A/N Since I lack the creativity to create my own entities, I'm going to be tying in a bit of German Folklore with my own spin to the legends. There's some creepy beasties coming out of that country and I love it! Anyway, carry on!
Chapter 5: The Lair of the Nightmare
The thundering of the helicopter blades drummed through my ears like a heartbeat. The cool class relaxed my stomach as I kept my eyes closed to ignore the height at which we flew. I hated flying. I hated heights. I had multiple reasons to feel sick to my stomach right now, and I wasn't about to pinpoint which reason was the main cause of it. For now I would just keep my cool by pretending the helicopter blades were the sound of the train pushing on down the tracks of Midgar. They sounded nothing alike, but maybe I could fool my brain into thinking the turbulence was the rocking of the train.
"Is she going to sleep through the entire excursion? I thought SOLDIER was supposed to be alert and ready for anything."
A long calming sigh blew out my nose. I didn't bother opening my eyes, or even moving, as Alexander went on about my uselessness as a SOLDIER.
"First of all, I'm not asleep." Venom practically spit from my teeth as I interrupted his complaining, "Secondly, this isn't an excursion. It's a mission that I hope will be over soon. Three, I can sense any coming danger miles before your brain could even comprehend that you're minutes away from death, so do me a favor and shut the hell up so I can somewhat relax until we get there?"
"Ohh.. testy." He clucked his tongue and proceeded to scribble notes on the scrap paper of his clipboard.
I could just break that damn thing over his head if I really wanted to. It wouldn't be hard at all, and it might even knock some sense into him. Too many witnesses though. Of all the people I could be paired with on a mission, why did it have to be him? I would have taken just about anybody in the Science Department to guard while they conducted their studies on the field. Why did they have to put me with Hojo's twin? Had I done something to upset the universe that badly? Am I being punished? And for the love of all that is good could we please just LAND ALREADY?!
It was quiet where we landed. After the helicopter silenced its blades, not a peep replaced it. While Alexander gathered up the supplies he would need, I kept a wary eye on our surroundings and my hand ready to grab my sword off my back.
"What do you think?" Noctis asked, stepping next to me, gun raised and ready to shoot down any approaching threat.
"It's too quiet." I murmured, "There should be birds chirping or something, but there's not even a whisper."
My heartbeat thundered in my ears to fill in the eerie silence that consumed us. Noctis was tense as well, not taking his eyes off the forest around us for a second. The perfect soldier. I fought to keep my breathing even as I gripped the handle of my blade.
"We shouldn't be here." I said.
Alexander pushed past me, a duffle bag thrown over his shoulder filled with who knows what, and his white lab coat trailing in the wind behind him. He stopped for a moment and looked back and Noc and I.
"Well, what are you standing around for?" He jabbed accusingly, "Make yourselves useful and carry that equipment over there!"
My eye twitched slightly as I contemplated leaving him in the wilds alone. Beside me, the blood vessels in Noc's temples extruded and I knew he was thinking the same thing. Nonetheless, I picked up a large metal case. The height of it on it's own reached my lower thigh, and it was heavy. We were only supposed to be here for a few hours, but Alexander seemed to have packed an entire laboratory with him. Noctis took it upon himself to carry two large cases and save the embarrassment of being pack mules from his fellow Infantrymen. Having the other two free to use their weapons would be a better advantage than none of us being able to take a proper shot on time. Carrying the heavy equipment through the dense forest made keeping a wary hand by my sword rather difficult.
Alexander led the way without a care in the world of what was around him, or who was trailing behind him carrying his baggage. Every few seconds, he'd adjust his square glasses as he glanced at the map meant only for his eyes, and mumble to himself while carelessly stomping on sticks and dried leaves. If we had any luck, his constant noise and carelessness would scare off any predators that didn't appreciate being surprised. I kept a wary eye on him as I trailed behind. My main job, as much as I hated it, was to keep him safe from any harm. The Infantrymen came by his suggestion, "extra muscle" he had said… yeah right, more like extra slaves to boss around.
