Awesomest FFVI fic ever part 3
I Did Not Write This.
(Author’s Note: Well, this story is moving along nicely. I had fun writing this chapter, I hope you enjoy reading it. As always, thank you for reading and for the reviews. I don’t have much to add other than I’m always receptive to constructive criticism as well as compliments, and if anyone has any suggestions, I’d love to hear them.)
There was warmth and light, the sounds of waves breaking upon a beach and seabirds calling to one another as they fished out of the surf. Clyde opened his eyes to see an azure sky painted with white clouds, the smell of the sea was strong in his nose and he could taste salt in his mouth. He knew that he was not dead, and he could not figure out how or why. His last memories were of drowning, losing consciousness in the black waters, being pulled down, and the light coming to envelope him. A soft groan escaped his lips as he turned away from the invasive and painful sunlight, squinting to bring his vision into focus.
He was indeed lying on a beach, with what felt like a palm fronds underneath him as a makeshift bed. The remains of a campfire were lying in the sand near his resting spot and he coughed, feeling the water in his lungs. By the way his stomach churned and hurt him, he must have swallowed a lot of the salty water. Thirst was what had stirred him, he felt it burning his throat and mouth with a vengeance, so he managed to sit up with a sweeping fainting sensation sweeping through his battered and weakened body. It hurt everywhere, and he lifted a hand to his head where most of the pain lanced through him, though he did not feel the wound he expected. It hurt, but it was nothing serious.
The Jewel had gone down, he recalled in flashes what had happened that night, though there were several pieces missing. When his searching gaze rested on the female figure lying on the sand with her back to him, Clyde was suddenly cold with fear. Despite his body’s protests, he forced himself to crawl to Terra, reaching out a hand and grasping her shoulder to see if she was alive. Indeed, she was very alive because she gasped when he touched her and her rose-quartz eyes flew open and blinked at him in surprise, then happiness.
“Clyde! Thank the gods… you’re finally awake…” Terra’s voice was soft and husky, as if she had been shouting or her throat was as dry as his. The half-Esper did seem far better off than he, for she sat up without any apparent difficulty and smiled.
When he attempted to speak, he coughed and sat back in the sand while the young woman moved up onto her knees and rested a hand on the back of his neck, speaking to him in a soft, soothing voice.
“Relax, I’ll get you some water. You’ve been out of it for the better part of a day and a half, I was worried about your head….you took a violent blow in the waves from something. I healed you as best as I could.” While he struggled to speak, she stood and moved away to where she had been hording what little supplies she could find, picking up a water skin and moving back to his side, tilting it against his mouth.
The sun warmed the water, but it was fresh. Clyde took the skin from her and tilted his head back, letting it flow into his mouth, swallowing quickly. From experience he knew not to down too much of it, so he forced himself to pull it away, wincing as his voice came out in a haggard croak. “What happened?”
Terra watched him drink, sitting back onto the white sand and frowning at the question. Turning her head, she looked out over the waters, which were sweet and calm, leaving no indication of the raging storm. “The Jewel struck something. I guess it was blown badly off course by the storm, too close to an island and when that big wave drew out the water, we bottomed out. The hull was cracked, started taking water in pretty fast.”
“I remember that.” Licking his dry, cracked lips, he lowered his head and groaned softly. Bringing up a scarred hand, he gripped a handful of his hair. “I guess I was swept off the deck when the first big one hit. But…” He furrowed his brow, lifting his head enough to look at her. “…you were below. Fuck, Terra, how did you get out of there?”
“I’m not entirely sure.” The young woman realized how disoriented Clyde must be; the blow to his head had been a near-fatal one. “I woke up when we struck something, I was knocked right out of my bed. I pulled on some clothes and ran out into the passage. People were rushing to get out, we were taking in water from the crack in the hull and then the wave hit and I think the Jewel was turned onto its side. I think… I think I was sucked out of a porthole when the corridor flooded, I remember being in open water. Then I transformed.”
Listening quietly, he took another small sip from the water skin, attempting to make sense of that. Letting go of his hair, he sat up fully and regarded his companion more closely. “You shifted into the fire-ghost…” Hazel eyes widened as realization sluggishly crawled into his forethoughts. “That was you, in the water. The light… you pulled me out of there, didn’t you?”
A fleeting smile stole over Terra’s lips as she nodded to him. “Yes… I’m surprised you remember that, I thought you were unconscious.” She had thought he was dead.
Rolling his shoulders slowly to try and ease the stiffness, Clyde swallowed hard. His senses were returning bit by agonizing bit. “How did you find me…?”
“Luck, I guess.” Her tone dropped and she looked to the sand, then back to him as if she were ashamed of something, hiding something. “I really don’t know how, Clyde. I came to the surface and hovered above the water. It was so dark... I couldn’t really see anything. I wanted to find you, that’s all I know, and I dove back into the water.”
Lucky, indeed. Did ninja-assassins have that kind of luck? This one knew that Terra was hiding something, and he fought a wave of nausea when he realized what she was avoiding. “Interceptor…”
Pressing a hand to her sunburned face, Terra squeezed her eyes tightly shut and shook her head. When she spoke, her voice broke and betrayed her, and she cursed her cowardice for not being able to look her companion in the eye. “I’m so sorry… I’m so so sorry, Clyde… I looked, I swear I did. I looked all night, and when the sun came up I went back again, but I couldn’t find him.”
That hurt more than he ever imagined it would. It was as if someone had taken an icicle and stabbed him in the heart with it, pulled it out, and stabbed him over and over every time he tried to take a breath. Finally he had to lie back and bring his forearm over his eyes, gritting his teeth so hard he absently wondered if they were going to crack and break. He was quiet, save for his shallow breathing, but mentally he was screaming for his friend to respond, to say that he was safe somewhere, that he had gotten himself away, just like before. Just like always. There was no answer except for the call of a seabird. Interceptor was gone, just like that?
Watching him for what seemed like several minutes, Terra couldn’t think of anything to say to make him feel better. She understood that the dog meant worlds to Clyde, that he wasn’t Shadow without Interceptor. Tears stung her eyes in sympathy, and she reached out to brush her fingers over his forearm lightly, parting her lips and drawing a breath to let words of comfort come. They did not come as he dropped the water skin and seized her hand; gently, and lowered his forearm to show a calm, cool face.
“Are there other survivors?” He asked as if nothing had happened, not one faucet of his pain evident in his manner or speech.
Nodding dumbly, Terra gestured with her free hand down the beach, to a formation of rocks, finding her voice after she swallowed her tears. She was both stunned and appalled by the man’s callousness. “Y-yes… further down the beach is where they’ve gathered. Past those rocks… it curves around and there’s another stretch. I… I thought you wouldn’t want to be around a lot of people…”
Sitting up, Clyde brought Terra’s hand to his lips, kissing her knuckles once before he released her. She regarded him warily, first caught off guard by his apparent dismissal of Interceptor’s demise, and now his outward show of affection. He let out a faint sigh, noticing that she had a red tint of sunburn across her nose and cheeks, and he could only imagine how bad he was. Terra was wearing clothes that were not hers; a pair of white cotton pants and a short-sleeved shirt that was far too big, and she had tied it with a sash to be modest. Looking down at himself, he saw that he was dressed in new clothes as well. “You got me changed all by yourself?”
“No…” Drawing fingertips across her cheek to tuck a few errant strands of green-gold behind her ear where they had come free of the loose ponytail tied at the nape of her neck. “You were awake and changed yourself when I brought you new clothes… you had a fever and muttered nonsense, I wasn’t sure if you were truly aware or not.”
Although he tried, he did not remember that. Clearing his throat a few times, he looked out along the beach. “Where are we?”
“Well, this is the main body of the Thyzalian islands… at least that’s what the people from The Jewel told me,” Terra whispered quietly, examining the hand he had kissed as if there might be some mysterious mark there.
“Really.” Clyde remarked flatly. “It took less time than I thought. We made excellent time… usually it takes two or three days, but we made it in little over one. The Jewel must have been pushing its engines as well as using the wind.”
“So… this is where you wanted to go? Are we… are you…” The young woman could not finish. It did not seem right; it seemed unfeeling to even ask.
Drawing his lips into a tight line, Clyde shook his head slowly. There was something tight in his throat, and he found it difficult to even swallow past it, he did not even attempt speaking. Interceptor was gone… it had been because of his promise to his friend that the assassin had come all the way out here. Now, it meant nothing. Perhaps for all outward purposes he could pretend there was nothing wrong, but inside he was suffering and furious at himself. This had been his great idea, and it had killed his only true friend. Finally he coughed enough to speak, aware that his voice betrayed a hint of his emotions. “No. We can’t. There was a special container with my belongings that we needed in order to collect the liquid from the Djinn Pool. It’s probably at the bottom of the fucking sea now.” The last sentence was bitter.
Hide it as he may, Terra knew what he was really upset about. She considered herself easy to talk to, and to offer comfort, but she was also perceptive and understood that Clyde did not want her sympathy. Rising slowly to her feet, she held out a hand to him. “Come on… let’s go to the camp the survivors have set up, we can get something to eat, you must be starved. We can join them in heading to the nearest port when you get your strength back… you can come back to Mobliz with me.”
Her offered hand was waved away and he made a point to stand on his own, even though it was a struggle that could have been avoided if he’d just taken her hand. “Go on, then.”
Offended and a bit hurt by the brush-off, Terra stiffened and watched as he got to his feet and tried to stretch without wincing. “What do you mean? Aren’t you coming with me?”
“No, I’m not coming with you.” His voice was cool and dispassionate as he turned away from her, starting to walk for the shade of the trees with a slow, uneven gait.
“What are you going to do?” She protested, taking a step after him.
Her response was a shrug. He did not have to look to imagine the expression on her face, and he tried very hard not to care if she was hurt or not. There was no way she was as hurt as he, anyhow. Perhaps he would find his own way back, perhaps not, but he had no intentions of keeping her company any longer. He and Interceptor had needed her to get to the Pool, and that was all. Clyde felt empty, uncertain. He wanted to be alone. Terra was tuned out; though she was shouting something at him, and he was rudely snapped out of his reverie and mourning by a hard shove to his back that very nearly pitched him face-first into the sand.
