Elements of Great Design Part 2
Heero stepped away from Relena at the touch of Dorothy's hand wrapping around his exposed free arm. Swallowing roughly, he followed the Oracle into her private meditation room while the Queen stayed back and looked on in silent worry.
As they walked through the cracked door leading into the glowing room, the fighter blinked in awe at the incredible designs that had been drawn on the walls and floor in soft and undefined lines to glow a wide range of colors that lit the otherwise dark space. Most of the spell sketching took on no actual shape or imagery; however there were a handful that made perfectly clear pictures in what they were portraying.
In the center of the north wall, deep blue and pale green lines waved and bobbed around like the running water of a river.
On the opposing south wall, similar lines burned red, orange and gold, rising up to take on the outline of fire.
When the door to the west wall that they had walked through was closed, the swirling white and silver in its middle practically howled with the wind capture there.
Coated on the east wall, deep browns, greens and golds were shaped into impressive rock and tree formations.
The last capture that could be made out was in the perfect midpoint of the floor. Perhaps the most captivating of all, those lines were painted in a haunting violet. The triangular shape that they created with the swivel of rays bursting from it was the image of only one very intimidating incantation that was known amongst everyone in Gaia... Death.
And it was at the heart of everything depicted in the room.
Startling enough as that was for Heero, what got to him the most was how oddly drawn he was to that image... to that shade of violet that seemed to call to him.
His head shaking away its allure, the fighter looked to his friend and frowned, "What does all of this mean? I am not exactly familiar with interpreting messages spawned from magic." But he knew that there was much to fear from what he could make out... what with Death at the core of what seemed to be every source of life.
"Plainly speaking, this is a warning," Dorothy replied, a deep frown on her own face as she stood at the top of the triangle while the soldier remained at its base. "It took a lot of urging on my part for my ability to draw this for me. And I am afraid that what is about to befall our world will send the future into such chaos that I will not be able to see more surrounding the Great War than what nearly took all of my strength to bring into view."
The Great War.
Such a title for whatever the unknown darkness had unleashed had Yuy's heart pounding in his chest. He swallowed roughly past the tightness in his constricting throat and forced his breathing to even out.
Catalonia bit her lip, lowering her head. A hand resting on the revealed flesh of her chest plate, she murmured, "I will not be able to sleep from the nightmares that I know will come from the terrible sights and sounds that my visions revealed. The Paramecia Empire and Coneria were only the beginning of the takeover that Mariemaia has begun. And with every city that falls from here out, her army of monsters will only become stronger... grow more blood-thirsty as they understand what they can do."
"Not unicorn, nor dragon, nor human or any creature will be safe," the Oracle continued, raising her head to reveal her shimmering eyes. "Those that are killed quickly will have it easy compared to the rest that are doomed to suffer long and painfully before their end comes. King Zechs and Queen Noin are only now realizing just how fortunate they are for stalling in their chance to escape when they could have."
Taking a slow, deep breath, Heero rolled his shoulders back for the blow that was to come. He did not want this. But he knew that he needed to hear all of his friend's visions to understand what was being asked of him. With his voice low, he said calmly, "Tell me everything."
Dorothy received the request perfectly, her eyes became distant as she lost herself to the horrible memories of her prophecies. "Just before the army moves into its target, there is a quiet that settles unlike any other," she began. "But when they strike, it is with such a roar that the skies themselves seem to tremble..."
* * * * * *
Sitting atop a grassy hill that overlooked what had only a day ago been his kingdom, King Zechs remained in his bed robes as he peered down into the darkened land of fires, billowing black smoke and dancing shadows of the demons that occupied the remains of Coneria.
Where the Sovereign stood now was far enough from being in immediate danger, but it was not nearly far away enough to be considered safe either. Beneath the clear skies that were beginning to turn brilliant shades at the descent of the sun, his face was frowning as he continued to stare down on his home.
Images raced through Merquise's mind of the hellish struggle that had unfolded. Ogres, Behemoths and every other unimaginable beast born out of the most frightening of nightmares crashed through the city walls.
