Hi everyone!! sorry bout the long wait... to make up for it, this chappie0s extra long! it's the longest one yet!! Enjoy and tell em what you think, any requests or ideas for future chapter are more than welcome!
Disclaimer: things haven't changed much since the last update...
Rumo cred
The basilisk let out a low hiss as its eye started to glow purple. I waited until the last moment and sidestepped, missing the petrifying beam by inches. Before the basilisk could realise it had missed its target I dashed between its arms and punched the joint where its neck met its shoulder. The snake like creature let out a shriek of shock and surprise as it retreated, writhing in pain as its now useless arms lay limply by its side.
I turned around to look at Flammarius, who was sitting next to a rock with Cyjeuin by his side. He nodded approvingly, a faint flicker of sadness in his eyes. I knew he was thinking about Lraan and I felt a pang of pain, knowing I couldn't do anything to cheer him up. Even though he didn't know, I often caught him staring out into space lost in his memories. I felt so useless, I still do, because I had tried to cheer him up just hadn't worked. I wanted to do something to express my gratitude for everything that he's done for me and I couldn't even do something as simple as cheering him up... He took care of me, he healed my injured hand, he let Cyjeuin and me stay and now he was showing me how to fight hand to hand like they did back in his time. Now I had a new goal in life: I would become more like Lraan so that Flamarius would feel as though he had gone back in time and therefore the happier moment of his life. So I tried my best to become like him. Flammarius' revelation that I looked like Lraan gave me courage to reach my goal. To start with I asked Flammariusd to show me Lraan's hand to hand combat technique. To clear up any suspicions I told the fire coloured bird I had lost my dual edged rod and my close combat technique was too poor to depend on for survival and therefore needed improving. I wasn't lying either so my conscious was guilt free.
That's how I ended up here, fighting a ten foot basilisk with only my fists. But I was worried about Cyjeuin, a chocobo like her should be terrified, being as close as she was to the fiend. However she was unusually calm, which led me to think that Flammarius has some kind of power over fellow chocobos or perhaps Cyje was simply used to fiends being this close.
Just then Cyje gave a warble of warning and I turned just in time to see the basilisk's tail flying towards me. I wasn't able to duck in time and I was sent crashing into the ground a few metres away. The force of the landing knocked the breath out of my lungs, I lay still for a few moments heaving slightly to get air back into my body. Once I was breathing normally and checking I had no broken ribs I stood up dignintly as I could and walked, or more likely, strided towards the basilisk. Staying calm was the first thing I learned about fighting. Never let your rage get a hold on you unless it's an emergency and only if you can use it to your advantage.
As soon as I was within range the basilisk whipped its still mobile arm around but I jumped neatly out of the way. It hissed angrily and raised its tail to charge an electric spell. Out of the corner of my eye I spotted jagged stone several feet away. The hairs on the back of my neck tingled as I felt the static in the air. I dropped and rolled towards the stone, turning just in time to see a lightning bolt charr the spot I had been in a few seconds ago. I stood up only to duck again when the basilisk's tail headed towards me. I realised that I wouldn't be able to get close enough so I closed my eyes and concentrated. I streched out a hand, the one that wasn't holding the stone, palm wide open and muttered a few words from a long forgotten language. I opened my eyes and smiled triumphantly when I saw the basilisk's tail two centimetres from my face.
Apart from hand to hand combat, Flammarius had also instructed me in magic. It wasn't the magic used nowadays however, using incantations and formulas in an archaic language that was created and forgotten thousands of years ago permitted the caster to summon a spell. The downside was that the spell didn't come from nothingness, it used the caster's vital energy; professional mages could endure hours of casting spells, however I could not, seeing that I had only just begun and my body wasn't used to the sudden drops in energy although in short battles like this one they usually come in handy.
I looked at the petrified basilisk and smirked, yes smirked, something I picked up from Gippal I guess. I ran towards it and climbed up its back, knowing that with my luck the spell would end in a few seconds. When I reached its neck my grip on the stone tightened as I aimed for its eye. I felt a tremor underneath me and realised that my spell was losing effect and therefore din't have any more time left. I quickly stabbed the fiend in the eye and landed in a crouch when it burst into pyreflies.
"Very good Baralai, one of your best fights yet," Flammarius praised. "The stop spell was used very well, you're getting the hang of using ancient magic."
"It's all thanks to you Flammarius," I answered as I walked towards the two birds. "Shall we go back now?"
