So... It's been a while?

Vaan was in a daze as they left the tomb. He absently noticed that Ashe wasn't able to see Rasler outside the room where the Dawn Shard had been. Although, she'd put it away by then so that might have had something to do with it. He didn't even notice that Ashe and Rasler were both silently watching him as he followed Balthier and Fran. He realized that they'd both want to speak to him at some point but he had no real desire to speak to either one of them right now. Given some time, Vaan knew that he'd want to talk to Rasler but Ashe would just ask questions and he didn't have any answers.

He felt a little better once they reached the entrance and he was able to breathe the desert air again. He made sure to touch the teleport crystal and headed down the stairs to the sand below. Hopefully he'd be left alone on their journey out of the Sandsea so he could actually think and get himself together.

Then, as they were halfway to the narrow canyon leading to Nam-Yensa, Imperial airships soared overhead and swiftly surrounded them.

They were taken captive.

Imperials wasted no time in hauling them aboard and dragged them before Judge Ghis. The man was waiting for them as they were brought to stand before him.

Rasler seemed to share Vaan's thoughts as he muttered, "How did they know where we were?" Vaan, watching the Judge caress his helmet, agreed. Ashe made it sound like only the royal families knew about Raithwall's treasure. How then, had the Imperials known that they would go there next? Had they had inside information?

Judge Ghis finally turned to face his prisoners. "Such a tremendous honor to again be graced with your presence, Majesty. You left us with such great dispatch upon our last encounter that I must confess… I had begun to worry that we may have given some cause for offense." The man's mouth shifted into what would have been a smile on anybody else's face.

Was this guy for real? Vaan inconspicuously glanced at everyone's stony faces, noting that nobody believed the man, not even Penelo.

Ashe all but sneered at the man. "Such a heartfelt display of remorse. Now what is it you want?"

Judge Ghis took a couple slow steps forward in what he likely intended to be a show of intimidation. "I want you to give me the nethicite."

The nethicite? They all glanced at Penelo, who was in possession of the afore-mentioned nethicite.

Judge Ghis obviously remembered the nethicite Penelo held from their last encounter. "That is a base imitation! We seek Raithwall's Legacy! The ancient relics of the Dynast-King: deifacted nethicite." The man looked at Vossler. "Did you not tell them, Captain Azelas?"

Ashe was too shocked to even turn as Vossler walked up behind her. "Majesty, he speaks of the Dawn Shard." Ashe whirled around. "That is the nethicite."

Basch snarled at the other soldier. "Are you mad, Vossler?"

Vossler was equally as incensed. "If we are to save Dalmasca, we must accept the truth. I will fight this profitless battle no more!"

Basch bowed his head with a disgusted sigh as Judge Ghis began speaking again. "Captain Azelas has struck a wise bargain. In return for the Dawn Shard the Empire will permit Lady Ashe to reclaim her throne, and the Kingdom of Dalmasca will be restored." The man glanced at the despairing Princess. "Think on it. An entire kingdom for a stone. You must admit, 'tis more than a fair exchange."

Balthier shook his head. "And when all is said and done, your master will have another pet."

Judge Ghis stared at the pirate appraisingly for a moment. He looked as if he were weighing the pros and cons of killing the man. "Lady Ashe, let us take him for the people of Dalmasca. Her Majesty wallows in indecision on peril of their heads!" He smoothly swung his sword so it just brushed the underside of Balthier's jawbone. "And his shall be the first to fall."

Balthier smirked. "Well at least your sword is to the point."

Vaan heard Rasler snort in the background. Vaan agreed. Balthier had really grown on him. At the same time, there was a knot in his stomach. He knew Ashe would give up the Dawn Shard. Her honor wouldn't let her abandon an ally, even if she detested the man.

Rasler floated toward him and rested a ghostly hand on his shoulder as they watched the princess hand over any hope they had of touching again.

There was talk of a Dr. Cid, which made Balthier tense up, and then they were escorted to the Shiva.

