The sun was brightly shining high up in the sky. In the midst of a tropical forest, a squad of dark-complexioned soldiers was slowly marching through the forest. Despite their light gear, they were all beginning to tire from the sweltering heat. Only the occasional glare from their squad leader prevented the militiamen from daring to break formation and drop their pace. "" the soldier at the rear whined. "" The leader of the squad, a lean but imposing figure of ebony, shielded his eyes as he looked upwards. "" The others groaned. "" Another soldier ventured to ask. "" The lieutenant glared at his subordinate, who cringed under his intimidating gaze. He began to reprimand him, but his words were cut off by a sudden scream from deep within the forest. "" "" the squad tracker pointed towards the direction of the scream. "" He nodded back. "" As one, the patrol entered the forest to investigate, their earlier fatigue forgotten. ============================================================= FINAL FANTASY LEGACY Knights of the Round An ImproFanfic series Started by Brian Stricklin And hosted by Improfanfic (http://www.improfanfic.com) Chapter Twenty Five: The Prodigals This Chapter written by Signus Megido (maramala@hotmail.com) ============================================================= Mika finally stopped screaming, but only for a moment. "SYEIRA!!!" Mika burst into frantic action. "Please don't be dead... don't be dead..." Shizuka was at a loss for words when Mika elbowed her away and cradled the dead thief's head in her arms. "Miss Gilchrist," the ninja finally spoke, "this one believes that Cid's student's spirit has already taken flight from this world." "NO! I WON'T LET HER DIE!" Mika flung open her pack and rummaged through the contents. "I won't... I won't... Here!" Her eyes sparkled with glee. Davin struggled to sit up. "Mika... We can't do anything now..." "Yep, here they are, alright," she grinned triumphantly as she took out a handful of the Phoenix Down. "Yes, we can, brother. I have these, remember?" Both Davin and Shizuka watched as Mika gently arranged Syeira's body, then gaily scattered the bright red feathers around the corpse. "C'mon, c'mon... work... work... work," Mika droned on, repeating the words like a mantra. "Please don't die... please don't die... please..." With bated breath, Mika and the others waited for the Phoenix Down to do its work. After a while Shizuka shook her head as she moved to pick up the scattered Phoenix Down. "The Blessed Feathers of Suzaku do not work that way, you see," she spoke up. "You are only wasting such a valuable gift." "NO! DON'T TOUCH THOSE!" Mika screamed in anger at Shizuka. "You'll interrupt the process!" Shizuka shook her head again while she slowly unclasped the bracers on Syeira's arms. "The Blessed Feathers of Suzaku cannot bring the dead back to life." "THAT'S NOT TRUE!" Mika cried. "Genji gave these himself, for me to use at the right time!" In a smaller voice, she added hesitantly, "now's the right time, right? Right?" Shizuka didn't answer. Instead, she quietly bowed and offered up the Phoenix Down and bracers to Mika. "Don't patronize me!" Mika pushed her away. "We can still save Syeira, right? Tell me!" Startled by the sudden shove, Shizuka stumbled back and tripped over Syeira's body. The jostling caused Syeira's head to roll over to Mika's feet. Mika looked down, then screamed again. Davin reached forward towards his sister. "Mika, get a hold of yourself!" He cried out as he embraced her. "Mika! Mika!" He felt her body shake several times as she sobbed, until with a gasp, she fell limp in his arms. "Miss Gilchrist has fainted," Shizuka said. Davin silently nodded, stroking Mika's long red hair. "Oh, Mika..." he whispered softly, "I... I don't know what to do." There was sound of commotion from behind them. Davin saw Shizuka tense for a moment, before her expression returned to its usual eerie placidity. Together they turned to the source of the sounds. Several bronze-skinned people emerged from the thick overgrowth. They were dressed in light shirts and pantaloons made up of what appeared to be vibrant, flowing cloth, and carried long tridents. He also noted that the material of their uniforms seemed awfully familiar. He took a quick head count and got eight of them. One of them stepped forward and took in an unfinished makeshift grave, Syeira's body lying haphazardly beside it, the sleeping Marcine on the ground, and the unconscious Mika in Davin's arms. Davin noted the cloth headdress and colorful sash and assumed the speaker be the newcomers' leader. After a moment's pause, the leader of the group began to address them in a strange tongue. Before Davin could react, Shizuka replied in the same language. After the brief exchange, the leader's expression darkened, and he barked a short command to his subordinates. "Dakpin ang mga dayuhang Ryukin!" "Wha...?" Within moments, they were quickly overwhelmed by the natives. Shizuka yelled out in protest, but didn't attempt to fight back. His body already taxed to his limits, Davin succumbed to fatigue before the strangers laid their hands on him. The last thought on his mind before unconsciousness descended was that he failed the girls, and now they're all going to die... -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Something rustled in the branches above her, and Zarela whirled around, her hand already grasping the hilt of her broadsword. "Who's there?" She didn't see anyone. She released her hold on Blansh, but she still felt uneasy, as if innumerable eyes were out there watching her every move. She dismissed the feeling as paranoia, then turned back to stalk her unwary quarry. