He clenched his fist a bit more as he thought about this. He didn�t want to have Phoenix think he was a pervert by wanting to be more closely attached to her. But he didn�t know what to do. He sighed. He then felt something slip in between two of his ribs at his back. He gasped for breath, dropping the bags, as the pain tore through his body. He turned to look at his would-be assassin, his eyes glowing in an eerie light.
The assassin smirked. That was until Gethin tore a pole from a nearby tent and impaled him on it. The assassin coughed up blood before Gethin thrust the man and the pole away.
The people in the area went into a panic, screaming and running away from the crazed killer. Gunfire sounded as the soldiers who had been watching from the shadows shot at Gethin. Gethin began to transform, and towered over the small town. Zalera sliced down at a group of soldiers, killing them instantly.
�Stop your fire,� called a voice, almost frantically. The men immediately ceased fire. Zalera remained a few minutes before transforming once more.
Gethin looked at the dead body at his feet in horror before turning and running toward the gates of the city, forgetting all about his purchased items.
Once he got outside the city, he noticed the two chocobos were alone. �Phoenix,� he called, panicked.
�Absolutely nothing. She hired a new bodyguard and she travels with him willingly. She�s not harmed in any way because she�s a traitor, my lord.
She wanted you dead.�
Gethin�s fists clenched as he watched the other man. Something inside him clawed to get out and rip this man�s throat out with his bare hands. Another more prominent part of him believed the man. After all, Phoenix had been unbelievably na�ve. Was it just an act?
He then remembered the first day he had transformed. Phoenix had attacked him! His jaw set firmly and his nostrils flared as he shook with fury. She really was trying to kill him. After all, if there were any sign of a struggle when she disappeared the chocobos would have run off.
�I can�t believe she�d do this to me,� he said, sadness dripping from every syllable. He then looks up at the man, eyes narrowed. �I won�t believe it.�
�I�m not asking you to believe it without proof, my lord,� the man replied with a calm smile. �Feel free to find out for yourself.�
�If you�re on my side,� Gethin started slowly, weighing every word, �why were your men shooting at me?�
�You�re a very special type of fighter, my lord,� the man stated, a smirk playing on his lips. �What one would call a �berserker.� Your attacks are not planned. You will not be able to choose who you attack. You just naturally strike. My men were not instructed to kill you, simply to try to sedate you with tranquilizers.� The man had said this with a straight face. There was no sign of a lie. He was either telling the truth, or a damned good liar.
Gethin looked shocked by this news as he thought about it. Had he attacked Phoenix? Was self-defense why she had attacked him? It had to be.
But, then, where was she now if she hadn�t left him? There was no reason she should be gone. �Where did she go,� he asked the stranger.
�East, through the forest, my lord. Toward Sevan. However, my lord, she may take the river to Kaval. I cannot say for sure.�
�You are here to do as I ask,� Gethin asked, craftily.
The man smiled to himself. A favor now to the unbelieving embodiment of Zalera would lead up to his true leadership, soon enough. He bowed respectively. �Of course, my lord.�
�Send your ships to both Sevan and Kaval. I will travel by chocobo straight through the forest trail to Sevan. Should she be in Kaval, send word. If she continues on through Sevan, I want her followed. No one is to either contact or harm her in any way.�
The man bowed once more and Gethin turned away. He walked over to his chocobo and tied the other�s lead to one of the packs. He then mounted the chocobo and immediately spurred it on toward the forest Van.
The man smiled and stepped into his ship where he was greeted by the young officer who�d assisted him in Thanos. �Your orders, General Dunstan?�
�We�ll do as the boy requests, for now. The girl is more of an asset to us alive than dead. Find her and kill the mercenary. Bring her in for hypnosis.� The boy nodded and the general growled, �Why are you still standing here? Go!� The boy jumped and ran off toward the front of the aircraft to bark orders.
�You...you�re Yojimbo...� Phoenix continued to gape at him.
�Yes,� he stated with a scowl. �And you�re not who the Army thought you were.� He glares at her, �Now don�t think this changes anything. I�m still only interested in the money.�
Phoenix bit her lower lip, looking down. She stared at the chain that connected the shackles. �You�d be a hero, you know,� she said quietly to him, not looking up.
�Heroics aren�t my style,� he stated.
