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year 5, quarter 3
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Use your own eyes, and see for yourself which side I'm on.
Caius grinned at her. ”Cel, what fun is it without a bit of challenge?"
”Cel?” She couldn’t help a startled laugh. ”Since when have you called me that?”
Caius lifted the map, studying it carefully. Celes let her hip drop to the side as she waited, gaze drifting to the emperor. The man was too busy watching Caius to notice her, and Celes’ eyes narrowed as she questioned why. Did he have someone in mind for him? Had he noticed something that Celes had missed? What was he-?
”Aaaah....”
Celes glanced at the sound in alarm, blinking twice as she spotted a tiny, reptilian head thrusting itself from Caius’ jacket. It opened its mouth, head rearing back. Celes’ eyes widened. She realized what was about to happen only a second before it did.
”Shell!” She thrust out her hand, directing it towards the emperor rather than herself as she ducked to the side, rolling in the snow as the fireball hit where she’d been standing only moments before. The heat seared past her up upper arm, but she’d already dodged its main trajectory and righted herself on the ice, kneeling there with her hands on the ground.
Had the dragon just sneezed?
Apparently the emperor’s reflexes were honed enough to dodge, at least. He raised himself up again, robes entirely packed with snow. He stood, eyes scanning for the fire’s source. They caught on Vordun and narrowed.
”If one wants to own a pet, it's best if the person knows how to tame their beast." His laugh was harsh and disbelieving. ”If you'll muzzle the creature, we shall be on our way.”
Celes couldn’t help an incredulous stare. Somehow, miraculously, she agreed with him about something.
”No. No, we need to sort this out right now. Between the two of you, I swear! It’s like babysitting children!”
She shot the emperor a sharp look. ”You need to get your attitude under control. I know I’m not exactly the easiest to get along with, but once we’re on that path we’ll all need to work together without a second’s hesitation and certainly without your little quips. Don’t forget we’re doing you a favor bringing you along with us. Somehow I doubt you’ve ever braved anything as harsh as those slopes, and it’s not just monsters up there. We know how to survive so it’s best that you don’t drive us up a wall.”
”And you!” She rounded on Caius. ”That dragon could have just burned both of us before we’ve even started! I let it slide because I trust you, but wasn’t there anyone you could have left him with? Can that dragon even survive in this weather? We could be up there for days and it’s already sick! Surely you could have left instructions for someone and let them watch him until we got back!”
Celes let out a short breath, her nostrils flaring. The fire in her hands had extinguished as soon as she’d cast her spell so there was nothing to stop her from snatching the map away and taking the lead. ”He is right about one thing though.” Celes shot Caius a pointed look as she turned towards the mountain. ”If Vordun’s going to be a danger, you’ll have to muzzle him somehow. I don’t want any of us worrying about a stray fireball when we’re trying not to freeze to death.”
She held the map out in front of her, taking only a moment to identify their chosen path before she started ahead, her blood still hot from irritation and the thrill of dodging fire. ”Well, if we’re all so eager to get going then let’s not waste any more time. God knows we’ve wasted enough already.”
You know, originally Caius felt bad that Vordun had nearly fried Mateus. He had felt bad of course about Celes, but Mateus? The minute the lout opened his mouth, Caius' head darted in his direction faster than a speeding bullet when he dared speak ill of his little Vordun. Caius stared, stared hard at him, stared as if he were staring deep into his soul.
"I was thinking the same thing" Caius responded coldly. "Muzzling the "creature" amongst us sounds like a great idea. Seeing as we're short a muzzle though... I'll kindly ask you to shut your pompous trap and soon."
Celes would step in before things would escalate. When she turned to him and began to lambast him for bringing Vordun, he just stared at her throughout it. Not with the same cold glare he'd greeted Mateus with, she'd earned his patience. Once she finished, he would allow himself to take a deep breath, bringing himself back down to a calm before responding.
