Chapter 4 – An Unordinary Trial
Squall arrived at the open arena - just in time. A number of students were already there as demon hunters made their way to the seats
"Right on schedule Squall," said Quistis as she saw one of her students enter. "It's a good thing you made it, since they are drawing numbers to see who goes first."
Quistis held a jar filled with buttons and held it to her student. Puzzled, Squall placed his hand in and pulled out a button.
"Number 30," he said.
"Ah…so you'll be the last one," replied Quistis. "Well, I need to hand out the rest of these so good luck Squall."
Squall sat down on a bench near the exit. It would be a long wait…
However, the wait wasn't in silence. A few screams along with the screeches of what he assumed to be Harpies raged on. Applauding was heard so the first person passed. Later, Selphie and Zell went and only Seifer, himself along with a few new cadets were left.
"Number 25!" said Quistis.
Seifer got up and strode elegantly toward the twin doors that separated the waiting area from the arena. He paused before he opened it. "Hey Leonhart," he said, calling his rival. "I hope to have a spar with you after the finals so don't screw up." Squall simply nodded. "And Squall, good luck because you'll need every ounce of it." Giving a signature smirk, Seifer stepped through the doors.
The doors closed and 'awes' echoed through the arena. However, Squall's attention wasn't directed on the reactions on his surroundings. Holding his gunblade in front of him, he called on his guardian force.
('Shiva, guide me,') he thought as he recalled on the books he had read and all of the fighting techniques and skills that he learned. He once stood with both hands, trying to lift the gunblade and perform a simple technique.
But now, Squall wasn't that child that watched the fighters in the fields and just hoped to be one of them. No, this was real and this was his destiny. He was no longer a dreamer but an actual hunter in training.
Tales from long ago told of Hyne and the final battle he took against the Forbidden. To give man a chance. His sorcery powers prevailed in the end – but along with victory, casualties were made. Shiva, was one of the casualties but yet, even Death couldn't contain her strong spirit as Hyne gave her a form as a guardian. The ice goddess channeler.
'May the courage and strength of my warriors flow through me. Only then in unity shall we banish the Darkness that tries to tear our world apart. My soul aches for retribution but I am not the one to deal it. Along side the brave souls whom have fallen, a new light shall be lit and may the ice consume them.' – Shiva, before Hyne's final battle.
A relaxing sensation flowed through his body as the ice guardian reminded her summoner to keep calm and his mind clear. This was a trial that would be easy, hopefully. After all, all those hours of practicing in the training center couldn't count for nothing right?
"Number 30!" said Quistis. "Squall Leonhart."
Squall stood up and headed toward the doors. Whatever trace of uncertainty or nervousness was erased from his mind and facial expressions. Rendering to that cold ice mask that he had often worn, he entered the arena.
Minor details like each step and feeling the handle before opening the doors were unnoticed. The sunlight engulfed his face as the arena audience came into focus. The familiar faces of the Headmaster Cid and Headmistress Edea were in the judges' box.
A facility member appeared on his left.
"Here is your test," he said. "You have to clear an obstacle course but there are no time limits. However, a time will be kept but nothing will be counted. As you know, your main exam will be in the end. Any questions? ……… Very well, good luck."
The facility member left and a new obstacle course appeared. A blue flare was shot into the sky and he started.
Alyssa watched from the crowds and admired the young hunter's speed. Squall seemed only a blur as he dodged the automatic defense grids and destroyed each with lighting fast precision. However, still as always, his aura was still suppressed and muffled.
"Janna," she said, "His speed seems to overpower yours."
"Shut up," scoffed Janna. "However, his magic levels are still low…" Even though her voice didn't waver, Alyssa could tell that the statement was laced with jealousy. Good naturedly, the cloaked figure watched the hunter continue and cheered him silently.
He would prove himself to be an interesting opponent but too bad that he had to be eliminated so soon. Although they would all meet the same fate in the end… Death. For some reason, the Mistress wanted Leonhart to be eliminated first along with Almasy.
Almasy… He used extraordinary magical talents that could be compared to a Sorcerer or Sorceress. Lord Draken had a wife whom was a Sorceress but died in childbirth. However, the child was taken away and hidden.
Could it be possible that Seifer Almasy was that child?
Alyssa frowned as her attention was drawn back to Leonhart. It could be possible but it was Draken's business…not hers.
"Look at Squall Leonhart go!" said Xu into the microphone. "Clearing the early obstacles with ease, it seems that Almasy has some competition."
