Part 26:
In the dead of the night, a gush of cold wind blew his sweaty, tense face as he stared at what he had beneath him in awe with his mouth sprung open. His ruffled up icy blond hair blew out of his face as his striking blue electric eyes wide open as they were beamed at the intriguing creature with. He unconsciously, observing all its features, tightened his grip on the creature as it struggled to loosen itself desperately drowning in its own gasps of fear, nearly loosing breath.
The first thing to notice were her tightly shut eyes that twitched now and then, furrowing her thick brow tensely and gasping for air as she wrestled violently, trying to break free.
Her hair as if from heaven, the colour of an ancient mahogany bark on whose blood had splashed on, shinned angelically and descended to earth in graceful spirals. Long hair that covered some of her face but that at the same time made sure her marble-like pale silky face stood out as well by berry colour small lips that now revealed two wide pearly young white teeth underlined at the bottom with little curves and a small unusual round nose.
It's like she wouldn't give up, she fought and fought until she could no more. Zell held her down effortlessly and unconscious that he was making her tired, he limited himself to gaze at the uncommon beauty in front of him that he most surely would never see again.
She then, completely wasted and tired found herself forced to stop. Her thin tense body now seemed to loose life as she took tired deep breaths of air and relaxed her eyelids a bit, but remaining a frustrated frown on her face.
She then, impatient, frustrated, scared wondering why the hell wasn't whoever who was holding her down, killing her or trying to hurt her…
Zell who at this point could only worry about contemplating such a rare sight, couldn't tell what harm he was doing to her, his weight, the light in her face, his tight grip on her wrist and the fact of him having thrown her down unexpectedly and quite violently, thinking it was an enemy, blood-thirsty as he was, anything for him would do. He just wanted to break it down. A good punch and heel drop were what he needed to take his fury out and release the silent frustration and anger inside his guts. But this…this…creature. An electrical sensation made its way down his spine as his heart dropped in excited anticipation and surprise. Who on earth was she! Suddenly all his need to take his fury out on some animal evaporated and was subsided by whatever he felt on this unexpected moment.
She then clapped her hand on her face frustrated because of the intense light that wouldn't give her a chance to open her eyes.
And between her fingers opened her eyes hesitatingly. The most indescribable colour blew Zell's face off. His eyes wrinkled as if they shinned harder than the light. He found himself mesmerized and lost not knowing on earth what that look transmitted through does almond shaped eyes that revealed a mixed emotion of fear, excitement and an unusual wild freedom. She too now observed what she had in front of her…
Zell's mouths wide open in awe with his two sharp canines peeping out mischievously, his energetic, shocking blue eyes, than shinned more than usual and glittered with the torch's light. The whole of his half-lit mysterious face on whose side she could notice a large intriguing tattoo, infiltrated her mind and seemed to take her somewhere distant. And to that trust she had found in Zell's look and the human warmth of his skin and his breath the fear in her had subsided with hope as her heart beat faster to the uncommon image she beamed. Though Zell's mysterious, out going and somehow scary frown could easily put a stranger off, it transmitted a sense of comfort and security to her and in a way provided her with something she though she'd never feel again, making that fearsome look in her eyes disappear and bringing out some hope and trust.
For that mute moment of mutual understanding between them, they simultaneously understood something they weren't quite sure of. They knew something had changed on that very moment of eye contact. And the strangest of all was that no words were involved, only the union of two souls in one look that somehow, they felt had changed their lives…
And despite nothing being said, in that silent time haunting memories had risen undead in her mind, reminding her of the open cuts that still hadn't been heeled. And a painful shivering frown reappeared on her face, making her turn her face and destroy the link that had established between them. Zell noticed what she had felt by one of her little gasps. This made him worry and he then realised what he was doing. He switched his view to his hand grabbing her wrist tightly and assumed it had been his behaviour.
'Sorry…' he murmured very softly switched the torch off and clearing his throat nervously.
He could now hear her slowly get up on her feet and take a step away slowly.
