Author's Note:
Hey Guys! Airbendergal here!
Sorry again for the late update!
I've been on hiatus for some time now because of my busy work schedules in school.
Oh, school, why are you so tiring? Anyway, get ready for some action!
This chapter's pretty long, but it'll be worth it, I promise.
I have decided to make 30 chapters for this story (including Epilogue) , so two more to go!
Thank you so much to everyone who has been accompanying Catalina and Larsa on this journey. You guys are the best! 3
~Airbendergal
Chapter 28:
The next thing I knew, I found myself face flat on an uncomfortable (not to mention dusty) sofa. At once I jumped out of the rest like a frightened cat, and whirled around to see where I was. Al-Cid had ordered that I be put to sleep! Such insolence…if he only treated me as well as he treated all his women, I would have been the happiest person in the world! But my brother was my brother, and he was flamboyant and eccentric, and that narcissitic ego of his increased tenfold when he was around me.
The room I was in was empty, and nothing else seemed to be contained in it except for a little stool on a crate on the left side of the room. Where was everybody? I thought about it for a while, as a feeling of concern blew through my mind. But then, a sudden surge of adrenaline pumped through my veins. I had realized that no one was with me, and no one was guarding me. I could escape!
I tiptoed to the door, and peeked outside. In both directions there were no people, only a solitary figure in the distant bulkhead. I ran in the opposite direction of the silhouette, by shoes clack-clack-clacking against the metal floorboards. I had heard another's footsteps echoed through the hollow halls, a sound of chains and clinks. At the chains I ran faster, almost supernaturally fast, passed the stretched gangways and corners.
"Your Excellency, wait!" It was a muffled voice. "I beg you, heed my words."
For some reason I had halted, and my eyes turned to a metal man. It was Judge Zargabaath, terribly exhausted from the fires of war. Some parts of his armor were charred, and he sounded breathless. I felt pity for him, and said. "What is it you seek, Judge Zargabaath?"
"Emperor Larsa has ordered me to guard you…" Judge Zargabaath said in a strict tone.
I looked down at the ground and my eyes reddened. I would fall to my knees just to ask him for some consideration. "Please, Judge Zargabaath, I need to follow Emperor Larsa. He needs me."
"Is that so? Or, is it perhaps, the other way round?"
"It is not a matter of who needs who, but it is a matter of who defeats who, your honor," I replied curtly. "I know Leosandro far better than anyone has, you must understand. Leosandro will not let a simple thing as a respite just slip from his grasp. He takes, no, seizes every moment that is needed. It is in the best intention that I say that Larsa cannot defeat him alone, if that is what he is planning to do!"
The judge did not respond. He gave me passage to speak.
"I believe that my lord is walking into a trap!" I exclaimed. "He has no intentions of peace!"
A static surge rolled through the walls, sending little streaks of white across the brazen tubes. The judge crossed his arms, and made a low mumbling sound. My teeth chattered at his decision.
"T'was my instruction to guard you," the judge came to a verdict. "And guard you I shall."
At first, I had interpreted that he meant to keep me inside the room, but instead he pulled out a metal card, and murmured. "Now, follow me. We must be quick. To the hangars."
My eyes lit up with delight. Judge Zargabaath was to deliver me to Larsa!
We walked briskly, passing a group of imperials. Their heads turned as we passed. I bent low and near the judge, and whispered. "Thank you very much. This means so much to me. I must help my husband."
"Sometimes we must do wrong to do right," Zargabaath replied, as he lowered his head. "As a Judge Magister, I am to guard the emperor with all of my life. I will do as my job requires, but, if there is a battle that he must face, then I cannot help him with it. A man has his own battles, and he is the only one who can engage in such thing."
"I understand," I replied in a relieved voice. At least the judge was on my side. "But please, tell me why you are doing this for me."
"It has come to my keen observation that only in eight years after the war had passed, had I seen such joy in the emperor demeanor. He must have had you placed on a pedestal, for that matter! My ears have news, of you and Lord Leosandro. If you can shake the emperor's heart, then I believe Her Excellency can shake any man's heart."
As we turned a corner to make it to the berthing dock, an imperial soldier came running towards us from the left corner. "Lord Zargabaath, news from General Aablesk! There are two sky pirates who have berthed their airship in 54-D."
