Final Fantasy
A Soldier Seeks the Truth . . .
Disclaimer: Don't own the concept of Final Fantasy, own most of the original characters, but not the Gaiden Spirits (Guardian Forces, Aeons, Summon Creatures, etc.) Biggs, Wedge, and Cid. I now own the new weapon Seviata uses too, though I don't have a specific name for it yet. If you have suggestions for a name I would love to hear from you either by a review or by the email in my profile.
"" - Speech
Italics - Thoughts
** - Dreams
// - Dream Voices other than the dreamer
Chapter Three
"LIGHTNING!"
A screech of unbearable agony echoed across the meadows as the electrical magic crashed to the ground. A loud thud was heard next, and Seviata kept her eyes narrowed as she watched the Anacondaur lose all signs of life. Smoke rose form it's charred scales, revealing it was struck by the lightning spell. She looked down at her blade, noticing the creature's blood dripping from the tip into the mud on the ground. A smile appeared on her face, because it wasn't the same blade she had used during the assault on Vistalonis.
The sword now suited her style, yet still maintained the old capabilities of her old gunblade. The blade was longer and curved different so as it reached the tip it grew smaller and smaller. There was still an eyepiece attached which allowed her to see and capture magic spells, but now it was a hexagon shape instead of the circular shape of the old one. On the barrel section, a pair of black dragon like wings hid the barrel, and on the underside were four loading points for bullets or other launch weapons. Finally, the handle was curved below and behind the barrel so that the weapon itself could easily be attached to her left arm.
"Gotta like a sword that's always attached to your wrist." she said to herself twisting her arm back and forth. "Keeps it from getting away from me."
Suddenly another cry of battle was emitted, and Seviata quickly spun around to face the other monster they were up against: the large Buel. She prepared herself to face the creature, but found defeat had already been served to it as she witnessed its descent into the mud, becoming a lifeless mass like the Anacondaur. Seviata watched the Buel for a moment before looking up to see Azelis with a large grin on his face, holding his whip handle and letting the weapon hang behind him.
"Nothing like killing a couple monsters to get the blood flowing, right?"
Seviata frowned and narrowed her eyes. She knew he was trying to be friendly again so he could get more information for his article in progress. She also had realized he wanted to be friends with her truly, but she knew she wasn't interested in opening up and allowing his friendship to seep in. She snorted before turning and walking in the direction they were originally heading without saying a word to her travel companion.
It's been three days since I left for Ilincia. It's time like this when I wish there was a running train from there to Vistalonis, then back again, but then again it's hard when the tracks are being repaired due to the freak monster attack. Speaking of the monsters, they seem to be increasing by the day, and some of them I've never even seen before. Though I wouldn't admit it to his face, Azelis seems to be fairly skilled in battle. I wonder if he has any Gaiden Spirits . . .
"Hey! Wait up!"
Stopping and groaning in frustration, Seviata waited a moment or two until the journalist caught up to the young S.P.I.R.I.T. soldier. She shifted her leg onto her right leg as she placed the hand of the same side onto her hip. When he finally stopped beside her, Azelis smiled again as he began to wrap up his whip.
"What is with you?" he demanded.
"What the hell are you talking about?" Seviata demanded. Her facial expression changed from slightly annoyed to fairly aggravated.
"You're not really much of one to socialize much."
Seviata suddenly started to chuckle, amused by obviousness of the comment made about her. She lifted her blade and rested the edge against both of her shoulder protectors before frowning once again to make her case. Her eyes narrowed until she portrayed her trademark facial expression, which immediately made Azelis nervous seeing as he didn't know her well enough to be able to know what was to come with it.
"The hell I am." she declared. "I don't want any friends, no matter who comes along and crosses my path. All people get in my way and it aggravates me to the point where I just want to give them the same fate as that Buel and Anacondaur back there."
"You're won't be able to make it much further in life if you don't learn to accept friends and open up." Azelis commented, sliding his rolled up whip onto his left shoulder. "In a world like this, you've got to have someone to fall back on."
"So then tell me Azelis," Seviata smiled, she hoped she could trap him in a corner. "Who do you have to fall back on in times of crisis?"
Azelis immediately paused for a moment, not really expecting the question so he wasn't quite able to think of an answer right away. Smirking and proud of herself, Seviata began to walk away once more along the grassy meadow, past the slain beats as her boot stepped into a small puddle of the Buel's blood before stepping into a puddle of water that cleaned off the life giving red liquid. Azelis finally came running to her a moment later while he was digging in all of his pockets.
