The Makings Of A SeeD
By Bhamv
Chapter 8 – The Regent of Esthar
Author's note: Boy, updates for this story have just ground to a halt, haven't they?
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It was a beautiful day, the sun shining down from a cloudless blue sky, with a light breeze stirring the hair of those who were outdoors enjoying the weather. Esthar's streets and structures glimmered in the sunlight, sparkling like the fire from countless diamonds. The bright beams illuminated the training arena in the Presidential palace, the glare of the white beams reflecting off the gleaming metallic walls and casting shadows on the packed dirt floor. Five of the shadows were joined to five gargantuan robots, and the sixth shadow, dwarfed by its companions, was connected to Regent Vincent Nimcoti, who stood in the center of the circle his enemies formed around him. Uncoiling the golden whip in his hand, he sank down into a battle crouch, tensing like a spring ready to be unleashed at the smallest of triggers.
Each of the five machines around the Regent were humanoid in shape and at least twice his height, and each carried an arsenal of obvious armaments. A cannon was located on each android's shoulder, along with a circular gatling gun on its chest. A long, forward-curving blade was attached to each robot's forearm, and each finger was tipped with a long conical spike. A lengthy, prehensile tail apexed with a pair of pincers and a long barb akin to a scorpion's sting completed the robot's armory. Each of the five were covered with rigid black armor plates that slid smoothly against one another when any component of the contraption moved, exposing no vulnerabilities and allowing unrestricted movement. Finally, each of the machines communicated with one another via ultrasonic transmitters and receivers, allowing them to work seamlessly together and formulate strategies.
Vincent, on the other hand, was dressed in a lightweight outfit, his white tunic and trousers providing none of the protection that his enemies had. His only visible armament was his whip. A light sheen of sweat, undoubtedly from the heat of the day, coated his forehead and his expression was one of confidence and concentration. Behind tall transparent barriers that surrounded the stadium, a small crowd of spectators buzzed excitedly at the prospect of witnessing what would no doubt be a spectacular fight.
Sweeping his gaze over his opponents one last time, Vincent sprang into action, the droids only a split second behind him. That time gap was all Vincent needed, however, to snap his whip at the closest enemy. The sharpened tip of the weapon sheared through the machine's left shoulder, cutting off the shoulder-mounted cannon and slicing halfway through its neck. With a sharp tug, Vincent jerked the robot's head off, the cranium breaking away from the torso like a flower being plucked from the ground. Bright blue sparks flew from the ruined collar of the defeated robot before it collapsed, sending a cloud of dust into the air. Black motor oil slowly oozed out of the mechanical wound, staining darkly the ground around it.
Having defeated one of their number with his first strike, Vincent whipped his weapon around, aiming at another of the robots. His opponents were ready for him though, this time, and dodged agilely out of the way, ducking and darting away from the golden whip. Then they moved in as one, using their superior size and trying to trap Vincent inside a prison of robotic armor. Arm blades, finger spikes and sharp tails slashed at the young human, who dodged and parried with his incredible, enhanced strength and speed. More dust flew into the air, surrounding the combatants in a hazy cloud that obscured the view and obstructed the lungs.
Despite being outnumbered, Vincent was holding his own against the deadly machines, ably protecting himself while counterattacking whenever he had the chance. He darted to and fro like a dove flying through a storm, a small white blur moving round four huge black shapes. The sound of his snapping whip cut through the whines of hydraulics and motors and the scuffling of feet on earth. Suddenly Vincent grunted in pain as a clenched fist snuck through his defenses, slamming into his back and throwing him out of the circle of robots and into the dirt. Rolling with the blow, he emerged back on his feet facing his enemies, silently grateful that it was a fist and not a handful of claws that hit him. His ribs felt severely bruised but not broken, although his panting breath, already difficult due to the dust, was now fairly painful.
Now that the robots no longer surrounded him, he could see them readying their firearms, a tactic they could not afford to use earlier for fear of shooting their own brethren. Two of the remaining four machines launched bright energy blasts from their shoulder cannons, a quadruple stroke of bright blue energy that pulsed through the air in a wide field of fire. Seeing no way to dodge to the side, Vincent took his only escape route and leapt upwards, allowing the blasts to sizzle past the soles of his boots. The remaining two machines, however, had already anticipated his move and fired into the air, when he could not manoeuvre further. Vincent himself, however, was one step ahead of them, and he whirled his whip in front of him in a swift circular motion, creating a whirling golden shield that deflected the four bolts and left him untouched.
Landing deftly, Vincent felt his lips stretch into a wicked grin at the prospect of what he was about to do. Continuing his whirling motion, he concentrated on the whip, feeling its hot handle in his grasp and the sharp tip spinning in a wide circle, the two ends joined by five feet of golden metal in between. The whip began to glow with a red light, which grew brighter and wider until Vincent was engulfed in what looked like a giant ball of flame. With one final cry of pure bloodlust, the Regent unleashed his "Inferno Star" Limit Break, snapping his whip forward and sending the enormous crimson sphere at his enemies. With a deafening explosion the projectile found its mark, detonating in a blinding paroxysm of luminosity that forced the surrounding spectators to squeeze their eyes shut. When they looked back, they saw three of the robots had fallen, reduced to shattered and charred pieces. Only one remained, and it looked to be in bad shape, its outer armor was severely dented and charred, and both its arm blades had snapped in half. But it hurled itself forward in a dark blur of motion, ready to fight to the death.
