The thief and his princess
Summary:
When Zidane, the youngest thief in the infamous Tantalus group, meets the mysterious Dagger on the Alexandrian streets, he thinks of her as nothing but one of his many flirts. But with time, he will realize that the girl does not only hold the power to bind his heart forever, but that she is an unwilling part of a conspiracy that can easily destroy the world. - A FFIX AU Fan Fic
Chapter nine ~ The frontier village Dali
The village Dali was built above the mist and even had an own watchtower. The housings were small and cute and were aligned at the only road Dali had, the main road. For visitors, the village hadn't much to show: A small inn at the very beginning of the road, an even smaller shop selling various things such as common weapons or armory and a tavern that was an apothecary at the same time. Dali wasn't a place where foreigners would pause and due to that fact, it didn't seem to be prosperous. Only from time to time, small freighters would cross the village on their way to Lindblum. Still, the village had a cute and comfy feel to it.
Zidane wouldn't have thought it was possible, but Dagger seemed even more impressed by Dali than by the Ice Cavern. She constantly paused along the main road to observe the most normal things. Zidane almost had to drag her out of a shop as she was too caught up by "all those handy little things the people use to get by".
"Seriously, Dagger", the thief muttered as they continued their search for an adult to tell them where and when they could board a ship – surprisingly, they had only seen children or young people so far – and nudged her once again, "No matter how much ya improve your talking, people will know you're a princess by your acting."
"Is it really that bad?", Dagger asked concerned and hung her head down. "I'm trying my best, but all these new impressions are overwhelming."
Zidane jumped back for a second, his face full of worry he might have been too harsh – then, he pat her on the shoulder. "Don't worry 'bout it!", he tried to cheer her up. "I'm sure you'll get the hang of it in no time. For the time being", he added and pointed towards the inn, "let's get some rest. We haven't had a chance to rest up ever since we left Alexandria. Imagine those nice comfy beds", he fancied and smiled.
Dagger gave him a slight smile and nodded. "You're right. I'm pretty exhau-... tired."
Zidane gave her a quick wink, then the two entered the inn, followed by Amarant. The warrior was displeased by their frequent stops, but since Dagger seemed to be happy he didn't say anything. If it wasn't for her wish, he would have abandoned Zidane long ago.
"Yahoo!", Zidane greeted the innkeeper who looked up dazzled. "We'd like to rent your room for tonight.
"Oh, er.. Sure thing", the innkeeper answered, still puzzled. "Err... That'd be 100 Gil... I think."
"100 Gil on its way", Zidane answered and searched in his pocket for the said amount. "Here you go."
As they entered the room, Zidane was positively surprised by how hygienic and tidy the room was. There were four beds with clean bedding and a small fountain in the middle of the room. Two windows gave enough lighting for daytime and each bed had access to a small lamp. There was even a shelf with books and a chair to sit on. Only Dagger seemed to be a bit troubled.
"Erm, Zidane?", she asked shyly. "Where will I be sleeping?"
"In this room, just like we do", Zidane answered surprised, but Dagger was shocked: "But I have never slept in the same room as men!", she exclaimed and shook her head.
Zidane smiled softly. "I know, Dagger, but there are no extra rooms in such a small inn."
The princess let out a troubled sigh, then she moved to one of the beds and sat on it.
Zidane nodded happily. "Alright then, I'll go see whether I can grab some food somewhere. You two wait here!"
Once Zidane had left the room, Amarant got the chair and turned it towards the door. "You should get some rest", he said towards Daggers as he sat down, crossing his arms. "This village doesn't seem to be well prepared for visitors and I doubt it can even feed itself, judging by the size of the field we've seen outside. It'll take a while for him to return."
The princess nodded. "But what about you, Amarant? You haven't slept since we left Alexandria, have you? I passed out multiple times and was even recharged by Shiva in the Evil Forest...", she added ashamed.
"I don't need any rest", the redhead replied. "I will keep guard in case someone breaks in."
