Final Fantasy Story Chapter 16
Kefka's Tower
By Nathan Jones
Kefka walked down the dark stairs leading to the Ceremony Room. As he walked, he tripped and almost fell.
“Damn these cursed stairs!” he said to himself. “Why can’t Fosoya set up his lab on the ground floor?” Slowly, a large door came into view. Kefka swung them open to find Relm lying on a table struggling to free herself.
“No no no.” he said to her. “I wouldn’t want you escaping when we are so very close to the time of your sacrifice.”
Relm cowered as Kefka bent down to her face.
“You know,” he said, “It’s been quite awhile since I’ve had the…pleasure of the company of a woman such as yourself.” He said as he ran his finger down Relm’s cheek.
“You’ll never get away with this.” She said.
With that Relm sunk her teeth into Kefka’s forefinger and bore down as hard as she could. Kefka screamed in pain and hit Relm with the back of his hand.
“You…. bitch!!!!” he cried, trying desperately to stop the flow of blood. “Oh you will pay! By the gods themselves you will pay you insolent wench!”
As Kefka struggled to soothe the pain from his mutilated finger, Fosoya stepped into the chamber. “Kefka.” He said with a deep tone, “Leave us. You must not be here to see this.”
“As you wish Fosoya.” Kefka replied. “But I will be back when the ceremony begins. Mark my words Relm!” he called back to Relm as he walked up the stairs, “Soon your blood shall be my everlasting life!”
With that, Fosoya bent down over the helpless girl and began to draw symbols of an ancient time. “Nak Kara Zak!” he chanted, “Oh Zeromus lord of demons, take this sacrifice and offer us your divine power. Oh Zeromus lord of demons, make this woman’s body a catalyst for your dark wishes.”
Relm screamed in pain as life itself was being sucked out of her. As she writhed in agony, the incantation suddenly came to an abrupt halt.
“Damn!” Fosoya screamed angrily. “You got lucky this time girl.” He said to Relm as she lay on the table, “However, the next time, you won’t be so lucky.”
**********
The Warriors of Light were hard pressed for time. It had taken longer than expected to get the dragons to follow Cyan and the others, so Locke, Celes, and Edgar would have to hurry if they wanted to find Relm in time. A maze of hallways now lay before them.
“Which way should we go?” Celes asked.
“Hmmmmm.” Edgar pondered, “I say we go that way. If it’s the wrong way, them we can always come back.”
“Good idea.” Locke shot in.
The group began running down the hallway. However, just as they were rounding a turn, a large imp suddenly stepped out from behind a wall. Edgar slashed through the creature with little effort. As they rounded the next turn, another imp, only slightly larger, came out from behind the wall. This time it took Edgar and Celes to kill the beast. More and more imps came out from behind every turn. And each time, they seemed to grow larger and larger until finally Edgar, Celes, and Locke rounded the final bend. They were quickly greeted by one of the largest imps they had ever laid eyes upon.
“Locke! Cover me!” Edgar shouted out.
With that, he rushed towards the monster at full speed ducking under the large axe, which the animal held onto. He then plunged his sword as far as he could strait into the chest of his victim. Locke also rushed towards the monster, but leaped into the air about halfway. As he came down, he swung his sword, striking the beast in neck. The monster howled in pain as he collapsed into a pile of bleeding flesh.
“Good work.” Edgar said as he tried to catch his breath.
“Thanks.” Locke huffed back, “Now lets go save Relm.”
They ran along another corridor, and spotted a cloaked figure, who quickly ran from the trio as soon as he was spotted.
“Halt!” Edgar cried out throwing a wooden pole at the man.
The pole struck the man in his back, and he collapsed onto the floor howling in pain.
“Where is Relm?” Edgar shouted at the man.
“I don’t know who you are talking about!” the man yelled back desperately trying to free himself.
“Liar!” Edgar screamed, “If you will not tell me, perhaps I’ll let my blade ask the questions!”
Edgar drew his sword and placed its sharp into the man torso slightly pushing until the man let out a yelp.
“Alright, alright I’ll tell you!” he screamed.
“Well then speak up fool!” Edgar warned, “For these words may be your last.”
“The young girl you call Relm is within her chambers higher up in the tower.” The man explained, “I don’t know how she got here, but Kefka had her locked in her room as soon as she arrived. Please let me go. I have to get out of here. This place is not safe!”
“Hmm.” Edgar said as he studied the man, “You look to be a monk. Very well. I will believe you since you are of the clergy. Go now.” He said tossing the man aside, “Get out of my sight before I change my mind.”
With that, Edgar, Celes, and Locke were left once again alone pondering where to go next.
“I say we climb higher.” Locke suggested, “For some reason, I believe what that monk has told us.”
“I agree.” Celes said, “We’d better keep going until we find her chambers.”
“Very well.” Edgar said, sheathing his blade. “Let’s hurry up and get this over with.”
