The hum of voices died down as the last few students filed out the room leaving Instructor Quistis Trepe to herself, basking in the warm glow of another class gone well. It was after a few moments silence that she became aware of a gaze upon her. She looked up from the papers on her desk towards the door where a figure leant nonchalantly. He was wearing a cadet uniform but she couldn't place his face, half of which was covered by a long fringe of dark hair.
'Can I help you?' Quistis asked.
The cadet stepped into the room with a small smile, pushing his dark rimmed glasses up his nose as he glanced at the board behind her.
'Theory of Para-magic huh? Not something I need a hand with…' he said with a grin.
'Then what…' Quistis started saying sternly with a slight frown.
'I always relish the chance to try out the practical side however' he continued raising a hand that crackled slightly.
Quistis pushed her chair back and tried to rise quickly before the spell hit but it was too late, her body slumping back down into the chair, her head lolling back as she fell to sleep.
The figure strode over to her, brushing the wisps of hair from her face tenderly as he removed her glasses. He listened to her soft breaths for a moment until he was sure she was deep under the sleep spell he had cast on her and reached into his pocket removing a small black communicator which he then pressed to his face.
'It's Ven. I have the Instructor' he said softly.
There was a surprised outburst from the other end causing him to frown.
'Not yet, we need her. You'd be best concerned seeking the whereabouts of the others, especially that failed knight Seifer, Jen was unable to terminate him so he'll be on his way to Garden. We can't have him warning them yet' he replied firmly.
Another outburst was the reply to this.
'How I deal with Jen's failure is none of your concern. Focus on your task and complete it if you want to show her up' Ven scolded the voice and then ended the conversation, pulling the communicator from his ear with a look of annoyance crossing his face.
How could they fulfil their Mistress' plans if they kept bickering amongst themselves? Ven grew weary of trying to keep the group to their objectives it was like herding cats sometimes.
Still he at least had got what he had come for though he didn't have long before the next class arrived. He raised a hand, muttering softly to himself, using his other hand to scoop the slumbering Quistis up out the chair and drew her to him, her head falling onto his shoulder, her long blonde hair splaying over his chest.
His raised hand began to crackle darkly with power, an ebony cloud swirling around them before it condensed into an opaque orb swallowing them as it shrunk rapidly into a vanishing dot leaving the room empty once more.
The soft sound of crashing waves were all that could be heard as the orb grew once again, appearing by a small speedboat moored to a beach behind the Fire cavern. Ven swayed as he quickly readjusted to the effect of the Warp spell, gripping Quistis tightly. A figure looked up from the driver's seat of the boat, blue eyes staring out from a dark hood framed by locks of red hair.
'Could you be any more conspicuous Rei? I don't know why the three of you keep wearing those hooded tops' Ven teased the figure.
'I just like it, it adds mystery. Besides we are the shadowy agents of our Mistress' Rei replied sticking her tongue out at him mockingly.
'What are you doing with her anyway? I thought you were supposed to kill her?' she added noticing Quistis.
'Don't you start I had enough of Lance questioning me. Don't forget our other plan. Be satisfied with killing the other murderers of our mistress for now' Ven retorted carrying Quistis over to the boat and placing her into a seat, strapping her down before he tore the anchor up from out the sand and leapt into the boat himself nodding to Rei to go.
Rei turned the key the engine sputtering to life, and leaving a white foamy wake behind they left the gleaming spire of Balamb Garden to fade away into the distance.
He had been lucky that the transoceanic railroad was in operation again what with Esthar somewhat open to the world once more. It meant he had been able to hitch a lift on one of the cargo cars as it left Fisherman's Horizon allowing him to escape that hooded figure before others of their group arrived.