"Don't speak ill of the people here!", Dagger protested passionately, and Amarant, who intended to say even more, kept quiet. "You should get some rest", he simply repeated and soon thereafter, he could hear Daggers big, deep breaths from sleeping. As he watched her, his face had an almost gentle expression.
"What kind of village is this?!", Zidane muttered annoyed. The tavern he had entered right after leaving the inn seemed to be closed all day – only a small girl in the tavern informed him that it won't open until the adults return. But no matter how many times he wandered the village or asked the children running around: Adults were nowhere to be found. The thief had even considered breaking in one of the houses to steal some food, but he rejected the thought shortly afterward – he was with Dagger and when she asked where he got the food from, he couldn't possibly lie, and she wouldn't possibly accept stolen food.
Zidane was already back on his way to the inn to suggest a quick departure when he spotted the small shop once again.
Might as well ask in there too, he thought to himself and entered the shop.
"Yo!", Zidane greeted the shopkeeper, a young girl under Daggers' age.
"Welcome", she answered and performed a slight bow, "how can I help you?"
"Do you sell any food, by chance?", the thief asked and gave her his gorgeous smile. For a moment, the young girl was captured by his appearance, but then she shook her head. "No, I'm sorry. We only sell weapons and armor."
Zidane hung his head down. "Figures", he mumbled, then he looked up, sporting his cheerful face again. "But anyways, what'cha name, sweetie?"
"I – I'm Eve", the young girl answered shyly and blushed, brushing some of her hair behind her ear.
"Mind me looking at your goods, Eve?", Zidane went on asking and was soon given a big assortment of such.
I don't need any new daggers, Zidane thought to himself as he was presented three different ones, I still have the one Marcus gave to me. But maybe I'll find something handy for the others.
Then, he spotted a packet of missiles and pointed to them: "How much d'they cost?"
"You can get a single one for 10 Gil and the whole package of 50 for 450 Gil", Eve replied in an all merchant-appropriate manner.
"450, huh?", Zidane repeated and took a look inside his pocket. There was still plenty of Gil – as a member of Tantalus, he'd never experience poverty – but he was aware he had to be careful while spending it.
What's the matter? Once we arrive in Lindblum, I will go see Baku, he told himself and bought the package.
"Now something for Dagger", he mumbled and the shopkeeper looked up. "Is that the girl that was with you?", she asked and Zidane, caught, scratched his head. "I guess there's no way hiding it."
Eve shook her head. "This is a small village. We don't get many visitors here so I figured you were a group. She is a mage, isn't she?"
Zidane looked at her surprised, then he nodded. "Uh-huh, she's a mage." Kinda...
The young girl got up. "I've got the magical goods in the back of the shop, I will get those right away", she explained and left for a short while. As she came back, her arms were full with rods and also some claws like the one Amarant uses.
"They're magical stuff?", Zidane asked surprised and Eve gave him a smile. "More or less. Grandpa told me to put them to the magical section as some of those are equipped with a spell."
Zidane nodded and took a look at them. They look expensive, he thought to himself and pointed to the most frightening of them. "What's that?"
"These are the Mythril Claws. They're quite powerful as Mythril is said to cut through everything, even stone, and sell for 6500 Gil."
The thief twitched. I already thought this small shop is pricey, but that's definitely overload!
"B-but I'll sell it to you for 3000!", Eve suddenly exclaimed and smiled shyly.
"Really?", Zidane asked surprised. "You don't have to cut it, you know?"
"I know", Eve shook her head. "We've been having those for a long time now. Grandpa once bought them on a sale and he's been cursing about ever getting them. Not many people seem to use them, so I think he'll be happy to get them away even for a lower cost."
"Ahh, so that's how it is", Zidane said and smiled. "I'll surely take them for that price. Let me take a look at those rods", he added and went closer. He noticed a rod with a different shape from the one Dagger was using: The staff was firm but the ball at the top of it wasn't full but hollowed.
