The Dark Storm Chapter 8
By Martin Berglund
”Hauh...” Shadin yelled and sat up.
He looked around. He was in a quite small room with books everywhere.
There was one door on the east wall and one on the south.
He was lying in a quite small bed.
He heard steeps from the other side of the east wall.
Finally, a girl with a strange helm came in. Her hair was purple, and her
clothes were mainly orange. She was wearing some big glasses.
”Menesht.” Shadin said, but the girl frowned.
”Ursäkta? Finghyth? Excuse me? Joirthe...” Shadin tried, but
the girl interrupted him with:
”Excuse me, works fine.”
Shadin nodded.
”All right...” The girl said. ”Get the questions rolling!”
Shadin frowned.
”Huh?”
”You know... Where am I? Who are you? What am I doing here?”
Shadin nodded.
”Oh... You mean those... Well, since you know the questions, perhaps
you know the answers.”
The girl took a chair and sat down beside the bed.
”You know your name, right?”
”Shadin.” Shadin said.
The girl nodded.
”I’m Lucca.”
Shadin nodded.
”And you have been sleeping on my bed for nearly a day.”
Shadin looked down on the bed.
”Has I?”
”Have.” Lucca corrected. ”You still make some grammatical
errors.”
”Still?” Shadin said. ”What do you mean with
‘still’?”
”You’ll find out.” Lucca continued. ”You are now in the
guardia kingdom, 1000 AD”
Shadin nodded. ”Go on.”
”And you have caused us some problems, that why we hide you.”
Shadin looked out of the window.
”From who?”
”The king’s soldiers.”
Shadin turned back to Lucca.
”I don’t remember anything.”
”I’ve noticed that.” Lucca replied.
Shadin looked out of the window again.
It looked like he was on an island.
On distance, he could see a bigger continent and a bridge leading there.
10 soldiers were walking on it.
He looked back.
”What have I done?”
Lucca sighted.
”You know... It’s a quite long story. Let’s take it downstairs
later, okay?”
Shadin nodded.
Lucca turned around and walked out.
”He’s awake?” Crono asked once Lucca came back into the kitchen.
”As much awake as you can be.”
She sat down by the table.
”Where’s Marle?”
”She went back to the mayors manor to try to stop the search.”
Crono answered.
”Well, good luck.” Lucca said.
”So...” Crono started, ”What plans do we have?”
Lucca thought for a second.
”I don’t know... Talk to him a bit... And then hand him over.
That’s what I’ve planned.”
Crono nodded.
”I just hope it’s wise.”
Then, someone knocked on the door.
”Open the door!”
Crono and Lucca ran to open, but Taban had already done it when they came
there.
”We’re searching for a wanted criminal, who destroyed the castle.
Have you seen him?”
Taban shook his head.
”Well then... Too bad.” The soldiers walked in, and started to
search for Shadin.
”You can’t do this!” Lucca exclaimed. ”Don’t you
know who I am?”
”We have orders to search through every house. Whoever lives there.”
The commander replied.
”Look!” Lucca said, ”I‘ve saved all your descants.
Shouldn’t you be thankful?”
The commander didn’t answer.
He pointed on Lucca’s room and ordered a soldier to search there.
”There nothing up there!” Lucca shouted and followed him.
”Are you hiding something? Or someone? You act very strange!” The
commander said.
”I just don’t like this way to search for someone.” Lucca
replied and followed the soldier up.
”As you can see...” Lucca said. ”There’s no one he....”
She stopped when she saw Shadin, lying on the bed.
The soldier looked around.
Then he turned around.
”No sir! No one here!”
”Keep searching!” the response followed.
The soldier nodded and search through Lucca’s desk, closet and even
under her bed, but it was like he couldn’t see Shadin.
”There’s no one here!” The soldier shouted.
”Continue to search!” the commander ordered.
The soldier opened one of Lucca’s drawers.
”Hey! My clothes are in there!” Lucca yelled.
The soldier ignored her and throwed everything out.
Then he took the next one.
”Whoever you search for...” Lucca said. ”You won’t find
him in there... No, not that one...”
When the soldier left the room, everything was a more mess than usual.
Lucca walked down.
”Now you’re leaving! Whatever you like it or not!”
The commander nodded and ordered his soldiers to go out.
”I’ll keep an eye on you.” the commander said and left.
