October 25 2003
HELP FROM THE STARS
Chapter 2: Problems and Strange Lights
General Beatrix of Alexandria adjusted her fur coat as one of her soldiers came up to her.
"General, the scouts have returned and they have not spotted anything resembling the disturbances that have been reported."
"Ok, let them rest a few hours and then dispatch them again past those mountains," Beatrix said pointing to a mountain range on the planet's northernmost continent. "Hopefully they'll find something there."
The soldier saluted and ran back to give the general's orders. From the beginning, the whole mission had been very peculiar. It had all started at a Alexandrian Council meeting, the fifth one in fact. A year after Zidane had returned, Queen Garnet had instituted the Council to allow the common people of Alexandria to have a voice and to be told of what has been going on. Beatrix did not know what to think of it, for she was used to the monarchy being all that mattered. It's not so bad, I suppose, she thought as she made her way back to base camp a mile away.
*** One month earlier... ***
Queen Garnet smiled before the audience in front of her in the castle's builtin theater. "Welcome to the Alexandrian Council everybody, so far these meetings seem to have gone pretty well. What do you think?" she asked before sitting back down. The room filled with applause, showing the overall pleasure with the concept. There were some boos and heckles, but nothing she could not handle.
Over the next two hours she went over her agenda. Telling the people what to expect for taxes the following year and different projects that would be implemented. After she finished, she opened the floor for the public. A hand went up towards the back, an older man, and she acknowledged him. Once he had made his way to her, she motioned for him to speak.
"Your Majesty, I appreciate these councils you've been holding," the man started, "but I fear that I must ruin everybody's good mood."
"What's wrong?" Zidane asked only to be shushed by Garnet.
"Please continue." she prompted the man.
"Alright...but please keep in mind that my information is at least two weeks old since it takes that long to get here from my village, which is north of Esto Gaza. I hope things haven't gotten much worse..."
The man looked for a few seconds like he was going to break down. Garnet's heart went out to the man even though she didn't know what the problem was. The man gathered himself and continued.
"In the months before I left, our village had been experiencing odd events. At first, some pets went missing. After that had gone on a few weeks, people started missing. Also, a hunting group reported around that time seeing unexplainable things even farther north from our village. They said it was if the land up there was existing and not existing at the same time. One of the hunters even reported seeing the land explode, as if the whole planet had blown up, but the land was still there. Two weeks after they reported those strange events, we started to notice the same events two or three miles outside our village. Eventually, people started getting sick. That is when we realized we had a real problem. A messenger that had stopped by weeks ago had told us of this Council meeting and I figured that I would tell my story to you. I know not what else to try." he finished.
Zidane's face made a confused scowl. "It sounds like your village is under a great threat, but why did you come all the way to Alexandria to get help? What about Esto Gaza?"
"A fair question. After all, we are but a small village up past nowhere where it's cold. I have been to Alexandria before, and I understand how things work here. I felt that place was my best bet for help. And Esto Gaza?! Ha! They couldn't've done anything had they wanted to. They're setup solely for worship."
"Do not worry. What you describe sounds like something that could very easily come to threaten Alexandria and the planet itself. I will send some troops to investigate what has been happening. In the mean time, you are welcome here." said Garnet. "Captain Steiner and General Beatrix, please see me after this Council meeting." Both Steiner and Beatrix acknowledged with a quick salute.
Plans were made for the expedition up North that would be led by Beatrix. Steiner would stay behind and command the rest of the Alexandrian military. Soldiers were assigned and supplies gathered; and three days later they left using the Invincible on lease from Lindblum.
It had been three weeks since then. Beatrix's patrols had turned up nothing. They had searched a 300 square mile area including the village the old man was from. Not all was lost, but five people had died in the time the man was gone. Beatrix had decided that if they had not found anything in six weeks, that she would abort the mission--which after some explaining Garnet had agreed to. Zidane had wanted to come with, but the Queen had insisted that he stay behind in case anything resembling what had happened to the village happened in Alexandria.
She was but 150 yards from camp when she saw some weird lights to the south-west. They looked distorted, like there was light and at the same time there was not any. She knew right away that she had found what the man had told them about at the Council meeting. Seconds after she spotted the distortion she saw, or at least thought she did, a part of the distortion shoot out into the heavens. Then another explosion was visible, like a shooting star only a lot bigger, and it was getting larger.
The general started running back to base camp. As she ran, she saw the now very close fireball continue to grow. As she entered camp, she saw it go under the horizon and heard an explosion (or at least a really lound sound, she could not tell).
Beatrix rounded up the first ten women she saw, told them to grab some gear, and they headed to the north-east...
***************************
Gee, I wonder what the "fireball" was...?!
As always, enjoy, read, and review!
