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Post by Caius Dragelion on Sept 6, 2018 18:35:24 GMT -6
This job was certainly... Unusual.
Caius was no stranger to jobs that involved going into dark caves and killing something. That was just standard fare at this point. Cliche! Normal! Routine! But something within Caius had shook and told him that there was more to this than it seemed. And he was right. Apparently this particular sighting had been... Zombies! Undead! Mindless drones that ate flesh! It had apparently scared the right bejesus out of whoever had sent out the bulletin. As far as Caius knew, it could have just been some old crazy who was seeing things and this might just be a waste of his time. But he supposed if he found nothing, he could always report back and tell the crazy old man that he had killed his imaginary monsters, get paid for his time and leave. Not something he intended to do easily, no. He would legitimately check the place out, first. Mercenary's honor and all that.
There was a chance that others had heeded the call as well, or just had heard the rumors and had shown up out of a morbid curiosity. Or perhaps some sods had seen Caius and Celes Chere taking the job and decided to tag along? Odds were that these tag-alongs if any would just do nothing and then try to take more than their fair share of the profit, but at the least he knew that Celes was worth her salt. She'd already proven herself on the battlefield with him a few times by now.
As Caius, Celes and whoever came along would enter the cave, the stench of death was very, very, VERY much clear. Caius would plug his nose a bit, though he would be forced to materialize Lonoaw into his hand and fire a blast that would take off the head of some kind of rotting creature that lunged at him in the darkness.
he dead walking like the living?” Deumion, who had taken a seat near the far end wall, across from a single white mage, listened as he stirred his tea; a bitter concoction, one meant to cleanse the body, evident by the subtle usage of sap from the manna ash. He would not drink it. His focus lay elsewhere.
The ragtag mercenary team was a mix of chortles and snickers much as were their appearances. Whereas those dedicated to the Art were respectful, with their eyes and voices low and their steps as quiet as the crypt, these four knew not of such concept. Voices raised, they had made swift demands and hadn’t dropped their conversation to a reasonable level since then. Men used to taverns and not libraries. Seeing as wizards and mages and monks are trained to be adaptable, none spoke up, choosing instead to use this as a part to further their concentration; battle would never hush up for a mage to concentrate, after all.
Their leader, the one that had spoken previously, was the worst offender. Ruddy and brawny, scars littered his arms. A thick beard, as fiery as his complexion and temper, honed his already rugged features tenfold. When he smiled, he bared too many teeth for comfort. His voice rivaled thunder.
This contrasted his companion, arguably his right hand. Despite loud compared to the acolytes, he surprisingly spoke softer than his colleagues. His wispy figure was a stark contrast and amplified by the oversized clothes he wore. Pale of complexion and hair, hawk-like, with a stare cold as winter, he was one often eclipsed by another’s grand design. “Should we take this mission, we best make the recommended preparations.”
This drew a snort from the youngest. “Shiva’s knockers, Acel!” After withdrawing his feet from reclining on the table, repositioning his chair on four legs, he leaned in with a sneer. “It’s just some madman sending us on a wild goose chase.” He snatched a roll, drew his dagger, and skillfully sliced it in half. Smearing the butter on the bread, he added, “Quintus, you really should rethink your second in command. It seems like his mind’s rattled if he believes in fairytales.”
Deumion’s lips tugged downward. Acel had wits about him. Even if they refused the deed, they should prepare nonetheless…
Across the table came a whispered, “They’re wrong.” The white mage bit her lip. She held no fear from the mercenaries, Deumion realized. He ceased stirring his tea. “The dead don’t walk—the undead do. More reports of sightings keep pouring in...” Her green eyes darted to and fro, checking for unknown enemies, treating the shadows as if they’d spring forth and drag her to the Abyss. Disturbed at the imagery, Deumion shoved aside those thoughts. He’d be as jumpy should he let fear rule. Still…
Fairytales held a sliver of truth.
And Deumion could sense the ancient malice, albeit subtly from where he sat. Instinctively, overwhelmed by the need to comfort, he placed his hand over hers and gave a reassuring squeeze. Her eyes met his. “You need not fear,” he said, soft and soothing as to tame a spooked animal, “I’ll investigate this manner. I’ve some knowledge when it comes to the Undead, and I’m quite curious.” He gave a small smile. “I seek no price save for the assurance that people may travel unscathed through these parts.”
Unexpectedly, she recoiled, freeing her hand from his hold, rising to her feet. “You better hurry then,” she began. Deumion noted the frantic timbre she fought down; noted how pale she became; noted how her fingers twitched as she fiddled with the seams of her robes. “There’s a guy said to be checking it out now.” She paused, chewed on her lip, before adding: “Alone.”
It was Deumion’s turn to start. “Is he Magi?” At the shake of her head, he tensed. The Undead, generally, weren’t much of a threat in small numbers and if one knew what they were doing. However, should there be sorcery involved, complications could arise. “Is he, at least, a mercenary?”
“I believe so, yes.”
That eased Deumion’s concerns somewhat. At least the man was armed and capable of holding his own. It’d buy some time, allowing him to catch up. Rising, Deumion plucked his staff from where it rested near the hearth, adjacent to the stone mantel, and faced the acolyte. “It seems I must hasten my plans and take my leave now.”
He ignored the heckling from the young blood and repressed a shiver at Acel’s frosty stare as he left.
* * * *
The flame flickered, strong and even, with life, contrasting against the remains in their tombs. Deumion could make out gnarled roots, ghastly white and twisting in equally ghastly bones. At least those skeletons wouldn’t be moving anytime soon. Forcing his mind from such thoughts, Deumion held the lantern ahead of him as he continued to traverse the tunnels for the unknown renegade. Eyes poised, shoulders square, spine straight, he walked with determination.
The smell was sickening. Yet necessary, Deumion reminded himself, for death became rebirth. His steps stirred dust and dirt alike. He took a left, leaving the catacombs, with their cobblestone floors behind. Further down he went and further still did he travel.
Rounding another corner, Deumion halted when he caught a glimpse of a distant glow that became brighter as the seconds ticked by. His eyes widened and his heart sped as the raw sensation of magic flooded his veins, causing gooseflesh in its wake, as the whoosh of a projectile Fire spell came ever nearer. Forcing his initial panic to mental clarity, Deumion let the lantern fall, grasped his staff with two hands and drew from the magic pool nestled deep within. Ice. Snow. Blizzard.
A wall of ice formed, successfully sealing the tunnel off, allowing Deumion to withdraw around the bend. Moments later flames hit the makeshift shield with a hiss. Deumion’s ears rang. The tendrils bypassed the barrier and continued, illuminating the path in its wake. He waited, breath bated, straining to listen for another incantation. Nothing. Deumion exhaled, releasing the counterspell he had prepared.
“That,” Deumion called out, loud enough for his voice to carry, “was uncalled for.” Unbidden, he smiled a boyish smile, despite the bile rising at the smell of the place. “So, you’re the mercenary I’ve been seeking. Good to know you’ve studied the Art.” After a pause, he spoke up again: “Olive branch. I’d offer a real one, would I be carrying one. Instead, I’ll simply come out."