Squall ignored the commentaries, which he thought, weren't necessary during an exam. Judging the distance of the course, he knew that the end was near. A zapping sound was heard as he neared his next obstacle. An electric fence.
Sheathing his gunblade, Squall ran toward it and flew into the air. However, before he made it to the other side, a screech was heard as a swarm of winged imps rushed toward him from the trees.
('I knew it,') thought Squall as he pulled out his gunblade. At Shiva's guidance, he swung the blade horizontally and channeled a wave of deadly piercing energy that eliminated the imps. Not even a drop of blood spilled as the energy sealed the cut that severed the imps in two pieces.
Landing on the other side, a cloud of sand swept up. The area was clear and not another obstacle was visible but one feature gave it away. A feather that lay on the sand. A Harpie's feather.
Sand shifted away from his feet as he raised the Lionheart and blocked a lethal claw attack from the Harpie. The gunblade vibrated from the impact of the attack. The Harpie's eyes met Squall's and at once, he noticed something wrong.
There was a star around the Harpie's pupils. This wasn't a regular Harpie…
Squall channeled ice energy through his blade and slashed the Harpie away. The Harpie flew back and gave a screech as it disappeared. Looking around and above him, the young hunter saw nothing.
('Illusion,') thought Squall as he closed his eyes and focused on his surroundings. It was exactly like the new finishing move he tried out this morning… However, now the inner energy was unlocked and there wasn't a restraint.
The light breeze that hit his face warned him as he held out the Lionheart and waited. SLASH! SLASH! The blade sliced deeply into the Harpie's claws and legs with fierce precision. The Harpie flew back but at the same time, Squall swung the gunblade back and let go of the hilt.
The Harpie screeched in pain as the Lionheart slashed multiple times and tried to avoid it but the gunblade became a boomerang. No matter which direction the Harpie flew, the gunblade followed.
"Interesting…" whispered Alyssa to Janna, who seemed to be half asleep. "He's using speed to keep the Harpie preoccupied. Ouch… I do not wish to be that Harpie right now, although Leonhart is a cute one."
"Hmph.," replied Janna as she watched Squall catch his gunblade and build up energy. "I am not impressed by these mortal tricks. And aren't you a little too old for him?"
"Age does not matter," said Alyssa with a smile on her face. "Besides, he's definitely talented and handsome. Look, Leonhart's aura remains the same. Are you sure we have to eliminate him?"
Janna scoffed at her friend. "His appearance is of no difference to me," she said. "The Mistress ordered us to destroy any demon hunters who even show the slightest hint of a threat and I am sure that your beloved Leonhart fits the category. Even though his aura is still dim, his fighting skills make him a worthy candidate. Although it's a shame that he will not side with us because Leonhart would probably make a great general."
"So you don't hate him that much," Alyssa said.
Janna hmphed again and continued to watch the match.
Squall grit his teeth as the Harpie's claws dug into his shoulders and the sharp wings wrapped around his body. A small tingle in his head told him that he was in the air and the Harpie was about to unleash a devastating attack. They were going higher up in the air and Squall knew that he needed to break free before the ascent.
Edea watched in fear as the Harpie began to fly in circle. It would only be a matter of minutes before the Harpie would slam Squall into the ground. And judging by the high of the fall, Squall would be dead.
"Cid," she said turning to her husband, "we should stop this now."
Cid shook his head. "I know what you are thinking Edea," he said. "But remember, if we attempt to stop it then Squall would be disqualified. Remember, this exam means more to him then anything else in this world. If we stop the exam now, we may regret it. The only thing we can hope for now is for Squall to break free. He's very resourceful so I believe in him."
Seeing that Edea was comforted, Cid turned back to the Harpie and Squall – who appeared as a blur from the Harpie's speed. Hopefully, Squall will come up with a plan. However, could he regain his bearings while he was traveling 95 miles per hour in the air?
The Headmaster held his breath as the Harpie broke out of the circling and started the plunge toward the ground.
His mind felt numb as the air swept past him. All of the blood rushed from his head, so thinking seemed impossible.
('Is this how I will die?') thought Squall. ('During a trial in the arms of a Harpie?')
The fate did not suite him…
('I think not. Not if I can help it.')
A blue light enveloped him and the Harpie struggled to keep its grip. The human she was carried just turned very cold – ice began to crystallize in her feathers. The descent slowed down.
Squall stabbed the Harpie in the arm – forcing her to release him. Using the precious time that it took the Harpie to spread her wings to fly, Squall flipped on her back. His gunblade glowed blue as he slashed into the Harpie's back. Calculating the drop, he aimed the gunblade dead center on the Harpie and fired a single round as the momentum threw him back into the air. A mystic circle formed on the ground and shafts of ice short out of the ground.
