Seas of Turmoil
By
Squall Morpheus Leonhart

Captain's log,

It has been about two days since our incident with the Guard. I have long remembered a small gap in the mountain cliffs of Centra from my time as boy during one of my Papa's escapades. It is now where we have hid our massive ship. Most of my men stayed behind whilst I have taken with me Kina, Marina, and Ellie. I know that I shouldn't have brought Ellie with me but I have to for our mission…

One of my men cracked the Guard's code, Ifrit, and relayed the message to us. The Guard has orders to capture Ellie and eliminate me and my crew. To say that I wasn't scared was false; after all I do have my times of fear. This happened to be one of them. At first I was hesitate to even let Ellie, who has been with me at all my missions, to come but with the needs for the mission… I had to let her come.

I only know the small details of our mission here in Centra but it's an urgent stress call involving Adel. I may not have seen or spoken with our clients except for via email but I know when something's bad and this is real bad. I can only hope that we all can survive. Call it superstition but I know I seen a red dawn this morning and I'm afraid of what omen it brings.

Leon looked into his telescope form on top of his black Chocobo, Thunder. He sighed and turned to his group before motioning them toward the forest before them. "We head through that forest and from there, we will stay. We have some stalkers from the east heading toward the coast. It will seem more reasonable if we head to the forested inland and go to the lighthouse at midnight."

"Why the forest and not the mountain area, Leon," asked Ellie. It seemed wiser to have higher ground, rather than stay in the level ground. At least they will have the advantage, right?

"There is no cover in the mountains whereas the forest will give us lots of cover until nightfall, Ellie. We can't have you being captured, now can we," smiled Leon as he watched his sister fidget in her green chocobo, Levity. Kina rode up beside him, on her blue chocobo who she named Oceanic and looked him in the eye, an evil glint in her own.

"Wanna race," she asked mischievously. As sudden as the wind, she and Marina with her own blue chocobo, Spruce, burst forward and with a speed unlike any other they began to disappear over the horizon. Laughing, Leon and Ellie followed, quickly catching up with the racers before them. Unknown to them, an evil force watched them from a distance. Her red eyes narrowed in menace.

They did not feel those eyes glaring at them, all they felt was the wind blowing in their faces and the scent of the sea that embraced them wholly and openly. After all, they were Ocean SeeDs and Sea Turmoils, the sea was apart of them. It was in their veins and in their blood. They grew on the sea, the lived and breathed of it.

They were the children of the sea in every sense. They knew it but they also knew that they were not only that. In some cases, they were the children of others. Leon's family was always that of Shiva, Bahamut and Diablos whereas Marina was of Pandemonium and Kina was Siren's blood. However Leon's family had another parent, a parent so powerful that they never speak of it for fear he will roam free and all will be lost. Yet for now they were only carefree children of their chosen destines.

~*~*~*~*~

Steffen and Ian scurried along the barren landscape on top of their gold chocobos, a gift from the command center for taking this mission. Ian halted and motioned the blonde to do the same, his tan suede coat with his medallions of his office swirled behind him as his chocobo, Flash, halted. Steffen, on top of his own chocobo, Flamer, looked at the auburn man intently. The Lieutenant quickly studied the land before him without a telescope as he was one of the best, if not the true best, sharpshooters of the Guard. "Northwest, Stef, they heeded northwest about three hours before us. They're on chocobo too. I guess they know of our pursuit."

"You sure?" Usually, Steffen wasn't the one to hesitate when it came to the Lieutenant's judgment but this was an important mission. All was on the line, if they couldn't get the Healer. It would mean life and death to their children of their dead wives, who had been killed by Adel herself. The children were from their betrotheds, though they loved their wives, they loved each other more and their children, both boys, unconditionally.

"I'm sure. I won't joke about something like this, Stef, you know that," to prove the point, the sharpshooter leaned over to the swordsman and kissed him on the lips. "Now let's ride, we can't let them get too ahead, now can we," Ian smiled as he urged his chocobo to run and Steffen did the same.

They group had all split up in groups of two. Sara and Zack, Rachel and Richard, and finally Steffen and Ian who decided to go west as Sara and Zack went north and Rachel and Richard east. Each carried a transmitter and radio as well as supplies. In five days, they would meet up at their ship.

Sure enough, the duo finally came across four trails of chocobo tracks, not yet faded by the wind. They hurried along those paths, hoping to finally catch up with their "prey." As they soon draw near the forest before them, night had fallen. Steffen took out his radio and spoke to it, "Head northwest, toward the forests on the northwestern shore. We will wait for you at the edge of it."

Disclaimer: Not mine, not mine, not mine, not mine, not mine....repeat....repeat...etc.

Quote:
Ride into the dusk but heed the dark of night
Squall Morpheus Leonhart