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Unfortunately for Zarela, her quarry was far from unwary of her attempt to track her. Careful not to snag the thin material of her clothes on the surrounding, Pearl sighed while she continued to walk in the long-disused path in the forest. It had been several days now, and her annoying shadow still continued her relentless pursuit. She had decided to risk skirting the borders of Moogle territory in order to lose the mysterious stalking knight, but no such luck. Of course, she could have thrown her tracker off her trail anytime she wished, but she'd rather not have wasted any more of her Lore components. She glanced at the foliage and noted again the silent presence of the true masters of the forest among the thick shrubbery. She wasn't too worried about them watching her. She knew that as long as she didn't provoke them or attract undue attention, she would be fine. But of course, she couldn't say the same for her clumsy pursuer. It would only be a matter of time... Pearl grinned inwardly as she heard the knight yell and curse as she loudly crashed into another thicket. "What an amateur..." Pearl thought. "Whoever sent her must have underestimated my Hunter skills not to notice. Now, if they'd have hired Stine to follow me, I'd be so happy to be caught in his..." She shook her head to drive away the images in her mind, and sighed wistfully. "Oh, Stine, do I have to tie you up every time so that you won't run off? I wonder what he's doing now?" Pearl giggled as an image of a miniaturized Stine riding a blue winged lizard crossed her thoughts. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Beastmaster Stine continued his journey through the mountains, his righteous determination growing stronger with every step he took. "I can feel the vile heretics nearby," he proclaimed. "Their pitiful efforts to hide from my great and mighty presence is futile, for nothing may obstruct the Citizens' Justice from being carried out." He found a cave entrance on the side of the mountain. "Mayhaps they had decided to conceal themselves here." He mused. "Foolish misguided miscreants. Their days of evading their well-deserved dues have ran out." The beastmaster cupped his hands in front of his mouth, and bellowed into the cave. "VILE HERETICS! I, BEASTMASTER STINE, ORDER YOU TO COME OUT AND FACE THE FURY OF THE CITIZENS' JUSTICE! THERE IS NO WAY YOU CAN ESCAPE THE CITIZENS' MANDATE! SURRENDER!!!" From deep within the dark recesses of the lair, two pairs of slited eyes glowed, their glares directed at the uncouth fool who had disturbed their affirmation of the will of natural order. They disentangled themselves from each other, and then slowly moved towards the entrance. Stine paused as he saw the two winged reptilian giants emerge from the dark cavern, their azure scales glittering in the light of the sun, and their long serpent heads rearing towards him. "Stine... will regret this." -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Kyle rubbed his sore temples. The squad of Dragoons was walking the path towards Seiryu, with Cheney and the others chatting with the Ryukin swordsman. This great adventure, or whatever Martin called their mission for the moment, was getting nowhere fast. They had lost the trail of Marcine and the others, they have gotten get deported out of Ryukin, and yet the others have yet to realize how serious this is. "Some sea monsters are edible?" Reill asked in disbelief. Cheney nodded. "Of course they are." "No way..." Martin commented. Hiro shook his head. "It's true. Squid, or 'devil fish' as the Moon people called them, is quite a delicacy. I'll show you a great restaurant in Seiryu that serves a great takoyaki dish..." **Then again,** he corrected himself, **maybe they do know the severity of this mission, but they refused to drag themselves down in cynicism like I had done. Marcine, have you ever felt this way too...?** "Gil for your thoughts?" Kyle blinked. "Jil..." Jil Fallensand smiled back at him. "Ye looked troubled, Kyle. Anything ye wished t' talk about?" "No, it's nothing..." Kyle shook his head. "Sorry. I was just..." "Worried?" Jil finished the sentence. "Aye, I too am worried--" Jil gasped in surprise as a bright yellow ball of energy struck her from behind. She froze in place as the glowing yellow energy quickly enveloped her. "JIL!" Kyle screamed. Everyone save for Cheney immediately took battle positions. "It's an attack!" Martin cried out. "No," Cheney shook his head. "It's a clairmancy spell. Someone must be attempting to contact our good captain..." "Could it be Mar..." Kyle quickly corrected himself. "...The heretics?" Cheney shrugged. "Maybe..." "But..." Hiro interjected, "...the others were supposed to have gone to Byakko, which is that way," he pointed at a direction away from the one that the energy ball came from. "They're no longer in Ryukin," Jil finally spoke while she walked away from the group. "Jil..." Kyle began to speak, but Jil interrupted him. "Ye wanted t' find them as soon as p'ssible, right? Come with me, then." Davin paused in thought. Then with a shrug, he resheathed his weapon and followed her lead. The others glanced at each other, before doing the same. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Thirty years ago... The group had been adventuring together for nearly a decade now. Hardy warriors, they had wandered far and wide, and had nearly covered the very ends of the known world. They had faced many trials and tribulations, and each time they succeeded in overcoming the tests, with no one else but each other to turn to for support. Through thick and thin, through the happy times and the moments of grief, they had weathered the fiercest storms that the Fates had sent their way. But to all great epics there must be an ending. And so it was with this group of travelers, having recently slain many powerful monsters once again, and brought down yet another threat to the peace and sanctity of the Church State of Tienne, were on their way back home. Unfortunately for them, this story ends in a tragedy... It was the middle of the day, the sun shining just the way it had done for eons, and will still continue to do so for many eons more. At the moment the sun shone down on the six travelers who were riding chocobos down the cobbled path of the Spice Road north of the capital. They had come all the way from Ramaz, an eastern city at the far side of the Great Channel, right at the southern borders of the neighboring Empire of the Moon. They have gained much from their most recent adventure, and their packs were nearly bursting from the treasures contained within. The travelers were currently in the midst of uproarious laughter over the amusing anecdote one of them had just narrated. "Oh, Onias..." giggled the blond-haired young woman amongst the group, who was dressed in loose clothing the color of earth, her wide green eyes sparkling with amusement. "You tell the most funniest stories." Another member of the group nodded, the wild silver hair whipping around his face as he did so. "I can't believe I'm hearing this... Our own Brother Onias, a respected cleric next in line to be High Priest of the Church, manages to entertain the self-proclaimed immoral Gyn Samson, feared Geomancer Supreme and Outlaw Hunter. You should've been a bard, Onias, instead of cooping yourself up in that moldy Cathedral." "Well, Gaz," answered eldest member of the travelers, a prematurely balding man who wore the robes of a traveling cleric, "...one of the sayings in the Holy Scriptures is 'Never miss the chance to gain experience'. And this way is as good as any other, right?" Everyone laughed again at that remark, even the other female member of their group, a stoic young redhead who normally remained indifferent to her fellow adventurers' antics, as she cracked a small enigmatic smile. "It must be another sign of the End, Gaz," The blonde woman giggled, "if Onias ever decides to quit the priesthood and be an entertainer." "Yes, Highwater here can tell stories better than I can," Onias added. Their leader, a lanky, dark-haired youth who had barely reached adulthood, who was garbed in a light leather ensemble similar in design to the armor that the others were wearing, scratched the back of his head in embarrasment. "Er, thanks for the compliment, Brother Onias..." he said, "...but you're the more knowledgeable one." "Highwater's right, Onias," the sixth member of the group blurted out, a skinny young man dressed in unremarkable grey clothing, "you just can't sing worth crap." "Cid..." Onias chided him, "you do know that we can't make our voices sound like a girl's." "Aw, hush, you two," Highwater scolded them while the other three continued laughing. "I never said this before," commented Gaz Vinlander between chuckles, "but you must have had a terrible childhood." "Well, at least I don't look like a girl," Highwater shot back in annoyance. Gaz made as if he was shocked. "Why, Highwater, I never knew you liked m--" "Highwater." The redhead interrupted their bickering. "There's a group of Holy Guardsmen up ahead. They seem to be in distress." Everyone fell silent. Highwater nodded, and they proceeded to ride out off the beaten track towards the gathering of people that the tracker indicated. "Good day, soldiers of Tienne!" Highwater addressed the Holy Guardsmen as the group rode up to the group. "What seems to be the trouble here?" The leader of the soldiers stepped forward. "Who are you! Identify yourselves!" he demanded. "Why, we're the Light Warriors of Tienne! Don't you recognize us?" Highwater asked. The soldiers whispered among themselves. "Hey, isn't that Cid's group of adventurers?" one of them asked. The other five members glared at Cid. "'Cid's Group'?!?" Gaz repeated. Cid shrugged indifferently. "...Whatever." "Good sirs! You have made it just in time!" the leader of the troop exclaimed. "We are aware of the great distances that you have journeyed from, but we are all in desperate need of your help!" "Eh?" Highwater replied eloquently. Gyn groaned. "Not another one..." "'Cid's Group'?!?" Gaz repeated. "A great mechanical beast that the Church have subdued has broken free of our control and is now freely ravaging the countryside. The other Holy Guardsmen have remained behind to keep the creature occupied while we return to Tienne for reinforcements! Please, you must help us stop the monster before it harms innocent lives!" Cid tensed at the description. "Could it be... A Guardian...?" "I have a bad feeling about this..." Onias reflected. Highwater turned to the others. "What do you say, friends?" Gaz shrugged noncommittally. "Why not? Got nothing better to do..." he turned to wink at Leda. The redhead silently nodded in reply while she adjusted the braid of her hair back. "Oh, fine, fine..." Gyn groused. "Majority rules, as usual." "Agreed, then." Highwater turned back to the soldiers. "Do not worry, sirs. We will go and deal with this wild beastly contraption that you speak of." "Thank you, Light Warriors! We are grateful for your help!" the leader of the troops called out to the group as they rode on towards the direction the Holy Guardsmen indicated. "See?" Cid commented. "Highwater has quite a flair for the dramatic..." "Sheesh. I still can't believe my ears... 