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Drifting	By : NiaraAfforegate Category: Final Fantasy Games > Final Fantasy XIII-2 Views: 1980 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
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Chapter List
- 1-Drifting
- 2-Pt. 2
- 3-Pt. 3
- 4-Pt. 4
- 5-Pt. 5
- 6-Pt. 6
- 7-Pt. 7
- 4
- 5
- 6
====
They were both quiet as they dressed. Serah cleaned herself up and changed her underwear, all the while trying to think of what to say, or how to explain herself, but it was hard when she didn't fully understand her own feelings, or actions. What had started out as the intention just to return the favour with a relatively small intimacy, had turned into something that felt like a great deal more than she had meant to offer, and yet, once again, she didn't feel bad about it, or regret it. Even after her blood cooled, she felt as though, if Noel had taken the initiative, and... gone further with her, she still wouldn't have regretted it or been upset, but that still felt different, somehow, from willingly deciding to go all the way with him. It wasn't a fair position to take, and she knew it, but it was what her heart felt all the same. How did you explain that to the man you'd just had all-too-nearly sex with? She could tell Noel was struggling with conflicted thoughts as well, but she couldn't find a way to begin.
Breakfast was light, but satisfying; a thin strip cured meat, bread made from the few edible grain plants that grew wild on the steppe, and a small amount Ochu seed nut-flesh. For only a relatively tiny amount of food, the other hunters assured them it would be enough to keep them working hard all day. Tipur invited them to join the other hunters that were taking the furthest foraging paths, and get a better feel for the lie of the land.
While they were both skilled enough at riding Chocobos, Serah was keenly aware that neither she, nor Noel, had the same easy grace that most of the other hunters did while mounted. He bow served well, though, even if aiming accurate shots was much harder from her mount. Noel took to wielding his weapons joined and extended, similar to the spears many of the other hunters used as they rode.
The cloudy skies started to rain not long after mid-morning, though it was a slightly warm, refreshing rain that cut the heat in the air without being uncomfortable. It was while they were circling a mother Ochu, that the first difficulty of their visit began.
“Be careful, and keep your distance! The ground is soft and its vines can rip the earth or grab your Chocobo if you don't keep moving!” hunters called back and forth, though much of what was shouted sounded like it was for both of their benefits, more than anything else. The hunters themselves already knew what they were about. The goal was simple enough; keep the mother distracted while others separated off and struck down as many of her little seedlings as they could manage. The nut flesh made up a large part of their core nutrients, especially since the flan had grown so scarce, and any hunting party that came back with a fair amount of the seedlings had done well.
Serah was with the group distracting and confusing the mother, and she peppered it with arrows from any blind side she could reach. The individual shots did almost nothing at all; the thick matted coat of moss-like hair... or maybe it was really moss? Either way, between that, and the Ochu's own woodenly tough hide, it would probably take more than a concerted effort from everyone to even hurt it. The ground around her rumbled as the Ochu turned her way suddenly, tiny bead eyes fixing on the pink creature that was irritating it so.
“Serah! Look out!” Another rumbled, all around this time, and her Chocobo drew up on its own, squawking and rearing back. Just as the sodden soil exploded up around her, she caught sight of Noel, leaping clear of his own Chocobo as he cut in front of the monster. His spear came apart in a fluid motion that let him slice the heavier of his blades down through the thick feeler-vine that was sunk into the ground. The mud and dirt that flew up around her was accompanied only by a vine that fell limp even as it burst forth, and the Ochu roared loud enough to deafen, staggering backwards. It lashed back with the other vine in the moment that Noel put hands to his ears; he had been right by its mouth at the time, and Serah did the only thing she could think of in the half instant she had; she channelled a bolt of fire as strong as she could muster over Noel's head, to scorch the attacking feeler before it could strike him. It was enough, and Noel recovered quickly, following up her action with a fierce gust of Aera that flipped the monster onto its back just long enough from him to mount his Chocobo again and break away.
“Stop, both of you!” The shout came from the most senior of the hunters with them, and it was only then that Serah noticed the frightened and worried looks on many of the others. The mother Ochu roared again, though this time it was more of a frightened, warning, than a challenge, and began to retreat from the group as quickly as it could. Only a few of the little seedlings still followed it; many had been dispatched by the hunters, and a few more had been netted. Two of the hunters had jumped down to being killing them quickly, before their distressed peeping could embolden the mother to return. The others had reigned up behind the hunter that called to them, and Serah and Noel fell-in in front of him; his gaze was stony, to say the least.
“We don't kill the adults, and we try very hard not to harm them, either. We have to leave this mother alone, now, until she has recovered. Alive and well, they will always sprout more seedlings; it's better that way.” he shook his head, pinching the bridge of his nose. “If that were all, I wouldn't fault you. You know better now, and you were only protecting one another. When you came to our camp, why did you conceal the fact that you were cursed?” His comment drew more agreeing murmurs from the other hunters, and a puzzled look from Noel.
“Uhh, cursed?” As confused as he seemed Serah thought she understood.