"I should think so, it's already getting dark." I walked up to Cyjeuin and stroked her feathers tenderly, she cooed happily as she lent in for more caresses. I gave her a final pat on the neck before climbing up onto the saddle resting on her back. I looked up at the sky as we made our way back to Flammarius' hut. It was basically the same routine everyday since my hand had healed, in the morning I would get up early to find Flammarius already up, he would teach me either theory in close combat or magic, we would find something to eat and then in the afternoon I would battle the fiends we encounter in the Calm Lands to put the theory I learnt previously into practice, after that we would head back towards the hut and usually Flammarius would tell me stories and legends that were common back in his time. By his time I refer to the time when Lraan, the Commander and his fellow companions were alive.
Tonight was different to the previous nights, tonight as I sat down beside the fire Flammarius joined me with a solemn air about him, tonight I knew something was going to happen... I knew it the moment Flammarius looked me in the eye without blinking, a contained emotion hiding in their depth.
"I know what you are trying to do Baralai," his mental voice echoed in my head. I put on a confused expression but inside my heart sunk, I had been found out. "I appreciate what you are trying to do, but please... don't." He must have seen my hurt expression because he added, "Don't take it the wrong way, I know that your intentions were good hearted but you are Baralai, not Lraan or anyone else. The memories hurt too much to let them be revived."
I nodded, understanding how the bird felt, but nonetheless I was still hurt. I lifted my head to look into his eyes, an apology ready on my lips but I was cut off again.
"Don't fret, I will continue teaching you magic and fighting skills if you wish, on the condition that you are willing to learn for your own benefit and not to resemble Lraan in any way."
I lowered my head, concentrating on the blades of grass that were swaying in the light breeze.
"I understand, I'm sorry…" I looked into Flammarius' coal black eyes. "If it wouldn't be too much trouble I would really like to continue my magic and close combat classes."
"There's no need to apologize young Praetor. It is no trouble at all, in fact I'm glad I'm able to pass on my knowledge so that it won't be lost in the rivers of time."
I glanced up at the red chocobo, surprised. He never talked about his past, the only exception had been when he had found me and Cyjeuin. A couple of nights after meeting Flammarius I had told him everything that had happened, from the ruby eyed warrior's rejection to my fight with the lupine fiend.
Flashback
A low snarl rumbled through the fiend's chest, a puff of hot breath mingled with the chilly night air as it panted, trying to regain it's lost energy. Its eyes gleamed menacingly as it turned to face its prey, a prey that was putting up a good fight but was, however, losing concentration. The fiend snarled again and advanced on its soon to be dinner, the figure in front of it collapsed, too tired to continue fighting. Letting out a victorious howl, the fiend crouched back on its hind quarters and pounced, its claws slashing as it went. In a feeble attempt to protect itself, the prey raised a bloody arm to cover its head. The fiend, with a powerful swipe, knocked the arm away, revealing a mop of snowy white hair, drenched in crimson coloured blood.
Chocolate irises were revealed when my eyelids flew open, my chest rising and falling heavily, my heart about to burst out of my ribcage. I raised a trembling hand to my hair, sighing with relief when it came back clean.
"It was a nightmare, just a stupid nightmare," I muttered to myself, my head between my knees, rocking gently back and forth. The fiend that had appeared in my dream was the same one that I had encountered before meeting Flammarius. I waited until my heartbeat had returned more or less to normal before stepping out of the hut and going to sit on the edge of the grassy cliff that gave way to a huge drop. I crossed my legs and gazed out into the darkness, the glittering stars above me providing little, but sufficient, light. I let my mind wonder, something I usually do when I can't sleep. As usual they led to a certain silver haired swordswoman. Every night I replayed what had happened in Bevelle, and every time I found that her behaviour was stranger than usual. Everything had been fine, no not fine, wonderful… but out of nowhere she had decided she didn't love me anymore. Perhaps she had never loved me and thought that she would give up her charade. My heart beat painfully at that thought. No! Don't think like that, there must be a reason… my sigh was lost in the midnight breeze as I gazed up at the stars. A light bulb flashed over my head when I remembered something, something that I thought I had imagined but maybe not… before she had said that she didn't love me anymore a flash of pain had racked through her crimson coloured eyes. I sighed again, sensing that I wasn't going to get anywhere unless I talked to her. I nodded to myself, I had made a decision. I would go and look for her, but not straight away, I still needed some time to myself. I jumped when I heard someone behind me. I turned and saw Flammarius coming up quietly to sit beside me.
