Might I just say that I now know what the greatest JRPG story ever produced is? My brother and I finished watching a youtube playthrough of it a week ago, since it's a PS2 game and actually getting a playable copy now-a-days is nigh-on impossible.

It's called "Tales of the Abyss." Part of the "Tales of" franchise, a series far less well known than Final Fantasy, but in my opinion, just as good. Tales of Vesperia, Tales of Symphonia, and Tales of the Abyss are the big three. My brother and I know Vesperia and Symphonia inside and out, but we'd heard nothing about Abyss except whispers that it was on par with those two. Since we were relatively spoiler free, my brother decided we were going to take a peek and see what was there.

Tales of the Abyss is a monster of a game, incredibly long, but it just gets better the longer it goes. I won't give you any spoilers, but if you're looking for the next great JRPG, that is it.

Alright, I'm done raving about Abyss now. This chapter's kinda short, but I'm trying to break chapters sooner so I can go back to releasing every weeks. So, instead of giving you a long chapter with two or three major things every other week, I want to release a shorter chapter with only one major thing every week. We'll still stick to biweekly for now, until I can work up a backlog.

Enough of my annoying comments! On the FFXII!

Chapter Nine

The Salikawood, South of Archades
Year 707 of the Old Valendian Calendar

Balthier stepped into a mass of warm, moist air and filled his lungs; after the underground chill of the Red Fang tunnels, he half expected the night air of the forest to condense on his clammy skin. Hardly any moonlight made the journey through the leaves above, and soft droplets plopped down every now and then.

"Is everyone here?" Fran asked in her heavy accent, pulling up the rear of the group. Balthier took a quick glance, trying to distinguish the different bodies in a dark his eyes hadn't adjusted to yet; he could barely make out a few yards beyond them.

"Probably. But we can't stop now; come on, everyone."

Penelo gave a sigh; Balthier could barely make out her twin braids in the moonless dark.

"Don't worry," Ashe said. "I'm sure we'll stop and rest soon."

Balthier mentally noted that wasn't probable, but if the idea kept the ladies going…

Balthier at front and Fran in the back, they got the group moving again, trying to maintain a fast pace in the tangled forest. They left the round entrance of the Red Fang base far behind.

"It's so dark… Fran, couldn't you use magic, to make light?" Penelo asked.

Fran shook her head. "If they are following us, light would give us away."

"Come on, Penelo," Vaan said. "The dark's not that bad."

Penelo sighed, fingers squeezing the runes on her staff. "But we'll… stop and take that break soon, right?"

"But we can't stop- whoa!" Vaan stumbled on some root or stump, near taking out his sister. Penelo jumped with a gasp.

"What are you doing?" Ziafer called over his shoulder. "The Red Fangs'll hear you! And hurry up! What a bunch of slowpokes."

Balthier just sighed.

Vaan regained his footing with a scowl. "Where are we going, anyway?"

"I think there's a town near here, where the Red Fangs go for supplies," Ziafer replied.

"Sial. I've been there before," Balthier replied. "But stopping that close might not be such a good idea. What's to stop them from just catching us there?"

"I said the Red Fangs get supplies there!" Ziafer replied. "But the townspeople are pretty innocent; I mean they're kinda suspicious, but they don't really know what the Red Fangs are. If they cause a big scene in town, it could hurt their relations with their biggest supplier."

Balthier sighed, considering this new information. "I suppose it's better than walking all night. At this rate, they'd likely overtake us anyway. We'll finish the night in Sial." What was left of it.

Ashe let out a long breath. Balthier glanced her way; he felt a tinge of a smile forming.

"Tired, princess?"

Ashe straightened. "N-No." She shook her head. "No. So, we'll stay there, then head back towards the Peace Keepers' base in the morning?"

Balthier sighed. "Well, you never change, do you, princess?"

Ashe frowned. "What do you mean?"

You are stubborn as a mule. But perhaps that wasn't so polite to say. Instead, Balthier chose: "From what we heard from those Peace Keepers we ran into, Tazer now knows we're coming; he'll have plenty of time to steel himself and prepare to have you killed the moment we arrive." Balthier glanced ahead at Ziafer, waiting for an objection; when none came, that was enough for him.

