Chapter 14: Rising Apprehension
Corbett followed the cries of pain and suffering that echoed down the long corridor. He had returned from Korin with the map sphere and was looking for Kiaru. He had taken the time to clean up and dress his wounds. He wanted to hide them from her. They were a sign of weakness. It had been so long since he had bled. He had looked on his own flowing crimson disdainfully and with great abhorrence.
The hallway led to an arched in walkway that surrounded one of the courtyards. Two guards blocked entrance to the courtyard and did not part when Corbett approached. He glared at them for not stepping aside and had to force himself not to tear them apart. If they only knew what he was capable of, they would have scattered like the insects they were.
"I am here to see the Empress," he growled at them.
"We have orders not to let anyone pass," one of them told him.
Another scream of anguish reverberated off the cold stone walls, causing both guards to wince at its sound.
"What is going on?" Corbett asked.
"The Empress is dealing with traitors," the other one informed him.
"Traitors? Did the council order them to be dealt with? Why is she seeing to it personally?"
Corbett wanted to get to her. He was growing weary of the obstacle before him, but he had to control his temper.
"We are not allowed to disclose that information," the first one told him.
Corbett picked the man up by his shirt collar and slammed him to the side. He then proceeded into the courtyard, having come to the end of his civility. The other guard moved to stop him, but Corbett shot him a look that warned him back. The man held up his hands and left Corbett alone.
Kiaru saw him approaching her and smiled in greeting. She raised a large, black, crossbow in her hands and fired it at something in front of her. Another scream ripped open the silence. As Corbett neared her, he could see three men tied to poles at the far end of the courtyard. He realized that she was using them for target practice.
"Hello, lover," she said coolly, as if nothing were amiss.
Corbett felt no emotion for the men suffering before him, but a slight concern was growing within him for Kiaru and her twisted form of torture. She looked at him again and saw his alarm, even though he was trying to conceal it. It caused the cold smile on her lips to increase.
"You look pale, protector. Never seen an execution before?" She teased him.
"A lot has happened since I went away," he said.
"You have hardly been gone two days," Kiaru said, taking aim again.
"Exactly my point. What is going on?" Corbett asked impatiently.
Kiaru lowered her weapon. "I took a visit to Nari," she answered him. She then tossed a small, gold, wedge to Corbett. "It turns out they lied to you, when you asked them about the map. They did know about its location. The elders even had a piece of the map hidden. Your efforts in Korin would have been all for a nothing without that piece."
"So, you went to Nari, and you got this piece from them," Corbett tried to understand.
"Lying to the Empress' knight is like lying to the Empress herself. I took measures to make sure discipline for the error of the leadership was demonstrated to the whole."
"Kiaru, what did you do?"
"There were a few soldiers with me who did not agree with my judgment. Ironically their fate, sealed by their insubordination, was placed under the same judgment they had thought they were above."
She quickly lifted the crossbow again and discharged another bolt into one of the tormented souls. This time no sound followed. Kiaru pouted like a child that had suddenly lost an interest in their toy and started to exit the courtyard.
"Kiaru, you didn't answer my question," Corbett continued to persist.
Kiaru continued to avoid his incessant inquiry. She approached the two guards and flippantly tossed one the crossbow.
"Let them hang in the sun for a while, then clean up the mess. I don't want anyone to enter here until their corpses are removed."
"Y...yes, Empress," they stammered in unison.
With a playful toss of her hair she brushed past them and back into the palace. Corbett followed helplessly behind. He knew that she was having fun playing with him, and that all he had to do was play along to get her to tell him.
They had not gone far when one of her advisors came running up to them. A look of panic was upon his face and he seemed relieved to see Kiaru.
"Empress, I have been looking for you everywhere," he said through deep intakes of breath.
"What is wrong? You look troubled," Kiaru suddenly changed moods. Beautifully putting on the mask of a concerned leader. Corbett was always amazed by her ability to play the puppets of her court.
"We just heard tragic news about Nari," he said gravely. "The demons decimated the entire town after you left. The council wants to meet to discuss what action we must take."
Kiaru nodded, her face solemn and concerned. "Then we shall meet. Gather them together."
"Yes, my lady," he said bowing in respect. "It is a great relief to know that you left before this horrible misfortune took place." He bowed again and then hurried away to fulfill her command.
The familiar, icy smile slithered across her face once more as she turned to Corbett. "How tragic," she said through her cruel curvature of the lip.
"Nari wasn't destroyed by demons, was it?" Corbett put the pieces together.
"Good boy, you can keep up," she said before turning to walk away. Corbett grabbed her arm and forced her to face him.
"What the hell are you doing?" He whispered harshly, fearing someone was listening.
