This chapter took a bit longer, sorry. It was just post-Christmas mayhem
and writer's block and all that happy stuff. *yawn* Anyway, I want more
reviews!
(Oh, Navi-Zero--you're quite free to interpret Madi any way you want ^^)
-
A deep, painful throbbing pounded through her skull, bringing her slowly back to the surface of her consciousness. A blur of color and noise only increased her headache, eyes watering violently as the harsh light struck them. Sensing a multitude of activity surrounding her, she decided it was best not to move until she could see and hear without feeling dizzy.
Several minutes later she was able to open her eyes without too much pain. They flickered back and forth, following the crowds of people that moved quickly and purposefully around her, shouting things back and forth to each other. The windowless earthen walls and glaring electric lights overhead implied that she was underground, which was odd, because nobody ever built dwellings beneath the surface; especially not for as many people as she saw here. A few attempts at movement assessed her own situation; she was chained at wrists and ankles and held captive by a shimmering gossamer dome of blue energy that expanded over her entire body. It was common sense to know that it would probably shock her if she touched it.
The slight movements she made attracted attention. "She's awake," Ayame heard the cry, and was immediately set upon by two men and a woman. They knelt by the edges of the dome, watching her intently. Still groggy, she gazed back and forth between the trio, confused.
"Who are you and what am I doing here?" she finally asked, wincing as the metal chafed her sore wrists.
The woman spoke. Her voice was cold, metallic, and authoritative; clearly she was a leader of some sort. "In general, we have more than one name; but the one the palace gave us, the Elddir, is the one you can call us by. In specific, Reldin, Nader, and I, Kirla"-she indicated the two men on either side of her, and herself-"are the three commanding generals of the Elddir's forces. We answer to the Leader alone.
"And as for why you're here, that is simple. Through our own sources we know who you are, and we know who your companion, Liam, is. Your naivety made it simple for us to capture you, and clearly your precious Liam will come after you once he learns of your imprisonment; so we'll have both of you then, and our plans will be complete."
Ayame was silent, contemplating her predicament. Negotiating was a bit difficult when you were flat on your back with your hands bound together. Finally, she decided just to confirm one of her suspicions. "Then just answer me this: who is this 'Leader' of yours?"
All three of them laughed heartily. "Why, Prince Madi, of course. And no doubt he'll be wanting to see you soon." Still chuckling, they left her lying there, vanishing into the crowd.
So it was true. She'd suspected that when Madi had lured her outside to be captured, and though several pieces of the mystery now fell into place, there were more that needed to be answered. Madi wanted to destroy the crystal, so secretly he had formed a fighting force to attack the palace. The king and queen had been forced to create this great army to defend themselves, knowing well that they could never convince the people of Ivalice's clans to fight for them. And while they were occupied with this daunting task, Madi quietly met with Liam and Ayame to convince them to come into the palace and underhandedly destroy the crystal.
But the biggest question still remained: why did he want to get rid of the crystal in the first place?
*
Liam's eyes turned blood-red with fury when he learned that Madi had taken Ayame. Multiple clan members had seen her talk to a mysterious stranger in the corner, then go outside and not come back in. Waves of emotion crashed over him as he lay sobbing on his bed; helplessness, because he did not know where she'd been taken; guilt, because he had not stayed with her, out of anger; and love, though he knew she would never admit to herself or to anyone else that she loved him as well.
Hours later, he rose, dry-eyed and fueled by anger and determination to rescue her. For another hour or so he sat in the pub, contemplating everything he knew so far to decide where she might have been taken. A gut instinct told him she had not been taken to the palace, but to a secret location nobody but himself knew of. But why did he have this feeling that she was now with the Elddir?
A quiet voice at his elbow startled him from his train of thought. It was Peyo, the Summoner. "I know where the Elddir are hidden."
-
A deep, painful throbbing pounded through her skull, bringing her slowly back to the surface of her consciousness. A blur of color and noise only increased her headache, eyes watering violently as the harsh light struck them. Sensing a multitude of activity surrounding her, she decided it was best not to move until she could see and hear without feeling dizzy.
Several minutes later she was able to open her eyes without too much pain. They flickered back and forth, following the crowds of people that moved quickly and purposefully around her, shouting things back and forth to each other. The windowless earthen walls and glaring electric lights overhead implied that she was underground, which was odd, because nobody ever built dwellings beneath the surface; especially not for as many people as she saw here. A few attempts at movement assessed her own situation; she was chained at wrists and ankles and held captive by a shimmering gossamer dome of blue energy that expanded over her entire body. It was common sense to know that it would probably shock her if she touched it.
The slight movements she made attracted attention. "She's awake," Ayame heard the cry, and was immediately set upon by two men and a woman. They knelt by the edges of the dome, watching her intently. Still groggy, she gazed back and forth between the trio, confused.
"Who are you and what am I doing here?" she finally asked, wincing as the metal chafed her sore wrists.
The woman spoke. Her voice was cold, metallic, and authoritative; clearly she was a leader of some sort. "In general, we have more than one name; but the one the palace gave us, the Elddir, is the one you can call us by. In specific, Reldin, Nader, and I, Kirla"-she indicated the two men on either side of her, and herself-"are the three commanding generals of the Elddir's forces. We answer to the Leader alone.
"And as for why you're here, that is simple. Through our own sources we know who you are, and we know who your companion, Liam, is. Your naivety made it simple for us to capture you, and clearly your precious Liam will come after you once he learns of your imprisonment; so we'll have both of you then, and our plans will be complete."
Ayame was silent, contemplating her predicament. Negotiating was a bit difficult when you were flat on your back with your hands bound together. Finally, she decided just to confirm one of her suspicions. "Then just answer me this: who is this 'Leader' of yours?"
All three of them laughed heartily. "Why, Prince Madi, of course. And no doubt he'll be wanting to see you soon." Still chuckling, they left her lying there, vanishing into the crowd.
So it was true. She'd suspected that when Madi had lured her outside to be captured, and though several pieces of the mystery now fell into place, there were more that needed to be answered. Madi wanted to destroy the crystal, so secretly he had formed a fighting force to attack the palace. The king and queen had been forced to create this great army to defend themselves, knowing well that they could never convince the people of Ivalice's clans to fight for them. And while they were occupied with this daunting task, Madi quietly met with Liam and Ayame to convince them to come into the palace and underhandedly destroy the crystal.
But the biggest question still remained: why did he want to get rid of the crystal in the first place?
*
Liam's eyes turned blood-red with fury when he learned that Madi had taken Ayame. Multiple clan members had seen her talk to a mysterious stranger in the corner, then go outside and not come back in. Waves of emotion crashed over him as he lay sobbing on his bed; helplessness, because he did not know where she'd been taken; guilt, because he had not stayed with her, out of anger; and love, though he knew she would never admit to herself or to anyone else that she loved him as well.
Hours later, he rose, dry-eyed and fueled by anger and determination to rescue her. For another hour or so he sat in the pub, contemplating everything he knew so far to decide where she might have been taken. A gut instinct told him she had not been taken to the palace, but to a secret location nobody but himself knew of. But why did he have this feeling that she was now with the Elddir?
A quiet voice at his elbow startled him from his train of thought. It was Peyo, the Summoner. "I know where the Elddir are hidden."