I'm sorry for the delay in getting this chapter up my editor and myself have been rather busy lately. Well any ways here is the next chapter. This is a regular disclaimer, I don't own any of the character from Final Fantasy, and the characters are the property of Square Enix. The only characters that are mine are the ones I create to go into this story. So please don't sue me that would be unlucky.
Ch.7 The Calm Before the Storm
Seifer walked the halls of the castle in search of Rinoa, "where is she? Why does it always have to be such a pain in the ass to find her? How do I tell her that I couldn't find the assassin, how do I tell her he got away?" Seifer thought as he turned a corner.
The thought of the assassin getting away and having to tell Rinoa that he had failed to catch him was starting to irritate him to no ends. The more he thought about the madder he became.
Seifer turned the next the corner "he's not that great. He failed in his mission, was almost caught by her guards and yet I still couldn't catch him" kept running through Seifer's mind.
"That fucking piece of shit" Seifer yelled as he slammed his fist against the wall outraged by the assassin's escape.
Thomas had been heading for the kitchen to grab a snack, as he opened the door into west wing's main hallway he heard someone yell "that fucking piece of shit". "That voice sounds familiar, oh no it can't be" Thomas begged as he looked into the hall to see Seifer with his fist against the wall and eyes fixed on the ground.
"Good he hasn't seen me yet, if I'm lucky he didn't hear the door open and I can slip back out before…" Thomas started to think but never got the chance to finish his thought. "Thomas, what are you doing" came Seifer's questioning voice.
Thomas just closed his eyes "so much for lucky" he thought as he turned to face Seifer "nothing just going to the kitchen" he answered. "Is Rinoa with you?" Seifer asked walking toward Thomas, "no, she's not with me" Thomas answered.
"What? Then where is she and why aren't you with her?" Seifer roared, "I don't know where she is, and I haven't been with her since we arrived at Straum, sir" Thomas explained.
"You have only one job and that's to protect her and you not even doing that" Seifer scolded. "Sir, she is within the wall's of Straum Castle no one's going to get to her here and besides that there are hundreds of soldiers her to watch out for her" Thomas tried to rationalize. "That doesn't matter it's your job to be with her at all times, no matter where she is do you understand me" Seifer went on. "Yes Sir" Thomas answered. "Are Yuri and others with her?" Seifer asked. "No sir" was the answer he received.
Thomas thought Seifer was going to kill him when he heard the answered. "Find Yuri and the other guards and bring them to Rinoa's room. As soon as I find her I will bring her there. Do you understand?" Seifer said holding back his anger. "Yes sir, I'll go find them right away" Thomas said saluting and heading back through the door.
Seifer watched as the door closed in front of him "those fucking morons have no idea that she is always in danger as long as these killers are free" he thought as he turned his sights down the hall.
Thomas closed the door quickly so Seifer couldn't yell at him any more; once the door was closed he leaned back against the wood. "What's eating at him" Thomas thought as he released a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding in. "I better find the others before Seifer finds Rinoa, I don't think he'll take kindly to having to wait for us" Thomas said under his breath as he pushed away from the door and walked away.
In another part of the castle Rinoa walked leisurely with Margaret, a loyal servant of the Tilmitt family.
"Margaret you know Selphie pretty well don't you, you've been with her for quite some time right?" Rinoa pondered of her companion. "I would hope so; I have been with the Queen since she was born. I was her governess and have served her ever since. Why?" Margaret asked.
"Well it's about this ball Selphie's planning" Rinoa started, Margaret recognized the uneasy look on Rinoa face and cut her off. "Your uncomfortable about the whole affair aren't you" Margaret stated almost pulling the thoughts straight out of Rinoa mind.
"I'm just not used to such formal events, but I don't want to disappoint Selphie" Rinoa told her. "Don't worry my dear. Her majesty would never want to put you into an uncomfortable situation. Beside her majesty doesn't really like the formalities of the balls herself." Margaret told her.
"But she seems so excited about the event" Rinoa said a little doubtful of what Margaret said. "She's excited about the preparation, about the fact that you will be there, and the dancing but the formality of the event that she must follow has always irritated her" Margaret explained.
"That sounds like Selphie. She has always loved to put together events and plan them to just to see how beautiful it will be" Rinoa said. Margaret nodded with a smile "that's our queen".
