Fan Fiction Final Fantasy VII: Blood of the Living

Dragon Mage · Jun 15, 2007

Hello, Hello, once again. Well, I had begun to post my story on here a long while ago. However, that thread has been archived. So, I must remake it! I'll go over the details again.
I had originally meant to make this an independent story. However, making worlds, magic systems, and evil bad guys, proved to me much harder than I had anticipated it to be. So, I decided to base it in the world of FFVII, as that setting served my needs the best. Keep in mind, however, that since it's setting has changed, the story has been changed a bit itself. So it wouldn't seem like an independent story as you read it here.
I would also like to stress that I do not consider this a fanfic. I'm not using the chars from the game, except for plot devices, and plot devices only. (or as an easy excuse...you'll see what I mean.) These are MY characters and it's MY story; the only thing it shares with FFVII is the setting. That's it.

There isn't much of a prologue here, except to say that this story takes place a year after the events of Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children.
Shall we begin? And by the way: please comment on what you think of this story. I value all critiques. Thank You.

Chapter 1--A New Face

Zack had come to a conclusion: Being dead didn't deserve half the praise it got. In fact, he found it to be rather boring. Most of everyone he knew was still alive. They couldn't talk to him or see him, and could only do so under very special circumstances, and didn't happen often.

Of course, he could talk with others like him, except he considered making new friends with dead people was a sign of mental instability and overall just weird. Never mind that he was dead too. It just wasn't right.

He usually spent his time with Aeris, but she'd be gone doing......something. Exactly what, he wasn't sure. She'd tried to explain it to him before, but he just couldn't get it. Healing, planet, mind-talk, the usual stuff. But, she was gone. This left Zack with no one to talk to, and very little to do.

As he had nothing better to do, he usually hung out by his sword. It was on a cliff overlooking the ruined city of Midgar and the new town of Edge. The huge sword had been placed over the spot where Zack had died by his friend, Cloud. Despite the situation, Zack thought it was a very nice view from there. Today, he was doing nothing more than relaxing by his old sword and daydreaming.

Today, however, he was not alone. He eyed the person standing next to the half-buried sword, wondering who would come out to such a remote place.

To his surprise, it was a woman. She was tall, about 5' 8", in her early 20's and had long black hair that fell to her waist and was pulled back into a ponytail. A long strand of her hair framed one side of her face, coming down to her attractive jaw line. She wore a dark purple, sleeveless shirt and black jeans. A pair of black gloves ended before the first joint of the fingers, leaving her long, slender fingers uncovered. She was strong; there was no denying the power of that slender body. Her face could only be described as ideal; there was no other word for it, besides perfect.

But what captured Zack's gaze were her eyes. Her eyes were purple. He had never seen such an eye-color before, and it was entrancing. So caught up was he, that he almost didn't notice the two crossed longswords on her back that she carried comfortably.

Standing before him, was the most beautiful and powerful women he'd ever seen. Zack wished he were still alive. He let out a low whistle. He wouldn't have done that had he been alive, for this women looked like she could kill him with utmost ease. As he was already dead, she couldn't see or hear him. Death did have it's perks.

Zack couldn't help but wonder anew at why a person like this would be here. He also couldn't shake the feeling that he'd seen her somewhere before.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Crystal studied the huge sword before her. She knew the sword. It had been a long time since she last saw it. What was it doing here? Was it even Zack's?

She looked out towards the ruins and the city built around it. It'd been a long time since she'd been here, too. A lot had happened while she was gone. And now, she has no idea as to what's going on, and how it happened.

Now, she needed information. Information that only a few people she knew of would have. One she hadn't seen for a very long time. The other she didn't want to see. But you can't be picky when you're in a situation like this. She had no other choice.

She rested one hand on the wide hilt of the Buster sword, oblivious to the fact that it's deceased owner was watching her. With her thumb, she rubbed away the grit, revealing the inscription 'Zack'. So it was his.

She looked back towards the city. "So tell me, Zack," she said, turning her head to look straight into Zack's shocked eyes. "What happened at the reactor in Niblehiem?"

Daenerys · Jun 15, 2007

I loved the first chapter Dragon Mage ^_^

Crystals an intruiging character and i want to know why she can see Zack

Dragon Mage · Jun 15, 2007

Woot! Awesome! here's the next chapter. Enjoy!

Chapter 2—Old Friends

Zack spluttered. “Sh—she can’t see me!” he told himself. “N-no, she’s just doing like what people do at cemeteries and stuff, you know, like talking to dead people and all”, he reassured himself, running his hands through his hair. He laughed at himself for being so stupid. “Of course she can’t see me,” he scoffed. “I’m dead!”

“Oh, I assure you, I can see you quite well, and hear you as well,” Crystal replied. “Now are you going to answer me or not?”

Zack just stared at her, shocked beyond words.

“What’s the matter? Can’t talk? You seemed perfectly capable when you were whistling at me.”

Zack pointed at her. “You can see me? Hear me? Are you dead too? Is that why?”

She gave a small sigh. “No, I am not dead, but thank you for your concern. But I am curious as to know what happened in the reactor. Are you going to answer me or not?” she repeated.

Zack shook his head in disbelief. “No, no, no, this can’t be real. How can you see me?”

“With my eyes. Duh,” she replied calmly. “How about this; I answer some of your questions, and you answer mine. Fair enough?”

Zack nodded his head numbly. He still couldn’t believe that she could see and hear him. This was too bizarre. Who the hell was she? How could she do that? And most of all, how did he know her?

“All right then, let us begin,” she said, sitting on the ground across from the sword. She motioned for him to sit down as well.

Sliding to the ground, Zack knew that Aeris would never believe him. Leaning against the sword, he looked at Crystal, who stared back at him with those incredible violet eyes. This was going to be interesting. “Ok, so what did you want to know?”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

About three hours later, Crystal was standing in Edge and was thoroughly frustrated. She’d been all over this town and couldn’t find the damn place. She glanced at the sky and scowled. It was getting dark, and looked like it was going to rain. With her luck, she’d be soaked before she ever found the place.

She turned, about to head down the street for a second time. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see a person watching her, leaning up against the wall. He was dressed up like some biker, all leather and spikes.

Keeping him in her sight, Crystal carefully proceeded down the street. After a minute, she heard the person that was watching her get up from the wall and follow her. It was a small street, and there weren’t many people out. As she walked down the street, another person, dressed in a similar style as the first, walked across the street and followed her.

Feigning ignorance to her growing escort, she made a random turn down a small side street. From what she could hear by their footsteps, four people were following her. She turned down another small street, but her escort didn’t leave. These punks weren’t going to leave her alone. Checking a small sigh, she turned around to face them.

Like she thought, there were four of them, each dressed like they were in some gang. One was holding a chain, wrapped around his fist. One held a metal pipe, one had a bat and the other she suspected had a knife. They closed in, making a circle around her.

“I don’t want any trouble. Just turn around and walk the other way,” Crystal warned. It was a futile warning, but one had to give the fools an opportunity.

“No trouble? Oh, there won’t be any trouble,” said the one with the bat. “Just give us what ya got and no one will be harmed.” He grinned. “Well? You gonna make it easy for yourself or not?”

“I don’t have the time for this,” Crystal replied. “Just go away, and you’ll leave unscathed.”
The bat-wielder, apparently the leader of the group, scowled at her. “Now that’s not polite.” Raising his bat, he advanced toward her.

She moved so fast, she was a blur. In one fluid movement, she drew both swords from her back. Before anyone could react, she made four quick slashes. Then with a quick twirl of the two blades, she returned them to their sheathes.

There was a slight pause, no one moving as thunder rumbled in the distance. Then one of the gangsters choker necklace fell off, cut cleanly in two. It’s wearer, however, was completely unharmed. The chain wrapped around another’s fist fell off, split in twain. The bat fell to the ground, it’s wielder still holding the handle. Another’s shirt gaped open, cut from the right shoulder down to the left hip. Crystal made a sudden movement, as if she were reaching for her swords and advancing towards them.

There was a sharp yell of panic, and then all four of them took off running down the street, one of them dropping the pipe.

“Idiots,” she muttered under breath. What the hell were they thinking? Did they not see the two swords on her back? What did they think she was, a cosplayer? Sheesh.

Shaking her head, she turned back towards the direction she was headed. And now she was lost. Now it was guaranteed that she’d be soaking wet before she found it. She thought of pursuing the group that got her into this, but she quickly abandoned the idea. She didn’t need any trouble with the authorities, especially after she just got here.

Just as she was about to continue on, a yellow paper attached to a light pole caught her eye. She snatched the paper and quickly read its contents. She smirked. “Well I’ll be damned…”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

An hour later, Crystal stood in front of her destination. It had been on the other side of town, and it had taken her some time to get there. She was quite damp, as it had rained for a good while now, and apparently wasn’t going to let up. She looked back at the flyer in her hand. Yep, she was in the right place. As she pushed open the door, a small sign notified her that closing time was at 9:00 pm. It was 9:30 now.

Walking into the bar, she saw a young woman with near black hair standing behind the counter washing dishes. Most of the lights in the bar were off, and only a few over the bar itself were still on. The woman saw Crystal walk in and called to her, “I’m sorry, we’re closed.” Crystal continued to walk up to the counter. The woman looked up. “We’re closed,” she repeated firmly.

Crystal nodded. “Tifa Lockhart?” she questioned.

Tifa nodded. “Yes…. can I help you?”

“Yeah. I found this.” Crystal held up the yellow flyer.

Tifa recognized it instantly. “If there’s something you need delivered, you can just call the number. Is there something wrong with the number?”

Crystal shook her head. “No, nothing wrong with it. Is Cloud Strife here?”

There was a long pause. Tifa gave Crystal a wary look. “Why?” she questioned. “If you’re from Rufus, you can tell him to—“

“No, no, I’m not from Shinra,” Crystal assured her. “I just came here to see an old friend. Is something wrong?”

Tifa hurriedly shook her head. “No! No, it’s fine. It’s just, I know all of Cloud’s friends and I didn’t recognize you. Please, sit down.” Tifa motioned to one of the stools at the bar. Crystal obligingly sat down.

“Anything to drink?” Tifa asked.

“No. Thanks, but I’ve had enough water for now,” Crystal replied, shaking some water out of her eyes.

Tifa laughed. “I’m sorry! Here, let me get you---“

“Nah, I’ll be fine,” Crystal interjected. “I’ll dry out soon, it’s not as bad as it looks.”

Tifa couldn’t help but smile. Settling down onto a chair behind the bar, she sat across from her guest and rested her hands on the bar. “Cloud’ll be here soon. So tell me, who are you? How do you know him? Wha—“ before she could continue, the door opened. The figure standing in the doorway was unmistakable. Tifa grinned. “Hey Cloud! There’s someone here to see you,” she called out to him.

Cloud walked into the circle of light around the bar. Crystal turned and around and looked at the approaching figure. Blue eyes met violet. There was only one person he knew who had eyes like that.

“Crystal?” he questioned incredulously. “Is that you?”

She smiled. “Hey Cloud. Long time, no see.”

Crystal slid off the stool and went to greet her old friend. As they got close enough, they clasped each other’s hand, the way one would if one were to arm-wrestle. They pulled towards each other, bumped shoulders, and slapped the other on the back with their free hand, then released. (Note to reader: this is called a ‘man-hug’. I did not make this up)

They both returned to the bar, Cloud stunned by the sight of his friend. “Where’ve you been? I thought the Shinra got to you or something!”

Crystal laughed out loud at this. “Shinra!? Get me? Oh, that’s a good one! I should be asking you the same thing; where’ve you been? You know how long it took me to find you?”

Cloud grinned sheepishly. “It’s a rather long story…”He was interrupted by Tifa clearing her throat. “Oh, yeah! Um, Crystal, this is Tifa, Tifa, Crystal,” he said introducing the two. He sat down on a stool next to Crystal, turned toward her slightly to make talking between her and Tifa easier.

“How do you know each other?” Tifa asked.

“I met Cloud in Shinra, really,” Crystal replied. “There’s a training course that everyone must pass before they’re allowed to advance into training for SOLDIER.” She sighed, put one elbow on the bar and rested one cheek on her hand. “As you can imagine, I wasn’t too popular, being the only girl trying out for SOLDIER. A lot of others thought they could bully me out of trying to get into SOLDIER. One time, they ganged up on me, trying to ‘persuade’ me into leaving. I wasn’t going to be pushed around, but I was hopelessly outnumbered. That’s where Cloud comes in.” She nodded at Cloud, who smiled in spite of himself. “He came along, saw what was happening, and helped me out. He was the only one that wasn’t bothered by the fact that I was trying to get into SOLDIER.” She glanced at Tifa. “Can I take that glass of water now?”

“Of course!” Tifa got each of them a glass of water. Crystal drank a bit to moisten her mouth, which was going dry. Then she continued.

“In the end, I made it into SOLDEIR but Cloud didn’t.” She turned towards Cloud. “And I want you to know that you would’ve made it in. There was only enough room in training for one person, and it was between you and one other. The other paid to get in, and you got swept into the washout group. Just wanted you to know that. I know you were set on getting into SOLDIER.” Cloud nodded, but it was obvious how much this news meant to him.

Turning back to Tifa, Crystal went on. “Since I made it in, I would meet with Cloud at the end of each day and show him what I had learned that day. It wasn’t formal training, but close enough.”

Tifa gasped, her eyes widening. “So you mean that’s how Cloud….”

“Learned how to use a sword,” Crystal finished.

“I always wondered where he learned that,” Tifa mused, giving Cloud a questioning look.

“What? You never asked,” he defended. “You must have known that I had some kind of training, right?”

“No, I didn’t,” she replied. “And to think, all this time I thought it was just natural talent.” She rolled her eyes as Cloud chuckled. “Please, continue. What happened after that?”

Crystal smiled. “After that, I kept getting better. Eventually, I was teaching my instructors more than what they were teaching me. So I was promoted. And promoted.” Inside of two years, she had reached the position of general, one of three in Shinra. “Sephiroth was one of the other two generals. I met him a few times. Didn’t like the bastard one bit. Had the look about him that he would turn on you any minute. Wouldn’t trust him as far as I could smell him. Which,” she pondered, “would actually be implying a considerable amount of trust.”

After the laughter died down, Crystal explained to them how she discovered what happened at Niblehiem, and what they had done with the survivors. “I quit right there, when I found out. Oh, you should’ve seen the antics they pulled in trying to get me to stay. Bribes like none other. I figured I would need money afterwards, so I took the money, and ‘stayed’ only long enough to flick ‘em off. And then I left. With the money” More laughter ensued.

“Anyway, after that, I did mercenary work. At first there wasn’t a whole lot, but Shinra can’t control every ‘animal problem’ that pops up. ‘Animals’ that they were creating, nonetheless. Ever since Shinra went down though, there’s been a lot of business.”

“Wait, what do you mean? If Shinra went down, wouldn’t there be less of these creatures?” Tifa asked.

Crystal shook her head. “There were already a lot of mutations caused by Shinra’s actions. Besides, SOLDIER took care of a lot of these situations. Cloud was sent on such a mission to Niblehiem. Well, Shinra went down, and took SOLDIER with it. No one has been taking care of these creatures when they attack towns or people on the road. So there are a lot of jobs out there for me. Especially since your rag-tag militia can’t take these things down.” She took another sip from her water. “But that’s all there is to say about me. What’s happened with you? I understand you were involved with Meteor?” She asked, turning towards Cloud.

He sighed. “Well, like I said, it’s a long story…”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

After a long, everything had been told and all questions had been answered, and it was late night. Tifa had offered Crystal to stay in a guest bedroom, which she gratefully accepted. Now, lying on the bed, Crystal stared at the ceiling. A lot of questions had been answered but not all of them. She would have to go see that lousy bastard again. Besides that, she hadn’t even told her friend why she was here. She rolled onto her side, trying to get some sleep. The next few days were going to be rough.

If only she knew.

Dragon Mage · Jun 20, 2007

Well, I'm going away for a while on a trip to Florida, so this'll be the last post for some time. I'll give ya two chapters to hold you over for the long wait. Enjoy!!

Chapter 3—The Full Story

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In the morning, Crystal told Cloud and Tifa what she had to do to get the answers to a few questions.
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“Rufus?” Cloud asked. “Why would you want to see him?”
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Crystal sighed. “Trust me, I don’t want to. But I have no other choice. Listen, I didn’t really get a chance to tell you last night, but you remember what I told you, about the mercenary work I’ve been doing?” He nodded. “Well, something isn’t right. Inflicted animals are getting scarce out in the wild.”
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“They could just be dying out,” Cloud offered.
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Crystal shook her head. “No, not like that. They’re disappearing. And normally I’d agree with you on that they might just be dying out. That’s what it seemed to be. But when they should be gone, these creatures are suddenly attacking en masse. One town got hit real hard. A lot of people died. Same thing happened to another town, on the other side of the continent. Both small towns, not much there. But mindless animals don’t do something like this. Also, they’ve changed.”
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“Changed how?” he inquired.
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“They’ve become abnormally strong. And a few select people have been attacked on the road. I can’t remember all the names, but three who’ve been attacked were well-known warriors. They were strong, and they were taken down. There’ve also been a lot of other attacks, just normal folk. I would’ve brushed off the whole thing as nothing, just monsters randomly attacking people, but it seems more and more to me that the average people being attacked is meant to make it seem like it is random; to blend in with the attacks on the few warriors.”
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“You’re right, this isn’t normal,” Cloud said, concern showing in his face. “So why do you have to see Rufus about this?”
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“He was president of Shinra. He knows what kind of experiments they were doing. If there is anything he can tell me about this, I want to know. Do you know where to find him?”
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Cloud nodded. “Yeah, unfortunately, I do. I can take you to him if you like. I don’t have much to do today.”
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“If you can, that’d be great,” Crystal replied. “Also, I think you should take a vacation from your work.”
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“You think I might be attacked?”
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She nodded. “Yeah. I don’t doubt that you can take care of yourself, but a little caution never hurt anyone.”
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“Okay. I’ll see what I can do. And now I want to see what Rufus has to say too. Let me grab my stuff and we’ll go.”
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Outside, Crystal followed Cloud to the truck that had been recently purchased. As they approached the truck, Crystal saw a massive motorcycle parked next to it. Unconsciously, a low whistle escaped between her teeth. That was one fine bike. Cloud noticed her admiring it, and grinned. “You like it? I had a hand in making it.”
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“Like it? Man, that is the best bike I’ve seen! Did you make this yourself?”
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He laughed. “No, no, only added a few things. Here let me show you.” Going to the bike, he pressed a button, which made two compartments on either side of the bike open. Racks had been placed inside to make storage of the numerous swords easier.
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Crystal shook her head. “Mmmmm, mmmmm, mmmmm! I wish my bike were like that. Nothing to do with it now.”
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“What happened to it?” Cloud asked. She sighed. “Ah well, you know. Stupid mutated animals, they totaled it, when I didn’t see them coming. I’ve been meaning to get a new one, but now I think I’m in love.” She eyed the bike again. “Yep. No question about it. You’ll have to show me how you did that. What’d you name it?
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He laughed again and closed the two compartments again. “Sure, maybe when there’s more time and you got a new bike. But how’d you know I named it?” he asked, curious. She gave him a look. “A bike like that does not go unnamed. I know it has a name; has to.”
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He grinned, all too pleased with the fact someone liked the bike so well. “Fenrir,” he said.
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Crystal raised her eyebrows. “The Wolf?” He nodded. She studied the bike again. “The wolf that would devour Odin during Ragnarok,” she said softly. She looked back at Cloud. “A fitting name. Just don’t let Odin find out if you summon him. Now lets get to the Shinra, shall we?”
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*~*~*~*~*~*~*
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They pulled up to the lodge, Crystal asked, “Tell me, is Reno still an ass or has he learned better?” Cloud gave a sharp laugh. “I wish. You still have to teach him a lesson.” Crystal grinned. “Good. I’ve been waiting to get back at that little bastard for a while now.”
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They both got out of the truck and walked up the steps to the door. Before entering, Crystal glanced over at Cloud to make sure if he was ready. He nodded and gave the go-ahead. Opening the door, Crystal stepped into the room. Reno, who was playing cards with Rude, sprang to his feet, snapped open the baton and charged. Crystal easily blocked the swing with a bracer on one arm. With her other hand, she grabbed the end of the baton and pulled it over her arm, twisting it out of his grasp. Then she grabbed the startled Turk and got him into a headlock. Reno squawked, trying to get his head free.
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“Now, don’t you feel sorry you did that? Is that how you greet everyone? I thought your mama taught you better than that, Reno. That was so rude of you. Say you’re sorry,” Crystal taunted him, as she led him around the room by his head. Cloud and Rude were both trying hard not to burst out laughing.
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There was a muffled response. Crystal tightened her grip. “What was that? I don’t I think I heard you properly, Reno. I think that was something very rude!” There was another futile struggle as Reno tried to free his noggin once more. Finally, he stopped and there was another muffled sound. Crystal lowered her head. “What was that?” she said loudly. Another response, this time more audible. “I’m sorry,” Reno grumbled. Crystal released him. He hastily backed away from her rubbing his head. “Well I can see you haven’t changed, Crystal.”
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She grinned. “Wouldn’t dream of it. And you still owe me that money.” Reno grimaced. “You still remember that? Geez, anyone else would’ve forgotten it by now.”
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“And therein lies your greatest mistake, Reno. You thought I wouldn’t remember that you pay off all your debts that way; you wait until the person you owe forgets.” Reno scowled, for what she said was true. “What do you want anyway?” He turned towards Cloud. “And what the hell is he doing here?”
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Crystal glared at him. “Reno, you should shut up before you say something rude. Or else we might have a problem.” There was no trace of humor in her voice. Reno shifted from foot to foot, and looked down at the floor. After she was sure he was properly cowed, she continued. “I’m here because there have been some strange things going on, and I need information. He’s here because he wanted to know too. Understand?” Reno nodded. “Good. Now go get your boss. We need to talk.”
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* * *
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A couple of minutes later, they were all sitting at a table. Rufus was sitting across from Cloud and Crystal. He was wearing a loose white suit but was absent the bandages he had sported a year ago. “Crystal,” he said smoothly, “It’s been a long time. How can I help you?”
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“There have been some strange things going on,” Crystal replied. She glanced at Reno who was complaining about something in a hushed tone to Rude, over in the corner. “Do you mind?” she snapped. Reno quieted and glared at her sullenly. “Thank you.” She turned back to Rufus, who acted like nothing had happened. She went on to describe the peculiar happenings of Gaia’s wildlife. She was careful to make clear that certain people, mostly strong fighters with some renown had been killed by ‘animal attacks’ and that one of the towns attacked had a munitions factory. Rufus listened to it all without expressing anything. How she hated diplomats.
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“You are right to be concerned,” he replied, when she was finished. “But I assure you, I know nothing of this. There were no experiments we conducted to attempt to create such a behavioral pattern in animals. It is a curiosity.”
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Crystal took this in without so much as blinking an eye. She glanced off to the side for a second, looking into thin air. She turned her violet gaze back to the former president. “Forgive me, sir, but there is something you’re not telling me. This isn’t a ‘behavioral pattern’ and you know it. This is Shinra’s mess. Now tell me what is going on.” It wasn’t a question, it was a demand.
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The one-time president was taken aback by her words. His diplomatic composure collapsed, showing anxiety, but it was instantly back in place. “You know me well, Crystal. You are correct. There is more to this than what meets the eye. I have noticed the focus of these attacks as you have. Why and how they are happening, I know not. However, I have ascertained that all these attacks have involved ‘Inflicted’ creatures.” Seeing the questioning look on Clouds face, he clarified. “Inflicted meaning, creatures that have been effected by experiments and mutated from the effects of Mako. The attacks themselves however are strategic, as you yourself have noted. Weapons and warriors are being targeted. But again, why and how, I do not know. There is no more I can tell you.”
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Crystal asked a few questions, the answers of which Rufus did not have. “Hojo performed many experiments without anyone knowing,” he added. “A pity he is dead, for I’m sure he could tell you everything. Unfortunately, all files there might have been on his experiments were also destroyed in Weapon’s attack.”
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Crystal glanced to the side again, hardly noticeable unless one was watching carefully. Rufus was watching her carefully, and he noted this behavior but said nothing. She looked back towards him and nodded. “Thank you. If what you say is true, then I think I know where the next attack will be. I’ll go there and see if they attack. If they do, we must prepare for any future attacks. If they don’t, we’re all just being paranoid. I’ll keep in touch, though. Stay alert and be prepared for anything.” This last bit was directed towards Reno and Rude. Rude nodded, and Reno looked surprised. “Why would you care what happens to me?” he asked as she and Cloud stood up and headed towards the door. Crystal looked back and smiled. “You still owe me that money, remember?” She continued out the door grinning at hearing Reno curse, and Cloud followed her.
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“Are you going to try and track this whole thing down?” Cloud asked her as they walked towards the truck.
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“Yep. There’s something wrong, and I’m not about to wait around for it to jump out and bite me in the ass.”
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He smirked. “Well that’s fine, but how are you going to get there?” Crystal paused when he asked this and thought for a minute. “You know what? You’re absolutely right. I won’t get there in time on foot. Do you know any place were I can get a good bike?”
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Chapter 4—A Meeting By Winged Fire

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Three giggling little girls entered the bedroom, trying hard to keep quiet and failing. They looked to be around the age of eight and all three looked exactly alike. They all wore the same pale yellow pajamas, making them look even more identical. Huddled together, they crept into the bedroom and advanced on the sleeping figure lying on the bed. Their target was a young man, about 22 years old. His black hair hung down in his handsome face, but was otherwise cut short. He heard the girls approaching and smiled slightly as he heard the three girls enter his room, but he continued to feign sleep. Lying on his side, with his back turned toward the three, they couldn’t see his smile.
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Suddenly, the three little girls tackled him, giggling uncontrollably. “Get up, Tylas, you have to come to breakfast!” one of the cried. The other two echoed her. All three had long black hair, had dark brown eyes, and were too cute for words.
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“Ah, you little demons!” Tylas joked. “Couldn’t you let me sleep in?” A chorus of ‘no’s’ answered him. He gave a fake groan as they continued to push him around. “Come on, come on!” they cried. When he didn’t move fast enough, they started to drag him out of his bed. “Hey, hey, HEY!!!” He tried desperately to grab a hold of the mattress, but to no avail. He fell to the floor with a loud thud. Squealing, the girls surrounded him, trying to drag him out the door.
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“All right! I’m up, I’m up!!” he exclaimed as he stood up. Reaching down, he picked up one giggling girl and set her down on his shoulders. He picked up the other two, and descended down the stairs to the kitchen.
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Their mother was standing in front of the stove, smiling at the sight that met her eyes. Her son was carrying a giggling little girl under each muscular arm and a third was sitting on his shoulders, gleefully messing up his hair.
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As Tylas entered the kitchen he set the two girls he was carrying down and lifted the other off his shoulders and put her on the ground as well. Laughing, the triplets started a game of tag around the table. Tylas walked up to his mother at the stove when he saw the look she gave him. She was getting old, and her hair showed streaks of gray. But she was still so vibrant that Tylas secretly suspected that the gray hair was more of a result of his sisters than that of age. “So what’s the verdict?” he asked. She laughed. “They just insisted that you make pancakes for breakfast.” He sighed. “Okay then, pancakes it is. Come on, help set the table!” he called to his sisters.
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In short time, he was standing at the stove, making pancakes, and there was a smiling little girl latched onto each leg, sitting on his feet. And my friend’s wonder how I stay in shape he thought, as he shuffled around the kitchen. He literally dragged his feet as he made his way to the table. “Come on you two, it’s breakfast,” he said to the two on his feet. They jumped up, and scurried to their places at the table. In short time, they were all thoroughly enjoying the pancakes. Their mother sat down next to Tylas, sipping at a cup of coffee. “There was a call for you this morning.” She told Tylas. He glanced at her. “What about?”
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“There’s some trouble with animals up north. Apparently someone heard how you handled the wolves and they called for you. My son is getting famous.” The pride was unmistakable in her voice. She laid a hand on his shoulder. “Your father would’ve been so proud of you,” she said softly.
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Tylas smiled at her. He was the child from his mother’s first marriage. His father had been a well-known warrior, and had taught his son how to fight. His father died when Tylas was only eleven, when a dragon attacked him one Saturday. Tylas still remembered what had happened. His father had promised to take him hunting the next day, for the first time. He left for town to pick up a few things, and was attacked on his way there. Everyone agreed it was unnatural for a dragon to wander so close to town. But the whole incident had been brushed off as a freak coincidence.
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In a few years, his mother found love again with another man. Tylas hated the man. At first there was no problem and everything was fine. Then one day Tylas caught the man beating his mother. Never had anyone seen him so angry. In a rage, Tylas attacked the man, literally throwing him through the front door. The fool managed to escape with his life, and left town for good, as soon as he had divorced his wife. The triplets were a result of the second marriage, and even though Tylas had hated their father, he loved his sisters more than anything.
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“When do they need me to be there? Where is the town?” he questioned his mother.
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“ ‘As soon as possible’ they said,” she replied. “The town is about two days travel from here. If you follow the road to Kalm, you’ll be there soon. But I’m afraid you’ll have to walk.” He nodded, expecting as much. He tried to support his family as much as he could, but jobs were scarce in the small town. Even though he was getting more jobs in mercenary work, it still didn’t bring in enough money for them to get another vehicle. There was only one old car, and his mother needed it for trips into town. But he had gotten used to walking everywhere. “I’ll leave after breakfast,” he told her.
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His mother frowned. “Oh, but you just got back from your last job,” she complained. She gestured at the triplets, all of whom were licking the syrup off of their plates and giggling. “You know how much they miss you when you’re gone? I never get a moment of peace. How do you keep up with them?”
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He grinned. “That’s a sibling secret.”
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“Meaning you don’t know either,” she responded slyly. “But can’t you stay at least a little longer?”
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Tylas sighed. “We’ve been over this before. How am I supposed to get a good reputation if I always arrive late? I have to leave. I’ll already be late by having to walk. I can’t risk staying any longer than I have to.” She sighed and said no more, knowing full well that he was right. She knew that he was capable of handling himself in a battle, and that few others matched his skill. But she still worried about him every time he left for one of these jobs. She was afraid that, one day, he’d walk out that door, and she’d never see him again.
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*~*~*~*~*~*~*
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Crystal groaned and dropped her head into her folded arms on the desk. Oh how she hated Google, she hated it, hate, hate, HATE!! And computers too. She hated them all.
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“So how’s it comin’?”
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She lifted her head and looked to her right. Sitting on a chair backwards, with his arms folded on the back of the chair, was Cloud. She groaned and dropped her head again. It was late, and she wanted nothing more than to bash this crapful computer until there was nothing left. “Not good I take it,” He observed.
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Crystal sat up, and glared at the computer screen. “You know, I think this thing may be evil.” Cloud raised on eyebrow. “Oh, really?”
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She nodded. “Yes, I’m sure of it, in fact. It’s an evil torture device created by some demon at the beginning of time. How you managed to get hold of it, I know not, but it should be destroyed as quickly as possible.” And she cast a baleful glance at the offending machine that sat with an innocent look on its glass screen. Cloud threw his head back and laughed at this. “Trust me, I’ve thought the same thing myself many times. If it weren’t for Denzel and Marlene, I’d never be able to do anything on a computer. I don’t know how they do it, but they can get that thing to do anything. They’ve tried to explain it to me, but I swear, they may as well be speaking a different language.”
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She laughed and nodded her head in agreement. She never would have thought that being a warrior would entail having to look up possible targets online. She sighed. “After much trouble, I managed to find a few leads. There are a few towns that manufacture weapons, Wutai being one of them. You might want to contact Yuffie. I’ve also found a number of fighters that have some renown. I think this one is most likely to be attacked next.” She handed Cloud a few papers that she had stapled together. The papers contained information about a warrior who was just getting some recognition in the mercenary business. Cloud scanned the profile, skimming over it quickly. “So why do you think it’ll be him?” he asked, looking back at Crystal.
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“Two reasons. First off, he lives in a small coal-mining town. Not much to see, but the coal is a big part of the economy there. Now, if I’m right, and these towns are being attacked strategically, then this town fits the pattern of attacks. But it is rather small, and it seems like towns that have something to do with defense or weapons, are being targeted first. So it may be one town that’s attacked last.” She pulled out a map she had been making markings on. She pointed at one circled spot on the map just above the chocobo farm. “You see, here, this town was attacked first, it had a munitions factory.” She pointed at another spot, and others. “This one was attacked almost a month later, and this one a few weeks after that.” Each town was farther north than the last. “As you can see, what ever is behind all this is making a path to Edge. Now this guy’s town is about two days from Kalm. Second reason, this guy is actually from a rather long line of warriors. Apparently, a long time ago, warriors were stationed at this town to protect the coal mine. Since these Inflicted creatures seem to be taking out well-known warriors first, there’s a pretty good bet that this one here will be attacked next.” She sighed and leaned back against the chair. “Now, I don’t know what’s happening on the other continent, but this should be a good place to start.”
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“I’m impressed,” Cloud responded. “So when are you going to leave?” Crystal groaned. “In the morning, probably. In fact…” she looked at the clock on the demon computer. “Actually, pretty soon.” She gave a theatrical sigh and slumped in the chair. Cloud chuckled. “Well then you should probably get some rest.”
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“Yeah, you’re right.” She proceeded to shut down the computer. “I wanted to thank you for letting me stay here, earlier,” she told him. “And I’m sorry to leave so quickly, after showing up suddenly after not seeing you after a good couple of years.” Cloud shook his head and smiled at her. “It’s no problem, really. I can understand why you have to leave so soon. Remember, if you need any help, all you need is to call.” Standing up, he stretched and headed for the door. “Goodnight, Crystal,” he called back, and then walked off.
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Crystal smiled. “Goodnight.” She would have to leave in a few hours. She hated having to ditch her friend like this, but there was no other choice. It wouldn’t take long to get to Kalm, especially now that she had a much faster mode of transport. She stared at the dark computer screen for a long time, watching the fiend in ‘sleep mode’. She had unnerving the feeling that things were going to get a lot worse from here on out.
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*~*~*~*~*~*~*
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At around midday, Tylas was packing his things and getting ready to leave for Kalm. He was wearing a red T-shirt and black pants. Bracers protected his arms, and he wore pauldrons on either shoulder. So far, he had managed to hide the fact that he was leaving, from his sisters. But now that he was almost ready to depart, the secret came out. They way-laid him at the door. Grabbing him around the waist, they wailed and refused to let him budge another inch.
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“Stay!! Can’t you please stay!!!” they begged, amid a chorus of tearful wailing. He hated it when they cried, and they knew it was their most effective weapon against him. He knelt on the ground to be at their level. “Come on, you know I have to go,” he tried explaining to them. His words did nothing to placate them however. All they did was hug him tighter and wail louder. He sighed as he hugged them back. Every time he had to leave was like this, with no exceptions. “Come on now, I promise I’ll be back soon.” They pulled away from him, sniffing. “You promise?” asked one.
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“Of course,” he replied in a soft tone, trying to calm them down. “I’ll be back in no time. You’ll see. And when I get back, I’ll do what you’ve wanted for so long.” The three immediately brightened. “You’ll teach us how to fight? Really? You will?” another asked.
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He couldn’t help but grin. Ever since he had begun to do mercenary work, they had begged him to teach them how to fight. He would’ve done so earlier, but trying to teach three little girls with sticks on how to fight properly can be a formidable task. One he had put off until now. “Yes. I promised to teach you three a long time ago, and I think you’re up to it now.” Upon hearing this, all three girls squealed with delight and hugged him again, this time in sheer joy. He laughed. “Okay, okay, I’ve gotta’ breathe you know!” That was his line for them to let go. They did, and happily followed him to the door, jumping around in delight. Their mother, waiting by the door, had been watching the whole situation with a worried smile. As he approached the door, she gave a motherly hug and interrogated him to make sure that he hadn’t forgotten anything.
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Satisfied that he was indeed properly prepared, she gave him another hug. “Come back home safely,” she whispered, making sure to not let the girls hear her. He nodded. “I will.” Grabbing his spear, which was leaning next to the door, he stepped outside, escorted by his sisters. He left the porch and jogged down the road a ways. Looking back, he waved to his sisters who energetically waved back. Smiling, he turned back towards the road and began his journey.
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*~*~*~*~*~*~*
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Crystal sped down the road on her newly purchased motorcycle, her jet-black hair streaming behind her. It had taken plenty of searching, but she had finally found a bike that pleased her. It wasn’t a Fenrir, but it would do. She had left Tifa’s bar about four hours after Cloud had bid her goodnight. It had been 7 o’clock in the morning and everyone had just begun to stir. That had been almost a day and a half ago. Now, Crystal was speeding down the vacant road to a small town two days travel away from Kalm. It was a gray day; flat gray clouds as far as the eye could see. She knew she’d get wet again.
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As she sped down the road, she heard a faint cry; no, a roar. There was something up on the road up ahead. She slowed down and tried to gauge how close it was by listening. More sounds. She recognized the roar at least. But there was something else. Human? No, there wasn’t just an Inflicted animal, there was a battle going on. Pushing the bike for more speed, she raced on; trying to reach the battle before whoever was fighting the dragon was dead.
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Tylas was jogging down the road at around midday. Looking up, he frowned at the sky, his gray eyes almost matching the color of the clouds above him. It was going to rain for sure. He’d be thoroughly soaked before he found any shelter. All he could do was to keep walking.
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As he did, he heard something behind him. He whirled around, spear at the ready, trying to identify the sound as he searched for the source of it. There was nothing behind him. Warily, he backed up, still searching. After a few minutes, he turned around and continued down the road, but still at full alert. Soon, he heard the sound again, fainter this time, and farther back, but this time he recognized it. Wings…<o></o>
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With this sudden realization, he knew what he was up against. He dived forward, rolling into the brush along the side of the road. He had done so just in time. A stream of fire poured from the sky, setting aflame a 20-foot stretch of road, including the spot that Tylas had so quickly vacated. Tylas had just managed to dodge the attack, but his pack had caught on fire. Deftly slipping it off, he left it to burn on the side of the road. He held his spear in front of him, scanning the sky for the dragon. He saw it just in time. It had finished turning around and was coming back for another run. Again, he rolled and dodged the searing flame. Now was his chance to move. It couldn’t attack him while it was turning in the air.
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Springing to his feet, he ran down the road once more. He heard the roar as it spotted its prey once more. He had forced it to change its direction once again. Another burst of flame, and again, Tylas dodged. He wouldn’t last much longer like this. He had to bring this thing down, or else he’d be fried. Shifting his grip on the spear, he held it from underneath, in the throwing position. The dragon turned on wingtip and was headed straight for him. He began to run towards it, and after a few steps, he threw the spear with all his strength, just as the dragon opened its mouth to unleash more of its flame.
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His aim was true. The spear flew towards the dragon and buried itself in the dragon’s right eye. There was a blood-curdling shriek that shook the heavens and the dragon fell from the sky. Tylas had to, once again, dodge the dragon as it fell; it’s momentum from its flight carrying it nearly 50 more feet down the road. Finally, the dragon’s body ground to halt. It didn’t move. Its bat-like wings were half open; its serpentine neck bent forward. Tylas was breathing hard, and waited to catch his breath. He only hoped his spear wasn’t broken from the dragon’s plunge after the killing blow. He got to his feet and cautiously approached the dead body.
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He was about 10 feet away from the dragon when it groaned, rolled over and staggered to its feet. It bellowed in pain and fury, it’s one good eye gleaming red and casting a lurid glow on the stunned warrior. He saw his shattered spear still embedded in its eye. Impossible…that should have killed it! Why isn’t it dead!! He thought frantically. He and the dragon watched each other, Tylas holding his breath, eyes locked with that of the dragon—then he ran. The dragon roared and chased him, proving to be as agile on the ground as it was in the air. Tylas tried to organize his thoughts, and kept running. He never heard the approaching sound of a motorcycle.
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Crystal rounded the bend, and immediately tried to stop the bike, gritting her teeth as it ground to a halt. What she saw in front of her seemed like it belonged in a movie. Running towards her at full speed was a young man in a red shirt. Behind him was a dragon; it’s bat-like wings half-spread to help it maintain its balance. Diamond hard scales covered its entire body, the claws on its four feet making deep gouges in the concrete of the road. Two horns swept back from above its eyes, giving it the appearance that it was glaring. One eye was obscured by what Crystal thought was the shattered haft of a spear. The other eye was glowing red, casting a red glow over the desperately fleeing warrior.
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Hopping off her bike, Crystal reached over her shoulders and drew both her swords and ran to meet the dragon. The warrior, seeing her actions, tried to call out to her and warn her. Just as he opened his mouth to warn her, the dragon swiped him with one clawed forefoot. The dragon’s talons dug deep into his side, and the force of the blow sent him flying sideways across the road. The dragon screamed in triumph. As Tylas skidded to a halt, he felt a rock slam into the back of his head. Flickering on the borders of consciousness, Tylas could only watch dazedly as the dragon approached him to deliver the killing blow. He was dimly aware of blood running across his chest.
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The dragon was almost upon him when suddenly Crystal stepped between the fallen warrior and the fierce creature advancing towards him. The dragon snarled at this new adversary and sought to put an end to her with one quick snap of its powerful jaws. As the dragon’s head descended towards her, she deftly stepped to the side, and was left standing by its neck. Instead of trying to cut its neck, which she knew was heavily armored with thick scales, a quick front flip landed her squarely on its shoulders. Reversing her grip on the two swords, she buried them in the dragons back, right in the soft spot behind the wings. The dragon bellowed in agony; she had dealt it a crippling blow. The wing tendons had been severed and she had deprived it of the ability to fly.
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Roaring, the dragon tried to shake her off of its back, but she held on, kneeling on one knee, keeping her grip on the two swords. The dragon, incensed by the antics of this puny creature that had wounded it so grievously, began to roll over onto its back, trying to crush Crystal. She had been expecting such a move however, and jumped off of its back, just as it was about to crush her. With its belly exposed, she struck. Moving quickly, she was nearly a blur as she struck the dragon’s belly again and again with both swords. Sparks flew as steel clashed on scale. But her attacks left many long, deep wounds on the beast, which bled freely.
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The dragon struggled to right itself placing its flailing barbed tail between Crystal and its vulnerable belly. With one powerful swipe, Crystal was sent flying backwards at least 30 feet. Thinking that she was no longer a threat, the dragon turned back to Tylas, wings dragging on the ground.
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Despite the powerful blow however, Crystal had managed to block most of it with her swords and had skidded to a halt, still on her feet. As she saw the dragon turn back to the other warrior, she was rather surprised. It should be focusing on her, as she was the immediate threat, while the injured warrior posed no danger to it. It’s focused on killing him, she thought. There was no time to run back towards the dragon; by the time she got there, the other warrior would’ve been killed. There was only one option left.
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She twirled the swords, crossing the blades in front of her. Purple energy surrounded the two swords, rippling like flame. She brought the swords down in a sharp, slashing action, and two crossed beams of energy were flung off the swords and sent speeding towards the dragon. But she wasn’t done yet. Swords still glowing, she made separate slashes with each blade, and each time she did, another beam of purple energy was sent flying from the tip of the weapon and again sent speeding towards the dragon. She did this eight more times in addition to the two she had first cast off.
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The beams of energy raced towards the green dragon, growing in size as they approached it. Each one slammed into its side, again and again, nearly knocking it off its feet. The great beast gave one last defiant roar in Crystal’s direction before finally falling under the last beam of energy.
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Crystal lowered her swords, and ran towards the bloody scene. Half of the dragon’s side had been removed under her assault, and its blood made the road slippery. Even though she knew it was dead, she advanced on it cautiously. It had fallen partially on its side, leaving its chest exposed. When she had gotten close enough, she plunged one blade up to the hilt in the dragon’s heart. Satisfied that it was dead, she searched for the warrior she had seen earlier.
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She found him not too far away, lying on the side of the road. Four deep slashes, made by the dragon’s claws, on his right side were bleeding freely. Despite the loss of blood and the blow to the head, he was still conscious, and as she approached, he struggled to lift himself up.
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She quickly knelt next to him, laying her blood-covered swords carefully on the ground, and kept him from trying to rise. “Stop. Don’t move or you’ll only make it worse.” At these words he immediately stopped moving. She inspected the wounds on his side. “You’re lucky,” she told him in a steady voice. “It looks bad, but there’s no major damage. You’ll have a few scars though.” As she spoke, she reached into her pocket and pulled out what looked like a large green marble. Holding it in one hand, she held her free hand just inches above the slashes in Tylas’ side. After a second’s pause, a sparkling green light spread over the wounds, which in response stopped bleeding and began to slowly close as she watched. Pleased with the result, she cast another spell, ‘Regen’, which spread over Tylas and encompassed him in a red glow before fading.
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Slipping the materia back into her pocket, she took a good look for the first time at the person she had saved. She froze. It was none other than Tylas, the very person she had been on her way to see.
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* * *
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“Here, I think it’s safe for you to sit up now,” she told him about 30 minutes later. She had instructed him to not move from his position to give the spells she had cast a chance to work. The wounds had closed, but there were four long, jagged scars on his side that no materia could remove. She helped him into a sitting position. He held his head, which was throbbing, but Crystal said that the ‘Regen’ spell should take care of that in a moment or two.
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The dragon corpse had burst into flame a little while ago; it’s own internal flame immolating it merely minutes after its death. Before it had done so, however, Crystal had gone back and had retrieved the two upper fangs, the longest and sharpest teeth on the dragon. “First dragon?” she asked him. He slowly nodded his head. “Here,” she tossed him one of the teeth. “What’s this for?” he asked her numbly.
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“Think of it as a souvenir; something to remember your first dragon battle by,” she told him, and then went to her bike. He looked down at the fang she had given him. It was about eight inches long and ended in a razor sharp point. He fingered it gently, careful not to prick himself on the sharp point.
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“How’s your head feeling?” Crystal had returned, kneeling by his side. “Better, thanks,” he answered. He made an attempt at a small smile. “Thanks for everything, actually.” Crystal waved off his thanks. “It’s fine, I expected to have to do something like that anyways, Tylas.”
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He looked at her, startled, trying to read her face. She was expressionless, and showed nothing in her rich purple eyes. “How do you know my name?” he asked. “Who are you?”
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“My name is Crystal, former general of SOLDIER, now a full-time mercenary,” she replied calmly. “And I know your name, because I suspected that an attack, such as that we have just endured, would be made in an attempt to kill you.” She watched his reaction carefully.
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Tylas, knowing that she was studying his reaction, stayed calm. “How? Why?” he asked simply. Crystal silently applauded him for staying calm in such a situation. His getting quickly to the point, and not pussyfooting around the subject also impressed her. Settling herself more comfortably on the ground, she told him about everything; about the attacks on towns, on certain people, the behavior of the animals—everything. He listened to it all calmly, and when she was done he remained silent for a long time. “Why would someone want me dead?” he asked her finally. She shrugged, the now clean swords on her back clinking as she did. “I have no idea. But someone wants you dead, and I’m not letting you out of my sight until I know who, why, and that you’ll be safe.”
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Tylas blinked. “Wait, you mean you’re going to protect me? …Why?” he asked, surprised by her words. She tilted her head slightly to one side and gave him a curious look. “If you were in a battle, would you give your enemy even the slightest advantage? Would you give them what they want?” she questioned him.
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“Well…no.”
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“Exactly. That’s why I’m going to ‘protect’ you, as you put it.” She stood up brushing off her jeans. “So, do you feel better enough to stand?”
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“I think so,” he said, and slowly got to his feet. “Yeah, I’m fine now.” Crystal nodded. “Good, then lets be on our way. We should stop somewhere and get you another weapon.” She looked at him. “Do you have anything else? Don’t you have any supplies with you?” Tylas shook his head. “I did, but it’s ashes now.”
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“Ah, I see. Well, we’ll have to do some shopping, won’t we? Come on, let’s go,” she said, as she walked towards her bike. Tylas followed her, but paused when she got on the bike. Crystal saw him hesitate. “What’s wrong?” Seeing the look on his face, she sighed. “Oh please, it’s my bike, I’m driving. You’ll just have to ride behind me until we get you one. Now come on, we have to be going. I wouldn’t be surprised if something else attacked you and the longer we stay here, the more dangerous it is.” That seemed to convince him. Slightly wincing at a twinge of pain in his side, he climbed on the bike behind her, and held onto her slim waist. Crystal pulled out a pair of iridescent, mirror-like sunglasses and put them on to protect her eyes from the wind, dust and errant bugs. Starting up the bike, she placed one foot on the ground, allowing her to make a sharp turn. Then the two were speeding down the road, heading for Kalm.

