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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.
The demon master had a sword. Against all logic, reason, or previous establishment, he whipped out a sword in time to block her -- a blade which she could only assume he must have pulled directly out of his ass. Not only that, but as she sidestepped him to try once again to swing, he managed some ridiculous maneuver to evade her. Truly, was there a thing he couldn’t do? In fact, Celes was starting to wonder if he was even human. There were few in the world that could match her (at least where she came from) and she wasn’t entirely human herself. Who was this mysterious, incomprehensible man who lurked in caverns instead of pursuing those he apparently expected and who could not only raise countless impossible creatures but also had taken the time to train himself better than a swordswoman who had been practicing the skill since birth?
It felt unfair, really. Unreal and absurd were two stronger words for it. The man couldn’t have been human -- not with speed like that -- though what he was she couldn’t say. What creatures lurked about Caius’ world in such number that they’d run into them here? Was this what had brought Caius’ world to darkness? The coward certainly seemed uncanningly like the man Caius had spoke of in his stories.
And still. The man spoke.
He was taunting her. That was clear enough, so Celes didn’t even deign it with a response. That was what he was looking for, wasn’t it? She didn’t argue whether she should have been paying attention to Caius. Caius could look after himself, after all, and if she’d let herself get distracted they both would have died. He tried to pin all of Caius’ actions on her -- what a laugh -- as though they’d been anything but friendly allies teaming up against monsters! He’d spoken of her repeatedly as though she stood on a pedestal for another man’s story. The idiot. What on earth did he think he’d gain by pretending to know anything about her? Did he think it would shake her somehow? No, all it did was prove to her exactly how fragile the man’s ego truly was.
”Congratulations, Celes. You're the coldest heart in the realm. And one day, you'll realize that when you're alone it will be all because of you."
”I’ve been there. Thanks. Though you would’ve known that about me if you had any idea what you were talking about, wouldn’t you?” Celes shot him with a look as cold as steel as she moved once again to slash open his stomach, but just as quickly as he’d come, he somehow managed to dodge back and gave such a mighty leap that he might have been a bullfrog. Celes staggered back, staring at him in shock.
The man wasn’t human. That was the only explanation for powers so ridiculous.
And at last, Celes was out of options. She couldn’t reach him up there and she couldn’t use her last spell offensively when she had no idea what else could be thrown at them out of nowhere. So she stopped, panting as she glared up at him. Did he have wings now too?
There was screaming behind her. For some reason, Caius was fighting a little girl? When had that happened? She exploded into a pile of inky corruption and Caius knelt beside her remains with tears in his eyes. Was that another undead family member? How many did Caius have and how did this man manage to track them all down and turn them into conveniently portable undead slaves? At this point, the man was toying with Caius so blatantly that Celes could only assume he was getting off on it. The idea did not console her.
Whatever was exchanged between them, it seemed to finally shake Caius. For a moment, he just sat there in shock before straightening himself, shaking in rage. ”I’ll kill you!” He gave a gutteral, murderous scream before throwing himself forward with his sword. Celes stepped back and watched, unable to contribute anything of real importance as she wondered how on earth any of this had happened.
Was she having a dream? It certainly would have felt like it if not for her bleeding arm and stomach. Her wounds pounded now that the adrenaline was wearing off, but then, this wouldn’t be the first time she’d been hurt in a dream. She wondered if she’d wake up cursing any minute now. She hoped Relm wouldn’t take the wrong idea from it.
The demon master seemed even more skilled than Caius with a sword. Somehow. And then Caius summoned fire in his hands like a firaga spell. Celes was fairly certain he’d never learned how to do that, but she was beyond arguing now. Then everything was exploding because that’s what happened when using large sources of flame around delicate oil-driven machinery. Celes raised a hand, casting a quick shell spell around herself as the heat rushed by. There was a flash of light above and a whiff of magic and then the demon master was gone. Just gone.
So he could do magic now too? What kind of demigods was Caius’ world breeding?
In characteristic fashion, the man refused to silence himself even once he was no longer with them. ”You've made one thing clear. You are no threat to me."
Apparently they weren’t. In her own world, Celes had been preparing herself to take on a literal god of magic, and yet she’d hardly been able to land a single blow on a crazy man in a cave. That was something that would leave Celes awake at night for weeks to come, she was certain, but as his voice finally, mercifully faded into an echo, she had to admit that for once she agreed with the man.
