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Final Fantasy VI: The Sands of Time

Book 1: The Beginning

Chapter 7 - Confluence

Part 7.3 - Clash

"Get out of my way," Dune said, just as coldly as before. His eyes were set with a grim determination Draco had only ever seen in the eyes of soldiers with nothing left to lose. Draco's grip on his sword tightened, but he did not pull back. He could not pull back now.

Draco and Dune stood looking at each other, neither moving a muscle. Finally, Draco had found the man at the center of this mystery, and he wasn't going to let him get away again. He may not have been in a position to force information out of the Committee, but this man was just an ordinary citizen, and Draco was through talking. Cassandra's life was possibly in danger, and his own instinct told him now was not the time for another casual interview with fake pleasantries.

He could feel the warrior spirit flowing off the man in intense waves of coldness, and knew if he pushed even one step more, the consequences would be deadly. This was the last known person that Cassandra had been in contact with before she was lost. Looking into Dune's eyes, he could very well believe this man had killed her. There was the same inhuman presence in them that was in Sade's eyes when Draco had mentioned Dune's name. No doubt this was not a coincidence.

"You have something of immense power, Dune Karn. I will take it from you. Now."

Draco placed his thumb into the space between his scabbard and the hilt of the Scion and lifted, slowly.

Dune stood stock still, but his eyes clouded over blue and his flowing grey hair began to stand on end. A stronger wave of coldness slammed into Draco, and a blue aura was beginning to form around him.

Draco stood his ground and prepared to strike.

"Now wait just a damn minute, you fools!"

The old sea captain pushed the other two dumb-founded old men aside and grabbed hold of Dune, forcing himself between Dune and Draco. There was a look of rage and fear in his grizzled old face. But the fear was directed at Draco.

The two other men immediately came to their senses and grabbed Dune, forcing him behind them as well, the waves of coldness still flowing from him, but slowly subsiding. The sea captain let go of Dune carefully and walked straight up to Draco. He was a huge man, and probably would have been a match for Draco in his youth. Even now, he was an intimidating figure, and Draco knew his first impression of the man was right. He was a warrior. Of a different caste than Draco, perhaps, but a true man of honor and bravery.

"I don't know who you are, boy, but you better put that sword down before you get yourself killed." The old man's voice was rough as nails, but he spoke with a clear authority that Draco somehow felt compelled to obey.

Who was this man? Their reports only mentioned Dune. Draco began to feel unsure of his convictions. Just what did he know about the situation here? Draco faltered, and took his thumb from his sword, but did not take his hand from its side.

"Now, we're not here to cause trouble with you, so I would suggest you step aside and let us go about our business. You seem to have a bone to pick with my friend here, and the Gods know you aren't alone, so you'll just have wait your turn until we're done with the scum in that room behind you. Got it?"

Now Draco was confused. These men did not seem to be with the Committee after all. And if Dune wasn't working with the Committee, then just what was his position? Draco needed more information, and soon. Cassandra's wild claims only took him to the foot of this situation, and he had foolishly dived further in before figuring out which way was up. If only Cassandra hadn't been lost, then he wouldn't have had to come marching up here like this. If Maria were by his side, he doubted he would be where he was at now.

Draco sighed and stood back, but not out of the way of the men's path. Dune was back on his feet now, and the blue death that had been in his eyes was gone for the moment. Only a weary determination remained. Draco saw a normal man before him, as vulnerable as anyone else.

"I am Draco Christophe," Draco said humbly, deciding to lay his cards on the table. "I came here in search of someone. A woman named Cassandra. Dune Karn was the last person to see her before we lost contact. I have information claiming he is in possession of an extremely dangerous power and must be stopped at all costs." Draco paused, looking at each of the men in turn. There was no surprise in any of their eyes, only suspicion. They knew what he was talking about, he was sure of it. "Am I right?"

The sea captain spoke up, very slowly and carefully. "Aye, you seem to know a bit of what's going on here, it would seem. Who are you, and what have you got to do with the Committee?"

"I have nothing to do with them," Draco said firmly. "I am from the Jidorik region, and am here on a peace-keeping mission. Finding my missing friend and Mr. Karn were a...side project."

