Chapter 3

The village was engorged in flame. Every small hut, every stone home, all the cattle-stables and even the town meeting area, all engulfed in the fire of an attack that Fei did not yet understand.

"No, Lahans...?" Fei cried.

One by one, gargantuan forms of metal crashed through the town, spreading the fire and destruction.

"Alice? Timothy!" Citan called out against the smoke and flame. He coughed, the soiled air getting into his lungs.

A pretty, familiar girl ran up to Citan and Fei.

"Doctor Uzuki? Fei!" cried Alice.

"Doctor!" Timothy huffed, his muscles bulging. "They just came outta nowhere and landed right in the village!"

"I know. What on earth are they doing starting a battle here?" Citan mused in reply. "Are you all okay?"

Alice nodded, her dark hair streaked with soot and sweat, sticking to her forehead. "Yes! But it's Dan, we can't find him!"

"I'll go look one more time! Alice, go ahead and get out of the village!" Timothy commanded his fiancee.

"No, Timothy, wait!" yelled Citan. "You, Alice, and the rest of the villagers should evacuate to a safer location!"

Timothy shook his head. "Doc, you know I can't just leave Dan behind!"

Alice sighed. "Timothy..."

Citan shook his head and readjusted his glasses to his face, smearing his dark hair across his forehead. "I understand how you feel, but leave the rest up to Fei and me! The primary thing you should be concerned with is your own safety!" He said, looking from Timothy to Alice. "Timothy, your responsibility is to protect Alice!"

Timothy looked beaten. "But..."

Fei finally spoke up, the fire not bothering him as he found his voice. "It's just as doc says. The two of you should get out of the village. Now! Don't worry about Dan. Knowing him, he has already evacuated and is waiting for you!"

Timothy nodded, Fei's resolve steeling his own. "I guess you're right. Okay! Alice, let's let Doctor Uzuki and Fei handle it from here!"

Alice tried to smile at the men. "Yes, okay, thank you Doctor!" she said. "But, Fei...Please look out for Dan!"

Fei nodded. "Yeah, don't worry. If he still happens to be in the village, I'll be sure to save him!"

Citan clapped each of his hands onto Timothy and Alice's shoulders. "Now, both of you, hurry!"

Alice and Timothy began to run in the opposite direction, seeking the escape that so many other of the Lahan natives had done earlier. Citan looked back to Fei, now that their distractions were gone.

"I will go check inside the houses to see if there is anything left behind," said the doc. "Fei, please go around the village and guide the stragglers to safety!"

Fei nodded in agreement. "Alright! But doc...You be careful, okay?"

"You too, Fei!"

The Gears continued to fire volleys of automatic gunfire into the village. Fei looked on in rage as the bullets streamed towards him, and he leapt away just as the gunfire threatened to strike the head from his shoulders. As he fell to the ground, a strange gear made it's way toward him. It was thinner than the others, with a unique design. It had the colors of water and fire painted onto it.

Fei saw a small child piloting the Gear, a small boy with dark hair. A memory of a cross shaped medallion shone through his mind, and he gasped as the unfamiliar nostalgia pulled at him. The boy laughed, his grin unfriendly and cold. The cross-shaped medallion continued to shine.

Without thinking, Fei leapt into the pilot's seat of the strange new Gear, the seat now empty for him.

"Fei?" Citan called as he watched his young friend blindly enter the metal monstrosity. "Wait, Fei!"

A singular beat penetrated the noise and the night air. A heartbeat moved itself silently as Fei began to take control of the Gear.

"Don't do this Fei! You must not fight here!" Citan yelled.

The Gear began to move beyond the range of Citan's voice, and Fei initiated his war against the Gears that were ravaging Lahan. The Linguistic Modifier inside of the Gear enabled itself, and Fei began to pilot the Gear.

Identified:

Lamb, Ignas dialect

No piloting experience.

Easy Mode Set.

Synchronizing...

input interface with pilot's normal reflex time

Warning to Pilot: COMBAT MODE

About to enter combat!

Fuel is: 1200 units remain.

Utilize Command Ring, utilizing auto-attack

Fuel Usage set to general Attack, Charge

Warning! Warning!

Enemy Gears are now Preparing to Attack! Terminating Gear Help Mode.

Although the strange Gear warned Fei that he had never used a Gear before, Fei's natural movements, martial arts instinct, and fury took over. He flew at the enemy Gears, ripping them to shreds with well placed kicks, and parrying all their attacks. The Gear felt like an extension of himself, just another arm or leg, and Fei's righteous anger burned through him as he tore the destructive Gears apart.

The name of the Gear that he piloted with such ease flashed against the dull HUD of the monitors:

WELTALL.

Tall winged Gears burst down from the sky, shredding the ground in fire and wielding huge arm-mounted cannons.

"Reinforcements, huh?" Fei laughed maniacally.

"Oh my right too? Damn it, how many of them are there?"

