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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
- 47
- 48
- 49
Chapter Forty-Eight

Keiss led the way as he, Nadeen and Layle, and Lotta whom followed on his heels, exited the wrecked pirate ship. He took them out through an exit built into the side of the boat long after it had crashed that let the Selkies have access to the narrow rocky beach and the ocean that stretched out before them. There was a crudely beaten path from Selkies walking up and down this narrow strip of land that lead down to a dock built into the side of the jagged cliffs.
"…You're taking a boat?" Layle spoke up. "Can you get there fast enough in a boat?"
"Don't worry about its speed," The red head nodded to him. "Selkies build the fastest vessels on the water. True, I may not be back by sunrise, but I'll still get there fast enough."
"But your ship-"
"They'll recognize it if it's seen. I'd have to land on a smaller isle and make my way over to Kilanda by boat anyway."
"Keiss," Nadeen crossed her arms as the red head looked over the small sail boats trying to determine which would be the best to take, "You can do this can't you? I mean it's risky enough as it is, but you want them to see you? How will you avoid capture if they see you?"
"I want them to know this is the Guild's work." He stopped next to a boat and began to untangle the ropes that tethered it to the docks. "They've already had imposter Guild Members steal form them before. They'll think nothing of it-"
"But that was on a train. This is a secure military base," Layle stood next to Nadeen watching him unravel the ropes. "And they're on alert because of Clockwork… Are you sure you should go? Let alone by yourself?"
"Hey, what have I told you before about Selkies?"
The Clavat crossed his arms, "Handling it solo is a good way to end up dead."
"Says the one that jumps off airships…" He tossed the ropes down into the ship and jumped off the dock into the boat. Lotta jumped off as well, purring excitedly to go with her master out on his voyage. Keiss scooped up the cat and handed her to Nadeen. The animal fussed as the orange haired girl took her. "Sorry girl, I promise I'll bring you back a fish…"
Layle crouched down and leaned over the dock, "At least take Nadeen with you."
"No, she has to stay here and watch you."
"I will be fine," Layle held up the shackles, "How much more trouble can I get into?"
"It's not that, it's Vaigali. I don't want him to get a shot at picking your brain." Keiss turned back to the Leudian Selkie, "Nadeen, I'm counting on you. Don't mess up."
"Relax, Keiss!" She rubbed the back of Lotta's head as the Clavat stood up, "You act like I don't know how to babysit."
The red head snorted, "Just make sure he keeps his mouth shut." Keiss put his hands on the edge of the dock and pushed. The boat slowly moved away from where the two were standing and the red head pulled out a paddle to help guide himself out of the shallow waters before he could unfurl the sail. His friends and the cat stayed at the edge of the pier watching him as he set off on his mission.
"…Do you think he'll be okay?" Layle didn't take his eyes off the boat as the sail went up and caught the wind.
"Keiss, as much as I hate to admit it, is one of the best. Everything he does to survive he learned from Vaigali. How to fight, how to steal, how to manipulate… If we were out at sea, he'd make a great captain of his own ship one day."
"Yeah… I remember him mention something like that," Layle looked down at the metal links between his hands and sighed. "But even pirates need a crew if they run into trouble right?"
"…He'll be fine. If nothing else, we Selkies are damn lucky." She turned her back to the boat disappearing over the water, "Come on, let's get something to eat. I'm sure you have a lot of questions. We can go over them while we dine."
"…I thought Keiss didn't want me to talk."
"He said you. He never said I couldn't. And considering the way Keiss is, I am sure you are curious about this place."
Layle looked over his shoulder at her as she walked away. He was curious, and Keiss never said he couldn't ask. "Why not? He pestered my relatives…" The Clavat turned around and followed her back to the ship.

The deck of the Izymael was slowly filling with Selkies as they all gathered on deck for a bit of dancing and games in the late after noon. Toward the back of the ship, they had constructed a bar area with tables and seating. There was a man behind the counter handing out drinks and a few ladies coming up from the doors that connected to a kitchen in the back with trays of food. Layle wasn't sure if he should be surprised or not over the fact that there was a bar here.
He actually found himself wondering if it was a new addition or if it had been here before the ship crashed.
Nadeen took a seat near the edge of the dinning area, next to a railing that over looked the deck of the ship. Layle sat across from her watching as Selkies started to play instruments and dance. It hardly seemed like hours ago they were all focused on fighting him.
"The Clavat only get together and dance like this if there's some sort of special occasion or a festival."
