Chapter 5
The female Esper landed gently on the rooftop next to Ifrit. "Are you hurt?" she asked.
Ifrit just knelt there gaping. "Who are you? What are you?"
"I'm Shiva you idiot! And I'm an Esper like you are!" she said looking frustrated.
"Shiva?" He seemed to snap out of his daze. He glanced down at his enormous claws. "What happened to me?"
Shiva knelt next to him. "You honestly don't know what you are?" she asked incredulously.
"Help me!" he called out. As he clutched at her arm, steam immediately rose with a hissing sound. They both recoiled in pain as Ifrit pulled his hand away. He stared at the burn on the palm of his hand and he could now see ugly purple marks on Shiva's arm.
"Don't touch each other, you're contrary elements," called out Ramuh from the street below.
Shiva floated down to the street and looked down at Ballant who was lying in the street at Ramuh's feet, covered with a blanket.
"Don't worry's he's just unconscious," reassured Ramuh, touching her arm.
Shiva looked back and forth at the villagers hiding fearfully nearby, peering at her through half open windows and doors. She sighed and hung her head. "We're going to have to leave aren't we?" she said sadly.
Ifrit landed in the street with a thud, making the cobblestones vibrate under his feet. Ramuh looked at him evenly. "Don't be too hard on yourself sonny. It's not your fault for losing control of your powers. Diablos provoked you."
"Diablos is that jerk I fought?" he said, swiveling his head, his enormous horns brushing against the edge of the roof.
Ramuh nodded.
"He's right about me!" shouted Ifrit, gesturing toward the smoldering buildings. He then turned around and slumped onto the ground.
"If you believe that then he's already beaten us!" said Ramuh angrily.
Ifrit didn't seem to hear.
"He already has," said Ballant weakly, sitting up.
"My Lord, you can't mean surrender!" said Ramuh, aghast.
"Yes, that's exactly what I mean. If we don't surrender to the Golgatheans, there'll be nothing left of Jidoor to defend," said Ballant calmly.
"Shiva and Ifrit can protect us," offered Ramuh.
"I don't want them to. Diablos or whatever he's called has a point. Jidoor was harboring Espers all along. And you hid them Ramuh! I can't believe you would betray me like this!" yelled Ballant pointing at finger accusingly.
Ramuh noticed the villagers that were returning were forming a loose circle around them. "You owe Ifrit your life my Lord," he said.
Ballant waved his hand. "I didn't ask him to save me. My life is nothing compared to the safety of his village. And in the end he did more harm than good." He rose to his feet painfully, dropping the blanket off of his shoulders. "Ifrit and Shiva, you must leave Jidoor at once. If you ever return, I will tell the villagers to turn you over to the Golgatheans."
Shiva turned and without a word walked down the main street. The villagers quickly moved aside to let her pass. Ifrit slowly got to his feet and lurched after her. Ramuh started to follow, when Ballant caught his arm.
"Look, I can forgive you this time old man. I understand why you sheltered them. But Jidoor still needs you."
Ramuh pulled his arm away. "You precious Jidoor can go to hell! I'll never forgive you for what you said to my granddaughter!"
As he strode off, Ballant called after him. "She's an Esper you old fool!"
Ramuh kept walking.
It was only when they reached the hills beyond Jidoor that Shiva looked back. She then closed her eyes and was surrounded by a blinding blue light. Ifrit shielded his eyes and then he could see Shiva stood there looking human again.
"How did you do that?" asked Ifrit.
"Just focus on your soul, Ifrit," said Ramuh. "Will yourself to become human."
Ifrit frowned but closed his eyes. After a few minutes his form was enveloped in a bright red light that radiated intense heat. When it faded he stood there inspecting his hands. "I'm back to normal," he said, looking relieved.
"I'm so happy for you," said Shiva stepping forward. She then smacked him across the face. Ifrit looked too surprised to react. He covered his reddening cheek with his hand.
"Shiva? What was.?" he asked uncertainly.
"You dare to say that you idiot!" she screamed. "You burned down my village and drove me from the only place I was ever happy!"
Ifrit tried to think of something to say but was stuck. He could now see that she was crying.
"I hate you!" she yelled pounding on his chest with her fists, the reverberations making hollow sounds. "I hate you! I'll always hate you, you bastard!" she broke down and collapsed against his chest, sobbing furiously. Ifrit slowly tried to embrace her, but she broke away and hugged Ramuh instead, who patted her head consolingly.
"There, there, be still my child," he said reassuringly. He looked at Ifrit. "I don't blame you for what happened. But if you feel you need to redeem yourself, you can help me."
"Tell me, please!" said Ifrit. "Anything!"
"We have to go to Styx Castle," said Ramuh. "The Queen must be warned at once!"
