KNIGHTS
By: Matt Taylor
Disclaimer: All Final Fantasy characters belong to Squaresoft. I have no ownership over them, and make no money from their use.
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At least there where no soldiers in this part of the castle.
Age had done nothing to slow down the Regents mind or his shrewdness. Queen Brahne must have been in quite a hurry to go ahead with such an agreement. This area was the highest point in Lindblum, using the giant telescope one could see for miles and miles around, even below the mist.
Right now, Beatrix enjoyed just looking at the sky. The endless blue sky and white clouds was so preferable to looking at the ground right now. Fifteen years....
Fifteen years of loyal service.
Five of those years as leader of the entire army, wielding the sword given to that leader.
Beatrix fingered delicately at the handle of her sword "Save the Queen." Funny, she really shouldn't call it "her" sword anymore. Save the Queen was the symbolic weapon of the leader of Alexandria's armies, and the queen's bodyguard. Forged years ago by a legendary synthesis who had disappeared shortly after, and blessed by High Priests from all five worshipped Eidolons, the Phoenix, Bahamut, Shiva, Ifrit, and Ramuh. It was one of the five holy swords as well. All in all not a normal weapon.
But what did that matter now? She had used this weapon to kill one of her own soldiers, a person she had trained and put her heart into. She pulled out the blade, and saw the dried blood still marring the silver metal and rubies. Beatrix humphed and put the blade back in its scabbard. The soldier she had killed had called her General once before her death, but she wasn't a general anymore. Both she and Steiner had been stripped of their hard won military ranks. Steiner's own Knights of Pluto had been arrested after his "betrayal" during the Princesses first attempt at running away, and she could only guess how he was dealing with that.
"Well, you certainly seem depressed."
Beatrix turned around and saw a large Oglop standing behind her. Beatrix quickly regained her composure and bowed.
"Your Grace." She said.
"I hadn't expected to see you out here." He said.
"I...was just thinking sir."
"About the queen?" Regent Cid asked.
"Yes, and a few other things."
"Things have changed rather quickly for you, it's no surprise that you'd be a little off center." He said. Beatrix hefted her sword up, and stared at one of the Rubies, as if all the answers to her current troubles lay within it's shimmering red colors.
"I killed one of my own men with this sword." She said, her voice not betraying her current feelings.
"You didn't have any choice in the matter. She would have killed you."
"I didn't think that then. All I could think was that I had trained this soldier, trained her and taught her, and then she went and attacked me. I felt like..."
"It's all right."
"No it isn't!" Beatrix shot back, her fists clenched. She turned away, embarrassed at her outburst. Cid gave her a sympathetic look, being a knight, a true knight, was more difficult than most people realized.
"A leader does not take the lives of their own men! It is against every rule ever set down by the knhighthood."
"But slaughtering a country that was no threat to you is?" Cid said, There was no malice or anger in his voice, but Beatrix felt it cut through her anyway. Beatrix stepped back and tried to speak, but no words were forthcoming. Finally she turned back around and clenched her fists against the guard rail.
"I don't mean to be hurtful to you, General, but it is the truth." He said gently.
"I...I know this...You think I don't?!" She said, restraining her voice from screaming. Cid was silent for awhile.
"Listen, general, the last few days have been very long for you. I suggest not thinking too much about the past right now, and concentrate on healing, and resting. The past is important, but not so important to justify the sacrifice of the present." Cid said, and walked away. Beatrix stood there for a few more minutes, mind reeling, before finally heading towards the entrance to the lower areas.
********************
This was a good a way to get out his frustration as any.
Adelbert Steiner sat against the wall of a cavernously empty room. It had once been used as a storage center in this underground chambers, but at the moment was useless. He sat against the wall with his whetstone, sharpening his sword with a vengeance. He looked over the blue blade for a moment, and judged it good enough. It was an Ice Brand, an incredibly rare sword, enchanted by an ice spirit. Such swords could be made at any forge, but it took a specially trained smith to make one. He had received this blade from an chest located in the secret stairwell of Alexandria Castle, and was as good as sword as he had ever carried.
He sat up finally, and took several deep breaths. He raised his sword, and began to battle. His sword swished through the air, cutting through imaginary opponents with the greatest of ease. Steiner found practice to be a good way to get out some aggression, especially at times like this. Steiner found himself panting slightly after half an hour, heavily after an hour, and finally stopped.
"I should have expected to find you doing this." An amused voice called from the doorway. Steiner turned and saw Beatrix standing in the doorway, with a skin of wine.
"Beatrix." He said.
"I hate to admit it, Adelbert, but you're stronger than you where when you left Alexandria."
"When the Princess tried to run away?"
"Yeah."
"Well, I've found that raging monsters trying to kill you actually make better sparring partners than other humans."
"Really?"
"Really. What brings you here?"
"Just walking around. Join me for a drink?"
"Why not."
********************
Beatrix lifted a small glass, and sniffed the reddish liquid inside. She smiled, apparently satisfied with the vintage, and took a sip. She and Steiner sat in a small residential area in the underground chambers. Steiner gazed solemnly at an ancient tapestry that decorated a wall.
"How long have you served Alexandria, Steiner?" She suddenly asked.
"Hhmm? Oh...about 18 years."
"To think...you and I...we worked hard to get where we are...where in life, I worked months, no, years, non-stop to become a general, and in five minutes it was all gone."
"You don't...regret betraying her highness?" Steiner asked. His voice not betraying what he might be thinking.
"No. Not for a minute."
"Good." Steiner drained the small glass in an instant, and looked right at her. "I too am somewhat upset at losing my rank, but I still swore a vow to the Princess, and this doesn't change that."
Beatrix looked over at him with some surprise. She sighed and drained her own cup, reaching for the skin to refill. "You're right, but that won't stop me from feeling..."
Steiner waved his hand, and she knew he understood. Beatrix refilled her glass, and continued to stare into it's red depths. It was not until several minutes afterward that she put it down.
