Chapter Text
The Untamed Wild
Chapter 1
Zack gracefully hopped down from the back of the truck and took a deep breath of frigid mountain air, gazing around the rundown little village with bright eyes. Tiny snowflakes drifted down from an overcast sky and settled in his dark hair, streaks of amber and gold glimmering against the clouds as the sun began to set.
“Nibelheim, huh? And I thought Gongaga was backwater! Guess there won’t be much sightseeing on this mission.” He turned with a grin as a trooper landed beside him, bulky helmet obscuring the top half of his face, and grabbed the offered supply pack from the shorter man.
Another trooper exited the driver’s seat and went around the side of the truck to help unload more supplies, dropping tightly packed bags onto patchy brown grass, uncaring of the frost carpeting the ground. A rough dirt road led through the town and ramshackle houses lined either side, a dilapidated water tower serving as the most visible landmark amongst the squat wooden buildings.
A gleam of silver fluttered in the corner of his eye, and he turned to see the General heading in the direction of the town square where two villagers stood by an old fountain made of gray stone, a carved wolf rising from the center of the empty basin to howl at the sky. Striking blue gemstone eyes glowed in the light of the setting sun, a surprising dash of color in the monochrome town square that made the statue seem nearly alive.
“Hey Seph, wait up!” With a wink at the troopers, he motioned them to stay by the truck as he jogged to catch up to his superior officer. The strikingly tall man paused and tilted his head slightly, one vivid green eye peeking through the curtain of long silver hair as the First Class Soldier flanked him. The two men approached the waiting villagers, not oblivious to the agitated murmurs of the townspeople as they gawked at the (in)famous General from open doorways or peered discreetly through curtains, less than pleased at the presence of Shinra in their town.
“It’s about time you got here! Sundown is the curfew in Nibelheim and it would do you well to heed it! I’m the Mayor here, Brian Lockhart, and this is my daughter Tifa.” The man had salt-and-pepper hair and a short mustache, broad shoulders drawn back and tense beneath a red checkered shirt and fringed vest. Beside him was a young woman, not yet out of her teen years, with long black hair and warm burgundy eyes. She glanced at her dad with a faint air of exasperation before turning to the Soldiers.
“Thank you for coming to check on our reactor. The Nibel dragons have been getting more and more aggressive in the past year and we have lost some good hunters to the monsters up the mountain.” Tifa frowned as she spoke, her eyes darting from the General to the First Class Soldier at his shoulder, then over to the two troopers standing guard at the truck.
Sephiroth inclined his head as she spoke, green cat-like eyes focusing on the distant glint of the reactor, far up the steep incline of the snowy mountain peak. She hesitated, then offered to guide them up the mountain in the morning, mentioning that Nibel wolves were also prominent in the area, and she was familiar with their tracks and usual hunting grounds.
Sephiroth smiled faintly. “Lieutenant Fair and I can proceed without assistance in the morning; I have been to this reactor before. We will require lodgings for the next three days, four rooms total.”
“And supper!” Zack interjected, his stomach growling audibly. Sephiroth sighed silently at his friend’s carefree attitude and nodded, agreeing with his subordinate.
Tifa’s eyes brightened and she smiled warmly. “Please follow me, we have rooms prepared for you at the Inn and Ms. Martha makes a mean Nibel stew. It’ll fill you right up!”
Mayor Lockhart huffed behind his bristly mustache but let his daughter lead the two Soldiers away, the troopers trailing behind with the rest of their supplies. He looked up at the dim glow of the moon through the cloud cover, wondering if the Soldiers knew that tonight was the first night of the full moon. Nibel wolves and dragons wouldn’t be the only creatures stirring within the dense forest covering the mountain, nor would they be the most dangerous.
Sephiroth settled at the rough wooden table with an inaudible groan, feeling stiff from the interminable drive up to Nibelheim. He was feeling older than his twenty-three years, sent away on this ridiculous mission while Genesis and Angeal led the frontlines in the war with Wutai. At least he had Zack with him, for all that the newly promoted First Class Soldier could test his nerves. As if summoned by his thoughts, the dark-haired man came bounding over from the bar, two tankards of ale and a tray of food juggled in his arms.
“I sent the troopers up to their rooms with their supper, they both looked about ready to drop from the journey. How you doin’, Seph?” Zack laid the tray down and slid one of the mugs in front of Sephiroth, along with a bowl of fragrant beef stew and a small loaf of warm, crusty bread. Taking a seat across from the General, he dug into his own substantial portion of stew, groaning at the robust and surprisingly spicy flavor.
Sephiroth pulled his bowl closer and took a hesitant bite, eyes widening slightly as the flavors blossomed over his tongue. Nibel stew was a much more palatable fare than what was available in most of the Shinra mess halls. Ripping off a small piece of bread to dip into the thick broth, Sephiroth hummed distractedly. The bread was piping hot, steam rising from the fluffy dough, and had a subtle hint of honey that paired well with the seasoned stew.
He wondered if he would actually request a second helping, it was such a delicious departure from what he was accustomed to eating, particularly as he was coming off three months of wartime rations in Wutai.
