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Final Fantasy VI: The Sands of Time

Book 2: The Goddess War

Chapter 10 - Dragon and Star

Part 10.2 - Special Delivery

"You stand before the Dragon of the West, a traitor to your king and kingdom. How do you plead?"

The Dragon Throne shook with the power of its owner's voice. Around the throne, the great Dragon Hall where an endless line of kings had reigned since ancient times was now in a sad state of disarray. The world famous gallery of portraits that once covered the walls, all painted by the finest artists of the West past and present, were slashed and smashed, ruined beyond repair. The red carpet that had run the length of the hall, spun from the finest Cremonan thread, had been torn from the tiled floor and now only sporadically ran its course from throne to gate. Most of the carefully laid Doman tiles were upturned, cracked, or covered in blood-stains. The beautiful stained glass windows that covered the ceiling, brought from the tireless furnaces of the East as a symbol of peace over a hundred years ago, were shattered, their metal framework twisted and exposed to the night sky. Now only a gaping hole remained, letting in the cold, dank air of the Jidorikan winter.

Only the heavy mythril throne itself remained intact, a testament to the army of craftsmen who forged it deep beneath the Narsillian mountain range, two hundred years ago. The gold-lined throne glowed with a soft blue and gold aura, reflecting the naked moonlight from above. Over the throne hung a magnificent crystal sword the length of a man. It, too, seemed to glow with a strange light, as if it were absorbing the magical essence of the one who sat beneath it. This was the legendary sword of the Christophe family line, the Scion. Arrayed around the Scion, several priceless weapons still hung, all fashioned by the great weaponsmiths of Zwill, to the north. Like the rest of the hall, these weapons had been ravaged by the hall's master, and were now bent, broken, and useless. Some lay like scattered scrap metal around the throne, their priceless blades and hilts smashed by the powerful presence of the Dragon King.

Yes, the current ruler of West Jidorik had made his brutal mark on his home, and the chaos that swirled around him was clear for all to see. The golden-scaled beast that had literally descended onto the Dragon Throne on jet black wings was unlike anything that the hall had ever seen. Five months ago, the mythical terror had screamed right out of the pages of legend and into the throne room from the glass ceiling above, proclaiming his right to rule as Draco Christophe. He wielded the one-of-a-kind Christophe heirloom, the Scion, and knew all the necessary words for lordship of the realm. The shocked chancellors and advisors had no choice but to submit to his claims. By morning, Bahamut, the Dragon King, was lord and master of Glastok Castle, and all of West Jidorik.

Tonight, however, Bahamut's mind was elsewhere, and the concerns of a king were only an annoying gadfly in his sight, to be swatted away as quickly as possible. This was the night he had been dreading for months. This night would be the critical test of his humanity, his sanity, and his soul. He could not fail, he would not falter. More than one life depended on his ability to remain calm, and human, on this night.

Concentrate on the matter at hand. Prepare yourself, my Herald.

The stormy countenance of the Dragon King glanced back downwards at the pitiful man who knelt before him. The man was blindfolded, like all who entered the Dragon Hall from outside the castle. No one was allowed to see the true face of the king under penalty of death. Soon such precautions would be meaningless, and the entire world would know the might of the Herald of Doom, but order must be maintained until then.

"I am innocent. I have done nothing wrong, and am a loyal subject of West Jidorik."

The words were a painful buzz in Bahamut's ears. He did not have the patience for these pointless games tonight. Why Lucius had decided to bring this man here tonight of all nights, he could only guess. Looking down at the man, he did not seem to be a threat. Did Lucius believe this man was innocent, and hoped that Bahamut would be more likely to pardon him on this particular night?

Lies. He is of the Order, and must be eliminated. All who follow Altimus must be converted or destroyed. There is only one Master, and that is the Master of Ice!

The incessant voice of Doom echoed in his mind as the voice of the man buzzed in his ears, causing Bahamut to roar in frustration at both unwelcome intrusions.

