Chapter 49

Acquisition

The column of fire from the dormant volcano had been the very signal Ultimecia had been looking for.

She had acted upon her anticipation of Gerra's adventure and would take no chances with her quarry. Leo was by her side. Spaced in a crescent formation either side of them were Memnon, Selena, Mitsuhide and Ialantha, interspersed by the rest of her Praetorians. In formation beyond them were several battalions of marines from the nearby naval base, nearly twenty thousand in all, cutting off avenues of escape all around.

With this bold stroke, Ultimecia would cut deep into enemy numbers and seize more than half of the remaining GFs, crushing the false hope of the 'Allies'. Leo would end things with Gerra once and for all in single combat. If her Knight failed, she would take the Undying Fire's disheveled head for herself. Tyris and Thalassa would be killed as they should have been twelve years before, and the death of Garland's leader will be a welcome bonus. Additionally, the elusive Phoenix will have been brought right into her hand, whom even she was unsure she could have reached with her power.

After this, the surviving three Children of Fate would stand no chance against her. Even with the bolster of their newly acquired Dark Messenger.

Esthar's satellites had followed the Ross Torama and stealth boats had lain in wait, cloaked, off the Rinaul Coast. They had spotted the dinghy containing the four GF bearers approaching the fire mountain. As soon as Gerra's group infiltrated the cavern, Ultimecia had her marines board the Torama and slaughter its unwashed crew. George Peterson, long suspected to be the head of the resistance movement in Fisherman's Horizon, was kept alive to be publicly hanged in FH's market square. She would throw the switch herself.

The Empress stood calmly with her lioness paws on the barren ground before the cavern opening, her onyx wings unfurled behind her.

'Ready yourselves!' she said. 'The firebird emerges!'

With Maralith an emblem of his success, Gerra had taken Thalassa's offered hand as they moved to depart the cavern. Ballad and Tyris walked behind them. They met no more monsters on their way out. While traversing the path that wound right, Tyris heard Gerra speak quietly to Thalassa.

'Firion reached me from the Netherworld when I was falling through the magma,' he said. Thalassa was looking at Gerra with wonder. 'I don't know whether it was real or not. But I guess a gulf of two centuries is irrelevant once you're dead. He gave me his blessing to take down Ultimecia, which meant everything to me. With just a few words, he freed me from the shackles I've been wearing for the past dozen years.'

'That's great, Gerra!' the White SeeD replied. 'Even if it wasn't real, it might have been your way of following through with your redemption. Did you see anyone else?'

Gerra hesitated. 'Yes.'

'Ultimecia? Leo?'

'Among others,' Gerra replied after a moment.

Tyris knew that Gerra was holding something else back, but it was little of her concern. He volunteered no more information, and not another word was spoken until they reached the exit.

The image they were met with upon passing through the opening was something out of a nightmare. When Ultimecia banished the spell veiling their enemies from view, Gerra immediately let go of Thalassa's hand and drew his gleaming Maralith. Thalassa gave a sharp intake of breath as she drew her curved gunblade. Tyris already had her weapon out, and Ballad's gladiuses flashed from their sheathes. The free GFs immediately took solid form in a protective formation of their summoners, before Ultimecia could attempt to entrap any of them.

Ultimecia's raven wings went to their full span. She was in the middle of her force, with so many Esthari marines around them that Tyris could not see most of the Alcauld Plains beyond. Ultimecia regarded Gerra and Tyris, and their celestial weapons, then she gave a cackle of malice and confidence.

'You played right into my hand, Gerra!' she boasted. 'I must thank you for your final service as my Knight, bringing Phoenix directly into my grasp!' Then Ultimecia looked to Tyris. 'So, you have returned to the Thunder Plains, daughter of Edea!' she continued. 'Such a pity that all your feats have been in vain. I shall acknowledge your story of adversity when I rewrite history, however. It is the least I can do after taking your mother and father from you. I trust you would have made a fine Sorceress in your own right, as Edea once was!'

'You don't get to say her name!' Tyris snapped.

She launched Raikou at Ultimecia, certain it would be able to penetrate any magical barriers. The Sorceress lithely weaved her upper body out of its path, though it rocketed through her left wing in an explosion of raven feathers. Ultimecia cried in pain, dropping sidelong to her knees. Raikou dematerialised and returned to Tyris' hand almost immediately. Leo moved to put an arm underneath his Sorceress, his eyes not leaving Tyris, but Ultimecia knocked him back with an unseen force.

'Tyris!' Ultimecia said with fury, getting to her feline feet. Eden's distinct silver light appeared within her ravaged wing, and the tear started to close rapidly. 'I would have offered you one chance to swear fealty to me again! I would have placed you as captain of my Praetorian Guard! In the absence of Leo, I would have even made you my Knight! Yet, evidently, you are too great a threat to remain alive – even more so than the Lionheart himself! I shall send you back to your mother's arms, now!'

