Treasure of Jarabah: Chapter I

"The Strahl is ready."

Fran had just finished tuning up the Strahl, getting it ready for her next adventure. She had learnt everything she knew about machines from Balthier, something a common viera would know nothing about.

Fran climbed out of the cockpit of the airship and sat atop the hull. She looked out west, towards the horizon. She closed her eyes and sat still.

"It's getting weaker."

Fran tried to listen to the muffled voice of the winds. Ever since she had left the forest she had been losing the ability to detect the news that travelled the air. In Euryte Village she learned much about the outside world, gathering information that travelled through the winds and into the forest. But now the voice was faint and stark.

"What cruel fates…"

The more Fran saw, the less she heard. It was something that bothered her direly. Hearing the green voice was something completely intertwined with a vieras life, and now it seemed to be leaving her. Fran had felt forlorn ever since her exodus from Euryte village, and if the green voice left her completely she would feel more abandoned than ever.

She was conscious about the choice she had taken. Fran had once heard that a viera would lose her sensitive hearing if she were to listen to a hume's harsh speech for too long, and now she had taken the ultimate act of defiance towards the green laws. She had partnered up with a hume.

Viera society considered humes asemic towards nature, ruthless, emotionally weak and worst of all, plagued with greed. A combination that easily led to evil ."A daft lot." Fran had travelled the world of humes and found out everything the viera said was true. Time after time, Fran had tried to understand hume behaviour and failed. Humes, as Fran saw them, said one thing but would do another, went about life impatient and hastily, never stopping to analyze their actions, few had loyalty to anyone but themselves and the few loyal humes that existed placed their loyalty to inept causes.

Fran had tried to decipher how humes had become the most prevalent race in Ivalice. Their behaviour constantly pointed towards self destruction, the stability of their kingdoms was frail and full of turmoil. Corruption, treason and war left scars on their history and Fran wondered when it would deliver the finishing blow to hume society, making way for a race better fit to rule over Ivalice.

"What gives humes such resilience?"

'Twas a good question, one that perplexed Fran. Although Fran looked down at humes, she had teamed 

up with Balthier, but there was something different about him. He wasn't daft like the rest of the humes. He was actually quite clever and cunning. He got his way by outsmarting his foes rather than through sheer power. Balthier was a talented young man, Fran had to admit, he had a mere twenty two years and still his wits and intuition were well matched with her own, something frightening considering Fran was a lot older than Balthier.

"Ah…There you are."

Fran's reflexive thought was popped by the sophisticated voice.

"The Strahl is ready." Fran said, "it should be ready to make leave as soon as we have our heading"

Balthier was now atop the hull, he stood behind the viera. "I may have found just that…"

"What do you know?" Fran asked, her dainty viera accent exotic to Balthier's ears.

"Nothing… As of yet, but I might know someone who does." Balthier responded with amusement in 

his voice.

Fran turned around and looked at Balthier, yet she said nothing. She did not look amused.

Balthier let out a sigh.

"Fine," he said, looking a bit disappointed, "he's a history philosopher from Nabudis, conveniently enough for us, he's here in Bhujerba. He's told me to meet him in the Cloudborne in 20 minutes.

"Then we go at once." Said Fran as she stood up.

Balthier shook his head "That's what I like about you Fran, you're all business." He said in a sarcastic tone as he followed Fran off the airship.

Fran and Balthier walked through the streets of Bhujerba, making their way to the Cloudborne. Fran enjoyed the scenery. The high walls, the architecture, the hanging gardens. Bhujerba was one of the marvels that Fran considered worth leaving the woods for. Balthier noticed the glances shot at them throughout the city. As if Balthier's name and face weren't famous enough, he was travelling with a Viera, making him all the more eye-catching. But that never worried Balthier, he, in fact, enjoyed the fame. He had to, after all... He always considered himself as the leading man of a story in the writing.

Fran and Balthier kept walking until they arrived at the door of the tavern. Upon entering the Cloudborne, Balthier looked around immediately spotting the Scholar.

"There's our date" Balthier said.

"Our date?" Fran asked.

Balthier moved forward, "Come."

The scholar was a Nu Mou. He had weary eyes that looked like they carried all the burdens of Ivalice's history. He sat alone in a corner and seemed to have spotted the pirates from the moment they came in.

Balthier approached the Nu Mou.

"Ah you must be… Nemch'ka" he said.

"Yes, please, take a seat."

Fran and Balthier sat at the table.

"So what do you know about Jarabah?" Balthier asked without losing a minute.

"What do I know of Jarabah…" Nemch'ka said chuckling.