Chapter 4

Zidane had come to the conclusion that exploring a cave without a light was decidedly not fun. He took a step forward and his foot met nothing but air. Fingers tightened reflexively on the uneven surface of the wall, only to have it crumble beneath his grip. He fell, landing on his side and unable to contain a grunt of pain. His throat flared up violently, protesting its use and he bit back a groan as he gingerly rolled off a rock that his kidney had landed on. Shifting to a more comfortable- or, perhaps, less uncomfortable -position, he simply lay there for a moment, waiting for the various new aches and pains to subside to a more manageable level.

The walls seem less like solid rock and more like compacted earth, he noted idly, rubbing the dirt on his gloves between his fingers. Does this mean that the rumors are true? Is the Evil Forest slowly becoming un-petrified? Or, did I mis-count the number of left turns versus right and am now standing somewhere underneath the plains? he wondered, carefully sitting up. After a quick examination to make sure everything still worked- albeit with some minor complaints -he stood and brushed himself off. At least I didn't fall too far, he mused, reached up to feel the higher ledge. Probably four or five feet, I'd say. How long have I been walking anyway? he pondered. While he was fairly proficient at gauging time by looking at the sun, he was completely lost in the dark. He shook his head. It can't have been that long. I'm sure Zack made it back to camp by now and who knows how long it'll take to tunnel through the cave-in. I probably have plenty of time to get back there, he reasoned, continuing through the darkness. Besides, it's not like I can get lost. I just have to follow this wall back and it'll take me exactly where I need to go.

Zidane continued onward, walking a bit more cautiously down the tunnel. He had allowed his mind to wander when a new sound caught his attention. He paused, listening carefully, but there was nothing. Shrugging, he walked ten or so paces more when he heard it again. He stopped, holding his breath for several beats and straining his ears. He heard it a third time, more clearly now, as if it was getting closer.

That sounded like...leaves brushing together in a gentle breeze. But, that doesn't make any sense! There's no wind down here, and plants have to have sun to grow, right? he thought, confused. The noise was almost right above him now.

A soft swish was all the warning he got before something thick and oddly spongy slammed into him from behind, throwing him to the ground. He quickly rolled to his feet, stumbling in the darkness as he faced where he thought his opponent was. There was something familiar about the attack, as if he had come across this type of creature before, but he couldn't quite remember it. It seems like some kind of plant, he thought, clumsily dodging another strike and taking a glancing blow to shoulder. I need to find where its base is if I want to defeat it. He leapt to the side as he heard the swish again, ending up on his knees as he landed awkwardly on the uneven terrain. The problem is, it seems to be attacking from several different directions! Could there be more than one in here?

Zidane mostly dodged a few more blows before there was a soft poof as a small gust of wind ruffled his hair. It wasn't until the pollen hit his eyes that he realized what he was fighting. It's one of those stupid floating flowers, he thought, futilely rubbing his now-stinging eyes. What was it that Vivi called them? Dendrobium? Although, the only place I ever recall seeing them was actually inside the Evil Forest. I guess that answers the question of whether it is being restored or not. He concentrated, trying to remember what the plant looked like exactly. Let's see... It was a large, open flower...three or four cattail-looking things dangling underneath it- that must be what keeps whacking me -and a small bud nestled in the very center of it all. If memory serves, that's what I need to hit in order to kill it, he thought, keeping his eyes closed.

He heard the cattail swinging towards him again, but instead of trying to evade it, he grabbed it and held on tight. Its momentum lifted him up in the air before the extra weight unbalanced the plant and it hit the floor along with the blonde still clinging to the thrashing limb. Zidane wasted no time once it was down, quickly feeling his way up to the flower part. It tried to rise in the air once more, but Zidane clung to its petals tenaciously, causing it to spin around him and crash back down to the floor, dragging him down on top of it. While it was stunned, he quickly located the bud and neatly severed it with his dagger. The plant writhed underneath him for a few seconds, cattails flailing about, before finally laying limply on the ground. It was dead.

