Chapter Eleven- Cyan, Retainer of Doma
"ATTACK!" The shouts of the small Imperial army filled the air after their commander's demand, and the brown and green uniformed soldiers all ran up to Doma Castle, drawing their weapons to fight their way inside. Some soldiers took another route and attempted to climb the castle's rocky walls to get inside, but they kept falling down. Not learning their lessons the first time, those same soldiers tried to climb the walls again, only to get the same results over and over. The commander merely stood back and watched impatiently. When would those fools of Doma castle just come out and surrender? They would save themselves some humiliation and trouble! At this thought the commander let out a bitter peel of laughter and grinned.
Meanwhile, inside the castle, things were just as hectic as the Empire's attempts outside. Two of Doma's sentries, both clothed in Doma's green and blue uniforms, were frantically trying to think of a way to tell their Lord, King Doma, that they were doomed. Most of their men had been slaughtered by the Empire ages ago. Now they had merely come to finish off what remained, which wasn't much at all.
"It's hopeless..." One sentry said, shaking his head. "We cannot keep them out."
"So...it is finally happening..." The other trailed off.
"A moment, sirs!" A new voice suddenly broke out into the hall in which they were standing, and the two sentries turned around to see a tall figure emerging from the throne room doors behind them. He was dressed in Doma's navy blue knight garb, his chest plates and shoulder guards glistening in the sunlight that poured through Doma Castle's windows. His face held a bright smile, as if Doma had already claimed victory and they were about to sit down to a wonderful feast in their honor. His black hair was swept back in a most elegant ponytail, and his black mustache was neatly trimmed and complimented his more aged but still handsome face. He was Cyan Garamonde, Lord Doma's most faithful and powerful knight.
"Allow me the honor of dispatching the evil that troubles our beautiful land!" Cyan exclaimed, and drew his slender rapier blade. "If we can defeat their commander, they'll surely give up!"
"Sir Cyan!" Both of the sentries exclaimed, and cheered. With Sir Cyan back home in Doma, they would surely win!
"Let us give it a try." Cyan said, and stepped past them. He reached the small castle's front doors and threw them open. Any soldiers that happened to be climbing at the doors at the time took a small flight into the grass, face first. Cyan boldly stepped out and ran straight for his target, raising his sword. The commander gasped and feebly held out his axe in front of him, too shocked and surprised to know what else to do.
"Sir Cyan, let their commander have it!" The two sentries cried from the doorway.
"I am Cyan, retainer to the King of Doma!" Cyan cried, and leaped up, raising his sword high above his head. The commander quivered in his stance and opened his mouth to scream, but no sound came out. Cyan smirked and brought down his blade...
"AHHH!"
"Clang!"
The commander's axe clattered to the ground, and he fell as well, blood pouring from the fatal wound across his chest Cyan's blade had created. His face was forever twisted in the agony of pain Cyan's blade had wrecked upon him. Such was the fate of all of Sir Cyan's enemies...
"....I am your worst nightmare." Cyan said coolly, and sheathed his blade, which was still dripping with blood.
"The Commander has been defeated! RUN!" The rest of the soldiers cried, and scrambled off the scene before cyan could get any one of them. Cyan turned and waved to the sentries, who both jumped up and down and cheered.
"Walled up in here, we can wait out our enemy!" Cyan exclaimed, and they all burst out into happy, hearty laughter. Doma was victorious!
"Lets hurry Shadow!" Sabin cried, as he dashed throughout the base, looking back and forth constantly to try to find the way out. Doma was in danger...Doma, and then Narshe...
"Sabin, stop!" Shadow hissed, and grabbed his partner, pulling him behind another pile of crates. When Sabin popped his head up, he could see what Shadow had tried to hide them from. A soldier, and another man, one who was tall, blonde, and dressed in sky blue and green robes had exited a tent, and were walking together slowly.
"General Leo!" The soldier exclaimed. "The citizens of Doma seem to be playing a waiting game..." The blonde looked up at the sky and rubbed his chin.
"Hmm...so THAT'S their strategy..." He said, and turned back to the soldier.
"General, the men who just came back claim that the castle only has one warrior capable of doing any damage. Now, we can be ready to take the castle by taking him out first. Just give the order..."
"Patience!" Leo cried. "If we do attack now, we will have to sacrifice too many lives!" Sabin raised his eyebrows at this particular comment. Apparently, General Leo was not like his fellow counterparts, General Celes and General Kefka, whom he had heard from rumors alone were two nightmarish Empire officers.
"But General!" The soldier protested. "I am ready to lay my life down at any time for the Empire!" Leo shook his head and rested a hand on the soldier's shoulder.
"You're from Maranda, right?" Leo questioned, and the man nodded in agreement. "And your family lives there? Fall in battle, and I'll have to deliver the bad news... What shall I say to them? You have a life to go back to someday. Don't throw it all away for nothing. Emperor Gestahl wouldn't want that..." Leo trailed off, and the soldier nodded.
