The stragglers Zax and Trader, at last followed Kunsel and Swayer through from the neighboring forge facility, and patio area. The aroma of incense burned for the coming Wutai new year, in honor of Traders mother, accompanying them.
"Did you make that fireguard in front of the hearth, with the phenix design?" Zax asked Kunsel's aunt, while they crossed the rug strewn communal lounge.
"That I did. And these handrails, the kitchen counters, that coffee table too." Trader boasted non to subtelly. "It was my stepmothers family trade you know, old Kalmish clan and all. There was some concern about who would inherit the work, I was the eldest, but my sister Jemnezmy was my stepmother's blood. However Kunsel's mother was determined to visit Bone Village when she won a trip there, for an article she submitted to a paper. After that she was hook, she became an investigative journalist for a living. Actually during her last trip, she went south when she reached the new continent, the same general way you and Kunsel are headed. She even wrote to me once about some ruins she had found, a temple that incorporated elements from several cultures, she thought the ancients must have constructed it. Well, in the meantime my step mother had gifted me the trade, hence the nickname."
"I'm not surprised." Zax told Trader. "You were a prodigy!"
"They're getting along." Kunsel commented from where ee leaned in the main door frame.
Swayer smiled knowingly from the front step. "Giving him the metalwork tour huh? Any excuse to brag." She said of her partner.
Kunsel part snorted, part laughed. "Her stuff is even better than I remember." Ee studied the artfully constructed fireguard that Zax had pointed out. "The phoenix motif is fitting." Ee observed. Ees aunt had really put her skills to use in making the place a home, for herself and for everyone who lived there, ee had noticed that the night before.
"Ah there you two are." Trader called to em and Swayer, on spotting them waiting by the door. "All ready to hit the road?"
"Yeah, thanks for having us." Kunsel took ees aunt in to a hug when she drew near. Swayer next to em gave Zax a tight squeeze.
From one of the couches in front of the fire, Chelsia waved at em, wishing Zax and Kunsel a safe trip. "Take care on the road both of you!" Several off her friends joined in waving, or echoed the sentiment.
Trader and Swayer walked them out to the buggy. Trader recalling. "Zax was telling me that there's a new station been set up in Midgar…"
Zax nodded to confirm her words.
"You'll have two show us around next time we visit the plate." Swayer proposed.
"Sure." Kunsel assented. "Any time."
Swayer held up a hand in order to stall them a moment longer, "Before you go." From inside her coat she drew two laurel wreaths, placing one about the crown of Zax head, and one atop ees own when ee stooped for her. "This may not be Kalm, but at least you can take som Kalmish festivity with you."
Zax glanced at em, a hardly suppressed grin tickeling his lips.
Then once they were belted in to the buggy, they were pulling away, waving their goodbyes.
They were just leaving Condor Town, when they simultaneously received mail.
[To: Zax][To: Kunsel][From: Director Tuesti][Subject: Important Warning][Mail: We have just learned that Veld and a number of his Exiles (including Emma), are pursuing you. They intend to strike once you leave Condor Town, and they may have an armor piercing weapon with them. Rufus ShinRa believes we can use this as an opportunity to help Emma get away from Veld, and potentially as a means of stopping Veld all together. However, you are under no obligation to assist in this operation. If you do not wish to draw out the Exiles, Yuffie and Elena are ready to escort you to the docs via helicopter, and WRO volunteers will be ready to usher you back to Midgar on your return trip. Please get back to me or Cissnei and Balto with your decision ASAP. - RT.]
"It could be the only chance we get at helping Elena's sister…" Kunsel mermered. "I want to help them, if we can." When ee looked up from ees PHS, there was a determined set to ees features. But there was also something unsure about the look ee wore when ee glanced out of the window.
"Hey, I get it…" Zax told em. Zax and ee both knew what it was to be betrayed. Kunsel had rarely had anyone to rely on to begin with, and those ee had trusted? They had tried to have em killed, or abandoned em to ShinRa. "…after all…" Zax went on. "…we both know what it's like to be left in the lurch. You know how things went with my pops the last time I saw him, then there was that whole deal with sephiroth. And I haven't forgotten about that first mission Fuhito sent you on, plus last night what you told me about cliff. You don't need to convince me, if we can help Emma or any of the other Exiles, I'm right with you."