"But- then-" Ashe started.

"I'm not saying we don't go, just that…" Balthier shook his head with a sigh. "Look, we'll discuss it in the morning, alright?"

Ashe sighed but said nothing.

Soon they emerged from thick undergrowth into the relatively well-cleared backyard of a tiny hut; all windows were dark and cold. The group stole past, through the front lawn and onto a street of well-packed earth. The single roadway wound through the forest, small wooden buildings scattered along it.

"Hey, I think that's an inn." Ziafer marched up to one of the few two-story buildings; a sign hung over its door, impossible to read in the darkness. A twitch of movement caught Balthier's peripheral vision. He turned his head sharply. The shadows of the undergrowth shifted for a moment- then nothing. Balthier frowned; he tried to tell himself he was tired, paranoid… But it was also likely they were being followed.

The rattling of wood under heavy fist shattered the almost sacred still of the forest village. Balthier swung his gaze back to where Ziafer pounded the inn door.

"Hey! Wake up in there!"

Balthier let out a groan, then marched up to stop him.

"Perhaps a more tactful approach would be wise?" he said, grabbing Ziafer's wrist before he could make contact again. Ziafer yanked his arm away, snarling.

"How else are we supposed to get him up?"

Yellow candlelight flickered to life in the highest window. Ziafer grinned a toothy grin.

"See? He's awake."

Balthier sighed. "We'll see how agreeable he is."

In the next minute, a few more lights flickered on, then the front door swung open; there stood a frowning old man in his nightclothes, hold a candle lamp in one hand.

"What-? What is it? Who are you people?"

Ziafer opened his mouth to speak, but Balthier stepped in front of him. "I apologize for the inconvenience; we've been traveling all night and we were hoping you'd be kind enough to provide us lodging until morning."

"Travelers?" The old man's eyes darted between Vaan, Penelo, to Fran, Ashe, Ziafer, then back to Balthier, quite a bit wider. "I ain't never seen a group like you. What sort'a travelers? Where're you from?"

"Um, we're… fulfilling an important mission," Ashe said, stepping up. She gave a nervous smile. "Please let us stay for the night."

"We'll pay for a full night's stay, don't worry," Balthier said, rather reluctantly.

The old man frowned, the grunted. "Fine. I got one empty room in th'upper part. If that's good, then I'll show you to there. Then get out of my face, uh?"

The old man led them through the dim entry way/dining area, up the stairs, and slammed the door behind them. Only three beds crowded against the wall under the window; Ashe plopped down on one of them, rubbing her legs and sighing with relief.

"That was a close one," Penelo sighed.

"Yet they are likely still close at hand," Fran said. "We'd best sleep lightly."

Vaan sighed, putting a hand to his face. "No promises."

Balthier's gaze found Ziafer, pacing like he had all the energy in the world, a hand at his chin, mumbling rapidly. Then he folded his hands behind his head and tipped it back with a scowl, still pacing.

"You care to tell us something?" Balthier said, narrowing his eyes.

"Who, me?" Ziafer stopped, sending Balthier a sour look.

"Yes, you. Like what that Biggs character was referring to back in the base. What you utterly refused to speak of?"

Ziafer narrowed his one eye. "Nope. I don't."

"And while you're at it," Balthier said, ignoring him, "you can tell me why you're so keen to protect the princess. I don't see how you get anything out of it but moral satisfaction."

"Yeah," Vaan joined in. "You seem like the kind of guy who'd want a bit more than that."

Ziafer sent Vaan a glare and a growl.

"Well?" Balthier said.

Ziafer turned away, folding his arms. "I don't have to explain myself to you!"

Balthier sighed. Why did he have to be so difficult, at this time of night?

"If you don't want to spend the night outside with the Red Fangs," Balthier said, "you'd better."

Ziafer narrowed his eye, teeth clenched.

"We're waiting." Fran's quiet, accented voice seemed menacing in the utter silence. Ziafer's gaze darted between every eye in the room, then he gave a final sigh.

"It's my duty to protect the princess because… because my name is Ziafer Cardus Dalmasca, and my father was the older brother of King Raminas!"

…

"Keep those safe. Don't you lose them. That there is all the worth you'll ever have."