Vaan walked morosely alongside Penelo as Rasler eavesdropped on Ashe and Vossler's conversation. As they all gathered together in the hold of the Shiva, the ghost stayed close enough behind Vaan that he felt the chill.

"I understand why he's doing this, Vossler. He doesn't see an end to this war and he's trying to do what he thinks is best for his country."

Vaan's eyes shot toward the ghost and looked at him as if he were asking if Rasler were serious. He quickly looked away hoping nobody noticed but Ashe was looking at him.

"I'm not saying he's right. I'm just saying I've been there. Vaan, I've been the one that men looked to for orders on a battlefield. I've sent men to fight knowing that they wouldn't be coming back. Vossler doesn't want the men he's fought beside for years to throw their lives away fighting what he sees as an inevitable outcome." The ghost sighed. "But I digress. What I meant to tell you was that he's made up his mind. He sides with the Empire."

Vaan sighed aloud. "I never did like Vossler." Balthier smirked at him.

It was at that point that Fran screamed about the Mist burning. They all gathered around her as she trembled in a heap on the floor. Vaan sternly told everyone not to touch her. There was a sort of sheen to her skin that Vaan had never seen before. He didn't like the look of it.

They got out of the way of the Imperial as he barged into their huddle. "You, stand!" He grabbed Fran by the shoulder and she sent him flying toward Vossler. They ignored the shouts of the soldiers as Fran let out an unholy shriek and positively decimated Vossler's men.

Penelo huddled behind Balthier, who was calmly watching his partner crush men's limbs with kicks. "What's wrong with her?"

Balthier shrugged off his binds as easily as Vaan had. "I always knew Fran didn't take well to being tied up." He glanced at the limp man who'd landed less than a foot to his left. "I just never knew how much." He turned to ask Ashe casually, "How about you?"

Rasler laughed. "You know, I thought he was pretentious at first but now I'm not sure if I could return to the days before I listened to Balthier's witty remarks and his unique phraseology."

The princess was somewhat tenser than the sky pirate. "I like Fran's idea. Let's get out of here!" She held her bound hands out to Balthier.

Vaan had already freed Penelo and Basch from their binds and was running toward the exit.

Vossler stepped in his way with an unsheathed sword. "No farther!" He glared at Vaan and Balthier, then Basch. "Sky Pirates! The future of Dalmasca will not be stolen!" He held his greatsword up in a ready position and addressed his fellow soldier. "Why do this, Basch? This struggle is futile. You must know where it leads!"

Basch unsheathed his own sword. "I do know. All too well."

As Basch and Ashe lunged at Vossler, Vaan gave himself a second to think. Fran was savagely decimating the reinforcements that had arrived, Penelo was casting Protect on everybody, Balthier was standing in the middle of everything but somehow out of the way getting shots in where he could. Vaan waited until Vossler was engaged in his fight and furtively made his way behind the man. He danced in and cut the pouch the soldier stored his potions and hi-potions in without being noticed. He waited a moment and then darted in and sliced deeply into the backs of Vossler's knees. The man crumpled as his legs failed to support him.

Vaan grinned savagely at Penelo's surprised face. She'd never seen the side of him that was willing to attack from behind. Balthier had collected Fran and was helping her walk. They all continued toward the exit. Balthier called back to Ashe who was watching Basch and Vossler sadly. She reluctantly turned from her two remaining Knights. A minute or so later, Basch caught up to them.

They'd barely made it onto an Atomos when the Shiva imploded. The Imperial Light Cruiser was destroyed in the blink of an eye and in the next second the firestorm was upon them.

Balthier struggled to keep control of the ship. "This might get a little dicey!"

Vaan was taking Fran's place in the copilot seat. She stood behind him staring at the flames. "The Mist. It manifests now."

Vaan fiddled with the controls, doing all he could to help Balthier. He couldn't believe that this Mist was the same Mist that had fascinated him in King Raithwall's Tomb. "Is that what you call this?"

