that he had been tricked."
"That's why you've always accepted the bad reputation." Larsa sighed. "Because to claim you had no part in the assassination would be to admit that my father had ordered it behind your back and that could cause a war."
"So you have let people hate you for two years to prevent a war?" Ashelia said.
"I had no wish for war in the first place and my allies and I had been preventing the war for years only to have it happen anyway. The Emperor was horrified at what happened in Nabradia and sent me to take over the offensive to bring it to an end." Harry sighed. "That was when I inadvertently gave him the opportunity to kill King Raminas thus insuring the Empire's dominance. For that I am sorry, Princess."
"Is that why you didn't arrest Marquis Ondore?" The Princess asked.
"To announce that I know of his resistance would give the Senate reason enough to begin another war and I do not believe another war would be in our interest." Harry sighed. "Think what you want of me, Princess, but I am no oath-breaker. I swore to protect your father while he was my guest and I did that to the best of my abilities but I did not expect that some of my troops would allow the insurgents entry into the Castle. Basch's rescue attempt would never have worked except that the Emperor, and Gabranth, wanted him to reach the King."
Harry ended the conversation there and returned to his tent to wash and dress for the day before he slipped out of the camp to stand watch allowing the group to talk amongst themselves about what he'd told them.
He was standing alone watching the rising sun when he heard movement behind him and half turned his head to see his older brother approaching. He turned back to the eastern horizon and Balthier came to stand at his side. "I never meant to hurt you, Harry." Balthier told him.
"I know you didn't." Harry sighed. "But why didn't you think you could tell me?"
"Because I knew you'd be torn between doing what you wanted and doing what you thought was your duty." Balthier told him. "It's feels like it was so long ago."
"I know." Harry sighed. "But I don't think we've really changed. Not when it comes to the two of us. I still love you, you know? That's never changed."
"I'm glad." Balthier sighed. "After I saw you in Nalbina I was worried but you protected us from Ba'Gamnan when it could have caused you trouble."
"He would have killed you." Harry said simply. "I couldn't allow that and I agreed he could go in before I realised it was you he was after. I was distracted at the time because of Ashelia's capture."
"But you helped us escape and even told me how to take Basch too." Balthier nodded. "I know you, you'd never have wanted to keep him there if it wouldn't have caused trouble to release him."
"I'm torn right now, Theo." Harry sighed and turned to look at him seeing the amusement in Balthier's eyes at his pet name that he'd always moaned about when they were younger. "I want to forget about being a Judge Magister and help you guys because of you and Vaan but I know I can do much more if I stay where I am. Maybe just a word in the Emperor's ear at the right time or just through my presence."
"If you gave up your position now the Senate might declare Vayne as Commander of the troops in Rabanastre and then it'll go to hell." Balthier sighed. "Vaan and Penelo might complain because they don't like being ruled by Imperials but the gates stay open to everyone and people are tried fairly and punished the same regardless of their race or nationality."
"Even Sky Pirates." Harry chuckled and instinctively leaned into his brother's shoulder, resting his head on his shoulder. Balthier wrapped an arm around his waist and accepted his younger brother's need for comfort.
"What are you going to do about Vaan?" Balthier asked and Harry tensed up.
"Maybe when this all settles down he'll stop hating me so much but it'll take time for him to accept that I'm not evil." Harry paused. "And one day if he realises I'm his Soulmate he'll know where to find me."
"Your hand?" Balthier asked after a moment's silence. Harry raised his right hand from between them and eyed the bloody bandages.
"I don't know what happened but I can't hurt Vaan in any way or it comes back to me. I had to silence him before but the wound won't heal regardless of the power of the magic." Harry sighed. "I think Vaan needs to forgive me for doing it before it'll heal."
"And you'll have to fight left handed until then?" Balthier asked.
"Don't worry, Theo." Harry laughed. "Even with my off hand I can still beat you up."
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX
End Chapter