A/N: I don't know if there's anyone who's still following this story up to this point but if there's one, then thank you for sticking around! You've officially reached one of my most favourite, if not /the/ most favourite, chapter(s) of the story.
Under the morning sun, impregnable skyscrapers that formed the city of Bevelle were gleaming in their full glory, turning the landscape into a sea of red that was reminiscent of a burning Phoenix. After hours of stillness, the city sprung alive again and as part of his diurnal routine, Zako would observe its rhythms with repletion and vigilance. He did so from the rooftop of the Headquarter, which soared above the rest of Bevelle at its heart.
The far-reaching view of the city offered by the rooftop gave him glimpses of his citizens steering through the streets in obligatory red attires; of designated corners for man-made gardens watered by Machina-powered sprinklers; of Machina-produced holograms that existed among the living as walking commercials or media broadcasts; of Machina lifts floating across artificial river banks and bringing riders from one end of a zone to another; and of Machina airships flying in the sky across different districts.
Anyone could have mistaken Bevelle as the Al-Bhed City of Bikanel. Though in appearance, Bevelle was arguably better.
It took Zako fifteen years to turn the once Machina-averse pietistic city into one unshackled by old traditions, and which held Machinas with high regard. The beginning of his scheming galvanized during his time working as a priest to the family of Bevelle's former head of state, Gosdantin. He magnetised the family with his quick-wittedness and a fearlessness in speech like no other, enough for him to exercise ample amount of influence on Gosdantin and state-building decisions. Advancing into the upper echelons of Bevelle's field of statecraft was plain sailing for him. In no time, he was appointed as the minister of defense, mainly due to his role in convincing Gosdantin and his council to introduce the use of Machinas for the city's defences.
While managing and leading Bevelle's defence operations, Zako partnered with both the ministers of literacy and diplomacy to outline a plan in establishing apprenticeship centres where Bevelle residents could learn the art of Machina building. Gosdantin was thoroughly impressed by the proposal that he willingly broke an age-old taboo of never dealing with the Al-Bheds by fostering relations with the Bikanel tribe, and the inking of an agreement to bring Al-Bheds into Bevelle with promises of guaranteed employment. The apprenticeship centres produced generations of experts in the field of Machina building and its outcomes had been entirely favourable to the city; life became safer and more convenient. Zako himself took the opportunity to reserve some of his time outside of his official post to learn about Machinas and how to construct them under the private tutoring of Ahura, an Al-Bhed who also eventually became his lover and present-day advisor.
Zako's radical ideas and achievements brought an upsurge in his popularity, not just among the people of Bevelle but also those sitting in the seat of government – the Headquarter. Nonetheless, not everyone was pleased. Noticing his family's depreciating standing in the eyes of the public, Gosdantin grew wary of Zako, along with his loyal supporters, those still repelled by Machina usage, and those envious of Zako's credibility. Following this, several changes were made by Gosdantin with regards to the exercise of power within Bevelle's governance, thus bringing severe limitations to the authority accorded to Zako and the rest of the council.
Sensing Gosdantin's waning support of him, Zako gathered his supporters both from within the seat of government and those underground to stage a coup which ended with his overwhelming victory, where Gosdantin was overthrown from power and imprisoned. After a vote of confidence was made among the people and the council, Zako was named as the new leader of Bevelle.
As the new leader, Zako was finally free to remove all of Gosdantin's supporters from the council and replace them with those of his own choosing. He regarded the decision as one of his major triumphs, for he truly believed that it helped rid Bevelle of the unnecessary burden of being subjected to the whims of anachronistic statecrafters. This pattern of thinking poured into his decisions on other areas of statebuilding – he went on to forbid spiritual beliefs and practices, demolish temples and expel those who still held onto the old faith out of the city. He wanted to wipe Bevelle off from any single trace of its bygone life.
The memories of those days in the past raised a smile on Zako's face.
He had not always been this opposed to old traditions and doctrines that revere celestial beings. In fact, he was born and bred to be a devotee. At the tender age of five, he was already sent to train at the oldest temple in Bevelle to become a priest. He prayed fervently to those Worshipped from the wind and thunder… but his zeal quickly eroded as his many prayers went unanswered; as he discovered corruption among the believers that went unpunished; and as his back bled continually from beatings inflicted onto him and others by a cruel senior monk, leaving scars that never healed.
