This story belongs to me and my creative mind. However, many of the characters, names, and places all belong to their respective companies, so don't yell at me for copyright infringements! Remember, Italics represent a person's thoughts or the telling of past events.
Enjoy...
:A Moment of Discord:
First Act: The risks Involved in Playing at war
Chapter One: Common Ground
Despite all intents, Fedrich was still breathtaken by the sight of the Grand Castle Lindblum. Although he remembered his first sight of the metropolis within a castle walls, it was still as stunning to see after six years. Six years ago he left this land to attend to his role as a player in the outcome of the future, and not once had he come back. His place in Burmecia was too demanding of him to allow the freedom of a trip or time off to travel back. While the land of eternal rain was his true homeland, he felt happy to be along humans and the din of Lindblum's streets once again. To delve into the living and breathing city was an enjoyment that he could fully appreciate after tasting it once before.
"So this is it, eh?" Diamante commented from Fedrich's side.
"Yep. Amazing, isn't it?"
"Well, it's tall, I'll give you that." He chuckled. "Seems like an awful waste of material when you could just build on the ground. It's not as if they're lacking for space."
"I'm not sure why they did either, but it still is impressive to look at. They say it was just like this two hundred years ago. You've got to wonder how they did it with only handmade tools and their own strength."
"Don't forget that we carved a city into the sides of a mountain, lad, and that was a thousand years past. These folks simply made their own mountain by hand. It's not much of a difference."
"Point taken." He turned back to the others following behind on the chocobos. "There are stalls ahead to keep our birds. I'm sure an emissary from the castle will be waiting at the gate up top."
"We've got to climb all the way up there?" Perce looked up, almost paling through his fur at the sight of the stairs.
"All the way." Fedrich grinned, legs recalling the strain of hiking up those innumerable steps each day.
The six followed the beaten dirt trail leading to the central circle around the stairs that led to Hunter's Gate. Since Lindblum was situated on a plateau, the base of the castle lay two hundred feet above them. No one bothered to recall the number of steps from bottom to top, if only to keep from depressing themselves when they had to make the trip. Near a rocky outcrop of stones, they entered a large corral where dozens if not hundreds of chocobos paced around between journeys. Fedrich arranged stalls for each bird, paying a healthy sum to keep them safe and fed for a time.
"Alright, have any of you been into Lindblum before today?" Fedrich asked his charges.
No one replied, so he considered some words of advice for them. "Well, obviously you'll be having to deal with a lot of climbing up and down in the city. There are several districts inside, most common being for businesses, residences, theaters, and industries. You'll need to ride Aircabs to get from place to place, so it'll be common to fly from spot to spot a lot during a single day. Also, this place is crowded, noisy, and constantly busy. I've seen it as lively as the Daines market in the middle of the night and ten times worse in the afternoon. Lastly, don't stare. You'll only get joked at if you get caught gawking at the sights. Understood?"
"Understood!" The three shouted in unison.
"Then let's get going."
The six began the climb to the top, passing by hundreds of travelers as they made progress up or down the stairs. Winston, in a show of young arrogance, began jumping high to cover the distance to the top, declaring that he wasn't made for taking things slowly. The others looked to him for a sign, and Fedrich only smirked. He knew better than to take shortcuts leaping up the stairs.
"How long does this take?" Eria asked.
"About fifteen, twenty minutes. Depends on what you carry."
"Ugh." She moaned, pulling her pack securely against her back. "All this work before we even get inside."
"I'll not have your tongue, girl. Do you still have baby whiskers or are you a woman?" Diamante barked.
"A woman through and through, sir!" Eria shouted back to her superior.
"Good. I don't expect to hear any lip from you or I'll send you back to the barracks and have you explain yourself to the guardmasters!"
"That's harsh." Ruthy whispered towards Fedrich.
"A man's got to be harsh if he expects to be a teacher, little miss." Diamante replied with a wry grin. "How could you respect a teacher who lets his students get away with such talk? You couldn't, so I whip it out of them first thing."
Ruthy went red, remembering that Burmecians had a superior ear to humans. "I-I see."
"So, Sir Fedrich, what are we to expect with this Regent fellow?"
"I don't know for sure. He's a thriving engineer, that much I know, and created the steam engines that allow Airships to fly without Mist. Other than that people just call him a well rounded man."
"Sounds like a right type to me."
"I hope so."
"I also heard that his adoptive daughter can summon giant monsters from the ether." Perce added.
"Rubbish!" Diamante spat the word out. "Show me one and then I might believe it. How could a little pink human make a monster out of nothing?"
