Chapter 18, Eyes on me
Sighing of relief Locke slipped his arms through the lightly gray shirt and easily fixed the buttons. It was a little too silly even for him to think that way, but he felt like he had burst through a cocoon when finally being able to change his clothes into something more Locke-alike.
Figaro castle lacked a lot, more than any other place due to its battle against the empire. But wool was not anything that was highly valued in a flying castle where silk was everyday-wear nowadays. So at least there was one ware that the brave ones in South Figaro could smuggle to their warriors without any bigger troubles. Bless bad bureaucracy.
But clothes will not win a war. There were other things that were desperately needed, especially in military terms. Food was tripping around the borderline of "just barely enough", cacti being used to the outmost since it was just about the only thing that the desert offered. The monsters living there had never been on the list of appetizing stuff and would never be.
Rations could hardly be afforded even to king Edgar's troop, but the Returners had received a little on their journey. It was enough for a day, dried peas and cacti bread. But it would hopefully be sufficient, since the lack of food was the first thing on the list of things to do something about. On Gau's suggestion the warriors and a smaller band of soldiers and hunters from the castle would fly to the Veldt to hunt. The wild boy would be a superior asset to the rebellion with his knowledge of the animals on the prairie.
It was relatively safe since the empire hardly had the interest or the people to patrol the grasslands, and in any case chances were that they still were furiously scouting the area around the coliseum.
Locke pursed his mouth in concern as he pulled on a brownish jacket.
They could get food, but there was another problem. Equipment.
The people under Edgar's command had found a fair amount of coal in the undersea caverns between the continents, but all the iron ore mines of the world were controlled by the empire.
With the castle being the manufacturer and South Figaro the market, the equation was pretty simple. Too much had been lost to Gestahl's troops as the city was taken, both times. What still was available to the rebel army was hardly enough, but they had to work with the little they had.
The treasure hunter grimly touched the dagger in his belt. He could use that alright, so it worked for him. Relm had her brushes and her grandfather could use staffs, Gau and Sabin weren't to much trouble either. The rest had taken whatever swords and spears were available. Shields and armors were even worse…
A knock on the door interrupted the troubled thoughts.
"I'm done, you can come in," Locke approved, embarrassed for having taken up the room for too long.
After taking the last day off for some decent rest, the hunting team was now getting ready to use the oncoming night to travel without being seen. But a change of clothes had been desired by everyone considering the poor state they all were in.
Locke hadn't had any major expectations about who wanted to enter – though deep down there had been a brief thought about Celes – but what he saw almost made him jump out of his skin.
It was a ghost from the past.
Clyde couldn't help but smile slightly at Locke's stare.
"I'll explain," he assured, "but I believe you have my helmet."
The Returners had for the liftoff assembled on the deck with the other men and women who would accompany them, to make sure that everything was ready. Tension was in the air, for they all knew that though the risk was slim that Vector would sneak up on them, it was a threat. The troop that knew magic had just gotten out of Gestahl's clutches and they had no desire to see the nightmare palace again anytime soon. The people of Figaro knew nothing of imprisonment by the emperor's hands, but they could very well imagine.
But the rebellion needed them. Food was desperately required.
Setzer looked up at the light-green sky. The sun was on its way down, painting the horizon heavens golden.
"Everyone ready to go?" the gambler asked.
Glances were exchanged before there was a collective nod.
"Hang on a sec, somebody has an announcement!"
Locke's sudden voice called all eyes towards the back of the ship as the treasure hunter emerged from the stair leading down. He glanced backwards, seeming strangely uneasy.
'Wasn't he the last one down there?' Setzer briefly thought before the reason for Locke's words and look appeared, seemingly floating up the stair with deadly grace.
The eyebrows belonging to the Returners onboard twitched, while the Figaro warriors just wondered what the fuzz was all about.
Interceptor trotted over to the faceless, black shade of a man and sat down by the ninja's side, completing the picture.
"Dad…?" Relm hesitantly said, placing her hands on her non-existent hips in protest.
"I was thinking…"
Clyde reached up and removed the cloth mask concealing his face apart from the eyes.
"Gogo reminded of something," he gravely said, "he hid his face so that he wouldn't be attacked or bring the rest of us danger. This…"
He motioned at himself.
"… is the only Returner face that the empire does not know. I was probably seen during our escape, but surely not well enough to be remembered. As long as it remains that way, I have a chance to be anonymous to any guards."
There was a silence for a moment.
Finally Sabin carefully smiled.
"Good thinking, Shadow," he acknowledged.
Clyde slowly nodded and retied the mask with skilled hands.
"Bear with me, Relm, Strago," the ninja said, his voice obscured by the fabric.
His daughter glared at him for a moment. Then she sighed and let her arms fall.