Thomas made his way out of the castle in search of the other personal guards; he scanned the large garden directly behind the structure of the castle. When his eyes finally made it toward the inner wall he saw a group of men walking in his direction from the city.
"Who is that, I can't make them out" Thomas thought as he walked toward the group. He met them about half way "Yuri, Francis, and Brent… great I was just on my way to look for you guys. Seifer's back" Thomas explained.
"We heard, Fujin told us that's why we're heading to the castle. She said that he probably isn't in a good mood." Yuri told him. "That's an understatement he's definitely got something eating at him. He yelled at me for a minute and told me to go and find you guys" Thomas told them.
Fujin stepped forward from the back of the group and eyed Thomas for a moment "where?" was all she said. Thomas stood there with his eyes locked with hers confused to what she was asking. "Where what? What is she asking me?" he thought as he looked at her.
Then out of no where it hit him, "Oh…he said to meet him in Rinoa's room he said he would find Rinoa and bring her there himself" Thomas told her.
"Let's get a move on then unless you want to just sit here and talk about it. I would rather get there early then make Seifer wait for us and give him another reason to vent at us" Yuri said moving past Thomas. "That's exactly what I was thinking, man it's a good thing Fujin told you guys to head this way" Thomas said following after Yuri.
"Where the hell is she, I want to get this over with as soon as possible. The sooner I tell her the sooner I can get it off my mind." Seifer thought as he turned the corner. Out of the corner of his eye he saw people ahead of him, "looks like a couple of women, could that be her" he thought.
Rinoa laughed and when Seifer heard that laughter he knew for certain it was her. He turned down the hall way walking with swift determined strides.
"Rinoa dear, I think someone's here for you" Margaret said pointing past Rinoa. Rinoa was not sure who she expected, but who she saw coming her way caught her off guard.
"What are you doing here? I've been looking everywhere for you" Seifer scolder in angry tone. "What's his problem" Rinoa thought, "I'm talking to Margaret here, what are you doing here?" Rinoa shot back.
"My job sorceress" Seifer responded short tempered. "Where does he get off with that attitude? Wait… why is he back already? Did they find him?" Rinoa wondered to herself. "What do you want Seifer?" Rinoa asked with an edge to her words.
"We found the tracks of the assassin leading away from our camp" Seifer started. "Oh God did they find him? If they did is he still alive?" Rinoa thought as she listened. "The tracks lead into the Forest of the Moon, Fujin followed them to the camp site" Seifer said pausing. Seifer turned away from Rinoa crossing his arm over his crest.
Rinoa brought her hand up to her chest "They found his camp site. Was he still there? Did they catch him or kill him? Wait a minute why is it taking Seifer so long to tell me, he's so full of himself he should be boasting about it. They didn't find him there and they couldn't track him out of the forest that's why he's back so soon." her mind reasoned.
"Well was the assassin there?" Rinoa questioned. "No, he had already left but we did find the place the horses were kept" Seifer started but was cut off. "There was more than just the one?" Rinoa asked. "Yes, there were tracks for three horses" he explained. "You found tracks out of the camp?" Rinoa asked. "Yes, once we found where the horses had been kept we found tracks. I had Fujin follow them, but…." Seifer stopped again.
"But what Seifer?" she asked him, "where are your guards and why aren't you with them?" he asked in a harsh tone changing the subject. "I don't know where they are and what does that have to do with anything? We're in Timber no one's going to try anything here" Rinoa countered.
"Don't change the subject Seifer, what did Fujin find?" Rinoa asked standing her ground against him. "The tracks just ended once they reached the edge of the forest" he told her. "So you didn't find him?" she said looking for his admittance. "How dare she ask me that, what right does she have to question me" an angered voice ran through Seifer's head. Turning his head to look at Rinoa anger boiled in his blood and started to flare into his eyes as he turned to her and roughly grabbed her arm.
"No, I didn't find him are you happy now I admitted it that I couldn't find him" Seifer almost yelled as he pulled her away from Margaret. "What do you think your doing Seifer?" Rinoa asked outraged by the way he was acting. "My job" was all he said through gritted teeth as he pulled Rinoa back down the hallway he had just come down.
"Margaret have you seen Rinoa?" Selphie asked. "Yes ma'am, she was just here, but Seifer showed up a little while ago and dragged her off" Margaret told her. "Do you know where they were heading?" Quistis asked. Margaret nodded "he was taking her back to her room and against her will from what I saw" she told her.