Zidane took a moment to catch his breath, before carefully feeling beneath each petal until he found a small bulb, about the size of a small lime. He removed it carefully, slicing it in half and rubbing the liquid from it into his still-throbbing eyes. I much prefer the refined eye drops to this, he thought, hissing slightly. This hurts almost as much as the stupid pollen did!

It wasn't long before the pollen was completely cleared out of his eyes and the blonde sighed in relief. Not that it does me much good down here, he mused wryly, but I much prefer being able to open my eyes. Now, where were we going...? His thought trailed off as he realized he had allowed himself to get turned around during the scuffle and didn't actually know which way he had come from or where he had been heading. He was, for all intents and purposes, lost. He spent a few seconds pondering this new turn of events before shrugging his shoulders and heading in a random direction. Steiner's going to yell at me for wandering off and getting lost anyway, so I guess there's no point in just standing around in the dark. Besides, who knows what else I might find down here?

. . .

"Alright you four, back to work. Reever, Wesley, Brody and Harris take a break," Steiner commanded, pausing briefly in his work. The men obeyed without question, the tired soldiers moving back while the rested ones took their places. The captain turned his attention back to the large rock in front of him, raising his hammer and bringing it down on the camping stake that had been wedged into a crevice. He struck it again and again, driving it deeper until the rock split. Two soldiers immediately grabbed the now-manageably sized rock and moved it over to a cart to be dumped outside the cave. Steiner picked up the makeshift chisel and fitted it into another crack, beginning the long process over again. He swore softly as the abused wooden rod broke. "I need another stake," he said, tossing the useless pieces aside.

"We're almost out of these, sir," one of the men replied nervously, handed over the requested item. He hesitated a moment before speaking again. "I, ah, I know a little bit about the dangers of cave-ins- I mean, aside from being crushed under the rocks." He glanced at the other men before leaning closer to the captain. "What if, you know, we don't get to him in time?"

"We've made a lot of progress in the last several hours," Steiner reassured him. "We should be breaking through any moment."

There was a noisy clatter as one of the lanterns was knocked from its pole, throwing shadows dancing across the wall as it rolled on the ground. A cart on its side and a soldier sitting up over it revealed the cause of the commotion.

"Thompson! Watch where you're going!" Steiner barked.

"I'm sorry, sir!" he apologized, hurrying to right the cart before moving over to the lamp.

Steiner watched the soldier move with a critical eye before sighing. "Thompson, take a break. Richards, take his place." The men moved to obey as Steiner turned back to the wall. At least it was a lantern and not one of the torches, he thought. I don't need for our only cart to be set on fire. The light danced once again as Richards picked up the lantern, but this time a flash caught the captain's eye. "Malcolm, take over for me," he ordered, picking up one of the torches as he moved to investigate.

It took a few moments, but when Steiner found the source of the reflection, he felt his blood run cold. Near the wall, partially hidden by a sizable pile of rubble, was a very familiar dagger. Quickly sweeping away the smaller stones around it, the captain grimly gazed at the dark substance staining the ground underneath it. It seemed to have originated from the rubble and spread outwards. Steiner closed his eyes for a moment, ruthlessly pushing his emotions away before gazing back at the dagger.

"Any warrior worth his salt knows that to lose his weapon means death," he murmured softly, his calm voice not betraying the whirlwind raging in his mind. "Something must have happened to cause him to lose it."

Like a cave-in? Pretty sure that would do it, a cynical voice in his mind pointed out.

"It is possible he dropped it when the rocks landed on him, but his hand should still be nearby if that is the case," he continued, brushing away as much as he could from the base of the pile. There was, thankfully, no limp hand to be found.

Or, when he dropped it, it could have skittered across the floor.

"If so, then he may not be underneath this pile at all."

If he's not, then why has he not answered when we've tried calling him? And where did all this blood come from?

"Allen said they were fighting monsters. Perhaps this blood is from one of them.

That's pretty far-fetched. And it doesn't explain the dagger.

"But the possibility still exists," Steiner stated firmly but quietly, feeling oddly like he was arguing with himself. "I'll not believe I have failed until I find his body."

"Captain! We've done it! We've broken through!" one of the men cried.

