Chapter 25

By Erik Brown

Images flashed by Rei's eyes as he looked outwards, and when he looked inwards he saw images of pain.

"I see the universe being torn apart inside of your cloak, Rasa." Rei said to the dragon.

"That is not the universe," Rasa replied, "it is me. It just looks like the galaxy from here." His flight momentarily slowed. "Someone has some regrets hanging on their heart. The enemy is attacking, but I am too weak to defend us. I must soon land."

It was his fault, and he knew he had to apologize. "You're dying too, aren't you? I'm so sorry."

"Don't be. I am the last of the dragons, and this is a good way for us to die out. This is the right way to end such a wretched lineage."

Palcos looked at the dragon too, and said what was on all of their minds. "Like a dying star."

"Here we are."

With one leg below the other, the dragon alighted gracefully upon the ground. When both feet were on firm ground, he opened his cloak and out everyone went.

"I'm sorry," he said to all of them. "This is my last breath of life. I apologize, I could not bring you to Tero. You will have to find your way to him, or out of this maze you are now in."

"It's so cold here," Servan moaned. "And so desolate."

"Wait, where're the others?" Aerot looked about himself, and realized that he stood alone with Servan.

…

Rei started looking around himself. All was destroyed. He stood in a city, and saw the destroyed buildings and things that looked like cars. Everywhere were charred bodies, and steam drifted up from the ground. The steam reminded him of memories, as if the whole place were bleeding heavenward with what was once happiness and tranquility. There was silence, all around him.

He turned and saw no one. Turned again and saw nothing. "Rasa! Where am I? Where is everyone?"

He saw a shadow holding a sword in the distance. "Aerot? Skabar?"

No reply.

Then he turned and saw a small something scurry off into the shadows. "Palcos?"

No reply.

Again he turned, and faced a department store. Inside were lush mink coats, jewelry, and make up. In another corner were all sorts of electronics. Further in the store he saw guns and weapons. Then he saw a shadow, thought it was Servan and called out. "Sera."

No reply.

The quiet began to gnaw at his mind. "Someone say something!"

Echoes.

Desertion and loneliness began to well up inside of him. Sadness began to tear his heart apart. They've all left me, he thought. Left me to die in this wasteland.

Gone, all is gone. Look around and see Babylon fallen! The end of the world. Everything was dead around him, and all that was left was want and desire.

Then he heard a voice so sweet, in the distance.

"Rei, where are you?"

It was Chassy.

"I am here, Chassy!"

"You've been gone so long."

"You haven't written."

"Haven't come back."

"Will you?"

He cried to the winds. "Yes I will!"

"Do you miss me? I miss you."

"Hang on! I will return to you!"

"Not a word from you."

He kicked a rock into the distance in anger. "It's not my fault, look at the fate I have been given!"

"I might--"

Stretching to the sky he begged for wings to fly away. "No, don't say it!"

"--I will--"

Wings, that was all he needed! To lift him above this hurt. "No, damn it, no!"

"--forget you."

It could not be. He was stuck on the ground. Dreams began to fall from the sky, and pierced through him like he were nothing.

He then tried to cry, but the tears would not come.

"If you have left me, and I cannot cry, then I must go mad! That is the only thing I can do now!"

"Not yet."

Rei looked up. There before him was the only building. A tall tower that stretched to the sky. It was a fitting throne, and the only thing that could be seen. Everything else was darkness. The focus was now on Emperor Tero, and Rei could not avert his eyes.

"Tero."

"Come, friend, lets speak of old times."

And so he walked.

…

"Something comes near." Skabar said to Palcos, as they walked along the banks of a surging river.

"I hear it too," Palcos replied, "it sounds like thunder."

"I wonder what it could be?"

"Whatever it is I want to get away from this river, it's giving me the creeps."

"Same here." Looking again he saw a hand float by, as it stuck out of the water amidst the flotsam.

"Where are we anyway?"

"We," Skabar looked around, "Are in Limeburg."

He couldn't believe that, he wouldn't. "No, this was supposed to be the golden city! The home of the palace of the Emperor! The center of the Empire! If this is Limeburg, then who could have done this?'

"The invincible city has crumbled."

