Queen of Souls
By Soul Hunter
Chapter Sixteen
Subtle, murmuring sounds traveled across the gathering of soldiers who converged around the makeshift arena to witness the confrontation between the two proud gladiators. The whispers became less hushed as some of them made a spectacle out of the impending death match. There were even those who started accepting wagers on who will emerge victorious. Some placed their bets on Seifer, while most predicted that the dark knight will prevail on account of the unbelievable combat proficiency they witnessed from him earlier. Still, a few simply wished all this to end as they turned to tend to the wounded.
The soft muttering sounds abruptly hushed down, with the spectators eagerly awaiting the battle to start. Oblivious to the proceedings around them, Hunter and Seifer bore into each other with sharp eyes. Each assessing the other's resolves, each predicting their first moves. Earlier, the arrogant SeeD saw how this black-garbed stranger laid to waste a number of fully armed panzer units almost effortlessly. He had to concede to his opponent's expertise: it wasn't everyday that he witnesses a man armed with mere twin blades standing his ground against tanks and gunships. He was good, that much Seifer knew. But then, so was Squall. And all he had to show for his 'goodness' was a scar across his face. Hunter will have two, Seifer declared.
The dark knight had almost the same thoughts in mind. He knew Seifer's capabilities. Prudence demanded that he not only observe Quistis' skills but also that of her comrades as well. He had seen Seifer in action. And he had one thing to say with regards to what he saw:
This shouldn't take more than five minutes.
Hot sand suddenly sprayed on Hunter's face after Seifer kicked hard on the ground. He was startled by the trickery and was momentarily disoriented. He should have expected this, Hunter cussed as he raised one blade to block the Hyperion. The crowd exploded into a thunderous din as the battle began. Each one shouting out excited howls to urge the two combatants hard against each other.
The gray-cloaked SeeD attacked ferociously, eager to humiliate his headstrong adversary. Each swing whistled as it violently sliced through the air. Each blow delivered a jarring shockwave that Hunter felt along his muscled arms. Each staggering strike sent bright sparks flying off from the aggressive blades. Seifer continued to press on while varying his attacks between upward stabs, overhead swings and straight jabs. But Hunter's quick parries frustrated him, as the Twin Jutte seemed to be everywhere at once. Their motions became hazy in their unparalleled speed, almost appearing as a blur in the eyes of the bloodthirsty mob bearing witness to this grudge match.
Growing impatient, Seifer suddenly lunged recklessly into Hunter, with the latter executing a smooth pivot to avoid the attack. "Eat sand!" The dark knight quipped before walloping the SeeD at the back of his head to send him crashing face-first into the ground.
"That's not exactly going through me, is it kid?"
"Aaaaaaaaahhhhhh!!!" Seifer roared ferociously, picking himself up for another attack. Like a crazed animal he charged, swinging and stabbing relentlessly. This time, Hunter used his agility to avoid the onrushing gunblade, ducking high strikes, sidestepping vertical slashes and leaping over low swipes.
Seeing an opening, the dark warrior spun around once more after which he used the hilts of his short swords to land a rapid-fire of poking blows along the SeeD's back. Seifer groaned as searing pain shot out from his lungs. Hunter twisted right with an elbow on Seifer's mouth, then left with a leg swipe behind his knees. The embattled SeeD crashed on his back hard.
"Give up?" The intruder echoed, stepping back to allow his opponent some room to stand up. Lifting himself up slowly, Seifer chose against his impulse this time. His eyes gleaned sharply toward Hunter, but his mind was racing. This was no ordinary opponent, he surmised. He'd seen some of the best combatants in the world but none of them can possibly hold their ground against him. He was too fast, too strong, and overly cunning. Giving it everything he had, he still couldn't even manage to touch his adversary. For the first time in his life, Seifer smelled the stink of inevitable defeat coming his way.
But he'd rather die than be humiliated.
"Never!!!" A deafening sound thundered as metal collided against metal. Hunter grimaced as he felt a sting run down his injured shoulder while blocking that latest assault from Seifer. He poured all his strength in that blow, the dark knight assessed. He realized he had better end this fight before the young warrior injured himself.
But while pushing the Hyperion away from his face, crushing pain from his wounded shoulder startled Hunter. He turned momentarily to see a small blade plunged into it, the kind of blade operatives normally keep under their sleeves in the event of emergencies. Distracted, he didn't see the Hyperion's haft speeding towards him. Pain exploded from his face mercilessly when Seifer's attack connected. Sustaining the pressure, Seifer followed up with a Firaga blast that knocked Hunter to the ground.
