Chapter 12 Forty-three Thousand, Two Hundred Minutes

 

Thirty days until the attack...

 

“I will NOT accept that a nine thousand year old sorcerer has come back from the dead, killed You-Know-Who, and is planning on attacking Hogwarts in thirty days!”

 

Arrowny takes a calming breath. Minister Fudge has been... less than helpful since arriving at Hogwarts at Dumbledore’s request. At the moment, Arrowny, Fudge, Dumbledore, Snape and Hagrid are in the Headmaster’s office. The first four are sitting on various chairs positioned around Dumbledore’s desk, while Hagrid, who is only there because Arrowny asked him to come, stands a safe distance away.

 

“Minister,” Ryan is quickly losing patience, “I promise you, this is not some kind of deception. You have been contacted by the Protectors... you know that I am who I say I am. We need your help. There have already been Protectors sent to Siberia and Figaro... but I fear they will not be able to stop Kefka. We need the support of the Ministry... we need the Aurors to join our army. That is our only chance of winning.”

 

Fudge lowers his head...

 

“If Siberia and Figaro are attacked... I will give you command over the Aurors. Until I have proof that this threat is real, I cannot make that kind of move.”

 

“I understand... and I thank you.”

 

Polite goodbyes are exchanged before the Minister leaves the office. Dumbledore breaths a sigh of relief.

 

“That went much better than I thought it would. It took Fudge a full year to admit that Voldemort had returned... I was worried he would wait until the world was once again in Ruin before agreeing to help us fight Kefka.”

 

“Well... it might not matter how many Aurors we get.” Arrowny draws a short sword from his side, and places it on Dumbledore’s desk. “I took this from Wormtail after we killed him. It’s really weak... but I had Brad try it out in battle last night... and it became a very strong broadsword. I think this is an Atma Weapon.”

 

Hagrid nearly trips over himself in his hurry to get to the desk.

 

“Atma Weapon... Kefka has one o’ those?!”

 

Snape just shakes his head.

 

“I’m assuming that since Hagrid knows what this is, it has some connection with a very dangerous, very large beast... am I right?”

 

Arrowny nods.

 

“The Atma weapon exists in pairs. One is a sword which takes its strength from the life force of the person using it in battle... stronger life force equals stronger weapon. The other, is a... very dangerous... very large... intelligent dragon with no magical weaknesses and a hide too thick for normal weapons to do it much harm. If Kefka has one... you can be damned sure that he’s gonna use it when he attacks... so we need to come up with a plan.”

 

Hagrid smiles that great, half giant smile, and pats Ryan on the shoulder with a very large hand.

 

“I think we can come up with somethin’ that’ll work.”

 

Just then, the doors to the office burst open, and Brad storms in.

 

“THIS PLACE IS INFESTED! I just saw this rat... it was THIS big,” he makes a grand gesture with his arms stretched out, “it looked almost human! And it was wearing about ten little hats, and a pair of freakishly mismatched socks!”

 

Dumbledore gives a small chuckle as Arrowny hides his face behind his hands.

 

“Mister Haughn... that... rat... was Dobby the house-elf. He is the one I asked to aid you in finding the weapons you need.”

 

Brad stares blankly forward for a few seconds before snapping back to attention.

 

“I just saw this house-elf... it was THIS big!”

 

*        *        *        *        *        *

 

Twenty nine days until the attack...

 

“This is the door, sir!” Dobby’s squeaking voice sounds out through the empty hallway. The little house-elf has taken Brad to this secluded section of the castle, and is pointing at a solid stone wall. “If you walk by this spot three times, thinking about what you need... the Room of Requirement will appear.”

 

“Just that easy, eh?” Brad nods in understanding, and walks by the spot on the wall, muttering to himself... “We need weapons for our army to use in the fight against Kefka’s...”

 

The cold stone of the castle wall vanishes, replaced by a large wooden door. Brad opens the door to see weapons, but not the kind he wanted.

 

Machine guns, grenade launchers, sniper rifles... and in one corner, he’s pretty sure he sees a small tactical nuclear warhead. He quietly shuts the door, shaking his head in disapproval.

 

“We’re fighting demons, not Americans... we need low tech stuff. Guns don’t really work against these guys!”

 

Once again, he opens the door. On one side of the room there is a large pile of rocks... on the other, a pile of sticks. He slams the door shut.

