Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Visions of Peace ❯ Dawn of a New World ( Chapter 3 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

The Third Chapter - Dawn of a New World

They were well ordered; line upon line, rank upon rank of gleaming military prowess. A small sample of the might of the Imperial Army, one rarely gathered such numbers in public since the disastrous display of might before striking Doma. Soldiers in shining armor, freshly polished to sparkle under city lights, were arrayed into neat squadrons. Their chain shirts shone beneath leather vests, clean-shaven faces underneath helmets that had been scrubbed a dozen times in order to remove the battle-grunge. These men stood tall and attentive, ready to die at the command of their General.

Danielle kept herself from smiling too broadly. It would do no good for her troops to see that she was actually content. Let them sweat; nothing caused more grief than imagined inadequacies.

General Danielle Meras prided nothing more than efficiency. Tradition should hold no sway in the army, especially in the life or death situations that so often plagued them. To that end she was dressed in a traveler's cloak, clean but tarnished from heavy use. Her boots were wiped but unpolished. Brown hair that barely reached her shoulders was hidden beneath a simple green hat. Neither cape nor decorative medals adorned her. For any other high-ranking officer it was unthinkable, especially a General. For Danielle Meras, it was to be expected.

Her heels clicked together as she came to a halt. She spun to the side, her aide already holding out a small notepad for her. A slight motion of her head was all that was necessary to dismiss the assistant before she turned her attention to the second highest ranking officer in their midst.

"Major," she said in a crisp voice.

"General," Major Terrance Cassidy addressed her respectfully, disregarding her distaste of ceremony. In his heart, she had always been his General. Their sole commander; not Palazzo, not Christophe, not even Gestahl could override her orders. There was not a man under her command that did not share that sentiment. She sent them off to die, and they loved her ever more for it.

"Deploy."

Her word was final, her orders unquestionable. His fist pounded against the metal guarding his heart. "For the glory of the Empire!" he shouted proudly.

"For the glory of the Empire!" returned the cheer of three-thousand soldiers.

Terrance turned to the regiment that stood before them.

"Move out!" he shouted.

A small regiment of her army, truly hers in the days that had recently passed, marched their way north. Those standing guard at their posts watched as three thousand men, nearly a third of those on chocobos, began their journey. Squadron upon squadron, their rhythmic footsteps stormed past the outermost sentries of Tzen. It was grand gesture of power, one that might have been used to quell rebellions in the past. Yet these dark days had changed many an outlook. Where they might have once recoiled in fear, it was now a heartwarming sight.

Refugees that gathered around the city stopped in their tracks, their eyes wide in a mixture of admiration and relief, to watch the army leave. Men and women alike backed away as chocobos charged past. They had all come to Tzen for protection and now they saw a small sample of that protection, offered under the Imperial flag. The cavalry was in the lead of the formation, torches flying high in order to provide better lighting for those that followed. Foot soldiers, banners held high, marched proudly forth. Their boots met the cobblestone roads with drilled precision; each ordered rank filing past the disordered peasants without as much as a glance. That disregard was reciprocated by the hushed audience; all eyes were focused in the center. The foot soldiers were mere protective fodder for the true might of the Imperial Army.

Magitek armors, five hundred strong in ordered formations of five, strode in the center of that great formation. They were huge beasts whose footsteps thundered throughout the land, their sheer size dwarfing even guard houses. White light shone from each machination, lighting the path far better than the torches of the cavalry. Their black metal bodies blended in with the nightly shadows that covered the world, but sharp metal claws on each arm glistened in the presence of light. In battle, those floodlights would be turned off. For now, they served their psychological purpose.

Danielle watched it all until they were too far to see, hidden beyond the veil of darkness. It was proper for her to watch them head north. She had sent her men to bring order to those mountainous villages; too far away to flee to Tzen yet too close to ignore. All things considered, it was the only proper thing to do. The problem of monsters could not be ignored.

"Danielle."

She turned to face Colonel Farin Starson, one of the few that dared address her by her first name. He was almost similar to the General in his regard for ceremony. His cloak matched her simple style but he wore no hat. His hair was flat at the top, a buzz cut that was reminiscent of his late mentor. He didn't show any signs of exertion, though Danielle could tell by his clothes that he had run here.

"What is it?" she asked as she began to walk back. There were many other responsibilities to handle and standing around the city perimeter would not get those tasks finished.

Farin followed Danielle through the darkened streets of Tzen. The two men that were with them were handpicked -- her personal guards. They were accustomed to listening to the General's conversations, some highly classified, and were more than capable of keeping silent.

"We've verified the commands of the House of Lords and General Caleigh," he said.

Danielle knew Farin's style. He would never personally report such dribble unless it both shocking and important. "Who?" she asked. She cut straight to the point, depriving Farin of the little joy he had in reporting such matters.

Farin paused for a moment. He did not recall the name immediately, although he should have predicted that Danielle would see through his game instantly. "Anson Tilton," he replied at last.

Danielle frowned. "Him?" she asked in an incredulous voice. She was not one to often show surprise, but she was both amongst trusted friends and truly thrown off by this development. "He's a popular one," she murmured.

"Indeed. I would have thought the House too cowardly but this is an ingenious move," Farin remarked. "There is something else though."

"Lilienthal," Danielle scowled.

"Outside Maley's Point. Caleigh's not backing down. My men could barely believe what followed."

Danielle could only shake her head in wonder. "Then it's official," she mused.

"We already assumed as much, but yes, I guess it is official now," Farin replied. The four soldiers halted. The alleyway they had made their way through had opened up into the street and Danielle rarely drew attention to herself by interrupting traffic. The streets were busy even with the dark clouds above. Businesses did not grind to a halt; there was money to be made in dangerous times. The city lights made sure that everyone could work normally and the people did their best to pretend everything was fine in the world. "It took less than ten days," Farin mused quietly.

"Ten days? No, this has been brewing for months now," Danielle answered equally quietly. "This will be much less bloody than I had originally predicted. I suppose the Espers could be thanked for that, though I wouldn't admit that to anyone else," she gave Farin a meaningful glance.

"We were fortunate to have been delayed in the Mansfield, or else we would have also been in Vector during the disaster," Farin reminded her.

"I doubt it was happenstance. Either way, it's fortunate that Cassidy just left for the north," she said quietly. "While having a Cassidy would bolster our credibility, he and his men are too green." Danielle didn't need to state such things; Farin had already considered it and would have alerted her beforehand if it was crucial. The Colonel was quite reliable in that regard.

Farin nodded his agreement. "I'll take a division to the Gap," he stated.

Danielle narrowed her eyes. Those brown globes stared at Farin, as if by her will alone, she could discern the reasoning behind his sudden and strange statement. It was her place to command, not his.

They crossed the street now that the chocobo-drawn traffic had died down. Civilians gave them wide-berth despite not knowing who they were. They always avoided soldiers. Lack of visible rank was meaningless to them. They were always afraid of the army. Old grudges died hard in the city, and there was still the matter of martial law. Unlike the refugees outside, these citizens did not live in constant fear of the monster hoards. They continued their ignorant existence while maintaining a certain disdain for the men that protected them.

The four soldiers continued their way to the mansion that served as their headquarters. The busy sidewalks cleared a path for them.

"You're out line Colonel. Major-General Layton will be in overall command," Danielle answered after much deliberation. She watched his eyes for any sign of disappointment. If there had been any, he hid it well. She clicked her tongue while her mind scanned all the possibilities. "Go to Ethelben and alert Brigadier Keigwin. You will take command of the 22nd Division there. Do not disappoint me," she warned. Her voice was deadly calm, but the threat was no less potent.

"For the glory of the Empire," Farin stood tall and saluted, pounding the leather armor over his heart with great force. Danielle gave a slight nod of her head and then Farin turned back down the alleyway.

Danielle addressed her silent guards but never slowed down her pace. "Baldric," she directed at one. "Send the pigeons to Albrook and Maranda."

The stone-faced man nodded. The order was ambiguous but he knew his job. He only had to free the birds and they would deliver the news clutched in their talons. The letters were written well in advance for a situation like this.

After all, one did not go to war on a whim.

-=-

They ate dinner in silence. The day had not gone well and despite the possibility that the sky would finally clear up, no one could shed the sadness that gripped their hearts.

Edgar had verified their bearings. The rays of light had streamed through the cloud cover had been extremely weak, but with the entire day and little else to do, Edgar had figured it out.

The good news was that they did not waste the past ten days.

The bad news was that they had to cross the mountains ahead of them.

