Disclaimer: I do not hold any rights to Chrono Trigger in any form or fashion, nor do I make any profit out of writing this fic.
Reviews: Whoa, no spell and still I got reviews! Needless to say I'm extremely pleased and grateful towards all who reviewed!
Shaded Mazoku: Thank you! And I agree, CT did not live up to its potential as far as the historical aspects and quirks are concerned. But since it lived up to everything else, I'm willing to pardon it (while making up for it of course, haha) ;) And thanks again!
GoldenSunGeek: Thank you and I'm ordering the clone right now! ;)
Indigo Tantarian: Thank you and I agree, it is a very strange idea and one that hadn't been fully explored in CT. Thankfully since I can do it now ;)
SayianLegend1: Thank you! I'm glad to hear the non-action was liked! And yes, Lucca is going to bite on more than she can chew, or rationalize, for that matter ;) The review was not short at all and greatly appreciated! Thanks again:)
Quizer: Hahaha, thank you for so many reviews! –-hands Quizer the clone–- Confidentially, I have a deal with Norstein Bekkler ;)
chaosBardock: Thank you! I'm not too sure about an AU, but I am planning a follow-up, with lots of new things ;)
zipis1: "evil mages tend to be, well, evil and may not take kindly to being told to stop their evil ways", hahaha! Well said! It's the one thing that always strikes me in RPGs – nobody is worried about how exactly they're going to save the world, they just go with the flow, lol. And thank you very much for reviewing!
ShadowCatYumi08: Hahaha, glad to hear the story make you laugh, in any way! And yes, writing everything down action per action would make it not only long but also rather boring. Plus, altering the details means that the readers might be more interested in reading a story they already know. And once more yes, it really was odd that one particular Gate didn't take them to the End of Time and even more so, that nobody saw anything strange about it... :P Thank you for reviewing!
Note: Oh, forget the note here, I'll just make one at the bottom ;)
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Chapter 07 – The Undead Face of War
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The sleepy peacefulness of Truce Canyon 600 A.D. was momentarily disturbed when a blue whirl appeared suddenly on a small clearing and three people popped out of it, one still unsure what his name was. Steadying her feet on the dump grass, Lucca righted the strap of the bag on her shoulder. It contained medicinal items, some food, a change of clothes, Taban's notes and a just-in-case book on space-time phenomena she had been reading recently. In short, the bare essentials for an adventure that would last days, if not weeks.
Next to her, Marle dusted off her white loose trousers. Lucca offered to lend the Princess some clothes, but Marle preferred to keep her white attire, only giving it a hasty clean up. The airy white material wasn't exactly practical, but Lucca doubted practically was the main factor for Marle, especially with Crono nearby... "So where are we heading first? Truce?"
Lucca shook her head. "No, there's no point in going to the town. We have to get to South Zenan since Magus supposedly had an 'evil lair' on an island near the east coast. There's no guarantee we'll find him there, but that's the best lead we have."
"So to the Zenan Bridge then?" Crono half-yawned. If he wasn't so sleepy, he'd probably be excited about the prospect of going to South Zenan, even in medieval times.
Lucca nodded in agreement. As they followed the forest towards the rocky ledges and beyond, she considered the choice of destination. Zenan Bridge linked the two halves of the Zenan continent, stretching across the Zenan Strait in its most narrow part. It was the only direct route to South Zenan and thus they had to go through there, but... She didn't have to look into the notes to remember that at the moment Zenan Bridge was in the heat of the war. The Mystics were on Guardia's doorstep, trying to force their way in. And Guardia's forces were in a real fix. They could just destroy the bridge, or leave it unrepaired when it had been damaged before, but that would mean condemning the people of South Zenan to the rule of the Mystics. And the Mystics would sooner or later find a way to cross the strait anyway, thus rendering the sacrifice void.
The stalemate was going to last till the end of war, that is till the rumors of Magus' disappearance spread and the Mystics retreated. But they needed to get past the bridge now, not in a month, even if it meant forcing their way through.
After half an hour of walking through the early morning groves around Truce, they reached the main road leading to the bridge. It was going to take them at least two days to get there, unless they could find some faster means to travel. And just as they started their trek on the sandy road, such potential faster means appeared behind them. Four horse-pulled farm carts were speeding their way from the direction of the castle.
Wasting no time, Lucca jumped out onto the middle of the road and started waving her arms.
"Lucca...?" Marle asked tentatively.
"Come on! Maybe they'll give us a lift!" Marle and Crono grasped what she was trying to do and joined the waving on the middle of the road.
The carts drew closer and stopped; the first one in line right in front of them. On the driver's bench sat a civilian citizen of around 50 or so years of age, holding the reigns. Next to him sat a soldier, one they recognized easily, thanks to the still noticeable pimple on his nose.
"Oy!" shouted the soldier who used to stand guard in the castle, "Why the hell are you stopping us? We've gotta deliver the provisions to the Zenan Bridge! Move ya arses..." pausing, he took a better look at the perpetrators. In particular, at the spiky crown of red hair on Crono's head and the striking similarity to the Queen on Marle's face. "Oh, it's you," he grumbled, deflating, "the kids who got lucky and defeated Yakra. Whaddaya want?"
