Chapter 38
Cid watched the seemingly endless golden desert slowly unfold under the Blood Rose. She turned to Kelvin, who was busy adjusting the altitude control wheel on the bridge.
"What happens next?" she asked.
He turned and smiled.
"We land in Styx and make our report," he said softly.
She grasped his sleeve.
"No I mean after that," she said nervously.
His brow furrowed a bit in puzzlement.
"I don't follow Cid."
She released him. "Never mind," she said nonchalantly.
"What's wrong?" asked Kelvin.
"How much longer to Styx?" asked Diablos striding in purposefully.
"I can make it out on the horizon now," said Cid, glad to change the subject.
Diablos slumped in the Captain's chair behind them.
"Head for the Palace," he said, "Land in the courtyard."
By the time Siren came in, they had reached the edge of Styx. She could make out the vast city through the portholes. She could even see the southern lake on the far side of the city. She turned from the window and gazed at Diablos. He ignored her.
"There's the Palace," said Cid.
The tiny buildings of Styx gradually seemed to grow as they neared the ground. They could make soldiers in red and black scurrying about in the courtyard, catching the landing lines and anchoring the Blood Rose. Kelvin walked over next to Siren and swung open the side door and lowered the ramp. Cid pulled some levers and the ship shuddered with the sound of venting steam. She pulled off her gloves and turned around.
"Down and safe," she said to Diablos.
"Good," replied Diablos brusquely.
Kelvin glanced at Cid and walked down the ramp. As he was leaving Shiva and Ifrit entered the bridge.
"Are we ready?" asked Shiva, leaning on her ice staff.
"I'll catch up," said Diablos, not budging from the chair.
Ifrit sighed and nodded to Shiva. They walked down the ramp. Cid followed. Siren headed for the door.
"Not you," said Diablos.
She froze in her tracks.
"Tell me the truth," he said rising slowly, "And I'll know if you aren't."
She slowly turned around, but couldn't meet his gaze.
"Did seeing my true form scare you?" he asked walking towards her.
She shivered a bit and rubbed her arms. "Yes my Lord."
He walked closer so they were almost touching.
"Do I scare you now?" he asked reaching for her face.
She took a step back, bumping into the wall.
His hand fell limply to his side. "I see."
"It's not what you think.," she began, looking up.
He met her gaze, his expression resigned. "Why should you react any different than humans?" he asked.
Siren put her hands on his shoulders. "You never told me what really happened in Jidoor. Why?"
He smiled grimly. "So they told you. Figures."
"So it's true!" she said angrily, "Why did you hurt those people?"
"You grieve too much for humans Siren," he said reassuringly, "Shiva and Ifrit wouldn't have revealed themselves if I hadn't."
"You should have left them in peace!" she yelled, trying to hold back the tears.
He slowly covered her hands with his and pulled her grip free.
"Espers will never know peace until we put humans in their place," he said bitterly.
He was enveloped in darkness and emerged in his tall demonic form. Still clutching her hands he grinned horrifically down at her, his pointed tail lashing. Her eyes widened in terror.
"They will always hate and fear this!" he bellowed.
She glowed in a green light and emerged in her gauzy Esper form, her hair floating around her. She broke one of her hands free and touched the side of his face. He winced as she felt the bony plates protruding from his scaly skin.
"Siren, what are you.?" he began.
She leaned her head against his shoulder. "My Lord, can you forgive them?"
He sighed deeply. "No Siren. I can never forgive them."
She kissed him softly on the lips. "Please, my Lord?" she whispered.
He wrapped his enormous bat wings around her shoulders, the spines brushing against her skin. He couldn't keep from shaking.
"I can forgive you," he said.
"My Lord," she said holding onto him tightly.
Cid watched the seemingly endless golden desert slowly unfold under the Blood Rose. She turned to Kelvin, who was busy adjusting the altitude control wheel on the bridge.
"What happens next?" she asked.
He turned and smiled.
"We land in Styx and make our report," he said softly.
She grasped his sleeve.
"No I mean after that," she said nervously.
His brow furrowed a bit in puzzlement.
"I don't follow Cid."
She released him. "Never mind," she said nonchalantly.
"What's wrong?" asked Kelvin.
"How much longer to Styx?" asked Diablos striding in purposefully.
"I can make it out on the horizon now," said Cid, glad to change the subject.
Diablos slumped in the Captain's chair behind them.
"Head for the Palace," he said, "Land in the courtyard."
By the time Siren came in, they had reached the edge of Styx. She could make out the vast city through the portholes. She could even see the southern lake on the far side of the city. She turned from the window and gazed at Diablos. He ignored her.
"There's the Palace," said Cid.
The tiny buildings of Styx gradually seemed to grow as they neared the ground. They could make soldiers in red and black scurrying about in the courtyard, catching the landing lines and anchoring the Blood Rose. Kelvin walked over next to Siren and swung open the side door and lowered the ramp. Cid pulled some levers and the ship shuddered with the sound of venting steam. She pulled off her gloves and turned around.
"Down and safe," she said to Diablos.
"Good," replied Diablos brusquely.
Kelvin glanced at Cid and walked down the ramp. As he was leaving Shiva and Ifrit entered the bridge.
"Are we ready?" asked Shiva, leaning on her ice staff.
"I'll catch up," said Diablos, not budging from the chair.
Ifrit sighed and nodded to Shiva. They walked down the ramp. Cid followed. Siren headed for the door.
"Not you," said Diablos.
She froze in her tracks.
"Tell me the truth," he said rising slowly, "And I'll know if you aren't."
She slowly turned around, but couldn't meet his gaze.
"Did seeing my true form scare you?" he asked walking towards her.
She shivered a bit and rubbed her arms. "Yes my Lord."
He walked closer so they were almost touching.
"Do I scare you now?" he asked reaching for her face.
She took a step back, bumping into the wall.
His hand fell limply to his side. "I see."
"It's not what you think.," she began, looking up.
He met her gaze, his expression resigned. "Why should you react any different than humans?" he asked.
Siren put her hands on his shoulders. "You never told me what really happened in Jidoor. Why?"
He smiled grimly. "So they told you. Figures."
"So it's true!" she said angrily, "Why did you hurt those people?"
"You grieve too much for humans Siren," he said reassuringly, "Shiva and Ifrit wouldn't have revealed themselves if I hadn't."
"You should have left them in peace!" she yelled, trying to hold back the tears.
He slowly covered her hands with his and pulled her grip free.
"Espers will never know peace until we put humans in their place," he said bitterly.
He was enveloped in darkness and emerged in his tall demonic form. Still clutching her hands he grinned horrifically down at her, his pointed tail lashing. Her eyes widened in terror.
"They will always hate and fear this!" he bellowed.
She glowed in a green light and emerged in her gauzy Esper form, her hair floating around her. She broke one of her hands free and touched the side of his face. He winced as she felt the bony plates protruding from his scaly skin.
"Siren, what are you.?" he began.
She leaned her head against his shoulder. "My Lord, can you forgive them?"
He sighed deeply. "No Siren. I can never forgive them."
She kissed him softly on the lips. "Please, my Lord?" she whispered.
He wrapped his enormous bat wings around her shoulders, the spines brushing against her skin. He couldn't keep from shaking.
"I can forgive you," he said.
"My Lord," she said holding onto him tightly.