They had been completely outmatched. And she doubted even Kefka himself would have been able to do much against a man like him. Well, not until he used his light of judgement at least.
Caius did not look well. In fact, he was shaking and it looked like he might fall over. Celes let out a long breath to steady herself before grasping at the wound on her arm and starting forward to heal him. Then he saw a demon. And lost his mind.
Celes stopped and just stared at him as he cursed repeatedly, smashing the thing into pieces. ”Oh,” was all she could say before she took to healing her own wounds with light cure spells to keep them from bleeding. There wasn’t anything she could do for him until he calmed down, and it looked dangerous to approach him while he was like this. Busying herself while she waited would be just a little less awkward.
Then the demon dissolved like the others and Caius fell to his knees, staring off. Celes hesitated uncertainly before stepping towards him. ”Should we...go?” Celes asked because she didn’t know what else to say. What else was there to say after all of that? ”If you’re hurt, I still have enough magic to help.” She raised a hand towards him cautiously. ”It doesn’t look like there’s anything else to do here.”
I think Celes might have an aneurysm if he doesn't die soon.
Use your own eyes, and see for yourself which side I'm on.
Her progress was impeded. Of course it was. It seemed the man had only one trick, and that trick was to summon all manner of monsters in the way. It was a nuisance more than anything, and Celes found herself loudly cursing with every swing of her sword. These demons were armed. They had some manner of corrupted intelligence but that hardly mattered when they were too slow and stupid to know how to use their own weapons. Still, it cost her time, and at this point, time was not a thing she could forgive wasting.
Because for every second they waited, the man was likely to start talking again.
”Get the girl."
Celes couldn’t even argue that. It was short, concise, to the point, and could she really blame him when she was charging to stab him in the throat? No, this she could understand, and she might have even thanked him if he hadn’t kept going.
"Caius, Caius, why the rush? You're so eager to rush to her side. Are you insinuating that your lady friend can't handle herself on her own?”
”Oh fuck you!” It was all she could manage at a time like this. She cursed his very name as she cut down each and every one of his minions. Swing! Duck! Block! She was swimming in the noxious fumes now and it almost made her cough. But she couldn’t stop now. No, she had a mission.
”Oh, how trite... All this time you haven't thought enough of her to not coddle her so. But don't worry, my lady friend,” the man paused just long enough for Celes to echo, ”Your lady friend?!” in the most scrupulous, exasperated, and enraged tone she’d ever managed in her life.
”I haven't forgotten about you. Celes, he said your name was? Don't think I don't know a thing about you.”
Celes grit her teeth together as he went on. And on. And on even further about having seen her through his monsters. About how they’d traveled together and everything else as though it somehow mattered. As though he had some kind of agenda in all of this, though she couldn’t see it for the life of her. ’Yes, yes! I’ve been waiting for this encounter for months! That’s why I hid away at the bottom of a cave in the middle of nowhere, absolutely certain you’d arrive any minute now!’ She couldn’t help but imagine him pouting at the bottom of a rocky pit, sitting in the dark in expectation of a man who would never come. What would he have done if they hadn’t taken this job? How long had he been waiting here?
”How would you like to live forever, Celes? How would you like to dodge death, just as my friends have?”
She didn’t even have words for that. No, what came out of her mouth more resembled something between a battle cry and a groan. Whatever tattered remains of her patience she’d still had left ignited burnt to nothing in the face of her sheer bloodlust.
She would shut him up. She had to. Because if she didn’t…
”As for you, Caius... I suppose that wasn't much of a reunion.”
”Oh gods not more of this!” Even as one of the swords struck her across the shoulder and sliced into the top of her arm, Celes couldn’t stop her tongue from its righteous tirade. ”Why do you care so much? What are you even doing here? No one knows what you’re on about and I don’t care! Gods, I don’t care! If you’re planning to kill us then just do it already! At this point it would be a mercy!”
He did something more with Caius’ family. Celes didn’t follow it, and she was too engrossed in her own rage to even pay attention. Caius looked struck by whatever he was doing, but at this point, Celes was biting back a collection of well-chosen words to scold him with for letting himself get so distracted.
Her magic was waning. She still had enough for another spell or two, but after that, she’d need an ether or for the man to finally grow a spine and cast something directly. He was the worst type to Celes -- a weak man so swallowed by his own gravitas and ego to care that he was only cowering behind the wills of others.