"Could you take us with you to the Zenan Bridge?" Marle asked, smiling invitingly.
The soldier eyed them suspiciously. "And why do you wanna go there? That's no place for kids! Or do you wanna play war and fight Magus' troops, eh?"
Inwardly, Lucca rolled her eyes. Fine words from somebody who was most likely younger than them. "Yeah, we wanna go fight Magus' troops and if you take us there we'll show ya how it's done!"
"Hmph!" the soldier crossed his arms offendedly, "snotty brats!"
Marle and Crono glanced to Lucca quickly, surprised by her sudden desire for combat. Usually, she opted for using brains rather than brawn... Ooohhh, Crono chimed mentally as he realized that his friend was doing that this time too. Putting on his cheekiest expression, he smirked at the soldier. "What? Scared we'll get lucky again and best ya?"
The soldier's lips thinned in annoyance. "The nerve... Fine! We'll take ya to the bridge and I'm gonna laugh my ass off when you'll be running off crying for your mommy!"
The three companions grinned to each other and quickly hopped onto the wagon. It was full of crates, linen bags and barrels, but since the cart was open in the back, there was enough space for them to sit on the edge, dangling their legs above the ground. The driver snapped the reigns and the wagon jerked forward, quickly gaining speed.
Crono, sitting in the middle, leaned his head towards Lucca. "Are we really going to fight? I thought we were supposed to try to avoid changing too much."
"We have to get through the Zenan Bridge," Lucca whispered back. "And besides, Guardia will manage anyway, narrowly, but will. So at most we would change a few details, but that shouldn't be too catastrophic."
The guard, still seated next to the driver, turned back to them, his arms still crossed. "Don't kid yourselves though! You wimps don't stand a chance! Even the King has been wounded and he's one of Guardia's finest warriors! Only the Hero can save us now!"
A suspicious snort came from the elderly driver and the soldier's head snapped back to him in indignation. "He will! He has the Hero Medal so he's the chosen one! You'll see!" The driver only murmured something unintelligible yet grouchy in response.
The cart stumbled on a bump of the road and they were propelled upwards, among the clatter of the crates. Marle grasped the side of the cart and steadied herself as she turned to the soldier questioningly. "The Hero? You mean as in the legend that when Guardia is in danger the Hero will appear and conquer its enemies?"
They all knew the story, it was one of the national legends of Guardia and the Hero Medal was now kept in the Royal Treasury. Supposedly, it dated back to the first King of Guardia, the mythical Sharr, upon whom the medal had been bestowed by the Spirit of the Forest, once he had united North Zenan and established the Kingdom. It was said to have magical powers and would find a Hero to protect the lands when situation was dire. In short, it was a heavily mythical and dubious story in which many people still believed regardless.
"It's not just a legend!" the pubescent soldier chastised them crossly. "The Hero has the Hero Medal even though it's been lost for years! He came to see the King just yesterday and now he's off to the south to search for the legendary sword that will bring the fiend Magus down! Mark my words!"
He looked strangely elated by the idea and the three companions weren't exactly sure how they were supposed to react to such blind optimism.
"Yay...?" Crono ventured finally. The soldier eyed them up and down in obvious indignation, huffed resentfully and turned back to the road ahead, leaving them to their own company. Lucca reached into her bag that was resting on the cart next to her. Pulling out the notes, she thumbed through them quickly, searching for any mentions of the Hero.
"Hmmm..." Casting a cautious glance to the soldier and the driver, she leaned towards Marle and Crono to inform them whisperingly of what she read. "The Hero supposedly appeared not long before the end of the war and caused quite a euphoria among many people. Some claimed that he was the one to have defeated Magus, but it's highly doubtful, since on the other hand it was noted in the official Royal Chronicles that the Hero had handed over the Hero Medal after the war and admitted that he had just found it accidentally."
The cart jumped up again and all three hastily grabbed onto its edges. Lucca's hand clutched at the loose pages that were trying to fly away while she simultaneously struggled to keep the glasses on her nose. Not an easy feat.
Holding on to the side of the cart, Marle leaned to other two. "But didn't he say the Hero was going to look for some legendary sword? The diablos in Medina said the humans sent assassins armed with 'that damned magic sword'. So maybe the Hero was the assassin after all!"
"A magic sword, though?" Crono countered, joining the conversation. "And a legendary one at that? Have either of you ever heard of it? Because I haven't."
Lucca snorted amusedly. "If you don't know about some sword, then we sure don't either. You're the sword-maniac!"
Marle giggled quietly in agreement, yet had the decency to hide the smile behind her hand when Crono cast her a hurt look. So what that he liked swords? It was a very good hobby, nothing like mindlessly chasing pretty girls, as many of his school buddies did. Hmph!
Lucca pushed her glasses up and bagged the notes before another jump of the cart could wrestle them out of her hand. "In either case," she said turning back to her companions, "if the Hero is after Magus too, we'll probably run into him sooner or later. Maybe even at the Zenan Bridge, since if he's off to the south, he'll have to cross it somehow too."