 

“Oh, that’s funny!” He doesn’t even try to hide the sarcasm in his voice as he speaks. “Now that you got your jollies on, can we please get down to business, okay?”

 

He opens the door one last time, and is delighted at the sight.

 

Rows upon rows of weapon shelves that look like they came directly from the Dark Ages. Swords, lances, knives, axes, flails, crossbows, longbows, maces... everything Brad had hoped for and more. A small tear forms in the corner of his eye...

 

“Is something the matter, Mister Brad?”

 

Brad turns to face the small, squeaking house-elf, and allows a little smile to cross his face.

 

“It’s just... so beautiful...”

 

*        *        *        *        *        *

 

Twenty-eight days until the attack...

 

While the muggle born students are preparing to leave Hogwarts later in the week, the ones from wizarding families were split into two groups. Those with the most advanced magical abilities will be trained by Saphir, while all the rest get to spend a lot of time with Brad... Arrowny almost feels bad for the latter group.

 

The Great Hall has been cleared of its usual tables for the day in order to make room for the first training lesson of the Melee team. Ron Weasley, Seamus Finnegan, and Neville Longbottom are among these students... and as Arrowny stands back leaning against the wall, he has no idea whether or not Brad will actually be able to form them into a coherent fighting unit.

 

Although, he has seen Brad do a few miraculous things in the past few years.

“Let’s get to work people!” Brad’s voice booms out, causing the gathered students to fall into ranks... so to speak. They kind of just stand around, looking in the general direction of the man talking to them.

 

“Before any of you even touch a weapon, we need to get one thing straight. So... lesson one...” He holds up a wand he borrowed from one of the students in his left hand, “This is a distance weapon.” He raises a sword in his right hand, “This is a melee weapon!”

 

“If any one of you even THINKS about stabbing somebody with the wand, or throwing the sword in the hopes of it landing blade first, you will be summarily executed!”

 

Neville gives off a small whimper, and the rest of the crowd seems to be equally distraught at this statement... after all, they have all heard the rumours about this Brad person.

 

Arrowny pushes himself from the wall, and takes a few steps toward his team mate.

 

“Brad... it’s the first lesson... back off a little, ‘kay?”

 

“Fine!” Brad turns back to the students. “... You will be severely beaten!”

 

“BRAD!”

 

“ALRIGHT!” He takes a deep, calming breath. “You will receive a stern lecture on the difference between melee and ranged weapons.”

 

*        *        *        *        *        *

 

Twenty-two days until the attack...

 

“I don’t want to leave!” Hermione, with tears in her eyes, stands before her friends. The muggle born students are being taken away today. The Hogwarts Express is waiting as they stand on the train platform in Hogsmeade. Harry, Ron, and Draco all try to usher her on board.

 

“Hermione, we’re safe. Kefka won’t kill any of the students that are staying.” Draco tries to use cold logic to persuade her, figuring that it is something she can at least understand. “If you stay, you’ll only make more work for the rest of us, because we’ll have to protect you.”

 

“There has to be something I can do...”

 

Harry shakes his head.

 

“Everything will be okay. We’ll all be fine.”

 

“But... I don’t want to leave you...” This statement is not directed at the entire group... just at one of them.

 

Harry glances over at Draco, and with a silent signal, they start walking away from the platform just as Hermione rushes to give Ron a hug, crying more than ever.

 

*        *        *        *        *        *

 

Twenty days until the attack...

 

Arrowny pushes open the door to the small research room in the restricted section of the library. Twice a day, once around lunch, and once in the evening, he, Brad, Saphir, Justin, Dumbledore, Snape, McGonagall, Hagrid and Sirius gather here for a staff meeting of sorts. Usually there was only good news presented... stuff like the progress of the melee fighters, or the new spells the magic team had learned. Today was different.

 

Ryan looks around at the people gathered in the room. He forces down the lump in his throat...

 

“Siberia was attacked earlier this morning... the Protector who was sent there was killed. Kefka got the Doom Statue.”

 

*        *        *        *        *        *

 

Eighteen days until the attack...

 

Ryan, Justin, and Snape are standing in the most amazing room at the Hogwarts castle. The entire room is filled with a miniature, three dimensional map of the school grounds. Justin points to various places on the map, causing the image to zoom in on that spot. He even shows how he can see inside the many secret passages within the castle itself.

 

“It was all pretty simple to set up actually... as soon as those anti-technology charms were down I just went around and placed some holographic sensors at key locations on the grounds... that’s what gives the picture. But, the best part is this!”