Another blade slipped past her flesh, her stomach this time. Celes winced and staggered back, but didn’t stop. No, even with the bleeding and the pain, letting herself hesitate would only lead to death. The demons were overpowering in sheer number, and as they swarmed she couldn’t let off another spell without taking another, possibly fatal, hit. Would this be how she died? It was certainly the stupidest death she could imagine, and the one that would most invoke her ire. She’d planned to die by Kefka’s hands, and while that would have a waste, at least she would have fallen with her pride. But this?
No, this was an outcome she couldn’t accept. This coward wasn’t worthy of taking her life.
Celes let out a scream of her rage and downed one then another then another still as she slashed, kicked, and punched her way through the hordes. With the space immediately around her cleared, she leapt back, shoved her hands together, and muttered the quickest spell of her life. ”Blizzaga!” Her spells were a tad repetitive, but gods if they weren’t effective. The weak-willed hordes froze solid and then shattered into thousands of noxious pieces as the gas released again. With that done, Celes wasted no time in charging forward and gaining the ground she’d lost with his distractions.
She had one spell. One spell left of any significant caliber, and she planned to use it. The coward had no power of his own; she was certain of that. If he did, he’d have used it by now instead of hiding behind his little blockade of abominations and blabbering on about Caius’ past.
Her eyes were at a laser focus. Her vision tinted red. She let out another cry as she finally, finally reached him and swung up her sword for the kill. ”Just die already!”
Use your own eyes, and see for yourself which side I'm on.
The woman -- Meliadoul - agreed fairly easily. Their best option was to find the survivors they could and escort them back to the city. It would take time. It would mean a lot of care devoted to the care of these traumatized people, but it would be worth it in the end. Looking away would be the same as striking them down herself. And Celes refused to ever cause such needless strife again.
And then there was a voice.
”Well, well. Seems that I have found the troublemakers.”
A man stood down the road. He had a malicious smile even as he was completely outnumbered and clad only in leather armor. Celes gave a hollow laugh at the absurdity of it all. Contrary to all evidence, this single bandit thought he stood a chance against them? And where had he been this whole time? Sleeping under a tree? Had he not heard his own men dying by the dozens? Had he completely ignored both Celes’ spells and the screams wrought by Meliadoul’s sword?
Killing someone so stupid almost felt unfair.
”Is this really something you want to do? Really?” Celes squared herself in the man’s direction, expression cool and heavily derisive. She hated men like this -- the ones who thought the world of themselves despite their own weakness. ”Do you not see the blood on her sword? Your men are dead. Leave and maybe you can avoid the same fate.”
”If you don’t, I promise this won’t end well for you.” Celes pulled her own sword from its sheathe, readying herself even as she doubted she’d need to. Meliadoul seemed more than capable of handling this alone, and she doubted he’d last long against either of them. Celes had killed wolves more threatening than this man, and hundreds of bandits, thieves, thugs, and soldiers that would have laughed in his face.
No, this last remnant of resistance was but a final obstacle in a job that Celes wished she didn’t have to do. He was a testament to the depths of human stupidity, cruelty, and hubris alike.
Use your own eyes, and see for yourself which side I'm on.
The blade never struck her. Celes couldn’t stop her spells to question as to why -- only that Caius was there in front of her and that some kind of magic had repelled both the sludge man and the imps surrounding them. Celes didn’t have time for relief. She brought her magic forth, ready for release, ready for destruction as Caius shouted her final command and disappeared in a flash of light.
”Blizzaga!” The spell burst from her in an explosion of ice that sucked the very life out of the air around them. Celes stumbled back at the force of her own magic, suppressing a shiver even as her blood cooled. She’d used too much magic. She felt it waning from her by the second, and yet, she had no regrets. The results were truly a marvel to behold. The smaller demons let out a few final cries as they were overcome by hypothermia and fell stiff to the ground. They seemed to dissolve there in death, falling back into the same noxious gas and black sludge that covered the undead monstrosity before them. Said monstrosity struggled against the spell, but ultimate succumbed in a block of ice that left it barely able to move. Caius approached it hesitantly, blade in hand. He looked pained as he finally drove his sword into it, pulling the trigger on his gun, and ending its life. Finally, after what must have been ages, the darkness consumed that man and he collapsed like the others into a polluted puddle.
