Chapter 30- Fear
"Something wrong?" Terra asked quickly.
"No!" Celes exclaimed nervously. "You're going to be gorgeous...Edgar won't be able to keep his hands off of you."
"Goodness." Terra said, a bit flustered.
Celes smiled softly and tucked away her clothing as the door to the house opened, and heavy footsteps could be heard in the hall. A second later, Locke opened the door but immediately closed his eyes when he saw the flash of white from the dress.
"OOPS!" He cried, and turned around. "It's bad luck to see the bride and her gown before the wedding! We're all doomed!"
"Hee-hee, it's ok now." Celes said, closing the closet door. Locke sighed a breath of relief and turned back around to face them.
"Hey, Terra, what a surprise!" He smiled, and kissed her on the cheek. Terra smiled and kissed him back.
"Good to see you Locke."
"And, here's my angel, who survived a whole 2 hours without me while I went through the torture of getting my tux fitted." Locke winked, and kissed Celes passionately without warning. She blushed because of Terra's presence, and pulled away quickly when she realized Terra herself was blushing also. Locke slipped an arm around her waist and Terra stood there politely with her hands clasped together.
"I was just showing Terra my dress." Celes explained to Locke. "She's staying at the Inn here until after the wedding.
"That's great!" Locke smiled. "You're welcome to hang out here whenever you want though."
"Thanks." Terra said, and suddenly giggled when she heard a growling noise from her stomach. "Goodness, I must be hungry...!"
"Did you ever have breakfast?" Locke asked both Terra and Celes, who both shook their heads.
"Well, why don't I make it for you guys then?" Locke offered, and looked at the clock. "It is 9, and I'm hungry too. You can just catch up on all that girl talk that you like to do so much..."
"Thanks dear." Celes said, and kissed him on the cheek as he strolled out of the room. Terra giggled again and put her hands behind her head.
"I have to get used to him being such a gentleman." She said, and Celes laughed.
"Me too, sometimes!" She smiled, and suddenly, Terra widened her eyes.
"I've got it!" She exclaimed.
"Wha?"
"I know who can marry you and Locke!"
"You do!?"
"Yeah! I totally forgot, but Setzer, he's legallized to do that, you know!"
"Setzer!?" Celes widened her eyes.
"Yes!" Terra exclaimed, and clapped her hands together. "It's a way for him to make extra money while at casinos, he once told me, and showed me the certificates and everything that authorized him! Oh, Celes, I think you should message him and ask him!"
"Well..." Celes trailed off and thought back to the time when Setzer had proclaimed feelings for her. She wasn't sure if that was the right thing to request of him, but then again, she and Locke were desperate. There would be no wedding with no priest, and Setzer was a friend, afterall.
"I'll have to discuss it with Locke." Celes said. Terra had noticed her friend's eyes had darkened considerably, but she didn't comment.
"Alright..." She said, and nodded. Terra shifted about uncomfortably, and Celes brightened her face.
"Want me to show you around Kohlingen?" Celes offered. "It won't take long, and I'm sure Locke will be ready for us when we come back."
"That would be nice, thank you." Terra said. "I can take my gown back to the Inn, while I'm at it."
"Locke, we're going out, be right baaaaaaaaaaaaaack!" Celes yelled when she and Terra were at the door.
"Ok!" Locke called from the kitchen. "Be careful!"
Terra laughed as they walked outside into the hot summer air.
"What could possibly happen to us here?" She asked, and Celes giggled.
"Yeah, big bad Kohlingen!" Celes mocked, and the two girls laughed as they approached the Inn to drop off Terra's dress. When they entered, Terra said she would only be a minute, and left Celes in the hall. The Innkeeper was actually snoring at his desk, making Celes think he had had a hard morning. She leaned over the desk to poke him awake, when suddenly, she felt someone's presence behind her.
"Terra, that was quick!" Celes exclaimed, and turned around, gasping when she saw it wasn't Terra, but just a regular young man in casual adventurer clothing. He was behind Celes, but she noticed he was locking the door of the Inn with a key. He then strolled over to the hallway door that led to the the rooms, and locked that too. Celes raised her eyebrows.
"Oh, I apoligize, for calling you Terra." Celes said quickly, and laughed, embarassed. He flashed a smile, and then walked over to her, and she felt better. But the guy was wearing a coat, and it was the middle of summer.
"It is alright." He said, and ran his fingers through his sandy hair. "I was wondering, if you could do a favor for me?"
"Sure." Celes said. She figured that this guy must have been a cleaner of some sort. He probably wanted her and Terra to leave so he could do his job. That would explain why he had the key that locked everything.
"Thank you." He said cooly, and suddenly, his eyes, which were a deep brown, took on a rather frightening glint. Celes gulped and took a step back.
"I need you to please put your hands behind your back, and to calmly step away from this register." He said icily, and Celes blinked.
