Waiting Waiting
Jaana
Jaana scowled as she leaned against her chocobo. She could see Bacca by the entrance to the cave, talking with a warrior she hadn't seen before. She squinted, but could not make out his form. It didn't matter, of course. If he was dangerous, she would have felt it.
The chocobo looked up toward Crystal Peak and blinked. It turned its head toward Jaana and stared at her. She didn't understand why people insisted on treating chocobos so badly. They were very intuitive creatures, even if they were strange looking. This one appeared to be of above average intelligence. "It's almost like he knows what we'll find there" she thought. "Unlike some people here...."
Bacca was waiving his arms around now, Jaana noticed. She wondered what he was ranting and raving about this time. "Probably wants to know what's going on." she said to no one in particular. She had been getting more and more annoyed with him lately. He always seemed to be clueless as to what was really going on in this war. He entertained the troops with bravado stories, played the genteel lover, and impressed his council with talk of strategy and tactics, but he never really *did* anything.
Jaana grimaced as the pain in her stomach flared up. She felt her mind wandering to places she had not allowed herself to go. Sephiroth was gone. She knew that. She knew that he had been keeping his mind closed to her, that any contact between them could be sensed by Mog's truthsayers, and that if he was found out, he would be put to death. She shuddered. The chocobo looked at her.
"Wark?"
Jaana petted its head absentmindedly.
"Wark!"
She looked at the chocobo, puzzled. It stomped its foot.
"Wark! Wark!!"
Jaana turned to see what had excited her mount. She saw Bacca standing near his tent. Kaitlin and Lady Paladin were with him, in addition to three other figures. Jaana's eyes widened.
"Raziel......" she whispered. "This is not good...." The chocobo cocked its head. Jaana picked her helmet and spear off the ground and began walking toward the tent.
The One and Only Shadow
"Boof bored."
"Yeah. Me too. Isn't there anything exciting to do in this camp? This place sucks."
"Boy, you will get something "exciting" to do soon enough. Just be patient. I'm going out to get some fresh air."
Raziel exited his tent. He looked up at the clear blue sky. Then he heard the voice.
"Raziel, what are you doing here!?"
Raziel looked down and saw her. It was Jaana. How long had it been since he had seen her last? And, what was she doing here?
"Jaana, is that you?"
"Yes. It is. Is that you? You haven't aged at all since I last saw you all those many years ago."
"Well, um. That's right, in some ways."
"Well, what are you doing here?"
"I have the same question for you."
"I--"
Jaana was cut short by the voice of a man.
"Raziel, High Lord Bacca has summoned you to his chambers. He has made his decision."
"He has? All right. I'll have to talk to you another time
Jaana." Raziel walked over to the flap of the tent and called for Nico and Boof. They proceeded to leave for the tent of the High Lord.
"Goodbye Jaana." Raziel said as he left.
Jaana just stood there, watching the trio walk away. Something had to be done...
The One and Only Shadow
[Sky, occupied by his non-Internet life, has not responded with Bacca's decision]
"What's taking this guy so long?"
"I don't know. Just wait a few more hours. We'll enter the cave sooner or later."
"Kupo!"
"Shut that moogle up boy!"
"I can't."
"Then I will!"
The day was going on in a most boring fashion. The three companions, Raziel, Nico, and Boof the moogle, were bickering and arguing more then ever. The camp was so active, it seemed as if everyone had forgot about the trio. From what Raziel had heard on the "grapevine", nothing was even mentioned of the three in Bacca's meetings with his counsel. What blasphemy.
"All right, that's it. I'm taking matter into my own hands."
"What do you mean?"
"I'm going to march directly into High Lord Bacca's tent and
demand an audience!"
"Have fun."
Raziel left the tent they were staying in and began to wander around, looking left and right of any sign of Bacca's tent. He couldn't see anything. There were soldiers left and right, doing a variety of jobs. Raziel could see one soldier relieving himself in a bucket. The camp was a mess. Then, he thought he saw Ku-Sam for a moment. Yes, there was Ku-Sam now. Raziel walked up behind the black moogle and tapped his back.
Clearing his throat, Raziel asked, " Excuse me?"
Ku-Sam turned around, and was startled to see the mage. "Oh...it's just you."
"Long time no see..."
"Yes, I would've liked to keep it that way."
"Well then, that's too bad."
"I have no time to talk to you. What do you want? Instead of talking to you, I could be picking my teeth."
"Damn you Ku-Sam, you always were the stubborn type."
"Listen, tell me what you wanted to ask me, or, I'm just going to leave."
"All right then. In what direction is the High Lord Bacca's tent located? I need to ask him if he has decided to allow my companions and I to enter the cave with his army."
"Oh. He's just down this path to the left. Bye now."
The moogle began to run to a tent nearby.
"Once a moogle, always a moogle..." Raziel stated, under his breath.
The mage began to walk in the direction that was given to him. He saw a tent up ahead that had banners with the High Lord's symbol on them draped from the roof. There were two guards next to the entrance.
"Who are you?"
"I want to speak with the High Lord."
"All right. Wait here. Let me see if he'll grant your request."
The guard went inside for a moment. He returned with an answer.
"The High Lord says you may come in."
"Thank you."
Raziel walked through the curtains. In front of him, he could see Bacca sitting at a desk. The conversation was about to begin.
His Dark Lordship
"Ah, you again. And exactly what would you like?" asked the High Lord of all that Kicks Ass.
"I'd like to know if we're to accompany you into the cave and if so when the hell we're going in..?"
The high lord smiled.
"Yes, you're coming.. I haven't decided about the moogle yet. And as for the cave, there's something hauled up in the paperwork. There any other questions or would that be it?"