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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
- 18
- 19
- 20
Chapter Nineteen

It took Keiss and Layle fifteen minutes of walking to reach the road. It was amazing how short the distance looked from the sky. Laid out before them was a simple dirt road. It was wide enough for two wagons to travel on going opposite directions. Trees, and bushes lined the path, and fields could be seen beyond them. Right where the boys had emerged from the forest there was a little fork up the way with a road sign.
They approached it looking to see how far they were from help.
"Nevul, thirty-eight miles. Denthe, point-fourth of a mile. Red Leaf, seventy-seven miles," Keiss read the sign out loud with his hands on his head. "Guess were' going to Deen-the?"
"De-inn-thé." Layle said. Keiss turned to him and scowled, but Crystal Bearer shrugged. "I don't know if you want to go there."
"It's the closest one."
"It's also further out. The further you are from Alfitaria, the more xenophobic people are."
"So?" The Selkie crossed his arms.
"What I am saying is, you are unlikely to get help in a tiny Clavat town. We may as well just walk to Nevul."
"We won't get there until tomorrow morning."
"But we can get help. Adequate help."
The Selkie shook his head, "We're going to Denthe. We will try there first. If they're really as hick as you claim they are, then we will try the next town." Layle sighed as Keiss led the way to the small town down the road. Half of him was happy. Half of him was anxious. He had already settled on coming to check it out…But not with Keiss.

The trip down the road was slow going. Neither of them really wanted to rush after being tossed around by the Acote. So by the time they reached Denthe, the sun was slowly setting and the sky was turning red. Keiss stopped outside the edge of town and read the little sign there. "Denthe Village… Population Thirty-four… 'A Bridge to Nature'…Wow, this place is small." He turned to Layle who was looking dead ahead. He could swear the Clavat looked sick. "You okay?"
"Yeah…I'm fine…" He turned to Keiss with a nod. "We should try the general store…If you're going to get help you'll get it there."
"General Store? -The hell is that?"
Layle ran his fingers through his hair, "Really? ...Well I guess I shouldn't be surprised…It's basically where you buy everything. Supplies, food, seeds, feed…Anything you need."
Keiss stared at him and shook his head, "This must be a Clavat thing. One store for everything? What the fuck…?" The Selkie started down the road into town. Even though they were technically 'in town' it was a good eight minutes before they approached a building. And it was way down a little side road. Someone's house. "Okay, so where is this store."
"It will be on the main road…" Layle kept his hands in his pockets. No one was out, he was thankful for that. After another ten minutes they finally came a long two rows of five buildings lining the road. A large one on the left was marked 'Denthe Goods'. Keiss crossed his arms and frowned at the building.
"Seriously…How do Clavat's live like this? There is like…shit out here."
"Pipe down, Keiss," Lalye looked around. Still no one on the street. He was hoping that by this time of day everything would be closed but there was still clearly an 'Open' sign in the window. "Don't act like a big city jerk when you go in there, or you'll never get help. You're already at a disadvantage being a Selkie."
"…You know an awful lot about this place…"
"What? Come on, Keiss. I'm a Clavat. I know how we think. A Selkie walking around a tiny Clavat town smells like trouble."
"Well that's why I have you."
"I'm not going in with you."
"What! Why the hell not?"
The Clavat shrugged, "A Selkie and Crystal Bearer. We'll never get any help. ...You try the store. You're a 'business' type. Win them over…" Layle started to walk past Keiss walking backwards as he spoke, "I'll, uh…Just wait outside. And when they tell you no, I'll try at a different place."
"There are other places to look?" Keiss looked down the road both ways and marveled that there would even be more.
"Up the road…The bigger houses have barns, and most likely wagons."
"…You know, you know too much about this sort of thing don't you?"
Layle scratched the side of his face, right next to his crystal, "Look, when we went to Leuda, did I not listen to you? When we go to Chime's don't I take your advice on how to handle Selkies…"
"Alright! Alright!" The red head threw his hands up in the air and started to walk toward the store. "But I refuse to believe they are as single minded as you say they are."
Layle followed him, but didn't head up the steps to the store. Instead he leaned against the wall just under its window. "Just don't argue when you get shot down, it will only make you look worse."
Keiss shook his head as he opened the door. There wasn't a person alive he couldn't win over.