"If you don't, that pretty little head of yours will become a new wall decoration for me." He added, and pulled out a large and frightening knife from a hidden pocket of his coat. The blade seemed to glimmer in the light of the room, and Celes could actually see her frightened eyes reflected in the blade.
Oh my God, I'm in the middle of a robbery scheme! Her thoughts screamed. Her throat suddenly went dry, and she looked back at the sleeping Innkeeper. Celes opened her mouth to wake him up, but in an instant the man grabbed her and clutched her to his chest, his arm set under her chin and nearly choking her. Celes cried out and struggled to get away, but he had caught her in an awkard position, and had the advantage.
"Quiet, now." He hissed. He practically dragged Celes behind the counter with him and fiddled with the register that held all the Inn's money, without even caring about disturbing the Innkeeper. But sure enough, he awoke, and gasped when he saw what was going on.
"Hey!" He cried, and stood up, but the robber took advantage of this and with a swift thrust, shoved the dagger into the Innkeeper's chest. His eyes widened for a second before rolling into the back of his head and flopping to the floor with a heavy thump, instandly dead. Blood began to pour from the wound all over the Innkeeper and the floor.
Celes couldn't find her voice as her eyes continued to fixate on the dead Innkeeper. The robber cooly looked over the blade of his dagger, and then ran the sides of the blade down Celes' bare arm, cleaning it. The salty smell of the blood that was so close to her made her eyes water and her mouth dry up even more, while the mixture of the warmth from the blood and the coldness of the blade teased her senses in a most agonizing way, making her want to go numb. Her legs began to tremble, and the robber looked down at her with a disgusted look on his face as he put the dagger away. The way he was so good with both of his hands made Celes think he was ambidextrous.
"Let me go..." Celes moaned as he finally managed to get the register open.
"No, I think I'll take you with me." He cackled, and Celes gasped. "You're a pretty good prize yourself. You could bring in a lot of money for us."
"Us!?" Celes cried, and wriggled around more. This man had to have been from some sort of slave trader clan. That was all she could think of. He pocketed as much gil as he could fit in those massive pockets, and then slammed Celes up against the wall behind the counter, pinning her there with one hand around her neck. If she tried to move at all, he would squeaze it tightly, making her gasp for breath.
Terra, help me, please! Celes cried in her mind. What is taking you so long? She then remembered that all the doors were locked, and that she was cut off from Terra, as well as the rest of the villiage. Celes widened her eyes when she could hear Terra trying to open the door from only a few feet away.
"Something wrong?" Terra asked quickly.
"No!" Celes exclaimed nervously. "You're going to be gorgeous...Edgar won't be able to keep his hands off of you."
"Goodness." Terra said, a bit flustered.
Celes smiled softly and tucked away her clothing as the door to the house opened, and heavy footsteps could be heard in the hall. A second later, Locke opened the door but immediately closed his eyes when he saw the flash of white from the dress.
"OOPS!" He cried, and turned around. "It's bad luck to see the bride and her gown before the wedding! We're all doomed!"
"Hee-hee, it's ok now." Celes said, closing the closet door. Locke sighed a breath of relief and turned back around to face them.
"Hey, Terra, what a surprise!" He smiled, and kissed her on the cheek. Terra smiled and kissed him back.
"Good to see you Locke."
"And, here's my angel, who survived a whole 2 hours without me while I went through the torture of getting my tux fitted." Locke winked, and kissed Celes passionately without warning. She blushed because of Terra's presence, and pulled away quickly when she realized Terra herself was blushing also. Locke slipped an arm around her waist and Terra stood there politely with her hands clasped together.
"I was just showing Terra my dress." Celes explained to Locke. "She's staying at the Inn here until after the wedding.
"That's great!" Locke smiled. "You're welcome to hang out here whenever you want though."
"Thanks." Terra said, and suddenly giggled when she heard a growling noise from her stomach. "Goodness, I must be hungry...!"
"Did you ever have breakfast?" Locke asked both Terra and Celes, who both shook their heads.
"Well, why don't I make it for you guys then?" Locke offered, and looked at the clock. "It is 9, and I'm hungry too. You can just catch up on all that girl talk that you like to do so much..."
"Thanks dear." Celes said, and kissed him on the cheek as he strolled out of the room. Terra giggled again and put her hands behind her head.
"I have to get used to him being such a gentleman." She said, and Celes laughed.
"Me too, sometimes!" She smiled, and suddenly, Terra widened her eyes.
"I've got it!" She exclaimed.
"Wha?"
"I know who can marry you and Locke!"
"You do!?"
"Yeah! I totally forgot, but Setzer, he's legallized to do that, you know!"
"Setzer!?" Celes widened her eyes.
"Yes!" Terra exclaimed, and clapped her hands together. "It's a way for him to make extra money while at casinos, he once told me, and showed me the certificates and everything that authorized him! Oh, Celes, I think you should message him and ask him!"
