The cold, uncaring moon shone down upon the massive
corpse, its pale light reflected in the sole remaining eye. 
Already sand was beginning to build up around the body,
carried by the ceaseless rhythm of the waves.  The tide
slowly began to rise and the ocean continued to gently wash
against the unmoving form...

     And then, slowly but with increasing speed, the water
began to recede.

     The incoming waves seemed to hesitate for a moment, then
were diverted from their path to angle toward a specific
point.  Gradually, a form began to take shape from the
accumulated mass of water, and a huge, serpentine head rose
high above the shore, gazing sadly down at the giant corpse.

     The mighty creature tilted its head back and, with a cry
of utter sorrow that echoed to the deepest reaches of the sea,
Leviathan mourned the passing of Tritoch.

                 -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-


                   FINAL FANTASY LEGACY
                   Knights of the Round

      Begun (and herein continued) by Brian Stricklin

          Chapter 27: Conflict and Convergence


                 -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-


     His body was suffused with pain.  Great rents in his side
glistened with flowing blood, and the searing agony caused
when he moved suggested that at least one of his legs was
broken.

     His opponent, visible only as a dark blur through the
mists of pain, stood before him in a ready stance.  "Dear me. 
Are we done so soon?  You disappoint me - this was much easier
than I expected."

     He struggled to regain his footing.  "How... how is this
possible?!  We stripped you of your powers!"

     The figure chuckled.  "Yes, indeed.  You made me human,
didn't you?  Your kind always did underestimate their
potential.  And unlike you, I've spent the last few centuries
honing my skills.  I knew we'd meet again... old friend."

       "This is the *last* time we meet, Fallen One!"  With
his last ounce of strength, he lunged at his opponent, ready
to rip him apart.  "I should have done-"

     It seemed impossible that the relatively small figure
could move so fast or strike so deep, but there he was,
impaling his enemy on his cursed sword.  They stood in tableau
for a moment, then the figure brought his masked face close to
the Sleeper's undamaged eye.  "Yes, you *should* have done
this last time.  Isn't it surprising, that Ashura's blades
can kill one of our kind?  If used properly, of course."

     "Y... you..."

     The figure twisted his sword cruelly, and a gout of blood
leapt from Tritoch's mouth.  "Goodbye, 'old friend'," he said
with a laugh.  "I wish you could live to see me claim the
Mask, after all these years.  I will, you know.  And not you,
not those foolish Knights, not even your precious 'Gods' will
stop me this time."

     As the cursed blade drained his life away, Tritoch lifted
his head and let loose a bellow of helpless rage, a shout that
echoed and reverberated to fill the world...

     Kyle awoke, drenched with sweat, as the unearthly wail
filled his cabin.  Judging from the confused shouts he could
hear from abovedecks, the sound wasn't just a figment from his
dream.

     He sat there for a moment as the cry slowly faded,
waiting for his heart to stop racing.  Was... was Tritoch
really dead?  Kyle wasn't sure how he felt about that. 
Sleepers were supposed to be hideously evil beings, creatures
that were willing and able to destroy the whole world if given
the chance.  Of course, if he hadn't summoned Tritoch to begin
with, the Kraken would have...

     The young dragoon shook his head and slipped out of bed,
getting dressed in the weak light of pre-dawn.  If Tritoch had
been killed, there was nothing he could do about it either
way.

     A much more sobering thought was the fact that Siegvin,
one lone man, was the one who killed the mighty Sleeper.  If
he could defeat Tritoch so easily, what chance did Kyle have
of protecting Marcine from him?

     
               -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

      A beam of sunlight filtered through the open window,
falling directly onto Davin's face.  He tried to turn over,
but bumped into something as he did so; he slowly opened one
eye, and was not terribly surprised to see a prepubescent
girl, wearing a flimsy scarf and nothing else, standing next
to him.  She smiled shyly at him and let the scarf fall to the
floor.  "Prana?"

     He sighed and, averting his eyes as best he could, got to
his feet and ushered her to the door.  "No, thanks.  I'm
trying to cut down."  After he had politely but firmly evicted
the young healer, Davin got dressed and headed out into the
twisting passageways of the Oracle's Shrine.

     Despite the splendid decorations around him, he found
himself ill at ease.  After being on the run from the Church
for so long, it felt strange to remain in one place.  He often
caught himself looking out one of the many windows, checking
to see if the dragoons, Siegvin, or even Stine were closing in
on them.

     But they *were* safe, at least for the moment.  Rupantao
was a huge distance over the ocean from the Ryukin islands,
and the agents of the Church could have no possible idea that
Davin and his companions had been transported here.  Of
course, Siegvin might be able to track them, but Tritoch had
taken matters into his own claws - even if Siegvin survived
the encounter, and Davin wasn't about to bet against him, it
would take the masked man time to get to Rupantao.

     As he stepped out into one of the Shrine's open-air
plazas, still lost in thought, he was greeted by the most
extraordinary sight.  Mika had somehow acquired one of the
ornamental robes that the young Shrine maidens wore, and was
standing in front of a sparkling fountain, with eyes closed
and her hands pressed together before her.  Shizuka stood next
to the girl in a similar pose; both of them seemed to radiate
concentration.

     This effect was rather spoiled when Mika opened one eye
and glanced at the woman beside her.  "Am I a ninja yet?"

     Shizuka's meditation was undisturbed by the question. 
"The mistress is not."

     Mika closed her eye... then opened it again ten seconds
later.  "Am I a ninja yet?"

     "As this one explained to the mistress," Shizuka said,
never losing her calm expression, "only those of this one's
bloodline can use our Arts.  This one can only help guide the
mistress towards her own path of enlightenment."

     "Well... *yeah*, but I mean, how long is this gonna
take?"

     "If the mistress studies well and continues to seek
understanding, she may find her own access into the Arts in
but a few years."

     "YEARS?!  But I wanna beat people up right now!"

     Before the situation could degrade any further, Davin
cleared his throat.  "Morning, ladies."

     "Big brother!"  Dropping the pretense of meditation, Mika
scampered over to the elementalist, then stopped and twirled
before him.  "Like my new get-up?"

