My page breaks totally didn't work. Fail! Trying something else… (a/n at bottom is rather long…)
OMG THIS CHAPTER JUST KEEPS GOING. Good for you…rather frustrating for me, haha. *headdesk headdesk headdesk*
Chapter Fourteen
Birds were chirping and pecking at the window panes, and the smell of warm biscuits was wafting across the room…food?
Rydia sat up, unaware of where she was.
Her hair was a mess of unruly frizz disguised as curls, but she didn't care about how she looked just then. She held her nose up in the air and took in the delightful scent coming from the floor below.
She was in Baron, she remembered, and she hadn't had anything other than hardtack and dwarven mush in weeks but this was…fresh food?
She peeled back her blankets and stood up from her makeshift cot. They had spent the night in Cecil's old apartments, after being offered a chance to bathe and don fresh clothing. She felt refreshed and clean, but now her stomach demanded attention. She wandered toward the stairway, and with each step downward, the smells became more delightful.
She entered the large room of the floor below and saw Rosa sitting at a table with Astrid and Cecil. They were in the middle of what looked to be an intense conversation, and Rydia let them have their privacy. Instead, she approached another table that had the food sitting atop it. Water for tea was still steaming in its pot, and she closed her eyes, soaking the vapor into her skin.
"Don't just smell it," Rosa called to her from across the room.
Rydia looked up at her friend and saw that Astrid and Cecil had stood while continuing their conversation, but Rosa was waving her on with a smile on her face.
She took the hint, taking a biscuit from the tray and biting into it, savoring every ounce of it on her tongue. There was honey in the bread and it was sweet to the taste.
"I'm counting on you to spread the word," she overheard Cecil telling Astrid.
"Of course," Astrid replied. "I wish you safe travels in the north, and once you reach Eblan, well…be on your guard."
She nodded to both Cecil and Rosa, and winked at Rydia before turning on her heel and exiting the room.
Rosa had skirted the table and walked closer to Rydia. "Did you sleep well?" she asked.
Rydia nodded between mouthfuls.
"Good."
"How was your…conversation with your mother?" Rydia dared to ask. Rosa had returned very late in the evening, and when she had, she'd spent the entirety of her time with Cecil. Rydia had already been asleep by the time the other woman must have settled in for the night.
Rosa gave her an odd little look. "Perhaps another time," she answered with a tight smile.
Cecil looked over at the both of them, alarmed.
"It's nothing to worry about," Rosa assured him, but Rydia sensed the white mage was holding back again.
"I can only imagine what that formidable woman had to say," Cecil answered wryly.
"All the same, she's my mother," Rosa replied, giving Cecil a plaintive look.
Cecil sighed. "The airship is ready to fly," he said instead, addressing Rydia. "The engineers have equipped it so that we can carry the hovercraft beneath the hull."
Rydia, who had no real knowledge of airships or how they worked, merely nodded.
"And I've spoken to the cook, and she's prepared food for us to take along," Rosa added.
"When are we leaving?" Rydia asked, curious.
"In a few hours," Rosa answered. "Once we've re-supplied, we'll set off."
"What about Astrid? Is she coming with us?"
"She has another mission to take care of," Cecil responded.
"Mission?"
"There are other airships here waiting to be repaired. If Astrid can get them working again, we may be able to mount a defense against the Red Wings."
"A counterattack?" Rydia asked.
"Of a sort," Cecil replied.
"How about you go upstairs and get ready," Rosa prodded her.
"What?" Rydia asked.
Rosa reached out and lightly tugged on one of Rydia's unruly locks.
Rydia rolled her eyes. She imagined her hair probably looked like a bed of seaweed and groaned.
She trudged back up the stairs and returned to her cot. Sitting on the end of it, she looked around, trying to find her pack. She was wearing a simple night shift, but she found her old outfit and robes lying folded under her cot. She held them up for inspection. Quite a bit worse for wear, she reflected. The beautiful robes she'd been given in the Feymarch were nothing but tatters.
There was another set folded beneath the cot as well. These were mostly gray garments trimmed with dark blue and made of sturdy stuff. It was coarse but serviceable and Rydia slipped it over her head. She then slipped her old armaments over the top and cinched her belt tight. Her second layer had also been a gift from the Feymarch and had fared slightly better. The cloth was woven together with magic, and nearly as tough as leather, though it only covered her torso and part of her legs.
She made sure to pack away her green robes, and then pulled her knee-high boots onto her legs. Finally she stood and carried her pack toward the stairs. She nearly took a step down, when she caught sight of herself in a mirror on the wall.
She stared at herself for a long drawn out moment and then almost burst into laughter. Her hair was an entity all of its own!
