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The Crystal Rule	By : QueenDraggyofSwords Category: Final Fantasy Games > Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Views: 956 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy: chrystal Chronicles, any of its characters nor am I making any profit off of them.

Chapter List
- 13
- 14
- 15
Chapter Fourteen

"Keiss!" Layle burst open the door to Chime's tavern. The woman snapped her head to the door and stared at him like he was crazy. She was the only one there. Layle sighed and walked in. He took his usual place at the bar as Chime crossed her arms and shook her head at him.
"You look like you've been kicked in the gut, handsome." She set a glass down in front of him and shook his head.
"Just water, please."
"Oh boy…" She took out a pitcher and poured him some water. "What's wrong now?"
"…It's these people Keiss has us working for…There's more to what they're doing than what we know. And it's starting to bother me." He reached out and took the glass. After a few sips, he set it down. "Not to mention that Clockwork girl…"
"Oh yes, Keiss has been complaining about her. She still kicking your butt?"
Layle frowned, "Yeah. And today Keiss insisted I tolerate Oides as a result."
She leaned on the bar and chuckled, "Well, while you wait for Keiss, why don't you talk to me about what the Doc and the Lieutenant are up to."
Layle took another gulp from his glass. He set it down and started to open his mouth to speak, but then twisted his lips and shook his head, "Keiss has made it a point to never tell you anything about our work for free."
"…That rat." She rubbed her chin, "Alright…how about a trade then. You talk to me, and I'll tell you something you want to know in exchang- Not about Keiss and the Guild." She pointed at Layle who already had his mouth open ready to ask the same question. The Clavat closed his moth and snorted at her. She laughed in response. "Come on…I have to have…something that interests you."
Layle watched her smile as he finished off his water. His mind sorted through a number of things he could ask Chime and determined what she would probably shoot down, and what she probably wouldn't. "Hmn…Chime, can you tell me about Selkie tattoos?"
"Our tattoos, sure. Everyone has at least one, as it's a birth-"
"No, no," the Clavat shook his head, "I know that part. Keiss told me about the birthplace one, and the infamy ones, and the rarer ones…I want to know how to read them."
"Oh, Layle…You're basically asking me to teach you Selkie on a whim."
"Is it really that hard to understand them?" He watched as she moved around the counter to sit on it, her legs dangling over the edge next to him.
"It can be…I mean even our markings aren't written in straight Selkie…It's like its own code." She rolled up the hem of her skirt and showed Lalye mark on her leg. To him it looked like a few interconnecting circles and a tiny crown in the center. "This is mine. It means, 'Born in the plains' and this little crown is the symbol for my town."
"The plains? Not like, the desert or beach or anything?" He looked at the markings on her thigh. Nothing on Keiss looked even remotely similar.
"Unfortunately no…I was born in a tiny plains village. I'm actually half Clavat." He let go of her skirt and leaned back. "What's the tattoo you need to understand?"
Layle asked Chime for something to write with, and after the woman gave him a napkin and a pin he started sketching out three symbols. All of them from Keiss' body. The one on his left arm, the one on his right arm, and the one on his back. When he was done he held it up to her and she laughed. "Of course! All of them are about Keiss!" Chime took the napkin and was amused at how accurate they were. "…Layle how often do you see these?"
"Often enough. We live together."
"Yeah…but…You've even got the details right…Are you seeing these up close?" She turned to look at him and he just shrugged at her. The woman shook her head and took the pen from him. She crossed out two of the marks and left one. The one on Keiss' left arm. While the tattoo itself wrapped around Keiss' arm, Layle had only drawn a section of it. Two bands with what looked like jagged, pointing lines in between. And three tiny circles spaced out equally in the middle. Passing through the lines, the points and one circle, on the outer side of his arm was an odd shape. It twisted and swilled and cracked the marking in two. "I will tell you about this one."
Layle stared at her, wanting to argue to get more information, but settled for what he was getting. "Okay, what's it mean?"
"It's a birth mark." She smiled, "A very rare one. I do believe it's one of a kind."
"One of a kind? …How the hell do you manage that?"
