Final Fantasy Legacy
Chapter Two - Escapes and Counterattacks
By Delfina
Started by Brian Stricklin
Hosted by IFF

*****

Mika walked along, muttering to herself.  "Honestly, I spent all
that time fixing that great meal and he didn't even show up! 
When I..."  Her voice trailed off as she saw the commotion near
the gate.  A man that looked very familiar was fleeing, carrying
a comatose bundle.  Mika started.  "Davin...?  Davin!"  Breaking
into a run, she hurried after him.

Across the square, Wedge and Biggs noticed the small alchemist
running after Davin, and the guards who suddenly seemed to take
an interest in her when they heard her calling his name.

"Do you think that's the little sister Davin's always talking
about?"

"Oh damn.  I suppose we should take care of her."

Wedge nodded and pulled out his blunderbuss, loading it. 
Together the two hurried after Mika's small form.  Flanking her,
they effortlessly picked her up between them and caught up to the
fleeing Davin.

"What?  Mika!  What are you doing here?  And Wedge, Biggs, you
don't need to get caught up in this.  It's my problem!"  Shifting
his burden, he slowed his pace a bit to look for cover.

"We're with you, Davin.  For a little bit anyways.  What did you
do to tick the Church off like that?"

"And where did you get that lovely little bundle?" Biggs smirked.

Mika squirmed in his grasp to look at Davin. "Big brother!  What
happened?  And who is *she*?"

"No time to explain, little one!  The Church is after me, and if
they know you're involved, they'll kill you all!"

Wedge stopped briefly and fired his blunderbuss, knocking one
Dragoon off of his horse and startling the other horses so much
that they either reared and threw their riders off or ran into
the opposite direction.  One rider was still on his horse and
doggedly pursuing them.  Wedge ran, panting, trying to reload his 
weapon while Davin and Biggs looked for a hiding spot.  Mika
surprised them all when she threw a bomb that exploded in the
rider's path, causing his pursuit to end suddenly.

"Now you've shot at a Dragoon!  You're marked too!  And Mika! 
Where did you learn how to do that?!"  Mika looked somewhat
shamefaced.

Wedge shrugged it off.  "Don't worry about me, kid.  I can handle
it.  So can Biggs."

Biggs nodded.  "Let's get these girls to a safe place first. 
Have to get that blasted Dragoon off of our trail first.  If we
can make it to the mountain village of Achal, we should be able
to get disguises and transportation of some sort."

Davin stopped and placed Marcine on the ground.  "I'll give up. 
Wedge, get Marcine out of here."

Wedge shook his head.  "No.  We're not going to let you do that. 
How about this?  Me and Biggs here will take your little sister
off to safety and guard your rear.  You get that girl there and
run off and hide somewhere.  We'll meet up at Achal in three days
time."

Davin hesitated.  "But Mika will just be in the way.  Mika, come
with me!"

"No I won't!  I'll be a big help, you'll see!  And I'm going to
rescue you!"  Mika didn't understand what was happening, but she
knew when she was being given 'baby' status.  She stomped her
foot and pulled out some sort of device.  "I know how to make
bombs as well as curatives and potions.  And I can use them! 
It's best if we split up; don't worry, big brother, we'll catch
up with you in three days time.  You've got enough to worry about
with that girl you're carrying."

Davin looked helplessly at Wedge and Biggs.  "Protect her,
please.  I trust you."

"Don't worry.  We'll make sure she's safe and sound, even if it
costs us our own lives in the process."  Snatching up Mika again,
Biggs headed off into the forests, Wedge close on his heels,
having reloaded his weapon.  Davin had no choice but to go the
opposite direction and hope that his sister would be safe.

*****

Kyle brought his horse to a halt and waited for his squad to
catch up.  No one suffered any real damage, fortunately.  They
were all just dazed and startled, as well as embarrassed.  Three
fleeing men on foot escaped them, two of them carrying bundles. 
One of the said 'bundles' had to be his sister, Marcine.  Turning
to face his reassembled squad, he addressed them.