"Lindblum and Alexandria were both attacked by giant monsters." Perce insisted, pointing to the top of the walls. "It was a monster with a gaping maw that swallowed up part of this city, and a mighty dragon king that razed the streets in Alexandria. I've even heard that the castle itself rose up, sprouted wings of holy energy, and smote the dragon king like snubbing a candle! In each case people said it was one person who wasn't afraid of them and acted like they controlled them."
"Do you even listen to the words you speak, Perce? Castles sprouting wings, that's top notch idiocy."
"It's true! You can't tell me that all those people were mistaken."
"I'll tell you that they were half blind with panic and were willing to see whatever they wanted! It was cannons loaded with fiery shot that took them, nothing else."
Perce grumbled to himself, looking defeated. Fedrich was himself unsure of what to believe, since he wasn't witness to those events. All he knew was that Alexandria fielded an army of golems that could use the black arts. If they could create things like them, then giant monsters didn't seem so farfetched.
The elder Dragon Knight looked to his students. "Alright, we're near the top, kids, so follow orders and don't act out of line! The last thing we'll be needing is to make a bad impression on the Regent before we even see his face."
"Yessir!" The three knights in training shouted.
"Now where's this emissary going to be again?" Diamante asked.
"At the Hunter's Gate." Fedrich replied. "It'll be a short walk to the Aircab terminal then a flight to the castle itself. I don't know what else to expect beyond that."
"Right."
They took the last few flights of stairs with ease, coming to the landing and the cobblestone pathway leading to the great tunnel in the wall called Hunter's Gate. Winston was waiting at the top, arms crossed and an arrogant grin plastered on his face. Diamante greeted him with an equally withering stare.
"Easy, was it?"
"Simpler than getting wet." He snorted.
"Then you can carry my pack, whelp, since you're so full of energy." Diamante slung his travel bag from his shoulders and tossed it to Winston, who barely caught it. The burman bared his teeth in dismay, but slung the pack over his shoulder and bore the extra weight without complaint.
"I believe our emissary is here to greet us." Fedrich motioned to an approaching man with two guards on his heels.
The emissary made no rush to meet the burmans, robes of office brushing the tops of well worn boots. He looked older than most humans should be, hair gray and shot through with white. Wrinkles lined his cheeks, but only added to the solemn and worldly appearance he exuded. He stopped short of the group, the guards taking place at either arm.
"You must be Sir Fedrich Castor?"
"I am." Fedrich answered. "My colleague is Sir Diamante Halbred, Dragon Knight. The knights with me are Eria Waterfang, Winston Ruglia, and Perce Kampe. My human friend is Ruthy Killjoy, former Regulator of Lindblum."
"I am Artania, Minister of affairs." He executed a formal bow, then half turned for the gate. "The Regent is expecting you, so please follow me."
The emissary turned and began back towards the gate, the others following in a loose formation. The interior of the gate was lined with complex machinery to operate the many portcullises in the tunnel, providing protection to those within. Images of famous people were painted onto the stone walls, of warriors and diplomats, kings and queens of past favor. Some parts of the stone were badly cracked and scarred, evidence of the brutal occupancy of Alexandrine soldiers during the conquest. Even four years past the evidence of that war were still plain to the eye. Fedrich was reminded of his first year in Burmecia, when things had been at their worst for his homeland.
They finally left the close spaces in the gate and came upon the beginnings of the Business District, the wide central street lined with carts, people, and the inseparable din of Airships that made up the atmosphere of Lindblum. Diamante and the other burmans all gaped at the sights, staring without embarrassment.
"I trust your journey was without trouble, Sir Castor?" Artania asked.
"It was fine."
"There have been incidents regarding the population of monsters on the plateau as of late. It seems that the vile beasts are most eager to pillage the vast number of towns coming into the lands. The withdrawl of the mist has left us the freedom to build where we like, yet this makes us vulnerable as well."
"What of the Regulators, or the security patrols?"
Artania shrugged his shoulders. "Regulators. They are too little a force to deal with the enormity of the task at hand. Even our best men at arms can only fend off an attack. To predict, or prevent them, that is the call that the populace demands."
Fedrich mused on the words, wondering. His friends all were members of the Regulators, and so was he for a time. Curiosity prodded him to wonder how they were doing.
"The terminal is this way, Sirs."
They kept up with the emissary as Artania entered an Aircab terminal, the floor crowded with the evening rush. While the emissary signaled a knight to hail a cab for the castle, Ruthy stepped to Fedrich's side and prodded his foot with her boot.
"Well, I guess this is where we part ways." Ruthy spoke up.
Fedrich nodded. "I'll try and meet with you at the manor when I have some free time. Hopefully we won't have to be apart for too long."
"I think I can manage." She grinned. "Don't you get too lonely, either."
