Venus
Admonition: Part Two
Sting of the
Dragon
by Anna-mathe: all rights reserved, for I have none.
NOTE: I had to break the story in
half for various reasons – if you're just now joining us, you might want to
read Venus Admonition: the first half, and of course I heartily recommend the
other stories in the series to make sense out of this mess: "Don't Jump, Kain,
Don't Jump", "Black Lightning and Red Eyes", and "Masters' Poison". Anyway . . . enough of my babbling. Enjoy.
8)---------- In Which, the war
begins.
Six
figures stood along the edge of the central tower of the Castle Baron – the
tallest structure in the Kingdom – and watched in tense silence as the first
rays of dawn skittered over the horizon.
A Knight and a Captain, their expressions cold, tense, aware. Waiting.
An Engineer, almost sulking, worry edging his features. A White Mage who looked as if she had shed a
good many tears over the night, and feared she would shed many more before this
day had ended. A Dragoon (or perhaps
Dragon Knight was now the better term for him, Cecil later reflected, although
he knew not why), who had cold fury etched into every pore, yet wore a
devastating aura of calmness that made his companions, who knew him explicitly,
keep their distance from him this morning.
Standing
slightly apart from them all, leaning over the cornice, a Paladin, the only
currently in living existence on the Earth, waited for the sun itself to peek
over that horizon. No emotion was
evident from him, he was not overly tense or anxious as were many of his
companions. As he watched the edge of
the skyscape, one could decipher nothing from his countenance in the way of
thought or feeling. His position was
obvious however, as he stood with what was either patience of a mask of fury so
severe that none would dare impose upon it, armored, as were those with him, in
full battle gear, save the helmet he held in one hand. A Sword rested in the other, a Shield
propped against the low wall before him.
As
evidence showed that dawn was about to approach, he turned to the Dragon Knight
beside him.
"You
know as well as I that I've never led a full-scale assault," he spoke in a soft
voice, his bright green eyes seeming somehow dimmed, a hint of troubled anxiety
now entering into them. " . . . let me
know if I get stupid, Kain. If my wits
fail me, as I'm beginning to fear they may, I'm counting on you and the others
to pull us through."
And find my daughter. It hung unsaid in the air – they would not
be permitted to turn to this chore until the one before them was resolved. In case the message he'd sent the night
before fell through . . .
"Three
years . . . have changed you, Cecil," Kain replied in a low, almost thoughtful
tone. "They had to – to let you rule a
Kingdom when you'd simply been a fighter your whole life. These changes aren't bad, you've ruled this
Kingdom well, I think." He tore his
gaze from the skyline and met that of the other. "But although your manner may be different, your heart is every
bit that of a warrior as it ever was.
Your call as a Paladin is still with you. Don't come to doubt it now."
This
was the most he'd been willing to say that morning – Kain had avoided everyone
as much as he could, and when asked, simply nodded and silently joined them on
the tower. The speech itself was a
strange one, considering its source, but if perhaps Jason frowned slightly and
Torram blinked, Cecil only nodded vaguely, appreciating this confidence.
Cid
cleared his throat loudly, effectively earning the attention of his five companions.
"Cecil,"
he said gruffly, "we recalled those Airships four hours ago. You have less than three before they get
here. Do we maybe have things more
important to do than stand here watching the sunrise?"
Cecil's
eyes flashed harshly.
"More
important? This sunrise marks the end
of everything I've tried to put together these past three years. If this is the day that I am to drag this
planet back into war, then I intend to greet it properly, as the day that will
likely bring my downfall in the long run.
Be this as it may, I don't much care at the moment – my own downfall I
am willing to offer to avenge what certain of our people have endured by
Toroian hands, and I may greet it defiantly as I wish. This sunrise is also, I daresay, the last
clear one we will see." He turned back
to the horizon, his eyes now flashing something different, something colder,
that none of them could interpret.
"After today, the sky will be stained with blood."
Rosa's
eyes widened.
"Cecil!"
she snapped, almost frightened. "Listen
to yourself! You . . . you can't mean
this. Y-you're being weird – stop
it. Just stop it before you get too
weird even for me."
Cecil
sighed and glanced at Kain, the faintest glimmer of a grin playing on his lips.
"Am
I being stupid already?" he asked weakly.