Marle and Crono nodded, agreeing with her opinion. Soon, all three drifted off into their own activities, filling out the boredom of the journey. Lucca pulled out her book and wallowed in the pool of scientific pleasure. She held on firmly to the side of the cart next to her, grumbling occasionally when a sudden jump would nearly slam the thick tome into her face. Marle and Crono indulged in a light conversation on each other's favorite this and that, enjoying themselves greatly and yet remaining mostly oblivious that they were traversing the path millions before them had stepped upon during the age-old mating ritual.
When the morning became the evening, they finally reached their destination. The Guardia army was camped out around the North Zenan end of the bridge. Tents, larger and smaller, were arching up against the darkening sky; the soldiers clustered around small fires, their faces tired and dreary. Not only the siege had already dragged for weeks now, but their chances were slim to begin with. Yet as the carts rolled into the camp, they seemed to shed off some of the weariness, hastening to unload the provisions among the cheerful promise of a warm meal.
The party jumped off the cart as soon as it stopped, and waving a quick 'thanks' to the pimple-nosed soldier and the jaded driver, set off to search for the commander of the forces. He turned out to be a familiar figure too. Still clad in his lavish golden armor, although it had lost some of its luster due to the multiple indentations and blood stains, the Knight Captain was approaching the wagons just as they were leaving to search for him.
"Sir Crono!" he called out in surprise, noticing the group. "I was told you disappeared after rescuing Queen Leene! Have you returned to assist us?"
That's right, Crono realized, as far as they people of 600 A.D. they were a mysterious group who appeared out of nowhere and disappeared to nowhere after aiding Guardia in times of need. Lucca began whispering behind him, quickly offering him a surprising answer. Clearing his throat discretely, he accepted the role of 'Sir Crono'. "Yes, we have indeed. We have undertaken the mission of aiding the Hero on his quest."
The Knight Captain regarded them wearily for a moment. "The Hero...? He has crossed the bridge last night. The escapade cost many of my men their lives and I will not sacrifice any more soldiers to escort you too."
"But we don't need an escort," Marle assured him hastily, "we'll make it on our own."
"I see..." The Knight Captain replied pensively, observing them once more. "In that case you have my permission to try to break through whenever you are ready. But before at least equip yourselves properly." He turned to the soldier that was accompanying him. "Escort them to the armory and see that they are fit with what best we still have."
The soldier nodded respectfully and they followed him towards one of the tents at the back of the camp. They still lacked a clear plan on how to make it through the bridge, or rather through the Mystic army on the other end of it, but proper armor would indeed be of great help in either case. The soldier let them into the shivering light of the tent and proved very helpful with the task of choosing proper armor. Neither wanted to go for the fully plated pieces, deeming them too heavy and restraining, but the soldier, a middle-aged man clearly inured to the hardships of war, easily found them two light chain hauberks and a small cuirboulli-leather chest protector for Marle.
Adjusting the protector and managing the straps of the crossbow holster, Marle addressed the soldier casually. "Could you tell us if by any chance Magus himself is among the Mystics besieging the bridge?" Their job would be much easier if he was.
The soldier seemed taken aback by the idea. "If he was here, we would've been all long dead by now."
Lucca frowned questioningly. "Have you ever actually seen Magus...?"
The soldier didn't reply at first, looking at them wearily. "You told the Captain you were to aid the Hero," he said finally, his voice tired and dull, "but you just don't know what you're up against, do you?" They had nothing to say to that. He turned his eyes away from them, the flickering light of the cresset etching shadows onto his face. "Yes, I've seen Magus. I'm one of the few who have seen him and lived."
The group glanced to each other, all curious to hear a personal account of the mage they were after.
"It was three years ago," the soldier began, his eyes still focused on the ground, "My squad was on a mission in South Zenan. One night, the Mystics attacked us, they often attack at night. They hurdled out of the forest and we thought it was just some minor skirmish, like usual. But then we saw him, looking down on us from a hillock at the edge of the clearing."
The group kept quiet as he paused, his eyes perturbed by the memories. "It wasn't a battle, it was... a slaughter, utter mayhem. He rained lighting bolts on us, melting armors and swords; scorched the grass and the trees with hell hot fire; brought forth explosions that sent dismembered bodies into the air. But the worst were his eyes, I'll never forget them. He dove at us, so fast that he almost disappeared in the night, then in one clean move swept his scythe and beheaded the man in front of me, a soldier I've known for years, spraying blood in my face. And when the head rolled away like a child's ball... for one moment I looked straight into his eyes."
The soldier turned to them abruptly, his voice hardening and his jaw clenching. "Some say he looks like a human, but that's all bull! There's nothing human about him. He's a monster, a soulless beast! He was butchering us and his eyes were laughing, sneering!" He shook his head, looking at them in skeptical harshness. "Only three out of the fifty of us survived that night. You want to kill him? That's great, I say. But don't delude yourselves that you'll ever even get close to him. You don't even know how to put on armor!"
Crono shifted uncomfortably under the soldier's eyes. He was well aware that they weren't exactly experienced soldiers, or any kind of soldiers for that matter. They had fought a few battles already, but... not against skilled warriors. And judging from the soldier's words, Magus had more than just his magic to back him up. But... they did have an advantage, didn't they? They knew the future, what would happen, and unlike all the soldiers they could use magic. He shifted again, the rings of his hauberk grating against one another. Surely, that counted for something.