"Oh fine, I guess… you look kinda cool like that, anyway," she admitted with a small smirk.
"But if you go anywhere without giving me a full report on where all of a sudden," Strago said with force, "I swear I'll find you and make you eat that veil of yours."
Clyde would probably have chuckled, at least. Shadow simply nodded in agreement, silently.
"Don't you tell me that you're not bored."
"Well, I'm rather used to it."
"No need for that now!"
Flames scorched the clear surface, their heat so pure that it didn't leave a single mark.
"Bro," Gogo started, "you really don't have to…"
"No I don't, I know this already," Kerr said, waving his hand slightly.
"Yeah, I know. But this isn't something that anyone would call pastime," the mimic pointed out but muttered the spell once again, sending a fireball at the glass wall which vividly reflected the light.
"Lightning goes like this."
It almost appeared like the madman wasn't listening, but Gogo knew he did. However he found it to be wise not to question things too much.
Kerr had managed to recover as the drug really set in, but he had still shown a thoughtfulness that was uncommon for lord Kefka. He claimed that he didn't show it to anyone outside of the room, but as the brothers knew that the oldest of them was a horrible actor they shared a slight worry.
Gogo had a feeling that was the reason that Kerr had brought up the issue of learning magic.
As the first lightning bolts ceased their dance over the wall, the younger brother raised his hand and fought to remember the spell without letting his mind click into mimicking. It wasn't easy, he was too used to do it.
After a few moments he growled and let his trained senses do what they wanted, sending streams of electricity from his fingertips.
But afterwards he couldn't repeat the action.
"Damn," he muttered and glanced at Kerr apologetically, "show me again."
The older one scratched his cheek with two fingers, a blond eyebrow arching.
"How do you do that copy thing, anyway?" he wondered, rather intrigued.
Gogo shrugged, frowning slightly.
"I wish I could explain it," he said, "but I just do it, simple as that. My brain doesn't even register what happens."
"Too bad, I'm sure it's quite fascinating," Kerr shrugged, "but not enough to have you strapped onto a table and dissected."
"Oh, I can feel the love!" Gogo snorted.
"That's my line!"
'You two are just bizarre…' Siren murmured, with a hint of amusement however.
'You're in the same boat, my lady,' the mimic shot back, chuckling in his mind.
'Indeed, and that's what's scaring me the most. Nutcases.'
Gogo smiled at her, but turned his entire focus back at his brother as Kerr spoke.
"One more time then. Like this…"
It went better this time, even if the bolts were rather irregular and much thinner than they really should.
"Good thing you have time to practice," Kerr commented with a slight smirk.
His brother eyed him again.
Enough already.
"Kerr, you're not doing this because you worry about me being bored," Gogo sternly said.
"Party pooper."
The madman glared at the glass wall for a moment before he spoke.
"Fine, you know me too well."
He turned back at his brother, shaking his head with a graveness that was so truly uncommon that it was eerie.
"I'm fairly sure that I didn't make any mistakes today, but after the statue incident when we took over I believe Gestahl will be snooping around any strange behavior of mine."
Gogo slowly nodded, seeing where it was heading. Kerr addressed him again.
"If we are found out, you might have to fight your way out of here and using that defensive style only will render you being on the menu at the Coliseum."
"If we are found out," the mimic firmly said, "you'll be fleeing with me."
Kerr smirked sarcastically.
"Bro," he said with a dry chuckle, "Gestahl can't execute me. If he did, people would like him."
The fact that Siren was about to bravo the reasoning shocked her. Not because she found it to be true, but because Kerr's twisted joke actually amused her and she was about to react in the same spirit. Hiding it to Gogo she slapped herself in an attempt to get a grip of reality again.
The mimic was about to protest against the self-loathing comment, but the whole room suddenly shook. Swaying a bit the younger brother maintained his balance while the older stood firm, obviously used to it.
"Ah, lift off," Kerr nodded with a smug expression towards the ceiling, "I guess he finally gave up looking for the little pretties. About time."
Gogo's hope flared up greater than ever, but met a chilling thought.
"What if we're leaving because they were found and Gestahl is cutting off any escape by flying?" he worriedly said.
"Paranoia, little one!"
Kerr chuckled hoarsely and shook his head while the ground stabilized.
"I'd know if so. He doesn't trust me to do a good job apart from when it comes to certain matters."
Gogo was about to comment on the blunder when Edgar and the others had been freed and escaped, but allowed it to pass. Gestahl hadn't condemned Kerr's mistake after all, and he had seemed fine with handing at least one prisoner over to the madman. Then again, trusting the emperor wasn't anything one should do.
Ah yeah…
"Kerr, really," the mimic said, frowning, "if anybody finds out about me you'll have 'Traitor' stamped on your forehead."
