Disclaimer: I do not own FF9.
Chapter 6-The Iifa Tree Journey, Part 1
Katrina's P.O.V
The air was bitterly cold and the wind was whipping across our faces. It has been exactly one hour after we left Lindblum Grand Castle. Zane was being even more arrogant than usual. Whenever we got in a fight with a monster, Zane would take over and nearly kill us all with his orders. He insisted in doing everything for himself and by himself.
"Zane, this has got to stop!" I yelled after Zane tried to get us killed for the 5th time.
"What has got to stop?" Zane asked, trying to act innocent.
"Your arrogance is going to get us killed, Zane!"
"Whatever, Kattie. If you don't remember, Zidane asked me to be the leader." When I heard Zane use my nickname, I snarled loudly.
"Don't you whatever me, Zane. I'll wipe that silly grin off your face."
"Like I have to listen to you?"
In a instant, I swung my hand towards his face, backhanding him. He fell to the ground and glared at me.
"What did you do that for?" he asked, obliviously angry.
"I did it to knock some sense into you. Now if you don't mind, I have a team to lead."
I turned around to face the others. They nodded solemnly and walked ahead. I followed after them slowly, with Zane trailing behind me. Soon, we entered Qu's Marsh. Everyone was pretty much tired then, so I told the rest to wait near the entrance. Meanwhile, I went off to talk to Quale to find out some information.
"Excuse me, Mr. Quale. But can you tell me where I can find Fossil Roo?" I asked.
"It beyond the pond. The road is covered with grass so might have hard time finding it."
"Thank you, Quale."
I walked out of the house-like building and saw Zane. He was waiting by the steps apparently for me, I guess.
"I thought I told you to wait by the gate." I scolded.
"They are fine. Besides I needed to talk to you, Kattie."
"Fine. What is there to talk about?"
"I wanted to say sorry about before. I was being disgraceful.."
"No you weren't. Besides I shouldn't have backhanded you."
"So what did Quale tell you?"
"He said that the entrance to Fossil Roo is around here. But the road is covered with grass so we'll have to look a bit further."
"Ok. I'll go get the others."
We wondered in the grass for about 5 minutes before finding the entrance. Funny thing about it was that there was no frogs around. Not that this was unusual. Quale probably ate them all, I thought. We walked down the stairs until he reached the gate that was blocking the entrance.
These bars are rusted in some places, I thought again as I unsheathed The Dragon's Hair spear from its sheathe on my back. I thrust my spear at the bars, chipping bits and pieces off carefully. One of the bars popped off within the first few thrusts. The hole was big enough for one of us to slip through carefully. I went through first and helped Zane pull Alicia through. When everyone got through the bars safely, I checked the map. Zane looked around slowly before walking forward.
"Everyone stay close to Kattie and me." he ordered.
"My feet hurt.." Alicia complained.
I turned around, picked Alicia up and sat her on my head.
"Better?"
"Yes. Thank you, Kattie."
We entered the main chambers and looked around.
"It looks like the Gargan's aren't here."
"How are we supposed to get out of here, Kattie?" Zinnia asked.
"We'll just have to go on foot." Everyone nodded in agreement. Soon, we were walking along in the stream of Fossil Roo. Once we reached the crossroads of Fossil Roo, I checked the map again.
"What does it say, Kattie?" Zane asked, after putting Vivielo down.
"The exit is to the right, through some tunnels."
"Ok."
We started over to the right and had barely walked 1 mile into the tunnel, when I sensed something.
"Get down!" I yelled.
"What's wrong, Katrina?" Zinnia asked.
"Be quiet and get against the wall."
"Kattie, what's wrong?" Alicia whispered.
"I don't know what it is yet, but its getting closer."
A worm-like monster crawled on the wall above us. I covered Alicia's mouth so she wouldn't scream. Everyone was still.
"Zane, take them out of here." I whispered.
"What about you?"
