by Jun Eishima
With the Stoss Spear clenched in one fist, she kicked open the door, only to pause in confusion.
“Huh?”
Nothing. The vast expanse of Zegnautus Keep stretched out before her, but there was no trace of Diamond Weapon.
She cast her gaze upward and finally caught sight of it, high in the sky, suspended from what looked to be an imperial dreadnought. The weapon’s rampage seemed to have ended. It hung limply beneath the airship, completely still.
“Are you kidding me?!”
The airship’s magitek engines roared, and it began speeding away, bulky payload in tow. Aranea returned the Stoss to its holster.
“Unbelievable. Lost it again.”
Far below the receding dreadnought, she saw dozens of dropships, many engulfed in flames. A great horde of flying daemons swarmed them, occasionally slamming into a hull or flitting in front of a ship to bar its way. It seemed almost playful, but the results were decidedly not. The pilots veered, slamming into friendlies, and then more ships were up in flames. Several of the burning craft were in downward spirals, trails of black smoke marking their descents. Aranea found herself reminded of a fireworks display she’d once seen as a child and then grimaced at the irreverent comparison.
The ground toward which the flaming ships plummeted was itself a sea of fire. Explosions flared, buildings toppled and gave rise to new gouts of flame. The empire was crumbling. For Aranea, the truth had yet to sink in. She’d come to terms with the fact that her nation was in decline. The play was in its final act, and any reasonable mind could see that. But it was still jarring to have the curtains drawn so suddenly.
“Such a waste. Wouldn’t you agree, Commodore?”
Once more, she heard that unpleasant voice, this time coming from right behind her. Imperial Chancellor Ardyn Izunia.
She’d always suspected that everything somehow traced back to this man and his actions. She had thought it was largely a matter of incompetence, that his failure to carry out the duties of his post had set the empire on this course. But now it seemed the truth was so much worse. Who would have imagined him explicitly orchestrating the downfall of his own nation? Here he was on the rooftop, nonchalantly watching the giant magitek armor being carried off into the distance. He had to be the one who freed Diamond Weapon from its hangar, who set the facility’s daemons loose on the city, and who carefully marched the MTs down from Zegnautus Keep before sending them rogue. All to destroy Gralea.
“Truly, such a dreadful waste,” he repeated.
Aranea’s hand flew to the Stoss’s grip. By the time she spun to face him, the spear was out, leveled point-blank at his face. No human being would be able to dodge at that range before she’d managed a thrust.
“Oh dear me. Do watch where you point that thing.”
The tone of Izunia’s voice was light, mocking. Then he darted forward. His speed was unnatural. By the time she realized he’d sidestepped the point of her spear, his attack had already hit her. Something slammed into her flank with enough force to send her flying. She landed on her back, then felt another blow drive the air from her lungs. She had no idea what kind of weapon had delivered the hit. All she knew was that it had knocked the wind out of her. Her back and shoulders spasmed, and she began coughing violently, unable to stop.
With great effort, she managed to right herself. Still, the coughing continued.
“Anyone ever tell you that you hit like a baby?” she finally managed.
Izunia looked on, amused. They’d just been at point-blank range, but now the man was half a dozen spearlengths away. What kind of weapon did he wield that could fling her around so easily?
For his part, the chancellor didn’t seem interested in fighting. He turned his back on her, gazing at the airship as it glided off into the distance.
Between lingering coughs, Aranea spoke. “What’s your plan for Tiny?”
She didn’t bother asking if he was the one issuing its orders. Diamond Weapon was up there, being carted around by an imperial dreadnought, and Emperor Iedolas was dead. Who else was around to give the command?
Izunia turned once more to look at her.
“Just sending it off to have a little fun,” he said with a wink. He pulled a bright red apple from one sleeve and began tossing it into the air. Why the hell he was carrying a piece of fruit around, she could only guess, but the apple wasn’t the only red she saw.