"Sky pirates!" I cried. It must have been Vaan and Penelo. "Take us to them, guard."
"This way my lady," pointed the imperial, as we briskly walked to Hangar 54-D.
My prediction had been correct. Vaan and Penelo stood by their airship, the Galbana, named after a precious Dalmascan flower. The pirate man and woman bowed to me, and at once they had expressed their situation.
"Oh, Lady Catalina, it's horrible!" Penelo exclaimed, as she flailed her arms. "You should have seen the battlefield on the Dalmascan border. Most of Leosandro's fleet was highly concentrated there, but the Dalmascan war generals are pushing on."
"Yeah, all those blasts make Dalmasca look like coronation night at the palace!" Vaan remarked.
"Anyway…" Penelo continued, a bit annoyed. She rolled her eyes at her partner. "We traveled to the Roda border, along with some other of our allies. We were able to gather Rozarrian, Dalmascan and Balfonheim sky pirates. Of course, the Balfonheim-Archadian ones were totally agreeable when it came to this situation. We came here to inform Larsa of this, but we heard he is off to parley with Leosandro."
"Yes, he is," I sighed. "And I am going to go to him."
"We saw his Carbuncle head off to the Jylland warship Slyph," Vaan explained. "It's not that far away from the frontlines. The Jylland ships are playing for the Rozarrian side, but this ship is the neutral one. It doesn't fight for any team, is what I'm trying to say! So you'll be alright if you enter. Better not provoke the people though…"
"Something's a bit fishy about this intermission though, I just can't put my finger on it!" Penelo rejoined, as she pounded her fist on her palm. "That Leosandro's up to no good."
"Thank you, Penelo and Vaan, for coming here at such an infernal time," I said, a bit happy. "Please, find my brother and Queen Ashelia and tell them of your visit."
"We're trying to make a plan as quickly as we can," Vaan assured. "You know, our sky pirate guild's been keepin' a close watch on Rozarrian movement for a while now. If we take a certain ambush strategy on them, they'll surely get shocked. The Galbana has a magick paling that keeps it invisible to all eyes, so it's easy for us to slip into field without getting too much attention."
"We must now make our leave, friends," I told them. I looked at Vaan, and then to Penelo. Judge Zargabaath looked half-impatient, and a bit anxious. I bet my disappearance had attracted some attention as a few guards encircled the perimeter like vultures. "Make haste, and may Faram guide you."
The two Dalmascans nodded, and we parted ways. Judge Zargabaath and I made it to a small carrier craft, the Goblin, and after a few moments it had become airborne. The judge magister addressed some imperial guards of his leave through the intercom, and we were given the signal to embark. The Goblin hovered a few meters off the ground, and as the gloss air rings spun, we rose higher and higher until the carrier jolted forward, and blasted off into the dawning horizon.
Judge Zargabaath was remarkably skilled at maneuvering an airship. He had told me that he had been in the military for over forty years, and had served as an airship pilot for at least ten. Zargaabath was head of the twelfth fleet of the Archadian army, captain of the Alexander as well. As he flew the ship through a field of suspended ships, my mind started to wonder if all this 'respite' talk was just a set up. Leosandro had given in so easily; it was not like him.
"Their sky stones have grown cold," murmured the judge through his thick, metal mask.
I just nodded, and looked towards a large airship looming in the distance. It was the Slyph, a Class A Jylland Interceptor, the largest of its kind. It had a bronze hull, many decks (though none of them seemed to be gun decks), and a great flag perched upon its mizzenmast. The flag was green, showing the neutrality of the airship.
Judge Zargabaath pulled our carrier closer to the Sylph, and berthed it upon a dock on the port side of the interceptor. A few, strange cat-like men aroused from the darkness. They were Rev soldiers from Jylland, and wore striking uniforms. They did not question the appearance of Judge Zargbaath's visage, nor did the question the pendant that hung around my neck. The Revs parted back into the darkness, and lit up the way through the bulkhead.
The magister and I walked through the gangways, and at once I had spotted a familiar face when we turned a corner to enter a bigger walk space. It was Zarsuel, the messenger who had declared Leosandro's intentions of war. The man had been roaming the corridors, it had seemed, but there was something about him that was a bit off. He seemed absolutely frightened, like a wet chocobo chick. At once I approached him, and he was frightened at the sight of me.
