Eyes on Final Fantasy Forums > General > Writer's Corner > [s]Final Fantasy VII: Blood of the Living

[Dragon Mage]

Hello. I had orignally planned to make this story an independant Final Fanstasy story, but making a world with it's myriad rules proved to be far more difficult than I had planned. Finally, after many failed attempts, I decided to skip making the world, and just make the story in the FF7 world/setting. I marked this thread as a 'story', even though it's set in FF7, because I'm using my own characters only. I write about my own chars, not those in the game. However, my characters will interact with those characters from the game. There is nothing in this story about the love triangle of FF7, so all are welcome to read this story. There is some strong language. But since I'm not using Cid in this story, the swearing is very low-key and far in between.
Any feedback, negative or positive, would be greatly appreciated. The events of this story take place nearly a year after the events of Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children. I'm posting this story in cyan because it's easier on the eyes. I've only written the first 5 chapters so far, but updates shouldn't take very long. Not more than 2 weeks, tops. With that being said, I hope you enjoy this story.

Chapter 1--A New Face

Zack had come to a conclusion: Being dead didn't deserve half the praise it got. In fact, he found it to be rather boring. Most everyone he knew was still alive. They couldn't talk to him or see him, and could only do so under very special circumstances, and that didn't happen often.

Of course, he could talk with others like himself, except he considered making new friends with dead people a sign of mental instability and overall just weird. Never mind that he was dead too. It just wasn't right.

He usually spent his time with Aeris, but she'd be gone doing......something. Exactly what, he wasn't sure. She'd tried to explain it to him before, but he just couldn't get it. Healing, planet, mind-talk, the usual stuff. But, she was gone. This left Zack with no one to talk to, and very little to do.

As he had nothing better to do, he usually hung out by his sword. It was on a cliff overlooking the ruined city of Midgar and the new town of Edge. The huge sword had been placed over the spot where Zack had died, by his friend, Cloud. Despite the situation, Zack thought it was a very nice view from there. Today, he was doing nothing more than relaxing by his old sword and daydreaming.

Today, however, he was not alone. He eyed the person standing next to the half-buried sword, wondering who would come out to such a remote place.

To his surprise, it was a woman. She was tall, about 5' 8", in her early 20's and had long black hair that fell to her waist and was pulled back into a ponytail. A long strand of her hair framed one side of her face, coming down to her attractive jaw line. She wore a dark purple, sleeveless shirt and black jeans. A pair of black gloves ended before the first joint of the fingers, leaving her long, slender fingers uncovered. Bracers protected her forearms. She was strong; there was no denying the power of that slender body. Her face could only be described as ideal; there was no other word for it, besides perfect.

But what captured Zack's gaze were her eyes. Her eyes were violet. He had never seen such an eye-color before, and it was entrancing. So caught up was he, that he almost didn't notice the two crossed long swords on her back that she carried comfortably.

Standing before him, was the most beautiful and powerful women he'd ever seen. Zack wished he were still alive. He let out a low whistle. He wouldn't have done that had he been alive, for this women looked like she could kill him with utmost ease. As he was already dead, she couldn't see or hear him. Death did have its perks.

Zack couldn't help but wonder anew at why a person like this would be here. He also couldn't shake the feeling that he'd seen her somewhere before.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Crystal studied the huge sword before her. She knew the sword. It had been a long time since she last saw it. What was it doing here? Was it even Zack's?

She looked out towards the ruins and the city built around it. It'd been a long time since she'd been here, too. A lot had happened while she was gone. And now, she has no idea as to what's going on, and how it happened.

Now, she needed information. Information that only a few people she knew would have. One she hadn't seen for a very long time. The other she didn't want to see. But you can't be picky when you're in a situation like this. She had no other choice.

She rested one hand on the wide hilt of the Buster sword, oblivious to the fact that it's deceased owner was watching her. With her thumb, she rubbed away the grit, revealing the inscription 'Zack'. So it was his.

She looked back towards the city. "So tell me, Zack," she said, turning her head to look straight into Zack's shocked eyes. "What happened at the reactor in Niblehiem?"

Chapter 2—Old Friends

Zack spluttered. “Sh—she can’t see me!” he told himself. “N-no, she’s just doing like what people do at cemeteries and stuff, you know, like talking to dead people and all”, he reassured himself, running his hands through his hair. He laughed at himself for being so stupid. “Of course she can’t see me,” he scoffed. “I’m dead!”

“Oh, I assure you, I can see you quite well, and hear you as well,” Crystal replied. “Now are you going to answer me or not?”

Zack just stared at her, shocked beyond words.

“What’s the matter? Can’t talk? You seemed perfectly capable when you were whistling at me.”

Zack pointed at her. “You can see me? Hear me? Are you dead too? Is that why?”

She gave a small sigh. “No, I am not dead, but thank you for your concern. But I am curious as to know what happened in the reactor. Are you going to answer me or not?” she repeated.

Zack shook his head in disbelief. “No, no, no, this can’t be real. How can you see me?”

“With my eyes. Duh,” she replied calmly. “How about this; I answer some of your questions, and you answer mine. Fair enough?”

Zack nodded his head numbly. He still couldn’t believe that she could see and hear him. This was too bizarre. Who the hell was she? How could she do that? And most of all, how did he know her?

“All right then, let us begin,” she said, sitting on the ground across from the sword. She motioned for him to sit down as well.

Sliding to the ground, Zack knew that Aeris would never believe him. Leaning against the sword, he looked at Crystal, who stared back at him with those incredible violet eyes. This was going to be interesting. “Ok, so what did you want to know?”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

About three hours later, Crystal was standing in Edge and was thoroughly frustrated. She’d been all over this town and couldn’t find the damn place. She glanced at the sky and scowled. It was getting dark, and looked like it was going to rain. With her luck, she’d be soaked before she ever found the place.

She turned, about to head down the street for a second time. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see a person watching her, leaning up against the wall. He was dressed up like some biker, all leather and spikes.

Keeping him in her sight, Crystal carefully proceeded down the street. After a minute, she heard the person that was watching her get up from the wall and follow her. It was a small street, and there weren’t many people out. As she walked down the street, another person, dressed in a similar style as the first, walked across the street and followed her.

Feigning ignorance to her growing escort, she made a random turn down a small side street. From what she could hear by their footsteps, four people were following her. She turned down another small street, but her escort didn’t leave. These punks weren’t going to leave her alone. Checking a small sigh, she turned around to face them.

Like she thought, there were four of them, each dressed like they were in some gang. One was holding a chain, wrapped around his fist. One held a metal pipe, one had a bat and the other she suspected had a knife. They closed in, making a circle around her.

“I don’t want any trouble. Just turn around and walk the other way,” Crystal warned. It was a futile warning, but one had to give the fools an opportunity.

“No trouble? Oh, there won’t be any trouble,” said the one with the bat. “Just give us what ya got and no one will be harmed.” He grinned. “Well? You gonna make it easy for yourself or not?”

“I don’t have the time for this,” Crystal replied. “Just go away, and you’ll leave unscathed.”
The bat-wielder, apparently the leader of the group, scowled at her. “Now that’s not polite.” Raising his bat, he advanced toward her.

She moved so fast, she was a blur. In one fluid movement, she drew both swords from her back. Before anyone could react, she made four quick slashes. Then with a quick twirl of the two blades, she returned them to their sheathes.

There was a slight pause, no one moving as thunder rumbled in the distance. Then one of the gangsters choker necklace fell off, cut cleanly in two. It’s wearer, however, was completely unharmed. The chain wrapped around another’s fist fell off, split in twain. The bat fell to the ground, it’s wielder still holding the handle. Another’s shirt gaped open, cut from the right shoulder down to the left hip. Crystal made a sudden movement, as if she were reaching for her swords and advancing towards them.

There was a sharp yell of panic, and then all four of them took off running down the street, one of them dropping the pipe.

“Idiots,” she muttered under breath. What the hell were they thinking? Did they not see the two swords on her back? What did they think she was, a cosplayer? Sheesh.

Shaking her head, she turned back towards the direction she was headed. And now she was lost. Now it was guaranteed that she’d be soaking wet before she found it. She thought of pursuing the group that got her into this, but she quickly abandoned the idea. She didn’t need any trouble with the authorities, especially after she just got here.

Just as she was about to continue on, a yellow paper attached to a light pole caught her eye. She snatched the paper and quickly read its contents. She smirked. “Well I’ll be damned…”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

An hour later, Crystal stood in front of her destination. It had been on the other side of town, and it had taken her some time to get there. She was quite damp, as it had rained for a good while now, and apparently wasn’t going to let up. She looked back at the flyer in her hand. Yep, she was in the right place. As she pushed open the door, a small sign notified her that closing time was at 9:00 pm. It was 9:30 now.

Walking into the bar, she saw a young woman with near black hair standing behind the counter washing dishes. Most of the lights in the bar were off, and only a few over the bar itself were still on. The woman saw Crystal walk in and called to her, “I’m sorry, we’re closed.” Crystal continued to walk up to the counter. The woman looked up. “We’re closed,” she repeated firmly.

Crystal nodded. “Tifa Lockhart?” she questioned.

Tifa nodded. “Yes…. can I help you?”

“Yeah. I found this.” Crystal held up the yellow flyer.

Tifa recognized it instantly. “If there’s something you need delivered, you can just call the number. Is there something wrong with the number?”

Crystal shook her head. “No, nothing wrong with it. Is Cloud Strife here?”

There was a long pause. Tifa gave Crystal a wary look. “Why?” she questioned. “If you’re from Rufus, you can tell him to—“

“No, no, I’m not from Shinra,” Crystal assured her. “I just came here to see an old friend. Is something wrong?”

Tifa hurriedly shook her head. “No! No, it’s fine. It’s just, I know all of Cloud’s friends and I didn’t recognize you. Please, sit down.” Tifa motioned to one of the stools at the bar. Crystal obligingly sat down.

