Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ JOURNEY ❯ Vengeance ( Chapter 3 )

Part Three: Vengeance

Silently, Freya continued to stare at the wall, an understandably shell-shocked look on her face. Now that her actions had been explained, the people in the clinic began to realize why she had acted the way she did. The intense fighting she had submitted herself to must have been brutal, and to see one's hometown suffer (again) would have broken anyone's mind.

But to have one's beloved give their everything in the fight, only to have to retreat in shame and cowardice, would shatter even the strongest spirits. Add the fact that Freya traveled all the way from Burmecia to Alexandria by herself, with all the physical and emotional trauma on her back, and it was no wonder she had lost her mind. That catatonic state that she had been in was probably the best thing she could have done in response.

Lashing out at Beatrix was received with… mixed emotions. Sure, Freya had lost her mind during her strenuous journey, and perhaps it was expected of her to go a little mad. And maybe she did still hold something of a grudge against Beatrix--after all, the General had assisted Brahne and Kuja in invading the kingdom.

Many warriors needlessly died in that conquest, and countless others perished as Cleyra was destroyed. Beatrix knew that that was when the Queen pushed things too far, but she knew that Freya was right when she claimed "it was all [her] fault". After all, had she not been so blinded or bound by duty, she could have prevented both massacres.

But perhaps most heartbreaking of all was when Freya blamed herself. Of course, everybody disagreed, even Beatrix. "There was really nothing you could do," Garnet had said. "Like you said, only Fratley and yourself were there to fight." But Freya knew better than that. She continued to insist that if she had stayed to fight, Burmecia might have thrived despite the bad hands it had been dealt. Now, though she was alive physically, Freya was dead already in every other way.

The time--Two weeks after Freya was discovered unconscious; one day after she informed Garnet of Burmecia's condition.

The place--Alexandria Castle infirmary.

The players--Lady Freya Crescent, dragon knight of Burmecia; General Beatrix, holy knight in service of Queen Garnet til Alexandros 17th.

The status--Grave.

"Something must be done," said Garnet softly. She turned towards Freya, who still kept that empty stare of hers. With some exceptions, the knight had not moved much at all--but given what she had been through, it was all understandable.

"Well, what can we do?" asked Zidane. "You heard what Freya said. Burmecia's been invaded by, like, a gazillion or so enemies, and not even her or Fratley could beat them back. What do you want to do, send an army there?"

"I… suppose I could," said Garnet. Beatrix grunted softly, and saluted gently.

"My Queen," she addressed, "forgive me for saying so, but I have a feeling that if we leave Alexandria unprotected, she may be invaded again. Do you recall what happened when Steiner and myself went to quell that incident at Mognet Central?"

"Yes…" said the Queen, "but… we defeated those enemies already."

"Even so, highness," replied Beatrix, "with the Pluto Knights gone, we are at a disadvantage. I feel that if we sent out more soldiers, the kingdom would be easily overthrown, even by a minority force. I would advise against sending an army out."

"Well, shoot!" cursed Zidane. "She's right, but what're we gonna do about Burmecia? I mean, we can't just leave it alone, and who knows!? The invaders might come here if we leave them alone long enough!" Beatrix, though the situation was grim, could not help but smile at the boy's reasoning. Sometimes (though not too often), his intelligence surprised her.

"You are right, sir," she said. "We must do something, and perhaps we should do it with haste." Turning so that she was facing both Freya and the Queen, Beatrix balled her fist up and covered her heart with it in her normal salute. "I swear on my heart and soul that we--no, I will find some way to rescue Burmecia from these horrible invaders."

"But, what can you do?" asked the Queen. She suddenly gasped in horror, quickly realizing what her guardian had in mind. "Oh, Beatrix, no!! Surely you're not--"

"Yes, I am, excellency," replied the knight softly. She kneeled, hanging her head in abject humility. "With your permission, my liege, I volunteer to travel to Burmecia alone and wipe out these invaders with my own two hands."

"But… that's insane!" gawked Zidane. "The remnants of the Burmecian population couldn't hold back the enemies, so what makes you think that you can do it alone?"

"I must make amends for the unjust deeds that I have committed," replied Beatrix softly. She swallowed, and added, "Even if I die, I may redeem my actions by helping a land that I once destroyed. Please, sir Zidane, your excellency, please let me do this…" Sighing, Garnet shook her head, knowing full well that any orders against her going would only result in sadness and guilt (on both their parts) and perhaps more pain along the way. She knew that it was suicide to attack an entire invading force alone, and not even Beatrix could have accomplished this impossible feat, but if her bodyguard was so intent on redeeming herself, there was little Garnet could do to stop her.

"I suppose," sighed the Queen, "that if you truly have your heart and soul set on this, then there is little I can do to stop you. Very well, you…… have my permission…" Garnet sighed in defeat, knowing right then and there that she had signed Beatrix's death papers, and in permanent red ink to boot. Even so, Beatrix could not help but smile as she stood to her feet.

"Thank you, your majesty!" she beamed. "Thank you! I swear by the Master of this world that I shall fight to the best of my abilities, and bring these monsters to the cold justice they deserve!!" Garnet barely managed a weak smile, and stepped forward to do something that she had never, ever done before. This action surprised, and possibly even shocked Beatrix greatly… but she welcomed it all the same.

Garnet stepped forth to hug her bodyguard.

"Please, General," she whispered softly, "please come back safely. Please…"

"I…" Beatrix stuttered, unable to believe that her Queen actually had her delicate arms around her. She couldn't even remember the last time somebody really hugged her, let alone how it felt. The feeling, though very new and unexpected, was actually pretty good.

"I… ah… can make… no guarantees, my liege," managed the knight. She tried to smile, but the suddenness of Garnet's actions threw her emotions completely off balance. She wanted to return the action, but by the time she had summoned up the nerve, Garnet had released her. Zidane, however, was another story.

"Aw, she'll be okay!" he exclaimed, putting his arm around her shoulders. Smiling that same old goofy and silly grin, Zidane stared right into Beatrix's good eye and secretly hoped for a kiss. All he got was a roll of said eye, a groan, and a civil brushing-off that the General gave him. Garnet, polite as always, chuckled softly and bade her General farewell.

"Beatrix." Said knight turned around, seeing the dejected Freya lift her head. A depressing look was on her face, so horrid that it made even the toughest people want to burst out in tears. Beatrix almost did--almost.

