And here we get our first look at Mazoku civilization. I don't own Chrono Trigger, yadda yadda, you know this by now. I do, to the best of my knowledge, own the idea of the lands being salted, but it really doesn't matter, and feel free to use.
The sun woke those who had been able to sleep. Dawn seemed very bright after the dark of the caves, illuminating a scraggly, diseased looking land. Brown weeds struggled to grow from dried soil, while dead trees pointed at the sky, bleached white by sun and time. On the horizon, a green smudge hinted at life.
The sight was unsettling enough to pull the slaves from their self-pity, at least for a while. Herbert whistled lowly in amazement. "I'd heard o' this," he said to those nearest him, his voice blowing back to the rest. "I'd heard stories, 'bout how the army salted this land, when it were clear they had t'leave. I didn't... I hadn't thought they'd actually done it. Didn't think..." He trailed off, not sure where he was going with his statement.
"You thought your kind was above salting the lands of their enemies?" Esaku cawed, grimly amused. "And you call us the monsters." With a small shake of his head, the Outlaw turned away from his captives, motioning to the Diablos to pass the food out. Looking across the land again, he sighed. He was surprised any of the Humans remembered what had happened here, let alone the troublesome old man from last night. He'd been a mere chick when the Human army was driven from a land they had only claimed because of their refusal to let the Mazoku have anything. This land had been fertile then, green and freely giving its bounty. Humans had ruined it, just as they ruined everything.
Tired of his memories, Esaku watched the captives eat, searching for the healer girl. She could be quite an asset, if she survived the trip, and if he could acquire her once they reached the castle. He wouldn't let it worry him, though. Once they were at the castle, he should easily be able to call in a few favors and purchase her before her abilities were noticed.
The healer girl looked tired, worn out in a way the Outlaw recognized as magical exhaustion. He hadn't realized how low her magical power was, and inwardly he frowned. He should have intervened much earlier, or maybe he shouldn't have invited her to heal the Diablos. Well he couldn't change the past, but Esaku made a mental note to stop the girl if she attempted a healing today. She would be completely useless if she burned out.
Lyn ate dully, staring out at the strange land apathetically. She had heard the story just now, and heard the disbelieving whispers that followed it, but she just couldn't bring herself to care. She was tired, a bone-deep exhaustion she had never experienced before. She wondered where they were going, and how much further she'd have to walk, but she couldn't even bring herself to care about that.
As the walking began again, Shanda broke the silence that hung about Lyn like a fog. "Are you okay, Lyn?"
"Am I...? What do you mean?" Lyn said. "Why wouldn't I be okay?" She was fine, physically, aside from being tired.
"Well, I mean, Tobias was about your age," Shanda answered, fluttering her hands about in helpless gestures. "I mean, I understand that it would be disturbing, watching one of your friends... And like that, so..."
It required a bit of thought for Lyn to realize what her mother was getting at. "Mom... have you forgotten what I've seen? I mean, well, yes, what Esaku did was horrible, but... why did Tobias think we stood a chance? These things killed Doan, and yet we were supposed to..." Something about the look Shanda was giving her stopped Lyn's words. Shanda appeared confused, but there was horror and even disgust lurking in her expression. Lyn wondered what she had said to cause such a look to be directed at her. "You... should go see how Maris is doing. Tobias was her..."
Something in Shanda's expression closed off, and she nodded with an almost brittle air. "I just wanted to make sure you were okay," she stated, scurrying off before Lyn could say anything more.
Lyn sighed as her mother left, wondering exactly what had just happened. As the dusty, nearly dead miles passed, she got no closer to an answer.
Fiddling with her belt, Lyn came across the bread she'd put away yesterday. Had it really been just yesterday that she had put this aside, planning to eat it or give it to Tobias later? And yet, just hours after that, Tobias had... Had what? Had acted the hero, refusing to let his people suffer, or acted the fool, leading his people into suicide? Last night she had said he was wrong, but whom had she been talking about? Nibbling on the stale bread, Lyn walked through the salted desert, thoughts chasing themselves in circles.
As the sun began to set, the group reached a town, filled with mamono going about their business. Lyn watched one, a short blue thing, chattering animatedly with another short creature, this one green. They weren't watching where they were going very well, and one of the Diablos shooed the duel-colored pair away from the captives.
Further snatches of life caught Lyn's gaze as they were hurried through the streets. A woman who was half snake slithered by, with a baby in her arms, chattering animatedly to a darker furred variant of the cat-guards. Lyn couldn't understand what they were saying, but her exhausted mind found it easy to imagine a pair of Human women in their place. Further down the street, one of the large Hench stomped by, a large catch of fish on its back.
Before long the Humans were brought to a large enclosure made out of stones roughly laid together, no mortar at the joints. They were quickly herded in, and the door shut behind them. The roof looked like straw covering a wicker weave, not really enough to block water, should it rain, but it would help keep some heat in. The last of the sunlight pierced though the odd uneven joints between the stones, and the Humans were left to their own devices.
"I wonder where they're takin' us," Daril said, sitting on the ground with two of his girls with him. Maris, in the comforting arms of her other sister, sat near her father, looking toward the door a little blankly.
Herbert, the old man who had explained about the salting, answered with a small shrug. "I don't know the lay of this land so well, but if I had to guess… Well, if we're lucky, this is our destination, but somehow, I don't think so."
That provoked the expected question, a young man asking, "So… if we're not lucky…?"
"This here's a port town," the oldster explained, nodding wisely. "They might be meaning to ship us right across the ocean."
"Across the… But, isn't that where…" the baker stammered, concerned.
"Yeah. That's where the Maou's castle is. And if we're really unlucky…" the old man trailed off grimly. The captives gave a collective shudder at the thought that they might be headed towards the Maou's castle. As bad as the mamono were, their king was said to be a hundred times worse.
Lyn sat in a corner, resting her back against the cool stone. There was apparently a guard near-by; she could hear the quiet, almost growling, voice of one of the Diablos. She couldn't understand a word it was saying, but she found that the language wasn't unpleasant to listen too. By turning her head a little, she could look out through a crack and occasionally see a mamono pass by. Mazoku… the word drifted into Lyn's thoughts. That was right, she mused sleepily. The leader, Esaku, had seemed to be upset when she'd called him a mamono. And then he'd told that Hench that they were Mazoku, not monsters. In fact, he'd seemed pretty proud of the distinction. Mazoku… Well, it wouldn't hurt, would it, to try and please her captors? She'd do it, she decided. She'd start calling them Mazoku, or at least she'd try.
A full day of walking coupled with the still-lingering exhaustion of overusing her Tech, combined with the lulling rhythm of the Mazoku's speech soon pulled Lyn into sleep. Her dreams were confused and disjointed, and she was glad to leave them forgotten when the door opened sometime before sunrise. Standing, she realized she had kinks all in her back and neck from sleeping while sitting.
No food was passed out this morning, a fact the half-awake Humans didn't notice immediately. They didn't have much time to think about it, as they were quickly marched through the town in the pre-dawn light until they reached a quay. Staring at a large sailing ship, the conversation from last night echoed in the captives' minds. It seemed they were unlucky, though just how unlucky remained to be seen.
Next chapter, an ocean voyage.
