Chapter 4
Squall slowly shook his head. The pain that shot down his neck made him lie back down. It was hard to remember what had happened. All that he could concentrate on was not crying out with the pain. He couldn't see very well either, his vision was blurred. Someone groaned quietly beside him.
"Sia?" he whispered. Something exploded in his head, the pain was excruciating.
"I'm okay," she said, slowly getting up.
Squall tried to get up, but fell back down. Sia extended her hand to help him. Grabbing hold, he succeeded second time. Zell dragged himself through the doorway.
"I knew we shouldn't have tried that spell," he said, grimacing with his own pain, "what the hell happened to us."
"Is everyone okay," asked Squall. Sia nodded, but Zell shook his head.
"No, we shouldn't have been so stupid and now we've probably bashed the ship up good with all that magic. I'm turning us round now and we're going back."
Zell then stormed as best as he could back to the cockpit.
Sia looked around at the mess. Everything was strewn across the Hanger. Bending down she picked up some candles that were at her feet. Squall grabbed the spell book and held it close.
"Sia, Squall. Get up here quickly!" Zell called over the comm., "we have a big problem."
Sia dropped the candles and half ran, half limped out of the door. Squall followed, but kept hold of the book, it was all he had left. Sia was fast and in his present condition, it was hard to keep up with her. At the lift, she waited until he got on.
* * *
In the cockpit, Zell was fiddling with the controls in the pilots seat. He was frowning considerably.
"What's the problem," asked Squall.
"Take a look outside," said Zell, "notice anything unusual?"
Outside there was a definite mist around the ship; you couldn't see the sun very well, but that wasn't the strange thing. What was strange, was the land, it looked irregular. They were in a definite valley. The Ragnarok was hovering just over a dense forest; a lake was in the middle, which ran out of the forest as a river.
"Where the hell are we?" said Squall, "Centra doesn't look like this place, unless Dr. Odine has been working some twisted experiment again."
"There's a village near here." said Zell, " I suggest we land and maybe, ask for directions."
"Good idea," said Squall, "Zell, I want you to stay here, while Sia and I have a look around, see where we are."
Something in Squall's gut didn't feel right. This was too weird; the land didn't look like any part of the world he knew. The place seemed strange and the air smelled… different.
Zell landed the Ragnarok gently inside a forest, so that the ship didn't attract as much attention. It was hard to miss, but the less attention, the better.
* * *
Mauriko Nebal cursed silently to himself, business in his father's old weapons shop hadn't been going so well lately. There were better fighters, now with the war on, so they went to the synthesists now instead.
He was idly picking his teeth, daydreaming of his girlfriend when the shops door opened, nearly making him fall off his stool in the process. A young man and woman walked in the door. The man was dressed in black, with a white, fur collar on his coat. He carried a strange sword on him, damn! He probably wouldn't be buying anything. However, the woman had no weapon, a ha. Maybe they would be browsing for her.
Mauriko quickly put his sales face on and strode towards the couple, hoping for some money at last.
"Hello," said the woman, seeing him come. "I was wondering if you could help us," she said in a singsong voice.
"Certainly madam, what sort of weapon were you looking for."
"Oh no," she said shocked at his question. "We were wondering if you could tell us where we are," she asked sheepishly.
Mauriko tried not his disappointment show. He wasn't going to not help them. His father had always said to help people in trouble, maybe that was his failing in life and why he had died.
"Sure, you're right now in the weapons shop in the main square. Alexandria Castle is to your left and the main street is to your right."
Her puzzled face left him shocked. What was so strange about Alexandria, it was such a small kingdom and it was all they had left.
"Look you're obviously lost. Do you want to sit down for half an hour and have a cup of coffee? It's Kirman coffee so it's the best there is around here.
The young man started to reply, but the woman shushed him and accepted. Mauriko smiled; maybe he could persuade them that a new weapon was what they needed for their journey.
* * *
"So that's our story. We have no idea how to get back to where we came from, or what to do now. We're stuck."
They were sitting in the small, cramped lounge at the back of the shop, sipping strong coffee. There was a strong wind howling outside the window, which made the light in the room cast an eerie glow with the shadows playing in the candlelight, listening to the conversation.
Mauriko sat back in his chair and regarded Sia curiously. The story was unbelievable, sure. There was something about her and this man, Squall that seemed to say, we are telling the truth, though. The whole thing was very confusing.
"Do you know anyone who deals with a special kind of magic," Sia asked him.
"Umm, yes I think Master Enki might know about magic. He has travelled throughout the world, and he knows a lot. I'll take you to him now if you want"
"Thank you," said Squall, finally speaking, "that would be much appreciated by us. However before we go to see this Master Enki, we must first pick up our comrade who is fixing our ship."
"Very well," said Mauriko, "I shall then take you to see him."
* * *
Master Enki lit his pipe then reclined back into his chair. He smoked for a few minutes while he thought about what the travellers had told him. Squall, Zell and Sia sat on low stools in front of him, like children do when the wish to hear a story. Squall was obviously uncomfortable about it, while Sia and Zell didn't mind.
