Chapter Nine

By Erik Brown

Rei walked through the cool grass. It was still fairly early in the morning, and Rei hoped that this wouldn't take all day. He was getting pretty lost, and his throat was becoming slightly parched. So he found a tree to sit under, it wasn't a long search, there was only the one tree for what seemed like miles.

As he pulled out a canteen, and took a swig of water from it, he pondered what exactly he was doing. He was honestly going to go out and be a hero, wasn't he? He was going to fight and bring in a criminal. No, not a criminal, they hadn't been too clear on Kuja's motives. Still, he had a sword, and he had a mission, did he need anything else? Maybe a solid spine?

He heard a rustle in the leaves above him, and standing up, he turned and tired to see what was there. The leaves were thick, and it was hard to make out a shape, so Rei called out to it, "Hey, you, uh come out!" Realizing he had a weapon, Rei drew it, "I've, uh, got a sword!"

Resisting the temptation to take out his gun, and shoot the dumb moron in the head, Palcos climbed down, and feigned weakness. "Hey, hey, it's alright. Just a monkey in a tree."

Waving the sword in increasingly dangerous motions, Rei asked, "Well, what's your name?"

Growing progressively more annoyed with the sword and the bird, Palcos hoped that Rei would just kill himself with it. "My names Palcos, just a traveler out here like you. Harmless, see."

Rei looked at the curious looking monkey. Black tinged fur covered his exposed tail, legs, arms, and head, while he wore khaki shorts, and a red t-shirt with a black vest. Apparently he wasn't carrying anything dangerous, and the large smile he was producing made him seem honest enough. Rei decided if anything, he might as well exploit the stranger's navigating abilities.

Sliding the sword back into it's sheath, Rei asked Palcos, "You wouldn't happen to know the way to Blue Lake, would you? I lost my map a few miles back."

"Just a few miles north."

"Thanks." Rei was about to be on his way, but the monkey stopped him.

"Wait a minute, would you mind if I tagged along with you?"

Worrying that his farce might be blown, but then realizing that he might be able to get Palcos to do his job, Rei said, "Sure, I don't see a problem with that."

"Good, good."

"Well, off to Blue Lake."

Rei started walking, as Palcos stood in place. "Hey bird, what's your name."

"Rei, could we get this going, I want to get back for dinner."

"Yeah, but north is that way, Rei."

…

As they walked along, Rei tried to get Palcos to speak, "So where are you from?"

"Big black city called Marburg. Lousy place, heart of black gunk."

"Yah, I can imagine so." Thinking back to his own gloomy metropolis that he had fled a month ago.

"Nasty place, don't ever go there. All of the nice sites are faded, and all the citizens want to cut your throat and take your wallet. Bars are good, times are fast, and you'll die within a week."

"Sounds awful."

"It can be, can be exhilarating if taken in small doses. Some people actually like it there all the time, can you imagine that. I grew up there, and I hate the place."

"Why?"

"The industrial section blocks out the sun, and Winter's even worse."

"Yeah, all that snow and ice could be a hassle in a city."

"Wha', you on something? Marburg is south of here; the temperature's never dropped below 'too darned hot'! Folks there have never even seen hail!"

A bit miffed, Rei debated, "But you said winter, weren't you talking about the seasons. Like summer and fall?"

"I am so close to despising you! Winter, Winter, don't you know anything. Everyone's heard of Winter!"

Thinking of all the conversations he had had in the past month, not once could he think of a time he heard Winter, season or no. "Can't say I have."

"You from the doldrums or something, don't doubt that Winter's not there too!"

A bit impatient himself, he snapped, "Snow, ice, or something despised!"

"Despised by everyone, Winter is the name of the Emperor's enforcers!"

"Like a police force?"

"Nah, nah. Cops are subject to laws, Winter agents make laws whenever they see suit."

"A special ops?"

"More, and much worse! Can't believe you never heard of them. Their legally corrupt, they can do whatever they please!"

Still confused, Rei kept on, "So the Emperor allows this? Isn't that unjust?"

"Of course it is, it's been that way for a hundred years, ever since Winter was put together. Think of this, a Cop can be corrupt in only one way. Breaking laws, moral or political. A business can be corrupt in other ways, social and economical. Winter manages to be corrupt on every level, in every single term that corrupt can be applied."

"Amazing. It reminds me of…" clamping his beak with his hand, Rei went no further. He was about to compare Winter to his own world's mob, but realized that he would only garner unnecessary attention.

"Speak up, reminds you of what?"

At a loss for words, Rei feigned ignorance, "Amazing, that's all I said."

"Bah, whatever. Still sounds like you never heard of Winter."

"Now I have."

Grade-A idiot! "Look, if you haven't heard of Winter, have you heard of a group called Sieve."