She set her pack down on the first stair step and approached the mirror. She looked at herself more speculatively, poking her skin, tugging her hair. She looked like some wild thing, not a person. She spied a coarse bristled brush sitting on a table near the mirror and picked it up. There were long golden hairs trailing from its sides, and she could only imagine that Rosa had already used it earlier in the morning. She ran the brush through her hair, tugging rather violently at the frizz and snarls. It took several minutes, but by the time she was finished, her curls looked more like curls and her hair overall behaved like hair again.
She set the brush down and returned to the stairs, bringing her pack to the floor below.
Cecil and Rosa were both drinking tea from mugs when she entered the room and Rosa nodded approvingly.
"Good, the robes fit you," she said. "I found some spares in the mage dormitories."
"Thank you," Rydia said, picking at the fabric. "There wasn't much left of my other clothes."
"There wasn't much left on any of us," Rosa agreed, smiling. She stood and Rydia saw that she was wearing new robes as well. Hers were still white, but she now wore armor over them as well. Pauldrons rested on both of Rosa's shoulders and they were strapped to a leather chest plate. On Rosa's arms were leather braces. She looked very much a warrior queen.
"I'm going to get my things together," Rosa said and walked past Rydia toward the stairs. Cecil followed her.
"We'll be down in a little while," he assured her.
Rydia paid them little heed and instead returned her attention to breakfast. She gobbled down another biscuit and then poured herself a mug of tea. It was fragrant and herbal, and she held the mug in both hands smelling it.
Several minutes passed before Rosa and Cecil returned from the room upstairs. Rosa was carrying her pack, and Cecil, his own. Both of them had contented smiles on their faces, but all Rydia could do was guess as to why.
"Rydia, how about you and I make a visit to the kitchens?" Rosa asked.
The prospect of more food made Rydia's stomach rumble. "Sure," she answered.
"Follow me," Rosa said, walking across the room toward the next set of stairs. Rydia followed with her tea in hand, unwilling to set it down.
The two women descended the staircase, Rydia trying desperately not to slosh any of the hot tea on her hands.
"I thought there weren't many people left in the castle," Rydia pointed out, keeping an eye on each landing.
"There aren't," Rosa replied, "but one of the cooks is still here making food for the soldiers."
"Oh," Rydia answered. She wasn't particularly used to the workings of castles—who did what, where people lived, and what function they served.
They reached the base of the tower and Rosa led the way across the west courtyard, navigating doorways and passages easily. Rydia wondered how she had missed all of this in her meanderings the day before, as Rosa led her deeper into the underbelly of the castle.
At last they reached a long low-ceilinged room with pots and pans hanging from exposed beams and chimneys rising from the corners. Rydia had never seen a kitchen so large before and stopped dead in her tracks when they arrived to stare at the sheer space of it.
A stout gray-haired woman stood in the center of the room with a large wooden mixing spoon in her hand. Before her was an enormous bowl filled with some kind of batter.
"Good morning, Lady Rosa," the woman said while licking a finger, and looking up.
"Good morning Greta," Rosa answered, crossing the room to greet the other woman.
"You've come for those provisions, I assume?" Greta asked, long hanks of hair escaping from her loosely tied bun.
"Yes, if you don't mind," Rosa replied.
Greta pointed to a rack of bread cooling near a wall. "Take the loaves from the bottom. They're heartier, better for long travels."
Rosa walked over to the rack and, taking an old flour sack, began to place the loaves inside.
Greta, in the meanwhile, stared at Rydia with an eyebrow raised.
"D'ya know your hair's—"
"Green as grass?" Rydia finished for her. "Yes, I know."
"So long as you know, I guess it's alright," Greta responded, pursing her lips in a suspicious manner and returning her attention to her mixing bowl.
Rydia stood awkwardly off to one side of the room, and cautiously sipped her tea. It had cooled off nicely on the walk from the tower, and she enjoyed the flavor while simultaneously hiding half of her face with the mug. She always ended up feeling that she was the object of scrutiny whenever she entered a room, and felt a pang of jealousy that Rosa had been blessed with hair the color of gold and not, well, grass. It was odd, she mused, because she hadn't felt that jealousy since she was seven years old.
Rosa had finished loading her sack with loaves and looked up at Rydia. "Do you think you could hold on to this?" she asked.
Rydia set her mug aside, and held onto the sack. It felt like boulders had been placed inside and she opened it up to look. Dense, coarse bread was within, the kind that stole all the moisture from a person's mouth.
"Don't make that face," Rosa warned her with a look. "It really is good for you."
Rydia was dubious on that account, but Rosa had moved on to another rack in the kitchen. There were several cloths covering circular lumps, and Rosa pulled a few of the cloths back to reveal large wheels of cheese. She picked one and also hoisted it into the sack, nearly bowling Rydia over with its weight.