"Lady Catalina!" Zarsuel exclaimed in a surprised tone.
"I have come here to collect Emperor Larsa," I said curtly. "Where is he?"
Zarsuel did not respond. He faced about, and started running away. Judge Zargabaath had chased him, and I followed the both of them. As the messenger ran faster and faster, even more, he started to scream out in a loud bellow. "Intruders! Intruders!"
The judge stopped in his tracks, and looked around. We were at an intersection between the keel catwalk and the boiler room of the Sylph. Many Bangaas, Revs, Seeq and Hume soldiers came out from their hiding places, seemingly expectant of our arrival. They lunged as us with their weapons, eyes filled with apprehension. At once Judge Zargabaath drew his double blades, and slashed at the Jyllanders. A large Seeq with a mace swung at the magister, but the experienced warrior had blocked the blow with his blade, and counter-attacked.
"Run, your Excellency!" yelled the judge magister, as he raised one of his arms to distract the soldiers. There were at least six of the ferocious men. They had fought well, but not well enough, and not wholeheartedly. They were probably hired by Leosandro accomplish such tasks. Leosandro had already violated many of the laws of engagement. How dare he place warriors on a diplomatic ship!
A Bangaa ran towards me like a wild bull. At once I made a run for an opening in between Zargabaath and a Hume soldier. I pushed through the violence, running as fast as I could on my heeled shoes. The Bangaa had pursued me, his footsteps echoed close behind like a roll of thunder. I looked back, and saw the lizard man getting closer. I kicked the air, one foot at a time, and my shoes flew off. It had enabled me to run faster, faster than I had ever imagined. I did not care about the greasy floor, or the cold metal cords that slithered across the floor. I had to escape, and my find my husband.
I turned left into a corridor, and ran into the darkness. But, as I traveled father into the abyssful gangway, I found myself face to face with a dead end. My heart started to pump vigorously. I was trapped. I hit and struck the wall with all my might, but I could not break it. "No…no…oh Faram, no…" I turned about, facing the darkness. I could discern the Bangaa's silhouette within the blackness. Then, the silhouette had split into three. Some of his friends had followed us.
"Seize that woman!" One cried in their rough voices.
The Bangaas ran towards me, and grabbed at my arms. I could not see them so clearly, yet I knew they were grabbing at my body. The foul stench of their unshod Bangaa feet irritated my nose, and their breath smelled like rotten vegetables. They drooled and sprayed, laughing at my helplessness. I tried to kick, and I tried to scream. The Bangaas only gripped tighter, and I could not feel my limbs anymore.
"Unhand her, at once!" cried a voice.
The Bangaas looked back, and were greeted by a healthy length of steel. Judge Zargabaath had pierced one of them vehemently, and swung his blades at the next. One Bangaa had let go of my left arm, and it dropped to the ground quite lifelessly, and numbly, as blood started to circulate within my limb. The other Bangaa, so gruesome and grimy, clutched my right arm and dragged me along as he curbed his rusty sword. I howled in pain as he lifted me up and down like a rag doll.
"Shock!" cried the judge. A fusillade of crackling noises shot through the air, and orange circle-sparks burst in front of the Bangaa. The lizard groaned in pain as a burning sensation ran across his side. He dropped me, and I flopped on my belly. I quickly recovered, still feeling a bit of pain on my limbs. The Bangaa had suffered a fatal blow, and fell back in exasperation at the loss of his swordarm. He struggled to get up, but his strength had fled him.
"My lady, are you alright?" Zargabaath asked, as he casted Cura on me. A glorious white light emanated from my body, and all my wounds had been healed as a choir of cherubim echoed through my ears.
"Yes, let us go!" I exclaimed, leaping forward in fear.
We turned many corners, and ran through gangways and etheriums. When we had run across the gundeck, we were spotted by a few of the mechanics, and they had given us chase. There were seven mechanics, plus three mighty seeq guards, all equipped with lethal blades. The judge turned about to face them, and he held his ground, but a plump seeq had tackled him to the ground, and the old judge magister breathed a choking breath. I whirled around in alarm, only to see that the other men surrounded him with their weapons.