Next to him, Lucca frowned again. The man's story actually sounded believable. It was emotionally charged, yes, but plausible. Calling forth lighting and fire – it was still unexplained, but possible. But then, if Magus was really so effective in killing, why wasn't he here now? The Mystics were but a step away from conquering Guardia; if they had taken the bridge, the kingdom would have fallen. It didn't, as they knew well, but it could've.
As if answering to her thoughts, a sound of a horn tore through the camp, clear and sharp even behind the thick canvas of the tent. The soldier stepped outside, turning back to them for a moment. "The Mystics are on the push again. If you really want to get to the other side, now's your chance."
He walked off hastily and the group looked to each other again.
"Are we going to do it then?" Crono asked, his voice slightly uneven.
Lucca put the strap of her bag over her head, securing it across her chest. "We don't have a choice. Let's just try to sneak past and avoid getting killed in the process."
Crono nodded and the three of them stepped out of the tent. Outside, the shouts of the soldiers getting ready for battle clamored through the camp. The troops were all running towards the bridge, hastily securing their armor and putting on helmets. Some grabbed torches, some accidentally trampled over the small fires. Only in the back of the camp calmness still held. The four drivers were stoically hoisting the wounded and the dead onto the now empty carts.
Their hands clasped around their weapons, the three amateur soldiers ran after the hurrying troops towards the bridge. Soon, they passed by the Knight Captain who stood in the middle of the seeming chaos, shouting orders. A frantic looking soldier had just run up to him from the direction of the bridge, his breath heavy.
"Sir!" he cried, "It's the undead! There's too many of them, we have to burn the bridge!"
The Knight Captain spun towards him tersely. "Stop sniveling!" he snapped, "You're shaming the Knights of the Square Table!"
"Men!" he hollered, turning to the scurrying troops. "We're facing the undead! Get all the torches you can and attack them with fire! But don't burn the bridge! We have to hold it!"
Undead? questioned Lucca as they were running past the two. But as they neared the bridge and paused, stumped by the sight before them, she got her answer.
Zenan Bridge was a monumental construction, a true wonder of Guardia. Over forty feet in width and two hundred feet in length, it united the high rocky shores of Zenan, stretching firmly above the fifty-foot deep strait and the thundering sea below. And now, under the cold light of the moon, that spectacular structure was swarming with skeletons. Actual, factual, bony skeletons of all sizes and shapes, charging across the bridge. Their fleshless limbs rattled hollowly as they ran and their empty eye sockets shone with an unearthly glow of red. Some were unarmed, but most carried long spears, white as if they too were made of bones.
From the other side of the bridge charged the soldiers of Guardia. Their boots thudded heavily against the wooden bridge and the light of the torches they held danced in the darkness. Within but a blink of an eye, the two waves clashed into a howling mass, sending embers and bones into the air.
Lucca slowly pushed her glasses up, watching the battle from where they had stopped on the sidelines. Her eyes followed the skeletal warriors as they surged against the Guardian troops. How was it possible...? How did they move...? Was it by their own volition or was somebody's will controlling them...?
Crono turned back to her, his eyes serious. "The Knight Captain mentioned fire, so maybe they're weak against magic, especially yours. Feeling up to it?"
Lucca slowly blinked herself out of the stupor. "Yea, I think so... I even took the flamethrower with me."
"Then let's go." Gripping his red katana firmly, Crono rushed down to the battle on the bridge. Lucca followed quickly, her mind still swarming with questions. Behind them, Marle squeezed her hands tightly around the crossbow, her heart pounding. This, she thought hurrying after her companions, this was nothing like heroic stories; she was not feeling heroic in the slightest!
The forces on the bridge were now intermingled, fused together into a rolling mass of flesh, bones and fire. Ghastly howls of the undead echoed outcries of pain and agony; sparks flew when the Guardians attacked with torches, blood spluttered when the undead drove their spears into flesh.
Her hand on the trigger, Marle entered the mass after her companions, her eyes darting around restlessly. Almost instantly, somebody slammed into her from aside. She staggered, turning towards the attacker with her crossbow raised, blood rushing through her. The soldier slid down to the ground and the undead behind him raised his spear to impale her. Frantically, she pulled the trigger, but the arrow failed miserably. It only chipped off a fleck of bone from his skull. His macabre eyes shone red and the spear loomed closer. She threw herself to the side, avoiding it narrowly. Magic, she reminded herself hastily, stretching her free hand towards the attacker. Her thoughts swirled around ice, whole icebergs of ice, ice-cream, ice pops, ice!
Energy tingled through her body and a blast of icy stream shot forth from her palm. The skeleton stumbled back, dropping the spear. He was covered by a thick layer of frost, but he wasn't dead yet. ...Deader. Hastily, Marle raised her crossbow again and sent another arrow into his skull. This time, it burst into a mist of bone chips and frost. But the headless corpus was still moving, snatching at the air with his pallid fingers. Focusing on eating ice-cream on a glacier, Marle sent another wave of ice his way. His ghoulish spear was still lying at their feet and she grabbed it quickly. Swinging it with all her strength, she tore across his empty ribcage, shattering it. Once she brought the spear down onto his still stumbling hips and legs, the undead ceased to exist in any form.