"Good. I think that's everything," Rosa said, clapping flour from her hands.
Rydia was relieved. She wasn't sure if she could carry anything heavier than what the sack already weighed.
Greta looked over at them. "Lady Rosa, before you leave, make sure to stop by the mage dormitories again. I had Quinn bring over some ethers from the village for you to take along. If you're still fighting that bastard Golbez, you'll need all the help you can get."
"Thank you, Greta. For everything," Rosa told her.
"Someone's got to look out for you young people," Greta informed her, waving her spoon in the air for emphasis.
Rosa smiled and then took hold of half of the sack, sharing the weight of it.
"How about we visit the mage dormitories next?" she asked, leading Rydia out of the kitchens.
Her enthusiasm seemed odd to Rydia who had deemed it too early in the morning for this much heavy lifting.
They left the kitchens and Rosa began another circuitous journey through narrow corridors. Rydia labored under the weight of the sack even though she shared it with Rosa and was nearly out of breath when they entered the mage dormitories from a side door.
She set the sack down near the door and watched as Rosa collected more things from shelves and tables. A thought had occurred to Rydia during their journey from the west tower.
"Where is Kain?" she asked, having not seen him all morning. "Are we leaving him here?"
She wondered if her interest was too plain and after the look Rosa gave her, she thought maybe it was.
"He's still coming with us," Rosa answered distractedly. "He's been taking care of other matters this morning."
Rydia chewed on her lip, unhappy at this news. She really had been hoping that Astrid would be coming with them instead of the dragoon, or at least, be another addition to their group. Logically, she knew why Kain was coming along, they needed his sword arm in battle. Still, she wondered about the young woman's drive and determination. Even after learning the truth about her father, she was plowing forward anyway. She was ignoring the truth or she had put it behind her. Either way, the other woman was made of stern stuff.
"Did you really have to lie to Astrid?" she asked.
Rosa looked over at her. "What's brought this on, all of a sudden?"
"I know that this is your home, and these people are your friends, but I don't understand. Why didn't you tell her what happened to her father?"
Rosa sighed. "Astrid has worried about her father since the day she could crawl—since the day she knew what an airship was. He's put her through so much already, I couldn't lay this on her. We're still in the middle of a war. I need her to stay whole and strong for what's to come."
"What if she could have handled the truth?"
"I didn't want to take that risk. There will be other times to grieve. When this war is over. If we survive."
"Will you tell her then?"
Rosa paused. "Of course."
Rydia looked her in the eye. There were some things, she decided, that she just wouldn't understand.
Rosa had finished collecting ethers and potions and they returned to the hallway. Their journey back to the west tower was spent in silence. Rydia had already introduced every controversial topic she could think of that morning, and having received limited answers, decided she was looking forward to returning to the skies and getting away from this place.
It took several hours for Cecil and Rosa to finish their errands. Cecil spent most of the morning in meetings with various persons, and Rosa busied herself with the distribution of provisions. Food had been parceled into each person's pack; as well as, a few spare cloaks, new bedrolls, and the ethers and potions Rosa had acquired earlier. Rydia had begun to feel like an accessory by the afternoon, standing around unable to do anything as Rosa and Cecil rushed about taking care of business.
Finally, by mid-afternoon, Kain reappeared and that was when Cecil declared they set out for the north.
The company of four carried their equipment and packs to the dry docks and climbed aboard the airship. Rydia was surprised to find Astrid and the other engineers waiting for them.
"Good luck!" Astrid announced, walking up to each of them and clasping their hands. The engineers followed suit, giving hearty well wishes and last minute instructions to Cecil.
"Keep your head up," Astrid whispered to Rydia with a smile before she stepped across the gangway off the side of the ship.
Rydia watched the red-headed woman go with one brow canted. It seemed that she should be giving encouragement to Astrid, not the other way around. Still, the words heartened her.
"Good-bye and thank you!" Rosa called over the ship's side to where Astrid and the others stood on the dry docks. Cecil meanwhile, walked to the captain's wheel and began the ship's propellers.
The ship churned to life and slowly rose from the ground.
Rydia clung to the railing, watching as the castle and its city became miniatures.
This was her second time in an airship*, but it felt like the first. She'd been so distraught on their journey from the underworld, that she hadn't been able to appreciate what it meant to really be flying. Now, she closed her eyes and felt the wind rush past her as they rose. It was exhilarating to be up so high, defying gravity.
Cecil pointed the airship northwards and they left Baron far behind them, skimming the clouds.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
The air was cooler up high, but the sun shone brilliantly and Rydia enjoyed spending hours just staring over the railing. She felt every turn of the wheel, every dive, and every climb. Cecil was taking them directly to Mount Hobs, and as she stared down at the landscape below; mountains, then desert, she wondered what had become of Mist. She could always ask Cecil to change course, but the thought of being back in the ruins of the village frightened her. She wasn't sure what she'd find. She didn't know if she wanted to find out.
