The Sky Pirate's Apprentice - Chapter 4
Happy New Year, Balthier Ashe geeks/lovers! After corrections...here's the latest after last month's cliffhanger. I almost forgot: The Briolette of Aieval is fictionally based on the famous diamond necklace called The Briolette of India. If you want to see what it looks like, go check on Google/yahoo/bing search or check this site. So pwetty!
Title - The Sky Pirate's Apprentice - A Fool of a Pirate
Rating - T (M for future chapters)
Characters - Balthier and OC character
Story - Set in post-game two years later between FFXII and Revenant Wings.
Summary - A partner's illness, a vicious foe, a sinister plot and a cursed stone. It's up for the leading man and his new recruit who may not be what it seems.
Disclaimer - This fic is my idea. All Final Fantasy XII characters/plot belong to SquareEnix.
Author's Note - This is for katmillia , first_seventhe , worbeest , phoenixblaze , deadlybeauty32 , rouxroux , ensignbucket , Refi-Lewise, sapereaude13, Tora Glory, Ashe83, DarkBeliverAnge, Izzy Lawliet, tashachan28...and the beloved balthier_ashe fans and staff. WHEW!
Liam blinked his eyes open after the his body pound in pain on pounded into his back; luckily he hadn’t landed on the cement floor, which would have that killed him. But he felt something soft and alive behind his back. His eyes opened wide open in panic as he saw the Ancient Wyrm still moving in stiffed-behind him. He scattered quickly and jumped up off the floor as the Wyrm stood up on his crippled legs.
He panted in terror; he had lost his katana elsewhere, and the injured and angry Wyrm was coming angrier, getting ready to attack him again. He ducked himself as the monster’s jaws snapped against him, he rolling quickly underneath the Wyrm and scrambling, and back to the wall in a panic. He could hear Balthier’s voice echo and calling his name from the surface. Hesitating, he took a deep breath and tried to clear his mind. Keeping his thoughts to rise from pain it lashed out whatever came near. He hads no choice; he had to clear his mind and just outwit the savage fiend, and put it out of its misery.
The Ancient Wyrm began to weak, but it spun and stared at Liam. He roared and recklessly ran recklessly straight at him. Clumsily. The monster was rammed against the wall as a pile of huge rocks knocked fell on top of his head. The creature was raged on, as the painful dying roar echoed across the chasm. It turned and saw at Liam standing there, waiting for the moment to kill.
Liam was helpless, with his breath was panting heavily as his heart raced rapidly. He stood there facing the Wyrm, as moving slowly and slowly as he growled and roared, ready to finish him off; as Liam finally began to try to come up with a deadly plan. He was ready and stood calmly, his intensity and mental capacity preparing him to achieve his goal.
I have no choice. He whispered as his eyes closed. So be it!
- - - - -
Balthier feared that Liam was in grave danger and it was his fault. With furuious patience, he prepared to loaded his shotgun as he ran downstairs to the lower level. He stopped running as he can heard the roaring sound- but instead: it was a monstrous scream...hideous, more violent, ablaze like a burning bush and an ungodly roar coming below.
What the hell...?
He looked down to the chasm until as he saw a glow from the darkness and then a huge explosion, like a firestorm. It blasted and erupted coming above to the heavens as Balthier took back against the wall by the concussion wave. What in the name of Gods . . . Balthier, his eyes dilating, was incredulous.
Does this mean Liam had summoned an Esper?
The fireball was dying away as Balthier breathed in relief. His heart racing in despair and worried that the poor lad was down there. He called out his name below as he continued running on down the stairway to the darkness. He finally made it to the hallway, and watched in stunned and lowered his shotgun. The sky pirate saw Liam standing there and above the Ancient Wyrm'’s burned corpse. Like a bonfire, the fire brushed its green skin and bones to the ground in glowing a flames glow around the area.
'Liam!' Balthier moved slowly to Liam. 'Are you hurt?' he worried and calmly.
The boy turned to him. 'Balthier.'
'Thank Gods, you'll alright!?' he cried, his face looked in relief.
Liam forced an exhausted smile with exhaustion. 'I'm okay.'
'Blast! You're bleeding.' Balthier said when he saw the wound on Liam's upper neck.
He shook his head. 'It's just a cut, Balthier. I'm fine.'
