Categories > Games > Final Fantasy XII > Claret Sky
2. That which is broken
The previous chapter was initially intended as a one-shot.
Disclaimers still apply.
--
Penelo is quiet sometimes, and Vaan sits beside her, holding her hand.
Balthier feels as if he is intruding, a stranger in his own airship. The Strahl does not have much cabin space, being designed for speed and combat, and what space is not taken up by weaponry is occupied by the mechanisms controlling the wings. When Balthier sees the two pale heads gazing silently out at the clouds below, he shuts himself in the cockpit.
He shrugs when Fran tells him that his face is betraying his emotions once more. He feels as if she grooms him sometimes, just as she did when he was sixteen and alone for the first time.
They must talk when he is not present, because when the door clicks open and Vaan is standing outside as if hesitant to enter and he murmurs his thanks, Balthier can only look up in surprise.
Fran tilts her head gracefully, and she slips away in such a way that Vaan must edge into the cockpit to let her pass. The door swings shut behind her.
Balthier turns to look out at the sky, and Vaan's presence is warm against his back. He waits, listening to the soft purr of the engines.
"I'm sorry," Vaan says. "About before, when—"
"Never you mind that," Balthier says impatiently.
Vaan is quiet, and Balthier cannot decide if he is glad that the man has learned to hold his tongue or if he misses the chatter.
"Where was Fran?" Vaan asks suddenly, and it is the coarseness in the voice that makes Balthier look up sharply.
"She received a summons from the Viera."
"Oh." There is something tentative in Vaan's eyes and something awkward in his stance.
Balthier sighs. "Mjrn has decided her path and begun her training, and she is to become Elder of Eruyt village in the future. She hopes to bring the Viera closer to the rest of Ivalice, and she wishes to make amends between Fran and the Wood as her first step."
"And their Law?"
"Mjrn makes passionate appeals, don't you remember?" Balthier grins. "Fran believes that if anyone is able to sway the Wood, it will be Mjrn." He waves a hand, his rings glittering under sunlight. "As well, the Strahl's main skystone was in need of maintenance, and she took it with her and met with Margrace near the Rozarrian border."
"Is that why I found the Strahl crashed in Jagd Yensa?"
Balthier scowls. "Only a fool would search a Jagd for an airship."
"A fool. Maybe," Vaan says quietly. He straightens from where he has been leaning against the wall. "Mjrn is going to be village Elder," he says. "I guess I shouldn't ask how old she must be to take the position."
Balthier knows he is staring at Vaan incredulously, but Vaan is unreadable. He sees the strain to his jaw before the pale eyes flick away.
Vaan nods his head, turning to leave, and his fingers brush lightly over Balthier's shoulder.
Balthier watches the door even after it has shut behind Vaan.
--
Balthier eyes the stubborn set to Vaan’s jaw and the tightly crossed arms, and he sighs and counsels patience.
“You do not know what those men are capable of,” Vaan says, his voice sharp and hard. Balthier thinks of the edges and lines of the Judge's armour.
“No,” Balthier says, “but I know Larsa, and he is neither stupid nor helpless.”
“Rushing will do naught but endanger Larsa.” Fran is looking on from where she stands with Penelo.
“There,” Balthier says, “you would do well to listen to the lady.” He nods to Fran.
“Vaan...” Penelo tugs on a white sleeve. “Maybe we should—”
“Alright!” Vaan pulls away. “I get it.” The blank eyes are back, unreadable and unbreachable. Balthier wonders at which point was it that Vaan learned to shut off, and he cares not to imagine what precipitated it.
Vaan stalks past, deeper into the ship, and his friend subsides, though she wrings her hands and glances at Fran. Balthier looks on, tempted to scrub his tired eyes and groan were it not for the fact that Vaan is still within earshot. He recognizes this. He cannot help but recognize this.
Vaan is gone the next morning.
Penelo is beside herself with worry, but Balthier cuts through her clamour firmly.
“He will be fine,” he says. “We, however, need to make haste and warn the Houses Dalmasca and Margrace.”
“Warn them of what?”
Three days later, a small Archadian fighter ship hovers nearby, conveying its intentions to dock, and Vaan steps from it, a brilliant bruise upon his cheek and a triumphant glitter in his eye.
He pulls Larsa by an arm, and he looks straight at Balthier.