"Yes sir!" The other soldier exclaimed, ready and able to take Leo's advice. Right then, another soldier ran up to them, and quickly saluted to Leo.
"General Leo!" He exclaimed, and handed him a letter. "A carrier pigeon just delivered this for you from Emperor Gestahl."
"Thank you." Leo said, and took the letter, reading it quickly. He furrowed his eyebrows in worry, and shook his head.
"The Emperor summons me." Leo said, and crumbled the note, tossing it to the soldier who delivered it to him. "I must go immediately."
"I understand sir." The soldier he had been conversing with said, and saluted. Leo saluted back.
"I leave Doma in your hands!" Leo exclaimed, and the soldier nodded.
"Yes sir!"
"Just don't jump the gun...please..." Leo made one last plea, and quickly hurried off with his messenger. The soldier shouted "Sir, leave it to us, sir!" After him, and turned to leave and go about his business. Shadow and Sabin both turned to each other.
"So that's General Leo...." Sabin trailed off.
"He could be my friend...if he weren't my enemy." Shadow added, and they both stood up to continue on. They were no in the heart of the Empire's base...and they would have to be extra cautious...
They decided to follow Leo's direction, for they guessed he was heading towards an exit of some sort. They quietly crept among the boxes and machinery, but both gasped when they heard a loud peel of laughter erupt from not far ahead of them. Before they were spotted, Sabin and Shadow both dashed into a tent and peeked out from between the flaps. Kefka once again came into view, skipping along the small river that ran through the base, and Leo was chasing after him.
"Now that Leo's gone, I'll turn this water into a flowing river of poison!" Kefka squealed to himself, and Leo finally caught up to him, obviously not hearing his previous words.
"The Emperor has ordered for me to return home." Leo explained, short of breath. "And I don't want any trouble here, Kefka!"
"You loser!" Kefka exclaimed, and slapped Leo hard on the back. "I'll take care of this situation in no time!"
"Don't be pompous!" Leo cried, jerking from Kefka's grip. "And DON'T forget that they are PEOPLE, just like you and me!"
"We need not spare those filthy lands that give rise to the Returners!" Kefka spat, and Leo gave up, disgusted, and walked away. Kefka giggled and shook his head.
"Now...you just go and be a good little boy, Leo..." A soldier then came up to Kefka and tapped him on the shoulder, making Kefka yelp and jump into the air.
"You IDIOT!" Kefka screeched, and then managed to regain himself. "So...is the poison ready?" Sabin and Shadow noticed the soldier was carrying a glass bottle with purple liquid inside...
"But sir." The soldier began, noting to keep the poison out of Kefka's reach. "General Leo said..."
"He's no longer here!" Kefka squealed. "I'm in charge now!"
"But sir..."
"POUR IT!"
"Some of our soldiers are in Doma as prisoners!" The soldier cried. "If we poison their water supply..."
"Just pour it." Kefka said casually. "Take 'em all out." Sabin's face turned red, as his blood was boiling with anger... He just couldn't take it anymore... He leaped out of his hiding place, and Shadow followed, surprising Kefka.
"That's inhuman!" Sabin cried, as he strapped on his metal knuckle. Shadow nodded in silent agreement, and pulled out a small, 4-pointed star called a shuriken. Kefka looked from one man to the other, and suddenly burst out into low laughter, smiling and shaking his head.
"Silence!" He smirked. "You're history bub..."
Shadow narrowed his eyes and threw the shuriken in his hand, aiming right for Kefka's head. The star made a shrill whistling noise as it sliced the air, but it was too slow to hit it's target directly. Kefka managed to get out of its way slightly, but his arm paid the price. He let out a girly scream as the shuriken sliced through his puffy sleeves and caused crimson blood to appear. Kefka cringed and suddenly reached out with his good arm, grabbing the poison from the bewildered soldier's hands and taking off down the river. Shadow cursed, and Sabin took off running after him, screaming "WAIT!"
"Wait!" Kefka giggled. "Do I look like a waiter?" He laughed louder, but stopped when another shuriken came flying and this time struck him in the back. He cried out and hit the dusty ground, while Shadow ran over to Sabin.
"Hurry, grab the poison!" Sabin cried, but it was too late. Kefka cast some sort of healing spell on himself, and stood up, brushing off his robes.
"Ha ha ha ha ha!" Kefka screeched. "What a toad......Yeoowch!" A laser of the purest white shot from Sabin's hands and stuck Kefka in the stomach, making Kefka the latest victim of Sabin's Aura Bolt. Kefka stumbled back, creating an opening for Shadow to claim the potion. But as Shadow reached out, Kefka cackled evilly and shot out his empty hand, screaming "BOLT!" A crackle of electricity shot from the sky and struck Shadow, stunning him. Kefka giggled and ran off again, as Sabin rushed over to Shadow to make sure he was ok.