"Hmm…" he said eventually, "that is very interesting. I knew about some visitors arriving from very far away, but this is more than I expected."
"Excuse me sir, but how did you know about us," Zell asked.
"I read it in the stars, my boy."
"You read it in the stars," Zell parroted dubiously.
"Yes," he replied, "and you, my friends have been brought here to help us in our struggle against the evil one."
"I'm sorry, but there's been some mistake here," said Squall, "we are here because a spell that we did went wrong and we heard that you might help us get home."
"Alas, I cannot. That power is too great for me. Your only way to get back to where you came from is to destroy this evil. Please, may I ask you to help us in our quest for peace and then I can help you."
"Squall?" asked Sia.
"We can't help you. We must get back to our home as soon as possible," said Squall, keeping the annoyance in his voice to a minimum. Here was a person just asking him straight out if he could have Squall's service, without any mention of actual payment. Still, these people were apparently less advanced.
"You're not listening to me," said Master Enki angrily, "you cannot get home unless you help us. I speak the truth. You need our help, especially if you wish to see her again."
"Who?" asked Squall intrigued, "Rinoa?"
"No, my dear boy. Andria. She plays in your thoughts all of the time. I can hear you scream her name, calling for her. Even now you do. If you help us, then she may be returned to you."
"Be careful Squall," warned Zell, "I don't trust him."
"You wouldn't," Sia said, a slight growl in her tone warning him that she was not to be fought with. "I trust these people, somehow I know that they need us and we need them."
Things were so difficult to decide now. Choices were getting harder to make. Squall had a responsibility to his friends, but still Andria had sacrificed her life for him. If there was one chance that she could be returned to him…
"Okay," he said finally after a few moments thought.
"Squall!" wailed Zell, "what are you playing at? Is Andria all you can think about?"
"No Zell," growled Squall, turning to him, "I just feel that something has pulled us here for a reason and we need to help these people. Don't ask me what it is."
"Thank you," said Master Enki, "you may rest here tonight, but tomorrow we must be moving." He rose up on his walking stick to take his leave of them, but then turned back around. "Squall, I also ask that I may have an audience with you later, there is much that we must discuss."
* * *
Zell moped around the dining room of the house, bored. Ever since he had followed Squall and agreed to the stupid spell, things had gone from bad to worse. Could they ever get better?
Squall had just left for his discussion with the Master dude, and Sia had disappeared with some Mage guy, probably swoping spells, or even numbers. There was nothing for Zell to do, so he was, bored.
"If you have busy hands and nowhere to use them, then I'm sure I can find you something to do," said an oddly familiar voice behind him.
"Leraikhe. But, but-" Zell stuttered, blinking in disbelief at the person standing before his very eyes.
"Is there a problem sir?" Leraikhe asked politely.
"I am so gonna kick your ass," shouted Zell getting ready into the standard fighting position. To his surprise, Leraikhe burst out laughing.
"What are you talking about," he said, wiping the tears of laughter from his eyes. "I didn't come here to fight you. I came to ask if you wanted to train with me."
"I don't get it," said Zell, "you're supposed to be evil."
"Maybe on your world, but here I'm quite okay," Leraikhe said. "Come on, I'll show you round."
* * *
"Come in my boy and sit down. You're letting the heat out."
Squall obligingly closed Master Enki's door and sat in the armchair that was indicated to him. The fire cast an eerie glow over the musty furniture. Weapons lined the walls, the ghosts of their wielders echoed in the growing silence. There was a table behind the chairs, filled with books of various languages. Bookshelves, lining the walls were also filled with books and magical trinkets. The room had a strange and yet, familiar feel to Squall. There was also something familiar about Enki.
"Why did you call me here sir?"
Enki smiled a thin smile. The kind of smile that said "I know something you don't, but I won't tell". The kind of smile that always irritated Squall and was right now.
"I brought you here to talk about your past."
"What do you know about it?"
"More than you think, or you know."
Squall shrugged. "Enlighten me then. Tell me what you know, or don't bother talking about it if you won't."
"What you know is that you met this girl, Rinoa and fell in love. Then you found someone else, who you are now in love with and is dead because of you. What they didn't tell you though…"
Master Enki then leaned forward in his chair, towards Squall, "…is that, you were never supposed to fall for Andria. She was never intended for you. You are but a mortal Squall, and you've messed with the Gods. Now you have changed the course of the entire world and dammed both your world and mine."
"This sounds like crap to me," said Squall. "I think you're making it up."
"Believe what you wish Squall, but be warned. On this quest, you may not like what you find, but remember that there is vengeance out there, after you. People are not always who they appear to be. You will find that your friends are really your enemies and your enemies are your friends."
"I will fight for you, but I'll be dammed if I'll listen to this crap. This enemy of yours I'll kill, but after that I'm going home and trying again to bring Andria back."
"Squall, you will never bring her back. She can never come back to you from the afterlife. Her soul is tormented by you. You must let her go."
"Never," said Squall.
"If you cannot, then you will die. It is as simple as that."