DL Noleek

Child of the Serpent

Disclaimer: I Do Not Own Final Fantasy VII

Chapter 1: Avalir, Daughter of Wutai

The people of Wutai have a way of life that is worth dying for.
Their lives revolve around honor, trust, and discipline; traits
rarely found in today's world. Yet they are also irksome, for
they are like weeds--every time you think you have brought
them to their knees, they just spring right back up again, just
to make you life hell.

-Reno of the Turks
A letter to President Rufus
after a mission to Wutai

Lir's arms buckled as she felt the full weight of her brother's sword clash against her twin fans, the force of the blow pushing her backwards. She grinned--this was a common strategy of his. He would try to push her back into a corner and simply use his greater strength to his advantage. It did make sense, Lir's weaker, female body could not possibly stand up to a mountain of male muscle twice her weight, but then again, Shinn seemed to forget that when it came to battling an experienced fighter, there were other factors to consider.

He never learned.

With well practiced grace, Lir moved fluidly to the left, making sure that her right fan was there for the block that came crashing down on it before swinging her body around her brother's and bringing her left fan arching across his unprotected back. She heard her brother cry out in pain, but she didn't let that stop her from finishing the blow--a well-placed half-moon kick finished the job and brought him down.

She had originally planned on ending the match there by removing Shinn's sword, but before she brought down her right fan to disarm him, she hesitated slightly, barely holding back a grin from her face. It was too early for the fight to end yet, not when she had just started. She was just beginning to feel that familiar tingle…h

As Lir had suspected, Shinn took the bait, sweeping into a low spin kick that she happily evaded by jumping backwards. Her brother wasted no time by charging at her, sword drawn. Once again, Lir felt metal hit metal as two pairs of cool emerald eyes met and locked. Shinn's entire body was shaking and sweat was pouring down his body in tiny pools. He would tire soon, but he would put up a fight--not that she cared.

The harder her twin hit, the stronger the rebound would be. Already, Lir was able to feel the power of an upcoming break as it surged through her veins in a red-hot fire; strength, speed, endurance, and agility slowly rose to their peak. The heady feeling itself was nearly enough to send her over the edge.

Shinn managed to get one more hit in, a strike to her left thigh, before Lir released all of her pent up energy. Red power circled around her like a tempest wind, lifting her braided hair off of her back. She could feel her senses sharpening. Her eyes narrowed as Shinn's form suddenly came into sharp focus behind the red wave. She could now smell the sweat dripping off of her and her opponent, could hear the rough pant of his breathing. The ethereal wind whirling around her was satin to her newly sensitized skin and it was causing the thin hairs on her arms to rise in anticipation.

And then she was off.

With a burst of speed, she dashed toward her brother, both fans unfurled and shining with a deadly glint. To her, the hits were no faster than her normal attack, but she knew from personal experience that to anyone who was watching, the quick slashes and thrusts were no more than a blur. In rapid motion, Lir alternated between throwing her fans and slashing with them, each attack hitting its mark on Shinn's body.

Her break was over in under a minute, but it need not have been any longer; Shinn was already on the ground with his sword lowered, taking in huge gulps of air. Lir lowered her fans. She was quite proud of the break, for it had taken forever for her to learn the quick footsteps and aerobatics that were required to perform it. It had been well worth it.

Soft clapping sounded from behind her and Lir immediately turned to greet their audience, who she knew had been waiting for them to finish. "Did you enjoy the performance Father?" Lir asked softly.

Lir's father, Lord Niragai Kisaragi, had been Wutai's leader for well over forty years and although he was advancing in years, he still held all the power he did in his youth--and more. His black hair, now streaked with gray, was tied back, giving all who dared a clear look at his slate gray eyes; a pair of hard orbs that were now focused on his two children. He moved toward them with a fluid grace, the limp in his right leg from an old war scar barely perceptible.

Lord Kisaragi's eyes bored into his daughter's unmercifully and for a moment, the two stood rooted in their own silent battle, but then, Niragai's face broke into a smile and he reached out to stoke his only daughter's cheek affectionately. "Well Avalir, you do your old man proud."

"Thank you, Father." Her father's hand left her cheek and she immediately took a step back to retract the blades of her fans; even as Lord Niragai's daughter, carrying an unsheathed weapon outside of battle was forbidden.