"Steiner?" She asked softly.
"Hm?"
"Do you remember when we where knighted?" She said. Steiner looked startled for a moment, but then, a small smile spread on his face.
"Yes I remember."
"When King Til broke the Magdalene Brotherhood?"
"Yes." He said. Beatrix found herself remembering...remembering the past.
********************
THE PAST
"Is this the Outer Continent?" Beatrix asked the young squire next to her, a woman dressed in the typical armor and uniform of an Alexandrian soldier. She herself was not dressed so differently, a silver helmet, chestplate, green suit and broad sword.
"Yeah...weird isn't it?" Both of them looked over the lay of what land they could see. Other ships landed on the shore, spilling out their troops. "It's so different from the Mist continent."
That was true. Even below the mist, it was a green lush place, but from what they could see the place was long and flat. She could make out a marsh in the distance, and in the distance in front of their landing area was the most huge, lush forest she had ever seen in her life.
"Squires!" Both of them jumped in surprised, as a tall, middle aged woman approached them from behind. The two woman quickly straightened up and saluted her.
"We don't have time for you both to be milling around like a pair of slack jawed gawkers." She pointed to the woman Beatrix had been speaking with. "Go and report to your master." With this, the woman ran, the older woman turned to Beatrix.
"Squire Dubois, you are the squire to the king himself, so you must stay with him at all times during such incidents as this."
"Yes, My lady." She said quickly, and bowed. The woman was General Millicent Soress, leader of Alexandria's armies, and bodyguard of the royal family. Beatrix ran to rejoin the kings group, sparing a look at the general, when she had her back turned, dressed in sparkling silver plate mail, and a long rose-red cape, with the sword "Save the Queen" hanging from her belt. Beatrix wondered, not for the first time, what it would be like to wield that sword.
"There you are, my young squire." A deep male voice said. Beatrix turned and saw it's source, and, like every other time she had seen him, she felt a wonderful sense of awe go through her. The man sat atop a large, ocean blue chocobo, itself covered in armor over it's head, neck, and main body. He was covered in a brilliant set of diamond armor, and helmet, and a pair of gauntlets, he wore a dark ocean blue cape over his shoulders, and a long scabbard, and sword hung at his side. The man was handsome, in an older way, and smiled at her with both humor and understanding.
"I...I'm sorry, your grace. I was just..."
"It's alright, Beatrix. You have never been here before?" King Til asked.
"No sir."
"Perhaps someday, when things have settled down you will get the chance to explore this great continent. Perhaps create a legendary story for yourself." He said, looking out over the land for a moment. As he did so, soldiers formed up in lines along the shore. Beatrix could see the Knights of Pluto line up in front of their commander as well.
"Looks like our guides are finally here." Beatrix turned in slight surprise, and saw General Soress standing next to the king, she had not even seen her approaching. She was pointing off handedly to the east, and she saw a pair of figures approaching. As they walked forward, her eyes opened in shock. They where two small green-skinned figures, dressed in home-spun, colorful clothing, one of whom had a long grey beard, and eyebrows. Both of them stopped in front of the king, and instead of bowing, raised their hands happily, as the older one spoke.
"Rally-ho to you, your highness!" The king smiled at this.
"Rally-ho to you Scotland Sheepherder, and to you Michel Pathfinder. It has been...many years." The king said.
"Aye! That it has, and I have gotten nae any handsomer in that time," He and the king laughed at some private joke, "but ah dinnae kin that you're here to revisit old memories." The...creature called Scotland Sheepherder said, it's voice colored in a strange accent, Beatrix didn't recognize.
"Sir Dewain!" The King called. With that Sir Michael Dewain, commander of the Knights of Pluto, marched over to the king, and bowed.
"Your highness."
"This is Michel Pathfinder, he will be guiding your detachment through the western pass." Dewain looked at the short green skinned fellow, and nodded. He and Pathfinder returned to where the Knights of Pluto were stationed."
"Is that it?" The king pointed to the huge forest in the short distance.
"Aye, that be Magdalene Forest, that is where Sloane and his brotherhood are hiding. They be thieves, Stephan," Beatrix reacted in slight shock that some one would refer to the king by his first name. "But there be whole armies of them in the dark reaches, no dwarf has ever returned from yon forest since Sloane set up there. If I have the right to ask, what is it yah want with him?"
"He has waged no end of attacks on my people, killing them, and stealing money, riches, anything he can get his hand on, and now he has my daughter." Beatrix saw the look in her kings face, and shivered slightly. She did not want to be in Thomas Sloane's, the self-proclaimed King of Thieves, shoes when he found wherever he was hiding. The King turned and addressed the soldiers. "Alright, set up a base camp, and defenses!"
"This be what you will take the bastard with, Stephan? An army of woman?" Scotland Sheepherder said in surprise. General Soress bristled, but the King only smiled again.
"They are much stronger than you think, Scotland, trust me on this."
"Acch! I shall take your word for that, as I did on the Forgotten Continent." Beatrix felt like she was overhearing some private conversation not meant for her ears, but couldn't help but wonder just what the Forgotten Continent was.
********************
Adelbert Steiner watched as his commander returned to where they where placed, a small green...person walking alongside him. Steiner looked around over the barren land, and felt a shiver go up his spine. He had heard most of the stories about this continent. As far as he knew, they where the first Alexandrians to come to his continent in hundreds of years. There where stories, stories of a city of witches and warlocks who enslaved mythic monsters, of a giant, misshapen tree that spawned horrible, undead monsters, of a temple that literally breathed magic power, power so strong that it shook the ground for miles around, and other such things.
Quite frankly, he was glad they weren't going to be here that long.
