I had become accustomed to the sounds of the city. Airships, the rhythmic tapping of high heels on the cobblestone streets. My own shoes made the same sound, every viera's did. Our feet were shaped in a way that we could not walk without wearing heels. Sometimes, I when I was awakened by the sound, I believed that I was back in Eruyt Village, and that my years away from there had all been a fantasy. It was a nostalgic sound, and my favorite thing about Archadies.
I pulled my thick hair back into a ponytail, held together by an old, silver hair clasp. The same one that I had been using every day for over forty years. As I passed by the full-length mirror that hung on the wall, I paused to look at myself. A hume's life could have passed in the time that I have lived, but I appeared to have aged only from a teenage viera, to a young adult. Looks can be deceiving, I suppose. A phrase that those officers from the other night could learn better. Attacking a young man so intoxicated…they are supposed to be guarding the city, not inflicting further harm. I am sure the boy deserved it, though. He was much too full of himself, and abused that silver tongue of his.
…Why am I pondering it so? He was just a foolish hume.
"Yes, yes, I'm sure we can fix it right up. Our best mechanic should arrive shortly. She's quite a catch really. Oh- Fran! Perfect timing! Here she is, sir." An elderly hume beckoned me, a nobleman at his side. I had just entered the repair shop, was I being called on already? I approached casually, despite the disapproving glances from the rich hume. I had learned early on to ignore such gestures, and take them as ignorance instead.
"You did not say she was viera." He whispered, in hardly a whisper. The old hume waved him off nonchalantly.
"His airship can't fly, and…he doesn't know why! Hoho." That rhymed. "Won't you come over and take look?" My employer began walking in the direction of the airship hanger, the nobleman hastily at his side. "I couldn't find the cause, but it may have something to do with the Glocier Rings." I followed them, suppressing the urge to sigh. No such sound escaped me, but I had the feeling that the ship's aliment would be easily repaired.
I dropped into the luxury airship's engine room, landing on the metal floor quietly. After lighting the room, it became apparent that this hume must have inherited such a ship. He either knew nothing of airships, did not care for them, or both. A long gauge was fully lit with a blue light, the first thing I checked. That was the ship's energy monitor, and my guess was that he had simply not filled the Glocier Rings with enough energy to give flight to such a lofty airship. The light was proof enough that the rings were charged, but nothing else was wrong with the ship. Was my intuition wrong, and the nobleman did in fact know his airship? It discerned me. I never failed when it came to first impressions. I made my own, and I assessed my acquaintance fairly. Never had I been wrong before. Then, the gauge blinked black a few times before relighting itself. It was not the ship that was broken, but the gauge's light bulb.
"The Glocier Rings are drained of energy." I said, strengthening my voice so that they would hear me on the deck. I slid a metallic canister, shaped similar to a syringe from the side of the engine. Sure enough, the energy canister was faded and dull. They were so old, that I decided to just change them with newer ones. This rich hume could easily afford the replacements, so why not earn the profit? "I am replacing them now. Your ship will be airborne soon enough." His ship had a total of three Glocier charges, a fair amount for such a ship. Depending on the size, and power of the craft, their Glocier rings would vary in number as well. This craft required three because of its size, but a finer ship, say, built for speed, would require many more to run it. I took three, newly bound charges and slid them into place around the engine. As I sealed them inside, a pale blue glow emitted from each one. A healthy airship's engine glowed like a blue star. Pleased with my work, I stepped back onto the ship's deck, holding the empty charges in a cloth in my hands. "There is no chance of your engine failing for years. Keep the Glocier rings well charged, and your ship will glide smoothly." The man examined the charges, then me with a questioning stare.
"Glocier Rings? Some kind of term that you viera use?" I remained expressionless.
"The charges will cost 5,000 gil each. This is excluding the new bulb you must replace. My superior will discuss his terms of agreement." I bowed curtly, still taller than the hume, and left them to chat.
I was convinced, after years in Archades, that Sky Pirates knew airships better than the casual owner. All kinds of Sky Pirates had passed through this city, and many of them needed repairs. The majority had been filthy, cheating hume men, as the normal citizen images such a pirate, but I had enjoyed the company of many who would lend me a hand on their ship's repairs. Those spoke of treasure as well, but not in such vulgar words as the others. They had a desire for freedom, and that restless spirit led them to becoming pirates, so they would be able to travel on their own accord. Not a calling of thievery. They were rare souls, given a bad name for the path they chose. Similar to me. In a vague way.
I had been in the capital of Archades for ten years now. I found an occupation as a mechanic for airships, but remained unsettled. I came to the city because of the number of ships that passed through, but the war prevented me from traveling with any of the ships. Those who offered for me to join them were never ones who I would comply to. I had become trapped in the capital, and found myself no longer trying to find a place in the world of humes, but trying to escape it. Never would I return to the Wood, but I was eager to leave the city. Its fumes or war and ignorance were suffocating me.
"Fran! Hold on a minute, let's have a word." My employer dashed back to my side, grinning eagerly as I faced him.
"Yes?" He cleared his throat.
"I failed to notice the light bulb on purpose, you see. I wanted you to fix it, rather than me."
"Then it was a test."
"Indeed it was, and you passed with flying colors." A test? I had enough of them in my past.
"What is the meaning of this? Did you wish to asses my abilities?" He shrugged.
"I knew you had the skill, I just wanted to see it in action. See, I received a request from the imperial shipyard the other day." This caught my attention. "They asked me to send my best mechanic over to oversee the progress of a prototype fighter airship. I wanted it to be you, but some of my other employees wanted a shot at it as well. I gave them similar tasks, but you were most impressive. That's only to be expected, though. Won't you do it?" The imperial shipyard. Where they constructed airships for the war.
"No."
"Fran!" I would not further Archades causes. They were the instigator in this war, and the opposing nation of Dalmasca had no chance against them. I would not have any part of such a war. My superior followed me in haste. "Fran, I thought you would love the opportunity!"
"My answer was not one you were pleased with, but it is mine." He paused.
"Then do it as a favor." He grinned. "I promised them such a mechanic as yourself. Just image the airships you would work with. I'm also sure, that you could take one as your own when the project is completed." I paused.
"They would not grant me such a craft."
"Of course they would. Just show them how valuable you are, and they'll be itching to give you any ship you want."
"Fine." I turned. What he said changed things. "I will oversee the construction, but nothing more." I planned not to make the prototype airship any greater than it would be. This was my best opportunity for leaving Archades, and I would not pass it up lightly.