“Anything to drink?” Tifa asked.

“No. Thanks, but I’ve had enough water for now,” Crystal replied, shaking some water out of her eyes.

Tifa laughed. “I’m sorry! Here, let me get you---“

“Nah, I’ll be fine,” Crystal interjected. “I’ll dry out soon, it’s not as bad as it looks.”

Tifa couldn’t help but smile. Settling down onto a chair behind the bar, she sat across from her guest and rested her hands on the bar. “Cloud’ll be here soon. So tell me, who are you? How do you know him? Wha—“ before she could continue, the door opened. The figure standing in the doorway was unmistakable. Tifa grinned. “Hey Cloud! There’s someone here to see you,” she called out to him.

Cloud walked into the circle of light around the bar. Crystal turned and around and looked at the approaching figure. Blue eyes met violet. There was only one person he knew who had eyes like that.

“Crystal?” he questioned incredulously. “Is that you?”

She smiled. “Hey Cloud. Long time, no see.”

Crystal slid off the stool and went to greet her old friend. As they got close enough, they clasped each other’s hand, the way one would if one were to arm-wrestle. They pulled towards each other, bumped shoulders, and slapped the other on the back with their free hand, then released. (Note to reader: this is called a ‘man-hug’. I did not make this up)

They both returned to the bar, Cloud stunned by the sight of his friend. “Where’ve you been? I thought the Shinra got to you or something!”

Crystal laughed out loud at this. “Shinra!? Get me? Oh, that’s a good one! I should be asking you the same thing; where’ve you been? You know how long it took me to find you?”

Cloud grinned sheepishly. “It’s a rather long story…”He was interrupted by Tifa clearing her throat. “Oh, yeah! Um, Crystal, this is Tifa, Tifa, Crystal,” he said introducing the two. He sat down on a stool next to Crystal, turned toward her slightly to make talking between her and Tifa easier.

“How do you know each other?” Tifa asked, glancing from one to the other.

“I met Cloud in Shinra, really,” Crystal replied. “There’s a training course that everyone must pass before they’re allowed to advance into training for SOLDIER.” She sighed, put one elbow on the bar and rested one cheek on her hand. “As you can imagine, I wasn’t too popular, being the only girl trying out for SOLDIER. A lot of others thought they could bully me out of trying to get in. One time, they ganged up on me, trying to ‘persuade’ me into leaving. I wasn’t going to be pushed around, but I was hopelessly outnumbered. That’s where Cloud comes in.” She nodded at Cloud, who smiled in spite of himself. “He came along, saw what was happening, and helped me out. He was the only one that wasn’t bothered by the fact that I was trying to get into SOLDIER.” She glanced at Tifa. “Can I take that glass of water now?”

“Of course!” Tifa got each of them a glass of water. Crystal drank a bit to moisten her mouth, which was going dry. Then she continued.

“In the end, I made it into SOLDEIR but Cloud didn’t.” She turned towards Cloud. “And I want you to know that you would’ve made it in. There was only enough room in training for one person, and it was between you and one other. The other paid to get in, and you got swept into the washout group. Just wanted you to know that. I know you were set on getting into SOLDIER.” Cloud nodded, but it was obvious how much this news meant to him.

Turning back to Tifa, Crystal went on. “Since I made it in, I would meet with Cloud at the end of each day and show him what I had learned that day. It wasn’t formal training, but close enough.”

Tifa gasped, her eyes widening. “So you mean that’s how Cloud….”

“Learned how to use a sword,” Crystal finished.

“I always wondered where he learned that,” Tifa mused, giving Cloud a questioning look.

“What? You never asked,” he defended. “You must have known that I had some kind of training, right?”

“No, I didn’t,” she replied. “And to think, all this time I thought it was just natural talent.” She rolled her eyes as Cloud chuckled. “Please, continue. What happened after that?”

Crystal smiled. “After that, I kept getting better. Eventually, I was teaching my instructors more than what they were teaching me. So I was promoted. And promoted.” Inside of two years, she had reached the position of general, one of three in Shinra. “Sephiroth was one of the other two generals. I met him a few times. Didn’t like the bastard one bit. Had the look about him that he would turn on you any minute. Wouldn’t trust him as far as I could smell him. Which,” she pondered, “would actually be implying a considerable amount of trust.”

After the laughter died down, Crystal explained to them how she discovered what happened at Niblehiem, and what they had done with the survivors. “I quit right there, when I found out. Oh, you should’ve seen the antics they pulled in trying to get me to stay. Bribes like none other. I figured I would need money afterwards, so I took the money, and ‘stayed’ only long enough to flick ‘em off. And then I left. With the money” More laughter ensued.

“Anyway, after that, I did mercenary work. At first there wasn’t a whole lot, but Shinra can’t control every ‘animal problem’ that pops up. ‘Animals’ that they were creating, nonetheless. Ever since Shinra went down though, there’s been a lot of business.”

“Wait, what do you mean? If Shinra went down, wouldn’t there be less of these creatures?” Tifa asked.

Crystal shook her head. “There were already a lot of mutations caused by Shinra’s actions. Besides, SOLDIER took care of a lot of these situations. Cloud was sent on such a mission to Niblehiem. Well, Shinra went down, and took SOLDIER with it. No one has been taking care of these creatures when they attack towns or people on the road. So there are a lot of jobs out there for me. Especially since your rag-tag militia can’t take these things down.” She took another sip from her water. “But that’s all there is to say about me. What’s happened with you? I understand you were involved with Meteor?” She asked, turning towards Cloud.

He sighed. “Well, like I said, it’s a long story…”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

After a long time, everything had been told and all questions had been answered, and it was late at night. Tifa had offered Crystal to stay in a guest bedroom, which she gratefully accepted. Now, lying on the bed, Crystal stared at the ceiling. A lot of questions had been answered but not all of them. She would have to go see that lousy bastard again. Besides that, she hadn’t even told her friend why she was here. She rolled onto her side, trying to get some sleep. The next few days were going to be rough.

If only she knew.

Chapter 3—The Full Story

In the morning, Crystal told Cloud and Tifa what she had to do to get the answers to a few questions.

“Rufus?” Cloud asked. “Why would you want to see him?”

Crystal sighed. “Trust me, I don’t want to. But I have no other choice. Listen, I didn’t really get a chance to tell you last night, but you remember what I told you, about the mercenary work I’ve been doing?” He nodded. “Well, something isn’t right. Inflicted animals are getting scarce out in the wild.”

“They could just be dying out,” Cloud offered.

Crystal shook her head. “No, not like that. They’re disappearing. And normally I’d agree with you on that they might just be dying out. That’s what it seemed to be. But when they should be gone, these creatures are suddenly attacking en masse. One town got hit real hard. A lot of people died. Same thing happened to another town, on the other side of the continent. Both small towns, not much there. But mindless animals don’t do something like this. Also, they’ve changed.”

“Changed how?” he inquired.

“They’ve become abnormally strong. And a few select people have been attacked on the road. I can’t remember all the names, but three who’ve been attacked were well-known warriors. They were strong, and they were taken down. There’ve also been a lot of other attacks, just normal folk. I would’ve brushed off the whole thing as nothing, just monsters randomly attacking people, but it seems more and more to me that the average people being attacked is meant to make it seem like it is random; to blend in with the attacks on the few warriors.”

“You’re right, this isn’t normal,” Cloud said, concern showing in his face. “So why do you have to see Rufus about this?”

“He was president of Shinra. He knows what kind of experiments they were doing. If there is anything he can tell me about this, I want to know. Do you know where to find him?”

Cloud nodded. “Yeah, unfortunately, I do. I can take you to him if you like. I don’t have much to do today.”

“If you can, that’d be great,” Crystal replied. “Also, I think you should take a vacation from your work.”

“You think I might be attacked?”

She nodded. “Yeah. I don’t doubt that you can take care of yourself, but a little caution never hurt anyone.”

“Okay. I’ll see what I can do. And now I want to see what Rufus has to say too. Let me grab my stuff and we’ll go.”

Outside, Crystal followed Cloud to the truck that had been recently purchased. As they approached the truck, Crystal saw a massive motorcycle parked next to it. Unconsciously, a low whistle escaped between her teeth. That was one fine bike. Cloud noticed her admiring it, and grinned. “You like it? I had a hand in making it.”

“Like it? Man, that is the best bike I’ve seen! Did you make this yourself?”

He laughed. “No, no, only added a few things. Here let me show you.” Going to the bike, he pressed a button, which made two compartments on either side of the bike open. Racks had been placed inside to make storage of the numerous swords easier.

Crystal shook her head. “Mmmmm, mmmmm, mmmmm! I wish my bike were like that. Nothing to do with it now.”

“What happened to it?” Cloud asked. She sighed. “Ah well, you know. Stupid mutated animals, they totaled it, when I didn’t see them coming. I’ve been meaning to get a new one, but now I think I’m in love.” She eyed the bike again. “Yep. No question about it. You’ll have to show me how you did that. What’d you name it?

He laughed again and closed the two compartments again. “Sure, maybe when there’s more time and you got a new bike. But how’d you know I named it?” he asked, curious. She gave him a look. “A bike like that does not go unnamed. I know it has a name; has to.”

He grinned, all too pleased with the fact someone liked the bike so well. “Fenrir,” he said.

Crystal raised her eyebrows. “The Wolf?” He nodded. She studied the bike again. “The wolf that would devour Odin during Ragnarok,” she said softly. She looked back at Cloud. “A fitting name. Just don’t let Odin find out if you summon him. Now lets get to the Shinra, shall we?”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

They pulled up to the lodge, Crystal asked, “Tell me, is Reno still an ass or has he learned better?” Cloud gave a sharp laugh. “I wish. You still have to teach him a lesson.” Crystal grinned. “Good. I’ve been waiting to get back at that little bastard for a while now.”