"Really?" Nadeen ordered the two of them a couple of drinks when a girl passed by, "There's a dance here every night."
"Every night?" He shook his head, "No, no- everyone's too busy working. Parties this big are rare."
"Party?" Nadeen chuckled, "That's just dancing. A party would involve much more- banners, lanterns strewn across the tightropes, fireworks shot out of the canons… This isn't a party."
Layle leaned back in his seat, "It's hard to believe that this is what Keiss comes from. He's so, so-"
"Up tight?" She shrugged, "He's just rebelling very very adamantly. Deep down he still loves this stuff, this kind of life." She watched Layle as he looked out over the Selkies dancing away and having a good time. "So… What's on your mind?"
"…Where do I even start?" The Crystal Bearer sighed, "Keiss and I have spent all this time together, yet we constantly kept our lives separate from one another. Though, I suppose I refused to open up to him because he didn't want to open up to me but-" he scratched the side of his face, "This is so much bigger than anything I kept from him. The Guild Master's son? That he has authority over every Selkie he meets? That he's got more money than the entire Clavat tribe collectively has? It's like having another building dropped on me."
"…Another?"
He shook his head, "Forget it. You had to be there." The girl came back with their drinks and set them down. Layle took his glass, the chain links tapping against the table as he did. "What's the deal with that woman? Um, Milka, was it?"
Nadeen took a sip from her own glass and nodded, "Yes, that's her name. Milka… She's… Kind of like a stepmother. I suppose that's what Clavats would consider it."
"So she's Vaigali's wife?"
"No," Nadeen drank again, "He never remaired. But Milka is closest to him of the girls. She spends the most time with him. Knows the most about him. Even helps run the Guild. She does have the advantage that she's an original member of the crew."
"…The girls…" Layle held his glass in his hand but didn't drink. "So, does she not like Keiss because she never liked him? Or is this a new hatred?"
"…It's complicated. Sometimes they get along, but lots of times they fight. Milka's ambitious. But she'll never really have the power she wants so long as Keiss is around to take over. He'd throw her out in a heartbeat I'm sure. Ah, but if he did take over, there are so many problems it'd cause. So many of the old crew are mad with him."
"Because he left?"
The Leudian girl nodded. "But even before that… Because of Keiss, Vaigali never left this cove. Some of the crew left to continue pirating. But Vaigali stayed with Keiss." She looked out over the deck of the wrecked ship. "Most everyone here is happy, they love having this place for a home. But I'm sure that when it started out it was hard. Hard on a lot of people that someone like Vaigali would just- give up his ambitions and settle down."
"…" Layle lifted his glass to his lips and tilted his head back. So the pirate lord wasn't stopped so much by the loss of his ship but his need to take care of his son. The son that Layle just saw him fighting with as if they were bitter enemies. It was strange to think they were family, almost sad. Keiss was right, he fought a great deal with Lyra, but they never became so angry with one another that they stopped seeing each other as family. He was adopted and he felt closer to her than Keiss showed he was to his own blood.
"And what about Kai Nam? Who is she?"
"Ah…" Nadeen pressed her lips together and set her glass down. "She was the Izymael's first mate."
"…Was?"
"She- died the same night the ship crashed."
The Crystal Bearer watched the orange haired girl's face for a moment. He knew exactly what he wanted to ask her next about Milka and Keiss and Kai Nam. However as he started to speak a hand was placed on his shoulder. The Clavat looked up to see the Guild informant that had accused him of thievery was standing next to him.
"What do you want?"
"Nadeen, Vaigali would like a word with the Crystal Bearer."
The orange haired girl nodded to him, "Oh, of course. We'll be right down. Come on, Lay-"
"A word alone, Nadeen," The informant removed his hand from Layle's shoulder and crossed his arms. "You can stay up here and finish your drink."
"Alone?" she smirked, "I don't think that's wise do you? I mean he may be in shackles, but," She pointed to her cheek, "He's still got magic in him."
"The Guild Master already bested him once before when he was unchained and at full strength-"
"I was not at full strength," Layle interrupted him.
"-I'm sure he can best him half drowned and restrained."
Nadeen looked at Layle who shook his head at her, "I was at half at best."
"Layle!"
"What? I was- Any other day of the week and I would have won that fight."
The orange haired girl twisted her lips, "Can we just have a second, then you can take him." The informant told her not to take long and he moved to wait for Layle at the end of the seating area. "Look, I can't go with you, so you have to keep your wits about you."