"I'm fine...." Shadow let out a deep breath and looked up, seeing that the enemy had escaped. "Was that...magic?"
"Yes... I'm afraid it was..." Sabin murmured, and wiped the sweat off his brow. "Just like Terra..."
"Terra?" Shadow questioned.
"I'll explain more later!" Sabin cried. "Stay here, I'll get Kefka!" With that, Sabin took off down the river. Shadow looked back and suddenly came into contact with two Imperial soldiers who had managed to creep up behind him. They both smirked and drew their swords, which nearly blinded Shadow by reflecting the sunlight.
"Shit..." Shadow muttered.
**********
"UWEEE HEE HEE!" Kefka squealed delightedly as he came to the end of the Imperial Base's boundaries. The water of the river below him was bubbling menacingly, as if it opposed the horrible plans that Kefka was planning to complete with the pop of a cork and the tilt of a bottle. Kefka kneeled down, still not being able to contain his clownish laughter as he popped off the bottle's cork and brushed it aside, gleaming at the deep purple liquid in the bottle with a soft smile on his face.
"Nothing can beat the music of hundreds of voices screaming in unison!!!!" Kefka declared, and began to tremble with excitement as he tipped the bottle upside down, it's contents spilling into the river. The river seemed to bubble even harder as it slowly transformed from a sparkling blue to a violent shade of purple, and then back again. Kefka tossed the glass bottle aside and stood up, brushing off his robes. More to amuse himself than anything else, he adjusted the feather hairpieces in his hair and cocked his ear towards the direction of Doma, waiting for his concert of death to begin...
**********
"Whew, the soldiers were extra thirsty today." One maid complained as she tied back her sweaty hair with a piece of ribbon.
"Indeed." Her companion agreed. "But it gives me great pride to be able to serve the brave Doma soldiers who are fighting for our freedom! Even if it means running back to the river every 5 minutes to fetch drinks..."
"I'll be so relieved when this is all over." The first said, and kneeled down at the river, scooping a new bucketful of water for when the next round of demands from the soldiers came up. "I hope siding with the Returners was a wise decision His Majesty made. I mean, I would rather die than join the Empire but..."
"His Majesty has good intentions." The second maid reassured. "The Returners are small, but they are powerful! I've had dreams of joining them myself..."
"I would join you!" The first girl said, and smiled. "Let us toast to our future as Returners!"
"To us!" The second exclaimed, and both girls cupped handfuls of water from the river and brought it to their lips. However, something was wrong. They both knew it immediately as the liquid seemed to burn it's way down their throats rather than soothe their thirsts.
".....Mika..." The first one gasped. "I..." But before she could finish her sentence, she collapsed to the ground, dead, as the poison had already reached her heart.
"Raye....!" Mika, the second maid moaned, and clutched at her chest. "I must go....warn His Majesty...Ugh!" But Mika too had received the same fate as her friend, and fell a moment later on top of her, her warning to the king silenced forever.
Cyan was standing on the lookout bridge of Doma Castle, keeping his eyes on the Empire Base that was a lot closer than he or the King had thought. His eyes trailed from the base down to the path of water that spiraled from it to Doma. It reminded him of the drink he had requested not so long ago. Where were Mika and Raye? Cyan gasped as he narrowed his eyes to get a better view of the river, suddenly noticing that it had more of a glimmer to it than it had before. It was a much darker color today as well. Right then, a sentry appeared, his face twisted with urgency, interrupting Cyan's observations.
"Sir Cyan!" He cried. "The Empire Base is bustling with activity! Something must be up!" Cyan looked up at him and blinked.
"Huh?" He asked, not completely hearing the sentry. "The water looks odd..."
Suddenly, screams of pain rung out from below Cyan and the sentry. When they peered over the bridge, they could see a whole line of Doma's finest doubling over and grabbing their stomachs, some their hearts, and collapsing to the ground. The echoes of wooden cups dropping onto the ground also rang out from other parts along with the cries. Cyan and the sentry looked at the North, East, South, and West sides of the palace from their bridge, but only saw the same scene at each part. Dead bodies were everywhere, and each was accompanied by a wood or metal cup, it's contents spilled on the ground beside them. Cyan gasped and stepped back, horrified.
"Sir Cyan!" The sentry cried, afraid Cyan was about to suffer the same fate. However, this was not the case.
"This... is POISON!" Cyan cried, and felt his heart began to race. The Empire...the river's strange color... This could only mean..."
"What a lowdown, contemptible..." The sentry muttered to himself, but Cyan had gathered his wits about him and interrupted the sentry.
"We must guard our Liege!" Cyan cried, and the sentry snapped out of it.
"To the King, on the double!" He exclaimed, and he and Cyan ran down the stairs to the inside of the palace, straight for the throne room.