They both got out of the truck and walked up the steps to the door. Before entering, Crystal glanced over at Cloud to make sure if he was ready. He nodded and gave the go-ahead. Opening the door, Crystal stepped into the room. Reno, who was playing cards with Rude, sprang to his feet, snapped open the baton and charged. Crystal easily blocked the swing with a bracer on one arm. With her other hand, she grabbed the end of the baton and pulled it over her arm, twisting it out of his grasp. Then she grabbed the startled Turk and got him into a headlock. Reno squawked, trying to get his head free.

“Now, don’t you feel sorry you did that? Is that how you greet everyone? I thought your mama taught you better than that, Reno. That was so rude of you. Say you’re sorry,” Crystal taunted him, as she led him around the room by his head. Cloud and Rude were both trying hard not to burst out laughing.

There was a muffled response. Crystal tightened her grip. “What was that? I don’t I think I heard you properly, Reno. I think that was something very rude!” There was another futile struggle as Reno tried to free his noggin once more. Finally, he stopped and there was another muffled sound. Crystal lowered her head. “What was that?” she said loudly. Another response, this time more audible. “I’m sorry,” Reno grumbled. Crystal released him. He hastily backed away from her rubbing his head. “Well I can see you haven’t changed, Crystal.”

She grinned. “Wouldn’t dream of it. And you still owe me that money.” Reno grimaced. “You still remember that? Geez, anyone else would’ve forgotten it by now.”

“And therein lies your greatest mistake, Reno. You thought I wouldn’t remember that you pay off all your debts that way; you wait until the person you owe forgets.” Reno scowled, for what she said was true. “What do you want anyway?” He turned towards Cloud. “And what the hell is he doing here?”

Crystal glared at him. “Reno, you should shut up before you say something rude. Or else we might have a problem.” There was no trace of humor in her voice. Reno shifted from foot to foot, and looked down at the floor. After she was sure he was properly cowed, she continued. “I’m here because there have been some strange things going on, and I need information. He’s here because he wanted to know too. Understand?” Reno nodded. “Good. Now go get your boss. We need to talk.”

* * *

A couple of minutes later, they were all sitting at a table. Rufus was sitting across from Cloud and Crystal. He was wearing a loose white suit but was absent the bandages he had sported a year ago. “Crystal,” he said smoothly, “It’s been a long time. How can I help you?”

“There have been some strange things going on,” Crystal replied. She glanced at Reno who was complaining about something in a hushed tone to Rude, over in the corner. “Do you mind?” she snapped. Reno quieted and glared at her sullenly. “Thank you.” She turned back to Rufus, who acted like nothing had happened. She went on to describe the peculiar happenings of Gaia’s wildlife. She was careful to make clear that certain people, mostly strong fighters with some renown had been killed by ‘animal attacks’ and that one of the towns attacked had a munitions factory. Rufus listened to it all without expressing anything. How she hated diplomats.

“You are right to be concerned,” he replied, when she was finished. “But I assure you, I know nothing of this. There were no experiments we conducted to attempt to create such a behavioral pattern in animals. It is a curiosity.”

Crystal took this in without so much as blinking an eye. She glanced off to the side for a second, looking into thin air. She turned her violet gaze back to the former president. “Forgive me, sir, but there is something you’re not telling me. This isn’t a ‘behavioral pattern’ and you know it. This is Shinra’s mess. Now tell me, what is going on.” It wasn’t a question, it was a demand.

The one-time president was taken aback by her words. His diplomatic composure collapsed, showing anxiety, but it was instantly back in place. “You know me well, Crystal. You are correct. There is more to this than what meets the eye. I have noticed the focus of these attacks as you have. Why and how they are happening, I know not. However, I have ascertained that all these attacks have involved ‘Inflicted’ creatures.” Seeing the questioning look on Clouds face, he clarified. “Inflicted meaning, creatures that have been effected by experiments and mutated from the effects of Mako. The attacks themselves however are strategic, as you yourself have noted. Weapons and warriors are being targeted. But again, why and how, I do not know. There is no more I can tell you.”

Crystal asked a few questions, the answers of which Rufus did not have. “Hojo performed many experiments without anyone knowing,” he added. “A pity he is dead, for I’m sure he could tell you everything. Unfortunately, all files there might have been on his experiments were also destroyed in Weapon’s attack.”

Crystal glanced to the side again, hardly noticeable unless one was watching carefully. Rufus was watching her carefully, and he noted this behavior but said nothing. She looked back towards him and nodded. “Thank you. If what you say is true, then I think I know where the next attack will be. I’ll go there and see if they attack. If they do, we must prepare for any future attacks. If they don’t, we’re all just being paranoid. I’ll keep in touch, though. Stay alert and be prepared for anything.” This last bit was directed towards Reno and Rude. Rude nodded, and Reno looked surprised. “Why would you care what happens to me?” he asked as she and Cloud stood up and headed towards the door. Crystal looked back and smiled. “You still owe me that money, remember?” She continued out the door grinning at hearing Reno curse, and Cloud followed her.

“Are you going to try and track this whole thing down?” Cloud asked her as they walked towards the truck.

“Yep. There’s something wrong, and I’m not about to wait around for it to jump out and bite me in the ass.”

He smirked. “Well that’s fine, but how are you going to get there?” Crystal paused when he asked this and thought for a minute. “You know what? You’re absolutely right. I won’t get there in time on foot. Do you know any place were I can get a good bike?”

Chapter 4—A Meeting By Winged Fire

Three giggling little girls entered the bedroom, trying hard to keep quiet and failing. They looked to be around the age of eight and all three looked exactly alike. They all wore the same pale yellow pajamas, making them look even more identical. Huddled together, they crept into the bedroom and advanced on the sleeping figure lying on the bed. Their target was a young man, about 22 years old. His black hair hung down in his handsome face, but was otherwise cut short. He heard the girls approaching and smiled slightly as he heard the three girls enter his room, but he continued to feign sleep. Lying on his side, with his back turned toward the three, they couldn’t see his smile.

Suddenly, the three little girls tackled him, giggling uncontrollably. “Get up, Tylas, you have to come to breakfast!” one of the cried. The other two echoed her. All three had long black hair, had dark brown eyes, and were too cute for words. “Ah, you little demons!” Tylas joked. “Couldn’t you let me sleep in?” A chorus of ‘no’s’ answered him. He gave a fake groan as they continued to push him around. “Come on, come on!” they cried. When he didn’t move fast enough, they started to drag him out of his bed. “Hey, hey, HEY!!!” He tried desperately to grab a hold of the mattress, but to no avail. He fell to the floor with a loud thud. Squealing, the girls surrounded him, trying to drag him out the door.

“All right! I’m up, I’m up!!” he exclaimed as he stood up. Reaching down, he picked up one giggling girl and set her down on his shoulders. He picked up the other two, and descended down the stairs to the kitchen. Their mother was standing in front of the stove, smiling at the sight that met her eyes. Her son was carrying a giggling little girl under each muscular arm and a third was sitting on his shoulders, gleefully messing up his hair.

As Tylas entered the kitchen he set the two girls he was carrying down and lifted the other off his shoulders and put her on the ground as well. Laughing, the triplets started a game of tag around the table. Tylas walked up to his mother at the stove when he saw the look she gave him. She was getting old, and her hair showed streaks of gray. But she was still so vibrant that Tylas secretly suspected that the gray hair was more of a result of his sisters than that of age. “So what’s the verdict?” he asked. She laughed. “They just insisted that you make pancakes for breakfast.” He sighed. “Okay then, pancakes it is. Come on, help set the table!” he called to his sisters.

In short time, he was standing at the stove, making pancakes, and there was a smiling little girl latched onto each leg, sitting on his feet. And my friends wonder how I stay in shape he thought, as he shuffled around the kitchen. He literally dragged his feet as he made his way to the table. “Come on you two, it’s breakfast,” he said to the two on his feet. They jumped up, and scurried to their places at the table. In short time, they were all thoroughly enjoying the pancakes. Their mother sat down next to Tylas, sipping at a cup of coffee. “There was a call for you this morning.” She told Tylas. He glanced at her. “What about?”

“There’s some trouble with animals up north. Apparently someone heard how you handled the wolves and they called for you. My son is getting famous.” The pride was unmistakable in her voice. She laid a hand on his shoulder. “Your father would’ve been so proud of you,” she said softly.

Tylas smiled at her. He was the child from his mother’s first marriage. His father had been a well-known warrior, and had taught his son how to fight. His father died when Tylas was only eleven, when a dragon attacked him one Saturday. Tylas still remembered what had happened. His father had promised to take him hunting the next day, for the first time. He left for town to pick up a few things, and was attacked on his way there. Everyone agreed it was unnatural for a dragon to wander so close to town. But the whole incident had been brushed off as a freak coincidence.

In a few years, his mother found love again with another man. Tylas hated the man. At first there was no problem and everything was fine. Then one day Tylas caught the man beating his mother. Never had anyone seen him so angry. In a rage, Tylas attacked the man, literally throwing him through the front door. The fool managed to escape with his life, and left town for good, as soon as he had divorced his wife. The triplets were a result of the second marriage, and even though Tylas had hated their father, he loved his sisters more than anything.

“When do they need me to be there? Where is the town?” he questioned his mother. “ ‘As soon as possible’ they said,” she replied. “The town is about two days travel from here. If you follow the road to Kalm, you’ll be there soon. But I’m afraid you’ll have to walk.” He nodded, expecting as much. He tried to support his family as much as he could, but jobs were scarce in the small town. Even though he was getting more jobs in mercenary work, it still didn’t bring in enough money for them to get another vehicle. There was only one old car, and his mother needed it for trips into town. But he had gotten used to walking everywhere. “I’ll leave after breakfast,” he told her.