She returned her attention to the desert below and saw a glimmer of Kaipo, blue and colorful in the middle of a bed of sand. She couldn't believe that only half a year ago, she'd been walking across that same desert and fording underground rivers in the mountains. It was a journey from another time.
They passed the great desert of Kaipo and flew over mountains, between the peaks. The mountains fell away to hills, then jagged coast; and finally, Cecil began to descend, details becoming more crisp and less obscured.
Before them stretched a long isthmus that was crowned by distant mountains. The sea glimmered on either side.
The airship flew low to the ground, while everyone searched the area for signs of the hovercraft they had left behind.
They flew for nearly an hour, circling back several times, but finally Rosa cried out and pointed. Cecil steered the ship in the direction she had pointed, and sure enough, buried beneath a thatch of tall grasses, the hovercraft was waiting for them.
Cecil set the airship down near the hovercraft, gears and mechanicals grinding with purpose as the ship came to a halt. Once the ship had settled and the propellers disengaged, Kain climbed down the side of the ship and into the tall grass. His armor glimmered an icy gray in the sunlight, Rydia observed, as she climbed down after him. When she set foot on the ground, the grass nearly rose to her shoulders. She didn't remember it being this tall the last they were here. If it was, she would have certainly gotten lost in it.
"Over here," Kain said, fording through the grass.
Rydia and Rosa followed in his lee, pushing stray blades of grass out of their way.
When they reached the hovercraft, they had to pry grass and weeds away from it. It looked like it had become part of the landscape. Sun and rain had done a number on it as well, and Rydia looked at it, dubious that it would still work.
Cecil approached from behind them and climbed over the craft's pontoons. Once inside, he dusted off the control toggles. Plants had begun to grow in the fabric of the seats, but Cecil ignored them. He flipped a few switches, turned a few toggles, and slowly and unsteadily the machine came to life. It sputtered and lurched, but eventually rose completely off the ground.
"Thing still works," Kain muttered in surprise.
Cecil set the hovercraft down again and turned it off.
"Well at least we know it can still hover," Cecil announced, climbing out of the machine.
"How do we attach it to the airship?" Kain asked. "Did Mid give you any proper instructions, because I know the ones he gave me weren't very clear."
Cecil stared at the hovercraft with his arms crossed, his brows crawling together in consternation.
Rydia looked between Cecil, the hovercraft, and Kain, hoping someone knew what they were doing.
"I'll figure it out," Cecil finally replied, walking back to the airship, his long cloak whipping out behind him. The rest of them followed, climbing the ladder to stand on the deck.
Cecil strode over to the captain's wheel and began the ship's propellars. The ship rose back into the air and Cecil maneuvered it so that it was above the hovercraft. Mostly.
He looked at Kain, dismayed. "Are we over it?" he asked.
Kain was leaning over the side, waving his arm in different directions. "More to the right! Right! Too far! Stop!"
The airship lurched and jumped as Cecil wrestled it into position.
Cecil gripped the wheel with white knuckles.
"Left," Kain directed him, still leaning over the railing. "Good. Lower the hoist."
Rydia and Rosa were curious, and decided to peer over the side as well.
The hoist was lowered on a long cable and as it descended, the jaws of it opened.
"Keep going, keep—"
Crunch.
Cecil's curse was masked by the sound of unholy grinding and snapping coming from below the ship.
Kain gave Cecil a flat look.
"You said to keep going!" Cecil shouted from the wheel.
"Yes, but not drop it all at once!" Kain argued.
Rydia and Rosa shared a look and moved away from the railing. Rosa climbed the stairs to the captain's wheel to keep Cecil calm. Rydia opted to exploring the cabins below deck.
It took more than an hour, lots of jolting, and lots of expletives before anything was accomplished.
But while Cecil and Kain were having a loud conversation about the durability of the cable, Rydia remained below decks, staring out the windows. Rosa found her there when she tired of the argument between the men and sat beside her.
"You first cast fire there," Rosa said softly, nodding in the direction of Mount Hobs.
"Years ago," Rydia answered.
Rosa regarded her quietly for a moment. "I still can't believe it," she confided.
"I'm a completely different person, but the world is still just as I left it. Like waking up from a dream."
Rosa stared out the window for several minutes, lost in recollections. "You were so small. You'd been taken away from everything you knew and asked to do things that should not have been asked of one so young. And here you are, grown up."
"We were in such a hurry then," Rydia answered slowly, remembering. She smiled suddenly. "I remember dreading the journey to Mount Hobs, hoping that someone would come up with another way to get past the ice."
"It was Edward who convinced you to cast fire in the end."