"We will track them down and bring them back.  Now we have more
reason to do so, as well as more to bring in.  Let's go."  With a
curt nod to the men under his command to follow him, he led the
way.  They immediately fell into step behind him as they walked
through the wilderness outside of Tienne.  Kyle's best tracker
ranged before them, indicating which way to proceed as they 
trudged slowly through the waning afternoon light.

"Captain, I believe they split up here, sir," he said, pausing at
a barely discernible fork in the path.  "From these marks, where
the branches were broken and the ground trampled," he indicated,
"This seems to be where the party went different ways."

Kyle dismounted and examined the traces himself.  "Cheney, do you
know the path that the man carrying... Marcine Cavanaugh went?"

The old tracker stooped down next to Kyle and looked at him
sympathetically.  "Yes, sir."  Standing up quickly he pointed
with absolute surety to the path on the right.  "I do believe
they went this way, sir."

Kyle stood up as well.  "Very well, men, let's go."  Spurring his
horse, he led the way onto the path, his men following.  Cheney
was slower to get up on his horse, and as he rode away he looked
wistfully at the path on the left.  *Marcine, my girl, make
haste.  Your father's daft and your brother too duty-bound, but I
know you can bring a change.*  Seeing that the line had stopped
and was apparently waiting for him, he hurriedly brought his
horse back up to the front to lead the way again.

*****

Davin stopped next to a little stream that was trickling through
the forest.  Over the top of the trees he could barely make out
the mountain ranges of Harshak looming in the distance.  Marcine
stirred a bit and he quickly hovered over her, filling his water
skin with fresh water and offering it to her.  "Marcine, are you
all right?"

Marcine opened her eyes blearily and tried to focus upon the
person floating above her.  After blinking a few times she
realized it was Davin, and that she was in a forest somewhere. 
Accepting the proffered water, she took a sip and then tried to
speak.  "Davin, where are we?  Are they close behind us?"

"No, I think we lost them.  Biggs and Wedge joined us and took my
little sister to a safe place, hopefully.  We're going to go to
Achal and meet up with them in three days' time."

"Achal?  But that's so far away in the mountains!  Where are we
now?"

"Well, we're in the forests outside of Tienne."  Helping her to
stand up, he pointed at the Harshak Mountains.  "See?  They're
not that far away.  Hopefully we can find some sort of
transportation once we get there to make it even farther 
away."

Marcine nodded and brushed off her skirts.  Taking an unsteady
step forward, she said, "Well, let's go.  Three days...  By the
time this trip is over I should be in great shape!"

Davin laughed.  "That's the spirit!  Let's go, we've got quite a
few hours left till nightfall."

*****

Wedge and Biggs exchanged glances as they heard the sound of fast
approaching hoof beats.  "Those Dragoons are fast.  We might have
to make some sort of last stand."  Biggs looked at the sleeping
figure in his arms and sighed.  "And let's find somewhere to
stash her for safekeeping."

Wedge nodded and pointed to a nearby small cave, hidden behind a
screen of foliage.  "What if we set her in there?  I don't think
it's big enough for all of us, but she'll fit."

"All right.  We can hide it with some more brush as well." 
Shaking the little girl awake, Biggs set her down on the ground. 
"Hey, Mika?  Are you all right?"

Mika rubbed her eyes.  "Yes... why are we stopping?  Have we made
it to Achal?"

"No, not yet.  We think that the Dragoons are coming closer and
we want you to go hide, all right?  There's a little cave over
there.  We'll give you some supplies, just in case,"  he said, as
he started pulling some things out of his sack and handing them
to Mika.  "Here's a map to Achal, the route is highlighted."

"Wait, you're just going to leave me here?  I can fight too!"