His mother frowned. “Oh, but you just got back from your last job,” she complained. She gestured at the triplets, all of whom were licking the syrup off of their plates and giggling. “You know how much they miss you when you’re gone? I never get a moment of peace. How do you keep up with them?” He grinned. “That’s a sibling secret.”

“Meaning you don’t know either,” she responded slyly. “But can’t you stay at least a little longer?”

Tylas sighed. “We’ve been over this before. How am I supposed to get a good reputation if I always arrive late? I have to leave. I’ll already be late by having to walk. I can’t risk staying any longer than I have to.” She sighed and said no more, knowing full well that he was right. She knew that he was capable of handling himself in a battle, and that few others matched his skill. But she still worried about him every time he left for one of these jobs. She was afraid that, one day, he’d walk out that door, and she’d never see him again.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Crystal groaned and dropped her head into her folded arms on the desk. Oh how she hated Google, she hated it, hate, hate, HATE!! And computers too. She hated them all. “So how’s it comin’?” She lifted her head and looked to her right. Sitting on a chair backwards, with his arms folded on the back of the chair, was Cloud. She groaned and dropped her head again. It was late, and she wanted nothing more than to bash this crapful computer until there was nothing left. “Not good I take it,” He observed.

Crystal sat up, and glared at the computer screen. “You know, I think this thing may be evil.” Cloud raised on eyebrow. “Oh, really?” She nodded. “Yes, I’m sure of it, in fact. It’s an evil torture device created by some demon at the beginning of time. How you managed to get hold of it, I know not, but it should be destroyed as quickly as possible.” And she cast a baleful glance at the offending machine that sat with an innocent look on its glass screen. Cloud threw his head back and laughed at this. “Trust me, I’ve thought the same thing myself many times. If it weren’t for Denzel and Marlene, I’d never be able to do anything on a computer. I don’t know how they do it, but they can get that thing to do anything. They’ve tried to explain it to me, but I swear, they may as well be speaking a different language.”

She laughed and nodded her head in agreement. She never would have thought that being a warrior would entail having to look up possible targets online. She sighed. “After much trouble, I managed to find a few leads. There are a few towns that manufacture weapons, Wutai being one of them. You might want to contact Yuffie. I’ve also found a number of fighters that have some renown. I think this one is most likely to be attacked next.” She handed Cloud a few papers that she had stapled together. The papers contained information about a warrior who was just getting some recognition in the mercenary business. Cloud scanned the profile, skimming over it quickly. “So why do you think it’ll be him?” he asked, looking back at Crystal.

“Two reasons. First off, he lives in a small coal-mining town. Not much to see, but the coal is a big part of the economy there. Now, if I’m right, and these towns are being attacked strategically, then this town fits the pattern of attacks. But it is rather small, and it seems like towns that have something to do with defense or weapons, are being targeted first. So it may be one town that’s attacked last.” She pulled out a map she had been making markings on. She pointed at one circled spot on the map just above the chocobo farm. “You see, here, this town was attacked first, it had a munitions factory.” She pointed at another spot, and others. “This one was attacked almost a month later, and this one a few weeks after that.” Each town was farther north than the last. “As you can see, what ever is behind all this is making a path to Edge. Now this guy’s town is about two days from Kalm. Second reason, this guy is actually from a rather long line of warriors. Apparently, a long time ago, warriors were stationed at this town to protect the coal mine. Since these Inflicted creatures seem to be taking out well-known warriors first, there’s a pretty good bet that this one here will be attacked next.” She sighed and leaned back against the chair. “Now, I don’t know what’s happening on the other continent, but this should be a good place to start.”

“I’m impressed,” Cloud responded. “So when are you going to leave?” Crystal groaned. “In the morning, probably. In fact…” she looked at the clock on the demon computer. “Actually, pretty soon.” She gave a theatrical sigh and slumped in the chair. Cloud chuckled. “Well then you should probably get some rest.”

“Yeah, you’re right.” She proceeded to shut down the computer. “I wanted to thank you for letting me stay here, earlier,” she told him. “And I’m sorry to leave so quickly, after showing up suddenly after not seeing you after a good couple of years.” Cloud shook his head and smiled at her. “It’s no problem, really. I can understand why you have to leave so soon. Remember, if you need any help, all you need is to call.” Standing up, he stretched and headed for the door. “Goodnight, Crystal,” he called back, and then walked off.

Crystal smiled. “Goodnight.” She would have to leave in a few hours. She hated having to ditch her friend like this, but there was no other choice. It wouldn’t take long to get to Kalm, especially now that she had a much faster mode of transport. She stared at the dark computer screen for a long time, watching the fiend in ‘sleep mode’. She had unnerving the feeling that things were going to get a lot worse from here on out.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

At around midday, Tylas was packing his things and getting ready to leave for Kalm. He was wearing a red T-shirt and black pants. Bracers protected his arms, and he wore pauldrons on either shoulder. So far, he had managed to hide the fact that he was leaving, from his sisters. But now that he was almost ready to depart, the secret came out. They way-laid him at the door. Grabbing him around the waist, they wailed and refused to let him budge another inch.

“Stay!! Can’t you please stay!!!” they begged, amid a chorus of tearful wailing. He hated it when they cried, and they knew it was their most effective weapon against him. He knelt on the ground to be at their level. “Come on, you know I have to go,” he tried explaining to them. His words did nothing to placate them however. All they did was hug him tighter and wail louder. He sighed as he hugged them back. Every time he had to leave was like this, with no exceptions. “Come on now, I promise I’ll be back soon.” They pulled away from him, sniffing. “You promise?” asked one. “Of course,” he replied in a soft tone, trying to calm them down. “I’ll be back in no time. You’ll see. And when I get back, I’ll do what you’ve wanted for so long.” The three immediately brightened. “You’ll teach us how to fight? Really? You will?” another asked.

He couldn’t help but grin. Ever since he had begun to do mercenary work, they had begged him to teach them how to fight. He would’ve done so earlier, but trying to teach three little girls with sticks on how to fight properly can be a formidable task. One he had put off until now. “Yes. I promised to teach you three a long time ago, and I think you’re up to it now.” Upon hearing this, all three girls squealed with delight and hugged him again, this time in sheer joy. He laughed. “Okay, okay, I’ve gotta’ breathe you know!” That was his line for them to let go. They did, and happily followed him to the door, jumping around in delight. Their mother, waiting by the door, had been watching the whole situation with a worried smile. As he approached the door, she gave a motherly hug and interrogated him to make sure that he hadn’t forgotten anything.

Satisfied that he was indeed properly prepared, she gave him another hug. “Come back home safely,” she whispered, making sure to not let the girls hear her. He nodded. “I will.” Grabbing his spear, which was leaning next to the door, he stepped outside, escorted by his sisters. He left the porch and jogged down the road a ways. Looking back, he waved to his sisters who energetically waved back. Smiling, he turned back towards the road and began his journey.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Crystal sped down the road on her newly purchased motorcycle, her blue-black hair streaming behind her. It had taken plenty of searching, but she had finally found a bike that pleased her. It wasn’t a Fenrir, but it would do. She had left Tifa’s bar about four hours after Cloud had bid her goodnight. It had been 7 o’clock in the morning and everyone had just begun to stir. That had been almost a day and a half ago. Now, Crystal was speeding down the vacant road to a small town two days travel away from Kalm. It was a gray day; flat gray clouds as far as the eye could see. She knew she’d get wet again.

As she sped down the road, she heard a faint cry; no, a roar. There was something up on the road up ahead. She slowed down and tried to gauge how close it was by listening. More sounds. She recognized the roar at least. But there was something else. Human? No, there wasn’t just an Inflicted animal, there was a battle going on. Pushing the bike for more speed, she raced on; trying to reach the battle before whoever was fighting the dragon was dead.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Tylas was jogging down the road at around midday. Looking up, he frowned at the sky, his gray eyes almost matching the color of the clouds above him. It was going to rain for sure. He’d be thoroughly soaked before he found any shelter. All he could do was to keep walking.

As he did, he heard something behind him. He whirled around, spear at the ready, trying to identify the sound as he searched for the source of it. There was nothing behind him. Warily, he backed up, still searching. After a few minutes, he turned around and continued down the road, but still at full alert. Soon, he heard the sound again, fainter this time, and farther back, but this time he recognized it. Wings…

With this sudden realization, he knew what he was up against. He dived forward, rolling into the brush along the side of the road. He had done so just in time. A stream of fire came from the sky, setting aflame a 20-foot stretch of road, including the spot that Tylas had so quickly vacated. Tylas had just managed to dodge the attack, but his pack had caught on fire. Deftly slipping it off, he left it to burn on the side of the road. He held his spear in front of him, scanning the sky for the dragon. He saw it just in time. It had finished turning around and was coming back for another run. Again, he rolled and dodged the searing flame. Now was his chance to move. It couldn’t attack him while it was turning in the air.

Springing to his feet, he ran down the road once more. He heard the roar as it spotted its prey once more. He had forced it to change its direction once again. Another burst of flame, and again, Tylas dodged. He wouldn’t last much longer like this. He had to bring this thing down, or else he’d be fried. Shifting his grip on the spear, he held it from underneath, in the throwing position. The dragon turned on wingtip and was headed straight for him. He began to run towards it and after a few steps, he threw the spear with all his strength, just as the dragon opened its mouth to unleash more of its flame.

His aim was true. The spear flew towards the dragon and buried itself in the dragon’s right eye. There was a blood-curdling shriek that shook the heavens and the dragon fell from the sky. Tylas had to, once again, dodge the dragon as it fell; it’s momentum from its flight carrying it nearly 50 more feet down the road. Finally, the dragon’s body ground to halt. It didn’t move. Its bat-like wings were half open; its serpentine neck bent forward. Tylas was breathing hard, and waited to catch his breath. He only hoped his spear wasn’t broken from the dragon’s plunge after the killing blow. He got to his feet and cautiously approached the dead body.