"Why are you and Keiss so nervous about this? How bad can it be? He's already nearly killed me-"
"Layle, Vaigali just got done beating you up for taking a coin. A single coin. Now he wants to talk to you one on one? You, the guy that is living with and sleeping with his only son."
"…I-I'm pretty sure it will be fine…" Layle leaned forward and let his elbows rest on the table. "They don't even like each other all that much-"
"He pays everyone who keeps tabs on Keiss ten thousand gil a month, and it doubles if the information you provide happens to be about something major he's involved in."
"Well, that's, just… Who wouldn't want to make sure their own kid is okay even if he is being a shithea-"
"He also pays for the tab at Chime's bar."
"If he loves him so much why doesn't he talk to him! Why does he have to talk to me!" Layle leaned forward and hissed at her. "Is he going to kill me for real this time?"
"Not so long as you keep your mouth shut and don't say anything incriminating. Don't drink or eat anything he gives you."
"Why?"
"Hello, he's a pirate," She leaned forward and let her chin rest in her hands, "There are other ways to make a person talk outside of torture or fear of death. Don't take anything he gives you, got it?"
"Nadeen!" The informant shouted at them.
Layle looked back over his shoulder and then to the Selkie. "What are the chances he even knows that much? As far as he's concerned I'm just Keiss' work partner. Right?"
"…Did he stuff you in the tidal cell before or after you said you were Keiss' partner?"
Layle stood up, "After… Why?"
She shook her head, "Yeah, we don't even use the tidal cell any more. There's a prison up on the cliff for people that Vaigali feels need punishment."
"…" Layle turned around and took a deep breath. "I have a feeling its going to be a long night."

The Crystal Bearer made his way over to the informant who motioned for him to follow. He glanced back one last time to see Nadeen watching him over the railing of the dinning area. The girl looked nervous but smiled at him. It wasn't really that comforting. Did he really have to be worried about Vaigali? He honestly wasn't going to hurt him, not while he had a deal with Keiss right?
The informant led Layle across the deck and down into the ship. He didn't take the Clavat as far below deck as last time, however. Instead he led him down to the State Room where the former pirate captain and his son had negotiated the terms of his release earlier. Milka was here again. She was sitting on one of the chairs before the Guild Master's table flipping through a book as the two approached.
"He's on his way. He said to wait in the office…" The woman didn't look up as she spoke. Layle glanced down at her; she had put on another choker covering up her tattoo. The informant thanked her and moved past where she was sitting and over to the back wall. Layle followed just the same. Behind the massive display of books and trophies that lined the sitting area for the Guild Master, there was a door tucked back in a nook of the wall. The informant opened it up to reveal a set of ascending stairs. The Selkie stood to the side and pointed up them without a word.
Layle shrugged and started up the steps. Lining the walls of the narrow stairwell were more oddities he could only assume were collected from all over the world: paintings, shields, maps, and monster hides. Over the door at the top of the stairs was the stretched out skin of a Lizardman's face. It made him cringe just a bit. Were these all monsters Vaigali had killed?
The informant reached around him to open the door and pushed Layle inside.
The Guild Master's office obviously used to be the Captain's room of the ship. The entire back wall was a set of paneled windows once used to look out over the sea, now half of them were obstructed by the cliffs. The room contained a desk, a few bookshelves and treasure chests, and a table. Layle noted that the large desk was covered with so many papers that he could barely see the surface. A familiar sight. Along the walls were maps of the train routes, wagon trails, and shipping routes of Alfitaria and the surrounding seas. The book shelves were filled with tomes and ledgers documenting profits of the Guild and the cities they did the most business with. Contracts and information, old and new wanted posters and host to more information that anyone would ever need.
The rest of the walls were lined with more odd treasures taken from around the world, but the last thing that caught his eye were two paintings hanging up across from the desk. They were arranged at eye level, so so that if one were sitting and you were to look up they'd be the first thing you'd see. One was of Keiss, though it was obviously out of date. The Selkie's red hair was shorter just a bit past his chin, and his face was a bit rounder. He was still just a kid in the portrait. The other was of the same woman in Keiss' room. The green haired Selkie woman looked out over the room smiling. There was something devious about the way she looked. It reminded Layle of the way Keiss would smile when had an idea that was just a smidge below an honest approach. But this image was much larger. It made the details on her face, and her tattoos that much easier to see, not to mention the accessories she wore, particularly the blue bandana that was tied in her hair. It was very much like the one his partner wore. Between the two paintings a short sword hung with its blade pointed downward towards the top of the half bookcase that the images hung over.