"That monster is surely going to catch us if we attempt to escape, so I'm going to distract it."
"But Kattie…"
"That is an order, Zane. Now go!" I yelled, as I took Alicia off my head and handed her to Zinnia. Zane nodded, picked Vivielo up and walked off with the others. I gripped my spear tightly as I started off to the left. What am I thinking? As I entered the main cavern, I saw it. Ralvuimago. The gargant eater. I guess it sensed my presence because it spat poison at me. I jumped to the side, barely missing it. I held my spear in front of me, preparing to use Dragon Breath. Flare energy begin to swirl around me as I prayed to the Dragon gods in my head.
"Dragon Breath!" I screamed as a invisible Dragon's head poured fire onto Ralvuimago. The monster curled up in agony and bared its fangs at me.
"Katrina, look out!" I turned my head to see Zane waving at me, which was a bad mistake. Ralvuimago hissed and launched itself at me. My eye's widened.
"Stellar Circle 9!" Zane called out. Swirls of light/flare energy engulfed Ralvuimago, driving it away.
"Zane, you saved me.."
"Your hurt, Kattie." He pointed to a deep gash on my right leg.
"Its just a scratch, Zane."
"Kattie..let me patch you up, ok?" I nodded, a little too tired to protest. He ripped off a piece of his shirt, reached into his backpack and took out some duct tape. Then he applied it to my wound and tapped it up.
"There, good as new."
"Thank you, Zane."
"Can you stand?"
"Yeah."
"Let's go then." Zane helped me up. Soon we were on the Outer Continent. I checked the map again.
"Conde Petie is straight ahead. We'll have to climb up the surrounding cliffs but we should be ok." Everyone nodded. I reached into my backpack and took out the rope. I climbed up first and slung the rope over one of the roots supporting Conde Petie so that it hung down in front of Zane and the others. Zane helped Alicia onto the rope and signaled for me to pull her up. This process continued for 10 minutes.
However, I couldn't help but worry about Zidane and the others…
Chapter 6-The Iifa Tree Journey, Part 1
Katrina's P.O.V
The air was bitterly cold and the wind was whipping across our faces. It has been exactly one hour after we left Lindblum Grand Castle. Zane was being even more arrogant than usual. Whenever we got in a fight with a monster, Zane would take over and nearly kill us all with his orders. He insisted in doing everything for himself and by himself.
"Zane, this has got to stop!" I yelled after Zane tried to get us killed for the 5th time.
"What has got to stop?" Zane asked, trying to act innocent.
"Your arrogance is going to get us killed, Zane!"
"Whatever, Kattie. If you don't remember, Zidane asked me to be the leader." When I heard Zane use my nickname, I snarled loudly.
"Don't you whatever me, Zane. I'll wipe that silly grin off your face."
"Like I have to listen to you?"
In a instant, I swung my hand towards his face, backhanding him. He fell to the ground and glared at me.
"What did you do that for?" he asked, obliviously angry.
"I did it to knock some sense into you. Now if you don't mind, I have a team to lead."
I turned around to face the others. They nodded solemnly and walked ahead. I followed after them slowly, with Zane trailing behind me. Soon, we entered Qu's Marsh. Everyone was pretty much tired then, so I told the rest to wait near the entrance. Meanwhile, I went off to talk to Quale to find out some information.
"Excuse me, Mr. Quale. But can you tell me where I can find Fossil Roo?" I asked.
"It beyond the pond. The road is covered with grass so might have hard time finding it."
"Thank you, Quale."
I walked out of the house-like building and saw Zane. He was waiting by the steps apparently for me, I guess.
"I thought I told you to wait by the gate." I scolded.
"They are fine. Besides I needed to talk to you, Kattie."
"Fine. What is there to talk about?"
"I wanted to say sorry about before. I was being disgraceful.."
"No you weren't. Besides I shouldn't have backhanded you."
"So what did Quale tell you?"
