“I’m Captain Basch fon Ronsenburg of Dalmasca!” That boy was screaming that phrase all day. Just wandered Bhujerba and announced he’s that traitor who killed the king. Every single time he spoke up, I saw more and more eyes stare his direction. Some questioned how he could be the traitor when the “good” captain was much older than this runt. Others just waved him off like the nuisance he was proving himself to be. And still others began to question why Basch’s name was coming up at all. Was it possible he was alive? Regardless of his reasoning, it got people talking and gossiping. Ka’Lin and I were no exception. When that boy strutted near our home and proclaimed himself a dead man, my ears perked right up. I had family back in Rabanastre, many of whom believed Basch was framed. Why would such a loyal soldier suddenly kill his own king, they would wonder. The obvious answer is because that old codger was betraying his people by surrendering to the empire. Of course, they were staunch believers in the captain’s innocence, so no amount of logical words would sway them. Regardless of my family, hearing this snot nosed brat yelling was enough to make me poke my head out the window. He was young. Real young. Barely looked to be out of his teens, even. Still, he would run the streets of Bhujerba and mock Ondore’s claims of the captains death. As I was watching this punk, Ka’Lin came up behind me and squeezed herself on my side to see what the commotion was. Ka’Lin is a bangaa, and as such, she has good sight. She was able to spot the kid running up to a group of people, one of which looked like a sky pirate. When she mentioned this, I told her this was all just some big ruse, probably to try to swindle people of money or something. Typical of those pirate morons, I said. And I should know, I used to be one. I would travel around here and there, constantly on the look for my next big break. I always made it a point not to hurt people, though. Sure, I was a dirty thief, but I wasn’t no murderer. But, that life ended when I met Ka’Lin. Strange though it sounds, I fell in love with a bangaa woman. I don’t know what first drew me to her, but I suppose if I had to guess, I’d say it was her attitude. She wasn’t afraid to curse me out for attempting to steal from her cousin’s armor shop. But when the guards came for me, she shooed them away. Snarling, she told me that I’d have to work if I wanted that armor. I had half a mind to just steal it and bolt away, but every time I eyeballed it, she would be right behind me, her clawed hand gripping my shoulder and demanding me to get back to work. Over time, her grip on my shoulder would become lighter and softer, to the point where one day, she just calmly placed her hand there and whispered right in my ear to get back to work or else. I was a fool and asked “or else what?” I had assumed her softer touch was a sign of her lowering her guard. Turns out, she was tricking me, waiting for me to do something. And speaking those words to her was all she needed. Her fingers dug into my shoulder harder than ever before and she snarled right into my ear, “or else I’ll make you feel more pain than you could ever imagine.” Somehow, I managed to push her off of me, knocking her into a nearby wall. Grabbing the offending hand, I pinned it above her head and glared right into her eyes. She smiled a toothy grin. “My house. Sundown.” That night, we relieved ourselves of pent up frustration and destroyed any tension we had. Afterwords, I decided that I rather enjoyed spending time with her, and she the same. Ever since, we’ve been together. A strange tale, yes, but I hear many bangaa women are the same. Supposedly, they don’t like the long game of subtlety and coyness, preferring instead to just come out and say what they want. Especially when it comes to humes. No matter to me, I’m happy with this situation. Anyway, about that boy and his sky pirate friend. Ka’Lin said it would be best if we just avoided them. No good can come from whatever they have planned. I agreed and we shut ourselves back inside, going back to what we were doing. Cleaning. Nothing fancy or out of the ordinary, just proper upkeep of the home and all that.