Chapter 53
They entered through the main gates, intending to storm the castle from the front, hoping the distraction of the battle outside would take away most of their security. Once inside however, they were surprised to find it was empty. No fighting, no soldiers, just the three of them, walking in the great hall, making their way slowly towards the main elevator on the opposite side which would take them to the throne room where they suspected Melbu were hiding.
"Be on your guard" Rose warned, readying her blade. "I sense we will have to fight our way to Frahma, he won't simply let us waltz towards him unhindered, even with the battle outside taking place"
"But… there's nothing in here at all. No soldiers, guards or anything. Surely he wasn't foolish enough to deploy his entire army outside the castle?" Zack asked.
"That's what worries me… it's too easy. Be alert, it could be a trap."
"But we have the element of surprise, yes?" Lucile added. "Perhaps he thinks we're still in Mayfil, and have no way of getting here quick enough to aid the battle?"
Suddenly the room came to life. The elevators roared, while each passage and door was being flooded with Sandorian soldiers.
"Melbu is no fool, you cannot underestimate him" Rose replied, then dashed towards the horde of soldiers, slashing at anything that moved. Zack did likewise, taking the masses head on, using his long spear reach to fall the soldiers before they could get within cutting distance of their smaller swords. Lucile used her superior martial arts to disable what soldiers came near her, however the three of them found room was quickly becoming scarce, and it wasn't long before they were almost back to back in a kind of triangle.
"Despite the overwhelming numbers, these are only small fry. Try to save your strength and avoid transforming if possible, we'll need that for the battles ahead" Rose commanded, dogging an onslaught of swords being thrust in her direction. The numbers may have been with the Sandorian soldiers; however the finesse of the battle hardened veterans allowed them to defeat them despite the advantage. Bodies mounted around the hall, blood colouring the floor and walls like graffiti.
Then the elevators opened, and the genome soldiers entered the fray, some choosing to engage up close, while others hung back, using ranged magic to try and support their frontline comrades. Zack was hit with a particularly nasty ball of flame, and it sent him crashing into a nearby wall, where he was descended upon by masses of soldiers.
"Zack no!" Rose cried, watching his body disappear under a wave of soldiers. Rose tried to run to him, but she was cut off by the enemy, which she cut down mercilessly with growing hysteria. Then the soldiers converged upon Zack were blown off him with an explosion of fire. When the smoke settled, Zack was standing there with a smile, harmless save for a few minor cuts and bruises.
"Don't worry about me Rose, I don't need to be babysat, just look out for yourself" he reassured, entering another frenzied duel. Rose smiled to herself. He was right, she had to trust in him more, put more confidence in their cause and ability. With seemingly renewed effort, even with the half human-wingly aberrations, they could only fall before the might of the last three warriors of hope. Trained from many grueling battles and sparring sessions, Zack and Lucile were just a precise as Rose was, striking with clinical, calculated lethality that was forged through countless battles. Their bodies had become accustomed to the strain of combat, the pain of gashes and wounds, the weariness of fatigue and intense concentration was secondary, almost an afterthought to the adrenaline and survival instinct which they had learned to harness so well. One by one, they all fell as the three fighters killed enemy after enemy, their figures gliding across the hall dangerously, carving anyone, or anything in their path. Soon no more soldiers, Sandorian or genome, entered the hall.
"Is that all of 'em?" Zack wondered aloud, puffed. Sweat slid of his face like he was showering in it. He didn't notice this or how out of breath he was of course until he had a few moments to settle down. Rose and Lucile were the same by the looks of it.
"It seems so, for the time being" Rose replied, straightening a little. The surveyed the mountain of bodies that covered the floor. Not all of them were dead, some of them were still moving, while others could only groan, waiting for death to take them. Zack let out a sigh of disgust.
"It never gets easier… all this carnage…"
Rose began to walk towards the wounded and dying, delivering a quick and painless death with a swing of her blade.
"You're finishing off the wounded!?" Zack asked in disbelief.
"They are going to die anyway, we may as well kill them rather than prolong their suffering" she replied, not seeing the problem in her actions, as if killing akin to the simple act of breathing. To her in any case it practically was.
"My god Rose! They may be the enemy, but damn, don't you have any sympathy? They can't help the side they're on, they have to follow orders, it's enough that we have to fight them as it is but adding to the death toll isn't helping" he argued, outraged.