The two climbed up and away from the dark river, and looked about themselves. It looked as if they stood at the gates of a large maze. The entrance stood some twice as tall as Skabar, and at least three times as wide as it was tall. They stood on a hill, and it appeared that the entrance dipped into the maze that they could both see the top of.

"What is this here for?"

Skabar pointed into the distance. "I believe it separates us from that."

There in the distance stood the tall white tower.

"That must be where the Emperor is. We have to get there."

"Man, but I really hate mazes. I always get lost and can't find the exit or the entrance."

Skabar started laughing. "But we don’t need to walk through the maze, we can just run along the tops of the walls, see."

"Oh yeah." Palcos started laughing too.

A crash of thunder sounded behind them, and then the sound of water surging around something like a boulder.

"Dang, what the heck's in the river. I can't see anything."

Then both went quiet as a sound of a hand lightly plucking at a lyre filled the air. A haunting voice then followed, singing:

There on the river I met you, my love

I wrote this song for you

That way I would have something to sing as I killed you

Skabar straightened his back and roared at the river. "Bresen! What is the meaning of this!"

"You stole her from me, Skabar! Her and I were meant to be together for all of eternity, but you took that away! You even took my honor from me! Taking my love I could not even kill myself without first killing you!"

Palcos looked to Skabar. "What's going on?" He gasped when he saw Skabar's face. Never had he seen such an image of strength before.

"Bresen has followed us from Cambrin. Him and me go way back. In his culture he was meant to kill Lily, my wife, so that he and her soul would become entwined. That was during a war I was in, and I stopped him. He escaped, and I had all but forgotten about him."

Looking into the darkness Palcos saw the shine of eyes, and then he saw a smile full of teeth that glistened even in the shadows. "I had given up on you, Skabar. My Emperor changed that, he made me remember! He gave me a purpose! Damn it all if all I can do is kill you now!"

There and then Palcos decided to take a stand and protect Skabar. "You'll have to go through me first! I'll not let you kill Skabar!"

"I'm coming for you, Skabar! Now!"

A mammoth object leapt from the shadows and the river. It glimmered in whatever light there was. It was a hideous beast, no longer did it look at all like Bresen. Skabar and Palcos leapt away from the thing in horror. Flesh was split all along Bresen's body, and his body was misshapen as if he were an abstract painting. All sides could be seen at once.

The nightmare wore armor here and there, on one shoulder was a large spiked shoulder pad, and over its chest it wore a kettle black chest plate. A long slinky tail swept about its rear legs, and all along it were ornate bracelets. In its hand it held a gigantic black sword.

It swung the sword over its head, and brought it crashing to the ground. Skabar went flying through the air, and crashed heavily into a stonewall. He painfully cropped himself up so that he could look into Bresen's eyes.

The beast breathed slowly from its mouth. "What is a matter, Skabar? You seem faint."

Skabar shook his head weakly. "You would do this to you, Bresen? If you ever seemed like a monster, you are one now."

It smiled at him. "You don't get it, do you, Skabar? This is the future of this world, and I am a prime example of a perfect species! I am a behemoth reborn!"

"Though your tail sway like a cedar, and though your bones are like tubes of bronze. Even if the river surges around you and you are not alarmed, you are no behemoth. Do not even place yourself so highly in the works of the creator, when you appear to be from a devil's dream."

Palcos stood up, and watched as the beast's eyes were filled with rage. "That won't matter anymore," it screamed at Skabar. "Not after I kill you! Then I can live forever and ever!"

The thing stuck its sword in the ground, then brought its arm backwards, and rammed it forward at Skabar.

Skabar winced, expecting the worse, but opened his eyes to see Palcos jump in the way. The beast closed its fingers around Palcos, and began to laugh.

"What is this? Willing to give up your life?"

Palcos nodded furiously, as he freed a hand and pointed his gun at Bresen's face. "Gladly I would give my life for one as noble as he!"

For all the luck he had shooting guns at supernatural creatures, he was surprised to see the one bullet he shot rip the beast's right eye apart. It screamed in pain, clawing at its eye with its free hand.

"You little bastard! I'll kill you!"

"Well--"

Skabar watched in horror, as if in a sickening moment, everything slowed down.

"--at least this is a good way--"

He saw the hand tighten its grip around Palcos.

"--to die. I wouldn't--"

Bones snapped, and the body collapsed about itself.

"--wouldn't want to die for anyone else."