“To Tenebrae,” he added.
“If you’re out to take over the empire, why attack Tenebrae?”
“Who said anything about taking over? Look at the place! It’s in a dreadful state. Daemons everywhere.” Izunia gave an exaggerated shrug, then brought the apple to his mouth for a loud bite. Aranea longed to escort him off the side of the Keep.
“So you just want to see it all burn?”
“Emphasis on all, my dear. Every last thing on this miserable little star.”
Hardly any time had passed since he had destroyed Insomnia. Today it was Gralea. Tenebrae would be next.
“I always figured you were insane,” Aranea said. “I just didn’t realize you were this crazy.”
Suddenly everything was absurd, and she hated it all. She couldn’t believe how many years she’d allowed herself to be ordered around, to toil for the sake of this fool who was dancing mad. She was disgusted with herself that he had been able to evade her attack so easily, that he had struck her down in a heartbeat. She hated that she was his subordinate, serving under his command.
The mad fool took another bite of apple. He seemed terribly pleased with himself.
“I wonder if His Highness is already aboard the train?” he mused aloud, clearly referring to Prince Noctis of Lucis. Or rather, with the youth’s father now departed, King Noctis.
Noctis. Right. She’d spent a night not too long ago guiding the prince and his buddies. They’d all enjoyed a little stint of spelunking at Steyliff Grove, at the order of the same man who stood before her now.
Just then, the comm broke in.
“Lady A!”
“Biggs. You all right?”
“A-OK. Our passengers are all nice and cozy, too.”
She felt a flood of relief pour through her. It was the best news she’d had all day.
“Plenty to eat on this thing. Medical supplies, too. Only problem is the course is locked in, and we can’t make any changes, not even a single turn. The vehicle’s on autopilot, as it were. But don’t worry, I’m sure we’ll make do.”
“Say again about the autopilot?”
“Hey, nothin’ for you to worry about! We’re on a superexpress. Nonstop ride. Leavin’ the capital far behind!”
An autopilot that wouldn’t turn off but also didn’t pose an immediate problem. Superexpress. Nonstop ride.
“Don’t tell me. You’re on a train.”
“Bingo!”
Aranea had a bad feeling. There were only so many lines extending from the capital. And of those, fewer still were in any sort of operable state.
“And let me guess. You’re headed for Tenebrae.”
“Bingo again! You’re on a hot streak today, Lady A!”
Biggs let out a big, bellowing laugh. Aranea wanted to clutch her head and scream. Their evacuees were out of the frying pan and speeding straight into the fire.
“Listen, Biggs, I hate to be the one to tell you this,” she said, “but our friend Tiny’s taken to the skies. And he’s headed the same way you are.”
“Ha ha h―Uh, sorry? Say again?”
“Tenebrae’s next on the docket for Diamond Weapon.”
Biggs’s tone soured. “Can’t say I saw that coming,” he groused.
And she couldn’t blame him. Who could have guessed that the giant magitek armor would bother going all the way to Tenebrae to “have a little fun”? It was a plan that could only come out of the mind of a mad
man. Like the one standing before her now.
“Wedge!” she called out.
She wasn’t about to let the children she’d saved run straight into the same danger as before. First, she needed to chase down that train.
“Wedge! Do you read? Where are you?!”
An agonizing moment passed before the terse reply “Dropship.” She sensed the tension in his voice.
“What’s your status?”
“Being chased. Swarm of daemons.”
Aranea groaned. She knew she should be thankful for the simple fact that their ship had not been downed or destroyed like so many others. But the ship already being up in the air meant that her plan wouldn’t make it off the ground. It would’ve been so simple: Wedge would fly up to her, she’d hop on board, and the two of them would go racing after the train.
“Uh . . . Is this thing on?” Another transmission crackled through the comm, this one from Biggs, though it wasn’t for her. “Attention, all passengers. We’ve got a bit of a, um, situation.”