The Fighters in their way were mauled down as it they were little more than pesky insects compared to the demons. What could be heard over the raging fight between the clanging metal, snapping jaws, ferocious snarls and chilling deep laughter of Mariemaia's army was covered by the piercing screams of their victims.
Zechs had taken to a sword as well, only to be pulled back by a handful of his soldiers when he was in danger of being overwhelmed. Several of those brave men were killed in the process, their swift ends making the King realize just how futile resistance was. Reluctantly, he had rushed back to his wife to help her with the survivors before escaping with them. Once they were beyond what part of the walls that were still standing, they ran without looking back.
Still, those screams of those unfortunate souls that remained caught up in the attack followed them.
From where Merquise was now, those desperate and pained cries had long ceased. But he could still hear them.
Broken-hearted and yet still reeling over how fast the assault had been, he watched as those monsters charging through the remains of his kingdom had their fun in pillaging and burning what buildings remained. Throughout the streets, heaps of discarded, bleeding and dismembered corpses still lay about... hundreds upon hundreds of them from young to old.
With a stifled sob, the King's legs gave out and he collapsed to his knees. "Zechs?" a familiar voice called just before its wielder lowered herself beside him. Pulling him into a tight embrace, Noin rubbed the back of his head that he buried into her robed shoulder that became wet. "You should not have looked, my love," she whispered brokenly as her own tears fell down her face. "We should be so much further away than this."
Shrieking laughter rose from the valley below, but the Queen refused to peer down to see what was happening. She had seen enough through the ordeal of delivering as many of her people as she could from certain death. The sights and sounds of that night when the world had gone mad would live with her for the rest of her days.
No. She did not need to see anything more.
Zechs pulled back to roughly dry the shimmer from his vision. Meeting his bride's reddened eyes, he frowned deeply, "We should have taken Mariemaia's warning seriously. We should have used the day that we had to get everyone out in time." His stomach lurching, he followed his wife's example and never peered back at the ruins of their homeland.
Shaking her head, Noin rested her hands on his shoulders as she replied, "She is but a child. We had no way of knowing that she had the power to make good on her threat. No one had ever been able to call upon dark magic the likes of which she brought into Gaia. Our entire board of advisers agreed that fleeing without understanding what was truly working against us would have made us look weak, leaving our kingdom for the taking."
"Better that than to have allowed so many to be cut down," the King replied bitterly. "We are lucky that the quarter of our population that was able to get away managed to so."
Pointing down into the valley without turning away from his wife's stricken face, he gritted, "That left thousands still to be cut down like they were nothing. They had no say in their fates. They had no idea that we were given notice that their lives meant nothing to the Paramecia Empress, child or not. They deserved better."
Her resolver faltering at that, Noin whimpered before her whole frame trembled so violently that she crumbled.
Catching her in a fierce embrace, the King kissed her head as she pressed her tear-dampened face against the nape of his neck. "I am sorry, love," he breathed thickly. "But we must take responsibility where it is due. And we cannot allow our mistake to be the mistake of the remaining lands."
Already devoted to the cause that he had set upon his shoulders, Merquise declared, "I know that it is not our policy to work with Strangers, but we must travel out and be the voice of reason to our fellow Sovereigns. Be it running or mounting an assault against Mariemaia's monsters, we must not let the lives of the fallen to be in vain. If we do, everyone in this world will join them."
Sniffling, the Queen nodded against him in agreement and her profound promise to take on their new duty. They had an uphill battle ahead of them. There was no question of that. Few were likely to listen. Even fewer would be willing to fight together.
But their minds were set. No matter how far they had to travel into the unknown, whatever challenges lay ahead, they were bound and determined to do their part in seeing that there were no more Conerias.
* * * * * *
"That could not have gone better, my dear. Absolutely brilliant."
A soft giggle. "Thank you, Uncle. It should not be long before the rest of the world falls to my whim. I can feel both sides of my gift growing, just as you told me they would. Nothing in all of Gaia will be able to stop me."
