Chapter 20: Stealing sorrow
Dominos POV
The funeral procession marched sombrely through the streets of Lindblum, the empty coffin carried by soldiers of the Lindblum army was covered in wreaths from all of the nations of the Mist Continent. As I looked around me, my vision so slightly blurred from the tears welling up inside of me, I could see a city, maybe even a nation united in grief. Zidane walked beside of me, his face saddened, behind us walked Nagy, Snikity, Xola, Mizrah, Kitiara and Kuja, his face hidden under a shadowy hood.
I could see a couple of people in the crowd who were tearful, it seemed odd to me that they should be crying, after all it was me who was married to Thunderchild and not them. For a moment I almost felt resentful towards them but then I fought back my anger, these people were merely showing their respect for my departed husband.
We marched on, all to the same unspoken beat, somehow it was as though I had lost control over my feet, that we all marched to some unheard tune in our minds, I supposed it was like that at all funerals.
“Are you alright Dom?” whispered Zidane to me
“I will be.” Was all that I could reply
He nodded and we marched slowly on.
The portal placed us in a backalley deep in the city, I looked around not recognising the area and taking a moment to get my bearings.
Lawrence, Rhiana and several genomes, their features hidden in spacious cloaks appeared behind me.
“What’s the matter?” asked Rhiana as she saw me looking around.
“Just getting my bearings.” I assured her
“Oh great,” muttered Lawrence “We’re already lost.”
I snarled at the old man and walked out of the alley and into a crowded street, I could barely move for the people around me, for a moment I thought we had been found out but then I saw the funeral procession making its way slowly up the street towards us.
“What’s going on?” Rhiana asked as she pushed her way through the crowd towards me
“It’s a funeral procession…for a hero this world has lost.” I explained as I pushed my way through the crowd, elbowing aside complaining crowd members and passers by alike. As I walked past the procession I allowed myself to look sideways, there, walking at the front of the line of mourners was Domino, the genome who had plagued my life, I resisted the temptation to destroy her here and now, after all my plans were greater than one genome, greater than this entire city.
This was just the beginning.
“Follow me Rhiana, I know where we’ve got to go.” I said with a smile, everything was going according to plan.
I followed the back of Domino and Zidane, my wife walking slightly behind me. I occasionally risked a look to my left or right at the crowds but never straight ahead, my eyes cast low on the ground. This was the first funeral procession I’d ever been to, and it was a little un-nerving, especially when you considered that this was taking place on another world far from my native Discworld.
As I glanced to my right I saw several cloaked figures moving through the crowd, one of them briefly looked my way and I caught a glimpse of a masked figure under the hood of the cloak. Whether it was this ‘Fury’ or not, I couldn’t tell, and at this moment I didn’t want to disturb Domino or make a complete fool of myself by charging in after him like a maddened bull.
There are some strange characters on this world, it’s probably not him I thought
We walked slowly towards a large green park which seemed to be almost in the centre of the city, the crowd fanned out slightly clearing us a path into the middle of the park.
So this is where they’re burying him I thought
Riding on the back of Rupee I emerged from one of the trees in a forest near to Lindblum at a full gallop. Dressed in an ancient battle armour I had found in the forest I had the sword of Draconus in a scabbard attached to a belt running around my waist.
There was no time to be wasted, Yugami had to be told the truth before Fury had a chance to strike, because with the power and the hidden truth he held, it could be a truly devastating attack.
Looking at the city on the horizon I stopped to figure out the time of day, I saw that it was almost midday, the sun was high in the sky overhead with patches of cloud on the horizon.
<Come Rupee, we must hurry!> I urged the Unipeg on.
We converged at a large tower in the middle of the city, the park where it looked like they were burying the fallen hero was not far away. I looked up to see the tower stretch away high into the sky above me, about five hundred feet up was a large steel door which looked big enough to let an airship through. I wondered what Fury was up to.
“Ok, everyone check your weapons are fully charged.” Said Fury, as he pulled out his Automatic Particle Rifle from under his cloak, checking quickly the power supply and then slinging its strap over his shoulder as he rummaged in his cloak for something else.