"Did you hear why?" Selphie asked confused as to why Seifer would drag her off. "It had something to do with her personal guards and an assassin" Margaret told them. "I see, thank you very much" Selphie said putting a hand on the woman's shoulder, Margaret nodded to Selphie then she and Quistis headed back down the hall.
"Quistis, do you have any idea what that could be about? Unless it has something to do with the man that attacked her on the way here" Selphie pondered out loud. "I'm not really sure, but more than likely that does have a part in what happened" Quistis wagered.
"How long do you think it will take Seifer to find Rinoa?" Thomas asked looking to the others in the room. "Depends" Fujin answered. "Depends? Depends on what?" Thomas countered.
"On how pissed off Seifer is and if Rinoa puts up any kind of fight about being dragged off. Because I'm sure Seifer will be his usual tactful self when he finds her." Yuri told him.
Before Thomas say another word the door to the room flew open, pulling the attention of everyone in the room toward it. "Seifer you're hurting my arm let go of me" Rinoa's voice called out from the hallway. "We're here" followed Seifer's voice as he forced Rinoa into the room.
Fujin just shook her head in disbelief "that's just great Seifer treat her like a prisoner that's really going to help the matter" she thought.
Yuri looked over to Thomas with a knowing smirk "tactful" was all he said, Thomas just nodded in agreement.
Seifer looked at everyone in the room, Yuri, Thomas, and Francis where sitting on the couch while Fujin and Brent sat in two chairs that where in the sitting area of the living area of the room.
"Good you're all here, I don't know what kind of personal guards you think you are leaving Rinoa alone" Seifer said with a sharp tone. "We're in Straum castle no one's going to be able to get to her here, I don't know why your so upset" Brent retorted.
"So just because we're in the castle we're all safe right? What…just like she was safe when you were standing guard outside her tent on our way here. So you don't need to watch over her right?" Seifer countered. Brent was going to respond when Seifer cut him off "the assassin that attacked the camp has evaded us, he could return to finish his job here" Seifer finished.
Seifer kept his eyes on them as they all took in the fact that the assassin got away and could easily return to try again. "That's why you are to stay with her" Seifer added.
"How you decide to carry this out I will leave up to you, but she better be under watch at all times, understood?" Seifer ordered.
"Even here within a fortress I can't have a semblance of a normal life, I have to have guards follow me around every where I go. When will they just leave me alone?" Rinoa thought as she listened to Seifer barker his orders at Yuri and the others. Rinoa walked away from the others into the next room which had her bed and vanity within.
Fujin just watched as Rinoa walked away as others decided how here life was going to run while she was in Timber. "She has no freedom, no matter where she is or who she is with she will always be kept in a confined space" Fujin thought as her eye moved from Rinoa to Seifer.
"There is more of a chance of something happening during the day than at night. So we will split time during the day in groups of two and at night we will divide into four shifts and each of us will take one." Yuri told the others.
Even though no one was given the mantel of leader of the personal guard officially, the role was handed to Yuri. The other listened to him and respected his decisions.
"All right during the day it will be Thomas and me and Francis and Brent, we'll rotate every four hours to give the other group a rest." Yuri continued. "What about the night shift?" Brent asked wondering who would assigned to what shift.
"I would rather have Francis or myself taking the later shifts since we are more accustomed to early morning shifts. So the night shift will start with Thomas taking the first shift. Then Brent will relieve Thomas and Francis will relieve Brent and lastly I will relieve Francis for the last shift." Yuri explained glancing around at everyone.
"Does anyone have any questions or concerns about this plan of action?" Yuri asked. "When do we start and who will be taking the first day shift?" Brent asked.
"The first shift will start now. Thomas and myself will take the first four hours" Yuri told them looking to Thomas. Thomas nodded his consent to taking the first shift today. "Does that meet with your approval Seifer?" Yuri asked looking toward Seifer.
Seifer nodded "that will do just fine. Just make sure she is always within your sight do you understand" he told them. They all nodded and watched as Seifer turned leaving the room. Fujin got up from the chair where she had been watching the drama play out. As she reached the door Selphie and Quistis walked into the room causing Fujin to pause for a moment.
Bowing to the Queen of Timber, Fujin moved to allow them past. Walking further into the room Selphie looked around, "where's Rinoa, Margaret said that Seifer said something about bringing her here" Selphie thought as she saw no sign of Rinoa in the room.