"That,"
Kain firmly stated, his eyes glued to the horizon, "remains to be seen. If we win, why, then we can call you silly
and sing songs of victory. If not, then
. . . I suppose you're right."
Rosa
frowned deeply.
"No,"
she snapped, more strength in her voice now.
"I'm not hearing this. You've
fought before – everyone here has fought before. It's our right to fight today, to avenge ourselves, and we're
going to win. In the long run, if not
today: our treaty allows us to call in reinforcement from the other three
Kingdoms on this world. Toroia will
fall."
Cecil
smiled with no humor whatsoever.
"And
then the whole planet will be members of this war . . . not only the sky but
the Earth itself is going to be stained . . . "
Torram
blinked, looking between the King and Queen, finding himself growing frantic.
"Um
. . . Your Majesty . . . w--- . . . are you feeling okay?"
Rounding
on him, Cecil managed to sufficiently scare him out of his wits.
"Feeling okay?! You and I, Torram, were both among those of us captured and
slotted for execution. You know no more
than I the current state of my daughter, if she's alive, if she's hurt, if even
now she's in Toroian hands as an exchange for Maylara's freedom, which, I
believe, we all agree was the motive for her kidnapping. We're about to go to war, when even now our
ranks are not fully restored from the last one, and at the rate my mind is
going this morning, I'm likely to get us killed or conquered, more so if you
people keep badgering me!!" Torram had
taken a step back involuntarily as Cecil unconsciously began to gesture with
his Sword. Just as Cecil opened his
mouth to speak again, he choked on his own breath in shock, jumped, blinked,
shuddered, then turned on Kain, all anger gone, a plain question on his face
but unable to pass his lips.
"You'd
best calm yourself, Your Majesty," Kain absently advised, not turning to look
at him. "I'd rather not use a power
such as mine on a friend, but as you say, the way you're going, you're likely
to get us all killed."
Rosa
threw frantic looks between them, not understanding what had happened. Torram took a deep sigh of relief, and
instantly regretted it and hoped it wasn't too loud.
"I
agree with Torram," Kain continued.
"You're acting freaky. Stop
it." He turned his Lance in his hand
and gazed at it thoughtfully, almost attentively. "True, I think this is one day many of us will not want to
recount for some time. Before we could
even consider doing so, however, we still have to deal with it. Get your act together. Do not shun your status."
Cecil
blinked, his imposed calmness settling in, the anger leaving his countenance
altogether.
"My
status?"
"Paladin."
"You're
making a big deal out of that, today.
Why?"
"Because
you're not making a big enough deal out of it, and someone has to."
At
last, the sun peeked over that skyscape, as if even it was cautious of Cecil's
temperament. A grin, indifferent as it
was obsessive, spread over the Dragon Knight's face.
"Remember
what you symbolize with your very position.
Even Forciara feared you for what she sensed within. You're a Paladin. The Warrior of Light.
We'll follow you . . . everyone in this Kingdom follows you . . .
because of that. What it implicates."
"And
just what does it implicate?"
Kain's
grin only grew.
"You
figure it out."
And
he turned and left them to see to his troops.
After a more formal withdrawal, Jason and Torram followed.
Cecil
glowered at the sun as it continued to rise.
He looked at the Sword in his hand, the Shield at his side, and the
white Crystal Armor he wore.
He
looked at Rosa.
"I
was not built to talk," he told her. "I
was built to fight. Let's go – before I
start alienating even myself."
* * *
Les
Cheveux, Horizon, Bounty, Rapier, and Moon
made up the aerial force captured by the Toroians, as well as the
non-Redwing: Enterprise. Also in Toroian possession was their own
Airship: Unity. That left Baron outnumbered seven to four -
three in one took into consideration that Eclipse
was waiting aside her peers at a safe break-away distance, should the need
arise for one of the remaining Redwings to go for help.
They
didn't intend to need it, though.
Kain
wove aimlessly among his cohort - 28 nervous Dragoons who had little more experience
under their wings than fighting the low-level monsters that roamed the lands
near Baron. He didn't appear concerned,
however, as his people, including the seven newest members who had not
officially been initiated into the order as of yet, snuck sideways glances at
him when they were supposed to be at attention.
Cami
was staring intently ahead as he was supposed to be, and Lori, beside him, was
staring ahead, if not quite so intently, his mind on other things.
