ACT II: CALM BEFORE THE STORM


Chapter Seven

Ceres jolted up from the desk, her forehead warm from it's placement.

She was back at the estate.

Blinking back focus, she rubbed her eyes and took in her desk. It was more of a work station, littered with revision designs and permits. A cold and forgotten cup of coffee sat covered by a black folder. Upon stretching, she noticed the sharp business dress her body was wrapped in. It was almost strange to have her feet in a pair of heels again. She'd never had issues with them but at the moment, there was something uncomfortable about them.

Her eyes were caught by the blaring sun that penatrated her large, clear windows. She blinked to shield her eyes as the windows allowed random streams of light to assault her senses. She slowly stood from her seat, now using a hand to block the rays.

Then she coughed.

And coughed, and coughed, and coughed...


What an interesting night, Elida had.

She was surprised when her son and the others returned from the fishing trip with heavier loot. No, not money. Not fish, nor gil.

Her adult son, Bergho, ran into the house, fish seemingly forgotten back on the boat. The other men came rushing in after him with a mass in their arms. Water dripped everywhere, despite the heavy blanket.

In their arms was a peculiar girl with dark skin and dark hair. An unsettling green ebbed across her cheeks, almost mystic-like. Elida wanted to assume it was from sickness, but no illness she knew of caused strange markings to appear.

The girl violently coughed up water from her lungs, eyes rolling in the back of her head. But she didn't do much else. She'd apparently been unconscious the entire hour-trip back. Outside of breathing, no signs of waking.

No one recognized her and it was several hours to another dwelling so she couldn't exactly be from close by. Kilika was a small, enclosed port where many neighbors and faces were practically family. Until she woke, there's wasn't much else tlthey could do but care for her.

Now the peculiar thing was the girl's clothes. Elida was a skilled seamstress. The islanders had an affinity for bikini tops and straw garments, but she thought she'd done pretty well to educated herself of the changing fashions of Spira. The girl wore a deep, dark red and some kind of cargo pants unlike any material she'd laid eyes on.

If she wasn't so inexperienced in worldly matters, she'd say this was an Al Bhed. But didn't they all have blonde hair?

Hours later the girl had finally begun to wake, coughing up a bit more water. Dawn had broken, the sun peaking from beyond the ocean's horizon. Elida rushed into the room at the wheezing sound, having dropped what she was doing.

"That's it darling," she consuled, helping the girl to roll over. The water had started to pull in the back of her throat before Elida came in.

With the fit done, Elida gently laid her back in the bed. She was careful to prop her head up with a pillow. The girl's eyes finally broke open. And Elida saw emerald. No swirls. Hmm, there's goes that theory.

"Take it easy, dear," she gently patted the girl's head. "You're safe."

It was clear that the girl wasn't totally coherent as she blearily peered up at Elida in confusion. Elida also realized the light from the sun might be bothering her, so she moved to close the curtain a bit.

"Uncle?"

Hearing the rasp, Elida calmly shushed her and laid her back down. The warming cloth had fallen from her forehead during her respiratory attack. The woman picked it up, now cold, and sat it in a basket in the corner. She moved over to a tiny room and came back with a tray of sorts. A newly wet, hot towel was placed on the girl's head and she sighed.

"Mother, the supplier," Bergho came in then paused, seeing the girl's eyes flickering.

"I'll be a moment, Bergho."

She tucked the girl back in and began pouring a powder into a glass of water.

"Is she alright?" He remained at the door.

Elida mixed the contents with a spoon before adding a bit of potion.

"I think she will be, as soon as this fever breaks..."

From the looks of it, the girl had a nasty case of river fever. Luckily, Elida kept remedies around the shop. Hopefully, she'd recover in no time.

"Please handle the supplier for me and work the front desk. I wish to watch her a bit longer. Then you may go back to work the docks."

She didn't hear him shut the door, but assumed he'd followed her wishes. Her son was no stranger to assisting Elida with her tasks, being the only reliable shopkeeper on the port.

It was moments later when the girl's eyes drifted open once more.

"Where...?"

"You're in Kikika."

Elida explained what happened. Some of the fishermen found her afloat not too far from port and kept her from drowning. She seemed to appear from nowhere. They brought her to Elida's shop, as it was the closest place with food and shelter. She'd been asleep for a few hours but a fever was clear.

Still exhausted, the girl moved her arms to stretch and found that her clothes were changed and she was dry.

"I cleaned you up and lent you some clothes." A simple gown and socks. "Your clothes needed repair, that's actually what I was doing before you awakened."

It was clear she was tired.

"You should rest, but what is your name?"

The girl's eyelids had grown so heavy.

"C-Ceres."

"Okay, Ceres. My name is Elida and you're safe here. Please rest."

Her eyes finally closed for good.


Ceres woke again to the sound of seagulls and waves. She lifted her body, shivering as the blanket fell from her shoulders. She looked around the room. The material indeed looked akin to that of the vacation island, Kilika.

But something was very different. Her eyes searched around but only found straw and wood.

She carefully pulled the blanket aside, placing her bare feet on the floor. The ground was actually quite warm and creaked under her weight. For a moment, she became dizzy and nearly lost her footing.

Why am I so tired?

Slowly walking her way around the room, her hand traced the wall. She was searching for a hidden latch in the wall where there should be a phone or something.

What kind of cheap hotel is this?

She finally arrived to the window and brushed the curtains aside. She was assaulted with the sound of seagulls and steady waves, a lovely ocean view calming her senses. And then her eyes watered, remembering her predicament.

Then someone walked in the room, mumbling. They stopped upon seeing the girl up near the window.

The woman, Elisa, dropped the laundry basket and coaxed Ceres to at least have a seat by the window. The girl was gazing at the early morning sun, bawling her big green eyes out. She offered to explain what happened to the girl, but this seemed to be the least of Ceres' worries.

And so she let the girl cry on her shoulder.


A/N: Sorry for the short chapter. School is seriously kicking my butt right now. At least I got this out