The Slave Crown

The Slave Crown

Written by: Sean James Leith

Terra Branford

Long ago, the War of the Magi reduced the world to a scorched wasteland, and Magick simply ceased to exist. 1000 years have passed… Iron, gunpowder, and steam engines have been rediscovered, and high technology reigns…

But there are those who would enslave the world by reviving the dread destructive power known as “Magic.” Could it be that those in power are on the verge of repeating a senseless and deadly mistake?

             Terra glanced over the lip of the great chasm between her and the town of Narshe. She sat atop her massive robotic suit - coined “Magitek Armor” from its ability to use the power of weaponized magick. A machine over three men in height, weight of fifty, with blackened steel skin. Feet like large steeled hooves, connected to the body with hardened metal legs lined with broad cables. The wind atop the snowy mountain path howled by stinging her ears from the cold.

Vicks and Wedge pulled up either side of her with heavy machine steps in their magitek suits to look outward from the peninsula. “There’s the town…” Vicks surmised.

“It’s hard to believe an esper’s been found there, 1000 years after the war of the magi.” Wedge said. An esper…she thought. A being of great magical power, vanishing after the war a millenia ago. Able to harness great destruction at will - but how was it here, after all those years? Magick disappeared along with them. Why did they return? Why now?

“Do you think it’s still alive?” Vicks replied.

“...probably, considering the urgency of the orders.”

Vicks shuffled in his seat nervously. Terra saw him as a fairly unsettled individual. His large metal suit swung around toward her with its large clawed arms at point. “What about this...this...sorceress. Why’s she here?” his hand shook as he pointed toward Terra.

“Not to worry. The slave crown causes her to follow orders from Kefka.” Wedge’s confidence seemed to reassure him. He seemed frightened, but glad that she was on their side.

“She’s a witch. I hear she burned fifty of the military’s best soldiers in minutes - on Kefka’s command - just to see her potential and the effectiveness of that crown. Fifty!” He glanced back to Terra with a curious eye looking upon the bronze headgear she wore. “I haven’t seen her in combat - but I really wish they don’t resist...so I don’t have to find out.” He sighed with a shudder.

Wedge began to walk his magitek armor back off of the peninsula impatiently. “Quit your whining, Vicks. It’s fine. We’ll move in from the west. Move out!”

The three massive piloted machines traversed down the snowy chasm slope toward the steam-powered town of Narshe. In the distance, one could see the northern mountains where the mine resided. Narshe was a mine-based town, where the recent discovery was made. Closer and closer they approached, seeing columns of steam and light rising from the town’s skyline behind the visage of falling snow. Trees surrounded the approach, snow-covered and weighed down - but resilient from years of almost eternal winters from it’s proximity to the north pole. The walk was long, but easy due to the massive machines carrying them along three feet above the deep snow.

Terra had no control over her actions. She knew what she had to do, and had no choice in the matter. Her mind was numbed, body helpless in function aside from orders. Helpless to her commanders and her leader via the bronze prison atop her head.

“My sweet little magick user!” The man bellowed tremulously. “Uweee, he, he! With this Slave Crown I’ll practically own you!” he said. A freak of a human, if he could even be called that - wearing clothing of a jester, face make up hiding his expressions and true face. His laugh was his hallmark - a tremulous one, high pitched with a hint of mania. She sat in a darkened steel wall-lined room, her hands buckled into a metal chair. He swished around her slowly, lightly gliding his hand across her shoulder, up to her face off her chin. She wrenched away uncomfortably as he graced her with a skin-crawling smile from end to end accompanied by his ecstatic murderous eyes. He was holding a circular bronze-coloured piece of headgear. “Don’t worry my dear. It won’t hurt...much.” His smile never broke. He glided like a ghost across the floor, as if his feet had no impact upon the ground. He carefully guided the headgear onto her head as she felt a powerful sting shoot through her brain like a wildfire’s blaze. She screamed aloud in a shrill tone until the pain quickly faded. Everything seemed to dull, then - fear, anguish, pain - also happiness...and hope.

