Path of
Seduction: Chapter Three
Cloud peered cautiously into the half-light of the cave. Mythril caught light
and twisted it, reflected it in myriad directions and casting shadows where
there should have been none. For the unwary traveler, the dark corners held
more than potholes and sharp rocks. Already, Avalanche had faced half a dozen
minor skirmishes with what Aeris repeatedly called 'unnatural creatures' with a
tremor to her voice. "It's clear," Cloud led the way into a wider
cavern to find himself shockingly mistaken. He found
himself staring at a head of black hair atop a blue suit on the ledge above
him. He bit down on frustration. The figure with its back turned to him could
only be Tseng.
Before Cloud could even think about signaling Avalanche to silently back up,
Tseng turned. "Well, well, you finally caught up to us."
"Cloud, why'd you stop? Oh." Aeris recovered from her stumble,
planting her feet firmly on the ground, her face a mask of determination. She
felt the rest of the group gather behind, the soft chatter replaced by cold
wariness.
"If you think you're going to take us in, you've got another thing
coming," Cloud's voice held a quiet rage. A quick glance showed him Rude standing in a corner and no exit but the one Tseng
stood before.
Tseng's answering laughter echoed around the cave, more chilling than the air.
"No, as much as I'd like to, I have other orders. The new president
doesn't think you're worth the time, although I can't say the same for
"He deserved it! And I wish I could have done the same to you!" the
Cetra's voice was laced with an uncommon venom.
Tseng seemed amused, "Ah, Aeris. The new president has no interest in you,
I'm sad to say," his smile grew sinister,
"I'm going to miss seeing you." He quickly noted how Cloud and the
black man moved to flank her, and behind, the other woman erased a quick look
of hurt.
Before either party could speak a blonde woman in blue rushed into the cave,
breathlessly addressing Tseng, "Sir, word from the patrol troops just came
in! Sephiroth has been spotted going towards
"Elena, mind what you say and where you say it," Tseng's leer turned
into a scowl. He turned to address Avalanche, "I'm sure you have better
things to do than eavesdrop on Turks' assignments. Rude!" He turned to
leave, followed closely by the eager blonde woman. Rude gave Avalanche a
cursory glance before exiting, as if trying to unnerve them with his shielded
gaze.
"Damn those Shinra freaks!" was all Barret could say after they left,
and the rest were inclined to agree. Cloud was thankful, though, that they at
least had a clear destination now.
________________________________
A silver haired man stood near the edge of the woods,
biting down a scream of outrage. A sword swung, a tree fell and a certain
Turk's days were numbered.
____________________________________
Instead of blinking blindly into the sunlight in an attempt to survey the
terrain, Aeris focused on the grass and the myriad wildflowers at the mouth of
the cave. The pale, milky white blossoms, the vivid reds and violets, even the
green grass, were all bathed in the warm golden light of early evening. She
sighed happily, ignoring the rest of the group as they squinted into the
sunlight trying to pick a direction. She bent low to caress a small silky petal
and hear the planet hum. Wherever there was life in flower, the planet fairly
sang. She did not notice that the others had been waiting for her to finish for
quite some time.
"Ahem, Aeris."
"Hm, what? Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to keep you waiting,"
She stood hastily, growing sheepish when she saw the strange, blank questioning
look on Cloud's face. "Hey, I miss my flowers, okay?"
The light came back to Cloud's eyes, as if he had just woken up. With a small
nod, he turned towards the open plain.
____________________________________
A swordsman lay high in a tree, staring up at the
stars through the canopy of leaves. He needed no rest, but yearned for the
sleep he could no longer have, for sleep might have brought him dreams of an
emerald eyed girl sleeping in a small tent on the plains, under the stars.