The lord slowly cocked his head at his brother, his eyes glowing with the irony he was building up.
"Oh, lesse," Kerr thoughtfully said, tapping his lower lip with a finger, "go out in the world and be hunted like an animal or stay here and risk talking my way out? What to pick, what to pick. Oh damn."
He threw out his arms and stared at the roof with a silly expression.
"I'm screwed either way! Can you believe it?" he concluded in a high pitched voice.
"Bro, we… urk!"
"Now don't get me wrong, Kef," Kerr said, soft as silk, "but if you say 'the Returners' I'll fry your entrails. I think that's painful."
"Kerr, really," Gogo gasped, grabbing his brother's iron wrist and standing on his tiptoes to avoid being strangled by his own crag, "Gestahl won't hesitate…"
"We'll just have to avoid giving him a reason, lil' bro," Kerr said and let go, "planning for the worst ain't getting us anywhere."
His eyes turned upwards and he eyed the thin air curiously.
"And why do I start thinking about a harp all the time…?" he murmured, thinking aloud.
Siren sucked in her breath, freezing in violent fear. A string broke on her instrument, tensing too much with its companion's shock.
"Ow!" Kerr grunted and pressed a hand against his forehead, sharp eyes darting back and forth in confusion.
'No…!' the esper stammered in a hoarse whisper.
Gogo felt Siren's panic run down his chest like an ice-cold snake, and his own only added to the chill.
"Bro?" he quickly said, "what's wrong?"
Kerr's frown was growing deeper as he scanned the empty spaces between ceiling and floor.
"I don't know…" he murmured, not even waving at his brother.
Gogo couldn't stop himself from gulping. On the matter of traitors, he didn't know how his brother would react to finding one.
The lord's eyes suddenly stopped, narrowing at nothingness. Siren shrieked and recoiled, too horrified to even conceal it to Gogo.
'He can't see you, can he?!' the mimic hissed to her.
'He shouldn't!' she croaked and dove to the other side of the room to create a distance.
Kerr blinked and looked around as Siren dashed out of the way. It seemed he lost the feeling that there was something as she got far enough.
"Kerr?" Gogo said, attempting to break the spell completely.
"Eh?"
Finally the gray eyes turned at the mimic, fleeting suspicion still vivid in them however.
"Are you alright?"
"Yeah, I guess…"
The eyes went for another tour, but returned safely.
"… I thought I felt a presence of some kind," the lord finished.
"A presence?" his brother said, somehow managing to sound surprised.
"Yes…"
Kerr shrugged.
"Guess it was my imagination."
Gogo held back a sigh of relief, but Siren breathed heavily, almost panting. She could swear she felt her heart rapidly slam against the inside of her chest. Out of habit if nothing else. The same force making her breathe.
Hugging her harp tightly she attempted to calm enough to stop shaking while Gogo carefully coaxed his brother back into the magic lesson.
'That was close… too close…' she croaked, clutching her golden companion like a lifeline.
'Are you alright?' Gogo sent her in as much a soothing voice as he could, still sounding rather nervous though.
She took a moment to reply, trying to pull herself together.
'Yes… thank you.'
'What happened?' he concernedly thought.
Siren shook her head, rather weakly.
'He's more sensitive than I thought,' she mumbled, 'I'll have to be more careful…'
'You better rest first,' the mimic gently concluded.
The care heard in his voice managed to bring a slight smile to her lips and a decrease of shivers.
'I will. Thank you, you're really kind.'
'It's the least I can do.'
He was silent for a moment while focusing on creating lightning bolts.
'Were you in pain?' he finally asked, worried again.
Siren quickly shook her head.
'No, it was just a shock when he sensed me,' she assured.
'I thought I was going to drop dead as he looked straight at me…' she added to herself, shuddering again.
Not only had he sensed her and somewhat pinpointed her location, somehow he had managed to fix his eyes straight at her face. She had felt as if the gaze was piercing her, hands about to unleash a spell that would trap her so that he could bring her to the esper facility and its hungry, merciless void.
She shuddered again, freezing as Kerr turned his head with an eyebrow rising.
'Stop sensing me!' she quietly screamed and lunged towards the door in an attempt to get as far away as possible.
Kerr turned back to the wall, shrugging slightly again. But this time the shrug was less assured. One more time and he would seek out the reason for the strange sensation.
The esper gulped and tried to relax again. She concluded that the anchor must have become too strong after all her desperate healing during the madman's attack during the morning. That would have to be mended…
Just because she had finally accepted the idea of helping Kerr didn't make her want to risk her existence by being found out. He was still dangerous, less to his brother but that was definitely not her case. The terror gripping Siren's soul as she felt his eyes on her was extreme proof.
