Chapter 32
Siren and Shiva stood side by side on the main deck of the Blood Rose. The wind blew their hair behind them and they could see the ocean far below them, shimmering like a sheet of colored glass. Siren turned to Shiva.
"Is it true that women fight for those they love?" she asked.
Shiva frowned and looked sideways at her. "Some do, but I'm fighting for what I lost."
Siren nodded. "And what was that?"
Shiva sighed. "Surely you know all about that, working for Diablos and all."
Siren looked puzzled.
"You know, he pillaged my hometown!" said Shiva angrily.
Siren gasped. "He did? Why?"
Shiva turned towards her. "You should know what he's like by now! He only cares about power!"
Siren looked away. "I know he's ruthless, but he's trying to create a place for Espers to live. Surely that's noble."
"Only if they can dominate humans," said Shiva, "That would make us no better than them."
Siren met her gaze. "Surely you've befallen the hatred of humans. I think we need to put them in their place."
Shiva shook her head. "I'm hoping to find a place I can live with humans. If I can't I just want to live somewhere far away from them."
Siren laughed bitterly. "They will find you. They always will."
Shiva shouldered her ice staff. "Fine, then we'll make a world where the humans cannot follow!"
Siren smiled. "Who is 'we'?"
It was Shiva that looked away this time.
"He's such a likable dolt," said Siren cheerfully, "He'd take on the world by himself."
Shiva sighed. "He needs a bodyguard."
"I'm sure you can protect him," she added.
Shiva grunted and went below. Siren began to whistle a cheerful tune.
Below the deck Shiva came upon Cid and Kelvin at the steering controls. Diablos was lounging in a chair behind them, his feet propped up.
"Hi Shiva!" said Cid.
"Ifrit's in the back," said Kelvin.
Shiva walked past Diablos, who was polishing his short sword.
"Shiva," he said looking up at her.
She stopped.
"I don't blame you for hating me," he continued, "I don't like myself much."
"Then why do you do such horrible things?" she retorted.
He smiled thinly. "For your sake."
Shiva's mouth opened. "Mine?"
"Sooner or later your true nature was going to be revealed to the humans. They will always hate and fear us."
Shiva clenched her staff. "I don't care about you stupid rationalizations! You can't destroy lives for your own selfish reasons!"
He sighed. "I don't expect you to understand yet. You will one day though."
She tried to go past him but he swung his blade in her path. She pointed the tip of her ice staff at his head.
"Easy!" he said, "I just wanted to tell you to stay out of my way while I'm fighting Bahamut."
"I hope he finds you tasty," she said with a haughty sneer.
He grinned widely. "I don't expect your help."
Diablos sheathed his sword and she walked through the curtains to the back room.
Ifrit was sitting on the bed holding a bowl of glowing coals.
She sat next to him. "Still too cold?"
"Yeah," he said, "Why do we always have to go north?"
She put her hand on his arm. "We're almost there."
He smiled and put his hand over hers. "Good."
She traced along the scar across his chest. "Does it still hurt?"
He shook his head. "No, it just itches like crazy. Shiva?"
"Yes?" she asked.
"When Phoenix asked you to be reborn in fire, you said yes, right?" he inquired.
She smiled. "Yes, it was the only way to save you."
He frowned. "You shouldn't have."
"Why not?" she asked.
"I think Phoenix was referring to more than this lifetime.," he began slowly.
She blinked. "More?"
"Dragon Head Isle dead ahead!" yelled Kelvin.
Shiva pulled her hand away and Ifrit stood and threw the coals back in the furnace. He pulled the scimitar off the wall.
"Ready?" he asked.
She nodded.
They walked off through the curtains toward the bow.
Siren and Shiva stood side by side on the main deck of the Blood Rose. The wind blew their hair behind them and they could see the ocean far below them, shimmering like a sheet of colored glass. Siren turned to Shiva.
"Is it true that women fight for those they love?" she asked.
Shiva frowned and looked sideways at her. "Some do, but I'm fighting for what I lost."
Siren nodded. "And what was that?"
Shiva sighed. "Surely you know all about that, working for Diablos and all."
Siren looked puzzled.
"You know, he pillaged my hometown!" said Shiva angrily.
Siren gasped. "He did? Why?"
Shiva turned towards her. "You should know what he's like by now! He only cares about power!"
Siren looked away. "I know he's ruthless, but he's trying to create a place for Espers to live. Surely that's noble."
"Only if they can dominate humans," said Shiva, "That would make us no better than them."
Siren met her gaze. "Surely you've befallen the hatred of humans. I think we need to put them in their place."
Shiva shook her head. "I'm hoping to find a place I can live with humans. If I can't I just want to live somewhere far away from them."
Siren laughed bitterly. "They will find you. They always will."
Shiva shouldered her ice staff. "Fine, then we'll make a world where the humans cannot follow!"
Siren smiled. "Who is 'we'?"
It was Shiva that looked away this time.
"He's such a likable dolt," said Siren cheerfully, "He'd take on the world by himself."
Shiva sighed. "He needs a bodyguard."
"I'm sure you can protect him," she added.
Shiva grunted and went below. Siren began to whistle a cheerful tune.
Below the deck Shiva came upon Cid and Kelvin at the steering controls. Diablos was lounging in a chair behind them, his feet propped up.
"Hi Shiva!" said Cid.
"Ifrit's in the back," said Kelvin.
Shiva walked past Diablos, who was polishing his short sword.
"Shiva," he said looking up at her.
She stopped.
"I don't blame you for hating me," he continued, "I don't like myself much."
"Then why do you do such horrible things?" she retorted.
He smiled thinly. "For your sake."
Shiva's mouth opened. "Mine?"
"Sooner or later your true nature was going to be revealed to the humans. They will always hate and fear us."
Shiva clenched her staff. "I don't care about you stupid rationalizations! You can't destroy lives for your own selfish reasons!"
He sighed. "I don't expect you to understand yet. You will one day though."
She tried to go past him but he swung his blade in her path. She pointed the tip of her ice staff at his head.
"Easy!" he said, "I just wanted to tell you to stay out of my way while I'm fighting Bahamut."
"I hope he finds you tasty," she said with a haughty sneer.
He grinned widely. "I don't expect your help."
Diablos sheathed his sword and she walked through the curtains to the back room.
Ifrit was sitting on the bed holding a bowl of glowing coals.
She sat next to him. "Still too cold?"
"Yeah," he said, "Why do we always have to go north?"
She put her hand on his arm. "We're almost there."
He smiled and put his hand over hers. "Good."
She traced along the scar across his chest. "Does it still hurt?"
He shook his head. "No, it just itches like crazy. Shiva?"
"Yes?" she asked.
"When Phoenix asked you to be reborn in fire, you said yes, right?" he inquired.
She smiled. "Yes, it was the only way to save you."
He frowned. "You shouldn't have."
"Why not?" she asked.
"I think Phoenix was referring to more than this lifetime.," he began slowly.
She blinked. "More?"
"Dragon Head Isle dead ahead!" yelled Kelvin.
Shiva pulled her hand away and Ifrit stood and threw the coals back in the furnace. He pulled the scimitar off the wall.
"Ready?" he asked.
She nodded.
They walked off through the curtains toward the bow.