___________________________________
It was mid-morning and Sephiroth was hunting high in
the trees. He moved with fluid grace from one bough to the next, searching, pausing only to pull his hair gently away from small
branches. He knew now exactly what to get Aeris. Now, he just had to find it
and he had to be quiet while looking. The puppet's little group had made its
way into the forest earlier that morning and although it suited Sephiroth's
purposes to have them close, an encounter with Avalanche was not what he had in
mind.
What he was searching for was rare, prized nearly beyond naming by those with a
leaning towards such things. When he had first learned about it during the
interminable hours of lessons long ago, it had been nothing but a useless fact,
of no importance to one who would be a warrior. But now it was a treasure worth
seeking. He was so caught up with his search that he nearly missed the voices
approaching, beneath the canopy of leaves. He stopped to dead stillness poised
gracefully on a deceptively slender branch, leaning into the wind to catch the
words that floated down.
"Damn, it's hot as Hades here! I'm about to start growing a horn!"
"You wouldn't feel as bad if you didn't think about it," the puppet's
voice answered.
The first voice continued with a huff, "Now how am I supposed to not think
about it?"
The voices were drawing nearer, almost directly below. Swift, like a gazelle in
the treetops, Sephiroth began to move, the only sound being that of leaves
rustling. He glanced backwards for a moment to gauge how far ahead he had
moved, not sensing what was right in front of him until he ran into it.
Whip-fast, he turned in time to see the branches shudder as whatever he had
crashed into tumbled to the ground with a shrill scream.
"What's that? Something's up ahead!" The voices behind him approached
even faster. He looked down to see a young girl with a Wutanese shuriken
picking herself off the ground just in time to
confront the puppet and his friends. He used to clamor of the ensuing skirmish
to mask his escape into the green canopy.
______________________________
Sephiroth stalked into the little ring of tents that was the Avalanche camp,
his offering cradled gently against his chest. The remains of a small fire
glowed softly in the center, the scent of the roast that had been cooked on it
still lingering in the cool air. Ordinarily, Sephiroth would have cursed the
carelessness of not setting a night watch, but tonight, the puppet's negligence
suited his purposes perfectly. There was no need for sleep spells and he had
gotten into the camp with ease. He paused in the center of the ring, looking at
each tent in turn. The puppet slept in the one to the north judging from the
fragmented dreams coming from it. Loud snores from one
direction and the smell of fur from another. He stood for a moment observing
the remaining two. That one there, pitched in a patch
of now-closed wild blossoms. It had to be the one.
He focused his will and slowly, the zipper moved upwards, one soft click at a
time, so many heartbeats passing between one click and the next. Finally, when
the anticipation became almost too much, the tent was open just enough for a
six-foot tall SOLDIER to pass through. Stealthily, he slipped into the tent,
careful not to wake the sleeper within.
It was a tight fit, trying to get into a one-person tent, without touching the
other person. Even in the dark, he could see the honey brown braid that
confirmed that his guess had been right. She had snuggled herself far into her
thin sleeping bag and lay huddled on one side of the tent. Sephiroth was thankful.
She had left just enough space for him. He lowered himself to the ground beside
her and pillowed his head on one arm, holding his gift to her in his other
hand. His position left him a few scant inches away from her, but still he did
not touch her, observing her in silence.
She was sleeping on her side, facing him, her beautiful face just as he
remembered. He had not been this close to her before and he hoped she could not
hear his heart pounding in her sleep. He could hear her soft breathing. Dear
Gods, even in the darkness she could take his breath away. Almost shyly, he put
his gift before her.
It was a milky white forest rose, a large blossom, as rare as the girl he was
giving it to. Its thick, satiny petals had just the faintest tint of rose and
its perfume was beyond compare. It was hardly worthy of her, he knew, but it
was the best he could do under the circumstances. Gently, he trailed the flower
from her forehead, down her cheek. She stirred, and for a brief, terrifying
instant, Sephiroth hoped that she would wake, that those fluttering lashes
would reveal her eyes, if just for a moment. She settled back down to sleep and
Sephiroth was left to wonder what might have happened if she had woken.
