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Rebellion Against Fate
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Chapter Four: Birth City Deningrad
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"Close your eyes!" Lloyd commanded urgently as he lowered himself to the ground, and pulled Wink to face away from the brilliant light, further shielding her eyes with his hand. He knew that human eyes were much more fragile than Wingly's, and staring at something of this intensity would render her blind.
"Lloyd…" Wink whimpered in his arms, not believing what she had witnessed. Her home, her friends, her sisters, Queen Theresea…
"Shh." Lloyd merely tightened his arms around her, his face grim as he waited for the light to cease. At the moment, the entire forest was bathed in the white light, making it eerily brighter than day.
Finally, that horrible column of light decreased in its intensity, becoming dimmer and dimmer, allowing the forest to be once again covered by the darkness of night. When Lloyd thought it was safe to look, he finally released Wink, allowing her to turn around.
Almost numbly, Wink stared wide-eyed at the direction of Deningrad. She couldn't find a trace of the luminous green structure that she came to know as her home. Shocked beyond words, all energy left her body and she sank down to the ground in despair.
Lloyd caught her elbows and swiftly, albeit gently, pulled her to her feet. "Wink," He frowned in worry, "Are you alright?"
She stared back at him, still wearing that shell-shocked expression on her pale face. He watched as she drew a few deep breaths, and finally, the fire of her will flashed behind her tears once again.
"Lloyd…" She held his wrists in a death grip, trying desperately to steady her voice, "There… there might be survivors still. Will you take me back?"
He nodded, admiring her bravery when faced such a devastating and completely unexpected event. His brows furrowed slightly as he formed several theories to the cause of it in his mind. However, it was not the right time to ponder on these things, not yet.
Carefully, he gathered Wink into his arms, and lifted himself off the ground. He was no more than ten feet in the air when he suddenly frowned, dropped back down quickly and folded his wings back.
"Lloyd? What-"
"Shh!" He pulled her against a tree, hiding in the shadows and whispering urgently, "I hear winglies approach."
Sure enough, very soon Wink also heard voices approaching. One chirpy female voice rose above others, and it sounded vaguely familiar to Wink.
"Guaraha, hurry up! People's lives might depend on us!"
Lloyd sighed wearily and drew Wink out of their hiding place: "It's only the Blue Sea Dragoon. I guess there is no harm in meeting them." He secured Wink in his arms and rose to intercept the two younger winglies.
Only Lloyd's incredible reflexes prevented a bodily collision with Meru, who scarcely paid any attention to her surroundings. Coming to an abrupt halt, Meru's jaw dropped open unceremoniously as she recognized whom she almost bumped into.
"Lloyd! You are alive!"
Lloyd barely had time to nod as Meru's gaze shifted to Wink, her mouth moving almost as fast as her eyes: "And you are Miranda's sister! You name is Wink right? You remember me, I'm Meru! Lloyd, why are you here with Wink? What happened to Deningrad? Where is Miranda? Hey… Hey! Wait for me!"
Lloyd paid her no heed and flew on. As he expected, Meru and her companion soon caught up. The young Wingly hovered about him anxiously, and it was Wink who finally answered her. "I don't know what happened either… I was in the castle when I saw a strange column of light coming toward us, and suddenly there was this violent earthquake… I was trapped inside the castle, but Lloyd came and saved me. Miranda… She was trying to save Her Majesty and Luanna, I don't know if she…"
"Aw, hey! Don't worry! Miranda is tough, I'm sure she's okay!" Meru said with great conviction, causing Wink's ashen face to brighten slightly. And for that, Lloyd decided to be grateful for Meru's otherwise irritating presence.
The small group approached the debris of Deningrad, when Lloyd's sensitive hearing caught a voice that sounded distinctively like the First Sacred Sister of Mille Seseau. He changed direction and led the group toward its source.
Soon, Miranda's voice became distinguishable: "Dammit, keep looking! She couldn't have… I refuse to believe I lost her as well!"
"Miranda!" Wink cried out.
Miranda whirled around sharply at the sound of her voice. Still clad in her dragoon armor, she flew up easily to meet them: "Wink, you are safe! And Meru!"
Only then did she recognize the wingly who carried her sister in his arms, and she gasped in surprise: "Lloyd! You are alive!"
"Yes, that much is painfully apparant." Lloyd muttered dryly, exasperated by hearing the same remark twice in a roll.
Miranda narrowed her eyes. However, Wink spoke up at the moment, preventing a fight from escalating: "Miranda, where are the others? Are they alright?"
Miranda's expression changed abruptly as she lowered her gaze: "No Wink… I'm sorry. Her Majesty wasn't in the throne room, and I couldn't find her. I found Luanna, but she was already dead, crushed in her room. And Setie…" Her usually strong voice quivered, "Setie just passed away."
Wink led out a strangled gasp, her sob choked in her throat. Gods, everyone is...