Penelo looked back as they left the blast zone. "What's that?"

Ashe looked too. "I think it's the Dawn Shard!"

"Then what are we waiting for?" Balthier turned back to get it.

Ashe made her way to the hatch to retrieve the Dawn Shard. When Vaan spotted it and they landed, Ashe was off like a flash. Vaan sat back in his seat and ran his hands over his face with a sigh. When he opened his eyes again everyone was looking at him.

He blinked. "What?"

Balthier just stared at him. "Aren't you going to go after her?"

He frowned and noticed Rasler leave the ship. "Why would I do that?"

Penelo shifted uncomfortably and wouldn't look at him. "You like her, don't you?"

He spluttered. "Ashe? Me, like Ashe?" He laughed. "She's an alright person I suppose but it's not like that at all." He had to laugh again. "You didn't buy into this, did you Fran?"

She snorted. "It is clear your attention is focused elsewhere."

As he got up to go after Ashe, he heard Balthier ask his partner, "Elsewhere? Where else is there? He's a teenager and she's a princess. Surely he's not so focused on piracy that he sees nothing else? Why wasn't I included in this?"

He found Ashe standing under an arch with the Dawn Shard clutched to her chest. Rasler stood in front of her but she seemed to be looking through him. He knew from the look on her face however that she'd just seen Rasler. He walked over to the princess and the ghost and smiled softly at both of them. He nudged his shoulder against Rasler's. "Hey," he got Ashe's attention. "Are you ready to go?"

She clutched the Dawn Shard closer to her. "Yes" she breathed. "Let us return to Rabanastre."

On the trip back, everyone was quiet. Except Rasler. He told Vaan about the draw he'd felt toward the Dawn Shard. About how he'd been able to touch it, pick it up, and give it to Ashe. And she'd seen him while he was touching the nethicite.

Vaan contemplated everything Rasler was telling him, among other things. A conversation with Penelo about their relationship was long overdue. He wondered why everyone thought he liked Ashe in a romantic sense. He barely liked her as a person, let alone romantically. As far as the attractive women in their party went, he preferred Fran to Ashe if he was being honest. Fran was much more perceptive and her sense of humor was so fantastically dry.

At least he'd be able to distract himself with some hunts for a little while.

When they arrived in Rabanastre, everyone went directly to wherever they lived and went to sleep. They'd been too long without sleep to do anything else.

Vaan, sharing a place in Lowtown with Penelo when he wasn't staying with the kids near the Waterway, helped the girl home and made himself comfortable in the second bedroom once she was in bed. He fought sleep long enough to tell Rasler goodnight and then surrendered.

In the morning, Penelo was the first one up. When Vaan made his way to the kitchen there was warm bread waiting for him. Penelo was at the table and seemed to have just finished eating.

He joined her once he'd grabbed the remainder of the bread. "Hey, do you have some time to talk or do you need to be somewhere?"

Penelo shook her head. "I have to see Migelo at some point but it's not urgent. He'll want to know I'm alright." She waited while he scarfed down his bread. "Is there something the matter?"

He wiped the few crumbs off his fingers and Rasler settled beside him. "Yes. There's a talk that we've needed to have for a while but I've been putting it off."

The girl frowned. "Is this about Ashe?"

He snorted and shook his head. "That's one thing we have to talk about. I'm not interested in Ashe. She's our Princess so I have to respect her but I don't have to like her, and I don't. There are others that I'd rather have at my back, and in my bed. Besides, even if I did pursue Ashe, she's a royal. Princesses don't marry commoners, thieves, or sky pirates." Neither did Princes.

Beside him Rasler looked heartbroken on his behalf. He knew the two of them were also due for a talk.

Penelo's cheeks were flushed at the mention of Vaan's bed and the implication of indecent activities. "Oh." She muttered quietly. "Well lately there have been all these looks between you."