             “That guy really creeps me out.” Vicks complained. “He spits orders and has no respect for anyone. It’s almost creepy how much he enjoys chaos - funny, for a general. But it’s as if he enjoys pain.” He chuckled uncomfortably. Kefka was a general of the emperor’s armies, one of three - Leo Cistrophe, the true soldier, honorable, strong, and true. Celes Chere, the rune knight, infused with the power of magitek at birth. Lastly, Kefka Palazzo, the maniac, the ruthless, whatever name you give him - he unsettled everyone around, and yet - his wish was Terra’s command.

“Don’t let the creep hear you say that. I hear he gives lashes for complaints, and he does them himself...while bellowing his really freaky laugh.” Wedge gave him a sharp tone, while agreeing, understood the consequences of such beliefs. He stopped abruptly. “...we’re here. Time to work.”

             The tired town was lined with sandy wooden and brick houses and snowy roofs. Each house had their own contraptions, wheels, pulleys, steam-powered generators, with many gold-coloured machines heating water and lighting the homes within the town.  Brick streets and alleyways were covered in snowy streets, filled with footprints from the day’s workers. It was early into the morning, with dawn approaching slowly. The stars filled the northern sky as sand on a beach - adding an additional bit of beauty to the moon-lit mining town. It was hard to believe that an esper - a powerful ancient being of magick - was here. What would they find, she wondered - how would it react?

As they approached the arch entering the quiet streets, four men ran into their path. “Halt! Who goes there?!” One man in the middle yelled, clearly the leader of the group. He looked disgruntled, knowing how ridiculous his question was, considering the massive machines they sported, insignia in crimson and black.

Wedge let out a bold guffaw. “We’re soldiers of the empire, you fool.” He stated angrily. “We’re here for the esper, take us to it. Now.”
The men shuddered but stood their ground. “We’ll never let you have it! Get them!”

             The Magitek machines lit up and shot beams of fire, electricity and ice at the incoming men, throwing them back against the wall. Glanced beams blew against the stone monoliths behind leaving fissures in the wall. Two men dodged around the beams and lept to climb onto the magitek suits. Their machine clawed hands quickly swiped into them, impaling their lightly leathered torsos, spilling blood from the wounds as they were thrown back toward the wall.

“Shit. We have get going fast. Lets move, you, take point!” Wedge commanded, motioning to Terra. The crashing sound of metal feet on brick rang throughout the alleyways as they charged through the snow down the main path to the back of the city. More warriors wrapped in cloth garbs and leather ran out of the alleys accompanied by vicious wolves. No matter how many came at them, the blasts from the massive machine bodies fried each of them as they came, vaporizing the snow beneath them as well.

             They were no match for the awe-striking power of magitek. Terra blindly fired the cannons at her disposal, feeling no emotion, no remorse, no regret. She did as she was instructed - get the esper, by any means necessary. Kill all who resist.

             Vicks and Wedge were behind her, covering the back. the large mechanical arms swinging wildly, slashng and impaling Narshe’s warriors who resist the empire’s reign. When the snow settled, the magitek suits laid untouched, with all Narshe soldiers mauled, burned and broken. Not many came to fight them, it was a simple, small neutral town. Water pooled at their feet from the flame-melted snow in the area. While Vicks and Wedge were indeed proficient with their machines, Terra was a step further - frying enemies twice the number, as if her machine was empowered by her mere presence in the seat. She knew not how, just knew it was.

             The empire thrived under a lust for power, or so they say. The mighty Emperor Gestahl was resurrecting the power of magick to conquer. Even a fool knew why Narshe resisted - they didn’t want the empire to acquire more fuel for their fire of war. The three moved on with no remorse for the dead. Missions came first, and these men were betrayers.

             As they passed through the north exit of the town, the sight of the crag walls of Mt. Narshe. Unforgiving cliffs with high paths from the upper mines, the path they walked were visited by fallen miners in the past, slipping on the icy rims of the mountain. Moving inward, they approached the door of the mine. A massive opening, 20 feet wide and 40 feet tall - plenty of room for the mighty armor carrying them.