 

He presses a button on the small control in his hands, and the map lights up with small dots... each one labelled with the name of someone currently on the grounds.

 

Snape is amazed...

 

“How did you do this?!”

 

With a click of the button, the holographic map vanishes, revealing the cold stone reality of the room. In one corner, a small laptop computer sits on a table, along with a scanner. Justin ushers them over toward it.

 

“I just hooked the map projectors up to this.” He opens the scanner and pulls out a very special piece of parchment... the Marauders Map.

 

“Wait a second!” Snape blinks several times... “You hooked up a magical map... to a muggle computer... and you’ve got them working together... to give a holographic picture of this school?!”

 

Justin nods...

 

“HOW DID YOU DO THAT?”

 

Just stares blankly at the potions master...

 

“I am a technomage.”

 

“I know that... I just mean... how, exactly, did you combing those objects?”

 

Justin just shakes his head, and responds very slowly, speaking as though Snape were a child...

 

“I... am... a technomage...”

 

Snape storms out of the room, angrily shouting incoherent words about ‘bloody muggles’. Ryan laughs out loud.

 

“You really did tick him off... but I’ve got to say that this is very impressive.”

 

“Thanks.” Justin sets the controller on the table. “And, once you tell me just who will be manning this post, I can start teaching them how to use all this stuff.”

 

This is the part of the conversation that Arrowny has been dreading since Justin started his little map project.

 

“Actually,” he hesitates for a moment, not sure of how to approach the topic, “you’re going to be the one in here.”

 

Justin falls back into the lone chair by the desk.

 

“I want to be out there fighting. I’m more powerful than any twenty of the Aurors the Ministry is sending. I should be on the front lines.”

 

Arrowny slowly nods...

 

“You’re not wrong. If I could have twenty Aurors in here, and you out there, I’d gladly make the trade. But the fact is, with the Aurors, and the Special Forces that the Canadian Ministry promised, we’re looking at a good five hundred troops on our side. I need to be in constant communication with them... and even twenty Aurors can’t do that... but you can.”

 

Justin knows that Arrowny is right. He can easily build hundreds of communication devises, and he does have the power to send transmissions at near the speed of light. Although, keeping five hundred people in constant contact will prevent him from taking an actual physical role in the battle.

 

“I still feel like I should be out there.”

 

“But I need you in here.”

 

“Any word from the American Ministry?”

 

“Yeah... they said that they won’t send any wizards over here until it becomes an American problem... basically, they’re gonna wait till Kefka takes over the world, and then try chucking some curses at him.”

 

“Typical.”

 

They stare blankly at the walls for a few moments before Justin hands a small sheet of paper to Ryan.

 

“I’ve done the calculations. There’s a good chance that we can win the actual battle... but your plan... you have very little chance of beating Kefka alone.”

 

“I know... but if he’s involved in the main fight, he’ll wipe the floor with everybody else. If he’s down in the Chamber of Secrets fighting me... you guys will have a chance.”

 

“Have you told the Potter kid that he’s been upgraded from ‘cannon fodder’ to ‘bait’?”

 

Ryan would like to laugh at Justin’s choice of words, but the simple fact is he’s not wrong.

 

“Yeah... I told him yesterday. He asked me why I hadn’t put him on either Saphir or Brad’s teams... and I told him flat out that it was because he’s probably the descendant of the Espers. I don’t know if he really is or not... but Kefka has the same information as I do, so he’s going to be after Harry too.

 

If we move the Goddess Statue, and Harry, down to the Chamber, Kefka’s sure to go there. And, with any luck, the protections that old Slytherin put on his most favourite room in the world should shield the rest of you from any particularly nasty magic that Kefka wants to use.”

 

Another few minutes of silence...

 

“Justin... you don’t have anything to atone for anymore. You helped stop a hell god... that puts you on the good side.”

 

“I helped a very evil man kill a lot of innocent people. If I ever feel like I’ve done enough to atone for that... I want somebody to shoot me right in the head!”

 

*        *        *        *        *        *

 

Seventeen days until the attack...

 

Arrowny passes a disgruntled Sirius in the hallway on his way down to breakfast. He keeps walking by, assuming that the escaped convict would rather not speak to him... but he is wrong.

 

“You were right about Harry.”

 

Ryan turns to face him...

 

“I know that... but it’s nice to see that you finally realize it as well.”