In the most ironic of ways, both Edgar and Locke had been right. They had been going the right way, except the right way was towards the mountains and into the highlands. Setzer had been an extremely skillful pilot and that skill might have cost him his life. The Blackjack had managed to fly past the Tzen mountain range and ended up sea-side. After all, they had been trying to shake off the Imperial Air Force and make their way back to Figaro. There was no way to reach Edgar's kingdom without crossing those heights.

Now those very same mountains stood in their way. The peaks were far too high and they were far too ill-equipped to attempt a climb. Yet Tzen was across those mountains. To turn northward and reach the ocean would take about two weeks and then another three weeks more in order to go all the way around. They could possibly cut two weeks off that route if they found chocobos. But that was not an option, they couldn't fight off Imperial troops if they got stopped and identified.

An outcropping of rock near the base of the mountain served as their camp. Sheltered safely beneath a ridge, they spent the night in restless slumber.

The next day was one of many trials. The clouds had grown thick again and what little light was available the day before was snuffed out. An unnatural mist had settled close to the ground. Simply seeing no more than ten paces ahead was now a difficulty.

There was also the matter of Setzer's deteriorating health. Even had the mountains been leveled and grassy plains replaced them, they estimated no less than a week's journey before they reached Tzen.

Marcus proposed the only possible solution. They would split up and scout the mountains for a trail of some sort. It was dangerous but also their best chance of finding a way through. Terra and Relm would stay at the campsite and do what they could for Setzer. Cyan would stay with them for their protection.

Despite the audacity of Marcus, who had proposed his plan much like he would give orders to subordinates, there was no dissention. They formed the two scouting parties quickly. Edgar, Sabin and Siana would be one group. The other was Marcus and Locke. These were the best teams they could create. Marcus had the best knowledge of the area while Sabin was the most familiar with mountains in general. The two men would lead their respective groups and hopefully forge a path through the lofty peaks.

-=-

It took them three days to find it. They scouted the mountains practically blind from the combination of fog and shadows. At any other time, they would have been ridiculed as lunatics. Instead, it was a courageous and heroic effort born of desperation.

Setzer was still alive, but his life hung by a thread. Terra had strained her abilities trying to save him. Some malady had afflicted Setzer, one that was not of his visible injuries. His heart was weak despite the gambler's fantastic physical health.

"I don't understand it," Terra crumpled on the ground. Sweat dripped off her brows from the repeated but futile efforts.

"He's very weak," Relm noted. "I guess we're just not powerful enough to pull him back."

Terra shook her head. "It's not that though, it feels like there's some kind of wall blocking me... blocking us," she picked up a pebble and tossed it in frustration. "Don't you feel the same way, Relm?"

Relm shook her head.

"Sometimes it's so close... I can feel the spell form at my fingertips. Then suddenly it just slips away without reason," Terra looked for another stone to throw; the first hadn't gone very far. "It's not as if I can't keep up with the spell's needs, I just..." her second stone flew deep into the mists.

"It's alright Terra, you'll find a way," Locke piped up. He finished his meal-in-a-can, their name for the Imperial rations, and put it aside. "We all trust you," he gave her a meaningful look.

Terra felt uncomfortable and turned away. "Maybe I was right the first time. Perhaps something it's a malady of the mind taking advantage of his sudden weakness. I don't know what could do it, but it could be possible," she mumbled.

Their rations were running low. What little they gathered from the forests before had long since been eaten. Now they faced the prospect of starvation within the week and had already begun cutting back. At least their water skins and bottles were full. They had filled everything that was water-tight at the river. It would soon be time to leave.

"What do you think of it?" Sabin asked.

Sabin had been the one to find the trail. It was overgrown but the marks on the ground showed that once, long ago, the trail had been in heavy use. It had been difficult to find because the highland ground was rocky and left hardly any impressions, regardless of how much traffic had gone by. Sabin's experience from living in the Kolt Mountains had been the only reason why they even found the chocobo markings.

It was the first thing that had gone right since they fixed Marcus' leg.

"I think it's an old trail, but these markings show recent use," the Captain said. He knelt down to examine the markings closer. "Maybe a month ago," he declared.

Sabin nodded his agreement. "I think it'll lead through the mountains. Chocobos can't fly or jump across chasms."

"Yes. As well... these black marks here," Marcus brushed aside a few weeds, showing the dark trails to Sabin. "They're old, but I think they're tire tracks."

Sabin looked at him quizzically. "It could have been anything," he said with a frown. "But if they were wheels, then that means the chocobos were pulling wagons."

"That makes sense. This could be an old trail that once fed the old mines around Tzen," Marcus mumbled.

"Old mines?"

"In the past, the Empire used to have quite a couple settlements deep in the Tzen Mountains," Marcus pointed south, but all Sabin could see was fog. "They were mostly on the southern-side, but some came up this far in order to search for treasures hidden in the caverns. A couple of those settlements mined for metals; gold and silver mostly," Marcus answered as he stood back up.

"I wonder why we haven't seen anything of the sort," Edgar mused. He stayed back and let the experts do their job.

"The settlements were abandoned a couple years ago by Imperial orders. I'm not sure why, really," Marcus answered. "It was a pretty strange order at the time, since some of the mines were bustling with business. The gold found here was of the highest quality, better than the mines in Rian or Fanshaw. It was soft and delicate, with high luster and polishable to a brilliant shine. There was high demand back in the capital."

"You know quite a bit, I thought you were just an officer, not a connoisseur of precious metals. Or is metallurgy also a part of the Imperial Special Forces education, along with military politics?" Edgar smirked. He was joking, but the questions were always on his mind.

Marcus had a distant look on his face. "I was stationed around here back in those days. There was always the problem of monster infestations harassing the settlements and we were the solution."

Edgar noted the artful dodge. "Alright, so do we follow this or not?"

"Of course we do. The Captain already said it leads through the mountains," Siana grumbled. "Discussion is a waste of time."

"Marcus could be wrong," Sabin snapped to Edgar's surprise. "Not everything he says is gospel."

Siana glared at Sabin and took a step forward aggressively. The height difference between the two made the situation almost comical. Edgar mentally sighed. Imperials... "Alright," he tried to sound decisive. He put a hand on his brother's shoulder. "Let's head back and tell the girls the good news."

-=-

Everyone was busy packing up their belongings and making sure they had the supplies necessary to continue their journey. The campsite they had stayed at for the past three days had treated them well; it had fresh water, some berries and other small fruits. Now it was time to prepare for a grueling march through the mountains of Tzen.

Edgar, being one-armed, had little to do and finished early. He sat down on an outcropping of rock that, two nights ago, Locke had declared his thinking stone. It would have offered a fantastic view of the crater they had passed, but the fog made that impossible and instead there was a wall of white mist. Far below, Edgar could hear the rumbling of water. It was quite relaxing; Edgar could see why Locke had decided to take all his watches here.

The King of Figaro took a deep breath. It was time to think unpleasant thoughts.

Edgar knew how long it would take them to get through the mountains. Setzer would not survive it, he was almost sure of that. The gambler's health was steadily getting worse. The man needed to be in an infirmary sleeping away his coma with nurses attending him. Instead, he was being carted around the mountainside in a makeshift litter.

Not that they could simply leave Setzer behind. As much as Edgar wanted to entertain the possibility, not everyone shared his distrust of the gambler.

Trust... Edgar frowned. Cyan had recounted their encounter with Gestahl and Kefka. It had appeared that Celes still had feelings for Gestahl. Had it not been for her immense hatred of Kefka, would she have betrayed them?

"King Edgar."

Edgar turned around. "Marcus, my fellow one-armed friend," he held out his hand. "Take a seat on the thinking rock, there's not much for men like us to do."

Marcus sat down. His legs hung off the side of the outcropping, perilously close to the edge. "Nice place. It's relaxing."

Edgar murmured his agreement and lapsed back into his thoughts. The two men rested in the peaceful silence.

Sometime later, Edgar turned to the Imperial Captain. "You know, I have a question for you."

"As long as it's an actual question and not an attempt to lead my train of thought," Marcus replied. He stared out into the wall of mist. "I would prefer silence than another lecture."

Edgar grinned. "No, this is just to satisfy my curiosity."

"Very well, ask."

"There's a rumor, one that I never verified. I was told that Celes torched Maranda."

Marcus's look darkened. "The General is likely dead in her attempt to rid the world of Palazzo. Why should we tarnish her memory with these rumors?"

"So the answer is yes?" Edgar pressed.

"That information is classified," Marcus responded.

"You're not exactly Imperial Special Forces anymore," Edgar pointed out.

"But you're still the King of Figaro, a kingdom that my country is at war with. I have had enough of this discussion," Marcus stood up.