Once again he stepped out into the large passageway.
Post by Caius Dragelion on Sept 13, 2018 7:19:27 GMT -6
The Fire spell fired from the gunblade would set on fire the head of the creature in front of it, though Caius would dismally note that he had only grazed them and the fireball would continue sailing past. The creature though, would quickly begin to melt from the heat of the flames that were licking it's head, before spreading to the rest of it's body and soon enough melting to ash. Caius would quirk a brow as he looked down at the mess of ash and vapours below. It seemed these things caught fire and crumbled fairly easily once set aflame. A lesson to take in mind for later.
"That was uncalled for."
Caius' head would shoot up toward the source of the noise as the mercenary would quickly reload Lonoaw and aim it toward the source of the voice, with full intention of setting them on fire if it turned out these monsters could speak. But instead, a man came out, babbling something about the Art. This newcomer would then claim that he would extend a real olive branch if he had one, which at least told Caius that he was a friendly as the former Glaive would lower his weapon. He looked from him, to Celes Chere and then back to the man.
"Mhm" Caius spoke, watching him with uncertainty. "I assume you're another come to take this contract. While I'm not sure what this monster was exactly..." Caius trailed off, motioning down toward the puddle of purple blood, ash and smoke at his feet. "It's quite possible that our client was correct and wasn't actually spewing garbage after all."
Well, they'd been paid to check it out either way. Upfront. Caius wasn't dumb enough to go without it. They may be investigating a possible red herring but he wasn't going to make it a complete waste of time. If the danger proved to be far more than he was paid for, the contract always stipulated a clause for these sorts of fees... Though it tended to vary from client to client if Caius ever came to collect.
Before the three could speak further, an ear-wrenching screech would wrack the room. Drawing his weapon again, Caius would light a fireball on his free hand to try and light the room a little.
And what awaited them at the end of the room?
Creatures that resembled human beings, but with clearly rotted flesh and red eyes, hunched over in their movements, looking as feral and as dangerous as they could be.
And there were lots of them.
"Celes, prepare your spells. Their skin melts easily" Caius would instruct toward Celes as he prepared for battle.
Final Fantasy VI
22
YEARS
Female
Complicated
Heterosexual
429 POSTS
Fin
Use your own eyes and see for yourself whose side I'm on!
Use your own eyes, and see for yourself which side I'm on.
Why was it always Caius?
Celes didn’t know how and she didn’t know why, but somehow she’d taken to spending more time out traipsing through dark holes than back in Torensten with her supposed friend these days. In fact, she spent more time with Caius than anyone else lately, and that fact alone was enough to astound her into silence. How was it that time after time he’d managed to convince her to follow him into the middle of nowhere or into half-decayed haunted mansions or to stand face to face against a damned behemoth? Why was it that she always agreed?
Glancing at him, she couldn’t help but acknowledge his comforting familiarity with a blade, his confidence as he stood there straight-backed and peering into the darkness. He had a kind of commanding presence not too dissimilar to Celes’ own -- at least when he wasn’t completely baffled by social norms.
Not unlike herself. Again. Celes bit her own lip to stifle a sigh.
The cave that Caius had dragged them was certainly something else. It was in the middle of nowhere (naturally) by some temple that Celes had heard of only in rumors. Caius had told her that a man warned of undead in a place like this, and if nothing else this looked like the kind of place where corpses would gather. Even with Caius’ small flame, she couldn’t see much more than a few feet in front of them in flickering and unsteady shadows.
Then came the smell.
Celes stopped in her tracks, shoving her hands over her mouth and nose as the putrid, rotting smell hit her like a brick wall. The kitchen of the Linister Manor had nothing on this. In hung heavy in the air, hot and musty and solid in a way that settled in her throat and nearly made her gag. Even Caius seemed affected by it as he plugged his nose before materializing that sword of his in a flash of light. Even stunned, Celes got the message and pulled her runic blade at his side.
There was silence and then a scrape of footsteps one after the other. Celes waited with her breath held, trying her best not to lose her focus in the noxious air. Then the creature lunged.
Celes didn’t see it clearly at first as Caius jumped back, his flames flickering madly as he shouted curses at the thing. Celes stepped out of range as well, trying her best to get a good glimpse at the wretched mess before them as Caius brought magic to his blade and fired off a round of flames at the thing as it screeched in pain, completely immolated in seconds as it writhed in its sickeningly human form. The smell of burning flesh mixed with the wet rot and the combination of it all was enough to make Celes head spin. Whatever it was, she saw skin flake into charcoal before her eyes and then slough off in dusty ash.
In less than a minute, it was a glowing pile of embers at their feet. Celes’ stomach churned at the sight of it.
”That was uncalled for.”
Celes tensed and swiveled around to find another human form approaching them. She raised her sword against it, but it didn’t seem hostile, and as it entered their dim light, Celes couldn’t help a small sigh of relief. It was only a man. A normal, nonaggressive man with white hair and covered in scarves. He had a kind of calm look to him that seemed entirely out of place in this rank and dismal place, but Celes wasn’t about to complain so long as he hadn’t brought them trouble.
”I assume you're another come to take this contract. While I'm not sure what this monster was exactly..." Caius waved a hand towards the ash, still hesitant from the fight. "It's quite possible that our client was correct and wasn't actually spewing garbage after all."
Celes felt something rise to her throat. ”You mean that was…?” She looked at the ash again, touching at her mouth in revulsion. What had they come here for if not to fight the undead? ”Well. It’s not the first time I’ve fought a zombie,” Celes said with what she hoped would be confidence, but came out weak with nausea. ”The world I left was full of them. At least eventually.”
’No, don’t think about that place. Not now!’
The silence was pierced by a scream. Celes froze, her body tense before she spun around to face it, sword at the ready. Caius strengthened his flame, and the light spread quickly, reaching into the shadows until it struck-
Faces. Human faces half rotted off and sagging from bloodshot eyes. For a moment, it was all Celes could do to stare at them-
Trudging along the ruined earth, baked and cracked by judgment from the sky. How many of them had been turned? How many ruined by that paralyzing hum and a flash of blazing light?
-- before Caius jerked to life beside her and she stumbled into place, nauseous and reeling. ”Celes, prepare your spells. Their skin melts easily!” Caius. Celes nodded and slid her sword back in its sheath so she could thread her fingers together instead.
”Fire’s not my strong suit!” she warned him, ”But I’ll try!”
There were footsteps, slow and shuffling, and then they charged.
Incantations. Celes muttered them on instinct, feeling her blood boil with unfamiliar heat, a blaze of warmth that did nothing to lessen her nausea. Her power flared in her hands and then trailed out in a line of flame from her fingers to a cluster of corpses before them. The fire caught at the loose skin of one then burst out in a shockwave of embers that set all adjacent flesh alight. There must have been five...no, six of them all screeching as one, arms flailing, jaws hanging open in a ghoulish scream. Celes swallowed hard and started another spell as more pushed past the others, crawling over embers to reach them.
”Fira,” she muttered again, knowing full well that she could only keep one side of them at bay. The rest she would have to entrust to Caius.