     Davin grinned.  "It looks cute.  Where'd you get it?"

     Her expression turned mischievous.  "I just picked it up
from your room, where that healer keeps dropping it."

     He moaned and rolled his eyes.  "Don't remind me."

     Shizuka slipped closer with her usual silence.  "Was she
there again this morning?"

     "As usual.  Anyway, how's the training coming along?"

     "It is a bit early to tell," Shizuka replied softly. 
"However, this one thinks that the mistress could prove quite
talented in the Arts, given time."  Mika muttered something
unintelligible.

     "Well, good luck to both of you."  Davin looked around
briefly.  "By the way, where's Marcine?"

               -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

     It took him a while - the Shrine was positively huge, and
the spirits were too preoccupied to give directions - but
eventually he found Marcine sitting at a large window, gazing
out at the verdant countryside.  She had removed the hat that
she'd picked up, and a warm breeze rustled her hair as it
swept through the window.

     With an embarrassed start, Davin realized he was staring. 
Was this the same girl he'd rescued from that prison in
Tienne?  The constant exercise and outdoors life had brought
tone and color to what was once a pale, almost willowy
creature... and he had to admit, if only to himself, the
change was for the better.

     Just then she happened to notice him, and smiled. 
"Hello."

     "Hi there."  He stepped forward to cover his
embarrassment, and took a seat next to her.  "You seemed to be
thinking about something, and I didn't want to disturb you."

     She shook her head.  "Not really.  It's just that it's
been such a long time since I've had the chance to relax like
this.  It feels nice."

     Davin decided not to share his own feelings on the
subject.  "Well, enjoy it while you can.  As soon as we find
out where a Knight is, we'll need to get going.  If we
don't..."

     "I know."  She hugged her knees.  "Sooner or later
Siegvin or... or Kyle would find us.  I'd hate to drag the
people of Rupantao into our problems."

     "They seem pretty capable of taking care of themselves,"
he commented, "but you're right."

     "How much longer do you think we'll be here?"

     "Hard to say.  They've got a *huge* library here - Gyn's
got all of her historians and scribes going through the
records for any mention of the Knights, but there's still a
lot of ground to cover."

     Marcine nodded.  "So all we can do now..."

     "...is wait."  He sighed.  "I've never been good at
waiting."

     They chatted for a while, taking comfort in this brief
moment of respite, as the sun inched across the sky.

               -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

     The Great Forest was unusually quiet.  Only a few
creatures stirred among the ancient trees; one of them, a
woman in tight-fitting armor, waited impatiently as she leaned
against a huge oak, sharpening her blade.

     The moogles, quite wisely, had unanimously decided to
stay the hell away from Madonna.  After doing what they could
to obscure Cid and Pearl's tracks into the forest, they went
into hiding with the skill born of years of practice. 
Normally, the Knight of Wind could have taken to the sky and
searched for her prey from above, but the thick branches made
this an ineffective solution.

     A quavering voice interrupted her train of thought.  "M-
Madonna?"

     She whirled, raising her sword threateningly, only to see
a robed figure standing nervously before her.  With a snort,
Madonna sheathed her blade.  "It's about time.  I called in
for a clairmancer days ago."

     "Uh, sorry, ma'am.  Something came up.  They needed every
available-"

     "Wait a second..."  She peered at him suspiciously.  It
was getting close to sunset, and there wasn't much light left,
but there was just enough to tell that...  "Why, you're just a
child!  Have you even started shaving yet, boy?"

     He flushed angrily.  "Look, you're the one who asked for
a clairmancer!  I'm old enough!"

     "Oh, of course you are.  You're... what, seventeen? 
Eighteen?  I told those idiots I needed the best clairmancer
we had!"

     "Hey, I got top marks in Advanced Scrying and Detection! 
Besides, you never bothered to say what *kind* of clairmancer
you needed.  They didn't know whether to send a general
divinator, a precognitor, a-"

     "All right, all right.  I never did much care about such
classifications."  She seemed to calm down a bit.  "Well...
it's getting late.  Tonight, we rest - tomorrow, I need you to
find someone for me... and I'll expect you to tell me what was
so important that my request was delayed."  With that, she
used a bit of her power to leap into the branches above,
quickly disappearing in the deepening gloom.

     The young clairmancer peered upwards, nonplused. "Um...
ma'am?  I didn't bring any camping gear..."

     Her laugh rang back at him.  "That's certainly a problem
for one of us.  Try to stay warm, and keep away from moogles."

     He looked around nervously.  "Moogles?"  Suddenly the
forest seemed much darker and more threatening...

               -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

     It was another fine day in the City of a Thousand Moons,
and for once, Davin had overslept; he yawned widely as he
emerged into the plaza that he and his companions had more or
less claimed as their own.  "G'mornin', everyone."

     Mika looked up from her lunch and smirked at him.  "Hah! 
A little late for morning, big brother.  What, did your little
friend forget to wake you up?"  Next to her, Marcine giggled;
Shizuka just smiled slightly.

     Returning her grin, he ruffled the young alchemist's hair
playfully.  "Yeah, I think she might've finally taken the hint
and gone back home.  I have no idea why she decided to follow
us from Indong in the first place..."

     "The healers of Rupantao are very dedicated," Shizuka
explained.  "They feel it is their duty to attend a patient
until they are satisfied that their work is complete.  Of
course," she added (and was that a trace of a grin?), "they
might decide that some patients need more... *care* than
others."

     "Swell."

     "You're just in time," Marcine informed him.  "Miss
Samson said that they'd compiled as much information as they
could, and she'll be bringing their results shortly."

     Davin's expression brightened.  "That *is* good news. 
Don't get me wrong, I like it here... but I've never been much
for just sitting around."

     "No kidding," Mika interjected.  "I never would've
guessed, from the way you kept skipping town on me."

     "Hey, now..."

     Their friendly quarrel was cut short as Gyn entered the
plaza, carrying a few aged scrolls.  "Here we are... ah, I see
you've decided to join us, Davin."