"What are you looking for now? A camera?" Sevaita rudely demanded. "I don't do pictures."
Shaking his head, Azelis began to chuckle as the two stopped at the summit of a large hill over looking a nearby forested area and mountain range. Finally discovering what he was searching for, he pulled out the object to reveal a glittering topaz crystal carved into the shape of a thunderbolt. He tossed it up and down in the air, though Seviata seemed to reveal no signs of being impressed.
"You rely on a Gaiden Spirit?"
"So? You seem to rely on yours a lot . . .Leviathan the water serpent, isn't it?"
"Leviathan is the only ally I need in this lifetime." Looking down at the blue raindrop, Seviata's eyes closed as she continued to speak. "I know he would never turn on me, unlike what I consider the practical nature of humanity. We've been like partners since I first started my training at S.P.I.R.I.T. Academy."
"Well there's something we have in common." Azelis couldn't help but simple again. Maybe he finally made a breakthrough with her. "My Gaiden Spirit is Quezacotl, the bird of lightning, and I've had him for nearly ten years now. He's a family heirloom by my understanding and according to my grandmother."
"Did I ask to listen to your life story?"
Slipping the gem back into her pocket, Sevaita turned away from Azelis and resumed her trek toward the city of Ilincia. She found herself slightly annoyed when she saw that Azelis was wasting no time in catching up to her in order to continuing traveling with her. A groan of frustration escaped from her mouth; she knew she wasn't going to be getting rid of him that easily.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
Some time passed and the sun had completed its daily visit to the land, allowing it to set in the west and allowing the moon to rise. Knowing it would be pointless to venture forward in the dark, Azelis suggested to Seviata that they break camp for the night. After starting what soon became a roaring fire, the two removed anything bulky and pitched their tents. Seviata was down to her pants, shirt, weapons and boots, while Azelis had only removed his jacket and whip. After coming out of her tent, Seviata found a spot to sit down right in front of her temporary lodging. In her right hand, her fingers were seen clutching a thin book with blue hardback covering. It appeared fairly old.
"Tomorrow we'll keep moving toward Ilincia," she stated, pulling over a random stick after putting the book down beside her. "We should see the lights of the city sometime tomorrow night. You can't miss them at all."
"Sounds good." replied Azelis.
"If all goes according to plan I'll be able to complete my mission that night too, then we can start back to Vistalonis and you can finally leave me be."
The journalist frowned at the comment, sad that Seviata was going out of her way to be so cold. He was only doing his job after all; researching the information needed to write a story that would help to inform the population. He realized though, that she was right too. Once she was finished with her mission she would go back to the Academy and all of the information gathering on his part would be over.
"If you say so," he said.
"I know so reporter."
He let out another sigh, realizing it was going to possibly be another long night with the young S.P.I.R.I.T. soldier. Pulling his knees up to his chest and holding them tightly in his arms, he looked around their campsite for something to do to pass the time. Seviata had picked a small spot at the base of the nearby cliffs. When he questioned her choice earlier, she gave him the response that monsters rarely dwelled by the cliffs in question. He knew not to question her knowledge of the terrain, especially since she was an elite member of S.P.I.R.I.T. and he was just a reporter without much wilderness survival knowledge.
"So we should get some sleep. I'll stand watch incase that off record monster decides to wander into this area. Leviathan will dispatch it easily, especially since nothing around here is immune to water."
"I guess, though shouldn't I be doing my share around here since I'm traveling with you?"
"I don't want you in my way. You'll only botch things up."
"What makes you think that?"
"Everyone else does."
Shooting a glare in his direction, Seviata smiled afterward when she witnessed Azelis quickly closing his mouth to be quiet. She smiled, though her eyes were narrowed so it wasn't a warm one at all. Silence engulfed the two once more after that, and neither thought to make the first piece of conversation vocal in fear or disapproval of the other speaking afterward. Fed up with doing nothing Seviata finally rose from the ground after grabbing her book, brushing the dirt off of her pants.
"Fine, you keep watch . . ."
Azeliz nodded in agreement, thankful inside that she was giving him a chance to prove his worth to the journey to Ilincia. Picking up his whip and GS crystal, he nodded to her and headed off to patrol the area around the campsite. When he was gone, Sevaita turned and wandered over to her tent, entering it and finding a place to sit down on her sleeping bag.