Caius wanted to take a deep breath, but the smell made that impossible. The more of it that he breathed, the more he would notice it and the more it would hamper his abilities. So small, short breaths were all he was going to be capable of until they got out of this hellhole. It was making him regret coming here. And he knew that Celes wouldn't be happy with him for this either, but... She also knew that they were here hunting what was potentially undead. Celes knew. She'd even mentioned facing undead before. She had easily been able to say no if she wanted to. Whether her desire to get out for awhile was far stronger than her aversion to this, or if she figured it would be okay and regretted it later... Well, she was here now. And it had been her call. That's just how it was going to have to be for now, wasn't it?
The blonde haired Glaive would wince at the scream from the undead as it was struck. More screams began to emit through the cave as more and more undead would begin to reveal themselves as a result of the light from the flames. Having never seen undead up close and their faces for real before, Caius was taken aback, stunned and would back up a bit. His breath hitched, his eyes widened and he needed a moment to regain his composure before he would draw his blade again. He could hear Celes muttering something, but didn't keep much attention on it for now. He needed to focus on keeping himself alive, that was something he'd had to learn a long time ago. But seeing as he had told her to do something...
"Fira."
The words made Caius perk up. He knew of the spell, though hadn't learned it. The Kingsglaive would toss his blade forwards, his body warping forward in a stream of blue light in time to get away from the undead before the attack. The attack would explode in flames, lighting many of them on fire. As soon as Caius landed, he would catch the blade and hold out his hand, launching a Fire spell that while smaller, exploded in front of several going for him. With the fire having disoriented many of them and weakened the ones on fire, Caius would charge forward... Now if only the screaming would stop. For every undead that was on fire, the screams got ever louder. It was completely unbearable,a and the flames revealed their melting faces... They had their strategy and they had to do it to survive, but by the Six... It was awful to bear.
Caius would let out a cry as he would land a strike to the chest of one on fire, before twisting and landing two more in quick succession prior to rolling out of the way of a clubbing blow toward his head, slashing at the side and felling that one as well.
They could do this... They just might do this...
"Celes! How are you holding up?" Caius called out to his partner on this mission. He noticed that the other guy, who had seemingly been eager to take on the undead, had left when the hordes had arrived... He supposed that foes like this weren't for everyone. He didn't blame him.
Final Fantasy VI
22
YEARS
Female
Complicated
Heterosexual
429 POSTS
Fin
Use your own eyes and see for yourself whose side I'm on!
Use your own eyes, and see for yourself which side I'm on.
Their fire illuminated the dark in the worst way. Celes wished she didn’t have to see the burning flesh, the slack jaws, the sunken eyes. She wished she didn’t have to watch them flail through the flames, wailing in that ghastly way of theirs. She wished she could end it faster, but there wasn’t enough space for a stronger spell and she’d never learned the third level for fire. The undead came in a stumbling wave, trudging over the ashes of the fallen. Celes’ incantations weren’t quick enough to keep up with them all. As one swiped its arm far too close for comfort, Celes pulled her sword, slashing back through shriveled skin and sinew. Her throat convulsed in disgust.
"Celes! How are you holding up?"
Caius’ voice was like a rope thrown into darkness. Celes slashed at the zombie again, kicking it away before backing up to gain distance. There were too many of them moving far too fast.
”Cover me!” She yelled as she stabbed at another that pushed past the first. ”I can’t get a spell in!” Her sword wasn’t effective, but it was all she had at such a close range. If she could just get in another few waves of fire…
Orange light flashed to her right. Caius. She saw the flames coat his sword, saw it slash through the shadows, and the undead flinched at its heat. Celes took that moment to shove her hands together again, muttering as she backpedaled away from them. They weren’t stunned for long. Just a second or two as Caius cut his way through the ones closest to him, and the ones past that recovered quickly. There was a hiss, a slash, and jagged fingernails dragged across the metal of her pauldron. At the same time, her magic stirred and erupted from her hands.
The heat was almost unbearable. Fire burst from the ones closest to her, only a few inches away, and Celes let out a cry of surprise as she stumbled away from it. It singed at her hair and the dry skin of her cheeks and she watched almost in horror at the results of her own work. Seeing them like this would never get easier.
With Caius cutting down the ones who swarmed up close, Celes focused her efforts past them, casting without losing her concentration and thinning their back lines. Within a few minutes, their fire died down to embers and the cave was silent again with only ash and the lingering smell of burnt flesh as reminder of the horrors there.
”I think that’s all of them.” Celes voice wavered in a way that she didn’t like. Her head was still spinning, her knees still weak. That smell…
She shook her head. Now wasn’t the time to think about that, even as she felt her own anxiety well up in her lungs. Now wasn’t the time. Not now.
”Why were there…?” she started and then cleared her throat. ”Why were there so many of them?” The implications were horrifying. How many people had died here and how had they been raised again? The undead that Celes had fought before...Those had all been the doings of a mad god, but here…
What could possibly have caused this?
”I think we need to look deeper.” Celes looked to Caius seriously. She didn’t want to keep moving forward. No, every part of her wanted to flee back to the cool night air so she could breathe freely as she curled her knees to her chest and suffocated memories she didn’t want to linger on. But if something was raising the dead…
”Whatever happened here, it wasn’t good and I doubt that’s all of them. We need to stop it at its source. Whatever this is.” Celes looked down to consider the glowing pile of embers at her feet. Her eyes softened. ”We can’t just leave it like this.”
Post by Caius Dragelion on Oct 25, 2018 15:43:28 GMT -6
Suppose this world isn't so terra-ble.
Celes Chere Word Count: 3,294 OOC: For readers - Celes' decision on the jump was decided between myself and Fin OOC in order to save time. Caius Dialogue Color: 196fd1 Boss Dialogue Color: e65219 Party Sprites Credit
When Caius heard "Cover me!" he responded quickly. It had become instinct to Caius at this point upon hearing commands like that, and he did not hesitate in turn. Celes was a mage, as he had learned magic users were called in this world. Which meant that if they were too close, she couldn't cast spells without getting overwhelmed. He noticed that she was getting swamped by the undead hordes, and would act quickly. The Glaive would toss his sword forward, impaling it through one of the undead as he would vanish in a flash of blue light similar to the one he materialized the sword with. Warping forward, Caius would catch the blade and cut down the undead it had impaled before kicking off it's chest all in one motion and flipping backwards. For a man his size, there was a surprising amount of agility there, but the Power Of Kings lent to him had given him more strength to propel himself around with than he needed. With Caius taking flight likely surprising the horde and keeping their one-tracked minds off Celes, he hoped it would buy her some time to make some distance and cast spells.
With the numbers, though, he knew he needed to change tactics. While in the air, Caius would pull from his belt a black dagger. Warriors having daggers spare wasn't uncommon, but the more interesting part of the dagger was that...
Bang!