“Look at me when I’m talking to you!” Terra was angry. It was one thing to be upset that Interceptor was gone, but it was quite another to brush her off like this. She had thought they were growing closer, she had trusted him this far, she wasn’t going to let him slink off on her now.
Pivoting on a bare foot slowly, Clyde straightened his shoulders and glared at the young woman. “Don’t fuck with me.”
“Or what? You’ll kill me?” She challenged, gesturing towards him with a chopping motion of her hand. “You can barely walk as it is! How dare you walk away from me anyway, you owe me! You dragged me out here, and the least you can do is see me home safely!” In all honesty, she was more concerned than upset, but she was going to resort to throwing that in his face if it would make him stay with her.
Looking away sharply, he bit the inside of his cheek. Yes, he owed her that much at least. Finally, he shrugged once again. “Fine.”
*****
“We were lucky. There’s debris washing up all over the island, it must have been a supply ship…” The young man wiped the back of his hand across his brow as he and his companion walked along this stretch of beach, examining the evidence of a devastating shipwreck out at sea sometime the night before.
“Yes…” The other was a woman, and she nudged a broken crate with the toe of her sandal. “It’s terrible. There must have been a tremendous loss of life. I haven’t seen any bodies yet, not on this stretch, anyhow. I wonder if there were survivors? Oh… look!” Suddenly she was pointing to a figure lying in the surf, unmoving. “A dog…”
*****
He whined softly, feeling a gentle hand on his fur, his ear twitching as voices drifted to him. Opening an eye, he seemed to be drawing attention now as a hand was cupped near his muzzle, offering him water to drink. Slowly, very slowly, his tongue slid out like a piece of dry parchment to lap at the liquid.
“That’s a good boy,” A gentle male voice soothed as a hand rubbed lightly at his ears. “You’re a tough dog, you know that? Bet you were thirsty, huh, boy?”
Interceptor recognized that scent and turned his head to get a better look at the young man, giving a cursory wag of his tail in acknowledgement. Another familiar scent struck him and he shifted his weight to sit up and see that the young man had a woman with him. He let out another faint whine… where were Clyde and Terra?
The woman was a fair beauty with blonde hair she had cropped short, though it stole nothing from her cool elegance. She was dressed simply for travel on the islands, choosing white, which flattered and suited her well. Smiling, she knelt down beside her companion and stroked a fingertip along Interceptor’s muzzle. “He is such a beautiful dog, Locke. Doesn’t he remind you of Shadow’s dog? What was his name?”
“Interceptor,” The treasure-hunter provided with a little nod and a lopsided grin that always came easily to his face. “I was thinking the same thing you know, Celes.”
The dog blinked a few times as they exchanged a swift, familiar kiss and turned their attention back to him. He realized he must have looked a bit too intent for a canine, so he wagged his tail again and let out a soft whine. Well now, this was interesting. Clyde had suspected that Locke would come after the Djinn’s Blood if the word was out that there was a reward for it, but he hadn’t expected the thief would beat them here. He wasn’t sure how surprised he was that Celes was here as well.
“We are such a pair of bleeding hearts, I swear,” Celes rolled her eyes and wandered back to the campfire, throwing another few sticks of fuel onto it and looking to Locke over her shoulder. “I’m glad he’s alright, though. What are we going to do with a dog, though, hm?”
“Take him with us, of course!” Locke lifted a hand good-naturedly as he pulled his pack into his lap, rifling through it. “Unless he wants to go off on his own… but c’mon, Celes, I’ve always wanted a dog. Haven’t you? This is fate, I swear.”
Chuckling softly, the ex-Imperial took a seat on her bedroll near the fire. Tilting her head, she looked up at the moon in the night sky to gauge how late in the evening it was. They still had a long night ahead of them before they were ready to break camp and move on, she didn’t really mind if waiting for the canine to regain his strength held them off an early start. “I don’t mind. He seems like a very nice dog. If he bites you, though, I’m going to make fun of you.”
“He won’t bite me… and you wouldn’t make fun of me, either.” Locke intoned matter-of-factly as he found the bread he was looking for, tearing off a piece and pouring some water from his canteen to soften it before he held it to the canine’s nose. “I know it isn’t meat, but at least it’s food, right?” He murmured gently.
Interceptor did not need to eat as much as one would think, not as much as a normal dog, anyhow, but he dutifully sniffed at the bread for the sake of playing his part. Making a show of forcing himself up into a half-sitting position, he pulled the foodstuff from Locke’s fingers and dropped it between his paws, gulping it down. It really had no taste, so he managed to pull a bitter face. Smacking his jaws, he rested his head on his crossed forepaws, letting his eyes drift close and allowing his rescuers to believe he had fallen asleep while he attempted to locate Clyde.
*****
Clyde refused the company of anyone else right now, and Terra left him alone. It was amazing, when he stopped to think about it, how well she could read him sometimes when he thought he was a being a blank slate. In truth, he found himself longing for her company, he could use her teasing right now, perhaps even convince her to steal off to a more secluded area with him and make him think about good, thorough sex instead of what was running through his mind currently.
Benevolent Terra, she was seeing to the other survivors, who were faring pretty well. To himself he wished she would leave them alone, quit being so damned helpful and pay more attention to him. Of course, he would slit his own wrists before he would admit that, at least at this point in time.
Most of those who had survived were people who had made it onto the deck when the wave hit The Jewel, crew and a few passengers. They were scattered across the beach, which was dotted with campfires, and people salvaging what they could from the debris that was washing up onto the shore… along with drowned corpses in various conditions, some were positively horrifying.
After eating, he had regained most of his strength back, but he still did not feel fully restored. He imagined a good night’s rest would cure that, would at least leave him in good enough condition to start traveling again. Frowning darkly, he stretched out on the sand, resting his head on his hands and looking up at the night sky without any real interest. Clyde was not looking forward to the trek, the feeling of utter failure and loss was nearly suffocating, it took every iota of strength he had not to slink off into the shadows and leave the miserable bastards to journey alone. That would mean, however, that he would leave Terra, and he was not willing to do that.
“You are such a sap.”
Clyde stiffened as the voice, affectionate and teasing, brushed his mind. Bolting upright, his hazel eyes widened as he searched frantically for the speaker. “Interceptor…?” He waited, his heart pounding, but there was no answer. Had he imagined it? Biting the inside of his cheek again, a soft growl came from his throat.
“Clam down, Clyde. Think it, don’t speak out loud, I’m not in your vicinity.”
Closing his eyes, he concentrated on speaking back to the dog-fae, unable to keep his relief and joy out of his mind-voice. It was much easier to guard yourself in physical speech. “Damn you, Pup… I thought I’d lost you. Where are you? Are you alright?”
“Yes, I’m perfectly fine. I’m sorry to have worried you, I was too busy saving my furry hide and being unconscious to reach you. I did learn that the doggy paddle is instinctual after all…imagine that.” Interceptor intoned musingly, to ease his friend’s mind. He was aware how upset Clyde had been, he could feel it in the man’s mind-speech as clearly as if he’s shouted it. “And Terra seems to be your hero, too, how romantic is that?”
Falling back to the sand, Clyde pressed his palm to his forehead and laughed. “Romantic as your breath. Good thing she knows better than to rub my nose in it… no pun intended. Where the hell are you?”
“A few miles away, I’m guessing. I’m also guessing that we lost our possessions, and the bottle we needed to collect the blood from the Djinn Pool, right?”
“Yeah, that’s right…” Odd thing was, Interceptor did not sound unhappy about that at all, which made Clyde both suspicious and curious, rubbing his palm against his forehead to keep himself focused on their conversation. He wasn’t as talented at this mindspeaking stuff as his friend was. “Terra was going to drag me along to the nearest port and have me take her home. You want me to come find you instead?”
Interceptor was practically bubbling over trying to contain his good news. “Oh no no, I’ll find you. Guess who I’ve run into…”
Only one person came to mind, and Clyde cursed under his breath. “Locke?”
The response was a soft chuckle. “Good to know that your head has not been too badly damaged. Yes, Locke. He is not alone either, he is here with Celes. My rescuers, I am with them right now. They have been very kind to the poor half-drowned dog, feeding me and giving me water and scratching my ears.”
“That little bastard,” This spoken aloud as Clyde dropped his hand from his forehead and glared at the stars. “I hope you bit him, you traitor.”
“Of course not, you know I could never resist a good scratch behind my ears… besides, isn’t there something else on your mind? Really, think, Clyde, don’t make me have to tell you everything.”
Raising his brows, the man’s expression suddenly became thoughtful, and hopeful. “He’s after the Pool, too. That means he must have another receptacle for the blood…” Interceptor remained silent, but Clyde could feel his amusement. “Well shit. Can you get it away from him?”
The dog-fae feigned offense. “Really, Clyde, I’m a dog, not a thief! However, I do think it is very possible I could pilfer for you this one time, if you promise that you’ll scratch my belly on command from this day forward.”
“As if I don’t do that already,” It was very difficult playing it cool when he was so excited, thrilled even. Here he had gotten his best friend back, and another chance at completing this strange quest of his. If Interceptor really could find the receptacle Locke had, that would also mean the ‘treasure-hunter’ could not get the Djinn’s blood. “You’re a good doggy, Pup. Be careful, though, I don’t imagine Locke and Celes will take too long in figuring out who you are and what you’ve done. Neither of them are stupid, and it’s a safe bet that Locke suspects I’m still alive if he’s been keeping his ear to the ground.”
“This is very true. Don’t worry so much; I’m sure he doesn’t suspect me yet. Since we’re placing bets, how much do you want to wager our ‘treasure-hunter’ and his lovely companion are going to come after me, or head straight for the Pool to cut us off? That could cause problems… you know that Terra has strong feelings for the young man.” Interceptor was being as sensitive as he could, without directly accusing his partner of having feelings for Terra.