Bresen dropped the lifeless body to the dust, and then stamped on the body.

"--farewell, Skabar. Tell a story about me sometime."

With the shadows thick as they were, Skabar was blinded at the light the burst forth from the little monkey's body. Then the light was gone, and he looked up to see little specks of light floating down from the clouds.

Laughter filled the air, but rage filled his heart. It filled his mind, and it filled his soul.

"Filth, all filth! The Enlightened shall rule this North World, and all filth like you shall be gone."

Skabar stood up, and then looked down at Palcos. It didn't look like him, not anymore. All of the life within him was gone, but he had memories inside of his mind. That's where Palcos now lived. So he couldn't die, not before he wrote a story about Palcos that would be betraying a friend.

"You'll not kill me, not today, not tomorrow. Perhaps in a year, but you'll lose both arms next time."

Wider and wider the smile grew on Bresen's face. "You'll fight me now, won't you, Skabar?"

Skabar looked up, and smiled his own smile. One of madness and quiet rage. "Naw, instead I'll cut you up until your nothing but pulp. Then you can tell me how immortality feels!"

They did fight, but this was not a fight. It was a one-sided slaughter.

Skabar attacked Bresen with two shining swords, never mind where he had gotten them. Emotions filled Skabar to the brim, and spilled over and danced about him like wild autumn leaves.

He had lost his mind.

Or, he had merely let it loose. Bresen tossed aside the ruined hilt of what had been his sword, and then ran for his life. He leapt for the maze, and then began leaping across the walls. He turned momentarily to see if Skabar was chasing him, and was just barely able to dodge the two swords that the weasel wielded with an insane delight.

Don't look back, he told himself.

It didn't matter; his life would soon be over. Should he face death like a strong man, or like a coward?

Perhaps he could run away?

"Stop this, Skabar! Leave me be!"

"Coward! Fool! Were such words of begging on my tongue when you attacked me!"

"I--I am not myself. Not the one that you fought so long ago."

Skabar laughed manically as he quickly flew over the maze and towards Bresen. "I can't argue with that. The Bresen that I fought, that I had hated once, he would not have begged for mercy, he would rather swallow his own tongue!"

Bresen briefly wondered if he should do that now. He would be the last Murita on the North World, should he not die with a bit of honor. "I'd rather live forever now."

"I'll give you one last chance! I've been toying with you so far, it's not like me to strike someone in the back! Besides, this adrenaline I feel in me, and the lust for blood when I run these swords through you, they shall be the last time."

"You're the coward! Running from your sword now?"

Skabar just breathed in the air. He was growing tired of circles, whether in talk or chase. "The progression of the sword is not sharpening it, but the sheathing. That's what someone told me long ago. Another one said that the better the sword, the less it is used."

Bresen stopped, but didn't turn around. "I--I don't understand."

He slowed down, and then stepped back onto the ground behind Bresen. "If I had a sword that was hundreds of years old, and had been held by the most lustrous of swords masters, what would it be if I used it to butcher meat? Wouldn't I rather have a hunk of sharpened metal? A sword like that would demand respect! Now, do you understand."

The beast slowly nodded, and with a tired motion turned and stuck his neck out to Skabar. "I'll just say I did." It sighed. "It's not like I have any time to learn now."

"Bresen," Skabar said as he raised his sword. "Even with all this pain I have in me for you, you don't deserve damnation. I'll forgive you Bresen, if you accept it."

Bresen spat at the ground. "I'd rather beg mercy, old enemy."

"So be it."

…

Something like a really big firecracker lit the far horizon. Then dark green and red strands of what seemed to be light, coiled and went first heavenward, turned, and plunged to the ground.

Servan turned after having seen the spectacle. "What was that?"

"The falling star," Aerot said sadly, "of a damned warrior."

"Where are the others?"

He shrugged. "Like I know, though I have a guess."

"Where?"

Aerot pointed straight ahead into the blinding snow that was noticeably falling three feet ahead of them, but not on them. She strained her eyes to look into the snow, but could see nothing.

"I don't see anything."

"Look harder, don't you see the shining pillar? There's a tower just beyond this snowfield."

She squinted, and wanted just to see a glimpse of it. Then she did. "Oh yes! I saw it! That must be where Rei and the others are."

