I love you guys! Every review I've gotten have been so nice! Ali and Robin - thanks so much for reading this even though you guys don't have the slightest idea about final fantasy…haha. And as always thanks to WinterSiren for another really nice review (and kick butt new chapter to her story!)
Youth league troops paced back and forth, making their rounds about Mushroom Rock Road. 'Not much farther' she told herself as she pulled the hood of her black cloak over her face. Guado were not normally seen nowadays, especially in Youth League territory. To be discovered now would complicate things, more than that rat of a former summoner already had. Just ahead of her, two ladies atop armored chocobos came to check on their soldiers, causing them to turn their back on the gaping mouth of the ravine. 'Now' her mind screamed, as she sprinted with all the grace and silence a guado could, then slid to the bottom with minimal effort. It was safe for her down here, she straightened up and shook off the dirt and dust that had settled on her black cloak, turning it more of a clay color. It took her a few seconds however, to realize she didn't need it at all, so she quickly shed herself of it, letting the whole of her guado self face the shadows of the ravine.
At last she came to the door, inlaid with ten crimson spheres, each catching the small stream of sunlight and glinting like orbs of red wine. The center hole, however, was empty. Her long fingers reached into the pocket of her faded emerald dress and retrieved the eleventh scarlet orb. Blood red light glows from the markings on the door as it is placed into it's proper place. It opens and the guado girl shivers at the dark of the cavern, and the pyre flies swimming inside. She hated this place with a passion, but there was nothing for it, she had to go in, her lord was waiting.
"Vierda…" She spun around, though only mildly alarmed. She knew his voice, soft and almost too lacking in masculinity. Vierda also detected she and her master were not alone. Another stood behind her, his face and long fingers withered with age. She despised him, turning her people into passive recluses only to hide away in his precious Guadosalam, and at one time willing to let them die and fade away with the trees in Macalania. Her master knew how to restore them to their former glory. He would not lead them in such ways as that old fool Tromell that stood before her. She shot him a look of her disgust and turned toward the shadows. "Master…" "You have returned, successful, I hope."
"It is in the possession of high summoner Yuna, my Lord." She could not see him entirely, but he had moved into an escaping stream of light just enough so she could make out his smiling lips and devious eyes. His lips moved to shape her name, with some strange pleasure she couldn't understand. "I shall enjoy taking it from her, and once I have…" His eyes shut, envisioning something terrible she was sure. "not even Spira's precious High summoner will be able to save them." There was some fear in Tromell's eyes, not that it was an uncommon thing, but something was so different it made Vierda shudder. "Indeed, my lord, not even Yuna" His old voice shook with age and effort. "However, the girl might prove a problem." She had seen this girl that the old guado talked about. She was indeed a powerful fighter, but she wasn't so sure that she could stand against her master when he had acquired the power he sought. "Ah yes, Kerra, wasn't it?". Vierda was eager to please her master, perhaps if she played her cards right, he would give her a place of importance in the new order of Spira, perhaps even queen by his side. "Would you like me to kill her, my lord?" Tromell wasted no time in voicing his displeasure. "I think she is rather too skilled to be killed by such a young, naïve, and selfish girl" She sneered at him, now she knew she didn't like him in the slightest. "No, Vierda…" he placed his blue veined hand on the shoulder of her emerald dress, faded and dirty. Now she wished she had kept the cloak so that he had not seen, let alone touched her tattered garment. "It is not necessary. Kerra is fiercely loyal to the High Summoner." He snickered to himself at what was to come next. "However, she is a bit, unpolished and it vexes her so…It may be possible to exploit this weakness, yes?" The old man's eyes lit up with thought, he knew exactly what could be done. "Very good, Tromell, it should work splendidly." The old guado was not the slightest bit surprised, actually, it was only her that was ever surprised about anything. "Excellent, you may go." Vierda turned to leave the damp cave that made her skin crawl. "Not you, Vierda, I wish to talk with you further." Her heart skipped a beat. Normally she would relish in his attention, just the two of them, but she had dreaded this particular moment. He knew, he always knew and that made her skin crawl faster than the pyreflies dancing, it seemed, to her doom. "Vierda, there is something else, isn't there?" Her piercing green eyes locked to his pale blue ones, and she wished she could disappear, but there would not be so much luck for her. He had her here, as long as he wanted to keep her, there was no escape. "She knows…" her voice was little above a whisper. "Braska warned her." Vierda flinched, expecting some punishment, though she didn't know why. Instead he laughed. "It will make it all the more interesting then, wont it?" A loud sigh of relieve took her, and then she blushed deeply, having revealed her fear. "You have done well, Vierda." She watched anxiously as he drew back the hood of his own cloak, night blue, set with all manner of colors and gems in patterns of dancing pyreflies. Long fingers gripped her waist, and as he leaned in he kissed her deeply, running the fingers of his other hand through her waves of jade hair. "Now go.." his voice still as calm as ever as one of the fingers in her hair, migrated south down her cheek. "You and Tromell know what you are to do." She nodded, still mesmerized, to her master's pleasure, turned and ran lightly to the entrance to do his bidding.
After she was gone, he drew his hood up again. He hated to deceive such a beautiful guado girl, but she was young and impressionable, such a thing was hard to find in servants. Vierda would not betray him as long as she loved him, or believed he did to her, and although it was truly Yuna herself he planned to have on the queen's throne of his new order, he wasn't going to mind keeping her around for a while…. He turned to gaze at the silken sky just beyond the door to his cavern, his den of woe.