"I'll do my best." He leaned in and kissed her cheek. "Say hello to Gordan and Illis for me."
"I will." She began walking to the general crowds for a cab to the Industrial District where Gordan's manor was situated. "You stay safe!"
"Ever and always!" Fedrich called back with a grin.
An Aircab pulled into the appointed landing zone, Artania and his escorts entering the blue hull along with the Burmecian knights. The craft sped out of the terminal and began a lazy circle around the city, gaining altitude to reach the summit and the castle where the Regent resided. It landed easily on an elevated strip, and the group stepped out and went down a flight of stairs to the small square along the edge of the castle. The roar of a steam engine came to a crescendo as a massive Viltgance class Airship passed nearby, armored hull bristling with cannons and the ramming spear glittering in the late afternoon sun.
"Impressive, isn't it?" Artania commented once the Airship passed by.
"It is." Diamante nodded. "To think that such a thing could fly through the air like a bird. It hardly looks worthy to even float on the salty seas much less ply the clouds!"
"It is thanks to the Regent that we have such craft to protect us from harm. His steam engine has created a new industrial revolution across the world, helping to repair the harm caused by Queen Brahne's mad ambition."
"Quite the thought, a new revolution. Mayhap our own King may yet see value in this technology."
"Perhaps, perhaps. Come, we shouldn't waste time."
Artania led them to a small hall that led along the side of a massive internal dock for the flying ships. The cobblestone ground became smooth and polished marble, lush carpets running down the halls and guards dressed in their finest. Several pages rushed to the minister, and he quickly snapped orders to the youths.
"Rooms have been prepared for you all, so I'll ask that you allow us to take your things there along with your weapons."
"I won't go without my lance, Sir Minister." Diamante insisted. "A Dragon Knight will not allow himself to be without a weapon less he find a conflict that he cannot diffuse for a lack of armament."
"The castle guards will be more than able to protect the Regent from any danger that befalls him." Artania replied.
"It won't hurt to be unarmed for a while, Diamante. Show some faith and pass the guard to our hosts." Fedrich also added, eyes giving a stern glare.
The elder knight snorted, reluctantly passing his lance to a page.
"Very good. If you'll follow me, we shall ascend to the top of the world and his Regency's hall of clouds." Artania turned and went down a large hall, the others following.
The gathering passed by numerous guards on patrol, reassuring the knights that a virtual army of support was present to protect the Regent and his family. At a large central hub of halls was a circular fountain with a magnificent statue within the crystalline waters. Here many people of the highest class sat at benches and small tables, discussing events and chatting about rumors and gossip. Artania led them down another hall, this time appearing at a large vertical chamber filled with elevators hung on thick cables.
"This elevator will lead us to the hall."
"And it's safe?" Eria asked, eyes wide in the face of such technology.
"I haven't heard of a single incident regarding the elevators during my lifetime, and by my looks, that has been a long time indeed."
The burman female smiled at his good humor, following the others inside the metal construct. Pulling a lever, the entire cage began rising at an alarming pace for something so fragile. After nearly a minute, the cage slowed and came to a halt at the highest point the elevator shaft came to. Everyone departed the lift, walking down the plush hallway and the guards in full combat attire. Paintings and sculptures lined the hall, revealing in depth the history and wealth that was always a part of Lindblum's existence. They came to a massive double door, two guards on either side and one at the center.
"Who approaches?" the central guard asked.
"Artania and the envoy from Burmecia to speak with his grace, the Regent."
"He expects you, so enter and leave with his respect." The knight turned and unlocked the doors, and the other knights pushed them open on well-oiled hinges.
Artania led the five Burmecians into the audience chamber of the Regent, artificial lights shining brightly in addition with the sun pouring through great windows and stained glass. On a throne made of metals and seemingly forged from one piece of steel sat the Regent, tall and well built despite his age. To his side stood the queen Hilda, garbed in golden robes and a platinum crown. On the other was their adopted daughter, a purple haired girl in a light green dress and yellow sash along her waist. The minister and burmans all knelt at the center of the hall.
"Your Highness, I have brought the envoy from Burmecia."
"Please rise, Artania, Burmecians." The Regent stood as well, lifting a hand to offer his welcome. "To you all, my name is Regent Cid Fabool the ninth. This is my wife, Queen Hilda Fabool, and my daughter, Princess Eiko. I welcome you to the kingdom of Lindblum, the center of the world."