He was about 10 feet away from the dragon when it groaned, rolled over and staggered to its feet. It bellowed in pain and fury, it’s one good eye gleaming red and casting a lurid glow on the stunned warrior. He saw his shattered spear still embedded in its eye. Impossible…that should have killed it! Why isn’t it dead!! He thought frantically. He and the dragon watched each other, Tylas holding his breath, eyes locked with that of the dragon—then he ran. The dragon roared and chased him, proving to be as agile on the ground as it was in the air. Tylas tried to organize his thoughts, and kept running. He never heard the approaching sound of a motorcycle.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Crystal rounded the bend, and immediately tried to stop the bike, gritting her teeth as it ground to a halt. What she saw in front of her seemed like it belonged in a movie. Running towards her at full speed was a young man in a red shirt. Behind him was a dragon; it’s bat-like wings half-spread to help it maintain its balance. Diamond hard scales covered its entire body, the claws on its four feet making deep gouges in the concrete of the road. Two horns swept back from above its eyes, giving it the appearance that it was glaring. One eye was obscured by what Crystal thought was the shattered haft of a spear. The other eye was glowing red, casting a red glow over the desperately fleeing warrior.

Hopping off her bike, Crystal reached over her shoulders and drew both her swords and ran to meet the dragon. The warrior, seeing her actions, tried to call out to her and warn her. Just as he opened his mouth to warn her, the dragon swiped him with one clawed foot. The dragon’s talons dug deep into his side, and the force of the blow sent him flying sideways across the road. The dragon screamed in triumph. As Tylas skidded to a halt, he felt a rock slam into the back of his head. Flickering on the borders of consciousness, Tylas could only watch dazedly as the dragon approached him to deliver the killing blow. He was dimly aware of blood running across his chest.

The dragon was almost upon him when suddenly Crystal stepped between the fallen warrior and the fierce creature advancing towards him. The dragon snarled at this new adversary and sought to put an end to her with one quick snap of its powerful jaws. As the dragon’s head descended towards her, she deftly stepped to the side, and was left standing by its neck. Instead of trying to cut its neck, which she knew was heavily armored with thick scales, a quick front flip landed her squarely on its shoulders. Reversing her grip on the two swords, she buried them in the dragons back, right in the soft spot behind the wings. The dragon bellowed in agony; she had dealt it a crippling blow. The wing tendons had been severed and she had deprived it of the ability to fly.

Roaring, the dragon tried to shake her off of its back, but she held on, kneeling on one knee, keeping her grip on the two swords. The dragon, incensed by the antics of this puny creature that had wounded it so grievously, began to roll over onto its back, trying to crush Crystal. She had been expecting such a move however, and jumped off of its back, just as it was about to crush her. With its belly exposed, she struck. Moving quickly, she was nearly a blur as she struck the dragon’s belly again and again with both swords. Sparks flew as steel clashed on scale. But her attacks left many long, deep wounds on the beast, which bled freely.

The dragon struggled to right itself placing its flailing barbed tail between Crystal and its vulnerable belly. With one powerful swipe, Crystal was sent flying backwards at least 30 feet. Thinking that she was no longer a threat, the dragon turned back to Tylas, wings dragging on the ground.

Despite the powerful blow however, Crystal had managed to block most of it with her swords and had skidded to a halt, still on her feet. As she saw the dragon turn back to the other warrior, she was rather surprised. It should be focusing on her, as she was the immediate threat, while the injured warrior posed no danger to it. It’s focused on killing him, She thought. There was no time to run back towards the dragon; by the time she got there, the other warrior would’ve been killed. There was only one option left.

She twirled the swords, crossing the blades in front of her. Purple energy surrounded the two swords, rippling like flame. She brought the swords down in a sharp, slashing action, and two crossed beams of energy were flung off the swords and sent speeding towards the dragon. But she wasn’t done yet. Swords still glowing, she made separate slashes with each blade, and each time she did, another beam of purple energy was sent flying from the tip of the weapon and again sent speeding towards the dragon. She did this eight more times in addition to the two she had first cast off.

The beams of energy raced towards the green dragon, growing in size as they approached it. Each one slammed into its side, again and again, nearly knocking it off its feet. The great beast gave one last defiant roar in Crystal’s direction before finally falling under the last beam of energy.

Crystal lowered her swords, and ran towards the bloody scene. Half of the dragon’s side had been removed under her assault, and its blood made the road slippery. Even though she knew it was dead, she advanced on it cautiously. It had fallen partially on its side, leaving its chest exposed. When she had gotten close enough, she plunged one blade up to the hilt in the dragon’s heart. Satisfied that it was dead, she searched for the warrior she had seen earlier.

She found him not too far away, lying on the side of the road. Four deep slashes, made by the dragon’s claws, on his right side were bleeding freely. Despite the loss of blood and the blow to the head, he was still conscious, and as she approached, he struggled to lift himself up.

She quickly knelt next to him, laying her blood-covered swords carefully on the ground, and kept him from trying to rise. “Stop. Don’t move or you’ll only make it worse.” At these words he immediately stopped moving. She inspected the wounds on his side. “You’re lucky,” she told him in a steady voice. “It looks bad, but there’s no major damage. You’ll have a few scars though.” As she spoke, she reached into her pocket and pulled out what looked like a large green marble. Holding it in one hand, she held her free hand just inches above the slashes in Tylas’ side. After a second’s pause, a sparkling green light spread over the wounds, which in response stopped bleeding and began to slowly close as she watched. Pleased with the result, she cast another spell, ‘Regen’, which spread over Tylas and encompassed him in a red glow before fading.

Slipping the materia back into her pocket, she took a good look for the first time at the person she had saved. She froze. It was none other than Tylas, the very person she had been on her way to see.

* * *

“Here, I think it’s safe for you to sit up now,” she told him about 30 minutes later. She had instructed him to not move from his position to give the spells she had cast a chance to work. The wounds had closed, but there were four long, jagged scars on his side that no materia could remove. She helped him into a sitting position. He held his head, which was throbbing, but Crystal said that the ‘Regen’ spell should take care of that in a moment or two.

The dragon corpse had burst into flame a little while ago; it’s own internal flame immolating it merely minutes after its death. Before it had done so, however, Crystal had gone back and had retrieved the two upper fangs, the longest and sharpest teeth on the dragon. “First dragon?” she asked him. He slowly nodded his head. “Here,” she tossed him one of the teeth. “What’s this for?” he asked her numbly. “Think of it as a souvenir; something to remember your first dragon battle by,” she told him, and then went to her bike. He looked down at the fang she had given him. It was about eight inches long and ended in a razor sharp point. He fingered it gently, careful not to prick himself on the sharp point.

“How’s your head feeling?” Crystal had returned, kneeling by his side. “Better, thanks,” he answered. He made an attempt at a small smile. “Thanks for everything, actually.” Crystal waved off his thanks. “It’s fine, I expected to have to do something like that anyways, Tylas.”

He looked at her, startled, trying to read her face. She was expressionless, and showed nothing in her rich purple eyes. “How do you know my name?” he asked. “Who are you?”

“My name is Crystal, former general of SOLDIER, now a full-time mercenary,” she replied calmly. “And I know your name, because I suspected that an attack, such as that we have just endured, would be made in an attempt to kill you.” She watched his reaction carefully.

Tylas, knowing that she was studying his reaction, stayed calm. “How? Why?” he asked simply. Crystal silently applauded him for staying calm in such a situation. His getting quickly to the point, and not pussyfooting around the subject also impressed her. Settling herself more comfortably on the ground, she told him about everything; about the attacks on towns, on certain people, the behavior of the animals—everything. He listened to it all calmly, and when she was done he remained silent for a long time. “Why would someone want me dead?” he asked her finally. She shrugged, the now clean swords on her back clinking as she did. “I have no idea. But someone wants you dead, and I’m not letting you out of my sight until I know who, why, and that you’ll be safe.”

Tylas blinked. “Wait, you mean you’re going to protect me? …Why?” he asked, surprised by her words. She tilted her head slightly to one side and gave him a curious look. “If you were in a battle, would you give your enemy even the slightest advantage? Would you give them what they want?” she questioned him.

“Well…no.”

“Exactly. That’s why I’m going to ‘protect’ you, as you put it.” She stood up brushing off her jeans. “So, do you feel better enough to stand?”

“I think so,” he said, and slowly got to his feet. “Yeah, I’m fine now.” Crystal nodded. “Good, then lets be on our way. We should stop somewhere and get you another weapon.” She looked at him. “Do you have anything else? Don’t you have any supplies with you?” Tylas shook his head. “I did, but it’s ashes now.”

“Ah, I see. Well, we’ll have to do some shopping, won’t we? Come on, let’s go,” she said, as she walked towards her bike. Tylas followed her, but paused when she got on the bike. Crystal saw him hesitate. “What’s wrong?” Seeing the look on his face, she sighed. “Oh please, it’s my bike, I’m driving. You’ll just have to ride behind me until we get you one. Now come on, we have to be going. I wouldn’t be surprised if something else attacked you and the longer we stay here, the more dangerous it is.” That seemed to convince him. Slightly wincing at a twinge of pain in his side, he climbed on the bike behind her, and held onto her slim waist. Crystal pulled out a pair of iridescent, mirror-like sunglasses and put them on to protect her eyes from the wind, dust and errant bugs. Starting up the bike, she placed one foot on the ground, allowing her to make a sharp turn. Then the two were speeding down the road, heading for Kalm.