"It's a special type of rod - a racket", Eve said as he kept looking at it. "It's specially designed for mages. Grandpa said that mages don't seek close combat but sometimes have to resort to a weapon to save their magical powers. This racket can be used similar to a fishing rod: The user casts it and a ball of magical strength hits the enemy. This way, the mage can remain in the back while sparing the magical resources. This is the Magic Racket and it is equipped with Wind element."
Zidane smiled. "I'm sure Dagger will like this. How much does it cost?"
"1000", Eve answered and even though Zidane was sure she had lowered the price, he didn't say anything.
Just as he was about to leave, he noticed a thief sword at a corner of the shop – he recognized it as such by the two blades, one at each end of the handle. "And what is that?", he asked and examined the weapon.
"I believe Grandpa called it the Rune Tooth", Eve answered after some thinking. "It can inflict poison on enemies."
"Rune Tooth, huh?", Zidane repeated and touched it. The two blades were very sharp and seemed dangerous as they had a greenish color to them.
"I will gift it to you", Eve shyly said and Zidane turned around. "Well well", he said and looked at her concerned. "I can't accept that, Eve", but the young girl shook its head. "I insist on it!", she exclaimed. "This sword once belonged to my dad. Grandpa doesn't want to sell it, but dad, he... He always said a weapon is worth nothing if it's not wielded to protect the innocent! It laying here wouldn't make dad happy. That's why I can't sell it for a price; I can only gift it to you if you promise to follow my father's wish!" Her eyes were sincere and she looked at Zidane, full of expectations. The thief nodded and smiled. "How can I decline such an honorable offer?", he said and took the sword. "I promise you, Eve, that I will protect the innocent with this sword where ever I may go."
With his hands full, he decided to go see Amarant and Dagger.
At the entrance of the inn, he noticed the innkeeper eating a small breakfast.
"'scuse me", Zidane said and pointed towards the plate. "How much will it cost for three of these?"
For a moment, the innkeeper didn't look like he would even think about selling food to his guests, but then he said "150 Gil per plate."
"150?! That's quite a lot!", Zidane was baffled. But his stomach started to grumble and he decided to pay the extraordinary price. He was told they'd be given their plates in a few minutes, so Zidane went ahead.
"I'm back!", he said enthusiastically and waved towards Amarant and Dagger. The redhead hadn't moved ever since Dagger had fallen asleep, so he made a simple nod to acknowledge Zidane's appearing.
The princess was sleeping soundly, but woke up due to Zidane entering. She slowly got up and rubbed her eyes, then she smiled. "Ah, you're back."
The thief grinned. "We'll be getting some food in no time – the innkeeper is preparing it at the moment. In the meantime, I brought you two something." He handed the missiles and the Mythril claws to Amarant and the Magic Racket to Dagger.
"I don't hope we'll run into trouble again, but in case we do, I thought we should be prepared", he said as he sat down on his bed.
Dagger was holding the racket firmly and was admiring it. "This is.. so thoughtful of you, Zidane", she then said and gave him a big smile. "Thank you so much!"
"Nah, it's nothing", the thief answered but his grin grew even bigger.
"How much did they cost?", Amarant asked blandly.
Zidane slanted his head. "Gimme a moment... 450 for the missiles, 3000 for the claws."
"And the racket?", Amarant asked.
"It was 1000. But I'm pretty sure the shopkeeper made the prices lower than usual. She said she probably won't get a chance to sell those anytime soon."
But Amarant wasn't listening anymore. He was searching inside his pocket and got out some Gil. "Here", he simply said and handed them over to Zidane.
The thief made big eyes. "You don't have to pay me back, Amarant! That's what companions are for."
The redhead hesitated for a moment, then he shrugged. "Well then", he said while equipping the claws to check their fit. "Convenient."
Zidane grinned; hearing a "convenient" from Amarant was probably the biggest compliment he could ever receive.
"Zidane?", Dagger said approaching while holding her old rod. "Do you think we could sell our old equipment here? It would be a … bother to carry them along, wouldn't it?"
"You're sharp, Dag'", the thief said and smiled, causing Dagger to slant her head. "Dag'?", she repeated confused, but the thief went on: "I don't know whether Eve will buy them, but we should at least try. But first, let's grab some food", he added as the innkeeper entered with three plates.
