Part 25:

It was almost time; the sun was setting more slowly than usual as if on purpose and the gang's state of mind now was of great anxiety and worry. All they wanted was for it to be dark so that they could walk out and start searching for signs of Quistis and Seifer and eventually find Sarakman's official base.

Meanwhile in Mr. Turroco's house, Quistis looked out the lounge window, gazing at

melting sun as Ash sat on the couch silently and twiddled his thumbs now and then, uncomfortable with the silence between them.

But suddenly, the couch's springs made a noise, making Quistis looked around slowly as if she had waken up from her never ending day dream.

'Where're you going?' she asked curiously.

'…I-I was gonna…err…will you just give a second please?' he said a little uncomfortably.

'Oh, ok.' Quistis looked at him oddly.

Ash walked quickly out of the room and his footsteps faded away as he walked up the kitchen stairs.

'Ok…' Quistis murmured as she stared at the door thoughtfully and then back out of the window.

A few minutes later, Ash came walking into the lounge, holding his wrist tightly and sat on the couch as he reached for the medical-aid box and took out a bandage roll.

'What happened to your wrist?' Quistis walked slowly up to him and sat on the couch.

'Oh…This?' he chuckled.

'It's bleeding…' she stated.

'Remember Irik?' he smiled lovably at her as he wrapped the bandage around his wrist.

'Irik? Your pet? What? Did it attack you?' Quistis said surprised.

'Oh, no…It's my fault. I usually wear a special glove when she comes back, but it wasn't at my reach. By the way she's a Ganahirien eagle, a very rare specie…have you seen one before?' he smiled gently.

'No, only in books. They're absolutely beautiful and amazing creatures. And I believe they used to be the royal family's trade mark, right?' Quistis said in surprise.

'…Would you like to meet her?' he asked, ignoring her question.

'I'd love to…' Quistis smiled enthusiastically.

'Here, you've got to put these on…' he said, passing her a long, thick suede brown glove.

Quistis then got up, expecting him to guide her to where the eagle was, but he continued sitting down as he put the glove on.

'Sit down…' he said.

Quistis frowned and did as he said, then he started making a weird clicking sound with his tongue and before Quistis could even blink, through the lounge door flew a beautiful bird. She had dark red feathers on her tail that would get gold all the way up her neck and a strong smooth black beak. The big bird then flew around the lounge, flapping its huge wings noisily and in their direction, making Quistis's heart race, it landed on Ash's arm gracefully.

'Yathir umji kei…' he murmured at the bid tenderly.

Quistis's brow frowned as she assisted the whole intriguing scene.

Ash then looked at Quistis with a smile and approached his arm with Irik comfortably standing on it.

'Bring your arm closer…' he smiled gently.

Quistis hesitated, but the bird was truly beautiful and she surely wanted to get a closer look at it.

The bird hoped onto her arm and looked her in the eye. Irik had a piercing look in her eyes as if she knew what you were thinking, somewhat intimidating about her. She had beautiful amber coloured eyes that would stand out by the colouring of her feathers.

'She has your eyes…' Quistis smiled in amazement.

Ash just looked at Quistis with a small peaceful grin on his face.

'She likes you…' he said now looking at Irik.

'She's a true beauty…' Quistis said now stroking her.

'Kei ahary teuhom…' he murmured at Irik as she responded with a small squeaky cry.

'What was that about?' Quistis chuckled as Irik hopped onto Ash's arm again.

'I told her she's coming with us.' Ash said as he stroked her neck.

'What language is that?' Quistis frowned.

'It's Haryanne…an ancient language used for thousands of years in Ganahir. It's the kingdom's official language. Very few people use it nowadays. Most don't even now it.' he said sadly.

'That's interesting. Queen Harath died about sixteen years ago. Haven't her children become the heirs of the throne? ' Quistis asked.

'Nobody has heard of them since her death.' He said with an uncomfortable frown on his face.

'What happened to them?'

'Nobody knows. It's been many years… they are most probably dead. The are no heirs to the throne…Sarakman is the new ruler… .'

'Sarakman! He's been your ruler for sixteen years!' Quistis's moth dropped open.

'I guess you may put it that way…' he said gazing at the fire.

'What do you mean?'

'After her death, Ludo Keurst, Queen Harath's husband and father of her children accepted the throne…and Ganahir seemed to be in good hands but it wasn't so…'

'What happened?'