"So she did. I feared as much," Edgar said softly as he turned towards Marcus. He was surprised to see that Sabin and Siana had shown up. The look on Sabin's face was dangerous. Edgar realized his brother had probably heard the entire discussion.

"Captain," Siana shot an angry glare at Edgar. "We're ready to leave."

Marcus ignored her. "King Edgar, you should know that until you wear her shoes, you should never judge hard decisions like that. Insulting her honor like this is something that is far below your stat-"

"Very good," Sabin interrupted. "Don't judge your superiors; they probably have a good reason. Just follow orders even if they're to murder children, right? After all, your General has to have a good reason."

"Everything is done for a good reason," Siana retorted.

"So you'll just trust your superiors blindly? What happened to your own morals?" Sabin growled

"Soldiers on the front can't see the big picture," Siana defended. "We have to trust the men that lead us."

"Even when killing children."

"That's ridiculous. The Army has never killed children. No one would do such a terrible thing."

"No? I suppose poison isn't killing?" Sabin sneered.

Siana's face went red.

Edgar felt goosebumps down his back. He had forgotten what his brother had seen in Doma. When the Emperor had invited Edgar to dine in Vector, he had discussed the poisoning of Castle Doma. Many within the Imperial ranks had reacted with total disgust, treating the topic as something akin to a low blow. They had already distanced themselves from Kefka's actions. Edgar could see the same reaction in both Marcus and Siana. He tried to think of something to say before the situation became ugly. The air was thick with tension and Edgar was afraid the conversation would come to blows.

"Are you seriously suggesting Celes is anything like Palazzo?" Marcus put his hand on Siana's shoulder and put himself between her and Sabin. "That's an idiotic statement and you know it. She fought and bled beside you, fighting for your ideals and-"

"She fought for her own ideals," the deep authoritative voice of Cyan cut through the air. He stood on the path leading back to the camp with his arms folded. "And you're right Captain," he said with contempt. "She always fought and bled beside us, but never with us." His words reminded everyone of Celes actions in the Magitek Factory, in Thamasa, and on the Floating Continent. Like his blade on the battlefield, Cyan had defeated his opponents with a single blow.

Marcus was silenced, but he shook with rage at how people were disrespecting the memory of his dead general. Siana had retreated behind her Captain. Sabin had relaxed and gave his friend a respectful nod.

Cyan turned away from them. "We have been ready to leave for a while. Let us go."

-=-

Following the chocobo path was demanding. It took the combined skills of Edgar, Locke and Marcus to keep them on the path. Marcus was quite used to the area thanks to his previous experiences. He caught on to many places where the trees had been marked by careless drivers, or the weeds and grasses seemed to have been parted aside. At times, the trail would pass vast stretches of hard rock and took hours to pick up again. Fortunately, Locke's sharp eyes allowed him to pick up on what Edgar and Marcus could not in the expanses of smooth bedrock. Other times the route was plainly visible. It climbed sharply in some places, making it all but impossible for Sabin and Cyan to safely carry the litter through. They were walled in on both sides by jagged ridges and rocky hillsides. The woods around them grew ever thicker, the darkness making it next to impossible to make out sudden turns that the path took. As mist drifted in and settled inches above the ground, Edgar took over. He had a strange instinct for knowing how the trail would twist and turn. He could predict the sudden detour around dangerous pitfalls hidden by the mist. A couple times they nearly fell as a group because of sudden drops but were saved by his premonitions.

The worse came when the trail disappeared and each man arrived at a different conclusion. They shouted and argued louder than safe to; Locke and Edgar had not been getting along well and the addition of Marcus and the ever-faithful Siana led to some very heated exchanges. Twice Sabin had lowered the litter and pitched his own opinion, and Cyan had even stepped in to break up an argument because the profanity was too much for Relm. Their work as team should have smoothed over ruffled feathers from the argument earlier in the day, but instead disagreement had only made things more difficult. Sabin and Marcus were at each other's throats, Edgar found himself cursing Locke repeatedly, and things had gotten really ugly when Cyan stepped in. Only the girls had managed to avoid arguing. Edgar could understand why Terra and Relm weren't involved, but for Siana to break her habit of defending Marcus, that was truly strange. Confronted with such evidence, Edgar had no choice but to admit it must have been some sort of male competition.

Still, if it were not for the three dedicated men in front, they would have lost the trail and ended up stranded well before the end of the first night.

They camped in the gloomy woods. The fog covered them like a blanket and not even the campfire could drive it away.

Edgar sat, leaning against a cold rock, huddling in the freezing woods. The tattered remains of a cloak were wrapped tightly around him as he counted the seconds before his watch would end. He glared at Locke's back. It had been years since anyone had gotten under his skin so effectively. Edgar reproved himself. It wasn't Locke's fault, they were all getting frustrated and everything had worked out in the end, hadn't it? Edgar was a diplomat; he could handle a glorified thief.

So why was he so angry?

Locke threw another log onto the campfire, now burning weakly from neglect. He didn't even make eye-contact with Edgar.

Shaking his head and standing up, Edgar walked over to wake Cyan and Marcus. Cyan woke up with a quick jab, his eyes focusing quickly on the King. Edgar turned to Marcus, who took a couple shakes before he woke.

Edgar went to sleep, listening to the sound of running water nearby. He wondered if it was just his imagination, as he did not hear the sound during his watch. The peaceful sound lulled him into a deep sleep and the next day came faster than Edgar wished.

It was not just a dream though. They came upon the rapids, its waters thick with the black tar, only an hour from their campsite. The chocobo trail led to a single wooden bridge, one that looked old and rotten. Edgar noticed that there was something strange in the way it swayed. He held up his hand to stop the party from crossing.

Locke had the same thoughts in his mind as he checked the supports of the bridge.

The two men had taken over scouting for the path. Marcus looked extremely tired and had contributed little over the past hour. He had been in the lead and missed a couple obvious signs when the path forked. Even stranger, Marcus didn't make excuses as he would have the previous day. Edgar and Locke had decided to pick up the slack and let the Captain rest.

"Looks like the supports are chewed up; I don't think it could bear the weight of a chocobo. There's been too much water from the rapids. It's been splashing at it constantly and speeding up the rot," Locke analyzed.

Edgar nodded. "Considering the massive explosions we saw, the rapids are probably stronger than they should be. Entire mountains were removed by those blasts and the firestorms consumed all the vegetation." He was glad that they were talking again as friends.

Locke whispered a few words under his breath. Yellow light tipped his fingers as he enchanted himself.

"Right, you can float us across the bridge," Edgar remembered.

Locke nodded as he continued to cast his spells. They were sparkles of magic that affected the weight of a person so that he could almost glide through the air. He had used it before to safely land on the Blackjack, saving him and Terra the great deal of pain that everyone else felt from the landing. Now he used it again so that they could cross the bridge with relative ease.

Edgar felt a little dazed. The magic was a spinning sensation and his balance appeared to be a bit off. However, he did feel lighter.

He walked across the bridge without it collapsing. The magical disturbance faded away as he waited for the others. Everyone crossed one at a time; they did not want to test how strong the bridge truly was. When Sabin and Cyan crossed with the litter, Edgar held his breath. The four men were last to leave since they had the heaviest burden. The bridge held up with some cracking noises, but the two men ignored the sounds as they crossed slowly and safely.

When everyone was once again on solid ground, Locke set the bridge aflame with a spell he learned from Ifrit. They could not leave the bridge in the deceiving condition it was in.

As Edgar turned away from the bridge, now being fully devoured by unnatural fires, he noticed Marcus acting strange.

"Float spells are still messing with your head, aren't they?" he asked Marcus.

"Yeah," the Captain replied. He massaged his temples, "and..."

It was all too fast for them to predict. No warning, no strange movements. All of a sudden, Marcus' eyes unfocused. His posture suddenly undone, the man dropped to the ground with an audible thump.

Terra let out a surprised scream. Relm jumped up in fright. Sabin and Cyan both checked their surroundings quickly, looking for any sign of an enemy. Seeing nothing, they relaxed... but only slightly.

"Marcus?" Edgar asked, his eyes growing in concern.

Locke bent down, quickly checking for a pulse. He felt around the wrist for a moment and then proceeded to turn Marcus onto his back. The Captain's face was white. Locke checked under the eyelids.

"We have a problem," he said grimly.

-=-

The monsters had become extremely bold as of late. They had begun leaving the confines of the mountains and attacked any village they could find. It was mind-boggling as to why they had suddenly become so aggressive. In the past three days no less than twenty villages had been torn apart. Others had been under constant attack and were now barricaded against all outside contact. Many had given up the fight and left for larger towns.