'Cid's Group'?!?" Gaz repeated. Gyn sighed. Onias shook his head. "Like I said, I have a bad feeling about this..." The finally reached the area that the Holy Guardsmen spoke of, a secluded clearing several miles north of Tienne. The whole field was dead silent. Even as they approached, they could see bodies of Holy Guardsmen stewn all about the place. "By the Three Gods..." Gyn shivered involuntarily. "Such wanton carnage..." "And for once, we didn't cause any of it too," Gaz added. The others shot him a dirty look. Onias made the sign of the Tri-Fan while they cautiously dismounted from their chocobos and walked the rest of the way. Highwater, Leda and Gaz pulled out similarly designed swords, a unique weapon with a long curved blade while Cid tightened his gloves and Gyn gathered her purple fur cloak around her. Everyone fanned out, watching for any sign of their enemy. Onias heavily leaned on his quarterstaff as he lifted one of the people lying on the ground. "This one's still alive." Highwater reached his side. "Can he talk?" he asked. "Maybe. Hey, you..." Onias uncorked a vial he produced out of his shoulder pack, and made the man drink it down. "Sir, what happened here? Who did this to you?" The dying man shuddered, coughing out blood as he tried to speak. "T...TIA...TIAM..." There was sudden rumbling sound from all around them. "Highwater," Leda approached them. "Something's coming here. Something big." "Where? Where?" Highwater looked around. The sky darkened as a huge shadow covered the clearing. "Above us." Everyone looked up, and gasped in horror. Flying above them with huge leathery wings was a misshapen mechanical monstrosity over twice the size of a behemoth. Its whole body was covered in blue scale-like metallic plates. From its prodigious body sprouted its wings, huge claws, and five different monster-shaped heads. Ten sets of glowing red eyes regarded the group on the ground. "TIAMAT..." Onias gasped in realization. The monster landed in the clearing, right in their midst. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Present time. Davin blinked awake. "Where... where am I?" he groaned, looking around. He was inside a small brown hut made up of bamboo and palm leaves. He saw the light of the morning sun streaming down the window above his head, and found himself lying on a wooden cot with straw for bedding and covered up with a soft shimmering material... Davin abruptly sat up as he recalled everything that just occurred. "What happened?" he wondered. A slight coughing sound from beside him made Davin realize that he wasn't alone. "" the young bronzed-skinned girl kneeling beside him urged. "" "Huh?" Davin turned to the speaker, incomprehension on his face. "Aah, naunawaan ko..." the girl cleared her throat before she spoke again. "I mean to say..." she paused as she struggled with the unpracticed language rolling down her tongue. "That is... you stay in bed... earn your health back... from many hurting on body." Davin checked himself, and found that he now wore a plain white shirt and pants of the same material as the covers on the cot. He felt some bruises still remaining, but otherwise the more serious wounds must have been treated while he slept. Sighing, he reluctantly let himself lie back down the bed. "Where are the others?" "Others?" the girl cocked her head as she carefully chose her reply. "They are in good hands... you no worry much, yes?" Sighing, Davin closed his eyes in acceptance of their situation. "Where are we, anyway?" "'Anyway?' Aah, you mean this place?" Davin heard a faint rustling of cloth as the girl continued speaking. "You are in Indong, coastal city of Paanbatala." "Paanbatala..." Davin thought aloud. "Isn't that supposed to be an island south of Rupantao?" "Yes." "Tell me..." Davin opened his eyes and looked up... and nearly choked at the sight. The girl he was talking to have disrobed while she spoke and now stood beside the cot without a stitch of cloth covering her. **She couldn't be any older than Mika,** he thought as he watched her blushing under his gaze, and so he looked away. "What... What is the meaning of this?!?" The girl noticeably stuttered as she explained. "I know many ancient healing remedies... Let me raise your... your..." there was a pause as she struggled with the approximate term, "...prana... prana levels, yes." "Um, no thanks," Davin politely declined. "But you are hurt very badly... I have way to raise your prana... make your body heal faster," she insisted. "Please, I'm all right now." "You sure?" the girl asked, reaching out to touch his shoulder. "Maybe you... desire one of the others... to come here, yes?" "Gah!" Davin shuffled as far away from the girl as possible while still seated on the cot. "Sorry..." The girl noticeably pouted. "Or you prefer... a man... to administer healing power instead?" "No!" Davin protested. "I mean... yes, I'd rather have Marcine and the others here so I can be sure they're all right." "They are safe, foreigner." A new voice assured Davin. Davin whirled around to see someone entering the hut. The girl immediately lay prostrate before the middle-aged man, who was swarthy and heavily muscled, cutting an imposing figure as he stood in front of the open doorway. He wore a band of bright cloth and sash like the leader of the patrol Davin and the others encountered earlier, and would have completed the image of regality... if it wasn't for the earth-caked blue tight shorts he was wearing. The newcomer turned to the girl on the floor. "" "" the girl protested, "" "" "" the girl protested loudly, as she got dressed. "" "I am sorry, young man," the headman apologized in flawless Common to Davin as Anna quietly made her leave of them. "For the girl's enthusiasm in practicing her healing arts. I am Ka Bikke, the Headman of Indong City." "'Healing arts?'" Davin asked. "Yes," Bikke nodded. "You see, the body contains prana, or spiritual energy if you may call it that. Our healers can speed up the treatment of injuries by transferring some of their prana to their patients. It's a simple process, really, if you have been trained in the Arts." **Just like the Red Monks...