"We haven't the time to argue this Zack. We have to make sure they are all dead, for one reason to put them out of their pained misery, and second so they cannot become a hindrance later on. Many soldiers are stubborn, and let's not forget we are invading their home land this time, and for that they will fight for to the death, even if not for their leader."
"This… is your twisted sense of mercy?" Zack questioned, bewildered. Rose ignored him and continued culling the wounded. Lucile looked away, unable to watch. While she didn't voice her disagreement like Zack did, she was as much against the cruelty as he was. When it was done she returned to the group.
"You've been cut" Lucile said, looking at the shallow slash that ran up part of her left forearm. "Do you want me to mend it?" Rose shook her head.
"Conserve your energy, we'll need it later." She turned to Zack, whose head was downcast. "This is a war Zack; we cannot afford to take prisoners. This was a road of bloodshed, you knew that when you embarked on it. And there will be more killing to come, so don't let your conscience be the death of you."
Zack didn't reply, only looked at her with a look of exasperation. She was right, but at the same time she was wrong. It was so barbaric…
The sound of the main elevator screeched to life, and the three of them snapped their heads in that direction.
"It appears we have company" Lucile said with anticipation. When it came down, Sandorian Elites sprang fourth, rushing towards them.
"Watch out for their long ranged attacks!" Rose warned. More soldiers poured into the hall, much like the first wave, but the three of them managed to hold them off. They were fewer in numbers than the first wave, but that didn't make it any easier. Quite the contrary, with the Sandorian Elites were added, it only got harder. Zack suffered several lashed from the elite's extended whip like chain, and if not for Rose's intervention at the last moment, he may have become an added number to the death toll.
But they didn't get much reprieve, a third wave descended upon them like hungry piranhas, smelling blood. Exhausted and injured, they fended another onslaught, but each time they did the endured more injures, which would in turn weaken them for the battle to come. The dead piled on one another until they were fighting on top of lifeless corpses, which if not for the frenzied state of battle, would have sent a horrible chill down Zack's spine.
But again despite the numbers advantage, the three Dragoon warriors managed to stave off another the third assaulted.
"What does he hope to achieve in this madness? They are only sending these soldiers to their deaths!" Zack cried in frustration.
"They are meant to soften us up" Rose said, although she had trouble talking between the deep intake of breaths. Her lungs felt like they were on fire. They prepared for another wave, yet when none seemed forthcoming, everything fell deathly silent.
"I don't like this" Zack said, worried. "I think you're right Rose, they serve not as a purpose to kill, but to hinder, to make us use our resources so we have nothing left if Melbu or Wen decide to face us themselves."
The lifts went up once more, and the footsteps of approaching soldiers reverberated around the hall. To the three warriors, it sounded like a death sentence.
"I don't know how much longer I can keep this up" Zack admitted feebly.
"Neither do I" Lucile agreed, her white uniform drenched in blood and sweat. Rose remained quiet and focused.
"If we're going to die, then we'll do it fighting" she said, reading herself for what could very well be their final stand. "Die with honour and dignity."
Then from behind them the main double doors opened and reinforcements in the form of Basil, Tiberoan and Deningrad soldiers came to their aid, Shana at the helm in her makeshift body.
"Hope we're not intruding" she said with a smile. Zack laughed while Lucile and Rose wore an expression of surprise and gratitude. Now, the two forces were locked in a stare down, eyeing one another with contempt. "We, the soldiers of hope, will purge all evil in the name of the light!" she bellowed. "All who do not wish to die, lay down your arms, we do not want to kill if we can help it."
There seemed to be a murmur among the Sandorian soldiers. The one emerged from the pack, taking the front. By the look of his steel armour and styled helm, which made the others look dowdy in comparison, he looked to be a sort of commander, and one of high authority.
"You dare invade our homeland, and expect us to lay down our arms for you!?" he questioned with seething rage. "You expect us to simply give you Imperial Sandora on a platter, in the name of this so called light!?
"We are not after your land or country brave commander" Shana replied. "We are simply after the one who leads you, who has led you astray. Like us, you are mere pawns in his game to attain enough power to destroy our planet. He will use you, and when they are done, you too will suffer the same fate: utter destruction.
Another murmur spread across the Sandorian battalion.
"I don't want to see any more blood spilled, not on his behalf not for him, the real evil at work. He is the true threat to Sandora, not us. Lay down your arms and let us put an end to this fruitless battle, or better yet join us and help us conquer Wen and Melbu Frahma!"