"You look troubled Baralai."
"Mmm… I would be lying if I said I wasn't."
"Do you wish to talk about it?"
I rubbed my bandaged hand, I trusted Flammarius. After all he had taken care of me and taken me in and I really needed to take this weight of my heart. I lent back on my good hand and organized my thoughts.
"It all started when I walked past a jewellery shop in Luca…"
I told him everything, my doubts, my thoughts and my fears. I told him about my plan, the one that consisted in standing in front of a group of stampeding chocobos, I told him about my fight with the chimera and the burning machine, my meeting with Cyjeuin and last of all my fight with the lupine fiend and the loss of my weapon… When I finished Flammarius nodded and stood up.
"If you ever need anything Baralai, I will be here to aid you but never, I repeat never, think about throwing your life away again."
I nodded and walked back towards the hut beside the red chocobo. I fell asleep with the image of my ruby eyed warrior burning in my mind.
End Flashback
Now as I watched the red bird contemplate the fire I knew that I needed to know more about him. It wasn't everyday that one found a fire coloured chocobo that claimed to have lived over a thousand years ago.
I cupped my chin with my hand as I sat down cross legged in front of the fore, thinking about the best way to approach the subject. I lifted my head and looked at Flammarius nervously.
"I-I… Flammarius, there've been several things on my mind lately and I was wondering…"
"You can ask me as many questions as you wish, curiosity isn't a sin Baralai."
I was startled by how direct the bird had been. In a few seconds thousands of questions begun to burn my mind: is he really thousands of years old? How does he do it? How does he talk mentally? Other chocobos can't, does that mean he isn't really a chocobo? What was he doing in the Calm Lands? Where there other like him back in his time or was he unique even then? So many questions… I decided to start at the beginning.
"When you told me your story, you said that you were from a time before Sin and yet you are still here, alive. How… how come you've lived for so long?"
Flammarius continued gazing into the fire distractedly, at first I thought he hadn't heard me but I realised he was thinking about the answer.
"Do you remember that I told you about a mysterious figure dressed in white that gave me a second chance?" I nodded. "Well, it asked me if I wanted a second chance and I replied that I wished to have that second chance to complete my promise to Lraan, my promise to live his life for him. I have a theory… I believe that until I live through all the things that Lraan wanted to live through I will not die. That is why I have lived for so long, I don't know every little thing that Lraan wanted to do in his life."
I looked at Flammarius, gaping. That couldn't mean…
"Do you mean that you could die at any moment?"
"I guess so."
"But, but how can you live like that?"
"I have nothing to lose in this life, all I care about is completing my promise to Lraan."
I did a double take and shot Flammarius a hurt look. He just chuckled. "That was before I met you Baralai. Now I have a new reason to live."
"But I thought you said that you would only live until you completed your promise."
"True, but it is only a theory and I'm sure Lraan wouldn't let me die now that I've found happiness once more."
I admit it; Flammarius will never cease to surprise me. Inside, though, I was swelling with happiness because I was making Flammarius happy. I didn't need a plan, because I had already cheered him up.
"Next question?"
I jumped, I had lost myself in my train of thought.
"Um… how do you talk? I mean how come I hear your voice in my head?"
"It is something that was perfectly normal, obviously my species hasn't evolved during time, in fact it has done the complete opposite…"
"So you really are a chocobo?"
"Of course, what, if not, did you think I was?"
"…"
Flammarius let out a hearty bird like chuckle when I didn't answer. I just looked bashfully at the floor.
"Do… do you have any special 'powers'?" I put air quotations around powers, I simply couldn't find an other way to say it.
"I'm able to communicate with other beings mentally, including fiends; I can also control the element of fire and I have natural white magic; I can transfer thoughts and memories mentally to others, like a sphere playback; and I can read peoples hearts."
I blinked.
"…hearts?" Flammarius nodded.
"Yes, not their minds, but what their heart feels."
"Oh… but then…" I stopped abruptly when Flammarius stood up quickly and looked towards the path that led up to the main plain of the Calm Lands. I chose to remain silent, not wanting to break Flammarius' concentration.
"Baralai, look over there and tell me what you see." I looked in the direction Flammarius was and saw a huge shadow dominating the scene.
What the hell is that?