"Hurry now, we're almost there!" He yelled above the already deafening silence, or what existed of it behind his two ton steps.
"And where is there exactly?!" Noctis stepped carefully over a fallen tree branch, huffing between his words.
With a sigh of aggravation, Alexander paused for a moment to glare back at his mules. His sunken cheekbones dripping with sweat and curly ginger hair matted to his forehead, "We would be there by now if you all weren't so slow. Pick up the pace!"
The scowl formed on my face before I could even think about controlling my expressions. White knuckles gripping the handle of the case, blue-green eyes targeting perfectly where I could throw the heavy equipment to knock his ass out, I took in a shaky breath to calm down. A slight chuckle and nudge to my elbow pulled me out of my sadistic thoughts and fantasies about the different ways I could torture the ugly pup stomping through the trees.
"If anything, we could say his death was an unfortunate tragedy and there was nothing we could do." Noctis chuckled, his hazel eyes devious and daring.
"If only it could be that simple." I mused with a sharp jab to his ribs, "Come on. Might as well please his highness."
As I followed after Alexander, I could have sworn I heard a hushed "if that's even possible" from one of the Infantrymen bringing up the rear of our party. I struggled to hold back my laugh.
Just as he said, it wasn't far ahead of us. Appearing through the break in the trees was a cracked mountainside. The opening at the bottom was large enough for a grown man to walk through with no issues, so towing Alexander's equipment into the mountain would be a walk in the park. He silently stopped our party with a gasp. Glancing between his map and the wall before us, he crumpled the sheet of paper and tossed it aside.
"You don't think we'll need that to find our way back?" My attitude sounded clear as day as I made no attempt to quiet it.
The ginger only glanced back at me, a "full of himself" smirk playing his features.
"If you had been paying attention, you'll know how to find our way back." He returned the attitude with more amusement playing in his voice then I had, "Or is that not in your area of expertise as a 2nd Class SOLDIER?"
A strong hand gripped my arm tightly to keep me from lunging at the scientist when he turned his back to me to enter the mountainside. Close behind me, Noctis chuckled.
"I wasn't serious about killing him, you know."
"I might have been." I said with venom, never taking my eyes off the spot Alexander disappeared into, "You can let go of me though."
There was a slight hesitation as he released my arm from his firm grasp. I took in a quick calming breath through my nose and looked at him over my shoulder.
"I'm alright." I said, "The sooner we get this over with, the better."
Wasting no more time, I lead the others into the crack in the mountain. Cracks from the top allowed the sunlight in with brilliant beams of white light that reflected off the grey stone and lit up the entire cavern. There was no use for flashlights in here. The area was spacious, like the mountain had grown over a city long since forgotten to time and ruin. Nothing remained but dust and stone. Despite the size of the cavern, I felt closed in and struggling to breathe. There was a heaviness in the air that weighed down on my shoulders. Something was not right about this place, I could feel it with every part of my being. I set down the heavy equipment case near Alexander's forgotten bag. He scurried about the area taking samples and laughing to himself. The spitting image of his superior, mental instability and everything.
Noctis and his team set down their equipment, their faces showing how uncomfortable they were inside the mountain.
"Keep your weapons ready." I said quietly to them so I didn't disturb Alexander's already manic behavior. They nodded to me and slipped their guns from their shoulders and held them calmly, but ready to fire if need be.
My attitude switched to work mode. All of my training was flashing through my body as I stayed hyper focused for any approaching danger. Alexander seemed none the wiser to the growing sense of trepidation surrounding us. I didn't want to bring my voice above a whisper as I approached him and interrupted his work.
"What are we doing here, Alexander?" I asked quietly.
He scoffed at me, pausing from scraping remnants of ancient minerals from the cavern wall.
"Do they teach you nothing in SOLDIER?" He mocked, then heavily sighed when I only blinked and didn't reply to his insults, "This is the Nightmare's Lair! The oldest cavern in our history, home to one of the most ruthless beasts known to man!"
"That's comforting." Noctis stated dryly, "So why are we here acting like there's nothing dangerous nearby?"