When he pulled the small trigger on the side of the blade, the point would fire a small shot of energy that caught one of the undead off-guard.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The dagger fired several shots more at a quick pace. These shots weren't as large or as powerful as the shotgun-like properties of Lonoaw, but were still capable of piercing and could be fired in succession with more rounds before reload and with less recoil. But they were able to damage and stun several of the undead hordes on his way down. As Caius would land on his feet, the Glaive seemed aware that he had jumped right into the hordes and a melee would be soon to follow. As the undead swarmed him, Caius would move quickly and slash with Lonoaw toward the head of one, before quickly turning and slashing at another in quick succession. He turned quickly and tossed the dagger through the head of another, before using the Warp Strike to move toward the dagger and cutting loose it's neck before finishing it off with Lonoaw. He just needed to keep the attention on him a little longer while keeping an eye on Celes...
Within minutes, Celes had burned down the back line, and any remnants of Caius' melee. The Glaive would take a deep breath and sit down a moment to clear his head and catch his breath properly. He could smell it now. The burning, rotting flesh, the overwhelming stench of the cave. The more that he breathed like this, the worse it got. Caius had to contain the overwhelming urge to vomit as he would survey the carnage that had gone on.
"There has to be a source" Caius would agree. "Where would this many come from? It's unfathomable to think that some kind of curse would bring this many bodies to life in one area... It's impossible. It's like they were brought here. But by what?"
Getting to his feet, Caius would stretch out as his weapons would disappear - for now.
The duo would continue to make their way through the caves. The undead had stopped for now, but the stench was still there and it wasn't going away. That told Caius that there were still undead up ahead, and he gave Celes a look to warn her that there would likely be more to come. Soon enough though, they came to a dead end.
"Blast" Caius would growl, shaking his head as he would kneel down to try and get a look downward. "I can see the way forward, but it's at the far end of what looks to be a bottomless cavern. And I don't see another way in either... Not down there, and the path to get here was very linear. Odds are there's a way down there from outside, but... Astrals know where that is."
"Hmm..." He mused aloud as he scratched his beard. "Perhaps we did kill them all in here after all, and the source has moved on."
But a loud crash would be heard below, seemingly coming from the place Caius would glimpse. And suddenly, the smell began to worsen by far. Fresh undead. Caius' eyes widened as he realized what was going on.
"... That's where they're coming from. Sod it all" He spoke out with slight frustration. "We have to find a way down, we have..."
And then he got it.
"Listen, Celes" Caius would speak, taking a breath as he looked toward her. "I can get us down there. But it's going to be risky. Very risky. And maybe a bit scary. I can get us across, alive, with my powers. But you have to trust me."
He held out a hand to her, then.
"Up to you. If you'd rather turn back now, I understand. I'll go alone if need be. But I don't think I would be able to live with myself if I didn't go down there and make sure they don't make it to the surface and hurt people. And the more time we waste, the less likely we’ll reach them in time before they do.”
After whatever response on her end, Celes held out her hand and Caius took it. Taking a deep, slightly nervous breath, the Glaive would pull Celes close, their difference in height more or less already pulling her off her feet as he moved around a bit in trying to figure out how to best make sure he could pull this off the best he could while accommodating for Celes. Seeming to make a decision, he would hoist her onto his back and motion for her to wrap her arms around his shoulders and neck to hold on tight. This in turn would give Caius the maximum amount of mobility he was going to need. Once Celes was secured, the Glaive would move a bit back and forth to test Celes' grip, looking from the ledge and back to Celes a few times after every attempt. Sure, she might not like him doing this, and he knew she'd probably accuse him of coddling her. She had already told him that Setzer did so, and that she hated it, but... Well, she was going to have to deal for now. He was not going to risk her life because of her pride. She would either hang on tight, or he was leaving her behind and going in by himself.
Once satisfied, the Glaive would back up a bit, before taking a running start. Fearlessly leaping down the ledge, Caius would completely focus on the task at hand. It would explain why he had ensured beforehand that Celes wouldn't fall under stress - he wanted to be sure that he could focus on getting them across safely without worrying about her. He didn't even spare her a glance, his eyes showing complete, total focus as he would wait for the right moment, doing his best to maneuver himself forward as much as the Glaive possibly could. When the right moment came, the dagger would materialize in Caius' hand and he would quickly toss it as hard as he could. The dagger was the best bet for the first jump. He wouldn't be able to warp very far on the second he knew, and so the first needed to get as far as possible. Once the dagger reached a certain point, the both of them would disappear in a brilliant blue light, warping forward as Caius would catch the dagger. The dagger immediately disappeared the moment he caught it, unable to be phased with again until he landed - and the gunblade dubbed Lonoaw would appear in it's place. Caius wouldn't hesitate to throw the blade forward, and once again the two would disappear and race after it. Catching the blade and watching it disappear, Caius would look down, noting that they had reached the other side but he had thrown the blade and dagger too early and they were now a bit too high up with no way to break his fall.
"Fuck!" The Glaive would cuss loudly as he would attempt to align his side and back to absorb the brunt of the impact. When he did though, his hands fell on Celes and he remembered in that moment he was carrying a passenger. Making a split second decision, Caius tore Celes from his back and wrapped his arms around her, bracing himself as the two would crash to the ground with Caius absorbing most of the impact. The two rolled across the ground until they slowed down, and Caius lost his grip on Celes while he rolled a bit further himself. Finally, he came to a stop and the Glaive would let out a groan in pain. He had found himself weakened, cut up, bruised and with the wind knocked out of him from the fall with effects all worsened seeing as he had taken it upon himself to shield Celes the best he could. She had to move to his arms anyway for him to brace himself. But as for the rest... It had just been instinct, when he'd realized he could shield her in the process. He would have taken the same amount of impact anyway if he had been by himself. The least he could do was make sure Celes didn't have to share as much of it, he knew he could handle it.
Or so he thought he could.
As he tried to get to his feet, staggering headaches began to hit him hard. The Glaive would hold the back of his head as it began to throb horribly. He must have hit it hard when he came down, and part of him wondered how the hell he was still alive. What he did know though, was that he had taken a far larger amount of damage than he had predicted, likely from tucking himself in an attempt to shield Celes. It was a miscalculation on his part. Cripes, all of this headache, and odds were she'd bitch at him for coddling her. Well, fine! She could have her bitching! He didn't even care right now, his head hurt too damn much to care.
Thank the Astrals he'd left and hidden that certain something in the rented cart they'd taken to get here though. He didn't want it to be damaged, and that fall certainly would have done it.
Caius would inch his arm slowly toward his pack and felt around until he could feel where the potions were. Grasping one, he would throw it to Celes in case she needed it. Perhaps he should have used it on himself first but... For whatever reason, Caius just didn't care right now. Could be the headaches, could be some semblance of care he held for her, who knows? The potion was a smaller one, not a hi-potion by how he could feel. It should be enough for any injuries Celes had. Caius... He knew he was going to need something stronger. He would shuffle down the pack until he found a Hi-Potion, and quickly yanked it out and took it without hesitation. As the potion's effects took hold, Caius would take a deep breath as he got himself to his feet. He was still fairly sore, but the throbbing headache was gone for the time being and he was back in fighting shape again.