Lucca ran up to her room.
”I see your magic still works. But... How did you know they were looking
for you?”
”Easy.” Shadin replied. ”I could hear you tries to make them
leave.”
Lucca laughed.
”Yeah. Not very good, were they?”
Shadin shook his head.
Then Lucca looked down on the floor.
All her clothes were now covering the floor.
”I told my parents about you, so why don’t you go downstairs when
I clean up in here.”
Shadin looked down on the floor.
”Why? Is it something you were to... I mean want to hide?”
Lucca pulled him up.
”Just go!”
”Okay, okay, okay! Lugna dig lite... I mean... Calm down.”
”Lugna dig lite?” Lucca repeated.
”I’m not awake yet...” Shadin said and left the room.
”Oh, there you are!” Lara said, when Shadin came down. ”How
come the soldiers missed you?”
Shadin smiled.
”A little trick from my side.”
Taban came into the kitchen.
”They’re... Oh, you’re up... As I said, all soldiers have
now left the island. And Crono did too. He had something to do.”
Lara nodded. ”It’s good their gone. You can feel safe now.”
Shadin looked around. ”That’s a luxury I can’t afford.”
Taban and Lara looked on each other.
”Eh... Are you hungry? After what has happened, you might need something
to eat.”
Shadin nodded.
”That would be thankful... I mean... Yes, thank you.”
Taban frowned.
”This is not your primary language?”
Shadin shook his head.
”Not at all. As you might hear, it was not very long ago I studied this
language.”
”How long?” Lara asked.
Shadin thought for a long time.
”I don’t dare to... I mean... eh... Now, how do you say it... You
have no word for...”
”Okay, you don’t know.” Taban helped him.
”Something like that.”
”Why don’t you say something in your home language?” Lara
suggested.
”Sure. What do you want me to say?”
”Sit down first.” Lara said and pointed on a chair.
Shadin sat down.
”Let see...” Lara started. ”Say: You look wonderful, Lara.”
Shadin laughed.
”Okay. I’mana emaladio Lara.”
”What a nice language! You must learn me that sometime.”
Shadin smiled.
”When I get time, maybe.”
”Now what did you say? I’mana emelario Lara?”
”I’mana emaladio Lara” Shadin corrected.
”Lugna dig lite.” Lucca voice said coming from the stairs.
Shadin turned around.
”That’s an other language I master.”
”What did you say?” Lara asked.
”Calm down, I think.”
Shadin nodded.
”Correct.”
”And then you destroyed the castle.” Crono explained.
After Marle and Crono arrived, they started to explain what happened.
”I... Destroyed the castle?”
”That’s right.” Marle said. ”Not very nice.”
Shadin leaned back in the chair.
”This is getting worse and worse...”
Marle nodded.
”And then we started to think about how to take you out.” Lucca
said.
”And Lucca got the idea that you were controlled by something.”
Crono continued.
”Controlled? How?”
”Well...” Lucca started. ”I noticed some resisting movements
you did before you destroyed the castle. It wasn’t much, but something
to work on.”
Shadin nodded.
”And then we started to think of some antidote, and I got the idea of
salt water.”
”Salt water?”
”Yeah.” Lucca continued. ”You’d been asking for it all
the time.”
”Was it right?” Shadin asked.
Marle shook her head.
”No. It was the mixture of a heal potion and salt water who was the
right combo.”
”And how did you find that out?”
”I...” Marle said ”Hit you with some bottles.”
Shadin frowned.
”Really? Well, I guess I wasn’t very nice either.”
”No, you casted a strange spell who killed me.” Crono said.
”Me too.” Lucca added.
Shadin nodded.
”So that’s why I’m wanted.”
Crono nodded.
”What are you planning to do?” Lucca asked.
”Well, I think...”
”HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!” a voice shouted.
Ten soldier came in.
Shadin held up a glowing hand.
”Stop!” Marle shouted. ”Don’t kill them! They’re
just doing their job.”
Shadin looked very unsure on her and then turned to the soldiers.
”What do you want?”
”You’re coming with us!”
Two soldiers grabbed each of Shadin’s arms and led him out.
”Don’t worry! We’ll help you!” Lucca shouted after him.
”I knew you were hiding him!” the commander said.
Just a few hours later, was a court held. This time, Shadin got help from
Pierre.
