Chapter 2: Mines of Narshe

First there was darkness, followed by swirling colors. Then the scent of burning wood tantalized her senses, rousing her from a dreamless sleep.

Her eyes opened, fluttering a few time before she could focus. There was someone nearby, but the figure was fuzzy at best. She didn't feel fear just yet. Something about the place comforted her.

"Where..." her dry and hoarse voice was almost a surprise to herself. It felt like it had been a long time since she'd heard it, "Where am I...?" she finally got out after swallowing a few times.

She wanted to see more. Where was this place? Why did it feel like the safest she'd been? The girl sat up to look despite her unfocased eyes. But that sent a wave of pain through directed at her head. Her hand automatically flew up to it.

"Woah!" the figure close by exclaimed. A pair of firm hands rested on her shoulders, pushing the girl back into bed, "And I only just removed your crown!" the man said in amazement.

"Head...hurts..." she said as she allowed herself to be put to bed

"Easy!" another hand, his hand, accompanied hers on her forehead, "This is a Slave Crown. The others had complete control over you while you were wearing it." He said, soothingly

'Slave crown?' she thought. Why would someone put a slave crown on her? Why couldn't she remember anything?

"I can't remember a thing..." her voice was nervous and shaky

"Don't worry, it will all come back to you. In time, that is."

She shook. Her memories had been stolen away. Part of her worried, though more of her felt relieved. Something told her she wouldn't want them. However, a whisper in the back of her mind called out to her. A name. Her name.

"My name...is Terra..." she whispered, surprised again.

The man came into focus with an awed look on his face. He was an older gentleman with snow white hair. His face was kindly that put Terra at ease even more.

"Impressive." He said as he checked her over, "I've never heard of anyone recovering this fast..."

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Fists pounded on the front door to the old man's tiny home. His face turned in the direction of the sound which forced Terra to sit upright. She put a hand over her heart trying to calm the ferocious beating of it.

"Open up!" an angry voice echoed through the tiny home, "Give us back the girl and the Government's MagiTek Armor!!"

Terra looked at the old man with confusion. He, however, had the look of panic on his face.

"Open this door! We want that girl! She's a soldier of the US Army!!"

"Army?" she echoed, "MagiTek armor?"

The old man sat her up, then stood her up as quickly as he could. She swayed a bit, but the man supported her until she could manage on her own.

"Look," he said frantically, "I have to get you out of here. I don't have time to explain...Over here!"

He led her to a hidden compartment. It was a doorway out of there.

"Make your way through the mines. I'll keep these brutes occupied!"

Terra had opened her mouth to speak, but the old man pushed her out of the house, into the cold night air. So many questions, none of which were to be answered.

She could hear the yelling on the other side of the house, followed by the old man's angry protests as the army pushed inside. Terra headed down the dark path that lead to a bridge overhanging Narshe's streets. She slowly tiptoed. They were waiting for her down below. In the distance she spotted large tanks prepared to destroy and push through.

'Why are they after me...?' she wondered as she crept.

The bridge suddenly creaked in protest underneath her left foot. Down below, a soldier looked up above.

"There she is!!" he yelled pointing up at Terra who looked at the ground below, fearfully.

She took off in a run toward the mines. She could hear them yelling in pursuit. They were coming to take her back. Back where? Why? Whatever it was it was making her sick to her stomach.

"Can't think about it....." she mumbled to herself as she passed through the opening to the mine.

It was dank and wet. Foul creatures did not hesitate to come up to her. Especially giant sized rats that she slashed at with her sword. She had no idea it was even there at first. Her hands just flew to it immediately and, as if with a mind of their own, her hands and arms swung viciously at the rabid creatures. Their blood splattered on the ground as she fought. Another reason to feel ill, but she pressed on.

Ten minutes went by as the creatures attacked randomly. Terra managed to fight them off, but grew increasingly tired. She hadn't fully recovered from earlier, now this. She managed to stumble across a chest. It struck her odd to find such a thing in a mine, but she opened it to discover an energy drink inside.

She opened it and drank it down. It gave her a bit of a boost.