"My loyal soldiers." Sir Dewain's voice called out. "This man is Michel Pathfinder, our guide through yonder forest, Starting tomorrow morning, we will set out with the king, and his battalion, but will separate from him and take the western path, hopefully to meet with him where Sloane has his base." Steiner looked over his commander's battalion, the Knights of Pluto, and a large contingent of Alexandrian soldiers. Steiner turned his head as he heard the king shout out orders to set up the base camp.
"What I don't get is this," Steiner heard some of his fellow Pluto Knights talking. "If these guys are raiding the Mist Continent, how could they be across the sea?" Frankly, that was a question Steiner had himself. But the king seemed sure of himself, and Steiner had rarely seen his king make a bad decision. Sir Dewain turned to them all and spoke again.
"Alright, begin building, Steiner, Corgin, Terras..." Sir Dewain spoke and pointed to several others, and they went to take guard positions.
********************
The forest was beautiful, was one of the first thoughts Beatrix had as they marched. She could see many owls perched in the branches above, and birds were chirping. They had separated from Sir Dewain, and had been walking for the last hour. Her king, and the dwarf had been talking quietly, with Beatrix only catching snippets of the conversation. The dwarf smoked from a pipe with a long stem, and she tried to avoid the puffs of smoke, as she had never cared for smoking herself.
"Um, your grace?" She asked. He turned his head, in slight surprise to her.
"Yes, Beatrix." The king said to his young squire.
"I was wondering how you cam to know our guide?" She asked, wondering if she had overstepped her boundaries. The king merely chuckled slightly.
"Scotland, I knew him in my wilder youth. During my adventurous years." Beatrix nodded, the king had told her briefly of his "adventurous years," with his comrades, Cid of Lindblum, Prince Puck of Burmecia, and an incredibly strong fighter named Baku. He had not told her much, claiming that Cid had written it all down somewhere, no doubt making himself look like the hero in it, he had said, with a laugh.
"Aye! I was already half way through my middle years, when ah ended up being high-jacked aboard their ship, and had to come along with em!"
"Hah! You shouldn't have been on the ship in the first place, then when that sea beast attacked, we wouldn't have had to speed away so quickly."
"Bah! I remember what Ah saw!" The king shook his head briefly before turning back to the path. And suddenly, Beatrix felt a lot less comfortable in this forest than she had a moment ago. She couldn't help it, the birds had stopped chirping, and the owls were gone. She saw the king felt the same way, as she watched him draw his sword "Blood-bane," A long-sword with a crimson red blade that seemed to even glow slightly in the darkness of this area of the forest. She drew her own broad sword, and noticed soldiers behind her doing like-wise.
For what felt like forever, there was silence, not peaceful silence, but suffocating silence. One minute they where alone.
And the next they weren't.
Beatrix would have felt envious of the thieves ability to blend into their surroundings so well, she would have of she wasn't so busy hacking and slashing. Blades and daggers flung through the air as men seemed to drop from the very branches. Beatrix swung her sword again, catching another bandit in the chest. There was barely time to breath when another came, wielding a dagger that cut her slightly along the arm. She reared back and put her sword through his chest.
He swung the sword in a wide circle, hoping to get some room to see what was going on. The soldiers seemed to be doing well, but the thieves held their ground, and more where pouring in. She saw General Soress fighting off several at once, even a trained mercenary was no match for a warrior wielding a sacred sword, and she was in no danger. She cut down another bandit, and looked for the king.
She saw what looked like a flash of his crimson blade further down the path, and started to cut her way there.
*******************
Well, it seemed the king was right again. As he usually was. These men where definitely thieves, and from there numbers, they where probably part of Sloane's brotherhood.
Steiner parried a blow with his sword, quickly moving aside to avoid one from behind. The Knights of Pluto fought bravely, but there were so many of them. He saw that Corgan and Phillis where already on the ground, lying in pools of their own blood. This only made the young soldier madder, and he fought with a new abandon.
The other soldiers fought hard, with Sir Dewain yelling them on when he was not swinging his own blade. Steiner knocked a dagger from one man's hand, and kneed him in the waist, before knocking him out with the but of his sword. He immediately swung it around, catching another in the waist. The next minutes where a blur to him, hack and slash at any of the bandits that came near him.
Steiner found himself toe to toe with a man in armor, a full set of armor no less, who had already decapitated a large amount of soldiers. He lifted his own sword and caught the robber knight's blade, and was almost forced to his knees. Steiner was one of the strongest men of the Knight's of Pluto, but he had never felt strength like this before. Steiner felt himself being pushed to the ground.
`No! I will not die here!" Steiner managed to push back. The Robber knight seemed surprised, as Steiner was able to get back to an even footing with him. Steiner then forced himself forward, knocking the robber knight off balance, and slamming, shoulder first at him, knocking him to the ground. Steiner ran past him and the knight gave chase. He finally turned and swung an over head chop at the man. The rogue caught the blade on his own, but now he was the one being forced down.
Steiner was feeling good about his chances now, and would have kept on feeling that way if another bandit hadn't interfered. Steiner saw him out of the corner of his eye and moved. The man's dagger hit only air, and he found a sword slammed into his side. Steiner turned and was met with the Rogue knights blade slamming down at him. He just caught the thing on his own sword, but was sent to the ground.
Steiner saw the Robber Knight stand over his and raise his sword, point downward, over his chest. So this was how he would die, eh? On his back in a forest, on some god forsaken continent far from his own. Steiner closed his eyes and prepared for the final blow, but it never came. Steiner finally opened his eyes, and saw the rogue in battle with his commander, Sir Dewain. Steiner watched the two of them battle, before having to defend himself again.
It had felt like hours had passed. Steiner had killed yet another opponent, and turned and saw his commander was still fighting the robber knight. Steiner saw that it seemed like the Alexandrians were winning. The thieves had finally stopped pouring out of the woodwork, and were now on the receiving end of the attack. Steiner saw his commander flal out of the corner of his eyes, and the night raise his blade. He knew what was going to happen and ran to intercept it.