             Approaching the arch, the dank, moist smell of wet stone and iron walls filled their nostrils. The mine was empty - save for a few rats running around the rocky ground. Wooden supports lined the walls, after all, the mine was still in use. A strong supplier for the empire, which was why they remained functional. But the mine was currently abandoned, out of fear of the powerful being now found within. Their sources stated the esper was found in a new section on the main floor of the mine. Terra, Vicks and Wedge turned on the front lights of their suits as they progressed further into the dark mine. A hallowed gentle sound echoed throughout. She glanced to VIcks and Wedge on her flanks, neither seemed affected by it.

As they progressed deeper into the mine, the sound grew louder. a resounding, oscillating hum slowly pounding at her like a bump in the night. “Do you hear that?” She finally asked them. “...hear what?” Wedge bluntly returned. She didn’t grace him with a reply.

The sound seemed to amplify from every wall it bounced upon. She couldn’t tell where it was coming from, aside from further in. Could it be the esper? She thought. Why could only she hear it? Vicks and wedge gave her confused looks as she looked more and more uncomfortable. Her magitek armor sauntered awkwardly as she held her head. The sound hummed louder and louder as they approached a large opening which grew into a massive foyer. A dome lined with wooden supports and iron veins embedded in the rocky walls. The sound made her feel as though her entire body vibrated viciously from resounding waves emanating from the ice sphere now visible before them.

             “Finally, here it is.” Vicks said nervously. “Wh...what do we do with it?” The esper was a mystical sight; a massive frozen prison, hidden within the ice was the powerful being known as an esper. It was eerily beautiful - it looked like a huge red-skinned serpent, with four massive clawed arms, and the wings of an angel. Its fangs bared in anger, or agony, it was difficult to tell. How did it end up here?

             Terra was unsettled, yet now soothed by the sound. Her headache was gone. She saw things more clearly, almost as if she could think independently. She couldn’t help herself. Terra needed to get closer - slowly moving toward the esper, ahead of Vicks and Wedge.

“Hey, watch it, witch. I’m supposed to carry it.” Wedge growled.

She barely heard him, mesmerized by the exotic - almost frightening - beauty of the esper. A powerful magical being in their presence sadly going to be used by the empire. Wedge had ordered her to stop, but for the first time in years, she resisted. She did not obey him, as she drew closer to it. Standing before it, she felt a voice crawl into her head. She barely understood it. “Power” it said. Followed by random scattered syllables she could not process. “You” another word.

“Us” She didn`t understand what it was trying to say.

“What is your name?” She finally said aloud. The slave crown rendered her almost unable to speak, Vicks and Wedge stood shocked.

“Valigarmanda” She found it to be a name of power and beauty both.

“What the hell are you doing!?” Wedge yelled. She could hardly hear his voice, followed by the sound of mechanical footsteps approaching her quickly.

“No.” The voice said.

Wedge began to scream. His voice gave a soul-curdling cry as it faded into nothing, as he and the armor he occupied disappeared with the sound of a deafening high-pitched screech.

“Wh...what the hell? What did you do?! Wedge!” Vicks ran toward the space he had occupied.

“No!” the voice yelled. The same screech echoed through the mine as Vicks bellowed in pain as if he was being torn apart by wolves. In an instant, he was gone as well. She was alone. Unaffected by the resounding, oscillating sound - now mesmerized by it’s mythical voice.

The voice continued speaking to her in convoluted ways. The voice began to sting her with every word. It was too much, as if every word was a fire lit within her brain. She called out in pain, gripping her head on either side attempting to cover her ears, noticing this voice was not a sound for the ear but the mind - telepathic. It did not stop. Her mind shrieked in agony. A bolt of lightning extended from it’s head within the ice to hers. The sear from the bolt did not make her pain worse. It helped her understand one last sentence:

“We are one.”

The voice faded.

Everything went black.

