The echoes from the titanic blaze thundered across Tienne, gradually subsiding. The battle in the city had paused, if only briefly; Ifrit's sheer power had stunned Guardsman and Manakyr alike. In a hastily assembled command post at the top of a hill, the person who was perhaps more closely tied to the Church than anyone else alive fell to her knees in shock. "No..." Beside his sister, his face deathly pale, Cid could only stare out the window at the place where the Grand Cathedral had been only moments before. Finally he managed to speak, his voice hoarse. "Was there... was there anyone inside?" "A few," Cecilina replied numbly. "Priests and priestesses who refused to leave the Cathedral unguarded." Cid's expression grew cold with anger, and he shot a glance at the radio operator. "Get the Blue commander on the line right away!" The young Guardsman shook himself free of his stunned disbelief, then nodded and turned to his instruments. Despite herself, Cecilina looked up at her brother. "It's come to that, then?" He nodded grimly. "I don't like it either, but they're willing... and we've run out of options." Cid turned back to the window and glared up at the mountain. "It's time to pull out all the stops." -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- FINAL FANTASY LEGACY Knights of the Round Begun (and herein continued) by Brian Stricklin Chapter 50: Reversals and Reinforcements Dedicated to the memory of Clovis Stricklin 1915-2001 -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- The silence in the spider-walker was suddenly broken as Davin slammed his fist on the console. Mika looked over at him, her expression somewhere between worried and fearful. "Big Brother..." "Damn..." he muttered. "That was so much stronger than the other Callings. If Darovan's got that kind of power, he can wipe out Tienne in a few minutes!" "C'mon, Big Brother," the alchemist said, with rather shaky confidence. "It'll work out somehow, right?" His shoulders drooped. "I wish I could say so, Mika. But there's no way we can touch Darovan while he's up in that flying rock; without some way of getting up there, we can't stop him. If we had the Excelsior, maybe we would stand a chance, but..." Mika chewed her lower lip uncertainly. "Maybe... maybe if Marcine did a Calling of her own, she could take out that thing..." "They're just not powerful enough," he replied, shaking his head. "And even if that would do the trick, it would end up dropping a mountain on top of the city anyway. Either way, Tienne loses." The red-haired girl contemplated this for a moment, then calmly walked behind him and slapped the back of his head. "Ow! What was that for?" "You big moron!" she shouted. "After everything we've been through, I can't believe you're willing to give up now!" "It's not that I want to," Davin protested, rubbing the point of impact. "But we have to think about this realistically." He glanced at the other passenger. "Am I right, Marcine?" "Hmm?" She looked away from the window distractedly. "Oh. No, let's keep going." Marcine pointed. "I think we can park the walker safely in that alley over there." Davin blinked in surprise, then turned to face her. "You're taking this pretty well," he managed finally. "I know," she replied, her voice thoughtful. "I think it's because Darovan's cheating." "Huh?" "Well, if Darovan could have done that at any time, why did he need to bring his other airships, soldiers, and Atma beasts?" She peered up at the Manakyr base. "That Calling used more power than any human could hold. Maybe it was due to the dark entity he freed, but I get the feeling he had to draw it from an outside source." As Davin considered this, Mika piped up in realization. "The flying mountain! That's gotta be using a huge amount of power to stay up!" Marcine nodded. "And if he drains too much too quickly, it would probably fall to the ground, which would be just as bad for him as it would be for us." "What about the Cathedral?" Davin insisted. The young mage paused for a long moment, and when she finally spoke, it was with slow and carefully considered words. "I think... I think the Cathedral was... just a building. That's all. Better that he destroyed *it* rather than one of the camps outside. And maybe it's not such a bad thing, either. The Cathedral was the symbol of the Church, but for a long time the Church has been based on a lie. Maybe this will help them make a fresh start." Davin looked at her for a long moment, then smiled. "You're right. I guess I wasn't thinking straight. Okay, then... where did you say we could park again?" -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- No sooner had the Northern Cross touched the dock than Kyle leapt off, Jil and Shizuka close behind. He could hear their shouts behind him, urging him to wait, but a hot anger burned behind his eyes, forcing him onwards. The first attack on Tienne, the attack he had arrived too late to defend against, had left a roiling core of guilt and frustration within him. Though he had come to disagree with the Church's methods, the destruction of the Grand Cathedral had ignited this core, filling him with an uncontrolled rage. He *would* protect Tienne this time, if he had to kill every Manakyr himself! (He was dimly aware of words being spoken behind him. "Shall this one stop him?" "Nay, lass... he needs ta get it out o' his system.") Kyle raced through the rubble-strewn streets, seeking something, anything to direct his anger against. The sizzle of a Bolt spell to the left drew his attention, and he swerved to run straight into the middle of a Manakyr squad. Whirling the Ashura Lance in a sweeping arc, the Dragoon didn't even slow down as he cleaved through the luckless mages. Another squad soon followed, and even an Atma beast proved to be little challenge to him in his current state. Behind him, his two companions exchanged worried glances. The young officer's killing rage sent him endlessly through the city, cutting down Manakyr left and right with hardly a pause for breath. A shouted chant nearby alerted him to the presence of a new target, and he charged toward the sound. This didn't seem to be a normal Manakyr, judging by the red outfit he wore, but the smoke curling from the man's fingers and his smug expression told Kyle all he needed to know. With a roar of anger, Kyle ran towards the mage, his weapon readied for a killing blow. His intended prey turned toward him, looked briefly puzzled, then tripped over his scarlet cape as he tried to back away... And then, moving quicker than the eye could see, a slender form appeared before him, interspersing itself between Kyle and his understandably frightened target. For a brief moment, his fury carried him forward regardless... then he swiftly managed to regain control, and stumbled to a halt. "Shizuka," he growled, raising the Ashura Lance again, "get out of the way!" The ninja quickly shook her head. "This one thinks that you have chosen a poor victim." "What?! He's a Manakyr!" Now that his life seemed to be temporarily spared, the mage picked himself up with an annoyed expression. "I am not!" he shouted. "I swear, I thought you goons had gotten that through your thick skulls by now!" He presented his left arm, brandishing the tri-fan symbol stitched to the sleeve. "Know many Manakyr that wear these, idiot?" Though the man's words did little to calm Kyle's anger, the voice of reason had finally managed to make itself heard again. "You... you're one of the Awakened, aren't you?" "Very good," the man replied sarcastically, then peered at the Dragoon in return. "You're that Cavanaugh kid, right? Figures; when you came stomping in and yelling that evening, I had you pegged for a moron right away." "You were on my property!" Kyle replied angrily. "You can't just-" "Easy, easy now, lad," Jil interjected soothingly. She looked at the red mage. "The Church is usin' you folk as soldiers?" He nodded. "We were doing pretty good, too, until the damn Manakyr figured out our tactics. My unit got wiped out; I'm on my way back to headquarters for instructions." "Aye, that seems like a good plan for us, too." She glanced at a still-fuming Kyle. "Unless ye'd rather go chargin' at random through the streets some more?" After a tense moment, Kyle took a deep breath, then let it out slowly. "Let's go." -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- "Status report." "The enemy's morale seems to have fallen greatly. They're putting up much less resistance; that, plus the revised