Clori subconsciously reached for her ears; her awareness seemed to whirl, and she couldn't quite find the furry appendages. When her fingers brushed them, she grabbed and yanked them against her head, hoping that would drown the tired, female voice. It didn't help, and it took a few moments for the words to fade.

"Don't you forget, some day, when you're out of here…"

Clori shook her head, becoming aware of a hard surface inducing an ache in her back and shoulders. She let go of her ears and rubbed the sides of her head, memory of what had happened creeping back.

Clori opened her eyes, her vision taking a moment to adjust. A dish-shaped lamp hung over her, off. A steady beep-beep, beep-beep like a heart monitor came from somewhere nearby. Clori sat up instantly, though it set her head spinning. She knew this place.

At a desk nearby, Razner held up two sheets of paper, intently scanning one. Getting a good look at the room full of supplies and whirring devices, Clori was doubly sure of her location. She swung her legs over the edge of the table she sat on, despite her throbbing skull.

"You're awake," Razner said in a dull tone, gaze still on his papers.

"What am I doing here? What happened to the princess's group?" Clori asked, eyes darting over the tidy rows of equipment.

"Princess Ashelia and her companions escaped after your failure," Razner replied, laying down his sheets but not looking back. "Others dragged you in here while Errol and I discussed our next move, and I hadn't found time to remove you yet. Kindly don't distract me."

Clori sneered at Razner's turned back, then gave her arms a quick glance for needles or wires; she didn't want to be hooked up to anything in this place, not even a heart monitor. She gave an inward sigh of relief when she found nothing.

"So? We following them?" Clori asked, jumping down from the table. Razner sighed. He left the sheets on the table and walked to a redlit panel on the wall that produced the beeping.

"They're headed for Sial, and Errol doesn't wish to take them there," Razner replied as his metal fingers clanked over the board. Clori rolled her eyes. She strode over to Razner's desk and leaned her back against it, folding her arms.

"Course he doesn't."

"They were headed northward when we captured them," Razner said. "It's likely they'll be going that way again. And, if they do head north, I imagine they'll stop in Archades on the way. It's in the direct path of their original location, and it may be the princess will want to send a message back to her kingdom. Errol's orders are to lie in wait there."

Clori sighed. "Can't we just depose him already?"

"I don't appreciate the delay," Razner said, "but it might be better to let them put their guard down, so we can avoid a fight that might harm our target."

"That didn't answer my question," Clori said. "Why do we still keep that blasted do-gooder around?"

Razner turned his head to make eye contact. "He's still useful. The point of no return isn't to be crossed until all is prepared."

Razner turned from the screen and marched to cylindrical tank propped upright against the wall. A mess of wires hung around it, and the cloudy liquid pulsed at regular intervals. He rested his fingers of flesh against the glass and started to mumble.

Clori sighed and considered exiting the premises. Razner didn't want her around anyway. She glanced behind her and studied the sheets of paper; crinkled and brown, crumbled and eaten at the edges, scrawled with strange letters and runes. Clori picked up one sheet and frowned at the symbols. Razner was reading this?

She lifted her gaze up at Razner; his eyes were still locked on the tank. A humanoid shape hung barely visible in the cloudy fluid.

"What do these things say, anyway?" Clori waved the sheet.

"Nothing you need to know yet." Razner glanced back; shards of black hair hung across his cold blue eyes. "Be a dear and put it down. That paper's worth more than you can imagine."

Razner turned away. Lip twitching, Clori flicked the paper back onto the desk, letting it flutter through the air. She turned to leave.

"Clori." Razner's voice stopped her. When she turned around, he faced her fully. "I'll be going to Archades," he continued, "to perform the procedure as soon as we've taken the princess. I'll use Holdre's facilities in the city."

"Nice," Clori said, not really seeing how this impacted her. "Can I come? I got a score to settle with that girl. And that pirate."

"No, I need you here," Razner replied. "You're the only one other than myself with the knowledge to monitor the specimen." He glanced back at the tank. "I trust you can handle that?"

Clori sighed. Of course she'd be stuck in this stuffy place, instead of beating up on that princess. But she knew better than to voice that.

Clori flicked a strand of bangs out of her eyes. "Sure thing, boss. You can count on me."