The old sea captain laughed loudly. "Peace-keeping, eh? Could have fooled me. The name's Bismark. Captain Bismark to you." The captain waved his hands at the rest of his group. "You know Dune apparently, and the other two men are Professors Indra and Figaro."

Draco nodded in their directions, but did not completely let down his guard. Knowing a man's name did mean he was a friend.

"Well then, now that we're all acquainted, I think we need to get back on track. We need to get in there and hammer out some things with those Committee dogs. Are you going to let us pass or not?"

Draco felt his one chance at answers slipping away from him again and said quickly, "We need to talk further, somewhere safe. If you agree to meet me later, I will let you go."

Now Dune suddenly spoke up from behind Captain Bismark, "Fine. We'll talk all you want later, just let us pass. This is a matter of life or death, and I will not be kept waiting any more, understand?"

Draco saw that Dune was very tired, and seemed to be in pain after their near conflict. But that determination had never left his eyes. This man definitely had something important to do here, and Draco could sense it was not his place to stop him at this moment. Draco stood aside and watched as the men marched past him and into the meeting room.

"Barden, come here."

Draco's advisor slowly stepped out from the shadows, still shaking with fear of what almost happened.

"Stay here. Wait for them to come out and then show them to our room in the city. I will be waiting there to meet with them. It is becoming more and more apparent to me that we do not have sufficient information to make intelligent decisions regarding the matter of Cassandra and her claims. Bring them to me, and we shall see what answers I can get from them. I have a feeling they will be more talkative than the Committee was. And..." Draco stopped talking, and looked hard at the closed meeting doors.

"Yes, my Lord?"

"...be careful, Barden. I don't know what we are getting ourselves into, but I have never seen power like this before. I don't know who is more dangerous, Sade or Dune. They both seem...possessed. I hope I am making the right choice this time. At least I know that Maria is safe back home, and not here in this hornet's nest."

Draco thought once more of his wife, and their unborn child, with deep longing. She was now half-way along with her pregnancy, and he wondered just what kind of world he was bringing his child into. Would there even be a world left for it? Draco swore to himself that he would stop all the Ralse's of the world by himself if he must. Whatever was going on in Narsille, he would not let it reach his homeland.

"Barden, I'm returning to our hotel room to re-think my plans and prepare for tomorrow. Make sure you bring Dune to me tonight."

"Yes, my Lord."

Draco glanced back at the closed doors of the meeting room one last time, then quickly strode out of the building and back into the downpour outside. Barden remained as ordered, anxiously fidgeting just outside the door. After seeing what that man Dune had become when Draco prepared to attack, Barden was not eager to see him again. But Draco was his king now, and he would follow his orders, even to the death if commanded of him. It was strange, Barden had never felt this kind of loyalty towards Ralse, but Draco was an inspiring man, and he gave hope to everyone he met. Yes, Barden would stand here and wait, even for his doom if that was what was required of him. He wiped the sweat from his aging brow and blinked twice. It would be a long wait.

Back in the meeting room, the four men were making their stand. Dune, Bismark, Indie, and Alex had burst into the room in a fury, not even pretending civility now.

Upon returning to Narsille, now under a thick black cloud that was familiar to all of them, Dune had insisted on checking his apartment first to see if Mae was there. She was not, and there was no note. The rooms had been ransacked and it looked as if there had been a struggle, but it had been so long since Dune had even seen his apartment he wasn't sure just how it should look now. He knew the Committee - no, Sade - had hinted that Mae was now "safe" with the Committee last time he was in his apartment. He wondered if they could possibly have kept her down in that underground facility all this time, and his blood raged inside him.

After seeing his home empty of all he cared about, Dune's next destination was the Committee headquarters at the heart of the city. Twice now they had nearly sent him to his death, and he was done playing their games. Bismark and the others agreed to join him without hesitation. Whatever happened now, they were a team, and they all knew instinctively that their fates were now intertwined with Dune's.

In an odd way, they were the old team again of Bismark, Indie, Alex, and Silas, running headfirst into adventure like the old days. Only it was Silas's son that was with them now. Dune may not be aware of the similarities, but the three old men felt as if they had gone back in time and were reliving the events of thirty years ago all over again. Would this new adventure end the same way? Would Dune end up sacrificing himself the way his father had?