But something in Zell didn't want her to leave. Deep down, he feared never to see her again. She was a complete stranger, but something happened a while ago, when they looked at each other.
And as a wave of hesitation stroke Zell, he reached out his hand and grabbed her arm softly.
'…Wait.' He murmured as he stopped her from leaving.
The girl stood still and waited for him to talk.
'Sorry if I hurt you…Iya…Iya thought you were someone else.' He said shyly in his scratchy mischievous voice.
'I'm fine…'murmured her soft, slightly scratchy yet sweet voice.
Zell frowned, desperate for more words, but he couldn't think of anything. Finally the fatal question that hadn't abandoned his blank mind since his encounter with her…
'Who are you!' he asked brusquely without the intent.
'I-I must go…' she muttered nervously twisting her wrist out of his hand and walking away quickly.
'Hey! Wait! Don't go! Who are you!' he asked, raising his voice as he stumbled trying to get up as he heard her soft footsteps leave the area.
And before he knew it, he couldn't hear or see anything, he switched on his torch, but it was too late. She was gone.
Zell's heart beat irregularly as he looked around for signs of the girl, but she was nowhere to be found. She had vanished.
Zell threw himself on his knees and dropped the torch in despair.
He scratched his head and looked at the white light of the torch, wondering what had he done for her to run from him like that. Would he ever see her again?
Zell's heart thumped with adrenaline and desperation. He was quite sure it had been the first and the last time, just like everything else in his life that would come and go whenever he least expected it. It was just a matter of forgetting her now. Which would be hard for he had never before stared into such deep mesmerizing eyes. And just the thought of never being able to drown in them again was heart breaking.
Zell who was kneeled on the sandy ground, looked up into the sky and silently looked hard into the sky and wrinkled his eyes as he remembered the pain in her eyes. A small tear formed in one of his eyes.
He slowly then paused his hands on his knees and took a deep breath as he bend his head down.
'She couldn't have affected me so much…Damn…' he whispered to himself as he felt his heart now coming up his throat.
He swallowed to take the sensation away and then out of nothing he started to hear something in the distance.
They were footsteps, but they weren't her soft, smooth footsteps, they were heavier, determined and steady ones. They approached him now, closer and closer they came and stopped as what seemed right in front of him.
Zell looked up to the tall strong shadow of a person, and nervously in an attempt to move away, he leaned backwards, ending up on his bottom and pushing himself backwards with his feet and hands.
And suddenly out of nothing there was a click and out came a bright, head-bursting light than shinned straight into Zell's frowning tattooed face.
Zell immediately raised his hand up to block the light and figure out who he had in front of him.
Suddenly the figure reached out a hand to Zell. He wore a black leather glove.
Zell's expression softened as he realised it was Squall in front of him.
'Squall is that you, dude!' Zell said in unsecure relief.
'…No, I'm his mother…' Squall answered back sarcastically, but light humouredly, which was typically his, except for the good mood part.
''Course it's you!' Zell chuckled grabbing Squall's hand eagerly.
'Did you fight anyone yet?' Squall asked as they both walked in the darkness not knowing Zell where Squall headed.
This question made Zell jerk nervously as he felt his stomach tighten
'Errr…No…No, I did not.' He tried his best to forget what had happened, but images kept on flashing in his mind, distorting the way he spoke and making him try to sound convincing.
'"No, I did not"?' Squall frowned looking at Zell oddly.
'Since when do you speak so vigorously?' Squall chuckled.
'It just came out, d-dude!' Zell panicked.
'Whatever.' Squall shook his head smirking.
'Dude, you use that word far too many times.' Zell complained.
'Whatever…' Squall smirked.
Zell just chuckled.
As soon as they both had put long black cloaks and hoods on, Ash led Quistis through the kitchen back door.
He then shut the ivy-covered door softly and locked it. Quistis could now see what the house looked like on the outside: it was completely covered in ivy. They then head down a flight of metal staircase and head through the darkened alley that went up hill.
'The house you live in looks abandoned…' Quistis muttered softly.