Bahamut flew up in a spasm of anger and landed in front of the pitiful man, knocking him backwards with the sheer force of his presence. He hated the voice of his so-called Master, and desired nothing more than to be free from the invisible chains that bound him to Doom. No matter how hard he struggled, though, Doom always won, and forced him to do his will. With each passing month, Bahamut felt the vile presence of his Master grow within him, taking over more and more of his being. Soon, he feared whatever remnant of Draco Christophe still existed inside this cruel mockery of his famous title would fade away entirely, and only the Dragon would remain. But tonight...tonight belonged to Draco Christophe and Maria Chere, and no one else.

"There is only one Master in this country, and that is Bahamut, the Dragon King! Say it, or die where you stand!"

The voice that roared was more dragon than man, and Bahamut could feel his sense of self fading in the blinding light of the Dragon.

"There is only one Master..."

The voice was pitiful, and only further incensed Bahamut as he tried to remain in control.

There is only one Master! Make him say it!

"And that Master is...?"

Silently and slowly, Lucius crept into the room unnoticed by all but Bahamut. The man was usually not present during judgments. Why had he taken such an interest in this one?

"The Holy Master, Altimus!"

Bahamut heard the words, and almost swiped the man's head off out of reflex. It was moments like these, when the power of the Dragon was the strongest, that Bahamut tried his hardest to resist the overwhelming pressure to act and not think. His claws were raised to strike, trembling with the effort to restrain them, and he knew this man would die in a moment. But for every instant of that moment, Bahamut would fight his oppressor. Even a second of free will was better than giving up entirely.

You cannot win. This man will die tonight. My will is far beyond your ability to control. You may play the part of king, but you are still nothing more than a pawn in the grand scheme of this war. Now strike!

"Sire, if you would, I will take care of this one."

The calm voice of Lucius shot through his tortured mind, bringing with it memories of his former life. The strange tones of the scarred man's words always broke through the barrier of wild rage, giving Bahamut the clarity of thought he needed to keep the Dragon at bay. Something about his voice brought back memories of his life as a human, as vivid and fierce as if they were right in front of him. He could not explain the effect, but Lucius had proven to be a most capable aide, and one of the very few people Bahamut trusted. Indeed, very soon it would be a true test of loyalty for Lucius as well. There were many lives at stake this night.

As the blood-tinted urge to kill left his mind, he lowered his claws and wings, slumped slightly back, and turned his head away from the shivering man before him. He had had enough of this Let Lucius have his way, since he seemed so interested in this man.

"Grrr...very well, Lucius. He has professed his guilt quite clearly. Do what you will with him. I do not have time to waste on these petty concerns anymore."

Lucius bowed his covered head and guided the man out of the hall. Now only the patiently waiting Chancellor Farin and the hulking ape, Hrimthurs, remained. As soon as the golden doors closed, Bahamut turned sharply and stalked back to his seat, whipping his long tail back and forth against the floors and columns as he went. Nothing could proceed until Lucius returned, and Bahamut was growing increasingly impatient. His wife would not be kept waiting!

"Hrimthurs, go and watch Lucius," Bahamut growled from his throne, his gloomy calm returning to him.

Lucius was absolutely trustworthy in most things, but for some reason Bahamut did not trust the man tonight. As the appointed day had edged closer, the quiet man had grown increasingly shifty and scarce. And to bring an accused to him at this hour, and then take his sentence upon himself...it was all very strange. But the man was a strange one to begin with, and Bahamut could not begin to understand what was going on behind that twisted visage. All Bahamut was sure of was that Lucius had sworn a blood-oath to serve the king and queen of West Jidorik, and with his odd talents and intelligence, had proven his worth many times.

The great white creature nodded dumbly and left while Bahamut mused over his enigmatic advisor. Bahamut knew he could trust Hrimthurs without exception, since the beast was one of his own kind, and was in fact borne from his own essence. Like Bahamut, Hrimthurs was an Esper, created solely for the purpose of serving Chemosh, the Master of Ice, or as Bahamut had come to know him - Doom. As the Herald of Doom, Bahamut had complete dominion over all Espers of the Master of Ice, and he knew they could not possibly disobey him any more than he could disobey Doom himself.