** Davin thought. "Where are the others?" "You mean the girls with you? They're all staying in the hut next to this one," Bikke answered. Seeing Davin's curious expression, he continued. "Why didn't we have you all stay in one place? It's more a matter of tradition than anything else. The people of Paanbatala here live in houses of grouped according to our gender, unless they're married, in which case we have homes of our own." "...I see," Davin mused. "Where is our equipment?" Bikke wagged a finger at Davin. "Ah, ah, ah... you must answer my questions first, brash young man, before I tell you any more." He took out a piece of crumpled paper. "This was found in the possession of your dead friend." "Syeira!" Davin stood up. "What did you do with her body?" "We gave her a proper burial, of course," Bikke replied casually. "This turns out to be a note from my brother, who left for the mainland many years ago. This is also proof that your Ryukin friend is telling the truth." Davin reeled from the revelations the burly man was telling him. He sat down to think it over. "Give me some time, I'll explain everything." "You should," Bikke nodded. "To start with, tell me who you and your friends are and what is your business here in Paanbatala." Davin sighed, resigning himself for another round of long interrogations. This was getting to be repetitive... -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Beastmaster Stine looked around the small cavern. Other than that small pool at the end of the cave, there was nothing even vaguely interesting in the place. "They were here..." Stine mused. "The young whelp, the two heretics, the little girl... and someone else. Another heretic, perhaps?. Ah, like birds of a feather, the heretics do flock together, for there is strength in numbers, as numbers give an illusion of strength... Strange though, there is another one, whose tracks seem familiar... Bah, it is of no real importance for the moment. I am most sure that I shall recall it when the necessity arises." Stine strode out of the cavern. "The heretics must have backtracked and returned to that port I first spotted when I arrived at the shores of this strange land. Then my course is decided." At the entrance of the cavern patiently sat the two blue dragons Stine had encountered earlier. Stine clambered up and mounted on the back of one of them. "Onward! We shall flush out those vile heretics out of the city they dared to seek refuge in! The Citizen's Justice will not be denied!" Silently cursing their misfortune, the mated dragons flew towards the city of Seiryu, Stine gloating all the way. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- *SMASH!* Blink. *CRASH!* Blink. Blink. "Argh! By the Dark Fiends! I truly despise this forest..." Zarela howled as she continued slashing at the thick plants blocking her way. Her quarry didn't seem to notice her following, so Zarela continued hacking loudly at the forest. Unseen and unnoticed, many beady eyes watched the Holy Knight's ungainly progress through their forest. *SMASH!* Blink. Such blatant disrespect of the land. The other one that walked ahead was more understanding of the nature of the forest. The long-haired human gracefully walked the paths and avoided harming the inhabitants of the land. Perhaps she was one of the old hermit's students. If so, the human is more than welcome. This newcomer, however, was a haughty, barbaric brute. The metal-encased human intentionally stomped through their homes, ignoring the inhabitants living peacefully within and disturbing the balance. *CRASH!* Blink. This is unforgivable. The human must be stopped. "Kupo..." Whatever it takes. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Thirty years ago: "LEDA!" Gaz screamed in horror as their mechanical enemy stabbed one of its huge metal claws through the tracker's chest. Roaring with victory, TIAMAT flung Leda away. She slammed onto the surrounding trees, finally coming to rest atop the overgrowth. "With my will, I call forth the healing wind from the sea," Gaz began chanting, "flow through my allies and resto-" The group Lore Master was interrupted when the monstrosity turned on Gaz and batted him away with its claw. As Gaz's unmoving form landed next to Onias and Cid, TIAMAT faced Highwater and Gyn next. "Soul of the unending forest, lend us infinite vitality! TREANT DANCE!" Gyn chanted. The trees around them began to quiver and shake, and twinkling little lights settled on the remaining conscious members of the group, and restored their health. Highwater, who was barely standing moments before, steeled himself from the pain of his already-healing wounds and re-entered the fray, swinging his sword in an arcing pattern. "This one's too strong..." Cid observed. "Stronger than anything we've ever faced before. I've heard rumors of the Church building these constructs back in Tienne, but I've never expected to face one in combat." Onias unstoppered a vial as he lifted Gaz' head. "That's because that is TIAMAT, the second prototype model," he replied casually while pouring the contents down the unconscious group member's throat. "The second?" Cid asked. "Yes. As I recalled it, there were supposed to be four of the prototypes -- LICHE, TIAMAT, KRAKEN, and KALI -- all named after demons of legend," Onias explained. "But they were supposed to be defective and unreliable." Onias watched TIAMAT exchange blows with Highwater as Gyn prepared another Geomancy spell from behind, only to be caught by an unexpected wing swipe, which knocked her down. "TIAMAT was designed towards strength and durability, capable of taking down heretics and other enemies that will pose as threats of the Church." Cid's eyes narrowed as he watched Highwater and Gyn slowly being pushed back by the crawling monster. "If it's only a robot, who, or what, is controlling it?" He asked in a whisper. "How could such a thing move without a mind of its own?" "Like I said, TIAMAT's a