Wedge packed the rest of the supplies they were leaving her with
into the cave and picked up Mika to shove her in there as well. 
"We promised your brother we'd not let you get hurt, and this is
exactly what we're doing.  You stay in there.  We're going to
distract those Dragoons and then we'll come back after 
you, okay?  You should be fine for a few days."  Turning on his
heel, he started to walk off.

Biggs looked back once and pulled some more branches over the
entrance to the small cave.  "Don't worry, you'll be just fine. 
We'll be back before you know it."  He sprinted off after his
companion after one last reassuring smile.  Mika scowled and
decided to make herself comfortable for the long nights 
ahead.

*****

"Well, Cheney?"

"I think we're catching up to them, sir.  There are traces of
them having stopped here for a bit to discuss something, and then
they moved off in this general direction.  If we hurry now, we
could catch up to them rather quickly."

Kyle nodded and spurred his horse on through the underbrush. 
From her vantage point, Mika saw the small squad of Dragoons
hurry after Wedge and Biggs.  She hoped that they made it away
safely, and was glad that they hid her before they had gone.  
Although she wasn't scared, no not her! she didn't want to get in
their way.  She did have a few bombs ready just in case they came
back...

*****

Wedge and Biggs scrambled through the forest and ducked into
another cave.  Biggs had a slingshot and was making a small pile
of suitable missiles for when the Dragoons came near.  They
exchanged glances, knowing that they'd delayed too long and would
soon be overcome, but regardless, they would be prepared.

With a crash, the first of the Dragoons broke over the edge over
the hill.  With a loud *boom*, Wedge shot off with his
blunderbuss, felling one of the Dragoons and disabling two more
when their horses reared and threw them off.  Biggs was 
busy as well, causing mass confusion among the enemies as his
accurate missiles caused the horses to panic and to run away. 
Wedge shot again, and the remaining three Dragoons were thrown
off of their horses.  

Biggs and Wedge evaluated the enemy from their position:  Two of
the soldiers appeared to be permanently out of commission,
judging from their gaping wounds.  Three of the horses were down
with injuries.  Two more of the soldiers appeared to have only
slight wounds, and the oldest member was cautiously staying out
of combat's way.  The final member, the Captain that had been on
their heels the whole time - and who bore a striking resemblance
to Davin's girl - also appeared to be relatively unwounded.  They
looked around and drew together into a huddle to discuss their
next actions.  

Wedge took this time to reload and Biggs readied another shot. 
Out of a small squad of six there were four left, although the
old tracker didn't appear to be a problem.  Wedge started to aim
carefully at the Dragoons; they made themselves an excellent
target, but Biggs stayed his hand.  "No, let's see if they leave 
peacefully first."

Kyle looked through the trees, trying to place his enemies. 
Guerrilla warfare was something he and his men were only
partially prepared for, as they were used to fighting and
training in wide-open spaces.  He looked at the two casualties 
and felt a pang of regret.  He was responsible for these men, and
his pride would not allow him to shirk that.  He *would* find the
enemy and defeat them.  And he would get his sister back.

Waving at his men to swarm the trees where the rain of fire
seemed to be coming from, he led the way.  There was another loud
shot, and another one of his men fell.  Whoever the enemy was,
they had excellent aim.  Kyle decided prudently that it might be
best to retreat.  Signaling to the old tracker and to his last 
man, Kyle pulled his fallen men onto horses and started to walk
away from the scene, when Cheney paused him with a slight tap
upon his arm.

"Sir, I believe you should know there are only two of them, and
that they are hiding in the brush over yonder."  Kyle looked
sharply at Cheney.

"Did you see Miss Cavanaugh with them?"

"No, sir.  But I'm sure she is back there somewhere, or that they
will know where she is."

Kain, the last remaining able-bodied soldier, suddenly gave a war
cry and rushed towards the area where Cheney had indicated the
two men would be found.  Kyle quickly ordered him to halt, but
was not heeded.  Cursing under his breath, Kyle pulled out his
own weapon and charged forward to join his junior officer.