"And you," Niragai said, turning to his son, "what have you to say for yourself? This must be the third time she's beaten you this week." The lord's voice was cold, but Lir could see the mirth sparkling behind his eyes and soon found herself struggling to hold back a small giggle.

Shinn rose from his place on the ground and repeating his sister's earlier action, he sheathed his weapon, massaging his wrist a little once the sword was safely tucked away. "Actually, I think that may very well be the fifth time she's beaten me this week, not that it shames me any--you lost to her twice in a row yesterday."

Lir beamed under the praise, but didn't allow herself to show it. What both of them had failed to mention was the fact that either of them could mop the floor with her any day of the week; she only won the occasional bout and couldn't help but wonder if there were times when they let her win. It was very likely, but it didn't matter much--she was one of the strongest women in Wutai and no warrior could deny that Lord Kisaragi had raised /two/ powerful fighters.

"I am glad that you were able to come and see our match, Father," Lir said. "I hope that you found it up to your standards."

The lord smiled somewhat sadly and shook his head. "It was very nice Lir, but I'm afraid I didn't come down here just to see my two children. Unfortunately, I have some news for Shinn."

Lir's brother moved to stand before their father, his eyes losing their warmth and turning cold; he was moving out of the form of Shinn Kisaragi and into that of Wutai's Master of Arms. Lir grimaced--there had been another demon attack.

"Where," her twin asked, his thoughts moving along the same lines as hers.

"Along the shore," Naragai said sullenly. "Our watchman spotted a hoard of ships heading toward the north side of the beach about two hours ago. They've already sacked Talgurai; we haven't received word of the number of losses yet, but the watchman said that the demons that came were Daracon, so you can bet that the casualties were high."

Shinn winced and Lir gave him a sympathetic pat on the shoulder. Daracons were nasty creatures--man-like beings with green scales, no hair, huge bodies, and bat-like wings. It took very little effort for one of their kind to tear a human to pieces. Unfortunately, they were also some of the more intelligent demons. They worked in groups, small armies led by a single leader. "Looks like our practice session is over, Lir. I'll take care of the invaders immediately Father, and don't worry, I'll be back before dinner." He offered them both a confident smile; going out to fight again didn't bother him in the least.

/How can he possibly remain so calm?/ Lir thought. /It doesn't even unsettle him that there is a small hoard of demons at our doorstep right now who would just love to tear every man, woman, and child in this city to pieces./ Then again, Shinn was always calm, forever steady--maybe it came with the role of Master of Arms. It was a role that for all of Wutai's leaders eventually led to emperor. Almost all of Wutai's rulers had at some point in time, been the leader of the country's army and right hand to the emperor. Shinn was no exception, just as Naragai before him. It was all part of the chain of command and Lir had no doubt that once Father passed on, Shinn would make a fine emperor and his son, whenever he married and settled down, would be at the head of his army.

And she would forever be serving tea in the palace and working in the medical buildings--not that she ever complained. It was her place and so long as she could help in some way, Lir was more than content to leave the role of leader to her father and brother, although she would have liked to fight beside them…

Shinn was already moving from the practice room and into the hall that lead to his private chambers, shedding practice pads and armor as he went, leaving it for the servants to pick up later. Normally, he preferred to do that himself, but time was of the essence and he could not afford to spare a moment when he had to summon the city's warriors.

Lir, glancing at the discarded gear, shrugged carelessly, and plucked up the garments to quickly stow them in the nearby storeroom. They hadn't gotten the armor from there--although there was other practice gear in that particular room--but she too didn't have time to put them away either. She just didn't like leaving it on the ground and Shinn would need her help preparing for the upcoming battle, war armor being too heavy and too complicated to put on by oneself.

The halls of Wutai castle had expanded in the years since Wutai had achieved restoration after the fall of Meteor. The complex had nearly tripled in size and a second, third, and fourth level had been added to conserve space. The main floor hadn't changed since it had been built with the exception of the battle room that had been added in back. Her ancestors had insisted on such preservation. The second floor was used mainly as a meeting area; there were several rooms with nothing more in them but several pallets, chairs, and tables that would make visitors comfortable. There was also a library and study on that floor that had been added by her grandfather. The third floor was dedicated entirely to the comfort of the royal family, each member having their own space to themselves, which usually consisted of a bedroom and perhaps a sitting room. The fourth floor was reserved for the servants quarters and the kitchen; it was several small hallways branching off into tiny cubicle rooms. As with the first floor of the house, the newer additions also had several passageways, many of which the servants used--or curious children with nothing better to do than spy on their elders. Being one of those children herself, Lir knew every nook and cranny of the palace, though it had been frustrating as a child when she had encountered a dead end. There was nothing like following a passage for ten minutes only to find that it stopped quite abruptly at a wooden wall.