At the mention of the old Wingly tyrants name, more murmurs and whispers could be heard from the soldiers of Sandora.
"If you do not wish to fight of us, that is fine, but fight for yourselves, fight for Serdio, and help us bring back an age of piece… Please…"
There were no more whispers or mumbles. The soldiers all looked at their commander, waiting for his next move. The apparent commanded drew his blade, put it level with his eyes so he could see the steel, and then placed it on the floor along with his helmet.
"I cannot speak for the army, however I will not stop you" the commander said. His now visible eyes, one scarred, were of deep pain and regret. "I thought something was wrong with those two the moment they set foot in this city." Then the others soldiers did the same, placing down their arms in an act of surrender.
"Thank you" Shana said gratefully. "You have done the right th---" she was cut off by a barrage of fireballs from behind the Sandorian army, which rained upon the soldiers like mortars. It obliterated anything in the area, and sounds of shock came from Zack and Lucile.
"Oh my god, they're attacking their own allies!?" Zack gasped unable to believe the mutiny he was witnessing from the half wingly-human hybrids. The soldiers that weren't killed by the initial burst from the genome soldiers quickly took up their arms and tried to retaliate.
"Remember, they are not human, they have no allegiances or loyalties to anyone other than what they are programmed. It wouldn't surprise me if Wen or Melbu did make them this way on purpose in anticipation for this sort of event."
"We have to help them!" Lucile pleaded. Shana nodded.
"Let us help vanquish these abominations!" Shana commanded, and they rushed to the Sandorian soldier's aid, wiping out the remainder of the genome soldiers with superior numbers. But the damage had already been done, three quarters of the army have been decimated, the commanded along with them.
"Even if they were the enemy, that was hard to watch" Zack said after the battle died down. "They had fought side by side all this time… and to turn on them just like that…"
"Regrettable" Rose agreed. "However there is little we can now do, other than continue on and end this madness." She turned to Shana, who was momentarily occupied with another soldier. When she was finished Shana turned to Rose.
"What a horrible display… they are people just like us, they didn't deserve this." Rose nodded, her eyes flickering at the carnage. Around her she could spot many fighters vomiting at the sight and smell, which was becoming pungent and rancid.
"We'll deal with the rest from here" Rose told her. "We suspect Melbu is holed up in the throne room, so that is where we'll head. It's unlikely that any of you or your soldiers will be able to assist us, after all this is a battle between Dragoons. If you can, I'd like you to stay here and hold the fort, treat any wounded and begin to try and cart out the bodies." Shana agreed with a solemn nod.
"Just get it done. Don't let the sacrifices of today be in vain."
"I'll do my best." With that, she walked towards Zack and Lucile.
"Good luck!" Shana hollered. Rose didn't respond, but thought we'll sure as hell need all the luck we can get.
"Are you both able to continue?" Rose asked them. Lucile and Zack look taken aback, it was a question that was never in doubt and didn't need to be asked.
"Of course we're ready… till the end" Lucile replied. Zack agreed.
"Until the end… however that end will not be today. We all make it back alive, okay?"
The elevator roared to life yet another time, and all of the remaining soldiers and fighters turned towards it with silent anticipation. After what felt like an eternity to the three Dragoon Knights, who came down the lift next shocked them. Yet it was not the fact it was Wen that was the most alarming but rather the state he was in. His robe had been shredded around the arms and legs, turning it into a sleeveless looking tank top. Gashes covered his beaten body, covering him in a cloak of crimson. He hobbled out the elevator, barely able to even do that. He walked towards the three Dragoon Knights, but fell half way to his knees, spitting out blood.
"What… on earth happened to him?" Zack asked bewildered.
"You said no soldiers breached the upper levels!?" Rose called to Shana.
"No, all of them are here with us…"
"Then… who attacked him?" Zack wondered, amazed. A violent rumble shook the castle above them. The winds seeming to shift as a sinister chill ran through the spine of everyone in the room.
"It's him!" Rose warned sensing not only the overwhelming aura of malice, but also the presence of what could only be one thing: The Divide Dragoon Knight Dart, possessed by Melbu Frahma.
A deafening bang followed by a beam of light smashed through the second floor and right into the ground, decimating the area. While it didn't land on Rose or her comrades, it was uncomfortably close. The subsequent shockwave send them on their back, but Rose and Lucile were nimble enough to roll back onto their knees. Zack however fell back and cracked his head on the floor.