His eyes moved downward as he admired the curve of her body beneath the thin
cover, then back up to her delicate little hands, which were lying so close to
his face. He closed his eyes, brow furrowing, struggling to contain his desire.
What would it be like to feel those birdlike little hands on his face, running
through his hair, caressing him all over? He wished there was enough room for
him to curl up with the near pain his desire was causing. He could hardly
breathe as it was, for he knew that if he tried, his breath would come in hot,
hard pants. How hard would it be to roll her beneath him and thoroughly taste
her?
She stirred again in her sleep and the covers slipped to reveal one perfect,
creamy shoulder. Sephiroth put the flower beside her and got out of the tent as
fast as he could.
___________________________
A green eyed girl, last of her kind, woke to find a
beautiful white blossom before her, with no sign of how it had arrived there.
Her companions knew nothing about it and claimed that there were more important
things to think about. Still, the young blond man had looked at her so intently
when she placed the flower in her hair with a smile.
____________________________
Nightfall found Avalanche inexplicably still in the woods, with Barret
complaining loud and long about the navigational skills of a certain blond
leader. "Now I knew something wasn't working right on the inside of that
spiky head. These woods ain't so big that people have to spend a whole day in
'em and still not get out!"
Cloud sighed as he tried to get a small fire started. "Come on,
Barret," Tifa answered for him, "All these trees can be
confusing."
Yuffie, the latest addition to the group piped in, "That's no reason to be
walking in them for so many hours. I bet Cloud here has had us walking in
circles all day."
Aeris looked up from her tent. "Now if you two would quit complaining, you
might be able to put your tents up faster," she said, with a pointed
glance at the Wutanese-style tent that seemed about to fall over,
"Besides, we're sure to be near the end by now."
"Or the beginning," Barret grumbled.
______________________________
Near a river some distance away, a tall man with hair
that caught the moonlight congratulated himself on keeping his puppet and the
lovely girl traveling with him in the woods. He stepped into the water to wait.
________________________________
Avalanche lazed around the fire, all anger at Cloud having disappeared with
their hot meal of wild rabbit. Tifa sat before her tent, proudly assessing the
effects of her cooking. Barret sat half-dozing with contentment. Yuffie was
apparently too full to keep up what they had come to recognize as her usual
stream of chatter. Red was licking his chops, contemplating the flames, while
Aeris was her usual smiling self. Cloud, however, still looked a bit edgy.
"Cloud, are you all right?" Tifa asked.
He looked up, dazed, "What? Oh, yeah, I'm okay." He gave her the closest thing to a smile she had ever seen on his
face.
Sensing that the two needed some time to talk Aeris excused herself
to take a little walk. Cloud looked up, startled, "
Aeris, how far are you planning to go?"
"Not too far. Don't worry. I doubt there's anything in here that's scarier
than what I used to run into in the slums. I just want to get some cool
air."
"Oh. Well there's a stream a short walk in that direction," he
pointed over his shoulder, not questioning how he knew.
Yuffie giggled, "Careful, Aeris. You take Cloud's directions and you might
never come back."
___________________________
Twenty minutes later, Aeris was still picking her way through the shrubbery,
her path dimly lit by moonlight, trying to find the stream. She had half
wondered if Cloud had just gotten his directions mixed up again, but now she
was sure she could hear running water. The trees began to thin and soon, she
found herself beside an inky stream, fairly wide, its water sparkling as it
caught the moonlight, carrying its stolen sparks of light quickly out to the
sea. Aeris hurried over to its banks and chose a large rock that was almost a
boulder to sit on. She removed her boots and dipped her aching feet into the
icy water, playfully kicking up a small splash. Playing in a river was a
novelty to her.