"By being one of a kind!" The two turned their heads to the door and saw Keiss standing there, arms crossed. He walked into the tavern and frowned at Chime, "What are you telling him?"
"It's harmless, Keiss." She handed him the napkin, "I'm surprised you don't tell him yourself."
The Selkie male rolled his eyes. "He asks me all the time…I figure I'll tell him when he doesn't care."
"Or, I will just tell him…" Chime turned back to Layle and started to talk. "The overall mark is not what's rare. Having a symbol like that means you were born at sea."
"At sea…like in the islands? Or Leuda?"
"No, I mean like a boat …See the lines and circles are like portholes. The placement of the points is for waves. It indicates what part of the ocean. Depending upon if the lines are high or low lets people know where on the ocean you were born."
"…huh…" Layle listened to Chime explain it, "But then…why id Keiss' unique?"
This time the Selkie in question answered, "Because I was born in the middle of huge storm."
"R-realy!" Layle looked at his partner.
"And that's not even the best part."
"Indeed," Chime smirked, "The boat sank."
Layle stared at them before he started to laugh, "You two are trying to put one over on me… The boat sank! Then how are you here, Keiss."
"It ran aground." The Selkie turned the napkin over in his hands. "But that's what that crack in the middle means. It means the ship sunk. Cracked, right in two. Never to sail again."
"Honestly," Chime swung her legs back around and landed on her side of the counter, "Your father should have known from that moment you were gonna be nothing but trouble your whole life."
"If anything, its proof I am damn lucky, and he should listen to me."
"Ha!" Chime started to laugh, "Haha-HAHAHA! Oh you're serious! HAHAHAHA!"
Keiss glared at her before motioning for Layle to follow him. "Come on, let's go." The Selkie lead his partner out into the streets leaving the laughing barmaid behind.
"So… Born on a sinking ship…That's some story."
The red head shrugged. "It doesn't matter anymore…So! How was your training with Oides?" Keiss immediately changed the subject. As usual, anything about him was swept under the table. The Clavat rolled his eyes, but that was fine. He had wanted to talk to Keiss anyway.
"Speaking of, Oides…Keiss…In the basement of that place, there is a room filled with weapons that cast magic."
"…Are you listening to yourself? Weapons that cast magic."
"I'm not kidding. He made me fight them for practice. They run off that gel stuff he has in the tubes." Keiss listened to Layle talk for a bit before asking him to explain in detail what went on during his training. Once the Clavat was done the Selkie mulled over the new information.
"Hmn…I don't believe…I ever saw anything about the fluid being used for weapons development."
"So what, we're not supposed to know? Then why let me see it?"
"Perhaps before we weren't supposed to know… But we do work for Spinosa now…Layle, let's keep it between you and me that we know about his stuff. I'll start looking into these magic weapons. In the meantime, we'll keep working. It will keep us close to what's going on without it being suspicious."
Layle nodded. He didn't really like the idea of being close to this situation. But at the same time, he didn't like the idea of not knowing what was up.

For the next two weeks, Keiss and Layle took jobs for Spinosa, Dr. Oides, and Professor Piper. It kept them busy nonstop, but neither wanted to let up. Every mission put them in an office or with equipment or in a situation where they got the chance to snoop around or analyze what was going on. And as Layle had told him, the Lilties were definitely creating some sort of odd weapons. Lots of them. But Keiss had no idea why. Nothing he could find on the matter told him why they were making them. And none of the informants he paid for information could find out either.
"Okay, so here's what we've got…" Keiss thumbed through a folder while he and Layle sat at the table of their apartment. "So far those, of magic wielding weapons you saw, thirty four were produced."
"There are ten down in the basement…"
"They're all prototypes. The thirty four…your ten means that twenty four are unaccounted for... Production was halted due to complications." The Selkie set that folder down and picked up another one. "So far we haven't found the report that says what those 'complications' were, but from what I can gather, it would seem the weapons' magic is not strong enough."
"Not strong enough? I was black and blue for days…" Layle took the folder Keiss had set down and looked over it.
"The ones you fought are hooked up to an infinite power source… I think the other's they tested weren't. See," He turned the file around so Layle could read the copied file, "Right here in Piper's handwriting, spells run down after three or four casting. Tests prove inadequate for presentation."
