"Are you quite certain?" Fran asked, for the first and last time. I nodded, and glanced at her calm eyes once more before fixing mine on the royal palace.
"Yes."
We waited until nightfall. Despite all the magic in the kingdom, it would always be darker at night than during the day, and more guards would be tired. During my time as a Judge, I'd learned that some guards slept during the day, and adjusted their sleep cycles to work. But since my father signed me up for the morning shifts, I could not sleep in…
Fran suggested the hoverbike, but I decided on a more straightforward approach. I would walk right inside, through the golden spiral front gates. Not as discreet, or so it seemed.
Fran and I scoured the shops and the open-air bazaar until we found a royal postman scurrying through the streets. He blended in fairly well, but I recognized the short violet cape with the crest of Dalmasca. Fran took to his left, and I flanked his other side. He was a smart one in taking the more populated roads, but I was a master of crowds.
The viera bumped into him, forcefully enough so he fell to the side of the walk, but so smoothly that it appeared to be an accident. I hurried along the pathway, catching up with them. Fran bent down, taking her time to show of her slender legs, and the boy was hypnotized. Fran held out a hand to help him up, but the boy was fixated too much on her long nails to react. In one fluid motion, Fran pushed up on his shoulders, sending him into my awaiting arms, and we backed down the steps into the underground district.
That was the first time I had taken someone as a hostage, so I had little experience. I would never use my bare hands again, because the boy bit me. I yelped and pulled away, but was forced to cover his mouth again as his screams resumed. Fran joined me a moment later, and gently touched the young man's head. He fell slack in my arms, and I accidently dropped him down the last two steps.
"We were not followed." She said. I whipped my hand back and forth to ease the sharp pains.
"He bit me…!"
"You frightened him." She explained, while unbuckling his cape. She fitted me with the necessary articles of clothing so I could pass off as a postman, and we left the boy behind a collection of crates.
"Won't he wake up soon?" I asked, while adjusting the cap over my head. She glanced back at the sleeping figure.
"Eventually. You have an hour time, at least. But do not waste it."
I saluted her and she sauntered past me, while shoving an empty carrying box into my chest.
"Royal postmen do not salute in such a way." I let me arm drop and followed her back to the surface.
I fitted the crown under a yard of pink silk that Fran had purchased for me to use as a prop. The silk was thick enough so the shape of the crown was not apparent. She wordlessly left me as I approached the palace, to watch from a disclosed location until it was time for me to make my leave.
When she left, I felt noticeably more alone. Despite the crowds of people bound of the palace, Fran was no longer among them.
But with that came a sense of confidence. I could do this, easily. I was the Leading Man, after all.
The useless guards did not even give me a second glance as I entered the palace. They were more fixated on the waterboy who was late with their drinks for the night.
Once inside, I blinked to remember the palace map, and took a sharp left. The sounds of townspeople faded as I walked into the secluded portion of the palace. I looked over each corner, waiting until guards passed back and forth to memorize their routes and how long it took them to complete. I waited for a count of five seconds after the guard passed, careful not to speed up the count because I was nervous, then bolted down the hallway. I passed the guard silently, and entered another carpeted hallway.
It was much quieter, and I knew I was close. I relaxed my breathing so I did not appear flustered, and smoothed my hair back before fitting the cap back on. I closed my eyes, refreshing my memory of the map, and followed the hall until I reached my destination.
Fran assured me that there would be no guards at this door, because the war was currently in a state of calm, so to speak. The two countries had paused fighting to recover. Some hopefuls thought it meant an end, but I knew better. My father was probably taking his sweet time in perfecting a bombing airship to wipe this very castle out.
There was a flight of red carpeted stairs, and then a wide landing that led to a door, with a beautifully crafted frame carved with etchings of wild hare and flowers. I adjusted the package under my arm and knocked on the polished door.
A beautiful young girl with sandy blond hair opened her door wide, but took a step back when she saw me.
"You are not supposed to be here." She said accusingly. I smiled reassuringly.
"Excuse me, I was asked to deliver this to the Princess." I offered her the box, and she reached halfway before her fingers flinched away. Understanding, I took off the lid.
"Silk. A late birthday present." Her eyes widened, and her hands hovered a few inches near the box.
"Oh, how pretty…They never give me fabric to sew my own things." She took the box, and her grip tightened when I let go. Frowning, she weighed it in her hands once more, then moved aside the cloth. She gasped, and almost dropped the box.