She was so caught up with watching her feet under the water that the sudden
splash of something large rising from the water in front of her took her
completely by surprise. She jumped in shock and only managed a short, shrill
yelp before losing her balance and falling into the water. The icy water that
had soothed her feet filled her throat, chilled her to the bone as she hit the
bottom of the shallow stream. She sat up with a jerk, up to her shoulders in
freezing water, her heart drumming inside her, her breath coming in harsh gasps
as she searched at the water around her for any sign of the intruder. The
moments stretched out. For the first time Aeris noticed the eerie silence.
There were no crickets, no chirping from nocturnal birds. There was nothing but
the sound of her own breathing. As much as the silence
unnerved her, it lasted just long enough to convince her that there was nothing
out there.
She was just about to laugh at her silliness when there was a large splash not
two feet from where she sat. She was too shocked to scream as a tall pale being
rose from the water and looked directly at her with eyes that glowed with green
fire. Aeris' breath caught in her throat. Then, the figure held something out
to her and spoke, "These are yours, I believe." She willed herself to
look away from those eyes. He was holding her boots, now as sodden as she.
When she made no move to take them, the man stepped closer. Every alarm in
Aeris' head went off and she reached over hurriedly, taking her boots as
quickly as she could and retreating to her boulder, giving the man no excuse to
come closer. All the while, she felt his eyes on every part of her, acutely
conscious of how her clothes clung to her figure. Without a word, the man
retreated to the other side of the stream and sat in the shallow water, his
eyes never leaving Aeris. He reached behind himself, gathering his hair in his
hands, then proceeded to wring out the excess water,
seemingly completely absorbed in the act. "I didn't mean to scare
you," he said softly, his voice a low tenor, "I was only
bathing."
Aeris had never taken her eyes off him, watching for any threatening behavior.
Now she found she could not take her eyes off him for a completely different
reason. He was breathtakingly handsome. He was quite tall, she was certain, and
well built. She turned her face away, blushing hotly as she found herself
looking past his strong arms and shoulders to the rippling muscles of his chest
and stomach. When she dared to look once more, she forced herself to look only
at his face, hoping that he would not see her staring. He had a strangely
beautiful face for a man, with fine features, but what caught her eyes most
were his brilliant green eyes. Aeris feared that he would be able to see right
through her if he turned them on her again. They were the color of the
lifestream itself and in the dark, they seemed to radiate with an inner light,
like Cloud's, but much, much brighter. Was this man a SOLDIER, sent by Shinra
to capture them?
Satisfied with his hair the man let go of it, paying no mind to how much of his
long tresses sank back into the water. The top was drier now and it drew the
moonlight to it in a unique way. Something about the color seemed odd, yet
strangely familiar. Aeris would never be sure just how long she sat shivering
in the night air before it came to her. From the rare instances the media had
managed to get a shot of Shinra's reclusive Great SOLDIER before his apparent
death, she recognized the figure sitting before her, lounging in a stream as if
he had all the time in the world. She wondered how she could get away. He was
on the opposite side of the stream, but his speed and strength were the stuff
of legend. If she tried to leave, would he get angry? What would he do to her
if he did?
He stirred just as she was gathering her nerve to run, rising out of the water
like a river god of old. Aeris stared at the sight, mesmerized by the sheer
grace with which he moved, and looked away hurriedly as she realized that he
was completely nude. He turned his back to her, walking towards the trees, not
in the least bit self conscious about his state of undress. As Aeris stared at
him across the water, she felt a surge around her, of one
drawing energy from the stillness for a spell. Before she could move
away, she felt a wisps of a strong, warm wind,
reaching her from the other side, although she was not their target. The former
General's hair swirled around him, revealing long strong legs, long muscular
thighs, revealing much more than Aeris dared to look at, as the water flew off
his skin in a shimmering mist. As he vanished behind the trees, Aeris struggled
to regain her breath, fumbling with her bootstraps.
She managed to get her damp boots back on her feet and begin walking towards
the camp. Before she reached the trees she heard a soft voice right behind her.
