Chapter X: Ipsos Custodos?

Crono and Lucca retreated hastily as the plume of fire came
billowing towards them. The heat brushed roughly against them.
Crono felt his eyebrows singe, and his eyes flood with the salty sting of sweat.
'How the hell are we supposed to beat that thing?!' inquired Lucca
'You're the smart one, you figure it out!!'
Lucca groaned and rolled her eyes, as she readied her flintlock. She was tempted to use it on Crono, but then who'd fight the Dragon tank? The fire subsided and Crono rushed foreward. A volley of shots was fired at him. He leapt in surprise, and swiftly hit the deck as the heated projectiles buzzed his head. Another plume of fire storming towards him, as it steadliy rolled foreward. The bridge continued to shake.
'Lucca! Make it stop rolling!'
'Easier said than done! Look out.'
Crono moved to the side as Lucca took aim. She fired at one of the
wheels. The bullet hit, and glanced off, impeding it's progress for
possibly a second. She reloaded as hastily as she could and fired
again. Lucca dented the wheel. All the while it rumbled closer, still
breathing it's fire.
Her next two shots, fared about as well. Lucca readied her pistol
again, this time taking aim at the spokes. As it rolled closer, she shot out one spoke at a time on the nearest wheel. When only one
remained she fired at the axel, knocking the wheel right off. The
Tank fell like a table that lost a leg, and ground to a halt.
It huffed its flame off of the bridge giving Crono the avenue of attack he needed. Crono ran in, sprang up and struck it's flaming jaw. He delivered a couple more strikes untill a volley caused him to pull back. The tank rotated it's head towards them and huffed out another billow of flame. Crono and Lucca stayed well out of it's range. When the flames subsided, Crono noticed something.
'Look on it's back, see that smoke stack?' There stood on the back between two spines a stout collum that was puffing smoke into the air.

'Yeah. What about it?'
'Take it out. I'll buy you some time.'
'I read you.'
It fired another volley, and blew more flames. Crono leapt upon the bridge railing and ran towards it. One step to his left, and he would have fallen for a mile. He didn;t look down, but kept his eyes foreward. Lucca watched in horror as his left foot passed over nothing but air.
'What are you doing?! Are you NUTS!?' She knew better than to ask.
As he apporached, Crono could feel the heat augmenting. He jumped off, and hit the dragon's maw with such force, he felt his arms nearly shake loose. With a resloute upward thrust he lodged his sword in it's lower jaw, and pushed it up, sealing it shut. Lucca fired at the smokestack. She fired as quickly as she could knowing Crono could not hold shut the dragon's jaw for very long.
Lucca continued her
barrage. Crono felt his arms and sword gain a pound a second as he kept holding on. He felt his sword grow hotter like a warming oven. His calves and quadricepts began to knot up. It took nearly all of her ammunition, but Lucca was able to cause the smokestack to collapse in on itself.
Crono held on for a few seconds longer.
With him holding the jaw shut, and it's only means of venting sealed, the tank began to rumble violently like a volcano. He held it a little longer as the heat continued to well up. The heat from the fire had welded the mouth of the dragon shut. He could see some smoke shooting from the stack. He dropped his sword from the jaw and leapt upon the body of the tank. He delivered three more hammering
blows. He kicked in the smokestack, and found a different spot to strike. All the while the Dragon Tank continued to tremble like an enraged bull. Bolts shot out like bullets

The Chancellor and two soldiers came out, all three in awe of what they saw.
'How can this be?! Fix it damnit! Fix it now!!'
'Y,yes sir' He may as well have asked them to keep the rivers from flooding
All three hastily ran onto the Dragon's back. The Chancellor beat the flames with his cane. The supervisor laboured furiously, but was unable to get anything done due to the heat that the tank was generating. The other soldier mearly swore to himself, and teetered on the fringe of panicking.
It blew out with an explosion as loud as a sonic boom, and unleashed a wave of heat and shrapnel that nearly knocked Lucca and Crono back to the dungeon.
To the surprise of Crono and Lucca, the belly of the tank was the first to erupt, spewing it's inards upon the bridge with such force the bridge beneath gave way, opening a massive hole. The tank still continued its mad convulsions, causing the hole to expand. The Dragon Tank fell through like a torpedoed ship.
Crono nearly laughed his head off when he saw the Chancellor's
wide-eyed terror filled gaze as the tank fell out from beneath him. As they fell, One gaurd reached outtook a hold of the edge of the hole.
The Chancellor reached out and grabbed his ankles. The supervisor took a hold of the Chancellor's feet, and with his own toes, clung to the other side of the hole. It made for quite a precarious postion, but a perfect bridge for Crono and Lucca to walk across.

