For Honor or Glory

Jumpy

Chapter 78 

Even though Nibelheim was relatively close to Cosmo Canyon, the cart they had to use to take Bugenhagen and the extra supplies added a couple of days to their travel. Mainly because they ended up needing to go farther downriver to find a way to cross. It ended up being nearly a week before they arrived at the tiny village located at the foot of the looming mountains.

Alex hoped it was just her imagination that made the peaks seem like jagged teeth poking from the low clouds gathered around the tips. She was just glad that it wasn't winter yet. Not that the higher climate wasn't already starting to feel like it. She was thankful that the elders had thought to mention the need for coats before they left. She was huddled inside hers as she guided her chocobo behind the cart and into the quiet village.

Fog was starting to fill the streets, which didn't help. It was muting the already quiet click of the chocobo's talons on the packed dirt. The only other sound was the faint rumble of the wagon wheels. The streets were eerily empty, and most of the lights inside the houses were out, even though dusk was starting to settle in. All in all, the whole scenario was like nightmare fuel.

It didn't help that Alex felt like they were being watched. At least she was pretty sure that part was the wary villagers watching them from inside their darkened homes. Not that it made her feel much better as they made their way past the central square and toward the furthest edge of the hamlet where the old mansion was waiting.

Alex's chocobo must have been picking up on her unease as it started to get restless. She pulled tighter on the reigns to keep it from possibly bolting, but she was grateful when Sephiroth steered his mount to her side. His presence eased her tension, and in turn, her bird calmed down. She shot him a grateful smile as they continued to make their way through the fog.

The last week had been an odd one for their travel. Genesis had been surprisingly silent. Though that didn't mean he seemed to be getting past everything. He still watched them all with frowns. Especially she and Sephiroth. At least he hadn't tried to start anything. Alex was surprised at that since she and Sephiroth settled into a quiet conversation more nights than not.

After everything that happened in Cosmo Canyon, the two of them spent a lot more time in each other's company. Alex was still worried about the emotions she could feel growing but never brought it up. It was bad enough that the situation was tense on its own. None of them needed extra burdens.

She was pulled from her thoughts on how to deal with things going forward when a massive black, cast-iron gate suddenly materialized out of the fog. They all stopped, and Angeal called out from where he was guiding the cart. "Is this the place then?"

Alex and Sephiroth both made their way around the cart and stopped near the front. She had to repress a shiver at how little she could see through the growing dark and fog. At least there was a light inside the cart that lit up her brother and the area around him. She tried to focus on that as she said, "I'm pretty sure it is. It was said to be the biggest building in the village. You saw the rest of it. I doubt anywhere else would have a gate like this."

Angeal nodded before he jumped down and went to inspect the gate. His light showed a chain with a padlock around the fence, but it was a flimsy one. He verified the Shinra logo on the lock before he jerked on the chain. It was nothing for him to snap it before he pushed the gates open.

When he climbed back up into the cart seat, he was frowning. "Do you know how far the house is from here? Even I can't see through this fog."

Alex suppressed a shiver as she answered, "It shouldn't be far—a few hundred feet at best. I've never seen pictures, though, so keep an eye out."

Alex, Sephiroth, and Genesis fell back so the cart could clear the gate. There wasn't enough room for them to ride beside it. Once it was through, they followed. Alex wasn't sure if she was glad she was correct or not. It was a matter of seconds before the mansion seemed to spring from the fog. The windows were black and looked like voids in the night.

Alex cursed her imagination as everyone dismounted. It wasn't like her to get so worked up. Most of the time, logic ruled, but she had to admit part of it was likely that she was already jumpy. She knew being anywhere near Nibelheim was dangerous. She couldn't remember precisely what could happen, but she did remember fragments of visions where Sephiroth was far from the man she knew now, and it had something to do with Jenova. That was enough for her to be more than wary. She also remembered the Reunion theory that Hojo kept going on about. None of it sounded good.

It was not long before they had the front door open, and the whole crew followed Angeal into the darkness. The inside was just as creepy as the outside had been. The lights did not seem to penetrate far, and what was exposed was all dilapidated and dusty. The whole thing gave Alex the creeps. She had already decided that she would swallow her pride and beg to stay in the same room as her brother. If they even had places to sleep.

They were all shocked when the chandelier overhead suddenly lit up the room. They turned as one to see Genesis had found the switch. He smirked as he said, "Well, at least we know this trip won't be totally wasted. If they kept the power on, then the labs should still be functional."

Alex nodded in agreement. "That's a good point. I was too focused on what was here to even consider we might have had issues without a generator. However, knowing what this place holds, there is probably one around here somewhere in case the local energy goes out."

Angeal turned back to Alex with a frown. "We will need to further explore this place, but not tonight. It's already late. Why don't we see if we can find a few rooms that can be used to sleep in for now and tackle the rest tomorrow? Worst case scenario, we can always bring in our bedrolls as long as we find places we can secure."

Sephiroth nodded in agreement. "Given the layout, I would assume the bedrooms are upstairs." He then turned to Alex, Bugenhagen, and Nanaki as he said, "Please allow us to scout the upper floor before you follow. This place does not seem to have been occupied by anything in a long while, but it is better to be safe."

Alex felt a little nervous about being left behind, but she concealed it as she nodded. She didn't want to worry her brother, but she also didn't want to hurt Nanaki's feelings. Not that she was sure she could, but it was better to be safe. He had proven to be quite the competent warrior while they traveled. She knew she was secure with him, but her unease stemmed from being jumpy and not having the familiar faces of those she cared for. She could get over it.

Thankfully, it did not take the Soldiers long to secure three rooms, all on the right side of the house. Alex had been trying to dredge up as much as she could about the place and had a feeling what they were looking for was in one of those rooms, but she kept it to herself for the moment. There was no point in causing everyone else to be jumpy as well. Plus, she couldn't remember exactly what it was she needed to do. She just hoped that when they found it, whatever it was, that she could remember enough to get into the basement. At least she remembered that was where they would find the entrance to the labs.

It did not take the team long to bring the essentials in and take them upstairs. Thankfully, the rooms had beds that seemed to be intact, but everyone agreed that they would use the bedrolls until the blankets could be inspected. Everything was covered in dust, and the goddess only knew what else. Still, it did not take them long to lay everything out, split into groups, and set a watch. Once that was all settled, it was not long until most of them drifted to sleep.

A/N: We have finally gotten to Nibelheim! I'd say yay, but I don't think that's really appropriate. Now that we are here, things will really start to get interesting. The next couple of chapters, maybe three will be another rollercoaster (just a heads up because I love you guys). Although, I think you will like where it goes. Anyway, thanks for reading, and cheers! Please feel free to let me know what you think, please.