     He nodded as he collected a plate of fruit and bread from
a nearby tray, his eyes focused on the scrolls.  "Uh... no
offense, but it doesn't look like you had much success."

     "I'm afraid not.  For whatever reason, the Knights didn't
interact with Rupantao very much."

     "I guess that rules out finding one on the island,
then..."

     Marcine smiled at him teasingly.  "You don't want it to
be *too* easy, do you?"

     "I guess not."  Davin sat down on the edge of the
fountain, his plate balanced on his knees.  "So, what *did*
your people find out?  I'd read 'em myself, but my ancient
Rupantaoan is a little rusty..."

     "There were a few mentions here and there," Gyn informed
him, "but only three passages might be of any help.  First,
there's an account of the Gold Knight, Percival, in his battle
against the great demon Diablos.  If this scroll is correct,
he can be found in the mountains-"

     "-just outside the town of Voden."  Gyn looked at
Marcine, whose gaze turned to the amber Heartstone around her
neck.  "We've... sort of already met him."

     "Ah."  Tactfully moving on, the Oracle picked up the next
scroll.  "Well, the Blue Knight - there's no listing of a name
- apparently consulted our Elders before constructing his own
refuge, but since he decided to make an underwater tower off
the coast of Tienne, I don't think that's very useful."

     "It's hard to talk to someone when you can't breathe,"
Davin agreed.  "I hope the last one's better."

     Gyn sighed.  "Not really.  It's just a brief mention of
two of them, Gawain the Black Knight and Gaia the Green
Knight, as they passed through Rupantao on some errand or
another."  She put the scroll down.  "I'm sorry I couldn't be
of more help."

     The elementalist frowned thoughtfully.  "Gaia..."

     "What's with all the colors?" Mika asked.  "Davin never
mentioned anything about Percival being made of gold."  She
considered.  "Of course, with Syeira around..."

     "That's just the way our ancient scribes differentiated
between them," Gyn explained.  "Each of the Knights had their
own magical element, of course, and the scribes chose colors
that best represented that element.  Gold represented earth,
blue for water, black for shadow, and green for... well,
'tree' is the best word for it, I suppose.  Possibly 'nature',
but-"

     "That's it!" Davin interrupted.  "*That's* where I heard
that name before!"

     Everyone turned to look at him.  "What is it, Davin?"

     "Back at the Mystic Academy," he began, speaking quickly,
"there was a *huge* tree in the middle of the campus.  School
legend said that it was around before the Academy was built,
and that it protects the Academy.  Nobody ever managed to draw
any spirits from it - believe me, I tried! - and we all
figured it was too ancient and powerful to be disturbed.  And
there were all sorts of urban legends about it, how people who
tried to carve their name in it's trunk mysteriously vanished,
things like that."

     "Okay," Mika replied after a moment.  "Big honking tree. 
So?"

     "*So*," he replied with a wide grin, "that tree was known
as Gaia!"

     Marcine stared at him, her own smile beginning to grow. 
"You mean..."

     "Yep!  I'd bet anything that tree is actually Gaia the
Green Knight, or is at least connected with her."

     "It's worth a shot, anyway," Mika agreed.

     "Now we just have to get there."  Davin looked at the
Oracle.  "We shouldn't be too far away from the Academy,
right?"

     She nodded.  "Just two days by boat from the Matanbuwan
port to La Verde.  I'll arrange to have one ready for you by
tomorrow."

     "Then all we'll have to do is go to the Academy, wake up
Gaia, have her contact Gilgamesh, find the fourth Crystal, and
put this whole mess behind us."

     Shizuka tilted her head as she looked at him.  "This one
must respectfully point out that she does not believe it will
be quite that simple."

     "Me neither," Davin agreed, "but hey - we've gotta start
somewhere."

                 -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

     "*BROKEN?!* Are you certain?"

     The young clairmancer nodded, wrapping himself tighter in
his robe and trying to ward off the first symptoms of a cold. 
"Yes, ma'am.  The other Eggs we've collected were still
intact, but Tritoch's Eggs were both shattered.  That's why it
took me so long to get here - we were trying to figure out
what had caused it."

     Madonna scowled as they made their way through the
forest.  "Those idiots... we only had three to begin with, and
one of them got captured in Atlantea."  She glanced at him
sharply.  "Leviathan's eggs were intact, though?"

     "Well, they had to use one in the taking of La Verde, so
we've only got two left now, but they're still okay."

     "Good.  Those are the only two we know for certain that
the Legacy has unsealed - it'd be a pity to lose them."  She
frowned thoughtfully.  "Still... what could have caused them
to break like that...?"

     The clairmancer coughed, not entirely just to catch her
attention.  "Uh... ma'am?  Why did you summon me out here to
begin with?"

     "Oh... yes."  She grinned a nasty grin.  "I have two
little sparrows I need you to flush out for me..."


               -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

     The mountain chocobo bounded swiftly to the top of the
ridge, its gnarled talons easily finding purchase in what
would otherwise be an impassable wall.  On a command from its
rider, the green-feathered mount slowed to a halt, and
absently gnawed on a nearby bush as the armored woman on its
back stared down at the city below.  Her gaze lifted to take
in the starsilver vessels hovering above La Verde, and her
eyes narrowed.

     "There they are, Nikolai," she crooned softly, and not to
the chocobo.  "Those filthy Manakyr beasts have taken La
Verde, but can they hold it?  I think not.  Once we
exterminate the wretched heretic Marcine Cavanaugh, they'll be
at our mercy.  Cut off the head, and the body soon follows,
no?"

     With a chuckle, Zarela prodded the chocobo, and light
from the setting sun gleamed off the hilt of the oddly curved
sword at her waist as she descended toward the city...

               -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

     Electric lights - a fairly new invention - glowed into
the wee hours in the Steam Engineer research facility.  The
facility consisted of three major buildings - one for GOLeM
research, one for non-military development, and one
staggeringly huge building that only the most senior Engineers
were allowed to get anywhere near.  Nevertheless, most of the
junior scientists had a reasonably good idea what it was
designed to house; after all, what other reason could there be
to make a building with a roof you could open?