"If I did, he wouldn't be here" Caius spoke bluntly. "There are only two people I'd trust with him. One of them is standing in front of me. The other is AWOL, as you already know" He would elaborate. While Vordun had been able to adjust fine to staying inside Caius' jacket even during combat, something he'd made Celes aware of already, if he had a means of keeping him somewhere more safe before a job he obviously would have. Caius wondered how Celes could come to a conclusion that he hadn't made an attempt - she knew full well how much he doted on the dragon.
"And no, he's not sick. But by research, Vordun's body is naturally hot... Not that I need research to tell you that considering I can literally feel it. But this has been a common thing regardless of the weather" He would reveal. "I think he has a sensitive nose. I doubt the temperature has much to do with it. I've been getting used to the outbursts, and I've been teaching him to poke his head out when his nose itches, so as not to fry me. While he's proven to be a very quick learner, there just hasn't been an opportunity to teach him to avoid other people as well."
He mulled it over a bit as he let Celes take the map and gave Vordun a pat on the head to calm him down. He'd do what he could to ensure there wasn't anymore incidents, but as with everything, it was a work in progress. His anger had already simmered down, and he didn't say anything more for the time being, allowing her to take the lead.
"I've been wondering if I can use the sneezing as a means to transition into teaching Vordun control of that fire though" He would admit. He left it at that. There was no need to speak much more on it, Caius had made it very clear that he was actively planning around every obstacle that came with Vordun's presence. Something that he'd told her he would do in the first place. But for now, they needed to focus on the task at hand. If that lout could keep his mouth shut, they'd be able to get moving and help those people. Though a job like this needing three people... Caius had a feeling there was more to it than what was being said.
Who did this boy think he was? First, he had an attitude with Mateus since the first moment they had met, next his dragon had almost sent him up in an inferno, and now he had the audacity to think Mateus was the one who needed to stop talking. His fingers crackled with the hum of electricity as his anger multiplied. The dragon could use a master who knew what he was doing or at the least would be able to tame it. He had done so with the Behemoth of the Coliseum why not a simple dragon. Still before he could do anything the girl stepped in to chastise the both of them, the crackling coming to a complete stop.
Mateus bit his tongue as Celes decided he was the one who needed told down. From past experience, he knew that trying to argue with the woman would be like trying to argue with a stone wall. She was dense to simple reasoning as had been seen by her reaction to him in the cabin, but she did know her way around a sword and magic as evidenced by fighting the yeti. He simply huffed and walked away from her as she rounded on her ally to yell at him a smile creeping on his face where they could not see it. Good, he needed reprimanded.
Mateus simply nodded as Celes suggested they continue on moving towards the trail in time. He flanked to the right of Celes as they walked trying to keep away from the man and his pet. He walked in silence for some time his temper still stewing inside of him. How fate could be so cruel to him to make him journey across this accursed mountain with her again was something else. To add an even worse tempered companion was just cruel. Still, the howling of the wind was an awful sound to hear for it only made him think of the chill in the air.
Matt side glanced at Celes, "So," he started trying to think of anything to occupy his time other than the weather, "If you'll permit me to speak," he almost spat, the words drowning in sarcasm, "Where did you acquire your companion? I doubt you've been back here since last we were here, for I have not. Perhaps you were more cordial to him than you were to me." He laughed to himself as the wind began to pick up again. She had seemed so solitary and unsociable, how she managed to conjole someone else to her side was a mystery Mateus wanted the answer to.
Still as he spoke, a new noise joined the air. It wasn't just the howling of the wind anymore. The cry of a wolf stopped him in his tracks and he turned to see where the noise had come from. A white wolf seemed to have been stalking them as close as it was to the trio it's eyes blazing golden. Mateus took a step back at first waiting for the others to take care of the thing for him. Then the idea popped into his head. This would be the perfect opportunity to try out his power granted to him by the crystal. Perhaps, now the other two would see just who they were traveling with.
