Seifer stepped down stiffly from the train onto the Winhill platform. He'd fallen asleep stretched out on the couch. A few kneebends and his legs were back to normal. Just as he started to stand up from the last one, Ariena jumped on his back and squealed in high-pitched delight. Seifer tumbled face first into the wood and swore as the girl squealed again.

'I just LOVE Winhill! It's so nice and old-fashioned! Oh! I haven't been here in so long! ... Almasy? What are you doing on the ground?' He pushed up, knocking Nagru off his back and onto her butt. He brushed off the front of his jacket and moved away from her, looking for this supposed Blue Dragon. No one was on the streets and he could see where they had been crushed down by a heavy monster.

'I don't see any evidence of a Dragon,' Irvine muttered. He gazed at the buildings, perfectly still and unharmed.

'Don't tell me you don't see those flagstones torn up?' Seifer pointed at the rubble. The cowboy shook his head.

'Those weren't done by a Dragon. Can't you see that the claw marks aren't pointed? They're flat. Dragons have sharp claws. We'll have to find out what we're looking for.'

'How do you know, Kinneas?'

'I took a class specifically about dangerous creatures. Every species of Dragon was covered. So was every monster ever registered at level 40 or above ... except Ultima Weapon. GFs were covered too. That's why I can keep my compatibility high with Pandemona.' He tapped the side of his head, smiling.

Seifer shook his head and frowned, looking back down the way. *No, it's a Dragon. It has to be a Dragon. What else could pound the ground down like that?*

'Let's go check in.'

~*~*~*~

Seifer sat down heavily on the bed and leaned back, sinking into the pillows. He rubbed the bridge of his nose as Ariena squealed again, jumping on her own bed. The brunette started jumping up and down on her bed, causing the springs to squeak and strain.

'Would you fucking stop that? ... Hyne ...' Seifer pulled a pillow over his face, hoping to block out any proof of the ditz's existance.

'Ah fuck!' Seifer sat up abruptly as he saw Ariena above him when he pulled the cushion down. She tumbled off the bed and started laughing, clutching her stomach. Bouncing, she jumped back to her feet and into Seifer's lap, pushing him down on the bed.

'Come on, Seifer,' she purred. 'You don't need a boyfriend. You need a woman.' She slowly started nibbling down the side of his neck. Enraged, he shoved her off onto the floor again and held Hyperion under her throat in one fluid motion.

'Listen here, Nagru. I am here to kill this monster, then go back to Garden with Zell. Back off,' he said lowly, threatening.

'You're just afraid you'll like it.' Ariena said, smirking defiantly. She moved quickly away from the gunblade, but in a way that left a small cut under her jaw. 'We'll see how Irvine likes this.' Pulling a finger over the blood, she raised it to her mouth and licked it.

'You're sick. What are you doing here anyway?'

'Leonheart told you. I have to take my field exam, just like you two. Why you're bothering, I don't know. You'll never make it through.'

'I'll knock that pretty little smile of your face if you don't shut up, wench.' Ariena's smile grew wider.

'Try it.'

'Fine!' Seifer whipped his weapon over to the side of her head and brought the flat of the blade down against her temple, causing her to stagger and fall back onto the bed. Gunblade held upside down, he jabbed the point into the nook of her neck, letting it hover beside her jugular. His arm blocked the other side of her, escape cut off.

They stared each other down, eyes glinting in the setting sun.

~*~*~*~

'Hyne. That took long enough,' Irvine muttered slipping the gils back into his pocket. He pulled out the keycard and swiped it through the locking mechanism. The Inn sure had advanced enough technology for a little out of the way place like Winhill.

Opening the door, Irvine was greeted with a flash of steel, seeing Ariena falling. Seifer plunged the gunblade down beside her and held his hand on the opposite side.

'Almasy?! What the hell are you doing?' He ran forward and pulled Ariena off the bed, Exeter trained on the blonde. She shifted her weight onto her back and kicked out at Seifer's face, knocking him back. He rubbed his gloved hand down the side of his cheek, blood dripping from his lip.

'What the hell was that Almasy?' Irvine said quietly.

'That little wench of yours tried to seduce me.' Hyperion was slid back into its sheath. Ariena slid closer into Irvine's chest, her height allowing her to position herself under his arm perfectly.

'I didn't try anything, Irvine,' she said, sniffling. '*He* was the one who tried to rape me! You saw him.' She broke into tears and burried her face in his jacket. Irvine tightened his hold on the girl, making soft shushing noises.

'Seifer, maybe you'd better leave,' Irvine stated with a slight lilt to his voice.

'Fine. I ain't staying around with that little succubus hanging off my ass.' He snatched up Hyperion and strapped it to his side with aqueous ease. Without a glance back, he threw the door open and left.

~*~*~*~

'Damnit! That ... little ... wench!' Seifer panted through slashes. He went through the practice moves, old-school. A tree fell to the side as his blade slid into its trunk, twisted halfway in order to cause more damage. Seifer turned to a hedge and with rapid movements avoided each and every one of its leaves.

Rustling in the bushes was unnoticed until a stray Wendigo made its way into the clearing. Seifer cut its spine, paralizing it and took what items he could from it. Lifting the gunblade, he allowed it to drop quickly into the creature's almost nonexistant head, silencing its pained screams.

'I'll show you Pain, monster.' Seifer went back to his routine, slipping easily into the rhythm. His arms faultered and the gunblade clumsily broke a branch from the hedge.

A deep rumble burst from behind him and Seifer flew forward into a tree. He regained his footing and pulled his fists in front of his face in a defensive position. Hyperion glinted at him a few feet away. The Dragon moved into view.

Seifer gasped at the image presented to him. What appeared to be a Blue Dragon stood before him, but with subtle differences. It's wings were molting the scales and black, its claws were dulled and broken off. The creature screwed its face into another harsh roar.

'Hyne.' Seifer jumped for the weapon laying on the ground. The Dragon followed him, its teeth bared in a growl. Its large hands grabbed him by the shoulders and threw him into another massive tree. This one splintered under the force, pieces of wood jabbing into his back. Seifer screamed out in pain.

'Protect!' he called, casting the spell. The Dragon backed up from the bright light and yelled again. It rushed forward and headbutted him through the tree.

'Cerberus, help me ...' he whispered quietly before passing out.