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year 5, quarter 3
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“How am I taking to the change? There is freedom in being alone in a brand-new place. Exciting even. There is so much to learn and see. I want to discover every nook and cranny. Keep a journal of it maybe.”
Balthier smirked to himself. His kind of woman, indeed. If he had to say anything for this whole gaudy affair, he couldn’t call it inaccurate. Their matchmaking had been impeccable. Given the available options at least.
”Discovery is an intoxicating thing,” he said. ”It’s best not to lose one’s head to it.” Still, he smirked knowingly. It was a reminder he had to tell himself often. Discovery was all fine and good, but it did nothing to line his pockets nor to keep him free of iron bars. It was something best kept on a short leash.
”I was never one for connections myself.” Balthier swirled his whiskey, considering it with lofty eye. ”I’d rather not find myself grounded.” Among a merry host of other motivations -- all of them impeccable, he thought. The life of a sky pirate was nearly as wary as the life of a deserter.
”Though I have been in search a co-pilot.” His eyes met hers. A new squad indeed. He supposed he could count the long-dead princess as one of them -- though certainly not by choice. Her company was a sour one constantly dragged into conflict by her incessant aggression. If she was to be believed, he’d had a squad of his own once. A silly notion. He could only imagine he’d left them at the first available opportunity.
His eyes pricked to the device she’d pulled from her belt. The ChocoWhis. A kind of whistle, she’d called it, though of course it was nothing of the sort. He took it into his palm, examining the screens and buttons with a master’s eye. ”Hm.” Once again, he was taken by the overwhelming need to dismantle it. To the top, there was a prominent button -- a power switch perhaps? -- followed by four he couldn’t quite make out. The screen had to be the sonar display. Now that technology he knew like the back of his hand.
”Would you mind if I borrowed this? If I could implement its functions into an airship…” Then he could customize his targets far beyond the hulking frames of warships. If it could seek out a chocobo in the midst of a crowded forest then what else could he program it to seek? Treasure? Monsters? People? The possibilities were endless.
Even duplicating it as it was would be a feat in itself. One never knew when a bird would come in need.
”Curiosity drives ingenuity. I’d rather adapt to my surroundings than plant my feet in the ground.” A matter of survival, really. He took a sip of his whiskey. His head was beginning to cloud. ”You’ll go in search of this squad then I presume? And what became of your companion? I’d think him a poor ally for one of your wit.”
“I quite agree. But discovery is not fun, unless you have someone to share it with.” Her lips formed a smile back. Perhaps that was just the teacher in her talking. She loved to share knowledge and see what others would do with it. In a way, it was watching such information evolve into something beautiful.
In fact, the more she listened the more she wondered if there was wisdom she had not considered. Perhaps, she needed to be a little less grounded? Spread her wings and go solo? Would that be a solution in trying to find herself? To be the mother bird that leaves the nest to let her baby birds test their own wings? Was that the purpose of her being brought here.
He spoke more directly to her and her eyes studied his for a moment. The rosy color dust her pale skin. She felt like she had been caught mid-thought and not listening. Now she couldn’t tell if he was flirting, offering her a job, or simply stating his thoughts. She leaned an elbow along the table and rested her cheek along the back of her fingers. She ringed her finger tip of the opposite hand along her wine glass thoughtfully. Maybe this required a friendly approach. “Every encounter is an opportunity to profit. If you find yourself in need of a little help, I could draft a contract. One that is easily broken if you are dissatisfied or no longer require my services.” She gave a slight huff at yet another thought as she removed her hand from the glass and placed it on the table. “Besides, I don’t think there’s politics here that would hinder my work, like it did on my old world. I may be able to operate a little more differently.” She paused as she thought back to his offer. “Also, it makes it hard to be a copilot when there is no airship, hm?”
