Turning towards one of the two great Generals of Emperor Gestahl’s Army, Cid blinked his eyes in surprised. “You want to see the being?” Noticeably, he stopped calling it an ‘Esper’.
The blonde general nodded her head, her demeanor completely different from the one she had with Kefka. “But of course, Cid.”
Considering her request for a moment, Cid slowly nodded his head. “I don’t see why not. I don’t think it can hurt you, I have it so heavily sedated... I had to feed it to the thing to get it to finally settle down.”
Celes blinked her eyes at that. “How did you sedate it if you couldn’t pierce its skin with the needles to drain it?”
“Like I said,” Cid said as he started walking towards the door he had entered. “When I say ‘feed’, I literally mean it! I had to get the creature to swallow it!” As he made his way to the door, Cid’s boots made a rather cute ‘squeak’ with each step he took. Finally placing his hand on the handle, he slowly opened the door, again the creaking of steel grinding against steel echoing loudly.
Celes stood behind Cid and looked curiously inside, her hand unconsciously going to the hilt of her sword. Even if this being was sedated it could be dangerous and Cid sometimes tended to be... Less than careful.
Not that Cid wasn’t a genius, but sometimes he would get so far ahead in his work, he’d forget to go back and check things. It would explain why Kefka, with all the magical essences empowered into his being, just wasn’t ‘right’, specifically in the head.
But then again, that might have been Kefka’s own personality to begin with...
The room was a medical lab, similar to the one she’d just been in, only there weren’t any upright tubes here. However, there was assorted machinery lining the walls, letting out squeaks, bells, and whistles. In the center, there was only an empty table with a small island table on wheels with surgical tools next to it.
And noticeably, nothing else...
“Wuh-where’d it go!?” Cid shouted in shock as he stared at the medical bench, the Kevlar straps snapped completely.
Years of training took over as Celes placed a hand on Cid’s shoulder and pulled him back and behind her, out of danger’s way. “Are there any other exits?” She asked as she took a step back and pulled at her sword, a metallic sound echoing her motions.
Cid shook his head. “No, this door is the only way in or out!” He was quick to say. “We can’t let it escape this room! Otherwise it’s a maze in the factory, and those damn armors will wreak havoc!”
The general nodded her head in understanding and firmed her resolve. “I’m going inside. Close the door behind me and call for reinforcements.”
Cid’s eyes widened. “But what about you, Celes? I can't just leave-”
“I’ll be fine,” Celes said firmly, then added in a softer voice. “You created most of my skills, remember? You know what I’m capable of.”
Slowly nodding his head, Cid told her, “Good luck. And don’t you die,” he smiled lightly. “It wouldn’t be good for either of us. Nor the troops, since it might mean Kefka could get promoted.”
“The Emperor forbid,” Celes said jokingly and stepped forward at the ready.
Cid nodded his head and slowly stepped back, closing the doors behind Celes. He whispered softly before the doors shut completely. “Stay alive.”
*CLANG*!
And there she was, alone in this room with a creature she knew nothing about, except that its skin was harder than anything they had. A creature she couldn’t see right now. “I am not here to fight you,” she said slowly, studying the room carefully and trying to cover her back at all times.
After a few seconds of relative silence, where only the sounds of machines were heard, before a male voice suddenly spoke up. “Hardly seems like it,” the tone was that as if one were scoffing in disbelief. And honestly, Celes couldn't blame the beast.
The blonde woman sighed in understanding. She’d feel the same way were their roles reversed. “If I put the sword down... Do I have your word that you will not attack?”
“...You have it...” The male voice responded. “So far you’re the first person to talk before acting...”
Celes nodded and slowly placed her sword on a nearby table. It would be within reach, but far enough that it couldn’t be considered an immediate threat for him. “I am General Celes Chere, in service of Emperor Gestahl.”
There was silence for a moment, until finally, the male voice responded with, “Zelgadis Graywards. I’d say it’s a pleasure meeting you, but so far, these past two days have been a piece of hell.”
“Do you know by what means you ended up by the gates of our city?” The general asked. “You were taken in and mistaken for an Esper. That would justify the treatment you’ve been recipient of.”
