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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
- 45
- 46
- 47
Chapter Forty-Six

Keiss pulled Layle by the ends of his jacket's sleeves trying to hurry the Clavat along so they could get out of the ship. However his partner was moving rather slowly through the slanted hallways.
"Come on, Layle! The faster we get out of here the better."
"W-will you slow down!" Layle pulled his arms back from the Selkie and leaned against one of the walls. He let out a sigh. "Did you miss the part where I nearly blew up? Swam for crystal knows how long? And ran through a mountainside of caves and fought half your damn tribe!"
"You were just laughing about all of that," the Selkie crossed his arms. "You thought it was fun, plus you're not hurt."
"I'm not hurt, but that doesn't mean I'm no tired!" Layle pulled at the clasp of his jacket's inner breast plate. He shrugged the coat off and it hit the floor with a loud thunk. It was weighed down from all the salt water it had soaked up. "I'm damn near indestructible, not full of infinite energy."
"Could have fooled me," As the two were talking the sound of foot steps coming down the hall caught Keiss' attention. He turned around to see Vaigali and a group of Selkies making their way down the hall. "Great…" He kept his arms crossed and watched them approach.
"Just where do you think you're going with my prisoner, Keiss?" The older Selkie glared at him.
"Your prisoner?" The younger scoffed, "He's mine. I got him. And now we are leaving."
"You're not taking that Clavat anywhere. He's a prisoner of this Guild."
"Still?" Layle didn't get up from where he was leaning on the wall. "I thought you said that when Keiss got here I could go."
Vaigali snorted, "I said you had an hour for Keiss to arrive and prevent your drowning. You're still a prisoner."
Layle looked at the back of his partner's head, "Boy, and I thought I had to read between the lines when it came to you."
"Shut up, Crystal Bearer." Keiss didn't turn around, he kept glaring at his old man, "Vaigali, you have no right to keep Layle as a prisoner. He's done nothing to you. In fact it looks like you kicked the shit out of him. If anything you owe me an apology for damaging him."
One of the Guild Members spoke up and pointed at Layle, "That Crystal Bearer was caught in the Guild store house! He was trying to raid it!"
"Raid it of what?" Keiss rolled his eyes. The Selkie flicked the coin they'd confiscated from Layle earlier at Keiss. He caught it and turned it over in his hands smirking. "This? You think he was trying to steal this?"
"Of course! It was in his pocket! And who knows how much more he would have gotten if not for the guards!"
"I already told you," Layle pushed off the wall, "I just picked it up off the ground! I don't want it."
"He probably can't even tell you how much this is worth." Keiss looked over his shoulder at Layle, "Come one, Crystal Bearer. Prove my point." The red head held up the coin, "How much is this worth in today's gil?"
Layle tilted his head slightly. How was he supposed to know. He'd never seen a coin like that before. But considering all the fuss, it was probably worth a lot right? "I don't know…" He shrugged, "Five thousand gil?"
A smile spread across Keiss' face. He turned back to Vaigali with his trade mark smug grin, "See. I told you. Clavats don't know the value of anything." He flicked the coin back across to them and the informant caught it. "Clavats are nothing but a bunch of back water hicks. You can't honestly expect them to know a fortune when they see it. Literally in his pocket, and he doesn't even know."
Layle corssed his arms half glaring at Keiss. Well now he wanted to know how much that coin was worth.
"Regardless," Vaigali motioned for another Guild Member to come forward, "He's been in the store house. He knows the way there. He cannot leave, Keiss." A Selkie came forward holding up a pair of shackles. "He's a prisoner on the Izymael until further notice."
"Dammit, what is your problem! I don't have time for this- I have work to do!"
"Work for those no good onions, no doubt." The Selkie walked past Vaigali and started to make their way over to Layle.
The Crystal Bearer raised his hand ready to toss the man. He may have been tired, but that didn't mean he wasn't going to resist, "Just try to put that on me, see what happens."
Keiss stuck an arm out in front of the Clavat, "Alright, Vaigali, how much to buy Layle's freedom so I can get on with my life."