 

“Even though... I will NEVER forgive you for what you did to me.”

 

“I don’t need forgiveness. I did what I had to do.”

 

Sirius looks at Ryan with disgust...

 

“You don’t even feel bad about torturing me, do you?”

 

“There are precious few things in my life that I feel bad about.”

 

Sirius turns to walk away, but Arrowny calls him back.

 

“Sirius... the Protectors accepted my report about killing Wormtail.”

 

“So?”

 

“So... they got in touch with the Ministry of Magic, and told them that you couldn’t have killed him all those years ago. They ordered the Ministry to grant you a full pardon. You’re a free man.”

 

Arrowny walks away as Sirius stares blankly ahead...

 

*        *        *        *        *        *

 

Fifteen days until the attack...

 

“How goes the training?” Arrowny looks at Brad and Saphir as they enter the research room a few minutes early for the staff meeting.

 

“Good on my end. The melee guys are really catching on to it!” Brad sounds genuinely impressed... which tells Arrowny that they, in fact, really are doing well.

 

“My magic team is ready for some more advanced training as well.”

 

Ryan nods...

 

“Okay then... team them up. One melee to take out the demons, paired with one magic to fight the Death Eaters. Start running higher level training simulations... get Justin to help out with that.”

 

Saphir and Brad nod in acknowledgment as the other people show up for the meeting.

 

*        *        *        *        *        *

 

Fourteen Days until the attack...

 

Draco steps through the entrance to the Slytherin common room to find Ryan sitting in one of the carved wooden chairs, holding a small vile of silver liquid in his hand. Draco tries to be quiet as he heads for the dormitories, but he kicks the side of a table. Ryan snaps out of his daze.

 

“Hey, Draco. How goes the training?”

 

“Can’t complain. Saphir’s taught me more magic in two weeks than I learned in six years from the teachers.”

 

Draco motions toward the vile.

 

“I’ve seen that before... back at the start of the year, when the Boggart was in your classroom. That’s what it changed into when you faced it.”

 

“Yup... that’s right.” He holds the vile up, letting the dim torch light of the dungeon room reflect off its surface. “This right here is what I fear more than anything in the world. It is something that all Protectors carry... but only few use. It’s unicorn’s blood.”

 

“But... if you drink unicorn’s blood... you get cursed. Why would the Protectors carry that stuff around?”

 

“Because... it gives us a last chance.” Seeing the confused look on Draco’s face, Arrowny explains. “Protectors live knowing that their life will be given in support of something which is greater than themselves. We are trained to willingly die for those we protect. But sometimes, that’s not enough. We are given the vile of unicorn’s blood because it will keep us alive even if we are an inch from death. It gives us enough time to have one last chance to complete our tasks.

 

It’s not part of our training though... it’s our own choice, which is why so few ever go through with it. A cursed life is too much to ask of another person... it has to be taken willingly.”

 

He slips the vile back into his jacked pocket.

 

“I’ve lived through three major battles... and there were times that I thought I would die... but since this is my first actual mission for the Protectors, it is the first time I’ve ever had to consider using the vile. And... it scares me.

 

I have always hoped that when my job is done, I’ll be able to just die. The thought of living a cursed life... is truly frightening.”

 

Arrowny gets up and heads toward his private room. Draco rushes after him, and places a hand on his shoulder.

 

“I never thanked you for coming to the cave to save me.”

 

Ryan just shakes his head...

 

“Do me a favour... don’t thank me. The only reason I did it was because there’s a chance you’re the one I’m here to protect. If you had been a muggle born... I would have had to leave you in that cave.”

 

Arrowny pulls away and steps into his room, shutting the door behind him.

 

*        *        *        *        *        *

 

Ten days until the attack...

 

Just as Arrowny sits down to supper, a large screech owl swoops down from the rafters above the Slytherin table. It drops a thin letter beside his plate, and leaves the Great Hall through one of the high windows.

 

Ryan tears open the letter, and once again has to fight back the lump in his throat...

 

Figaro has fallen... another Protector has died... and Kefka now has the Poltergeist statue.

 

*        *        *        *        *        *

 

Nine days until the attack...

 

Brad and Arrowny are in the Great Hall, going through the supplies they have for the upcoming fight. Many countries have sent medical supplies, which Madam Pomfrey quickly took to the hospital wing, and some others have sent weapons, which is what the two Warriors are cataloguing now.