Keiss had always prided himself on being able to woo over any human being he tried. There wasn't a person he couldn't read, and a situation he couldn't charm his way out of. Except possibly this one. He had been standing in this store- if you could even call it that- for five minutes. And the whole time the girl behind the counter just shook her head and told him no. She couldn't have been more than seventeen, was nervous, terrified even, as she stumbled over her words and kept one hand on her cash register. It was antique, probably worth more on its own than the gil inside it. But she kept one hand on it, her right hand clutched the side of her apron and her green eyes kept flicking from Keiss to the door.
Green nervous eyes, and a freckled nose that twitched as she stuttered. Her hair was pulled back in the typical Clavat girl style: long dark brown hair pulled back in two pigtails covered with a scarf. When her hand wasn't toying with her apron she was messing with the ends of her braids.
"I'm s-s-sorry, I just can't s-sell you a wagon…You really should g-go now."
"Look," Keiss sighed, "Can you at least tell me where I can get one. I swear I'm not here to rob you. I just need a little help."
The Clavat girl sucked her lips inward and shook her head. "I-I don't really think y-you'll find any help o-out here, Selkie."
The red head sighed. "Fine. Fine." The tapped his hands on the desk grumbling. "We'll just go to the next town."
"W-we'll?" The teenager shifted behind the counter, "T-there's more of you, Selkie?"
Keiss frowned, "You could ask me my name instead of just saying 'Selkie' over and over again." The girl opened her mouth like she was going to apologize, but stopped and just shook her head. "Whatever. Don't worry your head about it, my partner and I will be on our way." Keiss turned around grumbling to himself about Clavat hicks and stupid farmers. The girl watched him leave and slowly exhaled. As Keiss threw open the door she caught a glimpse of the sky outside and gasped.
"Alright!" Keiss jumped down the stairs, "You win! This place sucks! Let's go up the road."
Layle just laughed, "I told you we weren't going to get any help here…" The Crystal Bearer looked up at the sky, "And now it looks like we're going to have to make the walk through a pack of monsters."
"Great, maybe kicking their ass will help me relieve some stress…That stupid girl in there couldn't even fathom learning to use my name. She just kept calling me 'Selkie'."
Layle shrugged and shook his head, "Not surprised… Come on. Let's get going." Layle was set on leaving. He figured he and Keiss could go get a wagon from Nevul tonight, and when they road back to get the ship he would just sneak back and check things out. No sense in lingering around with Keiss. Especially now that the Selkie had managed to upset one of the locals.
Just as the Crystal Bearer was getting ready to turn around and lead his partner away from the forgettable little town, the door to the store opened and the girl stuck her head out. "Selkie wait! You can't leave there's a storm—" the girl's sentence started to trickle off as she looked down the steps at Keiss and Layle, "—coming …in… …"
Keiss, who was too busy looking at his partner's reaction to the girl- an expression he could only label as unwanted shock, didn't hear the girl's sentence taper off. But he did hear the start of next one.
"…Layle?"
"Who?" The Crystal replied without missing a beat.
"You!" Keiss didn't miss one either. He pointed at the blond then turned and looked at the girl. "You just said his name didn't you?"
"I-I-uh…" The brunette looked at Keiss then at Layle and then back at Keiss and nodded. That was all the Selkie needed; he turned about around and smiled at Layle.
"Oh we are so not leaving this place." He turned back around to the girl with a grin on his face, "Hey, Miss, you feel like selling me a wagon now?"
"I-uh…" The girl looked up at the sky and then back down at the mercenaries. "Layle, you need to come inside before the storm gets here."
The blond frowned, "The hell, is that why you came out, because of the storm." He turned around and started to walk away, "Come on, Keiss, let's go."
"Hey! You heard the shop girl, we should go inside. And talk. To this girl. That knows you." The Selkie crossed his arms and didn't budge.
Layle ground his teeth together and turned back around to tell him to follow him, but the girl cut him off, "At least come inside and wait! It's dangerous! The monsters will-"
"What? The Coeurls? Beetles? I can handle a bunch of prairie monsters."
"It's not the Coeurls and Blazer Beetles you have to worry about! It's those!" The girl pointed down the road. Both Keiss and Layle turned to see the edge of the storm coming up the road. Usually out in the low lands simple monsters roamed wild. Not anything to worry about and hardly anything that got to be larger than a man. But that was not the case with what was coming down the road. Charging up the beaten path was a pack of very large, very out of place mass of purple skin, black horns and flailing tails. A pack of Behemoths.
"W-what the…" Layle took a step toward the on coming monsters. "Why are mountain monsters out here…"
"Hey, Layle!" The Clavat turned to now see Keiss on the steps with the shop girl, "I think you should listen to her! Get inside!"
