A/N: So I started playing Final Fantasy Tactics after being sorely disappointed at the fact that Advent Children was delayed until December (Dang you Square-Enix!) and I got up to the point in the story where Alma has been kidnapped and is taken to Riovanes Castle. I saw the clip-scene with the knight who releases Alma from her cell and thought, "Hey, that guy's pretty cool." Why exactly I thought he was cool, I have no idea, but pretty soon this ficlet popped into my head so I decided to write about it. I was intending it to be a one-shot, but it looks as though I'll have to split it up into two parts. Rest assured, I'll try and get the second part up within the next few days.

Disclaimer: The knights, soldiers, Riovanes Castle, Alma, and everything else are property of Square-Enix.

Warning: This chapter contains quite a bit of blood. There's mention of a pretty bad injury, but that's the extent of it. I can't stand mature-related gore, so all there is is blood.

Part 1: Through the Halls

Blood. Blood. It was everywhere.

The claw marks that I saw in the stone walls could only have been carved by inhuman strength. Stray bodies of Riovanes soldiers who probably didn't last more than a few minutes against that...thing...were scattered around, their eyes never to see again. Heck, I'd barely lasted that long myself.

Unfortunately, this was a far better sight than the Second Corridor that led from the Grand Duke's Meeting Hall. There was a trail of blood that ran down the halls leading towards the heart of the castle. Well, not so much a trail as it was a line of enormous bloody footprints of a monster.

The monster that had doomed me.

I clasped the gash in my side as I stumbled down the Fifth Corridor, every step sending a fresh wave of pain up through the entire right half of my body. I was vaguely aware of something warm trickling down my face and my forehead hurting, but then again, practically all of me was hurting so that the pain was all blended with each other.

But at least I was alive. I was alive despite that horror. Yet I knew I was dying. The monster's claws had run deep.

It had all happened so fast. One minute, I was standing on duty, joking with my fellow knights despite the Grand Duke Barinten's warnings that if we were caught with one more offense we would be thrown into jail. A moment later, we heard screams, horrible screams from the Meeting Hall and a roar that chilled me to the depths of my soul. Fear was pushed aside by duty, however, and we headed towards the Second Corridor, our swords drawn, hands shaking so much we could barely hold on to them.

We barely had a few seconds to breathe before the monster was on top of us. We all went down, never standing a chance. I had caught a glimpse of its snarling face before a hideous hand had caught my right side.

It must have thought I was dead. How could I have survived surrounded by death? It left and the hallway was left in silence except for the screams that were fading further and further away. I only just heard my own soft breathing against the still air. In the middle of all of the fallen soldiers and blood, I waited for Death to come for me.

But it didn't.

I gingerly picked myself up and followed that demon. Maybe I was thinking that I could slay it; that I could get in one good hit before I was finished. A foolish thought for someone who could think coherently, but at the moment my brain was muddled far too much to realize that I didn't have a chance. So I continued, never thinking that I could just turn around and run for the entrance and get help. All I could think about was the monster.

I followed the footprints towards the dungeon where the smell of death mingled with the dank air. The screams were growing louder. The demon was taking its time down here, probably enjoying the fact that the people were in such tight quarters that they had nowhere to run. I passed several dark doorways to the cells. Almost every one was open. The insides were pitch black. Low groans emanated from their occupants who wouldn't remain in this world much longer. I shuddered to think that I would probably be joining them soon. I could feel my breathing getting more shallow and dots were drifting in front of my vision.

In front of one of the cell doors, I tripped and caught the door handle just in time to break my fall. I was surprised to find the door closed, light peeping out from the cracks around its hinges. Was someone alive inside? I wracked my brain as best I could to try and figure it out. I had heard about this cell holding a girl, a young woman. Rumors had been floating around saying that she was the youngest of a well-known family but at the moment I couldn't remember what their name was. Well, if she had been brought here against her will, than she deserved to live more than any of us.

I looked around at the bodies in the hall, searching for the warden, who had the keys. By sheer luck I saw him near the entrance to an adjoining hall. I struggled over and rolled the body onto its back.. I tried not to wince in revulsion at the state of him, but instead searched his belt for the keys. I found them in his side bag and quickly made by way back to the door as a particularly loud scream rent the air. The girl inside should never have had to experience this horror. At least I was accustomed to battle.

