We, Who Cannot See Tomorrow
Disclaimer: I do not own Bahamut Lagoon, Square, or any other smaller group affilated with the game. However considering that this was one Square's lesser known titles this holds slightly less value.
Chapter II
Birth of a Legion
"This purple, will it ever end." Byuu found himself muttering to himself as Salamando sailed silently through the skies. It had been a long time since he embarked on this quest, and he still hadn't received any correspondence from Sendack. All this said Byuu still wasn't exactly alone on his journey. The few remaining faithful members of the dragon squad flew by his side, namely Rush, Truce and, of course Bikkebakke. Byuu rotated his head wearily doing little to hide the monotony of his surroundings. Rush, was looking sullen and irritated as usual, and Truce was trying desperately to bring his overweight companion into a longwinded conversation about something completely pointless in the long run. The dragon commander wearily tilted his head up from Salamando's crimson scales. He expected to just see more purple, but did his eyes deceive him? Did he see green? If he wasn't mistaken he could also have noted that it was moving very slowly. Then his eyes snapped open for the first time in weeks. It was a post dragon and if he didn't react soon he was sure to fly right through it. "HAAALLLT!" Byuu shouted toward his allies. However, they didn't hear the order but the postman got the message loud and clear and came to a very sudden stop. But the rest of the dragon squad continued casually onward, still in formation. Truce and Bikkebakke flying absentmindedly into the postman. The sky was blanketed with letters upon impact. On a sudden impulse Byuu dived into action. If he hadn't the letters would end up falling eternally through the sky's void. He managed to grab a few letters, but there were just too many of them. But then a familiar voice called down to him
"How the hell did you become a Colonel if you can't grab a few measly letters, Byuu?" Rush shouted down in his usual indignant manner as he dived right past his commander. Byuu chose to ignore that last comment, though he silently thanked Rush for his aid. Within a few moments Byuu, Rush, Truce, and Bikkebakke, (the latter two drawn down to the situation through the use of some very harsh curses by Rush,) managed to gather all of the airborne mail. The elderly postman graciously thanked the squad for their efforts. However a few moments into the conservation the mail carrier's speech stopped rather suddenly.
"What's the matter? Is there something wrong? Asked Byuu in concern.
"T-th-that blond hair, hanging dangerously over the left eye, thin frame, you're Byuu aren't you? Asked the postman as he squinted behind his bottle cap shaped goggles.
"Yes?" Byuu answered fearing that the old man knew his position with the liberation front.
"I've got a letter for you." The postman stated in his normal, cordial, yet business like tone. Byuu sighed with relief, even though he knew without turning around that Rush was rolling his eyes. The dragon commander accepted the letter and scanned his eyes over the envelope. But then his face blanched slightly when he read the return address. It was sent from the liberation front's base, from Tedd Lagoon.
"So, why don't you take us into custody? I'm sure the bounty on each of our heads is astronomical. Byuu said as coolly as he could despite the situation.
"I'm afraid my faith in this empire is slipping away as of late. How can I remain loyal to an emperor who makes me work more for less money? With every lagoon that Lord Sauzer has conquered I got double the business with half of the salary. So don't worry about it, we never met." The postman assured them as he and his overworked wyvern soared off into the distance. With that, Byuu broke the envelope's seal.
Dear Byuu:
Where are you? Where are you traveling to now? Several winters have passed since the war. Since our Kahna was destroyed, since the Granbelos Empire conquered the world. Those battles are but ancient history now. The resistance created as per the king's final wish is but a name now. Without you, Byuu, everyone seems greatly saddened. Yes… Winter has already begun to fall here, and looks to be bitterly cold as were the years past. Well, that is all. Please, take care of yourself.
Sincerely, Sendack
"What does it say, sir." Inquired Truce as he flew over to his commander.
"Guys, we're going home." Byuu declared cheerfully. All those unhappy memories were past now, they were finally going home.