Panting, she leaned heavily on the spear and wiped away the sweat from her brow, blood thumping in her ears.
"Marle!" Crono shouted from behind and she spun to face him. He had just swiped with his katana at the skeleton that was about to attack her. The blade only scratched the bones, but the undead was sent sprawling back. "Are you okay?"
His eyes were full of concern and Marle instantly felt better. "Yea," she replied, offering him the best smile she could. "Yea, I'm okay."
His expression softened even more for a moment. "Come on, don't stay behind!" Gesturing for her to follow, he turned back to make his way through the soldiers and skeletons locked in battle.
Ahead, Marle could see Lucca hard at work. Her flamethrower firmly in her hand, the inventor was generously spraying fire at the undead around. The flames reflected maniacally in her glasses and she seemed to be muttering invectives, but to her credit, she was taking the time to aim and avoid scorching either the Guardian soldiers or the bridge. The skeletons screeched when the flames hit them; many were incinerated on the spot, others were stumbling wildly, their bony structures ablaze.
Crono quickly leapt to Lucca's side and began tearing through the smoldering undead with his katana, annihilating them. Marle took a deep breath and began thinking about ice again, freezing the undead on the sides and shattering them with the spear she was still wielding. Around them, the soldiers of Guardia finally started noticing that the three strangers who joined the battle could use magic and contraptions they had never seen before. Somewhere in the back the Knight Captain hollered to 'help the kids'. A few soldiers joined Crono in tearing through the undead weakened by Lucca's flamethrower.
Before they even realized it, the scales of victory were tipped their way. They cleaved through the macabre ranks, pushing the skeletons back. The soldiers of Guardia regained the enthusiasm lost in the sea of helplessness and their cheering and determined eyes accompanied the blazing advance. But as they neared the south end of the bridge, embers and ashes dancing in the night in their wake, the skeletons suddenly drew back. They poured out onto the land of South Zenan, swarming into a quaking mass of bones, heaping one on top of another.
And from among the ones still standing in an arch around the bony mass, a new figure stepped out, as non-skeletal as could be. He was as fat as a barrel, completely green and dressed in flowing white robes. His green pointy ears, unnaturally white eyes and the fat tail dragging behind him labeled him as a definite Mystic.
"I'm Ozzie, Magus' top general!" he gurgled, his mouth stretching in an ill-boding grin to reveal a suit of pointy sharp teeth. "Those who dare defy Magus have to answer to me!"
The three freshly made soldiers glanced to each other. Appearances could be deceiving, but this guy looked as if his arteries were so clogged he was about to have a heart attack any moment now. If Magus was to be judged by his 'top general', then their chances against the mage had just shot through the roof.
But it soon turned out that the load of fat named Ozzie was not going to fight them in person. "Go Zombor!" he yelled gutturally, pivoting towards the quivering mass of bones behind him. "Give 'em a taste of doom!" He leapt, or rather wobbled, away to the other skeletons and they saw what exactly they were to face.
"Oh crud," Crono breathed and his companions couldn't agree more.
The skeletons that had piled up together weren't just forming a modern art piece, but rather, had somehow fused together into one giant skeletal warrior, Zombor. At least ten feet tall, his bulky and massive frame towered against the night sky. He had only one eye but it gleamed maniacally at them like a red warning sign. Behind him, two skeletal wings flapped about, macabre in their pointlessness.
Zombor let out a thundering roar and charged at them, his colossal feet quaking the ground. Marle and Lucca immediately shot ice and fire at him but to little effect. He staggered and roared, visibly outraged by the attack. His empty jaws suddenly filled with red and without any warning, he spew an enormous wave of fire at them, returning the favor.
All three barely managed to roll away, the flames almost licking their behinds. Picking herself up, Lucca evaluated their situation. Around them, the Guardian soldiers fought against the remaining skeletons, too caught up in battle to aid the 'magical kids'. They had to deal with the fused heap of bones on their own. The said heap now charged at Crono, snatching at the boy with massive bony arms. Crono sidestepped the attack and brought his katana down on one of Zombor's arms, but barely managed to scratch it. Marle sent another wave of ice at the monster, following it with a rapid succession of arrows, yet with little more luck.
But next to Marle was lying a white long spear that suddenly gained a lot of value to Lucca. She fixed her glasses and eyed the spear thoughtfully. Then Zombor, then the spear again and Zombor once more. Alright! A master plan was born! Springing into action, she ran towards Marle, picking up the spear just as Zombor spat another wave of fire onto them, illuminating the battlefield with an orange glow. They scampered away hastily, this time getting their hair and clothes singed.
"Marle! Crono!" Lucca shouted, the spear firmly in her hands. "Keep him busy!"
She rushed towards the giant, ignoring Marle's wide and questioning eyes. Zombor was colossal and yet fast, but he was just a skeleton. Meaning that his shins were made up of two bones each, forming cracks, ideal for lodging the spear into it. Just as Marle blasted the monster with ice again, Lucca jumped behind him and wedged the spear between the bones of one of his massive shins. Now she just had to bead the other shin onto the spear. Zombor was about to turn back to her, already swinging an arm, but Crono distracted him with a blinding bolt of lightning.