Just as the thoughts escaped Fei's head, another Gear flew down from the sky, launching a volley of ammunition into the other Gears. It carried itself with a fearsome grace.

"I guess there's no choice but to fight..." Fei sighed, running towards the mystery Gear.

His consciousness went dark, and the sky went white, and the battle commenced.

"Fei! The way you are fighting," Citan sighed. "No, this is not good! If he awakens here..."

"Doc!" yelled a voice.

"Dan?" called Citan. He rushed over to meet the pint-sized squirt. "Are you alright? What on earth are you doing here? Do you not know how worried Alice and Timothy are?"

Dan hung his head. "I'm sorry, Doctor Uzuki! I got out of the village earlier, but I came back...I just couldn't bear to think of leaving my sister's wedding dress behind here."

"You returned to save your sister's wedding dress? You are such a sentimental little boy! Let's evacuate to a safer spot while Fei has their attention!" Citan said. "It appears that they are after that Gear that Fei is in..."

"Fei's inside that monster?" Dan cried.

The two of them looked on as Weltall fought against the opposing gears, it's dark mask of a face rigid and cold against the burning flames of the fight.

"Fei is bound by the dark, cruel destiny of god..." Citan mused.

"Fei?" Dan said weakly.

"Come on now, Dan! We had better get away form here."

"Dan!" yelled Timothy. "I knew you were still in the village! Boy, I'm glad you're okay!"

Another Gear moved towards the village, setting it's sights on the remaining villagers of Lahan.

"Oh no!" Citan screamed. "Timothy!"

"Wait!" Fei yelled from his place inside Weltall. "Don't shoot! Stop it! These people have nothing to do with you!"

Weltall moved quickly to intercept the Gears, screaming Timothy's name like a man possessed. The Gears surrounded him, trying to block Weltall's movements.

"Out of my way you bastards!" Fei yelled through the intercom.

The mysterious Gear made a motion to the Gear infantry, and they let lose another volley of automatic weapon fire.

"Stop it!" Fei screamed, his throat hoarse. "I said stop it!"

Bullets riddles Timothy's body. The cross began to flash. The small, long hair boy laughed as blood covered his body.

Lights of god erupted from Weltall, bursting through the village and absorbing everything in a blazing fire. An explosion rocked what remained of Lahan as was removed from the face of the planet. Weltall sat in the middle of the fire as everything was destroyed.

"Huh?" Fei stood up, his back to one of the local and familiar trees. "Where am I?"

There was a gathering of people among the red-clay rocks, the cliffs giving them little solace from the recent horrors.

"Doc!" Fei yelled.

"Oh, you've finally gained consciousness, Fei..." Citan said sadly.

"Doc," Fei asked meekly. "What happened? Where's Chief Lee. Timothy, Alice...What did I..."

"Yes, well, that is..."

"You murderer!" Dan screamed.

"Dan!" said Citan.

"Dan, what do you mean?" asked Fei.

Dan walked towards Fei, his entire small body shaking in rage. "It was because you had to get in that monster. Alice and Timothy...they people of the village are all...! You killed everyone use that monster!"

Fei turned around to find Weltall calmly facing the villagers.

"Why did you have to fight in the middle of the village?"

"How do you even know how to operate such a monster?"

"Mother...where's mother?"

"See, I told you so, I said allowing someone we knew nothing about into our village would spell disaster!"

"It hurts...oh god it hurts."

The voices of the remaining villagers were painful to Fei's ears. As he tried to approach them in apprehensive apology, they recoiled from him as if he was a snake. Dan shook his head at his old friend.

"Murderer! My sister...give me back my sister!" Dan yelled.

"Dan..." Citan said sadly. "There is nothing to be gained from putting the blame all on Fei alone. What is more, you know Fei had no control over the malfunction of that Gear."

"I know that! But, but...I HATE YOU," Dan screamed, running off.

"It might be better if we left him by himself for a little while," said Citan. "He does not know what to do with his grief, or anger."

"And Fei...It may be a good idea for you to leave this place. There is no guarantee that reinforcements from yesterday's unit are not going to come. They will probably want to know what happened to their comrades. Also, if you stay here, I do not think the atmosphere is going to be very joyful, if you know what I mean. It is probably best for both you and all the other villagers here."

"I guess you're right...This disaster happened because I was here...but what am I supposed to do now?"

"Yes, well, why not go through the Blackmoon Forest and head for Aveh? I am sure those soldiers from yesterday were not from Aveh," Citan said. "If you can manage to get to the Aveh side, they will not be able to track you down very easily."

"Okay," Fei nodded. "I understand, doc. Well anyway, please take care of the rest of things here, doc."

"Of course. Well, do take care now," said Citan.

Fei took one last, lingering look at the villagers of Lahan. He would never see them again. Weltall loomed overhead, and the voices of the villagers inhabited the shadow of the 'monster.'

Murderer!

My sister, give me back my sister!

You killed everyone with that monster!

Fei fought back his burgeoning emotion, and began a quick jog away from Lahan and towards Blackmoon Forest.