SPLAT!
The Harpie became impaled on the ice as a sickening crunching sound was heard as the second wave of ice shafts from above fell and sandwiched the Harpie. The ice turned crimson was blood poured through the cracks when Squall landed on the flat side of a shaft. Jumping off, Squall sheathed his gunblade. The silence was expected but that did not bother Squall. An uneasy feeling did.
"Well, it seems that Squall Leonhart pulled through the whole ordeal," said Xu into the microphone. "After a nice demonstration of-" She was cut off by a heart-piercing screech as shards of ice flew into the air.
The Harpie pushed itself off the shafts of ice and stared at the hunter. A yellow aura enveloped the Harpie and the wounds healed, as the wings grew bigger. The coloring on the Harpie changed.
('…') thought Squall as the 'Harpie' changed. ('shoot. I never thought I'd encounter one of those…')
A Harpie Queen, one of the most deadly aerial creatures alive. Of course, the Harpie Queen would appear to be a regular Harpie but it changes after a battle. Charging toward him, the Harpie Queen slashed his left arm. The cuts stung and burned – poison claws.
Squall held the gunblade out and landed a few hits on the Harpie Queen. However, he felt himself getting lightheaded as the poison spread. Sipping down an antidote, no effect took place. A gust of wind swept him off his feet as the Harpie Queen soared into the sky and plunged down with a spear attack.
Rolling over, he dodged the attack however, dodging did not help in all cases. Squall hissed as a pain shot through his leg as another attack hit. Standing up as the Harpie flew into the air, he summoned Shiva's powers into his gunblade – making the blade turn bright blue. Leaping into the air, Squall pointed the gunblade at the Harpie and channeled a Blizzarga spell toward the Harpie. The Harpie Queen retaliated with counterattack.
His wounds stung as the familiar feeling of a Firga spell swept over him. Squall blinked as his eyelids grew heavy and sleep seemed to be only a moment away. Keeping awake by the motivation of his personal mission, the hunter called an ice barrier for protection as the Harpie called on a heat shell.
('Aerial Blast,') thought Squall as he saw the Harpie Queen remain motionless for a few seconds. ('If I strike now, I may prevent it from dealing damage. However, I don't know how a Harpie Queen's aerial blast is released. …I'll take a chance then…')
Channeling more energy to his blade, Squall ran towards the Harpie Queen. A fury of thick snow swept through the arena and obscured the fight from the audience's eyes. Screeches and the sound of metal against bone echoed as a tremor shook the arena and blood splattered . The snow cleared and a small crater was revealed. Feathers fell to the ground. A figure emerged from the crater - Squall.
Blood soaked his white shirt and his leather jacket was torn around the left arm area. Numbers appeared on a scoreboard but Squall didn't pay any attention to it as he caught his breath.
Alyssa applauded loudly in the stands, as she knew that the young hunter passed the exam. However, her friend looked furious.
"I guess you are the one who switched the Harpie with a Harpie Queen," said Alyssa. "Furious that Leonhart passed your test? Or is it the loss of another pet?"
"Yes to both," replied Janna as she chanted under her breath. A violet haze appeared in the arena as Alyssa sighed. "He won't escape so easily…"
The scent of demons filled the air as multiple lights flashed and a clan of Death Swarm appeared. Casting Scan on the Death Swarm, Squall tried to come up with a strategy.
"Name: Death Swarm
Level: ????
Weakness: Holy/Certain elementals
Resistance: Physical attacks
Description: Death Swarm are the winged minions of the Forbidden. Often considered as scouts, these creatures present more of a threat since physical attacks do not harm them. Many skilled fighters have fell before Death Swarm for their weak magical talent."
Cid got up and called for other demon hunters. In this condition, Squall was in no shape to take on a clan of Death Swarm. A barrier flickered around the arena and isolated Squall with the Death Swarm. Edea summoned her magic and tried to dispel the barrier but nothing happened.
"That was dirty," said Alyssa.
"No, it was clever since all of his elemental attacks are channeled through a physical attack," said Janna. "However, it is still a physical attack no matter what. So now, he has to use his magical ability to fight these Death Swarm. However, judging by his weak aura Leonhart's time is short since the Swarm will tear him apart. Also, if he does summon a spell the barrier will bounce the attack back at him – causing a massive recoil. Now, let us leave before we are discovered."
Janna disappeared with a swish of a cloak as Alyssa turned back and looked at Squall with concern. However she knew that interference was impossible because this was her mission. And failing was not her style.