I unlocked the door and pushed it open. It yielded more quickly than I expected and I staggered into the cell. I reached out for something to hold onto but I forgot about the short set of stairs leading down a ways. I tripped and turned in mid-air so that when I landed, my back hit the floor with a sickening thud. Darkness clouded my vision and my breath caught for a moment before I coughed. I closed my eyes in despair when I tasted copper in my mouth. Funny...I don't know if it was a side-effect of shock or not but I was suddenly amused at the rate that I was tripping lately. My older brother had always called me clumsy. I guess I was proving him right.

A harsh gasp from the corner snapped me out of my reverie and I heard soft footsteps padding towards me. I opened my eyes to see the young woman bending down next to me, a look of terror appeared on her face when she saw my wounds.

"What an awful wound," She exclaimed, propping my head up in her lap.

I wanted to speak, to tell her to run, but the only thought I could manage was the thought that she was beautiful. Her blond hair was illuminated in the torch light, no matter how dim it was. Her brown eyes were the perfect almond shape. Her face was nearly flawless, her skin pale and smooth.

It's really too bad she's an angel, I thought fleetingly, I would very much have liked to court her one of these days.

"Ugh...help...that...monster," I managed despite how each word tore through my chest. Despite how it must have sounded like I was pleading for aid for my wounds, I really just wanted this angel to take my soul from this pain up to heaven or wherever it was that spirits went after they left the world.

She bit her lip and took a piece of her short, cotton cloak to start dabbing away the blood on my face.

"C-come on...Don't give up now..." She stammered.

I turned my face away from her gentle ministrations. She shouldn't waste her energy on me, she needed to get out.

"Run...It's dangerous," I spoke softly, trying to sit up to try and move away. I only winced from the pain that assailed my side and again black dots appeared in front of my eyes. She put her hand on my forehead and pushed it back down onto her leg.

"Don't speak, you'll waste your energy. And try not to move so much," She said, now applying a gentle pressure to the cut on my forehead.

I shook my head, "No...you need to run...before that thing finds you...I'm finished."

The young woman frowned and said, almost harshly, "Don't talk like that. You made it passed that thing didn't you?"

Before I could stop her, she began working at the fastening to my armor. I couldn't find the strength in my arms to stop her. She lifted away the breastplate and pulled up my leather vest and under shirts to see the gash in my side. I almost expected her to turn away from the sight, but she leaned closer, took off her glove, and gently touched the raw flesh. I hissed at the stinging feeling.

She closed her eyes and murmured something that almost sounded like a prayer. A cool feeling, like liquid, poured onto the wound and when I looked down, I saw the injury begin to knit itself back together. My head snapped back to look at her when she replaced her glove.

"You are a priestess," I asked in wonder, curiosity now winning over now that a good portion of the pain was gone.

"Well, I'm a cleric, so I know a little about healing magic. Do you think you can stand now," She asked, modestly.

A cleric. It seems I wasn't far off from my angel theory after all.

I nodded, admitting to myself that I could feel energy returning to my body.

"Yes. But would you have me go with you? We've held you captive all this time."

"You just released me, though. Besides, I don't know how to use a sword, really."

Good. That means your hands don't have to be tainted with blood.

"Alright," I consented, and slowly, she helped me to my feet. I stood, teetering on the spot for a second, before I hesitantly took my hands away from her supporting shoulders, testing my legs. They passed, and I took her hand in mine, leading her to the door. Even if I couldn't imagine breaking into a run at the moment, at least I could walk without wobbling now. I wonder if she had restored my energy too.

I stopped and looked out into the hallway. The air was still rank with blood, but at least now my mind wasn't so dazed that I couldn't concentrate. The screams had stopped...or maybe the monster had moved to another part of the castle, either way, we were left in an eerie silence.

I turned to look at the young woman. Obvious fear shone in her bright eyes, but there was also determination as well as what could have been the beginnings of tentative trust. I smiled as reassuringly as I could and led her into the hallway.

She gasped at the sight of the bodies and the blood. Quite frankly, I couldn't blame her. This was horrible, but I knew it wouldn't get much better until we were safely outside of this deathtrap of a castle.