Volume Two is coming soon…

When Vaan spun around to face the door he was greeted by the largest crowd he had ever seen crammed, like canned fruit, (there was certainly the distinct smell of smashed fruit coming from many of the workers) into a building. The entrance was packed with people, most of which weren’t eating or even sitting at a table. All of them were staring at either himself or Duncan. When they stood the crowd fell mostly silent. And as they began walking towards the door he heard his name whispered throughout. Walking through the crowd, Vaan fixed his gaze to his feet, avoiding the stares of the people. It was of no use though, he didn’t have to look at their eyes to feel their stares. Duncan led the way through the crowd using his broad shoulders and dense body (though noticeably thinner since leaving FreePort) to part the narrow path through the people and chairs. At length, they reached the main door. Vaan placed his hand on the crescent shaped handle and began to pull when a voice, stern and frank, hailed him.

“Vaan, Duncan?” Vaan tightened his grip on the handle but stopped pulling, he then replied in the affirmative, still looking at the door. There was no point in saying otherwise, the entire grill had been whispering his name for twenty minutes. After nodding, Vaan finally turned around. A slender man dressed in a red, velvet coat and gold pants approached, struggling through the crowd. “Please see me outside, I carry a message from the Balder.” The man motioned for them to follow as he slid his body through the narrow opening Vaan had made in the door. Duncan shrugged his shoulders. Vaan’s body began to burn, his extremities tingled, the sudden onset of yet more fear nearly crippled him. It was a new fear, something else unexpected and unimagined. The sheltered life he lived in FreePort was sounding better and better every moment, dreams or no dreams.

“Did…did we do something wrong?” The entire grill had gone silent except for the distant sizzle of meat and clatter of cookware in the kitchen. Everyone was looking at them with the same excited, tense expressions. ‘This isn’t right, this isn’t right!’ Vaan thought. ‘Nobody knows who we are, nobody even knows we’re here! First the letter, now this, and all in the same day!’

“The Balder has been expecting you for several days now and doesn’t wish to be kept waiting.” Duncan had stepped outside and yanked Vaan along with him. The man in red was waiting on the road in front of the pub. “Please.” There was no anger or rage in his voice, just urgent determination.”

“Right…we’re coming.” The man began to walk away, the pair had to jog to catch up.

“My name is Julian. I am the servant to the Balder.” Vaan silently formed the word ‘Balder’ with his lips, looking at Duncan who only shrugged.

“What is the matter, have we done something wrong?” Vaan asked. His voice broke like a sheet of ice under a hot sun. Of all the troubling things that hadn’t added up, that hadn’t seemed right, that were just too strange to comprehend, this was perhaps the worst. It was almost easier to understand summoning children in his sleep than whatever was happening here. If they hadn’t done anything wrong how could they have been expected? Few people even remembered Vaan existed, and fewer still knew he left FreePort! Not even his neighbor, Madame Steinbeck knew he was leaving. This messenger was far too polite to be arresting them, but he was urgent enough to prove something was amiss.

“Nothing is wrong Sir Vaan. The Balder has heard of your spectacular accomplishment and the help you have come to offer. He requests an audience promptly.” Julian spoke with no emotion, only with a cold necessity, his face remained void of expression. “And let me just say how thankful I am personally.”

“Our…accomplishment?” Vaan asked.

“The cliffs. You climbed the cliffs. Nobody has done that successfully for over fifty years. The Balder would like to meet with the two saviors of Dames. He will see you immediately.” Julian turned and walked in the direction of the mushroom-building. Vaan stood still for a moment repeating the words ‘accomplishment’ and ‘help’. Duncan and Julian were twenty paces ahead before he could move.

“What’s a Balder?” Vaan asked once he had caught them up.

“The Balder, Kenna Mason, is our gracious ruler. He is but the latest in a long line of rulers of our fair city. At least 8 generations.” Vaan slowed his pace and fell behind Julian, slowing Duncan too. “And he has been awaiting this day for quite some time.”

“Should we meet with him?” Vaan whispered once Duncan had caught up.

“Why not?” Duncan replied with equal care. “You know, maybe he just wants to congratulate us.”

“You don’t think we broke a law? Maybe the cliffs are private property?” Vaan continued to whisper. He spent a moment of intense worry trying to come up with something they had done wrong. “Or maybe we disturbed something that shouldn’t. And what about saviors of…” Before he could continue, Duncan interrupted.

“Relax, let’s just see what he wants. I don’t think the leader of Dames is going to murder us. Dames is under FreePort law, they can’t toss us in jail before our offence, as ya think there is, is stated. Besides, it ain’t like anyone actually saw us climb the things if it is against the law or somethin. We can always claim we didn’t really do it.” Duncan’s words did little to ease Vaan’s trembling body. Under his arms and all down his back drops of icy sweat were falling.

Duncan was the first to continue on towards the Balder’s building, or whatever the mushroom was. Vaan turned his head towards the grill as he jogged to catch up. A group-nearly everyone in the grill and more it seemed-had followed the pair out but were keeping their distance. As soon as Vaan made eye contact with the group, many of them waved, cheered or jumped up and down. Young children hid behind the legs of their parents. Other people hurried and turned away, glancing at the clouds or the market.

“I leave you here, he is waiting for you inside. Please don’t keep him waiting long, you may linger in the foyer once you’re business has concluded, most of our honored guests find it irresistible. But please, not before.” Julian bowed slightly then paced off towards the garden area and quickly vanished into the crowd.

“honored guests?”

“Told ya we didn’t do anything wrong.”

“Somebody knew we were here, knew we were coming.” Vaan said it distantly, still trying to understand for himself what it meant.

“Aye, you even got a letter.” Vaan reached in his shirt where the envelope was still waiting. He pulled it out and held it up to the light of the morning sun.

“I do not wish to sound rude, but the Balder is at this very moment, expecting you to enter his chamber.” Julian had literally appeared beside both of them.

“I’m…sorry?” Vaan avoided the man’s eyes. In his avoidance of one pair of eyes he met hundreds of others, all focused on him. The group had, for the most part, gotten closer and larger. It seemed everyone in the market, or at least a good portion of them, had stopped their working and shopping and were shuffling towards the City Hall.

“Go Vaan!”

“Yeah, we love you!”

“Come on!” Shouts and other hurrahs escaped the confines of the group.

“What in Velwythe is going on?” Duncan started laughing. It was a quick laugh, more fearful and anxious than amused.

“Now I must be going. I am overseeing the preparations of the market stage and don’t have time to lead you both around. I would appreciate your assistance in this wonderful celebration.” Julian bowed slightly and jogged towards the market once more, his elaborate and immaculate red coat trailing behind him.

“We’ve got no choice, we have to go in,” Vaan said. “Everyone is watching us. How do they know my name? How on Velwythe did they hear about me?” Vaan looked Duncan directly in his brown eyes, they were narrow from the direct morning sun. “We didn’t do anything wrong.”

“So let’s find out what we did right.”