Chapter 18

Roshfall Forest

After last light, Thalassa and Gerra continued north through Roshfall Forest. Sorceress Rinoa and her travelling companions would be meeting them at the same place as Damian, along with their newly acquired GFs.

'Did you tell them the truth?' Gerra asked tentatively. 'About me?'

'I did,' Thalassa said, then warned, 'Damian's a hot head though, and he's got a big mouth. Rinoa and the others won't say anything to him, yet.'

Gerra seemed troubled but said nothing more as they slalomed around some broad sequoias. Lacking Hyperion, Thalassa had given Gerra her tanto. He wore the single-edged, curved dagger on his belt in addition to his straight one. She had told Gerra they would be meeting a captured supply convoy sometime the following day. Hopefully, he could procure a more formidable weapon from her friend, Damian.

They were assailed by a few funguars, understood to be the spawn of fauna mutated during a Lunar Cry. Carbuncle reflected the purple cloud secreting from their orifices that was known to inflict drowsiness. Thalassa cut through one that was directly in their path, and they were able to flee the rest of the lumbering creatures. A few miles on, they spotted a fully grown ochu but gave it a wide berth. It appeared to be sleeping, its tentacles hanging limply by its sides. A particularly angry female cockatrice rushed them when they neared its nest, and Gerra was frustrated with the range of his weapons as he dived and scrambled to avoid it. As it towered over him, Thalassa willed Carbuncle to cast a sleep spell on the noisy, oversized bird – so that the nearby eggs would remain protected.

'I can't say I'm not disappointed,' Gerra commented as they jogged away. 'Those things are extinct in my time. I've heard their meat was very popular!'

He was not looking forward to the notoriously tough geezards fillets they would be eating tomorrow.

'It sure is,' Thalassa said. 'But they've been in decline with the spread of the Empire.'

Thalassa informed him the biggest threat in the forest would be wendigos, partly sentient but iron age creatures that were mostly hostile to humans. Even more so after Galbadia and Esthar had shrunk their natural habitat and affected their population over the last few decades.

Following a sudden wordless shout, they were approached by one such beast. The wendigo was incredibly muscular, its jade green spotted with yellow, with a small head and no neck. It moved on its fists and would have been over two metres tall had it stood erect. They drew their weapons as the wendigo started toward them, but Thalassa began to glow with that emerald aura, and it froze. Seeming to have second thoughts, it turned and bounded away.

'Carbuncle reached out to its mind,' she explained. 'For the best, really. Wendigos go berserk when threatened and don't stop until they're maimed or killed. I feel sorry for them.'

Stopping only for brief rest breaks, they made camp near the edge of the forest when dawn broke, not far from a four-lane road connected to a forest path. Thalassa said they had reached the coordinates Damian had given her. Through a gap in the treeline, Gerra could see a farm settlement across a meadow. Three chocobos were visible outside the adjoining stable. While tucking into the gristly geezard meat, they could hear footsteps approaching.

Raine followed silently behind Rinoa and Xu. A small fire was ahead, with the two people sitting either side of it. As Raine got close, she recognised Thalassa. Her close friend was out of uniform, tanned as always, and wearing baggy outdoor clothing. Her hand was on the hilt of her curved gunblade, but she relaxed, her eyes widening with joy as saw them.

Next to her was a dishevelled man in a black trench coat, who could have been called handsome under other circumstances. The man from the future, Gerra. He looked like he had made only minimum effort to scrub up whilst on the road. He had long, knotted black hair and an unkempt beard that looked a few weeks old. A dagger was stuck in the dirt by his muddy boots.

The White SeeD stood. 'Hyne, I'm so glad to see you guys!'

She ran to Raine first, and they shared a warm embrace. They had not seen each other for many months.

'You too, Lassa!' Raine replied gleefully.

'You did it?' Thalassa asked her. 'You junctioned with a GF?'

Raine briefly glowed silver, her eyes lighting up. 'I sure did!'

'Minimog? Great job!'

An emerald form appeared before Rinoa, about the size of a small child. Raine had seen Carbuncle before. It was bipedal with very tiny arms, its legs like a rabbit's. Its ears were long and pointed, with sapphire tips. Its tail was wide and bushy, its eyes like tiny black buttons compared to the pulsating ruby above them.

'Buncle!' Rinoa exclaimed happily upon seeing her first GF.

Carbuncle made a squeaky noise, floated upwards, and spread its small arms as far as they would go. Rinoa cuddled it and spun in a couple of circles, burying her face in its fur.

'We've all got GFs,' Rinoa explained, when Carbuncle's emerald cloud returned to Thalassa. 'Rhodry junctioned with Shiva and is heading west as we speak. Raijin will meet us in Galbadia. Nida is with Seifer and Fujin in Dollet, seeking Siren. Quistis got Eden, too.' Thalassa and Gerra looked at one another. Rinoa continued. 'They're the only ones that we could get on short notice, but we should be strong enough to stop Esthar now. Especially with Eden.' The Sorceress shuddered, likely remembering wielding the Elder GF's power herself. Then she looked at Gerra. 'If we truly did not before.'