Lucca grabbed the end of the spear and diving in between the arch of the skeletal legs, pushed it through the crack of the opposite shin. Marle sent another blast of ice at the giant and Zombor roared madly, infuriated by the accumulation of magic. Red glow growing in his jaws, he took a step towards Marle and Crono. The enormous bones groaned and the spear creaked but held. Flapping his wings pointlessly, Zombor's immense weight plummeted to the ground, with a thud that sent all the forces around into the air.
"All together now!" Lucca yelled, her hand already glowing red. She didn't have to tell them, Crono and Marle were already summoning magic too. Lightning, ice and fire poured onto the giant. He roared in protest, his arms attempting to lift him up. Crono reached for his katana and brought it down heavily onto Zombor's spine. The bones, weakened by ice and fire, caved in and the monster was now split in two, trashing wildly. The girls kept bombarding him with magic and Crono hacked away at the bones. The places where Lucca followed Marle's ice with fire were particularly vulnerable and since Marle and Lucca noticed it too, soon Zombor was reduced to a heap of chopped up bones. Only his head remained whole, and it rolled away, still roaring and about to spew fire once more.
Lodging his sword into the ground, Crono raised his hands and sent one last lightning into the skull, as strong as he could muster. The air cracked and this time, so did the skull, shattering into a hail of splinters.
"All right! We did it!" Marle exclaimed in relief, wiping away the sweat from her forehead. "Great idea with the spear, Lucca!"
"Thanks," Lucca replied absentmindedly, already inspecting the situation around them. The battle between the undead and the forces of Guardia was still in progress, having only moved to the shore of South Zenan, but it was clear that the skeletons were retreating. And 'Magus' top general', Ozzie, was nowhere to be seen. Lucca frowned. She was more than certain that there was no mention of a Zombor in her notes. Nor of Guardia army ever making it to the other side of the bridge. Historically, the two armies were to remain locked in a stalemate until the end of the war. Meaning that unless historians had omitted that too, they had just changed history.
"We are forever in your debt," said a male voice behind them and they turned to see the Knight Captain. There was blood on his golden armor and a skeletal hand was clutched onto his red cape, fisting the material as if it was still fighting, but his eyes seemed much less weary now.
"It doesn't bother you that we can use magic...?" Marle asked tentatively.
The Knight Captain tore the skeletal hand away from his cape and dropped it to the ground, smashing it under one of his boots. He looked up to Marle with a shadow of amusement in his eyes. "Most of my soldiers have amulets and charms stacked away under their armor. If we could use magic, we wouldn't hesitate a second. I don't know how you can use magic, but frankly, I don't care. You helped us, that's all that matters."
"Here," he reached under his armor, pulling out a roll of paper. "I wrote it for you before, but then the Mystics attacked."
Lucca accepted the scroll from him and unrolled it, while Crono and Marle leaned in from the sides to have a look too. It was an official document, with a Guardia seal at the bottom and written in an official language and style, but the main gist of it was clear. It stated that the holder of the document acted in the name of the Kingdom of Guardia and that all forces of the kingdom, both civilian and military, were to assist him and his companions in all possible ways. Lucca felt her eyebrows rise appreciatively. The document could prove immensely useful to them and was a very generous gesture.
"Thank you," shed replied, rolling the scroll and stacking it away in her bag. "Do you know where the Hero was headed to?" They didn't really know where to search for Magus, except for the info about the island near the east shore, and the Hero, thanks to being the Hero, might have some more specific facts.
The Knight Captain regarded them quietly for a moment before replying. "He was headed to Sandorino, a village to the east. If you follow the road–" he nodded to the south, "–and then turn left at the crossroads, you should find it easily. It's about two hours walk away." He hesitated, watching them intently. "I... wouldn't depend much on the Hero, if I were you."
Marle blinked and then wrinkled her nose confidentially. "He's no good, we know."
The Knight Captain let out a short laugh. "All the better then. Now, if you excuse me, I need to return to the troops." Offering them a curt nod, he hastened to rejoin his soldiers, who were battling against the remaining skeletons.
Lucca pushed up her glasses, watching the bony undead intently. How did they move...? Without muscles, without sinews and brains? And, for that matter, how was it possible for them to merge into Zombor? She felt a sudden desire to capture one and find out. If only they were here for fun...
"It's horrible," Marle said quietly next to her and Lucca glanced to her. "So many soldiers were killed in just one night..."
Yes, Lucca thought, turning back to the bridge. Many had died. All over the bridge, among bone shards and ashes, bodies laid strewn, some with skeletal spears still embedded into them.
"Such is war," Crono said, also watching the bridge. "At least it's almost over now."
Marle turned to Lucca, her eyes somehow mature and solemn. "Do you think we have saved some soldiers today...?"
Lucca frowned inwardly. No, she doubted they had made much of a difference in that respect. Whether they had just altered history or not, the Mystics would probably regroup and return tomorrow. And without them here, the battle over the bridge would be back on its previous track. Those saved today would die tomorrow. But... Marle needed consolation, not the harsh reality. And they probably did save some soldiers, at least for a day or two.
"Yes," she replied, smiling lightly at the Princess.
Marle smiled back brightly, her energy recharged. "Alright! Then let's go! If we find Magus quickly, we could end the war faster!"