"Are you alright?" Caius would ask once he approached Celes, whether she was up or not. "Once you've gotten your bearings, we'll continue on. Odds are, we're running out of time so we need to hurry."
Once Celes was ready, the two would continue making their way forward. The sounds from before would continue, getting louder and louder the closer they got. And the closer they got, the worse the smell became. It was very clear they were approaching their point of origin.
“Celes” Caius would suddenly speak toward her as they approached their final destination. “Ready yourself. I don’t know what awaits us ahead, but odds are it’s going to be a far greater challenge than we were expecting going into this.”
And with that, the duo would cross the threshold to what awaited beyond.
They would find themselves in a large chamber, with cages filled with scores of demons akin to the ones from the world of Eos lining it. At the center of the room was a man wearing a black cloak. One could pick out jet black hair, with signs of greying. The older man raised a staff-like artifact again as the sounds from before rang out… From the staff, several orbs of light with an orange hue would burst from it and burrow themselves into the ground. What burrowed out would cause Caius to wince. These weren't the undead they were fighting before... These were demons. Memories of the ten years of darkness flooded through Caius' mind as his eyes widened.
“Fucking hell...” Caius would whisper as despite it he would step forward, a little taken aback but still determined all the same to stop this.
And then their master turned around to face them.
Caius froze. His expression held surprise, shock, even horror.
“No way…” Caius would respond. “You…”
Over a Year Ago, Zephon
What had happened? Where was the assassin? Where was His Majesty? His memory of the events prior was hazy, and he still felt fairly dizzy, but...
There... It was starting to come back to him now.
Over a Year Ago, Eos
"His Majesty has been attacked!"
"Huh?"
One of the Crownsguard had ran by, escorting the injured King of Lucis away from the scene. A man so fast he was almost like a shadow had ran by prior, though the Glaive hadn't thought too much of it. But then it all began to click. The man who had gone by the name "Josh" until recently under the glaives would realize just what he'd missed, and immediately take off. Whoever that was, had attempted to kill His Majesty, and part of his job was keeping His Majesty safe! Caius would dash forward as fast as his long legs could carry him, long blonde hair blowing back behind him wildly as he would throw caution to the wind in a reckless attempt to increase his speed as much as possible to catch his foe.
The assassin was already a ways away though, and had already reached the floor below. Looking at the staircase, than the railway, Caius knew that he needed to make a decision... His own safety? Or his duty? Because he had an idea, but he wasn't quite sure how it was going to go...
Deciding to throw caution to the wind in favor of duty, the Glaive would decide to leap over the railing, just over the head of the fleeing would-be assassin. He would find himself free-falling for a few moments, as he would draw his sword. The gunblade Lonoaw, one apparently linked to his family when delivered to him anonymously with the messenger refusing to take otherwise that he was this "Caius Dragelion", would be drawn and Caius would quickly throw the blade at the assassin. Warp-striking forward, Caius would slam his body into that of the assassin, catching the blade and tackling his foe down. Quickly pinning his down and holding the blade to his throat, Caius decided it was time to ask questions. The adrenaline rush from the risk he'd taken - with the Warp-Strike and the assassin's body breaking his fall - was still going it seemed by the harsh, loud tone of his voice.
"WHO SENT YOU? ANSWER ME!" He let out in a growl. This man had tried to kill the King of Lucis, a man who'd done him much kindness and gotten him out of a tough spot... This wasn't something he was about to forgive. The assassin would grab one of their duel blades and attempt to strike back, but Caius was quicker. Caius would switch to the firearm side and fire at the blade, sending it flying away from them. With that, he would then aim it at their skull.
"Don't make me fire again" He warned. But before the assassin could speak, a flash of light erupted over their heads... Suddenly he felt himself being sucked in, as his grip on the assassin was lost...
It had gone dark. All was black, pure darkness. He found himself alone with nothing but his thoughts... And a name echoing in his head.
"Caius
Ignis
Dragelion..."
He remembered, now... Yes... He'd been called this name once. That was his name, truly... He'd not accepted it yet, and had asked the other Glaives to call him by the name he'd taken years ago. But now... Yes. This was his name. This was his past, and it would be his future.
There was no reason to hide from it anymore. And now, with this affirmation, that curiosity of who he was and where his family was from, had become a need...
Over a Year Ago, Zephon
He knew one thing though, as he would look out at the landscape. He was no longer anywhere he recognized... And somehow, he felt it. He felt as though he was no longer in Eos.
His quest to find out the truth about his heritage... The people he'd gotten to know... His job with the Kingsglaive and the sense of belonging and purpose that it had brought...
It hit him then. And it hit him hard.
He had lost everything once again.
“You… You were the assassin after King Noctis the day I was sent here!” Caius called out as Lonoaw would instantly materialize in his right hand. The man chuckled then, and shook his head.
“You know me, yes… But I also know you. I know you very, very well…
Caius.
Ignis.
Dragelion.”
Caius’ eyes widened. He knew that voice. He knew it from the moment he had gone into the portal…
It was the same voice from the moment he had realized his true name.
“Caius…
Ignis…
Dragelion…”
If this man had been the one calling his name... Then was it truly his name? Or a trick? No... Only some of the other Glaives knew that name in regards to him and he had asked them to keep it a secret.
And Lonoaw had always felt right in his hands, even before he had accepted that.
He was Caius. There was no denying that he was Caius.
But who was this guy? Why had he attempted to assassinate the King of Lucis? And how did he know his true name, when almost none in his own world knew?
Final Fantasy VI
22
YEARS
Female
Complicated
Heterosexual
429 POSTS
Fin
Use your own eyes and see for yourself whose side I'm on!
Use your own eyes, and see for yourself which side I'm on.
The atmosphere was unrelenting. They delved deeper and deeper into darkness as suffocating as the smell. They held their flames like an amulet against the shadows so they wouldn’t be swallowed whole by the cold and the damp. The air smelled of death and stale must rotting in fetid water. Whatever lurked here did not wish to be awakened.
Caius stopped abruptly and Celes stopped behind him. In front of them, the path simply fell away. The chasm beneath it could have been five feet or twenty; it was impossible to say.
”Blast.” Caius knelt down to get a better look. ”I can see the way forward, but it's at the far end of what looks to be a bottomless cavern.”
”You can?” Celes tilted forward and squinted to get a better view, but it was all too shrouded in shadows for her to pick out anything in particular. Was there something across the way? She couldn’t tell and wondered how he could.
Caius took a step back, touching at his chin thoughtfully as he mused that maybe the source had merely left by now. He didn’t finish the words before they both froze at the sound of something banging about below them. Something alive, or close enough to it. Celes glanced at him in alarm. ”You think that’s…?” she started, but he was already cursing.
”That's where they're coming from. Sod it all.” He paused thoughtfully, looking down into the chasm. When he turned to her, his expression lacked any of its usual carelessness. His voice was low, humorless, and imploring. ”Listen, Celes, I can get us down there. But it's going to be risky. Very risky. And maybe a bit scary. I can get us across, alive, with my powers. But you have to trust me.”