"Spells run down…so they need a power source?"
"Or a new weapon." Keiss picked up the last file he had and opened it flat on the table, "I want you to know I had to pay extra to get this."
"And I care because?"
"Because I had it before until someone tossed it into the quicksand!" He glared across the table at Layle, who just shrugged with a smile. The Clavat leaned forward and read over what was laid out before them. It was a plan for a machine. It looked a bit bulky, not like it was an actual weapon, it didn't even look like it was mobile.
"Miasma Directional Field Controller…What's it do?"
"Don't know." Keiss leaned over the plans. "I've only been able to find the blueprint on it…but not what it does or how it does it. However look up in the corner; the blueprints are dated later than those weapons."
Layle leaned on his elbow looking over the papers. Just what were the Lilties building and why? He tried to mull over in his head any possible leads they could explore, but his brain only ever settled on one. "…We have to catch Clockwork."
"Hmn?" Keiss looked up from the papers.
"She keeps trying to stop us from helping Oides…She said was a traitor when we fought on the train. And every time I see her she keeps asking why I am working for him and the military…"
"So you think she's out to stop us because she knows?"
"She has to. I can't explain it any other way."
The two stared across the table at one another and finally Keiss nodded. "Okay. We catch Clockwork. But until we can… You need to check in with Oides for more training."
"More training? Really?"
"Look, if he's in the basement with you, he's not in his lab. I can get up there and poke around."
Layle rubbed his forehead. "Fine, I'll play decoy."
"Great." Keiss stood and started to gather up the papers. "So after our next mission, you'll spend time with the Doctor. For now, get some rest…Spinosa wants us at his office before dawn." With that the red head left the table. Layle leaned back in his chair and pondered over Clockwork and how much she knew about what was going on. Next time, whether he caught her or not. He was going to have some questions for her.

Early the next morning, Keiss and Layle were sitting in the waiting room of Spinosa's office. Layle wondered what in the world they had to be here so early for. He really didn't feel like having to see Sir Rosebush before the sun was even out. Keiss had expressed similar sentiment back in the elevator, but he made Layle swear they would try to keep their disdain to themselves today. Layle would see how well that went over.
The Lieutenant entered the room shortly after they did. He walked past them to his office without saying a word. They followed him in as usual and stood across from him as he took his seat behind his desk.
Spinosa himself looked as he always did. Stern faced and ready to work. He didn't look at all as if he could possibly be half asleep. It annoyed Layle a bit. "Alright boys," The plum haired Lilty looked up at them as he pulled out a contract. "Today you will be handling a mission that not only I am enlisting you for, but Professor Piper and Dr. Oides as well."
"All three of you have an interest in this, Sir?" Keiss spoke up, "It must be a bit of a big deal."
The Lilty chuckled, "It is…You see all three of our projects will benefit from this mission. Keiss I can assume you are with the Lynari Isles and their terrain."
"You would assume correctly, Lieutenant."
"Excellent. Because that's where you are going…" The military officer set a contract down on the table along with a map. "What I need you to bring back, is the jaw of one of the Antlion beast that nest in the heart of the desert."
Keiss picked up the contract and read it over. "An…Antlion…Sir?"
"Um, pardon me," Layle spoke up pointing at the Lieutenant. "But aren't those things the size of a house?"
"That they are… However they are the only monsters in the world to cast Stone."
"But they breathe it…" Keiss folded down the top of the contract.
"Indeed they do…Out of their mouths." Spinosa tapped his lips, "But they do not turn to stone themselves. The Research team and the Doctor will greatly benefit from studying the properties of an Antlion. However due to their size, we will settle for just the jaw."
Keiss looked at Layle, they gave each other a questioning look. "When do we leave?"
"Immediately." Keiss signed the contract and passed it to Layle.
"And, so is Sir Regal meeting us at the airship locker or-"
"Regal is not going with you this mission."
"He's not?" Layle handed the signed contract over to Spinosa, "Why not?"
The Lilty took the paper with a bit of a smile, "Sir Regal is off duty for a week. He is spending time with his fiancé, who is in town from the University in Marr."