The Guild Master stroked his beard, "The price of that coin."
"You've got to be kidding me! That's impossible to come up on short notice!"
"That's how much his freedom is worth."
"Keiss," Layle leaned forward and whispered in his ear, "We could just fight our way out…"
"We could. But if Vaigali already beat you once, we'll both just end up as prisoners."
"Can't you beat him?"
"Not in a fight of physical strength…" The Selkie's smirk returned to his face, "But in a battle of wits…" He turned away from his partner, "How about a trade."
"Hmn?"
Keiss held up has hands on either side of him with his palms facing upward. "I'll trade you, something for the Crystal Bearer."
"And what makes you think you have something I want?"
"Maybe I don't yet, maybe I do." The red head held out his hand. "Or maybe I can do something for the Guild in good faith that both Layle and I will never touch your store room again."
Vaigali stared at the offered hand. He didn't say anything for a moment. Layle and the rest of the Guild watched. Perhaps to them this was a normal exchange, but to him it seemed odd for a father and son to deal with each other in such away. It was like they weren't family at all.
The Guild Master looked to the Selkie still holding the restraints and nodded his head. The Guild Member turned them over to Keiss. "Lock him up, and we have a deal."
"Me?"
"…Keiss…" Layle stared at his partner as he turned toward him. "Don't think I won't toss you through a wall of this ship."
The red head looked down at shackles in his hand. "Look, it's a sign of good faith… Think of it as a hand shake."
"I think of it as me kicking your ass."
"Havnig trouble?" Keiss looked back at Vaigali. The one-eyeed Selkie was watching their exchange with amusment.
"It's fine." The younger redhead turned back toward Layle, "Look, its just temporary, alright. I do this, we strike a deal, we go home. So just give me your wrist, so we can move on and get out of here faster." Layle grumbled but held out his arms. Keiss locked the iron bracelettes around his wrist and held his hands there for a moment. The Clavat looked up at him to see an odd smile creep across the Selkie's face.
"…I swear… Don't get any ideas about this every happening again, Keiss…"
"Huh?" He shook his head, but he still had that femline like smile, "Who said I got an idea."
"It's on your face…" He grumbled.
Keiss kept smiling and turned around, "Just don't worry about it- Alright! It's done. He's not going anywhere."
The Guild Master nodded to him, "Good. Then you can wait in your room, until I have decied what's a fair exchange for the Crystal Bearer." Vaigali turned from them ordering his men to make sure Keiss and Layle didn't leave the ship. He walked off; Keiss grabbed the chain links hooking Layle's hands together and his jacket off the floor and pulled the Crystal Bearer along.

Keiss led him through the damaged ship up to the living quarters on the port side. The walls of the ship were still slightly more intact here. Though it really looked like it could use some repairs, but at least it didn't have whole rooms blown out and missing. Keiss dragged Layle down the halls to a room in the far back end. The entire walk there he didn't say a word or look back at the Clavat he was dragging along. He kept his gaze focused forward determined to ignore every person in the halls that they passed. He finally reached his old room and hurried them inside.
When he opened the door and looked around with a sigh.
"Everything's moved…" Keiss stepped inside and Layle followed. It was a simple room; there was a bed, a dresser, a porthole that had been expanded into a window, a closet, and little half door that came up to one's chest blocking off a little space in the wall just big enough for a person to stand in.
"Everything? There's nothing in here." Layle watched as Keiss dropped his jacket down on the ground. The only decoration in the room was a portrait up on the wall next to the door. It was an oval painting depicting a Selkie maiden with sea green hair tangled up in a ponytail coming off the side of her head. She looked a bit smug in the image, her eyes daring whomever looked at her to question why she was there. There was something written on the frame of the image in Selkie, but Layle didn't know what.
"Exactly!" Keiss opened the dresser drawer cursing to himself. "Gawd, I knew I should have snuck back on board and stolen my stuff… I can't believe him. He probably tossed it all overboard!" He slammed the drawer he was looking in and turned around to look at Layle crossing his arms.