Alexander rolled his eyes and spoke slowly as if we were all children in a classroom and he was the teacher.
"To study the entity of course. You can't retrieve samples from a picture or video, noo no… I need the creature alive to study it."
I suppressed the urge to roll my eyes and scowl in disgust. There was no being safe from the Shinra Science Department, not even the most ancient of creatures. If they catch word of the existence of a rare creature, you can be sure that Hojo will send his lackeys there to capture the poor thing for testing and experimentation. My heart ached for all the beings trapped in that lab. To experience that torture every waking moment of their lives without a sense of peace would be a terrible existence to live, and it sickens me to my core that I'm going to be apart of some poor things torture after living in solitude for so long.
"What's the plan then?" I asked with a regretful sigh.
The plan was simple, while also being suicide. The Infantrymen and myself were given glow sticks and earpieces to communicate, and we were sent into the darkness of the cavern where the sunlight didn't reach while Alexander set up his testing equipment and containment for the creature once we subdued it. Noctis and I outwardly expressed our concerns about being used as bait, but by point of authority, we were overruled.
The illuminated green glow of the glow sticks was barely enough to help me see a foot around myself. The darkness of the cavern swallowed my companions whole as we separated, their glow sticks merely an illusion in the distance.
"Tell me again, professor, why we can't use a regular flashlight?" Noctis said over the radio putting heavy sarcasm on professor.
Static crackled in my ear for barely a second, and I could only imagine Alexander on the other end sighing and mumbling to himself about having to explain to us a second time why the glow sticks were so important. Noctis surely knew why they were important, if anything he only asked to get a rise out of Alexander for his own amusement.
"The Mare thrives in darkness. Using a flashlight will only make it remain hidden in the shadows and we'll never capture it. The glow sticks aren't direct light that will frighten the creature. Don't ask again because I will not go through this anymore. You know what you have to do, so do it and bring me my Mare."
From a distance, I could hear a faint chuckle from Noctis. I rolled my eyes with amusement and continued on my way through the inky blackness of the cavern. The feeling of dread and danger had never left me, even with the comedic relief here and there. My instincts remained focused on everything around me. The light drips of condensation on the rocks, pebbles shifting and crumbling from above. I heard everything, even though I couldn't see it. Time seemed to slow down in the darkness. My fingers kept an iron grip on the handle of my sword, ready to unleash it to ward off any oncoming danger. I didn't fear the dark.
"Com check." I pressed the small button of the earpiece connected to my radio, "Every one ok out there?"
"All good here." Noctis replied through the static.
"Same with me."
"No sign of anything yet."
"Copy that. Any sign of danger, light off your flares. Do not engage this thing on your own. Avoid it as long as possible until backup gets to you." I ordered.
"I like this bossy side of you, Senna. It's very... dominatrix." Noctis chuckled.
"Don't push it, Noc." I said, failing to hide the smile in my voice.
In an odd way, Noctis reminded me of Zack. They both had the same carefree attitude and excitement for everything. When he wanted to be, Noctis would be serious, but only if the situation called for it. Him and I had only been on one other mission before, and he definitely had leadership skills and enough courage to become a promising member of SOLDIER. He's mentioned to me before that he was content in the Security Department, but Cloud constantly talking about enlisting for SOLDIER tied his hands. Cloud was lucky to have a friend like him who was willing to watch his back, even if it meant stepping out of his comfort zone. Another quality that him and Zack shared.
A blood chilling scream pulled me out of my thoughts. The shriek echoed off the walls, giving no specific direction it started from. I stopped dead in my tracks, not yet releasing my blade, but stood in a fighting stance.
"Did you guys hear that?" Noctis asked over the com, all jokes lost from his tone, "Wan, Xander, come in? You guys alright?"
"I'm here."
"I hear footsteps up ahead, I'm gonna go check it out."
Panic struck my chest, and I hurriedly hit the com button.
"No! Don't go on your own!" I yelled, "Wait for one of us to get to you, what's your position?"
Silence. Not even an ounce of static from the other end.