No. And so that meant that nothing would be able to stand in his way of ultimate power and control. The child was a mere chess piece in the broad picture of the game. She would never know that until it was too late. Until then, he was more than happy to allow her to go on with the dreams of grandeur that he had corrupted her with.
In the end, all that would matter was who was actually sitting atop the throne.
And that would be Dekim. He would see to that.
* * * * * *
Dorothy reached up to wipe away a stray tear from her cheek as she sighed, "We are a very proud people, every one of us on Gaia. It is what will be the downfall of our kind if something is not done to change that. Many more cities will be devastated because their leaders will believe their soldiers and gifted to be the strongest, their minds the wisest to be able to confront any challenge."
She shook her head, "Our demise does not come only in the form of Mariemaia's demons, but through the devices that we have created for ourselves. We should be good neighbors to our fellow man when instead we call all beyond our closed borders Strangers and treat each other as such. For all of these reasons and more the fate of our kind and every race faces the very real possibility of extinction."
From the first-hand account of what Coneria had faced, Heero felt his own pride greatly shaken for the first time in his life.
His cobalt eyes prickled with tears of fright that he managed to contain through a couple of rapid blinks, but the wish to cry had not left him. "A-and I am to go to the danger?" he asked in a breath. "What good could I possibly do against an army of demons that can wipe out whole cities?"
A small smile curled the Oracle's lips in the glow of the symbols around. "You will leave Romefeller alone, but there will be others that shall face the darkness with you. There will be five... one shrouded in darkness... one bathed in light... one silent killer of beasts... one with hair and a spirit that burns... and one who is far more than what he seems."
Yuy frowned in confusion. "Those descriptions do not exactly help me," he all but huffed in frustration. "How will I know who they are when our paths cross? And how will only the six of us be able to stop a sorceress that can open the gates to the Underworld?"
"Four of them are the Keepers of the Elemental Stones," Catalonia informed.
She giggled at the slack-jawed, wide-eyed expression on her friend's face at that announcement. "They are not aware of their heritage... no descendant of the Original Keepers are aware of their titles until they are needed. And never before have they been needed more than they are now. You will be the one to bring them together, to help them realize their destinies and what they must do to preserve our world."
The significance of the drawings of the four elements setting in, the Fighter slowly turned around to take in the illuminated pictures.
Water... Fire... Air... Earth...
...The four life forces of Gaia.
And he was to stand with the Keepers of those core facets... four of the most powerful people to walk Gaia.
Dorothy chewed worriedly on the inside of her cheek before all but whispering, "The light of the Stones have has dimmed since the arrival of the evil that is seeping into this realm. If their Keepers are not linked to them to return their power, turning them on Mariemaia and all that are working with her, no amount of hiding, running or fighting will do a single soul in Gaia any good. The darkness will spread to every corner of the skies and the terror that they blanket will reap the earth."
His heart hammering again, Heero felt sweat beading on the back of his neck. "And the fifth?" he heard himself question, surprised at how steady the voice that he did not think he still had sounded. "If four of these Strangers that I meet are the Keepers, what about the fifth?"
"Ah," Catalonia grinned to him as if she was holding a secret. "His significance will be clear to you the moment you look on him. You will know him when you do meet. You will know all of them when you are together. I cannot help you with more than those pictures that my visions have shown me. However, all of your courses are fated to intertwine in this great struggle to save our world."
Raising a finger, she warned, "You must lose your pride and any prejudice. Find a way to work with these individuals. I know how this goes against everything you have been taught through your life be it from your rearing to your training, but do whatever you have to in order to be the tie that links your team together."
To make absolutely sure that the message was perfectly clear, Dorothy stated slowly, "If even one of you is lost before you reach the Paramecia Empire, so will all hope be lost. The odds are greatly stacked against you, but they will be impossible to overcome without the whole of your force."
The Oracle tiled her head and asked, "Do you understand, Heero?"
His cobalt eyes filled with resolve, the young fighter nodded firmly, "Yes. I understand and I accept the task that has been set upon me."
