Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Seduction of the Darkness ❯ thrown into combat ( Chapter 1 )

Chapter 1: Thrown Into Combat

 

Pale green eyes like a clear river fluttered open to stare at the black vault of night bejewelled with stars. She winced painfully as she rose to her feet and gazed out at the vista before her. The rugged terrain was cold and desolate; not a single thing seemed to be growing in the hard-packed soil beneath her feet. The cold wind burned her face and swept through her long raven mane as the realisation of what had just happened sank in. Just a few hours ago, she had been standing in a lab in the 21st century. Now…she didn't have the faintest idea where she was. The only thing she remembered was a wave of ultra-violet light hitting her with full force and the screams of her seventeen-year-old brother before darkness closed in and unconsciousness claimed her.

 

She snarled as a sharp pain shot up her spine and she examined her chest. It was bleeding profusely and, where the cloth of her black lace shirt had torn, a small wound marred her unblemished flesh. She remembered the thunder of the pistol and the pain of a bullet exploding across her chest. The metal projectile was still lodged in the wound. How could something so small hurt so god damned much?

 

She was about to ask herself where she was when she heard a loud thunderous roar, like that of an explosion in the distance. Ignoring the pain in her left shoulder, she ran over to a nearby ledge and peered over the edge.

 

A convoy of trucks were racing across the land, kicking lengthy trails of dust as they went. On the other side were dozens upon dozens of mechanical soldiers firing rounds of high-calibre ammunition upon the charging vehicles. From where she was standing, she could discern a young man with short blond hair on a high-powered motorcycle streaking ahead of the convoy. A sudden wind, stronger than the one that burned her face, kicked up and she looked up at the sky even as she shielded herself from the craft-induced dust storm.

 

Her eyes widened in surprise and disbelief.

 

Flying above her was an airship of unimaginable proportions. It had two large chopper blades to help keep it aloft and it was shaped like a gigantic bird. It was an awesome sight and she couldn't but gawk at the man-made aircraft. She lowered her arm as she noticed the gap in the craft and she narrowed her eyes, focusing on the base of the craft. Despite the distance, she could discern an open panel. She wondered if there was another craft inside the ship that was waiting to be launched.

 

A burst of violet light diverted her attention and she turned to see a man clad in blue was attacking the biker. The assailant streaked towards him, leaving a visible trail of shimmering violet behind him. The biker leaped into the air and there was a burst of green and violet fire about a few hundred feet above the convoy.

 

Then her voyeurism was interrupted. She looked up and saw three fiery projectiles plunging towards the ledge.

 

`Holy shit!'

 

She realised they were coming her way and sprang into the air. The projectiles exploded on impact where she'd been standing just a few seconds earlier and a burst of fire erupted from the collision.

 

She landed lightly on the battlefield in a crouch and drew the elegant longsword on her back. She rose gracefully and turned to see the high ledge had been reduced to rubble from the missile. She heard something behind her and whirled in a vicious arc, blocking her assailant before he even had the chance to strike her. She kicked him where it counted and hit him with the pommel of her sword as he doubled over his injured groin. He landed with a heavy thud, blood flowing from his temple and seeping into the dusty earth. He didn't get up again.

 

She narrowed her eyes as the troops charged her. She artfully blocked the many shots that were fired at her and surged towards them, her weapon raised and a fire blazing in her green eyes.

 

She cleanly severed the head of a trooper from his body in a spurt of blood before whirling round and cutting her other assailant in two. She leaped over a group of men who tried to close in on her in a pincer movement and thrust her sword through their backs, impaling them on the long blade. She swung her leg in a vicious arc, which connected with another trooper and sent him flying across the battlefield. She threw her impaled victims off her sword and turned to see another racing towards her.

 

An explosion above her diverted her attention and her head snapped up to see the bird-like airship had been hit. But this time it was not the aircraft that attracted her attention.

A red and black-clad figure was flying through the air over the craft. It seemed to flip through the air on what looked like a surfboard and streaks of fire shot from it. The shots pierced the chopper and the military craft faltered in the air. It sailed though the air, as though riding the wind current and charged the nearest chopper. She watched as the chopper fired a shot and hit the figure, causing it to spin out of control from the hit. But it righted itself sailed through the air again and flipped off the airboard, landing in a crouch just a few yards from her. Due to the close proximity, she saw the figure was actually a young man with a thick, tangled mane of long, ebony hair held away from his face with a red sash. He turned to her and she couldn't help but stare in astonishment.

