Far to the southeast of Tienne, in the middle of the ocean where few people have reason to travel, there stands a small island. No human has set foot on this island in many years; at one time, there was a small settlement there, a peaceful and thriving kingdom that rarely made contact with outsiders. That kingdom fell into ruin centuries ago, however, and the island itself was lost to the mists of time. Now, the only signs that mankind ever lived there are the ruins of a grand palace and an ancient, crumbling temple overrun by wild beasts and haunted by the undead. Torches lit with ethereal flame line a large, mostly-intact chamber in the heart of this ancient temple. Atop a crumbling mantle stands a small obsidian pedestal, upon which rests an unusual yellow crystal. The round, faceted gem has a curious imperfection on one side, a narrow crack behind which rests a thick black chip of volcanic glass. Under the dim flicker of the torches, this crystal gives one the impression of a jaundiced eye. A dark-robed figure stands before this mantle, a small knife clutched in one gloved hand. "So, it does exist...the legends were true. The Mystic's Eye..." A low, hollow chuckle. "You have done well, Garland. You shall be rewarded." A demon knight lurking in the shadows of the chamber bows. "It was my pleasure, my Lord." The robed man reaches up and removes his mask; it clatters on the ancient stones as he casts it aside. Reaching up with the hand that holds the knife, he plunges it into his scarred face. A sickening squelch can be heard as he twists the knife for a moment before flicking a pulpy mass of flesh to the ground. He reaches out and removes the Mystic's Eye from its pedestal, carefully yet firmly pushing it into his still-bleeding eye socket. Finished, he beckons the demon closer. Garland steps forward, offering first a cloth, with which the man wipes the blood from his face, then an ornate helmet with long, jagged antlers. "Yes, your reward shall be great indeed," the fallen Sleeper muses as he turns to face the demon. The crystal eye glows malevolently; his lips twist in a cruel smile. "Your brethren think to fool me while they are loyal to none; you, however, know that my power shall prevail in the end." "Yes, my liege." Garland bows. "Your feats are well known among our race; anyone who opposes you is a fool. With the Mystic's Eye, you will be able to see everything Darovan, the Legacy, and the foolish demons are doing at any time. You cannot help but be victorious, Lord Odin." The ancient king chuckles softly as he summons his steed. "There is much yet to do, my knight. Let us depart." -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- FINAL FANTASY LEGACY Knights of the Round Created by Brian Stricklin This chapter by Lurker Chapter 53: Doom and Gloom -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- "Verily, Steinne J'broni, thou art truly the champion of the esteemed Federation of Wrangler Warriors. Take with thee this belt, the symbol of thine strength, courage, and determination." Vin Mayor handed the beastmaster a wide, heavy golden belt with ornate carvings in the center. Stine bowed as he slung the belt over his shoulder. "Stine shall wear this honor proudly and in times of most dire crisis, venerable Vin Mayor." A parade of warriors lined the streets, cheering and clapping as the quartet made their way out of Habarm. Stine grinned and waved to them all, proudly displaying the trophy of his triumph over the Habarm Bull. As they reached the steam carriage and started on the journey back to La Verde, Mika fumed. "We went through all that, and all he gave us is a stupid belt?" Stine cuffed the alchemist lightly on the head. "Know thine place, child. This be no ordinary belt. This is the Champion Belt, also known in many legends as the famous Muscle Belt. Only the strongest warriors may wear this symbol of power." "The Muscle Belt...I've heard of that," Davin said. "Isn't that the belt tha t was made out of a supply of fool's gold made by a failed alchemy experiment?" The beastmaster grunted. "Indeed. However, the experiment was not a complete failure...when mixed with sturdier, more durable alloys, that ordinarily worthless metal was found to have special properties that made it invaluable to those who prize strength above all." "Yeah, it enhances your natural strength just by wearing it, doesn't it?" Davin looked out at the plains ahead of them. "I suppose that'll come in handy." "Yeah, I guess so," Mika said sullenly. "I mean, there's no telling what we'll run into before this is all over. Still...a *belt*?" Davin chuckled. "The people of Habarm are very interesting, I'll give you that." "I guess," Mika shrugged. "...are we there yet?" ****** Shortly after sunrise the next day, the