The Crystal Bearer turned and looked back at the monsters before running the few feet back up the steps. The Behemoth out in front had already spotted him and was charging for the store. Just as he came over the thresh hold of the door, Keiss started to close it, but instead of closing it collided with a monsters large talon. The girl let out a scream as Behemoth's clawed paw scraped at the door and tore at it. Keiss pressed his back to the door trying to push against the attacking monster.
"L-Layle! Do something!"
The Clavat grabbed a crate of Star Carrots and hurled it out the door right into the monster's eye. It relented a bit, and he grabbed another box, turning to the girl and shouting at her. "Don't just stand there! Help Keiss with the door!" She nodded nervously and ran to help the Selkie push it shut while Layle tossed anything that wasn't nailed down out at the creature. It finally pulled back and they closed the door. "Move!" The Crystal Bearer grabbed a counter top with his powers and moved it in front of the door.
As his partner and the shop girl backed up they head the monsters slam on the door again. Over and over it rammed it, splintering it a bit more each time. It made the girl let out a shout and she raced behind the counter. "I-It's never gonna stop now! It knows we're in here!"
"…We're gonna have to fight it." Keiss turned to Layle who was looking out the window.
"Fight them you mean…they're circling the buildings now…At least ten of them."
"Damn." The Selkie reached into his pockets and pulled out his knives. "Alright, when you move the counter I'll make a path for us to get ou-"
"Wait!" The girl stuck her head up, "Y-you can't go out there! You'll be killed!"
"Look, Constance, just stay behind the counter and don't make a noise."
"Constance!" Keiss looked back at her and frowned, "Damn I was hoping you were Lyra."
"What- Really! Keiss how can you can be thinking of that at a time like this?"
"Layle!" The girl behind the counter shouted again, "Just stay inside! They'll take care of the monsters!"
"They? Who's they? The villagers?" As he asked the question Keiss could hear the distinct sound of gun shouts come from outside. The Behemoth that had been trying to break the door down suddenly stopped. Out the window Layle could see the purple beast pulling away and heading down the road as something raced by. He ran for the door and moved the counter despite the girl's protest and looked outside.
Zipping down the road were about six crystal bikes, much older models than the ones the Military currently used, but they were still moving pretty fast. One out in front with a cannon mounted on it blasted away a Behemoth still trying to stand it ground. The riders were a mix of four Lilties and two Clavats. Keiss came to stand out on the steps with Layle and watched as the men rode around the buildings and the street rounding up Behemoths and blasting away at them with their guns and cannons.
"…Who are these guys?" Keiss turned to his partner.
"…I…Don't know…"
"They're mercenaries." They both turned around to see Constance now out from the counter. "They take care of the monsters. We hired them."
Layle looked back at the men on their bikes; they had quickly and efficiently taken out eight of the monsters while two more proceeded to run up the road and around the bend. "You hired…Mercenaries…?"
"The whole town pitched in…well almost…" Constance pat Layle on the shoulder, "I'm glad you didn't get hur-" He jerked away from her and walked down the steps, still looking at the men on their bikes as they came to gather in the middle of the street. The Lilty with the cannon mounted on his bike started to shout.
"Clavats of Denthe! You can come out of your homes! The Monsters are all taken care of!"
On cue the shut up windows and doors of the little town started to open. Keiss looked around as a bunch of very timid and weary looking Clavats emerged clapping and looking relieved. He turned to the brunette girl next to him, "Has it always been this way?"
"N-no. The monsters only showed up a few weeks ago."
"Why?"
"No one knows," The girl started down the steps. "Layle…Layle, wait up." Keiss followed them out into the middle of the street. The Clavat didn't hear her. He walked up to the Lilty boasting that the monster problem was taken care of shouting at him to get his attention.
"Hey! HEY YOU!" The man turned to him with a smirk.
"Oh, a new face? What do you want outsider?"
"What are you talking about, the monsters are taken care of? They are still two running up the hill. There's still a ranch up there. Go catch them!"
The man turned his head and then just chuckled, "Up the hill? Look, I took care of the monsters for the people who paid me to." He jerked his thumb back toward the hill, "After they go around that corner they aren't my problem."
"…What?"
"You heard me, kid. I'm a mercenary. I do what I am paid to do. That bitch doesn't pay she deals with the monsters herself."
"What is he talking about?" Keiss turned to Constance who was trying to reach out and grab Layle's coat.
"L-look…Keiss…Layle…N-not everyone pays the—we can get a wagon and go up the hill- Layle? Are you listening to me?"