"Where is Rinoa?" Selphie asked the guards still seated within the room, "she's in the bedroom Your Majesty" Thomas said pointing toward the inner door. "Thank you, you are all dismissed until I have you called upon" Selphie announced.
This statement caused Fujin to freeze in the doorway with her hand still on the door handle. She had been trying to leave without making any noise but hearing what the Queen said made her stop and look back into the room.
"I'm sorry but that is not possible Your Majesty" Yuri said standing up, "We aren't to let the sorceress out of our sights for a minute, that means even if she is with you" Yuri continued feeling very important and in charge with each word spoken.
"Not a good move Yuri, she's a Queen you can't talk to her like that and I know Quistis doesn't like men that try to flex some kind of authority over people that they have no right to. This should be entertaining to watch to bad Seifer already left he would enjoy this" Fujin thought as she turned back around to watch the event about to play out.
"What did you say to me Soldier, are you questioning me?" Selphie asked with anger starting to enter her voice. "How dare he question me, besides to him she is just a sorceress and that's all? He acts like she isn't even a real person. He can't even call her by her name, just sorceress. Well I'll show him" Selphie thought as a smiled crossed her lips.
"I'm sorry Your Majesty there must be a guard with her at all times, the sorceress' safety is what's important here" Yuri told her. "He did it again he called her sorceress" Selphie's mind yelled. "Your right Rinoa's safety is what matters and that's why Quistis is here. She can handle anything that comes up, so once again I'm telling you that you men are dismissed till I call for you understood?" Selphie said almost knowing that he would challenge this again.
"I'm sorry but I can't allow that. Your woman guard what's her name, Quistis? She will not be able to fully protect the sorceress so I can't allow the sorceress to go anywhere without one of us" Yuri said crossing his arms over his chest.
"Selphie has baited him right into the trap with ease she is getting quite good at that, now I will put this prick into his place by showing him who isn't able to fully protect Rinoa" Quistis thought as a twinkle of knowing excitement sparkled in her eyes and her hands gripped her whips.
"Very well if that's how you feel then attack her and prove to me that she is not able to do the job to suit your satisfaction. If you show me that she can't protect us I will take one of you with us but if you can't then you all will leave and not return until I send for you. Is that understood?" Selphie said narrowing her eyes at Yuri as she finished.
"Very well, but if she gets hurt in the process I don't want to be held accountable" Yuri said stepping away from the couch. "You won't be" Quistis said speaking up for the first time. "I have nothing against you personally, this is just business" Yuri said looking toward Quistis.
"Yuri the only one that's going to get hurt here is you, if not physically then your ego will take a massive hit after Quistis knocks you down a peg. Maybe I should warn him about what he has just gotten himself into……Nah." Fujin thought as she leaned against the door with her arms crossed just waiting for the outcome.
Yuri prepared himself with his hand on the hilt of his sword never taking his eyes away from Quistis. Quistis just stood there waiting for him to make his move with her hands still gripping the whips wrapped around her waist.
"Don't you think you should pull your weapon or are you giving up already?" Yuri asked as he pulled his blade out. "Don't worry about me; you would do better worrying about yourself. I'm ready whenever you are" Quistis told him.
"Quistis is pulling at his ego, that's going to affect him, good job Quisty" Selphie thought as she watched as the two eyed each other. "Don't let her get to you Yuri; you have to keep your cool. I have already learned what happens if you don't. What am I worried about she doesn't stand a chance against Yuri he's the best we have" Thomas thought as he watched from the couch.
All of sudden Yuri made his move toward Quistis, but it just wasn't fast enough. In a blink of an eye Quistis pulled the first whip, a tightly woven leather whip with two flexible pieces of metal woven in with the leather. On each side of the whip there was metal exposed which had been pulled up making a ridge that had been made razor sharp. At the end of the whip a sharpened diamond shard was attached making it very lethal.
The whip wrapped around the blade of Yuri's sword and with a flick of her wrist she pulled the blade out of his hand. At that very moment her second whip snapped and everyone's eyes looked up to see her pure leather whip wrapped around Yuri's neck with Quistis pulling the whip tight at the over end.