---

             Terra`s eyes opened to sandy-brick walls and wooden ceilings. Bright oil lamplight filled the room. Her mind was weak, stomach turning aggressively. Where am I? She thought. She slowly lifted herself up, and felt...free.

             Getting out of the hard bed, her vision drew to a middle-aged man walking into the room. “You’re awake!” He exclaimed. He ran to her with the bronze headgear in his hands. The man had light brown hair, intermingled with greys and whites. His thin frame and stature showed a confident yet nervous demeanor. “Hey, slow it down...I just took this off! I can’t believe you’re already awake.”

             She felt light headed, as if all the blood had left her brain. “Head...hurts…” She barely choked out the words. “I don’t remember...what happened?|

The man looked concerned. “My name is Alvis. I’m here to help. This is a ‘slave crown’ - I don’t know how long it was used on you for.”

She had no idea who he was, but he seemed like he wanted to help her. But why? She thought. Her head was fuzzy, unable to focus. “I can’t remember...anything...” She mumbled, shaking her head.

“Don’t worry, it’ll all come back with time, I’m sure. Just try to concentrate.” Alvis attempted to encourage her.

She tried to concentrate in her lightened state. It was all an impenetrable fog - she couldn’t see anything in the past. All she could remember was one thing: “....m...my name is...Terra…” She involuntarily collapsed to the floor once more, barely hearing the sound of Alvis’ panicked voice.

---

              Terra was shaken awake by Alvis this time, aggressively. His forehead was lined with sweat, eyes with panic. “Wake up, wake up! You have to go, run!”

“Wh...what?” She questioned. She knew next why.

Fierce knocking followed from the door. “Open up! Give us the girl and the magitek armor! She’s an officer for the empire!” The man’s voice yelled. She jumped out of bed as Alvis ran to the door of her room.

Terra slowly walked to Alvis in utter confusion. “Empire? Magitek armor…?” She did not know what either of them meant.

“I told you, open up, or we’ll break it down!” The man yelled again.

Alvis ran to the back of the house, motioning fiercely at a door to the outside. “I have no time to explain. You have to escape! The only way is through the mines. Go out this door, take the bridge to the cliff on the other side. There is a straightforward path through the mines, out of the town. Make your way south to the deserts - to Figaro! It’s the only castle out there, they will help you! The esper is fine, it was relocated higher on the mountain after we found you.” He motioned to a door with even more emphasis. “Hurry! I’ll keep them occupied!”

She did not know quite what she was getting into, but her gut told her she needed to trust Alvis, and that the other way out was not an option.

She rushed out the door, to a long, wooden bridge crossing over the mining town. She recognized her surroundings, but did not know why.
             “There she is! Get her!” Angry voices called out from below. They could not reach her, they had to catch up. There was no time to waste. Terra ran as quickly as her weakened legs could carry her. Her mind still fogged, body still aching. She felt as though her attempt to escape was useless. As she reached the other end of the bridge, a large opening in the mountain was waiting for her. Torchlight warmed the cavern with it’s glow. Dashing through the mine, she dodged around crags and uneven rock underfoot. She heard the yelling of soldiers approaching, she felt her legs burn in their weakness. Her run slowed in surrender as she ran into two soldiers approaching from her front. “Aha! Found you!” One of them yelled. She dodged into an alcove, with two men running up behind her. “Come with us, witch! There’s nowhere to run.” One growled. Witch? She thought. Why was she a witch? She did not understand how they knew her, or how she got this name. As she backed into the corner, the floor beneath her began to weaken and crack, falling out. She yelped in surprise as she fell through the floor to the caves below. Hitting the stone ground below, she hit her head. The fog in her mind thickened once more, everything went black as she collapsed to the ground, helpless.

To be continued…

Next week’s story: A Rude Awakening (Based on the Xenosaga game series)

Next chapter of Final Fantasy VI (Date TBD): “A Treasure Hunter’s Principle”

This story was based on the events in Final Fantasy VI, all rights reserved to Square-Enix Co. Ltd.