Chapter Eighteen: City of
the Ancients
“Wow.” Was all I could think of saying, the city itself was huge, larger than Alexandria and Lindblum put together.
“Impressive isn’t it?” said Jara as she saw my reaction.
“That is an understatement.”
Jara smiled and carried on walking down to the city, I took a long glance back at the Twilight Forest, unsure of what to do, I’d never left the forest within its own dimension before, I never even knew there was a real limit to the forests existence.
Then I shook my head, it was the time to explore new boundaries, if this robotic creature was truly aggressive then its next target could very well be my home.
“So Jara,” I said, having to run to catch up with her “What exactly happened to you after the…err…”
“My death on Terra?”
I nodded, slightly confused as to how the supposedly vanquished Terran had been in my home for all this time.
“When Yissan and I plunged into the fiery abyss, I felt a great evil within me suddenly lift, I was able to look him in the eye for the last time and say to him ‘I love you’ before everything went white and I woke up in Atlantis.”
I frowned, it was possible whatever force had saved Thunderchild had also saved Jara, I still did not know what force this was, at first I put it down to the Death from his Discworld but that would have ruled out Jara…which left me back at square one.
“You have no idea what saved you?”
She shook her head
“Nothing, as I said, one minute I was plunging towards my death…the next I was here.”
I shrugged, dismissing the mystery for the moment as I focused on the situation at hand.
“So…this metallic monster of yours…?”
“It should be around here somewhere…for some reason it only seems to come awake at night.”
I raised an eyebrow but continued to follow her through the maze of marble rubble.
After eating well at the supper that night I retired to bed, lying down on my pillows and wondering about the day after tomorrow, the day of my husbands funeral, the day I could finally lay the ghost of Thunderchild to rest.
I closed my eyes after a little while awake and slipped slowly into the land of dreams.
Tonight however, I wasn’t alone.
He came, part way through my dreams, I stood high on the top of a hill above Alexandria the wind blowing strongly, making my jacket flap from side to side.
“I thought I’d find you here…here in my dreams.” He said
I turned around and saw Fury standing there, he had his arms crossed and a sly smile on his face.
“What are you doing here?!”
“Dreaming…like you.”
I began to notice a strange aura around him, it started as a faint grey at the edges and turned a bright blue as it progressed towards his body.
“Oh…you’ve noticed my enhancement then?” he asked with a grin
“What have you done?” I asked suspiciously, still unsure how much of a dream and how much of a real life conversation this was.
“You’ll find out…you’ll find out.” Was all he replied
“Look, Fury, or whoever or whatever you are, you’re not going to attack the Mist Continent, you’re not going to rule this world…you’re a sad deluded man with nothing better to do than prance around Gaia and threaten people with your silver dragon.” I challenged him, but even as I spoke those words, I knew they were false.
Fury’s reaction was to laugh, it started as a small chuckle and then emerged as a fully fledged maniacal laugh.
“Is that so? Well, your travelling companion possesses only half the power I do…and look what destruction he caused. Honestly Dom, you speak lies even your brain refuses to believe.”
Dom? DOM? He had just shortened my name to a more affectionate ‘Dom’, this immediately aroused my suspicions.
“Who are you?” I asked
Fury blinked and frowned.
“I told you…I’m Fury, Slayer of Souls and future ruler of Gaia.”
“No…no…you’re something else.” I said, walking closer to him.
“No!” he snarled, drawing his sword and pointing it at me.
“You shall not ever know!” he shouted, as he flicked his cloak around himself and disappeared.
And strangely enough, when he vanished my heart felt a great sorrow, almost as though a part of me missed him and regretted his departure.
Fury’s POV
I awoke with a start, quickly looking around me to reassure myself that the ‘dream’ had ended.
“That was close,” I muttered “That damn genome is too inquisitive for her own good.”
I leaned forward and looked forward at the crystal as it lay wrapped in its cover, I could see hundreds of reflections of myself in the multiple layers of crystalline structure.
“You are the key to my ultimate succession to power.” I whispered gently to the crystal.
Smiling I leaned back and closed my eyes, it had been a very busy day and one which had seen the reward of the hard work I had put in to making this army, into building up my strength before I attacked the Mist Continent.
Within two days I would attack, the perfect window of opportunity had presented itself and I wasn’t going to miss it.
Nothing, not even that damn genome, could stop me now.
The stars were beginning to shine above us, and suddenly every shadow seemed dark and mysterious as we waited for the appearance of the machine.