"I don't know and I'm afraid that is not good news."
I gaped at the bird, had he just read my thoughts? He looked at me out of the corner of his eye.
"No I can't read thoughts but if you voice your thoughts mentally I can hear them."
I nodded and looked back at the shadow, but it had disappeared.
I don't like this… I looked around and saw that Cyjeuin had come up and was now standing beside us.
"It's gone."
We returned to our positions at the campfire and sat side by side, enjoying each others company. The recent revelations had given me a lot to think about. I remebered something Flammarius had told me when he found me and smiled.
"Flammarius, as a thank you for everything you've done for me I'll introduce you to Lady Yuna, she's a personal friend of mine."
"I would be most honoured Baralai, thankyou."
I nodded and stroked Cyjeuin's feathers with my goood hand. My injuered one has healed but it still throbed painfully from time to time.
The peaceful silence was broken by a lound gunshot followed by a huge explosion. I jumped up and looked around, there was nothing different but I recalled the shadow we had seen just moments before. I turned and looked at Flammarius anxiously. He stood up calmly.
"I will go and find out what has happened, stay here with Cyjeuin."
I nodded and sat down by Cyje again, stroking her to calm her down. I waited patiently for Flammarius to return but the minutes went by and sleep overcame my body. Cyjeuin nudged me awake at the sound of Flammariu's returning footsteps. I rubbed my eyes and blinked serveral times to get the sleep out of my eyes. I turned towards the red bird and my eyes widened in surprise. He was walking slowly for there was something on his back. When he was closer to us the kneeled down and placed the body gently on the floor nest to me. I took one look at the figure and let out a strangled yell.
"What the hell is he doing here?! What happened?!"
My eyes never left the sight of my best friend as Flammarius answered.
"I searched for the place where the bomb exploded, if it was a bomb of course, but all I found was him."
I approached the blond albhed, the one with which I had shared so many adventures. I gasped when I saw blood leaking out of his lilac cloured shirt. I kneeled by his side and ripped the shirt off, revealing a long and deep cut running from just underneath his left shoulder to his right hip. I never had the guts for facing blood but this was my best friend. I took my green coat off, revealing my own white shirt underneath. I ripped that off and began to bandage Gippal's chest. Once my provisional bandage was in place I covered him up with my coat and prayed silently for a miracle.
"I can help."
I jumped at the quiet voice, having completely forgotten that Flammarius and Cyjeuin were still there with me. I looked up at Flammarius with desperation burning in my eyes.
"Please, please, do anything you can, just make sure he'll be okay."
"I will do as much as I can, but the battle is also his. He must put up with the pain the healing will cause to heal him."
"He's strong, I know he is. He'll make it, please just do it."
I let the fire coloured bird approach Gippal and waited as he healed him. It seemed like eternity, but I was willing to wait for much, much more if it meant that Gippal would survive.
Flammarius kneeled down beside Gippal's body and closed his eyes, concentrating intensely. Soon the tribal like markings surrounding his face began to glow white and I had to close my eyes so as to not be blinded. Once the light had died down I opened one eye cautiously, partly afraid of what I was going to see.
My shirt and coat had been removed. Gippal's chest was still covered in blood, but the cut was now a bright white line. I looked up at Flammarius in amazement. The poor bird was exhausted, the amount of vital energy that must've taken to use a cure spell of that strength had to be brutal. Flammarius looked at me tiredly.
"That is all I can do, I've used a spell that help to close up wounds faster and it also helps with the scarring, but I'm afraid that he will be branded with that scar for the rest of his life. All you can do now is clean up the blood on his chest, don't worry about more bleeding, the wound is closed externally."
"Externally?" I whispered. Flammarius nodded.
"The regeneration of cells and tissue is now up to him and his body. If he's as strong as you say he is, he will be fine in a few days."
I nodded, still numb from shock. I looked around for something to clean my friend up with but all I saw was my shirt and coat. Not wanting to leave his side, I reached for my shirt and muttered a few spells to clean the dried blood off it. I proceeded to summon some water to moisten the shirt and started to gently wipe off blood, but also the dirt and grime from the explosion. After a good half hour I managed to leave Gippal's chest as clean as possible, staying away from the bright white line as much as I could.
I stood up to stretch my legs, they had cramped up after not moving them for quite some time.