But he was too late.
Steiner stopped in shock, as he saw the spurt of blood, as the sword went through Dewain's breastplate. Dewain went shock still for a moment, before falling limp. Steiner didn't scream, didn't feel anything, but raised his sword and charged. The rogue was still pulling his sword out of the commander's body, when he found Steiner's own lade jutting through his chest. Steiner pulled the blade sideways, cutting through the man's side. Steiner couldn't see the man's eyes, but from the way his head was carried, he was shocked beyond belief. The man fell dead to the ground.
Steiner dropped his own sword, and rushed to his commander's side.
"Sir Dewain!" He said. Dewain lifted his shaking hand, and Steiner took it.
"Steiner...You're a knight now." And with that, Sir Dewain closed his eyes, and died. Steiner felt surprised at this. But steeled himself, and picked up his sword. He was a knight now, he had to find the Princess.
********************
"Just like old times, isn't it?" The king asked. Beside him Scotland Sheepherder, swung an battle axe, designed for a man of his size.
"Aye! Ah could have gone without this type ah reminiscing though."
Blood-bane was a blur in the air, decapitating whatever it touched. There where splatters of blood, other peoples for sure, on the kings armor, and he had abandoned his Blue Chocobo near the front of the forest. Beatrix made her way to the king, slashing through whatever got in her way. The battle had finally turned and the kings troops were winning the battle.
Suddenly another soldier ran out of the deeper part of the forest, and fell at the kings feet. He bended down, and helped her to a sitting position.
Beatrix could not hear what was being said. But she saw the soldier, slump down, and the king gently lay her down on the ground.
"Come! This way!" He yelled over the din of battle, Beatrix then followed her king into the darkness of the forest.
********************
Steiner found himself in the darkness of the forest. He had to find the Princess. He had been attacked several times since leaving the forces, but had pretty much been left alone. Steiner heard fighting in another part of the forest, and ran towards the source of the sound.
Steiner finally came out of the maze like woods, to find an even bigger battle taking place. He was in what looked like a make-shift village, in a large clearing deep in the forest. Alexandrian soldiers fought thieves and bandits in their own home. Steiner flung himself into the battle, slashing at every bandit that got in front of him.
Steiner spared a look at the area near the back of the battle, and saw the kings Crimson blade swinging through the air. Steiner fought his way to that area, and saw his king trading blows with a tall man with blonde hair and a goatee.
Steiner recognized the sight of Thomas Sloane from his commander's description of him. He and the king traded blows, with neither of them gaining any headway. He looked over the are and saw no sing of Princess Garnet. The king and Sloane fought in front of a large building, and Steiner thought that it looked like the type of building a man like Sloane would make his Headquarters. Steiner ran past them both, and into the building.
Steiner slashed his way past one guard, and caught the blade of another, before kicking him in the stomach. Steiner ran past both of them, and found this are to be heavily guarded. Steiner found himself fighting several men at once, and taking some deep cuts along the way, but managing to power through them all.
Steiner rammed through an other door, and saw two, heavily armed men standing over a small girl, tied up in rope.
"Princess!"
Both men charged at him, but Steiner was too angry to care, He rammed his sword forward, and took one in the chest. He caught the others blade, pushed him back, and drove his sword into him as well. Soon both were down. Steiner took a knife and cut the Princesses ropes.
"W...who are you?" She asked tentatively.
"I...I am a knight of Alexandria. I am here to rescue you." Steiner quickly gathered the small child up in his arms, and ran.
*******************
Beatrix watched her king fight Sloane, as she fought off his main guard. Beatrix dropped her opponent to the ground, and turned on another. The thieves where starting to thin out, and they where definitely winning.
Beatrix turned and saw her king block a blow, and Sloane ram inward with a shoulderblock. He knocked the king back a bit, and swung his sword for a killing blow. Beatrix screamed and ran, her own blade intercepting Sloane's.
"Out of my way girl!" He yelled at her. Beatrix remained silent, but felt Sloane's far superior strength, pushing her back. Sloane slide his sword along her own blade with great force, causing her own blade to be thrown to the side. His fist connected with her head, and she went down. The king charged again, Blood-bane struck the thiefs sword with such a force that the common steel sword shattered.
As this happened, Beatrix saw someone leave Sloane's Headquarters, a tall man in knights armor, holding a small child. Beatrix recognized the child and ran over to them.
"Princess Garnet. Is she safe?"
"Yes." The man said, "She is unhurt."
"Garnet?" In that small instant, the king was distracted from Sloane, and the thief king took advantage. He took a dagger from his belt, and slid it right into the kings waist. King Til did not register any real surprise, but fell to the ground. Garnet saw this.
"Daddy!?" She yelled, and began to scream. Beatrix looked in shock at her fallen king, and did not notice the white glow building up around the Princess. Suddenly the ground around them began to shake, and all the fighters stopped fighting in order to try to regain footing.
It was then Ifrit appeared.
The princesses body was surrounded with a blindingly bright light. And from where she sat in that knights arms, screaming, a horrible form took shape in the air above her. The darkness shaped itself into a huge demonic form covered in muscle, fur and long horns.
The creature roared, and it's roar echoed across the land. The creature raised its fist, and slammed it down to the ground, and searing, roaring flame slammed through the forest.
********************
Beatrix snapped back to reality.
"You alright?" Steiner asked.
"Sorry. I was just thinking about Sloane."
"Me to."
Of course, the king had not died there, something that Beatrix had thanked God for. She had been knighted by the king two weeks later. He had been knighted in the classic fashion, by her king in front of her peers, Steiner had been knighted on the field, kneeling in his commanders own blood.
Beatrix drained the wine, and stood up.
"Hey, Steiner?"
"Yeah?"
"You feel up to some sparring?" She asked.
"Why not." Steiner got up, and the two of them returned to the room he had been training in.
********************
TO BE CONTINUED.