"That was amazing!, Zidane exclaimed and laid down on the bed.
"It was small, yet tasty", the princess agreed.
"So, what's the plan?", Amarant asked and gave Zidane a sharp look. "Don't tell me you haven't found a way to Lindblum yet."
Zidane twitched for a second. "Well, you know... I was very hungry and busy buying equipment, so..."
"So?", Amarant asked.
The thief looked to the side. "I forgot", he mumbled and for a moment, Amarant was about to lose his temper.
"You did-?!", he started, but then he sat down and let out a sigh. "Figures."
"Amarant, I don't think Zidane's to blame!", Dagger said reluctantly. She knew that she was relying a lot on the two men and didn't want to upset either of them. "We haven't had the chance to rest up so I think we can wait with further plans until tomorrow morning, right?"
Zidane gave her a big smile when someone knocked on the door.
"E-excuse me", a female voice sounded and Eve entered the room.
Zidane got up and smiled. "Dagger, Amarant, that's the girl that sold me our new equipment – Eve!"
Dagger left her bed and bowed slightly. "Thank you so much, Eve", she said smiling.
"It was nothing", the young girl answered embarrassed. "Grandpa told me to come here; you are looking for a cargo ship headed to Lindblum, right?", she asked towards Zidane and he nodded. "How do ya know?"
"Word's quickly around town", Eve smiled. "Grandpa said the next cargo ship will leave tomorrow at midday. If you wish, he can arrange for you to board it."
"Really?", Zidane asked surprised and grinned. "That's amazing! Tell your Grandpa thanks!"
Suddenly, Amarant got up. "Will you buy these?", he asked as he had his former claws and Daggers' rod in his hands. Eve stared at the redhead with big eyes as if she hadn't noticed him before and stumbled a step back.
"Amarant, what are you doing?", Zidane sighed, "You're intimidating her! Sorry", he said towards Eve, "He's not as dangerous as he seems. But anyways, will ya buy these by chance?"
The young girl made a step forwards and looked over the two weapons. Then she nodded. "They look a lot simpler than the ones I sold you, so I'm sure Grandpa will be able to sell those", she said. "I would buy those for 1500 Gil."
"Sounds like a great deal to me!", Zidane said and grinned as he exchanged the weapons with Eve's money. "Then I guess we'll see each other tomorrow midday?"
Eve nodded. "Right behind the fields, that's where the cargo ships usually land. You can board one there."
Dagger approached the young girl. "How much will it cost to board the ship for the three of us?"
"Well, Grandpa said it won't cost you anything; he's a friend of the ship's captain and it's no big deal", Eve answered shyly and went to the door. "Bye."
"That was a quick retreat", Zidane said astonished as he watched the door closing. "I'm sure Amarant scared her away", he added grinning and looked towards the warrior who was sitting on the bed.
"Whatever", Amarant answered as he laid down. "Will you keep guard first?"
The thief gave him a surprised look. "D'you think that's necessary?", he asked but as Amarant gave him a sharp regard, he sighed and nodded. "Alright alright, I got it. I will wake ya up past midnight."
His eyes met Dagger's, who was looking concerned.
"Are you alright?", Zidane asked her as he laid down on his bed, to which the princess nodded. "I guess I'm just tired. I'll try to get a lot of sleep!", she added enthusiastically and pulled her blanket over her head.
Zidane slanted his head, looking at her slightly confused, yet amused. "Whatever y'say, little princess", he mumbled as he turned his head towards the entrance.
The next day greeted them with beautiful sunlight and a clear blue sky. Amarant and Zidane had been up for a while until the sunbeams tickled Dagger's face and woke her up.
"Have I been sleeping in?", she asked confused as she lift herself up.
"Just a little", Zidane answered grinning as he just entered the room with a big plate full of fruits and vegetables. "It's not much, but I got this from the innkeeper. It'll have to do as breakfast until we reach Lindblum. I'll show you around some great places to eat once we arrive there!"
