"Okay, Commander," Selphie whispered harshly as she climbed down from her vantage point on the ridge. "Now what do we do?"
They had followed the survivor's erratic trail through most of the night. Now, however, it seemed their labor had paid off, as the man made contact with others. From the distance, Selphie confirmed that the new group of people had crimson skin.
Squall didn't answer Selphie right away as he considered their choices. They had been hired to discover the perpetrators, not necessarily punish them. However, he wasn't sure if he wanted to subject regular Esthar soldiers or police officers to the dangers the three SeeDs knew the creatures presented. Also, the ones below them could be merely an advance group or a scouting party. If they attacked, then the rest of the creatures might then become aware of their presence and take away the little advantage the SeeDs might have had in the battle.
His internal debate became a moot point a moment later, as he felt the cold tip of a blade press against his back between his shoulder blades.
"Do not move," an eerie voice whispered harshly, reminding Squall somewhat of a snake hissing.
"Well, I guess that ends that debate," Zell said to him matter of factly, as if he'd known exactly what Squall had been thinking. With a small shrug, the blonde martial artist leaped at the figure standing behind Squall, just as the commander rolled forward to keep from getting skewered.
Zell pounded into the man in a flurry of fists and feet. Selphie clapped her hands in glee before removing an oval object from the pack she'd been carrying.
"What is that?" Squall dared to ask as he got his gunblade ready.
Selphie giggled, pulling the pin and tossing it over the ridge. "Grenade!"
Three seconds later, the ridge shook as an explosion rocked the ground. Screeches of pain and anger rose up with the cloud of debris and smoke.
"Grenade?" Squall asked. "That was quite a punch for a grenade!"
The bubbly girl pulled another one from her bag as she and Squall began to climb down from the ridge. Squall could now see the crater Selphie's little explosive had created, and the charred remains of a few of their prey.
"Well, I had Irvy add some punch to the standard issue," she explained as she pulled the next one's pin out with her teeth. Squall covered his face as the second hit and exploded, blowing apart a few more of the Bloodriders.
For as they drew close, Squall knew that's what these creatures had to be. They had begun to swarm up the hill towards them like angry bees, allowing Squall a few moments to study their features before they came within melee range. Their skin was red, the color of blood, with blank dark orbs where their eyes should have been, and most of them held wavering black blades of flame in their hands.
Squall set himself against the ground, bracing for impact as one reached him, the creatures black blade clanging severely against the silvery blade of Lionheart. Squall stepped back again quickly, swinging the gunblade again. The black blade met it mid-swing, but the Bloodrider had obviously underestimated its opponent, and it was with great surprise that it found itself staring down the barrel of the gunblade, right before Squall blew its head off.
After they began to scatter, Selphie realized her grenades would no longer be so effective, so instead she pulled out her nunchaku and leaped into two incoming Bloodriders.
"Booyaka!" the young woman cried as she leaped into the air, her foot connecting with one of the creatures' head while she spun the nunchaku into the other. A spray of black blood erupted from the one's face, while the other stumbled, reeling from the crack of the nunchaku. Selphie took advantage of his distraction and wound up for another strike.
The first thing Zell did was kick that sword far out of the creature's reach before assaulting its face. He couldn't believe the creature was still standing, sneering at him through the wild barrage of punches the martial artist had launched against him. The Bloodrider's leg swept out and hooked Zell's right leg behind the knee, pulling them both down into the dirt. They went rolling down the hill, a flurry of punching and kicking limbs.
Squall disengaged himself from the now headless creature, stepping back and calming his mind. With a few whispered words he felt electricity dance across the surface of his skin, raising all the tiny hairs as Quezacotl drew near. Seconds later the majestic green thunderbird appeared in a hail of lightning, silently awaiting Squall's commands.
Squall merely pointed, and immediately the thunderbird's wings stretched out as it seemed to rear back, drawing lightning blasts from the sky to its beak before unleashing them upon the scattered Bloodriders below him.
Despite the power of the blast, the acrid smell of lightning on the air, the creatures struck seemed unconcerned, maybe even reveling in the power as the electricity raced through their bodies.
I am sorry today, my friend, Squall thought, but it seems I must call upon the other.
Silent as always, Quezacotl simply faded away.
Crack! Selphie couldn't help but smile as the nunchaku connected with the creature's chest with a sickening crunch of bone. The Bloodrider fell to the ground, gasping as blood began to bubble out of its mouth.
She turned her attention to the second one, just in time to duck and avoid the creature's claws as it swiped at her head. He did manage to snag a few strands of her hair, ripping them from her scalp. She winced, but set it aside as she chanted, smiling a deceptively sweet smile as she blew a spell through the creature, blasting its unholy body away.