"Guess now would be the time to relax and read my favorite legend . . ." she thought.
She placed her book in her lap, opening it up to a page with a black bookmark placed inside. Removing it and placing it on the ground beside her, she smiled as she continued to read where she left off.
"The legend of the Four Sovereigns, is an ancient and significant one to those who discard the scientific belief toward the creation of this world we live in. Before the very moment of existence, there were only four entities in a world of nothing. There were no trees, no animals, and no sky, not even a ground to stand upon. Their world was barren, made up of only the four of them, and a powerful force called Tanjou. This power existed all around them, and it was what kept them alive."
"Soon, the four felt lonely and cold, due to their eternity of drifting and living in their empty world filled only with magic. So Toki, the Sovereign of Time, listened as the other three discussed a desire to create a new world, one where they could bring forth the many ideas for beings that dwelled within their minds. When they asked her about the idea, Toki was more than pleased, happy that the three before her wished to share their power and create a wondrous new world."
As she read on into the legend, she found that fatigue was slowly consuming her mind. A yawn escaped her mouth and it helped her to realize that she needed to get some sleep, especially if she was going to arrive at and complete her mission in Ilincia the next night. Placing the bookmark back into the book before closing it, she fell backwards with her head landing on her pillow. She couldn't remember hitting it though, for sleep consumed her completely beforehand.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
* Rain seemed to be falling, coming from the pure black skies above her head. Seviata's eyes slowly opened, finding she was lying upon the ground in the mud. She slowly pulled herself up from it and climbed onto her feet, where a sudden spell of dizziness overcame her. Her eyes took a minute to adjust, but when they were in clear focus, a gasp escaped her lips upon seeing her location: the caves behind her village of Hebitaria.
"Why am I back here . . .?" she thought to herself.
//Beware . . .//
"Who said that?"
The echoing voice caught her off guard, causing her to shift her head quickly back and forth from side to side. Seviata could feel tiny beads of sweat appearing on the side of her forehead. A cold breeze flew up her spine and caused her to wrap her arms around her body. When she began hearing the sounds of children giggling and shouting to each other, a sense of fear soon enveloped her entirely.
//When the most vulnerable becomes tainted beyond rectification . . .//
A flash of light suddenly flew out from the entrance to the cave, lighting up the entire surrounding forest and the scattered clouds floating by slowly in the sky. Sevaita was forced to cover her eyes at the sudden burst of illumination, but she removed the arm from her face upon the disappearance of the light's existence. She slowly made her way toward the entrance of the came, poking her head inside before cautiously entering.
"What could be in there . . ." *
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
Slowly stirring in her sleeping bag, a thin stream of light slowly crept into the tent and fell upon Seviata's face. She groaned at the new presence, forcing her heavy eyelids upward so her eyes could look around her surroundings. A yawn escaped her mouth as she rose into a sitting position. Bringing her hands up to her face, she rubbed her eyes with one and pulled the fingers of the other through her slightly messed up hair.
"What a strange dream . . ." she thought, dragging over her backpack and pulling out a brush. "What does it mean though? When what becomes tainted beyond rectification? What is the most vulnerable?"
Pulling the bristles through her jet-black hair, Seviata allowed another yawn to escape her mouth. A few seconds later, she tossed the brush back into her bags and immediately began to get ready to leave. The black fabric came first, strapping it on her left arm. She then pulled her metal shoulder bracers on and looped the two belts around her body. Next, she took the third belt and placed it around her waist and slid her daggers into their slots on her pant leg. Placing her necklace on was the next step before pulling on and lacing her boots tightly. Finally, she pulled on her leather gloves and strapped her sword back onto the left arm after pulling her completely stuffed backpack on.
"Time to go."
Upon exiting the tent, she turned around and pointed her palm at it. A burst of fire appeared and engulfed the fabric, completely burning it to the ground into ash. Neither a frown nor a smile could be seen on her face, even through the glow of the quick life of the flames. When she knew the heated element had no possible spark left nor any means to relight itself, Seviata turned away and gasped upon immediately seeing Azelis sitting on a nearby log. He too was completely packed and ready to go. Unlike her predictions though, he seemed very much awake despite the all night patrol.
"Good morning Seviata!" He smiled, getting up and walking over to her. As he did, he fished through his pockets in search of something. When he stopped in front of her, he found and pulled out an energy bar of some sort. "This is good stuff when you don't have time to eat anything. Should give you tons of energy for a while. Well, until the evening anyway."