"The King's room is straight ahead!" Cyan directed, and the sentry pushed open the throne room doors for Cyan, allowing him first entry. Cyan ran in and almost passed out from relief. The King was standing, and looked just fine. However, Cyan felt a shiver run through his spine when he noticed how the King was giving him a far off look.... He was probably disturbed by the screaming outside.
"Your Highness, fear not!" Cyan smiled, and made his way towards him.
"Who's there?" The King suddenly asked, and Cyan stopped, suddenly feeling as if his legs were made out of blocks of ice.
"Cyan...your Excellency." Cyan replied as calmly as possible, and bowed.
"Indeed!" The King exclaimed, and coughed violently. "My sight is going fast... can't see a thing..."
"No!" Cyan cried, and stared at the King's clouded eyes. There was silence until The King dropped what Cyan had not noticed previously... a golden goblet studded with jewels and filled with a tinted blue liquid that spilled all over the white marble floor of the throne room.
"No, please hold on!" Cyan cried, and ran over to catch the King as he fell to his knees.
"Cyan..." The King moaned. "You have defended the realm since my father's days... and I thank you..." He coughed violently and closed his eyes. "It's over... Our kingdom is through..."
"No, not yet!" Cyan cried frantically, trying to get the King to reopen his eyes.
"I fear for your family!" The King cried, and coughed so hard, blood emerged from his lips. "Go to them Cyan!"
Cyan didn't know what to say. He was paralyzed to the spot with fear, a million thoughts sealing each of his joints. What was he to do? Abandon His Lord and risk his family's safety? No, he couldn't... The sentry still remained, waiting for orders.
"Please, save your strength, and don't talk!" Cyan cried, and stood up, gently resting the King on the floor. He gestured for the sentry to come over, and he did so hurriedly.
"Guard his Liege!" Cyan ordered, and the sentry nodded. But as Cyan was about to exit the throne room, he heard the King release a chain of violent coughs that left as quickly as they came. The hairs on the back of his neck rose as he heard the sentry whisper "He's gone...Oh, Your Highness..."
Cyan tried to hold back tears and he plowed through the doorway and ran across the hall to the room in which his family resided in. All he could think about was getting to his beautiful wife, a golden-haired woman named Elayne, and his blonde-haired son Owain, who had the face of an angel. He burst into their room and looked about, but couldn't see what he was looking for. Perhaps they had gone to take a walk...
Cyan walked in further and made his way to the bedroom half of the room, his footsteps making soft thumps, almost like a constant heart beat. Cyan felt as if he could cut the tension in the room he had created himself with his blade. When he reached the bedroom area, he let out a small whimper and sunk to his knees, as if he had been punched in the stomach.
There was Elayne, lying on the floor, dead. Her golden hair was spilled onto the floor like silk, and her face had a most painful expression set on it. Cyan found that he did not even have the strength to heave a sob as he crawled over to her and rested a hand on her cheek, which was chilly to the touch. She had not passed on recently it seemed... it must have been long before Cyan had even realized the truth about the river...
"Elayne...Elayne...wake up..." He moaned, and clutched at her lifeless hand. "This...this cannot be happening!!!" However, he knew in his heart, that of course, his sleeping beauty would never again awaken. Cyan lowered his head and slowly stood up, dropping her hand. However, the cold sensation of her death-ridden fingers did not leave his own as he spotted a lump in the bed he and Elayne had shared. Had shared... he was already thinking of her in the past tense...
Cyan did not hesitate as he swiftly removed the cover on the bed, and did not feel that he could go any more numb after he saw what awaited him. There was Owain, his young son, lying dead in bed, the expression on his face matching Elayne's. Cyan opened his mouth to speak, but only a tiny whisper came out.
"Owain..."
Cyan gulped and covered the body back up, his strength slowly returning to him, the warmth slowly flowing back into his hand that had held Elayne's. His heart's sorrow was becoming overpowered by anger, thoughts of revenge.
"NOT YOU TOO!" Cyan screamed, and shook his head. "NO, YOU BOTH CAN'T LEAVE ME!" Cyan turned from the room and fled, not stopping to rest until he found himself at the entrance/exit to Doma castle. Normally, the hall would be filled with the chatter and laughter of Doma's soldiers and families that resided with them. But now it was silent... only Cyan's voice could be heard.
"Dear...Dear me..." He sighed, and brought a hand to his forehead. "Impossible...idiotic...! We can't forgive this!" Cyan pushed the doors of the castle open and broke into a run, the echoing cries of the King and of the dying soldiers of Doma in his mind urging him on towards his destination, the place Cyan could freely and without a doubt claim was his Hell on Earth. As he ran, his hair blew back, some loose strands pulling apart from his ponytail.
"The Empire must pay!" Cyan cried, and prepared to draw his rapier as he drew nearer to the Imperial Base.
Author's Note- People who've played FF6 may or may not know that on the Phantom Train, you can get a temporary character who is a ghost with the name ?????. I've named the chapter after him, but since you can't really pronounce ?????, he'll be known as "The Ghost". So now everyone knows the character behind Chapter 12's Name!