************
Kefka finished bandaging his mutilated finger. The abrasions resulting from her bite had been deep, and Kefka cursed the girl forher stupidity.
“That bitch!” he said to himself. “Doesn’t she realize that the longer she goes on living, the more the world will suffer? I must get her to understand that if she lives, all shall surely perish. Ha! I know what I must do! I shall find a way to prove my point! Yes. If she sees just how horrible her vile existence is, she would gladly give her life for her friends.” He said with a snicker. “Mwahahahaha. Just you wait Relm.” He said to himself, “I will have what I want. And I will use ANY means necessary of getting it!”
************
Cyan stabbed Masamune into the hard earth beneath. A rumble sounded as the dark energy from the sword breathed life into the very ground.
“Nacsunumeamashiga!” Cyan chanted, “Oh great and wise swordsmen of ages, come to my aid and rid us of this vile beast. If thou wildst help us at anytime, I ask you great swordsmen lend us now your strength.”
With those words, the ground erupted in a gigantic blast of molten rock and lava, and the ghostly form of a wicked blade arose from the ashes. The sword then thrust itself forward into the atmosphere aiming straight towards the dragon’s heart. It found its target with a most sinister hiss and the dragon fell into a dive. As if by pure instinct, the dragon suddenly opened its mouth and spewed forth a great blast of lava from its bloodied mouth. The blast too also found its target and Cyan was caught in a whirlwind of fiery blaze. The flames burned more than anything Cyan had ever felt before, yet he was glad he had brought his trusty fire cape with him. He cloaked himself within the cape, and was shielded by most of the dangerous flames. When the last bit of smoke cleared, Cyan was left crouched underneath the cape, but not without sustaining a few minor burns. A few trusty healing spells from Setzer took care of his wounds, and the warriors went back to their task of keeping the dragons busy while their friends navigated Kefka’s tower.
“How much longer Cyan?” Gau shouted as he fought off a vicious ice dragon.
“Not too much longer!” Cyan yelled back, “In about a half hour’s time we will regroup with the others inside the tower and together we will all destroy that son of a bitch Kefka once and for all.”
“Sounds great!” Setzer put in, his hand continuously throwing his razor sharp trump cards at the winged beasts.”
“Hurry up!” Cyan shouted to everyone, “The quicker we dispatch these dragons, the quicker we can go save Relm!”
“Yes sir!” each of the remaining warriors shouted in unison.
They continued to fight off the dragons, unaware that the precious time, which they were working so hard for, was dangerously short in supply.
***********
Celes, Edgar, and Locke all burst into Relm’s chamber and surveyed the room for any sign of her. After running around the tower for what seemed like hours, fighting off monsters that grew larger and larger with each new room, the trio had managed to stumble on what they believed to be the room where Relm was being held. They were wrong in their assumption, and quickly realized it as they each surveyed the room.
“Where the hell could she be?!” Locke said trying to catch his breath.
“There!” Celes pointed.
The three quickly ran to the adjacent part of the chamber where they spotted several large keyholes in a hidden door.
“Damn!” Locke screamed, “We don’t have any of the keys!”
“Not to worry dear friend.” Edgar shot in, “I just happen to have this handy little gadget I like to call Betty with me.”
“May the gods bless you!” Celes shouted with joy, “Hurry light the bastard up!”
“With pleasure!” Edgar exclaimed.
With that, Edgar lit up the bomb and they all hid behind one of the tables in the room. Seconds later, there was a huge blast and the walls shook as a new door was opened before them. To their utmost horror, what they spied in that room was not at all what they expected. Hanging from the ceiling were hundreds of bodies of fallen monks.
“That sick bastard!” Celes exclaimed, as she buried her face in Edgar’s cloak.
“Tis all right my dear.” Edgar soothed, “I’m sure these monks felt nothing when they were killed. Must be why that monk that we passed earlier was so bent on getting out of this temple.”
Just then a figure dressed in ceremonial robes walked into the room. When he spotted Edgar and the group, he hastily turned around in an effort to go warn his master.
“Not so fast you little devil!” Edgar shouted to him.
Edgar pulled a wicked dagger from his belt and hurled it at the mystery guest. The dagger struck the man in the leg and he howled in pain as blood seeped from the freshly opened wound.
“You sir,” Edgar ordered, “are going to tell us ALL you know about the whereabouts of our friend Relm.
“I know of no one by that name!” the man spat back.
“Liar!” Celes shot in, “We know she was here at one time! If you don’t tell us what you know then may the gods have mercy on you for I will hold nothing back!”
“Ok, ok dear I shall tell you what I know.” The man said calmly. “It appears as though you have already stumbled on our secret chamber so let me enlighten you on why the dead are still here. This is the Room of Preparation. Within this room we use the dead bodies of those fallen monks to fuel the necessary incantations for the sacrifice.”
“Why so many bodies?!” Celes asked trying not to throw up.
