Chapter 8
Squall stared around at the large city before him; the towering sky scrapers amazed him. People moved around the streets with others towards their destinations. Stores filled with clothing, electronics, books and other things lined the streets. May took his arm and drew his attention back to her and Lony. It was one of the few days that they didn't have kids to watch and they were taking him shopping for clothes. He held onto May's hand as he continued looking around at all of the people and buildings. The sun was a bright thing in the blue blanket of sky. Not a cloud was insight as May and Lony pulled him into a store. A bell on the door jingled and the cool air conditioning of the store wrapped around him.
He blinked and let his eyes adjust to the dimness of the store. May still had hold of his arm and pulled him gently towards the men's clothes. A few people were looking through the store at the clothes and a few of the dressing rooms were already taken. He followed May and Lony's example and started to flip through a rack of men's clothes. He looked up when he felt someone tapping him on the shoulder and smiled a bit and Lony.
"Here," she said handing him a few articles of clothing. "Try these on ok?"
"Ok," Squall said and walked back to the dressing rooms.
Leben City Entrance
Seifer sighed heavily as he watched the people and the buildings speed by. Irvine had called ahead to reserve a room for them at a local hotel for a few days. Seifer had a feeling deep in his gut that there would be some kind of clue here for them just waiting to be found. Squall's gunblade sat in the backseat of the car with Hyperion. They had each taken something of Squall's just in case they would need it. They also had a picture of him to show to the people they questioned. Irvine parked the car in a parking lot of a restaurant and got out. Seifer followed him and stretched once his feet hit the ground. Seifer followed the Galbadian Cowboy in and felt his shoulder blades itch. He frowned. Usually, he felt this whenever he knew a threat was coming but this time… he could feel a sense of relief and… and hope swell in him. He followed Irvine to a table and felt the sensations of hope and relief swell even more. He looked around the room for the source of that feeling but it soon faded.
"Seifer," Jade eyes blinked slightly and he looked up to meet Irvine's concerned violet ones.
"Are you ok?" Irvine asked. Seifer nodded slightly and felt the frown creasing his scar lift a little.
"Thought I felt something is all," he said. Irvine nodded slightly and looked at the menu. Seifer glanced at it as he felt the heat of the flames wrap around him. Amber eyes stared at him from the lionish face behind the wall of dancing, writhing flames.
'Shiva has been here recently,' he rumbled. Seifer could feel his frown deepen.
'She was?' Ifrit nodded.
'I can still feel her presence here,' Seifer leaned back in his seat and frowned down at the menu. He heard Irvine order for them and felt the cowboy kick his leg.
"What is up with you?" Irvine asked.
"Ifrit says Shiva was here recently," he muttered. He could feel Irvine's eyes bore into him and knew that he was asking his own Guardians for confirmation.
"She's still around here… somewhere…" he trailed off and glanced up as their food came. They ate quickly and paid the bill before leaving.
"Let's check in and then start looking," Irvine said. He nodded agreement and felt the itching in his shoulder blades subside. Once they were on the road again heading for their hotel they heard the news. Dollet had been burned to the ground sometime late in the afternoon yesterday. The area around Dollet was a waste land and the fiends in the area were feasting on the corpses. Seifer could feel the tendrils of dread seep into him again as the details were made clear. Seifer silenced the news broadcast and stared straight ahead. The feeling of dread was warring with the feelings of hope and relief and he knew that they were close.
Balamb Garden
Quistis ran her fingers through her hair frantically as everyone was forced to leave Garden. She knew who had burned Dollet and that hospital in Esthar and that train in the Estharian Plains. It was that black eyed demon, the one who wished to revive the sorceress. The Garden was mostly silent now. Only the people in the medical ward were being moved now. The dorms were deserted and the cafeteria lay silent. The training center was devoid of all human life and the Quad was nearly lifeless except for the plants. She stepped outside the garden and stared up at the sky. She knew that in a matter of days the evening sky was going to be alight with the flames from this place. A sick feeling settled into her stomach as she pictured it. Flames eating the garden up like they were wolves tearing into the carcass of a moose or something like that.