tactics for our mages, has given us the upper hand." "What of the Atma beasts?" "Some of them seemed to have broken free of our control for a little while, but they're back in line now." "Excellent." Darovan leaned back in his chair, smiling at the ravaged city below. "This is as it should be. The Church may try its little tricks, but when all is said and done the true masters of magic are destined to succeed." A small chime off to the side, followed by a mutter of annoyance, caught his attention. "What is it?" The clairmancer jumped slightly. "I-it's nothing, sir..." "Tell me anyway." "Well, sir, I'm detecting two separate Legacies now; one near the same location as before, and another near the docks. It's just like La Verde; the Legacy seems skilled enough to be able to confuse our spells." Darovan let out a laugh. "That untutored child? Hardly. No, it must be something else... well, no matter. Dispatch Atma beasts to intercept the new reading; they have been imprinted with her likeness, correct?" "Yes, sir. Dispatching Atma beasts now..." The ancient wizard relaxed again. How fortunate he was, to collect his greatest prize and destroy his worst enemy in the same day... -=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Between the sheer brute strength of Sacred and Minotaur, and Stine's control over the Atma beasts, the mismatched group had little trouble working their way through the city. The fact that they had no particular goal in mind, however, only bothered one of their number. Stine's brow furrowed. "Be it not sufficient to slay every heretic we see?" "That's all well and good, Stine dear," Pearl replied, rolling her eyes. "But we can't do that all day." "Why not?" Lumina was perched on Sacred's shoulders, kicking her feet idly. "A little random carnage never hurt anyone." Pearl sighed. "Please? I'm feeling a bit vulnerable out here in the middle of all these Manakyr." The Knight made a face. "Spoilsport. Fine, then; what do you want to do?" "Well, if Cid were still alive, I'd try to find him... but instead, I guess we'll need to look for Davin." Beside her, the Beastmaster nodded. "Stine didst get somewhat turned around after he inexplicably fell from the mechanical contrivance, but he doth think they went..." He hesitated, looking around, then pointed. "That way." Lumina shrugged. "I guess that's as good as we're going to get. Okay, let's get cracking." -=-=-=-=-=-=-=- "D-did you see that?!" the Guardsman gibbered, pointing at the smouldering hilltop ruin. "The Cathedral! They wiped it out, just like that! Oh man, oh man, what're we gonna do?" "We saw it, Vicks," Hound growled, his hand gripping the hilt of his sword tightly with anger. "We saw it, same as you." "He's gonna do that to us next! We're history, Hound! We're-" "SHUT UP, Corporal!" Gwen barked. "That's an order!" She glared at duVahn, who seemed quite shaken himself. "Was that what I think it was? A Calling?" "I've never seen one myself, of course," he replied hoarsely, "but I believe so. I never imagined it would be so powerful..." She crossed her arms. "So what can you do about it?" "Nothing," he replied, avoiding her gaze. "Nothing at all. No human can possibly withstand the might of a Sleeper, magic or no magic. If that... creature attacks again and we happen to be its target, we would most certainly die." The sergeant studied her squad - Hound, glaring about him with mixed fear and anger; Vicks, still trembling with fear; duVahn, certain of their demise - then abruptly turned on her heel and began to walk away. "Fine. You pantywaists can sit it out here. Me, I've got some robes to kill." Hound looked at her sharply. "Sarge?" She paused for a moment, not turning around. "We knew this was going to be dangerous. I don't know about you three, but I'm willing to lay down my life for the Church. That's why I'm here." Then she whirled around, and there was a fierce fire in her eyes, hotter than Ifrit's magic. "But damned if I don't take as many of the heretics with me when I go! If Darovan wants to blast me with that demon, then I hope he can do it when I've put my sword up his ass!" Without waiting for their reply, Gwen turned around to march off... ...and came face-to-face with a snarling, slavering Atma beast. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=- The voice was rather indistinct over the crackling radio signal; it seemed the presence of the Manakyr base interfered with its operation. "...don't worry... won't let... down..." "Good luck, then," Cid replied, and sat back in his chair with a sigh. "The things we do," he muttered. "They'll be all right," Cecilia told him with a confidence she didn't feel. "I hope so. Children and old men! It's going to be pregnant women and a six-year-old with a pointed stick next..." One of the Guardsmen stationed outside the door entered and saluted, a sight that made Cid wince. "There's a Dragoon outside that wishes to see you, sir." The one-armed man groaned. "I don't have time to be second- guessed by-" "Sir, it's Captain Cavanaugh." He shot bolt upright. "What?!" After the initial pleasantries were exchanged ("Where have you been all this time?" "What the hell are you doing in a Commander's uniform?!"), the conversation quickly turned to more important matters. "What's the situation?" Kyle asked. Cid shook his head. "Not good. You saw the Calling, I assume? That pretty much ruined morale; the regular Guardsmen have been falling back ever since. We had some success with the Awakened at the start, but they caught on too damn fast. The GOLeMs are gone, and I've just authorized a last resort that I really hope I don't end up regretting. We know the Manakyr have some kind of supply depot in the city, but we have no idea where it is." With a scowl, Kyle examined the map of Tienne hung on a nearby wall. Multicolored pins colored its surface - white pins were standard for Guardsmen, and red for Dragoons, and he assumed the unfamiliar orange pins indicated the Awakened. The purple and green pins probably stood for Manakyr and Atma beasts respectively... and they were quite clearly in the majority. Another pin caught his attention, its silver head clearly visible among the enemy forces. "What's this one for? I thought you said there weren't any GOLeMs, and silver is the usual color for them." Cid peered at the map. "I'm not sure. Corporal?" The radio operator looked up. "That's the last known position of the Prototype Arachnid-class Steam Walker Mark Three, sir." "Prototype... Arachnid..." "Mark Three, yes sir." Kyle looked puzzled. "That's not a combat vehicle. What is-" He stopped, and turned to face Cid. "Marcine!" "Huh?" "She and Davin took the walker to Dwarvenhome; they must have gotten back!" Cid frowned, still examining the map. "And charged right into the middle of the Manakyr, it looks like. What are they thinking?" There was no response; when Cid turned around, Kyle was already gone. Outside the headquarters, Jil and Shizuka hurried to catch up with the Dragoon. "We're not gonna charge heedlessly through the city again, are we lad?" He shook his head, and slowed down a few paces. "Not this time. Get out the Phoenix Compass and have it point toward Marcine." Jil grinned. "Now, that be usin' your head." She produced the artifact, which soon emitted a beam of light. The beacon lanced outward to Kyle's right, indicating the position of the chosen individual. With a tense smile, he led his companions around the next corner... And then they stopped, and slowly started to back up. On the bright side, the Atma beast in front of them was temporarily blinded by the Compass' light. Unfortunately, the other twenty or so were not, and seemed quite unhappy that their assigned target wasn't there. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Having left the spider-walker behind, Davin, Marcine and Mika made their way through Tienne towards what they hoped was the Manakyr supply cache. The direction seemed a bit muddled at the moment; the initial plan of heading to where the mages were thickest was stymied by the fact that, to all appearances, the Manakyr were coming to *them* in droves. Marcine had quickly been introduced to the Manakyr's tactic of keeping reflective shields wrapped around them, but she found that spells that affected large areas weren't subject to the Reflect spell. Such spells tended to be more draining than their more selective brethren, but they did get the job done. For his part, Davin had long since lost count of how many Manakyr he'd killed. It worried him somewhat; he'd never though of himself as a killer, but ever since he and Marcine had first left Tienne he'd slain more men that he cared to remember. True, they had been trying to kill him themselves, usually in an effort to get to Marcine, but that didn't mean he had to like it. Eventually, he pushed that thought to the side to be examined in detail when his life and that of his friends wasn't in danger. And as for Mika... "C'mon, Big Brother!" "No." "Just once? Pleeeeeeease?" "No." "Why not?" Davin sighed. "Mika, you've never made anything like it before, you haven't tested it, and from what you've been saying it involves using a volatile chemical empowered by a dwarven rune of kinetic force to fire an explosive potion at high velocity." She studied him for a moment. "What's your point?" "My point, munchkin, is that we don't need to be taking risks like that at the moment. You should have tested the bomb launcher before we got here." "I didn't know Tienne was gonna be under attack when we got here!" she protested. "C'mon, please? It'll be really useful." "We could use all the help we can get," Marcine pointed out. Davin made a face. "All right, then..." He looked around; for once there was a lull in the oncoming waves of Manakyr, and things were relatively peaceful. "Aim for that wall over there. It's pretty much ruined anyway. And pick a *small* bomb." "Okay!" Situating the tube-like device on her shoulder and carefully dropping a bright red potion into the loading chamber, Mika took careful aim (while Davin and Marcine took a few steps back). She started to pull the trigger... Without warning, an Atma beast leapt over the wall and charged toward the three companions. Marcine gasped in alarm even as Davin moved forward. "Mika, look out-!" Shifting her aim only slightly, Mika fired the launcher, and in a gout of flame the potion was expelled from the device, hurling toward the slavering beast at high speed. In a freak coincidence, the bomb flew into the creature's mouth, then exploded; it was small, so the results weren't terribly graphic, but the end result was the same. With smoke pouring from its throat, the Atma beast fell over, quite dead. Mika straightened up with a broad grin. "Yeah! See, Big Brother? I told you it'd be fine! What do you think of the launcher now?" Without responding, Davin placed his hand on the top of her head and gently turned the girl around. A cart, directly behind where she had been standing, was merrily ablaze. The young alchemist blinked a few times. "Hmm. There's a bit of a blowback problem there. Let me check my notes..." Davin shook his head; behind him, Marcine was stifling a fit of the giggles. "Later. Stick with throwing the bombs until we're somewhere a bit safer than a warzone." She pouted. "I never get to have any fun." -=-=-=-=-=-=-=- The map in the headquarters building was updated as reports came in over the radio. Colored pins were moved as ground was taken and lost, as squads regrouped or were eliminated. None of the individual forces out there were represented by pins; such uncontrolled agents had little place in modern strategy. However, after Cid's reluctant command had gone out, a new color of pin began to appear on the map. These factors seemed to move of their own will, even at random sometimes, but with a certain purpose as well. Around them, the purple pins and even an occasional green were removed one by one. These new pins were blue. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=- A squad of Manakyr, having just finished off a group of Guardsmen, felt they were entitled to a bit of a break. They'd received orders to locate the Legacy, but really, that seemed more trouble than it was worth. Instead, they were taking a moment to relax and restore their magical energies, and incidentally indulge in a little freelance looting. A sudden voice behind them made the mages pause. "Halt, you-" There was a noisy bout of coughing. "-you lawless whippersnappers!" They turned around to see an old, old man, eighty years old if he was a day, standing unsteadily before him. Everything about him looked dingy and ill-kempt, from his scraggly beard to his unwashed clothes, except for two items: the bright blue cloth tied around his arm, and the sword at his waist. The Manakyr exchanged glances, then set down the stuffed werewolf they had been levering from a curiosity shop ("This would look great in my study!" one of them had insisted) and gave the old man their full attention. "What do you want, gramps?" "Eh? Speak up!" The mage scowled. "I SAID, WHAT DO YOU WANT?!" "Don't you shout at me, you hoodlum! Hold still so's I can kick the tar outta ya!" The old man reached for his blade, taking hold of the hilt on the third try, and with a grunt of effort drew it from its sheath. He held the sword before him, his arm drooping with its weight. As the Manakyr laughed helplessly at this pathetic sight, the old man glared at him. "Jest hold still, now. This'll jest take a second." He focused nearsightedly on his weapon. "Now, was it 'slice and dice' first, or 'chop and hew'? Or was it... No, no, I remember now." He brandished his sword again with some difficulty, and as he began to chant in a wheezing voice, a light began to glow on his blade; by the time the Manakyr noticed this, however, it was far too late. "Cut an' slice, hew an' chop, let the Way of the Four guide my blade!" The light suddenly flashed, surrounding the man with its glow. "Quadra Slash!" Moving with a speed that belied his age, the old man raced towards the startled Manakyr. Halfway there he seemed to split into four identical copies of himself, each outlined with a blue aura, that ran straight toward separate targets... And then the copies merged back into the original man, who tottered for a moment as he fought to regain his breath. "That done tuckered me out," he muttered, idly cleaning the blood from his sword on a worn handkerchief. "I'm gettin' old. I reckon I'll need to retire in twenty years or so." He continued on his way without a single glance back at the four corpses he'd left behind. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=- "Ancient spirits in the halls of man, burn with life unchanging since the beginning of time! Elf Fire!" The burst of flames leapt toward the unsuspecting Atma beast; the creature snarled in pain but, seeing no immediate source of the attack, continued on its way. "No, no, NO!" The oldest member of the group glared at the young men around him, most of whom were fourteen or fifteen years old, and none of whom were older than seventeen. "Can anyone tell me what Mister Bremen did wrong?" Out of the whole group, only one arm went up, the blue cloth tied around it nearly falling off with the sudden movement. The older man sighed. "Yes, Mister Cartwright?" "It should have been 'spirits *within* the halls of man', Master Benedict," the eager young student replied, "and 'since the *start* of time'." "Correct, young Cartwright... as usual." "It worked, didn't it?" the one identified as Bremen muttered. A piece of chalk, carried by Master Benedict for just such an occasion, struck Bremen in the ear with painful force. "Indeed it did, but at much reduced power. You need to remember the rituals as well as the elemental spirits do, and they know them flawlessly. If you misspeak, they will tend not to take you seriously, and as a result you will produce a lesser effect." He turned to look them over, gazing at Cartwright in particular. "But it's not just knowledge that counts. It's also a matter of *style*. Even if you recite the chant perfectly, it won't do you much good unless you can impress the spirits at the same time. They enjoy a good show as much as anyone. Observe." He peered over the edge of the building they were standing on, and spotted another Atma beast. Chanting with a voice positively dripping with dramatic flair, he touched the stone structure briefly before gesturing at the creature below. "Ancient spirits within the halls of man, burn with life unchanging since the start of time! ELF FIRE!" The gouts of flame that emerged from his hand were bigger than a man's head, and quickly engulfed the luckless creature in mystic fire. It tried to run away, but only managed two steps before it fell to the ground. "Now," Master Benedict continued calmly, "who wants to go next? No, not you, Cartwright." -=-=-=-=-=-=-=- "Ah, my dear friends!" The large man, clearly of Russan descent, grinned disarmingly at the Manakyr