"That's unrelated." He brushed the matter of Rasler aside. This was about Penelo. "This talk is about you and about me."

Her cheeks were red for an entirely different reason now. She looked down at her fidgeting hands in her lap. "Oh." She repeated. "I never meant for you to know about my feelings." She spoke quietly. "At least not yet. Maybe one day I would've told you. When you got your own airship and we could travel together, just the two of us." She looked up at him with a smile but it fell when he didn't smile back.

"You weren't exactly subtle, Penelo." He sighed and leaned back in his chair. He absently noticed that Rasler had floated through the door and was likely waiting outside for him. He was grateful for the privacy. This conversation was hard enough without having it in front of the man who hadn't left his thoughts since they'd met. "It's better this came up now." He made sure to keep eye contact with her when he spoke. "Penelo, I care for you and I'm sure I always will. We've been through too much together for anything else. But I love you like a friend, a sister even. It's never going to be more than that." His gaze didn't waver and his voice was even. He needed her to know he was serious.

The girl frowned. "Never? How do you know that you'll never love me the way I love you? People change, Vaan." There were tears in her eyes.

He chuckled dolefully. "Not that much, they don't." He looked at her appraisingly. There was nothing for it. He knew her; she was too stubborn to just let this go. Especially when she had to be hurting from his rejection. "You've travelled with us for a while now. You've noticed me sharing looks with Ashe. Have you noticed anything else out of place?" He wondered. She was usually keenly observant but she was rather naïve.

She reflected on his words. "I don't think so. You stare off at nothing sometimes but you don't seem to pay anyone undue attention. You just look at Ashe sometimes." She shrugged.

She was completely missing it. "Just Ashe? Not you? Not Fran?" He prompted. If he were a perpetually aroused young man attracted to the opposite sex, there was no way he'd be able to work with Fran so closely and not stare sometimes. Even Basch looked at Fran. She was a gorgeous woman who wore very little in the way of clothes. It would be natural, and expected. If he were going to lust after a woman, it would be Fran.

"No," she realized slowly. "Not Fran."

"Not Fran." He confirmed. "If I were to look at anyone we travel with romantically, Penelo, it would be Balthier, if anyone." Not Basch. He'd hated the man for too long to even admire the man's chest.

"Balthier?" She frowned. He saw it in her eyes when she finally understood what he was saying. "Oh," she breathed. Her brows dipped in thought. "But you don't look at Balthier."

"I was using him as an example. I think Fran said it best." He tried to remember exactly what she'd said. He'd been so tired and annoyed at everyone thinking he liked Ashe. "My attention is focused elsewhere." He allowed himself a tiny smirk.

"On something or someone?" She asked. "Do I know them? Do I know of them?"

He got up from the table with a grin in her direction and went to meet up with Rasler. He knew she'd be hurting for a while but they'd be okay.

Vaan sat halfway up the stairs to Lowtown from the Waterway, panting. He rarely had the time to simply practice his magick and his precision casting as Rasler had called it. It was easy enough to just cast a spell. It took greater control to overcharge it, make it weak enough to barely work, maximize the efficiency and minimize the spent MP. These next few days would provide him with the much needed free time.

He felt the chill when the ghost sat beside him on the stairs.

"Vaan."

"Rasler." He returned coolly.

"Vaan." He pleaded. "Don't be like that."

"Like what?" Vaan turned his head to stare accusingly at the man. "Hurt? Embarrassed? Upset? Deceived?" To his horror Vaan felt his throat tightening. He would not cry over this. "I told you things I hadn't told anyone else, I felt things for you, I trusted you. But you were never who you appeared to be. Not really. I thought you might have been an allied soldier. I never dreamed you could be a prince. The Prince. Whatever it is that's between us can never work. You're a prince. You're Ashe's husband." He turned away from the man to get himself back under control. He remembered just a few days ago when they'd sat together outside Raithwall's Tomb just talking and flirting and kissing. He didn't want to do this with those happy memories so fresh in his mind. He got up to leave.