She could see that spark in his eyes as he looked over the Chocowhis. A spark she was very familiar with since it held curiosity. It made her smile as she watched him. “Oh please do. Just means I’ll have to find you again and catch up. Or you just owe me a ride.” She made a gesture with her hand to suggest it was all his. She looked over the device again. “What will you do with it. I am interested to know. I feel you’re up to no good.” She was simply too nice to call him a pirate.
However, his next questions made her pause. What will she do next? Her last squad basically made her a third wheel, told her to talk to a wall, and Zell didn’t even remember her. She had been the calm encouragement of the group when people needed an extra boost. But…
Maybe it was time to strike out on her own? “I…” She hesitated, unsure what she would do. She finished her wine and sat back in her chair. “Maybe you’re right about how to operate. Maybe I’ve been too grounded? So much so that I lost sense of what I am versus other people?” Was she making any sense? She was not used to drinking and it made it difficult to be cohesive. “Perhaps that is really one of the treasures I need to find again.” She took a deep breath and sighed. Was she saying too much again? Was he going to treat her like Squall does? Did it really matter? “One of many, anyway, in that rocky sea.”
“I don’t know if I will search for them. Most were previous students and I was simply there for support.” She was only a big sister of the group. “Maybe it's time I do something different? Let them do a little learning on their own. Like with Zell. I helped him all I could, and now it's time for him to figure some things out on his own. So he stayed to study at the Crystallus Divider.” She shook her head and pushed back some of her blonde locks behind her ear. “Seems even the teacher doesn’t have an answer to everything. And Zell isn’t a poor ally. He just has a different skill set and he does it well. He is good brawn and when set to a task, he does it earnestly…” Should she still look for them now?
She paused realizing she was rambling. “Ah.” She stopped herself and looked away slightly embarrassed. She ran a finger along her cheek. Was he saying he thought she could do better in ways of partners now? “Maybe some fresh faces rather than my old squad is what I would be searching for is what I mean.” She shook her head. Maybe she was saying too much for an event like this? “And who do you suggest is a better ally for my wit? You seem a man who knows many, even if you keep a distance.”
Quistis having her feelings validated? What is this madness?
I play the leading man, who else?
The wine had touched her. That much was obvious though Balthier didn’t much mind. Passion lit her eyes as she leaned against the table, cheeks flushed with a warm red. He supposed he was a tad liquor touched himself. His heart didn’t usually flutter with such interest.
A beautiful face, a sharp wit, a mercenary’s talent. Now that was a woman worth any man’s eye.
She drew a circle along the rim of her glass, a sly look about her. ”Every encounter is an opportunity to profit. If you find yourself in need of a little help, I could draft a contract.”
His eyebrows raised. He hadn’t expected that she’d consider the offer. Quistis. A co-pilot. He glanced to the side, thoughtful of the prospect. Quistis, flying beside him. Quistis, at his back in a rough situation. Quistis, spending the nights much like this one sipping liquor at the back of an inn. He hummed.
It wasn’t a perfect fit, but perhaps it would do. If she was willing to leave her principles to the wind that was.
”I plan to commandeer one soon enough.” His eyes flit to Quistis for a reaction. That should tell her everything she needed to know. ”If you’ve taken an interest, it shan’t be long.”
What was a sky pirate without a sky? A pirate, he supposed, but really that only left him a common thief. He had left those days long behind him.
He touched at the ChocoWhiz, sliding it closer to his side for further inspection. ’Just means I’ll have to find you again. Or you just owe me a ride.’ He smirked. So she wished to stay in touch? Quite the gesture, he thought.
”It uses a kind of advanced sonar, I imagine.” Balthier picked it up, turning it over in his hand. ”A kind that would prove beneficial in the sky. My new ship will need quite the renovation. I don’t envy starting from scratch.” Though it was somewhat exciting, wasn’t it? He missed his endless work on the Strahl. Or perhaps he only missed the weight of a wrench in his hand.
”I…”
Balthier glanced up, eyebrows raised. Quistis was hesitant now. It seemed the wine swam within her deeper than he’d thought.