Steiner immediately came over as the exited soldiers pulled down more rubble, enlarging the hole they had made. Once it was big enough, they stepped back and let him go through.

The Captain of the Knights of Pluto carefully navigated his way down the rocks before holding his torch high and glancing about the room. Although he half-expected it, he could not help the flash of disappointment that Zidane was not there.

More soldiers filed through the new passage, spreading out and searching for any sign of the blonde underneath the rubble.

Steiner stood, staring down the dark passage that loomed before him. If I know anything about Zidane, it is that he cannot sit still for too long. If he isn't buried underneath the rocks, then I doubt he would have stayed to be rescued, the knight thought sourly, his anger at the blonde's irresponsibility warring with his worry that perhaps this time the King was unable to escape at the last minute, as he usually did. The dagger made it difficult to dismiss the latter possibility. If he DID continue down the tunnel, then it is likely he is injured and doesn't have a light. We don't know what creatures may be lurking in there, so we must find him as quickly as possible. On the other hand, I may be putting my men in unnecessary danger if Zidane is already... He shook his head, unable or, perhaps, unwilling to complete that thought.

"Sir? There is no sign of Zidane here. What are your orders?" Brody asked.

Steiner took a deep breath and turned to his men. "Alright, listen up. Turley will lead a team to scout out the tunnel," he stated, handing the man his torch. "Do not get lost. We are already on a rescue mission, I do not want to have to start another. Wesley, Allen, Richards and Williams will go with him. I will be staying here for a while longer. You are to report anything of interest back to me, understood?"

"Yes sir!"

"Good. The rest of you, come with me," the captain turned and made his way back to where the dagger still lay upon the ground. He knelt and picked it up, turning it over in his hand. One of the men recognized it.

"Sir, isn't that..."

"Yes, this is one of Zidane's daggers. He may be buried underneath here," Steiner replied.

The men's faces paled. "No...he can't be..." one murmured, staring at the dark stain on the ground.

"But...but, sir, if you think he's under there, then why did you-"

"I said he may be under there," Steiner interrupted. "I will not believe he is dead until I see proof otherwise." He narrowed his eyes, looking at every man in turn. "In the meantime, I will follow every lead to find him. He may be under here. Or, he may have gone deeper into the cave. Turley is exploring that possibility. It is your job to clear away this pile before he gets back, so we will know whether to call off the search or not."

The men nodded, looking more determined than before as they quickly found their tools and got back to work. The pile was, thankfully, off to the side of the main cave-in, which meant that they didn't have to move a lot of rocks to get to the part they were interested in. It didn't take more than half an hour to clear away enough to reveal what they wanted to know.

"A monster," Harris said, laughing a little. "It's just a monster, sir."

Steiner closed his eyes, allowing himself to breathe a sigh of relief as the other soldiers expressed their joy that it was not the body of their comrade.

It was only a few minutes more before they heard someone approaching. "Sir!" Turley said, saluting sharply. The other four with him did the same.

"What did you find?" Steiner asked.

"The tunnel branches several times. We explored several offshoots and, while there are a number of dead ends, there are just as many new tunnels that need to be checked. We've started making a map on Allen's back-" Steiner raised an eyebrow at this, noting that Allen was missing his shirt, "-but, I thought we should come back and give you a status report." Turley shook his head. "Quite frankly, it's almost like a maze in there."

"You made a map on Allen's back?" the captain repeated.

Allen slid Zidane's pack off his shoulders while turning, showing his back. Lines had been inked in started on his lower back and moving up. As Turley had said, there were offshoots off the main path, some that ended with an 'x' -Presumably the dead ends, Steiner thought- and others that seemed to lead to more tunnels.

"We, ah, didn't have anything to write on and Allen did volunteer..." Turley explained, staring at the ground.

"Yes, sir," Allen piped up, glancing over his shoulder. "It's my fault Zidane's stuck down here, so I'll do whatever I can to help until we to find him!"

Steiner closed his eyes, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Alright, this will go faster if we have more people searching. Everyone, grab a torch or a lantern. Keep an eye out for any monsters or any sign that Zidane may have gone a certain way. Move out!" he barked.