"It's going to be dangerous." Kunsel emphasised, though ee seemed to know that Zax knew this already. "They'll be probably be with Veld's more trusted Exiles."
"Well, that's what the buster is for."
The plan agreed upon, Kunsel suggested that Zax mail Cissnei and Belto, to let them know what was happening. "Tell them we might be late in getting to Gongaga." Ee jested.
Zax did just that. Kunsel pulled back out onto the highway that lead to the docs.
[To: Tian][To: Balto][From: Zax][Subject: Our decision][Mail: I'm sure the WRO and ShinRa have already contacted you two about it. But in case not, Veld and some Exiles are on our trail. Emma is one of them. We're decided to take part in the mission to help Emma get free, and will be traveling the old fashioned way by buggy, hoping to lure Veld out. Please let Reeve know about or decision. Also in case Veld targets Gongaga, take care of yourself/each other, and look out for my folks for me? PS we might be late to dinner.]
Soon Zax had a reply from Tian codename 'Cissnei', speaking on behalf of Balto as well as herself.
[From: Tian][To: Zax][Re: Our decision reply][Mail: Yes we had heard as much from Reno and Rude, was about to mail you on the topic myself. Balto, Kamea and I are with your folks for the night, no worries there. You and Kunsel be safe ok? Watch each others back. See you both soon.]
Zax read this response to Kunsel out loud while Kunsel drove.
Elena was distracted readying the helicopter for flight, so that they could be ready to extract Emma when the time hopefully came. But Yuffie who was looking out the window at the falling snow, saw the woman coming across the rooftop. She was tall with grey-blond hair, and there was something familiar about her. But she was striding directly over towards them, Yuffie didn't have the luxury to dwell on were she had seen this person before.
"Wow wow, hold it lady!" Yuffie attempted to dissuade the woman. Calling Elena's attention to the predicament also.
Unperturbed, the woman opened the door to the back passenger compartment, and stepped in.
"Did we just get boarded by an old lady?" Yuffie squaked.
Elena was shaking her head, mystafied and alarmed all at once.
The COMM crackled to life, just as Yuffie had readied her shuriken in preparation to go back there and confront the stranger.
The woman addressed them calmly. "Sorry girls, but I've decided I'm coming along for the ride."
"Who are you?" Elena asked in to her COMM.
"Oh, you don't know me?" Came the return question. "Well I suppose my photos are a tad out of date. But maybe you'll recognize my name, you can call me Jemnezmy Raven."
Elena stratened up at this.
"What is it, who is Jemnezmy?" Yuffie demanded, but then it hit her. "We ran in to you at the temple of the Ancients! I remember, you were a real pain in the butt charming the guys silly like that." She grumbled.
"Now don't hold it against me, that was before I saw Avalanche on TV and realized who you lot were. I thought you were treasure hunters."
"Well…" Yuffie started guilty. Elena chimed in, saving her from an awkward confession.
"You were also on the Turks hit list, for exposing ShinRa company seacrets." Elena recalled, the news surprising Yuffie.
"Sure enough." Jemnezmy confirmed. "But now I need to get out there with you, my family could be in worse trouble than you know, the planet might even be in danger."
"What, the whole planet!?" Yuffie exclaimed, to shocked by Jemnezmy's latter claim to ask about the former.
"Extinction level threat or not, we have to get going." Ellena told Yuffie. "It's your call." She defiered.
"You're right, ok ok let's get in the air. We can talk as we fly. But no funny business grandma."
That elected a laugh from their resident hijacker.
Rather than utilizing Zax's control over oblivion in order to travel, they took the road in Kunsel's buggy. Heading for the port, where they had arranged to board a WRO ship, going to the south of the new continent.
During the drive they talked back and forth, but mostly they kept their eyes on the landscape, staying alert and watchful.
Kunsel examined every vehicle that passed them, traced every aircraft light in the dark churning sky. At last ee felt confident saying. "Don't look now, but we're being followed, it's probably the Exiles."
Zax remaned leaning against the front passenger window, but Kunsel saw his eyes turn to em in the rearview mirror. "The truck three behind us?"