The Clavat leaned back against the door watching the Selkie as he checked the room over. He let his arms hang down across his sides causing the chain from the metal locks to cross over the top of his legs. He really was tired from today's events. He half wanted to pass out on the old bed with the obviously dust covered sheets. But his curiosity was keeping him on his feet.
That and the fact that his clothes were sticking to him from the combination of sweat, salt water, and sand he'd been drenched in.
"Keiss…" Layle stared at the red head as he turned to him. He had a lot to say but it managed to compress itself into one simple obvious sentence, "You're the Guild Master's son."
"…" The red head nodded, "Yeah, you established that, Layle."
"No," the Crystal Bearer shook his head, "I mean… You're- you- you are the Guild Master's son." He raised one hand effectively dragging the other up slightly and pointed at his partner. "You are working for the military. We are working for the military. You've got me working for the military- specifically a couple of grade A assholes- and you are the Guild Master's son."
"…I really don't get why-"
"Keiss!" Layle pushed off the door. "Why are you working for Spinosa and Regal! I literally just fought my way out of a treasure cove. More money than my tribe will see collectively for the next hundred years-"
"You're not kidding about that-"
"Shut up!" He pointed at him, "You are the second most powerful Selkie in Alfitaria. You have more money to your name than I can count. You are borderline the equivalent to a prince- AND WE ARE WORKING FOR THE MILITARY!" At some point Layle had crossed the room and was reaching for Keiss like he was going to strangle him. The red head hadn't moved though. He'd just stood with his arms crossed watching the Clavat.
He hadn't realized it was going to make Layle so mad, and actually he was rather enjoying the change of expression on his face.
Layle hadn't actually thought he was mad until he started talking. Perhaps it was because he was tired and dehydrated. Or maybe it was because the more he said it the more it really clicked in his head how crazy Keiss was. He had no problem working with Keiss, despite whom they were working for. He trusted the Selkie. And he'd come to understand that his dream was very important to him for whatever reason. But standing on the Guild Ship, after being kicked around by his father it really started to sink into him.
It was madness.
Why be High Commander when he already had something better? Why put everything on the line, including other people, including him when he already had something better. Everything better.
If he had next to nothing like Layle did, he'd understand. But the Selkie had everything.
Everything.
And the more he thought about it the madder he became.
Keiss held up his hands up and grabbed the chain links between his partner's wrists and pulled them down.
"Are you done?"
"No!"
"Too bad," The Selkie took a step back and yanked him forward knocking him off balance, "Because I'm not listening to you. I am not the Guild Master' son. Not any more. I'm in exile, remember. That's why we're working for the military."
"S-so go apologize!" Layle stood up and tried to yank his arms back, "Go tell him your sorry. And you're wrong and-"
"Never!" Keiss yanked the chain again pulling Layle out of his standing place and pointed at him. "I'd rather die than do such a thing!"
"Are you kidding me!" Layle pulled back against the chain, "Keiss! Have you been paying attention to the shit you've gotten us into! Do you know what I went through while I was away! Do you know the kind of shit that is happening to Crystal Bearers out there! Working for a bunch of mad men when we don't have to! When you don't have to!"
"I know what's going on out there, Layle! And we're going to put a stop to it-"
"So start here! Go fucking make up with Vaigali and get help!Use the Guild's resources! You're so proud of how smart you are! Think! We could have this sorted out in no time!"
"I told you – never!"
Layle lurched forward grabbing Keiss shirt and pushing him back until he hit the wall. "Dammit, Keiss! Why! Why- why in the world are you doing this!? Are you really so proud that you can't come back! I refuse to believe that it's because he won't let you! You're family! Just go out there and make up! Get these chains off of me and get some fucking help for the mess you've been having us make for months!"
The red head grabbed the metal shackles around his partner's wrist and snarled at him, "Listen to me! I am not. Going. To. Appologize. To Vaigali!"
Layle rolled his head back and groaned; he let got of Keiss and walked backward until he hit the bed. The Crystal Bearer fell back and sighed. The red head walked forward and looked over him as Layle looked up at the ceiling.