"Well at least I can't get that mixed up with a season. But no, can't say I've heard of them either."

For the first time in a week Palcos smiled a legitimate smile, "Excellent, finally someone free of Winter's lies. I shall speak the truth to you my friend, hear me out." Clearing his throat, Palcos continued, "Sieve is the next movement, the future, and the truth! With the strength of individuals, we shall free ourselves from the Empire's dictatorial rule, bit by bloody bit! A war has been waged on the Empire and the Emperor's loyal lapdogs, Winter! We shall triumph over these oppositions and oppressions, and unite all animals under a new rule."

"Oh, wow, that's some ambition! I'm impressed by your words."

"Why, thank you, we are the future."

"So, what's the new rule going to be like?"

With shining eyes, Palcos exclaimed, "Capitalism!"

Groaning, Rei told him, "But I've seen capitalism in action, it just lets the greedy become rich and corpulent, while the rest become poor and lean."

"Failures of the past shall not persist, our new rule shall be absolute."

"You'll only receive more rulers, and more restrictions. At least here, while having an Emperor, most places are rarely bothered."

"Well smarty-feathers, what's your brilliant idea?"

"I don’t' have one, I'm not a politician."

"Then shut your mouth, and let us find out on our own!"

"Yeah, whatever. Bleed yourselves dry for all I care."

So they continued walking to Blue Lake, staying in relative silence. At least Palcos was, as the monkey seemed to clam up when he got irate. Rei was content to just let him lead anyway. Since he had left, Rei had been walking through fields of grass, with the occasional tree or bush. After about an hour they were suddenly thrust into a wooded area. The sounds of the forest echoed in Rei's head, and brought back memories of searching through woods for treasure.

Palcos whistled a bar, and when Rei heard it he went berserk. First Rei yanked Palcos back by his tail, and then he throttled the monkey by his neck.

"Get offa me!"

"Where did you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

"That song you just whistled, where did you hear it?"

"I don't know, it just popped into my head, would you let go."

Rei eased his grip, on the monkey's neck, "I've heard it a few times before. From memories I was trying to run away from. I fear it may be a bad omen."

Palcos slapped his hand, and still filled with ire, exclaimed, "Omen shomen, it hardly seemed appropriate to strangle me!"

"Death and carnage. Promise me you won't even hum that tune again, okay?"

"How about this! I'll punch you so hard, you're beak will fall off, if you strangle me again for any reason!"

Grumbling, Rei walked away from Palcos. "This way right?"

Replying with an irate, "Yes," they continued on their way.

After about another hour they began to climb a high hill. Climbing it they came to a wonderful, and utterly awful, vista. At the crest of the hill, Palcos turned and motioned over the side, "This way to Blue Lake."

Rei hurried to get up and over the top, so he could see the place that he was going to. Already he saw a thin column of inky black smoke crawling skyward. The site he saw was mind numbing. All around the lake were trees, all dead. The ground all around was covered with dead grass, huge craggy rocks, and bits of dust that shone in the sun. The lake itself was a confusing jumble.

Seeing the surface of the water at an angle, where one could see rocks or the gravely bottom, the water was crystal blue and clear. But further below the surface, like oil to vinegar, lay hundreds of gallons of thick black ichor. A disgusting environmental accident had seemingly occurred there, and Rei saw the problem right off.

Adjacent to the water was an open mine, where raggedly dressed people toiled. The people there carried heaping baskets of rock back and forth, from mine to one of several buildings that dotted the land below. Then Rei saw the tallest building of them all. While the other buildings looked little better than wood shacks, but the tower that stuck out of the water was made all of stone.

Seemingly painted colors to camouflage it, the stone tower loomed over all of the buildings and creatures that filled the Blue Lake. Oddly enough, large moving, rusted gears ran up and down one side of the tower, while black smoke came out of vents on the side, and doubtlessly black tar poured out of pipes below the water's surface.

An old dog fell over on the ground, scattering the rocks in his load. A guard came over, and kicked the fallen worker in the side. Then he dragged the still unmovable laborer into one of the shacks.

"Well kid, this is Blue Lake."

"That's awful, the things they are doing. The environment is ruined here!"

Taking out a cigarette, the monkey struck a match, and lit it. "So."

"Those will kill you, you know."

"What, naw! This is one of the best inventions ever made, can't believe no one thought of it years ago."

"Cigarettes were just invented?"

"Rils," Palcos corrected, "and they just came out this year. Hottest commodity ever."

Unclear as to what might happen on this world, "Well, I don't know if anyone knows this yet, but they do cause cancer." In fact, if the plant life were different enough, Palcos could be smoking something worse than tobacco, or even more potent. Rei didn't really want to argue about it though.

Impatient, Palcos demanded, "What are you going to do? Eh?"

