Blessings Abound

Unable to readily refute Andrew's words, Basch fell silent and remained that way for several minutes with his head lowered in thought. Lucky for him, Andrew didn't mind waiting a while to hear what the man had to say.

Raising his head, Basch expressed, "I will not argue that conquest cannot bring about prosperity. But the people cherish their history and culture. To cast it aside is to disgrace all those who came before us..."

"That's just pointless sentimentalism," stated Andrew. "If a culture has a history of human sacrifice, do you think it should be honored indefinitely? There will always be those who oppose the status quo, and it is by might and reason they break and cast aside the shackles of the past, permitting people to walk freely toward the future..."

Shaking his head, Andrew found conviction he didn't know he possessed as he asserted, "No, Captain. It isn't their 'culture' that defines a people, but their hopes for the future. Those who get held up clinging to the past rather than building upon it bar the path for all those who follow after. If such a mentality were the prevailing thought, the nations you know today would never have come to be..."

"Your words speak to the truth and a greater wisdom..." conceded Basch. "However, if the one who shapes the future does so at the expense of the past, the people will lose their identity and the hope you speak of. A true leader bears that hope as a torch, lighting the way for others to follow. If the only course forward is illumed by the burning corpses of the innocent, what awaits at the end is not prosperity for all but opportunities for those without compassion or mercy..."

Impressed by Basch's rebuttal, Andrew nodded in approval, saying, "Well reasoned. But, unless you can engrave such sentiments upon the one that would bear the torch of Dalmasca's future, they are meaningless. You may be able to light the way for those following behind you, Captain, but if the person leading the way is fumbling through the darkness, the brilliance of your torch could cast a long shadow that obscures their way forward..."

"..."

Though he paused momentarily, Basch surprised Andrew by smiling as he proclaimed, "Then I'll walk slowly and share the light of my torch with all who are willing to bear it. If our light can illuminate every shadow, the one leading us may wander astray, but the path forward will remain ever clear to them. That is the duty of those beholden to their oaths."

Leaving Basch feeling gratified and slightly taken aback, Andrew abruptly remarked, "Man, you are way too awesome. Now I feel bad for even trying to debate you..."

Preempting Basch's response, Andrew adopted a smile and said, "But my previous declaration stands. It is not you who needs to convince me, but the one you would serve. After all, I'm not suited to carrying torches. I'm more the type to provide the fuel that keeps them burning."

"To what end, if you don't mind my asking?" asked Basch, feeling much more confident after receiving Andrew's 'praise.'

"You're asking what I stand to gain from supporting your cause?" asked Andrew, raising his brows slightly as he mused, "You didn't seem all that concerned about it a few moments prior."

"That was before I better understood your character," said Basch. "Now, I can say with relative certainty you aren't a man concerned with wealth or status. But you also don't appear concerned with duty or principle, so I'm at a loss as to 'why' you've come to Dalmasca..."

"Ah...I see what you mean..." muttered Andrew, nodding his head a few times before stating, "The simplest way to explain things is that I came here to observe and experience the flow of fate and history in the making. I've come for additional reasons, but unless things develop in a particular direction or reach a natural conclusion, I'm under no obligation to explain things further. However, I can readily say this much: I'm not your enemy."

"Thank the Gods for that..." muttered Basch, adopting a wry smile at the thought of contending against someone with Andrew's capabilities. Just his ability to store and transport a seemingly limitless amount of supplies made him a tremendous threat. Combine that with powerful Magicks and the ability to fly, and Andrew might as well be the world's most compact, human-shaped dreadnaught...

"Is there anything else you wanted to talk about?" asked Andrew, eager to return to his pre-sleep perusings.

"One last thing," said Basch. "How will I know how to reach you once we flee this place? Have you taken up residence in Rabanastre?"

"Mmm...I haven't yet decided where I'll be staying, but you can reach me through Penelo, Vaan's childhood friend," replied Andrew. "I won't go into details, but she has the means to contact me just about anywhere."

"That's a relief, then," said Basch. "I believe there is a fate between Vaan and me. He appears to be lost at present, but the fire of a true-blooded Dalmascan flows through him, just as it did his brother. Once he finds his way, I'm certain it will be amid the ranks of the Resistance."

"You believe him a capable torch bearer...?" asked Andrew, raising his brows.

"Who better to carry the torch than those who would live Dalmasca's future?" countered Basch, rising to his feet and adding, "Thank you for abiding my presence. I will leave you in peace."

"Wait," said Andrew, stopping Basch before he could turn and depart. "Take this..." he added, proferring forth an ornate golden ring with a marquise base and a two-tiered ruby inlay.

"This is...?" asked Basch, accepting the ring with a look of confusion.

"It's a special ring which, when wielded by those with a strong sense of duty, extends the duration of beneficial Magicks and statuses," explained Andrew. "It's not the most practical enchantment, but it should serve you well."

"My thanks," said Basch, clenching the ornate ring in his fist with a look of conviction. It might be a baseless sentiment, but he interpreted the gift as Andrew recognizing his character and cause. He didn't require the latter's recognition, but after two years of agonizing torture, it felt good to receive appreciation in place of contempt...