The dungeons of Granbelos castle were easily the filthiest of any lagoon across the great land of Orelus, and Byuu just happened to be the occupier of cell 1B slowly awaiting his time at the gallows. He as well as the rest of the soldiers who fought against the empire in the invasion of Kahna was locked in these dungeons and Byuu could only count the days. The days passed slowly. The soul thing that Byuu could hear from the outside of his cell was the steady unmelodic pacing of the guards. One day however a new sound greeted Byuu's wanton ears. It was a rather subtle scratching noise outside of the cell. He assumed it was merely construction being done on the outside of the castle until he noticed something that had seemed foreign to him for these last few weeks filtering through some new cracks in the wall. A few faint glimmers of light. Before he knew it the scratching started penetrating into the wall. He could make out claws moments before the wall imploded from the stress. There on the other side of the collapsed wall hovered Salamando. Wasting little time the commander of the dragon squad grabbed his beast's reins and took off. As he circled the perimeter of the Empire's prison he quickly encountered two of the other dragons who, like Salamando had broken free of their shackles. Rush and Truce were at the helms, each with several other prisoners on the backs of their dragons. Sendack who was on Truce's dragon informed Byuu of General Matelite's situation. The general hadn't been executed yet, but he was being kept in a high security cell. With the help of Sendack's directions he swiftly reached the area where Matelite was supposedly being held. High security wasn't the word for it, not even close. There were at least fifty guards patrolling one single window. Byuu began to wonder if it really was worth saving the general considering that as he soon as he rescued he would be quickly chewed out for not doing it sooner. Pushing away his loathing of the general for one brief moment he ordered Salamando to attack the outer wall. The dragon replied without complaint, launching a massive fireball which justly incinerated most of the guards and also left one gaping hole in the side of the fortress. Wanting to get it over with as soon as possible, Byuu swooped in and without any introductions coaxed the middle aged war hero into mounting his dragon. As the sirens blared around them the prisoners fled from the imperial prison with an uncertain future.
Several weeks passed before they found a place to rest. As luck would have it they located Tedd lagoon, a small uninhabited lagoon far away from any kind of imperial establishment. It only took Matelite four steps to decide that this lagoon was the new headquarters for the Kahna Liberation Front. Within a few weeks of their arrival they constructed a base of operations. However, to the average man this base seemed to be nothing more than a rickety old shack, but to the survivors of that tragedy it was home. As plots were created to reclaim the lost glory that was once Kahna Lagoon, Byuu and the surviving members were sent on a mission to find other dragons or members of the squad who had survived the attack. At the point that Byuu received that letter they had only located one surviving member of the squad, a very fierce and uncontrollable young dragon nicknamed Thunderhead. Fittingly enough, Bikkebakke took on the task of taming the dragon. So far his efforts have failed miserably. But regardless of the success of their mission after having read the letter, the dragon squad decided that it was finally time to rescue Princess Yoyo and free Kahna from the Granbelos Empire.
"Melodia, what's wrong?" called a blonde woman to a small child who was staring intently into the skies surrounding Tedd lagoon.
"Luki, Luki, Byuu's back!" Melodia cried happily hopping up and down as she watched several quickly expanding specks flying toward the lagoon.
"Byuu?" Lukia wondered, she questioned the little girl's judgment. He had been gone for so long she had taken it for granted that he wouldn't be returning any time soon. But as she followed the child's eyes she saw something she never expected to see, Salamando's flaming aura. A smile crept across her face she burst into the base.
"Everybody, the dragon squad's returned!" Lukia reported happily. The members found themselves double taking at Lukia's words. But then a kindly old voice rose from the back of the room.
"Well, let's meet them. Shall we?" suggested Sendack as he lethargically rose from his rocking chair. In agreement they all filed out of the base and turned their heads toward the sky. What they saw were three figures floating gracefully down to the lagoon while one more trailed behind them flying erratically. That wildly flying figure soon split into two, leaving one of them plummeting towards Tedd Lagoon. It didn't take long for Bikkebakke's wails of terror to reach landfall, this also holding true for the emitter of those screams who cratered soon afterward.
"Lord Bahamut, are you alright Bikkebakke?" Sendack asked concernedly, receiving no response from the unconscious and possibly dead dragon knight he motioned to a frumpy old woman who was watching the escapade from a distance. "Miss Zora!"