Zell managed to get the upper hand just before they ended their long tumble, pounding away at the thing's face until there was little left but a bloody, gooey mass. Zell stood up, his satisfaction quickly turning to disgust as he took a look at the tarry black substance covering his hand. Frantically he tried to wipe the stuff off on the creature's clothing, which only sort of worked.
"Zell!" he heard Squall's voice echo over the ridge. "Selphie! Regroup!"
Zell raced up the hill, meeting Squall as he came up from the other side. They both saw Selphie making her way, knocking back a few Bloodriders with her whirling nunchaku.
"You two cover me," Squall said. Zell didn't miss the look of trepidation in his commander's eyes.
"You're going to call Eden?"
"Yes."
By the time Selphie reached the other two, Squall had already fallen into the summoning trance. Calling Eden was hard work, and the dark-haired commander didn't do it often. He once said it felt like having his insides turned outside.
Zell and Selphie stood protectively beside Squall, glaring as the Bloodrider's drew near. They seemed to have lost their desire for the fight, and stopped some forty feet away.
"Why aren't they attacking?" Selphie asked Zell in a harsh whisper. "Why'd they stop?"
All Zell could do was shrug, watching the creatures with a wary eye. Soon, however, their question was answered.
The Bloodriders parted, allowing a figure to float through their midst. A tall, regal woman, a Bloodrider by her crimson skin, walked gracefully towards them. She was different, though. She had brilliant blue eyes that were so cold Selphie could barely repress a shiver. Her long ebony hair was carefully braided and coiled around her head, the ends unbraided and allowed to cascade down her back. Her dress was far more elaborate than the plain black garments worn by the others. Selphie felt a knot of unease growing in the pit of her stomach, the woman's mere presence making her feel nauseous.
She glanced at Zell, and saw an equally sickened look spread across his tattooed face. She took a deep breath, and stepped in front of Squall. The woman walking towards them smiled, and held up her hand.
"Just stop right—oof!" Selphie gasped as she was lifted into the air and flung aside by some invisible force. Zell leaped forward, hoping to catch the woman in her distraction, only to find her expecting him. He, too, was flung back, and could only watch helplessly as she walked right up to their chanting commander. The vibrant green mist of Eden's presence had begun to envelop him. Selphie smirked, knowing he couldn't be touched now.
Then the woman waved her hand.
Everything that happened next seemed to be moving in slow motion. In a horrible whisper of power, Selphie watched as an inky black cloud flowed from the woman's hand to Squall, stripping away the green mist of Eden. Squall's stormy gray eyes flew open in shock as he felt his contact with the Guardian slip away.
The woman stretched out her fingers, drew her arm back, and then plunged her clawed fist into Squall's abdomen.
"Squall!" Selphie screamed, not even noticing as the other Bloodriders began to slip away. Tears filled her eyes, but she swallowed them, turning her anguish to anger. With a furious rage, she reached down inside herself to the place where her magic rested, pure anger guiding the way. As the power rushed through her veins, Selphie suddenly couldn't feel her body. She became the magic, unleashing the force upon the object of her ire.
The woman blinked. She seemed to be standing in a field of flowers….
"Squall!" Selphie cried again as she and Zell rushed to their fallen commander. He was looking at his stomach, staring with unbelieving eyes at the gaping, bloody wound. He looked up at them, disbelief written on his face. Then his stormy eyes rolled back in their sockets as he passed out.
Pain…
Hyne, what is this pain?
I'm dying…
No, you're not.
You're going to become one of us…
And we shall rule…
The humans...they will die.
No!!!
Selphie gasped as Squall's eyes flew open, wide with fear. A cry that didn't sound human emitted from her commanders dry, cracked lips, chilling her to the bone.
"Squall," she pleaded, choking back her tears. "Squall, calm down!"
"Keep them away!" he screamed, waving his arms. Couldn't Selphie hear them, hear the whispers that thundered in his ears? Couldn't she see them; they were right there, standing beside her, laughing at him, reaching for him. He began to claw at his face, trying to keep them from touching his eyes…
Selphie chanted furiously, casting every healing spell and esuna blessing she knew. Magic rushed over Squall's thrashing body, seeming to run off of his fevered flesh like water off a duck's back.
She gasped as Zell stepped forward and punched Squall dead in the face.
Immediately Squall stilled, knocked out cold.
"What did you do that for?" she shrieked, glaring at Zell across the bed.
"I can't take watching him like that!" Zell yelled back, clenching his fists. "You fucking magic isn't working, what else was I supposed to do?"