'No, you're not. Come on let me have a look,' he asked as he moved closer to him. He pulled out his handkerchief from his pouch. He folded it into a square and placed it carefully on Liam'’s right neck. His fingers lightly touched lightly on Liam's skin as he felt in a moment and then paused; he hesitated as he finally covered the collar of under Liam's white tunic.
'Alright then, just keep holding it for a while,' he said in a comfortable manner. 'Till it stops bleeding.'
He nodded in a light and shivered as he kept hold of the handkerchief over his wound. 'O...o...okay,' he stammered. 'Thank you.'
'Don't mention it. And I thought you were a goner.' He sighed and then chucked. 'And I’m really proud of you; you finally nailed the culprit.'
'Meaning?'
'My partner got hit on by the same venomous spores,' Balthier informed him, as he walked slowly around the empty hall and he looked up to the surface. 'It' s almost killed her, and we had to used more antidotes or esuna magicks to cure her permanently. If it's both maxed out in trouble, Fran will end up dead.'
Liam looked perplexed, he still holding the handkerchief on his neck. 'Is she alright?'
'She's fine. Her sister made a special medicines to help her cure her.' He turned to him Liam in with a sarcastic look. '‘I just saw you that you passed from the spores and you never got poisoned without a scratch. How the hell did you do that?'
Liam smiled sheepishly. 'Oh you mean this super ribbon I wore,' he answered, in a simple way as Balthier's face went blank. 'More effective than the first one. And it's a rare item to find anywhere on the market.'
Then Balthier's arms crossed over his chest, and he faced demanding at the boy. ‘And did you cast an Esper? Nobody ever had an Esper-’
‘You mean those fire attacks?’Liam said in his face with pride. ‘I bought that special bombs for burning fiends with smithereens, it's from a local merchant while I traveled alone from Nalbina; very lethal indeed. Besides, my MP had maxed out because I used it too much to save your earlier and . . .er . . . w...what's an Esper? What was that anyway-'
The dastardly sky pirate’s face went blank again and confused, like a pathetic fool. ‘Y...you don'’t know what it is?’
The boy shook and said nothing.
What kind of the boy is this? He’s nothing but a stranger who carries strange stuff! Balthier scoffed at himself on shrewd as hell. I've must be mad or crazy or seeing things . . .? Or is this boy is hiding something? Naaaaaah! Screw you! Ffamran Mied Bunansa, you are a pathetic fool!
‘Balthier.’
‘Huh?’ his mind broke off as he turned to Liam.
‘Are you alright?’ Liam asked.
Balthier laughed sheepishly. ‘Er...nothing,’ he said, in an eager look of his face then that quickly became relaxed himself. ‘Forget that. Now then where are we, maybe we should go back where we-’
‘Uh . . .look over there,’ Liam said as he poked on Balthier’s arm.
Balthier turned as Liam pointed out to the ancient doubled door. He walked towards it and inspected; the doors were solid and scribbled in with hierographs, carved into the cement. He tried to push it open. '‘Liam, help me push this.'’
Liam came beside to him as they ready and pushed harder on both doors three times. They pushed it again one more time, and as the door slowly opened wide. Balthier took a deep breath as he entered and Liam followed his way behind. The interior was bright and illuminated with harmless fireflies around the hall; the two side by side, they finally emerged into large domed room. There were twelve evenly spaced skylights sending their shafts as brighter fireflies blinked around the tiled floor. The sky pirate and his apprentice stood there and looked across the wide room at the altar.
And there, in the hallowed spot, is was a jeweled necklace hanged around the white cemented headless bust, and resting on a polished stone. A colorless, clear diamond is cut in a briolette shape, an exaggerated form of a double rose cut, and along with another diamond and a pearl.
‘You wait here,’ Balthier said in caution to the boy.
‘Please be careful.’
Balthier begins began to walk carefully across the altar. With no booby traps or fiends’ shows up. After he saw that there were no traps, he finally reached the altar. The stone looked both fierce and beautiful. Because of its purity, it is was ever known as ‘the purest of the pure.’ He was ready as he slowly picked up the straps of the necklace from the bust. Then he finally has the stone, and felt a moment of relief. He walked away from the altar, back to where he began.