There was nothing to say to that right away, so Clyde frowned and peered around to make certain that no one was nearby. Not that he was worried someone could eavesdrop on his conversation with Interceptor, but it was a force of habit. He had to agree that there could be problems caused by a meeting with Locke and Celes, it was best not to let Terra know they were here… and from what his partner had let on, the two were romantically involved. Although she had never outright said it, Clyde knew that the half-Esper did have feelings for Locke. Indeed, this could be a very complicated situation. Sometimes he swore the gods had a fucked up sense of humor. “We’ll just have to make sure that doesn’t happen. If we move fast enough, we’ll have what we came for and leave those two cursing our dust.”
“Agreed. I will let you know when I have the receptacle, and then you can bring Terra to meet me halfway. We can head for the Djinn Pool right away.” There was a moment of hesitation, and then Interceptor continued. “Are you sure you’re up for this, Clyde? I know you took a beating out there in the water. I can stall and bide my time if you need to recover.”
That was his partner, all right, always looking out for him. A heartfelt sigh escaped him then. “I’m sure, Pup. Move as soon as you have the opportunity. I won’t let you down, I promise.”
“You’ve never let me down, Clyde…”
“Hey… I’m glad you’re not crustacean fodder, Pup.” That was about as warm and fuzzy as he was going to allow himself to get, lest he make a fool of himself. There was no need for more than that, Interceptor had always understood him.
“The feeling is mutual, partner. Get some rest, I’ll be in touch soon.”
Interceptor withdrew from his mind and he felt a stupid grin plaster his face and he pounded his fist onto the sand, uttering a soft “Yes!” through gritted teeth. It was as close to giddy as he could remember being in a long time. Alright, so the thief had beaten him to the island, but he was going to get the treasure and his money and show that little bastard how its done.
“Clyde?”
Terra’s voice drew his attention and he lifted his head to look at her, amazed he really hadn’t heard her coming that time, she must have approached while he was still concentrating on speaking with Interceptor. His grin did not fade, as he held out a hand to her, delighting in the questioning and cautious expression that stole over her features. “Interceptor is alive and well, a few miles from here.”
Her eyes widened and she took his hand, dropping to her knees beside him and smiling brightly, those lovely eyes of hers brimming with emotion. “Oh… Clyde, that’s wonderful! I’m so glad…”
Gripping her hand, he pulled her to him and brought her mouth to his in a firm, hot kiss that she did not pull away from, but rather responded to in kind. The corners of his mouth pulled the kiss tight until he had to break it to grin at her, taking her face in his hands and pressing his forehead to hers. “He’s also found the bottle I was telling you about… this means we can still do what we came to do, once we meet up with him.” Without giving her the chance to respond, he kissed her again, and again, speaking between each one. “This… is… going…to…be…a…lot…of…fun.”
“Mm…mm…. Clyde…. Clyde!” She lifted a hand to stop him when he gave her the chance to speak, laughing a bit. This was a welcome change from the brooding creature from a few hours ago, she was more than happy that Interceptor was alive and well, but she wasn’t sure that this hunt was a good idea anymore. “These people… they need help, we should see them safely to the port, first.”
“Terra,” He shook his head. “They’ll be fine. I know we’ve had miserable luck but it would be worse if we went back empty-handed now.”
She found herself nodding slowly, the tip of her tongue moistening her lips. “I suppose it would…”
“Come on,” Clyde spoke softly, though his intense eyes were glittering with mischief as he jerked his head away from the straggling shipwreck survivors. “Let’s find someplace quiet.”
“What for…?” Brows rose as she studied his face. She would assume he wanted to sleep if he was not looking at her so purposefully, his hands dropping to her shoulders and rubbing lightly.
Leaning in, his mouth brushed her ear and he murmured in a suggestive, playful tone most would never believe he was capable of. “To let me thank you properly for saving my life… though I’ll enjoy it too, of course. I think we deserve a bit of fun.”
“I…” There really was not a reason she could think of to say no, so she bit her lip and nodded, rocking back on her heels to get to her feet.
Author’s note: Yes, this chapter took forever to get up, I’m sorry. Everyone and everything is playing second fiddle to Final Fantasy 10 at the moment, which is pretty cool, by the way… except for one thing…. I HATE BLITZBALL! Other than that, two thumbs up! Thank you for the wonderful reviews, and for reading, and I will try to beat the game’s ass and get some more chapters up, this one was kind of slow.)
He shifted in his bedroll, ending up on his side and draping an arm over Celes as she slept. She was a campaigner, he was a rogue, and they were both quite comfortable in the oddest places, able to steal sleep whenever they could. One eye opened and the other followed suit, Locke found himself looking at the embers of their meager campfire and blinking slowly as he came awake. The thief furrowed his brow, sitting up slowly and turning his head to the sky to gauge the time, which he put at roughly an hour away from sunrise.
“Celes…wake up,” Locke murmured quietly, gently nudging her with his leg.
“Hm…?” With a drowsy, contented sound, she shifted and brought her blue-eyed gaze to the thief, making another inquiring gesture with the arching of an eyebrow.
“The dog is gone.” He sounded a little sad, and a little surprised as well.
Celes sat up as well, rubbing at her eyes and yawning behind her hand before she smiled faintly over at Locke. He was like a little boy sometimes, it was impossibly endearing. Lifting a hand, she brushed his hair out of his eyes. “I’m sure he’s fine. He probably just got hungry and wandered off. How about we get you a puppy when we return home?”
He had to chuckle at that, grinning over at her momentarily. “Get me a puppy? What… are you moving in with me?”
With a small scoff, Celes drew her fingers through short blond hair. “Moving in where? As if you ever stay in one place long enough to have someone ‘move in’ with you. I do plan on traveling with you, though… that really doesn’t change much, does it?”
“Nope, not a thing.” With that, he leaned in to kiss her cheek quickly. “About another hour before sunrise, want to go back to sleep?”
Shaking her head slowly, Celes stretched and stood from her bedroll, resting her hands on her hips and peering down at Locke. “No, I’m awake now. Why don’t we get something to eat, pick up camp and get an early start?”
“Sounds good to me…” The young man nodded, but he seemed distracted, furrowing his brow and taking another slow look around the campsite, as if he were trying to spy something out of place.
Celes turned away to gather some grasses and dried fronds from the ground to start up the fire again from the meager embers, catching the note in her lover’s voice and she looked to him over her shoulder. “What is it, Locke?”
“I think that really was Interceptor.” He wasn’t sure why he hadn’t said so last night; something about the way the animal looked at him was strange. There was little doubt at all; he remembered very clearly the eyes of Shadow’s loyal and dangerous canine friend.
That gave the ex-Imperial pause, and she dropped the little pile of sweepings she had been gathering to face Locke fully, her doubt and surprise showing clearly on her fair face. “Really… how could that be possible, Locke?”
“Eh…” Eyes dropped their gaze to the ground as he rubbed at his stomach, shrugging. “I don’t know how it’s possible, Celes, but I know I’m right. I’ve been hearing things, rumors, ever since… ever since the tower fell. I’ve heard that Shadow was alive, and in high demand, through the underground.”
“That does not mean he really is alive.” Always the voice of reason, Celes felt she had to point that out even as she wanted desperately to believe Locke was not suffering from a serious lapse in judgment.
Nodding in agreement, he got to his feet and paused for a long stretch before he responded to that. “Oh, I know what you’re thinking. I was thinking it was some upstart imposter with no name for himself, using Shadow’s identity. But then, I re-thought that. How would anyone but us know that he was dead? Sure, some folks saw us with him here and there but it’s not as if he told all his friends and family he was going to save the world, right?”
“Go on…”
“So, I figured that it wasn’t common knowledge in the underground that he was even with us, let alone dead. What upstart would be so stupid as to impersonate a known and…well…feared, assassin? I was pretty sure it was the one and only. I also heard that he’d been asking about me. It’s not too hard to swallow that he could be here, on the Islands.”
The woman was frowning now, getting to her feet and dusting her hands off. “We found the dog in the surf, washed up from the shipwreck. Even if Shadow was alive, which leaves looming and numerous questions about how he could have possibly gotten out of the tower, it’s probable he was on the ship.”
“Yeah, I figured that much.” Crouching, Locke started to roll up his sleeping bag, tying it securely. “But if he could get out of the tower, a sinking ship doesn’t seem like too much of a problem for me. That dog was Interceptor, I’m sure of it, Celes.”
With a soft sigh, she joined him in picking up their belongings, kneeling on the ground to gather up her own bedroll. “Pretending that you are right, why would Shadow and Interceptor be here? Why would he be asking about you?”
“Why? C’mon… you know how much this Djinn stuff is worth. Who in their right mind wouldn’t be after it? And if they were after it, who wouldn’t want to know if they had the world’s best treasure-hunter as competition?” The thief had to grin a bit at that.
Celes usually succumbed to Locke’s easy grins and good moods, but she was having a difficult time with what he was saying. It made her feel uncomfortable. “Locke… that all sounds far-fetched. But…” She conceded with a sigh “I suppose everything that’s happened to us in the past year has been far-fetched. Fine then. I know I’m not comfortable thinking that Shadow is alive and watching us. Aren’t you the least bit worried? How do you know he wouldn’t just try and kill us, if greed is the motive, as you imply.”
“I don’t think he would do that.” The young man nodded, quite confident in that as he went to his pack, starting to tie the straps of it, brow furrowed as he did so.
“You have far too much faith in people,” Celes intoned, going into her own bag to find something suitable to eat, frowning. “Where you into my things?”
His smile was gone, and his expression became a cautious one as Locke regarded Celes evenly. “I…was just going to ask you the same thing. I’m sure I closed my pack after I fetched some bread for the dog. Is yours open, too?”
With a frown, the blonde held the leather straps for her backpack, which were neatly chewed through. “Yes.” Shaking her head and sighing, she began to inspect her belongings, expecting that her food would be gone. “Ahh… nothing seems to be disturbed, though. All of my rations are still here. You?”
Locke was not listening, he was on one knee, tearing desperately through the contents of the pack, muttering under his breath, his motions becoming more frantic and clothing as well as various objects were scattered all over the ground. Finally, he turned the bag upside down and emptied its contents, scouring through them before he swore rather heatedly. “It’s not here!”