     It was in this convertible edifice that Bolgan Valecrest,
the Head of Research and Development, was immersed in a
desktop full of design schematics.  He was also halfway
through a bottle of cheap wine.  He knew the alcohol wasn't
helping him think, but at the same time trying to come up with
a solution while sober wasn't working either.

     Things were starting to get to him.  It had seemed like
such a good idea, back when he first discussed it with Armand. 
A flying fortress!  Make the heretics cower in fear!  And once
he'd gotten the Church's permission, work on the Excelsior had
progressed commendably fast.  The problem was, of course, that
he couldn't get the Gods-blessed thing to fly.  He'd hardly
had time to mourn the passing of his son, Rhyl, before being
pressured to return to his work.

     Bolgan often wondered if he shouldn't have started out
smaller.  Maybe build a one-person model, and work his way up
from there.  Certainly something more manageable than this
hulking beast.  But he was committed now - he'd promised a
fortress, and the Church was *expecting* a fortress.  Now not
even Armand had the time to discuss the Excelsior with him. 
Of course, he had his own problems...

     He sighed and finished off the wine.  There was no help
for it.  Even with a 'no questions asked' disclaimer, there
was just no way that a huge hunk of metal could take to the
air so easily.  It was simply...

     Later, he decided it was the alcohol.  He never would
have come up with the idea while he was thinking clearly.

               -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

     It was obviously a landmark event when the Oracle found
reason to leave her Shrine.  The people of Matanbuwan, always
looking for an excuse to have fun, seemed to have an impromptu
celebration going by the time Gyn had taken ten steps from the
building.  A crowd of well-wisher followed the group all the
way down to the docks, where the Serene Journey, a small
trading vessel, waited for its passengers.

     Davin smiled a bit as he observed the party going on
around them.  "Lively people."

     The Oracle returned his grin.  "This is an uncomplicated
place.  With any luck, it's going to stay that way."

     He nodded to her as they reached the docks.  "Well,
thanks for everything, Gyn.  You've helped us more than we
could have expected."

     "It was my pleasure, Davin," she replied, her smile
widening.  "Just be sure to give one to Lambert for me when
you finally catch him."  The Oracle's eyes turned cold for a
moment.  "I owe him."

     "That," Davin replied grimly, "will be *my* pleasure."

     "HEY!"  Mika had already run up the gangplank and was
yelling at the other from the boat.  "Are we going or not?"

     The moment of tension faded, and Davin rolled his eyes. 
"Looks like it's time to leave.  Her Majesty beckons."

     "I HEARD that!"

     Shizuka bowed to Gyn, in the manner of her people.  "This
one humbly extends her thanks for your hospitality."

     The Oracle nodded politely, if a bit stiffly.  "Take care
of yourself, ninja.  And take care of these three as well."

     "This one shall do her best."

     Finally, Gyn turned to Marcine.  "And as for you, O
Legacy..."

     The young mage shook her head.  "Please, don't call me
that.  I don't know if..."  She trailed off as the older woman
produced an iridescent orb from within her robes, its surface
glowing and swirling with all colors of the rainbow.  "An
Egg?"

     Gyn nodded.  "Just something I picked up after Cid and I
parted ways.  I figure you could use it more than I can."

     Marcine hesitated a moment, then took the Egg.  "Thank
you."

     "Are you sure you don't want to come with us?" Davin
asked.  "We could use an experienced warrior like yourself."

     She grinned broadly at him.  "It's a tempting offer, and
I am flattered, but my place is here.  Besides," she added, "I
think you have enough women to worry about at the moment."

     "I'm leaving withOUT you!" a certain someone yelled from
the ship.

     Davin just shook his head with a grin.  "I see what you
mean."

     The Serene Journey set sail shortly thereafter, soon
disappearing around the coastline toward La Verde.

               -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

     "Land ho!"

     The dragoons paused in their training exercise as the
lookout's call rang out across the ship, and Kyle lifted the
visor of his helmet.  "It's about time," he commented, only
slightly out of breath.  "I'm getting tired of hard tack and
cheese."

     "Har, yer landlubber belly just cannae handle such fine
repast," Jil chuckled, scanning the horizon through a small
telescope.  "But yer gonna hafta hold on just a wee bit longer
- that be Atlantea out there.  Don't forget - we'll be gettin'
my nest egg afore anythin' else."

     "I know, I know."  He leaned on the railing and stared
out over the waves.  "It's just been so long since I was this
close to home."

     "I know how you feel, lad," Cheney remarked as he joined
him, "but one thing you might want to keep in mind is that
Atlantea's probably full of Guardsmen now, trying to restore
order after we drove the Manakyr out."

     From nearby, Reill paused in the act of mopping his brow. 
"This is a problem?"

     "Well, we're all agreed that we want to find Marcine
before we proceed any   further, right?"  Reill and Martin
nodded.  "That may not be an option if we report back to
Tienne - given that we've been on her trail for so long with
no results, it seems likely that they'll remove us from the
mission entirely.  And that's not even mentioning the..." The
monk glanced at Kyle.  "...other developments."

     "Aye, and driftin' into the harbor of a Church city in a
Ryukin vessel be a sure way ta get noticed," Jil added.  "But
not to worry - there be favorable currents once we get past
Atlantea, and we'll be at La Verde in just a few days."

     "But we'll still be in a Ryukin boat, right?" Martin
asked.  "Won't there be some trouble when we get to La Verde."

     Jill just grinned and winked.  "Ye can just leave that
little matter ta me."

               -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

     The soldiers of the Manakyr were flush with exhilaration. 
And why not?  Their first battle against the Church that had
oppressed them for so long had been overwhelmingly successful,
and they were now in complete control of one of the Church's
primary cities.  What's more, the populace of La Verde were
scared witless at the sight of True Magik, and even the
lowliest Manakyr soldier knew at least one or two minor
spells.

     In other words, the Manakyr were enjoying their victory
and had grown a little careless.  Three of them, after
'liberating' a few bottles of wine and spending an enjoyable
hour severely singeing an old church, were taking what they
considered to be a well-deserved rest outside the city walls.