Wedge and Biggs, seeing the enemy running towards their hiding
spot, quickly picked up large clubs.  The blunderbuss was too
awkward to fight with in close quarters, and the sling was
useless.  With a clash the four came together, the Dragoons
wielding their trademark naginata and the two mercenaries
wielding large clubs with relative ease.  The junior officer
managed to get into Biggs' defenses and impale him upon his
blade, but fell when Biggs delivered a crushing final blow upon 
him, splitting his skull open.

Wedge wasn't faring much better with the skilled Dragoon captain. 
Rage colored his vision as his longtime friend fell before him. 
*Biggs, we've been through so much together...*  Skipping to the
side, he managed to pick up the fallen Dragoon's naginata and
experimentally hefted it, gazing at the young officer.  The two
bowed to one another and squared off.

Kyle might have been a lot younger and stronger than Wedge, but
he didn't have Wedge's experience.  The canny mercenary knew his
weapons, and he knew them well.  Wedge's naginata swept through
the air, quickly and efficiently.  Even though Kyle was an 
expert at it in his class, practice halls were no replacement for
real combat - where his life was actually on the line.

Wedge sized up the Dragoon.  He wasn't sure why he was trying to
track down that poor girl, Davin hadn't had a chance to tell
them, but he was sure it couldn't be for something that terrible. 
The Church overreacted to everything.  She probably wanted to
marry someone her family didn't approve of, or she wasn't as holy
as they would have liked.  He realized that Kyle was a lot better
than he was, but lack of experience was probably preventing him
from going all out.  Smirking with a confidence he didn't feel,
he decided to ask.  "So, what are you after that poor girl for,
hm?  She's not marrying the right guy?  Missed saying a few
prayers?"

Kyle's jaw tightened and he swung haphazardly at Wedge, his
emotions temporarily taking over.  This only served to score him
a wound across his arm where his armor had come slightly undone,
when Wedge pressed his advantage and struck.  Wedge smiled at his
discomfort and continued in the same vein of taunts.

"No, I bet she's one of those magicians that the Church is always
talking about, isn't she?"  Seeing Kyle's thunderous expression,
he guessed he'd hit his mark.  "Don't tell me, what did she do? 
Let's see, it couldn't have been to destroy the city of Tienne,
since it's still there.  No... and she must not have brought in 
any more gold or money for the fat Churchmen either.  I know! 
Maybe she used her power for GOOD, not evil!  You know, things
that the Church wouldn't waste its time doing, like healing
people and - oof!"  His breath was knocked out of him as the 
butt of the naginata was firmly implanted into his stomach.

"Where is she?"  Kyle bit out, every word a hiss.


Wedge shook his head, breathing heavily.  "I'll not tell you! 
She doesn't deserve to be killed for helping people.  Greedy
Churchman, all they want to do is line their own coffers, don't
care a bit about the people!"  Spitting at Kyle, he continued. 
"And you're not any better; you're one of them!  In your fancy
Dragoon Captain  uniform with your fancy troops.  How many of you
are left?  After fighting two old men, hm?  Two of you!  And
you're wounded.  Ha!  All you've got  left is yourself and that
old tracker!  And the girl is far away from here."

Thrusting his naginata forward quickly, Wedge struck at Kyle,
landing a solid blow upon his chest.  A loud crack was heard and
a fleeting expression of pain went across his face.  Kyle
retaliated with a swift parry and succeeded in knocking the
weapon out of Wedge's hand.  Stepping in, he brought the tip of
his blade up.

"Far away from here?"  Kyle held the blade below Wedge's throat. 
"Maybe, where is she?  Regardless of what she's done, you and I
are not the judges.  She has been determined to be a heretic and
is sentenced to death.  By aiding her, you are a heretic as
well."

"Fine, kill me.  'Twill not make you any better than the rest."

Kyle raised his weapon angrily and brought it down upon Wedge's
head, causing him to slump to the ground, blood spewing out of
the head wound.  "You are not to judge me."  Standing up with
grave effort, he trudged over to Cheney.  "The girl is not here.  
We must find her."