"Good luck." The knight smiled just faintly, and saluted Freya as she left the infirmary.

The Red Rose fleet had been taken by Steiner and the Pluto Knights, and all the other airships were either under repairs or broken (But what else is new? grumbled Beatrix to herself), so the holy knight had to settle for the next best thing: the cargo ships of Dali.

Now it was a pure blessing that Dali and Alexandria were so close together--in fact, the small town was walking distance away. Still, Beatrix rented a chocobo for her journey. She wanted to be as fresh as possible for the upcoming battle, and to expend even the small energy it took to walk from the two areas would have been a waste.

Letting the chocobo go, Beatrix stepped into the small burg of Dali, a peaceful and quiet city that had seen its heyday pass a year or so before. At one time, this had been the unquestioned capitol of Black Mage production, but now things were back to normal, at least for whatever passed as normal on Gaia.

Wasting no time, Beatrix took the brief walk from the town to the observatory mountain. It was here where the cargo ships usually docked, and one usually had to get a pass from old Morris before they were allowed permission to ride. As a bodyguard of the Queen, Beatrix didn't need a pass; she was one of the few people who could travel without that sort of visa.

Beatrix was about to knock on Morris' door, when an unearthly screech shattered the serenity of the mountaintop observatory. Curious as to what could cause such a ruckus, Beatrix dared to press her ear against the door.

"What do you MEAN, the airship isn't here yet?!?!" screeched the voice. "Don't you realize how long I've been waiting?! Don't you realize who you are talking to?! DO YOU EVEN CARE!!!???"

"Settle down now, missy," came another voice. Beatrix grumbled as she recognized both talkers; the latter speaker was old Morris, the transportation guide and manager of the cargo ships.

"UGH!!!" grunted the first voice. Beatrix grumbled as she recognized it, and decided that now would be a good time to make herself known. With three polite but sharp knocks, the General rapped on the door and was allowed inside.

"Oh, it's you!!" shrieked the voice that Beatrix heard. The knight couldn't help but groan in misery as she shook her head.

"Hello, Lani," she managed. "What brings you here?"

"Oh, umm, I needed a ride to Lindblum, and this was the best I could afford," she explained. "And as always, the bloody cargo ship hasn't come back from its rounds!"

"…I see," said Beatrix after a pause. She turned to Morris, and summed up every last grain and speck of civility she had in her. "Kind sir," she addressed, "if it would not be too much trouble, I would like to book passage to Lindblum as well."

"Oh? And what business do you have there?" asked Morris.

"I need to get to Burmecia, post haste." Morris mumbled something, and stroked his beard thoughtfully.

"Ah, yes, yes. Well, I won't pry any further. Of course, there's still nothing I can do about the situation, so you'll just have to wait around like your friend here."

"Humph!" snorted Lani. "Why of all the--"

"No, that's okay, I can wait," interrupted Beatrix. Lani grunted childishly, and decided to bide her time fighting the local monsters in the area; Beatrix would have coffee with Morris.

Finally, after two hours of waiting (it had been two days on poor Lani's part), the cargo ship arrived on the mountaintop. Screaming wildly, Lani rushed forward and got on the ship first; Beatrix boarded it with considerably more civility, and all other passengers got on before it lifted off.

First, the ship would stop at North and South gates, to make sure that everybody had the correct pass. After customs, it headed towards Lindblum, the wind pushing against it gently and the cool blue sky above the passenger's heads. Lani and Beatrix, who were normally never close, found themselves bonding rather fast as they paid multiple visits to the lady's room……

"Finally!!" Shouting out to the ceiling, Lani stretched herself and scurried off of the cargo ship. Without wasting any time, she scampered through the Grand Castle and made her way to the tram that would take her to the Theater District. Beatrix didn't know why Lani was heading there of all places, nor did she care, as she had other businesses to attend to.

Identifying herself to the elevator man, Beatrix was granted permission to ride down to the lowest regions of the castle. There, she would take the Dragon's Gate outside and would be one more step closer to Burmecia. Of course, she found plenty of time to rest and prepare for her journey.

It took Beatrix an hour to get completely prepared, and when she did, it was already noon outside. She figured that if she journeyed by chocobo, it wouldn't take her too terribly long to arrive at her destination--two hours at the most. This would also save energy on her part, so Beatrix was more than eager to shell out the 100 Gil for a chocobo rental.

As she left Lindblum's Dragon's Gate, Beatrix could see a Qu marsh in the distance. Resisting the urge to ask for one last ally in her quest (for she heard tales of Quale's great competence in battle), she pushed her bird farther into the wilderness, until the ground beneath her attained a sogginess to it.

Leaping off her bird briefly, Beatrix noticed that the sky was considerably darker now. The mushy ground beneath her was wet because of the endless rain that Burmecia got. It was one of the many wonders of the world, that weather, and perhaps under better circumstances, Freya might have lived a very peaceful life there with Fratley, her friends, and the king. Now, though, there was only ruin and despair.

Tightening her sword-belt, Beatrix drew out Save the Queen, whispered a brief prayer for victory, and sent the chocobo free. Carefully stepping into the wet environment, Beatrix prepared herself mind, body, and soul, and hoped to God that she knew what she was doing.

Well, she thought, there's no turning back now. Oh, well. Here goes nothing!!

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Beatrix ran.

Shouting out the name of her Queen and her creed, the holy knight dashed forward into the city of eternal rain, her sword singing for joy as it sailed through the air. As Beatrix approached Burmecia, she finally became aware of just how many monsters were really there. Freya had not just been whistling Dixie when she said that they had been outnumbered: there must have been at least 500 demonic creatures here, if not more.

Beatrix ran.

Hundreds upon hundreds of monsters greeted her, snarling and thrashing about ferociously, each one a potential threat to the General's life. Nobody seemed to notice as the white knight stormed into the dark Burmecian alleys; they just assumed her another rat for their consumption. Slowly, a token resistance gathered together to test the edibility of the knight.

Beatrix ran.

Screaming out loud, Beatrix dove into the pool of monsters and raised her sword for the first titanic blow. It crashed down on a dragon-like creature, slicing it in two. Beatrix roared and spun around, cleaving the enemies around her in a vicious circle. She bent down and jabbed the sword behind her, impaling another monster in the process. Quickly, she dug the sword out of the creature and heaved it in an upward arc to kill a swooping vulture.

