Zenebatos
The first thing that registered in my mind as we entered the Law City was brightness. My vision consists only of a bright sienna color. Quickly I adjust to the change in brightness and look around.
"So this is Zenebatos." Dart mutters. "Not much to look at."
I have to agree. It had once been a bustling city, but now it seems rather lifeless. The stone platforms are covered in a thick layer of dust, like a pyramid that has remained undiscovered for eleven thousand years. The only modern or clean things are the strange machines scattered all over, coming up to my waist. I walk over to the edge of the platform, looking down the sheer precipitous side at the marsh below.
"Albert, you must love this place." Haschel comments.
The Serdian king nods. "I know that this used to be the Law City, where the laws were passed. There must be so much knowledge here...but that is not what we are here for."
Meru sprouts her wings and hovers up to a higher platform, ignoring the teleporter. Frowning, she observes the foreign machine and runs her hand along it. "What is this?"
Miranda gasps. "Dart, look!"
Something flickers in my mind, and I look up to see a shadow crossing over me. It arches in a semi-loop and skids to a stop next to the platform. I frown at the magical creature. It is shaped like a manta ray, colored in a sky blue and sprinkled with patches of orange. Its eyes are located on the top of its head, slanted to look at us.
"I am Coolon." It announces itself. "Would you like to have wings?"
Dart takes his hand away from the hilt of his sword. "Savan told us that he would give us wings to cross the sky."
"Would you like to have wings?" Coolon repeats.
The red-clad warrior glances at the rest of us. "Maybe it would be wise to rest up before roaming Zenebatos. We don't know how it might have changed from when Rose knew it. Let's go back to a city and rest."
"Can we go back to Deningrad?" Miranda asks. "I would like to inform Her Majesty Queen Theresa of what has happened."
"Of course." Dart turns back to the large creature, flat and broad enough for all of us to stand on. "But can you support all this weight?"
"Yes." Coolon confirms. "Climb on my back and I shall give you wings."
Awkwardly, we all file on, taking up different positions. I claim the right wing, seeing as how it has space and it would be easier for me to attack if I were to see an enemy closing in.
When Kongol has settled into a comfortable position near the back, Coolon rises up with no indication that he cannot support the weight. Zenebatos becomes nothing more than a blur of color as we gain altitude. I am mildly surprised at the speed and strength of the magical creature. Even with my wings and millennia of experience I could not go this fast.
"Where are we?" Kongol rumbles the question.
"I don't know." Dart replies over his shoulder, yelling over the roar of the wind. "I've never been here before! Ask Rose!"
I must brace my feet against the cool skin in order to keep my balance. "We're in the westernmost part of the world. Zenebatos is located on a small island near the Broken Islands, between the Strait of Walter and Rudra Bay. We fly northeast to get to Deningrad."
"Meru, you okay?" Haschel asks.
The petite dancer is lying on her stomach, clenching at Coolon's skin to avoid flying off. "I've never been this high up before!" She yells.
I sit with my legs tucked to one side. "You'll get used to it."
The reconstruction of Deningrad has begun, and the citizens are hard at it. They have imported some building supplies from Tiberoa, but I can see that they still stick to their original architecture. Miranda sweeps in the city with one glance of her amber eyes and immediately begins taking long strides to the Crystal Palace.
Queen Theresa is pleased to see us. After an elaborate meal, she allows us to tell her about our long journey. I do not stick around for the entire story. I mutter an excuse about being tired and return to the room I was assigned to, locking the door and curling up on the bed.
Zieg, why are you doing this? Didn't you fight to save the world?I put my arms around my ankles and rest my chin on my knees. The only thing left as hope for the world is the seven of us. The Dragoons. Meru, Haschel, Kongol, Miranda, Albert, Rose, and Dart. Not really seeming to be heroes and yet we had accomplished enough in the past year to be hailed as heroes. Led by Dart, we found our way.
Dart, what drives you? What goes on in your mind? What fuels you to do what you do? I had always been mildly surprised at the warrior's passion. It didn't seem to be what others would feel. Dart took things as his own, driven by a passion, something unseen. If he believed in something, he would follow it. He accepted repentant enemies as friends and trusted those that he did not know. He reminded me of Zieg at his age. And yet I had never noticed the same passion in Zieg as I do in Dart. Of course Zieg was courageous and brave and he fought for what he believed in. But Dart was different. He had something…I didn't understand.