Yuri looked up at Quistis, his eyes full of bewilderment as the whip restricted his head movement. Quistis gave him a satisfied smiled and Selphie walked up to the whip that was wrapped tightly around his neck. "Any questions?" Selphie asked with a smile as she put her hand on the whip.
Yuri shook his head no as Quistis released him from her grip, "then I suggest that you all leave, now" Selphie ordered. Fujin smiled to herself fully knowing what the outcome would be and opened the door as the four men started walking her way.
Yuri glared at Quistis "this isn't over. I just want you to know that. Next time I won't hold back" he told her. "By all means… And next time I won't give you a chance to pull your sword at all" Quistis countered waving.
Outside the room the other three men waited for Yuri to exit. Fujin bowed to the Queen and closed the door behind her.
"Yuri what happened?" Francis asked looking at him, anger had taken over Yuri's mind "she set me up, she set me up to lose I'll show them both who is the best next time" Yuri thought clinching his fist.
"Yuri are you okay?" Thomas asked after he didn't answer Francis' question. "What I'm fine, I just held back because she's a woman I didn't want to hurt her and it back fired on me. The next time I won't make the same mistake and then we'll see who is better" Yuri said walking past the others.
Fujin just shook her head in disbelief as she watched the group walk away following Yuri "I think that she has already proven that, she not only out moved you in combat but she out thought you by getting into your head before and after the fight." Fujin thought to herself as she too headed down the hallway.
Selphie opened the door to Rinoa's bedroom to see her sitting on the bed with her knees pulled up to chest. "Rinny is it okay if we come in?" Selphie asked with concern in her voice. Rinoa looked up for the first time since she had entered the room and saw her friend in the doorway.
"Oh Selphie hello, I didn't hear you come in, please come on in" Rinoa said sliding her legs away from her chest.
Selphie entered the room followed by Quistis who was wrapping her whips back around her waist. "Quistis why are you rewrapping your whips, did something happen?" Rinoa asked looking a little confused.
"She didn't hear the ruckus outside the door, she must have had a lot on her mind to be able to miss that racket" Selphie thought as she looked on her friend with concern. "Oh I was just showing Yuri something, nothing much" Quistis said wrapping the whip one last time.
"With that whip? You didn't hurt him did you?" Rinoa said pointing to the metal shard whip. "Yes, I used this whip, but it didn't even touch him I promise you Rinoa" Quistis said with a smile. "That's good, what do you call that whip anyway, because it's not like your others?" Rinoa asked. "It's my Guardian Angel" Quistis told her putting her hand on the whip.
"Even now she is more worried about her guards' safety than they are about her as a person". She calls them by name and they can't even do the same for her. It's always sorceress almost like she doesn't have name at all to them" Selphie thought as she listened to Rinoa and Quistis talk.
"Rinny, are you okay you look like something is on your mind?" Selphie asked as she sat down on the side of the bed next to Rinoa. "Do I tell her that I feel like a bird kept in a gilded cage, that I will never know what it's like to be free or to know the feeling of true safety? Do I tell her that I can't go anywhere without looking over my shoulder to make sure that no ones there to kill me? Do I worry her like that or do I just lie to her?" Rinoa's mind wondered as she sat there.
"No, I'm fine I was just thinking about being dragged around the castle by Seifer, I think I'm going to have a bruise on my arm in the shape of his hand" Rinoa said in as light hearted a tone as she could muster while rubbing her arm to add emphasis.
"Well let's change the subject I don't want to dwell on bad things. Let's talk about the ball" Selphie said trying to cheer up her friend. "Maybe your right I need to stop thinking about such things, so tell me about the ball it just might do the trick" Rinoa said with a half hearted smile.
Selphie smiled at her friend well aware that she was forcing the smile on her face but tried to not let it affect her as she carried on. "I have decorated the grand hall and ball room in gold and navy blue; I have Pierre fixing the dishes that I hope you will like" Selphie told her. "That sounds wonderful I'm sure it will be beautiful and Pierre is a great cook it will all taste amazing I'm sure" Rinoa told her.
"I'm sure Pierre would have loved to hear that, especially after the argument he had with Selphie" Quistis joked. "Oh really, about what?" Rinoa asked. "What was going to be served at the ball? After a little discussion they came to an understanding…" Quistis started but was cut off. "Which means that you stepped in to clear things up didn't you Quisty" Rinoa said cutting in.
"We would have figured it out ourselves eventually" Selphie counted, "probably after a couple of hours of arguing" Rinoa joked with a laugh.