Dragon Mage · Jul 14, 2007

Chapter 5—Getting To Know Each Other<o></o>
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They rode on for the rest of the day, stopping only once for a break, during which Crystal made a call on her cell phone. Tylas was drinking some water that Crystal had given him, when she pulled out her phone and dialed a number. After a few rings, someone answered. “Hey, Mara?” Crystal asked. “Yeah. I’ll be back by midnight, probably. Can you do me a quick favor? Can you go out and buy a shirt? You’ll find out. Umm…,” she walked over to where Tylas was sitting, and stepped behind him. She grabbed the back of the neck of his shirt and glanced at the tag. “Hey!” he exclaimed, trying to twist out of her grasp. She straightened up and repeated the number into the phone. “That all? Mmm hmm. Okay. Thanks. It doesn’t matter, I really don’t think he cares.”
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A burst of excited chatter came over the phone. Crystal rolled her eyes. “Oh, will you please leave off it?!” She scowled at the phone, from which Tylas could only hear incomprehensible chatter. Crystal tried a few times to speak but was overrun by whoever was on the other end. Finally she gave up trying. “Mara? Mara? I’m sorry I can’t hear you!” she said loudly into the phone. “I’ll talk to you when we—I get there, okay?” She quickly flipped the phone shut and returned to her spot on the side of the road where she had been sitting.
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“What was that about?” Tylas asked.
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Crystal rolled her eyes. “My housekeeper, Mara. She acts like she’s my mother. ‘When will you get a nice boyfriend, Crystal? You should start thinking about settling down, you know’” she said in a high-pitched voice, imitating the voice of her housekeeper, fluttering her hands in the air. She leaned back against a tree, crossing her arms, and snorted with disgust. “What nerve,” she grumbled.
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Tylas chuckled. “I know exactly how you feel,” he told her. “My mother’s the exact same way, and it annoys the hell out of me. Never gives up on it, either. Determined, that woman.” Crystal nodded sympathetically. He took another sip from the bottle of water than asked, “So what did you ask her for?”
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“I asked her to go get you a shirt,” she replied, pointing at the ripped clothing he was wearing. “We won’t get to Kalm until late at night, and by that time all the stores will be closed. I didn’t think you’d want to sleep in that or go out in public with it, since you have to go out and get what you need tomorrow.”
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Tylas looked down at his shirt, and the four long slashes in it. “I didn’t even think of that. Thanks.”
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She nodded, and then stood up. “Well, you feel up to more traveling?” she inquired. “Sure,” he replied as he stood up slowly, using a nearby tree for support. He shook his head a little, trying to bring himself of the dizziness that had suddenly come over him.
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“You okay?” Crystal asked, steadying him with one hand. He squinted at her, trying to make out her face through the blackness that had crossed his vision. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just dizzy; can’t see,” he mumbled.
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“Yeah, that’s from all the blood loss. It should pass in a few minutes,” she assured him.
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He nodded his head numbly, and closed his eyes. He continued to stand there for a minute, one hand on the tree, and Crystal keeping one hand on his shoulder to make sure he didn’t fall over. Then the dizziness passed, leaving as quickly as it had come. He opened his eyes to find that his vision had cleared up, his gaze falling on Crystal’s purple eyes. “I’m fine,” he said quietly.
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“All right. We should leave now if we’re going to get back tonight,” she replied. She led him back to the bike and got on, Tylas sitting behind her. Putting the glasses back on, she looked over her shoulder at her passenger. “You ready?” she asked. He nodded. Turning back, she started up the bike, and they continued down the road towards Kalm.
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*~*~*~*~*~*~*
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They arrived at Kalm by midnight, the sound of the bike’s rumbling engine filling the near empty streets. Crystal stopped in front of a white two-story house, on the outskirts of the town. It wasn’t very big, and had a fenced in backyard, and a garage, in which Crystal parked the bike. As they ascended the porch steps, Tylas thought he something moving inside through the living room window. He paused, staring at the window, trying to detect any further movement. Crystal had unlocked the door, and looked back at him when she noticed he wasn’t behind her.
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“You coming?” she called out to him. Tylas jerked at the sound of her voice. “Yeah, sorry, I thought I saw something.” He climbed up the steps as Crystal opened the door and stepped inside, flicking on the lights as she did.
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Inside, standing right in front of the door was a German shepherd. Its tongue was hanging out of its mouth and its tail wagging wildly. The minute Crystal stepped in the house the dog barked and jumped on her, placing its forepaws on her shoulders. She staggered backwards from the sudden weight but quickly caught herself. She grinned into the dogs face and tried to push it off of her. The dog slid down, and barked a few more times at her, hopping on its hind feet, threatening to jump on her again. Crystal knelt down and began to pet the dog wildly, running her hands over the dogs’ back and head. “Jack!! Oh, you good boy!! Yes, you are such a good boy!!” she cooed to the dog in baby tones. The dog twisted and turned under Crystals hands, excited to see her, and loving the petting being given to it. Crystal chuckled, and continued to talk to her dog. “Did you miss me? Hmm?” At this the dog started to lick her face. “Ack! Okay, okay, you missed me!!!” she sputtered, trying to push the dog away. But the dog continued its assault, despite her efforts. “Jack, get off me. Jack, JACK!!!!” she yelled. The dog finally backed off, and sat down, its tongue lolling and tail wagging.
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Tylas had watched all this by the door. Smiling at the sight of Crystal being greeted by her pet. He chuckled when the dog started to lick her face. Crystal, after freeing herself from the dog, heard his laughter. She turned and stood up to face him, hands on her hips. “And what are you laughing at?” she asked him testily. “N-nothing,” Tylas answered, his laughter making it hard for him to speak. The sight of the Crystal glaring at him, arms akimbo, face covered in dog spit, made him laugh even harder.
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“Well if you think it’s so funny, how about you get some too?” she responded. She pointed at Tylas. “Jack—LICK HIM!!!!”
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“No, I’m sor--,” Tylas tried to apologize, but was too late. The dog sprang to its feet and jumped on him like it had to Crystal. Tylas, who was already unsteady on his feet from blood loss and fatigue, fell under the dog’s weight easily and crashed to the floor. Then Jack proceeded to lick Tylas’ face thoroughly. Tylas yelled and tried to protect his face with his arms, which Jack also licked. The dog licked the helpless warrior’s face happily, whom’s defense accomplished very little.
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“Help! Get this dog off of me!!” Tylas cried. He heard Crystal say something, and Jack suddenly ceased his attack. Tylas got to his feet, grumbling. He glared at Crystal, who had one hand over her mouth to smother her laughter. “That wasn’t funny,” he grumbled.
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She shook her head, her laughter dying down, and replied, “Well you did it to me! Oh, you should see your face….” She started to laugh anew, laughter escaping from under her gloved hand. The dog, sitting by Crystal, stared at Tylas, and looked like it was laughing too. Tylas smiled in spite of himself, and after a few seconds, his laughter joined Crystal’s. They both stood there, their laughter, filling the house.
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After a few minutes, their laughter died down. Crystal had one hand pressed against her side, trying to suppress the pain from her laughing. Tylas was doing the same, but was doing so because the healed wounds had started hurting again. “Well, that was good. Been a long time since I’ve had a good laugh,” Crystal said, trying to catch her breath. She turned and walked into the kitchen, Tylas slowly following her, the pain in his side slowly fading.
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Lying on the table were two neatly folded black shirts. Crystal picked them up and handed them to Tylas as he came up to her. “I hope you don’t mind black,” she stated. “There’s a shower upstairs, at the end of the hall. Go help yourself.”
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He took the shirts, thanking her, and went upstairs. In the bathroom, he pulled off the ruined shirt and examined the sight of his injury in the mirror. Four long, jagged, white scars stretched from his side to halfway across his back, each about three inches wide. Most of his torso was covered with dried blood; had Crystal not been there, he would’ve bled to death within minutes. He frowned at the scars in the mirror. If his mother ever found out, he’d never hear the end of it.
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* * *
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After she had thoroughly washed her face, Crystal slipped off her swords, lifting the straps holding the weapons over her head. She looped them over the back of a chair in the same way she had worn them. She dropped into the chair, and stared at the pile of mail on the table. She heard the water turn on up above. Jack nuzzled her hand, wanting to be petted some more. Crystal obligingly scratched the dog behind the ears. She sat there, petting the dog, and staring at the pile of mail, reevaluating the situation and what to do next.
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She had confirmed that the attacks were not random. The dragon that had attacked Tylas had been Inflicted, one of the creature affected by Shinra’s actions. Not only that, but it had been focused on him, ignoring her while she was still a threat. Animals didn’t do that. They took out the immediate threat, and then did whatever. And that dragon had been miles away from its habitat. Dragons tended to live in high, mountainous areas. This one had been in a densely wooded area that gave out to miles and miles of prairie. There were some mountains off in the distance, but no dragon would’ve flown so far, even if it were hunting. That dragon had definitely been there to kill Tylas. But why? How? Why only Inflicted creatures? Why attack a select number of warriors? To eliminate them because they’re a threat? A threat to what? To who? When did a bunch of mad animals get so damn smart? <o></o>
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She sighed and rubbed her head. I have to stop asking questions when I don’t know anything, she told herself. I probably have this thing far out of proportion. Besides it’s giving me a headache. <o></o>
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She sighed and rested her head on the back of the chair, staring up at the ceiling. She had saved Tylas, that much she had accomplished. She should probably continue to try and warn others, head off attacks on towns, and try to track down where all these Inflicted creatures are coming from. That dragon had been green, with near black wings. Those dragons were from the south. In the north, the color ranged from blue to gray to black. Red dragons were found in the desert, and the rare white dragon resided in the far north. So maybe they’re coming from the south? Maybe. She couldn’t be sure with only one Inflicted animal to draw a conclusion from. She needed more information. To do that, she’d have to prevent or intercept at least three more attacks on people or on towns. From there, she could get a general idea of where the animals were coming from. So, next person or place most likely to be attacked, she’d have to get there. Not much of a plan, but it’s better than nothing.
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She straightened up and began sorting through all the mail, the majority of which was junk. She was still sorting through it when Tylas came downstairs. He paused on the kitchen threshold, not wanting to disturb her. “You can sit down Tylas, I promise he won’t try to lick you again,” came Crystal’s voice. She still had her back turned to him, and Tylas now saw that the big German shepherd was lying under the table, with his head resting on her feet. Tylas entered the kitchen and sat down at the table, keeping one wary eye on the dog at all times.
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Crystal was sorting through the mail, making two separate piles, one of which was considerably larger than the other. She glanced over at Tylas, who was wearing one of the black shirts she had given him. “How are you feeling? Head okay?” she asked.
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“I’m feeling better, thanks,” he replied. He felt something warm bump his leg under the table, and looked down to see Jack resting his chin on Tylas’ knee. The dog’s woeful eyes begged Tylas to pet him. Tylas smiled and petted the dog, scratching behind the ears. “How long have you had him?” Tylas asked, continuing to pet the friendly dog. Crystal looked at the dog, and smiled slightly. “About two years,” she answered. “I found him digging through my trash one night. He had a collar, but there were no tags. Friendliest dog I’ve ever seen. I just couldn’t give him up, so I kept him.”
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Tylas nodded and patted the dog on the head, a sign that he was done petting. “Well you got real lucky to find such a dog.” Crystal smirked at his words. “I’ve said that myself a few times,” she replied. She finished sorting out the mail, and dumped the junk mail into the trash. She returned to the table, and sat down, the swords clinking as she moved the chair. She turned towards Tylas, who had his eyes on her the entire time.
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“Okay, so here’s the deal,” she told him. “The dragon that attacked you was Inflicted; it was affected in some way by Shinra experiments on animals which involved Mako and Jenova cells. You do know what Jenova is, right?” Tylas nodded. “Hard not to; they’ve got it plastered all over the news.”
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Crystal sighed with relief. “Good. That saves us some time. I’ll fill you in on the details later. Anyways, that dragon was from the south, and miles away from its natural habitat. Now, if I’m ever going to find where these Inflicted are coming from, I need to intercept or prevent at least three more attacks.” She continued on to tell him her plan. He listened to her carefully, giving her his full attention. “Sounds like a good plan to me,” he stated when she was done. “Excellent,” she replied. “Now, I want to keep an eye on you, since the attack made on you wasn’t like the others. And I’m going to be traveling all over the place and in a lot of dangerous situations. I’d prefer for you to come with me, that way I can watch you, and try and solve this thing at the same time. But I won’t force you too if you don’t want to. So, do you want to accompany me in this or not?”
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Tylas was silent after she asked her question. He turned his gaze towards the table, thinking about what would happen if he did go with her or if he didn’t. His silence continued for a few minutes, and Crystal waited patiently to hear his reply.
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What about my family? He thought to himself. Shouldn’t I protect them? No, that would only put them in danger. These Inflicted are after me, and I’d be putting my family in harm’s way. The farther I am from them, the safer they are. I shouldn’t leave without telling them what’s happened, but I can always call them. Besides, I could help Crystal more with her endeavor by going with her than by going home. He continued to think it over, weighing the possible effects if he chose one way or another.
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Finally, he looked up and met Crystal’s gaze. “I’ll go with you.” With those words he suddenly felt as if he were getting into something far beyond anything he had imagined. And now there was no turning back.
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Crystal gave him a slight smile. “Then I am relieved.” She stood up and stretched. “And tired. I don’t know about you but I’m going to sleep. I’ll show you your room.” Tylas stood up and followed Crystal upstairs.
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She opened a door to reveal a simple bedroom. “Here you are. This is your room. My room is right across the hallway, so if you need anything, that’s where I’ll be.” She watched as he walked into the room, surveying every corner. “We’ll go into to town tomorrow and get you a weapon and you can get whatever else you need. You don’t have to worry about money; I’ll take care of that.” Jack padded into the room, and sat down next to Tylas, looking up at him. Tylas stopped studying the room and turned towards Crystal. “Thank you. For everything.”
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For the first time, Crystal responded to his thanks. Giving him a small smile, she replied, “You’re welcome.” The smile disappeared, and she began to close the door. She called to Jack, who bounced out of the room. “Goodnight,” she called to Tylas as she shut the door, leaving him in darkness.
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“Goodnight,” he whispered. He lay down on the bed, not bothering to get under the covers. Staring into the darkness, he tried to organize his thoughts. At first everything had been going so well. And then he’s nearly killed and finds out that someone, or something, wants him dead. He wanted to warn his family, but he didn’t want them to worry. Why would someone want him dead? He was nothing special. Normal life, normal family; why would he be a target? Or a threat? Threat to whom? What about the job he had been coming here for? He’d have to tell Crystal tomorrow. Crystal. He’d never met a woman like her before. Her skill in battle was amazing. He’d never seen such skilled swordplay. Who was she? Where did she come from? Where did she learn to fight like that? Should he trust her?
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He sighed. He was getting nowhere with this endless questioning. And he certainly wasn’t getting any sleep. Rolling over on his good side, he forced himself to try to rest. After a few minutes, he had fallen into a deep sleep, in which he dreamt of fire and purple eyes.
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*~*~*~*~*~*~*
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In the morning, Tylas descended the stairs and walked into the kitchen to find Crystal sitting at the table eating from a bowl of cereal. “Good morning, Sunshine! How did you sleep last night?” she greeted him. He sat down next to her and wiped the sleep from his eyes. “Sore,” he answered her. She nodded. “You’ll be a little sore for a few days. Healing a wound like that so fast puts a strain on the body.” He listened to her explanation sleepily, then sighed and folded his arms on the table, resting his head on his arms.
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He felt Crystal tap him on the shoulder. “Hey you. I made some coffee earlier if you want some. Mugs and cups are in the cupboard above the sink.” Tylas slowly rose to his feet, and returned to the table with a mug of coffee. He sipped at it carefully. “What time is it?” he asked.
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“About 10:30,” she answered. “I thought you could use the rest. It’s the best medicine there is.” She rose to her feet and dumped her bowl in the sink. “I can see you’re still asleep, so I’m going to get ready, okay? And you better have something besides coffee, or I’ll sick Jack on you again.” With that she ran upstairs. A few minutes later, Tylas could hear the water being turned on in the bathroom.
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He looked down at Jack, who was sitting next to him, tongue lolling, and giving him a happy grin. Tylas wearily patted the dog on the head, and sipped from his coffee. “Morning people,” he grumbled. Jack licked his hand sympathetically.
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* * *
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Later on, they arrived in town, Tylas still riding behind Crystal. She parked the bike in what appeared to be the place where nearly all of the stores were located. Crystal was wearing the swords on her back as usual. When Tylas saw she was going into town armed, he asked her if people were ever upset by it. She replied that people don’t tend to get upset with someone who’s wearing two swords on their back. Tylas had to admit that she had a point.
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Standing on the sidewalk, Crystal turned to Tylas. “So, do you want your weapon first or later?” she asked. “First,” he answered quickly. She smirked. “Follow me.” She led him to a small store. Inside, there were shelves full of every kind of weapon, save firearms. Tylas followed Crystal through the store to a counter in the back. Behind it, sat a man with graying hair. He was sitting on a stool, and examining a long bow, and looked up as they approached. He grinned at his customers. “Ah, Crystal! It’s good to see you again. What can I do for you today?” Crystal gave the man a small smile. “Hey Bert. My friend here needs a weapon. I’m afraid his last one broke.”
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The man turned towards Tylas and studied him from head to toe. “Hmmmmmm. Spear, right?” Slightly surprised, Tylas nodded. “Yeah. How’d you know?”
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Bert laughed, slapping his hand down on the counter. “I can just tell. I’ve always been able to tell what weapon a person uses, and I haven’t been wrong once!” he declared proudly. He slid off the stool and walked around the counter. “Come, come! They’re all over here.” He beckoned for them to follow and then turned down one long aisle. They followed Bert through the maze of shelves until they came to one wall that was covered with different types of polearms. “Well, Tylas? Which will it be?” Crystal asked.
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“Good question,” he replied. He walked up to the wall and looked for a suitable weapon. He picked up one spear and gave it a few practice swings, before returning it to its place on the wall. He did the same thing with a few others, and each time he replaced them. Standing back, he looked over the wall again.
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One particular spear caught his eye. It was on the very bottom, and he almost hadn’t seen it. Reaching down, he picked up the spear and was pleased with its weight. A lead weight at the end of the spear balanced it perfectly. Running his hands down the ebony shaft, Tylas found no imperfections that might weaken the weapon. The wide, flat head of the spear had two additional blades on the side that were angled down the shaft of the spear. The head also proved to hold no flaws, and was securely fastened onto the shaft. He made a few moves with it, thrusting, parrying, and slashing. Tylas stopped and looked towards Bert and Crystal. “I’ll take this one,” he said.
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Bert grinned nodded in approval. “Ah, yes a fine choice that one. I’ve had that one for a long time now. I’m glad it’ll be put to good use, especially someone so skilled in its use!” Tylas was a little embarrassed with the old mans’ praise and he awkwardly rubbed his head as he fumbled for words. Crystal bailed him out by asking for the price. “Oh, take it!” Bert scoffed. “Seeing it put to good use is good enough for me.” Crystal refused to accept that however. “It may be good enough for you, but it won’t help you pay the bills. How much?” Bert crossed his arms in front of his chest and tried to stare Crystal down. After a few seconds, he knew he had lost. “300 gil,” he said. “Come, pay at the counter.” They followed him back through the maze of shelves to the counter. There, Crystal paid the 300 gil for the spear.
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Stepping outside, Tylas thanked Crystal again for the spear. She smirked, and waved off his thanks. “Did you think I was going to let you walk around without a weapon when someone wants you dead? I’d have to follow you everywhere. Besides, it wasn’t very expensive, especially for an ebony spear like that. Bert lied about the price, but I let him get away with it.” Tylas considered this for a moment, than asked, “You’re right. But if you knew he lied, then why’d you pay for it?”
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“I’ve known him for a long time,” she replied. “He’s a kind old man, but he doesn’t get much business. I don’t want him to starve, that’s for sure.” She glanced at Tylas from the corner of her eye. “And he was right you know. You’re quite skilled with a spear.” Tylas, embarrassed once again, felt his face get hot. “My dad taught me,” he mumbled, not looking at her. He heard her chuckle.
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“He taught you well. I’ll have to spar with you sometime. It’d be interesting.” Before he could respond, she handed him some gil. “Here, take this and get whatever you need. I have to go get a few more things. Meet back here in an hour.” With that said, she turned and disappeared into the crowd.
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Tylas stared at the gil she had pressed into his hand before she had left. Then, stuffing it into a pocket, he walked down the street, searching for the right store.
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* * *
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An hour later, Crystal returned to the front of the weapons shop and stopped when she saw Tylas. He was leaning against the wall, looking in the opposite direction, holding the spear in one hand. Instead of wearing black, as he was when she last saw him, he was dressed in crimson clothing instead. She walked up to him and tapped him on the shoulder. He quickly turned and smiled when he saw it was her. “Hey, Crystal.”
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“Hey, yourself,” She replied. “ I take it your favorite color is red?” He feigned surprise at her comment. “How’d you know?!” he exclaimed. She snorted, and looked him over. “Well, at least you good in red. What else did you get?”
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He was pleased with her compliment, though he didn’t tell her that red was more than just his favorite color. There was a reason why he wore it, but he decided he would tell why later. He shrugged in response to her question. “Just a few other things, I didn’t need much. Here’s your change, by the way.” Digging into one pocket, he brought out the rest of the gil, about half was left, and handed it to her.
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She shook her head and pushed his hand away. “Keep it. You need it more than I do.” Again, Tylas was left fumbling for words to express his gratitude. Before he could say anything, she asked if he was hungry. The two ended up eating at a small restaurant, and then returned to her house.
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Tylas stashed his things in his room, carefully leaning his spear next to the door. When he came back downstairs, he saw Crystal busy drawing something on a drawing pad at the kitchen table. He came up behind her and looked over her shoulder. “What’re you drawing?” he asked.
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Not taking her eyes off the drawing she quietly replied. “Oh, just drawing something. Not quite finished yet.” She leaned back to let him see. She hadn’t added any color, and the picture was only half-finished. A dragon dominated most of the picture, facing towards the viewer. One eye was obscured by what appeared to be a shattered spear.
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Tylas raised one eyebrow. “Ah, so this is what you saw when you came around the corner, right?” Crystal nodded, and resumed her drawing. “Yeah,” she replied, her tone sounding distracted. “Drawing is just a hobby. I should have it done within a few hours.” Tylas sat down next to her and watched her drawing. “You’re very good,” he stated. “Thanks,” she replied.
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They stayed that way for several minutes, Crystal drawing, and Tylas watching. Suddenly, she straightened up and stretched her back. She looked over at Tylas, who was craning his neck to get a better look at the nearly finished picture. “Hey, you feel up for some sparring?” she asked him, giving him an inquiring look.
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He blinked, not expecting such a question. “Um, yeah, I’m up for it. Been a long time since I’ve had someone to practice with.”
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She gave a small smile, and stood up. “All right then, let’s go.” He followed her to a door, which led to the basement. The basement had been turned into one large room, with padding on the floor. A number of staffs and wooden sticks were held in a metal cylinder in one corner. Tylas slowly walked to the center of the room, gazing around as Crystal continued on to the wooden sticks.
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She went back to Tylas and handed him a wooden staff. “It’d be best not to use real weapons for some light sparring,” she told him. She was holding two similar wooden rods, though they were shorter than the staff she handed him. She backed up a few steps to put some distance between them. “You ready?” she asked. He nodded, holding the staff in a fighting position. “Any time.”
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“Good. Then—begin!” She zipped toward him and attacked with lighting speed. So surprised by her suddenness, Tylas barely managed to block her first few blows. He was about to make a counter-attack when he felt one of the wooden rods pressed against his throat. Crystal lowered the rod and backed up once more. “Pretty good. Now, again.”
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She had taken him by surprise the first time, but now Tylas was ready. He blocked her first round of attacks, and then performing many smaller actions, he swept her to the side, knocking her to the floor. She rolled as she hit the ground and sprang to her feet, only to find one end of the staff at her throat. She was a little surprised, but was also very pleased. Finally someone that can really fight! “Very nice,” she stated as he lowered the staff. “Show me how you did that, slower this time.” Tylas was all too happy to oblige. She, in turn, showed him just what she had done during the first round, again in slow motion. When this was done, they started to spar again, in regular speed. Each time they fought, their maneuvers grew more and more complex, the skill of the two warriors coming into play. Every time one or the other had been defeated, they went through it again, in slow motion, learning how to defend and attack.
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They continued to spar for hours, stopping only when Tylas noticed how dark it was outside. “Geez, I didn’t realize how late it was,” Crystal muttered. She returned the two wooden rods and staff to their place, and glanced at Tylas, who was doubled over, hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath. “I hope you like pizza.” He laughed and nodded his head. “Pizza’s fine,” he gasped.
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She frowned at the state he was in. “You shouldn’t have pushed yourself that hard. You’re still recovering, and putting any strain is only going to hinder any healing.” He shook his head, unable to speak. “I’m fine.” He straightened, pretending that he was perfectly fine. “See? I’m fine. Nothing to worry about.” She gave him an I’m-not-buying-it look and headed towards the stairs. He followed her to the kitchen, where he gratefully sat down in a chair.
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Crystal picked up the phone and dialed a number. As she ordered the pizza, Jack came up to winded warrior and rested his chin on Tylas’ leg. Tylas slowly scratched behind the dogs’ ears, his thoughts wandering. It’s amazing how well she can fight. I’ve never seen someone handle a sword the way she does.
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Crystal hung up the phone and sat down at her usual spot at the table. “Pizza will be here soon,” she informed him. “You know,” she began, giving him an approving look, “you really are very skilled. It’s been a long time since I’ve had a good fight.”
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Tylas smiled, rather pleased with her praise. “Thanks. Like I said, my father taught me how. I’ve promised my sisters that’d I’d teach them, but….” He trailed off, unsure as to what to say next.
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Crystal raised one thin eyebrow. “Sisters? How many sisters do you have? Are they younger?” Tylas looked at her, slightly taken aback. She saw his look and thought she had offended him. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to intrude. It’s just that mercenaries are usually loners, and I was a bit surprised…” she trailed off in her apology as he laughed.
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“No, no, it’s fine. I wasn’t expecting you to ask that’s all. In fact I have three sisters, triplets. And they’re eight years old.” He saw her questioning look and explained just how he had siblings so much younger than himself. He told her how his father had died, mother's second marriage, and about his sisters. She listened politely, giving him her full attention. When he was finished she let out a low whistle. “Wow. Your sisters must be a handful. I can only imagine…”
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Tylas laughed. “Yes, they’re quite a handful. But I love ‘em.”
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Crystal nodded, and left to answer the knock at the door. She paid for the pizza, and returned to the table with the pizza. She set it down on the table, opened it, and pulled out a slice, and began to eat. She motioned for Tylas to do the same. “Go ahead. I’ve very bad table manners myself, so I really don’t care. Help yourself.” Shrugging, Tylas helped himself to the pizza as Crystal had. He found he was enjoying himself quite thoroughly. Swallowing a bite, he glanced at Crystal, who was feeding the crust to the dog. “So how about your family? Any siblings?” Crystal shook her head, and reached for another slice of pizza.
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“No. No family. I was given to the orphanage a few days after I was born. I was never adopted, thankfully. The closest I had to a sibling was my friend, Jessica. She was adopted though, and….” She trailed off, staring at the table with a far-away look.
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“And…” Tylas prompted. Crystal jerked, returning from her thoughts. She looked up at him and gave him a small smile. “And she was beaten to death by her adopted parents.” She fed the rest of crust of her pizza to Jack, brushing her hands together to wipe off the crumbs.
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Tylas was stunned. “I’m sorry,” he told her quietly. She waved her hand, brushing off his apologies. “It’s fine, it’s fine. After that, I left to join SOLDIER.” She told him about her career.
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“Wow,” was all he could say when she was done. “Wow.”
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She chuckled. “While I’m not as enamored with it as you are, I must admit, it’s not a bad job.” Seeing that he was done eating, she packed up the pizza and put it in the refrigerator. She returned to the table, Jack close on her heels, hoping for another tidbit of food. “So, what is with the red? My favorite color is purple, but I don’t make such a statement about it as you do,” she asked.
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Tylas had expected her to ask such a question. “Actually, it’s part of an old family tradition. You see, they always wore red clothes before going into battle. That way their enemy would never see the color of their blood.” He leaned back comfortably in the chair and shrugged. “Since I’m the last of the family bloodline, I thought I could use it to get recognition in the mercenary business. You know, like a symbol or logo.”
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Crystal gave him an approving look. “Clever. I must say, it’s a very good idea. I should have thought of that myself,” she mused thoughtfully. Outside, they heard a siren off in the distance. “Probably some accident,” Crystal muttered, turning to look at the window.
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“Oh! Crap, I nearly forgot,” Tylas exclaimed. “I was coming to Kalm for a job I had gotten.” Crystal turned around and looked back at him. “For what?” she asked.
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“I got this job, something about having trouble with animals. I’m sorry I forgot to tell you earlier, but things have been kinda hectic. Anyway, I just thought you should know.” Crystal was silent when he finished, processing what he had just told her. Another siren sounded in the distance, joined by another. Crystal stood, and walked over to the window. She peered through the blinds and froze the sight before her. She didn’t say anything.
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“Crystal? What is it? What’s wrong?” Tylas questioned her. He got up and walked over to the window. She glanced at him and pulled down on the cord for the blinds, uncovering the window. Tylas stood there, frozen in shock, and watched as Kalm began to burn.

Well, Here's the long awaited updates! Enjoy! Post anything if you want the rest of the chapters. Even if it's 'cool. more.' just let me know when you want the rest.

Chapter 6—Ashes of Kalm<o></o>
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Crystal whipped around and with a few swift strides, returned to the kitchen, where her swords still hung on the back of the chair. She quickly slipped them on again, tightening the straps as she headed for the door to the basement.
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“Whoa, Crystal, hold up. It’s just a fire, not an attack or anything,” came Tylas’ voice behind her. He had followed her to the kitchen but had stopped before entering the kitchen itself. “May—“ he was interrupted by sound of distant gunshots. The two warriors exchanged glances. Without another word, Tylas dashed up the stairs, taking the steps two at a time, running to get his spear.
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Crystal swiftly descended downstairs again. Only about half of the basement had been made into a sparring/practice room. A wall separated the two halves. Crystal opened the door to the second room and stepped inside, flicking on the lights. On the far wall was a large worktable with numerous repair tools lying on top of it. There were two large sets of wooden drawers on one wall, and steel shelves lined with armor covered another.
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Crystal quickly went up to one the set of the wooden drawers, pulling one open. Inside were various accessories; rings, pendants, bracelets, and the like. She scanned the contents of the drawer and shut it again, not finding what she was looking for. She opened another and from this one she withdrew two rings.
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Moving over to the second set of drawers, she opened one drawer to reveal rows of gleaming materia. She selected two, shut the drawer and returned upstairs.
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Tylas had returned, the spear nestled against one shoulder as he strapped on a bracer. “Take these. Put the ring on.” She tossed him a ring and materia. He caught the two objects and took a second to study them. The materia he recognized as Cure, but the ring he couldn’t identify. It looked like it had been cut from red glass, the uneven facets flashing a fiery orange in the light. As he slipped it on, he noticed it was slightly warm to the touch.
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Moving quickly, Crystal strode outside and backed her bike out of the garage. “Come on!” she called impatiently, swinging one leg over the bike. Stuffing the materia in his pocket, Tylas dashed outside and jumped on behind her as she started the bike. Tires squealing on the asphalt, the bike raced towards the ominous distant glow in the sky.
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* * *
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The fire was on the east side of town, engulfing the same square that Crystal and Tylas had been shopping at earlier. As they approached the scene, they could hear the panicked screams of people in the distance, occasionally punctuated by gunfire. Crystal knew that the shooting was probably from the police—all six of them. The police force was very small, as Kalm was a very quiet town. The most exciting thing to be done in the police force was to lock up drunks for the night and settle the occasional dispute. They weren’t meant to handle something like this, and wouldn’t last much longer.
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Crystal stopped the bike just around a corner, away from the scene of attack, and parked it next to a building. Running around the corner, with Tylas close behind, she observed the sight calmly.
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The Inflicted that were attacking the town were Ark Dragons. Ark Dragons were a dragon subspecies, much smaller than a real dragon, but still larger than a human. Their wings were hardly draconic, resembling dragonfly wings more than anything. There were dozens of them, circling above the square in which a mass of people was trapped. The dragons had forced them outside by setting aflame their homes. Now, out in the open, the people had no protection. Many tried to run out of the square to safety, but every time they reached the edge of the square, a dragon would fly down, spitting flame, creating a wall of fire. Other dragons above swooped down, snatching people out of the crowd, and flying off into the night with them.
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Without hesitating, Crystal launched into the scene of chaos. She quickly dispatched three beasts, and cut down two more before the Inflicted knew they were under attack. She looked around for her next target when she heard a whistling sound followed by a shriek and a thud. Whipping around, she saw Tylas pulling his spear from a dragon corpse. He turned quickly, slashing at one dragon that had been coming up on his side.
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Crystal turned her attention back to the battle. Tylas could handle himself. People ran past her, escaping through the gap in the Inflicted’s barrier that the two warriors had made. One Ark Dragon swooped down, and rose towards the sky with a screaming woman in its claws.
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Crystal leaped into the air, slashing at the dragon. She cut its wing tendons, and the dragon squawked and fell from the air, crashing to the ground. Crystal landed next to it and stabbed it through the heart; its would-be victim stood up and stumbled off, apparently unharmed by the fall.
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Crystal continued to take down more of the Ark Dragons, pausing only once to look back and see how Tylas was fairing. The crimson-clad warrior was killing the Inflicted by the score. Performing complicated spinning slashes with the spear, he proved to be a formidable opponent. As she watched, he took down two dragons with one slash. Crystal turned and slashed a dragon, just as it was about to bite her.
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The two warriors fought for some time, killing as many Inflicted as they could and saving as many people as possible. Still, despite their best efforts, the dragons still managed to carry off some people.
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After a few minutes, the Ark Dragons withdrew, leaving a good number of their force lying dead on the square. All of the people had dispersed and the police had retreated some time ago. The battle done, Tylas searched for Crystal, and spotted her across the square as she delivered the final blow to a wounded Inflicted. He was half way to her when he saw an Ark Dragon materialize out of the darkness, gliding on silent wings towards her. Tylas shouted, trying desperately to warn her of the danger she was in. At his shout, she turned towards him, away from the dragon. As she did, she was engulfed in a fireball. The dragon beat its wings furiously, hovering so it could concentrate all its flame on her.
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The dragon sustained its flame for as long as possible, ignoring the crimson warrior that was dashing towards it. Finally, the stream of flame petered out. The flames that had swallowed the violet-eyed warrior dissipated, revealing one angry Crystal. She whipped around and jumped, launching herself towards the dragon. The dragon frantically tried to wing backwards, attempting to get away. But Crystal was too fast for it. Three quick slashes and she was done. Performing a back flip in midair, she gracefully landed on her feet, while the dragon landed before her in three pieces.
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“Hey, Tylas,” she called as he slowly approached her. She flicked her swords, trying to shake off as much blood as she could. She stopped when he came up to her. She glanced up at him and paused at the look on his face. “What?” she asked. “What is it?”
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Tylas didn’t answer. He just stood there, looking her over from head to toe. She was completely unharmed. Not even singed. Raising one eyebrow slightly, he asked, “You okay?”
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Crystal nodded slowly. What was he going on about? “Yeah. Why wouldn’t I be?”
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He gave her an exasperated look and sighed. Somehow, that managed to convey his confusion, incredulity, and his unspoken question. Crystal recognized his state of confusion and she smirked. Holding up one hand, she showed him an identical ring to the one she had given him earlier. It glittered wildly in the firelight, and gave the illusion of fire within its depths. “It’s a fire ring, silly. It grants the wearer protection from fire.”
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Tylas looked down at the ring on his own hand. “So that’s what it is,” he muttered. Crystal cleared her throat. “And what else would it be?” she inquired, a small smirk creeping over her face.
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He frowned. Great, now she thinks I’m an amateur because I don’t own anything like this. “No, seriously, I had no idea what it was,” he defended. She gave him a shocked look. Seeing this, he hurriedly tried to explain. “Well, it’s not that I don’t know how to use materia, or accessories and whatnot, it’s just that I can’t really afford them. So….” He awkwardly rubbed the back of his head, trying to come up with something else to add and failing miserably.
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Crystal was about to reply when three police cars came squealing into the devastated square, sirens wailing. Six police officers stepped out of the cars. They were quite a sight indeed. Each was wearing a bulletproof vest, holding a shogun, and even had ammo belts for an extra touch.
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“Well here comes the cavalry,” Crystal muttered under her breath. She clearly wasn’t thrilled. “Oh, thank the stars; we’re saved.”
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Tylas guffawed, but quickly had to smother it as one of the officers came jogging up to them. He looked to be in his forties, and sported a graying mustache.
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“So, do I have you to thank for this, Crystal?” he barked. His steely eyes passed over Tylas for a second, before he returned his gaze to the violet-eyed warrior in front of him.
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Crystal nodded. “I’m afraid so, Chief,” she responded. She tilted her head towards Tylas. “Him too,” she added.
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“That so?” The chief of police turned towards Tylas and squinted at him. Tylas straightened self-consciously under the scrutiny. “Well, well,” the chief muttered after a few moments. Suddenly, he spun around and faced his meager police force. “GET MOVING MEN!!!” he bellowed. “SECURE THE AREA!!! MAKE SURE ALL THESE DAMN THINGS ARE DEAD!!!! NOW MOVE IT!!!”
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At the sound of his voice, the five police officers snapped to attention. Before the echoes of the chief’s commands had faded, they started spreading out through the square. They kicked over the dead bodies of the dragons, keeping their shotguns trained on them in case any still held a spark of life yet. Their actions surprisingly resembled that of a trained military force, albeit one that was inexperienced.
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“I’m impressed, chief,” Crystal commented as he turned back toward them. “Looks like they’re really shaping up.”
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“Thanks,” he said curtly. His face never so much as twitched with a hint of a smile. “Now just what the hell are these things? Where’d they come from?” he interrogated her.
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She sighed and sheathed her swords, despite the blood still on them. She’d have to clean them off later. She’d have to clean herself off, for that matter. “They’re Ark Dragons,” she replied. “It’s a dragon subspecies, not too aggressive. They’re found only in areas with a high concentration of Mythril. The closest place like that is the Mythril mine, on the other side of those mountains, past the Zolom swamp.”
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Tylas let out a low whistle. “Long way from here.” Before he could continue, fire trucks came wailing into the square.
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“It’s going to get hectic here pretty soon,” the chief told them. You two have done enough. You go and rest; we can take it from here.”
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“Yes, sir,” Crystal answered. With that, she immediately headed towards her bike. Tylas jogged after her. They could here the chief bellowing orders anew over the wailing sirens of the fire trucks. Tylas slowed down, looking back at the scene of destruction that had been, just hours ago, one of tranquility. It was almost impossible to believe that he’d been there just a while ago.
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“Come on!” Crystal called. She was sitting on her bike and was waiting impatiently for Tylas. “I want to see if my dog is all right.”
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* * *
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When they returned to Crystal’s house, they were greeted enthusiastically by a curious Jack. The big dog was perfectly fine, and he sniffed them all over, intrigued by whatever scents he could detect on them. When he was done with his examination, he had determined that they were okay. He then summarily begged to be petted.
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Crystal got a towel and set to work cleaning her swords in the kitchen. Tylas’ weapon had proven to be much easier to clean, and he was able to relax into chair. When Crystal didn’t oblige him, Jack went over to Tylas, who scratched behind the dog’s ears.
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After a few minutes, Crystal spoke up. “You know, you should probably call your family.”
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Tylas cringed at her words. How could he have forgotten? He always managed to contact his family when he was gone. “Thanks for reminding me. It’s just, things have gotten….” He trailed off into a sigh. He felt like a true jackass. They’d probably be worried sick about him by now. He’d been gone for two days, and he hadn’t even thought about them.
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“We’re leaving tomorrow,” Crystal stated, interrupting his thoughts. He blinked. “What?” he asked, confused.
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“We’re leaving tomorrow. For Costa Del Sol. It’ll be a long ride; you should probably get some rest.”
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He took this in for a minute. “Why there?”
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Crystal scrubbed at a particularly difficult spot on one sword before answering. “There’s another warrior there; teaches a martial arts class.” She finished wiping her swords clean and returned them to their sheathes. “This attack was completely random. There’s no apparent reason why Kalm should have been attacked. We have less time than I thought, and we must move quickly.”
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“Before what?”
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Crystal shrugged. “I don’t know, but whatever is going on is getting worse. We have to act before too many lives are lost.”
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Tylas nodded, processing this. “Why were the dragons taking people? Why would they do something like that? I thought they didn’t eat humans.”
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She shrugged again. “They don’t eat humans. I don’t know why they were taking people. If they were going to eat them, they would’ve roasted everyone. But they didn’t. They carried them off. I don’t like it. Something is far more wrong here than I first thought.” She sighed and leaned back in her chair. What the hell was going on? Why were they doing this? What’s going to happen to those people they carried off? What were those Ark Dragons doing here?
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She sighed. She was giving herself a headache again. Glancing at the clock, mentally cursed when she saw how late it was. “Now, I don’t know about you, but I’m tired,” she announced, rising to her feet.
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Tylas did the same and they both headed up the stairs, Jack leading the way. They bid each other goodnight and went in their rooms. Jack, however, was torn between whom to go with. He sat in the hallway between their rooms, whining. Crystal sighed. “Oh, you big sissy. Go with him. Go on, go!” she waved the German shepherd over to Tylas. Jack sprang to his feet and dashed passed Tylas, who laughed.
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“Okay, okay, you big furball,” he joked to the dog. “Goodnight, Crystal,” he repeated, and shut the door. Stripping off his gloves, he carefully laid the ring on the nightstand, and then collapsed on the bed. In a few seconds, Jack jumped up with him. The shepherd turned in circles on the bed, pawing at the covers. After several minutes, Jack finally laid down and rested his chin on Tylas’ leg.
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Tylas gave the dog an inquiring look. “Are you quite comfortable?” Jack thumped his tail on the bed in answer. Tylas chuckled. “All right, but you better not drool on me.” Another tail-thump. Jack nosed Tylas’ hand, looking to be petted, but he had already fallen asleep.
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* * *
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Next morning, Crystal sat in front of the materia drawer downstairs; deliberating on what she should take with her. She would take at least a Cure or two. Fire, lightning, ice, earth; she dropped these into the small sack she held in one hand. Elemental and Added Effect were definitely must-haves. Poison would be good to take as well. Barrier and Time were added into the sack. She sat back on her heels, looking over the materia. Gravity could be useful. Heal would come in handy, especially for curing poison. Contain and Enemy Skill was invaluable. Crystal pressed the Enemy Skill materia against her forearm and it smoothly melted into her skin.
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She closed the draw and opened the beneath it. The materia inside cast a soft red glow. Summoning materia. She didn’t really like using summoning materia as it drained your strength quickly and just equipping it made one noticeably weaker. But it was very useful in a tight spot. Some summoning materia was extremely rare, while others were fairly common. You just had to know where to look. In the long years of being a mercenary, Crystal had collected most of them, her profession taking her all over the world. She had gathered many accessories and armor as well.
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Bahamut and his brothers were definitely coming along. She dropped them into the sack. You can’t go wrong with Odin and Phoenix was incredibly useful. Hades, oh Hades, was a wonderful little surprise for the enemy. Giving the materia one more passing glance, she shut the drawer and walked over to the accessory drawer instead.
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Opening another drawer, she scanned the contents and, without hesitation, selected a few fire, ice, and bolt rings, dropping them into the sack with the materia. Setting the sack gently on top of the dresser, she reached into the drawer and pulled out a purple ribbon. She fingered the soft material, remembering how long and hard it had been finding that cursed Tonberry just to morph it. She tied the ribbon around the hair tie that held her hair back in a ponytail. She made sure the ribbon was secure; she didn’t want to lose it.
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That about covered it for the accessories. She looked over the armor that lay on steel shelves, which lined one wall of the room. Now choosing here was rather difficult. Mystile or…She reached up and took one pair of bracers (a.k.a. armlet) and examined them. She slipped them onto her forearms, one concealing the faint yellow glow from the materia in her arm. Both bracers had the insignia of dragons inscribed into the metal. Dragon bracers. One of the most useful pieces of armor she’d ever had the luck of owning.
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Bending over, she looked at the lower shelves. She frowned, not finding what she was looking for. Then, reaching into the back part of the shelf, she pulled out a pair of sneakers. They were sporty, athletic shoes, made for running. She slipped off the sneakers she was wearing and put the new ones on in their place. Couldn’t go wrong with these shoes. They more than tripled her natural speed, which was already blindingly fast. Done with preparations for the long trip ahead, she grabbed the sack from the top of the set of wooden drawers and left the room, closing the door behind her.
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She quickly ascended the stairs, and entered the kitchen, depositing the sack on the table. Outside, the stars were just beginning to fade from the sky. She then went upstairs to her room, and began packing some extra clothes. When this was done, she silently opened the door to Tylas’ room.
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The warrior had fallen asleep still fully dressed. Jack was lying on the bed next to him, with his chin resting on Tylas’ leg. When Crystal entered the room, the big dog’s ears perked up, and Jack lifted his head. His tail thumped on the bed at the sight of his master.
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Crystal raised one hand, motioning for the dog to stay. Jack quieted down and again rested his head on the sleeping warrior’s leg. Crystal stood in the doorway, watching Tylas. He must be pretty tired. She could give him another hour to sleep at least. It was only 6 o’clock in the morning. But then they had to get going. She closed the door again, leaving the room as quietly as she had entered.
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*~*~*~*~*~*~*
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Tylas woke to the ringing silence that filled the house. He sat up in bed, and strained to hear anything. Nothing. Swinging his legs over the edge of the bed, he stood up and exited his room, moving as silently as possible. Light streamed into the house from every window. His mother and sisters should be downstairs right now. But there was no sound coming from below.
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He hurriedly checked his sister’s rooms. They were empty. Panic rising, he raced downstairs, and searched the entire house. In the kitchen, he stopped, surprised.<o></o>
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Plates and silverware were lying on the table. There was even food sitting on the table, and some glasses were filled with soda. To all appearances, it looked like someone had started a meal, and then suddenly left. <o></o>
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As he approached the odd scene, he could see steam rising off the food. Whatever had happened had been not too long ago. His concern increasing, he left the house, hoping to find some sign of his family. <o></o>
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But outside, his alarm only grew. There was no one. Nothing. Not a living soul seemed to occupy the town. No birds, no bugs; nothing. The silence pounded on his eardrums. <o></o>
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Running over to the neighbors’ house, he pounded on the door. When no one answered, he opened the door and stepped in. “Hello?” he called softly. When he did, a wave of foreboding washed over him. He didn’t break the silence again. Quietly, he entered the house, searching for someone, anyone. When he entered the living room, he stopped dead in his tracks. <o></o>
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The large window was shattered, and a tall bookcase lay on the floor. They had barricaded themselves in here, and tried to block off the window with the heavy piece of furniture. The rest of the room had been torn to shreds, the coffee table reduced to splinters. And there was blood everywhere. The smell of iron pervaded the air. Even the ceiling was covered with blood. And lying on the shredded couch was an arm, ripped off at the elbow.<o></o>
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Gagging, Tylas ran from the house, and fell to his knees on the front step. Bending over, he threw up over the side of the steps. He continued to empty his stomach until there was nothing left and he was painfully dry heaving. He forced himself to stop, and he remained kneeling there, gasping.<o></o>
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Then, rising to his feet, he ran through the town, screaming his sisters’ names, not caring about breaking the eerie silence. He had to find them. <o></o>
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A chittering sound answered his cries. Whipping around, he saw a dark humanoid figure standing ten feet behind him. Despite the shining sun, the form was covered in shadow. Tylas clenched his hands into fists, cursing himself for not bringing his weapon. It chittered again. The sound echoed behind Tylas. Turning again, he saw a similar shape standing behind him. Again, more chittering, this time from his right, and answered by an identical call to his left. Turning in a slow circle, Tylas watched the dark humanoids that had surrounded him. <o></o>
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As he slowly turned, he suddenly faced one of the creatures standing inches from him. It reached out one clawed hand and shook his shoulder………<o></o>
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*~*~*~*~*~*~*<o></o>
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Crystal shook his shoulder. “Tylas, come on, we have to get going.”
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Tylas jerked out of the violent dream, sitting bolt upright in bed, emitting a startled gasp.
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Crystal quickly pulled away from him as he awoke, startled by his sudden actions. “Hey! Are you okay?”
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He shrugged, and dug the palms of his hands into his eyes, trying to forget the bloody scene from the dream. After a minute or two, he slowly nodded. “Yeah. I’m fine. Just a dream.”
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“What was it about?”
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Tylas didn’t answer right away. He was simply too shy to tell her about the disturbing dream. But he didn’t want to offend her by refusing to tell her either. There was only one option that he had left: lie his ass off. “I don’t know. I can’t remember any of it now.” He kept his hands pressed over his eyes, unable to look her in the eye. The familiar wave of guilt was starting to come over him already. He was a horrible liar, and it was easy to tell he was lying. So he kept his face hidden, trying to hide the fact that he was lying.
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He felt a sympathetic pat on his arm. “I hate it when that happens,” she told him. “But thankfully, I’ve got Jack here to keep me company, so I don’t get too lonely.” She turned her attention to the big dog, and rubbed behind his ears. Jack grinned at her, which she returned.
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Lifting his head from his hands, Tylas looked at Crystal, who was grinning at her dog. This was the first real smile he had seen from her. But it didn’t last nearly long enough for him.
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Standing up, she brushed dog hair off of her clothes. “Well Tylas, we have to be going soon. There’s a backpack for you to carry your things.” She motioned towards a backpack leaning against the bed. “If we move quickly, we might make it to the Zolom swamp by the afternoon. And remember, you still have a call to make.”
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With that said, she left the room, calling Jack.
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When the door was closed, Tylas fell back against the pillows, and closed his eyes. His usual laid-back air evaporating as soon as Crystal left. He couldn’t rid himself of that awful chittering sound. It sounded like a cross between insect and…. something else. Human?
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He shuddered. Trying to keep his mind off the disturbing dream, he busied himself with packing his few belongings into the backpack. When he was done, he headed downstairs and found Crystal sitting at the kitchen table. She was busy on her drawing that she had started the other day.
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Setting the backpack down beside his chair, he picked up the phone and dialed the number to his house. Sitting down, he tried to reassure himself that, despite how early it was, he had to tell his mother about what was happening. She’d kill him if he told her later rather than sooner.
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After a few long rings, his mother finally answered.
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“Hello?” came the sleepy voice over the phone.
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“Um, mom?”
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“Tylas!” his mother instantly woke up at the sound of his voice. “Tylas where are you?! Why haven’t you called? Are you okay?”
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He winced at the obvious worry in her voice. “Mom, whoa, calm down. I’m fine. It’s a long story…” He proceeded to explain what had happened and what was going to happen. He carefully left out the part about the dragon that had attacked him on the road. Instead, a few stray wolves had attacked him and Crystal had shown up and helped him out.
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“Come home. Now.” His mother interrupted him. Tylas sighed. He knew that tone of voice all to well. There was no negotiating with her when she sounded like that. Ignoring her demand, which he knew would cost him dearly, he continued on with his explanation. When he was finished, only silence came from the other end of the line. “Um, mom? Hello?”
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Crystal listened with some amusement to the conversation. She continued drawing, but paid close attention to what Tylas was saying. She was highly amused when he skipped the bit about the dragon, and changed it into a few ‘harmless’ wolves instead.
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“But—Sh—Mo—“ Tylas stuttered into the phone. His mother kept running over him, not letting him utter another word.
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Finally, he sighed and, rolling his eyes towards the ceiling, held the phone out to Crystal. “She wants to talk to you.”
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With a small smile, she accepted the phone. “Hello?”
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Tylas groaned and covered his face with his hands, elbows on the table. With growing dread, he could only listen to Crystal answer a multitude of questions. He could only pray his mother wouldn’t go postal on Crystal or embarrass him.
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“Mmm hmm. Yes ma’am. Here he is.” Crystal handed the phone back to Tylas.
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Tylas quickly took the phone. “Yeah?” The conversation continued for a few more minutes, and then he hung up after a long goodbye. Again, he groaned and rested his head on the table. He desperately wanted to bang his forehead on the table, but refrained from doing so. It would only make him look like an idiot.
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Crystal saw his actions out from the corner of her eye, and smirked. She knew exactly what he wanted to do: She’d been there plenty of times herself. “Guilt trip, huh?” she asked, trying to mask the humor in her voice and only partially succeeding.
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He gave a long-suffering sigh. “Oh, like you wouldn’t believe.” He sounded truly miserable.
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Crystal chuckled. “So what’s the verdict? Shall your life be spared?”
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He sat up and rested his head on the back of the chair, closing his eyes. “I’ll live,” he said grimly. “She was adamant that I come home, but I managed to convince her that it would only make things worse.”
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Now it was Crystal’s turn to feel guilty. He was obviously as worried about his family as they were of him, and the only reason he wasn’t going home was because of her. “I’m sorry for doing this to you and your family. I promise that your family will be safe when you return to them.”
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He opened his eyes and looked at her, a smile on his face. “It isn’t your fault, Crystal. My mother is just really paranoid sometimes.”
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What he didn’t know was how serious Crystal was about her promise. She never made a promise lightly, and she always kept it when she did. She would do everything in her power to make sure his family would stay safe while he was gone.
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She gave a slight nod in response, and then quickly changed the subject. “If we leave soon, we might make it to Zolom swamp by late afternoon. But first, I want to swing by Midgar.”
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“Why? That’s in the opposite direction,” Tylas stated.
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A slight smile brushed her lips. “Oh, there’s just an old friend I want to talk to.” She sipped her coffee, her eyes gleaming with unvoiced laughter.
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* * *
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A little while later, Crystal stopped the bike at the base of a steep slope. She shut off the engine, and the silence of the wasteland enfolded them.
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“Why are we stopping here?” Tylas asked, swinging one leg over the bike. They were still quite a ways from Midgar. He could see the ruins of the infamous city in the distance.
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Crystal ignored his question. “Wait here. I want to check something out.” Without any further explanation, she climbed up the slope, leaving Tylas behind with the bike. He shrugged and sat down on the bike, keeping a wary eye out for anything that might attack.
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It took Crystal only a few minutes to reach the half-buried sword at the top of the steep slope. She had made sure to park the bike far enough away so that Tylas couldn’t hear anything being said.
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“Zack!” she called. “Zack, I need to talk to you.”
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“All right, you’ve got my attention.”
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Turning around, she saw Zack materialize out of thin air. He had quickly grown accustomed to her strange ability to see and hear him. In fact, he was beginning to feel like his old self.
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“So Crystal, how’s it going? Anything new?” he asked, a confident smile on his face.
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Crystal smirked. She couldn’t help it. Here he was, dead, and he was talking to her as if everything was absolutely normal. “As a matter of fact, I was hoping you’d tell me.”
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“What?” he gave her a quizzical look. “Heh, my psychic powers fizzled out this morning, sorry.”
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She merely shook her head, trying hard to remain serious. “Zack, there’ve been a lot of weird things going on. You know; I told you about it.”
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He nodded, and leaned up against the massive blade. “Yeah. What about it?”
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“Well, in Kalm last night, about fifty people were carried off by Inflicted Ark dragons. There’s no logical reason they would’ve done that. I think there’s something more going on than I previously suspected.”
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Zack shifted slightly, his curiosity stirred. “So what can I do for you?”
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“I need you to keep an eye out for any unusual happening in the Lifestream. If there’s energy being drawn to a certain spot, corrupted Lifestream, that kind of thing. If people go missing, but they haven’t returned to the Lifestream, that especially I want you to look out for. These people could be used as experiments. I don’t know by whom, but it’s a possibility. Can you do that for me?”
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He sighed, and ran a hand through his black hair. “Yeah, sure, I can do that. You really think they could be used for experiments?”
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“I’m not entirely sure, but it’s possible. I hope not. You understand why I need your help, don’t you?” She was well aware of how close she had come to becoming an ‘experiment’ herself. Heck, she had gotten the Mako treatment, the injection of Jenova cells: It would’ve only taken a little bit more, and she’d have been nothing more than a number.
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Zack nodded quickly. “Yeah, I know why. Hey, Crystal…could you do me a favor?”
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She was slightly surprised by his question. What kind of favor could you do for someone who was dead? “Um, yeah, sure. What do you want?”
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He sighed and gave her a wistful look. “Could you pour a beer over my grave? I could really use a drink.”
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She stared at him for a second, not fully comprehending his absurd request. Then she threw her head back and laughed and laughed. When she finally caught her breath, she was nearly doubled over. She was clutching her side, her laughter causing a cramp in one side. By taking deep breaths she finally managed to respond. “Sure, Zack! Sure thing; next time I come around; I’ll remember to do that! Well, thanks for your help Zack. See ya later.”
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He grinned as tipped his head towards her, and gave her a small salute, before disappearing.
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When Crystal returned to the bike, Tylas was still sitting on the bike, spear in one hand. He looked up as she approached. “So did you find anything?” he asked.
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She shook her head. “Nope. Just my imagination. Come on, let’s get going.” She quickly got on the bike, and Tylas followed suit. But when she turned the bike around, back the way they had come, he became thoroughly confused. “Wait! What are you doing? Shouldn’t you be heading the other way?”
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“No. I’m done here. Why?”
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He looked at her for a moment then shook his head. “Nevermind. Let’s go.”
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She shrugged, and turned back towards the road. Then the two were speeding down the road, their destination still far ahead of them.
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As they left the area, Tylas looked back over his shoulder. What he saw made him blink and shake his head in an attempt to clear his vision. He had seen what looked like to be a massive sword, half-buried in the ground at the top of the steep slope. He could’ve sworn that he had seen a human figure standing next to it, but when he looked again, it was gone.
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* * *
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The sun had long passed its zenith when the two warriors had finally reached the Zolom swamp. The weakening sunlight gleamed dully off the surface of the water. Nothing moved in the swamp; there wasn’t even the sound of frogs. The dead stillness and empty silence unnerved Tylas. It reminded him of his dream.
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“So, is this the infamous Zolom swamp?” he asked Crystal.
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“Yeah. Unfortunately, it is.” She dismounted the bike, and walked closer to the edge of the swamp. She motioned for Tylas to stay where he was. Bending down, she picked up a good-sized rock. She turned and looked over her shoulder at Tylas.
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“You know what this swamp is named for, right?”
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Tylas thought for a minute. “Yeah. The snake, right? I thought it’d been killed though. It’s gone, right?”
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She snorted. “I wish. Yes, many people have killed Midgar Zolom. I’ve done it myself. But it’s something about this swamp; something about it that enables Midgar Zolom to live.” She held up her hand, cutting off his shocked reply. “Don’t ask me how. I have no idea. But the only thing that really matters is that if this swamp keeps Zolom alive….” She trailed off. Suddenly she hurled the rock she’d been holding into the swamp.
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The smooth surface of the swamp erupted, water and moss flying into the air. In the center of it, was the gigantic snake named Midgar Zolom. It was easily as big around as a good-sized car, and hundreds of feet long. Its black scales glistened in the light, water sheeting down the smooth surface. Its fangs were about the size of a human, and were dripping with venom; it could swallow a person whole, with room for more.
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The snake, seeing Crystal standing only feet from the edge of the swamp, lunged towards her. Tylas shouted for her to move, but she acted as if she didn’t hear him. The jaws of the giant reptile snapped shut just in front of Crystal. She could’ve reached out and touched it she was so close it.
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Hissing in frustration, it lunged for her again, with the same results. Then it became clear: Midgar Zolom could not go beyond the boundaries of the swamp, no matter how hard it tried. With malevolent hiss, the enormous snake slithered back into the depths of the swamp from which it came. The water was still once more.
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Crystal brushed some dirt off her hands and turned towards a shocked Tylas. “Then it cannot leave the swamp itself,” she finished.
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Tylas quickly recovered from his surprise. He cleared his throat. “And just how do propose to cross this swamp and it’s snake?” he asked.
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Crystal held up one hand in a reassuring gesture. “Ah! I’m so glad you asked.” She shifted her hand to point to something in the swamp. “See that? That’s our ticket across.”
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Tylas squinted at the swamp, trying to see what it was she was talking about. When he finally saw it, it failed to comfort him. What Crystal had been pointing at was a thin, beaten dirt path that led right through the heart of the swamp.
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“What’s…that?” he managed to ask without sounding too worried.
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Crystal chuckled. “That, my good friend, is a chocobo path.” Seeing his inquiring look, she elaborated. “Both wild chocobos and people riding chocobos, from the nearby farm, use this path to get across. It cuts straight through the swamp, and it’s the only solid ground for the bike to go over. Either it’s that path or we swim.”
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Tylas looked at the trail, then at Crystal, and then back at the trail. Her words in no way reassured him of any safety. In fact, he was seriously considering on changing his mind and going back home. Of course, that was out of the question. He’d just have to trust her.
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“Please tell me you’ve done this before,” he asked as she settled herself on the bike once more.
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She grinned at the worry in his voice, but it was turned away from him. Crystal was in an exceptionally good mood, and she decided that she would have a little fun. “Of course I have. Ready?” Before he could answer, Crystal revved the engine, and the bike shot into the swamp.
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Tylas was caught off-guard by the sudden acceleration, and came uncomfortably close to falling off. He wrapped one arm around Crystal’s waist for balance, holding his spear in his free hand. He tried not to think what would happen if he fell off.
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He glanced over his shoulder at the swamp surreptitiously, not sure of what he might see. When he saw it, he cursed himself for looking. An unmistakable black shape was traveling through the murky water at an amazing speed. The black shape was undoubtedly that of a giant snake. As Tylas watched with horrified eyes, the shape gained on the two at an alarming rate.
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“Um, Crystal?” he yelled over the sound of the roaring engine and rushing wind. She didn’t respond. He turned towards her so she might hear him better. “Crystal?” he yelled louder. Again, no response.
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He looked back at the shape in the water, and saw it was only about ten feet from them. A crest was rising in the water, and he could see the scales on top of the serpent’s head break the surface.
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Feeling panic rising in his throat, he tried to shout another warning to Crystal but his throat felt like it had been closed off. He felt the bike accelerate a bit, but definitely not enough for him. He stared at the edge of the swamp, knowing that safety lie just beyond it. The distance to the edge was rapidly shrinking, and he risked yet another look behind him.
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He cursed himself again. The snake was almost upon them now. As he watched, the snake’s head rose out of the murky depths, its beady black eyes intent on its prey. Midgar Zolom closed in on them, and its mouth opened wide to snap up the two warriors in one bite.
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Tylas, wide-eyed, watched in a fascinated horror as the snake extended itself to try and reach them.
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Suddenly, the serpent lunged forward, and the great jaws snapped shut a foot from Tylas’ face as the bike crossed over the edge of the swamp. Crystal slammed on the brakes, the bike skidding sideways to a halt. The two warriors watched as the snake hissed in utter rage and tried again and again to cross the boundary, with no success. Finally, one last hiss escaping from it, it slid back into the waters, lying there, daring them to come back.
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Crystal shut off the engine, and Tylas quickly got off the bike. He didn’t make it very far as his legs were unusually unsteady. He sat down on the ground hard, letting out the breath he had been holding. He sipped the air, trying to catch his breath and slow his racing heart.
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Crystal chuckled.
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He looked up at her, shocked. She was trying hard to keep from smiling or laughing, but her success was only partial. “That…wasn’t…funny!” he gasped at her.
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At this she simply laughed. Falling to her knees, she slapped her leg and pointed at him, her silvery laughter ringing in the cool air. “I…couldn’t help it! I’m sorry! It was just to perfect to pass up!” His expression was a mix between confusion and incredulity. This only made her laugh harder.
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As Tylas watched her fall over with laughter, he felt his anger dissipating. Despite the heart-stopping ordeal she had just put him through, he found himself smiling at the sound of her laughter. She has a nice laugh he thought to himself. But he still glared at her.
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After a minute or two, her laughter died down. Staggering to her feet, she took a deep breath to regain control of herself. “We should set up camp here,” she announced. “I’ll get the firewood.” With that, she set about collecting fallen branches from some dead trees nearby, applying the razor-sharp edge of a sword when needed.
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Tylas glanced up at the sky, surprised at how quickly it had gotten dark. There’d only be a few more minutes of daylight left, then it would be dark. Casting a wary look at the swamp, he saw no sign of the serpent that lie within. But he had no doubt that it was there, watching him.
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Quickly pushing himself up, he helped set up camp and gather firewood. He didn’t want to be without some source of light tonight with that creature lurking so close. Even though it couldn’t reach him, he wasn’t taking any chances, and he was betting that it didn’t like fire.
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As darkness fell, they had unrolled their bedrolls, and a fire was cheerfully burning. After a small meal of travel rations, Tylas lay down on his bedroll, staring into the flames. It had been a long day. His thoughts wandered to what his family might be doing right now. His mother probably had her hands full trying to put her daughters to sleep right now. He always helped her put them to bed, and was probably in over her head now. Each triplet had to go through a certain routine before they went to bed. Sara had to…
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He mentally shook himself. Come on; focus on the task at hand he berated himself. “So, what’s scheduled for tomorrow?” he asked.
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Crystal poked the fire with a stick she had picked up. “Junon next, then we take the ship over to Costa Del Sol,” she stated simply. “You should get some rest; I’ll take the first shift.”
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He nodded and was silent, continuing to stare into the flames. Then he rolled over on his back and stared up at the night sky. The black sky was dusted with millions of stars, looking like so many diamonds tossed on black velvet. It was a beautiful sight to behold.
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[FONT=&quot]As sleep crept over him, Crystal poked the fire again, releasing a shower of sparks into the air. He fancied that the sparks joined the countless stars already glittering in the sky. Then sleep claimed him. [/FONT]

mill3r91 · Jul 23, 2007

love it..awsome story...espesually all the connections you made to the real and fan fic. characters

Dragon Mage · Jul 24, 2007

Why thank you!! I really appreciate the feedback! Here's chapter 7 and tell me when you want chapter 8!