"Already on it." Zora muttered disgusted with the fact that they had only just arrived and she was already mopping up after them. The old maid held her oak staff over Bikkebakke's body. "Life" Zora chanted while she waved her staff through the air. As she did so a mysterious light cast itself over Bikkebakke's body. As the light fade the dragon knight's body slowly began to reanimate itself.
"Wow, thanks granny Zora!" Bikkebakke said cheerfully.
"I ain't a grandma yet!" Zora screeched in a tone a little unnecessarily harsh.
"Hmm... I see you haven't changed at all, Zora" said Truce as he dismounted off of Molten. Both he and Rush had just arrived on the scene despite the fact that their entrance went unnoticed due to Bikkebakke's near death experience. "Ah, there he is." The helmet heavy dragon knight pointed to where Byuu was circling above them. With little warning the dragon commander swooped down towards the lagoon. When Salamando reached the lowest part of her arc, Byuu leapt from the saddle and made a stunningly solid landing on the surface of Tedd Lagoon. He then took a few moments to let the applause subside.
"Well met, Sir Byuu. Your timing couldn't have been better." Sendack stated. "We just received some vital information towards our cause. I will let General Taicho brief you further." Sendack stepped aside to allow a stately knight in golden armor to speak. He had an ample beard which covered his face, which on his home lagoon of Mahal was a common sight along the lineage of its lords.
"Sir Byuu, during your absence we acquired a contact within the empire. He has sent us intelligence concerning the location of Princess Yoyo as well as several ships seized by the empire during the invasion of Kahna. According to our reports a ship with our contact aboard will pass in approximately five hours." Taicho dictated in a very serious tone.
"So, the plan is to wait in ambush so we can claim the ship for our own purposes, right?" Byuu asked to confirm the plan.
"Yes." Taicho simply replied.
"All right then, saddle up everyone! Our plan to rescue Yoyo starts now." Matelite declared boisterously stealing Byuu's claim to the order. The ragtag band of rebels followed the general's order without question and began congregating around the dragons. Byuu turned to confront the general; there was no way he was going to get away with stealing his little moment of glory. But the general was no longer standing where he had made his bold little comment. He had fled into the base. Separating himself from the rest of the group he followed Matelite into the base. What he gazed upon when he entered surprised him to no end. Matelite was kneeling in front of a small chest, tears streaming down his weathered face. It was a definitely an awkward situation, He couldn't believe that the self proclaimed "unbreakable man" could blubber like this. As much as Byuu hated him he couldn't help but feel that he had to give the general a little space. However as he turned his back to the general his presence was acknowledged.
"Byuu, do you have any memories of Yoyo?" Matelite asked, without any hint of arrogance in his voice.
"Yes, of course. She isn't exactly the kind of woman you'd want to forget." Byuu answered honestly as the memories started flooding back to him.
"That smiling face of hers, I feel like I have to rescue her this very moment!" Declared the general, his irritatingly arrogant smile returning to his face. Returning to reality, Matelite gazed downward to see Byuu glaring confusedly at him. All the general could do was let out a nervous chuckle and begin edging towards the door, carefully avoiding any eye contact with his "inferior" officer. Byuu paid Matelite little heed; he of course also missed Yoyo. Just then a feeling of curiosity welled up inside him. What was in that chest that could have possibly made Matelite tear up like that? Sure it was risky, in the sense that if Matelite just happened to retrace to his steps to check on his precious little chest he may just end up on the happy end of Matelite's axe. But as the traitorous thoughts kept on stirring in his mind, he reasoned that if he did check at least he would have blackmail on his side. Byuu lowered himself to where he could see into the chest's keyhole. He didn't have the key though. But ingenuity quickly stepped in convincing Byuu to abandon the whole key option and just kick it. It snapped open as his heel met the wood. Within this chest lay an even smaller chest. Fortunately, though Matelite had left the key right next to it. Byuu discreetly inserted the miniature key into the tiny key slot. Opening the small chest he found not some embarrassing photo of the general's mother but a picture of Princess Yoyo. It was an older photograph taken well before Granbelos ever set their sights on Kahna Lagoon. If he could guess Yoyo was about 14 years old at the time. Just staring at the photo conjured up youthful memories within his psyche.