***************************
HELP FROM THE STARS
Chapter 2: Problems and Strange Lights
General Beatrix of Alexandria adjusted her fur coat as one of her soldiers came up to her.
"General, the scouts have returned and they have not spotted anything resembling the disturbances that have been reported."
"Ok, let them rest a few hours and then dispatch them again past those mountains," Beatrix said pointing to a mountain range on the planet's northernmost continent. "Hopefully they'll find something there."
The soldier saluted and ran back to give the general's orders. From the beginning, the whole mission had been very peculiar. It had all started at a Alexandrian Council meeting, the fifth one in fact. A year after Zidane had returned, Queen Garnet had instituted the Council to allow the common people of Alexandria to have a voice and to be told of what has been going on. Beatrix did not know what to think of it, for she was used to the monarchy being all that mattered. It's not so bad, I suppose, she thought as she made her way back to base camp a mile away.
*** One month earlier... ***
Queen Garnet smiled before the audience in front of her in the castle's builtin theater. "Welcome to the Alexandrian Council everybody, so far these meetings seem to have gone pretty well. What do you think?" she asked before sitting back down. The room filled with applause, showing the overall pleasure with the concept. There were some boos and heckles, but nothing she could not handle.
Over the next two hours she went over her agenda. Telling the people what to expect for taxes the following year and different projects that would be implemented. After she finished, she opened the floor for the public. A hand went up towards the back, an older man, and she acknowledged him. Once he had made his way to her, she motioned for him to speak.
"Your Majesty, I appreciate these councils you've been holding," the man started, "but I fear that I must ruin everybody's good mood."
"What's wrong?" Zidane asked only to be shushed by Garnet.
"Please continue." she prompted the man.
"Alright...but please keep in mind that my information is at least two weeks old since it takes that long to get here from my village, which is north of Esto Gaza. I hope things haven't gotten much worse..."
The man looked for a few seconds like he was going to break down. Garnet's heart went out to the man even though she didn't know what the problem was. The man gathered himself and continued.
"In the months before I left, our village had been experiencing odd events. At first, some pets went missing. After that had gone on a few weeks, people started missing. Also, a hunting group reported around that time seeing unexplainable things even farther north from our village. They said it was if the land up there was existing and not existing at the same time. One of the hunters even reported seeing the land explode, as if the whole planet had blown up, but the land was still there. Two weeks after they reported those strange events, we started to notice the same events two or three miles outside our village. Eventually, people started getting sick. That is when we realized we had a real problem. A messenger that had stopped by weeks ago had told us of this Council meeting and I figured that I would tell my story to you. I know not what else to try." he finished.
Zidane's face made a confused scowl. "It sounds like your village is under a great threat, but why did you come all the way to Alexandria to get help? What about Esto Gaza?"
"A fair question. After all, we are but a small village up past nowhere where it's cold. I have been to Alexandria before, and I understand how things work here. I felt that place was my best bet for help. And Esto Gaza?! Ha! They couldn't've done anything had they wanted to. They're setup solely for worship."
"Do not worry. What you describe sounds like something that could very easily come to threaten Alexandria and the planet itself. I will send some troops to investigate what has been happening. In the mean time, you are welcome here." said Garnet. "Captain Steiner and General Beatrix, please see me after this Council meeting." Both Steiner and Beatrix acknowledged with a quick salute.
Plans were made for the expedition up North that would be led by Beatrix. Steiner would stay behind and command the rest of the Alexandrian military. Soldiers were assigned and supplies gathered; and three days later they left using the Invincible on lease from Lindblum.
It had been three weeks since then. Beatrix's patrols had turned up nothing. They had searched a 300 square mile area including the village the old man was from. Not all was lost, but five people had died in the time the man was gone. Beatrix had decided that if they had not found anything in six weeks, that she would abort the mission--which after some explaining Garnet had agreed to. Zidane had wanted to come with, but the Queen had insisted that he stay behind in case anything resembling what had happened to the village happened in Alexandria.
She was but 150 yards from camp when she saw some weird lights to the south-west. They looked distorted, like there was light and at the same time there was not any. She knew right away that she had found what the man had told them about at the Council meeting. Seconds after she spotted the distortion she saw, or at least thought she did, a part of the distortion shoot out into the heavens. Then another explosion was visible, like a shooting star only a lot bigger, and it was getting larger.
The general started running back to base camp. As she ran, she saw the now very close fireball continue to grow. As she entered camp, she saw it go under the horizon and heard an explosion (or at least a really lound sound, she could not tell).
Beatrix rounded up the first ten women she saw, told them to grab some gear, and they headed to the north-east...
***************************
Gee, I wonder what the "fireball" was...?!
As always, enjoy, read, and review!
***************************