I shut off the lamp and lie down to rest. Perhaps one day, when this is all over, I will understand.
In the morning Dart wakens the rest of us, earlier than even I am used to.
He knocks on my door once, calling out my name, and then moves on to Meru's room, next to mine. At first I was surprised, but then I stood and washed up, exiting the room and heading for the throne room.
The others are awake, just barely. Haschel is sitting in one of the chairs, half-closed eyes dazed and sleepy. Meru keeps yawning and Kongol leans his weight on his axe, snoring heavily. Dart must poke all of them to get them awake. "You can sleep on the flight back to Zenebatos." He tells them. "But for now we have to go."
I am oddly proud of him in a way. He knows that the world is at stake here. The Signet Sphere of Aglis has already been destroyed. There are only two left. Sleep can be sacrificed for the world. I remember Zieg does the same thing, gathering together the rest of them and explaining, commanding gently but firmly. And then had obeyed him. Yet Zieg shared his thoughts with everyone, or at least me. Dart does not. Is it because Shana is not here for him to speak to, or because he has learned or decided upon something that he does not want us to know?
Leaving Deningrad silently, so as not to wake up anyone, we call Coolon by our Dragoon Spirits. Coolon is not sensitive enough to hone in on our Spirits, but the light of the seven elements dims even the sun on the horizon and the magical creature flutters to the ground, giving us easy access. It has probably been sleeping ever since we arrived in Deningrad, for it is not the least bit groggy.
When we land in Zenebatos, we stand in front of the strange machine I had noticed during out first visit here. There is something sitting on it, a creature dressed in a beige hood and robe. Beyond it is a teleporter. When we try to step onto it, the creature stops us, speaking in a mechanically altered tone.
"I am Guide Lapto 00. Wingly Code Article 703 prohibits non-Winglies from going to the Signet Sphere."
"Hey!" Meru says, indignant. She squeezes around Kongol to stand in front of the Lapto with her hands on her hips. "I'm a Wingly! Why can't I get in?"
The creature turns its face to her and shakes its head.
"Your Wingly magic must not be enough, Meru." Albert tells her, and the petite dancer sulks back, muttering under her breath.
"I don't understand. Meru is a Wingly, but even if her magic is not enough, she is a Dragoon. Shouldn't that magic compensate for it?" Haschel asks. "We're all Dragoons. We have magic, enough not to be classified as Humans."
"Eleven thousand years ago, this was a Wingly city. The Winglies took precautions that no one other than themselves could get in, including the Dragoons." I pause, chewing my bottom lip thoughtfully. "Dragoon magic is in certain ways different from Wingly magic. So even if we are not human, as long as we don't have Wingly magic, we can't get to the Signet Sphere. It was this way eleven thousand years ago as well."
"That's good." Dart says thoughtfully. "If that law prohibits all non-Winglies, then my father cannot get through either."
"No." I say sharply. "Zieg is very resourceful. He will find a way; I do not doubt that. We have to be there to stop him. We can't rely on these stupid laws; Zieg will find a way to get around them. We have to find a way to change these laws."
Leaving the Guide Lapto to its job, we discuss a way to get to the Signet Sphere.
"We could transform to Dragoons and just fight our way to the Signet Sphere." Miranda suggests. I like that idea. It has been a while since a good fight. There is not the same abundance of power and magic here as there was in Aglis, but I like a challenge.
"No. It's too risky. Too many things could go wrong."
After shooting down a couple more ideas, Dart is interrupted when Albert clears his throat. "I think I have a way." The Serdian king says mildly. "We're in the Law City, correct? So we should play by their rules: have the law changed. We'll just follow the rules and get it changed legally. This way no one gets hurt and the Lapto can't stop us.
"If I remember correctly from my ruling in the Indels Castle, I had to get the approval from the council first in order to make a law. Then with their permission, I had to go to the law factory to make it official. They will make it into a law form. Afterwards, the form must be taken to the enforcement, which will make the law public for everyone and then uphold the law.