     One of them gestured widely with his overfull cup.  "Man,
I still can't get over how easy this was."

     "Hey, they were outclassed to begin with," another
replied as he used an Ice spell to chill the wine.  "So much
for the all-powerful Dragoon, eh?  Hah!  Did you see the looks
on their faces when we brought down Leviathan on their heads?"

     The third soldier didn't say much, having already drunk
more than he could handle.

     "Yeah... and if that wasn't enough, when we let loose
the-"

     "Hold it."  The second Manakyr got unsteadily to his feet
and reached for the sapphire-tipped rod at his waist.  "We've
got company."

     The first soldier followed his gaze, only to see a fairly
attractive woman smiling at them from her position against a
tree.  She looked them over, taking in their reinforced dark-
red robes (as good as armor, with half the weight) and face-
concealing headgear.  "Well, well," she purred, "what are
three strong young men like you doing out here all by your
lonesome, hmm?"

     This was clearly something of an exaggeration - the
soldiers had been chosen for their magical ability rather than
physical perfection - but they were just drunk enough not to
notice.  "Hey, sweet thing," the first soldier said with a
foolish grin, lowering his own weapon.  "We're just havin' a
little get-together.  Wanna join us?"

     Her smile broadened.  "I'd like that.  A little party,
for just the four of us."

     The second soldier glanced at their dozing companion. 
"Aw, just let 'im sleep."

     "I didn't mean him."

     "Huh?"

     "It'll be me, the two of you..."  And she drew the sword
preciously hidden by her cloak.  "...and Nikolai."

     The third soldier was slightly roused by the sounds of
combat, but not even the whoosh of fire spells were enough to
fully wake him.  He remained half-asleep for the duration,
until a sharp pain in his neck *really* opened his eyes.

     He glanced from the crazed woman to his motionless
companions.  "I guess," he croaked, "you're going to take our
uniforms and infiltrate the city?"

     "Oh, not at all.  I can get into La Verde quite easily." 
Then she grinned, and thrust Ashura's blade downward into the
soldier's neck.

     "Nikolai just needed some exercise."

               -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

     Beastmaster Stine gazed up at the stars and waited for
things to stop hurting so he could move again.

     It had been going so well, he mused.  After determining
that the Lucky Star was no longer at the Seiryu port (no doubt
the heretic and her loyal fiends had taken to sea, fearing the
harbinger of the Citizen's Justice), Stine had commanded the
blue dragons he had tamed to take him over the ocean,
searching for the vessel and its unholy passengers.  It had
taken several days before, shortly after midnight, two facts
were brought to the Beastmaster's attention:

     (A) The dragons were still in the middle of their mating
season.
     (B) Dragons preferred to procreate on the wing.

     Despite his (slightly embarrassed) commands to stop, the
dragons were unwilling and unable to resist their urges, and
during the initial... gyrations, Stine was evicted from the
back of the female and plunged toward the merciless ocean
below.

     And then, against all expectation, he missed.

     He almost wished he hadn't.  The sound he made when
striking was like being hit by a frying pan everywhere at
once, and felt much the same way.  Nothing *seemed* to be
broken - he supposed he was lucky.

     Perhaps he should just lie here for a week or so.  Yes. 
A good idea.

                  -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

     "Explain again," Madonna said with deceptive sweetness,
"why you haven't been able to find two people - probably the
*only* other two people in this forest - over the last few
days?"

     "Uh... well... I don't knowwwAAAAAAHH!"

     "Wrong answer, I'm afraid," she replied, ignoring his
pained scream as her sword dug a bit deeper into the
clairmancer's shoulder.  "Think harder?"

     "Uh... Uh... well, I'm trying to detect their life
energies," he began, speaking with the quickness of
desperation, "but there just aren't any other people in the
forest!  They must be dead!"

     "Not likely.  No, I'm afraid the most probable answer is
that you're incompetent.  Does that sound logical to you?" 
She gave the sword an extra nudge, and he screamed... then,
miraculously, the pressure eased.  Not totally, and he was
still in agony, but something seemed to have distracted the
Knight.  "Still," she added thoughtfully, "Cid *is* a Red Monk
- I wouldn't be surprised if he could mask such energies.  And
he's also a mage, so he probably would have detected your
clumsy spells..."

     Madonna removed her sword, and the clairmancer fell to
the snow-covered ground.  "Ah, well," she continued, "I guess
revenge will have to wait for another day.  Such a pity."  She
glared down at him imperiously as he used a quick healing
spell on his shoulder.  "Time for plan B, I suppose."

     "And... and that is?"

     "I need you to find me a rare flower that grows in this
forest... 'ice blossoms', they're called."

     He stared at her.  "I've never seen one before," he
protested.  "Do you have any idea how difficult it is to
detect a specific type of plant in the middle of a whole bunch
of other plants?"

     "No, not really.  But I'm sure you can manage.  And if
not," she added, raising her bloodstained sword, "I'm sure I
can... motivate you."

     He blanched, then slowly got to his feet and started
casting.
 
               -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

     "Get the lead out, ye lazy layabouts, or I'll keelhaul ye
from here ta La Verde!"

     "What *is* keelhauling, anyway?" Kyle asked.

     "Basically," Cheney explained, "you tie someone to a
rope, drop them in front of the boat, then haul them out of
the water after they've been dragged along the length of the
keel, smashing against barnacles and splinters as they go."

     The dragoon blinked.  "Ouch."

     "I think it's fallen into disuse lately, to be honest,
but you never know."

     Both men were seated on a wooden gantry along the ship's
hull, hammering a few planks into place at Jil's direction. 
The idea, she said, was to disguise the ship's origin by
'bulking up' the slender vessel in choice locations.  Anyone
who saw it wouldn't know where the altered vessel came from...
but they wouldn't assume it was from Ryukin.

     "Well, correct me if I'm wrong," Kyle added, sweat
streaming down his back as he continued to hammer, "but didn't
she say to leave it to her?"