Major Terrance Cassidy felt a certain pride in driving this latest menace away. General Meras was absolutely correct in deploying his regiment. They were lacking experience, but fighting monsters was nowhere as harsh on the mind as fighting other men. It would prove to be good experience as well as making them feel warm and fuzzy inside.

Troop morale was at an all time high.

Despite the dark skies and constant nighttime environment, his men had accomplished their objectives marvelously. Green's Mill and Needham, the largest towns in the area, had their small garrisons reinforced and defenses erected. Chocobo riders had been sent to gather numbers and establish a reconnaissance net around their base of operations in Cartha. Small squads, consisting of ten on foot and two armors each, were sent to relieve villages that had barricaded themselves. A couple platoons were currently headed deeper into the woods. They would clear out the greatest danger: packs of wolves called Lunaris. Those wolves had been the smartest of all monsters; they gathered only in great numbers and their swarming tactics alone had overrun at least five villages. Terrance had heard rumors of more, but he waved them aside as little more than scared ravings.

Terrance leaned back against the rickety wooden chair inside his command tent. It was quiet outside, even though business was flourishing. After all, Cartha was the biggest town in the area. It was a source of booming trade due to its envious position; the town was nearly on top of tributaries to the great river Zarren, which would pass Tzen and empty into the bays of Ethelben. It even had a large garrison; one that had been heavily diminished in the recent days. They had fought against dozens of mutated toad creatures and monstrous grasshoppers. Its commander, a Captain of little note, had been killed in a skirmish just hours before Terrance's scouts arrived.

His second, Captain Godric Waldgrave of the Magitek Corps, flipped through pages of reports. Maps of the area were strewn around the command tent, blue pins sticking out of positions that their troops had been deployed to. Red pins labeled areas where monsters had clustered around, though those were rarer and rarer with each passing hour.

"I've been thinking," Godric was saying as he laid down his notes. "I don't buy the silly superstition going around. The monsters aren't more active than usual because of the longer nights; they sleep just like we do."

Terrance nodded his agreement although he was uninterested in the topic. He read through an interesting report of bandits. Thieves had been caught pillaging one of the villages, Little Pine according to the notes, that had been trampled by a pack of Lunari. Grave robbers, he hated grave robbers. It was utterly despicable; stealing from the recently departed.

"In fact, there's only one thing that really affects monsters," Godric continued unbidden. "Weather. I wonder if the colder days are making the monsters flee to the south. Birds migrate when the winter comes," Godric pointed out.

Terrance yawned. He scribbled a note to send a couple more squads into the area of Little Pine once the Lunari were reduced a bit farther. Now for other matters, like the waterway that had been an abode of loathsome harpies. Those bird-like monsters had been harassing river travel. Without the river it was difficult to send supplies north. That meant his men were restricted to the region around Cartha. If they planned on making any more progress towards the mountains, they would have to extend their supply line to -- Terrance looked around the map -- Nestil.

"But then I thought about it. Birds fly north, not south, when winter comes," Godric continued. "It just doesn't make sense why the monsters would start flocking south when it gets cold."

"It's a puzzle that won't be solved. Stop thinking about it," Terrance grumbled. "And don't we have any newer maps? The ones we're working off of are outdated, considering that squad one-fifteen ran into a river," he pointed at a blue pin on the map, "where there isn't one."

Godric shook his head. "The maps are as up to date as we can get. You saw the death beams that shot out from the floating island. They remade the world into a new hellish image. I've got reports of new valleys and canyons, huge swaths of forests turned into a field of ashes," he flipped through a pile of papers. "Look at this one: river is dry, traced it back to landslide estimated at size of city," Godric shook his head. "Our magical destiny doesn't seem so desirable," he whispered under his breath. He took care not to let his commander hear his treasonous words.

Terrance pushed the report away. "Send a messenger to have one-twelve and one-fifteen follow this river to the source. Take this old path," Terrance pointed out a trail that led to an old mine, deep into the mountains. "The birds concern me; we don't have any air cover and not enough archers for cargo ships."

"I can go personally," Godric suggested. He was one of the most veteran officers under Terrance's command. Godric had served during the Doma war, piloting a Heavy-Siege Armor despite the rocky terrain that plagued Southern Doma. It was a ridiculously difficult task to maneuver such a large and unwieldy machine in anything less than smooth grassy plains. There had been many an accident even on Vector's cobblestone streets while transferring those siege units. With such skill, the pilot had been rewarded with multiple medals and his own task force.

"No, that's not necessary," Terrance said. "If birds attack more often as we get farther upstream, then I'll send you and your unit to cleanse their nests. Until then, we sit tight."

Pacifying monsters, it was something Terrance hadn't done for years. He grinned. This wasn't a campaign to invade a country, but it would serve to showcase his talents. A promotion was certainly within his grasp and all he had to do was defeat an enemy incapable of tactical thoughts. His father would be proud.

-=-

As they climbed steadily higher, cold winds had swept the mists away. Frosts covered the rocky trail and snow wouldn't have looked out of place. Terra huddled against a piece of jagged rock, blankets wrapped around tightly as she shivered uncontrollably. It was not the temperature; she had long since been numb to the elements.

She stared blankly ahead, her eyes red from crying. They were quite high up. By following the trail without question through the mountains, they had found themselves on one of the peaks. It was a steady climb that had taken most of the day before, but at least they were headed the right way. The path wound its way around the mountain steadily and they had found shelter within a depression in the cliffs. The view was quite stunning from where they camped. Below them the lands were wooded until it suddenly broke into an expanse of gentle rolling hills. They could see quite a distance and although no villages could be seen, Edgar had guaranteed no more than three days of walking.

Three days of starvation was what Edgar promised. They had finished off the rations they had, despite stretching the food as long as they could. Relm had been the only one to have anything to eat for supper that night; everyone else had gone to sleep on empty stomachs.

Unprompted, Locke suddenly appeared beside Terra. He was quiet, simply sitting next to her and saying nothing. She wanted to ask him why he was bothering her, but she simply didn't care enough.

For a long time they sat beside each other, silent. At last, Locke spoke up.

"You know, the first watch is for me and Edgar. You're stealing our thunder," he joked.

Terra stared blankly ahead.

Locke pursed his lips before sighing. He watched the mist from his mouth dissipate in the night air.

"It's not your fault," he said.

Terra blinked away the inevitable tears. She gave Locke an angry glare and began to speak. She quickly cut herself off though. Her voice was probably weak and she did not trust herself to say the right things.

Terra could see it in his eyes. His words said it was not her fault, but his words were lies. Not even the look of worry could fool her. His eyes betrayed him, no matter how concerned he might look. He blamed her.

She had killed Marcus.

Her. No one else. It was her fault. She was directly responsible for it.

Terra bit her lip. Marcus had been right all along. She was simply an instrument of death -- a killer. Her efforts at healing had failed horribly, but it had been easy to take the lives of hundreds of soldiers.

The spell used to wake Marcus had never been right at all. Magic was often dependant on the emotions of the user; that much she had known all her life. However, all the ways Relm had taught her to calm her feelings in order to heal had failed miserably. Hours of effort to mentally prepare for a single casting, flawed at the very core. A single malignant seed had tainted all her curing spells.

Marcus had been living on borrowed time the moment she had touched him. Her spell had woken him at the cost of his life-force. It weakened him with each passing day, keeping him conscious at the greatest of costs. Everything she had done had been wrong. Corrupt and tainted, spells that feigned benevolence had sapped and drained the poor soldier until he could move no more.

The spell to heal his leg had only sped his race to the grave. Relm had helped her cast that time, but she had been the principle weaver. The spell she wove was directed by her alone, no one else.

It was her fault.

They did not know, could not have known! Marcus had seemed so alive, so vibrant. How could they have guessed that something was eating him from the inside? How could they have known until he collapsed from the emptiness within?

Terra gritted her teeth. Her eyes watered with renewed tears.

She should have known. She could have saved him. She could have changed the spell. Perhaps she could have woven a patchwork; a net to catch him if he fell. Perhaps...

Marcus had laid on his back, his eyes open after Terra's spells had brought him back to consciousness. They had hardly moved from the bridge, the sound of rushing water was still easily heard. Terra had done everything at that time after realizing the extent of the corruption in her original curing spells. Even with all her power though, she could do nothing more than bring the old soldier awake for his last moments.

She had not told him the truth. Marcus had gazed into her eyes as he died, still trusting in her abilities as a mage.

"It's ok," he had breathed. "I trust you."

He trusted her, and she had killed him.

She didn't even have integrity to tell him to his face.

"Terra, it's not your fault," Locke said again.