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Chapter 7-- A Happy Tune

They reached Junon by nine o’clock the following morning. The seaside city had changed a great deal over the past few years. Public access to the city had been added, allowing everyone free entry. Before, only Shinra military and citizens with a pass were allowed to enter.
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Once, Junon had been the most polluted city in the world. Now it was the cleanest. In face of the planet’s ailing state, the people of Junon began to clean up their polluted city, in a desperate effort to help the planet. A little girl named Priscilla had purposed the whole idea to the city. Now, littering was a serious crime in Junon. The people had a certain pride in the change of their city.
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Crystal guided the bike through the busy traffic, and finally stopped at the docks. Located at the bottom front of the city, the docks offered an impressive view of the terraced city.
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Crystal shut off the bike and dismounted, Tylas following suit. She paused for a moment and turned back to look at the city. The morning sun poured over the city, gilding the copper-colored metal a breath taking gold. Numerous windows glittered in the light, studding the glowing sight with diamonds.
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Tylas gave a low whistle. “That’s quite something,” he stated.
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Crystal merely shook her head sadly. “Yeah, I guess so.”
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He gave her a surprised look. “What do you mean, ‘I guess so’?”
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She gestured towards the empty sky above the city. “The cannon,” she said wistfully. “It was such a beautiful sight in the morning. And now it’s rusting away in the ruins of Midgar.” She continued to stare at the gorgeous city and sighed. “What a shame.”
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Without saying anything further, she turned away and went off to buy tickets for the ferry.
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Tylas had to keep himself from laughing at Crystal’s reaction to the missing cannon. Instead he just grinned and waited for her..
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Crystal bought the two tickets for the ferry and returned to where she had left Tylas.
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“Well,” she began. “Good new is that the ferry leaves in about and hour.”
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“And the bad news….?” Tylas asked.
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“I’m hungry.”
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The two warriors grabbed a quick brunch and returned to the dock in good time. The ferry was already loaded with people and a few vehicles. Crystal carefully maneuvered the bike onto the ferry while Tylas handed over the tickets. He then joined where she stood by the railing, looking out over the water.
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“So, how long ‘till we get there?” he asked.
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She shrugged. “About a half-hour. Have you ever been to Costa Del Sol?”
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“No. What’s it like?” he asked, curious.
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She rolled her eyes and put on her sunglasses. The glare off the water hurt her eyes. “Hot,” was her bitter reply. “Very hot.”
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* * *
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Melody stood off to one side of the room and watched her students warm up for class. She appeared to be in her mid-20’s and was about 5” 4’. Her sturdy body was tanned a golden color gained only by spending long hours out in the sun. Her curly blond hair was cut short, resulting in a headful of tight curls that bounced with each movement she made. She always seemed to be smiling, revealing straight white teeth. Her bright blue eyes always sparkled with laughter. The woman practically radiated cheer, and a person simply couldn’t keep a frown on their face when she was in the room.
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She walked to the center of her room, clapping her hands to get everyone’s attention. “Okay, everyone, line up!” She spoke in a clear voice.
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Immediately, all of the students lined up before her. They all wore the same white, loose-fitting uniform. Melody wore an identical uniform, save for the black belt tied around her waist.
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Melody smiled at her assembled students. “Please, sit.” As they all took a seat on the floor, Melody went over to her bag in the corner of the room. From the bag, she withdrew a sword. With the sword in hand, she returned to the center of the room.
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“Since you’re my advanced class, I think it’s time we moved on to this next section that is vital to your protection. You’re going to learn how to defend yourself against an armed opponent. Now, I need a volunteer to help with this demonstration.”
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The silence from her students said everything. Melody laughed and proffered the sword to one of her older students. “Adam, if you could be so kind…”
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The boy stood up and gingerly took the sword from her, holding it away from him awkwardly.
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Melody backed up a little and took a defensive stance. “Okay, now, attack me,” she said, giving him an encouraging smile.
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Hesitatively, he took a few steps forward and raised the weapon. At another reassuring nod from his instructor, he clumsily swung the sword at her, the sharp edge level with her waist.
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Melody deftly dodged the swing and stepped out of the way of another amateur swing. This continued for a few minutes, him swinging at her and her always gracefully dodging.
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Annoyed, the boy raised the sword above his head and brought it down hard, the blade cleaving through the air.
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As the blade descended towards her, Melody finally made her move. Raising her arms, she caught the blade between her palms, touching only the flat of the blade.
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There was a collective gasp from the students; Melody smiled. Still holding the blade above her, she mock ‘kicked’ Adam six times in quick succession, her feet tapping his chest.
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Then she let go of the sword and took it from her student, thanking him as he sat down. She returned the sword to the bag and next withdrew from the bag some wooden dowel rods, each about three feet long.
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She went back to the center of the room, facing the class. “Now, what you just saw is a little bit complicated, but you’ll get there later. For now, we’ll simply practice dodging.”
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She instructed the students to don their sparring gear, which they did quickly. When this was done, she split them up into pairs, and gave one of each pairing a rod. One student would ‘attack’ with the rod, while the other would dodge. After a few minutes, they would switch, taking turns defending and attacking.
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Melody skipped about the room, helping her students with dodging and how to anticipate where the next attack would come from. She seemed to be everywhere at once, encouraging her students.
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Melody was unaware that she had gained an audience. Two people had entered the building and were now leaning against a wall, watching her teach. When she finally noticed them, she noted that they weren’t any of the students’ parents or siblings. She managed to catch the eye of one, who noticed her looking, and Melody caught a glimpse of purple eyes. The ebony-haired woman nodded at her, sending the message that she wished to talk to the martial artist.
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Her curiosity stirred, Melody desperately wanted to go over and talk to the two, but was unable to because of her class. She would have to talk to them when the class was over.
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~~~~~~~
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When the hour-long class was finally over, Melody greeted the two strangers with a bright smile. “Hello! Are you related to any of the students? I’m afraid I’ve never met you before,” she said to the woman.
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The woman shook her head and introduced herself as Crystal; the man said he was Tylas.
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Melody gasped. “Crystal? The Crystal?” She squealed with delight and shook Crystal’s hand excitedly. “Oh my goodness, it’s such an honor to meet you!”
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Tylas glanced at Crystal, the question written all over his face. She just rolled her eyes and tried to explain. “Erm…It was a small job around here a few months—“
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“Oh, ‘small’ is quite an understatement!” Melody exclaimed, interrupting Crystal. She turned to Tylas, and began to excitedly explain everything to him in one long breath.
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“It was a whole pack of monsters! They kept attacking the beach and no one could kill them or go swimming, so everyone thought that Costa was going to be ruined for sure because we rely on the tourism so much and the tourists couldn’t go swimming because of the monsters; then Crystal here showed up and the town hired her to kill them and she did, and she practically saved the entire town!” When she was done she let out her breath in one long whoosh. “Anyways, everyone here practically owes everything to her!”
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Tylas looked at Crystal, shocked. “Well, you failed to mention that!”
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Crystal, now thoroughly irritated, gave him a reproving glare. “It didn’t occur to me. Now can we please get back on topic?”
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“Hm? What topic?” Melody asked, an innocent expression on her face.
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Crystal paused for a moment, for it was true there was no topic. Fortunately, Tylas stepped in and bailed her out.
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“We came here to warn you that you may be attacked,” He stated simply.
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Melody gasped, and raised her hands to her mouth. “Really? Why?” she asked, her blue eyes wide with concern.
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Crystal told her everything about the attacks, adding the attack on Kalm, and their mission. Having said it all so many times before, it now took only a few minutes to explain everything. The entire time Melody listened, enraptured.
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When she was done, Melody gasped and, clasping her hands to her chest, asked, “Can I come with you?!”
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Crystal blinked. “Wait…what? Why?”
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Melody grinned at her and laughed. “Are you kidding? How many times do you get a chance at an adventure like this?! I wouldn’t pass up a chance like this for anything! So can I please come with you!” she begged Crystal with soulful eyes.
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Crystal didn’t quite know what to do. She had always lived alone and fought alone, and she liked it that way. It was odd just having Tylas around, but another person? No. She didn’t like that at all.
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However…what could she do? Refuse help that is so desperately needed? Whether she liked it or not, some things couldn’t be done alone; she learned that a long time ago. And it wasn’t like she could deny another their right to protect themselves. That meant the only thing she could do was let Melody accompany her and Tylas.
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She glanced at Tylas to see if he was okay with Melody coming along. He gave a slight nod. “Well…I don’t see why not. Sure, you can come along if you want,” she answered.
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Melody squealed and all but jumped with delight. She shook Crystal’s hand again, wildly. “Oh thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou!! When do we leave?”
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Again, Crystal was caught off guard by how sudden things were moving. “Uh…umm…I haven’t really thought about it…”
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Tylas again tried to help out. “Who’s the next person we have to warn?”
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Crystal mentally shook herself and quickly regained her composure. “That would be a black mage. Don’t know where he is really, but there’s been some rumors that he’s been spotted northeast of Cosmo Canyon.”
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Melody was delighted. “Oooooooooo, a black mage! I’ve always wanted to meet one! Let me pack some things and we’ll leave today! How does that sound?”
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Crystal was all too happy at the idea of leaving Costa Del Sol. It was too bloody hot here for her. “Fine by me. Where do you want to meet?”
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They set up a meeting place and time, and soon the three had departed, Melody heading for home, and Crystal and Tylas heading for the rendezvous point.
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The meeting place was the local bar in town that, thankfully, had air conditioning. Crystal collapsed into a chair, muttering praise for whoever had invented AC. Tylas smirked at her obvious relief. “Well….she seems nice,” he stated, trying to make conversation.
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She muttered something unintelligible before answering him. “Yeah, yeah, she is,” Crystal replied with a sigh.
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Tylas decided not to pursue that one. He could tell that Melody’s near-hyper behavior was grating on Crystal’s nerves. He changed the subject. “Have you ever thought about starting a business like she’s got? You know, like teaching how to swordfight and everything.”
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She snorted. “Are you kidding? And give up mercenary work? Not a chance in hell.”
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“Why’s that?” he asked, curious. “It’d offer a steady pay, at least.”
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“So? It isn’t worth it. I love my job; I’d rather fight more than anything. It’s….” she shrugged. “It’s fun.”
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‘Fun’ was an understatement. For Crystal, battle was her life, her one pleasure. The sheer thrill of battle was intoxicating. Many times her opponent had hesitated before the fight began, daunted by her eager smile.
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Before Tylas could reply, she countered with her own question. “Well, what about you? Why’d you go into such a dangerous business; I remember you saying something about teaching your sisters. Why didn’t you do that instead?”
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He sighed, expecting such an answer. “Don’t get me wrong, I love my family, but do you really think I’d want to stay in that town my entire life? I had to get out.”
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She nodded sympathetically. “I see your point. Nothing like going out for an adventure, right?”
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He shrugged and nodded his head, saying nothing more. It wasn’t adventure he wanted. Getting up in the morning with his three little sisters was adventure enough. He really didn’t know why he had to get out of that little town. It had suffocated him, and at times he thought that the very place he so dearly loved was trying to kill him. He had to get out, to prove… what? Prove what? That he hated being with his family?
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He sighed and rested his head on his folded arms, closing his eyes. No, he loved his family. Family. He’d come from a long line of warriors, dating back to ancient times. Yeah, his family had been through it all. An epic battle here, a heroic death there, glorious victories—family history was full of it. And there he was, the last of the proud line, in some backwoods town with a job sweeping the floor at the only grocery store.
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He felt a tap on his shoulder and he looked up.
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“Hey, I think she’s here,” Crystal said, nodding towards the window.
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He looked to where Crystal indicated and saw a silver car pull up in front of the bar. And out stepped Melody, dressed in a light blue wrap and denim shorts. Her golden curls gleamed resplendently in the sunlight. She entered the bar and looked around for them, rushing over to their table when she found them.
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“So, you guys ready to go?” she asked, her face alight with excitement.
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“You’re all finished with everything you have to do?” Crystal questioned, rather surprised that the other woman had gotten ready so quickly. “We probably won’t be back for a long time.”
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Melody nodded enthusiastically. “Yup! Everything’s covered. My neighbor is watching my house for me and I’ve cancelled all classes until further notice. Tell me, who are we going after again?”
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Crystal couldn’t help but smirk at the small error, but she let it go. “Black mage, can’t remember his name for the life of me…” She paused for a minute trying to recall the name. “Ah, I can’t remember, it’ll come to me eventually. Anyways, this guy isn’t very sociable. You could call him a hermit, I guess. He lives out in the middle of nowhere, keeping away from people, always moving from one spot to another. Could be a hard one to track down. Like I said before, there’ve been rumors that he’s hanging somewhere around north of Cosmo Canyon—“ she paused realizing just where that was.
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Tylas noticed the pause. “Crystal? What is it?”
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She shook her head. “I dunno. Maybe nothing. But that’s right around Niblehiem.” She shook her head, bringing herself back to reality. “Nevermind. Well, come on, we should get going.” She stood up and stretched. “Hey, Tylas, who’re you riding with?”
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He glanced back and forth between Crystal and Melody, who smiled. “Melody,” he said with a definite tone.
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Crystal raised one thin eyebrow in question.
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Tylas raised his hands into the air. “Hey, don’t blame me, you’re the one that scared me half to death with that stunt you pulled in the swamp.”
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She sighed and rolled her eyes. “Please, Tylas, I was only having a little harmless fun.”
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“Harmless?!” He was astounded. “A huge bloody snake about to take my head off and you call that ’harmless fun’?!”
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Melody, who had no idea what they were talking about interrupted the mock argument. “Wait, tell me what she did!”
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Tylas quickly explained to her their trip over the swamp. When he finished, she giggled. “Oh, you big sissy!”
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He rolled his eyes towards the ceiling and threw up a hand in defeat. “Great, even you’re against me. It’s a conspiracy, I swear.” The two women laughed at him and all three left the bar.
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Tylas rode with Melody and Crystal led the way on her bike. Soon, the trio was heading off towards Niblehiem, unaware of the darkness that lay in wait for them there.

Dragon Mage · Jul 24, 2007

Ah, I decided to give you chapter 8 anyway!

Chapter 8—Prey
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It took them almost two weeks before they finally reached Cosmo Canyon. There, they replenished their nearly depleted supplies. Crystal also asked around about the possible whereabouts of the mysterious black mage. After many failed attempts, the trio finally received a possible lead.
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“Well, waddya got?” Tylas asked as Crystal sat down at their table at the Cosmo Candle Inn.
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She sighed. “Not a whole lot. But there’ve been some ‘sightings’, if you will, of a black-cloaked figure in the mountains north from here. Its just rumors, but it sounds like our guy.”
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Melody leaned forward, her face glowing. “Really? When do we leave?” she asked excitedly.
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Crystal bit back a sharp retort. Doesn’t she ever get a little bit tired? “Tomorrow. It’s a long way to the mountains, and I for one would like to sleep under a roof. It’s going to rain tomorrow.”
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With that said, she left and went up to her room.
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Melody looked at Tylas with wide eyes. “Did I say something to offend her? I didn’t mean to.” Her face was etched with guilt.
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“No, no, it wasn’t something you said,” he assured her. “Crystal’s just…” He shrugged, trying to find the right word “She’s just really serious about whatever she’s doing.”
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“Should I apologize to her?” Melody asked, starting to rise.
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“Apologize for what? You did nothing wrong. She’s tired. Tell me, where’d you learn to fight like that?” He quickly changed the subject, trying to get off the current topic. Both of them had noticed that Crystal had become increasingly tense the closer they got to Niblehiem. Besides, though the three of them had become well acquainted over the past two weeks, he always forgot to ask Melody this specific question.
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Melody grinned, looking like her usual self. She didn’t stay down for long, that’s for sure. “Well, I always thought it was important to know how to defend yourself. But when I took my first classes, I loved it so much I kept pursuing it. Before I knew it, I was well on my way to becoming a professional. You know, I wasn’t always going to be a martial artist,” she added.
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“Really?”
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She shook her head, making her bright curls bounce, and giggled. “Nope! I was going to be a ballerina.”
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“Heh. Well that fits,” he replied.
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“Hey! What’s that supposed to mean?” she exclaimed, giving him a playful shove.
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“Nothing! I mean, it really fits you, being a dancer and all. You have a lot of energy, and all, and I can see you doing that sort of thing. Erm…. you know what I mean?”
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She laughed and stood up. “Yes, I know what you mean! But Crystal is right about it being a long way to the mountains. Goodnight Tylas!” She bustled up the stairs to her room, leaving Tylas at the table.
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He sat at the table for a long time, staring at the small candle on the table. They were right. It’s a long way to the mountains. And who knows what they might find when they get there. With a sigh, he left and went up to his room as well, and he forced himself to get some sleep.
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* * *
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Crystal stood in her room, looking out the window at the failing light. Storm clouds were gathering in the distance. She cursed silently and could only hope that the rain wouldn’t wash away any trail left by the black mage.
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The closer they came to Niblehiem the more uneasy she felt. She had the constant feeling that she was being watched. In the last few days, she’d often whipped around searching for something lurking behind her, trying to glimpse whatever it was following her. But every time she did, she only met the concerned gaze of Tylas or Melody.
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After spending nearly her entire life fighting, however, she had honed her instincts to a precision that was second to none. She knew something was watching the three warriors, following them in the shadows. She didn’t know what it was, or what it wanted, but she would be ready for it when it came.
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*~*~*~*~*~*~*
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They left at early morning the next day. It wasn’t too long until they reached a river. An old stone bridge spanned the rushing waters of the river. However, it had been long neglected and was in shambles. As if to add on to the worsening situation, the river was at it’s peak, the spring rain and melting water from the mountains all but flooding the river, which now pounded on the riverbanks. Crystal stopped the bike short of the bridge and eyed the dilapidated bridge warily.
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“Can we make it across?” Tylas shouted from the car behind her. She shrugged in reply and looked back.
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“Only one way to find out!” she shouted back over the roar of the river. Turning back to the bridge in front of her, she revved the engine, producing a deep roar from the motorcycle. With a sudden burst of speed, she zipped across the bridge, arriving safely on the other side. She looked back, and motioned for the car to come over.
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Slowly, the silver car edged over the bridge. The first set of wheels rolled onto the bridge, which held firm. Ever so slowly, the car crept over the bridge. Then the rear wheels rolled onto the bridge, and the entire car was on the bridge. However, the bridge showed no signs of collapse.
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Melody continued to guide the car ever so carefully over the bridge. But when the car was right over the middle of the bridge, the entire stone structure shuddered. Without hesitation, Melody stomped on the gas. The tires squealed the rear tires stuck in a rut made by collapsing stones. With a lurch the car jerked out of the rut, and the bridge shuddered again; some large stones fell from the bridge into the foaming waters below.
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The front wheels made it to the ground but the car wouldn’t advance any further. The bridge was now being torn apart by the river, and the rear of the car was tipping in towards the sagging bridge.
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Putting the gas pedal to floor, Melody pushed the vehicle. There was a second’s pause, then the car shot, screaming, off the bridge. Behind, the bridge finally crumbled under the river’s assault.
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Melody and Tylas exited the car, and stood by Crystal, the three of them watching the last remains of the stone bridge being borne away by the swift current.
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“There goes our only way back,” Tylas stated grimly. The two women said nothing. They all knew what this meant. They could only move forward now, heading straight into whatever lie ahead.
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* * *
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Crystal tapped the skull with the hilt of her sword; it’s macabre grin almost as if inviting them to join it. The animal skull was impaled on a wooden stake, part of a trap that had been set a while ago. The large wooden stake had come up from the ground, piercing straight through the animal’s skull.
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Tylas came up behind her and when he saw the sprung trap he sighed. “How many of these damn things are there?” he muttered in frustration.
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The three had made it into the mountains, but still below the tree line. After much searching, Tylas had found a trail. Forced to go on foot, the search had been long and difficult. They had found numerous traps of all kinds set along the twisting trail, many of which they had barely escaped unscathed.
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Melody, coming up in the rear, looked at the trap and shuddered. “Shouldn’t we just leave him alone? I mean, obviously he can keep himself safe. Why should we bother him?”
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Crystal shook her head as she tested the ground around the trap with the tip of one sword, looking for any trigger to a part of the trap that hadn’t been set off. “No, we can’t. We have to get to him before anything else does. In fact,” she added, lowering her tone. “We may already be too late.”
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They all knew what she meant; both Tylas and Melody were aware of it now. They were being followed, watched, their pursuer never revealing itself. The trio stood there, staring at the trap, straining their ears for the slightest sound in the dead quiet.
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“We should get moving,” Crystal stated, making the others jump at the sudden sound. They quickly navigated around the trap, and continued down the trail.
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It wasn’t long until they ran into another trap.
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Crystal swiftly held up her arm and prevented Tylas from continuing. “Look.” She pointed with the sword in her hand at the ground about three feet away. Squinting, Tylas managed to make out a fiery red line of powder on the ground. “Wait here,” she told him, and then still keeping her distance, she followed the line to the left. After about going twenty feet, she returned, and did the same thing on the right side, with the same results.
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“Looks like it goes on for quite a ways, from what I can see,” she informed her companions as she returned.
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“Can we go around it?” Melody asked.
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The swordswoman shook her ebony-haired head. “Nope. Well, we could, but it’d throw us off the trail, that’s for sure. We’ll have to trigger it.”
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“How? What kind of trap is it?” This was from Tylas.
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“It’s a magic one, of course. That line is a ward; it’ll activate when the it’s broken or something passes over it,” Crystal answered.
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“I’ll set it off,” Tylas offered. “Besides, I’ve got the spear.”
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Crystal gave a small smile. “I think you’ll want to use something besides your spear; maybe a branch would be a better idea. And we should all move back a bit—I don’t know what’ll happen when that thing goes off.”
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They followed her advice, retreating a good ways away from the line. Tylas found a suitably straight branch, and handed his spear over to one of the others to hold. He advanced until he was about twenty feet from the thin line, before glancing back to see if the others were ready.
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Confirming they were ready, he turned back towards the line and raised the branch as if it were a spear, holding it from underneath. Taking careful aim, he threw the branch like he would if it were a spear. The branch soared clumsily though the air. It passed over the line—and ward exploded. A wall of fire erupted from the small line of powder, the explosion rolling over all three of the warriors, accompanied by a deafening roar. Tylas stumbled backwards, his arms raised in an attempt to block the heat. The fireball was brief, but it had only been a side effect from the rest of the spell.
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Before them stood a wall of flame, reaching a good twenty feet into the sky. Wherever the line of powder had been, the flame had risen from it, creating a barrier that would instantly fry whatever tried to pass through it. The three were forced to stand a good distance back, or else be subjected to the intense heat of the firewall.
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“Can the fire rings get us through?” Tylas asked Crystal softly, taking his spear from Melody. He slipped his ring on and passed the other one over to Melody, who donned hers as well.
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“Maybe. But they can only protect you from so much. They probably won’t hold up to an enchantment that strong. That means we’ll have to weaken it.” She added on this last bit with a sigh. She hoped it wouldn’t have come to this. It only drained a little bit more of her energy, made her just a little more tired.
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Before the others could ask her how she proposed to do this, she walked forward until she could no longer stand the growing heat. She whirled her swords around her in a complicated pattern, ending it abruptly by crossing the blades then bringing them down in a slash. When she did this, the spell was activated. Using the Enemy Skill materia still within her forearm, she cast Aqualung.
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A mass of water coalesced from the air and moved to the wall of fire. The rolling form of the water seemed to bubble as the water within undulated, pummeling the target of the spell. It only lasted a few seconds before it disappeared. The part of the wall touched by the spell had disappeared. The line of powder from which the firewall sprang had been thoroughly doused, but it still glowed like embers. Even as they watched, the flame started to flicker back to life.
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“RUN!” Crystal yelled at Tylas and Melody, taking off towards the ward herself. The three dashed across the ground, trying to cross the ward before the enchantment recovered.
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Crystal made it over safely, and she turned to see how far away the other two were. The ground was rocky and covered with the pieces of fallen pine trees. The terrain made it difficult to sprint across, and slowed their progress.
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She cursed under her breath, glancing at the line. It started to flicker a little brighter and she could feel some heat coming off of it. The other two had come much closer, but if the firewall recovered now, Crystal couldn’t recast the spell without hurting them as well. “Come on!” she yelled desperately. The heat was growing. Sudden inspiration hit her and she cursed herself for not thinking of it earlier. Performing the same pattern as she had when she cast Aqualung, she cast another spell, this time on her friends. The spell she cast was Big Guard, which partially protected them from any kind of harm, as well as making them faster.
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A ball of green light formed in front of the each of the two running warriors. Beams of light shot from the orbs and it spun, weaving a pattern from the light. Then the light faded, leaving behind only a brief ripple of light in front of the two.
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The change was dramatic. The two noticeably picked up speed, and the distance between them and the recovering barrier shrank. Within seconds, Melody jumped over the line, landing safely on the other side. Tylas wasn’t far behind, but, despite the spell, his weapon hindered him. Flames began to lick the line and the heat was steadily increasing. Seeing this, Tylas ran faster, desperately trying to reach the line before it went up in flames. I’m not going to make it… he thought.
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However, luck was with him. The firewall enchantment sputtered a few seconds, which was all that he needed. He dashed over the line a split second before it burst into flame once more.
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The trio stood there for a few more minutes, Tylas and Melody both gasping for breath. Tylas pressed one hand against his side and kneeled on the ground, head bowed. A painful cramp had formed in one side, and each breath hurt. Melody was rubbing one ankle, which pained her every time she tried to move it. She had sprained it badly while running on the rough, uneven terrain. Only the adrenaline rushing through her veins at the time had enabled her to keep running. But now that the rush was gone, the pain was excruciating.
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Moving over towards Tylas, Crystal asked him if he was okay. Gasping, he could only nod in reply. He pointed towards Melody, who was trying to move her ankle and let out a sharp cry of pain.
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Leaving him, Crystal went over to Melody. “Don’t move; let me see it,” she instructed the blond. Biting back any more cries of pain, Melody let the swordswoman inspect her ankle. Crystal assured her that nothing was broken and she pulled out another materia from the bag that was tied onto one belt loop. She chose not to fully equip it, and merely held it in her hand, as she had done with Tylas when she healed him after the dragon attack. Like before, a sparkling green light poured from her hand as she held it over the martial artists’ ankle, suffusing the joint in a healing glow. When the light had faded, Melody showed obvious relief, and she thanked Crystal, who handed her a water bottle from the other woman’s pack. She then returned to see how Tylas was fairing.
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The crimson warrior was in bad shape. He struggled for breath, but each one he took caused him more pain. He felt a hand on his shoulder, followed immediately by flood of relief from the pain. As the warm healing glow spread over him, he could feel the terrible pain in his side dissipate and strained muscles cease aching. He managed to catch some of his breath and he thanked Crystal for the assistance.
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The violet-eyed woman sat down on the ground by her two companions, knees almost pulled up to her chest. She rested her arms on her knees and then her forehead upon her arms. She closed her eyes, waiting for the dizziness to pass. Aqualung followed by the two level-three Cure spells had taken a lot out of her. She had never been much of a mage, and the spells had used up a large amount of her energy. She should probably take an Ether.
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“At…at least…we can’t…be followed…anymore,” Melody gasped out.
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At this Tylas let out a weak laugh. Right now, being followed seemed to be the worst of their problems. Once again their retreat had been cut off. If they found the mage, there was a chance he would attack them. If they didn’t find him, they’ve either 1) lost the trail completely, or 2) he had been found by something else. Either way, the situation had only a small percentage of turning out in their favor.
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* * *
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Now that they were across the wall, they could see that the wall of flame had encircled a small area, going all the way up to the steep walls of the mountain. What the wall had been set up to protect was a small cave. The three warriors, now recovered from their previous ordeal, approached the cave with extreme caution. They finally reached the mouth of the cave, the tension in the air so thick it could be cut with a knife.
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“So who wants to go into the dark, creepy cave first?” Melody asked softly. Without waiting for a reply, she advanced into the cave, hesitating at the mouth of the cavern. This would be the first black mage she ever saw, and the curiosity overrode any of her fear. “Hello?” she called quietly, trying to peer into the inky depths of the cave. Her call echoed within the black depths.
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Tylas yelled in surprise as he rose into the air and was flung away from the group. He landed hard on the ground a little ways away, but was unharmed.
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Crystal whipped around, swords instantly in her hands, and she faced their attacker. Their foe was a tall figure, wearing a black robes. A black cape was draped over the person as well, the inner lining a deep red. The hood was drawn up over the persons’ head, obscuring the face. They had finally found their black mage.
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He made a shoving motion with one hand in Crystal’s direction. She went flying backwards and slammed against the rock wall of the mountain. She bit back a sharp cry as she felt her back being wrenched, and somehow managed to dodge a bolt of energy. The bolt smashed into the rock where her head had been just seconds ago.
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Tylas, who had recovered from his brief flight, was now dashing towards the battle. The mage extended his hand toward the man, palm down, fingers spread. A nearly inaudible word was spoken, and suddenly a rapidly expanding wall of needles was speeding towards oncoming warrior. Tylas, seeing the attack, cursed and dropped to the ground, turning his back to the needles, trying to make himself a smaller target and to protect his face. The needles slammed into him, their sharp points digging deep into his skin, drawing blood. He gritted his teeth against the impact, but he stood up after the wall had passed.
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The mage sent another magical bolt flying towards Crystal, immediately followed by another. She managed to dodge the first one, but she couldn’t get out of the way fast enough to dodge the second one, the pain from her back hampering her. The icy bolt caught her foot, and she stumbled, her leg from the mid-calf down covered in magical frost. Seeing another attack about to be sent on its way, she tried to limp out of the way, but she was practically helpless with her leg in the shape it was in.
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The black mage prepared to summon another bolt of energy, which would surely mean the death of the violet-eyed warrior.
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“Stop!” Came the cry from behind him. Whirling around, the black mage held up his hand, ready to fry his enemy with a sheet of flame. He met Melody’s blue eyes, and he stopped himself, struck by the sight before him. Somehow, she had managed to come up behind him, yet she hadn’t attacked him.
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“Stop,” she repeated softly, holding his gaze with hers. Slowly, he lowered his hand, the other two warriors forgotten. “Why are you following me?” he demanded her in a deep voice.
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“We’re here to save you. But I won’t do it if you keep hurting my friends,” was her reply. He glanced at the two wounded warriors behind him, and then turned back to Melody. “Then we shall talk.”
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*~*~*~*~*~*~*
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It was twilight when they had finished telling the black mage everything. Melody was helping Tylas pull needles out of his skin while Crystal held her leg close to the fire in the middle of the cave, attempting to unfreeze it.
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The mage had introduced himself as Valic. He had pulled back his hood, allowing the firelight to play across his gaunt features. He was tall, around 6’, and was about thirty years old. He had short brown hair and dark brown eyes. His face was thin and sharp, like the rest of him, the firelight only enhancing the emaciated features. The effect was ghoulish, and unsettling to look upon.
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“You came all this way just to warn me of being attacked by some mindless creatures?” he asked, his soft tone doing little to mask his irritation.
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“Not mindless creatures,” Crystal corrected him. “They’re attacking with a purpose; with a plan. And they aren’t your average creatures either; they’re Inflicted, far stronger than what you normally see.”
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His reply came with a bitter smile. “Ah, yes of course. However, I assure you I can take care of myself, Inflicted or no.”
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Melody gave Crystal a look that said ‘I-told-you-so’ but said nothing.
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Crystal sighed and put one hand to her forehead, closing her eyes. Her leg was distracting her, and she instead focused on controlling the pain.
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“We thought you might want to be warned before you were attacked by a hoard of monsters,” Tylas said, flinching as Melody pulled another needle out of his back.
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“Well, all you’ve accomplished here is waste my time and yours!” Valic snapped. “Soon, I’ll be forced to move once again by the stunts you have pulled!”
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“We were only trying to help,” Melody added softly.
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This did nothing to placate the black mage however. “Oh, helped you have! Not only have you completely destroyed my defenses, you have interrupted my research as well! You have no idea what you have done here!” He was nearly shouting, he voice rising with anger.
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“We didn’t kno—“ Tylas began, before Valic cut him off.
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“Of course you wouldn’t know! You’re feeble minds couldn’t begin to comprehend the importance of my studies nor the damage you have wrought!”
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Crystal sighed. She was quite fed up with this man already. “Fine,” she stated, struggling to her feet. “Obviously, we were foolish to think that a mage of your status would need anything remotely like help. But when they come Valic, and they will find you no matter what you do, you’ll be all alone. They are many, and you are one, and you will fall.”
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Valic, already angry, grew furious at her words. “Get out of—“
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“Your cave?” Crystal interjected coolly. “Oh, how mighty that sounds. Yes, you ARE a powerful mage indeed. You must be; you live in a cave!”
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“Stop it!” Melody shouted at the two. “Stop fighting. This will get us nowhere! Now Valic,” she turned towards the black mage, giving him a charming smile in an attempt to rectify things. “Do you want to accompany us? We can use all the help we can get.”
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The mage’s anger visibly dissipated as she turned her smile towards him. “No, I will not,” he replied, his tone returning to its usual haughty indifference. “You can leave tomorrow morning; the firewall will have died down by then. Follow the mountains north than east and you will find an abandoned town.” With that said, he exited the cave and disappeared into the darkness of the night.
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Tylas sighed. “Well, that went well,” he muttered bitterly. “What the hell is his problem?”
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“He’s an ass,” Crystal stated simply. “Couldn’t you tell?” She sat back down and rubbed her leg, which was still marble white.
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“Oh, hush,” Melody said as she gently removed another needle. “It isn’t his fault.”
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Tylas looked over his shoulder at her, a quizzical look on his face. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?!” he asked.
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An innocent expression came over her face. “Well, I mean, think about it. Wouldn’t you be in a bad mood if you were always pushing people away from you and you were alone all the time? I’d hate to think of what it’d be like for a few days, much less my whole life.” She pulled out another needle and Tylas flinched again. “There, that’s all of them,” she told him and she took a seat between Tylas and Crystal.
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“Just thinking about it gives me the chills,” she continued, shuddering, and rubbed her arms.
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Tylas rubbed his back, which was stinging something ungodly. “Yeah well, he hasn’t done anything to gain sympathy points from me.” He glanced over at Crystal, who was trying to warm her leg. “Hey, Crystal, that town he was talking about; that’s Niblehiem, right?”
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She nodded. “Yeah. What about it?”
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“Why don’t you tell us what the hell went on there?”
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She sighed and leaned back against the cavern wall. “It’s a long story… but you should know.” She settled herself into a more comfortable position before continuing. “Years ago, Shinra found a 2,000 year old organism in an archeological dig. The Shinra thought it was a member of the lost Cetra race, or Ancients, as you may know them. This organism is Jenova. Now, the Shinra wanted to find the ‘promised land’, a place only the Ancients could find, because they believed it was abundant with Mako. So, the Shinra used the DNA of Jenova to try and recreate a living Cetra, along with the power of finding the Promised Land. To do this, they injected members of SOLDIER with Jenova cells. However, it didn’t work. So one scientist, known as Hojo, directly injected an unborn infant with Jenova cells. This was the creation of Sephiroth.”
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She sighed and tapped her leg, trying to see if any feeling had come back yet. “I’ll skip the small details, but Sephiroth was eventually sent to Niblehiem for some mission. The Niblehiem reactor was one place where the Shinra conducted their experiments. It was also where the body of Jenova was housed. Sephiroth found out about the experiments that made him and just lost it, to put it simply. From what I can gather, he was pissed that he was the ‘rightful’ heir to the planet and he wanted to get back at everyone for what was done to him and his ‘mother’, or Jenova. That was the beginning of many events that would lead to Meteor, which you already know about.”
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“Wait,” Melody began, her expression puzzled. “If Jenova wasn’t a Cetra, or Ancient, or whatever, than what was it? How do you know it wasn’t an Ancient?”
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Crystal shook her head and shrugged. “I don’t know what Jenova is exactly but what’s sure is that it isn’t from this planet. It’s an alien, hard as that may be to believe. And it isn’t an Ancient because it’s what wiped out the Cetra. It’s a long story but trust me, it’s true. Why it came here, what it wanted, I have no idea. It all gets rather vague at this point.”
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The other two were silent for a long time, processing everything they had just been told. Then Tylas spoke up. “Then what does this mean?”
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“I don’t know,” she answered. “It could be nothing. It could be everything. I don’t know what’s ahead, but we should expect anything and everything.”
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He nodded in agreement and stared into the fire. Again, silence reigned. “I’ll take the first watch,” Melody offered suddenly. “You’re both tired and besides, I didn’t get attacked today!” she added with a grin.
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Tylas snorted. “Yeah, just rub it in. That’s the last acupuncture treatment for me.” This gave rise to some weak laughter before the two finally went to sleep. Melody sat across from the mouth of the cave, watching the darkness beyond the small ring of light from the fire, her thoughts meandering over the day’s events. She never knew that the darkness was watching back.
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* * *
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By mid-morning, the three warriors were well rested and were soon on their way. They returned to their vehicles and from there continued on to Niblehiem. Since the bridge had given out, they could only move forward. The only way out of the area was a mountain pass beyond Niblehiem.
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They entered the town by late morning. The town was completely abandoned. After it had been destroyed by Sephiroth’s rampage, the Shinra had come in and rebuilt it, putting their employees in to pose as the original inhabitants. It was all done to cover up what had happened and what Shinra was doing. Now that Shinra was gone, the town had been abandoned for good. All that was left was faded memories and burned dreams.
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The shrill mountain wind whistled through the ghost town, emphasizing the desolation. An old, rusty windmill creaked, the sound echoing through the empty rooms of the houses. The dilapidated houses only made the scene more unsettling; the gaping mouths of doorways seemed to sound their welcome to the visitors in a hollow tone. The sagging windows stared mournfully at the three warriors with empty eyes.
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“Wow,” Melody said softly, turning in a slow circle to take in everything. “Wow.”
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Tylas wasn’t so enamored of it as Melody was, and he openly expressed his opinion of the abandoned town. “This place is creepy. Can we please leave?”
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Melody gasped. “Are you kidding?! This is the best place to go exploring ever!” She clasped her hands together and bounced up and down on her feet with sheer excitement. “Can we please stay, just a little while?”
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Both questions were directed towards the swordswoman, who shook her head in reply. “No, sorry Melody, but we have to go. I don’t want to be caught in the mountains when night falls.” There was a sigh of relief from Tylas and a moan of disappointment from Melody.
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“Oh, why did we stop here anyway?” the martial artist demanded. She crossed her arms and pouted.
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Crystal couldn’t help but smile at the blonde’s actions. Anything besides being happy simply wasn’t convincing for the woman. “We stopped because we can only continue on foot. We’ll have to carry everything we need.” She looked at her bike with sorrow. She hated to leave it behind, but there was no other choice. She ran her fingers over the handlebars and she briefly wondered if she would ever see it again soon.
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It didn’t take them long to pack what they needed. Before long, they were traveling along the rundown path that led deep into the mountains. Crystal led the way, followed by Tylas and Melody in the rear. Amongst the rocky cliffs around them, darkness watched them and waited for the order to strike.
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They’d been traveling for only a little while when the sound of tumbling rocks was distinctly heard amidst the sound of the howling wind. The tumbling sound began to grow into a deafening roar. In front of their amazed eyes, the side of the mountain began to slide down the steep slope onto the path in front of them.
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The three warriors quickly backpedaled, trying to avoid the crushing mass of rocks descending towards them. Only a few smaller rocks strayed into the warriors’ path. One stray rock fell into Crystal’s path, making her stumble and she began to fall. Tylas quickly grabbed her hand and pulled her to safety. The three watched the last of the rockslide fall into place. The path was completely blocked.
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Crystal cleared her throat. “May I have my hand back now?” she asked politely. Tylas, unknowingly, hadn’t let go of Crystal’s hand. Surprised by this, he quickly released her hand, forcing his hand to loosen the death grip he had on her. “Sorry,” he apologized. “Was startled, that’s all.”
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She nodded, rubbing her hand, trying to get some blood flow back into it. As she looked at the barrier of rocks blocking their path she cursed silently. She had been leading them as far away from the reactor as possible. Now they had no choice but to go through the old reactor to get out of the mountains. And if they tried to turn back, she was almost positive that they wouldn’t be allowed to do that either. They were being herded like a bunch of mindless cattle. But what really got to her was that the enemy wasn’t even trying to conceal this fact, didn’t try to hide its presence. Whatever it was had no fear of them breaking free whatsoever. It knew they couldn’t escape.
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She looked at the other two and nodded. She had told them beforehand that something like this might happen. She untied the small bag of materia hanging from her waist and handed it to Tylas. “Get ready,” she told him quietly. “It’s going to be a long fight.”
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*~*~*~*~*~*~*
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Deep within the abandoned reactor, a young man knelt before the broken tube that had once contained the body of an alien long ago. He always felt more powerful here, near the place where is mother had been. Mother. He must avenge her. He had tried to convince his brothers to follow him, but they were impatient, and wouldn’t listen to his plans. Now they were dead, which was just fine with him. Who had need of such worthless trash anyways? One man can only do so much damage; it was unlikely that a single person would ensure the death of every single human. How his brothers couldn’t understand that was beyond his comprehension. They had really thought they could take over the world alone. What fools they had been. He knelt there with his eyes closed, seeing through the eyes of one of his minions. He watched as the three warriors scrambled to get out of the way of the rockslide, and a cold smile spread across his face.
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“Master Avaric,” came a rasping voice behind him. “Do you wish us to engage the enemy?”
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“No. Wait until they are inside the chamber. Then attack when I give you the signal. Now leave me.”
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The disfigured creature that once had been human bowed to the silver-haired man. “Yes, Master Avaric.” It left the room; it’s sharp nails clicking on the metal floor.
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Avaric watched, still with his eyes closed, as the trio began down the path that would lead to the reactor. They would be here soon; he must get ready. He opened his eyes, revealing the disturbing slit-pupils that marked him as something definitely not human.
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With some reluctance, he left the room and entered the next room in which numerous egg-shaped pods were contained. He studied the pods, his pride rising at the work he had wrought. Inside each pod was a human being, captured not too long ago from the town of Kalm. Immersed in Mako, their bodies had already begun to change, twisting into something that was anything but human. Very soon, the transformation would be complete. While they were in this state, he would inject them with cells from the strongest creatures this planet had to offer. Dragon, lion, gargoyle, wolf; all of them. These cells dictated how the humans would mutate; creating various monsters that had once been human.
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Not only that, but their minds were being lost as well, flooded by the memories of thousands of lives long gone, recycled into the Lifestream. It was easy, really, to control their minds in such a pitiful state. By using the limited psychic powers granted to him by his mother’s blood, he controlled his entire army with his mind. He could see through their eyes, speak through their mouth. He could orchestrate a raid on a town hundreds of miles away. Such was his achievement.
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Of course, it hadn’t been like that in the beginning. At first, the only creatures he could control were the useless animals that had been experimented on. He could manipulate the Jenova cells within them to control their pathetic little minds. Useless: That is, until he realized what he could do with them. He used them to raid towns, bringing him the humans he needed to build his army. Sometimes, he sent them to destroy a small town or two, or to swarm a certain warrior that could be potentially dangerous to his plans. He didn’t waste the better troops on such things, the hybrids that he had made in these pods. He had no need to control those very much. Oh, he certainly could if he wanted to. But that was impractical. All he had to do was set up a certain way of thinking in the hybrids minds. It was like programming a living thing to do only specific actions. That way, they not only worked for his cause, they could handle themselves in battle without him having to pull every string.
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But these three warriors… they had come far too close to unveiling his work. He was not prepared for the war he would wage across the planet, a war to end all wars. A war to end all humans. A war led by him, the fourth Remnant of Sephiroth.
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These warriors must be killed. He had carefully manipulated the situation to bring them here. Maybe he would make them a part of his army. A cold smile touched his thin lips at the thought. Yes, they would be an exceptional addition to his army. Except for that one. The woman with purple eyes. He had fully expected her to fall in the battle with his only dragon. Not only had she killed it, but she had saved the other human as well. No, he would not add her to his army. Instead, he could pass the time torturing her, forcing her to watch her companions twist into something from her nightmares.
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He heard the familiar clicking sound that announced the arrival of one of his creations. A humanoid creature stalked into the room. This was one of his stronger creations, a mix between human and dragon. The entire body was covered with tiny, diamond-hard scales. Like a human, balanced easily on its two hind legs. However, the knee was bent backwards, and the limb lost all resemblance to a humans’ as it reached the foot. The foot was a cross between a dragon paw and a human foot, with long talons, but the hybrid managed better on this limb than most humans or dragons did on theirs. The hands ended in long, sharp talons that could easily slice through almost any armor. A long, serpentine tail came from the base of the spine, tipped with a deadly point. To finish it off, a pair of bat-like wings sprouted from just beneath the shoulder blades, and could easily carry the hybrid in flight. Overall, the creature was an almost graceful blending of human and dragon; that is, if you could ignore the eyes, which were entirely black.
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“Master,” it rasped. “They are about to enter the pipe room. What are your orders?”
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Avaric nodded, expecting such a report. He reached into the creature’s mind, and filled it with the instructions of what he wanted from it. “You know what to do. Now go. I will be there shortly,” he commanded. It made another bow, then turned and swiftly carried itself out of the room.
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Avaric closed his eyes, touching the minds of his creations to make sure that all was in order. In a few moments, he opened them again. Drawing his flail from his belt, he left the reactor to join his troops in greeting the warriors. He was going to enjoy this.
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*~*~*~*~*~*
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Crystal eyed the area beneath them warily. There were three levels to the room they had just entered. The narrow top level that they were standing on had one end of eight large pipes resting on it. The pipes twined all the way down to the bottom level. Ladders gave access to all the levels. The second level was merely a small platform of sorts that led to a door, which would lead to the reactor itself. On the third and final level, the largest of the three, were various paths that led out of the room. Glowing pools of Mako bordered the sides of the paths. A large boulder dominated most of the third floor.
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Crystal motioned for the other two to follow, and made her way down the steps to the second level. Before entering the room, they had prepared themselves for whatever might come when they were inside. They carefully and silently made their way down the two ladders and were soon on the bottom level. Weapons drawn, ears straining for the slightest sound, the three cautiously made their way over to one of the paths.
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Then the trap was sprung. Boulders suddenly fell into place, blocking the exits, cutting off any retreat. One monster suddenly dropped down from the air behind Tylas and sank its sharp teeth into his shoulder. Gritting his teeth, Tylas reached back and grabbed the thing, and in one swift action, rolled it over his shoulder, letting it drop on the floor. He impaled it before it could recover. It was a grotesque thing, and looked for everything in the world like a cross between a human and a wolf.
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Only then did they realize where their enemy had been hiding. Dozens upon dozens of these creatures had been clinging to the high ceiling of the chamber, a living, breathing roof of deadly monsters. These were not the usual Inflicted the trio had encountered so many times before; these were far more deadly, and were too human to be random Inflicted.
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When the one hybrid had jumped Tylas, the others quickly followed, descending upon the warriors, ready to slash them to pieces. However, their orders were to capture, not kill.
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Within a blink of an eye, the warriors were surrounded and hopelessly outnumbered. But the elite warriors managed to hold their own against the flood. Crystal went to greet the enemy, both swords flashing in the light. She was in her element now. She cut through the enemy in one continuous, flowing attack, blocking, thrusting, and slashing, never pausing for a second.
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Melody, despite lacking any weapon of her own, proved to be a tough adversary. She nimbly ducked and dodged attacks, and returned her own with great force. The usually bright and cheerful martial artist was now a determined, fierce fighter. Occasionally, the sharp crack of a bone breaking could be heard when she landed a blow.
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Tylas also proved to be hard to hit. Every time a hybrid tried to attack him his spear blocked it. Since the wolf hybrid had bit him, he had not suffered a single blow. He slashed at the creatures, few of them making it beyond the reach of his spear.
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However, the creatures proved hard to kill. A broken bone, a sliced muscle; it did little to slow them down. They simply got up again and continued the assault.
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Away from the thick of the battle, Avaric stood on top of the boulder, weapon in hand. He watched how his creations fared in battle and was overall very pleased with what he saw. He noted with satisfaction how tough they were, continuously attacking despite many severe wounds. He was pleased with the wounds they inflicted; Crystal had gained three deep slashes on one arm by a hybrid she had thought was dead. Melody had taken quite a few blows already, and was beginning to wear down. Tylas was the only one that hadn’t been injured any further, but the Inflicted were adapting to his fighting style, and many had come close to injuring the warrior. It was only a matter of time before he could no longer hold them back.
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After a few moments, Avaric had seen enough. He silently called in more of his minions. A hole in the ceiling suddenly opened, dirt falling onto the combatants below. More hybrids poured through the hole. Avaric raised the flail, pointing it at Tylas, at sent the silent command to capture.
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Tylas saw this action but before he could realize what it meant, the same wolf hybrid that had bitten him earlier grabbed him from behind and threw him to the side. He rolled as he hit the floor and sprang to his feet. Suddenly, a large dragon hybrid landed in front of him and backhanded him across the face.
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Now, Tylas had been through a lot in the past few days. He’d survived innumerable traps, been thrown into the air twice, and had been made a human pincushion by a cynical black mage. Getting bitch-slapped across the face by some twisted half-breed monster was the end of the line. Tylas was pissed.
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He faced the hybrid and held his spear out before him parallel to the ground. The hybrid paused, trying to figure out what he was going to do. After a few seconds, it simply lunged at him, slashing with its razor sharp claws. Tylas didn’t move until it had closed in just the right distance. Stepping to the side, he let the creature stumble past him, slashing at it as he did so. The spear sliced smoothly through the hybrid’s spine.
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He turned to Avaric, and as he did, his spear burst into flame. The fire licked his hands but left him unharmed. In swift, steady strides, Tylas cut through the ranks of monsters between him and the man in black. With each step, he slashed at the creatures on either side of him, sending some flaming monsters flying into the air, cleaving through others. He left a trail of fire in his wake, never pausing in his deadly stride.
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Avaric saw the crimson warrior advancing towards him and was ready for him when he came. He easily dodged the flaming spear as it was thrust towards him, and lashed out with his own weapon. Tylas easily dodged the blow, but it wasn’t aimed towards him. The long chain of the weapon wrapped around the spear, and Avaric pulled, all but wrenching the burning spear from Tylas’ hands.
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Tylas retaliated by slamming the haft of his spear into the Remnant’s side, making the man stumble. The flail slipped off of his spear. Taking advantage of his opponent’s weakness, he pulled the end of the spear up, the tip pointing at the ceiling. He then circled it around, the haft coming under his arm, and brought the deadly point of the spear down in a crescent-shaped slash. Avaric saw the blow coming and turned away from it, trying to hit Tylas with the spiked ball of his own weapon. However, he didn’t quite dodge enough. The razor edge of the spear sliced across his chest, the fire burning his skin horribly. Avaric could only register pain, terrible burning pain and shock.
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Before either of the two could do anything further, an explosion erupted in the midst of the Inflicted creatures. The creatures scattered, thrown in all directions. The attack had come from above, from a black-robed figure standing on the second level of the chamber.
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Walking calmly on the air as if he were treading upon solid ground, Valic descended towards Crystal and Melody. “Give me some time,” he told Crystal and he turned towards the blocked entrance. He held his hands with the palm facing towards the boulders that blocked it, fingers spread. Concentrating on his magic, he pushed with his power. The boulder shifted, opening a gap, but it was far too small. Relying on the two women to protect his back, he focused more power towards the boulder and pushed again. He had to be careful; if he pushed too hard, the entire tunnel could collapse, sealing it even more effectively.
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While all this was happening, Tylas knew he had to end the battle quickly. He blocked Avaric’s attacks; his own burst of power had already been spent, and the spear had returned to its normal state. There was a loud rumbling sound as the boulder blocking one of the entrances rolled free.
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“Tylas, we are leaving!!” Crystal shouted over the din of battle.
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At her words, he jumped over the Remnant’s next attack, aimed to wrap the chain around his leg and trip him. Pushing off of the boulder, he leapt high into the air, doing a graceful somersault in the air and landed in front of the cleared entryway. He quickly retreated, slashing at the monsters to keep them back.
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As soon as he was clear, Valic raised one hand into the air and clenched it into a fist, then brought it down, as if he were slamming his fist on a table. The tunnel collapsed in response to his gestures, closing the tunnel under tons of mountain rock and dirt. The boulders used to trap the warriors inside sealed the other two exits; they now sealed in those that had put them there in the first place.
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“It won’t take them long to get out. Follow me,” Valic said, and he swiftly started down the path. The three followed the black mage, not asking questions, saving their breath for running.
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They had escaped the evil that had stalked them for so long; they were safe. For now.
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*~*~*~*~*~*~*
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Hours after the battle, Avaric once again knelt in front of the one-time resting place of his mother, inspecting the healed wound on his chest. A clicking behind him announced, as always, the arrival of one of his servants, come to give him its report.
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“Well?” he asked, not bothering to turn around. His tone was soft, deadly.
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“Master, we have searched the mountains but we could not find them. They have escaped us,” answered the rasping voice.
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Avaric lowered his hand from the scar, letting it drop next to the flail lying on the ground beside him. “You let them escape?” he asked, in the same soft, lethal tone. Before the creature could respond, he rose to his feet, twisting around to face the monstrosity, the flail in his hand. The spiked ball swung wide on the chain, and buried itself in the creature’s skull. Avaric viciously jerked it out of the hybrid’s head, letting it fall to the ground, twitching. “I don’t accept failure in my army,” he hissed.
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Again his hand rose, unbidden, to the terrible scar. Never had he felt such pain. Never had he suffered such disgrace. That human would pay dearly for what he had done to him. Avaric would make him suffer, make him pay in blood for his actions. A thought formed in the Remnant’s mind, and he examined it, inspecting every facet of his growing plan. A cruel smile spread across his lips. Yes, it was a very good idea. It was perfect in fact.
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He mentally called in another of his minions, which entered the room in a matter of seconds. It bowed low in his presence. “You summoned me Master?” His smile growing, his plan becoming clearer, Avaric told the creature what he wanted from it, told it his plan of perfect revenge.
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*~*~*~*~*~*~*
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They finally reached the end of the mountains far past midnight that night. They collapsed, gasping, to the ground in a small cave Valic had made.
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“Are… we… safe… now?” Melody gasped, thoroughly winded.
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“I highly doubt the world could provide any amount of safety at the moment,” Valic replied. Out of all of them, he was the only one that wasn’t winded or exhausted. “But we are relatively secure for the time being.”
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She nodded her head, her golden curls bouncing. “That’s all… I needed… to know.”
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“Why… did you… come back, Valic?” Crystal asked. “I thought… you wanted to be… left alone.”
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“I did not gain this much power only to become too ignorant to know when to use it,” the black mage replied. He handed Melody a skein of water, from which she took a grateful drink. The three warriors sat there for a few minutes, catching their breath.
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“Well, thanks for coming back and saving our asses, Valic. We owe you one,” Tylas stated.
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Valic shook his head. “No. It is I that was in your debt. We are now even.”
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This mysterious reply made no sense to the others whatsoever, but he offered no further elaboration.
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They healed their few wounds and slept soundly that night; each one taking turns keeping watch. Valic cast an illusion spell that made the mouth of the makeshift cave appear to be nothing more conspicuous than a pile of large rocks.
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In the middle of the night, during Valic’s shift, he pondered on why he had come. What he had said earlier was true, but there had been another reason, one he couldn’t place his finger on. Try as he might, he simply couldn’t figure out what it was. He pushed the thought from his mind; he had little use for aimlessly guessing at things that probably didn’t even exist anyway.
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* * *
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It took them a day to put enough comfortable distance between them and any and all mountains. As they rounded the bend of an overgrown path, a shocking sight met their eyes. Melody squealed with delight.
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Sitting in front of them, which they had left behind in an abandoned town far away, was a sliver car and a motorcycle. “Oh my gosh!” Melody exclaimed, wonder written all over her face. “How’d they get here!”
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“A mage never reveals the secrets of his craft,” Valic replied, coming up behind her. She gaped at him in wonder then, without any warning, threw her arms around him and gave him the biggest hug she could muster. “Oh Valic, you’re so sweet!” she squealed. She then released him and ran over to her car.
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Tylas and Crystal exchanged glances. ‘Sweet’ was hardly the word they would pick to describe Valic. But of course, that was just Melody all over. Crystal approached the mage, who had an odd look upon his face. She shook his hand and thanked him for what he had done then went off to greet her bike, which she had just begun to really miss.
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As they were reorganizing their things, Tylas leaning against the hood of Melody’s car, holding a map, Crystal heard someone faintly call her name. She glanced at the others by the car, but none of them were looking at her.
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“Crystal!”
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It was stronger this time. She thought she recognized the voice. “Zack?” she responded softly, trying to keep her voice low. “Zack, where are you?”
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“Crystal!” He finally materialized in front of her. “Crystal! The attack! You have to go, NOW!”
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“Whoa, Zack, calm down and go slower. Now, what is it?” she muttered. So far the others hadn’t noticed that she was having, what would appear to them, a one-sided conversation. The spirit of the SOLDIER was obviously in great distress.
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He shook his head, trying to find the right words. “It just happened yesterday… the town… his town…”
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“Whose town?” she questioned. “Zack, you’re not making any sense.”
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Zack pointed past her. “Him. His town.”
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She looked over her shoulder and saw he was pointing at Tylas, who was still inspecting the map. She looked back at the spirit in front of her. “Zack, what do you mean, ‘attacked’? Who attacked his home?” she demanded. She felt her stomach plunge. She had promised to him that his family would be safe, she had promised he would return to them. She never broke her promises.
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Again, Zack shook his head, running his hands through his black hair. “I… I don’t know what they were. They were monsters, human—no. Not human. They used to be. Oh gods, why didn’t I notice it earlier?”
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“Zack!” she snapped. She didn’t care if the others heard her now or not. “Tell me. What happened?” she demanded once again.
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He looked at her, his blue eyes wide with a fear that could be felt by even the dead. “It’s been destroyed. Everything. Burnt. Everyone is dead. Except…” he trailed off.
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“Except WHAT?!” She barely managed to keep herself from shouting at the ghost.
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“His sisters. They’re gone. Taken. I don’t know where. He told me to tell you that all of you have to come there if he,” he motioned towards Tylas, “Ever wanted to see them again. He told me to make sure that you would know.”

