Chapter 11: Threat

Alphonse opened his eyes.

"Hmmm… I want a drink…" he mumbled, turning to his side. Reks sat up.

"Hmm? Hey, Reks, we're early tomorrow, why don't you get some rest? Idiot." Alphonse said, closing his eyes back to sleep.

"Alphonse… I'm worried… I feel something bad is going to happen…" Reks said.

"Huh? What the hell are you talking about? Maybe you're just homesick…" Alphonse said. "Get back to sleep."

"No… I'm not… I hope Gebryelle's okay." Reks sighed.

"Ohh! That would be lovesick, Reks." Alphonse stood up. "Ya never told me you have the hots for Geb!"

"Well you- What?! What's that supposed to mean?" Reks asked.

"Get back to sleep, Reks. It'll be alright. Gebryelle is under the responsibility of the Lieutenant. " Alphonse replied. Reks took a deep breath and lied down.

"You're right…"

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"SCATHE!!! HEY SCATHE!!! COME DOWN HERE, QUICK!!!" Cid called, he sounded so frantic.

"What's up, Grumpy?!" Scathe quickly climbed down the stairs to see the old man, and an esper floating in mid air.

"Some bunch of guys left this esper to me! Saying something about a Lieutenant Bvurnaljia…"

"Bvurnaljia? Why the heck is that delivered here?" Scathe asked.

"I dunno!!" Cid brought the piece of paper down and read it.

"We know you have something to do with the Lieutenant of Dalmasca. Deliver this message to him at all costs. We hold one of his men. The Archadian empire…"

The girl scratched her head. "I knew that being connected to him is trouble itself." She snorted. "Why dontcha deliver it to him. I've got work to do."

"I don't even know where the man is!" Cid replied.

"And you think that I know where he is?" Cid raised an eyebrow. "...Err, scratch that. I can already see in your oh-so-magnificent face that you really don't believe me because you know that I know where Lt. Bvurnaljia is."

A pause.

"Riiiight. Gimme that note and stop staring at me like i'm some kind of a freak. It freaks me out y'know"

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Scathe made her way to the Sea Cavern, with the note of the Archadians.

"Where's The Lieutenant?!" she asked, opening the door. There she found Lyonelle's men getting prepared.

"What's your deal with the lieutenant?" Alphonse approached Scathe.

Waving what she was asked to deliver, she replied, "I'm here to deliver a top secret message that shouldn't be left lying anywhere or to be entrusted to someone who's not of proper station." Silence. "Uh... for short, a message delivery of some sort."

"And who the Hell are you?"

Scathe rolled her eyes. "Look. I'm a nameless messenger sent by my nameless... master to deliver this message and do nothing else. Geez, why do this freaks need to know everything?" She murmured the last part to herself. "If you think I'm here to assassinate your beloved lieutenant, think again buster. For I have no morbid intention or whatsoever of butchering my own brother with a screwdriver."

"Brother?" Alphonse echoed.

"Do you have any proof that you're a sibling of the Lieutenant?" another soldier asked.

Scathe frowned. "Are you deaf or something? And yeah, you heard me right. Brother. As in the older guy sibling who was born before you. A.K.A. a sibling of yours. And you want proof?" Scathe snorted. "Lieutenant Lyonelle Bvurnaljia is born in a so-so country known as Dalmasca. But I know that nearly half the population of the army knows that. So I'll settle to the fact that he likes... no, scratch that. He goes crazy whenever chocobo soup is on the menu."

"Tch, everyone in Dalmasca knows Lieutenant Lyonelle, how are you any different?"

The girl slapped her hand in her forehead... a little too hard. "Why do soldiers/warriors have to be so bird brained?," She groaned. "Fine, be that way. Bully a little girl who's intentions are as pure as the most pristine water in the whole world. See if I care. " She huffed and stomped off, glaring daggers at whoever is on her way.

"Cathelin? What are you doing here?" Lyonelle asked, coming down the stairs.

"Lieutenant, you know this commoner?" Alphonse asked.

"She's my younger sister." Lyonelle answered.

The other men looked at Scathe.

She stopped her stomping and was, well, grinning rather deviously.

"Hah! Take that, you freakin' old grumpy menopausing doopids! In your miserable faces! You all should have listened to me but noooooooo, you thought that I was some kind of a freakin' terrorist that means harm to every creature in this so-called hideout that gave you the very reason to ignore the very existence of the most angelic and innocent face which happens to be mine. And you," she pointed at Alphonse and narrowed her eyes. "I freakin' hate you."

"I-I apologize for saying such words!" Alphonse lowered himself infront of Cathelin.

"Alphonse, rise." Lyonelle said, Alphonse stood up.

"Cathelin, what brought you here?" Lyonelle asked.

"Here" She threw the note to him. "Seems like a grave matter to me. Old man Grumpy seemed so eager to have me deliver it."

Lyonelle quickly read the threat.

"… The archadians… they hold one of us…" Lyonelle announced.

"But… who…?" Alphonse asked.

Lyonelle tore the note into two and inside, is a royalty pendant.

"They took Gebryelle."

"Gebryelle, sir?" Reks asked.

"Scathe, make sure to prepare Svetlana. Were going to save her."

TO BE CONTINUED….