He held out his hand, and Celes hesitated as she looked between his hand and his eyes. How much did she trust him? Enough to take his hand without explanation? The task seemed impossible, but then, he wasn’t one to go running off on suicide missions, and he wasn’t one to put lives in danger. Did she trust him? There were very few people she would with something like this, and yet…
What would happen if he went on alone? Would he die in the cold and the dark, wandering lost? Would he run into something even more terrible than the undead behind them? Would he be overwhelmed by their power and crawl away, bleeding without someone to heal him? Celes bit the inside of her cheek, stomach churning at the thought.
Whatever he was going to do was less terrifying than the thought of letting him die.
”I trust you.” She held out her hand cautiously, taking his with a hesitance that had nothing to do with the chasm below them. ”And I don’t want you going alone. You say you work best like that, but I don’t believe it. I’d hate myself if I turned back now.” She tried weakly for a smile, but that quickly faded as he grabbed her and started moving her around beside him without so much as a warning. ”Hey!” It came out more as a startled yelp though she quickly found her own sharp tongue. ”What are you doing? I didn’t say you could-!” He flung her onto his back and wordlessly tried to arrange her arms around him. Celes felt her lips thin as heat rose to her cheeks. "Well you could have asked,” she said before grasping him like he’d wanted. He let go of her and left her to hang like a monkey from his shoulders.
He tilted himself backwards and forth, walking around in preparation, and Celes felt her own embarrassment rise with every second. He still hadn’t explained himself. Still hadn’t apologized or asked her permission. And while she’d taken his hand, that didn’t mean she wanted to be lugged over his shoulders like a backpack and that didn’t mean she wanted to be touched.
You could have asked. The mantra played again and again as Caius tested his balance. She would have agreed if given warning. But without it, his force felt inconsiderate. Like she was nothing but an object or a child to be dealt with. She knew him well enough to guess that wasn’t his intention, but still…
Her fingernails dug into her own skin as she clung to him. It was all she could do to keep herself from recoiling from him in unease.
Suddenly Caius was running and it was all Celes could do to tighten her grip and bite her tongue to keep from yelling. She bobbed up and down as he ran, and her stomach fell a moment before she realized what he was about to do. ”What are you-?” she started.
And then they were falling.
Celes couldn’t help the sounds that came out of her mouth. She couldn’t help but to scream and clutch him in a death grip that might have been strangling. She’d expected him to do something, but not this. Not jumping into the abyss like some kind of maniac. Her stomach jammed into her throat as time seemed to slow and her head went dizzy with vertigo. She was falling. Falling...
The boards of the airship exploded around in splinters of wood and engine grease. She saw it floating above her, but no. They were all falling. Falling as fire consumed the world beneath them. Falling as the island above her was engulfed in blinding light. Falling until-
Her stomach jerked as a light consumed them and suddenly they were shooting forward like a missle. Celes let out a renewed scream as gravity lost its meaning and they lurched sickeningly towards the opposite wall. She hadn’t seen it before, but she could sure see it now, illuminated in ethereal blue and coming faster towards by the second.
”Fuck!” Caius’ shout only added to hers as she tried to find words but couldn’t. There was only panic as he grasped at her and tore her grip away. She was suspended in midair, held there only by Caius who wrapped his arms tightly around her as she clawed for anything she could get ahold of. They were falling again, or were they? Celes didn’t know which was up but she knew there was force taking hold of her and that any second they’d-
The stone hit them the broad side of a train. Celes felt her breath give way as there was a sickening crunch beneath her and she rolled away from Caius’ grip. For a moment, she could only lay there, dazed, as her mind caught up and her body pulsed with pain. Then she had her first thought -- I’m not dead. She stirred, moving each of her limbs in turn before slowly pushing herself upright. Her ribs protested every movement, but she didn’t feel them straining. Nothing was broken.
Her breath was staggered. Her hands, shaking. She wanted to grab her head and scream, but the time for that was done. Instead, she felt like there was something she’d forgotten. Something important. She bit her tongue until it came to her in a gust of anger that was thrust forward by the full force of her panic.
”Are you crazy?” Her voice high with her own hysterics. ”Why didn’t you warn me? Why didn’t you tell me that you were going to-...to-” Celes’ voice broke and she pushed herself straighter. ”Just because I said I trusted you didn’t mean you could push me off a cliff!” Celes shoved her face into her hands and tried to find her breath again. She breathed in and then out slowly several times as she forced back a high-pitched noise that she doubted would be dignified.
She was alive. She told herself that again as she lowered her hands and tried to force herself upright. She winced at the sharp pain in her chest and upper back, but kept going until she was on her feet again. ”You had no right to grab me like that,” she said, her voice still shaking. ”You had no right to do that without telling me. You...You…” She saw him then, staggering unsteadily on his feet and grabbing at the back of his head. Her eyes widened. ”You’re hurt.”
He reached inside his bag and pulled out a flask, tossing it her way first. She caught it on instinct but didn’t even look at it as she watched him struggle inside the back again. ”I can help,” she started. ”You don’t have to-,” but he’d already another potion and uncorked it with his thumb. He downed it in a second before attempting to straighten himself.
”Are you alright?” he asked and Celes just stared at him. ”Once you've gotten your bearings, we'll continue on. Odds are, we're running out of time so we need to hurry."
”Am I…?” Celes repeated slowly before giving him a look she wished could be sharper. ”Enough about me, what about you? You were holding your head! A potion won’t fix a concussion. Let me help you.”
She didn’t wait for him to protest or agree. Instead, she shoved her fingers together, muttered her spell, and cast curaga on him in a flash of healing light. Then she took the potion he’d thrown her, swished it back so she could barely taste the bitterness of it on her tongue, and touched a light cure spell to her own wounds. She was bruised, that was for sure. And battered. And aching, but she’d be fine. Caius on the other hand…
Well, hurting himself to keep her from the brunt of the fall wouldn’t fix everything between them. She still had harsh words for another time. How could he expect her to trust him when he didn’t communicate?
”You could have gotten us both killed,” she said without looking at him. ”I could have helped. I have magic. But you didn’t ask me.” She bit her tongue. That was enough for now. ”Let’s just get this over with.”
In all her panic, Celes had almost forgotten about the echoing noises and the stench of death. She noticed it now, but it felt dulled somehow. Unreal. Maybe she just didn’t have the energy to spend worrying about it. After what had already happened, she just felt tired.
”Celes.” Caius stopped in front of her and Celes followed suit. ”Ready yourself. I don’t know what awaits us ahead, but odds are it’s going to be a far greater challenge than we were expecting going into this.”
”Right.” Celes took a breath and tried to ready herself. She knew she wasn’t in the right mindset, but her thoughts wouldn’t come as sharp as she wanted them to. Breathe. She took a long breath and squared her stance. Just like you always practiced. Don’t think. Just move. Celes nodded and glanced to Caius. She was ready. Or as ready as she’d ever be.
Celes stepped through the final passage only to find...a laboratory?