Mateus stepped forward towards the incoming wolf raising his hand as if to say halt. He closed his eyes and concentrated on the tingling as the crackling began anew in his hand. He breathed deeply allowing the energy to multiply until his hand was wrapped in the tingling warmth of light. He opened his eyes willing the bolt from his hand. The stream of lightning struck the beast soundly and it twitched and yelped in pain. Mateus squeezed his fist with one final burst of lightning as the wolf fell to its side. The crackling of energy and the muscles still twitching from the electricity were all that was left of the wolf.
"Now then," he began waving the magic from his hand as it tingled with warmth, "I believe you were about to entertain me with a story?" He smiled mischievously at Celes as he began to walk down the trail. IF there were more wolves he'd let them take care of the rest. He had hopefully proven his point.
Use your own eyes, and see for yourself which side I'm on.
Celes’ stomach turned with guilt at Caius’ rebuttals, but there wasn’t time to get into it now. As it was, Caius wasn’t wrong exactly and she certainly didn’t want to fight with him, but the facts of the matter couldn’t be denied. He’d acted carelessly, and Celes refused to abide by that even in someone she trusted. Especially in someone she trusted, in fact. Caius had nearly gotten them both burned, and if she hadn’t acted as quickly as she had, it could have been serious. No matter what his intentions, no matter what the situation, she’d needed to pound reality into his head.
But of course he hadn’t seen that. Perhaps she shouldn’t have spoken so sharply with him. Even as they started up the mountain, she couldn’t help but bite her lip at the thought of it. There went her bladed tongue again. The adrenaline had influenced her, she supposed. The sheer life or death instinct of it all. She’d never done well at keeping her temper in check.
She’d have to apologize to him. The urge welled inside her just as strongly as the shame that kept her away. Instead, she kept her eyes to the path. In this weather, one moment’s distraction could mean straying from the path entirely which could end in death or at least a detour they couldn’t afford. She tried to keep her focus ahead, but still, she couldn’t help the thoughts that echoed in circles through her head.
Had she been too harsh? What did he think of her now? Why hadn’t she given him the benefit of the doubt? Had she upset him? Had she-?
”So."
The word came so suddenly that Celes jumped. When had the emperor approached her? From his casual stance, he likely hadn’t been subtle. She'd lost her focus.
"If you'll permit me to speak, where did you acquire your companion?"
Celes felt herself bristle. There wasn’t anything substantially wrong with what he said, but rather how he said it. He’d lingered on the first part, nearly spitting it like a snake. Then there was that implication that she hadn’t been “cordial” and his laugh. Celes tensed, eyes flaring, before she took a long breath and tried to let it go. If she was going to lecture him on the importance of keeping the peace then she’d be a hypocrite to break it herself. Even if he deserved every word that waited on the tip of her tongue.
Before she could think of a neutral answer, they were stalled by a familiar noise that came far too close. Celes spun around on her heel to face snarling beside them. Celes could have laughed at it. Just a wolf. She glanced to Caius, nodded, and unsheathed her sword. She didn’t need to say any more.
But before she could make her move, the emperor had stepped forward. Celes stared at him incredulously, gaping at his arrogant stride. ”What are you-? Get back!” She shot Caius another look before cursing and sheathing her sword again, grabbing at the emperor and hoping Caius would take care of the wolf before things got ugly. It was only then that she noticed the man’s outstretched hand or the sudden static in the air.
Was that…magic?
It didn’t come quickly and it didn’t come easily but it came nonetheless -- buzzing around his hand until it formed a ball of light. The emperor’s expression hardened and the power shot from his hand, piercing through the wolf with an electric snap. The wolf convulsed with power, sparking and twitching, until it finally gave its last whine and slumped to the side. Celes stared at it. Then she stared at him.
For a moment, the emperor just stood, a look of self-satisfaction on his face before he shook the magic from his hand. ”Now then, I believe you were about to entertain me with a story?”
