Chapter 4
It had been five days since they had left Treno and they were currently making their way through the ice cavern
It had been five days since they had left Treno and they were currently making their way through the ice cavern. When the mist had disappeared, the ice of the cavern melted revealing century old cave drawings on its rocks and walls.
"Hey, Zidane! Look it's you!" Blank exclaimed cheerfully pointing to a carving of a monkey. Fusion, hearing this, proceeded to smack Blank on the back of the head.
"Don't speak so rudely to your master, you lowly peasant." She screamed before walking off deeper into the cave. Blank rubbed the back of his head glaring at her figure walking off into the distance. Glen, at first, had been confused at Fusion's dislike for the red head man. Now, he just found it rather annoying and childish. Blank had given up with trying convincing the genome that he was not a servant for every time she asked what he actually was, he couldn't bring himself to say 'thief' as then he would have only been beaten more frequent and harder.
"Hey guys, this cavern takes a while to get through so let's just say we rest a bit, yeah?" Zidane suggested stretching out his limbs and yawning. Blank and Glen agreed and after catching up with Fusion set up a tent.
"No, not again, servants sleep in servant tents!" Fusion explained folding her arms and tapping her foot.
"But we need to save tents, it's still a long way to Dali." Zidane tried explaining to the fellow genome who understood and nodded reluctantly.
"Shouldn't someone keep watch?" Glen questioned with shifty eyes around the cavern. "The mist might have gone, that doesn't mean the monsters haven't."
"SERVANT! KEEP WATCH!" Fusion demanded before entering the tent followed by Zidane and then Glen. Blank kicked a nearby rock.
"Damn!"
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Treno was in hysteria. Their beloved Queen had vanished from sight and nobody knew any news of where she might be. All that was found was a note with the words 'The regent is only a stone step away'.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
"Ahh Dali, haven't been here since I was a young boy." Glen smiled waving the passer bys who gave him a strange look and carried on in a more hurried pace.
"Ok, This is the plan guys, we split up, try and find any news we can and see if we can hitch a lift in a cargo ship towards Alexandria." Zidane proclaimed smirking at how genius his ideas were. The other three nodded and made their ways to different parts of the village.
Zidane entered the inn to come to the familiar sight of the mayor's brother asleep on his desk. He clutched his fist tighter remembering this was the same man who had Vivi captured long ago. The genome coughed to get the old man's attention. The inn keeper yawned and opened an eye. Shocked to see Zidane he yelled and fell backwards on his chair.
"Get up! I'm not here to kill you or anything." Zidane hissed his eye twitching. The old man slowly got up from behind the desk and brushed himself off.
"Zidane I'm sorry, I really am, if I had…"
"Enough, I'm not here about that. I want to know if you had seen any peculiar people before the time of Queen Garnet's death."
"Well, not that you mention it…" The inn keeper started scratching his chin and sitting back down on his chair. "I did have a strange customer come in here a few days before."
"Really!?" Zidane proclaimed pleased he was actually getting somewhere.
"Yes yes, a strange customer I had. Clad in a big black coat hiding most of his or her face and most features too. But as it walked into that room I caught a glimpse of something that reminded me of you."
"Which was?" Zidane asked closer to the old man now to hear him better.
"That thing behind you… that blonde tail of yours." The old man finished pleased that the world hero was now on speaking terms with him. The genome felt his anger rising. It was definitely him, it had to be, Garland's project. He had been here to rest before killing Garnet, before killing his Dagger.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Blank hadn't gotten very far before he was ambushed by the children of Dali. The red head was in a predicament he couldn't help. Every time he tried to leave, the children started crying. So here he was in the middle of a field playing games with 6 year olds.
"So Hitomi, have you seen any strange people lately."
"Nope, 'cept you that is." She grinned showing many missing teeth. Blank sighed, he wasn't getting anywhere.
"Well what bout that cwazy man?" Another child came up and said.
"What crazy man?" Blank questioned intriqued. Maybe they did know something. This would mean he was being useful in the mission and Fusion could start to respect him instead of Zidane. Maybe then she could call him 'Blank' or maybe even 'Sir Blank'. Yeah he liked that idea.
"He was scawy, he picked up our ball and threw it up on the roof." Hitomi frowned digging her foot into the soft earth. "He had bwack hair and gold eyes and a tail, a long fluffy black tail. All I wanted to do was pway with it, but then he got angwy." She continued tears filling her eyes. Blank noticing this, changed the subject and then continued to play games.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Glen had made his way into the item store to prepare for their journey ahead. He spent every last gil he had on potions and remedies before he noticed the strange items on a dusty shelf behind the shop keeper.
"What are they for?" He asked the young woman who stopped cleaning one of her flasks and made her way over to the blue mage.
"They are mystical items which we have found in our village yet don't know the meanings of. They are very pricy however so nobody even really looks at them, so they just sit there and gather dust." She explained blowing the dust off the nearest item.
"What about that one though?" He asked pointing to an empty part of the shelf.
"Oh that one? Yeah we had a strange visitor to the village, a genome I think, he bought that one. I explained that we had no idea what it did, however he seemed not to listen to a word I said."
"I see." Glen smirked. "Thank you, you have been of very much help." The young man nodded and ran out of the shop grinning.
"Hey! Don't you want your items!?"
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Fusion hadn't asked many questions, she was far too busy getting lost in the small village. She felt also that someone had been following her. Fusion stopped and turned around to come face to face with a strange woman.
"Who are you?" Fusion demanded placing both hands on her guns ready to use them if need be. The woman did not answer and continued to walk closer to the genome. "I said, who are you!?" The blonde screamed.
"I see you own a tail." The woman finally answered stopping only a few metres in front of her. "A genome, are you?"
"Yes, what's it to you?" She questioned raising an eyebrow.
"I am on a journey to find Zidane Tribal, you know of him I presume?"
"Yes I know of him, who hasn't. Sir Zidane saved your people, speak of him with more respect you worthless filth." Fusion growled drawing her guns and getting into her fighting stance. The other woman immediately wielded both swords, glaring at the genome.
"Perhaps it should be you, who should show more respect. I am, after all the general of Alexandria, you are no match for me."
"Well I happen to be Terra's most elite fighter. I accept your challenge." Fusion stated. The newcomer ran towards Fusion at full speed dragging her swords along the ground. Fusion jumped into the air quickly dodging the general's attack. The genome span upside down in mid air and proceeded to shoot rapidly at the black haired woman. The general slightly fell to the floor after receiving a bullet to the chest before jumping up into the air catching the genome of guard, she delivered a quick slash causing Fusion to fall to the floor losing to the battle. The red eyed woman floated towards the ground placing her swords back into the sheaths.
"I pity your pride. I shall let you live, maybe one day you'll defeat me." And with that the woman vanished off into the distance. Fusion gritted her teeth raising herself from the ground with one hand and clutching her stomach with the other. Her blood now covered all of her clothes and the pavement she was laying on. The genome's vision was fading and she fell back down to the floor. The last thing she could remember before she passed out were two pair of feet making their way towards her and a voice saying "That's the fourth one. Put her in the cell with the others."
R & R yeah!?