"Sit down," the informant pointed to the table. "The Guild Master will be here shortly."
"…" Layle walked over and took a seat. His eyes kept roaming the room, but he came back to the paintings. On their frames something was engraved in Selkie.
Within a few minutes the door opened again and the Guild Master entered the room. He told the informant to leave and shut the door behind him. Vaigali turned to Layle and stared at him as he walked around the room to his desk to pick up a few papers.
Was he going to work while they talked? Layle supposed that was good. Maybe it would keep him from trying to beat the crystal out of his skin again.
"So, Crystal Bearer, you really are Keiss' partner," the man spoke up as he took a seat and began to sign a few papers.
"Ah, yes…" Layle watched him. "We manage to work together without killing each other."
He watched as Vaigali chuckled. The man didn't raise his head from his paper work, "I've heard quite a bit about you."
"Oh, oh yeah?" The Clavat's eyes drifted to the windows. He wondered if he could escape, or if he should even try to.
"Aye, Chime writes a great deal about you in her reports. …She never did tell me what your power was though."
"I-uh, I never out right told her, or used it around her."
"I am sure that was at Keiss' request." The Selkie looked up finally, his good eye fixing on Layle. "What else does Keiss tell you to do or not to do?"
Layle smirked and shrugged his shoulders, "I don't, uh, know? A lot of things. As of late it's not to jump off the ship anymore. But I do what I want, really…"
The door to the office opened again and this time Milka entered carrying a tray. On it were two glasses and three bottles. She set them down on the table and smirked at Layle before making her way over to Vaigali's desk.
"Keiss is gone. Do you want us to follow him?"
"He can handle it on his own," the Guild Master stood up with a paper in his hand. He folded it up and held it out for Milka to take. "Take that to a Mail Moogle right away. The client wanted to know the moment someone left to retrieve it."
"Of course…" She took the paper and turned it over in her hands before looking back at Layle. She studied him for a moment before leaning forward and whispering into the Guild Master's ear. Whatever she said Layle couldn't hear, and Vaigali hardly reacted to it. He had no clue if it was good news or bad news, however considering the way Milka acted before he was sure it wasn't in his favor. The female Selkie finally pulled away from him and took a step back. Vaigali put a hand on her shoulder and gave her the order to take care of any business brought to the Guild while he was busy.
Milka nodded and made her way to the door. She didn't stop once, even as she turned her head to peer at the Crystal Bearer. The Guild Master came from around his desk and took a seat across from Layle at the table. He reached forward and picked up one of the bottles. It was blue in color with a red stripe down the side and the shadow of a flower printed on its label.
"Ever had Ochu Nectar before, boy?" Layle watched as his partner's father popped the crock from the bottle and began to pour out its contents into the glasses. It was a golden color. Layle shook his head. "Hmn, I see." The Guild Master picked up another bottle and removed the lid. Its contents were clear, and he poured just a bit of it it into just one of the glasses. "Here then, you take this one." He handed Layle the glass with the two mixed fluids and finished filling his own with just the golden drink.
Layle reached forward but shook his head, "I, uh, I don't know if I should…"
"Are you refusing my hospitality, Crystal Bearer?" He glanced at the Guild Master. Something about the way he said that sentence told Layle he didn't have much of a choice. However Nadeen had warned him not to drink anything.
"It's not that, it's just, uh, you know… Everything that's gone on today, I think I should refrain from too much heavy drinking. You know?" He set the glass to the side with a smile. "I'd rather just, um, have water-"
"We have sea water. Down in the tidal cell."
Layle picked up the glass and smirked, "-But you know, it's not like I'm going anywhere. What's one drink?" He lifted the glass to his lips and took a sip. The moment the fluid hit his tongue he gagged. Keiss had gotten him to drink a wide variety of things while they lived together. But none of it was like this. It tasted like his tongue had just been dragged across the underside of someone's grimy boot after they'd been stomping around in an uncleaned Chocobo den. Layle set the glass down in a hurry and turned his head trying not to throw up. Out the corner of his eye he could see Vaigali taking a long drink from his glass. Did he not have taste buds?
"What's wrong, Crystal Bearer? Is it too strong for a Clavat?"
"It taste… terrible." He pushed the glass to the side. "Like something died in that bottle and was allowed to liquefy."