'When he became king…life here seemed to be getting along well. Ganahir hasn't been the same for sixteen years. Sixteen years of troops controlling our every move, of killing the innocent…sixteen years of no freedom and uncalled for deaths. Sixteen years of our lives that we try to forget…'

'That's' awful. I had no idea Ganahir was under such forces! How come nobody knew about it!'

'Ganahir is a forest, Quistis. Seldom have we had visits from other countries or towns. We are a lost community in the Cold Lands... After the Queen's death, we have been forgotten over years. And no longer were we called 'the holly land of the mighty Sorceress and knights'. He said bleakly.

'I thought Ganahir had become a free land after her death. That's' what the books said…but they had no reference on her children…I didn't even know of their existence!' Quistis said puzzled.

'How did the Queen die?' Quistis asked worriedly.

'Some say she was sick, some say was murdered…the only sure thing was that her body was found in Win Hill in a vast farm where nothing grew besides weeds and thorn bushes.' He looked down.

'Win Hill?...' Quistis frowned.

'…and right next to her body had blossomed the most beautiful plant…' he said.

'The Tear Blossom?' Quistis said.

'Yes…a source of power men have been seeking for centuries…but it was gone before they could even blink. Nowhere to be found…' He said.

'What happened to it?' Quistis looked at him with concern.

'The very next day, her body had disappeared along with the Tear Blossom. From night to day, the whole farm had been filled with life, covered in the most beautiful flowers ever seen along with every other plain in Win Hill…' he explained in his shallow voice.

'That explains why Win Hill is rich in flowers and plants…' Quistis muttered to herself.

'To many people it's just a meaningless legend…but to me it's true. The Tear Blossom is nowhere to be found. He will never find it unless he gets his hands on the new sorceress. That way he will kill her and the legend shall repeat itself, just that he will be there to collect the plant and take its power when it blossoms again…the plant's and the sorceress's power, there is nothing more powerful than the two of these combined…if that happens, a Kingdom of Shadow and death shall reign the world until the end of time. 'he said seriously.

'So that's what he wants the Sorceress for? To kill her!' Quistis's voice raised anxiously.

'I'm afraid so. And if he is successful, freedom will be no more. The concept will vanish. We will be under his control until Hyne knows when…But I believe that's why you and your friends are here for…to help us win this war…' he looked at her.

'That's right and we won't rest until we know the world's freedom is at safety.' Quistis's voice trembled.

'Ash, where does Sarakman appear is this whole story?' Quistis asked a few moments later.

'It's a long story…' Ash sighed.

'I don't understand how suddenly he is in control…please tell me.' Quistis frowned.

'Well, to make it short and sweet, he was Ludo Keurst best friend since childhood…and Queen Harath's knight…'

'What a connection… It just gets worse as the story goes on…go on, please!' Quistis said in amazement.

'…three months before Lance Ikham accepting his crown as King of Ganahir and knight of the Queen Sorceress, he introduced Ludo Keurst, a brave soldier that fought for peace in other lands, to the Queen. It was love at first sight, as they say…' Ash smiled lightly.

'Who is Lance Ikham?' Quistis felt puzzled.

Ash raised his hand as if to say 'I'm getting there…' and went on telling the story.

'After meeting Ludo, the Queen had fallen in love. And even knowing that Lance was her knight, she couldn't betray her heart. This love was corresponded. Ludo had fallen deeply in love with her too but couldn't betray his best friend. So, Harath, young and beautiful as she was, seduced Ludo into giving in to their love and ending up getting involved with her. After meeting several times in secrecy, Ludo had made his mind up and decided to face his friend and tell him what was going on…But things didn't turn out as expected…Lance challenged Ludo to a duel to death. And so it was… ' Ash explained, stroking Irik's beak.

'Ludo had won the duel for he was much better swordsmen than Lance , but couldn't live with his conscience. He had killed his best friend and the heir of the throne…so he decided to leave Ganahir and never come back, leaving his love behind, thinking he wasn't wordy of such happiness…But before he left, the Queen desperate for him to stay, not wanting the announcement to be an excuse for him to stay, had no choice, but to tell him that she was pregnant…'

'And he stayed?' Quistis smiled.

'Yes, he did. And so the queen, as the Sorceress that she was, she erased Ludo's suffering, by erasing details of Lance's death. And it would be nice if I could just end this by saying and they lived happily ever after…but unfortunately, the problems did not end there, but grew from that envied love…'

'Ash, it's a tragic story…It sounds like a fairy-tail…but I believe in every word you're saying. But I still don't understand where does Sarakman come in this whole story?' Quistis asked worriedly.