Performing a backflip, Beatrix vaulted over an approaching ogre. When her feet touched ground again, she pursued her pursuer and slashed at his backside. Wasting no time, she leaped away as it swung its mighty fist, and dashed forward again to cleave its chest. Ignoring the stink it made when it died, she leaped over the body and mowed down a large group of stubborn goblins.

Three chimeras suddenly tacked her, squeezing the stuffing out from her body as they smashed into her. One raked its nasty claws across her arm, and another burnt the tips of her hair with its fiery breath. Injured only slightly, Beatrix growled and dished out her vengeance.

Throwing caution to the wind, the knight lunged forward and dug her sword deep into the body of the nearest chimera. With a flash, she sliced the body in half and used her momentum to cleave off three heads of another chimera. Performing another backflip, she vaulted right over the third chimera and landed on its backside. Like a hunter slaying vampires, she plunked her sword deep into the third monster's back, and leaped away as it fell down and died.

Turning to examine the rest of her foes, Beatrix took a very short breather as her eye glanced over the remaining forces. There were about 492 monsters left, and she had a few bruises and several cuts on her arm. She was still heavily outnumbered, and the monsters showed no sign of retreating. Beatrix knew that coming here was suicide, and that it would take a miracle for her to even last another hour.

Beatrix ran.

Yelling fiercely, she used her sword like a baseball bat and swung the neck off of a hydra, and leaped back as the heads snapped at her. With several more deft swipes, she decapitated the rest of the heads and strafed to the side to avoid the acidic blood it spurted. Ramming her sword behind her, she instantly ended a bat-bird's life.

A sudden shock slammed Beatrix to the floor, and when she turned, three maniacal mages were there behind her. Grinning in sick glee, one cast a fierce fire spell and burned Beatrix's foot; the second electrocuted her body with powerful lightning; the third summoned great frost to damage her wounded skin. They all blasted her together, laughing like maniacs as she cried in horror.

Pain begat rage.

"Climhazzard!!" With a bright flash, Beatrix broke free of the spells and used her secret technique to cleave through the wizards--and about fifteen other monsters in the immediate area. Panting and wheezing just slightly, Beatrix turned around to examine her find. A troop of mantises scurried forth, their scythe-like pincers resembling Death's weapon of choice.

Together, the three mantises scurried forward, slicing precisely with their arms. One cut a thin slice across Beatrix's chest; the other two created scars across her arms and legs. In a rage, Beatrix lovingly returned the kind gestures by forcibly separating their heads from their necks. Leaping over the bodies, the knight wordlessly plunged her sword into the body of an ignorant armadillo-monster, dashing forward to face her other 470-some opponents.

Beatrix ran.

Lying in a massive heap were at least a hundred vampire bats. They screeched as they greeted Beatrix, and swarmed around the beautiful lady in massive droves. Some dove towards her with their teeth and wings; others scratched at her neck and clawed at her hair. She was able to slice a few in half, but they were all moving so fast that she was unable to keep track.

Growling, Beatrix calmed her mind and summoned another technique of hers.

"Shock!!" The bats surrounding her suddenly perished as the massive wave of indescribable power slammed into their furry bodies. The ground became littered with flying mammals, but Beatrix ignored them all and dashed forward to confront her next nemesis.

After decapitating a few trolls and getting pummeled by a few more, Beatrix was looking very much exhausted. She had bruises all over her body, and there were several streaks of red and even purple around her body. Sweat threatened to drown her as she gasped for breath, and her clothes stank of fighting and sweating and bleeding. Her limbs started to feel wobbly, and her stomach yearned to be replenished.

Beatrix ran.

Hack… slice… duck… weave… jab… cleave… cut… jump…

Three-hundred fifty-two enemies left standing.

Tumble… fall… suffer… cry… bleed… crumble… moan…

Three-hundred forty-two enemies left.

Scream… swear… dive… slice… Shock… dance…

Three-hundred enemies left…

Abuse… defeat… beating… cuts… scars… tears…

Two-hundred eighty-four…

Breathe… breathe… rest… breathe…

Two-hundred eighty-three…

Beatrix groaned, a hundred enemies from a hundred angles pummeling and bashing against her like she was a heavy bag. What felt like a truckload of bricks smashed against her body, scraping and cutting and smashing and beating so terribly hard… She had never faced anything so deadly, or vicious, or hopeless…

With a scream, Beatrix forced the enemies away from her. Plowing through their lines, she managed to kill a few before finding an empty space. Wheezing and gasping for air, she planted her sword in the ground and undid her eye patch. Allowing her right eye only a few seconds to adjust to the light, Beatrix used her patch as a makeshift hair band and tied her long, flowing hair into a ponytail.

Few knew this, but Beatrix's right eye worked just as well as her left. The reason she kept it behind that patch was that, in her opinion, seeing through two eyes gave her too much of an advantage. With two eyes, the battle was over too quickly, the enemies too easy, the fight too fast. Besides, it was good training for her.

But now, with both her eyes wide, wide open, Beatrix could see everything around her, clear as crystal, and she saw that the enemies didn't stand a chance.

"My turn," she grumbled darkly. With a fierce shriek, Beatrix dashed forward, cleaving enemy after enemy apart with the greatest of ease. Hack, slash, there went one; slice, dash, two more; cleave, cut, three fell down. Every time she swung her sword, Beatrix made sure that a kill followed it, and the enemies began piling up even as they charged forth.

Leaping high into the air, Beatrix hacked apart a flying dragon in midair, the came tumbling back down to impale a hapless vampire. A circular swing with her sword cleaved four surrounding enemies, and with a wicked slash, a vicious scorpion monster was laid waste. With her added advantage, Beatrix was able to see things she had previously missed, such as the club of a troll or the claws of a hippogriff.

But even then, she was being pummeled and abused and beaten. Dozens of scars found their way to Beatrix's body, some of them quite deep and wide. Her body was caked with sweat and dirt and mud and blood, and the continuous rain did little to wash any of it off. Monsters were being slaughtered, but then again, so was Beatrix. She could not keep this fight up for long.

Beatrix ran.

Oh Great Master Atma, she prayed, give me your strength as I fight in what may be my final battle! Enable me to perform the three dreaded techniques that only you have been able to perform! With your blessings, I call forth…

"RAGE OF CHI!!!!" Beatrix's scream echoed across the soaked alleys and streets of Burmecia, sending a quiet rumble across lands accustomed to thunders. Suddenly, an even more dreadful rumbling came from beneath the ground, and the earth shuddered violently. Beatrix paused, catching her breath as she gazed at the forbidden technique her master had taught her.