     "I think it's called 'delegation'," the monk replied.

     "I've heard of that.  I didn't realize it included slave
labor and threats of hideous torture, though."

     "Shut yer yap down there!"  Jil shook her fist at them. 
"Work, you scurvy dogs!"

     "She seems to be enjoying herself, anyway," Cheney
commented cheerfully.

     "Land hoooo!"

     The two men turned around as best they could, and you
didn't need Cheney or Reill's excellent vision to spot the
gleaming marble city in the distance.

     Kyle's breath caught in his throat.  "Tienne..."

     "Easy there, lad.  Remember, we can't go back just yet."

     "I know.  I'm... just a bit homesick."

     Cheney clapped him on the shoulder.  "Happens to the best
of us."

     They turned back to their work, ignoring the hot sun as
best they could.  And since the ship never sailed much closer
to the city, nobody aboard noticed the large fleet of ships
being collected in its harbor.

               -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

     "How much longer do we have to do this?"  The short,
heavyset Manakyr absently kicked a loose cobblestone, one of
many that had been kicked up during the initial assault. 
"These people are sheep - one little spell and they hide under
their beds.  Why don't we just move on to Tienne?"

     His taller companion nodded sympathetically as the
patrolled the empty streets of La Verde.  "I hear ya, but you
heard our orders.  We're staying put until you-know-who gets
back."

     The first Manakyr snorted.  "I hate her.  Sure, she's
powerful, but that doesn't mean we have to wark when she says
'chocobo'."

     "Hey, relax.  You've gotta admit, she's easy on the
eyes."

     "Sure, in a sadistic sort of way."  He shook his head. 
"One of these days, I swear I'm going to tell her off."

     "Well, let me know before you do."

     "You'll back me up?"

     "No, but I want first dibs on your grimoire."

     "Very funny..."

     The voices trailed off as they passed out of earshot, and
Zarela Grenados stepped out of the shadows.

     So.  The Manakyr were indeed led by a woman - obviously,
the Cavanaugh girl.  And though she was out of the city, she
would be returning soon.

     And when she did, Zarela would be waiting.

     She drew her sword, letting it gleam in the dim light. 
"You'd like to have a new playmate, wouldn't you, Nikolai?" 
She smiled.  "I knew you would."

     Zarela returned the blade to its sheath, and completely
failed to notice the dark aura that surrounded it for a
moment.

               -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

     Stine crept along the roof of the bizarre vessel.  He
hadn't quite believed it when the sun rose and he discovered
that his 'landing pad' was in fact a metal boat of some kind,
flying through the air as graceful as an eagle.  Surely this
was magic of a most ingenious and sinister kind.

     He also saw the dent he'd made upon landing.  He winced
even thinking about it.

     He'd stayed up there for the entire day, feeling the
movement of the airship but helpless to change its course. 
Stine knew there were people inside the craft - he could hear
their voices vibrating the hull - but could not divine how to
gain ingress.

     Well, when in doubt, use the direct approach.

     "Crimson breath of dragons past," he intoned, "converge
and strike forth with ancient fury!  Flame Thrower!"

     As the last word was released, an unending stream of
searing fire erupted from the Beastmaster's open mouth,
cascading forward and blasting against the vessel's hull.  It
took enormous concentration, and he was sure he could smell
burning hair, but he managed to maintain the Lore's power for
a full minute.  When he finally stopped for air, however, the
metal was only a dull red in color, which soon faded to
silver.

     He rubbed his chin.  "Forsooth, Stine may have a bit more
trouble getting in than he thought."

     "What the hell was that?"

     A door had opened in the hull, and a red-robed figure was
looking out.  Stine quickly took cover, peering at the
newcomer from a ridge in the vessel's irregular surface.

     The robed man climbed out, and was soon followed by
another.  "Beats me," the second man replied as they advanced
slowly over the metal roof.  "It feels kinda warm up here,
though, don't you think?"

     "Yeah, it... AAAH!"  The first man hopped desperately for
a moment, then fell over.  "That bit over there is scaling
hot!"

     "That's weird.  Why would it... oh, don't be such a baby. 
Here."  He held up his hand.  "Soul of the living world, aid
your fallen child!  Cure!"

     Stine's eyes snapped wide as green streamers of light
extended from the man's hand to his companion's injured foot. 
*Magic!*

     The first man got to his feet carefully.  "Whew! 
Thanks."

     "Don't mention it.  Now let's-"

     "Ho, miscreants!  I see that you've smelled what Stine
was cooking!"

     They turned to look at the madman as he jumped into view. 
"Huh?"

     "Indeed!  And thou shalt receive the full force of the
Citizen's Justice, foul heretics!"  He charged forward, and
they quickly raised their hands into casting positions. 
"DIIIIIIiiiieeeee..."

     Stine's battlecry was abruptly cut off, and was
accompanied by a heavy metal *thud*.

     The two Manakyr exchanged glances.  "Think he didn't
notice that the roof of the hold was open?"

     "I guess.  Who the hell was that?  And how did he get up
here."

     "Well, Lars did say he'd heard something hit us last
night... Do we need to make a report?"

     His companion considered the matter.  "Nah.  Why bother? 
He's not going to last long down there anyway."

     "Good point."

     Meanwhile, down in the vessel's spacious hold, Stine
picked himself up.  The good news was that he was still alive. 
The bad news was that there was... *something* down here with
him.  A lot of them.  And they didn't sound happy to see
him...

               -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

     "Land hooooo!"

     "Already?"  Kyle looked up from his daily armor-
polishing.  "Jil must've been right about those currents."

     "She knows her business," Cheney agreed.  "Well, come on,
lad - I think we're all due some shore leave."

     The young dragoon grinned.  "Don't have to ask me twice." 
He set his armor to the side before standing up and opening
the door... only to find Jil on the other side, just about to
knock.  "Uh, good morning, Captain.  What can I-"

     "I need ye ta stay down below for a while," she
interrupted, her expression worried.  "Somethin' ain't right."

     Cheney stood up with a frown, immediately serious. 
"What's wrong?"