Rydia laughed. "He said if he couldn't be a crybaby, I couldn't either."
"Rydia, I've been meaning to ask you…no," Rosa said, stopping herself.
"What?" Rydia asked, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
Rosa took a deep breath. "If we retrieve the crystals and the war is ended, are you going to be staying in the overworld? Will you return to Mist?"
Rydia paused and looked at Rosa. She honestly hadn't considered it. "I don't know," she answered slowly. "Part of me expected to return to the Feymarch, but…"
"You don't know which to choose now that you've already lived two lives."
Rydia nodded.
"You'll always be welcome in Baron," Rosa told her, and Rydia knew she meant it.
Rydia smiled at her. "Thank you."
In truth, thinking about returning to Mist left her stomach in knots. If she didn't have Mist, she had the Feymarch, but the words the Eidolons had left her with—that they would not allow her to stay—kept playing through her mind.
"Do you miss it?" Rosa asked.
"Miss what?"
"Mist."
Rydia considered the question. Mist felt like a hollow memory these days, a nightmare. All of its people were gone, her mother…it was a shell.
"I don't…" she began, "I feel like I should miss it more than I do."
With some measure of alarm, she realized that she didn't remember her mother's face clearly anymore.
"I'm sorry, Rydia," Rosa told her. "That you're caught in such an odd spot."
Rydia attempted a smile. "It's not your fault."
There was a pause for a few minutes. "But I suppose I'll have to return to Mist eventually. I'm the last of the Summoners—the High Summoner. If my people die off completely, so will the Eidolons."
"The Eidolons would die?"
"The Summoners and the Eidolons are symbiotic," Rydia explained. "We need each other. They provide us protection and strength, and our magic allows them to survive."
"I had no idea the two were so closely bound."
"That's probably why Golbez wanted us destroyed. If the Eidolons were gotten rid of, there would be less opposition in the war."
"That dragon you summoned in the dwarf castle, he did seem surprised."
Rydia smiled fiercely. "His fake Eidolon was no match. He'll be sorry he made an enemy of the Feymarch."
Rosa gave her a lopsided smile. "It's good to see you fired up again."
Rydia smiled and ran a hand through her hair. "I guess I'm more like the Eidolons than I think, sometimes."
Rosa looked out the window again, and then raised a brow.
"Looks like they've figured out the hovercraft," she mused.
Rydia looked as well and noticed that the mountains were coming closer and closer.
"Where are we going?" she asked.
"To Fabul," Rosa told her.
Rydia considered the destination and looked at her friend again.
"To speak to Yang's wife?"
"Yes, that's part of it."
"Only part?"
Rosa sighed. "We need to speak to the king as well."
They fell into companionable silence after that, watching the landscape slide beneath them.
Eventually, Rosa left her and Rydia, already fatigued, settled into one of the hammocks in the cabin, dozing off.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
The airship approached Fabul through storm clouds. Rydia felt the change in the air before she saw it, coming up from below decks to see why the temperature had suddenly soared.
Huge black clouds overwhelmed the sky, and lightning arced through them furiously, leaving white streaks in her vision.
"We need to get closer to the ground!" Kain was shouting at Cecil.
"I know!" Cecil shouted back, his brows angled in concentration as he wrestled with the wheel. Wind whipped raindrops like horizontal daggers as the ship plummeted downward and Rydia's ears popped with the rapid descent. She crawled back below decks again and saw Rosa at the bottom of the stairs, gripping the handrail with an ashen face.
The ship plummeted again, and they both clutched the rail.
"What's going on up there?" Rosa gasped.
"Cecil's trying to get below the clouds!"
"This wind is going to take us down whether we want to go or not!" Rosa shouted over a peal of thunder.
Sure enough, Rydia was thrown against the wall as the ship lurched again.
"I thought he was captain of the Red Wings! Doesn't he know what he's doing?" Rydia shouted back.
"Yes—but he had a knack for breaking Cid's ships doing insane maneuvers!" Rosa revealed, holding on for dear life.
The ship continued its downward journey, and Rydia clenched her eyes shut in anticipation of a horrible crash. At last the ship came to an unexpected halt, and the force threw both women onto the floor.
Rosa lifted herself up after a few minutes. "We've stopped?"
Rydia strained to hear the propellers but all she heard was rain pelting the planks. Suddenly the door to the cabin opened and Kain and Cecil both bolted in, dripping wet.
Cecil nearly tripped over Rydia on his way down the stairs in the dark.
"What happened?" Rosa asked, getting out of the way.
"This storm is too bad to keep going," Cecil huffed.
They all moved into the cabin away from the stairs.
Cecil fumbled in the dark for a lamp and lit it.
"I've never seen a storm this bad," Kain admitted.