Cheney nodded and helped Kyle bury the slain before they departed
the battlefield.

*****

Marcine paused again to take another sip from the water skin and
catch her breath.  Davin was used to hard traveling but had some
sympathy for her plight.  He didn't want to slow down the pace
too much, but Marcine couldn't take it very fast.  She seemed 
to be doing all right so far.  Telling him about her discoveries
passed the time.  

"So you've traveled all over the world, Davin?" Marcine asked,
looking up at him.  "You must tell me all about it!  I've never
been out of Tienne!"

Davin shrugged.  "Every place is pretty much like another, after
a while.  I haven't been all over the world, mind you.  Biggs and
Wedge have done much more traveling than I have."

"Oh really?  Well, what have you seen?"

"Well, the Mystic Academy, Tienne, Koden, La Verde..."

"Whyever did you start going to those distant places?"

"I was searching for my parents, and my foster sister's parents. 
You see, they found me and took me in as their own... and then
they disappeared.  I've been looking for them for a while.  My
little sister, Mika, has been staying with a friend while 
she studies to be an alchemist.  Unfortunately she's out there
somewhere  now... but Biggs and Wedge should take good care of
her."

Marcine nodded.  "I'm sure they will.  We'll all meet together at
Achal in a few days' time."

*****

Mika was getting impatient.  It shouldn't have taken that long
for Wedge and Biggs to defeat the Dragoons.  Or for the Dragoons
to finish them... no!  Must not think about that!  Any minute now
Biggs and Wedge would come looking for her so they could all go
on to Achal together.  Hearing someone walking through the
underbrush, Mika grew excited.  *That must be them!*  Peering
through the screen of leaves and branches in front of her little
hiding place, she watched as two figures came through the forest.

Kyle was leaning heavily upon Cheney and holding his broken ribs.

"Sir, we've got to backtrack a bit, but I'm sure we'll find out
where they hid the girl."

Kyle gasped, clutching the wound on his arm that was bandaged
very roughly.  "Very well, Cheney."  Collapsing on a nearby log,
Mika listened in fascination as the Dragoon Captain began to talk
openly with his tracker.

"Marcie... I don't know why she did it.  She's been brought up to
know better.  Our family has always had deep associations with
the Church."  Taking his helmet off, Kyle held his head in his
hands as the wind gently played with strands of his golden hair.

"Sir, I think you're doing the wrong thing.  Your little sister
*helped* that little boy.  If it hadn't been for her, he would
have surely died."

"Yes, Cheney, I know.  But I have to follow orders, don't I?"


"Sometimes, you have to make the calls, sir.  Now, let's look
more closely at these wounds of yours."  Pulling the makeshift
bandage off of the wound on Kyle's arm, he examined it.  "Hm,
this one could get infected if it's not treated soon."

Mika looked at the wound from her spot and made her own
predictions.  It looked nasty and needed to be stitched closed. 
Did these men know nothing?

"I don't care.  Marcie is being hunted down by the Church - by ME
- and there's nothing I can do about it.  Ouch!  What are you
doing?"

Cheney put down the bottle of liquor he had just poured on Kyle's
wound and replied, "Got to fight the infection."  Tearing off
some dirty cloth from the edge of his uniform, he started to wrap
it around the wound when he was interrupted.

"Stop!"

The two men turned to look at a bespectacled redhead.  Kyle was
the first to speak.  "Yes?  And what do you want?"

Mika was suddenly not so sure of herself.  "That wound...  It's
very bad.  It needs to be sewn up.  And alcohol isn't enough to
disinfect it."

Cheney took a closer look at her.  "You're that boy's little
sister, aren't you?  Why do you want to help us?"