Liam sighed and smiled slightly as the sky pirate walked toward him. His eyes lowered to the stone that Balthier had on in his hands. ‘Gods...?’
He smiled. ‘As you can see, this one is a rare one.’
‘What . . .’ Liam gave a suspicious look to the stone, ‘. . .is that?’
Balthier took his breath. ‘That my dear apprentice is the Briolette of Aieval.’ He chuckled in satisfaction. ‘After all of this bloody moments to come and find these-'
His eyes widened in silence and fear. He'’d never been in such shock; that Balthier gave a serious look at the boy. ‘Liam. Is anything wrong?’ he asked.
His eyes rose at to his. His voice went trembled. ‘I’m sorry . . .I’m fine. I just getting dizzy right now.’
Then Balthier took his arm gently. ‘Easy, boy. You looked tired and you’re still injured. Come on, let’s get out of this place, it’s time to get celebrate and a reward of course--.’
‘Balthier, wait.’ Liam laid a hand is on his arms. ‘I know it's sounds crazy . . . it'’s about the stone....’ ‘What?’ And then Liam was silent again. He suddenly his mind turned in dismay as he's dizziness and began to faint. He collapsed on the tiled floor. He could see the fireflies around the dome as they became blurry and everything went black as he heard his name called in the oblivion.
Balthier panicked as he called his name. He cursed himself as he saw the blood on his upper neck. Carefully, he carried him over his shoulders and climbed back to the surface.
Thank Gods for him, Balthier thought. It’s the first time he’s having had a rough journey.
- - - - -
It was almost sunset as the Strahl is headed to the Valendian territory. Balthier who was just sitting down on his pilot’s seat. His knees rested on the top of the ship’s controls where the autopilot was on. He stared at the Aieval dangling on his hand and as it sparkled in the fading sunlight. His eyes moved as he can saw the light reflecting the light across the bridge, like fairies swimming around him. He remembered the memories had taking of when he was little boy where when his mother who told him stories about fairies. They were enchanting, radiant and lovely creatures with the most beautiful, clear wings he’d ever seen.
His eyes closed as he was imagined of a fairy coming to him, and then she kissed him. Her lips were soft and pure of like an angel's. The innocent serene look of her porcelain face smiled at him. He saw the luxurious strings of her silver blonde hair. It was as an inner flame that lit her, and Balthier's found gaze being was drawn to her time and time again.
He couldn't stop thinking or dreaming about her; everywhere he did as he came right here and there. But still, he couldn’t stop get her haunting by her voice out of his mind, stalking at him at every turn. He wanted her badly, more than he could as much as he could handle. The Princess of his fairy tales. His beloved Queen . . .
Ashelia. He thought softly. Gods, if I could see you again; one last breath ahead of you . . .
His eyes opened as he put away the Aieval in his pouch, and then he yawned as he stretched out his arms. He turned to look take a last glimpse of the sky as the sun sets before the moon rises would rise later on. He rose from his seat as and he walked to the corridor to check on his new partner is lying on the bed, sleeping from after exhaustion and fainting. He could see the new bandages covering the wound on his upper neck. His sleep was calm and peaceful that of a child. Balthier watched him momentarily as he leaned behind the metal wall, with arms crossed over his chest, and smiling at himself firmly as he sighed.
He was excited after departing Cieloáh, because but had his feet on the ground; he knew he could not learn every thing at once. After all, he was waiting on a reward. But what if the person who hired him refused? Or something else? He had decided to keep the Aieval for himself. It was a very simple plan.
What about Liam? The stature of his height of an androgynous youth, he was so familiar, he looks and very formal, but with none of the normal arrogance. He looked aristocratic, but he was a delinquent. An ordinary traveler with and a quick and fast learner in the heat of battle of magical attack and swordplay skills. And he relied on high explosives he carried in his pouch. . such curious gadgetry. Balthier was so stupid- in his head that Liam thinks he’s using Esper by mistake. Fool him! What a cruel misunderstood for the leading man.
And the most familiar was his hands; soft and delicate as light like a girl’s but unlike a boy’s are hard and calloused ones. How could a boy have such soft, delicate hands?
I have a bad feeling about this. Balthier thought suspiciously as before he moved closer to Liam's...
It was too late. The boy had awakened with a moan, as his eyes fluttering open back and fourth, and his head turning against his pillow to Balthier.