Terra snapped out of her thoughts. Her eyes focused. She was back on the mountain now, breathing in ragged gasps as tears ran down her cheeks. Terra did not know when she had started to cry. She tried desperately to hold the tears back and looked around. Locke was still there, that fake look of concern on his face. Why did he put up such a charade?

"Stop lying," she managed to say. Her voice was no more than a whisper, hoarse and cracked. Terra avoided Locke's brown eyes. How could he look at her after what she had done?

"Terra-" Locke began again.

Her eyes grew wide, a sudden surge of anger raging through her veins. "I said stop it!" she snapped, enraged. Terra surprised even herself with her sudden outburst. She was absolutely infuriated with him.

"You don't understand," her voice grew weak again. "You don't know what it's like -- to be a child of death."

"You're not a child of death, stop saying silly things," Locke said.

Terra stared across the fields of Northern Tzen. "Death and destruction, that's all magic brings," she whispered quietly. "Magic destroyed the world a thousand years ago and now magic has destroyed the world again; all because of me."

Locke was silenced at last by utter surprise at her words. He looked at her in hopelessness, unsure of what to say.

Her eyes, those beautiful blue globes, turned to meet his eyes. In them was a mixture of anguish, suffering and guilt reflected from the depths of her soul. The breath caught in his throat as he struggled to remain afloat in the angst that drowned her.

"Just leave me alone," she whispered.

And he did.

-=-

The past four days had not gone well for Terrance Cassidy. He struggled to maintain his calm, a measured degree of coolness in a situation that would enrage any other. After all, five squads had gone missing. It was a mystery that was deepened by scarce reports and contradicting data; one that had to be solved immediately.

The Lunari problem had been resolved. Hundreds of the wolves had been wiped out by his men. Large wolf packs had attacked his squads en masse, but his soldiers, green no more, had torn the monsters to pieces. Despite being outnumbered, Magitek and superior combat tactics had led to the decimation of the monster threat in the southernmost regions. Cartha was now completely secure, as were the eleven other villages within two days march. Terrance had thought about moving command farther north, but the ease of resupply at Cartha had swayed him otherwise.

It would have been easier to move his base deeper into the forest if their maps were still correct, he thought. If only the world hadn't been rearranged by those death beams, Terrance thought as he gritted his teeth. He knew there was some truth to the rumors that the Floating Island had been the fault of Emperor. How many speeches had he sat through, listening to the old man speak of their magical destiny and the revival of that ancient force? Terrance had been unmoved by the words; he was a nobleman and such sophistry did not affect him.

His father, Lord Cassidy, had always been weary of the Emperor's obsession. It was treasonous to voice such thoughts, but they were nobles. Terrance had grown up under his father's tutelage and knew that things were not always as they seemed. The Emperor was not a god. He made mistakes and the Floating Continent had been the greatest of them all. Now the Emperor was dead and his subjects would have to live in a world forever scarred by that man's hubris.

Terrance turned his attention back to the monster pacification. There were more pressing matters to think about than the dead Emperor. He had lost nearly sixty soldiers in the far north. Originally, the action was hot throughout the forest. Beasts had roamed the forest at random until his regiment had secured the area. Now there was a wall of monsters between them and the mountain range, a curious development to say the least. Though the subject had annoyed and irritated him earlier, he found himself also wondering why the monsters were clustered so far south.

He had sent a couple squads farther north. They were to backtrack and tear apart clusters of the beasts from behind, or to scout close to the mountains. Those men had brought important news. In particular, squads that he had sent along the new river had reported discovering a couple more villages that were in desperate need of defense. Terrance had sent relief in the form of nearly two hundred men. He had even included Captain Godric Waldgrave and his Magitek squadron. Aside from defending and pacifying the monsters so far north, he had wanted Godric to hunt down the monstrous birds that harassed them. Their nests had to be farther in the highlands. As long as Godric was in the area, the nests could be found and destroyed within a day or two.

So once again, he found himself staring at the lists of missing squads. All of them had been lost near the base of the mountain range; they had not been cleared to go deeper into the Tzen Mountains. Most of the men lost had been inexperienced recruits. They had been recently trained for relieving the Doma and Figaro occupation forces. He had expected a few casualties since they had essentially been prepared for simple police work. However, the loss of the Magitek pilots could not be so easily overlooked.

Magitek pilots were a rare breed. They were both experienced and extremely intelligent. Losing them to mere beasts was almost incomprehensible. Admittedly, most of the armors included were merely Light-Patrol Class. Equipped primarily for speed and agility, they were lacking any serious long range capabilities and relied on mobility and cover. They were nothing like the All-Terrain Class Armors that were the backbone of the army. Still, such weapons were designed for mountainous terrain. How could a few monsters tear apart his superior forces?

Terrance sighed. He began to write his report to General Meras. She would not be happy, but he needed more reinforcements. Whatever could tear apart that many squads had to be dealt with. However, he could not devote the manpower to deal with the threat as long as he had the villages to defend. Thus he needed more men. Perhaps a couple heavy armors, although proper deployment in the wooded and rocky terrain would be a near impossibility.

He finished the letter and slipped it into the talons of a messenger pigeon. The bird quickly took flight and Terrance found himself wondering about the monsters again.

Godric had assumed the monsters were trying to migrate south. It made little sense, but that's what the facts showed.

Terrance blinked twice. He had a strange thought: what if they were afraid of something?

One of his Lieutenants handed him another stack of reports. Terrance dismissed the man and returned to his command tent. His wondered if it could be true; that the monsters were fleeing to the south to escape a terror.

But what could scare monsters?

-=-

"It's been abandoned for weeks," Locke announced.

They were gathered around a small cottage lit by flickering torchlight. It had been located a short walk from the trail that had led them through the mountains, a small path that had been hidden between berry bushes. Sabin had been the one to notice it, Locke and Edgar had already walked past in haste.

It was the first sign of civilization they had seen in nearly three weeks. The cottage was small; no more than a walled room with a roof and chimney. Dead leaves and rotting needles had hidden the well-worn path from their view. Spiders had been very active, stringing their silky webs all around the abandoned house.

Locke had emerged with his face covered with sticky threads. He had gone around back to make sure they did not miss anything. "There's some old firewood, chopped up, lying in a nice pile back there," he was saying as he peeled the spider webs off his face. "I'd say whoever lived here was preparing for the winter."

Edgar looked at the house. It did not look abandoned so much as forgotten. Personal affects were still visible through dusty windows, and tools were laid around the front. "I'd say the owner took a short walk and never came back," Edgar concluded.

Locke was checking the door and jiggling the handle, while Edgar bent down to examine some of the tools on the ground. There were a couple rakes, weed cutters, and a hoe. Whoever had lived here had all intentions of returning, but simply never did.

"The chances of the owner's return are slim," Cyan spoke up. "It is prudent to gather what we can."

As much as Edgar hated to admit it, Cyan was correct. They might be stealing, but they had little to eat in the past week. His last real meal had been nearly six days ago. That was back when they had just begun to climb the mountains.

Edgar looked around. Sabin stayed far away from the abandoned house. He had no interest and simply watched over the litter. Siana was even further away on the trail, distant and unresponsive to all. Terra was holding Relm's hand. There was a fake smile on her face. All around there were no disagreements with Cyan. The old knight spoke little enough in recent days and when he did, it was usually to point out a course of action.

The young king kept himself from thinking about the hopelessness that had gripped his friends. After Marcus was buried -- Edgar laughed pitifully, they had barely been able to do that much thanks to the rocky ground -- they had gone from hopeful and lighthearted to grim and mournful. Even his mood was unavailing, but he was the leader here. He could not let the pain show through; that had been done during the funeral in the mountains. As well, he had enough problems without succumbing to his own emotions. Locke had shared his concerns about Terra. Those concerns were now Edgar's problem, although he had tried to ignore them.

Locke cheered as he unlocked the door. He slipped inside and took care not to harm anything with his torch. A brief glance about and then he yelled at Edgar and Cyan to help him.

The inside of the cottage was as Edgar expected. An unmade bed was in the corner. There was a small fireplace with logs beside it, a tiny round table in the center with two chairs, and various cupboards against the walls. It was a modest home. Someone had lived much of their life here, even though he was isolated from the rest of the world. It felt cozy and comforting despite the poverty of the former owner.

"Let's get what we need and leave. I don't feel too good doing this," Edgar said as he swallowed the lump in his throat.

Locke nodded. "This is pretty low, but I'm not letting Relm starve."

Nor Terra. Edgar could see the concern edged into the treasure hunter's face. Those unspoken words carried more weight than anything Locke might have said.