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After a few hours of rest, bringing the time to 11:38 AM, Andrew returned the cottages and cooking equipment to his Item Box before the group set out to continue their escape from the Barheim Passage. Fortunately, Fran had scouted ahead and discovered that very little passage remained. The problem was that the chamber preceding the exit had become the nest of a Mimic Queen, a rare and dangerous subspecies that could ingest metal and condense Mist within its glowing, stained-glass-looking abdomen to birth countless lesser Mimics. It also had lengthy, nearly eight-meter-long bladed legs that could slice and pierce both thick metal plates and people with ease.

Exhibiting no fear, Basch stated, "I will take the lead and distract it while the rest of you deal with the remaining Mimics. But be on your guard. If it turns away from me and attacks you from behind, that might allow me to strike it down, but I cannot guarantee your safety."

With Basch looking toward him, Vaan frowned, crossed his arms, and said, "A bug is still a bug, even if it's the size of a house. Once we finish the rest of the Mimics, I'll squash the Queen. No problem."

Exhibiting his endless patience, Basch adopted a smile and said, "Then I shall do my best to stall it until you have the chance to do so."

Turning his attention to Andrew, Basch asked, "And what about you, my friend? Will you aid us in the coming battle...?"

Shaking his head, Andrew replied, "The four of you should be more than enough to best it. But if our rabbit-eared friend permits me to touch her ears, I could provide a series of party-wide buffs to make the fight much easier."

Instead of refusing Andrew's proposition outright, Fran asked, "What support Magicks can you use?"

"Let's see..." said Andrew, raising his gaze reflectively as he listed off the spells he knew, counting with his fingers as he recited, "Haste, Bravery, Faith, Vigilance, Enfire, Enfrost, Enthunder, Enwater, Protect, Shell, Auto-Life, Barfire, Barfrost, Barthunder, Barwater, Veil, Float, and Reflect. There are a few others, but that covers the basics."

"It appears we're dealing with a veritable Archmage..." remarked Balthier, standing with his arms crossed.

"So it would appear..." muttered Fran, approaching within arm's distance of Andrew and bowing her head slightly. In response, he reached up and tentatively touched her ears, causing her to frown as he remarked, "Mmm, it's bristlier than I expected. Is that typical of Viera, or is this the result of being trapped in the Dungeon...?"

"Are you finished...?" asked Fran, her tone sharper as she appeared visibly annoyed.

"Sure, but once we get out of here, remind me to present you an oil rag or a bottle of conditioner," said Andrew, retracting his hands from Fran's ears before pulling out a staff formed from a twisted tree branch adorned with feathers and tiny blue gemstones, using it to mitigate the cost of the array of buffs he applied to both the bunny girl and the rest of the party.

"Whoa! This is amazing...!" exclaimed Vaan, darting around the tunnel at high speeds, bounding from the walls, floor, and ceiling thanks to Haste and Float. It was his first time using them, but his inherent dexterity and reflexes made him a natural at what Cloud referred to as 'omnidirectional' combat.

Feeling the buffs even more than the rest of the party, Basch balled his right hand into a fist and appended, "Truly. This is not the first time I've received the boon of a White Mage's blessing, but never to this extent..."

"It's a shame they won't last forever," said Balthier, adding, "To that end, I suggest we deal with Her Majesty, the Mimic Queen, 'before' they expire."

Nodding in affirmation, Basch confidently stated, "Then I shall take the lead," before turning on his heel with Ice Brand in hand, prepared to take on the much larger Mimic Queen directly.

"Hey, wait up...!" exclaimed Vaan, but before he could reach and overtake Basch to try and tackle the Mimic Queen himself, Andrew snatched him by the collar, stating, "You better behave..." with a deadpan expression on his face.

"Let go of me!" exclaimed Vaan, shaking out of Andrew's grasp but only because the latter released his grip. Fortunately, he had enough sense not to try and run off, understanding that Andrew was much faster and would grab him a second time.

"You will focus on the lesser Mimics and then assist Basch once they are defeated," said Andrew, leaving no room for discussion.

"Yeah, I know..." grumbled Vaan, looking like an exasperated teen being told to take out the trash by his parents. His demeanor gave Andrew an almost instinctual urge to smack him, but he restrained himself and said, "Good," before clapping Vaan's shoulder and adding, "You have a lot of potential, Vaan. But, before you can fly freely, you must first learn how to walk and then run..."

"What does that even mean?" asked Vaan, leaving Andrew at a slight loss for words. Fortunately, he didn't have to explain their meaning as an ear-piercing screech emanated from the direction Basch had departed. At the same time, the gates lining the hall began to descend, prompting Andrew to grab Vaan's collar and use several short-range teleports to bypass the falling gates before they could close, joining Basch, Fran, and Balthier in a large chamber filled with Mimics, one of which towered over the others as it used its massive, bladed legs to slice or send the former Captain flying only to have its forelimb frozen solid, the result of a convenient, 200% weakness to Ice...

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