"Yeah. Be ready, their passing the others on the road now." Sure enough, the truck three vehicles back had jumped in to the port bound lane, during a break in the traffic. And it was steadily pulling up alongside them.
"Down!" Kunsel shouted to ees friend. In unison, the both of them ducked.
In almost the same moment, the side of the buggy was being hammered ferociously with gun fire. Bullets blowing through the windows, and pelting the armored doors and frame.
From ees crouched position, Kunsel swung the stearingweel. The buggy followed, carrining in to the side of the truck, ees buggy's low carriage and armoring matching the trucks greater bulk.
"Looks like you got things covered here." Zax told em. "I'm gonna get some fresh air." With a lazy salut, Zax had grasped the window frame and performed a nimbell roundup, out of the shattered window onto the buggy's roof.
But just then, the buggy was rammed unexpectadly from behind, sending the buggy spinning.
"Planet! Zax you ok?" Kunsel called from the footwell. Once ees drive had come to a screeching off road halt, beside the highway.
The rearview mirror had been shot to pieces. But looking over ees shoulder, showed Kunsel that Zax had jumped to the Exiles second vehicle, the one that had rammed them. He had driven the buster clean through the bonnet on in to the road, bringing the vehicle to a rough stop.
But ee only had that glance of Zax, the truck was barreling towards em and ee need to get out of its path. So bailing from the buggy, Kunsel let the truck pass em to go careaning in to ees vehicles side. Next ee came up out of es dive roll roll, and tor the passenger door off the truck, the truck having been brought to a hult by the crash.
It was Emma who leapt out first, her signature handgun at the ready, but hesitant to use it. Instead it was Shotgun in the driver's seat, who Kunsel focused on as being the true threat. She had her weapon trained on em, the only thing keeping her from having pulled the trigger already was that Emma was in the path of the scatter.
"Move!" Shotgun shouted to her fallow Exile. But it was to late.
Tugging aside ees eyepatch, Kunsel had cast paralysis on her, using the materia chip faceted in the gem ring ee kept concealed there.
Shotgun slumped in her seat, her weapon tumbling free of her grasp.
However, in the time it had taken em to do this. Emma had maneuvered around em, and was holding her firearm to ees back. "You were ready for us?" She asked, voice low as if she did not wish to be heard.
Kunsel could hear the fight between Zax and the other Exiles taking place on the highway, but could not see what was happening, ees view being blocked by the truck. "Yes…" Ee answered her quickly, wanting to get through this, so ee could go to Zax's aid as soon as was possible. "…we came despite being tipped off, because we wanted to give any of the Exiles who wanted it, the means of escaping Veld and those who rally around him. You could come with us now. Join Cissnei, Katana, Felicia, your sister and the other Turks."
"It's to risky." She argued more with herself then with em.
"No it's not, we'll fight together. You can trust us to have your back, as long as you don't cross us first."
"I don't…Planet, ok ok ok ok." She was breathing hard, clearly frightened by the prospect of making an enemy of her fellow Exiles and former chief. But she removed her weapon from between ees shoulder blades, and motioned for em to follow after her, to the corner of the truck. Saying. "Maur, Nunchaku and Veld, where in the car that rammed you. We need to help Zax, he won't be able to hold them off on his own for long."
Casting a look about the trucks bumper, Kunsel startled. Ee had expected a fight, but not the one ee was looking at.
There was Nunchaku, taking cover agans one side of the car he had arrived in, while Veld crouched by the opposite side. Both of them had their guns trained on a writhing forme beyond the cars headlights, but weren't shooting for fear of hitting Maur, who was grappling with the many limbs of the form.
The second many limbed figure struggling with Maur, belonged to Zax, as unlike himself as he looked.
His hair had come out of its knot, the full length of it bristeling all about him. While one after another, strange skeletal winged arms burst from his back, to claw at Maur and anything else within reach.
"Oh my Gaia!" Emma breathed. "Wha…"
Cutting her off, Kunsel broke cover, determined to get to Zax. Fear for ees friend making em headless, even as Veld began to fire on em, forcing em to deflect bullets off ees sword while weaving cornering and diving to make emself a hard target to lead.