Chapter 43
Ramuh finally found Ifrit in a courtyard. The late afternoon sun slanted down through the trees, covering him with mottled shadows. He was dressed in a white tunic and baggy pants, topped with a braided gold vest. He was in the process in tying a golden sash around his waist, rather unsuccessfully.
"Need help sonny?" asked Ramuh.
Ifrit glanced up briefly. "Nah. I'm just not good at playing dress- up."
"Going on a date?" asked Ramuh with a hint of amusement.
Ifrit nodded, but with a frown.
"What's wrong?" Ramuh asked immediately becoming serious, "You look like you're going to your own funeral."
"Well actually.," he began.
"There you are," said Shiva to Ifrit as she walked in.
Ifrit looked stunned at her appearance. She was dressed in a pale blue gown with a low neckline and white gloves. She wore the choker around her neck and her cyan hair was slicked back. She smiled and twirled.
"You boys like it?" she asked.
Ramuh and Ifrit nodded together. Ramuh kissed her cheek.
"Have a great time tonight," he whispered.
Ifrit grabbed Ramuh's shoulder. "Oh no pops, you're going too."
Ramuh carefully removed Ifrit's hand. "Wouldn't miss it for the world sonny boy."
Shiva untied Ifrit's sash. "You need to redo this," she said.
Ifrit nodded and she began to retie it around his waist.
"Are you going to the dance tonight?" she asked as she began knotting it.
Ifrit wordlessly nodded.
"Are you going with anyone?" she inquired quietly.
"Yeah, with Cid," he said sadly.
Shiva pulled harder on the sash, constricting him. "I see."
Ifrit could barely breathe. "I owe her my life and she said she wanted a date in return for helping us, so.,"
Shiva nodded. "Yes, very logical. That will kill two birds with one stone,"
Ifrit frowned. "I'm sorry Shiva, but I agreed."
She looked up and smiled faintly. "I know. I agreed too, remember?"
He took her hand. "Please trust me."
She pulled her hand away and looked down. "Of course I do."
Ifrit sighed and looked toward Ramuh, who wore a neutral expression.
She looked up and touched his hair along his shoulder.
He blinked. "Shiva?"
She took a lock of his violet hair. "Turn around."
He gulped and faced away from her. She gathered up his hair and tied it back into a ponytail with a strip of leather from her belt.
"I like your hair that way," she said patting his shoulder.
She took his arm and led him to the massive double doors leading to the main hall. He stood there briefly and looked longingly at her.
"I will do anything to keep you safe," he said with a quiet intensity, "No matter how much it hurts me."
She smiled and nodded. Once he was gone she ripped off the choker and threw it on the ground.
"That bastard!" she screamed, "He's worried about hurting himself?"
Ramuh traced circled in the dirt with his staff as she rubbed her hair vigorously, returning it to its original disorder.
"Granddaughter.," he began.
"Leave me alone!" she yelled and stormed off.
Ramuh sighed and took a seat on a stone bench under a tree. He held up his staff and the choker flew into his hand. He regarded it sadly.
"What were you thinking my boy?" he mused.
Odin walked into the courtyard and noticed Ramuh. He strode over to him.
"Elder?" he asked.
Ramuh snapped out of reverie. "Captain Odin," he said.
"Is everything alright?" he asked with concern in his eye.
Ramuh shrugged. "I'm fine, but I'm worried about the children."
Odin stood there stiffly at attention. "For what it's worth I'm glad you found them."
Ramuh chuckled dryly. "I seem to recall you wanted to kill me over them."
Odin smiled thinly. "That was a long time ago. You've changed a lot since then Elder."
Ramuh sighed and pocketed the choker. "I wish I could change a little more. Maybe then I could spare them some of the anguish they feel."
Odin shook his head. "Coddling them will only make it worse later on."
Ramuh regarded him. "How about yourself Captain? Can you bear your burdens?"
"I have to," said Odin sounding more certain than he felt. He then walked through the double doors into the main hall.