carriage rolled back into the base camp at La Verde. As soon as the steam-powered vehicle rumbled through the gates, Marcine was rushing out to meet them...or more to the point, to meet Davin. Behind her, Jil and Pearl smirked. "We're home, everyone!" Mika shouted. "Come on, Shizuka, we gotta hurry!" Without another word, the alchemist charged off to her 'workshop'; the ninja girl had but a moment to blink before chasing after her friend. Davin chuckled at the two girls, then turned and caught sight of Marcine coming toward him, beaming brilliantly. His heart seized up for a moment as he was stricken by her beauty and the intensity of the smile she was giving him. "Davin!" the mage shouted. She hurried her pace, pausing only for breath once she reached him. "Welcome back," she said, blushing slightly. "Thanks," he said. He smiled at her. "How've things been around here?" "Busy," Marcine replied, glancing at the grounded airship. "I can't believe the sheer amount of progress they've made in just a couple days! So, how'd it go at Habarm?" Before Davin could answer, Stine stepped forward, still carrying the Muscle Belt over his shoulder. "Verily didst the venerable Stine and his companions arrive in the shire of Stine's ancestors. On their arrival, they were beset with a challenge, issued by the most honorable Mayor of Habarm. 'Lo,' said he to Stine, 'Vin Mayor wouldst have thee challenge and defeat the fierce and deadly Bull of Habarm! Art thou truly mighty, that thou wouldst accept this challenge?' And Stine said unto him, 'Bring it.'" Marcine blinked. "Huh?" "We got Mika's grass and fought a big invisible cow," Davin said with less than his usual dramatic flair. "Oh. Um, okay." She was silent for a moment. "Um, Davin?" Her cheeks reddened. "Yes? What's wrong, Marcine?" the geomancer asked. "Um...well, uh..." The young mage felt her heart hammering in her chest. *What am I doing?* she asked herself. Finally, she smiled nervously. "I'm just glad you're back safe. Come on, let's go find out what my brother's up to." The geomancer blinked, then nodded. "Of course, Marcine." He turned to Stine. "If you'll excuse us?" The beastmaster nodded. "Aye...Stine believes he shall pay a visit to the fair Frau Lassenkirche." ****** The Excelsior had undergone quite a transformation from the ship which had originally crashed on the edge of La Verde. The smooth starsilver hull of the flying fortress, surrounded by dozens of scaffolds, was now visibly pockmarked with dozens of intricately carved runes in neat, ordered rows. On one scaffold, the dwarven king barked an order to a soldier below to wheel the scaffold to a new position, and began tapping out a new row of runes, working swiftly and steadily. Farther below, engineers checked a series of thick iron wheels which now jutted from the base of the airship, held immobile by heavy wood and stone blocks. The wheels had been part of the original fortress design, but had never actually been implemented; fortunately, the materials to complete them had been in the storage holds of the vessel, and had been relatively simple to employ once a way had been found to elevate the massive metal ship enough to let the wheels reach the ground. Beneath the wings and toward the rear of the ship, several teams pored over schematics as they checked and rechecked a complicated rigging of wide vents and tubes jutting from the shells of the the former Boost engine ports. The majority of the materials for the new apparati had been scavenged from the Excelsior's weapons; the empty gunports had been reinforced with armor plating. Davin, Kyle, and Marcine stood on the ground, looking up at the gleaming monument of technology which stood as their best hope for finding the last Knight and moving one step closer to saving the world. "Think it'll work?" Davin asked. "I hope so," Marcine replied. "I just hope it doesn't blow up with all of us inside," Kyle frowned. "Cynic," Davin chided with a grin. ****** The sun had set, and after a weary day of preparations, everyone in the camp was winding down for a long rest before the final checks the next day, and the inevitable launch of the Excelsior. In the quarters shared by the two young girls and Marcine, Mika yawned loudly as she slung her satchel over the back of a chair. "I'm glad I don't have to work that hard every day," she said. "This one too is rather tired," Shizuka admitted. Marcine stifled a yawn. "I got tired just watching everyone work." "Well, if everything goes well, tomorrow we'll be on our way to meet the last Knight!" Mika cheered. "And if Siegvin shows up, well...he'll be sorry!" "This one is uncertain we are capable of defeating Siegvin even with our present numbers," Shizuka put in. "Awww, you worry too much Shizu--ka--what're you