The Silence Broken Chapter 1
A Troubled King
By Master Odin
Five years have passed since the death of King Guardia XXXIII. As the rulers of Guardia, Crono and Nadia were able to make a peace treaty with the Mystics, a race of magical beings who have had a grudge against the humans for centuries, of Medina Village. All was well in the world, but not with the new king.
Crono walked into a bed chamber within Guardia Castle. He wore a dark red tunic and trousers to match. A bright red cape hung down his back from gold disc broaches pinned to the shoulders of the tunic. He hated wearing these clothes, and showed in the way he clumsily walked about in them.
The chamber had a definite woman's touch to it, with floral pattern wallpaper pasted to the walls and floral arrangements set on tables and stands everywhere. The tapestries in the room were a soft azure color, adding to the gentle appearance of the room. Hanging on the wall next to the bed was a silver sword.
Busying herself within the room was an older woman. She had long olive green hair with streaks of gray in it, adding to her motherly appearance. "Greetings, your Highness," she said as he walked in. He glared at her. "I'm sorry, Crono, I forget how much you hate being called that, especially by your own mother." She looked at her son's face. "Something's bothering you. What is it?"
He showed great concern on his face as he looked at the silver sword hanging on her wall.
"You've been having those dreams about your father again, haven't you?"
Crono nodded.
His mother shook her head. "He's been missing since you were so young. I'm almost surprised you even remember him."
Crono had a very distressed look on his face as he walked over to the sword. A tear trickled down his cheek as he ran his thick fingers down the smooth, cold blade.
His mother walked up behind him. "He bought that sword from Melchoir while he was on a trip. He was hoping to enact a peace treaty with the Mystics at that time. His disappearance may have been a result of that."
Crono turned to his mother, his concern showing once again.
"The dreams have been becoming more realistic, huh? Do you think there is some meaning behind them?"
Crono shrugged. He lifted his tunic to show her a bruise on his side.
"You woke up with that?!"
Crono nodded as he let the tunic go.
"Are you sure Marle didn't just kick you?"
Crono nodded his affirmation.
"Maybe you need to go talk to Lucca."
Crono for a moment, bringing his left hand to his well chiseled chin, then agreed with a nod.
His mother went up to him and hugged him. "I love you, my son."
Crono wrapped his arms around her and kissed her on the cheek, then left.
A green Gate opened on a large island, previously solely occupied a single mountain. Hundreds of stout, silver-colored androids poured out of it. The right arm of the androids were humanoid, whereas its left had a long cylinder in place of the hand. The legs appeared to be too short for their bodies. They had small green orbs for eyes over the vocal emitter.
They were followed by a very large robot. Like the other androids, its body seemed too bulky for its short legs. Unlike the others, though, both arms were humanoid and there was a cannon of some sort resting on the left shoulder.
"B-870, report!" the giant robot ordered.
One of the smaller robots approached the giant. "Z-779, reports indicate that this earth is in the year 1010 AD. The continent shift on this earth was different to other earths. Low technology level, with an exception in the southwest. Most of it seems experimental, but there is something that is equal to our own level of technology. Short of that one thing, this earth should be no trouble to conquer."
"What is this 'one thing?'" Z-779 asked.
"We cannot tell," B-870 said. "We can only tell what the levels are, not what they are."
"I see. Let us take this possible threat out before it can hinder our plans."
Crono entered what appeared to be a laboratory. There were odd looking machines lined the stone walls, with tubes and wires running along the walls and floor. He almost tripped over the wires as he walked with his cape wrapped tightly around him. Crono remembered when he ordered the construction of this addition to the castle. He wondered now if that was a mistake.
The other two occupants of the lab were an older man and a woman about Crono's age. The man appeared to be in his mid to late forties with very muscular build. His sandy blonde hair was cut close to the scalp and and a well trimmed mustache to match, though it looked like he had not shaved a couple of days.
The young woman had a physical build, her legs and arms solid and well defined from lifting and moving heavy objects more times than she would like to recall. Her light hung down the sides of her face to her shoulders.
"Hey there, mi boy!" the man said, shaking Crono's hand with his massive, well calloused hand. He had trouble calling the man he was hoping would marry his daughter by his title, but Crono didn't mind.
At least someone's willing to treat me like a normal human anymore, the silent king thought to himself.
The man turned back to the woman. "Hey, Lucca! Look who's here!"
"Hi, Crono," Lucca said as she stood, wiping some grease off of her hands onto her dark green shorts and stained orange tee-shirt. "What can we do for ya?"
Crono took his cape off, revealing the blue tunic and brown trousers that he wore before he became king. A katana hung in its scabbard on his right hip.
The man grinned. "I wondered how long it would be before you'd get bored and want some adventure."
Lucca looked at Crono. "Marle doesn't know about this, does she?"
Crono shook his head. He walked over to the machine that rested in the back of the lab and hopped in. The machine appeared to be some sort of vehicle. It was painted white, with a glass dome canopy to protect the its passengers. On top of the canopy was a black fin with gold trim. Inside were several dials, switches, buttons, and gauges. It had a W-shaped steering wheel and three seats: one in the front and two in the back. Crono sat in one of the back seats.
"I'm comin' with you," Lucca said as she ran over to a desk. She opened the top drawer and grabbed a gun, a pistol-like weapon with a long capsule-shaped barrel. She then ran over to the machine Crono waited in and hopped into the front seat.
Crono looked at the man with a look of concern.
Lucca saw the look. "Dad, could you"
"Don't worry," her father interrupted. He turned to Crono. "I'll look after you mother and her Highness while you're gone."
The dome of the vehicle closed. Lucca's father walked over to a wench and started to turn it. This action caused the ceiling above them to open, moaning and creaking its inanimate protest as it did so.
Lucca flipped several switches and the engines roared to life. She pulled back on the steering wheel and the vehicle lifted into the air and through the opening in to roof. Once it was clear of the building black fin-like wings with gold trim folded out from the sides. Lucca piloted the clear of the castle. As it hovered over an open field Lucca turned back to Crono, hope for adventure glistening in her eyes. "So, when do you want Epoch to take us to today?"
Crono reached up and set the time gauge to October 10, 986 AD.
"986!?" Lucca said as she read the gauge. "Isn't that the year your father" The Epoch took off and vanished with a clap of thunder.
"Z-779, that thing is no longer on our sensors," B-870 said, turning fearfully to his commander.
Z-779 thought for a moment. "They must have a transporter, or a time machine!"
.