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Chapter 46: Those trusted and Those hated
After allowing himself to fall for what appeared to be hours, Scipio finally maneuvered his descent so that he would land breezily upon the lowest level. His sabattons made contact with the ground without as much as little thud and he rose to his full height, the Gatling gun swaying behind him.
That weapon which hung from a strap was his most prized. There were many of the same which were sold by the Archadian military but his was far more superior to any of the military surplus. Those commercialized were able to fire around 2500 rounds a minute, his could do 3000. With six barrels and a drum fed mechanism, his gatling gun far outweighed those publicly sold. Much to the surprise of others and to himself, he has never fired it in combat, not once. It found its constant use whenever he was executing infidels or when he was practicing in the training grounds.
He would always deem enemies in the battlefield unworthy for his gatling gun's awesome might.
When I get back to the Ministry, I'm going pump this gun up! Along with the Castellanos launcher, I will be invincible!
It pleased him to no end to have weapons which could easily overkill anything.
Now he wanted to go up, he had allowed himself the fall just for the thrill. His ears were able to perceive well what Reena had cried out. Yes, he would see to it that they would meet again.
He leapt up, past the first few hundred levels landing on the edge of the 101st level and then bounding across the chasm. He repeated the process for many times, covering vast amounts of ground.
He was at the topmost level…again. The song, the laughter and the golden glow had long died out. He was all alone again, the silence being his sole companion along with his thoughts haunted with death and strife.
'Do you think that you are always alone, Scipio?' a smooth and sultry voice spoke behind him. He wheeled about, drawing his gatling gun and pointing it at the unknown.
A woman, so it seemed.
Her swanlike features and her beautiful face were familiar; her face had come across his eyes so many times that a mere glance brought back the worst of his memories.
'Yes, because I am alone, Hilaneya.' Behind his mask, Scipio's brows met.
The woman's eyes widened. It was disbelief which overrode her previous sardonic expression.
She was wearing tight, black leather which revealed a good deal of skin. She had a very short skirt for her hips and a few strips of wide, black leather were wrapped around her chest. She had a few bangles which hung loosely, a golden chocker and a pair of high heeled sandals.
Her body was streamlined and was elegantly and beautifully built. Her curves were extremely appealing even to Scipio's eyes. Her posture was graceful. Her face was fair and pretty. Her smooth red hair swayed gently, many of the tresses tinted with orange.
'Ah,' her face slowly assumed her previous expression, 'you have gotten used to me, my dear.' Her red lips titled into a cynical smirk as she shifted into a more alluring pose.
'I AM NOT DEAR TO YOU!' flying into a rage long kept behind bars of will and tempered demeanor, Scipio squeezed the trigger; he unleashed a storm of bullets upon the woman.
Her eyes narrowed as she automatically leapt out of the weapon's range. Roaring now, Scipio attempted to trace her with the pillar of burning bullets; the projectiles obeyed a few seconds after he had violently jerked the gun in Hilaneya's direction.
Hilaneya deftly leapt upwards.
Clouded by strong rage, Scipio's senses could not keep up with Hilaneya's assassin-like movements. Within seconds he was pinned to the ground as his beloved gatling gun skittered over the edge of the level.
Hilaneya then mounted the scowling Scipio, effectively immobilizing him with her weight which she applied on his joints.
Scipio felt his being numb; it was as though chilblained water replaced his blood. He grew cold then he was still, yet he still drew breath.
Then a warm, smooth hand slid across his mask, then his cheek.
'Believe me Scipio.' Her voice was calm and surprisingly soothing to Scipio's ears, having long heard nothing but the sound of combat and misery.
Scipio turned his face away from Hilaneya's, which was right above his. Her palm was on his cheek, her warm skin comforting his cold dermis.
The hand was gentle and then it suddenly, violently, grabbed his jaw squarely and then forcefully turned his head to look its owner in the eyes.
Her face drew closer, 'Please.' She said. The verity of her expression was hard to ascertain for she wore a face of pleading nature yet her own nature was something far from that.
'GO TO HELL!' Scipio found his blood running again as his right fist balled. He swung it hard and he was able to bury his knuckles deep into Hilaneya's left cheek, flinging her away.
She merely grunted in pain as Scipio was certain she would feel a sting. He clambered on his feet quickly and made for the edge of the level. He leapt once more into the chasm. Not a word, not a sound.