”Maybe you’re right about how to operate.” She leaned back in her chair, eyes troubled. ”Maybe I’ve been too grounded? So much that I lost sense of what I am versus other people?”
Balthier lowered the ChocoWhiz to watch her. He could see the wheels turning in time with her swelling heart. He certainly couldn’t deride her indecision. It was the same that he’d felt six years prior.
”Obligations can be quite stifling, I've found.” Balthier pocketed the ChocoWhiz and leaned back, arms crossed. ”They have a way of stripping one of his identity. Perhaps you’ve followed rank for long enough.”
Spoken from experience. He’d never made a better choice than when he took the proud title of a deserter.
She spoke her thoughts aloud, and Balthier listened -- expression unchanging. She was the voice, and he merely a wall to echo the cogs of her mind. ’A fresh face? A suggestion of an ally?’ Well, there was one who came to mind.
”I wouldn’t mind your company. You’d make a far better partner than none, I’d think.” A higher compliment than she could likely appreciate. He had never minded his solitude. ”Though if that wouldn’t do, perhaps I could peddle my services. Information is the greatest currency, after all.” He smirked faintly. Perhaps Archades had never truly left him.
”If it’s a mercenary’s life you’re after, I’ve heard tell of an organization of some prominence in Torensten -- made of those like you and I, it seems. Travelers of Nowhere. We’re not so uncommon a sight as of late.”
He shook his head with a careless shrug. ”Now, if you’re to choose the other path, there’s an agency in Sonora that’s rising in fame as of late. They specialize in the gathering of intel. They might prove a useful trajectory towards your teammates.”
”You’ve quite the choice ahead of you, it seems.” He looked at her with a strange kind of interest -- not for his own benefit, but for hers. He’d heard her thoughts and the struggles of them. Perhaps he was merely curious as to its end. ”I’d not take it lightly.”
She watched his reaction to her words. It was not quite what he had in mind, even though he gave her quite the compliments. Or so her intuition told her. She would back off for now. Leave the choice in his hands. After all, he would probably want to spend a little bit of time with his new wings, not that she could blame him.
She felt herself soften and ease into a smile just watching him speak on it. She could see the glint of cool excitement in his eyes at the mention of commandeering the ship and making renovations. She wished she could see that spark in more people.
He gave her advice, but it seemed to come from someplace deeper. A place that she would not poke tonight. He seemed the type to hold the past close to his chest, and she had yet to earn a place to learn of it just yet.
He couldn’t make her choices for her. She wouldn’t dream of asking him to. She just needed to figure out what it was that was the root of her problem. And hearing her own words mix with his certainly shed a light on her circumstances. She certainly appreciated this type of company. She did not need to guard her words as much as she did with students, co-workers, and clientele. In a way, it felt like she was stepping out of the shadows and a little more into the light.
She shook her head. Come now. This left a poor impression for a proper meeting. “I’ll tell you what.” She brought her index finger to tap along her cheek. She mulled over the options he provided to her. “I am no real use to you as a co-pilot if I do not know the proper lay of the land or the cultures abroad.” That was not completely true, and she was being sincerely humble. “And you seem to already have a plan unfolding to obtain your ship.” She did not seem like she would fit into whatever plan he already devised. She had no desire to throw a wrench in it, so to speak it.
“So, for now, it might be best if I work with the Dragonblades.” Oh yes, they had already attempted to recruit her. She had simply asked for time to think on it. “Do something I am familiar with until I have at least gained an understanding of this new environment.” She had yet to have even heard of Sonora. She studied him for a moment. The gave a slight shrug and a smile. A display of no pressure on him tonight. “And if you do decide you want to come around and show me your new ride…” She had no doubt he’d be able to find her, no matter where she was. “We can make a decision then on whether you still need a co-pilot. It would be an honor for me if you did. Regardless, of what you decide, I would be more than happy to help you come up with ideas for renovations. The Ragnarök had some interesting work done to it. I could see if any of it would be worth your time to implement.” If the Chocowhis sparked interest, then perhaps more information of technology from an advanced airship would be even more insightful.