Celes took a long breath, steadying herself as she started towards Caius. Her sword rested in the middle of that dark puddle, and she reached through the slime to free it, grimacing as it stickied her hands. She wished she had a water spell to clean it, but even then, that would be a waste of magic when she was already running low on power to begin with.
And then the demon master started clapping.
Celes’ jaw clenched at the first “Bravo.” Here they were, having handily wiped out the man’s entire force of monsters, and still he acted like he was on a stage. ’Oh yes! Getting absolutely destroyed by you was only part of my master plan! Once you’ve kicked my ass, it will only be I who has truly won!
"But ah, ah, ah... It's not over yet."
”Oh shut it already!” Celes charged the stage, sword in hand even with how disgusting it was. The man had a staff. He was unlikely to suddenly wield a sword in hand, and even if he pulled a dagger, would that really stand a chance against her? No, put on the spot, he’d have no choice but to use magic, and if he did…
’Just try me!’ She goaded silently. ’You know you want to! Just try casting and you’ll see how cold I can be!’
If he didn’t use magic then she supposed she’d just stab him. Either way worked for her, and as she barreled up the dais the man was standing on, the time to decide was quickly running out.
Use your own eyes, and see for yourself which side I'm on.
”Hm.” Caius seemed desperate to talk about his past. At every prompting she gave, he spilled his secrets to an almost ridiculous degree. It didn’t matter that she’d veiled her own or that her own replies had been somewhat curt in comparison. It didn’t matter that she very much wished to change the conversation. No, Caius steamrolled ahead on his own agenda regardless of conventional social rules or common sense.
It made Celes wonder if he’d ever had someone to share his trauma with. Did he have friends where he came from and were any of them here? How long had he been alone?
Celes looked anywhere but at him -- out at the passing vegetation, perhaps? -- though she couldn't focus. Her leg tapped out a rhythm with her heel as her nails dug into her skin. Don’t think about it. Don’t think about it. Don’t think-
”With the cart... We could be there by the end of the day today, or sometime tonight depending on how smoothly this ride goes.”
Thank whatever gods she didn’t believe in, they were talking about something else!
”Tonight? That’s not terrible.” Her voice sounded hollow. Distracted. It was hard not to when she felt her head spinning.
”Are you experienced with fighting beasts? You fight with man fairly well, but I know myself that beasts are a completely different animal... No pun intended."
”Hm.” It took a few seconds for his words to really reach her, and when they did, she didn’t feel much about them. It was too hard to breathe correctly. ”Oh. Yes. More than men at this point, I’d think. They were everywhere where I came from, and they were absolutely terrible in-”
Terrible where? Celes frowned. She couldn’t remember what she was about to say. Something about magic and cold gunmetal steel.
”In a lot of places. After the catastrophe.” Why did it have to come back to that? Celes let out a slow breath and tried to steady her hand on her thigh but her boot was still tapping. ”They’re different, but a lot more common than men if you don’t have an airship. I can handle myself.”
Use your own eyes, and see for yourself which side I'm on.
The man recoiled at her magic. He winced and stumbled and that was enough for her. She slashed at one of the strange “demons” that swarmed them in droves, driving her sword in to them far easier than the zombies above. She only needed an instant -- just one opening and she’d cast again!
”Caius, how you influence your friends. Or is this one special to you? She would make quite the addition to my collection if she means that much to you. I could preserve her forever, just as I have your brother. And you'd never fear losing her.”
”Excuse me?” Celes stabbed a demon in the chest, wincing as some kind of acidic smoke burst out and she planted her boot in its flesh to wrench her blade free. ”We. Are not. That. Close!” She whipped herself around, pushing back another one behind her with a swing of her sword. The magic in her blood prickled goose bumps at the back of her neck, and the chills that washed over her were more than ready for release. Anything to shut up this self-obsessed moron with his ridiculous claims about her own relationships.
Why was it assumed that she was only a romantic pawn in another man’s story? She’d heard more than enough from him.
Caius crossed blades with the horrifying sludge man as Celes did her best to overcome the hordes. She needed one spell -- just one spell -- to shut that man’s pretentious mouth forever, but there were too many of the little imps to break her way through. She needed someone to cover her if she wanted to use magic, and with Caius otherwise occupied, she didn’t have much of a choice but to force back the swarm the best she could. Still, she kept her runic blade at the ready in case the demon master tried anything. ’Just try to sling your magic at me,’ Celes goaded him quietly. ’I dare you.’
