By Joker's Specter
Chapter Eight: First Blood Spilled
Link had no idea where they were going. Tifa apparently did, though. She was moving without hesitation or slowing down. It amazed Link at how the girl couldn't find her way out of the castle, which was considerably easier, and yet she could navigate her way through the labyrinth of trees, rocks, canyons, and turnoffs with no issues.
Suddenly, Tifa stopped just before a turn in the canyon that would take them to the right, and further up the mountain. She peered around the corner of the rock wall for a few seconds, then pulled her head back.
"I can't see if the guards are there or not... It's too dark, and it's raining too hard to tell," she said, biting her lip.
Link peered around the corner to get a look. He focused on a small little hut that was poorly built. It was constructed on the flattest of the ground in that area. From what he could see, there were no lights and no movement except the rain.
"I can't see anyone... Should I be able to?" asked Link, taking one more glance.
Tifa's head appeared next to his as she leaned over to look again. "My father says that once a week, guards and soldiers come into town from wherever they were. Mostly for meetings and stuff. They spend the night in town, get new supplies in the morning, and then return to their posts. If I'm right, then tonight is the night they're gone," she said.
What Tifa said made sense, but something still didn't sit right with Link. "So...the whole mountain is unguarded?" he asked in disbelief.
"Well, all except for a few key areas...like where we aren't going. I was just hoping that this first outpost wouldn't be one of them. Looks like we're in luck," replied Tifa, strolling past Link.
Link gave a questioning look to Shia who began to follow after her friend. Shia just motioned for Link to follow the two girls.
The trio passed by the dark little hut with caution and moved on. It was becoming more and more difficult to travel across the trail as it became rougher and more inclined. They were silent, except for the occasional "this way" or "over there" from Tifa.
Link was starting to wonder just when they would start on the alternate path when he heard voices ahead of them. He stopped suddenly, listening for the location of the voices. It sounded like they were on the other side of some trees ahead of them.
Tifa and Shia kept walking on.
"Hey, wait, stop!" Link whispered harshly. He ran up to grab Shia and Tifa, but it was too late.
"Hey, did you hear something?" asked a hoarse-sounding voice from up ahead.
Link watched as Tifa and Shia exchanged worried glances, then looked back at Link.
"I'll be right back... I'm gonna check around a bit. Lend me your lantern for a minute," said the voice. Then, a sound Link had heard all too often rang out into the night.
The familiar sound of a sword unsheathing.
"Tifa, Shia... Move very quietly. Go into those trees," said Link in a whisper, pointing to some trees off to their left.
Tifa seemed confused, but agreed. She obviously hadn't counted on any guards being at that part of the mountain. Shia looked more aware of what was going on, and appeared to be less tired as adrenaline pumped into her body. THe two of them started moving towards the trees. However, they moved far too slowly. Just as they were entering the trees to hide, a Keystone guard in old, battle-scarred armor walked out and caught sight of them.
"Hey! What are you two doing here? Trespassing?" he yelled fiercely.
"I- No... Why...why are you here? Aren't you supposed to be at a meeting?" stuttered Tifa, losing her composure.
The guard approached them brandishing his sword. "Oh, I see. A smart one, eh? Well that information is confidential to the likes of trespassers. It appears as if I'll have to tie you up for the night," the guard said. He pointed the sword at the girls. "Now c'mon! Don't make me kill you!" he said, waving his sword in the direction he wanted the girls to move while putting emphasis on the word "kill".
Tifa looked behind the guard. "Wait... You did say the two of us, right?" she asked, noticing that Link had disappeared.
"I don't think I stuttered, brat. Now get moving!" the guard ordered, pushing the two girls forward.
"Hey, watch it! We're only children!" shouted Tifa, cashing herself before she fell. Shia did the same, stumbling forward a bit.
The guard grunted. "Well, around here, even children can be cunning. You know Kain's kids? They're a good example. In fact, it was me that caught them. They almost got away, but I was still smarter," the guard laughed, grinning with a toothy mouth. He guided them forward and through the trees he had come through.
Link raised his head and watched as the girls disappeared with the guard through the trees. At the last second, he had hugged the ground, pulling his cloak entirely over him, hoping that the brown tone of it would camouflage his form from the guard in the rain and against the muddy surface of the mountain.