Celes gaped at him. For several long seconds she could do nothing else. Then her mind caught up to her and her gaze turned incredulous. ”Since when could you do that?” She rounded on him again, all notions of keeping the peace gone. This needed to be dealt with and needed to be dealt with now.
”Do you think this is a game? Why didn’t you tell us you could protect yourself? If we’re working together that’s something you might have thought to bring up!”
More words flared within her, but she muffled them with nothing but sheer willpower alone. No, all the chiding in the world wouldn’t get through to him. The man seemed legitimately incapable of realizing his own mistakes. Instead she let out a short breath through her nose and brought her anger to a simmer.
”What can you do? If we’re going to continue then we should know. Fighting is nothing but teamwork, and we’ll just make mistakes if we’re in the dark. I can cast spells, manage a sword, and absorb magic. And he.” She gestured to Caius. ”Can warp through space and infuse elements into his blade.”
She shot the emperor a sharp look, head tilted slightly. ”So what about you? We don’t need any surprises when our lives are on the line.”
The truth of the matter was that nobody was kicking Caius more than Caius. He knew he had done wrong. He knew that, even if the circumstances were ones very little in his control, he had almost hurt Celes. He had almost injured Celes. And he couldn't stand that fact. Caius hadn't really said it, but he cared about Celes. Celes was his partner, and the one person that he trusted more than anyone else. She was the one person he could truly say he was close with. She had become more to him than even his comrades back at home had been, and he would be absolutely lost without her. He didn't know what he would do without Celes. Knowing he'd almost caused her to be hurt? That ached at him, it bothered him at every moment since.
But all he could really do was just continue to mull on what he could do in future to make sure this didn't happen again. He could give all the apologies in the world, it wouldn't make it any better. Caius remained quiet as they continued on, just content to keep his silence and not disturb her any further. Even if apologies would do nothing, he wanted to at least try just once. It felt like the right thing to do. But before he could say anything, the "Emperor" spoke out.
At first when he spoke, he had thought he was addressing him and asking about Vordun. But when he turned his head to look, he realized he was addressing Celes. Not saying a word, Caius kept his stone-faced silence as he kept walking. At least, until they were greeted by the appearance of a wolf. The wolf looked older, more experienced... Possibly an alpha. The moment Caius heard and sensed it's movements, his blade had already appeared in his hands as he waited for it to strike. It had let out a cry then as it approached and Caius turned to approach it, waiting patiently. His expression remained stone-faced, not looking at Celes, not looking at the lout, just staying fixed on the opponent. While he remained still, every muscle was twitching ever so slightly, aching for the moment they struck out.
The moment didn't come. Caius lower his hand when he noticed the magic crackling from the lout. Before long, the wolf was dead, slower and with more suffering than Caius would have liked but it was done. That figured, he supposed. Looks like the lout was lying about his inability in combat to Celes before. That figured too.
Caius kept walking, at least until he realized Celes had stopped. Not bothering to chide the man further, as Caius had already suggested they put a muzzle on him, he would find a nice rock to sit down on and let Vordun out to explore the snow a bit. Knowing Celes, this could be awhile. He was listening, of course, ever aware of his surroundings. And Celes was right, they needed to know what the man was capable of to help with strategy. But Caius knew Celes could handle this, there was no need for him to interject. He trusted Celes. He kept watch with one eye though, wary of if Mateus would respond with violence. If he did, Caius would not hesitate to strike him down to protect Celes.
In the meantime, Caius watched as Vordun rolled around in the snow, clearly getting his first true taste of the white stuff as he would roll around and try to eat the snowflakes.