prototype," Onias answered. "Who knows what the Steam Engineers had in mind when they built the robot? Anyway, we have to stop it before it gets too close to populated areas." "So irresponsible..." Cid's anger rose, "...these thoughtless men who just build and build, and never considered the lives of innocents..." Onias clapped a hand on Cid's shoulder. "Don't do it, Cid. You're putting yourself so close to danger by revealing your knowledge of the Banned Arts while this close to the capital..." Cid shoved the hand away. "Almighty souls, protect your humble servant! BARRIER!" He charged into the battle, a transparent sphere of energy surrounding him. Onias shook his head. "Impulsive fool..." he hefted his quarterstaff and joined in the fray. "What was Cavanaugh thinking, sending such an uncontrollable robot like TIAMAT on an insecure field test without considering what might happen...?" Highwater rolled out of the way as the monster spat another man-sized gob of fiery liquid death, which remained burning on the ground in a sticky goo. He looked up just to see a glowing Cid running up to the beast machine's side. "STORM BLAST!" Cid shouted, punching TIAMAT's scaled underbelly. A wave of bright crackling energy erupted out of the point of impact, pushing forward and outward, the effect slowly expanding until the monster was engulfed by a veritable onslaught of violently projected chi energy. Unfortunately, when the dust settled everyone could see that TIAMAT was barely scorched by the attack, only a few broken scales on its underbelly served as the extent of the damage dealt. It responded by breathing a wave of freezing water right at Cid, sending him flying. Onias watched as Cid landed right next to Gaz, who stirred awake. "No, not like that! To defeat TIAMAT, we must figure out its weakness!" "What do you think we're doing here?!?" Gyn exclaimed while she dodged a claw swipe that nearly tore off her head had she moved a fraction of a second slower. "Do you have ideas?!?" Highwater shouted while he dodged a bolt of lighting streaming out of one of TIAMAT's heads. "I... I have no idea!" Onias shouted back as he knelt beside the shivering Cid. "Try anything!" To Cid, he asked, "You all right?" "F-fr-freez-zing..." Cid chattered. Onias unstoppered another vial and handed it to Cid. "Here, drink this." Gyn shook her head as she tried striking at the monster's leg. The sword only bounced back from its metallic hide. "Great." Gaz struggled to get to his feet. His whole body was aching with injuries. One of his hands was crushed and now totally useless, his guts had probably spilled their contents on the ground and the rest of his insides felt like they were totally chopped up, tenderized, and flattened, plus his eyesight was coming and going in random intervals. Blinking, he scanned the battlefield. "This is not a good day..." he chuckled humorlessly to himself, just when his eyes came across the still body of Leda. He felt a lump grow in his throat. "By the Three Gods, Leda..." he moaned as he stumbled towards her while he ignored the furious battle that raged around him. When he reached her side, painfully bent down towards her. "Leda, Leda..." he cried, then reached out with his remaining good hand to shake her body several times. "You can't be dead... we promised, remember? You know, right after we get to the capital? We'll be together, right? Please, don't... be... dead..." Gaz felt nothing but coldness from Leda's already stiffening body. "You..." He slowly stood up, painfully clutching his side. "You..." He repeated, turning to TIAMAT, who had just struck down Gyn and was now about finish her off. "I will never forgive you for taking away the only person I have ever loved, you monster..." He raised his hands up in the air and began chanting. "By my power, I call on the little death from the deep blue seas... A thousand needles of unending pain, a thousand tiny lances to swarm at my foes! BLOW FISH STRIKE!" Gaz made a throwing motion towards TIAMAT to complete the spell. A small glowing sphere flew out from between his hands and streaked towards the monster. It briefly assumed a fish-like shape before splitting apart into long strips, which split apart into slimmer strips, which split apart again, and again, and again, and again... .Until the needle-like points of light lanced through one of TIAMAT's heads. TIAMAT's five heads suddenly howled in pain. The head that was struck by the Beast Lore attack shattered into pieces. The robot reared back and thrashed about as Highwater pulled Gyn out towards safety. "That's it!" Onias shouted. "The heads are its weakness! Destroy the heads of TIAMAT!" "Got it," Cid focused his inner energies to his palms, concentrating them to a single point. "AURORA BOLT!" Cid released the energy at the same moment the remaining four heads of TIAMAT breathed on Gaz. "I'm coming, Leda..." Gaz whispered and smiled in acceptance as he was struck full- on by burning fire, freezing water, boiling oil, and a wave of electrical energy all at the same time. His body hung still in the air for a moment, then quickly disintegrated into ashes. "GAZ!!!" It was Gyn's turn to scream. At the moment Gaz was reduced to dust, the beam of energy flowing from Cid's palms struck another of TIAMAT's heads, the one that breathed lightning. TIAMAT howled again as the force of the chi blast crushed the target head like paper. Following Cid's lead, Highwater stabbed his sword to the ground. "ARC SHOCK WAVE!" he shouted while he pulled out his sword. A huge blade of energy streamed out of the hole, which grew larger as it approached its target. The attack struck TIAMAT fully on its main body, smashing another one of its heads. "Now, while it's distracted..." Cid pulled out a light- green orb from his pocket. "...I've never done this before, but