"And also judging from what I have been studying, all we have to do is get the license from the legislation center counsel, and change the law. Then go to the law factory and speak to whoever is in charge there. Afterwards, we go to the law launcher and the law will be revised."
There are a few moments of silence. Albert simply looks around, surprised at our bewildered faces.
Kongol shakes his massive head. "Gigantos lose to books. Kongol just follow friends."
Since he seems to know so much about what to do about a law, Dart steps aside and lets Albert lead the group through the flying platforms, rushing to the front only when there is a battle with monsters.
To my immense annoyance, we must wait in line behind several Lapto that want to have other laws revised. Even eleven thousand years after the fall of this Wingly city, the entire mood of it hasn't disappeared.
When it is our turn, the council does not indicate that it registers us as humans, or at least, that it doesn't care. "Do you want to revise a law?"
"Yes." Albert's head is held high so that he looks like he is back at his castle, in charge and just, ready to be obeyed.
"Which law do you wish to revise?"
"Article 703." The king speaks smoothly, confident.
The Lapto debate this for a while and then holds out something in its hand. "Approved. Take this to the Law Factory."
"Thank you." Albert steps forward and takes the license. After he is off the floor, another Lapto takes his place.
"We have it." The king says quietly. "Now all we have to do is take it to the law factory and then the law launcher."
I simply shake my head and follow orders. For all the years of my life, the government and politics had perplexed me. While I admired their effectiveness and power, I much rather preferred the self-efficiency of the very old days, before even I lived, when it had been every person for herself.
After hopping from platform to platform, we finally revise the law and the Guide Lapto 00 allows us to go through without any trouble. The last flying platform takes us to the Great Court.
It is a magnificent building, set in the same shades as the rest of the Law City Zenebatos, but very nicely built, with a good architecture and a strong foundation. Beyond the walkway would be the Great Court. Now it would only be a matter of convincing them to let us protect the Signet Sphere.
I vaguely remember that after Lloyd joined the party, we had been traveling through the Snow Fields. There had been an avalanche and we had slid down the slope. Near the bottom there was a door saying that no one could go through it, signed by Judge Nomos of the Great Court of Zenebatos.
So Nomos is still here.The flying platform lets us off gently, and I stretch without moving. There is something wrong.
The Lapto turns its face toward us and seems to be scanning us. "Dart, Rose, Albert, Haschel, Meru, Kongol, Miranda. The Court is waiting for you."
I keep my hand on the hilt of my sword as I proceed through the entrance.
"Guilty. Guilty. Guilty. Guilty. Guilty. Guilty. Guilty. Guilty. Guilty. Guilty."
The word echoes through the room as we enter; the court is in a stir. I narrow my eyes at all the sentient beings as they observe us, muttering, "Guilty."
Judge Nomos reminds me of a rare monster I had fought a few hundred years back as he floats in front of us. His eyes gleam with an unholy light. "These seven beings are charged with treason to Soa!"
"Treason to Soa?" Dart echoes, incredulous. "My father must have already been here! He's manipulating the judge!"
"Penalty: Death! Come out! Winged executioners! Vector, Selebus, Kubila! Start the execution!"
The monsters drop from an unseen portal in the ceiling, and I draw my sword with a loud scraping of metal, my mind already registering what kind of monsters these are.
Selebus smiles, showing her teeth, and the battle begins. I can feel the rest of the group already moving in the lethal dance of battle.
Guilty, guilty, guilty. The word echoes in my head.
Guilt had been consuming me since I had taken on the responsibility of becoming a Dragoon. Even before I had been the Black Monster, I had been a Dragoon and I had fought in the Dragon Campaign. I had killed Winglies. They had been my enemies, but they had been living beings and I had killed them. The guilt of that rested upon my shoulders multiplied a thousandfold by the deaths of the people I had killed as the Black Monster.
I can still almost feel the power flowing through my fingertips. Neet…
"Where is Princess Louvia?"The soldier glared up at the Black Monster with defiant eyes. "I'll never tell you where our princess is."
"It is your last chance. Where is the princess?"
"A monster like you should rot in hell."The energy… the Black Monster had clutched its hands on the soldier's shoulders and began the transfer there. Every spark of energy that the soldier was became the Black Monster's. Every little power that gave him the ability to see, to hear, to move, to breathe, to live, that energy transferred through the smoky black claws and the soldier slumped to the ground, lifeless and gone.
