Mission Possible
Chapter Twelve- To The Mountains
Selphie leapt out of bed with triumph. It was Irvine's field exam today. He was going with his instructor to find a low level G.F.
Selphie was aware Irvine himself owned three G.Fs, Pandemona, Carbuncle, and Eden. Another low-based G.F seemed only mocking to his standards now. Maybe they would change the test now. Selphie looked at her calendar that hung on the wall opposite of her. Over the dates was a tapped picture of her and Rinoa the night of their return.
Rinoa looked ecstatic, Selphie looked drunk wearing a cowboy hat that proved to be a just a wee bit large for her. Selphie giggled as she examined the date. Quistis had only been gone for three days and she missed her bossy presence.
Suddenly the thought of Seifer being with Quistis struck her. She was with him! He was with her! It sounded like a nightmare that no one could wake from. Selphie shuddered and gave a small prayer; please don't let Seifer lay a single FINGER on Quistis! Okay… that's over reacting… DON'T LET HIM KILL HER!
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Quistis only shivered feeling little warmth from the dieing fire. Seifer had stoked it almost all night peeling Cactaurs and throwing in their needles. Seifer now was asleep in a sitting position with the trigger of his sword in one hand and the other hand over his knees holding his forehead.
Quistis sat up watching the dark sky. Her stomach growled and left an empty pit like feeling, while her bladder screamed it was time to go. The Cactaur she ate felt like hours ago, and was. She yawned, stood and checked to see if her whip was equipped. She pulled it out and used the end and cut open a Cactaur. The water gushed out splattering over Quistis' cold arms. She trembled and drank the water that hadn't fallen.
After she drank her fill she nibbled on the detestable arm. Seifer heard her soft chewing as he raised his head and slowly blinked. He turned his head to her. He could only see her back faced to him and her whip dragging on the floor. Her hair was coming out of its tight pin that held it on the back of her head.
Quistis turned around to see Seifer squinting in her view. "Yes?" She said in her bossy tone. Seifer shifted and stood.
"That was the worst night of my life." He growled sweeping passed her. Quistis continued on the Cactaur.
"It's a desert, not the Galbadian hotel." She muttered between bites.
"Whatever." Seifer groaned.
"Good thing Squall isn't here, he'd have your head for using his word."
Seifer gave a small inaudible chuckle. He bit the insides of his cheeks to halt him from smiling. He wasn't happy, and he would make certain she saw that. "Wherever we are, no one deserves a night like that." He stated.
"That's obvious, but what are we supposed to do about that?" Quistis raised her eyebrow finishing her arm. Seifer shrugged as he used his hand against the rising sun. Heat started to return to the desert.
"Other than the ocean… what borders this place?" He thought aloud.
"Mountains, the mountain range that borders it is the division between the Centra and Esther." Quistis answered in a matter-of-fact tone.
"Then that's where we're going." Seifer announced. Quistis blinked.
"Ahem, what?" She sputtered.
"Just shut up for a minute." Seifer snapped.
"The mountains are more than a few days walk from here!" Quistis argued.
Seifer coolly lifted his coat from the ground. He sheathed his sword and stamped out the dieing fire. "Better get going." He slyly grimaced. Quistis shuddered upon looking at his expression as she took stand.
"No. We are not going anywhere. You can go wherever you like." She sat firmly by the remaining Cactaurs and finished the Cactaur in her hand, now on its legs.
"I think you're forgetting who got you outta that ship." Seifer rudely stated.
"And Mr. Almasy, I think you are forgetting who sunk that ship to begin with." Quistis squinted coldly.
"Cut the damn formalities Trepe. I don't need you." Seifer took a step toward Quistis.
"Oh and that's why I found you face first into the sand unconscious?" She replied calmly as she raised herself to his eye level.
Seifer was nearly an inch away from her, Quistis felt her insides screaming to leap out of the way. She stood firm. A wry and sly smile touched Seifer's lips as he raised his hand and hit Quistis across the face. Quistis in shock of the action fell backwards with a searing crimson shape on her cheek.
She hastily looked for her whip. As she sighted it she reached forward, before her hand grasped it Seifer pulled her away. Using the dull side of his sword he hit Quistis over the head. Weak and weary already Quistis held her head and steadily regained eyesight.
