Chapter Seven
Fire and Ice
From the station, Squall and Selphie had caught a bus to a small port, and from there they went by boat to the Icy continent.
The cave had been easy enough to find. A great black mouth in the white cliff face north of the Shumi Village. Before they entered it they had visited the village and bought supplies. Now they were walking through pale blue tunnels which eventually opened out into a wide cavern.
"Brrr..." Selphie shivered, "It's SOOOO cold in here!"
Squall looked around. This would be where they would find the parcel but it couldn't be as easy as it had been so far. Keeping a hand on his Gunblade, Squall moved further into the centre of the Cavern.
******
They had been walking for 20 minutes, Quistis in front with a small calculator-shaped device in her hand, and Rinoa following, trying to shake the sand out of her boots.
"How much further?" Rinoa asked Quistis, trying not to sound fed up.
Quistis stopped.
"This should be it - the exact spot." They both looked around.
"Now what?" Rinoa hopped on one foot and tipped the sand out of her boot. When she had replaced the boot she looked up at Quistis and groaned. Quistis' hand was stretched out to her and in it was a small spade. Rinoa laughed, took the spade and knelt down in the sand.
They started digging.
*******
"Hellooooooooo"
Squall winced as Selphie's voice echoed around the cavern. The floor rumbled slightly and cracks appeared in the far wall. Squall glared at Selphie and she apologized, sheepishly.
A loud snarling could be heard from the far walls where the cracks had appeared and without warning, the whole wall shattered revealing another cavern, equally big, behind it. In this cavern stood what looked like a red dragon but it was pale blue in colour. The Dragon roared and shot a burst of dark blue flames out of it's mouth.
Squall jumped to the side but Selphie wasn't as fast. The flames narrowly missed her as she jumped out of the way, but caught her boot, coating it in icicles. The frozen boot shattered on the ground as Selphie landed, revealing Selphie's pale foot.
Squall cast a Firaga spell on the back of the Dragon's head, diverting it's attention on Selphie so she could dig through her pack for something to put on her foot.
The dragon was fast. Squall dodged another blast of blue flames and jumped to the side again as it charged at him, causing it to slam into the icy wall.
Squall looked past the dragon to see Selphie getting to her feet, a spare blanket tied around her bare foot. The dragon saw her too a lunged towards her. Selphie crouched and prepared to jump out of the way as the dragon closed in on her.
She jumped but was pulled back by the blanket on her foot, which had frozen to the ice floor of the cavern. Staring up at the attacking dragon in fear, Selphie covered her head with her arms and waited for it to strike.
******
Things were slowing down in the desert. Quistis was taking a break while Rinoa, kneeling in a hole three feet deep, was ready to give up. The sun was almost directly overhead and it beat down on the two as Rinoa gave a cry of triumph.
The metal spade in her hands had hit something solid. A new wave of determination swept over her as she threw the last of the sand covering off the small box, wedged in the sand.
Pulling it out of the sand triumphantly, Rinoa threw the box out of the hole and climbed out after it. Quistis was grinning at her as she appeared out of the hole, the box was in her hands.
They opened it together but were met with a disappointing sight. There was no Phoenix wing, just a box full of black shavings.
The ground shook violently. In the distance, large figure rising out of the sand, could be seen.
"Sand worms." Quistis said, frowning, "They aren't usually violent but they seem to be heading towards us."
"What's this black stuff?" Rinoa asked. Quistis examined the contents of the box.
"It's Black Wormroot shavings. Sand worms love it. This stuff to them is like spinach to Popeye. We've got to get out of here!"
Fire and Ice
From the station, Squall and Selphie had caught a bus to a small port, and from there they went by boat to the Icy continent.
The cave had been easy enough to find. A great black mouth in the white cliff face north of the Shumi Village. Before they entered it they had visited the village and bought supplies. Now they were walking through pale blue tunnels which eventually opened out into a wide cavern.
"Brrr..." Selphie shivered, "It's SOOOO cold in here!"
Squall looked around. This would be where they would find the parcel but it couldn't be as easy as it had been so far. Keeping a hand on his Gunblade, Squall moved further into the centre of the Cavern.
******
They had been walking for 20 minutes, Quistis in front with a small calculator-shaped device in her hand, and Rinoa following, trying to shake the sand out of her boots.
"How much further?" Rinoa asked Quistis, trying not to sound fed up.
Quistis stopped.
"This should be it - the exact spot." They both looked around.
"Now what?" Rinoa hopped on one foot and tipped the sand out of her boot. When she had replaced the boot she looked up at Quistis and groaned. Quistis' hand was stretched out to her and in it was a small spade. Rinoa laughed, took the spade and knelt down in the sand.
They started digging.
*******
"Hellooooooooo"
Squall winced as Selphie's voice echoed around the cavern. The floor rumbled slightly and cracks appeared in the far wall. Squall glared at Selphie and she apologized, sheepishly.
A loud snarling could be heard from the far walls where the cracks had appeared and without warning, the whole wall shattered revealing another cavern, equally big, behind it. In this cavern stood what looked like a red dragon but it was pale blue in colour. The Dragon roared and shot a burst of dark blue flames out of it's mouth.
Squall jumped to the side but Selphie wasn't as fast. The flames narrowly missed her as she jumped out of the way, but caught her boot, coating it in icicles. The frozen boot shattered on the ground as Selphie landed, revealing Selphie's pale foot.
Squall cast a Firaga spell on the back of the Dragon's head, diverting it's attention on Selphie so she could dig through her pack for something to put on her foot.
The dragon was fast. Squall dodged another blast of blue flames and jumped to the side again as it charged at him, causing it to slam into the icy wall.
Squall looked past the dragon to see Selphie getting to her feet, a spare blanket tied around her bare foot. The dragon saw her too a lunged towards her. Selphie crouched and prepared to jump out of the way as the dragon closed in on her.
She jumped but was pulled back by the blanket on her foot, which had frozen to the ice floor of the cavern. Staring up at the attacking dragon in fear, Selphie covered her head with her arms and waited for it to strike.
******
Things were slowing down in the desert. Quistis was taking a break while Rinoa, kneeling in a hole three feet deep, was ready to give up. The sun was almost directly overhead and it beat down on the two as Rinoa gave a cry of triumph.
The metal spade in her hands had hit something solid. A new wave of determination swept over her as she threw the last of the sand covering off the small box, wedged in the sand.
Pulling it out of the sand triumphantly, Rinoa threw the box out of the hole and climbed out after it. Quistis was grinning at her as she appeared out of the hole, the box was in her hands.
They opened it together but were met with a disappointing sight. There was no Phoenix wing, just a box full of black shavings.
The ground shook violently. In the distance, large figure rising out of the sand, could be seen.
"Sand worms." Quistis said, frowning, "They aren't usually violent but they seem to be heading towards us."
"What's this black stuff?" Rinoa asked. Quistis examined the contents of the box.
"It's Black Wormroot shavings. Sand worms love it. This stuff to them is like spinach to Popeye. We've got to get out of here!"