“What isn’t?” Alarmed, Celes leaned forward to inspect the stuff now littering the ground at Locke’s feet.
“The bottle!” He exclaimed, running his fingers through his hair, gesturing wildly with his other hand. “That damn dog stole it! How the hell did I sleep through that?!”
“Oh come on… how could a dog...” His companion began, but he cut her off sharply.
“He took it, Celes. I knew there was something weird about that dog, I just knew it! Shadow must have trained him to do that or something… I don’t know how but the bottle is gone, and I know Interceptor took it. We have to find him.”
Her mouth fell open in surprise, and she nodded mutely until she recovered her voice. It did sound ridiculous, to think a dog could be so smart, but she had seen some pretty unbelievable things in her day, and Locke seemed very sure. “A-all right. We’ll go right now, do you think you can track him?”
Locke nodded quickly, stuffing the essentials back into his bag. “Yes, I’m pretty sure I can. I can’t believe I didn’t wake up… damnit! He couldn’t have gotten that far.”
*****
Terra simply could not get over Clyde’s mood as she found herself, rather unexpectedly, following him through the jungle while still trying to get her clothes in order, fumbling with the sash at her belt. “For the love of anything holy, Clyde, slow down!!”
“Keep up, then. Are you still fumbling with that stupid sash?” His body still hurt, and he had not gotten the rest he wanted, but he was eager to meet up with Interceptor. He could imagine the expression on Locke’s face when the young thief realized a dog robbed him. He almost wished he could see it, it was too amusing.
Finally managing to tie the knot, Terra tried to straighten her hair, finding small twigs and leaves in it, which made her mutter under her breath. It was still strange to think that she was sleeping with Clyde (if one could call what they had been up to ‘sleeping’), and to be shaken from a sound sleep and dragged off into the jungle before the sun even broke was not how she imagined having a lover again would be like.
“Do we have to rush? I certainly don’t think it is wise to run through a dark jungle. I could have done with a bit more sleep, and why do you keep grinning like that?” The half-Esper demanded, her mood not as favorable as it had been last night, and would not get any better until she had at least eaten breakfast.
“Nothing, nothing, I’m just eager to get going,” Clyde intoned dismissively, slowing to let her catch up and reaching out to snatch a twig from her hair. “Though, I probably should have given you some more time…”
“It’s fine,” Terra was admittedly a bit calmed by his demeanor and her curiosity was growing with his enthusiasm. Stepping around some suspicious-looking plants, she hefted her light backpack. “You know, Clyde, you haven’t told me much about this Djinn Blood stuff. What is it, exactly? It’s not really blood, is it?”
These questions were coming, he knew, and he was prepared to answer most of them, because at least on this matter there was no real need for deception. Keeping his mind open for further word from Interceptor, he spoke to her rather conversationally. “No, it’s not real blood. I’m not entirely sure what it is, exactly, but I believe it’s what keeps the islands so warm, flowing underground the way it does.”
“Go on…” Murmuring as she eyed some tempting fruits that hung from vines between the trees, glad the survivors had told her the fruit was deadly, but wishing it wasn’t. It looked very tasty, like giant plums.
The sword Clyde had found among the debris was not his own, and was a shoddy piece of work in comparison; but it was a blade and he could make use of it. For now, it served as a tool for helping to clear some of the denser foliage.
“A man, a merchant was shipwrecked here several months ago, and he discovered what they call the Djinn Pool. He managed to get past the barriers and to its heart, finding this liquid that was pretty amazing. Here is what I’ve heard; the liquid gives off no heat until it touches something, but when it does, it burns hotter than anything else on this world. For some reason, it seems to occur naturally only on these islands, and is neutralized by something in the soil here.”
Terra blinked owlishly, quirking a brow. “I have never heard of such a thing.”
With a snort, her companion shrugged, hacking at some thick and rubbery vines to clear the path, as he kept moving. “Neither had I. Or anyone, for that matter. I think he called it ‘Djinn’ blood because in his native tongue, a djinn is a fire elemental, and not a wish-granting creature. So anyhow, this merchant was fascinated by the stuff and tried to collect some of it to bring back with him, but he didn’t have anything that would hold the liquid without being consumed. That, and if you got a drop of it on you, even the tiniest bit would devour your whole body in a matter of hours. Not a pleasant way to die, I imagine.”
“I don’t understand why anyone would want that stuff…” She muttered, not liking the sound of it. Terra then looked around slowly, her expression softening a bit. “I imagine the restructuring of the planet’s surface had something to do with why no one has seen this thing before. Maybe it was underground, and was brought to the surface… or the healing world has made a completely new phenomenon.”
“Who knows? I, personally, don’t care. For the money this guy is offering, he can throw it on a bunch of orphans if he wants.” Clyde shrugged, managing not to grin at his companion’s little shriek of horror at his words.
“Clyde! That’s an awful thing to say!” Her fist lashed out to strike him soundly on the shoulder, but he evaded it, without intending to, it seemed. “You don’t mean that.”
Chuckling lightly, keeping tabs on her motions behind him even as he managed to appear oblivious, the assassin lowered his voice a bit to its very best apologetic tone. “Of course I don’t mean it. There are much more cost-effective ways to get rid of orphans. Just don’t feed them, that’s what I say. Really, aren’t they like stray animals? If you stop feeding them, they go away.”
It was almost laughable, but Terra refused to even smile at such horrible things. At least she had stopped trying to hit him, lest she end up facedown in the dirt again. For now, she ignored the comment altogether. “How did you get the bottle to hold the liquid? And… if this stuff is worth so much, how come half the continent isn’t after it?”
“Well, the merchant seems to think there is some great value for this stuff. So naturally, he didn’t tell anyone. He collected earth from around the pool, as close as he could get to it, and fresh water from the island, and took them back to the mainland where he fashioned glass containers that he believed could hold the liquid. That done, he only contacted one… or two… individuals who were talented, fast, and discreet to hunt down his treasure.”
Terra listened to Clyde talk, absently liking the way his voice sounded and nodding at the appropriate times. Her mind began to wander as the sun broke the horizon, and she could not help but wonder if Locke had heard anything about this. Locke was talented, fast and discreet. “Pretty amazing that Interceptor managed to find the bottle you lost… I can’t believe it didn’t sink.”
“Well, he’s an amazing dog.” That was said, perhaps, a little harder than he had intended to, but the ever-perceptive assassin did not miss the suspicious and speculative tone in the young woman’s voice. Terra was not stupid, he had to be careful.
“Hm.” Was her only response, accompanied by a faint smile.
*****
“Clyde, you know I hate to complicate things…” Interceptor spoke to his partner as he ran at full speed through the undergrowth and dense foliage, hoping to throw off his pursuers.
“Problem?”
“Yes, a slight one. I used a bit of Faerie coaxing to put our friends to sleep so I could search through their belongings. They came to much faster than I expected…I’m afraid I am being followed a lot closer than I wanted to be. If we meet, they are going to catch up, I’m sure of it.” He panted as he tried to concentrate on mindspeaking to Clyde, a leather bag hanging from his mouth by the drawstrings, the container inside swinging back and forth as he kept moving.
Clyde’s voice in his mind was distracted, and Interceptor imagined he was trying to speak to Terra at the same time. “I’m guessing you’re too weak to spirit yourself away, right? Pup, if you think they’re going to catch you, come to me, I don’t care. I’ll get them off your fuzzy ass.”
“Clyde, are you sure? What about Terra?”
“Leave her to me. Just keep coming, keep me informed of your position, and I’ll stop them.”
*****
“Something wrong…? Hey…hey! What are you doing?” Her voice was demanding and more than a bit concerned as she came to a stop and watched the actions of the assassin.
The sun cast an orange and pink fire across the sky, filtering through the thick canopy of twisting trees, making the scenery beautiful and exotic. It was humid, and the temperature was slowly climbing, and the half-Esper was hardly in the mood for more of Clyde’s strangeness before she had at least managed to get something into her stomach. Now, he was checking the collection of salvaged weapons he had stashed about his person clad in clothing that was not his, ill fitting and unsuitable in beige and brown.
“Give me that white shirt in your pack, I need it. Interceptor needs a hand.” With that, he held out his to Terra, waiting for her to comply.
Frowning darkly, she dropped her bag and knelt to open it, looking for the shirt he was talking about. Clyde was starting to make her nervous… the last time he had acted this way she had been attacked. “We’ll go help him, then.”
Snatching the shirt away from Terra, he used a short knife to cut the cloth, much to her dismay, folding what was left of the garment and placing it over his head, tying it at the nape of his neck like a bandana. Using the strip he tore off, he made a makeshift mask, tying it carefully over his mouth and nose, adjusting his impromptu outfit to disguise his face. “No. Stay here, I’ll be back.”
“I am not staying.” Terra spoke firmly and with a bit of panic, wondering what was going on. It was alarming, and her eyes widened a bit with desperation. “I’m coming with you. I’m not useless, you know!”
Lifting his sword with a soft sound of distaste for the less than favorable weapon, he shook his head, his voice soft and even. “Stay here. Stay right here, I will be back. You’re not in any danger, I promise. Will you just trust me on this one? I’ll explain when we return.”
Shoulders fell in defeat, wondering at what point she had started to trust him so completely. The last time had not gone so well, but that was through no fault of his, she supposed. Nodding slowly, she crossed her arms and regarded him warily. “Fine, I’ll stay…but if you’re gone longer than an hour, I’m coming to look for you.”
“I’ll be gone longer than an hour. Camp here, I won’t be back until nightfall.”
“Clyde!”
Making a saluting gesture with two fingers, he was grinning, though she could not see it. “I’ll make it up to you.”
Terra had no time to respond, and he liked it that way. Pivoting on his sandaled foot, he was resolved to make due with what tools he had at his immediate disposal. Perhaps he was not well equipped, but he was more than capable of taking care of Locke and Celes, of that he was confident. He was more concerned for Interceptor than anything. Some part of him knew that his partner was in no danger of being harmed by the good-natured thief and the softhearted ex-General, but putting faith in people was not one of Clyde’s stronger points.