They began to take what they could. The former owner had been preparing for the coming winter and had a great deal in non-perishables. There was plenty of salted meats and canned vegetables, biscuits galore and even a couple jars of creamed honey and jam.

After filling their three packs, Edgar went outside. He grabbed two more packs and threw them to Locke and Cyan. They couldn't fill all the backpacks they had, but it would be enough to last them at least two weeks.

As he waited for Locke and Cyan to finish, Edgar stood outside and stared up at the sky. The clouds seemed thinner, in his opinion. They had been very lucky to discover their bearings earlier, as no light had filtered through the following week.

He noticed a strange expression on Terra's face. Her eyes were darting about wildly, looking up at the sky at random intervals.

"Are you alright?" Edgar asked her.

Terra looked frightened. Though it was a welcome change from her usual despondent face, it was not a good sign. She let go of Relm and began to search the skies.

"Terra?" it was Sabin who was worried this time.

"Blow out the torches," Terra said. Her voice was ragged and raspy, she had not spoken much for the past few days, but the abruptness of the order confused everyone.

They watched as Terra let go of her torch. She stamped out the fire and then turned to Sabin and Locke. "The torches!" she shouted in a panic.

Her sudden frantic mood was odd, to say the least. Locke had put out his torch as quick immediately, but the others did nothing. A moment passed before Relm suddenly grabbed Siana's torch and snuffed it. Seeing the look on the girl's face, Sabin finally relented and put his out as well. It was not difficult for them to light torches with magic, so they could afford to entertain Terra's eccentrics.

As their eyes adjusted slowly to the darkness, Edgar spoke up. "What's wrong Terra?" he asked.

"Quiet," she breathed, "can't you feel it?"

Edgar raised an eyebrow. He waited for a moment before realizing that Terra probably couldn't see him.

"Feel what?" Edgar asked, quietly this time.

They waited for an answer in silence but neither Relm nor Terra said anything. As Edgar's patience ran razor-thin and he was ready to demand a response, he heard something strange.

It was the sound of rustling leaves that grew ever stronger. Edgar glanced upwards into the sky, the outline of the canopy creating on a small window in which he could see the clouds above. Closer the sound came until suddenly, the window into the sky disappeared. A dark shape screamed past them, great wings that could be seen spread out widely as it flew past mere meters above them.

A powerful blast of wind followed with a great booming sound; leaves, dead or alive, blew past them in a torrent of stormy gusts. Edgar closed his eyes, it was not like he could see much with them open, and tried to keep the uncomfortable memories of the Blackjack from surfacing. His ears rung from the intense noise and the currents whipped his face without remorse.

Then all was calm, except for the weakening sound of rustling leaves. Edgar brushed at his face. There was a sticky trail left behind. He looked at his hand in displeasure; some manner of dead vegetation had gotten stuck.

"What was that?" Locke's voice quivered as he spoke. He was first to break the silence, unable to keep quiet any longer.

"I don't know," Terra answered. "I felt its presence though. It was coming at us incredibly fast. Every fiber of my body was screaming danger."

Edgar lit a small flame in his hand. "For a bit of light," he explained. "But I'm still too frightened to relight our torches," he added sheepishly.

In the weak flickering glow of firelight suspended over Edgar's palm, they all saw the terror on Terra's face. They had been scared by the shadow as well, but they did not feel what she felt. Even in the past, Terra had extraordinary senses whenever something magical was suspect. Celes had showed the same aptitude when felt an Esper's mind, and perhaps when Relm was older she could feel it as well. For now, they only had Terra. They should have trusted her more.

"I think," Terra continued in a voice that was barely a whisper. "I think that I've felt that kind of power before."

"Where?" Edgar asked.

"It was in the Sealed Cave," Terra replied after some deliberation. "When the Espers charged out of the gates and nearly killed us all, that was when I had the same feelings."

"That couldn't have been an Esper," Locke said. "I don't know what it was but something, maybe Ifrit, tells me that it wasn't anything like an Esper." He referred to the Magicite that hung around his neck. Nearly everyone had one. They had been charged with the duty of stopping the Empire's war and saving the espers.

Terra clutched at the stone that hung around her neck, the shards of her dead father: Maduin. "I don't know what it was either," she admitted. "Just that it's extremely dangerous."

They fell silent. Though what had passed by was still mysterious, it seemed undeniable that it could have ended their lives. It was a humbling thought for a band of warriors that had seen so much.

"-gon," Cyan whispered.

Edgar almost missed it in the silence, that was how quiet Cyan's voice was. He was carrying a pack on each shoulder, still staring into the sky. The flickering light above Edgar's palm barely illuminated the old man's face.

"What was that?" Sabin asked. He was farthest from the Doma knight and had missed what was whispered.

Considering how reserved Cyan was lately, it was a surprise that he repeated himself. Later, Edgar would assume it was because Cyan and Sabin were close friends -- bonded from the many battles they fought together and a shared sense of guilt at Gau's death.

"'twas a dragon," Cyan repeated quietly. "A dragon greater than the airship in length."

The awkward silence that followed that revelation could be broken by only awkwardness. It was the sound of a small stomach growling from emptiness.

"Dragon or no dragon, I'm hungry," Relm whined.

Edgar grinned in spite of himself. "Let's get out of here and find a more sheltered spot," he decided. "Then we can eat."

-=-

Sabin felt more peaceful than normal. His feet were crossed and his hands rested comfortably against his knees as he mediated. He had the second watch, although it meant little as of late. They had decided against paired watches during their march in the mountains, a few days ago. Monsters were nowhere to been seen and everyone could use the extra rest. They certainly deserved it after all they had been through.

His mind wandered as he rested. It was a good thing for him. All the unnecessary concerns and silly ideas could be given attention now, leaving him focused when the day returned.

The dragon that had passed by was quite concerning. It was large, he knew that much and Cyan had reinforced what he saw. Larger than the airship, that meant this dragon was easily bigger than the ones on the Floating Continent. That would make it the same size as Atma Weapon.

Perhaps it was one of the older monsters that they had safely ignored? It was possible. They had not covered the entire island and that place was infested with powerful creatures. It could have escaped the Floating Continent before the light beams and found refuge.

The dragons were strong and smart, a combination that made it very dangerous to fight. Michals had shared some tips dealing with their kind, the late Lieutenant had a great deal of experience with the green scaled monster's smaller cousins. Most of those suggestions had been oriented around his twin blades, though one strategy had suggested the use of archers and chocobos.

No matter, they would deal with it when it became a problem. There was no real reason to worry about it now. They had plenty of things that required attention.

He fetched some crackers from his pack before returning to soft patch of grass that was his spot.

As he chewed, his mind wandered again. Siana was growing despondent as of late. Marcus' death had affected her greatly, more so than anyone aside from Terra. As for Terra, well she had issues of her own to resolve. Sabin wondered what they would do once they returned to civilization. Perhaps they could take a long vacation in Figaro; Terra could use the rest and relaxation.

"Hey."

"You're back early" he said without looking up.

Siana sat down across from him. The ashes of their dead campfire separated them. "It's supposed to be a quick check of our surroundings," she pointed out. They had been partnered on the same watch since the crash and had a set routine. "Your loud chewing probably alerted everyone to our position," she said with a frown.

With a mouthful of crackers, Sabin grunted. "Sorry," he said after he swallowed. "I was a bit hungry and we have plenty of food again. It feels great to keep the stomach happy," he explained.

Siana rolled her eyes.

Time passed without a word exchanged. Their watches were typically silent. Sabin had little to say to the Imperial pilot, and the last time he had tried she chided him for being unprofessional. Sabin actually preferred the peaceful calm of their watches.

The sound of a single wolf, howling in what seemed like pain, reached his ears. It was far away. Probably too far for anyone else to hear it, but it was definitely a wolf.

Strange, there had been no monsters for two weeks. Was it just his imagination?

Another howl, and shortly after there were sounds that reminded him of swords. He should check out what the noise was.

"I'm going on a walk," he said. Siana nodded her approval; it was his turn to check the area anyways.

Sabin followed the sounds, his finely tuned ears telling him exactly where the wolves were. He remained careful of dead leaves and anything else that could have caused noise, the forest was still unnaturally quiet and any careless movements could give him away.

It took quite a while to forge a safe path in the darkness but as he crawled up a gentle hill, he found the source of the disturbance.

Using both the hill and a large pine nearby, he watched from the safety of the shadows.