She figured she would do her best to give Balthier his space with opportunities if he so chose them. She was mature enough to not just push her way into a scenario she did not fit. And she figured he would want some time alone with his new prize.
She gave a dismissive wave at the situation and gave an amused huff, “You keep helping me solve my problems, I’m going to owe you even more.” The best of an apology she could muster. “I didn’t mean to dampen the mood. I’d much rather know more about you. What did you find at the Crystalus Divider? Or will that be kept a secret?” The question was more of a tease.
She mulled over his words carefully. She knew the weight of her decision as well as anyone, and she wasn’t the kind to rush to snap judgments. After a long moment, she shook her head.
”I’ll tell you what,” she said. ”I am no real use to you as a co-pilot if I do not know the proper lay of the land or the cultures abroad. And you seem to already have a plan unfolding to obtain your ship.”
And astute observation. He was impressed.
”We can make a decision then on whether you still need a co-pilot.” She smiled. ”Regardless, of what you decide, I would be more than happy to help you come up with ideas for renovations.”
He hummed. He hadn’t really been hopeful in the matter though perhaps he had suspected her choice. Regardless, he could do without a partner without any real difficulty. He’d existed for years on his own, after all.
Quistis waved dismissively, letting out a short, childish huff. ”You keep helping me solve my problems. I’m going to owe you even more.”
Balthier smirked to himself. In his line of work, favors were more valuable than gil. ”A debt I’ll collect, certainly. Unless you’d rather make a payment upfront.” He caught her eye with an amused glint. It was a joke. She would surely catch the intention.
”I found nothing of particular worth,” he said. Nothing that would shed any insight at any rate. He’d gone for answers and had left with nothing but questions. The Divider was predictably silent. ”Lost memories. Old allies. Apparently I’d joined the cause of a fallen princess. Dreadful company, that one, but I suppose I have little choice if I’d like the rest of my story.” He sighed. ”Just my rotten luck.”
And he spoke the truth. Ashe had insisted on going their separate ways, and Balthier had offered little argument. He dreaded their next encounter as he dreaded the company of nobles and bounty hunters. How he’d kept his mind in their previous alliance, he couldn’t fathom. She had to have been one of the most unpleasant women he’d ever met.
”We’ve parted ways, but she intends we meet again once I’ve an airship and she’s found her answers. I wouldn’t count on the latter.” Balthier leaned back, head angled towards the ceiling. ”What of you? Has anything sparked your interest since last we met?”
She grinned at his jest and teased back. “Better rewards come for gentlemen who wait.” She still needed to wet her feet in this world. But once she oriented herself, she was sure she would be of better use to…well anyone who needed her really. Maybe even to herself.
She listened and shook her head. In the end, he had not learned much from the divider, but still a connection to his past might aid. “So, you do not have your whole memory?” By the sounds of it, he had parts of his past in hand. If it was really bothering him, he was hiding it better than Zell. “At least you were able to keep your passion.” She referred to his passion for tinkering and airships. “Joined her cause? By the way you talk of her, you sound like you were ordered by her to help.” Considering the event, she chuckled and added coyly, “Didn’t realize that’s your type. Fallen princesses with an attitude.”
It seems a lot of people were looking for their own answers. Quistis felt a little less alone knowing that. “I mean a lot has sparked my interest. You for one.” She smiled and looked down at her empty glass. She hadn’t expected to run into him again. “As for the Crystalus Divider, I think that entire place was beautiful. Its shrines, its ruins, its magic.” Her eyes seemed distant as if she was already back there. “Its libraries held a wealth of history and stored knowledge. We learned what seemed to be the lore of this world. Fairy tales, legend, or religion? I cannot decide.” She wanted to go back and delve a little deeper into it one day.
