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.

Chapter 3: In The End

Chase surveyed the large dome of rock. There was one hole and when he yelled into it, he heard Taea's voice from deep inside. She had said that her and Kidria were in there, and that Kidria was hurt. Now that they knew who was in there and who needed help immediately, all that was left was to dig them out. But how? The rocks had fallen in a way that if one large one moved, the rest would tumble down and crush both of the girls. So the only way to do this was slowly remove the ones at the top.

He looked up at the top.

Fuck.

Kidria slowly opened her eyes, coughing when she tasted rock dust in her mouth. Taea rubbed her back as she heaved. With a final wheeze Kidria sat up, giving a sharp cry of pain as she moved her leg. Her friend placed a calm hand over her mouth.

"It's broken." Taea said. "Don't move it."

Kidria felt hot tears of pain swell up in her eyes but she tried hard not to shed them. She bit the inside of her lower lip, feeling it tremble. She whimpered and covered her face with her hands.

"I'm scared," she finally stuttered out.

Taea patted her head gently. There was no wound there, thankfully. "I am too." She admitted. "But it'll be okay, Kid."

Kidria's ear flicked when she heard something and her eyes focused on the darkness over Taea's shoulder. She grasped her friend and turned her around. Taea's eyes widen and before she drew her weapons she let out a piercing scream of fear.

Chase nearly fell off the top of the rubble when he heard the scream, and cursing loudly when he heard metal slam against metal tried to move faster. Daleth, on the other side of the dome, scrambled to the top of the pile.

"Taea! Kid!" he cried. He was answered with war cries from Taea and pain-filled screeches from Kidria. He instantly panicked and would have slammed his lance into the top to get in if Chase didn't yell at him.

"Don't Daleth!" the paladin cried. "If you do you might crush them both!"

Daleth's entire body shook and he frantically tried to move the smaller rocks away to make a hole for him to slip into. He prayed hard he wasn't going to lose two more friends.

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Delicious red blood flowed out in an almost seductive way from the wound. Pale skin slit like silk under the sharp edge of the knife, beautifully falling apart and allowing the liquid of life to gush freely. A dainty scream as the chest was slowly carved and the skin and tissues pulled apart. A bone snapped here and there, and there! The heart, beating still, trying so desperately to pump blood. Life was fading and yet it was there so...vibrantly. It beat when the knife cut it open. It beat when the knife cut off the pipes. It twitched when it was taken out of the body. Bright eyes widen and there was another lovely scream, but it wasn't wordless. It had words. Words begging for mercy...to grant one last request. Soon those screams died, but another took its place...

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Daleth spasmed when he saw the torn up body of Taea, her chest cut open and completely void of anything but flesh and blood. Her face was twisted in a frozen display of excruciating pain. He leaned heavily on his lance, almost unable to stand. However, when he looked over to the side and saw Kidria, her hair covered in blood he fell to his knees. Two... the sight of this made him nearly faint, the pain in his chest exploding and spreading like painful fire through his entire being.

Chase looked away.

I couldn't look at the bodies anymore. It was too much for me...and only Altana knew how Daleth felt, staring at the body of someone he cared for so much not long ago and one of his closest friends. I felt pain but he had to feel more. What was I going to tell the others? Celos? How would she react to her best friend and little sister's death? I was too scared to find out, honestly.

That's four, now... Halystaru. Fupac. Taea. Kidria. How many more of us were going to be hunted down? I feel like this is a dream...my imagination going haywire. The imaginary deaths. The imaginary bodies. It was so unreal...but so reality. And I was afraid. Sad. Disgusted... I didn't know what to feel.

My heart hurts. I know everyone is going to feel like this when they find out. I half wish I could keep it a secret, but there's no way I, or Daleth, could. They would find out. They would find out that everyone's favorite redhead kook and war-in-training 'supergirl' were dead. Is it only a matter of time until we all are? Who's next?

I feel like throwing up. I feel like dying now. If I was faster...if I acted sooner, I could have saved them, couldn't I? Some paladin I am ... I'm supposed to protect. Take the hits. And instead I was too slow... I failed. I didn't take the hits. I didn't protect. I just...

No. I can't do this to myself. I know Taea wouldn't want me to. I know Kid would hit me for feeling like this. But... if I could have saved them, why didn't I? It hurts... I don't know what to do. Will I be able to protect what's left of us? Celos... I have to protect her. It's almost obvious whatever this thing is, it's after her. I...

"Chase!! Chase!!"

Chase snapped out of his thoughts, eyes widen. Daleth was scrambling to still his body enough to lift Kidria in his arms. Tears were streaming down his face. Tears for Taea and her soul, may she go to Paradise, and tears for perhaps...

"She's alive!" he cried. "Kidria's still alive! Heal her, Chase!!"

Chase's eyes widen and rushed to the young warrior's side, casting all the cures he could.

I can still save one of them...!

She screamed for mercy, one last request. Spare the small girl. So I did. But only out of the goodness of my heart...if, that is, I have a heart. Hahaha...