Layle and Keiss both made startled faces, "Fiancé? As in…Someone is marrying Regal?"
"Did no one tell her how, ya know, bossy he is?"
"Maybe she doesn't know; maybe it's an arranged marriage."
The Lieutenant snorted, unappreciative of the two's mocking conversation, "As a matter of fact it is."
"Oh thank god," Layle shook his head, "She's being forced. For a moment I thought someone actually wanted to be around that guy."
"It is a scary though…isn't it?"
"Poor girl… Someone should save her."
The Lieutenant coughed and the boy's straightened out. Keiss reached for the map and nodded to Spinosa, "We'll be back in no time with the Antlion jaw."
"See that you are…"

The flight to Lynari took the boys a few hours. And after heading home to pack some more appropriate clothes for another desert trip, and making sure the Acote was in good enough shape to make the journey, they had set out just after sun up. The entire flight, their conversations up and down the tube consisted of joking about Regal's fiancé and speculating why the Antlion jaw was such a big deal.
"..Maybe Oides wants to see if he can extract Stone magic?" Layle called down the tube.
"Do think, maybe they plan it see if stronger magic makes for a longer casting life?"
"…I guess we won't know until we get them the jaw…Just make sure you don't get breathed on."
"You don't have to tell me twice...Hang on up there, we're approaching Lynari."
Layle sat up right in the crow's nest and leaned over the side. As the Acote came through the clouds the Crystal bearer could see the ocean stretched out before them. The water shined in the sunlight, and dolphins could be seen jumping and playing in shallow waters. From up here, the water was a clear beautiful blue, and the closer they got to ground, the more of the coral reefs and tropical fish moving in mass could be seen. The reef itself grew in size as they raced over it, until parts started to poke out of the water: in tiny portions and then in clusters, and then in huge chunks with bits of sand and earth stuck in them. The chunks grew and grew until finally a complete landmass towered up over the crystal blue water.
The Island of Lynari.
The Acote circled around and Layle continued to lean out the side. He'd never been out to the islands before. So taking in everything was top priority on his list. He watched the walls of the island's bluffs race by as the airship came around to the islands southern end to land in the Leuda airship dock. Leuda itself was a port town built right on the cliff faces. It stood surrounded on three sides by jagged coral covered rock, and facing out to the ocean on the islands only waterway that wasn't too shallow or too filled with coral for boats to pass through. Right out in front jutting out of the bay was the Selkie Tribal Crystal, the tribe's knotted whirlwind of a symbol shone brightly above it. It towered over fishing boats that passed it and waves that crashed at its base.
All wound the bottom, barnacles, and bits of coral, seaweed, seashells, and aquatic life could be seen clinging to the base. The crystal stood as a lighthouse, welcoming traders, and a beautiful sight for any tourist coming to visit the island. But at the angle it stood, it looked like something of a rocky and crude dagger, trying to stab at any invaders that came to the island.
"…Layle! Hey, Layle, are you still up there!" The Clavat snapped out of his sight-seeing and leaned over the communication tube.
"Yeah I'm here."
"Good, keep your head down. I'm pulling into the dock…"
The Clavat leaned back as he felt the Acote slow down. To the side exotic port town, an airship facility had been drilled into the mountain. So that Lilty airships could park and be maintained- all at a hefty price to them. They were on Selkie land after all. Once the ship settled into the hanger, Layle climbed out of the crow's nest and jumped down to land next to Keiss.
He looked more like a tourist than a mercenary on a mission, wearing just his yellow shirt, shorts and flip flops. But he'd be damned if he was going to sweat to death in the desert. Again. Keiss had opted to leave his long sleeve shirt and gloves behind, but Selkie still wore his armor arm coverings. He insisted it was for protection, but Layle had a feeling the fact that his covering kept his tattoos out of sight played a part of it too.
"So, when do we get started?" The Crystal Bearer asked.
Keiss pulled out the map and a letter it had attached to it, "After we find our guide."
"Our guide?" Layle followed as the other started to walk.
"Yes a guide. The Lynari desert is huge, and the Antlion's next in a specific spot…It's not like Prison Sands where the Sahagins are everywhere."