The whole entire world of Gaia groaned as the Rage of Chi was used, and a mighty earthquake belched out in response. Great, gashing stones fell from the sky, slamming monsters and demons into the gaping earth. Dozens more fell inside the yawning crevices, and were never seen again. The attack literally rearranged the architecture of all of Burmecia, causing almost everything to collapse and crumble.

This was the price one paid for summoning Rage of Chi: though devastating, the Rage of Chi rendered the world broken and blasted, sending everything in the immediate area, save the caster, into ruin and broken destruction. Beatrix figured it was a good price to pay.

The Rage of Chi had almost annihilated every monster in the land, but there were still enough to give Beatrix troubles. Still wiped out from fighting, the holy knight concentrated on the second forbidden attack her master had taught her.

"RAGE OF TEN!!!!" Again, her scream echoed across the ruined streets, shattering some delicate glass while deafening a few other monsters. Suddenly, the great skies above rumbled and groaned, and great flashes of light scorched the skies. From God's bowl of wrath came a ferocious bolt of lightning and thunder, smashing down on the foes like a man stomps on a berry.

Instantly the monsters were fried to atoms, vaporized right before Beatrix's eyes. The Rage of Ten had summoned forth the forbidden powers of heaven, hurling forth a mighty bolt of light and fire and judgment to destroy their ranks--leaving Beatrix wasted in the process, as well.

The knight collapsed, wheezing terribly as sweat poured down from her face. She lazily wiped it off, breathing so hard that her entire body shivered. Her pulse was enormously fast, and so powerful she could feel it throbbing in her head. By all definition, she was completely dead, save for the fact that her heart and lungs still worked.

The last twelve monsters paused tentatively, and took one step away from Beatrix.

"Oh, no," she growled hoarsely. "There is no escape." Screaming, Beatrix stormed forth, and with the very last atom of strength she had, cleaved through each and every one of the monsters like a conductor weaving his baton before an orchestra. The twelve monsters collapsed on the floor, every single one of them dead, not a single one of them living.

Beatrix herself joined them on the floor, injured beyond words or feelings, and took what seemed like two hours of rest to catch her breath. As she closed her eyes, the gentle rain washed the muck and mud off her body, and she allowed a very brief smile on her mouth as she caught her breath.

"Can't… believe… I… did it…" she panted. She laughed triumphantly, and passed out in the soaking streets of liberated Burmecia.

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There was a wet sensation that woke Beatrix out of her unconscious state. She felt something moist tickle her fingers, and as she groaned and opened her eyes, she realized that it was a stray mutt licking the blood off her hand. She moaned, and waved the mongrel away with a flick of her hand. It whined in protest, and scampered over to attend to her other wounds.

"Go away," she grunted. The dog paused, gazing at her with innocent brown eyes, and she sighed as it obeyed her. Barely strong enough to lift her head, Beatrix laid there in the streets of Burmecia, her wounds being washed away by the everlasting rain that fell from the sky. She sighed as the droplets fell onto her face, and blinked as a few got in her eyes. Her eyes… Beatrix laughed to herself weakly, and realized what had just happened.

She had actually taken off that patch of hers. She had only done that once during battle, and that had been a grave emergency. Usually she kept it on--to train her weak left eye, and to "level the playing field". But now it was off, and keeping her light-brown hair out of her eyes. But taking off the patch was not the end of Beatrix's audacity: she had also used two of the three forbidden techniques taught to her by her old master.

The Rage of Ten and the Rage of Chi attacks were both brutally powerful, but also had dire consequences for the surrounding area. The attacks tore up earth, sky, and enemy, and on some occasion, they would tear apart the user. They were both dreadfully powerful, and only reserved for the most dire of all emergencies. As Beatrix laid there in the cobblestone streets, she breathed out a thanks that she had not been desperate enough to try her third and most powerful technique. Hopefully, she would never have to use it…

Beatrix's vision became fuzzy and bleak as she tried to stand. Only a few injuries had healed themselves in the past fifteen minutes; the rest were still throbbing and aching. The knight was skilled in white magic, but the battle had taken nearly everything out of her, so she only had enough power to use one weak Cure spell. Whispering the words that would soon heal her body, Beatrix cast Cure on herself and felt slightly better.

Although, she noted with chagrin, not all of her body had been healed. It would have probably taken a Curaga spell to really fix her wounds, but until she could find somewhere to rest, this would have to do. Slowly, with several wounds still singing out to her, Beatrix stood up and managed to walk. A branch of a tree served as a crutch.

Burmecia was even more haunting now that it was empty again. Previously, it had held a slew of proud warriors, scholars, and artisans. The terrible invasion that Queen Brahne had orchestrated had killed off most of their kind, and the war against Kuja and Garland took many more. It had been over a year since all that ended, so the survivors had done their best to recover.

But the best, it seemed, was not good enough. Almost as if Fate was laughing at them, the Burmecians suffered another mortal blow with this recent invasion. To Beatrix's reckoning, there were almost no survivors, save Freya and perhaps a few lucky ones. Their kind was far from extinct, although another bad hand like this would certainly push them in that direction. As Beatrix limped out of the empty streets of Burmecia, she couldn't help but think of Freya's maddening words: It's all your fault. It's all your fault. It's all your fault. It's all your fault that my people must suffer like this. It's all your fault, so you should suffer as well.

And suffer she did--but she suffered nobly. Beatrix vowed, on her own soul, that she would find redemption by avenging the lost race and liberating their city by herself. The move was ludicrous and very dangerous, even for her, and had it not been for her long years studying under Atma, Beatrix would have been given her Judgment long ago.

The rain continued to fall in Burmecia. It never stopped, though many had to wonder where all the water was coming from, or why the city did not flood. It was one of the many wonders of the world, and Beatrix was slowly leaving it. Burmecia was now a ghost town, void of any life, be it friendly or unfriendly. Now, there were only shadows, and the ghosts of those slain, and one severely-injured holy knight who at one point had not been so holy.

Despite the ever-cloudy sky, Beatrix knew that it was getting dark outside. Even as she left the city gates, she could see the dark cloak of night covering a large portion of the land ahead of her. She had only brought one tent with her, and a lunch box, and now she was both tired and hungry. First, Beatrix knew that she had to leave Burmecia territory. It would not do to sleep outside in the rain, so dry land had to be found first.