"Well..." Celes trailed off and thought back to the time when Setzer had proclaimed feelings for her. She wasn't sure if that was the right thing to request of him, but then again, she and Locke were desperate. There would be no wedding with no priest, and Setzer was a friend, afterall.
"I'll have to discuss it with Locke." Celes said. Terra had noticed her friend's eyes had darkened considerably, but she didn't comment.
"Alright..." She said, and nodded. Terra shifted about uncomfortably, and Celes brightened her face.
"Want me to show you around Kohlingen?" Celes offered. "It won't take long, and I'm sure Locke will be ready for us when we come back."
"That would be nice, thank you." Terra said. "I can take my gown back to the Inn, while I'm at it."
"Locke, we're going out, be right baaaaaaaaaaaaaack!" Celes yelled when she and Terra were at the door.
"Ok!" Locke called from the kitchen. "Be careful!"
Terra laughed as they walked outside into the hot summer air.
"What could possibly happen to us here?" She asked, and Celes giggled.
"Yeah, big bad Kohlingen!" Celes mocked, and the two girls laughed as they approached the Inn to drop off Terra's dress. When they entered, Terra said she would only be a minute, and left Celes in the hall. The Innkeeper was actually snoring at his desk, making Celes think he had had a hard morning. She leaned over the desk to poke him awake, when suddenly, she felt someone's presence behind her.
"Terra, that was quick!" Celes exclaimed, and turned around, gasping when she saw it wasn't Terra, but just a regular young man in casual adventurer clothing. He was behind Celes, but she noticed he was locking the door of the Inn with a key. He then strolled over to the hallway door that led to the the rooms, and locked that too. Celes raised her eyebrows.
"Oh, I apoligize, for calling you Terra." Celes said quickly, and laughed, embarassed. He flashed a smile, and then walked over to her, and she felt better. But the guy was wearing a coat, and it was the middle of summer.
"It is alright." He said, and ran his fingers through his sandy hair. "I was wondering, if you could do a favor for me?"
"Sure." Celes said. She figured that this guy must have been a cleaner of some sort. He probably wanted her and Terra to leave so he could do his job. That would explain why he had the key that locked everything.
"Thank you." He said cooly, and suddenly, his eyes, which were a deep brown, took on a rather frightening glint. Celes gulped and took a step back.
"I need you to please put your hands behind your back, and to calmly step away from this register." He said icily, and Celes blinked.
"If you don't, that pretty little head of yours will become a new wall decoration for me." He added, and pulled out a large and frightening knife from a hidden pocket of his coat. The blade seemed to glimmer in the light of the room, and Celes could actually see her frightened eyes reflected in the blade.
Oh my God, I'm in the middle of a robbery scheme! Her thoughts screamed. Her throat suddenly went dry, and she looked back at the sleeping Innkeeper. Celes opened her mouth to wake him up, but in an instant the man grabbed her and clutched her to his chest, his arm set under her chin and nearly choking her. Celes cried out and struggled to get away, but he had caught her in an awkard position, and had the advantage.
"Quiet, now." He hissed. He practically dragged Celes behind the counter with him and fiddled with the register that held all the Inn's money, without even caring about disturbing the Innkeeper. But sure enough, he awoke, and gasped when he saw what was going on.
"Hey!" He cried, and stood up, but the robber took advantage of this and with a swift thrust, shoved the dagger into the Innkeeper's chest. His eyes widened for a second before rolling into the back of his head and flopping to the floor with a heavy thump, instandly dead. Blood began to pour from the wound all over the Innkeeper and the floor.
Celes couldn't find her voice as her eyes continued to fixate on the dead Innkeeper. The robber cooly looked over the blade of his dagger, and then ran the sides of the blade down Celes' bare arm, cleaning it. The salty smell of the blood that was so close to her made her eyes water and her mouth dry up even more, while the mixture of the warmth from the blood and the coldness of the blade teased her senses in a most agonizing way, making her want to go numb. Her legs began to tremble, and the robber looked down at her with a disgusted look on his face as he put the dagger away. The way he was so good with both of his hands made Celes think he was ambidextrous.
"Let me go..." Celes moaned as he finally managed to get the register open.
"No, I think I'll take you with me." He cackled, and Celes gasped. "You're a pretty good prize yourself. You could bring in a lot of money for us."
"Us!?" Celes cried, and wriggled around more. This man had to have been from some sort of slave trader clan. That was all she could think of. He pocketed as much gil as he could fit in those massive pockets, and then slammed Celes up against the wall behind the counter, pinning her there with one hand around her neck. If she tried to move at all, he would squeaze it tightly, making her gasp for breath.
Terra, help me, please! Celes cried in her mind. What is taking you so long? She then remembered that all the doors were locked, and that she was cut off from Terra, as well as the rest of the villiage. Celes widened her eyes when she could hear Terra trying to open the door from only a few feet away.