Dragon Mage · Jul 24, 2007

Ah, I decided to give you chapter 8 anyway!

Chapter 8—Prey
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It took them almost two weeks before they finally reached Cosmo Canyon. There, they replenished their nearly depleted supplies. Crystal also asked around about the possible whereabouts of the mysterious black mage. After many failed attempts, the trio finally received a possible lead.
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“Well, waddya got?” Tylas asked as Crystal sat down at their table at the Cosmo Candle Inn.
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She sighed. “Not a whole lot. But there’ve been some ‘sightings’, if you will, of a black-cloaked figure in the mountains north from here. Its just rumors, but it sounds like our guy.”
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Melody leaned forward, her face glowing. “Really? When do we leave?” she asked excitedly.
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Crystal bit back a sharp retort. Doesn’t she ever get a little bit tired? “Tomorrow. It’s a long way to the mountains, and I for one would like to sleep under a roof. It’s going to rain tomorrow.”
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With that said, she left and went up to her room.
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Melody looked at Tylas with wide eyes. “Did I say something to offend her? I didn’t mean to.” Her face was etched with guilt.
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“No, no, it wasn’t something you said,” he assured her. “Crystal’s just…” He shrugged, trying to find the right word “She’s just really serious about whatever she’s doing.”
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“Should I apologize to her?” Melody asked, starting to rise.
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“Apologize for what? You did nothing wrong. She’s tired. Tell me, where’d you learn to fight like that?” He quickly changed the subject, trying to get off the current topic. Both of them had noticed that Crystal had become increasingly tense the closer they got to Niblehiem. Besides, though the three of them had become well acquainted over the past two weeks, he always forgot to ask Melody this specific question.
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Melody grinned, looking like her usual self. She didn’t stay down for long, that’s for sure. “Well, I always thought it was important to know how to defend yourself. But when I took my first classes, I loved it so much I kept pursuing it. Before I knew it, I was well on my way to becoming a professional. You know, I wasn’t always going to be a martial artist,” she added.
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“Really?”
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She shook her head, making her bright curls bounce, and giggled. “Nope! I was going to be a ballerina.”
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“Heh. Well that fits,” he replied.
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“Hey! What’s that supposed to mean?” she exclaimed, giving him a playful shove.
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“Nothing! I mean, it really fits you, being a dancer and all. You have a lot of energy, and all, and I can see you doing that sort of thing. Erm…. you know what I mean?”
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She laughed and stood up. “Yes, I know what you mean! But Crystal is right about it being a long way to the mountains. Goodnight Tylas!” She bustled up the stairs to her room, leaving Tylas at the table.
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He sat at the table for a long time, staring at the small candle on the table. They were right. It’s a long way to the mountains. And who knows what they might find when they get there. With a sigh, he left and went up to his room as well, and he forced himself to get some sleep.
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* * *
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Crystal stood in her room, looking out the window at the failing light. Storm clouds were gathering in the distance. She cursed silently and could only hope that the rain wouldn’t wash away any trail left by the black mage.
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The closer they came to Niblehiem the more uneasy she felt. She had the constant feeling that she was being watched. In the last few days, she’d often whipped around searching for something lurking behind her, trying to glimpse whatever it was following her. But every time she did, she only met the concerned gaze of Tylas or Melody.
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After spending nearly her entire life fighting, however, she had honed her instincts to a precision that was second to none. She knew something was watching the three warriors, following them in the shadows. She didn’t know what it was, or what it wanted, but she would be ready for it when it came.
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*~*~*~*~*~*~*
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They left at early morning the next day. It wasn’t too long until they reached a river. An old stone bridge spanned the rushing waters of the river. However, it had been long neglected and was in shambles. As if to add on to the worsening situation, the river was at it’s peak, the spring rain and melting water from the mountains all but flooding the river, which now pounded on the riverbanks. Crystal stopped the bike short of the bridge and eyed the dilapidated bridge warily.
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“Can we make it across?” Tylas shouted from the car behind her. She shrugged in reply and looked back.
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“Only one way to find out!” she shouted back over the roar of the river. Turning back to the bridge in front of her, she revved the engine, producing a deep roar from the motorcycle. With a sudden burst of speed, she zipped across the bridge, arriving safely on the other side. She looked back, and motioned for the car to come over.
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Slowly, the silver car edged over the bridge. The first set of wheels rolled onto the bridge, which held firm. Ever so slowly, the car crept over the bridge. Then the rear wheels rolled onto the bridge, and the entire car was on the bridge. However, the bridge showed no signs of collapse.
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Melody continued to guide the car ever so carefully over the bridge. But when the car was right over the middle of the bridge, the entire stone structure shuddered. Without hesitation, Melody stomped on the gas. The tires squealed the rear tires stuck in a rut made by collapsing stones. With a lurch the car jerked out of the rut, and the bridge shuddered again; some large stones fell from the bridge into the foaming waters below.
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The front wheels made it to the ground but the car wouldn’t advance any further. The bridge was now being torn apart by the river, and the rear of the car was tipping in towards the sagging bridge.
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Putting the gas pedal to floor, Melody pushed the vehicle. There was a second’s pause, then the car shot, screaming, off the bridge. Behind, the bridge finally crumbled under the river’s assault.
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Melody and Tylas exited the car, and stood by Crystal, the three of them watching the last remains of the stone bridge being borne away by the swift current.
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“There goes our only way back,” Tylas stated grimly. The two women said nothing. They all knew what this meant. They could only move forward now, heading straight into whatever lie ahead.
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* * *
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Crystal tapped the skull with the hilt of her sword; it’s macabre grin almost as if inviting them to join it. The animal skull was impaled on a wooden stake, part of a trap that had been set a while ago. The large wooden stake had come up from the ground, piercing straight through the animal’s skull.
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Tylas came up behind her and when he saw the sprung trap he sighed. “How many of these damn things are there?” he muttered in frustration.
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The three had made it into the mountains, but still below the tree line. After much searching, Tylas had found a trail. Forced to go on foot, the search had been long and difficult. They had found numerous traps of all kinds set along the twisting trail, many of which they had barely escaped unscathed.
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Melody, coming up in the rear, looked at the trap and shuddered. “Shouldn’t we just leave him alone? I mean, obviously he can keep himself safe. Why should we bother him?”
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Crystal shook her head as she tested the ground around the trap with the tip of one sword, looking for any trigger to a part of the trap that hadn’t been set off. “No, we can’t. We have to get to him before anything else does. In fact,” she added, lowering her tone. “We may already be too late.”
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They all knew what she meant; both Tylas and Melody were aware of it now. They were being followed, watched, their pursuer never revealing itself. The trio stood there, staring at the trap, straining their ears for the slightest sound in the dead quiet.
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“We should get moving,” Crystal stated, making the others jump at the sudden sound. They quickly navigated around the trap, and continued down the trail.
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It wasn’t long until they ran into another trap.
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Crystal swiftly held up her arm and prevented Tylas from continuing. “Look.” She pointed with the sword in her hand at the ground about three feet away. Squinting, Tylas managed to make out a fiery red line of powder on the ground. “Wait here,” she told him, and then still keeping her distance, she followed the line to the left. After about going twenty feet, she returned, and did the same thing on the right side, with the same results.
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“Looks like it goes on for quite a ways, from what I can see,” she informed her companions as she returned.
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“Can we go around it?” Melody asked.
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The swordswoman shook her ebony-haired head. “Nope. Well, we could, but it’d throw us off the trail, that’s for sure. We’ll have to trigger it.”
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“How? What kind of trap is it?” This was from Tylas.
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“It’s a magic one, of course. That line is a ward; it’ll activate when the it’s broken or something passes over it,” Crystal answered.
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“I’ll set it off,” Tylas offered. “Besides, I’ve got the spear.”
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Crystal gave a small smile. “I think you’ll want to use something besides your spear; maybe a branch would be a better idea. And we should all move back a bit—I don’t know what’ll happen when that thing goes off.”
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They followed her advice, retreating a good ways away from the line. Tylas found a suitably straight branch, and handed his spear over to one of the others to hold. He advanced until he was about twenty feet from the thin line, before glancing back to see if the others were ready.
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Confirming they were ready, he turned back towards the line and raised the branch as if it were a spear, holding it from underneath. Taking careful aim, he threw the branch like he would if it were a spear. The branch soared clumsily though the air. It passed over the line—and ward exploded. A wall of fire erupted from the small line of powder, the explosion rolling over all three of the warriors, accompanied by a deafening roar. Tylas stumbled backwards, his arms raised in an attempt to block the heat. The fireball was brief, but it had only been a side effect from the rest of the spell.
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Before them stood a wall of flame, reaching a good twenty feet into the sky. Wherever the line of powder had been, the flame had risen from it, creating a barrier that would instantly fry whatever tried to pass through it. The three were forced to stand a good distance back, or else be subjected to the intense heat of the firewall.
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“Can the fire rings get us through?” Tylas asked Crystal softly, taking his spear from Melody. He slipped his ring on and passed the other one over to Melody, who donned hers as well.
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“Maybe. But they can only protect you from so much. They probably won’t hold up to an enchantment that strong. That means we’ll have to weaken it.” She added on this last bit with a sigh. She hoped it wouldn’t have come to this. It only drained a little bit more of her energy, made her just a little more tired.
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Before the others could ask her how she proposed to do this, she walked forward until she could no longer stand the growing heat. She whirled her swords around her in a complicated pattern, ending it abruptly by crossing the blades then bringing them down in a slash. When she did this, the spell was activated. Using the Enemy Skill materia still within her forearm, she cast Aqualung.
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A mass of water coalesced from the air and moved to the wall of fire. The rolling form of the water seemed to bubble as the water within undulated, pummeling the target of the spell. It only lasted a few seconds before it disappeared. The part of the wall touched by the spell had disappeared. The line of powder from which the firewall sprang had been thoroughly doused, but it still glowed like embers. Even as they watched, the flame started to flicker back to life.
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“RUN!” Crystal yelled at Tylas and Melody, taking off towards the ward herself. The three dashed across the ground, trying to cross the ward before the enchantment recovered.
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Crystal made it over safely, and she turned to see how far away the other two were. The ground was rocky and covered with the pieces of fallen pine trees. The terrain made it difficult to sprint across, and slowed their progress.
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She cursed under her breath, glancing at the line. It started to flicker a little brighter and she could feel some heat coming off of it. The other two had come much closer, but if the firewall recovered now, Crystal couldn’t recast the spell without hurting them as well. “Come on!” she yelled desperately. The heat was growing. Sudden inspiration hit her and she cursed herself for not thinking of it earlier. Performing the same pattern as she had when she cast Aqualung, she cast another spell, this time on her friends. The spell she cast was Big Guard, which partially protected them from any kind of harm, as well as making them faster.
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A ball of green light formed in front of the each of the two running warriors. Beams of light shot from the orbs and it spun, weaving a pattern from the light. Then the light faded, leaving behind only a brief ripple of light in front of the two.
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The change was dramatic. The two noticeably picked up speed, and the distance between them and the recovering barrier shrank. Within seconds, Melody jumped over the line, landing safely on the other side. Tylas wasn’t far behind, but, despite the spell, his weapon hindered him. Flames began to lick the line and the heat was steadily increasing. Seeing this, Tylas ran faster, desperately trying to reach the line before it went up in flames. I’m not going to make it… he thought.
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However, luck was with him. The firewall enchantment sputtered a few seconds, which was all that he needed. He dashed over the line a split second before it burst into flame once more.
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The trio stood there for a few more minutes, Tylas and Melody both gasping for breath. Tylas pressed one hand against his side and kneeled on the ground, head bowed. A painful cramp had formed in one side, and each breath hurt. Melody was rubbing one ankle, which pained her every time she tried to move it. She had sprained it badly while running on the rough, uneven terrain. Only the adrenaline rushing through her veins at the time had enabled her to keep running. But now that the rush was gone, the pain was excruciating.
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Moving over towards Tylas, Crystal asked him if he was okay. Gasping, he could only nod in reply. He pointed towards Melody, who was trying to move her ankle and let out a sharp cry of pain.
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Leaving him, Crystal went over to Melody. “Don’t move; let me see it,” she instructed the blond. Biting back any more cries of pain, Melody let the swordswoman inspect her ankle. Crystal assured her that nothing was broken and she pulled out another materia from the bag that was tied onto one belt loop. She chose not to fully equip it, and merely held it in her hand, as she had done with Tylas when she healed him after the dragon attack. Like before, a sparkling green light poured from her hand as she held it over the martial artists’ ankle, suffusing the joint in a healing glow. When the light had faded, Melody showed obvious relief, and she thanked Crystal, who handed her a water bottle from the other woman’s pack. She then returned to see how Tylas was fairing.
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The crimson warrior was in bad shape. He struggled for breath, but each one he took caused him more pain. He felt a hand on his shoulder, followed immediately by flood of relief from the pain. As the warm healing glow spread over him, he could feel the terrible pain in his side dissipate and strained muscles cease aching. He managed to catch some of his breath and he thanked Crystal for the assistance.
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The violet-eyed woman sat down on the ground by her two companions, knees almost pulled up to her chest. She rested her arms on her knees and then her forehead upon her arms. She closed her eyes, waiting for the dizziness to pass. Aqualung followed by the two level-three Cure spells had taken a lot out of her. She had never been much of a mage, and the spells had used up a large amount of her energy. She should probably take an Ether.
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“At…at least…we can’t…be followed…anymore,” Melody gasped out.
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At this Tylas let out a weak laugh. Right now, being followed seemed to be the worst of their problems. Once again their retreat had been cut off. If they found the mage, there was a chance he would attack them. If they didn’t find him, they’ve either 1) lost the trail completely, or 2) he had been found by something else. Either way, the situation had only a small percentage of turning out in their favor.
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* * *
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Now that they were across the wall, they could see that the wall of flame had encircled a small area, going all the way up to the steep walls of the mountain. What the wall had been set up to protect was a small cave. The three warriors, now recovered from their previous ordeal, approached the cave with extreme caution. They finally reached the mouth of the cave, the tension in the air so thick it could be cut with a knife.
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“So who wants to go into the dark, creepy cave first?” Melody asked softly. Without waiting for a reply, she advanced into the cave, hesitating at the mouth of the cavern. This would be the first black mage she ever saw, and the curiosity overrode any of her fear. “Hello?” she called quietly, trying to peer into the inky depths of the cave. Her call echoed within the black depths.
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Tylas yelled in surprise as he rose into the air and was flung away from the group. He landed hard on the ground a little ways away, but was unharmed.
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Crystal whipped around, swords instantly in her hands, and she faced their attacker. Their foe was a tall figure, wearing a black robes. A black cape was draped over the person as well, the inner lining a deep red. The hood was drawn up over the persons’ head, obscuring the face. They had finally found their black mage.
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He made a shoving motion with one hand in Crystal’s direction. She went flying backwards and slammed against the rock wall of the mountain. She bit back a sharp cry as she felt her back being wrenched, and somehow managed to dodge a bolt of energy. The bolt smashed into the rock where her head had been just seconds ago.
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Tylas, who had recovered from his brief flight, was now dashing towards the battle. The mage extended his hand toward the man, palm down, fingers spread. A nearly inaudible word was spoken, and suddenly a rapidly expanding wall of needles was speeding towards oncoming warrior. Tylas, seeing the attack, cursed and dropped to the ground, turning his back to the needles, trying to make himself a smaller target and to protect his face. The needles slammed into him, their sharp points digging deep into his skin, drawing blood. He gritted his teeth against the impact, but he stood up after the wall had passed.
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The mage sent another magical bolt flying towards Crystal, immediately followed by another. She managed to dodge the first one, but she couldn’t get out of the way fast enough to dodge the second one, the pain from her back hampering her. The icy bolt caught her foot, and she stumbled, her leg from the mid-calf down covered in magical frost. Seeing another attack about to be sent on its way, she tried to limp out of the way, but she was practically helpless with her leg in the shape it was in.
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The black mage prepared to summon another bolt of energy, which would surely mean the death of the violet-eyed warrior.
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“Stop!” Came the cry from behind him. Whirling around, the black mage held up his hand, ready to fry his enemy with a sheet of flame. He met Melody’s blue eyes, and he stopped himself, struck by the sight before him. Somehow, she had managed to come up behind him, yet she hadn’t attacked him.
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“Stop,” she repeated softly, holding his gaze with hers. Slowly, he lowered his hand, the other two warriors forgotten. “Why are you following me?” he demanded her in a deep voice.
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“We’re here to save you. But I won’t do it if you keep hurting my friends,” was her reply. He glanced at the two wounded warriors behind him, and then turned back to Melody. “Then we shall talk.”
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*~*~*~*~*~*~*
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It was twilight when they had finished telling the black mage everything. Melody was helping Tylas pull needles out of his skin while Crystal held her leg close to the fire in the middle of the cave, attempting to unfreeze it.
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The mage had introduced himself as Valic. He had pulled back his hood, allowing the firelight to play across his gaunt features. He was tall, around 6’, and was about thirty years old. He had short brown hair and dark brown eyes. His face was thin and sharp, like the rest of him, the firelight only enhancing the emaciated features. The effect was ghoulish, and unsettling to look upon.
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“You came all this way just to warn me of being attacked by some mindless creatures?” he asked, his soft tone doing little to mask his irritation.
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“Not mindless creatures,” Crystal corrected him. “They’re attacking with a purpose; with a plan. And they aren’t your average creatures either; they’re Inflicted, far stronger than what you normally see.”
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His reply came with a bitter smile. “Ah, yes of course. However, I assure you I can take care of myself, Inflicted or no.”
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Melody gave Crystal a look that said ‘I-told-you-so’ but said nothing.
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Crystal sighed and put one hand to her forehead, closing her eyes. Her leg was distracting her, and she instead focused on controlling the pain.
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“We thought you might want to be warned before you were attacked by a hoard of monsters,” Tylas said, flinching as Melody pulled another needle out of his back.
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“Well, all you’ve accomplished here is waste my time and yours!” Valic snapped. “Soon, I’ll be forced to move once again by the stunts you have pulled!”
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“We were only trying to help,” Melody added softly.
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This did nothing to placate the black mage however. “Oh, helped you have! Not only have you completely destroyed my defenses, you have interrupted my research as well! You have no idea what you have done here!” He was nearly shouting, he voice rising with anger.
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“We didn’t kno—“ Tylas began, before Valic cut him off.
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“Of course you wouldn’t know! You’re feeble minds couldn’t begin to comprehend the importance of my studies nor the damage you have wrought!”
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Crystal sighed. She was quite fed up with this man already. “Fine,” she stated, struggling to her feet. “Obviously, we were foolish to think that a mage of your status would need anything remotely like help. But when they come Valic, and they will find you no matter what you do, you’ll be all alone. They are many, and you are one, and you will fall.”
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Valic, already angry, grew furious at her words. “Get out of—“
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“Your cave?” Crystal interjected coolly. “Oh, how mighty that sounds. Yes, you ARE a powerful mage indeed. You must be; you live in a cave!”
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“Stop it!” Melody shouted at the two. “Stop fighting. This will get us nowhere! Now Valic,” she turned towards the black mage, giving him a charming smile in an attempt to rectify things. “Do you want to accompany us? We can use all the help we can get.”
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The mage’s anger visibly dissipated as she turned her smile towards him. “No, I will not,” he replied, his tone returning to its usual haughty indifference. “You can leave tomorrow morning; the firewall will have died down by then. Follow the mountains north than east and you will find an abandoned town.” With that said, he exited the cave and disappeared into the darkness of the night.
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Tylas sighed. “Well, that went well,” he muttered bitterly. “What the hell is his problem?”
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“He’s an ass,” Crystal stated simply. “Couldn’t you tell?” She sat back down and rubbed her leg, which was still marble white.
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“Oh, hush,” Melody said as she gently removed another needle. “It isn’t his fault.”
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Tylas looked over his shoulder at her, a quizzical look on his face. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?!” he asked.
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An innocent expression came over her face. “Well, I mean, think about it. Wouldn’t you be in a bad mood if you were always pushing people away from you and you were alone all the time? I’d hate to think of what it’d be like for a few days, much less my whole life.” She pulled out another needle and Tylas flinched again. “There, that’s all of them,” she told him and she took a seat between Tylas and Crystal.
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“Just thinking about it gives me the chills,” she continued, shuddering, and rubbed her arms.
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Tylas rubbed his back, which was stinging something ungodly. “Yeah well, he hasn’t done anything to gain sympathy points from me.” He glanced over at Crystal, who was trying to warm her leg. “Hey, Crystal, that town he was talking about; that’s Niblehiem, right?”
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She nodded. “Yeah. What about it?”
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“Why don’t you tell us what the hell went on there?”
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She sighed and leaned back against the cavern wall. “It’s a long story… but you should know.” She settled herself into a more comfortable position before continuing. “Years ago, Shinra found a 2,000 year old organism in an archeological dig. The Shinra thought it was a member of the lost Cetra race, or Ancients, as you may know them. This organism is Jenova. Now, the Shinra wanted to find the ‘promised land’, a place only the Ancients could find, because they believed it was abundant with Mako. So, the Shinra used the DNA of Jenova to try and recreate a living Cetra, along with the power of finding the Promised Land. To do this, they injected members of SOLDIER with Jenova cells. However, it didn’t work. So one scientist, known as Hojo, directly injected an unborn infant with Jenova cells. This was the creation of Sephiroth.”
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She sighed and tapped her leg, trying to see if any feeling had come back yet. “I’ll skip the small details, but Sephiroth was eventually sent to Niblehiem for some mission. The Niblehiem reactor was one place where the Shinra conducted their experiments. It was also where the body of Jenova was housed. Sephiroth found out about the experiments that made him and just lost it, to put it simply. From what I can gather, he was pissed that he was the ‘rightful’ heir to the planet and he wanted to get back at everyone for what was done to him and his ‘mother’, or Jenova. That was the beginning of many events that would lead to Meteor, which you already know about.”
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“Wait,” Melody began, her expression puzzled. “If Jenova wasn’t a Cetra, or Ancient, or whatever, than what was it? How do you know it wasn’t an Ancient?”
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Crystal shook her head and shrugged. “I don’t know what Jenova is exactly but what’s sure is that it isn’t from this planet. It’s an alien, hard as that may be to believe. And it isn’t an Ancient because it’s what wiped out the Cetra. It’s a long story but trust me, it’s true. Why it came here, what it wanted, I have no idea. It all gets rather vague at this point.”
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The other two were silent for a long time, processing everything they had just been told. Then Tylas spoke up. “Then what does this mean?”
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“I don’t know,” she answered. “It could be nothing. It could be everything. I don’t know what’s ahead, but we should expect anything and everything.”
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He nodded in agreement and stared into the fire. Again, silence reigned. “I’ll take the first watch,” Melody offered suddenly. “You’re both tired and besides, I didn’t get attacked today!” she added with a grin.
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Tylas snorted. “Yeah, just rub it in. That’s the last acupuncture treatment for me.” This gave rise to some weak laughter before the two finally went to sleep. Melody sat across from the mouth of the cave, watching the darkness beyond the small ring of light from the fire, her thoughts meandering over the day’s events. She never knew that the darkness was watching back.
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* * *
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By mid-morning, the three warriors were well rested and were soon on their way. They returned to their vehicles and from there continued on to Niblehiem. Since the bridge had given out, they could only move forward. The only way out of the area was a mountain pass beyond Niblehiem.
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They entered the town by late morning. The town was completely abandoned. After it had been destroyed by Sephiroth’s rampage, the Shinra had come in and rebuilt it, putting their employees in to pose as the original inhabitants. It was all done to cover up what had happened and what Shinra was doing. Now that Shinra was gone, the town had been abandoned for good. All that was left was faded memories and burned dreams.
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The shrill mountain wind whistled through the ghost town, emphasizing the desolation. An old, rusty windmill creaked, the sound echoing through the empty rooms of the houses. The dilapidated houses only made the scene more unsettling; the gaping mouths of doorways seemed to sound their welcome to the visitors in a hollow tone. The sagging windows stared mournfully at the three warriors with empty eyes.
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“Wow,” Melody said softly, turning in a slow circle to take in everything. “Wow.”
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Tylas wasn’t so enamored of it as Melody was, and he openly expressed his opinion of the abandoned town. “This place is creepy. Can we please leave?”
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Melody gasped. “Are you kidding?! This is the best place to go exploring ever!” She clasped her hands together and bounced up and down on her feet with sheer excitement. “Can we please stay, just a little while?”
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Both questions were directed towards the swordswoman, who shook her head in reply. “No, sorry Melody, but we have to go. I don’t want to be caught in the mountains when night falls.” There was a sigh of relief from Tylas and a moan of disappointment from Melody.
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“Oh, why did we stop here anyway?” the martial artist demanded. She crossed her arms and pouted.
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Crystal couldn’t help but smile at the blonde’s actions. Anything besides being happy simply wasn’t convincing for the woman. “We stopped because we can only continue on foot. We’ll have to carry everything we need.” She looked at her bike with sorrow. She hated to leave it behind, but there was no other choice. She ran her fingers over the handlebars and she briefly wondered if she would ever see it again soon.
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It didn’t take them long to pack what they needed. Before long, they were traveling along the rundown path that led deep into the mountains. Crystal led the way, followed by Tylas and Melody in the rear. Amongst the rocky cliffs around them, darkness watched them and waited for the order to strike.
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They’d been traveling for only a little while when the sound of tumbling rocks was distinctly heard amidst the sound of the howling wind. The tumbling sound began to grow into a deafening roar. In front of their amazed eyes, the side of the mountain began to slide down the steep slope onto the path in front of them.
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The three warriors quickly backpedaled, trying to avoid the crushing mass of rocks descending towards them. Only a few smaller rocks strayed into the warriors’ path. One stray rock fell into Crystal’s path, making her stumble and she began to fall. Tylas quickly grabbed her hand and pulled her to safety. The three watched the last of the rockslide fall into place. The path was completely blocked.
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Crystal cleared her throat. “May I have my hand back now?” she asked politely. Tylas, unknowingly, hadn’t let go of Crystal’s hand. Surprised by this, he quickly released her hand, forcing his hand to loosen the death grip he had on her. “Sorry,” he apologized. “Was startled, that’s all.”
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She nodded, rubbing her hand, trying to get some blood flow back into it. As she looked at the barrier of rocks blocking their path she cursed silently. She had been leading them as far away from the reactor as possible. Now they had no choice but to go through the old reactor to get out of the mountains. And if they tried to turn back, she was almost positive that they wouldn’t be allowed to do that either. They were being herded like a bunch of mindless cattle. But what really got to her was that the enemy wasn’t even trying to conceal this fact, didn’t try to hide its presence. Whatever it was had no fear of them breaking free whatsoever. It knew they couldn’t escape.
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She looked at the other two and nodded. She had told them beforehand that something like this might happen. She untied the small bag of materia hanging from her waist and handed it to Tylas. “Get ready,” she told him quietly. “It’s going to be a long fight.”
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*~*~*~*~*~*~*
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Deep within the abandoned reactor, a young man knelt before the broken tube that had once contained the body of an alien long ago. He always felt more powerful here, near the place where is mother had been. Mother. He must avenge her. He had tried to convince his brothers to follow him, but they were impatient, and wouldn’t listen to his plans. Now they were dead, which was just fine with him. Who had need of such worthless trash anyways? One man can only do so much damage; it was unlikely that a single person would ensure the death of every single human. How his brothers couldn’t understand that was beyond his comprehension. They had really thought they could take over the world alone. What fools they had been. He knelt there with his eyes closed, seeing through the eyes of one of his minions. He watched as the three warriors scrambled to get out of the way of the rockslide, and a cold smile spread across his face.
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“Master Avaric,” came a rasping voice behind him. “Do you wish us to engage the enemy?”
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“No. Wait until they are inside the chamber. Then attack when I give you the signal. Now leave me.”
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The disfigured creature that once had been human bowed to the silver-haired man. “Yes, Master Avaric.” It left the room; it’s sharp nails clicking on the metal floor.
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Avaric watched, still with his eyes closed, as the trio began down the path that would lead to the reactor. They would be here soon; he must get ready. He opened his eyes, revealing the disturbing slit-pupils that marked him as something definitely not human.
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With some reluctance, he left the room and entered the next room in which numerous egg-shaped pods were contained. He studied the pods, his pride rising at the work he had wrought. Inside each pod was a human being, captured not too long ago from the town of Kalm. Immersed in Mako, their bodies had already begun to change, twisting into something that was anything but human. Very soon, the transformation would be complete. While they were in this state, he would inject them with cells from the strongest creatures this planet had to offer. Dragon, lion, gargoyle, wolf; all of them. These cells dictated how the humans would mutate; creating various monsters that had once been human.
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Not only that, but their minds were being lost as well, flooded by the memories of thousands of lives long gone, recycled into the Lifestream. It was easy, really, to control their minds in such a pitiful state. By using the limited psychic powers granted to him by his mother’s blood, he controlled his entire army with his mind. He could see through their eyes, speak through their mouth. He could orchestrate a raid on a town hundreds of miles away. Such was his achievement.
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Of course, it hadn’t been like that in the beginning. At first, the only creatures he could control were the useless animals that had been experimented on. He could manipulate the Jenova cells within them to control their pathetic little minds. Useless: That is, until he realized what he could do with them. He used them to raid towns, bringing him the humans he needed to build his army. Sometimes, he sent them to destroy a small town or two, or to swarm a certain warrior that could be potentially dangerous to his plans. He didn’t waste the better troops on such things, the hybrids that he had made in these pods. He had no need to control those very much. Oh, he certainly could if he wanted to. But that was impractical. All he had to do was set up a certain way of thinking in the hybrids minds. It was like programming a living thing to do only specific actions. That way, they not only worked for his cause, they could handle themselves in battle without him having to pull every string.
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But these three warriors… they had come far too close to unveiling his work. He was not prepared for the war he would wage across the planet, a war to end all wars. A war to end all humans. A war led by him, the fourth Remnant of Sephiroth.
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These warriors must be killed. He had carefully manipulated the situation to bring them here. Maybe he would make them a part of his army. A cold smile touched his thin lips at the thought. Yes, they would be an exceptional addition to his army. Except for that one. The woman with purple eyes. He had fully expected her to fall in the battle with his only dragon. Not only had she killed it, but she had saved the other human as well. No, he would not add her to his army. Instead, he could pass the time torturing her, forcing her to watch her companions twist into something from her nightmares.
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He heard the familiar clicking sound that announced the arrival of one of his creations. A humanoid creature stalked into the room. This was one of his stronger creations, a mix between human and dragon. The entire body was covered with tiny, diamond-hard scales. Like a human, balanced easily on its two hind legs. However, the knee was bent backwards, and the limb lost all resemblance to a humans’ as it reached the foot. The foot was a cross between a dragon paw and a human foot, with long talons, but the hybrid managed better on this limb than most humans or dragons did on theirs. The hands ended in long, sharp talons that could easily slice through almost any armor. A long, serpentine tail came from the base of the spine, tipped with a deadly point. To finish it off, a pair of bat-like wings sprouted from just beneath the shoulder blades, and could easily carry the hybrid in flight. Overall, the creature was an almost graceful blending of human and dragon; that is, if you could ignore the eyes, which were entirely black.
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“Master,” it rasped. “They are about to enter the pipe room. What are your orders?”
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Avaric nodded, expecting such a report. He reached into the creature’s mind, and filled it with the instructions of what he wanted from it. “You know what to do. Now go. I will be there shortly,” he commanded. It made another bow, then turned and swiftly carried itself out of the room.
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Avaric closed his eyes, touching the minds of his creations to make sure that all was in order. In a few moments, he opened them again. Drawing his flail from his belt, he left the reactor to join his troops in greeting the warriors. He was going to enjoy this.
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*~*~*~*~*~*
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Crystal eyed the area beneath them warily. There were three levels to the room they had just entered. The narrow top level that they were standing on had one end of eight large pipes resting on it. The pipes twined all the way down to the bottom level. Ladders gave access to all the levels. The second level was merely a small platform of sorts that led to a door, which would lead to the reactor itself. On the third and final level, the largest of the three, were various paths that led out of the room. Glowing pools of Mako bordered the sides of the paths. A large boulder dominated most of the third floor.
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Crystal motioned for the other two to follow, and made her way down the steps to the second level. Before entering the room, they had prepared themselves for whatever might come when they were inside. They carefully and silently made their way down the two ladders and were soon on the bottom level. Weapons drawn, ears straining for the slightest sound, the three cautiously made their way over to one of the paths.
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Then the trap was sprung. Boulders suddenly fell into place, blocking the exits, cutting off any retreat. One monster suddenly dropped down from the air behind Tylas and sank its sharp teeth into his shoulder. Gritting his teeth, Tylas reached back and grabbed the thing, and in one swift action, rolled it over his shoulder, letting it drop on the floor. He impaled it before it could recover. It was a grotesque thing, and looked for everything in the world like a cross between a human and a wolf.
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Only then did they realize where their enemy had been hiding. Dozens upon dozens of these creatures had been clinging to the high ceiling of the chamber, a living, breathing roof of deadly monsters. These were not the usual Inflicted the trio had encountered so many times before; these were far more deadly, and were too human to be random Inflicted.
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When the one hybrid had jumped Tylas, the others quickly followed, descending upon the warriors, ready to slash them to pieces. However, their orders were to capture, not kill.
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Within a blink of an eye, the warriors were surrounded and hopelessly outnumbered. But the elite warriors managed to hold their own against the flood. Crystal went to greet the enemy, both swords flashing in the light. She was in her element now. She cut through the enemy in one continuous, flowing attack, blocking, thrusting, and slashing, never pausing for a second.
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Melody, despite lacking any weapon of her own, proved to be a tough adversary. She nimbly ducked and dodged attacks, and returned her own with great force. The usually bright and cheerful martial artist was now a determined, fierce fighter. Occasionally, the sharp crack of a bone breaking could be heard when she landed a blow.
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Tylas also proved to be hard to hit. Every time a hybrid tried to attack him his spear blocked it. Since the wolf hybrid had bit him, he had not suffered a single blow. He slashed at the creatures, few of them making it beyond the reach of his spear.
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However, the creatures proved hard to kill. A broken bone, a sliced muscle; it did little to slow them down. They simply got up again and continued the assault.
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Away from the thick of the battle, Avaric stood on top of the boulder, weapon in hand. He watched how his creations fared in battle and was overall very pleased with what he saw. He noted with satisfaction how tough they were, continuously attacking despite many severe wounds. He was pleased with the wounds they inflicted; Crystal had gained three deep slashes on one arm by a hybrid she had thought was dead. Melody had taken quite a few blows already, and was beginning to wear down. Tylas was the only one that hadn’t been injured any further, but the Inflicted were adapting to his fighting style, and many had come close to injuring the warrior. It was only a matter of time before he could no longer hold them back.
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After a few moments, Avaric had seen enough. He silently called in more of his minions. A hole in the ceiling suddenly opened, dirt falling onto the combatants below. More hybrids poured through the hole. Avaric raised the flail, pointing it at Tylas, at sent the silent command to capture.
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Tylas saw this action but before he could realize what it meant, the same wolf hybrid that had bitten him earlier grabbed him from behind and threw him to the side. He rolled as he hit the floor and sprang to his feet. Suddenly, a large dragon hybrid landed in front of him and backhanded him across the face.
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Now, Tylas had been through a lot in the past few days. He’d survived innumerable traps, been thrown into the air twice, and had been made a human pincushion by a cynical black mage. Getting bitch-slapped across the face by some twisted half-breed monster was the end of the line. Tylas was pissed.
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He faced the hybrid and held his spear out before him parallel to the ground. The hybrid paused, trying to figure out what he was going to do. After a few seconds, it simply lunged at him, slashing with its razor sharp claws. Tylas didn’t move until it had closed in just the right distance. Stepping to the side, he let the creature stumble past him, slashing at it as he did so. The spear sliced smoothly through the hybrid’s spine.
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He turned to Avaric, and as he did, his spear burst into flame. The fire licked his hands but left him unharmed. In swift, steady strides, Tylas cut through the ranks of monsters between him and the man in black. With each step, he slashed at the creatures on either side of him, sending some flaming monsters flying into the air, cleaving through others. He left a trail of fire in his wake, never pausing in his deadly stride.
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Avaric saw the crimson warrior advancing towards him and was ready for him when he came. He easily dodged the flaming spear as it was thrust towards him, and lashed out with his own weapon. Tylas easily dodged the blow, but it wasn’t aimed towards him. The long chain of the weapon wrapped around the spear, and Avaric pulled, all but wrenching the burning spear from Tylas’ hands.
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Tylas retaliated by slamming the haft of his spear into the Remnant’s side, making the man stumble. The flail slipped off of his spear. Taking advantage of his opponent’s weakness, he pulled the end of the spear up, the tip pointing at the ceiling. He then circled it around, the haft coming under his arm, and brought the deadly point of the spear down in a crescent-shaped slash. Avaric saw the blow coming and turned away from it, trying to hit Tylas with the spiked ball of his own weapon. However, he didn’t quite dodge enough. The razor edge of the spear sliced across his chest, the fire burning his skin horribly. Avaric could only register pain, terrible burning pain and shock.
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Before either of the two could do anything further, an explosion erupted in the midst of the Inflicted creatures. The creatures scattered, thrown in all directions. The attack had come from above, from a black-robed figure standing on the second level of the chamber.
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Walking calmly on the air as if he were treading upon solid ground, Valic descended towards Crystal and Melody. “Give me some time,” he told Crystal and he turned towards the blocked entrance. He held his hands with the palm facing towards the boulders that blocked it, fingers spread. Concentrating on his magic, he pushed with his power. The boulder shifted, opening a gap, but it was far too small. Relying on the two women to protect his back, he focused more power towards the boulder and pushed again. He had to be careful; if he pushed too hard, the entire tunnel could collapse, sealing it even more effectively.
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While all this was happening, Tylas knew he had to end the battle quickly. He blocked Avaric’s attacks; his own burst of power had already been spent, and the spear had returned to its normal state. There was a loud rumbling sound as the boulder blocking one of the entrances rolled free.
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“Tylas, we are leaving!!” Crystal shouted over the din of battle.
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At her words, he jumped over the Remnant’s next attack, aimed to wrap the chain around his leg and trip him. Pushing off of the boulder, he leapt high into the air, doing a graceful somersault in the air and landed in front of the cleared entryway. He quickly retreated, slashing at the monsters to keep them back.
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As soon as he was clear, Valic raised one hand into the air and clenched it into a fist, then brought it down, as if he were slamming his fist on a table. The tunnel collapsed in response to his gestures, closing the tunnel under tons of mountain rock and dirt. The boulders used to trap the warriors inside sealed the other two exits; they now sealed in those that had put them there in the first place.
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“It won’t take them long to get out. Follow me,” Valic said, and he swiftly started down the path. The three followed the black mage, not asking questions, saving their breath for running.
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They had escaped the evil that had stalked them for so long; they were safe. For now.
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*~*~*~*~*~*~*
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Hours after the battle, Avaric once again knelt in front of the one-time resting place of his mother, inspecting the healed wound on his chest. A clicking behind him announced, as always, the arrival of one of his servants, come to give him its report.
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“Well?” he asked, not bothering to turn around. His tone was soft, deadly.
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“Master, we have searched the mountains but we could not find them. They have escaped us,” answered the rasping voice.
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Avaric lowered his hand from the scar, letting it drop next to the flail lying on the ground beside him. “You let them escape?” he asked, in the same soft, lethal tone. Before the creature could respond, he rose to his feet, twisting around to face the monstrosity, the flail in his hand. The spiked ball swung wide on the chain, and buried itself in the creature’s skull. Avaric viciously jerked it out of the hybrid’s head, letting it fall to the ground, twitching. “I don’t accept failure in my army,” he hissed.
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Again his hand rose, unbidden, to the terrible scar. Never had he felt such pain. Never had he suffered such disgrace. That human would pay dearly for what he had done to him. Avaric would make him suffer, make him pay in blood for his actions. A thought formed in the Remnant’s mind, and he examined it, inspecting every facet of his growing plan. A cruel smile spread across his lips. Yes, it was a very good idea. It was perfect in fact.
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He mentally called in another of his minions, which entered the room in a matter of seconds. It bowed low in his presence. “You summoned me Master?” His smile growing, his plan becoming clearer, Avaric told the creature what he wanted from it, told it his plan of perfect revenge.
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*~*~*~*~*~*~*
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They finally reached the end of the mountains far past midnight that night. They collapsed, gasping, to the ground in a small cave Valic had made.
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“Are… we… safe… now?” Melody gasped, thoroughly winded.
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“I highly doubt the world could provide any amount of safety at the moment,” Valic replied. Out of all of them, he was the only one that wasn’t winded or exhausted. “But we are relatively secure for the time being.”
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She nodded her head, her golden curls bouncing. “That’s all… I needed… to know.”
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“Why… did you… come back, Valic?” Crystal asked. “I thought… you wanted to be… left alone.”
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“I did not gain this much power only to become too ignorant to know when to use it,” the black mage replied. He handed Melody a skein of water, from which she took a grateful drink. The three warriors sat there for a few minutes, catching their breath.
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“Well, thanks for coming back and saving our asses, Valic. We owe you one,” Tylas stated.
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Valic shook his head. “No. It is I that was in your debt. We are now even.”
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This mysterious reply made no sense to the others whatsoever, but he offered no further elaboration.
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They healed their few wounds and slept soundly that night; each one taking turns keeping watch. Valic cast an illusion spell that made the mouth of the makeshift cave appear to be nothing more conspicuous than a pile of large rocks.
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In the middle of the night, during Valic’s shift, he pondered on why he had come. What he had said earlier was true, but there had been another reason, one he couldn’t place his finger on. Try as he might, he simply couldn’t figure out what it was. He pushed the thought from his mind; he had little use for aimlessly guessing at things that probably didn’t even exist anyway.
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* * *
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It took them a day to put enough comfortable distance between them and any and all mountains. As they rounded the bend of an overgrown path, a shocking sight met their eyes. Melody squealed with delight.
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Sitting in front of them, which they had left behind in an abandoned town far away, was a sliver car and a motorcycle. “Oh my gosh!” Melody exclaimed, wonder written all over her face. “How’d they get here!”
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“A mage never reveals the secrets of his craft,” Valic replied, coming up behind her. She gaped at him in wonder then, without any warning, threw her arms around him and gave him the biggest hug she could muster. “Oh Valic, you’re so sweet!” she squealed. She then released him and ran over to her car.
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Tylas and Crystal exchanged glances. ‘Sweet’ was hardly the word they would pick to describe Valic. But of course, that was just Melody all over. Crystal approached the mage, who had an odd look upon his face. She shook his hand and thanked him for what he had done then went off to greet her bike, which she had just begun to really miss.
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As they were reorganizing their things, Tylas leaning against the hood of Melody’s car, holding a map, Crystal heard someone faintly call her name. She glanced at the others by the car, but none of them were looking at her.
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“Crystal!”
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It was stronger this time. She thought she recognized the voice. “Zack?” she responded softly, trying to keep her voice low. “Zack, where are you?”
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“Crystal!” He finally materialized in front of her. “Crystal! The attack! You have to go, NOW!”
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“Whoa, Zack, calm down and go slower. Now, what is it?” she muttered. So far the others hadn’t noticed that she was having, what would appear to them, a one-sided conversation. The spirit of the SOLDIER was obviously in great distress.
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He shook his head, trying to find the right words. “It just happened yesterday… the town… his town…”
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“Whose town?” she questioned. “Zack, you’re not making any sense.”
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Zack pointed past her. “Him. His town.”
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She looked over her shoulder and saw he was pointing at Tylas, who was still inspecting the map. She looked back at the spirit in front of her. “Zack, what do you mean, ‘attacked’? Who attacked his home?” she demanded. She felt her stomach plunge. She had promised to him that his family would be safe, she had promised he would return to them. She never broke her promises.
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Again, Zack shook his head, running his hands through his black hair. “I… I don’t know what they were. They were monsters, human—no. Not human. They used to be. Oh gods, why didn’t I notice it earlier?”
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“Zack!” she snapped. She didn’t care if the others heard her now or not. “Tell me. What happened?” she demanded once again.
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He looked at her, his blue eyes wide with a fear that could be felt by even the dead. “It’s been destroyed. Everything. Burnt. Everyone is dead. Except…” he trailed off.
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“Except WHAT?!” She barely managed to keep herself from shouting at the ghost.
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“His sisters. They’re gone. Taken. I don’t know where. He told me to tell you that all of you have to come there if he,” he motioned towards Tylas, “Ever wanted to see them again. He told me to make sure that you would know.”

mill3r91 · Jul 24, 2007

like i said before, i love it. you have a real talent!

Dragon Mage · Aug 6, 2007

XD thank you soo much! It means a lot to me! And now, for chapters 9 and 10!