As Beatrix finally limped away from the soggy fields of Burmecia, thoughts of Freya entered her mind again. The first time she had seen the dragoon was in that rain-infested town; how ironic it was that this encounter led to a fight. The two fought again almost one hour later, and destiny saw to it that they had yet another encounter in an equally short amount of time.

Beatrix had to wonder how anybody could fight her three times in the span of three hours. They would have to have been a magnificent warrior, or else a stubborn one, for the holy knight was certainly no pushover. After all, she had been instructed by Atma. Then again, Freya had not been alone. There was Zidane, and of course that black mage, and on two occasions the royal cook was with them. Even Steiner had fought her--though tentatively. Even so, she had won all three times.

Nowadays, Beatrix knew why they fought so zealously, and how they could suffer through three battles with her and still walk away. She also knew that at that point, she had been the enemy--but no more. Now, she did everything in her power to make up for those mistakes, whether it was befriending those she fought, avenging Burmecia, or else dedicating herself to truth and justice.

Freya, she noted, was not usually the best person for her to befriend. Sure, she respected her power, but Beatrix couldn't help but notice that there was still some enmity left over in the dragoon's eyes. Perhaps old memories died hard, or maybe they were just resurfaced to haunt again. Beatrix respected and even trusted Freya to a degree, and it was likewise for the other, but it always seemed to end at that--a degree, and nothing more.

The bodyguard of the Queen sighed, and pushed those thoughts out of her head for the time being. She had all the time in the world to think about Freya and other matters, but now she needed to survive and rest. Eventually, she did leave the moist ground that surrounded Burmecia, and found a nice place to camp out.

Beatrix sighed, and inhaled the soggy, foggy air of the marshlands. This would be a bad place to hang around during wet or wintry seasons; thankfully, though, the air was quite warm and dry, and Beatrix would be able to rest without too much trouble. First she started a fire, and sat warming herself before pitching her tent.

A novice when it came to tents, Beatrix had taken one of the special "layman's tents" that would erect itself. All she needed to do was take it out of its sack and throw it on the ground, and a tent would emerge. It was small and very cramped, and quite expensive, but since Beatrix was in service to the Queen (and traveling by herself), she could manage.

Once the tent was up and the fire had started, Beatrix took her time in cooking her food. Most of what she had brought was non-perishable, such as oatmeal, soup, crackers, and dry pasta. She was the world's worst cook (in her own opinion), but not even Beatrix could foul up on these dishes. After filling herself on an unsatisfying meal of plain spaghetti, vegetable soup, and a roll of bread, Beatrix put out the fire and crawled inside her tent. For now, she would rest and recover her wounds, and in the morn, she would depart for Alexandria to report her success.

Sleep took over Beatrix's body, and in no time at all, she was paying audience to King Morpheus…

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It was raining, and it smelled like water and death inside the throne room. It did not stink at all--the smell of water was very delicious, like a fresh spring, and the smell of death was oh-so invigorating. There were great puddles everywhere, because it had been raining for some time, though not all the puddles contained water. In fact, some contained blood.

A knight ran forth to challenge her. She laughed; who was he kidding? How could he ever face her? But then, four more people entered the room. She, of course, recognized none of them, save for the fact that one looked like a soulless golem, another the royal cook, one was a human with a tail, and the fourth seemed native to those lands.

And in front of her Queen and the guest, she fought them. Or, to be more accurate, they challenged her. She didn't know why. Logically, there was really no reason. After all, she was just following orders. Besides, who could ever stand up to her? Nobody ever had, and nobody ever would. It would take more than these four insects to threaten her. But still, they fought.

The boy with the tail dashed forward, swinging a dagger with clumsy might. She yawned and easily stepped aside, but instead of missing, he scored a direct hit. The blade sunk in deep, nearly touching her stomach as it buried inside her body. He snarled, and dashed away to wait for his friends. The cook laughed as it bounced forth, and made her bleed as it smashed her head with its fork.

A fork, against her? Rubbish! It would take an army to topple her!

The little one waddled forward and chanted a spell that she knew well. She figured upon avoiding it with ease, but instead, it struck her hard, right on the injury she had received. An icy hand of frost and snow stabbed further into the wound, making it sing out in agony. She sang too, a wailing tune, and crouched on the ground. How was it that these four simpletons were defeating her? How could it even be possible?

The fourth, the native, flew high into the air. She did not see this native come down, but she did know that the native descended--after all, the spear she carried had almost impaled her. It slashed at her shoulder, nearly taking the entire arm with it. The knight crumbled, racked with injuries, and slowly began to bleed and vomit and cry.

"Humph!" snorted the Queen. "Good help is so hard to find these days!" She grumbled, and ordered the man in white to finish off the foursome. By some means, he defeated them, and carried the defeated knight in his arms as he retreated. She continued to bleed and cry, and couldn't help but wonder why she had been beaten.

"Who is that?" asked Beatrix. King Morpheus chuckled wisely.

"Come come now, my child! Do you not recognize her?"

"I fear that I do not," admitted Beatrix. Morpheus sighed, but kept his smile.

"Well, there is something else I must show you," he said. With a wave of his hand, Morpheus made the image of the wet city vanish, and in its place came a city where sand surrounded a tree in loving warm protection.

"I do not know this place," said Beatrix. Morpheus smiled, and looked into her eyes--both of them.

"You will."

There were now hundreds of golems around the tree, casting magic from their empty hands. Great flashes of fire and lightning ripped through the air; wind tore at people's bodies and shredded their skin; ice froze their hearts and their lungs. Above all the others stood the knight, still somewhat wounded from her battles.

Then she stole the crystal, and ran to bring it to her liege. Yes, with this crystal, she would be performing her duties… but again, those four figures emerged to do battle with her. This time, at least she understood their rage. After all, she had that crystal, and there were people dying even now.

The battle commenced, and the knight swore vengeance for what had happened an hour ago. She promised to skewer them all, and to hang their heads on pikes for all the world to see. But to her horror and shock, she found that she could not move, not even to avoid the blows dealt her. Again did the boy stab her, again did the cook smash her, again did the mage blast her, and again did the native slash at her body.

She crumbled and fell, and nearly died on that tree. The four of them smiled at their victory, and beat back the mages, but it was far too late. Through some strange possible means of escape, they left the tree of sand and climbed high into the clouds. One of the golems came and saved the knight, as if she were a helpless child, then the tree died.