doing?" Mika trailed off, blushing. Across the room, the young ninja was casually disrobing; thick strips of white cloth were revealed as her robes slipped from her shoulders. "This one must loosen her bindings before she sleeps," Shizuka replied with a grimace. "This one admits to being in a fair amount of pain since she has not had the chance to remove them for some time." Without so much as a hint of embarassment, the ninja began unwinding the long strip of gauze from around her chest. This process took several moments during which Mika reddened with embarassment; once the last of the bandage was completely removed, Mika's blush deepened even further, and Marcine blinked several times. "Wow, I can see why you'd be in a lot of pain," the mage commented. "You're...only thirteen, Shizuka?" Mika asked, eyes wide. Shizuka nodded. "That is this one's approximate age." Marcine blinked again. "That's...wow." The ninja shrugged, a gesture which only emphasized the source of the other two girls' present disbelief. "This one's lineage produces many women who develop early in life and in an unusually abundant manner. This one's ancestors often are forced to retire from their duties early in life and become wives or domestics because their backs become insufficient to withstand many activities." Slipping her robe back on, Shizuka sat on the edge of her bed, fighting down a yawn. "This one suggests we attempt to sleep as soon as possible." Marcine nodded. "Yes, I'm ready for a good sleep." Mika blinked a bit more, then shook herself out of her astonishment. "Works for me," she said as she flopped down onto her bed. ****** During the night, a good portion of the palisade had been torn down; soldiers were working to clear a path for the Excelsior once it began its takeoff. The rising sun shone down on the gleaming hull of the ship, which was surrounded by various scaffolds as engineers checked and double-checked the various attachments to the hull; Tharlo was already hard at work hammering a few extra runes into the starsilver behemoth. "I be lookin' forward t' gettin' this great ruddy whale in th' sky," Jil said, a gleam in her eye. Kyle chuckled. Davin and Marcine were approached by Master Benedict, who had returned to the Academy the previous day. "So, young Highwater," the old geomancer said, "You'll be off on another reckless journey soon." "I suppose I will," Davin said. The old man smiled. "Take care of yourself, hear?" Turning to Marcine, he said, "As for you, my dear...I took the liberty of delving down into the most private and secret treasuries of the Mystic Academy for a few things you may find useful." He presented her with a hefty mithril box. "Ummm, thanks..." The mage opened the box, and her eyes widened. "Wow...I don't know what to say..." Inside the box, she'd found three Sleeper Eggs, two of which appeared to be identical; an ancient, leather-bound tome with Manakyr writing on the cover, an assortment of rune-inscribed starsilver rings with various hues of gemstones, and a brightly shining stone which, based on the stories that had been told of earlier efforts to get the Excelsior back in the sky, was probably the remaining Sunstone. Master Benedict waved her off. "No words are necessary. These trinkets are useless to the Academy, and will probably serve you better in your quest." "Thank you...thank you ever so much." "Be well, and we'll all be praying for your safety." The morning wore on as the party finished collecting their belongings and stowing them aboard the ship. The scaffolds came down one by one, and a good many of the assorted soldiers and engineers began to clear away from the ship. By noon, the pass where the Excelsior had crashed what seemed like an eternity ago was mostly clear, save for a few assorted huts and the fortress itself. The party, along with the two Awakened mages, Bolgan Valecrest, and a small crew of engineers all took positions aboard the ship, with the prominent personnel arrayed around the restored, refitted bridge. Jil had strongarmed her way to the helm of the ship, claiming that if anyone should be steering the ship into the clouds, it should be her. Few were willing to protest. Bolgan Valecrest himself sat in the command chair of the ship, barking orders to his crew as various engineers reported readouts from monitors all across the bridge. "Thrust control?" "Check." "Navigation and helm control?" "Check." "Runic interface?" "Steady." "Primary fuel tank?" "Stable." "Secondary fuel tanks?" "Stable." "Exhaust monitor?" "Check." "Landing rig?" "Check." "Main thrust driver?" "Check." "Auxiliary drivers?" "Check." "Steering thrusters?" "Check." "Altitude control?" "Check." The engineer glanced around the bridge, took a deep breath, then exhaled slowly. "Fire the main