“When it does get here, prepare to move fast Reiganna, it’s extremely powerful.” Warned Jara, her tattered red cloak being gently moved by a warm breath of wind.
While we were waiting I decided to ask her the question which had been bugging me for a long time.
“Jara…what are you doing here?”
“Warning you about this machine.” She replied with a frown
“No…I meant…alive.”
Jara shrugged and sat down on a slab of marble rubble, indicating I should sit next to her, I did although somewhat warily. Jara seemed to sense my caution because she patted me on the shoulder and said.
“Don’t worry Reiganna, I’m not here to destroy your forest.”
“I should think not!” I retorted
Jara smiled again, her brown hair cascading over her shoulders as she leaned forward slightly.
“To be honest, I don’t know why I was brought back, like Yissan was. To be honest, I think we have some kind of connection. Something special, but he’s married to Zero-One-Five.”
“Domino.” I corrected
“Sorry, Domino. I’m so used to calling her by her project number.”
I frowned and gently stroked my chin, what was it that connected Jara and Thunderchild, what was it that brought them both back? It hadn’t been Death or I who had rescued Thunderchild, he had just appeared in the Twilight Forest, much to my surprise. It had been me, though, who had managed to persuade Death that Thunderchilds time was only just beginning, not coming to an end. Although I wasn’t so sure of that now.
“I’m looking forward to seeing Yissan again with eyes unclouded with anger.” Said Jara
“That might be a problem Jara…” I muttered sadly
“Why, what’s happened? Yissan is still alive isn’t he?”
“It’s not as simple as that Jara.” I sighed, before continuing on to explain to her my discoveries and fears.
I walked down through the corridors of Alexandria castle, trying to find the kitchens so I could get a glass of water, the dream had made me unable to sleep now, and I needed to find a way to relax.
Finally I found the entrance to the kitchen but I heard voices inside and didn’t enter immediately, I stood next to the doorway and listened.
“I mean, whatever he’s done…he’s still my brother.” I heard Zidane say
“And mine.” Said Mikotos voice
“Kuja done big nasty things,” said a voice I barely recognised “But he is not bad man now.”
“You’re right Quina, but everyone seems to think he is. Beatrix isn’t going to forgive me for this for a while.”
“Miss’ress Beatrix have long memory, bad memory of Kuja. She and he did bad things, he fried Alexandria. She no forgive because that.”
“It’s right Zidane, you can’t win with everyone. We know Kuja isn’t evil now, but people associate a face with a name, and a name with a history or reputation. Kuja can still redeem himself in the eyes of the people of Gaia, but he’s got his work cut out for him.”
“I know, Mikoto. We’ve got to help him though, all of us. We’ve got to teach him what’s right and what’s wrong. Set him straight on his past and prepare him for his future. It’s going to be a rough ride for him, but we’ve got to let him know we’re going to be there for him.”
“And what aboutYugami?” asked Mikoto
“Domino strong, she no need as much help.”
“True, but she still needs our support. Her and Thunderchild were lifelong lovers, to have him suddenly torn away from her, what she must be going through is terrible. As strong as she is, no-one should have to go through that alone.” Said Zidane
“Mmm, poor girl. I don’t think I could go through that,” said Mikoto “But then again…I’ve never lost someone I loved.”
“And what about this Fury, he sound big bad guy, badder than Kuja.” Said Quina
“Fury? He is a problem, but so far he hasn’t made any move against us, we haven’t even seen any sign of his army. For all we know the guy could be a one man band, flying around Gaia making hollow threats in the hope it’ll scare people into giving him what he wants.”
“I no know Zidane, my stomach tell me something wrong.”
“You sure it’s not the fact that your pot roast is over roasting there Quina?” asked Mikoto with a faint hint of humour in her voice.
“Oh no, my yummies!!” yelled Quina in a panicky voice.
I took this moment of confusion to sneak in through the doorway and walk towards the kitchen sink, before I could get there though I was overtaken by Quina as it ran to the sink with a burning pot, once there it threw the pot in the water where a cloud of steam erupted.
“Pot roast go bye-bye.” Muttered Quina disappointedly
“Never mind Quina, you can make another.” Said Zidane before he looked over to me and smiled
“Hiya Dom, how come you’re up so late?”
“I could ask you the same thing.” I replied
“Couldn’t sleep, neither of us.” He said, nodded at Mikoto and himself
I shook my head and sighed
“I couldn’t either, just come down to get a glass of water.”
