Chapter Sixteen
Centra Ruins
"YEE HAAA!!!" Selphie squealed with joy as the Ragnorok burst through a plume of clouds out over the ocean. The sun shone brightly and the water below them shimmered like a thousand diamonds. In the distance a shadowed bump of the Centra coast was growing ever closer.
Irvine laughed at Selphies excitement and Rinoa smiled too. She checked over her cardinal for the hundredth time and watched the distant land grow closer.
"What's wrong Rinoa?" Selphie asked. She had noticed the other girls uneasiness a while ago but had chosen to say nothing about it.
"It's this place, Centra. It gives me the creeps. For some reason..."
Rinoa trailed off and the others waited for her to continue.
"...For some reason it reminds me of Ultimecia. I don't know why."
"You don't need to worry." Irvine reassured her, "You have me and Sephy here to protect you. This is just a simple check-up mission, remember?"
"Yeah, don't worry Rinoa."
"Thanks guys."
The airship slowed and flew lower as they approached the continent. Rinoa felt uneasy. There was a familiar feeling about this place for some reason. She felt as if someone or something was waiting for her, deep in the ruins.
Selphie landed the airship near a forest and out of sight of the ruins so the threesome could make the rest of their journey by foot. As they prepared to leave the ship, Rinoa suddenly felt scared. She put on a brave face and led the others out onto the continent.
It wasn't far to the ruins but by the time they reached them it was the late afternoon. They scouted the perimeter, counting numbers of soldiers and guards on duty and then returned to the airship as night fell, to prepare for their midnight mission. On the ship Irvine took Rinoa to one side.
"Are you OK?" he asked.
"I..." Rinoas vision faded to white and she slumped into Irvines arms.
Irvine called Selphie over to them.
"Should we abort the mission?" he asked her after they had taken Rinoa to the sick bay to lie down. She was still unconscious.
"No. But I don't know what to do." Selphie said.
"Why don't we leave her here and go on our own?" Irvine said. "It might be the best thing to do."
"Yeah..." Selphie said slowly.
"I know!" Irvine said, " Why don't we leave her a note so that if she wakes up she can join us.
"Good ides!" Selphie said, cheering up, "I'll write it."
After a while the two had written her a note and at midnight they left her in the Ragnorok and headed back to the Centra Ruins.
At the ruins they went to the place where they had agreed to enter, and made their way through the stone ruins, out of sight of the guards. When they reached the main building they split up. Irvine headed inside and Selphie kept watch outside.
A group of guards approached her and she ducked out of site behind the rocks.
"Yeah I wonder when the SeeDs will show up." one of them said.
"Is it actually here?" another asked.
"I don't know." a third replied.
"It must be with all the guards they have posted here."
"Yeah and that thing they keep in the Main ruins."
"How could they let something like that loose?"
"I hope they pay us danger money for this job."
"I heard that they feed people to it. You know, to give it a taste for human blood."
"Shut up Biggs, that's sick."
The group of men walked out of Selphies hearing range but she'd heard enough. Turning back to the opening that Irvine had disappeared through, Selphie followed quickly, hoping it wasn't too late.
******
Irvine made his way forward in the dark, feeling his way. After a while he stopped to put on his night vision glasses. He saw some steps to his left and decided to follow them down. He flicked the infra-red patch down on his goggles to check for guards. He couldn't see any near him but there was a lot of activity at the bottom of the stairs. Deciding to be careful, Irvine made his way down the stairs.
Centra Ruins
"YEE HAAA!!!" Selphie squealed with joy as the Ragnorok burst through a plume of clouds out over the ocean. The sun shone brightly and the water below them shimmered like a thousand diamonds. In the distance a shadowed bump of the Centra coast was growing ever closer.
Irvine laughed at Selphies excitement and Rinoa smiled too. She checked over her cardinal for the hundredth time and watched the distant land grow closer.
"What's wrong Rinoa?" Selphie asked. She had noticed the other girls uneasiness a while ago but had chosen to say nothing about it.
"It's this place, Centra. It gives me the creeps. For some reason..."
Rinoa trailed off and the others waited for her to continue.
"...For some reason it reminds me of Ultimecia. I don't know why."
"You don't need to worry." Irvine reassured her, "You have me and Sephy here to protect you. This is just a simple check-up mission, remember?"
"Yeah, don't worry Rinoa."
"Thanks guys."
The airship slowed and flew lower as they approached the continent. Rinoa felt uneasy. There was a familiar feeling about this place for some reason. She felt as if someone or something was waiting for her, deep in the ruins.
Selphie landed the airship near a forest and out of sight of the ruins so the threesome could make the rest of their journey by foot. As they prepared to leave the ship, Rinoa suddenly felt scared. She put on a brave face and led the others out onto the continent.
It wasn't far to the ruins but by the time they reached them it was the late afternoon. They scouted the perimeter, counting numbers of soldiers and guards on duty and then returned to the airship as night fell, to prepare for their midnight mission. On the ship Irvine took Rinoa to one side.
"Are you OK?" he asked.
"I..." Rinoas vision faded to white and she slumped into Irvines arms.
Irvine called Selphie over to them.
"Should we abort the mission?" he asked her after they had taken Rinoa to the sick bay to lie down. She was still unconscious.
"No. But I don't know what to do." Selphie said.
"Why don't we leave her here and go on our own?" Irvine said. "It might be the best thing to do."
"Yeah..." Selphie said slowly.
"I know!" Irvine said, " Why don't we leave her a note so that if she wakes up she can join us.
"Good ides!" Selphie said, cheering up, "I'll write it."
After a while the two had written her a note and at midnight they left her in the Ragnorok and headed back to the Centra Ruins.
At the ruins they went to the place where they had agreed to enter, and made their way through the stone ruins, out of sight of the guards. When they reached the main building they split up. Irvine headed inside and Selphie kept watch outside.
A group of guards approached her and she ducked out of site behind the rocks.
"Yeah I wonder when the SeeDs will show up." one of them said.
"Is it actually here?" another asked.
"I don't know." a third replied.
"It must be with all the guards they have posted here."
"Yeah and that thing they keep in the Main ruins."
"How could they let something like that loose?"
"I hope they pay us danger money for this job."
"I heard that they feed people to it. You know, to give it a taste for human blood."
"Shut up Biggs, that's sick."
The group of men walked out of Selphies hearing range but she'd heard enough. Turning back to the opening that Irvine had disappeared through, Selphie followed quickly, hoping it wasn't too late.
******
Irvine made his way forward in the dark, feeling his way. After a while he stopped to put on his night vision glasses. He saw some steps to his left and decided to follow them down. He flicked the infra-red patch down on his goggles to check for guards. He couldn't see any near him but there was a lot of activity at the bottom of the stairs. Deciding to be careful, Irvine made his way down the stairs.