Selphie burst into tears.
"Aw, Selph…" Zell said softly, walking around the bed and reaching out to her. She fell into his embrace, sobbing into his chest.
"What are we gonna do?" she cried. "Is he gonna turn?"
"I don't know…." Zell whispered, hugging her tightly. His mind was racing, trying to determine a course of action. He pulled one arm away from her, reaching into his pocket. "Well, the first thing we're going to do," he said grimly, pressing a button on the small device, "is get the Ragnarok to us."
It wasn't long before the Ragnarok appeared on the horizon, the auto-pilot function bringing the Estharian airship to them. They unloaded a stretcher and managed to get Squall on board without any further incident. Zell left Selphie to attempt to dress the wound while he went to cockpit.
Gotta fly to Esthar, he thought, heading for the control panel. Sure there's a hospital there. I'll call Cid on the way.
As he sat down in the pilot's seat, he noticed a small red light flashing on the dashboard. It indicated there was a voice mail message.
His brow furrowed, he typed in his access code and told the computer to play the message.
"Commander Leonhart," Quistis's lovely, familiar voice sang out sweetly, with just a hint of sarcasm, as if she were laughing at him, "This is Quistis Trepe, reporting in as requested. My current mission log is 507-A94. You can reach me for further information at 92-77-13. Have a good night."
He shrugged, taking control of the Ragnarok and lifting off. He reached over, beginning to dial the private emergency line for Cid's office.
Call her, a voice whispered to him. A feeling of bitter cold swept over him, making him shiver.
Shiva?
Call Quistis back.
Why?
The muses say the path to Squall's health lies through her.
The muses?
Shiva did not reply. He warmed as the Ice Queen's presence left him. That was weird, he thought. She's never said anything without me summoning her before.
He looked at the panel. Maybe he should call Quistis back.
The city was overrun with the creatures. Men and women rushed around her. Metal clanged on metal as the two warring forces met in the streets, blood spilling over and rushing down the gutters.
She ran on in the opposite direction of the fleeing citizens, pushing past them towards the heart of the city. She knew that was where she would find him, in the center of the conflict.
She was right. There he was, standing beneath the majestic fountain that stretched its graceful pillars skyward. Normally a breathtaking sight, the fountain seemed suddenly sinister, standing out black against a smoke-filled scarlet sky.
She cried out to him, calling for him to follow her. She stopped in her tracks when he shook his head sadly.
"I'm sorry, rose." He spoke quietly, and despite the roar of chaos raging around them, she heard him plainly. "My place is here. They need me. I alone can fight them back. No, please don't cry…"
She turned away, unable to bear the sight of him any longer. She took off, running through the streets, as fast as her feet would carry her.
Behind her, she left her heart.
Quistis sat up in bed, gasping for air and drenched in a cold sweat. She looked around wildly, thinking the clanging of metal was still ringing in her ears.
No, wait. That's the phone.
She stared at it, hardly believing that it was actually ringing. Finally, she shook her head and picked it up.
"Hello?"
"Quisty?" Zell half-sobbed into the phone. Icy fear wrapped its bony hand around her heart at the sound of his voice. Something was wrong.
Very wrong.
"What is it?" she demanded, swallowing hard.
"I…Squall's hurt. Badly. Our cure spells won't work. Hyne, Quisty! We gotta save him before he turns!"
The fear twisted her stomach, tears springing to her eyes. No, I'll not cry. Squall needs me now. Instead, she focused on Zell's voice. His words. Turns? "What do you mean?"
"He was attacked….These things we've been hunting, they turn their victims into Bloodriders, too. Oh, Quisty, what do we do?" He hadn't meant to sit here and plead with Quistis, but the sound of her voice—his instructor's voice—made him wish fiercely for someone else to make a decision.
Quistis's mind raced. Selphie was with him, she remembered that from her conversation with Rinoa. She had no doubt Selphie had already tried the full-cure spell.
"Did you try—"
"Yes!" Zell exclaimed. "We've tried everything! Every spell, every potion, stuff that would heal any disease, any ailment but his! We've tried everything!"
"Okay, Zell, calm down, I'm sorry." Her eyes roamed around the darkened room, as if the shadows might hold an answer. Her gaze fell on her travel pack.
Any disease, any ailment…Any imperfection…
Maybe the shadows didn't have an answer, but perhaps the roses did.
"Zell," she said, her voice calm, cold, and controlled. "Bring Squall here. Right now."
"What?"
"Just do it. I'm in Starvale. Do you know where that is?"
"Um…no….but the Ragnarok's auto pilot might….Yeah, here it is."
"Good. I'll see you soon."