"C'mon Byuu hurry up!" Yoyo ordered playfully as she rushed through the castle gates. Byuu was right behind her, barely believing that he had convinced her to leave the comforts of the castle on this misty day. Though in his mind it couldn't have been sunnier.
"Hold it you two!" roared Matelite who was in hot pursuit. But he stood little chance of catching up with his unwieldy ceremonial armor. Another thing impeding his progress was Ms. Yoyo's attendants. Byuu couldn't help but laugh as every one of the princess's bodyguards tackled the rampaging knight. Upon reaching Byuu's newly acquired dragon, Salamando Yoyo elegantly perched herself onto the saddle. Byuu climbed up right beside her and beckoned the firewyrm to take to the skies. Salamando obediently followed her master's call. As he glanced behind him, he noticed a look of pure ecstasy on the princess's face. He guessed it was because of either Salamando's speed or the wonders of the skies around them. She was clinging very tightly to him too.
"Byuu, did you ever wonder how far the skies stretch? Reaching beyond the skies… Is there a feeling to express that? Yoyo cooed over his shoulder. Byuu remained silent however as he considered that thought.
"Yoyo,"
"Yes,"
"Where did you want to go anyway?" Byuu asked, when they left they had no set destination, or at least Byuu didn't.
"There's a church on the outskirts of Kahna. I wanted to see it at least once." Yoyo said calmly, though there was something more behind her lines. Within an hour they arrived at the church. There was just something about the old chapel that seemed timeless. The stained glass windows were wonders to behold, and the steeples seemed to pierce into the sky, leaving rings of light to cascade around them. As soon as Salamando reached landfall Yoyo bolted off the dragon and toward the door of the Cathedral. Byuu without question followed her. As the stood before the grand crimson doorway of the chapel Byuu couldn't help but notice that Yoyo was blushing slightly. As Byuu was about to warn her about this she quickly cut him off.
"Byuu, do you know why this place is called the Chapel of Memories." Yoyo innocently inquired while she stared into Byuu's eyes.
"I have no idea but it definitely suits it." Byuu answered, not daring to look at the scenery once more.
"There's a beautiful legend associated with this church. If two people who are in love enter this church they will be together for the rest of their days." As she said this her eyes started welling up with emotional tears. As much as Byuu tried he could not pry his eyes away from hers.
"Byuu… do you want to go in with me?" asked Yoyo as she escaped from her fantasy.
"I'm sorry but no, your father probably wouldn't allow it." Byuu replied softly, turning his head slowly in realization that the date was over.
"It's okay, we should have brought Matelite." Yoyo muttered complacently. Byuu however could see no reason in getting the big oaf involved with this. "Byuu, sometime when we're older, will you promise to go in with me?" queried Yoyo her face blushing even more. Byuu couldn't believe it, she was serious. How to let her down easy? He wondered.
"I can't see into the future, Yoyo." Byuu replied smoothly, with utmost sincerity in his voice.
"The future, will we be far away from each other then? Will we still love each other?" the princess mulled out loud. "Byuu… even if it's a lie… promise me." Whispered Yoyo as she took Byuu's hands into hers. The future commander of the dragon squad nodded his head, drawing her into an embrace.
"Dammit, why couldn't I have followed her in back then?" Byuu growled to himself. He could have protected her, he would have been right there at her side. She would have never been kidnapped by the empire if had been there. A small tear trickled down his face. However he knew everyone else out there cared for Yoyo just as much as he did. The liberation might succeed… It will succeed. With his resolve in place Byuu returned the photograph to the chest and strode out of the base. However when he opened the door he was not greeted with a view of the sky surrounding Tedd, but a very annoyed looking Zora.
"Byuu, did you forget to feed the dragons again?" commented the old woman, obviously irked that she had to bring up the subject.
"Well… I… Um…" Byuu stuttered. He knew that if he said the wrong thing that Zora had a tendency to get really scary.