“I am worried about Genesis and Angeal,” He admitted, a frown curving his lips as he swallowed a spoonful of tender meat and potato, thin slices of carrot adding a pleasant sweetness to balance out the spice. “I do not understand why Hojo had us sent here while we are actively at war. Lazard did not agree to this mission, but the President overruled him. It concerns me.”
Zack furrowed his brow as he took a gulp of foamy amber-colored ale, a light and brisk flavor almost akin to the dumb apple cider Genesis was so obsessed with. He absently glanced around the small dining area and confirmed no one was within earshot, the only other patrons a couple of hunters tucked away in a dark corner playing cards and downing tankards of ale with abandon.
“Angeal told me Hojo was lurking around the old Shinra mansion here a couple months ago, doing who knows what with all his sycophantic followers. Do you think it’s, like, a trap or something? Or a test?” The First mopped up the last of his broth with the heel of his loaf of bread and popped it into his mouth, letting out a hum as the flavors melted over his tongue.
He watched Sephiroth finish up his own meal with restrained enthusiasm, a thrum of satiation pulsing through the younger man at the first truly enjoyable meal he’d had in months. The General sat back and brought his fingers up to his chin, green eyes distant as he contemplated Zack’s words.
“I would suspect a test more than a trap, though Hojo is not to be underestimated regardless. Tseng insinuated before we left that Rufus also disapproved of this excursion, though his father would not entertain a meeting with him before we were deployed. I believe it would be in our best interest to have the troopers maintain a base here while we head out tomorrow, in the event we encounter stronger monsters than expected. I will not have senseless casualties for the sake of this mission.”
Sephiroth watched Zack absorb his words, the brunet’s face firming into a serious expression at the thought of the troopers getting killed due to the machinations of a mad scientist. Zack nodded at his words, standing up and piling their used dishes onto the empty tray as Sephiroth finished up the remnants of his ale.
“I’ll let the troopers know on the way up to our rooms. Maybe they can sleep in a bit tomorrow, it was a long journey and it can’t have been easy on their unenhanced bodies.” He scooped up the tray and smiled at Sephiroth as the man stood and used a coarse linen napkin to wipe the table down swiftly. “I’ll just take this stuff over to the bar and head up after you. Have a good night, Seph!” The General inclined his head with a faint smile at his subordinate and took his leave, silver hair floating in his wake like a river of liquid mercury.
Zack brought their used dishes over to the bar and smiled brightly at the worn but kindly face of the innkeeper, a woman of perhaps seventy with laugh lines around her mouth and a wealth of dark hair pinned up in a simple braided bun, strands of pale gray playing peekaboo amongst the rich brown color. She smiled back at his infectious grin, taking the laden tray and placing it beneath the counter for her grandson to take to the kitchen when he came back from his break.
“Ms. Martha, that was the best meal I’ve had since I was last home and had my Ma’s cookin’!” Zack enthused, watching her wipe down the counter and taking notice as the two gruff, bearded men in the corner of the cavernous common area took their leave, staggering slightly from one too many ales. Turning his attention back to Ms. Martha, he leaned over the counter and caught her eyes, glowing violet meeting warm hazel with an unexpected air of gravitas for the normally exuberant man.
“Ms. Martha, I have to ask…we were sent to look at the reactor, but the General and I suspect there is more than one reason we were deployed here at such a delicate time in the war efforts with Wutai. We have reports that Dr. Hojo was up here a few months ago, doing some sort of research in the old Shinra mansion. Would you happen to know anything about that, or why we might have been sent here besides the reactor and mako-poisoned monsters?” Zach lowered his voice as he spoke, eyes intent on Ms. Martha as he clocked her every minute expression. She looked genuinely surprised for a moment, but frowned in contemplation at his words. She glanced around covertly, before nodding decisively and lowering her voice as she replied.
“Well, Lieutenant Fair, I reckon y’all should avoid the mansion altogether, or leave it ‘til after the reactor inspection. Folks ‘round here been hearing an awful lot a’ caterwauling from that direction of late, and the monsters ain’t been going nowhere near that place in months. Just last week we had two hunters get spooked by something, they came back rantin’ about vampires or some such. No one been out there since.” Zack chewed at his lip as he listened, not surprised by her words but increasingly concerned about what Hojo and his minions had gotten up to in that decrepit place.
He’d never been to Nibelheim before, but the mission details listed the mansion as decades old and in significant disrepair, with nothing of interest to the actual mission parameters, yet they were meant to clear the place of whatever monsters had decided to inhabit it. Something was definitely fishy, and it was undoubtedly targeted at Sephiroth.
If he hadn’t bullied his way onto the mission, the General would have been sent up to this backwards town with no backup besides two anonymous troopers of dubious skill and loyalty. At least Lazard had been able to push Zack onto the mission, and replace the two nameless troopers with individuals Zack, at least, was personally acquainted with.
“Thanks for your advice, Ma’am. Is there anything else we should know before we head out in the morning? We will be going directly to the reactor once dawn breaks.”