"Yes sir!"

. . .

Zidane eased himself to the ground, his feet telling him it was time for another break. It felt good to rest his legs and he leaned back against the wall, shifting until he found a comfortable position. He closed his eyes, since there wasn't much use in having them open anyway, and let his head rest against the wall.

I wonder how long I've been walking in here? he mused, yawning. It must be well after midnight- maybe even approaching dawn. They should have cleared a path through the tunnel by now. His face split into a wry grin. I'll bet Rusty's good and angry at me for not waiting for him to come.

He sighed softly, his body relaxing further against the wall as his mind wandered. It wasn't until he jerked back up after starting to fall to the side that he realized he had been falling asleep. That's enough of that, he thought, pushing himself back to his feet and continuing through the dark. I can't let myself fall asleep in a place like this. Rusty would never let me hear the end of it for sure!

He walked some distance further, carefully testing each step before shifting his weight forward. He had already fallen once and wasn't eager to do so again, despite how much it slowed his progress. The time consuming precaution had paid off more than a few times already and did so once again as his foot felt nothing but air where the floor should be. He ran his hands along the wall until he felt a small part sticking out further than the rest and broke it off. Holding it out in front of him, he dropped it and listened as it hit the ground further below. The sound echoed in an area larger than the passage he was standing in.

I guess this tunnel opens up into a larger cavern. It doesn't seem like it's too far of a drop, but I doubt I could climb back up without a light, he thought, weighing his options. Kneeling down, he felt along the wall until it stopped, making sure there wasn't any sort of ledge. Still crawling, he carefully moved to the other side of the tunnel, keeping one hand along the edge of the hole to assure he didn't tumble down accidentally. When he made it to the other wall, he discovered that there was a ledge wide enough for him to walk on and he continued forward.

The light caught his attention sooner than the opening in the rock did and he looked down the narrow passage in the wall he had been following. It seemed that this small branch led outside and he couldn't help but smile as he saw pale, silvery light reflecting off something beyond the cave.

More eager to escape the darkness than he realized, his feet were already taking him towards the light before he had given a conscious thought to do so. His enthusiasm was reined in quickly when he reached the mouth of the tunnel, his eyes widening at the sight before him.

The passage opened up into a large cavern that was eerily familiar. Faint beams of moonlight filtered in through a gaping hole in the roof and danced across the rippling waters of a hidden spring. Zidane recognized the deep scores through the rocks where huge vines had lain the last time he had peered into this chamber. I wonder if it was those vines that chased us out of the forest last time, he thought, comparing the room to that of his memory. It seems like everything didn't die with the last Forest Master. Or, was that huge flower-thing we killed merely a front to protect the heart? Was the entire forest turning to stone a defensive measure, to protect itself? But, if so, where is the heart it was trying to protect? The petrification is all but gone here, which means that it must have regained some strength, at least- His head jerked around as movement from the shadows just beyond the moonlight caught his eye. Leaning forward slightly, he peered into the darkness, trying to see what might be lurking there. It moved again and he almost jumped backwards as he recognized the vague outline of thick, thorny vines stretching out from a large, star-shaped flower. It seemed the Forest Master wasn't quite as dead as they had thought.

The petals seemed to be drooping, as if it was asleep and Zidane saw no reason at all to wake it up. Having confirmed the rumor, as well as figuring out which way he needed to go, he quietly withdrew back into the tunnel. He was planning on slipping away undetected when he saw one of the petals perk up, turning this way and that as if looking for something. When it turned towards him, it paused briefly before the other petals raised up and the whole flower turned to face him.

Oh, that can't be good, he thought, covering his ears as the plant gave an inhuman shriek. Almost immediately, a dendrobium drifted into view, blocking most of the already scant light as it hovered in front of the tunnel. Zidane drew back as the floating flower pursued him, entering the tight passage. Seeing his chance for a quick victory, the blonde jumped up and plunged his dagger into the exposed bud just as it released a burst of pollen. He jerked back, stumbling as he landed awkwardly and rubbing his eyes in a vain attempt to alleviate the stinging. Not two seconds later, he was knocked off his feet as the dead dendrobium landed on top of him.