She pressed on, deeper into the mines. It was all blurring together. Every corner and every tunnel seemed the same as the last. In no time at all, Terra realized that she was lost, though she had no time to worry about it. Footsteps quickly approached. Soon, the soldiers appeared from the shadows of the tunnels from all sides.

Wide eyed, Terra backed into a corner of the cavern. They slowly inched forward. She pressed back more. There was no where to run.

By fate, or perhaps something else, the floor beneath the girl gave away. With a screech, she plummeted into the cavern below, landing hard. She managed to bump her head hard. The soldiers yelled down to her, but the words were nothing more than an incoherent jumble. In moments, the world blackened around her.

*******************

The past wrapped around her mind. Pictures, faded pictures appeared before her like a movie, yet she could feel what she watched.

The blonde man touched her face roughly. She wanted to fight him, but he was hers now. Her will was his will. There were no choices to be made.

"My sweet little Magic user...!" he said with cooing at her, "Uweee... he... he! With this Slave Crown I'll practically OWN you!!"

She wanted to scream and slap him away. Nothing...her body wouldn't respond. He stared at her with ice, blue eyes, smiling as though nothing in the world could stop him.

The scene changed. Suddenly, Terra found herself in the confines of MagiTek armor. She controlled it as he controlled her. She sent a laser beam of fire into an unsuspecting creature, ripping its body into heated shreds

"Uwee, hee, hee! Good! Burn up everything!" she heard the blonde man exclaim excitedly from beside her.

And she did...for hours upon hours until HE grew weary.

Then she was beside another man, an older man. He was powerful, yet craved more. She was his key, and she knew it.

He stood before his legion, his public. They listened with eager ears.

"We stand on the brink of a major breakthrough! In the days to come, we'll witness a total revival of Magic! It is our destiny, and ours alone, to take this mystic force and claim what is rightfully ours! With our newly found power, nothing can stand in our way!" he said happily, as though he'd made some personal accomplishment though he had done nothing.

Still, the crowds cheered in his favor: "Hurrah!!! Long live Emperor Gestahl!!!"

And she was there with him. Saluting and praising him.

*************

"It took you long enough!" the kindly old man rumbled gruffly as he let in a young blonde man.

He was a grungy boy adorned with a blue scarf. He had an angular face and a smile to charm the pants off of just about anyone. From the looks of it, the boy had been on the road for sometime, though this was nothing new to the senior.

This was Locke Cole, after all.

Locke smirked at the man with his arms crossed. The old man had no time for the child's cocky behavior. Ignoring any sort of protest, the man pulled Locke into the house.

"So..." the old man eyed Locke questioningly, "How goes the robbing and plundering trade?"

Locke's mouth gapped open for a moment, then his eyes turned angry.

"I prefer the term 'Treasure Hunter'." He said, not in the least bit amused.

The old man waved him off dismissively, "Hah, semantic nonsense."

"There's a HUGE difference!" Locke exclaimed defensively. The other man dismissed him again. "Anyway," Locke said with a sigh, "Are you the one who sent for me?"

"Yeah." The man smiled, "There's a girl I want you to meet."

There was momentary excitement in Locke's eyes, but then.....

"Wait a minute....." he said accusingly, "This had better not have anything to do with that MagiTek riding, American bitch!"

The old man gave Locke a cold glare.

"The US Army is pursuing her even as we speak. This town is no match for them, with the help of our government. Our independence can only be assured if we join forces with the Returners, an underground resistance movement. That girl wasn't responsible for her actions. We must get her to understand our dilemma! "

Locke had to admit, the old man gave one Hell of a speech. He was actually feeling compassionate toward the whore, but...And now the old man looked at him pleadingly. He raised a hand, hoping the old bastard would stop.

"All right..." Locke said after a moment, "I think we'd better help her out." His words came out slowly and carefully

"Agreed," the man smiled and led Locke to the back door, "Make your way first to Figaro and talk to the king."

Locke nodded, patted the old man on the shoulder, then rushed out the door toward the caves. A damsel-in-distress situation always had his name written all over it.