“I think Zell was disappointed. He went in with a lot of hope. I went in without any expectations because…” She seemed a little embarrassed to admit the next part, “Well, when we first met…One moment I was trying to escape the final death throes of an evil sorceress, fell into a time compression hole, and ended up waking up to the undead.” It sounded unbelievable; she knew. “Could have sword I died and went straight to the underworld.” She chuckled. “And with little description from you or Zell, all I could really do was enjoy the ride there.” It left her with an open mind.
“The Wanderwood, I think it’s called, had much natural beauty stored in its depths. But other than that, I’ve not run into much else.” She really just needed a nice journal to document this all down in.
Quistis shook her head. “So, you do not have your whole memory?”
Balthier paused. He hadn’t thought of it in quite such blunt terms. No, it certainly seemed not. It brought a bitter taste to his mouth, one that he expressed through a dry smirk. It was quite frankly unbelievable. He had never heard of such a thing outside of legends and fables. To suddenly suffer amnesia? Yet he knew it to be true. The outrageous tales told to him carried at least a kind of half-weight behind their absurdity.
A rebel? It was nothing but a madman’s fantasy. Even if he had aided the princess, he doubted he’d ever truly believed in her cause.
”Joined her cause? By the way you talk of her, you sound like you were ordered by her to help.” Quistis laughed. “Didn’t realize that’s your type. Fallen princesses with an attitude.”
Even in jest, he felt a hint of irritation at the thought. His type? Certainly not.
”I’m not one for orders,” Balthier said. ”Nor am I one for politics, but she’s hung a certain leverage above my head. She’s the only one with any experience of my lost memories, it seems. As distasteful as it is, I’d do best not to cross her.” A nearly sickening prospect? Yes, but he’d never been one to avoid the nastier necessities of his work. At least until he had a little leverage of his own.
Her ring. It weighted his pocket with its sheer implication. She wanted it. To the point of force, it seemed, though for whatever reason she seemed reluctant to carry through. It was a single tally in his favor. He would be certain to use it.
Despite her solo status, it seemed that Quistis had been busy since last they’d spoke. Balthier had spent quite the time at the Crystalus Divider himself and been unable to glean anything helpful from the silent ruins. Then again, he had always been more interested in plundering tombs than studying them. It seemed that her inquisitive mind had the advantage.
”Its libraries?” His eyebrows rose. ”I’d like to hear these legends, I think. I’ve found they often have more truth to them than meets the eye.”A faint flicker of a towering beast lit in orange. He knew the name instantly -- esper. Another memory perhaps? He touched at his temple, eyes closed.
Espers. He had heard the word before. Summoned beasts created by the Occuria according to legend. What on earth had that princess dragged him into?
”Well, when we first met…One moment I was trying to escape the final death throes of an evil sorceress, fell into a time compression hole, and ended up waking up to the undead.”
”Hm?”Evil sorceress? Time compression? Well that was certainly…new.
”Is that a common occurrence?” He smirked, eyes glinting with humor. ”At least I can be certain I never took an interest in time. I’d find the whole affair far above my interest.” He tilted his head to the side thoughtfully. ”It seems you’re in need of a break. Stressful work, fighting evil sorceresses.”
The whole thing sounded like a legend all in itself. It was a good thing he believed in them. Sometimes. More or less.
”Thankfully, I can confirm that you’re not in any underworld. Living or dead.” Whether he believed in one in the first place was still out for debate. He often found that he didn’t much care. ”It sounds as though the shifting winds might do you well.”
Easy to say, harder to feel. Balthier had never been one to put down roots, but he couldn’t deny that he longed for familiar skies. Familiar aerodromes in particular. The tech here was strange and foreign. An exciting prospect in its own way, but unnerving all the same.
”Well then. What do you intend for the night?” To the point. Balthier could appreciate straight-forward intentions. ”Would you prefer your solitude or one of more interest? A taste of more private company, perhaps?”
