~*~Chapter One: Stirrings of Power~*~

Baron was often called "the city of stone." Built in times of war, it wasn't beautiful like most of the other great cities of the world. Instead, it was sturdy, surrounded by thick walls, well-fortified. The water was supplied by an underground spring, and it couldn't be cut off or corrupted. The Serpent's Road, the magical teleport between Baron and Mysidia, provided a way in and out of the city, even if it were to be completely surrounded by enemies.

Edge hated it. He glared as he walked through the narrow cobblestone streets, having ordered his guards to stay with the airship. Baron was a cold city, impersonal, designed by frigid-hearted warlords who cared about nothing but destruction. The city still had a strangely sterile feeling, as if nothing truly alive could flourish there.

I'll have to mention it to Cecil, he thought as he prepared to enter the palace. Cecil would most likely be glad to spice the town up a bit. Normally, he hated diplomatic meetings, but Cecil had a way of getting right to the point. Maybe it was because he had not been trained from birth to take up the crown, or maybe it was just part of that aura of leadership that surrounded him. Edge noticed that he was approaching the palace gates and straightened slightly as the herald announced his presence.

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Rosa was in the garden again, thinking, staring into the eyes of the stone maiden who perpetually poured water into the fountain from her bottomless jug. The water fell constantly in a silk-smooth column of aquatic beauty, splashing into a marble basin at the maiden's feet, only to be pumped back up through hidden pipes to the jug again. It reminded her of herself, in a way-always giving, always being renewed and giving again. It was soothing, in a way.

"Queen Rosa!" The voice jarred her from her thoughts, and she stood up. The guard who had called to her bowed slightly. "I'm sorry to bother you, your highness, but King Edge has arrived. He is expected in the throne room any moment. I would have informed you sooner, but I could not locate you."

"Thank you," Rosa replied. She started toward the throne room.

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Edge, King of Elban, leaned back in his chair and let out a belch that could nearly wake the dead, or Cid at the very least. A few of the councilors and servants looked at him oddly, and a small group of passing White Mages tittered softly. But the royal couple paid no mind, used to their old friend's habits.

"So," he started, having finished his dinner, "how are things here in Baron?"

Cecil grinned. "Very well. Cid and his men almost done building a new airship design. It's over twice as fast as the Enterprise is-- we'll be able to go around the world in less than a day!"

After the war, Baron had become a leader in world trade. Their airships were fast and able to go almost anywhere in the world. Because most of the other nations couldn't afford to keep up an airship-- something Baron had been doing for years-- it had a virtual monopoly on aerial shipping. Although Cecil wouldn't allow his country's air shipping rates to be raised to the point of gouging his customers, he tried to keep it comparable to other forms of delivery so as to keep their owners from going out of business.

"We'll be able to deliver more goods and earn more money," the Paladin-King continued. "I'm planning on using some of it to make a public garden in the southeast sector of the city, as you suggested, as well as planting some trees in the center of town. And how is Elban?"

"The rebuilding of the town is almost complete, and we've finished chasing the monsters out of the castle basement so we can fix that. A few people want to continue to live in the caves, though. I can't fault them, though, because the caves are very safe. I guess they'll have a little settlement there and the rest of us will move back to the city. Thank you for your grant of funds for rebuilding..."

"What's to thank? It was our airships that caused the damage in the first place..." Cecil's smile faded slightly as he said that.

"Cecil...." Rosa touched his hand. "Please, stop trying to bring all the blame on yourself. You know you were the one stopping it, not causing it."

Cecil sighed. "You're right, dear." He turned to Edge. "Well, would you like to go out on the balcony and talk some more?"

Edge nodded. "Sure. Sounds great."

Unfortunately, they didn't get the chance. At that moment, one of the guards- a rookie Dragon Knight in orange armor- dashed in, panting. "I'm sorry for interrupting you, Your... ah... Majesties? But monsters are attacking Baron. Big ones. With claws!"

He looked slightly panicked; he'd most likely not been in a battle before.

The three exchanged a glance, got up, and dashed to their respective chambers to retrieve their respective weapons and armor.