Rydia shot him a look. "Could it have something to do with the crystal of Air going missing?" she asked acerbically
"You know very well that it is," he answered dryly. "That doesn't change the fact that there's a storm out there and we're stuck in it."
"Stop it, you two," Rosa scolded them.
Rydia and Kain simply stared at each other in the flickering lamplight.
"It doesn't help that Cecil nearly smashed the hovercraft with his bang-up landing," Kain went on.
Cecil frowned, and then smiled somewhat menacingly. "My bang-up landing?" he asked, his voice low.
"Yes. Your bang-up landing," Kain repeated.
"I'd like to see you land an airship in the dark through heavy rain!"
"At least I'm not flying around the world making house calls when what we should be doing, is going to Eblan to get the crystals back!"
"Stop it!" Rosa shouted. "This is absurd! We need the help of the other kingdoms in case we fail to get the crystals a second time—especially if we fail!"
"You shouldn't even be here!" Kain retorted. "We should have left you in Baron where'd you be safe!"
" You sound like my mother!"
"Maybe you should listen—she speaks sense!"
Rosa's mouth hung open. "You spoke to her, didn't you. You spoke to my mother!"
"You did what?" Cecil asked, turning on his friend.
"She trusts me more than you," Kain explained off-handedly to Cecil, and then to Rosa. "Someone had to assure her you were being looked after."
"Looked after? I can look after myself."
"Why on earth would she trust you more than me?" Cecil demanded.
"Because you are a threat to her daughter's honor*," Kain retorted.
"Now there's an irony," Cecil muttered.
Rydia watched the argument with all the curiosity she could muster. The polish gone, the politeness and civility erased—here were the true feelings of her companions.
"I can't believe you wanted to leave me behind," Rosa continued.
"I can't believe you volunteered," Kain countered.
Sensing that the conversation was about to take a turn for the worse, though, Rydia sat down, staring into the lamp.
"Well," she said. "We're already most of the way to Fabul. We may as well keep going."
They all stared at her.
"Rydia's right," Cecil said reluctantly. "I'm going to sleep. We'll keep going in the morning—to Fabul."
He left the room, leaving the rest of them. Rosa and Kain shared a look across the table, before they too went in opposite directions.
Rydia sat at the table and watched the storm through one of the portholes until she couldn't keep her eyes open any longer. The raging skies led her to wonder if maybe they, and not the missing Crystal of Air, had something to do with the weather.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
By morning, the storm had passed and a blast of cold followed behind it. Cecil flew them onward, piloting through gray skies. The airship landed in a field near the city proper of Fabul, and they disembarked onto the sodden ground. Mud sucked at Rydia's boots, making squelching sounds with every footstep.
Once Cecil and Rosa had joined her on the ground, Rydia glanced upwards and saw Kain still standing on the airship.
"I'm not welcome in Fabul," he told Cecil, remaining firmly planted at the railing. "It's best you go and I look after the ship."
Cecil looked at his friend for a long minute. "We'll return in a few hours," he said.
They left Kain behind, Cecil leading them to the city amidst puddles and boggy road. When they reached the gates, Rydia saw that they had been patched together with timbers and the guards on duty looked unusually young.
Even though they had come very near, the gates remained closed before them.
"This doesn't bode well," Rosa murmured to Cecil who had squared his shoulders.
They stood just outside the gate, until one of the guards called down to them.
"State your business!"
"It's Sir Cecil. We've returned with tidings of the war," Cecil called up to the guard.
"You can't be Sir Cecil, he was a dark knight, and where is Master Yang?"
"Please," Rosa interceded. "We need to speak to your King. It's a matter of great importance."
One of the other guards, a man who looked a bit older than the rest, rushed over and whispered into the first guard's ear.
The man's eyes went wide. "Lady Rosa? Open the gate!" he shouted.
"Open the gate!" another guard echoed; and another, as word of their arrival spread along the wall.
The gate creaked open, timbers straining.
They stepped past it and were met by another guard, a man wearing loose red robes that revealed his arms to be corded with muscles.
"My apologies," he said with a bow. "The appearance of an airship in the field led us to believe you were one of Golbez's servants come to deliver some kind of ultimatum. I'm to understand that you wish to speak to the king."
"We do," Cecil replied.
"Follow me," the guard said, leading them along the main avenue.
On their journey along the circuitous road, homes and shops rose on either side of them. They were tall, tiered buildings; half stone, half wood. Their roofs had curved pitches, cresting into elegant points that were adorned with pinnacles pointing to the heavens.
In some sections of the city, broken beams littered the side of the road. They were burnt, some nothing more than cinders.
This was the aftermath of the battle.
Rydia felt caught in a wave of bewilderment, like the past and the present were colliding again.