When Zako first laid his eyes onto a Machina, it was as though he was struck by an epiphany that felt more like a divine experience than any of those he had in his entire life. The Machina was purchased by one of the head priests and was used to operate lifts that could bring those on board from one floor of the temple to another. The device served to ease the trouble of moving for residents who had mobility and motor issues; it was not a product of divine intervention but was an invention by those who were living and breathing.
It made him ask: Why was he wasting his time in the temple praying for help and the good of his city when something as functional as these Machinas could be built for use?
Zako prodded his seniors on why more of the Machinas were not utilized within the city and was met with their wrath and scorn. The Machinas mock the sanctity of those Worshipped and strive to imitate them, they said. Overuse of them will make us forget who we are, they said. It was one absurd reasoning after another and it never quelled his conviction. He was adamant that the only way forward for Bevelle was for it to fully embrace the perks of using Machina. And so he continued his training to become a qualified priest and earn the respect he needed for people not to take his words lightly.
Now he stood before his city, proud of what it had become under his rule. He had also started presuming that it was time for him to lead the rest of Spira to the same path of progress.
Assured that his city was running as smoothly as he wished, Zako turned to take his leave, only to be surprised by Ahura who was standing quietly several feet away. The well-defined shape of his eyes and nose never fail to fascinate Zako, but his stunning face was unreadable as he spoke huskily, "Pardon me, Lord Zako but Lord Seth has sent me to request for your presence underground."
Ahura's passiveness showed signs of crumbling when Zako started grinning. Try as Ahura might in hiding his true feelings about Seth's frequent visits to Bevelle, he still could not hide them from Zako – his jealousy and insecurity. Zako suspected these were made worse by the long hours he spent with Seth whenever he could. The troubled look on Ahura's face had drawn Zako's need to comfort his lover a number of times… yet, he never did. He figured that it was much more gratifying to watch how affection for him was causing agony to his lover.
"I hope he's made some progress," Zako remarked, walking by Ahura. "Come with me."
Discontinuing operations for the old temple beneath the Headquarter opened a possibility to reuse the defunct underground spaces for other purposes. Zako concluded that there was no other place more suitable to store Bevelle's massive reserve stocks of military weapons than here.
He converted the network of temple cloisters into labyrinthine passages consisting of puzzles that needed to be solved for further access to reach the hub. Walls engraved with sacred writings were torn down and substituted with Machina-powered impenetrable walls. Dismantled marble floors were replaced with metal plates that could shift in configuration by tinkering with the correct controls set in obscure corners, and climbing pillars that functioned more as levers than structures of support.
At the hub, a Machina-powered tower was constructed in the shape of a Ragora and contained an additional maze of passages which served as an arsenal for piles of Machina artilleries, combat tanks and aircrafts. However, these were all mere distractions from the main asset hidden and comprehensively guarded in the underground fortress. It lay within a chamber that consumed many long hours of Zako's days since he started plotting to take over leadership of the entire Spira.
Inside the chamber, there was only an outstretched bridge hemmed in a vast and hollow area that had become a storage facility for the said main asset: a gargantuan Machina weapon that bore a resemblance to an actual fiend with its six legs, flickering blue wings and serpentine tail. Both Seth and Zako had decided to name it Vegnagun, after an ancient weapon that was once used ten thousand years ago to secure Bevelle's victory and independence from its occupiers.
As far as Zako understood from Seth's drawings, the Vegnagun could be controlled via an instrument that produced colours transmitted to three pairs of nodes on its upper body, thus determining its mode of assault. The instrument sat on top of its head where two large horns and tusks were jutting out like those from the skull of a living wild animal. The route to the instrument could be accessed through its open mouth that now seemed to be upgraded with a new tool: an extensively lengthy cannon.
"That's a very impressive addition, Seth. It'll reduce the burden of us needing smaller canon-like Machinas on battlefields," Zako said, approaching the end of the bridge with Ahura. "Though I'll have to question how to operate the weapon if the cannon is blocking the entryway to the panels."
Seth was dangling by a harness at the midsection of the cannon, tightening pieces of bolts with a wrench. "The cannon will only be activated when the weapon assumes a standing position."