(Author’s Note: Well, this story is moving along nicely. I had fun writing this chapter, I hope you enjoy reading it. As always, thank you for reading and for the reviews. I don’t have much to add other than I’m always receptive to constructive criticism as well as compliments, and if anyone has any suggestions, I’d love to hear them.)
There was warmth and light, the sounds of waves breaking upon a beach and seabirds calling to one another as they fished out of the surf. Clyde opened his eyes to see an azure sky painted with white clouds, the smell of the sea was strong in his nose and he could taste salt in his mouth. He knew that he was not dead, and he could not figure out how or why. His last memories were of drowning, losing consciousness in the black waters, being pulled down, and the light coming to envelope him. A soft groan escaped his lips as he turned away from the invasive and painful sunlight, squinting to bring his vision into focus.
He was indeed lying on a beach, with what felt like a palm fronds underneath him as a makeshift bed. The remains of a campfire were lying in the sand near his resting spot and he coughed, feeling the water in his lungs. By the way his stomach churned and hurt him, he must have swallowed a lot of the salty water. Thirst was what had stirred him, he felt it burning his throat and mouth with a vengeance, so he managed to sit up with a sweeping fainting sensation sweeping through his battered and weakened body. It hurt everywhere, and he lifted a hand to his head where most of the pain lanced through him, though he did not feel the wound he expected. It hurt, but it was nothing serious.
The Jewel had gone down, he recalled in flashes what had happened that night, though there were several pieces missing. When his searching gaze rested on the female figure lying on the sand with her back to him, Clyde was suddenly cold with fear. Despite his body’s protests, he forced himself to crawl to Terra, reaching out a hand and grasping her shoulder to see if she was alive. Indeed, she was very alive because she gasped when he touched her and her rose-quartz eyes flew open and blinked at him in surprise, then happiness.
“Clyde! Thank the gods… you’re finally awake…” Terra’s voice was soft and husky, as if she had been shouting or her throat was as dry as his. The half-Esper did seem far better off than he, for she sat up without any apparent difficulty and smiled.
When he attempted to speak, he coughed and sat back in the sand while the young woman moved up onto her knees and rested a hand on the back of his neck, speaking to him in a soft, soothing voice.
“Relax, I’ll get you some water. You’ve been out of it for the better part of a day and a half, I was worried about your head….you took a violent blow in the waves from something. I healed you as best as I could.” While he struggled to speak, she stood and moved away to where she had been hording what little supplies she could find, picking up a water skin and moving back to his side, tilting it against his mouth.
The sun warmed the water, but it was fresh. Clyde took the skin from her and tilted his head back, letting it flow into his mouth, swallowing quickly. From experience he knew not to down too much of it, so he forced himself to pull it away, wincing as his voice came out in a haggard croak. “What happened?”
Terra watched him drink, sitting back onto the white sand and frowning at the question. Turning her head, she looked out over the waters, which were sweet and calm, leaving no indication of the raging storm. “The Jewel struck something. I guess it was blown badly off course by the storm, too close to an island and when that big wave drew out the water, we bottomed out. The hull was cracked, started taking water in pretty fast.”
“I remember that.” Licking his dry, cracked lips, he lowered his head and groaned softly. Bringing up a scarred hand, he gripped a handful of his hair. “I guess I was swept off the deck when the first big one hit. But…” He furrowed his brow, lifting his head enough to look at her. “…you were below. Fuck, Terra, how did you get out of there?”
“I’m not entirely sure.” The young woman realized how disoriented Clyde must be; the blow to his head had been a near-fatal one. “I woke up when we struck something, I was knocked right out of my bed. I pulled on some clothes and ran out into the passage. People were rushing to get out, we were taking in water from the crack in the hull and then the wave hit and I think the Jewel was turned onto its side. I think… I think I was sucked out of a porthole when the corridor flooded, I remember being in open water. Then I transformed.”
Listening quietly, he took another small sip from the water skin, attempting to make sense of that. Letting go of his hair, he sat up fully and regarded his companion more closely. “You shifted into the fire-ghost…” Hazel eyes widened as realization sluggishly crawled into his forethoughts. “That was you, in the water. The light… you pulled me out of there, didn’t you?”
A fleeting smile stole over Terra’s lips as she nodded to him. “Yes… I’m surprised you remember that, I thought you were unconscious.” She had thought he was dead.
Rolling his shoulders slowly to try and ease the stiffness, Clyde swallowed hard. His senses were returning bit by agonizing bit. “How did you find me…?”
“Luck, I guess.” Her tone dropped and she looked to the sand, then back to him as if she were ashamed of something, hiding something. “I really don’t know how, Clyde. I came to the surface and hovered above the water. It was so dark... I couldn’t really see anything. I wanted to find you, that’s all I know, and I dove back into the water.”
Lucky, indeed. Did ninja-assassins have that kind of luck? This one knew that Terra was hiding something, and he fought a wave of nausea when he realized what she was avoiding. “Interceptor…”
Pressing a hand to her sunburned face, Terra squeezed her eyes tightly shut and shook her head. When she spoke, her voice broke and betrayed her, and she cursed her cowardice for not being able to look her companion in the eye. “I’m so sorry… I’m so so sorry, Clyde… I looked, I swear I did. I looked all night, and when the sun came up I went back again, but I couldn’t find him.”
That hurt more than he ever imagined it would. It was as if someone had taken an icicle and stabbed him in the heart with it, pulled it out, and stabbed him over and over every time he tried to take a breath. Finally he had to lie back and bring his forearm over his eyes, gritting his teeth so hard he absently wondered if they were going to crack and break. He was quiet, save for his shallow breathing, but mentally he was screaming for his friend to respond, to say that he was safe somewhere, that he had gotten himself away, just like before. Just like always. There was no answer except for the call of a seabird. Interceptor was gone, just like that?
Watching him for what seemed like several minutes, Terra couldn’t think of anything to say to make him feel better. She understood that the dog meant worlds to Clyde, that he wasn’t Shadow without Interceptor. Tears stung her eyes in sympathy, and she reached out to brush her fingers over his forearm lightly, parting her lips and drawing a breath to let words of comfort come. They did not come as he dropped the water skin and seized her hand; gently, and lowered his forearm to show a calm, cool face.
“Are there other survivors?” He asked as if nothing had happened, not one faucet of his pain evident in his manner or speech.
Nodding dumbly, Terra gestured with her free hand down the beach, to a formation of rocks, finding her voice after she swallowed her tears. She was both stunned and appalled by the man’s callousness. “Y-yes… further down the beach is where they’ve gathered. Past those rocks… it curves around and there’s another stretch. I… I thought you wouldn’t want to be around a lot of people…”
Sitting up, Clyde brought Terra’s hand to his lips, kissing her knuckles once before he released her. She regarded him warily, first caught off guard by his apparent dismissal of Interceptor’s demise, and now his outward show of affection. He let out a faint sigh, noticing that she had a red tint of sunburn across her nose and cheeks, and he could only imagine how bad he was. Terra was wearing clothes that were not hers; a pair of white cotton pants and a short-sleeved shirt that was far too big, and she had tied it with a sash to be modest. Looking down at himself, he saw that he was dressed in new clothes as well. “You got me changed all by yourself?”
“No…” Drawing fingertips across her cheek to tuck a few errant strands of green-gold behind her ear where they had come free of the loose ponytail tied at the nape of her neck. “You were awake and changed yourself when I brought you new clothes… you had a fever and muttered nonsense, I wasn’t sure if you were truly aware or not.”
Although he tried, he did not remember that. Clearing his throat a few times, he looked out along the beach. “Where are we?”
“Well, this is the main body of the Thyzalian islands… at least that’s what the people from The Jewel told me,” Terra whispered quietly, examining the hand he had kissed as if there might be some mysterious mark there.
“Really.” Clyde remarked flatly. “It took less time than I thought. We made excellent time… usually it takes two or three days, but we made it in little over one. The Jewel must have been pushing its engines as well as using the wind.”
“So… this is where you wanted to go? Are we… are you…” The young woman could not finish. It did not seem right; it seemed unfeeling to even ask.
Drawing his lips into a tight line, Clyde shook his head slowly. There was something tight in his throat, and he found it difficult to even swallow past it, he did not even attempt speaking. Interceptor was gone… it had been because of his promise to his friend that the assassin had come all the way out here. Now, it meant nothing. Perhaps for all outward purposes he could pretend there was nothing wrong, but inside he was suffering and furious at himself. This had been his great idea, and it had killed his only true friend. Finally he coughed enough to speak, aware that his voice betrayed a hint of his emotions. “No. We can’t. There was a special container with my belongings that we needed in order to collect the liquid from the Djinn Pool. It’s probably at the bottom of the fucking sea now.” The last sentence was bitter.
Hide it as he may, Terra knew what he was really upset about. She considered herself easy to talk to, and to offer comfort, but she was also perceptive and understood that Clyde did not want her sympathy. Rising slowly to her feet, she held out a hand to him. “Come on… let’s go to the camp the survivors have set up, we can get something to eat, you must be starved. We can join them in heading to the nearest port when you get your strength back… you can come back to Mobliz with me.”
Her offered hand was waved away and he made a point to stand on his own, even though it was a struggle that could have been avoided if he’d just taken her hand. “Go on, then.”
Offended and a bit hurt by the brush-off, Terra stiffened and watched as he got to his feet and tried to stretch without wincing. “What do you mean? Aren’t you coming with me?”
“No, I’m not coming with you.” His voice was cool and dispassionate as he turned away from her, starting to walk for the shade of the trees with a slow, uneven gait.
“What are you going to do?” She protested, taking a step after him.
Her response was a shrug. He did not have to look to imagine the expression on her face, and he tried very hard not to care if she was hurt or not. There was no way she was as hurt as he, anyhow. Perhaps he would find his own way back, perhaps not, but he had no intentions of keeping her company any longer. He and Interceptor had needed her to get to the Pool, and that was all. Clyde felt empty, uncertain. He wanted to be alone. Terra was tuned out; though she was shouting something at him, and he was rudely snapped out of his reverie and mourning by a hard shove to his back that very nearly pitched him face-first into the sand.