Hilaneya slowly rose from where she lay. She was surprised at how quick Scipio had gained strength from most of the strategies she had once employed against him. It had almost cost Scipio's life, he would have certainly have no qualms over his end, when she had used that numbing technique. Yet now…it was always easy to read Scipio in the past decades, it would seem that she no longer knew him as well as she had hoped.
Sighing, she slowly placed a finger on her left cheek. Her hand recoiled instantly as she felt a searing pain. Her finger came away wet with crimson blood. Having known every move Scipio could come up with had led her to underestimate him.
She walked slowly towards the edge and shouted into the darkness of the chasm, 'You may flee from me Scipio, but you will never be rid of me!'
XOXOXXO
It always frustrates a Hume to waste time. How that time is wasted is what frustrates a Hume. Running past the plains of Ozmone with the only Viera who could trust you would certainly be a waste to others, but to Balthier it was a worthwhile way spending what time was given to him.
The race they were currently running was the most intense and the fastest race they had ever run. Fran was crouched low, her arms pointing backwards while her legs were pumping at full speed. Balthier was running the conventional Hume run, his arms swinging in accordance to his racing legs.
They betrayed their cover; their footfalls could be heard by anyone within thirty feet.
The clouds above the midnight sky had begun to part, it would be day soon. What cover and secrecy they had hoped for would be lost to the light of the day if they did not make more haste.
Haste!
Balthier knew they would not reach the mines in time to avoid any unwanted eyes; he quickly cast Hastega on himself and on Fran. The blue cogs revolved around their bodies and then subsided into the thin air. As soon as the blight blue disappeared, they were running at twice their speed.
They were but a blur against the plains. It would seem that neither wished to be bereft of other privileges once suited with a dreadful fetter: chores.
And atop a damning fate should ever they lose to other would be the disgrace of their race. Would the Viera rein supreme over the Humes? Or will it be rendered otherwise should Balthier's running valor prevail?
There were but a few hundred yards to run and supremacy would be decided.
At their rate, if ever it was surveyed intensely and thoroughly, they would be able to cover at least fifty meters in a few seconds.
Five hundred yards.
The clouds part had grown wider and the midnight was tinted with a dark blue. In the east the sun had begun to crawl upwards.
Four hundred yards.
The clouds had disappeared into the horizons, giving way to the bright morning which will soon come.
Three hundred yards.
The sky had grown brighter; the sun could be seen rising behind the distant hills, in a few moments Humes and all manners of living creatures would roam the plains.
Two hundred yards.
The sun had cleaved through the sky. Its bright, splendorous glow bathed some land now; it had begun to light the day.
One hundred yards.
Balthier and Fran leapt across the chasm which separated the mines from the rest of the plains. They leapt together, simultaneously, and landed gracefully before they exploded into another sprint towards the mines' gates.
The mines.
Balthier dove across the threshold and Fran with him as the sun bathed the land before them with its bright rays.
The day had begun and the two hunters were once again concealed in the shadows.
XOXOXXO
Penelo ran after Yvelle who stopped in the middle of the Ore Seperation Shaft after they decided to run after a little girl dressed in white who laughed to get their attention. The former did not know which was stranger. The little girl who kept appearing and disappearing, or Yvelle's determination to ran after her.
"Yvelle, Are you sure you saw this girl?" Penelo asked Yvelle who was looking about to where the specter ran off to. Yvelle merely gave a nod.
"I was not the only one who saw her." Yvelle explained and she looked over to Vaan.
Vaan, who along with Basch and Larsa had caught up with them, merely shrugged. "I thought I saw someone a while ago. I didn't know if it was a girl or not."
Penelo just sighed and even Basch shook his head, but Yvelle interrupted their conversation with a "Look!"
The group turned to where she was pointing, and to their utter astonishment, there was indeed a little girl standing there.
She barely looked like eight years old and her midnight black hair seemed far too long for someone her age. She was wearing a long dress of white satin and she smiled a soft smile at them. Her feet were bare, but they seemed repellant to dirt. The little girl looked at them with a slight cock of her head.
"Hello," Yvelle was the first to speak, her soft voice sounding louder than usual in the vast shaft. "Are you lost?"
The little girl shook her head. "You are." She answered, her voice as sweet and as lilting as a young girl.
Yvelle smiled, oblivious to the shock on the faces of her companions. "My name is Yvelle. What's your name?"
The little girl smiled again. "You may call me Selena." Selena cocked her head to the side. "Though that is not my true name. As is yours, Yvelle."
