Time's Scars
Chapter Thirteen: Fighting for Life
The army of Orcs drew closer and closer. Even with the help of the Elves, Cid was afraid that they stood no chance. If they were right in their assumption, Saruman would be back soon. No doubt he was leading the army at that moment. The wizard would not just go away. To kill him, they had to kill his spirit. But how would they go about doing that?
Squall stood in the center of the lines or Elf archers, Rinoa at his side. All the Elves were awaiting orders from him.
Cid was surprised that Squall was not starting the battle. The Orcs were getting very close now. Was he crazy? Elves could shoot from far away. Why weren't they?
Squall's voice interrupted his worries. He was shouting orders.
"A Eruchîn, ú-dano i faelas a hyn an uben tanatha le faelas!" (Show them no mercy, for you shall receive none!)
"Faeg i-varv dîn na lanc a nu ranc." (Their armor is weak at the neck and beneath the arm.)
"Va leithia lin pilindi." (Do not fire your arrows.)
Cid looked at the young commander hopefully. He had no idea what was being said, but he knew Squall could handle an army. Squall was Garden's, perhaps even the world's, only hope.
As the army of Orcs came to the main grounds of Garden, they stopped. An Orc war-horn sounded.
"Hir lin dago!" (Find your kill!)
"Tangado a chadad!" (Prepare to fire!)
The Elves all raised their bows in unison, almost as though it had be choreographed.
Suddenly, the Orcs began to charge.
"Hado I philinn!" (Release arrows!)
As soon as those words came out of his mouth, thousands upon thousands of arrows were fired. It was like a rainstorm, with no safe places to hide. Still, the Orcs advanced. They shielded themselves with the wounded.
Squall turned to Rinoa. "Even this will not be enough. There are too many Orcs. Once they reach us, we'll be doomed. We must do something else."
"Like what?"
He took her hand. "Come with me."
Cid was surprised to see Squall guiding Rinoa further up the mountains. He was doing something that Cid had not expected, something that was not planned.
He brought her to a high point, but a clear area. He needed his voice to echo off the canyon walls. He needed all of their voices to.
He turned back to her and took both of her hands, "I need your energy."
"How can we do that?"
"Just relax."
A glow began in his hands, and spread up her arms and through her body. Just as soon as the glow started, it faded. It looked like the glow had been sucked in by Squall.
Indeed, it had.
Rinoa fell to the ground in utter exhaustion. She would be okay, but she was weaker now.
A wind picked up that Rinoa had not noticed before. Squall had his eyes closed and head bowed, in deep concentration. Was he casting a spell? But that was impossible, he'd had no chance to junction.
Rain began to fall. It was strange, because there had not been any clouds before. Now, the sky above them was dark and menacing.
She knew Elves were deeply in tune with nature. Perhaps Squall was able to summon a storm. But how could that help any? A storm would make it harder for Balamb's soldiers to fight.
The Elves firing stopped. They seemed to sense something.
Though his lips were not moving, Squall's voice could be heard throughout the canyon.
"Lùrëa fanyarë mì ilwë, (Dark clouds of the heavens)
Hlar elma quettar. (Hear our words)
Elmë maurë lin tuo! (We need your strength!)
"Dano lin ormë ana te (Show your wrath to them)
I orqui man nwalya lin nòrë, (The orcs who torment your land)
Man sangwa lin vanya nè, (Who poison your beautiful waters)
Ar tyar ossë ana lin lië (And bring terror to your people)
"Dano te lin aha, (Show them your rage)
Ar I nyèrë ho lin lië (and the sorrow from your people)
Là yonta selma ntë vànë (no longer will they leave)
Lin tauri helda! (your forests stripped bare)"
As he spoke, the clouds became more and more menacing, as though they were angered by him. The rain began to pour harder, and bolts of lightening began to streak the sky. In the darkness, Rinoa could really see the glow of the Elves.
'I always thought it was a myth!' she thought, 'They really do glow!'
She returned her gaze to Squall, whose eyes were now open. But his eyes were no longer the familiar dark blue she was used to seeing. Instead, they were a stormy gray, and seemed to shimmer. She knew he was probably unaware of his surroundings. All of his focus was on his communication with the planet itself. Elves always had an incredible ability to communicate with and control nature. It was as though nature was a spirit of the planet, and they could speak to it. Their very culture revolved around nature.
But Rinoa also began to realize why Saruman had chosen Squall to help him revive the ring. It was clear from the reaction of the other Elves that what Squall was doing was certainly not normal, or at least not seen often. She remembered the elder Elf they'd talked to earlier. It sounded to her like Squall's bloodline possessed some sort of intense power. Perhaps Squall was able to lock in more strongly than the others in his connection.
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Zell looked up from his position on the bridge of Garden. He could see Squall, and the battle. But he also noticed the connection between Squall and the weather change. It was something he'd never even imagined before. In just a few weeks, everything had changed. He wondered what would become of Squall and the Elves once this was all over. Would they really be accepted?
Suddenly, Irvine burst through the doors onto the bridge. He looked like he'd been moving quickly. Zell knew something was very wrong.
"Zell," Irvine gasped, "There's a human with them. It's…he's…"
"Take a breath, man." Zell replied. "Tell me what's going on. Who is it?"
Irvine took a deep breath before speaking again. "It's…Seifer."
A/N: And the plot thickens! Okay, I wanted to get this one done so I could write the next one. I'll try my best to have the next chapter posted by Sunday. Please drop me a review, I appreciate it!