"It's been such a long time, my lady Yuna…too long…"
Youth league troops paced back and forth, making their rounds about Mushroom Rock Road. 'Not much farther' she told herself as she pulled the hood of her black cloak over her face. Guado were not normally seen nowadays, especially in Youth League territory. To be discovered now would complicate things, more than that rat of a former summoner already had. Just ahead of her, two ladies atop armored chocobos came to check on their soldiers, causing them to turn their back on the gaping mouth of the ravine. 'Now' her mind screamed, as she sprinted with all the grace and silence a guado could, then slid to the bottom with minimal effort. It was safe for her down here, she straightened up and shook off the dirt and dust that had settled on her black cloak, turning it more of a clay color. It took her a few seconds however, to realize she didn't need it at all, so she quickly shed herself of it, letting the whole of her guado self face the shadows of the ravine.
At last she came to the door, inlaid with ten crimson spheres, each catching the small stream of sunlight and glinting like orbs of red wine. The center hole, however, was empty. Her long fingers reached into the pocket of her faded emerald dress and retrieved the eleventh scarlet orb. Blood red light glows from the markings on the door as it is placed into it's proper place. It opens and the guado girl shivers at the dark of the cavern, and the pyre flies swimming inside. She hated this place with a passion, but there was nothing for it, she had to go in, her lord was waiting.
"Vierda…" She spun around, though only mildly alarmed. She knew his voice, soft and almost too lacking in masculinity. Vierda also detected she and her master were not alone. Another stood behind her, his face and long fingers withered with age. She despised him, turning her people into passive recluses only to hide away in his precious Guadosalam, and at one time willing to let them die and fade away with the trees in Macalania. Her master knew how to restore them to their former glory. He would not lead them in such ways as that old fool Tromell that stood before her. She shot him a look of her disgust and turned toward the shadows. "Master…" "You have returned, successful, I hope."
"It is in the possession of high summoner Yuna, my Lord." She could not see him entirely, but he had moved into an escaping stream of light just enough so she could make out his smiling lips and devious eyes. His lips moved to shape her name, with some strange pleasure she couldn't understand. "I shall enjoy taking it from her, and once I have…" His eyes shut, envisioning something terrible she was sure. "not even Spira's precious High summoner will be able to save them." There was some fear in Tromell's eyes, not that it was an uncommon thing, but something was so different it made Vierda shudder. "Indeed, my lord, not even Yuna" His old voice shook with age and effort. "However, the girl might prove a problem." She had seen this girl that the old guado talked about. She was indeed a powerful fighter, but she wasn't so sure that she could stand against her master when he had acquired the power he sought. "Ah yes, Kerra, wasn't it?". Vierda was eager to please her master, perhaps if she played her cards right, he would give her a place of importance in the new order of Spira, perhaps even queen by his side. "Would you like me to kill her, my lord?" Tromell wasted no time in voicing his displeasure. "I think she is rather too skilled to be killed by such a young, naïve, and selfish girl" She sneered at him, now she knew she didn't like him in the slightest. "No, Vierda…" he placed his blue veined hand on the shoulder of her emerald dress, faded and dirty. Now she wished she had kept the cloak so that he had not seen, let alone touched her tattered garment. "It is not necessary. Kerra is fiercely loyal to the High Summoner." He snickered to himself at what was to come next. "However, she is a bit, unpolished and it vexes her so…It may be possible to exploit this weakness, yes?" The old man's eyes lit up with thought, he knew exactly what could be done. "Very good, Tromell, it should work splendidly." The old guado was not the slightest bit surprised, actually, it was only her that was ever surprised about anything. "Excellent, you may go." Vierda turned to leave the damp cave that made her skin crawl. "Not you, Vierda, I wish to talk with you further." Her heart skipped a beat. Normally she would relish in his attention, just the two of them, but she had dreaded this particular moment. He knew, he always knew and that made her skin crawl faster than the pyreflies dancing, it seemed, to her doom. "Vierda, there is something else, isn't there?" Her piercing green eyes locked to his pale blue ones, and she wished she could disappear, but there would not be so much luck for her. He had her here, as long as he wanted to keep her, there was no escape. "She knows…" her voice was little above a whisper. "Braska warned her." Vierda flinched, expecting some punishment, though she didn't know why. Instead he laughed. "It will make it all the more interesting then, wont it?" A loud sigh of relieve took her, and then she blushed deeply, having revealed her fear. "You have done well, Vierda." She watched anxiously as he drew back the hood of his own cloak, night blue, set with all manner of colors and gems in patterns of dancing pyreflies. Long fingers gripped her waist, and as he leaned in he kissed her deeply, running the fingers of his other hand through her waves of jade hair. "Now go.." his voice still as calm as ever as one of the fingers in her hair, migrated south down her cheek. "You and Tromell know what you are to do." She nodded, still mesmerized, to her master's pleasure, turned and ran lightly to the entrance to do his bidding.
After she was gone, he drew his hood up again. He hated to deceive such a beautiful guado girl, but she was young and impressionable, such a thing was hard to find in servants. Vierda would not betray him as long as she loved him, or believed he did to her, and although it was truly Yuna herself he planned to have on the queen's throne of his new order, he wasn't going to mind keeping her around for a while…. He turned to gaze at the silken sky just beyond the door to his cavern, his den of woe.
"It's been such a long time, my lady Yuna…too long…"