Twisted Temptations
Story by: Kidria
Title Ownage: Celos
Disclaimer: Vana'diel and such belong to SquareEnix, the characters' personalities belong to them and myself, the story belongs to me, title to Celos. Do not steal. I have no rights to Vana'diel, San d'Oria, or any areas/elements belonging to SquareEnix.
Rating: PG-13 for violence, language mostly
Major Characters:
Daleth – Dragoon/samurai, male Elvaan.
Celos – Monk/thief, female Elvaan.
Fxeni – Black mage/White mage, male Tarutaru
Taea – Warrior/ninja, female Elvaan
Ithuthus – Red mage/black mage, male Hume
Robius – Dark knight/thief, male Hume
Marzinquan – Monk/warrior, male Hume
Taija – Red mage/black mage, Mithra
Chase – Paladin/warrior, male Hume
Kidria – Warrior/thief or White mage/Black mage, female Elvaan
Vunebent –Dragoon/warrior, male Elvaan
Takmir – Summoner/white mage, male Elvaan
Other characters will appear, however, they are minor, despite the role that may be given to them.
Prologue: Forever For You
How long has it been, my love? You've been missing for some time...and I began to worry what may have happened to you. Have I driven you away? They said we could never be, for we are complete opposites... they even went as far as saying we were enemies! But the Yin-Yang never said the black and white were enemies...they could be what we were. Polar opposites and yet we overcame the trials and...and here I am. Here you are.
You have been missing for so long, dearest. I missed you. I missed the times I could stare at you and you would stare back, when we both knew in the end I would triumph. Even as you birth all in the beginning I destroyed it in the end...and you never cared. You kept bringing more, I kept ruining it and you never complained. But then you left. You left me alone. I was alone in my own element and I was so bored.
But you are back! And that is all that matters. You are no longer missing.
--Vana'diel, Upper Jeuno--
Was there some supernatural power at work? It was odd for there to be rain on an cloudless, sunny day. But was this city anything normal? Peeking outside she leaned forward almost too much, feeling herself shift and yet did not move to stop it. She kept herself in place by staying still. Narrowing her eyes against the sunlight she pulled back and listened to the falling of the rain, half-expecting thunder and half-expecting the soothing sound to go on forever.
Burn marks scarred the skin and darkened it a deep black; horrified eyes watched the weak healing spell merely make it become crusted, like an enormous scab begging to be peeled off, taking the black charred flesh as well as the skin under it. To leave nothing but bloody, quivering muscles that would dry quickly and the red liquid would becoming dried and rough. Disgusting as it would be picked off and bleed more. The bone would be exposed. The eyes watched as the "healer" began the whole process, peeling off the burned skin, revealing layer after layer of fresh, pink skin...itching to be cut, to be removed and burned. It all ached to hurt. To feel pain and to
She blinked.
---Outside, near the Temple of the Goddess---
"It was horrible...horrible!"
"By the Goddess, what could have done this...?"
"No sane thing!"
Guards desperately tried to settle down the townsfolk, most of them looking disgusted and turning away, others shouting, and the few idiots who wanted to see the body in full view. Celos stood in the back, her hands over her mouth. Chase patted her back, knowing she was going to throw up. The Elvaan swallowed forcefully, trying hard not to throw up. She had seen the body. Pure, disgusting murder! Who could...why would...what... Why one of her friends? She turned away and ran from the site, unable to handle the stench of the rotting, burned body.
Chase watched her go, and shot a look back at Halystaru's body before following her.
The guards covered the body. Bits of burned skin were here and there, but other then that, all of the flesh was peeled off, leaving only the dried blood, muscles, and bone underneath and exposed to the sunlight. The hair was a pass of bloody blonde strings, and the armor had been removed and then placed back on after the skinning was done. The killer actually touched the body after the skin was peeled off. And to the people of Jeuno's horror, the mass of burned and unburned skin was found in the temple, smeared all over the books and statues of Altana. The priests were outraged, the churchgoers horrified and the Duke instantly ordering a search for any clues and anyone who even looked like someone who would do it to be brought to him. Everyone heard and instantly tried to look as innocent as possible.
Robius leaned against the wall of the auction house, taking off his helmet and shoving a hand through his hair. His friends shifted around him anxiously, looking at each other, and mostly at Daleth. The dragoon looked as passive as ever, as if he never heard of the murder, or if he had, it wasn't someone he knew. But looks were deceiving; Daleth was worried sick under it all. Was something targeting his friends, or was Haly just an unfortunate? He noticed Robius giving him a telling look.
To be truthful, Haly wasn't the first murdered. There were several all over Jeuno. In all the cities, actually. The scary fact, Daleth noticed, was that everywhere he and his friends went, there were murders, but as soon as they left, the killing stopped. Was someone following him, or was it pure coincidence? As much as he hoped it was the latter...
"I haven't seen her around, recently," Robius said, smoothly, to Daleth. "I hope she's all right."
"Sagome?" the dragoon asked.
"Daleth." was the last thing Robius said, in a sort of warning tone, before he turned and stalked off, placing on his helmet. The Elvaan sighed. There were too many "hers" they both knew and haven't seen around. Who was he implying? Or was it all of them?
He had seen Sagome and Celos around. Celos was throwing up over the side of the airship docks, and Sagome had run off to hide in her Rent-a-Room, where Robius was only half-confident that she was safe. There were only two other females he was worried about, really. One of them he had seen leave Jeuno...so...she was safe. But the other was here, getting stronger so she could join him on the more dangerous quests.
He hadn't seen her for days. In fact, he hadn't seen her even before the murder. He felt his heart quickened but calmed down. She was a fighter, after all, with her own dose of magic in her...she would be all right. Still. It wouldn't hurt to check.
The rope tightened, cutting off the airway and stopping any sounds. A secret whisper, soothing and menacing, ringed in the thick silence. A gasping mouth tried desperately to scream, to cast a warning. It hurt to not breathe. The feeling of blood rose up the throat, and because of the rope, could not pass though. It gathered in the throat, feeling as if it would combust. Trickles of blood fell from the nose, light-headedness engulfing the senses. A numbness...but not, because it hurt.
Daleth cautiously opened the door, peeking in. It was eerily quiet, and dark. There wasn't any sign of life. Did she leave Jeuno, and didn't tell him? No...that would be unlike her. Whether he wanted to know or not, she'd always tell him where she was. It was a habit of hers he was grateful for, and she wouldn't drop it so suddenly...unless she was sneaking off somewhere, but she always left him a clue or a note. Looking all over her rented room he found nothing, only her belongings and weapons. She wouldn't go out without her weapons...unless she was just going into the city. But if she had heard of the murders, she wouldn't...
Oh hell. Kidria would.