Defeated, the knight limped to her Queen and presented the crystal.

"Humph!" snorted the royal one. "You're starting to disappoint me!"

"But, my liege…!"

"Enough of your excuses!" barked the Queen. "There are still two others! Walk it off, you pathetic excuse for a soldier!!" The knight sighed, knowing her liege was right as always, and limped away to recover.

"I do not know any of this," said Beatrix. King Morpheus sighed.

"I still have one more thing to show you, my dear." With a wave of his hand, the clouds and the sky vanished, and the sandy tree destroyed, and all images swam and swirled into the form of a castle. Beatrix paused, and scratched her head.

"I…"

"Do you remember now?" asked Morpheus. Beatrix sighed, and a large lump formed in her throat. Suddenly, everything started to make sense to her.

"Yes," she whispered. "This is Alexandria."

"And the knight?" asked Morpheus. Beatrix shuddered, and hung her head in shame.

"It is myself."

The knight came into the room, spying three of the four that had beaten her. They were all gathered around, but she didn't know why. She even recognized the Captain as one of them. She swore revenge yet again, and even though the boy with the tail stated that "we've heard that stuff before", she drove on and attacked them anyway.

This time, though, the knight put up a colossal fight. Never before had any warrior ever seen (or felt) such magnificence, such grace, such unbridled power. The sword sliced through the air as it crashed down on their bodies, her hips moved and twisted to dodge every blow, and their pitiful magic and techniques missed her by miles.

But even so, even as she fought harder than any human had ever fought, even as her strength became comparable to angels, she was unable to beat back these four weaklings. The magic became unbearably powerful--so strong it could have ripped the entire planet apart. The boy's puny dagger turned into a flaming sword, and he sliced through her body like a razor through butter.

The one she did not know--the native to the countries she had destroyed--fought even harder than she did. That great spear of hers crashed down like a tree against a gnat, and produced flaming sparks as it smashed upon her useless sword. Blood erupted in many places because of the spear, and even though the knight fought very well, in the end, she was impaled by the spear. A single thrust, and the whole entire weapon was protruding out of her body. The knight choked, coughed up saliva and blood, and fell down and died.

The one that had killed her showed no emotion at all--not happiness over victory, nor hate for the crimes committed, nor sadness for the losses suffered. She merely gazed down at the dead knight, two grassy-green eyes peeking behind a rosy-red hat and ghastly white hair. The boy with the tail checked to see if she was all right, but he was too late. She had died long ago.

"What… what is this?" whispered Beatrix. "Why are you showing me this?"

"Because, child, you might want to know what could have happened. This is just a possibility." Beatrix swallowed, and slowly nodded her head at King Morpheus' wisdom. Her stomach grew very cold, and she fell down to the misty floor in a pathetic heap. She began to cry.

"It's all right," whispered Morpheus gently. His kind hand began stroking her wood-colored hair. "It's all right, child. It's all in the past now. You have found redemption through your actions, and by suffering, you have purified yourself once again. It's all right." Morpheus took a breath, and whispered out a beautiful benediction in a language older than speech itself. It brought even more tears to Beatrix's eyes.

"Thank you… sir," was all she could say. Morpheus smiled, stroked her cheek, and gave her his blessing.

"Your dream is complete, child," he said. "Now, you must wake. You must wake, child, and present what you have seen to your friends. Go now, and be at peace with yourself." Beatrix smiled and shuddered slightly, and slowly began to leave the land of Slumbers. As she bade farewell to the King of Dreams, a brand new feeling of respect, admiration, and honor for Zidane and Freya arose in her heart.

Groaning out softly, Beatrix opened her eyes--and shut them rather quickly. The sun was just peeking over the horizon, and she was unfortunate enough to be directly in its way. As the bright light hit her eyes, she squinted and blocked out all rays. Taking a deep breath, she sat up, stretched, yawned, and greeted the day.

"What a strange dream that was," she muttered.

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The first thing that came to Beatrix's mind when she awoke, other than the fact that she had had a very peculiar and haunting dream that night, was that she was sore all over. As she sat up, her back whined out to her, so she plopped back down onto the bed and moaned softly. Lifting her arms to the sky, Beatrix discovered that they, too, had rebelled against her. Even her legs were starting to feel like needles of fire had been jabbed into them.

The bodyguard of the Queen sighed and almost laughed at her position. Here she was, Beatrix of Alexandria, slayer of countless enemies to the throne, protector of two generations of Queens, owner of Save the Queen, and she was suffering from post-battle cramps. Of course, the past year or so had more or less ushered in an era of peace, so there was hardly any reason to fight.

A foolish excuse, spat Beatrix, most of the scorn being aimed at herself. She knew full well that the ideal of Peace was as constant as a cloud, and that war could break out at any time or any day (in fact, it actually had). She knew that to be unprepared was a sin, and she was receiving her just reward for not using her body.

Still, Beatrix felt like she could have stayed in bed for a few more days. The threat in Burmecia was gone, and with the exception of Steiner and herself, Alexandria had plenty of protection in case an enemy decided to run amok. Technically, she could have stayed to rest up. But then, that ugly old hag called Duty reared its nasty head, and stared at Beatrix as if to convict her of some unseen crime.

"All right, I'm going," grumbled the knight to herself. Clenching her teeth, Beatrix tried to ignore the pain she felt as she stood, but it was like trying to ignore an elephant standing an arm's length away. Still, she managed to stand, and despite her moaning muscles, did some light aerobics in an effort to loosen them up.

Breakfast was quick, cold, and anything but delectable--but at least it was edible. After dressing into her traveling clothes, and making sure that Save the Queen was free from the blood and dirt she had subjected it to the other day, Beatrix left the tent and set about the long journey back to Alexandria. Hopefully, she could take the Dragon's Gate into Lindblum, and from there she would be able to rent an airship.

The morning was crisp and cold. The sun was slowly racing up in the sky, seemingly content to keep the world cold for a few minutes more. Mist and fog hung in the air--thankfully, though, this was natural stuff, not the byproduct of the Iifa Tree. It could still be harmful, though: the freezing morning, added into the chilling mist, made the early day not very pleasant. And poor Beatrix, who had anticipated a heat wave or two, had worn light clothes.

Cold aside, Beatrix also noted that she needed to shower, badly. Her body had been drenched with sweat from the fight, and there were still a few clumps of dirt and noticeable bruises on her body. Many scars adorned her pretty features, and sleeping in a stuffy tent in the middle of a marshland certainly didn't help any. But complain she did not--instead, Beatrix began counting her blessings to pass the time.