Of course he accepted. It was adversity like this that his training had prepared him for...
...even if he was silently scared out of his mind.
* * * * * *
While there was still some light for him to travel by, Heero moved to set out. Time was of the essence and he wanted to leave his cozy, familiar surroundings so that he could become used to being in the world.
A fanfare farewell was not desired. In the end, there were really only three people that he wanted to see him off, so they were the ones standing at the large double doors at the entrance of the Peacemillion walls.
"Take this," Relena requested with a sniffle as she held out a pink-laced handkerchief. The hand that she held it out with trembled while she did her best to keep her eyes from shimmering over. "I do not want you to forget me out there."
Suppressing a sigh, Yuy accepted the trinket and shifted the pack on his back to stuff it inside. "You know I don't need this to remember you, Relena, but thank you," he told her. When he pulled his arms back through the straps of his pack, he was taken aback as the Queen threw herself around him. With a kiss pressed against his cheek, he bowed his head and saluted smartly to his childhood friend before moving to stand before his armored father.
His head high and gray eyes shining with pride, Odin smirked, "I knew that you were always destined for greatness, son. When this nightmare is over, I'll be the one to boast over how it was my boy that saved us all."
Of course, that was the only part that the officer took from his brief explanation to why Heero would not be joining him and the other Fighters. "I do wish your dear mother was here to see this, but I am confident that she was the one to put a good word in for you to the Creator. I look forward to hearing all about your heroics when we meet again."
That sort of gloating was nothing out of the ordinary for Yuy when it came to his father. However, ever since his talk with Dorothy only hours ago, the stubborn conceitedness really sank in with him.
It really was humanity's own devices that made them susceptible to being brought down like Coneria. It was something that he would have to be especially conscious of... especially when dealing with the five Strangers that he would be dealing with.
Suddenly, in a rare moment, Odin actually bit his lip when he began to tear up as his squared jaw quivered. Clearing his throat, he pulled his boy into a tight embrace. "Good luck, Heero," he whispered by his ear.
Caught off-guard by that tender exchange, the young Fighter fought his own surging emotions as he patted his father's back. "Be careful out there, dad," he replied back in kind. Stepping back, he and his guardian saluted with fists over their hearts.
Bringing Wing into the scene, Dorothy lowered the reins she was holding to pass them to her friend. "Always follow what your emotions tell you, Heero," she smiled sadly. "You always had a good head on your shoulders and would not have been chosen for this journey if you were not the right person for it."
Those words were meant for Yuy to gather up the courage he needed. He was aware of that. And though a part of him believed what she was saying about his being chosen, he was beginning to falter in some of that confidence. The reality of being off on his own was setting in and fear was beginning to take hold.
However, in this mission fear was not an option.
Bowing his head in appreciation to the Oracle, he hugged her tightly. "Keep our people running for as long as you can," he urged.
"Of course," Catalonia promised. Biting her lip, she pulled back while pressing a quick peck against his cheek. Folding her hands together before her face, she wished, "May the Creator watch you and your allies."
With a deep breath, Heero mounted his stallion. Gripping the reins, he lightly tapped his heels against the white steed's hide with a firm, "Let's go, Wing." Lightly snorting in response, his horse trotted ahead as Odin waved up to the guards standing watch overhead.
A series of commands were shouted between the gate keepers and soon, the gears and leavers squealed to life in opening the doors. To the first sight of the thick cover of trees that flanked the winding dirt road leading away from Peacemillion, Yuy closed his eyes and said a silent prayer to the Creator as Wing carried them outside.
The time of prayers and hoping was officially over. Now was the time for action.
Opening his cobalt eyes, Heero gave a loud cry to have his steed charge along the road. There would be no more looking back, only forward from this point on. Fears would have to be conquered head on and he would rise to the occasion to the best of his ability.
...All that he could do now was hope that he and these five others that he would come to know were enough to save the world.
TBC...
Back to SkyLark's Fanfictions Page