Picking a few of the arrows she had shot earlier, she headed briskly to the south and to the road looming at the edge of the clearing. Lucca and Crono followed, making their way through the fading combat.
They reached Sandorino after a little over two hours of dragging themselves along the forested road. Fortunately, the moon shone brightly enough for the road to be easily discernible and they hadn't run into any stray Mystics on the way. Even more fortunate was that the Knight Captain had told them to turn left at the crossroads, because when they had arrived at the crossroads, they found that the arrow sign with 'Sandorino' on it was pointing up to the sky, as if it couldn't be bothered pointing to the right direction in the middle of war mayhem.
It was already around midnight when they finally entered Sandorino, and found the village to be down for the night. Only a few windows were still alight, and a solitary dog was barking half-heartedly somewhere in the distance. Sandorino was not a particularly large village, but it had a stately main square, perhaps because many travelers stopped in the village when passing through the Zenan Bridge. Or at least used to.
That was probably also the reason why the Inn was quite large. They found it easily, thanks to the obvious and large hanging sign saying 'Sandorino Inn' outside. Whether the Hero was still in the village or not, it was late, they were tired, bruised and scratched, and needed a place to stay for the night. Despite the late hour, there was still light in the window next to the door. Through it, they could see tables and chairs, a bar counter further in the back and a man sitting at one of the tables. He was writing on one of the parchments scattered on the table and the flickering candle next to him was the source of light they saw.
Even though the owner was obviously still up, it was undeniably late, so Crono knocked politely on the door. After a few moments and a few clicking sounds from inside, the door opened and they found themselves with a crossbow pointed straight into their faces, ready to fire.
"We just want a room...," Crono offered placidly, instinctively raising his hands up.
The man holding the crossbow, a stern looking middle-aged innkeeper with a shadow of a ruddy stubble, eyed them up and down cagily. Their incongruous clothes and armor did not speak well for them. "Who are you?" he asked brusquely.
Lucca reached into her bag and pulled out the royal sanction the Knight Captain had given them. "We are here to aid the Hero in his quest to defeat Magus," she said smoothly, handing the unrolled scroll to the man. It was partially true...
The innkeeper scanned the document quickly. "Alright," he said, lowering the crossbow, "I'll put you up for the night, or however long you want. But you have to pay in advance. A customer is a customer."
Fair enough, they decided and stepped inside.
"Is it always so... nervous around here?" Marle asked while Crono, their unofficial treasurer, paid for the service.
"Nighttime is their time," the innkeeper replied disinterestedly, pocketing the money and picking up the candle. "They've spared the village so far, only take the food sometimes, just like the Guardian troops. But it's better to keep your eyes peeled after dark."
"You want separate rooms or one for three?" he asked and they glanced to each other. "For separate rooms you'd have add some coins."
"Then we'll take one for three," Crono replied. Their journey could turn out long so they were on a tight budget.
The innkeeper led them to the back of the inn, past the door next to the counter and into the dark hall behind.
"By the way, has the Hero been here recently?" Marle asked casually as they stepped onto the rickety stairs leading to the upper level.
The man cast them a flat glance over his shoulder. "Don't know how much of a hero he is, but yeah, there was a 'Hero' here yesterday."
"You're a day late though," he added, opening one of the doors in the corridor at the top of the stairs. "He left this morning for the Denadoro Mountains."
"Denadoro Mountains...?" Crono frowned. He knew of the mountains, sure, but what was the Hero doing there...?
They stepped into the dark room and the innkeeper used the candle he was holding to light the one on the table inside. "He heard of the story told around here, about the Masamune. They say Masamune is the only sword that can defeat Magus and that it's hidden near the top of the south Denadoro peak, in a cave near the waterfall. Every year some idiots try to find it, but most either get lost or get beat up by the Ogans. And those who claim to have found the cave, tell some insane stories about two magical children guarding it. All codswollop, if you ask me."
Shrugging, he moved to leave the room. "Goodnight," he threw them over his shoulder, like an afterthought.
Crono could hardly contain himself upon hearing the story. "Did you hear that? The magical sword that can defeat Magus! It's bound to be amazing!"
Lucca stifled a yawn while groggily undressing herself. "Yes, and I bet you want to go look for it, but can we discuss it in the morning? I'm totally spent."
"And it's not going to go anywhere," Marle agreed, plopping down onto one of the beds and undoing the multiple straps on her.
Seeing how uncooperative they were, Crono waved his hand dejectedly in their general direction, giving up on trying to talk to them about it. But even when he too got himself ready for bed and they blew the candlelight away, he couldn't stop thinking about it. A legendary magical sword that can defeat the evil mage - it was a classic heroic tale straight from books! And right in his face! Sure they were in a hurry, but they could spare a day to go check it out, right? He began preparing a list of reasons why they not only could, but ought to go for the sword and even as he was falling asleep, he was rehearsing his line of reckoning.
But when he woke up, the sun was already far up in the sky and the girls were not in the room. For once fully aware of whom he was, where, why and how, Crono leapt out of the bed, hastily pulled his clothes and armor back on and set out to find his missing companions.