By: Matt Taylor
Disclaimer: All Final Fantasy characters belong to Squaresoft. I have no ownership over them, and make no money from their use.
********************
At least there where no soldiers in this part of the castle.
Age had done nothing to slow down the Regents mind or his shrewdness. Queen Brahne must have been in quite a hurry to go ahead with such an agreement. This area was the highest point in Lindblum, using the giant telescope one could see for miles and miles around, even below the mist.
Right now, Beatrix enjoyed just looking at the sky. The endless blue sky and white clouds was so preferable to looking at the ground right now. Fifteen years....
Fifteen years of loyal service.
Five of those years as leader of the entire army, wielding the sword given to that leader.
Beatrix fingered delicately at the handle of her sword "Save the Queen." Funny, she really shouldn't call it "her" sword anymore. Save the Queen was the symbolic weapon of the leader of Alexandria's armies, and the queen's bodyguard. Forged years ago by a legendary synthesis who had disappeared shortly after, and blessed by High Priests from all five worshipped Eidolons, the Phoenix, Bahamut, Shiva, Ifrit, and Ramuh. It was one of the five holy swords as well. All in all not a normal weapon.
But what did that matter now? She had used this weapon to kill one of her own soldiers, a person she had trained and put her heart into. She pulled out the blade, and saw the dried blood still marring the silver metal and rubies. Beatrix humphed and put the blade back in its scabbard. The soldier she had killed had called her General once before her death, but she wasn't a general anymore. Both she and Steiner had been stripped of their hard won military ranks. Steiner's own Knights of Pluto had been arrested after his "betrayal" during the Princesses first attempt at running away, and she could only guess how he was dealing with that.
"Well, you certainly seem depressed."
Beatrix turned around and saw a large Oglop standing behind her. Beatrix quickly regained her composure and bowed.
"Your Grace." She said.
"I hadn't expected to see you out here." He said.
"I...was just thinking sir."
"About the queen?" Regent Cid asked.
"Yes, and a few other things."
"Things have changed rather quickly for you, it's no surprise that you'd be a little off center." He said. Beatrix hefted her sword up, and stared at one of the Rubies, as if all the answers to her current troubles lay within it's shimmering red colors.
"I killed one of my own men with this sword." She said, her voice not betraying her current feelings.
"You didn't have any choice in the matter. She would have killed you."
"I didn't think that then. All I could think was that I had trained this soldier, trained her and taught her, and then she went and attacked me. I felt like..."
"It's all right."
"No it isn't!" Beatrix shot back, her fists clenched. She turned away, embarrassed at her outburst. Cid gave her a sympathetic look, being a knight, a true knight, was more difficult than most people realized.
"A leader does not take the lives of their own men! It is against every rule ever set down by the knhighthood."
"But slaughtering a country that was no threat to you is?" Cid said, There was no malice or anger in his voice, but Beatrix felt it cut through her anyway. Beatrix stepped back and tried to speak, but no words were forthcoming. Finally she turned back around and clenched her fists against the guard rail.
"I don't mean to be hurtful to you, General, but it is the truth." He said gently.
"I...I know this...You think I don't?!" She said, restraining her voice from screaming. Cid was silent for awhile.
"Listen, general, the last few days have been very long for you. I suggest not thinking too much about the past right now, and concentrate on healing, and resting. The past is important, but not so important to justify the sacrifice of the present." Cid said, and walked away. Beatrix stood there for a few more minutes, mind reeling, before finally heading towards the entrance to the lower areas.
********************
This was a good a way to get out his frustration as any.
Adelbert Steiner sat against the wall of a cavernously empty room. It had once been used as a storage center in this underground chambers, but at the moment was useless. He sat against the wall with his whetstone, sharpening his sword with a vengeance. He looked over the blue blade for a moment, and judged it good enough. It was an Ice Brand, an incredibly rare sword, enchanted by an ice spirit. Such swords could be made at any forge, but it took a specially trained smith to make one. He had received this blade from an chest located in the secret stairwell of Alexandria Castle, and was as good as sword as he had ever carried.
He sat up finally, and took several deep breaths. He raised his sword, and began to battle. His sword swished through the air, cutting through imaginary opponents with the greatest of ease. Steiner found practice to be a good way to get out some aggression, especially at times like this. Steiner found himself panting slightly after half an hour, heavily after an hour, and finally stopped.
"I should have expected to find you doing this." An amused voice called from the doorway. Steiner turned and saw Beatrix standing in the doorway, with a skin of wine.
"Beatrix." He said.
"I hate to admit it, Adelbert, but you're stronger than you where when you left Alexandria."
"When the Princess tried to run away?"
"Yeah."
"Well, I've found that raging monsters trying to kill you actually make better sparring partners than other humans."
"Really?"
"Really. What brings you here?"
"Just walking around. Join me for a drink?"
"Why not."
********************
Beatrix lifted a small glass, and sniffed the reddish liquid inside. She smiled, apparently satisfied with the vintage, and took a sip. She and Steiner sat in a small residential area in the underground chambers. Steiner gazed solemnly at an ancient tapestry that decorated a wall.
"How long have you served Alexandria, Steiner?" She suddenly asked.
"Hhmm? Oh...about 18 years."
"To think...you and I...we worked hard to get where we are...where in life, I worked months, no, years, non-stop to become a general, and in five minutes it was all gone."
"You don't...regret betraying her highness?" Steiner asked. His voice not betraying what he might be thinking.
"No. Not for a minute."
"Good." Steiner drained the small glass in an instant, and looked right at her. "I too am somewhat upset at losing my rank, but I still swore a vow to the Princess, and this doesn't change that."
Beatrix looked over at him with some surprise. She sighed and drained her own cup, reaching for the skin to refill. "You're right, but that won't stop me from feeling..."
Steiner waved his hand, and she knew he understood. Beatrix refilled her glass, and continued to stare into it's red depths. It was not until several minutes afterward that she put it down.