engine." "Main engine firing, aye." A loud whine rang through the ship, which vibrated as the alchemical engine began burning its fuel. Those watching the launch from the surrounding encampment prayed for the safety of those aboard as a great horizontal column of flame erupted from the tail end of the ship, creating ripples of heat distortion in the air around it. Slowly, ever so slowly, the hulking beast lurched forward, rolling over the rough terrain on its massive iron wheels. "Main engine at 30% and holding." A cheer rang through the bridge. "Alright," Bolgan said, wiping sweat from his forehead. "Take her up 60%, slow and steady. Disengage all braking systems on the landing rig. Begin forward acceleration." As his orders were followed, the Excelsior began to pick up speed, a great juggernaut that would surely be capable of crushing a mountain if it encountered one in its forward surge. "Main engine at 60%. Still holding steady." "Okay...everyone grab hold of something," the engineer warned. "Take us up to full power and prepare for takeoff." The whine of the engine increased as the engineer at the power monitor began reading off the upward climb of the engine power. As it approached 100%, Jil began to wrestle with the helm control, pulling back on the complicated yoke with all her might. Beneath her, the ship responded to her command, straining against gravity like a dog struggling to break free of its leash. And then, slowly, the nose of the ship began to lift upward. Those aboard felt a sudden press and clung tighter to whatever they happened to be able to grab hold of as the mighty vessel pulled itself away from the ground, ever gaining speed... And the people watching from the edge of La Verde gave a great cheer as, incredibly, the Excelsior climbed into the sky once again. ****** For almost half an hour, the people aboard the Excelsior were too caught up in celebrating the successful takeoff to worry about much of anything else. Once the celebration wound down, though, matters of importance were quickly brought back to the forefront. "Alright, so now where do we go?" Bolgan asked Davin. "Since you're technically in command here, command." "Well, we need to find the floating fortress of the Knight Johannes," he said. "Jil? Can you use your Phoenix Compass to point the way?" "Already way ahead o' ye, lad." The ship captain already had her compass out, and a stream of light was pointing to the east. "Looks t'be a ways off, but I'll keep us goin' straight towards it 'til we get there." At the front of the bridge, Marcine looked out at the clouds below them. "Wow..." she breathed. The two Float mages stood beside her, equally enraptured. "Incredible. Simply remarkable." "I never would have imagined flying this high up in my wildest dreams." "We're gonna be goin' even higher than this," Jil commented. "That fortress looks t' be quite a ways up over th' clouds." A massive shape suddenly darted out of the sea of clouds, passing in front of the airship. "What the hell was that!?" the master engineer shouted, alarmed. Marcine took a step away from the viewport, heart hammering. "I...I'm not sure, but it felt...powerful." Kyle moved to stand behind his sister, frowning. "Whatever it was, let's just hope we don't have to find out any time soon." ****** "Coming up on something...something big," one of the engineers reported. "It's th' fortress," Jil said, tugging back on the yoke slightly. The Excelsior climbed a bit higher, piercing a thick veil of mist which had suddenly blossomed out of nowhere. "Oh...oh my...look at that!" Marcine said. Everyone turned their attention to the view ahead. There, in the middle of the sky, surrounded by thin, wispy clouds, an island floated serenely, with no visible means of support. In the center of the island stood a tall, ominous-looking fortress, complete with archaic buttresses and ramparts and towers. All around the grand castle lay the remains of gardens which had long since fallen into abandon; little remained but wind-blasted sticks of trees and brown, dry weeds. The walk leading to the main gate was full of small craters, and the gate itself had long since been broken down by something. "So this be the abode of the Knight of the Sun," Stine said. "Stine doth think yon noble Knight has neglected the care of his manor for quite some time." "Yeah, the place is a wreck," Mika said. "Wonder what happened?" "I have a bad feeling about this," Pearl said. "Well, Lumina did say that this guy's a bit reclusive...perhaps even senile," Davin shrugged. "Anyway, I doubt it's anything to worry about." There was a long pause. "So...any ideas on how we're going to get down there?" ****** The Excelsior slowly circled the floating island upon which the fortress of the Knight of Sun stood. "Is