“Because,” the man said, “The more bodies, the better the chance of the sacrifice being a success. However we have recently discovered that the bodies in this room are not shall we say “enough” for the incantations.”
“What the hell do you mean?!” Locke asked angrily, “There must be hundreds of monks in this room.”
“True lad, very true.” The man hissed, “But in order for the sacrifice to be complete, Relm must be sacrificed with someone most dear to her. So you see, that is why you have been able to get inside so “easily”. You and your precious friends will become catalysts for the master’s divine plan!” The man cackled.
“You truly are a pathetic worm.” Edgar said as he removed his sword from its scabbard. “And now you will join these monks in death.”
Edgar then plunged the sword deep into the chest of the man and watched as the man slowly died before him.
“Curse…..you.” he said. With that a cloud of smoke surrounded the group and a new figure stepped into the chamber.
“Wait!” Locke said, “I know this smoke! It must be…Shadow!” He exclaimed.
“Hello friends.” The dark ninja said, smoke curling around his stealthy frame. “What is the news on Relm?”
“Well, we know she’s not in THIS room at least.” Celes explained. “However we do know that the preparations for the sacrifice are nearly complete.”
“Then we have no time to waste.” Shadow said as he removed another one of his smoke bombs from his garb. “Come and stand next to me.”
He threw the bomb onto the ground and the group was shifted to another part of the tower. Little did they know that the bomb had taken them to a far worse place than the Room of Preparation.
***********
Fosoya worked busily to complete the tasks Kefka had set before him. The first was to secure the perimeter around the central core of the tower, where the ceremony would be held. He had dispatched one of his most vicious monsters to do the job, and smiled with satisfaction as he worked to complete his next assignment. He slipped on his ceremonial robe, and quickly made his way into the room where Relm was being held.
“Hello my dear.” He said as he watched Relm cower like a scared animal before him.
“I’ve told you a thousand times Fosoya!” Relm screamed at the mage, “You will never get away with this! I hold within me great power! I intend to use it to stop you, and your master Kefka! Just you wait! My friends will come for me, and when they do, we will destroy you and Kefka once and for all!”
“Hahahahahahaha” Fosoya bellowed, “My dear that is exactly what we are counting on.”
Relm tilted her head a bit confused at what Fosoya was telling her. “What do you mean?” she asked, a hint of worry in her voice.
“You will find out in due time.” Fosoya replied with a snicker. “As for now, your constant babblings are starting to irritate me.” He waved his hands around in a circular motion and released a magical powder into the air. “Sleep!” he shouted.
The powder shot forth at Relm like a beam of sand and before long, the young girl was put into a deep, dark sleep.
“Don’t you worry.” He whispered in her ear as she lay there unconscious on the table. “You will be fully awake when the time of the ceremony comes to pass.” Fosoya walked over to his table full of ancient scrolls and texts and picked them up into his arms. “As for me,” he said out loud, “I have to review these scrolls.”
He walked out of the room, slamming the door behind him. Relm lie there on the table, unaware that her life was growing shorter and shorter with each passing moment. Her friends were coming for her as she had said, yet if they didn’t get there soon, she would surely perish.
************
Outside the tower, Cyan and the others were dispatching the last of the dragons that guarded Kefka’s tower. The dragon’s, each of a single corresponding element, had put up quite a fight. Yet, in the end, Locke’s Dragon Horn, along with each warrior’s skill in battle, proved too much for the winged beasts. One by one they fell to the ground, collapsing in heaps of flesh and blood. As the last dragon was slain, Cyan motioned for the rest of the warriors to follow him into the castle. They ran as fast as they could, stopping only to go around the bodies of all the monsters Edgar and the other two warriors had slain.
“Wow.” Setzer said as he ran alongside Cyan. “Looks like they had their hands full.”
“I wouldn’t say that dear friend.” Cyan replied with a smile, “You and I both know that when those three team up, nothing can stand in their way.”
Setzer laughed at the thought and continued to run as fast as he could towards the tower. The band of warriors reached the tower within a few minute’s time, and steadily began the ascent of the large building. They passed through the maze of dead imps, the lengthy corridors of the great hall, and finally arrived in the Room pf Preparation. They looked upon the ghastly sight of all of the dead monks and Setzer spoke up.
“What do you suppose went on here?’ he asked, kicking a body aside. “The gods only know.” Cyan replied, “Yet I have a feeling that what we are dealing with here is more than what we anticipated. This looks to be some sort of massive sacrifice. Notice how all of the monks were killed in the same fashion.”
Setzer looked on and realized that Cyan was right. “All of them seem to have been killed by a sword wound directly to the heart.” He said aloud.
“Tis true lad.” Cyan agreed, “Come. We’d better look for the next flight of stairs. I have a feeling we have a lot more ground to cover.”
So, Cyan, Setzer, Gau, and all of the others made their way up the tower. Little did they know, that Kefka’s Tower was full of many more surprises yet to be discovered.