I pulled out my own rifle and checked the power supply as Fury had taught me to, I then aimed it at a nearby box and put my finger on the trigger, ready to fire. I smiled, my reflexes were as good as ever.
“This plan is crazy, we’re going to get ourselves all killed. I don’t see why you didn’t give me a rifle Fury, at least you wouldn’t have to spend manpower looking after me.” Whined Lawrence
“Lawrence, if I gave you a rifle you’d only end up shooting yourself or one of us. Leave it to those who know how to fire these things.” Muttered Fury
“Well, just remember, it’s the Lindblum soldiers you’re aiming at…not me.” Replied Lawrence with a scowl
“I’ll try to bear that in mind.” Retorted Fury as he pulled out a strange metallic circle and gently placed it on the thick metal door at the base of the tower, he then took cover behind the boxes I’d aimed at earlier and beckoned us to do so.
A minute later the metal circle exploded quietly taking the door with it.
We all gathered around the graveside, I wiped yet another stray tear away from my eye, we had arranged ourselves in a line, and I could see Regent Cid approaching from his personal transport craft, the small two-seater Fenrir II, once he arrived the funeral ceremony begin, with Brother David providing the narrative. We had decided it would be fitting since he was the man who had married Thunderchild and I.
“We are gather’d here taeday to mark tae passing of a true and valaed friend, Thunderchild…”
Something, somewhere in the back of my mind begin to ring alarm bells, something felt incredibly wrong, I couldn’t place it but it was an unnerving feeling.
“A man who ha’ battled tae odds many times in his life, a man with tae strength and courage tae fight against evil and tae defeat it. A man who cheated death once already but could nae escape the fate which befell him.”
I lowered my head, ignoring the feeling and concentrating on the ceremony which was taking place around me, and as I focused on the words being said by Father David, it once again dawned on me just how much I had lost and I broke down into tears on Zidanes shoulder as the dwarf continued his speech.
“And even in his death did he die a hero, saving this contaenent from destruction by sacrificing his own life tae save ours. This man is truly a hero, and shall be remembered as such by all who met him. It is on tha’ thought I’d like tae ask Nagy to say a few words on behalf of the Discworld from which our departed friend came…”
Brother David moved aside to let Nagy take the stage, but I could barely see this through the tears streaming from my eyes.
I gunned down the first guard before he knew what was happening, caught unawares by the exploding door he was flung across the hallway by my particle blast with a look of surprise on his face.
His colleague was a little faster but dispatched just as easily by Rhiana as she entered the hallway beside me, her particle rifles barrel smoking gently as she stood next to me.
“Well, that was easy.” She said with a tone of disappointment
“That was just the beginning,” I assured her “We’ve got another four levels until we get to our destination. Lets move out!” I said, pointing to the staircase in front of us which we then ran up, our rifles pointing out in front of us, ready to shoot any guard we met.
Something deep inside my mind told me I was running out of time as I approached Lindblum, the ivory city seemed so close and yet so far to me as we galloped across the grass fields towards it.
“Come on Rupee!!” I yelled
Zidanes POV
With Domino sobbing on my shoulder I watched the funeral as impassively as I could although it was hard going, Nagys words were beginning to get to me, pull emotional strings I never knew I had before and not for the first time in my life, I began to feel tears welling up.
“…and who would know that that confused army soldier I met in Khot-Lip-Khin would go on to save two worlds from the tyranny of his old love. I was with Thunderchild at the last battle on Terra and I asked him a question, I said to him ‘Why are you doing this…why are you fighting the one you loved?’ And he turned to me and said ‘Because it’s right and therefore what I have to do.’ I remember how vehemently he spoke those words, it was the truth and he believed in it, I believed in it so much that he made it happen, by sacrificing his own life, or so we thought, to end Jara’s madness and save our lives. Then to our surprise and delight, he came back from the dead, to this day we do not know how, and lived on to love his wife Domino. He loved her more than simple words can say, I know love when I see it and this was something beyond that, Domino and Thunderchild were more than just lovers…they were soul-mates and they will continue to be, where-ever the other may be.”
I wiped a tear away and put my arms around Domino as she wailed in distress on my shoulder, I patted her back with my right hand and gently caressed her hair with my left.
