Part 2: Making Progress

Rude slowly walked around the sitting room, he was looking for clues of any kind of the presence of the girl. Nothing, so far… Reno was asleep on a sofa, and Elena was drinking a cup of coffee. Rude, unhappy with finding nothing, threw himself into a chair and looked over at Elena.

"Why exactly are we looking for this girl, again?"

Elena took a sip of her black coffee and looked up at Rude. "She’s very important. She holds the key…"

"To what?" Rude asked.

"I’m not sure… But I do know this." She reached into her pocket, and withdrew an envelope, she handed it to Rude.

He opened the envelope and read it’s contents carefully.

"No…" he said, finally finishing it. "He can’t be."

"Alive? Why not? After all we’ve seen, you’re gonna tell me that it’s impossible for him not to be alive?"

"Both of them?"

"I think so."

"How?"

"How the hell should I know?"

"Then why not the Ancient?"

"She was weak."

"So what do they want with this girl… This Karis…"

"I don’t know."

Rude sat and rubbed his chin. "If they’re both alive, then that means more is at stake than ever. If we get this girl…?"

"Then we get our lives back. They promised as much. No more streets, no more poverty… Living the good life." Elena said, taking the envelope away.

"Why do I not believe that?"

"Believe what you will, but if you don’t do it, me and him will." Elena gestured at Reno.

"No, don’t worry, I’ll help." Rude said. "Believe me, I want out of this situation as bad as you two."

Elena smiled. "Good." Then the smile contorted into something more evil. "When we get the girl, we turn her over to them, and then we’re in the clear."

Rude nodded, and looked over at Reno. "Well… I hope it’s that easy."

"Trust me…" Elena said. "Like candy from a baby. We’re Turks!" she said.

Rude just half-smiled, and stared out the window in the room, out upon the empty sea. He hoped Elena was right.

The wind blew sharply past Karis as she climbed the rough terrain of the Corel Mountains. Her hands, despite the leather gloves, were blistered and chapped from grasping the rough rocks. Finally, Karis reached the old abandoned mako generator. She had never been here before, nor learned of its presence, but one of the visions had told her of its existence. She closed her eyes and remembered that vision. There had been a man. He was older, and had a cigarette in his mouth. He was with two other people, but they were hard to make out. He had… Ran into the reactor, and then a train had quickly sped out of it. Then the group led by the man had followed… And that was the end of the vision. It had been one of those visions that had not been all that cryptic… And not at all scary. Very unusual for her visions. Karis sat down on the old railroad tracks, and pulled off her gloves.

She ached all over, her face was throbbing from the cuts that had not been properly cleansed, and her hands were numb with pain. She felt like giving up, but how could she? She had to keep moving, if she didn’t then she would either be killed or captured. No, she had to keep going, she had to see her path through. Somehow, she hoisted herself up and began moving in the direction of North Corel. That was her next stop… She pleaded to God to let her make it.

In Costa Del Sol, the Turks had just disembarked at the port. Elena was the first one off of the dock, sweeping the town square for any sign of their quarry. Nothing. Angrily, she spun around and face the rumpled Reno, and the bored looking Rude.

"God dammit! Where did she go?" Elena said, hitting her fist on her palm.

Rude was already in the crowd and was looking around. He was thinking…

Reno for once, was actually trying. He reached into his pocket and found a slip of paper. On it was printed a picture of the girl they were hunting. They had taken it during surveillance in Junon one night. Reno walked around the square as Rude and Elena yelled at each other. At one end, near the entrance to the city, stood a man. He was loud, obnoxious, and was wearing a REALLY bright shirt.

Obviously a "travel guide."

"You." Reno shouted at the man.

The man turned to him. "Excuse me?"

"Come here." He said, gruffly.

The man raced over, evidently excited and eager to please. "Oh, sir! You look like a man with great taste! Here! Don’t you want one of these T-shirts? No? Maybe a time-sharing opportunity? Not that either? Oh! I know! You want one of these!" the man pulled out a pair of swimming trunks.

Reno paled and tried to edge away from the man, when the picture slipped from his hands and fell to the ground.

The tour guide saw it and trembled. "Oh…! You’re with… Her? Oh, I’m sorry!!" he said, clearly frightened.

"Huh? What do you mean ‘with her’?" Reno asked, snatching the picture up. "You saw this girl?"

"Yeah! She came through here about an hour and a half ago. She was quiet… Not rude or anything, but her eyes… They were so… Strange." The tour guide shuttered.

"Where did she go??" Reno demanded. The frightened man looked at Reno, visibly trembling.

"I think she went towards the mountains. She seemed to be in a hurry." The man reported, pointing in the appropriate direction.

"Thanks." Reno said, pushing back his unruly red hair. He rushed back to the arguing Rude and Elena.

"Found her." He said.

"What?!" the both spun around, faces beet red.

"She went up the mountains. She’s heading to Corel." Reno reported.

Elena turned her gaze to the mountains. "Well, what are we waiting for?"

Karis was on a bridge now. It was long and it wobbled back and forth. She was deathly afraid of heights. She struggled not to look down, but she was so scared. Her palms were clammy and her head spun. She swallowed, hard. She was halfway across, when she suddenly felt dizzy… Was it her nerves? Was it… No… Oh, no. Not now! She pleaded. But it was too late.

Karis pitched headfirst forward onto the planks of the bridge. She was already gone…

This vision… It was a kaleidoscope of colors and sounds. She heard a girl scream, and then a voice.

"I’ve returned for you." A male voice spoke.

"What do you want?" Karis asked. Her voice was surprisingly calm.