It looked more like something out of Vector than what she’d expect at the bottom of a cavern in the middle of nowhere. There were cages hung all around the stone ceiling, some of them lining the ground, and all of them full of odd monsters that seemed shrouded in shadow. Celes stared at them, too captivated by their terrifying appearance to notice that they weren’t alone. Before them was a dark looking man shrouded by a cape and holding a staff. He raised it, magic swarmed about him, and deathly fingers burst from the earth. Celes stared at it as Caius whispered in horror.
”Fucking hell...”
Celes didn't know what those monsters were, but they'd taken such a toll on Caius that Celes couldn't help a twinge of fear. What could possibly hav affected him so much?
Then the man turned. He looked about the same as Celes would have imagined. Old. Grizzled. Graying. But the sight of him had a completely different effect on Caius. He froze where he stood, stuttering to himself as his eyes widened in sudden realization. Celes shot him a look of concern but never truly took her eyes of the foreboding man. ”Caius?”
“You,” Caius started before jerking forward with his sword in hand. ”You were the assassin after King Noctis the day I was sent here!”
”What?”
”You know me, yes,” the man growled. ”But I also know you. I know you very, very well. Caius. Ignis. Dragelion.”
”You know each other?”
Celes felt like she was falling over again. She glanced between the two men, eyebrows raised incredulously as she kept her hand on her sword. ”Who is he? Is he the one behind the undead? Caius?”
Caius had done what he felt had to be done. Being a soldier meant making decisions quickly, especially when time was of the essence. She had given her trust to execute a plan that would have taken too long to explain, and he did what had to be done. Still, while she was upset and bitched him out as a result, he didn't answer at first. Not until she would try to heal him.
"No, no, I'm okay, don't" He would protest quietly as he did his best to move forward. His head ached, but most of his wounds had been healed at least from the potion. But his head was making it difficult to speak, difficult to think... "You need to save your strength, if we... If we run into them again, you're more of an asset here than I am. We need you... We need you to... We..."
Caius let out a resigned sigh as he remembered that he was doing the exact same thing that Celes did before. Making a ruckus when being offered a healing they needed.
"... Alright."
The headache went down a fair bit after Celes cast her spell. Thinking a little more clearly now as they walked forward, almost to the lair now, he would find himself bowing his head.
"... I'm sorry."
It was all he could think to say on the matter. He didn't know how else to explain how he was feeling right now, or knew how to respond.
Present
Caius still couldn't believe what he was seeing. The assassin from over a year ago was here, in this world... And a necromancer? None of this made sense. He looked up toward the demons in the cages... They looked so human, and yet not so. He knew there were other variations too, but it seemed he either wasn't using them here, or hadn't figured out how to create those just yet.
"I don't understand" Caius finally spoke. "Why are you raising the dead? Why did you try to kill His Majesty? And now... Demons? I don't understand any of this."
"Oh. I was sort of hoping for a more interesting question. Not the obvious ones" The man would admit, letting out a disappointed sigh and shook his head. "I was expecting maybe something along the lines of "How do you know me?" and "How do I know the name of a dead man?" or well... Dead... Child, I suppose. Everyone assumed that you had perished along with your family, but here you are... Trekking around this new world with your friends, without a care in the world!"
The man would move his head a bit to look at Celes.
"Does she know, Caius? Does she even know who you are? I have heard so many stories of the mercenary, the man they call Caius... A man that leaps into the fray against the biggest, the baddest of monsters without a care in the world! It actually touches my heart that it was me that finally got you to accept who you are, and yet... You tell nobody. You've been keeping secrets from your friends! Oh, that's just cruel, Caius. It's funny to me... Watching you cling desperately to her as you fell through the air. And yet you tell her nothing.
Do you enjoy keeping secrets from people, Caius? Do you enjoy breaking people's trust? It seems to be a family thing. Have you told her that you are Caius Ignis Dragelion, the new patriarch to the noble Dragelion Family, in service to the Royal Lucian Family as a member of it's Kingsglaive? I don't think it's something for a venerable Kingsglaive to do, to lie... But I suppose you're not really a Kingsglaive anymore, are you? Or a patriarch of a noble family, seeing as you're now a family of one.
But have you told her, Caius... That all of this, all of this that you see around you... Is your fault?"
Caius had told her he had been part of the Kingsglaive, the other part... It didn't seem like it mattered. But all this about it all being his fault...?
"I don't-"
"Of course you don't. How could you? But it is your fault by proxy, isn't it? Let the sins of the father... Fall onto the son. You may call me...
The noble Cortez Lavernan, the once-patriarch of the great Lavernan family. In service to the royal family of Lucis for as long as anyone would remember. And one of the greatest minds of this age. Tell me, Caius, if you could bring back your family... Would you? Yes, yes you would, wouldn't you? That's an answer I would expect anyone to give, in your position. That was a solution that I wanted to give. That was a blessing that I wanted to give to EVERYONE! And I was so close... Sure, my experiments weren't the most ethical, but what does a few lives matter when I can bring them back later? What does a few lives matter when I could save millions? And I was so close...
But then I was betrayed, and ratted out to King Regis... By Segnorus Dragelion. A man I called my best friend, my greatest bond... The man who told me he would be there for me at every turn, who would pull me out of the hole if it came to it... He ensured that I was locked up, my research destroyed... For years I toiled, listening to rumors about my family name being destroyed. And what about my family, Caius? What about mine?"
The man's anger was beginning to show, more and more as his tone began to change. But Caius could tell one thing - the man was unstable. Very deeply unstable. And the more he spoke, the more angry and unsettling his tone became, even as quiet as it was.
"I had children, Caius... Children who were looked down on, and cast aside because of what was perceived to be my crimes. I escaped, tried to take my children and run, and start over... But even my children had been brainwashed by their so-called Uncle Segnorus... Uncle Segnorus told my son and my daughter that daddy was a monster... That daddy did terrible things. And you, you emotionless soul... You wouldn't understand that, would you? You're as heartless as your father was, staring at me with those blank eyes... You've never had children.
And you've never had your children be afraid of you.
In the years that followed, I came to realize something... This world will never understand my genius, will never understand what I want to do... Not while I am in as such a feeble position as I was. My experiments were too... Different. Different scared them. I realized... They would never understand me unless they had to. I had to make them see... And finally my experiments, the more I did them in the shadows... The more that they began to come to fruition. All that you see here, is the results of my work. And with this artifact I have found, I have been able to make strides like never before! It was kind of the Imperials to let me work with them, in exchange for nothing but information on the Lucians... That Izunia character did muck things up a little by making them fear something more than I could at the time, but I'm a patient man. I bided my time, worked from the shadows to continue to improve my work and break every limit I ever had.
But before the darkness... I had a bit of business to take care of first.
The fact is, Caius... My problem was never with King Noctis. He seems like a fine young lad... Perhaps a bit too much like his father for his own good. But I needed his power, don't you see? The Power Of Kings could have easily made my visions come true with him added to my ranks.
But my problem... It has always been you. You... With a father who turned his back on me when I was so close to attaining my dreams. You... Stained with the blood of a father who made my family be looked at as freaks... Like they could turn into monsters at any moment and lash out. For what your family has done to mine... I knew what I needed to do. I struck, with a party of my friends, brought back from the grave as I promised I would... I struck. The first attack failed, but I inflicted serious enough wounds on your father, and I was coming back...