Chapter 9—Despair<o></o>
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Crystal could only stare at the spirit, her mind racing as she tried to process this sudden turn of events. She opened her mouth to question Zack further but was interrupted before she could speak.
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“Crystal, who are you talking too?” Melody inquired.
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The swordswoman turned around and found that all three of her companions were staring at her, observing her strange one-sided conversation.
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Thinking fast, she pulled her cell phone out of her pocket. Since that side of her body was turned away from them, it seemed like she had been holding her phone down in front of her, hidden from view. She held it up so the could see it, the black phone gleaming dully in the sunlight. “A friend; I’m trying to get a hold of him, but the signal keeps breaking up. I’m gonna try over there, see if I can’t get better reception.
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The area she indicated was a copse of trees atop a large hill. Without saying anything further, she quickly navigated the steep slope. When she reached the top, she plunged into the thicket of trees. Making sure that she was out of both ear- and eyeshot, she turned to the restless spirit, who was waiting for her at the top. The dead SOLDEIR was pacing back and forth, running his hands through his dark hair. He was obviously greatly agitated by the incident.
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“Zack, calm down!” she hissed, keeping her voice low. “Now, what’s the deadline?”
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“What?” He gave her a confused look, not comprehending her question.
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“How long do we have to accomplish this task!?” She tried to keep her irritation from voice, but her patience was rapidly running out.
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“Um, two weeks. He gave you two weeks.” He nodded. “Yeah.” He calmed down some at Crystal’s demand, but he looked distracted. He was staring off into the distance, squinting at something only he could see.
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“Zack… Zack!” Crystal called, trying to get his attention. He jerked his head and looked at her. “Now, you mean to tell me that he saw you? What were you doing there?”
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He nodded. “Yeah, he saw me! I went there because you told me to look out if anything weird was going down. I was standing there and he suddenly looked at me and told me to give you a message.” The spirit visibly shuddered; ironic for a ghost, Crystal thought.
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“Do you know where the girls are?” she asked, pushing him for more information.
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“No. I have no idea. They could be anywhere, for all I know.”
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“Can you find out? Like, can you scout for them, find out where they are?”
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“No. Not without him knowing. And if he sees me walking around, he’ll know your bound to come.”
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She fell silent at this, musing over the information she had gained.
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“Hey, Crystal! You alright up there?”
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Down below, Tylas was shouting up at the spot Crystal had disappeared at. She had been gone for too long. The others would begin to suspect something if she stayed much longer. Quickly she turned to Zack. “Thank you for telling me. Now, I wish I could say that I don’t need your help anymore, but I do. I need you to keep a lookout for these creatures, those things we saw in the mountains. Find out anything you can, what they are, where they came from; can you do that?”
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He nodded, still looking uneasy. “Yeah. Yeah, I can do that.” He made an attempt at a smile, acting like his usual self. “Catch ya later.” With that he disappeared, off traveling through the Lifestream once more.
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Crystal emerged from the trees and began making her way down the hill. Tylas was already halfway up the hill; he had come in search of her when she hadn’t answered him. “You alright?” he repeated when she met him halfway down the hill.
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“Yeah, I’m fine. Couldn’t get a signal. I’ll try later.” She continued past him, glancing over her shoulder when he didn’t follow her down the hill. “Come on, we should get going.”
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Mounting her bike, she started it up and revved the engine. The bike’s throaty growl sent the others hurrying to get into the car. She waited to make sure that they were all in before taking off, leading the way towards Rocket Town. During the long ride, she wondered how she was going to tell Tylas.
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* * *
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They only got halfway to Rocket Town before darkness fell. They stopped and set up camp. It was deemed to dangerous to travel at night, and they would continue towards Rocket Town first thing in the morning.
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Crystal excused herself from the group for a couple of minutes under the pretense that she had a call to make. She had to come up with some sort of excuse as to how she found out about Tylas’ home and family. She would tell them that she had called her friend, Cloud, to tell him about what they had encountered in the mountains around Niblehiem. In turn, he told her about what had happened in the far-away coal-mining town that she had told him had been the whereabouts of one of the warriors she was tracking. A ransom note had been left, demanding that Tylas come to the town if he ever wanted to see his sisters again. The town itself had been destroyed and from what was left behind, there were no survivors from the attack. Except for his three sisters, that is.
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And it wasn’t a complete lie; she did call Cloud and tell him what happened and she told him to warn his friends in turn. However, the bit about him telling her about the destroyed town was a straight out lie.
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Why come up with such an elaborate lie? Why not tell them about her strange ability to see the wandering dead? The answer is simple; if she told them now, not only did it compromise her status as their leader but she would be regarded as crazy. A leader that lies her followers? Oh yes, a fine leader that one is. She’d be lucky if they ever listened to anything she ever said again. A leader is supposed to give confidence and firm support to those that follow, not doubt and suspicion.
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Whether they knew it or not, she had already become the leader of the group. As in Niblehiem, a question regarding the whole groups’ next action was always directed towards her. Subtly, but surely, she was being looked to for guidance and permission. The whole thing was ironic: She, a loner, was automatically being the looked to to lead them. The entire position was unwelcome to her and the sooner she was rid of it, the better. She had no desire to lead these people. But there was no one else to step up to the plate.
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But not only would telling them compromise her position, she didn’t know how she would explain it to them. Her ability was a mystery to herself. How could she see them? She didn’t know. She had no idea; she just did. And it was a damn nuisance at some times but invaluable at others.
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She stopped outside the circle of light from the small campfire, watching the scene before her. Melody and Tylas were in the midst of a thumb war, while Valic poured over his spellbook. Both of them were twisting their arms ridiculously, trying to get the advantage over the other. The war abruptly ended when Tylas successfully pinned down Melody’s thumb and she couldn’t squirm it loose fast enough. “Dang it, that’s the tenth time!” she exclaimed as she gave him a playful punch on the shoulder while he laughed. “How’d you get so good at it?”
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He grinned at her. “Hey, I’ve got three little sisters that simply delight in this game. And when they get bored you have to keep them busy. I can play with both hands at the same time,” he added, pride ringing in his voice. He didn’t add that his three sisters managed to whoop his ass at the game nearly every single time.
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The blond gaped at him. “Really? Oh my god, I have to see that! But we need another person…” She turned around and looked at Valic whose attention was completely fixed upon the spellbook before him. “Hey, Valic, you wanna have a go at a thumb war?” Melody asked. The mage didn’t even look up from his studies; he merely waved a dismissive hand at her, brushing away her offer.
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She made a face at him, which he didn’t see. “Oh, you’re no fun,” she muttered. She saw Crystal standing in the darkness by the trees and brightened. “Hey, Crystal! Perfect timing! I’ll bet he can’t beat both of us at the same time!”
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The swordswoman walked into the circle of light and, ignoring Melody’s invitation, sat down by the fire, away from the others. The two knew immediately that something wasn’t right. “What’s wrong?” Tylas asked. Neither he nor Melody were laughing now. Even Valic looked up, his attention finally drawn away from the complex spells of his craft.
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Crystal didn’t answer right away; instead she gazed into the fire, going over what she was going to say in her mind. Finally she spoke. “Tylas, I’ve got news about you’re family.”
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From her expression and voice, he could tell it wasn’t good. “What’s happened to them?” he demanded, panic rising.
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She told him everything. It was easy to lie to them. She’d become rather good at lying, she thought bitterly. When she was done, silence reigned. Tylas was looking down, head in his hands, hiding his face from view. Melody had one arm around his shoulders, trying to comfort the warrior.
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“What do we do? Should we go to the town?” Melody asked, her eyes wide.
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Valic answered her. “No, of course not. It’s only a trap.”
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“Well…” she tried desperately to think of something. “We could go back to the reactor, rescue them that way.”
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“We could do that, I suppose,” Crystal stated. “But we don’t even know if he’s keeping them there.”
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“Well, we have to do something!” Melody cried. “We can’t go back and we can’t attack the reactor. Can’t we… infiltrate the reactor? See if they’re there or not? Valic, do you have any spells that could do something like that? Anything at all?”
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The mage shook his head. “No. A familiar would be too suspicious and I have no spells of invisibility or scrying. I can only offer minor illusion spells, nothing more.”
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“Then we attack the reactor outright,” the blond stated defiantly. “We attack when they least expect it. Go in, search for them, and get out. If they’re there, then we will save them.”
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Valic snorted in disgust. “Are you mad? Even with the element of surprise, that reactor is a veritable fortress. We’d be killed in our own foolhardy rescue attempt and there won’t be anyone to back us up. A direct assault on the reactor is out of the question.”
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The two argued for a few minutes on what to do. Crystal interrupted the argument with her own plan.
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“I say we capture one of these creatures we saw in the reactor. Somehow, this man is controlling their minds.” She remembered vividly when the flood of creatures came through the roof and, with only a simple gesture to direct them, attacked Tylas. She knew well what the powers of Jenova were capable of. Limited psychic powers were one of them. She also knew what Sephiroth could do and how he had manipulated his enemies to his advantage. “There’s a city not far from here, north of Rocket Town. It’s said that the best white mage in the world lives there, and she can heal the mind as well as the body. If she can fix this creature’s mind, we could extract the girls’ location from it. Once we know where they are, we can decide what to do.”
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There was a pause as they considered this idea. “Okay…” Melody began. “But how would we capture one?”
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Crystal had expected such a question. “They’ve been attacking towns, remember? All we have to do is come in during such an attack and knock out one of these creatures. We’ve got the materia to do it with.”
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There was a long pause, then, “It may just work…” Valic mused.
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“Okay. So we have a plan then!” Melody said. “Okay, Tylas? Don’t you worry, we’ll get your sisters back in no time.”
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At this, he got up and walked away, disappearing into the trees. He hadn’t spoken a single word during the entire exchange. Melody began to follow him but Crystal stopped her. She resumed her seat without any protest. They all knew why he left. Sometimes, you have to cry alone.
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*~*~*~*~*~*~*
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Tylas crashed through the woods, not caring what happened to him, only trying to escape the awful words Crystal had spoken. Finally, he stopped fell to his knees in dark forest, staring at the dead, brittle leaves of the forest floor. It was simply too much for him to take in. Everything was gone. His family, his friends, his home; all of it was destroyed.
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And how he had wanted to get out of that town! He couldn’t bear it and now it was gone for good. He hated himself for wanting to leave, hated himself for leaving his family behind. It wasn’t his fault that it had happened. Even if he had been there, he couldn’t have done anything to change it. But he didn’t care. In the tumult of sorrow, nothing makes sense. Nothing has to. He blamed himself for leaving them behind, for ever wanting to get away from those he loved so dearly.
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And because of his selfishness, they were dead. At this thought, the tears he had fought back were now finding their way out. He had promised his mother just before he left that he would come back. He had promised her… and now she was gone. And his sisters; they had always looked up to him. Now, there was little he could do to save them. They were locked away somewhere, surrounded by a darkness that knew nothing of mercy or compassion. That is, if they were still alive. Deep in the forest, trying hard to hold back his sobs, Tylas Flamestrike broke down.
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* * *
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Crystal stared at the glowing embers of the fire, waiting for Tylas to come back. Valic and Melody had long ago gone to sleep, leaving Crystal alone with her thoughts. Her plan could work and if they actually pulled it off, she’d give herself and the rest of them a medal. She knew quite well what the chances were of succeeding. And it didn’t please her in the least. But there was nothing left to do; they had their backs to the wall now and it was fight or die.
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She looked up at the full moon. It was almost midnight and there was no sign of Tylas yet. She shifted uneasily. He should’ve been back by now. Maybe… no, she should just wait for him to come back. Besides, he could handle himself— That’s when Crystal saw the ebony spear. He had left it by the fire when he’d gone off into the forest. If something attacked him, he’d be utterly defenseless. Hell, those things in the reactor could be following them and if they got a hold of Tylas…
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That made up her mind. Crystal swiftly stood and entered the forest. The trail was easy to follow. He had broken twigs, crumpled leaves, even swept the leaves away in some places where he slipped. By the light of the moon, Crystal followed the trail deep into the forest. She had gone so far into the forest, she thought she had gotten herself lost, mistakenly picked up some animal trail instead of following Tylas.
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Suddenly, she came upon the warrior. He had his back turned toward her, knees drawn halfway to his chest. His arms were stretched out before him, resting on his knees. His head hung listlessly between his arms. The swordswoman could hear his soft sobs, though he tried to hold them back.
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She went over and sat down next to him. She wrapped a friendly arm around his shoulders. “Hey, hey, it’s alright.” She rubbed his back, trying to calm him down a bit. He didn’t respond to her words. For a good while he just sat there, weeping.
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“It’s… m-my f-fault,” he managed to say through clenched teeth. He was crying so hard it was difficult for him to speak.
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“No, no, it isn’t your fault,” Crystal assured him. He said nothing further, only shaking his head, denying her claim. Shifting so that she was on her knees, she reached out turned his head towards her, forcing him to look at her. “Tylas, it isn’t your fault. If anything, it’s my fault. There’s nothing you could’ve done to cause this or prevent it. Stop blaming yourself,” she said gently. With this said, she hugged him, his head resting on her shoulder. She shushed his cries and gently ran her fingertips through his hair, trying as best she could to calm him. In this situation, Crystal was puzzled at what to do. She had never been in such a situation before and she could only do what she imagined any mother would do for a child.
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After a minute or two, Tylas returned the embrace, wrapping one arm around her waist, clinging to her much like a child would. He realized that she was all that was left. “Y-you’re the… only f-friend I-I’ve got l-left,” he managed. Of all his friends and family, she was all that he had. He held onto her with a death grip now, afraid of losing the only support left to him.
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Crystal was shocked at his words. Friend? Did he really consider her a friend? She was downright surprised but also moved by it. No one had called her a friend in a long, long, time. She only had one other friend and that was Cloud. But the question was, did she consider Tylas a friend? For a long time she could only continue in her attempts to soothe Tylas, mulling over the question.
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Yes… yes, she did consider him a friend. Here was a person she could trust, someone she could confide in. Also, here was someone who could make her laugh; something not easily done. He was her friend; one of two. Though she wouldn’t ever say it, Crystal would go to any length to protect her friends. If someone insulted a friend while she was there, that person would find themselves facing an angry swordswoman and the situation going downhill at breakneck speed. Calling someone a friend was the highest honor she could give. She was genuinely touched that Tylas considered her one.
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Throughout the night, Crystal could only do her best to comfort her friend. And she vowed that she would kill that Remnant for what he had done to Tylas if it was the last thing she did.
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*~*~*~*~*~*~*
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They reached Rocket Town by midday. The gleaming rocket that had been the towns’ namesake was gone, exploded three years ago a desperate attempt by Shinra to destroy Meteor. Now, the vacant space left by the rocket was now taken up by a large airship. The ship was one-of-a-kind, named the Highshera. Created by Cid Highwind, the airship was in constant use, as its creator was making quite a profit by charging for its use in travel and to carry cargo. There were also a number of smaller airships, nowhere near as large or impressive as the Shera, but still worthy in their own right.
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“So, what makes you so sure that this place is going to be attacked?” Melody asked again. She still wasn’t quite clear on how this was part of their plan.
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Crystal checked an impatient sigh. “Like I said, if that Remnant wants to transport his ‘troops’, if you will, he’ll need something like the Shera to do it. That’s why this place will be attacked, that’s why the Inflicted animals will not carry out the attack, and this is why I’m not going to answer the same question again. Understand?” She didn’t look at the blond but her voice carried the sharp edge her glare would’ve been giving instead. Melody didn’t say anything but looked at the ground and shuffled her feet some.
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Crystal turned to face the group, who were staring at the magnificent sight of the Shera. “Okay, you know what to do. Meet back at the back at inn by dusk. Do what you will until then, just don’t get into trouble and stay in a group. Melody, if Valic has to go to some store for whatever mage thing he may need, you go with him. Valic, if she decides she needs some new clothes, I’m afraid you have to go with her. Got it? Okay, now go.”
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Valic’s face darkened at Crystal’s words. It was unclear if he was offended by Crystal referring to the components of his mighty craft as ‘mage thing’ or that he faced the possibility of being dragged from clothes store to clothes store by Melody. Either way, he was not happy. Not that he ever was happy in the first place… In any case, Valic and Melody left, the latter cheerfully skipping alongside the dour mage.
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Crystal went back to the inn, the first stop they had made when they entered the town. Tylas had simply gone straight up to the room without saying a word. Most likely he was worn out from everything that had happened last night, which resulted in neither he nor Crystal getting any sleep. He had finally calmed down by morning. He’d spoken only a handful of words throughout the day.
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Ascending the stairs, Crystal quietly entered the room to find Tylas fast asleep on one of the twin beds in the room. A door led to the room that Valic and Melody would be occupying. Usually, Crystal would’ve split it up so that the women were in one room and men in the other. However, Crystal knew that she’d probably be ready to strangle Melody before the night began and would lose her sanity to boot. Valic seemed to not be bothered by Melody’s peppy and bright attitude. So, the result was Valic and Melody to one room, Crystal and Tylas to another.
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She silently crossed the room and slipped off both of the swords on her back. She looped the straps over one bedpost and sat down on the bed to remove her sneakers. She hadn’t brought up any change of clothes; she’d do that later. Right now, she was dead tired. Wearily standing up once more, she pulled the thick drapes shut over the window, blocking out all of the sunlight. Somehow Tylas had managed to fall asleep with light streaming in.
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Now that the room was comfortably dark, she returned to her bed and quickly flung the quilt off the bed and onto the floor. She knew that those things were cleaned only once a year, with no exceptions. And she very well wasn’t about to go to sleep with a quilt that had only gods-know-what kind of bodily fluids in it. Slipping between the soft sheets, she sighed in relief as she felt every aching muscle relax. Within seconds, she was asleep.
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* * *
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For the next three days, the four prepared and waited for the attack to come. This was the part they hated most. The anticipation, the knowledge that an attack is coming and innocents would die, yet unable to do anything about it but wait for it to come.
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During the agonizing wait, Tylas had not improved. He rarely spoke and when he did it was usually in monosyllabic words. The warrior that had once been so quick with a joke and a laugh was now silent and brooding. One day, Melody approached him and gave him the biggest hug she could possibly muster.
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“What was that for?” he asked.
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“Oh, nothing. You just looked like you could use a hug that’s all.” She grinned at him, her eyes flashing mischievously. “Well, you looked like you needed a hug from a ravishingly beautiful woman, that is,” she added, batting her eyes. This was one of her greatest attempts to get him to laugh, or at least smile. Instead, he merely shrugged and walked away.
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Crystal also tried to get her friend to cheer up. With seemingly no reason, she handed him a large chocolate bar. At his questioning glance she said simply, “You look grumpy. A little chocolate will fix that.” He merely continued to stare at her. Sighing, she sat down next to him and pulled out another chocolate bar. “Okay, okay, if you don’t want to eat alone I guess I’ll have to join ya.” To Crystal, chocolate could solve nearly all the problems of the world. If you felt sad, have some chocolate. If you felt angry, have some chocolate. If you felt embarrassed, confused, irritated, glum, depressed and many, many others, have some chocolate. It was the cure. Needless to say, Crystal gave the term ‘chocoholic’ a whole new shine.
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However, her tactic didn’t work. She found the chocolate bar later, untouched, left in the drawer of the nightstand in the hotel room. She sighed and tucked it away, figuring that he’d want it later. She’d kindly watch it for him.
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The attack they had been waiting for came at night. The Remnant apparently didn’t want to reveal the nature of his creations so soon. Besides, people could adjust to the fear when they knew what they were facing. But the greatest and most unreasonable fear is fear of the unknown.
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All four of the companions were in their rooms, just about to settle down for the night. Crystal was about to close the drapes again, wondering why the hell the room service continued to open them every day (they were closed for a reason), when she caught a flash of movement from the corner of her eye. She stopped, peering into the darkness, punctured by a few points of light from porches in the small town. “Turn off the light,” she said softly to Tylas. He saw her studying the scene past the window and did as she said. He then joined her by the window, their eyes raking the darkness for some movement. The moon had just begun to wane and thus the nearly completely dark town was rather well illuminated by the silvery celestial light.
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“There,” Crystal said, pointing at the rooftop of one building. The movement was barely perceptible; the moonlight bleaching everything of color and made it hard to distinguish one object from another. But the soft gleam of light off of scales gave away the creatures’ position.
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Without needing any direction, Tylas quickly opened the conjoining door to the room Valic and Melody shared. Melody was just taking off her shoes when he opened the door. “It’s time,” he stated simply, before disappearing into his room to retrieve his spear. His words sent both Valic and Melody hurrying to get their things.
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Within short time, they were all in position, waiting to strike. It was nice being the one planning the trap for a change. They had planned where they would be beforehand. Depending on where the attack came from, they would position themselves in roughly the same way. Crystal, Tylas, and Melody would be on the ground, hiding, ready to meet their unwelcome guests. Valic was positioned up in a small windmill. From here, he could freely bombard the oncoming creatures while staying a relatively safe distance from the heat of battle.
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Crystal pressed herself against the wall of a building, holding her swords out of the moonlight to prevent giving away her position. Tylas was about fifteen feet to her left, also keeping out of sight as the monsters slunk into the town. Melody was hiding in a similar fashion across the street. Now all they could do was wait for Valic.
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The swordswoman held her breath as one wolf hybrid came within a few feet of her. However, it didn’t seem to sense she was there. The creatures had infiltrated all the way down the street to the crossroads. Before they could go any farther however, a wall of flame erupted in front of them, cutting them off from penetrating any deeper into the town. Valic had made his move. Then the others struck.
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Crystal easily lopped the head off of the wolf hybrid in front of her and delved into battle. Tylas cut through the ranks of creatures in a steady methodical rate. His expression never changed when he impaled one squealing creature that lay helpless on the ground; its blood splashed across his face. He didn’t even blink. Melody stared.
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Their goal was to capture a living hybrid alive and mostly unharmed. Tylas seemed to have forgotten that bit of the plan. Faced with the enemy that had taken so much from him, Tylas went on a killing spree.
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However, this worked against them. There were far fewer creatures here than what they had encountered in the mountains, and the death toll was rising. Crystal hacked her way to him and yelled at him to stop. He acted as if he couldn’t hear her. Perhaps he couldn’t. In a last ditch effort, she shoved him and he fell to the ground. “Melody, go!” she shouted. The crimson warriors’ assault had left only a few hybrids left, many of which were turning to retreat. Melody was the key to their plan. As she was the only one without an automatically lethal weapon, she was their only way of capturing a hybrid unharmed.
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Melody dashed towards a dragon hybrid that was cornered between two buildings. She jumped and twirled in the air, her foot connecting solidly with its face. It stumbled, stunned by the blow. Melody kicked it six times in the chest ending with a powerful blow to the midriff—that never landed.
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The hybrid caught her foot and, with a quick sharp action, twisted it. If Melody hadn’t reacted in time, her leg would’ve been broken at the knee. However, she moved with the action, deftly spinning in the air with the creatures’ counter-attack. As she spun, her other foot again slammed into its face. It grunted and released her foot, again stumbling backwards. It quickly recovered however and slashed at her with lightning speed, its razor claws gleaming in the moonlight.
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Melody quickly dodged every blow however, and even managed to land a few of her own blows. However, they weren’t enough to bring the hybrid down. Shrieking in frustration, the hybrid suddenly whipped around, its tail slamming into Melody’s stomach. With an ‘oomph’ she was knocked backwards a good ten feet. She lay on the ground gasping for breath, the wind knocked out of her. The hybrid approached the gasping woman and bent over to pick her up. It may as well return to its master with at least one human.
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It fell for the sham easily. Melody slammed her cupped hands over its ears making it shriek in pain this time. A powerful punch to the chest made it fall over. Melody sprang to her feet in the way that only martial artists can do. She prepared to give the final mind-numbing blow to the creature.
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But it proved to be hardier than previously expected. It was already on its feet and it greeted Melody with a vicious backhand slap. Melody tasted blood. She backed up quickly to get her bearings. The two circled, each determined to capture the other. Neither Crystal nor Valic could help her now. She wiped the blood from her split lip and charged at the hybrid.
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Clearly it wasn’t expecting her to do such a thing and it thought she was simply throwing herself to it; just what it wanted. However, Melody’s intentions were far different. Just in front of the hybrid she leaped and planted her hands on its shoulders. Momentum kept her going however, and she continued to go over its head, retaining a firm grip on its shoulders. As she went over its head, and landed on the other side, she simultaneously threw it, flinging the massive creature over her head, throwing it at the far wall.
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It slammed into the wall of a building, its wings half-open, and slid to the ground, head first. It was barely conscious. She walked up to it and a kick to the head rendered it fully unconscious.
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“Nice job,” came a voice behind her. Turning around, she saw Valic standing a few feet behind her. How he had managed to get out of the windmill tower so fast was a mystery, but she had grown used to the mysterious actions of the black mage. She gave him a bright smile. “Thank you. It wasn’t really that hard…” she stopped herself before she began bragging too much.
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He walked up to her and raised her chin, tilting her head up towards him. “You’re bleeding,” he observed.
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She giggled. “I’m okay. Just a split lip, nothing to worry about.” She gave him another smile, wincing slightly as this caused the said lip to stretch.
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“Good job, Melody,” Crystal said, approaching the two. She handed Melody some rope. “Hope you’re good with knots.” Within a few minutes, the dragon hybrid was trussed up good and well. The four of them then tossed the creature into a heavy cage that had been made specifically for this occasion.
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“Okay! What do we do with it now?” Melody asked, brushing off her hands.
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“We leave it here. We’re going to stay until morning, then we’ll leave,” Crystal replied.
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“You intend for the people to see this creature?” Valic questioned.
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She nodded. “Yes. They have to know what they’re facing. This was just the first attack; there will be more. It’s better for them to know that they’re in danger and what they’re up against than to know nothing at all.”
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“Are you sure?” Melody asked, looking uncertain. “They might spaz and kill it if we do that.”
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“It’s a chance we’ll have to take. Ignorance is bliss until you get killed. Besides, we’ll keep a watch; make sure it doesn’t try to escape. Any volunteers?” She glanced at Melody and Valic, telling them with her eyes what she couldn’t say. Not Tylas; he might just kill the thing and hang its body up to warn the others.
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“I will!” Melody chimed, breaking the growing silence. “Besides, I caught it. I want to bask in my achievement.” She giggled at her own little joke, one that was not joined by any others. She quickly stifled the small laugh, glancing guiltily at the others.
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Crystal quickly moved on. “Okay. So, Melody takes the first watch, I’ll take second, Valic, you want third? Fine. And Tylas gets the last because he didn’t speak up.” In unison, they turned to look at Tylas. He was sitting on a crate that had been tossed outside. He was wiping blood off his spear with a rag he had picked up somewhere. A long line of drying blood stretched from just under his eye down to his jaw, a few centimeters from his mouth. His eyes flicked towards the three looking at him. “Fine with me,” he said simply and turned his attention back to cleaning his weapon.
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There was a slight pause. “O-kay, Melody, if you’re good, then we’ll go up and get some rest. Two hour shifts each, so don’t fall asleep. Come on,” Crystal said. This last bit was directed towards Tylas and Valic, and the three went into the hotel.
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Melody was left alone with her prisoner. The people of the town slumbered as if nothing had happened. The whole battle had been quick and quiet, surprisingly enough. The creatures had taken the bodies of their fallen, leaving no evidence of their passing. The only things to mark their brief visit were spots of blood-soaked ground.
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Melody pulled up an empty milk crate and sat down on it, observing her capture. Only now did she realize it was female. The facial features, though changed from the dragon DNA, were unmistakably feminine. She wasn’t bad looking either, judging from the human characteristics that were still recognizable. Melody sat there and watched the empty street and her unusual catch, wondering if it really knew what they wanted and if they could really pull this off.
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* * *
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Crystal was busy programming her cell phone to wake her up in two hours when Tylas suddenly spoke up behind her.
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“I’m sorry for what happened. I just…” he trailed off, unable to come up with the words to accurately describe what had come over him when he saw the creatures creeping into town. A raging fury swept over him that had made him want nothing more than to kill everything that moved.
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She snorted and looked over her shoulder at him. “You’re joking, right?” He gave her a confused look. “Do you really think I’m mad at you because you kicked some serious ass?” she said with as small laugh.
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This was not the reaction he had been expecting. “Well… I… um…” he rubbed his head awkwardly, trying to think of something to say.
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Crystal laughed again as she turned back to her phone. “Tylas, I’m perfectly fine with the fact that you’re a badass, okay? You’re not going to hear any objections from me. In fact, I’m very happy that you’re on my side.” She glanced at him again and a small smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. She set the phone down on the nightstand and stood up. “Hell, you even look the part. Come here,” she said, beckoning him to follow her to the full-length mirror hanging on the wall by the door.
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He followed her to the mirror and she turned him around so that he was looking into the mirror. Tylas stared. The image staring back at him was alien. He looked… I look hunted. He found it hard to believe that what he saw was a reflection of him.
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“Like I said, you look like a badass,” Crystal said, coming up behind him. She held a damp washcloth in one hand. She handed the washcloth to him. “Here. Wipe that off your face; you look like a psycho murderer or something. It’s freaking me out.” He turned away from the mirror, not wanting to meet the gaze of someone he didn’t know anymore. He did as she requested and began to wipe the blood off. However, most of it was already dry and proving more difficult to remove.
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“You missed a spot,” Crystal said, tapping her own face as reference to where some blood was on Tylas’ face. After a few moments of blind swiping at his face, she chuckled and took the cloth from him. “May I?” she inquired and, without waiting for permission, began to gently wipe away the troublesome smudge. For a brief moment, Tylas was reminded of his mother doing the same thing when he was still young.
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“There. You don’t look like a creepy psycho murderer anymore,” Crystal stated and threw the bloody washcloth into the bathroom sink.
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She went over to her bed and again threw off the top quilt before settling down on top of the sheets; she didn’t bother changing into something more comfortable to sleep in. In two hours, she’d have to get up again anyways. She closed her eyes. “You may as well get as much rest as you can,” she told Tylas.
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[FONT=&quot]Within a few minutes, both of the warriors were asleep. When he would awaken hours later, Tylas would remember nothing of his strange dream. The lingering taste of blood was all that was left behind by the nightmare. [/FONT]

Dragon Mage · Aug 6, 2007

Chapter 10—You Can Never Go Back…<o></o>
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The rays of the morning sun fell upon a scene of growing suspicion and anger. It was still early in the morning, around 8:30, but already a crowd had gathered around the caged hybrid. This crowd expressed far more interest and curiosity than that of violence towards the caged creature. They had never seen such a thing before and wanted to know more. The urge to poke and prod the strange being was almost overwhelming.
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However, they all kept a respectful distance from the cage. Not because of the monster, though it was fearful enough, but because of the crimson warrior that was standing next to it. Tylas had taken position next to the cage; spear in hand. Ironically, his job was now protecting the hybrid from the crowd.
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The crowd continued to grow in size, people muttering to one another, glancing at the creature and the warrior standing guard. Tylas thwarted any attempt to a come closer to the cage. All he had to do was put his spear between the curious individual and the creature and they would hastily back off. This kept them back but they reacted aggressively. To them, the creature was a curiosity, something to be studied and gawked at. They meant it no harm; they only wanted to look. And Tylas, by keeping them away and offering no explanation, was seen as the aggressor, for, to them, he was the one overreacting. Soon, the crowd became aggressive, gesturing angrily at the warrior and shouting.
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It didn’t take long for Crystal, Melody, and Valic to get up and stand by their ally. They made a protective ring around their prisoner. The crowd continued to grow in size and became increasingly bold. A rock came sailing from the crowd. Crystal slapped it out of the air with a sword that seemed to materialize in her hand. There was a roar of anger from the mob.
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“What is the meaning of this?! Let me through, move!” came a voice from the crowd, halting the seemingly inevitable riot. The mob obligingly parted at the man’s demands, letting him through to the front. A graying, rotund man well in his fifties stepped out of the crowd. He was dressed nicely, though not extravagantly. His demeanor showed authority and confidence. He approached the object of attention with an air of haughty dignity. The four companions now faced the considerable bulk of the mayor of Rocket Town.
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“What is this? Who are you? What is going on?” he demanded in a deep voice. He glared at them imperiously.
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Crystal approached him. “I am a mercenary, she is a martial artist, he is a black mage, and he is also a mercenary. And you?”
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He glared daggers at her and his face reddened with fury. He drew himself up to his full height, a whole three inches shorter than Crystal. But what he lacked in stature, he more than made up for in wind power. “Do not play games with me! I asked you a question and expect to have it answered properly!” he bellowed at her, though she was standing right before him.
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She withstood the sonic assault without reacting. If anything her expression showed the slightest hint of weariness. Indeed, it seemed she even sighed a little bit as the mayor shouted at her. “I am not playing games,” she replied swiftly. “I have answered you truthfully. And I, as well, expect proper answers to my questions.” Her voice was perfectly calm but each word held a certain biting edge.
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The man took a moment to consider his opponent. As a politician, he was a trained master in the art of verbal combat. He had underestimated Crystal at first; he would not do so again. Much more politely this time, he introduced himself as the mayor and asked what ‘that thing’ was and why they were here.
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Crystal returned his change of behavior with likewise courtesy. “We are here to warn you,” she replied. “I don’t know exactly what ‘that thing’ is. We’re going to find out. But these creatures are very dangerous. We want everyone here to see it, to realize that it is a threat and that more are going to attack.”
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The mayor looked flustered, unsure of how to respond to this ill omen. “When will they attack? How do you know?” he asked her.
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“I know because we have witnessed these attacks on other towns. One member of our group lost everything in one,” she said softly. “Not only that, but we turned away one attack last night. That’s how we captured this one. And they will be back. So you must prepare yourself.” She fixed him with a serious look and said, not unkindly, “Do you understand?”
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The mayor looked quite surprised at everything she had told him, but he quickly nodded his head. “Yes, I understand. What do you propose we do, exactly?”
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“Make sure everyone is armed. Have a means of quickly evacuating everyone in short notice. That shouldn’t be too hard.” By this, she indicated the Highshera. “Keep a watch at all times, and especially at night. Now, we can’t stay to help you. I wish I could, but there’s something we have to do and very little time to do it. So, will you see to it that everything is done? That everyone knows?”
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Again he nodded, and wiped sweat off his forehead. “Yes, yes, of course. We are in your debt.” He looked very troubled by this news but held up admirably. “Thank you.”
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She merely gave a slight nod before turning towards the others. “Come on, let’s get this thing loaded into the car.” Crystal, Tylas, and Melody all lifted the cage while Valic held open the car door. With a little difficulty, they managed to slide the cage and its cargo into the back seat. However, it took up most of the back seat and there was a short debate until it was determined that Tylas would drive while Melody sat in the middle.
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Within short time, the group had vanished off into the distance, taking a creature of darkness to a city of light.
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*~*~*~*~*~*~*
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The White City. The City of Light. Solace. It had many names. Its original name had been forgotten long ago. But it had gained its surrogate names for a good reason. For here was where the school of white magic was built. Schools of the arcane craft are rare, and there were only a handful of them scattered around the world. Usually someone who shows skill in an area of magic is apprenticed by an older mage. But sometimes, if that person wishes to pursue their natural gift, they will go to a mages school.
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At this school in particular, resided the most powerful white mage in the world. She had single-handedly expanded her craft of healing to encompass things that were previously thought not possible. Her gentle touch could mend not only the body, but the mind as well. She now provided a cure for amnesiacs and Mako poisoning. It was said that she could mend anything. And she had done all this within the relatively young age of 36.
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This is the woman the group sought out. They stopped at the school grounds. The school itself was made of white granite. It was not a looming edifice, as one tends to expect from a school of such a mysterious craft, but instead looked elegant and welcoming. It was by no means a small building, but it wasn’t huge either. Students could be seen walking past the white pillars. A wrought iron fence enclosed the school grounds. Two tall statues made of white marble, carved into the form of mages, flanked the gate. The gate itself was wide open, seeming to invite visitors or anyone else seeking help. A path of white granite led up to the steps of the school.
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Crystal told the others to wait outside the fence. As she tried to pass through the gate, the two aforementioned statues suddenly animated and blocked her path. Startled by such an unexpected action, she jumped backwards and instinctively reached for her swords.
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“You may not enter with a weapon,” the statues said in unison. Their deep voices sounded like crunching gravel.
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Crystal stared at the animate statues, whom regarded her with what could only be described as a stony look. Ooooookay. She retreated to where the others were standing, who were also staring at the statues in shock. Crystal slipped off the two swords and handed them to Tylas. She removed two daggers that were strapped either ankle, hidden by the pant legs. These she also gave to Tylas. She patted her pockets, checking for anything else she may have forgotten. She handed over another dagger, clipped to her waistband, and confirmed that was all the weapons she had on her person.
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She approached the gate once more, which was still blocked by the statues. The two studied her stonily for a moment then announced, “You may pass.” They returned to their pedestals beside the gate and resumed their former position. If she hadn’t known better, Crystal would’ve said they had never moved.
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She glanced back at the others and shrugged then jogged inside the school grounds. Beautiful gardens spread across the ground. These gardens, however, were not for just decoration, but for study as well. A couple of students were being lead around the gardens by a teacher. The teacher would point to a certain plant and describe its healing properties, how to be used, what to be used for, and the students would hurriedly scribble it all down on a notepad. Then the whole group would move on to the next plant or garden.
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As Crystal walked down the white pathway, no one even glanced up at her. It was normal for obvious non-magi to walk around the arcane school. Crystal ascended the steps and caught the attention of a passing mage. She inquired if she could gain an audience with the renowned mage claimed to be the best in her craft.
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“Of course. I will get her if that is what you wish,” said the mage kindly.
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Crystal expressed her thanks and the mage left. Crystal went back and joined the others who were waiting for the verdict.
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“Well?” Melody asked. “Will she do it?
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Crystal shook her ebony-haired head. “Someone just left to get her. She’ll probably be here soon. You should probably ditch your weapons. When she comes, this isn’t something we’ll want to discuss in the open.”
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Tylas set Crystal’s weapons on the front seat and laid his spear inside as well. Valic grudgingly placed his spellbook, some scrolls, and some spell components inside as well. Melody, naturally, had no weapon to dispose of.
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They waited for about five minutes when the student Crystal had approached returned with another. The student pointed at the group, saying something to the adult. She nodded and walked towards the group. The four, in turn, went to meet her and they met in the middle of the walkway leading up to the steps. This time, the statues did not animate and demand them to disarm themselves.
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The mage was dressed in flowing white robes that looked resplendent in the bright sun. She had long, platinum blond hair, not quite the color of her robes. Her warm eyes were a steely blue-gray color. She practically radiated serenity and safety. She had the appearance of one that you could undoubtedly trust. A few minutes time spent with this woman and you would be perfectly comfortable telling her all the facts of your life.
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She approached the group with her arms spread in a welcoming manner and a friendly smile on her face. “Welcome, travelers,” she greeted them in a gentle voice. “My name is Avona, Headmistress of the School of White Magic.”
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The four introduced themselves who were all greeted warmly in turn. “Ah, Valic,” Avona said coolly as her gaze alighted upon the black mage in the back of the group. His black robes made him stand out dramatically against the all the white. “It’s been a long time. Something dire indeed must have happened if you have come to see me.”
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The black mage glowered at her from the depths of his hood. “It is not by my choice, Avona. But there was no other option.”
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Melody glanced back and forth between the two. “Whoa, wait a minute. You two know each other?” she asked, confusion heard plainly in her voice.
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Avona turned her gaze upon Melody. “All of the school masters know each other. A meeting is held once every three years to discuss important matters. That is how I met Valic. We… disagreed upon many things.”
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Melody looked at Valic, her eyes wide with surprise. “You were the master of a magic school?” she questioned incredulously.
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He gave her a reproving look. “For a while, yes. But I found it hindered my own studies and so I abandoned it.”
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Avona sighed. “So you’re sequestering yourself out in the wilderness, still? You haven’t changed a bit, Valic.”
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His face, impossibly, darkened further. He obviously didn’t wish to pursue the current topic of conversation. “We came here for reasons other than interrogating me,” he stated dourly.
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Avona easily moved the conversation along, ignoring Valic’s barbed comment. “Of course, please, excuse my behavior. I understand you have come to ask something of me?”
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“Well, um…” Crystal glanced around. “We should really discuss this somewhere more private.”
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The white mage gave her a curious look, but quickly replied. “Certainly. Follow me.”
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She led the four into the school, leading them to a place where they could talk without any unwelcome ears nearby. Overall, the inside was very open and breezy. Vaulted ceilings, elegant pillars, and large arched windows let the outdoors in. It was so subtle that you didn’t realize you were inside until you stopped and looked around. The floor was covered with a soft, emerald green carpet. As they passed through the large lobby, the group noticed the beautiful fresco on the ceiling. The painting depicted the midday sky, with the sun taking up the center on a rich blue background. Some sort of gold paint had been used, and the painted sun seemed to shine and shimmer as you looked at it. A vivid rainbow encircled the whole image. It was so real, it almost seemed as if you could reach up and touch the heavens.
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Melody was awed by the fresco and she had stopped in the center of the room, head craned back, staring at the painting. She didn’t realize that everyone else had continued on until Crystal called to her that she’d be left behind.
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Avona led them to her office, which was decorated the same way as the rest of the building. Bookshelves lined the walls, filled with books of magic and mundane healing methods. An open book lie upon a large marble desk and about half of the page was filled with writing. Avona took her seat behind the desk and gestured for the others to take a seat as well. She folded her hands, fingers laced together, and rested them upon the desk. “Now, what was it you needed to tell me?”
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Crystal told her everything. The others occasionally threw in their bits of information as well. Avona listened politely as they fed her their far-fetched tale. She never said anything to contradict what they told her, but only asked a few questions. When they were done, she was silent for a long time, thoughtful. Then she asked, “What can I do?”
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Crystal checked a sigh of relief. If the mage had refused to help them, they would’ve been screwed. “We came to you because you are the best. If you can somehow break the connection between this creature and the Remnant, then perhaps we can get information from it.”
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The white mage stood, her fingertips just resting on the desk. “Very well. I shall do everything in my power to help you. But,” her voice became hard, and her gaze flinty. “I will not tolerate any torture of this creature. I do not care what it is, but it is my duty to help others. I will not fix it just so you can inflict more suffering upon it.”
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Crystal was a little surprised at the sudden change in the mage’s attitude. “Of course. I had no such intent at all.”
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Avona softened at these words. “Good. Now, show me this creature you have captured.”
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“Um…” Melody began. “Well, it’s out in the car still. And I take it we don’t want to carry it through the building right? So, is there somewhere we can bring it in through the back? Or somewhere where people won’t see it?”
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Avona thought for a moment. “Yes. There is a separate building on the grounds for patients that are infected with contagious viruses. They have to be separated from the others to contain any contamination. There is no one in there, so we will be able to use that for our purpose.”
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She told them how to get to the building and where to bring the creature in. They had to cover the cage with a blanket, for there was only one entrance to the school, and they had to carry the caged being. The statues let them pass, however Melody could’ve sworn that one turned its head to look at the group and their odd load.
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No one tried to stop them or question what it was they were carrying. They reached the building without any incident, except Valic lost his hold on the cage and they nearly dropped it. After that, Valic cast a minor levitation spell upon the cage and Tylas pushed it along.
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When they reached the quarantine building, Avona was waiting for them. They followed her into the building as she led them to a certain room. Inside there were many beds lining the walls. Walls, not mere curtains, separated each bed, giving a patient their own ‘room’. A glass wall sealed each section, with a sliding door wall instead of a normal door. This would allow the mages to observe their patients without risking any contamination.
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Avona led them to the very end of the building where the beds were equipped with straps to hold the patient down, like those seen in a mental ward. She explained to them that sometimes a virus could make the patient very violent and thus the need for the restraints. If this creature were as dangerous as they claimed, it would be wise to restrain it.
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When the blanket was removed from the cage, Avona was able to see her patient for the first time. She was not surprised by the unsettling sight, but was passive as she observed it. In addition to binding its hands and feet, a rag had been tied over its eyes, preventing it from seeing anything. A pair of fluffy pink earmuffs, which had been provided by Melody, deprived it of its hearing as well. They looked ridiculous on the hybrid but achieved their purpose.
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Avona fixed the group with a reproving gaze. “Did you really feel it necessary to tie it up like that?”
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Crystal nodded. “Their claws can cut right through metal. I’ve seen it.” She held up one arm, displaying the bracer she wore. The engraved dragons upon the metal were now marked by four deep cuts. “Given the chance, it could probably slice right through this cage.”
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Avona studied the damaged bracer for a moment. “Hmmm. Can you handle removing the creature from the cage? It makes the whole process much easier if I can work on it without it being in there.”
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Crystal thought for a moment. “You’re sure these restraints will hold it? This thing is pretty strong.”
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“Of course. They are enhanced with magic so that they can never break. I’ve seen men so strong they could throw this bed down the hall try to break free but the straps held.”
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With this assurance, Tylas, Crystal, and Melody positioned themselves to remove the hybrid. Crystal carefully removed the top of the cage. The hybrid snorted, sniffing at the air and struggled against its bonds a little bit. The three glanced at each other to make sure all was ready, then Crystal and Tylas grabbed its arms and hauled it out of the cage.
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The creature struggled violently against them, its wings buffeting the air. It snarled and snapped at them. “Get the legs! Melody!” Crystal ordered. Melody quickly grabbed its legs, preventing it from kicking or getting any extra leverage. They manhandled the hybrid onto the bed. “Knife!” Crystal commanded, holding the struggling creature down with one hand and holding out her other hand, keeping her eyes on the thrashing hybrid. She felt something hard pressed into her palm and she used it to slice through the ropes binding the hybrids’ wrists. The minute the ropes were cut the hybrid sat up and tried to push them away. With much difficulty, Crystal and Tylas forced it back down and strapped its arms down. Next, Crystal cut the bonds on its legs and restrained those limbs as well. Another, heavier, leather strap went across its chest and another for its head.
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The hybrid lay there on the bed, tail twitching in fury, hands gripping the sheets, tearing the soft cloth. The three that had fought the creature onto the bed paused for a moment to catch their breath. Crystal took this time to study the knife that had been handed to her. To her surprise, it wasn’t a knife. It was a razor sharp fang, a bit longer than her hand. A dragon fang. She handed it back to Tylas and thanked him. She hadn’t even thought about bringing her own along. The statues wouldn’t permit any weapon to pass them but the fang technically wasn’t a weapon.
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Avona pulled a stool up to the bed and sat down. She turned towards the others. “This will probably take a long time. I have no idea what is wrong with this creatures’ mind until I begin. You may leave if you wish or you can stay here. Feel free to sleep if you are tired; all of these beds are thoroughly clean.”
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“I’ll stay,” Crystal replied. The others said they would as well. Avona smiled at them then turned towards the hybrid. She pushed back the flowing sleeves of her robes and placed two fingers over the hybrids temples. It jerked at her touch but couldn’t pull away. A soft white light appeared where her fingers touched the hybrid. Avona closed her eyes as she concentrated.
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Avona reached deep into the hybrid’s mind. Something was wrong. There were mental barriers in this creature’s mind. It was blocked off from its memories or any decision-making process. Only one part of its mind was allowed to it and what was there was utterly alien. As she studied the structure of its mind she came to realize that the creature had been purposely prohibited from doing anything but the certain things that had been placed inside its mind. It was programmed. She had never seen anything like this before and it horrified her that someone could do something like this to a sentient being. She quickly erased that ‘program’ inside its mind.
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To the others watching, after a few minutes the hybrid, which had been twisting around, suddenly went limp.
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Avona had freed the hybrid from its mental bindings. Now, she had to give it free control. She reached out with her mind and touched one of the walls that blocked the hybrid from its own psyche. It was a strong barrier and from what she could see, there were no flaws in it. Summoning her power, she wore down the wall, shaving it down until it barely existed. With a gentle push, she broke through the wall and it vanished.
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Suddenly hundreds upon hundreds of memories flooded into her. It was a tidal wave of memories that slammed into her and swept her off her feet, figuratively speaking. Taken by surprise at first she tried to create protective barriers around herself, but her efforts did little. The wave stopped for a second then broke through her barriers and flooded her mind. The white mage tried to fight back the smothering thoughts but they swamped her. The memories raced through her mind. She caught a flash of playing fetch with a dog… then in another, she was racing her sibling… then she was brushing her teeth…
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She tried to recall her name but couldn’t as she was slowly slipping away from her true identity… Desperate to get away from the confusing flood memories of hundreds of past lives, she abruptly severed the connection between her mind and the hybrids’.
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Avona gasped, her eyes opening, and she jerked her hands away from the hybrid. The white light shimmered for a moment then faded away.
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“What’s wrong? Are you okay?” Melody asked, concerned. The mage’s hands were visibly trembling. Avona didn’t answer her right away, her mind still in turmoil. “Avona?” Melody prodded.
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She closed her eyes. Avona. That’s my name. Of course. I know who I am! I am Avona Whitewind, Headmistress of the School of White Magic. My mother was also a white mage before me. I remember… She took a few deep breaths to calm herself down. She remembered who she was.
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“I’m fine,” she told them with numb lips. “I’m fine. I was taken by surprise, that’s all.”
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“What happened? What did you find?” Crystal questioned. She handed the mage a water bottle from which she gratefully drank.
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“Mako poisoning,” she said. “It’s the worst case I’ve ever seen. I was just bombarded by thousands of memories.” A shudder passed through her as she recalled that terrifying moment when she felt herself losing her mind, swamped by memories that didn’t belong to her.
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“You can fix it though, right?” Melody asked, giving the white mage a hopeful look.
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“Yes, of course. I’ve had to treat a number of Mako poisoning cases before. But it will take a long time.”
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“You want to take a break before you continue?” Melody pursued. “You don’t look too good.”
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Avona smiled at her. “Don’t worry, I’m fine. The sooner it’s done, the better.”
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Melody nodded and wished her good luck.
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Avona turned her attention back to the hybrid. She hadn’t noticed its odd behavior in her confusion after she had broken contact with its mind. It was completely still. She took of the earmuffs and set them aside. It didn’t react. Then she untied the rag around its eyes and suppressed a surprised gasp.
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This was the first time she had seen its eyes. The pitch-black orbs stared at the ceiling, unseeing. Even the sclera was black. Avona, in all her years of studying the anatomy of humans and animals alike, had never seen such a thing. It was said that ancient dragons eyes were like this, their eyes changing to match the color of their hide. Of course, it was just a fanciful rumor, yet here Avona saw it upon what had once been a normal human being.
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Pushing aside the image of the unsettling eyes, Avona once more placed her fingers on the temples of the hybrid and closed her eyes. She cautiously reached out her mind to touch the creature’s. She could feel the veritable hurricane of memories swirling within the hybrid’s mind. She plunged back into that storm and the memories once again swept over her. But this time, she was ready for it. She grabbed one memory and dissolved it, sending it back into the Lifestream. She did this at a methodic rate, gradually clearing away all the memories that didn’t belong. As she did so, she maintained a solid connection with the hybrid, and when she grabbed hold of a memory, she felt a stir of recognition from her patient. She let that memory go, and seized another.
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The others watched her at her work, waiting for something to happen. It was a long wait. The day wore on. Eventually, they left to get something to eat and when they came back, Avona hadn’t moved from where they had left her. Not wanting to disturb her work, Melody set the food they had brought for her on the small stand table by the bed.
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The shadows steadily grew longer. Valic was absorbed in reading a spellbook that the statues had allowed to pass through. Melody and Tylas were playing at a thumb war again, but Tylas no longer laughed at his victories. Crystal was busy playing Solitaire on the floor with a deck of cards Melody had found.
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After a while, Melody tired of the game, which she got little entertainment from as she lost every time. Tylas sat down in a corner, clearly showing he didn’t feel like talking. Melody, left with no one else to talk to for entertainment, sat by Valic. She peered over his shoulder at the arcane runes of his spells. Though mages are particularly touchy about anyone seeing their spells, Valic let her observe the mysterious runes.
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“What’s that mean?” she asked, unable to contain her curiosity any longer. She pointed to one line of arcane text.
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“It says ‘Let swift wings of neither wind nor earth nor fire nor water carry me and mine through the paths of the unseen to the area I have chosen with all speed and deliver me and mine in safety,’” He replied.
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“Wow,” was all she could say and lapsed into silence for a few seconds. Then, “What’s that supposed to mean?”
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A close observer would have noticed Valic give the faintest hint of a smile. However, Melody was looking at the elegant runes of magic and the rare smile went unseen. “In short, it’s a teleportation spell,” he answered, speaking softly.
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“Cool!” She gazed at the writing even more intently. “Wow, it must be hard learning how to read all that. Hey, Valic, I’ve been wanting to ask you something.”
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He closed the spellbook, hiding the spells from view, and turned towards her. “Ask.”
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“What’s it like in the school of black magic? I mean, what’s it look like there? I’ve heard all these stories of dungeons and wailing demons but I don’t think they’re true… are they?”
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“No, no dungeons or demons. The school of black magic is the opposite of the school of white magic. It is made of obsidian and at night, the walls reflect every star. Some say that it looks like a piece of the heavens that has fallen from the sky. The fresco, such as the one in the lobby you’ve seen here, is that of the night sky. The full moon takes up the center with stars in the background.” He continued to describe the school in all its dark majesty. He told her of the secret wonders of the school, as well as its most amazing attributes. She listened, entranced by his soft baritone voice as he wove a tapestry of the star-bathed school before her.
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Suddenly, Avona opened her eyes and sighed. “Is it done?” Melody asked eagerly, jumping to her feet. The spell Valic had seemed to have cast upon her had broken. The mage opened the spellbook once more and buried himself within its mysterious depths again.
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“Hm? Oh, no, no. Just taking a break, that’s all.”
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“Oh.” The blond looked a little crestfallen. But she never stayed down for long. She brightened and said, “We brought something for you to eat. I thought you might be hungry after working all day.”
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Avona thanked her for her thoughtfulness. She ate, drank, and told them about her progress on the creature. “It’s the most curious thing. Mental barriers have been set up by someone to prevent it from having any access to its own mind. But these barriers have made a small clear spot, you could say…” She paused here to drink some water. “It’s difficult to describe. Think of the memories from the Mako as water. These barriers are like dams and hold back that water.”
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“Hold it back from what?” Crystal asked.
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The mage held up one thin finger. “Ah, that’s a good question. What I first found when I entered the creature’s mind was a… I guess you could call it a set way of thinking. Rules. The creature could only do as these rules dictated since every other option was blocked off. In this way, the Remnant could ensure that it would do what he wanted it to do. It’s like controlling its mind without actually controlling it.”
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They mulled this over for a minute. “So, they’re like soldiers? You give it an order, and if those rules say to obey anything I tell it, it would do it,” Tylas said.
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The white mage thought about this then slowly nodded. “Yes. Yes, you could think of it that way.”
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He merely gave a short nod and lapsed back into silence. Within short time, Avona was back to mending the torn mind of her patient. It was impossible to break her out of her intense concentration and the companions were once again left in busy themselves to keep their mind off of the boredom.
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Long into the night, they decided it would do no good to stay up all night to be exhausted the next day. If Avona did manage to somehow fix the hybrid’s mind, and they could get information from it, they would have to be ready to act.
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They each claimed a bed in the nearby cubicles and were soon asleep. The sheets smelled of soap and disinfectant. Tylas’ thoughts wandered over how many people must have lain in this same bed. How many of them had died in agony? How many of them went insane before they succumbed to the eternal void? It was an unsettling thought.
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He stared at the sterile white ceiling, wondering if they could really extract any information from the monster in the next room over. The chances they would were slim. No, probably less than that. More like nonexistent. Five days had already been spent. If they couldn’t find out where his sisters were being held…
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Stop it. He had to stop thinking like that. It did nothing but remind him of everything he had lost.
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He sighed, and rolled over, trying to settle into a more comfortable position and, most of all, to get his mind off of his family. That is, what was left of it. After a few minutes, he succeeded. As he drifted off to sleep a memory arose, unbidden, and he remembered…
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Lightning flashed and, for a split second, the night became brighter than day. Rain pounded on the window, sheeting down the smooth glass like a waterfall. Thunder rolled across the vast sky, rising to a bone-shaking crescendo. However, Tylas slept soundly as Mother Nature drummed her fingers on glass.<o></o>
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Three identical little girls crept into his room, huddled together. As thunder roared through the sky, they emitted a small squeak and hugged each other closer. Frightened by the noise, they scurried the last few feet towards Tylas. A small hand tugged on the back of his shirt, but he only mumbled something in his sleep. Next, three hands tugged on his shirt and this time it woke him up. <o></o>
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Rolling over, he saw his three siblings. He sat up when he saw them for they looked pale and scared. “Hey. What’s wrong?” he mumbled, rubbing sleep out of his eyes. One of them, Sara he thought it was, pointed at the window and the raging storm beyond. <o></o>
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“Are you scared of the storm?” he asked. They quickly nodded their heads, their brown eyes wide with fright. Tylas sighed, which was covered by the sound of the rain. He patted one hand on the bed. “Well, come on up then.”<o></o>
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Needing no further encouragement, the three quickly scrambled up onto the bed and dove under the covers. Soon, Tylas had a little girl on each side, hugging his ribs. The third had an arm wrapped around his neck and she pressed her face against his shoulder. <o></o>
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Tylas smiled to himself at an inside joke. He knew that one day beautiful women’d surround him but he had never imagined it quite like this. He said as much to his sisters and they giggled nervously. A sudden peal of thunder split the night and the girls cried out in fear. <o></o>
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“Hey, hey, calm down. It’s only a little thunder,” he said soothingly. He tried to calm them down as best he could before he received bruises all along his ribs. He could also feel himself slightly choking as the one tightened her grip around his neck. <o></o>
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“It’s scary,” one said timidly. He chuckled. “Don’t worry; it can’t hurt you,” he said. They all looked at him hopefully. “Really?” a second one asked. He nodded. “Really. Thunder can never, ever, ever hurt you.” <o></o>
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“You promise?” the third one asked. It was as if they thought their big brother could turn back even the power of nature itself. He smiled at them. “I promise,” he said softly. Pleased with his response, the girls remained with him for the rest of the night, snuggling up to their brother. Soon, the girls fell asleep, safe within the protective circle of Tylas’ arms.
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When Tylas awoke from the dream, he found that he was crying.
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*~*~*~*~*~*~*
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Avaric knelt within the ruins, his eyes closed. He was in contact with one of his creations that hadn’t come back from the failed raid on Rocket Town even though it was alive.
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He tried to see, but it was blind. Its hearing was muffled as well. From the limited abilities of its mind, he got the sense of danger very close. He tried to make it move but it was unable to accomplish what he wanted from it. Apparently it was unable to move its limbs. He figured that it was probably so injured it couldn’t move. Perhaps it was being pursued by humans thus the sense of danger.
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He suddenly caught the acrid scent of humans, nearly overwhelming in its power. They were very close. After a minute, he lost contact with the hybrid completely. He opened his eyes. So, he had lost another minion. Its demise was unfortunate but of no overt concern. It had merely been injured and pursued by humans and had died. Overall, Avaric considered the death of the creature good. It had been weak, unable to return to the reactor. He saw it as the death of weak soldier, which was just fine with him. Saved him time and trouble.
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Sniffling from the corner reached his ears, even though the source of it was trying to muffle the sound. Irritation swept over him. Capturing those little brats had been a good idea on his part but they annoyed him to death. He wanted nothing more than to simply kill them but if he did it would ruin his fun afterwards. When this ‘Tylas’, that’s what the sniveling brats called him, came to rescue his sisters, Avaric would be ready for him.
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For miles and miles around the destroyed town were hundreds of hybrids. They would tell him when the group was sighted days in advance. Then he would call upon his armies and capture them, slaughtering all but the one. Then Avaric would take him back to the reactor and force him to watch as Avaric tortured his sisters to death. As he thought about it he smiled, but a soft sobbing interrupted his thoughts.
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Now they were getting exceptionally annoying. He stood up and drew the flail from his belt. He walked over to the cage where the three little girls were huddled. They tried to back up even farther away from him as he approached. They were still dressed in their matching yellow pajamas; the attack had come very early in the morning, while everyone slept.
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“Shut up!” he yelled at them, swinging his flail. The spiked ball crashed into the steel bars of the cage, sending sparks flying. The blow left a good-sized dent in the cage. In response, the girls put a hand over each other’s mouth, resulting in two little hands on each mouth. They stared at him with fearful eyes.
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He sneered at them then turned away. They disgusted him to no end. They were so utterly pathetic it made him nauseous. He had assigned a hybrid to take care of the three. It would toss in food and give them water when they needed it. A few threadbare blankets that were little more than rags had been found and thrown in as well.
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He had almost left the room when a small voice piped up in a defiant tone.
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“My brother is going to kick your ass.”
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He stopped, rage sweeping over him. He slowly turned and glared at them, a cold smile spreading across his lips. “Really? Tell me, where is your brother now? Why hasn’t he come to save you? I’ll tell you why.” As he spoke he slowly advanced towards them and they cowered as his shadow cast over them. “Because he is scared. He left you to die because he is afraid for himself.” They were trembling now and fresh tears were streaming down their faces.
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He sneered at them and left the room. There was much work to be done still. And oh, how he would enjoy himself when he began to kill those three. He could barely wait to begin.
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*~*~*~*~*~*~*
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Crystal shook Tylas awake from his restless sleep. “She’s done it,” was all she said, her eyes bright. Those words were enough to raise Tylas to full awareness. He quickly hopped off the bed and followed Crystal into the room containing the hybrid.
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It was still strapped down to the bed and was looking around confusedly. A tired-looking Avona gave them a triumphant smile as the four entered the room. They profusely thanked and congratulated the weary white mage.
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“Has it said anything yet?” Tylas asked.
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“ ‘It’ is a she,” Avona said reprovingly. “Why don’t you talk to her?”
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Before he could, she spoke. “Who are you? Where am I? What’s going on?” The hybrid’s voice had a slight husky quality to it, as if someone had taken sandpaper and had somewhat roughed up her voice.
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Avona shushed her soothingly and placed a comforting hand upon the hybrid’s forehead. “My name is Avona. You are in the White City. You were very sick.”
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“I… I was?” The crossbreed looked confused.
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“Yes, and you just recovered, so you may be a little disoriented. Tell me, what is your name?”
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“My name? I…” she paused visibly raking her memory. “I can’t remember,” she said softly. “What’s going on? I feel really funny, like there’s something on my back.” She squirmed and her wings, pinned uncomfortably beneath her, rustled slightly.
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Avona cast a concerned glance at the others. How could you possibly begin to tell her what she was, what she had gone through? How could you simply pour that information on her then squeeze her for information?
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Avona looked back to her patient. “Hold on one moment. I’ll get you some water then we’ll answer all your questions, okay?” She gave her a comforting smile then swiftly swept out of the room with the others following behind her. They stopped a ways down the hall to confer.
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“How do we break it to her?” Melody asked.
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“I don’t know. Just, drop a mirror in front of her and tell her the whole story after she stops freaking,” Crystal replied, exasperated.
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This was met with heated protests from the other women. “I didn’t mean it! I was just exaggerating!” she defended.
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After a short heated debate, Avona silenced them and they retuned to the room. Avona helped the unnamed hybrid drink from the water bottle. When she had her fill, the others introduced themselves.
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“Okay. Um, can someone please tell me what happened?” was all she said. Avona sighed and sat on the stool she had occupied for so long. “How much do you remember?”
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“Uh… I remember these dragon things coming out of the sky. And one of them grabbed me and I knew I wasn’t on the ground anymore. That’s all I remember. And then there’s stuff that just doesn’t make sense.”
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The white mage nodded. “Now, I’ll tell you everything that happened but it’ll be very hard for you to hear. Okay?” The hybrid nodded. “When you were taken away, you were brought to an abandoned reactor along with many others. There, another Remnant—you remember what that is? Good—experimented on you.”
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“What? What kind of experiments?!” She struggled to sit up but Avona gently kept her down and continued with her explanation.
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“These experiments resulted in severe Mako poisoning. That is why you don’t remember much. These people found you and brought you here, so that I may heal you. I have fixed everything in your mind that was mixed up, but I can only do so much.”
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“What do you mean? What else happened to me?” Her voice trembled with unreasoning fear.
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“You look… different.” The enormity of this understatement was so great she winced. “Whatever was done to you has greatly changed your physical appearance. You…” She trailed off, raking her brain to describe it differently but unable to come up with anything. She sighed once more. “You probably won’t recognize yourself. That’s why we kept you tied down, so you wouldn’t see before you knew what happened.”
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“Show me,” the hybrid demanded. “I want to see.” Though her voice still held fear, her tone erased any doubts of what she wanted.
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Avona quietly removed the straps holding the hybrid down and helped her sit up. She did not stay that way for long however, and quickly stumbled onto the floor. The make-up of her body made it awkward and uncomfortable for her to use human furniture. Her wings and tail made it especially difficult to sit or lay down.
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There were no mirrors present so she could see her new form. However, Avona led her over to the glass door wall, its surface reflective enough for this purpose. When she saw her reflection, she stopped and stared.
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Denial that this could be real flooded her mind. This couldn’t possibly happen. Things like these happen only in stupid movies and bad books but never in reality. Never.
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She slowly raised her hand and traced the pair of horns that swept back from her forehead, about two inches above her eyes. Only then did she notice her hands and she turned her astonished gaze to them. She turned her hands over again and again, examining every tiny golden scale and the long silvery talons. Eventually, she dropped her hands and looked back at her image.
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She was one of the few hybrids that did not turn out as had all the others. For example, she had a pair of horns whereas only a few other hybrids did as well. Also, her knee was not bent backwards, like the rest. Instead, the area of the foot from the heel to the toes had grown much longer, almost giving the appearance that the leg had one more joint than normal; her leg had a zigzag shape—the knee angled the calf towards the back, then the ankle angled the extended foot toward the front again. She balanced lightly on the balls of her feet.
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She turned to face everyone in the room, who were watching her reaction carefully. “Why?” she asked, on the verge of tears.
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“We don’t know,” Crystal answered. “But we were hoping you could help us prevent this from happening to anyone else.”
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The hybrid nodded, running her hands instinctively through hair that was no longer there. She unsteadily made her way to the stool that Avona had occupied and sat down. She held her head in her hands and they could all tell that she was weeping. There was an awkward silence, everyone unsure of what to do.
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“But first, we must give you a name,” Melody chimed. She walked over to the weeping hybrid and bent over so she could see her face. “So, what name do you want?”
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“N-name?” the creature stuttered. Of all things, a name seemed hardly important.
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“Why sure! You have to have a name, right? We can’t just keep calling you ‘person with wings’ or ‘you, the one with a tail’ or ‘hey you’, right?” She gave her a bright smile, trying to take her mind off of what she had become.
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“I… I guess so,” the hybrid answered uncertainly.
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“Melody is absolutely right,” Avona declared, joining in the effort to help her patient. “You must have a name. Everyone, think of a name for her.”
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Everyone offered a few names, some of which were rejected and others considered. A few even brought some strained laughter to the group, such as Crystal’s suggestion of ‘Liz’. Ultimately, all names were turned down. The whole process succeeded in taking the nameless hybrid’s mind off of her tragedy.
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“No, no, nothing seems to fit you,” Melody said. She rested her chin in one hand and rested her elbow in her other hand. From this position, she scrutinized the hybrid for several minutes. Suddenly, she snapped her fingers. “I’ve got it! How about, Moriah?”
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“More—eye—ah?” the hybrid repeated slowly, testing the feel of the name.
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Melody nodded her head, golden curls bouncing. “I read it somewhere. I forget what it was from but I remember that Moriah was like a name for the wind. I thought it was fitting, considering.” She meant, of course, the wings. The hybrid repeated the name.
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“I like it. It sounds cool. And like she said, it does fit,” Avona stated.
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“Well? Do you like it?” Melody asked eagerly.
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The hybrid nodded. “Yeah. I like it. Moriah,” she repeated the name one more time and was pleased with how it sounded.
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Melody giggled, delighted that her suggestion had been picked. “All right! But we aren’t done yet; we still have to come up with a last name. How about… Sparklyscale?” This only brought more laughter and was duly rejected. Other names such as Lizardlips, Blackeye, Longnails, and Sootbreath were all given. This brought even more laughter.
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“Come on you guys, be serious here,” Melody said. She didn’t sound too convincing for she was giggling, as she proposed some of the joke names.
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“Swiftwing?” Avona suggested. “How’s that?”
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After much thought Moriah gave one short nod. “I like it. Makes me sound fast.” She smiled at her own little joke, revealing rows of sharp, pointed teeth.
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“All right then! It’s decided; you are now Moriah Swiftwing!” Melody declared. She gave a small bow to the hybrid.
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Tylas shifted impatiently. Throughout the entire episode with the hybrid he had remained silent, watching, waiting for the information that he wanted now more than anything. He did not offer any names for the creature. And he became increasingly impatient as the minutes ticked by.
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“Moriah, there was something we hoped you would be able to tell us,” Crystal stated, seeing the look on Tylas’ face. “You see, some of our friends were captured by others like yourself. Three little girls, all identical. We were hoping you could tell us if you’ve seen them.”
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Moriah hesitated, not wanting to return to her dark past.
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“We’ve helped you, Moriah. Now it is time for you to help us,” Avona said gently.
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That did it. “Okay, um… what do they look like again?”
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“About eight years old, long, dark brown hair, brown eyes. Triplets,” Tylas said quietly. Everyone looked at him; it was the first time he’d spoken since his last query.
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Moriah fell silent and stared off into space, visibly raking her memory. After many agonizing minutes she said slowly, “Wait… do they wear… yellow pajamas?”
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Tylas’ reaction said everything. Previously he wouldn’t look at the hybrid, favoring the floor more than her. But at her words his head snapped up and straightened, no longer leaning against the wall. “You’ve seen them.”
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She nodded her scaled head. “Yes, I remember them now!”
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“Where are they?” was Tylas’ next demand.
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“Um… Some town I think by the mountains. All I can remember is destroyed houses and everything. And…” she paused trying to recall the faded memory. “Dust. Black dust.”
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“The coal mine,” Crystal said softly. “He’s keeping them at the town. They’re alive.”
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Relief flooded through the companions as well as the nervous feeling of anticipation. The air practically buzzed with the conflicting emotions. For the first time in what seemed like ages, hope had come. Finally they had a goal that seemed possible; finally they knew that everything they did wasn’t in vain.
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The companions glanced at each other, each knowing what the next step of their journey was going to be. Moriah merely looked at each person in turn before finally speaking.
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[FONT=&quot]“I’ll come with you. I did not want this body. I have done terrible things with it. But maybe I can use it to make things right again and I thank you for the chance.”[/FONT]