‘You’re awake,’ he said.
‘W . . . ..what happened?’ Liam asked. It was a silly question, but the last thing he could remember was at the large room inside of the temple after the horrific but brave battle with the Ancient Wyrm.
‘You fainted,’ Balthier told him. ‘And I can see you almost bled to death; I healed your wounds quickly as I could. Feeling better?'
‘Y. . .yeah, I’m okay I guess,’ Liam said, slightly disconcerted by his wound, without a single smile on his face.
Balthier tossed a small blue bottle of potion to him. ‘Here you go. You need a some rest; we'll be at the aerodrome for exactly thirty minutes.'
Liam nodded as he taking the bottle. With an apologetic look to Balthier, he said,. ‘I’m sorry about what happened over there.’
Balthier scoffed. ‘Liam, there’s no need to apologized. It's my fault why that I brought you there.’
‘No, it was intriguing-this place is just as I just imagined.’ He smiled sadly. ‘Thank you for showing me around; and this is the first time I'’ve travelled around Ivalice.'
The sky pirate bowed his head lightly and put on a gave a dashing smile of his face. 'My pleasure, and you did an excellent fought the fiend well. I'’m very proud of you. Now cheer up, dear chap. And put a smile of your handsome face. It's time to get some a nice drink.'
‘I thought that you told me I'’m too young to go there,’ he asked timidly.
Balthier chuckled. ‘Don’t be an ass,’ he said cheerfully as he walked back to the bridge. ‘I have to get ready.’
‘And Balthier . . .’
He turned. ‘What is it?’
Liam swallowed and began. ‘Well it’s about the diamond; you have it with you.’
‘Yes, I have. What is it about?’ he response again as Liam became silent again.
The boy’s face became shallow; he creep down his spine. He looked at him Balthier and forced as his smile finally. ‘Nothing,’ he said; after a pause, as he swallowed the potion.
Balthier was perplexed on his face in question. Why was is Liam asking about the stone? He had wondered a while was the source of where Liam's anxiety and alarmed after he regarding the Aieval. He was not entirely surprise why that the boy is fainted because of the stone, and does . . .could it mean that the stone was . . .
It can't be true. He sneered at himself as he returned to his seat and turned off the autopilot.
Could the Briolette of Aieval be a curse?
Title - The Sky Pirate's Apprentice - A Fool of a Pirate
Rating - T (M for future chapters)
Characters - Balthier and OC character
Story - Set in post-game two years later between FFXII and Revenant Wings.
Summary - A partner's illness, a vicious foe, a sinister plot and a cursed stone. It's up for the leading man and his new recruit who may not be what it seems.
Disclaimer - This fic is my idea. All Final Fantasy XII characters/plot belong to SquareEnix.
Author's Note - This is for katmillia , first_seventhe , worbeest , phoenixblaze , deadlybeauty32 , rouxroux , ensignbucket , Refi-Lewise, sapereaude13, Tora Glory, Ashe83, DarkBeliverAnge, Izzy Lawliet, tashachan28...and the beloved balthier_ashe fans and staff. WHEW!
Liam blinked his eyes open after the his body pound in pain on pounded into his back; luckily he hadn’t landed on the cement floor, which would have that killed him. But he felt something soft and alive behind his back. His eyes opened wide open in panic as he saw the Ancient Wyrm still moving in stiffed-behind him. He scattered quickly and jumped up off the floor as the Wyrm stood up on his crippled legs.
He panted in terror; he had lost his katana elsewhere, and the injured and angry Wyrm was coming angrier, getting ready to attack him again. He ducked himself as the monster’s jaws snapped against him, he rolling quickly underneath the Wyrm and scrambling, and back to the wall in a panic. He could hear Balthier’s voice echo and calling his name from the surface. Hesitating, he took a deep breath and tried to clear his mind. Keeping his thoughts to rise from pain it lashed out whatever came near. He hads no choice; he had to clear his mind and just outwit the savage fiend, and put it out of its misery.
The Ancient Wyrm began to weak, but it spun and stared at Liam. He roared and recklessly ran recklessly straight at him. Clumsily. The monster was rammed against the wall as a pile of huge rocks knocked fell on top of his head. The creature was raged on, as the painful dying roar echoed across the chasm. It turned and saw at Liam standing there, waiting for the moment to kill.