it safe to land this thing here?" Davin asked. "I mean, will we be able to take off again?" "We should be able to," Bolgan said uncertainly. "We won't have a lot of runoff room for the takeoff, but the runes and the Floatstones should be able to keep us in the air once we go over the edge." "That be reassurin'," Jil smirked. "It's probably safer to use the towlines," one of the junior engineers said. "They can use that handgrip we were testing out to slide down the wires safely." Bolgan frowned, and nodded. "Yes, that's probably a good idea. Then when they come back out, these two," he indicated the Float mages, "can levitate them back up to the ship." "Sounds risky, but safer than the other option," Kyle said. "I say we do it." "Alright, then we just need to decide who's going down there," Davin agreed. "I'm going, obviously, as is Marcine." "As am I," Kyle said. "I'll stay up here an' steer th' ship," Jil said. "The Champion Stine shall venture forward to glory!" "Count me in too," Pearl said. "Me, me! I'll go!" Zarela singsonged. Davin nodded. "Alright. Everyone else should stay here...with any luck, this won't take very long." Several minutes later, the six adventurers were gathered in a lower hold of the ship. "Are we in position?" the junior engineer called to the bridge over the radio link. "Coming up on it now. You're clear." "Roger. Everyone stand clear." The engineer began flipping switches on a control panel, then carefully pulled a heavy lever. A warning alarm rang as a pair of doors slid open in the base of the hull. The engineer crossed over to a large winch assembly bolted securely to the deck. He unlocked a mechanism and began to swing the winch downward, peering through a scope set in the top of the housing. Once he seemed satisfied with his target, he squeezed the firing trigger. Two heavy, mithril-anchored cables shot forth with explosive force, lancing through the air toward the floating island below. "Alright," he said once he was sure the lines had attached securely to the island. "You'll go down in pairs. Make sure to hang on tight, because if you fall, well..." He trailed off as he slid the box of handgrips closer. "So, who goes first?" ****** Several minutes later, six people stood on an island supported by nothing but air and magic, in varying states of disorientation. "Now I wish I'd used Boost Armor to get down here," Kyle grimaced. "I think...I may be sick," Pearl said. "You and me both," Marcine added, green in the face. "Eh, it wasn't THAT bad," Davin shrugged. "Thou needest to develop sterner mettle!" Stine roared heartily. "Twas a mere trifle of a journey!" "I wanna go again!" Zarela told her sword happily. After a moment of recovery, the group turned to face the large, foreboding castle on the flying island. "Okay. So we just go in, find the Knight, get the Heartstone...no problem, right?" "Sure. I mean, big spooky-looking castle flying in the sky...what could possibly go wrong?" The six adventurers strode into the castle of the Knight of Sun, hoping against hope that the ill-fated words would not spell doom. ****** The inside of the ancient fortress was dark; Davin gave everyone a word of warning to shield their eyes before breaking a Light Globe. With the illumination from the globe, the party could see that the inside of the fortress was also in as poor repair as the outside, with crumbling stone and mortar everywhere and furniture overturned and broken to splinters, with frayed tapestries hanging in tattered rags lining the corridors. It was also very much occupied. After the initial flash of light subsided, Davin had quickly uttered a curse and motioned for everyone to hide behind a half-collapsed wall. "What's wrong?" Kyle asked. Davin shook his head and whispered. "Look. But slowly. Don't make any sudden moves." The group leaned around the wall, looking out into the great hall of the fortress. At first, they saw nothing...but then, the light of a small lamp lit the dim room. A squat figure shuffled into the hall; a green, frog-like creature with large, luminous yellow eyes, wearing a tattered brown burlap robe and carrying a small lantern. In its other hand, the creature held a rusty old kitchen knife. It raised its lantern and looked around curiously before shambling off down another hall. "What're you so worried about?" Zarela whined. "It's just a monster. Not a big one either. Want me to go kill it?" "Nay!" Stine snapped. "Stay thine hand, woman." He scowled. "Davin Highwater is right to be cautious of these creatures." Another of the small green creatures passed through a doorway in the hall behind them; there was a tense moment where they waited to be seen, but the small figure merely shambled past, through another door. "There's something the great Beastmaster