Lir set to following Shinn up to his private rooms on the third floor, just a few steps down the hall from her own. Her brother's chambers were a cave in comparison. Where her rooms had several windows that let in light throughout the day, Shinn's room had none. His walls were covered in thick draperies of crimson and black coupled with several examples of Wutai's best swords that would be imposing to any unfriendly visitors. Lir had avoided the place at all costs when she was younger.

Now, Lir followed Shinn into the room without complaint, as she was lead to the heavy red, battered, armor that hung from a stand in the corner near a mirror. Shinn immediately began his preparations, ignoring Lir as he began to strip down to nothing but his underthings in front of the mirror.

Lir had long since ceased to be embarrassed. Seeing as her brother had no wife as of yet, it was up to her to get him armored from head to toe. Besides, she saw worse in the medical wards when men came back from battle bleeding and torn.

Not for the first time, she stopped to stare at the reflections in the glass as she came up behind Shinn. Father had once said that they both looked exactly like their mother; Lir had never disagreed. Both of them had long, glossy, black locks with a tint of blue that fell to mid-back when down--a raven's colors. Two pairs of sharp, almond-shaped, jade eyes stared back at her from the mirror, bright orbs set above prominent cheek bones, sharp noses, sensuous mouths, and narrow chins. Their builds were light, like those of a dancer or acrobat; a deceptive trait that often led to their advantage in a fight when opponents underestimated the waif-like duo.

The features were quite striking in Shinn, any female in the palace would readily attest to that. It wasn't that those same features made Lir seem ugly, it was just that they made her seem colder than the soft feminine curves men wished to stare at all night. She never let it bother her; what use had she for soft beauty? Soft beauties didn't find themselves ankle deep in the blood of their people after the fighting was over. They didn't sew up sword wounds, didn't set broken bones, and could never possibly staunch the blood flowing from a gaping hole in the body.

"What disturbs you Lir?" Lir jumped as Shinn's voice penetrated her senses. He had already changed into the soft silks that would go beneath his armor and was now staring at her through the mirror, his green eyes soft and full of concern.

"Sorry, Shinn. I wasn't thinking about anything really, just dozing I guess."

"Are you sure?" he said incredulously. "You're quieter than you usually are. You said nary a word to Father when he mentioned the demon attack." He paused, his face lightening. "Is that what has disturbed you?"

She was about to tell him again that it was nothing, but instead found her train of thought leading her elsewhere due, perhaps, in part to his remark. "Be careful Shinn. Something about this isn't right."

/And just where did that come from! Are you turning into a prophetess now Avalir?/

Apparently, Shinn shared the thought. "Since when are you worried about a demon attack!" He seemed to visibly relax, having found the root of the problem. "Demons are common enough around here nowadays. We've held out this long, we'll hold out again."

/And therein lies the problem. We have held out this long; who else has?/

"Why /have/ we held out so long, brother? Why when everyone else has fallen?" There it was and it sounded just as forlorn aloud as it did in her head. It hadn't occurred to her earlier, but it must have been something that had been plaguing her mind because getting the words off her chest made her feel a great deal better.

"So, what is that supposed to prove, Lir?" Shinn moved away from the mirror and began pulling the greaves off of the armor stand. "Junon is still holding steady last I checked and so are Nibelhiem, Cosmo Canyon, Fort Condor, and Corel, though I'll admit, the last couple may not be standing for much longer. As long as we keep fighting, we can keep these remaining cities alive. Besides, what else can we do? If we don't fight, we die, end of story." It was a pedantic speech; Lir absently thought that he sounded like their father. This is how it is--endpoint.

Getting into an argument with Shinn, especially before a battle, was entirely useless; men who were worried, riled, and anxious got hurt. Instead, Lir lifted the plate armor off of the stand and placed it over her brother's head to settle it as comfortably as possible on his shoulders. After she strapped on the chest plate, she went for the shoulder pads, tying the complicated knots so that the pads would slide easily along the upper portion of the mail. Shinn's armor was made of overlapping fire dragon scales, a shield that was damn hard to break, even with a Daracon's claw.