before him. They weren't sure what to make of him; the only thing he seemed to be armed with was an accordion. Of course, this might have been reason enough to kill him in the first place, but... He continued, still grinning like a madman. "Let me be the first to welcome you to this wonderful, wonderful city! I am sure you will have a most wonderful time in this wonderful (though slightly battered) metropolis!" The mages exchanged glances, then as one man raised their rods and pointed them at the interloper. This seemed to do little to damped the musician's spirits. "Ah, I see you are keen to come to grips with some violence. Wonderful! But first, let me entertain you in the manner of my own homeland, glorious Russa! I give you a smile," he grinned, "a song," he flexed the accordion, "and... A DANCE!" The Manakyr tensed, but nothing seemed to happen. The musician's smile faltered. "A DANCE!" An irritated mutter emerged from a nearby alley, but nothing else did. Annoyance creasing his forehead, the musician positioned his fingers over the accordion's keys. "I said, A DANCE!" He played a single drawn-out note... And suddenly, from the alley burst a frantically squawking yellow form. The mages looked briefly panicked, until they saw that it was only a rather disheveled chocobo. The musician grinned broadly once more. "Ah, my dear friend! How good of you to join us!" Failing to notice the chocobo's murderous glare, he bowed deeply to the Manakyr, the blue cloth around his arm fluttering in the breeze. "Allow me to introduce my colleague in the arts, the world famous Lobo! And so, without further ado, relax and enjoy a one-time performance of Vladimir Barenov and his Amazing Attack Chocobo!" One of the Manakyr blinked. "His what?" Vladimir began to play a lively folk song on his accordion, and on cue Lobo burst into action, diving into the middle of the mages. He lashed out with talon and beak and wing, viciously attacking anything within reach. The Manakyr were slow to accept the concept of the peaceful chocobo being used as a weapon of war, and by the time they managed this feat they were already dead. As the last of the Manakyr fell, Vladimir stopped his music and applauded loudly. "Splendid, my friend! Splendid!" But Lobo didn't seem to be finished. As soon as the accordion music ended, he lunged toward the instrument, his beak snapping eagerly... Mistaking Lobo's intent, Vladimir caught the chocobo in a huge hug, squeezing him happily as Lobo made a spirited attempt to eat the accordion. "Yes, you love your friend the accordion, don't you? But do not worry! There will be plenty of music this day!" As Lobo sagged in defeat, Vladimir stared into the distance. "Yes... the art of Chocobo Battle Songs is a poorly understood one. Some unenlightened souls say it is not even a Mystic Art at all! But when this battle is won, Vladimir will show them, my friend!" He squeezed Lobo again in rough camaraderie, causing the bird's tongue to loll from its beak. "We will both show them! Come, there is more work to be done!" He released Lobo, who followed behind listlessly as the Russan sauntered off. Lobo *liked* Vladimir, who was a generous man with his greens, but the sooner he managed to kill the accordion monster, the better. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Kyle stood at the mouth of the alley, slicing at the Atma beasts as they pressed toward him. Six of the creatures already lay dead at his feet, but there always seemed to be more of them. The Ashura Lance cut through the beasts' armor-like hide, forcing the lead creature to fall back a few paces. While Kyle was thus engaged, however, another Atma beast charged toward him... only to be struck by two sets of throwing weapons. The monster shrieked in pain, then rejoined the pack. Behind Kyle, Jil and Shizuka exchanged glances as they readied their weapons again. "This be jolly fun," the captain commented dryly, "but I be runnin' out o' shuriken." The yong ninja nodded. "This one may soon run out as well, and her Arts do little damage to these creatures. This one believes we need to do something to correct this situation soon." "I'm open to suggestions," Kyle called as he cut down another Atma beast. Shizuka looked around for a moment. "Master Cavanaugh, use your Boost Armor to carry Mistress Fallensand to the roof of this building. This one will hold off the creatures as long as possible." "Are you crazy? You can't-" "This one will be fine - she promises. Please go!" Kyle hesitated briefly, then turned toward Jil as Shizuka moved up next to him... A loud snarl made him whirl around, and he instinctively set his spear to catch the Atma beast as it jumped at him. The blade easily pierced the monster's hide... and then the creature's momentum fully impaled it on the Ashura Lance, its weight pulling the weapon from Kyle's hands. As Kyle cursed and tugged at his weapon, the Atma beasts paused for a moment. Dim though they were, they realized that their prey could no longer harm them. With a snarl that seemed to fill the alley, they began to close in... Without warning, a pair of armored figures dropped into the middle of the pack from a nearby building. Neither saying a word, they began to hew about them, rune-covered axe and bloodstained sword slicing through the ranks of the confused beasts. Kyle stared at them in surprise, and the shorter of the two, noting his gaze, nodded pleasantly between swings. "Come along then, lad," he called cheerfully, "there be plenty for everyone!" Quickly putting aside his confusion, Kyle managed to pull his spear free from the dead Atma beast's body, and had soon rejoined the fray. For their part, Jil and Shizuka had pull back further into the alley; stepping any closer to that circle of deadly steel would certainly have proved painful, even fatal. After a few moments, Jil glanced sidelong at Shizuka. "Tryin' ta stay behind so we could escape? Ye weren't thinkin' o' sacrificin' yerself, now were ye?" The ninja looked surprised. "Indeed, no. This one has sworn to protect Griever, and she cannot do so if she is dead." Jil smiled. "Har, that be all right, then." Finally the noise and pained yelps from outside ceased, and the two emerged from the alley. The three fighters had done their work well; all of the Atma beasts were either dead or had run away. The swordswoman stretched happily, her blonde locks falling about her shoulders. "Mmmmm... that was a good workout!" she exclaimed, absently wiping some blood from her cheek. "Aye, that it was." The shorter of the two figures nodded at Kyle again. "Glad we could help. Take care, now..." "Wait!" Kyle hurried forward and stood before the two fighters as they turned to leave. "You're a dwarf, aren't you? >From Dwarvenhome?" The four-foot tall stocky and heavily bearded individual peered up at the Dragoon. "Aye. How did ye guess?" He ignored this. "Then... then you must have come here with my sister, Marcine! Is she all right?" A grin spread across the dwarf's face. "Ah, ye must be Kyle, then! Aye, she be fine, or was when last I saw her. She be out in the city somewhere at this point." It was like a fist that had been tightened around Kyle's heart had suddenly been removed, though it was quickly replaced by a more immediate concern. "We think she's in the middle of occupied territory at the moment; we're on our way to find her." He paused for a moment. "Would you mind coming with us? We could use the help." Tharlo looked at Zarela, and their eyes glowed with the thought of a fresh batch of targets. "Works for us," they said in unison. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=- "Get offa her!" Vicks sliced at the vicious creature desperately, but his sword did little more than take a few chips off the Atma beast's tough hide. It certainly wasn't enough to distract it from the task of savaging the sergeant pinned beneath it. Deep scratches already decorated her arms, bleeding freely; she had thus far avoided major damage, but it was only a matter of time. On the other side of the creature, Hound grunted in effort as he tried to physically force the creature away from its prey. He shot a glance at duVahn, who was standing a short distance away as he frantically searched through his scrolls. "Do something, dammit!" The mage was flustered. "I... I'm not sure... any spell strong enough to harm it would probably kill her at the same time..." With a muttered curse, Hound changed his grip, grabbing hold of the beast's front leg in an attempt to at least keep it from hurting Gwen further. "Dammit, you've got to try something!" Suddenly duVahn stopped, and let his scrolls fall to the ground. "Yes," he said quietly. "That should do it." He raised his hands toward the beast and began a new chant, his voice echoing with power. "Enemy of man and God, for sins to atone, by Heaven's holy light, living flesh turn to stone. Until the end of time, encas'd ye shall remain, living within, dead without, ne'er to see, hear, speak, nor move again...." The red mage's hands glowed with an unpleasant gray light as he gestured in a thrusting motion towards the Atma beast. "PETRIFY!" The change was dramatic. A small patch of the creature's skin suddenly turned to stone, each individual hair calcifying in an instant. As the magic surged forward, the effect spread outward like a plague, slowing and stiffening the Atma beast's flesh. Within moments, the spell had run its course, and in the place of the monster was little more than an incredibly lifelike statue. Panting heavily, Gwen stared up at the petrified creature for a long moment, astonished that she was still alive, then quickly squirmed out from beneath it and picked herself up. DuVahn seemed rather drained from his spell, so rather than draw his attention to her wounds she turned around to study her former attacker, hesitantly touching its motionless form. "Incredible," she breathed. Feeling a bit more bold, Vicks thumped the statue with the butt of his sword. "Ha! That took care of 'im!" "I gotta hand it to you, duVahn," Hound agreed. "You did good. Where'd you learn something like that, anyway?" As duVahn hesitated, the sergeant frowned thoughtfully. "It's kinda like it belongs in the..." She stopped, and whirled around to face the mage... ...who met her gaze with a carefully blank expression, his eyes holding hers. "Just something I picked up somewhere," he said to Hound, his voice betraying no hint of emotion. She stared at him for a long moment, unsure what to say even if her glimmer of suspicion was true. The others hadn't noticed, though, and the moment was broken when Hound placed his hand on Gwen's shoulder. "C'mon, Sarge," he said with renewed confidence. "Let's go do what we do best." She nodded. "Right. Break's over, boys - time to go to work." -=-=-=-=-=-=-=- It came from the east, soaring through the clouds with graceful ease. The airship flew directly towards Tienne, its occupants tensed for the coming battle. They only hoped that they wouldn't be too late... -=-=-=-=-=-=-=- "I think that's it," Davin said finally, peering over the edge of the roof. The plaza below contained about thirty Manakyr, and its entrances were heavily guarded. Of more interest, however, was the numerous large crates in the middle of the square. From his current vantage, Davin could see several gold-handled rods protruding from the open crates. "Looks like it," Mika agreed. "So what do we do?" Davin considered. "Well, we can't afford to give them a chance to try any Callings... but we can't stay here too long. They seem to be able to tell where Marcine is, in general terms at least, and it won't take long for them to find us." The young alchemist frowned in thought. "Maybe I can toss a bomb into the crate of fire rods and set them off. That'd be a good distraction." Marcine shook her head. "Magic artifacts don't work like that. You would probably damage them, but they won't do anything without having a spell cast through them." "Well, what should we do, then? Just waltz right in there?" She looked up at Davin, who had suddenly turned to give Marcine a speculative look. A few minutes later in the supply cache, the Manakyr's attention was attracted by a rather hesitant, "Um... excuse me..." The mages looked up... and couldn't believe what they saw. Standing by herself next to an abandoned building, Marcine gave a timid wave, blushing a bit at all the attention. "Um, I'm... the Legacy, and... um... I surrender?" Immediately she was surrounded by every robed figure in the plaza, and two Manakyr had taken hold of her arms. "Very wise," the senior mage said hoarsely, while his companions exchanged triumphant glances. Darovan was sure to reward them insanely well! "Just come with us, my dear..." "A-all right. But there's just one thing..." "Anything," the mage said magnanimously. "Uh... look at me for a moment, please." There was little worry about that; the mages were too overcome by their luck to take their eyes off her... And above them, with a dramatic gesture that Master Benedict would have been proud of, Davin pointed at the Manakyr with a hand formed of tiny cobblestones. "Song of passion and longing, let the heart cast its irresistible net! Love Sonata!" Unique among their kind, the spirits of cities and homes were in tune with the human race; so much so that they could even influence human emotion. In this case, from psychic echoes within the very stones, they brought out the emotion of love, winding it around the Manakyr with a faint, haunting melody. At first, nothing seemed to have changed... then the senior mage stepped forward and caressed her cheek. "Oh, my dear Legacy," he breathed. "Let us forget Lord Darovan and leave this place together!" "Um... okay..." "No!" One of the other mages stepped between his superior and Marcine. "I saw her first! Our true love will blossom, I tell you! BLOSSOM!" Fueled by jealous anger, a third mage pushed the second aside. "She's mine! And I'll... I'll *kill* anyone that gets in my way!" The second mage drew an Ice Rod and pointed it at his fellow Manakyr. "Bring it on!" The situation went downhill from there. Before long the besotted mages were fighting amongst themselves, casting furious spells and counterspells. The magical blasts destroyed the crates of enchanted weaponry, but the Manakyr failed to notice. When they ran out of energy, the few that remained standing resorted to pummeling each other with fists and powerless rods. Within a few minutes, it was all over... *Almost* all over. A few feet in front of Marcine stood one lone Manakyr, who had been motionless during the entire fight. As the mage continued to stare at Marcine, the ample curves that showed through the purple robes suggested a reason why she hadn't joined in. From above, Davin frowned. "Hmm... I've never used that one too much. I guess it doesn't affect anyone of the same gender..." Still a bit embarrassed, Marcine attempted a wave and a weak smile. "Um... hello..." And then the female mage was there, standing uncomfortable close to Marcine with heavy-lidded eyes. "My sweet Legacy," she crooned, "you are so beautiful..." "Um... thank you?" She inched closer. "Absolutely... exquisite..." The blush rose in Marcine's cheeks once more. "Uh..." The Manakyr suddenly wrapped her arms around her 'beloved', catching her in a close embrace. "There's no need to be nervous, my darling," she murmured seductively as she leaned forward. "I can make you..." "Th-that's okay..." "...so happy..." Marcine's cheeks were flaming crimson now. "R-really... I don't..." Their lips were almost touching. "...my sweet Legacy..." "DAVIIIIIIIN!" There was a heavy thump, followed by a clattering noise, and the Manakyr slumped to the ground. Beside her, the fallen ceramic roof time lay broken from its impact against her head. On the roof, Mika looked curiously up at Davin, who shrugged. "Love hurts." -=-=-=-=-=-=-=- The bridge of the Manakyr base was once again a flurry of shouted reports. Darovan sat hunched in the middle of it, his mood growing darker with each new declaration. "The Atma beasts sent to intercept that second Legacy have been wiped out..." "...the supply cache has been taken by enemy forces..." "...Guardsmen regrouping and retaking Tienne blocks at a time..." "...some kind of killer chocobo..." "...the Legacy seems to have been involved in capturing the cache..." Without a word, Darovan held up a hand, and the chatter in the bridge immediately fell silent. "Regroup our forces around the cache, then send all remaining Atma beasts in to capture my Legacy. And send the Enterprise there as well; if the beasts fail, they are to use their main gun to ensure the capture." The Manakyr turned back to their instruments, relaying Darovan's orders, and he watched the city below once more, trying to ignore the sudden doubt crawling through him. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Stine came to a sudden halt, raising his hand for silence. "Hark!" Lumina blinked. "Hark? The hell?" "Cast thine eyes upward, and espy yon vile Manakyr device. It doth seem to Stine that it be descending." His companions dutifully looked up, and indeed it seemed that one of the silver airships - the largest and most ornate one - was dropping gently toward the ground. "I wonder why they're only coming down now?" Pearl mused. "Whatever the reason, they shall rue the day they came within sword's reach of Beastmaster Stine!" He drew his rapier and charged forward. "Onward, stalwart companions! We shall layeth the smiteth down upon them, suddenly and violently and all over the place!" As Stine rushed forward, Sacred and Minotaur close behind, Lumina nudged Pearl in the ribs. "Want me to unscramble *his* brain, then? I'll do him and that nutball girl at the same time, no problem..." Pearl bit back a laugh. "Don't you dare! Stine's a lunatic, but he's *my* lunatic. Come on, we'd better go catch up before he happens to someone." -=-=-=-=-=-=-=- "Davin..." "I know, I know." The elementalist stood in front of Marcine, sword at the ready. They had backed into one of the plaza's corners; it was really the only choice, as the rest of the plaza was filled end to end with Atma beasts. They had arrived slowly, one by one, as they were drawn in from all over Tienne. They hadn't attacked yet, seeming somewhat unsure about what to do with their target so nearby, but that was clearly not going to last long. There were over seventy of the creatures now, all turned to face Marcine with ferocious, almost demonic expressions. "You know how we always try to reserve Callings for emergencies?" Davin called over his shoulder. "I think this qualifies." She nodded in agreement, and reached for her pouch... "Oh, no!" "What?" "I think I left the Eggs in the spider-walker!" Davin let out a breath in faint relief. "I was worried there for a minute." She stared at him. "What are you-" Tugging at her sleeve, Mika held up another pouch. "I got these out of the cache while you and Big Brother were tying up the survivors." Marcine opened the pouch, and was greeted with the sight of three Sleeper Eggs. Relief poured through her. "Wonderful! Let me see... I don't recognize any of them... that one doesn't look like an offensive Sleeper... um..." The constant snarling of the Atma beast reached a crescendo, and they began to charge. Slashing back and forth, Davin fought them off as best he could. "Just pick one and go with it!" "R-right!" Choosing quickly, she reaching into the pouch and pulled out a rather organic-looking Egg, its surface occasionally rippling as from pockets of gas rising to the surface of a swamp. Mika eyed it dubiously. "I hope that works." "Me, too," Marcine agreed, and held it before her. "From thy ancient slumber, I call to thee..." The familiar phantom wind plucked at her clothes, and the power flowed through her. "Lord of the forgotten mists, I conjure thee!" Suddenly, despite Davin's best efforts, an Atma beast broke past him and charged toward its imprinted target. Mika quickly hurled a bomb, which missed by mere inches. Marcine's voice caught in her throat as she stared, frozen, at the onrushing monster... A red streak of color passed before her, and the Atma beast fell backwards, bleeding heavily. The crimson-armored figure turned his head slightly and grinned at her. "What're you waiting for, sis?" *Kyle!* She wanted desperately to run to him, but it was much more important to complete her spell; closing her eyes, she concentrated once more. "Harken, Baron Morbol! Harken, Primordial Beast! In the name of the Manakyr, I summon thee!" Davin and Kyle stood side by side, forming an impenetrable wall against the slavering beasts. "With power unmatched since the dawn of time, rise from your murky bog and quench your eternal hunger! Acid Exhalation!" The Egg shattered, bringing with it the stench of an ancient marsh. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- The cobblestones beneath the Atma beasts' feet was suddenly replaced with a thick, noxious quagmire. Several of them slipped beneath the clouded surface, but most remained upright. Then the center of the marsh began to churn and bubble, sending the beasts stumbling away. Confused and disoriented, they looked around for their prey, who had been nearby just moments before... Slowly, with an aura of menace, a huge green shape arose from the churning muck, mud and slime dripping from its body. The Sleeper seemed to be formed of only two things; a mass of thick, veined tentacles, and an enormous, wickedly-fanged mouth. Though eyeless, the monstrous creature cast about itself, and its mouth widened as it noticed all the creatures scattered around it. There were other creatures like this in the world, nasty and vicious things who lived in swamps and fetid jungles. Compared to the Sleeper, they were poor copies; this was an ancient, indescribably powerful being, full of an unthinking malevolence, a lord among its inaccurate replicas. This was Baron Morbol, and it had only one purpose: to feed. It snatched up the Atma beasts one by one, tossed them into its open maw. As their numbers thinned, the beasts began to lose their nerve and seek an escape, but there was no way out through the thick, miasmic bog. Finally, sated for the moment, Baron Morbol turned to face the remaining beasts. It was time to preserve them, breaking down their precious proteins into a form easily stored for later consumption... Opening its mouth one last time, Baron Morbol unleashed a wave of toxic gases, which poured unstoppably over the trembling Atma beasts. As the cloud caressed each one, the luckless creature instantly dissolved into a puddle of bone and organic matter. The acid was all-pervading; there was nothing they could do to escape. When the final Atma beast was thus pre-digested, Baron Morbol sank once again beneath the marsh... and, incidentally, took the marsh with him when he left. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=- The creature's tortured howls echoed through the cavern, a sound never made by any natural creature. Thrashing at the end of a thick chain forged of purest starsilver, twice the size of a man, the huge beast strained to be released. "Easy, my friend, easy." The other figure in the cave, a man formed of unquenchable flame, stroked the beast's hide soothingly. The creature was unharmed, despite the touch of the fire; the blaze didn't burn unless its master commanded it to do so. Nevertheless, the creature was beyond such simple comfort. "Too much power..." it growled, writhing with desperate need. "I must go!" Ivan Tsarevich hesitated, then moved to the giant wolf's head and gripped it by each massive ear. "Listen to me," he commanded, and with an effort the creature stopped its movements. "We both knew this day would come." "Yes... but not like this! Not all at once!" "*Listen*! Gradual or all at once, we've been preparing for this. You *can* control it! You are only half demon, my friend - hold on to that! Remember who you really are, and don't let your demon side take it away from you!" There was a long pause... then the wolf slowly relaxed. "Thank you, Ivan. I have it under control now. But I still must go." The burning man nodded. "Seek out my Heartstone, then. Those who carry it are our best chance of salvation." He removed the chain from around the wolf's neck, and the creature staggered to its feet. "I will. Take care, my old friend." With that, the beast loped away, soon vanishing in the shadows. Ivan sighed. "And you as well, Fenris. Good luck." -=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Davin slumped to the ground, took a deep breath, then looked up at Kyle. "Talk about cutting it close, there." The Dragoon grinned. "Hey, *someone* has to look out for my kid sister." Whatever reply Davin would have given was interrupted as Marcine ran full-tilt into her brother. "Kyle! I'm so glad to see you!" He hugged her tightly. "I'm just happy you're okay, sis. What happened in Dwarvenhome?" "It's a long story..." A booming voice sounded behind her. "HOLD, VILE HERETICS! STINE HATH ARRIVED TO oh, wait, Stine doth apologize, he promised he wouldn't do that anymore..." Kyle growled in annoyance. "Not *this* moron again!" "It's okay," Marcine said soothingly. "He's with us now." Her brother peered at her in disbelief. "You're kidding, right? He's an accident waiting to happen!" "That's what *I* said," Mika began, "but did anyone listen? Noooooooo..." "Mistress Gilchrist..." Suddenly beaming, Mika whirled around to face her friend. "Shizuka!" She