"Because of your incompetence, that happened." Zora fumed.
"What's that?" Byuu asked in confusion. In response pointed her finger towards the issue. Molten was gnawing away at Taicho's beard. "I would've sworn I trained them not to do that." Muttered Byuu, whilst his eye twitched in shame.
"Here, take these. They ought to keep them quiet at least until we reach the ship." The old woman stated as she handed him a gigantic basket of produce. However, how the crippled old woman managed to carry the basket was beyond him considering that his muscles strained as he attempted to lift it. With exceedingly heavy basket in tow he slowly plodded his way towards the dragons. Most everybody who had attempted to board the dragons had fled in fear after the dragon's assumption that facial hair was an acceptable appetizer, only Rush, Truce and a Kahnaian knight named Barclay remained to calm the beasts. However, upon Byuu's arrival all eyes shifted to the vegetables. Reaching his arm into the basket he pulled out a healthy sized turnip. With a quick heave it landed near the ravenous dragons who dropped any thoughts of resisting and scampered for it. However, it soon became a contest for the turnip.
"No, need for that! Plenty enough for everyone!" Byuu called as he flung one vegetable after another at the starved dragons. Within moments the feeding frenzy ended and the dragons stopped harassing their trainers. Taicho's beard however had paid a hefty price in the struggle. The once lengthy beard was reduced to a simple goatee. It didn't take long for everybody to board the dragons. Byuu took command of Salamando, while Matelite took the reins of Icedrake. (Through the use of an axe threat to Rush.) Bikkebakke was forced to take control of Thunderhead considering he was the only one whom the dragon remotely trusted. Zora presided over Molten, for as far anyone knew she could have piloted a dragon in her younger days. As Byuu waited for the signal, Sendack mounted himself directly behind the commander. Byuu was happy to have the former king's right hand man at his side considering that he had not been briefed on the exact location of the flagship. But the old man had scooted in close, a little too close. Byuu chose to ignore this little concern until take off, but as soon as Salamando made her first dive it became too much. Instead of grabbing onto his shoulders to steady himself on the bucking dragon, the old man had opted to clinging to his belt.
"Ummm… Sendack." Byuu started.
"What is the matter Byuu?" The old advisor asked.
"Do you have to grab, there? Couldn't you just hold on to my shoulders?" Byuu returned.
"Sorry Byuu, but I can't let go now. I'd fall off." Sendack replied with a cheesy smile on his withering face. As much as hated to admit it the old man was right. Any slightening of a grip could result in a never-ending plunge into the skies below. He would just have to deal with the awkwardness of it all. Unfortunately for Byuu it took them three hours to find the rendezvous point. The ship was right on schedule, apparently this contact was trustworthy after all. The dragon commander's eyes swept the ship for patrols. According to his gaze all the guards were on break at the moment, but still just to be safe he ordered them to follow him as he passed under the stony exterior of the ship. They touched down on a grassy knoll at the far edge of the ship soon afterwards. The ships of Kahna never failed to amaze Byuu. They were created almost entirely of Kahnaian earth; therefore it was still imbued with that same magic that allowed the lagoons to float. Also because of this grass and other flora grew freely on it's outside. It was almost as if the ship itself was alive. Dismounting off of Salamando, he rested his hands over his sword's sheathes. He had to be prepared for any situation that may arise. A stone door at the far end of the field slid open revealing the silhouette of a guard. The soldier lit a cigarette as he strode out of the ship, taking no notice of the army that had gathered on the field. Matelite seemed almost infuriated by this act of ignorance. He brandished his axe in the hopes that the grunt might turn his head. The reflection glinted in the soldier's eyes drawing his gaze towards the liberation force. The soldier stared at the army with his mouth agape allowing the tobacco leaf he had been smoking to tumble out of his jaws and into the grass below him.
"We've been spotted! Ectarina!" Byuu shouted towards a female mage in the backline whom until now had remained silent.