"…I need you to know as of right now I hate you."
"You won't be the first person to, you won't be the last."
"…Why can't you just make up with him? Is being High Commander really so important?" Keiss didn't respond at first. Layle turned his head to see the Selkie was looking out the window. He still had his arms crossed and his jaw was clenched tight. "Keiss?"
"Layle, despite all the arguing you did with Lyra in Denthe. She still let you leave to do as you pleased. She was unhappy about it, but it was your ambition. Your goal. And she let you go." He looked down at his partner, "Around here, ambition and goals are great, so long as they serve the Guild… And so long as they serve it the way Vaigali sees fit."
The Clavat watched the Selkie turn away from him and walk around the room to look out the window, "I've got reasons for wanting to be the High Commander. I've told them to him before- or at least tried to. But it's not what he thinks is the right path. And to him that's what matters. That it's not the path he's made for me. Therefore it is wrong. I will never apologize to anyone for the life I have. It's mine. It's my goal. It's my ambition, and I'm not sorry for it. So I'm not appologzing."
Layle held up his wrist, "Even to get me out of these chains?"
Keiss turned around to him smirking, "I dunno. I think we should keep them."
"When I'm done being tired, expect me to beat that smile off your smug face."
Keiss walked back over to the bed and sat on the side. "Now we just have to wait for him to come up with some absurd trade for your freedom. After that, we'll leave."
"How absurd could it be?"
"…He'll think of something crazy, I'm sure."
They sat in silence for a moment. Keiss looking at the empty wall and Layle picking at the metal links between his hands wondering if he could snap them apart. And then wondering how much trouble that would cause them. Finally the Clavat got up, "Alright. Prisoner or not, I can't stand this any more."
"Are you going to fight me on this again?"
"What?" Layle shook his head, "I'm not talking about you, idiot." Layle pulled at the front of his shirt, "Where is someplace aroud here that doesn't drench you in salt water." Keiss stared at him for a moment before he started to laugh. "What!?"
"Layle, how does your brain make these transitions! You were ready to kill me- now you want a shower." He fell back on the bed laughing.
"I'm the one covered in salt and sand! Do you know how uncomfortable this is?"
Keiss kept laughing and pointed to the half door next to the bed. "T-that's a shower- Haha- I-I can't- I can't breath! Hahaha! I love it-!" Keiss continued to laugh as Layle got up from the bed. He felt he Crystal Bearer kick his legs but he didn't stop.
By the time the water for the shower was going he finally stopped laughing enough to get up and leaned against the door. "Why are you showering with your shirt on?"
"How am I supposed to get it off?" Layle held up his hands and pulled the chain tight.
"Hmmmn- I could rip it off-" Keiss felt himself lift off the ground and fly back a few feet to land on his back. He huffed and stood up. "It was a joke!" As he got up dusting himself off there came a knock at the door. He glanced over at it surprised someone was coming to disturb them. He hadn't expected Vaigali to come up with a scheme so quickly. "What!?"
The door slowly started to open, as soon as it ws cracked the black and white cat sporting the bow rushed in. It was followed by a familiar face. Not Vaigali, though as soon as Keiss saw the tan skin and orange hair he wasn't sure if this was worse.
"'What?' What kind of manners are those?"
"Nadeen!" The red head frowned, "What are you doing here!?"
"Nadeen?" Layle leaned out over the doorway and Keiss smacked himself across his forehead.
"I should be asking you that… I'm a Guild Member, I have just cause to stop in when I'm on the mainland." She walked into the room and shut the door. The cat made a bee line for Keiss and started to rub against his legs. "But when I got to the cove and everyone was saying you'd returned… Well… I knew exactly where I wanted to stop by first."
"Great, so now they all think I'm back for good?"
"You're taking a job for Vaigali, aren't you? Sounds to me like you're back for good!"
Keiss reached up and over the top of the door to grab Layle's chains and pull them out into view, "This is why I am here! No other reason. And as soon as he's free, I am gone for good again."