"I'm not her husband."

"What?"

"I'm not Ashe's husband." Vaan slowly tuned to look at the man still sitting where he'd left him. "My wedding vows were 'til death did us part." He shrugged.

Vaan sat back down. "But don't you want to be with your wife again?"

Rasler shook his head. "Marriage doesn't work for royalty the way it does for commoners. When Ashe turned sixteen, we were betrothed. Her father wanted her to finish her education in the magickal arts and in ruling before she was married. I wasn't opposed to waiting. I was stationed in Nalbina when I got the news of the betrothal. My father sent a letter. I had one of my men read it out to me. They were all so quick to congratulate me. I wanted to rip up the letter and set it on fire." He sighed. "When I was nineteen, I left Nabudis for Rabanastre to meet my bride. Our fathers decided that our two lands would merge and the two of us would rule them together. I courted Ashe for three months, as is custom. We were married and I shared her bed on our wedding night. After that night I spent every night in my room and she in hers. Four months later, the Empire invaded Nabradia and Nabudis fell. I fell with it." He turned to face Vaan and reached out as if to touch his cheek, and thinking better of it. "With my death, I am free of my vows. I met the woman months before I died, shared her bed once out of obligation and avoided her the rest of the time. She may have loved me but I did not and do not feel that way about her. I am free to do what I wish."

Vaan sighed and leaned forward so that his cheek brushed the ghost's shoulder. So it wasn't the betrayal he'd thought it was. But… "Even so, Rasler you're a prince. Our social stations haven't changed, and neither has the fact that you're a ghost." He sat up and looked at the man's beautiful face.

"My homeland is gone and I am no longer married to Ashe. If I am still a prince it is by birth and I rule nothing. It doesn't matter." He leaned toward Vaan slowly enough that the thief could move out of the way if he wanted. Instead Vaan leaned in to meet him in the middle with a kiss. Rasler retreated with a sad smile. "I have no solutions to my death."

Vaan frowned as a thought occurred to him. "Rasler, have you seen any other ghosts like you?" Perhaps he hadn't been able to see them as the others couldn't see Rasler but surely Rasler would be able to see other ghosts. The ghost shook his head no. "Would it be rude if I asked how you died?"

The ghost was looking at him strangely. "I was shot in the throat with an arrow and Basch cast a spell on me. Then I died."

"A spell? Any idea which one?" He was turning ideas over in his head and he felt the stirrings of hope.

"I assume he tried to heal me. He was panicked at the time and it obviously didn't work." He saw the look on the blonde's face and frowned. "Vaan." He knew that look. "What is this about?"

"What if you're a ghost like this because you're not really dead? What if it's just some sort of extended out of body experience?" There was something like hope blazing in his eyes. "If I can find out the spell that Basch used that night maybe I can dispel it or negate it or cure it or something."

Rasler shook his head in complete bafflement. Was what Vaan was suggesting possible? He's thought he was dead for years. Was it possible he wasn't? "To what end?"

"To get you back to the world of the living, of course." The thief winked at him before standing and heading to Lowtown. He threw one last comment over his shoulder before he had to be quiet. "In the flesh."

Rasler could only follow him.

It had been four days since their escape from the Shiva. They'd agreed to meet after they'd gotten some rest and their affairs in order.

Balthier and Fran had hardly left their room at the Sandsea. Basch followed Ashe wherever she went; they were both likely mourning the loss of Vossler. Penelo had visited Migelo and tried to get herself together after Vaan's rejection of her feelings. And Vaan? After talking to both Penelo and Rasler, Vaan had gone hunting. He knew that the next time everyone met they'd plan the next leg of their journey and so made some gil and distracted himself while he could.

Now they were all in the bazaar talking about what had happened.

Ashe sat quietly in a chair, looking at her hands.

Basch stood protectively beside her. He hadn't left her side since they'd returned to Rabanastre. "So it was the Dawn Shard that brought down the Imperial fleet."