"I have to go in there, and stop Kuja."

Between drags, the monkey snickered, "Stop, why? Kuja's the best thing to happen to this area, economically that is."

"Huh?"

"The Mayor pays Kuja to mine here. He doesn't care what she does, but Nogrias reaps a profit."

"Then it doesn't make much sense."

"Maybe not. Or maybe Kuja has been overstepping herself, and the Mayor is sick of her."

"Maybe he's concerned for the environment."

Again he snickered, "Heh, yeah! Save the trees."

Rei growled a bit, tobacco or no, Palcos was no longer grating, just annoying. "I suppose that I have to do what I have to do."

"Yeah, you do that."

"What about you?"

"Huh?"

"You don't have to come with me. There's no point for you to do that."

"Yeah there is."

"Really, what?"

"Well, you know. This here is a Winter establishment, and Kuja's gaining profits from the Emperor too."

Completely disillusioned now, as he thought back to what the Mayor said, all about 'fighting for town and Empire.' Rei was lost as to what to do. "Will you help me take care of Kuja?"

"Sure, sure, leave it to me."

Palcos began walking down the opposite side of the hill that they had climbed. "Wait up."

The monkey had excellent balance, and Rei was out of shape. Stumbling a bit, he stepped on a loose rock, and began to roll down the hill. Palcos called out to him, "You idiot, you'll give us away!"

Rei rolled right past the monkey, and right into a rock. Upside down, and other wise in an uncomfortable position, Rei let out a groan of pain. Palcos restrained his laughter, and desperately tried to get his mind to concentrate on the seriousness of the matter.

"Think, think, what's going to happen now!" The monkey skipped on down to Rei, "You okay kid?"

"I'm so fine, that that sharp rock sticking into my side, feels like a pillow."

Palcos rolled the bird, over, "Stay down, let me check if it's clear."

The monkey just barely missed being hit by a bullet, as three rifles had simultaneously gone off. "Shoot, old carbines, but that doesn't make them any less dangerous!"

"Guns? But I thought you didn't have guns?"

Palcos pulled his own sidearm from his vest, "A backwater town like Nogrias? Of course they aren't gonna' have guns. Now watch this!"

Rei peeked around the corner, as Paclos fired off three bullets, and hit the wall behind the guards.

As they pulled back behind the rock, and three more bullets fired at them, Rei shouted at Palcos, "Can't you aim?"

Flicking his 'ril' towards the ground, Palcos angrily looked at the bird, "Course I can aim, I'm just tired. Yeah, tired."

A call rang out through the lake area, "Shoot again, and we will hang you upside down, cover you in honey, and let the insects devour you!"

"Ooh, that is mean."

"Do we give up?"

Palcos looked around, as he thought about firing off his remaining bullets at the four spear-armed guards that had just surrounded them. Rei watched in abject horror as the monkey raised his pistol, and a spear was nearly thrust through Rei's neck. "I think we should give up."

…

Aerot woke up. He achingly stood up off of the wooden plank that had been his bed. "I gotta buy one of those new fangled spring mattresses." His back had actually been feeling better, which was good, but having to get up to turn off ones alarm clock on a nightstand was very annoying. "Maybe I should just replace that nightstand with a piece of wood as well."

He was about to go outside and do his exercises. That was when he noticed something odd about his room. "Strange, I don't remember having black swirl paint on my walls. Those giant eyeballs look mighty suspicious too."

A loud bass-tone voice spoke to him, "Hear this wolf warrior!"

"Nice reverb! Have you ever considered singing?"

"Ugh, you've got the same attitude as your ancestors! You joke now, but you'll be sour and bitter later."

"Coffee changes my mood."

"You're not even rational! Don't you care that I've met key persons in your lineage?"

Aerot shrugged, "I've got a big family album."

"Look, get something to write these instructions on. Then when you have your coffee, you can decide what to do, got that?"

"Every word. I'll go get a piece of paper and a pencil." After a brief search for the materials, Aerot found a pen and a small chunk of a 4x4.

"You're lousy at finding things too! You're the spitting image of your twenty times great grandfather!"

"Should I be flattered?"

"Not really, now copy down these words… and remember, however unbelievable it sounds, I will provide."

"Hang on, this pen's dry."

A sound of an invisible foot, impatiently tapping, filled the room.

"Okay, there it goes."

"Destroy Winter."

Coffee wasn't needed, Aerot was wide awake, "What! Destroy Winter, you're pretty nuts for a ghost and all!"

Silence.

"Hey, anyone there?" A few seconds went by, as Aerot stared at his green colored walls. "No, pretty gone now. Well you're stupid and ugly!"

Nothing.

After brewing a cup of coffee, Aerot put his 'I hate the world' look, and proclaimed in a low brooding voice, "Time to get busy!"