"I'm going to my room. Is that alright with you?" She asked. Corbett was the only one that she ever let question her or confront her. She liked engaging him, taunting him, and staying one step ahead of him. This was her game. She would play it her way, and with her rules. She didn't mind letting him think he was her equal.
"You know what I mean. Nari. You destroyed a town! How can you be so reckless? What if the council finds out? What if anyone finds out?"
"No one will. I went to Nari under the guise that I was going to give encouraging words to a wounded people. Now, all of Nari is dead. The dead do not speak, Corbett."
"What about the soldiers you took with you? What about the families of those you just sentenced to death?"
"They have all been informed of the consequences should anything about Nari escape from their lips. It is amazing how people drop their convictions when their own life is hanging in the balance. The families have all been sent official letters, stating their loved ones have died in service to their nation. What is there to worry about?"
He was amazed by the lack of fear she had. If word of what she had done spread, the entire nation would revolt. More importantly, if anyone knew they were seeking the gate keys, the war that caused the second apocalypse would break out again. Kiaru seemed unconcerned by any of this.
"Why even hide anymore, Kiaru? Just announce your war against this world," Corbett said flustered.
"No, you don't get it do you? Nari had to go. They were suspicious as to why I would want to know the location of a 2,000 year old map, rumored to hold the location of the gate keys. I was there to discuss the issue with the elders. Their lies just made it easier for me to dispose of them. I am being cautious, even if you don't think that I am. I'm not a fool, Corbett. I know that a war against me would only slow me down. I have a nation at my disposal. I can push the game in any direction I decide. Why would I jeopardize that? But, hear me, I am not afraid. I am not hiding," the words hissed from her mouth venomously. She ripped her arm from Corbett's grasp and backed away from him. She noticed that as she tore away, he winced a little.
"Are you injured?" She asked.
"No," he lied.
"What happened at Korin?" she questioned.
Corbett pulled the gold sphere from his trench coat pocket. He turned it over in his hand and slid the missing piece into its place and handed it to her.
"I got you the map," he said.
"What happened to your arm in Korin?" She pressed the issue of his injury. He couldn't hide it from her.
"There were those from the other worlds there. We fought. I underestimated their strength."
Kiaru did not look angry, but curious. "The men you sent for the healer, they turned up dead. Who are these people?"
"I do not know," he answered her.
"Do you think they are seeking the Center Plane? If they were strong enough to wound you, do you think they were given the dreams as well?"
"They seemed clueless about the map and its purpose," he told her.
Kiaru pondered this then turned and started to walk away. "They shouldn't be a problem. As I promised Shiva, they will die if they cross my path. Find my brothers. After I console the malleable minded lambs of the council, we shall view the map."
*********
Rikku passed by Squall's door for the eighth time that evening. Every time she passed, she debated with herself over whether or not to knock. Every time she decided to leave him be and walked away, and every time she somehow found herself back at his door.
She was worried about him. Ever since the meeting he had been distant. She realized there had been an element of seclusion to him before, but this was different. He would only come out of his room to retrieve books from the achieve or to work out on the training levels. On some rare occasions he could be seen getting something to eat late at night in the kitchen. It was strange how he had just disappeared into a self created shell.
She had tried to cheer him up after the meeting. She told him that she was with him, even if the others were not. It didn't seem to help. Now, she could only get a few unintelligible grunts out of him whenever he passed her in the halls.
She walked up to his door this time. Her resolve was finally to knock. It wasn't that she was scared of him, or his reaction. She felt out of place. It was hard to sort out the feelings she had for him. A man she barely knew. A man that was already spoken for.
She raised her hand to knock, and the door cracked open without her laying a finger on it. She pushed it open gently and stuck her head in.
"Squall?" she whispered.
The room was dark, but a soft glow was coming from a lamp clamped to the headboard of his bed. He was out cold, sprawled across his bed. A book rested on his chest. The entire room was littered with books. Stacks covered the floor and his desk. Many were open and Rikku picked up one on the floor near his bed.
The book was so old that it looked like it would turn to dust at her touch, but it did not crumble as she turned it over in her hands. She took great care not to ruin the piece of history as she turned back a few pages. Squall had several pieces of paper shoved in between the pages. On one sheet he had copied by hand an entire page of symbols. He had written what he was able to translate around the edges of the paper.
Curious to find out what he had been reading, she sat down on the floor beside his bed and began to read his translations.
From a house of light, darkness will be born…..What is the house of light? Ring of amethyst and ring of sapphire will intertwine….what the hell does that mean? The path to Yggdrasil will be revealed when the rings intertwine.
Rikku followed Squall's scrawl to the bottom of the page. There were thousands of symbols on one page, but he had only translated pieces and parts of the whole text. She could tell by his commentary on the translations he was frustrated by this. At the bottom a section was circled and fully translated.
Three stars of unrelated paths cross. Three stars bring about the Third Apocalypse…….