As I stood up I shivered. I looked around me warily but then I realised that I had shivered from cold. I cursed myself mentally for being so stupid. I was standing outside, bare from torso up in the middle of the night. Flammarius had fallen asleep next to Gippal, but he had feathers to keep him warm. It was Gippal I was worried about…. I crouched down next to him and picked him up gently, trying not to move him around too much.
Damn he's heavy I thought as I carried him towards the hut. I pushed the cloth flap aside and placed Gippal down on the only bed. I rummaged around under the straw mattress to find a couple of extra blankets. I tucked him up so that he was completely covered and couldn't move around too much, a bit like a cocoon. Once I had checked that he was breathing without difficulty I sat down and lent against the side of the bed, in a way that if I turned my head I was able to see Gippal's face without difficulties.
I spent the next three days at Gippal's side. I refused to go and get food and I only fell asleep when exhaustion took over me. Cyjeuin sat outside the hut, keeping guard. There just wasn't enough space in the hut for the three of us. Flammarius poked his head in from time to time, insisting that I eat something; I always shook my head and replied that I had to watch over Gippal. Since Flammarius had healed him, he had been fine, but from time to time came fits of fever and he started to get delirious. That was when I would wake up with a start and rush to get a damp cloth to put over his forehead. Several minutes would go by and I would start to get desperate, reaching to the point in which I would shout out that I would go and get a doctor no matter how far I had to go. But then the fever would go down and Gippal would continue unconscious, looking as thought he was sleeping peacefully.
At the break of dawn on the fourth day I felt a stir from underneath the blankets. It woke me immediately from my light slumber and turned my head to see Gippal's emerald eye shining amusedly at me.
"Hey man, did you really have to tuck me up like this? I can't move."
I blinked absently at him and began to laugh, relieved.
"That's the whole point." I said still chuckling. I felt so light headed, it was as though a huge weight had literally been lifted off my shoulders.
"Argh, my head," Gippal winced as he tried to free an arm. He shot me an accusatory glare but an amused smirk played on his lips. "Do you mind?"
"Huh?"
"I would like to be able to move again ya know?"
I shrugged and carefully unwrapped him from the blankets.
"Be careful though, don't move around too much." I warned as he started to struggle with the remaining sheets. Once he got one of his arms free, he lifted his hand to the back of his head, but it never got there. He winced painfully and put his hand over his chest instead.
"Damn, what the hell did you do to me? Or did Nooj shoot me again?"
I stared at him, mouth agape and eye wide open.
"W-what?"
I stared in even more confusion when he started laughing.
"Y-you should h-have seen your f-face!" I rolled my eyes, typical Gippal. He wakes up from a four day comatose state and he starts joking around. "No seriously, you should've seen yourself in the mirror. Talking about mirrors, have you actually seen yourself lately?" his voice changed immediately, a serious expression on his features. I shook my head, how the heck was I supposed to go and preen in front of a mirror when my best friend was near death?
"You look horrible man." He noted grimly.
"I think looking after you was the top priority, don't you think?"
"What do you mean looking after me? I can take care of myself perfectly well thank you." He replied as he made a move to sit up. He winced again and lay down. "Okay, maybe not," He turned to look at me. "What the hell happened?"
"Well basically, there was an explosion somewhere in the Calm Lands, Flammarius went to investigate and he found you, but…" I shuddered unconsciously, Gippal noticed.
"But what?"
"You were injured… pretty badly… You scared the living daylights out of me. You were unconscious at the time and haven't woken up until now," Gippal looked at me inquisitively. "Four days." I answered the silent question the albhed asked. His eyes widened immediately.
"Four days?!" I nodded. Gippal shook his head in disbelief. "No wonder I feel so cramped up." He looked down at the shirt that was covering his chest and reached for the first button hesitantly.
"Gippal," he looked up. Our eyes locked for a few seconds.
"That bad is it?" he grinned. I hung my head.
"It could have been a lot worse I can tell you that."
Gippal reached for the button again and began unbuttoning the shirt slowly. When the last of the buttons had come undone, the shirt fell open to either side and Gippal just stared at his now scarred chest.
"…rumo cred," he murmured. I looked up and saw a thin line that went from just underneath his left shoulder to his right hipbone and, if you looked closely, was glowing with a pale white light. I closed my eyes, pained to see my best friend scarred for life. My eyes snapped open when I heard a snicker. I looked at Gippal to see him laughing silently. "Rikku is so going to love this." I could've hit him but, then again, he was Gippal. He sobered up almost instantly. "Damn machina."