Mateus had taken all of ten steps when Celes began to yell once more. He had just finished saving their lives, what did she have to be angry about now. He stopped but didn't turn as she asked him if this was all just a game to him. He scoffed at the accusation before finally turning to her, "You were the one who claimed I was only going 'to hide' from adversaries, not I," he stated unfurling his hand in disinterest. He might as well give her the full story seeing as she would probably demand it out of him otherwise, and he was so looking forward to finding somewhere a little warmer.
"It might alleviate your fears to know this power is just recently obtained. Perchance you may have saw when the sky was lit with the blue light from the tower?" Mateus questioned stepping closer to her so she could hear him over the wind and looking into her eyes to show he would not back down so easily. There was no reason to bring up why and what had actual brought him to the World Sight, and he doubted Celes was one to care of the deeds of gods. "I heeded its call and claimed the reward for my pursuit simply put." Mateus felt like that should suffice for an answer but something tugged in his chest. He needed to know; he needed to ask to help with the nagging guilt.
"I," he began his voice faltering for the first time in her presence. Mateus tried to think of the words his eyes suddenly unable to look into Celes' for the moment. He took a reassuring deep breath before looking back at her, "Have you by chance crossed paths with a young maiden of long blue hair? Yeul, the Seeress? She was my companion during our time in the tower. We." he stopped again as the pang hit him again and he grunted. It was like the feeling of food not agreeing with his stomach as he thought of her disappearing into the light. "Our paths were diverged suddenly and forcefully. If not you, your companion perhaps?" Mateus glanced over to the man playing with his dragon as if it were a plaything and not a weapon. Matt felt the knot in his stomach lessen. He'd asked and that was all he could do.
"Still, every minute we waste with this prattle is one more minute we don't have answers or a cure, so let me be quick. I can heal moderate wounds with the magic we found last we were here, and now I have some of my old magic back. Any further questions or can we desist with this interrogation?" Mateus gave her a self pleased smile before turning round again and walking. He wished that he could completely dispel the feeling inside of him which felt worse than the cold.
Use your own eyes, and see for yourself which side I'm on.
’Bullshit!’
She wanted to spit it right in his smug face. The word nearly burst from her with the force of her will, but she muffled it despite every instinct screaming otherwise. Here he was, blaming her for not assuming he’d somehow learned magic between then and now! As though she could have intuitively read his mind!
’Bullshit!’ she wanted to yell. ’You smarmy, arrogant, son of a-!’
She took a long, deep breath. ”That changes. Nothing.” God, the words were hard. How was she supposed to stand here and act reasonable in the face of such a delusional ego? What would he do if they left him in the mountains right then? Then he’d realize just how clueless he really was. ”We’re working. Together. If something had changed, you should have told us. I don’t know if you’ve ever worked with someone before, but you can’t just shove people out of the way and try to make some statement. It was only wolves this time, but next time? You could get us all killed.”
She steadied herself. Where had she summoned that patience? He went on to ask about some girl -- some Seeress -- she’d never heard of, and she hummed a negative on the matter. He told her he was apparently a mage now. Excellent. That was all she needed to know.
”We’ll plan a formation then. Caius in front, you in back. Don’t go thrusting yourself into danger, but try to support us how you can. I’ll switch between.” Celes shoved a handful of hair behind her bandanna. The two of them would split her head with a migraine before too long.
’Breathe, Celes. Remember to breathe.’
With that said, she waited for Caius’ lead and started off only slightly behind him. At this altitude, the mountain was far more treacherous than it had been on her last hike through snow-laden paths, and secretly, she thanked everything she had that Caius had come along with her. The air was biting -- almost painful even for her. She kept casting fire spells on herself just to keep the chill at bay, holding it in her hands and in her blood like torchlight. The wind howled around them, tussling snow across the path in drifting banks. She kept her focus on the map. If they lost the path, they could very well die of exposure.
Still, the time alone gave her time to think. Not that that was necessarily a good thing. Left to herself, she ruminated on her last conversations in endless circles. After several hours of walking and fighting, she rubbed at her arms and glanced at Caius. ”I’m...sorry. If I was a little sharp before. My patience is spread a little thin, I guess.” She shot him a wry smirk. ”Not the best company.”