Ecstatic from his successful attack, the haughty SeeD hovered over his felled opponent, his face once against assuming that familiar grin.
"Now where have I seen this dance before?" Seifer jeered while staring at the intruder who was still reeling from the onslaught. "Oh yeah, I remember now. When some idiot thought we were doing some stupid training exercise. And if I remember it correctly, the next step should be this."
Seifer's eyes glared while raising his gunblade in the air. It then plummeted down and was met by a pair of cold, Holy-infused steel blades.
"Wha" The SeeD stammered while trying to pull his weapon out from the clamp-like grip the Twin Jutte slapped on it. A sudden tug then pulled him forward, right into Hunter's waiting fist. A constellation of stars adorned the darkness that engulfed Seifer's mind.
"Sorry, but scars and Hunters don't match." Hunter quipped. "Pucker up now, your five minutes just expired."
A flurry of kicks and punches peppered the helpless SeeD. Though vicious with his attacks, Hunter cautioned against using too much force to knock the other off his feet. He wanted Seifer standing up while dealing him his punishment. For Hunter, this was the gratifying retribution he promised himself long ago while seeing this mockery of a SeeD ridicule his beloved over and over again. The poor Seifer didn't even know that Hunter had a personal agenda for fighting him.
A forward kick shot out from Hunter, which Seifer caught in his two hands. Grinning wickedly, the dark knight pushed with his other leg en route to a graceful backflip as his unbound foot struck hard against the SeeD's chin.
He was just about to land the telling blow of the battle when an unforeseen force stopped him. Suddenly, opaque blackness engulfed his eyesight. Hunter was startled, then his blood ran cold. A few moments elapsed before the dark curtain blocked his vision once more. This time, it was accompanied by harrowing tingles that seemed to emanate from every fiber in his body. He felt his arms weakening, then his legs. His body buckled while staggering back unsteadily. Exerting effort to open his eyes, chilly fear overwhelmed the panicking knight with the realization that his eyes were opened. But he still couldn't see anything.
"Oh no!" Hunter's frightened voice echoed as he felt himself running out of breath.
He then felt hot pain explode from his midsection as the SeeD's boot planted hard against it. Taking advantage of the unexpected situation, Seifer rushed forward and struck one blow after another at the suddenly helpless Hunter. Blood spurted out as his black-gloved fists landed on the dark warrior's mouth. However, the blows Seifer delivered hardly mattered for the afflicted combatant, as the thunderously pounding throbs in his chest intensified. His skin assumed a pasty-white shade that fought with the cherry-red bruise on his jaw left by the Hyperion's handle.
Hunter sprawled on the ground, struggling frantically to catch his elusive breath. Though standing in apparent victory, Seifer was not pleased with the turn of events. He didn't know what happened to his potent enemy, and he couldn't exactly say that he didn't care. For all his faults, his gargantuan ego still prevented him from deriving pride from a half-cooked victory. It would have been sweeter had he felled the dark warrior in a more convincing fashion.
But still, this will not prevent him from collecting his bounty. Grabbing Hunter by his hair, the SeeD positioned his gunblade across his opponent's neck.
A roaring reverberation interrupted him. As he looked to see the source of the disturbance, a gap in the crowd surrounding them abruptly opened with a black jetcycle careening through the soldiers' ranks. Seifer drew a curious smile as the streamlined bike skidded to a halt a short distance before him.
"Hunter" Quistis muttered in alarm when she saw her beau with the gunblade pressed against his neck. She became possessed with conflict, torn between the urge to attack and the fear of risking Hunter's life. Sensing her reluctance, Seifer tugged the intruder's head back.
"Nice bike, instructor. Pity you won't be using it today." He shot out while pushing his blade harder against Hunter's exposed neck. "Even you can't possibly miss how this little drama will turn out."
She gritted her teeth in fury. "Seifer, I swear I'll kill you if you hurt him."
"Aw, I'm so touched." He snidely retorted. "Now stop wasting my time and surrender your junctions. I'm bringing you and your lover boy in, and you know there's not a blessed thing you can do about it."
Quistis sighed in defeat, knowing that she had no choice but to give in. The steady hum of the jetcycle consequently died down as she turned the ignition switch off.