Keiss watched the girl. The way she was reaching forward he would have thought she was trying to stick her hand into the mouth of a sleeping Beetle. She was nervous again, and he quickly saw why. Just as her finger tips touched the edge of Layle's jacket, the Clavat jerked forward. He grabbed the man on the bike by his collar and yanked him off it. He started shouting and what few villagers were out of their homes backed up. Without looking he tossed the man a few feet with his powers and got on his bike. "Layle!" Constance tried to grab him again and this time the bike took off, leaving her and Keiss in the dust.
The Selkie ran forward shouting to him, "Layle! Layle!"
"It's no good…" The girl smoothed out her apron. "You're not gonna catch him on foot."
Keiss stared at her, "Why did he do that? What's up the hill?"
"Lyra's ranch…"
Keiss blinked for a second and then looked forward at the dust trail ahead of him. He then turned his attention to the nearest Crystal Bike. It was left unattended as the other men had gone to help their friend that Layle had launched into a window. The Selkie climbed on and took off; he could barely hear someone shouting for him to stop in the distance.

Once he was on the bike he was certain it was a piece of junk. It could definitely use some tuning, but at least it was going fast enough for him to catch up to his partner. Within seconds he was upon Layle. However it also helped that the Clavat seemed to have rammed his bike into one of the escaping monsters. Probably to slow it down. But judging by the look on his face as he grabbed it by the horns and flipped it onto its back, it was probably an action he had made in a fit of rage.
"I don't think I have seen him this angry about something…" Keiss pulled up as the monster's body broke apart and returned to the stream. "Layle!" He motioned for his partner to come over. "Did you already get the other?"
"No!" Layle got on the back of Keiss' bike, "It's already up the hill."
"Alright!" Keiss started up the bike again, "Let's see what this piece of junk can do." As the bike took off, Keiss could feel Layle leaning over his shoulder as he stood up on the back of the bike. The Clavat's left hand was hanging on this shoulder so tight he was sure the bone was going to break. He was certain now, he had never seen the Crystal Bearer this anxious about anything.
With two people, the bike was a bit slower going, but they still made it up the hill faster than they would on foot. At the top of the hill was a gate with a sign- or a former sign- it was now knocked into the dirt. Clawed down by a monster. To Keiss' surprise, the land on top of the hill was long and flat. There were gates on either side leading directly up to a two story house. And behind the gates he could see short grass rushing by out the corner of his eye. He turned his head and searched for the monster. There was clearly damage all over the place, some looked recent, some looked like it was in the middle of being repaired.
"There! To the left!" The Selkie turned his head at Layle's directions. Off to the felt past one of the fields there was the Behemoth. It was…chasing something? No, fighting someone. He veered the bike toward one of the gates. Layle used his powers to rip the post out and make a path. As it sped along the grass, Keiss could now see what it was fighting. Just outside a little barn there was a woman, wielding a sword and a yellow shield with short brown hair and a green dress with claw marks in it. She was weaving back and forth in front of the monster, dodging its horns and using her shield to protect herself form hits claws when it slashed forward.
She would roll to the side and swing, cutting into his paws and legs, and run under it stabbing at its knees. The monster roared and turned trying to smash her into the ground, but she was untouchable. Or so it seemed. On her last roll, the Behemoth brought its tail down and tore up the ground under her feet, sending her flying. Her sword landed stuck in the ground a few feet away from her and she landed on her back, still clutching the shield.
Just the boys reached the other end of the field, and Layle ripped the post out, the Behemoth was standing over her swiping at the shield trying to cut through it. The Crystal Bearer hung onto the post and pulled his hand back. He let it fly and it connected right into the monster's eye. It roared and pulled back.
"Keiss! Get her and leave!" Before the Selkie could respond Layle jumped form the bike and rolled to his feet. He didn't hesitate to start running for the now half blind monster that was swinging its claws and tail viciously at anything in its path. The red head watched as his partner grabbed one of the Behemoth's paws and yanked it forward; sending it crashing to the half built barn it was thrashing in front of. He brought the bike to a halt and reached out for the Clavat woman on the ground.
"Come on! Let's go!" The woman was dazed. She was sitting up and looking right past Keiss at Layle who was pushing the monster back by its horns. "Come on!" She turned to him and took the hand. However as Keiss pulled her up and turned the bike to leave he heard her gasp.
"W-what are you doing!"
"I'm taking you to the edge of the hill so you'll be safe!"
"…Turn around!" She looked back at Layle who was still dodging the monster's attacks.