His silence to her question told much. She was right to assume he kept much of his troubles and story to himself. Quistis couldn’t help but find it enticing. Solving a good mystery was interesting. Another part of her found it wise and wished Zell would follow some of those lessons. It wasn’t exactly safe to be missing a part of your memory with strangers knowing. Convincing stories made up by strangers could lead to not so promising outcomes.
Of course, she knew he wasn’t much for orders or politics. She had only been teasing of course, but it seemed she poked a sore spot with him. She would be more careful with her jabs for next time. She had no advice to offer him about this lady. She did not know her or his relationship. “Just…” She said quietly. “Make sure that what is to be retrieved is worth the price she asks.” A small way of saying be safe in the exchange. At least that was the intent of her words.
She gave him a smile at his humor. “Indeed. Never thought in my line of work I’d ever see a sorceress. But here we are.” At least that was the reason she felt she got thrown here. Was it possible to bend time-space to complete divert someone to another plane of existence? She felt the urge to do that research. But the person at the temple believed the gods were to blame. But wasn’t science simply magic explained? “Better than an unruly princess, I suppose.” She shook her head.
She seemed surprised by his final inquiries. Is this what it felt like to be invited to the secret area of Balamb Garden. She gave a guilty smile as she looked down at her empty glass. “I most certainly did not come here for solitude.” She raised her eyes to look on him once more. “I wouldn’t mind going somewhere a little more interesting. Unfortunately, my tour guide failed to show me around the other day. Perhaps, you could show me the best spots?” Coy, but his answer laid there. “And maybe if there’s time, I’ll tell you the legends I came across.”
Quistis smiled, glancing down with a look that was half abashed and half intrigued. ”I most certainly did not come here for solitude.” She raised her eyes. ”I wouldn’t mind going somewhere a little more interesting,” she said. ”Perhaps you could show me the best spots?”
Balthier smirked. Her intentions were ambiguous at best, but he didn’t mind. It left all the more to be discovered. And he found that he would like to discover this young woman with her quiet grace and inquisitive eyes. She would make quite the strategist, he thought, though not the best of thieves. She had a sense of honor about her. A shame.
”I’ve found a few places of note,” he said. ”The marketplace. Its wineries. It has a lovely system of gondolas. I believe they take parties of two.” Balthier raised his glass, draining it in a single swig before placing it once again on the table. ”I’ll pay the check if you don’t mind.”
And so he did, leaving a handful of gil between the candles and flower vase. He hadn’t the slightest idea if it would cover the drinks or not, but he thought it would do. If not, they’d be far gone before he could be corrected.
”Now if you wouldn’t mind, I’d like a change of pace.” He stood, offering her a hand. ”This decor isn’t quite to my liking. I’d prefer a less gaudy sight.” And so it was. The strings of paper hearts were drooping with time. The flower petals along the walls hung limp. It was far past time that he found a different choice of scenery. This one had been a hard sell at the best of times.
Quistis realized she was hiding again. Hiding emotions, at first, had been a habit developed with students and instructors. Showing her feelings had gotten her demoted for being too soft or jilted for talking too much. But it seemed unfair to be so closed to someone who did none of those. Especially to one who even validated her feelings for the first time. He inspired her to let her hair down.
Balthier’s free nature and his quick wit had intrigued her. Or perhaps it was the freedom felt by finding someone that could match your level wits. Not to mention he was quite charming by appearance and words.
She was quite taken with the sky pirate.
Perhaps, it would be best to through caution to the wind. Even better, sail this sea without fearing rock or wave, as the host of the even says.
She smiled at the offered hand and welcomed it by slipping her own into it. “A fascinating choice of places.” She stood up by his side. “A gondola seems a lovely place to steal a kiss.” She said a little more boldly. She wished she knew the day would turn out like this. She would have dressed a little more nicely. “Let me see the city through your eyes tonight.” She conceded on exiting with him arm in arm.