She imagined the state of the students that considered this place home for so many years. The darkness started to embrace the world once again. She imagined that Irvine and the others would be sitting down to lunch right about now and prayed for their safety and success. She heard her name being called and walked to the car holding the head master and two other SeeDs. She climbed into the front passenger seat and buckled up. Bidding one last goodbye to her home she watched it speed away in the rear view mirror.
Dark eyes watched in sadness as everyone left Balamb and the Garden. The orchestra would not play here. Fiend blood was a vile drink and he would not enter the Garden to retrieve such a thing. Her voice compelled him to return to the garden that had supported her. He turned and entered the water again to go to that place. Fish blood would have to sustain him for now. At least until he could taste their blood. He only needed one of them to revive her and tear the Raven's body limb from limb. He could see it now. As he feasted on the flesh of one of them there would be screams of pain from the Raven that hardly anyone could endure. The most delicious feelings of dread, fear, rage, and pain would tear through him as he watched her body be consumed by the dark flames of her being.
He could hear the screams of horror and shock as they all watched. He could hear the orchestra playing the background as a much more powerful orchestra took over! He could see the flames dancing, her body writhing with the most delicious pain and the most exquisite thing would happen! Her skin would peel away from her and her muscles, organs, bones, nerves, arteries and veins would be exposed! The sense of hopelessness would consume everything like the flames and feed her! The sweet ambrosia would quench her eternal thirst for it and no one would stand in her way!
He felt pleasure swell in him as he envisioned it. Nothing would stop him. Nothing would stop her from returning. Not even the Lion and his entire army of lackeys. The Knight would be the first to have his throat ripped out and the Hawk would be shot down. The Owl's quick thinking would be of no use to them and the Rabbit could not move fast enough to avoid her onslaught. The Chocobo's strength and speed would fail and the orchestra would rise and the flames would consume them! He shivered in anticipation. He could not wait for that night to come. And it would come very… very soon.
Squall stared around at the large city before him; the towering sky scrapers amazed him. People moved around the streets with others towards their destinations. Stores filled with clothing, electronics, books and other things lined the streets. May took his arm and drew his attention back to her and Lony. It was one of the few days that they didn't have kids to watch and they were taking him shopping for clothes. He held onto May's hand as he continued looking around at all of the people and buildings. The sun was a bright thing in the blue blanket of sky. Not a cloud was insight as May and Lony pulled him into a store. A bell on the door jingled and the cool air conditioning of the store wrapped around him.
He blinked and let his eyes adjust to the dimness of the store. May still had hold of his arm and pulled him gently towards the men's clothes. A few people were looking through the store at the clothes and a few of the dressing rooms were already taken. He followed May and Lony's example and started to flip through a rack of men's clothes. He looked up when he felt someone tapping him on the shoulder and smiled a bit and Lony.
"Here," she said handing him a few articles of clothing. "Try these on ok?"
"Ok," Squall said and walked back to the dressing rooms.
Leben City Entrance
Seifer sighed heavily as he watched the people and the buildings speed by. Irvine had called ahead to reserve a room for them at a local hotel for a few days. Seifer had a feeling deep in his gut that there would be some kind of clue here for them just waiting to be found. Squall's gunblade sat in the backseat of the car with Hyperion. They had each taken something of Squall's just in case they would need it. They also had a picture of him to show to the people they questioned. Irvine parked the car in a parking lot of a restaurant and got out. Seifer followed him and stretched once his feet hit the ground. Seifer followed the Galbadian Cowboy in and felt his shoulder blades itch. He frowned. Usually, he felt this whenever he knew a threat was coming but this time… he could feel a sense of relief and… and hope swell in him. He followed Irvine to a table and felt the sensations of hope and relief swell even more. He looked around the room for the source of that feeling but it soon faded.
"Seifer," Jade eyes blinked slightly and he looked up to meet Irvine's concerned violet ones.