"I order you to stop!" I cried, pointing my finger. But then, I remembered that these people were not my people, but the enemy. I had given them commands that they would not obey. The mechanics looked up in slight amusement, and they ganged up towards me. Their greasy, sweaty palms landed on my dress, and I squealed in irritation. "Stop! Stop now, you filthy swine!"
"That ain't no way to treat a lady!" mocked one of the seeqs, as he slobbered and chuckled like a happy pig. "Let the poor woman go! Snort!"
"Snort! Heh, don't ya know who this is?" joined the other. "It's the Rozarrian princess!"
"Oh!" the first seeq grunted. "We're mighty sorry, m'lady! We didn't mean to hold yer precious little dress! A stain on the dress, eh? You wan't a stain? Snort! I'll gladly give you one!"
The giant seeq edged closer, licking his dirty hands with the yellowish mucus that dripped from his nostrils. "Snort! Hah, this'll leave a mark on your sweet lil' dress!" He hooted, snorting uncontrollably.
"Get your filthy hands off of me!" I kicked my unshod feet at the hog's fat belly, but my feet had sunken into his tummy like one would sink into jelly, and quickly rebounded off with a moderate speed. I screamed, as the seeq raised his arm, letting all the gooey, honey-looking mucus worm down his limb.
"Enough of this, already!" cried a voice from behind.
I looked into the distance, and saw it was the messenger, Zarsuel. My heart lightened a bit, seeing another hume aside from myself. I was surrounded by so many strange creatures that I had rarely encountered before. The Rozarrian man raised his shaking hand to signal the humainoids to stop. But the seeqs had just chortled, and snorted, at the sight of a fearful man trying to be strong.
"Oh, if it ain't the scroll boy!" teased one of the large seeqs.
"Take her to Lord Leosandro, and do not do anything to harm her!" Zarsuel cried, as he gripped his satchel with fear. "She will not be any use to him dead."
"Why can't we have a lil' bit of fun first, eh?" asked one of the other seeqs in a short, cocky breath. "I mean, it ain't a common thing to have some royal company to be around, if you know what I mean! Snort!"
"Our master would be angry," replied the messenger.
"Our master? Heh, your master, ma' dear boy! Snort!" The larger seeq oinked.
Zarsuel had taken enough courage to stare at the boar with a piercing look. The seeq enlarged his appearance by raising his arms, as a pungent smell emitted from the bottom side of his pits. The seeq's snout twitched, and so did his small beady eyes, hoping to make the Rozarrian man insecure. But Zarsuel had continued to stand his ground, looking straight into the eyes of a fearless beast.
"Gwaah!" The hog oinked. He faced me and breathed on my face as he spoke in a ghastly manner. "Ya know, I would've loved to play longer, princess, but I'm afraid there's some other man looking for you. Better run along now…"
"Chain her up!" called a mechanic from behind me.
I then heard the sound of rattling chains, and I felt cold rings land on my wrists. I tried to wriggle them out of my hands, but I had failed. The fat seeqs had forcefully pushed me along. I peered behind my shoulder, and saw Judge Zargabaath on the floor. He struggled to get up, for a petrifying pain had taken over his body. The mechanics had pulled him up, and tied him onto a protruding post, using thick metal strings.
"Keep on moving!" yelled the Seeq.
We had followed Zarsuel into a large chamber at the back of the ship. It was a large gallery on the stern, and had a massive bay window overlooking a majestic view of the Roda Volcano in the distance. The sky had blended colors with Roda's molten veins; a beautiful mixture of warm and cool colors. In the distance, there were two silhouettes, gleaming in the radiance of the airship's fog lights. One was Larsa, my lord and spouse, and next to him, Leosandro, the man whom I had hated to love.
I could hear their words in the distance, like I would in a dream.
"You must understand the circumstance that we are in, my dearest friend!"
"If I undertake your challenge, then will you swear until your dying breath, that you will leave my people, and my wife alone?"
But the first voice had not answered, and instead Leosandro's silhouette had turned to face me. And with a somewhat joyous expression on his face, and arms wide open, he had said. "Never in my life had I witnessed a flower chasing after a serpent!"