--
TBC
The previous chapter was initially intended as a one-shot.
Disclaimers still apply.
--
Penelo is quiet sometimes, and Vaan sits beside her, holding her hand.
Balthier feels as if he is intruding, a stranger in his own airship. The Strahl does not have much cabin space, being designed for speed and combat, and what space is not taken up by weaponry is occupied by the mechanisms controlling the wings. When Balthier sees the two pale heads gazing silently out at the clouds below, he shuts himself in the cockpit.
He shrugs when Fran tells him that his face is betraying his emotions once more. He feels as if she grooms him sometimes, just as she did when he was sixteen and alone for the first time.
They must talk when he is not present, because when the door clicks open and Vaan is standing outside as if hesitant to enter and he murmurs his thanks, Balthier can only look up in surprise.
Fran tilts her head gracefully, and she slips away in such a way that Vaan must edge into the cockpit to let her pass. The door swings shut behind her.
Balthier turns to look out at the sky, and Vaan's presence is warm against his back. He waits, listening to the soft purr of the engines.
"I'm sorry," Vaan says. "About before, when—"
"Never you mind that," Balthier says impatiently.
Vaan is quiet, and Balthier cannot decide if he is glad that the man has learned to hold his tongue or if he misses the chatter.
"Where was Fran?" Vaan asks suddenly, and it is the coarseness in the voice that makes Balthier look up sharply.
"She received a summons from the Viera."
"Oh." There is something tentative in Vaan's eyes and something awkward in his stance.
Balthier sighs. "Mjrn has decided her path and begun her training, and she is to become Elder of Eruyt village in the future. She hopes to bring the Viera closer to the rest of Ivalice, and she wishes to make amends between Fran and the Wood as her first step."
"And their Law?"
"Mjrn makes passionate appeals, don't you remember?" Balthier grins. "Fran believes that if anyone is able to sway the Wood, it will be Mjrn." He waves a hand, his rings glittering under sunlight. "As well, the Strahl's main skystone was in need of maintenance, and she took it with her and met with Margrace near the Rozarrian border."
"Is that why I found the Strahl crashed in Jagd Yensa?"
Balthier scowls. "Only a fool would search a Jagd for an airship."
"A fool. Maybe," Vaan says quietly. He straightens from where he has been leaning against the wall. "Mjrn is going to be village Elder," he says. "I guess I shouldn't ask how old she must be to take the position."
Balthier knows he is staring at Vaan incredulously, but Vaan is unreadable. He sees the strain to his jaw before the pale eyes flick away.
Vaan nods his head, turning to leave, and his fingers brush lightly over Balthier's shoulder.
Balthier watches the door even after it has shut behind Vaan.
--
Balthier eyes the stubborn set to Vaan’s jaw and the tightly crossed arms, and he sighs and counsels patience.
“You do not know what those men are capable of,” Vaan says, his voice sharp and hard. Balthier thinks of the edges and lines of the Judge's armour.
“No,” Balthier says, “but I know Larsa, and he is neither stupid nor helpless.”
“Rushing will do naught but endanger Larsa.” Fran is looking on from where she stands with Penelo.
“There,” Balthier says, “you would do well to listen to the lady.” He nods to Fran.
“Vaan...” Penelo tugs on a white sleeve. “Maybe we should—”
“Alright!” Vaan pulls away. “I get it.” The blank eyes are back, unreadable and unbreachable. Balthier wonders at which point was it that Vaan learned to shut off, and he cares not to imagine what precipitated it.
Vaan stalks past, deeper into the ship, and his friend subsides, though she wrings her hands and glances at Fran. Balthier looks on, tempted to scrub his tired eyes and groan were it not for the fact that Vaan is still within earshot. He recognizes this. He cannot help but recognize this.
Vaan is gone the next morning.
Penelo is beside herself with worry, but Balthier cuts through her clamour firmly.
“He will be fine,” he says. “We, however, need to make haste and warn the Houses Dalmasca and Margrace.”
“Warn them of what?”
Three days later, a small Archadian fighter ship hovers nearby, conveying its intentions to dock, and Vaan steps from it, a brilliant bruise upon his cheek and a triumphant glitter in his eye.
He pulls Larsa by an arm, and he looks straight at Balthier.
--
TBC
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