Uneasy Alliances Chapter 1
Defiance
By The Game God
11999 BC:
Magus stood silently in the center of his lair, deep inside a cave, in the mountain high above the Last Village. He had spent a year searching for his lost sister, the wise and beautiful Princess Schala, but to no avail. The sorcerer was ready to take more drastic steps to find her.
Magus cleared his mind, for only through clear thoughts could he enter the astral plain. Magus felt the room fade around him as a cold nothingness replaced his surroundings. Magus opened his eyes slowly and called, "Guru Jasper, I command you to appear."
In that same moment, Jasper, Zeal’s Guru of Time, appeared before the dark sorcerer. "You summoned me, Prince Janus?"
Magus glared at the Guru with his eerie, blank eyes, "That is no longer my name…" The Guru said nothing in return. "…I did summon you."
Guru Jasper nodded, "What do you wish of me, sorcerer?"
Magus paused before saying, "Give me the power to travel through time."
A stern look came to Jasper’s face, "Why do you wish to control the forbidden power?"
Magus turned away, "There is a person, the kindest and most caring person I’ve ever known, lost somewhere in time. I wish only to save her."
Guru Jasper nodded, "I understand, but I cannot help you."
Magus turned around sharply, "You must! My sister’s life depends on it!"
Guru Japer shook his head; "The Space-Time Continuum is far too weak. It is far too dangerous to risk the safety of all time periods for the life of just one woman."
Magus clenched his fist, "If you won’t help me, then I will find my own way!" At that the illusion of the astral plain faded and Magus returned to his lair. His directive was clear, he had to find a way to save Schala.
l l l l l l l
11998 BC:
After a year of toiling, Magus had formed a mighty talisman, a crystal with the power to send who ever used it through time. He called it the Chronixtal. Magus flipped through the pages of his journals and tomes of knowledge, trying to find a way to avoid the problem at hand. It was no use; he couldn’t save Schala alone. He knew that he had to choose someone to help him. Fortunately, he knew someone who could help him, unfortunately, that someone knew him. Magus stood in the center of his lair and held the Chronixtal high above his head. Magic energy began to surround the talisman as Magus was drawn in and hurled through time.
AD 602:
The Knights of the Square Table were in a joyous mood. The last remnants of the Mystic Régime had been obliterated, the queen was carrying the heir to the throne of Guardia in her womb, and the courageous knight, Glenn had returned and taken his rightful place as Knight Captain.
The knights were sitting around the Square Table, singing and drinking ale when waves of swirling light began to appear above them. They had barely stood to investigate when Magus, wrapped in his ebony cloak, dropped onto the table. The knights immediately dropped their mugs and reached for their swords. Magus drew his scythe and the battle ensued. Several knights leapt onto the table, only to meet the blunt end of Magus’ scythe. Whirling the curved blade around, Magus deflected every sword blow with great ease. "I did not come here for any of you!" Magus shouted. He channeled his dark power and released his Dark Matter attack on the Guardian Knights. The black energy electrified them and eventually forced them all to the ground, unconscious.
Magus stood atop the Square Table when the door to the Knight’s Chamber burst open. There stood the amphibious Knight Captain, Glenn. He drew the Masamune; the light it reflected hurt Magus’ eyes. "I have been waiting for this day, Magus." he said. "I wouldn’t kill you at the North Cape, that day had already seen too much death, but here in Guardia, you are still perceived as the monster you are."
Glenn ran forward and leapt at the sorcerer. Magus held out his hand and magic energy leapt from his fingers and tore through the Knight Captain, forcing him back against the far wall. Glenn stood up as Magus threw his scythe to the floor.
"Don’t think that will save you, Magus." Glenn shouted.
Magus glared at the knight; "Perhaps you should see yourself." Glenn looked into the blade of the Masamune. The face he saw there was he hadn’t seen in years. He saw a strong human face with dark green hair atop the head and on the chin. Glenn looked at his arm; it was strong and well defined. He was human again.
Glenn looked up at the dark sorcerer, "Explain yourself, I at least owe you that much."
"I need your help," Magus began.
Glenn interrupted him with a laugh, "Why should I help you?"
"This is not for me, it is for my sister."
Glenn thought back to the woman in Zeal, she was enchantingly beautiful, long silvery-blue hair, soft, fair skin, deep violet eyes and a tall slender body wrapped in flowing violet robes. Her’s was a face Glenn would not soon forget.
"What has happened to the Princess Schala?" Glenn asked.
Magus sighed, "I do not know, but this," he held up the Chronixtal, "… will lead us to her."
Glenn approached the Square Table, "Why do you need me?" he said, picking up Magus’ scythe.
"When we find Schala, I must keep the gateway open with the Chronixtal, therefore I need someone else to save Schala."
Glenn jumped up onto the Square Table, "Why me? Why not Crono or Ayla or one of the others?"
Magus paused, "I remember from when I was a child, how you looked at Schala when she freed you and your allies from the energy field after you fought the Golem. I was there as the Prophet, too. The eyes don’t lie, Glenn."
Glenn handed the scythe back to Magus. "Very well, for Schala, then."
Magus placed his hand on Glenn’s shoulder and held the Chronixtal high in the air. In a flash of light, they were gone, their destination: the past.
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