The human that stood beside Hrimthurs, Chancellor Farin, was just as trustworthy. Where Hrimthurs was bound by magic to the Esper Bahamut, Farin was bound by honor to the man, Draco. The old chancellor had faithfully advised the former king of Jidorik until his was murdered by Prince Ralse, and then served just as unwaveringly under Draco during his brief rule as a human king. When Draco returned as Bahamut, showing unmistakable proofs that he was the rightful king, Farin was the first to pledge his loyalties. Ever since then, the unflappable man had tried his best to make sense of the sometimes unfathomable commands of his lord, and maintain the increasingly fragile order of the kingdom.

"My lord, after tonight, will we begin the next phase of the conflict?" Farin said uncertainly from beside his king.

"That depends on the outcome," Bahamut grunted, shifting in his seat. "We are dealing with an unprecedented event, and not even the gods themselves know what will happen. If all goes well, I will finally be able to leave the castle and deal with the problems facing our land."

Farin looked up into the face of his monstrous king, an old fear lighting his eyes. "Do you really think it is the East again? I thought with the Prince gone, things would finally settle down..."

"Prince Ralse is still out there," Bahamut said, remembering the cowardly man's escape. "He will return, and he will bring a greater force than ever when he does. But that is not my concern at the moment."

"The monsters, then?" Farin said cautiously.

"Yes. Those are not the work of Prince Ralse, or any human. Just as I came to you in your time of need, so too, did something terrible come to the East. I feel it in the back of my mind."

My sister waits for you in the East, my Herald. The Goddess Astarte has sent her Herald to prepare them for your coming, and soon you will have to meet him in combat. Do not trust anyone even remotely connected to the East, for the seduction of the Goddess is beyond any mortal's power to resist. She has forever been a being of lust, greed, and power. Her only desire is to be worshipped, and she now has the East in her mighty thrall. Even those who you once thought friends are not immune to her power and will betray you for her boons. Expel all Easterners, kill all Order members. Only those who worship the Master of Ice shall remain in this realm.

Bahamut mulled over Doom's warnings to him. He had listened to his Masters' words, and done his best to cleanse his country of all undesirables. Even Advisor Barden, who had accompanied him to Narsille and stood by him in all things, was told to leave at once and return to East Jidorik. Such was the will of Chemosh.

"What is happening to our world, my lord?" Farin asked, hoping the almost god-like Bahamut knew more than he about the odd phenomena flooding the land.

"Just be patient, and have faith in you king, Farin. This is a time of wild magic and warring gods, and we must all do our best to weather this storm. Have faith in me, and we will see this through." Bahamut tried to smile, but his dragon's maw would not allow it. As he looked at Farin, he appeared as a predator, grinning before his meal, instead of a benevolent ruler, and Farin unconsciously stepped away in instinctive fear.

While Bahamut and Farin talked, Lucius had crept in once again unnoticed. Only when the conversation ceased did Bahamut realize the man was standing at the other end of the hallway, quietly observing them. Hrimthurs came shortly in after him with a confused look on his thick features. Apparently he had lost track of the man in the short time they had been gone.

"Well?" Bahamut said tiredly. He did not really care what the fate of the judged man was.

"His will was not strong enough." Lucius said cryptically, not moving.

"As long as he is no longer a threat to the kingdom, that is all that matters to me." Bahamut said, not fully understanding Lucius's words. With Lucius's reappearance, there was only one thought on his mind at the moment.

"To the kingdom? No, he is no longer a threat to the kingdom." Lucius said in his odd, tired tones.

Bahamut shifted in his seat again, stretching his wings shakily. His tail slapped the tiled floor while he fingered one of his large teeth with a single talon. While he fidgeted, he kept looking at Lucius, waiting for some dreadful answer only he could give. Finally, he could not wait any more.

"Lucius, what of my wife? Surely it must be time?" Bahamut's voice sounded oddly human as he spoke, and his impatient mannerisms were that of a very nervous man, not an immovable Esper King.

"Shivar will inform me when it is time, Sire." Lucius said with his impossible calmness. "Any moment now..."

"Are you my wife's doctor or not!" Bahamut snapped. He stood up quickly and began walking towards the golden doors, then remembered that he no longer could fit through them. "Urgh! I cannot wait any longer! I must see my wife!" With a thrust that flattened the tiles beneath him, Bahamut leaped into the air and darted through the hole in the ceiling, disappearing in a burst of blue fire.