My ears perked up at that.
"Machina?" I asked, remembering the shadow that Flammarius and I had seen before the explosion.
"Uh-huh, I was…" I held up a hand to interrupt.
"I think we should start from the beginning, but first I want to introduce you to two special someones."
"Sure, wait you mean that Flammarius guy? Pretty weird name if you ask me, where is he?"
"Do you think you'll be able to walk?"
Gippal lifted himself up carefully onto his elbows, gritting his teeth. I noticed and placed a hand on his arm.
"If you can't don't worry, we'll wait until you're fully cured."
Gippal shook his head.
"Nah, I'm fine, seriously," he added when he saw I looked at him in disbelief. "It just burns a little."
I watched as he inched himself up, gritting his teeth and wincing now and then. Once he had sat up fully I draped his arm around my shoulders and helped him to stand up. Being in the Crimson Squad had toughened up the leader of the Machine Faction, but still, a wound of that depth and size was still very serious. I was just thankful that Flammarius had been able to cure him, if I had been alone... I didn't even want to think about it.
"Hey, the scar doesn't burn so much now," Gippal said, surprised. I watched as he took his arm off my shoulders and took a few hesitant steps around the hut. "I think I'll be okay, man you really have to tell how you cured it so quickly."
I shook my head. "I didn't cure you, Flammarius did." Gippal's mouth formed a small 'o', then he closed his mouth and grinned sheepishly as he scratched the back of his head.
"Well, when am I gonna meet the guy?" he smirked and walked towards the door, but stopped and placed a hand on his chest. I went over to him worried, but he waved his hand and muttered "It's fine, but I think I'm gonna have to take things slow." I nodded and waited patiently by the door to lead him outside. I lifted the flap and held it up for Gippal to pass through, letting it down as I came out behind him. As I turned around I nearly bumped into himl. He was standing still, looking around with a very confused look on his face. He turned to me and arched an eyebrow.
"We are still in the Calm Lands aren't we?"
"Of course, where else?" Gippal shrugged.
"Dunno, I've never seen this place in the Calm Lands before."
"Flammarius likes the location, it's very appropiate for him."
"Okay... so, where is he?" Gippal asked looking around. I searched the area as well but I couldn't see Flammarius o Cyjeuin anywhere. Just then I heard some crunching noises. I whipped around but relaxed when I saw Cyjeuin trotting up behind us.
"There you are," I smiled and went to pat her neck. Cyjeuin warbled and closed her eyes contentedly. She opened them almost immediately and ruffled her crest, I turned around to see who she was trying to intimidate and saw Gippal standing there with his arms crossed looking somwhere in between annoyed and bemused. I laughed, I couldn't help it. To see Gippal standing there, being so... Gippal. It was a relief, after four days of endless stress, to see him feeling so much better. Gippal raised an eyebrow when I started to laugh, pouting slightly.
"If possible, could let me in on your 'oh so funny' joke?"
"It's nothing, I've been in need of a good laugh lately." I said as I looked at the floor, the happy moment gone as memories flooded back to me. Gippal noticed and started to walk towards me, in attempt to find out what was wrong.
"He's also been in need of a good friend, which, by the way he hasn't left your side in four days, I would suppose you are."
I looked up, not surprised to see Flammarius walking towards us. Gippal, on the other hand, had stopped suddenly, eyes wide open in shock.
"D-did you hear that as well?" he asked. I nodded, a small smile playing on my lips.
"Yes, meet Flammarius, your saviour."
"My saviour?" I looked over his shoulder. Gippal saw and turned around quickly to face his so called saviour. He winced, though, as he turned, twisting his torso around painfully. I chuckled slightly when I saw him jump back in surprise when he saw Flammarius. He looked at me, shock and disbelief showing on his face.
"'Lai, if this is some kind of sick joke, it's not funny. Why the hell am I staring at a red chocobo?! Red chocobos don't even exist!"
"Baralai, I would appreciate it if your friend realised that I, quite clearly, exist." Flammarius said as laughter danced in his eyes. I chuckled again and turned to Gippal.
"Gippal, this is Flammarius. He was the one that found you after the explosion, brought you here and healed you."
"You must be kidding right? How can a bird know white magic?"
"I think you must've noticed by now that Flammarius isn't any ordinary bird." I pointed out as Gippal looked at Flammarius curiously, the mistrust having disappeared now that he realised the red bird didn't pose any danger to them. Suddenly Gippal started grinning.
