| Memories hold all that is dear to us and all that is not so dear. -Dragon�s Words; vol. 10, pg. 93 Part 66 The Mist was very thick around the Iifa Tree and glowed a violet color thanks to the . . . thing that hung above the Tree. As we approached, I was overtaken by a strange feeling . . . a warning . . . Don�t come here. I don�t want you hurt. I looked around, but I seemed to be the only one who heard the voice. Don�t come here, Empress. I don�t want you to get hurt. Thank you, but I�m staying with Zidane. Fine. But I cannot keep the monsters away from you. I don�t expect it. As we neared the glowing thing, a torrent of silver dragons erupted from the inside of the globe and began attacking. Vanel, Gelgameth, Tiovex, and I all bristled and snarled threateningly. � Stay in the ship,� Zidane ordered without turning around. � There are way more of them than there are of you. They�ll slaughter you before you even lift off the deck.� Grudgingly, we stayed where we were. However, that didn�t stop Tiovex from lunging up to the glass and ramming his head into it when a silver dragon tried to attack. It was knocked aside, though, by a blast from an airship fleet. � Uncle Cid?!� Garnet cried. � How did he know where to find us?!� � How could he not know?� was Zidane�s calm answer. � I get into trouble all the time. This place has trouble written all over it.� He sped the ship up and burst through the guard of silver dragons into the orb. The guardian who evidently controlled the silver dragons was a nova dragon. Zidane, used to being able to jump right off a front deck, made the same mistake Tiovex had. He sat on the floor momentarily, rubbing his head slowly. � Ow. Damn . . .� Garnet tittered in amusement. He gave her a �watch-yourself-there . . . I-bite� look and headed out the back way. We dragons phased through the front glass and began our attack. By the time the others got there, the nova dragon was at half strength. However, we were as well and Vanel was almost dead. They took over the battle and I snatched up Vanel, carrying her from the destruction. On the ship, I watched the battle as I cared for Vanel. Tiovex and Gelgameth hovered and I finally had to snap at them to make them go away. When the others returned, Zidane knelt at a right angle to me and picked Vanel up as though she was the most delicate fine porcelain. [Are you okay, Vanel?] She lifted her head and it spun in slow, unsteady circles. [I can take it. I�m just fine.] Zidane smiled sadly. [Little trooper. Rest now.] [Okay . . .] She snuggled against him and fell asleep. He carried her around without complaint, but with a decidedly dark look on his face. I asked him what was wrong. � Damn guardian. Why are they always empresses?!� � What�s the big deal about the nova dragon being an empress?� Garnet asked, confused. � Didn�t we get lucky by having an empress to fight?� I shook my head. � Most dragons prefer to be solitary. We are wanderers. When an empress lays, she sets up a defined territory with food and water acceptable for her and her brood. Anything entering that area that is even remotely hostile toward her or her eggs is gone within seconds. Including humans. An empress�s violent tendencies are legendary, as I�m sure you�ve heard, though they�ve probably all been recorded as emperors. Empresses are very defensive anyway, but having a clutch usually makes that defensivness enormously difficult to break. That nova dragon probably had a clutch somewhere nearby. She put up too much of a fight for just guarding the gates.� I noticed her unfocused look. � Am I boring you yet?� � Huh? Oh no! I was just thinking about what you said. If I could get my hands on just one empress hatchling, Alexandria would have amazing defenses!� � True. But if you�re going to do that, I must suggest that you not get too attached to her. Dragons fight to the death. They either win or die fighting.� � Oh . . .� � To be honest, I�d let Bahamut do the protecting if I were you. For anything else, a serpion could do just as well. The only problem is that they pair for life and if you�re not careful, you could have a mess of serpions in just two or three years. They�re rather . . . romantically inclined, shall we say?� Zidane snorted. � I think we should�ve called them �rabbit dragon�.� Then, after a moment, � We�re here!� He stepped down from the control platform and headed out of the bridge. Once we were on solid ground, Zidane began to glance around, confused. He turned to the rest of us. � Did someone say my name?� We shook our heads. � You�re hearing things,� Freya told him. � . . . I don�t think so.� He was silent for a minute, then glared back and forth and snapped, � All right! Whoever�s talking to me better fess up!� [Zidane, no one�s talking to you,] Vanel told him quietly. � So I�m going crazy, right?� he demanded. [No. I�m just saying that no one else can hear what you�re hearing. None of us have said anything to or about you.] He snarled and stomped his foot. � Oh~h, that�s it! Whoever�s screwing around with my head needs to either speak up or shut up!� Would you mind ceasing that annoying grumbling and actually listen to me for once? It was Garland! Or his voice, at least. I heard it faintly, filtered absently from Zidane. � Garland! I thought you�d be dead and cold by now!� Zidane curled defensively around Vanel and inched back toward Tiovex, as if to protect him. � What do you want now?!� I�m going to help you. � Yeah right.� I tell the truth, Zidane. I need your help just as you need mine. � I knew there was a catch. What do you want from me?� <--Part 65 Part 67--> |