 

“We’ve got more swords now than we have people to use them.” Brad sounds bored as he checks off yet another crate of short swords on his list.

 

“Yeah... but that’s not the only thing we’re getting. Take a look at this.” Ryan points out a crate that has the return address of the Dragoon Warriors very own home office in Wolfville, Nova Scotia.

 

Brad, inquisitive as always, grabs a nearby crowbar, and pops the top off the crate. He is delighted to see a nice armoured chest plate, a piece of shoulder armour, leather arm straps, and a gauntlet with an oddly shaped metal section attached to it, all in a worn, charcoal grey colour.

 

“My armour!” Brad looks surprised, but Ryan motions back at the crate.

 

“That’s not all... keep looking.”

 

Brad moves the chest plate aside, and finds the golden hilt of a large broadsword.

 

“That’s the Ragnarok... the sword forged from magicite. It’s been in the Protectors possession, and they offered to let you use it for this fight. I got them to send your armour along to complete the look.”

 

Brad looks just like a child on Christmas morning... and Ryan figures this is the best time to bring up a pressing topic.

 

“Speaking of swords that are really powerful and can help us win the fight...” Ryan doesn’t even get a chance to finish his statement before Brad gives him his answer.

 

“Not a chance.”

 

“I could send for it... it’d be here in two days.”

 

“I’m serious about this... not... a... chance.”

 

“It makes you stronger.” Ryan says this is such a calm voice that it actually makes Brad all the angrier.

 

“It also makes me want to KILL MY FRIENDS!”

 

“I’m just saying... it’s an option.”

 

Brad shakes his head...

 

“No... it really isn’t.”

 

*        *        *        *        *        *

 

Five days until the attack...

 

There is a knock at the door to the research room in the library. Saphir opens it, and Neville Longbottom steps through. He scans the table to see that all four of the Dragoon Warriors are sitting around the table, each with varying numbers of regular muggle playing cards in their hands.

 

“I’m sorry... I didn’t mean to interrupt... I’ll... just go now.” He turns to leave, but Ryan calls him back.

 

“No, it’s alright Neville. Come on in... Brad’s been telling us how well you’re coming along with the melee training. You deserve some time to talk if you need to.”

 

Neville looks around nervously... but doesn’t say anything.

 

“Anything specific you wanna talk about?”

 

“Um... well... no. I really just wanted to ask you... and Brad... a question.”

 

He glances around the room before finally working up enough courage.

 

“Um... is it hard to... you know... kill a person?”

 

Brad shrugs his shoulders.

 

“Nope... it just takes a little force behind your weapon, and they die... nice and easy.”

 

“I’m sure that’s not what Neville meant.” Ryan turns to face the young Gryffindor. “Why are you asking about that?”

 

“Um... my parents were tortured to insanity by Death Eaters. I... just want to know how hard it will be to... you know...”

 

“Get revenge?” Brad asks in as calm a voice as he can. Neville nods.

 

“The thing about revenge is... it doesn’t help anybody... it’s just something that needs to be done. If you kill these people... you’re family will still be in the condition they’re in. So, if you feel okay with killing somebody for no reason other than the fact it’ll make you feel better... then, yeah... it’ll be easy for you to kill them.

 

But that doesn’t mean it’s the right thing to do. Take the four of us... me and Ryan have no problem killing if there’s even the slightest reason. But, Justin and Saphir... they’re different. They understand that sometimes, it’s just something that needs to be done... but they also know that sometimes, it’s not necessary.

 

It all just depends on what kind of person you are.”

 

Neville gets up, thanks them for their time, and leaves the research room. The Warriors return to their game.

 

“Poor kid,” Saphir sits back down at the table, “I hope he figures out what he wants to do before all this is goes down. But... who’s turn is it?”

 

“Yours.” The other three respond at the same time.

 

“Oh... okay,” He turns to Justin... “Got any twos?”

 

“Go fish!”

 

*        *        *        *        *        *

 

Three days until the attack...

 

The Great Hall is empty at this time of night, with the exception of Saphir and Arrowny. Neither one feels much like sleeping, and a midnight snack just seemed the right idea. Right now, they’re sitting on across from each other at the Ravenclaw table, snacking away at whatever the house-elves had left over from supper.

 

It’s a nice, relaxing moment for them... even with the war only a few days away.

 

“You know,” Saphir sets his specially made orange float down on the table, “With all the stuff we went through with Joseph, and Bastion, and those kids, and Crys...” He catches himself, and looks tentatively at Arrowny. “I meant to say Jove.

