Chapter 47
Ifrit and Shiva had returned to human form to apply the bandages. He held her arm in his left hand as he wrapped the silk with his right hand. He twisted her pale arm slightly from side to side to inspect the angry red marks covering her skin. He looked up hesitantly and their eyes locked for a moment. They both looked away.
"I'm sorry," Ifrit finally managed to say.
Shiva frowned. "Don't be."
He sighed. "This will always happen if we're together."
"You'd rather be apart?" she asked incredulously.
His grip on her arm tightened. "Of course not!"
"Don't protect me from yourself Ifrit," she countered gently, "I can handle it."
He finished trying the last strip of cloth in place. "I'm sorry for doubting you," he said.
She stood up but he held onto her arm. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him close.
"Shiva," he began trying to hold back his emotions, "I swear I'll protect you!"
"I know," she said looking down at him with a faint smile.
They were backlit by the blue flames that exploded out of the side of the castle.
"What was that?" said Ifrit, snapping his head up.
"It came from the great hall," said Shiva in awe.
They ran together down the patio to the covered walkway. At the end of the walkway they nearly knocked Ramuh over.
"There you are!" he called out.
Panicked people were streaming out of the great hall in every direction.
"Grandpa, what happened?" asked Shiva.
"The Atma Weapon is attacking Golgatha castle!" he replied.
"What's an Atma Weapon?" asked Ifrit in confusion.
"No time to explain!" snapped Ramuh, "We have to return to Asgard immediately!"
"What about Atma?" demanded Ifrit, pointing to the burning windows.
"Diablos is taking care of it," said Ramuh.
"Where are we going?" asked Shiva breathlessly.
"Palidor will carry you with me to the mining camp," said Ramuh, "Ifrit, go with Cyrus and Maduin on the Blood Rose to Jidoor!"
Shiva touched Ifrit's shoulder.
"Be careful," she said.
He squeezed her hand. "I'll come back to you."
They parted ways while inside the empty great hall Diablos cracked his knuckles against the palm of his other hand. Carbuncle glared angrily up at the Atma Weapon
"Quite," said Diablos grinning furiously, "It's time to teach this foul beast some manners!"
"With pleasure my Lord," said Siren drawing out her harp.
The three Espers became engulfed in ethereal light and emerged in fantastic forms. Atma looked unimpressed.
"I'll crush you then this city!" bellowed Atma.
Diablos flew toward the ceiling, his terrible wings blotting out the stars now visible through the broken roof. He brought his clawed hands together.
"Obscura Viator!" he called out, summoning a black sphere that he hurled on top of the Atma Weapon. It roared in rage.
Carbuncle leapt up into the air and her beady eyes began to glow with an eerie red light. The light bathed Siren and Diablos and then it faded.
Atma breathed blue flames over them. It gaped in surprise as it rebounded off invisible cones in front of them.
The Atma Weapon already loathed that laugh.
"Time, anoint us with thy power.Slow!" chanted Siren.
Atma was covered with a pale white glow and his movements slowed down. He opened his jaws and a hole opened up in the floor underneath them and the ground began to shake and tremble. Diablos, who was hovering, was unaffected, but Carbuncle and Siren were thrown about violently by the quake.
Diablos gritted his needlelike teeth. He swooped down and pummeled into Atma's head with his fists. Atma tried to bite down on his arms but Diablos dodged in time. Carbuncle sat up and shook her head as if to clear it.
Siren blinked and stood up. The world around her seemed to be swimming by in slow motion.
"Aphonos Stoma!" called out Siren.
Atma growled mutely in frustration. It charged, knocking Siren off of her feet and spinning into the dais. She collided with the King's throne, shattering it into splinters.
Diablos lost it. He landed on the Atma Weapon's back and began stabbing it with his claws. It bucked, throwing him off. He landed on his feet and held his hands together.
"Infernal regions confer upon me thy power.Quarter!" he chanted.
The Atma Weapon flinched then swiped at Diablos with its talons. It tore through one of his wings, pinning him to the ground. Diablos spit up black blood and glared up at Atma defiantly.
"Chill to the bones.Absolute Zero!" chanted a man's voice.
Waves of frozen water condensed into a huge block of ice that condensed around Atma and then shattered. It raised it head and roared.
"Mighty force of heaven, bring retribution down to the unworthy.Bolt!" chanted a woman's voice.
Electrical energy shot through the Weapon, causing it to recoil in pain. With brilliant peals of thunder and bright flashes of light, it faded into a dull red glow that vanished. Carbuncle looked up to see Melchior and Gaspar standing at the door to the hall. Melchior walked over to them.
"Blessed Goddess, bring succor to those in pain.Cure All!" called Melchior.
They were all bathed in a cool green glow. Siren wobbly got to her feet.
Gaspar came forward. "Melchior, we have to go."
She nodded to him. "Take care of Golgatha," she said to Diablos.
"All right," he sitting up on one elbow, "I'll summon Bahamut."
"Where are you going?" asked Siren looking at the Magi.
"We're going to stop Balthazar," said Gaspar grimly.
"If its not too late," added Melchior.
They both vanished in pillars of light.