It seems that I underestimated him, seeing as you stand here now. The second attack, he was not so fortunate. So here's the truth, Caius... I struck down your father, your mother, your brother... Your family. Your father may have sent you off with a couple of hicks to leave Insomnia... But you were never going to escape me forever. I-"
A gunshot would ring out across the room, and the man would look down to see blood starting to fall from a wound shortly before he would heal it with a dark aura sealing around the wound. His tone became deathly calm again, as he looked up to see his aggressor. His tone when he spoke was casual, hiding the rage that had been clear before.
"Did you just shoot me?"
Caius was already reloading the chamber on the gundagger he'd used earlier. His expression had remained cold and emotion-free throughout this. Whether he felt nothing for what the man said, or if he was shouldering his burdens in silence... It was hard to tell.
"You left yourself open."
"Ah... Very well, then. Let me make something clear, boy... I will not stop until your entire family has perished. You are the last... And are the last target on my list. And once I am through with you... Well, my goal doesn't change. Make everyone understand... And once they see me for who I am, I will grant them everything they have ever desired. These demons... They are my key to bringing back life. And I will be their god for bringing them their deepest desires."
Snapping his fingers, the cages would begin to break open. Demons would begin to pool into the room from the cages above and begin to close in on Caius and Celes. Caius would switch to Lonoaw, looking toward Celes.
"I'll cover you long enough for you to start firing. Same as before."
"Ah, ah, ah... Caius, you didn't let me finish" The man, Cortez, would speak out. "I asked you before if you would ever wish to bring back your family... You never answered my question. How would you like to be reunited with them? What if I told you... That I already arranged for that?"
The man would wave the artifact again, and another ball of light would come from it, falling to the ground before an armored figure would rise. Unlike the others, they looked more human. Almost completely, even.... All except for what looked to be a black goop that covered the left half of his entire body, from head to toe. What was clear was his resemblance to Caius, down to the facial features, the long, blonde hair... But his eyes had no pupils, and he walked as though he dragged chains on his feet. There was no life left in him... This body, this soul... It was only a puppet.
"I decided that before you took your bows, Caius... That I would do you a favor and let you spend some brotherly bonding time with your older brother. You remember him, right? No? Ah... A pity. That expressionless gaze of yours tells me that you don't recognize him. But you can certainly recognize that resemblance, can't you? Please try to do that, at least... After all of the time that I have spent making sure he was perfect just for you! He is one of my favorite generals, after all... He'll serve me well when I make my conquest... As will you, when the time comes.
But ah! I shan't keep you from spending time with your brother after all these years! So please, don't stop on my account! Do as you like... Though Sir Elvioas Dragelion may be a little confused..."
Cortez would lean down to place a hand on the shoulder of Elvioas as he pointed toward Caius and Celes.
"My dear friend... I have told you for years that I would find the ones who killed your baby brother. It's them. See the ones I am pointing at? Yes... Them, my friend. They killed your little Caius. So I'll let you have at that... Allow you to get acquainted."
The undead form would let out a blood-curdling cry as he would charge forward toward Caius and Celes... Caius keeping his expression stone as he prepared for battle. But what in the world was going on in his head right now?
Final Fantasy VI
22
YEARS
Female
Complicated
Heterosexual
429 POSTS
Fin
Use your own eyes and see for yourself whose side I'm on!
Use your own eyes, and see for yourself which side I'm on.
Celes had no idea what was happening.
The two men were talking like she wasn’t even there, going on about history and families and some kind of betrayal that sounded vaguely dark? Honestly, Celes couldn’t follow it, and after a moment, she became far more interested in the terrible, vaguely human creatures around them than in anything they were saying. She only stiffened when she heard her name, but that was temporary as her eyebrows raised incredulously.
”I honestly couldn’t care less who he is,” she said, eyeing him in disbelief. ”I have no idea what you’re talking about and we’re really not that close. He only shielded me from that fall after he pushed me off a cliff so. I’m not particularly fond of him right now.”
Still, they went on. Celes had never heard anyone drone on as much as this so-called necromancer, and honestly Celes only let him continue because his words seemed to matter to Caius. It was only when the man started in about the entire history of his family that Celes leaned into Caius and muttered, ”Can we kill him yet?” The old man kept going without hearing her so she added, ”He’s completely distracted. I doubt he’d even notice!”
Apparently it had some meaning to Caius though because he let the necromancer go on. And on. Celes eyed the make of the cages, wondering if she could kill the wretched things with magic so they wouldn’t have to fight them. From what she overheard, she guessed that this man had some kind of vengeance against Caius’ family? And that he’d tried to kill some King because of it? Celes didn’t really know nor care what it all meant, though it struck her as odd that the man had bothered to bring her into this at all. What was she supposed to be scandalized about? That his family had wronged another family that was dabbling in dark arts?
Celes stood by her original statement. She really couldn’t have cared less.
Finally, a gunshot put a merciful end to the man’s speech. The old man seemed somehow surprised to see a gun aimed in his direction. Celes only wondered why it had taken so long. ”You left yourself open,” Caius said, and Celes nearly laughed at the most obvious thing she’d ever heard.
”You think?” she said before sliding into position behind him. ”Can we kill him now? Before he starts talking again?” The fact that a bullet had barely phased him didn’t bother her. She’d seen plenty of monsters and men shrug off bolts from Edgar’s crossbow like it was nothing. ”Do you think magic or a sword would work better? Let’s try both at once. I’d rather not waste time.”
Still, the man continued. He even had the sheer gall to chastise them for interrupting! Celes quietly seethed behind Caius as she contemplated just ending it without him. ”Does he think he’s on a stage?” Celes pretended to mutter, but called out quite clearly over the man’s words. ”We’re here to kill him and he’s playing like an actor!”
The dark mage called forth some kind of chilling magic (why hadn’t they just attacked him before he’d had the chance?) and brought up something else from a pool of shadows on the ground. As it rose, Celes saw a vaguely humanoid shape, something different from the dry husks outside. No, this creature (this corpse?) dripped with something black and wet and altogether vile. Celes shivered, staring at the thing, and it stared back with its dead-eyed, human face half consumed by pulsing black. Despite her own frustrations, Celes didn't want to go anywhere near it.
There was a snap and the cages opened. Celes shook her head, trying to bite back that terrible sense of unease before she shoved her hands together and started on a spell. She left the corrupted one for Caius and aimed her wrath instead on the dark mage behind him. Her spell came quickly in a fierce cry.”Blizzaga!” The air chilled so thoroughly that Celes could barely suppress a shiver even as the same magic pulsed through her blood. Half of a glacier shot around the mage's feet and then encased him in a block of ice that shattered around him like glass.
With that done, Celes pulled her sword to help with the dark creatures if needed and to protect against any magic the dark mage might throw. If he was truly reliant on spells and monsters then she doubted he’d come charging in with a blade drawn. Then again, if he summoned any more of them, she’d need to use her magic just to reach him.
”How are you doing, Caius? Because I’m more than ready to kill him!”