Sitting above the end point of the cannon and also busy with reinforcing the tool was Seth's leading assistant who had been provided by Zako in the middle of the weapon development project. He was a young man not older than twenty-two years of age and who listed his name as Bakhti when he applied to join Bevelle's military forces five years ago. His background was one shared by so many others: he was an immigrant forced to live at the Luca Highroad after being ousted from Kilika for covertly doing what was prohibited by law – studying the art of Machina building. He may be a person with a few words but his perceptiveness won Zako over. Zako also quickly learned that Bakhti was good with his hands, a necessary skill if one were to build Machinas of high quality.
"You're helping Seth again, Bakhti? Where are the others?" Zako benevolently queried. "It seems that I'll have to give you a raise from this month onwards."
"That would be ideal, my lord," Bakhti replied with a smile. His rare playfulness was also a charming trait, making it easier for him to blend in with new crowds. None of those in service within Bevelle's military forces had anything critical to say about him.
Seth climbed down from the cannon to join Zako's side. "It's almost finished. Bakhti and I will do the finishing touches in the next few days. It won't be long 'til I'll call you down again to test the cannon."
"Good." Zako's dream of transforming Spira into one that he envisioned no longer seemed far away to him… but he still needed an appraisal beyond what Seth could perceive. So he turned to Ahura, whose judgements he relied on for years longer than he did with Seth. "What do you think is missing, Ahura?"
Ahura appeared unsettled, having been caught off guard by suddenly becoming the centre of attention. But Seth's galling stare quickened the way in which Ahura gathered himself. "Asudeuhc. Vaamehkc. Dra ypemedo du tevvanahdeyda padfaah vneaht yht vua [Emotions. Feelings. The ability to differentiate between friend and foe]." he said, speaking in his and Seth's mother tongue to assert the seriousness of his claim.
Zako could not find anything to say in return; Ahura had reminded them all about the significant flaw that Machina weapons have and the risk seemed ever magnified for something as mammoth as the Vegnagun. His concern was reflected in his ensuing question towards Seth, "Will you be able to address that problem in some way?"
"…I'll see what I can do."
Zako and Ahura's return to the upper floors of the Headquarter was met by a presence that they least expected – the last person the former would like to see in any day. Dai Denzin was waiting in the conference hall, appearing rather distracted as his eyes roamed outside the windows. He was not younger than fifty but was built as sinewy as an average robust young man. When speaking to him, it would not take long for one to become aware of his acuity as his finest quality… and imprudence and contrariness as his shortcomings.
"You're here early, Lord Denzin," Zako said, making no attempt to hide his displeasure. "I'm assuming you have news for me that can't wait for another day to be delivered."
"Indeed I do, Lord Zako."
Zako stood facing Denzin with hands on his hips and a growing impatience to hear what the man had to say. "Well, tell me. What are you delaying for? I have other engagements that require my attention."
Denzin started clenching his jaw; resentment was flashing from deep within his eyes. Zako thought a pointless altercation between them that he had neither time nor care to entertain was imminent. To his relief, Denzin seemingly managed to stop himself from reacting in the worst possible way. He told Zako with forced impassivity, "Yevon went to meet with Kilika, Besaid, Macalania and Moonflow several days ago."
A scornful smile lifted the corners of Zako's mouth. He shook his head, feeling both impressed and exasperated by Yevon's nerves. He thought his efforts during their recent visit to Luca would frighten the man into submission… but he turned out to be as unrelenting as ever. "That bastard."
Denzin linked his arms above his chest and stared gravely at Zako. "Will you do something about it?"
"Of course I will. Who do you think I am?"
Zako hated the smile that had risen on Denzin's face following his answer. Despite their foolishness, he held Yevon and the likes of him to a higher degree than those of Denzin's nature. There was nothing more that he detested than traitors who turned their backs against their homelands. If it were not for Denzin's usefulness in bringing down his city's principal adversary, he would not take a second look at the leech of a man.
The bell hanging at a nearby tower began tolling, marking the beginning of the hour for Bevelle's court to convene. "I think it's time for you to leave," Zako remarked, severely wanting to see the man gone from his sight.
Denzin said no word in return before making his way towards the exit. Watching Denzin brought an urge within Zako to say something that he knew would rile up the older man, "The next time we meet… don't forget to bring along your pet. I want to thank her for all that she has done."
Denzin's movements ceased. He turned only to issue a warning, "When all this is over… I'll remember to kill you next."