"No…" She turned her face onto Lloyd's shoulder to hide her tears and sorrow. The last thing she wanted at the moment was to make Miranda feel guiltier than she already was.
Lloyd's expression was graver than usual, but his gesture was gentle as he touched Wink's hair lightly, lowering them both to the ground.
Miranda and Meru followed suite. For once, the hyperactive Blue Sea Dragoon was quiet, sobered by the tragedy her friends suffered. Unconsciously holding Guaraha's hand, and with surprising maturity, she asked Miranda: "Is there anything we can do to help?"
"We are still digging through the debris for survivors." Miranda answered wearily, "Although, I doubt anyone would still be alive. Whatever that freakish light was, it burned. And it covered the city completely." She paused thoughtfully, and made a decision: "No, concentrate on those who are still alive. You winglies have healing magic, don't you? We rounded about thirty survivors, most of them are injured one way or another. Two of them are very severely burned, fighting for their lives as we speak."
"Let's help them then!" Meru dug out an orb from her pocket, "I have my dragon spirit with me. The ice will probably be useful."
Wink made a move to follow them, but Lloyd pulled her back: "Tend your own injuries first, else you will only get in the way."
Miranda turned around sharply: "Wink! Are you hurt?"
"I'm alright… Just some minor scratches." As soon as the words left her mouth, she began to feel faint from exhaustion and loss of blood, and became aware of the burning sensation on her back. "I think… I might have reopened my wound…"
Miranda frowned in concern, but Lloyd made a gesture for her to continue on. "Do whatever you have to, I'll take care of Wink."
Miranda's frown only deepened upon hearing his words, but Wink readily agreed, and she had no choice but concede defeat.
"Fine." She spat, "But don't you take advantage of her!"
"Miranda!" Wink cried.
Lloyd merely snorted, pulling Wink away from the group. He led her to a secluded corner and sat her down on a fallen tree trunk. Lloyd lit an abandoned torch with his magic, helped her to take off her jacket, and then turned away from her.
"When you are ready, let me look at your wound."
"Ok." Wink whispered weakly. With a deep blush, she unbuttoned her cloth and stripped down to her waist, wincing from the pain. She gathered the fabric in her hands to cover her chest, and said quietly: "I'm ready."
Lloyd walked behind her and knelt down, examining her wound. After a moment, he held his hand above the wound and allowed his bluish magic to flow between them. Under his watchful eyes, the wound slowly closed. When satisfied that the bleeding has completely stopped, Lloyd withdrew his magic.
He attended to her other minor injuries after she redressed. With her permission, he torn the hem off her skirts and made makeshift bandages.
Wink watched him as he dressed her scraped knee silently. She was so overcame by shock and grief from the destruction of her beloved home, but now sitting here with Lloyd by her side, a surge of relief and happiness hit her quiet unexpectedly.
Despite everything that has happened, Lloyd was here.
He saved her life again. He was alive. He came back to her.
Wink placed a slender hand on his broad shoulder. He glanced up at her questioningly.
"I wish that… this is all under happier circumstances. But… I'm so glad you are alive!" She told him in a voice full of emotions.
Lloyd smiled lightly: "I told you I would come back to you."
"But how? Miranda said that you… She saw you…"
"It was a close call." He admitted ruefully, "But I wasn't dead. I merely transported myself away after I gave the divine dragon spirit to Dart."
She nodded. Not wanting to think about how close he came to death, she asked another question: "How did you manage to find me when you did?"
Lloyd reached over and touched the pendent on her throat. "This charm contains Wingly magic. The magic resonates with mine when I seek it, and it led me to you."
His expression darkened as he thought back to the look of terror on her face when he spotted her, with stones falling all around her, half of them large enough to crush her frail body to death instantly. "I barely made it in time… If I was a little late, you could have-"
She shook her head and leaned down to embrace him: "I'm just glad you found me. It was so sudden, and everything went so horrible… Do you have any idea what that light was?"
"I don't know." Lloyd admitted, "But, I do have some suspicion to why it chose to appear here."
He finished dressing her wounds and stood up, pulling her to her feet. "Come, let's go find your sister and the others… This can be very serious, and it's probably a good idea to involve all your dragoon friends."
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Dawn was breaking over the horizon when all of the survivors from Deningrad were properly treated and taken care of. A fire was built and all the wounded citizens gathered around to rest. A little further away, out of hearing range, a much smaller group can be spotted.
Lloyd sat on a boulder, one leg crossed underneath another in a seemingly relaxed manner. Wink sat by his side, her beautiful face pale and tired, as she leaned on him lightly for support.
To the couple's left, Meru and her fiancé sat on the ground, side by side, each with legs crossed at the ankle. Opposite them, and to the couple's right was Miranda, leaning against a tree with arms crossed in front of her chest.
