UnShaekable (FFXII)

XLIII) Giruvegan

My eyes force open, drawing me out from an eternal world of darkness. The dim light burns and I flinch, suddenly realizing that I'm draped over someone's back, my arms slung limply over their shoulders and their two hands are tucked underneath my knees. I lift my head up, looking around us. Vaan walks to my right, a shred of bloody fabric tied tightly around his upper arm. To my left, Fran's eyes are searching through the thinned mist that now swarms around us, each droplet of water reflecting an image of us back.

"Hey, look who woke up," Vaan teases gently, offering a slight smile. I sigh, letting my head fall back onto Basch's shoulder.

"Unfortunately. How long was I out?"

"Long enough," Balthier replies, though I can't see him.

"What's happened?

"Ashe was poisoned by a giant flower," Vaan replies simply. "The amount of magick it took to heal her wiped Pen out, so now Balthier's giving her a ride."

"Don't word it like that," I scoff. 

Balthier chuckles despite our grim circumstances. I'm never given enough time to recover; our most important member is sick, and our healer's been knocked clean out. Beneath Basch's boots, a fine white powder crunches, sparkling in the dim light of the thick forest. I know for certain that it's not snow, but I'm not sure what else it could be.

"We came to a gate that required Belias," Balthier continues. "And so Basch summoned him up and it opened wide. It's only a matter of time until we reach Giruvegan."

"Finally," I sigh.

"You've hardly done any work," Balthier retorts. "I see no reason for you to complain."

"I have plenty of reasons," I huff, wincing when my healing wounds voice their own opinions.

"Perhaps if you weren't wandering off on your own, you'd be fine."

"Please," Ashe speaks up, irritated by our constant bickering. "Let's just focus on getting to Giruvegan."

"Seems we'll need to focus no longer," Balthier replies, pushing a broad wall of tree leaves out of the way to reveal a towering temple sculpted from aged stone.

Deep green ivy curls up around the edges of the enormous structure, a glistening crystal path leading to the towering doors of its entrance. Gold, pointed stones mark out the way to the front, glowing and casting an eerie light on the heavy fog that seems to swallow us whole. The pirate stops, staring long and hard at our surroundings. Ashe steps forward, eyes trained on the temple ahead.

"On the farthest shores of the river of time, shrouded deep in the roiling Mist," she murmurs. Vaan comes to a stop beside me and Basch; I slip out of the knight's grasp, stumbling onto my own two feet with a wince.

"What is it, Fran?" Penelo asks quietly, her hand gently clutching Balthier's vest from where she lays in his arms. I turn to the viera, watching her clawed hand close over her heart and her ears twitch irritably. Her crimson eyes turn toward the girl.

"The Mist runs thick here."

"Like on the Leviathan?" Vaan asks, tilting his head to the side. Fran shakes her head, a slight smile tugging at her lips.

"Do not worry. I will behave myself," she replies calmly. "The Mist here is... cooled." Her eyes fall onto Balthier's turned back, her face falling as she watches the young man. "I sense something like the shadow here."

"Venat," Balthier replies, his voice dry. Penelo stretches and he sets her down, though his eyes remain locked on the temple. The realization dawns on me suddenly. This is the place Cid lost himself once and for all... Where Dern and Balthier lost their father. He shakes his head, turning to face us with a hasty mask to cover his bitter nostalgia. "It appears Cid has yet to arrive. We'll lie in wait for him here."