The soldiers rushed in on Lucca and Crono. Crono cocked back his sword, ready to slam it into one of his aggressors. Just as he was about to swing a voice from the back of the hall cried out
'STOP THIS RIGHT NOW!!!!!!!!' Marle ran up and worked her way into the center ogf the storm. She was as irate a wet cat. 'These are my friends and you will treat them as such!!!!!' She sounded like a mother defending her den from a stalking predator
'But, but--'
'What's the matter, can you not take orders!?' Marle fumed.
'yes but'
'But nothing! You're letting them go! That's a command!'
'Princess stand aside!' demanded a ruffled, winded, agravated
Chancellor. 'These people are terrorists, anarchists, and a meance to our fair kingdom!!!! We owe it to your father to dispense justice to these fiends!'
'WILL YOU SHUT UP!!!! These are my friends damnit! Not some criminals!'
'IT matters not what they told you the fact remains that they deserve punishment!'
Marle looked over at a gaurd, spying a crossbow. She snatched it like a child taking candy. She cocked it and aimed it at the Chancellor who stood his ground. 'You're going to let them go or I shoot you!'
The gaurds knew better than to question an angry Marle. Crono and Lucca looked at each other, a bit taken back by her actions. 'Princess, you're being awfully irrational!' scolded the Chancellor
Marle retorted by firing a bolt directly at the Chancellor. Had Crono not been so tense and excited he would've jumped. The bolt split what remained of the Chancellor's hairs, and knocked the hat straight off of his head. Seeing this Crono grinned, and Lucca's jaw hit the floor.
'Care to rephrase that?! I didn't think so! We're leaving now! Come on Crono let's get out of this hole!'
Marle began to march towards the gate, still seething. Crono wanted to say something about how impressed he was, but thought a later time would be better. The CHancellor and his troops still followed but kept their distance.
When they arrived at the threshold, they found the King standing before them, stoic, yet beneath it, Lucca could see how hurt he was.
Niether Crono nor Marle were able to notice that.
'Hold it right there! Gaurds, come sieze these two.'
They did not move, still fearing Marle would fire an arrow at them.
'DO as the king says.' ordered the Chancellor. They swarmed upon Crono and Lucca.
'Father,' she sounded as though she had more to say, but was unable to push the words out of her throat.
'Slience Princess Nadia, I've had enough of your insolence'
'WHAT?!'
'The throne comes before your personal wishes! Come now, leave this matter to the Chancellor'
'I can't believe I'm hearing this! Just because I have a stupid title doesn't mean I'm not a person! This is wrong!'
His tone increased in gravity and intensity. 'You pick up such wrong ideas from venturing outside!'
'I didn't pick up anything! It's called common sense!'
'I'll have no more of this!'
'Good! You don't want to put up with me fine! I despise this crap and I despise you! I'm leaving!!!!!!!!!'
A stunned crowd stood silent, as Marle was still livid.
'Princess Nadia,' before the Chancellor could continue Marle began to leave.
'Come on Crono! Let's go'
They watched as Crono Marle and Lucca walked across the
drawbridge into the glade. The king sank his head into his hands and sighed.
'Don't just stand there after them!' Ordered the Chancellor

As soon as they crossed the drawbridge they heard a dozen swift
frantic, heavy footfalls take after them. Lucca looked back to see the squadron closing fast upon them.
'RUN!!!!' She shouted.
They dashed into the heart of the Glade not sure which path to take,
but taking a path. Crono felt a cord of thorns constrict his chest. His legs grew heavy as well, gaining five pounds with each step.
'Over there!' pointed Marle.
THey shifted into an overgrown, dark, narrow path.
'There they are! Don't lose them!'
Crono lead the way, getting whipped by stray branches that hung
over the path like willowy bony fingers trying to entrap them. The
route lead them into a clearing, but beyond that there was nothing but trees. The oakes grew so tightly, only a squirrel could navigate through them.
'Oh shit a dead end!' huffed Lucca.
They heard the pounding steps of the squardon. Soon they filled the clearing. Crono again drew his sword. The Chancellor appeared, moving as hastily as he could. Crono groaned. The Chancellor was as relentless as a telemarketer.
'Step away from the princess, we will not subcome to your demands! Princess come with me!'
She fired another bolt at him. 'GO fall in a hole and rot you old
fossil!'
'Princess!' She fired again and the Chancellor was silent.
'Hey a gate!' exclaimed Lucca. sure enough, a gate sat there, that
Lucca swore was not there five seconds prior. Marle turned toward her
'Good! let's get out of here!'
'Whoa! we don't know where it will take us!'
'Who cares! This place sucks!' Although Marle had no clue, nor
could she of what lay ahead
'This is highly irrational.' Lucca advised as she drew out the Key.
'Since when has that stopped you?' asked Crono.
Lucca let that one slide.
'Princess Nadia! The King will be very upset with you if you do not come right now!' admonished the Chancellor. she paid him no heed whatsoever.
'Let's go!' ordered Marle
Lucca shrugged and opened the gate. 'Come on Crono!' urged Marle
Lucca and Marle stepped in, Crono turned and dove. It closed upon them, and like a mist scattered by the wind, they were gone. Once again swallowed by the void and sent rushing into the unknown
the Chancellor felt his eyes hit the ground. 'What the hell happened where did they go!?!?!?' he grabbed a gaurd by the lapel 'People don't just disappear like that!!! What happened damnit!?!??!!?'