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The trip to the Estharian Kashkabald command center didn't take more than a few hours. But for Quistis and Hunter, it may as well have been forever. Both of them didn't know what to think at the moment. Being captured by the Galbadian detachment sent to arrest them didn't exactly sit well with their mission. At this moment, the dreaded incubus might already be leading another town to the slaughter. Worse, they had to consider the prospect of Balamb Garden sending another SeeD team to do the job. Considering that Seifer managed to track them, Quistis guessed that it was safe to say her other comrades have already been rescued by this time. And by this time, they may also be on their way to battle the soul devourer.
On their way to their deaths
She wanted desperately to escape and carry on with her self-appointed task. But seeing Hunter in such a pitiful state a few hours ago scared her. She wasn't sure what happened. She didn't know if Seifer was indeed successful in getting the better of the dark warrior. And right now she couldn't care any less. All she knew was Hunter needed medical attention, and she was determined to get it for him, which was part of the reason why she consented on giving up all her junctions to Seifer. He had been showing marked improvements since his battle with her arrogant comrade, but Quistis was by no means willing to take any chances. She will not leave his side until she was assured of his safety.
Her hands gently held on to his shoulders to prevent him from lurching forward as the personnel vehicle they were riding on abruptly stopped. He smiled at her warmly, his gentle eyes assuring her that he was feeling all right. The red radiance of the setting sun flooded into the vehicle as the door opened, with a hefty soldier standing by to coax them out.
"Commander Trepe, Sir, walk this way, please." The private echoed in a half-requesting and half-ordering tone. They may have been put under arrest, but military protocols still provided them with the courtesy due to military officials. The same courtesy was extended them when the Galbadian personnel turned them over to the Estharian troops.
The two were then led into the biggest tent in the cluster composing the makeshift camp. It was truly a wonder, and even had its own airconditioning. Quistis slightly quivered when the cold air met her face as they walked through the parted curtain of the entrance. The Estharian soldiers continued to act with respect while leading them into a room subdivided by fiberglass walls. They were then made to sit beside each other in one of the chambers. A table stood in front of them, over which a silver tray rested with four cups made of hard plastic, set beside a coffee maker half-filled with the famed Deling roast.
"Ooh! I hope it's not decaf." Hunter whispered. Despite their compromised states, Quistis couldn't help but chuckle fondly. The smile on their faces relinquished when two important-looking Estharian officers walked into the room.
"Commander Trepe, Sir, we are Lieutenant's Lidia Lee and Boro Makamaka, deputy officers of the Estharian Kashkabald detachment." Opened the smaller of the two with a solid, female voice. "And perhaps we don't need to brief you why you were brought here."
"Yes." Quistis replied. "I'm being held on charges of desertion. I know."
"Yes ma'am." Continued Lieutenant Lee. "And in behalf of our commanding officer, I would like to apologize if our men have mistreated you in any way. Well, not counting your rather unfortunate encounter with the Galbadian troops. You have to understand that they were only following orders."
"I know. And you also have to understand that I was merely following my orders." The instructor countered. "I don't wish to raise another issue, Lieutenant. But you are making a big mistake by holding us here. You have to release us immediately."
"I'm sorry, ma'am." Makamaka interjected. "But that's not for us to decide. At 2300 hours we will be turning you over to a team from Balamb Garden. After which you will be transported back to"
"That's unacceptable." Quistis shot out, her voice now more aggressive. The two lieutenants fought against the intimidation brought by her authoritative tone. "I demand to speak with your commanding officer at once!"
"No need to get so antsy, Commander Trepe." A voice echoed from the background. "You can talk to me anytime you want. You know that."
Quistis' face lit up upon seeing Captain Andrea Frost alight from the dividing walls. "Captain Frost, nice to see you again."
"Same here, Commander." Andrea returned. "I'm sorry that it had to be under less than favorable circumstances, though."
Though genuinely glad to see the Balamb instructor, the jovial expression on Andrea's face disappeared when she noticed her companion. As the captain recognized the dark knight, she felt a foreboding coldness run down the base of her spine.
And for that matter, so did he.
"H-Hunter?"
"Andrea"
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Twenty hundred hours. She stared at her military watch apprehensively, unsure of her feelings. She didn't know whether she wanted time to sit still or go on fast forward. In two hours, a team of SeeDs from Balamb Garden will arrive to relieve her hands of the responsibility of holding the two warriors turned fugitives. As the seconds ticked away, she still couldn't tell whether she did want to turn them over to the SeeDs or not.
The instructor didn't concern her that much, though. As she thought about this late afternoon's startling meeting, she couldn't help questioning this emotion that had been bothering her since. The swivel chair creaked as Andrea Frost uneasily pushed herself to a slow rotation. The effort to deny the admittance proved futile as she eventually accepted that she was still bothered by his presence.