"Steiner?" She asked softly.
"Hm?"
"Do you remember when we where knighted?" She said. Steiner looked startled for a moment, but then, a small smile spread on his face.
"Yes I remember."
"When King Til broke the Magdalene Brotherhood?"
"Yes." He said. Beatrix found herself remembering...remembering the past.
********************
THE PAST
"Is this the Outer Continent?" Beatrix asked the young squire next to her, a woman dressed in the typical armor and uniform of an Alexandrian soldier. She herself was not dressed so differently, a silver helmet, chestplate, green suit and broad sword.
"Yeah...weird isn't it?" Both of them looked over the lay of what land they could see. Other ships landed on the shore, spilling out their troops. "It's so different from the Mist continent."
That was true. Even below the mist, it was a green lush place, but from what they could see the place was long and flat. She could make out a marsh in the distance, and in the distance in front of their landing area was the most huge, lush forest she had ever seen in her life.
"Squires!" Both of them jumped in surprised, as a tall, middle aged woman approached them from behind. The two woman quickly straightened up and saluted her.
"We don't have time for you both to be milling around like a pair of slack jawed gawkers." She pointed to the woman Beatrix had been speaking with. "Go and report to your master." With this, the woman ran, the older woman turned to Beatrix.
"Squire Dubois, you are the squire to the king himself, so you must stay with him at all times during such incidents as this."
"Yes, My lady." She said quickly, and bowed. The woman was General Millicent Soress, leader of Alexandria's armies, and bodyguard of the royal family. Beatrix ran to rejoin the kings group, sparing a look at the general, when she had her back turned, dressed in sparkling silver plate mail, and a long rose-red cape, with the sword "Save the Queen" hanging from her belt. Beatrix wondered, not for the first time, what it would be like to wield that sword.
"There you are, my young squire." A deep male voice said. Beatrix turned and saw it's source, and, like every other time she had seen him, she felt a wonderful sense of awe go through her. The man sat atop a large, ocean blue chocobo, itself covered in armor over it's head, neck, and main body. He was covered in a brilliant set of diamond armor, and helmet, and a pair of gauntlets, he wore a dark ocean blue cape over his shoulders, and a long scabbard, and sword hung at his side. The man was handsome, in an older way, and smiled at her with both humor and understanding.
"I...I'm sorry, your grace. I was just..."
"It's alright, Beatrix. You have never been here before?" King Til asked.
"No sir."
"Perhaps someday, when things have settled down you will get the chance to explore this great continent. Perhaps create a legendary story for yourself." He said, looking out over the land for a moment. As he did so, soldiers formed up in lines along the shore. Beatrix could see the Knights of Pluto line up in front of their commander as well.
"Looks like our guides are finally here." Beatrix turned in slight surprise, and saw General Soress standing next to the king, she had not even seen her approaching. She was pointing off handedly to the east, and she saw a pair of figures approaching. As they walked forward, her eyes opened in shock. They where two small green-skinned figures, dressed in home-spun, colorful clothing, one of whom had a long grey beard, and eyebrows. Both of them stopped in front of the king, and instead of bowing, raised their hands happily, as the older one spoke.
"Rally-ho to you, your highness!" The king smiled at this.
"Rally-ho to you Scotland Sheepherder, and to you Michel Pathfinder. It has been...many years." The king said.
"Aye! That it has, and I have gotten nae any handsomer in that time," He and the king laughed at some private joke, "but ah dinnae kin that you're here to revisit old memories." The...creature called Scotland Sheepherder said, it's voice colored in a strange accent, Beatrix didn't recognize.
"Sir Dewain!" The King called. With that Sir Michael Dewain, commander of the Knights of Pluto, marched over to the king, and bowed.
"Your highness."
"This is Michel Pathfinder, he will be guiding your detachment through the western pass." Dewain looked at the short green skinned fellow, and nodded. He and Pathfinder returned to where the Knights of Pluto were stationed."
"Is that it?" The king pointed to the huge forest in the short distance.
"Aye, that be Magdalene Forest, that is where Sloane and his brotherhood are hiding. They be thieves, Stephan," Beatrix reacted in slight shock that some one would refer to the king by his first name. "But there be whole armies of them in the dark reaches, no dwarf has ever returned from yon forest since Sloane set up there. If I have the right to ask, what is it yah want with him?"
"He has waged no end of attacks on my people, killing them, and stealing money, riches, anything he can get his hand on, and now he has my daughter." Beatrix saw the look in her kings face, and shivered slightly. She did not want to be in Thomas Sloane's, the self-proclaimed King of Thieves, shoes when he found wherever he was hiding. The King turned and addressed the soldiers. "Alright, set up a base camp, and defenses!"
"This be what you will take the bastard with, Stephan? An army of woman?" Scotland Sheepherder said in surprise. General Soress bristled, but the King only smiled again.
"They are much stronger than you think, Scotland, trust me on this."
"Acch! I shall take your word for that, as I did on the Forgotten Continent." Beatrix felt like she was overhearing some private conversation not meant for her ears, but couldn't help but wonder just what the Forgotten Continent was.
********************
Adelbert Steiner watched as his commander returned to where they where placed, a small green...person walking alongside him. Steiner looked around over the barren land, and felt a shiver go up his spine. He had heard most of the stories about this continent. As far as he knew, they where the first Alexandrians to come to his continent in hundreds of years. There where stories, stories of a city of witches and warlocks who enslaved mythic monsters, of a giant, misshapen tree that spawned horrible, undead monsters, of a temple that literally breathed magic power, power so strong that it shook the ground for miles around, and other such things.
Quite frankly, he was glad they weren't going to be here that long.