Quistis smiled "good, she's loosening up and letting go of the things that are bothering her for at least a little while" she thought.
"Now that I've gotten her to loosen up maybe I can move on to the topic that I really want to talk about" Selphie thought. "You know that it wouldn't have taken us a couple hours maybe one at most" she laughed. "Now let's talk about something more important than my argument with Pierre" Selphie said with a smile.
"And what's that?" Rinoa asked not catching onto Selphie's plan, "Selphie you are a sly one, but don't push you luck and hit a nerve that has just been soothed" Quistis' mind silently instructed.
"Yes there is something very important that we need to discuss. When you're at the ball what kind of guy will you be looking for?" Selphie asked. "What kind of man are you looking for?" Selphie asked before Rinoa's mind could alert her to what was happening.
"I'm not real sure Selphie, I haven't really given it much thought" Rinoa told her. "Come on I know that you given it some thought" Selphie said prying at her friend.
Before Rinoa's mind could stop it an image of the stranger from her dreams enters her mind. "Well he will be strong, strong enough to live with the fact of whom and what I am. He will have dark brown hair that adds a mysterious look to his already rugged features and hides always his breath taking blue eyes. Eyes that can just pull you in and hold you deep within an endless ocean that has strong but gentle current that warms your very soul" Rinoa told her.
As soon as Rinoa finished what she was saying her mind stepped in with an image of the intruder "what was that? Why did I just describe a man that was sent to kill me, why couldn't I just tell her about the man from my dreams, why him? What is happening? How could he be the type of man I'm looking for?" she wondered.
"I knew you had thought about it, and I can see what you would like about a man like that. I was just listening to you and I was falling for him myself. We'll have to keep an eye open for your dream man while we're at the ball, right Quisty?" Selphie said dragging Quistis into her plans knowing that with both of them involved Rinoa was less likely to protest.
"You can try, but I have a feeling that you won't find him and neither will I … until it's too late" Rinoa said adding the last part under her breath barely audible. Quistis didn't hear the last part of what Rinoa had said but the way her spirit fell for that split second told Quistis all she needed to know.
"Something about the man she just described to us brings both a feeling a comfort and of sadness to her, why?" Quistis asked her self knowing this was not the time or place to ask such a thing.
"Rinoa, since we have all the time we want without your guards lets go into town and visit some of the places from our childhood" Selphie said with a smile. "That sounds nice, I would like that" Rinoa said perking back up.
"Where should we go first" Selphie asked, "how about the church, I have a lot of good memories of the old church" Rinoa said. Rinoa and Selphie slid of the bed and headed out the door with Quistis following behind them.
A short black cloaked figure appeared at the edge of General Caraway's camp; its red eyes surveying the camp to make sure it wouldn't be noticed. Once sure that the area was clear the short figure sprinted to the general's tent and disappeared.
"Drake is on his way to finish off Rinoa and my knight is still on the board waiting to be moved in for the kill. This world will soon bow down to me and he will unwittingly be the piece that makes it all happen" Ultimecia thought to herself.
Ultimecia turned her head to the entrance of the tent; her senses told her someone had entered the tent. She was no longer alone within the tent, raising her hand up her eyes glared at the opening as sparks leapt from her hand. "Show yourself now, or this will be the last thing that you ever do" she said with anger starting to creep into her voice.
"Mistress Ultimecia it's me Moetin" the dark figure said as it walked closer to her so she could see the short intruder. "Ah, Moetin I see you have returned to report your findings to me" she said.
"Yes mistress" Moetin said bowing his short body to her. "Did you find the Book of the Ancients?" she asked him. "What was left of it my lady" Moetin told her pulling out a portion of an old dilapidated book.
"Does it tell where the stone is?" she asked. "Yes, it's within the catacombs of the lost nation" he told her. "There is one problem though…" he started. "What kind of problem?" she asked. "The stone can only be retrieved by a devoted knight, according to the book no sorceress or soldier may lay a hand on the stone and retain their life" he told her.
"How will I be able to get the stone then, there is no one here that is devoted enough to touch it. If Caraway goes he'll die and I will lose the figure that holds this army together. If I can't use him, then who?" she questioned no one in particular.
At that moment the two men that she had sent to watch Squall and his friends barged into the tent. "My lady I your pardon but I have something to report" the man with the war hammer said.