There were a couple of them, six by his count. They were soldiers with brown leather armor and grayish-green cloaks. Sabin recognized the command bars on a couple of the exposed shoulders. These were Imperials, grunts if he remembered the rank symbols correctly. They were gathered around a large number of corpses -- the wolves he had heard earlier -- and were concentrating on the cave in front. Fortunately for Sabin, he had snuck up behind the soldiers. They did not notice him; such was their attention on the hollow.

Thump thump, Sabin could feel footsteps against his chest. Something was shaking the soft ground rhythmically. It was something big.

The soldiers did not look scared, so Sabin already knew what the footsteps were.

Two Magitek armors appeared out of the cavern, flanked by another two men. Actually, Sabin corrected himself; one was woman. The soldiers had torches, probably to light the inside of the cave, but quickly put them out. They exchanged some words with the other men. Sabin strained to listen to the quiet conversation but could pick up little. What he did hear were bits and pieces; something about 'extermination' and 'lunar'.

They were quite far away; at least three hundred meters through the thicket, Sabin judged. He could probably sneak closer and find out what the soldiers were doing here. The Imperials were relatively close to their campsite -- about a minute away if he sprinted. It was too close to be a coincidence.

His ears twitched.

Someone was behind him. They were sneaking around with some degree of experience, but they were not as good as he was. Whoever it was, they were still behind him a few dozen meters.

Sabin fought the urge to crack his knuckles. He would have to take care of this soldier; it was obvious that he had been discovered. Though the group in front of him would wonder why one of their sentries had been knocked out, it was a chance he had to take. He could not fight both Magitek armors together if an alarm was raised. Perhaps he would be lucky and they would assume the sentry tripped in the dark and fell to his death.

The thicket was filled with more rotting leaves and dead needles than he was used to. The ground was damp though, and that helped his stealthy crawl. He slipped behind a few trees, his razor sharp eyes taking in what they could of the shadowy forest. Now he knew enough of the area to sneak around the sentry and quickly knock him out.

A rock rolled slightly, Sabin could hear it clearly. The sentry had made another mistake. Now he knew exactly where the soldier was.

With a single breath, Sabin snuck behind his victim. In the shadows, he made out the glint of a polished blade. He pounced without hesitation, his right hand clasping around the mouth and his left twisting the knife arm.

Her gasp of pain was silenced by his powerful grip and he brought both of them to the forest floor with as little noise as he could. As his arm went for around the neck for a chokehold, her familiar scent stopped him.

They lay on the forest floor together. Sabin was seconds from choking her into unconsciousness, perhaps breaking her neck in the process, and only his heightened senses had stopped that accident.

"Get your hands off of me," Siana growled.

Sabin quickly loosened his grip, sitting up after she rolled off of him. He was wary that their little scuffle had alerted the soldiers. His heart was pounding from the sudden action, the adrenaline screaming for him to finish the job he started. He had almost made a big mistake.

"What are you doing so far away?"

Sabin stood up, putting a finger to his lips to tell her to be quiet. He snuck back in the direction of the soldiers.

They were still there, continuing their discussion in ignorance. The argument had heated up and distracted them from the struggle nearby. All eight of the soldiers were clustered around the two Magitek armors. The female with the unlit torch was saying something loud enough to be overheard.

"No! Orders were to head back!"

One of the Magitek pilots looked down at the woman. "Unless you want to wake every monster, shut up!" the voice said with disdain.

The soldiers all quieted down after that and Sabin heard precious little. He turned his head to see Siana, laying on the ground an arm's length away and watching the soldiers as well.

"How did you find them?" she asked. Her voice was barely a whisper.

"I heard them," Sabin answered. He watched as the soldiers began to leave, heading in the opposite direction as their camp. He wondered if they should follow.

"Really. Despite the distance from the camp, you're telling me you heard them." Somehow, her whispers dripped with sarcasm.

Sabin ignored her comment. He wondered what the Imperials were doing in the middle of a forest. Perhaps they were setting up some sort of trap. The Imperials were devious and likely stumbled on to their trail. Sabin shook his head; he should have remembered to hide their tracks. He was getting sloppy.

A minute of silence later, and Sabin started second-guessing himself. It was a terrible spot to launch an ambush from, and the Imperials were lacking the materials necessary to build anything of note. Sabin glanced over at Siana.

An Imperial mind to discern Imperial intentions. "What do you think they're doing here?" Sabin asked.

Siana squinted. "Two Fourth-gens and an infantry squad. No support in sight, and they're so green they're actually arguing amongst each other. I'd say they're on monster clean-up," she replied.

Sabin blinked. "Mind explaining a bit more?"

"Monster clean-up. There's probably a bunch of beasts near a local village and they're exterminating the menace. Boring work so they usually send the ones straight out of the academy," she said.

"No, I meant the 'fourth gem' comment," Sabin clarified. He was well aware of the Empire's method of exterminating 'menaces'.

"Fourth generation," Siana corrected him. "They're the latest mass production model, Light-Patrol Class Magitek. The whole line is brand new, probably no less than half a year old."

"I've seen them before somewhere," Sabin murmured.

"No you haven't. They're an extremely recent development. Top brass was screaming about the Corps' uselessness in the jungle. That's the brainiacs answer: a smaller, light-weight model that's robust, capable of long-term deployment without resupply. They took so long to get out of the prototyping stage that the war had already ended," Siana sounded extremely bitter. "Typical brainiacs, they don't care a thing about us on the front. They just test and test from their safe little labs until their toys are absolutely perfect."

Sabin was sure he had seen the smaller Magitek Units before though. But where... Sabin thought about all the times he had faced Magitek. It was a lengthy list and he had never given serious thought to what kind of Armor opposed him in the midst of a battle.

The soldiers were now almost out of sight, the darkness swallowing them. The immediate danger had passed.

"Fourth-gens are pretty weakly armored compared to what I pilot," Siana continued. "They're meant to either give chase, like going after cavalry, or act as heavier support in rugged terrain. Their weapons are pathetic compared my ATA, and can't even be compared to the frontliner. It's just an elemental cannon tuned for speed," Siana turned her head towards him and finally noticed Sabin's distracted expression. "Not that you seem to care in the least," she pushed herself off the moist ground.

Sabin looked up at her. Suddenly everything had fallen into place. "You fought in the Doma War," he stated bluntly.

The surprise was clear on her face. It confirmed Sabin's dark suspicions. Before her lips formed words of denial, Sabin had gotten to his feet and spoke in a quiet, threatening voice. "Don't you dare lie. A lot of things make sense now. I had thought you just didn't like Cyan, but the space you gave him was out of fear, wasn't it?" His finger pointed at her accusingly. "You killed his people."

Siana straightened. The surprise had passed and her guard was back up. "I was assigned to Doma only for the first half of the war. General Christophe requested Magitek support and ISF sent our company. We were one of the best and did what we were told," she stated plainly. There was not a hint of guilt in her voice and that enraged Sabin.

"So that's it? You were just following orders? I'd tell you that doesn't excuse your actions, but you already know that." Sabin realized his hands were clenched. He didn't remember doing that. Siana had responded to the threat and was backing away slowly. "Why else would you feel so guilty around Cyan?" he lowered his fists but couldn't seem to unclench them.

"I didn't poison his people, Sabin. I was only there for half the war! Like I said, our units were useless in the woods around Doma. We were barely capable of destroying their railway infrastructure. So after that, I was recalled along with most of the other pilots," she glared back at him. "Those still alive," she muttered under her breath.

"Don't lie to me, Imperial," Sabin growled. "The truth is in your actions: you were a willful participant. I can see right through all the treachery. You must have known about the poison," his eyes glazed over. He remembered each and every single face that had boarded the Phantom Train. There had been hundreds, thousands, that had gone aboard the train. Cyan's wife and son, Elayne and Owain, had such haunted looks. It sent shivers down his spine.

"You killed them you by following that lunatic Kefka! Why else avoid Cyan if you're innocent?" Sabin found himself judging how difficult it would be to snap her neck.

"Because I was afraid of something like this," Siana shot back. "This knee-jerk reaction that I murdered thousands in cold-blood just because I was involved in the campaign. Do you have any idea how insulted I am that you would equate me that maniac Kefka? Do you even grasp how much I hate that bastard?" She closed the distance between them quickly. In her rage she had forgotten Sabin's physical advantage. "I killed my own people next to you," her finger jabbed at his chest. "I betrayed my Emperor and my country to help you kill Kefka!" her finger drove into his flesh, accenting each word. "I watched my fellow soldiers, my friends, die to help you! To help you kill Kefka! And now every one of them is dead! Everyone! Except me!"

Her jabs had become punches. With each blow, she had become more and more angry. Sabin grabbed her hand and held it firm against her struggles. Even then her other hand caught him in the cheek. He grabbed that one as well and pulled her tight against him. He watched her flail uselessly and decided to wait until she calmed down.