"You know your stuff." Balthier was pensively pacing the room.

"Destructive power of such force. I've seen it once before. Lady Ashe, you know of what I speak."

"Nabudis."

Basch explained for Penelo's benefit, and probably for Vaan's as well. Basch wasn't aware that Vaan knew anything about their late Prince. "The capital of Old Nabradia – Lord Rasler's fatherland."

Vaan came to lean on the back of Penelo's chair where she sat at the table adjacent to Ashe. He was glad they'd spoken and there was no more tension between them. He was going to sit down on the stool behind her but he found he couldn't be still. Rasler kept brushing against him and the conversation was interesting.

"During the invasion, a division of Imperials entered the city – there was a mighty explosion. Friend and foe died alike. Something was there. One of the Dynast-King's relics. The Midlight Shard was in Nabradia."

Balthier leaned against a wall. "More nethicite. Well, no wonder they invaded."

Ashe leaned forward and set the Dawn Shard on the table in front of her. Vaan fought to tear his eyes from it. Rasler didn't bother. "That ridiculous war, the trap at the treaty signing – all because Vayne wanted power." She picked the nethicite back up and stared at it. "He must not be allowed to claim the nethicite. The Empire must never hold it."

Balthier raised his eyebrows at her and crossed his arms. "Oh? They already do. The Dusk Shard, most likely the Midlight Shard too. Besides, can't they manufact nethicite now?"

The princess stood, Dawn Shard clutched to her chest. "Very well, then the path before us is clear. We'll use the Dawn Shard to fight them." Her voice softened when she continued after her declaration. "Dalmasca does not forget kindness nor ill deed done. With sword in hand she aids her allies. Sword in hand, she lays to rest her foes. This nethicite I hold must be my sword. I will avenge those that have died. And the Empire will know remorse."

There was a tense silence after Ashe's voice became as hard as steel at her last few words.

"You even know how to use it?" Vaan felt he had to bring to light the possible problem. The entire plan did depend on her being able to use her new weapon.

Ashe turned. "I-" She trailed off. It was obvious she didn't.

Fran spoke up from where she sat on the table. If Vaan squinted, he could still see a reddish shimmer in the air around her. "The Garif may know." Everyone looked at the viera and waited for her to explain. "The Garif people live by the old ways. Magicite lore is a part of their culture. They may hear it, the cry of the nethicite's power. Whisper's of the Stone's menace." She leveled her accusing gaze on the princess.

Ashe did not back down. She stalked up to Fran, nethicite in hand. "Dangerous though it may be, what we need now is power. Should we declare Dalmasca free without means to defend our claim… The Empire would crush us. You must take me to meet with the Garif." Ashe pleaded.

Fran inclined her head. "They live beyond Ozmone Plain."

Balthier stepped forward. "Not exactly close."

Ashe sighed and half-turned to face him. "Compensation – is that what you want?"

Balthier smirked and circled her like she was prey. "Straight to the point, aren't we? I like that. Compensation?" He thought. "How about the ring?"

"This?" Vaan had never heard Ashe sound so desperate. "Isn't there something else?"

Balthier held his hand out and shook his head. "No one's forcing you."

Reluctantly, Ashe removed her wedding ring and gave it to Balthier.

The pirate closed his fist. "I'll give it back to you. As soon as I find something more valuable." He said it as if it were obvious.

Ashe said nothing and walked away. It was clear that there was no material possession in the world as valuable to her as that ring.

Vaan asked him, "What do you mean "something more valuable"?"

Balthier looked at the ring in his hand before he pocketed it. "Hard to say. I'll know when I find it. What is it you want, Vaan? What are you looking for?" With that, they left Vaan alone except for Rasler.

"Me? What am I looking for? I guess – well, I – you know…" He sighed. He was looking for nethicite so he could touch the man that he was already half in love with, who was the maybe-not-dead husband of the exiled princess of his nation. More than anything, he wanted to bring Rasler back.