"I told you not to disturb me" Ultimecia screamed flinging her arm towards him. A spear of stone rose out of the ground and drove through the mid-section of the man, his eyes grew large and then nothing.
"Moetin bring in the other man, he is standing outside waiting" she said. "Yes my lady" the dark man said leaving the tent.
When he returned he was followed by a large man with a battle ax strapped to his back. "What has happened?" Ultimecia asked him still contemplating her new problem. He looked at his partner held off the ground by the stone spear coming out of the ground.
"My lady, Squall and his friends have escaped the tent" he said in a low tone looking toward the ground. "What? You let them leave?" she yelled at first but stopped suddenly. "Wait this might work to my advantage, if he has left for her then maybe…" she said to herself.
"Thank you, you're dismissed for now" she said to the large man waving him out with her hand. He didn't stand around to ask what she was talking about to end up like his partner, he turned and left immediately.
"Mistress, do you have an idea" Moetin asked looking up to Ultimecia. "Yes, Moetin, I might have found a way to get the stone. Now what I need you to do is go to the mountains of Tibetian to find out the way into the catacombs and the path to take within them. Find out everything you can about the catacombs and the stone" she told him.
"Do you understand?" she asked Moetin. "Yes my lady, I won't let you down" he said bowing to her and disappearing out of the tent as Ultimecia started to laugh to herself.
"He will still aid me in my conquest even if it's against his will" she said to herself as she began to laugh.
Three horses sped across the open range toward a foreign and unknown future, their riders had been following a predetermined path but now they challenge that path.
"Squall, why do you think that Caraway gave this mission to Drake instead of giving us another chance? I mean it's not like we've ever failed before. Why not give us another crack at it?" Zell asked.
"Zell has a good point, why was he so ready to hand over the mission to Drake it doesn't make any sense to me" Irvine said. "Ya, it's almost as if he doesn't trust us to do the job" Zell said.
"Should he? We didn't complete the mission the first time and gave him no reason to believe that we would complete it if given the chance again" Squall answered. "True, but we also didn't give him any reason to believe we wouldn't. He didn't know that you really did have a chance and chose not to kill her for all he knows her guards came in to soon." Irvine countered.
"Irvine's right the General didn't know anything about how you feel about this mission or the fact that you wanted to find out the truth about her. So why pull us out?" Zell asked.
"Because Drake will, beyond a shadow of a doubt kill her and anyone that gets in his way. Remember the Traberian village that was massacred two years ago?" Squall asked. "What does that have to do with anything?" Zell asked. "It was Drake and his men that slaughtered those people" Squall told him.
"Drake led his men into the village to gather supplies; at first they didn't harm anyone but then…" Squall paused as he thought on what he had been told. "One of his men saw one of the local women and followed her to her home; soon screams were heard coming from the house. When her husband ran into the house he found Drake's man on top of his wife raping her with a knife to her throat; outraged by what he saw her husband came up behind him and slit his throat." Squall told them.
"It wasn't long until Drake was ready to leave and discovered that one of his men was missing. He ordered his men to search the village to find him. It didn't take them long to find the man dead behind the house that he was killed in. When Drake found out what had happened to his man he killed both the husband and wife. Then he let his men loose in the village. They killed the men and children first, and then they raped and murdered the woman. Before leaving the village Drake displayed the bodies of the villagers along the road leading into the village." Squall explained.
"My God that was Drake that order that slaughter done over one man, how did you find out about it Squall?" Irvine asked. "Just like the General has someone on the inside of Rinoa's group I have someone on the inside of the General's inner circle" Squall told them.
"So you had an idea that he would send Drake if we failed?" Zell asked. "Yes, but it had not been confirmed until Dart and Shana told me this morning" Squall told them.
"Not to change the subject, but Squall why do you care so much about Drake finishing our mission? If it wasn't us then you knew it would be someone else. Why do you care so much about this?" Irvine asked knowing full well what he had asked of his friend.
"Something happened to him in her tent, now he needs to realize that or no matter what he does it will always fall short of his own expectations. Squall you have to accept this and stop fighting it." Irvine thought to himself.
"I'm not sure, but I know that I can't let her die. At least not yet" Squall told him. "I will find the reason though so help me God. I'll find out the truth about her, me, and what it is about her that makes me doubt the world." Squall silently swore to himself.