“Fine. First question, I’m not completely sure, but I can tell you it had to do with a fight between a dragon of some sort that I’ve never seen before and a huge, possibly LIVING castle!” The voice shouted, heated, angered, obviously agitated. “And second, what in the nine hells IS with all this ‘esper’ business. Esper-this or esper-that! Honestly, if you people are after monsters, then maybe you should all polish this rust-bucket of a castle and look at your reflections!”
Celes winced at the insults, but was unable to get angry at them. From his point of view they were perfectly justified. “Please calm down. Violence will not solve our situation here.”
“I could say the same thing to everyone here!” The voice shouted, reverberating through the room. “All I did was wake up, and I was beset by an army! A literal army!”
Closing her eyes for a moment, Celes sighed and nodded her head slowly. “They mistook you for an Esper, because of your appearance,” she blinked her eyes for a moment. “And speaking of which, I still haven’t seen what you look like...”
There was a long pause to that. Silence was all that answered Celes for a long while until finally, after nearly three minutes...
“I’d rather not...”
“Then it would seem we are at an impasse,” Celes said as she looked all around, searching for the source of the voice. “If I am to try and help you, I have to know who you truly are. Otherwise they will continue to believe you are an Esper.”
“...FINE!” The figure shouted. “Turn to your left. I’m coming out.” And with that said, a figure stepped into the small electrical light spread out of the ceiling’s light-bulb. He was average height for a man, a solid six feet with slightly above athletic musculature, but those were the only things average about him. Blue was the coloration of his skin, and about his body were patches of stone, so smooth it was as if they were polished. His strands of hair seemed to shimmer and crinkle against one another as if they were wire. And his eyes, a cold violet, let a deep lilac in a winter’s frost.
And it was from these features, that Celes could notice the smaller details. Such as pointed ears which reached past his hair with bangs hanging over one of those amethyst eyes, a strong, chiseled jaw...
...And the fact he was completely naked. Definitely anatomically correct.
“...Well?” Zelgadis asked as the woman stared at him. “Are you happy now?”
The general quickly turned around, hiding a furious blush. “Why didn’t you warn me!?” She demanded, mortified as hell.
“It’s not my fault that you people took ALL my possessions, including my clothing!” Zelgadis shouted. “I figured you already knew that!”
“You still could’ve said something!!” Celes cried back, without turning around.
“Well, gee! Sorry!” Zelgadis growled in irritation. “Forgive me for forgoing any sort of decency while you people poke and prod me with all sorts of inhumane tools!”
“...Can you at least try to cover yourself?” Celes asked in exasperation.
“Fine,” Zelgadis grumbled, looking around for something to use. Reaching over and grabbing the surgical tray from the small island table, he upending it, letting the tools fall to the ground, clattering as they landed. He held the metal tray over his privates and said, “You can turn around now."
Hearing that, Celes did so, slowly and making sure he was indeed covered before fully turning around, and really looked the guy over. She had to admit, he did look so different from a human that the confusion with an Esper was an obvious one. Yet she had been around them her entire life, so Zelgadis’ appearance meant nothing out of the ordinary to her. “So what are you, if not an Esper?”
“I WAS human,” Zelgadis answered. “Until my grandfather used my own desire for strength against me and turned me into what you see before you,” he emphasized his point by holding out one arm, as if to let Celes get a good look at it, the stones glittering the artificial light. “I’m sure you know what Chimera Arts are.”
The blonde blinked her eyes in confusion, unfamiliar with the term. Although she had to admit, his anatomy was interesting.
“...A chimera,” Zelgadis said again. Obviously, wherever he ended up, they, or at least this woman, had no clue what a chimera was! “Chimeras are made by using magic to construct an amalgamated creature.”
“I see,” Celes said slowly. “So you are the result of experimenting with magic, then,” the blonde said in something of understanding. ‘Pretty much like me,’ she added to herself silently.
Zelgadis nodded his head firmly. “Speaking of experiments, from what little I’ve seen inside here, you people are doing your own experimenting...” His tone was cold and to the point. Partly because this was place was reminding him far too much of Rezo’s Lab, AND that they were able to use magic while HIS ability to cast spells, was, for some unknown reason, cut off from him!