“Celes!”
Celes was halfway through a swing of her sword when she heard Caius’ warning. She knew it instantly for what it was, and without thinking she ducked down, spinning on her heel as she went as she raised her blade in front of her. There was an awful metallic clink as her sword caught the blade of the corrupted abomination before her. Her elbows nearly gave at the force and she stumbled back, wincing half from the force and half from the sight of the creature up close. His one open eye was dead and swelling with black tar. His face was ghastly and veined like a corpse in water and the other half…
The darkness seemed to pulsate as it slowly consumed him.
She didn’t think to call out. No, even off balance, she could handle this alone. Celes brought her blade up instinctively, catching another blow though she was ready for it this time. As soon as their swords connected, she slipped to the side, allowing it to crash painfully into her pauldron as she swung her good arm and thrust the blade through its back up to the hilt. More of that awful noxious gas released, but the creature barely hesitated. No, it hardly seemed to notice as it turned to face her again. Celes’ eyes widened as she pulled at her sword, but it was too entrenched and too slippery with whatever was oozing off of it to get a decent grip. She let it slide from her fingers as she saw that sword coming again, choosing to duck rather than waste the time to retrieve it. She threaded her fingers together as she fell back, already muttering a spell she knew she wouldn’t have time for.
’Caius now!’ She didn’t have the breath for her plea, but she hoped he’d get the message regardless. She needed a distraction, just the briefest of reprieves, and her magic would tear it apart in an instant. Her incantations came as quickly as she could, muttering and drawing on her power as the sword readied itself again.
Life or death, it would all come down to how well they worked together.
Use your own eyes, and see for yourself which side I'm on.
Relm wasn’t just willing to help -- she was excited. Celes had already forgotten just how enthusiastic she could be and just how strong-willed. Relm was still a child, there was no doubt about that, but if any child could handle herself out in the world, it was her. Or Gau, she supposed, but she wasn’t certain that “running about the plains like a feral animal” really counted as “handling himself.”
Celes didn’t know why she had been the one to find Relm. She didn’t know why they were two of the only ones that had found themselves here, but she knew one thing for certain. She would work to protect Relm with everything she had. The stakes had raised. She wasn’t only in it for herself anymore.
Relm’s eyes lit up at Celes’ suggestion, and that was enough to make her glad she’d made it at all. ”Well I'm sure there’s food, I'm not too picky... Oh but I could use some art supplies. Any way I'm going to to help I'll need them to do it proper you know?"
Art supplies. Celes should have guessed. She looked out at the market stalls and then paused. ”Well,” she started and then hesitated. What would she need? Paint? She was certain there was paint involved.”Why don’t you take some gil and find what you’ll need? Art isn’t really...I mean. I don’t really know one brush from another to tell the truth.”How much gil would that be? Celes pulled out her collection and counted through it awkwardly. A few hundred? A thousand maybe? The girl was traumatized; she’d need something. Celes gave the coins an uncertain look before handing over the most she could stand to part with.
Even if she didn’t know what to do with a child, she could at least give her the money to entertain herself.
”I’ll wait here until you’re done. Don’t go too far though. I’ve seen street gangs and bandits roaming around here so I’ll want you close enough that I can jump in if I have to.” Celes crossed her arms. The last thing she needed was to break up another gang war, but she was more than ready to do it if it meant keeping the peace. ”Understand?”
Use your own eyes, and see for yourself which side I'm on.
Caius was...oddly honest with her. Celes didn’t really know what to do as he went on. She’d answered his strangely personal question and he’d agreed with her. He didn’t know whether he’d go back either. But then...Well.
”I've spent most of my life that I can actually remember living in a world where sunlight no longer existed.”
It was said so bluntly that Celes had no idea how to respond. He went on for a long time about how his home was overrun with “demons” and how the surviving population had turned on each other. He talked for so long that Celes felt awkward looking at him and instead took to watching the underbrush as they passed by. Her fingers twisted together as she waited, listening even as uncomfortable as she was. Why would he tell all of this to a relative stranger?
”I guess I just never really thought of how much I had here until your own world reminded me of where I came from."