Chapter 5—Getting To Know Each Other

They rode on for the rest of the day, stopping only once for a break, during which Crystal made a call on her cell phone. Tylas was drinking some water that Crystal had given him, when she pulled out her phone and dialed a number. After a few rings, someone answered. “Hey, Mara?” Crystal asked. “Yeah. I’ll be back by midnight, probably. Can you do me a quick favor? Can you go out and buy a shirt? You’ll find out. Umm…,” she walked over to where Tylas was sitting, and stepped behind him. She grabbed the back of the neck of his shirt and glanced at the tag. “Hey!” he exclaimed, trying to twist out of her grasp. She straightened up and repeated the number into the phone. “That all? Mmm hmm. Okay. Thanks. It doesn’t matter, I really don’t think he cares.”

A burst of excited chatter came over the phone. Crystal rolled her eyes. “Oh, will you please leave off it?!” She scowled at the phone, from which Tylas could only hear incomprehensible chatter. Crystal tried a few times to speak but was overrun by whoever was on the other end. Finally she gave up trying. “Mara? Mara? I’m sorry I can’t hear you!” she said loudly into the phone. “I’ll talk to you when we—I get there, okay?” She quickly flipped the phone shut and returned to her spot on the side of the road where she had been sitting.

“What was that about?” Tylas asked. Crystal rolled her eyes. “My housekeeper, Mara. She acts like she’s my mother. ‘When will you get a nice boyfriend, Crystal? You should start thinking about setting down, you know’” she said in a high-pitched voice, imitating the voice of her housekeeper, fluttering her hands in the air. She leaned back against a tree and snorted with disgust. “What nerve,” she grumbled. Tylas chuckled. “I know exactly how you feel,” he told her. “My mother’s the exact same way, and it annoys the hell out of me. Never gives up on it, either. Determined, that woman.” Crystal nodded sympathetically. He took another sip from the bottle of water than asked, “So what did you ask her for?”

“I asked her to go get you a shirt,” she replied, pointing at the ripped clothing he was wearing. “We won’t get to Kalm until late at night, and by that time all the stores will be closed. I didn’t think you’d want to sleep in that or go out in public with it, since you have to go out and get what you need tomorrow.” Tylas looked down at his shirt, and the four long slashes in it. “I didn’t even think of that. Thanks.”

She nodded, then stood up. “Well, you feel up to more traveling?” she inquired. “Sure,” he replied as he stood up slowly, using a nearby tree for support. He shook his head a little, trying to bring himself of the dizziness that had come over him. “You okay?” Crystal asked, steadying him with one hand. He squinted at her, trying to make out her face through the blackness that had crossed his vision. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just dizzy; can’t see,” he mumbled. “Yeah, that’s from all the blood loss. It should pass in a few minutes,” she assured him. He nodded his head numbly, and closed his eyes. He continued to stand there for a minute, one hand on the tree, and Crystal keeping one hand on his shoulder to make sure he didn’t fall over. Suddenly, the dizziness passed. He opened his eyes to find that his vision had cleared up, his gaze falling on Crystal’s purple eyes. “I’m fine,” he said quietly.

“All right. We should leave now if we’re going to get back tonight,” she replied. She led him back to the bike and got on, Tylas sitting behind her. Putting the glasses back on, she looked over her shoulder at her passenger. “You ready?” she asked. He nodded. Turning back, she started up the bike, and they continued down the road towards Kalm.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

They arrived at Kalm by midnight, the sound of the bike’s rumbling engine filling the near empty streets. Crystal stopped in front of a white two-story house, on the outskirts of the town. It wasn’t very big, and had a fenced in backyard, and a garage, in which Crystal parked the bike. As they ascended the porch steps, Tylas thought he something moving inside through the living room window. He paused, staring at the window, trying to detect any further movement. Crystal had unlocked the door, and looked back at him when she noticed he wasn’t behind her. “You coming?” she called out to him. Tylas jerked at the sound of her voice. “Yeah, sorry, I thought I saw something.” He climbed up the steps as Crystal opened the door and stepped inside, flicking on the lights as she did.

Inside, standing right in front of the door was a German shepherd. Its tongue was hanging out of its mouth and its tail wagging wildly. The minute Crystal stepped in the house the dog barked and jumped on her, placing its forepaws on her shoulders. She staggered backwards from the sudden weight but quickly caught herself. She grinned into the dogs face and tried to push it off of her. The dog slid down, and barked a few more times at her, hopping on its hind feet, threatening to jump on her again. Crystal knelt down and began to pet the dog wildly, running her hands over the dogs’ back and head. “Jack!! Oh, you good boy!! Yes, you are such a good boy!!” she cooed to the dog in baby tones. The dog twisted and turned under Crystals hands, excited to see her, and loving the petting being given to it. Crystal chuckled, and continued to talk to her dog. “Did you miss me? Hmm?” At this the dog started to lick her face. “Ack! Okay, okay, you missed me!!!” she sputtered, trying to push the dog away. But the dog continued its assault, despite her efforts. “Jack, get off me. Jack, JACK!!!!” she yelled. The dog finally backed off, and sat down, its tongue lolling and tail wagging.

Tylas had watched all this by the door. Smiling at the sight of Crystal being greeted by her pet. He chuckled when the dog started to lick her face. Crystal, after freeing herself from the dog, heard his laughter. She turned and stood up to face him, hands on her hips. “And what are you laughing at?” she asked him testily. “N-nothing,” Tylas answered, his laughter making it hard for him to speak. The sight of the Crystal glaring at him, arms akimbo, face covered in dog spit, made him laugh even harder. “Well if you think it’s so funny, how about you get some too?” she responded. She pointed at Tylas. “Jack—LICK HIM!!!!”

“No, I’m sor--,” Tylas tried to apologize, but was too late. The dog sprang to its feet and jumped on him like it had to Crystal. Tylas, who was already unsteady on his feet from blood loss and fatigue, fell under the dog’s weight easily and crashed to the floor. Then Jack proceeded to lick Tylas’ face thoroughly. Tylas yelled and tried to protect his face with his arms, which Jack also licked. The dog licked the helpless warrior’s face happily, whom’s defense accomplished very little.

“Help! Get this dog off of me!!” Tylas cried. He heard Crystal say something, and Jack suddenly ceased his attack. Tylas got to his feet, grumbling. He glared at Crystal, who had one hand over her mouth to smother her laughter. “That wasn’t funny,” he grumbled. She shook her head, her laughter dying down, and replied, “Well you did it to me! Oh, you should see your face….” She started to laugh anew, laughter escaping from under her gloved hand. The dog, sitting by Crystal, stared at Tylas, and looked like it was laughing too. Tylas smiled in spite of himself, and after a few seconds, his laughter joined Crystal’s. They both stood there, their laughter, filling the house.

After a few minutes, their laughter died down. Crystal had one hand pressed against her side, trying to suppress the pain from her laughing. Tylas was doing the same, but was doing so because the healed wounds had started hurting again. “Well, that was good. Been a long time since I’ve had a good laugh,” Crystal said, trying to catch her breath. She turned and walked into the kitchen, Tylas slowly following her, the pain in his side slowly fading.

Lying on the table were two neatly folded black shirts. Crystal picked them up and handed them to Tylas as he came up to her. “I hope you don’t mind black,” she stated. “There’s a shower upstairs, at the end of the hall. Go help yourself.”

He took the shirts, thanking her, and went upstairs. In the bathroom, he pulled off the ruined shirt and examined the sight of his injury in the mirror. Four long, jagged, white scars stretched from his side to halfway across his back, each about three inches wide. Most of his torso was covered with dried blood; had Crystal not been there, he would’ve bled to death within minutes. He frowned at the scars in the mirror. If his mother ever found out, he’d never hear the end of it.

* * *

After she had thoroughly washed her face, Crystal slipped off her swords, lifting the straps holding the weapons over her head. She looped them over the back of a chair in the same way she had worn them. She dropped into the chair, and stared at the pile of mail on the table. She heard the water turn on up above. Jack nuzzled her hand, wanting to be petted some more. Crystal obligingly scratched the dog behind the ears. She sat there, petting the dog, and staring at the pile of mail, reevaluating the situation and what to do next.

She had confirmed that the attacks were not random. The dragon that had attacked Tylas had been Inflicted, one of the creature affected by Shinra’s actions. Not only that, but it had been focused on him, ignoring her while she was still a threat. Animals didn’t do that. They took out the immediate threat, and then did whatever. And that dragon had been miles away from its habitat. Dragons tended to live in high, mountainous areas. This one had been in a densely wooded area that gave out to miles and miles of prairie. There were some mountains off in the distance, but no dragon would’ve flown so far, even if it were hunting. That dragon had definitely been there to kill Tylas. But why? How? Why only Inflicted creatures? Why attack a select number of warriors? To eliminate them because they’re a threat? A threat to what? To who? When did a bunch of mad animals get so damn smart?

She sighed and rubbed her head. I have to stop asking questions when I don’t know anything, she told herself. I probably have this thing far out of proportion. Besides it’s giving me a headache.

She sighed and rested her head on the back of the chair, staring up at the ceiling. She had saved Tylas, that much she had accomplished. She should probably continue to try and warn others, head off attacks on towns, and try to track down where all these Inflicted creatures are coming from. That dragon had been green, with near black wings. Those dragons were from the south. In the north, the color ranged from blue to gray to black. Red dragons were found in the desert, and the rare white dragon resided in the far north. So maybe they’re coming from the south? Maybe. She couldn’t be sure with only one Inflicted animal to draw a conclusion from. She needed more information. To do that, she’d have to prevent or intercept at least three more attacks on people or on towns. From there, she could get a general idea of where the animals were coming from. So, next person or place most likely to be attacked, she’d have to get there. Not much of a plan, but it’s better than nothing.