He got up quickly, rubbing his head with the hand not holding his spear. Rose looked over in shock to see it left a large crater, the nearby soldiers obliterated by the divine blast. When the dust settled, the Divine Dragoon Knight Dart grinned wickedly at the three of them.
"Hope I'm not interrupting" he said with a laugh. The voice was different to Dart's; it took a much colder, emotionless tone. It was frightening.
He turned his attention to Wen, who gazed at him in fear.
"And you, you little worm, thought you could get away with double crossing me like a double agent?" He gave Wen a swift kick, which sent him sprawling to the floor.
"Double Agent!?" Zack questioned bemused.
"Ah, you didn't know. Ah yes, he was perhaps one of the best spies I've ever caught. He nearly had me too, I knew Intel was being leaked, but I would never have thought t would be Wen, who I've seen singlehandedly kill, mutilate and torture.
"What… are you talking about?" Zack asked with rising anger. Just what the hell was going on?
"Well, since you'll all die soon, I guess it can't hurt to have ourselves a little talk" Melbu began, his radiant wings flapping silently to keep him above ground. "His allegiance really lies with Serdio, Bale to more specific." He paused a moment, as if for dramatic effect. Everyone was quiet now, some too scared to move, others intent on listening to the unfolding news. "With King Albert to be precise. You see, as I have found out, Albert is not dead at all. He has gone underground, assumed dead by everyone besides Wen and his closest servants. It was all a plan to get him into my ranks, to gain my trust. The little worm was really relaying everything to him, ultimately trying to devise a coup from within."
"Impossible…" Rose muttered.
"Ah, you weren't informed of that either?" the possessed Dart began with a wicked grin. "Well, why should you? After all, you are only tools of war, used when needed, discarded when not. In any event, from behind the scenes Albert has been creating the resistance group you see before you. The one thing he didn't count on was me finding out his plot so soon." He turned to Wen, who appeared barely conscious. "You were so close eh? All that work, all those killings and horrible atrocities you had to commit to gain my trust, will all be for naught." He raised his sword, preparing to deal the final blow, but then stopped, if to ponder.
"I have… a better idea" he turned his attention to Zack, and Zack became alarmed at the sudden spotlight. "You, you'll be the first to die." Zack froze, another chill running through his body like a bolt of lightning. "I'll make Wen watch you go first. He loved you, you know? Loved you like a father does a son. That's why he never killed you when you had the chance, why he gave you back the spirit, which he convinced me was all a part of his larger plan. It was all to protect you." He laughed. "Now, I'll make him watch me kill you slowly!"
Rose stood in front of Zack defiantly. "The only one who will be dying around here will be you!"
Melbu smiled. "Well, why don't you try?" He laughed as he levitated a little more, his arms folded. The cannon attached to his left arm trembled a little. Rose's eyes widened, knowing what was to come next.
"Everyone, back onto the bridge!" she cried, sprinting towards the double hinged doors. All the soldiers followed, pooling into the open area as a ball of energy manifested from the end of the barrel of the Divine Cannon. Melbu laughed maliciously as the ball grew in density and volume, before the ball shot forward, a grand explosion rocking the castle.
She didn't know how many soldiers were wiped out, only hoped that it was quick for them. Rose turned heel immediately, pulling along Zack and Lucile with her. The explosion pushed her onto the outer bridge, the half closest to the castle subsequently crumbling under the pressure of the blast. The three of them shifted into their Dragoon forms and took flight, escaping the fate that many soldiers could not.
Rose looked behind her, ash, embers and particles of debris making it hard to watch as the dark stronghold burned and disintegrated. Still, they could hear the echoes of Melbu laughter.
"What now?" Lucile asked frantically. Smoke blanketed the area they were in, and it would give them a moment to make what small preparations they could. Rose scouted the area, but already an idea was beginning to take shape within her mind, slowly building and improving until it became the basis of a battle plan.
"Listen, you two" Rose began. "I have an idea, however it's a one shot thing, if we mess up, we're done for. The Divine Dragon grants Melbu power even beyond the three of us combined, as one would expect when wielding the power of the strongest Dragon. However, even though it is the epitome of battle prowess, it still has its weaknesses we can exploit. We'll only get once chance, understand?"
Lucile and Zack nodded in unison.
"Good. Now this is the plan."
And so the three make the last preparations for the final confrontation ahead. Yet the outcome, in the end, was something none of them could foresee. Not even Melbu himself.