Vaigali laughed at his statement. Layle was surprised at just how hard he was laughing. The old Selkie finally stopped and took another drink from his glass. He lifted his hand and motioned for Layle to do the same. His lips twisted but he picked it up again. Maybe if he sipped at it enough and expressed how much he hated it Vaigali would let him stop.

Unfortunately for Layle, the old pirate never did stop making him drink. Two glasses of mixed Ochu Nectar later and the Crystal Bearer was leaning back in his chair ready to burn off his taste buds if only because he thought it was the only thing that would save his life. His stomach felt like it was knotting in on itself, and his limbs were shaking. He couldn't believe Vaigali was still drinking this stuff. In fact the old Selkie was now finishing off the bottle, drinking the last bit right out of it.
"Th-this is- this- has been great- bu-but I think I need to go-"
"We're just getting started, Crystal Bearer." The Izymael's captain reached over and grabbed the third bottle. "Finish your glass so I can pour you another drink."
Layle gulped, "Wouldn't- wouldn't you rather talk?" He smiled slightly. "Is-isn't that why I'm here?"
"It is!" Vaigali started to pour himself a drink, "But I don't talk without a drink or two."
The blond rubbed the side of his head, "I think if I have any more to drink, I'll just about faint…"
"Oh?" Vaigali put the cork back into the bottle and smiled at Layle. The Crystal Bearer looked a little bit sicker than he did a half hour ago. But he knew that would happen. The metal links between his hands clanked as he rubbed his head, "Well, don't you go drinking with Keiss? You should have an immunity to this sort of thing…"
Layle shook his head and started talking, "We go drinking at Chime's, but I never have half the stuff he does." The Clavat slumped slightly in his seat, his head was feeling slightly clouded. "The smell of some of those concoctions alone is dizzying- and then there's the one Chime sets the top of it on fire for ten seconds-"
"An Ahriman Laser. It's a good drink."
"It's toxic!" Layle snapped at him, though he didn't mean to. "Everything he drinks, everything he does- toxic."
"And what does he do that's so toxic?"
"More things than I can count," Layle spoke up, half thinking he meant to say that in his head. "This whole problem with the Bearer cure, and Lieutenant Spinosa is toxic for one thing." He took a deep breath and stopped. He knew he hadn't meant to say that out loud.
"Lieutenant Spinosa?" Vaigali continued to drink watching him. "He's in charge of the Military's weapons development isn't he? What weapon dose he have Keiss working on?"
"I don't know; we just get the parts- dammit!" Layle sat up and looked glanced around.
"What parts are those?"
"Well the last one was some control panel to Kilanda. Before that it was monster bits they were using to create weapons that cast magic- what. The. Hell." Lalye leaned forward putting his hands on the end of the table. "What- what does Ochu Nectra do!?"
"On its own, it's just a coagulant. Used to help treat cuts. But when mixed with the right venom and drinks it can have various affects. My personal favorite is to mix it with Desert Shell. A drink made from Lamia eggs, it creates a sort of babbling affect. Makes it so people can't shut up about anything." He looked at Layle and smiled as he took another drink.
"A coagulant! But you drank two glasses of it straight! You-you finished the bottle! Shouldn't you be sick! Isn't our blood over clotting!?"
Vaigali laughed. "Ochu Nectar is clear. Desert Shell is golden, like the eggs its made from."
Layle looked back and forth at the bottles. He'd been the only one of them to drink the Nectar. "You and Keiss are both underhanded bastards." He covered his mouth as the Guild Master stared at him. He kept his hand over his mouth at the words 'well you are' came from his lips. But not intentionally. Not one hundred percent intentionally.
"…What other weapons has Spinosa had you all make?"
He slowly removed his hand, "I don't know- a machine that controls Miasma Streams and summons monsters based on the parts fed into it." Layle let out a sigh.
"And that machine works?" The Guild Master seemed surprised to hear of it.
"Yeah it works, but we busted at least one of them. I don't like it either; they were testing it out on my home town. Summoning Behemoths to exploit gil from the Clavat's there. Probably would have never of know if my mother wasn't so stubborn." He shrugged and titlted his head back. He had to stop himself from talking.
"If you're not alright with it then, Crystal Bearer, then why are you helping him help the Military?"
"Keiss has helped me time and time again. So I'll help him," Layle looked forward again, "Besides, he doesn't want the cure to be a successful thing. He doesn't want anything dangerous to be successful. Sometimes he's misguided, and steers us into trouble, but I'm not going to leave him just because he's wrong occasionally. We're partners. We're friends. And I trust him, so I help him. Just the same as he trust and helps me." Layle nodded. He didn't' feel so guilty about that one. He would have said it, coerced to or not.