Gerra did not break the eye contact for a couple of seconds, and a vein throbbed in his temple. Slowly, he rose, looking between the three newcomers.

Thalassa cut through the tense silence. 'This is Gerra.'

'Ultimecia's Knight,' Xu stated bluntly.

Gerra spoke evenly. 'That's right, Torama Fang. I am Gerra Almasy, direct descendant of the Bloodhound of Garden, born more than two centuries from this day.'

Raine gasped as Thalassa looked at Gerra again, this time with shock. Xu and Rinoa both look surprised. Seemingly, Gerra had neglected to tell Thalassa his last name.

Seifer Almasy was known alternatively as Edea's Bloodhound, for his former service as the Knight of Edea and the atrocities he had committed during the Second Sorceress War. Although many were ignorant of how accurate that moniker truly was. At just eighteen years old, Seifer had briefly ruled Galbadia after Edea's defeat. He had continued the war in Ultimecia's name, salvaging the Lunatic Pandora and causing the Lunar Cry that had ravaged Esthar.

There was no wonder Gerra had not told Thalassa of his ancestry. Seifer was one of the most controversial figures alive, with many still calling for him to be hanged as a war criminal, despite him being officially pardoned for his role in helping Laguna and the family of Odine escape from Esthar. Furthermore, the Bloodhound had sought redemption over the past two decades, taking up arms against Esthar along with Fujin and Raijin during the battles for Balamb and Timber.

Seifer was effectively an uncle to Raine, with her father being his best friend, and she loved him as such. Seifer and Fujin had been blessed with another child after the disappearance of Tyris. A son, Ifrit – who was the same age as Edea.

Rinoa addressed Gerra. 'I guess that makes two Almasys that have served Ultimecia,' she said. 'I won't ask you to tell us what you have done in Ultimecia's name, Gerra. All that really matters is that you're trying to stop her conquest, here and now. If Seifer can redeem himself, then so can you.'

Gerra seemed somewhat startled by Rinoa, a common reaction when the Sorceress spoke to people for the first time, her voice being rather rapid and high-pitched for someone so powerful. But his tension looked to ease somewhat.

Rinoa continued. 'Thalassa gambled and told us everything when she was in FH. Carbuncle knew that you spoke the truth. She is Zell's daughter, and jumping across time is by no means farfetched to my Knight and I. We once did so ourselves to confront Ultimecia in the future.' She paused. 'If only it could have been as easy for us. But Esthar are already very advanced. When Squall met Odine for the first time, Odine said that there was nothing he couldn't do. I was in a coma at the time, but I heard everything. I'm not surprised one of his descendants was able to make a successor to the Junction Machine Ellone.'

She gave a faint smile now, her eyes to the forest canopy. 'I just wondered if they came up with a better title, because I always thought that name was pretty stupid!' Rinoa started giggling like a child, which made the rest of the women smile.

Gerra chuckled, his tension easing further. 'He called it Ellone the Second.'

They heard the low hum of several electrical vehicles coming down the road.

'That's gotta be Damian,' Xu said.

The SeeD left the forest canopy, walking to the roadside. Raine and Thalassa followed. They were regarded by the drivers of the first two trucks, which ground to a halt. One of them, sighting Xu's uniform, leaned out of a window with a cigarette in the side of his mouth.

'Damian is in the flatbed,' he said in the percussive accent distinct to Timber, gesturing behind the vehicle with his head.

'Thank you,' Xu said.

The flatbed was behind the second truck. As they approached, they could see the stocky Neo-SeeD grinning at them, leaning on the railing. Damian was bald – by choice at just twenty-two – and had a pointed, oiled beard about six inches long. He wore just a black tactical vest on his upper body, his round shoulders and beefy arms covered in tribal tattoos. There was a double-headed axe behind his back, the half-moon blades over his right shoulder, and there were two large hand-cannons holstered on each beefy thigh.

'You ladies are looking as fine as ever! Even you, Deputy Commander!' Damian called.

Like Raine, his accent was southern Galbadian, which was regarded as little higher than a Dollet drawl by those in northern Galbadia.

'Gee, thanks,' Xu replied, unimpressed. 'You're still a cocky bastard, Reno.'

'Always,' Damian said. He looked at Thalassa. 'So, you're spiriting officers away from Esthar now, Lassa? Where is he?'

'Good to see you too, Damian. I met Gerra in FH, he wanted out,' Thalassa said simply. 'Sorry to mess you around, but did you get us enough chocobos?'

Damian grinned broadly. 'I sure did! I'm coming with you!'

'Why?'

Xu turned to explain. 'Esthar's got around half a million soldiers here. They'll be going right through Winhill, as your intelligence said. They'll push to the western end of the bluffs, as it's the launch pad for their southern invasion.'

'I've gotta get my folks to Wilburn,' Damian elaborated. 'The Commander has called all SeeDs to northern Galbadia, anyway.'

They would have to go as far as Winhill to circumnavigate the Dingo Desert. Thalassa had last been there while on leave, two years ago. She had travelled there with Raine's brother, Raiden, whom she had been in a relationship with at the time. Her first love. They had stayed with Ellone and Raijin for several days. Though Thalassa generally found she could not stay in one place for too long. She had quickly grown tired of the quaint town, continuing her vacation alone in Galbadia City.