“We used magic, Noel.” Despite the fact that they were being watched, she did her best to whisper to him. “We're so early in the timeline, branded l'Cie are the only humans who can use magic at all, and then, only accidental, rare pulse-l'Cie would even exist.” To his credit, Noel nodded at once. Looking back to the others, he shook his head.
“Right, cursed. I don't suppose you'd believe that it slipped our minds?” Serah put her face in one hand as he spoke. So much for a clever answer. The other hunters were equally unimpressed.
“No.”
“Okay... Well, we don't have brands, so we can't prove to you that we're not a danger to anyone, but I would swear to you, my oath as a hunter, that we aren't. How's that?” That didn't sound much better to Serah, but to her surprise, the hunter just looked at Noel, long and hard, then at her. After a long few seconds, he looked back to Noel.
“You said you were the last of your clan, when you came to us. Now I find out you are both cursed, as well. I think I begin to put a picture together. Enough of one, anyway. I believe you, Noel.” Just like that? Serah couldn't help but glance back and forth between them, but the moment was over almost at once and a shout from their leader got them all moving onwards again.
As it turned out, the dialogue wasn't quite over, but the rest was saved for when most of the other hunters weren't listening in. she and Noel rode alongside the hunt leader and he spoke casually without looking their way directly.
“I can't say I've ever heard of a cursed one who didn't have a brand to show for it. I have an idea, but maybe I am just rambling to myself. Two youths come to us, lost and alone, without any surviving clan or tribe. We don't recognise their clothing, at least not as being part of any clan any of us know. We find they can use magic, but they both seem honest certain that they aren't a danger of turning Cie'th, but without any brands to show how long they have, how would they know that?” He leaned back in his saddle to scratch at his chin.
“One of them seemed confused to be called cursed at all. Maybe they aren't. Maybe there was a clan that learned to channel the crystal and use magic, without the need of the fal'Cie's cursing touch. If that happened, I don't think any fal'Cie that learned about them would be very happy. Sure they mostly keep to themselves and do their own thing, but magic is still their gift alone to give or withhold. No I don't think that any fal'Cie that knew of a clan like that would let them be for long. I imagine, once one or more of them took mind to stop it, they'd be lucky if even one or two of that clan escaped alive.” Now he cast a sidelong glance to both of them.
“Tell me, how do the idle ramblings of an old hunter sound to you both?” Serah couldn't tell if Noel was playing the part, or if the man's theorising was too close to the bone for him, but the boy stared straight ahead as he rode.
“Sounds plausible to me. You would trust us amongst your people based on nothing but a plausible theory?” His words were dark, and Serah began to suspect that he really was struggling with thoughts about everyone he had lost. There was little she could do to comfort him, riding as they were, though. The older man just laughed.
“No! I trust you amongst my people because you gave me your oath, and when I looked into your eyes, I could see that you meant it.”
The wind picked up as they continued their hunt, and the cloud cover began to mass and darken into more threatening clouds. As the gale grew, the hunting party drew reign, and there were more annoyed mutters.
“Trouble.” The leader spoke to Serah's questioning look. “This storm is what's causing the game shortage. Since it started, any time this storm kicks up, that's when all the flan disappear. Anyone we've send to investigate it hasn't come back. The most we know is that there's some monster in the heart of the storm. We're all making for camp, right now.” Serah looked to Noel and found him nodding back to her. They turned to the hunt leader together, though she let Noel do the talking.
“We might be able to help. We'd like to investigate the storm for you.” Again, the older man rubbed at his chin, though the others seemed eager to start heading back. At length, he nodded.
“I'd rather you didn't take the Chocobos, but it'd be unfair of me to deprive you of them now. Maybe you're just what we need. Listen. Head west and follow the wind. When you get back, I'll have told Tipur about you both, and he'll want to hear the whole story, and the whole truth. Even if I'm right, and you're both safe to be around, not everyone'll be okay with it, but if you can solve our game problem here, I guarantee no-one will care; you'll be as welcome as the closest kinsman. Good luck, and try not to get yourselves killed, alright?” He reached out to shake both their hands once, then turned the rest of the hunters with a shout and led the way southward, back towards the hunter camp.
When they were gone, Noel looked to Serah and grinned.
“Just us again, then. A monster in the storm, and the flan disappear. Even if it's sucking them all up, I get the feeling it isn't eating them.” He kneeled up on his Chocobo to scan around, looking through the rising dust and debris that the wind was picking up. Serah nodded, even though he didn't see.
“Noel, Are you thinking what I'm thinking?” As she asked, he dropped back down again and nodded once.
“If there are flan here... I'll bet you my favourite bow that there's some connection to the giant flan back in Sunleth. If they're disappearing from here, and appearing in Sunleth, then there's got to be a paradox involved, and if we can resolve it, that should cut off the flan, and stop the big one from getting any bigger.”
“So let's go check it out then.” Agreed, they set off towards the heard of the wind storm.