"INFERNO!" shouted Ectarina as she pointed her staff at the terrified guard. Within moments a large burst of flame exploded from the staff's tip towards the entrance to the ship. However within this brief span of time the soldier had somehow managed to retreat back into the ship leaving the spell only scorching the grass and reigniting his cigarette. It didn't take long before Byuu's ears were greeted with the subtle sound of at least fifty heavily armed men running up stairs. The stone gateway was knocked off its hinges as the entire Granbellion representation on the ship emerged with their swords drawn. The last man to stoop out of the gateway was obviously the commander. The commander held an absurdly long javelin in his hands. However, the spear's length was compensated by its wielders own unique body type. The commander was at least three quarters of the height of his javelin and just as thin.
"Humph… So we finally meet, General Matelite." Stated the overtly tall commander.
"I'm happy to see that you know my name, but who the hell are you?" Matelite shouted back.
"Me? I am known as Major Lanzenritter. The emperor personally selected me to take control over this ship seeing as I am the winner of the Empire-wide javelin tossing contest. "Lanzenritter gloated, too absorbed by his own ego.
"So, the emperor selects you just because you can toss a stick? Isn't that right, Major Stringbean?" Rush sniped back at Lanzenritter.
"What, who said that?" stammered Lanzenritter seeming truly offended by that last comment.
"Over here." Rush taunted, waving off the paper thin major.
"Why you…. CHARGE!" Lanzenritter ordered. His soldiers followed with no complaint but they had no idea what they were up against. The dragons vaulted into the air and unleashed a cataclysm of fire, ice, and electricity over the heads of the grunts. Simultaneously, Byuu led a full on assault into the masses. Blood flowed freely; much of it conjured by Byuu's own twin blades. It was surprising, just how quickly the feeling of combat returned to him. Thank Bahamut it did too, or else the dragoon would've been bisected by the slice of a swordsman who had just appeared in front of him. The soldier was obviously a rookie, considering how much his sword shook when the dragoon blocked his strike. But still this rookie had some strength; the blow definitely caught him off guard. But before he had a chance to counter Rush's rapier pierced the soldier's side.
"Too slow, eh Byuu?" grinned Rush, towards his rival. All Byuu could say in response was a mere grunt as he dodged an arrow that had been aimed at his skull. Without taking a moment to catch his breath he quickly scanned the battlefield to see how his allies were faring. Just as he turned, his vision focused on Melodia, who was facing a dire predicament. Her staff was broken and a soldier hovered over her with his sword raised and poised to strike. He was to far away to take any action however. He winced as the soldier brought the sword down. But at that very moment two little creatures burst out of her robes. Within a flash the little devils engulfed the unfortunate soldier in a burst of energy. They retreated back into her hat before the scorched carcass even hit the ground. Byuu let out a sigh of relief even though he hoped that he would never have such a close encounter with the mini-devils. He took a few steps forward, where he was suddenly halted by the flight path of an obscenely large javelin. When he sensed the spear's shadow looming over him, he swayed back just enough that the javelin missed him quite literally by a foot. Byuu peered around the spear towards the only man who could have possibly thrown it.
"Impressed? You should be." Lanzenritter glared down at his target.
"Yeah, that was impressive." Byuu smirked as he tightened his grip on his blades. "In fact, I'd love to see you try it again." He said as he sliced the spear in two, after which he shot a sideways stare at the major. It didn't take Lanzenritter long to realize his current situation. "You appear to be unarmed, major." Stated Byuu towards the now even more awkward looking major.
"You do have a point there." Lanzenritter returned entangled in a state of panic.
"Well I still am! FLAME CROSS!" Byuu roared as he crossed his blades in front of him, forming a fireball in front of it. With a quick swipe he swipe he flung the fireball towards his foe. Lanzenritter didn't even have a chance to blink before the projectile struck him. After the smoke cleared Lanzenritter was still standing, though it seemed as if gravity was about to gain the upper hand sometime soon. His clothes were badly scorched and his hair was still tipped with flames.
"Augh… screw this! You can have your damn ship!" Lanzenritter cursed as he hastily retreated. However his sprint of shame carried him to places that Byuu didn't necessarily expect, in this case off the side of the ship itself. But somehow against all logic the possibly anorexic major's suicide attempt failed as he landed softly on the back of a passing freight wyvern that was shipping feather mattresses.