A thrill of adrenaline surged through him as his head and shoulders hit nothing but air. I didn't realize I was that close to the ledge! he thought, scrambling out from underneath the flower. He had just made it back to his feet when a thick vine rammed into him, quickly wrapping around and pinning one arm to his body. The unexpected blow sent him staggering backwards and over the edge.

The vine refused to release him and he slammed into the wall, stunned as the wind was knocked out of him. He just hung there for a moment, dangling upside down, before the vine slowly started to pull him back up. His wits came back with his breath and he dug his feet into the wall as he tried to hack at the vine with his dagger.

My dagger doesn't seem to be much more effective than last time, he noted ruefully as the vine tightened around his chest, making him gasp as the thorns dug into his skin. Where's a torch when you really need it! ?

His feet were slipping in the loosening soil and he felt himself slide a few more inches up the wall. Frantically- and futilely -trying to free himself, he couldn't help but wonder if he really might have bitten off more than he could chew this time. His morbid thoughts were interrupted when he heard the unmistakable sound of human voices.

Hearing that help was nearby, he started knocking his dagger against the wall, scraping the blade across the rocky surface. The screeches and shrieks from the metal were almost enough to set his teeth on edge, but they were guaranteed to get someone's attention.

"Sir! Do you think that Zidane's making that racket! ?" one hopeful voice asked.

"Probably."

There's good ole' Rusty, Zidane thought, smiling.

"Can anyone tell where it's coming from?"

"No, it's echoing too much in here."

What do you mean, you can't tell where it's coming from! ? I can tell approximately where you guys are! Zidane yelled mentally. Hm, perhaps it's because I've been down here so long in the dark. I have excellent hearing normally, and with it sharpened to compensate for my lack of sight... Regardless, I have to come up with some other way to show them where I am. His hand stilled as he considered what else he could do.

"It stopped. That can't be a good sign, right? Zidane! Where are you! ? Answer me!" someone else yelled.

I'd love to- if I could speak! He slid a little further up the wall. I guess I have no choice. If this doesn't work... Gritting his teeth, he pulled back his arm, focusing briefly on the soldiers' chatter before sending his dagger sailing through the air. The shriek that followed made his blood run cold.

"What is it! ?"

"Sorry, sir! Someone threw a dagger and almost hit Williams! It's imbedded in the wall there."

"Who's throwing knives when we're trying to-"

"It's Zidane's!"

"Let me see it. No, don't pull it out! It had to have come from that direction. Move it! Find him! He has to be within thirty yards!"

"Yes sir!"

Zidane smiled as he heard the booted feet rushing towards him.

"There he is! He's-"

Zidane missed the rest of the sentence as the vine- apparently tired of him struggling - lifted up slightly and slammed him into the wall again. His skull found a rock this time and he hung there dazed as he waited for the stars behind his eyelids to disappear. The vine was pulling him up again, but he felt a pair of hands grasp his free arm and pull back.

"You men! Get over here and help pull him down!" Steiner barked.

A couple more sets of hands joined the first and Zidane suddenly felt like the rope used in a game of tug-o-war. The scrape of a sword being unsheathed caught his attention just before he felt the impact through the vine. The plant reacted by curling tighter and the blonde gasped noiselessly as a little more air was forced from his lungs.

"No, swords are no good alone! Bring those torches over here! Thompson! You're the tallest! Allen, climb on his shoulders and burn the vine as high up as you can reach. Quickly!"

There were more scuffling footsteps as the men hastened to obey before Zidane's arm was almost ripped out of its socket. The Forest Master's shriek of pain echoed through the tunnels as the vine thrashed violently, trying to get away from the fire, while the men held steadfastly to Zidane's arm.

The vine gave one last jerk, almost lifting the soldiers off the ground, before relinquishing its hold on the blonde. Zidane didn't try to break his fall as several sets of arms did it for him.

"I've got him! Fall back!" Steiner commanded, retreating back the way they had come.

"Sir! Up there! What are those! ?"