Squall groaned and Rikku put the book down. She stood up and looked into what had been his peacefully sleeping face. It was now steeped with sweat and contorted as if he were in pain. He was saying something in his sleep, but she couldn't make out his words.
She shook his shoulder lightly, and he sat up immediately at her touch. Rikku stumbled backward in surprise and tripped over the piles of books. Squall stared at her in both astonishment and confusion. He was upset with himself for not noticing the presence of someone in his room.
"Rikku? What are you doing?" He asked.
She smiled awkwardly and got to her feet. "Hey, the door was open and I thought I'd just, you know, check in on you…..so, um, yeah…..I'm gonna go."
"Are you okay?" He asked trying to suppress a laugh.
Rikku saw him holding back his amusement and felt relief that he wasn't mad. "Yeah," she responded while rubbing her sore butt. "So, um, are you okay? No one has really seen you around lately."
"Yeah," he answered, before getting up. He stretched and smiled to try to look convincing.
"Were you having a bad dream?" she asked.
Squall sighed and looked away from her. "Why? Was I talking in my sleep?"
Rikku nodded. It had appeared to be a more than just a bad dream. He had looked like he was in pain. Squall ran the back of his hand across his forehead to remove the sweat.
"It was nothing," he lied. The last thing he needed was for everyone to worry about him. Dreams were dreams; they were nothing more than that.
Rikku didn't buy his response, but she let it drop. It was how she had learned to deal with him. She knew this visit would be short if she pressed the issue.
"Could I maybe interest you in some dinner?" Rikku asked.
"No, I'm not really hungry," Squall said.
As soon as he said this his stomach growled. Rikku put her hands on her hips. "Liar!" She said, sticking her tongue out.
He smiled weakly at her concern. "Don't worry about me, Rikku. I'm fine. I promise you that."
Rikku pouted and grabbed his arm. "You are coming to get food with me," she said, as she began to drag him to the door. "I don't care if you are hungry or not."
*********
"This is crap!" Tifa exclaimed kicking the side of their disabled vehicle.
Seifer amusingly watched her explode from his lounging position in the front seat. "Kicking it won't make it start, sweetheart," he told her.
She returned his remark with a glare that threatened his life. "Don't even start with me, Seifer! We are in the middle of nowhere, and this vehicle is completely dead. We are going to freeze to death!"
Seifer shrugged and put his hands behind his head. They had been traveling from Korin for the past few days in an eight passenger vehicle provided by Mark. Now, they were stuck in the snow, with an exhausted vehicle, and no sense of direction. With the rising tensions between everyone, Seifer found death by freezing not to be the worst case scenario.
Tifa leaned into the vehicle and dropped the tool box on his lap. He immediately sat up swearing.
"The hell? You don't just drop something like this on a man's……"
"Listen. I know you really don't care if we get out of here or not, but I do. Get out here and help me!"
"You didn't say please," Seifer provoked her.
Tifa fumed and threw up her hands in defeat. She stormed to the hood of the vehicle and tried to make sense of it by herself. Seifer got out of the car and went to her aid.
"All you had to say was 'please'," he said as he set down the tool box.
Tifa looked up from the hood and was about to combat his arrogance, when she saw Selphie and Irvine approaching. She was relieved that Seifer and she were no longer alone. Selphie waved and ran spiritedly toward them.
"Hey!" She greeted them as she approached.
"Was there anything in that direction?" Tifa asked hopefully.
"No," Irvine said when he reached them. He leaned against the vehicle and shrugged. "We took the binoculars up over the ridge. There is nothing that way."
Tifa sighed and looked back to the car. They had to get out of there before they froze. She didn't know how to fix the vehicle. It was obvious, from the perplexed look upon Seifer's face, that he didn't know what to do either.
"So, we wait on Vincent and Quistis. They should be back soon," Tifa said, trying to make the situation not seem so helpless. She went around to the side of the vehicle and slid open the door. Zell had been sleeping in the back seat and he woke up when the outside air hit his face.
Tifa sat next to him and smiled wanly. "How is your hand?" She asked.
"It's getting better," he said, sitting up. He held the mangled mess, wrapped in cloth, closely to his chest. Tifa could tell it was causing him a lot of pain, but there was nothing they could do.
Corbett had crushed it so easily, like it had been paper. Tifa shuddered at the memory of the dark man. His speed, power, presence. He had reminded her of an evil from her past. Sephiroth. She hadn't feared anyone like she had feared him, and much to her distress that same fear was rising in her once again.
She held out her hand for Zell to let her look at his injury. He set his hand in hers and she gently removed the bandages. She grimaced at the sight of it and took out a materia orb from her jacket pocket. She cast a cure spell which took down the swelling. She could see in his face that it also provided some ease for the pain.
"Sorry I don't have anything more powerful," she apologized.