Raiden had expressed intent to retire to his hometown after finishing service with White SeeD. Thalassa had never thought of her life beyond their organisation, and certainly could not fathom spending the rest of her life in Winhill. That had been the beginning of the end between her and Raiden. and they had mutually agreed to a split shortly after. She had not been with anyone since.

Though it had been during that vacation when Thalassa had asked Ellone if she could Connect to her parents, during the Battle of Balamb. Ellone had rarely used her power after the Second Sorceress War, but she obliged. Ellone had warned Thalassa that she would not be able to change anything, but she had not intended to. It was done; she had wanted only to know the manner of her parent's deaths, and to see the face of Sorceress Reina, up close and personal.

She had particularly wanted to see her mother's final moments, as her body had never been recovered with the scuttling of Balamb Garden. As it happened, Adira of the Masako clan had been cut down by cyborgs in her beloved Garden's library, shielding junior classmembers.

As for Zell, Thalassa had witnessed the ill-fated land defence of Balamb, the fall of Balamb City, and the desperate retreat to the Gaulg Mountains. Though instead of waiting to be encircled, Zell had led a bold gambit directly to within striking distance of Reina herself. Ellone had said that Zell might be able to hear Thalassa's voice, but she had not attempted this until the Armageddon Fist neared death, not wanting to distract him during his valiant charge, nor as he inflicted crippling blows to any Praetorians that stood in his path.

After a close battle, Reina had stood over the mortally wounded Zell, one of her ornate swords buried in his abdomen. The depleted Leviathan had been taken from him, the GF furiously throbbing blue inside the magicite in Reina's palm. Thalassa had tried to speak to Zell. Saying that he had fought well, that he was a hero, that she was so proud of him. That she would avenge him and Ma. Hearing her, Zell had breathed his daughter's name. Reina had looked into the fading eyes of Zell, wondering why he would be uttering the name of one of the Original Four, though she seemed to recognise a foreign presence.

She had willed the sword to be ripped from his stomach, and it had hovered threatening over Zell's heart. Ellone abruptly broke off the connection before it made contact. Weeping afterward, Ellone and Thalassa had tightly embraced.

When Rinoa emerged from the treeline with Gerra, the mouths of the Forest Fox parted as one, and the resistance fighters gathered around her.

'Sorceress Rinoa! All of you, take a knee before the Celestial Defender of the Forested Plains!' Rickard shouted, leading by example.

The rest of them followed. Rinoa had been well known to the Timber resistance factions before becoming a Sorceress. She had been a member of the Forest Owls as a teenage runaway, opposed to the occupying Galbadian force commanded by her own father. The luck of her old comrades Watts and Zone had finally ended two years ago, when they had died during the invasion.

'Please, Rick!' the Sorceress protested, addressing the freedom fighter she had known since he had been a boy. 'Stand up, all of you! I'm not worthy of that title! I might have defended Timber, but I could not prevent its fall! I failed you!'

'We're no stranger to being a province of superpowers,' Rickard's brother Gareth said. 'It meant so much to us that you and the Lionheart fought for the liberty of the Forested Plains! We know that you will lead its liberation, one day, as you secured our independence before!'

The Forest Fox cheered, raising their weapons.

'I'll do everything in my power, I promise you!' Rinoa resolved when the noise abated. 'SeeD are gathering the power of the GFs once more! If we stop Sorceress Reina on the Galbadian plains, then we'll launch a counter invasion of Timber as soon as we can!'

'With your old man?' one of them asked angrily. 'The same President of Galbadia that left us to fall to Esthar?'

Rinoa faltered, so Xu responded. 'It was a tactical withdrawal. Caraway knew Timber was lost. He wanted to conserve his forces for the inevitable battle with Esthar on his own soil. Rinoa will ensure that he commits the full force of his military when the time comes to free your homeland!'

'And if not, Rinoa will take her father's army for herself, like Edea did before her!' another Fox member shouted excitedly.

Rinoa looked away, and Thalassa could see that she looked uncomfortable. Rinoa had witnessed first-hand the moment when Ultimecia, through Edea's body, had seized control of Galbadia.

'Let's get to the farm,' Thalassa said to Damian.

Before departing, Gerra had requested new weapons. He opted for a bastard sword. Gerra, Damian, and Xu also shouldered captured plasma rifles, as they were planning to traverse the plateaus into southern Galbadia. They would be handy against the thrustaevises known to reside in the area, not to mention vysages.

They all boarded the flatbed, which Damian drove around the lead two vehicles, leaving the Forest Fox members behind as they approached the nearby farm. Damian had already paid for the hire of three electronically, so a farmhand immediately went to ready three upon their arrival. He requested three more and settled the difference with cash. Stopping short of apologising, Damian added a generous tip for the inconvenience on short notice.

With the robust birds mounted, the new party of six bounded across the Forested Plains. Thalassa and Gerra were weary from travelling overnight and allowed Rinoa to induce them to sleep in their saddles. Veiled by Rinoa's sorcery, it was a leisurely journey for the other four as they approached the high plateaus to the west.