She was the first one to speak: "Any idea what the hell happened?"
"Maybe someone was controlling that light?" Guaraha suggested.
"But who?" Miranda threw back, "Who is strong enough to wield that kind of power? Although, I wouldn't be that surprised if it was an ancient grudge of some Winglies. Deningrad is the only old Wingly city occupied by humans."
Lloyd and Meru shook their heads at the same time. Meru was the first to speak: "None of the Winglies alive hold so much power. Certainly not Ancestor Blano. Malbu Frahma, maybe, but he bit the dust."
"To wield such a vast amount of energy would take at least Charle Frauma and Faust together." Lloyd continued, "And that's one alliance I cannot conceive."
"We killed Faust anyway." Miranda muttered, flicking a thread of hair out of her face impatiently, "Who else could be responsible? And why?"
"You forget what Deningrad used to be." Lloyd answered, "It was the birth city of all winglies."
"Yeah, so?"
Lloyd shot her an irritated look: "Under Melbu Frahma, winglies controlled life and death with magic. Melbu Frahma drew a tremendous amount of magic from the crystal sphere, which contained the soul of the God of Destruction, as you know, and channeled the energy to Deningrad, to ensure every generation of winglies produce strong magic users."
Wink bit her lips: "And that energy… It is still here today?"
"A considerable amount." Lloyd's lips twisted into a humorless smile, "Those infants who were deemed weak magic users were killed. They were tossed into a reactor in the basement of the castle, where what little magic they possessed was utilized."
Wink looked striken and shuddered: "Utilized…?"
"Used as fuel – to keep the city floating." Lloyd clarified succinctly.
"That's- that's sick! How can anyone be so twisted?!" Miranda spluttered in disbelief and disgust.
Meru looked away in shame. "We were a pretty demented bunch before the Dragon Campaign…" She muttered.
Miranda silently agreed but with a rare sensitivity, decided not to voice that particular thought aloud. Instead she turned to Lloyd again and asked: "So you are saying, this magic force, this reactor… Is, was still in Deningrad?"
Lloyd nodded: "When the signet spheres were made, wingly cities lost their ability to float. During its descend to the ground, Deningrad's magic reactor was lost, buried deep underneath the foundation of the castle, still containing the magic energy extracted from thousands of infant Wingly souls. That light… most likely it absorbed the magic energy, which caused a disturbance in the dormant reactor, and the thing exploded, taking the whole city with it."
"And how did you know all of this?" Guaraha asked, frowning slightly, "None of us were told about Deningrad's history in detail."
"I've read my father's records in his lab." Lloyd's amber eyes narrowed slightly, "And, I was one of the winglies born in Deningrad."
"Is that why your magic is stronger than ours?" Meru asked curiously.
"Part of the reason, yes."
"Oh…" She trailed off, not sure whether she should feel glad or disappointed. She wanted to have stronger magical abilities, but the idea of being tossed into a reactor as fuel if she was unlucky… well, not very appealing.
Her train of thought was interrupted when Miranda straightened and started pacing back and forth.
"This is serious… and unforgivable! Whoever did this is strong, and I want him dead!" She turned to the group, her eyes flashing, "We have to find the others, Dart, Albert, Haschel and Kongol."
"Guaraha and I can fly to Sardio." Meru offered, "Seles and Bale are close, I can notify Dart and Albert both."
"I will go to Rogue then. It's closer, and shouldn't take long by boat. And, I can also escort all the survivors to Ferni along the way." Miranda pondered, casting a glance at Lloyd, "What are we to do with him?"
"You, are not going to do anything with me." Lloyd replied coldly, standing up, "I will be heading to Ulara."
Miranda narrowed her eyes, a little suspicious: "Why?"
"Charle Frahma is almost the oldest Wingly alive, and no doubt the strongest. She might know something." Lloyd didn't tell her that he had an uncanny feeling this whole incident was somehow related to the destruction of the moon. He needed more time to think.
"Let me go with you." Wink spoke quietly but resolutely.
"Wink-" Miranda began to protest, but Wink looked steadily back at her and shook her head slowly, and Miranda fell silent, not knowing what to say.
The Third Sacred Sister turned to Lloyd and sought his hand with her slender fingers: "Lloyd, please."
"Very well." He concurred willingly after a moment of thought, "I don't even know what we are up against. It should be safer for you in Ulara than Ferni anyway."
Miranda sighed and walked away, throwing her hands up in frustration and muttering to herself, "Of all the men in the world, Wink, you had to fall in love with that wingly!"
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A/N:
Next chapter, Miranda gathers Haschel and Kongol from Rogue, Meru journeys to Sardio to inform Dart and Albert of the tragic events in Deningrad, and Lloyd travels to Ulara with Wink. Charle Frahma has quite a surprise in store for the Third Sacred Sister of Mille Seseau, while Emille and Shana each face tough decisions and challenges.