As they continued through the city, Rydia caught sight of someone rushing to meet them through the crowds of people.
"Lady Meiling!" Rosa called to her.
"Lady Rosa!" Meiling called back. "You're here," she observed, finally reaching them. She looked at each in turn, pursing her lips, "Where's my husband?"
"Meiling, we—"
"No, don't tell me here," she interrupted Rosa with a curt gesture. "Follow me." She turned and swiftly led them through the last stretch of city and past the second gate into the castle. Guards stepped aside at their approach. All of them were young, a few with their heads recently shaved; scabs from the brusqueness of the process evident on theirs scalps.
Meiling's robes swished over the flagstones as she led them across the courtyard and into the main hall. She wore subtle tones of red and gold that were exotic in Rydia's eyes, but not ostentatious. She was a commanding presence and her dark braid swayed with her stride.
The doors to the throne room opened before them without Meiling having to wait or utter a word. It seemed they had been expected. As they passed the threshold, Rydia saw a man had just finished whispering something to the king, no doubt to announce their arrival, but he backed away once he saw Meiling and the rest of them.
The king remained seated, his expression grim. He wore a sling on his arm and looked much older, Rydia noticed.
"I can scarcely believe it," the king announced, gesturing at them with his good arm.
"I thought you mad to fight evil with a dark blade, and I thought you lost after Leviathan's attack, yet here you are. Not only are you alive, but you have conquered your darkness."
He looked each of them over, his gaze shrewd.
"But not all of you that set out have returned…Lady Rosa, it is good to see you well and safely returned," he said to Rosa who nodded politely. "And who is this fair creature with the emerald hair?" he asked, spying Rydia in the back of the group.
Rydia hastily bowed. "It is Rydia of Mist, your Majesty."
"Curious. I sense magic at work. You were but a child the last you were here."
The king then looked at Meiling, whose hands were firmly clasped before her. He read her anxiety clear as day and decided to cut the pleasantries short.
"Now tell me," he said, "You would not have come here unless something had happened. Where is Yang Fang Leiden?"
It was Cecil who answered, explaining their sad tale. He left much out, but as he explained, Rydia felt herself reliving all of it again in her mind.
The king and Meiling's expressions remained set, and neither of them said much of anything aside from asking a question here and there for clarification.
When Cecil had finished, Meiling excused herself from the throne room.
They watched her go, Rydia barely restraining tears. None of them had really expected her to remain after the weight of such news.
"This is a grave loss," the king said sadly, stroking his beard. "I had hoped to have Yang take this seat of power. He was a brave man, a mighty captain, and a fierce friend…. But have you really come all this way to tell us of his passing?"
"Your majesty, there is much more to tell, I fear," Cecil admitted.
"Very well," the king replied, nodding. "Ladies, I would not have you stand and listen to matters that will no doubt bore you. You may wait somewhere more comfortable while we discuss the business of war," he said, gesturing to the door.
They were both escorted out into the foyer by a guard.
Once the door was shut behind them, Rosa walked toward the great hall. Rydia followed her, even as the white mage changed course and climbed a staircase that led to one of the castle's ramparts. All of this was vaguely familiar, but Rydia had to keep reminding herself that for Rosa it hadn't even been a year since they'd been here, fighting for their lives upon the parapets.
Rosa's long strides told Rydia that there was a purpose behind their journey, and she wondered if Rosa was looking for Meiling.
"Do you think she's alright?" she asked.
"She just lost her husband, of course she's not alright," Rosa replied, and then paused. "I'm sorry, Rydia. It's just, with everything that's happened—"
"I know," Rydia replied, cutting her off. "You're wondering how you would feel if it were Cecil instead."
Rosa stopped suddenly and looked at Rydia with a storm of emotions on her face. She turned away again before she brought any of them to bear. Instead, she let out a forced breath. "I can't even imagine," she said quietly, resuming her original pace.
They continued walking, until they'd reached one of the higher ramparts. That was where they found her, staring out over the city.
Meiling heard them approach without turning around. "I've seen many things these last few years," she said for their benefit. "But to see the city gates breached, homes burnt, and all for a crystal, I have to wonder what's happened to the world. And now my husband is robbed from me as well," she turned to face them. "Lady Rosa, is there any point to fighting this war? Have we any hope of winning?"
Rosa stepped forward, joining Meiling at the crenellations, and covering the other woman's hand with her own. "It has always been a bleak war," Rosa answered. "But never have the nations been more together in spirit; and that, I think, is a great reason to hope."
"For a healer, you certainly speak like a warrior."
"If I speak like a warrior, it is in no small part to your husband. He fought bravely. He gave his life to save us and an entire kingdom. These actions mean something."
"But will they mean enough? How can we fight a man with so much power?"