He shook his head. With a shared look with his ghostly companion, the duo left the room and emerged into the bazaar. They met up with the others outside to hear the tail end of the conversation. They'd have this last day in Rabanastre to prepare. They'd leave in the morning.

He had one last thing to do in the city.

"Are you sure about this?" Vaan hissed under his breath. Talking to R in public made him very self conscious.

"Yes." The ghost replied again. "You need to take the Mage exam so you're not apprehended for practicing outside of Dalmasca."

"You weren't this insistent before."

"Before there wasn't a chance of you casting spells no self-taught or student could cast. Just do it. Please." The ghost begged.

"Fine, but I won't sit through the huge written test my mom complained about."

"Well those are for practitioners trained by formal schools or for hospital-trained White Mages so you're in luck."

"So what do I do?"

"You go in there, say you want to take the oral and practical categories of the certification exam, and answer any questions they have."

The thief took a steadying breath. "Okay." And before he could change his mind again he took two steps forward and opened the door to Yugri's Magicks.

Yugri was manning the store as per usual. "Vaan? It's been a while. Aadi," – Vaan assumed that was the name of the bangaa who covered for Yugri – "said you were here not long ago to buy a couple spells? Finally trying your hand at magick?" Yugri joked.

Vaan laughed nervously. "You could say that. Actually, I wanted to take the oral and practical certification exams if it's not too much trouble."

Vaan could tell it took Yugri a moment to shake off his surprise. "Uh, yeah, okay, sure. Let's see…" They looked around. "I have two Scholars here today, Arja and Faaroog. Are they suitable?"

Vaan fondly recalled Faaroog as the old Scholar he'd pestered about Black Magick. The man had been a Red Mage in his youth. Arja, he knew was a viera Green Mage but that was all he knew of her. "I'd prefer Heka," the city's only Scholar who studied White Magick, "but they'll do I suppose."

"Excellent, right this way." Yugri lead him to a large back room, obviously a workroom, and left him in the middle of the room while they left to fetch the Scholars. All three returned shortly, the Scholars looking intrigued. It wasn't often that practitioners became certified through Magick stores. The three people settled behind a long, narrow table.

Faaroog started writing on some papers he'd brought in with him. "Hello, Vaan. Taking your exams, finally? Let me guess, Self-taught, Black Magic specialization?"

Vaan had to laugh. Of course the man would assume Black Magick after being pestered for years about it. "Ah, no. I'm actually here for my Battlemage Certification."

Faaroog stiffened. "Battlemage? Even if you had learned enough from me to earn that rank – which you haven't – I'm not claiming you as a student."

"I don't expect you to." Vaan agreed. "I specialize in White Magick. As it turns out, I'm unskilled in Black Magick with the exception of my spectacularly defective gift with spells in the Fire family."

Even as Faaroog noted that down he asked, "But your father was somewhat skilled in Black Magick, as was your brother if I remember correctly."

"They were, but my mother was a White Mage."

At this, the viera leaned forward to more closely examine him. "You are a son of Sirona?" She didn't give Vaan a chance to answer. "Yes, I see it now." That was all she said. If Vaan wasn't used to Fran, it might have unnerved him.

Faaroog, who seemed to be the primary proctor of the exam, cleared his throat. "All right, for the record: your name is Vaan?"

"Yes."

"Your country of origin?"

"Dalmasca."

"Requested certification?"

"Battlemage specializing in White Magick."

"Magick proficiency?"

"Specializing in White Magicks, able to cast pure White spells, one pure Green spell, three pure Time spells, two Arcane and Green binary spells, one Arcane and White binary spell, and four Green and White binary spells." The thief recited smugly. He knew his skillset was somewhat bizarre. It was unconventional, true, but in all the best ways for a Battlemage. If he were only able to cast pure spells he wouldn't have such an advantage over his opponents.