 

“It’s alright, Saphir,” Ryan takes a slow sip from his glass of Coca-Cola, “she’s gone. I’ve accepted it.”

 

“Oh... well, anyway... it seems with all the stuff we’ve gone through, we should have died a few times over, wouldn’t you say?”

 

“No... you and me... we don’t get to die until we’ve done our duty... you know that.”

 

“True... locked in by the Protectors and the Poirier family... and neither one of us asked for the responsibility. You had no choice about your powers... and I had no choice when the Glaive was given to me.”

 

“Tell me something... when the time comes for you to hand down the Cards and the Glaive... will you give your replacement a choice?”

 

“That’s a really good question.” Saphir ponders this over a few sips of his float, “to be honest... I really don’t know. I have to assume that my Grandfather had good intentions when he told me where to find it. I often wonder why he never tried to contact my father to tell him about it... but there must have been a reason. I guess, when my time comes, I’ll be ready to make the decision.”

 

“Maybe... maybe you won’t have to. Maybe the world will fix itself up, and people like us won’t be needed. Nobody will have to worry about doing something they don’t want to out of duty. People won’t have to die just because somebody else chose to give them powers.”

 

“Yeah... that would be nice. But for now... we each have our duty. So... a toast to the Protectors!” Saphir raises his glass.

 

“And to the Poirier family!” Arrowny raises his glass as well, and they each take a drink.

 

They sit in silence for a while... each enjoying their cold beverages.

 

*        *        *        *        *        *

 

The day of the attack...

 

“I can’t believe they chose that god damned MUGGLE Brad to lead one of the teams.”

 

There’s only about half an hour until sunset... thirty minutes before they test their thirty days of preparation. It’s only now that Ryan realizes just how glad he is that Justin was around to give aid. For one thing, rather than fighting on the snow, as they should be doing at this time of year, Justin was able to rig something together which melted all the snow, and made the school grounds look as though it was the middle of summer. Secondly, he had constructed seven hundred small communications devices that look like little round stickers and attach to the skin just behind the earlobe. These send vibrations through the skull itself, meaning that there is no chance of an important message being overheard by the enemy. Thirdly... well... thirdly is a surprise...

 

The troops are out in full force... the paired students, the Aurors, the Canadian Special Wizarding Forces, the Hogwarts teachers, and the ‘old crowd’ as Dumbledore had put it... friends of Sirius’ whom included an old werewolf named Lupin, and a guy with an electric blue eye named Moody. It’s a good team... a good army... hopefully good enough.

 

The girls talking about Brad are, of course, Slytherins. As far as Ryan is concerned, one of the worst things a person can do is to discount the abilities of Bradley Haughn based solely on the fact that he has no powers. Arrowny has learned this lesson all too well over the years. One of the OTHER worst things a person could do, is to openly mock Brad when he’s standing just a few feet away, putting on his armour... the Ragnarok sword, and his axe, are laying on the ground just beside him.

 

They’ve known each other for years, and one of the first common talents they had found was the ability to go along with each other’s jokes... no matter how absurd it sounds.

 

“Hey, Brad!” Arrowny walks up to him, making sure to keep his voice loud enough for the two girls to hear, “Can you please try to keep your friendly fire accidents to a minimum this time?”

 

The girls stop whatever it was they were doing, and stare at the pair with wonder in their eyes. Brad takes the hint, and allows only the slightest smile to cross his face... if you didn’t know what to look for, you wouldn’t see it.

 

“Oh please... you can hardly blame me for last time... it wasn’t MY fault!”

 

“Brad... we were done fighting! The battle was over... and they were on YOUR side!”

 

“Right! Like I believe that! If the battle was over, then why were all those people waving their weapons around in the air, shouting really loud and all that stuff?”

 

“They were celebrating... because we won...”

 

“... poor excuse...”

 

The conversation has the desired effect... the disrespectful girls quickly take off toward a group of their friends. Brad and Arrowny laugh...

 

“I never get tired of doing stuff like that.” Brad finishes strapping on his armour.

 

“Yeah... me neither.” Ryan’s smile fades slightly. “Brad... do we really have a chance at this?”

 

“Yup! There’s a one hundred percent chance that we will either win, or lose. If you want something more specific than that... ask me when the battle’s over and done with.”