"Plant Spiders? Then, that means..." Zidane heard the Captain mutter before he raised his voice. "It doesn't matter unless they attack! Fall back!"

Not eager to try running through the cave while still blind, Zidane contented himself to wait until Steiner deemed them a [somewhat] safe distance away before stopping. When they did, the Captain set him back on his feet, steadying the blonde on the uneven ground.

Steiner held out the twin daggers. When they weren't taken, he leaned forward and looked closely at the King's face. He could just make out the black pollen clinging to the lighter eyelashes. He's blind. We don't have any remedies with us, but... "You carry eye drops in your supplies?" he asked.

Zidane nodded.

"Allen! Bring that pack over here!" he called. It didn't take him long to locate the item and he handed it to the blonde to administer himself. Steiner took the opportunity to look him over carefully while he did so. "Any serious injuries?" he asked once the King could look at him, handing over the daggers.

Zidane shook his head, smiling when he saw Steiner had picked up both of his knives. He slid them back into their sheaths, happy to have their reassuring weight at his hips once more.

"Those were Plant Spiders back there," the knight continued. "Would I be right in assuming that it was the Forest Master that was after you?"

Another nod.

Steiner breathed deeply through his nose, nostrils flaring. "And would it be also correct, that you wandered off with the intension of finding said Forest Master?"

A contemplative look covered his features briefly before he nodded again. Close enough, he reasoned.

"This same Forest Master, that we barely escaped from before, when we had Master Vivi's fire spells to aid us! ?"

The blonde cocked his head to the side, as if he had just realized that point. This time a shrug accompanied the nod.

Steiner closed his eyes and counted backwards from ten. He was trying very hard to reign in his temper. After all, Zidane was the king and one didn't simply yell at the king. Lecture, on the other hand... "Well? What do you have to say for yourself?"

Zidane looked at the Captain of the Knights of Pluto appraisingly. Doesn't matter what I say, I'm still gonna get it. And, while Rusty has gotten a lot better at controlling his outbursts, he'll feel much better after he gets this off his chest. Besides, it's not like I can say anything, anyway... Mentally preparing himself for the verbal barrage about to come his way, Zidane did the one thing that he knew would break the floodgates. He grinned.

Steiner stared at him incredulously for a few seconds. Propriety be hanged! "Of all the reckless, irresponsible- What were you thinking! ?" he yelled, startling the soldiers.

There goes that vein again, Zidane thought, watching the usual vein start throbbing on Steiner's forehead as he warmed up to the rant. I swear, one of these days it's gonna burst.

"...stuck in a cave with no supplies or light- How on Gaia did you come to the conclusion that this was a good idea! ?"

Knowing this was likely to take some time, the King turned his attention to other matters, only half listening to what the knight was saying. So, the Forest Master WASN'T dead, after all- it was merely regaining its strength. And, now that it has, it is restoring the forest- its domain -to what it once was. Amazing that it survived, though. I could have sworn that we destroyed it. Of course, it controls the entire Evil Forest. It makes sense that something that powerful wouldn't die so easily. I'm just surprised that a PLANT had that sort of back-up plan.

"...consequences never even cross your mind, do they! ? What would you had done if..."

Rusty's still going strong. I guess I really made him worry this time, the blonde thought, feeling a little guilty. He mentioned the Plant Spiders, though. Those things literally chased us out of the forest last time, but this time they just seemed content to keep us from engaging the Forest Master again. Why? Was it because we weren't as much of a threat since it hadn't been weakened this time around? Vivi's fire magic was pivotal in that first fight... He paused as something occurred to him, eyes widening slightly. It didn't like Vivi's fire at all, but it kept fighting. This time, it released me and withdrew when they burned it with the torches. Does that mean...it's actually learning? A plant that controls an entire forest, has an elaborate 'back-up' plan to keep from being destroyed, and can actually learn from its mistakes. I'm not sure how I feel about that...

"...first time! The Queen would be devastated! Even if you don't care about your own life, at least give her some consideration!"

