Lightning split the air, and the ground shook as thunder roared across the barren landscape. The air was frigid, the land devoid of all life, save the weary travelers, exhausted from their trek along the seemingly endless road. The packs they carried were laden with numerous items of varying shape, size and use. Simple things like food and clothes, to strange things like books of spells and astrology to the utter bizarre like a mini chemistry set, and curved, misshapen mushrooms. Their breath ragged, they trudged on, their destination in sight: Midgar, proud capital of the world, and home to the Shinra Electric Company. Very soon, they would be able to show the world the vast sum of their collected knowledge. Soon, the birth of the new order would begin. Soon, warriors of unmatched-
Sarin awoke with a start, his hair sticking to his forehead like a curtain of snow. He put his hands on his head breathing heavily. The World Without Time had just granted a glimpse of the past…or perhaps the future…No, it must have been the past. Nothing in Midgar had survived Meteorfall, save some ruined buildings. "But why now…?" he asked. "It's been years…centuries in point of fact…Why now…?"
The Tempest Within
Chapter 1
The air was stifling as Trianna filled out the paper work, which was mandatory after fulfilling a mission. Her agency, the Devil's Tail, was in such high demand; they had barely had time to rest. Not that she minded. It was exciting and payed much better then anything else she'd done before. Let her brother have stardom as the key player of the Zanarkand Abes. She, Trianna, was famous in her own regard: the most famous Death Dealer in history. Devil's Tail dealed in death after all, and Trianna was the most sought after Death Dealer in the agency. Bounty hunting, assassination, mercenary work, body guard duty: she did it all, and more. So long as the pay was good, she didn't care. With the civil war that was tearing Spira apart, and if she got enough jobs, she might even decide to apply for a position in the Shinra Electric Corporation across the ocean as a Turk. Midgar, sharing the same name as it's capitol city, was a continent far across the big blue, the beacon of the future. Technology was king there as Shinra fed off the planet's energy to supply power and comfort to the globe. Everyone wanted a piece of the future, and so began the so called, "Spiran Revolution". Several cities, including Zanarkand, capital of Spira, wanted a slice of the pie the SEC had just baked. Bikanel and the rest of Spira did not, and were content with their traditional cake. When the adjective 'traditional' is used , imagine it two hundred feet tall and made of brick. For the longest time, Spira had been obsessed over tradition, and now regarded Zanarkand, Midgar, and anyone us with that mind set as a pox needed to be removed from the planet. But what did Trianna care? So long as there was war, there was work.
"You got a letter!"
Trianna jolted out of her thoughts. "huh?"
"A letter dummy," said Gina, the accountant and secretary that worked for Devil's Tail. "From the SEC!" Tianna's pen fell from her hand as she rushed over to Gina's desk. Her neatly manicured hand had the letter in it's grip, which Trianna swiftly deprived it over, She tore open the envelope to read it's inner secrets:
Dear Trianna Konnisaki,
We have heard rumors of your success on the continent of Spira, and are willing to offer you a position in the Turk division of the Shinra Electric Corporation, if you complete one of our tests. A rouge SOILDER, known as Sarin, is hiding out near Midgar. Dispatching all agents we have sent to eliminate him previously, we require a Death Dealer of your caliber to eliminate this threat. Please send us conformation of your acceptance by mail. Should you accept, you will have two months to eliminate Sarin.
Signed,
Tseng Tsune, Head of the Turks.
Trianna's breath caught in her throat. SEC…THE SEC….wanting her for the Turks! She nearly passed out with excitement. "Gina…they want me for the turks!"
"WHAT?! NO WAY!!!"
"WAY!!!!!!! Ok…send them a letter of my acceptance, ASAP!!"
Gina cocked her head slightly. "Why can't you do it?"
Trianna hoisted her gunblade with a smirk. "I've a rouge SOILDER to kill."
When the airship finally landed in a mountain range stretching as far as the eye could see in every direction, Trianna was calm. Well, not calm. One did not become one of the most dangerous people alive by relaxing. Still, she wasn't as tense as usual. The clean air heightened her senses and brought back memories of her childhood, when she and her family would take trips to the Wohl Highlands.
The thought of her idiot brother falling into an ice cold lake on one of those trips brought a smile to her lips. It had just rained, so the ground was moist…and comprised mostly of mud. Her happy feelings immediately vanished. These were her best combat boots! She snarled, and continued to trudge towards the town she was heading towards. She needed a ground base, somewhere she could rest up before the coming battle. After about an hour, she reached it. She walked through the crowded streets; how such a small town had such a large populace was beyond her. She found the inn, and tossed a coin to the keeper.
"One room, please."
"Of course," said the man, his gruff voice partially swallowed up by his beard.
Trianna unlaced her boots, and dropped her gear next to her bed. Rubbing her eyes, she rolled her shoulders back, she lay flat on her bed, letting the information she knew about her target fill her mind.
Sarin was an ex-SOILDER.
He had managed to kill every agent, SOILDER and Turk alike sent after him, meaning he was first class at least.
He would be carrying a sword of some king or another.
And, this was perhaps the most important detail, he would not stand from the crowd. He would know how to blend in. It had taken her almost a month to track him to this part of the globe anyways.