The sooner he reached Balamb the better, he had to warn Squall of what was coming, he couldn't let Fuujin and Raijin's deaths be in vain. He had set out towards Timber just before dawn, barely rested from the few hours' sleep he'd had. The sun had finally cleared the horizon as he entered the woods, the pale light mottled by leaf shapes. Seifer wasn't too keen on travelling through the dense foliage as it increased his risk of being ambushed but it was the straightest path to Timber and he hadn't time to waste. Besides he doubted they knew where he was yet, it was more likely that they'd ambush him in Timber or Balamb itself since they'd know that's where he was headed.
The woods slowly began to fill with noise as the various kinds of wildlife awoke. There had been few monsters in his path, something that would have concerned him if his mind wasn't on other things. There was a whistling sound and Seifer felt a cracking against his knee, a burst of pain sending him rolling to the ground. He tried to stand looking for his assailant, his wounded left leg screaming at him as he tried to bend it, the warmth of blood trickling down his shin as his trousers bloomed a crimson stain.
'Pathetic, is that all it takes to bring the dog down?' a deep voice sneered, a figure dropping from the branches, their face obscured by a black hood.
'Another one?' Seifer gasped, getting unsteadily to his feet, his left leg trembling erratically, drawing Hyperion to defend himself.
'Maybe I should take out your other leg?' the figure said coldly, raising his arm to which was strapped a long steel catapult already pulled taut and loaded with a metallic ball.
There was a loud twang and a shrill whistle as the ball flew from the catapult, Seifer trying to bring Hyperion down to deflect it but wasn't quick enough, the ball cracking off his other kneecap bringing him back down to the ground.
'How low the mighty have fallen… how could Jen have lost to you?' the figure sneered.
'She gave you power, promised you your dreams and even though you had the strength to reflect Odin's Zantetzuken you still failed her, how?' he added snarling.
Seifer grimaced, propping himself up on his elbow so he could look up into that cold darkness looking down upon him. 'I may have defeated Odin but that damn four armed freak came to take me out instead' he retorted.
"Gilgamesh? Why would he be called? What was Ven thinking?" the figure thought to themselves.
The figure then swung their forearm, a dark blade flicking out from the catapult casing so that it extended past his hand.
'Either way you don't deserve to live. We can't have you running off to your old friends to let them know that death is coming for them.' The figure told him, striding over with the blade raised.
Seifer's eyes widening and his pulse raced as the figure loomed down upon him. He rolled over onto his back swinging Hyperion wildly as he tried to sit up and face his attacker.
'Too weak' the figure leered, knocking Hyperion out of Seifer's hand with his foot and then slashed down his chest, pushing him flat on his back.
'Enjoy your eternal slumber you wretched dog. Maybe there you may fulfil your childish dream' the figure said coldly and slammed the blade into his ribcage, a spurt of blood issuing from Seifer's lips as he gagged in pain, a flash of heat becoming seeping cold as the blade was withdrawn and blood flooded the ground beneath him.
The figure watched the life fade from his face dispassionately waiting for his eyes to grow dull and cloud over before smiling to himself in satisfaction. It was then he drew out his communicator and waited for a reply.
'Have you done playing with those dolls yet Jen?' he mocked after a moments silence.
There was a terse retort and the figure laughed in reply.
'Now is that any way to talk to the one who saved your ass? Lucky for you I caught the dog and put him out of his misery' he added sarcastically.
'I can't believe all you did was scratch him' he continued, kicking Seifer's lifeless head so that the fresh wound on his forehead reopened, glistening slightly but failing to fill with fresh blood, further proof that life had left him.
'Excuses, excuses' he told Jen as she barked at him on the other end.
'Maybe now Ven will stop being so protective of you. Still you can make it up to us and prove yourself worthy of Tempus if you can find the Cowboy or the Sunflower before I do, how's that?' he told her with a smirk and then shut the communicator off as Jen started her tirade of curses at him.
Lance left Seifer's corpse where it was for the animals and monsters to devour, that's all the wretch was good for now, besides he didn't Jen's predilection for mutilation of his victims. What concerned him most now was what Ven was really planning.