"Well, Flammrius, thank you, thanks for everything." Flammarius nodded.
"You're welcome, any friend of Baralai's is." Gippal turned to look at me, I had walked over to Cyjeuin and was patting her neck again.
"'Laaai, I think you still have some explaining to do." I grinned and gave Cyje a final pat on the neck and walked over to where Gippal and Flammarius stood.
"Alright then, it's quite a long story so I would suggest you made yourself comfortable."
Gippal nodded and started to sit down slowly next to the campfire, holding a hand to his chest, his face pulled into a grimace. I sat down next to him as Flammarius crouched down on the opposite side of the mound if ashes and burnt twigs.
"It all began when..." I stopped when I saw Flammarius jump up swiftly and started to worry when he ruffled his crest. He usually didn't, but something about the way his eyes were shining made me realise that something wasn't going right. Gippal had noticed as well.
"What the ...?" he was cut of when we were plunged into darkness, as though the sun had gone out. I looked up at the sky, scared out of my wits, not knowing what to expect. As I predicted, what I saw caught me totally off guard. A huge figure was standing so tall that it blocked the sun's rays, only it wasn't a figure it was...
"Vilgehk machina!!" Precisely what Gippal said... there was no time to react, the machina hurled what seemed like a huge rock at where we were all standing.
"Quickly, Baralai get on Cyjeuin. Gippal do you know how to ride?" Gippal was still dumbstruck but he snapped out of it and nodded, getting onto Flammarius' back with difficulty. I, in turn, ran back to where Cyje was standing and mounted her in one swift jump.
"Go! Go, run!" I yelled, but Cyejuin was already sprinting away. Flammarius was several metres in front of us, Gippal holding onto his neck for dear life. Of course, Flammarius hasn't got a saddle... I decided to stay behind just in case Gippal fell off. In a normal state there wouldn't be a problem, but, even though his injury was healed, it was painful all the same. He could hardly walk without wincing, how the heck was he going to ride a sprinting chocobo?! I took my mind off Gippal for a moment and looked behind us. The huge projectile was still hurtling towards us but now it seemed even larger. My mind was frantically searching for places to hide, then it struck gold.
"Flammarius we have to get to Clasko's! Clasko's!! The person who runs the chocobo farm!" I yelled as loud as I could, not knowing whether Flammarius could hear me or not. I sighed, relieved, when I heard his voice answering.
"Very well."
Now we had come up the slope that leads to the wooden bridge that connects to the main plain of the Calm Lands. We had just set foot on the other side of the bridge when we heard a huge crash, the shockwaves sending us several feet foward. We didn't waste any time, Cyje and Flammarius got up quickly and started sprinting towards the rocky crevice where Clasko's chocobo farm was. I looked at Flammarius and realised that Gippal wasn't on his back.
"Cred" I yelled and looked back. There he was, lying on the floor where the chocobos had fallen. I didn't hesitate, I pulled back on the reins and turned Cyje around and we sprinted back to where Gippal was. Before we got here though a red blur came past us and picked Gippal up. Then I heard Flammarius' voice.
"Turn around, now! We have to get under cover."
I had no idea how Flammarius had gotten there so fast but I turned Cyje around again and we continued our race to safety.
Once we where behind the rock wall that kept the chocobo farm from view I jumped off Cyjeuin's back and rushed to where Flammarius had layed Gippal down. He was still conscious, thank Yevon, but he was breathing heavily. When I kneeled down beside him he smirked and said,
"I really need to train some more, huh?" I gave him a gentle shove and replied,
"Dammit Gippal, when will you stop scaring the cred out of me, huh?"
"Oh wow, 'Lai swearing, I never thought I'd see the day..." I rolled my eyes, but deep down I was so relieved that nothing serious had happened to him. Immediately I remembered the machina, and it's attack... I turned to Flammarius.
"What was that?" but Gippal answered for me.
"The machina I was called out to check up on, only suddenly it has tripled in size..."
"What?!"
"Clasko called at the Djose temple saying that there was some kind of huge machina on the rampage. I decided to go and check it out, and guess what? It decided to have a bit of fun and made something or other explode. I was caught in that explosion and then everything went black. When I woke up I found myself wrapped up like a cocoon."
"Hey what's going on? Huh? Praetor Baralai, Mr. Gippal? What are you doing here?"