"Don't worry about it. I should have had it looked at back in Korin. I just didn't want to slow you guys down."
"Well, we aren't going anywhere fast," she said, while re-bandaging his hand.
"Hey!" Seifer said as he poked his head into the car. "If you two are done making out, I think you should come look at something."
Tifa balled her fists in an attempt to keep from exploding.
Seifer! What the hell is your deal!?
She leapt from the vehicle and went over to the group. They were now standing at a distance from the car, looking at the ground.
"Seifer, why must you be so……"
"Charming," he interrupted her.
"No, I believe the words I was looking for were arrogant and aggravating. What are you looking at?"
Seifer bent down and ran his hand over the snow, removing more of it from an object she hadn't noticed before. It was a large, flat, circular disc covered in symbols. In the center was a triangle shaped recess.
Seifer ran his hand along the sides and brushed away more of the snow.
"I can't pick it up. It seems to be a part of something else that runs deeper into the ground," he said.
Tifa raised a brow, "Like what? What is it?"
"How should I know?" he snapped.
"Well, whatever it is, it doesn't help us," Irvine commented.
"It is getting pretty late. I hope Quistis and Vincent get back soon," Selphie said.
"I say we go look for them," Seifer said, heading back to the car.
"What? I think the cold is getting to your brain, Seifer. This is our only shelter right now." Tifa said.
"In about an hour it will be completely dark. I'm not going to just sit here. They've been gone too long."
Tifa knew he was right, but it was suicide to just leave. She had been out on the snowfields of Eliana before. She had come so close to death. They didn't even know where they were. However, Vincent and Quistis were still out there. She was beginning to wish that they hadn't left in the first place.
Seifer grabbed his travel pack from the front seat and slung it over his shoulder.
"I'm going," he said with great resolve.
"Well, we're not going to let you go alone," Irvine said, returning to the car and grabbing his bag and shotgun.
Tifa gave in and grabbed her things as well. Slinging her pack across her shoulder, she took one last look at the vehicle before leaving it behind.
*********
Squall once again found himself awake in the darkness of his room. His heart was racing within his chest, and his mind was whirling with the images from his dream. Every night it was the same. He would drift off to sleep, while reading the ancient texts, only to wake up in a cold sweat.
He felt sick to his stomach, and his chest felt heavy. The dreams felt so real that he could not discern between the two realities. Not even his body could differentiate the two.
He sluggishly got out of bed and walked into the bathroom. He turned on the sink and splashed the water up into his face. It cleared his head a bit, but his mind was still clouded and unsettled.
What is going on? What are these dreams?
He dried off his face and fell back into bed. He was exhausted. The dreams didn't allow him to truly sleep. He groaned in frustration and curled up into himself.
I can't even remember everything when I wake up. I dream the same dream. I know when I am dreaming it that I have dreamt it before, but when I wake up I can't remember it all.
There is a tree, and there is a woman with raven black hair, sitting at the base. She holds her hand out to me and within them are two rings. One has the symbol for power and the other has the symbol for death……….
There is always Rinoa. She is standing at the edge of a cliff. She is crying. Two, beautiful, white wings stretch out from her back. She looks at me, tears pouring down her porcelain cheeks………
I don't want to think about it anymore. I just want to sleep. I want to have her sleeping here beside me……..Rin, I will find you…….
A loud knock at the door tore him from his thoughts. He was grateful for the interruption, and got up to answer it.
Rikku stood outside his door, an anxious look upon her face. When he opened the door, she pushed past him and shut the door quickly behind her.
"Okay, before you say anything, just hear me out," she said.
Squall sat down on his bed and motioned for her to continue. He was too tired to argue with her or question why she was standing in his room in the middle of the night.
"I want to help you, and don't give me that crap about being alright!" She said angrily.
"Fine," he said. "Get me to Lasar."
Rikku nodded. "Done."
Squall raised a brow. "What do you mean?"
"I have been really questioning my sanity on this one, but I have finally decided……. I think we should just usurp everyone else's decision and hijack Proteus."
"Proteus isn't operational," Squall reminded her.
"Proteus is not completely operational. After talking with my dad today, I learned that she can fly."
"And what does that mean?"
"Come on! Don't question it, just go with it. I'm telling you we now have transportation." Rikku went over to the door and looked at him questioningly. "Well?!"
Squall grabbed a satchel and put a few of the texts he had been studying into it. He then grabbed his gunblade and his jacket.
"We aren't going to be very popular when we get back," he told her.
"They'll forgive us," Rikku beamed.
She opened the door and both Tidus and Yuffie fell into the room. Rikku shook her head and glared down at them.
"Hey, what's up," Tidus smiled guiltily. "You know, funny story…"
"Just give it up. How long were you standing there?" Rikku asked.
"Long enough," Yuffie said. "You two aren't leaving without us."