"Well, that was somewhat embarrassing." Byuu mumbled to himself as he watched the oaf fly away in total comfort. Heck, if all the other officers were as blundering as that guy was Kahna would be liberated in no time at all. However this thought was quickly banished from his mind as Irvine's cold emotionless stare reemerged from the back of his psyche to taunt him.
"Alright, everybody into the ship." Matelite ordered triumphantly as he towered over the corpse of the last remaining soldier. Within moments the band of rebels gathered outside the ship's entrance. However, nobody attempted to enter the ship. The stone gateway into the ship had jammed itself and refused to open by any conventional means. Matelite shoved his way through the ranks, closely tailed by Taicho. The doorway which had been badly ravaged from the preceding battle shattered into several pieces upon contact with the general's axe.
"Hello, is anybody home? HELLOOOO?" Matelite called as he charged into the ship.
"It is I, Taicho. We have just arrived. We mean you no…" Taicho chimed in politely until he was cut off by a hand clutching the scruff of his armor.
"Don't be rude, nobody's here to greet us." Matelite cut in as he dragged the Mahalian down the corridor, slamming the door loudly at the end of the hallway. But within moments of them passing through the door an even louder crash was heard. As soon as Byuu strolled into the ship he was hit with yet another wave of nostalgia. The flagship had barely changed at all since he had last served within it. The stone walls still radiated a feeling of ancient glory. Their splendor was enhanced even further by the light which filtered through the ornate windows. Not even the dust which gathered through the disuse of the Granbelos Empire could taint the image of this ancient craft. As he wandered around refamiliarising himself with his surroundings the ship's crew discharged out of their hiding spots, an older gentleman with a scar on his face stepped out first.
"Sendack, you've finally arrived." The older gentleman stated from behind his scruffy beard.
"Your instructions were perfect as usual, Hornet." Sendack smiled as he went up to greet him.
"So he's the leader of the rebellion eh?" Hornet said gruffly pointing towards Byuu.
"Indeed he is." Sendack responded simply.
"So you must be Byuu, my name's Hornet and I'm the captain of this ship. A couple of friends of yours are waiting for you on the bridge." Hornet stated sternly before making a path towards the door. Byuu couldn't help but grin, he had just been labeled as the leader instead of that oaf, Matelite. The day was really beginning to look up. He followed Hornet into the main hallway. As soon as they got there Hornet was stopped by some crew members to inform him on the status of some prisoners who were attempting to escape. Sendack seized this moment to catch up to Byuu.
"Sir Byuu," Sendack called up to his new leader.
"What is it Sendack?" Byuu returned.
"Do you have any ideas on what to name the ship? I'd name it myself, it but I believe it's a task best suited for you." Sendack inquired. Byuu took a few moments to think about it. Then considering about how much the situation was going to heat up as they reached towards their goal he decided on a name.
"What about Fahrenheit?" Byuu responded.
"Fahrenheit? My ass!" Shouted a very angry yet familiar voice. Within seconds Matelite burst out of a nearby room launching the guard who was standing in front of the door into the wall. "How dare you lock me up like this? I am Matelite!" the general fumed angrily. He was quickly muffled by another crew member who somehow managed to reseal the door.
"Yes, Fahrenheit sounds like a fine name." Sendack replied with a light chuckle completely ignoring Matelite's outburst. Byuu also chose to ignore Matelite's string of curses and insults and strode into the bridge. Hornet awaited him along with a few familiar faces. Beside him stood the nurses of the late King Kahna as well as two of the least famous lancers to ever graduate from the barracks. It didn't take long for the nurses to notice the dragon commander's entrance.
"Byuu! What kept you? How was your trip? Are the dragons okay? Did you meet any new ladies on your travels?" The nurse babbled on. Diana hadn't changed at all, despite everything she had gone through; she was still the insufferable gossip. Tuning out the overexcited priestess, he shifted his head towards the other nurse. Frederica looked like she was about to faint. Apparently she hadn't changed either, despite being in charge of the king's well being she often ended up in the sick bay twice as much as his highness.