The three remaining retainers seemed to know exactly what their unpredictable king intended, and hurried out of the throne room, with Lucius last. He hobbled behind the others in his painfully awkward gait, closing the doors carefully behind him.

By the time the slow-moving Lucius arrived where he knew his king must have gone, Farin and Hrimthurs were already waiting, visibly nervous. They now stood in the labyrinthine garden maze at the center of Glastok Castle, watching and waiting for a miracle among miracles.

Beside the human chancellor and Esper bodyguard stood a slim male figure, glowing with a blue aura similar to that of mythril. He was immaculately dressed all in blue, and had the handsome face and perfect build of a well-bred nobleman. But he was not human. Like his dainty outfit, his skin and hair were also all blue, and a thin glittering glaze of frost covered most of his skin and clothes.

And in front of this unusual presence was Bahamut. The towering dragon was kneeling in front of a serpent-shaped fountain, busily fussing over some delicate prize hidden by his massive wingspan. But all present knew what was there, and gave their king a respectful distance.

The icy blue nobleman turned at the sound of Lucius's entrance and stared at the scarred man with equally blue eyes, no trace of emotion in his calm face or lazy posture.

"Lucius. It is almost time. Come and see." The man's voice was a careless drawl, as if he were asking Lucius to watch a leaf falling or a bird feeding.

"Very well Shivar. You will assist me in the delivery. Magic may be needed, and you are the only one with hands I trust among the Espers."

Lucius walked past the statue-like forms of Farin and Hrimthurs, and continued past Shivar, who followed him like a ghost. When he reached Bahamut, he put one disfigured hand on the king's scaly shoulder. The deep purple arc of scar tissue on the back of his hand pulsed quickly, revealing strain the rest of the man's form did not show.

"Sire, it is time. Please stand back."

Bahamut turned his head to look at Lucius, then stepped back, nodding as if in a trance. In front of him at the foot of the fountain lay a pale woman with long, golden hair, beautiful beyond any mortal description. Her body effused a warm golden glow, soothing the tension of everyone in the garden. The woman herself looked asleep, with her delicate white hands resting peacefully on her swollen belly. She wore a flowing blue gown, the same color as Shivar's, and behind her head hovered a large golden star, pulsing with light in time to her own inherent glow.

Her hair was damp with sweat at the moment, and the golden star pulsed faster and faster as her breathing quickened. Lucius studied the golden object intently, nodding at intervals. The woman gripped her stomach, with a grimace of pain tainting her pristine features. Lucius put his steady hand on her stomach, feeling the beat of twin hearts fighting furiously against his palm. This would not be an easy birth. There were too many unknowns, too many variables, and not enough time to study them all.

For a moment, visions of blood and horror filled the scarred man's vision, and then they were gone, like a dream. Lucius's face contorted in remembered pain, but a soft pressure on his hand brought him back. He saw two gentle hands clasped around his own wounded hand. All pain was washed away in the alluring embrace of the Star of the West. Lucius followed the hands up to their owner's face, and saw that her eyes were open, and the grimace of pain was gone.

"Do not worry. I trust you, and I trust the gods. Have faith, Doctor."

Lucius struggled with some profound inner turmoil, but the soothing touch of the woman helped him fight back the demons enough to do his job.

"Maria, my Starlet, faith is the one thing I have never had much of. But your will is strong, so very strong..." Lucius pulled back his hood and revealed a wild tangle of startlingly white hair, as white as snow. His horribly scarred face twisted and contorted as he struggled with the emotions the more-than-human beauty evoked in him. This would not be easy, for either of them.

"Shivar, come here. The contractions are increasing, and her temperature is decreasing. If she were still human, she would surely be dead by now. I can only guess what is happening inside her." Lucius's words were as steady and calm as ever, but his face twitched with an unwelcome and familiar tic, and the ugly scar on the hand that held the woman pulsed faster than ever.

"What is it, Lucius? What is happening to Maria?" Bahamut's voice boomed. He pushed his way back in front of the group, placing his large clawed hand over top of his wife's tiny frail ones. His entire body shook with nervous anticipation. For the moment, the Dragon was gone, and only Draco Christophe, the man, the husband, and the father existed.