'Thank you…it was my intention.' Ash smiled broadly from under his hood as they walked up the little crooked road.
When they had reached the end of the alley, Ash had sprung his arm in front of Quistis as sign for her to slow down. He then leaned against the wall of a house and held Quistis by her arm. He then stretched his neck and peeped.
'Ok, lets go…'he pulled her arm gently as they both entered a new street, a wider one.
'There's no one out here… Are these streets usually so empty?' Quistis whispered.
'Nobody lives here, Quistis…Only me.' He said, looking forward as they walked hastily through the street.
'How come!' Quistis asked.
'The people…they were forced to leave. Sarakman's men evacuated the area in order avoid any intruders or spies. This way, they can catch them easily. Anyone who tries to stop the process is eliminated.' Ash answered with a tone of disgust in his voice.
'Where have the people gone, Ash? I mean this place is huge. They can't just evacuate the whole country.' Quistis said in disbelief.
'That's true. But then, what is impossible nowadays? Quistis, all I know is that the people who once lived here have moved out. Where to? I don't know. It's very strange that all of them just disappeared out of town in a day. They can't be dead, I know they aren't, but there's something going on.' Ash said thoughtfully. But as soon as he had finished answering her, he had sighted someone, making him, pull Quistis unexpectedly into a corner of a door.
'Shhh…' he looked at her seriously and held her very close to him as he covered her head properly.
'Were we seen?' Quistis asked him frightened.
'I don't think so.' He answered confidently.
'Keep your head down…and don't breathe until I say you can…' he whispered in her ear.
'What!' Quistis hissed.
'Shhh…Do as I say.' he whispered.
Quistis looked at him with disbelief, then nodded.
She had stopped breathing, nothing she wasn't used to. She went swimming many times, just that now the tension was different. There was a serpent approaching them and they couldn't breath near it. What kind of creatures were they! Quistis stared at Ash, who she couldn't tell what he was looking at for his hood covered most of his face.
He had stopped breathing completely and remained completely silent and still, limiting to hold her tightly next to him.
She couldn't hear anything and this made her extremely frustrated, so she tried turning her neck slightly to see anything. But soon Ash had leaned his head on the side of hers, avoiding her from turning her neck. Quistis then felt extremely stupid.
She could still feel Ash's head against hers, but soon, she started to feel dizzy and desperately the need for air. She feared collapsing on that moment, which would end up being one more embarrassment for her. She insisted on resisting weakness.
But it was stronger than her, she couldn't take it anymore, her chest started to ache and her brain wanted to blank out.
Quistis then found herself laying her head on Ash's shoulder slowly as she closed her eyes, hoping the thing would just go away and holding tightly onto her chest.
Ash not expecting it turned his neck slowly to look at her. She opened her eyes tiredly and looked at his darkened face as her mind remained completely blank, she tried to go on, but the pain in her chest was so strong she started tearing.
Ash leaned his face in on hers and in the union of their lips; he passed some oxygen to her lungs. Ash's thin lips parted from hers dryly and Quistis who was barely awake, opened her eyes slowly and in a thank you, smiled weakly. Her chest had been alleviated.
Ash once again pushed the hood over Quistis's head and placed his hand on her back comfortingly.
The sound of water drops falling onto a stone ground echoed in his ears. The coldness of the air was felt like a cruel blade in his flesh. The uncomfortable sensation of humidity took over his skin and the smell of blood and fear roamed the air.
The tight rope's fibres pierced his skin and burned around his wrists. His arms numb with the pain of holding his body weight seemed to be no longer useful. And his head leaned against his naked chest, seemed to be too heavy for him to lift up.
His eyes blindfolded burnt as if he had been staring into the sun the whole day and his thin lips were dry and the slightest move he'd make with it he'd provoke the skin to tear and make cuts on his lips.
Suddenly, before he could think of anything else, he heard footsteps. The person approached him and he turned his face uncomfortably as he felt the unwanted presence of someone.
'I warned you, Ja-hei. You left the order, you left your freedom.' Said a slimy voice that seemed horrifically familiar and caused his blood to boil.