"Surprise," Rydia answered from where she stood, shocking the both of them as well as herself. "Golbez never expected us to fight back," she explained. "He never expected us to defeat his Fiends, he never expected the Eidolons to continue to be a threat, and he didn't expect us to go after the crystals directly. We're an unknown."
"Surprise, you say. It didn't help my husband."
"It helped all of us, even your husband. He fought alongside us bravely at every opportunity."
"He died an honorable death, then?"
"He did," Rydia answered, her voice wavering with emotion. "He saved us all."
"It's true," Rosa seconded, tightening her grip on Meiling's hand.
Tears formed at the corners of Meiling's eyes, and a few spilled over. She hastily swiped them away.
She turned toward the city again, masking her tears with anger. "That man!" she shouted. "To leave me at such a crucial time! Never here when I need him and always here when I don't."
She breathed hard, mastering her emotions. "Whatever plan that Cecil is explaining to the king, I hope that it works. I really do. You will be in my prayers; and now if you'll excuse me," she said, walking past the both of them toward one of the castle's great towers.
Rydia watched her leave, but felt that things were still left unsaid.
"Let her go," Rosa told her.
Rydia glanced at Rosa, confused.
"She is a woman of strength. She would never show her grief in public. Sometimes it's better to be alone."
Rydia frowned, "I just wish there was something more we could do to comfort her."
Rosa took Rydia by the shoulders and led her toward the staircase that had brought them here. "I think she's been comforted by us enough. The rest will have to come from others. At least she knows that he died a noble death according to their beliefs."
Rydia considered that, and allowed Rosa to lead her back to the main hall where Cecil was waiting for them.
"Is everything well?" Rosa asked.
Cecil nodded, pushing himself away from the wall he'd been leaning against. "The king is well aware of the situation and has agreed to help."
"That's excellent news," she replied. "Where next?"
"Troia," Cecil answered.
"Troia?" Rydia asked.
"It's time we paid Edward a visit," Cecil told her with a small smile.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
A/N:
(this section used to be at the top but got moved because it was TOO LONG.)
*technically, it was Rydia's third time in an airship. The first was during a vision from Asura.
*Honor. LOLZ. If any of you have ever had the misfortune of reading "Pamela"…you have my sympathies...and you know exactly to what I am referring.
Reasons for the name Astrid:
No, it was NOT mentioned in any versions of the game.
It just seemed to fit.
Astrid means "star" among other things.
Her entire family creates ships that carry them into the sky.
Astrid is a strong sounding Norse name…which makes sense given that her father is a
burly, strong, Norse-ish dude.
Cid rhymes with Astrid which rhymes with Mid. Patterns, I like them.
Why is one of Cid's engineers named Mid when his grandson is also named Mid?
Example: My best friend/father/uncle Mid is super cool, I think I'll name my kid after him.
Also:
The change to Yang's wife's name has finally occurred. Her original name in Escaping the Flames
was basically a place holder (I was in a hurry with that fic…I couldn't tell you why, it was
2006 *shrugs*).
Her new name is Meiling.
CCS throwbaaaack. If any of you have seen CCS, you know what I'm talking about. If you
haven't, by all means WATCH IT. And as a brief explanation: in CCS, Meiling is a character who kicks major ARSE. She's feisty, lethal, and emotional…qualities I see paralleled in Yang's wife ;)
…I've noticed that, for some reason, many of my chapters begin with some mention of food. It must mean something. Speaking of food…
The frying pan sidequest. If you haven't ever completed the frying pan sidequest here's a quick gamefaq: (this can be done before you go to the moon and after you have access to the Falcon)
Step 1: Find Yang in the Sylvan Cave and "speak" to him.
Step 2: Return to Fabul and talk to his wife, whereupon she will give you the frying pan
Step 3: Return to the Sylvan Cave and give Yang a good whack.
Step 4: Return to Fabul and talk to Yang's wife again and she'll give you the "spoon"/knife
I usually do this adventure between Mysidia and the Moon. I think that you HAVE to complete it before the Giant of Babil (at least in the DS version) or you lose the ability to obtain the spoon completely (sorry, it'll always ALWAYS be spoon in my mind). I don't remember this being the case in the earlier versions of the game. Then again, there was also a weapon duplicating cheat that was WONDERFULLY helpful when one was in desperate need of gil that got cut out of the DS as well…aaaanyway…So if you're wondering, WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO PUT IN THE FRYING PAN, rest assured, dear readers, that the frying pan is one of my favorite moments in the game, not the least of which, because there is a FRYING PAN involved, but also because of the snarky banter between Edge and Yang that I love so very dearly.
I must admit, the last four weeks have been particularly…frustrating. Life altering, nail-biting, angst-inducingly frustrating. I really do appreciate all of you reading and reviewing. It brightens my day :)