Hey again. Here's chapter 3, hope it entertains, enlightens and gives mystery. Feel free to leave any comments or praise. It makes my day getting reviews. This chapter is a little on the short side for me but hopefully the rest will be a bit longer… or let me know if it's just the right length lol. I'm still setting the scene but romance will be on the way! Oh and I don't own anything to do with final fantasy VIII but you all know that. Samxxx
Chapter 3: A knights rest
Her hair stuck to her face as fat heavy raindrops fell around her, seemingly falling down in sheets. It was deathly cold, pickling her as the rain hit, making her draw her only protection, her shawl around her tightly although her shawl did little to protect her from the rain, the thin green material transparent and sticking to her skin, same as the rest of her clothing.
Dark grey clouds phased above her, clouds that curled ferociously, letting no light pass. The darkness around her seamed to show shadows of things she knew weren't there… yet she felt like she was being constantly watched.
Shivering, she moved one step, then another, making her way down the shadowy hall towards the massive statue before her. In better light she would recognise the figure as a human, crossed legged with a harp in their lap… but here it was twisted. The legs bent back, the surface of the skin ripped and gorging. Flashes of lightning made it appear real. Every time the light lit up the monument, the colours looked as if they were merging. Grey to pale white, black claws, lips curling back in a horrid yellow snarl and blood red rivets flowing down from the wounds on the horror before her. She could swear it was beating with life.
She approached the monstrosity, curious to why she was being drawn to it, or was it drawing her? Suddenly it moved, the face turning directly towards her and grinning; sharp teeth bared and slanted red eyes looking directly at her. A face she hoped wasn't real, with bulked out features torn and bulging, speaking at her with the harsh, sickening tones and a look of pleasure reflected at that of her own horror.
The monster licked her lips, as a hypnotic, soft voice called out at her, drawing her even closer to the giant facing her "child… good little girl… come to me…my power is weak… but my soul is still…this world is small…come to me… let me look at you…let me taste you" The claws seamed to unfold in melody to the voice. Ellone couldn't help but to move towards the creature, up the stone steps, she was now but a few meters from those outreached hands.
A flash of lightning now showed a smile of such evil proportions it made ellone stop cold, causing a flash of impatience to Adel's cold eyes " come to me girl… let me taste…"
Ellone flinched at the words and stepped back, her mind screaming at her that this wasn't right. That she should flee.
Adel's form roared with fury at this action, breaking ellone from her trance. She span on her heels and started to run. Her eyes lit in panic, as she heard the unfolding of the sorceresses limbs and looked over her shoulder to see Adel crawling towards her, using her arms to pull herself forward, legs somehow coiled behind her.
All at once she slipped on the wet ground and fell, tripping over her long skirt and landing hard. Turning over to get up she saw Adel was upon her, seconds left till she reached ellone, when a sharp bang was heard, followed by another and another. The sound of bullets raining over her form and making her hug the ground.
Loud footsteps could be heard running towards her and she looked up trying to make out the figure coming towards her in the rain. Adel was screaming in fury as the bullets hit her hard in the chest, ripping at her, causing more and more red blood to pour over her form.
The figure, dressed in black to merge with the darkness swooped down and pulled ellone up from the ground and pushed her into a run, screaming at her to go, but also protecting her from Adel's swooping claws as the dark gunblade followed the motion, curving out around her and swinging in Adel's direction.
Ellone ran on, lungs burning, wet cold trails of water stinging her skin. She could hear the screams and roars of the battle behind her and reaching the end of the hall drove her body past the grand archway.
To wake up with a scream, breathing heavily and looking wildly around her room. The pale green wash walls, the white lacy bedspread, Ward looming over her, a worried look flashing in his eyes from leaping off the chair from opposite her bed. She was ok. She was in esthar.
Ward tenderly took a cool cloth to her face, helping sooth her as she collapsed down into her bed. The man couldn't say anything but she could see in his eyes the pain he felt for her and his silent questions.
She looked up at him and smiled softly "thanks ward… I needed that."
The large man nodded at her as he sat back down in the chair, looking over ellone as she drew herself up into a sitting position and grabbed the notebook and pen from her bedside table. Dr Odine had expressed that she record all her dreams as soon as she awoke for his analysis. She shivered in recollection… this night the dream had gone beyond its usual pace. She normally awoke at the point where she tripped before Adel… why did that not happen tonight? Who was the gunblader? And why did this mysterious person's voice seem so familiar?
Ward had produced a cheese sandwedge and glass of milk for her while she wrote in her 'dream journal' before watching her intensely. And she munched absently as she noted the imagery down on paper. The thing was her dreams were becoming more clear and complex. This all confused her. She had so many unanswered questions. Yet she could only think of the gunblader that had saved her. That certainly was a mysterious new twist.
She looked down at the sketch she'd made of the weapon. It looked unlike a standard model; she'd never seen anything like it. And she would know by the array of gundblade special issues of weapons monthly that squall always like to read when he was in esthar. The metal was dark, tinged grey like pewter but had to be reinforced with something else because it was a very strong weapon. Along the length of the curved blade about an inch inside was engraved lettering like she had never seen before. And each letter seemed to be razor sharp against the smooth metal.
One thing worried her about the dream this time… it was clear as to where she was. The other times it had been fog like, she just couldn't figure it out then. She could now… she was dreaming about Tears point. She shuddered thinking how close it was. Tears point was in south-eastern esthar and that felt way too close for comfort. She definitely felt the need to run, to get as far away as possible from that place. Something was definitely happening, and whatever it was it wasn't good if it involved Adel.