Fedrich stood and bowed at the waist. "It is an honor, your Highness. I am Sir Fedrich Castor, Dragon Knight appointed by the King Puck Hiryuu. With me is Sir Diamante Halbred, Dragon knight, and his three top students, Eria, Winston, and Perce. As representative to the King, I thank you for accepting our invitations and hope that this will foster further relations between our two nations." He reached into a pouch at his side, pulling out the wax sealed scroll that held their duties and personal message for the Regent's eyes. "My King has provided me with a letter to detail our ability and how best to use it."
Artania took the scroll and walked it to the Regent. He opened it and scanned the contents briefly, grinning beneath his steel gray mustache. He returned the scroll to his minister with a nod, crossing his arms casually.
"Very good, Sir Castor. Rest assured that I will treat you and your men with the same respect as is due for anyone with similar honors. For now, the hour is late, and I'm sure that a days travel has left you weary. Artania, please escort our guests to the visitors hall. I shall make the terms of your assignments on the morrow."
"As you command, your Highness." Artania bowed once more, then led the burman knights away.
> > >
Ruthy stretched and sighed, pleased and happy. Everything about Lindblum seemed the same as it was the day she left, busy and crowded and noisy and full of movement. Airships in the sky, people on the streets and winds that toyed with her hair all left an impression of travel, of an unending rush to accomplish all there was to do. The Industrial District looked so much better than it was after the calamity tore part of the Grand Castle away. There were many scars left from the destruction, both in buildings and people, but it felt more alive than she ever recalled it being. She was grateful that the damage left her sister and family mostly unharmed.
'I'll finally have a chance to see the kids! Alvard and Leon, I wonder how big they are? I can't believe they have an aunt that's only twenty four, I didn't think that Illis would ever have children!' At that she paused, good cheer suddenly soured by her own reality. Despite her love for Fedrich, they would never be able to have a child of their own. The physical differences were too great, no amount of trying could overcome that.
Ruthy turned a lazy corner on the main street that wound along the walls of the district, seeing the familiar walls and wrought iron gates of Gordan's manor. She shoved those thought out of mind and began jogging to the gate, heartache and homesickness roiling as she neared. Everything about the manor became golden, memories flooding her heart and images of the past rushing by too fast to see. The gates were before her, and she thrust her hands out to open the barriers and enter.
They held fast.
"Wha...?" Ruthy pushed them again, but they rattled against the locks holding the two fast together. Of all the things, she never recalled the gates being locked when there was daylight out. Inside, the grounds were quiet and abandoned. This was unnerving, and when she looked up, it was evident something was awry. "It's gone?"
The Airship that belonged to her brother in law Gordan wasn't hovering behind the manor. He, after many talks with his parents, had inherited the craft so he could maintain a strong visual presence in the metropolis. Never would she suspect Gordan to be somewhere without the flying machine there to carry him from place to place. Built by his uncle, heralded as a triumph in design and architectural technique, it was too precious to ever be separate from the family.
'Maybe he's not home?' It was a possibility. Gordan did travel to meet with clients whenever he had a business deal to make. Perhaps her arrival was just timed as he was away from Lindblum on business. Pursing her lips, she looked inside further to see if anyone at all was in the grounds.
"Hello?" She shouted, voice echoing off the manor.
A figure from behind a row of hedges appeared, broad shouldered and skinned like bricks. A gardener, apparently, covered in soil. "Who is it?"
"Why is the gate locked? Is Gordan home?"
"The master o' the house ain't 'ere, child! Now scurry off and stop rattling them gates."
"When will he be back?"
"Why would I know the master's routines, eh? Get off 'fore I let the guards take you!"
"Can't you let me inside? My name is Ruthy Killjoy, I'm sister to Illis Fulmen! Is anyone home that can let me in?"
"None of your business, child! Saints above, let it be and go!"
Ruthy backed away from the gate defeated, and the gardener returned to work with a smug grin. She crossed her arms, wondering how to get into the manor if no one would vouch for her. If Gordan and Illis were traveling, then there was no way anyone would let her inside on a word alone.
'What am I going to do? I can't force my way inside, and I don't know anyone else that would go into the manor...'
Dejected, she began walking away from the manor without direction. First day in Lindblum and already things had gone badly. Where would she sleep if Gordan wasn't around? An Inn certainly, but she only had so much money. If he was gone for a long time, her vacation might turn into begging old friends for a room and board. Clenching her hands, she walked towards an Aircab terminal with hopes that nothing else would go wrong.
The Author Speaks!
Goes to figure, it seems, that when you declare that chapters will come at a reasonable speed that karma gives you a slap to the face and delays you. Nonetheless, last week I had my friends from California up here to visit, so I spent that time relaxing, visiting Canada, and drinking heavily. 'Twas a nice break from the solitude up here in the rainy north, and my reason for slacking on the story. I've also began an information center for this story as well, and that ought to be ready in the near future.