 

Brad looks around at the school grounds... the battle field. There’s only one way Kefka’s army can attack from. Three sides of the castle are near the edge of a cliff. The only option left is to come through the forest.

 

“You know...” Brad keeps his eyes focused on the distant forest as he speaks, “It wasn’t that long ago that you told me I was just a kid with a hatchet who wanted to play demon hunter.”

 

Ryan chuckles...

 

“It wasn’t that long ago that you WERE just a kid with a hatchet who wanted play demon hunter.”

 

“Well... you gave me a chance to become better.”

 

“I don’t give people chances... they have to earn them.”

 

That’s when they see movement at the edge of the forest.

 

“Justin,” Ryan knows that the communications device will work, even though it is untested, “Have them bring it out now.”

 

There is a small puff of smoke at their feet, and a large crate appears in front of them just as the first of Kefka’s forces break through the tree line. Three hundred black robed demons... Fanatics... each with a long curved blade attached to their hands. Behind them, a group of about two hundred Death Eaters, and still behind them, another three hundred Fanatics. At the very back of the army stands Kefka, wearing the same brightly coloured robes as before, along with the red robed MagiMaster, and Lucius Malfoy.

 

Brad breaths in deeply...

 

“We’re gonna need some damn good luck...”

 

Ryan smiles...

 

“I was hoping you’d say that.”

 

“Why?”

 

“Because,” Arrowny pulls off the top of the crate, “I just happen to have some good luck charms... shipped in from Figaro.”

 

Ryan pulls two large, silver auto-crossbows from the crate. He hands one to Brad.

 

“The newly crowned king of Figaro told us that he wishes he could have sent an army... but they were all killed. He wants us to use these to stick it to Kefka! They’ve got forty shots each... let’s make them count.”

 

As the last rays of the Sun fall under the horizon, Kefka gives the order for his army to advance. The first wave of demons gets about half way before Ryan and Brad start firing. Each blue flash from the bow signals a new magnetic pulse, and a new bolt flies through the air. One by one, the demons get struck, in the head, or the chest, until eighty of them are lying on the ground dead.

 

Neither Brad nor Ryan missed a single shot.

 

Kefka gives his troops the order to fall back...

 

“How long do you think that bought us?” Brad sets his auto-crossbow back into the crate as he asks.

 

“Not long. Kefka knows that if we have any more secret weapons, we’ll use them right away. He’ll probably just wait a few minutes to make sure.”

 

“We’d best get ready then.”

 

Ryan turns toward the castle. He stops at the top of the stairs, just before the front doors.

 

“Justin, put me on with the entire army.”

 

Ryan waits only a second before speaking...

 

“Okay... everybody form up. This is it. And you know what... I don’t have anything to tell you. Thirty days of preparation, and I never thought to write an inspirational speech. Everybody here knows what they’re doing... everybody here knows their job... and they don’t need me telling them it all over again.

 

You don’t need me telling you that this is probably the most important battle in the history of the world... because you already know that too. You know what’s at stake... so I’ve got nothing to say.

 

Justin... light this place up.”

 

Thirdly, since a battle in the dark tends to favour demons, the techno mage took some time to cook up a little surprise. A lumos spell, contained in a small rocket, with a chemical compound that would make it a few hundred times stronger than normal. When the rocket explodes a few hundred meters above the ground, it will be as bright as day. And, a battle in the daylight tends to favour everybody except demons!

 

Brad stand with his back to the castle as the rocket takes off from one of the towers. He raises the Ragnarok in his left hand, and his axe in his right. His job is clear. While Saphir tries to take out the MagiMaster, he is to simply cut and run, killing as many enemies as he can.

 

He remembers a passage from an old book he read once back at the Dragoon Warriors library, which was written by a general leading an army in some important battle or another.

 

‘I look into the dark as if it invites me. And I invite it to me. For I see nothing beyond my enemy, and I fear not death nor pain. But if my lungs fill now with their last drawn breaths in this place, I will leave with the knowledge that a difference has been made. And that is all we need to give our life meaning. So with weapons drawn and Armour on we march to our destiny with hope but no guarantees.

 

Silently they marched forward. Unaware of where danger lurked but knowing that dangers will come.

 

Sound the drums loudly. For we march to our impending doom and I don't wish to look afraid’

 

As the light from the rocket illuminates the field, Brad realizes what that general must have felt like... because even though he does not remember the name of the battle... he does remember one very important fact...

 

The general died there.