Crono, Lucca and Marle was sitting as far in the front as possible.
They were all in the tent, who had been built up, earlier this day.
”I want you full name and the name of your home town.” The judge
said.
”My name is Shadin of Sharathorn, the first prince of Keera. My home
town is of no importance.”
”You must answer my question.”
Pierre nodded.
”Very well... I’m born in Thearnia, 894 E.O. Enough?”
The judge nodded.
He turned to the chancellor.
”You may start.”
The chancellor took a step forward.
”I have some questions about the suspects character.”
Pierre cleared his throat.
”Well, we have nothing to hide, but we both wonder what you might know
about Shadin’s personality.”
The chancellor ignored the question.
”Are you normally violence?”
Shadin shook his head.
”No. Not more than necessary, which is very little.”
”I see. Now, are you having problems of controlling your... magic.”
Shadin shook his head.
”No. Not at all.”
The chancellor nodded.
”And how come, that you simply destroy the castle, because you are being
transported to another courtroom.”
Shadin looked on Pierre.
”I don’t know. I can’t remember.”
”Are you sure?”
”Yes.”
The chancellor turned around and started to walk around in the big tent.
”Then tell me what you DO remember.”
Shadin looked down.
”I can’t answer. I don’t remember a thing.”
The chancellor nodded.
”I see... Do you know the penalty for lying?”
”What he says is true!” Lucca shouted.
A lot of voices came from the crowd.
”Order in the court!” the judge commanded.
The chancellor walked back to his place.
”I now wish to hear the defense.”
The judge nodded.
Pierre walk forward.
”Our suspect is claiming that he does not remember anything, and we
have a witness of that.
Lucca, will you step forward, please?”
Lucca nodded and walked up.
”Now,” Pierre said. ”Tell me why you think he does not remember
anything.”
Lucca nodded.
”Very well... I was the first one he saw after we had given him the
antidote, and then he tried to talk to me in a lot of different languages.
And he was eager to hear what he had done.”
”What antidote?” the chancellor asked.
”The antidote who made him normal.”
”Thank you, Lucca.” Pierre said.
Lucca stepped down.
”I think it will be fine.” Pierre whispered.
Shadin nodded.
”Let’s hope so.”
”Any comment, chancellor?” the judge asked.
”Yes. First of all, the witnesses story tells us that he was not himself.
I wonder what she knew about it? How could she knew so much about our
suspect?”
Lucca shouted out something, but because all voices in the crowd, she
couldn’t make herself heard.
After 30 minutes, they took a break.
Shadin was kept in a tent, close to the court tent.
”How’re you feeling?” Lucca asked as she came in.
”Not very good.”
”This looks bad.” Pierre said. ”The last 10 minutes was a
hell.”
”Agree.” Crono said as he entered, followed by Marle.
”They’re gonna execute me. Or at least try.” Shadin said.
”How do you know?” Marle asked. ”It’s not settled yet.”
”I have two reasons too know. First, they need a fall guy to blame
everything on. Second, I readed their minds.”
”Read.” Crono corrected.
”Whatever.”
”You read their minds? Who’s?” Pierre asked.
”The old mans in the funny hats.”
”The jury...” Crono corrected.
”It’s not legal?” Shadin asked. ”The judge didn’t
say anything about it.”
”That’s because we’re not used to magic.” Pierre said.
They were all quiet for a long while.
”I need some air.” Pierre finally said and walked out.
”What are you planing to do? Let’em execute you?” Lucca continued.
Shadin shook his head.
”I can only think of one way. Let them kill an illusion.”
”You can do that?” Marle asked.
”Of course!”
They were all silent again.
”I just don’t like it.” Marle finally said. ”To let you
get away with it. Controlled or not, you destroyed my home. But it’s
also wrong to execute you. It won’t bring the castle back.”
”I don’t know what to do.” Shadin finally said. ”But
I’ll get something on mind.”
”Hope it’ll get there soon...” Crono filled in.
Lucca walked around in the court area.
There were only ten minutes left before the court would continue.
Suddenly she found herself close to the jury’s tent.
She sneaked closer, trying to hear their discussion.
”...everyone...so...him...” It was impossible to hear anything.
Then she picked up the word ”execute”
So Shadin was right...
This wasn’t fair... But to let him go either. He had destroyed Marle
home, but somehow she felt sad about him. What was going to happened?
.