Bismark's thoughts kept returning to Silas as he watched Dune carefully all the way to the Committee headquarters. He would not let his old friend down again, and he would not let Dune down either. Dune had become the son he never had over the years, despite the reluctance with which he had followed Silas's dying promise to look after his son. It wasn't until he had thought Dune dead at the bottom of the Mordic that he had truly realized just how much the "foolish scientist" meant to him. He had been mad with grief, and only Dune's miraculous return had brought him back from the brink.

After the scuffle with Draco, Bismark once again feared what would happen to Dune. He saw the way Dune had looked, and didn't like it. It was too much like the way Silas had looked, like there was something inside him eating away at his soul. Only where Silas had been full of a holy light, the light that shone from Dune was only cold and empty. He would not let that frozen flame consume Dune. It may be his fate to sacrifice himself for Silas's son the way Silas had sacrificed himself for Bismark. If that was his fate, then so be it, Bismark was ready.

The four men had reached the door, with Dune and Bismark in front. There was no turning back now, it was time to do what they had come here to do. With a mighty push the two men thrust open the meeting room doors and stood face to face with Dehr, Sade, and Cruz. Cruz looked surprised, Dehr slightly less so, and Sade not at all.

"What a pleasant surprise!" Dehr said as calmly as she could in spite of the angry faces before her. "We had not expected you back so soon. Unfortunately, I have to inform you that there is one more mission for you to take. I hope-"

"Enough!" Dune shouted, almost surprising himself with his vehemence. There was more than just Dune talking at this moment. He could feel the cold energy still flowing through him, and he knew that horrible demon Doom was fueling his rage with icy hatred, pushing him to the edge of his self-control. He must fight Doom with every ounce of his energy. He had almost lost control again back in the hallway, and he couldn't afford letting it happen here.

"No more games, no more missions, from any of you," Dune said, somewhat more calmly, looking at all three of them. "I am not going on any more of your pointless missions. Where is my wife? Where is Mae?"

Dehr opened her mouth to speak, but Sade decided it was time to play his last card.

"We have your wife, Dune. She is safe for the moment, and I suggest you hear us out if you want her to remain that way."

"You dirty..!" Bismark burst out, but could not continue. He was as enraged as Dune at Sade's tactics. What had only been a thinly-veiled implication before was now a cold, hard threat. Sade was no better than Levi. If only Sade could share his old rival's grisly fate.

Dune remained silent for a moment, and the air in the room wavered between blistering heat and piercing cold while everyone waited to see what he would do. Doom's crypt-worn voice echoed through his mind.

"Do it now! Destroy them all! You see what kind of monsters they really are now. Let my power free and you will have your wife back..."

"No!" Dune answered back, defiantly. "Your will is not mine! I will not let your hate guide my actions. Now or ever. Be gone!"

"As you wish, Master," the distant voice whispered, thick with sarcasm. "Our time is coming, my Vessel..."

And Doom spoke no more.

"Sade." Dune spoke up quietly after almost a full minute of tense silence. "If anything happens to Mae, you will regret ever forcing me into your service. I have no choice, it seems, but to follow you."

"Good!" Sade said with feigned enthusiasm, but an evil grin that was very real. He knew this would be the outcome before Dune had ever entered the room. "Now then, if you will let the President continue, we will move things forward, and you will be one step closer to being reunited with your beloved wife."

Dune was silent now, but the anger and indignation was still on his face, and on the faces of his companions. Alex and Indie said nothing, but the shame of having been in the employ of these vermin for so many years and not realizing how they really operated filled them. This would be the last time any of them worked for the Committee, contracts be damned.

Dehr continued as calmly as she had started, as if nothing had interrupted her speech. "Moving forward, we have one more mission for you, Dune. And this time, we will be joining you."

The group's faces registered surprise at this, and eagerness. Not letting the Committee out of their sight was exactly what they wanted.

"Our destination this time is the Island of the Moon, or as you know it, Crescent Island. We will leave tomorrow at sunrise by boat. I take it you will be traveling on Captain Bismark's ship again?"

Dune said nothing, and Bismark only grunted.

"I see. I will take that as a yes, then. I assume a sea-faring man such as yourself, Captain, knows how to reach Crescent Island, so I will spare you the directions. Once we reach the island, you will follow us to the designated area and follow all of our directions explicitly. It will not be easy going, but I think you have the proper motivation, yes?"