Behind Yvelle, Penelo and Vaan exchanged looks. Yvelle meanwhile just nodded, understanding the formality in Selena's speech. Selena meanwhile turned to look at Yvelle's companions.
"I know what it is you seek." She looked at Larsa. "Be careful of the Sorrow it brings."
Before Larsa or anyone in the group could ask Selena turned once more and begun to run. Yvelle quickly straightened up.
"Selena wait!" she called, unsure of what to do. If they should follow or make their way on the mines alone.
"I want to follow her," Larsa said and without another word, ran after the little girl, Basch quickly behind him. Vaan and Penelo just shrugged and ran after Basch but Yvelle, once again stood still. Should she tell them, when she did not understand things herself? Biting back a sigh, Yvelle nodded and followed in their wake.
They chased Selena through the twists and turns of the Henne mines, and always the little girl seemed too quick for them to catch up to.
"That little girl is no ordinary Hume." Basch commented through heavy breathing and beside him, Larsa nodded.
"Perhaps she is not Hume then,"
Behind them, Vaan cried. "I don't care if she's hume or not! She'd better be leading us somewhere worth it!"
To their utter astonishment and shock, when the group reached Pithead Junction B of the mines, Selena was nowhere to be found. As the group stopped to catch their breath, Vaan was cursing under his breath.
"We just ended up deeper into the mines." He said roughly, running a hand through his damp hair. "Are we even sure we can trust that kid?"
Basch just sighed and looked at Larsa. The young Emperor seemed to fight a disappointed look in his face but he did not say anything. Penelo herself just got out her water skin, took a drink of water, and saw it was best not to say anything. It was Yvelle who spoke first, and there was a strange tone in her voice.
"There is something behind this wall." The young healer said out loud, one of her palms touching the western wall of the junction. She was examining the wall with two hands now, running her pale hands against the rough surface of rock.
"Not again," Vaan muttered under his breath, making wild gestures with his hands.
"Look Yvelle," he started, walking over to Yvelle, a frown on his face. "I know you're relatively new to this sort of thing, adventures and stuff, but for us, we don't have to check out every weird looking thing thinking it's meant for us! I mean if we did, we would have never gotten anywhere last year, so stop it with the whole mystic and magick stuff so we can actually find that stupid nethicite!!" he slammed his fist hard against the wall Yvelle was examining to emphasize his point.
Yvelle just stared at him wide eyed, her amethyst eyes looking almost glassy and she was silent. Penelo saw her reaction at once and knew Vaan had shocked her.
"Vaan," Penelo chastised gently, knowing that her partner had just let out his anger on the healer and he would regret yelling at her later, but Yvelle did not know that. "Maybe you should just let it go for a while. We're all tired and.."
A rumble from above made her stop. They all looked up and to their horror, the ceiling started to shake, trickles of dust started to drop, and cracks started to fall.
"It's going to give way!" Basch yelled, getting on his feet and grabbing Larsa immediately by the arm. "Get the mechanism working quick!" he pointed at Penelo who was nearest the mechanism to open one of the shaft gates and she quickly ran over to it to activate the lever.
"Hurry, Penelo!" Vaan yelled as rocks started to come down on them.
"I'm trying!" Penelo's fingers were fumbling, her hand unable to register the proper combination quickly enough. Vaan just cursed under his breath and started to breath in a spell.
"We can't get out of this quickly enough!" He yelled over to Basch. "We have to stop the rocks!"
Vaan's words seemed to have jolted Yvelle awake because she ran over to pick up where she left her staff and started to mutter incantations under her breath.
"Penelo!" Larsa's voice echoed as a large part of the ceiling came crashing down towards where Penelo was fumbling over the mechanism. The young emperor had ran and pushed the hunter away just in time.
"Larsa?" Penelo asked surprise in her voice at his rescue, but Larsa was not looking at her, but at the mine mechanism. It was caught by the boulder and was destroyed.
"Damn!" Basch's rumbling voice could still be heard over the rumbling of the ceiling. Several Stop spells came from Vaan, Basch and Yvelle but the rocks continued to fall, and it took all their efforts to try and avoid them, in the small and cramped space.
"This is why I hate mines!" Vaan yelled, stopping several boulders at once, only to have them fall again as new parts of the ceiling crashed against them
"Vaan!" Penelo yelled as Vaan barely rolled out of the way of the falling rocks.
Basch looking about and finding no way of escape merely ran towards where Larsa and Penelo were huddled and meant to shield them with his arms, when out of the darkening gloom of their situation came a new and powerful voice:
"STOP!!"