The reception was poor, and it was hard to hear him through all the static, but he seemed to be making a general announcement on the train.
“It looks like the brake lever’s snapped. There wouldn’t happen to be anybody on board with a tube of industrial adhesive, would there?”
Biggs’s words were a little slurred. He’d clearly had a nip or two, which Aranea wasn’t the least bit surprised by. He had a tendency to crack under pressure. Normally optimistic and composed, he’d grow skittish and fretful when the going got tough. He was aware of the problem himself, but nonetheless he often went for a swig of liquid courage when larger threats loomed. Today, though, the alcohol didn’t seem to be helping.
Aranea glanced up to find Izunia watching her with a thin smile on his face. He’d been listening to the entire exchange, and it seemed to amuse him.
Irritation surged through her. “You know what you could use? A good beating.” She struggled to her feet. “How about I put you down and stop all these damn daemons once and for all.”
She’d hoped her words might bring the slightest hint of dismay to Izunia’s face. That alone would’ve been cause for celebration. But the man didn’t even give her that.
“Why not try? I’ve even got a little prize for you, if you manage to best me.”
Izunia extended the apple toward her. The gesture and his grin made her sick. The jagged bite torn out of the apple was turned in her direction. Deliberately, she assumed.
“Afraid I’m not much for sloppy seconds,” she said, swatting his hand away and stepping past him. She took a glimpse over the edge of the Keep: still the same cityscape painted in flame and smoke below.
“And anyway, we have more pressing business,” Aranea continued. “I think my subordinates and I are just about done playing soldier.”
“Is that so?”
“Mind if we tender our resignation to you? You know, seeing as His Radiance isn’t with us anymore.”
“I suppose I could oblige,” Izunia said. “What prompted the decision, if I may ask?”
Aranea was surprised he hadn’t figured it out for himself. She thought she’d made it obvious enough.
“It’s simple: I really can’t stand you.”
She winked, then dove off the edge.
She was hurtling through the air when Wedge’s next transmission arrived.
“Think I can shake ’em. Train line?”
He’d apparently kept an ear on her conversation with Biggs while outmaneuvering the daemons. Good. This would get them in position to chase down the runaway train.
“On my way now,” she replied.
As the ground rushed up toward her, Aranea engaged the Stoss’s retrofire to brake her descent. Her landing would be perfectly timed. Or at least it wouldn’t be a wipe-out.
“Oof!” The air left her lungs as she slammed into the ground, a wave of pain rushing from the bottom of her soles to the top of her head. She’d lessened the impact somewhat, but that didn’t mean it was a soft, comfy landing. In any case, she was still alive, and that seemed about as good as she could hope for given the distance from the top of the Keep to the ground.
All she had to do now was sprint the remaining distance to the rendezvous point. But as if fate were determined to deny her any imminent victory, no matter how small, the comm crackled to life again.
First there was just static. Gut-sinking static. Finally a voice came through. “Aranea!”
Of all the times . . . She was ready to throw back her head and start yelling curses at the sky.
“Where have you been?! You have a job to do! Stop messing about and help fight off these daemons!”
Loqi Tummelt. Arguably the most annoying man in the entire imperial army, if not the entire world. Sure, making commander in his early twenties was a real achievement and implied he had some talent, but as far as Aranea could tell, he produced more noise than actual results. And gods, he was always so uptight.
“It is the duty of all a nation’s people to defend the homeland!”
How did one pair of human lungs manage to produce that kind of volume? It was like a direct assault on her eardrums. She flicked off the comm―no time to deal with Little Lord Hotblood―and focused on sprinting with everything she had. Anything less wasn’t gonna cut it in a chase after a superexpress train.
But Loqi wouldn’t let go. As she neared the train line, she heard his voice again.
“Aranea!” This time it blared over a loudspeaker rather than the comm. He’d apparently stuck to her the entire way, like stink to a chocobo. She cursed herself for not thinking to turn off her coordinate data when she silenced the comm. Too late now.