'Good luck Squall Leonhart,' thought Alyssa as turned around and left. 'You may need it. But somehow, I feel that you will make it pass this trial as well. There's an inner strength that I see within your heart and it gives you more strength then any aura can…'
The sounds of the wing beats echoed as his vision grew blurry. Squall struggled to stay on his feet as the Death Swarm charged toward him. Physical attacks were useless and most of his attacks were centered on physical ones. Stabbing the Lionheart into the ground, he chanted the spell in his head. A ghostly apparition of Shiva appeared over the head of her summoner as his aura became visible. Unlike the usual appearance of Shiva, Squall's guardian was dressed in armor with a sword in hand.
Shiva raised her weapon in the air and sparkles of blue energy emitted into the air. Then, she vanished as energy swirled through the air and paralyzed the Death Swarm. A wave of ice/wind energy radiated from Squall and vaporized the Death Swarm. However, the energy came into contact with the demonic barrier and flew back toward Squall with twice the power.
'Watch out,' said Shiva. 'This demonic barrier will strike back every spell with twice the force. I have encountered this type of barrier before. If you try to send this spell back, it'll only triple back. It is only a death trap created by demons to have a hunter destroy himself. But there is a way we can get out. However, you must risk getting injured.'
('Injuries are the least of my problem,') replied Squall as he reflected the spell back toward the barrier. ('How can we escape Shiva?') The guardian replied mentally.
Outside of the barrier, Quistis watched frantically as her student gathered energy. This would only empower the ice/wind spell and it will only bounce back toward Squall with double the power. However, not many skilled hunters knew how to escape. And this time, it was a student.
She never felt Squall's aura before but judging by his fighting skills, his aura was potentially weaker since combat was a greater part of his tactics. The instructor saw other hunters enter the arena to break the barrier but no avail. The demonic barrier was too strong.
The only hope of getting Squall out was he breaking through the barrier or after he died. A death barrier only ceased if its victim died. The only way to break out was to overpower the barrier. However, with the greater amount of energy used also increased the greater chance of death.
"Squall!" she called out. "Don't use any more energy! Stop calling forth spells!"
The student either did not hear his Instructor or ignored it because his magical aura flared out. The aura increased five fold and overwhelmed the audience. Even the students outside the arena felt the energy that radiated from the structure.
"Wow," said Selphie as she felt a magical disturbance that sent shivers down her spine. "Is that Squall's aura? Or is it someone else's?" Zell hesitated as he saw a blinding blue aura on the ground. The feeling was the same as Squall's – icy but mysterious…
Cid looked inside the barrier and saw the massive energy build up. He had never seen so much of Squall's aura unleashed before. Were these powers truly what Squall was capable of?
However, like the shining blue aura, the demonic barrier shone as well. This next attack could free Squall or destroy him. But which one will happen? The demonic barrier reflected magic and this was a magical assault. If so, then Squall would commit suicide if a spell as powerful as that was released.
Pain shot through his body as the poison spread through his veins. A ringing sound echoed in his head as his vision grew blurry. Squall cleared his mind and ignored the pain as he prepared for his next move. The swirling sound of the ice grew closer as he placed his hands into position.
DRIP!
Blood dripped from his wounds as his left arm stung slightly from the power that was being built up.
DRIP! DRIP!
Crimson streaks flowed down the flawless silver gunblade as lion engraving seemed to cry tears of blood…
DRIP!
Squall looked up at the storm heading his way. ('It's now or never…')
"Frost Execution!"
The two spells met in midair with a wave of light.
A/N: Yay! I'm still alive believe it or not. This chapter took a little too long to write but it's finally up! *sighs* The past few months have been totally crazy with testing, assignments, and other things. However revisions on 'A Clash of Fates' have been making progress. ^_^ ;
Okay, innocent act didn't work did it? *looks at reader who shakes head* Maybe not but it's been a very busy time since school's about to end in thirty days and hello summer vacation!
Anyways, thanks to Yayo, Kira, and Kikoken for the reviews. In this chapter, more about Alyssa and Janna are revealed and they will be playing a minor role in this fanfic. More about Seifer, Selphie and Zell will be revealed in later chapters (hopefully they won't take as long to write!) and the pairings are still undecided on. However I do have a vague idea on what they will be… In this chapter, Shiva calls Squall her summoner since she is his guardian (also I don't know what the term would be for Squall from Shiva's point of view – protectee? *shrugs*). I hope to add more details later on.
Well, there's still a stack of assignments with my name on them and I better get started. Laterz! ~_^