'DON'T CALL ME THAT!' he yelled furiously at the sound of his name of betrayal, provoking more cuts on his lips.
'It was your loss…and you must now pay the price for it and your betrayal to the order in name of the Lord of Shadow…'the man finished vigorously.
'You disgust me…' he winced as he felt someone cutting him loose from the ropes and letting him fall painfully on the stone floor.
'Urgh…' he grabbed his wrist and tried to rub them, but before he knew it, two people had taken him brutally by his arms and forced him onto a chair, strapping him to it violently.
'I bet you remember this, huh? Don't say you didn't miss it! Hahahaha!' said that horribly annoying voice made his brain want to burst.
'And look, this was your favourite part!' the voice said as he strapped his hands to the arms of the chair.
'On it goes…' he said sarcastically turning some button on.
Suddenly, Seifer's fingers were pulled into some compartments on the chair and five metal chips for each hand were positioned on the tips of his fingers.
'How deep do you want them, brother?' he smirked.
'AAAAAAARGH!' the sharp metal chips pierced right under his nails causing the most excruciating pain imaginable.
Seifer's body jerked by itself but was held down by the straps around his chest.
'Hahahahahaha!' the man laughed pleased by the pain caused to Seifer.
'Is…that… all you've… got?' Seifer raised his head in fury.
'Ha ha! I can see you've gained a liking to it! Lets go a little deeper! Shall we?'
'AAAAAAAAAARGH!' Seifer winced as the metal chips sunk deeper into his skin.
Seifer at this point felt his hands on fire and at the same time numb with the pain.
'Go on, Leithe, I think you clearing his sinuses! Haha!' laughed another one of them.
'I don't know, lets ask him what he thinks…' and Leithe finally approached Seifer and in a wicked smirk, grabbed Seifer's hair almost by its roots and pulled it hard, making Seifer's mouth drop open as he gasped for air lost in all the physical pain he was being submitted to.
'What do you say, Ja-hei? You want some more manicure? Or do you want to go for the next ride? Hm?' whispered the slimy guy's voice.
'F$#… off…' Seifer groaned between his teeth.
'Whoa…I can see that fury of yours springing through your veins again…and isn't it a coincidence that I was going to use these? Nice timing, brother. Now you can bleed some more than we expected…' hissed the guy triumphal as he now pierced what seemed splints of wood into Seifer's neck and chest. Seifer barely awake due to all the pain winced each time one of those splints entered his flesh violently as all the men that assisted laughed and spat on him, some even smacking his face with leather strips…
'Qui..stis…' he winced softly as a image of her flashed in his mind, blanking out completely to the noise of their cold laughter the moment Leithe grabbed his hair again and pulled it ruthlessly…
Sorry for taking long to write this chappie. I have been quite unlucky in the past few days. Home problems, some rotten marks, work overload (oral presentations! Projects and more projects!) And some depression coming on. Worse of all I have no Cable, no Internet and my computer is completely done for. I think it's irreversible (my dad killed it!-Won't even switch on to windows! Damn!) All in one week! The only thing that has really saved me from insanity in the past few days has been my sketchbook, my fav radio station and my note pad, where I took notes for this chappie. Anyway the summer holidays are coming along and I can't wait for damn school to end! Teachers: die!
It's amazing how life can become so crappie in so little time…
Please review! And one again, and no, I do not get sick of saying this: Thank you so much for reading! Thank you so much!
Special Thanks to:
MafGoldenHeart: you are the best friend I could ever wish 4!
Gothic Rikku: I'm so happy you enjoyed my fic! Thanks 4 reading!
ShaddowRayne: Thanks! Just go on reading! And send in more comments, be gentile though: P
Benzi: Thank you so much for your advice. You know what? You are absolutely right! I'm gonna start working harder on the action parts. After all they are the best parts…
Kaye: Thanks for reading! And thanks for giving me strength to go on writing! I've been hesitant on going on, you know, but when I suddenly got all this response, I felt so happy! Thx