”Oh. Well…” In truth, what they’d left behind did sound similar to her, but she hadn’t thought she’d been so obvious about it. It wasn’t something that she liked to talk about after all, and it was all so heavy…
It wasn’t exactly the first impression she liked to give.
”I've spent so long desperately trying to get back there, to get back to my purpose. But it's been over a year now. Maybe... Maybe it's time to start appreciating what I have, and making a new purpose and a new life here.”
”I know that feeling,” Celes said because she didn’t want to respond to anything else. ”It’s surreal, isn’t it? Living somewhere new.”
”In truth, I…” Celes paused, letting out a short breath before continuing. Well he’d shared, hadn’t he? It would only be uncomfortable for of them if she didn’t say something.”I know the feeling better than I’d like to admit. The world I left. Well, it’s not exactly what it used to be. A crazed god will do that, I suppose.” She pushed her loose hair behind her ear as she eyed her knees carefully. ”There’s not much to return to. Almost all the cities are gone and what’s left of everything else. Well, like I said. There’s not much.”
”I thought I was crazy when I came here. Maybe I am. But at this point, I don’t really think it matters.”
Celes felt the heat rise to her cheeks. Why was she saying so much? Just talking about it made her fingers dig into the skin of her thighs. No, don’t think about that place. Not the flash of light or the roaring heat. Not the smell of burnt flesh or the cracked earth beneath her. Don’t think about it. Don’t think about it. Don’t think-
”How long will it be, by the way? Until we reach it?” She cleared her throat and looked forward towards the road. ”I don't mind if we have to stop somewhere. I’m not exactly inexperienced at camping.”
Use your own eyes, and see for yourself which side I'm on.
"I wanted to find my dad now that we stopped Kefka,” Relm started and Celes just frowned, blinking at her.
”Ah, what?” she said, but Relm had a story to tell and Celes didn’t want to interrupt further. Still, she could hardly listen to the rest when that first sentence echoed around in her head. She understood Relm trying to find her father, but what had that been about ‘stopping Kefka…?’
”So I could could just stay with you and Locke till we find Strago right?"
”Hm?” Celes hadn’t been listening. Relm had got in a fight with Strago over her father, and then found herself here? And now she was asking to stay with her. And…
”Locke? Oh…” Celes hadn’t heard that name in a long time, and just saying it…
”S...sorry I wasn't thinking that he might not be..."
Celes shook her head. Relm hadn’t meant anything by it, but saying his name out loud. It was too painful.
”You can stay with me,” Celes said far stronger than before. ”Of course you can stay with me.” She still didn’t know the first thing about children. She didn’t know how to take care of anyone but herself, but she knew Relm. She liked Relm. She would have jumped in front of a snarling behemoth for Relm, and she knew the girl was stronger than anyone her age had a right to be. She proved it right then as she straightened herself, practically beaming with an optimism that Celes knew she didn’t feel.
”Well it's like you said! We'll figure it out!"
Celes felt something warm inside her. Seeing a child with so much strength and courage...Well, she couldn’t help a tinge of pride no matter how uncomfortable it all made her. If Relm believed they’d manage something, then they would. It was as simple as that.
”I’ve rented an apartment a little way from here. I ran into Setzer a while ago, but we parted ways and I don’t know what he’s doing now. Or if he’s even still here. You know how flighty he can be.” She tried very hard to muffle a scowl at the mention of him. She’d been relieved to find someone she knew, and she still was, but time had dulled her unease around him. It only took one attempted forced marriage to make someone never want to be alone in a room with a man, and Celes had enough experience with his attempts to woo her afterwards that the prospect of his company set her on edge. Outside of catastrophe, Setzer was a friend best kept at a distance.
”But I’ve more than managed on my own. I take hunting jobs mostly. Monsters, you know. It’s a little unpredictable, but I make enough to look after myself. And I don’t mind helping people while I do it.” Celes hesitated before looking at Relm in interest. ”Is there anything you want from the marketplace before we go? My apartment’s a little sparse at the moment. I wasn’t expecting to have anyone with me.”
Use your own eyes, and see for yourself which side I'm on.
There wasn’t any fire. No, there was only Celes’ magic freezing the rats like popsicles followed by gunshots and then…
A blood-chilling scream as the flare flickered to darkness. Terra.