"My loyal soldiers." Sir Dewain's voice called out. "This man is Michel Pathfinder, our guide through yonder forest, Starting tomorrow morning, we will set out with the king, and his battalion, but will separate from him and take the western path, hopefully to meet with him where Sloane has his base." Steiner looked over his commander's battalion, the Knights of Pluto, and a large contingent of Alexandrian soldiers. Steiner turned his head as he heard the king shout out orders to set up the base camp.
"What I don't get is this," Steiner heard some of his fellow Pluto Knights talking. "If these guys are raiding the Mist Continent, how could they be across the sea?" Frankly, that was a question Steiner had himself. But the king seemed sure of himself, and Steiner had rarely seen his king make a bad decision. Sir Dewain turned to them all and spoke again.
"Alright, begin building, Steiner, Corgin, Terras..." Sir Dewain spoke and pointed to several others, and they went to take guard positions.
********************
The forest was beautiful, was one of the first thoughts Beatrix had as they marched. She could see many owls perched in the branches above, and birds were chirping. They had separated from Sir Dewain, and had been walking for the last hour. Her king, and the dwarf had been talking quietly, with Beatrix only catching snippets of the conversation. The dwarf smoked from a pipe with a long stem, and she tried to avoid the puffs of smoke, as she had never cared for smoking herself.
"Um, your grace?" She asked. He turned his head, in slight surprise to her.
"Yes, Beatrix." The king said to his young squire.
"I was wondering how you cam to know our guide?" She asked, wondering if she had overstepped her boundaries. The king merely chuckled slightly.
"Scotland, I knew him in my wilder youth. During my adventurous years." Beatrix nodded, the king had told her briefly of his "adventurous years," with his comrades, Cid of Lindblum, Prince Puck of Burmecia, and an incredibly strong fighter named Baku. He had not told her much, claiming that Cid had written it all down somewhere, no doubt making himself look like the hero in it, he had said, with a laugh.
"Aye! I was already half way through my middle years, when ah ended up being high-jacked aboard their ship, and had to come along with em!"
"Hah! You shouldn't have been on the ship in the first place, then when that sea beast attacked, we wouldn't have had to speed away so quickly."
"Bah! I remember what Ah saw!" The king shook his head briefly before turning back to the path. And suddenly, Beatrix felt a lot less comfortable in this forest than she had a moment ago. She couldn't help it, the birds had stopped chirping, and the owls were gone. She saw the king felt the same way, as she watched him draw his sword "Blood-bane," A long-sword with a crimson red blade that seemed to even glow slightly in the darkness of this area of the forest. She drew her own broad sword, and noticed soldiers behind her doing like-wise.
For what felt like forever, there was silence, not peaceful silence, but suffocating silence. One minute they where alone.
And the next they weren't.
Beatrix would have felt envious of the thieves ability to blend into their surroundings so well, she would have of she wasn't so busy hacking and slashing. Blades and daggers flung through the air as men seemed to drop from the very branches. Beatrix swung her sword again, catching another bandit in the chest. There was barely time to breath when another came, wielding a dagger that cut her slightly along the arm. She reared back and put her sword through his chest.
He swung the sword in a wide circle, hoping to get some room to see what was going on. The soldiers seemed to be doing well, but the thieves held their ground, and more where pouring in. She saw General Soress fighting off several at once, even a trained mercenary was no match for a warrior wielding a sacred sword, and she was in no danger. She cut down another bandit, and looked for the king.
She saw what looked like a flash of his crimson blade further down the path, and started to cut her way there.
*******************
Well, it seemed the king was right again. As he usually was. These men where definitely thieves, and from there numbers, they where probably part of Sloane's brotherhood.
Steiner parried a blow with his sword, quickly moving aside to avoid one from behind. The Knights of Pluto fought bravely, but there were so many of them. He saw that Corgan and Phillis where already on the ground, lying in pools of their own blood. This only made the young soldier madder, and he fought with a new abandon.
The other soldiers fought hard, with Sir Dewain yelling them on when he was not swinging his own blade. Steiner knocked a dagger from one man's hand, and kneed him in the waist, before knocking him out with the but of his sword. He immediately swung it around, catching another in the waist. The next minutes where a blur to him, hack and slash at any of the bandits that came near him.
Steiner found himself toe to toe with a man in armor, a full set of armor no less, who had already decapitated a large amount of soldiers. He lifted his own sword and caught the robber knight's blade, and was almost forced to his knees. Steiner was one of the strongest men of the Knight's of Pluto, but he had never felt strength like this before. Steiner felt himself being pushed to the ground.
`No! I will not die here!" Steiner managed to push back. The Robber knight seemed surprised, as Steiner was able to get back to an even footing with him. Steiner then forced himself forward, knocking the robber knight off balance, and slamming, shoulder first at him, knocking him to the ground. Steiner ran past him and the knight gave chase. He finally turned and swung an over head chop at the man. The rogue caught the blade on his own, but now he was the one being forced down.
Steiner was feeling good about his chances now, and would have kept on feeling that way if another bandit hadn't interfered. Steiner saw him out of the corner of his eye and moved. The man's dagger hit only air, and he found a sword slammed into his side. Steiner turned and was met with the Rogue knights blade slamming down at him. He just caught the thing on his own sword, but was sent to the ground.
Steiner saw the Robber Knight stand over his and raise his sword, point downward, over his chest. So this was how he would die, eh? On his back in a forest, on some god forsaken continent far from his own. Steiner closed his eyes and prepared for the final blow, but it never came. Steiner finally opened his eyes, and saw the rogue in battle with his commander, Sir Dewain. Steiner watched the two of them battle, before having to defend himself again.
It had felt like hours had passed. Steiner had killed yet another opponent, and turned and saw his commander was still fighting the robber knight. Steiner saw that it seemed like the Alexandrians were winning. The thieves had finally stopped pouring out of the woodwork, and were now on the receiving end of the attack. Steiner saw his commander flal out of the corner of his eyes, and the night raise his blade. He knew what was going to happen and ran to intercept it.