"Are you crazy! You just nearly died! I'll turn around once I don't have-" Keiss stopped as he felt the woman reach into his pockets and pull out one of his knives. She pressed the tip to his throat and shouted again.
"Turn around, Selkie, or I will drive myself!" Keiss didn't object this time, he turned the bike and grumbled. The woman kept the knife pressed there as she barked orders. "Drive for my sword!" He turned the bike again and she finally lowered the knife. The woman reached out and yanked the blade from the ground and spun it in her hand to get a good grip. "Head for the monster!"
"Really? Do you have a death wish!"
"Do you!" He turned at a sharp angel and they drove for the Behemoth. The monster had Layle pinned to the wall of the barn. Snarling it raised its claws to slash at his face. He ducked under and rolled to the side just in time to see Keiss and the Clavat woman ride by. "Catch!" She tossed him the sword.
Layle grabbed it with his powers and hurled it right into the Behemoth's face. It connected between its eyes and the monster let out a low growl as its body fell into the barn, knocking out a few planks and support beams before it faded away.
Keiss brought the bike to stop just before his partner and before he could even speak the woman was dismounting and walking toward Layle. "Layle! …Layle!" She shook her head and covered her mouth. "You…What are you doing here?"
The Selkie dismounted and watched. The sudden onset of anger and agitation that had possessed his friend earlier was quickly being replaced with an odd and awkward smile. It wasn't his usually cocky one. It was warm, friendly. Probably only a face he ever saw him make when he was sleeping. However as he watched the woman walk forward he noticed the background was swaying. Keiss looked up to see the half of a barn was tilting and creaking. He got off the bike and ran for her pulling her back and shouting at Layle. "Look out! Layle, move!" The Crystal Bearer looked up and started to run, but there wasn't enough time.
The unstable structure came crashing down. Keiss and the woman watched as they saw Layle reached out try and pull himself forward, but the building came down on him. Keiss let the woman go as she struggled to move forward.
"Layle! Oh my! No! LAYLE!" she started to grab pieces of wood and toss them aside. Keiss joined her. Both of them shouting and tossing planks, and boards; half of beams and looking out for nails.
"Layle! Come on! Answer us!"
"Please be alright! Layle! Can you hear us!" As the two dug Keiss felt the broken boards beneath his feet shake. He looked down and watched as blue light kept pushing upward. Quickly he jumped off the pile of wood and stepped back. Just as he did the rubble blew sky high. The woman jumped back as well and put her shield up to protect her head. Once the boards stopped falling they both came over and looked down into the mess.
There was Layle. Slowly pulling himself out. The woman's mouth hung open in horror. Keiss' did too.
"W-w-what are- you two looking at…"He stumbled forward and rubbed the side of his face. It felt wet. Layle looked down at his hand. The first thing he realized was he could only see out his right eye. He then realized he could only see out his right eye because his left had blood clouding his vision. Or was that blood on his hand. Okay, no it was both. And if he could see it from the other's point of view he would also know that the front half of his hair was stained red too.
"I…I think…I might be hurt…" He stumbled forward again and Keiss ran forward to catch him.
"Yeah, that's probably the understatement of the year."
"…No!" Layle lifted his head and pointed at the woman, "Understatement! Is you! Lyra! What- the- hell! Behemoths! Are not 'little' monster problems!"
Keiss looked up at the woman. Her face was unreadable, she was just looking at Layle, her hands clasped around the edge of her shield. The longer she stared the more her lips pressed down into a frown. "…You're hurt."
"Behemoths!" The Clavat shouted at her again.
"Stop talking," she took a step forward, "You're just going to make it worse." She then turned to Keiss, "Excuse me, Selkie, will you help me with him. I have a medical kit back in the house. I can fix him up there."
"-Lyra!"
"Layle, I mean it. You talk again. I stitch your mouth as well as your head." She came around to Layle's left and pulled his arm over her shoulder. "Honestly…Can you ever not cause trouble."
Keiss held onto Layle's right arm and followed the woman's lead. He looked down at his partner who kept his head down. Clearly grumbling under his breath about monsters still. "So, uh…I'm Keiss. Layle's partner. It's nice to me you-"
"Lyra," She smiled at him over the Crystal Bearer's bloodied hair. "Layle's mother."
"Ah!" Keiss just nodded, "…I have got a lot of things to ask you."
"…Keiss…no snooping…"
"I'm pretty sure you were told not to talk." The Selkie pat him on the back with a smile. He had never been so happy his airship crashed.
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The Crystal Rule