The Dark Messenger

Chapter 4

They had been marching for what seemed like an eternity and were still no where. Baku carried Marcus who was still knocked out, Cinna carried the supplies, and Zidane… Zidane had to deal with Blank, who had just come to.

"You're still injured from the crash. I'll give you a hand."

"I'm too macho, Zidane! It'd make my fans fall for you instead." Blank stated indifferently, trudging on slowly.

"Well then either find a place to hide and stay put until you're better, or keep up with us, because we need to move quickly!" Zidane commanded, eyeing his fellow thief ruefully.

After a bit of a fight with words, Blank agreed for Zidane to help him walk.

"We're nearing the next bluff! The grotto is on its far side. Let's make camp here, boys!" Baku called, setting down Marcus as Cinna began to set up the tent and a fire. Zidane sat Blank down on a log and sighed. "The sooner we're out of here, the better!"

"We have to deal with Trekkto afterwards, unfortunately. He won't be thrilled." Baku muttered, staring into the crackling flames.

Blank and Marcus soon lied down in the tent, and Zidane moved closer to the fire. Cinna had gone to look for food.

"This plan flopped." Zidane stated, staring up at the cloudy sky. It wasn't raining as hard now.

"I don't understand why the ship crashed." Baku said. "Our two KO'd gentlemen back there said that it started tipping itself, almost like sabotage." Zidane placed his chin in his hand and curled his tail up to keep it warm. "Maybe the Burmecians did it, if not on purpose, accidental?" He asked no one in particular.

"Could just've been a touchy airship. The Prima Vista can be…"

"Heeeeey! I got some water from the stream, a few potatoes, and an OGLOP!" Cinna hollered, running back to camp. He was carrying a pail of fresh water, and a sack of what have you. "Found some mushrooms too. You'd be surprised how much stuff just grows in the ground here!"

Zidane suspended the pail over the fire, cut up the potatoes and mushrooms with a dagger, and threw them in. He then eyed the oglop with mixed emotions. Eiko had made stew with an oglop in it once, and it was okay… Hell, food is food. He diced up the slippery number and tossed it in the bucket.

"Well, best I could do on such a short notice." He murmured, drinking out of a canteen he had brought. Cinna had probably gotten the stream water expecting a stew anyway.

After a few minutes, he poured some of the soup into metal flasks that he had found aboard the wrecked ship and passed them around. "It might not taste too good, but it'll eat." He drank a bit of it and swallowed it; hm, not so bad.

The following morning's trek wasn't as grueling, probably because Marcus and Blank were rested and refreshed. Not to mention that it was light… or lighter, anyway. But this also meant that the Burmecians had a better chance of spotting them. At least the grotto was close at hand.

Zidane pulled a dagger out just in case, inching around the corner of the bluff. He eyed the Burmecian on guard here carefully. There were numerous outposts all throughout the region. His tail inched towards the Burmecian and tapped him on the opposite shoulder. The rat turned to see who had beckoned him and Zidane leapt, slamming the sentry over the head with the flat of the dagger. He fell, and a very large lump began growing on his head.

"Aw, I wanted to whack him with my hammer…" Cinna muttered, head hung low. Baku laughed. "We got more important things to worry 'bout! Hey kid, is there any food here? Marcus and Blank are pro'lly hungry!"

Zidane stared around the small camp and eyed the only thing partially edible, a loaf of rather stale bread. Blank and Marcus exchanged glances and split it in half, stuffing it down. Zidane then eyed a letter on a makeshift table.

"Dear Ardia, Sentry #1208,

The freighter carrying our gil crashed into the southern plateau and was thoroughly compacted. Fortunately, our cargo survived. We have learned that the crash was no accident and was caused by thieves trying to steal our cash. One well-trusted report indicates that one of these bandits was none other than king of Alexandria. This is war! And so we shall strike first, instead of cowering in our corner of the continent, like last time. Please return to the Grotto blockade on the sixteenth to discuss militaristic tactics.