     "Ye remember that metal airship that flew past us on our
way here?"  The two men nodded.  "Well, it an' two of its
mates are hoverin' above La Verde... and it looks like there's
one more on the way."


     Kyle blinked in surprise.  "Why are there so many here?"

     "I don't know... but I don't like it.  I'll be goin'
ashore ta see what's up - it won't do no good ta let anyone
know you're here, so you and the other Dragoons gotta stay out
of sight."

     "We will," he promised, turning back toward his gear. 
"Be careful."

     She grinned at him.  "Always am."  Without another word
she left the cabin, returning to the main deck.

                 -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

     Jil watched the airships suspiciously as the ship sailed
gently toward the harbor.  They gleamed majestically in the
morning sun, seeming to ignore her tiny craft with haughty
dignity.  There was no insignia on the airships, and
definitely no sign of the Church's trifan.  Something, in her
expert opinion, was definitely amiss.

     Her suspicions were confirmed when, after docking, a pair
of red-robed soldiers were waiting at the gangplank.  "State
your business," one of them demanded.

     She ignored this.  "Who are ye?  Where be the usual
harbormaster?"

     "We control this harbor now," the other soldier replied. 
"Answer the question."

     "The hell I will!  What's going on here?  Who are you
goons?"

     The first soldier grinned, and raised his hand - sparks
of electricity danced over its surface.  "We're your worst
nightmare."

     Jil backed up a few steps fearfully, but only to keep up
the act.  She knew precisely what he was doing, but it
wouldn't do to reveal it.  "That... that be magic!  You're
heretics!"

     With a scowl, the guard released his spell, sending a
mild but painful bolt into the captain.  As she fell to her
knees, he smirked down at her.  "We're called Manakyr, bitch,
and you'd better remember that from now on."

     "A... aye... I'll remember."  She coughed and slowly
regained her footing.  "My crew and I are just here for a bit
of shore leave, and I need ta do some business in town."

     The second soldier, who seemed disgusted at his
companion's actions, just shook his head.  "La Verde is a
controlled area.  Absolutely no civilians allowed in or out of
the city."

     "Unless," the first soldier added with a glint in his
eye, "it's particularly *expensive* business."

     Jil frowned.  "I see.  Well, I'll see just how...
expensive it's going to be.  Excuse me."

     She turned and walked up the gangplank, feeling the
stares of the two Manakyr all the way to the deck.

               -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

     "Sir!  SIR!"

     "Hmmm?  Whuh?"  The shouts roused Terrin, Sorcerer Fifth
Class, from a pleasant dream involving Madonna, a Sleeper Egg,
and an innovative use for a Thunder Rod.  Grumbling, he pulled
on his robe and opened the door, peering at the figure beyond. 
"Yes?  What is it, Initiate?"

     "Sir!  We think..."  The Initiate took a deep breath. 
"We think the Legacy is here in town!"

     "WHAT?!  Are you sure?"  Terrin pushed past the young man
and rushed down the hall of what used to be the mansion of La
Verde's mayor.  It was rather the worse for wear now, after a
heated battle with the mayor's personal guard, but it served
nicely as the Manakyr's local headquarters.

     "W-well, the clairmancers say that someone with the
ability to unseal Eggs is within the city limits.  Of course,
we can't get a closer fix, but-"

     "It doesn't matter," Terrin decided as they entered the
grand hall of the manor.  "She's here, and we can track her
down."  He raised his voice, and all of the Manakyr present
turned to look at him.  "I want an immediate search of the
city!  Send extra teams to the gates and docks - if the
Legacy's here, we WILL find her!"

                 -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

     "Manakyr?  Here in La Verde?"

     "Aye, that's what he said."

     The Dragoon exchanged glances.  "Great," Martin said
finally.  "Now what?"

     Kyle scowled.  "Much as I hate to say it... it's not our
concern.  La Verde was well-defended - if they managed to take
over, there's probably not much we can do about them."

     "But, sir...!"

     "That's my decision, Martin.  We'll be heading back out."

     Jil shrugged.  "That be your call, but I do need ta get
into town.  We be running low on provisions, if nothin' else."

     "And we don't want your friends to get suspicious," Kyle
agreed.  "Okay, we'll wait here until you get back.  We'll
just-"

     "Cap'n!"  One of the sailors poked his head through the
doorway.  "Cap'n, there's a bunch o' them robes outside.  They
wanna search the ship?"

     "What?!"

     Reill cursed.  "Think they're onto us?"

     "I'll go stall 'em," Jil announced, bolting to the door. 
"You boys get ready fer anythin'!"

                   -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

     The Serene Journey drifted to a stop a good distance away
from La Verde, and its passengers stared at it nervously.

     "What the heck are those silver things?" Mika asked of
the world in general.

     "They... they might be airships," Marcine said
hesitantly.  "Father mentioned plans to build flying machines
like that.  I had no idea they were so close to completion,
though."

     "Well, this doesn't change anything," Davin decided. 
"We'll just have to be a bit more careful."

     As the group boarded a liferaft - it had been decided
that the Journey would have been too conspicuous if it docked
- Marcine still seemed uncertain.  "Are you sure it'll be all
right, Davin?"

     "Trust me.  I spent a lot of time in La Verde when I was
at the Academy.  That place has tons of secret passages; once
we get to the docks, we'll be hidden in no time."

     Mika brightened up.  "Secret passages?  Cool!"

     "Some with monsters in them," Davin warned.

     "Cool!"

                   -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

     "What be all this noise, then?"  Jil stormed down the
gangplank, glaring at the robed soldiers gathered there.  "I
cannae bribe ye *all*, ye know."

     One of the Manakyr, wearing a particularly fancy robe,
stepped forward and raised his hand, palm up - there was a
small blue crystal there, glowing softly.  A moment later the
glow intensified, and suddenly above the crystal was shown an
image of... Marcine!  "We are looking for this girl," the
Manakyr announced.  "If she is onboard your ship, you will
hand her over to us immediately."

     Jil pretended to inspect the crystal, trying to keep the
spark of recognition from her eyes.  "Nay, this girl not be on
board my ship," she said finally.  "I be the only lass
aboard."