"Oh?" She eyed the chains and then looked back at Keiss tapping her chin, "That's quite the leap for you, isn't? The chains I mean. I remember one of your ex's saying something about ropes but-"
Layle yanked his hands back from Keiss glaring at him, "This conversation is taking unwanted turns."
"That's Nadeen for you," he shrugged of the Clavat's glare. "So what do you want? Just come by to shower me with your snark? Because I'm pretty sure I told you not to speak to me ever again."
"Honestly, Keiss, you're on a ship in which you are public enemy number one, and you don't think it'd be good to have someone on your side present?"
"She has a point," Layle was still leaning over the door his arms crossed over the top.
The red head scowled and picked up the cat, "For your information, not everyone hates me around here. Our number one mouser still likes me." He picked up the cat and rubbed the back of her neck as he draped her over his shoulder, "But I guess I could use you to take care of Layle while I'm off doing whatever Vaigali's going to ask of me."
"Take care of me?"
"Yeah, because when I leave I'm certain Vaigali's going to try to coerce info out of you. But perhaps Nadeen can keep that to a minimum."
Layle looked over at the Selkie girl and she smirked at him, "Is that so?"
"Don't worry, I'm good at keeping secrets. After all, I didn't write up that incident at the oasis."
The boys stared at her for a moment before Layle shook his head and pulled back into the shower. Keiss looked down at the cat sighing, "Lotta, I know I've hit rock bottom when Nadeen is my only ally."

When the sun finally set on the shipwrecked cove, Keiss, Layle and Nadeen were still confined to the red head's old room. The female Selkie had been good enough to fetch from oil for the lanterns, as it had been years since they were last used, so they wouldn't have to sit in the dark.
The two Selkies had spent the better part of the afternoon chatting to each other, occasionally slipping into Selkie tongue if they didn't feel like letting Layle in on their conversation. Which was fine by him. He mostly wanted to sleep and they were easier to ignore if he couldn't understand them.
The cat, Lotta, also remained. As Keiss had said, it seemed to be fond of the Guild Master's son and was unwilling to leave his side.
"Alright, so I have to know," Nadeen looked over at Layle who was draped across the bed. The Crystal Bearer was lying face down across the width of the mattress while the two Selkies sat on the end, "Just how did you end up in the store room?"
"I washed up on shore," Layle turned his head to stare at her. "I walked along the cliff until I found away up."
"And why were you swimming out by the ocean where there was obviously little to no beach to come back to?"
"He jumped off the Acote," Keiss scratched the back of the cat's neck. "Which reminds me," He looked over at Layle and pointed at him, "Never do that again."
"I make no promises." The Clavat turned his head down again as Keiss rolled his eyes. He could hear him mutter to Nadeen he was going to get himself killed someday. Layle really doubted that.
As the two started talking again, there came a knock at the door. A Guild informant entered to tell Keiss the guild Master was ready to see him. The red head made a comment that that had taken him long enough, but honestly, he was surprised he was going to be given a task within the same day. He'd expected it wouldn't be until tomorrow when Vaigali finally came up with some insane job for him to complete. He stood up and urged his partner to do the same.
Layle begrudgingly got off the bed, "Why do I have to come?"
"Because it's about your freedom, idiot. Now come on." He made his way out the door; Layle and Nadeen followed.
The Crystal Bearer still wasn't used to the slanted halls of the ship. Walking along the corridors made him feel like he was getting sea sick. Keiss and Nadeen naturally seemed unaffected. They walked as if they were on level ground. Layle half wondered if it was this tilted equilibrium that accounted for the fact that Keiss always seemed like he was falling at inopportune moments while out on the job.
"It has to be because of this ship…"
"Did you say something, Layle?" Nadeen looked back at the Clavat prisoner.
"Just, thinking out loud," he shrugged at her.
The State Room of the ship reminded Layle of something of an old ball room. The way the walls were painted, the bright hanging chandeliers, not to mention the elaborate display of books and trophies along the wall where the Guild Master obviously sat and conducted business. There was a certain elegance to it, not like what he'd expect for an old pirate ship. More of what he'd expect for a nobleman's home.