Dragon Mage · Aug 26, 2007

Chapter 11—Cataclysm<o></o>
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They had to get to the other continent quickly. Already they had used up nearly half the apportioned time given them by the Remnant. Melody pointed out that it had taken them two weeks to get to the abandoned Niblehiem. How were they possibly going to get back in time?
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But Crystal already had a plan. They had to get to Rocket Town again.
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As they were preparing to leave, Avona approached Crystal, who was busy checking the materia. “I would like to accompany you on your journey.” She held up one hand to stop Crystal’s query. “It is the oath of a white mage to help the innocent and the weak. If there is anything I can do, it will be achieved by going with you; not by staying here.”
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Crystal studied her for a moment. The mage had a mace tucked into her belt. “Welcome aboard,” she said. “Glad to have you along.”
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Avona gave her a warm smile then went into the school to set things up while she was gone. Once everything was ready, they all went back to the quarantine building, where Moriah was hiding. She was behind the building itself, walking back and forth and stretching her wings. As the group rounded the corner, Melody’s hair was blown around wildly and she gasped and stumbled backwards. She had walked straight into the back draft of Moriah’s powerful wings. The hybrid was beating the air with her wings, testing the feel of the new limbs. When she saw Melody fall over she quickly stopped, and her wings furled.
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“I’m sorry, I didn’t hear anyone coming,” she told Melody as she bent to help her up. She grasped Melody’s hand and gently pulled. However, Melody came flying up off the ground with the force of Moriah’s tug and crashed right into Moriah herself. However, Moriah managed to keep her balance and the two didn’t fall over.
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“Ow,” was all Melody had to say. She rubbed her shoulder, which had taken the strain of the well-intended pull.
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“I’m sorry! I guess… I don’t know my own strength yet,” Moriah said.
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Melody simply grinned at her. “That’s okay! Hey, by the way, shouldn’t we get you some like, new clothes or something?”
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Moriah looked down at her attire, not really having ever considered it before. Her clothes had lost all their color, bleached from exposure to the elements and being submerged in Mako. They were now a creamy off-white color. Due to various battles and experiments, her shirt now left her midriff exposed and the sleeves had long since been torn away. The tattered remnants of what had been jeans were now shorts, the frayed edges coming just above the knee.
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“Nah, don’t need it,” she replied. Melody looked at her, surprised. “Well, it’d be kinda hard to find clothes that would fit me, right? Well, these fit and I don’t need them to stay warm, and it would take a long time to make clothes for me; time we don’t have, so…” she shrugged, making her wings rustle.
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Melody laughed. “Okay, I understand. You’re right. Are you ready to go?” Moriah nodded.
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“But…” Avona said. “I don’t think there’s enough room in your car, Melody.”
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Moriah, grinning, straightened and unfurled her wings to their full extent; fourteen feet in all.
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“Who says I’m riding in the car?”
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*~*~*~*~*~*~*
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They reached Rocket Town by midday and were welcomed warmly by the populace. It turned out that there had been another attack on the town, which they had repelled successfully, thanks to the warning by the group. As a result, the companions were greeted with ecstatic joy and all services were free.
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The companions scattered throughout the town, with the directions to meet in front of the weapons shop in an hour. Moriah flew high above the town, stretching her wings and keeping out of sight. Melody went off to get rations; Valic went with her to gather spell components, Avona left for a similar reason, and Tylas accompanied Crystal in her quest to find a pilot.
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For that was their plan; to find a pilot willing to help them on their quest. It was the only way they would ever get to the town in time to save the girls. Since Cid Highwind was currently out of town, this proved to be a little difficult. So Crystal went from one place to the other asking around about a pilot that was available. Tylas would go with her, saying little but making an impression nonetheless.
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They hit pay dirt in one particular bar. Crystal was standing at the bar asking the bartender about available pilots when a young man approached her. “Hey, I heard you were looking for a pilot?”
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She eyed him warily. He was just about her height and a little younger. He had bright, flame-red hair that could only be described as spiky. He was good-looking and obviously knew it, judging from the mischievous gleam in his green eyes. He reminded her of Reno, especially with the hair, though it was blessedly cut short. He had a cocky smirk on his face and met her gaze confidently.
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“Yes, that’s right,” she answered. “You know any?” She dearly hoped that it wasn’t him.
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It was.
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He grinned at her. “Sure do! You’re looking at him. Best pilot in town. Jazz Zephyr, at your service.” He held out his hand to shake, which she did.
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“Crystal.” There was no need to introduce herself for everyone knew her name by now, as well as the others, but courtesy dictated that she do so. “I thought Cid was the best pilot,” she remarked, testing his wit. He had plenty of it.
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“If you say so. But you see, I’m his one and only second in command. Some say ‘student’ and you can call it that, I guess. But there’s more to it than that.”
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Crystal contained her surprise. Student? He was a student of Cid Highwind? She didn’t even know Cid had a student. If that was the case then this man could be very valuable to their cause.
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“I see. If you’re up for the job, we have to get to the other side of the world in a hurry. And once we’re there we have a bit of fighting to do,” she said coolly. “I must warn you, it’s very dangerous.”
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“Ha! You think a little thing like danger is going to stop me?” he scoffed. “Sure I can take ya there. What’re the details?”
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She raised a thin eyebrow. “Taking a job when you don’t even know what it is? Rather risky isn’t it?”
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He laughed. “I’m willing to risk a lot for a beautiful woman in need,” he replied. His green eyes laughed as he waited for her reaction.
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Oh SHIT. she thought.
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As if on cue, Tylas came up behind her. “Any luck?” he asked her.
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She could have hugged him she was so glad to see him. “Yeah, actually. Found one right here. This is Jazz. Jazz, this is Tylas.”
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The two shook hands. “He’s willing to do the job, but he still has to be filled in on the details,” Crystal said quickly. “Um, Tylas how about you do that? I’ve got something to do. I won’t be long.” She was already heading towards the door.
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“Wait, what thing?” Tylas asked.
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“You know that thing that I called ahead about. It’s very important, I have to go, bye!”
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She dashed outside and was gone within seconds.
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What the hell… he thought. He mentally shrugged it away and turned towards the pilot. Jazz was watching the door that Crystal had so quickly exited with a self-satisfied smirk on his face.
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“So, how much do you know?” Tylas asked.
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*~*~*~*~*~*~*
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Some hours later, they were all gathered under the airship field, aside from Moriah. The airships were huge, even though none of them compared to the size of the Highshera. The Highshera itself was gone, currently being put to use by its owner. These airships were only a part of Cid’s business. The ships ranged in all shapes and sizes, from small personnel ships, to larger cargo carriers. They wandered underneath the ships, looking for Jazz, who’d said to meet him here.
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The sheer size of the aircraft was astounding. Numerous heavy ropes held each ship tethered to the ground, making them look for everything in the world like clouds tied to the ground.
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“Hey! Up here!!”
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They looked up to see Jazz waving at them from the open deck of one of the larger ships. He grabbed one of the ropes that held the ship to the ground and slid down to meet them. He was wearing thick gloves that protected his hands, enabling him to pull this stunt.
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But he wasn’t finished yet. About twenty feet from the ground he swung off the rope, did a few backflips in midair and landed on his feet before them.
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Melody gaped. “Oh my gosh, how’d you do that!!” she exclaimed.
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He gave her a cocky grin. “I’ll show ya someday. And more.” She blushed furiously and giggled.
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“You ready to go?” Crystal asked.
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“Heck yeah! Come on up!” He turned and nimbly climbed up the ladder that no one had noticed until now. Within a few short seconds he was halfway up the ladder, about a hundred feet. He paused and looked back down at them. “Come on!”
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Crystal sighed and began to climb and the others followed.
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Jazz was at the top helping them up onto the deck. He grabbed Crystal’s hand and pulled her on deck. “Welcome aboard the Phoenix!” he said. The swordswoman looked around at the airship.
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In many ways it resembled the Highwind. The large helium-filled balloon provided a large canopy over the deck. A door led inside to the bridge where she could see the pilot’s chair and steering wheel. Around this seat was a console that had numerous aeronautic instruments on it. The chair, wheel, and console were on a dais, giving the pilot as unobstructed a view as possible. Bench seats lined either side of the walls, and the large, thick glass window provided a nearly a 270 degree view of the world outside. By craning her neck she could see on the side of the large balloon a simple black depiction of a phoenix, rising from a crucible of flames.
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The ship was much smaller than the Highshera, of course. The Shera was of a mega class of airship; this one was merely of large class. As such there were no living quarters; merely seats for passengers and a small bathroom for longer trips. It did have a cargo bay, but rather small for a cargo carrier for the main purpose of this ship was speed. It was built to take a few passengers or some vehicle or other large item, and get it to its’ destination as soon as possible. It had been built as aerodynamically as any aircraft had ever been made, making it the fastest ship in the entire fleet. Its lack of living quarters and whatnot were made up by the fact it was so fast; there would be no need to sleep on the ship when it could get you to your bed before dark.
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“Is that everyone?” Jazz asked. The rest of the group had ascended the ladder, Avona coming last on account of her entangling—and revealing—robes. Valic had bypassed the ladder entirely, merely levitating himself up onto the deck.
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“No. There’s one more,” Avona told him. She bent over the rail looking expectantly at the sky.
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“Wha—“ was as far as Jazz got before Moriah swept onto the deck. She passed through the narrow space between the deck and the balloon once, moving too fast to land. She turned on wingtip and came back, slower this time. Fanning the air with her powerful wings, she held herself in the air, hovering, and slowly lowered herself to the floor.
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The companions were used to having such an unusual ally and didn’t react to her stunning entrance. Jazz’s reaction, however, proved to be more colorful.
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“Holy shit!!” An odd staff suddenly appeared in his hand, coming from seemingly nowhere. Unlike a normal quarterstaff, it had two rounded, heavy, weights on either end. Within a blink of an eye he had landed two blows on Moriah. She cried out in surprise and pain and stepped back until she bumped into the railing. Without warning, a hand grasped him by the back of his collar and he was thrown off the hybrid. Using the momentum given to him by the toss, he rolled along the floor and sprang to his feet in front of the door to the bridge. He was up and ready to fight anything that came at him.
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Much to his surprise, Melody was talking to the creature that had just landed on his fair ship. Apparently she was the one that threw him off the hybrid. Avona was speaking rapidly, holding her hands out palm first in a placating gesture.
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“She’s a friend! She’s a friend! She won’t hurt you!” the white mage said. She stepped closer to him, trying to keep him calm.
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“The hell,” was all he said in response. As Avona came closer he quickly interposed the quarterstaff between them, clearly implying for her to come no closer. “What the hell do you mean by ‘friend’?” He glanced around at the would-be passengers, now quite convinced that enemies bent on stealing his ship had him surrounded. He wasn’t about to let that happen.
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Avona frowned at him, impatient with his seeming stupidity. How much clearer could one get than ‘friend’? “She’s an ally. They found her and I healed her. She’s perfectly fine now. Put down the staff.”
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Slowly, he did as she said, lowering the strange staff until it was clear he was no longer alarmed, merely puzzled.
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“Her name is Moriah. And she is a friend,” Avona said, putting emphasis on the word to enforce its meaning. She was more than a little convinced that he was slow of mind.
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“Uh huh.” He cautiously approached Moriah, who regarded him with a wary look. He held out his hand. “Um, sorry about that misunderstanding.” She hesitated before she shook his hand, careful to keep her talons from hurting him. “That’s okay,” she replied. “I’m getting used to misunderstandings.”
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“Yeah, no shit,” he muttered to himself after their greetings were done. He made sure to keep his voice low so none would overhear. He still wasn’t quite comfortable with the idea of what he knew as an enemy onboard, but there was little he could do about it. He turned towards the others. “Now do we have everyone?” Melody laughed at his tone and expression and nodded. “Yes, that’s everyone!”
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“Good.” Before he went to the pilot’s seat, he shook the staff in his hand and it folded into three equal parts. With a flick of the wrist, he deftly folded the parts up and tucked it into his belt.
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Everyone followed him into the cabin and he took his seat at the wheel. “Ladies and gents, please make sure your tray is in the upright and secure position before liftoff!” he announced, already over the surprise that Moriah presented. As he continued with his banter, he was busy flicking switches and checking gauges.
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“This is my first time on an airship!” Melody said to Valic, tightening her seat belt. “I’m so excited!” She had always wanted to go on an airship. And here she was, sitting in the fastest airship in the world. And what’s more, a black mage was sitting next to her! This adventure just kept getting better and better for her.
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“Ready to disengage ground ropes,” Jazz was saying. He reached up and grasped a wide handle on the ceiling. “In five, four, three, two, one.” He pulled down on the handle and there was a loud sound of clamps opening. They all felt a jerk as the airship suddenly rose into the air. Melody looked down, peering through the glass that made up part of the floor and saw, to her sheer delight, the ropes falling to the ground like ribbons. She gasped as she saw the ground drop away underneath her. The ship rose above the other airships still tethered to the ground.
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Jazz flicked a few more switches and the low humming whine of combustion engines could be heard as they slowly started to warm up. Jazz was strapping himself in now. Moriah, because of her unique physiology, was unable to sit in one of the seats and had to stand instead. “You might want to grab onto something,” he said to Moriah
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Jazz flexed his fingers before taking hold of the wheel before him. Small auxiliary propellers allowed him to turn the airship towards the west. The golden sunlight splashed into the cabin, setting the Phoenix aflame. The sound of the engines had now reached a low roar. “Engines ready!” he announced. “Firing in ten. Please note that, in an emergency, your seats can be used as floatation devices. To use them, place your head between your knees and kiss them goodbye!!”
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With a sudden jerk that almost knocked Moriah to the floor, the airship took off. The powerful engines blasted the ship through the sky, and the ground sped away beneath their feet. With a wild whoop from Jazz, the Phoenix raced towards the golden sunset.
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* * *
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After the initial unsteadiness from ‘blast off’ everyone soon gained their air legs and gathered around to plan their strategy. They grouped in the center of the cabin, looking over a rough sketched map of the town. Jazz was sitting in the pilot’s seat with his feet propped up on the top of the console. He was reading a magazine and listening to his MP3 player. One foot tapped the air in time with the beat of the music.
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There was much muttering amongst the companions as they conferred on what their plan of attack should be. The indecision was great and the confidence sparse. Finally, a plan was coming into being, although it all depended upon one thing.
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“Jazz. Jazz!” Crystal called, trying to catch the pilot’s attention. His head snapped up and he looked towards her. He pulled out one earbud to hear her more clearly. The sound of shrieking guitars could be heard clearly, accompanied by the wild thrashings of drums. Through it all came the wailing sound of what sounded something like a monkey’s war cry. How anyone’s throat could last that long under such abuse was a miracle to Crystal, and the fact that Jazz could listen to such music was even further astounding, not to mention ironic, considering his namesake.
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“What’s up?” he asked.
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“How quiet is this airship?”
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He snorted. “Woman, you are lookin’ at the finest pilot there ever was. This thing is quite enough I could land next to you while you were sleeping and you’d never know I was there.”
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Crystal ignored the ego in his voice and thanked him, coolly turning her attention back to the map. Jazz duly replaced the earbud and the cacophony silenced once more. Again, they started to confer with each other, switching ideas and modifying their plan.

After nearly an hour, they had settled upon a strategy. The tension was thick in the air, and though Crystal advised them to get some rest, no one was even thinking about sleeping, though it was late into the night. Melody was busy practicing some very complex moves, spinning and kicking and twisting. Both Valic and Avona were absorbed in their books. Jazz was half dozing, watching Melody give off all that nervous energy with only half a mind. Crystal took a seat next to Tylas, and sorted through the materia bag. Tylas had his elbows resting on his knees and was leaning forward so that he was gazing at the floor, hands clasped together. His head was bowed, hiding his face from view.
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“Tylas, I wanted to ask you before we got there, since I thought you should have a say in this,” Crystal said softly. He didn’t answer. She placed on his back. “Tylas, I wanted to know if you want the first shot at that bastard. I’d be glad to help, but it’s your right to kill him.”
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He was silent for several minutes. Finally he turned to look at her. “Thanks. But I’m more concerned with rescuing them first. I’ll kill him later.” He spoke just as softly as she did.
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She nodded as if expecting such an answer and snapped two materia, one blue and one green, into each sword. “All right then. Now I’ve got the bad news. I’m sorry Tylas. But you’ll have to be my pillow.” She fixed him with a gaze that was all seriousness but said anything but.
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He almost laughed; he almost smiled. But not quite. There wasn’t much point anymore. But it was enough for Crystal. He leaned back and let her rest her head on his shoulder. After a few minutes, nearly completely asleep, she murmured, “Don’t get any funny ideas.”
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He wouldn’t and she knew it. She was still holding her swords.
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*~*~*~*~*~*~*
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In the dull hours of early morning, someone shook Tylas awake. He blinked his eyes rapidly, trying to clear them of the fog that now blurred his vision. When he could see clearly, Crystal was standing in front of him. She had been the one that woke him up. “We’re almost there,” she nearly whispered. That was all she needed to say. Within a minute or two, he was up and staring out the large window as were the others, sorting through the materia at the same time.
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Jazz had turned off the large, noisy engines and was guiding the airship with the small auxiliary propellers. After a few minutes, he shut those off as well, and was guiding the airship by rudder and wind alone.
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A few stars still dotted the sky, and the sliver of moon hung low in the sky. To the east, the sky was turning a dull blue, the sun just beginning to creep towards the horizon. Below them, just barely seen in the dying starlight, was the town that Tylas had lived in all his life. A grim silence descended upon them as they observed the town.
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Zack was wrong. It wasn’t burned. The houses were still well intact, but a charred mass off to the side of the town bespoke of the townspeople’s fate. Crystal gripped Tylas’ shoulder that was firm but friendly, lending him support without words. He didn’t say anything, keeping his gaze fixed on his destroyed home. His expression was stony and he showed no emotion.
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“There!” Moriah said suddenly. She pointed one talon-finger at a large building. “That’s where they are,” she stated. “I’m sure of it.”
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“Town Hall,” Tylas muttered.
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“All right then, that’s where we go,” said Crystal. “Jazz, can you bring us in any closer?”
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“I’m workin’ on it…” he muttered distractedly. He was busy maneuvering the large airship around using only the wild mountain winds. He was busy operating all the pedals that controlled the rudder and fins of the craft. Slowly, the airship soundlessly descended towards the center of town. Jazz levered the airship to a near hover, only thirty feet from the ground. “That’s as close as I can get her!” Jazz said. He was pushing pedals and flicking switches so fast, it was clear that only someone of his skill could hold the airship steady amongst the fickle winds with no engines or propellers. “If you’re going to leave, now is the time!”
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They needed no further urging. They were already heading out the door. By sliding down ropes secured to the railing, all except Moriah were safely on the ground in no time. The Phoenix hung in the air a few seconds more before nosing up to the sky again. They were on their own now.
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Quickly and quietly, they split into two groups: Valic and Melody split off to the right, while Crystal, Tylas, and Avona went to the left. Both groups slipped off into the shadows, keeping still, trying to ascertain whether or not they had been detected.
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There was no movement, no sign that anything knew they were there. Crystal allowed herself to breathe. To get to the town hall, they would have to cross a wide square, leaving them exposed and open to any attack. Caught in the middle, they would be utterly defenseless.
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Going through the front door would be reckless and stupid. “Is there any other way into the building?” Crystal breathed, eyes scanning the desolate square.
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“Yes. There’s another entrance around the back on the left,” Tylas answered, speaking just as softly.
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She motioned to the others across the street. Melody nodded to show she understood and prepared to cross the open square at Crystal’s signal. A quick glance to make sure everything was clear and then both groups were slipping across the square, ducking behind empty cars. Within a few short seconds they were all sliding along the wall of the building, eyes scanning the darkness for the door. Far above, barely seen against the dark sky, the Phoenix circled over the town.
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The door wasn’t locked, fortunately. In such a small town, there was little reason to lock up; everyone knew each other, everyone trusted their neighbor. It had been a peaceful little town once.
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Crystal entered first, the door soundlessly opening on well-oiled hinges, and the others swiftly following. They entered a hallway, and Crystal’s group went left, while Melody and Valic went right. Throughout the whole process, no one made the slightest sound. Silence was imperative, or they may all very well be killed otherwise.
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If things went exactly as planned, they should be able to rescue the girls, slip outside, and get away safely, with no incident. So far, everything had played out well, and it seemed as though they were really going to pull it off.
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Treading softly, they checked every small room they came to. It all seemed as though nothing had happened; a cleaning bucket had been left out with the mop still in it; a half-empty cup of coffee lay on a desk; a doughnut with a bite taken out of it lay on a table. Everything showed that their owners had suddenly left their items with the intent of returning to them within a minute or two. It only bespoke of how quickly the attack had come, obliterating the town’s population before they even had a chance to realize that something was terribly wrong.
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Through the building they advanced, the hallways and rooms lit only by the dead gray light of dawn’s twilight. They found no sign of Tylas’ sisters, but neither did they find any sign of the Remnant. The situation remained in its tenuous balance.
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Tylas stopped Crystal in front of one door. “This door leads to the conference room. There’s a good chance he’d be here,” he whispered to her, barely speaking loud enough to hear. He didn’t add the bitter fact that he knew what was beyond the door because he once worked as a janitor here. Crystal nodded and opened the door a crack to peer inside. Seeing nothing from that point of view, she glanced towards the others, who nodded to show they were ready.
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She pushed open the door and swiftly entered the room, deftly stepping to the side to allow the others to enter from behind her. Large glass windows lined the back wall. The room was furnished with long wooden tables and plenty of cushioned chairs. One table was in the back of the room, giving all who sat at it a view of the entire room. An additional two tables ran perpendicular to the first table. All of the tables bore a sign of struggle, deep gashes marring the hard wood. One table was broken in half. Long lines of blood on the walls and even the ceiling spoke of the brutal slaughter that had taken place here.
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And in the opposite corner from the door, was a cage. Long, dark hair fell on the marble floor between the bars. Before Crystal could stop him, Tylas ran across the room to the cage, trying to be as quiet as possible.
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He crouched next to the cage and anxiously peered inside. Huddled together for warmth, wrapped up in a tattered, threadbare rag of a blanket, were his sisters. The cage itself had been built for large dogs, and thus the girls had little room to move about. Their faces were pinched and wan from hunger and neglect. But they were alive.
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All caution and worry abandoned, Tylas’ only thought now was to get his sisters out of that cage. He gently shook the top of the cage, rattling the bars, and whispered their names. The sound wasn’t loud, but it made Crystal grit her teeth. They had to get out of here, now.
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“Tylas…” she said.
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He ignored her and shook the cage again, calling their names once more. One of them stirred and sleepily opened her eyes. She stared at Tylas for a full five seconds, possibly thinking he was only part of her dream. Then realization hit home. She sat bolt upright and wound her little fingers around the bars of the cage, trying to reach her brother. “Ty—“ she began, before a hand covered her mouth. Crystal had slipped one hand between the bars stopped the girls’ shout, but not quick enough. The sound rang through the empty building and everyone froze.
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Ringing silence was all that could be heard over the wild pounding of their hearts. After a few minutes, Crystal’s hand slid off the girls’ mouth and she drew her sword once more, facing the back of the room while Avona watched the front.
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Tylas spoke quickly, the feeling of time growing ever shorter like a terrible itch he could not assuage. “Alexis, listen to me. You have to be very quiet; don’t make any sound, understand?” She quickly nodded her head, her dark eyes wide. “Okay, now, I want you to wake the others; remember - be very quiet.”
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Despite Alexis’ small outburst, the others hadn’t awoken. She turned around in the small space and woke the others. One hand over her sisters’ mouths, she told them to be as quite as possible and that Tylas was here to rescue them. They listened with wide eyes and did as they were told, putting on a brave face and wiping away any tears.
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Getting them out, however, proved to be more difficult than anticipated. A heavy padlock and chain around the steel bars of the cage securely locked them in, ensuring that rescue just doubled in difficulty.
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“Is there a key?” Tylas softly asked the girls.
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“Yes, but the Black Man carries it,” one answered, which girl it was Crystal didn’t know.
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Just then, a second door, like the one they had entered the room by but on the opposite wall, opened. In a few swift strides, Crystal was at the door, swords at the ready. Avona was behind her, but kept her distance from the door, mace in hand, the words to a spell already forming on her lips.
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“It’s us, it’s us!” Melody said softly, holding her hands out to stop Crystal from attacking. “Did you find them?”
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Crystal let out her pent up breath. “Yeah. Over there.” She pointed with one sword towards the caged girls and Tylas. “They’re locked in though.”
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They gathered around the cage and the girls looked out at them all with frightened eyes but said nothing. Melody tried her hand at lock picking with a hairpin, but utterly failed. Neither Valic nor Avona had any spells that could be of any use to them. They were down to their last resort.
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Tylas explained to them what was going to happen and what they should do. “Crystal here is going to cut off the front of the cage. It’ll be very loud and you must move quickly. Get out of the cage and go to that man there.” He pointed towards Valic, who did not have the warmest and most charming of demeanors. The girls obviously didn’t trust him as much as they trusted the Black Man. “That other woman there will help protect you.” This time he indicated Melody, who was far more welcoming than the black mage. “You understand what you have to do?” They nodded.
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Reluctantly, he stood up and backed away from the cage. Picking up his spear, he moved out of Crystal’s way. The others were in the front of the room, facing the glass wall that separated the conference room from the lobby. The lobby was accessible to the outside by a two large, glass, double doors, making that side of the room the most susceptible to attack.
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“Stay back,” Crystal warned. They all obediently huddled away from the front of the cage, squeezing together to give Crystal all the room she needed. She tapped the top of the cage with the tip of one sword. Then she brought the sword up and neatly sliced through the metal. There was a loud rasping of metal on metal and the front of the cage fell to the stone floor with a resonate clatter. The chain rattled as it too slid to the floor and the girls were free.
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Tylas stepped forward to help them out when one of them cried out a warning. “Tylas behind you!!”
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He spun around, bringing his spear up in front of him just in time to deflect the spiked ball. Avaric snarled at him and lunged at him instead with a sword in the other hand. At the same moment the Remnant attacked, hybrids burst through the windows from both front and behind.
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Wasting no time, Crystal turned to face the horde of monsters. As she did, her swords suddenly crackled with lightning, power bestowed upon them by the materia she had equipped them with. The hybrids paused, taking in this, suddenly, greater challenge. She was quite a formidable sight, swords sheathed in lightning, violet eyes daring them to come closer and for a moment, they stopped, daunted. Crystal, however, didn’t wait for them; she went to greet her foes, the lightning from her blades jumping to creatures adjacent to the ones she struck. With Tylas engaged with the Remnant, she held back the flood of hybrids alone, preventing them from going any farther.
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The others, Valic, Melody, and Avona were busy with their own battle. Faced with the same number of hybrids as Crystal, they had their hands full beating them off. Valic’s power was limited by the confines of the building and his allies so close. The best he could do was fire off smaller, less powerful spells, which drove them back but wasn’t enough to kill the hybrids outright. Melody struck swiftly and inflicted more damage than the black mage, but she simply wasn’t able to hold them alone.
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They would have been lost if it weren’t for Avona. Lacking any true offensive spells of her own, as Valic had, she made up for it with defensive spells and spells that incapacitated the enemy. She managed to land a lucky blow on one hybrid and its skull caved in under her mace. Raising the weapon high, she uttered her spell in a clear voice that carried over the din of battle. In response to her words, a curtain of white energy that twisted around the warriors rose from the ground at their feet before vanishing. The effect was immediate. The hybrids were no longer able to land a blow on the warriors, an invisible shield of force blocking their attacks. The spell wouldn’t last long, however. They would have to wrap this battle up as quickly as possible.
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Tylas stood between Avaric and the girls who were huddled in the relative safety of the cage. The Remnant was now armed with a sword in one hand and a flail in the other, posing a new challenge since the last time the two had met.
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Suddenly, Avaric lashed out with the flail and the chain once more wrapped around the spear. Tylas was expecting this however, and thrust the spear forward. The attack that was meant to disarm his foe suddenly brought the sharp spear tip closer. Avaric retaliated by stepping to the side and bringing the sword down on Tylas, intending to cleave right through him. Tylas blocked the blow with the haft of his spear however and for a moment the two were deadlocked.
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The inhuman strength of the Remnant was incredible. With only one arm he was managing to hold back Tylas’ own counter-attack. However, Tylas had the advantage. Getting a firm footing, Tylas pushed against the sword, and the force of his shove sent the Remnant slamming into the far wall.
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Avaric momentarily taken care of, Tylas turned slightly towards the hybrids between him and Valic. For his sisters to escape, they needed to get to the black mage. That meant a path had to be cut through the teeming mass of hybrids. Before he could move to do so, a chain wrapped around his ankle and suddenly he was falling towards the ground. A powerful kick to his stomach when he was halfway to the floor knocked him to the wall. The wind knocked out of him, Tylas struggled to get to his knees and hold onto the spear. Suddenly, that was gone too; the weapon wrenched from his hands by the chain once more.
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Tylas lunged for the spear and managed to grab it before it was cast aside. Rolling over on his back, he brought the weapon up and held it up just in time to block the sword. In this position, however, he couldn’t counter-attack and wouldn’t be able to fend off any attacks made with the flail. Holding the spear to his chest, he rolled to one side and the spiked ball ground into the stone floor where his head had been only a fraction of a second before.
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Now, the sword would come. Tylas was on one knee already; all he needed was a moment more to be on his feet… a moment he wouldn’t get… But the Remnant’s sword never struck.
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Crystal was now attacking the Remnant, who could only block her flurry of blows. She had driven back the horde of hybrids, forcing them out the windows they had entered from. While Melody and the others were too busy repelling hybrids to help Tylas, Crystal had defeated one attack and now turned to another.
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She was striking so fast she was literally a blur. Avaric managed to side-step most of it and block the rest. Suddenly, the chain wrapped around her left sword… and she twisted it around the blade, ensuring he couldn’t slip it off the weapon. Pull as he may, she had a grip of iron on her sword. To free himself, he would have to drop the flail entirely. Unwilling to do that, he couldn’t free his weapon; neither could he dodge her attacks. Crystal and Avaric began trading blows with the swords, sparks flying as the swords clashed, lightning from Crystal’s swords licking Avaric’s weapons. Had he not been wearing leather gloves, he would’ve been electrocuted. The two combatants were locked in battle, each one depending on sheer skill to stay alive. Avaric’s face was a mask of fury; Crystal was as calm as ever.
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Without having to worry about the Remnant any longer, Tylas turned towards the mass of hybrids that stood between his sisters and their escape. He slashed right, left, then shifted his grip and rapidly stabbed one hybrid many times in the chest. Then he made a sweeping slash that scattered the creatures like wind-tossed leaves. An opening was made by his attack and Melody quickly moved to make sure it stayed that way.
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Just then, the protective spell Avona had cast expired. A powerful hybrid with many tentacles slapped Valic multiple times before the mage could attack it. Next to him, Melody got the same treatment from another foe, but was knocked to the floor. Dazed, she stared at the hybrid with glazed eyes, making a feeble attempt to get out of the way, while knowing she wouldn’t make it. The hybrid raised its clawed hand for the killing blow—And then Valic was standing over Melody. He pressed his hand over the hybrids’ chest, directly over the heart, fingers spread.
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Thinking nothing of this puny humans’ attempt at an attack, the hybrid prepared to sweep him aside. Then it paused. As the others around it watched, unwilling to become part of the sinister spell at hand, the hybrid fell to its knees and its skin began to shrivel. Valic never broke contact, and the victim of his spell appeared to age at a rapid pace. Skin shrank, nails cracked, and flesh melted off its bones. The dry, cracked lips peeled back and a blood-curdling wail issued from the desiccated throat, a wail that was utterly alien in the horror and pain held within it. As the hybrid withered away, Valic seemed to grow stronger. A small cut on his arm sealed and bruises faded. Finally, the hybrid fell to the floor, little more than a mummified corpse. As it hit the floor, it broke into pieces, dust swirling about in the wind coming from the broken windows.
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The other hybrids stared at their fallen comrade and regarded the black mage with a new respect. Some of them even seemed ready to turn tail and flee. But they paused, as if receiving some silent command, and then relentlessly renewed their attack.
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Valic’s attack had bought the others time, and he turned towards the girls, cowering in the cage, while Tylas, Melody, and Avona held the creatures back. “Come!” he ordered them, and they quickly scrambled out of the cage and ran towards him. He crouched, folding his cloak over them. “Melody!” he called. She ran to him and put one hand on his shoulder. He swiftly muttered the arcane words and they disappeared.
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It was time to leave. With two of their party gone, holding back the hybrids was now double the effort, and Tylas and Avona wouldn’t last much longer. Holding her mace aloft once more, she gasped another spell and the head of the mace burst into light, like a miniature sun. The hybrids blocking their exit abruptly halted their attack, slamming into each other, pawing frantically at their eyes. Quite a few fell over while others waved their clawed hands about in the air in front of them. They were utterly blind.
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“The spell won’t last long,” Avona panted. “Crystal, come on!” she cried over her shoulder, grabbing Tylas by one sleeve and pulling him through the roiling mass of blinded hybrids.
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Crystal and Avaric had been locked in combat since she had ensnared his main weapon. Neither had been able to land a blow on the other and their swordplay was a sight to behold. Crystal had achieved her goal of keeping the Remnant busy; she’d have to kill him another day. Catching the weapon had been easy; disengaging the fight was the tricky part. She traded two more blows with her right sword, and let the chain slip off her left sword. This unexpected action caught Avaric off guard for a moment, which was all she needed. She slashed at him with both swords and he brought his own up to protect himself. He blocked the powerful blow, but the force of her attack sent him flying backwards once more.
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Crystal bounded through the blind hybrids, quickly catching up with her companions. No hybrids were to be seen outside in the early morning light and the reason why quickly became apparent. Above, flying very low over the city, the Phoenix was being attacked by any hybrid that could fly. Moriah was busy keeping them off the deck of the airship. She swooped low over the other’s heads, distracting them, forcing them to follow her away from the airship, confused over a seeming ally’s disruption of their attempt to board. However, while she did that, others would be winging towards the unprotected ship. She was forced to circle back, angry hybrids hot on her tail, and lure more of them into following her. Every now and then, when she turned back towards the ship, the horde following would catch up with her and there would be a vicious aerial battle, resulting in more than one hybrid plummeting to the ground, their wings tattered. More often than not, these very same hybrids managed to get airborne once more. Those that couldn’t were rapidly crawling, hopping, and scuttling their way towards the trio stranded on the ground.
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The three stood back to back, facing the enemy coming at them from all sides. The airship was nosing towards the group, hindered by the hybrids despite Moriah’s best efforts. By the time the airship reached them the creatures would already have swarmed them.
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Once more Avona raised her mace and spoke words of magic. A sparkling shield of energy spread from the air above the mace to encompass the entire group. Within a second a hemisphere of bright, sparkling power had surrounded the three, just before the hybrids leapt upon them. The shield flashed where the hybrids made contact with it, repelling their attacks. The white mage’s tactics had saved them, buying precious time, as the airship neared them with every passing second.
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But it was clear that Avona wouldn’t be able to hold out much longer. Sweat beaded her forehead and her eyes were tightly closed with the strain of sustaining the spell. As Crystal and Tylas watched anxiously the shield spell began to wane and lose its strength. It flared brightly for one moment before flickering out entirely.
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Unseen by all the combatants on the ground and in the air, a fireball high in the sky had been approaching for some moments. As it came closer to the earth, the wayward meteor began to loom larger and larger, heading straight for the dead town that was swarming with creatures and three humans.
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When Avona’s strength gave out and the shield died, everyone became aware of the meteor. All eyes turned towards the sky, watching the flaming rock hurtle towards them, enemies forgotten, in awe. The meteor passed behind the Phoenix, waves of heat billowing off it. Even from this distance the heat was searing. All watched the meteor crash halfway up into the mountainside. The shockwave could be seen coming from a long way off as well as the destruction it wrought. It hadn’t reached them yet, but would soon be upon the town.
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This meteor proved to be heaven-sent for the three companions. It distracted the attacking hybrids and gave Jazz precious seconds to bring the airship in to them.
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“Come on!!” Moriah extended her hand towards them and hauled the three up with ease, depositing them onto the deck of the ship.
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“Go, go, go!!!” she shouted the Jazz, then turned and aimed a vicious swipe at a hybrid climbing over the rail.
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Jazz wasted no time. As soon as the three were safely on deck he let the engines roar, having already prepped them beforehand for a quick escape. The Phoenix shot out of the town, climbing towards the morning sun. Crystal and the others watched, clinging to the railing, as the shockwave swept over the destroyed town. Dirt and leaves were thrown into the air and the fell wind prevented any pursuit of winged hybrids. The deafening roar could be heard from here, and set their ears to ringing in protest.
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Jazz turned the airship towards the mountains, and they were allowed a brief glimpse of the celestial rock, lying in a smoking crater, for a second before it was out of view, the Phoenix rapidly putting distance between them and the fatal end they had just escaped.
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*~*~*~*~*~*~*
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Jazz had turned the airship in the opposite direction from that Valic and the others had gone, in order to throw off those that might try to hunt them down. When well out of sight of the town, he turned the Phoenix towards Kalm.
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Within a half hour they had reached their rendezvous point; a large stand of oak trees in the middle of a vast expanse of golden plains. He set the airship down a little ways from the trees, the huge propellers flattening the tall grass.
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As soon as the ship touched down, Tylas leapt over the railing and was running through the grass to the stand of trees. In the dappled light beneath the trees, he could see his sisters running full tilt towards him. They met just at the edge of the trees.
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Tylas dropped to his knees, letting his spear fall to the ground, opening his arms. The three little girls jumped into his embrace, nearly knocking him over with the force of their greeting. He held them close and they hugged him back, holding each other tight.
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The others came up to the reunion, creating a semicircle around the siblings. Despite the desperate battle, the exhaustion and wounds they had endured, they were smiling.
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“Thank you,” Tylas gasped to them. “Thank you.”
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They merely gave a nod in return, still smiling, and even Valic’s dour face painfully creased into an unnatural grin. The four siblings faces were streaked with tears, crying with joy of hope and sorrow of loss, hanging onto the only thing they had left: Each other.
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*~*~*~*~*~*~*
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Within the smoking crater the large meteorite, about the size of a car, lay, cooling. Avaric stood within the crater, gazing upon the thing whose untimely arrival had snatched victory from his hands. He regarded the rock with a cold curiosity, studying the strange object, the likes of which he had never seen before. He tapped the side with the tip of his sword, and some char fell to the ground. He turned away from the meteorite, climbing the rocky slope to the crater’s edge.
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Suddenly, a sharp crack split the still air, and a large piece of iron hard rock slid away from the rest, leaving a hole about the size of baseball. Out of this hole poured an oily, black, liquid substance, pooling at the base of the meteorite.
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Avaric, stunned, quickly drew his weapons, and waited for whatever would happen next.
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He didn’t wait long. When all of the alien substance had emptied from the meteorite—for it seemed as though the entire rock had been hollow—the liquid lay there, seemingly innocent for all it’s strange arrival. The hair on the back of his neck stood on end, but for what reason Avaric could not place. There was something so wrong with this meteorite that his most primal survival instincts railed against it, and he was suddenly filled with the almost overpowering impulse to run.
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Disgusted at his own fear, he strode forward to poke his sword tip at the mess when it lunged at him, long black tentacles forming from the oily sludge, wrapping around his limbs, waist and neck. The weapons, ineffective against the strange attacker, were flung to the side – the sharp blade and spiked flail seeming to slide through the writhing tentacles, which then reformed, unharmed, behind them. Avaric couldn’t move; he was utterly helpless.
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The rest of the black pool slowly surged upwards until it was at its prey’s height. Avaric watched with horrified eyes as the ooze took on his own shape. He stared at himself, who regarded him with the same cold curiosity he had given the meteorite just seconds before. The black tentacles that held him sprouted from the alien doppelganger’s back.
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Then the alien began to explore its catch, the writhing tentacles tearing through flesh as casually as though it were tissue.
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Avaric screamed and screamed as he was slowly torn apart.

Dragon Mage · Sep 2, 2007

Well, here's the 12th chapter! Enjoy and remember to comment!!