Commander Entius, 2nd Regiment

The blond Genome set the letter back down. "Great. Alexandria will soon be in war once more and I'm to blame. Typical…" He stabbed his dagger into the piece of paper and pulled it out. "C'mon, let's go." Zidane muttered, beginning his march to the tunnel once more. It was close, and there might be some fighting involved.

The other four hastened to catch up. Sure enough, it was only a short trek until they came across the tunnel. Three guards were standing sternly at arms.

"Let's just take 'em out now! I'm sick of waiting." Baku whispered, reaching for his greatsword. Zidane nodded. "I'll take the one on the left, and you guys take the others." He reached for the Ogre and twirled it around a bit.

"Chaaaaarge!" Baku hollered, rushing towards the biggest of the sentries and clanging his sword on the surprised rat's lance. Zidane cut around and quickly overwhelmed the guard with some sword…er, swallowplay. He then ran in to the tunnel to secure it as best as possible. He hadn't wanted to kill anyone, but these guard's deaths were necessities. Baku cut down his opponent as Blank finished off his and the others ran in.

The tunnel was long and drafty. It almost appeared to be filled with Mist, but it was just haze. Zidane yelled down the shaft "Hello?" Echoes of "Hellooooo… Hellooooo… Helooooo…" reached back.

"Well, it's now or never." Marcus stated, calling the others over to a boat he had procured. The shaft was full of water at current. It did this in the summer, got really full, and then in the winter you could walk through it. They all boarded the surprisingly roomy boat and began sailing down the stream.

The shaft seemed like it had gone on forever, lit by very few and far between skylights. The water seemed like it kept getting higher as they approached the exit in Gizamaluke's Grotto, and this had gotten Zidane worried. But it was over, and the got off, kissing the sweet sweet Lindblum Regency soil once more.

The exit of the country border check was just ahead, fortunately, and the Burmecians couldn't pursue them any further. But they had another problem.

Trekkto was standing outside of the tunnel, and he looked rather displeased. He was just as seedy in appearance as Zidane had imagined him, wearing tattered leather combat clothing and worn-out gloves. Short knives lined his belt and a miniature glaive hung off his back. He smelled bad too.

"Greetings, my good Baku." He hissed, eyeing Zidane in particular. There was something about the Genome that particularly interested him. "I heard the bad news. No gil? Poo."

"Don't play cute, Trekkto, cuz we both know that you're too ugly for that." Baku said, grinning. Trekkto glared. "All I want is my cut, Baku. I think you owe me it for my little bit of information."

Baku hollered. "Gwahahahahahaha! Okay, Zidane, give him his… 'cut'…" The blond Genome grinned, unhooking the Ogre. "With pleasure…" He began advancing on the dirty rat, who was a… dirty rat. XP

"Heheheheh, n-no need to get hasty! I-I'm s-sure we can work this out JUSTDON'TKILLME!" So, he was really a wuss.

"All right, stinky. You leave us alone and we'll forget this whole incident ever happened, right?" Cinna asked, hitting his hand repeatedly with his hammer in a threatening manner. "R…r…right."

'Stinky began trudging towards the grotto and was soon met with a smack on the back by Baku. "Don't despair, Trekkto, you'll get rich one day! And maybe take a bath…"

The rat nodded grudgingly, heading back to Burmecia. Zidane noticed that he eyed him suspiciously before disappearing into the shadows.

Well that plan bombed out. And now the Burmecians were on the war path. And Garnet was probably distraught without her love. Zidane missed her too, but he just couldn't live the life of a king. He was laying in his hammock in the hideout, pitching darts at a poster for a competing play company. They were always attempting to steal the spotlight of Tantalus. Good thing that the thieves had more street cred.

Lindblum had been bustling with news of the crash when Tantalus returned. They fortunately hadn't been suspected of the crime, considering that they had come in from the harbor on purpose. The streets were aflame with news of the battle plans of the rats, and 'experts' were explaining how this war may turn out. Zidane found it all disgusting.