Liam was helpless, with his breath was panting heavily as his heart raced rapidly. He stood there facing the Wyrm, as moving slowly and slowly as he growled and roared, ready to finish him off; as Liam finally began to try to come up with a deadly plan. He was ready and stood calmly, his intensity and mental capacity preparing him to achieve his goal.
I have no choice. He whispered as his eyes closed. So be it!
- - - - -
Balthier feared that Liam was in grave danger and it was his fault. With furuious patience, he prepared to loaded his shotgun as he ran downstairs to the lower level. He stopped running as he can heard the roaring sound- but instead: it was a monstrous scream...hideous, more violent, ablaze like a burning bush and an ungodly roar coming below.
What the hell...?
He looked down to the chasm until as he saw a glow from the darkness and then a huge explosion, like a firestorm. It blasted and erupted coming above to the heavens as Balthier took back against the wall by the concussion wave. What in the name of Gods . . . Balthier, his eyes dilating, was incredulous.
Does this mean Liam had summoned an Esper?
The fireball was dying away as Balthier breathed in relief. His heart racing in despair and worried that the poor lad was down there. He called out his name below as he continued running on down the stairway to the darkness. He finally made it to the hallway, and watched in stunned and lowered his shotgun. The sky pirate saw Liam standing there and above the Ancient Wyrm'’s burned corpse. Like a bonfire, the fire brushed its green skin and bones to the ground in glowing a flames glow around the area.
'Liam!' Balthier moved slowly to Liam. 'Are you hurt?' he worried and calmly.
The boy turned to him. 'Balthier.'
'Thank Gods, you'll alright!?' he cried, his face looked in relief.
Liam forced an exhausted smile with exhaustion. 'I'm okay.'
'Blast! You're bleeding.' Balthier said when he saw the wound on Liam's upper neck.
He shook his head. 'It's just a cut, Balthier. I'm fine.'
'No, you're not. Come on let me have a look,' he asked as he moved closer to him. He pulled out his handkerchief from his pouch. He folded it into a square and placed it carefully on Liam'’s right neck. His fingers lightly touched lightly on Liam's skin as he felt in a moment and then paused; he hesitated as he finally covered the collar of under Liam's white tunic.
'Alright then, just keep holding it for a while,' he said in a comfortable manner. 'Till it stops bleeding.'
He nodded in a light and shivered as he kept hold of the handkerchief over his wound. 'O...o...okay,' he stammered. 'Thank you.'
'Don't mention it. And I thought you were a goner.' He sighed and then chucked. 'And I’m really proud of you; you finally nailed the culprit.'
'Meaning?'
'My partner got hit on by the same venomous spores,' Balthier informed him, as he walked slowly around the empty hall and he looked up to the surface. 'It' s almost killed her, and we had to used more antidotes or esuna magicks to cure her permanently. If it's both maxed out in trouble, Fran will end up dead.'
Liam looked perplexed, he still holding the handkerchief on his neck. 'Is she alright?'
'She's fine. Her sister made a special medicines to help her cure her.' He turned to him Liam in with a sarcastic look. '‘I just saw you that you passed from the spores and you never got poisoned without a scratch. How the hell did you do that?'
Liam smiled sheepishly. 'Oh you mean this super ribbon I wore,' he answered, in a simple way as Balthier's face went blank. 'More effective than the first one. And it's a rare item to find anywhere on the market.'
Then Balthier's arms crossed over his chest, and he faced demanding at the boy. ‘And did you cast an Esper? Nobody ever had an Esper-’
‘You mean those fire attacks?’Liam said in his face with pride. ‘I bought that special bombs for burning fiends with smithereens, it's from a local merchant while I traveled alone from Nalbina; very lethal indeed. Besides, my MP had maxed out because I used it too much to save your earlier and . . .er . . . w...what's an Esper? What was that anyway-'
The dastardly sky pirate’s face went blank again and confused, like a pathetic fool. ‘Y...you don'’t know what it is?’
The boy shook and said nothing.
What kind of the boy is this? He’s nothing but a stranger who carries strange stuff! Balthier scoffed at himself on shrewd as hell. I've must be mad or crazy or seeing things . . .? Or is this boy is hiding something? Naaaaaah! Screw you! Ffamran Mied Bunansa, you are a pathetic fool!