She straightened up and began sorting through all the mail, the majority of which was junk. She was still sorting through it when Tylas came downstairs. He paused on the kitchen threshold, not wanting to disturb her. “You can sit down Tylas, I promise he won’t try to lick you again,” came Crystal’s voice. She still had her back turned to him, and Tylas now saw that the big German shepherd was lying under the table, with his head resting on her feet. Tylas entered the kitchen and sat down at the table, keeping one wary eye on the dog at all times.

Crystal was sorting through the mail, making two separate piles, one of which was considerably larger than the other. She glanced over at Tylas, who was wearing one of the black shirts she had given him. “How are you feeling? Head okay?” she asked. “I’m feel better, thanks,” he replied. He felt something warm bump his leg under the table, and looked down to see Jack resting his chin on Tylas’ knee. The dog’s woeful eyes begged Tylas to pet him. Tylas smiled and petted the dog, scratching behind the ears. “How long have you had him?” Tylas asked, continuing to pet the friendly dog. Crystal looked at the dog, and smiled slightly. “About two years,” she answered. “I found him digging through my trash one night. He had a collar, but there were no tags. Friendliest dog I’ve ever seen. I just couldn’t give him up, so I kept him.”

Tylas nodded and patted the dog on the head, a sign that he was done petting. “Well you got real lucky to find such a dog.” Crystal smirked at his words. “I’ve said that myself a few times,” she replied. She finished sorting out the mail, and dumped the junk mail into the trash. She returned to the table, and sat down, the swords clinking as she moved the chair. She turned towards Tylas, who his eyes on her the entire time. “Okay, so here’s the deal,” she told him. “The dragon that attacked you was Inflicted; it was affected in some way by Shinra experiments on animals which involved Mako and Jenova cells. You do know what Jenova is, right?” Tylas nodded. “Hard not to; they’ve got it plastered all over the news.”

Crystal sighed with relief. “Good. That saves us some time. I’ll fill you in on the details later. Anyways, that dragon was from the south, and miles away from its natural habitat. Now, if I’m ever going to find where these Inflicted are coming from, I need to intercept or prevent at least three more attacks.” She continued on to tell him her plan. He listened to her carefully, giving her his full attention. “Sounds like a good plan to me,” he stated when she was done. “Excellent,” she replied. “Now, I want to keep an eye on you, since the attack made on you wasn’t like the others. And I’m going to be traveling all over the place and in a lot of dangerous situations. I’d prefer for you to come with me, that way I can watch you, and try and solve this thing at the same time. But I won’t force you too if you don’t want to. So, do you want to accompany me in this or not?”

Tylas was silent after she asked her question. He turned his gaze towards the table, thinking about what would happen if he did go with her or if he didn’t. His silence continued for a few minutes, and Crystal waited patiently to hear his reply.

What about my family? He thought to himself. Shouldn’t I protect them? No, that would only put them in danger. These Inflicted are after me, and I’d be putting my family in harm’s way. The farther I am from them, the safer they are. I shouldn’t leave without telling them what’s happened, but I can always call them. Besides, I could help Crystal more with her endeavor by going with her than by going home. He continued to think it over, weighing the possible affects if he chose one way or another.

Finally, he looked up and met Crystal’s gaze. “I’ll go with you.” With those words he suddenly felt as if he were getting into something far beyond anything he had imagined. And now there was no turning back.

Crystal gave him a slight smile. “Then I am relieved.” She stood up and stretched. “And tired. I don’t know about you but I’m going to sleep. I’ll show you your room.” Tylas stood up and followed Crystal upstairs. She opened a door to reveal a simple bedroom. “Here you are. This is your room. My room is right across the hallway, so if you need anything, that’s where I’ll be.” She watched as he walked into the room, surveying every corner. “We’ll go into to town tomorrow and get you a weapon and you can get whatever else you need. You don’t have to worry about money; I’ll take care of that.” Jack padded into the room, and sat down next to Tylas, looking up at him. Tylas stopped studying the room and turned towards Crystal. “Thank you. For everything.”

For the first time, Crystal responded to his thanks. Giving him a small smile, she replied, “You’re welcome.” The smile disappeared, and she began to close the door. She called to Jack, who bounced out of the room. “Goodnight,” she called to Tylas as she shut the door, leaving him in darkness. “Goodnight,” he whispered. He lay down on the bed, not bothering to get under the covers. Staring into the darkness, he tried to organize his thoughts. At first everything had been going so well. And then he’s nearly killed and finds out that someone, or something, wants him dead. He wanted to warn his family, but he didn’t want her to worry. Why would someone want him dead? He was nothing special. Normal life, normal family; why would he be a target? Or a threat? Threat to whom? What about the job he had been coming here for? He’d have to tell Crystal tomorrow. Crystal. He’d never met a woman like her before. Her skill in battle was amazing. He’d never seen such skilled swordplay. Who was she? Where did she come from? Where did she learn to fight like that? Should he trust her?

He sighed. He was getting nowhere with this endless questioning. And he certainly wasn’t getting any sleep. Rolling over on his good side, he forced himself to try to sleep. After a few minutes, he had fallen asleep, in which he dreamt of fire and purple eyes.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

In the morning, Tylas descended the stairs and walked into the kitchen to find Crystal sitting at the table eating from a bowl of cereal. “Good morning, Sunshine! How did you sleep last night?” she greeted him. He sat down next to her and wiped the sleep from his eyes. “Sore,” he answered her. She nodded. “You’ll be a little sore for a few days. Healing a wound like that so fast puts a strain on the body.” He listened to her explanation sleepily, then sighed and folded his arms on the table, resting his head on his arms.

He felt Crystal tap him on the shoulder. “Hey you. I made some coffee earlier if you want some. Mugs and cups are in the cupboard above the sink.” Tylas slowly rose to his feet, and returned to the table with a mug of coffee. He sipped at it carefully. “What time is it?” he asked. “About 10:30,” she answered. “I thought you could use the rest. It’s the best medicine there is.” She rose to her feet and dumped her bowl in the sink. “I can see you’re still asleep, so I’m going to get ready, okay? And you better have something besides coffee, or I’ll sick Jack on you again.” With that she ran upstairs. A few minutes later, Tylas could hear the water being turned on in the bathroom. He looked down at Jack, who was sitting next to him, tongue lolling, and giving him a happy grin. Tylas wearily patted the dog on the head, and sipped from his coffee. “Morning people,” he grumbled. Jack licked his hand sympathetically.

* * *

Later on, they arrived in town, Tylas still riding behind Crystal. She parked the bike in what appeared to be the place where nearly all of the stores were located. Crystal was wearing the swords on her back as usual. When Tylas saw she was going into town armed, he asked her if people were ever upset by it. She replied that people don’t tend to get upset with someone who’s wearing two swords on their back. Tylas had to admit that she had a point.

Standing on the sidewalk, Crystal turned to Tylas. “So, do you want your weapon first or later?” she asked. “First,” he answered quickly. She smirked. “Follow me.” She led him to a small store. Inside, there were shelves full of every kind of weapon, save firearms. Tylas followed Crystal through the store to a counter in the back. Behind it, sat a man with graying hair. He was sitting on a stool, and examining a long bow, and looked up as they approached. He grinned at his customers. “Ah, Crystal! It’s good to see you again. What can I do for you today?” Crystal gave the man a small smile. “Hey Bert. My friend here needs a weapon. I’m afraid his last one broke.”

The man turned towards Tylas and studied him from head to toe. “Hmmmmmm. Spear, right?” Slightly surprised, Tylas nodded. “Yeah. How’d you know?” Bert laughed, slapping his hand down on the counter. “I can just tell. I’ve always been able to tell what weapon a person uses, and I haven’t been wrong once!” he declared proudly. He slid off the stool and walked around the counter. “Come, come! They’re all over here.” He beckoned for them to follow and then turned down one long aisle. They followed Bert through the maze of shelves until they came to one wall that was covered with different types of polearms. “Well, Tylas? Which will it be?” Crystal asked.

“Good question,” he replied. He walked up to the wall and looked for a suitable weapon. He picked up one spear and gave it a few practice swings, before returning it to its place on the wall. He did the same thing with a few others, and each time he replaced them. Standing back, he looked over the wall again. One particular spear caught his eye. It was on the very bottom, and he almost hadn’t seen it. Reaching down, he picked up the spear and was pleased with its weight. A lead weight at the end of the spear balanced it perfectly. Running his hands down the ebony shaft, Tylas found no imperfections that might weaken the weapon. The wide, flat head of the spear had two additional blades on the side that were angled down the shaft of the spear. The head also proved to hold no flaws, and was securely fastened onto the shaft. He made a few moves with it, thrusting, parrying, and slashing. Tylas stopped and looked towards Bert and Crystal. “I’ll take this one,” he said.

Bert grinned nodded in approval. “Ah, yes a fine choice that one. I’ve had that one for a long time now. I’m glad it’ll be put to good use, especially someone so skilled in its use!” Tylas was a little embarrassed with the old mans’ praise and he awkwardly rubbed his head as he fumbled for words. Crystal bailed him out by asking for the price. “Oh, take it!” Bert scoffed. “Seeing it put to good use is good enough for me.” Crystal refused to accept that however. “It may be good enough for you, but it won’t help you pay the bills. How much?” Bert crossed his arms in front of his chest and tried to stare Crystal down. After a few seconds, he knew he had lost. “300 gil,” he said. “Come, pay at the counter.” They followed him back through the maze of shelves to the counter. There, Crystal paid the 300 gil for the spear.

Stepping outside, Tylas thanked Crystal again for the spear. She smirked, and waved off his thanks. “Did you think I was going to let you walk around without a weapon when someone wants you dead? I’d have to follow you everywhere. Besides, it wasn’t very expensive, especially for an ebony spear like that. Bert lied about the price, but I let him get away with it.” Tylas considered this for a moment, than asked, “You’re right. But if you knew he lied, then why’d you pay for it?”