"He said that the entrance to Fossil Roo is around here. But the road is covered with grass so we'll have to look a bit further."
"Ok. I'll go get the others."
We wondered in the grass for about 5 minutes before finding the entrance. Funny thing about it was that there was no frogs around. Not that this was unusual. Quale probably ate them all, I thought. We walked down the stairs until he reached the gate that was blocking the entrance.
These bars are rusted in some places, I thought again as I unsheathed The Dragon's Hair spear from its sheathe on my back. I thrust my spear at the bars, chipping bits and pieces off carefully. One of the bars popped off within the first few thrusts. The hole was big enough for one of us to slip through carefully. I went through first and helped Zane pull Alicia through. When everyone got through the bars safely, I checked the map. Zane looked around slowly before walking forward.
"Everyone stay close to Kattie and me." he ordered.
"My feet hurt.." Alicia complained.
I turned around, picked Alicia up and sat her on my head.
"Better?"
"Yes. Thank you, Kattie."
We entered the main chambers and looked around.
"It looks like the Gargan's aren't here."
"How are we supposed to get out of here, Kattie?" Zinnia asked.
"We'll just have to go on foot." Everyone nodded in agreement. Soon, we were walking along in the stream of Fossil Roo. Once we reached the crossroads of Fossil Roo, I checked the map again.
"What does it say, Kattie?" Zane asked, after putting Vivielo down.
"The exit is to the right, through some tunnels."
"Ok."
We started over to the right and had barely walked 1 mile into the tunnel, when I sensed something.
"Get down!" I yelled.
"What's wrong, Katrina?" Zinnia asked.
"Be quiet and get against the wall."
"Kattie, what's wrong?" Alicia whispered.
"I don't know what it is yet, but its getting closer."
A worm-like monster crawled on the wall above us. I covered Alicia's mouth so she wouldn't scream. Everyone was still.
"Zane, take them out of here." I whispered.
"What about you?"
"That monster is surely going to catch us if we attempt to escape, so I'm going to distract it."
"But Kattie…"
"That is an order, Zane. Now go!" I yelled, as I took Alicia off my head and handed her to Zinnia. Zane nodded, picked Vivielo up and walked off with the others. I gripped my spear tightly as I started off to the left. What am I thinking? As I entered the main cavern, I saw it. Ralvuimago. The gargant eater. I guess it sensed my presence because it spat poison at me. I jumped to the side, barely missing it. I held my spear in front of me, preparing to use Dragon Breath. Flare energy begin to swirl around me as I prayed to the Dragon gods in my head.
"Dragon Breath!" I screamed as a invisible Dragon's head poured fire onto Ralvuimago. The monster curled up in agony and bared its fangs at me.
"Katrina, look out!" I turned my head to see Zane waving at me, which was a bad mistake. Ralvuimago hissed and launched itself at me. My eye's widened.
"Stellar Circle 9!" Zane called out. Swirls of light/flare energy engulfed Ralvuimago, driving it away.
"Zane, you saved me.."
"Your hurt, Kattie." He pointed to a deep gash on my right leg.
"Its just a scratch, Zane."
"Kattie..let me patch you up, ok?" I nodded, a little too tired to protest. He ripped off a piece of his shirt, reached into his backpack and took out some duct tape. Then he applied it to my wound and tapped it up.
"There, good as new."
"Thank you, Zane."
"Can you stand?"
"Yeah."
"Let's go then." Zane helped me up. Soon we were on the Outer Continent. I checked the map again.
"Conde Petie is straight ahead. We'll have to climb up the surrounding cliffs but we should be ok." Everyone nodded. I reached into my backpack and took out the rope. I climbed up first and slung the rope over one of the roots supporting Conde Petie so that it hung down in front of Zane and the others. Zane helped Alicia onto the rope and signaled for me to pull her up. This process continued for 10 minutes.
However, I couldn't help but worry about Zidane and the others…