 

The stranger was tall, dark and impossibly beautiful. He had pale skin with his thick masculine eyebrows, straight nose and chiselled jaw, his was a face that would have been worthy of a god were it not for the stern set of his features. His attire consisted of a black leather shirt, which buckled down the front and loose-fitting leather trousers. Gold armoured plates covered his close-fitting knee-high boots. Over this was a tattered crimson cloak with a short, high-collared cape that covered the shoulders that was fastened with six small buckles. The last two were left open, mostly likely to allow movement of his arms. He possessed the beauty of a dark angel, but it wasn't his good looks that caused her to stare. The young woman glanced down at his left arm for fitted to his forearm and covering his hand was a golden metal claw. Then she saw his eyes. They were the colour of fresh blood but they seemed to glow with an eternal fire. He was nothing like she'd seen before and it deeply intrigued her.

 

He seemed to see straight through her for he spoke, his voice a deep rasp like he didn't use it much.

 

`Behind you.'

 

She whirled and cleaved a trooper in half and her latest victim fell in a pool of blood. She backed up against him and turned to the stranger. He nodded, apparently impressed by her skill with a sword. A shout and he turned to see a group of troopers coming straight for them. The stranger turned to the threat and aimed an ornate triple-barrelled shotgun bearing an emblem of a three-headed dog. He fired with deadly precision and two of the troopers fell dead. She raised her sword, ready to attack. But the next wave charged the pair so fast that they barely had time to react. She gasped as he suddenly seized her by the arm and she whirled to look at him.

 

`What the hell are you doing?'

 

He didn't answer and threw her up into the air. She automatically moved into an aerial somersault, raising her sword over her head. Twisting in the air, the young woman streaked towards the earth, her eyes blazing with a brilliant fire. She slashed downward, cutting off the trooper's arm and then slit his throat so he couldn't scream his agony.

 

She landed silently on her feet and turned to her volunteer comrade. He glanced at her, but suddenly his head snapped up. She looked up and saw three fiery projectiles plunging towards them. She sprang into a diving roll. The projectiles exploded on impact where she'd been standing just a few seconds earlier and a burst of fire erupted from the collision. The stranger rode a tongue of flame as it shot into the air and fired as he soared upward. She watched in amazement. He was like a red and black hawk; deadly, graceful and beautiful.

 

She turned to see a trooper built like a tank standing before her. He grinned as he eyed her up and down.

`I'm going to enjoy this,' he growled. The woman smiled and raised her sword. He charged with all the finesse of a runaway buzzsaw and threw a wild punch. She sidestepped his attack and whirled around to face him, her blade tracing a vicious arc. It sliced the tendons of his left hand, leaving it limp and useless as he roared in agony. He kicked her in the midsection and she was sent flying across the battlefield. She landed on a pile of rubble and glanced up to see the burly trooper charging again. She pushed off and flew towards her assailant, her sword positioned in front of her. The trooper didn't seem to notice as he charged her. He grinned.

 

She narrowed her eyes. The guy charged, thinking she was going to fly past him. He rushed the charge…

 

His eyes widened.

 

The sword shot through him and protruded from his back. The young woman stood before him, bruised but unscathed. Blood dripped from the weapon as the trooper suddenly realised he was impaled on her sword. He looked at her with wide eyes that were rapidly clouding over as his life quickly slipped away.

 

`What the hell are you?' he rasped. She never replied as she pulled the sword out with little effort. The trooper landed with a thud, dead with his blood seeping from his wound. She looked down at the corpse with disdain.

 

She snarled as fiery pain shot through her body. She dropped her sword and her hands automatically went to her stomach. She felt moisture there and looked up to see the smoking barrel of a plasma rifle aimed at her face. The chief of the force looked down at her with hatred mixed with triumph.

 

`You and that freakish punk killed my best men,' he growled. `They were some of the finest troops Deepground ever had and you, a little girl, slaughtered them like cattle.' He shot her again, this time a little higher than the first shot. She snarled in pain as she doubled over. She reached for her sword only to have the commander step on it, preventing her from reclaiming her weapon. She had no chance.

 

`But at least I'll have the pleasure of killing you as payment, and then I'll take care of your friend. So don't worry, you won't be going to Hell alone. You'll just be taking an early trip.' He aimed the gun at her face, hatred in his eyes. `Say goodbye to life.'

 

She glared at him as the gun charged up. She would not give him the satisfaction of begging. She would die with defiance and dignity. A shot thundered in the air. The commander gurgled as blood poured from the hole in his throat. He fell before her, dead from a bullet to the jugular. Her blurring vision caught sight of the beautiful stranger lowering his weapon before the darkness claimed her.