Paramina Rift
Freezing Gorge
Balthier
Empires parade down city streets, while refugees walk barefoot through the snow.
Larsa
And so I sue for peace to stop short war and ease their suffering.
My father will choose peace.
Balthier
Will he now?
You sound sure of yourself.
You can never know another, even your father.
Vaan
Don＊t take it the wrong way, okay?
The Imperial City of Archades
The Imperial Palace
Vayne
This crisis would not end were I gone.
The Senate hates the very fact that House Solidor exists.
By necessity, we must find reason to silence them.
Gramis
Necessity?
Ah yes, necessity.
Does that word free you, I wonder?
You show no hesitation to solve matters with blood.
Vayne
The sword of House Solidor cannot be left to rust in doubt.
It was you, Excellency, who tempered that sword.
Gramis
Is this your idea of vengeance?
Vayne
It is my idea of necessity.
If we do not act now, it is not only our future you imperial.
Gramis
So you would dirty your hands, to keep his clean?
Bayne
My hands are stained with blood.
I see little reason to stay them now.
Gramis
So they are.
And so House Solidor lives on.
Mt Bur-Omisace
Hall of the Light
Vaan
Is he sleeping?
Anastasis
No, my child.
I do not sleep.
I dream.
For reality and illusion are a duality, two parts of a whole.
Only the mirror of dreams reflects what is true.
Ashe
Anastasis, Your Grace, I am Ashelia 每
Anastasis
Lay down your words.
Ashelia, daughter of Raminas, I have dreamt your dream.
Who better to carry on the Dalmascan line than she who bears the Dawn Shard?
Your dream of a kingdom restored is known to me.
Larsa
Gran Kiltias, then give us your blessing.
Grant the Lady Ashe her accession 每
Al-Cid
I do not suppose this is something you might＃reconsider?
My little emperor-in-waiting.
You called and I have come.
Larsa
This is the man I wanted you to meet.
Believe it or not, he is a member of the noble House Margrace, rulers of the Rozarrian Empire.
Al-Cid
I am but one of very, very many.
Try as I might, I could not stop this war alone＃thus I come seeking Larsa＊s assistance.
Al-Cid Margrace, at your service.
To think I stand before the Lady Ashe.
It is truly an honor.
I see it is true after all.
Ah, stunning is Dalmasca＊s desert bloom.
Anastasis
In Archadia, Larsa.
In Rozarria, Al-Cid.
They dream not of war.
Should empire join with empire, the way will open for a new Ivalice in our time.
Al-Cid
Hah, Gran Kiltias! You speak much of dreams.
But in the real world, war is upon us.
Ashe
Gran Kiltias, I was told my coming here would prevent this war.
I was to assume my father＊s throne and announce the restoration of Dalmasca＃treat with the Empire for peace, and persuade the Resistance to stay their hand.
I have not come all this way to be asked to reconsider!
Al-Cid
A word from you and the Resistance would stop cold＃and Rozarria＊s pretext for joining the war＃scattered, off to the four winds.
This was what we had hoped.
Alas, circumstances change.
A full two years have passed since your reported death.
Were it to become known you Were still alive＃I fear it could only worsen our current situation.
Ashe
Because I am powerless to help.
Al-Cid
Nay, in fact it has little to do with you.
Larsa
Then what?
If Lady Ashe were to extend her hand in friendship＃perhaps I could then persuade the Emperor.
His Excellency will solve things peacefully 每
Al-Cid
The Emperor Gramis is no more.
His life was taken.
Larsa
Father!
The Imperial City of Archades
The Imperial Palace
Senator A
What possible cause could we have to lay hand on our Emperor?
Senator B
A deception and an outrage!
The Senate will not stand for this!
Drace
A viper amongst our Senators!?
Vayne
With Chairman Gregoroth as its head.
With what ??? remained.
He confessed the poisoning and passed his own sentence.
Bergan
A viper with many tails.
Much of the Senate is culpable.
Vayne
We had no choice but to strip the Senate of authority and assign powers of autocracy to myself. Until such time as order 每
Drace
Spare me your lies! I see the serpent coiled here before me!
Zargabaath
Drace, you speak too freely!
Drace
Zargabaath! Do not tell me you join in this mummer＊s farce!
Zargabaath
With Rozarria poised to invade at any moment, our leader must have a free hand.
Vayne
The once-great House Solidor is now reduced to myself and my dear brother Larsa.
Drace
Surely you would not go so far!
Vayne Solidor!
As Judge Magister and upholder of the law, I hereby place you under arrest!
Bergan
You misunderstand.
Vayne did not make himself autocrat, It was the very Ministry of Law which you serve.
Do you see it now, Drace?
When you bared your sword at His Excellency, you bared your sword at the law.
Drace
You wear the mummer＊s motley well, Bergan.
Such strength 每
Inhuman!
Vayne
Zargabaath, take the Alexander.
You will accompany Bergan and bring Larsa back to me.
Gabranth
Your Excellency, Lord Larsa was placed under my charge.
Vayne
Oh? Perhaps you mistook your orders then.
I can see no other explanation for why you were reporting and conjecturing on my doings to my late father.
Gabranth
Your Excellency 每
Vayne
A hound, begging for scraps at the Emperor＊s table.
Would you serve another master, hound?
You may fulfil your duty as judge Magister before us all.
She has been tried and found guilty.
Zargabaath
Your Excellency, I beg you reconsider!
Drace
Do it.
I care not.
Live, Gabranth. Protect the young lord.
Protect Larsa＃
Gabranth
Forgive me.
Drace
Pray be quick.
Vayne
And so House Solidor lives on.
Al-Cid
Let us suppose you approach the Empire with a peaceful resolution.
The late Emperor Gramis would have lent you his ear, that much is certain.