"Xander, check in. What's your position?" Wan asked in a slight panic.
"Th-... g….s….it…."
"Repeat your last. You're breaking up."
Static… then-
"AHHHH!!!"
The scream echoed all around me, sending chills up my spine, and filling me with anxiety. That was a scream of death.
"Xander!" Noctis yelled over the radio, "Xander, come in! Xander! Damn it!"
"Give me your positions!" I ordered, "Nobody take this on alone!"
"I'm on the north-east side." Wan replied.
"South-west corridor." Noctis replied with shaky breath.
Wan was closer to my position. If I could meet up with him first, we could get to Noctis and be safer in a group.
"Stay where you are, Wan. I'm heading to you."
"Copy."
I cracked another glow stick, hoping the illumination from two of them would help me see better as I ran through the darkness to the Infantryman. My only hope was that I got there in time to keep him safe against this… thing. Green light reflected on the stone walls ahead of me. Almost there, but something was wrong. When I reached the light, there was no sign of Wan anywhere. Not a peep.
"Wan!" I yelled into the darkness.
A loud gasp behind me startled my senses. I pulled my sword from my back and nearly took off a frightened Wan's head as he held his arms up in surrender. His skin was clammy and nearly glowing white in the green illumination, like he had seen a ghost. A stream of blood ran down his face, an angry gash of claw marks ripped open his cheek and forehead. He tried to speak between gasps, but couldn't calm down enough to get the words out. I dropped my sticks and reached for him when an unseen force yanked him into the darkness where all I could hear was a blood curdling scream and a crunch of bones.
My heart thundered in my ears as I stared into the darkness. There should have been more of us on this mission, or a 1st Class SOLDIER. We were severely unprepared and outmatched.
"Wan…?" I whispered to the void, not expecting an answer.
"Senna, where are you? Is Wan ok?" Noctis panicked into the mic.
With a trembling hand, I pushed the button for my com.
"Wan is… gone." I said breathlessly and gulped down a lump of air. My throat was dry, my tongue stuck to my mouth like velcro. The image of Wan's terrified expression would haunt my dreams for years.
"Head south, Senna. I'm heading your way."
"He was right in front of me…" I whispered to myself, "He was right there."
"Senna! Do you copy?!" Noctis yelled.
"I… I copy. Heading south." I stammered.
Turning on my heel, I took two steps towards Noc's position, when a pair of golden eyes appeared in front of me. My breath caught in my throat as the creature stared me down. Moving slowly, I pushed my com button.
"Noc," I breathed, "I'm in trouble."
Before he could reply, I took my flare from my belt and lit it. Brilliant white light lit up the area around me like a beacon in the night. The creature didn't seem disturbed by the sudden brightness, and approached me. I stepped back as it stepped forward, wanting to keep my distance from it for as long as I could. Two bare legs stepped into the light, skin as white as paper. Before I could blink, a woman stood in front of me, her face blank as she stared at me with her golden eyes. She was beautiful, skin as fair as a child's, high cheekbones and a slender jawline. Her hair was as golden as her eyes, blanketing her shoulders and swaying with each step by her navel. My steps halted as my back came into contact with the rock behind me. Still she stepped towards me, a smile forming on her face.
I held my sword toward her, the blade pointed at her throat. Her smile faltered as the point cut her skin enough for a drop of blood to run down her chest. My breathing came in gasps.
"Stay back." I warned.
She tilted her head slightly to the side and smiled once more, wider, more devilish. Her face morphed into a hag as her lips spread to her temples. Jagged teeth poked from beneath broken lips, stained red with the blood of her previous victims. A low cackle came from her throat as she stepped forward, my blade disappearing through her and coming out the other side as clean as it was this morning. She stopped a food in front of me, that dismorphing smile still on her face. Golden eyes rolled into the back of her head, leaving white veiny eyes staring through my soul. Bony, clawed fingers shot towards me and wrapped around my throat. The wide grin opened like a snake about to devour its prey, and all I saw was a mouth full of teeth.
I screamed as darkness swallowed me.