'I told you it was a long story…' Ash smiled softly as Irik flew of his arm and out of the lounge.

'But it's time for us to go…' he smiled gently at her.

Quistis instinctively looked out of the window and realised it was already pitch black dark outside.

'You're right. I guess I lost track of time with such a beautiful story…' Quistis smiled enchanted.

'I'm afraid it doesn't end so beautifully as hoped, though. But that can wait, we should go find your friends. Come, lets get some "camouflage"…' he said getting up and helping her up, walking out of the lounge with her.

'"Camouflage"?' Quistis said.

'Yeah…you'll see…' he said.

'Time to go guys! C'mon! This way!' Laguna shouted out clapping his hands.

Laguna walked over to the couch Selphie had fallen on earlier on and climbed through the window, disappearing and then sticking his hand out.

'Selphie dear, you're next!' he whispered from the street.

'Oh, shucks…' Selphie climbed on the couch with Irvine's help and was pulled up by Laguna with no effort at all.

'Rinoa darling!' Laguna said.

'Coming!' Rinoa chuckled as she grabbed Laguna's hand and Squall picked her up, making sure she got through the window carefully.

'Up I go!' Irvine said as he jumped up and slid through the window cheerfully.

Squall rolled his eyes impatiently, grabbed is Gunblade jumped on the couch and crept up the wall and through the window he went.

'Now where do we go?' Rinoa asked while straightening her clothes.

'Wherever the wind takes us…' Laguna said as he put his hands on his waist thoughtfully and stared down the darkened alley.

'You mean, wherever Zell takes us?' Selphie said awkwardly as pointed at a darkened figure that made its way away down alley.

'Where's he going!' Rinoa said as she slipped her arm through Squall's.

'Zell, dude?' Irvine walked up to him disappearing into the dark as you could hear his cowboy boots bounce on the floor slowly.

'Shh…keep it down!' Zell hissed, pushing Irvine in his abdomen backwards with his fist.

'What's up?' Irvine asked puzzled.

Zell clicked his tongue and turned around impatiently and looked at Irvine with annoyance. Then suddenly gave a malicious smile and winked.

'Give me a sec…' Zell said and ran silently, ducking down as he went.

Irvine rolled his eyes and head back to the others.

'He's got some battle thirst coming on…'Irvine groaned.

'What did he see?' Laguna asked worriedly.

'I dunno…some but he's gonna kick?' Irvine shrugged his shoulders.

'Well, we aren't getting anywhere by standing around…' Squall groaned impatiently as he took step foward.

Zell took slow steps one at a time, down the alley. He couldn't see anything before him, only the fire flies zooming around him. Zell then reached for the torch on his leather belt, flipped it in the air casually and pushed the on button. A much fatter fire fly came buzzing out lazily from the torch and lit up the whole alley. He could now make out what he had in front of him, some ivy covered brick wall. It looked like a house.

'Whoa…' he murmured.

Zell then turned the torch to the right and to his surprise saw a black shadow move out of the lit spot just before he could make out what it was! Zell instinctively followed it. But it had vanished! Zell's breathing hardened as he turned around briskly and scoured the whole alley with his torch. But nothing…Whatever he had seen, was big and couldn't possibly be an animal. It was a cowardly creature whose butt waited to be Kicked, Zell thought enthusiastically.

'This is stupid…'Zell switched his torch of and kept still for a second.

'I'm gonna getcha…he he he…your butt is mine!' he whispered to himself as he took slow steps backwards. He then slowly ducked and reached his hand to the ground searching for a stone or something. He was able to grasp and handful of pebbled and without thinking twice he lift up and threw the pebbles to where his senses told him the creature was. And he was right! The creature had stumbled and changed position. Zell could now tell where it was. And on the count of three, Zell took one big step, bent over and somersaulted in what seemed like a split of a second and was able top flip himself over the creature and land right in front of it, jumping right on top of it and surprisingly throwing it down with him. It was rather small to be one of Sarakman's serpents, he thought as gravity worked on them both.

Zell was literally sitting on the cowardly creature that now gasped nervously and struggled underneath Zell, scratching around on the pebbles.

'Ha! Gotcha!' Zell yelled triumphal as he clutched his hands tightly onto what seemed to be very thin arms…

'What the…!' he grumbled as he clipped the torch off his belt again and pushed the button and pointed it at the shivering, small creature he sat on.

'Urgh!' it squeaked frightened by the powerful light.

'Wholy cow!' Zell's mouth dropped open in shock.

TO BE CONTINUED…