Dagger gave him a slight smile as she took some of the goods and started to eat. "Where's Amarant?", she asked.
"Oh, he's been checking out the cargo ship's landing place. He obviously doesn't wanna miss it, so he went ahead."
"That's very thoughtful", Dagger said with a quiet voice.
"When will ya tell me what's really bothering you?", Zidane asked, his mouth full. "I can tell there's something on your mind since yesterday evening."
But the princess shook her head: "It's nothing, really!"
Just as Zidane was about to continue his questions, Amarant entered the room. "The ship's there. We should get going."
Zidane grabbed a hand full of fruits and shoved them into his mouth. "Alright, I'm all set", he said and together, the three went to the cargo ship.
"It's sorta small", Zidane managed to mutter before he greeted the captain. "Yo, we're Eve's friends", he introduced his group and the captain, an old human with a big gray beard and thoughtful blue eyes, nodded. "Ah yes, I remember Eve's Grandfather mentioning it yesterday. You're headed for Lindblum, correct? I can take you with me, but you'll have to squeeze yourselves in between the load."
"When he said squeezing in I prepared myself, but this is ridiculous", Zidane said as he was sitting next to Dagger. They had little to no space to move and the three were densely packed next to each other. The air inside the cargo ship was full of mist – naturally, since all the air ships only went by mist. Still, it made it hard to breathe and especially Dagger seemed to have difficulties coping with the confined space. She had closed her eyes and breathed heavily.
"We need to get her out of here", the thief whispered towards Amarant who had been silent through the entire flight so far. "I'm afraid she'll puke... or worse."
Amarant shot a glance towards Dagger, then he turned around and with his strong arms lifted Dagger up as if she weighed nothing, carrying her towards the ladder leading to the deck. The few workers attempted to interrupt him, but the warrior only had to look at them to turn them silent.
That's a possibility as well, Zidane thought to himself and followed them.
The air on deck was refreshing and clean and it provided a view to the three which was breathtaking. They had just passed the South Gate and could still see the highest parts of Treno when looking back, while underneath them were the great grassy plains of Lindblum.
"Wow, that's amazing", Dagger exclaimed and leaned over the parapet – even though she still felt weak, the new experience lifted her up. "What's that for a forest?", she asked towards Zidane and pointed at a small, round forest beneath the cargo ship.
"Er, I believe it's called the Chocobo Forest, but I've never seen-", Zidane began explaining, but Dagger interrupted him by pointing further: "And that one?"
"Blank said it's a Qu's Marsh; I've been there once and I actually-"
"And that place?"
"Gizamaluke's Grotto", Zidane simply stated, accepting his fate.
Dagger kept asking for every single place in sight and thus she saw Lindblum only moments before the cargo ship entered the Falcon's Gate - a massive gate for air ship with several ornaments and a golden shimmer.
"This can't be-!", the princess mumbled.
Lindblum was a city built within a castle; the walls of the castle surrounded and thus protected the city with its four districts and its people, with the fourth district being the castle itself. Built over three levels, it was an impressive structure, and due to the fact it was built on a small mountain, it seemed even bigger than it actually was. The colors green and gold were dominant around the entire city and as they neared the castle itself, they could see a lot of cabs flying around, transporting the citizens from one district to another. The streets were busy and the talking and laughter of the people even reached into the height of the cargo ship. And with the castle standing like a huge tower above all, Dagger felt as small as she never felt before in her entire life.
"I- I believe entire Alexandria would fit into the castle alone", Dagger said astonished and Zidane gave her a playful nudge. "Nah, only by three fourths. Welcome to Lindblum, the biggest city of the Mist Continent - my hometown."
Author's note
I kept my promise – at least for this month! But no worries, the next chapter is almost done as well, so look out for it by the end of October.
Well then, I hope you can enjoy/could enjoy this chapter – even though I fail with introductions of new places.
I am very excited to bring the next chapter to you – it'll get a lot more interesting and exciting. But for now, enjoy this little peace of easiness.
Ruska