"Are you ok?" Irvine asked. Seifer nodded slightly and felt the frown creasing his scar lift a little.
"Thought I felt something is all," he said. Irvine nodded slightly and looked at the menu. Seifer glanced at it as he felt the heat of the flames wrap around him. Amber eyes stared at him from the lionish face behind the wall of dancing, writhing flames.
'Shiva has been here recently,' he rumbled. Seifer could feel his frown deepen.
'She was?' Ifrit nodded.
'I can still feel her presence here,' Seifer leaned back in his seat and frowned down at the menu. He heard Irvine order for them and felt the cowboy kick his leg.
"What is up with you?" Irvine asked.
"Ifrit says Shiva was here recently," he muttered. He could feel Irvine's eyes bore into him and knew that he was asking his own Guardians for confirmation.
"She's still around here… somewhere…" he trailed off and glanced up as their food came. They ate quickly and paid the bill before leaving.
"Let's check in and then start looking," Irvine said. He nodded agreement and felt the itching in his shoulder blades subside. Once they were on the road again heading for their hotel they heard the news. Dollet had been burned to the ground sometime late in the afternoon yesterday. The area around Dollet was a waste land and the fiends in the area were feasting on the corpses. Seifer could feel the tendrils of dread seep into him again as the details were made clear. Seifer silenced the news broadcast and stared straight ahead. The feeling of dread was warring with the feelings of hope and relief and he knew that they were close.
Balamb Garden
Quistis ran her fingers through her hair frantically as everyone was forced to leave Garden. She knew who had burned Dollet and that hospital in Esthar and that train in the Estharian Plains. It was that black eyed demon, the one who wished to revive the sorceress. The Garden was mostly silent now. Only the people in the medical ward were being moved now. The dorms were deserted and the cafeteria lay silent. The training center was devoid of all human life and the Quad was nearly lifeless except for the plants. She stepped outside the garden and stared up at the sky. She knew that in a matter of days the evening sky was going to be alight with the flames from this place. A sick feeling settled into her stomach as she pictured it. Flames eating the garden up like they were wolves tearing into the carcass of a moose or something like that.
She imagined the state of the students that considered this place home for so many years. The darkness started to embrace the world once again. She imagined that Irvine and the others would be sitting down to lunch right about now and prayed for their safety and success. She heard her name being called and walked to the car holding the head master and two other SeeDs. She climbed into the front passenger seat and buckled up. Bidding one last goodbye to her home she watched it speed away in the rear view mirror.
Dark eyes watched in sadness as everyone left Balamb and the Garden. The orchestra would not play here. Fiend blood was a vile drink and he would not enter the Garden to retrieve such a thing. Her voice compelled him to return to the garden that had supported her. He turned and entered the water again to go to that place. Fish blood would have to sustain him for now. At least until he could taste their blood. He only needed one of them to revive her and tear the Raven's body limb from limb. He could see it now. As he feasted on the flesh of one of them there would be screams of pain from the Raven that hardly anyone could endure. The most delicious feelings of dread, fear, rage, and pain would tear through him as he watched her body be consumed by the dark flames of her being.
He could hear the screams of horror and shock as they all watched. He could hear the orchestra playing the background as a much more powerful orchestra took over! He could see the flames dancing, her body writhing with the most delicious pain and the most exquisite thing would happen! Her skin would peel away from her and her muscles, organs, bones, nerves, arteries and veins would be exposed! The sense of hopelessness would consume everything like the flames and feed her! The sweet ambrosia would quench her eternal thirst for it and no one would stand in her way!
He felt pleasure swell in him as he envisioned it. Nothing would stop him. Nothing would stop her from returning. Not even the Lion and his entire army of lackeys. The Knight would be the first to have his throat ripped out and the Hawk would be shot down. The Owl's quick thinking would be of no use to them and the Rabbit could not move fast enough to avoid her onslaught. The Chocobo's strength and speed would fail and the orchestra would rise and the flames would consume them! He shivered in anticipation. He could not wait for that night to come. And it would come very… very soon.