With one flap of her wings, Ultimecia rose a few feet into the air.

Mitsuhide called out, 'Please! Allow me the honour of eliminating the Stormbringer, Your Grace! I have to redeem the honour of my clan!'

He drew the Murasame, calling on Alexander's power, which turned his hair and eyes a brilliant white.

'Hikaru was one of my only friends, Mitsuhide!' Tyris responded earnestly. 'I had nothing to do with that ambush! I was nearly killed myself!'

Selena had been giving Tyris a hard stare. 'You killed Hikaru personally, though, didn't you?' the Colonel accused. 'You were using the Jumbo Cactuar to mask your aura upon the Great Plains!'

Tyris looked back to Mitsuhide, as she could not bear to look at Selena.

'I did,' she confessed. 'Though I ensured it was quick. You're my enemy now, Mitsuhide, but I truly am sorry for what happened. Know that I loved Hikaru like a sister.'

Mitsuhide shook his head once in unacceptance. 'Easy for you to say when your death is certain!'

Selena said, 'And for betraying myself?'

Tyris forced herself to meet Selena's eyes. 'Selena, you should have known I could never forgive the Empress for what she did! For everything I went through after the orphanage!'

Of the Praetorians, the horn-helmed Gabranth broke from the secondary formation. The Judge stared daggers at Tyris from within that helm, taking a high guard with his ornate-like sword.

'I too have a score to settle with you, Stormbringer!' he said. 'You allowed Basch to walk into the ambush on his van!'

Mitsuhide glanced at Gabranth momentarily. 'I thought you despised your brother,' he said.

'Basch was denied a noble death,' Gabranth responded. 'He would have been among the Twelve long ago, had I not beat him to it. And that was solely due to moral quandaries that we did not share.'

'I tire of this sentimental banter,' Ultimecia said dryly.

General Zebalga grunted and spoke. 'How touching. Just ensure you all leave Almasy an inch from death's door.' His eyes rested on Tyris, and he licked his lips. 'I will have my way with you again before the life goes from your body!'

Ballad stepped toward the General, but Tyris placed a hand on his shoulder.

'I didn't think I was still your type, Zebalga,' she riposted.

Ultimecia's cat's eyes shifted between her prey. 'You were all destined to perish in Galbadia! There shall be no stories of honour and retribution in your demise, new Children of Fate! I am going to kill you all myself, and your Guardian Forces shall serve me dutifully in the Age of Ultimecia!'

The Sorceress raised both hands, channeling one of Eden's destructive beams. The silver orb was laced with her preferred scarlet and lavender, swiftly engorging in her joined palms. Tyris planted her feet, Raikou at the ready.

'Go!' she shouted back to her companions. 'I'll cover your retreat!'

They shook their heads in unison.

'I'm not leaving you to die alone, Tyris,' Ballad said resolutely.

'There's no time!' Tyris protested. 'Get out of here, now!'

'No way, Ty!' Thalassa resolved, holding her gunblade high. 'I left you behind twelve years ago. I won't do it again!'

'Sorry, Tyris,' Gerra agreed. 'There's no escape, anyway.'

Before Tyris could object further, Gerra charged Ultimecia. A burst of fire thrust him into the air, and he struck the growing silver sphere with Maralith. Atop a column of fire, he swung at Ultimecia's legs as she flew out of reach. Leo was ready for him as he returned to the ground.

'Leave him to me!' Leo demanded.

The two of them were suddenly swept away by Doomtrain, dueling fervently atop a throbbing carriage without openings as the disfigured GF started to circle the area.

The free GFs attacked in tandem. Phoenix continued Gerra's offense on Ultimecia in his doppelganger form, pursuing her into the air, and she began lithely weaving to dodge the doppelganger's flaming sword. Cerberus bellowed destructive beams at the forward lines of marines before charging Mitsuhide. Ramuh fired a trident of lightning at Selena. Quetzalcoatl shot at Zebalga like a spinning bullet. Ifrit leapt towards Ialantha, who twisted away from a broad swipe of his smoking claws.

With the rest of the Praetorians still some distance away, Tyris made to launch her spear at the distracted Ultimecia once more. It would have met its target but for Kain. Identifiable by his dragon helm and his severed arm restored, the spearman jumped high on a gust of wind to block its path. He no longer had Dragonhair, but had an ornate halberd likely fashioned by Ultimecia. With the angle of his approach, Kain took Raikou full in the chest, in doing so giving his life for his Empress. Once again, Raikou returned to Tyris' hand.

She, Thalassa and Ballad stood rooted to the ground, as their GFs had no opportunity to cast buffs upon them. Before Tyris could throw Raikou again, the remaining six Praetorians were on them with Gabranth at their head, the marines following behind.