"Hut! Sir Byuu!" the two lancers Reeve and Frenze saluted in tandem. Byuu barely had time to recognize their salute before Hornet rose his voice once more.
"Captain Sendack, I believe you had some important news to share with the group." Hornet announced as the old advisor entered the room. At the sight of the other members of the rebellion Diana drifted from Byuu's side into the crowd to mingle.
"Yes, we have come to a decision on what to name the great flagship of Kahna. That name shall be…" Sendack was suddenly cut off by a large crash.
"What the hell are you doing? Get off of me!" Matelite shouted as he stampeded onto the bridge, dragging three crew members with him. "I demand that I speak with the man in charge here… GET OFFA ME! Matelite exploded sending the crew members flying in three directions. Hornet whirled towards the brash general, casting a dangerous glare.
"I've had just about enough of you." Hornet hissed irritantly as he approached the raucous general.
"So, you're the man in charge here, the behavior of your men is inexcusable. If I had a right mind I'd…
"SILENCE!" Hornet snapped bringing his hand across the general's face. The power of the slap as well as the embarrassment toppled the general leaving him facing the ceiling in shock.
"General Matelite, wait for me… Oh." Taicho called as he entered the bridge before taking notice of the pitiful figure that was Matelite slumped on the floor.
"Sorry about that, please continue master Sendack." Hornet apologized.
"As I was saying, this ship will now be known as Fahrenheit, the flagship of the Kahna Liberation Front!" Sendack declared triumphantly. His words were met with resounding applause. However, Taicho remained did not join in the outcry.
"The Kahna Liberation Front… Something's missing though." The foreigner muttered out loud. "That's it." He uttered as he polled a roll of fabric out from his armor. With a sense of pride Taicho strode towards the captain's wheel. Taicho looked towards the great mantle above the wheel and nodded his head.
"Well, here I go." Taicho assured himself, before leaping up towards the mantle. Somehow maintaining some of his old reflexes he grappled his way to the top. The bridge grew silent as the Mahalian made his climb. Upon reaching the mantle's apex he unwound the cloth and fastened it into the stone.
"What good is an army without its banner?" Taicho proclaimed as he vaulted back down. The bridge echoed with applause once more, Taicho had unfurled the glory that was known as the flag of Kahna. Byuu stared at the symbol of freedom in awe. He knew that someday the flags of Mahal and the other lagoons would soon gather on that wall. That day could not come soon enough.
Now for a short response to reviewers. (I wouldn't be doing this without you.)
Annyneospike13: Thanks for the review, I'm glad that you can visualize this story. Not many people can. By the way concerning that review I left you, I tried not to make it sound like a flame. My sincerest apologies if it did.
Outlawed Writer: Thank's for the input, concerning your petition. I would gladly sign it, except for the fact that I don't have a steady e-mail address. You see I'm a vagabond on the net, so to speak. But will this response work?
Chibigal4: Ah yes, the simple review, I wish I could write something like that. Don't be surprised if you never heard of this game, It's one of Square's most obscure games. (Square being the company behind Final Fantasy if you don't know.)
Fetch-Thranduilion: Thanks for the review and for getting me passed that nightmare with the post dragon. I can't really blame you for being confused, I was completely lost for the first three chapters of the game myself. I hope this chapter is just a little more clear. Yes, you can get it for the PC. But only through the magic of emulation, considering that this was an old super famicom title. If you're ever intrested I could direct you to the site where I got the rom, but be warned it's completely in Japanese.
Autumn Sacura: Wow, somebody who's actually played the game. I'd be honored to have further input from you.
A few quick author notes: My apologies on long it took me to update this one, but then again look at the length. I really need to show some restraint. But then again I have a lot of ground to cover. I also apologise if there's any points were this seems choppy. That's completely my fault considering that most times I don't start writing until after midnight. For those who have played the game, if any of my characters have become OOC, Byuu especially please leave note of complaint or a flame. (I prefer the former.) I will then attempt to correct the grievance. But still, read and review even if you haven't played the game. Until then ta...ta...