For Honor or Glory

Sea Legs

Chapter 59 

Alex had never been so glad to get out of a room as she was when they finally made it to Costa Del Sol. She could tell all of the men felt the same way. It wasn't really the tension that stemmed from them all being cooped up together for days on end, though that did have something to do with it. No, the main problem had been that, apparently, Alex had developed sea-sickness.

The first time she had gotten sick, she worried that she was coming down with something since she had been on a crowded boat before and had no problems. However, when her illness didn't abate, they all concluded she didn't have sea-legs. It didn't help that her rest was just as fitful as it had been on land. If her nightmares didn't keep her up, then the bouts of nausea did. She felt more miserable as they went to retrieve their chocobos than she had when they boarded. So much for resting while she had time.

All five of the fugitives were too ready to get off the ferry to consider walking separately. Not that they weren't in the middle of a crush of people anyway. They were reminded of how potentially dangerous that oversite was as soon as they tried to exit the docks. The sight of two women in dark suits made them all pause before Angeal grabbed his sister and turned her. The rest quickly followed suit as they kept a steady pace with the rest of the people and walked in the opposite direction.

Thankfully, it seemed like the two Turks were not expecting them yet if their conversation was anything to go by. The brunette had rolled her eyes at something the blonde said and responded, "Look, Gun, the boss said that even if they do come this way, it will be a while. It takes forever to get anywhere on foot. Even if they have chocobos, it's not like they're faster than the helos. What we should be worried about is sticking out like a sore thumb. I get that you don't like the idea, but you think they wouldn't spot us like this? I'm telling you, we need to look like locals."

Gun looked at the brunette and let out a little sigh before she put her hand on her forehead. She shook her head when she looked up. "Okay, Knife, I get it. I will agree, but you aren't picking out my suit. Understand?"

Knife waved off the look the blonde gave her as she said, "Yeah, yeah. Let's go. There's no point in delaying on the off chance the estimations are wrong."

Gun looked like she was saying something else, but by that time, the two groups were far enough apart that the ones trying to escape couldn't hear what was said. Even so, the five ex-Shinra employees did not say a word until they were safely outside of the tourist city.

The coast was barely visible, and night was starting to fall when Alex finally pulled back on the reins and called out. "I think we should start looking for a place to camp."

The rest stopped and look back at her. Angeal was the first to head back in her direction with a frown. "We are still close to Costa Del Sol, but you are right. We can't go all night. Though we should probably not make a fire."

Sephiroth had joined them by that time and pointed to the low hills off to their left. "It should be no issue for us to settle somewhere in there to be out of sight. It is helpful that the Turks seem to have underestimated us, but I do not doubt that they have backup plans regardless. They are not known to be idle nor stupid."

None of the rest of the group disagreed with his assessment. Instead, they all turned silently to find a place they could rest and prepare to face the rest of the continent. They still had a long way to go, and none of them expected it to be easy.

-----------------------

Several weeks later, an exhausted and grumpy group of five finally saw red canyon walls rising around them. Well, two of the group didn't seem to be moody, but the other three more than made up for it. Genesis was irritable on principle alone. He had never lost his attitude after his last real conversation with Alex. Peter had gotten to the point that he often said aloud how he wished he had just stayed behind and let Shinra take him because at least they would have killed him quickly.

Alex was nearly as bad as the other two, but not because she wanted to be. There had been several times during their trip that she had been so exhausted that she couldn't stay in the saddle. There had even been a few times that her brother ended up making her ride with him just to keep her from falling. She hated feeling like such a burden, but she couldn't stop it. It didn't help that her tiredness was wearing on her in other ways as well. Several times she had been so nauseous that she couldn't eat. All of that, combined with her worry about what was to come, made sure that she was sullen and quiet at best.

She had never been so excited to see a set of stairs as she was when they finally made it to the heart of the canyons—even if she did have to lean on her brother for support as they made their way up to the remote town. However, they were all brought to a halt by the sight of a red beast that blocked the path. The idea that it was a beast that faced them was challenged when the animal said, "Strangers are not welcome here. Especially strangers that stink of Shinra."

Alex felt a spike go through her head that had her groaning against her brother's shoulder. A distant memory surfaced, but it only left her more confused. She recognized the race of the being in front of them, but he was not familiar. Her thoughts on the matter were fragmented when Sephiroth stepped forward and gestured back to her as he said, "Please, we are not here on behalf of Shinra. We have come for help. As you can see, she is not well and needs assistance we cannot provide. Plus, we have come to seek advice."

Another spike pierced Alex's head as she focused on the red fur and flaming tail. She tried not to, but she swayed and grabbed her brother's arm to keep from falling over. The cat-like being finally took a step back and gestured toward Angeal with a paw as he said, "You—bring her and follow me. The rest of you stay here."

Both Genesis and Peter made grumbling noises, but Sephiroth gave the male a nod as he said, "We will stay. All we ask is that you let us know what has happened." The cat-like being didn't respond. Instead, he turned to lead Angeal and Alex the rest of the way up the stairs.

--------------------

Once the two siblings were gone, Genesis glared at the empty stairs for several moments before he paced a few steps down and stood there stiffly. Sephiroth watched for a moment to ensure there were no issues. He was satisfied to let his question lie when the man made no more motions. He also noticed that Peter had sat on the steps and had his face buried in his hands.

The general did spare a thought for the scientist's wellbeing, but it did not last long. The man was still whole, so there was little for him to complain about. He let the thoughts drop as he turned to look back up the way Angeal and Alex had just gone.

The only indication of what he was thinking was the furrow between his brows. He could at least admit that he was worried about Alex. It was evident to all of them that her health was deteriorating, and he doubted it was only due to her restless nights. None of them missed it when she woke up, but Angeal had asked them not to pry. Alex had already made it clear she did not want to speak about it.

Still, the possible reasons for whatever was wrong did not serve to ease Sephiroth's worry. He was all too familiar with Hojo and the sick things he was capable of. The think that Alex could be suffering due to the walking mass of complexes that headed the Shinra Science Department made his gut clench with something wholly unfamiliar. He understood it was concern, but he had never felt it so strongly before.

Sephiroth was pulled from his thoughts about the woman when the red cat-like being returned with a human male. It was the human that addressed them. "Your friend has been taken to the healers and will be examined. The Elders have agreed to let you come into the town to wait, but you will be put under guard until your reason for being here is verified."

Genesis stormed forward, but Sephiroth cut in before he could speak. "We will agree. We are here for assistance and have no desire to cause trouble. As long as Alex is taken care of, we will be satisfied to wait."

Genesis's glare transferred to him, but he only huffed. Peter didn't look any happier about the decision, but neither said anything as the man motioned for them to follow. The red fire cat stayed behind as the group leading their chocobos headed into town.