Ifrit and Shiva had returned to human form to apply the bandages. He held her arm in his left hand as he wrapped the silk with his right hand. He twisted her pale arm slightly from side to side to inspect the angry red marks covering her skin. He looked up hesitantly and their eyes locked for a moment. They both looked away.
"I'm sorry," Ifrit finally managed to say.
Shiva frowned. "Don't be."
He sighed. "This will always happen if we're together."
"You'd rather be apart?" she asked incredulously.
His grip on her arm tightened. "Of course not!"
"Don't protect me from yourself Ifrit," she countered gently, "I can handle it."
He finished trying the last strip of cloth in place. "I'm sorry for doubting you," he said.
She stood up but he held onto her arm. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him close.
"Shiva," he began trying to hold back his emotions, "I swear I'll protect you!"
"I know," she said looking down at him with a faint smile.
They were backlit by the blue flames that exploded out of the side of the castle.
"What was that?" said Ifrit, snapping his head up.
"It came from the great hall," said Shiva in awe.
They ran together down the patio to the covered walkway. At the end of the walkway they nearly knocked Ramuh over.
"There you are!" he called out.
Panicked people were streaming out of the great hall in every direction.
"Grandpa, what happened?" asked Shiva.
"The Atma Weapon is attacking Golgatha castle!" he replied.
"What's an Atma Weapon?" asked Ifrit in confusion.
"No time to explain!" snapped Ramuh, "We have to return to Asgard immediately!"
"What about Atma?" demanded Ifrit, pointing to the burning windows.
"Diablos is taking care of it," said Ramuh.
"Where are we going?" asked Shiva breathlessly.
"Palidor will carry you with me to the mining camp," said Ramuh, "Ifrit, go with Cyrus and Maduin on the Blood Rose to Jidoor!"
Shiva touched Ifrit's shoulder.
"Be careful," she said.
He squeezed her hand. "I'll come back to you."
They parted ways while inside the empty great hall Diablos cracked his knuckles against the palm of his other hand. Carbuncle glared angrily up at the Atma Weapon
"Quite," said Diablos grinning furiously, "It's time to teach this foul beast some manners!"
"With pleasure my Lord," said Siren drawing out her harp.
The three Espers became engulfed in ethereal light and emerged in fantastic forms. Atma looked unimpressed.
"I'll crush you then this city!" bellowed Atma.
Diablos flew toward the ceiling, his terrible wings blotting out the stars now visible through the broken roof. He brought his clawed hands together.
"Obscura Viator!" he called out, summoning a black sphere that he hurled on top of the Atma Weapon. It roared in rage.
Carbuncle leapt up into the air and her beady eyes began to glow with an eerie red light. The light bathed Siren and Diablos and then it faded.
Atma breathed blue flames over them. It gaped in surprise as it rebounded off invisible cones in front of them.
The Atma Weapon already loathed that laugh.
"Time, anoint us with thy power.Slow!" chanted Siren.
Atma was covered with a pale white glow and his movements slowed down. He opened his jaws and a hole opened up in the floor underneath them and the ground began to shake and tremble. Diablos, who was hovering, was unaffected, but Carbuncle and Siren were thrown about violently by the quake.
Diablos gritted his needlelike teeth. He swooped down and pummeled into Atma's head with his fists. Atma tried to bite down on his arms but Diablos dodged in time. Carbuncle sat up and shook her head as if to clear it.
Siren blinked and stood up. The world around her seemed to be swimming by in slow motion.
"Aphonos Stoma!" called out Siren.
Atma growled mutely in frustration. It charged, knocking Siren off of her feet and spinning into the dais. She collided with the King's throne, shattering it into splinters.
Diablos lost it. He landed on the Atma Weapon's back and began stabbing it with his claws. It bucked, throwing him off. He landed on his feet and held his hands together.
"Infernal regions confer upon me thy power.Quarter!" he chanted.
The Atma Weapon flinched then swiped at Diablos with its talons. It tore through one of his wings, pinning him to the ground. Diablos spit up black blood and glared up at Atma defiantly.
"Chill to the bones.Absolute Zero!" chanted a man's voice.
Waves of frozen water condensed into a huge block of ice that condensed around Atma and then shattered. It raised it head and roared.
"Mighty force of heaven, bring retribution down to the unworthy.Bolt!" chanted a woman's voice.
Electrical energy shot through the Weapon, causing it to recoil in pain. With brilliant peals of thunder and bright flashes of light, it faded into a dull red glow that vanished. Carbuncle looked up to see Melchior and Gaspar standing at the door to the hall. Melchior walked over to them.
"Blessed Goddess, bring succor to those in pain.Cure All!" called Melchior.
They were all bathed in a cool green glow. Siren wobbly got to her feet.
Gaspar came forward. "Melchior, we have to go."
She nodded to him. "Take care of Golgatha," she said to Diablos.
"All right," he sitting up on one elbow, "I'll summon Bahamut."
"Where are you going?" asked Siren looking at the Magi.
"We're going to stop Balthazar," said Gaspar grimly.
"If its not too late," added Melchior.
They both vanished in pillars of light.