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Cecil had never seen so many monsters in one place. Ever. He estimated that there were around five hundred various monsters on the plains around Baron, ranging from undead to giant birds to overgrown carnivores. The variety was almost as astounding as the number-- one simply did not see that many types of monsters traveling together. They tended to turn on one another before long.. There also did not seem to be a commander, although the monsters were attacking in perfect formation. This implied that the monsters were being mentally controlled from some distant location-- not good. Even given the fact that monsters were easier to control than humans, Cecil couldn't imagine the power needed to ensnare that many monsters and control them so precisely. It would kill any Human within minutes from the magical strain. And the attack had been going on for nearly an hour, so the enemy most likely wasn't human. From what Cecil knew of their limits, the enemy most likely wasn't Lunarian, either. Wonderful.

Although the monsters weren't as powerful as some of those that Cecil and his allies had fought on the Moon, they were stronger than the monsters that usually wandered near Baron. The Dragon Knights were out on the plains around the city, Jumping on their commanders' signals. The Red Wings were being mobilized, but they couldn't do anything until the monsters left the vicinity of Baron-- the bombs would destroy the town and the fighters as well as the monsters. And even after the monsters were chased off, the fighters would still be too close for comfort.

Rosa was alternately loosing arrows into the monsters' bodies and throwing healing spells at wounded soldiers. Cecil simply stood and fought those flying monsters that could reach the castle, the bright light thrown from his crystal sword weakening his foes somewhat. Edge also fought, slashing at enemies with his two swords-- one of light, one of darkness. Monster corpses littered the battlefield, and yet they came as strong as ever. The Baronian forces, mostly rookies, began to weary of the battle against an enemy that never stopped or let up, an enemy whose number never seemed to decrease. Those mages who were also on the battlements were tiring as well, their magical power nearly drained.

Edge had fought his way to Cecil's side. "This isn't working!" he shouted, trying to make himself heard above the sounds of battle. "We've got to try something else!"

Cecil didn't look towards him, alert towards any danger. "Have any ideas? I've sent to Mysidia for reinforcements, but the Serpent Road is draining. It'll be at least an hour before the mages are ready to fight!"

"Clear your soldiers from the vicinity! I'll try using some of my magic- these monsters are weak enough that it should wreak some havoc!" Cecil nodded at the wisdom of Edge's suggestion and motioned a nearby general to clear out of a small area. He then prepared to cover Edge if any monster tried to attack while he was chanting his spell. A few did, but they were easily dispatched. These monsters weren't so tough...

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Edge slowly allowed the battle to fade from his mind, seeking the ancient internal power that belonged solely to the Elbajinu- the Ninjas of Elban. Although they seemed outwardly similar to any other magic, they were not made by controlling the raw power of magic and twisting it to their will, as mages did, but by being part of it and allowing it to flow through them. That was why each Ninja had a small but unique set of spells, rarely overlapping or duplicating what had already been done. Warmth filled him as he began the invocation in the Elder Tongue of the Elbajinu.

"Ji reshki aila, tenik leh iyreso ael..."

You who try to hurt my friends, he thought, will pay for the act. I will show you the power of flame- anger in its purest form.

"...reshki alloyen! Flame!"

The power rushed through him, with him, into him and out again in the form of fire. The firestorm enveloped the battlefield in a rush of heat and light, completely unchecked. Edge found that he had no control over the Flame spell- it did as it would, a will of its own. And yet, he found that he could feel the spell as it engulfed tree and grass and flesh. What kind of flesh didn't matter- didn't Cecil get all of his people out of the way?

It didn't matter. The fire felt good on his skin, he was not burnt though he stood in the middle of the firestorm, the heat high enough to incinerate anything that got too close. The fire felt good as he sensed its power, part of him.

And then it ended. He wondered why it had for a moment before the dizziness struck and he heard an inquiring voice, so far away....

Then everything went black.

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Leviathan woke from a sound sleep, panic in his eyes. Something was wrong. The elemental balance had just tipped.

The last time I felt that...

He knew it was a sign of something he had thought eradicated. And he knew that somebody had to find it before it got too powerful. And he knew who that someone had to be.

"Rydia." Hopefully she would be ready to return to the surface after all these years...