“Look at me when I’m talking to you!” Terra was angry. It was one thing to be upset that Interceptor was gone, but it was quite another to brush her off like this. She had thought they were growing closer, she had trusted him this far, she wasn’t going to let him slink off on her now.
Pivoting on a bare foot slowly, Clyde straightened his shoulders and glared at the young woman. “Don’t fuck with me.”
“Or what? You’ll kill me?” She challenged, gesturing towards him with a chopping motion of her hand. “You can barely walk as it is! How dare you walk away from me anyway, you owe me! You dragged me out here, and the least you can do is see me home safely!” In all honesty, she was more concerned than upset, but she was going to resort to throwing that in his face if it would make him stay with her.
Looking away sharply, he bit the inside of his cheek. Yes, he owed her that much at least. Finally, he shrugged once again. “Fine.”
*****
“We were lucky. There’s debris washing up all over the island, it must have been a supply ship…” The young man wiped the back of his hand across his brow as he and his companion walked along this stretch of beach, examining the evidence of a devastating shipwreck out at sea sometime the night before.
“Yes…” The other was a woman, and she nudged a broken crate with the toe of her sandal. “It’s terrible. There must have been a tremendous loss of life. I haven’t seen any bodies yet, not on this stretch, anyhow. I wonder if there were survivors? Oh… look!” Suddenly she was pointing to a figure lying in the surf, unmoving. “A dog…”
*****
He whined softly, feeling a gentle hand on his fur, his ear twitching as voices drifted to him. Opening an eye, he seemed to be drawing attention now as a hand was cupped near his muzzle, offering him water to drink. Slowly, very slowly, his tongue slid out like a piece of dry parchment to lap at the liquid.
“That’s a good boy,” A gentle male voice soothed as a hand rubbed lightly at his ears. “You’re a tough dog, you know that? Bet you were thirsty, huh, boy?”
Interceptor recognized that scent and turned his head to get a better look at the young man, giving a cursory wag of his tail in acknowledgement. Another familiar scent struck him and he shifted his weight to sit up and see that the young man had a woman with him. He let out another faint whine… where were Clyde and Terra?
The woman was a fair beauty with blonde hair she had cropped short, though it stole nothing from her cool elegance. She was dressed simply for travel on the islands, choosing white, which flattered and suited her well. Smiling, she knelt down beside her companion and stroked a fingertip along Interceptor’s muzzle. “He is such a beautiful dog, Locke. Doesn’t he remind you of Shadow’s dog? What was his name?”
“Interceptor,” The treasure-hunter provided with a little nod and a lopsided grin that always came easily to his face. “I was thinking the same thing you know, Celes.”
The dog blinked a few times as they exchanged a swift, familiar kiss and turned their attention back to him. He realized he must have looked a bit too intent for a canine, so he wagged his tail again and let out a soft whine. Well now, this was interesting. Clyde had suspected that Locke would come after the Djinn’s Blood if the word was out that there was a reward for it, but he hadn’t expected the thief would beat them here. He wasn’t sure how surprised he was that Celes was here as well.
“We are such a pair of bleeding hearts, I swear,” Celes rolled her eyes and wandered back to the campfire, throwing another few sticks of fuel onto it and looking to Locke over her shoulder. “I’m glad he’s alright, though. What are we going to do with a dog, though, hm?”
“Take him with us, of course!” Locke lifted a hand good-naturedly as he pulled his pack into his lap, rifling through it. “Unless he wants to go off on his own… but c’mon, Celes, I’ve always wanted a dog. Haven’t you? This is fate, I swear.”
Chuckling softly, the ex-Imperial took a seat on her bedroll near the fire. Tilting her head, she looked up at the moon in the night sky to gauge how late in the evening it was. They still had a long night ahead of them before they were ready to break camp and move on, she didn’t really mind if waiting for the canine to regain his strength held them off an early start. “I don’t mind. He seems like a very nice dog. If he bites you, though, I’m going to make fun of you.”
“He won’t bite me… and you wouldn’t make fun of me, either.” Locke intoned matter-of-factly as he found the bread he was looking for, tearing off a piece and pouring some water from his canteen to soften it before he held it to the canine’s nose. “I know it isn’t meat, but at least it’s food, right?” He murmured gently.
Interceptor did not need to eat as much as one would think, not as much as a normal dog, anyhow, but he dutifully sniffed at the bread for the sake of playing his part. Making a show of forcing himself up into a half-sitting position, he pulled the foodstuff from Locke’s fingers and dropped it between his paws, gulping it down. It really had no taste, so he managed to pull a bitter face. Smacking his jaws, he rested his head on his crossed forepaws, letting his eyes drift close and allowing his rescuers to believe he had fallen asleep while he attempted to locate Clyde.
*****
Clyde refused the company of anyone else right now, and Terra left him alone. It was amazing, when he stopped to think about it, how well she could read him sometimes when he thought he was a being a blank slate. In truth, he found himself longing for her company, he could use her teasing right now, perhaps even convince her to steal off to a more secluded area with him and make him think about good, thorough sex instead of what was running through his mind currently.
Benevolent Terra, she was seeing to the other survivors, who were faring pretty well. To himself he wished she would leave them alone, quit being so damned helpful and pay more attention to him. Of course, he would slit his own wrists before he would admit that, at least at this point in time.
Most of those who had survived were people who had made it onto the deck when the wave hit The Jewel, crew and a few passengers. They were scattered across the beach, which was dotted with campfires, and people salvaging what they could from the debris that was washing up onto the shore… along with drowned corpses in various conditions, some were positively horrifying.
After eating, he had regained most of his strength back, but he still did not feel fully restored. He imagined a good night’s rest would cure that, would at least leave him in good enough condition to start traveling again. Frowning darkly, he stretched out on the sand, resting his head on his hands and looking up at the night sky without any real interest. Clyde was not looking forward to the trek, the feeling of utter failure and loss was nearly suffocating, it took every iota of strength he had not to slink off into the shadows and leave the miserable bastards to journey alone. That would mean, however, that he would leave Terra, and he was not willing to do that.
“You are such a sap.”
Clyde stiffened as the voice, affectionate and teasing, brushed his mind. Bolting upright, his hazel eyes widened as he searched frantically for the speaker. “Interceptor…?” He waited, his heart pounding, but there was no answer. Had he imagined it? Biting the inside of his cheek again, a soft growl came from his throat.
“Clam down, Clyde. Think it, don’t speak out loud, I’m not in your vicinity.”
Closing his eyes, he concentrated on speaking back to the dog-fae, unable to keep his relief and joy out of his mind-voice. It was much easier to guard yourself in physical speech. “Damn you, Pup… I thought I’d lost you. Where are you? Are you alright?”
“Yes, I’m perfectly fine. I’m sorry to have worried you, I was too busy saving my furry hide and being unconscious to reach you. I did learn that the doggy paddle is instinctual after all…imagine that.” Interceptor intoned musingly, to ease his friend’s mind. He was aware how upset Clyde had been, he could feel it in the man’s mind-speech as clearly as if he’s shouted it. “And Terra seems to be your hero, too, how romantic is that?”
Falling back to the sand, Clyde pressed his palm to his forehead and laughed. “Romantic as your breath. Good thing she knows better than to rub my nose in it… no pun intended. Where the hell are you?”
“A few miles away, I’m guessing. I’m also guessing that we lost our possessions, and the bottle we needed to collect the blood from the Djinn Pool, right?”
“Yeah, that’s right…” Odd thing was, Interceptor did not sound unhappy about that at all, which made Clyde both suspicious and curious, rubbing his palm against his forehead to keep himself focused on their conversation. He wasn’t as talented at this mindspeaking stuff as his friend was. “Terra was going to drag me along to the nearest port and have me take her home. You want me to come find you instead?”
Interceptor was practically bubbling over trying to contain his good news. “Oh no no, I’ll find you. Guess who I’ve run into…”
Only one person came to mind, and Clyde cursed under his breath. “Locke?”
The response was a soft chuckle. “Good to know that your head has not been too badly damaged. Yes, Locke. He is not alone either, he is here with Celes. My rescuers, I am with them right now. They have been very kind to the poor half-drowned dog, feeding me and giving me water and scratching my ears.”
“That little bastard,” This spoken aloud as Clyde dropped his hand from his forehead and glared at the stars. “I hope you bit him, you traitor.”
“Of course not, you know I could never resist a good scratch behind my ears… besides, isn’t there something else on your mind? Really, think, Clyde, don’t make me have to tell you everything.”
Raising his brows, the man’s expression suddenly became thoughtful, and hopeful. “He’s after the Pool, too. That means he must have another receptacle for the blood…” Interceptor remained silent, but Clyde could feel his amusement. “Well shit. Can you get it away from him?”
The dog-fae feigned offense. “Really, Clyde, I’m a dog, not a thief! However, I do think it is very possible I could pilfer for you this one time, if you promise that you’ll scratch my belly on command from this day forward.”
“As if I don’t do that already,” It was very difficult playing it cool when he was so excited, thrilled even. Here he had gotten his best friend back, and another chance at completing this strange quest of his. If Interceptor really could find the receptacle Locke had, that would also mean the ‘treasure-hunter’ could not get the Djinn’s blood. “You’re a good doggy, Pup. Be careful, though, I don’t imagine Locke and Celes will take too long in figuring out who you are and what you’ve done. Neither of them are stupid, and it’s a safe bet that Locke suspects I’m still alive if he’s been keeping his ear to the ground.”
“This is very true. Don’t worry so much; I’m sure he doesn’t suspect me yet. Since we’re placing bets, how much do you want to wager our ‘treasure-hunter’ and his lovely companion are going to come after me, or head straight for the Pool to cut us off? That could cause problems… you know that Terra has strong feelings for the young man.” Interceptor was being as sensitive as he could, without directly accusing his partner of having feelings for Terra.