She turned a corner, and there he was in his giant, obnoxious armor. Blocking her way in all his MA-X Cuirass glory.
“Some guys just can’t take a hint, huh?”
She was tempted to lay into him out of sheer frustration but managed to keep the venom in check. Of all the times to make a nuisance of himself, why had Loqi decided to do so now? Before she could think about it any further, there was a loud boom. Reflex propelled her to safety before her thoughts caught up with her body. A crater was smoking in the ground just shy of where she’d been standing. The Cuirass was firing on her.
“What the hell are you doing?!” she shouted.
“I would ask you the same!” his reply boomed. “Do you expect me to stand idly by in the face of your dereliction?!”
Her head was throbbing. The MA’s speakers were too damn loud and the situation too damn ludicrous. The whole day was a shit sundae, and Loqi was the cherry on top.
“All right,” she snapped. “You wanna play? Then let’s play.”
She drew the Stoss and thrust it at the Cuirass. If her words wouldn’t make him back down, she’d let her spear do the talking.
Her spearpoint slammed into the cybersuit’s left leg, rocking it off balance. She followed immediately with another thrust. The quickest way to put the MA out of commission was a concentrated assault on one leg. But several thrusts later, Loqi still wasn’t going down. It was a damn testament to the custom plating he’d rigged his armor with. The maneuverability of the Stoss was unmatched, but for all it excelled in that regard, it lacked in raw power. She was going to have trouble delivering a finishing blow to a heavy opponent like this.
And her mounting exhaustion wasn’t helping. Hour thirty-six. At this point, her overtime hours were racking up overtime. If she didn’t finish this quickly, she might not be able to finish it at all. Just as she began to mull this distressing new realization over, she heard a shout.
“Look out! Above you!”
The voice came from the MA’s speakers, but it wasn’t Loqi. He was young, but not that young.
Aranea looked up.
“Oh great,” she muttered. Loqi’s cry of dismay came in unison.
A winged daemon was incoming on a steep dive. Aranea leapt to meet it with the Stoss, skewering it through the middle, only for the corpse to explode off to either side. The Cuirass’s guns seemed to have found their mark, too.
In any case, the daemon was dead. Attack averted.
“Looks like you owe me one, Blondie,” Aranea drawled, right atop Loqi’s haughty assertion, “You do realize you’d be dead right now if not for me, yes?”
And all of a sudden, the whole situation seemed utterly ridiculous. The world was falling apart, and here they were, squabbling over battlefield credit like a couple of green cadets. Aranea felt the fight drain out of her with that realization, and she holstered the Stoss. Just as the spear clicked tight in its catches, the cockpit of the Cuirass popped open. Apparently, their little two-step wasn’t over. Loqi seemed to think their coincidental timing just as absurd as she did, and she found herself laughing along with him.
“It seems my accusation was unwarranted.”
“Finally figured that out, huh?”
Took you long enough, she was about to add, but stopped short. Loqi wasn’t alone in the cockpit: he held a small girl in his arms. Her presence solved the mystery of who had shouted the warning earlier, but it also posed an even greater one―who was she?
“Tell me, then,” Loqi asked. “Where are you headed in such a rush?”
“Got some business to take care of in Tenebrae.”
Loqi carefully lowered the girl to the ground. “I suppose it’s all that’s left to us now.”
“What do you mean?”
“The last safe haven in the empire.”
“For the moment, anyway,” she responded.
Pretty soon, they wouldn’t have even that. Diamond Weapon’s flight and the impending danger surged back to the forefront of her mind.
“We never should have used daemons in the way we did,” Loqi said. “Now it seems we’re finally paying the price.” His words possessed an edge of self-derision.
Aranea couldn’t have agreed with him more.
“And I’d wager that this nation was set on the path of its own destruction the very day that man arrived in the capital.”