"Great," he muttered to himself. "And here I am without a weapon."
Overhead, lightning flashed, and a loud crack of thunder sounded, heralding an even fiercer downpour of rain from the dark sky above.
Link climbed to his feet, stripped his muddy cloak off, and threw it at the base of a tree. He knew it would only slow him down. The boy couldn't believe what he was about to attempt. It wasn't often he had to go against any enemy unarmed. Of course, he'd been through worse before, but not with two hostages at stake. Link searched the ground for anything that might be of use to him. After a while, he found a good sized rock that fit perfect in the palm of his hand.
At least he had somewhat of a weapon, he reasoned to himself. He crouched down low and moved toward the trees, nearer to the rock wall in an attempt to circle around where his enemies might bel. If he could get around the outside of them, then maybe he could get a good view.
Link slowly started to move through the trees, keeping as close to the shadow the wall provided as possible. After a few feet, he made it to a point where the trees banked off in another direction, allowing a clearing to be formed on the other side of the trees. When he got to where he could see all the way through the trees, he saw a flickering campfire. A small structure that appeared to be like a lean-to was helping protect the fire from the rain, giving it life.
One guard was sitting next to the campfire, laughing while the man who had captured Tifa and Shia tied the girls up on the side of a hut that appeared to be newly constructed. Tifa was scowling at the first guard, trying to kcik him as he tied her up. She got a few off on him, but all it did was bounce off of his thick armor.
"You won't get away with this!" yelled Tifa angrily. "You don't realize who I am!"
"Okay missy," the man laughed as he finished tying the knots. "Why don't you tell me exactly who it is that you are, then?"
Tifa dropped her cold glare and replaced it with more of a worried expression. "I'm... I can't... I can't tell you. If he ever found out..." Tifa trailed off, speaking half to the guard, half to herself. Link got the feeling that Tifa had never been caught before, and if her father found out that she was helping his opponent, then he might not be too happy. The blond girl closed her eyes. To Link, it looked like she was thinking deeply on the situation she was in.
Link decided he had to act now while he had the chance to. The girls had the guards distracted, so it was the perfect opportunity. Gathering his courage, he kicked off from the wall to give him an extra burst of speed and dashed into the scene. The guards got about two seconds of awareness of him before they were hit by his attack. Link had chucked the rock right at the head of the guard tying the girls up. The rock collided hard, leaving a bloody wound on his forehead. He collapsed instantly to the ground, rolling limply down the slope until a tree stopped him.
Within seconds of hurling the rock, Link slid into the fire, kicking it and scattering hot ashes and sharp branches into the face of the seated guard. In a fury of screams, he threw himself off of the log he was sitting on and rolled on the ground, rubbing his face and eyes with his gloved hand.
Link frantically searched the area for what he wanted. His heart skipped a beat when he saw it. The glint of steel in the firelight called him over to the sword the guard had used to capture Tifa and Shia. Link ran to it and picked it up. He hastily moved over to the girls and sliced their bindings, cutting the prisoners free.
"Get out of here! Meet me further up the trail!" Link shouted over the guard's screams.
Tifa was too stunned to speak. She stood still, looking from Link to the guards with wide eyes. Finally, it was Shia who acted. She grabbed Tifa by the collar and pulled her away and out of the clearing, disappearing in the trees.
Link had no time to watch them go. He turned around quickly to see the guard standing with his left hand holding the left side of his face, while scrambling for his sword with his right hand. From what Link could see, the guard's shaved face had specks of black all over it, and blood was running down his chin, washing away in the rain.
Taking his stance, Link held his sword ready, waiting for the guard to make a move. With only one good eye, Link figured the guard couldn't see very much, especially in the rain. The man was still moaning in pain, but he managed to unsheathe his sword and, with a shaky hand, aimed it at Link.
"I don't think you want to do that," said Link quietly.
"I'm g-going to k-kil you," the guard said in between sobs.
Releasing his face to grip the sword with both hands, the guard gave Link a fierce look. The guard's eye, which had been scratched and pierced with sticks from the fireplace, dripped blood down his cheek. It ran off of his chin and dropped to the ground and on his plated boots.
"I'm going to kill you!" the guard screamed as he charged at Link.
End: Chapter Eight: First Blood Spilled