“Well now, what do you know about Nibelheim, young man? Have you ever been up this far north?” Ms. Martha smiled knowingly as Zack shook his head in puzzlement.
“Up here, we have our own myths and fables and deities, as I'm sure you've got in your own homeland, but the most important of those is our local God, Fenrir. Our God is in everything here - the depths of winter waters, the sharp slice of ice and wind against the unwary, the cold light of the moon, the howls of the Nibel wolves through the night. We worship His ferocity, and His mercy, and you have come at the time of His highest activity, when the moon is full in the sky.”
Ms. Martha paused to take a sip of water, a glow of devotion in her eyes as she spoke of her God. Zack listened intently, face showing only polite interest, while his thoughts raced. He didn’t put much stock in old gods and superstitions, as Gongaga did not have a native pantheon, but he couldn’t deny that Ms. Martha painted an intriguing picture.
“Is Fenrir the wolf on the fountain in the town square, with the gemstone eyes? I saw it when we came in - it’s very well carved, and I’ve never seen jewels that color blue before.” Ms. Martha’s eyes brightened and she smiled widely, crinkles forming at the corners of her eyes.
“Yes, that is our God, my dear late husband carved the fountain in His honor! Tifa, the Mayor’s daughter - have you met her? Lovely girl - was the one to find the gemstones, out in the mountains on one of her excursions.. We do not know what types of jewels they are, but they fit perfectly into the monument and we believe Fenrir blessed them with His sight. Should the village ever be in peril, we believe He will know through those eyes and will come to our aid. Or, perhaps, he will send Skiwją to our aid.”
Zack’s brow furrowed at the unfamiliar word, a faint shiver trailing down his spine with the sudden feeling of being watched. He twitched and glanced around, his nerves abruptly screaming at him that there was a predator nearby, though he knew there was no one in the room besides Ms. Martha.
A sudden gust of frigid air blew past his face and ran icy fingers over the nape of his neck and down his spine, as if an ice cube had been dropped down the back of his corded Soldier top. He lurched forward against the bar, startled, a yelp leaving him unintentionally. Ms. Martha let out a light chuckle and patted his forearm consolingly.
“Apologies, dear, I shouldn’t have named him so casually. He knows you are here, now, so I am sure he will visit you at some point while you are out in the woods. What I was getting at earlier, well, don’t go picking fights with any Nibel wolves you find out there. Respect the mountain and it will respect you. We don’t get many outsiders up this way, so heed this warning and y’all will be right as rain.”
“Uhh, what was that? What is Ski…sorry, I’m not going to try to pronounce that.” Zack laughed nervously, a hand scraping through his dark hair, decidedly unsettled. The feeling of being in danger slowly dissipated, but his heart pounded in his chest as adrenaline flooded his body. The muscles in his back twitched, a tangible reaction to the feeling of ice down his spine.
“Skiwją is Fenrir’s Chosen. He was a child of this village many years ago, but our God took him away after his mother passed through the veil. I regret to say, the village was not kind to him as a child, for he was born to an unwed mother and an unknown outsider, and there was always something other about him, even as a babe. We did not know he was of Fenrir until he was gone. We should have known.” She murmured, eyes distant as she recalled the unnatural glint of tapetum lucidum in brilliant blue eyes, the strength of an avalanche contained in the small body of a child. She shook her head and focused on the lieutenant again, unsurprised at his skeptical expression.
“He will find you in the mountains, I am sure. You will know, then, what I speak of. He will not harm you, but be wary of the Nibel wolves. Do not attack them or you will bring His wrath down upon you.” Ms. Martha’s voice was serious as she stared intently at Zack, and he was slightly taken aback at her words.
“I…thought we were here to eliminate any Nibel wolves or dragons we come across…?” He massaged the back of his neck, tension knotting the muscles, and bit back a yawn. It had been an exceptionally long day, and he was ready for a hot shower and bed. Ms. Martha tutted at him.
“Go on up to bed, dear. Just don’t attack the wolves unless they attack you first and y’all won’t come to no harm.” Zack, still frowning at her words, shrugged his shoulders and thanked her for her hospitality and advice, bidding her good night as he trudged over to the solid wooden staircase leading to the rooms on the upper level.
He decided to let it go for now and found his room, intent on nothing further that night than rest and whatever relaxation he could glean before they headed out at dawn. Throughout his nightly ablutions, his skin still tingled from the icy touch of wind on his nape.
Deep in the heavy forests crowning Mount Nibel, glowing blue eyes shot open, incandescent against the black paint smeared in a thick stripe over large, almond-shaped eyes and the bridge of a slender nose, white runes painted delicately in a vertical line down a pale forehead. Streaks of black and white paint fell beneath those icy, burning eyes like tears, and a vivid red handprint marked the side of his throat and jaw like blood.
Pale lips parted and a ghostly howl broke the stillness of the air, joined in chorus by half a dozen other inhuman voices, echoing out into the night and reaching the village nestled far below the mountain with unnatural ease. The first night of the full moon had arrived, and their time to hunt was upon them.