"ATTACK!" The shouts of the small Imperial army filled the air after their commander's demand, and the brown and green uniformed soldiers all ran up to Doma Castle, drawing their weapons to fight their way inside. Some soldiers took another route and attempted to climb the castle's rocky walls to get inside, but they kept falling down. Not learning their lessons the first time, those same soldiers tried to climb the walls again, only to get the same results over and over. The commander merely stood back and watched impatiently. When would those fools of Doma castle just come out and surrender? They would save themselves some humiliation and trouble! At this thought the commander let out a bitter peel of laughter and grinned.
Meanwhile, inside the castle, things were just as hectic as the Empire's attempts outside. Two of Doma's sentries, both clothed in Doma's green and blue uniforms, were frantically trying to think of a way to tell their Lord, King Doma, that they were doomed. Most of their men had been slaughtered by the Empire ages ago. Now they had merely come to finish off what remained, which wasn't much at all.
"It's hopeless..." One sentry said, shaking his head. "We cannot keep them out."
"So...it is finally happening..." The other trailed off.
"A moment, sirs!" A new voice suddenly broke out into the hall in which they were standing, and the two sentries turned around to see a tall figure emerging from the throne room doors behind them. He was dressed in Doma's navy blue knight garb, his chest plates and shoulder guards glistening in the sunlight that poured through Doma Castle's windows. His face held a bright smile, as if Doma had already claimed victory and they were about to sit down to a wonderful feast in their honor. His black hair was swept back in a most elegant ponytail, and his black mustache was neatly trimmed and complimented his more aged but still handsome face. He was Cyan Garamonde, Lord Doma's most faithful and powerful knight.
"Allow me the honor of dispatching the evil that troubles our beautiful land!" Cyan exclaimed, and drew his slender rapier blade. "If we can defeat their commander, they'll surely give up!"
"Sir Cyan!" Both of the sentries exclaimed, and cheered. With Sir Cyan back home in Doma, they would surely win!
"Let us give it a try." Cyan said, and stepped past them. He reached the small castle's front doors and threw them open. Any soldiers that happened to be climbing at the doors at the time took a small flight into the grass, face first. Cyan boldly stepped out and ran straight for his target, raising his sword. The commander gasped and feebly held out his axe in front of him, too shocked and surprised to know what else to do.
"Sir Cyan, let their commander have it!" The two sentries cried from the doorway.
"I am Cyan, retainer to the King of Doma!" Cyan cried, and leaped up, raising his sword high above his head. The commander quivered in his stance and opened his mouth to scream, but no sound came out. Cyan smirked and brought down his blade...
"AHHH!"
"Clang!"
The commander's axe clattered to the ground, and he fell as well, blood pouring from the fatal wound across his chest Cyan's blade had created. His face was forever twisted in the agony of pain Cyan's blade had wrecked upon him. Such was the fate of all of Sir Cyan's enemies...
"....I am your worst nightmare." Cyan said coolly, and sheathed his blade, which was still dripping with blood.
"The Commander has been defeated! RUN!" The rest of the soldiers cried, and scrambled off the scene before cyan could get any one of them. Cyan turned and waved to the sentries, who both jumped up and down and cheered.
"Walled up in here, we can wait out our enemy!" Cyan exclaimed, and they all burst out into happy, hearty laughter. Doma was victorious!
"Lets hurry Shadow!" Sabin cried, as he dashed throughout the base, looking back and forth constantly to try to find the way out. Doma was in danger...Doma, and then Narshe...
"Sabin, stop!" Shadow hissed, and grabbed his partner, pulling him behind another pile of crates. When Sabin popped his head up, he could see what Shadow had tried to hide them from. A soldier, and another man, one who was tall, blonde, and dressed in sky blue and green robes had exited a tent, and were walking together slowly.
"General Leo!" The soldier exclaimed. "The citizens of Doma seem to be playing a waiting game..." The blonde looked up at the sky and rubbed his chin.
"Hmm...so THAT'S their strategy..." He said, and turned back to the soldier.
"General, the men who just came back claim that the castle only has one warrior capable of doing any damage. Now, we can be ready to take the castle by taking him out first. Just give the order..."
"Patience!" Leo cried. "If we do attack now, we will have to sacrifice too many lives!" Sabin raised his eyebrows at this particular comment. Apparently, General Leo was not like his fellow counterparts, General Celes and General Kefka, whom he had heard from rumors alone were two nightmarish Empire officers.
"But General!" The soldier protested. "I am ready to lay my life down at any time for the Empire!" Leo shook his head and rested a hand on the soldier's shoulder.
"You're from Maranda, right?" Leo questioned, and the man nodded in agreement. "And your family lives there? Fall in battle, and I'll have to deliver the bad news... What shall I say to them? You have a life to go back to someday. Don't throw it all away for nothing. Emperor Gestahl wouldn't want that..." Leo trailed off, and the soldier nodded.