A young brown haired man in an old Chocbo Knights uniform stepped out of the building embbed in the rock face.
"Clasko, we need a favour to ask of you." I said as I watched Clasko take in the little group that had appeared in front of his buisness and home. Afterall, it's not everyday you find a red chocobo, a Machine Faction leader and the Praetor of New Yevon at your door. Cyje of course had no problem, she was a perfectly normal chocobo. Clasko fell back in shock when he saw Flammaruis.
"W-wha..."
"Please, we need somewhere safe to stay. Undoubtedly you heard the machina's newest attack."
Clasko gaped at Flammarius but nodded quickly when he noticed Gippal was still lying on the floor.
"Of course, sorry. Come in, come in." He scrambled back inside to calm some of the chocobos that had been startled by the crash. I helped Gippal up and walked him inside, Cyjeuin at our tail. When looked back I saw Flammarius standing outside still, looking back in the direction from where we had escaped. I looked foward when I heard Clasko's voice calling out from somewhere deeper in the building.
"Here, over here. This is the cleanest place at the moment, you can lay down on my blanket over there if you like."
I followed the voice and turned a corner to see a little makeshift camp which was without doubt where Clasko slept. I helped Gippal lie down on the blanket and watched Clasko as he bustled around with a bucket of greens.
"Hey 'Lai, I believe we have to catch up on a few things don't you?"
"Mmh, I believe I still owe you an explanation right?" Gippal nodded and sat up to lean against the wall. Cyejeuin had sat down by my side and I was leaning against her, trying to put my thoughts into order. Just then Flammarius came in and sat down on the other side of Gippal. He looked at me solemnly and said,
"The object that the machina threw was of great proportions, the hut is no more and the bridge will need repairing." He turned to look at Gippal. "Has the rest of the Calm Lands been evacuated?" Gippal nodded.
"When I got the call from Clasko I came here immediately and closed off the area myself."
Clasko, upon hearing his name, poked his head out from one of the pens, gave the chocobo inside a last stroke and came to sit by us.
"Baralai," I looked at Flammarius. "I do believe you were going to tell Gippal something." I nodded and wondered where to start.
"It all started when I came across some extraordinarily strong fiends, a chimera and two burning machinas to be exact..."
I told Gippal and Clasko everything that had happened, from the fiends' attack, Cyjeuin's apperance, Flammarius' intervention, to the machina's last attack. The last part was mainly for Clasko's information, seeing that Gippal had already lived through it himself.
"So, you're telling me that you think that the machina and the extra strong fiends are connected some way?" Gippal asked. I nodded and glanced at the scar that ran across my hand. Clasko was gawking at Flammarius, unable to believe that Flammarius was actually a chocobo that was more than a thousand years old. The red bird was watching the floor with what appeared to the naked eye as indifference, but I knew he was thinking about many things, too many perhaps. Everything that had happened in the last few days had happened so quickly and suddenly that it was hard to process.
There was a machina on the rampage, extra strong fiends were appearing, Gippal had been seriously injured and if it hadn't been for Flammarius, the possiblilities had he could've ended up in the Farplane were too high, this machina had attacked us and had caused an explosion somewhere else in the Calm Lands, and we had found out that it was growing larger... We had a major problem on our hands. When I pointed this out, Gippal nodded darkly and put his head between his knees, but Clasko had something to say. He hesitated a bit but when he saw I nodded to let him talk he said nevously,
"I think we should call Lady Yuna, Lady Rikku and Lady Paine, I think they could help us."
Gippal's head shot up at the mention of Rikku's name.
"No," he said slightly hoarsely. "I'm not putting Rikku in the middle of this, and I think Yuna has had to save the world too many times, don't you think? People should begin to rely on Spira's leaders and leave the ex-High Summoner to live her life in peace."
"I agree, Lady Yuna has the right to live in peace after all that she's done for Spira, but knowing her she'll come and help the moment she finds out, it's in her nature. The best thing is, then, to not tell her or any other Gullwings," I looked at Gippal's emerald eye shining and I knew he was planning something. "Well, what do you suppose we do?" Gippal lips curved up into a smirk as he cracked his knuckles.
"We're gonna get rid of this...problem, but first we're going to Bikanel." I felt the andrenaline rush through me, exactly the way it used to back in the days of the Crimson Squad. I smirked as well.
"Sounds like a plan."
Hope you liked it!! Tell me what ya think kay?