‘Balthier.’
‘Huh?’ his mind broke off as he turned to Liam.
‘Are you alright?’ Liam asked.
Balthier laughed sheepishly. ‘Er...nothing,’ he said, in an eager look of his face then that quickly became relaxed himself. ‘Forget that. Now then where are we, maybe we should go back where we-’
‘Uh . . .look over there,’ Liam said as he poked on Balthier’s arm.
Balthier turned as Liam pointed out to the ancient doubled door. He walked towards it and inspected; the doors were solid and scribbled in with hierographs, carved into the cement. He tried to push it open. '‘Liam, help me push this.'’
Liam came beside to him as they ready and pushed harder on both doors three times. They pushed it again one more time, and as the door slowly opened wide. Balthier took a deep breath as he entered and Liam followed his way behind. The interior was bright and illuminated with harmless fireflies around the hall; the two side by side, they finally emerged into large domed room. There were twelve evenly spaced skylights sending their shafts as brighter fireflies blinked around the tiled floor. The sky pirate and his apprentice stood there and looked across the wide room at the altar.
And there, in the hallowed spot, is was a jeweled necklace hanged around the white cemented headless bust, and resting on a polished stone. A colorless, clear diamond is cut in a briolette shape, an exaggerated form of a double rose cut, and along with another diamond and a pearl.
‘You wait here,’ Balthier said in caution to the boy.
‘Please be careful.’
Balthier begins began to walk carefully across the altar. With no booby traps or fiends’ shows up. After he saw that there were no traps, he finally reached the altar. The stone looked both fierce and beautiful. Because of its purity, it is was ever known as ‘the purest of the pure.’ He was ready as he slowly picked up the straps of the necklace from the bust. Then he finally has the stone, and felt a moment of relief. He walked away from the altar, back to where he began.
Liam sighed and smiled slightly as the sky pirate walked toward him. His eyes lowered to the stone that Balthier had on in his hands. ‘Gods...?’
He smiled. ‘As you can see, this one is a rare one.’
‘What . . .’ Liam gave a suspicious look to the stone, ‘. . .is that?’
Balthier took his breath. ‘That my dear apprentice is the Briolette of Aieval.’ He chuckled in satisfaction. ‘After all of this bloody moments to come and find these-'
His eyes widened in silence and fear. He'’d never been in such shock; that Balthier gave a serious look at the boy. ‘Liam. Is anything wrong?’ he asked.
His eyes rose at to his. His voice went trembled. ‘I’m sorry . . .I’m fine. I just getting dizzy right now.’
Then Balthier took his arm gently. ‘Easy, boy. You looked tired and you’re still injured. Come on, let’s get out of this place, it’s time to get celebrate and a reward of course--.’
‘Balthier, wait.’ Liam laid a hand is on his arms. ‘I know it's sounds crazy . . . it'’s about the stone....’ ‘What?’ And then Liam was silent again. He suddenly his mind turned in dismay as he's dizziness and began to faint. He collapsed on the tiled floor. He could see the fireflies around the dome as they became blurry and everything went black as he heard his name called in the oblivion.
Balthier panicked as he called his name. He cursed himself as he saw the blood on his upper neck. Carefully, he carried him over his shoulders and climbed back to the surface.
Thank Gods for him, Balthier thought. It’s the first time he’s having had a rough journey.
- - - - -
It was almost sunset as the Strahl is headed to the Valendian territory. Balthier who was just sitting down on his pilot’s seat. His knees rested on the top of the ship’s controls where the autopilot was on. He stared at the Aieval dangling on his hand and as it sparkled in the fading sunlight. His eyes moved as he can saw the light reflecting the light across the bridge, like fairies swimming around him. He remembered the memories had taking of when he was little boy where when his mother who told him stories about fairies. They were enchanting, radiant and lovely creatures with the most beautiful, clear wings he’d ever seen.
His eyes closed as he was imagined of a fairy coming to him, and then she kissed him. Her lips were soft and pure of like an angel's. The innocent serene look of her porcelain face smiled at him. He saw the luxurious strings of her silver blonde hair. It was as an inner flame that lit her, and Balthier's found gaze being was drawn to her time and time again.