"Yes sir!" The other soldier exclaimed, ready and able to take Leo's advice. Right then, another soldier ran up to them, and quickly saluted to Leo.
"General Leo!" He exclaimed, and handed him a letter. "A carrier pigeon just delivered this for you from Emperor Gestahl."
"Thank you." Leo said, and took the letter, reading it quickly. He furrowed his eyebrows in worry, and shook his head.
"The Emperor summons me." Leo said, and crumbled the note, tossing it to the soldier who delivered it to him. "I must go immediately."
"I understand sir." The soldier he had been conversing with said, and saluted. Leo saluted back.
"I leave Doma in your hands!" Leo exclaimed, and the soldier nodded.
"Yes sir!"
"Just don't jump the gun...please..." Leo made one last plea, and quickly hurried off with his messenger. The soldier shouted "Sir, leave it to us, sir!" After him, and turned to leave and go about his business. Shadow and Sabin both turned to each other.
"So that's General Leo...." Sabin trailed off.
"He could be my friend...if he weren't my enemy." Shadow added, and they both stood up to continue on. They were no in the heart of the Empire's base...and they would have to be extra cautious...
They decided to follow Leo's direction, for they guessed he was heading towards an exit of some sort. They quietly crept among the boxes and machinery, but both gasped when they heard a loud peel of laughter erupt from not far ahead of them. Before they were spotted, Sabin and Shadow both dashed into a tent and peeked out from between the flaps. Kefka once again came into view, skipping along the small river that ran through the base, and Leo was chasing after him.
"Now that Leo's gone, I'll turn this water into a flowing river of poison!" Kefka squealed to himself, and Leo finally caught up to him, obviously not hearing his previous words.
"The Emperor has ordered for me to return home." Leo explained, short of breath. "And I don't want any trouble here, Kefka!"
"You loser!" Kefka exclaimed, and slapped Leo hard on the back. "I'll take care of this situation in no time!"
"Don't be pompous!" Leo cried, jerking from Kefka's grip. "And DON'T forget that they are PEOPLE, just like you and me!"
"We need not spare those filthy lands that give rise to the Returners!" Kefka spat, and Leo gave up, disgusted, and walked away. Kefka giggled and shook his head.
"Now...you just go and be a good little boy, Leo..." A soldier then came up to Kefka and tapped him on the shoulder, making Kefka yelp and jump into the air.
"You IDIOT!" Kefka screeched, and then managed to regain himself. "So...is the poison ready?" Sabin and Shadow noticed the soldier was carrying a glass bottle with purple liquid inside...
"But sir." The soldier began, noting to keep the poison out of Kefka's reach. "General Leo said..."
"He's no longer here!" Kefka squealed. "I'm in charge now!"
"But sir..."
"POUR IT!"
"Some of our soldiers are in Doma as prisoners!" The soldier cried. "If we poison their water supply..."
"Just pour it." Kefka said casually. "Take 'em all out." Sabin's face turned red, as his blood was boiling with anger... He just couldn't take it anymore... He leaped out of his hiding place, and Shadow followed, surprising Kefka.
"That's inhuman!" Sabin cried, as he strapped on his metal knuckle. Shadow nodded in silent agreement, and pulled out a small, 4-pointed star called a shuriken. Kefka looked from one man to the other, and suddenly burst out into low laughter, smiling and shaking his head.
"Silence!" He smirked. "You're history bub..."
Shadow narrowed his eyes and threw the shuriken in his hand, aiming right for Kefka's head. The star made a shrill whistling noise as it sliced the air, but it was too slow to hit it's target directly. Kefka managed to get out of its way slightly, but his arm paid the price. He let out a girly scream as the shuriken sliced through his puffy sleeves and caused crimson blood to appear. Kefka cringed and suddenly reached out with his good arm, grabbing the poison from the bewildered soldier's hands and taking off down the river. Shadow cursed, and Sabin took off running after him, screaming "WAIT!"
"Wait!" Kefka giggled. "Do I look like a waiter?" He laughed louder, but stopped when another shuriken came flying and this time struck him in the back. He cried out and hit the dusty ground, while Shadow ran over to Sabin.
"Hurry, grab the poison!" Sabin cried, but it was too late. Kefka cast some sort of healing spell on himself, and stood up, brushing off his robes.
"Ha ha ha ha ha!" Kefka screeched. "What a toad......Yeoowch!" A laser of the purest white shot from Sabin's hands and stuck Kefka in the stomach, making Kefka the latest victim of Sabin's Aura Bolt. Kefka stumbled back, creating an opening for Shadow to claim the potion. But as Shadow reached out, Kefka cackled evilly and shot out his empty hand, screaming "BOLT!" A crackle of electricity shot from the sky and struck Shadow, stunning him. Kefka giggled and ran off again, as Sabin rushed over to Shadow to make sure he was ok.