It felt like hours later by the time Serah and Noel were walking back towards the hunter camp. Walking because their chocobos had run off once they'd found the monster at the heart of the storm, but at least the weather was pleasant again. It had been a near thing, in the end. Serah couldn't help rubbing her arm every so often, where it had been shattered by one of the creature's swipes. The other downside to the sort of quick, combat healing they were both forced to do in situations like that was how much more of a toll it took on them. She felt utterly exhausted, and even though he wasn't showing it, she knew Noel was too.
Unfortunately, the walk back also gave them time and space, finally, to stumble upon the awkward conversation that they both knew had been looming since the morning. It had started simply enough, but even in the beginning she'd felt like they were stepping carefully around the adamantoise in the room.
“I almost feel sorry for it now... swallowed an artefact that caused a storm, and then every time it opened its mouth, it inhaled hundreds of flan. They probably weren't even its normal food.” Noel walked beside her, tailing one hand in the long grass. She looked at the crystal they were carrying. It had been an unpleasant and messy job, getting it out of the creature once they'd beaten it, and she gave thanks once again to how magically resistant to any sort of mess her dress was. Noel hadn't been so lucky, and bore a great many blood stains.
“So, do you think this will fix the paradox?”
“Yes. Now, let's head back, before Snow gets himself into more trouble.” Here it came... a heavy, worried feeling settled in her gut at the prospect of the conversation she knew they had to have, but she did her bet to make light of it, grinning and putting her hands behind her back.
“Why, are you worried about him?” The way it came out, made her sound like she wasn't in any real hurry to get back to him, and she realised, on reflection, she wasn't, not really.
“What? No... I just figured you'd be itching to see him again.” His words, light and casual, were every bit as guarded underneath as hers were, and she could tell what they were both doing; trying to feel out the waters without having to commit to any bolder or blunter statements. She sighed softly.
“If there's on thing I've learned about Snow, it's that there's no point in me worrying about him, when he's off on his own.” That stung, a bit, and she caught herself stepping past Noel as she spoke, so he wouldn't see her face. She had worried about him, a lot, to begin with, and learned only recently how truly foolish that had been. She stopped and turned back when Noel didn't catch up to her at once. The young man had paused, hands on his hips and his eyes cast off to the side, in thought.
“You know, I couldn't do what you two do. Staying apart, and doing your own thing... even though you love each other.” There was the feeling of a question in the last bit of his words, and she couldn't deny that it was valid. He was giving her the chance to confirm or deny the gentle probing, but she only managed a sigh. He took her cue and continued, changing direction slightly.
“You never know when someone might suddenly disappear from your life. Take it from me, you have to make every moment count.”
“Noel...” the weight of those past memories that he wasn't ready to share yet, had hung heavy over the words, and she searched for something to say that would help. He brightened, though she could see how forced it was, and tried to brush the sadder words away.
“But it's ok. I believe we can change those fates. If I didn't, I wouldn't be here.”
“I... Yeah...” There seemed little for it but to let the conversation drift to other things as they continued back towards the camp. They'd dodged all around the issue, trying to feel each other out, but in the end hadn't managed to talk about or resolve anything, and she just felt too tired to push it any further right now.
Dusk was falling again by the time the camp came into view, and many hunters had rushed out to greet them as they made it back. The atmosphere was equal parts disbelieving and celebratory. The storm had stopped unexpectedly soon, but when their chocobos had come back alone, many had feared the worst. As it was, the whole camp settled down for an evening meal eager to hear the story of what had transpired, and Noel was happy to tell it.
She watched him quietly as he stood or strode about the fire, his telling accompanied by many small actions and gestures as he went. As much as he had often spoken poorly of his singing voice, Serah thought his skill for telling a story was the best she had ever heard. Even if she hadn't been a part of it, he managed to imbue such emotion and atmosphere into his words that it really was like living through the encounter all over again. He was a little more modest about his own part, and more praising of hers, than she recalled being accurate, but on the whole, she could have sat and listened to him all night. Many of the other hunters seemed to agree, and were sad when the story finished, but cheered for them both all the same.
Noel hadn't shied away from their use of magic during the fight, and while she had seen a couple of slightly nervous faces, no-one really seemed to mind too much. Perhaps the word of their situation had already been put around once the hunting party had returned. As if to confirm her thinking, one of the others turned to her shortly after the cheers had quieted, to ask about her abilities, and if they really came free of any sort of brand or curse. Explaining was difficult, but more than anything, she found herself relieved that it wasn't going to cause any trouble for them here, if they came back. It would be nice to come back; Noel clearly enjoyed the atmosphere, and it felt like a simple, honest and enjoyable lifestyle. Time itself seemed to move more slowly, here, than elsewhere, and taking some time out along their journey might not be a bad thing, really.
Even so, they said their farewells the next morning, and headed for the gate. Exhaustion had proven a convenient solution to the potentially awkward situation of sleeping again; they had curled up with one another, but she and Noel both had fallen deeply asleep within minutes of lying down.
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- 4
- 5
- 6
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Drifting