"I... I can't help it.  I was trained to help those in need, and
even though I think you're a disgusting piece of slime, I know
that if he dies, I would feel guilty about that forever."  As she
spoke she pulled out a variety of packets containing powders 
and other mysterious things and efficiently started to mix up
some sort of potion in a small metal bowl she produced from
somewhere.  Imperiously beckoning for Kyle's water skin, she
mixed the potions in with it and poured it upon his wound.

"I'm... surprised.  That feels so much better, thank you."

"Yeah, well don't mention it."  Mika looked Kyle in the eyes. 
"You killed Wedge and Biggs, didn't you?"

Kyle swallowed uncomfortably.  Thinking about someone's death was
fine when with his companions, but somehow this little girl made
him feel even worse about what he had done.  "Yes, I did."

"Why?  If that girl is your sister, why do you want to kill her? 
Doesn't family mean anything to you?"

"Marcie... she means a lot to me.  But, I have to obey orders..."

"That sounds like a lame excuse and you know it.  You know what
they're going to do to her, yet you condone that?"

Cheney joined in.  "She's right.  She didn't use her magic for
evil.  Marcie used it for good.  And she's your sister, for the
gods' sake.  I don't know what possessed your father to condemn
her that way, but he is in the wrong."

Kyle sighed.  "I don't want to think about this now.  Come on,
let's go find them first.  I assume, little one, that you know
where they are headed?"

Mika stood her ground.   "I do not know, and I will not share any
knowledge that I may have.  You killed friends of mine, what is
to make me think that you won't harm me as well?"

"We won't harm you.  Come with us.  We can't leave a  little girl
all alone out in the forest like this."

"What?!  But I don't want to go with you!"  She turned and
started to flee, but was caught up by Cheney.

"Nay, lass.  You'll be going with us.  Now, come along
peaceably."  Realizing that she wouldn't be able to escape
immediately, she resigned herself to her fate and went along.

*****

Talking about his past to Marcine made Davin feel very
comfortable.  He hadn't meant to unload his thoughts upon her
like that, but now that he had he felt a lot better.  She was
very understanding and sympathetic, and shared with him some of
her life experiences as well.  They had walked on during the day,
making good progress, and had finally settled down to a peaceful
camp.  This was why they didn't notice the attack coming until
they were in the midst of battle.

"Gusts of Wind, come to me!  Swirl and Gather gracefully!  Aero!"

Davin woke up suddenly to find the campfire blown out and most of
their belongings scattered to the winds.  A small tornado seemed
to be centered around the edge of their campsite.  Marcine had
also woken up and was looking at Davin in terror.

Davin got up and pulled out his sword.   "Who are you, and what
do you want?"


The wind suddenly died and a mysterious person in a long black
cape that seemed to meld with the shadows appeared.  "I would
like anything you hold that is valuable, of course," it said in a
deep voice.  "Money, jewels, you know."

Marcine was looking at the figure in puzzlement.  "Wait, that
wasn't elemental magic... that was real magic!  The church
forbids using it!  Where did you learn that?"

The figure turned to stare at Marcine.  "I learn everything that
I need to know from the forest.  The forest protects me and
teaches me.  I have no use for the church.  Now, give me your
valuables."

Davin looked at the figure in astonishment.  "But, we have none. 
We are fleeing from Tienne ourselves, hunted down by the church."

At this, the figure looked somewhat interested.  "Is there, by
chance, a bounty upon your head?"

"Uhh, no I don't believe so..."

"Drat.  No money or jewels or anything?"

"No."  Davin looked almost apologetic.  "None at all."

"Well fine then!"  Spinning on its heel, the figure melted into
the night.  Davin and Marcine exchanged puzzled glances and went
back to sleep.

*****

In the woods, Syeira paused to catch her breath.  Those two were
running from the church, hm?  They will be an interesting pair to
watch.  Indeed, she should make lots of profit from following
them.  If the church was really after them, there would be plenty 
of fat churchmen ripe for the taking.  Smiling, she decided to
rest a bit before they left in the morning.

*****

Author's Notes:  Thanks to Ardweden and Illyria for prereading! 
^_^