today's a good day to try this as any..." Onias gasped in shock. "NO, CID! STOP! YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING!" He ran towards his friend, just when a wing swipe from the still-trashing robot knocked Onias down to the ground, stunned. "Beyond the crimson skies I call to thee!" Cid began the legendary chant. "Beyond the eternal storm I summon thee! Arise, Bahamut! Arise, Father of Dragons! I shatter the eight seals and conjure thee! Let the fury of a thousand suns annihilate all those who would dare to oppose you! MEGAFLARE!!!" Everyone held their breath, waiting for the inevitable, as the legends say. Nothing happened. The sky did not grow dark. No clouds shrouded the sun. No unearthly wind howled. The King of Dragons did not appear to obliterate the machine monster TIAMAT. Cid stared at the Guardian Egg. "Why...?" The Egg pulsed with a golden light once before returning to its usual light-green color. Then Cid felt a voice inside his head, and understood. ~ONLY THOSE OF THE BLOODLINE MAY RELEASE OUR SEALS, WHEN THE APPOINTED TIME COMES.~ A shadow fell over him. Cid looked up to see TIAMAT with a claw upraised, ready to deliver the killing blow. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Marcine yawned awake. "Wow," she said out loud, "It has been a while since I've had a good night's rest. Where are we, anyway?" "Welcome to the Empire of a Thousand Years," Shizuka greeted Marcine, a trace of sarcasm laced with her soft tone. "We have all been captured for trespassing the borders of Paanbatala." Marcine looked around, finding themselves in a hut made up of bamboo and palm leaves. Several cots lined the walls of the hut, and Mika, dressed in a plain white shirt and trousers, was sulking at the other side of the hut. She looked down and realized that she was also wearing similar clothes. Shizuka however was still wearing her usual kimono. "This is a jail?" she asked Shizuka. "This one thinks that that is not the case," Shizuka replied. "More like a sort of hospice, or living quarters." "That is correct." Everyone turned to the speaker, who entered the hut. The bronze-skinned girl smiled widely at them in return. "I see you have. recovered quickly from your. hurting. I am Anna of Indong, you are all guests in the coastal city of Indong." "Where's Davin?" Marcine demanded. "What did you do to him?" Anna seemed to look sad at that question. "Not a thing. Your friend is in. conversation with Ka Bikke, the headman of Indong." "What are we supposed to do in the meantime?" Marcine asked. "Rest. Let you body heal," she cocked her head towards Marcine. "I know a way to increase your prana, if you are. interested." Curious, Marcine would have agreed if Shizuka hadn't suddenly appeared between them. "No," Shizuka declined. "We have all recovered from our injuries now." Anna looked crestfallen, but still smiled at them. "Very well," she said, taking a seat at the entrance of the hut. "Why did you interrupt?" Marcine whispered to Shizuka. "This one will explain later," Shizuka whispered back. "And perhaps you will be more grateful." Marcine left it at that. "Um. why are you still here?" she ventured to ask Anna. "I was to. attend to your. needs, until the Feast of the Moon this evening." "Oh. What's the Moon Feast?" While Anna explained the symbolic significance of the midnight feast, Shizuka shuffled over to Mika, who was not sitting by the windowsill looking up at the sky. "She's dead, and I never got to tell her goodbye." Mika sighed sadly to no one in particular. "Miss Gilchrist," Shizuka spoke. "I have something I'm sure would lighten up your spirits." Mika turned her head around, and watched Shizuka produce the Phoenix Bracers from within the folds of her kimono. "That's." "Yes. Now I hand these over to you," Shizuka said, bowing low before Mika. "Please take these. After all, it is what Cid's student may have wanted." "Syeira." Mika shook her head. "I'm sorry, Shizuka, but this is all so sudden. I can't accept these right now. Maybe later, but not today." "This one understands, Miss Gilchrist," Shizuka bowed again. "When you are ready, this one will bestow these items to their proper owner. This one also humbly apologizes for disturbing your time of mourning." "It's all right," Mika said, finally managing to make a weak smile. "And please, call me Mika." "Very well. Mika." Shizuka smiled back. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- It started with leaves. Zarela paid them no mind, even when some of the leaves started getting into her armor. Then came the twigs. She paid them no mind too, even when some of the more sharper ones bit into her skin through the spaces between the plates of her armor. The twigs were followed by pebbles and small rocks. She responded by pulling her cloak tighter around her whenever she can, shielding herself from the barrage of little stones. This went on and on for hours, but she managed to withstand the humiliation. Of course, what came next was even more humiliating. Bird dung constantly landing on her with uncanny accuracy was a big hint, but she didn't realize it until she slipped on a pile of turds placed right in the middle of the road. Then again, when the rotten fruit started flying right at her did she realize something was definitely wrong. "COME OUT AND FIGHT, YOU COWARDS!!!" She screamed to the forest, Blansh drawn at the ready. Of course, she saw nothing that would have been the source of her suffering. "Great. Now the damned forest is out to get me," Zarela muttered, continuing on her way. If the creature hiding in the bushes right beside her could speak Common, he would have said something along the lines of "damn straight." But he couldn't, so Zarela never found his location. Nor did she ever find the 345 other Moogles among the undergrowth. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Interlude. In a GOLeM Construction Yard, somewhere in the Holy State of Tienne: Commander Armand Cavanaugh, leader of the Holy Guard, was admiring the row of newly completed GOLeMs when the Head of Research and Development approached him. "Excuse me, Commander?" Frowning, Armand turned and glared at the scrawny little man beside him. "What is it now, Bolgan? This had not better be another waste of my time." "Sorry to be disturbing you, Commander," Bolgan said with an audible whine, "but here are the official papers that you requested." Armand quickly snatched the offered stack of papers from Bolgan. "Hmm..." he commented, giving them a cursory glance. "I see that you've been working extra hours again, Bolgan." "Yes, Commander," Bolgan beamed with pride. "I made sure that the calculations were absolutely accurate to the 0.00147th degree. I am very confident that the Magick Shield will work as per specifications when installed in our current models." "Commendable," Armand nodded as he finished flipping through the thick stack of documentation. "However..." Bolgan stared, wide-eyed with shock, as Armand casually tore the stack of notes in two equal haves. ".THIS," Armand continued, "is not what I wanted. Whatever happened to that production schedules I asked for? How many more of these GOLeMs will this Yard be able to construct per month of operation?" "B-but Commander," Bolgan explained while trying to gather the torn halves of his reports from the floor. "We haven't received the authorization from the Church." "Sir!" An acolyte stumbled towards them. "I have an important message from Father Lambert, Sir!" "This had better be worth the interruption," Armand replied. "I am in a very important meeting right now." The acolyte knelt before Armand. "Father Lambert said to tell you to increase the number of recruits for the Holy Guard, and to give you this." Armand received the sealed letter from the trembling acolyte. "At ease. Curious for Father Lambert to remind me about recruitment, we've been doing that for years now." Armand mused, breaking the seal and reading the contents of the letter. When he finished, a grin slowly spread from his face. "You are dismissed, acolyte. Tell Father Lambert that I thank him for his concern." As the acolyte stumbled away, Armand abruptly turned to Bolgan. "You want your authorization? Here's your authorization," he said, handing the Engineer the letter. Bolgan's eyes twinkled as he read its contents. "Authorization." Armand spun on his heel and marched away, stopping at the entrance of the yard. "Oh, Bolgan. I'll be expecting the reports first thing tomorrow. And this time they better be the ones I wanted. No more excuses, or you'll be back to fixing steam cars." Bolgan hung his head. "I'm doomed." Armand took another wistful glance back at the yard. "With these GOLeMs, we will stop the heretics now, once and for all." -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Zarela warily watched the forest around her, Blansh held at the ready. It had been hours since the first attack, and the fact that her assailants remained unseen was making her extremely paranoid. When the surrounding foilage moved, she visciously attacked the plants, determined to get at the vile creatures she swore was hid underneath. Whether it was merely the wind, or there really was evil little monsters hiding in the underbush, she wasn't able to confirm. For in every instance, there was nothing there when she violently cleared the area. Growling in frustration, Zarela marched on. She lost sight of her quarry, but she may have not gone far. The trail indicated that Pearl was still using this long-unused path along the forest, so she followed the track. She didn't notice the fact that the trail seemed to twist and turn around a lot, occasionally cutting into then out of the deeper areas of the forest. Zarela stopped when she noticed something up ahead. Moving cautiously forward, she checked the ground in front of her, and found a large hole right in the middle of the path. A pile of twigs and leaves served to cover the mouth of the pit. "Odd," she mused as she went around the path to avoid the pit. "She did not seem to have gone around the trail to avoid the pit. How..." There was a sound of something snapping in two behind her. Zarela turned around at the sound of whistling, and saw a large tree trunk, which was earlier suspended up above by vines, sailing in the air towards her. Before she can get out of the way, the heavy wooden projectile slammed squarely on her chest, and she toppled backwards from the force of the impact. Right into the pit. The forest suddenly came alive with the animal sounds of cheering erupted from the very treetops and bushes. A strange, furry creature floated down, landing right next to the pit. It took a look inside and saw Zarela struggling to stand up. It then began to sway its furry head and arms around in a rhythmic manner. Zarela finally managed to stand up. She looked up just in time to see the earth filling up the hole, swallowing her underground. The little creature surveyed its handiwork, and was pleased. "Kupo." -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- She woke up covered in sweat. "The Vision again." she muttered, looking out the window. The moon was full, casting its silver light among the minarets and crescent tipped towers of Matanbuwan, capital city of Rupantao. Even in the middle of the night, the city was still alive, with the music and laughter of a people at peace. She turned around to look at the glowing orb on a gilded stand by her bedside. "I wonder. Dear Cid. is the Guardian calling for the Legacy?" (end, Chapter 25.) (to be continued in the next chapter) -MaRaMaLa, D' Fat Dragon Scribe http://hello.to/maramala Finished, 08/05/2000