It was the crown she was supposed to have received for her birthday. But those awful pirates had ruined the night, and apparently taken it. She touched the silk again, and it molded under her touch. Despite the jewels, she liked the unexpected gift better. She already had a dozen blush amber crowns anyways.
And delivered to her by a handsome runner as well. With that Archadian accent as well.
"Montblanc!"
She gasped again, and looked down the empty hall. The strange young man was gone without a goodbye again.
I ran down the hall, feeling quite light on my feet. It wasn't just that I was without a box now. Something else had been lifted from me. I smiled wide, skipping down the flight of stairs in one bound.
Now, that's how the Leading Man acts!
I turned the corner and crashed right into a guard. I stumbled backwards, barely remaining on my feet, and bolted down the hall past him.
I'd forgotten to count!
The guard yelled at me to stop, and I ran faster. I heard his boots clanging, and the images of violent Judges raced through my mind. What were Dalmascan guards like? Were they as cruel as the royal Judges of Archadia, or worse? But I was convinced that no one could be as heartless as those from my-
A pair of swords suddenly barred my path. I almost ran right into the serrated edges. I dove to my left instead, jumping over the balcony that led to the gardens. The fall was further than I thought, and instead of rolling through a patch of grass and back onto my feet, I landed painfully in a mess of tangling thorns and red petals. The spiked branches snagged around my arms, and pricked right through my clothes, except for the leather vest Fran had given me. I felt tiny streams of blood drip down my cheek, and when I looked up again, there was a semi-circle of guards surrounding me.
I cracked a weak smile.
"Good evening gentlemen. I seem to have had a bit of a spill…" Their mail gloved hands grabbed my arms and forcefully tugged me from the thorns, and chained my arms behind my back.
They led me back into the palace, and once inside, into a back room surrounded by bars. They sat me down in the middle of them, and the room cleared out except for a pair of armored guards.
"Speak." The older of the two said. I frowned.
"What would you have me say?" I asked. The man slammed his fist onto the desk.
"There. Archadian." He said. I rolled my eyes.
"Do not judge his actions on his accent alone, Kaiden." The younger of the two, a cherub-faced man, said. The older shook his head.
"You are too naïve Rasler."
"Excuse me, good sirs. Perhaps I can clear something up. I was…" They both looked at me expectantly. I waved my hands in the air, though I couldn't gesture properly in shackles. "I…" How could I explain myself? No matter what, I had been trespassing. I had it! I could always say that I had heroically followed a pair of thieves, and all on my own-
"We have no time for this. Lock him up until we find the head hunters." Kaiden snapped.
"Head hunters?" I repeated, sitting up higher. Rasler looked at me, unsettled by my sudden interest.
"Would you happen to know them?"
"Those lizards and I are not on particularly good terms." I mumbled, sinking back into my seat.
"Probably cheated them out of some loot." Kaiden scoffed.
"I did no such thing!" I protested, though I did think of the new hoverbike. Another guard ran inside, his helm tucked under his arm.
"Sir, their airship has been spotted in the hanger, but no one was on board. We fear they are coming from the underground passageway."
"You should learn to guard it better." I muttered. It sounded like it was their own fault they were being attacked. I received a rather sour glare from Kaiden, before the three of them turned their backs on me and exited. At the door, Kaiden paused, holding his younger companion back.
"Rasler, remain here and guard the thief."
"Thief!" I gasped. "That's a naughty word to describe me with…" They left without acknowledging me further. I cursed under my breath. One of these days, I would command attention. They would never dare to leave me alone with just one young guard. He looked my age even, but his youthful face gave him the appearance of someone even younger, more of the Princess' years.
He sat across from me.
"Why were you in the palace?" He asked. His high voice held no malice, just innocent curiosity. I instantly forgot my elaborate tale, and sighed.
"I was returning something."
"To whom? Couldn't you have given it to a guard instead? It would have caused less of a commotion." I rolled my eyes, and leaned closer.
"I wasn't planning on there being a commotion." There was a soft knock on the door, and Rasler attended to it.
"Ashelia?" He exclaimed, taking a step back and glancing my way nervously. "What are you doing here? You should be in your room. Especially now. There was a warning sent out." The girl pushed her way past him, and he gave way as easily as a leaf, and stopped in front of me.
"Montblanc- I knew I recognized you!" I waved weakly. She looked to Rasler. "Unbind him at once." He licked his lips.
