I still don't own Chrono Trigger. Only the cartridge. Mahew remains not mine. I actually enjoy this chapter.
It was impossible to tell the time it was when Lyn awoke, roused by the discomfort of a rock digging into her side. The cave was still closed; the entrance sealed by solid stone and, most likely, magic. There were only a few torches scattered about to provide light. One of the white-furred mamono walked quickly through the mass of captives, untying them and handing something to each Human. When it reached Lyn, she found the creature was handing out food. She frowned at the closeness of the monster, but took the bread it offered.
While Lyn ate the hard bread, she looked around a little more, as the guards seemed more relaxed now. Tobias caught her eye, standing empty handed with a large scowl on his face. It seemed he'd either been skipped, or refused the food offered. Thinking about that, Lyn put half her meal away for later.
Nobody was really moving about, most seeming to busy with their small meal, but Lyn was restless. Moving slowly, she found Sera and Luke, absently noticing that the child had been given a softer meal, which was easier for him to eat.
"How... how's Luke, Sera?" Lyn asked quietly, kneeling beside the woman. Sera, however, didn't answer, staring at Lyn blankly. Lyn gasped softly when she looked in Sera's eyes. They had gone dead. "...Sera?"
A gentle tug on her sleeve shifted Lyn's attention to Luke, who was watching her with large blue eyes. When he saw that she was looking at him, Luke pointed at his mother with a questioning look on his face. Lyn started to shake her head unconsciously. Any thoughts she might have had, however, were broken by a shrill, birdlike cry from the mamono that called itself Esaku.
The sound was apparently a signal. The fat purple things started getting the slaves on their feet, a little rough but not particularly malicious. Most of the other Humans, noticing what was occurring, stood of their own volition, but Sera remained seated, staring into nothing.
"Sera? Sera, come on, it's... we have to go," Lyn urged, taking the woman's arm and trying to pull her up. By now, they were the only Humans not standing, a fact Lyn was very aware of. "Sera, come on," she insisted, tugging at the unresponsive limb.
Esaku pushed past the watching people, Humans and mamono both. Sharp hawk eyes looked from the apathetic Sera to the kneeling Lyn, and then he asked, "Why has she withdrawn?"
It was impossible to say if there was more hate or fear in the look Lyn answered Esaku with. "Why do you think she's like this? You killed her husband, may the Lady damn you, you slaughtered him, and destroyed our town, and you dare to ask why Sera's comatose! You have no hearts, if you have to ask,mamono!"
Without warning, Esaku backhanded Lyn, ending the rant. "I asked for information, not insults, Human," and he gave the word the same bite Lyn had just used. Gesturing a Hench over, he ordered, still in the Human tongue, "Take the unresponsive Human outside, on the Zenan side, and leave her."
Lyn watched the exchange silently, a bruise slowly forming on her cheek from the mamono's assault. The Hench's response mirrored her own confusion, as it asked, "But... why not jus' kill 'er, Esaku?"
"We are Mazoku, Blanim, not monsters. And anyway, we don't want the creatures of this cave coming out to hunt us," the bird-creature answered softly. As the Hench slowly nodded and moved to carry out its order, Esaku looked at the Humans, who by now had backed up quite a bit, leaving Lyn and Luke in the middle with him. In a much louder voice, he addressed them all, gesturing slightly to the boy. "Who among you will care for this child, then?" Fierce eyes surveyed the sheepish slaves as Esaku, by the force of his question, drew attention away from Blanim, who was now carrying Sera away.
Esaku waited only a few heartbeats before letting out a caw of disgust and beckoning to Luke. The boy didn't understand what was going on, and followed the silent order, going to stand beside the mamono, staring at him in the same solemn manner he had stared at Lyn. Cutting off any outcry, Esaku placed a clawed hand on the boy's shoulder. "As you are unwilling to care for one of your own, then I shall take him. Now start walking!" With Luke at his side, the bird strode away, deeper into the cave.
Mahew paused in his crawling when he heard a low rumble coming from the direction he was going. He'd been sleeping when the attack came, and when the Hench came to burn his house Mahew had been glad it was half-underground. The fire had destroyed the supports, but the soft earth that had buried him had also protected him from the flames.
Once he'd dug out of his grave, Mahew had begun crawling towards the cave he remembered. Most of the townspeople were missing, and if that cave were the path the mamono used to reach the Zenan continent, then they would be taking the captives to the cave. All his life, ever since his wife died, he'd been called 'that stupid drunk', 'troublemaker'. No one listened to him, and in his more sober moments, he couldn't blame them. But now, Mahew had a chance to be a hero, at least to some people.
He paused a moment when he heard the grate of the cave opening, and then began crawling faster, ignoring the further damage to already-injured legs.. The thought that he could reach the cave before the captives were herded through was killed a few moments later, as the rumble filled the area again. If he'd the breath to spare, Mahew would have cursed.
It was many long moments before Mahew could see the flat expanse of mountain that sometimes housed a cave mouth. In the field, heedless of the wind which kicked up, was only a woman, sprawled on the grass like she had been carelessly dropped there. Mahew paused a moment, wondering if he wanted to just turn around, crawl to Dorino, and forget these last two days in the warm burn of sake. But that would just prove what everyone said about him. He'd been a man once, not a very good man, but a man, with a family, and honor. Dear Lady, what had he become?
Resolve cutting through the desire for a bottle and a warm bed, Mahew pulled himself forward, blood marking the green of the grass he passed over. Slowly, the face of the woman grew clearer, and he realized Sera was staring off into space. He knew that look, the look of the dead. Her body lived, but Mahew wasn't sure how much of 'Sera' was left.
He reached Sera's side and took a hand. "We... gotta get out of here, Sera. C'mon, show some life. Move, damn it," Mahew ordered roughly, fear coming out as anger. To his surprise, Sera did move, dead eyes taking in his form with something like wonderment. Again, Mahew urged, "We have to go, Sera."
Slowly, mechanically, Sera gathered her legs under her and stood. Mahew watched from the ground, waiting for her to help him up, but no help was forthcoming. Sera, once standing, remained so, once more staring blankly, though this time her eyes were towards Mahew. Finally he asked, "Are you just gonna let me lay here? Help me up!"
Sera's reaction was as slow and mechanical as all of her movements were now. She helped the injured man stand, and made no protest when he clung to her. Mahew was beginning to realize she only did what he directly told her to do, and so he ordered her to begin walking. If he remembered correctly, there was a family living in the woods a little way to the west, where the desert overtook the trees. Slowly, the pair left the field, making for the forest and possible safety.
As always, please review. I very much enjoy dialog with my readers. Also as always, next chapter in about a week. And for the record, Janus should show up in a few more chapters, promise.