He found them in the dining area downstairs. There were very few people inside at the moment, only two elderly men at a table near the bar, a youngster sweeping the floor, a waitress and his missing party. The girls were sitting at the table near the window, eating breakfast. Or nearly having eaten it already, since when he was sitting down next to them, their plates were almost empty of the scrambled eggs they had ordered.
"Morning!" Marle smiled at him brightly, "We didn't wake you up because Lucca said it would be a waste of time and effort for all sides involved. Want breakfast?" He nodded and she waved her hand at the waitress sauntering about in the room.
Crono wasted no time in jumping at the topic that had captured him so on the night before. "So? Can we now talk about the Masamune?"
To his surprise, Marle giggled lightly and Lucca waved her hand at him, finishing her orange juice. "Yes, we know. You want to go look for it. We have already agreed to agree, but since you probably have a whole list of reasons to back you up, let us hear them."
Crono narrowed his eyes at her in mock disdain. True, they had known each other almost all their lives and thus she knew him like the back of her hand, but that was no reason to be so presumptuous. "For one thing," he replied airily while Marle was trying to suppress her giggles, "a legendary magical sword could be of great help in defeating Magus and we could use all the help we can get in that department. That's a pretty obvious reason, no?"
"You... want to defeat Magus?" a tentative voice asked next to them and they looked up to see the waitress standing next to the table.
The boy sweeping the floor laughed suddenly. "Yes, Cecil, treat another customer to your fancy story of how you have run into Magus. I bet they'll leave you a great tip for your imagination!"
The girl scoffed at him angrily, her cheeks reddening. "I'm not making it up, Bert! And mind your own business!"
The boy rolled his eyes and went back to his job. The group looked to each to other, their curiosity piqued. A waitress from Sandorino running into Magus?
Cecil turned back to them with a willful gleam in her eyes. "I didn't make it up. He just doesn't believe me because he says I would be long dead if I had really come across Magus."
Yes, she could see why that would be a natural assumption, Lucca thought, propping her chin on a hand. "Can you tell us the story? I assure you we won't be fast to dismiss it. We're rather hard to surprise by this point."
Cecil eyed them hesitantly for a moment, but finally seemed to decide that they were trustworthy. "It was just a few months ago when I went out after dark to find my cat. I know I shouldn't have, but Reik, the Summerfield's dog, is out to get him, so I was really worried..." she paused for a moment, catching herself on the side-tracks. "So anyways, I was only like half a mile away from the village when I ran into a woman. She was very pretty, though she had weird pink hair and strange clothes. But then, when she noticed me, she smiled somehow... grubbily and grasped my chin. She said, 'What a cute little thing. Wanna play, human?'"
Lucca fixed her glasses, feeling slightly perturbed. And judging from the look in her eyes, so was Cecil. She fidgeted slightly, her fingers rumpling the hem of her frock. "I was getting scared then, because her voice was strange, too low for a woman, you know? But then a man came out from the forest and told her to leave me and that they were going. And then she whined, 'Oh come on, Magus, I just wanna play.' So... then I thought that he was Magus."
A brilliant deduction, Lucca admitted mentally. "And...?" she prompted.
Cecil half-shrugged. "And nothing really. He just told her again that they were going so she let go of me, saying 'Later, sweetums' and they left."
Well, that was disappointing, Lucca concluded. But granted, it was actually believable exactly because it was neither gory nor overly dramatic.
"How did he look like?" Marle asked and Lucca had to admit that it was a very good question. Not that it particularly mattered for combat purposes, but Magus' appearance was almost a national secret in their times, so it was a worthwhile topic. Although, if they were to prevent him from creating Lavos, they would find out for themselves sooner or later anyway.
Cecil frowned slightly. "That's the strange thing. See, I always thought that Magus looked like a monster, you know, like an Ogan or something, but no. He was actually good-looking." A synchronized eye-brow raising operation happened at the table. Now that was a new one! "Or rather he would've been if he wasn't so..." Cecil's frown deepened as she seemed to be searching for the right term, "...inhuman."
Ah, Lucca shook her head, so they were back at the start. Although how inhuman he was to be not just inhuman, but inhuman? Marle continued the conversation with Cecil, who complained that most people didn't believe her when she got back home that night, but Lucca wasn't listening. Her chin still propped on her hand, she looked out of the window, weighting the new information. It was actually quite interesting, especially in view of what they had heard from the soldier at Zenan Bridge. The man had vehemently claimed that Magus was a soulless beast, and it was also generally agreed upon that he positively hated humans, and yet... Cecil had lived. If her story was true, then killing her would've been hardly an effort for him and yet it seemed as if he couldn't be bothered.
Frowning, she pushed up her glasses. The more they were learning about their future opponent, the less sense the whole picture was making. Even putting her grudge against Mr. Riverbed aside, she had to admit that she was intrigued. Human or inhuman, real or fabricated, powerful or not; the list just kept growing every day, grating against her need for mental order of the world. Yes, she nodded to herself firmly, by the time they were back in their times, she was going solve the secret of the supposed yet enigmatic entity named Magus.
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I know, I know, still no Magus! But, I will try to wrap the non-Magus things up in the next chapter (two at most)!
And with the Zenan Bridge part, I practiced narrating battles, so if anyone could let me know how it came out...?