"Princess, I can't do that-"
"Please." She asked, moving closer to the young guard. "He's a good man. This is some terrible mix-up." She held out the blush amber crown. "He retrieved this for me, and was returning it." Rasler gasped, and looked to me. I nodded, upon realization that they were waiting for me to speak.
"The Princess speaks true." I said eagerly.
Rasler must have held her in a high regard, because I was freed in the next moment. Before I could escape, the Princess snatched me by the wrist.
"Who are you, really? How did you have that crown?" She demanded. I gently pried her fingers away, while captivating her with a warm smile.
"My dear Princess, the Leading Man mustn't give away his secrets." I backed away, and broke into a run down the halls.
I sprinted all the way through the palace, slowing to walk as I exited through the main courtyard as to not attract attention. When I was among the crowds of night-goers, I ran again. When I reached the fountain, I finally broke down and sat on the side, breathing heavily. I looked at my hands and smiled as I watched them shake.
"Too close…the Leading Man does not get captured in a rose bush."
"At least it sounds poetic." Fran said. I was so accustomed to her voice by now that I did not even jump. I sighed, and located her sitting on the other side of the fountain. I looked for her, but a clear curtain of water blurred her face. "If you'd been captured, say…in a fern, it would not be as nearly fitting." I laughed, eased by her strange humor. "Did you accomplish what you needed to? Besides getting captured?" I frowned.
"How did-"
"You have a very distinct voice." She said, her ears swiveling in my direction. I nodded, narrowing my eyes at the speckled tufts of rabbit fur.
"I should learn not to question your methods. And yes, I was successful." She stood and walked over to me. Her hand was suddenly on my cheek.
"You are bleeding."
"I'm aware, my dearest Fran."
"…Let us return to the airship."
I quickly wiped a damp cloth, steaming with antiseptic, over his cuts. He hissed in pain as the medicine soaked into his raw flesh.
"The flowers in the gardens are pruned so carefully, I doubt I'll get an infection from then." He said, cringing as I passed by his nose. "Why can you not just heal me with magic?" He begged.
"Why do you refer to yourself as the Leading Man?" I asked. He instantly forgot about the pain as he thought up an answer.
"Because, despite what happens, the leading man is always…calm…" He said, realizing the reason for my asking the question.
"Then you should stop complaining." He closed his eyes as I lifted his arm into my hand.
"You're very right. Besides, I should be grateful for any time you willingly grace my body with your touch." I swiped the cloth harder along his cuts, and he jumped.
He dismissed himself to retire, and take a long heated bath. He wanted to pamper himself. I had spoiled him by purchasing a scented hair soap the other day, and he was already halfway through with it. His hair did not even reach his shoulders, and it amazed me that a hume could use so much shampoo on a few square inches of scalp.
I looked across the room at his side, and the empty chest that once held the Princess' crown.
But this certain hume never ceased to do just that. Amaze me.
He fell asleep before he was dry from his bath, but I remained awake late into the night. I closed his side of the curtain before his towel fell off of his waist as he slept on his side, and took to the table with a map of Ivalice. I could go anywhere now. No longer was I confined to city walls, or the edges of a jungle. I closed my eyes and tapped my nail down on a random location. I cracked an eye open to see, but I had pointed to a patch of sea.
My ears moved back and forth suddenly, and I realized they were hearing muffled footsteps outside of the airship. I stilled, focusing in on the sounds. They were strained, yes, but not quiet. Whatever was attempting to sneak up on us was not talented in the art of stealth.
But I was.
I moved to the window, and looked outside just by the tip of my nose. What I saw did not frighten me, but it made the pit of my stomach churn with a pallet of emotions.
"Ffamran, wake up." I shook the hume, and though he protested at first, when he seemed to remember who I was, he responded. "We have unwelcome company."
He sprung out of bed, silent as a viera on his feet, and crept up on the window. He as well saw the group of bangaas slithering around our ship just as I had, and his chest welled with an angry breath. He felt the colors as well.
"They're trying to ground her." He realized, with a hateful whisper. "I won't let them." He almost pressed the stair release, but I grabbed his hand.
"No." I pointed above our heads. "They think they will surprise us. But we shall be the ones with the advantage of spontaneity."
He dressed, the fastest I had even seen, and we unlocked the hatch on the ceiling. I led him onto the rooftop of the airship, balancing on my knees so my heels did not click on the metal surface. Ffamran followed, sneaking behind me. He leaned over my shoulder, one hand touching my shoulder for balance. I hoped he realized that the fall from the top of the ship would be too great for a hume.