He couldn't stop thinking or dreaming about her; everywhere he did as he came right here and there. But still, he couldn’t stop get her haunting by her voice out of his mind, stalking at him at every turn. He wanted her badly, more than he could as much as he could handle. The Princess of his fairy tales. His beloved Queen . . .
Ashelia. He thought softly. Gods, if I could see you again; one last breath ahead of you . . .
His eyes opened as he put away the Aieval in his pouch, and then he yawned as he stretched out his arms. He turned to look take a last glimpse of the sky as the sun sets before the moon rises would rise later on. He rose from his seat as and he walked to the corridor to check on his new partner is lying on the bed, sleeping from after exhaustion and fainting. He could see the new bandages covering the wound on his upper neck. His sleep was calm and peaceful that of a child. Balthier watched him momentarily as he leaned behind the metal wall, with arms crossed over his chest, and smiling at himself firmly as he sighed.
He was excited after departing Cieloáh, because but had his feet on the ground; he knew he could not learn every thing at once. After all, he was waiting on a reward. But what if the person who hired him refused? Or something else? He had decided to keep the Aieval for himself. It was a very simple plan.
What about Liam? The stature of his height of an androgynous youth, he was so familiar, he looks and very formal, but with none of the normal arrogance. He looked aristocratic, but he was a delinquent. An ordinary traveler with and a quick and fast learner in the heat of battle of magical attack and swordplay skills. And he relied on high explosives he carried in his pouch. . such curious gadgetry. Balthier was so stupid- in his head that Liam thinks he’s using Esper by mistake. Fool him! What a cruel misunderstood for the leading man.
And the most familiar was his hands; soft and delicate as light like a girl’s but unlike a boy’s are hard and calloused ones. How could a boy have such soft, delicate hands?
I have a bad feeling about this. Balthier thought suspiciously as before he moved closer to Liam's...
It was too late. The boy had awakened with a moan, as his eyes fluttering open back and fourth, and his head turning against his pillow to Balthier.
‘You’re awake,’ he said.
‘W . . . ..what happened?’ Liam asked. It was a silly question, but the last thing he could remember was at the large room inside of the temple after the horrific but brave battle with the Ancient Wyrm.
‘You fainted,’ Balthier told him. ‘And I can see you almost bled to death; I healed your wounds quickly as I could. Feeling better?'
‘Y. . .yeah, I’m okay I guess,’ Liam said, slightly disconcerted by his wound, without a single smile on his face.
Balthier tossed a small blue bottle of potion to him. ‘Here you go. You need a some rest; we'll be at the aerodrome for exactly thirty minutes.'
Liam nodded as he taking the bottle. With an apologetic look to Balthier, he said,. ‘I’m sorry about what happened over there.’
Balthier scoffed. ‘Liam, there’s no need to apologized. It's my fault why that I brought you there.’
‘No, it was intriguing-this place is just as I just imagined.’ He smiled sadly. ‘Thank you for showing me around; and this is the first time I'’ve travelled around Ivalice.'
The sky pirate bowed his head lightly and put on a gave a dashing smile of his face. 'My pleasure, and you did an excellent fought the fiend well. I'’m very proud of you. Now cheer up, dear chap. And put a smile of your handsome face. It's time to get some a nice drink.'
‘I thought that you told me I'’m too young to go there,’ he asked timidly.
Balthier chuckled. ‘Don’t be an ass,’ he said cheerfully as he walked back to the bridge. ‘I have to get ready.’
‘And Balthier . . .’
He turned. ‘What is it?’
Liam swallowed and began. ‘Well it’s about the diamond; you have it with you.’
‘Yes, I have. What is it about?’ he response again as Liam became silent again.
The boy’s face became shallow; he creep down his spine. He looked at him Balthier and forced as his smile finally. ‘Nothing,’ he said; after a pause, as he swallowed the potion.
Balthier was perplexed on his face in question. Why was is Liam asking about the stone? He had wondered a while was the source of where Liam's anxiety and alarmed after he regarding the Aieval. He was not entirely surprise why that the boy is fainted because of the stone, and does . . .could it mean that the stone was . . .
It can't be true. He sneered at himself as he returned to his seat and turned off the autopilot.
Could the Briolette of Aieval be a curse?