Chapter 7

Caleb Strife killed the engine of his motorcycle, letting the blackness and silence surround him. He was in the canyon, still another day's travel from his hometown, and had to cross a river as well. Thank god for his uncle and road construction. Caleb took off his helmet, the blond spikes kicking up and ruffling in the late-night breeze. He lifted his head and looked for the lights of his guardian's village. Off to his right hand side, the fire from Cosmo Candle illuminated the rocky, rust-colored walls of the canyon. He faintly made out the sound of rhythmic drums beating underneath the howl of the winds, and smiled. It was an odd sensation—he hadn't done that in two years; since the night he left Nibelheim, and Angel.

Angel… He wondered how she was. He wondered if she knew he was a mercenary now. Caleb pushed the thought from his mind. Even though he had indeed become a mercenary for hire, his reputation was not as grand as he'd hoped. And that was disappointing. He had done a variety of jobs over the past few years, anything and everything with a reasonable price, no matter the client. He did physical labor, he did errands, and he did dirty work. Lots of dirty work. A lot of people hated, and more still held grudges. It was a violent world now, Caleb had discovered. Perhaps it had always been that way, but he highly doubted it.

None of that mattered now, anyhow. The prospect of an actual bed to sleep in made him happy in a primitive way, and he was exhausted to the point of simplicity. Food and bed: all was right in the world. He started pushing his bike toward the vicinity of Cosmo Canyon, letting his ears guide him where his eyes failed in the total blackness. The drums were steady and full, like the pulse of the planet beneath him. The rhythm blanketed him in peace, and he felt his eyes growing heavy and his gait slow. He would be extremely lucky if he made it to the town tonight.

The tranquility abruptly shattered as someone screamed. The noise tore through the stillness of the valley, reverberating off the cliff faces and shocking Caleb out of his half-doze. He raised his eyes to the town, but couldn't make anything out. All he knew was that the drums had silenced. He vaulted onto the seat of his black motorcycle, dropping his helmet in his haste; it didn't matter. As he landed, his foot kicked the starter and his engine roared to life. Barely letting himself settle in, he twisted the throttle hard and took off for Cosmo Canyon. The bike roared in the night, echoing against the walls like the cry of some huge, angry monster. Not even bothering to get off, Caleb gunned the bike and raced up the stone steps to the city entrance and braked by the twin torches, looking up.

Fire blazed across the town square and licked hungrily at the rock walls, trying to find fuel to feed itself. People were running everywhere, screaming, being chased by creatures with wicked claws and disgustingly-long feelers and spears and spikes and nasty yellowed fangs. Only a few Canyon villagers were fighting back, and among them, was his guardian.

"Nanaki!" he screamed over the desperate cries and hungry growls. The red-orange creature turned its angular head to look to him with its one good yellow eye.

"Caleb!" he yipped urgently, whirling as an ugly monster with green slime coating its scales attacked him. Caleb threw the bike into motion, yanking out the broadsword he had clipped to his back. With one swift swing, he decapitated the creature, braking again in front of Nanaki.

"What's going on here?" he raised an eyebrow. His friend scoffed and turned to look at his village.

"Just like your father." Caleb's eyes widened slightly. "The monsters broke through the sealed entrance and began to pour in. There's no end to them."

"Sounds like you need help."

Nanaki glanced back at him: "Don't tell me I have to pay you."

Caleb lowered the kickstand and killed his engine, dismounting the bike. "Free room and food will do."

The creature rolled his unscarred eye and took off, up the steps leading further into the city. Caleb quickly followed, glancing around at the bodies and the destruction. What in the hell caused this? More people ran past, some with weapons, some with belongings. They were starting to flee Cosmo Canyon. The two rushed up the steps leading to the branch off area where the entrance to the cave was located. The metal door was ripped wide open by what appeared to be huge teeth. Pieces of it lay strewn across the floor, amongst dead bodies of the first unsuspecting villagers. Caleb knew he didn't have time to mourn; Nanaki was already moving down into the chamber that would lead them to the Cave of the Gi. He followed and the darkness quickly enveloped them both. They moved as fast as their eyes adjusted to the mako-infested walls, climbing slowly downward. As they descended farther, howls and screams and growls began to reach up toward them. Caleb glanced over at Nanaki, who was looking down into the black abyss with a thoughtful expression.

"Why are they suddenly coming out in such extreme numbers? It doesn't make any sense. It reminds me of that time…"

Caleb noted the drop-off: "The time…"

He saw the yellow orb sweep over to him in the darkness, glowing eerily, like a dying flame. "The time your mother died," he finished. Caleb was taken aback—they had never, ever discussed his mother's death, only how she had lived, what kind of person she was.

"How…did she die?" he prompted after a heavy pause. His attention was totally focused on the red-orange animal; the sounds coming from below didn't matter, and neither did the fact a few monsters were scaling the walls towards them. Nanaki shifted uncomfortably—this was not the place to stop and hold a discussion—and avoided the young man's gaze.

"Seventeen years ago, just after your first birthday, a flood of monsters escaped the old mako reactor up on Mt. Nibel, and headed for the town. Barrett had you and Marlene hidden away, and your mother went to go find you two and take you back to the safety of the town. She was attacked by a dragon, and died protecting you."

His head spun. There was a roaring sound in his ears, steadily growing louder and louder. His mother… it was his fault. Her friends pain, his father's disappearance, everything was his fault; everything was wrong because she had died just to save him. He felt his hands convulsively clench into fists and the roaring grew louder still, driving him mad, insane, angry. So very angry.

"It's all my fault," he choked out as his breathing escalated to ragged gasps. The enemies kept climbing, their hungry eyes fixed on him and his guardian. "Mother died because of me. Father left me behind… He couldn't stand to look at the son who caused his wife's death."

"Caleb—" Nanaki started. The blond man screamed. Everything, including his companion, leapt away from him, staring in shock. He screamed again, his fists shaking with rage and his entire body trembling with sorrow and helplessness.

"MOTHER!" he threw his head back and yelled into the blackness. His cry bounced wildly against the narrow tunnel walls and made the creatures flinch. "MOTHER! MOTHER!" Like a wildfire, a bright flare of energy suddenly licked out of his body and shot down into the montage of enemies below. Their howls added to his own as they disintegrated into a mass of swirling power that pushed itself through the entire Gi Cavern, obliterating everything in its wake. Nanaki could only gape in disbelief as Caleb lowered his head, tears the color of scarlet pouring from his orange eyes, and he unclenched his fists. His nails had cut deeply into the flesh, and rivulets of blood trickled through his fingers and along his knuckles, running slightly down along his hand. He had busted the leather gloves he wore. "Mother…" He let out one final sobbing whimper and collapsed. His friend managed to catch him before he struck the stone ground. Shifting him onto his broad back, Nanaki quickly bounded up the stone platforms, back to Cosmo Canyon. He didn't know what to say, what to think. What had that power been?

Even the monsters out in the village had been burned into nothingness, and the survivors were huddled together in a tight circle around the Candle. Nanaki descended to them, and that was the last thing Caleb remembered. He fell into unconsciousness while eyes still leaked crimson tears.