The mention of his wife alerted Zidane that the lecture was entering dangerous waters. He threw his fists down at his sides, stamping his foot to get Steiner's attention, but the words were already pouring out of his mouth.

"...exactly why you can't keep a bodyguard! You're the King! Try acting like it, for once! You're not as expendable as you seem to think!"

The tirade abruptly ended, the sudden silence seeming almost just as loud. Steiner looked shocked as he realized exactly what all had passed through his lips. Zidane insisted on treating him like an equal and it was sometimes difficult to remember that they were not. And then there was the little matter that none of the soldiers were aware of Zidane's royal status, at the King's own request... The knight dropped to his knees, head bowed low in shame. "Please forgive me, Sire! I should not have said those things! I make no excuse for myself and will accept whatever punishment Your Majesty sees fit to give me!"

Zidane scowled, irritated both at Steiner's inability to keep a secret because of his emotions, and at the knight's need for penance over every little thing. Does he honestly think I'd punish him for this? I mean, yeah, it's annoying and is going to make the rest of the training incredibly awkward, but it's not like we weren't planning on telling them eventually, he thought, shaking his head. Oh, get up off the floor.

A quick glance showed that the soldiers had followed their captain's lead and everyone was kneeling before the King. Zidane sighed and snapped his fingers, getting everyone's attention and motioning for them to stand. Predictably, the knights-in-training refused to meet his eyes and looked generally nervous. Turning back to the Captain, Zidane gestured for them to move on.

Steiner saluted before standing at attention, his eyes trained on the wall straight in front of him. Apparently, he was trying to make up for his lapse by acting as formal as he could. "Yes, Your Majesty. We'll move out immediately. Private Allen!" he called, turning towards the men.

Allen practically tripped over himself in his haste to get to the captain. "S-sir, yes, sir!" he stuttered, shaking as he saluted his superior.

Zidane raised an eye at the black markings that covered the soldier's back, looped under his arm and stretched out across his chest. There has got to be a story there...

. . .

Although the journey back through the cave had probably only taken a hour or two at the most, the awkward silence made it feel like much longer. Steiner continued to act as if he were in the royal court, treating the blonde with the utmost respect and not speaking except when absolutely necessary- which was not often. The knights-in-training were confused by the drastic change in their commander's behavior, but followed his lead; effectively ostracizing the King. They trudged along silently, glancing furtively at each other before quickly averting their eyes when they noticed the blonde watching them. Robbed of his voice, Zidane could do nothing to alleviate the tension building all around him and found himself cursing the oppressive silence.

It had been a long, trying night for everyone and the morning sun seemed to raise the moral a bit when they finally reached the mouth of the cave. Steiner glanced around at the exhausted group before approaching the King. "Sire, the men are weary," he began, bowing low. "If it pleases you, I propose we stay here for the day and let everyone rest."

Zidane rolled his eyes, irritated that Steiner was making a production out of an obvious decision. A few days ago, he would have already had the men setting up camp. Now, everything suddenly needed the King's approval before it could be done. Of course I don't mind stopping, and you know it! I can see how tired they are just as easily as you can! he yelled mentally, nodding his consent to the knight.

Steiner immediately set about organizing a watch (which Zidane was, predictably, not part of) and the men moved about trying to find the least uncomfortable patch of dirt to sleep on for the day. The blonde almost groaned when he noticed a few of them finding an area and then just standing there while watching him in a not-quite-discreet manner. Apparently, they weren't going to settle down until he did so first. Finding a relatively flat area next to the wall, he curled up on the floor and closed his eyes, hoping the entire situation wouldn't seem quite so frustrating once he'd had a few hours of shut-eye. He was already dozing off when someone softly clearing their throat woke him and with some effort he dragged one heavy eyelid open.

Steiner saluted sharply. "I've prepared a bed for you, Sire," he stated, motioning to a pile of ferns and grasses he had gathered. "It's hardly fit for a peasant, much less a king, but under the circumstances..."

Zidane didn't even dignify that with a mental remark. He gave Steiner a look that made the knight fidget, then shook his head, rolled over so that he was facing the wall and promptly went back to sleep.

. . .

To Be Continued

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