"I will go down first." I whispered when he moved his ear beside my lips. "I will make a path for you. When you see your chance, do not hesitate." I expected him to protest. The leading man would want to go first, wouldn't he? But he smiled, and nodded agreeably.
"You seem to make the best plans anyways. Maybe I will leave that up to you in the future." My ears twitched and I looked away.
"We will see."
I lifted myself to my full height, and located the closest bangaa. Yes, it was certainly one of the persistent group of headhunters who had a dislike for Ffamran and myself. I would enjoy the sound of their bones crunching under my feet.
With that, I dove through the dark air like a shadow, and landed on the large male's shoulders. He screamed, and collapsed under the force of the impact. The others looked up from their work, and I smiled as they jumped in fear. I snapped my fingers, and formed a block of ice overhead. Ffamran landed on it, before it crashed into one of the headhunters. He landed at my side, and quickly switched so he was back to back with me.
"That was fun." He said, smirking devilishly.
"'Tis not over yet!" I warned him, before raising my leg to kick an angry bangaa. The two of us alternated positions as we saw fit, allowing the other to handle a more appropriate foe. By the sounds of pain following his every move, it appeared that our practice lessons had done well.
"All right, you filthy lizards! What is the meaning of this midnight rendezvous! You could at least have the courtesy to leave a note before you crowd us!"
A low chuckle echoed through the hanger. I recognized the harsh voice as the leader of their group.
"Yer just a pretty boy with an airship. Without 'er, you're nothing." With that, the ship suddenly hummed with life behind us. Ffamran and I looked to her, and while we were occupied, the headhunters made a rush for the exit.
"What did you do!" Ffamran shouted. The bangaas cackled in joy, before their tails slipped through the door in their hasty escape.
We boarded the airship, and I quickly dropped into the engine room. There was steam hissing from the gears as they worked hard to start on such a sudden whim.
"Fran! The navigation system is shot! We're on autopilot!" He called from above. I rammed my shoulder into one of the gears, trying to switch it off, but only succeeded in burning my arm. The ship suddenly lurched, forcefully separating itself from the hanger floor.
"Open the roof!" I shouted back, desperately trying to cancel the directions she had been given. "Come on, girl. Listen to me."
The ship rocked as her left wing hit the parting roof, and then we were in the open air, speeding towards a destination unknown.
I joined Ffamran in the cockpit and took the seat navigating.
"Where is she taking us, Fran?" He asked, staring out the window anxiously.
"They used stolen Archadian technology to hack the ship from the outside. She will be wounded under the engine room…" I said. A loud beep caught my attention, and I opened the map. "But they gave us the courtesy of allowing us the knowledge of where we are headed..." A ray of glowing arrows flickered into place on the map, to show Ffamran our unfortunate destination.
"We are aimed to crash into the Spine mountain range above the Cerobi steppe." I said, clicking my nail against the dashboard. "They did not further engage us in a fight because they planned on us dying later."
"How soon will we be there?" He asked, his voice dry with fear. I scrolled down the map to see the airship's current health.
"The ship is being pushed past her limits. We are accelerating still." I informed him as I looked on the flashing numbers. We could even feel the ship hum in pain. The mist she exerted caused my head to ache. But I could not be distracted now. "We have less than an hour."
A circuit breaker burst under strain, and a cloud of sparks fell onto my head.
"Take the hoverbike!" I called, from my place in the engine room. The steam was so thick that my hair hung slack against my back, and my body ached with the cramps induced by the high levels of mist. But Ffamran remained where he was at the sparking dashboard.
"I won't leave her!" He shouted back defiantly. I pulled myself out of the engine room, gasping. Shaking, I ducked my arm back into the humid room, then pulled Nono out of the engine room before he fainted.
"We cannot save her!" I shouted, the high pitch in my voice due to my own pain. I did not want to abandon my ship either. I had given birth to her over countless months of difficult labor. But she was still only metal.
Ffamran did not agree.
"Fran, you take the hoverbike if you wish! Or, you can stay by my side and help me save this airship!" His ultimatum he gave me sounded nothing like the hume I had known months ago. The sheer force in his voice caused my ears to straighten. I felt suddenly alert, but my anxiety was gone. He was so confident that we could still do something to prevent ourselves from hitting the mountainside, that I felt reassured as well.
I put Nono on the hallway bed and took my place beside Ffamran.