Touching a finger to his head, Aerot shook his head. "Palcos has been killed, but Rei and Skabar are safe."

Servan stood shocked. She actually felt remorse that Palcos was dead. "That's so sad." Then she thought about it. "How could you tell? That he's dead, I mean."

"I don't know, it's just a feeling. He'll be missed--" he stopped short.

Forcefully Aerot grabbed her by the arm. "I'm sorry, but there's no time for mourning. Not yet. There's something behind us."

Not having heard anything, she was about to protest, but Aerot quickly pulled her into the snowstorm. Suddenly everything was white, and it felt like snow was building up inside of her very mind. She felt the snow smother her.

Aerot was saying something to her, but she couldn't hear him. For about a minute they were running through the snowstorm. For a brief moment she turned around to see what was following them, saw nothing. Then she turned around again and saw a large black shape gaining on them. She tried calling out to Aerot so that he might stop whatever was tailing them, but he could not hear her.

She watched the figure now, waiting to see what it would do. The snow began to clear, and she saw the large black figure fold its arms against its body. Then, forcefully, the creature shot its arms forward, and a scalding blast of hot air struck Servan and Aerot, sending them flying through the air. They flew through the air for the longest time, almost as if they were now falling.

Landing quite suddenly, the air was knocked out of Servan and she strained to breathe. As soon as she was able to, she looked up to try and catch her bearings. They were out of the snowstorm now, and instead were in something like a ring rounded off by a gothic looking black iron fence.

"Where are we?" She said in a frightened voice.

"You," a high-pitched wraith voice said to them from above, "are in my domain!"

There standing tall above them was the leopard, Moss. He stood at least ten feet tall, and wore a green cloak all about him. Anything that wasn't under the cloak was thickly covered in armor or mail. A sword that had a blade at least as tall as Aerot was sheathed and hung at his side. He was a sight to see.

"Moss?" Aerot said calmly to him. "Is that you?"

The metal creature nodded. Again the voice came grating though the mouthpiece of the helmet, as if the voice came from the depths of hell. "Do not recognize me? Look at the power the exudes from my being! I am an immortal creature now! It is my duty to kill you, this is the land that my Emperor has given me, and you are trespassing."

"Last time you wanted to kill us for breaking orders," Aerot roared at Moss. "I thought that owning enemy land was treason?"

A hideous and terrifying laugh issued forth from every seam of Moss' armor. "I am far above petty earthly politics now. All I have to do is follow my master's orders, and I am content with that."

Servan couldn't take any more. "Just a lap dog now," she yelled to him, "That's all you ever were, and all you'll ever be."

Again the laughing boomed out of the creature. "And what? Are you above orders? What made you express your love to Skabar the last time we met? Weren't you taking orders for your heart?"

She shook his head. "Better that I still have a heart, demon!"

Moss stretched out his hand. "Enough, it is time that you die! Here and now!" Then he drew his massive sword from its sheath, and leapt down into the middle of the ring.

"I am Sera's knight, and I shall not let you hurt her!" Aerot shouted bravely at the approaching giant, as he too unsheathed his sword.

"This should be good! What kind of damage can you possibly do to my body now?" Proudly he hit his chest with his fist, the resulting sound was like a gong.

Aerot laughed. "You can't protect everything with armor!"

Then he leapt into the air and stuck his sword into Moss's visor. Instantly a scream burst from the creature, and soon following it blood began to pour out the visor. Aerot pulled out his sword and jumped back to the ground, watching as Moss tore at his own face.

"You bastard!"

"What's the problem? Did I find a chink in your armor!"

The creature stopped its frantic clawing and then laughed once more. "Fine! Now my eyes are covered in blood! And I shall kill you!"

Despite its size the beast was quick to strike at the ground where Aerot was one moment, and then the spot where Aerot leapt.

"It won't take long, stop squirming around and die!"

Aerot leapt again, but as soon as he stopped he doubled over in pain. Servan rushed over to him.

"What's wrong?"

He coughed up blood. "That wound didn't heal right, when I fought Bresen that one time."

Moss looked down at them and laughed. Then laughed even more when he saw the terror when they looked up at him. "Come on and fight me, Aerot. I haven't even touched you yet!"

"Sera," Aerot said to her. 'Take up my sword."