"What kind of gentleman would I be if I let a lady walk around soaking
wet?" She turned with a gasp. He was standing right behind her, clad in
his uniform of soft black leather. She had to tilt her head far back to look at
his face. The alternative was to stare directly at his nearly-bare chest. She
wondered if she dared to run, then questioned whether or not she really wanted
to. Before she could decide, she felt the surge of magic and the gathering of
the wind, focused now on her. She was enveloped in a
delicious warmth and a lovely tingling sensation as the water was pulled
away from her. She gasped, torn between holding her skirt down and wanting to
wrap her arms across her chest as the spelled wind dried her thoroughly.
The wind died down, leaving her warm and dry. With all the courage she could
muster she looked up to give thanks for the service. The odd look in the
SOLDIER's mako eyes stole her words away. He spoke before she could, "I
will escort you back to your camp." It was not a question but a statement
of fact and Aeris knew he would not be denied.
She nodded, forcing herself to speak, "All right." She almost could
not keep her voice from shaking. A certain softness
reached her new escort's lips, the barest hint of a smile. She turned
wordlessly to lead the way, all the while wondering what she had gotten herself
into. He walked at her side, parting the branches for her. She kept her gaze
straight ahead, but all the while she could feel his eyes on her.
Questions ran through her mind like wildfire. Did he want to kill her? If he did, why all the pretence at being nice? Was he
planning to abduct her? Would she suddenly find his gloved hand across her
mouth and his body atop her own? That he had not laid a finger on her did
nothing to ease her fears. What if he just wanted her to lead him directly to
Avalanche so he could slaughter them all? Her heart leapt to her throat with
this thought.
No, it would not happen. She would not let it. He could do whatever he wanted
to her but he would not touch her friends. She turned to face him, looking him
straight in the eye as she spoke, " You don't
have to walk with me any further. I will be fine from here." She braced
herself for the consequences of her words.
He advanced on her with long strides, his face unreadable. She backed away,
determined not to let her fear show on her face. She took two steps backward
before she felt a tree at her back. With one stride her escort closed the
distance between them leaving her no escape unless she actually dared to touch
him to push him out of the way. He looked down at her pale face with burning
eyes, leaning in towards her until she could feel the warmth radiating from his
skin, smell the leather that was part of his masculine scent. Her breathing was
shallow. She feared to inhale to deeply, lest their
bodies actually touch. She barely suppressed a whimper as his gloved hand came
up to caress her cheek. She closed her eyes, trying to force the blush she knew
he could see from her face. When she dared to look up at him again, she
glimpsed something like a self-satisfied smirk before he lowered his face to
hers and gently touched his lips to hers.
The softest of moans stirred in her throat. She was sure that she would fall if
not for his hand on her arm, steadying her. His kiss was soft, sweet. It was
tender, not insistent, not taking any more than she was willing to give. It was
only then that she realized that she had responded with equal tenderness. He
released her the moment the desperate whimper escaped her, showing no remorse
for what he had done. He stepped back, clasping her tiny hand in his, then actually bowed to her, brushing his lips against her
fingers before letting go.
"Safe journey," he said, smiling, then turned and disappeared into
the woods.
_______________________________
Aeris went straight to her tent, claiming exhaustion. She huddled into her
sleeping bag, curled up in a tight little ball, trying to stop from shivering,
trying to convince herself that her lips were not tingling.
___________________________
Sephiroth tore through the forest, almost whooping with joy. He had seen her, spoken to her, kissed those glorious lips.and she had
kissed him back. He fell to his knees at the riverbank, praising the heavens.
Skies above, he knew he had scared her, but he had impressed her too. He saw
how she had looked at his body. And he had seen her soaking wet. Few sights
could compare to that. He stripped himself hurriedly and plunged back into the
stream, swimming back and forth in the water, thankful that it was cold. Soon,
soon, he swore, she would be his.