She glanced behind at her at where the emperor still struggled to keep up. He’d been muttering unpleasantly under his breath the whole time, and she’d wondered more than once if he’d simply keel over from the strain of their hike.
”I know he hasn’t done anything wrong exactly, but…” She bit her tongue. ”I guess his type tends to rub me the wrong way. I’m not really a fan of emperors no matter what shape they take, and someone like him…” She let out a short huff of air. ”Well. I can’t stand people who think they’re better than the rest of us.”
The air was starting to thin at this altitude. She felt it spin in her head though she doubted it was dangerous. Not yet anyway. They walked a narrow, unstable precipice with a cliff looming over then on one side and another dropping sharply to the other. In the distance, she could make out the shapes of other mountain peaks, and beyond that, snow-covered valleys twinkling in the waning sunlight. It was beautiful in its own way. She could have lost herself in it.
”Caius?” She looked off, thoughtful. ”It’s been a rough ride between us. I know that. But. I guess I’m glad that I’m here with you. I’m not usually comfortable around people, but…” What was she saying? Her head swam with the thinning air. Her ears hummed with a crackling of whine. Had she misjudged the effects? But no. She didn’t feel any less steady. Celes looked up into the mountains, frowning, and then she stopped, eyes wide in realization.
”Are those...wind chimes?”
They were, or at least she thought so. The sound reached them in light notes carried on the wind. Celes looked to Caius intently. ”That’s them! It has to be. We’re almost there!” Celes felt herself brighten into a smile. ”Well? Lead the way!”
Celes continued to go back and forth in her interrogation of the lout, and Caius continued to silently watch as Vordun would dart around in the snow. The small dragon seemed unbothered by the cold fluffy stuff, darting about and trying to pounce into it. The smallest of smiles spread across Caius' face at the showing. Of course he kept an ear to what was going on between the drama queens, silently forming plans and scenarios in his head to accommodate for Mr. Grinch's sudden inheritance of magic. Celes would call to him to be part of a formation, where he would be taking front. "Mm" He responded curtly in affirmative, picking up Vordun who appeared to have tired himself out for now in all of his excitement, allowing the dragon to snuggle back into his jacket for what would probably be a lizard nap.
But Mateus had asked about something that had indeed perked Caius' interest before. He asked about Yeul, the seeress. Someone that Caius was indeed familiar with. It appeared that she was his... Companion for a little while? How did she have the patience? He supposed it was no surprise. Yeul had the patience of a saint. The girl pretty much was a saint, in hindsight. She'd put up with those pigheaded, bullying mercenaries until Caius had put them in their place with his impromptu "Have any of you ever actually fought a dragon?" lecture. He supposed she could put up with him too. Caius considered whether he should say anything as he would make his way back to the group. Yeul was an innocent girl, who deserved far better than to be around a shady character like Mateus. Would entrusting anything on her to him be safe for her?
Caius needed a bit more time to think about it.
Taking his position up front as the group continued to move, Caius would tighten his jacket a little to keep himself and Vordun warm, gazing back at Celes here and there to ensure that she was still there and that he was keeping pace with her. It was a bit awkward with her holding the map and him taking front. So he had to primarily rely on her footsteps for direction, but he couldn't help but confirm her presence as well. It gave him a bit of comfort.
Caius had begun to continue considering a few things. Strategies if they were attacked, dealing with the lout most likely breaking formation if they were attacked... And if he should speak of Yeul. But he would be woken from his thoughts by Celes, who had spoken up. Turning his head to look at her, he was a bit surprised she was apologizing. He had been the one to do wrong, right? He didn't understand why she was apologizing, but it seemed she regretted being as sharp as she had been. Caius took a deep breath, unsure of what to say at first but eventually deciding to just stick to his gut. He nodded his head, then.