With an efficiency of movement that bordered on arrogance, Vincent sidestepped the attack then whirled around to snap his whip at the robot's vulnerable backside. He stiffened in surprise, however, when he found the machine's flexible tail curling around his whip, tangling up his weapon and disabling it. Slashing its talons at Vincent's face, the robot forced Vincent to release his whip and leap away from the attack. Flicking its tail to one side, the mechanical creature threw the whip across the arena then slowly advanced upon the unarmed human.
Vincent, however, had a trump card in store. Closing his eyes in concentration, he focused his energies deep inside his own soul, calling forth the symbiont that dwelled in his own mind. The skies darkened and the air grew heavy, and then a deep rumble came from the earth, a tremor that seemed to rise from the core of the planet. A massive cone of dirt burst from the ground equidistant from Vincent and the robot, which then crumpled away to reveal the feminine form of the Guardian Force Gaia. Green-skinned and violet-haired with eyes that glowed pure white, Gaia was surrounded by an eerie red glow that illuminated her features spookily. Throwing her arms forward, the GF launched thorny vines from her palms of her hands, twisting the deadly ivy around the unfortunate robot and tightening mercilessly. The rustle of leaves and the wail of bending metal suddenly ceased as Gaia vanished abruptly, leaving only the now misshapen and distorted robot to crumple slowly into the ground.
Vincent stood still for a moment, savoring his victory. He then slowly trudged across the torn-up ground, which had been pristine mere moments earlier, and retrieved his whip, kicking aside a severed robot head in the process.
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"That was most impressive, Regent Nimcoti, most impressive indeed!"
"Wonderful display, Regent sir!"
"With strength like that we shall fear no one!"
Vincent didn't really know who were the many well-dressed people praising him. He figured they were all Esthar government officials, some of them no doubt well paid to keep a chair warm. Esthar was not without its own share of bureaucracy. He'd been seated at the head of the conference chamber of the training arena for five minutes, listening to the men around the large table clamor about how well he'd done, and he was extremely bored of it. The young man tensed in his chair and was about to stand up when the General who sat to his right beat him to it.
"That's enough!" Majykia Olo said in a firm tone while getting to her feet. "While what the Regent did was undoubtedly impressive, there's no need to kiss his ass for hours on end." She then sat back down to stony and awkward silence, the government officials shocked into temporary calm but unaccustomed to being ordered about in such a brusque fashion from a mere General.
Vincent got to his feet before the indignant protests could begin. "Thank you, gentlemen, for your... kind words. The purpose of today's exercise was two-fold. Firstly, to test our new Reaper battle robots; I'm pleased to say they are to my satisfaction. Start mass production of them immediately, we'll need scores of them on the battlefield.
"Secondly, I wished to demonstrate one important thing: SeeDs are not unbeatable, nor are they unique. The power of a SeeD lies with his or her Guardian Force. We, however, will have our own fighters who can equip Guardian Forces, which means we will be able to match them in battle.
"I ordered today's session to be videotaped. I want the videos copied and shown to the soldiers. Morale has been low since news of our defeats at Trabia Garden and the Shumi Village have filtered through, and I intend to boost their spirits with today's demonstration." Vincent's voice, which had been calm and even up to now, almost monotonous, suddenly rose in passion and emotion, "It is time for the power of Esthar to be unleashed, it is time for our great nation to retake what has been rightfully ours and yet denied us. How long has Esthar been forced to hide in the mountains? How long has Esthar been required to bow to the alleged superiority of Galbadia and Garden? Let the Reapers of Esthar sweep across the lands and seas of this world, conquering all in our path. Let our soldiers trample their enemies beneath their feet.
"We have the will. We have the way. We shall fear no one!"
He then sat back down to deafening cheers.
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The meeting chamber emptied surprisingly quickly after Vincent dismissed the various officials. Perhaps the bureaucrats were afraid Majykia would start to yell at them again. Soon, the only people who were left were Vincent, Majykia, and a young blonde man dressed in the uniform of a Division Leader.
Vincent addressed the young officer, who listened with an intensity that showed he was hearing and absorbing everything. "Leader Yen, firstly let me offer my condolences on the passing of your father."
Yen replied in a formal tone, "My thanks, Regent. My father died in battle, the way he had always wanted to go. As a soldier, his greatest honor was to give his life for his country."
"Hmm, yes." Vincent said, noncommittal. He'd expected this sort of response. General Ruben Yen had been grooming his son to be a military man since before the baby could walk. Undoubtedly the junior Yen truly believed what he had just said. "It is my intention to promote you to your father's vacated position. You and General Olo will lead Esthar's army in the upcoming war. You will answer only to me in matters of battle, but you must also work together."
Yen saluted the Regent, "Yes sir! Thank you sir!"
Vincent then dismissed his Generals with a wave of his hand. "Leave me now. Go make the necessary preparations for war."
Yen and Majykia saluted smartly and turned to leave. As soon as they'd left the chamber Yen dropped his formal manner, grinning at Majykia and virtually trembling with excitement. Majykia found herself grinning back, unconsciously noting that the newly promoted General was the spitting image of his father. His hair was blonde instead of gray, and there weren't any wrinkles on his young face, but otherwise the two men were identical. He was also rather handsome when he smiled. She extended her hand to him, "Congratulations. Hope we work well together."
"I'm sure we will, General Olo, I'm sure we will." Came the reply.
"You can call me Majykia. I don't insist on formality when there's no one else around."
"Oh, all right then, Majykia. See you around then." Giving her hand a light squeeze, Yen turned and started to walk away.
"Hey, wait! Don't I get to know your name?" Majykia called after him.
"Keiron. My name's Keiron Yen."
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Hmm... just who is this Keiron Yen? He intrigues me, and I hope he intrigues you too. We'll certainly be seeing more of him soon enough! In any case, please review! –Bhamv
p.s. I wish I could still use asterixes.