Her vision was blacked and blurry as she saw Seifer's hideous sneering as the world turned black. Seifer you bastard…
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Knocking Quistis was fun for Seifer… too fun. Almost disgustingly amusing. But now he dealt with the consequences as he carried her unconscious body across the steaming desert plains… and dunes.
He yawned and placed Quistis on the ground and sat down a few feet away from her. He sighed in the crisp air watching the blue sun clash with the heating rays of sun. He turned his head away. "I'm sorry if that hurt… anyways." He said casually.
"Listen, I know things aren't- erg! What am I doing!" He spat on the ground and leapt to his feet. He looked at helpless Quistis against the sand, "It's funny how people like you look in this light." He chuckled, his former instructor looked like a mere student in red sprawled unconsciously as she was.
With a glance at the distance beyond he lifted Quistis and headed forward.
It was only probable that Seifer was aware that the walk would be long. But it seemed endless. Quistis was right the mountains were probably a week's walk. The glooming mountains that bordered south end of the desert however, were far closer than to the east, which was the natural border of Esther and the Centra.
Seifer looked drearily at the sky with his feet continuously moving. He kept his eyes thinned and stopped for nothing. He could get water and food later.
The dusk painted shadows across the sand while the sun fell beneath the horizon. Seifer tiredly laid Quistis back on the ground and moved he a few yards away and faced toward the coast, which seemed miles off. The sun shone brightly as he yawned. His dry mouth felt sticky as he found it hard to swallow. "Should've brought a Cactaur with me." He mumbled. Seifer blinked remembering his old comrades… Fujin, Rajin… Rinoa. How he could talk to them. They always listened, and now he was stuck with, this.
He released another yawn and rested his back on the mixture of well covering sand and rocky soil. The thinning of sand meant he was much closer the to mountains than Quistis might've assumed. He allowed his eyes to rest as he felt a soft rumble.
Slightly disturbed, Seifer opened his eyes gazed about. Quistis was still sound asleep and the cooling winds began to blow forth. Seifer squinted his eyes. As he turned around a huge whiff of sound shouted out that caused Seifer to jump on his feet. There in his face was an enormous Abyss Worm with peeled eyes from its hole it had just made.
Drawing his gunblade Seifer gave a nanosecond to ensure Quistis too wasn't under attack. He held his stance steady and took an unlikely action.
As a Sorceress' knight, Seifer possessed power only attained through G.F. He needed to be as independent and self reliant as possible. He held forth his hand and concentrated on the magic reserves with in the Abyss Worm. There was nothing of interest except an exceptionally rare Quake. He drew his strength and cast out for the magic.
He felt his line of force between the worm and him a strong one as a number of Quake magics came to his property. Satisfied Seifer felt a rush of blood to the head and swept up for his limit break. He was tired and weary and knew he could go down easily. Taking a daredevil move he mercilessly slashed through the Abyss Worm's flesh. The monster fell in defeat dropping articles that fluttered in the wind. Seifer paid no mind to it. He felt the tingle of the newly acquired magics in his blood.
He usually had a large amount of assorted fire magics, but as he stayed with Fujin and Rajin, his lax attitude caught up with him and his stock emptied. Seifer was too amused by the Quakes moving through his veins as he went back and reached for Quistis. He threw her over his back and continued.
The cold night came soon. Seifer could see his breath before him as he tiredly dragged his feet across the desert. He squinted his eyes and carefully laid Quistis back on the ground. The mountains could be another few days walk, though it seemed the only way.
"I can stop here." He said nonchalantly as he sat himself down ignoring his exhaustion. He felt a pinch of pain from his abdomen as he only predicated Quistis and him were starving. Seifer felt the coolness poke at his skin as he rubbed his gray coat about himself. He looked over at Quistis. He knew what the right action would be, but refused to take it. Instead he held out his hand and summoned a Quake.
The earth shifted creating a hold in the humid sand. The walls of the hole were still warm from the many hours of blazing sun. Seifer placed Quistis inside roughly and station himself outside of it. With a gunblade in his hand he listened calmly to the night and allowed slumber to take its course.
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HAPPY NEW YEAR PEOPLE!