The next two levels were as easy as the hallway, any guards we had encountered were so surprised that they died reaching for their swords with shock on their normally bored faces.
However, the third level got harder as word began to trickle up the tower of intruders, the guards we came across we now fully armed and expecting us.
As I dived around a corner a crossbow bolt flew over my head and ricocheted off the wall behind me, I rolled with the dive and aimed at the soldier who was frantically reloading, quickly he brought the crossbow up for another shot…too late, as I squeezed the trigger and hit him right between the eyes, his head exploding messily as his lifeless body collapsed to the floor.
“Looks like they’re expecting us.” Said Rhiana as we stepped over the decapitated corpse
“Good, I like a challenge.” I replied with a sly smile as we rounded the corner and were confronted with another guard, this one armed with a sword.
Rhiana ducked his clumsy swing and chopped him on the back of the neck with her hand, as he went down I turned and shot him twice in the back, that assured he was dead or dying as we moved on.
“What exactly are we after anyway?” asked Lawrence from behind us, safely out of the way.
“You’ll see in a minute.” I replied as we moved into a large room with about ten guards waiting for us, I took one look at the situation and grabbed Lawrence by his cloak and threw him behind a crate for some cover, around me I saw the genomes go into action, their rifles raised, they didn’t even bother to take cover, they just aimed at the guards and opened fire, two guards went down in the first volley while another managed to let off a crossbow bolt which hit a genome in the head. As the genome fell down another targeted the man who had just fired the arrow and shot him in the head. I could see Rhiana across the other side of the room behind the same crate as Lawrence, I peeked around the side of pillar I hid behind and was rewarded with the sound of breaking wood as a crossbow bolt smacked into the pillar just above my head and snapped in two.
“Take out the crossbow men!” I warned the genomes.
Accordingly they rearranged their tactics to aim for the crossbow men first and to ignore the swordsmen, which gave me a chance to emerge from behind the pillar and begin gunning the sword equipped soldiers down before they could reach us and attack.
After several confusing minutes we emerged from the skirmish victorious but now a lot more warier.
“Well, that was fun.” Muttered Rhiana as she dragged Lawrence to his feet
“Yeah, now let’s get out of here before they get organised.” I replied as I headed for the doorway, Rhiana took a quick look at the fallen genome and then followed me out of the door.
Finally the gates into Lindblum approached, I could see the writing on them ‘Dragons Gate’. I slowed Rupee to a steady canter as we rode up to the gates.
“Halt! Who goes there?” shouted a voice from inside the gates, I could see several weapons pointing out of the walls around the gate, all of them were levelled at me.
“Reiganna, guardian of the Twilight Forest. Friend of Domino the genome.” I replied
There was a pause behind the gate
“Could you remove that helmet please?” asked the voice
I sighed and took my helmet off, there was another long pause.
“Look, I must get in, it is a matter of urgency. Domino is in danger…hell, we’re ALL in danger!!”
The gate opened just a crack, and a short guard poked his head around the gate to look at me.
“Ok, you may come in, but the unicorn-thing stays here.”
“Very well.” I agreed as I rode into the entranceway into Lindblum and dismounted Rupee.
<I won’t be long.> I promised her
<Be careful Reiganna.> she replied with a small nuzzle.
I nodded at the Unipeg and ran into the transit car parked at the platform, just as the doors were closing, my tail nearly getting stuck in the door.
As the train accelerated and departed the station I wondered what Fury’s first move against this continent would be and where exactly he was hiding himself although with his origins I had a pretty good idea. Lawrence, however, was a wild card, although he had been born on the same planet as Fury, he was a different person entirely and I wondered what his ultimate plan was, because I was sure that it didn’t involve Fury in some way, it wasn’t like Lawrence to work with other people.
The transit car quickly decelerated and stopped at the central station in Lindblum, I ran off the car and onto the lift as it began to rise, vaulting over the closed gate and onto the lift, much to the surprise of the guard on lift duty.
“Err, stop, err, you!” he stuttered.
“I haven’t got time for this.” I muttered and knocked him out with a psychic attack, grabbing the lift handle and setting it for the second level, the lift powered upwards.