Shivar appeared next to Bahamut, softly gliding between him and Lucius. "My Lord, please, this is a delicate situation, and you must stand back. We would not want to injure the Lady Starlet."

"Her name is Maria!" Bahamut snarled, but forced himself to step back behind Shivar and Lucius. "Her name is Maria..." he said softly, only to himself.

"Doctor, the drop in body temperature is due to an increase in magical power," Shivar said as he placed his own frigid hand on Starlet's forehead. "It is a perfectly natural reaction to a weakening state. As long as the womb is not affected, the children should be safe. We must hurry, though."

"I know!" Lucius said waspishly, unlike his usual stoic self. "Just keep monitoring her magical essence while I check to see if she is fully dilated yet. Understand?"

"Of course. But doctor..."

"Just be quiet and let me work!" Lucius snapped. Sweat was visible on his brow now, and as he discreetly lifted the sky-blue gown to check the birth's progress, his mouth turned downward in a grimace. "Impossible! It hasn't dilated at all. It's as if her body doesn't even know she's pregnant!"

"What?" Bahamut yelled, forcing his wide, spiny head back into the scene. "What does that mean?"

Lucius rudely shoved Bahamut back, heedless of the cuts he received from the sharp horns and spines. "It means this new Esper body cannot, or should I say will not, give birth to your children!" Lucius lowered the gown and yelled back at the waiting Farin. "Farin, get my tools. I'm going to have to open her up and take the children."

Farin ran off like a man on fire, and within a minute handed Lucius a very old-looking bag of surgical tools. The bag looked much like its owner - beaten, torn, and stained with soot and grime. But the tools were perfectly clean and sterile, and far more precisely honed than anything to be found in a regular Jidorikan hospital. He had known that this operation might be necessary, given the unusual anatomy of his patient, and had made sure his own tools were ready for the task. Now, it was just a matter of being up to task himself. He knew he was an excellent doctor, far superior to the butchers to be found elsewhere in the country, but this was something that had never been done before.

"Shivar, you must keep an eye, or whatever it is you use, on Maria's magical condition. I can only monitor her physical body. If she shows any signs of being in danger, you must let me know!"

"I understand, doctor. Do what you know how to do, and leave the rest to me, and to the gods." Shivar said in his usual emotionless voice.

"The gods be damned, I will save Maria with my own will!" Lucius shouted in an ugly voice, completely unlike his normal voice. His wild eyes blazed with concentration as he took the first of his tools and prepared to make the initial incision. He had done this a thousand times before, but who knew what might be lurking beneath this seemingly human skin? It was all pure insanity, but he had to keep pushing through, and do what had to be done.

The clear blue eyes of his patient looked at him placidly, and with complete trust. If she felt the pain of labor or Lucius's knife, she did not show it now.

"Have faith, Doctor." Starlet said, smiling beneficently. The warm glow from her body increased as her temperature continued to drop. The golden star at her head pulsed and shook, somehow staying in place by its own power.

Lucius winced at her words, but did not flinch from his procedure. As he cut into her soft flesh, glowing blue blood flowed outwards, freezing his hands as he tried to operate. The pain aggravated his old wounds, but he had to keep going. Through the abdominal wall, and then between the stomach muscles and then through the uterus to the children within...but something was wrong. This was not like a human body at all, despite Starlet's pleasing outward appearance...

"Shivar, what is going on?" Lucius asked, his voice trembling.

"I am not sure, Doctor. Her temperature is still dropping, and her magical essence is strong...but her body is having trouble keeping up with the increased demands. She may die."

Lucius cursed under his breath, and continued to survey the foreign scene in front of him. Like her blood, her internal tissues were blue and ice coldl, and her visible organs were not quite the right shape or size. There were several odd structures of unknown material he could not identify scattered throughout the exposed portion of her stomach wall, as well, and Lucius assumed they must have something to do with utilizing her magical powers and maintaining her Esper body. Whether they were vital or not, the poor human doctor could only guess.