All three of the people on the examiners' board had surprised looks on their faces. He noticed that Arja had perked up at the mention of Green Magick. Clearing his throat again, Faaroog asked the next question. "Are you self-taught or did someone teach you?"

It was clear that the man expected him to be self-taught. R had told him to be honest in the exam. "My Master is Lord Rasler Heios Nabradia."

The answer elicited the expected shocked silence. After a long pause, Faaroog asked, "You have proof of this claim?"

Vaan understood the hesitancy. A Master-student claim was a big deal and a falsified claim was grounds for incarceration. "Not documented proof." Obviously, the Master in the relationship would have the documentation and his master was deceased royalty. "But I have knowledge of him that is unknown outside of his records." A practitioner's record or file contained all the information about a person as a practitioner, things that only they and any of their students or teachers would know. A practitioner's file must be kept in any location where it was possible to become certified in their region.

Yugri sighed and got up. "I'll be right back with the file."

R had told him they'd do this so he came prepared.

Yugri returned with the file and handed it to Faaroog. The man didn't waste any time. "Lord Rasler's Classification and specialization?"

Vaan just skipped right to it and said anything they'd want to know. "Arcane Battlemage including all pure spells and a number of binary spells: Ardor, Drain, Syphon, Gravity, and Graviga. He has a background in Black Magick and is also able to cast two pure White spells, three pure Time spells, as well as Poison, Toxify, and Protect." Nobody falsely claiming the man as their Master would know the details beyond Rasler's specialization and Classification and perhaps his general background in Black Magick.

"Who was his Master and where was he trained?"

R frowned beside him, in what Vaan knew to be irritation at himself. "I didn't expect them to ask that. My first Master taught me all the Black Magick he could but he was an Abnormal. His name was Chakor. When I learned all I could from him I apprenticed under Jagad, an Arcane Mage. They both taught me in Nabudis."

Faaroog nodded as Vaan relayed the information. "You check out, kid. Not sure how he taught you White Magick though. Not to mention how you met."

"He didn't have to, I already knew the spells. It was the actual casting and theory I needed help with."

"Well that's the technicalities sorted out anyway. Let's start, shall we? Please cast the weakest, strongest, and most efficient Cure you are capable of and explain its effects."

For most of the White spells the examiners asked him to cast the spells three different ways while explaining them. Sometimes they threw in a theory question on visualization or channeling. In the case of Protect he was asked to cast the smallest shield he could, the largest, the most efficient, a shield like a second skin, and one centered on a precise area, like only the back of the neck. When he explained his issues with power and control regarding Raise and Arise, the examiners were satisfied seeing him just use the spell. They were suitably impressed when he managed to trickle just enough power into Holy that the spell worked but the surge of magickal energy hardly ruffled the papers on the desk. When he cast Float, he did what R had told him when he was first testing out his magick and just exhaled. Arja carefully inspected his Green Magic and found it satisfactory – high praise coming from a viera.

She slowly circled him after asking him to gather enough magick for a spell but not to cast and to instead let the power dissipate. She'd say anything in his repertoire. Anything from Blindna to Float to Curaja. "The way you channel is fascinating." She said. "Your quantities are very precise. It is similar to the way Wood-warders craft and shape magick." She gave her approval and left after imparting that bit of wisdom.

"Well," said Yugri. "You've certainly got the power and your channeling is easily up to par in most spells. I can tell you've mastered some of them. At this point I think you just need to work on your finesse but that comes with time and experience. But you've got the ability and you're certainly controlled enough not to be a danger to anyone." They looked to Faaroog.

The Scholar nodded and stamped the paper. Both remaining examiners signed it and they handed it over.

"Those forms are documentation enough but we recommend you acquire a signet. The easiest way would be to contact the Magick Association or the Association of White Mages. But it's completely your choice." Yugri smiled at him.

Vaan grinned while R tried to wrap himself around him. His words sent a shiver down his spine. "Congratulations, Vaan."