We fought our way viciously up another level, the guards were beginning to come thick and fast and although their weaponry was no match for ours, we had still lost another two genomes to crossbow fire.
Finally we had emerged into a gigantic space, ladders, scaffolding and walkways went everywhere but the centre of attention was straight in front of us.
An airship, the biggest I had yet seen, sitting at dock directly in front of us. I could see the writing on the side of the ships hull.
Hildagarde V
Constructed at Lindblum Battle Fleet Yards
“You wanted to know what we’re doing?” Fury asked Lawrence
“I’m beginning to regret asking the question now.”
“That’s what we’re after, come on. We’re almost there.” Replied Fury, ignoring Lawrences comments and running for the Hildagarde V.
“I can remember meeting Thunderchild for the first time, a confused man out of place on an alien world,” said Zidane, his turn to speak now “Even then, he seemed attracted to Domino, despite the insults she threw at him. When they finally found out about each other…well, I’ve never seen such a change in character, especially from Domino. She’s calmed down a lot these recent years, and it’s all thanks to Thunderchild, he did a lot for her, just as she did a lot for him. Now, I’m not very good at speeches as many people here will tell you…” There was a sombre laugh from the gathered crowd “But I do know that Thunderchilds death, despite his noble sacrifice, was a tragic loss to us all…and I will miss him, as I’m sure we all will.”
I could see many people nodding gently in the crowd, I sighed, it was true, I didn’t think there would be anyone in the world for me, and then I found him and lost him again in the course of one year.
“And now, if Domino would be sae kind as tae say a few words?” asked Brother David of me, I nodded and wiped away some more tears before walking onto the stage and facing the coffin.
“It seems like we’d known each other for ages when we first met, despite, as Zidane says, my insults towards Thunderchild…I too felt something for him, although being the genome that I am, I wouldn’t have shown it had we not found out about our past. A past we had shared as lovers, which opened up a future we could share as lovers…”
We had reached the airship without many problems, a couple of guards had gotten in the way and had had to be shot but other than that, there was little resistance. I supposed that the Regent was so confident that no-one could breach the security surrounding the airship that the immeadiate defence of the ship was very little.
We gunned down a couple of guards on the deck of the ship and then ran on board, I led the team straight to where I knew the bridge was.
“You seem to know a lot about this airship.” Commented Rhiana
“I should do,” I replied “I helped design it!”
“What?!” yelled Rhiana in surprise.
“A long story,” I simply said “Come, I can start the engines from here, if you could take the main cannons Rhiana, the control device is over there…I think you’ll find it easy to use…This ship was designed to operate on a skeleton crew, a lot of the functions are automated.”
Rhiana walked over to the weapons station and sat down at the console, her fingers gently running over the buttons and switches at the station.
“It looks so modern…almost Terran.” She muttered
“Well, it’s partially based on the Invincible…the controls and suchforth. It’s a start anway.” I explained with a smile as I flicked the switches to start the main engines. Behind me I could hear them grumble to life, the whole airship shaking as the propellers slowly began turning.
“Ok, Rhiana, turn the cannons to bearing 000 and prepare to fire.”
“Fire?! In here?!” yelled Lawrence.
“Of course,” I replied with a smile while pointing at the closed doors in front of us “How else do you think we’re going to get through those?”
I took the telepathic headband I had prepared earlier out of my pocket and placed it on my head, now was the time to act.
<Are you ready Ilvian?> I asked
<We’re in position, ready to strike on your command.> he replied
<Now, Ilvian…go, go, go!> I ordered
As Ilvian prepared himself for action, I turned to Rhiana and ordered.
“FIRE!”
Ilvians POV
I hung on tight to the saddle and harness which kept me on the back of the silver dragon, far below me was the city of Lindblum over which we had been circling for the past twenty minutes, Fury was bang on time, and we were ready and waiting.
<Ok Dragons, time to strike!> I telepathically told the squadron.
One by one the dragons rolled over on their backs and folded their wings up, plummeting towards the ground at an incredible speed, as my dragon followed them I felt an exhilarating feeling and couldn’t help but shout with joy. This was the first time I had ever commanded a force into battle for a long time and it was a battle the enemy wasn’t expecting…all the better!!