“I assure you, it has nothing to do with purposely hurting you,” Celes said with as much conviction as she could. And it was true, in a way. The Empire was much bigger than both of them, so even if she was against this kind of thing nothing she did could stop it.
Zelgadis could believe that, but... “Still doesn’t explain this talk about Espers, OR kidnapping me and taking everything on me that I owned!” His tone still had a hard edge, but at least it wasn’t directed AT the woman. Now that he was actually talking rather than being forced to fight, he could look at things with a clearer head.
Maybe he should ask this woman to get him a set of clothing...
“I know it doesn’t,” Celes said in understanding. “If you will talk to me, allow me to understand, I’m sure there’s something we can do to get you out of here.”
Zelgadis blinked his eyes in surprise. “You’d help me?” Needless to say, after all the treatment so far, he didn’t expect to have someone just up and free him.”
The blonde woman nodded her head. “Why wouldn’t I?”
“Because you’re obviously working for those who put me in this position...” Zelgadis answered.
“And that would instantly make me a monster?” Celes asked with a raised eyebrow.
“What’s good for the goose...” Zelgadis said slowly. “Let’s just say, I’m skeptical for good reason,” he slowly turned to look the woman over. “But if it turns out you are a monster, at least you’re better looking than me.”
“Flattery will get you nowhere,” Celes said evenly, long used to such approaches from most of the male population of the Empire. “For now, if I can be assured that you don’t have violent intention, I will convince Cid to not try and sedate you and to bring you some clothes. How is that for a start at negotiations?”
Zelgadis nodded his head. “That sounds-”
There was suddenly a loud grinding of metal against metal as the entrance to the room opened slowly. The figure of a woman appeared from the other side of the double doors. The green-tressed woman in rather revealing clothing of pink floral silk top and red leather mini-skirt with mid-shin high-heeled boots stood there, looking blankly into the room with shimmering reddened eyes.
Slowly, she turned towards those gathered, specifically, Zelgadis.
Zelgadis looked at the new-comer and then turned to Celes. “One of yours?”
Shaking her head, Celes narrowed her eyes, not recognizing the newcomer. “Who are you?” She demanded to know.
The green-tressed woman didn’t say anything, just staring at Zelgadis. She slowly raised her right hand, holding her hand out towards him, her lips movingly so softly, it was hard to make out whatever the words were.
And then finally, there was a spark of light around her, one which Celes recognized as someone, such as herself, casting MAGIC!
”Fire.” Was all the woman said before a small wave just appeared up from out of the floor, traveling along the ground and getting larger as it suddenly washed over Zelgadis.
“DAMN IT!” The chimera roared as he dropped the tray and held his arms up to protect his face. His body may have been impervious to physical attack, but magic could still put the hurt on him, and he was feeling the burn!
When the flames died down, Zelgadis fell to one knee, arms still up to shield his face, even as the rest of his body was smoking.
“Stop this at once!” Celes cried out as she took a hold of her sword and stood between the downed chimera and the green-haired woman, eyes narrowed dangerously.
“Yes, don’t kill it!” Cid’s voice could be heard as he came into view from behind the woman. He nervously waved at the General who stood ready with the sword. “Um... Reinforcements.”
“What do you think?” Kefka said as he lightly pushed the green-haired woman to the side, walking in with chest puffed out, and acting prideful. “What do you think of my little pet?” His smile was large, showing off his yellowed teeth once again.
“Kefka...” Celes ground out as the vilest of curses. “Just what the hell do you think you are doing!? Will you ever learn to ask questions before you blast things into oblivion, you imbecile!?”
Kefka blinked his eyes for a moment... Before standing there and laughing pompously. “Oh my dear General Chere, flattery will get you nowhere. Obviously, you are too shocked by me saving your sweet little ass, even after you were so boorish to me earlier. WUH HUH HUH HUH!”
Zelgadis groaned as he slowly got back to a standing position, his entire body still feeling as though it were aflame. “What an ass...” He muttered just loud enough so Celes could hear him.
The blonde general agreed entirely. “If you had stopped to think, something you obviously have trouble doing, you would’ve found out Mr. Zelgadis here isn’t an Esper, nor is he violent. In fact he is as human as any one of us.”