     "We'll see about that."  The Manakyr officer gestured,
and the soldiers prepared to board the ship.

     "No ye don't!"  Jil quickly moved to block the gangplank. 
"I'll not let ye search me ship!"

     "Hiding something, are we?"

     "Nay, but I don't want ye stomping all over and breakin'
things!"

     "Too bad."  The soldiers moved in once more... and were
almost thrown from the gangplank as the boat rocked suddenly. 
"What the hell was that?!"

     Jil, who quickly realized what had happened, just
shrugged.  "'Tis just a wave.  Ye get that on boats,
sometimes."

     "Hmph."  They moved forward again... and the officer
glared at Jil suspiciously as she stood demurely to one side. 
"You're not going to stop us?"

     "Nay.  I kin see ye're men of purpose.  'Twould be folly
ta stand in yer way."

     He watched her a moment longer, then nodded.  "Yes.  It
would."

                  -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

     "S-sir?"

     Sorcerer Terrin blinked as his daydreams of promotion to
Warlock status were interrupted.  "Yes, Initiate?"

     "Uh... I don't know how to say this, but..."

     Terrin glared at the young Manakyr.  "It's bad news,
isn't it?"

     "Wellll... in a way, it's *good* news."

     "It's too early for guessing games, Initiate.  Speak
quickly."

     The Initiate glanced around for support then, finding
none, plunged ahead.  "The clairmancers say that... that there
are now *two* Legacies within range."

     Terrin bolted to his feet.  "WHAT?!"

     "We, we can check the results again, if you want," the
younger man squeaked.

     After a moment, the Sorcerer sighed and returned to his
seat.  "No... obviously the Legacy has learned how to confuse
our clairmancer's spells, even at this range.  Damnation,
she's good!"

     "Shall we send out more teams?"

     "Yes, that..."  He stopped.  "No... no, I think we'll let
our 'special' troops find her.  They're due some exercise."

     "B-But sir!  Won't they kill her when they find her?"

     He chuckled.  "Have you learned nothing?  The Atma Beasts
*can't* harm one who wields True Majik.  It would be foolish
to create a weapon that can be used against us.  But they
*can* overwhelm her if she chooses to resist."  His eyes
gleamed with ambition.  "And then we'll capture her, bring her
here, and make her our own.  Once we do that, our victory over
the Church will be assured."

                  -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

     Upon receiving the command from the headquarters, one of
the airships slowly descended to street level.  A door in its
belly opened, and a cumbersome metal ramp was lowered.

     The creatures within had been primed: the image of the
girl was burned into their minds, and their sole purpose was
to find her, by whatever means possible.

     One by one they exited the airship, quickly disappearing
into the streets in search of their prey.

     Absolutely nobody noticed the disheveled figure that
followed them out, his clothes severely shredded and his arms
weak with fatigue after holding on to a ceiling support for
several hours.

                  -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

     "So, how long are we going to stay up here?"

     Kyle shrugged, still staring up at the clouds.  "Beats
me.  Until Jil's ready to cast off, I guess."

     The three Dragoons had geared up in their boost armor and
escaped from the ship just before the Manakyr came on board -
despite a thorough search, the soldiers found nothing
suspicious on board.  Now the three young men were resting on
the roof of one of the dockside buildings, waiting impatiently
for something - anything - to happen.

     "I still say we need to try and fight the Manakyr, sir,"
Martin grumbled.

     "It would be suicide," Reill pointed out.

     "Maybe, but... I mean, I was born here, sir.  This is my
home."

     Kyle sat up and looked at Martin.  "I'm... I'm sorry.  I
didn't know that."

     Martin turned over and lay on his stomach, looking out
over the city.  "Well, at least everything seems to be pretty
much intact.  There's the house I grew up in... and there,
sir, over there's the school I went to..."  His expression
softened.  "And there's the park.  It looks like it took some
damage, but it's still there.  That big tree in the middle
there?  That's where I first met..."

     His voice trailed off, and he shook his head.  "I just
can't stand the thought of these... these *heretics* moving in
and taking control, sir.  I just *can't*."

     He looked up as he felt a hand on his shoulder.  "Don't
worry," Kyle said, and nodded in understanding.  "We'll get La
Verde back.  Whatever it takes."

     Martin locked gazes with the young officer for a moment,
then nodded.  "Thank you, sir."

     "Captain!"  Reill was on his feet, looking down at the
docks.  "Jil's waving to us, and those Manakyr are gone now."

     "Okay, it sounds like it's safe to go back down.  Let's
go find out what those bozos were looking for..."

                  -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

     "Are we there yet?"

     Davin remained stationed at the end of the raft,
controlling the water spirits that were pushing the small
vessel along.  "No."

     Pause.  "Are we there yet?"

     The raft threaded its way through the supporting poles of
the docks.  It was low tide, so there was plenty of headroom. 
"No."

     Pause.  "Are we there yet?"

     There was a thump, and the raft lodged itself against the
sandy shore below the docks.  Davin looked around, then nodded
in satisfaction.  "Yes.  Yes, we are."


-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
AUTHOR'S NOTE

     'Scuse me while I put this crowbar away...

     Okay.  The stage is set, the actors are in position, but
I have found myself unable to finish the production.  My main
drive was to merge the two main groups (Kyle's and Davin's)
into a single unit - something that should have been done a
long time ago, in my opinion.  But when push came to shove, I 
just couldn't do it.  I tried several different ways to handle
it, but none of them could meet up with my own standards.  I
really hate dropping something like this on the next author,
because it'll be a difficult scene to do well, but I just
couldn't do it in the time I had.

     I'm almost tempted to scrap this whole chapter - it's
nothing but filler, an excuse to bring the groups together. 
There are some useful clarifications, and a good direction for
Davin's team... ah, well.  I just hope everything works out
okay.

     Many thanks go to Terence for his suggestions,
clarifications, and Continuity Mastery skills.

     And if you don't like this chapter, feel free to whack me
upside the head.  I deserve it.