Phoenix took this moment to look up at him, �A hero makes a lot more money than a mercenary.�
He scoffed at her, �Only if they sell their things.�
�That�s one way. Though there are others.� She smiled, more confident. �My father lives in the most lavish home of Karasi. Perhaps even the most lavish house of all of Karista. He did not have any money of his own. He was given that house by the city. And he receives gifts daily, especially from the rich who think that he can promise them some miracle.�
The boy considered her momentarily. �And if I don�t receive anything for being a hero?�
�I�ll compensate you myself,� she offered. He smiled at this. �But...can I ask your name?�
He chuckled. �You really are something else. You�re too forgiving.�
�I�d think with the profit I�d offered you that you wouldn�t complain about my forgiveness.�
�Touch�. It is Caden Aldegunde. And I�ll work for you. For now.� He took a key from around his neck and unlocked the shackles. He then led her back up a trail not too far away. He climbed up the last bit grunting at the tough angle. He reached the top and climbed over.
Phoenix looked up, trying to figure out how she was going to climb the cliff face as well when a gloved hand reached down for her. She pushed herself up on the tip of her toes, reaching up for the hand. When she had hers clutched firmly around his she was hoisted up to find herself face to face with a stranger. Caden was lying off to the side, unmoving.
Phoenix looked up at the stranger in panic, trying to pull away. �What did you do to Caden,� she asked after her unsuccessful attempt to pull away, glaring at the man.
He shook his head, shuffling his black hair in the process. �Nothing, yet. Stop struggling please.� Phoenix looked at him in disbelief at such �courtesy� while clutching her wrist in the fashion of a captor. �I�ve been asked not to harm you. I don�t want you to harm yourself.�
Phoenix gaped at him before jerking back, suddenly. She nearly fell, again, but the boy caught her once more and jerked her back up into his arms. She looked up into his brown eyes in anger and was about to yell at him, but the look in his eyes stopped her. There was a deadness about his eyes, the same look she saw in Gethin�s eyes whenever he was reminded of his parents. She lost her anger looking at this boy. He looked a lot like Gethin. He even was about the same age.
�What�s your name,� she asked, her eyes narrowed as she watched him.
�Colonel Aldyth Jaffit,� he stated, looking rather proud of the title. Phoenix noticed movement out of the corner of her eye, but didn�t flinch. �Of the Army of Maldade. You�re considered an enemy of the state, Phoenix Godelva. As is your father, for harboring you.�
Phoenix felt her heart skip a beat, �And Gethin?�
The colonel looked over her shoulder, unable to look her in the eyes anymore. �Dead.� There was a muffled sound as he was struck on the back of the head. He collapsed and both he and Phoenix fell back over the cliff face. A hand shot out and caught Phoenix. Caden grunted as he wrapped his other hand around her wrist, clinging to her.
She smiled up at him and he scowled in turn, �What?�
�I thought you weren�t a hero?� She beamed at him.
�I�m protecting my investment,� he groaned, slowly helping her back up.
Once they were safe, Phoenix continued to smile at him, not daring to look back over the cliff at the boy. After a moment, her smile remained, but it was sad, and tears began to form in her eyes.
�What,� he asked, callously.
�He�s...dead,� Phoenix choked out, closing her eyes tightly, and shaking her head. �They killed their own god...�
�There�s a yes and no reply to that. They didn�t know he was Zalera. Not when I was hired.� He smirks, ignoring her sadness, �They thought you were Zalera, hiding yourself behind your sworn enemy�s colors.� She sniffled and he became sober. �And...he could have been lying. Captives that are sad are easier to control. Besides, he couldn�t look you in the eyes when he said it.�
�They were related,� she looked down, biting her lip.
�That�s a long stretch. They only shared hair color.�
�And eyes and facial structure,� she demanded, looking up at him. �I have looked up into Gethin�s eyes since I was a baby. I recognize his eyes. And their names: Javed and Jaffit?� Caden frowned. Phoenix continues, �When I saw a vision of the Sete together, Zalera was missing. He wasn�t looking away because he was lying,� she said with a sob. �He was looking away because he was too sad to say it straight to someone.�
Caden rested a hand on her shoulder. �You�re looking too far into this because you don�t want it to be true. But you have to face the facts, they were sent out to kill him and he�s dead.�
Phoenix hugged him tightly, weeping. Caden stood in shock momentarily before patting her on the back, stiffly. Phoenix continued to weep, clinging to him.
Somewhere in Van
Phoenix continued to stare at the mercenary. She had not believed that he would harm her, but then he had proved her wrong. Was that feeling of safety connected to his god�s side? Yojimbo, the samurai, was the Phoenix�s companion. But he was also known for only helping someone if they made it worth his while.back to main page