UnShaekable (FFXII)

XLV) Time Alone

"So... How do we cross this time?" Vaan asks, pacing with his hands clasped behind his head.

"Well, we don't have a boat," Penelo sighs, placing her hands on her hips and peering out at the waves lapping against the sand. Salty ocean water washes over the toes of my boots, leaving droplets behind with every receding wave.

"And we don't have an airship," Balthier adds.

Everyone's eyes meet with one person or another, dread filling our gazes.

"I guess we're hoofin' it," I say finally, earning a loud, dramatic groan from Vaan.

When we finally step foot in Balfonheim, we practically drag ourselves off our chocobos and into the nearest tavern. Vaan and Balthier collapse into a booth, heads lolled back in exhaustion. Fran leans against a wall, eyeing the pair with Penelo slumped at her side. I stretch my arms, yawning, and plop down next to Basch at the bar.

Only Ashe remains standing, looking entirely unaffected by the journey. I'm not sure how; we spent days riding those cursed birds across all sorts of terrain—days fighting off monsters or to force our chocobos through shallow waters. At one point, Penelo's bird was stuck in a pool of mud, the thick, sticky kind, and Basch and Balthier had to jump down and pull the poor creature out by its reigns. Riding around from one coast to another is one thing; fighting your way through Hell for days is another.

"Two," Basch mutters when the bartender stops by us. Frowning, the burly man working the counter tugs at his beard and fetches us both a bottle of madhu.

"So, ya folks back here for Reddas?" he asks in a deep voice, leaning a forearm against the wooden counter. I half-heartedly knock my bottle against Basch's before taking a long, slow drink. "What happened out there?"

"A lot of BS," I grumble, eyeing Basch when he huffs out a weak laugh. "What, you don't think so?"

"I agree, for the most part," he shakes his head, turning his bottle of madhu around on the counter over and over again. "However, we learned much from the Occuria."

"Yeah, yeah," I scoff, brushing him off and glancing over at Vaan and Balthier. The former of the two has already passed out with his head on the table while the latter exchanges tired looks with his partner. "I suppose so. But we still had to haul #$% to get here because Doctor Cid is still waiting for us to get a move on."

"You're rather crude for royalty," Basch reminds me under his breath.

"The #$%^'s an Occuria?" the burly bartender asks, arching an eyebrow.

"None of your business," I huff. "Look, we're just here to see Reddas. Any idea where he could be?"

"At this hour?" the man asks, glancing back at the crudely carved clock at the back of the tavern. "Likely passing time on his beaut of a ship." He scratches his graying beard. "Then again, he may be resting."

"Well, then he'll have to wake up," Balthier sighs, crossing his arms and leaning back in his seat. "Her Majesty won't be waiting any longer. Isn't that right?"

"I'm afraid so," Ashe replies, turning to the bartender. "He lives on his ship?"

"For the most part," the man nods, grabbing a cloth off the counter and reaching for an empty tankard. "He's always either there, or here. And I know he ain't here, so..." His voice trails off and he shrugs, wiping down the tankard.

"Right," Ashe nods, starting toward the door.

"You're going alone?" Balthier asks, frowning. The princess pauses with a scowl.