But we are dealing with Bayne Solidor.
Should the Princess return, he would claim her an impostor.
All to tempt the Resistance into battle.
Vayne wants this war, that much is certain.
As our ill luck would have it, the man is a military genius.
Anastasis
The dreams have told me thus.
To reveal yourself would imperil us all.
I see war, and Vayne＊s name writ bold on history＊s page.
Al-Cid
Archadia＊s banners fly high.
They are making ready for the coming war.
According to our latest reports＃
The Western Armada prepares for war, under Vayne＊s command no less.
The newly formed 12th fleet has already been deployed.
Oh, yes. The Imperial 1st Fleet stands ready. They＊ll be under way as soon as the Odin＊s refit is complete.
And there is more: the 2nd Kerwon Expeditionary Force is being called in＃to replace the missing 8th, so there will be no gaps.
The largest force ever seen!
Ashe
And then＃the nethicite is the coup de grace.
Gran Kiltias, Your Grace.
I spoke to you of my succession.
Let us put that aside.
Should I become Queen of Dalmasca now, powerless as I am, I can protect nothing.
With a greater power at my disposal, perhaps then.
Anastasis
It is the nethicite of which you dream?
Ashe
I require something far greater.
Anastasis
To wield power against power.
Truly the words of a hume-child.
Ashe
I am descended from the Dynast-King himself.
Anastasis
Indeed. Then you have but one choice.
Seek you the other power Raithwall left.
Ashe
Does such a thing exist?
Anastasis
Journey across the Paramina Rift to the Stilshrine of Miriam.
There rests the gift he entrusted to the Gran Kiltias of his time. Seek it out.
The Sword of Kings＃can cut through nethicite.
Why he would entrust the power to destroy nethicite, the instrument of his greatness＃to another and not to his own progeny, I cannot say.
Awaken Ashelia B＊nargin and take up your sword, or your dream will remain but a dream.
My dream, too, fades into day.
the Stilshrine of Miriam
Vault of the Champion
Vaan
You should try it on the Dawn Shard.
See if it can destroy nethicite or not.
Ashe
What＊s
Balthier
He just may be on to something.
The Dawn Shard＊s no use to us, after all.
Ashe
The Stone bleeds Mist.
Fran
It has been roused.
It fears the sword.
The Stone is quiet.
Ashe
This is the sword.
The nethicite destroyer.
Balthier
Should it find its mark.
Ashe
Vaan.
Tell me.
Did you see him again?
Vaan
I didn＊t.
Not a thing.
Not even my brother.
Not＃not anything.
Zargabaath
The Empire＊s debts grow legion.
Fran
There!
Vaan
Smoke?
Ashe
What could it mean?
Mt Bur - Omisace
Hall of the Light
Bergan
Ah, our vagrant princess.
Swift has your lust for revenge led you to the Sword of Kings.
You will surrender it to me.
Too late, and to their sorrow do those who misplace their trust in gods learn their fate.
Vaan
There it is again.
Balthier
Fran, I don＊t like the look of that.
Fran
This Mist 每
He holds a Stone!
It controls him as it did Mjrn!
Bergan
No.
No, the power of manufacted nethicite is the power of Man!
A weapon forged by his wisdom＃who would challenge the gods themselves!
A fitting blade for a true Dynast-King.
Raithwall did but pretend the title＃a cur begging nethicite scraps from his master＊s table.
Hark!
Ivalice hails her true Dynast-King, Vayne Solidor!
He shall defy the will of the gods, and see the reins of History back in the hands of Man!
His time is nigh!
The new Ivalice holds no place for the name Dalmasca.
The stain of Raithwall＊s blood＃shall be washed clean from history＊s weave!
Balthier
He set his very bones about with manufacted nethicite.
The Gran Kiltias?
Penelo
Wait 每 what about Larsa?
Al-Cid
Gone. Spirited away by Judge Gabranth.
Vaan
You okay?
Basch
So he was here.
Al-Cid
Ah, as for our young lordling, he went alone 每
To avoid trouble, you see.
But Judge Bergan had other ideas.
He flew into a rage, and I was left to fend for myself.
Please, Princess. You must permit me to take you back with me to Rozarria.
Ashe
So that you can protect me?
Al-Cid
I would lay down my life at a single word to be sure＃but I harbor no maundering delusions of valiant grandeur.
Vayne has our War Pavilion Jumping at shadows.
They favor a pre-emptive strike.
But you 每 you will convince them otherwise.
You will see that they do not start this war.
Ashe
This I cannot do. Forgive me.
But my errand here is not yet done.
I must wield the Sword of Kings, and with it bring an end to the Dusk Shard.
Al-Cid
Ah, this Stone.
Do you even know where it is?
Balthier
I can venture a guess.
The Draklor Laboratory.
In Archades.
The Empire＊s weapons research begins and ends there.
How soon do we leave?
Ashe
At once.
As for matters in Rozarria＃I bid you luck.
Al-Cid
So you would leave each to fend for his own.
Let us hope that you are not disappointed.
Ah, that＊s right.
Larsa left a message.
※The differences between our two lands will fade before the shared dream of men.§
My leave I take.
Temple Grounds
Ashe
How do you propose we reach Archades?
Archadia＊s borders will be well guarded for fear of Rozarrian invasion.
We dare not approach by air.
Balthier
And their navy will see that the coast is watched as well＃ No, we go afoot.
We＊ll cross into Archadia in the Salikawood.
We can reach the wood any number of ways, but the easiest is to head north from Nalbina.
Fran
There is a hunter＊s camp just beyond the Salikawood.
The camp sits within Archadia＊s borders, so Imperial patrols there should be sparse.
Balthier
Getting that far should be half the fun.
Let＊s be sure we go prepared.