But why? It had been more than four months since she last saw him. And though their parting wasn't exactly a friendly one, she can't exactly say that she was on the losing end of the deal. In fact, she was sure that she wasn't. The insistence of leaving Hunter for her current lover tried to push stubbornly into her mind. She was so sure that that was her reason, despite the other that also weighed heavily on her decision.
Andrea moaned in frustration. Why was she feeling this way? She was so sure that her life with Jae was a happy one. But what's causing this terrible perturbation? Was it the guilt of having treated him unfairly? Was it the surprise of seeing him again? Or was it because of something that she never thought lingered up to this day?
It was only the day before she was commissioned with her current assignment that Jae expressed his intent to marry her. Andrea remembered feeling happy during that day. She was so ecstatic that she even called up her friends in Timber, Kat and Arthur, who only half a year ago got married themselves. She remembered wanting to shout her joy to the world.
There has to be a reason behind this ominous feeling of dread. She had to know. Maybe that's why she ordered for Hunter to be brought before her. Her mind was currently racing in anxious thoughts when she heard a knock on her door.
"Come in." She voiced out hesitantly. And her reluctance was with good reason. Her heart skipped a beat when Hunter peered through the portal.
"Hi"
"H-Hi" She echoed back. "Come in, please."
"You You wanted to see me?" He said with equal reluctance.
"Well, I'm guessing that much is obvious." Andrea joked to drive in some levity. "Please sit down."
"No" Hunter returned. "I'm fine standing up. So what do we need to talk about?"
He was still upset, she guessed. Hunter had always been like this, as she remembered, always passing on a chance to relax whenever he was bothered by something. Despite her nervousness, the Estharian officer tried to appear nonchalant.
"So how did you get dragged into this?" She opened.
"You're one to ask." Hunter replied wryly. "I thought I already told you about this before when we were still" His voice stopped upon realizing the direction being treaded by his words. Hunter promptly felt a fit of awkwardness.
Andrea caught his discomfort, but subsequently decided to ignore it.
"You mean that all this time we've been tracking the soul reaper that you've been telling me before?" Her voice came back vehemently. "I see so I guess the question should be: how did she get dragged into this?"
"She's the one, Andie." He returned firmly. "She's the one."
"The one? The one what? You mean she's the one that this prophecy singled out? Or" She trailed off, noting the look of resolve on his face. "The one that you well"
"All of the above."
"Well well, I guess in spite of all this mess, we still have something to celebrate then." Andrea said while trying to analyze her reaction. She looked hard into herself, delving deeply in trying to detect any feeling of contempt, envy or jealousy. A peaceful smile crossed her lips upon detecting nothing.
But still, there was need for an apology. An explanation of her abrupt decision made a few months prior to this chance meeting. Being sure of herself, she now concluded that the unrest she was feeling earlier was indeed born of guilt. A feeling of accountability that she had to settle with him once and for all.
"Hunter I I'm sorry about before" She began tentatively. "I really should have at least explained to you my side properly. To tell you the truth, I still blame myself for acting all proud as if you're the one who owed me a favor. That was incredibly ridiculous and insensitive of me"
"Wait wait wait Andie, are you under the impression that I'm still mad at you?"
"Well, yeah. Don't tell me you're not mad at me"
"No. Not anymore." He declared. "I don't mean to offend you but honestly, I almost totally forgot about you, at least during these past few days."
"Aww don't tell me. It's because of Quistis, isn't it? Are you two?"
"Yes, we are. In fact, she already accepted my marriage proposal." Hunter beamed proudly.
"Really? Omigosh!" Andrea squealed in delight. "I-I'm so happy for you. This DOES call for a celebration!" Her gleeful gaze lingered long at Hunter's serene expression. She couldn't help mirroring his gladness. At the very least, the burden of guilt bludgeoning her conscience had finally taken its leave. "So it turned out beautifully after all."
"Yes, yes it did. This is way more than I expected."
"I'll say. Imagine, a beautiful woman like that who also happened to be a SeeD commander. Hunter, no offense but she's definitely way out of your league."
"Call me the luckiest man in the world and be done with it." The dark knight returned.
But then, his cheerful expression slowly transformed into that of sullen contemplation. Andrea saw the change in his face, and she didn't feel the least bit surprised. She knew exactly why Hunter grew melancholic all of the sudden.
"Have you told her?" She asked pensively. Hunter shook his head.
"No not yet. I I don't know if I can"
End of Chapter Sixteen