"I'm fine...." Shadow let out a deep breath and looked up, seeing that the enemy had escaped. "Was that...magic?"
"Yes... I'm afraid it was..." Sabin murmured, and wiped the sweat off his brow. "Just like Terra..."
"Terra?" Shadow questioned.
"I'll explain more later!" Sabin cried. "Stay here, I'll get Kefka!" With that, Sabin took off down the river. Shadow looked back and suddenly came into contact with two Imperial soldiers who had managed to creep up behind him. They both smirked and drew their swords, which nearly blinded Shadow by reflecting the sunlight.
"Shit..." Shadow muttered.
**********
"UWEEE HEE HEE!" Kefka squealed delightedly as he came to the end of the Imperial Base's boundaries. The water of the river below him was bubbling menacingly, as if it opposed the horrible plans that Kefka was planning to complete with the pop of a cork and the tilt of a bottle. Kefka kneeled down, still not being able to contain his clownish laughter as he popped off the bottle's cork and brushed it aside, gleaming at the deep purple liquid in the bottle with a soft smile on his face.
"Nothing can beat the music of hundreds of voices screaming in unison!!!!" Kefka declared, and began to tremble with excitement as he tipped the bottle upside down, it's contents spilling into the river. The river seemed to bubble even harder as it slowly transformed from a sparkling blue to a violent shade of purple, and then back again. Kefka tossed the glass bottle aside and stood up, brushing off his robes. More to amuse himself than anything else, he adjusted the feather hairpieces in his hair and cocked his ear towards the direction of Doma, waiting for his concert of death to begin...
**********
"Whew, the soldiers were extra thirsty today." One maid complained as she tied back her sweaty hair with a piece of ribbon.
"Indeed." Her companion agreed. "But it gives me great pride to be able to serve the brave Doma soldiers who are fighting for our freedom! Even if it means running back to the river every 5 minutes to fetch drinks..."
"I'll be so relieved when this is all over." The first said, and kneeled down at the river, scooping a new bucketful of water for when the next round of demands from the soldiers came up. "I hope siding with the Returners was a wise decision His Majesty made. I mean, I would rather die than join the Empire but..."
"His Majesty has good intentions." The second maid reassured. "The Returners are small, but they are powerful! I've had dreams of joining them myself..."
"I would join you!" The first girl said, and smiled. "Let us toast to our future as Returners!"
"To us!" The second exclaimed, and both girls cupped handfuls of water from the river and brought it to their lips. However, something was wrong. They both knew it immediately as the liquid seemed to burn it's way down their throats rather than soothe their thirsts.
".....Mika..." The first one gasped. "I..." But before she could finish her sentence, she collapsed to the ground, dead, as the poison had already reached her heart.
"Raye....!" Mika, the second maid moaned, and clutched at her chest. "I must go....warn His Majesty...Ugh!" But Mika too had received the same fate as her friend, and fell a moment later on top of her, her warning to the king silenced forever.
Cyan was standing on the lookout bridge of Doma Castle, keeping his eyes on the Empire Base that was a lot closer than he or the King had thought. His eyes trailed from the base down to the path of water that spiraled from it to Doma. It reminded him of the drink he had requested not so long ago. Where were Mika and Raye? Cyan gasped as he narrowed his eyes to get a better view of the river, suddenly noticing that it had more of a glimmer to it than it had before. It was a much darker color today as well. Right then, a sentry appeared, his face twisted with urgency, interrupting Cyan's observations.
"Sir Cyan!" He cried. "The Empire Base is bustling with activity! Something must be up!" Cyan looked up at him and blinked.
"Huh?" He asked, not completely hearing the sentry. "The water looks odd..."
Suddenly, screams of pain rung out from below Cyan and the sentry. When they peered over the bridge, they could see a whole line of Doma's finest doubling over and grabbing their stomachs, some their hearts, and collapsing to the ground. The echoes of wooden cups dropping onto the ground also rang out from other parts along with the cries. Cyan and the sentry looked at the North, East, South, and West sides of the palace from their bridge, but only saw the same scene at each part. Dead bodies were everywhere, and each was accompanied by a wood or metal cup, it's contents spilled on the ground beside them. Cyan gasped and stepped back, horrified.
"Sir Cyan!" The sentry cried, afraid Cyan was about to suffer the same fate. However, this was not the case.
"This... is POISON!" Cyan cried, and felt his heart began to race. The Empire...the river's strange color... This could only mean..."
"What a lowdown, contemptible..." The sentry muttered to himself, but Cyan had gathered his wits about him and interrupted the sentry.
"We must guard our Liege!" Cyan cried, and the sentry snapped out of it.
"To the King, on the double!" He exclaimed, and he and Cyan ran down the stairs to the inside of the palace, straight for the throne room.
"The King's room is straight ahead!" Cyan directed, and the sentry pushed open the throne room doors for Cyan, allowing him first entry. Cyan ran in and almost passed out from relief. The King was standing, and looked just fine. However, Cyan felt a shiver run through his spine when he noticed how the King was giving him a far off look.... He was probably disturbed by the screaming outside.
