Chapter Five
Seifer flew low over the Timber strait, heading towards Balamb. In an odd way it was still his home. He'd grown up there, trained there… and had his dreams dashed there. Six words had destroyed the cocky façade, and sent him down the road to where he was now. He could still hear those words. "You'll never be a SeeD Seifer." He had sat in the isolation rooms, thinking about his dreams all that night. Then he had decided to follow the only one left to him. In an odd way, those six words had made him what he was today. Seifer Almasy, sorceress' knight, and the exact opposite of what he had later found out was the true purpose of SeeD. He started when he realised he could see the great blue shape of Balamb garden in the distance. Seifer started preparing to land.
***
"A sorceress' knight? But the only ones alive are me and Seifer…"
"Not exactly" Gilgamesh looked as if he would rather be anywhere else "Did you ever wonder about how Odin and me are different from the other Guardian Forces?"
"Not really. What has that got to do with anything?"
"Odin and me are…two of the original sorceress' knights. The body of Hyne is in our bodies."
"I can sense an 'and' here"
Gilgamesh looked even more uncomfortable and said quietly "And so is Seoman. He's the one hunting me."
Squall stared blankly and then said slowly "But if you're a sorceress' knight, where is your sorceress?"
Gilgamesh's reaction took him completely by surprise. The red knight slammed him up against the wall and held his sword to Squall's throat saying hoarsely with madness in his eyes "I couldn't help her. She wouldn't listen. I could never refuse her. I had no choice! NO CHOICE!"
They stood there like that for several minutes before Gilgamesh came to his senses and let Squall down "I'm sorry about that Squall. It's been nearly two thousand years but…Natoli is still a…a sensitive subject."
Squall nodded, rubbing at the thin red line Gilgamesh's sword had made pressing against his skin "Understood. I won't bring it up again."
Gilgamesh smiled weakly "Thank you Squall."
A chirping sound came from the recesses of Squall's jacket. Gilgamesh looked at him oddly. "A comm unit." Squall explained "Nida and the other technicians knocked them up when they found the radio interference was over. Squall." He said, flipping open a small brass box.
Nida's voice crackled back over the comm unit "Yeah, Squall, we just identified an unknown plane landing a couple of clicks north of Balamb town. Where are you?"
"I'm in Balamb hotel."
"Right, Quistis and Rinoa will meet you, and then you'll proceed to try to find this plane. We managed to get a blurry visual of it when it passed with in range, and it looks like it's of Galbadian military origin."
Squall's eyes narrowed "Seifer" he muttered.
"What was that Squall?"
"What? Oh…received. Squall out." He flipped the small brass case shut.
Gilgamesh stared at him "Did you say Seifer?"
"What? Yes. If this is anything to do with him…"
"I thought I killed that bastard. If this is his work, I'll help you Squall. That bastard killed Odin. I want payback…"
"You're welcome to come along Gilgamesh." He paused as a thought struck him "Um…use a sword that works though please."
Gilgamesh smiled "No problem."
***
A few minutes later they stumbled upon the plane. Quistis went nearer for a good look. "This is definitely Galbadian. 3rd Deling Airborne. Looks like Seifer."
A familiar voice came from behind them "Your powers of deduction are as brilliant as ever Instructor. You only have to see a 'Made in Deling' sticker to work out it's Galbadian. Well done."
Squall spun around to face the voice "Seifer."
"Squall" the knight said, nodding towards him.
"You…" Gilgamesh began putting his hand on his sword hilt.
"You?" Seifer said startled.
"Seifer?" Rinoa said hesitantly.
"Rinoa" Seifer said with a sweeping bow.
"Shut up!" Quistis shouted "Now why don't you tell us what the hell is going on Seifer?"
Seifer smirked "Why, I've come to do my job. Protect my sorceress."
Seifer flew low over the Timber strait, heading towards Balamb. In an odd way it was still his home. He'd grown up there, trained there… and had his dreams dashed there. Six words had destroyed the cocky façade, and sent him down the road to where he was now. He could still hear those words. "You'll never be a SeeD Seifer." He had sat in the isolation rooms, thinking about his dreams all that night. Then he had decided to follow the only one left to him. In an odd way, those six words had made him what he was today. Seifer Almasy, sorceress' knight, and the exact opposite of what he had later found out was the true purpose of SeeD. He started when he realised he could see the great blue shape of Balamb garden in the distance. Seifer started preparing to land.
***
"A sorceress' knight? But the only ones alive are me and Seifer…"
"Not exactly" Gilgamesh looked as if he would rather be anywhere else "Did you ever wonder about how Odin and me are different from the other Guardian Forces?"
"Not really. What has that got to do with anything?"
"Odin and me are…two of the original sorceress' knights. The body of Hyne is in our bodies."
"I can sense an 'and' here"
Gilgamesh looked even more uncomfortable and said quietly "And so is Seoman. He's the one hunting me."
Squall stared blankly and then said slowly "But if you're a sorceress' knight, where is your sorceress?"
Gilgamesh's reaction took him completely by surprise. The red knight slammed him up against the wall and held his sword to Squall's throat saying hoarsely with madness in his eyes "I couldn't help her. She wouldn't listen. I could never refuse her. I had no choice! NO CHOICE!"
They stood there like that for several minutes before Gilgamesh came to his senses and let Squall down "I'm sorry about that Squall. It's been nearly two thousand years but…Natoli is still a…a sensitive subject."
Squall nodded, rubbing at the thin red line Gilgamesh's sword had made pressing against his skin "Understood. I won't bring it up again."
Gilgamesh smiled weakly "Thank you Squall."
A chirping sound came from the recesses of Squall's jacket. Gilgamesh looked at him oddly. "A comm unit." Squall explained "Nida and the other technicians knocked them up when they found the radio interference was over. Squall." He said, flipping open a small brass box.
Nida's voice crackled back over the comm unit "Yeah, Squall, we just identified an unknown plane landing a couple of clicks north of Balamb town. Where are you?"
"I'm in Balamb hotel."
"Right, Quistis and Rinoa will meet you, and then you'll proceed to try to find this plane. We managed to get a blurry visual of it when it passed with in range, and it looks like it's of Galbadian military origin."
Squall's eyes narrowed "Seifer" he muttered.
"What was that Squall?"
"What? Oh…received. Squall out." He flipped the small brass case shut.
Gilgamesh stared at him "Did you say Seifer?"
"What? Yes. If this is anything to do with him…"
"I thought I killed that bastard. If this is his work, I'll help you Squall. That bastard killed Odin. I want payback…"
"You're welcome to come along Gilgamesh." He paused as a thought struck him "Um…use a sword that works though please."
Gilgamesh smiled "No problem."
***
A few minutes later they stumbled upon the plane. Quistis went nearer for a good look. "This is definitely Galbadian. 3rd Deling Airborne. Looks like Seifer."
A familiar voice came from behind them "Your powers of deduction are as brilliant as ever Instructor. You only have to see a 'Made in Deling' sticker to work out it's Galbadian. Well done."
Squall spun around to face the voice "Seifer."
"Squall" the knight said, nodding towards him.
"You…" Gilgamesh began putting his hand on his sword hilt.
"You?" Seifer said startled.
"Seifer?" Rinoa said hesitantly.
"Rinoa" Seifer said with a sweeping bow.
"Shut up!" Quistis shouted "Now why don't you tell us what the hell is going on Seifer?"
Seifer smirked "Why, I've come to do my job. Protect my sorceress."