"What's
42 times 58?!" came a sudden snap behind him, making him jump.
"Euh
- . . . Sir?"
"2436!"
Cami automatically answered.
Lori
tried not to flush as he heard his commander again weaving through the ranks.
"What's
the direct object in the following: 'He threw her the fish'?"
"Fish!"
came an exuberant reply.
"And
the indirect?"
"Her!"
came a confident squeak.
"What's
the capital of Eblan?"
There
was an awkward silence after that one for a moment, then someone - Thomas, Lori
recognized, although he couldn't see - answered, "Eblan?"
"Very
good! Lori, are you ready to try
again?"
"Yes,
Sir," he mumbled, still embarrassed at having been caught inattentive.
Kain
moved to stand before him, tapping one foot on the ground intently, as if
trying to decide what fate should befall this young one who had dared to let
his mind wander.
"What
is the single most dangerous thing you may do today?" he inquired in a low,
serious tone, probing his junior with a sharp glare.
Lori
swallowed.
"Be
stupid, Sir?"
"Exactly." Turning, Kain turned that sharp glare on
everyone. "You're all intelligent
enough. Don't go off acting like
idiots. You know how to fight. You know how to think. If you go off being stupid, though, you're
going to end up more trouble than you're worth."
Lori
blinked, startled at this statement. It
was so . . . unlike . . . . Kain.
"I'm
serious. Don't go blinking at me like
that."
Again,
Lori felt the blood rush to his face.
"Each
of you has more sense than half that army put together. They're a bunch of idiots. I saw that first-hand the other day - not
one of them should be able to get a touch on any of you. So if you get killed . . . you can expect
one heck of a lecture later on."
A
rustle of relief ran through them at this attempt at humor.
"You
all know your positions for Jumping Airships," Kain continued as he inspected
their weapons yet again. "Remember
them. This is what I'm trying to get
across - if you panic and muff up any part of that process, you may end up
costing one of your buddies a broken neck.
As it is, I don't think we have anything to worry about. In our most ideal scenario, we won't need to
do it at all - we may have dragged the Airships out at such an hour that they
were abandoned. In case they're not, or
in case they send Unity after us,
then we need to be ready."
"Sir,"
came a bold voice from the back. Kain
glanced at the speaker and raised his eyebrows slightly. "What about the Princess?"
For
a moment, the Dragon Knight made no reply, with either words or actions. When he did speak, it was in a tone that
made Lori want to crawl into a hole, and he in no way envied the recipient of
the reply.
"She
is not your concern at this time."
*
The
six Airships came over the horizon single file and came to a simultaneous halt
in the clear fields near the City of Baron.
For a long moment, nothing happened.
No action was made by the Redwings and their flagship, and the area
beneath them appeared utterly deserted.
Slowly,
almost gently, Rapier alone was
lowered until she alighted carefully on the grass, sending a few small animals
scurrying along their way and a large cloud of dust to kick up.
Other
than that, no motion was made. By
anyone. Or anything.
And
then a screeching wail cut through the air as a force of fighters charged from
the Airships, and a returning hoot replied as several Baronian armies appeared
seemingly from nowhere, emerging from the forest and leaping at these foolish
invaders who thought to turn their own air force against them.
Thus,
the fighting began.
*
Cid
was pacing anxiously back and forth across the throne room, making Rosa even
more nervous than she was as she stood at the window, watching for a signal she
hoped to never see.
"What
is your problem?!?!" she finally snapped.
"Unity!"
he snapped back. "That stupid hunk of
junk . . . "
"Will
you relax?! We've already fussed over
their Airship enough – I'm about to lose that breakfast I almost ate this
morning!"
Muttering
curses under his breath, Cid joined her at the window. From the distance between them, they couldn't
make out any details of the battle.
"I
hope Cecil keeps his head," Rosa mumbled to herself.
"Oh
. . . he's not a fool, Rosa. You know
that."
"I
also know that he was making such a scene this morning that I was almost ready
to have him magically subdued."
Cid's
frown deepened.
"Right. And what about Kain? Neither of them was acting anything
resembling normal. It's not like either
of them to spaz out because of a battle."
"Cecil's
raving because of . . . well, because of Veronica. Kain, I don't know. I
think . . . I think he may be possessed."