"I'm sorry too."
It wasn't inspirational, it was kind of blunt, but it was soft and spoken with sincerity. The last thing he wanted was to hurt Celes. He listened on as she would talk about her irritation about people like Mateus. Well, that probably meant the two of them weren't getting married anytime soon. Caius almost felt relieved. Whether due to that meaning there was less possibility of him having to fight without her in the future, or just no longer having to imagine the trainwreck of the two of them in marital bliss... Eh, he wasn't sure.
But when she spoke up again, her next words took Caius by surprise. For a bit, he was speechless. Celes just... Didn't seem like the type to get this kind of sentimental. He didn't know whether to fear for her well being or feel honored, though he did look her up and down a moment to ensure she wasn't dying of some kind of stab wound he hadn't noticed before. But he knew she meant it. Letting out another exhale, he tried to break his silence with... Something. But the words weren't coming. He felt like something was bothering her. Something about him was bothering her. He didn't know what, but it was just the gut feeling he had, and he didn't want that. He wasn't great at this sort of thing... Any of it. But when he did find something, he stopped. He turned his heel and turned to face her with a blank expression. He stared her dead in the eyes, as he seemed to find what was clawing at the edges of his mind.
"There isn't a soul I would rather have at my side in battle."
It wasn't a word for word recitation, but they were similar to the words that Caius had told Celes when they had first formed the Dragonblades. But the words that came after, they were new. Yet they were honest. And before he spoke them, a smile finally cracked across his face.
"You are irreplaceable. And always will be."
It wasn't the best worded response of the year, Caius probably wasn't capable of that right now. But he spoke from his heart, as short as it was. Celes was... Celes was...
That, he didn't know how to word yet. But "irreplaceable" was definitely one of those terms on mind.
It was his way of affirming that he was glad to have her with him. On this job, and in general. She was his most trusted person. He could rely on her, no matter what. That meant the world to him. Things had been rough, sure... But they got through it. It was easier when it was with someone you trusted.
Turning then to look at Mateus, he seemed to decide that by his tone earlier, he likely meant the girl no harm.
"I've met Yeul once or twice" Caius would admit to him. "Very sweet girl. Very innocent. We worked together for a time, though I haven't seen her as of late. I'm glad she's well. She's the reason I didn't have to bring harm to a beast I had no desire to do so to, so I have reason to thank her next I see her."
And if Mateus dared harm her and he found out, he would kill him.
The chiming sounds caught his attention, and Celes would confirm they were wind chimes. At her urging to lead the way, he nodded his head as he would begin to make his way to the source of the sounds, hoping they would lead to their goal. The noise had woken Vordun up, as Caius could feel him shifting about.
Mateus just couldn't believe this woman was never satisfied with anything. He had gone out of the way to demonstrate his power and rid them of a threat and she still found a way to be indignant about it. His face remained stoic as she continued to chastise him even as his anger and annoyance bubbled beneath his cold smirk. She had all the strength and drive of a general that was for sure, but who would have promoted such a hot headed person was beyond him. Not ever leader could be as smart as he at picking out an army.
"Fine the back then," he waved her off dismissivly taking his place behind her. "A fitting place for a parade, but I guess I'll just wait here to be picked off from anything behind us," he muttered staring daggers into Celes back as they began their climb once more. Mateus muttered on and off the entire time they traveled. One, it kept his mind from numbing over from the cold too as he trudged through the snow and gale, and the other it kept his anger in check in the form of words. Where had acting out on his anger led him thus far?
Lost in his own tantrum, Mateus almost ran into Celes when she stopped. He could hear it too, the sickeningly sweet ring of hundreds of little chimes. Mateus mood soured even more; he hate wind chimes the way the jingled and garbled in cacophony. "That's odd," he started to himself as looked for a source to the jarring sound, "Why would one place these instruments of dissonance in a place of perpetual wind? Come on, I can't stand the noise." Mateus broke formation not being able to listen to the noise for much longer. It wasn't far from the others the he found the source of the noise.