Dune would not let Dehr get to him. "Just get on with it."

"Do not worry, Mr. Karn," Dehr smiled as cheerfully as she could. "Follow our directions, and everything will be fine. I realize the last two missions were a bit more dangerous than we had thought, but I assure you they were both successes. This mission should be no different, and with myself, Adam, and Sade there, no harm will come to you, or anyone else..."

Dune knew who she was implying, but did not let it affect him. He was ready for whatever they made him do, for Mae's sake. Bismark spoke up suddenly, though.

"And what about Jonah Levi? He lost his life for your little treasure hunt, and we found nothing in the Mordic but monsters. As much as I hated him, he fell prey to your schemings, and I see no reason to trust you with our safety now."

"Oh?" Dehr returned smartly. "Yes, I am aware of the unfortunate accident that claimed Captain Levi and his crew, but I assure you, the mission was a success, whether you may be aware of it or not. You may not trust us now, but surely we would not be going on this mission ourselves if it was truly as dangerous as you think it will be. Am I right?"

"And Jonah Levi may not be as lost as you think, Captain." Dehr thought to herself.

Bismark only grunted again in reply to this. He was not going to argue with these people anymore.

"So," Dehr continued. "You know our destination, and you know when we are leaving. I suggest you make your preparations now, while there is still a little light. I am sorry for the weather, but I assure you it will pass. Maybe you could have a look at our ATLAS, Professor Indra?" Dehr turned her smile on the silent Indie.

"Not on your life, miss," Indie spoke up angrily. "You know as well as I do there's nothing wrong with my machines. This is your doing, and you had better hope it doesn't get worse, or no amount of technology will save this city. If you care about that at all."

Indie had known exactly what the storm over Narsille was the moment Dune had pointed it out to him back on the Figaro. It was the same storm Bismark had told him appeared over the Thanas desert, and the same storm that had so brutally attacked them on the Mordic seas. It had not yet reached that level of intensity yet, but Indie knew it was only a matter of time. Even now, the city's inhabitants were nearing panic, and no one would leave their buildings for fear of what might happen next. The citizens of Narsille had enjoyed the comfort of his weather machines for too long, perhaps. They were not ready for anything like this. Indie wondered if he had made a mistake in implementing the ATLAS technology so long ago. Sometimes arts that have been lost to time should remain lost.

Dehr pretended offense at Indie's comment, but did not change her pitch. "Professor, you know that the peace of our city and its citizens is the primary goal of this Committee. We will do everything in our power to address this untimely weather, with or without your assistance. However, I think that is enough for now. You know what we need you to do, and we shall meet again tomorrow at the eastern docks, I hope?"

"We'll be there." Dune said without emotion.

"Excellent! I am glad you are seeing things our way, Mr. Karn. Perhaps you will see in time the necessity of our actions, and maybe you will even join us once you see the true scope of our plans?" Dehr began to smile, but Dune's own smile in return stopped her smile halfway.

"Never."

Without another word, Dune turned and walked out of the room. Bismark and the others followed him with equal scorn.

Sade only smiled, quite pleased with the way the "meeting" had went.

"I think tomorrow will be a beautiful day, don't you, Eva?"

Dehr said nothing. She was not so sure. Now that the time was coming for her to get directly involved, she was not sure of anything. Sade still played his hand far too close to his chest, and she knew little of what awaited them on the island. She trusted him as best she could, but what if she met the same fate as Levi, wherever and whatever he was now?

Sade continued to smile, even as Cruz and Dehr hastily excused themselves from the room. The heat had been growing, and it had become far too hot for them to remain. Sade enjoyed the silence.

He looked out the window and frowned, briefly. He did not like the dark power outside, as much as he hid it from the others. His Master had mentioned nothing of its presence here in Narsille, and he did not know what part it had to play. He felt like a god among men when dealing with people, but when he realized he, too, was only a pawn for the real gods around them, he felt the pang of uncertainty. As long as he had his revenge, they could do what they will with him, he thought. But he had suffered so much already. How much more must he endure?

"You will endure, Vessel. You will endure, or be consumed by my flames."

The ashen voice of his Master spoke in his mind, then faded back to the dark void it came from. Sade got up quickly and left the room for his quarters. Suddenly the heat was too much even for him to bear.