Cid
blinked.
"You're
. . . kidding, right?"
"No. His actions are being impressed upon by an
outside force. I sense another presence
within him."
Cid
blinked again. Had he missed
something? She was talking about
possession and subverted wills as if discussing the time of the stinking day!!!
"And
you didn't say anything?!"
Rosa
shrugged.
"It
wasn't an evil presence. And it wasn't
overwhelming. He let it in. It was voluntary."
Yeah
– like that makes it any better.
Cid
shuddered at the very thought.
"Exactly
how can you tell all that?"
Rosa
shrugged again.
"Talent."
Cid
huffed and decided not to dwell on it.
"Kain
possessed? I thought I saw some
improvement in his character . . . "
"I
think it's Rorunar."
Cid
turned away and threw up.
*
As
a matter of fact, the battle was going quite well, Cecil had not yet lost his
mind, and if Kain was possessed, he didn't appear to see this as a bad
thing. In fact, he was having fun,
tweaking at the emotions of his opponents that those of those under him,
watching interestedly as an entire attack wave froze in their tracks for a
split second, then fell back in pure and unnatural terror inflicted upon them.
His
Dragoons also seemed to be having a lot of fun chasing them down.
During
the course of the fighting, the Airships were slowly being recovered. The moment one was clear, Cecil would
release the control that held them to the ground and someone would hopefully
know how to at least get it in the air and out of reach.
For
one brief moment, as Cecil was calmly slicing heads off attackers from atop his
chocobo (whose name was Tilly), the thought crossed his mind that this was
pathetically easy, and maybe he should try starting wars more often. Then he realized he was thinking like an
overbearing, greedy, and power-hungry tyrant, and concentrated on slicing
heads.
When
at last all six of the Airships had been recovered and were aloft, and several
armies below were picking off the survivors in a satisfied manner, Cecil
glanced over the railing of Enterprise, in his possession once again,
and nodded, fully satisfied with their recovery. Really, it had been quite easy.
Had Toroia's forces truly sunk so low?
Or had his own simply grown much stronger than he'd expected?
Then
the expected shadow on the horizon appeared: Unity.
"Your
Majesty," one of the new crewmen said, pointing to the approaching vessel in
case Cecil might not have noted it yet.
"I
see it," Cecil replied with a sinister grin.
"Let's go blow it up."
"Yes,
Sir!"
"I
think not."
Startled
by this interruption, the two of them turned in surprise to see –
A
contingent of Toroian soldiers climb out of ever nook and cranny on the
Airship, every one of them instantly placing a sword tip to someone's throat?
Cecil
sighed.
"I
knew this was too easy."
A
woman came forward – Cecil recognized her as one of his tormentors during his
recent captivity.
"Surrender,
Your Majesty!" she happily ordered.
Cecil
shook his head.
"You're
not going to win."
"Why
not?"
Calmly
removing his helmet and letting it fall over the side and down to the Earth,
Cecil only smiled vaguely and held up his hands.
"Didn't
anyone ever tell you?" he murmured.
"The good guys always win."
"How
do you know you're the good guy?" she snapped.
Cecil's
smile grew even more vague.
"I'm
a Paladin," he softly replied.
A
fluffy object flew through the air.
Cecil reached up and caught it without a glance between his thumb and
index finger and before the Guard could even blink, he'd flung it neatly in her
face, not even blinking as it broke out in electrical charge.
As
she screamed and collapsed on the deck, Cecil's people took advantage of the
Toroians' shock and easily turned the scene – from Toroia holding Baron hostage
to Baron holding Toroia hostage – making a quick end to Toroia's one minute of
victory.
Lori
alighted lightly over the railing and approached Cecil, holding the recently
dropped item of armor under one arm.
"Your
Majesty, I believe you dropped this," he informed the King, handing Cecil back
his helmet, which of course had been dropped in the first place as a signal for
immediate assistance. "Oh, did we win?"
Cecil
grinned as he scooped his hair up and placed the article back where it
belonged.
"Not
yet, I'm afraid. They've quite likely
taken the other Airships, you know."
"I
see. My orders?"
"Oh,
ask Kain. I see your new Jumping trick
works?"
"I
hope so, Sir! If not, then I should be
feeling very confused right about now."
"Oh, perish
the thought."