Ramuh finally found Ifrit in a courtyard. The late afternoon sun slanted down through the trees, covering him with mottled shadows. He was dressed in a white tunic and baggy pants, topped with a braided gold vest. He was in the process in tying a golden sash around his waist, rather unsuccessfully.
"Need help sonny?" asked Ramuh.
Ifrit glanced up briefly. "Nah. I'm just not good at playing dress- up."
"Going on a date?" asked Ramuh with a hint of amusement.
Ifrit nodded, but with a frown.
"What's wrong?" Ramuh asked immediately becoming serious, "You look like you're going to your own funeral."
"Well actually.," he began.
"There you are," said Shiva to Ifrit as she walked in.
Ifrit looked stunned at her appearance. She was dressed in a pale blue gown with a low neckline and white gloves. She wore the choker around her neck and her cyan hair was slicked back. She smiled and twirled.
"You boys like it?" she asked.
Ramuh and Ifrit nodded together. Ramuh kissed her cheek.
"Have a great time tonight," he whispered.
Ifrit grabbed Ramuh's shoulder. "Oh no pops, you're going too."
Ramuh carefully removed Ifrit's hand. "Wouldn't miss it for the world sonny boy."
Shiva untied Ifrit's sash. "You need to redo this," she said.
Ifrit nodded and she began to retie it around his waist.
"Are you going to the dance tonight?" she asked as she began knotting it.
Ifrit wordlessly nodded.
"Are you going with anyone?" she inquired quietly.
"Yeah, with Cid," he said sadly.
Shiva pulled harder on the sash, constricting him. "I see."
Ifrit could barely breathe. "I owe her my life and she said she wanted a date in return for helping us, so.,"
Shiva nodded. "Yes, very logical. That will kill two birds with one stone,"
Ifrit frowned. "I'm sorry Shiva, but I agreed."
She looked up and smiled faintly. "I know. I agreed too, remember?"
He took her hand. "Please trust me."
She pulled her hand away and looked down. "Of course I do."
Ifrit sighed and looked toward Ramuh, who wore a neutral expression.
She looked up and touched his hair along his shoulder.
He blinked. "Shiva?"
She took a lock of his violet hair. "Turn around."
He gulped and faced away from her. She gathered up his hair and tied it back into a ponytail with a strip of leather from her belt.
"I like your hair that way," she said patting his shoulder.
She took his arm and led him to the massive double doors leading to the main hall. He stood there briefly and looked longingly at her.
"I will do anything to keep you safe," he said with a quiet intensity, "No matter how much it hurts me."
She smiled and nodded. Once he was gone she ripped off the choker and threw it on the ground.
"That bastard!" she screamed, "He's worried about hurting himself?"
Ramuh traced circled in the dirt with his staff as she rubbed her hair vigorously, returning it to its original disorder.
"Granddaughter.," he began.
"Leave me alone!" she yelled and stormed off.
Ramuh sighed and took a seat on a stone bench under a tree. He held up his staff and the choker flew into his hand. He regarded it sadly.
"What were you thinking my boy?" he mused.
Odin walked into the courtyard and noticed Ramuh. He strode over to him.
"Elder?" he asked.
Ramuh snapped out of reverie. "Captain Odin," he said.
"Is everything alright?" he asked with concern in his eye.
Ramuh shrugged. "I'm fine, but I'm worried about the children."
Odin stood there stiffly at attention. "For what it's worth I'm glad you found them."
Ramuh chuckled dryly. "I seem to recall you wanted to kill me over them."
Odin smiled thinly. "That was a long time ago. You've changed a lot since then Elder."
Ramuh sighed and pocketed the choker. "I wish I could change a little more. Maybe then I could spare them some of the anguish they feel."
Odin shook his head. "Coddling them will only make it worse later on."
Ramuh regarded him. "How about yourself Captain? Can you bear your burdens?"
"I have to," said Odin sounding more certain than he felt. He then walked through the double doors into the main hall.