“I’ve known him for a long time,” she replied. “He’s a kind old man, but he doesn’t get much business. I don’t want him to starve, that’s for sure.” She glanced at Tylas from the corner of her eye. “And he was right you know. You’re quite skilled with a spear.” Tylas, embarrassed once again, felt his face get hot. “My dad taught me,” he mumbled, not looking at her. He heard her chuckle. “He taught you well. I’ll have to spar with you sometime. It’d be interesting.” Before he could respond, she handed him some gil. “Here, take this and get whatever you need. I have to go get a few more things. Meet back here in an hour.” With that said, she turned and disappeared into the crowd.

Tylas stared at the gil she had pressed into his hand before she had left. Then, stuffing it into a pocket, he walked down the street, searching for the right store.

* * *

An hour later, Crystal returned to the front of the weapons shop and stopped when she saw Tylas. He was leaning against the wall, looking in the opposite direction, holding the spear in one hand. Instead of wearing black, as he was when she last saw him, he was dressed in crimson clothing instead. She walked up to him and tapped him on the shoulder. He quickly turned and smiled when he saw it was her. “Hey, Crystal.”

“Hey, yourself,” She replied. “ I take it your favorite color is red?” He feigned surprise at her comment. “How’d you know?” he exclaimed. She snorted, and looked him over. “Well, at least you good in red. What else did you get?”

He was pleased with her compliment, though he didn’t tell her that red was more than just his favorite color. There was a reason why he wore it, but he decided he would tell why later. He shrugged in response to her question. “Just a few other things, I didn’t need much. Here’s your change, by the way.” Digging into one pocket, he brought out the rest of the gil, about half was left, and handed it to her. She shook her head and pushed his hand away. “Keep it. You need it more than I do.” Again, Tylas was left fumbling for words to express his gratitude. Before he could say anything, she asked if he was hungry. The two ended up eating at a small restaurant, and then returned to her house.

Tylas stashed his things in his room, carefully leaning his spear next to the door. When he came back downstairs, he saw Crystal busy drawing something on a drawing pad at the kitchen table. He came up behind her and looked over her shoulder. “What’re you drawing?” he asked. Not taking her eyes off the drawing she quietly replied. “Oh, just drawing something. Not quite finished yet.” She leaned back to let him see. She hadn’t added any color, and the picture was only half-finished. A dragon dominated most of the picture, facing towards the viewer. One eye was obscured by what appeared to be a shattered spear. Tylas raised one eyebrow. “Ah, so this is what you saw when you came around the corner, right?” Crystal nodded, and resumed her drawing. “Yeah,” she replied, her tone sounding distracted. “Drawing is just a hobby. I should have it done within a few hours.” Tylas sat down next to her and watched her drawing. “You’re very good,” he stated. “Thanks,” she replied.

They stayed that way for several minutes, Crystal drawing, and Tylas watching. Suddenly, she straightened up and stretched her back. She looked over at Tylas, who was craning his neck to get a better look at the nearly finished picture. “Hey, you feel up for some sparring?” she asked him, giving him an inquiring look. He blinked, not expecting such a question. “Um, yeah, I’m up for it. Been a long time since I’ve had someone to practice with.” She gave a small smile, and stood up. “All right then, let’s go.” He followed her to a door, which led to the basement. The basement had been turned into one large room, with padding on the floor. A number of staffs and wooden sticks were held in a metal cylinder in one corner. Tylas slowly walked to the center of the room, gazing around as Crystal continued on to the wooden sticks.

She went back to Tylas and handed him a wooden staff. “It’d be best not to use real weapons for some light sparring,” she told him. She was holding two similar wooden rods, though they were shorter than the staff she handed him. She backed up a few steps to put some distance between them. “You ready?” she asked. He nodded, holding the staff in a fighting position. “Any time.”

“Good. Then—begin!” She zipped toward him and attacked with lighting speed. So surprised by her suddenness, Tylas barely managed to block her first few blows. He was about to make a counter-attack when he felt one of the wooden rods pressed against his throat. Crystal lowered the rod and backed up once more. “Pretty good. Now, again.” She had taken him by surprise the first time, but now Tylas was ready. He blocked her first round of attacks, and then performing many smaller actions, he swept her to the side, knocking her to the floor. She rolled as she hit the ground and sprang to her feet, only to find one end of the staff at her throat. She was a little surprised, but was also very pleased. Finally someone that can really fight! “Very nice,” she stated as he lowered the staff. “Show me how you did that, slower this time.” Tylas was all too happy to oblige. She, in turn, showed him just what she had done during the first round, again in slow motion. When this was done, they started to spar again, in regular speed. Each time they fought, their maneuvers grew more and more complex, the skill of the two warriors coming into play. Every time one or the other had been defeated, they went through it again, in slow motion, learning how to defend and attack.

They continued to spar for hours, stopping only when Tylas noticed how dark it was outside. “Geez, I didn’t realize how late it was,” Crystal exclaimed. She returned the two wooden rods and staff to their place, and glanced at Tylas, who was doubled over, hands on his kneees. “I hope you like pizza.” He laughed and nodded his head, trying to catch his breath. “Pizza’s fine,” he gasped. She frowned at the state he was in. “You shouldn’t have pushed yourself that hard. You’re still recovering, and putting any strain is only going to hinder any healing.” He shook his head, unable to speak. “I’m fine.” He straightened, finally having caught his breath. “See? I’m fine. Nothing to worry about.” She gave him an I’m-not-buying-it look and headed towards the stairs. He followed her to the kitchen, where he gratefully sat down in a chair.

Crystal picked up the phone and dialed a number. As she ordered the pizza, Jack came up to winded warrior and rested his chin on Tylas’ leg. Tylas slowly scratched behind the dogs’ ears, his thoughts wandering. It’s amazing how well she can fight. I’ve never seen someone handle a sword the way she does.

Crystal hung up the phone and sat down at her usual spot at the table. “Pizza will be here soon,” she informed him. “You know,” she began, giving him an approving look, “you really are very skilled. It’s been a long time since I’ve had a good fight.” Tylas smiled, rather pleased with her praise. “Thanks. Like I said, my father taught me how. I’ve promised my sisters that’d I’d teach them, but….” He trailed off, unsure as to what to say next. Crystal raised one thin eyebrow. “Sisters? How many sisters do you have? Are they younger?” Tylas looked at her, slightly taken aback. She saw his look and thought she had offended him. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to intrude. It’s just that mercenaries are usually loners, and I was a bit surprised…” she trailed off in her apology as he laughed.

“No, no, it’s fine. I wasn’t expecting you to ask that’s all. In fact I have three sisters, triplets. And they’re eight years old.” He saw her questioning look and explained just how he had siblings so much younger than himself. He told her how his father had died, mother's second marriage, and about his sisters. She listened politely, giving him her full attention. When he was finished she let out a low whistle. “Wow. Your sisters must be a handful. I can only imagine…” Tylas laughed. “Yes, they’re quite a handful. But I love ‘em.” Crystal chuckled and left to answer the knock at the door. She paid for the pizza, and returned to the table with the pizza. She set it down on the table, opened it, and pulled out a slice, and began to eat. She motioned for Tylas to do the same. “Go ahead. I’m very bad a table manners myself, so I really don’t care. Help yourself.” Shrugging, Tylas helped himself to the pizza as Crystal had. He found he was enjoying himself quite thoroughly. Swallowing a bite, he glanced at Crystal, who was feeding the crust to the dog. “So how about your family? Any siblings?” Crystal shook her head, and reached for another slice of pizza. “No. No family. I was given to the orphanage a few days after I was born. I was never adopted, thankfully. The closest I had to a sibling was my friend, Jessica. She was adopted though, and….” She trailed off, staring at the table with a far-away look.

“And…” Tylas prompted. Crystal jerked, returning from her thoughts. She looked up at him and gave him a small smile. “And she was beaten to death by her adopted parents.” She fed the crust of her pizza to Jack, brushing her hands together to wipe off the crumbs. Tylas was stunned. “I’m sorry,” he told her quietly. She waved her hand, brushing off his apologies. “It’s fine, it’s fine. After that, I left to join SOLDIER.” She told him about her career. “Wow,” was all he could say when she was done. “Wow.”

She chuckled. “While I’m not as enamored with it as you are, I must admit, it’s not a bad job.” Seeing that he was done eating, she packed up the pizza and put it in the refrigerator. She returned to the table, Jack close on her heels, hoping for another tidbit of food. “So, what is with the red? My favorite color is purple, but I don’t make such a statement about it as you do,” she asked. Tylas had expected her to ask just that. “Actually, it’s part of an old family tradition. You see, they always wore red clothes before going into battle. That way their enemy would never see the color of their blood.” He leaned back comfortably in the chair and shrugged. “Since I’m the last of the family bloodline, I thought I could use it to get recognition in the mercenary business. You know, like a symbol or logo.”

Crystal gave him an approving look. “Clever, I must say, very good idea. I should have thought of that myself,” she mused thoughtfully. Outside, they heard a siren off in the distance. “Probably some accident,” Crystal muttered, turning to look at the window.

“Oh! Crap, I nearly forgot,” Tylas exclaimed. “I was coming to Kalm for a job I had gotten.” Crystal turned around and looked back at him. “For what?” she asked.

“I got this job, something about having trouble with animals. I’m sorry I forgot to tell you earlier, but things have been kinda hectic. Anyways, I just thought you should know.” Crystal was silent when he finished, processing what he had just told her. Another siren sounded in the distance, joined by another. Crystal stood, and walked over to the window. She peered through the blinds and froze the sight before her. She didn’t say anything.

“Crystal? What is it? What’s wrong?” Tylas questioned her. He got up and walked over to the window. She glanced at him and pulled down the blinds, uncovering the window. He stood there, frozen in shock, and watched as Kalm began to burn.