That had been one out of the millions of deaths that the Black Monster had taken. But I had remembered that one clearly because of the power. That soldier had been strong, in all possible ways. His defiance, his strength, his love, his courage, his loyalty, all that was transformed into sheer power and that had entered me as my own strength. The hands that now tried to save the world had drained the life out of an innocent soldier and millions more. It didn't change a thing, what I killed for. In the end all it bubbled down to was that I had murdered and that I am guilty. There is no denying it.
I stop in the midst of battle, staring down at my hands, bare of their gloves, bloodstained. Small hands, almost dove-like, pale and delicate. When had I stopped wearing my gloves? "These hands…" I whisper. "Have taken countless lives." Will saving the world rectify all that? If I die, will my sins be repented? Will I be free of the guilt? Or will that follow me even to the afterlife?
I steel myself. There is no predicting the future. I must live now, for the present. My sword thrusts forward, breaking Vector's sienna skin and drawing more blood.
"Demon's Dance!"
Guardians of the Signet Sphere, if only you knew…"Blazing Dynamo!"
Zieg, if only you could see what you are doing…
"Bone Crush!"
Selebus is the healer in the group, so we take her out first. Her angel wings flap listlessly once more as she falls to the ground. An angel fallen, snow white wings on the floor. Does it make me a demon, to be killing an angel?
If we can't stop Zieg from destroying this Signet Sphere, then the only thing left between life and death will be the Signet Sphere of Mayfil. I draw a gash along Kubila's throat. No. I have fought too hard and sacrificed too much for it to end. I must keep the world safe.
When the battle is over, and the three executioners are sprawled on the ground, the Judge Nomos looks at us once and stands aside, whether out of fear or respect I don't know. Maybe there is no difference.
"Come on!" Dart sheathes his sword and shoves past the Judge, down the walkway leading to the Signet Sphere. It leads outside, to bright sunlight blocked by the silhouette of a figure clad in sleek red armor.
"Zieg!" My voice is an animal howl torn from my soul.
My former fiancé is standing over the Signet Sphere of Zenebatos, his face twisted in a leer. Something small and glittering is in his hand, and it takes me a moment to realize that it is the Moon Dagger. He looks up for half a second, and then back at the Divine Moon Object, lifting it over his head.
"No! Dad, stop!" Dart yells.
Zieg tosses the Dagger almost carelessly. The blade tumbles end over end and buries itself in the Signet Sphere. He looks up. "You're too late. No one can stop the will of Soa!"
I draw my sword, feeling its cool weight against my bare hand. "I'm sorry, my darling." I whisper, and leap, stabbing upward.
But Zieg reacts quickly, his hands forming a lightning flash of lava colors. The energy sphere leaps out of his hands and strikes me in the chest. My headlong rush reverses, slamming me back to the ground.
"Rose!" Dart runs forward, sword drawn.
I blink, dazed. My head is spinning and something is lodged under my back, right next to my spinal cord. I must have landed flat on my back. My nerves seem shot and I can't move. I blink, as the human outlines turn into blurry shapes.
"Fool." Zieg growls in derision, glaring at me, watching as Dart cups his hand under my elbow and helps me to my feet. I stumble once, my eyes slitting. The Dragoon Spirit flares.
"There is only one Signet Sphere left." Zieg calls mockingly. "Do you think you can stop me in time?" His laughter fades as he floats away.
"Damn!" Dart runs forward, and having nothing to support my weight, I fall back down again. Embarrassing.
"Rose, are you all right?" The Wind Dragoon helps me to stand.
"My head." I say shortly, as he transforms into a green blur. I shake my head.
"Here, stand aside." Miranda kneels in front of me. "Her eyes are unfocused." She lifts the Dragoon Spirit of the White Silver Dragon of Healing off her neck and holds it in front of my face.
Darkness explodes into light and the pounding in my head goes away. I strike the heel of my hand against the side of my head and my vision sharpens. "Thanks." I mutter quietly, standing. "Come on. He's getting away."
"No." Dart stops me with a single word. He doesn't even look at me, just at the destroyed Signet Sphere. His eyes hold the gaze of someone far away. "He's already gone and it's getting late. We'll rest here and start in the morning."
