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Final Fantasy VI: The Sands of Time

Book 1: The Beginning

Chapter 3 - For the Lovers

Part 3.6 - Glimmer of Hope

Back in the castle's dungeon, Draco hung silently, trying desperately to think of some means to escape. The two men stood in front of the door without moving or saying a word, glowering at him. Draco closed his eyes, and let out a sigh of frustration then slumped down, knowing that he could never get past those two in his condition, even if he was unchained. Sensing Draco's motion, the smaller man that Draco was unable to identify addressed him with his harsh tongue.

"You're a real piece o'work, ya know that? No one's ever done what you did to my babies. You're lucky I didn't tear your goddamn guts out for that."

Draco now realized who this man was. This man was the lead Tracker that had sent the Red Fangs after him in the forest. He should have recognized immediately from the stench of blood that rose from him. Perhaps if he taunted the man he could make him let down his guard. It was a long shot, but he needed an opening, and as long as both men were in control of themselves, they were in control of him. Draco's strength had gradually been returning to him as he sat and meditated, and now was the time to summon that strength. Now was the time to make his move. He straightened himself up as best he could and looked at the Tracker with his cold green eyes.

"Your dogs weren't much of a fight, really. Not very smart either. I'm surprised they lasted as long as they did."

At this the Tracker motioned to the Beater and he walked over to Draco and hit him right where the alpha Red Fang had bitten him, causing Draco to gasp in pain.

"Hm, don't seem like they did too bad to me, now does it? I'd say they did a helluva job messin' you up. You're s'posed to be some great warrior, ain't cha? Don't look like much to me from where I'm sittin'."

Draco laughed and continued to try and taunt the man, hoping he would let down his guard, perhaps even unchain him in his self-assurance.

"I'm more of a warrior than you at least. You sit back and let your dogs do all the fighting for you. Even now, you rely on that brute there to do your dirty work. What's wrong? Too afraid to strike me yourself?"

At this the Beater raised his fist to strike Draco again, but the Tracker held his hand up and the Beater stopped, his fist still in the air. The Tracker walked over to Draco and took out the key to his chains. The Beater looked at the Tracker dumbly, wondering what was going on. His job had always been a simple one: If a prisoner gets out of line, hit them until they shut up. No questions, no talking, no mercy. True to his credo, the Beater did not ask any questions, but simply obeyed the Tracker and stood behind him like a watchtower.

"Got quite the lip, don't cha? Let's see how tough you are, Dragon. Without your sword or fancy armor, you're nothin'. You, Beater! Make sure no one's comin'. I'm gonna have me a little fun. The boys'll love it when I tell'em I beat the great General Christophe! Hahaha!"

The Beater cautiously opened the cell door and peered out, while the Tracker foolishly unchained Draco and let him drop to the ground. At first it seemed the Tracker was going to have his way with the weakened Draco like he suspected, but the Dragon was a dangerous foe, even when injured and cornered. Perhaps even moreso...

"Now it's time to pay you back for my wolves! Let's see how you like the taste of my boot!"

The Tracker raised his boot to kick Draco in the face, but with lightning speed Draco's hands shot out and caught the man's foot as it approached and twisted it back in one sharp turn, breaking it. The Tracker fell forward stunned, but before his head hit the ground Draco's hands moved to the sides of his face with equal speed and lethality. With a loud snap, the man's neck was broken, and his lifeless body fell to the floor next to Draco. The Tracker's stunned face peered out at Draco, the look of malice still hanging on, even in death.

This sudden reversal made the Beater turn his head from the open doorway, but for a moment he just stood there, looking at Draco. Without anyone to give him orders, he was unsure what to do. He was told explicitly to not hurt the prisoner more than necessary. So what should he do now that the prisoner was free?

Draco didn't plan on giving the dumbstruck Beater a chance to catch him while he was on the ground, and with some effort got to his feet. This one would not be so easy to fell, and he knew he needed to outsmart him, not overpower him. Draco stood shakily in front of the Beater, and waited to see what he would do. Just beyond him was the exit and his road to Maria and Ralse.

Not knowing what else to do, the Beater blindly charged Draco hoping to grab him and subdue him. The massive girth of the Beater lurched forward like a tree falling, and even in Draco's condition it was easy to avoid the lumbering giant. The Beater clumsily maneuvered around the small prison cell, hoping to grab the much faster Draco, each near miss aggravating him more and more. With a little luck and timing, Draco managed to get between the Beater and the open doorway. The Beater's back was turned, and his body still in motion towards the back of the cell from his last rush. Before he could get his bearings, the cell door slammed shut and the Beater was left alone in the pitch black cell with nothing but his own thoughts to occupy him. Or not.

Draco staggered down the hallway, unsure of his next move. He could hear the Beater banging on the iron door of his cell, and knew it wouldn't be long before other guards came to his rescue. Draco couldn't hope to save the West by himself, but he refused to give up after coming so far. Draco needed help, and an idea sprung into his head as he listened to the Beater's futile attempts to break free. Surely some of his fellow soldiers were being held prisoner here as well. Mustering up his strength, Draco forced his way down one of the branching corridors, hoping to find any survivors of the West.

Draco creeped up to the closest unguarded cell door, not wanting to arouse any more guards on duty. He knocked on the door, hoping the prisoner inside could hear him. A muffled response came from the other side, and it sounded like there were two soldiers inside. Draco risked raising his voice to let them know who he was.

"Whoever is in there, this is General Draco Christophe, leader of the Western Army. I have come to rescue you and reclaim what is ours. Are you able to fight?"

At this, a loud cheer went up from the prison cell and a familiar voice greeted the tired general.