Even had they not been outnumbered, the three of them would be crushed with ease by the augmented Praetorians. Even if they somehow overcame them, they still had thousands of marines to contend with. Despite this, Ballad and Thalassa moved into a half-circle formation either side of Tyris. Cullyn and Rubicanta moved to meet Ballad, Reinhardt and Lani peeled off to face Thalassa, with Gabranth and Rillina stopping before Tyris.

Tyris had once been intimate with Rillina – also known as the Emerald Viper – when the ravishing woman had been in the Adel Unit. Her karambits was coated in a cocktail of poisons found only within creatures native to the Grandidi. She did not wear face paint like her compatriot Ialantha, but her hair was swept up into a single trailing braid. Tyris could tell from Rillina's dark eyes that she would receive no quarter from her. Gabranth resumed his high guard, Tyris' spear the only thing keeping him at bay. His broadsword was an engraved bronze in colour but not in composition, with an engraved obsidian handle.

Mother, father, I did everything I could! Tyris thought. I'm so sorry!

Keeping Selena at bay with his furious bolts, Ramuh touched her mind.

Trust in Raikou, child! Draw on its power!

Her hopelessness suddenly absolved, Tyris drew from the essence of the spear as she would from a draw point. She could feel its vast, untapped reserves of energy. She became surrounded with a lightning-blue nimbus as though her GFs were still within her. Hundreds of forks of lightning shot from the spearhead, striking the six Praetorians and the frontlines of the advancing marines beyond. The agonised screams of the marines rang out as they dropped to the hard earth, convulsing in their death throes as their armour melted and their bodysuits become aflame. The marines behind them stopped dead in their stride.

But the Praetorians, sufficiently protected with their mana-wards, swiftly got back to their feet. Now matching their speed, Tyris leaped forward and swung Raikou in a broad arc, forcing them to back up. She heard Thalassa and Ballad fall in behind her.

Ultimecia's amplified voice screamed, 'Enough!', as she gained sufficient distance from Phoenix. Eden's light exploded out from her form in a growing sphere. The ailing Phoenix could not match his Elder's power and was knocked out of the sky. Both friend and foe staggered from the fallout.

'This folly ends now!' Ultimecia declared.

Suddenly, the sound of Ultimecia's charging power was literally drowned out by the sound of an approaching tidal wave. The gargantuan form of Leviathan was approaching from the west, at the head of a monstrous tsunami. The Demon of the Deep was accompanied by a giant horse and rider, coursing through the air on an offshoot of water with a titanic spear in hand.

'Odin!' Ultimecia shrieked. 'How?'

'Yes!' Thalassa shouted with renewed hope. 'Leviathan did it!'

Joining her clawed hands, Ultimecia launched what power she had gathered at Leviathan and Odin. The silver beam approached them rapidly, though they moved away from each other, arcing around in a circle. The tidal wave parted before the light reached it and it passed through harmlessly, the water following the course of the two GFs in a pincer.

Within seconds, the twin waves swept all but Doomtrain and Ultimecia far from the entrance to the Fire Cavern. Every last marine disappeared beneath that deep. Ultimecia was confronted by Odin, who rode her down with a firm thrust of Gungnir. The Sorceress narrowly evaded, just, though the Pale Rider came swiftly around for another pass.

Tyris' heart hammered as she was submerged for a few seconds, then realised she was cocooned within one of Leviathan's spheres. She remained dry and could breathe normally, keeping a tight grip on her weapon as she felt herself ascending out of the water. When she landed on Leviathan's scaled hide, Thalassa and Ballad were already there. Gerra swiftly joined them, Phoenix's glorious fire-wings now coming his back. Leo remained atop Doomtrain, who was turning to approach the endangered Sorceress.

To cut through all the noise, Leviathan touched their minds.

There is not much time, mortals! he said. Odin will cover our retreat! We must flee!

The free GFs had already rejoined their summoners without command, Ramuh bidding Tyris to do exactly as Leviathan commanded. She afforded a glance in the direction that Zebalga and the others had been swept in, just as the distant forms of the captive GFs breached the surface, Carbuncle and the Golden Chocobo coming to rest their puppeteers atop Alexander's towering ramparts. A small number of marines also tried to find purchase on the Holy Sentinel.

They all firmly wrapped themselves around Leviathan's scaled body as he hurtled away from the volcano, flying west along the Rinaul Coast. Tyris looked back to see Odin charging Ultimecia once more, but he was being approached by Tiamat and a now rocketing Doomtrain as her view of the scene receded.

'We're just going to leave him!' Thalassa cried.

Leviathan answered back to all of them. Odin is willing to sacrifice himself so that you may regroup with the Lionheart and continue the fight! It was his will! The key to Griever is in the hands of Gilgamesh, as it has been for twenty years!

'Oh, no!' Tyris responded, then softly whispered, 'Odin.'