Which was an interesting thing to say, considering both her and Kefka weren’t human, not entirely at least.
Cid blinked his eyes. “Human?”
”RUBBISH!” Kefka snorted. “Look at him! He’s obviously one of those THINGS! And he’s just packed chock full of magical power...” He grinned as he looked towards the green-haired woman. “Burn him again! We must save the endangered General!”
Again, the woman held out her hand out towards the chimera, her lips movingly so softly in chant as she once again gathered power...
Zelgadis’ eyes widened. This again? Crap! He didn’t know what kind of fire spell this was, but it REALLY hurt! Worse than one of Lina’s fireballs!
If he knew this was the lowest level of fire spell, he probably would’ve felt even worse.
Celes’ eyes gleamed and she raised her sword, focusing her energies. “Runic!”
“Fire,” the woman answered again with a flash of magic. Following her actions was the sight from before, the flames appearing from nowhere and gaining size and power as it traveled...
...Only this time it veered AWAY from Zelgadis, and towards Celes.
His eyes widening, Zelgadis was up to his feet instantly. He was a chimera with golem skin, he could stand up to this. A human woman couldn’t! “LOOK OUT!”
Kefka sneered lightly. Ah, the ‘Runic’ technique, just as he expected. He held his hand behind his back as he lightly began to mumble.
Celes remained impassive as the spell came towards her, and at the last of moments veered up and to her upraised sword.
And just like that, in a flash, the flame seemed to move faster, and move upwards towards the sword, cascading upon it and swirling around it, before literally dissipating into the length of the steel blade, leaving the blonde woman unharmed, and apparently refreshed.
“What the hell kind of technique was that?” Zelgadis mumbled lightly to himself, in complete shock and awe of what he’d just witnessed...
Suddenly, Kefka glowed brightly and he thrust both his right hand forward. “LIGHTNING!”
Zelgadis screamed as a bolt of electricity hit him dead on. He hadn’t been prepared for it, and he found himself taking the concussive blast full on, the magic powerful enough to send him crashing back against a wall, before he fell in an unconscious heap, sparks froming from his stones and strands of hair.
Patting his hands together, Kefka smirked with self-satisfaction. “And that takes care of that! WUH HUH HUH HUH HUUUUUUH!”
“Kefka!” Celes growled out as she was tempted, oh so very tempted, to use the power she absorbed to pay Kefka back for the stunts he’d been pulling of late.
Kefka stopped in mid-laugh and stared at Celes, giving her a shit-eating grin. “Oh, no need to thank me dear. I know I was only doing my duty...” He chuckled and walked over towards the downed chimera. “After all, no Esper, while being able to give you trouble, could ever hope to be a match for me!” And with that said, he gave the unconscious person a swift kick in the head.
“OOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!”
And learned just how hard it was.
“Ow, ow, ow, my foot! My freaking foot! OWWW!” The crazed clown cursed as he hopped up and down on one leg while holding his pained right foot in his hands, cursing up a storm.
Celes sheathed her sword and crossed her arms over her chest. Served the clown right, she thought. “He’s not an Esper, Kefka. He’s a human that was magically enhanced, pretty much like us.”
Cid blinked his eyes. “Seriously?” He asked, his curiosity getting the better of him as he tip-toed idly towards the person. “If so, he’s advanced beyond what my science can do... I wonder who did this...”
Celes unceremoniously pushed Kefka away from her, ‘accidentally’ making him fall on his ass, and knelt next to Zelgadis. “More than the ‘who’, we have to worry about the ‘why’ and ‘how’.”
Cid nodded his head seriously. “You’re right. This could be a rival power trying to spring up against the Empire.” His eyes widened. “It may even be an action taken by the Returners!”
Doubtful, but we shouldn’t discount the possibility,” Celes said evenly. As a General of the Empire, she had to be prepared for such an eventuality, even if she didn’t think it the case, considering what he’d told her. His own desire for strength helped this happen to him. What about the Empire’s desire for power?
She turned to regard the grumbling and glaring Kefka.
Question answered.
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(Posted Wed, 21 Jun 2006 03:17)
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