Disclaimer: Final Fantasy belongs to Squaresoft. Lorelei however belongs to me.

The Espers Call

Chapter 2

The day was calm, not a cloud in the sky, and yet something was off. Setzer couldn't quite place it but a sense of foreboding washed over him as the small cluster of buildings that made up Terra's home came into sight. Sabin had sent a courier telling him about the incident Terra had with the little girl and how spooked their old friend had been. He would have been passing by on his way to Doma to bring supplies to Cyan so he decided to check on the girl and see how Terra was faring.

"Are we almost there?"

Setzer glanced over his shoulder to see Relm standing behind him. The young girl had tagged along with her grandfather when Setzer had made a stop in Thamasa to inform the old wizard of what Sabin had told him.

"I asked you a question!" Relm had placed her hands on her hips and scowled at Setzer's back. The girl still was wearing outlandish colors that pained the eye, she still wore her hair tied back with a bright red kerchief. Her clothes carried the smells of paints, charcoals, and paint thinner. The child had a talent for paining all the senses.

"We will be landing shortly," Setzer said quietly. The ominous feeling he had felt now settled in the pit of his stomach like a rock settles at the bottom of a fountain. Something's not right he thought to himself as he turned from the view of the orphanage. If only I knew what it was.

Terra had been busying herself in the kitchen with Katarin when Mason, one of the older children burst through the door.

"MAMA!" the boy shouted startling Terra and causing her to drop the kettle she had been scrubbing. Both women cringed as it banged across the wooden floor and smacked into the pantry door. Terra sighed as she stooped to retrieve the item then turned to Mason.

"What, Mason?"she asked softly, the boy sheepishly looked down at the floor. "Mason..." Terra repeated in a firmer tone.

"Duane told me to tell you that an airship is headed this way, and that it is landing soon," Mason then added before he turned away, "I'm sorry I scared you."

Terra smiled and patted the boy on his shoulder, "It's alright, Mason," the boy looked at her with bright blue eyes. He was approaching thirteen, and his blonde hair had started to darken, and he had begun to grow taller. A slight twinge of pain pricked at Terra's heart as she watched the boy walk away.

The roar of airship engines brought her back to the present and away from the pain of the future. "Katarin, will you keep an eye on Lorelei, she is napping in the den." The younger woman smiled and nodded.

Terra met Duane outside the cluster of buildings, his dark hair whipped around his tanned face. "I believe it's Setzer." Duane said with out removing his eyes from the descending airship. Terra's eyebrows came together in thought.

"That is Setzer," She said softly, "What is he doing this far east?"She watched the landing gear lock into place. Clouds of dust billowed around the landing pads as the hatch opened slowly.

"Terra!" Relm shouted as she charged down the hatch, she was a blur of color as she ran to Terra and wrapped her arms tightly around the older woman. "I missed you!" Terra hugged the young girl. She was shocked to see how she had grown, Relm now reached Terra's shoulder, her clothes no longer sagged off of her tiny frame. She was quickly becoming a young woman, at that thought a familiar twinge again pricked at Terra's heart.

"Hello, my dear!"Strago shouted as he hobbled in her direction. He was a stooped old magician of absent mind but, frightening intelligence. Underneath bushy, grayed eyebrows his blue eyes shined with a knowledge surpassed by few. The corners of his thick mustache turned up as he gave her a warm smile and clasped her hands in his own. She always found the older man's presence comforting and his smile eased the pain that threatened to consume her.

"Faring well, my dear?" Strago asked softly, concern clouding his eyes. She gave him her most convincing smile, trying to fool herself more than anything.

"Of course, Strago,"She replied, as she place a kiss on the older man's cheek, "It's so wonderful to see the both of you." Strago blushed ever so slightly as he released her hands.

"As lovely as ever I see," a smoothly accented voice said slowly. Terra looked up to see Setzer approaching her. His silvery hair flying whimsically around his face as the wind blew. In his hands he held his trademark deck of cards, which he quickly deposited into one of the many pockets hidden inside his trench coat. He took one of her hands and brushed his lips across her knuckles in greeting, he lowered her hand but did not let go.

"Hello, Setzer," she said softly. "To what do I owe this pleasure?" she asked, tilting her head to one side. The gambler's face remained expressionless, this talent of his always unnerved her.

"A courier met up with me in Thamasa, he delivered a message from Sabin telling of the.." he paused, Terra assumed he was searching for the correct words, she was never certain with Setzer, "He mentioned certain 'incidences.'"

Terra raised an eyebrow, "So you came to check up on me?" The gambler dropped her hand and crossed his arms.

"I was passing by on my way to Doma so he asked if I would stop by. Relm and Strago asked to come along." Terra nodded, not wholly believing the tall mystery before her.

"I will have Duane and some of the older boys carry your bags in, I assume you will be staying the night?"She said softly as she turned to go back to the orphanage. Relm nodded so quickly Terra was afraid she would injure herself. " Dinner will be served within the hour, shall we go?"

The ocean crashed against the rocks on the shore nearby as the sun began to descend. Terra sat with her old comrades. Relm sat half asleep on the stairs and Strago was napping in a rocking chair. Setzer sat leisurely in a patio chair with his feet reclined onto the porch railing. His eyes seemed to be staring at something far away. His hands were kept busy by the deck of cards he was shuffling from one hand to the other.

"Why are you headed to Doma?" Terra asked softly as she watched Lorelei sitting by herself. Katarin had the other children involved in a storybook on the opposite side of the lawn. Several children made attempts to involve her in the activity, but she was content to sit underneath the large tree and watch the sun descend.

"I am bringing supplies for Cyan, he needed medical supplies, food, building equipment,"Setzer replied without turning to face her. "Does that kid every sit with anyone at all?" The question caught Terra off guard, she realized he had noticed the young girl's odd behavior as well. She looked down at her hands that were folded in her lap.

"She's strange..." was the only reply she could come up with.

Lorelei sighed, her head was buzzing. She heard whispers, cries, they made her head hurt. Suddenly, she became very dizzy. She closed her eyes, they were starting to burn. When she opened her eyes, she no longer saw the orphanage, the ocean or the tree where she sat. Her heart began to race. She was in a dark room strapped tightly to a cold slab of metal. Forms of people moved around her. Her entire body burned and ached. A bright light burst before her eyes and a sharp pain exploded in her head.

Suddenly, Lorelei saw the ground rushing to greet her and darkness overcame her.

End Chapter 2