"General! Thank God! I knew you'd come for us again! It's me, Biggs! Wedge is in here too, and we sure as hell have enough fight in us to help you take back our home from these scum! Let us out and we'll show you what we can do!"

Now Draco was in a bind. He had no key to any of the cells, and knew the only way to free his men was to find another guard and somehow get his keys. Before Draco could fornulate a plan, two guards came rushing around the corner, spears in hand, and stopped cold when they saw him. Draco quickly turned around and braced himself for battle.

"Impossible! General Christophe...is that you? We thought you were dead! Ralse told us you had been killed in battle. What on earth are you doing here? How did you make it past the Eastern troops outside? It's madness to try and attack the castle alone, now that Ralse is in control!"

A glint of joy shown in Draco's eyes as he recognized the armor of the West. It would seem Ralse's overconfidence would be his undoing. This would certainly be the hour of the West's revenge. Ralse had foolishly left much of the Western soldiers stationed in the castle unharmed in return for their continued service under him, thinking a rebellion was inconceivable against the overwhelming forces of the East around them. Draco was intent on showing his adversary just how wrong he was tonight.

"My men, forget anything Ralse has told you. He is a liar and a coward. I am here now and together we will take back the West! Follow me and avange your fallen comrades!"

The two men quickly rushed forward and joined their general in arms, eager to forget their shameful service to Prince Ralse.

"Quickly, unlock this cell door. Two men are inside who I owe much to. I must see that they are safe."

One of the guards stepped forward and took out a key, unlocking the cell door. As soon as the door opened, Biggs and Wedge rushed out and embraced their leader, tears streaming down both their faces. Draco couldn't help but shed a tear as well at the devotion and endurance of his soldiers. Biggs looked into Draco's face and spoke fervently.

"General, we never thought we'd make it out of there alive! Our execution was scheduled for tomorrow, and we had given up all hope of escaping. I'm sorry we couldn't help you before, but we'll make it up tonight, you have my word!"

"Mine as well, General. I pledge my sword and my soul to you again, here. Whatever happens tonight, I will not let you down. We may still be injured, but our wounds have healed enough to serve you one more time. Just show us where to point our swords and we'll follow."

Draco looked back and forth between his newly regained allies, hope and joy buidling inside him. Surely there were more soldiers scattered around the castle willing to raise their weapons and fight Ralse and his men. Maybe even enough to mount an effective counterattack and regain the castle. Draco's mind sped through the options before him, and he soon arrived at his next choice of action.

"I am more glad than you could imagine to see you two are all right, Biggs, Wedge. I was told you were dead, but it seems you have once again surprised me with your perserverance. Yes, tonight Ralse will pay for what he has done, but we cannot act rashly. We are few, and he still has many loyal soldiers in the castle. We must be swift and careful. There is no room for mistakes now."

Draco now turned to the two guards, and inquired about the status of the castle.

"There are still many Western soldiers roaming the castle, sir. I am sure if word of your arrival reached their ears, they would join us against the Eastern occupation, no matter the odds. Your timing couldn't have been better, too. At the moment Ralse is holding a ball to celebrate his wedding to Maria and succession to the throne of the West. Almost all the high ranking officials and soldiers of the East are there now, and the castle halls are all but deserted. If we act quietly, we can gather what troops are left without anyone knowing. I estimate at least a hundred Western soldiers are still here."

"Good. I want you to stay here and free as many Western soldiers as you can. In fact, free everyone who is willing to fight, West or East. I'm sure none of the prisoners here are very loyal to Ralse, and we can use all the help we can find. Now go, time is not on our side. Good luck."

"Yes, sir!" With that, the guard ran off to free the other soldiers.

Draco turned to the other guard, and continued directing the coming attack. "I want you to go talk to as many Western soldiers still in the castle as you can. Tell them that I have returned and am leading a surprise attack on Ralse within the hour. You won't arouse any suspicion if you keep your head down and act like you're simply relaying orders. With luck Ralse won't have time to organize his men and we can catch them by surprise in the ballroom. If you encounter any resistance from Eastern guards, fight back if you can. We cannot let our cover be blown yet."

"Yes, sir! Don't worry about me, the Eastern guards have grown lax these past few days and don't stand a chance against my spear. You'll have your army back soon, General!"

Draco grinned and nodded for the guard to leave. Now he turned to Biggs and Wedge and told them the last, dire part of his plan.

"For you two, I have a special task. You will accompany me in a covert rush for the ballroom. I know this castle's interior well, and Ralse does not. There are many secret paths hidden for those that have need of them. We will sneak into the ballroom from a side path in the garden, and ambush Prince Ralse. If I know Ralse, he wil not stand for the humiliation of being attacked at his own coronation. He will surely want to fight me one-on-one, his pride would not have it any other way. I must be on my guard though, for Ralse is still a coward, and at the first sign of defeat will order his men to attack. That is where you come in. You two must keep his guards at bay until the rest of our men come in. Once we are all together, I will take Ralse hostage, and force him to surrender the West back to me. I doubt he will comply, but his reign will end tonight, one way or another. Without him, the East will have lost the driving force of its invasion, and will have no choice but to stand down. I know Ralse's father, and he will surely order a retreat when he hears the news of Ralse's capture."

As Biggs and Wedge listened to Draco's speech, their faces shown with a sense of renewed hope. Their confidence grew as Draco explained his plan with pinpoint accuracy. If their leader said it could be done, they believed him. Little did they know that Draco's confidence was also growing as he watched the reactions in his men's eyes. He knew they would follow him, and he was glad he had such trustworthy soldiers by his side. It was this shared trust that allowed Draco and his men to accomplish what seemed like miracle victories over the East time and time again. Now was the time for one more miracle, and Draco and his men believed in each other and their victory absolutely.

"Let's go, friends. The West will not be forgotten now, or ever."