"Yup, Selkie Prince…"
"Stop that," Keiss glared over his shoulder at the Clavat.
He shrugged and looked around a bit more. The group that had gathered in the room only helped reinforce his idea. They weren't dressed like the group that had chased him about earlier. The elaborate clothes with feather and fur adornments, their jackets and vest made of silks and satins, and the fine bits of gold and silver jewelry worn by the women. The Selkies here were more like a group of nobles lounging about a court laughing and drinking and making underhanded deals to grant them more power. Layle took note that on at least a few of them he could spot the marks of tribal leaders. All of them plotting and scheming under the watchful eye of the Guild Master.
"Nope, it still fits. No matter what way I look at it," Layle nodded to Keiss. The red head scoffed at him.
The trio came to stand before the Guild Master. Vaigali was waiting for them standing just in front of his seat. His arms crossed and an angry look on his face. Layle wondered if he ever smiled? Just behind him were two women. They were gossiping and chatting in their native tongue, occasionally looking over at Keiss and laughing. The Clavat glanced at his partner, who kept his eyes focused on his father. As far as Keiss was concerned there was no one else in the room.
"So, you managed to stay on board and not try to escape, I'm impressed."
"I gave my word I would do this trade for Layle's freedom," Keiss crossed his arms, his partner noted that the two stood the exact same way, "At least one of us has to be honorable."
"There's nothing honorable about a backstabbing child."
"There's nothing honorable about a controlling tyrant either!"
"Uh," Layle glanced at Nadee, "Should we-"
"No, no," she shook her head at him, "Just let them go."
"The entire crew of this ship has more honor to their name than you could ever acquire in your entire life."
"The crew! Ha! A bunch of run of mill pirates trying to 'play it strait'! A joke, and you know it. There is nothing honest or honorable about anyone that sailed on this ship! Not anyone alive anyway-"
The Guild Master unfolded his arms and pointed at Keiss, "Watch your tongue."
"I'll say what I want," the younger responded, "It's not like I owe it to you to be respectful." Keiss put his hands up on his head, "I'm just here to do a job, remember, nothing else. Unless you're willing to apologize to me and tell me you want me to come back-"
The Guild Master muttered something about mutinous offspring before speaking up, "The job I have for you is a robbery. Complete it and you can take the Crystal Bearer, under the grounds you are never to return."
"A robbery?" Keiss lowered his hands laughing, "You're going to give me such an easy task? You're going to waste my skill on a petty theft?" He looked over his shoulder at the two standing behind him and chuckled. "You may as well just let Layle walk out of here."
"Don't get so cocky," Vaigali held out his hand and one of the women standing off to the side walked over and put a messenger tube into his palm. Layle took note that the woman eyed Keiss with a smug grin, though his partner still ignored her. "This arrived not long ago. A request for the Guild to acquire an item. The offer for its acquisition is rather steep. But it is difficult to get. I'd normally turn it away, however-" He opened the tube and pulled out a rolled up piece of blue paper. "Since you've so graciously offered to do one job for the Guild I will give it to you. If you're caught, it's no loss to us. And the Crystal Bearer will remain here." Vaigali extended the paper to Keiss.
He snatched it from his father sneering, "Don't worry. I'll get it and Layle and I will be gone by sunrise!" He watched as Vaigali chuckled at his over confidence. The Selkie started to unroll the paper and Keiss and Nadeen leaned over his shoulder.
It was a blue print with a note attached. The note asked for a response on if the Guild would steal a piece of military equipment in exchange for five hundred thousand gil. Indeed the prince was steep, but as Keiss looked over the blue prints he realized why.
And the color drained from his face.
Layle leaned into his ear and whispered to him, "You can't do this…"
"Something wrong?" Vaigali spoke to the two mercenaries with a condescending tone. Despite his obvious discomfort with the mission Keiss snapped back at him.
"Nothing is wrong," He shrugged Layle off and started to roll up the paper, "Your client wants the military base at Kilanda ripped off? Consider. It. DONE."
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The Crystal Rule