Chapter 12—Angel of Death
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Eventually, Tylas stood, gently disengaging his sisters’ arms. He was more than a little self-conscious with the entire group watching at such an emotional moment. In an attempt to save face, he began the introductions. “Everyone these are my sisters, Sarah, Alexis, and Whitney.” He laid a hand on each one as he said their names, as if this would help them distinguish one from the other, despite being their being identical.
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The girls still clung to Tylas, gazing shyly at the odd group before them. Melody, in an attempt to break the ice, bent over with her hands on her knees and gave one girl a friendly smile. “Hello, my name is Melody!”
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In response, the girl buried her face into Tylas’ side, hiding her face from view. This adorable action gave rise to some good-natured laughter from the group.
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“Oh dear. I’m afraid I’m not to good at introductions,” Melody said as she straightened.
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“No, she just gets a little shy around strangers sometimes,” Tylas told her. He tried to coax the girl, Sarah, to look up so he could introduce her but she stubbornly refused. He gave up on her, and turned towards another, who was latched onto his other hip.
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During the course of the introductions, the shy one, Sarah, had eventually revealed her face again, her curiosity more powerful than her shyness. When all names had been told, there was an awkward silence, which Avona broke.
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“Well, are you hungry?” Avona asked the girls. The three nodded their head quickly. “Come here then, let’s get you something to eat.” The mage knelt on the ground, waiting for the girls to come to her. They all looked up at Tylas, who nodded, and they dashed to Avona, eager for something to stop the growling in their tummies.
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“Now watch closely,” Avona said, holding up her hands, fingers spread, to show she wasn’t hiding anything. Then, reaching over to one girl, she appeared to pull a bread roll from the girls’ ear. The three gasped with delight, and Avona was immediately bombarded with questions on how she had pulled off the stunt. One girl even lifted up her sisters’ hair and looked closely at her ear.
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While the white mage doled out what little was left of her meager rations to the girls, the others briefly conferred with each other. “It’ll take that Remnant some time to get things organized. Not only that, but he’ll have his hands full trying to track us down, and he knows we’ll be ready for him if tries to attack us,” Crystal told them. “ So that buys us time to get organized ourselves, make a plan to finally take him out. We can stay at my place in the meantime.”
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The others nodded, agreeing. Though it was still early in the morning, and there was plenty of daylight left, weariness had spread through them caused by a bad night’s sleep and their exertions of battle. The only one that didn’t seem tired was Melody and the triplets.
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“Hey, come on you three. Let’s get you something to eat,” Tylas called to his sisters. Avona had already expended the crumbs of their rations to the girls, and each girl was cheerfully gnawing on a hard bread roll. At Tylas’ words they skipped over to him. He put one on his shoulders, held the hand of another, and the third skipped ahead of them as they made their way to the airship. Tylas didn’t seem to mind the fact that his hair was being covered in breadcrumbs.
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The others watched the odd group “Aren’t they just adorable?” Melody asked, coming up behind Crystal as they followed the siblings.
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“Yeah. They’re gonna need some clothes though,” she replied, bringing up this new problem that she wasn’t quite sure on how to solve.
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Melody simply laughed as she climbed aboard the Phoenix. “Oh, don’t you worry about that! I’ll take them to get them some clothes. And you can come along too!”
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“What?!” Crystal turned her surprised look towards the blond. “Why?”
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Melody giggled. “Oh, please girl! You need some new material. I mean, seriously, that outfit is so every-day. How do you expect to get any action with that kind of gear? You need something spicier.”
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The swordswoman gaped at Melody, completely bowled over at this slam against her dress style. Spicier? Who was she to say that?! Where did she get off telling her she needed to change her wardrobe? What was she trying to pull? She put one hand to her shirt as if clinging to it protectively. “But I like this shirt!”
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Melody snorted. “I can tell. You’ve only got about twenty of them!” Their conversation was unable to continue at this point since they all had to strap in for the flight. Melody purposely sat next to Crystal so they could talk without being heard over the roar of the engine. She leaned over and spoke softly into Crystal’s ear, “You know you’ve been gettin’ looks, don’t you?”
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Crystal glanced over at her. “That so?”
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“Yup!”
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“So? What about it?”
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Now it was Melody’s turn to gape. “Girl, you are not going to just let this opportunity slip by, are you? You gotta play with them a little, keep them on their toes!”
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“Yeah, right, whatever. Looks from who, exactly?” Crystal tried to steer the conversation away from the current topic by giving herself a possible opening into something far different, if Melody didn’t ruin it.
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Melody simply grinned at her. “Oh, so now your interested huh?”
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Crystal merely gave her a sidelong look. “Don’t get me wrong, looks are a compliment. But if it’s from that pervert over there,” she gestured towards Jazz, “Then I know I’m in trouble. Or from Sir Grim and Dour,” this time she pointed towards Valic, “Then I know I’m really in trouble.”
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Melody laughed. “Oh come on! Jazz is cute, you gotta admit, and Valic ain’t so bad… What?!”
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This last part was exclaimed on the account of the look Crystal gave her. Crystal needn’t say anything, however and Melody was left scrambling for something to counter the message of the swordswoman’s gaze. “Well, what if it was Tylas giving all the looks, hm?”
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Crystal blinked. She hadn’t even considered him. “Ha! I knew it!” Melody crowed in victory at Crystal’s silence. “You like him!!”
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Crystal glared at her, one that meant business. Melody duly swallowed her playfulness, something that happened very rarely. Melody knew she had crossed a line, that Crystal could only take so much. “Sorry. I pushed it, I know.” There was a small pause as the two women waited for the other to speak. Suddenly, Melody looked up, her eyes flashing. “But, that won’t stop me from finding you something new to wear!”
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Crystal sighed.
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* * *

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Jazz landed the airship in Kalm’s airfield, where they unloaded Melody’s car and Crystal’s motorcycle. The Phoenix was then moved into the hanger, in order to hide it from view. It would take a while for the Remnant to reorganized, but there was no need to take risks. This way, their location wouldn’t immediately be given away when some random hybrid passed the town and saw the very same airship that had attacked in the mountains causally parked at Kalm.
 <o

></o

>
Crystal led the group to her house, where an elderly woman with gray hair greeted them. Her warm, bright eyes were full of joy and there was always a smile upon her wrinkled face. She greeted Crystal with a hug and then gave the same treatment to everyone else, just after she had learned their names. The only one she didn’t hug was Valic, who’d opened his eyes alarmingly when she came near. Instead, she settled for a handshake.
 <o

></o

>
“Everyone, this is Mara, my housekeeper,” Crystal announced.
 <o

></o

>
“Oh my, it is such a joy to meet all of you!” Mara exclaimed, now hugging Tylas in greeting.
 <o

></o

>
“Crystal, it’s been such a long time since you’ve brought anyone over! And such a handsome young man too!” she said, this last comment directed to Tylas, whom looked at the floor and scratched the back of his head awkwardly, his face reddening in embarrassment.
 <o

></o

>
“Mara, please, don’t do this again,” Crystal said.
 <o

></o

>
The woman gave her an innocent look. “What? It’s good to see some of your new friends, for a change. She never brings anyone over for a visit you know, but I can’t think of why. Come, come, you all must be hungry. Let me fix you something to eat.”
 <o

></o

>
Ignoring Crystal’s protests, Mara ushered the entire group into the kitchen. Jack, not about to be ignored, was jumping all over the new guests, knocking Melody clean off her feet and immediately set to licking her face. The blond sat on the floor, giggling wildly and shouting for help. Crystal pulled the dog off of her, and the triplets surrounded Jack. The shepherd was overjoyed at this much smaller company, one he didn’t have to knock over to lick, and the four were soon busy playing around the living room.
 <o

></o

>
After the chaos of greetings, and whatnot, everyone eventually settled down, including the dog. Jack was at his usual position, underneath the table with his head on Crystal’s feet, and the others were seated as well. They began to catch up on things, telling Mara what was going on, since the elderly woman simply exalted in hearing their conversation while she fussed over them.
 <o

></o

>
Mara saw to it they were all fed and when all explanations were told, the triplets were given a good wash. The giggling girls helped comb each other’s hair out afterwards; however, their yellow pajamas were in a sorry state.
 <o

></o

>
Melody, looking upon the only attire the girls had, sighed. “Oh well. They’ll just have to wear those a little longer.” She took the girls clothes shopping in Edge, dragging a reluctant Crystal along with her.
 <o

></o

>
“It’s so good to see she’s making friends again,” Mara told Tylas as he helped her clean up. The elderly woman kept the others busy with chores, save for Jazz and Moriah, who’d gone to check for damage on the airship. Despite her age, she had a charm and authority about her that was hard to resist.
 <o

></o

>
“Really? Why doesn’t she bring any of her other friends over?” Tylas asked, making light conversation.
 <o

></o

>
Mara sighed. “Oh I wish I knew. Truth to tell you, I don’t think she has any friends. It’s such a shame really.” She swept the usual floor debris into the dustpan and dumped it into the trash. “She’s such a nice girl and I think she gets lonely. Mind you, I don’t think she even knows she’s lonely. She just sits around some days, staring into the distance as if she forgot something. Poor dear doesn’t even notice I’m watching her.” At this point Mara sighed, and began unloading the dishwasher, Tylas putting the things away that were stored high in the cupboards above that Mara couldn’t reach.
 <o

></o

>
“I care for her as if she were my own, and I certainly don’t want to see any harm come to her. She can win any battle but she’d fall easily when comes to other people,” Mara continued. “It’s a relief to see her bring so many charming young people to her home. I’ve never seen so many people in this house before.”
 <o

></o

>
Tylas glanced over at the couch were Valic was reclining, nose buried in his spellbook. Charming; yeah, right. He let the old woman ramble on about Crystal and her lifestyle, taking in this information about the enigmatic woman he had come to regard as one of his closest friends.
 <o

></o

>
The sunlight was turning golden and the shadows growing long when Melody and Crystal returned with Tylas’ sisters. The triplets came bouncing up to greet their brother, all wearing outfit’s of the most vivid red. He laughed when they jumped on him, almost knocking him over.
 <o

></o

>
After saying hello, they were distracted by Jack, and gleefully went to play with the big dog, brandishing toys they had ‘gotten’ for him. Tylas turned towards the approaching Melody, whom had numerous bags draped over her arms. “They insisted on getting red, you know that?” she said. “Seriously, you’re a bad influence on those girls. No fashion sense whatsoever!”
 <o

></o

>
“What? It’s not my fault! Blame tradition,” he defended. Melody stuck her tongue out at him and held out one arm weighed down with bags. “Well, you can make up for it by helping to bring in some things.”
 <o

></o

>
He duly relived her of a few bags, while Jazz, who’d returned hours earlier, was being pried out of the house by Melody. Just then he saw Crystal walking up the driveway.
 <o

></o

>
She had gotten a whole new outfit. While she had kept the black pants her usual, sleeveless shirt had been abandoned in favor of a black leather vest. The vest only came down to her midriff, leaving her abdomen exposed, had it not been for another sleeveless, purple shirt underneath that came a few inches short of the waistline. As it was, a tantalizing inch or two of skin was well visible. A purple belt of some kind of silky, woven material had been added, and fell well past her knee on her left leg, adding more color to her attire. The new outfit showed off her shapely figure nicely and she seemed unaware of the new affect the outfit had.
 <o

></o

>
“Damn! Man, she is hot!!!” Jazz said, coming up behind Tylas. Tylas quickly looked away, and focused on handing the pilot some bags. He had been thinking the same thing. “Jazz, just drop it,” he muttered.
 <o></o>
“What?! Drop it? Waddya mean? Man, that is one hot chick right there!” Jazz said, toning his voice down as Crystal came near.
 <o></o>
Tylas turned away from the sight of the swordswoman approaching in the golden sunlight and shut the car door. “I’m telling you man, she ain’t interested. You’re just gonna get hurt.” Tylas meant ‘hurt’ in the physical meaning, but Jazz clearly thought he was referring to a different usage of the term.
 <o></o>
“Ha! Yeah right. She’ll fall for me, just you wait and see. No woman can resist me,” Jazz scoffed.
 <o></o>
Tylas simply shrugged and handed Jazz a few bags as he walked by the pilot. He quickly made his way into the house, not wanting to witness the demise of the pilot in the driveway. Inside he was instructed to put the bags down on the couch so that the girls’ new wardrobe could be properly gone over by Avona and Mara. Women; he’d never understand their obsession with clothes.
 <o></o>
Just then Melody squealed and dashed over to the door, dragging Crystal over to the center of the living room. The swordswoman, taken by surprise, was easily dragged across the room by the blond. “Okay, now what do you think?” Melody asked the other women excitedly.
 <o></o>
“Oh, very nice, something new for a change,” Mara said. Avona nodded in agreement. “What kind of belt is that?” the mage asked. Melody grinned at her. “It’s actually a scarf, but you can get away with anything these days!”
 <o></o>
Melody twirled one finger in the air in front of Crystal, indicating for her to spin around. Crystal simply glared at Melody and crossed her arms. “This is stupid,” she said, voicing Tylas’ earlier thoughts.
 <o></o>
“Oh come on, just spin around; let them see. Come on!!” Melody nagged, her grin never fading.
 <o></o>
With a great sigh of tried patience, Crystal did as she was asked, dropping her arms and quickly spun around. As she completed her turn, Jazz came up to her and grabbed her around the waist, pinning her hands against his chest. In one smooth movement, he had turned her spin into a rather suggestive dance position. He gave her his most charming smile while Melody whistled and the triplets laughed.
 <o></o>
The two continued to slow dance around the room, though it was clear that Crystal would have preferred a much different kind of ‘slow dancing’. One that was not so peaceful. “You’re very beautiful,” Jazz said softly, gazing into her eyes. She didn’t respond. If anything, her eyes narrowed. He took her silence to mean that she wasn’t upset. In reality, so many insults had risen to her tongue that she had a hard time picking out any that were suitable for her rage and were appropriate say in front of the little girls. To make the situation even worse, Melody had turned on the radio and had tuned in a slow, romantic song.
 <o></o>
“That’s a very nice outfit. Makes you even more beautiful, which I didn’t think was possible,” Jazz said, knowing that women won’t allow a kiss with only one compliment.
 <o></o>
Thunder on her face and lightning in her eyes, Crystal was about to say something very inappropriate indeed when Tylas saved the pilot’s life and his sister’s ears. Clamping one hand on Jazz’s shoulder in a firm grip he said, “May I cut in?”
 <o></o>
Jazz wanted to tell him to buzz off, but couldn’t in the current situation. Tylas’ tone made it quite clear that it would be a mistake to refuse. Grudgingly, Jazz released the furious swordswoman and stepped back. “Yeah, sure,” he said.
 <o></o>
Turning to Crystal, Tylas made a gentlemanly bow and held out his hand. “Milady?” With great dignity, she took his offered hand and the two began dancing properly to the slow song coming from the radio.
 <o></o>
Crystal was inestimably thankful for Tylas’ timely intervention. Unable to tell him with the current audience, she stayed silent, though the previous rage in her demeanor had melted away. When the song had ended, their dance came to an end. There was much cheering and catcalls from the other women; Jazz was leaning against the wall, sulkily watching the entire scene. He was of the sole opinion that he had been cheated out of a very good opportunity.
 <o></o>
Afterward, in an attempt to whisk away the traces of Crystal’s palpable fury, Mara made them all sit down for dinner. Crystal made sure to distance herself from Jazz, pointedly sitting next to Tylas to show where her favor lie.
 <o></o>
After the meal they sat around the living room, content to let their worries melt away. They had just pulled off an impossible rescue, they’d dealt a severe blow to the enemies’ moral, and now they were safe. Satisfied, they all watched the triplets playing with Jack in the middle of the living room. When the triplets’ yawns began to grow in length and frequency, Tylas deemed it was time for them to go to bed. At this announcement, everyone else agreed to get some sleep as well.
 <o></o>
There was first the brief fiasco of getting the girls dressed and ready for bed. Finding a place for everyone else to sleep immediately followed that. The two guest bedrooms were taken by the girls and by Avona and Melody, one of the rooms containing two twin beds. Moriah, who’d joined them earlier under the disguise of an illusion, curled up comfortably on the floor and was soon asleep. Valic slept on the couch, which folded out into a bed of sorts, while Jazz was left to fidget upon a narrow cot dragged up from the depths of a basement storage room and which smelled of mildew.
 <o></o>
Jack accompanied the triplets that night. The big dog lay in the middle of the large bed, a little girl on each side with two little arms wrapped around him. Tylas stood in the doorway, studying the scene with a smile on his face. The girls had indeed insisted on wearing red, the new color of their pajamas. They no longer liked yellow apparently. The bedside lamp burned brightly, keeping the darkness at bay.
 <o></o>
Crystal quietly came up beside Tylas, and peered into the room. “Oh, he is such a happy dog,” she said softly, smiling slightly. “The traitor.”
 <o></o>
Tylas laughed quietly at this. “Yes, he certainly is.”
 <o></o>
Crystal looked at him. “Are you sure about sleeping here? I can still boot Jazz off the cot and onto the floor if you want it.”
 <o></o>
Again he laughed. “I’m fine, but thanks for the offer. Jazz better watch his back from here on out, huh?”
 <o></o>
Crystal snorted. “Damn straight. You just saved his life today with your fancy footwork. Thanks for that, by the way. We’d have to find another pilot and I don’t think Cid would be so forgiving when he found out I killed his best pilot.”
 <o></o>
Tylas grinned. “Yeah, well, I warned him. Look what happens when he doesn’t listen to genius.”
 <o></o>
Now Crystal laughed softly and placed a hand on his shoulder. “It’s good to see you smiling again.” Before he could think of something to say, she had bid him goodnight and disappeared into her room.
 <o></o>
After a few moments, Tylas decided he’d better get some sleep as well. He went over and sat in a chair next to the bed his sisters were sleeping so soundly in. His spear rested against his shoulder, the butt end nestled in the soft carpet at his feet, and within a few minutes, he was asleep. Here he stayed for the rest of the night, a sentinel against the dangers of night.
 <o></o>
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
 <o></o>
The next morning received mixed greetings from the companions. Tylas descended the stairs being led by his sisters, not quite aware that he was awake yet. Jazz stiffly unfolded himself from the cot and began the painful process of becoming flexible again. Melody, however, bounced down the stairs with the ever-present smile, ready to begin the day.
 <o></o>
“Hello! How did you all sleep?” she asked with that loathsome morning cheer.
 <o></o>
Valic, who was not an early riser by any means, answered brusquely, “Darkness never sleeps.”
 <o></o>
At this Melody simply giggled and poked him in the ribs. “Awwww! You’re so cute in the morning!” This remarkably erroneous statement floated in the air for a few moments before Jazz burst out laughing. He sat down roughly and slapped the floor in his mirth.
 <o></o>
“And what are you laughing at?” Melody asked him, giving him an odd look. The pilot could only shake his head and laugh. “N-nothing!” he finally managed, catching his breath. “Nothing at all.”
 <o></o>
She gave him a look that indicated quite clearly that she was joining Avona in her opinion that Jazz was wrong in the head. She made a mental note to ask the white mage to have a look into the redhead’s mental health when she could find the time to do so. She then bustled off into the kitchen in search of breakfast. After a few minutes, everyone began to migrate towards the kitchen, following the scent of that life-sustaining liquid known as coffee.
 <o></o>
When he came to the sad realization that he was indeed awake, the first thing Tylas did was get some coffee. Sipping the scalding liquid, he dully watched Crystal as she decided what cereal to eat, when a question came to him. This was quite unusual, for extensive mental activity is generally disabled in the morning until a sufficient amount of coffee has entered his system. Then, and only then, will he begin to think about anything other than waking up. Today, however, was an exception, for curiosity is a very powerful thing.
 <o></o>
“Crystal,” he began thoughtfully. “Why don’t you ever cook?” He had noticed that he had never seen her eat anything that wasn’t ready to eat out of the package or cooked by someone else, as with pizza or Mara’s cooking.
 <o></o>
Crystal turned around with a cereal box in hand and uttered a short laugh. “I don’t cook because I can’t. I am the only person to date that has burned rice, I think. And believe me, I didn’t try that again.”
 <o></o>
Tylas sipped his coffee while his brain processed this information. Meanwhile, his sisters bounced around him, involved in the busy activities known only to them. He did a mental double take when he finally understood her words. “Wait… You can’t cook rice?” This was a bit surprising. Even he could cook rice, and that was saying something.
 <o></o>
She shook her head as she fished for a bowl. “Nope. The greatest disaster of all was when I burned canned soup. The kitchen smelled for days.”
 <o></o>
Now that some coffee had been imbibed he was functioning better, and at her words he gaped at her. It was quite a feat to burn soup in the first place, but canned soup was even more unbelievable. “Then you always eat cereal for breakfast? Don’t you miss having …” he fished for a word momentarily, “um, say, pancakes instead?”
 <o></o>
Again she shook her head, now standing on tiptoe to reach the back of the cabinet. “It’s usually cereal for me. I eat out sometimes but never for breakfast. So really I can’t miss pancakes because I’ve never had them.” She stopped her searching for a bowl and frowned at the cabinet then turned toward him. “Why do—What?”
 <o></o>
Tylas was not alone in his thunderstruck gaze; his sisters had stopped their antics as well and were staring at her as if she had just said something blasphemous. Melody, had entered the kitchen just in time to catch Crystal’s last words and looked at her as if she were a beaten puppy. Then Tylas stood, a look of resolution coming over his face. “Okay, that’s it. You three set the table.” That said, he steered Crystal to a chair and quickly put the cereal back where it belonged before she could utter a single protest or query.
 <o></o>
Without any further orders, the triplets began to set the table for breakfast, requiring only a momentary pause to ask where everything was kept. Meanwhile, Tylas busied himself at the stove, and pancakes were soon piling up on a plate placed next to the stove to receive them.
 <o></o>
Jazz took a seat next to Crystal, wincing slightly as stiff muscles creaked their protest to such movement. Crystal favored him with a sidelong glance, observing his discomfort with amusement. “Sleep well?” she asked.
 <o></o>
Jazz merely smiled at her, not one to give up on something easily, especially a beautiful woman. “Never slept better!” he lied.
 <o></o>
She merely raised one thin eyebrow at this obvious falsehood. “That’s good. Going to be doing a lot of hard work today.” She slapped him good-naturedly on the shoulder, but was a bit to firm in applying this gesture. He grimaced something spectacular but said nothing. Slowly, he reached over and grabbed his aching shoulder. He stood and hobbled off and was heard going upstairs, apparently to talk to Avona, whom had yet to make her appearance. However, the white mage wouldn’t be able to remove that lingering scent of mildew that hung about the pilot and he would soon realize that when his aching muscles had ceased to pain him. Then he would belatedly realize, with much cursing, that he had tried to make a move on her while smelling of foul mold. His chagrin would be crushing. Crystal grinned wickedly.
 <o></o>
After a while, Crystal began to grow impatient, forced to stay seated while everyone else around her was busy. Eventually, she was called upon to produce the maple syrup. Naturally, she didn’t have any, never having a need for it. After many loud lamentations on how it ‘just wouldn’t be complete’ without it, she went searching downstairs for some. After a good long rummage, she managed to produce a very dusty bottle of maple syrup. She had no idea how she had come by it; most likely Mara had gotten it when getting groceries.
 <o></o>
Finally, when everyone was seated, they began their breakfast of pancakes. Tylas watched eagerly as Crystal took her first hesitant bite. “Well?” he asked. “Mmmm. This is really good!” was her response and she took another bite. Tylas fairly beamed with pride.
 <o></o>
Though Crystal had told Jazz that there would be much hard work ahead, there really wasn’t. As was with the previous day, they all took this day as a break, of sorts. Today they would make their plan of attack as well as do anything else that had to be done before they initiated their strike.
 <o></o>
First, there was the problem of the triplets. Obviously Tylas could not stay to care for them, nor could they accompany the group. This problem was soon solved when Mara came over.
 <o></o>
“I’d be more than happy to look after them!” The elderly woman sat at the table, sipping some tea and scratching Jack’s head.
 <o></o>
“Thank you so very much,” Tylas said for what must have been the tenth time. Mara laughed. “I have five grandchildren their age and it’ll be wonderful to have some company.”
 <o></o>
“And you don’t have to worry about their safety, either,” Crystal said. “You happen to be in the presence of one fine red mage.”
 <o></o>
Mara beamed at the compliment. “Crystal, you flatter me. Besides, they’ve got Jack here to protect them!” She rubbed the dogs’ back vigorously, and Jack squirmed this way and that, delighting in the attention.
 <o></o>
Relieved that his sisters would be well taken care of and protected, Tylas allowed himself to relax a little. Though Jack didn’t seem like the most ideal guard dog, Crystal soon proved him wrong. At one point in the day, Crystal knelt beside the shepherd and turned his head towards the three girls whose attention was caught by the T.V., rendering them still for a few moments. “Guard,” Crystal said to the dog, then left. From there on out, wherever the girls went, Jack was with them. If the girls were separated from one another the big dog could be found going back and forth between each, pausing for a slight pet before moving on to his next charge. Tylas was impressed with how well trained the dog was and his doubts vanished.
 <o></o>
Throughout the day, the group had dispersed, each one taking care of a few loose ends that had to be dealt with. Melody had gone off to purchase some magic items they lacked; Valic had gone somewhere for his own mysterious reasons; Avona left to find some materia she had been looking for; Jazz and Moriah left to check and repair the airship, Moriah proved to be a wonderful assistant in this job provided the hanger was empty of others.
 <o></o>
The only ones that had nothing to do were Tylas and Crystal. They passed the time mainly by preparing for the upcoming battle. Alexis, Whitney, and Sarah were fascinated by the curious weapons and materia the warriors utilized. They watched intently as the two sparred for lack of anything better to do. When the others began to return by late afternoon, the two were seated on the floor at the coffee table playing chess. Crystal was intent on the board before her while the triplets were busy braiding her long hair into many little braids as thick as a pencil. With three girls going at it, the swordswoman’s hair was nearly completely converted to braid form.
 <o></o>
Crystal moved a bishop a few spaces. “Checkmate.” Tylas closely inspected the board and found that she was right; that made the seventh win in a row. “Damn. And you didn’t hear that,” he said, pointing towards his sisters. Despite his words, he still received the crescendo and accusatory ‘Awwww’ from the three. He merely scowled at them and began to reset the board as Melody walked in.
 <o></o>
She paused when she saw Crystal’s hair and thought carefully before speaking. “I take it you didn’t want to try the Afro style, then?” she asked.
 <o></o>
Crystal merely rolled her eyes. “They were bored. Your move,” she said to Tylas. Melody deposited her things in her room and returned to the living room in time to see Crystal take out one of Tylas’ rooks with a knight. The rest of the group members slowly trickled as the sun approached the horizon. Eventually, Tylas got better at his chess skills until the score stood three to twelve in Crystal’s favor.
 <o></o>
Finally, everyone had returned and settled down to discuss their plan of attack to finish off the Remnant once and for all.
 <o></o>
It was established right off the bat that another aerial insertion was out of the question, for undoubtedly it would be expected. At this Jazz cracked his knuckles, saying, “Excellent! I’ll finally get a chance to fight some of these bastards!”
 <o></o>
Ignoring his comment, Crystal moved on with the plan. “Going over land won’t work either; those woods are swarming with hybrids. So that leaves one option: Magic. Now Valic, are you sure you can teleport all of us there?”
 <o></o>
The black mage, swathed in shadows despite the brightly lit room, nodded. “I assure you it is of no undue stress to me. I shall teleport all of us to the crater you spoke of the other day. I believe that would place us out of immediate harm’s way as well as bring us as close as possible to the town.”
 <o></o>
Crystal nodded, thinking this over. “Sounds fine to me. And that Remnant won’t expect us coming from the mountains either.” So the conversation continued, everyone adding their ideas and bits of information. Gradually a strategy was formed, needing only to be implemented to be complete. As they all drifted off to bed, Jazz using numerous extra pillows to cushion his uncomfortable bed, they felt a confidence that hadn’t been present in their first assault. They had seen and met the enemy, spilled their blood, and then left safely. They knew what was ahead and how to deal with it. Thus, no nightmares plagued their sleep that night, oblivious that they would be descending into one come sunrise.
 <o></o>
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
 <o></o>
“Fascinating,” Avaric murmured, or rather, the thing that looked like the dead Remnant. It stood as its legs formed, seeming almost to draw itself out of the very ground but bringing the earth with it. Its journey through the ‘Lifestream’, as the indigenous creatures called it, had imparted to the alien the knowledge of all sentient creatures upon this planet as well as the planet’s history. It gazed around the ruined town, appearing human in all but the eyes, which glowed red as though they were smoldering embers.
 <o></o>
Upon consuming the first creature it had caught, it also gained the knowledge of its prey. It had gleaned from the weak mind that one of its’ kind had come to this planet already. Jenova, they called it. Jenova should’ve been able to wipe this world clean, and yet it had failed to do so, which surprised the alien beyond words. After learning what happened with its kin’s corpse, the alien was infuriated and disgusted by the actions of these pathetic animals called ‘humans’. It would make them pay dearly for their blasphemy. Though the humans had killed Jenova, it was of little concern to the alien; it wouldn’t fail.
 <o></o>
Looking back upon Jenova’s attack, it was pleased with the destruction she had wrought, though she had fallen in the end, by means that even it could not discern. However, wiping out an entire planet alone was simply far too slow, as Jenova had sought to do. The Remnant it had absorbed was of the right idea. The alien was impressed with what the Remnant had achieved, for it was merely a weak half-breed that depended solely upon its’ species genetic divinity. It would now pick up where the Remnant had left off, albeit with a different plan in mind.
 <o></o>
The planet was rank with fear of the alien; it could smell it. Yes, the planet knew what it was and feared it all the more. The souls in the Lifestream had shrieked in terror with the planet as it had landed, and now the alien smiled as it bathed in the fear.
 <o></o>
“Lazarus,” it said to the dead town. “And so I shall be. The agony and terror of an entire world come back from the dead. I shall be this world’s angel of death.” As Lazarus spoke, a pair of blood-red wings grew on its back, wings the color of the unshed blood of the planet. Wings the color of the blood of the living. Lazarus threw back his head and laughed as the planet shuddered in fear.
 <o></o>
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
 <o></o>
The crater the companions found themselves in had long since cooled; the meteorite nestled in scorched, shattered earth. The dried blood easily blended in blacked, burned ground and went unseen by the group.
 <o></o>
They continued down the side of the mountain, still a ways yet from the town when they met an unsettling sight. A lone hybrid was meandering along the mountainside, stumbling and falling as if it were blind. The group quickly closed in to kill it before it would alert the Remnant to their presence but stopped when they came closer.
 <o></o>
It looked right at them and blinked. Humans and hybrid stared at each other for minutes, the silence stretching between them. Finally, Jazz spoke up in an attempt to break the silence. “How are you?” he asked the hybrid.
 <o></o>
“How am I?” it asked in a flat monotone.
 <o></o>
Needless to say, this reaction caused quite a stir amongst the companions. The hybrid had answered them, but it wasn’t the Remnant speaking through it; that much was clear. Yet, not once could anyone recall any hybrid talking to them, Moriah excluded. It had clearly asked them a question in response to their own. To all appearances, it seemed to be looking to them to tell it what to do.
 <o></o>
Avona was the one to come up with the explanation to this curious behavior. “Remember I told you that I found a set of rules or a program when I healed Moriah?” They nodded. The meandering hybrid continued to stand and stare at them. “Well… I think it’s asking for rules,” she said, a note of surprise entering her voice.
 <o></o>
“Doesn’t that mean that whoever is controlling them is no longer… well, controlling them?” Jazz asked, looking a little confused. The white mage nodded. “Yes. I don’t know exactly why, but… the only thing I can think of is that the Remnant is too busy to control them, or something to that affect. That could be why this hybrid is wandering around.”
 <o></o>
The group was mollified by this reasoning and returned the gaze of the hybrid. “Sit down,” Crystal said. It sat on the ground. “Heh.” She shook her head in some amusement and the group passed it, leaving it sitting on the ground. The hybrid’s behavior did not worry her in the least. In fact, it only assured her that they were striking at the right time, when everything was in a state of utter chaos.
 <o></o>
They reached the town with no further encounters. But something wasn’t right. The way they had just walked into the town wasn’t right. They had expected to fight their way through to kill the Remnant. Instead they found a wandering hybrid and an utterly desolate town.
 <o></o>
Swiftly and silently they entered the town, slipping from shadow to shadow as they went past broken buildings.
 <o></o>
“Come out. Cease this slinking about in the shadows.”
 <o></o>
The voice reached all of them clearly and something within it froze their blood. They had been seen by nothing and in turn had not seen anything. But someone, something, knew they were there. The last thing they were about to do was come out of their cover. Everyone froze at the sound of the voice, not daring to breathe should it give them away.
 <o></o>
“I said come.” This time they could not stop themselves from stepping out of their shelter. Crystal found herself walking down one barren street, mentally screaming at herself to stop. The others were experiencing the same thing, all struggling with their own bodies and helpless to do anything. Nothing; they could nothing as their bodies acted upon their own violation.
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Everyone was heading in the same direction; the town square. As Crystal saw the square ahead of her, she fought with herself to draw at least one sword. Nothing. Her arms wouldn’t move. Gritting her teeth, she tried again, fighting the force that made her a prisoner in her own body. Through sheer power of will, her right arm slowly rose, reached over her shoulder, and drew one sword. Before she could concentrate on doing the same with her left arm, she had already entered the square, and she could see all the other companions walking there as well, clearly as helpless as she was.
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In the center of the square was an ornate fountain. The sculptures were that of the founders of the town. Three men, one holding a shovel, another a pickaxe, and the third pointing at some invisible object.
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The companions were guided to stand some twenty feet from the fountain then stopped. Immediately they felt the grip on their minds vanish, relinquishing their bodies to them once more.
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Before Tylas could give warning, one of the statues in the fountain came to life. The third man, the one pointing off into the distance, lowered his arm and stepped off the fountain platform. As it descended, it changed shape; turning into the Remnant they had seen before, except for the crimson wings.
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Just as it set foot upon the ground, they were upon it, everyone attacking at once. Valic summoned a ball of black fire and hurled it at the strange shape-shifter. Avona was casting a spell that would render the creature immobile. Melody’s foot was about to connect with its’ face, Tylas was about to skewer it through the middle, Moriah’s claws ready to rip off one red wing, and Crystal’s swords were rapidly closing in on their target.
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There was a slight pause and everyone seemed to stop for a fraction of a second. Then a wave of force shoved them backwards, sending everyone tumbling to the ground. They were up in an instant, ready to fend off an attack. The man laughed at them.
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“Such terrible manners. You should learn better.”
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Suddenly, a pain like she had never known consumed Crystal. It felt as though her blood had turned to acid, every nerve was on fire, every fiber of her being was shredding. The agony was so intense she couldn’t scream, couldn’t breathe, and couldn’t think of anything but the unearthly torture. The others were being tormented in the same way.
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It lasted only for a few seconds, but it felt like centuries. When Lazarus ceased the torture, it was all they could do to keep from falling over.
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“Let me introduce myself. I am Lazarus. I will be your death.”
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Gasping for breath, Crystal steadied herself before standing up from her crouched position. She tightened her grip on her swords and took a defensive stance. “I’d like to see you try,” she said, her voice hoarse.
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Tylas was the next to recover, standing next to Crystal. “What the fuck are you!?” he shouted.
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Lazarus smiled. Suddenly, an older woman with black hair with streaks of gray in it appeared before them, taking the place of the winged man. Tylas almost dropped his spear in shock. It was his mother.
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“Tylas, my son…why did you leave me? Why did you run away? You left me to die! Why did you let me die?” she asked mournfully. “I love you so much. Why do you hate me?!” she sobbed.
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That burning pain of guilt and sorrow that Tylas thought had left him came rushing back. It swept over him like a tidal wave, bringing fresh tears to his eyes. These accusations were the very same that had gone through his mind when he had learned of what happened to his home. Though over the initial pain of it, he still blamed himself for what happened, despite all assurances from his friends. To hear these come from his mother’s mouth was simply too much. He staggered backwards, shaking his head, denying what stood before his very eyes.
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“I love you! Why did you abandon me?! I told you to come home, I begged you, but you wouldn’t listen! Why didn’t you just come home? Did you hate me that much?” she demanded, tears coursing down her face.
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This was too much. Tylas fell under these words as though they were weapons. He sank to his knees, continuing to shake his head in a weak denial. “No, no, no…” he moaned.
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Valic threw another fireball, but it was dashed out of the air by the same invisible force as before. And Tylas’ mother whipped to face him—and another woman suddenly stood there. A thin, narrow-faced woman with brown hair and eyes. She looked at Valic as if she were deeply hurt and shocked. “Valic, why did you kill me? Why did you kill your sister?” From behind the woman stepped a girl around twelve years old. “Valic?” she said, her voice trembling. “You promised to take care of me. Why didn’t you? I thought we were going to play.”
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Valic stepped back, distancing himself from the phantoms. “No. I know what you are. It will not work,” he said, but his words were undermined by the uncertainty in his voice.
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“Valic, why did you kill me?” the woman repeated.
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The mage shook his head. “You know nothing. I did not kill them. I did not know!”
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“You killed me! You killed me, you killed me, YOU KILLED ME, YOU KILLED ME, YOU KILLED ME!!” the woman shrieked at him. The girl that was his sister cried out for him to help her above the woman’s screams.
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Valic simply stood there, arms hanging at his sides, head bowed; he took the blow of the words, flinching each time she said it. The mage had clearly lost his will to fight.
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The two vanished, replaced by a tall, blond man. He was kind you’d find in the military, cold blue eyes degrading everything they touched, his square jaw didn’t allow for any smiles. “Melody!” he roared and she jumped. “You worthless piece of shit! What the hell are you doing?! You can never do anything right! Why do I even ask you to do anything?”
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Melody pressed her hands over her ears, squeezing her eyes shut as if she could block out the man before her. “You’ll never achieve anything,” the man sneered. “You’re not even worth the air you breathe. You’re the reason she died!”
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“Melody, don’t listen to him!” Jazz called warningly. But the blond man’s voice drowned him out. Melody could only hear him. She tried to hold up under the foul words the man said but couldn’t stand the strain. “That’s not true!” she shouted back at him. “I hate you!” Then she started sobbing uncontrollably as the man continued to throw every foul word in the book at her, calling her worthless and a waste.
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“Stop it!!” Jazz shouted at him, advancing with the staff in hand.
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A bright redhead girl appeared, about fourteen, wearing a baseball cap. Her bright green eyes laughed as she turned to him. “Hey Jazz! I thought I told you not to drink anything before we left. Didn’t I say you should’ve called mom?”
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The pilot visibly shuddered. “It’s not real,” he muttered.
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“Jazz! Are you listening to me? Jazz! Come on, we’re gonna be late for the game!” She laughed merrily. She had a beautiful laugh, one that made you smile just hearing it. Jazz turned away from her, unable to look at her anymore. He kept telling himself that it wasn’t real, but that didn’t stop him from thinking about the real thing.
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“Hey!” Crystal stepped forward. “Why don’t you try me, you sick bastard!”
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The redhead disappeared, the winged Remnant forming once more. He stared at her coldly and she felt a chill run through her as her instincts told her to run for it. “Yeah, that’s what I thought. You don’t have anything on me.”
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Suddenly it was on flame, and a scream ripped through the air. The others didn’t see what was at the center of the inferno, but Crystal did. What she saw made her retreat backwards, grab Tylas, and run.
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[FONT=&quot]The others followed her, running from the creature that had laid bare their souls and needled sore wounds. Behind them the screaming had stopped when Crystal fled and was replaced by a cold, echoing laughter that they could not escape no matter how fast they tried to run from it.[/FONT]