”Terra?!” Celes thrust a handful of fire magic out, just a flicker. Not enough to endanger them, but just enough to lick the walls and cast everything in orange shadows. She saw Caius with his guns still drawn and Prompto looking startled with his flares, but where had Terra gone?
”She was behind you, wasn’t she?” Celes barely noticed the shattered, icy remains of the rats. She hardly noticed the splash of wine and guts as she turned on her heel, looking around with growing desperation. ”She was behind me! She held my arm and then I-!”
Pushed her away to attack. Celes’ stomach dropped. She’d been more interested in fighting than in protecting her friend. ”No. Oh no.”
She hardly noticed Prompto’s joke. She just kept pacing through the shadows, through the dark, until-
”Ah!” Her heel teetered on the edge of something that fell straight down. Celes flailed her arms for balance and then threw herself back, staring at the dark pit in front of her. ”That’s…” A wooden panel hung limply from its hinges into the darkness. ”Is that where Terra was standing?”
She scrambled to its side, peering forward until she caught a frayed and aged rope ladder that she touched carefully. ”We can get down!” she said, looking at both Prompto and Caius with a kind of triumphant edge before she paused, giving Caius a kind of wry look. ”Well, I know you could without it, but the rest of us at any rate.” Celes let out a breath and tested the ladder’s strength. It wasn’t steady but it would hold, she thought. It had to.
If Terra was down there, then Celes was going. It was as easy as that.
”We won’t be able to hold any fire while we’re going down, so maybe it’s best for you to go first?” She gestured at Prompto. ”Whatever that little lamp is, it looks handy to have when we’re delving down like this. If you go first, then we’ll be able to almost see what we’re doing.”
Prompto went and Celes waited until she heard him hit the bottom before she gave Caius a nervous look and started down herself. The rope prickled against her hands, and as she moved her heels, she felt it undulate unsteadily beneath her. Still, it was something, and she clung to it until she’d finally reached the bottom and could ignite a fire in her hand again. They were in some kind of storage space though she couldn’t say where it went. The walls were bare and made of polished stone. Celes feverishly searched the ground, but there was no Terra -- not even the body of one, and Celes frowned at the impossibility of it all. ”She’s not here,” she said more to herself than the others. ”But where could she-?”
She heard Caius’ boots land beside her and then there was a rustle, a snap, and the rope fell in after them. Celes’ eyes widened. ”Wait!” she cried out. And then there was light.
Celes shielded her eyes against it, squinting as she lowered her arm. The torches had all burst to life at once, and now they crackled with a kind of renewed vigor. She looked immediately upwards, but there was no ladder anymore and no trap door either. Just a closed ceiling panel and a pit with smooth walls. Her stomach churned. Were they going to die here?
”How did that-?” The words wouldn’t come right through her own shock. ”But there was no one there!”
"Blood."
Prompto’s voice came softly from the opposite end of the room, and Celes stiffened as she turned to face him. ”What?” He was stooped over something, examining it and muttering to himself. Celes hesitated before approaching him. She didn’t need any more surprises.
As it turned out, Prompto had found some kind of odd, roughly hewn platform. An altar, her brain supplied and she quickly hushed it. It looked more like a table to her. A stone table with odd stains dried over it. She bit her lip as her eye caught the inscriptions within it.
”But beware of what you spurn,” she muttered. ”For what was taken shall be returned?’” Celes' voice had gone high. She didn’t like this, not at all, and Prompto’s suggestions only chilled her further. They needed to find a way out of here.
”Anyone got a knife?" Prompto asked almost casually though his nerves were obvious. ”I think... we need to offer our blood. Not all of us, just one of us."
”Excuse me?” Celes stared at him, mouth agape. ”Blood? And what exactly will that do? That’s-!”Insane. Grisly. Like something out of a horror novel.”Not necessary!” she finally decided before looking to Caius pleadingly. ”What we need to do is find Terra and get out of here! Whatever this is, it’s not worth it and I think we’d be a lot better served going back. Terra obviously isn’t here and she needs help. Caius, do you think you could do your...odd little sword trick to bust open the trap door? If you get up there, you could take the ladder with you, string it up again, and we can go back to looking for her!”
Celes bit her lip as she glanced at the altar again. She didn’t want whatever it held, and she certainly didn’t want to offer it blood. She’d had enough of dark magic, and there was nothing good that could come from this. ”We have to find her.”