1: I am still alive.

2: I am not very hungry.

3: I have clothes on my back and a sword at my side.

4: I am victorious.

5: Alexandria is not far away.

6: …?

Getting past Five really was a challenge, so Beatrix pushed that activity aside and concentrated on hiking towards Lindblum. From her reckoning, the chocobo ride did not take too terribly long, but on foot, she would be lucky to make it there before midnight. Besides, there were still monsters that roamed these fields, and if Beatrix was lucky, she might run into only a few. She did not want to fight many, not in her present condition.

Oftentimes, God has a sense of humor; people usually just don't get the joke. In this case, a small pack of starving wolves closed in on Beatrix as she approached the Qu Marsh. With a groan, she yanked her sword out of its sheath and prepared to do battle.

"I don't need this," she mumbled. One wolf dashed forward, fangs bared and salivating heavily. Beatrix sighed, pitying the poor mongrel as it approached her. Lazily, almost in irritation, she stepped aside and cleaved at it as it dashed onward. To say that it lived would be a lie.

Its three companions, dumb to the fact that one among them was… no longer among them, raced in and began exacting revenge. Beatrix groaned, and shook her head as the weak little puppies tried to bite at her. Even in her condition, Beatrix was more than a match for the wolves, and with a flip, a very deft slice, and a few bloody hacks and slashes here and there, the animals joined their comrade and let Beatrix pass.

"Fools," she muttered. "You could have at least posed a threat to me…"

Oftentimes, God has a sense of humor, but He will also grant the most unexpected wishes. Case in point: Beatrix. No sooner had she beaten back the wolves did a much larger and much more dangerous threat enter into her life. A nasty hydra soon slithered from out of the marsh, and roared at her fiercely with its nine heads. Beatrix growled, and cursed herself for her wish.

The hydra immediately lost one head as Beatrix dashed forward, but two more made up for the loss by biting at her arms. Fierce, rocky teeth dug into her arm, creating a noticeable bite mark that might have been much more fatal in any other circumstance. Beatrix cried out in pain, but let her tears fall where they may and stepped forth to avenge her loss. The nine-headed hydra soon found itself having only six, and despite the flames that a few heads breathed, two more found themselves on the floor.

Beatrix knew full well that hydras regenerated their heads after a time, and that one of their heads were indestructible. But she had killed plenty of their species before, so it wasn't like she would be unable to win. Still, the vicious bite she had received was growing worse, and Beatrix's vision began to get fuzzy and blurred. She staggered about like a Treno drunk, and almost puked out what little food she had eaten. She realized with dreaded horror that she had been poisoned.

Idiot, idiot, idiot! Why didn't you… didn't you… bring… antitoxin… wiffo… with you… fool… now you're… in mess… ome kni… t you a… re… Some knight you are…

Beatrix groaned, and fell to the ground in a sick heap. She would not keep her health forever, and unless she prepared a magical antidote herself, the hydra (or what was left of it) would definitely have her for supper. But she was also still sore, and using a Cure spell and an Esuna spell would cost her precious time and energy. Beatrix moaned as her stomach felt queasy, and her lungs burned, and her arm began to tingle, and darkness almost claimed her.

Ha… what a way to go… After all I just did, to be killed by a measly hydra! Ha!

Fate, it seemed, was not too fond of Beatrix, and she collapsed on the ground in an unresponsive heap.

Beatrix didn't know what Heaven would be like (or Hell, for that matter), but she was certain that it didn't smell like boiling lizards. The smell entered into her nose and knocked rudely on the door of her stomach, and a grumbling sound caused the knight to slowly open her eyes and wake. The first thing she noted, after a terrible wave of pain bit at her arm, was that she still lived.

And there was something cooking in the room. Steadily, Beatrix sat up and whiffed at the air with her nose. The smell excited her, and the aroma of a thousand spices and herbs filled her glands and made her stomach sing out in rapture. Something else was singing in the room, and from the sound, whatever was singing was completely tone-deaf.

"Dum ba dee ba dum ba dum…" Beatrix groaned, and rubbed her eyes as she took in her surroundings. A small fire was in the corner, keeping a kettle warm and toasty (which was probably where the food smell was coming from). The place where she was in had primitive wooden planks for walls, and smelled of mud and water and frogs and reeds. Beatrix sighed and laid back into her bed as she realized that she was in the house of a Qu.

"I wonder if you awake yet?" came a voice from somewhere in the house. Beatrix pursed her lips, and hoped against hope that the voice belonged to either Quina or Quale, or at least somebody friendly. The speaker entered the room, still humming, and noticed that Beatrix's eyes were open. Indeed, it was a Qu, albeit a very excitable one.

"Goody-goody!" it sang. "You wake up at last! I not know when you wake up! You worry-worry me!" Beatrix let out some air, and said the very first thing that came to her mind.

"Who are you?"

"I sorry," sighed the Qu. "I forget you not awake when I find. I not introduce myself yet, is very-very rude!" The Qu stepped forward, and extended a pudgy, pale hand in Beatrix's direction. "Am Quban," it said. Beatrix nodded her head and shook the Qu's hand.

"I am Beatrix of Alexandria," she said.

"Oh, Alexandria! Is very-very far away!" exclaimed Quban. "Tell-tell, how you get out here?"

"Oh, it's a long story," sighed Beatrix. "I'm sure you'd rather not hear it. But please, tell me, what am I doing here?"

"Ah, is long story as well," replied Quban softly. "Maybe you not want to hear?"

"Touché," grumbled Beatrix sourly. "Okay, to sum it all up, I was sent to Burmecia to liberate it from monsters." The Qu smiled, and nodded its head happily.

"Ah, is very brave of you, Beatrix! Many-many monsters in that area! Spoil Quban's cooking sometimes, so very-very mad. But now I very-very happy!" Beatrix managed a smile, and nodded her head.

"Right. Now please, tell me how I came to be here."

"Like I said, is long story," pointed Quban. "But I try make short. See, I wander outside to look for frogs and eels for special stew, but find nothing. I hear fighting, so came to look. Found you and monster fighting, but scared at first. Monster very-very scary! You hurt monster, monster hurt you, then I see you fall down. I want help, so I fight monster! I was very-very brave!"

"I see," said Beatrix, her smile growing larger. "That does sound brave. So, I can assume that you either killed it, or escaped."