"…And how do you feel about it? The cure that he helped make?"
"It's a bunch of garbage. But it won't last. I'm going to see to that, and Keiss is going to help me."
"And the Military?"
"Not trust worthy," Layle crossed his arms, "Not even a tiny bit. Keiss wants in there, and I suppose he'll be alright but the rest of them I don't trust. I won't trust after this. We had too many task that backfired into something terrible. I refuse to believe their intentions are anything that they say they are."
The Guild Master smiled. Layle couldn't help but feel a bit relieved. If he was happy with his answers then that more than like meant he'd let him go without much of a fuss. He might even unlock him before Keiss came back. Really, though, everything he was saying he would have admitted to on his own. There was no need to trick him into talking.
"And about Keiss?"
"He's an over ambitious moron. His morals are skewed. He's a bit of a control freak and a narcissist. But I love him."
Layle bit his own tongue. He was sure he must have bit it so hard his face twisted, because the Guild Master stared at him. He's face was devoid of any expression. That was Layle's trick, to leave people guessing about what he was thinking. "I mean we get along, a lot. And see eye to eye, a lot. And it's completely platonic and professional, more than half the time." He sighed. He couldn't take it back could he? The Guild Master still didn't react.
"What about the other Crystal Bearer?" Vaigali spoke up. "The Lilty girl that cast Haste and Slow… I heard she tried to kill Keiss a few times."
"Clockwork?" Layle started talking half relieved the subject shifted to something else, but still… He was going to let him off the hook? "She's strange to me. I don't think she's evil, but she doesn't trust Keiss. But she's not going to kill him so long as I'm there to stop her- ah, though, she's probably dead now anyway. Her ship blew up. So it's kind of odd that she sent that anonymous request to have the base raided…"
"What?" Vaigali narrowed his good eye at Layle.
"The request, about the Kilanda. It had to have come from her. The item is what she was after, I assume. She's done stuff like this before… She's actually pretty clever. It's too bad she doesn't want to just work with us and get some help."
Layle watched as the guild Master stood up cursing, "A Lilty sent that request! And Keiss knew! Why wouldn't he have said anything-"
"He said you'd accuse him of backing out. Oh, and he wants to get into the base anyway to see what the weapon is- oh and-" Vaigali put his hand down on Layle's shoulder and squeezed.
"Stop answering me."
"Well it's not like I want to. I just keep saying the first thing that comes to mind- How long does this last for?"
"You had two glasses, so you'll more than likely keep it up until tomorrow."
"Oh, fantastic. It's a good thing Keiss is away," Layle shrugged, "I can only imagine how he'd turn this on me."
"You're free to go for now, Crystal Bearer."
"Are you going to go try and find Clockwork? I told you she's dead. Or are you going to go tell Milka your client is dead? Hey, what's with Milka anyway, why is she such a bitch- no offense- but does she have to live up to the 'evil stepmother' idea? And what about Kei Nam. Is that her?" Layle pointed to the painting of the green haired Selkie woman, "That same picture is in Keiss' room." Vaigali grabbed Layle up out of his chair by the ends of his shirt.
"Hmn, perhaps I made you drink too much."
"I did ask to stop after one sip. You and Keiss are really terrible at listening. Is that why you're fighting? Because you both can't be bothered to listen to one another? He still really cares about you. He freaked out on Nadeen when she told him you were dead." The Guild Master let Layle continue to ramble as he pulled him towards the door. "Hey, what about the painting?"
Vaigali pushed Layle out the door and closed it. The Crystal Bearer shook his head and rubbed the back of his neck. He turned around and made his way down the steps to find Nadeen was there waiting for him.
"Layle!" She smiled. "That actually wrapped up sooner than I thought it would. How did it go?"
"I cannot stop talking. I hate it. And I can't tell if I just signed myself up to be killed sooner or later."
"…You had something to drink didn't you?"
"It was either that or drown, again. And I've had enough of drowning. Thank you."
"Well, what all did you-"
"Don't ask!" he shouted at her, "You know I'm going to answer you if you ask and I don't want to answer anyone any more today, got it?!"
Nadeen held up her hands, but she laughed just a bit. "Let's take you back to Keiss' room so you can sleep this off."
He grumbled, "I still didn't get to hear the story about Kei Nam."
Nadeen pat him on the shoulder as they walked. "I promise, I'll tell you after your done babbling like a brook."
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The Crystal Rule