Siana didn't. Her foot caught him between the legs and though Sabin didn't collapse, he did let go of her in surprise. She backed away from him quickly. "And don't you ever dare suggest that I served under that bastard, you rebel scumbag," she spat. She ran off into the murky darkness.

-=-

Sabin strolled back into camp. He had initially wanted to hurry; Siana might have been planning on stealing their supplies and gear or at worse, try to kill them while they slept. But the dark forest was thick and dangerous to travel quickly and once calm, Sabin realized that he was being far too harsh.

He was surprised to find her quietly finishing her watch. Somehow the possibility never occurred to him.

Her back was facing him and Sabin took note that she had retrieved her knife. It was sheathed just above her boot. Her silence made Sabin uncomfortable.

Siana's eyes flickered to him as he approached.

"I'm sorry," Sabin said to her back. The words came out slowly. "I overreacted and said things that were both wrong and insulting."

Siana didn't give him the satisfaction accepting the apology. She didn't even turn around. It brought uncomfortable memories of his first meeting with Celes to mind. Cyan had been close to executing both Celes and Terra after he realized they had both been Imperials at some point. Sabin had stood behind his friend even while his brother defended the two girls. Edgar had been right, as usual, but Sabin loathed to admit that. There were rarities in a sea of murderous thugs, that was all Edgar had proved.

An Empire of murderers.

"Fine," Sabin made up his mind. "Don't accept it," he said. "It's not like I care," he finished the sentence mentally. He looked around the camp for another spot to take up his watch.

"Will you tell him?" Siana asked.

Sabin opened his mouth, but he didn't have an answer. Before it had been obvious, of course he would tell the others of her involvement in Doma. "Why are you still here?" he asked. Her answer would help him decide.

Siana ignored his question.

"What are you doing here?" Sabin rephrased after his patience was exhausted.

"I asked my question first," she retorted.

Sabin frowned. That arrogant little... "No," he grumbled. "No I won't tell Cyan. He has enough on his mind already. There's no need drag out bad memories, especially since you swear you had nothing to do with the poison."

Siana finally looked at him. "Thank you," she gave a nod of her head before turning away.

"Now answer my question."

She ignored him. Sabin would ask again several times that night, but Siana didn't speak again.

-=-

Finding out about the soldiers was both a good and a bad thing. On one hand, they knew they were back in civilization at last. On the other was the Empire, a problem for a group of Returners both recognizable and infamous.

Still, they had to take the chance of being caught. They had no choice; Setzer and Strago's lives depended on it.

However, they had yet to come up with a plausible cover story. They were no longer heavily armed but they were still suspicious. Four men, two women and one child, appearing out of the mountains where no one lived? It was going to raise a few eyebrows, if not attract the attention of whatever garrison the Empire had nearby.

The path they had been following had gradually changed. In the beginning, it was practically impossible to follow without dedicated trackers, now it was a well-worn dirt path. Edgar knew the type; they would soon merge with a major road. Once that happened, their hand would be forced. The chances of meeting unsavory characters on a major road were extremely high.

Locke had come up with a decent plan though. He had snuck ahead of them to watch the road. Apparently, he had been in these woods before and memories from his previous experiences were surfacing again.

Edgar recalled a few Returner sympathizers in the northernmost sections of the Empire. Most lived in small villages that were barely large enough to be included on the map.

He tried to remember the lists now, somewhat annoyed at his sudden memory loss. In the past, he had helped Banon coordinate the rebel-information network. Though that had been a long time ago, Edgar had worked for years with the Returners and even a few of the names should have stuck in his mind. After all, they had been a small and closely-knit organization then. They would have laughed at the very notion that eventually they would be the cause of a treaty between the Empire and the northern continent.

Edgar crossed his arms as he remembered those carefree days. Back then, he had acted the part of the Empire's ally while plotting their downfall. It had been an enjoyable time -- stressful perhaps -- but far better than fighting the great war against the Empire.

They waited for nearly an hour just a few miles away from the main road. Edgar passed the time by playing with Relm. His mind though, was on other things.

Locke returned with a smile on his face, although he was nearly clobbered by Sabin. Edgar's twin brother had decided to keep watch slightly farther away from the group. Considering he had been the one to find the squad of Imperial soldiers last night, it made sense that he was the most cautious. He went alone; Sabin didn't really work well with a partner.

"I've got good news, and better news," Locke announced as he strolled into their midst.

"Start with the good news," Edgar suggested.

"The good news is that I recognize the place. We're near Nestil," Locke explained. "I've been here twice on errands."

Nestil, that village was familiar to Edgar. He recalled that it was one of the northernmost settlements that the Empire had. If he remembered the maps correctly, it meant that his calculations on their bearings hadn't been too far off.

"Which means I know someone in Nestil," Locke continued. "A former blacksmith named Garrett. He's a nice man, and more importantly, a long time sympathizer."

Edgar gave Locke a disproving look, one that was mirrored on the face of Cyan. While she might have been helping them, Siana was still decidedly Imperial. Locke was being his old naive self and from the look on his face, ignorant of his faux-pas.

"That's good news then. Nestil is large enough to have a doctor resident and we have a friend on the inside," Edgar replied. He briefly wondered what else Locke could reveal before asking the next question. "What's the really good news then?"

"The Empire is in Nestil," Locke grinned.

Edgar cast a sidelong glance at Siana. Locke had confirmed their fears, and now Edgar had to deal with another issue: What was the Imperial pilot planning? Marcus had led his men into committing treason by siding with Celes, but Marcus was dead now. Even if Siana's loyalties were with Celes and she was following her General's orders to guard the Returners, how would things change once they were back in Imperial territory?

Locke was disappointed that no one responded to his joke. "They're dealing with tons of refugees; I met at least ten of them headed in the direction of Nestil. Apparently all the nightly monsters we normally deal with have been a big problem here," he continued.

"That explains why the forest is so unnaturally quiet, or at least, it explains a bit of it," Edgar commented.

"Right, but more importantly, it means that the Empire is undermanned up here. They don't have enough soldiers to watch every single refugee. All we have to do is slip into Nestil with a big enough group and they'll never catch us. I didn't even see them doing checks, they're just using the place as a campground and headquarters while they send out small squads to deal with monsters," Locke said.

"That is pretty good news," Edgar said. "The Empire is doing something to help its people, and at the same time, is too busy to catch us. And we certainly look like refugees," he waved around.

They all looked at themselves somewhat self-consciously. Their clothes were bloodied, but there was so much dirt that the dark splotches had been covered up. They had been traveling for over a month without taking so much as a bath.

Locke cleared his throat. "Yeah, I guess that's a bonus," he said as he rolled his eyes.

Relm giggled.

"Let's lose the torches and head to the village then," Siana said. She sounded impatient.

"Not having torches would make us look more pathetic," Edgar agreed. "We should hide the good weapons though; maybe keep some knives on hand. It wouldn't be good to stroll into Nestil pretending to be harmless but fully armed; they might assume we're bandits."

Sabin and Cyan both picked up the litter with Setzer and Strago on it. "Let's go then," Sabin said.

They dropped their torches and walked through the forest in the dark, like many of the refugees Locke had seen. Once they were on the main road they found the going much faster. After trudging through the mountains for so long, a dirt trail worn down by years of Chocobos was equivalent to a paved road. They made good time and met up with a family that was fleeing from the mountains as well. No one asked them questions or found them suspicious, although they had to take care to hide Terra's hair. Green hair was uncommon and they couldn't afford to stand out. They were just another group of refugees fleeing the sudden monster invasion. Seeing Setzer and Strago on a litter was nothing new, nearly all the travelers had their share of injuries.

Surrounded by innocent Imperial citizens, they entered Nestil unchallenged. The town was lit with many torches, giving the impression of vivid nightlife despite being the middle of the day. The streets were filled with people going about their business without fear or apprehension of the hoards that surrounded their village. Some had journeyed for days through dangerous lands, avoiding death by the narrowest of margins, just to reach Nestil. They were protected here by Imperial soldiers and everyone welcomed those men.

Edgar stared at the Magitek Armor they passed. It was standing to the side of the main road, its pilot watching the forests for any sign of life. Over twenty feet tall, it loomed over every single refugee that made its way past it; a symbol of overwhelming power.

"An ATA," Sabin whispered beside him.

Every refugee that passed the Magitek Armor looked up in either admiration or disgust. The pilot paid them no heed; his orders were to protect these people, not to look for criminals or rebels. He kept watch for signs of monsters and ignored the rest.

Edgar sighed. They were back in the Empire.