There was nothing to say to that right away, so Clyde frowned and peered around to make certain that no one was nearby. Not that he was worried someone could eavesdrop on his conversation with Interceptor, but it was a force of habit. He had to agree that there could be problems caused by a meeting with Locke and Celes, it was best not to let Terra know they were here… and from what his partner had let on, the two were romantically involved. Although she had never outright said it, Clyde knew that the half-Esper did have feelings for Locke. Indeed, this could be a very complicated situation. Sometimes he swore the gods had a fucked up sense of humor. “We’ll just have to make sure that doesn’t happen. If we move fast enough, we’ll have what we came for and leave those two cursing our dust.”
“Agreed. I will let you know when I have the receptacle, and then you can bring Terra to meet me halfway. We can head for the Djinn Pool right away.” There was a moment of hesitation, and then Interceptor continued. “Are you sure you’re up for this, Clyde? I know you took a beating out there in the water. I can stall and bide my time if you need to recover.”
That was his partner, all right, always looking out for him. A heartfelt sigh escaped him then. “I’m sure, Pup. Move as soon as you have the opportunity. I won’t let you down, I promise.”
“You’ve never let me down, Clyde…”
“Hey… I’m glad you’re not crustacean fodder, Pup.” That was about as warm and fuzzy as he was going to allow himself to get, lest he make a fool of himself. There was no need for more than that, Interceptor had always understood him.
“The feeling is mutual, partner. Get some rest, I’ll be in touch soon.”
Interceptor withdrew from his mind and he felt a stupid grin plaster his face and he pounded his fist onto the sand, uttering a soft “Yes!” through gritted teeth. It was as close to giddy as he could remember being in a long time. Alright, so the thief had beaten him to the island, but he was going to get the treasure and his money and show that little bastard how its done.
“Clyde?”
Terra’s voice drew his attention and he lifted his head to look at her, amazed he really hadn’t heard her coming that time, she must have approached while he was still concentrating on speaking with Interceptor. His grin did not fade, as he held out a hand to her, delighting in the questioning and cautious expression that stole over her features. “Interceptor is alive and well, a few miles from here.”
Her eyes widened and she took his hand, dropping to her knees beside him and smiling brightly, those lovely eyes of hers brimming with emotion. “Oh… Clyde, that’s wonderful! I’m so glad…”
Gripping her hand, he pulled her to him and brought her mouth to his in a firm, hot kiss that she did not pull away from, but rather responded to in kind. The corners of his mouth pulled the kiss tight until he had to break it to grin at her, taking her face in his hands and pressing his forehead to hers. “He’s also found the bottle I was telling you about… this means we can still do what we came to do, once we meet up with him.” Without giving her the chance to respond, he kissed her again, and again, speaking between each one. “This… is… going…to…be…a…lot…of…fun.”
“Mm…mm…. Clyde…. Clyde!” She lifted a hand to stop him when he gave her the chance to speak, laughing a bit. This was a welcome change from the brooding creature from a few hours ago, she was more than happy that Interceptor was alive and well, but she wasn’t sure that this hunt was a good idea anymore. “These people… they need help, we should see them safely to the port, first.”
“Terra,” He shook his head. “They’ll be fine. I know we’ve had miserable luck but it would be worse if we went back empty-handed now.”
She found herself nodding slowly, the tip of her tongue moistening her lips. “I suppose it would…”
“Come on,” Clyde spoke softly, though his intense eyes were glittering with mischief as he jerked his head away from the straggling shipwreck survivors. “Let’s find someplace quiet.”
“What for…?” Brows rose as she studied his face. She would assume he wanted to sleep if he was not looking at her so purposefully, his hands dropping to her shoulders and rubbing lightly.
Leaning in, his mouth brushed her ear and he murmured in a suggestive, playful tone most would never believe he was capable of. “To let me thank you properly for saving my life… though I’ll enjoy it too, of course. I think we deserve a bit of fun.”
“I…” There really was not a reason she could think of to say no, so she bit her lip and nodded, rocking back on her heels to get to her feet.
Author’s note: Yes, this chapter took forever to get up, I’m sorry. Everyone and everything is playing second fiddle to Final Fantasy 10 at the moment, which is pretty cool, by the way… except for one thing…. I HATE BLITZBALL! Other than that, two thumbs up! Thank you for the wonderful reviews, and for reading, and I will try to beat the game’s ass and get some more chapters up, this one was kind of slow.)
He shifted in his bedroll, ending up on his side and draping an arm over Celes as she slept. She was a campaigner, he was a rogue, and they were both quite comfortable in the oddest places, able to steal sleep whenever they could. One eye opened and the other followed suit, Locke found himself looking at the embers of their meager campfire and blinking slowly as he came awake. The thief furrowed his brow, sitting up slowly and turning his head to the sky to gauge the time, which he put at roughly an hour away from sunrise.
“Celes…wake up,” Locke murmured quietly, gently nudging her with his leg.
“Hm…?” With a drowsy, contented sound, she shifted and brought her blue-eyed gaze to the thief, making another inquiring gesture with the arching of an eyebrow.
“The dog is gone.” He sounded a little sad, and a little surprised as well.
Celes sat up as well, rubbing at her eyes and yawning behind her hand before she smiled faintly over at Locke. He was like a little boy sometimes, it was impossibly endearing. Lifting a hand, she brushed his hair out of his eyes. “I’m sure he’s fine. He probably just got hungry and wandered off. How about we get you a puppy when we return home?”
He had to chuckle at that, grinning over at her momentarily. “Get me a puppy? What… are you moving in with me?”
With a small scoff, Celes drew her fingers through short blond hair. “Moving in where? As if you ever stay in one place long enough to have someone ‘move in’ with you. I do plan on traveling with you, though… that really doesn’t change much, does it?”
“Nope, not a thing.” With that, he leaned in to kiss her cheek quickly. “About another hour before sunrise, want to go back to sleep?”
Shaking her head slowly, Celes stretched and stood from her bedroll, resting her hands on her hips and peering down at Locke. “No, I’m awake now. Why don’t we get something to eat, pick up camp and get an early start?”
“Sounds good to me…” The young man nodded, but he seemed distracted, furrowing his brow and taking another slow look around the campsite, as if he were trying to spy something out of place.
Celes turned away to gather some grasses and dried fronds from the ground to start up the fire again from the meager embers, catching the note in her lover’s voice and she looked to him over her shoulder. “What is it, Locke?”
“I think that really was Interceptor.” He wasn’t sure why he hadn’t said so last night; something about the way the animal looked at him was strange. There was little doubt at all; he remembered very clearly the eyes of Shadow’s loyal and dangerous canine friend.
That gave the ex-Imperial pause, and she dropped the little pile of sweepings she had been gathering to face Locke fully, her doubt and surprise showing clearly on her fair face. “Really… how could that be possible, Locke?”
“Eh…” Eyes dropped their gaze to the ground as he rubbed at his stomach, shrugging. “I don’t know how it’s possible, Celes, but I know I’m right. I’ve been hearing things, rumors, ever since… ever since the tower fell. I’ve heard that Shadow was alive, and in high demand, through the underground.”
“That does not mean he really is alive.” Always the voice of reason, Celes felt she had to point that out even as she wanted desperately to believe Locke was not suffering from a serious lapse in judgment.
Nodding in agreement, he got to his feet and paused for a long stretch before he responded to that. “Oh, I know what you’re thinking. I was thinking it was some upstart imposter with no name for himself, using Shadow’s identity. But then, I re-thought that. How would anyone but us know that he was dead? Sure, some folks saw us with him here and there but it’s not as if he told all his friends and family he was going to save the world, right?”
“Go on…”
“So, I figured that it wasn’t common knowledge in the underground that he was even with us, let alone dead. What upstart would be so stupid as to impersonate a known and…well…feared, assassin? I was pretty sure it was the one and only. I also heard that he’d been asking about me. It’s not too hard to swallow that he could be here, on the Islands.”
The woman was frowning now, getting to her feet and dusting her hands off. “We found the dog in the surf, washed up from the shipwreck. Even if Shadow was alive, which leaves looming and numerous questions about how he could have possibly gotten out of the tower, it’s probable he was on the ship.”
“Yeah, I figured that much.” Crouching, Locke started to roll up his sleeping bag, tying it securely. “But if he could get out of the tower, a sinking ship doesn’t seem like too much of a problem for me. That dog was Interceptor, I’m sure of it, Celes.”
With a soft sigh, she joined him in picking up their belongings, kneeling on the ground to gather up her own bedroll. “Pretending that you are right, why would Shadow and Interceptor be here? Why would he be asking about you?”
“Why? C’mon… you know how much this Djinn stuff is worth. Who in their right mind wouldn’t be after it? And if they were after it, who wouldn’t want to know if they had the world’s best treasure-hunter as competition?” The thief had to grin a bit at that.
Celes usually succumbed to Locke’s easy grins and good moods, but she was having a difficult time with what he was saying. It made her feel uncomfortable. “Locke… that all sounds far-fetched. But…” She conceded with a sigh “I suppose everything that’s happened to us in the past year has been far-fetched. Fine then. I know I’m not comfortable thinking that Shadow is alive and watching us. Aren’t you the least bit worried? How do you know he wouldn’t just try and kill us, if greed is the motive, as you imply.”
“I don’t think he would do that.” The young man nodded, quite confident in that as he went to his pack, starting to tie the straps of it, brow furrowed as he did so.
“You have far too much faith in people,” Celes intoned, going into her own bag to find something suitable to eat, frowning. “Where you into my things?”
His smile was gone, and his expression became a cautious one as Locke regarded Celes evenly. “I…was just going to ask you the same thing. I’m sure I closed my pack after I fetched some bread for the dog. Is yours open, too?”
With a frown, the blonde held the leather straps for her backpack, which were neatly chewed through. “Yes.” Shaking her head and sighing, she began to inspect her belongings, expecting that her food would be gone. “Ahh… nothing seems to be disturbed, though. All of my rations are still here. You?”
Locke was not listening, he was on one knee, tearing desperately through the contents of the pack, muttering under his breath, his motions becoming more frantic and clothing as well as various objects were scattered all over the ground. Finally, he turned the bag upside down and emptied its contents, scouring through them before he swore rather heatedly. “It’s not here!”