The chimes hung from the entrance to a cave leading deep within the mountain. Mateus tied the strings together to stop the noise from burrowing into his mind even further. Sighing in relief, Mateus began to make his way back to the two stalwarts when he felt a presence behind. His fingers lit with electricity as he turned to see a cloaked figure in what looked like a burlap sap. He couldn't see a face, but it just stood there menacingly until it beckoned them come, turned and walked back into the mountain. "Thanks to my perceptiveness, it seems we've found our village. What was the flanking, your two first? Let's go then."
Use your own eyes, and see for yourself which side I'm on.
"You are irreplaceable. And always will be."
”Eh?” She froze, rooted to the spot and staring at him. What did that mean? Surely nothing more than he’d said. And yet had she ever heard those words before? Certainly not. Not in her job, not in the resistance, not even from Locke who’d seemed more than happy to use her as the replacement. ’You are irreplaceable.’ She felt blood rush to her cheeks. Felt her eyes divert away from him.
Caius was…
He was…
”Let’s get going.” The words tripped over themselves faster than her boots did scurrying ahead. Her head spun with the thinning air. That must have been it. The altitude had left her thoughtless and silly. Stupid. She’d been stupid to say anything at all. Their goal was already in sight, and here she was babbling about something as foolish as who she felt comfortable around. She didn’t care to watch her footing as she sped forward.
What had he meant? ‘Irreplaceable?’
The wind chimes led to entrance of a mountain cave. The change of scenery shocked her out of her thoughts, and she stepped inside carefully. A cave meant many things -- a shelter from the wind, a promising path, and a den for wild beasts most prominently. ”Stay on guard,” she said. ”I’ve never seen a cave that isn’t packed to the brim with monsters.”
And yet it wasn’t a monster they found first, but a man. It was the emperor who noticed him, and she noticed his lack of footsteps. By the time she turned around, she only caught a vague human figure before it had disappeared around a bend. Celes frowned. Could it be a villager or something worse? Either way, the emperor was quick to take credit for his accomplishment.
Celes bit her tongue. His discovery was nothing more than natural when he was watching their back. Still, he had a point. ”Very perceptive,” she agreed. ”Make sure to keep an eye out so nothing else catches us from behind.”
And who said she couldn’t give credit when credit was due?
They marched forward in their usual formation, and though Celes kept herself at the ready, they weren’t bothered despite her expectations. The cave came silent, and the tapping of her boots on the stone floor unnerved her. It was too silent. Too peaceful, and her instincts blared against it. Despite the harsh conditions outside, no monster had taken root here. Or if they had, they hadn’t lasted long.
Even following the figure was simpler than expected. The path he’d taken had no forks and no divergences. Wind chimes continued to echo through the halls though she could feel no wind. It sent a prickle down her spine that had nothing to do with the cold. Who were these people?
Just as Celes was about to suggest that they prepare themselves for a fight, the passage opened up, and Celes couldn’t help but stop, eyes widening in wonder. Before her was an atrium carved out of stone. The ceiling arched at least five stories high, and the width came far larger. To their right was a set of carved stone stairs leading to a thick collection of stone huts and tents made from furs and tanned monster skins. Smoke rose from fires all about that vented through a tall opening on the opposite side. Through the cave’s other mouth, the mountains spread out beneath them in a vast, white sea. There was no path on the other end. On that side, it dropped to a sheer cliff face.
”Oh.” Celes stared at it in wonder. Whatever she’d expected of the village, it hadn’t been this. ”It’s…”Beautiful, she wanted to say. Fascinating.”Here,” she landed on instead. She shook her head and looked to the other two.
”We don’t have much time,” she said. ”We should get the elixir and find a place to stay before nightfall. We’ll leave in the morning. That town needs us.”