Dragon Mage · Sep 29, 2007

Chapter 13—The River Styx<o></o>
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Avona had to teleport the group back to Crystal’s house; Valic was too agitated to concentrate on speaking the arcane words. Once there, Melody ran upstairs, still crying. Everyone stood there, not looking at each other, stunned by what they had just witnessed. They were so shocked they didn’t know what do, what to think. Eventually, Valic went upstairs as well, and Tylas followed.
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Jazz stepped outside and stood on the front porch, staring at the railing. Moriah followed him and put a friendly arm around him, saying nothing. The two had become good friends over the course of the past few days, despite their less than friendly greeting. The pilot was silent for a long time. “It was my sister,” he said quietly after several minutes.
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“No it wasn’t, Jazz. It was that… that thing,” Moriah said gently.
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He acted as if he hadn’t heard her, his mind only on the past. His sister, Rhapsody Zephyr, loved baseball; she was the best player on the team. It was the night of the big game, and she was going to be late. He had to drive her there, but he’d been drinking. He knew he shouldn’t drive, he knew the risks. But the look on her face when she thought of being late made him act otherwise. Now she was lying in some hospital, in a coma for the last two years.
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When was the last time he’d seen his parents? He couldn’t remember. They always regarded him with that mixed look of pity, disappointment, and anger he couldn’t stand. They wouldn’t speak to him anymore. He paid for all her medical bills, and prayed everyday that she would wake up. To hear her laugh, see her smile, see the look on her face when she whipped that ball through the air was all Jazz hoped for. And to hear her speak and laugh in that dead town had reminded him of what he had done and how she would never smile again.
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*
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Upstairs in the house, Valic quietly walked into Melody and Avona’s room, coming up behind the weeping blond. She had her back turned to him, her shoulders rising and falling with her sobs. The mage touched her shoulder and she turned around and looked at him, tears streaming down her face. She stared at him for a few seconds then suddenly threw her arms around him, buried her face in his shoulder and wept soundly.
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Valic returned her embrace, quietly offering his support to the martial artist. He put one hand in her bright hair, the curls wrapping around his fingers. After a while she pulled back, revealing her face once more. “I-it was m-my f-father,” she stammered.
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“Was he really like that?” Valic asked gently.
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She smiled bitterly and nodded. “Yeah. He always wanted a s-son. But my m-mother died after I was born and he blamed me for it. H-h always said I’d n-never be anything.” She had the misfortune of having a father that loathed her for what she was. Everything she did was degraded and scorned. She could do nothing that pleased the man and gods help her when she did something wrong. Her grandmother lived with them when her mother died, but when she passed as well, the beatings got much worse. Finally a teacher reported her numerous bruises to the authorities and she was removed from her father’s harsh care. She lived with her aunt, a bright, upbeat woman, from then on.
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Valic was amazed when she told him this. It seemed unbelievable that such a bright, happy person could have such a past. It was a miracle that she turned out the way she was today.
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“What about you?” she sniffed. “Who were they?”
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It had become a moment of sharing misery, apparently. Though the mage didn’t want to tell her of his dark past, he couldn’t refuse her. The look on her face and the hand clutching his robes made him tell her.
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“It was my mother and sister,” he said softly, hoping she wouldn’t ask about their words.
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His hope was not to be fulfilled. “Don’t believe what they said. It’s only saying that to get to you,” she said, sounding defiant.
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He shook his head. “No. It was true. I killed them.” He quickly continued at her shocked look, hugging her tighter.
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“Melody, in my craft, all power comes with a price. I was hungry for it; I would do anything for more power. In the end, it claimed the lives of all the family I had left. I… I had no idea what would happen to them.” His own voice sounded odd to him as some powerful emotion rose in his throat. He let go of her, not wanting to see the look of horror in her eyes, and turned away from her. “I wish everyday that I could go back and make everything right again,” he said. But that would never happen. And in the end, he was left with all the power he could possibly want, and no reason to use it anymore; for no matter how strong he was, that power could never bring them back. “Melody… my sister… you remind me of her so much. I wanted you to know that before you left,” he whispered, closing his eyes. Now it would come; now she would leave him, never to return, always regarding him with the same disgust and horror he had lived with all his life.
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He waited for the sound of her leaving, but instead felt her wrap her arms around him once more. “Oh Valic, I’m so sorry! I’d never leave you because of that!” she said. The mage was stunned by her reaction, and gratefully returned the hug. He knew right then that he would always be with this woman he considered a sister. He would do whatever was needed to protect her, even if that meant giving his own life for hers. Melody knew this as well, without him having to tell her, and knew she would never lack a defender ever again.
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The two stood there in the room, embracing one another, Melody a bit of light wrapped in darkness. Or maybe, it was the other way around.
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*
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Down the hallway from where Valic and Melody were, Tylas was watching his sisters sleep. He stood in the doorway, thinking about how much they had suffered. If only he’d gone home…
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A hand appeared on his shoulder. He didn’t look away from his sisters. “Tylas,” Crystal said, “Don’t you dare think about what that thing said. Don’t you believe it for one second.”
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He was silent for a long time before speaking. “But what if it was right? If I had gone home it would never have hap—“
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Crystal interrupted him by turning his head to look at her. “Listen to me Tylas. It isn’t your fault. I was the one that asked you to come with me; [/i]I[/i] was the one that brought you away from your family. It’s my fault. If there’s anyone to blame for what happened, it’s me. Not you.”
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He simply stared at her. She dropped her gaze, unable to meet his gray eyes anymore. “I… I’m sorry, Tylas. I’m the one that did this to you and your family. I should be the one to pay.” Again, she saw in her mind’s eye that raging inferno at the dead town and what lie within it. She shuddered, the image bringing questions and doubts to her mind that she would rather do without.
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Without any warning, Tylas hugged her. Surprised, she stood there for a second or two before she realized what had happened, not used to such an action. She awkwardly returned the embrace, not sure what to do. “Thank you, Crystal,” he said softly. “Thank you for being there.”
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He released her and within the narrow confines of the doorway, the two were unusually close to one another. Their eyes locked and Tylas’ heart skipped a beat as he met her violet eyes. Some strange emotion had risen in his chest and he couldn’t for the life of him look away.
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“Tylas?” a small voice reached their ears. One of the triplets had awoken and the others were opening their eyes already. Tylas went to them, sitting on the edge of the bed.
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Crystal didn’t stay around after that. A peculiar tumult of unknown feelings suddenly passed through her, and she didn’t like it one bit. She quickly retreated to her room, and sat with her back against the door. She rested her head against the door and closed her eyes. It’s all in your head, Crystal; just think it through… she thought to herself. As she always did when she was upset or angry about something, she simply let the silence around her take over, wiping everything clean. Within a few minutes, all her confusion, uncertainty, fear, and… something else, was gone entirely. She felt like her old self; calm, collected, in control—nothing more, nothing less. And that’s the way she liked it. Emotions only got in the way; just like people.
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She stayed there for a few minutes, until she heard someone call her name. She opened her eyes slightly to see Zack standing before her. If he had been agitated when she last saw him, he was downright terrified now. It didn’t fit the former SOLDIER. “Crystal, oh gods, Crystal you have to go to the Forgotten City, now!” he exclaimed. “It’s the only way.”
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She stared at him through half-open eyes. “Zack calm down. Now, what are you saying?”
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At her nonchalant attitude and soft voice, the spirit, slightly glowing, calmed down. Her calm bearing reaching even him, beyond the grave.
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“Go to the Forgotten City. You’ll find all your answers there,” he repeated. Crystal closed her eyes. Yes, that would be the place to find them. “What is it?” she asked, Zack knowing exactly what she was talking about. He uttered a short, bitter laugh. “Jenova the Second. Gods help us, but it’ll kill everything.”
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Crystal sighed. She was suddenly tired, weary down to the bone. This alien, these strange feelings, everything; it was getting to be too much for her to deal with all at once. But she better, because everyone would be asking her what to do next. It’s the job of the leader to always know what’s up ahead. But for the moment, she simply wished she were alone, as usual. Having to deal with social dynamics simply wasn’t her strong point, and when she had to, she quickly tired of it, unused to and uncomfortable being around others.
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They would go to the Forgotten City; the only trouble was getting everyone to go there and give a plausible reason to do so. She sighed again and wearily got to her feet, pushing aside all her troubles. “Thank you, Zack. We’ll do that today.” The City wasn’t too far away; they could get there by nightfall if they left soon. Zack nodded and vanished.
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She left her room and caught a glimpse of Melody and Valic talking to each other in Melody’s room. She rapped on the door way and both turned towards her. “Get ready to go in an hour,” she said. Before they could ask why or where they were going, she left. She dispensed the same message to everyone else, again leaving swiftly before any queries could be posed. She then retired to her room again, simply enjoying the solitude.
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Roughly an hour later, everyone, more or less recovered from their emotional ordeal, met in the living room, ready to leave as instructed.
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“So, where are we going?” Tylas asked.
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“Forgotten City,” Crystal answered. She continued before anyone said anything further. “That thing we saw… remember when I told you that Jenova was an alien?” They nodded. “Well, think of this thing as a second Jenova.”
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Silence stretched as they all took this in. They weren’t overly surprised; what they had witnessed could not have come from this earth. What concerned them the most was how they were going to deal with it.
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Valic, who was well informed on history, asked, “This creature wiped out an entire race. How are we going to kill it?”
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Crystal shrugged. “Hell if I know. But the important thing is, the Cetra figured out some way to kill Jenova; if that means still exists, we’ll find out about it at the City.”
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“But…” Jazz began. “You don’t really think we can kill it, do you? I mean, even if the Cetra managed to kill Jenova, they were still all wiped out! What can we do?”
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Everyone looked at him, expressing neither shock nor disbelief. Jazz grew uncomfortable under the scrutiny, but met everyone’s gaze. Finally, Moriah spoke up. “Just because the journey is hard, and the end unknown, doesn’t mean there’s no point in trying,” she said softly.
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This mollified the pilot somewhat, and he seemed satisfied. Instead, he came up with another question. “How will we know we’ve found this means of killing it?”
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Crystal truly had no idea. They could be going straight into a trap for all she knew. But there was only one answer she could think of. “Pray.”
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*~*~*~*~*~*
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Only much later did Jazz cheer up, the others having recovered a while beforehand. Melody went around and gave everyone a hug; her way of making everything better. This seemed to make quite an improvement in Jazz’s mood and soon he was back to his old self.
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It took about two hours for the airship to reach the snow-capped northern continent. Jazz landed the aircraft just outside the forest surrounding the archeological dig there. From here on out, they would be on foot. Within a short time, they were trekking through the Sleeping Forest.
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Melody was instantly awed by the magnificent glowing, white trees of the forest. She circled one tree many times, staring upwards, gaping in wonder. She then delightedly announced that she would live here if she could.
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Crystal had been here once before, and she’d never come back, nor did she care to. She had a good reason: The forest was full of people. Though to the others eyes the forest appeared completely desolate, Crystal saw thousands upon thousands of people walking in the forest. The soft light given off by the trees made the spirits own natural glow even brighter. They talked to the air, walked through each other, living lives that had long since ended. Crystal had spoken to a few old spirits before; not elderly people, but those who’d died hundreds of years ago. Though old, those ghosts never seemed to be disconnected with the world around them, as were those that filled the forest.
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These spirits were utterly oblivious of the world around them, completely absorbed in the world of the dead. Another oddity was that they were all translucent. Some were barely visible. Crystal had never seen the like anywhere else. These spirits were ancient. Though Crystal didn’t know why they were so transparent, or why they were oblivious to the world of the living, but she did know that they were all Cetra.
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Cetra; the people of the planet. An entire race dead, and here is where they went. Crystal believed that they had been gone from the living world for so long, they merely forgot about it, as though their whole life was a memory. Maybe they were so caught up in the Lifestream, their consciousness was tied up with the planet they so dearly loved when alive. Whatever the case may be, the forest was crammed full of spirits jostling about, taking up every inch of space while being no more substantial than smoke.
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That’s how it was last time Crystal had been here. Now, however, every single spirit watched the group as they walked through the forest. Millions of dead eyes were turned towards them, and Crystal found it downright unnerving. As the group continued on, walking through unseen masses, Crystal became more and more tense.
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A hand dropped on her shoulder. She spun around so fast her hair whipped Tylas in the face, and he stood there blinking at her, startled. “Sorry,” she said quickly, lowering her hands from her swords. “You surprised me.”
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“I guess,” he remarked. “I called to you a couple of times, but you didn’t stop. We’re taking a break.” He paused and regarded her with a concerned look. “You okay? You seem kinda… tense.”
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She shook her head. “I’m fine, thanks.” She didn’t care to elaborate, and Tylas didn’t push for more. They ate a quick lunch before continuing. Avona made a curious remark as they ate. “This forest feels dead… yet alive somehow,” she said musingly.
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“How’s that work?” Moriah asked.
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“I’m not sure,” the white mage murmured. She gazed off into the distance, as if trying to see something far away. She shook her head, breaking her trance-like state. “It feels so…” she struggled for a word.
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“It’s like we’re being watched,” Moriah said suddenly. She too, was gazing at the depths of the inscrutable forest. “Can’t you feel it?” The silence of the forest swept over them, leaving only the nervous feeling of eyes boring into one’s back.
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Crystal found some dry amusement in this situation. Moriah was staring right at a spirit not six inches away, and she couldn’t see a thing. “We should get moving,” Crystal said, breaking the quiet.
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They hadn’t reached the edge of the forest by nightfall. It was still a ways to the city and they decided to set up camp, so that they would be rested enough to face whatever challenges face them the next day. While the others set up camp, Moriah lounged on a tree branch above them, much like a large cat.
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Crystal found it hard to fall asleep. Every time she felt herself drifting off, that maddening feeling of someone behind her would jolt her to full wakefulness once more. Finally, she stopped trying. Sighing, she sat against one glowing tree, arms encircling her legs. She couldn’t sleep with so many eyes on her.
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*~*~*~*~*~*~*
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They approached the city itself by mid-morning. Again, only Crystal could see the masses of dead standing in the city streets, staring at them. There were a few houses of the ancient city that still stood. The Cetra’s love of the planet was reflected in their architecture as well. Each house was shaped like a spiral shell and had a pearly sheen in the soft light.
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Though they had no idea where they were going, they all felt an odd pulling, as if they were being drawn to a certain place. This feeling wasn’t at all like the foreign, cruel control they felt in the dead town. This presence was benevolent, and gently guided them in one direction. No one said anything; they simply continued on, knowing that they were being led to something good.
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They came to a sparkling lake in front of a building shaped like a nautilus. The glowing trees grew close together here, making a wall of living light. Around the lake grew white and yellow lilies, also shedding a soft glow. Standing among the flowers, her back turned towards the group, was a young woman in a pink dress. Her brown hair was tied back in a twist with a length of pink ribbon. She appeared to be tending to the flowers.
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This was the only spirit that Crystal had seen so far that wasn’t transparent or staring at the group, and she wanted to have a word with it. However, she was unable to do so with the others here, and she couldn’t tell them to continue on, not when danger could always be near. Fortunately, the spirit solved the problem. She turned to face the group and Crystal recognized Aerith, having been shown a picture of her at the Seventh Heaven Inn so long ago.
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“Oh, good. Zack said you were coming,” Aerith said. “Don’t worry. Everyone has been expecting you.” She spoke to Crystal, who could only give a slight nod to show she heard and understood. Aerith smiled then vanished.
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The group continued into the nautilus. In the middle of the floor, there was a railed-in area in the center, where a statue of some kind would be placed. However, the statue was absent, replaced instead by a stairway leading downwards.
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Unhesitating, the group descended. They found themselves walking on a staircase of sparkling crystal, held in the air by no visible means. Below was the real city of the Ancients. The city appeared to sit in a crystalline bowl. Outside that bowl was empty space. However, it wasn’t the hungry darkness that seemed to watch your every move; instead it resembled the depths of the ocean, cool and soothing. Above, light from some unknown source shown down upon the city as though coming through water. Indeed, the very city itself appeared to be submerged: an Atlantis of the Ancients.
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The group continued down the floating crystal stairs, and came to a halt before a white platform separate from the rest of the city. Pillars sunken into the ground in the water served to make stepping-stones to the platform, which was made of pearl polished to a mirror finish. They stopped before these stepping-stones, and waited.
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They didn’t wait long. At first it was only a faint haze, becoming more solid until a woman stood before them. Her hair was golden wheat, lying flat against her head and cascading down her back. Her eyes were leaf green. The flowing gown she wore was made of swirling storm clouds, laced with lightning. A necklace of live goldfish swam around her neck as though they were in water. The companions and the woman stared at each other, saying nothing.
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“Who are you?” Melody asked quietly.
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They heard a voice then, though the woman’s mouth didn’t move. The voice was in their minds. I am Gaia.
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“What do we do?” Crystal asked. There was no need to say anything else; Gaia knew what the swordswoman was talking about.
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You need a weapon to kill Lazarus.
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“Is there one?” Avona asked eagerly.
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There is. Long ago, the Cetra forged many items of great power. These items enabled them to kill Jenova. However, both Jenova and the Cetra were destroyed in the final battle. You will need these weapons if you are to kill Lazarus as well.
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“Where are they?” questioned Tylas.
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They are hidden. Even I cannot find them.
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“Then how are we supposed to get them?” Moriah asked.
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The Cetra left no clues as to where the items are hidden. However, they foresaw that they might be needed in the future. They constructed one item that will lead you to the rest. I know the location of only this one object; the others you must find on your own.
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“Well, let’s have it,” Jazz said.
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This object is located in an area east of the Mythril mine, at the mouth of the river. Beware, for a guardian and a trap protect each object. You will have to survive these in order to reach the tools you seek.
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“What’s guarding this object, then?” Crystal asked.
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I know not. I will try to aid you the best I can. Be careful; you are my last hope now. With that said, she vanished.
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The group continued to stare at the spot where an image of Gaia had appeared to them. They were silent as they took in the import of this new flood of information. Things had taken a drastic turn for the worst. What had begun as a crusade against one lone Remnant, which was formidable enough, had suddenly become something much more then what they had bargained for. Now, for the first time since the beginning of their long journey, there was a glimmer of hope.
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Suddenly Jazz let out an angry exclamation, glaring at the vacant altar. “Hey, there’s some kites you and me gotta talk about!!”
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* * *
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The group immediately set out for the river Gaia had mentioned. As they retraced their steps through the Sleeping Forest, Crystal found that the myriad spirits had returned to their various activities. Though it was by no means normal to see such an unnatural sight, Crystal was greatly relieved to be rid of the burden of all those dead eyes.
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In the course of their travels, they encountered only one monster, and the situation following afterwards was rather funny.
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A sudden, loud rustling in some nearby bushes alerted the group to the presence of another. Tylas, the closest to the bushes, advanced cautiously, spear at the ready. He prodded the bushes with the spear tip and quickly stepped back a few feet when a creature stumbled out. However, when he got a better look at the newcomer, he laughed.
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The little creature that faced him was decidedly water drop shape, and just as blue. Protruding from its large, wide mouth was a bright pink tongue, which curled ridiculously into a spiral. When Tylas laughed at it, it waved its absurd little arms at him, hopping from stubby foot to stubby foot in a comical sort of dance. As it did so, a blue fog drifted out of its mouth and enveloped the warrior before he knew could comprehend what was happening.
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He did what all good warriors should do when faced with a gas attack and held his breath. However, this was no poison gas attack. To his great alarm, Tylas watched as the world around him grew. The trees towered above him, and average sized rocks became boulders. Everything stopped growing when he was a mere six inches tall.
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The minimize attack had greatly shaken the now tiny Tylas. Thus, he did not react immediately when the menacing blue creature advanced until it was almost upon him. With a cry of alarm, he quickly retreated, jabbing the small spear at it in desperation. His minute attempts did him no good, and he was about to be scooped up in its cavernous maw before Jazz knocked it aside just in time.
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Taking this opportunity to make a getaway, he quickly scrambled behind a medium-sized rock for cover. Panting, he listened as the others dispatched the animal. The sound of approaching footsteps made him come out from behind the rock, peering around to see who it was that had come searching for him.
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There was an excited squeal as Melody spotted him. The comparatively giant blond bent over to get a better look at him. “Oh my gosh!!! He is sooooooooo cute!! Guys, come look at this!” Jazz and Valic were the first to arrive.
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Jazz, upon seeing the tiny person, burst out laughing. “He’s a bloody midget!” he exclaimed. Melody burst into giggles. “Jazz, that’s so mean!” she scolded him playfully, her reproach not carrying much weight. Encouraged by her laughter, Jazz continued to crack more short jokes, some rather mean, but all very funny. Finally Melody, nearly doubled over with laughter and hanging onto Jazz’s shoulder for support, managed to gasp, “Stop it! W-we have to find out how to get him back to normal.”
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“You’re right, you’re right,” Jazz conceded, a sly smile on his face. “Let’s get down to the point.” This only threw Melody into more fits of laughter, and Jazz grinned. Throughout the whole exchange, Tylas had become increasingly furious. His small face was nearly as red as his clothes, and if looks could kill, the two before him would have melted into the ground. However, they were oblivious to his diminutive rage, and continued on.
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“Okay, knock it off!” came Crystal’s voice. She stepped between the two and Tylas, who clambered on top of the rock behind her. She folded her arms across her chest and sternly glared at them. “You’re being rude,” she said warningly. Her tone and gaze humbled the two. Sure that they were now feeling properly ashamed, the violet-eyed woman turned to the white mage. “Avona, do you have any spell for this?”
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In response, Avona pointed at the tiny Tylas and spoke clearly the words of magic. A white light surrounded him and when it disappeared, Tylas stood before them, once more life-sized. And pissed.
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Without any hesitation, Tylas swept the haft of the spear at Jazz’s legs, knocking the pilot to the ground, his staff flying out of his hands. Jazz pushed himself up on one elbow, an angry retort forming when he found the sharp spear point mere centimeters from his throat.
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The pilot froze, not daring to move, gazing fearfully into Tylas’ expressionless face. They stayed that way for about a minute, before Tylas moved the spear from Jazz. “That was a warning,” he said coolly and turned away.
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The redhead stood; angered by the humiliation he’d suffered. He roughly brushed off his clothes, muttering under his breath. He made a face at Tylas’ back just as Melody came up to him. She giggled as she handed him his three-section-staff, which he snatched from her hands.
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“Oh, come on Jazz. You asked for it,” she told him, smiling.
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“Hey, he overreacted!” Jazz defended, still glaring daggers at Tylas, who was ignoring him. “Completely uncalled for!”
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Melody laughed. “Oh, and making fun of him doesn’t mean anything, hm?”
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“Hey, you were doing it too!” the pilot accused her. Melody simply grinned at him. “Maybe, but he likes me better, because I’m so beautiful!” She stuck her tongue out at him playfully.
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“Well, that’s true,” Jazz said, a cocky smile on his face, and he winked at her. Melody blushed, and opened her mouth to say something when Avona hushed them. “Look,” she said, pointing to Moriah.
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While the two had been talking Moriah was acting very strangely. She tilted her head upwards, her eyes half closed, and sniffed the air. She said something softly to Crystal, who only nodded and drew her swords. At this action, the rest of the group immediately went on the offensive, weapons at the ready.
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Moriah continued to walk around, sniffing the air, and walked deeper into the forest. The rest followed her as she tracked down whatever scent she had picked up. She suddenly stopped before one particular tree. “Who are you?” she demanded of the glowing tree.
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For a moment, nothing happened. Then a man stepped out from behind the tree. A tattered red cape brushed the ground at his feet, and a golden metal claw covered his left arm, a gauntlet of some kind. “I would ask the same of you,” he replied, his deep voice rumbling through the silent forest.
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“Vincent,” Crystal spoke up, “I didn’t expect to find you here.”
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“Exactly. So why are you?”
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Crystal had to admire the man. They had been aware of his presence, pried him out of hiding, and here he was assuming control of the situation. Had he been speaking to any lesser person, the gunman would have gained dominance quickly. It was a good tactic, one Crystal noted for later use.
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“It’s a long story,” she replied, sounding as if she were discussing estate. “But in short, we’re going to save the world. Wanna come along?”
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If Vincent was surprised by her words, he didn’t show it. “An interesting story to be heard, I assume.”
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“You could say that.”
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He fell silent for a few moments. “Very well. I shall accompany you on your quest,” he said with a note of finality.
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“Glad to have you along,” Crystal replied. And that was it. As they made their way through the forest, back to the airship, the group filled Vincent in on everything that had happened. He listened to it all without uttering a single word and expressed no disbelief as they fed him their far-fetched tale. When all had been told, he asked a few questions, and then was silent once more.
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Now that they had a purpose and a glimmer of hope, the group moved quickly. Once they were on the Phoenix once more, it took less than an hour to get to the river.
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“Are you sure this is the right river?” Moriah asked. The river in question cut straight through a mountain range and the companions were standing before the dark passage it had carved through the earth. The bright sunlight only reached a couple of feet into the darkness. However, that wasn’t what made the river so foreboding.
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It was the smell. The smell of bodies long since decomposed and others not; of moldy bones and blood-soaked earth. It was carried to them on a fell wind that accompanied the river on its course.
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Crystal nodded in answer to Moriah’s question. “Yeah. The mine is just down there a ways,” she said, waving her hand to the west. She continued to peer into the darkness ahead.
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“Um… how are we gonna see?” Jazz asked. It was a good question. If they were heading into some kind of trap, or whatever may have caused that smell, they would need light to survive.
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“Don’t worry,” said Avona. “I have a light spell, so that won’t be a problem.” Though this was good news and solved the problem of visibility, no one moved to enter the cave.
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With a small, impatient sigh, Crystal stepped into the river. The cold waters came up to her chest. On the edge of the light entering the cavern mouth, she turned and looked back at the others, who still standing on the riverbanks. “Coming?” Then she turned and disappeared into the dark.
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One by one, they followed her. Moving against the current slowed their progress, and the rocky riverbed made footing treacherous. Avona’s light spell was a true blessing; the circle of light, absent of any apparent source, allowed them to navigate the river safely. As they went deeper into the mountain, the water did as well. Eventually, they had to straight out swim, and though the current wasn’t as strong here, it was arduous work.
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After about fifteen minutes, a new light appeared up ahead. It almost seemed like the very walls themselves were alight. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a peculiar glowing fungus that grew upon the rugged cavern walls. The fluorescent, blue-white light was bright enough to see by, now that their eyes had adjusted to the gloom. It was made even brighter by the reflection in the glassy surface of the water.
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They kept going until Crystal came to a sudden stop. While the river kept continued on ahead, the fungus did not. Well, it probably was still there, but it was no longer glowing. Instead, a side path was still lit. Had the fungi ahead been still aglow, Crystal was sure she would’ve gone right by this passage without ever having seen it. She recalled Gaia’s words, “I will try to aid you the best I can.”
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Crystal mentally said thanks and gratefully pulled herself up onto the dry ground. She was sure her lips were a lovely shade of blue by now. At the end of the passage was blocky shape she couldn’t quite make out. She turned and helped the others up as well.
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Avona curiously inspected the glowing plant. She delicately picked a small mushroom and examined it before slipping it into a pouch. She quietly pointed out to the others where the fungus had been scraped off the wall in long swathes.
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They continued down the tunnel silently. They had long since grown used to the foul smell while traveling down the river, but it was growing stronger with each step.
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It wasn’t long until they came upon the bones. Hundreds, thousands of bones littered the floor. Every single one was cracked in half, snapped like twigs by powerful jaws. The jagged edges gleamed in the fluorescent light, showing just how sharp they were. The bones completely covered the floor of an antechamber with high, vaulted ceilings. In the center of the large room was an altar of white marble, covered in Cetra runes. Sitting upon the altar was the object they sought.
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“Melody, Valic, Moriah, Vincent; you go back to the river. Keep an eye out for anything,” Crystal whispered. They dutifully returned to the edge of the dark water.
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This left Crystal, Tylas, Jazz, and Avona to the difficult process of picking their way through the sharp bones. When they finally reached the altar, none moved to take the object, which appeared to be an old-fashioned bronze compass. There was no telling what might happen when it was moved.
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While they deliberated on what to do, Melody was quickly growing bored. She had grown tired of inspecting the fungus (mold can provide entertainment for only so long) and now cast about for something else to distract her from her boredom.
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She couldn’t talk to anyone; apparently silence was imperative. Sighing, she tossed the glowing mushroom she’d been fiddling with into the water. She watched it sink into the inky depths as its faint glow disappeared.
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She bent over the water further. A different light was sitting in the water, one not the blue-white color of the mushroom. This was a yellowy-white color, and shaped like a diamond. She opened her mouth to call Valic’s attention to this new curiosity when the water exploded.
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By some twist of fate, sheer luck, or her own reflexes, Melody wasn’t snatched up in the powerful jaws bursting from the water. However, the creature’s snout knocked her to the ground and she stared up in awe as the giant serpent rose from the water.
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It was easily as thick as the tunnel behind her, which was wide enough for three people to walk abreast. That would explain why the fungus was scraped off. The scales were pitch black with a slight iridescent sheen. It had a sharp, narrow snout, unlike a snake at all, and a mouth brimming with teeth. The sclera were as black as the water, with bright orange irises and slit pupils. The diamond shape of light Melody had seen was on the serpent’s forehead, between and slightly above its black eyes.
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“MOVE!!” Moriah shouted at her.
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The cry jolted Melody to her senses and she rolled just in time to avoid being eaten once more. She scrambled to her feet and ran, putting as much distance between herself and the serpent as possible. Behind her, the serpent gave a roar and slid its massive bulk into the tunnel.
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Crystal wasn’t surprised. It was about time something had happened. Turning and drawing her swords in one smooth movement, she calmly said to Jazz, “Grab it.” Then she was heading towards the water serpent, Tylas behind her.
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Jazz was in agony of indecision. As he watched Crystal move away from him, he suddenly felt the weight of great responsibility rest on him. If he grabbed the compass now, he very well could be activating a trap that would only plunge them into a worse predicament. If he didn’t, there was a chance they wouldn’t be able to escape if, or when, the opportunity arose. He glanced up at Avona, who had stayed with him. “You may want to prepare for anything,” he told her. She nodded and raised her hands into the air and began chanting the words of magic. Everyone was enveloped by a red glow that pulsed steadily. She then nodded to Jazz to give him the go-ahead.
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Taking a deep breath, he reached over and gently lifted the compass from the altar. The moment it was no longer upon the altar’s surface, the Cetra runes began to glow brightly. The bright green light spread to each rune upon the altar, then to the hidden runes on the floor, walls, and ceiling. The light shone for a few seconds then vanished. The pilot and white mage exchanged glances; was that it? Just a bit of light? What happened now?
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Shots rang out as Vincent fired. The bullets didn’t penetrate the serpents hard, thick scales, but it clearly hurt, for it hissed and pulled back. It retaliated by using its breath weapon. From out of its mouth poured a noxious green fog. This forced the group fighting it to quickly fall back, holding their breath. The serpent pushed forward.
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Melody, coughing and gasping for safe, fresh air, ran over to Valic and Avona, who were standing as far away from the battle as possible. “Can you… you—“ A bout of coughing interrupted her. “Can you teleport us out of here?” she asked once she gained her breath. She fully expected Valic to say yes.
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“No,” he replied. She blinked at him. “Huh?” Though it wasn’t a question, he answered it anyways. “When the runes were activated on the altar, neither I nor Avona could use magic. I believe it to be a ‘dispel magic’ enchantment. Once we leave this room, we can use our magic once more.” He gazed at her steadily as she took this in.
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First thing that came to her mind was that the battle suddenly seemed a whole lot more difficult without magic. The second thing was that the mages were utterly defenseless without their magic. Turning to the tunnel where the serpent was just emerging, she took an offensive stance before the two mages. “I’ll have to protect you then,” she said.
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Now with more room to maneuver, the battle grew fierce indeed. Moriah took advantage of the high ceiling to distract the serpent. She flew close to it, swiping at its eyes. The creature snapped at her as she flew by, but never managed to catch her. While she did this, the others took the opportunity to inflict several wounds on the creature. The scales deflected most blows, but by slipping under this armor, one could pierce the soft flesh beneath.
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The serpent retaliated by slamming its tail on the walls. The result was significant. The old, brittle stalactites hanging from the ceiling were easily shaken loose of their moorings. Jazz froze as two stalactites crashed to the floor on either side of him. The rock shattered, sending stone fragments flying into the air. Everyone crouched and covered their face, save Moriah, who barely avoided being taken down by one stalactite.
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Everyone suffered several cuts, some worse than others, but nothing fatal. The rain of rocks hadn’t directly hit anyone. Before they could resume their attack, the serpent struck again. It bowed its head, as though studying the floor before it. The diamond patch of light gleamed brighter, and suddenly a bright flash of light flooded the room.
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Crystal bit back a cry of pain as the piercing light stabbed her eyes. When she forced her eyelids open again, she was completely blind. Now the purpose of the patch of light became apparent. Light from the sun cannot penetrate the black depths of the ocean where this serpent lived. They were less than a mile from the ocean itself, the source of this very river. In the black, bottomless fathoms, sea creatures must produce their own light. This serpent’s light served the purpose of visibility and as a hunting tool. With a bright flash it would blind its photosensitive prey and easily snap them up without any struggle.
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It worked just as well with land creatures as well as deep sea ones. Crystal couldn’t see a thing, but she knew the serpent was still there. The others cried out in pain as the bright light also overloaded their eyes. Jazz swore heartily and continuously, with some oaths that could darken the sun. Yes, he was indeed the student of Cid Highwind.
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“Shut up!!” Crystal hissed, gazing around blindly. “Listen!”
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Jazz and a few others she couldn’t identify did so. Everyone strained their ears, listening for the slightest sound from the serpent. Nothing. Crystal had that agonizing itching feeling that comes when you can do nothing but sit and wait to be attacked.
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A slight rustle. Her head snapped to the right. Over the sound of her heart pounding in her ears, she heard the sound again, but closer. She quickly stepped backwards, swords at the ready. She suddenly stepped on an oddly placed bone and fell to the floor hard. A rush of wind and a loud snap of jaws told her that the fall had just saved her life. She rolled to the side and was missed again. Some of the bones slipped beneath her and, out of control, she found herself wildly rolling down an avalanche of bones of the serpent’s previous prey.
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Her wild roll was stopped short when she hit something hard. And scaly. Without hesitating, she sat up and plunged one sword into the scaly hide. A resounding shriek shook the stalactites still clinging to the ceiling. The sword hilt was wrenched from her hand and she took the opportunity to get to her feet and run.
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“Marco,” she said above the sound of the thrashing serpent.
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“Polo,” came an answer ahead and to the left. It sounded like Melody. She took a few steps in that direction before stopping once more. The serpent had stopped moving, and silence fell once more.
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Up above, Moriah clung to the ceiling. She too had been blinded by the light and was now in a very precarious position. She dug her talon into the rock and listened. Suddenly she was ripped off the ceiling, and sharp teeth dug into her. She cried out in pain and scrabbled at the scales covering the jaws that were slowly crushing her. Her weak attempts did nothing, and the teeth cut into her.
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Everyone heard Moriah yell for help and her cries of pain. But they were just as helpless as she was. Crystal blinked rapidly, trying desperately to clear her vision. The blindness was only temporary, and she could see spots of color here and there, but it wasn’t enough to truly see anything by.
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There was a whistling sound and the serpent shrieked in agony. Moriah fell from its mouth and rolled on the sharp bones. Her own scaly skin managed to protect her at least from the sharp bones and she groaned as the serpent screamed in pain.
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Crystal felt a cool sensation, as if wind were gently sweeping over her skin. Her vision suddenly cleared. She blinked and squinted, the light of the cave painful as her eyes adjusted.
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On the opposite side of the cavern was the serpent, twisting around over and over in throes of agony. Through its skull was none other than Tylas’ spear. That must have been the whistling sound as it had sailed through the air. Using the hybrid’s cries to guide him, he had made a blind throw and landed a fatal blow. The serpent was dead; its body just didn’t realize it yet.
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Crystal’s other sword was sticking out of its side little more than halfway up its length. As they watched—somehow they were all cured of their blindness—the serpent ceased moving altogether. Crystal and Tylas immediately and cautiously advanced to retrieve their weapons. However, the serpent wasn’t feinting; it was thoroughly, unmistakably dead.
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Melody and Jazz were already attending to Moriah. The hybrid was hurt badly. The serpent’s teeth had gone deep into her chest and legs. Her blood flowed from the deep wounds, once more bathing the bones in blood. If she didn’t receive any medical attention soon, she’d more than likely die. Crystal looked around for the white mage and spotted her hurriedly making her way to the hybrid.
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She was having a hard time of it. The bones hindered her progress and already her robe was torn in many places. She knelt next to her wounded comrade and carefully inspected the wounds. She glanced at the dead sea serpent. Would her magic work now that they had overcome the trap? There was only one way to find out.
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She held her hand out over Moriah and closed her eyes, focusing on the magic. Nothing happened. Her eyebrows furrowed slightly and her lips moved soundlessly as she concentrated. Slowly, a pure white light appeared over Moriah and spread to completely cover her. The light grew brighter and brighter until no one could look at it anymore.
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Finally, the light faded and Avona bowed over from exhaustion. Before she fell onto her patient, Moriah sat up and caught her. Everyone sighed with relief and went to the two, exchanging smiles and words of praise. They were all relieved to be alive and to have accomplished their mission. A few nervous laughs were heard in the dank air, as they made sure that everyone else was all right.
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A strangled yell cut into the gathering and everyone whipped around, weapons at the ready. Jazz, was caught in Vincent’s powerful grip; the gunman had been all but utterly forgotten. However, as they watched, Vincent began to change. Soon, Jazz was struggling futilely in the arms of Lazarus. The pilot twisted and bit and thrashed for all he was worth to no avail.
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“I must thank you for your help,” said the alien in a cold, amused voice that grated on their nerves. “I couldn’t have removed the only threat to me on this world without you.” He violently pushed Jazz away, who barely managed not to brain himself on the altar. Before their shocked eyes, Lazarus spread his crimson wings and flew past them, and down the tunnel before they could react.
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“He’s taken it!” Jazz exclaimed, his panicked eyes wide. “He’s taken the damn compass! He can find all of the objects now!”
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                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                [FONT=&quot]This was it then. The alien had taken the only thing that could have saved the world. Without it, they were doomed. Lazarus was right; he would be the death of them all. Echoing from the river passageway came Lazarus’ mocking, cold laugh, as their last hope was borne away on wings of blood.[/FONT]

Dragon Mage · Oct 28, 2007

Oi, remember to say something.

Chapter 14—Riddles<o></o>
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The immediate feeling that swept the group was despair. Everything they had gone through, all they had fought for, had been for naught. Each one of them briefly wondered if they should even bother returning outside. They’d only die anyways, despite what they did now.
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“What do we do now?” Melody asked softly.
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“Don’t you get it?!” Jazz burst. “There isn’t anything to do! We’re done for!” The pilot was utterly distraught. To him, it was his entire fault. He’d been entrusted with the protection of the object, which now lie in the hands of Lazarus. Because of him, the world was doomed. Though unreasonable and harsh, Jazz let himself wallow in misery. He sat down, put his head in his hands and moaned wretchedly.
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My children, why do you despair? The voice was unmistakable. It was Gaia, her voice coming from the very walls themselves.
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“Gaia we have failed you,” Moriah said softly. “Lazarus has the compass. We cannot find the other objects!”
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Fear not. All has not been lost. Lazarus has only one piece of the puzzle.
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“What do you mean?” Crystal asked, standing and gazing at the walls.
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The compass does point towards the other objects. But you could search for years before you’d be able to pinpoint the exact location.
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Jazz rose to his feet, gazing at the walls desperately. “We can still find the objects then?”
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Yes. Written upon the altar are clues. These will help guide you to where the objects are hidden. The compass was meant to point you in the right direction, for the clues can apply to many places. However, it wasn’t vital; the clues are.
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Upon hearing this, everyone save Crystal immediately crowded around the altar. Sure enough, there were a number of Cetra runes separate from the rest inscribed upon the altar. What they meant, however, was anyone’s guess. Avona lightly traced the ancient carvings with her fingertips. “Gaia, how are we to determine the meaning of these runes?” Only silence answered her query.
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“You’re lucky I’m hear to help you!” exclaimed a familiar, cocky voice. Only Crystal heard it though. She glanced at Zack, unable to address him with the others around.
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“Now, you see Crystal,” Zack continued, oblivious to her plight. “I was sent here to help you. I can read this and tell you what it means. But,” he fixed her with a serious gaze that was out of place for him, “You’ll have to tell the rest of them how you know what it means.”
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She didn’t reply. She watched as the others began deliberating over how to interpret the Cetra runes. The two mages were discussing in undertone what each rune might translate into. Apparently, the Cetra writing bore a striking resemblance to the words of magic. Jazz was eagerly and carefully copying down each individual rune on a piece of paper. He said something to Melody about finding a translator. His demeanor had changed entirely; now he was full of energy, relieved he hadn’t caused the death of them all.
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“You knew you’d have to tell them someday,” Zack said softly.
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She gave him a look that said And how am I supposed to do that? She sure as hell wasn’t going to suddenly burst out “I see dead people!” No, it wasn’t going to happen. End of story.
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He shrugged and held his hands to show he had nothing to offer in the way of help. “Hey, don’t look at me. I’m dead! You’re on your own in this one.” She scowled at him. But he was right. There were a lot of things she could lie about, but suddenly being able to fluently understand the writings of a race long dead wasn’t one of them. “All right, what does it say?” she muttered under her breath. Zack grinned.
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“We could go back to the Forgotten City,” Moriah suggested. “We’ve found answers there once; maybe we’ll find them there again.”
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“No way,” Jazz muttered, still intent upon copying the runes. “He might still be following us. Then we’d just end up leading him right to what he wants. Again.”
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Moriah looked thoughtful. The pilot had a good point. “Maybe we could find something at Cosmo Canyon,” she offered.
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Tylas shrugged in answer. “Maybe. It’d be worth a shot, I guess. But it could just be a waste of time if we don’t find anything.”
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Melody opened her mouth to respond but Crystal cut her off.
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“’Within the burning lands,
The ground eats all.
The eye of heaven shall open the door.’”
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The other’s were, simply put, quite stunned. Silence stretched as they tried to makes sense of her words. Jazz gave a half-hearted, tense laugh. “Heh, heh. Oooooooookay.”
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Crystal tilted her head towards the altar and the inscription upon it. “That’s what it says. You wanna write it down?” Again, shocked silence. I occurred to Crystal then, that this may not have been the best approach, but she hadn’t thought of any other way.
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Melody coughed politely. “Ummmm… Crystal?”
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“Hmm?”
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“How did you read that?”
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Crystal bit back the usual retort ‘With my eyes’ that she had been accustomed to giving to ghosts when she addressed them. “Oh, I didn’t read it. Zack did and he told me what it meant.” At their stony stares she tried to continue but found it difficult. She felt uncomfortable all of the sudden. “Well, um… I uh…” she stammered trying to think of a how best to word her strange ability. She sighed. “I see spirits,” she finished lamely. For some reason, it just sounded so corny, coming from her.
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There was a long pause, and then Jazz burst out laughing. “Oh, that’s a good one! You really had me goin’ there for a minute, girl!” He continued to laugh until a bone hit him on the head. Startled out of his mirth, he looked at Crystal, who was holding another in her hand. This time he managed to dodge the second bone as it went flying at his head. “Hey okay, okay, I’m sorry!” he cried as he was pelted with yet another bone.
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“Crystal, who is this ‘Zack’,” Tylas asked, careful to keep his jealousy from entering his voice.
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“Zack used to be in SOLDIER,” she answered. “He’d dead now, obviously, but it hasn’t effected his brain much if you ask me.”
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“Hey!” Zack exclaimed, silent to all but Crystal.
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Again, silence. Then, “Let me get this straight,” Jazz began. “You can see dead people, right?”
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She nodded.
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“And this Zack character is dead, and he can read this Cetra gibberish, no?”
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She nodded again.
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“Okay. That leaves only two questions.” He held up two fingers as if she were a dullard. “One, how can he read that, and two how the hell do you see dead people?”
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She nodded a third time, considering his questions. They were good ones, to be sure. “You know, that is a good question. How can you read that?” she asked, appearing to address the air beside her. After a moment she said, “He really doesn’t know how. He says ‘Death kinda gives you a new perspective.’” She shrugged to show she didn’t understand his cryptic answer any better then they did.
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“And Melody is hot!!” Zack said enthusiastically, grinning. “Shut. Up,” she muttered.
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“As for the second question,” she also held up two fingers, as if Jazz was the daft one. “I have no idea. You know as much as I do. But Zack here has been like a scout of sorts. He’s been keeping updated on things that’ve been happening. It’s how I knew about what happened at your town,” she looked at Tylas, “There was no ransom note or anything. Zack told me.”
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“So…” Melody began tentatively, “Who else knows about this? And can you see him or can you only hear him?”
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“Oh, I can see him, all right,” she answered, giving Zack a disgusted look who wiped some imaginary nose detritus off on his pant leg. “And only you know about it,” she added, addressing the whole group. “Not like anyone would believe me even if I told them.”
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There was some thoughtful nodding. “How do we know what you say is true?” Avona asked, speaking of plain curiosity.
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She is telling the truth. She can see the dead. Gaia’s voice, thought to have vanished, suddenly appeared again to verify Crystal’s claim.
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“Good enough for me,” said Jazz. “Now, what did that say again?” he fished around in his pockets for another piece of paper.
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Now it was Crystal’s turn to be shocked. “What? You don’t find this odd at all?” She was utterly surprised at how nonchalant their reaction had been.
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“Well, it’s not everyday you talk to Gaia,” Jazz said.
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“And no one thought an alien from outer space would land and try to kill everything,” Moriah added.
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“I think we can all believe what we thought previously impossible,” Valic stated. The others nodded in agreement.
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Crystal was downright astonished. She had expected suspicion, ridicule, and mistrust; anything but the casual acceptance she received instead. It came as a great relief to her that their view of her hadn’t changed. She hadn’t realized how much she valued the opinion and trust of these few people until now. She suddenly felt the burden of her secret vanish.
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Quickly shaking off her surprise, she repeated the phrase, which Jazz scribbled down on a piece of paper provided by one of the mages. Melody, looking over his shoulder exclaimed in mock disgust, “Geez, how can you even read that?!”
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“Waddya mean?” he returned, studying his writing. “It looks fine to me.”
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Melody laughed. “It looks like a chicken walked across the paper. Give me that.” She took the pen from his fingers before he could get sufficiently offended by her words. Using his back as a desk, she quickly and neatly rewrote the words on the paper. “See?” she said, thrusting the paper under his nose. “THAT’S good handwriting.”
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She was right, of course. “Yeah, yeah, whatever,” he grumbled, snatching the paper from her and stuffing it into his pocket. “Are we gonna get going or what?”
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*~*~*~*~*~*~*
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The wind never ceased its mournful howling here. The constantly biting wind had gnawed away at the rock, carving twisted, convoluted shapes and wearing it smooth. Countless hollows added a low undertone to the shrill voice of the wind.
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Lazarus stood upon a large, misshapen boulder, seemingly untouched by the wailing wind. The compass needle swung wildly, never settling on one point. Irritated, he shook it. “Show me!” he hissed.
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The wild swinging stopped and it wavered between two random points, as if it couldn’t choose between them. Suddenly, it began to fill with blood until the glass face cracked from the pressure. Blood spilled onto his hands and he hissed in disgust. He flung the compass to the ground, smashing it. The wind scattered the drops of blood across the worn rock.
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So. This planet was going to play hard to get. Fine, let it struggle. He would win. Losing was not an option.
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As he thought this, he looked up at the first stars just beginning to appear. He would not fail—couldn’t fail. He species needed this planet. Long ago, his own world had been destroyed by a rouge asteroid. Days before the impact, everyone had left, using their formidable powers to survive the vacuum of space. Since then, his kind drifted through the black void, living amongst the stars. Every single one of them searching for a home, a planet on which to make a new future. And he had finally found one.
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His kind wouldn’t last long out there, amidst the stardust. He must make this world ready for the others. And it must be done soon.
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Raising his arms to the darkening heavens, he called his armies to him.
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>
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
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“Th-thank you,” Melody stammered as Valic wrapped his cloak around her bare shoulders. She pulled the cloak around her and gratefully huddled into its warmth. The blond shivered from the icy chill of the water, even though she stood in the bright sunlight.
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The others were more or less dry, the water quickly evaporating in the sun’s heat. A quick change of clothes solved the problem of being cold, but Melody was chilled nonetheless.
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>
While she tried to warm herself up, the others were puzzling over the cryptic words written upon by the Ancients and translated by the dead. Already the list of possible locations took up half the page, and there was more to go yet.
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“Maybe its somewhere near volcanoes?” Tylas suggested.
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“Wutai would be a possible place then,” Avona replied.
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“There’s no volcanoes there, I thought,” Jazz said.
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“There are dormant ones,” she replied. At his hesitant look she explained. “Keep in mind that this was written over 2,000 years ago. Not very long for a planet, but long enough for old volcanoes to go dormant.” She had a good point. Jazz nodded, satisfied and Crystal added ‘Wutai’ onto the growing list of options.
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“What’s with the last line?” Tylas asked, tapping the paper Crystal was holding and the line in question.
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“I dunno. Maybe something to do with unlocking the object or something. We shouldn’t worry about it for now,” she answered.
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Moriah watched as Melody shuffled back and forth, trying to get her blood flowing to warm her. “Why don’t you just sit in the sand?” she asked, pointing to the hot sand alongside the riverbanks. “That’ll probably warm you up.”
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Melody shook her head vehemently, curls bouncing. “No way! It’s burning! I’m not that cold.”
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“Maybe it’s somewhere—Crystal?” said Tylas. She wasn’t listening anymore. “What did you just say?” she asked Melody.
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“I said it was burning. Why?” The blond gave her a curious look.
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Again, Crystal wasn’t paying attention. She was looking at the list of locations they had come up with and looked back at the scrap of paper with the riddle upon it. She’d found something. After a few moments, she uttered a short, exasperated laugh. “I’ve got it,” she stated.
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* * *
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“Will you please slow down!?” Melody cried hanging onto her seat for dear life. Crystal laughed. Instead, she pushed the dune buggy they had rented to even greater speeds, deftly zipping past cacti and bushes.
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“Crystal!” Avona called warningly. She wasn’t enjoying this ride any better than Melody was. Tylas and Jazz, on the other hand, were enjoying themselves as much as Crystal was. But at Avona’s insistence, Crystal slowed down to a more comfortable speed.
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>
This was their second day in the desert. After solving the riddle—at least part of it—they had rented this buggy and headed into desert. Their destination was the natural ring of quicksand surrounding the Golden Saucer. Within this unseen barrier was what was commonly known as Corel prison. Here is where criminals of all sorts were deposited, forced to scratch a living from the sand until they finally managed to weasel their way out. Most never did.
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Prisoners aside, this place was the most logical solution to the riddle. The desert sands burned beneath the suns fiery rays every day. The quicksand swallowed anything upon it, and could be seen as the earth literally eating things. It was so blatantly clear that Crystal felt stupid for not having realized it sooner. However, the last line remained a mystery, but that’d have to wait until later. What mattered now was that they got the item before Lazarus did.
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Finally, Crystal brought the buggy to a sliding halt, kicking up a cloud of dust. Everyone clambered out of the vehicle and Moriah, who’d been flying above them, came in for a landing in a lazy spiral.
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When her clawed feet touched the desert sands, she stretched and grinned at the others. “I could live here,” she stated happily, a delighted grin on her face. “It’s so nice and warm!”
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“It’s ungodly hot,” Avona replied sourly, her mood not improved by the sweltering robes she was wearing.
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“Come on guys, let’s try and find this thing,” Crystal said, gazing at the barren land before her. It was simply flat, ordinary sand upon first glance. However, with closer inspection, a subtle difference could be seen. Here, no cacti or tufts of grass could be seen. Not even sand dunes. It was simply flat, sand. Such looks were deceiving, and often proved to be the death of many creatures, accidentally setting foot onto the quicksand before realizing what it was.
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“Well, shouldn’t there be something here?” Melody asked. She had a point. There was nothing here. The need for the compass became painfully clear; they were in the right spot but hell if any of them knew where to start digging. Crystal sighed. This would take a long time—time they didn’t have.
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“Well, let’s go around the whole area; maybe we’ll find something to point us in the right direction,” the swordswoman offered. With no better idea, the others agreed and piled into the buggy once more. Moriah took to the skies again, gliding effortlessly on the desert thermals.
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Crystal drove once more, but slowly this time, so that she didn’t accidentally zoom past what it was they were looking for. Every one kept a keen eye out for anything out of the ordinary. Or for anything at all, for that matter. As the day wore on, it became apparent just how big and boring the desert really was. The endless wasteland had a hypnotizing affect, numbing one’s brain, until nearly everyone was asleep after a couple of hours.
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Melody was nodding off next to Valic, jerking to wakefulness every now and then before the process repeated itself. Tylas gazed dully at the unchanging scenery out the window, propping his head up on one fist. Avona was in no better state. Jazz was out cold, head resting on the back of his seat, mouth hanging open from which a loud snoring emitted.
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Crystal fought to keep herself awake and her mind on task. She continuously glanced out the window and the passing landscape. Nothing but sand, sand, sand, rock, sand, sand—wait. Rock? She stopped the buggy and backed up. Sure enough, there was a large rock sitting smack dab in the middle of the quicksand, defying all laws of nature. This must be the spot.
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She turned off the ignition and hopped out of the buggy. The absence of the droning, hypnotizing sound of the engine proved to awaken the others better than a ringing bell. “What is it?” Tylas asked, who was more awake then the rest, aside from Crystal. “I think we’re here,” she replied, studying the odd rock.
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It was sand-colored, easy to miss if one wasn’t looking close enough. The rock was about five feet tall, and foot wide. The truly peculiar thing about it though, was a large hole in the center of it.
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“Hey, I’ve h-h-h,” Melody began but was interrupted by a large yawn. “Ah! I’ve heard about rocks like that, but a lot smaller. Something to do with a river wearing away the center.” And just how did a rock of such a kind end up in a place where there were no rivers to be had? Yes, this was clearly the place.
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Melody whacked Jazz and he awoke with a powerful snort. “Wha? What’s going on?” he mumbled. Melody told him. Gazing around at the spot with bleary eyes, he mumbled once more, “Great. Now how do we get in?”
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Another good question. “Well, you see Jazz, it’s a very complicated ritual,” Crystal began. “And I’m afraid we need a human sacrifice.” She grabbed him by the arm and began to gently tug him out of the buggy. “If you come this way… I promise you won’t feel a thing…”
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“Hey!” He shook her off and retreated further into the buggy. “You don’t want to deprive the ladies of this, do you?” Yeah, he was awake and his usual cocky self, as always.
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She just rolled her eyes and turned back to the rock, which was well out of reach. “Hey, Moriah,” she addressed the hybrid as she landed, “Can you go over there and check that out for me?”
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Moriah nodded and winged her way over to the rock. Though a relatively small landing space, she managed it, her wings spread to help keep her balance. She inspected the rock as much as she could. It was firmly imbedded in the quicksand, though the seemingly solid ground parted like water at her touch. The rock was made of sandstone, and, despite the hole, nothing more could be determined.
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>
“Well, what now?” Tylas asked.
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“I guess we try and figure out what this last line means.” It was the only thing Crystal could think of that they had to do next. It would be getting dark soon; they may as well try and get as much work done as they could.
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>
After about three hours of sitting in the shade of the buggy, Crystal tapped the paper with the riddle. “Okay, so this clearly means that this ‘eye of heaven’ will give us access to the object. Okay, got that. So far, we figure it’s a constellation of some sort. But we can’t think of any constellation that would fit this description, and any that would, aren’t up at this time of year in this particular spot. Right?” The others nodded in affirmation. She sighed and handed the paper to Avona. She lay back in the sand, covering her eyes with the heel of her hand. Her back hurt from sitting for so long. “So what does that leave us?”
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>
“Maybe it’s the moon?” Avona suggested.
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>
“Okay. So if it is the moon, then what do we have to do?” No answer.
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>
“Maybe we don’t have to do anything at all,” Tylas said finally, and joined Crystal in her position, stretching out on the sand. His back hurt too, and it felt good to stretch tight muscles.
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>
“All right,” she acknowledged. “That’s possible. Next question is, is there only a certain time when this can happen? Like, does it have to be a full moon, new moon, or what? Or can it only be on a certain day at a certain phase? What then?” Again, no answer. If that was the case, there was nothing they could do.
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Crystal sighed again and sat up, as much as her back protested against it. “You know what, let’s skip this tonight. Let’s just get some rest and pick up on this tomorrow. I can’t think of anything anymore.” The others agreed.
 <o

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>
Moriah was nestled comfortably in the sand, basking in the heat, which was diminishing now that the sun was about to set. She watched with one half-open eye as the others began to set up camp.
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>
Just as they were beginning, and the shadows were getting long, all heard a soft sucking sound, as though something were being pulled from mud. Or quicksand. Together, seven sets of eyes turned towards the rock, in which the setting sun was framed perfectly in the hole.
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As they watched, the sand before the rock twisted and sank into the ground, like some sort of sand whirlpool. The way was opened. “Son of a bitch,” Crystal said softly, heard only by Tylas and Melody, whom were standing next to her. “ ‘Eye of heaven’—it was talking about the damn sun! Gods, I feel like an idiot.”
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>
Melody laughed. “I’ll go in first!!” she volunteered excitedly. She approached the whirlpool of sand, but Valic held her back. “Perhaps a few precautions would be wise,” he advised her.
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>
“He’s right. We have no idea how long this thing will last,” spoke Crystal. She pulled a rope out of the trunk of the buggy. Jazz, at her instruction, climbed over the seats into the drivers seat and backed the buggy up, aligning it the bumper with the mysterious rock and the whirlpool before it. “Okay, I’ll go with her. Who else?” There was silence for a moment before Jazz said, “I’ll go with ya.” He added a suggestive grin to his words, clearly sending the message that he was more than happy to be alone with two beautiful women. This was largely ignored due to the seriousness of the situation, but Tylas found it irked him to no end, though he didn’t show it.
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Moving quickly, Crystal firmly tied the rope to the bumper. She motioned for Melody to come over and made a makeshift harness around her. “Tug once for all clear. Twice; get me the hell out. If it’s all clear, untie it, tug once, and me and Jazz will be coming in after you. Okay?” Melody nodded. Now that she was ready, she went up to the whirlpool once more. She looked back at the others; Moriah and Tylas had ahold of the rope, ready to lower her into the sand. Taking a deep breath, she stepped into the sand and quickly disappeared from sight. Within short time, Moriah felt a tug. She quickly pulled the rope up and Crystal tied it around her waist. She too, was lowered into the sand.
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>
There was the sensation of being smothered, pressed in one all sides, that lasted for one moment too long for comfort. Then she was out, and her feet touched smooth cobblestones covered in intricate runes. She untied the rope and tugged on it, looking around the room she found herself in. Smokeless torches lit the room and the ceiling was purely made of sand, held up by some unknown force. The room was long, about one hundred feet, and narrow and had a high ceiling. The walls were rough, unworked, and appeared to be sandstone. At the end of the peculiar underground chamber was another altar.
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“I’ll go get it!” Melody announced cheerfully. “You should wait here. If we need to leave quickly, it’d be faster that way.” The others nodded in agreement. Melody cheerily skipped down the room towards the altar, her golden curls glistening in the magical firelight as they bounced around her head. As she approached the altar, she stopped and studied, curious. It appeared to be made of natural glass; not wrought by human hands, but rather the sort you would find in the desert, when dry lightning struck the sand and fused it into this sort of glass. Thus, one could not see through it, and lines in the glass obscured its smooth surface. It was also covered in runes, just as the first one had been.
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Resting upon the glass was a pair of normal, leather gloves. Melody tentatively reached out to gingerly pick up the gloves when Crystal suddenly yelled, “Wait!” Melody jerked her hand back, as though she’d been burned. She looked back at the swordswoman looking guilty, though she’d done nothing wrong.
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>
“Let’s have our friend read that first, just in case,” Crystal explained. Melody nodded and stood back for the invisible spirit to read the runes.
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>
“Zack?” Crystal called softly, ignoring Jazz who was watching her curiously. “Where are you?”
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>
“He can’t come at the moment,” spoke a feminine voice to her right. “But maybe I can help you.” The same woman in pink from the Forgotten City materialized in the air. “Thanks,” Crystal replied. Aerith smiled at her and went to the altar. Apparently, she knew what Zack was doing to help them. She bent over the altar for a minute then said, “Do you have anything to write it down with?”
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>
“Shit,” Crystal cursed. “You have anything to write with?” she asked Jazz who shook his head. “Can’t help ya.”
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>
She cursed again. “Uh, no, sorry,” she replied.
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>
“That’s okay. I’ll tell you later then. Good luck,” Aerith wished them, and then vanished.
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>
Crystal gave the go-ahead to Melody, who stepped up to the altar once more. She gingerly picked up the gloves and sprang back from the altar, startled by sudden light from the runes. The light vanished and the three waited, not daring to breath in anticipation. Nothing happened. Melody let out her pent up breath in relief.
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A grating sound, like rock sliding on rock, was heard in the still air. Melody looked around confusedly, searching for the source of the sound. It came again, louder this time, and she saw one large cobblestone sink into the ground. Slowly, it sank further until it fell away, revealing nothing but a black hole in its absence. Suddenly, she noticed that the floor around her was sinking in, and she was standing in the middle of a bowl-shaped depression in the floor.
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“RUN!” Jazz yelled at her. As if his words were a trigger, Melody leapt into action—literally. She immediately did a back flip just as the floor suddenly fell away from where she’d been standing not a second earlier.
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>
But she didn’t stop there. She continued to make her way to the rope that was her only exit in a series of backhand springs, the floor crumbling away just inches from her. But those inches were slowly falling away.
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>
Crystal had already pulled on the rope, and she and Jazz were being hauled up to the surface by the others above. They had seconds to get out. Crystal was already going through the ceiling, and Jazz was dangling in the air, holding onto the rope. Despite their added weight, they were steadily rising.
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Melody was still coming closer with her maneuver, but the floor disintegrated faster than she could move. In the middle of one spring, she twisted in the air, facing towards her ascending friends. As she was in midair, one foot reached out and landed on the wall. Her next move began, and she jumped from wall to wall, the narrow distance between the two allowing her to perform this feat. In this way, she raced towards the rope, the ground disappearing beneath her.
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Jazz’s arm was going into the sand, now, and his head would soon follow. He saw Melody coming and reached out to her. She leapt…
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And grabbed his hand just as the floor completely fell away, revealing an empty black void. They were ascending faster now, and once more Melody plunged into the pressing darkness, accompanied by the slight sensation of claustrophobia. She couldn’t help but notice that it felt different this time, thicker, heavier. It was if the sand were wet concrete… realization made her heart stop for a second. Their time was up; the whirlpool was vanishing, turning into quicksand once more. She gripped Jazz’s hand even tighter and hoped they both made it out.
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Just when she thought she could hold her breath no longer, she broke the surface. She gasped for air as firm hands pulled her out of the sand and laid her on the ground. She lay there for a minute or two, simply catching her breath, which had gotten a good head start. After a minute, she sat up and held up the gloves for all to see. “I got it!” she said triumphantly, if somewhat breathless.
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In answer to her words, Jazz let out a cheer. “Hell yeah! Girl you have got some sweet moves!” This brought laugher from most of the group. Melody giggled as she stood and dusted herself off. As the others talked, Melody quietly assured Valic that she was okay.
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>
“Say, why don’t you try those on?” Avona asked, indicating the gloves the blonde had taken from the altar of glass.
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>
“Hey, good idea!” Melody slipped off her own gloves and tucked them into her pocked then slid on the ones made by the Ancients so long ago. They were a little big for her, but the leather was still amazingly supple. After all these years sitting in a desert, she had thought the gloves would’ve long turned brittle and cracked. Though this surprised her, what happened next astounded everyone further.
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Seconds after she had worn the gloves, they had begun to change. As they watched, the gloves shrank to fit her hands perfectly. Melody could feel metal plates suddenly spring into being, and curved to fit her knuckles exactly. Thick padding protected her hands from the metal plating, making her punch a much harder blow while protecting her own hands as well. When the transformation was complete, she gawked at them.
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“Now that’s what I call awesome magic,” Jazz stated, admiring the gloves.
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A deep groan that the felt as much as heard seemed to answer him. The deep sound coursed through the sand dunes, traveling up the soles of their feet, making their bones vibrate in accord. In the distance a long, serpentine figure stretched into the sky, a silhouette against the massive orb of the setting sun. Though far off, it was still huge. Again they heard the deep, thundering bellow, and the figure plunged into the sand.
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Without having to say anything, they all piled into the dune buggy, Jazz at the wheel. Moriah once more took to the skies, and winged her way towards the rapidly approaching creature.
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Jazz started up the buggy, and hit the gas. It turned out that sand buggies could accelerate from 0 to 60 in about ten seconds. Though they were speeding through the desert at breakneck speed, the advancing creature was coming closer nonetheless. Moriah quickly returned and flew low and fast next to the speeding buggy, as close as she could get. “It’s a sand worm!” she shouted to the others.
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Crystal looked at the monster. She’d never seen one so big. It steadily advanced upon them, plunging into the ground and reemerging thousands of feet away. This technique rapidly closed the distance between them.
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“Now we’re in for it,” Tylas said, more to himself than anyone else. Crystal smiled. “Hey, this is what we get paid for. What happened to job appreciation?” He couldn’t help but smile at her dry humor, even in a situation like this.
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The worm was closing in. Now that it was closer, the sheer size of it became clear. The thing was easily a thick as a two-story house, and hundreds of feet long. The circular maw was lined with concentric rows and rows of razor sharp teeth. It launched itself into the air again, and the bellowing roar issued from its maw. With a crash that must’ve registered on the Rictor scale, it went into the earth one more time.
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“Jazz!” Crystal had to yell over the roaring engine. “In a minute, this thing will come up in front of us.” She’d seen it happen before, when and entire armored car loaded with soldiers had been smashed into the sand when trying to flee a sand worm. “When that happens, you turn this thing around and start in the other direction! Everyone else, get ready to hit this bitch with whatever you got!” They all nodded, and Melody selected some Ice materia; her feet and fists wouldn’t be able to penetrate that thick hide.
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Just as Crystal had predicted, the great beast suddenly exploded from the ground in front of the buggy, sand flying in all directions. The buggy swerved madly and barely avoided colliding with the worm. The end of the buggy swung wide and kicked up sand as Jazz gunned it and it began to turn the back the way they’d come. Jazz was one hell of a driver; just as the buggy began to accelerate once more, the massive bulk of the sand worm came slamming down on the ground where the buggy had been not seconds before. “Now!” Crystal yelled, leaping out of the buggy, the others in following suit.
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Crystal, Tylas, Valic, Melody, and Moriah from above, attacked the worm. Jazz and Avona were left on the buggy still. Wasting no time, Melody fired off the highest Ice spell she could throw at it, and the worm jerked. It didn’t like that.
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Crystal and Tylas dug their weapons in, but had a hard time with the thick hide. The worm beneath them raised its massive head into the air. Valic and Melody slid down the worms back. Tylas caught Melody’s hand, he and Crystal holding onto their weapons they dug so deep into the worm’s hide. Moriah swooped low and caught Valic as he plummeted to the ground as well.
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“Hang on!” Crystal shouted to the others as the worm’s head stopped rising and began to reverse. With a bone-jarring crash, the worm slammed into the sand once more. Crystal barely managed to hand on, but Tylas’ spear lost what tenuous hold it had. He and Melody fell once more, but this time they slid down the side and landed safely on the sand.
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Crystal stood, pulled her sword free and stabbed both of them deep into the worm as she could drive them. A booming roar came from the creature. It felt that. She yanked her swords out and drove them in again. In an attempt to get rid of her, it wildly shook its head. She was tossed about like a rag doll, unable to keep her footing now that the creature had raised its head again. It managed to shake her swords loose and she rapidly fell towards the ground.
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Not twenty feet away from the sand was she caught by Moriah. They hybrid quickly swerved to avoid the worm’s toothy maw as it lunged at her. Then Moriah turned to set Crystal upon the ground.
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Meanwhile, Tylas, Melody, and Valic attacked the worm. Both Valic and Melody cast their ice spells, the green energy pooling at their feet. Both spells hit at the same time, forming icy patches on its thick hide. The worm responded by lowering its head and roaring at them. The blast of wind created a sandstorm, the sand cutting flesh as though each grain were a knife. Everyone covered their eyes, unable to do anything against this force of nature.
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When the biting sand finally stopped, Moriah swooped low, unleashing a burst of flame from her mouth; her dragon DNA had granted her many gifts. The flame, however, washed off the worm like it was water. The worm lunged straight up at her, stretching itself to astounding height, and she found herself desperately back winging away from its maw that came closer and closer.
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On the ground, Tylas leapt into the air, spinning as he did, and the spear made a deep slash in the worm’s belly. Moriah had managed to gain enough altitude and the worm fell back to the earth with an earth-shattering thud that sent everyone to the ground with a painful landing of their own. The landing made all their hearts thrum erratically and knocked the wind out of them.
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Before they could recover quickly enough, the worm roared at them again, and the resulting sandstorm bit deep. When it had passed, Crystal dashed up to it, and slashed it only a few times before she had to flee when the worm slammed the earth again. This was it’s tactic: Slam, roar, slam, roar. They simply couldn’t do enough damage to the thing in the short time between the roar and the next slam. The best they could do was fire off an ice spell, as Melody had managed to do, and get in nothing more than a couple of slashes. This couldn’t keep going.
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“Get out of the way!” Valic snapped at Tylas, who’d been advancing as the worm rose again. Valic closed his eyes, held his arms out slightly with his palms facing the sky, fingers curved slightly. The air far above the mage swirled and darkened and snow, of all things, fell to the earth. Through this portal a beautiful woman with blue skin descended, snow swirling around her. Shiva hovered in front of the black mage, facing the giant sand worm. Lifting her slender arm above her head, a ball of blue energy formed at her fingertips, which grew larger and larger as they watched. Suddenly, she pointed at great worm before her and the ball exploded into snow.
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The icy wind that enveloped the worm was more than just snow. Great sheets of ice formed over the worm, and biting wind blew frozen air into its maw. The ice quickly faded and the blue-skinned woman vanished. But the blow told on the worm. It let out a terrible high-pitched squeal. Instead of attacking, it withdrew into the ground and the rumble of its passage under foot quickly faded.
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There was a pause, as everyone comprehended that the worm had actually run away from them. Then Melody rushed to Valic and gave him a big hug for being ‘the best mage in the whole world!’ Tylas and Crystal also praised the mage for his timely summons.
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Just then, the buggy returned carrying Jazz and Avona. “Where is it?” Jazz asked as the others approached.
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“Gone!” Melody answered gleefully. “It ran away! You should’ve seen it!” She began to excitedly describe the summons to him, which he clearly didn’t understand, since she was talking so fast. Avona tsked at their wounds and set herself to healing the bad cuts from the sandstorms. The wounds themselves were an angry red, and resembled a bad carpet burn. Despite shedding sand whenever they moved, everyone was okay.
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“We better get going, in case it decides to come back,” Crystal said, and they all quickly got in the buggy once more. During the drive, Jazz and Avona happily recounted their own tale as to why they’d been gone so long. Apparently, the ruckus caused by the first worm had attracted another large sand worm and they had a hard time getting rid of it. “Jazz is a wonderful driver, I might add,” Avona said. “Because of his driving, the worm went headfirst into a large boulder. It took excellent timing and amazing skill to pull it off.”
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“Aw, thanks Avona. I’m so glad my chick-impressing skills also work on you,” Jazz answered with the slightest hint of sarcasm. Everyone laughed at this as Avona blushed. Seeing this he said, “It’s okay. I get that reaction often. Can’t help it.”
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With Jazz driving, the trip out of the desert was faster for some reason, probably because he delighted in jumping over as many small sand dunes he came across. In any case, they reached the small town they had rented the buggy at within a day.
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After everyone had shower and was quite free of any sand, the group gathered the in Crystal’s room the next day.
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“So, what’s our next mission?” Jazz asked, putting on Crystal’s sunglasses that were laying on the nightstand.
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“Let me ask,” Crystal replied, taking the sunglasses off his face. “Zack? Aerith?” she asked the thin air.
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After a minute or two, Zack appeared. “Hey!”
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“It’s Zack,” Crystal told the others. Then to Zack, “Did Aerith tell you everything?”
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He nodded. “Sure did. The gloves prevent the Lazarus from changing shape, by the way.” Crystal repeated this to the others, whom inspected the gloves again.
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Taking a pen and paper, Crystal prepared to write down the next riddle. “Okay, the next riddle is!” Zack began dramatically.
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“The lone survivor of the ages,
Branches strong and wide.
Reap death or sow love.”
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Crystal quickly wrote it down. “Great! Thanks Zack.”
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He nodded but didn’t reply. “Crystal, there’s one more thing I had to tell you.”
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“Go ahead.” She handed the riddle to Avona, who studied it and passed it on.
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Zack took a deep breath; odd, she thought, since he was already dead. He said in as calm a voice as he could make, “Wutai is gone.”

Fan Fiction Final Fantasy VII: Blood of the Living

Dragon Mage

Dark Knight

Daenerys

The Last Dragon

Dragon Mage

Dark Knight

Dragon Mage

Dark Knight

Dragon Mage

Dark Knight

mill3r91

Need my character approved! :(

Dragon Mage

Dark Knight

Dragon Mage

Dark Knight

Dragon Mage

Dark Knight

mill3r91

Need my character approved! :(

Dragon Mage

Dark Knight

Dragon Mage

Dark Knight

Dragon Mage

Dark Knight

Dragon Mage

Dark Knight

Dragon Mage

Dark Knight

Dragon Mage

Dark Knight

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