"I want you… I want your power."

"What power? I don’t have power!" Karis screamed. "Just leave me alone."

"You don’t understand yet?" the voice sounded exasperated. "No matter. You’re already on the path that will lead you to truth. The truth behind your existence."

"Stop!" Karis screamed. "I won’t listen to you! I’m my own person! You don’t control me."

"But I do… I do." The voice whispered evilly.

"I hate you…" Karis whispered against the voice.

"Good… That’s just what you should…" he whispered back tauntingly.

The canyon below yawned beneath her. Her breath came short or not at all, and her heart rose in her throat. She felt so very scared. Slowly she closed her eyes, trying to prevent the tears from taking the long plunge down into the abyss. She hated heights… She hated bridges… She hated this. She half wanted to fall into the voracious jaws of the canyon and die. It would be better than being tormented by these voices, and visions, and horrible places…

But she had to get up. Something told her. She swallowed, and she planted her hands on the planks. Her face was wedged between two. She pulled herself up on the unsteady bridge. Somehow, she unsteadily stood. It felt like some force, like a rope around her waist pulled her towards the other end of the bridge. When she reached the other end of the bridge, she fell to her knees, sobbing. She was in shock, her hands were trembling uncontrollably. What was happening? Why did it feel like someone… Something was controlling her now? What was it? Why? She stood up, ready to wretch. Karis held her head in her gloved hands for a moment, and then looked away from that bridge from hell.

She couldn’t think about that now. Up ahead she heard voices. Was it a village? She hurried on to find out.

"We’ll take this one." Elena said, signing a form for a rental car.

"Very good, miss. You’ll have wait a few minutes while we fuel her up and clear the paperwork. I’ll be right back." The man said.

Elena tapped her fingers impatiently. She had sent Rude and Reno out to get supplies and maps for the trip over the mountains. They really didn’t need them, but Elena needed to be alone for a little while. All those two did was fight, or cause a ruckus. She didn’t need that. It was funny. Tseng had died on this same quest they were on now, seeking out some girl… Some girl with power. He had unofficially left Elena in charge. Well… At least she thought so. Elena was the newest Turk, well, the last addition, but she was the most intelligent by far. Reno was always after the booze, or the women. Rude… Well Rude was either drinking or just sitting. He didn’t say much, and if he ever had any input, he kept it to himself.

Finally, the man returned from the back of the little store, with a key in his hand. "It’s out in front of the main entrance."

"Thank you." Elena snatched the key from the man’s hand, and left the room quickly. She was just about to go the entrance and start the car when Rude and Reno walked up, Rude holding a map, Reno with two cases of beer.

"Got the supplies," Reno smiled smugly, popping one of the beers open.

Elena rolled her eyes "Get in the car."

Soon they were off.

Karis somehow dragged herself into the village ahead. It was barren, desolate. The people there looked sickly, and sad. Despite the conditions around them though, the citizens of the town somehow kept a brave front up… And if Karis had never tried to look further, she might have just thought they were hardworking people, no more, no less. She trudged past the small rundown shacks, and to a small area where a older man was setting out a collection of junk.

"Do you have any potions?" she asked, weary. Her hands hurt, and her whole body was racked with pain.

"Ah! You’ve come to the right place young lady." The man replied, he drew out a box, and opened it. "These are the finest, most sacred potions. I got them from a traveler passing through."

Karis smiled wearily, and stared at the potions. They were in chipped bottles, each clear liquid glowed with a colored sheen. Karis fingered the glass vial in the center, ready to pay for it, and then try to relax. But suddenly, almost without her consent, her fingers trailed over to the most battered vial at the end of the box. She picked it up, looked at it and in the most unnatural voice.

"I’ll take this one please." She said, her voice mechanical and cold.

The man before her was too happy in making the small profit to notice or care about the change in the woman’s voice. "Thank you." He said, cheerfully taking the gil the woman held out to him.

Karis took the vial and walked away, she walked away, slowly to the other end of the village, to the embracing shadows ahead. She slowly unscrewed the vial with a sore, gloved hand. She took the vial to her lips and swallowed it in one gulp. She knew too late as the bitter gall burned her throat. She had made a deadly mistake.

This vision was unlike the others. It was peaceful, and not at all frightening. Karis saw herself, in her black coat, standing at the end of a well lit large room. The room was something like the ballrooms of old. Karis had never actually been inside one, but she had seen pictures. Why was she here? Then she heard the clicking of shoes on the marble floor. She looked up, and saw a woman standing before her. She had long brown hair and haunting green eyes. Where had Karis seen eyes like that before…? Her visions…

"Hello." The woman said, softly.

"Who are you?"

"Shhh, Karis. I brought you here. I knew that the potion would make you fall into this state. It’s made from a flower that induces sleep."

"Who are you?!" Karis demanded again.

"You needn’t worry about that. All I want you to know is this…" the woman paused, and then looked at Karis, seriously. "You and I have walked similar paths… Ones that our ancestors carved for us, long ago. Yet, my path led me to a place… A place from where I can’t return. But that does not bother me… What I ask you is… Are you prepared for what your destiny holds?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Are you prepared to walk the path of the Chosen One?"

"What?!"

"Karis…" the woman looked disturbed, and then she tilted her head, as if she was listening to some far off music. "I have to go now… You’ll find the truth when you get there." She brushed a piece of black hair away from Karis’ pale cheek. "Time to go…" she whispered.

Then a blast of air seemed to hit Karis all at once. It pushed her down onto the marble floor.

"Wait……" she whispered, but then she was swept back into unconsciousness.

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