"Hey kid, Regent Cid made a speech about the coming war. Here." Baku stated, handing Zidane a newspaper.

"Regent Cid made a proclamation today on the topic of the war. We have reprinted the whole speech for your reading pleasure.

"The Burmecians are on the warpath because they claim to have encountered the king of Alexandria on board the ship carrying the shipment of gil, but I know King Zidane personally and trust that he would not do anything of this nature, at least, not now anyway. If it is war between our two northern brethren, then so be it, but I pledge to keep this Regency out of the fight. We have enough to concern ourselves with at current time."

Cid then explained that the restoration project in the industrial district is going smoothly and-" Zidane put the paper down at this point, and sighed. He was about to find something to eat when Erin came running into the hideout.

"Zidane! Regent Cid requests your presence in a meeting at the castle." She yelled, panting for breath. "So you told him, huh? Can't say I'm shocked…Alright, I'll go…"

He followed Erin to the air cab station but halted her two thirds of the way there. "What about Eiko?" Erin tensed up and then turned. "Eheheheheh, uh… well, she… kinda overheard, and…"

Zidane's eyelids lowered. "Eriiiiiin…." The airship pilot sighed. "Look, I'm sorry, but I couldn't help it." Zidane nodded and continued to the station.

The lift to the top of the mighty palace dinged as it reached its destination. Erin beckoned Zidane off, and got back on. "I have work to do aboard the Hilda Garde 3, so just go on in to the conference room. See ya!" She waved and went down.

Zidane turned and gulped. He then began rigidly marching to the meeting area.

"Ah, King Zidane, have a seat…" Cid muttered, gesturing towards the farthest seat from the throne. He sounded very much so royaly pissed. Zidane surveyed the room and found it empty, albeit himself, the regent, and Minister Artania.

"You… requested my presence, Regent?" He asked, shaking. Cid was rather dominating when angry. "Yes… I'm aware that Tantalus was the cause of this… attack. There's no point in denying it. Now, you'd think I'd be mad about that, but I'm not. I was highly apprehensive of this shipment as I am in no way proud of Burmecia's new king and I know how Tantalus always gives its fair share of charity back to Lindblum. And this act of villainy was preformed beyond the boundaries of our country, so, rest easy about that. HOWEVER…"

Zidane gulped again, eyeing Artania, who was no less unpleased. "…You have blatantly endangered the sanctity of the three nations by driving Burmecia on the warpath to Alexandria. And eidolon help us if we get sucked in. Not to MENTION that you disregarded your own kingdom and ran away from your wife, who I care for dearly. I will, however, enlighten you to the situation in your nation in your absence." The almighty cid proclaimed, eyeing Zidane ruefully.

"Um… yes?" Zidane asked at last, as if Cid was awaiting the question to proceed. "The last time I came into contact with an Alexandrian, I discovered that no one seems to have discovered your escape. Like you never left. I even had to convince Doctor Tot that you were indeed amongst the Lindblum masses once more. Tot said that the castle hasn't released any news about your disappearance, possibly to cover up a frenzy. Either way, it is… interesting."

Zidane blinked. "Uh…"

"Eiko was upset when she heard that you abandoned Garnet, so you may find it harder to deal with her then me. I'll keep your presence here secret, Zidane, but I request that you don't go off causing any more WARS. ALL RIGHT?"

Zidane nodded. "Uhm… yes?"

"GOOD. Now… care to stay for dinner?" Cid asked, smiling now. Zidane almost laughed at the change. "No thank you, sir, maybe another time. Tantalus and I are making plans for a performance. I'm excited about it."

"Alright, we'll do it later then. Have a good night." Zidane bowed and left, heading for the lift.

"Let's just pray that he doesn't make any more trouble…" Cid muttered. Artania nodded.

END