Velentham sailed downward, still clutching Claire and Gilean tightly, cursing. They landed softly and Claire took in a deep breath. 'They said they had word I was coming... cousin.' The voice was biting, and Claire looked up to see Velentham staring at Gilean.
'It wasn't... it wasn't what I intended.'
'Gilean?'
'They kept saying I was an esper. A troublemaking esper.'
'You wouldn't even stop to consider what you were doing. I just wanted to slow you down. Not... not...'
The reality crashed in on Claire and she looked to Gilean, her eyes pleading and skeptical. 'You told them he was an esper?'
'It was a bad decision. I told them it wasn't true.'
'Bad decision, huh?'
'Look, I felt terrible when I realized what I was doing... You, you just push me Velentham. You don't listen.'
Claire uttered a word and vanished into the cottage. She stood, frozen, in the living room - holding her breath. Gilean had sent the guards after his own cousin - telling them he was one of her kind. Her stomach turned in knots and threatened to upend on her. She had no further time to think as the sounds of shouting reached her ears. She appeared between the two men, her face angry. 'Stop. Now. The both of you should be ashamed of yourselves. I don't know what happened, but this... is ridiculous.'
'I know, I'm sorry,' Gilean replied.
'I know you're going to be wanted,' Claire said to Velentham. 'If you wish to stay with us you may, but only if you promise to stop doing this. No instigation.'
'He started this! Not me! He's the one butting into my life!'
'I know. But you must promise not to instigate if you stay.' Claire turned to Gilean, barely able to look at him. 'And you... must promise the same.'
'But... I just...'
'PROMISE! Both of you!'
With the cousins in loose agreement, Claire nodded. 'Then it is settled. Gilean, take him home and show him his room. I am going to think some things over. Do not come looking for me. I will be with my people.'
'What? With your people?' Gilean stepped toward her, but Claire held out a hand to stop him.
'I waited five months for you to come home... but I never thought I'd see a time where you used my people as a method to hurt someone else.'
'No, please... I didn't mean for...'
'How could you do such a thing?'
'I wasn't thinking. I... I didn't really think about it.'
'Try not to kill eachother.'
'But Claire... Please. Please don't go.'
Claire vanished in a flash of purple and appeared in the stormhorn Mountains overlooking a valley below. She looked down, a hand on her stomach, and sobbed. Whether or not she'd be going back, she didn't know. Claire only knew that she had never felt so hurt in all her life.
Utter Confusion
'I AM NOT AN ESPER!'
The shout rang loudly and echoed against the city walls. Claire looked over at Velentham, remembering him instantly from the time she arrived in his plane, but finding herself startled at the glowing silver that came from his eyes and the rage that floated on his features. This did not bode well. He was surrounded. 'You'll be powering Lord Kefka's airships soon enough!' one of the guards yelled.
'I'll take every last one of you down if you try anything, do you hear me?! '
'I'm going to grab him,' Gilean said. 'Help cover me?'
Claire agreed and as soon as Gilean stepped away, her entire body lit in brilliant lavendar flames. 'He's not an esper. If you're looking for an esper, you've found me.'
'There's another!!!' yelled the guards.
Claire smiled and began to chant, around her fingers began to dance the crackle of electricity, the charge tingling within her.
'CASTER! SHE'S A CASTER!!!'
The barely let off the spell before one of the guards arrived with the full intention of knocking her off her feet. Quickly, she sidestepped the blow only to be grabbed from behind. She sent electricity into her assailant and looked over, noting for the first time that the guards had indeed gone into the city for their own caster. The wizard stood well back, chanting as the skies began to darken. 'Gilean! Hurry!!'
Claire watched, horrified, as Gilean and Velentham ran toward her with meteors screaming from the skies. 'Clare, go!' Gilean shouted.
'NO! Not without you!'
It was sudden and swift as Velentham took to the air, gripping Gilean in one arm and sweeping Claire from the ground with the other. They sailed high into the sky at phenomenal speed, dodging lightning as it flashed around them. 'Claire, get us home,' Gilean said.
Only with her full concentration did Claire manage to get the spell to function in just the last moment. The arrived high above the Druid's Grove, staring down at the tiny cottage that was home.
The shout rang loudly and echoed against the city walls. Claire looked over at Velentham, remembering him instantly from the time she arrived in his plane, but finding herself startled at the glowing silver that came from his eyes and the rage that floated on his features. This did not bode well. He was surrounded. 'You'll be powering Lord Kefka's airships soon enough!' one of the guards yelled.
'I'll take every last one of you down if you try anything, do you hear me?! '
'I'm going to grab him,' Gilean said. 'Help cover me?'
Claire agreed and as soon as Gilean stepped away, her entire body lit in brilliant lavendar flames. 'He's not an esper. If you're looking for an esper, you've found me.'
'There's another!!!' yelled the guards.
Claire smiled and began to chant, around her fingers began to dance the crackle of electricity, the charge tingling within her.
'CASTER! SHE'S A CASTER!!!'
The barely let off the spell before one of the guards arrived with the full intention of knocking her off her feet. Quickly, she sidestepped the blow only to be grabbed from behind. She sent electricity into her assailant and looked over, noting for the first time that the guards had indeed gone into the city for their own caster. The wizard stood well back, chanting as the skies began to darken. 'Gilean! Hurry!!'
Claire watched, horrified, as Gilean and Velentham ran toward her with meteors screaming from the skies. 'Clare, go!' Gilean shouted.
'NO! Not without you!'
It was sudden and swift as Velentham took to the air, gripping Gilean in one arm and sweeping Claire from the ground with the other. They sailed high into the sky at phenomenal speed, dodging lightning as it flashed around them. 'Claire, get us home,' Gilean said.
Only with her full concentration did Claire manage to get the spell to function in just the last moment. The arrived high above the Druid's Grove, staring down at the tiny cottage that was home.
Dream Come True
It had been several months, five, Claire reminded herself, with no word from Gilean at all. She stayed at the cottage, afraid to leave in case he returned, but she longed to go in search of him. To find someone who could help her locate her lover.
The idea of retrieving the necklaces and finding Kaliadra to traverse the planes crossed her mind more than once, but what if he didn't want to be found. Perhaps he had gone back and decided to stay. In the grand scheme of things, she didn't mean too much. Regardless, Gilean's absence was hard for her.
She spent her hours trying not to count her hours, reading spell books, gazing on the flowers Gilean had given her when he told her how he felt. Often times, she'd find herself crying - the purple flames that burned so brightly on her skin nothing more than a dull simmer.
It was difficult to admit that maybe, just maybe, she would never see him again. She would reach out, hopeful that she might be able to feel him with her mind if nothing else. The stillness that came back to her left her soul chilled.
The idea of retrieving the necklaces and finding Kaliadra to traverse the planes crossed her mind more than once, but what if he didn't want to be found. Perhaps he had gone back and decided to stay. In the grand scheme of things, she didn't mean too much. Regardless, Gilean's absence was hard for her.
She spent her hours trying not to count her hours, reading spell books, gazing on the flowers Gilean had given her when he told her how he felt. Often times, she'd find herself crying - the purple flames that burned so brightly on her skin nothing more than a dull simmer.
It was difficult to admit that maybe, just maybe, she would never see him again. She would reach out, hopeful that she might be able to feel him with her mind if nothing else. The stillness that came back to her left her soul chilled.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)