Grabbing her hand quickly, he slid the bar into the palm and pulled away before she had an ample opportunity to attempt and strike him for the action. She only seemed to blink though, looking down at the morsel of food in his hands. It was probably the length of her foot, though it was somewhat slim. The packaging was pale blue with "Energetic Power Up Meal" written on the top and on the sides. She studied it for a few moments, wondering what she should do.
I've never encountered this kind of food before . . .though I think I've seen Biggs eating them one day a while ago. He mentioned something about them filling you up quickly and for a long while, so I guess I could trust it. If two people recommend it, one friend and one stranger, then I guess it is worth whatever hype seems to be surrounding it. However, I won't give this reporter the COMPLETE satisfaction of being right . . .
Unwrapping the packaging, she stuffed the throwaway plastic into her pocket and quickly bit a small portion off of it and chewed it quickly. Upon swallowing it, she instantly could feel her lost energy from the early morning effects slowly returning to her.
"Hmmm . . ." she mumbled, taking another bite of the food.
"So?" Azelis grinned, hoping the sight before him meant a possible breakthrough in his attempt to build trust in her. "Do you like the food at all?"
"Let's just get going." She made her move to not show gratitude by lashing her hand out and pushing him aside, allowing her to pass and start the next leg of the journey to Ilincia. "We'll never get there on schedule if you keep doddling and concerning yourself with what I think of some stupid energy bar . . ."
He stumbled backwards at the sudden force thrust upon him, causing him to nearly trip over the log he was sitting on before. He caught himself before falling, letting out a sigh as he watched Seviata walk away across the base of the cliffs nearby. Somehow, he knew he was going to need to not only stand by his assignment, but also try to survive her as well. One thought struck him though, which allowed another grin to appear on his face.
"I think she likes the energy bar anyway!"
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
A few hours passed and noon was finally upon the two travelers named Seviata and Azelis. Being that it was the late summer, it was neither too hot or cold for them. They had managed to travel far and make a great deal of progress. Seviata, though not wanting to reveal it to her traveling companion, she was pleased that the two were ahead of her planned out schedule of time arrivals to certain points across the well known terrain in her mind.
"So what's the next landmark Seviata?" asked Azelis.
"It should be . . ."
Suddenly stopping, Seviata looked up ahead and allowed a quick half smile to appear on her face. Azelis managed to catch it before she forced it to disappear, feeling rather nervous about it yet intrigued as to why she allowed such an expression to appear. He decided to look forward as she was, finding exactly what she was looking for.
" . . .Right there."
The stench was overwhelming as the two approached her mentioned location. Not only that, the sight of giant bubbles slowly oozing upward from the mucky waters seemed to make Azelis question the S.P.I.R.I.T. soldier's sanity. The journalist suddenly realized what landmark she was referring to, and indeed that she was serious about having to travel through the landmark. His heart and stomach sank.
"You don't really mean we have to go through . . .do we?"
"Indeed I do." Seviata smirked, stepping forward and looking around. She knew this would either break or make a stronger fighter out of the traveling reporter. "Azelis Porseint, Welcome to the Tziayro Swamp."
To Be Continued . . .
Author's Notes: Whatcha think? Getting good so far? I hope you are all enjoying this story; I enjoy writing it so much. There are no new character stats for today, so I bid you all adieu while leaving a spell list for you to check out. It's a bit different from the other games of course. They're in the order of primary to the most powerful of the groups. See ya later!
Spark, Blaze, Inferno
Frost, Ice, Glacier
Bolt, Lightning, Tempest
Tremor, Quake, Fissure
Aero, Gale, Tornado
Poison, Bio, Virus
Comet, Meteor, Asteroid
Refresh, Cure, Full Restore, Regen
Midget, Froggy, * Moggler
Antidote, Esuna, ** Resist
Bubble, Water, Flood
Barrier, M-Barrier Reflect, *** Wall
Life, Revive, Resurrection
Demi, Gravity, Demise
Sleep, Silence, Stone, Confuse, ****Rage
Haste, Slow, Stop
Escape, Remove
DeBarrier, DeReflect, DeSpell, Death
Ultima
***** Tanjou
* turns people into Moogles
** prevents abnormal status effects
*** combined effect of Barrier and Reflect
**** basically the new name for the Bersek spell
***** The effects for this spell are currently unavailable.