With that he walks back to the Court, silent.
"What happened to him?" Meru asks.
"He's thinking about Shana." Haschel says knowingly. "Leave him."
I sit on top of the platform, thinking.
He tried to kill me. If he had any more time to charge up, his energy blast would have seriously hurt me.Now I understood why Dart had been so upset when I had tried to slay Shana right in front of him. Betrayal. He had trusted me and I betrayed his trust. I had trusted Zieg and he betrayed me.
I am upset and pained because Zieg had tried to kill me. And yet, I had tried to kill him as well. Is he feeling this pain as well? This hurt and betrayal? No, most likely not. I felt it because I still loved him. I still reminisced about the old days when there was a smile on my face. He didn't, I am sure of it. Our unbroken silver cord that seemed to connect our heart and soul was severed. He is gone now.
Zieg had once declared to Emperor Diaz that even if he and I died, our bonds of affection would still remain. Yet neither of us is dead, and that bond is already gone. Vanished. Nothing affectionate lies in his mind, only thoughts to obey Soa and destroy the world.
How ironic. Zieg, the hero who had sacrificed his life to save the world, now aiding the hand of evil. Once praised, now scorned and feared. I twist my lips into a sardonic smile. The Black Monster was feared and hated and Zieg's creation. He had figured out the true meaning of the prophecy of the Moon Child and he had sworn that he would never let it happen. If he had not been spelled, he would be the Black Monster. But after I thought he died, I vowed to continue his legacy. That was why I became the despised Black Monster.
I tilt my head back. Eleven thousand years ago, we were to be married. Now we are enemies. I still remember the first time I had tried to fly.
"Zieg! It feel so wonderful, so free!""Rose, slow down! You're going too fast for a beginner; your magic will run out! Rose! …Rose!"
"Aah!"
"Rose!"
He had caught me before I hit the ground and all I could do was sob, a pathetic heap in his arms. He had been so caring and gentle, wiping away my tears.
"Shh…sweetheart, don't cry. You're safe now."
"Zieg…I don't want to try that again."
"You have to. It's your duty."
"I…don't want to…fall again."
"You won't. I'll be with you. I promise."
With his promise, I felt safe and secure. I mastered flying and Dragoon magic. Everything was perfect.
I sigh, looking at the dusty landscape of Zenebatos. I miss the days when love still existed within me. I had loved flying hand-in-hand with him, or riding together on the back of a Dragon, nuzzling my cheek against his shoulder. Things had been so innocent then.
Zieg, my love, will you take this to the end?Zieg's energy blast must have drained me more than I thought. I slept through most of the morning. When I finally awakened, it was near midday. I sit up surprised.
"Well, Sleeping Beauty finally woke up." Haschel's voice comes from my left and I turn to see him and Miranda.
"Where is everyone?" I ask, accepting a wet towel from Miranda to wipe off any dirt of oil that might have accumulated on my face while I slept.
"They are changing another law." The Sacred Sister looks up from examining the string on her bow. "Albert had an idea to change a law so that we could teleport directly to Mayfil and the last Signet Sphere. But Dart didn't want to wake you, and he didn't want to leave you by yourself, so Haschel and I got stuck babysitting."
Instead of snapping back a reply as she may have expected, I merely nod. "Thank you." Ignoring her surprised expression, I ask, "How long have I been out?"
"It's almost midday." Haschel informs me. "The others left a while ago. They should be back soon."
Indeed, no more than ten minutes later, the rest of the group returns.
"Rose, how are you feeling?" Dart asks gently.
"Fine." There is a pain in his eyes I have not seen before. He has been thinking of Shana, and he must have come across a new revelation. I will ask him about it later. "We can go to Mayfil now?"
"Yes. We had the law changed again." Albert says. "We can take the teleporter we used to get here and go directly to Mayfil."
"Let's go right now." Meru suggests. "We have all the supplies we need, and we're all rested up. There's no reason to delay anymore."
I turn my head slightly to observe her. For the first time I realize how much she has grown from the empty-headed ditzy dancer girl that had insisted on tagging along with us since Donau. She has grown not only physically but mentally as well. Perhaps this journey has its good points.
"She's right. There's no point in staying here anymore." Dart says. "Let's go."