"I no run," insisted Quban. "I kill monster! I take you into house after, find cure for poison. You very sick, but no problem to cure you. You been asleep many-many hours since!"

"I see," said Beatrix again. She swallowed, and gingerly touched her arm. It still stung like all get-out, but at least the bleeding had stopped, and the scars healed. A bandage had been wrapped around it, as well as a few other scars on her body.

"So you've been taking care of me?"

"Yes-yes," said Quban. "You very easy patient! I great doctor in these parts, but not good cook. Hope you like hydra stew; is my specialty."

"Hydra stew?" repeated the knight. She made a very disgusted face, and almost vomited again. "You mean… you… cooked the hydra?"

"Yes-yes!" sang Quban proudly. "Hydra very-very good dish! You try sometime! I not good cook, but hydra very-very easy to make!" Sighing, Beatrix shook her head in defeat. It did smell good, and she was so hungry she could have eaten her own sword.

"I guess it's better than starving," she grumbled. Quban smiled happily, and nodded its head about 62,348 times.

"Yes-yes!" it sang. "Is much, much, much better than starving! But not ready yet, so rest for awhile. I tend to other wounds, make sure you okay. Okay?"

"Sure," shrugged Beatrix. Quban smiled and exited the room, leaving Beatrix to lie on her bed in weak wonder. So, I have eluded death yet again, she sighed to herself. Fancy that. And saved by a Qu, no less! Well, I shall definitely have to repay it sometime. But in the meantime, I will rest. Still haven't gotten over those cramps…

"Try! Try!" With Quban leering over her happily, Beatrix prepared her mouth for the punishment she was about to give it. Starvation, she noted, was a very wrong concept, but if she didn't get anything to eat, she'd die. Taking in a deep breath, Beatrix made a face and forced the spoonful of hydra stew into her mouth.

"Well?" asked Quban. "You like?" Beatrix groaned, but suddenly her disgusted features turned into joy, and she smiled as she swallowed the stew.

"Delicious!" she sang. "Why, this is even better than piecea! I can't believe it!"

"Told you!" chortled Quban. "I told you! Hydra stew very easy and very delicious! Have all you want; I eat later." Beatrix smiled and thanked the Qu for its hospitality, and slowly began to eat at the delicious stew. Her hunger left her immediately, and a brief boost of power surged through her body as the food became digested. With energy anew, she sighed in contentment and stretched her healing limbs.

"So, Dr. Quban," she began, "when do you think I'll be able to go back to Alexandria?"

"I not know," came Quban's voice. The Qu took Beatrix's empty bowl and asked if she wanted more stew. She declined, so s/he spooned up a bowl for itself. "I know you very easy patient," continued the Qu as it left the room. "Is like watching grass grow, but you more fun."

"Thanks," smiled Beatrix. She sighed, and ran a hand over most of her body. The scars, she noted, had healed considerably since the last time she checked. It was now early morning, so Beatrix could surmise that she had been asleep for most of the previous day. Hydra stew was normally not her first choice for breakfast, but it certainly hit the spot.

"Oh, Dr. Quban?"

"Yes?"

"Would it be possible for me to take a shower?" A short pause.

"Maybe-maybe. If you need to wash, take dip in lake. Very cold, so make sure you have fire ready." Beatrix grumbled to herself at the idea of bathing in a Qu marsh lake. She had seen what kind of creatures lived in those "lakes", and how clean the waters really were. She wasn't sure whether the dip would help or harm her--but it was better than festering around all day.

"All right," she said. "I'm going to take a bath now, I guess. Thank you for your hospitality."

"Wait-wait!" shouted Quban. S/he rushed back into the room, a ladle in one hand and a squirming snake in the other. "You leave so soon? I not know if you okay! I need examine you, make sure you okay!" Beatrix's fair face turned pale as milk as the idea of a Qu examining her naked body entered her mind. Technically, Qus were genderless creatures, although sometimes a definite male or female could be found in the mix. If Quban had been one of those rare genders, Beatrix hoped that s/he was the more feminine type.

"All right, I guess," she sighed wearily. Quban nodded its head fiercely.

"No worry-worry," s/he assured. "I see many-many people go by here! Many ask for my help, so I know… well, you know!" Beatrix grumbled and managed a false smile, and tentatively began to undress. Quban sighed to itself and nodded its head several times as it briefly examined Beatrix's body.

"You doing well," s/he said. "Scars healing very-very fast. I good doctor, so this not hard. You be okay soon. Take bath, then come back for lunch, okay?"

"All right." Beatrix performed a salute, but smiled sheepishly as her fist covered her heart. "Sorry, old habits die hard."

"Is no problem," assured Quban. "Go take bath, come back for lunch."

True to Quban's warning, the bath was cold--or to be more precise, it was like swimming in liquid ice. The fact that Beatrix had jumped into the pool with nothing but her eye patch on made things even worse. She dunked her head in once, and leaped out as soon as possible. A weak fire rested just off the shore, and it was here where Beatrix warmed and dried herself.

Returning to Quban's house was like stepping inside an oven after spending an hour in Esto Gaza. Beatrix moaned with relief, and plopped down on her bed after stepping in. Her hair was still matted down to the side, but after a trip to the cooking-flame, it dried up considerably and pneumonia escaped her.

Speaking of cooking, lunch consisted of snake soup, which Beatrix also found herself enjoying. After lunch, Quban gave her another thorough examination. By now, the bruises on her body were almost invisible, and the scars had faded into her skin. Even the tooth marks made by the hydra were almost gone. Beatrix sighed, and smiled as she approved of her health. One more day passed before she was completely recovered.

"Dr. Quban?"

"Yes?" Beatrix smiled, and hefted the small bag of provisions. Inside were all the essentials she would need, including several vials of antitoxin, tonic, and ether.

"I'm ready to leave now."

"I see, I see!" said Quban. S/he smiled, and stepped forth to shake Beatrix's hands. "You good friend! Come by and see Quban again! I make you special frog steak!"

"I will," smiled Beatrix. She saluted him boldly, unsure as to how she should thank the Qu. After all, s/he had not only saved her life, but s/he had also fed her, healed her, and even befriended her. Beatrix wished that she could have stayed longer and perhaps repay Quban, but she did have her duties to think about. Waving good-bye silently, Beatrix left Quban's house and the marsh, and resumed her journey towards Lindblum with a healthy mind, body, and heart.

To be continued…