"So…what's their name?"
"Doesn't say…" Keiss stepped out of the airship dock onto one of the upper levels of Leuda. The entire town was slanting upward and into the cliff. At the bottom level there were the ports and the merchants, the middle level contained the homes and taverns of the Selkies that worked there, and the upper level was for outsiders. Large hotels and buildings rented by the Lilty Army were up here. The top level spilled out into the desert above, with a large stone gate built to keep monsters out.
The redhead leaned down over the edge of the walk way they stood on. Behind them Lilties we busy at work, complaining about heat, too busy to enjoy the constant cool breeze the sea provided. And below Keiss could see the many interconnecting walkways and paths and nets of the town stacked one building onto another.
"Then how are we supposed to know who they are?"
"Because she knows who you are." The boys turned their heads to see a Selkie female making their way up the path toward them. He skin was tanned from life out in the sun; her hair was blond-ish, actually the longer Layle looked at, the more he was certain it was more orange than anything, and pulled back in a ponytail. She wore a green bikini top that wrapped around her chest and a pale red skirt with a slit in so you could see the matching bottom. On her arms and legs were white tattoos, and ones that came down over her eyes to form a point on her cheeks. She stopped in front of Keiss and smiled.
"Well, isn't this a lovely re-meeting."
"You're the guide?" The Selkie male sneered, "Not thanks we'll find this place on our own."
"Is that anyway to treat people? No wonder you can only hang out with half Selkies."
"I would spend time with full-blooded Selkies, if they all weren't liars and cheats. Like for example you."
"Hey!" The girl raised her hand to slap Keiss and Layle grabbed her wrist. "Let go!" she tried to pull back from him but Layle jerked her arm forward and turned her hand over.
Before she could protest again, he raised her hand to his lips and kissed it, he took note of the fact that around her wrist was a tattoo similar to the one Chime had identified on Keiss. "Sorry about Keiss; I think he forgets what a beautiful girl looks like." Both the Selkies started at him in shock. Keiss a little bit more angry than shocked.
"Well…" the girl looked from Keiss to Layle and then smiled, "Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Nadeen. I'm your guide through the Desert of Lynari."
"I see…"Layle looked over to Keiss who snorted at him, "I'm, Layle, and it would seem you already know, Keiss."
Nadeen smirked, "Unfortunately I do…"
"Might I ask as to how?"
"Hey! Are we here to hunt monsters or not?" The redhead glared at them, and the orange haired girl rolled her eyes.
"Don't listen to him…He's always been, odd. …We were born on the same boat. But I'm six months older."
"I see…Childhood friends?"
"Nothing like that," Keiss answered. He figured if information was going to be given on his life he may as be the one to answer. "Just forced to spend time with her."
"What…Like Regal's girl?"
"No… Thank the Crystal, no. Just had to spend time with her whenever I was out here because she couldn't make any friends of her own…"
"I have plenty of friends, Mr. Exile!" She snapped her fingers, "How's disobedience treating you anyway?"
"It treats me just fine! I would rather be exiled and do what I want than be told what I can and cannot do with my life!"
"Yeah, that's why you're so eager to hump Lilty leg like a Fenrir in hea-"
"That's it!" Keiss lunged at the girl and she did the game, Layle immediate stepped in between them and used his powers to blow them apart.
"Whoa! Keiss! Calm down…You are losing it…" The Selkie male took a step back and crossed his arms. The girl over Layle's shoulder waved at him before grabbing the Clavat's arm.
"You I like," she started down the path, "Come on, Layle. We have to get the Chocobos ready for our trip to the Antlion nest."
"Chocobos…again?" The Clavat sighed; he really didn't care for the birds and was certain the feeling was mutual. He looked over at Keiss was still scowling at him. He mouthed a questioning 'What?' to his partner who responded back with 'Stop! Flirting!'
Layle just rolled his eyes and leaned over to him muttering, "Stop being a brat, and I wouldn't have to keep her from leaving, we kind of need our guide."
"We can get another one." Keiss sneered.
Layle shook his head. It was going to be a long mission.
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The Crystal Rule