“What isn’t?” Alarmed, Celes leaned forward to inspect the stuff now littering the ground at Locke’s feet.
“The bottle!” He exclaimed, running his fingers through his hair, gesturing wildly with his other hand. “That damn dog stole it! How the hell did I sleep through that?!”
“Oh come on… how could a dog...” His companion began, but he cut her off sharply.
“He took it, Celes. I knew there was something weird about that dog, I just knew it! Shadow must have trained him to do that or something… I don’t know how but the bottle is gone, and I know Interceptor took it. We have to find him.”
Her mouth fell open in surprise, and she nodded mutely until she recovered her voice. It did sound ridiculous, to think a dog could be so smart, but she had seen some pretty unbelievable things in her day, and Locke seemed very sure. “A-all right. We’ll go right now, do you think you can track him?”
Locke nodded quickly, stuffing the essentials back into his bag. “Yes, I’m pretty sure I can. I can’t believe I didn’t wake up… damnit! He couldn’t have gotten that far.”
*****
Terra simply could not get over Clyde’s mood as she found herself, rather unexpectedly, following him through the jungle while still trying to get her clothes in order, fumbling with the sash at her belt. “For the love of anything holy, Clyde, slow down!!”
“Keep up, then. Are you still fumbling with that stupid sash?” His body still hurt, and he had not gotten the rest he wanted, but he was eager to meet up with Interceptor. He could imagine the expression on Locke’s face when the young thief realized a dog robbed him. He almost wished he could see it, it was too amusing.
Finally managing to tie the knot, Terra tried to straighten her hair, finding small twigs and leaves in it, which made her mutter under her breath. It was still strange to think that she was sleeping with Clyde (if one could call what they had been up to ‘sleeping’), and to be shaken from a sound sleep and dragged off into the jungle before the sun even broke was not how she imagined having a lover again would be like.
“Do we have to rush? I certainly don’t think it is wise to run through a dark jungle. I could have done with a bit more sleep, and why do you keep grinning like that?” The half-Esper demanded, her mood not as favorable as it had been last night, and would not get any better until she had at least eaten breakfast.
“Nothing, nothing, I’m just eager to get going,” Clyde intoned dismissively, slowing to let her catch up and reaching out to snatch a twig from her hair. “Though, I probably should have given you some more time…”
“It’s fine,” Terra was admittedly a bit calmed by his demeanor and her curiosity was growing with his enthusiasm. Stepping around some suspicious-looking plants, she hefted her light backpack. “You know, Clyde, you haven’t told me much about this Djinn Blood stuff. What is it, exactly? It’s not really blood, is it?”
These questions were coming, he knew, and he was prepared to answer most of them, because at least on this matter there was no real need for deception. Keeping his mind open for further word from Interceptor, he spoke to her rather conversationally. “No, it’s not real blood. I’m not entirely sure what it is, exactly, but I believe it’s what keeps the islands so warm, flowing underground the way it does.”
“Go on…” Murmuring as she eyed some tempting fruits that hung from vines between the trees, glad the survivors had told her the fruit was deadly, but wishing it wasn’t. It looked very tasty, like giant plums.
The sword Clyde had found among the debris was not his own, and was a shoddy piece of work in comparison; but it was a blade and he could make use of it. For now, it served as a tool for helping to clear some of the denser foliage.
“A man, a merchant was shipwrecked here several months ago, and he discovered what they call the Djinn Pool. He managed to get past the barriers and to its heart, finding this liquid that was pretty amazing. Here is what I’ve heard; the liquid gives off no heat until it touches something, but when it does, it burns hotter than anything else on this world. For some reason, it seems to occur naturally only on these islands, and is neutralized by something in the soil here.”
Terra blinked owlishly, quirking a brow. “I have never heard of such a thing.”
With a snort, her companion shrugged, hacking at some thick and rubbery vines to clear the path, as he kept moving. “Neither had I. Or anyone, for that matter. I think he called it ‘Djinn’ blood because in his native tongue, a djinn is a fire elemental, and not a wish-granting creature. So anyhow, this merchant was fascinated by the stuff and tried to collect some of it to bring back with him, but he didn’t have anything that would hold the liquid without being consumed. That, and if you got a drop of it on you, even the tiniest bit would devour your whole body in a matter of hours. Not a pleasant way to die, I imagine.”
“I don’t understand why anyone would want that stuff…” She muttered, not liking the sound of it. Terra then looked around slowly, her expression softening a bit. “I imagine the restructuring of the planet’s surface had something to do with why no one has seen this thing before. Maybe it was underground, and was brought to the surface… or the healing world has made a completely new phenomenon.”
“Who knows? I, personally, don’t care. For the money this guy is offering, he can throw it on a bunch of orphans if he wants.” Clyde shrugged, managing not to grin at his companion’s little shriek of horror at his words.
“Clyde! That’s an awful thing to say!” Her fist lashed out to strike him soundly on the shoulder, but he evaded it, without intending to, it seemed. “You don’t mean that.”
Chuckling lightly, keeping tabs on her motions behind him even as he managed to appear oblivious, the assassin lowered his voice a bit to its very best apologetic tone. “Of course I don’t mean it. There are much more cost-effective ways to get rid of orphans. Just don’t feed them, that’s what I say. Really, aren’t they like stray animals? If you stop feeding them, they go away.”
It was almost laughable, but Terra refused to even smile at such horrible things. At least she had stopped trying to hit him, lest she end up facedown in the dirt again. For now, she ignored the comment altogether. “How did you get the bottle to hold the liquid? And… if this stuff is worth so much, how come half the continent isn’t after it?”
“Well, the merchant seems to think there is some great value for this stuff. So naturally, he didn’t tell anyone. He collected earth from around the pool, as close as he could get to it, and fresh water from the island, and took them back to the mainland where he fashioned glass containers that he believed could hold the liquid. That done, he only contacted one… or two… individuals who were talented, fast, and discreet to hunt down his treasure.”
Terra listened to Clyde talk, absently liking the way his voice sounded and nodding at the appropriate times. Her mind began to wander as the sun broke the horizon, and she could not help but wonder if Locke had heard anything about this. Locke was talented, fast and discreet. “Pretty amazing that Interceptor managed to find the bottle you lost… I can’t believe it didn’t sink.”
“Well, he’s an amazing dog.” That was said, perhaps, a little harder than he had intended to, but the ever-perceptive assassin did not miss the suspicious and speculative tone in the young woman’s voice. Terra was not stupid, he had to be careful.
“Hm.” Was her only response, accompanied by a faint smile.
*****
“Clyde, you know I hate to complicate things…” Interceptor spoke to his partner as he ran at full speed through the undergrowth and dense foliage, hoping to throw off his pursuers.
“Problem?”
“Yes, a slight one. I used a bit of Faerie coaxing to put our friends to sleep so I could search through their belongings. They came to much faster than I expected…I’m afraid I am being followed a lot closer than I wanted to be. If we meet, they are going to catch up, I’m sure of it.” He panted as he tried to concentrate on mindspeaking to Clyde, a leather bag hanging from his mouth by the drawstrings, the container inside swinging back and forth as he kept moving.
Clyde’s voice in his mind was distracted, and Interceptor imagined he was trying to speak to Terra at the same time. “I’m guessing you’re too weak to spirit yourself away, right? Pup, if you think they’re going to catch you, come to me, I don’t care. I’ll get them off your fuzzy ass.”
“Clyde, are you sure? What about Terra?”
“Leave her to me. Just keep coming, keep me informed of your position, and I’ll stop them.”
*****
“Something wrong…? Hey…hey! What are you doing?” Her voice was demanding and more than a bit concerned as she came to a stop and watched the actions of the assassin.
The sun cast an orange and pink fire across the sky, filtering through the thick canopy of twisting trees, making the scenery beautiful and exotic. It was humid, and the temperature was slowly climbing, and the half-Esper was hardly in the mood for more of Clyde’s strangeness before she had at least managed to get something into her stomach. Now, he was checking the collection of salvaged weapons he had stashed about his person clad in clothing that was not his, ill fitting and unsuitable in beige and brown.
“Give me that white shirt in your pack, I need it. Interceptor needs a hand.” With that, he held out his to Terra, waiting for her to comply.
Frowning darkly, she dropped her bag and knelt to open it, looking for the shirt he was talking about. Clyde was starting to make her nervous… the last time he had acted this way she had been attacked. “We’ll go help him, then.”
Snatching the shirt away from Terra, he used a short knife to cut the cloth, much to her dismay, folding what was left of the garment and placing it over his head, tying it at the nape of his neck like a bandana. Using the strip he tore off, he made a makeshift mask, tying it carefully over his mouth and nose, adjusting his impromptu outfit to disguise his face. “No. Stay here, I’ll be back.”
“I am not staying.” Terra spoke firmly and with a bit of panic, wondering what was going on. It was alarming, and her eyes widened a bit with desperation. “I’m coming with you. I’m not useless, you know!”
Lifting his sword with a soft sound of distaste for the less than favorable weapon, he shook his head, his voice soft and even. “Stay here. Stay right here, I will be back. You’re not in any danger, I promise. Will you just trust me on this one? I’ll explain when we return.”
Shoulders fell in defeat, wondering at what point she had started to trust him so completely. The last time had not gone so well, but that was through no fault of his, she supposed. Nodding slowly, she crossed her arms and regarded him warily. “Fine, I’ll stay…but if you’re gone longer than an hour, I’m coming to look for you.”
“I’ll be gone longer than an hour. Camp here, I won’t be back until nightfall.”
“Clyde!”
Making a saluting gesture with two fingers, he was grinning, though she could not see it. “I’ll make it up to you.”
Terra had no time to respond, and he liked it that way. Pivoting on his sandaled foot, he was resolved to make due with what tools he had at his immediate disposal. Perhaps he was not well equipped, but he was more than capable of taking care of Locke and Celes, of that he was confident. He was more concerned for Interceptor than anything. Some part of him knew that his partner was in no danger of being harmed by the good-natured thief and the softhearted ex-General, but putting faith in people was not one of Clyde’s stronger points.