"What?" He offered her the hilt. "I can't even lift that thing."

Aerot smiled. "Teip had said that we would be in someone's dream or something, right? Well I think we can bend that dream to our favor. Just think about emotions, Sera. Think from your heart and soul."

She watched in horror as he coughed up blood in front of her. Tears began to run down her face. "Don't die, Aerot."

He smiled again. "That's it! That's what I'm talking about! Look at the sword."

She did, and saw that it was now glowing white. It had grown almost translucent. "What's going on," she choked out.

"That sword is an heirloom of mine, from long ago. It's crying with you. You can kill Moss with that."

She stood up tall and held the sword in her hand. It was so light; she'd have to be careful just not to cut herself. "Yes, I can do that! For you, my loyal servant… no, my friend!"

Moss, despite his size, began to shrink back from the blade. "Sera! Glad to see you've got your wits about you."

"Good bye, Moss."

The light shone brighter, and Moss raised his arms to ward off the blow as he watched Sera raise the sword high above her head.

"Bye, Sera," he said faintly.

The sword plunged into Moss' breastplate, right where his heart was. No scream came from him, and no cry of terror.

"Sorry--" he croaked out, and was no more.

…

Rei stood motionless. Right in front of him was a sword. Not just any sword, he recognized it very well. It had belonged to Kuja.

Looking to his right he saw a dark shape rise into the sky, then plunge earthward. "They seem to have killed another beast."

"Hurry, Rei." A voice whispered to him over the macadam stones underfoot.

"I'm coming for you, Tero. We have a lot to discuss. A lot of things to catch up on, eh? Not to mention some grievances to air out."

Rei walked about five feet, then turned back and looked at the sword. He puzzled over it a bit, then gave up and was about to walk ahead when he saw a figure approaching.

"That's a nice sword, shame to just leave it here."

Rei squinted into the smoke that drifted up from the street. He couldn't quite make out whom it was. "Who are you?"

Pretty soon the figure was close enough to distinguish features. Standing before Rei was a tall, red bird. In one hand was a stick, and in the other was a cigarette. The bird was about the same height as Rei, and for a moment Rei thought it was Tero. Then he looked into the bird's eyes, neither Tero's happy blue eyes, nor Beuter's cold dead eyes did he see. The eyes that stared at him were brown, and very tired.

"Remember me? I remember you, Rei."

"Sorry, you look like someone I knew."

The red bird smiled. "Like Tero?"

"Yea," Rei smiled back. "You're a son of his, aren't you?"

He got a nod in reply. "One of many."

"Now that I think about it, you're the one who's in charge of Winter, right?" Another nod. "I'm sorry I attacked you, I wasn't quite myself."

"Quite alright. Name's Zaego by the way."

They shook hands, and then stared at each other. Both were probably the same age, and that made Rei feel weird when he thought about it.

Zaego jerked a thumb behind him. "If you didn't know, the old coots that way."

Rei nodded. "Thanks." Then headed for the tower."

"Hang on," Zaego said in a cautious voice. "That sword back there, why don't you take it? You don't seem to have a weapon."

"Naw," he said. "Any sword's got bad stuff in it, and that one's even worse. When I meet Tero again, I don't want to fight him. We were old friends, if there's any bad blood between us, why add to it?"

"Hah, you're one noble nut, you know that?"

Zaego started walking away this time, but Rei stopped him. "Say, you know anything about that sword? Why's it here?"

The red bird nodded. "Yeah, it belonged to a Kuja. She was summoned here to kill you, but since she's dead she just couldn't make it.

He sighed heavily then continued. "They did the same with your allies. One for every two, bad idea I'd say."

Rei smiled, thinking that they had beaten both the guardians, though he knew better. "I can see it now, all of these sentries are dead, but so is one of mine." He thought about it further. "And another's wounded. Am I right?"

"Horribly so."

A tear yearned to roll down his face, but he wouldn't let it. "You seem to be a good kid, Zaego." He touched his beak with his hand. "You know, if none of this had ever happened, I might've been your uncle."

"So, you'd give me twenties all the time and tell me advice?"

He laughed. "Yeah, got some advice for you right now. Tomorrow, when you wake up, make sure you live it up. Okay?"

The red bird saluted him, and then walked off. "I certainly will, uncle. Just as long as there is a tomorrow."