"I-…It's so close. I've almost got it back on manual." He stammered, his fingers working ceaselessly over the glowing keys. My eyes widened. He truly almost had it. I ducked my hand between his, pulling down hard on the emergency break. As she was, it had no effect. It frustrated me to no end that the bangaa headhunters were so adept in their sabotage. It did not seem their first time.
Ffamran gave a fierce cry, and a siren suddenly wailed through the ship, pulsing in union to the red flash. I recognized the warning system too late. Ffamran threw himself against me, grabbing one of the chairs, as the ship lurched. My body crashed against his, but he held fast. When the initial shock had passed, he pulled away and seated himself in the pilot's seat, removing the brake. He took the wheel, and his face went starkly pale.
We could see the mountain directly before us, black against the orange sky. He pulled back on the wheel, and gave a strained yell.
My eyes widened. We were not going to make it. It was-
"Just a little further, girl!" He shouted, his arms shaking with strain. "You can do it!" I glanced at him, and his eyes flickered to mine for just a moment. "Help me, Fran!" In a daze, I jumped behind him, reaching over his shoulders and placing my hands over his. I leaned back, with a yell of my own, and pulled on the wheel.
"Fly!"
We saw the top of the mountain, open sky, and then the ship shuddered. I was thrown against the back of the seat, and the air was knocked from my lungs. A moment later, I hit the ceiling, and the deafening noises of glass and metal shattering was all I knew...
...I was roused by a gentle wing tickling my ears. For a moment, I thought I was in the Wood. I had passed over into the next life, and she had come to take me home, even though I had left her many years ago.
No…this wind was different.
I opened my eyes, and the glaring sunlight caused me to shut them again. I took a moment to collect myself before forcing myself into focused clarity. I did not want to believe what I saw.
The ship had been saved, but she was badly wounded. The front viewing glass had been broken in many places, and lights dangled down from the ceiling. Our foodstuffs covered the floor, along with bottles of ink and torn maps. So many things, yet there was something missing.
"Ffamran?" I called, my voice weak. I cleared my throat and moved to my feet. I swayed, and I realized one of my heels had been broken. Limping, I walked down the hall and checked the rooms. Not empty, covered with our articles, but no hume. My pace quickened, and I looked for him in less obvious places. I tried calling to him again, but my throat ached painfully, as if I had somehow swallowed sand. I came to a sudden stop in the pilot's cabin. Through the broken glass, I saw him sitting in the field a few meters away from the ship. He sat back on his legs, staring at the sky curiously. I saw blood dripping from the back of his head, but the wound was superficial.
I smiled.
"You saved her after all, you silly hume…"
And that silly hume was completely ignorant to what was approaching him from behind. I cried out to demand his attention, but my voice cracked and wavered. My windpipe had been smothered in the crash, and I could not will my voice to carry far enough for him to heed my urgent warning. I leapt out of the broken windshield, landing painfully on one leg, and called to him again. But it was too late.
I had been thrown from my airship, through a solid wall of glass, upon impact with the Steppe, and somehow, I was still alive. Yes, my face had unfortunately taken the brunt of the impact, but my neck was not broken and my heart was still beating. So, despite all odds, I was alive. I was also surrounded by loot; gold coins, expensive fabrics, and even a jeweled sword that i hadn't even realized we had. It must have been one of Fran's 'personal' treasures.
I looked up at the flaming sky and let the wind kiss my face. I deserved the praise.
Heh. It was true what they said about the Leading Man. He never dies.
I heard a strange pair of footsteps approaching me, and I turned to face them as I shakily supported myself on my legs. probably Fran. Oh! I had not yet checked on her! But she was a sturdy girl, just like the airship. She would be-...
I was suddenly overcome by a powerfully putrid scent, and a throaty hiss that I remembered all too well. A towering monster faced me, whipping its many arms wildly, and shaking its massive head to show off the natural crown that distinguished it as the King Malboro.
I had not expected the monster to be so quick. It thrashed, and caught me square in the chest with a braid of vines. It would have cut my chest if not for the leather vest, but it knocked the air from my lungs instantly.
My head spun with the pain, my mind blank. Why could I never land lucky shots like that? Fran's voice, unnaturally shrill, suddenly cried out to me.
"Ffamran!" I only saw a blur of vile green, with a wide open maw, before my line of sight was blocked by flowing ivory hair.
The King Malboro sunk its teeth into the soft flesh of Fran's shoulder, pulling her entire right arm into its jaws. I'd never heard a viera scream before, but it was by far the worst sound I'd ever heard.