"Your Highness, fear not!" Cyan smiled, and made his way towards him.
"Who's there?" The King suddenly asked, and Cyan stopped, suddenly feeling as if his legs were made out of blocks of ice.
"Cyan...your Excellency." Cyan replied as calmly as possible, and bowed.
"Indeed!" The King exclaimed, and coughed violently. "My sight is going fast... can't see a thing..."
"No!" Cyan cried, and stared at the King's clouded eyes. There was silence until The King dropped what Cyan had not noticed previously... a golden goblet studded with jewels and filled with a tinted blue liquid that spilled all over the white marble floor of the throne room.
"No, please hold on!" Cyan cried, and ran over to catch the King as he fell to his knees.
"Cyan..." The King moaned. "You have defended the realm since my father's days... and I thank you..." He coughed violently and closed his eyes. "It's over... Our kingdom is through..."
"No, not yet!" Cyan cried frantically, trying to get the King to reopen his eyes.
"I fear for your family!" The King cried, and coughed so hard, blood emerged from his lips. "Go to them Cyan!"
Cyan didn't know what to say. He was paralyzed to the spot with fear, a million thoughts sealing each of his joints. What was he to do? Abandon His Lord and risk his family's safety? No, he couldn't... The sentry still remained, waiting for orders.
"Please, save your strength, and don't talk!" Cyan cried, and stood up, gently resting the King on the floor. He gestured for the sentry to come over, and he did so hurriedly.
"Guard his Liege!" Cyan ordered, and the sentry nodded. But as Cyan was about to exit the throne room, he heard the King release a chain of violent coughs that left as quickly as they came. The hairs on the back of his neck rose as he heard the sentry whisper "He's gone...Oh, Your Highness..."
Cyan tried to hold back tears and he plowed through the doorway and ran across the hall to the room in which his family resided in. All he could think about was getting to his beautiful wife, a golden-haired woman named Elayne, and his blonde-haired son Owain, who had the face of an angel. He burst into their room and looked about, but couldn't see what he was looking for. Perhaps they had gone to take a walk...
Cyan walked in further and made his way to the bedroom half of the room, his footsteps making soft thumps, almost like a constant heart beat. Cyan felt as if he could cut the tension in the room he had created himself with his blade. When he reached the bedroom area, he let out a small whimper and sunk to his knees, as if he had been punched in the stomach.
There was Elayne, lying on the floor, dead. Her golden hair was spilled onto the floor like silk, and her face had a most painful expression set on it. Cyan found that he did not even have the strength to heave a sob as he crawled over to her and rested a hand on her cheek, which was chilly to the touch. She had not passed on recently it seemed... it must have been long before Cyan had even realized the truth about the river...
"Elayne...Elayne...wake up..." He moaned, and clutched at her lifeless hand. "This...this cannot be happening!!!" However, he knew in his heart, that of course, his sleeping beauty would never again awaken. Cyan lowered his head and slowly stood up, dropping her hand. However, the cold sensation of her death-ridden fingers did not leave his own as he spotted a lump in the bed he and Elayne had shared. Had shared... he was already thinking of her in the past tense...
Cyan did not hesitate as he swiftly removed the cover on the bed, and did not feel that he could go any more numb after he saw what awaited him. There was Owain, his young son, lying dead in bed, the expression on his face matching Elayne's. Cyan opened his mouth to speak, but only a tiny whisper came out.
"Owain..."
Cyan gulped and covered the body back up, his strength slowly returning to him, the warmth slowly flowing back into his hand that had held Elayne's. His heart's sorrow was becoming overpowered by anger, thoughts of revenge.
"NOT YOU TOO!" Cyan screamed, and shook his head. "NO, YOU BOTH CAN'T LEAVE ME!" Cyan turned from the room and fled, not stopping to rest until he found himself at the entrance/exit to Doma castle. Normally, the hall would be filled with the chatter and laughter of Doma's soldiers and families that resided with them. But now it was silent... only Cyan's voice could be heard.
"Dear...Dear me..." He sighed, and brought a hand to his forehead. "Impossible...idiotic...! We can't forgive this!" Cyan pushed the doors of the castle open and broke into a run, the echoing cries of the King and of the dying soldiers of Doma in his mind urging him on towards his destination, the place Cyan could freely and without a doubt claim was his Hell on Earth. As he ran, his hair blew back, some loose strands pulling apart from his ponytail.
"The Empire must pay!" Cyan cried, and prepared to draw his rapier as he drew nearer to the Imperial Base.
Author's Note- People who've played FF6 may or may not know that on the Phantom Train, you can get a temporary character who is a ghost with the name ?????. I've named the chapter after him, but since you can't really pronounce ?????, he'll be known as "The Ghost". So now everyone knows the character behind Chapter 12's Name!