Zidane shared a sombre nod with Mikoto that they thought I didn’t notice, they knew that something else was bothering me, but I wasn’t going to tell them what it was, I wasn’t going to let on about the dream, it was too personal for that.
“So, what’s happening?” I asked
“Not a lot, everyone’s asleep…even Kuja!” said Zidane in reply
“I burn pot roast.” Moaned Quina
“I’m sure you’re working on improving the recipe for your next pot roast already.” I said
“Yes Quina, next time, don’t burn it!” said Mikoto as quick as a flash, Zidane started giggling and I smirked as Quina frowned at Mikoto
“Is no funny!”
A low thump shook the marble underneath me, I looked up and around me quickly but was unable to see anything in the darkness.
“It’s coming.” Said Jara
“Is it close?” I asked
Jara shook her head, then she stood up and looked behind me.
“Not yet, but it’s heading this way. Must have picked us up already.”
“ ‘Picked us up’?”
Jara smirked
“Something I forgot to mention, the sensors on this thing are brilliant, it will track you wherever you go.”
“I suppose you didn’t think this was worth mentioning?” I asked sarcastically as I stood up, another thump shook the ground.
“It hasn’t attacked me yet, it just seems to spend the evening destroying certain parts of the city, I have no idea why.”
I saw a faint movement out of the corner of my right eye, as I stared at it I couldn’t see anything but by tilting my head away slightly I could see a tall object moving closer.
“Jara, it’s heading straight for us.”
She frowned and clambered up the marble slab next to me.
“Are you sure?”
I nodded, watching the object get closer and closer.
“We’d better move.” She hurriedly said as she leapt off the marble slab and darted into a ruined alleyway, I followed her as we ran through the broken houses and streets, all the time I could hear the thumping of the machine behind us, getting closer no matter how fast we ran.
“I think it’s after us this time!” she warned
“We’ve got to lure it into a trap somehow.” I replied, seeing a possible way to defeat this monster.
“The forest?” asked Jara, reading my mind.
“I think it might be the best idea!”
We turned and ran towards the Twilight Forest, silence reigning the air around us, I thought it ironic as we ran that the very forest I had ventured out to protect, I was now placing in danger, for if this gamble didn’t pay off then we were in big trouble.
Honestly, taking risks like this, I’m becoming almost human in my mentality! I thought to myself, wondering whether I had spent too long in the human world.
A dull crash of marble on marble broke the silence behind us, and the thump, thump, thump of metallic feet returned again even louder.
Soon, but it seemed like an age, we reached the edge of the forest, Jara slowed down.
“Don’t stop Jara, keep running, I need the time to think of a plan!” I yelled at her.
Jara looked around, slightly uneasy at the trees but carried on running.
<Rupee?> I sent my thoughts out to the Unipeg, hoping she was listening.
<Reiganna? You sound worried.>
<No time to explain, I need you to arrange a forcefield to cover an area for me, you may be detecting an unfamiliar energy signature entering the forest, I need you to contain it!>
<I see it Reiganna, I’m bringing the forcefield up now.>
The machine smashed through the trees in front of us, toppling mighty oaks like they were matchwood, I could see the likeness of a dragon in its design, it carried a massive sword and seemed to be about twenty foot high, walking on its two feet it swung around and raised the sword high, as if to attack us.
Suddenly a blue sphere appeared, containing the metal demon inside it, the sword blow which was aimed at us was simply deflected off the side of the bubble.
I walked closer, now in the knowledge that we were safe and looked at the machine, I could see a space in its chest for a humanoid operator but it appeared to be empty, I could also make out two crystals on the shoulders of the metal war machine.
“What is it?” asked Jara
I shrugged, unsure myself.
“I’ve never seen a design like it before. It seems very dragon orientated though.”
My eyes flickered open, watching the dawn light begin to spread across the horizon. Stretching and yawning loudly I got up and walked over to the window and leant on the windowsill taking a good long look outside, occasionally a cloud of smoke drifted across the window and obscured my view of the proceedings outside.
Around fifteen airships had been landed in the valley beside the castle, they had been parked side by side along the valley and on each one I could see genomes busy at work refitting them to my new specifications, it wouldn’t take long to upgrade the airships and then I could use them to overwhelm the puny Lindblum and Alexandrian airship fleets.
Smiling as the morning sun struck my face I let the gentle breeze flap my cloak around me as I contemplated my soon to be launched attack. It would all take place tomorrow, everything as going to plan.
“Take a good long look around you Gaians, because your world is about to become mine.” I muttered softly.