But he was too late.
Steiner stopped in shock, as he saw the spurt of blood, as the sword went through Dewain's breastplate. Dewain went shock still for a moment, before falling limp. Steiner didn't scream, didn't feel anything, but raised his sword and charged. The rogue was still pulling his sword out of the commander's body, when he found Steiner's own lade jutting through his chest. Steiner pulled the blade sideways, cutting through the man's side. Steiner couldn't see the man's eyes, but from the way his head was carried, he was shocked beyond belief. The man fell dead to the ground.
Steiner dropped his own sword, and rushed to his commander's side.
"Sir Dewain!" He said. Dewain lifted his shaking hand, and Steiner took it.
"Steiner...You're a knight now." And with that, Sir Dewain closed his eyes, and died. Steiner felt surprised at this. But steeled himself, and picked up his sword. He was a knight now, he had to find the Princess.
********************
"Just like old times, isn't it?" The king asked. Beside him Scotland Sheepherder, swung an battle axe, designed for a man of his size.
"Aye! Ah could have gone without this type ah reminiscing though."
Blood-bane was a blur in the air, decapitating whatever it touched. There where splatters of blood, other peoples for sure, on the kings armor, and he had abandoned his Blue Chocobo near the front of the forest. Beatrix made her way to the king, slashing through whatever got in her way. The battle had finally turned and the kings troops were winning the battle.
Suddenly another soldier ran out of the deeper part of the forest, and fell at the kings feet. He bended down, and helped her to a sitting position.
Beatrix could not hear what was being said. But she saw the soldier, slump down, and the king gently lay her down on the ground.
"Come! This way!" He yelled over the din of battle, Beatrix then followed her king into the darkness of the forest.
********************
Steiner found himself in the darkness of the forest. He had to find the Princess. He had been attacked several times since leaving the forces, but had pretty much been left alone. Steiner heard fighting in another part of the forest, and ran towards the source of the sound.
Steiner finally came out of the maze like woods, to find an even bigger battle taking place. He was in what looked like a make-shift village, in a large clearing deep in the forest. Alexandrian soldiers fought thieves and bandits in their own home. Steiner flung himself into the battle, slashing at every bandit that got in front of him.
Steiner spared a look at the area near the back of the battle, and saw the kings Crimson blade swinging through the air. Steiner fought his way to that area, and saw his king trading blows with a tall man with blonde hair and a goatee.
Steiner recognized the sight of Thomas Sloane from his commander's description of him. He and the king traded blows, with neither of them gaining any headway. He looked over the are and saw no sing of Princess Garnet. The king and Sloane fought in front of a large building, and Steiner thought that it looked like the type of building a man like Sloane would make his Headquarters. Steiner ran past them both, and into the building.
Steiner slashed his way past one guard, and caught the blade of another, before kicking him in the stomach. Steiner ran past both of them, and found this are to be heavily guarded. Steiner found himself fighting several men at once, and taking some deep cuts along the way, but managing to power through them all.
Steiner rammed through an other door, and saw two, heavily armed men standing over a small girl, tied up in rope.
"Princess!"
Both men charged at him, but Steiner was too angry to care, He rammed his sword forward, and took one in the chest. He caught the others blade, pushed him back, and drove his sword into him as well. Soon both were down. Steiner took a knife and cut the Princesses ropes.
"W...who are you?" She asked tentatively.
"I...I am a knight of Alexandria. I am here to rescue you." Steiner quickly gathered the small child up in his arms, and ran.
*******************
Beatrix watched her king fight Sloane, as she fought off his main guard. Beatrix dropped her opponent to the ground, and turned on another. The thieves where starting to thin out, and they where definitely winning.
Beatrix turned and saw her king block a blow, and Sloane ram inward with a shoulderblock. He knocked the king back a bit, and swung his sword for a killing blow. Beatrix screamed and ran, her own blade intercepting Sloane's.
"Out of my way girl!" He yelled at her. Beatrix remained silent, but felt Sloane's far superior strength, pushing her back. Sloane slide his sword along her own blade with great force, causing her own blade to be thrown to the side. His fist connected with her head, and she went down. The king charged again, Blood-bane struck the thiefs sword with such a force that the common steel sword shattered.
As this happened, Beatrix saw someone leave Sloane's Headquarters, a tall man in knights armor, holding a small child. Beatrix recognized the child and ran over to them.
"Princess Garnet. Is she safe?"
"Yes." The man said, "She is unhurt."
"Garnet?" In that small instant, the king was distracted from Sloane, and the thief king took advantage. He took a dagger from his belt, and slid it right into the kings waist. King Til did not register any real surprise, but fell to the ground. Garnet saw this.
"Daddy!?" She yelled, and began to scream. Beatrix looked in shock at her fallen king, and did not notice the white glow building up around the Princess. Suddenly the ground around them began to shake, and all the fighters stopped fighting in order to try to regain footing.
It was then Ifrit appeared.
The princesses body was surrounded with a blindingly bright light. And from where she sat in that knights arms, screaming, a horrible form took shape in the air above her. The darkness shaped itself into a huge demonic form covered in muscle, fur and long horns.
The creature roared, and it's roar echoed across the land. The creature raised its fist, and slammed it down to the ground, and searing, roaring flame slammed through the forest.
********************
Beatrix snapped back to reality.
"You alright?" Steiner asked.
"Sorry. I was just thinking about Sloane."
"Me to."
Of course, the king had not died there, something that Beatrix had thanked God for. She had been knighted by the king two weeks later. He had been knighted in the classic fashion, by her king in front of her peers, Steiner had been knighted on the field, kneeling in his commanders own blood.
Beatrix drained the wine, and stood up.
"Hey, Steiner?"
"Yeah?"
"You feel up to some sparring?" She asked.
"Why not." Steiner got up, and the two of them returned to the room he had been training in.
********************
TO BE CONTINUED.