Beneath the abdominal wall, the muscles were solid and hard, harder than human bone, and he could not separate them simply by stretching and pulling as normal. He knew the children were underneath this wall of magically enhanced tissue, but his knife could barely scrape them, let alone cut through. He tried with all his strength to get around the muscle, but more blue blood began to flow from her open wound, and soon Lucius's hands were frozen to the point he could barely move them.

"Shivar, I need your help! Place your hands here, and then here." Lucius commanded, hoping Shivar's cold hands could do what his feeble human ones could not.

Shivar obediently took his hands off Starlet's forehead and placed them where Lucius told him. He felt the coldness from inside her, but it meant nothing to his own frigid skin. "Now what, doctor?"

"Hold this scalpel, and channel your magic into it. It might work..." Lucius said uncertainly, trying to remember everything he had witnessed Espers do during the past five months. Weapons wielded with an Esper's magical power were far more powerful than when held by a human, so perhaps...

Shivar took the small blade and cut where Lucius told him, pushing his own frozen aura along the blade's length. Starlet cried out in pain despite herself, and a fresh gush of blue blood erupted from the new wound Shivar was slowly making in her stone-hard tissue.

"Stop! You're killing her!" Bahamut shouted from behind them. He had extended his wings outwards and threatened to knock the whole group away.

"Draco, have faith..." Starlet said slowly, her speech slurred as she lost more and more blood. "I will...be alright...my love..."

"I won't lose her again! Save her, or you will all die by my hand this night!" Bahamut roared, a hint of the Dragon in his voice now.

Lucius ignored his lord's threats and continued guiding his Esper assistant through the surgery. If he could not save Starlet, he knew his life would be over regardless of her husband's fury. He could not lose her again, either.

"Shivar, careful. There! Look at that!"

Both men gasped as they saw a bright red object emerge beneath the cold, blue muscle. It was a large sac, pulsing with vigorous red life, fever hot and completely human. Somehow, her body had managed to integrate the human womb into her very non-human Esper anatomy. But blood was blood, and the more the mother lost, the more danger the children were in.

"That's enough Shivar, give me the scalpel. This is a purely human operation now." Lucius said with renewed confidence. But there was so much blood...

"Ah, Draco, it hurts!" Starlet gasped, feeling the blade cut into the one part of her body that was still as fragile as a human's.

Bahamut roared in impotent anguish, but did not harm Lucius or Shivar. Inside, he was fighting harder than he ever had before to quell the Dragon's rage, and he wasn't sure how long he could hold on.

I must not falter. I am Draco Christophe, I am the king of West Jidorik, and I will not submit to you!

You will submit, pawn! Let the unstoppable fury of Bahamut consume you. Forget your human past, forget your human loves and desires. You're so close to being whole, and then nothing will stop you, no one will hold a place in your soul but me. And then the justice of the Dragon will be absolute and untainted by human emotions. Is that not want you want? To be a perfect executor of divine judgment, unmoved by petty mortal concerns?

No! This is not what I wanted! I must rule with a heart full of compassion, not indifference...

The human heart is weak. Look. Look how it beats in the breast of your beloved Starlet. Soon she will die, because she clung too closely to her own humanity.

Her name is Maria! And you will not have her! I will save her, and my children!

I have owned her since the moment she was created. If I so chose, I could destroy her at this moment with a thought. And it would be by your power that the deed would be done.

Never! I...

You are mine, Herald. Do as I say, and she might live. I can save her with a thought as well. She has the power within her to heal any wound, if only she could know how to access it. I can grant her the power to save herself just as I granted you the power to save her once before.

By turning her into this cold-blooded Esper, devoid of free will!

Do you want to save your love or not?

Bahamut struggled within himself for what seemed an eon, watching his wife slowly grow whiter and whiter as the blood drained out of her. His vision clouded and his senses dulled as he realized he was giving in to Doom's demands. He had no choice.

So be it. Save my wife. Save Maria. Save my children.

Good. You are a fine Herald. So easily manipulated! See how weak the heart can be! Hahahaha...

As Bahamut submitted wholly to the Dragon and lifted up into the night sky, he heard two final sounds, very different from each other. One was the horrible death rattle of Doom's laughter...the other was the glorious cry of two pairs of powerful lungs letting the world know they had arrived, healthy and hungry.