is afraid of?" Kyle said with a smirk. "I'm amazed." Marcine frowned at her brother. "Davin, what are those things, and why are you so worried about them?" "Those," Davin said, glancing nervously at another of the small monsters as it came very near where they were standing, "are creatures that every geomancer who studies at the Academy is warned about, and I honestly hoped I'd never see one up close and personal." Another one shuffled up the hall across from them, and another...and another...and another, all in a row. The party remained unnoticed, but were now wary of the apparent sheer numbers of these tiny green creatues. "They're living manifestations of wraiths...unavenged souls of the living that have become living creatures again, rather than passing on or becoming the undead. Back at the Academy, we didn't really believe these things existed until Master Benedict told us about one time he and two friends encountered one in their youth. His friends were foolhardy and attacked it...and perished." Davin watched the small progression of shambling green creatures with growing unease. "Living avatars of the vengeful dead...known only by the name Tonberry." ****** The six adventurers carefully made their way down the dark hall, the fire spirit from the Light Globe giving a soft illumination that didn't pierce the darkness nearly as well as it should. From darkened rooms and corridors around them, many points of lantern light could be seen as the Tonberrys roamed the fortress. So far, none of the small creatures had taken much interest in the party, but Davin had warned everyone to stay clear of the Tonberrys, and under no circumstances to attack one. "Awww, come on! It's no fun just walking right past the monsters," Zarela whined. Davin cast a sharp glance at her. "If you really want to try to kill one, go ahead. But I'm telling you, if you want to live, don't." "How can they possibly be that dangerous, though?" Kyle asked. "I mean, they don't look very strong, and all they have are those rusty old knives." "Which will kill with a single stab if they get to you," Davin said. "And even if you don't get close enough to let them stab you, they have a particularly nasty power that makes it dangerous to even use a ranged attack on them." "Really? What do they do?" Marcine asked, carefully steering clear of a Tonberry passing near her. Davin frowned. "It's tough to explain, because only a few people have ever seen it happen and lived to tell the tale. The way it was described to me, they have the ability to strike back against anyone who attacks them with the fury of the spirits of any creature that person has harmed, reflected back at least tenfold." Kyle blinked. "So if someone who's killed a lot of monsters or people tried to attack one of these things..." "They'd most likely end up dead at the hands of Tonberry's revenge," Davin finished. Zarela looked around nervously. "On second thought, it's probably best if I don't get anywhere near these things." The party was now ascending a stone staircase, mindful to keep an eye out for any Tonberrys. On the second floor of the fortress stood a grand atrium, with a huge, ornately carved door at one end. The door bore a gold-embossed depiction of the sun, engraved with an ancient rune. "That must be where the Knight lives," Kyle said. As the party approached the door, Marcine frowned. "Anyone notice something strange here?" "Stine doth think this entire fortress be quite strange." "No..." Davin frowned. "She's right. There's no Tonberrys up here." "So? That's a good thing, right?" Zarela put in. Pearl shook her head. "No...it's not. Think...downstairs, the things are crawling all over the place. So if there aren't any up here..." Stine's eyes widened. "Thou art correct, Frau Lassenkirche. A creature does not dwell in a place where a more dangerous creature lies, for fear that creature will prey upon it." Davin swallowed. "I have a baaaad feeling about this." Stepping forward, he pulled back the ornate brass knocker on the door, rapping it against the wood three times. For a long moment, nothing happened. Then, with a creak of rusty hinges, the great doors swung open... ...and the party came face to face with a Tonberry easily twice as large as the Habarm Bull. ****** AUTHOR'S NOTES: I meant to do a LOT more in this part. Really. I meant to have the party fight a huge aerial battle, and I didn't mean to end it on a cliffhanger like this. But, my muse is bone-dry, and I'm tired, and I honestly think this is a fairly good ending point for the chapter. At least I accomplished something. I consider that worthwhile. Hope it doesn't suck too bad. Good luck to the rest of the queue, and I'm always available to preread or help with planning if anyone needs it. -Lurker 2/4/02