/So then why do I feel as if I should stop him? No, just get it out of your head…/

The armor was on within moments and it seemed like all to soon before Shinn was lifting his sword from the rack and placing it at his belt, his helmet under his arm. Before leaving, he turned quickly to Lir, lifting her chin with his finger to raise her eyes to his.

"Don't worry little sister. I'll be back by morning tomorrow at the latest--have faith."

Lir gave him a small obeisant bow. She attempted to keep her face straight, but she could still hear her voice quiver when she spoke. "I wish I were going with you."

Shinn smiled at that, his kind eyes taking her in and holding her close. "Sometimes I must agree, but it is not your place." With that, he turned and marched out the door, back straight, shoulders back, step even--every inch the soldier.

Lir had remained in her twin's quarters for several more minutes before returning to the first floor, heading towards the shrine near the back of the palace.

As she reached the bottom of the stairs she stopped, as she always did, to admire the painting that lay at their foot. It was that of a young woman. Her short, black hair was loose and waving in wind that had been forever captured by the hand of the artist. She wore a simple armor: gauntlets, a shoulder guard, and a couple of braces. There was a deadly looking shuriken in her right hand. It was her great-grandmother, Yuffie Kisaragi, leader of the Wutai people and savior of the Planet. It was her that had restored the country to its former glory--and then some. Rumor had it that she had been a wild one, but no one would know that from the painting. Yuffie's face was firm and hard, her muscles taunt as if ready for battle. It was an imposing figure, but if one looked closely, it was possible to catch the glint in her gray eyes and the slight smirk on her face; a wild spirit to the end.

Lir would have killed to be half of what she had been, to see the world with her own two eyes. /Yeah, keep dreaming. The demons will vanish before that happens./

Lir sighed and continued on her way, weaving through the hallways until she was only a few steps from the shrine's entrance. She stopped at the doorway and removed her sandals, stepping onto the tatami floor with bare feet. She wasn't surprised to find the room already occupied.

"Has he gone," her father asked, not glancing up from his prayers.

"Yes, he left a while ago," Lir replied sullenly. "Are you sure I couldn't…"

"No, we need you here." It was a hard rebuke, but it was no more than she expected. This was not the first time that she had tried to push her father into letting her fight with the front lines.

/Maybe…/

"Father, I'm better than most of the men you have out there, you've said so yourself! Why can't you let me protect my homeland?" A shaky response, but reasonable.

It still didn't slide. "Because it is not where you belong, Lir. There are no women that…"

"What about Yuffie? She fought alongside Avalanche, she took control of Wutai, she…"

Her father rounded on her with such vehemence that she nearly recoiled. "Yuffie was a pugnacious child who took on a role because no one else would! You are not in the same position, Lir! You have a brother and father who care about you and this country! I do not question that Lady Yuffie was a good leader, but what she did was done out of necessity and it's not something you should try to repeat."

He stopped suddenly, as if finally realizing that his voice had risen above acceptable decibels. Niragai's face softened as he looked on his daughter with more kindness and drew her into his arms in a gesture of protection. Lir swallowed the lump in her throat. "War is a nasty thing daughter. It kills everything, from the people to the land they live on. It is one thing to play at fighting within these walls, but quite another to kill in the heat of battle. I know, and accept, the fact that I may lose Shinn to this slaughter, but I will no loose my only daughter too."

/Perhaps…/

Lord Kisaragi stepped away, looking at his daughter with utmost fondness. "Do you understand, Lir, why I will not allow you to go?"

"Yes, Father." /But I do not necessarily agree./

"Good. I must go now, Lir. I have other things to attend to. I hope that I shall not have to hear of this anymore?"

"Of course not," Lir replied evenly. She would hold her peace, as she always had.

Author's Commentary: I think that this may be the first time I have written a story without a prologue. That's strange. I never really realized it before, but there it is. I like where this story is going and I have some good things planned for it. On another note, I picked out the name Avalir (Lir for short) randomly out of my head, but some unresistable curiosity told me to research the name. My findings revealed that the first part of the name, Ava, is Iranian for sound, or "water." The second part, Lir, is a shortened name of the Irish god of the sea, Llyr. Lir is also considered a guy's name. It's ironic, because the name fits her character, as all readers will see in later chapters. Freaky.

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