caught the surprised ninja in a rough hug. "Oh, I missed you!" Shizuka blushed. "This one... has missed you as well, Mistress Gilchrist." Chuckling through tears of happiness, Mika gently rapped her knuckles against Shizuka's head. "That's 'Mika', dummy." "Very well... Mika." She pulled away, then reached for her belt. "This one reports that she has safeguarded her charge against any and all harm." The ninja paused, then held out the stuffed monster for Tharlo's inspection. "This is Griever. You are not to eat him." Looking rather bemused, the dwarf nodded obligingly. "I'll try te restrain meself." A sudden shadow fell over the group, and as one they looked up to see the underside of the largest of the silver airships. A rune-inscribed rod, bigger than a tree, extended from the bottom of the craft and was pointed straight at them. One by one, the runes began to glow menacingly... Davin stepped closer to Marcine. "Think you can manage another Calling?" "So soon after the other?" She shook her head. "I'm afraid not." "Hah! It's up to me, then!" Picking the biggest, most powerful bomb from her arsenal, Mika loaded it into her launcher and pointed it at the vessel. "Stand well back, everyone! This isn't going to be pretty!" -=-=-=-=-=-=-=- "We're in position now, sir. Magic power for the main emitter has been fully charged." Warlock-Admiral Eileen Zadkiel allowed a malicious smile to cross her face. It would be so easy to obliterate her targets at this range... but no, her orders were clear, and she couldn't imagine Darovan's wrath if she killed his Legacy. Ah, well... Rising from the captain's chair, she strode to the caster's platform. "I'll take care of this one myself," she announced, and the Sorcerer assigned to that station quickly moved out of her way. The runes below her feet began to glow as she stepped onto the platform, and she smiled again at the feel of so much energy at her command. All her doubts of Darovan's plans had been set aside; now there was just this one moment, and an act that would surely award her a place of honor. The main emitter would certainly catch the entire group with its power... and then it would just be a matter of selecting the right statue. "Goodnight, little Legacy," she crooned, then raised her hands and began. "Cold of flesh, dark of sight, Fall into eternal night. Trapped within a solid shell, Fossilized with but a spell. Ancient runes of earth and stone Bind you, seal you, all alone. Ne'er to see the moon or sun; By our Lord's name, it shall be done!" She paused dramatically, a pause that might otherwise have won the war for the Manakyr. "PETRI-" The first explosion sent her sprawling from the platform; the power of her spell, no longer focused through the ship's external weaponry, lanced from her fingertips into the middle of the Enterprise's bridge. Eileen's eyes went wide. "NO-!" But it was too late. The spell, amplified by the ship's own magical energies, spread throughout the room in an unstoppable wave. Within moments, the bridge crew had all been replaced with motionless statues, helpless to resist as more shots were fired. One of the blasts struck the ship's magic reserve battery, which released its contents in one titanic burst. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Davin shielded his eyes from the sudden explosion. "Wow... I take it all back, Mika. That thing works like a charm!" Mika looked dumbfounded. "But... I didn't fire," she protested. "The trigger's jammed!" "What? Really?" He looked up at where the Enterprise had been. "Well, then what the heck just happened? Why did it blow up?" "Somethin' hit it from above," Jil replied, scanning the clouds above, "but I don't see-" "There!" Kyle pointed to a huge shape dipping through the clouds. "It's an airship!" With a broad smile, Mika gazed up at their rescuer. "It's the Excelsior! They got it..." Her voice suddenly trailed off, and she sounded puzzled. "Waitaminute... *that's* not the Excelsior." "But then who-?" Marcine let out a sudden gasp. "Those markings! I recognize them!" Davin studied the airship for a moment... then broke out in a disbelieving grin. "Well, I'll be damned!" -=-=-=-=-=-=-=- "" "" The speaker seemed to remember something, and turned to bow to the man seated in the captain's chair. "" The man waved this off, his eyes gleaming merrily. "" "" Another officer looked up from a rather crude version of the Tienne radios. "" "" "" Gazing out the wide viewport before her, the robed figure smiled to herself as, for the first time in many years, she laid eyes upon her former home. The Church may have cast her out, but Gyn Samson would not forsake Tienne in its hour of greatest need. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Like Kyle before them, the soldiers of the Moon Empire swarmed onto the docks as soon as they could, charging into the city with scimitars and pikes and bright yellow uniforms. Though the Guardsmen were at first cautious of the foreign soldiers, they soon proved their worth by pushing back the line of Manakyr, and quickly warriors from both countries were fighting side by side against their common foe. There was still a language barrier, and more than one Awakened was nearly mistaken for the enemy before a Guardsman came to his aid, but once word had gotten around the Empire soldiers welcomed the assistance of the red mages, accepting their magic far more readily than the Guardsmen ever did. The tide of battle had been decisively turned. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=- "The Guardsmen have received numerous reinforcements..." "...all Atma beasts have been eliminated..." "...both Legacies in the same place..." "...Blizaga and Ultima have been destroyed..." With a wordless yell, Darovan sprang from his chair and stalked over to the viewport, then turned to glare at his subordinates. "All ground units must converge on my Legacy. She must be captured *at all costs*. Do you hear me? She-" The bridge shook, forcing Darovan to clutch at the wall for support. "What was-?" "Sir!" The panic in the clairmancer's voice made him turn... and what he saw made him take a step backwards. The Moon Empire airship - and 'ship' it was, with a gossamer-thin sail and sleek, flowing lines that mimicked the hull of a frigate - had passed in front of the viewport. The entire broad side of the ship was lined with cannon ports, and each gun fired as it slid past Darovan's bridge. The cannonballs were stopped by the magical wall built around the bridge, but with such a horrendous pounding it was only a matter of time before that line of defense fell. Anger surged through Darovan. "They're *mocking* me!" He dipped into his robes, extracting a Sleeper Egg, and strode toward the amplifier. "We'll soon see about that!" "Sir, no!" A hand clutched at his sleeve, and he turned to glare at Sorcerer Almais. "It's too soon after the last Calling; if we try it again, the levitation spells around the base will fail!" "Let go of me, fool! I will not let one ship stand in my way!" "But if we fall, the Legacy will be crushed as well-" With a snarl, Darovan spun around, knocking Almais away from him, and thrust his hands towards the clairmancer. The was a flash of light, a tortured scream... and then nothing remained of Almais but a pile of ashes. Thirty pairs of terrified eyes were trained on Darovan as he fought to regain his temper. Finally, after a long and tense moment, he stalked back to his chair and slumped into it. "Order the remaining airships to cover our retreat, engaging the enemy airship long enough for us to fall back." The clairmancers bent to their tasks with quiet words of acknowledgment. Soon the silver Manakyr ships had begun to swarm around the Empire vessel, though they could do little more than harass it, and as the view of Tienne began to recede in the distance, a black gloom seemed to settle upon the ancient mage. He didn't say even one word until the base was well away from Tienne. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=- With the mountain base gone from over the city, the spirit of the Manakyr soldiers went with it. A few halfhearted attempts at resistance were made, but before long the remaining Manakyr had either been captured or had fled the city. Battered and bruised yet still whole, the squad rested their weary bodies near a public fountain, miraculously untouched by the battle. Hound and Vicks seemed exhilarated despite their fatigue, and couldn't stop talking about the highlights of the day. DuVahn, on the other hand, seemed wiped out by his exertions, and was laying back against the base of the fountain with his eyes closed. The sergeant, having removed her helmet, trailed her hand in the cool water as her long auburn hair cascaded around her shoulders. A pair of Empire soldiers, who had been watching Gwen for some time, sidled toward her while talking in their native language. "" "" "" " Hound and Vicks, noticing the foreign soldiers and their appraising looks at their sergeant, stopped their banter and watched them suspiciously. The Rupantaoans didn't notice, their gaze fixed on Gwen. "" the first speaker continued, "" "" "" The soldier gave his companion a sour look, then shrugged. "" He looked down at Gwen, who returned his gaze cautiously, and tried to remember the words to propose in her own language... A new voice rose from next to the sergeant. "" The two men paled and looked down at duVahn, who had just addressed them in flawless Rupantaoan with one eye open. "" the would-be proposer stammered. "" "" his companion added. As the rest of the squad watched in confusion, duVahn chuckled lightly. "" They stared at him, utterly mortified. "" DuVahn shook his head as he closed his eyes again. " "" The two soldiers spent a few moments bowing timidly before an astonished Gwen, then hurried off. She peered at duVahn suspiciously. "What did you tell them?" "I said you were a ferocious demon woman," he replied without looking up, "who beheaded three Manakyr with a single stroke and ate their livers." "Oh." She wasn't sure what to make of that, but as a fighting woman she knew the importance of a good rep. "Well, that's all right, then." She stood up. "All right, lads, the officer's mess should have opened by now; let's go get drunk." As Hound and Vicks cheered, Gwen smirked down at the mage. "And you're buying the first round, duVahn." He chuckled. "All right, but on one condition." "What?" The mage opened his eyes and looked up at her, and again she was struck by the realization that he was quite handsome. "Call me Andre." -=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Once the 'Golden Chariot of the Sun' had descended far enough to allow its passengers to disembark onto the roof of a tall building, it seemed natural for all concerned to gather in the plaza where Davin and his companions had rejoined each other. The appearance of Cid, with Cecilina behind him, produced a tearful reunion when Pearl caught sight of him... but that was nothing compared to what was to come... Cid's eyes grew wide as the Oracle stepped forward from her honor guard. "...Gyn? Gyn Samson?!" He stepped forward, unable to believe his eyes, then quickly caught her in a one-armed embrace. "It's you! It's really you!" Equally astonished, Gyn laughed through her tears and returned the hug. "You old scoundrel! I should have known you'd still be rattling around." She looked up, then rushed over to the other new arrival. "Ceese! Is that you?" The High Priestess of Purity smiled broadly, though like her two friends her shoulders were shaking as she shed tears of joy. "Gyn... it's been so long..." The two women hugged each other; the Rupantaoan soldiers nearby seemed put off by this public affection toward their revered Oracle, but the completely ignored them. "What the hell brought you out here just in the nick of time?" Cid demanded. Gyn smiled at him. "You're forgetting who I am, Cid dear," she chided. "The spirits tell me everything involved with the natural, and when the Manakyr decided to move a massive ball of rock through the air, how could I *not* hear about it? I convinced the Council of Elders that Darovan wouldn't stop as just destroying the Church, and if we didn't help you now we'd lose a powerful ally." She looked around at the plaza. "Though I must admit that homesickness played a part in my decision." "But you never told me you had an airship," Davin exclaimed. She smiled at him. "You didn't ask. Besides, that wasn't a state secret I could divulge on a whim." "Makes sense." "So tell us, young man," Cecilina insisted. "What happened at Dwarvenhome?" Davin hesitated, then took a deep breath. "We traveled there as quickly as we could. We reached the Crystal of Courage before Darovan did... by about ten seconds. We stood against him, fighting to keep him from breaking that Crystal..." He stopped, and looked down. "...and we failed." "No!" Kyle's outburst was the loudest among many, and he gripped the haft of his weapon tightly. The elementalist nodded. "But I don't think he's won yet. He still seems to need Marcine, and if he had the full power of the Three Gods' captive... well, I don't think we'd be here right now. There's something bigger going on, and I think all of our answers lie with the woman that started it all... Clea Manakyr." Marcine suddenly blinked and looked over at Lumina. "Say... the Knights were working with Clea at the end, weren't they?" The diminutive Knight shrugged. "Not enough to get any kind of details," she replied in an offhand manner. "I'm afraid you'll need to hit the books to find out what you need." Beside her, Tharlo inspected his axe casually. Cecilina frowned. "Study of her works has been... discouraged for centuries," she said reluctantly. "It may take some time to collect enough data..." Davin grinned broadly. "I'm way ahead of you." He reached into his pocket and produced a weathered scroll, then handed it to the priestess. "Lambert wrote this execution order some time ago for a 'heretic' that was researching Clea's final experiments. If we can find her, we'll get our answers, and one of Lambert's former assistants may have the key." She looked it over. "Yes, this is Lambert's hand, all right..." Her gaze suddenly shot up. "Karella... *Highwater*?" Davin simply nodded with a smile. Cecilina's expression softened. "What hardships the Church has put you through... I promise I'll look into this right away. I think Lambert's bishops will be more than happy to assist now that his crimes have been fully exposed." "Thank you. In the meantime, we still need to collect the remaining Heartstones before Siegvin does." "There's only one left," Lumina remarked, hanging idly from Minotaur's horns. "Old stick-in-the-mud Johannes. He always hated company; he's probably still hanging around in his floating fortress." "It's a boat?" She rolled her eyes. "No, dummy! Floating, as in *flying*!" He stared at her. "Terrific." Cecilina thought for a moment. "The Golden Chariot seems well-equipped to defend both our cities, and this is quite urgent... Mister Highwater, you may use the Excelsior to further your travels..." He perked up. "Really?" "...provided you can find a way to get it off the ground. They're... still having trouble with that part." "Oh." He looked down for a moment, then turned to face his companions. "Well, how about it, folks? Who's with me?" "Me!" Mika chirped. "I am," Marcine added. Kyle crossed his arms. "I'll go wherever Marcine goes." "And this one will stay with Mika," Shizuka said. Jil shrugged. "Sounds like fun." "Stine hath already pledged his assistance," the Beastmaster announced. "And I've got to keep Stine out of trouble," Pearl added wryly. Then her expression darkened. "Besides, it sounds like I owe Siegvin twice over; for my grandfather... and for Syeira." "I be in, if ye'll have me," Tharlo said, ignoring the astonished looks from the soldiers around him. "Well, I'll come along," Zarela interjected, "but only if I get all of the really shiny swords." They stared at her, and she shrugged. "I like swords." "Then you'll love this." A silver pendant arced through the air; Zarela caught it and glanced curiously at Lumina. "Put that on Alexandros," the Knight told her. "It'll make him nice and shiny." The swordswoman's eyes gleamed. "Ooooo, really?" She eagerly placed the pendant against the blue Ashura blade's hilt; it was absorbed into the blade, which indeed began to glow as though it were caught in the moonlight. "Pretty..." Zarela breathed. Davin shook his head as if to clear it. "Aaaaanyway," he said finally, "I guess it's settled, then. Tomorrow, we head back to La Verde. With any luck, they've rebuilt all of the important parts by this time." -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- AUTHOR'S NOTES Slightly snipped, but I'm glad I got this done on time. The reason for my difficulty should be clear from the dedication; my grandfather passed away during the writing of this chapter. And that's all that needs to be said right now.