The female Esper landed gently on the rooftop next to Ifrit. "Are you hurt?" she asked.
Ifrit just knelt there gaping. "Who are you? What are you?"
"I'm Shiva you idiot! And I'm an Esper like you are!" she said looking frustrated.
"Shiva?" He seemed to snap out of his daze. He glanced down at his enormous claws. "What happened to me?"
Shiva knelt next to him. "You honestly don't know what you are?" she asked incredulously.
"Help me!" he called out. As he clutched at her arm, steam immediately rose with a hissing sound. They both recoiled in pain as Ifrit pulled his hand away. He stared at the burn on the palm of his hand and he could now see ugly purple marks on Shiva's arm.
"Don't touch each other, you're contrary elements," called out Ramuh from the street below.
Shiva floated down to the street and looked down at Ballant who was lying in the street at Ramuh's feet, covered with a blanket.
"Don't worry's he's just unconscious," reassured Ramuh, touching her arm.
Shiva looked back and forth at the villagers hiding fearfully nearby, peering at her through half open windows and doors. She sighed and hung her head. "We're going to have to leave aren't we?" she said sadly.
Ifrit landed in the street with a thud, making the cobblestones vibrate under his feet. Ramuh looked at him evenly. "Don't be too hard on yourself sonny. It's not your fault for losing control of your powers. Diablos provoked you."
"Diablos is that jerk I fought?" he said, swiveling his head, his enormous horns brushing against the edge of the roof.
Ramuh nodded.
"He's right about me!" shouted Ifrit, gesturing toward the smoldering buildings. He then turned around and slumped onto the ground.
"If you believe that then he's already beaten us!" said Ramuh angrily.
Ifrit didn't seem to hear.
"He already has," said Ballant weakly, sitting up.
"My Lord, you can't mean surrender!" said Ramuh, aghast.
"Yes, that's exactly what I mean. If we don't surrender to the Golgatheans, there'll be nothing left of Jidoor to defend," said Ballant calmly.
"Shiva and Ifrit can protect us," offered Ramuh.
"I don't want them to. Diablos or whatever he's called has a point. Jidoor was harboring Espers all along. And you hid them Ramuh! I can't believe you would betray me like this!" yelled Ballant pointing at finger accusingly.
Ramuh noticed the villagers that were returning were forming a loose circle around them. "You owe Ifrit your life my Lord," he said.
Ballant waved his hand. "I didn't ask him to save me. My life is nothing compared to the safety of his village. And in the end he did more harm than good." He rose to his feet painfully, dropping the blanket off of his shoulders. "Ifrit and Shiva, you must leave Jidoor at once. If you ever return, I will tell the villagers to turn you over to the Golgatheans."
Shiva turned and without a word walked down the main street. The villagers quickly moved aside to let her pass. Ifrit slowly got to his feet and lurched after her. Ramuh started to follow, when Ballant caught his arm.
"Look, I can forgive you this time old man. I understand why you sheltered them. But Jidoor still needs you."
Ramuh pulled his arm away. "You precious Jidoor can go to hell! I'll never forgive you for what you said to my granddaughter!"
As he strode off, Ballant called after him. "She's an Esper you old fool!"
Ramuh kept walking.
It was only when they reached the hills beyond Jidoor that Shiva looked back. She then closed her eyes and was surrounded by a blinding blue light. Ifrit shielded his eyes and then he could see Shiva stood there looking human again.
"How did you do that?" asked Ifrit.
"Just focus on your soul, Ifrit," said Ramuh. "Will yourself to become human."
Ifrit frowned but closed his eyes. After a few minutes his form was enveloped in a bright red light that radiated intense heat. When it faded he stood there inspecting his hands. "I'm back to normal," he said, looking relieved.
"I'm so happy for you," said Shiva stepping forward. She then smacked him across the face. Ifrit looked too surprised to react. He covered his reddening cheek with his hand.
"Shiva? What was.?" he asked uncertainly.
"You dare to say that you idiot!" she screamed. "You burned down my village and drove me from the only place I was ever happy!"
Ifrit tried to think of something to say but was stuck. He could now see that she was crying.
"I hate you!" she yelled pounding on his chest with her fists, the reverberations making hollow sounds. "I hate you! I'll always hate you, you bastard!" she broke down and collapsed against his chest, sobbing furiously. Ifrit slowly tried to embrace her, but she broke away and hugged Ramuh instead, who patted her head consolingly.
"There, there, be still my child," he said reassuringly. He looked at Ifrit. "I don't blame you for what happened. But if you feel you need to redeem yourself, you can help me."
"Tell me, please!" said Ifrit. "Anything!"
"We have to go to Styx Castle," said Ramuh. "The Queen must be warned at once!"